Is it worth it? (Acer Dock) - Acer Iconia A500

I am considering purchasing the dock. I don't need HDMI or the audio port etc.
My plan is to use the A500 as a chumby-like device beside me at night time. So, clock, weather, etc. and a quick touch to dim or light it up.
That being said, is the dock worth it? Does it work well? Mostly I'm concerned about the remote, I'm sure I'll be using that a lot.
I have read that it never used to, but now works nicely in 3.2, but I'd like to verify that here before I drop 50 bucks on it.
Thanks.

If that's all you want it for, save yourself the money and just buy a cheap tablet stand...

FloatingFatMan said:
If that's all you want it for, save yourself the money and just buy a cheap tablet stand...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
And where do I find a remote that will work with it that's small and neat?

Unless you're willing to pay a lot of money just for a remote, I'd have to agree with FloatingFatMan.
While I really want a dock, paying $55 USD for the official Acer dock and another $20 for a power supply (because it doesn't come with one) is crazy, considering the limitations. It's really nothing more than an expensive piece of plastic with a power pass-thru and audio connector.
I think that dock would be good if they droped the price or released a version 2.0 with a power supply, USB, and HDMI (granted, you mentioned you wern't looking for those features).
A simple $5 generic tablet stand and nightstand app will do everything you're looking for... just without the cheap-feeling remote that the Acer dock comes with.
If you really want a remote there are several good Bluetooth versions that will work. I saw some threads with people using a Jabra 3030

Hell, I bent an old coat hanger into a DIY stand and it works great. Not aesthetically pleasing mind you, but it works amazingly for what its worth.
Sent from my DROID X2 using XDA App

I have to agree with the others...
As an owner of the dock, I'm very disappointed. Everything the others say about it is true. A basic tablet stand would likely serve you better. Note that I really don't use the remote, though.

Inexpensive tablet stand
Here's a link to an inexpensive, folding tablet stand. I don't own this, but it has many positive reviews.
http://www.amazon.com/Arkon-Portabl...TAB1/dp/B000CKVOOY/ref=acc_glance_e_ai_ps_t_4

Thanks for the responses. The answer is, yes I really do want the remote. I was only thinking about the dock on behalf of the fact that it would be 2 solutions in 1.
1. I'd get a remote. I haven't been able to source any neat/small bluetooth remotes
The only one I've seen for less than $40 is the PS3 remote and I doubt that's compatible with the A500 in terms of all the relevant functions. There's another, $40 by SMK-Link but again, not sure if it works with the A500 and it's too big anyway.
and...
2. The dock would serve as my charger so I didn't have to fumble for the cord to plug the tablet in every time. I could just drop it on the dock when I'm heading to bed. Afaik the tablet's charger works with the dock, so I wouldn't need to spend another $20, it's not like I need 2 anyway.
The dock isn't absolutely necessary. It just takes a few extra movements to plug it in anyway. I'd gladly save a few bucks on skipping the dock. The remote is the real issue at hand. While I want the tablet to be like a chumby, I also want it to be my music player as mentioned. After I'm done playing with it beside the bed and I've set my alarm, I don't want to have to stretch over to fiddle with it if I don't like the song being played. Likewise, I don't want to have to fiddle with it while manipulating/navigating the netflix app.
If you guys could recommend to me a good bluetooth remote control I'd be happy. I still haven't been able to source a good one. The Jabra 3030 is $60-90 and a bit more than I need but less than I want. I don't need a device to stream music through headphones to me, I already have a great bluetooth speaker system set up in my bedroom. The Street also is missing a directional pad.
I already own the Arkon. That's what I use to dock it now. It serves it's purpose as a dock nicely in terms of leaving it be, but in cases where you need to touch the tablet, it isn't as practical since if you're not careful, touching the tablet ends up fumbling your configuration/angles...even though the hinges are for the most part quite tight.
I'm sad to hear that the dock is disappointing, but for what I want it seems I may not have a choice.
Thanks again for your responses and advice. I look forward to hearing your suggestions. I've searched up and down the net' and haven't been able to find a small, tidy control like the one that comes with the A500 dock.

Gentle Alarm's Night Mode + my 10 dollar Merkury Innovations Stand is more and adequate enough on my dresser, plus it looks sexxy .
The Docks current setup is just not worth the money, unless you need a 50+ dollar remote for the brag factor.

I have that stand it works real nice.

it's definitly not worth it !
i had one for another tab. save ur money, and just take a good case

Dock purely for charging?
So there are no cheaper docks purely for charging?
I know I can get a cheap stand and plug in the power cable, that's what I use now - A $3 business card holder from OfficeWorks and the original charger.
But I want a dock that I can throw my tab at, and have it slide in and start charging.

luke.pell said:
So there are no cheaper docks purely for charging?
I know I can get a cheap stand and plug in the power cable, that's what I use now - A $3 business card holder from OfficeWorks and the original charger.
But I want a dock that I can throw my tab at, and have it slide in and start charging.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I caved and got the Acer Dock. There are just no alternatives for the remote and being able to just sit the device on something and have it charge is a nice bonus over having to plug it in every time.
Not sure why so many are complaining about it. I half expected it to crumble while using it or that it just wouldn't work the way some owners complained of how cheap it was on Amazon. But I read some of the 4 star reviews and went ahead with the purchase.
But the dock works well, the remote works very well, better than I expected and the dock isn't that 'cheap' to me. Then I again, I don't equate something made of plastic to being cheap so that may just be me.
For what it does, allowing you to sit your tablet down to charge AND coming with the remote control (that I can find no alternatives for), it's well worth it to me...you just have to stomach the $50. If you consider the dock to be 20/25 and the remote to be 25/30 (that's what I did), it doesn't feel like a waste of money. Granted, if you don't want the remote then it would definitely feel like paying too much but I haven't found any charging bases either way, and I don't think you ever will since it's a proprietary slot.

I'm considering getting one of these docks.
Its handy to have an audio connection that doesn't use the 3.5ml jack, preventing the jack from getting worn down whenever you want to play music at home.
Let alone not wearing down the solder for the charging port (I hate the charging port, am really disappointed the tab cant charge over its micro USB, but thats a whole separate rant eheh)
I originally thought I should get a second charger and dock, but since using custom roms my battery life has gotten so good that I can leave my only charger at home on a dock and not have to worry.
My battery is usually on 70% ~ 65% remaining by the time I get home, including daily web usage, 2 hours of video playback, and general fiddling here and there.
If there was a cheaper stand that utilised the Dock port, i'd strongly consider it, but since this is the only one I know of that has the port for audio, remote control and charging. if I could get one for 50 bucks I would be very happy.
unfortunately in Aus they're price point is ****ty (aus retail sucks) so Its probably going to cost me $65~

qwertylesh said:
I'm considering getting one of these docks.
...
Let alone not wearing down the solder for the charging port (I hate the charging port, am really disappointed the tab cant charge over its micro USB, but thats a whole separate rant eheh)
...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you could charge via the USB, you would wear it down twice as fast. That's because you can't charge it connected to a PC because its USB port simply cannot supply the needed current to charge the battery. So you would have to plug in a charger and unplug it every time you need to connect to a PC for file transfer. Not to mention that this would make developement of applications with A500a pain in the a## because you will be discharging the battery while connected unless you allow it to go to sleep and have to wake and unlock every time you run your app (which would still discharge the battery but slower).
Acer did not put the extra production effort/cost in having more ports just to make your life miserable
Sent from my A500 using XDA Premium App

Related

Galxy S docking station, Would you buy one?

So whilst using my Galaxy S I've been realizing that it would be nice to see a docking station for it. I vaguely remember a docking station being advertised on the Galaxy S teaser site, and a few tv ads.. But I haven't heard anything about it since then :/ So would you buy one? It'd be really nice to see one, I find it better to have it attached to something rather than lay on the table at night :/
i'll only buy one that has sync and charge option, with an extra battery charger
It'd be interesting how it will sync/charge it as the usb port is ontop of the phone, I feel that it was a design mistake from Samsung. The extra batt charger option is easy enough to do
*EDIT*
Ok I take it back, I want the dock after I saw a photo of it here : http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=727178
Heres another one but has no mention of sync : http://www.samsung.com/us/consumer/...ype=acc_detail&subsubtype=chargers&returnurl=
It would be awsome to have Sync and a app that turns your SGS into a USB Monitor like found on my PSP and WINMO so I can keep email/cpu temp/whatever on my desk.

Using Atrix while charging - better option

I posted in another thread, but this deserves its own thread.
Charging while using the Atrix sucks. The stock cable that came with it is awkward and the rigid cable sticks out far making it weird to hold with both hands, particularly the left hand.
While I'm still deciding to keep the Atrix or not, if I do, I'll be purchasing a right angle USB cable. You can purchase one here:
http://www.angledcables.com/a-to-micro-b.html
Model # you'll want: RR-ARMCB-XXG
$12.95 + tax + shipping
I hope this helps someone who's chosen to keep the Atrix. Cheers!
Yea I hated it with a passion as well. However, it is the only phone that I have used that I don't mind playing games while charging.
I just purchased one of those retractable travel cables. They are always pretty pliable. The only issue I have had with even the cheap ones is the retracting mechanism breaking. That is OK, however, because I just remove that and use it as a straight cable.
KevG

Lets take wireless charging one step forward.....

I feel Microsoft and their OEM's can revolutionize on the wireless charging and expand to solar charging, no other device offers this, I believe this will be minimal but beneficial.
What you guys think
937dytboi said:
I feel Microsoft and their OEM's can revolutionize on the wireless charging and expand to solar charging, no other device offers this, I believe this will be minimal but beneficial.
What you guys think
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I love the idea of wireless charging no more fumbling around searching for the cable to plug in. every night.
I will have one for my office desk and one for my bedside table thanks.
Glad to see Nokia take the lead in implementing this, the technology has been around a while, and if they follow this up with some great car accessories it would be fantastic.
Imagine a solar shirt designed with a wireless charging pocket. Place the phone in the pocket and it charges while you are walking. Walla
Just for the record the majority of Docomo mobiles (Japan) have been coming with the wireless charging pad for months now and they released solar charging handsets last year.
It is a nice idea though.
LL13-
lamplighter13 said:
Just for the record the majority of Docomo mobiles (Japan) have been coming with the wireless charging pad for months now and they released solar charging handsets last year.
It is a nice idea though.
LL13-
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
palm.... has had this like, forever.
before folks go GaGa over wireless charging, how are you going to USE your phone while its charging?
no phone calls except speaker phone.
no texting without knocking it off the charger ( or ewwww speak to txt ) or the good old " I'm not crazy!!! " Bluetooth yelling conversatikns.
no maps without knocking it over
basically , no functioning of the phone without picking it up.
cords still own the charging and usable portion of phones.
ohgood said:
palm.... has had this like, forever.
before folks go GaGa over wireless charging, how are you going to USE your phone while its charging?
no phone calls except speaker phone.
no texting without knocking it off the charger ( or ewwww speak to txt ) or the good old " I'm not crazy!!! " Bluetooth yelling conversatikns.
no maps without knocking it over
basically , no functioning of the phone without picking it up.
cords still own the charging and usable portion of phones.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree with you about the wireless charging NOT, currently, the end-all-be-all.
They will have a "Dock" that you can stand your phone in with wireless charging. If you are used to it, you can use some functions while it is docked. For the most part, you can just pick it up, use it and set it right down without the worry if your cord is too short or anything. I know that yanking on the cord to use it while charging has cause many issues with ports being broken, so nice to know we're getting away from that.
I have BT headset, so phone calls while it is docked/charging is not an issue.
I think the biggest benefit to me in Wireless charging is that I am always on the go. I always have my phone with me and when I am at my desk, I have to get up at a moments notice sometimes. I just grab my phone and go, no need to worry about plugging it in or unplugging it.
Now, there is a place where Wireless charging will not take over, until someone makes something VERY stable and snug. Charging in the car. I will have a cord there.
Im quite looking forward to a new handset before xmas and very interested in the 920. Though I am concerned about the cost and practicality of a wireless charger for the car.
I do drive a fair amount and the satnav really gives the battery a hammering
Anyone seen and info on the car chargers looks/cost?
You cant use the phone while it is charging? Simple. Just pick it up off the plate, use it and then put it back on charge. The phone is not glued to the charging plate you know
---------- Post added at 06:06 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:04 PM ----------
I plan on having the dock on my bedside table and the plate on my computer desk.
tboy2000 said:
You cant use the phone while it is charging? Simple. Just pick it up off the plate, use it and then put it back on charge. The phone is not glued to the charging plate you know
---------- Post added at 06:06 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:04 PM ----------
I plan on having the dock on my bedside table and the plate on my computer desk.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
you're at 5% remaining battery, at your desk, and need to make a lengthy phone call (weak signal eats battery), that may require linking to web pages, emailing a link to a map, and checking your calendar..... would you rather have the phone die mid process or have it plugged in and charging?
in the car a dock+ wireless charging would sooooo rock. yes, agreed. please no proprietary plugs for audio though.
Maybe wired charging is still an option
ohgood said:
you're at 5% remaining battery, at your desk, and need to make a lengthy phone call (weak signal eats battery), that may require linking to web pages, emailing a link to a map, and checking your calendar..... would you rather have the phone die mid process or have it plugged in and charging?
in the car a dock+ wireless charging would sooooo rock. yes, agreed. please no proprietary plugs for audio though.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Perhaps you will still be able to charge by wire?
ohgood said:
you're at 5% remaining battery, at your desk, and need to make a lengthy phone call (weak signal eats battery), that may require linking to web pages, emailing a link to a map, and checking your calendar..... would you rather have the phone die mid process or have it plugged in and charging?
in the car a dock+ wireless charging would sooooo rock. yes, agreed. please no proprietary plugs for audio though.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
luckily i have a phone and laptop at my desk so this situation is not that likely
but seriously. Solar is a moronic idea. Cell's just cannot generate enough power, let alone the amount of space it would take.
I would never let my battery go to 5% and yes you can still charge directly by cable. I don't see what the problem is.
There are accessories that can help you charge your phone using solar energy.
Pretty much every phone can be charged that way.
However, the phone batteries require a lot of electric power in order to regenerate the chemicals producing energy inside, and solar power with small panels does not produces that much voltage to charge it in comparable time to fast USB chargers or AC from power grids.
If the phone was running on native solar energy cells, it would have been much better, but that comes with its own set of problems.
MartynHibbert said:
Perhaps you will still be able to charge by wire?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
glad you said that. yep, and when its time to go, you're carrying the phone sized wireless charger, that wire, and your phone to wherever. the needless duplication was the point I was coming to.
now, about that awesome car dock, maybe it has an antennae and signal booster built in? that would so rock.
ohgood said:
glad you said that. yep, and when its time to go, you're carrying the phone sized wireless charger, that wire, and your phone to wherever. the needless duplication was the point I was coming to.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm guessing you're being synical for the sake of an arguement; so if I may, I'll dig in
Personally, I like for the sake of not having to fumble around with a cable every time I want to charge my phone at night, or the office (my cables have a tendancy of finding their way back on the floor; and yes, I leave a spare charger at my desk, since no one steals).. I would be more likely to place my phone on a charging platform, even though the battery reads 85%, then the traditional method; reducing the odds of the battery falling to critical levels. Also, as more companies adopt Wireless Charge, less often will my friends be asking me if I have the proper cable, or have to hunt for it because it fell behind my desk again.
By the way, Nokia is working with businesses and airports, to implement "charging bars" at cafe's mini-bars and waiting gates.. Which is a far more attractive option then trying to source an outlet at the airport.
So yes, wireless charging will be useful to many others
synical? nope. just looking at real life usage. I'm plugged in right now, because soon it will be shut eye time, and the phone is making backups of whatever I scheduled, then it will drop box the stuff somewhere...yawwwwwwwn I know. boring.
the fact is, its not ergonomic to actually use a phone laying flat on its back, in a charger or dock, wireless or wired. if its in your hand, its usable.
"working with airports" implies that something, might happen, someday.
it would rock a metric **** tonne more, to have your dock/charger plugged in tomorrow, while waiting on your flight, and watch some Netflix or other movie.
show me the car dock that has wireless (phone to charger) connectionivity and I'll definitely stamp it as a win. otherwise, wireless charging is just a place to put a phone with some extra gee wiz.
I don't see why there is negativity or what the problem is. Wireless charging is not the ONLY way to charge the phone you know. You can still charge by cable directly. If Wireless Charging is not for you then don't buy the bleedin' charging plate. I for one love the idea. Reason being my last HTC had a faulty usb port from the constant plugging in and out for charging. Eventually it bust and the only way to charge it was by removing battery and using wall charger. Lost me money in resale. Now my usb port on my Radar is starting to play up. So if anything wireless charging will save wear and tear on the phone's usb port which is a GREAT thing! Plus if someone goes on holiday they would bring just the usb cable and not the plate. Its common sense. The plates are meant for home and office. Ohgood you say when its time to go you need to bring the plate, cable and phone with you. Here is an idea for you, leave the plate at home or office and just bring a charging cable with you. Good idea huh?
yeppers, excellent.
it seems that real world use is misconstrued to be negativity usually. also, any non " marketspeak " opinion is assumed negative. a few folks (you did) can comprehend the differences and see applications in real life usage.
ex: my carrier says my home city has "4g" coverage blanketing the entire city. there's one marketspeak (ms) term already, and one falisy. then they continue with "up to 14mbps" . real life usage proves its hspa in blanket , and hspa+ in pockets, but edge is really the all penetrating connectivity provided.
were I to say " ItS not really a blanket of hspa+ coverage" folks wouldn't say much, and would likely bemoan the market speak they're -used-to- hearing and knowing isn't exactly true.
should I attempt the same thing with an established, mature charging system that Nokia is prophesizing as the "future" , suddenly I'm being negative....
hope that cleared things up nicely.
Just to be clear, Nokia so did not invent wireless charging or were the first ones to use it. There have been competing standards for years. They seem to be the first high profile phonemaker to push it on a high-profile flagship phone and try to make it a standard. Just like Apple.
katamari201 said:
Just to be clear, Nokia so did not invent wireless charging or were the first ones to use it. There have been competing standards for years. They seem to be the first high profile phonemaker to push it on a high-profile flagship phone and try to make it a standard. Just like Apple.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nobody stated Nokia invented wireless charging.
It’s good to see they are willing to push new technology out and try to advance the whole mobile ecosystem unlike a curtain fruit company that has changed very little in their last 3 models.
I am amazed at how many glass half empty people there are.

Docking stations?

Has anyone seen any docking stations rumored?
I am looking for something that I can drop it in/on and it will go into clock (dock) mode.
Thx!
Just get a normal stand and a charger and an NFC sticker and use Automate It (I think that's the name) to tell it to enter dock mode.
Sent from my HTC One V using XDA Premium HD app
You know the Nexus 7 was supposed to have a dock, it was leaked and everything. We still don't have it.
The answer is probably. Eventually. Some day. Google is HORRIBLE with accessory support, it takes them much longer than it should to release their products.
sadly seems that the N4 doesn't have POGO pins, I love them and they are on the N7 N10 and GNex, I don't understand why google removed them from the N4!
Interesting on the automate - it idea.
I love the POGO pins on our n1's, so easy to pop on the cradle and done. We have 3 cradles.
Google really handled the accessories with the N1 well, maybe after that one they weren't as good, I didn't follow the other devices.
I can't figure out why more devices don't use POGO's... Especially the high end ones like this...
Tuxliri said:
sadly seems that the N4 doesn't have POGO pins, I love them and they are on the N7 N10 and GNex, I don't understand why google removed them from the N4!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, as far as POGO for charging... this one has QI, so there's no need for the pins, just drop it on a compatible pad and it's charging. Anything else could be handled with NFC recognition and bluetooth data exchange.
Right, as long as we can get it to go into doc moed automatically and it sites on a decent angle to be viewed from the side it will suffice.
So far I have not found any.
USSENTERNCC1701E said:
Well, as far as POGO for charging... this one has QI, so there's no need for the pins, just drop it on a compatible pad and it's charging. Anything else could be handled with NFC recognition and bluetooth data exchange.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I hope this will be true, but it's still a lot more complex than the pogo pin solution. Lack of pogo pins is the deal-breaker for me on any upgrade to the N4. If Google does release a dock with all the functionality of the GN docks via Qi, NFC, and Bluetooth that works seamlessly and holds the phone at a good angle for clock mode, they will probably get me to upgrade. Fingers crossed...
That you think about this one - iLuv MobiRock ?
Sorry, i can't share links.
Look at www [dot] iluv [dot] com
Status: Pre-order
Price: 249$
Bluetooth for music
Qi for charging
NFC for easy pairing

Swappable Popsockets

Anyone try these? I ordered a couple along with a couple different tops, they'll be arriving in a couple days but I wanted to see if anyone else uses them. With such a big phone I wanted to get something that would give me some more grip (I'm a clumsy person by nature), but would also allow me to charge wirelessly without too much hassle. Hoping that the base doesn't stick out too terribly far from the case when the top is off...
They work well, but with the Ringke Air clear case wireless charging was terrible. (It would start and stop charging constantly). If you go naked wireless charging should be fine but there might be trouble with a case on.
mabencs said:
They work well, but with the Ringke Air clear case wireless charging was terrible. (It would start and stop charging constantly). If you go naked wireless charging should be fine but there might be trouble with a case on.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Even when taking the top off? That's pretty disappointing as they claim to be better suited for wireless charging with the new generation of swappable ones. They arrive today, hopefully I'll have a better experience.
Yeah that was even when taking the top off, and honestly taking the top off is more hassle than just plugging in the charging cable.
mabencs said:
Yeah that was even when taking the top off, and honestly taking the top off is more hassle than just plugging in the charging cable.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
For me it's less about the hassle and more about the durability of the charging port. I've had too many phones wear out the charger port, so I try to stick with wireless charging when I can and only use the charger port when I need a top-off from a portable battery pack.
Update after an hour of playing with them:
I can get wireless charging to work by placing the bottom one low on the phone and the top one high enough that the ridge on the base doesn't come into contact with my charging stand. This also allows me to only have to take one of them off to charge wirelessly, with the top one popped out and "hooked" over the top of the base. This works for both my Samsung 2018 fast charge stand I use at home and my cheap stand I use on my desk. Decided to use two for the sake of using them as a horizontal stand (and the top one can be used to prop it up a little vertically as well).
Comfort-wise, I find it to be a lot better than relying solely on my pinky. I do find that I am resting my pinky along the bottom of the phone when I'm swyping to type, but the popsocket takes most of the weight off so I can just use my pinky to brace instead of bearing the whole weight of the phone. Overall I'm pleased!
I reused the pop from my S10+. I feel that it allows me to take pics one handed without worrying about dropping the phone. Like you said, it's a big device and mistakes happen.
Ace42 said:
I reused the pop from my S10+. I feel that it allows me to take pics one handed without worrying about dropping the phone. Like you said, it's a big device and mistakes happen.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
For one handed photos you have the s pen!!
Not trying to promote but the company i work for sell pop sockets and make custom designs etc I thought they were just a fad to begin with but a guy in work was using one and telling me how great it was and i gave in and tried one. They are so handy. They pretty much just aid in using ur phone in one hand really and can act as a prop / stand also. The only negative of using one that i can think of would be wireless charging

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