I have been looking at getting a tablet for a while now. I have been very interested in the Adam especially for the pixel qi screen. I do a lot of reading and thought that it would be great. My question for everyone out there is what do you think the best way to go is:
Buy the Adam 1 now
Wait until the Adam 2 is released
or buy the Asus Transformer
Besides the Adam the asus kind of caught my eye, although it wouldnt be as good for reading, I love the dock and for indoor stuff like movies or what not the screen looks good.
I have tons of experience with rooting so am not afraid to get my hands dirty with the adam. Curious though, if even after rooting and flashing and what not if the adam is worth getting. And how the TF runs after root and what not
Where the crap did this thing come from and who has even heard of NotionInk? Does it run Honeycomb or what?
darkonex said:
Where the crap did this thing come from and who has even heard of NotionInk? Does it run Honeycomb or what?
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adam_tablet
not even going to bother. ASUS Transformer all the way.
I was pretty excited about the Adam and the Pixel QI screen as well when it was announced. Subsequently, I've become much less excited. The device itself seems kind of clunky, the software has never worked very well as far as I can tell (they were trying to do some cool things, but I think they might have overreached a bit), and the Pixel QI screen isn't nearly so wonderful as it sounded. In backlit mode it's a relatively low-quality color screen, while it's not nearly as good as e-ink in reflective mode.
In short, I think NotionInk tried to do too much. That's why I have my TF for some uses, and my Nook 3G (e-ink reader) for others. So far, the tech's just not there for a real all-in-one device like the Adam tried to be.
Sent from my Transformer TF101 using Tapatalk
wynand32 said:
I was pretty excited about the Adam and the Pixel QI screen as well when it was announced. Subsequently, I've become much less excited. The device itself seems kind of clunky, the software has never worked very well as far as I can tell (they were trying to do some cool things, but I think they might have overreached a bit), and the Pixel QI screen isn't nearly so wonderful as it sounded. In backlit mode it's a relatively low-quality color screen, while it's not nearly as good as e-ink in reflective mode.
In short, I think NotionInk tried to do too much. That's why I have my TF for some uses, and my Nook 3G (e-ink reader) for others. So far, the tech's just not there for a real all-in-one device like the Adam tried to be.
Sent from my Transformer TF101 using Tapatalk
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I second that. I believe I am in the position to provide a valid comment on this having been an owner of the adam first and being a proud owner of the transformer now. Indeed I remained charmed by the adam when I read what that tiny startup in India was trying to achieve: a tablet with the an innovative hardware (the first pixelqi screen, tegra2 etc. ) and an inspiring vision.
Unfortunately, the implementation did not deliver on the promises. The the tablet was indeed buggy (software) and did not receive the honeycomb code. I therefore decided to sell it and buy the transformer: I am very happy I took that decision on time.
i remember the good old notion ink adam days, thank god it took about 4 1/2 months for a pre order invite that I gladly canceled. thing is a junk now R.I.P
What everyone else has said. Transformer all the way! Still have my Adam but haven't turned it on since getting my TF about 2 months ago. I do miss the USB and I thought the speakers were fairly good. It also felt great in one hand - harder to hold the Transformer in one hand unless you grip it hard but it still feels slippery. PixelQi seemed almost worthless indoors as it is difficult to read. Screen is terrible on the Adam. If you want picture comparisons let me know.
I wouldn't buy a notion ink, I saw some inside pictures! PURE HORROR! Build quality is questionable at least....
I am using thre transformer for 2 month now and I am very happy.
Sent from my Transformer TF101 using Tapatalk
But more on a serious note, I wouldn't even know why anybody would want the Notion Ink. It's running on the previous generation of Android that's not optimized for tablet use (or dual core in that matter).
It's a step backwards. ASUS Transformer all the way.
This can't be a serious comparison
Sent from my Transformer TF101 using XDA Premium App
What a rediculous thread, LOL. What's next? Palm Treo (circa 2005) vs Samsung Galaxy S 2?
XL2001 said:
What everyone else has said. Transformer all the way! Still have my Adam but haven't turned it on since getting my TF about 2 months ago. I do miss the USB and I thought the speakers were fairly good. It also felt great in one hand - harder to hold the Transformer in one hand unless you grip it hard but it still feels slippery. PixelQi seemed almost worthless indoors as it is difficult to read. Screen is terrible on the Adam. If you want picture comparisons let me know.
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Would like to see pictures, yes. I quite like the idea of Pixel-Qi but have never seen one in action in person.
hmmm
I guess thats what I would love to know, is if any one has tried to two side by side. For sure the transformer is backed by a better company and has more support. Just curious if the Pixel QI screen is worth running an old android version or anything like that.
Ths has to be a joke. In no way are the two remotely comparable. Last I checked the price for that thing was near the price of the TF, possibly higher.
It's dated, the hardware is crap, the design is clunky and it has QC issues of its own so you're not going anywhere with that in terms of QC. There's literally no comparison here. It's crap.
Couple it with unimaginably poor customer service that makes Asus look like the greatest company on Earth. When I say their customer service is worse than Asus you know I mean it and it must be god awful.
They ignore your e-mails and really you have no other entity to send it back to for RMA repair than them and I think I remember they either request you send it back to their LA third party contractor or in some cases China. There was a huge forum filled with pissed off owners. I think NotionInkFans.com. If you thought this place was swamped with people making "I'm leaving" or "Good Bye" posts, that message board ****s all over this one. There must have been fifteen a day on that one.
notioninkscam.com
Whatever you do, don't buy anything from this flimsy joke of a company.
Despite what most people here are saying I too considered the Adam. The screen seemed very exciting as well as USB on main unit. With that screen you will never get the same quality as Asus/IPad IPS screen indoors. If reading is your main concern you could look into a Nook, but if you want an all-rounder the Transformer is tops and you have the comfort of Asus behind the warranty and not a small business enterprise.
If you considered waiting for the Adam 2, why not wait for Transformer 2? About same release date.
Kurian..Of Borg said:
notioninkscam.com
Whatever you do, don't buy anything from this flimsy joke of a company.
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Actually, they aren't a scam. I had an Adam. Sold it. Yes, they take AGES to ship, but it will arrive.
I much prefer the TF. The PixelQi screen sounded good, but in practice it wasn't anywhere near the level of, say, a Kindle screen.
I really wanted the Adam to succeed prior to getting it, but have to say I have no regrets in getting the TF.
Related
Well well well...
Now that the Transformer is confirmed for next week, what do I do?
I just bought my Xoom from best buy this week, and can return it with no hassles. I have a $120 PDAir leather case but im sure I can get most of my money back.....
Would you guys do the trade? Granted the $$ isn't the issue, I just really want the IPS screen and USB access.
What do you guys think? Would you swap them out if you could? Disregarding the $$ factor?
The most important thing to me is development, which the Xoom clearly is ahead in now...
I don't think the Transformer is for me. It's just a wee bit too large, and I need my cell data plan. AFAIK, Transformer is wifi only, right? I'm guessing that the Transformer works a lot better in the keyboard department, which is my main disappointment about the Xoom.
Really though, I don't think you could go wrong with either device. The Transformer wasn't quite as rushed to the market, so you might encounter fewer bugs, but ultimately, it seems like more of an issue of form factor. The USB sounds good, but in my case, I barely use USB for anything these days.
From the videos I've seen of the Transformer in action, it has a slightly worse viewing angle despite being an IPS panel (versus the VA in the XOOM). That said, the Transformer's panel looks more saturated. Conversely, the Transformer seems to suffer more from glare than the XOOM.
As for development, you nailed it with the XOOM being ahead at the moment. I assume that it will stay this way for a while, as the XOOM attracted a lot of early adopters and developers since it's the first official Honeycomb device.
Additional food for thought is that the XOOM has 1 GiB of RAM, whereas the Transformer has 768 MiB.
FWIW, I'd far rather have the XOOM. As such, it's what I have chosen for myself.
Edit: Sorry! I was wrong about the RAM. Turns out, I was thinking of the G-Slate.
Probably the biggest appeal the transformer for me is the usb port for future external drives. However there are ways around that issue. For me I prefer the look of the xoom, I believe motorola produces better quality items vs acer, and motorola is an american firm so I also support american designers. Win-win for me.
As I have said before. Just so long as people keep buying android tablets that's the important thing.
Sent from my SPH-D700 using XDA Premium App
Don't forget the bezel either. It gets really annoying.
Much like why i am still waiting to buy a different dualcore phone other than the g2x. The g2x is awesome nonetheless its just the bezel that is ridiculously too much. But you get my point.
Sent from my Xoom using XDA Premium App
You mean asus? I guess I should mention I have the wifi so thats not an issue. The biggest appeal for me is the USB and the screen as well. I just want more storage so I can put a bunch of movis on my xoom
tumbes20000 said:
Probably the biggest appeal the transformer for me is the usb port for future external drives. However there are ways around that issue. For me I prefer the look of the xoom, I believe motorola produces better quality items vs acer, and motorola is an american firm so I also support american designers. Win-win for me.
As I have said before. Just so long as people keep buying android tablets that's the important thing.
Sent from my SPH-D700 using XDA Premium App
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Its Asus actually lol
Sent from my Xoom using XDA Premium App
willverduzco said:
Additional food for thought is that the XOOM has 1 GiB of RAM, whereas the Transformer has 768 MiB.
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Where did you get that from? The official website states 1GB memory:
http://www.asus.com/Eee/Eee_Pad/Eee_Pad_Transformer_TF101/#specifications
For me it's the xoom. Dual band wifi and a much small bezel/size. I purchased the Moto BT keyboard and never use it, it's a tablet. If I wanted a netbook, i wouldve bought one.
DeerChaser said:
For me it's the xoom. Dual band wifi and a much small bezel/size. I purchased the Moto BT keyboard and never use it, it's a tablet. If I wanted a netbook, i wouldve bought one.
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I bought that too, its nice but I dont see myself using it either... in class maybe but all my classes have computers in them for notes
willverduzco said:
From the videos I've seen of the Transformer in action, it has a slightly worse viewing angle despite being an IPS panel (versus the VA in the XOOM). That said, the Transformer's panel looks more saturated. Conversely, the Transformer seems to suffer more from glare than the XOOM.
As for development, you nailed it with the XOOM being ahead at the moment. I assume that it will stay this way for a while, as the XOOM attracted a lot of early adopters and developers since it's the first official Honeycomb device.
Additional food for thought is that the XOOM has 1 GiB of RAM, whereas the Transformer has 768 MiB.
FWIW, I'd far rather have the XOOM. As such, it's what I have chosen for myself.
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The xoom has horrible viewing angles. The screen on the transformer looks way better so far and according to reviews it is way better than the xoom screen.
Sent from my ADR6400L using XDA Premium App
I dunno..
I am not sure. I've had my xoom for about 3 weeks. I absolutely love it as its my laptop replacement.
However, the price of the Transformer is nice.. The screen tech also looks good. And of course there is working SD card and USB.
But damn, that bezel is ugly as hell on the Transformer. Reviews are also saying its plasticy.
Lastly, its hard to find a definitive answer on the software. Does Asus have a custom skin on there? I've told myself I will never ever buy a tablet or phone with a custom skin again. I am tired of waiting for updates from OEMs. This is one of the main reasons Im swapping my EVO for a Nexus S as soon as it drops on Sprint in the coming weeks.
What do all my fellow Xoom peeps think?
Only thing holding me back from immediately returning the xoom in favor odf the transformer is that the transformer apparently looks ugly and feels plasticy comparedto the xoom. I guess I gotta see it in person before I can decide.
I just bought my Xoom on the 17th from Best Buy. I have until May 1st to return it. If Best Buy has a Transformer on display, and I like it, I'll probably return the Xoom for that.
If it has almost everything the Xoom has, and I can get the keyboard dock and still walk away with $50 in my pocket from the return I'm happy.
I'm stickin to my Xoom... seems like it's better built. I didn't payf or it so the $$ factor doesnt bother me....
The bezel on the transformer is huge to make it fit in the dock, not really interested in that. Ill slap a 32 gig sdhc in and not worry about USB
I tested the transformer before I received my Xoom. For me the xoom wins hands down.
Its largley a matter of personal preference but I didn't actually like holding it, the bezzle is just too big to hold and type even if you had thumb key.
The screen really didn't look any better than the xooms maybe slightly more vivid colours. But the keyboard doesn't make sense to me on a tab, there is no USB on the tablet itself and currently only 16gb model is available.
But like I said that's all just personal taste
sent from my xoom. at last
wang1404 said:
Don't forget the bezel either. It gets really annoying.
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I want a bigger bezel. The bezel on the Xoom is only about 3/4 the size of my thumb. You can't hold this thing with one hand without activating the screen in some unwanted way. Maybe I just have big hands and you don't, but still this has become annoying.
The Transformer has a larger bezel to be wide enough to seat evenly with the netbook sized keyboard attachment, but I think that there's the added benefit of being able to hold onto it.
OH and the transformer is freaking $200 less... After purchasing my WiFi Xoom I find myself using it less and less. For something like this that I'm using quite casually, I don't mind a couple "flaws" (according to some) in order to save $200. Heck, when I return my Xoom I might not be buying a different tablet at all.
I'm going to return my Xoom this Sun to Costco. I love it but I'm kinda bored of it. I don't use it as much as before. The only time I use it now is when I'm in bed waiting to past out. Without XDA, I would of returned the Xoom after a few days of owning it. With the Transformer I get to save some benjamins.
After reading the Transformer Anandtech review, I would definitely get a Transformer over the Xoom... that is, if I wasn't such an aesthetic freak. The bezel size irriates me...
On a good note Anandtech says the display is "comparable to the iPad 2", and that it is definitely more impressive than the Xoom's.
sano614 said:
I just bought my Xoom on the 17th from Best Buy. I have until May 1st to return it. If Best Buy has a Transformer on display, and I like it, I'll probably return the Xoom for that.
If it has almost everything the Xoom has, and I can get the keyboard dock and still walk away with $50 in my pocket from the return I'm happy.
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you will be walking away -$50, the transform is $500 for the 32gb model
I was one of those guys who didn't know what the Asus Transformer was untill two days before the launch. At that point I wanted it, and was planning on getting it and was even awake when Bestbuy still had units, but I was going to wait untill I got to a computer and had more time. Man, was that a mistake !
Anyways i always have dissmissed the Acer A500 as a cheap tablet that has issues, and doesn't feel high quality. But I went into the store and checked it out for a few minutes and liked it. Seemed to feel nice and solid (Maybe a little too solid), and it has a USB port (With the new 3.1 update soon!). My concerns now are with the screen (Quality/Durablility), seems a bit portly (Doesn't look like an iPad ) , and still software issues+GPS. And then I have heard about their costomer support and I worry as I have bad luck with gizmos .
I have looked briefly at the new Galaxy Tab coming out and I like the way it looks, the screen should be of great quality, ect ect. But there is no USB, or any connectivity!
I have TERRIBLE patience (HATE waiting) and I want a Tablet soon, but I don't want to buy and have a bad tablet and regret it. So any thoughts on 1, 2 or all three tablets would be greatly aprieciated.
I'm pleased with mine, but still have a month or so before my return period is up to decide. I'm waiting to see if the next month or so of updates beef up the A500, or take the TF101 to the next level. Whichever one it is, I'll go for that one.
oh dear, not another one of these.
either buy it or don't.
I like it a lot and will stick with it!
I like it a lot and will stick with it!
gidgiddonihah said:
So any thoughts on 1, 2 or all three tablets would be greatly aprieciated.
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You know, there are at least 10 of these questions in both the TF and the A500 thread, you might want to search.
Anyway, my answer is wait. You're going to look for each and every problem you've read about the Acer and Asus, so I'd wait for the Galaxy Tab and start with that. If you don't like it, return it and get either the Asus or Acer. If you don't like any of them, I'm sure someone else will be just around the river bend.
Each tablet has their strength and weakness and at this point it's all about the build quality and the software.
Do you want a keyboard dock + more juice? The Asus is for you.
Do you want a USB Host port or need flash for your camera? Acer's the only one.
Do you want the best guarantee in getting software updates quickly and a super thin+light tablet? Samsung's got your back.
You've read about the issues.
The Asus is plagued with perceived light bleeding (not everyone), will possibly have a creaky backplate (not everyone), has no flash and has no usb host. Some people report freezing and rebooting, but this is true of Honeycomb period, so this is more than likely beyond the brand. The keyboard dock as of right now is buggy at best and most people report freezing/lockups while using it (known fact) and the battery in it runs all the time whether it's docked or not (known fact) so right now it doesn't live up to it's purpose unless you keep it plugged in.
The Acer's software is unrefined. We've had everything from people reporting they can't use gps without wifi (likely due to faulty hardware, not a general issue), the screen lighting up randomly (doesn't happen to everyone all the time) and the micro sd card isn't accessible from a PC while it's in the unit (known fact). The cell standby process is also running in the wifi only unit, an occurrence not found in the Xoom or TF afaik.
Some people report freezing and rebooting, but this is true of Honeycomb period, so this is more than likely beyond the brand.
The build quality for some, is lacking. 2 people have claimed their camera covers to be lifting, some people claim the side(s) creak and I've even read one person being worried about the charging port loosening up over time.
The Samsung isn't even out officially. You can read as many reviews as you want, you'll never get the dirty details until it hits the GENERAL public. The TF looked so good with it's limited release abroad, but when it came stateside en masse (sort of, anyway), we're reading about all these issues with the unit.
So I'll tell you what I tell anyone who asks. If you can, just WAIT. Obviously you can't wait forever, but wait until you can try what's just around the corner before you prematurely get something your subconscious mind more than likely dislikes anyway.
I was one of the early adopters of the Samsung Galaxy Tab 7", which Samsung promptly abandoned after just a couple of months time.
Left a very bad taste in my mouth, if you get my drift. Hopefully I wont be singing the same sad song about the Iconia. Fingers crossed.
I started trying to get my hands on a Transformer but after Asus not being able to bring enough and days of trying to get one i finally gave up on it.
After days on reading and watching videos on the Acer Iconia the more i watched the more i like it and i decided that's what im gonna buy since it offers the most outta the box, I really didnt want the Keyboard dock on the TF so not having USB on the tablet became an issue for me the ips display is nice but its not like the A500 display is bad. at some point i kinda wanted to wait for the Samsung galaxy 10.1 but after seeing the white ones they gave out in Google IO yesterday it finally confirmed Acer A500 is the right tablet for me. i cant imagine not having Micro SD/SD card or a USB it seems Samsung mimics Apple too much that thing looked too much like an ipad 2 no ports only a proprietary port on the bottom.
so im going tomorrow to pick up my Acer ill root it and wait for 3.1
nice quick explanation babyboy. you touched on main points and your simple arguments made complete sense.
I was finally able to order a TF and while I've been waiting, I've been in store playing with the Acer. Most of my observations have been on the surface and I just can't get over the camera location on the Acer.
After seeing the IO Sammy, I had the opposite reaction in terms of aesthetics because I'm one of those that do like the look of Apple products. Functionality-wise though, you hit the nail on the head. SD cards and USB are a must since I'm transitioning from an Ipad.
Few things:
Build: Not sure how the Acer's build is an issue, since it is more solid and not creaky like the Asus (still great device).
Camera: Cameras on tablets do not seem practical to me and invites mobile handling that may result in a dropped device.
Weight: I still find it funny that folks get up tight about the one ounce weight difference between them, but have no issue getting the keyboard, which adds more bulk and one pound more weight than the Acer. How does that make sense to people?
I prefer the build of the Acer and like the USB connectivity on the tablet, so expect it to weigh a little more. The new Toshiba is the same or slightly heavier.
The A500 is a very good tablet and most consumers posting at Best Buy and other places seem to agree.
I caved and got the a500, and am very pleased. Weight is a non-issue for me, it just feels more solid. Quite happy about the USB slot, I read that in 3.1 you will even be able to connect a 360 controller to one of these! Can anyone say N64 emulation
Besides from aesthetics, it's likely the Samsung 10.1s will be identical in specs. I may take this one back, but oh boy, HDMI and USB...big plus for me.
I'll be honest.
I dont own a Acer yet..
but i did own a Asus transformer which i returned.
People were telling me to keep it., but Asus has dropped the ball a bit on quality isssues.
Around the screen there is a black adhesive that holds it close to the bezel, and let me tell you
Someone drunk probably but the adhesive in place, it wasn't even straight, and made it looks out of place.
and not only that, around the adhesive there is a gab between the LCD and the adhesive and dust and crap was getting in there... others have reported the same issues.
I like the ICONIA that i saw at bestbuy because the screen was flush across the unit .. thumbs up!
edgie168 said:
oh dear, not another one of these.
either buy it or don't.
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Yea, I saw, exept everyone I looked at had like two posts... But maybe I didn't see them. Sorry 'bout that!
I went back to play around with the Iconia some more and I love it. It just seems like the screen has nothing on the iPad/Asus (IPS) but I never got to really test the screen with a movie and it seems a bit heavier. I LOVE the USB port, and with 3.1...
Any word on Acer Support? I really have bad luck with devices and don't want to be stuck without help.
Thanks for all the posts and unless people have horror stories about their support I might order one on Amazon as I don't think they will charge me tax ...
(Edit) They do charge tax... And since the tab doesn't look like a viable option for me, the Iconia looks like the best thing out there that is in a price range I can afford.
I got the Iconia after Asus refused to say anything about the Transformers expected release(Maybe I wasn't trolling their FB page enough?)
I like the camera, unlike some of the others here posted. My cell phone has an awful camera on it, and I generally have my Iconia with me, so it's nice to be able to pull it out and take a good quality snapshot or record a video.
I haven't noticed the issues with the GPS, but I haven't used it more than once, just to play with it.
So far, I've been using the USB port a lot, I got a mini usb keyboard I've been using for dosbox(Wolfenstein 3D!)
I haven't noticed any issues with the build quality; as far as I can tell, I could drop this thing down a flight of stairs and it'd be fine, though I think I'll leave that to someone else to test.
I had an issue with the wifi refusing to join ad-hoc networks(phone tethering), but that was easily fixed by rooting and replacing the problematic files.
My take on the Transformer (from reviews) is that it seems to be a good concept, but a poor implementation of it. It seems to be shoddy construction, like Asus wanted to get their foot in the door and rushed it too much. The software issues on it are driving me away too.
A dock seems rather worthless when you have a USB port, as soon as 3.1 comes out, that is.(USB mouse ftw!)
The galaxy looks blah to me, I don't think I want to have anything to do with it. I wasn't impressed with the older galaxys.
netham45 said:
The galaxy looks blah to me, I don't think I want to have anything to do with it. I wasn't impressed with the older galaxys.
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Just looked at the Tab on cnet.com. They didn't say anything about microSD, and when they did a close up around the device it looks like it comes without. Their model didn't come with the new Samsung icky thing over honeycomb? Without even microSD, the tab is out. It looks really nice, but without any expansion ports or USB, its not for me. And from a few people in here the Asus is looking less and less appealing. Hmmmm...
Had it for 1 whole day. THe quanlity feels cheap. New honey comb ui is good and very impressive. When I restart the tranformer at night, I saw at least 8 birght spots on my screen. So decied to return it to amazon. But I don't have the speaker problem.
Mine does not feel cheap. Feels well put together. Some people think it feels cheap because it has a plastic back. That to me doesn't mean it is cheap. I don't need metal to feel something is quality.
If you had problems with it creaking and seems like you had problems with the screen, I assure you that is not how it is supposed to be. RMA.
Quanlity ........ Lol.........something wrong with the keyboard too?
Sent from my Desire HD using XDA App
Mine creaks a bit and may give the impression of not being solidly built, but in my opinion, it's a really nice tablet.
Tired of these threads. If u don't like, just go away. It's a $399 tablet and build quality is excellent for a $399 tablet. Maybe some company will release a tablet for twice the price one day made out of carbon fiber, but who the hell cares if it does the exact same thing as a $399 tablet. Lets get over this once and for all. Next, everyone will be saying that its not good enough because it doesn't have tegra 3 chipset or it doesn't run Windows 8 or it doesn't make pancakes. The TF is a great tablet that many of us love and anyone who doesn't probably should just get an iPad 2 or wait for the iPad 3 or just avoid tablets altogether...
Sent from my Transformer TF101 using Tapatalk
Indeed a little bit overdone to start a thread for this, but I must agree, the TF has some common issues, which keep me from saying that it's a real quality product. (Speaker problem, accelerometer not calibrated, backlight bleeding, dust under screen, dead touchzones, ...)
gadgetfann said:
Tired of these threads. If u don't like, just go away. It's a $399 tablet and build quality is excellent for a $399 tablet. Maybe some company will release a tablet for twice the price one day made out of carbon fiber, but who the hell cares if it does the exact same thing as a $399 tablet. Lets get over this once and for all. Next, everyone will be saying that its not good enough because it doesn't have tegra 3 chipset or it doesn't run Windows 8 or it doesn't make pancakes. The TF is a great tablet that many of us love and anyone who doesn't probably should just get an iPad 2 or wait for the iPad 3 or just avoid tablets altogether...
Sent from my Transformer TF101 using Tapatalk
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Don't be tired of these threads, everyone has the right to say what he thinks.
I had the Transformer for a day and had to send it back.
The quality of my Transformer was disappointing. The Upper rigth corner of the touch screen was not in line with the other corners, it was lower by 3 mm that the metal frame.The back was 3mm above the metal frame.
Not to speak that i could see through the hole between the touch screen and the metal frame.
So i think that those who got a good Transformer should be happy.But not all of them are great, in fact i think that the quality control was nonexistent.
NOT EVERYONE GOT A PERFECT TRANSFORMER!!!!!
If you did get o good one it does not mean the problems you hear about and you are tired off are not there.
I sent mine back and now i am waiting to get a replacement.
i have slight creaking only in the very edge of the top right an bottom left corner but its only a little other wise the build is good not cheap
I never understand why people want to start a whole new thread just to tell the entire world they're returning something.....
magicpork said:
I never understand why people want to start a whole new thread just to tell the entire world they're returning something.....
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Because they are butthurt and want to nag to other people to make themselves feel better.
By the way, if the OP wants good build quality you should pick up an iPad 2, they are half metal and feel sturdy. Just don't sell one of your kidneys like that kid.
yeah agree...why need to create another new thread ?? just find a related thread and post in it. next time another thread like this appear, can consider it as spam/troll
Oddly the demo units at staples feel like they were built like a tank. No creak or flex. Very solid despite plastic back.
I am on my fourth and waiting for my 5th TF.
EACH has suffered light bleed with the most recent one being the best so far.
However while it was solid on day one it now is creaking along the top left and right corners and a bit on the right side. If unit number five is no better they all go back and I get a Samsung. The dock for me is not so important as a laptop owner that I will accept such poor build quality.
my ipad 1 bought a year ago has no bleed no creaks after a year of use. The demo units in 3 stores of the transformer were all solid so I know Asus can build them well but likely make different units better made to be used as demos.
I suspect this as o e staples store who had just got product in and had not had their demo put out yet would not let me buy their demo unit.
ericc191 said:
Mine creaks a bit and may give the impression of not being solidly built, but in my opinion, it's a really nice tablet.
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Sent from my Transformer TF101 using Tapatalk
Shawn_230 said:
Because they are butthurt and want to nag to other people to make themselves feel better.
By the way, if the OP wants good build quality you should pick up an iPad 2, they are half metal and feel sturdy. Just don't sell one of your kidneys like that kid.
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They have been suffering from the light bleed issues too...
Lol, you want to know how badly my 7'' Galaxy Tab creaks? That's cheap plastic. Creak creak creak. It creaks if you look at it sideways.
Also, check out this thread: http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=1122027 In fact, google up "ipad light bleed." Prepare to be astounded: http://www.engadget.com/2011/03/12/poll-is-your-ipad-2-backlight-bleeding-video/
Look, if you don't have anything nice to say about the iPad2, don't say anything at all! Ignorance is bliss!! J/k. I think you may be right, a friend of mines co. Bought 10 iPad2 and ALL of them have it to some degree... They also have as many 1st generation iPads and the difference is dramatic.
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Fun, hey?
(I've only noticed light bleed when I turn it on and the screen displays boot animation, FYI. Any other time and it's not particularly noticeable.)
i was able to play with the Samsung 10.1 tab at the android central meetup in nyc and the Samsung tab had all the same UI issues as the TF. Yes it was thinner but to me the TF is fine the way it is and iits $100 less. My TF is fantastic and with the $$$ I saved I got a nexus s 4g. Put that in your pipe and smoke it.
grainysand said:
Lol, you want to know how badly my 7'' Galaxy Tab creaks? That's cheap plastic. Creak creak creak. It creaks if you look at it sideways.
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My gf's Galaxy Tab is solid as any tab I've ever handled, so therefore I think all Galaxy Tabs are perfect and you have the only bad one.
Sarcasm (not directed at you personally), hopefully it was duly noted The TF has some bad batches, I think that's obvious. You can say, "Oh it's just a small number on XDA!" but you can probably use this small sample and apply it to the entire user base and come up with an idea of the amount of defective units. Sounds like the early batches were rushed out the door to meet a deadline and demand.
Mine is pretty solid. Creaky, one spot of light bleed, but tolerable for the cheapest HC tablet, and I love it like I'd love my first born, if I had a first born. Still the best deal out there.
wackadroid said:
i was able to play with the Samsung 10.1 tab at the android central meetup in nyc and the Samsung tab had all the same UI issues as the TF. Yes it was thinner but to me the TF is fine the way it is and iits $100 less. My TF is fantastic and with the $$$ I saved I got a nexus s 4g. Put that in your pipe and smoke it.
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Yeah, Galaxy Tab 10.1 is supposed to be really thin but I still don't want it.
Compared to the Transformer it's more expensive, no expandable memory, no IPS display, and build is plastic just like our Eee Pads.
Honestly the Transformer has a few bugs, Honeycomb too... but overall you cannot beat this thing, no contest when you consider cost.
TF101FTW!
I was pretty happy with the overall design of the tablet but their quality control does leave a bit to be desired. I've had 2 tablets and both have a defect. One was light bleed and the most recent one came with a broken power button.
I'm not sure if I should keep trying replacements or call it quits on Asus.
Tutti-frutti said:
Indeed a little bit overdone to start a thread for this, but I must agree, the TF has some common issues, which keep me from saying that it's a real quality product. (Speaker problem, accelerometer not calibrated, backlight bleeding, dust under screen, dead touchzones, ...)
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i agree. it's not high quality, but good enough quality for the price - compared to the current market price for higher end android tablets.
I thought there was a lot of people with the screen bleeding issue? The way you guys make it sound that the screen be perfect. Unfortunately I noticed I got some serious bleeding myself. I just cant figure out if it's worth RMA and all that. It might take forever for KMART to get anymore back in stock.
I thought I read a lot of people had the issue also. It doesnt bother me at all really, but one of these posts made me feel that I should exchange it ASAP
I bought the Acer Iconia yesterday morning, and I was really not very pleased with it. The weight is a big issue for me, but the biggest problem I had was the screen. It was responsive enough and fairly bright, but the color reproduction and black levels are awful... After spending several hours messing with it, I decided to take it back today and pick up a transformer.
However, this forum has to be the biggest wet blanket in the world. I now have no idea what I want to do. Yes the screen quality of Iconia is bad, and it does experience the SoD like every other Honeycomb tab, but the list of issues that are mounting here are pretty considerable. The IPS display, and the supportive dev community had me pumped and ready to go, but now I'm thinking that it might be a sideways move. Dead pixels, black stripes on the screen, SoD, creaking bezel, reboots, lock ups... Jeez...
I guess the Thrive is the next on the list, but damn... That thing is the size of a standard hardback novel. And it's expensive to boot.
Divinedark said:
I bought the Acer Iconia yesterday morning, and I was really not very pleased with it. The weight is a big issue for me, but the biggest problem I had was the screen. It was responsive enough and fairly bright, but the color reproduction and black levels are awful... After spending several hours messing with it, I decided to take it back today and pick up a transformer.
However, this forum has to be the biggest wet blanket in the world. I now have no idea what I want to do. Yes the screen quality of Iconia is bad, and it does experience the SoD like every other Honeycomb tab, but the list of issues that are mounting here are pretty considerable. The IPS display, and the supportive dev community had me pumped and ready to go, but now I'm thinking that it might be a sideways move. Dead pixels, black stripes on the screen, SoD, creaking bezel, reboots, lock ups... Jeez...
I guess the Thrive is the next on the list, but damn... That thing is the size of a standard hardback novel. And it's expensive to boot.
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I think the newer batch (serial number B60xxxx) has a better build ... SoD and slightly creaking bezel (it may be ignorable when you put it in a case) may still be there, but the other issues should be pretty much gone. Except if you got a lemon ...
Hmmm... I wonder if Best Buy will let me thumb through their stock to look for a B60??? They also don't sell a case, so I have to go out looking for one... Ugh...
Okay, you guys must have the worst luck in the world. My Transformer doesn't have any of these issues and I have a B50. Does it have problems right away or is mine going to develop these issues over time?
ShensMobile said:
Okay, you guys must have the worst luck in the world. My Transformer doesn't have any of these issues and I have a B50. Does it have problems right away or is mine going to develop these issues over time?
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Same. I have a B50 and my first one was completely fine.
And I don't think the issues are going to build over time.
Actually, it looks like the Thrive is having some pretty well-documented SOD issues itself. I've had decent luck with my TF. Minimal light bleed, and a slight looseness to the bezel on the right (right above SD card). Imperfections aside, I love it. I'll definitely hold me until Android tablets round 2 (ICS).
Well, the dude at Best Buy did actually let me thumb through the stock. I got one of the 3 B60 revisions that they had. I also picked up the stand/sleeve from Toys R Us on the way home. Here's to hoping this isn't a lemon.
I love the screen so much more than the Iconia... I played with the display model (also B60) while I was waiting on "customer service". Colors look sooooo much better.
I got a B6 at best buy they had them in the display locked up and i told him i needed one with a B6 serial number he got me one. the only thing i see wrong with this hardware wise. light bleed. im a happy camper. but i did buy the extended warranty.
Divinedark said:
Well, the dude at Best Buy did actually let me thumb through the stock. I got one of the 3 B60 revisions that they had. I also picked up the stand/sleeve from Toys R Us on the way home. Here's to hoping this isn't a lemon.
I love the screen so much more than the Iconia... I played with the display model (also B60) while I was waiting on "customer service". Colors look sooooo much better.
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Welcome back.
Well, I got her home, charged, rooted, and running on Revolver 0.2.1. OC'd to 1.2Ghz.The tablet is everything that I wanted, so far. I am still pretty excited to see where the dev community goes. I really hope to see some new kernels and creative roms show their faces. I'd also like to see Virtuous's Galaxy/Xoom/Thrive roms on our little tab.
As far as issues. I have 3 places on the screen with minor spotlighting, but to be quite honest, I have worse on my iPad 1.
The battery life is stellar so far. Much better than I had with the Iconia. To top that off, the case Asus offers is EXACTLY what I was wanting. It's almost identical to the Apple iPad stand case.
The strangest thing I've noticed between the two tabs is the flash performance. The Transformer just blows the Iconia out of the water. Justin.TV is a completely pleasant experience all the up to the 720p+ mark and beyond. The Iconia had noticeable lag when playing anything on the channel.
The Iconia's speakers were definitely of a higher quality, but after correcting the speaker balance issue, and using Supercurio's mod, the sound is every bit as good, if not better than my iPad 1.
In the end, I'm pretty damn happy with it. My wife is a complete Apple fan, and she walked by while I was working on the Transformer, and she stopped and said "What is that?!?" I told her it was Android Honeycomb, and she snatched it out of my hands. That's fine... She can play, but in the end, she's getting the iPad...
So, recently I've seen a lot more threads comparing the Eee Transformer to the A500. Before I bought either of these tablets I did a ton of product comparison in store with various display models, at least 3 A500's and 3 Transformers.
Note: for full disclosure the Eee Pad what I thought I wanted when I first started looking at tabs.
I am writing this review as I believe all of these comparisons to date have been based on box stats and not real world trials. Below I will layout the features that really matter (e.g. I'm not going to review bluetooth, let's make some assumptions here) and how they stack up in a direct comparison.
Weight / Build Quality
Held each tab, A500 in my left, Transformer in my right, you CAN notice the difference, is it significant? Strangely when holding one tab the Transformer feels way lighter, however, when you pick the Acer up again, it feels almost the same. It's hard to explain, go try it yourself.
When holding the Asus you immediately realize the reason for the Acer's extra weight is better build quality. You can literally FEEL the build quality difference. I pushed on the screen of the Asus around the power button and it receeded about 1/8th of an inch! The Acer's screen also flexes, but not nearly as much. Asus build quality is terrible, I would gladly pay the extra weight penalty for the stronger build of the Acer.
If you are a thumb typer, and if you find wide bezels to be an issue, you will notice that the Acer actually has a narrower bezel than the Asus, I couldn't believe the Asus' bezel was wider, but it is!
Battery Life
Looking at the tech. specs each of these tablets should have pretty much the same battery life. The battery capacity of the Asus is 6600 mAH and the Acer is about 80 mAH less, a negligible difference. They run similar processors, however, some have said the IPS panel of the Transformer equates to better battery life. Something however is amiss in the numbers department though... Asus has said 9.5 hours of battery life, however, every review online (and I looked at 6) pegged the Asus' battery life at ~7.5 hours and the Acer's battery life at ~7.5 hours, there is no real world difference here.
Considering the Acer has low power DDR2 RAM while the Asus does not, this may also explain some of the balance as IPS panels have been shown to run less power.
Camera Quality (back camera, who cares about front anyway)
With the update to 3.2 and 1080P recording, the Acer has an AWESOME video camera now which takes great stills too, I was blown away (have you tried it yet? If not, try it now!). This paragraph will be short and sweet, the Asus' camera blows. It takes crappy video, it looks way less clear and crisp and the same is true for stills. Not even in the same league as the Acer's camera now and there is no flash, the Acer dominates in cameras bigtime!
Connectivity
The Asus tries hard, however, it just can't match the Acer. The USB port of the Acer will come in handy at least once in its lifetime, not to mention the ease of adding a keyboard, game controller, etc. Moreover, the HDMI connection on the Acer is micro, while the HDMI on the Asus is mini. Mini HDMI is much harder to find than micro, I had no problem finding a micro HDMI cable, however, mini HDMI cables had to be ordered off the web.
Price
$399 for 16GB, both models, no difference anymore!
UI Performance
The Acer I ran tested on the floor of course utilized Honeycomb 3.1 while the Asus was running Honeycomb 3.2. Even though the Asus has the latest version of Honeycomb, the Acer performs much smoother while scrolling the UI and loading applications. The difference was evident, so much so, this was ultimately the deciding factor for me. The Acer appears to dominate here even with the older software and similar hardware. Some have rumored that the speed increase of the Acer is due to its using LPDDR2 RAM when the Asus uses older DDR2 RAM. I can not confirm this, but benchmarks also showed a slight edge to the Acer.
Screen Quality
There has been a lot of discussion of Asus' screen quality vs. Acer's. I went in with the expectation that the Asus would be noticably different (I have perfect eyesight btw). I could not, repeat, could not tell a single damn difference between the two when both on high brightness with XDA Developers loaded in the browser. Perhaps the Asus was slightly "crisper", however, that could be my IPS bias. There is no difference folks, and if you can tell, my hats off to you.
The Acer losses out on glass though. The Asus uses corning name brand Gorilla Glass, while the Acer states it only uses "tempered glass". If you expect to not get a case, or if you are prone to dropping your tablet on its face (most likely you will destroy more than the glass) then you must consider this angle. Gorilla glass is going to help a bit with scratches and perhaps cracks, however, I also noticed it shows more finger prints than the Acer does. *see post #2 apparently the A500 does have gorilla glass!
Screen angles on both are a joke. You can look at the Acer up to 160 degrees, why would you want to? You can look at the Asus up to 179 degrees, but why would you want to? Screen angles are pretty much identical, both are very viewable from the side.
Accessories
Acer has basic cases and other crap, the Asus of course has the whole battery extending USB-porting keyboard dock. Obviously, Asus destroys Acer here. If you don't already own a laptop or netbook, this may matter to you. However, remember that most of your productivity applications are probably not in Android and if you want to be productive, a tablet no matter what dock it has is not nearly as effective as a laptop.
Sound Quality
Another landslide for the Acer, the Dolby sound is the best sound I've ever heard on a mobile device, no joke. I had heads snapping in my living room trying to figure out how such big clear sound was coming out of a tiny little tablet. People will notice. The Asus? Sounds exactly like you'd expect a tablet to sound, like a tin can.
Conclusion
In summary, I ended up buying the Acer A500. With the Asus I could get a bit lighter weight and a keyboard dock that's totally awesome. These were the main benefits the Asus offers over the Acer. As I discovered the lower weight was due to poor construction and materials, the slighter weight of the Asus was no longer a factor. As I didn't need a keyboard, the obvious choice became the Acer due to its superior usability overall.
I hope this helps prospective buyers!
Very nice review! Makes me glad I chose the Acer over the Asus too, although my main reason was that the Acer was available locally with no wait.
Just a quick correction though, even though Acer doesn't say so, according to www.corningorillaglass.com the A500 does sport the Gorilla Glass. I'm not sure why Acer wouldn't mention it, since it is a decent buying point, but there you go.
funny but i bought because of 100 dollar staple coupon.
and then keep reading reviews on amazon...this is best review i ever read.
ipad iconia and zt-180 v2 all over sofa and bed...
Very thourough review. I have been enjoying my A500 for a couple weeks now. Got a good deal on Amazon. I am new to Android devices, so I have spent a lot of time on xda forums learning how to root and flash new ROM on my device.
Would have been interested to hear how the mics compared for video calling etc.
pankaj2000 said:
funny but i bought because of 100 dollar staple coupon.
and then keep reading reviews on amazon...this is best review i ever read.
ipad iconia and zt-180 v2 all over sofa and bed...
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Exactly my reasoning as well! I was thinking that I may look at tablets around Christmas, since I am sure there will be some crazy deals, but I happened to see the $100 Staples coupon and decided to jump on it. It was originally intended for the kids but they have a hard time pulling it away from me.
Is it just my unit, or have others noticed a MAJOR difference in recorded video quality when running a custom 3.2 ROM as opposed to 3.1? I recorded some video in the kitchen of my house, played it back, and it looked extremely realistic. My wife who doesn't even like tech. was pretty happy about it, that's saying something. It was super crisp and clear, definitely the best video device I have now! But I also don't have any dedicated video camera...
goofytim said:
Exactly my reasoning as well! I was thinking that I may look at tablets around Christmas, since I am sure there will be some crazy deals, but I happened to $300 see the $100 Staples coupon and decided to jump on it. It was originally intended for the kids but they have a hard time pulling it away from me.
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got ipad for me on my birthday $400 and wife took it..$100 off staples coupon got me iconia
$300 and kids took it..now i m stuck with zt-180v2....but iconia is the best...
I liked the more solid feel, and the full size USB port on the tab itself. I couldn't tell much difference between the screens either.
Sent from my A500 using xda premium
As a transformer owner I can vouch on three things:
1. IMO the screen quality is miles ahead of the A500;
2. The weight difference is neglible but the A500 feels bulkier and slightly more awkward to hold;
3. The A500's sound quality is killer. The TF101's speakers make a train station passenger information system sound like a bose home theatre.. Yes, it's ****e !!!
Don't berate me, these are just my opinions...
The two are so close. The TF is noticeably lighter. Screen is a bit better on the TF. The keyboard dock is rad, but kind of pricey. Not a bad decision either way. It was a REALLY tough choice to pick between the two.
Sent from my A100 using XDA Premium App
Yes, it is a VERY difficult choice, for me, I love the sound and cameras and don't mind the weight nor need the keyboard dock. If you think like me, go Acer, if you really need the dock and the weight, perhaps a bit better screen (if you can notice), go the Asus!
I use my A500 mostly in portrait mode since I do a lot of reading so that makes the keyboard useless. The extended battery is a welcome addition but if I need the tablet docked while I'm reading, that seems kinda awkward. Also the color sucks. No offense to Asus owners but seriously the color sucks. The finish on the A500 is really nice and feels sturdy.
Dolby Mobile is awesome
I just felt like chiming in regarding the A500. I think the audio is better than any other tablet. The iPad does not have stereo. Even the TouchPad, with it's "beats" music system does not sound as good as the Dolby Mobile on the A500. Rock on!
I tried video conference the other day, and the audio on my A500 was horrible, can't hear anything. I have the Acer folio on it, so it should not be a problem?
I compared at a Office depot store, the screen seems brighter on the Asus, nicer, I feel. But given the fact that buying the Asus means I'll have to end up with buying a dock for $140 more, just not worth it.
ctiger said:
I tried video conference the other day, and the audio on my A500 was horrible, can't hear anything. I have the Acer folio on it, so it should not be a problem?
I compared at a Office depot store, the screen seems brighter on the Asus, nicer, I feel. But given the fact that buying the Asus means I'll have to end up with buying a dock for $140 more, just not worth it.
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You couldn't hear the audio? Do you know if the other side had their mic's turned up? The audio is very loud on my A500, too loud, I get complaints when I crank it up from the wife..
Has anyone tried the new video recording in 3.2 yet? It's epic on mine! Please, chime in with your experiences..
Nice comparative write up!
While I agree with just about everything you've written, I have to say that the difference in display is very noticeable....as noticeable as viewing an image on the A500 and TV via HDMI out at the same time. Colors are much more vibrant on a Transformer's display, but panel brightness is visually the same in my opinion.
When I was first in the market, I purchased both the Transformer and Iconia A500 to try with in the limitations of the return policy. I basically came to the same conclusion as yourself.
The first Acer I purchased had a questionable build. The upper left corner of the tab would creak under slight pressure. Very annoying, but after researching a bit...some people was stating the same experience and some were not. The Transformer seemed to be more solid in comparison.....well as solid as plastic could be, but at the time, the most important part was that it didn't creak nor had hairline cracks at the seams like the A500 I first tried.
Also the right speaker sounded like it was in a tin can while a pebble rattled around. I opened it up to see if the speaker was torn or what have you, only to discover a set screw was backed out enough to allow the speaker to vibrate against the mounts/casing.
But after going back to the store and checking to see if the display model shared the same annoyance, I realized I had received one that got past quality control. So I'm happy to say the current A500 is solid.
Anyway, in my opinion...if it weren't for the built in USB port, I probably would still be trying to decide between the two.
autom8r said:
Has anyone tried the new video recording in 3.2 yet? It's epic on mine! Please, chime in with your experiences..
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I'm using Taboonay 2.0 and I have to say yes the video recording id epic.
I couldn't find micro HDMI cables in Australia in any shop. Unless you count a micro to full HDMI adapter some idiot store wanted $99 for! I bought a 4m cable from eBay for about $20. Just starting to see cables in stores now, but still very expensive rip-offs.
As for keyboard ports, don't. Need them on the Acer as I use the Acer Bluetooth keyboard. Keyboard connectors are so old tech!
And when I bricked my machine playing with ROMs from in here, Acer was very understandering and fixed my machine for me. So i'll stick to the stock ROM. but I did appreciate acer rescuing my machine.
Sent from my A500 using xda premium