Hey everyone,
I'm trying to purchase a tablet and am undecided between the transformer and samsung tab 10.1. Just wondering if anyone who has used one or both could help me out with the decision. Ill be using the tablet mostly for entertainment and for school once or twice a week. Thanks for the help!
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App
The Gtab 1 or 2? If you're refering to the first gen, of course Transformer is better. As for second gen, its not released yet so anything people say is mostly opinion based on specs
I prefer the asus spec wise. All the extra standardized ports and external storage slot are why people choose android over ios, imo. Internals seem similarly matched, Sammy gets the prize for prettiest tablet. If these were laptops sammy would be an nice ultra portable and asus would be the good all-purpose.
I would get the TF for best bang for the buck. You will save 100 bucks and on top of it it has a microsd slot and hdmi port, where the Samsung 10.1 does not. If you just wants looks well then go with the 10.1. I believe that Samsung made a huge mistake not including a microsd slot.... PLS vs IPS screen,what 10% brighter then the IPS screen on the TF not worth it to me. With that extra 100 bucks you save you could get the dock.....TF for the FTW.....
I wanted a galaxy.. but I have to say the lack of SDcard slot on the thing was an absolute dealbreaker. I really couldn't be happier with my transformer at this point.. especially with 3.1 fixing the YouTube / video problems
SLG951 said:
Hey everyone,
I'm trying to purchase a tablet and am undecided between the transformer and samsung tab 10.1. Just wondering if anyone who has used one or both could help me out with the decision. Ill be using the tablet mostly for entertainment and for school once or twice a week. Thanks for the help!
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
this may be a little off.. but no one can compare the Samsung 10.1 since its not out. ill give you my opinion about the Xoom and the 10.1 off what i know.
I have heard from people who got the special edition Samsung 10.1 version, was that it had a better screen than the Xoom. the only thing that attracts me to the Samsung 10.1 is the thinness.. but after having a transformer, the size feels just right. I want something there , not just paper thin.
To be honest, get the Transformer.. I had the Xoom for 2 weeks and straight out of the box i knew there was an issue. I tried to enjoy it, but the screen kept turning me off. I went to the motorola forums and random other people posted asking if they would fix it via a firmware update? kinda like how the Nexus 1 got tweaked. There was no solid info regarding the screen. if your looking at the screen 100% of the time it needs to look good. At Angles, the Xoom looked blurry. I always had to hold it directly at me. While my Transformer (4 days new) i can set it down and tilt my head from my PC or any angle and it looks nice, colorful and sharp.
One of the turn off was that the Samsung 10.1 tab had a 3mp camera for front while the Transformer has a 5. these are just minor things but to me, id rather have a 5mp.
IMO, The colors stand out better than the Xoom but i cant compare the Samsung 10.1 which is not out yet.. With the new firmware 3.1 , it kicks even more ass. Samsung has said it would ship with 3.1 out the door. I haven't had any screen bleeding or creaking like a few have stated. Im completely happy in my purchase. Now i want the dock (which is not something i wanted originally) but the Transformer is an excellent Tablet.
What it comes down to is features, Skins ect. The Xoom has a Barometer built in, Transformer has a GPS without a carrier (but works better at tracking you when you uses a hotspot type of device) beyond that, its a click and it shows you the map where your at... i have had problems following me ...say in a car, while im driving. I think the built in Transformer GPS is meant for not moving objects but just a quick glance of the location. If you want it actively following you, like a cell phone GPS use a hotspot from Comcast 20$ a month or create a hotspot with your cellphone.
Im not sure what the Samsung 10.1 has exclusively built in. But since i purchased the transformer, ive forgotten about the Sammy 10.1 tab.
Thanks for the input everyone. Ya the biggest fear I had was not enough ports, especially the hdmi. The transformer is looking like a better pick to me. Just making sure that cloud based storage and remote desktop is standard on all of them right?
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App
SLG951 said:
Thanks for the input everyone. Ya the biggest fear I had was not enough ports, especially the hdmi. The transformer is looking like a better pick to me. Just making sure that cloud based storage and remote desktop is standard on all of them right?
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App
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Click to collapse
the remote desktop is kind of a joke, the reason being that you have to be on the same network as the computer youre linking to. mightbas well use the computer itself if youre that close! but this can always be replaced with other apps readily available in the market. i heard PhoneMyPC was a good alternative, only $15. as for the unlimited storage, its free for a year starting from when you sign up.
coasterman927 said:
the remote desktop is kind of a joke, the reason being that you have to be on the same network as the computer youre linking to. mightbas well use the computer itself if youre that close! but this can always be replaced with other apps readily available in the market. i heard PhoneMyPC was a good alternative, only $15. as for the unlimited storage, its free for a year starting from when you sign up.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You do not have to be on the same network. Please don't spread false information.
Sent from my CM7 Supersonic
The screen on the TF is imho, very good but not great. With all the hype, a more objective review is required. I find the red a bit too brown and the black levels weak. You can see this if you use the attached color chart from this review's video: http://www.notebookcheck.net/Review-Asus-Transformer-Eee-Pad-TF101-vs-Acer-Iconia-A500-vs-Motorola-Xoom-vs-Apple-iPad-2.53242.0.html . I suspect the samsung will have a better screen since they want to showcase their new PLS screen technology.
Note: the attached file size was limited to a 96k upload limit so it is better to download it yourself.
I had been going back and forth for over a month on if I wanted the Transformer or Galaxy Tab 10.1.
I purchased a Transformer a month ago when it first game out and like it, but was also bothered by some small issues. And I kinda think it's a little ugly. I ended up returning it and waiting on the Galaxy Tab 10.1
At the time I thought the Galaxy Tab 10.1 would have a micro SD slot (it was shown having one at CTIA). But now it seems the Wifi model doesn't have a micro SD slot. And one thing I learned from my 16GB iPad 1 experience is 16GB and no micro SD slot are a bad combination. So if I was going to by a Galaxy Tab 10.1, I'd have to spend at least $600 on the 32GB model.
I love the look of the Galaxy Tab 10.1, I love how thin and light it is. I love the PLS display. At least I love all that third hand from what I've seen of it so far. But the price difference for me is now $200, since I could get a 16GB Transformer and use a 16GB micro SD card I already own to get 32GB, versus having to buy a 32GB Galaxy Tab 10.1.
Yesterday I canceled my pre-order for the Galaxy Tab 10.1 and today I went to the store and bought the Transformer again. It's not perfect, but it's pretty dang good and better than anything else available now and apparently in the near future.
I love that it has micro SD, mini HDMI, micro USB, an IPS display, and is still pretty light compared to the other Honeycomb tablets out now.
I'll learn to live with the crappy speakers, goofy wide with rough edges, and ugly color. For only $400 though, it's also pretty amazing deal. And if I can ever find a keyboard dock, that'll just make it even sweeter as an Android netbook.
I really wanted to love the Galaxy Tab 10.1. If it wasn't for the lack of a micro SD slot, I would still be waiting for that instead. That is just one thing I really don't want to sacrifice. Samsung really is copying Apple a little too much these days.
coasterman927 said:
the remote desktop is kind of a joke, the reason being that you have to be on the same network as the computer youre linking to. mightbas well use the computer itself if youre that close! but this can always be replaced with other apps readily available in the market.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Huh? Port forwarding! btw Splashtop is much better then logmein and its free with the purchase of TF. RD is a must for me casue I have my server which has no keyboard mouse, or monitor, having the ability to access it from the TF is much more easier then use my notebook.
dazz87 said:
Huh? Port forwarding! btw Splashtop is much better then logmein and its free with the purchase of TF. RD is a must for me casue I have my server which has no keyboard mouse, or monitor, having the ability to access it from the TF is much more easier then use my notebook.
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Click to collapse
I'll add that there's a version of Splashtop coming that will support connecting to any device via a Gmail account. The desktop version has already been updated to support that, and so all we need is an update to the Android version. Then, you'll be able to connect to any machine over the Internet without fussing about with port forwarding that the like.
I remember Asus stating that support for the feature will be coming over the summer, and so we don't have long to wait. And I'm very impressed with how well the solution performs over wifi--I use it to watch TV via Windows Media Center on my desktop while my wife watches something else on the TV in the bedroom. It's as good as being at the desktop.
coasterman927 said:
the remote desktop is kind of a joke, the reason being that you have to be on the same network as the computer youre linking to. mightbas well use the computer itself if youre that close! but this can always be replaced with other apps readily available in the market. i heard PhoneMyPC was a good alternative, only $15. as for the unlimited storage, its free for a year starting from when you sign up.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I enjoy remoting my pc which is on the second floor while I'm having a meeting on the 4th floor. you'll be the joke when you keep giving bad example.
I was in the same boat. But I saw it on amazon and just bought the ASUS. Done and done.
Nuke please.. it duped.
You can go either way if the lack of the SD has no impact to you.
On the other hand, there is the support side of it, which was the major decision factor for me.
20,000 people on a Samsung Pad is good, and there may be some good XDA support.
200,000+ people on the Asus EEE Transformer with custom kernels and fixes before asus can even think about addressing them is the biggest factor when it comes to android based devices.
Its the same reason I was on the moment, and same for the Epic 4G. Tons of people, tons of community support, so anything that might be broken has an incredible chance of being actually addressed as people will take it into their own hands.
Plus the factor that Developers will support and ensure their software works on the devices with pure numbers.
Oh, and on the Splashtop chatter. Take a look at your running services, its already there "Splashtop Remote". Just be nice to be able to use it, or has someone figured out how we can use it already?
Anonnie said:
Oh, and on the Splashtop chatter. Take a look at your running services, its already there "Splashtop Remote". Just be nice to be able to use it, or has someone figured out how we can use it already?
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Click to collapse
My cloud app >[a bunch of next buttons]> my desktop and that runs splashtop for you
I had the same difficulty, though I was under the assumption that the Samsung had miniHDMI / MicroSD / USB ports. Of course I choose the transformer in the end because the extra battery / keyboard option is a nice addon though I don't plan on to buy but if i ever wanted more battery I'd know how to get it xD. The other thing that help me decide was that I personally believe ASUS has a better support staff for computing than Samsung, personal experience.
I walked into a Best Buy today and was looking for a TF, which of course they did not have. they had an Acer Iconia, so I went to go check it out. It was really heavy, and was wondering if the TF is similar in weight. Looking back, it might have been something attached to the Iconia that might've made it heavy, but I am not so sure. Also, all internals for Iconia/TF/Tab are all the same so they will perform similarly if used the same way, correct?
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
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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 $350
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Click to collapse
So am i! same place and price. its the vzw version
{Diemex} said:
the only thing that makes it better is that "magical" pen, but it's going to be 699$ 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.
I'm thinking about buying an Android tablet and really it's up between the G-tablet, Archos 70, this, and the Galaxy Tab (which goes cheaper than the rest used). I've been wondering if this lacks any features that other tablets might and how well it sizes up with flash support and browsing.
Out of the box, it does need some work.
If you just want to power up and go, its not the device for you.
I am pretty happy with mine, with the exception of no multi-touch and no 3g.
Sent from my eLocity A7 using Tapatalk
First off not to downplay the A7 its a nice device but it has some issues. I think they Rushed the release. To make the A7 a much better product you have this community modding the A7. You will need the Mod to get true android market place. The mod makes it more phone like and it adds things that are beyond the A7's ability.
Check out the enspert identity e201u tablet. I have seen it $299. Its verry comparible to the galaxy tab. It doesnt need a mod to get android market either and it has no blue tooth issues
And all this would be my opinion.
Updated on the A7 which I own one with the dexter mod 1.3. When I tried to boot it up today and it had somekinda kernal error. It wouldnt go into the launcher. Finally I had to do an recovery on it and reinstall dextor mod. My wife has claimed the A7 from me since now the enspert tablet.
I have been trying to convince her to let me return it and buy her the enspert tablet i think it a much better device.
the enspert tab is on the amazon site with my review but i seen it cheaper on the Dynamism site.
Its an korean product but but build quality I think is better than the A7.
So it lacks multi-touch? I heard that they were planning to update the A7 in mid 2011? Not sure if this is confirmed or not as I just found it on Androidfan forums or whatever it is. I'm personally not concerned about the lack of 3G, I'm more interested in using this as a device to pull out at hotspots when I have a few minutes, say a cafe or class, but I do want to be able to power up.
There are two big appeals for the A7; one being its $300 price tag on Amazon, and the fact that it is based on the Tegra 2 chipset. The enspert looks interesting but I heard good things about the Archos 70 too, so with similar prices I'm not sure which way I would go. Having access to the marketplace by default sounds goo though.
And isn't the Dell Streak 7 wi-fi coming out for around $350 as well? Should I maybe wait for the Dell Streak 7 or the rumored refresh of the A7? I wouldn't be above modding btw as long as it improves my experience overall.
Not sure about the dell but doubt it sub $400 price and with out contract, and after owning a dell pc I would never buy a dell anything.
Correct the A7 does not have true multi touch. What I heard is that its hardware can not support it. It does have a sorta pinch to zoom it steps and its not really something to really claim as a feature. Me my self I don't miss or need pinch to zoom or multi touch. Yes it works great at hotspots with full web flash support. That I do love about it. I use it at the hospital where I work and mcdonalds starbucks and so on. It is a wi-fi BG device though but still fast internet.
main issues is that its buggy and lacks true google market support, sd card mount issues and blue tooth problems. The Dex mod you install to get market is a workaround and it works but it also has issues. which he is also working on to fix.
The Samsung S5PC110, ARM Cortex-A8 1GHz that the enspert has is no slouch. having both I see no performance difference. another con is I truly don't see the point of it being 7" and having a micro sd card, that is so annoying. pluses for the enspert tab full sd card slot. has usb to pc connect ability, way better camera, usb charging and charger adapter, stiffer glass screen.
I dont see elocity doing any serious major updates for the device, i would think they would lean more to a second device.
oops one last thing the ensperts battery life is hands down a big plus. i can get about 5-6 hours the elocity is more in 3 hour range if that.
Wow, the battery life is really terrible. Do you have any experiences with the G-Tablet? The Enpsert sounds good but the Samsung Galaxy Tab Wifi can be had for sub 300 used from what I've seen around which is nice IMO, though I guess new is always a plus.
I don't know how you had that bad of an experience with the battery.
I charge mine overnight, take it to work and use it on and off all day there. Then a coupe hours web browsing at home. And still have enough left to play some angry birds before bed.
Same here take mine to work watch some avi files about an hours worth and browse web at home or hdmi the avi to my 50" tv at home. And battery still has decent amount of juice. Love using the 360 wireless controller with emulators too. huge plus!
No I never used the gtab, but cnet doesnt give it a good enough review for me. I have not checked price on it either but the a7 and the enspert tab can bothe be purchased for $299
geoxile said:
And isn't the Dell Streak 7 wi-fi coming out for around $350 as well? Should I maybe wait for the Dell Streak 7 or the rumored refresh of the A7?
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Click to collapse
I wouldnt wait for the Dell. Reviewers weren't very happy with the display, and said it had a dismal battery life...but the worst thing for me is the complete lack of external connectors, like HDMI or USB. Given its a tegra 2 device with HD capability, the inability to directly connect to an HD TV is a dealbreaker.
Hello, TF'ers. I'am asking a simple question for those who love their Transformers but for some reason is lusting after one of the other tablet's. Please list the tablet you wish you could have and why.
Thanks.
I have my TF101 and I'm happily satisfied with my purchase.
I love this thing. Nothing else comes close.
Sent from my awesome Asus Transformer using XDA's premium app.
Love mt TF but I always wonder if I would love the Acer Iconia A500 better.
I have had every tablet out, and the iconia was ok, the screen is not as good as the TF, but at least the browser does not crash as much, no lag while trying to type, and the usb...
I am looking at the thrive... if I know what kinda of glass it will have I would order one.
More than happy with my TF'er. Tried the Zoom, tried the Ipad2 but neither come close. I'm mildly interested in the GT 10.2 to see what the fuss is about but the lack of SD card immediately puts a dampener on it.
Thremix said:
I have had every tablet out, and the iconia was ok, the screen is not as good as the TF, but at least the browser does not crash as much, no lag while trying to type, and the usb...
I am looking at the thrive... if I know what kinda of glass it will have I would order one.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have 0 lag and havent had the browser crash once. I have 2 usb's slots and both SD and MiniSD card slots. I use a wireless mouse and BT headset nd get over 24 hours of battery life on hard use. Hwat else could you ask for?
Sent from my awesome Asus Transformer using XDA's premium app.
As a launch-day Pre purchaser who converted to Android in January of this year, I have to admit that I'm intrigued by the TouchPad. webOS really is SOOOO much better in terms of multitasking that I'd love to have it on a tablet.
However, there are three things that temper this notion. First, webOS does not and likely will not have the apps that I need for quite some time. The TouchPad won't even have Office document editing out the door, which is simply ridiculous. I can't believe that Samsung can completely redesign their tablet and release it in a few months, while HP can't get a single freaking app written that's absolutely vital to their product's success. Really, webOS made me promise myself never to buy something for a feature that's "coming soon."
Second, until a tablet has a keyboard dock as functional as the Transformer's, I'd have a hard time switching over. There's simply no better device for straight writing (i.e., just laying words down on the page) on the go. If HP releases a similar hybrid device someday, I'll think about it (assuming the apps are there), but Transformer is just a great all-around mobile device.
Third, while webOS is a nice OS in many ways, I'm disappointed that HP didn't design it to make better use of a tablet's screen size. Ultimately, webOS 3.X is just a blown-up version of the smartphone OS, with the same number of cards showing, only bigger. They could have done so much more with it. I really like how Honeycomb's screens can provide so much useful information at a glance. I often just turn my TF on, check to see if I have any emails, upcoming appointments, what the weather's like, etc., etc., and then just turn it back off. It's like a dashboard for my life, and so far no other tablet OS comes close in this respect.
wynand32 said:
...........It's like a dashboard for my life.........
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Thats how I would describe it to the "T". You should sent that to Asus for branding...lmao
Sent from my awesome Asus Transformer using XDA's premium app.
Love my Transformer... But wish I have an iPad only due to the vast number of case options available. However I'm looking forward to receiving my multi-angle rooCase.
I don't undestand why you would want any other tablet (at least any other android tablet)
The TF offers everything all the other android tablets offer PLUS MORE... Anything else would just be a downgrade.
the only thing I'm lusting for currently is a fully functional Netflix app. I really love to watch movies quietly at night and currently have to switch over to my Nook Color to do this. TF is awesome, working Netflix would make it total perfection for my needs.
Digiguest said:
Love mt TF but I always wonder if I would love the Acer Iconia A500 better.
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The Transformer is better than the iconia. I had one, the screen on it sucks and it weighs a lot more. The only things it has over the transformer are the aluminum body (I actually prefer the transformer's body but most like aluminum that I've talked to) and the speakers have more bass. IMO the transformer wins hands down.
Sent from my Thunderbolt using XDA App
ClevelandWheeler said:
I have 0 lag and havent had the browser crash once.
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Bollocks
10char
ClevelandWheeler said:
get over 24 hours of battery life on hard use. Hwat else could you ask for?
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Did you do something special to your batteries?
I wish it had normal browser like Chrome with extensions and such. I wish it had mouse hover capabilities.
I have a XFormer, but would love a Xoom, but only to see the benefit of Internal 3G.
Badwolve1
Yep the grass always seems greener on the other side. I'm lucky enough to be able to try them all out. I've got the Asus Iconia, the Transformer, and iPad 2 already, and the Galaxy 10.2 is in the mail. Starting to get a better profile of how I use them. Want to copy your camera photos to the tablet? Something with an SD slot will make you happier. Have movies on an external USB hard drive? Having a standard USB port will make you giddy if you want a movie off that drive to watch on your tablet. These emotional highs are momentary moments though, and 99% of the time I'm just playing games, reading email, checking the web, facebook, youtube. Every tablet does these fine, and during that time I appreciate the lighter ones. They all have a way to add a keyboard to them. Bluetooth is easy, especially once you've paired a keyboard. Apple and Samsung have $69 keyboard docks for their thin tablet dock ports. You pay more to get the Transformer's keyboard dock, but you get a far better integrated and multi-functional add-on for your money. Hooking up to these is an inconvenience of varying degrees. You are not likely to have the iPad or Galaxy keyboard docks with you when you leave the house, so they suck. Good bluetooth keyboards are always wider than these tablets are, and as such less likely to fit in the same case with your tablet. If you've got a case for your Transformer, it is likely for netbooks and will hold both the tablet and keyboard together. So if you prefer a physical keyboard to an onscreen one, the Transformer is clearly the standout choice. You have to weigh that importance though, as that keyboard dock doubles the total weight you'll be carrying.
I've been working on a showdown between these tablets for my blog. Easy enough to ding this one and promote another for a slot or port or not. Not sure the small time these features come into play will aggravate a user enough to choose ports over weight/looks though. Money obviously play a role, as the difference between the Asus and a full set of features with its dock and an iPad with all the same features via add-ons is huge. It help that the Asus starts out $100 under the iPad. Samsung is certainly brave going head-on with Apple, I'll give them that. They must be thinking that iPad buyers didn't mind no MicroSD or USB ports, and millions were sold, so microSD and USB ports don't really matter. They might be right. Time will tell if they sell more Android Honeycomb tablets than Asus. I can't see them ever catching up to iPad sales though, with nothing to add value to iPad prices. Pay that much and you might as well get an iPad. JMHO.
I am a very happy Transformer owner, everything else (at the moment) on the market, even the ipad 2, would be downgrading.
I love my ASUS transformer too.
However, if I had to pick another table between xoom or samsung galaxy v2 10.1 or iPad.
I would get the Samsung Galaxy 10.1, I checked it out at Best Buy yesterday and it was pretty nice. No lag at all either and it was very responsive.
Sometimes my transformer feels unresponsive, and it lags but it could be due to my tons of widgets on the home screen.
However if Samsung did have a keyboard dock like transformer, I would hop on it however I heard their updates were lacking and slow to be released.
Though I like how its lighter, thinner the transformer, and looks a bit nicer. Also I enjoyed the PLS screen as it also had more VIBRANT colors then the transformer.
i am still not sure i want to by the Acer,,, or the Asus..
be honest with me.. why did YOU buy the Acer.
it doesnt have to be Asus vs Acer. it can just be why you got the Acer.
was it the usb port?, the expandable memory? price? (target has them for $399 so i am really tempted.)
so what pushed you over the edge to buy the Iconia ?
i also am still not sure if it cna see dSLR cameras on the USB port to read the images off the cameras memory card so if someone says it works for their dSLR then thats a huge game changer for me.
i own an ipad and its really really a tough choice given the app and game availability on the ipad, but i am an android phone user so i am very familiar with Android.
USB Full
All the features, mainly usb
To be honest, it was down to the Acer or the ASUS for me although I did like the fact the hardware was working at launch (SD slot, USB etc).
While everyone seems to be complaining on the Acer ROM update schedule, or lack thereof, I am happily running a custom ROM (of which there are several now) which is now at 3.2
What drove me to the Acer was it was available when I decided to buy. Otherwise, it would have been a hard choice. But, I think after actually looking and holding the ASUS I would have picked the Acer.
I use it primarily for business (sales) showing customers products by using well bookmarked PDF files, email (I moved my domain over to Google Apps for business and quick lookups while I am on the road (WiFi tether to my HTC phone) so I don't need a seperate data plan.
No complaints.
do either of you own or owned an ipad to give me your thought comparisons outside of the obvious massive App lead that the ipad has?
I got it for free... kinda... I traded some work for it.
I needed an upgrade from the Archos 101 which was only about three weeks old at the time I saw the upcoming Acer. Preordered it from BB.
I still would have gotten the Acer if Asus TF was available. I need the USB. Period. And I don't care about the TF dock feature.
Well I just plugged my Canon Power Shot A1100 IS in and the Aconia recognized it right away and the pictures showed up right away.
I haven't tried my Nikon or Canon DSLR yet but no reason why they shouldn't work as well on jpg files.
I bought it because of the USB slot, expandable memory, HDMI and the price.
Bought mine for simple reasons
I did the stupid thing and did not bother to do any homework before going out and buying my first tablet (apple I pad 2) - returned to the store the next day. Had no idea it had no native flash support (the "solution" was to use Skyfire for crummy flash support).
Went home, did my homework - when it came down to simple price/vs features the Acer Iconia seemed like the best choice - microSd, full size USB port (awesome for me - it works with a USB hub also, I have lots of USB devices).
Not sure we can claim apple has much if any "app lead" over android tablets - and once you consider how many apps are written for the Android phone but run great under Honeycomb as well. Don't feel much of an app shortage here, the Droid market is freaking huge.
All in all, very happy with my purchase.
I bought mine largely due to the full-sized USB port as I'm an avid retrogamer, so getting to play emulators with the actual controllers (I have USB adapters for them) on my tablet was pretty much a childhood fantasy come true ^_^.
Anyway, that and I really love the metal casing... it just feels solid and sturdy, not large or bulky at all even though it's the heaviest tab of the bunch. I'm sure in some instances, like holding it up over your head in bed or something, you'd notice the weight, but really, there are no heavy or bulky tablets in this category at all, only those that are impressively small like the Galaxy Tab 10.1.
I will note that Acer is so far the worst at getting updates out, but the community here seems pretty devoted, not to mention there's a ton of cross-developer action as the Tegra 2that all of these share means much of the software can just be transplanted from one brand to another. So, if you're going to root and run roms, software becomes a bit less of a concern. As far as the hardware goes, I love it myself.
It was a choice between the Acer and Asus for me. I got the Acer because I was impatient, but I ended up not returning it because after using it I couldn't see myself getting by with no usb and no flash. I considered the new Galaxy Tab as well but for the same reason I decided not to wait.
If I DID end up waiting, I'm sure I'd have decided to wait for a Kal-El based tablet. At some point in the 'waiting for better to come' game, you have to take a step or you'll never buy a product. I use the tablet daily, even my wife uses it now and so it's proven it's value to me.
I use the flash for extremely stupid things, but tbh to each his own, right? One of these things is to sneak into bed at night. By the time I go to bed sometimes my wife is already sleeping and she's a very light sleeper. Flicking a light on to see where I'm going would surely wake her up and it's sometimes difficult to navigate around the bed (without smacking off a big or little toe). I thought, "can I live without the flash? Sure!" But it would be an inconvenience, especially if I do ever find myself in a slightly more important scenario where I need it and don't have (for taking a pic in low light, for eg).
The USB is a must as I travel a lot and the big reason for getting the tablet beyond using it in my home is so I can travel light (without having to use my laptop). With the usb I can plug flash drives or hard drives in and watch my tv series and movies or use it to juice my phone if I strain it chatting too long or whatever.
Other than that, I didn't like the feel of the Transformer and I didn't want to depend on getting/using the keyboard part to have usb functionality. I had been keeping up with all the pics of the light bleed and saw it first hand. Who wants to worry about getting a tablet with light bleed at a time when they weren't in very many stores? That would have meant back and forth shipping. Not my thing.
The Acer is fully usable as-is, with the Asus and Samsung you MUST buy accessories for them to get a usb port.
I also considered resale value, like any tech head . If I am to resell my Acer A500 right now, I'm going to get ~$400 for it (not everyone knows about the sale price of 350 at certain stores). In a few months, I will lose another $50 to depreciation...as by then I'm sure the price will further fall to something more attractive to fringe and impulse buyers.
The Samsung with added accessories to make it function similarly to the Acer is already in the $550 region, but it will depreciate exactly the same as the Acer, unfortunately. Same with the Asus.
So after you buy the accessories to get USB (if you need it), you still end up selling the other tabs (with accessories) for approximately the same price as the Acer, as resale value for accessories is little to nothing and you can very rarely if at all sell them on their own. (This is based on the many, many times I've seen people reselling their tablets with accessories like docks and cases for way, way less than what they got it for).
In essence, you lose more money with the other tablets IF you need* to accessorize them. *(to play catch up to the A500, like buy the keyboard section for Asus or buy the proprietary addon for the Samsung to get USB)
I replied before reading the whole thread and missed the inquiries into the Apple side of things <insert evil grin>... imma hate me some on Apple, hoo wee. Android is slowly doing to Apple in the mobile market what Microsoft did to Apple in the computer market. What's amazing is that everyone always said Microsoft beat Apple because of developer support, because Windows had all the software, all the games. Now, we've seen the exact opposite, Apple with all of the software goodies and their competitor standing out alone on their OS alone... but what happened this time? Android is proving once and for all that Apple's walled-garden approach, their almost communistic approach to electronics just isn't going to appeal to the masses once they are exposed to the idea of choice, something Android offers in spades. We all want to do whatever we want with our devices... they are OUR devices after all, not Apple's or Samsung's or HTC's or Google's. Apple has made it clear that they intend to impose strict control over their hardware and software, whereas Google has opened the door wide and invited everyone in with a gentle wave. I, for one, after having had (and at the time loved) an iPhone for 2 years, will NEVER buy a single Apple product again.
entropy.of.avarice said:
I did the stupid thing and did not bother to do any homework before going out and buying my first tablet (apple I pad 2) - returned to the store the next day. Had no idea it had no native flash support (the "solution" was to use Skyfire for crummy flash support).
Went home, did my homework - when it came down to simple price/vs features the Acer Iconia seemed like the best choice - microSd, full size USB port (awesome for me - it works with a USB hub also, I have lots of USB devices).
Not sure we can claim apple has much if any "app lead" over android tablets - and once you consider how many apps are written for the Android phone but run great under Honeycomb as well. Don't feel much of an app shortage here, the Droid market is freaking huge.
All in all, very happy with my purchase.
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I'm not a huge Apple fan at all but in their defense they do have a huge "app lead" and it's not necessarily the number or amt. (though it certainly does have that as well) it's the popularity of the device. The iPad has had hulu and netflix forever and Android is just getting it now. It's not a huge deal but the fact is, apps will almost always hit IOS first, and that IS saying something.
I agree with you though, I don't feel a shortage. I have every app I need (and many I don't, lol) so I'm not worried. With Hulu and Netflix now on 2.2/2.3 and heading soon to 3.1 I can safely say I'm completely happy with my purchase as well.
v_lestat said:
do either of you own or owned an ipad to give me your thought comparisons outside of the obvious massive App lead that the ipad has?
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I don't, my daughter and son-in-law do (Ipad 1 & 2). I had enough time to use theirs but to each his own they say.
I like being able to read/write office files (Polaris) and maybe you can do that in the App Store?? I also don't like needing to use iTunes for everything (and maybe you don't?).
Like I said, no regrets on my part.
If I was going to be torn between devices it wouldn't be between the Acer and the Asus it would be between the Acer and the Toshiba Thrive.
I have the ipad2 32gb 3g Verizon. Stood in line on March 11. It's nice I play w/ it occasionally. I really like my Acer a500 though. It does more than the ipad can. Imo the Acer is a better machine.
I have the Nikon d3100 dslr. Both tablets will display the jpegs. I pop out the SD card and use a card reader, in the Acer, or the adapter, in the Apple, to access the pictures.
Also, starting tomorrow, the Acer is $350 at Target ($399-50gc).
Like most people, full size USB. All Android tablets are pretty much the same... this had full size USB so easy choice.
However, if I had to make a choice now, it'd be a bit harder cos the Tosh Thrive has it as well but that looks massive! But you can get it in pretty colours.. oooh!
edit: Oh, I also see it has a full size hdmi! I've already broken 2 micro-hdmi cables on the Acer cos all u need to do is put a tiny bit of pressure on the cable and the end snaps off!
For me it was all about the SD expandability, if I had known about the Toshiba Thrive, I probabbaly would have waited. It's not all about micro-weight and thickness with me. Acer tab has micro SD up to 32 G, Toshiba has full SD up to 128 G I believe.
Sent from my A500 using XDA Premium App
has anyone compare this acer iconia a500 to the viewsonic gtab, which have similar hardware. only difference is the older android 2.2. it has usb and hdmi and etc... i am debating between the two. also gtab aonly cost 260 buck at amazon
As far as the gTablet goes, the software isn't a concern since roms for all of these Tegra 2 devices are becoming plentiful and easy to install, so finding 3.0 or 3.1 on the gTablet is likely a piece of cake. Now, as far as the SCREEN goes ...
The aspect ratio on the gTablet is just off... everything is squished just a little, so round things are slightly ovular, squares are slightly rectangular... I got a Pocket eDGe off of woot a while back and it was the exact same way. The screen on the gTablet is also off-center with that thick-ass bezel along the bottom. Personally, I originally wanted a gTablet until I saw that screen, but if you can live with it and wanna run a custom rom, it's the cheapest way to get a Tegra 2 tablet, and it even has a full-size USB port on there, which was one of the reasons I'd originally considered it. As for how it feels in the hand, I played with one and it feels like a cheap Xoom... similar thickness and feel to the edges, but obviously a lower (though acceptable) build quality. I still think the way my Acer feels in my hands is the best of all those I've tried, including the Xoom and Galaxy Tab 10.1 (oh but the GTab 10 is f-ing sexy... my bf has that one). If you can afford the Acer, I'd still say go for that one, but if money is your primary concern and you're not bothered by the screen, go for it. Just remember, the screen's resolution is slightly lower (1024x600 vs 1280x800 on the rest), and there's only 512MB RAM in there vs the 1GB the others have... also only a front facing cam, none on the back, but I never take pics with my tablet anyway... that's what my phone is for. Otherwise, it's Tegra 2 all the way... it's definitely worth what they're going for these days, but so is the Acer even though it costs more.
Torisen said:
For me it was all about the SD expandability, if I had known about the Toshiba Thrive, I probabbaly would have waited. It's not all about micro-weight and thickness with me. Acer tab has micro SD up to 32 G, Toshiba has full SD up to 128 G I believe.
Sent from my A500 using XDA Premium App
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I'm right there with you. I'm still within my return window, so I'm seriously considering returning the a500 and getting the thrive when it comes in august. I've always been a toshiba fan.
My only concern is will the toshiba be locked down and unrootable.
Mainly because of Android (aka not an oversize iPod) and the USB slot.
Would have gone for another if it was thinner. Now with the acer case on it's darn fat and heavy. If you don't really care about the USB go for samsung 8.9. I'm still torn between the two.
Target plus $50 gift card
Sent from my HTC Glacier using XDA App
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.
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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?
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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.