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Hello XDA!
I managed to get my hands on a Galaxy Tab to review. I'm an avid android user and I know what I would want from a device like this. Thing is, I want to know what YOU, dear XDA members, would like to know about the device!
Kindly leave me questions that you wish to be answered in the video review of the Galaxy Tab.
The sooner I get the questions the sooner I'll be able to post up a video.
Note: Kindly note that I cannot root the device nor change the flash version of android that runs on the device.
Firmware version: P1000XXJH1
Specs of the device as per Quadrant Advanced:
Quadrant score: 1,000
CPU: 1437
MEM: 1684
I/O: 791
2D: 201
3D: 886
Linpack score: 13.877
Total memory available: 435MB of which 174 is used on fresh boot.
System information(via Quadrant Advanced).
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(Apologies for the low quality photos)
It would be nice if you describe display quality - viewing angles, panel type (is it IPS) how it performs in sunlight. Is minimum brightness good for reading in dark conditions? Thanks!
Sent from my GT-I9000 using XDA App
vitalij said:
It would be nice if you describe display quality - viewing angles, panel type (is it IPS) how it performs in sunlight. Is minimum brightness good for reading in dark conditions? Thanks!
Sent from my GT-I9000 using XDA App
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Viewing angles are a subjective issue, personally when i pick up my mobile device and look into it, it's always straight in front of me, so that's all i want, but if you have a viewing angle of over 45 degrees like the Tab, all you get is people on the bus, train or plane looking sideways to see what you're looking at
I'm based in England at the moment, they don't have that much sunlight and even less direct sunlight
First impressions, it feels to plasticky, not like it's price suggests that it should, not as bad as an X10, but almost.
checkbox111 said:
Viewing angles are a subjective issue, personally when i pick up my mobile device and look into it, it's always straight in front of me, so that's all i want, but if you have a viewing angle of over 45 degrees like the Tab, all you get is people on the bus, train or plane looking sideways to see what you're looking at
I'm based in England at the moment, they don't have that much sunlight and even less direct sunlight
First impressions, it feels to plasticky, not like it's price suggests that it should, not as bad as an X10, but almost.
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How is the call quality/ease of use.. Does the tab "feel" swift?
Hello guys,
Thanks for the initial question. I will cover this question in the video review.
I need more points of focus for the review.
MOARRRR
Sent from my GT-P1000 using XDA App
Like if you have had chance to use the ipad, maybe like how does it compare value wise? As I think how much it costs £599 is putting me off, but if it is worth it compared to other tablets then I would consider it more
Phen0m said:
How is the call quality/ease of use.. Does the tab "feel" swift?
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Wouldn't know about call quality as it's only owned by an engineer that comes into our office, he doesn't have any problems as far as i've heard, but as with other threads here just don't expect it to fit into you jacket or trouser pocket, one it's to big and another it's to heavy to be comfortable.
You may have visited the dell streak forum, or heard of how fragile the dell streak lcd screen is? because of it's large size the body flexes but LCD's by their very nature cannot flex and they snap. Well just look at the size of the LCD on the Tab, and the body of the Tab is made of plastic and (not titanium as per streak) to save weight, this by it's very design will make it more suceptible to breakage, (the body will flex under pressure the LCD will not) = ££££££
sebbo90 said:
Like if you have had chance to use the ipad, maybe like how does it compare value wise? As I think how much it costs £599 is putting me off, but if it is worth it compared to other tablets then I would consider it more
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Well the ipad and the Tab are two completely different entities, one is a bookreader trying to be a netbook pc, the others a smartphone with obesity problems. They shouldn't be compared IMO.
checkbox111 said:
Wouldn't know about call quality as it's only owned by an engineer that comes into our office, he doesn't have any problems as far as i've heard, but as with other threads here just don't expect it to fit into you jacket or trouser pocket, one it's to big and another it's to heavy to be comfortable.
You may have visited the dell streak forum, or heard of how fragile the dell streak lcd screen is? because of it's large size the body flexes but LCD's by their very nature cannot flex and they snap. Well just look at the size of the LCD on the Tab, and the body of the Tab is made of plastic and (not titanium as per streak) to save weight, this by it's very design will make it more suceptible to breakage, (the body will flex under pressure the LCD will not) = ££££££
Well the ipad and the Tab are two completely different entities, one is a bookreader trying to be a netbook pc, the others a smartphone with obesity problems. They shouldn't be compared IMO.
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Thank you. Do you have any questions that you would like answered about the device?
Sent from my GT-P1000 using XDA App
Halulz said:
Thank you. Do you have any questions that you would like answered about the device?
Sent from my GT-P1000 using XDA App
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Similar to all owners i would think! why did samsung insist on utilising such a large bezel around the screen? therebye turning a 7' screen device into one more akin to a 10' without any benefits of a 10'?, and adding nothing to the looks of the device at the same time.
Well the ipad and the Tab are two completely different entities, one is a bookreader trying to be a netbook pc, the others a smartphone with obesity problems. They shouldn't be compared IMO.
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Lol yeah I get the point, what I was more curious was in relation to the size, like is 7" too small to get a full web experience? Is it too big to carry round yet too small to use around the home? etc
sebbo90 said:
like is 7" too small to get a full web experience?
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No, because the 5" dell streak isn't to small for that!
sebbo90 said:
Is it too big to carry round yet too small to use around the home? etc
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As in other posts! you will not carry this around on your pocket, unless you want to break it! You might try a large overcoat with a very wide collar, if the pockets big enough and you want to look like the FBI everywhere you go.
https://www.urbantool.com/hq/laptop-cases/show-pocketbar
checkbox111 said:
Troll
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Thanks for trolling another thread entirely off the rails.
To the OP:
A few things that I'd like to see discussed. Firstly how does it feel to type on it ? I've seen in a few first-impression pieces that it feels good (like a galaxy S in landscape) but it'd be great to get the feelings of a regular user. Also, some shots of the keyboard in action would be nice.
Secondly, can you toss some 720p video on there and show us how it looks. It never looks the same in video as in person, but it'd give us an idea of how the screen does as far as contrast and colour vibrancy is concerned.
Finally, how does the device feel to you ? Does it feel to you like you could carry it in a pocket all day ? Does it meet your expectations for speed/ease of use ?
GL with the video, hope to see it soon!
It is maybe off topic, but ... here goes :
- What release of Android is running ? Same as the one on Galaxy S device ?
- Does this android release supports multiple Exchange sync accounts (like HTC Desire & Desire Z do) ?
- Does it have 2 SIM card slots ? (saw that somewhere, don't remember ... where). If so, is it one for voice plan, second one for data plan ?
- Does it come with a USB host port (or the hw to take care of it) ?
Thanks.
Does it play 1080p files (mkv & flash) or does i only output 1080p..?
I got my hands on this last week to try out for a good half hour, and i loved it. The size was great, and great to watch movies on.
Looking forward to it. Release in Norway is 21. okt )
could it be confirmed if the Tab is going to require Kies in the same way as the Galaxy phones, e.g. for firmware updates
i assume that there will be no difference between this and their phones, but as Kies is software that i truly dislike, i am living in hope that it does not.
johnnewhouse said:
could it be confirmed if the Tab is going to require Kies in the same way as the Galaxy phones, e.g. for firmware updates
i assume that there will be no difference between this and their phones, but as Kies is software that i truly dislike, i am living in hope that it does not.
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Yes, it is confirmed by Samsung already. In their official site, it says in the "PC connectivity" section "KIES". Sorry. I know, I hate that application with a passion myself...
If you have time, it would probably interest many people if you'd manage to try some popular apps from the market and see how they act with the increased resolution. We all probably have out own top10 lists for software, but I think browsing appbrain for most popular and trying a few of them would give people some idea how far that compatibility is.
(I, personally, would love to see how WidgetLocker, Beautiful Widgets and Launcher Pro work on that, but unfortunately at least the first two ain't free.
But more generally, how do widgets work on that screen? What I've gathered from the pictures is that the Tab has a FIVE column display (instead of the traditional 4) on the homescreen. How do widgets work with that? does a 4x4 widget scale to full size, or does it live a "column" free. Also, how many rows does the screen have?
EDIT: oookay, I don't know why these two posts became separate, this was supposed to be an edit to that earlier...
Actually thats a good idea.
I even forget that widget locket etc are even apps these days! But yes that'd be good to see if they scale up or still work properly on the big screen.
I imagine beutiful widget and switchpro you could make them bigger with launcherpro+ if they won't scale up by themselves, same with any other widgets, but it'd be good if they did it for free! However I think the 'grid' on the Tab is bigger anyway, so 4x2 widget would cover more space, but then it appears to have more rows too, so they might still appear small
Anyways, if you have any paid for apps on your main smartphone, you should be able to put the same market account on the Tab and download them again, so that's one way around paying twice just to demo them.
A few things I'd like to see:
- Spotify in action if possible.
- Proper comics and hos they scale to the screen and if it's easy or hard to read them (The Walking Dead for example.)
- A bit more on reading eBooks in different lights.
- In-depth look at the calendar and how flexible it is.
- If possible, how the accessories (like the keyboard) work.
- How it handles different resolutions of video.
Thank you for accepting suggestions!
Title says it all, what doesn't live up to your expectations? We've seen in the reviews that the screen isn't viewable in daylight and the buttons get stuck. Have you experienced this? What else?
I've only had it for a half hour or so but the display seems no different than my iPad that I had before it (in terms of visibility in different lighting conditions).
What buttons get stuck? I only see a power button on the back...
Anyways, I have no dislikes at the moment aside from the lack of microSD support right now.
bogatyr said:
I've only had it for a half hour or so but the display seems no different than my iPad that I had before it (in terms of visibility in different lighting conditions).
What buttons get stuck? I only see a power button on the back...
Anyways, I have no dislikes at the moment aside from the lack of microSD support right now.
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Engadget's review said the volume buttons would get stuck from time to time. Also said the power button got stuck, forcing a shutdown.
Please compare and contrast with your iPad. Does the pixel density look worse? Have you tried reading a book on it? Have you seen it in direct sunlight (some reviews say it's completely unusable in direct sunlight)? Are the speakers bad, being on the back side and all?
It's cloudy out today so I doubt I'll be able to check in sunlight. My iPad was unusable in direct sunlight.
Reading a book in portrait mode works wonderfully (I use Kindle, not the google app). Worked great on my iPad as well.
Pixel density... seems about the same as the iPad visually. If I look for them, I can see pixels... though I have to stick my face within a foot of it to do so.
As I'm at work, I'll check the speakers later... I can't compare them to my iPad since I never used them before. I use a bluetooth headset for everything (phone, laptop, tablet).
I played with the volume and power buttons a bit, but I couldn't get them to stick.
No serious problems so far, though in some ways, the GMail client is less intuitive than I had hoped. For example, on the web, my priority inbox will move read emails to my inbox, but on the Xoom, they stay in my priority inbox, just marked as read. It makes for more clutter than I prefer.
But I'm an early adopter. I expect stuff like this.
No button issues at all.
don't like power button placement, other than that very happy with it so far, the size adn shape and screen ratio is great
great so far here with a few issues.
Power button placement doesn't make sense.
Browser loads mobile sites by default, with no option to change the user-agent (that I can find anyway)
no ad-hoc support, but I knew this from the start (hopefully can be patched soon)
and on a side note, the screen seems a bit on the lower quality side, BUT I have not yet removed the plastic film, it looks crystal clear, so I cant imagine it will have much of an impact, but it could just be me.
Button placement for sure. Trying to learn my way around it, doesn't feel as intuitive as my ipad but I am learning Also hate the power cord situation.
Speaking of power cord I don't get that either I mean WTF Moto looks like they stole a charger from Nokia...
The d!ck who spent 20 minutes trying to sell me other sh!t I didn't need at the VZ store.
[UPDATE]
Guess I'll encounter that d!ck again because i'm noticing a slightly discolored band running down the edge of the screen on one side so I'll have to take it back! Fudge!
agonzalez1010 said:
The d!ck who spent 20 minutes trying to sell me other sh!t I didn't need at the VZ store.
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This is why I'm waiting outside for costco to open. They don't push as hard.
Just got home with my new Xoom...
Display - Pretty good but not nearly as great as the iPad's.. nor is it as bright as the iPad. Pixel density looks A LOT like the iPad.. I can't really say the Xoom is any sharper than the iPad.. Whites look much better on the iPad.. they definately have a much higher color gamut and contrast ratio on the iPad. This is disappointing considering how much the Xoom costs off-contract. The Xoom screen looks nearly identical to what Samsung uses on their Galaxy Tab 7". Viewing angles are "decent" but again, not as good as iPad. I would say they are using a cheap PVA type panel, not IPS on this unit. PVA is still much better than TN at least.
Weight - Same weight as iPad.. so to me, it feels too heavy for it's size... but I think the Xoom is much easier to hang onto/hold because of it's widescreen nature'd body.
Speed - Depending on apps I guess.. or how optimized they are.. Angry Birds Seasons (the tablet version) runs like crap compared to Angry Birds on my Galaxy Tab.. not sure why.. Web browsing is a real treat.. Definately renders web sites faster than the iPad.. content is ready to explore at a much faster pace.. However, scrolling isn't as nice as it is on the iPad.. I don't know why Android can't get scrolling anywhere near iOS's Safari. Scrolling is choppy and clunky depending on how many pictures are needed to be shown on the screen at one time. Quadrant scores LOWER than my Galaxy Tab.. Could be Quadrant's not optimized well enough for the Tegra2 platform.
Battery Life - I will have to edit this in later.. my Xoom came out of the box with 77% life..
Interface/UI - I actually like Honeycombs UI.. the quick-softkeys are delightful to use.. especially to multitask with.. Flying between apps is instantaneous and snappy.. much faster than iPad's multitasking.
I'll post more later.. going back to playing with the Xoom.
Edit: Created a new thread on my thoughts so that people can ask anything they want to know.
Power button placement is pretty bad. It's especially an issue with the Moto Portfolio case. That thing, although well manufactured, is poorly designed (covers all the charging/usb ports.)
The system is a little laggy in some parts.
Very few tablet specific apps. So, Kindle app for example, looks fine but isnt utilizing the extra resolution. Ipad version will show two page layout, Honeycomb wont (for now.)
I don't see where people are getting the menu lag from, i've had absolutely none so far. The power button placement is PERFECT, are you guys kidding? The device was designed for optimized landscape view and when you hold it with both hands, it's right there ready to be pressed without having to readjust. This may be different for portrait but I don't plan on using it much.
Connectivity issues with android market as usual but thats typical, they need to fix that, asap.
Angry Birds Seasons is NOT laggy, again, don't know where you're getting that from.
And i'm looking at my Ipad and the xoom side by side and the screen quality on the Ipad is not "considerably" better. Slightly, if even that.
One big negative, lot's of force closes when I try to multi task a lot. This is VERY disappointing, and if it continues, i'll be returning the device.
The screen brightness/quality/angle view is not as good as the iPad, it seems heavy for its size, although the screen is bigger then the iPad it seems smaller because of the aspect ratio. Battery seems to drain fast, maybe it needs to be conditioned. Occasional lag in the UI.
On the plus side the speaker is pretty loud.
To summon it up: currently not overly impressed.
I hate that the browser shows mobile sites. I don't see an option to change the user agent. It's stupid to have to install a different browser, but I guess that's what I gotta do.
jasbur17 said:
I hate that the browser shows mobile sites. I don't see an option to change the user agent. It's stupid to have to install a different browser, but I guess that's what I gotta do.
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Go to: "about:debug"
You won't see anything. Then go into the settings and there should be a debug section where you can change the user agent to desktop. Someone posted this in another thread, worked well for me.
bogatyr said:
Go to: "about:debug"
You won't see anything. Then go into the settings and there should be a debug section where you can change the user agent to desktop. Someone posted this in another thread, worked well for me.
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Thanks! The setting in debug is called uastring. Took me a while to realize.
Love the general feel and speed, mostly, of it. Most apps are faster than my X. Still playing with them.
Sling player (one of my favorite apps on my X) is useless, dial-up would work better, freezes and jumps. Video/audio NEVER in sync. Sometime emits a loud screech when un-freezing. (w/3G and all bars)
YouTube is terrible (same video compared to PC), like its always out of focus, contrast levels WAY off.
Hate the placement of the ports. Have to hold it upside down to use when charger is attached. I would have done this when placing it in the portfolio case (cheep and clumsy feeling) but then you cant get to the power button! DUMB, DUMB, DUMB design.
Cant find the setting to get the display to not time out when it on charge!
Cant get into my company website (can with my droid x) I think the new browser has TLS security set and I need to turn it off.
Generally I like it and will come up with work-arounds for most of the issues it's the first one out and both xoom and 3.0 need work and will mature with time. I do thin I will keep it.
bogatyr said:
Go to: "about:debug"
You won't see anything. Then go into the settings and there should be a debug section where you can change the user agent to desktop. Someone posted this in another thread, worked well for me.
Click to expand...
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Thanks.
I remember doing that on my phone. I don't like that it loses that setting on a reboot.
Images are here:
http://www.slatedroid.com/topic/17404-screen-comparison-versus-a-xoom-with-pics/
I actually managed to get my broken device working again. Btw, I think my system.img is floating around the Intwerwebs -- if you come across a "asus.t101.system.img.gz" that's 312MB expanded, I would recommend you avoid it as that's my half-baked Chinese firmware that seems to have caused all my screen issues.
I curse you for giving me yet another reason to obsess about when my Transformer will ship from Amazon. Can't wait to set it next to my Xoom and compare...
Wow, quite a difference between the Xoom and the Transformer. Amazing that Asus could undercut the Xoom by so much while having a far superior screen.
Wow, I don't mean to offend Xoom owners, but the screen quality is TERRIBLE
I am glad I got the TF instead of the Xoom now, but the waiting game is killing me. What the heck is SmartQ? Never heard of it before...
Wow! What a difference!
I think that the screen by itself mostly justifies buying the Transformer over the Xoom.
Regards.
The screen quality on my transformer is fantastic, too. Love it!
buri73 said:
I am glad I got the TF instead of the Xoom now, but the waiting game is killing me. What the heck is SmartQ? Never heard of it before...
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It's a slow-as-molasses Telechips Android 2.1 device. BUT, it was the first 10 inch Android device to have an IPS screen and it's what I still use for comics reading - it's been around since December.
Since I don't have an iPad, it's my "similar to iPad" screen device that I use in my comparisons. The Transformer will be replacing it, once I can find a case for it!
Wow
10char
Interesting... I have been looking for a non-apple IPS tablet for a while and I guess I missed it. But from your tone, I didn't miss much.
Since you seem to be collecting tablets, how do you like your TF compare to G-Tablet, or NI Adam in terms of performance? Sorry if this is getting out of topic, perhaps you should do a comparison review in a separate thread?
I should receive my TF-101 tomorrow. I have IPad 1,2 and archos 70. I'll post some pics
Great news to hear that you fixed your Transformer. Those comparison shots so how great the IPS screen is and make me glad I didn't give in to the iconia.
This image from a review makes it look surprisingly visible outdoors in indirect sunlight:
http://techinstyle.tv/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/asus-eee-transformer-in-the-sun.jpg
roebeet said:
It's a slow-as-molasses Telechips Android 2.1 device. BUT, it was the first 10 inch Android device to have an IPS screen and it's what I still use for comics reading - it's been around since December.
Since I don't have an iPad, it's my "similar to iPad" screen device that I use in my comparisons. The Transformer will be replacing it, once I can find a case for it!
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What program do you read comics with on Android? I'd love to find one , haven't looked yet.
buri73 said:
Interesting... I have been looking for a non-apple IPS tablet for a while and I guess I missed it. But from your tone, I didn't miss much.
Since you seem to be collecting tablets, how do you like your TF compare to G-Tablet, or NI Adam in terms of performance? Sorry if this is getting out of topic, perhaps you should do a comparison review in a separate thread?
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I do feel like I'm collecting, but not for long. The Xoom is being returned this week, once I wipe it and clean it up.
I did a comparison between the Xoom and GTAB / Adam last month, and I felt that HC was a but sluggish in the graphics department. This TF101 might have similar issues. But, it's still a speed demon versus my R10, so the latter will eventually get retired and possibly sold.
GoldenTiger said:
What program do you read comics with on Android? I'd love to find one , haven't looked yet.
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I was using SCViewer (which is what is shown in the pics). The reason is that it was the best balance of speed / stability I could find on my R10. But for the Transformer, I might have a few options like ACV, JJComics Viewer or even Perfect Viewer.
I also have a purchased copy of "ComicReader Mobi", but I haven't used that too much as it really wasn't designed for tablets. However, it's probably the most stable comics reader I've used so far. The developer just needs to correct a few things, and I think it would be my app of choice (I've actually posted on his forum about this, as I feel that the definitive cbr/cbz reader has yet to be released).
roebeet, sorry to thread jack, can you take a look at http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1051776 and see if you can offer any help?
dcmtnbkr said:
roebeet, sorry to thread jack, can you take a look at http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1051776 and see if you can offer any help?
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Will do, thanks. One good thing about having a dead device is that you learn how to troubleshoot very quickly.
knoxploration said:
This image from a review makes it look surprisingly visible outdoors in indirect sunlight:
http://techinstyle.tv/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/asus-eee-transformer-in-the-sun.jpg
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I was wondering how the Transformer held up in outdoor sunlight. Any reports? I don't see myself using it a ton outside but it would be nice if it is usable outside. More importantly would be how does it hold up in normal daylight inside a vehicle. I can see myself frequently using it on long rides so hopefully the screen and sunlight can get along!
Any thoughts from people who were able to pick one up on launch day?
Pinta1jr said:
I was wondering how the Transformer held up in outdoor sunlight. Any reports? I don't see myself using it a ton outside but it would be nice if it is usable outside. More importantly would be how does it hold up in normal daylight inside a vehicle. I can see myself frequently using it on long rides so hopefully the screen and sunlight can get along!
Any thoughts from people who were able to pick one up on launch day?
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According to the same preview that pic came from, it's usable outdoors in indirect sunlight. Mind you, that's British sunlight -- not quite the same thing as, say, Florida sunlight. ;-)
http://techinstyle.tv/blogs/transformer-long-term-test-why-all-tablets-should-have-an-ips-screen/
EP2008 said:
Wow, I don't mean to offend Xoom owners, but the screen quality is TERRIBLE
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Yeah, I returned my Xoom after one week with it. The screen was unbearable, especially coming from the land of AMOLED (Nexus One) and IPS (iPad) screens.
Ok, so as a brit I got the new firmware this morning and the increased stability has really highlighted what a great concept and execution the Transformer and dock is (its now starting to show its true potential and that's in no small part to the exchange of info here on xda and the efforts of Asus to get fixes and updates out)
So.. the build quality has disappointed some people.. and delighted others..
So.. the NEW Galaxy tab is garnering plaudits with some stellar reviews about the sceen and form factor (lighter than the ipad 2! thinner than the ipad 2! etc...)
However.... showing this bit of kit to techies and non techies alike.. the potential is really starting to surprise people. Its a netbook, but it isn't.. its got insane battery life.. its a tablet with a pretty stunning screen.. its a netbook wtih a stunning screen.. Honeycomb is a lot more flexible than people realise.. etc etc..
I should caveat this with a disclaimer that (so far) I've been one of the 'lucky ones' with a unit with few if any quality control issues.. and perhaps ASUS need to ramp up in that department if the posts here about build quality issues are any barometer.. but so far, this is a kick ass bit of kit and IMHO thoroughly deserves the title of 'The New Hotness' - there's nothing out there like it
We need more positive threads like this.
Sent from my Transformer TF101 using Tapatalk
I've found that people don't really "get it" when I just describe how the TF is both a tablet and a netbook. However, when I _show_ them by popping it on and off the keyboard, suddenly the lightbulb seems to always go off. Makes for a great demo, and of course, it's just generally cool...
Sent from my Transformer TF101 using Tapatalk
Agreed... well written.
It will be perfect with 3.1 and an oc kernel that runs as fast as my gtab.
Sent from my DROIDX using XDA App
Agreed that conceptually this is a great product.
I am on my second and both tablets suffer from built issues most notably significant light bleed.
If stock was more available I would like to exchange for a third and hope to get one that works just right but it is consitently out of stock and feels like a lottery to get one only to be let down when it copmes flawed.
Any of you having these issues?
Am I just being over picky about the light bleed?
Still can't get a keyboard here in Seattle
Well, after I got the Transformer, I envied the people that got the Galaxy Tab at the Google IO. Then I played with one and then I realized that if I had the choice, I'd go with the Transformer. And my wife, she now wants everything in the house to be Asus.
They say light bleed. I had to search for it a lot to find it. They say creakiness and I also had to twist the Transformer hardly to hear it. They said a lot of bad things, but you know what I think? Only people who have problems write comments and try to discuss their problems with the community and trying to fix it. But pleased people always stay away.
Anyway, I think the Transformer is the best compared to all the others and it is worth more that $400...
Theres a lot of love for this tablet, warts and all.. bring on Honeycomb 3.1... Definitely favour a stability release over a feature release at this stage
I am also very happy with mine. There is a little light bleed, but nothing I find bothersome. Way better than the iPad.
The docking station is the killer component of the system. With it the transformer changes from a device best suited to consumption to a device that can effectively create content. This is a huge advantage to me.
Jerry
PS. Glad to hear the new update made it to the UK. Mine received it the day I bought it and I have never had these sleep of death or other problems that occurred before the update.
Loving mine so far. With the last update the dock works even better. Now my ipad sits on a shelf.
jerrykur said:
I am also very happy with mine. There is a little light bleed, but nothing I find bothersome. Way better than the iPad.
The docking station is the killer component of the system. With it the transformer changes from a device best suited to consumption to a device that can effectively create content. This is a huge advantage to me.
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Click to collapse
Yeah, reading that comparison thread of the four office products in the Apps & Themes section really brings home the content creation side of things... now for more music creation apps (iOS has a huge lead here)
Overaill, I guess the satisfied users will just have to evangelise the Transformers merits some more - but the lightbulb going on in peoples' heads when they see it in action (as was mentioned earlier) is really satisfying especially when its people who think tablets begin and end with Apple
I think only the really "anal" are harping on the light bleed and creaking.
Honestly the average consumer probably won't even notice these issues.
I notice, but really don't care that much.
There's slight creaking when bending it hard....but really is that affecting my user experience? Not really...maybe it speaks to build quality, which isn't THAT bad.
Light bleed...if i focus reaalllllly hard on the bottom right hand corner on a fully black screen I can see it....but everyday usage it goes unnoticed.
newtybar said:
I think only the really "anal" are harping on the light bleed and creaking.
Honestly the average consumer probably won't even notice these issues.
I notice, but really don't care that much.
There's slight creaking when bending it hard....but really is that affecting my user experience? Not really...maybe it speaks to build quality, which isn't THAT bad.
Light bleed...if i focus reaalllllly hard on the bottom right hand corner on a fully black screen I can see it....but everyday usage it goes unnoticed.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Or perhaps you're making your own assumptions on the lack of severity of other peoples light bleed problems or whatever? They're not all the same you know.
newtybar said:
I think only the really "anal" are harping on the light bleed and creaking.
Honestly the average consumer probably won't even notice these issues.
I notice, but really don't care that much.
There's slight creaking when bending it hard....but really is that affecting my user experience? Not really...maybe it speaks to build quality, which isn't THAT bad.
Light bleed...if i focus reaalllllly hard on the bottom right hand corner on a fully black screen I can see it....but everyday usage it goes unnoticed.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I guess I am anal then. I don't expect perfection but I don't need to search for light bleed I only need to view a dark background like a movie trailer in a dark room to see 4-5 patches of it along the bottom.
This has now happened on 2 different models so can't attribute it to a rare lemon.
As for creaking my first one was bad. The top and bottom bronze medal would click when holding it which was annoying.
The new one is much better in that regard. But the right side of the back plastic kind of gives when I first hold it.
So yes I am anal that I want my nearly 600$ tablet to have better build. But I also recognize the brilliance of the concept and if I can get one with less screen bleed I would be in love instead of on the fence to return.
I think the light bleed issue is somewhat inherent in the panel technology. The iPad seems to suffer light bleeds quite a lot and it seems to be somewhat worse in the new one. I also hear the new iPad is more fragile than the old one since Apple glued down the screen to make it thinner.
love my eee pad
I am really in love with my transformer.
I have a very light cracking on the right side....that's all.No hardware trouble at all.
I really LIKE HC, even it's not perfect, yet But it has a lot of potential for the future.
Most of the time the transformer runs smoothly and without trouble.
I gotta say this is the best tech device i have brought in ages.
Anyone whop knows me can guage how good a bit of tech is by how long it takes for me to whack it on ebay (normally a week lol) however the TF is just perfect for what i need.
Having owned 2 ipads and a galaxy tab i gotta say imho that this beats them all hands down. The dock makes a huge difference and turns a device which is mainly a concumption device into an excellent all rounder. It turns from a "i dont need it but its cool" device into a laptop/netbook replacement for most day to day tasks.
Ok you still need a pc if your into photoshop or video conversions etc but my gen 2 core i5 has just sat there limp and lonely for the last two weeks, basking in the shadows caused by this monolithic beauty.
When reading reviews before mine arrived i was worried about QC however i have come to realise that nothing will ever be perfect for everyone, and yes if you have a fault then you have the right to swap it. But am i going to go looking for faults NO, i have spent a nice £400 quid plus on this unit and you know what im gonna enjoy it for what it is!.
I love Samsung always have done but then again i have also always owned asus pc gear and know that there support generally is second to none let alone the reliability of there products. Hell lets not forget who invented the netbook in the first place, and while Apple may of have made the tablet popular Asus have made it USEFULL
thering1975 said:
I gotta say this is the best tech device i have brought in ages.
Anyone whop knows me can guage how good a bit of tech is by how long it takes for me to whack it on ebay (normally a week lol) however the TF is just perfect for what i need.
Having owned 2 ipads and a galaxy tab i gotta say imho that this beats them all hands down. The dock makes a huge difference and turns a device which is mainly a concumption device into an excellent all rounder. It turns from a "i dont need it but its cool" device into a laptop/netbook replacement for most day to day tasks.
Ok you still need a pc if your into photoshop or video conversions etc but my gen 2 core i5 has just sat there limp and lonely for the last two weeks, basking in the shadows caused by this monolithic beauty.
When reading reviews before mine arrived i was worried about QC however i have come to realise that nothing will ever be perfect for everyone, and yes if you have a fault then you have the right to swap it. But am i going to go looking for faults NO, i have spent a nice £400 quid plus on this unit and you know what im gonna enjoy it for what it is!.
I love Samsung always have done but then again i have also always owned asus pc gear and know that there support generally is second to none let alone the reliability of there products. Hell lets not forget who invented the netbook in the first place, and while Apple may of have made the tablet popular Asus have made it USEFULL
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Must say, I feel the same way about the Transformer. Since purchasing it I seem to be taking it everywhere with me like my phone. Did not think I would become that attached to a gadget even my wife is starting to get jealous!!!
I love my transformer too! It's an awesome piece of kit!
I bought an iPad2 the day after it launched (I managed to wander into a local store and they had one in stock!) and returned it a week later. There's no 'killer app' really, garageband was pretty cool and some of the games were nice, but as I already own an iPhone4, there was nothing I could do on the iPad that I couldn't do with my phone, and in fact as I've jailbroken my phone, I actually found the iPad very restrictive!
What really got me was having to jump through hoops wearing clown shoes with butter smeared on the bottom of them just to get any media on the iPad. I don't use iPhoto for my pictures and I don't buy movies from iTunes, so was fairly boned in terms of getting stuff on the device easily. With my transformer I just plug it in, and drag and drop! Or use wifi file transfer! Or use the microSD or SDHC on the dock! Or use the built in DNLA! So many options!
I've had my transformer for over a month now, and I still haven't sold or returned it! I will admit I've been lucky with mine, the only real problems I have are apps crashing a bit more often than I'd like them to. Everything else works wonderfully!
Compared to the iPoo, on my transformer I have a bunch of HD movies (including Avatar, which looks AMAZING!), loads of photos that the gallery just picks up on automatically, a few games, including fpse with final fantasy 7, 8 & 9, super puzzle fighter 2 turbo and a bunch of others, and a web browsing experience that actually works on pretty much every website I've been to! And I won't even bother mentioning the dock, and how many benefits that brings to an already great tablet!
Apple could learn a lot from the flash implementation! Practically the only use I found for the iPad was as a couch-based web browser, and without flash, that's pretty useless too!
Add that to the fact that there aren't as many decent tablet apps for the iPad as most of the media would have you believe (I spent a week looking for apps for the iPad2, and couldn't really find anything that wowed me), and the iPhone apps look terrible on the iPad, and it leads me to the conclusion that most of the people who praise the iPad over a device like the transformer have either sub-par intelligence, are living under a rock as far as knowing how tech works, or have fingers like pork pies (extremely fat).
Pretty much everyone I've shown my transformer too has been very impressed by it, and I know at least 10 of them are now trying to source their own transformers! I work in a big office full of techie people, so that number will probably increase! I kinda wish I could get some form of commission!
If I had to say anything bad about my transformer it's that the marketing behind video playback on tegra 2 devices has been a bit misleading. I have handbrake on my PC and mac and have saved templates that create lovely running HD files, but when I bought my transformer, I was kinda under the impression that it would play almost anything, what with the marketing touting "Full 1080p playback".
The only advice I have offered people is "if you don't have a tablet already, and you're not in any rush, keep an eye out on the upcoming tegra 3 tablets. They will handle pretty much any video resolution and encoding, and if you're planning on waiting a couple of months before getting a tablet, it *may* be worth holding out for the tegra 3."
Apparently the tegra 3 can handle resolutions up to 2560x1600, so it should handle high profile 1080p video fine, according to this demo:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DPN3hHI9y-E
I just hope more can be eeked out of the tegra 2 chips, so I don't have to transcode every HD movie I want to watch on my transformer!
Although that said, other than that minor annoyance, I think my transformer is one of the best gadgets I've ever owned, and I like my gadge! Plus, it allows me to browse the net and remote control my home PC from work, with it tethered by bluetooth to my iphone. Pleasing.
Sorry for the long post, can't help gushing about the transformer sometimes! haha!
I bought an A500 and a Nook Color during recent deals, with plans to return one of them, and both arrived yesterday. I've rooted the Nook but left the A500 stock. I installed MX Player on both of them and have been playing movies ever since ... and am really disappointed in how the A500 screen looks in general and especially in comparison to the Nook's. It's kinda washed out, with bland colors, and just isn't sharp, while the Nook's is the opposite in all regards. Plus, movies on the Nook run very smoothly, while on the A500 there's a hint of hesitation throughout.
Sigh.
And I really wanted the A500 to be the tab I kept, because of everything else it can do that the Nook can't, with a bigger screen ta boot.
Might my A500 be defective or is this just the way things are, given that the screens use different technologies? I have tried fiddling with the A500s brightness adjustments, to no avail.
Thoughts? Suggestions? Thanks!
Have you tried to simply return for an exchange, or go to like a best buy and compare it to another? I watch movies on mine all the time, and usually via HDMI to my TV with no problems. I think I am using Twist player though for movies, so not sure if thats the trick. And, maybe try and convert the videos to different formats?
Not my experience
linter said:
I bought an A500 and a Nook Color during recent deals, with plans to return one of them, and both arrived yesterday. ... It's kinda washed out, with bland colors, and just isn't sharp, while the Nook's is the opposite in all regards. Plus, movies on the Nook run very smoothly, while on the A500 there's a hint of hesitation throughout.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have both, and my experience is different from yours. I find the A500 (tested outdoors) to be a bit brighter and truer whites (the NC has a very slight greenish tint).
I have viewed the same images on both, but not tried any movies.
The pixel density is higher on the NC, which is why it may appear sharper.
DeanGibson said:
.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I hope not as I am basically getting this to replace my nook color (not nook tablet). I'm hoping the extra core/bump in processor speed, honeycomb/ics, and bigger screen will make it a better browsing experience. Although movie playback works well on nook so I will be bummed if that is worse here. Do you still use both DeanGibson?
Fer: Nope, haven't gone to BB to check others out. It's a ways away, and time is short ... but maybe have to go.
DeanG: Pix are fine, no problemo. It's movies I'm talking about. Really, the diff b/ the A500 and the Nook is pretty significant. Hopefully, some other movie-watching Nook and A500 owners will chime in.
Nstong: Hope your experience is better than mine has been so far!
Use both
nstong said:
Do you still use both DeanGibson?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, regularly
It is a bit washed out. I'd copied a movie onto my A500 and was comparing to my monitor last night and the colors are definitely more crisp and vibrant on the monitor. Cranking up the brightness on the A500 helped a bit. The A500 seems to need brightness turned up or it seems a bit dim.
Gnoop said:
It is a bit washed out. I'd copied a movie onto my A500 and was comparing to my monitor last night and the colors are definitely more crisp and vibrant on the monitor. Cranking up the brightness on the A500 helped a bit. The A500 seems to need brightness turned up or it seems a bit dim.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
After a few more tests, I've decided to return the A500. Sigh. Oh, well, maybe next year something'll come out that I can afford and that has a nice screen, etc. In the meantime, the Nook will do just fine ...
linter said:
After a few more tests, I've decided to return the A500. Sigh. Oh, well, maybe next year something'll come out that I can afford and that has a nice screen, etc. In the meantime, the Nook will do just fine ...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
**** really? Was the browsing, user interface etc. smoother?
For the price, it falls into the "good enough" category for me. The wife did not like the 7" size so it was 10" or bust. Given that, this ended up being a pretty decent deal. It's mostly going to be used in the car and traveling for web browsing and movie watching when needed. The display doesn't have to be fantastic for that.
As it is, I'll probably end up with a Win8 tablet in the future. Nothing like having a full blown OS when you need it.
linter said:
After a few more tests, I've decided to return the A500. Sigh. Oh, well, maybe next year something'll come out that I can afford and that has a nice screen, etc. In the meantime, the Nook will do just fine ...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You made the right choice!
The A500 is a piece of junk!
Coming from a consumer electronics background and now working in IT, posts like make you stop and ask "Is it better color or exaggerated?" All the SG2 fanboys out there love that screen. When I see it I think OMG oversaturation! I think the colors are very true on my A500. No complaints here.
Turboboxer said:
Coming from a consumer electronics background and now working in IT, posts like make you stop and ask "Is it better color or exaggerated?" All the SG2 fanboys out there love that screen. When I see it I think OMG oversaturation! I think the colors are very true on my A500. No complaints here.
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Click to collapse
I totally agree.
If you don't like this product take it the fffffff.BACK to store get what you want.save us the time from reading your crying. Please
This is a Development forum.not a complaint arena take that to acers front door.
Thank you and sorry for being so rude its not really my style.
Xo my friends.
erica_renee said:
I totally agree.
If you don't like this product take it the fffffff.BACK to store get what you want.save us the time from reading your crying. Please
This is a Development forum.not a complaint arena take that to acers front door.
Thank you and sorry for being so rude its not really my style.
Xo my friends.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Someone got up on the wrong side of the bed this morning huh? lol
I chose a much more diplomatic/sarcastic response
I noticed the slight hesitation as well, if u use moboplayer its mitigated quite a bit. It also helps if you encode your videos at a less taxing preset.
linter said:
I bought an A500 and a Nook Color during recent deals, with plans to return one of them, and both arrived yesterday. I've rooted the Nook but left the A500 stock. I installed MX Player on both of them and have been playing movies ever since ... and am really disappointed in how the A500 screen looks in general and especially in comparison to the Nook's. It's kinda washed out, with bland colors, and just isn't sharp, while the Nook's is the opposite in all regards. Plus, movies on the Nook run very smoothly, while on the A500 there's a hint of hesitation throughout.
Sigh.
And I really wanted the A500 to be the tab I kept, because of everything else it can do that the Nook can't, with a bigger screen ta boot.
Might my A500 be defective or is this just the way things are, given that the screens use different technologies? I have tried fiddling with the A500s brightness adjustments, to no avail.
Thoughts? Suggestions? Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I read the above post and looked familiar - like deja vu. It stuck in my mind cause I was exasperated after reading it. To the OP, there are some things you should just share with your significant other, or better yet your cat. "sigh":
12-06-2011, 09:36 PM
floete floete is offline
L4: Apprentice
got my a500 yesterday and after all that waiting and fretting, i hate to say it but ... bleh. main problem is screen with movies is just okay, especially compared to the nook's. it's washed out and not all that sharp. plus, the thing is fairly heavy. yeah, i know, i read the specs beforehand, but it's one thing to read em and another to feel em. as long as you've got something to rest it on, of course, no problemo, but it's not fun to sit w/ it in bed, at least as compared to the nook, which i also got yesterday, from the earlier BB refurb deal.
i'm only going to keep one of them. so far, i'm leaning toward the nook. but, damn, the a500 has so much to offer. if only the screen was better, i could probably deal w/ the weight. but the two of them together ... i dunno.
http://slickdeals.net/forums/showpost.php?p=45664562&postcount=1140
Users writing such posts, are close to being blind and much worse..
comparing a computerscreen and a tablet cannot be done by the eye. If this owner went and played a 720p edition of a movie on the tablet, using software decoding and later on played using hardware decoding and totally different calibration settings for colours your result is probably what most people buy a TV on, vibrant colours which are way off ISF calibrated standard, but for regular colour blind users, it looks nice . NEVER trust regular user opinions on screen and its appearance, we all see colour differently when it comes to personal taste, and you cannot ask one which is not a professional, about colours being wrong, if that user never had any idea on gamma settings, CMYK or CMS or even grayscale corrections done to the screen.
this user cannot be trusted, but if you do choose to do so, beware, you eyes might just be alot better and you get a personal better experience with a500 than the user chosing another tablet with different display, just because it looked vibrant.
meassuring colours on a500, will give an idea on which is wrong or how accurate it is, and its really not that bad..
Its like saying you prefer "SPORTS" picture settings on your telly compared to MOVIE settings. both are equally bad, but you get a personal view on it, making it better.
Best screen available today for any tegra2 tablet is the one on Samsung Galaxy 10.1, their panel used is alot better and more accurate. If just everybody included colour management on their tablet we could even calibrate it to be perfect.
Dexter_nlb said:
Users writing such posts, are close to being blind and much worse..
comparing a computerscreen and a tablet cannot be done by the eye. If this owner went and played a 720p edition of a movie on the tablet, using software decoding and later on played using hardware decoding and totally different calibration settings for colours your result is probably what most people buy a TV on, vibrant colours which are way off ISF calibrated standard, but for regular colour blind users, it looks nice . NEVER trust regular user opinions on screen and its appearance, we all see colour differently when it comes to personal taste, and you cannot ask one which is not a professional, about colours being wrong, if that user never had any idea on gamma settings, CMYK or CMS or even grayscale corrections done to the screen.
this user cannot be trusted, but if you do choose to do so, beware, you eyes might just be alot better and you get a personal better experience with a500 than the user chosing another tablet with different display, just because it looked vibrant.
meassuring colours on a500, will give an idea on which is wrong or how accurate it is, and its really not that bad..
Its like saying you prefer "SPORTS" picture settings on your telly compared to MOVIE settings. both are equally bad, but you get a personal view on it, making it better.
Best screen available today for any tegra2 tablet is the one on Samsung Galaxy 10.1, their panel used is alot better and more accurate. If just everybody included colour management on their tablet we could even calibrate it to be perfect.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No one is saying it's that bad. People are just saying there are others that are better. For some it isn't as important. For some it is.
As for color management, that can help but even then, there can be consistency issues across the screen. I do wish we had color management on Android devices as it would help.
Gnoop said:
As for color management, that can help but even then, there can be consistency issues across the screen. I do wish we had color management on Android devices as it would help.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
maybe the CyanogenMod team can do so, they already played with colours, so why not go all the way, and let us chose ourselves.
anyways, an app might just do it too, at least on tegra2 tablets. dunno, if it can be generally used on all, since hardware changes and some might utilize and other simply skipped the functions of the display.
linter/floete - I've had the A500 for over a week and can attest that the display is not "washed out." Over the weekend I attached a compact flash card reader and viewed huge jpg images from a full frame dslr. The detail was amazing, and very useful for inspecting an image before sending it off. For movies, the display is also nice. This is subjective, but really, the IPS screens may be better, but the A500 is still really good. I don't feel like I'm missing anything with the A500. My only complaint is the 3' power cord - too short...