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First of all, this isn't a "why I don't like the Xoom" post. Actually, there is a lot that I do really like about the Xoom, and I'm optimistic that once Flash, 4G, and a few more Honeycomb-optimized apps come to the device, it will be a very capable device.
The reason I'm posting here is that I purchased the Xoom online from Verizon when it first came out, but there were a few things that bothered me enough about it that I returned it after about a week to make sure that I didn't land outside the return window. I have however, been considering buying another one, this time directly from the Verizon store so I can spend a little more time with it to determine if I like it enough to justify the $800 expenditure. So, I wanted to post my major nits with the product here to see if others have found them to be not as much of an issue or had found workarounds that solve some of these problems. I know there have been other posts about many of these problems, but I was hoping to get some fresh perspective now that the device has been out and in people's hands for a little longer.
Here's what is keeping me from going out and buying another Xoom right now.
1. I didn't like the display. On auto-brightness, it seemed like it was always too dark, and even the maximum manual brightness setting it still wasn't bright enough to overcome the glare that the screen attracted when I was sitting by a window or near a lamp. I felt like I was always struggling to see what was on the screen, even when indoors. Has anyone had luck solving this with, for example, an anti-glare screen protector? Or was this something that you adjusted to and found to be less of an issue over time?
2. The portfolio case, though serviceable, was unattractive and clunky, but I didn't like the lack of screen protection on the gel case. Is the gel case maybe worth another look, or are there any third party cases in the works that look promising?
3. It can't charge via USB, and the power adapter is a little larger than something I would like to have tucked in my bag all the time. How do you keep your Xoom charged on the go? Do you find that the advantage of being able to charge the Xoom quickly makes up for the fact that it can't be charged by a universal mini-usb?
Anyway, thanks for taking the time to read this. It turned out a little longer than I had originally intended. Looking forward to your feedback.
lazy_rider said:
First of all, this isn't a "why I don't like the Xoom" post. Actually, there is a lot that I do really like about the Xoom, and I'm optimistic that once Flash, 4G, and a few more Honeycomb-optimized apps come to the device, it will be a very capable device.
The reason I'm posting here is that I purchased the Xoom online from Verizon when it first came out, but there were a few things that bothered me enough about it that I returned it after about a week to make sure that I didn't land outside the return window. I have however, been considering buying another one, this time directly from the Verizon store so I can spend a little more time with it to determine if I like it enough to justify the $800 expenditure. So, I wanted to post my major nits with the product here to see if others have found them to be not as much of an issue or had found workarounds that solve some of these problems. I know there have been other posts about many of these problems, but I was hoping to get some fresh perspective now that the device has been out and in people's hands for a little longer.
Here's what is keeping me from going out and buying another Xoom right now.
1. I didn't like the display. On auto-brightness, it seemed like it was always too dark, and even the maximum manual brightness setting it still wasn't bright enough to overcome the glare that the screen attracted when I was sitting by a window or near a lamp. I felt like I was always struggling to see what was on the screen, even when indoors. Has anyone had luck solving this with, for example, an anti-glare screen protector? Or was this something that you adjusted to and found to be less of an issue over time?
2. The portfolio case, though serviceable, was unattractive and clunky, but I didn't like the lack of screen protection on the gel case. Is the gel case maybe worth another look, or are there any third party cases in the works that look promising?
3. It can't charge via USB, and the power adapter is a little larger than something I would like to have tucked in my bag all the time. How do you keep your Xoom charged on the go? Do you find that the advantage of being able to charge the Xoom quickly makes up for the fact that it can't be charged by a universal mini-usb?
Anyway, thanks for taking the time to read this. It turned out a little longer than I had originally intended. Looking forward to your feedback.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1. I agree with the auto brightness. I turned this off and keep the brightness at 75%. I added Zagg invisibleshield and it has significantly reduced glare, fingerprints and smudges. I am happy.
2. I ordered this but it has not arrived yet: http://www.zoogue.com/shop/#xoom-zoogue-case-genius I am currently using the Moto gel case and it works for now.
3. I haven't had an issue with the charger. It charges very fast and the battery life is very good.
I love my xoom, though i don't see a lot of resolution for you on these issues.
1. I love the display, agreed it's hard to see in bright light (but this to me is normal).
2. I like the portfolio case and use it constantly.
3. For me the lack of usb chargning is fine, as the default charger charges so fast and my battary lasts me all day. I can charge from empty to full in less then two hours and get at least a good 12 hour day of off again on again usage.
Hope this helps.
same here.
i turned of auto brightness and the screen is great for me now.
haven't put a case on it (waiting for a good one to come out).
i left the shipping cover plastic on the screen until i decide on what screen protector i am going to use.
no usb charging was not a deal breaker for me as it has been noted before that the charge time is fast and the use time is high.
1. I use mine on a bus and outside and haven't really had a problem with brightness, the glare is a killer though. Inside, at night when using the kindle app, I'd like to turn down the brightness. I picked up the Steinheil screen protectors (matte) and it really cut down on the fingerprint smudges and glare. Yea, the screen isn't as crisp as without the protector, but the smudges ruined it anyway. I took auto brightness off but keep the display turned down.
2. I haven't seen any third party case even for the ipad that I really like. The portfolio from Motorola is the best I've seen so far and I'm really disappointed. It needs to have a typing position, maybe 20-30% incline.
3. I would have liked a mini usb charger. I'll probably get a second one but by charging it at night I have more than enough juice to get through a day.
Motorola had a $100 off coupon floating around and the wifi models are being released at the end of this month which should be less expensive.
keitht said:
1. I agree with the auto brightness. I turned this off and keep the brightness at 75%. I added Zagg invisibleshield and it has significantly reduced glare, fingerprints and smudges. I am happy.
2. I ordered this but it has not arrived yet: http://www.zoogue.com/shop/#xoom-zoogue-case-genius I am currently using the Moto gel case and it works for now.
3. I haven't had an issue with the charger. It charges very fast and the battery life is very good.
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Click to collapse
I have a Zoogue iPad case and have used it for the past 8 months. It is amazing and has held up perfectly. It is an awesome case especially if you intend to watch a fair bit of videos with your tablet. Maybe not the prettiest case around, but it protects the hell out of the tablet and not only allows you any angle of incline, but also a very sturdy base so that it wont go tipping over if you tap the tablet too hard.
I agree with most people here.
1. Forget the auto brightness. It's useless.
2. I really want the zoogue case, let me know how it is. I'm ok with the portfolio case. It's definitely grown on me. I have two big issues with it though: lack of a 30-degree angle for tabletop use, but i've gotten used to the "low angle", and no charging while closed. someone in the accessories forum suggested punching a hole with a punch meant for making holes in a belt and it worked like a charm (hint: try asking your dry cleaner/alternation shop if you can use theirs, that way I didn't have to buy one). Looks like it almost was meant to be there.
3. I would have liked the 'option' of a mirco usb charger, but honestly, I use it every day at work unplug in the morning, use at home after dinner and plug in at night, and have never had an issue. I even went away for the weekend (sat morn to sunday night) and brought my charger, but i never charged it. I dont see it as an issue.
lazy_rider said:
First of all, this isn't a "why I don't like the Xoom" post. Actually, there is a lot that I do really like about the Xoom, and I'm optimistic that once Flash, 4G, and a few more Honeycomb-optimized apps come to the device, it will be a very capable device.
The reason I'm posting here is that I purchased the Xoom online from Verizon when it first came out, but there were a few things that bothered me enough about it that I returned it after about a week to make sure that I didn't land outside the return window. I have however, been considering buying another one, this time directly from the Verizon store so I can spend a little more time with it to determine if I like it enough to justify the $800 expenditure. So, I wanted to post my major nits with the product here to see if others have found them to be not as much of an issue or had found workarounds that solve some of these problems. I know there have been other posts about many of these problems, but I was hoping to get some fresh perspective now that the device has been out and in people's hands for a little longer.
Here's what is keeping me from going out and buying another Xoom right now.
1. I didn't like the display. On auto-brightness, it seemed like it was always too dark, and even the maximum manual brightness setting it still wasn't bright enough to overcome the glare that the screen attracted when I was sitting by a window or near a lamp. I felt like I was always struggling to see what was on the screen, even when indoors. Has anyone had luck solving this with, for example, an anti-glare screen protector? Or was this something that you adjusted to and found to be less of an issue over time?
2. The portfolio case, though serviceable, was unattractive and clunky, but I didn't like the lack of screen protection on the gel case. Is the gel case maybe worth another look, or are there any third party cases in the works that look promising?
3. It can't charge via USB, and the power adapter is a little larger than something I would like to have tucked in my bag all the time. How do you keep your Xoom charged on the go? Do you find that the advantage of being able to charge the Xoom quickly makes up for the fact that it can't be charged by a universal mini-usb?
Anyway, thanks for taking the time to read this. It turned out a little longer than I had originally intended. Looking forward to your feedback.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1 - I operate my device on auto brightness pretty much all the time, the only exception to this is when QuickPic fires up because it ramps it to 100%. I have found that in most normal operating environments I can see the screen perfectly. I am not outdoors with it very often but I know what you are talking about because it is difficult to see under direct or even semi direct sunlight.
2 - I'm going to buy a gel case right now, I already own the protective case. I want to try them both and figure that I'll use the Gel case around the house and the protective case out at work.
3 - There is a car charger, but I am unaware of a more compact Xoom charger.
Thanks to everyone who has commented so far. I'm leaning strongly towards giving the Xoom another shot, although I might wait until they start shipping with 4G, so I don't have to send it back to Moto for a week for the upgrade.
lazy_rider said:
1. I didn't like the display. Has anyone had luck solving this with, for example, an anti-glare screen protector? Or was this something that you adjusted to and found to be less of an issue over time?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm still not over the display quality. This is one of the main factors why I'm weighing to sell the xoom and get another honeycomb tablet in the future.
lazy_rider said:
2. The portfolio case, though serviceable, was unattractive and clunky, but I didn't like the lack of screen protection on the gel case. Is the gel case maybe worth another look, or are there any third party cases in the works that look promising?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Couldn't say as I've never used it before.
lazy_rider said:
3. It can't charge via USB, and the power adapter is a little larger than something I would like to have tucked in my bag all the time. How do you keep your Xoom charged on the go? Do you find that the advantage of being able to charge the Xoom quickly makes up for the fact that it can't be charged by a universal mini-usb?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I found the xoom's ability to charge quickly makes up for the lack of usb charging. additionally, when in a car traveling long distances, i can hook up the charger to a power generator i bought for the car that easily hooks up to the lighter port.
I'm going to wait it out, and try and get the samsung tablet 10.1 coming out in about a month.
I too use auto brightness all the time, but maybe I live in a dark existence.
I use the gel case all the time, and no screen protector. When I take it with me, its in my protective net book sleeve in my backpack so I'm not really worried about the screen. If I start to hear complaints here about screen issues (other than the gym bag guy) I may seek better protection.
I don't find the charging to be an issue as the battery lasts a long time. I think the car charger (<$30) is a good idea if you are gonna be in the car for even 15 minutes or so. If you can hook up the standard dock someplace in your car you can charge it and play audio from itnto the aux port on your stereo if you have one...
Sent from my Xoom using XDA App
lazy_rider said:
Do you find that the advantage of being able to charge the Xoom quickly makes up for the fact that it can't be charged by a universal mini-usb?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Very much so; it charges it so fast and the battery life is so good I just don't worry about it any more. I might get a car charger for the times I can't get home in time, once they get 2nd-sourced (to save money) but so far, so good.
I suffer under no delusions that a device like this will be viewable in direct lighting (including sunlight). I pretty much assumed going in that I'd still be using my classic Nook with e-ink for reading outside...
i bought one and I returned it because of the same issues. Then I bought my wife an I pad 2 and i tested it for a few day and I
notice the xoom is so fast and you not handcuffed to apple products that I went and bought the xoom again and this time I'm keeping it.
Can this be done? I am asking this because I am getting sick of messing with all these tablets none of the 7' ones have optical batteries and it is hard to find one that doesn't weigh like a pound with a huge bezel which is the main reason why I was looking at doing this I feel the tablet would really benefit being light weight. My main question is if I found a decent cellphone with a broken screen for cheap would it be difficult to be able to adapt a 16:9 7' LCD panel and capacitive digitizer to the connector? I'd really love to have a small pocketable 7' tablet that has moddable space for some of the cheaply available cellphone batteries or extended batteries etc..
I was close to getting what I wanted with one tablet but it didn't have USB charging.
you can try on openmoko phone,they are coming with full customization opensource phone so you can modify it.
buzz86us said:
Can this be done? I am asking this because I am getting sick of messing with all these tablets none of the 7' ones have optical batteries and it is hard to find one that doesn't weigh like a pound with a huge bezel which is the main reason why I was looking at doing this I feel the tablet would really benefit being light weight. My main question is if I found a decent cellphone with a broken screen for cheap would it be difficult to be able to adapt a 16:9 7' LCD panel and capacitive digitizer to the connector? I'd really love to have a small pocketable 7' tablet that has moddable space for some of the cheaply available cellphone batteries or extended batteries etc..
I was close to getting what I wanted with one tablet but it didn't have USB charging.
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Click to collapse
If I read this correct, you want to be able to remove the tablets battery and/or swap it with a cellphone battery? Would it work? Yes. No. I have a 5in. Galaxy Player that has a non-removable battery but I removed it just to see if I could. If you manage to correctly wire everything together you have to consider how to get it in a pocketable shell. Also phones and tablets have different shaped batteries and those batteries have different amperage/voltage. But hey, if you got expendable cash and a little "know how" by all means go for it.
i was talking modding a phone with a broken screen into a tablet by replacing the screen with a 7' lcd and a capacitive digitizer and designing a shell while maintaining the phones ability to use its own optical batteries. I am just trying to get a feel for whether this would he a viable idea.
But do u think a 7 inch is pocketable? Even if its weightless? Lol, i almost dont put my hd2 in my pockets, its hell of a big.
But as ans for ur doubts its possible. Unless u manage to get a proper display. Batt isnt that much prob. U can make packs with several batts, if u know how to.
Sent from my HTC HD2 using xda premium
Wouldn't one extended battery suffice? and yes a 7' tab is pocketable the main issue that makes these non pocketable is the huge bezels on some of them.
First and foremost you can't wire a different screen or digitizer into the system. The LCD driver is build and configured for that exact display and resolution. A better solution could be to slave a LCD panel using the hdmi and integrate a mouse into the housing to control it.
As for batteries there is a reason they are the way they are. It is easier to integrate it (smaller profile) and it is easier to deal with. You would need a huge battery if you wanted any sort of run time.
giritrobbins said:
First and foremost you can't wire a different screen or digitizer into the system. The LCD driver is build and configured for that exact display and resolution. A better solution could be to slave a LCD panel using the hdmi and integrate a mouse into the housing to control it.
As for batteries there is a reason they are the way they are. It is easier to integrate it (smaller profile) and it is easier to deal with. You would need a huge battery if you wanted any sort of run time.
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Click to collapse
I was going to say, the biggest problem will be the driving hardware for the LCD as almost each lcd has a different one. In order for this to work you would have to find one that works exactly the same way as the screen that you are taking off.
Battery power will also be a problem. The battery for my Captivate is 5.5 Watt Hours which at 3.7-3.8V is 1450-1500mAh. The battery an iPad 2 is 28W which at 3.8V is 7380 mAh. Basically, bigger screen = bigger backlight. Bigger backlight = more power. The most battery two most battery draining items on the phone is the cell receiver and the lcd backlight.
pongkite said:
you can try on openmoko phone,they are coming with full customization opensource phone so you can modify it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wow. I haven't seen a reference to openmoko in a long time.
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
What's wrong with having a bezel around the screen? It is actually useful when you hold the tablet cause your fingers won't touch the screen as you're holding it
Get a Samsung galaxy note!
I agree with this guy ^^^^
I had the same trouble as you, but now I have a Galaxy Note, its only 5.3 inches though not 7, but after moving up from an iPhone it feels huge.
Yes on the Galaxy Note -- have one and am pleased
I have the Galaxy Note and recommend it as well.
Give that, my read is you may find an option of using an andriod phone put a mod on it (an example cyanogenmod) and BOOM phablet
I am digging into this as an option as well (welcome comments). I have been trying to get a device from ebay without luck todate (recommendations welcome).
I also ordered a Window N50 (N5Zero) as another option
let me know if this helps
Unless you really need the phone functionality of an actual phone, wouldn't it be much simpler to buy an existing 7" tablet and then mod it to take removable batteries? Some dremel work, bit of plastic plates for support and some spring contacts and you're good to go.
China makes some very nice android tablets. I've got a 9.7 one that runs ICS and the experience on it is at least as good as my old HTC desire minus the phone and 3G. Supports external 3G dongles but dang they're ugly..
For the record, I have a galaxy note.
Just buy a kindle fire, root it, and install ICS. Or just install a launcher like my GF did. For 200 dollars you will not do any better than it, period.
The kindle fire is pretty impressive in terms of RAM and processor power for the price, and while the screen isn't perfect, I found it hard to justify $700 at the time for the Gnote over her free smartphone and $200 dollar KF.
Even in terms of gaming, emulation, etc, I have yet to find anything running significantly slower than on my Gnote, even though the specs are just a 1ghz dual- core processor and 512 mb RAM. I think the playstation emulater ran ever so slightly slower with a 3D game, that's it.
My girl seems to get around 3-4 days on standby with some moderate gaming and a lot of e-reading, etc. I'm sure you can get a generic micro-usb 'external battery' which will charge your device etc. Personally, I just carry around a micro-usb cable and/or charger. Unless you are taking this hypothetical tablet into the woods I can't see how you wouldn't be able to charge it at least for an hour or two somewhere in this day and age.
One of the reasons that you will not find tablets with removable batteries is that the batteries themselves are massive and make up much a pretty sizeable chunk of the phone. I can't state the specifics, but the point is you can't just 'remove the back and plop in a new battery'. What, were you planning to run four galaxy S2 batteries in series or something? How would that be useful? And do you really think that the result you will get will be superior to something you could buy? Have you ever tried soldering onto PCBs before? Do you have the proper equipment to do so?
+1 to the lower-cost tablets coming out of China, etc. I have heard some good things about them.
Summary: economies of scale have all the answers you need
The Toshiba Thrive has a removable battery. The 10 inch, at any rate.
Sent from my AT100 using Tapatalk 2
I originally purchased the Galaxy Note around 1.5 months ago on a £27 GBP per month 24-month contract from 3 (including 500 minutes, 5000 texts and unlimited data) with the purpose of it saving me the costs of two devices. So far, it has proved more than capable as serving as both a tablet and phone, but I want to try and extend that. After spending a few ill days using solely the Note, I've found I'm able to complete almost all my regular PC tasks that I would carry out on my laptop on my Note instead.
Thanks to Polaris Office, which comes pre-installed on the phone, I can even do the majority of my school homework on my device with reminders set on S Memo and S Planner. S Note helps me organise recipes for my passion for cooking, whilst Nova launcher allows me to have several slots on my dock bar coupled with a default ICS look for a tablet-like experience. The sites which I visit frequently, such as YouTube and Facebook, all have adequate enough apps and Thumb Keyboard makes typing on the Note (be it landscape or portrait) a breeze. So, fading out my laptop usage seems like the natural thing to do in my mind.
However, before I am able to do that I have a few things I need to sort out first and I have taken the liberty to write them out below with the hope that someone hear can help me with one or more of these issues I face.
Firstly, the Galaxy Note only delivers around 4/5 hours of screen time, which isn't awful but an improvement is always welcome. So, I am looking for a larger battery, but I still need to fit my phone into a case so I don't want one which increases the size of my device. Any recommendations that aren't ridiculously priced as I don't have an awful lot of money with £27 out of £40 allowance going towards this phone?
Next, I am looking for a case for my Note which both protects the back of the device and the camera, which I have heard to be prone to scratches, plus the screen. So, a flip-case seems most appropriate. I love the styling of the Zenus one found here, but it is rather expensive. So, does anyone know of some cheaper alternatives with a similar styling? I want one with a kickstand so I can view movies from my bedside cabinet or set it up to play some games using a gaming pad.
Unfortunately, as with every device, severely heavy usage does mean you have to charge at least once a day. Unfortunately, the charger which came with my phone does not reach from a mains plug to a chair in my living room or bedroom. So, could anyone recommend a longer wire approximately four metres in length for a decent price?
I also have a few questions regarding the software of the Galaxy Note. My phone suffers from the brick-bug thanks to accepting an upgrade before checking online, which was in hindsight a little foolish, and also the deep sleep bug. The brick bug should, hopefully, receive a fix from Samsung. But, if this comes in the form of an update, will it not wipe data and trigger the bug or shall this update be safe? As for the deep sleep bug, what can I do to try to trigger my phone into deep sleep? I already get around 15 hours of light use on my phone, which is still better than any other smartphone I have (admittedly just an old HTC Desire and Samsung Wave), but as I said all improvements are welcome. Any ideas?
OnLive allows you to pull of full HD gaming with the likes of Homefront available on the service to play on your mobile. I want to know how connecting the "Universal Wireless Controller" works? Is it compatible with ICS?
Finally, I am looking for some app recommendations. Open to all suggestions.
EDIT 1: I am also looking for a 32GB Micro-SD/SD card (whichever one the Galaxy Note takes) for the cheapest price available. I have heard of some 64GB cards working too, but unless they are for a reasonable price I am uninterested. Any suggestions for a cheap card for storing some media on? I am also looking for PC software to rip my DVDs to place them onto my SD card. I have loads of television show box-sets that have 20 minute long episodes just perfect for a bus trip, for example.
EDIT 2: So, upon some reading, I've heard lots of people saying how a screen protector is a must. I certainly didn't think so, but I trust the people on here to not steer me wrong. The issue I have with many screen protectors is that they add a weird texture for touching and also are absolutely a nightmare to get on. Anyone know of a screen protector which doesn't impair the comfort of touching and using the S-Pen on the screen?
Brad387 said:
I originally purchased the Galaxy Note around 1.5 months ago on a £27 GBP per month 24-month contract from 3 (including 500 minutes, 5000 texts and unlimited data) with the purpose of it saving me the costs of two devices. So far, it has proved more than capable as serving as both a tablet and phone, but I want to try and extend that. After spending a few ill days using solely the Note, I've found I'm able to complete almost all my regular PC tasks that I would carry out on my laptop on my Note instead.
Thanks to Polaris Office, which comes pre-installed on the phone, I can even do the majority of my school homework on my device with reminders set on S Memo and S Planner. S Note helps me organise recipes for my passion for cooking, whilst Nova launcher allows me to have several slots on my dock bar coupled with a default ICS look for a tablet-like experience. The sites which I visit frequently, such as YouTube and Facebook, all have adequate enough apps and Thumb Keyboard makes typing on the Note (be it landscape or portrait) a breeze. So, fading out my laptop usage seems like the natural thing to do in my mind.
However, before I am able to do that I have a few things I need to sort out first and I have taken the liberty to write them out below with the hope that someone hear can help me with one or more of these issues I face.
Firstly, the Galaxy Note only delivers around 4/5 hours of screen time, which isn't awful but an improvement is always welcome. So, I am looking for a larger battery, but I still need to fit my phone into a case so I don't want one which increases the size of my device. Any recommendations that aren't ridiculously priced as I don't have an awful lot of money with £27 out of £40 allowance going towards this phone?
Next, I am looking for a case for my Note which both protects the back of the device and the camera, which I have heard to be prone to scratches, plus the screen. So, a flip-case seems most appropriate. I love the styling of the Zenus one found here, but it is rather expensive. So, does anyone know of some cheaper alternatives with a similar styling? I want one with a kickstand so I can view movies from my bedside cabinet or set it up to play some games using a gaming pad.
Unfortunately, as with every device, severely heavy usage does mean you have to charge at least once a day. Unfortunately, the charger which came with my phone does not reach from a mains plug to a chair in my living room or bedroom. So, could anyone recommend a longer wire approximately four metres in length for a decent price?
I also have a few questions regarding the software of the Galaxy Note. My phone suffers from the brick-bug thanks to accepting an upgrade before checking online, which was in hindsight a little foolish, and also the deep sleep bug. The brick bug should, hopefully, receive a fix from Samsung. But, if this comes in the form of an update, will it not wipe data and trigger the bug or shall this update be safe? As for the deep sleep bug, what can I do to try to trigger my phone into deep sleep? I already get around 15 hours of light use on my phone, which is still better than any other smartphone I have (admittedly just an old HTC Desire and Samsung Wave), but as I said all improvements are welcome. Any ideas?
OnLive allows you to pull of full HD gaming with the likes of Homefront available on the service to play on your mobile. I want to know how connecting the "Universal Wireless Controller" works? Is it compatible with ICS?
Finally, I am looking for some app recommendations. Open to all suggestions.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Brad, you put a lot into this post. I'm not able to comment on all of it, but good luck in your pursuit of a single device.
I cannot offer an alternative to Zenus, but can attest to the quality of their cases. If you go their route, you won't be disappointed.
As far as cables, I'd suggest checking out Cables-To-Go. They have tons available online.
And lastly, there are a lot of app recommendation threads out there... but for your purpose I might suggest "Papyrus". It is a very slick note taking application with some nice features.
Good luck!
The On live universal controller works. Used it on stock gingebread. Never tried on ice cream sandwich.
I find the blackberry charger works well. Its pretty long.
I suggest you head to the market and get the longest (branded) charger you can find.
Does anyone know whether the Note requires more power to charge the Note like the iPad needs a more powerful charger and cannot use the iPhone 4's charger.
Thanks.
I have a charging doc with slot to charge an extra battery. Bought the dock with two batteries for less than $20 on Ebay. The batteries are not the quality of the original but still are serviceable. I have since ordered two OEM batteries still in the blister packs (also on Ebay cellphone dealer for $7.00 ea.) just because the price was good.
I'm never without my Note anytime I'm awake.
I am also looking for a 32GB Micro-SD/SD card (whichever one the Galaxy Note takes) for the cheapest price available. I have heard of some 64GB cards working too, but unless they are for a reasonable price I am uninterested. Any suggestions for a cheap card for storing some media on? I am also looking for PC software to rip my DVDs to place them onto my SD card. I have loads of television show box-sets that have 20 minute long episodes just perfect for a bus trip, for example.
CorruptedSanity said:
I find the blackberry charger works well. Its pretty long.
I suggest you head to the market and get the longest (branded) charger you can find.
Does anyone know whether the Note requires more power to charge the Note like the iPad needs a more powerful charger and cannot use the iPhone 4's charger.
Thanks.
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Click to collapse
Well, thanks, but I don't own a Blackberry charger as Blackberry devices have never ever appealed to me.
stiffi2011 said:
The On live universal controller works. Used it on stock gingebread. Never tried on ice cream sandwich.
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Click to collapse
Well, I am using the stock ICS. But, still...thanks. I am sure someone here might found that information useful.
CGI_Ram said:
Brad, you put a lot into this post. I'm not able to comment on all of it, but good luck in your pursuit of a single device.
I cannot offer an alternative to Zenus, but can attest to the quality of their cases. If you go their route, you won't be disappointed.
As far as cables, I'd suggest checking out Cables-To-Go. They have tons available online.
And lastly, there are a lot of app recommendation threads out there... but for your purpose I might suggest "Papyrus". It is a very slick note taking application with some nice features.
Good luck!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am sure the Zenus cases are of a sufficient quality, but they are around £40 GBP which is just ridiculous for a case in my opinion. I am looking for a similar styled one, but cheaper.
So, upon some reading, I've heard lots of people saying how a screen protector is a must. I certainly didn't think so, but I trust the people on here to not steer me wrong. The issue I have with many screen protectors is that they add a weird texture for touching and also are absolutely a nightmare to get on. Anyone know of a screen protector which doesn't impair the comfort of touching and using the S-Pen on the screen?
All i can say is dont go for the really cheap screen protectors, as you get what you pay for, But on the other hand, dont get ripped off and pay a fortune either !
Have a read through this thread http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1332004&page=27
People have reviewed their protectors so you might find one thats just right for you.
Good ones wont affect the S-Pen, But if they do, there are a few screen tuner apps on the market to adjust the sensitivity.
a protector is a must for me ! No matter how tough the gorilla glass is, Its not un-scratch able, just scratch resistant.
azzledazzle said:
All i can say is dont go for the really cheap screen protectors, as you get what you pay for, But on the other hand, dont get ripped off and pay a fortune either !
Have a read through this thread http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1332004&page=27
People have reviewed their protectors so you might find one thats just right for you.
Good ones wont affect the S-Pen, But if they do, there are a few screen tuner apps on the market to adjust the sensitivity.
a protector is a must for me ! No matter how tough the gorilla glass is, Its not un-scratch able, just scratch resistant.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for such a quick reply and I am reading through that thread right now. I am looking for a screen protector which does not effect the S-Pen nor ruin the quality of the image of the screen. Anti-glare for greater outdoor visibility would also be nice. I've heard of anti-fingerprint too, which again would be nice. What screen protector are using might I ask?
theres a whole range of cases available for the Note, I personally like the wallet cases, as it saves me some room in my pocket
theres a case thread in the accessory section too, Have a look through there, It all depends what you are looking for !
TPU, Leather, Plastic, Carbon faker * I mean fibre*
Wallet, flip, hard shell......... you can see where im going with this right ?
azzledazzle said:
theres a whole range of cases available for the Note, I personally like the wallet cases, as it saves me some room in my pocket
theres a case thread in the accessory section too, Have a look through there, It all depends what you are looking for !
TPU, Leather, Plastic, Carbon faker * I mean fibre*
Wallet, flip, hard shell......... you can see where im going with this right ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am also looking for an SD card, big as possible for as cheap as possible, and also a solution to the sleep bug I have where my phone won't deep sleep.
Im gonna let you in to a little secret here Not many people know about it but if you go here, Magic Place Full of Info
you can find out a whole array of things.
azzledazzle said:
Im gonna let you in to a little secret here Not many people know about it but if you go here, Magic Place Full of Info
you can find out a whole array of things.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
http://www.play.com/Mobiles/Mobile/...urce=0&searchtype=allproducts&urlrefer=search
What do you think about this SD card? Think it'd do the job okay?
yeah I only use a class 4 SD card also, Ive had it for ages and it does the job so i kept it.
However, the higher the class, the faster the read/write speeds are, If that isnt an issue then go for that one as its reasonably priced.
I'd avoid ebay unless you find a well known ebayer as there are a lot of scams about, People selling 32gb class 10 cards that turn out to be 8gb class 2 or something lol
keep your wits about ya
Good post Brad....I've always searched for the single 'converged' device and the Note has pretty much done the trick.
Apps like Evernote especially and Springpad are great catch all apps allowing cloud storage, organization, and easy access of ALL of your data and documents...checked Em out.
Some big (work) sites tho, so just aren't displayed well on the note compared to my lap top so have to use it sometimes, and that's about the only downside.
rockky said:
Good post Brad....I've always searched for the single 'converged' device and the Note has pretty much done the trick.
Apps like Evernote especially and Springpad are great catch all apps allowing cloud storage, organization, and easy access of ALL of your data and documents...checked Em out.
Some big (work) sites tho, so just aren't displayed well on the note compared to my lap top so have to use it sometimes, and that's about the only downside.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, frankly, I spend most of my internet time on a small selection of sites. Facebook, YouTube and many more all have mobile apps/versions of their site.
I am looking for...
a good screen protector which doesn't ruin the screen or S-Pen
a charging cable around 4 metres in length
a case which offers protection to the camera, back and front/screen
Seems simple as they are almost the same we should go for cheaper one...but...
is getting Samsung really a better deal?
Your thoughts? Which hybrid with Atom is the best choice and why?
I own the Samsung 500t. What I like about it besides being $200 cheaper, is the rotation lock button, full sized USB port, and a slot to store the s-pen. What I don't like is the glossy slippery plastic back, the weak speakers, and lack of second battery in the dock.
The TF810 looks like it has better build quality with mostly aluminum and some plastic, shouldn't be slippery, I think the "Quad-Speakers" are probably going to sound better. It's got a brighter Super IPS+ screen which helps if you need to use the tablet outside. And it has a second battery in the dock. Oh and it is just better looking too.
The Atom is okay, but it's video playback kinda sucks. It seems many of these Atom tablets have various driver quirks that are still being worked out. Things just don't seem to be quite ready yet and I'm already second guessing the wisdom of spending $750 on the Samsung. So I definitely wouldn't pay $950 for the ASUS (with dock).
I'm looking at the HP Envy X2 also. HP has it on sale for $750 (not sure how long this sale will last), that includes the dock. I really like the all aluminum build and the latch mechanism doesn't stick out as much as other tablets. It's also get a second battery in the dock, but has no stylus or a Wacom digitizer (apparently uses some cheaper digitizer). And some day the keyboard isn't that good either.
Seems like all the Atom tablets have some downsides that we have to figure out which ones we can accept.
I'm also thinking about just giving up on the whole keyboard docking thing and saving some money and getting a 10 inch ASUS VivoTab Smart. At least it'll make a better tablet being lighter and easier to hold. And I can prop it up in a stand and use a bluetooth keyboard. And lastly I won't feel so bad spending so much money to be a first generation Windows 8 tablet guinea pig.
Lenovo Lynx is looking pretty good too. $600 for the tablet, $150 for the dock.
http://www.lenovo.com/products/us/tablet/ideatab/lynx-k3011/?menu-id=learn&ref-id=learn
Being a Lenovo that means the keyboard should be pretty good, and the keyboard dock has a battery. Built quality looks quite nice overall, and a textured back appears grippy and finger print resistant. It has no pen though. And what really makes me nervous is the specs say the micro SD slot supports up to 32GB. No SDXC in 2013, seriously? I'm really thinking that's got to be a mistake, but I'm not sure. It's definitely a deal breaker if it isn't a mistake.
Ravynmagi said:
I own the Samsung 500t. What I like about it besides being $200 cheaper, is the rotation lock button, full sized USB port, and a slot to store the s-pen. What I don't like is the glossy slippery plastic back, the weak speakers, and lack of second battery in the dock.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That is a true downside. I got Galaxy S3 and I have dropped it few times beacuse back has no grip at all , I suppose laptop/tablet will be less mobile than phone but still it should allow me to carry it in safety.
Ravynmagi said:
The TF810 looks like it has better build quality with mostly aluminum and some plastic, shouldn't be slippery, I think the "Quad-Speakers" are probably going to sound better. It's got a brighter Super IPS+ screen which helps if you need to use the tablet outside. And it has a second battery in the dock. Oh and it is just better looking too.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My thoughts exactly. So fat I have only seen 500t in reality as Vivo Tab is not in shops yet... but I just like the way it look.
One more downside of Asus in Poland is TERRIBLE warranty service. Services are being run by small companies that have agreement with Asus Poland and in most cases they blame user for everything - standard reply is "Seal was broken/tempered with - warranty void" even having pictures of it before send for repairs is not helping .
Ravynmagi said:
The Atom is okay, but it's video playback kinda sucks. It seems many of these Atom tablets have various driver quirks that are still being worked out.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What exactly are your issues?
This device that I will buy has to be able to play (smoothly) most video formats, most popular being .mkv 720p.
If this has similar problems to "old" Tegra 2 devices (remeber?) than it is a BIG PROBLEM.
On the other hand I used to have old Asus 1201n netbook with dual-core Atom 300 and first gen. Nvidia Ion onboard and it played everything without an issue (12" screen with 1366x768).
So... what is going on here?
Ravynmagi said:
I'm looking at the HP Envy X2 also. HP has it on sale for $750
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Saw it... don't like it either. Had HP/Compaq in the past and always had problems with them.
Since hardware of HP and 500t is the same I would go with Samsung in this one (I guess).
Ravynmagi said:
Seems like all the Atom tablets have some downsides that we have to figure out which ones we can accept.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
More details, please
Ravynmagi said:
I'm also thinking about just giving up on the whole keyboard docking thing and saving some money and getting a 10 inch ASUS VivoTab Smart.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was considering it, but in my case size of screen matters . When I write texts I work with few windows an 10" is just to small .
What's the difference between the tf810 and the tf810c? Is there a tf810 with LTE or any cellular connectivity?
Also the Samsung device looks to be a afterthought device from Samsung. Avoid
If its possible, I'd say wait another season or two for more competition.
If not, go TF810.
WingCero said:
What's the difference between the tf810 and the tf810c? Is there a tf810 with LTE or any cellular connectivity?
Also the Samsung device looks to be a afterthought device from Samsung. Avoid
If its possible, I'd say wait another season or two for more competition.
If not, go TF810.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can't wait I am waiting last 2 year to replace iPad with something that will do what I need.
I need Windows to work, I need mobile device to work away from home during weekends ( yes I know)
And I dont want just laptop as I has to be entertainment device as well.
Why do you say: Samsung device looks to be a afterthought device...?
galtom said:
Can't wait I am waiting last 2 year to replace iPad with something that will do what I need.
I need Windows to work, I need mobile device to work away from home during weekends ( yes I know)
And I dont want just laptop as I has to be entertainment device as well.
Why do you say: Samsung device looks to be a afterthought device...?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In terms of the Samsung device, its build quality looks to be just as bad as it's phones. Samsung laptops are probably the best in the world (Series 9) To see the ATIV coming from them is a clear sign that they didn't really put much thought into it, especially when you compare it to DELL and ASUS' hybrids.
Looks like we're in the same situation. I cannot wait either :-/
I just posted this so maybe you'll find some help alongside of me.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2093981
Thanks for link.
Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 2
I have a TF810C and it's beautiful, the battery life is quite incredible. I consider this device perfect, except for the downsides:
-Slightly visible pixels at normal viewing distance, due to lowish resolution screen
-The pen bugs out when drawing 1cm near the edges of the screen
-The pen lacks drivers, and so does not work for Photoshop or nearly anything else. It works with some Windows 8 apps and both desktop & metro OneNote. When it does work, it works really well.
-Tinny speakers that are situated at the back of the tablet. They get a little bit distorted.
-No complex gestures for the touchpad. I like to tap on the right click area instead of pressing down, but the drivers for the tablet don't allow this!
-Dodgy, dodgy chipset drivers. Expect a BSOD every 2 days, sound that completely breaks until you reboot once a day, stability problems, unresponsive touchpad when waking from sleep, etc. These can happily be fixed by installing Samsung/HP/Acer drivers.
-No ASUS support at all. Drivers are not being updated, and the website doesn't even list the device correctly.
-The CPU can't handle fast-moving 720p 10bit .mkv files in VLC Player. Media Player Classic works, but it breaks for complex subtitles. Thankfully, a kickstarter for Windows 8-style VLC Player has been funded, and may offer better performance.
...And that's pretty much it for the problems. Every last one of them.
The tablet is thin, light, shiny, has a colourful and bright display, well-balanced with the keyboard dock, brilliant in every other way.
I can definitely recommend it, and hope that ASUS will eventually get around to fixing these problems rather than making users depend on other devices' drivers.
galtom said:
What exactly are your issues?
This device that I will buy has to be able to play (smoothly) most video formats, most popular being .mkv 720p.
If this has similar problems to "old" Tegra 2 devices (remeber?) than it is a BIG PROBLEM.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's fortunately not as bad as the Tegra 2. I'm not sure if it's a hardware issue or maybe just a driver issue. I have trouble playing back some 1080p videos, there are noticeable frame drops. Stream HD video from Amazon Prime or YouTube gets choppy sometimes (not referring to buffering issues) as it's dropping frames. The ABC Player app in the Windows Store also drops frames. The Netflix app however seems to work flawlessly. And if I download 1080p YouTube videos and play them back with VLC that seem to work fine usually. 720p MVK files work most of the time, think I've had some higher bit rate ones that got choppy sometimes.
I have a smoother and more reliable video playback experience with my Kindle Fire HD. I'm hoping this is just a driver issue and things will get smoothed out soon.
Other driver issues...
Wireless sometimes has trouble reconnecting to an access point with bluetooth is being used. Some have also mentioned dramatic slows with wifi using bluetooth, though I haven't done any file transfers while using my bluetooth mouse yet, so haven't seen that first hand yet. If I disable the bluetooth the wireless never seems to have trouble reconnecting, only with bluetooth on.
The keyboard/trackpad don't seem to go to sleep when the tablet does. With the tablet in the keyboard dock, if I close lid this often causes the tablet to wake back up, even the screen will come back on. And it make stay on. I've also found that apps I didn't open will open up after I close the lid. I the tablet coming within close proximity of the trackpad while it's close is causing it to register clicks or interaction and wake up and run apps. I now have to manually press Fn-F5 to disable the track pad before closing the tablet lid on the keyboard. This seems to help a lot and now the tablet will go to sleep most of the time. Hopefully a driver update will make the keyboard/trackpad also sleep at some point.
However I don't think the keyboard/trackpad is the only issue preventing the tablet from going to sleep. Seems like if I have some applications running it has trouble sleeping as well. So if it doesn't sleep I may need to close some apps or go back to the Windows Start screen.
The audio is inconsistent. Sometimes the volume sounds good and sufficient and other times I have a real hard time hearing it. It's different on an app by app basis. Hopefully this can be improved through drivers.
galtom said:
More details, please
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I seem to run into big cons with each tablet I look at...
Samsung 500T, slippery back, no secondary battery.
ASUS TF810, expensive, no pen silo.
HP Envy X2, No pen, poor keyboard.
Acer W510, Too small, poor keyboard.
Lenovo Lynx, No pen, 32GB SD limitation.
Lenovo Tabet 2, No keyboard dock.
Dell Latitude 10, No keyboard dock, too small.
Pick your poison. I'd prefer a keyboard dock that converts the tablet into a clamshell laptop design (so I'm not a fan of the Surface kickstand and type cover design). 10 inch tablets mean the keyboard is going to be too cramped, so the W510 is too small (and the Dell is too if it had a keyboard).
Originally I didn't care about a pen, however after using the Samsung 510T for a while, I'm starting to realize the pen is pretty nice to have. It helps with desktop apps, such as when I want to highlight some text in the browser, which seems to be impossible to do by finger. I don't ink on my tablets, so the pen is just to make working with the desktop apps easier. And I need to be able to store the pen in the tablet otherwise it'll be hugely inconvenient. This is probably the one con I can overlook, I think I could live without the pen, it's just something I'd really like to have.
Seems like on the Lenovo Lynx has the 32GB micro SD limitation. I already own a 64GB microSD card and I got to be able to use this with my tablet. 64GB is going to already be cramped on the tablet (only about 32 to 40GB is available depending on the size of the recovery partition). I'm hoping the 32GB limit is an error in the specs list, but it's mentioned more than once in different places.
Lack of secondary battery is more an annoyance. So far I've been able to get through an entire tablet with my Samsung 500T despite not having a second battery. I'm also not using the tablet constantly all day long, but I do use if frequently through out the day. And the battery life of the Atom is already impressive. So it's disappointing there is no second battery, but it's not a deal breaker.
A slippery back on a tablet almost is a deal breaker. While I don't feel like there is any danger of dropping it, it's so huge, so it won't slip out of your hands that fast. But it does make holding it even more awkward than the weight and size already make. Fortunately this potential deal breaker issue is somewhat solved with a skin I put on the back from Decalrus. The skin is smooth, but it is still a decent improvement than the glossy plastic of the tablet. It doesn't feel slippery anymore.
At this moment I'm probably going to end up keeping my Samsung 500T. If the Lenovo Lynx supported 64GB micro SD then I'd be highly tempted to switch to that. However if the sleep issues with the Samsung keyboard keeps bothering me, it's possible I just may give up on a tablet+keyboard=laptop dream and just go with a pure 10 inch tablet without keyboard and get an ASUS ME400 (VivoTab Smart) and save myself $250. And wait for the Bay Trail tablet at the end of the year.
---------- Post added at 08:52 AM ---------- Previous post was at 08:38 AM ----------
One positive thing about the 500T. Despite some driver issus with the wireless, it seems like Samsung has been doing a good job with driver updates. And the tablet has been quite stable. I've never had a bluescreen of death and don't need to reboot it.
Ravynmagi said:
A slippery back on a tablet almost is a deal breaker. While I don't feel like there is any danger of dropping it, it's so huge, so it won't slip out of your hands that fast. But it does make holding it even more awkward than the weight and size already make. Fortunately this potential deal breaker issue is somewhat solved with a skin I put on the back from Decalrus. The skin is smooth, but it is still a decent improvement than the glossy plastic of the tablet. It doesn't feel slippery anymore.
QUOTE]
It seems a couple people posted about the slippery back of the Samsung ATIV 500T. I have owned this tablet for about 3 weeks now and I have had no issues at all with the material on the back of the tablet. Honestly I dont even feel like it is slippery. Its not like my fingers glide across the back when I am gripping it. Or I have never set it on a surface and feared that it would glide to the other end and fall to the ground. Just my opinion.
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Click to collapse
knlmwq said:
It seems a couple people posted about the slippery back of the Samsung ATIV 500T. I have owned this tablet for about 3 weeks now and I have had no issues at all with the material on the back of the tablet. Honestly I dont even feel like it is slippery. Its not like my fingers glide across the back when I am gripping it. Or I have never set it on a surface and feared that it would glide to the other end and fall to the ground. Just my opinion.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The back is smooth glossy plastic. When your hands are perfectly dry there is no issue. Unfortunately for us humans, up to 60% of our body is water and most of us have a little bit of moisture that forms in our palms. So unless you are constantly rubbing your hands dry and wiping the back of the tablet with a cloth, it's going to get slippery for most people.
I have no fear it's going to just pop out of my hands like a wet bar of soap. But it's difficult to hold in the palm of one hand while interacting with the screen, because it keeps slipping.
This back is one of the big reasons I'm returning mine. It's just too much of a hassle.
In all those devices with 64GB SSD - how much space is left for user?
A base Win8 64-bit install will use ~15GB, counting pagefile, hiberfile, etc. (size highly variable on the amount of RAM installed, among other things). Adding things like Office and the legacy .NET frameworks will drive that up somewhat. Realistically, If there's a recovery partition (likely), it'll probably be at least 5GB and possibly as much as 15GB (if there's a ton of pre-loaded crap) but that just depends on where you get it from, and you can create external recovery media (flashdrive or similar), nuke the recovery partition, and extend the main partition into the space. Realistically, I'd say you should expect to have 30-40GB of fully usable free space - you can go higher than that, especially if you disable hibernate, but it will slow things down if the storage gets too full.
Thanks for the info - that is all I needed to know.
As far as I understand there will be no problem in moving recovery partition to USB drive/NAS disk/ or even to cloud (Skydrive) just for storage?
galtom said:
Thanks for the info - that is all I needed to know.
As far as I understand there will be no problem in moving recovery partition to USB drive/NAS disk/ or even to cloud (Skydrive) just for storage?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can move it to a USB flash drive, it needs about 8GB of space. I probably wouldn't put it in a cloud drive since if you actually need it it'll need to be on a USB flash drive anyway.
BTW, with my Samsung 500T, I sometimes had to reboot twice before it would recognize the USB recovery drive (USB boot is weird on this thing).
Hi Guys, I had both the Ativ 500t and now the TF810. For me the 500t seemed slower and seemed to freeze. so I returned it and last week I got the TF810 for my Bday. It is so much better quality and performance. I also had a huge problem with the keyboard disconnecting on the 500t. The keyboard is soo much better with the TF810 and the battery adds atleast an additional 8hours. All this aside I ended up winning a contest at work and will receive the surface pro when released so I will probably sell the TF810 and throw in the Keyboard for free. It turns out we just missed out on the extended return with Amazon holiday because Adorama is only 15days into the new year.
Out of the 2 the TF810 for me was the far better machine. Granted I have only used it for a week but everything from the Pen on is so much better.
Great to hear that my decision to spend more and get Tf810 was/is a good one
Before you sell the TF810, it would be interesting to observe your comparison with the Surface Pro. I have the Surface RT and love it, but I'd like to see some comparisons of the x86 options. The Surface is very tablet-y; it can be used as a laptop (I have the Touch Cover, which works but is not perfect) but even with the kickstand and all, it feels a bit more natural as a tablet. I'm worried that Surface Pro may try a little too hard to be a tablet (despite its disadvantages in weight, thickness, etc.), and end up being good at neither.
If I still have it when the Pro comes I will do the comp video. But right now it is on EBay with keyboard included for only $799 so I doubt it will last long. As it is priced to sell.
All over Amazon.com's forums, I've been reading about how the Kindle Fire HD somehow has a "loose" charging port and won't hold a charge. I know Amazon uses micro-USB like every other manufacturer, but what makes the Kindle's so prone to defects?
It's making me really reconsider buying a Kindle device. I thought Amazon had better quality control.
tendoboy1984 said:
All over Amazon.com's forums, I've been reading about how the Kindle Fire HD somehow has a "loose" charging port and won't hold a charge. I know Amazon uses micro-USB like every other manufacturer, but what makes the Kindle's so prone to defects?
It's making me really reconsider buying a Kindle device. I thought Amazon had better quality control.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yeah they have but its our brutality, i saw that mine works but not so good, normally accept the data fastboot but charged i have to move it a bit, this tablet was created for intelligent users and not for crazy people who is very fast and broke all.
I don't have any problem with the usb it works just fine I've had mine over a year now my battery also works fine lasts me about 2 days on 1 charge
kindle fire hd
Raymond199483 said:
I don't have any problem with the usb it works just fine I've had mine over a year now my battery also works fine lasts me about 2 days on 1 charge
kindle fire hd
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
because you are intelligent, the new ones are fine, i think that new one will be better that older ones (i think that all devices after a time will be better)
tendoboy1984 said:
All over Amazon.com's forums, I've been reading about how the Kindle Fire HD somehow has a "loose" charging port and won't hold a charge. I know Amazon uses micro-USB like every other manufacturer, but what makes the Kindle's so prone to defects?
It's making me really reconsider buying a Kindle device. I thought Amazon had better quality control.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
tendoboy1984,
Many of the devices use a Mini USB socket that will fail under strenuous conditions, probably the worst is the Nexus 10. The Kindle Fire HD is a solid tablet with a solid future. If you are looking for a Multi-media tablet, look no further - the Kindle Fire HD performs. If you are looking for a development platform lean to the Nexus 7.
If you Google:
amazon kindle fire hd failing charging port
There is not an excessive number of complaints, so I would just say this is a trend - maybe they had a bunch fail, just like every other manufacture defect. If you buy a Nexus 7, at some point there is going to be a higher number of failures due to some mistake in the Manufacturing.
We remember when the Nexus 10 was first released, Samsung made a manufacturing mistake on the rear of the tablet, they forgot to glue the back so when you depressed the back the Tablet would make a nasty pop noise. They have fixed this defect but our point remains, whether you are looking at a $200 Tablet or a $600 tablet, they are all prone to some sort of issues - just our experience.
Finally, if you take care of the Tablet, do not abuse it, you will get a very long life out of the Kindle Fire HD 7". We love the tablet.................
prokennexusa said:
tendoboy1984,
Many of the devices use a Mini USB socket that will fail under strenuous conditions, probably the worst is the Nexus 10. The Kindle Fire HD is a solid tablet with a solid future. If you are looking for a Multi-media tablet, look no further - the Kindle Fire HD performs. If you are looking for a development platform lean to the Nexus 7.
If you Google:
amazon kindle fire hd failing charging port
There is not an excessive number of complaints, so I would just say this is a trend - maybe they had a bunch fail, just like every other manufacture defect. If you buy a Nexus 7, at some point there is going to be a higher number of failures due to some mistake in the Manufacturing.
We remember when the Nexus 10 was first released, Samsung made a manufacturing mistake on the rear of the tablet, they forgot to glue the back so when you depressed the back the Tablet would make a nasty pop noise. They have fixed this defect but our point remains, whether you are looking at a $200 Tablet or a $600 tablet, they are all prone to some sort of issues - just our experience.
Finally, if you take care of the Tablet, do not abuse it, you will get a very long life out of the Kindle Fire HD 7". We love the tablet.................
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
really the kindle is the best cheap tablet ever made! good sound, good screen, 1 g ram, 4400 mah battery a front cam (why a back cam, i m not going to take photos with a tablet xD) so its good, the materials they use are exellent, if your tablet fall it can have some damage, drop a nexus 7 and see the difference
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0WETTX2tGxk
http://cnettv.cnet.com/torture-testing-new-kindle-fire-hd/9742-1_53-50132749.html
and see the nexus 7, it broke in the first drop, kindle no
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hIsRAypFFag
Yup I watched that video and was like damn the kindle fire hd is a beast I lol at that nexus 7 for losing
kindle fire hd
Raymond199483 said:
Yup I watched that video and was like damn the kindle fire hd is a beast I lol at that nexus 7 for losing
kindle fire hd
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when a custom rom andd kernel are release, i will make my tweaks compatibles and i will add the audio tweaks from acid audio, so we are having one of the best tablets of all
The KFHD in my view has a premium build quality, it feels really solid, it was one of the factors I chose it over the Nexus 7, I use it daily & love it but as with most tech, things do after a while fail sometimes, but many just blow it out of proportion though, I have no issues here.
Sure since it is a small connector & port it feels like it could break but I suspect most tablets/devices that use them are all in the same boat.
Amazon Kindle Fire HD and 2 Tablets
Gilly10 said:
The KFHD in my view has a premium build quality, it feels really solid, it was one of the factors I chose it over the Nexus 7, I use it daily & love it but as with most tech, things do after a while fail sometimes, but many just blow it out of proportion though, I have no issues here.
Sure since it is a small connector & port it feels like it could break but I suspect most tablets/devices that use them are all in the same boat.
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Gilly10,
We completely agree with you, the Kindle Fire HD and 2 are all solid tablets top-of-the-class products.
I think part of the issue here is that the charging port is on the bottom in landscape mode. That means if you're trying to charge while using the tablet, the port is going to get banged around more than it should. I really wish they had put the power on one of the short ends.
Geekybiker said:
I think part of the issue here is that the charging port is on the bottom in landscape mode. That means if you're trying to charge while using the tablet, the port is going to get banged around more than it should. I really wish they had put the power on one of the short ends.
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Geekybiker,
I hear you but we have a Nexus 10 that has the port on the Left Side of the tablet. This is a pain, I have to hold the tablet upside down if the battery is dying, otherwise the cable will not reach the 110v socket if I live it right side up. Now you may say, the tablet flips so what is the big deal? When you use the tablet upside down the Volume controls are reversed - I know, so what? It can be a real pain once you get used to the Kindle bottom port and correct facing volume controls.
After using the Nexus 10 for over 2 months now, our preference is the port at the bottom. Just our 10 cents.
prokennexusa said:
Geekybiker,
I hear you but we have a Nexus 10 that has the port on the Left Side of the tablet. This is a pain, I have to hold the tablet upside down if the battery is dying, otherwise the cable will not reach the 110v socket if I live it right side up. Now you may say, the tablet flips so what is the big deal? When you use the tablet upside down the Volume controls are reversed - I know, so what? It can be a real pain once you get used to the Kindle bottom port and correct facing volume controls.
After using the Nexus 10 for over 2 months now, our preference is the port at the bottom. Just our 10 cents.
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Why do you post in plural? Who is "we" and "our"?
prokennexusa said:
Geekybiker,
I hear you but we have a Nexus 10 that has the port on the Left Side of the tablet. This is a pain, I have to hold the tablet upside down if the battery is dying, otherwise the cable will not reach the 110v socket if I live it right side up. Now you may say, the tablet flips so what is the big deal? When you use the tablet upside down the Volume controls are reversed - I know, so what? It can be a real pain once you get used to the Kindle bottom port and correct facing volume controls.
After using the Nexus 10 for over 2 months now, our preference is the port at the bottom. Just our 10 cents.
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dont use other charger, use the amazon one ,the amazon usb + amazon adapter or amazon usb + other adapter like the motorola one
Micro USB port
I repair A LOT of these! The 1st Generation of Kindle Fire (D01400) had a huge problem with the charging port b/c the port was unbalanced on the Main Board and normal usage eventually cause the solder points to break free from the MB. When I repair them I use an epoxy that gets rock hard to lock the port to the board.
The Kindle Fire HD has a much better designed Micro USB port. It is attached with 4 'legs' that go through the board and are then filled with solder as opposed to the 2 'legs' on the 1st gens. If your port is failing on a Fire HD model then its most likely because it has been used too much while it is plugged in and the 'tongue' inside the port is worn down or damaged.
Replacing the ports is one of the more difficult circuit board solder repairs b/c there are five tiny leads in a tight spot that need a steady experienced hand to get the solder on correctly.
So yes the first generations were faulty but the HD models are all good as long as you use them correctly. I strongly recommend not using any Micro USB device while its plugged in b/c that is where most of the damage comes from.
lexritz said:
So yes the first generations were faulty but the HD models are all good as long as you use them correctly. I strongly recommend not using any Micro USB device while its plugged in b/c that is where most of the damage comes from.
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Good read. You may request to have this move to the Kindle Fire area as this is the KFHD area. I would but I'm on a tablet.
Sent from my Nexus 7 Flo running Paranoid Android 4.4.4 using XDA premium 4 mobile app
How hard is it to actually get to the loose usb charging port?
I have a 1st gen and its loose - have to play around and rig cords to be in odd positions to hold a charge. I have some circuit repair skill, but havent seen much in the way of how to crack these open or what has to be removed to access enough area to solder.
godfeast said:
How hard is it to actually get to the loose usb charging port?
I have a 1st gen and its loose - have to play around and rig cords to be in odd positions to hold a charge. I have some circuit repair skill, but havent seen much in the way of how to crack these open or what has to be removed to access enough area to solder.
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Amazon Kindle Screen Take Apart Repair Guide by repairsuniverse
How to Repair the USB port on an Amazon Kindle Fire - instructables.com