Glowlight Plus 7.8" 2019 - Nook Touch General

Apparently Barnes and Noble has a new Nook.
http://www.barnesandnobleinc.com/press-release/barnes-noble-introduces-new-nook-just-time-summer/
They are apparently (over)using the name "Nook Glowlight".
It's 7.8" and has 8GB storage and sells for $199.
The last I checked, 16GB microSDs cost about $3.
The main B&N website still doesn't have anything about this.
Supposedly it will be available online on Wednesday, May 29, 2019.
I'm not sure that I like either 7.8" or $199.

I'm not sure I will like the 7.8" screen yet, but I haven't read anything yet. I think I will like the new size for reading, but dislike it for portability... It really looks and feels exactly like a NG3 that took an extra dose of vitamins...
I do like the fact that the rooting procedure was exactly like the NG3, though! Up and running with alternate launcher, fixed boot animation, and of course Calibre Companion. Thanks for all your help on the previous models - it has carried over to this one quite nicely.
---------- Post added at 04:11 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:52 PM ----------
Also, saw your post on the other site - short of a teardown, is there any diagnostics, etc. that I can run on the thing to give you some tech details?
I will try to see if I can pair any BT devices to it tonight - I have a couple keyboards and a BT remote that I can try out...
I agree the 8gb is a ridiculous storage - esp. since they obviously have in mind at least audiobook capabilities with the new audio jack...

spedinfargo said:
Up and running with ...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wait a minute. You have one?
Could you please get me some info?
Code:
# cat /proc/cpuinfo [color=red]<-- copy/paste all the lines except don't paste your serial number!!![/color]
# cat /proc/meminfo [color=red]<-- we only need the first line[/color]
spedinfargo said:
short of a teardown...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You mean that everybody doesn't immediately do a teardown on their brand new device?

Renate NST said:
Wait a minute. You have one?
Could you please get me some info?
Code:
# cat /proc/cpuinfo [color=red]<-- copy/paste all the lines except don't paste your serial number!!![/color]
# cat /proc/meminfo [color=red]<-- we only need the first line[/color]
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I thought you'd never ask
Yeah, I was going to pick it up last night (friend works at BN) but had to wait until noon today. They are doing a "soft release" of this thing (for lack of a better term). Guy at my small-ish town said they had almost sold out of their initial shipment (fourteen or so) which actually surprised me a bit.
Code:
Processor : ARMv7 Processor rev 10 (v7l)
BogoMIPS : 790.52
Features : swp half thumb fastmult vfp edsp neon vfpv3
CPU implementer : 0x41
CPU architecture: 7
CPU variant : 0x2
CPU part : 0xc09
CPU revision : 10
Hardware : Freescale i.MX 6SoloLite NTX Board
Revision : 60200
Serial : 0
MemTotal: 995848 kB
---------- Post added at 04:35 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:31 PM ----------
By the way, jptiger's summary post of how to root the GL3 (based mostly on your work, I think... and properly credited) very much works on this device. The only thing I changed was the model number in the .sh file...
https://forum.xda-developers.com/no...set-nook-glowlight-3-t3802331/page2?nocache=1

spedinfargo said:
Code:
Hardware : Freescale i.MX 6SoloLite NTX Board
MemTotal: 995848 kB
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oh, so in short, it's exactly like the Glow 3 except they switched from 512M DRAM to 1G.

@spedinfargo one more thing, could you:
Code:
getprop ro.build.fingerprint
getprop ro.model
cat /sys/class/android_usb/android0/idVendor
cat /sys/class/android_usb/android0/idProduct
(I added some stuff before to that rooting post, but most of it was someone else's vold exploit.
I'm old skool, I root with a screwdriver!)

NOOK/ntx_6sl/ntx_6sl:4.4.2/KOT49H/50.0.114_user:user/release-keys
nothing for getprop ro.model
2080
000c
And it's 9.8 ounces if you're wondering.

spedinfargo said:
nothing for ...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oops, I meant getprop ro.product.model
So, in short, the GL4 as compared to GL3:
Is 7.8" instead of 6"
Has 1G DRAM instead of 512M
Has Bluetooth
Has audio and headphone jack
VID/PID is 2080/000c
Everything else is exactly the same.
I can see that the 7.8" would be useful for PDFs, but why not go overboard and get an expensive 10" or something?
And I really hate the Neonode zForce IR touch sensing.
In ambient light the bezel creates annoying shadows and it's a dust catcher.

Renate NST said:
And I really hate the Neonode zForce IR touch sensing.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Better this than poorly implemented elan touch like in GLP. Also, higher image clarity.

RyogoNA said:
Better this than poorly implemented elan touch like in GLP. Also, higher image clarity.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Huh? You mean the metal cased, white GL2? That's Elan and the display is fine.
Isn't that the only Nook eInk with capacitive?

Renate NST said:
Huh? You mean the metal cased, white GL2? That's Elan and the display is fine.
Isn't that the only Nook eInk with capacitive?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I mean Glowlight Plus, so yeah.
I have GLP, GL3 and Tolino Shine 2 (IR sensor) - image is perceivable sharper on both GL3 and Shine 2 than on GLP.
Also, GLP have one very annoying issue - it registers false touches very often and this issue is not related to nook fw, I'm using GLP with tolino fw currently and issue is still there.

RyogoNA said:
it registers false touches very often...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Do you mean "Home" touches? That is a known problem (with a known cure: https://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=79438405&postcount=614 )
I've never found the screen itself to have problems with false touches.

Renate NST said:
Do you mean "Home" touches? That is a known problem (with a known cure: https://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=79438405&postcount=614 )
I've never found the screen itself to have problems with false touches.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've read your solution regarding "home" button, but no, it is not about it.
It is actually a false touches in random places and they occur mostly when there is some animation on screen (like sliding left panel, or sliding keyboard) - I can record a video if you're curious. I heard that few other people was also suffering from this issue, but afaik it is not a wide-spread issue.

Bluetooth doesn't seem to work, at least with a keyboard or remote (the remote I have is just an emulated keyboard I think). When I turn on the BT in the standard Nook settings screen, I get an icon spinning (which I assume means it's i pairing mode) but it doesn't seem to detect any devices... I guess I could take it out to my car and try to pair to my stereo - maybe the BT is only intended as an output device for speakers/headphones (because of the audiobook capability).
All in all it probably won't be the best $200 I've ever spent, but by far not the worst either...

spedinfargo said:
Bluetooth doesn't seem to work, at least with a keyboard or remote (the remote I have is just an emulated keyboard I think). When I turn on the BT in the standard Nook settings screen, I get an icon spinning (which I assume means it's i pairing mode) but it doesn't seem to detect any devices... I guess I could take it out to my car and try to pair to my stereo - maybe the BT is only intended as an output device for speakers/headphones (because of the audiobook capability).
All in all it probably won't be the best $200 I've ever spent, but by far not the worst either...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was able to pair the Nook to an audio device - in this case the stereo in my car. So that seems to confirm that the BT is meant for audio output.
I don't know enough about BT and Android to know if there is another secret setting somewhere that can be exposed to see if there is also input capability. It would be a shame if there wasn't some way to take advantage and have some sort of input capability (I'm thinking of Renate's remote page turner capability...)

I just got the Nook GL 7.8 for my birthday but I've found that I don't have a screensaver setting like I did on my first GL (meaning the screensaver setting doesn't show up AT ALL). Anyone know how to fix that? My software is up to date.

Just a heads up.
The case is a bit hard to split.
After you get there you'll see that everything is coated with a pesky conformal coating, much like Elmer's glue on your skin.
There is the standard root console available on 3.3V, 115200-8-n-1
Photos to follow.

Here's a blog with some info and a teardown:
http://www.temblast.com/blogs/glow4/blog.htm

Renate NST said:
Here's a blog with some info and a teardown:
http://www.temblast.com/blogs/glow4/blog.htm
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the info. Given that one has to apply voltage to trigger the OTG mode. does that mean e.g. we cannot hook up a flash drive to the glowlight plus?
Does the GL+ support A2 mode for e.g. web browsing? What about pitch-to-zoom -- for epub AND for pdf?
Could some who own a GL+ kindly sideload
* alreader and see if the eink mode works?
* vncviewer and see if it is usable? (for text/pdf, NOT graphics/videos)
I called/visited 5 BN stores within a 100 miles radius and I couldn't find a single one Either GL+ sells really well or BN messes up their supply chain...
THANKS for the info!

case-sensitive said:
Given that one has to apply voltage to trigger the OTG mode...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The actual trigger for OTG is the (disconnected) ID pin which we are sneakily manipulating.
The problem is that the Nooks apparently don't have the hardware to supply power.
The smallest solution for an external SD card would be a special USB Y cable, a thumb drive and a USB power pack.
There is the potential to wire in an SD card inside the Glow4.
There is not an actual SD socket footprint on the PCB but there are test points.
I'll check that out.
Still, as I've proven, you have to be very careful opening the case.

Related

Replacing Shift Radio board with another one Possible!!!

okay under the instructions of our valused member Cmonex we have now opened this discussion as a food for thought
the begining of the conversation was here http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=2480768#post2480768 and now from there we continue
cmonex said:
there is no such thing as "standard WM drivers". drivers are hardware specific.
for god's sake why would you think it is based on the advantage? the processor and everything else is different. the closest is a kaiser but the LCD and some other things are of course n ot the same.
Please open a new thread to discuss this.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
well i assumed that the board would be advantage because they both have spinning hard drive and maybe because i own an advantage will am willing to donate in the name of sience for such a cause other wise if someone who opened shift can tell us what he thinks of this as we can simpley replace that board with this one, the only 2 things that i assume would be hard is
2. the hardware button that switched between OS's
3. the sdcard slot, in which i assume with some soldering to unify the 2 boards it would work fine (hardware side but software i dunno
Rabia said:
okay under the instructions of our valused member Cmonex we have now opened this discussion as a food for thought
the begining of the conversation was here http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=2480768#post2480768 and now from there we continue
well i assumed that the board would be advantage because they both have spinning hard drive and maybe because i own an advantage will am willing to donate in the name of sience for such a cause other wise if someone who opened shift can tell us what he thinks of this as we can simpley replace that board with this one, the only 2 things that i assume would be hard is
2. the hardware button that switched between OS's
3. the sdcard slot, in which i assume with some soldering to unify the 2 boards it would work fine (hardware side but software i dunno
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can you explain to me why you would want to place the advantage board in the shift? Whats the use of that?
I dont get the point.
And no, I dont think it is plausible (possible)
not advantage, we are just saying what if, so we can use full mobile strength and not software solutions
Rabia said:
not advantage, we are just saying what if, so we can use full mobile strength and not software solutions
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Its kinda funny how big companies always screw up their stuff...
PS3 = only 256MB ram
Xbox360 = No BT and WIFI
Willcom D4 = only PHS
Shift = Crippled...
sad sad, isnt it?
I would be lying if I say I havent thought about swapping the CPU and I spent hours searching for ram...
i gave up....now my machine is sitting there, waiting for the SHIFT PROJECT
yes your 100% right, but swapping CPU and Ram is harder than swapping a whole Radio Board, just think of it, any HTC (kaiser for example) just mount it in a place inside the shift (after freeying the old space takin by radio) and just figure out how to connect the display, even better since shift has vga, get an advantage or one of those htc with VGA out pout and connect it from within, this is defenatly a project am doing 365 days from now or the second HTC will have a product i will buy (in this case a none crippled SHift), the more input we get from those who have looked inside it and looked inside other HTC's, personally i know how does wallaby, himalaya, jamin, jasjar, advantage look like, i have opened all and usually this is what i do in anything get, the second i the warranty ware off i strip it down to learn
You can't do that. Take a look at the FCC pics and notice the board differences.
well i looked and didn't make any sense earlier but should it be housed exactly the same, would't any radio board that fits withen the space in the shift just do the job?
No, it's connected through a proprietary connector, which you don't have in any other PDA Phone. Also you're not taking into account the Embedded Controller which allows sharing the touchscreen, keyboard, etc, between both systems. See the attached pictures.
oh now that i didn't look at, the controller that would share those things together, though after seeing the board its a close reminder of qtek 1010 or qtek 9090, i assumed that display belt is connected through the MB and keyboard is input is through a shipset like advantage with just keys being remappted throught SW, that what would i do if i was HTC coz then this would just save loads of production line equipment, this is stupid though, SDcard is connected though radio board but works with Main MB, it means almost a year from now we actually might have a full usable mobile, what scare me though is the Bluetooth Shipset, where is located to your knowledge?, i know whats going to happen in the first few realeses, phone will be working only while vista is on to be able to use WIFI and BT for audio routing and VOIP from phone board, then slowly they will become independant again (i guess)
Rabia said:
yes your 100% right, but swapping CPU and Ram is harder than swapping a whole Radio Board, just think of it, any HTC (kaiser for example) just mount it in a place inside the shift (after freeying the old space takin by radio) and just figure out how to connect the display, even better since shift has vga, get an advantage or one of those htc with VGA out pout and connect it from within, this is defenatly a project am doing 365 days from now or the second HTC will have a product i will buy (in this case a none crippled SHift), the more input we get from those who have looked inside it and looked inside other HTC's, personally i know how does wallaby, himalaya, jamin, jasjar, advantage look like, i have opened all and usually this is what i do in anything get, the second i the warranty ware off i strip it down to learn
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ram isnt that difficult to swap. You can just get a different module, since its not soldered.
Unfortunately, there are only 512MB and 1GB modules commercially available, but give it time and you can purchase 2GB.
About the CPU, nowadays, CPUs are not soldered onto the board like on the VAIO T1 to T5 series. They are glued.
My mate is soldering prototype PCBs for a living. He showed me how he glues SMDs onto the board.
So, you can change them, but its risky to pop the chip off.
But then again, will the BIOS reckognize it? How about power consumption and heat dissipation....maybe not worth the effort.
after looking at the scheme i think other than the keyboard loss its pretty doable, they are completly seperate, other than the display, which i assume the red circled connector is the one for it, i also assume the black and white are for power, other than the keyboard nothing is connected (which i assume the green circled connector is what shares the keyboard and power on etc

[TEARDOWN] eLocity A7 internals

I took my A7 apart to see if there was anything interesting and undocumented inside. Unfortunately, no big surprises.
ICs found in the A7
Mainboard - Front:
hynix, H5PS1GB3EFR (x2) - RAM
ene, KB926BF D3 - Touchpad Controller?
Texas Instruments, TPS65862 - Power Management
nVidia, Tegra 250(?) - Processor - couldn't read any text on the chip
Mainboard - Back:
hynix H5PS1GB3EFR (x2) - RAM
wolfson, WM8961G - Speaker/Headphone Driver
SanDisk, SDIN4C2-4G - 4GB NAND Chip
Pericom, P13HDMI - HDMI Switch ?
winbond, 25X10BVNIG - 1M-BIT SPI Flash
SMSC, USB3315 - USB Transciever
intersil, ISL6251 - Battery Charger Controller
Aiconn, CS168Q - Wifi/Bluetooth Module
Touchscreen:
Cypress, CY8CTMG120 - Touchscreen Controller
Kinstar, MA86P03 - Touchscreen Microcontroller
Battery:
Model: BATAZ10L2
Rating: 7.4V 1530mAh 11.32Wh
LI-Polymer battery replaced by LI-Polymer battery only.
How difficult was the teardown? I would love to find a different battery option.
If you do FCC search with the following:
Guantee: GKR
Product: NAZ10WB
You can see more internal pics.
tjc2k4 said:
I took my A7 apart to see if there was anything interesting and undocumented inside. Unfortunately, no big surprises.
ICs found in the A7
Mainboard - Front:
hynix, H5PS1GB3EFR (x2) - RAM
ene, KB926BF D3 - Touchpad Controller?
Texas Instruments, TPS65862 - Power Management
nVidia, Tegra 250(?) - Processor - couldn't read any text on the chip
Mainboard - Back:
hynix H5PS1GB3EFR (x2) - RAM
wolfson, WM8961G - Speaker/Headphone Driver
SanDisk, SDIN4C2-4G - 4GB NAND Chip
Pericom, P13HDMI - HDMI Switch ?
winbond, 25X10BVNIG - 1M-BIT SPI Flash
SMSC, USB3315 - USB Transciever
intersil, ISL6251 - Battery Charger Controller
Aiconn, CS168Q - Wifi/Bluetooth Module
Touchscreen:
Cypress, CY8CTMG120 - Touchscreen Controller
Kinstar, MA86P03 - Touchscreen Microcontroller
Battery:
Model: BATAZ10L2
Rating: 7.4V 1530mAh 11.32Wh
LI-Polymer battery replaced by LI-Polymer battery only.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can you give me any info that would help be get a replacement screen?
I broke my screen and need to find a replacement. eLocity/Stream TV is no help, I can't get them to respond to my e-mail or calls.
rapcon said:
How difficult was the teardown? I would love to find a different battery option.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It was pretty easy to get apart. There are two screws on either side of the docking connector, covered with small pieces of rubber. They looked like torx screws but I just used a small common screwdriver to remove them. Then the back cover slides down & off.
After that you can see 4 small phillips screws that hold in the battery. To disassemble any further, all the screws are visible and even marked with size/length. The plastic frame is snapped in along the edges, I just slid my finger nail along the inside to undo them.
I didn't find any model number markings on the display, but I will look again tomorrow.
tjc2k4 said:
I didn't find any model number markings on the display, but I will look again tomorrow.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks, greatly appreciated. I would love to get my device fixed.
Sorry Rojas, didn't see any part numbers on the LCD screen. I put it all back together this afternoon
tjc2k4 said:
Sorry Rojas, didn't see any part numbers on the LCD screen. I put it all back together this afternoon
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No problem. I appreciate the effort.
mingkee said:
If you do FCC search with the following:
Guantee: GKR
Product: NAZ10WB
You can see more internal pics.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There are some pretty major differences between the board shown in this thread, and the one shown in the FCC docs.
This is disappointing, I got excited when I saw that the photos the FCC have had SIM card provisions on them... then noticed that the one taken apart for this thread had the rubber block I had read about... Then went on to notice that the one from the FCC site had more of a "tail"(?) to it where the docking port would be located.
Any other possible FCC ID#s for a more current version of the board?
Does anyone know about this secondary antenna mention.
rombold said:
Does anyone know about this secondary antenna mention.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The short white wire and the longer blue wire in the first pic. In the pic the blue is just taped off.
What do you know about hooking up blue instead ofwhite?
rombold said:
What do you know about hooking up blue instead ofwhite?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Same connectors as a laptop wick card. Just pop them off and swap them.
I just don't think I have the touch required to get the actual tablet apart without incident lol.
Nice post, thanks for taking the time to do this.
3G Model Internal -
Thought i'd take a quick pic was trying out a different 3G card to see if it will work,
to take the cover off,
you need to remove the 2 screws near the dock which are covered by the rubber...
i used a plastic tool and slowly wedge the panel open...

PiPO W3 3G Tablet: 10.1" 1920x1200px Intel Z3775D 2GB/64GB - Windows 8.1

I just received my PiPO W3 tablet. Even though this tablet is a few months old I decided to go with it compared to the Teclast X10HD which didn't offer great reviews and seem to suffer from minor hardware and software issues. I liked the PiPO W3 because PiPO seem to make good solid tablets. They are in a rare class like Onda who I feel also make very good quality tablets. One of the big draws for me was the add-on keyboard case. Since PiPO actually have their own branded one, that means they have probably done some testing to see it all works out quite well, compared to the likes of Teclast who may have been offering a more generic keyboard. I really like the Microsoft Surface element of both the tablet and the keyboard. The other big draw for this tablet is of course the full size USB 3.0 port. This means we don't have to mess around with USB hubs or specialist OTG hubs in order to use this device. With the addition Micro USB OTG adapter you end up getting 2 full size USB ports. You only need a hub if you're planning to add even more devices so already this tablet beats out many other Chinese tablets.
PiPO have actually made a newer updated model called the W3F which is available in a WiFi only or WiFi & 3G model. This newer tablet is about $100 less than the older W3. The W3 and newer W3F actually look identical because PiPO are still using the same external casing. So why didn't I go with the newer W3F model? Well simply because it offers only 32GB of internal space. With Windows and Office installed, 12GB is already used up which doesn't leave much space to install anything else. I always feel that 64GB is the bare minimum these tablets should come with. Also the processor in the newer W3F is actually lower than in the W3 model. The W3F has an Intel Z3735F Quad Core (Max 1.8GHz) while the older W3 model actually has a Intel Z3775D Quad Core (Max 2.4GHz). Many sellers are also stating that the W3F has a smaller battery capacity of 4000mAh compared to the W3 which has a 8000mAh battery. There is some discrepancy about this as we don't know what the real value actually is but I personally wouldn't order and take that risk. So while the W3F may be the newer model, in specs it is certainly inferior compared to the W3. Apart from these details, both tablets are pretty much the same. All other specs remain the same.
Screen Size: 10.1“
Screen Resolution: 1920*1200 Full HD
Screen Ratio: 16:10
Touch Panel: Capacitive 10 point touch
System CPU: Intel Baytrail T, Quad-core, Z3775D
CPU speed: Clock 1.5Ghz, burst up to 2.4Ghz
Storage: 64GB (Samsung MCG8GC)
RAM: 2GB DDR3
Operation System: Windows 8.1 32 bit with Bing
Productivity Suite: Microsoft Office 365 (1 year subscription)
Camera: Front 2MP, back 5MP auto focus
I/O ports : 1x Micro SD slot
USB port: 1x micro USB, 1x Full size USB 3.0
HDMI output: 1x mini HDMI port
Earphone jack: 1x 3.5mm
DC-IN jack: 1x
Microphone: 1x
Speaker: 2x Stereo
Communication: Wifi 802.11b/g/n
GPS module: No
3G: Huawei E1220-2 3G UltraStick
Bluetooth: Yes
Power: AC adapter 9V 2.5A
Battery capacity: 29.2Wh
Weight w/o keyboard: 570grams
Dimensions: 257*172*10.3mm
Accessories: 1x AC adapter
USB cable: NO
OTG cable: 1x
Keyboard: 1x (optional)
Some photos I took:
Unboxing: Contains Tablet, Keyboard, USB OTG Cable, DC Power supply. An adapter for my home country was also included (not shown). There is no Office 365 card included with a serial number anymore. Office prompts you to auto-install it and then activates itself after the installation, without requiring a serial number.
{
"lightbox_close": "Close",
"lightbox_next": "Next",
"lightbox_previous": "Previous",
"lightbox_error": "The requested content cannot be loaded. Please try again later.",
"lightbox_start_slideshow": "Start slideshow",
"lightbox_stop_slideshow": "Stop slideshow",
"lightbox_full_screen": "Full screen",
"lightbox_thumbnails": "Thumbnails",
"lightbox_download": "Download",
"lightbox_share": "Share",
"lightbox_zoom": "Zoom",
"lightbox_new_window": "New window",
"lightbox_toggle_sidebar": "Toggle sidebar"
}
Keyboard:The PiPo branded keyboard that comes with the tablet. The back cover can be flipped in 2 different ways to hold up the tablet. The keyboard is good. Keys are responsive. The trackpad is also good. No issues at the moment. The magnets are very strong as they can hold the tablet upside down if you hold up the keyboard! The 3 lights in the lower right corner are CAPS, SCROLL and NUM LOCK.
Back Of The Tablet: Has a nice poly carbon/metal like effect and finish. Build quality is pretty solid. No creaks or plastic being depressed or anything.
Ports: These are all the ports the tablet has. The big plus on this device is of course the full size USB 3.0 port.
3G Module:The side panel can be opened (the none port side) and you can remove the Huawei 3G UltraStick. Handy when a 4G module becomes available, it can easily be replaced without having to buy a new tablet. You can see where the SIM card slots into on the bottom.
Comparison: The keyboard and tablet attached. I've placed my old iPhone 5 next to it so you can roughly gauge the overall size. I would have used my iPhone 6 Plus but I had to use that to take the photos!
Wrapped Up: This is what it looks like with the keyboard cover fully closed around the tablet. Pretty good fit.
I just got this tablet so i'm still exploring it. If you have any questions feel free to leave a comment below.
Drivers:
http://pan.baidu.com/s/1eQlDJdK (154MB - official link)
Windows system Image:
http://pan.baidu.com/s/1sjO61RJ (4.6GB - Chinese language image - for tablets built after 20th August 2014)
http://pan.baidu.com/s/1mg3bO8K (4.6GB - Chinese language image - for tablets built before 20th August 2014)
There is no English language image (or any other language image) that I know of. The best case is to restore using the Chinese image and then change the language to English. If you recently bought this tablet then it is safe to say that it was built after the 20th of August 2014. I believe that the models before that date actually had a different case where the back cover is completely flat, from images I have seen.
How to PROPERLY remove the original language (Chinese, Mandarin) and choose your own system wide language.
What's the story?
Since the PiPO W3 is considered a "cheap" tablet, it comes with Windows 8 SINGLE LANGUAGE edition. Notably, all our tablets by default have Chinese (Mandarin) set in them by default. When we purchase the tablets, the seller goes in and adds a en-US (English United States) language pack that then gives us a way to actually use the tablet.
What is the issue?
Even though a language pack can be added and therefore used, it doesn't fully convert the system to that new language. There are still parts of the old language left. The original language cannot be removed. This issue highlighted itself when i recently went to update the tablet to Windows 10. The default language was Chinese (Mandarin) and I wanted to upgrade the tablet via a USB installation of Windows 10. The copy of Windows 10 I downloaded using their creation tool was English (United States). The problem however was that when you go to upgrade Windows 8.1 to 10, you are given 3 choices - keep all your apps, settings, etc or just keep your settings or fresh install that keeps nothing. As I was pressed for time and about to go on a trip, I wanted it to keep all my apps, settings etc. The problem however was that the installer was seeing that the original language of the device was Chinese (Mandarin) and my Windows 10 upgrade was English (United States) and therefore prevented me from doing an upgrade that kept all my installed software etc. I was only given the last 2 choices - keep a few settings, or fresh install that wipes everything.
What didn't work?
Messing around with language packs and keyboards etc does not fully solve this issue. Changing any other options in settings etc didn't work either. There are a bunch of videos and instructions on the net about how to change the language from the default to one that you want, but NONE of those actually solve the issue. A method was needed that actually REMOVES the default Chinese language and then allows you to make a new system wide default language. The instructions below show you how to do this. After I completed these very steps, the Windows 10 installer then allowed me to choose the first option which meant I could keep all my installed programs, apps and settings.
1. Download the appropriate (for your version of Windows 8.1) language pack listed further down in this post.
2. Rename the cab file to lp.cab
3. Put the lp.cab in some folder on your hard drive. Let's put it in C:\lp\
4. Open command prompt in elevated mode and type:
DISM /Online /Add-Package /PackagePath:C:\lp\lp.cab
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Windows 8.1 may recommend restarting after successfully adding the package. If returning from a reboot - go into elevated prompt again.
5. Now we need to remove the reference to the old language pack. To do that we need to find out the exact identifier of the language pack installed. For this we need to type:
DISM /Online /Get-Packages > C:\pack.txt
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6. Because the list of installed packages is long, the command sends it to a file called "pack.txt" located in the root of the C: partition. Open the file and look for:
Package Identity : Microsoft-Windows-Client-LanguagePack-Package........
Status: Installed
Release Type : Language Pack
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7. Make sure you find the identifier for your old language pack, so if we're getting rid of the Chinese language - the identifier will have "zh-cn" in the name. For example a Chinese language pack that comes with your system will be something like:
Package Identity : Microsoft-Windows-Client-LanguagePack-Package~31bf3856ad364e35~amd64~zh-cn~6.1.7601.17514
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Note the zh-cn in the name.
8. Now let's run a command to remove the old language pack (listed in the above example):
DISM /Online /Remove-Package /PackageName:Microsoft-Windows-Client-LanguagePack-Package~31bf3856ad364e35~amd64~zh-cn~6.1.7601.17514
TIP: Since the package name is very long and manually typing it may cause errors, you can actually highlight the name from the txt file and right click and paste it into the command line window.
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9. After the removal procedure is done, you will be prompted to reboot the computer. After the reboot you should be faced with the new language interface.
NOTE: Check the output txt file carefully. If you have already installed your desired language pack, it may be listed there alongside the Chinese one. In this case you can avoid getting the language cab file and start the above instructions from step 5.
Windows 8.1 32-bit (x86) MUI Language Packs
Arabic
Bulgarian
Chinese - Simplified
Chinese - Traditional
English - United Kingdom
English - United States
French
German
Italian
Korean
Portuguese - Brazilian
Portuguese - Portugal
Russian
Spanish
Thanks to Irina Likhter & Serge Argaman for this!
Videos: (Not mine)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4QhCYTCiPdQ (Unboxing)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mi2zGPiroCs (Review)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DvuXxiixXBY (Game: Need For Speed Carbon - In Russian)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pck-JerYSTw (Photoshop Demo - In Russian. It's long but you get the idea!)
Kindly request.
How awesome ! Congrats for the new acquisition !
Just today I start looking whether to buy this tablet or not,so i am lucky you showed up.I really need some insights from an actual person than owns the device.
So i have some questions for you if you're kind enough to answer :
1). How's battery life ? especially on video playback..how much do you think this baby can run while playing HD ( 1080p or 720p) videos ? (with WiFi of) because i travel a lot with train (for quite long distances) and i need a tablet that can run some more hours .
2). Does it get warm? like really warm ? for eg on intensive Chrome sessions
3). Does it have a proprietary charging port and cable ? because that's what i saw on some videos.
4.) How's the speakers and headphone jack sound quality?
And if you could tell me some cons of this tablet...or things that you don't like about it ,I would very much appreciate it .
Thanks a lot,and I hope you can answer me when you get the time.
recond9 said:
How awesome ! Congrats for the new acquisition !
Just today I start looking whether to buy this tablet or not,so i am lucky you showed up.I really need some insights from an actual person than owns the device.
So i have some questions for you if you're kind enough to answer :
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Click to collapse
Thanks! Since I just got this tablet, please give me a few days to try it out so that I can answer all your questions. Here are some answers, and more will follow.
1). How's battery life ? especially on video playback..how much do you think this baby can run while playing HD ( 1080p or 720p) videos ? (with WiFi of) because i travel a lot with train (for quite long distances) and i need a tablet that can run some more hours .
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1. So far the battery life is ok. I have only really tested it by the standby function which I can tell you lasts quite a while. I haven't tried to see how long it could last with a 720/1080p movie yet but I will do that and get back to you.
2). Does it get warm? like really warm ? for eg on intensive Chrome sessions
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2. I haven't pushed the CPU/GPU to any level that would make it hot but so far from normal usage (surfing etc) there is no heat anywhere, It's actually cool to touch.
3). Does it have a proprietary charging port and cable ? because that's what i saw on some videos.
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3. Yes it has a proprietary charging port and charger. You will see the charger in the first photo on the right and you will see the port in the 4th picture on the left. Some people may not like this as they prefer to charge via USB but I actually like this because it means that while the device charges, you are free to still use the USB port. I have heard that it can actually be charged via the Micro USB port however that charge is very slow unless you use a powerful charger. As I don't have a Micro USB cable I wasn't able to test this.
4.) How's the speakers and headphone jack sound quality?
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4. The speakers are loud. 2 people watching a movie can easily hear it. Also the viewing angles are good so the screen can be viewed by more than one person. I tested with some mp3s and also some TV shows and the sound through the speakers was very good. Of course these are tablet speakers and so like other tablets and even laptops - the audio range isn't great. Don't expect any bass or anything wow. At a basic level if you just want to watch something or listen to music, it will not disappoint. The headphone experience was surprisingly good. I used Windows Media Player and messed with the EQ for movies and then for mp3s I used Winamp (also adjusting the EQ) and in both cases the sound was pretty good - a good audio range and lots of bass. You definitely get a better experience through the headphones and I had a pair of Sennheiser headphones connected so I definitely enjoyed the sound much better through those than the speakers.
And if you could tell me some cons of this tablet...or things that you don't like about it ,I would very much appreciate it .
Thanks a lot,and I hope you can answer me when you get the time.
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I will get back to the first 2 questions later on and also any cons about it when I have done more testing
OMGitsShan said:
Thanks! Since I just got this tablet, please give me a few days to try it out so that I can answer all your questions. Here are some answers, and more will follow.
1. So far the battery life is ok. I have only really tested it by the standby function which I can tell you lasts quite a while. I haven't tried to see how long it could last with a 720/1080p movie yet but I will do that and get back to you.
2. I haven't pushed the CPU/GPU to any level that would make it hot but so far from normal usage (surfing etc) there is no heat anywhere, It's actually cool to touch.
3. Yes it has a proprietary charging port and charger. You will see the charger in the first photo on the right and you will see the port in the 4th picture on the left. Some people may not like this as they prefer to charge via USB but I actually like this because it means that while the device charges, you are free to still use the USB port. I have heard that it can actually be charged via the Micro USB port however that charge is very slow unless you use a powerful charger. As I don't have a Micro USB cable I wasn't able to test this.
4. The speakers are loud. 2 people watching a movie can easily hear it. Also the viewing angles are good so the screen can be viewed by more than one person. I tested with some mp3s and also some TV shows and the sound through the speakers was very good. Of course these are tablet speakers and so like other tablets and even laptops - the audio range isn't great. Don't expect any bass or anything wow. At a basic level if you just want to watch something or listen to music, it will not disappoint. The headphone experience was surprisingly good. I used Windows Media Player and messed with the EQ for movies and then for mp3s I used Winamp (also adjusting the EQ) and in both cases the sound was pretty good - a good audio range and lots of bass. You definitely get a better experience through the headphones and I had a pair of Sennheiser headphones connected so I definitely enjoyed the sound much better through those than the speakers.
I will get back to the first 2 questions later on and also any cons about it when I have done more testing
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Thanks for the answers so far.
Sure,I was a little quick with so many questions at once.
The main nasty thing about the proprietary charger is the fact that it can't be replaced easily replaced like lets say a normal USB charger.It would be a pain to wait a couple of weeks for a new one to be delivered all the way from China(some 2 good weeks for an packet to get here in Europe).But I guess you'll have to be careful with it.
As I can see from your sayings,is this tablet has almost no cons ,just pros..Chinese makers sure leveled up their game.
Well,I will check here in few days for your other answers,after you test it out.
Thanks.
Hey, glad to see you got yours and thanks for the writeup. Still waiting on mine, but will report here when I get it.
There are some good videos of an apparent W3 clone (actually it's probably a W3F clone as it has the slower CPU), the Kruger&Matz Edge 1081. In this video (others are linked there) he tests charging. Apparently the microUSB ports will charge it, but does not take advantage of more powerful chargers = around 10 hours for a full charge:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vt1kJupVWPk
---------- Post added at 02:21 PM ---------- Previous post was at 02:15 PM ----------
Here's an interesting questions - if you plug a powered USB3.0 hub into the 3.0 port, and then plug one of its inputs into the microUSB port, will that charge the tablet? Or will the universe collapse into itself from the bizarre USB loop?
I need to power the tablet and 2 USB3.0 devices from a 12V battery. That voltage doesn't work with the native charger port (9V) nor typical USB power (5V). But some USB3.0 hubs actually take 12V, so I could power a hub, and (assuming the tablet won't charge directly from a powered USB3.0 hub being connected to it) power the tablet from it -> microUSB. That way I'd need no voltage converters at all (if it doesn't destroy the known universe).
---------- Post added at 02:54 PM ---------- Previous post was at 02:21 PM ----------
actually re. my power question, that USB loop should work. The hub->microUSB path doesn't need to be a data connection, a power-only USB cable should work without causing complications. Now I just have to find the right 12V taking 3.0 hub ...
recond9 said:
Thanks for the answers so far.
The main nasty thing about the proprietary charger is the fact that it can't be replaced easily replaced like lets say a normal USB charger.It would be a pain to wait a couple of weeks for a new one to be delivered all the way from China(some 2 good weeks for an packet to get here in Europe).
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You can always use a standard USB charger (with a microUSB cable) if the 9V charger ever goes down, it will just be slower. And I don't think it's proprietary in the sense that it's just a thin version of the typical 2.1mm DC jack, you can probably find an adapter for a generic 9V supply (just needs to be the correct polarity and >= the amps the tablet needs).
As I can see from your sayings,is this tablet has almost no cons ,just pros..Chinese makers sure leveled up their game.
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Main cons I'm aware of are no GPS, and screen is not optically bonded. It will be interesting to see how much of the sRGB colour space it covers, and what the black levels are like (I can measure that with my colorimeter when I get it). 4GB would have been nice. And even though it's a higher-end Baytrail CPU, Core M tabs will be faster (but also look like they're going to be super-expensive).
But the full-size USB 3.0 is very handy (main reason I bought mine), looking forward to getting it in my grubby paws .
Great pics and write-up.
I have also received my W2 a couple weeks ago.
Glad to know that this thing can be charged via the micro usb port so that I can put my 10000ma portable battery to good use with this tablet.
One annoying thing about this tablet (or maybe windows8.1) is that when I press the power button to put it to sleep and then close the cover, either the keyboard hit the windows touch button below the main screen or the touch screen hit the windows key on the keyboard and that would wake the tablet and turn on the screen draining battery while not being used.
Same thing happen when I plug in my charger, it will be awaken and screen turned on.
So to sort of temporary solve this problem, I created hibernation shortcuts on taskbar, desktop, start menu, and start screen. So I just hibernate it whenever I don't use it. Lucky that it just takes about 10 to 12 seconds for this thing to wake from hibernation.
Hope there is some ways to disable the keyboard, touch start button, and charger from waking the tablet up when I press the power button.
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BTW, since Onda is mentioned here, I wanna let you guys know Onda have just released a 11 inch tablet with full HD screen, 2gb ram, 64gb storage, but have dual OS with both Windows 8.1 and Android4.4 installed and can be switched instantly.
It is getting a lot of praise in Hong Kong.
I am quite interested in this thing.
OMGitsShan, thank you so much for the review. I was thinking about buying this wonder, mainly because the keyboard and the case. With those pics, I almost have no doubts right now.
Just a silly question: You mentioned it comes with a 1-year subscription to Office365. What about OneDrive? Iw ould be great to have anything attached with that subscription.
Thanks again.
Hey, I've got similar tablet (it's the same just named and sold by local firm in Poland - Kruger&Matz EDGE 1081 - with current currency exchange rate it's 214$ and that's already with taxes for WiFi only 32gb). I've got an issue - sometimes Windows button (touch sensor) bugs out and act as if it was pressed all the time and it doesn't respond at all, meaning pressing power/screen lock button leads to CTRL+ALT+DEL screen and Volume UP button launches up narrator. Problem appears randomly, though very often when tablet is docked into keyboard cover.
Got mine yesterday. First impressions - overall pretty good. IPS screen is nice and sharp, black levels are decent. Not quite as saturated (colourful) and super-black as the best, but not bad. Wifi reception is good, using my iPhone with 3G as the gateway via Wifi it has no problems getting a good signal one floor up (my old Gadmei E8-3D tablet would loose the signal about 5m away already). Battery seems decent, but need more time with it (and it may improve a little after a few full charges).
CPU speed isn't bad for a tablet, I'm not sure I'd want to use the slower Baytrails though (eg. W3F) so I'm glad I paid for the 2.4GHz boost. It does seem to throttle it down though if all 4 cores are maxxed. This is most likely thermal management, when total core utilisation < 75% or so (TBC) if does get up to ~2.33 GHz (it doesn't seem to be a true 2.4, if so then kinda sneaky rounding up like that), but then it drops down as a cores get v. busy. On the plus side, tablet only gets warm, never hot, even when running 3D Mark (though I didn't try running a 3D app over a long time yet). Thermal management seems good. There might be scope to push it a little via the BIOS temp. settings, but I'm not messing with those for now.
Tablet feels nice in hand and considering the size isn't too heavy or thick imo. But it has a small ridge all around the edge - this protects the buttons and ports a little by recessing them, but also slightly digs into your hands slightly. Not loving that, it's not painful but slightly uncomfortable. They should change that on the next model.
Keyboard is pretty good actually, thin but fairly rigid, as is the touch pad and button response. Feels decent quality, surprising how much travel there is in the buttons/keys considering how thin it is. Touchpad mouse tracking is good for general use, though if you try to do pixel-accurate scrolling it does sometimes jitter a bit. But you don't notice it for normal use. For more accurate mousing it's definitely handy, the touch screen will struggle for fine control sometimes, especially with apps that aren't DPI scaling aware. The magnet that holds the tab to the keyboard is very strong, no danger of it falling off (even upside down I think). But the soft and thin cover provides zero protection from dropping, so I'll look into getting a better case when it goes out the door.
I'm still setting it up - have calibrated the screen (max brightness is around 220mcd, contrast ratio around 930:1, good for an IPS screen). USB 3.0 seems to work though I still need to test the max bandwidth. It also does not work with my Seagate portable USB 3 HD - it briefly detects it, then disconnects it. Suspect it cannot supply enough power, so a powered USB hub may be necessary (will try that later, I can measure the USB current too).
Office trial is there, haven't activated mine as I don't intend to pay for it, so won't use it anyway (lots of free alternatives available, eg. OpenOffice). You have to activate it before August 2015 though or it expires. OneDrive app is there, but I haven't looked at it yet (probably won't use it either).
3G Huawai stick is there, but seems to take a full-size SIM cards and I only have a microSim, so will buy an adapter. There's a mobile-something app that seems to do text messaging, maybe even phone calls?
Anyway, so far overall seems a pretty good package, I'd recommend getting the keyboard unless you definitely won't need it. It's a well thought-out solution and pretty compact, and no wires to worry about or wireless batteries to run out.
Oh btw, first thing I did was download 70+ Windows updates. Maybe a freak occurrance, but they took forever to discover and then wouldn't download (always stuck at 0%). One time they finally did, but on a reboot didn't seem to be applied + "TiWorker.exe" was taking massive CPU even after a reboot. Turns out the update database got corrupted somehow - fix: Control Panel -> Trouble Shooting -> Windows Update. Repairs the DB + reboot (may need to dl' the updates again to get them to stick).
@Marrond, I think I've seen what you describe. For me it very occasionally goes a little nuts, eg. it registers presses all over the tablet when I press in a spot, and think I've seen it trigger the start button once. In my case it seems to be interference with other gadgets on my desk (I'm still setting it up, copying files etc). For one I have a Wacom tablet that probably radiates stuff as part of what it does. I noticed that if I moved the tablet elsewhere on my desk, it's all fine again. I'll keep an eye on it.
One thing, be careful updating the Intel HD graphics driver. I used their auto-driver update tool, found & installed an updated HD driver. Worked fine, except every time the screen went to sleep, it would then wake up all black. Backlight still on and tablet still running fine, but nothing on screen and no way to fix it except hard reboot! Thanks to @OMGitsShan's link to the driver package I just put the old one back on and fine again. Google suggests it's a long-running problem with Intel drivers, but couldn't find the exact cause. Never seen this on my desktop (with HD4000).
---------- Post added at 11:10 PM ---------- Previous post was at 11:03 PM ----------
Apparently most Win 8 devices (even 'with Bing') have device encryption enabled by default (so if someone steals your tab they can't then pull the files off from another OS etc). But it doesn't seem activated on the W3. This might be the reason & workaround, scary though in case it bricks it.
If anyone is brave enough to try, please report.
---------- Post added at 11:14 PM ---------- Previous post was at 11:10 PM ----------
BTW @Marrond, your tab might be a clone of the W3F (it's a cut-down version of the W3 with a slower Baytrail CPU).
---------- Post added at 11:17 PM ---------- Previous post was at 11:14 PM ----------
BTW if anyone needs a driver let me know (takes FOREVER to dl from China).
OK I took a gamble on enabling the security stuff in the BIOS, and sure enough it worked (note I didn't bother to create a password). You then have to create/sign into an online MS account (I did that inadvertently by trying to download a free app from the store). This changes your login into an online login. And seems to enable Device Encryption silently & also automatically uploads your encryption key to MS as a 'backup'. You can also make or print your own copy for safe keeping. I can now see Device Encryption is enabled (with option to disable) on the PC Info screen - but this is only shown on the Metro version, not the desktop one. But yeah, seems to have worked. You can then also choose to go back to a local login (Account Settings) if you don't want to be signed into MS permanently. You can also choose to use or disable OneDrive.
The touchscreen weirdness came back quite badly, fake touch events all over the place, but recalibration seems to have fixed it (Start Menu -> Search for 'Calibration'). That should fix the Start button too as that's likely just using the touch screen.
The USB3 Seagate HD also works if I plug a USB power monitor between it and the tab, so it does have enough juice to power it, but perhaps a firmware glitch makes it disconnect, maybe a short power drop that doesn't happen when the monitor is also plugged in. But it works fine with my powered usb3 hub. And all other USB devices I've tried so far work directly on the tab.
recond9 said:
Thanks for the answers so far.
Sure,I was a little quick with so many questions at once.
The main nasty thing about the proprietary charger is the fact that it can't be replaced easily replaced like lets say a normal USB charger.It would be a pain to wait a couple of weeks for a new one to be delivered all the way from China(some 2 good weeks for an packet to get here in Europe).But I guess you'll have to be careful with it.
As I can see from your sayings,is this tablet has almost no cons ,just pros..Chinese makers sure leveled up their game.
Well,I will check here in few days for your other answers,after you test it out.
Thanks.
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Hey sorry for the delay in getting back to you. Last Friday my main PC decided to die on me. So its been an exhausting week of recovering data from the hard drive then buying a new drive, reinstalling windows and software (we all know what a pain that is!) and so I am slowly back to where I was. I did keep a text file that I noted all the problems I had with the W3 just for you but I sadly lost that when the PC died. So I will hopefully try to remember the points I wrote about and so if I remember something at a later time, I may edit this post with the additional information.
As far as HD video play back is concerned. I play a 1080p movie that was an MKV file with a bitrate of 8000kbps - the movie was 2hrs:02mins long. I managed to play the movie 2.5 times before the device went to around 3% battery.
For a 720p mkv movie that had a bitrate of 4000kbps - movie length was 2hrs:10mins. I managed to get the movie to play 3 times fully and then it played an additional 12 minutes before the battery died.
In terms of heat - it gets hot when playing games (I installed Asphalt 8, a car racing game from the App store) and when charging. Not hot where you cant hold it though. And if you place your fingers behind like holding it with the screen in front of you, only the fingers on your left hand will feel any heat.
CONS:
1. The windows button/logo on the bottom of the screen on the front bezel causes the vibration motor to go off every time you press it. I don't really understand why we need a physical and audible indicator that we have pressed it. I just want to press it and get to the Metro interface so I'm not sure why PiPO bothered to add the vibration to it. Just one of those little things that's annoying. I hope I can find a way to disable it.
2. Chrome runs ever so slow on this device. I'm not sure why Google haven't adapted it to be more streamlined on a tablet, but scrolling on it is jerky. In contrary, Internet Explorer is way smoother. I prefer using Chrome as my browser but I've had to put IE as default just to make things easier.
3. Keyboard is slightly flimsy - even on a flat surface like a table. It is not very bendy or anything but when you press down on a key the board gets depressed as well. You can still easily use it and it wont affect your typing just wish it was more solid. Therefore typing on your lap might take a bit of effort.
4. The battery seems to give 2 different values based on whether you are in the Metro interface or the regular desktop.
5. You can charge it and use it, the battery does charge reasonably fast. I know some people were worried that if they charge and use it, the charge would be slow but I never experienced that.
6. I have a small portable 2.5" USB 3.0 hard drive, for some reason that drive does not get detected when connected to the USB 3.0 port. USB pen/flash drives work fine and powered larger desktop drives such as my Seagate Expansion drives show up fine, but the smaller unpowered drive does not get detected. The weirdest thing though? My girlfriend has an unpowered USB 2.0 hub. When I connect this hub to the USB 3.0 port and then connect my portable hard drive to the hub, it shows up fine in Windows. So how does a slower hub (USB 2.0 and one that is unpowered "kick start" windows into seeing my portable drive? Confused!
7. Screen glare. The screen is very reflective. It's a little shinier than I would like.
Well that's what I can think of at the top of my head. If I get more I will add to this!
_gl said:
Hey, glad to see you got yours and thanks for the writeup.
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Thanks and you're welcome! I'm happy to see you got yours! We'll be able to bounce ideas and suggestions now and hopefully figure things out.
misbehave said:
Great pics and write-up. BTW, since Onda is mentioned here, I wanna let you guys know Onda have just released a 11 inch tablet with full HD screen, 2gb ram, 64gb storage, but have dual OS with both Windows 8.1 and Android4.4 installed and can be switched instantly. It is getting a lot of praise in Hong Kong. I am quite interested in this thing.
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Click to collapse
Thanks! I haven't experienced the problems you have but if I do i'll let you know. I actually heard about the Onda v116w a few days after I had ordered my W3, and initially I thought OMG I want that instead but looking at it now, I'm kind of glad I didn't go with it and here's why. Most people buying the 8 and 9 inch models of these Chinese tablets only want to use them to consume media. Yeah sure full Windows is a bonus of course. However with a 10 inch tablet not only is it as good for media consumption but you finally get a device that you can do work with. So in the case of the PiPO W3, the keyboard is a big draw and because PiPO include their own, it feels safer than picking some random magnetic keyboard or even using a bluetooth one. With the Onda being 11 inches - that would be a perfect companion for work (and great for media too!) however Onda have not released or even mentioned a keyboard case with the device. In my opinion, that was a huge loss to them. Without a keyboard option, the need for the tablet is limited. Also on an 11 inch screen - Onda could only offer a 1080p resolution?! What is this - 2011? Such a large screen deserves a high resolution to turn a great screen into a gorgeous one. I really don't understand Onda. Its like they never push hard enough. Every tablet of theirs always has some major limit. Previously they never offered HDMI out. So with such a low resolution for an 11 inch screen, the PPI (Pixels per inch) will be pretty low. Also they offer the same processor as the current crop of tablets. With a slightly bigger screen, it would be nice to put a more powerful CPU in to help games etc work better. So for me Onda always do something to screw up their upcoming tablets.
EQLucky said:
OMGitsShan, thank you so much for the review. Just a silly question: You mentioned it comes with a 1-year subscription to Office365. What about OneDrive? I would be great to have anything attached with that subscription. Thanks again.
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You're welcome! OneDrive is included with Office 365. You get 1TB of space online to store your documents. Your Microsoft ID would get you 15GB of OneDrive space outside of this Office 365 subscription however. Hope that answers your question.
Quick update on the external USB 3.0 HD issues we're both having. We're not alone, it's also happening on Surface.
As I wrote there, mine actually works unpowered on the (2.0) micro-USB port, so it's not a power issue. And my USB power monitor (that makes it work on the 3.0 port) drops the connection to 2.0, so that explains why that works too. So the issue is only with the true 3.0 connection. It seems very unlikely this is a hard drive firmware bug, as people are reporting the same thing with all kinds of HDs. So either the Intel USB 3.0 driver or some Windows USB 3.0 part (maybe from a bad update) must have a bug, or maybe it's a bug in Baytrail itself (but the driver could probably work around that). I've not been able to find any Intel USB 3.0 drivers for Baytrail (updated or otherwise), anyone?
Also @OMGitsShan, when you had the HD problem did you already download all the Windows updates, or was it clean? I already got the updates so I don't know if it would work clean. I guess I could uninstall them all again, but if someone has a clean install to test...
BTW I hear you having to reinstall Windows, it sucks! My (power-user) desktop system takes WEEKS to rebuild from scratch - no exaggeration! Word of advice, set it all up, and then image the OS partition. I do these days because I'm never going back to a full rebuild (just catching up the few months between the last backup takes long enough ).
---------- Post added at 06:29 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:18 PM ----------
@OMGitsShan, check you System even log for "disk <x> has been surprise removed" messages. That's what I get when it briefly detects and then disconnects the drive when I plug it in (about 50% of the time, the rest it doesn't see it at all).
---------- Post added at 07:08 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:29 PM ----------
I got my micro-> full SIM adapter, and tested the 3G stick at home. I'm near a mast so get a v. good signal - the stick gave me the same as I get on my iPhone 4s. Haven't tried in a weak signal area yet, but looks promising. There's no voice call facility in the supplied Mobile Partner software, but it seems to be able to send/receive texts (that probably explains the vibrate motor - which I don't mind firing on the Start button, but there's probably a tweak to turn it off).
_gl said:
Quick update on the external USB 3.0 HD issues we're both having. We're not alone, it's also happening on Surface.
As I wrote there, mine actually works unpowered on the (2.0) micro-USB port, so it's not a power issue. And my USB power monitor (that makes it work on the 3.0 port) drops the connection to 2.0, so that explains why that works too. So the issue is only with the true 3.0 connection. It seems very unlikely this is a hard drive firmware bug, as people are reporting the same thing with all kinds of HDs. So either the Intel USB 3.0 driver or some Windows USB 3.0 part (maybe from a bad update) must have a bug, or maybe it's a bug in Baytrail itself (but the driver could probably work around that). I've not been able to find any Intel USB 3.0 drivers for Baytrail (updated or otherwise), anyone?
Also @OMGitsShan, when you had the HD problem did you already download all the Windows updates, or was it clean? I already got the updates so I don't know if it would work clean. I guess I could uninstall them all again, but if someone has a clean install to test...
BTW I hear you having to reinstall Windows, it sucks! My (power-user) desktop system takes WEEKS to rebuild from scratch - no exaggeration! Word of advice, set it all up, and then image the OS partition. I do these days because I'm never going back to a full rebuild (just catching up the few months between the last backup takes long enough ).
---------- Post added at 06:29 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:18 PM ----------
@OMGitsShan, check you System even log for "disk <x> has been surprise removed" messages. That's what I get when it briefly detects and then disconnects the drive when I plug it in (about 50% of the time, the rest it doesn't see it at all).
---------- Post added at 07:08 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:29 PM ----------
I got my micro-> full SIM adapter, and tested the 3G stick at home. I'm near a mast so get a v. good signal - the stick gave me the same as I get on my iPhone 4s. Haven't tried in a weak signal area yet, but looks promising. There's no voice call facility in the supplied Mobile Partner software, but it seems to be able to send/receive texts (that probably explains the vibrate motor - which I don't mind firing on the Start button, but there's probably a tweak to turn it off).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Which carrier sim card are you trying with?
misbehave said:
Which carrier sim card are you trying with?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
3 (UK).
I also agree that the W3 is more of a work horse - if you're not planning to use the desktop much, it's probably overkill unless you want the faster CPU just because. But to me it's a poor man's Surface Pro (in a good way).
Gotta say I'm also really impressed with what MS has done with the mobile part of the OS. I run 8.1 on my desktop, but never use Metro at all. It's horrible to navigate with a mouse (or my Wacom graphics tablet, which doesn't react like the touchscreen even though that makes more sense). But it's great on this - I love IE in Metro mode, super slick, all the touch gestures in general finally make sense and are intuitive. I especially like swiping in from left to switch between desktop & metro screens, very slick.
And I'm very impressed with what they have achieved with the power usage. I'm a programmer and I know how much they would have had to gut the OS and rewrite massive parts of it, including the drivers, to get that to happen. It even seems to boot a little faster from cold than my (admittedly old) iPhone 4S. Sweet.
---------- Post added at 01:13 AM ---------- Previous post was at 01:09 AM ----------
Anybody know how we can replace the Pipo boot logo?
---------- Post added at 01:24 AM ---------- Previous post was at 01:13 AM ----------
... simple.

LG Dual-Sourcing panels again w/G4 - possible touchscreen issue correlation

After receiving my G4 last week and digging into it, I found that LG is once again dual-sourcing (JDI and in-house LGD) panels for the G4, and that all most verifiable touchscreen issues I have recorded have been on JDI panel equipped devices (EDIT: Though the vast majority were JDI, there was at least one LGD with the same issue). The problem itself is EMI/noise related and is remedied by a solid path to ground (plugging it in, good contact with your hand, etc).
I have verified this with a few dozen phones so far, but more data would be helpful. If you're going to, however, please don't post if you just feel that your touchscreen isn't as responsive as you'd like (missed taps, etc). There's too much room for error there. To verify that your device has the issue, it is best to count the number of discreet touch events it can register both while unplugged and plugged-in/grounded. If your device has the issue, you will only get 5-6 before failure while unplugged and 10 while plugged-in. You can use the free app Display Tester from the play store to check.
As for determining which panel you have, the easiest way is to check your kernel message buffer immediately after boot using dmesg. If you're rooted you can do this on the device, if you aren't rooted you can use adb.
Code:
dmesg | grep -i panel
The oem will be in your kernel command line, panel name, etc.
NOTE: Though it appears that there is a hardware element to this issue, I do think it's possible that LG could fix it in the touch driver with a software update. I personally haven't updated to the firmware that was reported to fix this on my variant (vs98612a) as it was pulled, so I can't say firsthand.
LG panel here. Just tested with display tester. While holding the phone in my hand it recognizes multiple fingers easily.
However if I lay down the G4 on whatever ground/table (it doesn't matter) it barely recognizes two fingers, the second one has to be pushed harder to get it recognized by the screen. Three fingers and it's game over. Really strange. So now I know why it was always difficult using the phone i.e. at work when I wanted to "passively" check whats going on. Most of my touches and swipes (even with one finger) were more prone to erratic behaviour while the pone was laying on my desk.
I am using LG's 6.0 MM by the way with S3V3n's rooted kernel and unlocked bootloader btw. Also there is a tempered glass protector on my screen.
Check the terminal log below for reference regarding my screen type (LGD).
[email protected]:/ $ su
[email protected]:/ # dmesg | grep -i panel
[ 0.000000 / 01-01 00:00:00.000][0] Kernel command line: sched_enable_hmp=1 sched_enable_power_aware=1 console=ttyHSL0,115200,n8 androidboot.console=ttyHSL0 user_debug=31 ehci-hcd.park=3 lpm_levels.sleep_disabled=1 androidboot.selinux=permissive msm_rtb.filter=0x37 androidboot.hardware=p1 lge.rev=rev_10 model.name=LG-H815 lge.sim_num=1 lge.battid=SW3800_VC0 lge.bootreason=Reboot_by_PowerKey maxcpus boot_cpus=0-5 kswitch cc_mode=0 androidboot.bl_unlock_complete=true androidboot.dlcomplete=0 gpt bootcable.type=NO_INIT androidboot.ddr_info=0x3b000206 fakebattery=disable lge.bootreasoncode=0x77665501 lge.hreset=off fips_allow_others=1 fips_panic=0 fips=0 androidboot.bootdevice=f9824900.sdhci androidboot.serialno=LGH8157479244e lge.signed_image=false lge.dsv_id=DW androidboot.baseband=msm mdss_mdp.panel=1:dsi:0:qcom,mdss_dsi_lgd_r69007_1440p_mipi0_cmd:1:qcom,mdss_dsi_lgd_r69007_1440p_mipi1_cmd
[ 0.766209 / 01-01 00:00:00.759][4] mdss_dsi_panel_init: Panel Name = LGD INCELL 1440p Dual 0 cmd mode dsi panel
[ 0.766220 / 01-01 00:00:00.759][4] lgd_qhd_command_mdss_dsi_panel_init: panel_type is LGD_INCELL_CMD_PANEL
[ 0.766229 / 01-01 00:00:00.759][4] panel_type is 2
[ 0.766364 / 01-01 00:00:00.759][4] mdss_dsi_panel_timing_from_dt: found new timing "qcom,mdss_dsi_lgd_r69007_1440p_mipi0_cmd" (ffffffc0c56a38a8)
xdabbeb said:
After receiving my G4 last week and digging into it, I found that LG is once again dual-sourcing (JDI and in-house LGD) panels for the G4, and that all verifiable touchscreen issues I have recorded have been on JDI panel equipped devices.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It took just one reply to disprove that
The problem itself is EMI/noise related and is remedied by a solid path to ground (plugging it in, good contact with your hand, etc).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
which will apply regardless of where the panel was sourced. A phone with a curve isn't really ideally suited to be operated on a flat surface anyway.
I've noted this tendency to point out where a component comes from here on the boards and this then gets extrapolated into something bad. i would not interpret a non-oem panel as a problem whatsoever.
components are sourced when required from suppliers that can build to scale. They are equivalent for all intents and purposes.
it should not make a bit of difference whether the panel is LG or JDI. If it does then it just means you 'may' have a defective panel. This can happen with either source.
I think you may be on to something. I got the JDI panel, and I noticed that if I use a touch tester app, it can only register 5 touches successfully when unplugged. The 6th touch causes it to lose all touch points. However, when it's plugged into power, it can register 10 touches without a problem.
Not that I need more than 5 touch points, but is this normal behavior for a digitizer to do that? Looks to me like this is something that could be tweaked in the driver. Would be interesting to know by someone with Verizon software 12A (I am on 11A) if they notice the same issue that their device only registers 5 touches max, or if that is something that has been addressed. I am really getting ticked off by Verizon peddling around and not being able to provide the update every other G4 user already has received. At this point, I am hoping xdabbeb's efforts of coming up with a fix for the 11A version bear some fruits.
One Twelve said:
It took just one reply to disprove that
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Actually, no...given the individual's report of not even being able to register 2 touches that sounds more like a hardware failure than what is being investigated here.
which will apply regardless of where the panel was sourced. A phone with a curve isn't really ideally suited to be operated on a flat surface anyway.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't believe I mentioned laying it flat on a table as part of this test, but, yes, a curved phone isn't suited to that.
I've noted this tendency to point out where a component comes from here on the boards and this then gets extrapolated into something bad. i would not interpret a non-oem panel as a problem whatsoever.
components are sourced when required from suppliers that can build to scale. They are equivalent for all intents and purposes.
it should not make a bit of difference whether the panel is LG or JDI. If it does then it just means you 'may' have a defective panel. This can happen with either source.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was actually quite careful in making no judgment in this regard. The words 'bad' and 'defective' were only used by you, actually. I personally don't care what panel was/is used and even stated that given the nature of the problem I feel a software fix is certainly possible.
Though there will be a tendency with any device that has a large scale issue such as this to (sometimes blindly) grasp at finding the cause, the purpose of this was to gather more information, not incite a witch hunt. I personally gathered over 3 dozen logs/reports that supported this before posting, and felt that this was the best way to get more.. I have no horse in this otherwise. I have noted tendencies of contrarianism and gross generalization, but it's the Internet...You're going to get that
@konradsa the qfuse situation makes investigating that more problematic, but that's precisely what I'm looking into next.
@konradsa the qfuse situation makes investigating that more problematic, but that's precisely what I'm looking into next.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks, appreciate your efforts and looking forward to your results.
konradsa said:
I think you may be on to something. I got the JDI panel, and I noticed that if I use a touch tester app, it can only register 5 touches successfully when unplugged. The 6th touch causes it to lose all touch points. However, when it's plugged into power, it can register 10 touches without a problem.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Same problem with LGD panel.
random_word said:
Same problem with LGD panel.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If it was exactly the same then that settles it. Thanks for the report. Closing the thread.

[Q] Have you experienced this Screen problem (Fading out) ?

My Nook STR display looks like it has worn out or faded out.The (black) colour seems worn out , dimmed and heavy ghosting.(even after shut down, see the attached images).I can recover it bit by refreshing the scree (everytime I turn a page) but it is annoying and distracting.And this happen after about 5 min of booting and soon after nook start it look ok (but dimmed a bit)
This started to happen about a month ago and I have been using my Nook for 2 years now without any problem.
To solve this I restored it using the Nook Manager but the problem remains.
Please give me your views and advice. I am suspecting a hardware problem.
Note I don't use any apps like NoRefresher or FastMode.
[I'm new to this thread posting and apology for mistakes]
Thank You in advance
https://my.pcloud.com/publink/show?code=XZRX5RZfborCh0jJ00V1zcOvKWHc7gwGIfy
https://my.pcloud.com/publink/show?code=XZdV5RZEdsmMHOOSfLRcde3suMgH0CrGBR7
https://my.pcloud.com/publink/show?code=XZiV5RZtRpXAJo8To49VJ8B9UtopRqExIW7
https://my.pcloud.com/publink/show?code=XZNV5RZVSgEsKNokHHPGt15BRzBA0J82Pey
Somebody like to help Please
I'm no expert but I can't imagine that something like that is NOT hardware-related.
NookST Student said:
My Nook STR display looks like it has worn out or faded out.The (black) colour seems worn out , dimmed and heavy ghosting.(even after shut down, see the attached images).I can recover it bit by refreshing the scree (everytime I turn a page) but it is annoying and distracting.And this happen after about 5 min of booting and soon after nook start it look ok (but dimmed a bit)
This started to happen about a month ago and I have been using my Nook for 2 years now without any problem.
To solve this I restored it using the Nook Manager but the problem remains.
Please give me your views and advice. I am suspecting a hardware problem.
Note I don't use any apps like NoRefresher or FastMode.
...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If the problem remains after you did a "factory restore/reset" then it is most likely hardware related.
My NST had ghosting issue when I was experimenting with FastMode/NoRefresher but it went away after I did factory reset and went with a less exotic kernel hack.
Thank you for your response guys
I think I could zoom in the problem.
I took several screen shots using the screen shot app in one of these threads
Surprisingly those images are perfect.
I think the software is working fine.
So the problem is in the display or the display driver. And I notice that the e ink display has becomer darker even when the Nook is power off.
Is there any way to test the display driver ?
Hmm, that looks strange.
It's certainly not the frame buffer, but you already proved that.
Dumping the frame buffer will give you a nice, clean shot.
It could be that the (plug-in) display itself has a problem.
It could be that the voltages out of the (electronic) driver are screwed up.
It could be that the VCom or the EPD waveforms are screwed up.
The first thing that I'd try would be plugging in another display.
I'd also check the dmesg to see if something happened.
You should see stuff similar to this (editted) version:
Code:
DSPTrace:=== DSP: Load waveforms for t = 25 ===
DSPTrace:=== DSP: EINK parser version 1.07 (MV5) ===
DSPTrace:-I- Mode Version: 0 INIT, 1 DU, 2 GC16, 3 GC16(r), 4 A2, 5 GL16, ...
DSPTrace:-I- WMTA = 000047 (hex)
DSPTrace:-I- Ranges: 0-3-6-9-12-15-18-21-24-27-30-33-38-43-48
DSPTrace:-I- [4] Loaded ID = 5, t = 24 - 27, Subframes = 38
Thank you Renate
I checked the dmesg log and found this part is different
DSPTrace:=== DSP: Load waveforms for t = 29
I am not an expert so I attached the log.
Testing with another display is the most reliable method but that takes time as I have to import one from China.:crying:
So is there anyother way to check the display driver ?
I checked the display cable it is perfect. I am really confused but also VERY curious to figure out this mystery
More pictures of disembled display ( isn't is look strange the ghosting even when no power)
No, your dmesg log looks fine.
It's just that your room is warmer than mine!
It looks pretty low-level, driver voltages or display.
I'm sure somebody who works for the display manufacturer could tell you in a second exactly what it is.
Renate NST said:
No, your dmesg log looks fine.
It's just that your room is warmer than mine!
It looks pretty low-level, driver voltages or display.
I'm sure somebody who works for the display manufacturer could tell you in a second exactly what it is.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks Renate
I think the only way to check (or solve) this issue is to plug a new display.
I was reluctant to spend on a display (nearly $25):crying:
But I ordered one from ebay and now waiting for it .
However, do you think the weather has any effect on the eink displays ?
I found a similar thread from mobileread forum. One poster reports a similar issue with kindle and sony readers.
Permanently screen fading over time problem in e-ink readers - MobileRead Forums
Several posters say they are in Asian countries.So I am also in asia (Sri lanka) So I wonder whether there is a connection.
I could tell you to fiddle with the EpdWaveforms and stuff, but that is a bit of black magic.
Your waveforms are apparently happy and loading.
I don't remember if B&N really set the Vcom on their devices before they left the factory.
The good thing with playing with the Vcom is that it's easily editable.
You said that you took your Nook apart.
Did you see the sticker on the back of the Epd connector?
That tells you the common voltage to the panel, around -2 Volts.
(The barcode says the same thing in Code128B, "-2.25".)
That should correlate to the value in /rom/devconf/epdVcom
You can try changing it if it doesn't.
It probably won't make a big effect, this is more fine-tuning for gray scale.
In my case:
Code:
echo -n "-2250" > epdVcom
(The number is in millivolts, with a minus sign.)
I dunno, put your Nook in the fridge and see if other waveforms work better.
The voltage is the same Renate. But I don't think there is a problem with the Rom and other software stuff.Because I did a complete system restore and the problem remains.
What really bug me is whenever I boot it (or reboot) the screen become ok with clear text.But after about 10 min (this time varies) the problem happens.
I think it is difficult to troubleshoot without a new screen.Plus I haven't seen people complaining about faulty motherboards.This makes me hopeful. (correct me if I am wrong on this)
Anyway Thank you Renate for your time and effort I saw you always trying to help many posters here. Keep up the good work!
Update
I got a brand new display from a ebay seller and my Nook is better than a brand new.
The fading issue is in the display.
The new display is whiter and has better contrast than the orginal one.
The best thing is I can use Renate's Temblast Reader without complete Refresh.
I don't know whether the new display has high DPP but I am more than happy.
I think the weather has an effect on Eink displays.
Thank You Everybody for your kind consideration and advice specially Renate. (Renate look forward to see an updated version of your fantastic Reader app with dictionary and bookmark)

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