[Q] Any drawback of A500? - Acer Iconia A500

Hi folks over A500 forum, i'm thinking to get myself an A500, but i afraid that i'll regret buying this tablet, because i've read some quite hmmm.... negative feedback about it.
some says that the charger wouldnt charge [i can assume that he has a faulty unit], poor mic, gps, unresponsive keyboard, weak wifi. So can anyone of you kindly enough to tell me what can i expect this tablet will be weak at?
I can tolerate at the poor camera quality though.
Please tell me, thanks!~

I have not found any issues at all with my tab. It is not an A500 but may as well be. (Gateway A60 running A500 roms). I use it at work and at home.
This tablet is pretty much perfect. The camera quality is fine as far as I am concerned (Front and rear), it is easily rootable, even if you install the OTA updates and the price point is where it needs to be.
The only thing that I have been on the lookout for is ICS but so far I am OK with HC. Way better than the Froto on my gtablet.

smishra said:
I have not found any issues at all with my tab. It is not an A500 but may as well be. (Gateway A60 running A500 roms). I use it at work and at home.
This tablet is pretty much perfect. The camera quality is fine as far as I am concerned (Front and rear), it is easily rootable, even if you install the OTA updates and the price point is where it needs to be.
The only thing that I have been on the lookout for is ICS but so far I am OK with HC. Way better than the Froto on my gtablet.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks! Perfect info. Any more? =D

Go to the store and play with the Tablets... the gps is a issue.. mic is a issue (only with video chat)
you need to root to fix the gps issues the patch is in the dev section also to tether again patch here in the forum.
keyboard that is stuck sucks badly... install THUMBS KEYBOARD
SUMMERY REQUIRED TO MAKE MY ICONIA PERFECT FOR ME..
BUY AND PUT A SCREEN PROTECTOR ON IT. (Even Gorilla glass can Scratch)
ROOT. install acer recovery install .. flash recovery ... Im now using the RA Recovery
install Root Explorer file manager (there is a free verson on makert.but support the dev BUY IT)
Install Titanium Backup (again Buy it DEV is awesome on this program)but to many updates pushed to often
Install the ad-hoc fix.
install Thumbs Keyboard
Install the gps fix
Install splashtop HD.. (to access my home computer)
Install IPRINT APP for my Brother Printer.
Install Office Program.. (i have two some do certin things better then other . find the one thats right for you)
Install CO-PILOT (THIS ACTUALLY BELONGS BELOW THE GPS PATCH)
Install sync sms .(to forword text msg to and from my tablet from my phone)required drop box account
Install DROP BOX
Flash my UI FOLDERS. to change the colors of the ui to A BURGUNDY Pinkish Color.. (I DO NOT RECOMMEND THIS .ADVANCED USER EXPERIENCE REQUIRED)AND DEV TOOLS Needed on your Computer and I USE ADOBE CS5..
Setup my email accounts sometime in the above events
Backup my tab with T B
BACKUP MY TAB AGAIN IN RECOVERY..
After all of the above.. my tablet fits my life Perfectly..

As already said by others, weak GPS, keyboard kinda sucks, glossy screen that really shows finger prints, etc. What I haven't seen mentioned, is the inability to properly play HD mkv's, most ppl will say you don't need high quality on tablet, and they are right, but, what if you want to hook your tab to a hotel TV to watch HD, etc. There also seems to be a lot of stuff in the market that is not compatible with this tab (specifically for me, mybuick and onstar)
That being said, having a usable USB port is pretty handy, the micro SD,(missing on the Zoom) micro HDMI are all nice to have. Microphone works well for apps like Skype as long as you use headphones.

You should be using headphones for video conversations anyway, otherwise the mic picks up the sounds coming from the speaker and then you have yourself a poorstorm of feedback.
I have never had any sort of keyboard issue with my tab. This is actually the first I heard of any sort of keyboard issue.
The rear camera is 5 megapixels, so expect 5 megapixel quality. Except for the newest Tegra3 tabs, this is the best camera you can get on a tablet.
You have to expect that this tablet comes from the first generation of real Android tablets that hi the market. As a result, you have to expect that there will be some issues with it. The good thing is that devs has created fixes for common problems (like GPS, wifi etc) so if you are someone who is in to rooting, this is a great tablet.

hardslog said:
You should be using headphones for video conversations anyway, otherwise the mic picks up the sounds coming from the speaker and then you have yourself a poorstorm of feedback.
I have never had any sort of keyboard issue with my tab. This is actually the first I heard of any sort of keyboard issue.
The rear camera is 5 megapixels, so expect 5 megapixel quality. Except for the newest Tegra3 tabs, this is the best camera you can get on a tablet.
You have to expect that this tablet comes from the first generation of real Android tablets that hi the market. As a result, you have to expect that there will be some issues with it. The good thing is that devs has created fixes for common problems (like GPS, wifi etc) so if you are someone who is in to rooting, this is a great tablet.
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So true.. MY TAB WORKS Well as stated above.. But it does not come without some work... i have read forums of other tablets. we have less trouble then average..

Oh ok, thx for those feedbacks! BTW, have any of you suffer from keyboard delay? I played Transformer, G Tab10.1, and A500 at the store before, and fall in love with the port and weight of this tablet. But the thing that frustrated me is the keyboard delay it has[btw, i dont really know what happened on that tablet though]
And how was the wifi strength? I heard reports say that it drops quickly?

I love my a500 and should you learn to root and flash you'll uncover the real power and potential in the device. that being said it should be mentioned the a500 is old tech that is going to be replaced by newer more powerful models this year. as these models come out the cutting edge developers will migrate and Dec on the a500 will slow down somewhat. this does not mean the a500 isn't a good purchase option. its great hardware that with the right software is just amazing. but it is on the backside of its lifespan and that carries some downfalls that should be mentioned.

A501, same as A500 except with 3g...
I've never had wifi dropouts, either at home or at work.
The public wifi at work is pretty bad but I have never had a problem logging on and its never dropped out.
Keyboard, again no issue here...
Haven't really played with GPS properly but do use co-pilot. I do find we seem to have pretty bad satellite reception here in OZ but when I have played around it seems pretty reliable, but again only done short trips...
Love the USB, this is why I bought the Acer A501 in the 1st place, no other tab had one. Expandable memory also a BIG plus...
I like the fact I can attach a 1Tb HDD and use this on my tab too...
No real problems, aside from the locked bootloaders Acer insists on sticking on its tabs, most things are fairly good.

I love my A500, but after taking it to meetings and with me pretty much all the time, I find it a bit heavy. I use it almost exclusively professionally and end up using dropbox more than USB drives. I would probably go with a GT10.1 because of the weight and thickness.

Thanks guy! but i bought the G Tab 10.1 instead of A500, because it is really a lot lighter than A500, and my dad prefers it more ;D
Thanks anyway!

Picked up my A500 from The Source on a boxing day special price. It was a bit of an impulse, but also a bit of tech jealousy as my cousin had bought one the week before so he could learn to program apps for it and I got to play with it a bit on New Years. ANYWAYS. I loved it right away, and the prospect of rooting it was pretty awesome.
I have zero faults with this machine. It looks great, works great, was easily unlocked/rooted, and there is a ton of support on this forum. I just keep trying out new roms (4 diff. builds so far) and new kernels (on my 3rd one of those), and I'm having a lot of fun with it.
Only drawback is that I didn't buy one sooner.

picking one up today... 32GB for $220 I think its a fair deal...main reason i would even consider it is becuase its ICS upgradable
I also have a HP Touchpad with CM9 ICS... thats a great piece of equipment if your into modding as well!

mind telling where you got 32gb one for that price?? Im looking to get one myself by budgets tight so any savings is appreciated.
BTW one question about the tablet itself can someone give me an idea about the average battery life, Yes i know battery life is very subjective but i need some kind of referance as i read a review by engadget and it basically said the iconia had the worst battery life of all of the major 10 inch tablets.

220$ for a 32gb?! Who did you steal this from?? haha
I got mine from acer's official ebay store, 330$ (shipping+tax included), refurb 32gb. Works fine.

docnas said:
mind telling where you got 32gb one for that price?? Im looking to get one myself by budgets tight so any savings is appreciated.
BTW one question about the tablet itself can someone give me an idea about the average battery life, Yes i know battery life is very subjective but i need some kind of referance as i read a review by engadget and it basically said the iconia had the worst battery life of all of the major 10 inch tablets.
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I've gotten 5 days on standby with battery drain to 42% (busy week, it just sat on the bedside table for that time no usage). I figure it could have gotten to 10 days.
When I was using it as an e-reader running the Kindle app almost exclusively I was getting on average 3 days of use between charges, reading for about 3-4 hours a day (Game of Thrones books are LONG and addictive).
Right now I've been playing games on it and I can easily go a whole day (overclocked at 1504mhz) before having to charge it.
Standby had wifi turned on, but off when the screen was off. Reading I always had it in airplane mode, and playing games can be a mix between airplane and wifi. Actually it hasn't seemed to make a huge difference that I can see.

Related

Are you keeping your A500 or gonna try the next best thing?

I am still on my 14 day return and have been thinking about this. Android biggest problem is something new is always right around the corner. I think a lot of you are here cause the Asus was unavailable and may still be waiting on that.
So are you keeping it.
Did it surprise you enough to stay with it.
Is the upcoming Samsung Galazy Tab 10.1 or the burning desire to have the Transformer gonna make you take it back.
Maybe the Toshiba Tab with it's built in USB might persuade you.
Sticking. Stuck.
I bought the Acer because the ASUS wasn't available, but I'm quite happy with it anyway. As you said, there's always something new around the corner, but what I've seen about the Toshiba models put them in the Xoom price range, and I haven't seen pricing on the Samsung 8.9 and 10.1 (new thin models, not the 10.1V original design.)
Honeycomb in general's still a very new system, and I expect by this time next year most of the things we're looking at as "missing" or "broken" will be available and/or fixed. Kinda the way I'm still using my (original generation) Droid phone, which, when overclocked and ROMd over to Gingerbread is just fine
Actually...
I figured that I'd get it to play with Honeycomb and wait for some of the vaporware tablets to emerge. I had bought a Xoom but it was a real POS - nothing worked including the falsely advertised charging dock, etc. So I returned it.
Now I'm absolutely keeping the Iconia - I have a rooted Nook Color - very nice but not in the same league as the Iconia.
Don't believe all the BS put out about how bad the screen is, or other stuff.
I rooted it (easiest root I have ever done) and everything works as advertiszed.
I still got until Monday wiki decide Saturday if I will return or not to get the transfoemer, tegra 3 tablets are also coming out in august
Sent from my A500 using XDA Premium App
Got both the Asus and the iconia and will keep the iconia ..
The Asus just feels so cheaply made that no amount of screen quality can make up for it feeling like a cheap toy in my hands.
I can understand the whole IPS vs standard screen debate as i have owned many great screens over the years including IPS desktop screens and iPads etc etc .
They both have there pros and there cons but a good screen and good build quality are more important to me and the whole USB host thing built in without the need for a dock or separate accessory is just great.
Will never need a keyboard attached to it either and i think thats what really pushed me over the edge to keep the Acer.
Not slamming on the Asus btw because its decent in other areas but after getting 2 with some nasty light bleed on top of questionable build quality the Acer just took the crown for overall winner .
I am keeping mine. I actually had a Xoom first and took it back...thought it was too expensive for what it was. I actually really like the Acer better. I love the USB port, the micro card slot actually works ( didn't on xoom as of yet), It feels a lot lighter and I actually like the bezel being larger as it is easier to hold without hitting the screen. The viewing angle is good (not sure why bad comments on that). I like it a lot.
Keeping. Was waiting on the Asus, but i'm more than happy with the screen of the Acer, absolutely love the usb port, and since removing the phone apks, I have no complaints about battery life. I'm happy.
Right before I got the Acer I had purchased a used Galaxy Tab 7" thinking that would satisfy me.
Then I saw the Acer. Once I touched it I fell instantly in love and fought myself not to give into temptation everyday. Suddenly it hit me... I have a Bestbuy card and it means I can take 18 months to pay for it without a dime of interest.
1/2 hour later I had the Iconia in my sweaty hands.
Sure the wife *****ed but hey, it's only a new toy once.
For me it's a keeper. Like others have said, the USB port is a big factor and I see nothing wrong with the screen.
Keepin'. I am surprised how much I enjoy the Acer iconia Tab. The USB port makes all the difference. I think the build quality is very nice indeed and I really like the design. Root doesn't hurt either.
I was an early adopter of the Linux Eee Pcs and thought they were very solid little machines, but later models had some serious build quality issues. So the Eee Transformer quality/build problems I have read about do not surprise me one bit. . . .
Also have the Galaxy Tab 7" and a Nook Color. Not sure which one of those I'm sticking with though. I like them both but I leaning toward the Nook and selling the Galaxy Tab on Ebay.
Keeping for sure
I will be taking mine back, but only cause I will be waiting for Samsung galaxy tab 10.1. The weight of the Acer is an issue for me, but can understand why it is. Feels very sturdy. I absolutely love the USB port & sdcard working out of the box. So testing the Acer gave me a few things to think about far as what I want in a tablet. I know Galaxy tab 10.1 will not have USB port. Not sure how Toshiba's will feel.
I definitely recommend people to try the Acer
Also the corners of acer are kind of pointy if holding for awhile.
def keeping mine. I don't know why the Asus got so much media and Acer didnt
I'm still on the fence. I'm coming from daily use of a convertible Fujitsu with stylus and have wanted something this light for a while and miss not having a stylus for normal handwriting.
There are also some things I may not be able to live without which require Window$ but I'm going to give it another week and see if I can see a way to fit it into my normal working life.
If there weren't things that were broken out of the box (gps, compass) I'd probably be leaning more towards keeping at this point
Took a day or two to work out a couple of bugs, but now my A500 is rock solid, smoking fast, amazing battery life. I'm 100% satisfied. This should be fine for me until a Tegra 4 comes out in 2012...
The only thing I am waiting for is a new kernel so I can see what this baby will do when it is overclocked.
bhageman said:
Took a day or two to work out a couple of bugs, but now my A500 is rock solid, smoking fast, amazing battery life. I'm 100% satisfied. This should be fine for me until a Tegra 4 comes out in 2012...
The only thing I am waiting for is a new kernel so I can see what this baby will do when it is overclocked.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Any tips tricks as to what you did to fix / customize?
nubbin77 said:
Any tips tricks as to what you did to fix / customize?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
-Immediately did a factory reset. Eliminated problem with screen coming back on after screen time out and an odd problem I had with my screen timeout being stuck at 15 seconds.
-Rooted with GingerBreak (make sure you lock in portrait during process)
-WPA supplicant
-changed phone.apk and telephony___.apk to .bak to kill the phone processes. Mad a HUGE improvement in an already satisfactory battery life. WARNING: This will brick your phone if you do a factory reset without changing them back.
-Installed ADW for my home screen
-Installed SyncSMS to get SMS functionality
Apps that help:
-GingerBreak
-Root Explorer
-Terminal Emulator
-Uninstaller for Root
-Super Manager
-ES File
Apps I love:
-PlayOn: Streaming TV from my NAS drive
-SugarSync: All my work docs in the cloud
-WinAmp: Sync music with my desktop over wifi
-Feedly: Google RSS feed looks like a magazine
-Chrome to Phone
Still on the edge
I like the screen and feel of it, but with Honeycomb there aren't many apps out there that run on it (without FC all the time).
I'm trying to justify keeping it for work, but there's no Activesync (without rooting), Calendar is a joke and other than playing movies/games on it what do YOU use it for?
I can't see dumping my laptop anytime soon, so my question is what are you using it for? Serious question.
Thanks
S
I wanted the EEE TF as well but got the Iconia in the interim. I'm pleasantly surprised. I don't want the TF anymore. After playing with a friends, I'm not convinced it's worthwhile to exchange them. It has a gorgeous display and is a tad lighter but I'm afraid I've been jaded by the really bad things I've read about it and am convinced the first batch was very shoddy. Unfortunately, by the time it's released there will be competitors with possibly better options (toshiba, samsung, sony, htc, etc.)
My goal is to get something I'm 100% happy with. I'm 98% happy with the Iconia.
What's in that 2%? Limited video file and format playing ability and bugs due to Honeycomb right now.
Otherwise, hell yeah! I'd have liked an IPS screen. This AUO screen isn't bad at all but it's no IPS, right? Acer could have at least pegged Samsung for PLS.
It's also in wrestling with the idea of having the faith in Acer to believe they really will update and fix these things in the near future. These companies aren't known for keeping their products updated beyond a certain period. I can easily see their promised June update becoming Samsung-esque and not seen for months if ever.
That being said, I've entertained the idea of returning it and waiting to see what I can get in June. But tech is tricky and if you decide to wait, you can easily end up waiting forever for the next best thing as it's always around the corner. If the competitors are too expensive, it's not like the A500 won't be there for me to fall back on, it may even be cheaper! Of course, just like a cell phone - once you own one of these things you come to depend on it rather quickly if you're used to doing things a certain way.
I use it for everything now. My notebook sits in it's bag most of the time.
It's awesome for multimedia, period.
I use it in the kitchen and around the house to play music and videos if I don't feel like sitting in front of the TV.
I use it in the kitchen to look up new and different things to cook.
I use it as a visual remote for my PC (to control music or manipulate downloads). I use it in the couch to look up stuff I see on TV.
I bring it with me EVERYWHERE, yes...I now own a manbag.
I use it on the road when I'm out with the wife and she's in Macys/JCPenny/Kohls or any of those places I don't feel like venturing with her into for hours.
I use it when I'm at the cafe or out at dinner. I don't have it out all the time, but it's with me in case I want to use it and I must say, it's nicer than flipping out a netbook which I guess is ironic but I always thought that was so odd looking. You know, when people pop their netbooks out on a table in the middle of 4 people being social. For me it's a matter of looking up something quick and then popping it back in.
The list goes on and on.
It's basically replaced my android phone in its smart abilities while managing to be more comfortable in that the screen is bigger. It's replaced my notebook in it's lighter tasks like multimedia due to it being ultimately way, way more portable and touchscreen.
My dilemma is living without it for 2 months while I wait for something that I'm hoping will satisfy me 99 or 100%, should I decide to return it. I still have a few days to decide.
kalric said:
Calendar is a joke
S
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Have you tried Jorte?

How happy are you and issues you have noticed.

So im thinking about getting the transformer because of its keyboard dock (origanly had gotten the atrix for the same reason turned out to be crap).
How happy are you?
How is the performance?
What issues have you noticed?
is it worth it?
I got mines on Thursday. I'm happy with it.
Performance is very snappy and responsive.
Issues? Not really any issues that I've experienced but from what I've been hearing from the XDA forums is about its build quality. I got mines from Newegg because I've always had good experiences from Newegg.
One issue was that when I got it and 3.1 was stated in notifications and I wasn't able to flash the OTA until it was 50%+ even when the tablet was charged, the tablet didn't do the installation UNTIL it was 50%+ charged.
My biggest complaint is the USB cable. You can't charge it from the computer and the cable is pretty short. But you can workaround this by buying a USB3 A Male to A Female.
Fast delivery, low-prices and its build quality is perfect.
got mine June 1st.
Performance is great, very smooth and slick.
Apps look great on the IPS screen.
After a bit of fiddling I have it seeing all my network shares.
Internet is great on the Transformer.
Very slight light bleed but nothing worth returning it for.
Left speaker is a bit quieter than the right. Waiting for Asus to
release a patch hopefully, dont want to root it yet.
I have the dock and have found the dock battery drains quickly,
but the tablet battery lasts for 2 days easily with moderate to heavy use.
over all, very pleased.
hmmm i have been considering which tablet to buy transformer or galaxy tab dont want any of thoose 7 inchers.
I read all the bad stories here on XDA before I got mine and almost wished I hadn't purchased it... after I got it, all those fears went away. It's aa GREAT device.
The only issue I have with it is the stock browser. It's really nice but the poor performance it gives makes it a joke. Opera has been pretty good... only complaint with it is you can't fully change your user agent so sites like Facebook and Google look like junk. I'm guessing ICS may fix these issues, if we don't get a fix sooner.
I, too, ordered mine from Newegg. I have no creaking or dust. a little light bleed but it isn't anything to complain about. Overall, my device feels very solid and, IMO DOES NOT feel cheap, as some have said. My serial number starts with B5, I read that's the batch number... so they may have fixed some of the issues from the early batches.
Finally, I wrote this entire post on my TF with Opera and Thumb Keyboard. HIGHLY RECOMMEND the TF.
I am extremely happy,
Coming over from using the iPad 2, I was 50/50 about the tablet,
As the Market was really good for this I thought even if I didn't like it I could always sell it on,
But after a day of use it turned into my number one choice,
Can't fault it on anything really,
The browser I tend to use with flash switch off so it's really smooth and switches pages with ease,
Only thing I would like to see is a way to cancel the previous open windows on the desktop but this is more a google thing and nothing to do with the Asus...
I didn't buy the dock with my one as I don't see myself ever using it,
I will most likely buy the other dock and sd/USB adapter once release...
I'm pretty happy all said and done. The only light bleed I notice is where the virtual buttons are always located making it not a very big deal, imo.
I am happy with my transformer. I got it from Amazon a few weeks ago. I am having one issue... the internet browser keeps closing on me and i have the light bleed. But its not bad.
I got a TF from the first batch of shipments and it has been working flawlessly for me ever since. I have absolutely no light bleed and as far as creaky noises go, I don't squeeze my $400+ investments hard enough to test them for such.
The speakers have worked flawlessly for me ever since I got it, which was before the 3.1 update. The browser is remarkable for a tablet and the keyboard is epic.
The one issue that I have is the USB charger. It's waaay to short, but it's not really that big of a deal to me.
Oh and btw, someone earlier said you can't charge via your computer usb. That's not true, it does charge just at a very, very slow rate unless you have usb 3.0 on your pc (that's how it is for all tablets I assume, since they just require a lot more power than a normal cell).
In all, if you imagine yourself using the functionality of the keyboard, such as the extended battery life, the keypad, usb port and sd card AND you don't want to burn a whole in your wallet, then the TF is a no brainer.
If your looking for something that mindless zombies will consider "aesthetically pleasing" but can do with less functionality and more $$$$$ then get the Galaxy Tab 10.1 or even the Ipad 2 (preferably galaxy just because it's android )
I'm very disappointed with it's video playback. But other than that. Since rooting and fixing the right sided audio issue it's great. I just wish they would fix video playback and it would be close to perfection.
Thanks guys. I will looking to buying at best buy dont like shoppong on line for electronics... I have this where if it doesnt work i will be on my way back to best buy. Im considering the transforner becuase of the keyboard. I had orginally bought the atrix because of the lapdock but that phone turned out to be a huge fail. Now i have a infuse 4g and considering the transformer. How bad is the light bleed? And do you think new ones got fixed?
Sent from my SAMSUNG INFUSE using XDA Premium App
Transformer27 said:
So im thinking about getting the transformer because of its keyboard dock (origanly had gotten the atrix for the same reason turned out to be crap).
How happy are you?
How is the performance?
What issues have you noticed?
is it worth it?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Very happy, when i'm browsing most pages load faster than i can blink.
As well as 3 buddies i been very fortunate, none of us has had any issues, i surpose we got ours from Asus, all others on here are made in Brazil.
Of course it's worth it! you can do more with it than any other tablet, it's built the same as any other tablet, and it's cheaper
The only thing it doesn't do is help with spelling!
acid123 said:
I am extremely happy,
I will most likely buy the other dock and sd/USB adapter once release...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
what "other dock?"
onfire4g05 said:
Opera has been pretty good... only complaint with it is you can't fully change your user agent so sites like Facebook and Google look like junk. I'm guessing ICS may fix these issues, if we don't get a fix sooner.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've done the steps listed at this url: http://www.articlecms.in/3691-how-to-run-opera-mobile-in-full-desktop-mode.html on my captivate and it works great. Hopefully it works for your transformer.
" In the browser address bar type opera:config
Scroll down to User preferences and click on it
Scroll to custom user agent
Type this into the text box Opera/9.80 (Linux; en) Presto/2.7.81 Version/11.00
Click save
Restart the app"
I am very pleased - no issues, snappy performance, generally exceeds all my expectations.
Are the speakers great? - of course not, what do you expect from something the size of an ant's eye. Are they tolerable for general use? - of course
Only thing I am (patiently) waiting for, is Netflix and Cisco group authentication VPN.
One thing you need to think about. THIS IS NOT A PC! Trying to duplicate your PC work activities will leave you feel lacking. If you adapt your work activities to the (mostly) excellent native Android applications and capabilities, you will be thrilled.
I'm very happy with my Transformer. I agree that coming to this forum might make one think that there's nothing but problems with the device. However, consider the volume of troubles (most can be corrected) against the fact that 400,000 were sold in April and May, there really aren't that problems with the tablet.
I love, I mean, Love, the keyboard. I have the MSI netbook U123, which has a similar-sized keyboard. Somehow, this keyboard is so much easier to use and I never hit the wrong keys. And having the touch screen is very convenient.
Good luck with your decision.
I love it!
I have had mine since the initial US release and can honestly say I have not had one issue with mine. The video issues seem to be resolved since the 3.1 release, I have not noticed and light bleed issues others have, i even think the speakers soud great considering the size of the unit! For what I do with it, watching videos while running on the treadmill, browsing the web, passing some time with a few games, and using email and the calendar, think it simply is a GREAt device!
(not even xda-rooted yet- but..) am really very happy!!
[Xvid plays great / SSH client rules / happy PDF rendering / Dolphin rocking the web]
Can't wait for my dock; some NVFlash loveliness [tick];
audiophile voodoo; (possible) ubuntu dual-boot;
..and its a damn-fine, asus done-deal in my book
How do you guys connect the tablet to the internet without dock? Just wireless or tether right?
To me thats the main issue. It will be out here tomorrow and im readying all i can about it because i can't decide what to do.
going to go to best buy to see if they have it instock today

[Q] What do you think of the Transformer?

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?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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.

Considering an Eee Pad

So, I currently have a Dell Streak 7. I'm considering moving my tablet business to Asus, because Dell does not seem to be doing anything good right about now. I just got hired at a new job, and hopefully by the end of the month, a Tranformer with a Keyboard will be within reach. I have a few questions.
Firstly, I know there is an Ubuntu build that can be flashed, but to dual-boot it with Android, you need an NVFlashable ROM. Is there an NVFlash of the original ROM, so I can run official Honeycomb and dual-boot with Ubuntu?
Secondly, how good is the build quality of the tablet and keyboard, and how well do they work together? Is the hardware up to spec with the software? If I am spending $600 to run Honeycomb and Ubuntu, I want to make sure that the hardware won't die on me.
Third, I am hoping the performance is good. Considering the keyboard and Ubuntu support, I am planning on using this not just as an Android tablet, but a Linux laptop. Is the performance while running Linux acceptable for daily use, and are there any bugs?
bluesy_92 said:
So, I currently have a Dell Streak 7. I'm considering moving my tablet business to Asus, because Dell does not seem to be doing anything good right about now. I just got hired at a new job, and hopefully by the end of the month, a Tranformer with a Keyboard will be within reach. I have a few questions.
Firstly, I know there is an Ubuntu build that can be flashed, but to dual-boot it with Android, you need an NVFlashable ROM. Is there an NVFlash of the original ROM, so I can run official Honeycomb and dual-boot with Ubuntu?
Secondly, how good is the build quality of the tablet and keyboard, and how well do they work together? Is the hardware up to spec with the software? If I am spending $600 to run Honeycomb and Ubuntu, I want to make sure that the hardware won't die on me.
Third, I am hoping the performance is good. Considering the keyboard and Ubuntu support, I am planning on using this not just as an Android tablet, but a Linux laptop. Is the performance while running Linux acceptable for daily use, and are there any bugs?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm wondering this as well.
I was contemplating the same thing before I got mine 1.5 months ago. I planned on replacing my aging eeePC 1005HA with the TF101 + dock, but I currently don't have enough money to buy the dock.
I've used Linux for years and currently use it as my main OS on my desktop, so I love the fact that you can run Ubuntu on the TF (which I haven't tried yet). I was following the dev of it for a little while and unless they changed the process, having a flashable ROM doesn't matter as Ubuntu replaces the recovery partiton (which houses the stock recovery or Clockwork) and not the system partiton (which houses Android). From what I've seen Ubuntu isn't 100% working yet and isn't ready for everyday usage. Prime 1.4 (which is essentially a slightly tweaked honeycomb build) has a flashable blob file, they're currently up to Prime 1.7 although IDK if any blobs exist for it.
The build quality of the TF is generally good, but there are some problems. The bezel may be loose in certain areas (about a 1" section on my top left corner is squeaky), your unit may have minimal or massive lightbleed due to the way IPS screens are backlit (any device with an IPS screen has lightbleed, take a look at the iPad2) someone on here did a poll about lightbleed and 75% of users reported that they had some form of lightbleed, and some users have noticed dust trapped under their glass screen. After 5 weeks of usage I just had to RMA my TF because it didn't want to charge the battery anymore.
The hardware on the TF is great and when coupled with great software it works extremely well, the problem is that Honeycomb is still crappy in some areas. There aren't many apps that truly support tablets and some things just don't perform well (across all Honeycomb devices, not just the TF). The TF has typing lag when using both the virtual and physical keyboard, but that seems to be more of a HC problem. 3.2 fixed a lot of things but Honeycomb isn't perfect by far.
Don't let all of this deter you from getting one though, it's a great device. All of the software problems should be fixed in the coming months when Ice Cream Sandwich is released and hopefully newer batches of the TF will fix some of the quality problems. Even though I had to send it back to get it fixed when it was only 5 weeks old, I still love the damn thing and miss it already!
I love mine. I've had a couple of tablets before, and I think this is the best by far. I'm one of the lucky ones who has no lightbleed(none at all) and no squeaks in the case, but even if I wasn't that lucky, I'd still love it. It's the highest build quality of any of my tablets, and it's super stable(for me at least). The only time I ever have to reboot is to update the firmware, and it lasts in standby for an entire week, with the wifi on(not in power-saver) the entire time. Also, Honeycomb in general is verrrrry nice, compared to my froyo/gingerbread tablets, and I think Asus has made a very good build of it.
I plan to dual boot Ubuntu when they get the touchscreen figured out, but AFAIK, there is no CWM method when dual-booting yet, so NVflash is the way to go. The stock firmware is available in NVflash form, but I think dual-boot will still break the OTA updates.
Alright, now another question. How well does Ubuntu work with the hardware? Will the USB port on the keyboard and external memory on the tablet be recognized? Will the built-in cam be recognized by Ubuntu as a webcam, or made useless? Is there anything else I should know before buying?
bluesy_92 said:
Alright, now another question. How well does Ubuntu work with the hardware? Will the USB port on the keyboard and external memory on the tablet be recognized? Will the built-in cam be recognized by Ubuntu as a webcam, or made useless? Is there anything else I should know before buying?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hope that your unit doesnt have locked bootloader (new key) and thus cant root or anything!
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1198510
I've been seriously wondering if I should buy an Asus Transformer now that it has been out for a little while.
I don't know if I am too bothered with the 3G model that is to be released soon, as I do not mind just using my mobile phone as a wireless hotspot if I needed to use the internet and I would mainly be in places using this tablet where there is WiFi anyway.
We have a few sitting in the stock room at work and it's so incredibly tempting to get one as I've become smitten with all of the videos and the threads in this forum about it but I'm wondering if I should wait for something better that might come out.
It is a lovely little device though and I am sure I'd be happy to have one. I think I could compare my same situation to choosing my HTC Desire over a HTC Desire HD, although that came down to which telephone network I was using. Vodafone in Australia weren't doing so well (and still aren't as far as I know) and the Desire HD was exclusive to their network but I was convinced to go with the better telephone network and I love my HTC Desire even though it was around a year old after it came out.
Perhaps I just answered my own questions as to whether or not I should get an Asus EEEPad Transformer but I feel as if I need some more convincing from users here and not just Youtube reviews! It seems like a wonderful unit of technology, Bluesy and I am sure that you would be very happy with it. The devs here seem to be working very hard on creating a strong support in relations to customisation for this device so it will only get better. The Ubuntu support for it already astounds me! Haha.
lathanub, I was in the same situation last week, and pondered and wondered what to do. Finally at friday I ordered one myself! There just isnt any other device in same price range to compete with TF and it has all the latest technology in it.
TF 2 will be released Q1/2012 earliest imo, and so much can go wrong on it too with new chip inside. I see no use of 2 extra cores in near future for basic tablet usage, unless you wanna run the latest and greatest 3D games on it etc (I think tablets aint good for serious gaming, casual is ok for me)...
3G is probably coming in months time, but for me constant 3G connection just eats battery for nothing when using WIFI. And I own a MiFi device, that is so small to carry around, when Im not in area with WIFI. 3G is so much slower than any WIFI anyways, so I happily use it instead.
Ofc its finally about you, if you find the tablet useful now. For me, having handy device is priceless atm:
- read email
- twitter
- IM
- surf the net for some minor things
- watch youtube when bored
- watch movies/series when on the road (or waiting in airport like usually)
- read books
etc...
I dont think I need to boot my desktop at home anymore, unless I do serious work. Having ultra fast PC on 24/7 just for email/IM is bit too much....
Guys, do yourself a favor and look for the correct version of dock. B50 docks are horrible! The battery drain on them is at 5% an hour and it defeats the purpose of the dock totally.
Look for a B70 dock and for tablet, look for a no light bleed version but one that is not B70 if you want root - it is a BIG problem with these tablets right now. Rest all are great though. Ubuntu support is good as long as you don't put it on a MicroSD card.
Regarding the hardware issues - buy it at Staples or Best Buy if you are serious about using them for a while and exchange if you get bad batches. I bought online and RMA/Returns are greatly delayed and you have to pay shipping!
kkiran said:
Guys, do yourself a favor and look for the correct version of dock. B50 docks are horrible! The battery drain on them is at 5% an hour and it defeats the purpose of the dock totally.
Look for a B70 dock and for tablet, look for a no light bleed version but one that is not B70 if you want root - it is a BIG problem with these tablets right now. Rest all are great though. Ubuntu support is good as long as you don't put it on a MicroSD card.
Regarding the hardware issues - buy it at Staples or Best Buy if you are serious about using them for a while and exchange if you get bad batches. I bought online and RMA/Returns are greatly delayed and you have to pay shipping!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I wouldn't call it a "big problem" with the B70s just yet. I have counted about 15 people on the forum and IRC that have successfully NVflashed a B70, and only one person who hasn't, and it hasn't been confirmed that it's due to a different SBK yet. It's something to be aware of, but there's alot of fear-mongering going on too.
My only advice is that, dont compare this to a laptop becuase it's just a *bit* below laptop level. It's great for what it does and not much else. If you're content with that, then you'll definitely love the Transformer.
I can't put the transformer down. Once I found Thumb Keyboard and SwiftKeyX for tablets, it is a dream. I'm out of town for 2 weeks for business and this thing is great. Emails, office doc's, Facebook, twitter, gTalk Video chat, games, Netflix, notes, etc.
My laptop is only on for wifi adhoc connection.
Asus Transformer 3.1 pwnd
www.MiiWiiChat.com
www.SnapSiteAdmins.com
I'm picking one up on Friday. Which store you guys recommend I purchase it from?
Vandam500 said:
I'm picking one up on Friday. Which store you guys recommend I purchase it from?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Best Buy so you can take it back easily if you want.

Acer Iconia vs HP Touchpad

Hello all. I'm on a bit of a budget and I'm going to buy one of these two tablets. Right now I'm leaning towards the a500. Was hoping to get some input and opinions on what you think I should do. I realize posting this in this forum I might get slightly biased opinions, so be it.
The only thing that makes me hesitate on the Acer is it has a slightly slower processor out of the box, but we're only talking .2ghz. What has the Acer been OC'd to still running stable?
Also, I see the wifi card uses the 2.4ghz spectrum, I believe this should allow me to tether this to my evo 3d with no problems?
Lastly, if anyone has anything to add, or something else I should consider before purchasing, it would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
Sent from my PG86100 using XDA App
The touchpad doesn't run android and only has a port of cm7 which I think is still in beta/alpha. And they're extremely hard to get your hands on one for the price it has been lowered to. And the iconia can be had for $299 for the 16gb model on black friday
Sent from my PG86100 using Tapatalk
I would prefer the Touchpad if I could choose again. This is a personal experience for me, and I didn't have a good one with this honeycomb tablet. It has quite a few bugs that a lot of android users are facing, but could be avoided if a custom rom that fixes the bugs is installed, which voids your warranty. Also, Most Honeycomb tablets have the so called "Portrait lag", which makes the tablet slightly choppy or jittery (depends on roms, how much choppy) when it's in a portrait mode. In landscape, it's perfectly smooth. And if you would like to use the tablet in both orientation, I would first wait if the ICS fixes all the issues including the portrait lag. This lag is present in EVERY SINGLE rom I've tried (can't be avoided). Some people are actually saying that ICS will most likely fix the bugs, but bring different bugs to the android tablets. We have to try the ICS on tablets to know for sure. Anyway this is only my opinion, and again, if I could choose, I wouldn't buy an android tablet. I am actually thinking of selling this and getting a Touchpad soon..
Again, this is just my opinion, so all android fans, don't bash on me.
sw6lee said:
I would prefer the Touchpad if I could choose again. This is a personal experience for me, and I didn't have a good one with this honeycomb tablet. It has quite a few bugs that a lot of android users are facing, but could be avoided if a custom rom that fixes the bugs is installed, which voids your warranty. Also, Most Honeycomb tablets have the so called "Portrait lag", which makes the tablet slightly choppy or jittery (depends on roms, how much choppy) when it's in a portrait mode. In landscape, it's perfectly smooth. And if you would like to use the tablet in both orientation, I would first wait if the ICS fixes all the issues including the portrait lag. This lag is present in EVERY SINGLE rom I've tried (can't be avoided). Some people are actually saying that ICS will most likely fix the bugs, but bring different bugs to the android tablets. We have to try the ICS on tablets to know for sure. Anyway this is only my opinion, and again, if I could choose, I wouldn't buy an android tablet. I am actually thinking of selling this and getting a Touchpad soon..
Again, this is just my opinion, so all android fans, don't bash on me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Although this is not the first time I've heard of what's been described as "portrait lag", I've never paid attention to it, as my tab stays locked in landscape (personally don't understand why people even use portrait mode, no offense intended).
So I just took it out of lock for the first time since June, when you had to run Gingerbreak locked in portrait mode IIRC.
I just ran through a dozen pages in browser, books, documents, ran through my apps, all my home screens, etc., and experienced nothing close to lag. Could someone maybe elaborate a bit more on the experience please?
tyia
The lag is terrible in 3.1 but it seems to have gone away in 3.2. I haven't used web OS since the 1st palm pre for sprint and although it looks very elegant there isn't enough devs for it and is possibly done with for good which means no future support. Now its been rumored the iconia will see an official release of ics so it will make this tab feel brand new again. The only reason I could see myself getting the touchpad would be to run cm7/9 on it but its a very nice looking piece of hardware. And I'm not an android fan boy. I do have the iconia tab and an evo3d but I also have a ipad and iPod touch so I'm kinda into everything.
Sent from my PG86100 using Tapatalk
kjy2010 said:
Although this is not the first time I've heard of what's been described as "portrait lag", I've never paid attention to it, as my tab stays locked in landscape (personally don't understand why people even use portrait mode, no offense intended).
So I just took it out of lock for the first time since June, when you had to run Gingerbreak locked in portrait mode IIRC.
I just ran through a dozen pages in browser, books, documents, ran through my apps, all my home screens, etc., and experienced nothing close to lag. Could someone maybe elaborate a bit more on the experience please?
tyia
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I use portrait mode, because Google is so stupid that they put the status bar on the bottom and made the already narrow 16:9 tablet even narrower and its very annoying to browse the wn where you can see only small amount of the website at a time. This is also why I prefer 4:3 Touchpad. If the status bar is on one side of the screen, say like archos 101 G8, then I personally think it will make viewing web more pleasant. Same goes to PDF, document reading. Portrait mode is much better for that IMO.
And you may have misunderstood what I said, so let me clarify. The bug is called portrait 'lag' but its not lag, but as I explained, its choppiness, and jitteriness (is this even a word..? Lol). It gives users not so good experience. At least to me.
Just wanted to clarify.
Thanks for the responses, gives me more to think about. I probably should wait for the next generation of tabs, but I don't feel like dropping $600+ on one.
Right now I'm probably 65/35 in favor of the a500.
Sent from my PG86100 using XDA App
For the record, my A500 can run stable at 1.6 GHz, though I keep it at 1.4 to be reasonable.... the Tegra 2 seems to overclock well.
Just want to chime in on OC..with Thor's v13 ROM, my a500 oc'ed to 1.5G stable day to day operation
Running 1.68ghtz. Thors 3.9R3 kernel.
But really, who would even try to compare a TP to an Iconia? Especially considering they are no longer in production (unless you buy a notebook pc, then they toss one in).
HP never was really known for support, but, if you wanna get a discontinued item, hey, you get what you pay for
And talk about backtracking;
1. Let's merge with Compaq (2 losers become 1 big loser)
2. Let's buyout Palm, and change the name to Pre, now lets kill the line
3. Let's put out a tab, but nobody wants it
4. Let's kill the tab line
5. Oh, let's also get out of the PC business as well
6. Wait, all the tabs sold at 99 bucks, let's make another 1/4 mil units
7. Wait, we were kidding, we're not getting outta the PC business
8. And those extra tabs??? well, gotta buy a notebook to get one
Is this a company you really want to do business with?
flonker said:
Thanks for the responses, gives me more to think about. I probably should wait for the next generation of tabs, but I don't feel like dropping $600+ on one.
Right now I'm probably 65/35 in favor of the a500.
Sent from my PG86100 using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you're going to get an A500 wait until Black Friday, it's only a week away
I have both & use both as intended (for entertainment, quick email, etc.). For better support, I would stick with the Acer unit, even though very good community support is provided for the HP unit, it still is considered a "dead" unit.
i say buy the touchpad. as of now, cm7 runs pretty damn well and webos is a true gem for when you just want to browse, play emulators, use social apps, or schedule your calendar.
Battery life is also phenomenal.
Thanks again for the responses... Can I hit thanks in the xda app somehow? Or, do I have to fire up my laptop?
I had the original Palm Pre and the only real problem I had with it was it's build quality, but I liked webos. Yes, it's a dead OS, but if I can dual boot into a stable version of android that is fine. The build quality on the HP touchpad seems to be excellent as well.
However, I see myself mainly running android, and would think a device where it is the native OS would probably be the best in terms of community/developer support. I've also never had a honeycomb device and it would fun to play around with until ICS.
That being said, I'm a bit worried of build quality with the Acer. I noticed a door covering the microSD slot, and it seemed kinda flimsy.
I figure I can get both for $300 new, but the touchpad would also come with some extras like the folio case and Bluetooth keyboard for that price.
I'm going to get the Acer. The feature that put it over the top? It's getting a port of GTA 3, it had better be a good port. lol.
If you actually took the time to read through this post, please resume living your life immediately.
Sent from my PG86100 using XDA App
The sd/sim port, indeed can seem a bit weak, but, once you know how to get it off correctly, it's ok. Took mine off numerous times and no issues. But it's been a month since i needed to remove it, so it doesn't happen every day. Just don't be the hulk, as really it's easy.
The android community is number one, bar none.
But really, for a few dollars more, you can get the 501 with 3g (just don't get it from at&t as it's sim locked.
I just love rubbing in my download speeds with my friend (iPad owner). He stopped playing games with me. Or when I flash a new rom in 5 minutes, with a completely different theme and look.
The best is when I whip out my 320gb ext HDD and play films.
---------- Post added at 10:47 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:46 PM ----------
kjy2010 said:
If you're going to get an A500 wait until Black Friday, it's only a week away
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In the states that is...
They are like apples and oranges. Both are sweet, but oh, so different.
I bought the 16GB Touchpad from a local Walmart on the morning of the fire sale. I would not have done so otherwise. Do I regret the purchase? No. Do I use it often? No. I am much more interested in my Acer A500 or my little Galaxy Tab 7". They are versatile and FUN! I use whatever device is handy and is charged. That means I also use my 1st gen iPad as much as any other tablet. I just picked up a refurbished Acer W500, so that is my current plaything.
Follow your bliss or your wallet, whatever works, works.
Moscow Desire said:
Running 1.68ghtz. Thors 3.9R3 kernel.
But really, who would even try to compare a TP to an Iconia? Especially considering they are no longer in production (unless you buy a notebook pc, then they toss one in).
HP never was really known for support, but, if you wanna get a discontinued item, hey, you get what you pay for
And talk about backtracking;
1. Let's merge with Compaq (2 losers become 1 big loser)
2. Let's buyout Palm, and change the name to Pre, now lets kill the line
3. Let's put out a tab, but nobody wants it
4. Let's kill the tab line
5. Oh, let's also get out of the PC business as well
6. Wait, all the tabs sold at 99 bucks, let's make another 1/4 mil units
7. Wait, we were kidding, we're not getting outta the PC business
8. And those extra tabs??? well, gotta buy a notebook to get one
Is this a company you really want to do business with?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
LOL. You hit the nail right on the head I'd love to get a TP if I can only find one for $100.It woul be a nice toy to play with for Android ports, but nothing serious. When I first heard of the firesale (literally a couple hours after HP announced it), I dropped into all nearby electronic stores and they were already sold out. I'm seeing all kinds on classifies sites like kijiji and craigslist but they're all $250-300 which is more than I'd like to pay.
So if you can get one for $100, go for it. Otherwise, I'd either recommend the A500 or wait 1-2 months for a newer Tegra 3 device.
Acer all the way.
As of now the Touchpad is dead with webOS and not stable enough with android yet. You really can't do much with it now besides browsing the web and email. I don't like honeycomb very much but at least the Iconia will get the ICS upgrade.
I have the A500 and I am very satisfied, to say the least!
I also bought today the BB Playbook for $199cdn (the deal wasn't to be missed). Very nice machin.
Will be on sale in the US on black friday at Staples
I'd rather get a tetra based tablet, the touchpad is nice but who knows how top end games will be supported on that device. I had a nook color Flanders even the smoothness that it got to only made me want a real tablet
Sent from my ICONIA

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