Upgrade stock or going custom? - Acer Iconia A500

Hello Guys
It has just arrived the Iconia I ordered, this my first non chinesse tablet. And Id like to juicy it the most. BUt I have doubts and I hop eyou can help me.
THe device says it has an update, currently is running Android 3.01. SHould I go to the stock update? Or would be preferable to go with a custom rom.
I've been reading that stock rom makes the table a little unstable and that the Lightspeed ROM is one of the best by now, but Im not sure what to pick or if there's other ROM stable, so I ask before doing something I might regret later.
I will use the tablet as a regular guy plus I want to stream videos from my PC.
Thank you for reading this.

I got mine around January. Then ICS wasn't an option, but I remember it being somewhat sluggish. After the ICS update I was happy at the speed increase but it still came in a distant second to just using my laptop. About a week ago I finally installed a custom ROM (reflexxx). Since then I've barely turned on my laptop and the responsiveness continues to impress me. I can't imagine jelly bean or a tegra 3 being much faster. Granted, I really only browse the web, email, and a few news apps. Upgrading to a custom ROM was the best thing to happen to my a500. I can't speak for the lightspeed ROM, but if its anything like reflexxx, you will be much happier with it them stock.

is this th eone youare talking?
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1517181&highlight=thor

Dear Anthony, something I dont understand of your post is:
if you actually did first the stock update to ICS and then to reflex. Am I right?

seriestv said:
Dear Anthony, something I dont understand of your post is:
if you actually did first the stock update to ICS and then to reflex. Am I right?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yes and yes. Mostly because that was just the natural order of things, but, and dont quote me on this, I think it will be easiest for you to do the same. Honeycomb has different bootloaders and things. Upgrading to stock ICS first, I believe, will make going to a ICS ROM slightly easier and remove a step or two.
Provided you read the directions, I really can't see how you'd be upset with a custom ROM. I used afterOTA to unlock my bootloader, then installed the ROM using the standard CWM method.

THank you so much for your help sir Anthony
One more thing: Did you used the Reflex or FLEXREAPER-RELIX_rev5 ANDROID 4.0.3 ?

seriestv said:
THank you so much for your help sir Anthony
One more thing: Did you used the Reflex or FLEXREAPER-RELIX_rev5 ANDROID 4.0.3 ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I went with reflexxx, only because its based on 4.0.4, and I'm of the stupid consumer mindset that newer us always better.

Anthony820 said:
I got mine around January. Then ICS wasn't an option, but I remember it being somewhat sluggish. After the ICS update I was happy at the speed increase but it still came in a distant second to just using my laptop. About a week ago I finally installed a custom ROM (reflexxx). Since then I've barely turned on my laptop and the responsiveness continues to impress me. I can't imagine jelly bean or a tegra 3 being much faster. Granted, I really only browse the web, email, and a few news apps. Upgrading to a custom ROM was the best thing to happen to my a500. I can't speak for the lightspeed ROM, but if its anything like reflexxx, you will be much happier with it them stock.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Run stock ics absolute ota no root. See how good it is. Then when you change roms you can see what it screwed up.

Related

Two A500 questions

Just ordered mine refurbished with 2 year warranty for $350. Should be here in two days. My questions:
I see that some people want to revert from 3.2 to 3.0. Why is that? Is there something wrong with the official 3.2 firmware?
What are the advantages to rooting the A500? With my EVO 4G, I rooted just to improve battery life and to be able to tether from my 4G connection. The A500 has a supposed 8 hour battery life so I dont think I'd be interesting in rooting for just that. What other advantages are there? Are the hacked roms that much better than the stock one?
hidavi said:
Just ordered mine refurbished with 2 year warranty for $350. Should be here in two days. My questions:
I see that some people want to revert from 3.2 to 3.0. Why is that? Is there something wrong with the official 3.2 firmware?
What are the advantages to rooting the A500? With my EVO 4G, I rooted just to improve battery life and to be able to tether from my 4G connection. The A500 has a supposed 8 hour battery life so I dont think I'd be interesting in rooting for just that. What other advantages are there? Are the hacked roms that much better than the stock one?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You must revert to 3.0 from 3.2 if you want to root the A500.
And advantages are better performance, battery life (depending on how you control your cpu/voltage levels), and the ability to use root aps such as adfree. Also you can change the theme, buttons, boot animation, manage system apps, and all that other good stuff that root gives you.
In addition, hacked roms not only give you better battery life, but better performance.
Performance because some of the acer underlying "bloatware" is removed, and also the ability to overclock the processor. This results in better game and film playback for example.
Not to mention the recent fact about the CIQ data gathering code is "hopefully" broken with cooked roms/kernels (see xda home page for further info)
Rooting and romming is not for everybody. Some people are just plain happy with the stock system. But for those of us that want the most we can get, it's a blessing.
Keep in mind that we are reverting 3.2 back to 3.0 so that we can install a custom ROOTED version of 3.2. 3.2 is still the best and most stable, of the Honeycomb ROMS, but with the OTA update for 3.2 Acer changed the bootloader making it harder to root.
Also keep in mind, that when you to the rollback from 3.2, that 3.0 rom is going to act really weird. so you'll just have to be patient and do your things when you can.
And for my 2ยข
If you cannot root, it would be like buying a Windows laptop at WalMart and WalMart keeps the Administrator account Top Secret so you cannot use it. And because you cannot be the Administrator, you CAN NOT uninstall any of the 'crapware' they loaded for you that they through constantly in your face.
Or better yet, you buy a NEW car and Ford/Chevy/etc decided to weld the hood shut, preset all your radio buttons (which you cannot change - hope you like country), lock your wheels so you cannot change the tires, and then to add injury to insult, while you were sleeping they send OTA changes that makes your car work differently then the day before. So, you jump in YOUR car to discover that last night some jerk decided the gas pedal should now be on the left and the break should be on the dashboard. Anyway, you get the idea.
Also dint you need root to read ntfs and such from the USB?
Sent from my Nexus S 4G using Tapatalk
The advantages of root are being able to do what you want with your hardware. Customizing, tweaking, removing crap, etc...
i have a question will anyone figure a way to root 3.2 i got my icona a500 and it came with 3.2 i dont want to revert back as im not that good with this stuf but like the pros to rooting i have rooted 2 galaxy s facinate and love it oh yes i am a complete noob to this but having fun
pmelah said:
i have a question will anyone figure a way to root 3.2 i got my icona a500 and it came with 3.2 i dont want to revert back as im not that good with this stuf but like the pros to rooting i have rooted 2 galaxy s facinate and love it oh yes i am a complete noob to this but having fun
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
pmelah, as the others have hinted towards, you cannot root stock 3.2 from Acer. I remember reading some devs were working on it, but, so far, no one has been able to do it. Realize the reverting back process is temporary as there are plenty of custom ROMs out there with 3.2. It's just that, right now, if you want 3.2 and root capability, you have to revert to 3.0 and then flash a custom 3.2 ROM.
The process is incredibly easy and someone has taken the lead in writing a tutorial.
pmelah said:
i have a question will anyone figure a way to root 3.2 i got my icona a500 and it came with 3.2 i dont want to revert back as im not that good with this stuf but like the pros to rooting i have rooted 2 galaxy s facinate and love it oh yes i am a complete noob to this but having fun
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Already done, it was rooted as soon as it came out. You can find the instructions on xda. The end result will be 3.2 rooted other than that, it will be 100% stock.
BrianDigital said:
Also dint you need root to read ntfs and such from the USB?
Sent from my Nexus S 4G using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not in HC 3.2

Nexus S & ICS 4.0.3 - What do you think of it ?

Beeing using the Nexus s I9020T with ICS for a while now, tought i share what i think of them working together. this is not a technical review with scores and such so please don't expect such information here. in fact i'm not going to mention any of the developers, kernel or ROM names here.
Background
Had Nexus one, when the Nexus S arrived i sold it and bought the NS.
I really liked the N1 and it was not easy to let it go, i liked how it felt in my hand and it was a good device... anyway... i tried many roms (almost any ROM and Kernel that were available at that time) with the N1, and then with the NS. these two devices had almost any ROM flashed to them day and night.
Almost there
at the beginning there was no official ICS rom for the NS nor even a full SDK source
but some PORTS where around so i had to try them out.
liked the way it looks but that's it. no stability, many bugs. not for daily use... not even for a night use. going from one build to another didn't make any difference. for example: none of the PORTS managed to activate the Bluetooth device. there was a missing driver (binary) and none of the developers managed to overcome the problem.
ICS SDK
At first a full SDK was released. Builds were a bit better but not enough.
still couldn't use it every day and always had to go back to 2.3.7
at this point i thought: "well i guess i'l have to wait for google to release an official OTA update and then i'll see some real action right ?"
well that was not just a thought but more like logic with a bit of knowing how google usually works. i thought that when google will release an official version for the NS it will probably run smoother because it will have hardware acceleration and google will put a new kernel, and they will make sure it runs well
ICS OTA
"What a great day" i stupidly thought to myself. "finally a new version for my device" i was so stupidly proud (like i made this phone or something) anyway...
i just went from smiling to almost crying ... "Thats it ?" i yelled at it (my NS) "Is that all you got ? What is going on here ? is this for real ? it can't be ... the update.zip file must be fake ! (didn't really think it was a fake...) it can't be it ? this is it ? this is ICS ? slow,unresponsive,slow,and slow ? that's all there is ? and in addition to that it was very very slow...
"ICS Roms"
Used all custom ICS roms available and any tweaked kernel that i found. yet,
still too slow for me...
my current Rom and kernel are the fastest i could find and don't get me wrong it is stable,no bugs and i use it daily. but after using gingerbread for so long, i guess i got use to the speed too much, after using it for a week, i'm starting to get use to it i can't say that it is great for me now... but i'm not giving up !
Calling All Devs
Hopefully we will start seeing some tweaked kernel and optimized custom roms soon. for now my NS will rest ... just for now...
http://youtu.be/EF3Al_HxYdc?hd=1

WARNING!! About latest update (8.6.5.21) and my general observation

First off anyone wanting to root do not update past 8.6.5.19 or 8.6.6.19 for the tf01g the newest firmware update from asus .21 blocks the razorclaw root exploit.
i dnt know about the rest of you but i watched this forum and others for about 2 months straight when i got my B80 tf01 waiting for a way to root...i mean everyday anxiously....to the point i was teaching myself android to see if i could figure out a way myself!! realistic or not..
the transformer isnt my first android device but ive only had a few and infact the tf01 stole me away from my ipad thankfully!!! thanx android!! But once i got root i was so happy it was literally an awesome christmas gift from rayman and the devs and asus ultimately.
Now heres where my observstions come in....whether anyone cares or not...after waiting for root like i did and finally getting it there was no wayespecially after seeing the roms out there that i was puting asus firmware back on my device...the devs will support it better and longer anyway.... why in the world would people who had root just go and OTA update and blow root, im guessing those who did are probably not meant to root and are probably safer not rooted.
I know its not the way it is but its almost like we got a little way in that only those who are advanced enough would be able to get and keep root and those not advanced enough would miss the chance or lose root.. I for one wont put anything straight from asus on my device unless devs just cant do ics which i highly doubt. more likely they will release before asus.
i used to really wonder why there were some questions not answered or the guys in the know getting aggravated about thwe questions over and over again, but not anymore i so respect these guys and totally understand where they are coming from watching people ask some of the questions ive seen in the last few days after this update so makes me get it.
Loosely put the level of noobness is amazing around this neck of the woods ?
Sent from my Nexus S using xda premium
what on earth is the purpose of this post?
Were you high when you wrote this ?
After reading this post twice, I'm still confused what the purpose is.. must have been a nice trip?
I dont agree that anyone but a noob should return to stock. I regard myself pretty clued up with technology and sheer geekery and have been for thirty years, but I returned to stock due to just wanting this device to work. I had certain issues after rooting and was happy with how it worked before rooting. Now I do agree the devs here do a brilliant job, but for me, I am happy with a stock device for the time being.
Seg
not a whole lot of purpose to the post other than warning those who obviously dont know and a little bit of a rant or ramble... it is the general forum and i didnt see anything too terribly wrong with it..
if it was totally out of line then i apologize just some people amaze me sometimes.....
for those who feel stock is more reliabe more power too ya and we are all entitled to our opinions and i just disagree.... stock for me wasnt even close in peformance and obviouly control of my device was far from what i have with root.... i can return to stock anytime if needed but i cant justify it.
Since updates from asus come out pretty often i dont see any point in rooting at least not for me. I did root my nexus one though and got CM7 on it but for my TF101 i still prefer it stock since the updates come really fast and they usually breaks the root exploit and such...i think this is a personal thing, for me i'm pretty satisfied with stock..until they stop giving out updates regularly then i'll start rooting and playing with custom roms on my TF101 just like i did on my N1
mlbl said:
Since updates from asus come out pretty often i dont see any point in rooting at least not for me. I did root my nexus one though and got CM7 on it but for my TF101 i still prefer it stock since the updates come really fast and they usually breaks the root exploit and such...i think this is a personal thing, for me i'm pretty satisfied with stock..until they stop giving out updates regularly then i'll start rooting and playing with custom roms on my TF101 just like i did on my N1
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Also, the battery life and speed of stock is perfect to be honest.
The Transformer is my 4th android device and it's the only one so far i've NOT rooted.
Currently, I see Asus updating it regularly and I don't want to miss out on any vital updates.
With my phones, rooting was essential to make space, get rid of annoying stock apps and tether to other devices.
With the TF101 I don't see a major need for me to root.
I dont understand the point of the OP (opening post) and must say that I prefer my TF101 just as it is - unrooted and FULLY up to date.
I have a question, as I just got my tablet a couple days ago. So basically, what the OP is saying is that you can't root if you update to 8.6.5.21. I've been doing a lot of reading (this isn't my first android device), and I think I've come to conclusion that I can't root just yet. A) You have to be on a lower version than 8.6.5.21. B) Your serial number has to be B70 or lower. So, even if I downgraded to the lower version number, I still won't be able to root? (My serial number starts with B90) Thanks for your input, as I'm not going to attempt to root until I have all the facts straight.
dougstoner said:
I have a question, as I just got my tablet a couple days ago. So basically, what the OP is saying is that you can't root if you update to 8.6.5.21. I've been doing a lot of reading (this isn't my first android device), and I think I've come to conclusion that I can't root just yet. A) You have to be on a lower version than 8.6.5.21. B) Your serial number has to be B70 or lower. So, even if I downgraded to the lower version number, I still won't be able to root? (My serial number starts with B90) Thanks for your input, as I'm not going to attempt to root until I have all the facts straight.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think I get the point of the OP- a warning and general observations. To some extent, I agree. Because of the speed that ASUS sends out updates, it's trickier to maintain root on a stock system. If you want to run a non-rooted stock rom, then the updates are safe. If you want to run a rooted stock rom, you'll have to do some legwork to maintain root. It would probably be easier to just run a custom rom, rather than a rooted stock rom. As far as the newb questions go, I don't mind the ones that have done some homework, but I usually ignore the ones that don't even know what they are asking.
@dougstoner- either A OR B will work. For you, your only root option today is 8.6.5.19, although I'm not sure if it's possible to downgrade.
Sent from my Transformer TF101 using Tapatalk
dougstoner said:
I have a question, as I just got my tablet a couple days ago. So basically, what the OP is saying is that you can't root if you update to 8.6.5.21. I've been doing a lot of reading (this isn't my first android device), and I think I've come to conclusion that I can't root just yet. A) You have to be on a lower version than 8.6.5.21. B) Your serial number has to be B70 or lower. So, even if I downgraded to the lower version number, I still won't be able to root? (My serial number starts with B90) Thanks for your input, as I'm not going to attempt to root until I have all the facts straight.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
False.
BA0 here (means this is beyond the B# series). Bought TF a week ago, came with the dock bundle. Updated to the latest Asus FW but had no trouble using RC or CWM installer.apk
the only thing I can't really do is put it into APX mode and use NVFlash.
seven2099 said:
False.
BA0 here (means this is beyond the B# series). Bought TF a week ago, came with the dock bundle. Updated to the latest Asus FW but had no trouble using RC or CWM installer.apk
the only thing I can't really do is put it into APX mode and use NVFlash.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Don't say false, you might have gotten lucky and got 8.6.5.19 but
keep in mind the latest update got pushed out about a week or so, the latest update for you at the time might have been 8.6.5.19 but the latest as of now is 8.6.5.21 which is not rootable with Razorclaw.
Being you have a BAO you will not be able to use NVFLash at this time.
Your BAO is just a continuation of B9O.
A continuation right the way upto F.
So, if I can downgrade to the lowest version, I can root. (if that's possible)
I can't install a custom bootloader though right? Since my serial number is too high? Basically, all I can do is root if I can get to the right version, and wait until I have NVFlash for higher serial numbers to load a custom rom? Thanks for all the replies guys. I appreciate it.
The OP could have been onto something.
Sent from my Nexus S using xda premium
I always prefer root on any android device because it allows for customistions way beyond stock firmwre.until you have rooted and used a transformer running a custom firmware at 1.5ghz you have no frame of reference at all. Most custom rom devs will update their Roms using the latest Asus firmware anyway so you aren't missing out on any new stock firmware features. I wouldn't go back to stock now if you paid me! I liken it to tuning a car, stock is fine but there is nothing like remapping the ecu and it often makes the car handle better and use less fuel.
bob dylan said:
I always prefer root on any android device because it allows for customistions way beyond stock firmwre.until you have rooted and used a transformer running a custom firmware at 1.5ghz you have no frame of reference at all. Most custom rom devs will update their Roms using the latest Asus firmware anyway so you aren't missing out on any new stock firmware features. I wouldn't go back to stock now if you paid me! I liken it to tuning a car, stock is fine but there is nothing like remapping the ecu and it often makes the car handle better and use less fuel.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If only for Voodoo rooting is an absolute must.

Bought Tab 2 - Where to start

Hi guys,
Havent been on here for a long long while. Just bought a tab 2 as i was frustrated with the ipad. I have no idea where to start though with customsations etc.
Will need to root it i know, but can someone recommend a clean and smooth rom? dont want to flash it too much. Just general use really, transfer docs, browsing etc would ideally like something with flash still capable, but speed and smoothness is the most important thing for me.
Any advice would be appreciated.
many thanks
Aokp build 4 or cm10 from www.teamhacksung.org
I use cm10 as more updates but aokp is more customizable
Sent from my GT-I9300 using xda app-developers app
Try CM9 it works very well without glitches in CM10. I try all the roms and end up back on cm9 every time.
Good luck
bark777 said:
Try CM9 it works very well without glitches in CM10. I try all the roms and end up back on cm9 every time.
Good luck
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Other than a problem introduced by myself, I haven't had any problems with the AOSP JB builds.
go to the android development forum, read up the stickies first
you have 7 inch or 10.1 ?
root
flash may not be available on jb
AOKP build 4 , much more control over the ROM than say CM9/10. You choose what you want and how you want it. AOKP is more suited to the tab IMO as CyanogenMod has to cater for much more devices. Constant builds and updates. Id say AOKP is for advanced users :laugh:
If you like to twiddle with your devices thats the ROM for you.If you dont , then go for CM10.
If your not that bothered go for AOSP Loads of ROMs to choose from , no way of saying the "best" as it dosent exist. Its a personal choice and to be honest they are all pretty much the samething, just some slighty more customisable than others.
If you want a "Stock" experience go for anything that "RomsWell" builds as its generally stable and all the bloat/crap has been removed.
Search the forums for your specific device and check out the official threads for each ROM. If you don't know what to do ASK in the threads and people will help you out no problems as we are all mostly friendly and helpful to each other.
First thing you should be thinking about is do you want "root" access ( full control over the ROM) ? Search for your device and make sure you understand what's to be done and you have to correct tools to do it. Read it again, you be surprised how many people mess it up and then make posts for help lol.
Once you are more confident with Android , try all the ROMs out , wont cost you a penny and you can see for yourself then but say good bye to your warranty as it will be void as soon as you mess with your tab. If you read up on things you wont have any problems at all.
Good luck and have fun.
Not my thread but this is a good post above. Im a new user just reading and learning and this sort of post helps me alot.
Thank you
We all start somewhere and its what the forums for , So I'm glad to help.
Thanks :highfive:
No need to root, I've rooted the crap out of my phones, but have never felt the need to do the same with my tab2. And It's perfectly fine.
Sent from my HTC Sensation 4G with Beats Audio using Tapatalk 2
I agree with the above commenter.
Usually I root all of my devices, but with the Tab2 I haven't felt the need to.
To be honest I have quite a few of the different Home Replacement Apps and haven't even installed one of them on it.
Runs great out of the box! Just download a few apps to get you started!
One thing I did have to do though is a full hard reset after a few days of owning it, as it was buggy and slow, but ever since I did that, it has been perfect!
I can't wait to see the progress that the official JB release brings!
The only reason i root mine is because of pdroid, feels naked without it

[Q] New Owner of Transformer TF300T

Hi everyone, great threads on this forum and it's helped guided me with a lot of questions that I've been facing.
So my wonderful gf bought me this tablet as a surprise last week, I've greatly enjoyed it.
But I'm still a little tossed up on it, the experience with the tablet has been mixed.
At times it's great speedy, responsive, and probably providing me with the best first time experience with a Android based tablet.
Other times not so much, I do understand this is a year old tablet, not the latest and greatest (as far as the RAM goes, display can be a little better but still awesome). So at times it would be sloooooooooooow, and chuggish.
I remember reading on the forum somewhere forgot who posted it, but they were comparing a Samsung Note/Galaxy to this and it's night and day at times, games would be running a lot more smoother on those units then this one. (which I've come across when I was showing off to my cousins and they had a Note, showoff failed)
So I just have a couple of questions and maybe you guys can all help me with a few suggestions.
Is this table worth keeping? Or do I wait for the next generation of the Transformer to come out?
Should I root/custom Rom for a better experience? But then again, shouldn't a brand new out of a box tablet give me that optimum experience already?
I've searched and read multiple threads and it's given me somewhat of a direction.
But waiting for a brand new tablet with Tegra4 + more RAM otw could also be more worthwhile.....
My gf paid retail value for this tablet (which is pretty steep up in Canada 500$?), so I'm just trying to see what would be the best...either I return and wait up? or Root/Rom and try the new experience.
I know I've been a little vague,but I really don't know what else to add as I'm still a FOB (fresh on the boat :fingers-crossed with Android Tablets.
I guess, am I expecting too much out of a unit that is a year old?
Lummers said:
Hi everyone, great threads on this forum and it's helped guided me with a lot of questions that I've been facing.
So my wonderful gf bought me this tablet as a surprise last week, I've greatly enjoyed it.
But I'm still a little tossed up on it, the experience with the tablet has been mixed.
At times it's great speedy, responsive, and probably providing me with the best first time experience with a Android based tablet.
Other times not so much, I do understand this is a year old tablet, not the latest and greatest (as far as the RAM goes, display can be a little better but still awesome). So at times it would be sloooooooooooow, and chuggish.
I remember reading on the forum somewhere forgot who posted it, but they were comparing a Samsung Note/Galaxy to this and it's night and day at times, games would be running a lot more smoother on those units then this one. (which I've come across when I was showing off to my cousins and they had a Note, showoff failed)
So I just have a couple of questions and maybe you guys can all help me with a few suggestions.
Is this table worth keeping? Or do I wait for the next generation of the Transformer to come out?
Should I root/custom Rom for a better experience? But then again, shouldn't a brand new out of a box tablet give me that optimum experience already?
I've searched and read multiple threads and it's given me somewhat of a direction.
But waiting for a brand new tablet with Tegra4 + more RAM otw could also be more worthwhile.....
My gf paid retail value for this tablet (which is pretty steep up in Canada 500$?), so I'm just trying to see what would be the best...either I return and wait up? or Root/Rom and try the new experience.
I know I've been a little vague,but I really don't know what else to add as I'm still a FOB (fresh on the boat :fingers-crossed with Android Tablets.
I guess, am I expecting too much out of a unit that is a year old?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Welcome on board, I've had the same experience like you with the tablet so I am going to provide you with some thoughts of mine, there is also a thread called "would you buy this tablet again" somewere.
I'd highly recommend using an app called clean-master it's basically Androids counterpart to the famous CCleaner on a pc, whenever the tablet feels slow/laggy run it.
The display is ok, but like you said it could and should be brighter with a higher PPI but since it's more of a budget tablet Asus had to cut costs somewhere.
Better experience:
Rooting and flashing a custom ROM would be a good way to get a way better experience out of this thing. After receiving mine baack I've installed Paranoid 3.99 althoug it's not the official release it is very stable, responsible and offers a lot of customization options, stock Android ones are heavily lacking. You can also overclock this thing without any worries for example mine is running at 1,5 ghz right now and the experience is way better then before although for most of my stuff already to fast, since I am only doing notes, browsing and emailes on my tablets.
If I were you, I would wait for the TF 701 release:
Screen: 300ppi 2560 x 1600 resolution
inside: 2 gb RAM 1,9 ghz Tegra 4 cpu
according to Asus it will cost 499 $ with an included dock station, like all Asus tablets it offers an SD slot hopefully on the tablet and the dock
If you are looking for even more power the next note from Samsung might be worth a look, the screen quality will be the same but it comes with powerful 3 GB of RAM, so perfect for multitasking if you need it the downside is Samsung is looking at a 699 $ pricetag.
Hope that helps and welcome aboard
frankgreimes said:
Welcome on board, I've had the same experience like you with the tablet so I am going to provide you with some thoughts of mine, there is also a thread called "would you buy this tablet again" somewere.
I'd highly recommend using an app called clean-master it's basically Androids counterpart to the famous CCleaner on a pc, whenever the tablet feels slow/laggy run it.
The display is ok, but like you said it could and should be brighter with a higher PPI but since it's more of a budget tablet Asus had to cut costs somewhere.
Better experience:
Rooting and flashing a custom ROM would be a good way to get a way better experience out of this thing. After receiving mine baack I've installed Paranoid 3.99 althoug it's not the official release it is very stable, responsible and offers a lot of customization options, stock Android ones are heavily lacking. You can also overclock this thing without any worries for example mine is running at 1,5 ghz right now and the experience is way better then before although for most of my stuff already to fast, since I am only doing notes, browsing and emailes on my tablets.
If I were you, I would wait for the TF 701 release:
Screen: 300ppi 2560 x 1600 resolution
inside: 2 gb RAM 1,9 ghz Tegra 4 cpu
according to Asus it will cost 499 $ with an included dock station, like all Asus tablets it offers an SD slot hopefully on the tablet and the dock
If you are looking for even more power the next note from Samsung might be worth a look, the screen quality will be the same but it comes with powerful 3 GB of RAM, so perfect for multitasking if you need it the downside is Samsung is looking at a 699 $ pricetag.
Hope that helps and welcome aboard
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've been following that thread Is it still worth buying this tablet extensively, it's been very very informative.
From what I got after reading that thread is that a lot of people are happy with this tablet.
I've decided to keep this tablet for now, and if/when the next generation one does come out, maybe I'll pawn this off and hopefully get that one.
Would you guys be able to guide me into which thread might have a list of roms that I may find that may be suitable for me?
As well as which information you would need from me to help you with a selection.
Thank you guys.
Lummers said:
I've been following that thread Is it still worth buying this tablet extensively, it's been very very informative.
From what I got after reading that thread is that a lot of people are happy with this tablet.
I've decided to keep this tablet for now, and if/when the next generation one does come out, maybe I'll pawn this off and hopefully get that one.
Would you guys be able to guide me into which thread might have a list of roms that I may find that may be suitable for me?
As well as which information you would need from me to help you with a selection.
Thank you guys.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Personally I am still undecided in terms of waiting for the TF 701 or even the next generation, if Asus does I can see them packing it with 4 gig of RAM and then we can really talk about multi tasking but the TF 701 looks really great from what I've seen and read so undecided.
In terms of ROM I am big fan of Cyanogenmod and Paranoid, both are offering great customization options, superuser abilities right from the installing and of course a much smoother experience than stock Android.
Paranoid has an unofficial 3.99 (Android 4.3) build currently and Cyanogenmod is offering Nightly builds, since both aren't official releases some things might not work yet but they are for the most part stable. I would manually install them and use a tool like goomanager for flashing/updating the ROM if available.
frankgreimes said:
Personally I am still undecided in terms of waiting for the TF 701 or even the next generation, if Asus does I can see them packing it with 4 gig of RAM and then we can really talk about multi tasking but the TF 701 looks really great from what I've seen and read so undecided.
In terms of ROM I am big fan of Cyanogenmod and Paranoid, both are offering great customization options, superuser abilities right from the installing and of course a much smoother experience than stock Android.
Paranoid has an unofficial 3.99 (Android 4.3) build currently and Cyanogenmod is offering Nightly builds, since both aren't official releases some things might not work yet but they are for the most part stable. I would manually install them and use a tool like goomanager for flashing/updating the ROM if available.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm a little torn as well....the TF701 does look amazing spec wise...I'm still contemplating if I should return and grab that one....but my first tablet...kind of want to pop my Root/Custom rom cherry with this one as I've read great reviews about it from everyone on the forum so far. :good:
Is there a thread/site that you can kindly guide me to so I can take a look at these ROM's to see what they offer me and which one might suite me the best?
As well would I be able to retain the Asus Apps or would it be a clean slate ROM?
Still a little lost on some of these ROM options, and if I didn't like the ROM's is it possible to go back to factory defaults?
Thanks once again, much appreciated.
Lummers said:
I'm a little torn as well....the TF701 does look amazing spec wise...I'm still contemplating if I should return and grab that one....but my first tablet...kind of want to pop my Root/Custom rom cherry with this one as I've read great reviews about it from everyone on the forum so far. :good:
Is there a thread/site that you can kindly guide me to so I can take a look at these ROM's to see what they offer me and which one might suite me the best?
As well would I be able to retain the Asus Apps or would it be a clean slate ROM?
Still a little lost on some of these ROM options, and if I didn't like the ROM's is it possible to go back to factory defaults?
Thanks once again, much appreciated.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Things to make sure before doing that:
1. Use the right version for your bootloader of either Clock Work Mod oder Team Win Recovery Projects
2. Backup all your important apps with Titanium Backup Pro
Links Cyanogenmod, Paranoid is also known as AOSPA you can get it here they used to have an official website but can't find it right now also you are going to find a lot of versions including the newest in the Development section of this forum.
You can also use the GooManager to flash/update your ROMS, especially useful if you are using nightly builds for Cyanogenmod
as for the Asus Apps:
It really depends what you need, personally I've done a full app backup and only restored the ones I sometimes use such as livebackgrounds, if so mething important is still missing I'll just restore it using Titanium Backup
Going back to your "usual Asus ROM" is rather easy:
Just use CWM or TWRP and select the Restore option
Before installing a new ROM:
Do a davlik/system/cache/data wipe, I would not recommend to wipe the whole internal or external sd card because all your data will be lost so be careful there
I am sure there are people who can give you a way better introduction on all the available Roms than me, since I am just stickong to the ones that work perfect for me and I am only having this tablet since may so good luck
frankgreimes said:
Things to make sure before doing that:
1. Use the right version for your bootloader of eitherClock Work Mod oder Team Win Recovery Projects
2. Backup all your important apps with Titanium Backup Pro
Links Cyanogenmod, Paranoid is also known as AOSPA you can get it here they used to have an official website but can't find it right now also you are going to find a lot of versions including the newest in the Development section of this forum.
You can also use the GooManager to flash/update your ROMS, especially useful if you are using nightly builds for Cyanogenmod
as for the Asus Apps:
It really depends what you need, personally I've done a full app backup and only restored the ones I sometimes use such as livebackgrounds, if so mething important is still missing I'll just restore it using Titanium Backup
Going back to your "usual Asus ROM" is rather easy:
Just use CWM or TWRP and select the Restore option
Before installing a new ROM:
Do a davlik/system/cache/data wipe, I would not recommend to wipe the whole internal or external sd card because all your data will be lost so be careful there
I am sure there are people who can give you a way better introduction on all the available Roms than me, since I am just stickong to the ones that work perfect for me and I am only having this tablet since may so good luck
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Awesome!! :good:
You've been of great help.
I'll browse around those ones for sure and take a look and learn some more before doing anything.
Are there any other steps I would need to do prior to flashing a rom?
I've been reading unlocking the unit before flashing the ROM? Not too sure what that is about.
As usual Thanks!
Lummers said:
Awesome!! :good:
You've been of great help.
I'll browse around those ones for sure and take a look and learn some more before doing anything.
Are there any other steps I would need to do prior to flashing a rom?
I've been reading unlocking the unit before flashing the ROM? Not too sure what that is about.
As usual Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Glad, I've helped you
Steps you need
1. rooted tablet just search for motorshoper here - just subscribe to the thread it's an awesome tool to get superuser "root" access
2. download the bootloader unlocker from the Asus webpage
should work flawlessly if you aren't sure,about having root rights use an app like root checker
be aware always make sure to read the steps carefully and only download the right TWRP or CWM version for your bootloader. Also search for potential problems before atempting to downgrade versions, without having a working backup this way you are going to save yourself a bit of time and trouble.
frankgreimes said:
Glad, I've helped you
Steps you need
1. rooted tablet just search for motorshoper here - just subscribe to the thread it's an awesome tool to get superuser "root" access
2. download the bootloader unlocker from the Asus webpage
should work flawlessly if you aren't sure,about having root rights use an app like root checker
be aware always make sure to read the steps carefully and only download the right TWRP or CWM version for your bootloader. Also search for potential problems before atempting to downgrade versions, without having a working backup this way you are going to save yourself a bit of time and trouble.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks!!
Super excited now to see the potential of this tablet!
Can't wait.
I'll be doing a little research to see which one fits me the best for my needs.
Lummers said:
Thanks!!
Super excited now to see the potential of this tablet!
Can't wait.
I'll be doing a little research to see which one fits me the best for my needs.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thats part of the fun when you are using custom ROMs there are tons outthere and thanks to the former mentioned tools trying them out and see if they fit you, is easy.
Can't wait to change my blackberry so I can enjoy custom Roms on my handy too.
frankgreimes said:
Thats part of the fun when you are using custom ROMs there are tons outthere and thanks to the former mentioned tools trying them out and see if they fit you, is easy.
Can't wait to change my blackberry so I can enjoy custom Roms on my handy too.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Gasssps Blackberry?
I'm on the iPhone 4 so I shouldn't be saying much..
Question - any reason why I would go with a nightly build over a RC/S build?
Lummers said:
Gasssps Blackberry?
I'm on the iPhone 4 so I shouldn't be saying much..
Question - any reason why I would go with a nightly build over a RC/S build?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well I love their keyboards but the lack of custom roms and superuser rights is very disappointing,.at.least you can jailbreak the iPhone.
The differences are as follows:
Nightly builds are less stable and some things might not work right now but they include newer features
Stable/RC builds are more stable and most if not all features are working flawlessly
so which build to use will fully depend on what you want, if you are looking for the newest 4,3 features nightlies are the one to go, if you value a stable and feature complete build more I'd go with a RC/S type. The middleway would be to choose a monthly build sadly there aren't any available for CM right now.
frankgreimes said:
Well I love their keyboards but the lack of custom roms and superuser rights is very disappointing,.at.least you can jailbreak the iPhone.
The differences are as follows:
Nightly builds are less stable and some things might not work right now but they include newer features
Stable/RC builds are more stable and most if not all features are working flawlessly
so which build to use will fully depend on what you want, if you are looking for the newest 4,3 features nightlies are the one to go, if you value a stable and feature complete build more I'd go with a RC/S type. The middleway would be to choose a monthly build sadly there aren't any available for CM right now.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hmmm I'll look into those again and see
I'm having a problem right now...
I got CWM installed fine (I Think)
The problem I'm having is when I go to choose zip from sdcard, it won't mound the sdcard or the internal
So I'm stuck...I can't seem to root it now.
Lummers said:
Hmmm I'll look into those again and see
I'm having a problem right now...
I got CWM installed fine (I Think)
The problem I'm having is when I go to choose zip from sdcard, it won't mound the sdcard or the internal
So I'm stuck...I can't seem to root it now.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Have you done it, in the correct order? First you need to add the ROM, then "add more Zips" select the gapps file
I've had the same problem with the external SDcard so I moved it to the internal one and it worked, but sorry no clue why it doesn't work with an external one
frankgreimes said:
Have you done it, in the correct order? First you need to add the ROM, then "add more Zips" select the gapps file
I've had the same problem with the external SDcard so I moved it to the internal one and it worked, but sorry no clue why it doesn't work with an external one
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Here are my steps
1. Unlocke downloaded from Asus site
2. Downloaded CWM
3. Fastboot loaded CWM
After that I logged onto the Recovery
Tried installing from SDcard to root
But can't detect, another thread a nice gent, has given me the pointer to try to use TWRP.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2446177
So I'm going to give that a shot and see if that helps me out more.
Lummers said:
Here are my steps
1. Unlocke downloaded from Asus site
2. Downloaded CWM
3. Fastboot loaded CWM
After that I logged onto the Recovery
Tried installing from SDcard to root
But can't detect, another thread a nice gent, has given me the pointer to try to use TWRP.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2446177
So I'm going to give that a shot and see if that helps me out more.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Have you installed the .blob or .img file?
If you are using TWRP there is also a tool called TWRP Manager: so you can normally boot your tablet with it, start the manager make all the settings and it will automatically reboot your tablet into recovery mode.
Personally I have tried CWM and TWRP liking TWRP better too.
Another step you can check:
Go into Goomanager - Settings and look for the default "save folder" if you are having your .zip files in another folder make sure, to put them into this directory. Usually it's something like goomanager/Roms/ or so.
frankgreimes said:
Have you installed the .blob or .img file?
If you are using TWRP there is also a tool called TWRP Manager: so you can normally boot your tablet with it, start the manager make all the settings and it will automatically reboot your tablet into recovery mode.
Personally I have tried CWM and TWRP liking TWRP better too.
Another step you can check:
Go into Goomanager - Settings and look for the default "save folder" if you are having your .zip files in another folder make sure, to put them into this directory. Usually it's something like goomanager/Roms/ or so.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So I have TWRP installed, man all I can say is that it is night and day in the steps of setup.
So much easier and direct.
I've downloaded goomanager I'm taking a look at it now and seeing what I can do.
I'm running Cromi-X right now and browsing no longer lags, I'm content.
Wondering what else I can do now.....
Lummers said:
So I have TWRP installed, man all I can say is that it is night and day in the steps of setup.
So much easier and direct.
I've downloaded goomanager I'm taking a look at it now and seeing what I can do.
I'm running Cromi-X right now and browsing no longer lags, I'm content.
Wondering what else I can do now.....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Something I'd highly recommend:
check the app privacy rules and remove all the permissions most apps shouldn't have i.e using your location, reading SD or contact lists
personally I have also overclocked my tablet it is running at 1.5 ghz now could go as far as 1.7 but I am very happy with the performance so far
another cool thing most custom roms provide is the ability to customize your lock screen.

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