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Got myself a new Transformer. Unboxed. Looks gorgeous, but wait... the two bits that make up the wall charger don't seem to, you know, slot in? It's very loose, and when plugged in doesn't do squat all. No charge. Am I being an idiot and not fitting one piece to the other right, or do I go back to the shop to get a replacement? :/
It snaps together, and when I got mine it was a pretty snug fit. So you may have to apply a little force, but it does snap together.
Right, the problem is that however much force I apply, the thing doesn't want to snap in. I've been googling like mad to see if anyone else has this problem and did find this one chap with the same trouble; he ended up having to ask the shop to swap it.
When I got mine it was already together
I had to press with what I would deem as an 'unreasonable' amount of force to get them to snap together. Just FYI.
Lucky you. Sigh.
I've even tried to charge with my Samsung Tab's wall adapter. No goddamn luck. Fail, ASUS, fail.
grainysand said:
Right, the problem is that however much force I apply, the thing doesn't want to snap in. I've been googling like mad to see if anyone else has this problem and did find this one chap with the same trouble; he ended up having to ask the shop to swap it.
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Can you take a pic?
I was going to upload the pics, but I followed advice given in another thread and--using enough force I thought I was about to break them--bent the prongs outward. Voila: it now snaps in and charges. Still a bit of a fail on ASUS for not shipping the two pieces already joined, or better yet make the wall adapter a one-piece affair. Ah well!
This happens to everyone. You really need to FORCE it. There's no particular technique that worked for me, just slide and apply a lot of pressure...you only need to do it once, thankfully.
yeah the amount of force required to put that thing together is insane. after about 5 minutes i grabbed something heavy and just started pounding the thing to death with it until it clicked in lol
That is the one area of the transformer that has disappointed me so far, the charging systems. I didn't understand why the unit wasn't assembled in the box... why I can't charge via usb...and why the cable is so short.
Other than those gripes, I love this thing!!
akashhhhh said:
This happens to everyone. You really need to FORCE it. There's no particular technique that worked for me, just slide and apply a lot of pressure...you only need to do it once, thankfully.
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*giggles childishly*
nebrando said:
...and why the cable is so short.
Other than those gripes, I love this thing!!
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Seriously the cable length is ridiculous
Sent from my Transformer TF101 using XDA Premium App
Heh, I wedged a coin between the prongs to bend them a bit. Thanks everyone for the suggestions, though.
The Samsung Galaxy Tab's cable is also stupidly short. A trend, I guess?
Mine took some force but it wasnt like i had to stand on a table to make it work.
grainysand said:
Still a bit of a fail on ASUS for not shipping the two pieces already joined, or better yet make the wall adapter a one-piece affair. Ah well!
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I could see pre-joined but not a one piece affair. I like that its modular because that means you could get plug adapters that could make it fit any country you move to. This is how it should be with mobile devices.
grainysand said:
Heh, I wedged a coin between the prongs to bend them a bit. Thanks everyone for the suggestions, though.
The Samsung Galaxy Tab's cable is also stupidly short. A trend, I guess?
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Apparently so is the Iconia's cable. Very strange, as if they expect us to build a little charging stand next to an outlet just for these Android tablets. Somewhat easily solved with a USB 3.0 extension cable, but it's an ugly solution (at least for me, my extension is blue).
not assembled because it's modular and different countries have different adapters. They are wrapped separately and the only variable in the box.
Also, the oem ipad adapter should provide plenty of oomph to charge and comes with a long cord from outlet to charging unit. Again, not as nice and neat as a normal two piece charger and cable, but neither as the add one. Plus, the apple one is modular too and can take a regular one piece like the one on the asus if you don't need the extension cable or if someone comes out with a longer stock cable.
Weird, mine came already assembled from Best Buy.
I do remember my GTablet came with the adapter apart, but that was easy to put together.
Hell I didn't even know it was in 2 peices, got mine yesterday from Newegg and it was already together. Yes the cable length is a joke but I heard about that earlier this week and ordered a 6 ft USB3 cable extension from monoprice for like $4 and it got here today and using it now to charge mine and it's working fine, highly recommended!
Yeah mine was pre-assembled, got mine Monday of this week (and it was brand new stock). Maybe they're doing that on the newer units. I have no idea how I'd ever get it apart if I needed to, I tried and the two pieces are very tightly attached.
The cable... yes the cable is crazy-short. So if you want to use a USB extension, it has to be a USB 3.0 one?
I order one of these from eBay and it works great. I got one of the car chargers too..just for fun. So my power needs are good to go now! I travel for work and the short factory cross was getting old quick. Hope this helps!
Chlballi
http://cgi.ebay.com/AC-Adapter-Powe...758?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item20b9ede3b6
Edit:
I just saw this one too..don't know much about it though.
http://cgi.ebay.com/Power-Supply-Ad...158?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3a66a3f866
Electronic Crap has a 6 ft charging cable available
http://electroniccrap.com/store/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=26_27
Sent from my A500 using Tapatalk
Nice find. Between this thread and others I've seen, power cables are definitely no longer in "short" supply.
Chlballi
chlballi said:
I order one of these from eBay and it works great. I got one of the car chargers too..just for fun. So my power needs are good to go now! I travel for work and the short factory cross was getting old quick. Hope this helps!
Chlballi
http://cgi.ebay.com/AC-Adapter-Powe...758?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item20b9ede3b6
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I bought this and have returned it. The tip was 3mm longer than OEM and was loose in the port. It wiggled so much that power would cut in and out. They even sent me a second cable in case they sent the wrong one, but it was the same as the first. They were polite and eagerly offered a refund. I would not recommend this. I also checked Radio Shack and their tips were the same. I'll splice my OEM cable before I risk frying my tablet.
After using it for a bit i noticed the same thing. Its too late for me to return mine..so. Anyone haveany luck with the one from electroniccrap.com?
Chlballi
I bought the one from electronic crap. Its nice, but nowhere 6 feet long. I'm 5'9" and it barely reaches my neck. It doesn't fit all the way in like the stock, because the plug is about 2mm too long. It's snug though and still better than the stock one. It's about 5' long.
Brash
Sent from my A500 using XDA Premium App
I've got the radio shake 6ft one.. same thing, the plug is a little long, but it doesn't really bother me. There's no little groove for it to click on, but mostly, i'm not handling the tablet too much when it's plugged in. I've thought about trying to file a slight groove in the tip like the oem one.. but it doesn't bother me quite enough. Just wish the adapter and cord wasn't white.
I am considering purchasing the dock. I don't need HDMI or the audio port etc.
My plan is to use the A500 as a chumby-like device beside me at night time. So, clock, weather, etc. and a quick touch to dim or light it up.
That being said, is the dock worth it? Does it work well? Mostly I'm concerned about the remote, I'm sure I'll be using that a lot.
I have read that it never used to, but now works nicely in 3.2, but I'd like to verify that here before I drop 50 bucks on it.
Thanks.
If that's all you want it for, save yourself the money and just buy a cheap tablet stand...
FloatingFatMan said:
If that's all you want it for, save yourself the money and just buy a cheap tablet stand...
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And where do I find a remote that will work with it that's small and neat?
Unless you're willing to pay a lot of money just for a remote, I'd have to agree with FloatingFatMan.
While I really want a dock, paying $55 USD for the official Acer dock and another $20 for a power supply (because it doesn't come with one) is crazy, considering the limitations. It's really nothing more than an expensive piece of plastic with a power pass-thru and audio connector.
I think that dock would be good if they droped the price or released a version 2.0 with a power supply, USB, and HDMI (granted, you mentioned you wern't looking for those features).
A simple $5 generic tablet stand and nightstand app will do everything you're looking for... just without the cheap-feeling remote that the Acer dock comes with.
If you really want a remote there are several good Bluetooth versions that will work. I saw some threads with people using a Jabra 3030
Hell, I bent an old coat hanger into a DIY stand and it works great. Not aesthetically pleasing mind you, but it works amazingly for what its worth.
Sent from my DROID X2 using XDA App
I have to agree with the others...
As an owner of the dock, I'm very disappointed. Everything the others say about it is true. A basic tablet stand would likely serve you better. Note that I really don't use the remote, though.
Inexpensive tablet stand
Here's a link to an inexpensive, folding tablet stand. I don't own this, but it has many positive reviews.
http://www.amazon.com/Arkon-Portabl...TAB1/dp/B000CKVOOY/ref=acc_glance_e_ai_ps_t_4
Thanks for the responses. The answer is, yes I really do want the remote. I was only thinking about the dock on behalf of the fact that it would be 2 solutions in 1.
1. I'd get a remote. I haven't been able to source any neat/small bluetooth remotes
The only one I've seen for less than $40 is the PS3 remote and I doubt that's compatible with the A500 in terms of all the relevant functions. There's another, $40 by SMK-Link but again, not sure if it works with the A500 and it's too big anyway.
and...
2. The dock would serve as my charger so I didn't have to fumble for the cord to plug the tablet in every time. I could just drop it on the dock when I'm heading to bed. Afaik the tablet's charger works with the dock, so I wouldn't need to spend another $20, it's not like I need 2 anyway.
The dock isn't absolutely necessary. It just takes a few extra movements to plug it in anyway. I'd gladly save a few bucks on skipping the dock. The remote is the real issue at hand. While I want the tablet to be like a chumby, I also want it to be my music player as mentioned. After I'm done playing with it beside the bed and I've set my alarm, I don't want to have to stretch over to fiddle with it if I don't like the song being played. Likewise, I don't want to have to fiddle with it while manipulating/navigating the netflix app.
If you guys could recommend to me a good bluetooth remote control I'd be happy. I still haven't been able to source a good one. The Jabra 3030 is $60-90 and a bit more than I need but less than I want. I don't need a device to stream music through headphones to me, I already have a great bluetooth speaker system set up in my bedroom. The Street also is missing a directional pad.
I already own the Arkon. That's what I use to dock it now. It serves it's purpose as a dock nicely in terms of leaving it be, but in cases where you need to touch the tablet, it isn't as practical since if you're not careful, touching the tablet ends up fumbling your configuration/angles...even though the hinges are for the most part quite tight.
I'm sad to hear that the dock is disappointing, but for what I want it seems I may not have a choice.
Thanks again for your responses and advice. I look forward to hearing your suggestions. I've searched up and down the net' and haven't been able to find a small, tidy control like the one that comes with the A500 dock.
Gentle Alarm's Night Mode + my 10 dollar Merkury Innovations Stand is more and adequate enough on my dresser, plus it looks sexxy .
The Docks current setup is just not worth the money, unless you need a 50+ dollar remote for the brag factor.
I have that stand it works real nice.
it's definitly not worth it !
i had one for another tab. save ur money, and just take a good case
Dock purely for charging?
So there are no cheaper docks purely for charging?
I know I can get a cheap stand and plug in the power cable, that's what I use now - A $3 business card holder from OfficeWorks and the original charger.
But I want a dock that I can throw my tab at, and have it slide in and start charging.
luke.pell said:
So there are no cheaper docks purely for charging?
I know I can get a cheap stand and plug in the power cable, that's what I use now - A $3 business card holder from OfficeWorks and the original charger.
But I want a dock that I can throw my tab at, and have it slide in and start charging.
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I caved and got the Acer Dock. There are just no alternatives for the remote and being able to just sit the device on something and have it charge is a nice bonus over having to plug it in every time.
Not sure why so many are complaining about it. I half expected it to crumble while using it or that it just wouldn't work the way some owners complained of how cheap it was on Amazon. But I read some of the 4 star reviews and went ahead with the purchase.
But the dock works well, the remote works very well, better than I expected and the dock isn't that 'cheap' to me. Then I again, I don't equate something made of plastic to being cheap so that may just be me.
For what it does, allowing you to sit your tablet down to charge AND coming with the remote control (that I can find no alternatives for), it's well worth it to me...you just have to stomach the $50. If you consider the dock to be 20/25 and the remote to be 25/30 (that's what I did), it doesn't feel like a waste of money. Granted, if you don't want the remote then it would definitely feel like paying too much but I haven't found any charging bases either way, and I don't think you ever will since it's a proprietary slot.
I'm considering getting one of these docks.
Its handy to have an audio connection that doesn't use the 3.5ml jack, preventing the jack from getting worn down whenever you want to play music at home.
Let alone not wearing down the solder for the charging port (I hate the charging port, am really disappointed the tab cant charge over its micro USB, but thats a whole separate rant eheh)
I originally thought I should get a second charger and dock, but since using custom roms my battery life has gotten so good that I can leave my only charger at home on a dock and not have to worry.
My battery is usually on 70% ~ 65% remaining by the time I get home, including daily web usage, 2 hours of video playback, and general fiddling here and there.
If there was a cheaper stand that utilised the Dock port, i'd strongly consider it, but since this is the only one I know of that has the port for audio, remote control and charging. if I could get one for 50 bucks I would be very happy.
unfortunately in Aus they're price point is ****ty (aus retail sucks) so Its probably going to cost me $65~
qwertylesh said:
I'm considering getting one of these docks.
...
Let alone not wearing down the solder for the charging port (I hate the charging port, am really disappointed the tab cant charge over its micro USB, but thats a whole separate rant eheh)
...
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If you could charge via the USB, you would wear it down twice as fast. That's because you can't charge it connected to a PC because its USB port simply cannot supply the needed current to charge the battery. So you would have to plug in a charger and unplug it every time you need to connect to a PC for file transfer. Not to mention that this would make developement of applications with A500a pain in the a## because you will be discharging the battery while connected unless you allow it to go to sleep and have to wake and unlock every time you run your app (which would still discharge the battery but slower).
Acer did not put the extra production effort/cost in having more ports just to make your life miserable
Sent from my A500 using XDA Premium App
My Micro USB port seems to have a wiggle to it. I can't tell if it was like this when I first got the phone or if it's become worse overtime. Essentially when I plug in a Micro USB cable plugged into the port there seems to be excessive play from side-to-side. This excessive play doesn’t occur when pressure is applied up-and-down only when pressing from side-to-side. My Galaxy S2 does not have this wiggle and cables fit tightly. I'm concerned with long-term durability as I don’t want port to fail once I’m out of warranty. I feel silly calling Google and asking for a replacement if this is something that is normal. As I stated, the play seems excessive when compared to my Galaxy S2, but I have no other basis of comparison. My phone works brilliantly other than this very small issue. Does your micro USB port have some slack or is it tight?
Mine has some very minor movement, nothing that really concerns me much. If it really bothers you, I noticed that the official bumper case (when I had it) seemed to help stabilize things a little bit, so you could give that a try, though YMMV.
you could buy a wireless charging pad and make use of the Nexus 4's features. I too concern myself with long term plugging + unplugging will caus wobble side to side in the usb cable.
My GNexus had a slight wiggle, or formed one after 2 months usage.
I plan on buying a Qi wireless charging pad next week to not have this happen. Nexus 4 is my long term phone, a promise to myself lol.
Mine has a tiny bit of movement. But like the guy above me said, I plan on keeping this phone for quite some time so I got a wireless charging pad so I wouldn't put much stress on the port. Plus it's a really neat feature and everybody who sees it gets a kick out of it.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda premium
I got a good deal on a refurbished Tegra Note 7 so I quickly snagged it as I wanted a tablet for media consumption, some browsing + gaming! Now I've read all the reviews and came across the infamous ultra flimsy micro-usb port. I'm hoping that the tablet was refurbished because of a faulty port and they put in an awesome one! Anyway, do you guys have any suggestions for me so that I don't break the port like using a particular charger, any specific way to charge it(Wireless Charging without any soldering or other method that requires skills with tools?) or anything, really. Also, in case it does break, I'm guessing inevitably it will, has anyone found a convenient way except sending it to the respective manufacturers?
I just recently got a used one off eBay. The cord that came with it was a very tight fit and I could see how that would eventually break the port. Fortunately my samsung cord slips on the port very easily. And since it's white I marked the top of the cord with black magic marker so I never put it in wrong. So far it's working out great.
There's not much else to do but be extremely careful or go buy a Micro USB Type A cable. The whole problem with the port is that they used the wrong one.
http://www.yogaretnam.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/micro_usb_type_a_b.jpg
I never even knew there were two types of Micro USB connectors until I got this thing. I never bothered to get the right cable (and Nvidia didn't bother including the right one... did they even know there were two types?), and thanks to a minor fall while plugged in, I have to plug my cable in slightly crooked to get it to charge right. If I plug it straight in, it will show it's charging but actually drain the battery even if the stupid thing is off!