im looking for a tablet but my budget is limited and for 200$ the fire falls in to that money slot perfectly .
after its rooted is the fire tablet that can be used for everyday use say
twitter .. facebook etc etc
thanks for any and all information
Earlier today someone posted almost the same questions: "Should I buy a Kindle Fire"
It has no micro sd, no camera, no microphone, and no bluetooth. If you want to use it for viewing media, games, contacts, calendar etc., it's great.
For what its worth, I use it everyday and I quite like it. I miss the microphone (for tuning my guitar) and hardware volume controls though.
Facebook, Twitter etc are not a problem at all. I am on CM7, btw.
Sent from my Kindle Fire using Tapatalk
For $200, you cant go wrong. Its also a great game platform- Riptide is awesome on the Kindle.
Sent from my Kindle Fire using xda premium
I agree, Kindle Fire's awesome! There are some features it could have like my iPad. But for the price, you cant got wrong.
seltaeb said:
For what its worth, I use it everyday and I quite like it. I miss the microphone (for tuning my guitar) and hardware volume controls though.
Facebook, Twitter etc are not a problem at all. I am on CM7, btw.
Sent from my Kindle Fire using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can get this plug-in mic for $1.30 w/shipping. I use it to tune my guitar (using the gstrings app) and make recordings:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00277EMQ2/ref=oh_o02_s00_i00_details
It' great for light use. Web browsing, watching netflix, etc.
I don't have any comment about the stock Amazon software (only used it long enough to root and install TWRP and CM7).
The hardware is quite nice, however. Very solid construction — maybe a bit heavy, but the result is a satisfying feel.
The user experience is very good under the unofficial CM7 ports, even though they are still relatively early in development. As the available AOSP/CM ROMs mature, I think the UX will be excellent, especially ICS.
Some will see the lack of camera and microphone as a disadvantage. Obviously the KF isn't tailor-made for Skype. But I don't need or want every device I own to be able to look at me, listen to me, pinpoint itself on a map, etc. For web browsing, reading, media viewing, and probably gaming, I think the KF's capabilities are probably fine. It already does a much better job at Google Earth than my friend's iPad 2, with the exception of not having GPS.
It's worth noting that the KF appears to have hardware controllers for both GPS and Bluetooth, but it's not clear that either device is connected to an antenna. If not, obviously they won't work without hardware mods.
grvthang said:
You can get this plug-in mic for $1.30 w/shipping. I use it to tune my guitar (using the gstrings app) and make recordings:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00277EMQ2/ref=oh_o02_s00_i00_details
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I gather from this that the headphone jack includes microphone capability...so I would think you could use a stereo cell phone headset and the wifi to make calls using skype (voice only). Has any body tried this and how well did it work?
I think that what we have with the Kindle Fire is this kind of amazing intersection of price-point and brand name recognition.
At $199 you can get a lot of people in the door and the Amazon name backing it and maintaining an app store lets consumers know that the company behind the device is actually serious about it and, unlike some of the competition, isn't going out of business any time soon.
Where all of this wonderfully manifests itself for us as tech enthusiasts is in how quickly the device was rooted, how quickly meaningful recovery options were made available, and how many ROMs/firmwares/OSs are already in some stage of working and working well whether that's in a state of alpha, beta, or stable release.
There are better tablets out there but at $199 and with this much of a solid scene hammering on the thing you'd be hard pressed to find a better entry point into tablets.
Yes. You'll love it. Neilson is a jack***.
hdmunger said:
I gather from this that the headphone jack includes microphone capability...so I would think you could use a stereo cell phone headset and the wifi to make calls using skype (voice only). Has any body tried this and how well did it work?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There is already a very long thread on that. The microphone only works on some apps.
Sent from my Gingervolt-ed VS910 4G using xda premium
nxd said:
It's worth noting that the KF appears to have hardware controllers for both GPS and Bluetooth, but it's not clear that either device is connected to an antenna. If not, obviously they won't work without hardware mods.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I knew about the bluetooth, but I hadn't heard of a GPS in it. If there were some way to make bluetooth and GPS active on the Fire it'd be really awesome for it's price.
Works Great
Once its rooted, it works fantastic. If you cant get it rooted, then other options that give you proper android market access are better. There are just too many important android apps missing from the Amazon App Store right now for it to work as an everyday tablet for everyone out of the box.
I'd also have liked to see Amazon go with a MicroSD slot instead of incorporating the 8gb of "internal" micro sd storage (surely that would have been cheaper from a production standpoint?).
At any rate, mine is rooted, and works great.
I actually prefer the default of the kindle over the honeycomb and gingerbread launchers. the only thing it's missing is a way to switch tasks quickly.
hardware is nice and solid, a bit on the heavy side.
Sent from my Kindle Fire using Tapatalk
It's my primary web device for evening browsing - I'm using it to write this now.
Gaming is nice, Convo for forum posting (needs Android Market), Dolphin HD for secure and compatible web browsing...
Your average consumer can probably live without ever rooting this puppy, but for me, without Swype, I wouldn't be willing to use it for any writing more than a sentence. And it's pretty sad to not have the standard Market and Google apps... But once you fix those, turn off root and be happy.
Fire is a very nice tablet -- I bought my daughter one for Christmas,and after using it for a day or so I really like it. I also picked up an HTC EVO View 4G 7" tablet on sale for $229, free shipping, no tax, and no contract. Hence,this tablet only cost me $17 more than buying the Fire locally. The View has dual cameras, Bluetooth, 32 gig, a micro sd slot, and now honeycomb. So if these features are important to you, you could look for one on sale for a similar price -- sales on this tablet seem to be popping up everywhere as of late. I must say, however, the Fire seems just a tad faster (dual core vs single core 1.5 GHz). And the Fire interface is dead simple to use (although not as flexible as Honeycomb). Although both tablets are different, they're both awesome - you really can't go wrong either way. Based on my searching, these are the two best tablet deals right now. I also got my wife an iPad 2 for Christmas, and it's awesome too. Just a bit too big for my liking, and I paid less for the combo of Fire and View than for the iPad alone. Gotta love the Android tablets for that!
grvthang said:
You can get this plug-in mic for $1.30 w/shipping. I use it to tune my guitar (using the gstrings app) and make recordings:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00277EMQ2/ref=oh_o02_s00_i00_details
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, this is interesting. I have a few mics lying around, will give them a try first. Thanks a mil.
If you're willing to sacrifice full-fledged feature-rich experience for the cheaper price, it's totally worth it. And, if you're willing to flash custom ROMs on it eventually, even more so.
The fire is amazing in my opinion, but what you HAVE to remember when your buying this is its 200 dollars, so you can't expect anything near an Ipad experience. I personally love it for games, web browsing, netflix, light music, and pretty much just enjoying media. So far its been able to do everything I wanted it to do, except up the storage capacity haha, but other than that its been perfect. Its really up to what your looking for.
Related
I'm currently owning a Nook Color. I wanted it for reading books, reading pdfs (I can't find a lagfree Android pdf Reader!), browsing web and playing around.
I'm not happy with it. I'm from Germany, I payed about 300€ all in all for it with taxes and shipping costs.
I simply miss that I can't get any accessoires for it, that I don't have mobile Internet and the touchscreen makes problems.
I don't have a cellphone currently, I'm thinking about getting a case that let's me use my iPod as cellphone. But somehow I'd rather have a Samsung Galaxy Tablet, because I don't like it to have a device that wasn't ment to be an tablet and really is not a good tablet and together with the case for the iPod (70€) the SGT isn't a lot more expensive.
I think that I would still get about 200-250€ for my NC. I saw the Samsung Galaxy Tab for 350-400€on ebay.de.
What do you Samsung Galaxy Tab owners think, should I sell my NC to get a Samsung Galaxy Tab or should I stick with it?
PS: can one actually connect the tab to a TV with a video cable?
Well, I think you will get a lot more with the Galaxy Tab.
Overall I find it very usable and I enjoy it. Files in PDF can be read using Adobe reader and many others. I got Documents to Go and it gives me ability to read and edit MS format documents as well.
The Tab has everything that regular laptop has, plus GPS, compass, and cellular phone. You can get maps and navigation any time your need. GPS works better than on any phone because of the better antenna. Signal to noise ratio is more than 10 times higher. It should be noted that it supports Wifi at 5GHz in addition to 2.4GHz.
You can also make and receive phone calls while listening music through Bluetooth.
Overall Nook has a small fraction of the Tab's functionality.
Connecting the Tab to TV requires HDMI multimedia dock and HDMI cable with a small form factor connector on the dock side. You can also use Wifi streaming.
I would definitely vote for the Tab.
I'm in the DC area, i'm selling my galaxy tab for $350
Hi Diemex,
I use my galaxy tab in exactly the way you describe, I'm a postgrad student so I read ALOT of pdf files on my tab using Repligo to add comments to them and dropbox to sync with my desktop. I use Miren browser for 90% of my home web browsing and pulse reader for getting the news at Uni.
The tab is really stable on the modaco rom, but development isn't as fast as the NC, sometimes I wish there was more development, then I remind myself that functionality wise the tab has all the bases covered. When better kit comes along that the devs favour I will upgrade once the price falls. Until then the tab ticks all the boxes for me.
Edit: I'm waiting for an RCA cable to.arrive so that I can plug it into a T.V. via a scart adaptor.
The Tab is a good step up from the NC.
The rca cables are cool and allow me to stream movies and play games via the tab.
Protected movies like ones from the samsung movie site do not play through though
Sent from my GT-P1000 using XDA App
I should have waited
dannyxda said:
I'm in the DC area, i'm selling my galaxy tab for $350
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am in the area too and wanted to get a T-Mobile one... And ended up paying a pretty penny.
To respond to thre OP--the size and hardware are its best attributes.
The software is a total nightmare. It is slow, no updates in sight, missed key presses ... I am annoyed. I am not even trying to do anything complicated with it! No rooting, no cooked roms, just stock device.
It's like they are pushing crap and once they sell the stock they move on to other versions.
Save your money. Samsung built this thing well but it is half-baked and the developent on it has just fizzled out on this site. I have very limited skills or I would be porting and helping.
Oh, the Nook Color thing. KEEP IT. It is much better quality and the development for it is still rockin. Hello, it has a Honeycomb port. The Tab is nowhere near that and again, devs have moved on it seems.
sbrownla said:
To respond to thre OP--the size and hardware are its best attributes.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thats what I like about the NC too.
The software is a total nightmare. It is slow, no updates in sight, missed key presses ... I am annoyed. I am not even trying to do anything complicated with it! No rooting, no cooked roms, just stock device.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I didn't look to bad to me.
I did all the rooting, overclocking stuff with my NC and it simply didnt make the device better.
Save your money. Samsung built this thing well but it is half-baked and the developent on it has just fizzled out on this site.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The more limited a device it the more devs & hackers are interested in it....
For what should I wait - for Honeycomb Tegra 10.1 inch tablets?
I want a small versatile tablet for a good price
Oh, the Nook Color thing. KEEP IT. It is much better quality and the development for it is still rockin.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I also thought that that is a big plus. But it doesnt compensate for it lacking a lot of hardware. And the quality of it is definetely not better than the SGT. The case is creacky and I'm getting frequent qhost taps and times when the display isnt working at all.
Hello, it has a Honeycomb port. The Tab is nowhere near that and again, devs have moved on it seems.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Great a Honeycomb port, have you ever tried that port out? It's completely useless. I've been changing firmwares and kernels and all that stuff for the last 2 weeks and still ended up with froyo being the best.
I take my NC with me everywhere nearly, but it just has not enough functionality, and I'm thinking of leaving it simply at home to read books.
Personally, I am totally in love with my SGT. I have rooted and have overcome ROM 1.2.1 with the new overcome 2.0.1 kernel, and it is just awesome Although I liked it beforehand, and it was certainly well usable, the ROM/kernel made it a lot better.
I take mine absolutely everywhere, and it does everything for me.
Yeah, I have seen some of those Honeycomb ports, not the nook one but other SDK ports on other devices.... to be honest, personally, I would rather wait for the source to be released and a proper port to be done. These SDK "Ports" are just horrible. (Not trying to hijack at all, but really guys? You all really want a nearly totally non-functional port? First thing everyone will do is ***** that things don't work, but I digress)
In the meantime, my tab works Great I would definitely recommend one, especially if you like the portability a 7" device offers. From what I understand the screen is similar to, if not better than, the NC for book reading, and that is one thing my tab is used for a lot.
It is also my phone, portable media player (plays pretty much every format I've thrown at it, and plays 720p and 1080p stuff quite smooth, obviously scaled down for the screen res but still), portable Internet, and all round mate impresser
I don't think that there will be any affordable 7 inch tablet coming out this year (for me^^).
Also if they have better hardware and stuff like that - it would be simply like putting a porsche motor in a opel corsa (or some other car).
The companies try to make the customers believe that when one has a device with a better/great hardware, that one can automatically do more with it, or that it runs better.
With all the great tablet-apps that support dualcore processors that will definetely be the case this year. (sarcasm).
I can't think of a better 7'inch tablet for this prize (~350€)
At this time I can see only one future contender in the same 7inch category: HTC Flyer.
It promises scripting capability using bluetooth stylus that might be very useful.
I had a quite a few Palms and used scripting a lot. Also I had two HTC Android phones and built quality was very good.
the only thing that makes it better is that "magical" pen, but it's going to be 699$ and it's not out yet.
dannyxda said:
I'm in the DC area, i'm selling my galaxy tab for $350
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So am i! same place and price. its the vzw version
{Diemex} said:
the only thing that makes it better is that "magical" pen, but it's going to be 699$ and it's not out yet.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Actually i'd say that the fact that HTC have stated that it will get Honeycomb is more interesting than the "pen" IMO.
Regards,
Dave
SGT will also get honeycomb, if not from samsung, then definetely from the devs or hackers.
I've got both and the tab is definatly a better choice.
@op by reading your remarks I can tell you are a pretty smary consumer. go with your inner voice and get the tab.
Unless ofcourse you just want to wait and see what coming but I doubt it will be much different in the near future.
Galaxy Tabs.....Worth every penny!!
Just picked up a SGT from VZW for $170 w/2yr contract.
Sent from my SCH-I800 using Tapatalk
Nice,
Just went back to stock,
pdfviewing works great and fluent, I think stock is the best choice for standard consumer.
But still I'm quite sure that I'm going to buy the tab, it's going to last longer, or I think I will use it longer.
I looked at it at a local Shop,
put in my sdcard with apk's and pdfs, I was just messing around, trying out everything, the tab could even open my 350mb 250 pages fallout 3 game guide, nook takes for ever to load it.
It simply looked like the perfect all in one device that I was actually looking for, somehow got the Nook to try the tablet thing out, now it's time to upgrade my tablet.
rob61280 said:
Hi Diemex,
I use my galaxy tab in exactly the way you describe, I'm a postgrad student so I read ALOT of pdf files on my tab using Repligo to add comments to them and dropbox to sync with my desktop. I use Miren browser for 90% of my home web browsing and pulse reader for getting the news at Uni.
The tab is really stable on the modaco rom, but development isn't as fast as the NC, sometimes I wish there was more development, then I remind myself that functionality wise the tab has all the bases covered. When better kit comes along that the devs favour I will upgrade once the price falls. Until then the tab ticks all the boxes for me.
Edit: I'm waiting for an RCA cable to.arrive so that I can plug it into a T.V. via a scart adaptor.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well your wait has finished:
www.expansys.it/samsung-galaxy-tab-cavo-tv-out-204239/
Note that this way the tablet works with its own battery when tv connected differently from the powered hdmi dock
I was bitter yesterday. Very bitter.
I wish I still had my Nook Color sometimes, but I am coming to realize exactly how much potential the Galaxy Tab really has.
I just need to learn to be more patient.
Ommmmmmmm.
So I was just wondering what is the overall feeling about this tablet? I'm thinking about getting it and i was just wondering if everyone likes it or if its 50/50 or what?
I've owned the Galaxy Tab 10.1, Acer Iconia, Motorola Xoom, and the Transformer. I can say that the Transformer is the best tablet for the money on the market. It's not as sexy as the Galaxy, but it's more functional, far more flexible, and a hell of a lot cheaper.
Always hard to get objective views on a product specific forum.
I'm in a love/hate relationship with it at the moment. I love the form factor and the functionality. I hate the lack of tablet optimized apps/games and the awful build quality.
To me, it feels like a beta product. This isn't a bad thing per-se as I like to tinker.
I like mine a lot, and its definatley the best bang for your buck Honeycomb tablet out there right now. Although I do wish it had the form factor / looks of the Galaxy 10.1, the HDMI out and Micro SD card slot are oh so nice to have, especially for $100 less
The build quality and lightbleed issues are the only downsides to the tablet in my opinion. I got one with a few creaks in the back and some light bleed, but I just look past it. Its not enough for me to sell or go through ASUS to replace it. Still works great for me. Also, not all of the tablets have this, and Im hoping the newer builds have been fixed.
If your thinking about getting one, I would definatley consider it. Great tablet and a great price right now.
Other big plus is that Asus is really quick at getting the Honeycomb updates out. We've got Honeycomb 3.2 already which is great.
rilot said:
Always hard to get objective views on a product specific forum.
I'm in a love/hate relationship with it at the moment. I love the form factor and the functionality. I hate the lack of tablet optimized apps/games and the awful build quality.
To me, it feels like a beta product. This isn't a bad thing per-se as I like to tinker.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I definitely feel like im a beta tester, but I dont really consider it a bad thing. I enjoy using new equipment and working out kinks. Just wish i didnt have to pay so much for it . That being said, a lot of the kinks are worked out now from my experience.
Keyboard lag is gone. Havnt had a sleep of death since the first update. Everythings running a lot smoother with the last firmware update.
Its replaced my laptop in class more or less completely. I use evernote and ezpdf to take notes and its wonderful.
do you use any of the attachments?
I got a Transformer and didn't regret, that I bought it. I got it without dock, because I only wanted a nice tablet ... for everything else I have an i7 notebook with 6 GB RAM.
If I can recommend it? Maybe ... depends on what you want to do with it.
Regarding quality control ... it's the fortune of the early adopter nowadays to be a beta tester. Example: I also got me a Galaxy S2 and though I'm very happy with it, the S2 forum here at XDA is full of complaints about QC.
jnad32 said:
do you use any of the attachments?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The keyboard is the big attachment and its really the selling point of the tablet. If you anticipate ever using it then the TF is the way to go, if you dont anticipate ever using it then you could be happy with the Samsung, albeit with no SD card and costing a lot more.
The TF has a great screen, its flexible and its cheap. Its not built as well as an ipad (or the other android tablets) but I havent had any functional issues with its built, its not like its breaking on me. Its just you can feel the difference in the "tightness" between the two.
Being said I ended up buying a second for the girlfriend, tired of her constantly using mine.
I got mine in the first batch to come out- from TD. I have had no real issues accept a tiny light bleed- build quality is great for mine. no creaking etc.
It has done everything i ask of it and thrown at it. I use mine for about 70% work related with notes at meeting, signatures on contracts, email, polaris app etc. Even skype calling..
Constantly listening to music watching movies etc. Never had any issues with Battery usage.
I think it has gotten better with each update. Yes little bugs here and there after an update ut usually fixed or have work around within 24 hours. That stuff doesnt bother me.
I never got the keyboard because i felt it was an option that i would never really use so i invested in a nice case- ( PDAIR ) I love the concept of the keyboard but just wasn;t going to use itand did no need the extra bulk.
For me never needed to root it yet (maybe down the road ) but for now it is great as stock.
Last thing i will say is there have been alot of new choices out since i have bought it... yes they might have had a thing or 2 that the TF did not have but i never have second guessed my choice.
Good luck.
Well you get 16hrs of battery life with the dock. No other tablet has this kind of a feature at this price point.
The screen quality and responsiveness is in the top quartile of tablets released so far.
I am pretty happy with my purchase. 10x better build quality than the Archos 101 I purchased earlier!
I absolutely love my TF, probably best 399$ I have ever spent on gadget, mine also comes with some light bleed, other than that, build quality is great. Have 2 Ipad2 in the house and they both have worst light bleed.
Would I suggest this tablet to a friend over other Android tablet? Yes, best tablet in the market IMO.
Over an Ipad2? Probably not unless someone familiar with Android and a geek just like me...
tonyz3 said:
I got mine in the first batch to come out- from TD. I have had no real issues accept a tiny light bleed- build quality is great for mine. no creaking etc.
It has done everything i ask of it and thrown at it. I use mine for about 70% work related with notes at meeting, signatures on contracts, email, polaris app etc. Even skype calling..
Constantly listening to music watching movies etc. Never had any issues with Battery usage.
I think it has gotten better with each update. Yes little bugs here and there after an update ut usually fixed or have work around within 24 hours. That stuff doesnt bother me.
I never got the keyboard because i felt it was an option that i would never really use so i invested in a nice case- ( PDAIR ) I love the concept of the keyboard but just wasn;t going to use itand did no need the extra bulk.
For me never needed to root it yet (maybe down the road ) but for now it is great as stock.
Last thing i will say is there have been alot of new choices out since i have bought it... yes they might have had a thing or 2 that the TF did not have but i never have second guessed my choice.
Good luck.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So my question to you is my boss has an ipad that we use for our invoices and paper work to get people to sign off on pdf files and what not. Does android have an app that lets you do that? And overall how good is it for work?
I got my U.S. Transformer a few weeks ago, and I enjoy using it very much:
With my PC, most of the time is spent going on the Web, so on the Transformer I just set up bookmarks for my most frequently visited sites in both the stock browser and the Dolphin for Pad (downloaded from the Market) browser and that takes care of my usual browsing needs. Email is now handled through the stock Gmail app, so again most of that can be done on the Transformer side.
For music, I've started using Google Music to upload my stuff, so I can just stream down to my Transformer through WiFi. For videos, I had already encoded a lot of stuff to MP4 format using Handbrake to play on my phone. But with ES File Explorer installed on my Transformer, I can now keep those MP4 files on my networked server and then stream them to the stock video player. This all works great and takes up no local storage.
Games that I had on my smartphone are all installed onto the Transformer and work fine. I've also found that classic game console emulators work quite well on the Transformer.
If I'm desperate to watch Hulu or Netflix (without any hacked or rooted methods), the MyCloud > My Desktop > SplashTop method works acceptably well.
Painting with SketchBook Pro is quite fun with this fantastic paid app, and I'm looking into various do-it-yourself stylus methods to enhance the experience.
I haven't had the need yet to use Polaris Office yet, but after reading user reviews, it looks to be a very capable Office app when compared with other non-free competitors, and I actually appreciate Asus for giving this for us.
The build quality, in my opinion, is quite nice. I don't have any LCD light bleed issues. The LCD itself is great with fantastic viewing angles. The built-in speakers are surprisingly loud. The touch screen is very responsive. And the textured plastic back panel keeps the whole unit lighter and gives it a nice feel.
The only negatives I have are:
Camera - absolutely terrible, especially when using indoor lighting. But I already know that the video and photo taking experience on almost all tablets is not good anyway, so I never expected much. I almost never use the stock camera app. I have Vignette installed on my Transformer for the heck of it, but this rarely gets used either. I leave picture taking to my digital camera and my smartphone.
Browser - for some sites, I get slowdowns with both the stock browser and Dolphin for Pad. With Android 3.1, I experienced quite a bit of force closings with the stock browser. It's improved with 3.2, but it still happens. I find it hard to believe that Google makes such a good browser as Chrome but has such a mediocre one for Honeycomb.
Linux support - the only thing I ask for is the simplicity of plugging my Transformer into my Linux PC and have access to its SD and MicroSD cards. But I have to jump through the hoop of running a few lines in Terminal just to get those drives mounted and unmounted. It's a pain, and I wish it was as easy as the Windows experience.
Since using my Transformer more and more, my smartphone has pretty much been relegated back to being just a phone which is fine. This morning I began charging my Sony Ericsson XPERIA X10 once it dropped to 1% battery power...and it had been running on that one full charge for 174-hours-33-minutes! I'll still use the phone for navigation and portable music after I get over the honeymoon period with the Transformer, but right now using my smart phone just isn't the same any more.
So since I've gotten the Transformer, I've made a conscious effort to reduce using my PC and my smartphone, and it's worked out great as a personal computing device. For a business environment, there might not be enough apps to support various needs just yet, but it'll get there, I'm sure. The Transformer is a very good bang-for-the-buck kind of device, and I have no regrets about having it.
Enjoy my tablet a great deal. I actually use it more than i thought i would. Im constantly looking for new apps that will make this into my swiss army knife.
I use splashtop a lot, and now added a Wake on Lan app which now has got me the bright idea to go out and purchase a home server...lol
build quality is definitely not the greatest. Personally, i dont think it compares to the newer tablets coming out. (build)
Dont own the keyboard. Im waiting for a good deal down the road when it drop to around $100. by then, i figure, ill give the TF to my wife (with a keyboard), and ill jump on to the newest tablet. (maybe TF2)
Im a first time android/tablet buyer and user, so i came with no expectations..
Ill know what to look for in my next purchase though.
(so, i guess im a beta tester)
jnad32 said:
So my question to you is my boss has an ipad that we use for our invoices and paper work to get people to sign off on pdf files and what not. Does android have an app that lets you do that? And overall how good is it for work?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There are applications that let you fill out and/or sign PDF files. Adobe also has an app that converts things to PDF. Ive used my TF to fill out forms and sign them multiple times.
jnad32 said:
So my question to you is my boss has an ipad that we use for our invoices and paper work to get people to sign off on pdf files and what not. Does android have an app that lets you do that? And overall how good is it for work?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There are alot of choices for this. I use Repligo PDF and love it.After i sign or client signs,on the TF I email it and looks just as clear as original.
https://market.android.com/details?id=com.cerience.reader.app&feature=search_result
worth the $4.99 investment,
Love mine, I'm confident I made the right choice. £400 for a tablet-only device is not a wise spend. £400 for a tablet AND a netbook IS thou...
Aside from the keyboard drain (which is being fixed under RMA as we speak), I have no issues whatsoever with my device, and overjoyed with it.
jnad32 said:
So my question to you is my boss has an ipad that we use for our invoices and paper work to get people to sign off on pdf files and what not. Does android have an app that lets you do that? And overall how good is it for work?
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I'd be very surprised if there is any app that iPad can do, that Android can't, as because of Android's open and less restrictive nature, you won't find missing apps, because "Apple don't like it, or Apple can't make money from it, or it cuts into Apple's buisness".
My TF is all good I have no problems with my tablet, maybe one of the lucky ones or just the fact that those few who have bad units choose to come to forums like this to seek advice and let everyone know how bad their unit is. With the dock it is an amazing bit of kit, I have tried the xoom, Acer and the Gtab, and unless you want form over function the TF is the best of the current bunch. As all the present android tablets running honeycomb are running the same os and internal spec. My own preference would be ports and functionality, screen, speed of updates and build quality. For me the TF ticks all the boxes.
Xoom, highintial price, lack of support and working ports, poor screen
Gtab, lack of ports, slow updates from Samsung.
I like the design of the TF especially when combined with the dock, equal to any high end net book, Asus have done a great job with amazing fore sight, it is original only the Gtab is thinner and that is purely because it is an I pad clone.
I would think the units with defects are no different to apple I pad or even the Gtab on a percentage basis, plenty of apple units go back to their stores.
With regards to being beta testers, we are with regards android for tablets, like we were back in the 90,s with win 3.11. My recommendation to anyone wanting a android tablet with the best all-round functionality at the best price, get the TF.
Had my TF about two weeks now, and am yet to have any issues with it. I love peoples reactions when I undock the screen though, it's brilliant.
I am planning to pick up KF but I am debating if 512MB RAM compare to 1GB (Nook Tablet) will be enough.
KF will be used for browsing internet, light gaming and web streaming (not movies). It will be rooted and replaced with custom ROM (ICS) eventually.
I owned Nook Color running CM7 nightly right now and trying to avoid having two look a like device.
Do you think 512MB will be sufficient for KF to operate smoothly?
It runs fine for me, doing pretty much the same as what you want to use it for.
I hit some lag once in a while, but overall, I do like it - so long as I do NOT keep comparing it to my wifes iPad.
Chris
I bought mine for web browsing, reading magazines and checking Facebook. So far, I am nothing less than pleased. It performs well, even when playing YouTube and Flash videos.
For the price, it's a winner, provided you don't expect it to perform like high-end Android devices or an iPad.
I bought both from Best Buy and used them for a little while before deciding which one to return. The difference in RAM was probably the biggest concern for me and the main reason I considered the Nook Tablet despite it costing $50 more.
In practice, I saw no difference in performance between the two. The only other big thing steering a lot of people toward the Nook is the microSD slot. If that isn't a concern then the Kindle Fire is fine. If you really want lots of local storage then the Nook is the only way to go.
Me, I listen to music through Pandora and I don't watch movies on the tablet, so local storage doesn't concern me. Thus I went with the cheaper Kindle Fire.
If you're wanting to do much outside of what comes with it and you're not too knowledgeable on how to fix things in unorthodox ways and think you'll be posting soon in the unbricking thread, I would find a more forgiving tablet to work with. The time you'll save on not having to fix things will offset any additional cost.
Disclaimer: I own 2 HP touchpads and no Kindle Fire.
Well I don't agree with yareally who has apparently not touched one yet.
I have 2, or more accurately, My wife has one and I have one.
Hers is stock... she loves it. Watches netflix, amazon prime and a number of books. works for her daily with no issues.
I got mine after I got her hers. Really didn't plan on getting one myself, however, I started playing with it and got the bug to see what it could do. $124 was too inexpensive to not.
Mine is rooted though I am still using the stock ROM as I am waiting for a proven recovery before trying something else. I am now using ADW, have the Android market, Google apps including Gmap and can even get GPS if i want to go to the trouble. etc... I use it a bit at work as well, Exchange email via Touchdown, Evernote, and lots of usable webapp browsing.
Like any device or smart phone, if you do dumb things, you get dumb results, but if you are careful and follow instructions well.. should be a fun device to play with.
krelvinaz said:
Well I don't agree with yareally who has apparently not touched one yet.
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I may not have touched one, but I've helped probably 70+ users with one directly to unbrick it and countless others that followed the guide I helped to start
Ironically, neither I or my friend that started the thread with me own a kindle fire, but it hasn't prevented us for knowing more about it than most.
I don't have to touch it to know how it works. I can do that quite well using adb shell remotely. Fancy user interfaces mean nothing. It's what is under the hood that matters.
Quite a few screwed it up installing cm7 as well.
Compared to other tablets, I have seen way more people screw their fire up without a way to get back out of it without spoon feeding directions to (including at times, going on teamviewer with them).
I think it is cool you have helped, especially that many people. Perhaps, the price point makes it too simple for people to dive in without bothering to understand what they are doing or reading the large red text warning them. (hence my comment about doing dumb things).
The lack of having a full recovery yet is perhaps also a stumbling block, but apparently that will be remedied soon.
krelvinaz said:
The lack of having a full recovery yet is perhaps also a stumbling block, but apparently that will be remedied soon.
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Yeah, I think once that happens, lots of the headaches will be a thing of the past as well.
Yeah, I think people bricking their Fire speaks more toward impatient people than any failings of the Fire. Anyone trying to install a custom rom at this point with anything other than above average skills needs to take a step back IMO.
Sent from my BAMForever Thunderbolt
The 512MB RAM has not been a limitation for anything I've done with it, and that's *with* all the Amazon crap running at the same time, I've not disabled any of the services.
I think the micro SD card on the Nook would be a nice addition, but not sure it's $50 nice, considering how easy it is to stream to the Fire. If you needed to store your movies locally maybe.
animez said:
Yeah, I think people bricking their Fire speaks more toward impatient people than any failings of the Fire. Anyone trying to install a custom rom at this point with anything other than above average skills needs to take a step back IMO.
Sent from my BAMForever Thunderbolt
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I'm an above average user, and even I'm not crazy enough to mess with it too much right now! There are some amazing things going on in the Dev forum, and I really look forward to CM9 on my Fire.
I have 2 as well, and I'm more than happy with the speed/function even using stock kernel/ROM (albeit with a different launcher). The price point for this device was too hard to ignore. It's not in the same league as an iPad or Galaxy Tab, but I didn't buy it thinking it was.
Yeah with Go Launcher instead of that bookshelf, this is a superb bargain. Remember Amazon is basically selling these at cost to funnel people in to their store.
Thanks for the reply guys.
Only fools compare $199 KF to $499 Ipad.
Storage does not concern me, I just want a device that running smoothly for flash streaming and hackable
I have made up my mind, I am getting KF.
denoxster said:
I am planning to pick up KF but I am debating if 512MB RAM compare to 1GB (Nook Tablet) will be enough.
KF will be used for browsing internet, light gaming and web streaming (not movies). It will be rooted and replaced with custom ROM (ICS) eventually.
I owned Nook Color running CM7 nightly right now and trying to avoid having two look a like device.
Do you think 512MB will be sufficient for KF to operate smoothly?
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512 appears to be just fine.
I'd recommend putting Dolphin HD on for browsing. I haven't had an issue with streaming video from Amazon, Netflix, Crackle or Epic. No problems with games, so far. Currently have over 100 apps installed.
I do use an app to control too many apps starting automatically (Startup Cleaner), as it seems to help performance.
Update:
After owning KF for a couple of month, I can tell you that I am pretty happy with my purchase.
Now my KF running CM9 ICS
Thank you guys.
Sent from my Amazon Kindle Fire using xda premium
Go for it
i bought mine because of the price and i liked the way it looked, so far i have rooted it and it still runs perfectly. So far the only difference i see between this and the ipad is the size and the camera. Its pretty darn fast and when its rooted you can customize almost every aspect about it.
Hey guys, I am considering whether or not buying a KF. Honestly, it will not be used as a reader or used with any of Amazon's services. Rather I am buying it to have a solid piece of hardware that runs the Android operating system and hoping to see Kindle specific roms in the future (CM7 gives me hope). This will be a toy to use for media and occasionally on the go. Is it worth buying in hopes of future developing and tinkering?
Anyone have any input?
Just got mine yesterday and I would say yes it is worth the price tag for what you want to do. I rooted mine and put cm7 on it within minutes of opening it and haven't looked back.
Sent from my HTC Vision using XDA App
What is the status of CM7 at this point? Is it fully functional?
I'd want to install CM7 and use SetCPU (if anyone has overclocked this thing yet).
I think the Kindle Fire is a great device for the cheap price.
I have my Kindle Fire for about 2 Weeks. At first i rooted the device and used Go Launcher Ex for a while, but I didn't like it. Then i decided to use CM7. It is very usable I think. There some problems with the MAC address and some forced closes sometimes.
Today i flashed the early Version of ICS from JackpotClavin. It is very smooth and with ICS the Kindle Fire feels like a Tablet. With CM7 the Kindle Fire feels like a big smartphone for me. ICS isn't finished yet and there are some problems with sdcard and forced closes.
If you can wait until the Custom Roms are more perfect I think the Kindle Fire is a good decision to buy.
I bought mine to use solely as a tablet. I installed cm7 as soon as it was avaliable and haven't looked back. i bought it without any intention if using any of amazon's services. it's a great tablet plus it fits in a pocket. dual core, so it can run 720p h264 very well. plus with the overclock it'll be even better. the only complaint i have is it doesn't have an sd card slot, so you only have like 8-10 gigs of space to put stuff on, but it's not a big problem for me. cm7 is very stable. I have no fc's that i can remember, video works, sound works, plus there's a cifs module compiled so you can even mount samba shares. definately worth it in my opinion.
Matt V said:
Hey guys, I am considering whether or not buying a KF. Honestly, it will not be used as a reader or used with any of Amazon's services. Rather I am buying it to have a solid piece of hardware that runs the Android operating system and hoping to see Kindle specific roms in the future (CM7 gives me hope). This will be a toy to use for media and occasionally on the go. Is it worth buying in hopes of future developing and tinkering?
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I have put four of these on my network at home everyone always waiting for workstation time. Now more than enough browsers for everyone. They have been rock solid so far. Running CM7 rom on all of them.
Yes, it's the best tablet you can buy for 200 dollars. An iPad is not 2.5 times better than it. I honestly think if you know your way around adb it is a magical device, with endless possibilities. Buy one, you won't regret it.
Using splashtop and orb to stream, I haven't put the thing down. I never need to leave the couch. Best thing I ever bought for light browsing, massive media, and email. I'm always around wifi so the 5.5 gig memory constraint is not a problem. ymmv with what you intend to do with it.
Edit: Orb has a beta apk on their website if you don't want to buy. It works great on the fire, worth the money if you decide to buy since no memory card.
Sent from my Epic (sleeper rom) using XDA App.
Buy it!
It's great value for money. I've put CM7 on mine and now it's a pretty nifty tablet. In any case, I couldn't use any of Amazon's services (apart from buying books) being outside the US.
I own a few other tablets and the only features I miss on the Fire are the lack of hardware volume controls and mic. Otherwise, the performance of the tab (with CM7) is great and the size is pretty convenient too. It definitely doesn't feel like a cheap tablet.
Thanks for the replies guys, I decided to pull the trigger on one and it will be here Friday.
CM7 appears to not have functioning sound so I'm just gonna root it for now and wait until a fully functional ROM is released, shouldn't be long. ICS looks promising as well.
Read the "Standing on the shoulders of giants" CM7 thread. Sound and hardware acceleration are working just fine.
Sent from my Gingervolt-ed VS910 4G using xda premium
Oh, I guess I watched an older video then that said it didn't work.
Love mine! Just got it for christmas. get it!
Sent from my Kindle Fire using xda premium
I've had this transformer since it came out. Dont use it much, except when I need to finish up some work on the road which is the reason why I bought it...having the flexibility of keyboard...
Are you still excited about it? What purpose does it serve you? Whats your favorite feature?
I just bought an HDMI to mini HDMI cable so I could connect it at my in laws T.V and my children can watch Netflix or movies we have purchased on Amazon. Any other use for it?
Thank you for your suggestions.
The TF101 is a great device! I've had it almost as long as it's been out and I still love it. If you are having a hard time finding a use for it then you either didn't really need a tablet in the first place or are not looking at its full potential. I use mine for everything, it has totally replaced my laptop. Android has tons of productivity and office apps, apps for sharing documents and other work, loads of games, eBook reading apps, etc., etc.
Any device can be written off as not necessary, after all people can get along just fine with no electronic devices at all (I used to work and live in a wilderness training camp myself). The key to revitalizing the shine on any tablet is to start using it for everyday things and to try changing the look and feel. Try doing something on it that you would normally do on a laptop or PC, after the initial shift in feel you may find that you like the tablet more. You could also try a new ROM to change the look, feel, and performance. If all of this seems like too much work then maybe you should just sell it and move on...tablets are not the answer for everyone.
Sent from my Asus TF101 using Xparent Cyan Tapatalk 2
If you need others to remind you what you should use your tablet for, then maybe you don't really need one?
I'm not at all saying this to mock you, I purchased a TF101 myself and have the dock too. I use the tablet for Netflix, casual news reading and a little bit of playing games like Machinarium and Rayman Jungle Run. I intended to use it for Skype as well, but the mic volume was always too low so I gave up on that and went back to my laptop for Skype.
My three year old son uses the tablet a lot more than I do for watching videos and playing games in Zoodles Kid Mode.
The dock I use for one thing and one thing only: backup battery when traveling - what a waste of money! (for me)
I like having a tablet even though I'm far from a heavy user and I like my TF101. That said, I'm tempted to get a Nexus 7 and let the Transformer call it a day.
It's convenient, small, and can do everything... well almost. I mostly use it at work to connect to switches, serial ports, etc. That way I don't have to carry the macbook around. Then at home it becomes a remove for my TV device, a portable crappy-game station, a small OGT TV for streaming from the SAN, etc. There's so many uses!
TF101 Uses
dinc2010 said:
I've had this transformer since it came out. Dont use it much, except when I need to finish up some work on the road which is the reason why I bought it...having the flexibility of keyboard...
Are you still excited about it? What purpose does it serve you? Whats your favorite feature?
I just bought an HDMI to mini HDMI cable so I could connect it at my in laws T.V and my children can watch Netflix or movies we have purchased on Amazon. Any other use for it?
Thank you for your suggestions.
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I love my TF101. Best part is the "instant on" feature. When I need to quickly check something quickly on the Internet without waiting for my laptop or desktop to boot.
How about buying a Bluetooth OBD II adapter (less than $20 on Amazon) buy the app "Torque" and for $25.00 you have an excellent OBD2 diagnostic tool. I have one and it works great!
Rodger
I just use my transformer to output video to my TV. Other than that, not many uses. Used to use it a lot more when I was using my Nexus S.
Now that my phone is more superior (in specs) to my Transformer, I use it a lot less and less.
Would I get another tablet? Probably not because it doesn't fit my needs. For some people, it fits into theirs. For me, I use my desktop a lot so a tablet doesn't necessarily replace anything for me. I find some uses for it when I'm reading on the go though, although this semester it wasn't needed as much--others it was more handy.
Just kind of hard to find the balance between tablet and phone usages, in my opinion.
Was extremely excited to flash ROMs and all that on my TF101, but now that the community isn't as active (most has shifted to other devices) this has gone downhill.
bedtime surfing
I only really use mine for bedtime surfing, youtube and occasionally Music. I like playing with different ROMs and now I'm trying to get Plasma Active (Ubuntu.... proper Linux) on it.
I use mine for a multitude of things, from inventory control, web surfing, submitting customer orders, receiving inventory, word processing, spread sheets, games, and more often then not when I am out camping. I go camping A LOT in summer here in Alaska, so it is a lot easier to tote around the TF101 then it is to tote around my 17" Toshiba laptop.
My tf also serves as my GPS in the car when I'm on the road visiting customers. Tethered to my phone just for the web connectivity since I did not get the 3G version. Honestly the TF has changed the way that I use computers and my work. Yes the "instant on" feature is very nice. But the portability and feature rich ability is the sole reason I wanted one.
Let's see: internet, email, netflix, crackle, remote into home pc and most importantly as a head unit in my truck, lol! Since it is my head unit, I use it almost everyday.
diffrnt said:
Let's see: internet, email, netflix, crackle, remote into home pc and most importantly as a head unit in my truck, lol! Since it is my head unit, I use it almost everyday.
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Ok, you get a WIN and a +1 from me. How exactly do you have it as your head unit? Mounts? Pictars wud be gud....Ja!
diffrnt said:
Let's see: internet, email, netflix, crackle, remote into home pc and most importantly as a head unit in my truck, lol! Since it is my head unit, I use it almost everyday.
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pics or it didn't happen...