Database Users

[Q] What do you think of the Transformer?

So I was just wondering what is the overall feeling about this tablet? I'm thinking about getting it and i was just wondering if everyone likes it or if its 50/50 or what?

I've owned the Galaxy Tab 10.1, Acer Iconia, Motorola Xoom, and the Transformer. I can say that the Transformer is the best tablet for the money on the market. It's not as sexy as the Galaxy, but it's more functional, far more flexible, and a hell of a lot cheaper.

Always hard to get objective views on a product specific forum.
I'm in a love/hate relationship with it at the moment. I love the form factor and the functionality. I hate the lack of tablet optimized apps/games and the awful build quality.
To me, it feels like a beta product. This isn't a bad thing per-se as I like to tinker.

I like mine a lot, and its definatley the best bang for your buck Honeycomb tablet out there right now. Although I do wish it had the form factor / looks of the Galaxy 10.1, the HDMI out and Micro SD card slot are oh so nice to have, especially for $100 less
The build quality and lightbleed issues are the only downsides to the tablet in my opinion. I got one with a few creaks in the back and some light bleed, but I just look past it. Its not enough for me to sell or go through ASUS to replace it. Still works great for me. Also, not all of the tablets have this, and Im hoping the newer builds have been fixed.
If your thinking about getting one, I would definatley consider it. Great tablet and a great price right now.
Other big plus is that Asus is really quick at getting the Honeycomb updates out. We've got Honeycomb 3.2 already which is great.

rilot said:
Always hard to get objective views on a product specific forum.
I'm in a love/hate relationship with it at the moment. I love the form factor and the functionality. I hate the lack of tablet optimized apps/games and the awful build quality.
To me, it feels like a beta product. This isn't a bad thing per-se as I like to tinker.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I definitely feel like im a beta tester, but I dont really consider it a bad thing. I enjoy using new equipment and working out kinks. Just wish i didnt have to pay so much for it . That being said, a lot of the kinks are worked out now from my experience.
Keyboard lag is gone. Havnt had a sleep of death since the first update. Everythings running a lot smoother with the last firmware update.
Its replaced my laptop in class more or less completely. I use evernote and ezpdf to take notes and its wonderful.

do you use any of the attachments?

I got a Transformer and didn't regret, that I bought it. I got it without dock, because I only wanted a nice tablet ... for everything else I have an i7 notebook with 6 GB RAM.
If I can recommend it? Maybe ... depends on what you want to do with it.
Regarding quality control ... it's the fortune of the early adopter nowadays to be a beta tester. Example: I also got me a Galaxy S2 and though I'm very happy with it, the S2 forum here at XDA is full of complaints about QC.

jnad32 said:
do you use any of the attachments?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The keyboard is the big attachment and its really the selling point of the tablet. If you anticipate ever using it then the TF is the way to go, if you dont anticipate ever using it then you could be happy with the Samsung, albeit with no SD card and costing a lot more.
The TF has a great screen, its flexible and its cheap. Its not built as well as an ipad (or the other android tablets) but I havent had any functional issues with its built, its not like its breaking on me. Its just you can feel the difference in the "tightness" between the two.
Being said I ended up buying a second for the girlfriend, tired of her constantly using mine.

I got mine in the first batch to come out- from TD. I have had no real issues accept a tiny light bleed- build quality is great for mine. no creaking etc.
It has done everything i ask of it and thrown at it. I use mine for about 70% work related with notes at meeting, signatures on contracts, email, polaris app etc. Even skype calling..
Constantly listening to music watching movies etc. Never had any issues with Battery usage.
I think it has gotten better with each update. Yes little bugs here and there after an update ut usually fixed or have work around within 24 hours. That stuff doesnt bother me.
I never got the keyboard because i felt it was an option that i would never really use so i invested in a nice case- ( PDAIR ) I love the concept of the keyboard but just wasn;t going to use itand did no need the extra bulk.
For me never needed to root it yet (maybe down the road ) but for now it is great as stock.
Last thing i will say is there have been alot of new choices out since i have bought it... yes they might have had a thing or 2 that the TF did not have but i never have second guessed my choice.
Good luck.

Well you get 16hrs of battery life with the dock. No other tablet has this kind of a feature at this price point.
The screen quality and responsiveness is in the top quartile of tablets released so far.
I am pretty happy with my purchase. 10x better build quality than the Archos 101 I purchased earlier!

I absolutely love my TF, probably best 399$ I have ever spent on gadget, mine also comes with some light bleed, other than that, build quality is great. Have 2 Ipad2 in the house and they both have worst light bleed.
Would I suggest this tablet to a friend over other Android tablet? Yes, best tablet in the market IMO.
Over an Ipad2? Probably not unless someone familiar with Android and a geek just like me...

tonyz3 said:
I got mine in the first batch to come out- from TD. I have had no real issues accept a tiny light bleed- build quality is great for mine. no creaking etc.
It has done everything i ask of it and thrown at it. I use mine for about 70% work related with notes at meeting, signatures on contracts, email, polaris app etc. Even skype calling..
Constantly listening to music watching movies etc. Never had any issues with Battery usage.
I think it has gotten better with each update. Yes little bugs here and there after an update ut usually fixed or have work around within 24 hours. That stuff doesnt bother me.
I never got the keyboard because i felt it was an option that i would never really use so i invested in a nice case- ( PDAIR ) I love the concept of the keyboard but just wasn;t going to use itand did no need the extra bulk.
For me never needed to root it yet (maybe down the road ) but for now it is great as stock.
Last thing i will say is there have been alot of new choices out since i have bought it... yes they might have had a thing or 2 that the TF did not have but i never have second guessed my choice.
Good luck.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So my question to you is my boss has an ipad that we use for our invoices and paper work to get people to sign off on pdf files and what not. Does android have an app that lets you do that? And overall how good is it for work?

I got my U.S. Transformer a few weeks ago, and I enjoy using it very much:
With my PC, most of the time is spent going on the Web, so on the Transformer I just set up bookmarks for my most frequently visited sites in both the stock browser and the Dolphin for Pad (downloaded from the Market) browser and that takes care of my usual browsing needs. Email is now handled through the stock Gmail app, so again most of that can be done on the Transformer side.
For music, I've started using Google Music to upload my stuff, so I can just stream down to my Transformer through WiFi. For videos, I had already encoded a lot of stuff to MP4 format using Handbrake to play on my phone. But with ES File Explorer installed on my Transformer, I can now keep those MP4 files on my networked server and then stream them to the stock video player. This all works great and takes up no local storage.
Games that I had on my smartphone are all installed onto the Transformer and work fine. I've also found that classic game console emulators work quite well on the Transformer.
If I'm desperate to watch Hulu or Netflix (without any hacked or rooted methods), the MyCloud > My Desktop > SplashTop method works acceptably well.
Painting with SketchBook Pro is quite fun with this fantastic paid app, and I'm looking into various do-it-yourself stylus methods to enhance the experience.
I haven't had the need yet to use Polaris Office yet, but after reading user reviews, it looks to be a very capable Office app when compared with other non-free competitors, and I actually appreciate Asus for giving this for us.
The build quality, in my opinion, is quite nice. I don't have any LCD light bleed issues. The LCD itself is great with fantastic viewing angles. The built-in speakers are surprisingly loud. The touch screen is very responsive. And the textured plastic back panel keeps the whole unit lighter and gives it a nice feel.
The only negatives I have are:
Camera - absolutely terrible, especially when using indoor lighting. But I already know that the video and photo taking experience on almost all tablets is not good anyway, so I never expected much. I almost never use the stock camera app. I have Vignette installed on my Transformer for the heck of it, but this rarely gets used either. I leave picture taking to my digital camera and my smartphone.
Browser - for some sites, I get slowdowns with both the stock browser and Dolphin for Pad. With Android 3.1, I experienced quite a bit of force closings with the stock browser. It's improved with 3.2, but it still happens. I find it hard to believe that Google makes such a good browser as Chrome but has such a mediocre one for Honeycomb.
Linux support - the only thing I ask for is the simplicity of plugging my Transformer into my Linux PC and have access to its SD and MicroSD cards. But I have to jump through the hoop of running a few lines in Terminal just to get those drives mounted and unmounted. It's a pain, and I wish it was as easy as the Windows experience.
Since using my Transformer more and more, my smartphone has pretty much been relegated back to being just a phone which is fine. This morning I began charging my Sony Ericsson XPERIA X10 once it dropped to 1% battery power...and it had been running on that one full charge for 174-hours-33-minutes! I'll still use the phone for navigation and portable music after I get over the honeymoon period with the Transformer, but right now using my smart phone just isn't the same any more.
So since I've gotten the Transformer, I've made a conscious effort to reduce using my PC and my smartphone, and it's worked out great as a personal computing device. For a business environment, there might not be enough apps to support various needs just yet, but it'll get there, I'm sure. The Transformer is a very good bang-for-the-buck kind of device, and I have no regrets about having it.

Enjoy my tablet a great deal. I actually use it more than i thought i would. Im constantly looking for new apps that will make this into my swiss army knife.
I use splashtop a lot, and now added a Wake on Lan app which now has got me the bright idea to go out and purchase a home server...lol
build quality is definitely not the greatest. Personally, i dont think it compares to the newer tablets coming out. (build)
Dont own the keyboard. Im waiting for a good deal down the road when it drop to around $100. by then, i figure, ill give the TF to my wife (with a keyboard), and ill jump on to the newest tablet. (maybe TF2)
Im a first time android/tablet buyer and user, so i came with no expectations..
Ill know what to look for in my next purchase though.
(so, i guess im a beta tester)

jnad32 said:
So my question to you is my boss has an ipad that we use for our invoices and paper work to get people to sign off on pdf files and what not. Does android have an app that lets you do that? And overall how good is it for work?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There are applications that let you fill out and/or sign PDF files. Adobe also has an app that converts things to PDF. Ive used my TF to fill out forms and sign them multiple times.

jnad32 said:
So my question to you is my boss has an ipad that we use for our invoices and paper work to get people to sign off on pdf files and what not. Does android have an app that lets you do that? And overall how good is it for work?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There are alot of choices for this. I use Repligo PDF and love it.After i sign or client signs,on the TF I email it and looks just as clear as original.
https://market.android.com/details?id=com.cerience.reader.app&feature=search_result
worth the $4.99 investment,

Love mine, I'm confident I made the right choice. £400 for a tablet-only device is not a wise spend. £400 for a tablet AND a netbook IS thou...
Aside from the keyboard drain (which is being fixed under RMA as we speak), I have no issues whatsoever with my device, and overjoyed with it.

jnad32 said:
So my question to you is my boss has an ipad that we use for our invoices and paper work to get people to sign off on pdf files and what not. Does android have an app that lets you do that? And overall how good is it for work?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'd be very surprised if there is any app that iPad can do, that Android can't, as because of Android's open and less restrictive nature, you won't find missing apps, because "Apple don't like it, or Apple can't make money from it, or it cuts into Apple's buisness".

My TF is all good I have no problems with my tablet, maybe one of the lucky ones or just the fact that those few who have bad units choose to come to forums like this to seek advice and let everyone know how bad their unit is. With the dock it is an amazing bit of kit, I have tried the xoom, Acer and the Gtab, and unless you want form over function the TF is the best of the current bunch. As all the present android tablets running honeycomb are running the same os and internal spec. My own preference would be ports and functionality, screen, speed of updates and build quality. For me the TF ticks all the boxes.
Xoom, highintial price, lack of support and working ports, poor screen
Gtab, lack of ports, slow updates from Samsung.
I like the design of the TF especially when combined with the dock, equal to any high end net book, Asus have done a great job with amazing fore sight, it is original only the Gtab is thinner and that is purely because it is an I pad clone.
I would think the units with defects are no different to apple I pad or even the Gtab on a percentage basis, plenty of apple units go back to their stores.
With regards to being beta testers, we are with regards android for tablets, like we were back in the 90,s with win 3.11. My recommendation to anyone wanting a android tablet with the best all-round functionality at the best price, get the TF.

Had my TF about two weeks now, and am yet to have any issues with it. I love peoples reactions when I undock the screen though, it's brilliant.

Ben Williams' Note 8.0 experience thread

I thought I'd start a thread to talk about my research in to this tablet and the conclusions and decisions i have taken in choosing it, setting it up and the mods i choose to incorporate or leave out. Dont know if it will help other people in choosing to buy one of these or not or if it will help others into expanding the capabilities of their stock unit, but I appreciate the feedback I've been getting on the individual threads I've been looking at.
Why I chose the Note 8.0
Since tablets first started becoming mass market items, I always had a problem with the 10 inch format that is most popular. I myself own a 10 inch tablet (an ASUS Transformer) and while I enjoy using it at home, I find it too bulky to take out with me yet too small to replace my laptop for any serious tasks. Having played with many tablets in stores over the years I soon decided that the 8-9inch form factor was one that was most ideal. 7inches was too small and too close to a mobile phone for my liking. Going up 1 inch adds about 25% more screen real estate and this is significant for me. Saying that, I never found a tablet in that size range that was up to standard in terms of tech spec. They always seems over priced, underpowered or were missing an important feature for my liking. The original note phone came out. I loved the idea and benefit that the spen brought to the table but thought it was too small to be useful for any serious input.
On an average day I will carry a camera, my phone, a note pad, my 10 inch tablet and sometimes a sketchbook as well. While I feel the 8.0 is a little overpriced (not alot overpriced like many reviews seem to lable it) the benefit of the spen allows me to ditch the notepad and sketchbook as well as the 10 inch tablet. This is huge for me as although the other items arent heavy, a whole day carrying my bag can start to take its toll on my shoulder.
Initial thoughts
My tablet arrived in my hands late last night so I havent had much time to spend with it. I love the responsiveness of the spen although I'm not used to the pressure sensitivity of it yet for drawing applications.
I'm a little overwhelmed by the additional apps, functions and settings added to the OS by Samsung at the moment. There seems to be a lot to go through and at least a few things that I have no use of. After I've spent a few days with it, I will talk about what I have enabled and disabled and why but in the mean time I expect to start at least one thread asking a few questions.
Waiting on my microSD card to arrive before I attempt to root it.
A few days in
Rooted the tablet using the method in the link in the mods section bellow. The process was smooth although I no longer am able to access Readers Huib as it displays "Rooting detected"
Installed SetCPU, Trickster, Greenify and FolderMount.
Installed 18GB of games with the assistance of my 64GB microSD and FolderMount.
Set 2 underclocking profiles using setCPU (screen off and battery <= 15%). Dont think ill overclock (at least not at the moment anyway) as everything seems to be running smooth as it is.
Set a few apps to hibernate with Greenify but will build up the list as i notice more apps unncessarily running in the background.
Not really sure if ill get much use out of Trickster yet.
Not had any issues with battery life, but I tend to disable anything I dont need at the time. went the whole weekend with out needing to charge with my current set up and regular use.
Will put up pictures to show my set up when I'm next home and remember (I mostly use forums at work...).
A few weeks in
Had a bit of an extended play now and can report back some more information. I havent used it for drawing as much as I had intended so far as i've been getting carried away with the amount of games that I can store on the device. The overall experience has been extremely positive. I have found that ive not really used the "S series" apps at all. I have S calendar on there but think i preffer google callender. I've been using Awesome note to take most of my notes although I havent figured out how to sync it with evernote yet. Thats the main reason I'm using that app. Im using LayerPaint as my main drawing app. So im only using S note when Im really in a hurry and need to jot something down.
For gaming I'm finding it a pleasure to use. The screen is extremely responsive and i have had little in the way of stuttering issues. The one thing I will say is that a section of the screen gets uncomfortably warm when playing a CPU/GPU intensive game. The CPU shows a temp of 40 degrees but the screen feels warmer than that making me think it may be the GPU thats getting hot. I've not had the chance to explore this further, but it is putting my off wanting to overclock them.
The GPS signal is great and im finding having an 8 inch satnav (with navfree) a really good companion in the car. The battery life is draining about about 20% per hour as a rough estimate through my initial tests with it. volume 60%. screen 60%. GPS on. All other conections off. Power saving mode enabled (not sure this makes much difference for me. Set CPU locks the CPU at my preffered settings, so this is just reducing the refresh rate and lowing the brightness slightly).
A month in
Switched from setCPU to TricksterMod. Although you cant set up specific scenarios with it, there are guvernors that do what I intended with scenarios anyway (luzactiveQ limits the CPU when the screen is off). I overclocked and undervolted both the GPU and CPU and have been pretty stable on my current settings (in the summary section bellow). It seems to be running cooler now as well and I'm no longer getting a hot patch on the left hand side of the screen. Got a new case based on the recomendations on this forum and a few more apps. Art Flow - recommend, although I'm still stuck on LayerPaint. Reviewing a few art reference apps I noticed on FaeMinx's post your homescreen post.
Accessories
Case
I decided to try a cheap case to start me off. Reported issues with magnetized cases on older notes has me spooked (see this thread http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2288809). I liked the idea of the "Hidden Note" (http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2254176) but I think its a little overkill for me.
I'm starting off with this http://www.amazon.co.uk/Mulbess-Lea...TF8&colid=2SV9ALFBCBWRE&coliid=I21F5LS9DX0EES cheap and cheerful, plus the slight lip on the bezel it has will help prevent me accidentally triggering the capacitve buttons on the bottom of the tablet while holding it in landscape. This seems to be working. There are magnets in place to hold it closed. Im not sure how I feel about this...
Now got the Poetic Revolution case. Its a little pricey but not compared to the official one, but it does everything i wanted in a case. http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2311243
Additional Spen
Bought the 8pi pen a few weeks ago once I had decided I wanted a note. It works very well with the tablet from my initial tests. I plan on doing a lot of digital art on this device.
Want to get a few days of usage under my belt before I decide if I want to do this or not though http://phandroid.com/2012/12/05/how-to-adjust-s-pen/ (adjust spen sensitivity)
microSD card
Due to the small amount of internal storage i decided a large microSD card is a must and will use an app or combination of apps to either move apps or app data onto it to allow me to install more than would otherwise be avialable. Ordered a Scandisk 64GB class 10 card.
Screen Protector.
Currently undecided whether I will use one or not. The case I have should keep the screen protected in transit and I cant see myself doing any damage to it with the sylus. The Revolution comes with a screen protector built in. If it starts to annoy me, I'll just pop it out.
Car Mount.
As this device has GPS I figure I'll take full advantage and use it as my Satnav (Nav Free) / in car entertainment system. http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00BXFLYTW/ref=oh_details_o06_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Mods
Root - A must for me to be able to take advantage of the microSD card. used this method http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2251033 was a smooth process.
ROM - undecided. waiting to try out touchwiz to see if I like its features and to see what I can disable / uninstall if necesary to boost performance if i find a feature of no benefit
Kernel - Flashed Civs kernal. http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2272917 Really pleased with it. allowed me to both undervolt and overclock the CPU and GPU and not had any performance issues.
CPU
100 - 1704
lulzactiveq (a modified interactive but also with the benefit of limiting the cpu when the screen is off). also set ignore_nice_load to 1. so that nice to have processes are now no longer run. only the higher priority ones are.
row
uv -75
GPU settings on
160 - 837500
350 - 912500
440 - 962500
533 - 1025000
1 up - 90
2 down - 41
2 up - 90
3 down - 70
3 up - 90
4 down - 73
System Apps
Trickster - Was using setCPU but foudn the additional functionality of Trickster to be useful. Specificy with the GPU tweeks.
FolderMount - I dont want to swap the internal and external memory as I plan on still being able to hot swap SD cards if I wish to review some of the photos I've take. I hope that by only moving the app data and not the app itself, I should have no issues doing this.
Auto Airoplane Mode - switches all connections off when the screen is off
Greenify - identify apps that open in the background looking for updates and dissabling that ability in order to preserve battery. I only want some apps to update if I open them.
Other Useful Apps
Titanium Backup
ES File Explorer
DiskUsage - true view of storage space in a easily understood layout. Helps identify wasted space and erase unused files.
Apps for use with Stylus (creative)
Sketchbook Pro - still learning how to use this
LayerPaint - simple lay out, but powerful tool. My favourite at the moment. The fadein/out pen is especially good for line art.
ArtFlow - relatively new app, but good support and growing features.
Lecture Notes - Better than S Note according to sources on here. Not tried it yet
Art reference tools
Handy
Pose Tool
All comments, feedback and suggestions welcome. I've had some great feed back so far on here but would like to have my entire set up in one thread so that people can make advice for me in complete context. Any performace enhancing or battery saving tips appreciated.
Special thanks to @FaeMinx for your general art app help and discussion and @civato for your general support to the comunity. Others have been helpful as well and hopefully I've clicked thanks where appropriate, but these two have been particularly helpful to me.

thank you
Thank you for your comprehensive note.
Please report here any eventual experience with an alternative ROM.
I'm not a Note 8 owner yet, waiting for a 32GB 3G version.
hertsjoatmon said:
I thought I'd start a thread to talk about my research in to this tablet and the conclusions and decisions i have taken in choosing it, setting it up and the mods i choose to incorporate or leave out. Dont know if it will help other people in choosing to buy one of these or not or if it will help others into expanding the capabilities of their stock unit, but I appreciate the feedback I've been getting on the individual threads I've been looking at.
Why I chose the Note 8.0
Since tablets first started becoming mass market items, I always had a problem with the 10 inch format that is most popular. I myself own a 10 inch tablet (an ASUS Transformer) and while I enjoy using it at home, I find it too bulky to take out with me yet too small to replace my laptop for any serious tasks. Having played with many tablets in stores over the years I soon decided that the 8-9inch form factor was one that was most ideal. 7inches was too small and too close to a mobile phone for my liking. Going up 1 inch adds about 25% more screen real estate and this is significant for me. Saying that, I never found a tablet in that size range that was up to standard in terms of tech spec. They always seems over priced, underpowered or were missing an important feature for my liking. The original note phone came out. I loved the idea and benefit that the spen brought to the table but thought it was too small to be useful for any serious input.
On an average day I will carry a camera, my phone, a note pad, my 10 inch tablet and sometimes a sketchbook as well. While I feel the 8.0 is a little overpriced (not alot overpriced like many reviews seem to lable it) the benefit of the spen allows me to ditch the notepad and sketchbook as well as the 10 inch tablet. This is huge for me as although the other items arent heavy, a whole day carrying my bag can start to take its toll on my shoulder.
So. Here I am, about to receive my new tablet this weekend and very excited to do so. I would have bought one sooner, but I was waiting for news of a higher capacity device but according to Samsung Westfield and Samsung Customer Support that is unlikely to arrive anytime soon.
Accessories
Case
I decided to try a cheap case to start me off. Reported issues with magnetized cases on older notes has me spooked (see this thread http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2288809). I liked the idea of the "Hidden Note" (http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2254176) but I think its a little overkill for me.
I'm starting off with this http://www.amazon.co.uk/Mulbess-Lea...TF8&colid=2SV9ALFBCBWRE&coliid=I21F5LS9DX0EES cheap and cheerful, plus im hoping the slight lip on the bezel it has will help prevent me accidentally triggering the capacitve buttons on the bottom of the tablet while holding it in landscape. Will report back my experience.
Additional Spen
Bought the 8pi pen a few weeks ago once I had decided I wanted a note. I tried it will my girlfriends original note and it felt nice in my hands. I plan on doing a lot of digital art on this device.
microSD card
Due to the small amount of internal storage i decided a large microSD card is a must and will use an app or combination of apps to either move apps or app data onto it to allow me to install more than would otherwise be avialable. Ordered a Scandisk 64GB class 10 card.
Screen Protector.
Currently undecided whether I will use one or not. The case I have should keep the screen protected in transit and I cant see myself doing any damage to it with the sylus.
Car Mount.
As this device has GPS I figure I'll take full advantage and use it as my Satnav (Nav Free) / in car entertainment system.
Mods
Root - A must for me to be able to take advantage of the microSD card
ROM - undecided. waiting to try out touchwiz to see if I like its features and to see what I can disable / uninstall if necesary to boost performance if i find a feature of no benefit (Peel Remote?, Multi-Windows?, spen on pull ou?t, touchdown push?)
Kernel - Will be flashing a custom kernel. I plan on overclocking the CPU slightly but will also be looking to do the same with the GPU as if it is like the S3 it can be pushed a little harder with out upping the voltage.
System Apps
SetCPU - will overclock slightly but also set it to underclock when the battery is getting low and when the screen is off.
FolderMount or link2SD - I dont want to swap the internal and external memory as I plan on still being able to hot swap SD cards if I wish to review some of the photos I've take. I hope that by only moving the app data and not the app itself, I should have no issues doing this.
That will do for now. I better get back to work. Been typing this for a while now. Will talk about about what theming I plan on doing and some of the other apps I intend on using. Wont bother talking about games or anything like that though.
All comments, feedback and suggestions welcome. I've had some great feed back so far on here but would like to have my entire set up in one thread so that people can make advice for me in complete context. Any performace enhancing or battery saving tips appreciated.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

lautunno said:
I'm not a Note 8 owner yet, waiting for a 32GB 3G version.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You may be waiting a while... As I stated in my post, according to both the official store and the online customer service there is no current planned release date for a 32gb model (at least not here in the UK). They say that the demand isnt there (which is a joke in my opinion). Having been told this I decided to go down the "transfer app data to microSD" route.

Honestly, peel is useful to me solely for turning on the television. It's painfully slow to send commands like channel selection to the set.
Multiwindow is very valuable. Comparing things to instructions (ie, have root explorer and a browser open simultaneously to look at files; have a browser and a terminal emulator open simultaneously to read commands in the browser and issue them correctly without swapping between apps.)
I don't know if the multiwindow app in Play supports non-touchwiz roms, but at this point the alternate roms are still touchwiz based, afaik.
Civato has a kernel with underclock, undervolt and overclock support. The recommended app for working with it is trickster, and folks are getting good results.
So far the s-pen handwriting recognition has been disappointing to me. I used some of my 25 dollar Play credit to buy My Script Notes Mobile.
Using it basically requires disabling the use of the GPU for 2d rendering at this time. That's too bad, because doing so does have some impact on overall performance at least in benchmarks. I'm undecided on whether it's also a real issue in use (just learned of the fix last night) and the handwriting recognition is very good.

roustabout said:
So far the s-pen handwriting recognition has been disappointing to me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Really?
I found the handwriting recognition to be amazing... Perhaps I'm just lucky, but my messy inconsistent poorly formed chicken scratch gets recognised perfectly every time... I was actually surprised because I thought I would have to learn to write carefully and slowly to make use of this feature.
I'm thrilled I can whip out the S Pen and scrawl across the screen at speed and the device just understands... Hell, even I can't make out my letters sometimes.

@herts,
Thanks for liking the Hidden Note 8 concept. I'm designing the 3rd version of it with an integrated micro USB wired 3mm thick keyboard. The TPU protected Note 8 and the keyboard would be housed in a 16mm thick notebook.
Yup, it's overkill but it works for some people. More on that thread one i finish making it.
I've been trying to use Directory Bind so that large data would be on the external card and "ghosted" on to the main device memory when the app is used. Initially it works, but then the links disappear on a restart. This was successful with my Note 2, where the direct-wifi file transfers go directly onto my large capacity micro SD card.
Sent from my GT-N7100 using XDA Premium HD app

Finally got my Note 8.0 last night (a week later than planned) and will add my initial thoughts to the OP.
Basically its that I love the tablet but am a little overwhelmed at the additional features and applications added by Samsung. Need to get comfortable with them and remove those which I dont use. As a fan of efficiency, even if i only get a few extra minutes of battery life or a few extra mb free, ill still get rid of functionality I wont make use of...

FaeMinx said:
Really?
I found the handwriting recognition to be amazing... Perhaps I'm just lucky, but my messy inconsistent poorly formed chicken scratch gets recognised perfectly every time... I was actually surprised because I thought I would have to learn to write carefully and slowly to make use of this feature.
I'm thrilled I can whip out the S Pen and scrawl across the screen at speed and the device just understands... Hell, even I can't make out my letters sometimes.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Me too, unfortunately the default settings aren't necessatily the best.
HasC in the note 10.1 Tips and Tricks thread has a great video on setting up recognition which is applicable for the note 8:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=30747569

Do you find the 8PI accurate? I use another pen and found it okay by two pixels at a perpendicular angle and at a slant is of by as many as five MM.
Sent from my GT-N5110 using XDA Premium HD app

Bonisaur said:
Do you find the 8PI accurate? I use another pen and found it okay by two pixels at a perpendicular angle and at a slant is of by as many as five MM.
Sent from my GT-N5110 using XDA Premium HD app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've had no issues with it with the initial test sketches I've been doing with it.
I have found I leave the battery saving option in the spen settings on as I am a bit OCD about saving battery. It means I have to pull the supplied spen out a small amount when I want to use the 8pi, but I have no issues in doing this.
I read alot about the pens being slightly off, I even started a thread about it in the Q&A section of this forum, but I'm finding it to be very accurate with this device, even when using it at an angle.
There doesnt seem to be a left handed or right handed option in this tablet which makes me thing that an offset with an older Note may be purposely put there to account for people holding a pen at an angle. What ever orentation I'm using the tablet in, the pointer on the screen seems to be at the tip of the nib, so I am happy.

Added some more comments to the OP about my experience having had the tablet a few days now. added a link to the root tool i used. and a few extra comments on some of the apps i am using.

Some screen shots of my desktop area and settings...

added a but more of my experience having had the tablet a week or 2 now.

My stylus is pretty much perfect. I dont know with the others but mine is fine. Maybe because my hand are not shaky? hahaha.

alicepattinson said:
My stylus is pretty much perfect. I dont know with the others but mine is fine. Maybe because my hand are not shaky? hahaha.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Shaky hands? Are you refering to the person who was complaining about the handwriting recognition? I've had no issues with both the supplied stylus or the 8pi. Both are working fantastically and I preffer the handwriting input to the keyboard when inputting text and even better with the drawing applications I've tried so far.

Added further experience. switched from set CPU to Trickster Mod and included my current settings. Got a new case and few new apps.
Not decided whether I will condence my experience progress into one section with my final result or leave it as it is showing how I came to the conclusions I have...

My Review of the Galaxy Note 10.1 (2014 Edition)

I purchased the Galaxy Note 10.1 (2014 Edition) from amazon two weeks ago with overnight shipping. I received it the next day and was impressed by the build quality, except, the right side speaker is slightly loose. I did not notice it was loose until I read another post here saying they had a loose speaker and many others started to find out that theirs was too. Other than that, everyone was perfectly constructed.
When I turned it on for the first time everything was fast and fluid, even with Samsung's TouchWiz and all the other bloaty widgets and apps they come with. I have to say, Samsung can really make a polished piece of hardware, but that is where they should stop, unless they are going to invest a much larger amount of energy in to developing their software platforms. I have the Galaxy S4 as my phone, and now the Galaxy Note 10.1 Tablet, and I always love everything about the Samsung products except for almost 100% of the software they develop... but I will get in to that a little later.
One of the big reasons that I chose this over other Samsung tablets to be my first tablet since I got an Archos Internet Tablet (in 2008 or 9 ), well besides the obviously beastly processor and RAM, was because it had the physical button on the frame and a software digital button. I know a lot of users here and elsewhere hate the physical button, but I don't understand why when you are just wasting space on your screen when the frame of your device would have been actual wasted space without the button. I've used the Galaxy Tab 2 10inch and one of my biggest annoyances was the on-screen buttons because I use the app Splashtop to remotely control my PC, and those damn software navigation buttons always got in the way.
Anyways, on to other things, this thing is fast and powerful. 20-25 apps running in the background and no slow down of any noticeable amount. After a few days though, TouchWiz started lagging tremendously whether there were any apps running or not. Now I've replaced the stock TouchWiz with Nova Launcher Prime, and the Lock Screen with WidgetLocker, and never have I seen any lag on this device since. Plays large, HD quality games like FIFA 14 perfectly.
The S-Pen is actually really cool and I'm a fanatic about productivity and some of the features related to the S-Pen are really great when trying to be productive. It has a feature that lets you scrap book any video, image, text, area of the screen, etc. that I use often to research certain topics and bring them together. Action memo allows me to write down an address that someone is telling me over the phone, then circle it with S-Pen and it will pull up gMaps to direct me there automatically. It was a little strange getting used to writing on a tablet though but now it feels as fluid as if I were writing with a real pen.
I have to say something about the graphical quality of the screen though. It is beautiful, and I have not seen a better quality screen for such a device ever before. The resolution is higher than my Desktop PCs and it definitely shows. It is definitely better than even the iPad Air that I went to check out a couple days ago. Apparently this factor alone is the reason that this Dual-Quad-Core tablet requires that much processor, but that's fine with me.
The Note came with a host of perks such as a $25 Google Play gift card, a $50 Samsung Hub credit, Hulu+, Newsweek, premium "wifi hotspot" membership for 18 months and more that I won't every use. This brings me back to my biggest downfall with Samsung though. They give me $50 to spend on the Samsung Hub (Their version of the Play Store) and when I go there, everything is either junk, already pre-installed on my device, or just something I'm not interested in. I really wanted to use the Samsung Credit to buy some Tech E-Books through their book store and use the Play Store credit for apps/games, but their store only has about 25 tech-related books! So when I decide I won't be buying any books there and try to get some apps and games, half of the decent games worth buying take me directly to the Play Store instead. I feel like I may have this Samsung Credit for a while..
But getting less free stuff than I wanted is not going to detract even 1 star from this bad ass hog. Overall the thing is more powerful than any tablet in its price range, has the highest quality video capabilities, comes with a unique S-Pen that other tablets just don't have, and is a Droid!
:good: 4.5/5 is what my rating would have to be, because they have created a great tablet, and could have got a full 5/5 if they just polished and worked on their software platforms until completion.
Hopin to get KitKat Soon, came stock with 4.3. Thanks for reading.

Great Review
Awesome post mate.

Nice to read something positive.

Nice review
I must agree too , this is Samsungs most polished Tablet to date ..

ryancstl23 said:
I feel like I may have this Samsung Credit for a while..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nice review.
Unlike Google $25, Samsung $50 expires after 90 days. I myself haven't found a book or app worth spending this credit on.

There are some good documentaries in movies
Sent from my SCH-I605 using xda app-developers app

my opinion
.I'm using my note for 1 week now...
I've got the 16g wi fi version.
I ve got the 16 bec ause that was the only one available at the store and since there wo n't be any model available in my country soon and I was travelling in the US I, ve decided to buy this on with a 32g sd card.
So far everything is fine, stock configuration and beginning to do some customizations.
My previous tablet was the asus tf300 wich was stolen.
My first concearn was about the 16g of storage....Yes it's small but since I'm moving all available apps and files to sd card everything is working ok. Can't notice any difference between sd or internal apps running.
The s pen is awesome. the kind of thing that you just know you need it only after you get it. Much easier and accurate navigation through the tablet with it.
The multi screen function is also awesome. no need to exit one browser to see other one again....
The only thing that bothers me , and that's not a only Samsung fault, is the amout of pre installed apps.
I was waiting for the tf701 and the new nexus 10.....wich won't be available here either. ... Since both weren't available I've decided for the Samsung.
I'm a regular user, the main use is for reading aircraft manuals and articles and using some life easing and time saving apps...and so far I'm happy with my choice.the tablet is doing its job.
I read lots of reviews and comparisons and my conclusion is that when premium tablet is the concearn. ..regular every day users like me , any pick is a good pick.....Is pretty much like buying a premium sports car.... some will prefer Ferrari some lamborgini and others Porches but either one will be a great choice.

@luizfpg Nice review and also sounds like your a fellow Aircraft Engineer :good:

Geordie Affy said:
@luizfpg Nice review and also sounds like your a fellow Aircraft Engineer :good:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Pilot actually cheers. ...

luizfpg said:
Pilot actually cheers. ...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oh go away then

How long does the device last between charge? Can you share some lights on your usage too?

nit3hawk said:
How long does the device last between charge? Can you share some lights on your usage too?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's a point where I'm not very satisfied. I think that me battery drains faster than it shoud. I use the device basically with wi fi on all the time right now my battery is low but latter after charging I'll reply with time time availability shown with 100%.

I think the battery is one of the few areas of honest disappointment. I don't like Android devices that make you do a lot of discovery to find battery drain culprits, or hold a charge quite as well as you'd expect. That's one area where I blame the TouchWiz skin on this tablet.
You were right to highlight the screen, it's absolutely phenomenal. It's far better than my Nexus 10 which was something. It outclasses my iPad as well, it's not just clear it has beautiful color reproduction. It's a bit heavier than I expected after reviews, and my home button is sticky. Besides that it's well made.
It's funny though, I can't say without a doubt I'd recommend it to people if it weren't for the S-Pen usage. The SPen on this is incredible, it works better than you'd think if you have no experience with it. No lag, good software tied in with it, it's the real deal as far as having a virtual notebook. That's why I bought it and why I love it so far. Take that away and the TouchWiz skin seems so unnecessary in so many ways. As someone who uses a Note 3 everyday, this clearly isn't as fast or slick, but it has the real estate. Interesting device.

nit3hawk said:
How long does the device last between charge? Can you share some lights on your usage too?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't have an precise answer for that but I followed some of the advices from the battery saving thread and the battery is actually lasting longer.

luizfpg said:
I don't have an precise answer for that but I followed some of the advices from the battery saving thread and the battery is actually lasting longer.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have had mine for only a couple of days, and it's great except for the battery life. I also followed the advise on the battery saving thread, and seems to help.

nit3hawk said:
How long does the device last between charge? Can you share some lights on your usage too?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Battery life about 10 hours medium usage with full-brightness. I drain the battery pretty quick though playing games on it and watching hulu..
I feel like my friends older Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 gets better battery life, but then again he always has the brightness to a minimum. I always max the brightness because its just too good looking.
By the way another thing I love about this tablet vs the Galaxy Tabs is that it uses the standard android MicroUSB charger instead of a fat proprietary looking one that doesn't charge any of my other devices.

ddavtian said:
Nice review.
Unlike Google $25, Samsung $50 expires after 90 days. I myself haven't found a book or app worth spending this credit on.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I believe it can also be used on movies and music.

RootCID HDX Review

I wrote some remarks regarding this device in various places so ill condense them here for any users perusing the forums before making a choice.
My once sentence review: dont bother unless you want to watch video.
1. Design
Its great, though im not convinced by the buttons, both being on the back surface and being recessed - this clear design flaw is a mistake made by people who dont actually use tablets of this type, but do talk about them a lot in boardrooms. The lines and build are great, no creaks, no cracks, solid.
2. Firmware
Horrible unless youre a Prime user. The os was built for making maximum use of amazons services. As a result you get none of the nice things about android, but lots of nice pictures of your books. No wallpapers, adverts in the lockscreen (the ads cant be disabled outside the us, and the lockscreen itself cant be disabled anywhere).
No root means your browsing experience is going to be much affected by ads. For me a deal breaker. One of the few reasons to have root on a big screen tablet is getting rid of ads in your browser.
For amazon customers its a boon of course, as all their prime videos can be easily streamed on a very nice screen. But i have no need of that. Doesnt help much that prime video is not available at all outside the us, so unless your only travelling locally and watching these movies on the bus, its a waste of money.
3. Display
The display is gorgeous. Mine has excellent viewing angles, good colors and very little gradation. With the backlight at minimum, a slight shift to grey is noticeable along the portrait vertical. The backlight is weak however, partly because of the pixel density and the display technology (the crystals seem to absorb more light than usual in white mode) i find myself browsing indoors at around 65%.
The video processing is excellent, with sharp rendering of lower-than-native 1080p video playing perfectly at arms length or less. The display is one of the best ive seen. Certainly on a cheap device like this.
4. Battery
The battery life is generally good (on my wifi 8.9 device). Im getting 4 to 5 days use listening to 1 hour of podcasts, doing 1 hour of browsing (65% brightness) and 2 hours reading (20%) per day. Not bad for a large LCD display.
5. XDAness
There is currently no root method and its not likely one will come. Amazons bootloader is locked down, and at the moment of this writing there is no (realistic) way of preventing automatic updates, even with root. Device sales are low, judging by the recent price cuts and general availability, meaning that few are interested in taking up development. What happens remains to be seen, but personally im not optimistic.

Love my 8.9", it's quite responsive and functional. Have a Nexus 10 as well, which I think has a higher build quality, but the lightness of the Kindle Fire HDX is great, makes it much more comfortable for extended use.
The glossy bezel on the rear (where the speaker ports, camera, etc, reside) is my only complaint, as my fingers tend to find where the edge of the glossy bezel meets the rest of the tablet (most noticeable on the edge of the tablet just above the power button), which irks me.
The recessed buttons work fine for me, as they seem intended for someone holding the tablet for reading or watching, for which the recessed buttons are perfect.
I'm a US customer, so the Prime service is available and works great. The ability to store Prime videos offline for later viewing is nice. I also installed VUDU, Plex, Netflix, Hulu, of which I use Plex the most (esp w/ offline media sync), all work great. Excellent devices for media playback. Speakers are of surprising quality for a tablet, and have a good loudness without distortion.
I bought the 64gb variant, so it doesn't strike me as an inexpensive tablet for that reason, but still it was well worth the $$. Do wish we had root on the latest updates though. I don't care to change the interface, but I do want to get Play Store and other Google services installed (without errors) so I can make use of my standard Android application purchases...

I'm sick of Amazon-made gadgets. With absolute zero ability but only a large desire to match up Apple and to maintain a closed-eco system in an open android system. I call them crazy. Wish these things move away from any reach of sight asap. I believe they are the best company to sell a paper book and anything more to expect from them should not be deem realistic. Remember their boss is a book seller.

Kindle Fire HDX 7" Review
hewweii said:
I'm sick of Amazon-made gadgets. With absolute zero ability but only a large desire to match up Apple and to maintain a closed-eco system in an open android system. I call them crazy. Wish these things move away from any reach of sight asap. I believe they are the best company to sell a paper book and anything more to expect from them should not be deem realistic. Remember their boss is a book seller.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Kindle Fire HDX is perfect for work or play, with the fastest processor on a 7" tablet, the latest graphics engine, world-class Dolby audio, and a highly portable form factor.

ali770 said:
Kindle Fire HDX is perfect for work or play, with the fastest processor on a 7" tablet, the latest graphics engine, world-class Dolby audio, and a highly portable form factor.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Lol what are you a 1-post amazon bot? That sounds like you copied it right out of the press release...

Lol was thinking the same thing
Sent from my XT1058 using Tapatalk

murso74 said:
Lol was thinking the same thing
Sent from my XT1058 using Tapatalk[/QUOTE
Good point. The hardware is awesome. Fire os is tolerable but I want options, which we currently don't have. Someone will find a root soon
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

rootcid said:
Lol what are you a 1-post amazon bot? That sounds like you copied it right out of the press release...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, I copied that. What's wrong here?

A1) The edge buttons necessitates some sort of trim and flimsy buttons. I have phones like that... lost the trim pieces. I rather like the idea of back buttons. They are not always convenient, but why keep back a blank slate?
A2) There are no Amazon ads in browsing... Unless you're talking about AdBlocker / AdAway? Different problem. You can load Xposed module to block ads, you know.
And yes, there is root. There's just locked bootloader, and latest firmware had not been rooted, but previous version can be flashed... If you get it to ADB. And plenty of folks have contributed to create a dual use... I run BOTH Amazon and Google Play together.
A3) Display is lovely, yes.
A4) Battery life is okay. Just remember to close the cover / shut down the screen as games can prevent the game from timing out.
A5) Don't be so pessimistic.

kschang said:
A1) The edge buttons necessitates some sort of trim and flimsy buttons. I have phones like that... lost the trim pieces. I rather like the idea of back buttons. They are not always convenient, but why keep back a blank slate?
A2) There are no Amazon ads in browsing... Unless you're talking about AdBlocker / AdAway? Different problem. You can load Xposed module to block ads, you know.
And yes, there is root. There's just locked bootloader, and latest firmware had not been rooted, but previous version can be flashed... If you get it to ADB. And plenty of folks have contributed to create a dual use... I run BOTH Amazon and Google Play together.
A3) Display is lovely, yes.
A4) Battery life is okay. Just remember to close the cover / shut down the screen as games can prevent the game from timing out.
A5) Don't be so pessimistic.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Re the buttons - its just because people actually use tablets lying on tables a lot. Simply prevents the convenience of not picking it up. The unorthodox lack of a 1 min display timeout feature is also typical of boardroom discussions. Possibly in some sort of attempt at shaping content use? Or just for kicks?
Another thing thats become incredibly annoying is the lockscreen ads for mens products and other useless junk, opn a huge display i have to manually unlock. I never really noticed it till i had to reset my kidle and lose the old wallpaper add disabling by freeze of files. Its much worse than my original comments would indicate lol.

I don't know what you bought that brought ads for men's products. I only get ads about TV shows and movies.

kschang said:
I don't know what you bought that brought ads for men's products. I only get ads about TV shows and movies.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I got the cheap wifi version abroad. I dont have a us address, so im not eligible for the free ad removal service when residing abroad.
Amusingly only us residents, are allowed to remove ads from their kindles when abroad because, of course, people who bought their kindles without a us billing address are likely to buy us products available wherever they are).
Much as i respect the kindle path, i revile the legalism. Books at market price and ads? No way to pay $20 to get rid of them? There are millions all over the world who dont want to steal. Who buy the books. Sometimes more than once because they have three or more devices. And they must open their kindles as they lie in bed... to luxurious toilet paper with their night cap? No thanks. And imagine buying one of these for your kid outside the us, where theres no targeted ads.
A while back i used the help feature and tried to get it done. There was hassle with the management. They seemed to find it amusing. They seemed very nice about it. BTW - they can see your screen, so when you type in your password using most keyboards they will know what it is. Hmm, change it afterwards.
This is why i will never buy another android kindle. Screw them for screwing with me. Ive spent thousands of dollars on amazon. My account is like 10 years old. And ill keep my books. But ill stick to the app.

rootcid said:
I got the cheap wifi version abroad. I dont have a us address, so im not eligible for the free ad removal service when residing abroad.
Amusingly only us residents, are allowed to remove ads from their kindles when abroad because, of course, people who bought their kindles without a us billing address are likely to buy us products available wherever they are).
Much as i respect the kindle path, i revile the legalism. Books at market price and ads? No way to pay $20 to get rid of them? There are millions all over the world who dont want to steal. Who buy the books. Sometimes more than once because they have three or more devices. And they must open their kindles as they lie in bed... to luxurious toilet paper with their night cap? No thanks. And imagine buying one of these for your kid outside the us, where theres no targeted ads.
A while back i used the help feature and tried to get it done. There was hassle with the management. They seemed to find it amusing. They seemed very nice about it. BTW - they can see your screen, so when you type in your password using most keyboards they will know what it is. Hmm, change it afterwards.
This is why i will never buy another android kindle. Screw them for screwing with me. Ive spent thousands of dollars on amazon. My account is like 10 years old. And ill keep my books. But ill stick to the app.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I know you mentioned using the help feature to try and get it done, but I remember reading someone here who posted about living outside the US and having Amazon remove the ads by just calling them up. Maybe the help feature (I'm assuming you are referring to Mayday) is more tech support whereas the ads could be considered "Sales Support"? Try giving them a call if you haven't already done so. Since you have no option to pay for the removal, they may do it just by asking. Worth a shot.

icedtrip said:
I know you mentioned using the help feature to try and get it done, but I remember reading someone here who posted about living outside the US and having Amazon remove the ads by just calling them up. Maybe the help feature (I'm assuming you are referring to Mayday) is more tech support whereas the ads could be considered "Sales Support"? Try giving them a call if you haven't already done so. Since you have no option to pay for the removal, they may do it just by asking. Worth a shot.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I guess ill give it a shot, you might be right. But i was surprised when the mayday girl seemed to have no idea why she couldnt see the option to remove them.

Well, I knew exactly what the Kindles HDX was when I bought the 64Gb 8.9" version. I also PAID to have the ads removed, because that was clearly explained on the Amazon website I ordered it from & I have no desire or need to try & rob them of the $15 dollars I agreed was okay when deciding to purchase the device.
Granted, my device is rooted with the latest 2.3.2 framework & apps from the recent OTA (sorry, not releasing anything, no time for troubleshooting or fixing any more bricks right now), but even if it was not rooted, I'd still be okay with it. I am a prime member & Amazon services is EXACTLY what I purchased the thing for.
Frankly, I am nearly 100% certain the device is rootable & while people have lost root, this can be avoided without blocking anything or without sacrificing your data or wifi connection. Why isn't it rooted? Time & numbers. There are so many devices out there & the devs like jcase & beaups are going to spend their time focusing on the devices that generate the most requests, which is clearly not the Kindle family.
As for the build, it is not perfect, but it is preferential to the Nexus 10 for me. I hated the Nexus 10, it's horrible SoC & the terrible GPU. The HDX 8.9 just runs circles around the N10. I like the button placement, which is perfect for most people that use it for reading & watching videos while traveling. I do not ever watch anything with it laying flat on a table, nor does anyone else I know. The only thing that I think was a bit under-thought was the Oragami case, which will not work for volume or power with the device raised into the viewing position, where the speakers are elevated above the case, but that is why Amazon added a volume control to the AVOD app I guess.

One thing to consider is that the era of easy root for every Android device is over. For whatever reason, carriers and manufacturers think it's in their best interest to keep things locked down. It's still possible to root almost every device, but the effort required makes only the most popular devices worthwhile.
I bought my HDX knowing it's limitations but feeling that the hardware was so desirable that it would soon be rooted, and it was. I was one who thought I had updates blocked, but got my root access removed. After a while the limitations started bothering me. So I bought a Nexus 7 to compare. The only things I can't do on the Nexus that I can on the HDX is download videos for later viewing and the Kindle Lending Library. While nice to have, these aren't deal breakers.
The HDX hardware is clearly nicer than the Nexus, the screen, the form factor, even the button placement, but the usability for me is more important. I have since gifted my HDX to someone who loves the heck out of it and uses it as Amazon intended. I keep checking in here every once and a while to see the progress, and when root is achieved and I can easily put GAPPS on, along with some other functions, I will probably buy another one.

Will you be upgrading to the new Note Tablet (Chromebook)?

Hello Note Pro users! Around February 13th, Samsung will launch a new Chromebook that appears to be the successor to our now THREE YEAR OLD TABLET!.
Some of the noteable specs that I found worthwhile.
Amoled qHD Display 3:2 Ratio
2 Type C ports.
ARM OP1 Processor,
360 degree foldlable hinge.
AFAIK, One of the first few chromebooks to allegedly support the google play store!
And of course, the MOST important thing : An s pen.
These specs are hard to find in any laptop under 500$, none of which come with a stylus with palm rejection throughout the entire OS.
You can find more information here
Personally, while the battery life on my note pro 12.2 is the best across any device I have ever used (13 hours of SOT/3 Days without charge), performance has become horrible. I can't have more than 3 apps open simultaneously, opening each of those apps takes ages compared to my OnePlus3, and the screen flickers while the cpu is under high load.
I pre-ordered my chromebook through best buy, 488$ out the door, will you be purchasing the new version? Or will you be sticking with the note pro?

Looks OK. The internal memory is listed at 32GB while my Note Pro 12.2 tablet has 64GB. I still want a tablet that looks like this cromebook and costs like this one but does MS stuff without a hiccup. I have so many work related things that only work on a PC and not doable on this tablet. Maybe someday?

treetopsranch said:
Looks OK. The internal memory is listed at 32GB while my Note Pro 12.2 tablet has 64GB. I still want a tablet that looks like this cromebook and costs like this one but does MS stuff without a hiccup. I have so many work related things that only work on a PC and not doable on this tablet. Maybe someday?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's the thing that upset me as well..
32GB internal, probably only 23 will be made available to end user.
Not sure about the 3:2 ratio, I like 16:9 especially for taking notes and watching media..
I think this chromebook might perform pretty well with MS/Google apps. I haven't seen a fast chromebook yet, but I hope 2017 will change that.
when I get mine I'll definitely add some comments here.

It looks nice. I've never tried a Chromebook before. It would be better if it had 64gb or more and it came in black.

I had an Acer Chromebook with the Google Play store. No touchscreen but I got it to see how using Android apps would be. It was ok. Maybe it was my specific iteration (I was using the Beta channel) but it seemed like the Android apps were sandboxed. This meant I couldn't use something like, say, Fake GPS to mock location so that I can play Pokemon Go.
If you are thinking of getting the new Samsung Chromebooks, just know that the Android experience isn't as integrated as you'd think.

No, I am not going to make this change. I have a small 4 year old laptop with an SSD that works just fine when I need a full keyboard device, and for day to day work I just use my 12 inch IPAD pro... I use my Android 12.2 now for the cases where I need to use an android application that needs to use a MicroUSB port... such as my thermal scanner or my SDRs... I had the a note 7, which I miss dearly, and the USB C interface was just not compliant with the hardware devices I mentioned before...

MrWilsonxD said:
3:2 Ratio
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Absolutely bloody not.
Three reasons:
1) I use this thing for films and series 99% of the time. (I'm not bringing a 40" flatscreen on a train.) Have you tried a 16:9(default size) or 21:9(cinema release) film in a 3:2 window? Go on, try it. Let me know how much you like the big black bars on the top and bottom of your screen.
2) 80% of the world uses the A paper sizes. Not the square B sizes. A-paper is an almost exact match to 16:9. In 3:2 you have to scroll half the page.
3) All websites are designed in 16:9. NOT in 3:2. Half the website will be clipped off.
If I want something that only displays half my screen, I'll could just paste ductape onto my NotePro. Same result, hell of a lot cheaper.
Samsung is trying to be Apple again. Tsk, they still haven't learned.

ShadowLea said:
Absolutely bloody not.
Three reasons:
1) I use this thing for films and series 99% of the time. (I'm not bringing a 40" flatscreen on a train.) Have you tried a 16:9(default size) or 21:9(cinema release) film in a 3:2 window? Go on, try it. Let me know how much you like the big black bars on the top and bottom of your screen.
2) 80% of the world uses the A paper sizes. Not the square B sizes. A-paper is an almost exact match to 16:9. In 3:2 you have to scroll half the page.
3) All websites are designed in 16:9. NOT in 3:2. Half the website will be clipped off.
If I want something that only displays half my screen, I'll could just paste ductape onto my NotePro. Same result, hell of a lot cheaper.
Samsung is trying to be Apple again. Tsk, they still haven't learned.
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I see! You bring up some good points! I have, I had a Samsung 9.7 with the 4 3 ratio, and I loved the in hand feel of it. especially when I was taking notes in class. Squid has infinity zoom, so the aspect ratios for note taking don't bother me. ? (I returned the tablet because I think it had 720P resolution, that screen was awful!! I could see pixelation in pen strokes in s note!)
Movies, I'll have to get back to you on that one! I'm looking forward to seeing things on a larger oled display! I LOVE the size of our screen, but I'm not fond of the ips in this screen.
I thought most websites would simply reflow? They do this with most mobile browsers don't they?
Thanks for your response, it brought good points to light. ☺

No thanks. Look goods, but not worth the money. I think I'll stick with my Note Pro 12.2. Plus, if you try to get MS Office on that, chances are, it'll ask you for a email that has a Office365 subscriptions for it in order to use it.

Due to Samsung's abandonment of the still very capable Note 12.2 tablet they can go screw themselves, so no, I will not be buying the chrome book.

I'll take a look at it when it comes out. Right now I'm very satisfied with my Note Pro running Nougat. That operating system has improved the performance 2 fold. I do like new and shiny things, but this one will have to stand up to my Note Pro.

Chrome is one of those "Hmm... interesting.... but why?" things. Still... Hmm... Interesting.
Here's why I probably won't switch.
First, I *really* like the Note Pro 12.2. I bought mine for under 300 bucks used, and it has served me on a nearly daily basis as email reader / web reader / ebook reader (1000s of title on a handy 128g ext microsd card). Beautiful resolution. Touch screen. And Android.... which despite a few drawbacks, is also endlessly intriguing (yes I rooted my Note 12.2 and run Nougat currently). Did I mention how much I like being able to back the entire thing up in just a few minutes to my ext micro using TWRP? And battery life... even after all this time using it... is great!
Second, I'd have to find a reason to switch. And as one other commenter noted, Samsung's total abandonment of this tablet doesn't lead me to quickly invest in another tablet they make.... because won't they abandon the new one, too, if they don't like sales? If Samsung pledged to update their devices for a longer period of time, it would be more likely I'd (eventually) make the move. Instead, I'd be most likely to save up and buy a Pixel.
Third.... oh, I guess I mentioned that I really *really* like my Note Pro 12.2....

Are you kidding me? A chrome book? To replace the note pro 12.2? Are you kidding me? Did the world suddenly go insane? Did Samsung lose its mind after the last tablet that went with windows 10? And from that debacle, ...they went to chrome? I guess the cleaning dude is running that department now.
Jesus Samsung, you have truly lost your way.

NO:
I want a true tablet!
If i need that form-factor with touch and keyboard, I get a 13 inch Dell XPS ultrabook (i currently own the 15 inch XPS)
I either want a true mobile OS like Android, OR a desktop OS like windows/osx/*nix
I hate ChromeOS. and other power user hate it too, especially the modding scene
Android Apps integration is sandboxed, so forget using for example a Mock-Location android app for the whole device
4:3, are we going back in time? This is primarily a work and note-taking app: I want A4 styled sheets, and I will read Books and PDFs in A4 / A5 / A6 style to annotate them with the S-Pen, this is bull**** on 4:3 and only makes sense on 16:9 or more
The stylus doesn't come with the button on the side. Many functions lost!
Split-Screen (youtube teaching video + note taking app) is bull**** on 4:3

I received my chromebook plus Tuesday, and my goodness, it is fantastic! I like it more than the note pro in every aspect except battery life.
So here's why.
Pros:
The Display and the build quality are excellent! I really disliked watching videos on my note pro because the blacks were so washed out, while the CBP does not have as good a screen as an amoled panel on a phone, it's still much better than the note pro.
This feels like a truly premium device. The hinges are extremely sturdy, and are not easily moved by accident. The screen has a great range, bright enough that I can see it under direct sunlight and dim enough so I can read my notes from class at night without burning out my eyeballs.
Android apps are integrated very well! You can even install apks onto the chromebook Out of all the apps I use, Mobizen screen recorder was the only one that does not work. But given that the whole chromebooks having android apps is a new concept, I'm not surprised by this, I expect it will be compatible sometime in the near future. Meanwhile, I use another screen recording app.
The speakers are actually better than the note pro, which shocked me. The CBP speakers are rear facing, but still, they sound better.
The 4:3 factor? I like it, there is more room on the screen without increasing the size of the device by a large margin. The difference in the total size is hardly noticeable, but the amount of that screen that is dedicated to display is awesome. As far as signing documents are concerned, the width of documents fit the screen regardless if I am using my note pro 12.2 or CBP, but with both devices I have to scroll down to get the entirety of the document on the screen. (Assuming you are on portrait. I almost always use my tablets in landscape.)
The speed of it leaves my Note Pro in the dust. Even when my note pro is overclocked. But not only is it faster, but the CBP is also smoother and far more responsive.
I definitely consider myself a power user when it comes to phones and tablets, up until meeting the latest version of chrome os. I became a power user because I was constantly using devices that I needed or wanted to: remove bloat that carriers/manufacturers installed against my permission, squeeze out more battery life (Via xposed, root, kernels, roms etc,) and to increase system stability. But with the cbp, it's just so simple. I just don't feel the need to do any of the power use activities on it. There's no bloat that you can't uninstall [AFAIK] and performance is fantastic. It's kind of refreshing to take something out the box, use it for a few days, and be satisfied in feeling "I don't need to put cyanogenmod on this device." or "OMG. I NEEDS XPOSED RIGHT NOW!!!" Now, those feelings are dedicated to my phones. Unlike all my Samsung/ZTE/UMI/OnePlus/Nexus devices that I have owned.
The 360 degree gives you way more options of using your device than any of the cases I have tried for the note pro 12.2. It's really nice when tutoring others.
Scrolling is soooper smooth, smooth as my oneplus 3. Smoother than my i7 low end gaming laptop! >__<
Battery life is confusing. With my note pro, I would get HUGE gains when I kept my device off wi-fi all the time, only using it for tutoring others at work in math and taking notes in my math classes. The CBP almost seems invariant in battery life if I am wi-fi or off it the majority of the day. Might be because it's brand new + different operating system, only time will tell, but I'm content to get a full day of use out of a device like this before a recharge. (Especially since I can charge my phone and tablet/laptop hybrid offspring with the same charger again. )
Cons: I'm scared to death to break/drop this thing xD I believe it would survive a fall better than my note pro would, but something about the CBP just makes me afraid to drop it. I've dropped my note pro once in the year and a half of owning it, so knock on wood.
I'm worried about scuffs to the bottom of device (the keyboard) because the keyboard is essentially a stand when it's flipped into quasi-tablet mode, I think over time I might pick up a few scrapes on it. It's lipped so the keys never touch the surface you've set it on, but like I said earlier, only time will tell. (Not particularly hopeful on that)
Button doesn't work. I'm using my full size s pen with eraser (from like 2012) and I can click this thing all I want but nothing happens. Luckily, squid lets you use your finger as a tool also, so I didn't lose much functionality as far as taking notes.
Overall thoughts: For the price and experience, I would definitely suggest giving this thing a look. Our tablet cost almost twice as much at release, was a version behind in android at that, and stopped receiving updates, what, a year later? I've read chromebooks have huge support windows, five years Not even nexus devices get supported that long. Given it's a different operating system, a direct comparison cannot be made, but it's still definitely something worth taking note. The fact that I can be writing notes in math in tablet mode, flip it to type an essay, and set it upside down to watch netflix movies is fantastic.
Any other thoughts I have I will add over time, but a lot of note pro owners have upgraded to this device and have posted some rave reviews on amazon, best buy, and in the chromebook forums. I would definitely giving this device a shot!

globalsearch said:
Are you kidding me? A chrome book? To replace the note pro 12.2? Are you kidding me? Did the world suddenly go insane? Did Samsung lose its mind after the last tablet that went with windows 10? And from that debacle, ...they went to chrome? I guess the cleaning dude is running that department now.
Jesus Samsung, you have truly lost your way.
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I think you should look at some of the reviews of it! A lot of people like it. And google handles the updates from what I understand, I would love more devices with samsung hardware and google software. An s7 edge or note 7 with stock android on it [and oneplus dash charge]? Take my money!!!!
I read they are also coming out with an s3 with an s pen in a 9.7screen, that's likely going to cost north of 800 dollars. If you like touchwiz and have the money to spend on a device I would recommend taking a look at that!

Can you use s-note on the CBP? I have a lot of work notes and I have found I only really enjoy using s-note because of the templates and convert to text function. I don't really like keep at all.

I picked up my Note PRO on release day and I've loved it dearly. It's starting to show its age, now, and I'm looking for an upgrade. The problem is...There hasn't been anything release in the past three years that is BETTER! This chromebook intrigues me, but I agree with other commenters that I just want a tablet.

Probably not unless my phone breaks.
Things I hate:
1. The resolution is worse
2. The aspect ratio is bad for media
3. Doesn't have built-in LTE/GPS

globalsearch said:
Are you kidding me? A chrome book? To replace the note pro 12.2? Are you kidding me? Did the world suddenly go insane? Did Samsung lose its mind after the last tablet that went with windows 10? And from that debacle, ...they went to chrome? I guess the cleaning dude is running that department now.
Jesus Samsung, you have truly lost your way.
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You do know that this Chromebook runs Android apps, right? Whatever the Note Pro does, this one can as well. So it's not a crazy comparison at all and it's understandable if some people consider it a successor of the Note Pro.
(I'm not saying that it is a great device, btw. And my answer to the question is: no. I'm sticking with my trusty Note Pro)