GPS/PCI Express Break-off from Hardware Breakdown Thread - G Tablet General

I wanted to break this off since the other topic was looking to be mostly about the LCD's
floatpoo said:
I wanted to see if the blank sockets on the system board were active. So I grabbed my multimeter and tested each pin to see if any delivered power. I don't know if these sockets are controlled by software, but it looks like these sockets are inactive.
(cant post link ref other thread....)
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I'm an electronics tech (avionics really) just so you know my background, and I am by no way a programmer i just hack my way throught when i need... poorly at that. I'm a long time reader but don't post much.
I havent taken mine apart yet, I bought it for the wife to use as an ereader she was using her evo before and already has bad eyesight I just dont think reading on that small screen is good for her. However we planned on returning it today because she couldn't get anything to work... But i loaded VAGAn-Tab rom on it and she likes it ALOT more now, but we still might be returning it (she thinks it to big and heavy to hold). So all I have to work with is the internal pics posted by other members and I thank you for them!
I was thinking about using a mini pci card with 3g/4g and GPS to solve my problem like this one for Sprint Customers looks very nice and they claim android support. Could someone please verify the length available for the card from the socket to the mounting holes? It should be around 50mm but i cant tell from the pic.
I cant post a link so google
franklinwireless
M600_datasheet_v1.pdf
Then after more research I figured out that think I can get the GPS to work on the board. I found that the RXM-GPS-SG-T looks to be the exact chip they are using, the pin look to match exactly VCC, GND, RX, TX, RF, VOUT. So they are using an active GPS antenna (but could be modded for passive). They use NMEA-0183 or SiRF Binary output selected by a serial command. So we need to figure out if the TX is going to U39 making U39 the interface to the unit, or directly to somewhere else (idk need to see board) I hope i can attach my pic i made or maybe an admin can post it for me.
However the PCI slot might be just as hard to use, the pin 20 that has 3.3v isnt what we want, but it could be a software control to disable/enable the card. However we still need A+ on pins 2,52 (3.3V), 6,28,48(1.5V) and maybe 24(3.3V Aux) dependeding on the card. We could be dealing with a "Non Standard" connector, they are out there but most OEM's dont bother with them. More likely to find them on a Asus product ect. It's common for the SIM card to be powered by the PCI card itself and the board looks wired that way. I have 2 Digi International Mini PCI express Wifi/Cell Development boards and thats how they both power the SIM card. Pin 16 should goto Pin 1 on the sim card, 14->2, 12->3, 10->6 but maybe 7 or 8.
Getting the Power to it could be software or hardware. Looks like around U8 on the frontside could a Vreg setup, Or it could be as simple as putting in some 0 ohm resistors around R15 and R14. We also see that U7 is unpopulated on backside. So that leave us with U7,U8, R15, and R16 which could mean they are all part of the same circuit if they laid it out with any logic. TP1,2,and 3 also make me believe this is true, however they match up to LED_WPAN#, LED, WLAN#,and LED_WWAN#. I sure wish they match the power input pins, but that means all those missing resistors could just be for unpopulated status LED's. Like I've said over and over i cant tell ya unless i can probe around the board.
As far as the memory, yes its possible, I do BGA replacement at work. What I am afraid of is that the other memory chips look to be exactly on the other side and I'd be afraid of messing them up. I'd have to look at my jig at work and see if I could set it up without any problems.

I'm no electronics expert but I dabble. I'd be interested in internal GPS and a memory boost. I'm pretty confident in my soldering skills and would try something if directed by someone smarter than me.

This is something I am very interested in. Any new info on this?

ihaveathumb said:
This is something I am very interested in. Any new info on this?
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I sadly no longer own a G tablet, wife thought it was to heavy to read books, and hated the screen. I cant argue with her on either of those points, so we returned it. However I got the ok to buy a referb on if i can find one, but when I did at my local store i showed them the paper and they told me they dont sell that stuff there and send me away. I talked to 3 different people too basically all told me to go f off. I even tried another time with the 7" they sell same results. I dont know why it gets listed on the website if they wont sell it.
Not to get sidetracked, but i even did by the proper bga fittings to solder the ram chips too lol..
So no its probably not going to go any farther from my stand point, if anyone wants my help I still read the forums everyday.
I'm just gonna wait and see what comes out in the future that XDA gets behind, because I'de never buy anything that didnt have an active community here.

IF you were looking for a reader fo rher mainly, you should've really gone with the Nook Color... eInk devices are good too IF you don't really need good PDF support and/or need it to read more complexly formatted documents, e.g. technical manual, mathematics texts, etc. i.e. eInk is best suited for ficiton and other simply formatted documents, but it VERY readable except in poorly lit conditions where you'd need external lighting of some sort.

Very true I should have bought her a nook, but now she doesnt want it because its not powerful enough for her needs imo. She also wants to login to her school (blackboard) and be able to use overdrive. Plus she likes dungeon defenders and I dont think that can handle it. We are just gonna wait it out and see what comes along, mostly cause we have our first due next month, so trying to be frugal.

mystkrh said:
Very true I should have bought her a nook, but now she doesnt want it because its not powerful enough for her needs imo. She also wants to login to her school (blackboard) and be able to use overdrive. Plus she likes dungeon defenders and I dont think that can handle it. We are just gonna wait it out and see what comes along, mostly cause we have our first due next month, so trying to be frugal.
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Yep, you'll want a full blown tablet then and I suspect that the NC would be too much of a bother to get setup for her for what she wants it for...
All the 10" tablets are fairly heavy too, so you'll probably have to stick to looking for 7/8" tablets and I suspect Tegra 2 or multi-core cortex-a9 SoCs from other mfgs... not much in the way of 7" ATM other than the elocity a7 (was c. $300 around xmas), but it's not very hacker friendly and I don't know if they ever got the USB port to run in non-host mode... probably best to not even look at it...

The g Tablet would, as many have already said, be a great tablet if it had gps mainly and increased memory. Adding pci-e would be even better. I would be extremely happy with the addition of gps. I would be very tempted to allow somebody with expertise and high level of confidence of success to experiment on my tablet.

GPS+
Just bought my Gtab yesterday. As you know the stock Roman/UI sucks big time. I installed Clockwork followed by CyanogenMod 7 and what a difference. Anyway I looked on the web for a dock and it seems there is a Chinese version of the Gtab that has higher spec's including GPS. It would seem logical to assume the U.S. motherboard has the same circuits built in. Who knows what's possible....

It's too bad that more people don't feel like tearing up their electronics to start soldering things to them.

Related

[Q] How to charge the transformer?

Hi, i just got my transformer and have no idea how to charge it up.
the charge came with a section for the usb to plug into, then a second section which has the plug on it. I cant get these bits to fit together at all, they keep falling apart, and when they do decide to stay i don't get any indication that my tablet is charging. I also plugged into the usb into my laptop and the charging indicator still didn't appear.
Any help is appreciated, thanks!
the 2 parts of the charger snap together, at first I thought I had mine together but got the same result you're experencing. You have to put the 2 parts together till you hear or feel the snap,I had to apply a fair amount of pressure to get the 2 pieces connected. It's not you, the charger pieces are just really a snug fit and need a bit more force than one would think to get them connected.Once you've got it connected you'll know as you'll feel the difference immediately. Hope that helps.
Thanks for the help, they snapped together after i put quite a lot of force into it, it seems to be charging now, thanks!
i had to initially push past the point i thought i'd break it in half to get the two pieces joined together.
I actually thought my charger was defective when I first tried to assemble it. It just wouldn't go in.
Finally after 2 weeks of trying here and there, it snapped in. Good thing (actually not a good thing) that Asus Support is so unreliable because they still haven't shipped a replacement adapter.
Guess I should cancel with the Asus RMA but I'm not even sure if they were ever going to send it...
Anyway, the adapter is really a bad piece of hardware: it felt like I was going to break the damn thing at times. (I guess it isn't as widespread or maybe some people were luckier than others because I haven't really seen a huge commotion about it)
For those that aren't sure why their tablet isn't charging then this is probably why.
strikethreeout said:
Anyway, the adapter is really a bad piece of hardware: it felt like I was going to break the damn thing at times. (I guess it isn't as widespread or maybe some people were luckier than others because I haven't really seen a huge commotion about it)
For those that aren't sure why their tablet isn't charging then this is probably why.
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So it's a bad piece of hardware because it doesn't break when strained and connects very securely? Wow your view sure is skewed. Yes it's hard to press it into the other piece, how is this a bad hardware problem?
i won't use such complicated transformer . too complex . quit to use
seshmaru said:
So it's a bad piece of hardware because it doesn't break when strained and connects very securely? Wow your view sure is skewed. Yes it's hard to press it into the other piece, how is this a bad hardware problem?
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Because had I actually broke the damn thing, I would be liable for damages. It's still plastic so it is still breakable. Plus, the metal part is bendable given enough pressure.
Did you even think that maybe they should have made a one piece for the adapter to begin with? Or at least assembled it at the factory so that consumers don't need to deal with it at all?
Second, I shouldn't have to spend an exorbitant amount of time figuring out why this thing wouldn't connect. Where in the manual did Asus say you needed to apply a large amount of pressure? In what other electronic device/adapter do you have the same amount of difficulty assembling the device?
Remember, if you break this thing, then you have no way of replacing it without buying a new TF because Asus's support is that terrible. (I am not the only one who can testify to this)
Maybe it is a feature for YOU; but having adapter assembly difficulties is not something that I would consider as "good hardware". Excuse me if I don't want to ruin something I just spent $550 (tablet + dock) on -- especially since I have no other way of charging it besides the extremely slow USB option.
strikethreeout said:
Because had I actually broke the damn thing, I would be liable for damages. It's still plastic so it is still breakable. Plus, the metal part is bendable given enough pressure.
Did you even think that maybe they should have made a one piece for the adapter to begin with? Or at least assembled it at the factory so that consumers don't need to deal with it at all?
Second, I shouldn't have to spend an exorbitant amount of time figuring out why this thing wouldn't connect. Where in the manual did Asus say you needed to apply a large amount of pressure? In what other electronic device/adapter do you have the same amount of difficulty assembling the device?
Remember, if you break this thing, then you have no way of replacing it without buying a new TF because Asus's support is that terrible. (I am not the only one who can testify to this)
Maybe it is a feature for YOU; but having adapter assembly difficulties is not something that I would consider as "good hardware". Excuse me if I don't want to ruin something I just spent $550 (tablet + dock) on -- especially since I have no other way of charging it besides the extremely slow USB option.
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But you didn't break it. Because it's built well. It doesn't say large amount of pressure but it does say how to assemble it in the manual. Besides my HTC charger is made in the same fashion, a little easier to assemble but it's done to reduce production cost and make it easily adaptable (hence the 100~240v range) by more than just Asus.
seshmaru said:
But you didn't break it. Because it's built well. It doesn't say large amount of pressure but it does say how to assemble it in the manual. Besides my HTC charger is made in the same fashion, a little easier to assemble but it's done to reduce production cost and make it easily adaptable (hence the 100~240v range) by more than just Asus.
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I may not have but what if someone broke the adapter because of the difficulty, then who is to blame? And when I said it was a "bad piece of hardware", I meant the design, which is an integral part of any hardware. (also, just because something doesn't break, doesn't mean it was built well. But, that is another issue entirely) I don't want to feel that I might break something that I invested a large sum of cash in. I am not the only one that felt that felt like they were going to break the adapter. Some people are even afraid to disassemble it because of the frustration they dealt with when putting it together in the first place.
And where in the manual does it say how to assemble the adapter? You mean that one picture -- with no words at all -- where they draw an arrow in between the two parts? Yeah, big help -- like if I couldn't tell in the first place. They don't even tell you that you need to push it in all the way. The first time I tried, I pushed it in half because it wouldn't go deeper. How was I supposed to know that you needed to apply much more pressure? Also, how do costumers know if their device is defective if there are no instructions and assembly is more difficult than should be?
Again, assemble it at the factory or make it a one piece. Do you have a source for production costs? I find it difficult to believe assembly costs would be that much higher if they had just put it together. This isn't like plugging in the USB cable where everything is a nice and easy fit; it was way too frustrating than it should have been. Asus probably saves money from having to deal with consumers complaining about the charger if it came ready to use.
To me, hardware depends on the experience and that includes assembly. I don't want to worry about whether or not I might break it. (it is just an adapter, it shouldn't be this troubling!) I have never had an HTC adapter so I can't speak for that but I have never had trouble with adapters before. All companies want to save money but I don't have difficulty with their adapters. It's ridiculous that I have to talk about the adapter since with every other device/company, it is a non-issue. Again, the worst part is that you have no backup option besides buying a new TF to get a replacement adapter in case anything goes wrong.
strikethreeout said:
I may not have but what if someone broke the adapter because of the difficulty, then who is to blame? And when I said it was a "bad piece of hardware", I meant the design, which is an integral part of any hardware. (also, just because something doesn't break, doesn't mean it was built well. But, that is another issue entirely) I don't want to feel that I might break something that I invested a large sum of cash in. I am not the only one that felt that felt like they were going to break the adapter. Some people are even afraid to disassemble it because of the frustration they dealt with when putting it together in the first place.
And where in the manual does it say how to assemble the adapter? You mean that one picture -- with no words at all -- where they draw an arrow in between the two parts? Yeah, big help -- like if I couldn't tell in the first place. They don't even tell you that you need to push it in all the way. The first time I tried, I pushed it in half because it wouldn't go deeper. How was I supposed to know that you needed to apply much more pressure? Also, how do costumers know if their device is defective if there are no instructions and assembly is more difficult than should be?
Again, assemble it at the factory or make it a one piece. Do you have a source for production costs? I find it difficult to believe assembly costs would be that much higher if they had just put it together. This isn't like plugging in the USB cable where everything is a nice and easy fit; it was way too frustrating than it should have been. Asus probably saves money from having to deal with consumers complaining about the charger if it came ready to use.
To me, hardware depends on the experience and that includes assembly. I don't want to worry about whether or not I might break it. (it is just an adapter, it shouldn't be this troubling!) I have never had an HTC adapter so I can't speak for that but I have never had trouble with adapters before. All companies want to save money but I don't have difficulty with their adapters. It's ridiculous that I have to talk about the adapter since with every other device/company, it is a non-issue. Again, the worst part is that you have no backup option besides buying a new TF to get a replacement adapter in case anything goes wrong.
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Or you could, you know, buy a new adapter.
Besides, I've not seen a single report of a broken power adapter because they tried to assemble it so your complaining about something that hasn't even happened and will unlikely happen since it's obviously made to take the strain if thousands of people were able to put it together without breaking it.
Personally I feel secure in the fact knowing that it's well built and wont come apart easily like other similar style chargers I have seen, but I guess pressing 2 parts together is a giant issue which is nearly impossible to do and oh god, you might even break your nail!
And yes paying a bunch of people to click 2 parts together is quite costly.
seshmaru said:
Or you could, you know, buy a new adapter.
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Where do buy a new adapter for this? I've been waiting for one since I got mine a while ago. The cord is too short, the power adapter shakes around in the wall socket, and you can't buy an extra charger because no one makes them except for Asus at this point (and even Asus doesn't have them to buy separately at this point).
anywho said:
Where do buy a new adapter for this? I've been waiting for one since I got mine a while ago. The cord is too short, the power adapter shakes around in the wall socket, and you can't buy an extra charger because no one makes them except for Asus at this point (and even Asus doesn't have them to buy separately at this point).
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there's a "coming soon" page for a wallcharger with a few online retailers.
seshmaru said:
Or you could, you know, buy a new adapter.
Besides, I've not seen a single report of a broken power adapter because they tried to assemble it so your complaining about something that hasn't even happened and will unlikely happen since it's obviously made to take the strain if thousands of people were able to put it together without breaking it.
Personally I feel secure in the fact knowing that it's well built and wont come apart easily like other similar style chargers I have seen, but I guess pressing 2 parts together is a giant issue which is nearly impossible to do and oh god, you might even break your nail!
And yes paying a bunch of people to click 2 parts together is quite costly.
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Buy a new adapter... Have you been reading any of my posts? Okay, sell me yours for market price. There aren't any for sale if you haven't noticed. And no, I don't count waiting a month for a pre-order as an option. If you're willing to deal with one month of charging it through USB alone then by all means, give me yours.
Frankly, if I broke a nail then yes, it is badly designed. Not sure why you think that adds to your point.
"And yes paying a bunch of people to click 2 parts together is quite costly."
And you know this for a fact because...? I asked for sources and you give me, "trust me, I know." Do you even realize how much they pay their factory workers in China? (Apple factory workers get around $1 an hour when factoring in overtime) Do the math: if that one guy can put together 50 an hour, then that's 2 cents in extra costs per tablet order. (they are actually much more efficient) The most expensive part is getting the materials -- NOT the labor. Compare that to saving money on customer service for complaints on the charger.
I honestly don't care if you have a different opinion. But, keep your snide remarks to yourself. If you don't wish to participate in a friendly debate and continue to flame then fine, you win. It's really not worth my time. Try to realize that some people might have different opinions from yours.
Clearly, almost everyone had difficulty putting the damn pieces together. Do you honestly think people share your views on that being a good thing?! I really don't know what chargers you've used but I've never had trouble with others. I have never broken an adapter before so that means, they must be well built, right?
Even you admitted that it was more difficult to assemble than other chargers. How is that a good feature when most other chargers don't require assembly at all? Again, it cost almost nothing to have it assembled in the factory to begin with AND all the tablets I've seen didn't have this adapter "feature"-- so, what is your argument again? (I guess Asus, the multi-billion dollar company, can't afford it) Hell, why did they even assemble the tablet? Save costs! Send me just the case and the insides next time too.
anywho said:
Where do buy a new adapter for this? I've been waiting for one since I got mine a while ago. The cord is too short, the power adapter shakes around in the wall socket, and you can't buy an extra charger because no one makes them except for Asus at this point (and even Asus doesn't have them to buy separately at this point).
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Exactly my point.
I really don't see how pre-ordering one with no timetable for release is an option.
And you're exactly right: the cord is much too short. I guess that's okay since it saves production costs
strikethreeout said:
Buy a new adapter... Have you been reading any of my posts? Okay, sell me yours for market price. There aren't any for sale if you haven't noticed. And no, I don't count waiting a month for a pre-order as an option. If you're willing to deal with one month of charging it through USB alone then by all means, give me yours.
Frankly, if I broke a nail then yes, it is badly designed. Not sure why you think that adds to your point.
"And yes paying a bunch of people to click 2 parts together is quite costly."
And you know this for a fact because...? I asked for sources and you give me, "trust me, I know." Do you even realize how much they pay their factory workers in China? (Apple factory workers get around $1 an hour when factoring in overtime) Do the math: if that one guy can put together 50 an hour, then that's 2 cents in extra costs per tablet order. (they are actually much more efficient) The most expensive part is getting the materials -- NOT the labor. Compare that to saving money on customer service for complaints on the charger.
I honestly don't care if you have a different opinion. But, keep your snide remarks to yourself. If you don't wish to participate in a friendly debate and continue to flame then fine, you win. It's really not worth my time. Try to realize that some people might have different opinions from yours.
Clearly, almost everyone had difficulty putting the damn pieces together. Do you honestly think people share your views on that being a good thing?! I really don't know what chargers you've used but I've never had trouble with others. I have never broken an adapter before so that means, they must be well built, right?
Even you admitted that it was more difficult to assemble than other chargers. How is that a good feature when most other chargers don't require assembly at all? Again, it cost almost nothing to have it assembled in the factory to begin with AND all the tablets I've seen didn't have this adapter "feature"-- so, what is your argument again? (I guess Asus, the multi-billion dollar company, can't afford it) Hell, why did they even assemble the tablet? Save costs! Send me just the case and the insides next time too.
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I never said it was good that it's harder to put together, I just said I like it. My only original point, which still stands is that it's a solid built charger which is only proven more by the fact that even though we have to press quite hard to put it together there isn't a single report of a broken charger. You can say all kinds of other non-related nonsense but the fact remains; it's well built, even if it's hard to put together.
seshmaru said:
I never said it was good that it's harder to put together, I just said I like it. My only original point, which still stands is that it's a solid built charger which is only proven more by the fact that even though we have to press quite hard to put it together there isn't a single report of a broken charger. You can say all kinds of other non-related nonsense but the fact remains; it's well built, even if it's hard to put together.
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I've never seen a adapter from a big company that wasn't "well built". And my argument still stands that they could have made it less frustrating especially given the fact these adapters are hard to come by. (I guess this is the nonsense part: me expecting a more fluid experience)
Anyway, I'm done arguing about a stupid charger.
My original intent was to help others who didn't know why their chargers weren't working. This was the case until you came out of nowhere and called my views "skewed" about a single comment I made on the quality/design of the hardware. (like if this thing was God's gift to the world and the other manufacturers were making crappy chargers; like if that was the whole premise of my post) Do you think it really matters if this charger should be classified as good or bad hardware?! (well, to me it doesn't) If you want, I will go back and edit my original post because that wasn't part of my original intent anyway.
Again if TL;DR:
a) If the device doesn't have the thunderbolt sign, then it isn't charging.
b) The adapter needs to be pieced together fully. (even if it feels like it won't go in)
c) Force is needed until you hear a click sound.
If you don't mind, I would like to continue helping those who need troubleshooting on their devices.
This adapter is a piece of crap. My adapter melted the first time I plugged it in. Well built. haha... I went to best buy and picked up a Dynex Ultimate charger for 30 bucks. It has a 10 foot cord and works great it charges at 11 volts/1.5 amps.
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Dynex&#...d=9462949&st=dynex ultimate charger&cp=1&lp=1
ohh, here is a pic of my melted adapter
Soooo, does anybody know why in god's name the adapter was shipped in two pieces? lol

Your thoughts on Asus Padfone

I feel this is more of a general "lets get your opinion/feel" but ive experienced in the past, any topic that has any question in it, gets moved to this section.. So im posting it here.
I'd like to get people opinions (and experiences if any) on the Asus Padfone. I've been eyeing the HTC Amaze, but there have been a few issues reported with it, and with new tech being released this year, im also considering other devices. The Padfone caught my eye due to its apparent versatility. (Especially since the HTC One series has been a massive letdown with the non-existent mSD card slot)
Though there do seem to be some things lacking with this device, such as the camera (apparently, the HTC one has an independent processor which speeds it up) for example.
Also the fact that its 3g and not 4g/LTE seems to be a step back (tho this isnt an concern for me, but could be later).
Anyway.. Thoughts? Concerns?
Not worth buying
I'm considering getting one. I'm from the Netherlands so 3G is just fine for me!
Pricing is rumoured around €699 euro here, pretty steep though... That's without the dock (which will set you back another €150 I bet)
I love the idea of having everything in one place (on your phone) and basically click it into the tablet for typing during class or watching/reading something.
Jam it into the dock for longer writing sessions... I can see this being a very useful combination for me personally. I'm not sure the average user will find this a useful gadget though.
Downside is that you really have to use the phone all the time and I'm not sure how well everything works softwarewise when you load the phone into the dock, screensize wise etc, etc.
Its just that I got a Gnex that I love so dearly
PokeiShoW said:
Not worth buying
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Care to elaborate?
newbie thoughts on the padfone
Last July 2011, I posted this thread on another forum and look at what happened in the interim - the Padfone!
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"Looking for serious multi-purpose (non-existent yet) tablet
I am a newbie. I have been communicating with a variety of tech publications incl Walt Mossberg, WSJ. But no serious response. I do not own a tablet right now but want to propose features that can be incorporated to the current crop. You folks can chime in (with respect) if you think my ideas are plausible.
Full disclosure. Currently, I am not a fan of the crop of tablets in the market today. What is out there (regardless of brand) are just pure "gadgets" for me. I do not do social networking nor games. I realize that I am in the minority in the high-tech populace.
I will consider a tablet with the configuration below to trim my techie equipment inventory. I believe this would be a truly PORTABLE, POWERFUL, SINGLE COMBINATION alternative to having (1) a communication/convenience/entertainment" device (tablet) AND (2) a PC for serious professional computing work, should I need to do some.
Samsung Galaxy-like form factor (or maybe even slightly larger or heavier)
Full Cell phone call capable (CDMA/GSM) - 3 or 4G thru BT (either on ear device or car's BT wireless communicator) - not just Google Talk or Skype
Web-access wireless card (a/b/g/n)
BT enabled to pair with my car's BT audio system wireless connection to play music stored in the tablet and other BT capable devices (tech already available)
Semi-full size BT keyboard/case (tech already available)
Available USB2 or 3 port/s
Available docking device to connect to an external larger LCD monitor, full-size keyboard, printer, optical drive, external HD, etc (?) to really replace my office/home notebook
Enough processor power (Intel/AMD dual core or higher), storage to support a full PC OS (Windows 7/8 or Mac OS), Internet Browser (IE9, FF5, Chrome, Safari, etc) and APPLICATION PROGRAMS AND DATA!
Sufficient battery life (replaceable) with AC/DC charging/connectivity capability
???????
Do you think this config for a tablet system has market and production potential? Or better yet, is there one already out there? I know that the technology to accomplish all of these exist already. It just takes somebody to put it all together.
Your professional insights are greatly appreciated."
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Since the Pf is not in our shores yet and I have been sick and tired of the all the unboxing, first videos from Barcelona, Taiwan specs and availability, I just implore ASUS to get their act together and stop the teasing and give us the US model! Regardless how a bunch of folks have trashed it, I on the other hand WANT ONE NOW. I realize that this desire is sight unseen, performance and quality unknown and not all the specs I listed above are in the model available everywhere else, I believe the concept of 3 in 1 is a brilliant one. I may not be as techie as you folks but for my use and from prelim videos and specs, what ASUS has done is phenomenal.
I would greatly appreciate your more techie input as well as marketing intel (US availaibility, specs, price, carrier, etc.). BTW, I still refuse to buy and do not want any of the tablets available today. Thanks.
The mechanism to insert the phone into the tablet looks like its the first thing to break rendering the whole concept useless.
But i have not hold it in my hand, anyone have some info on the build quality?
Dark3n said:
The mechanism to insert the phone into the tablet looks like its the first thing to break rendering the whole concept useless.
But i have not hold it in my hand, anyone have some info on the build quality?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's possible, it depends if the "door" needs to be closed before it will output to the tabdock. Plus, im sure alot said that about flip phones and sliding phone. My Touch Pro 2 is still going pretty strong, and it has a sliding keyboard.
Something id like it know is with the Keyboard dock, is it 'closeable'. As in, can you dock the tablet to it, then "close it" like a laptop so you can transport it as one piece?
first try... and probably last
very difficult positioning for Asus. They're trying desperately to innovate more that the competition to get a strong foot in that market.
However, this solution might not be fully interesting for a lot of people... If its a failure, they'll have lost a great deal of money that could have been used to make up for the difference with the latest ipad...
If this will be a failure , atleast the price will drop fast ( something like Evo 3d -50% )
addiz said:
If this will be a failure , atleast the price will drop fast ( something like Evo 3d -50% )
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Why do you think it will be a failure?
it's something new and different let's see how people will act after buying it
Has a lot of potential...
Has a LOT of potential if marketed correctly.
I have a original ASUS Transformer TF101 with keyboard dock for eight months now and I can say its an amazing machine. The performance is just right, the battery lasts forever, almost stock ICS, lots of updates.
I have the only combination of devices that can compete with the full Padfone setup: a modern smartphone (Samsung Galaxy Note) and the mentioned Transformer, with full tethering support. If the Padfone system can have a significant price advantage, the consistency it provides (the Note have Android 2.3.6) can make it a winner.
Feels way to expensive.
$1 gets you a reply
yes the hinge closes like a laptop
problem: the hinge only opens around 90 degrees so you won't get a great viewing angle unless you are at a similar level.
when the latch of the tablet station opens to release the phone, it stops the phone being bent outwards, so you have to pull up and thus, not breaking the connector.
not having 4g is a big downer for me. I was going to get this and might still but seriously, uk is getting 4g this year so I doubt I'd want this when it gets released.
The price of phone + 10" screen is Euro 699.
I think it will not be a success.
Why? (iPhone 4S + New iPad) is only Euro 199 more than the phone and a dummy screen.
Moreover, if you're going to carry around a dummy screen, why not carry a REAL tablet??
tytung2020 said:
The price of phone + 10" screen is Euro 699.
I think it will not be a success.
Why? (iPhone 4S + New iPad) is only Euro 199 more than the phone and a dummy screen.
Moreover, if you're going to carry around a dummy screen, why not carry a REAL tablet??
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
beeecause with a iphone and ipad, your data is in 2 places? So if you edit something on your ipad, you have to take steps to also update it on your iphone.. Plus, itunes.. thats always a disadvantage.
I see the appeal, and 200 bucks More isnt small.
Lyian said:
beeecause with a iphone and ipad, your data is in 2 places? So if you edit something on your ipad, you have to take steps to also update it on your iphone.. Plus, itunes.. thats always a disadvantage.
I see the appeal, and 200 bucks More isnt small.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I thought it's no need to take any steps? As long as your iPad is online at home, whatever you do on iPhone outside is automatically synced, as shown in the iCloud launching videos.
199 euro is small, when you compare a screen+ battery, with a fully functioned retina display iPad.
sounds good
tytung2020 said:
I thought it's no need to take any steps? As long as your iPad is online at home, whatever you do on iPhone outside is automatically synced, as shown in the iCloud launching videos.
199 euro is small, when you compare a screen+ battery, with a fully functioned retina display iPad.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, i wont get apple products. If i were to get two devices, both would be android. Im sure it would be similar, but i don't like messing with clouds either, that's just a gimik to eat up your limited "unlimited" data package. Especially when your talking about my case of 400+mb PDF files.
I'm not completely sold on it, but it seems like a good idea, plus ive not yet seen official pricing on it.
Not that benchmarks mean much.. but...
ASUS PadFone gets benchmarked: a mere teaser of what's to come

Computer help!!

Hey guys so I'm shopping around for a new and very good computer but I don't know where and with what to start I will give u the basics of what I am loooking for,, I do a lot of music and movies and I need a fast and very cooled down computer so that everything runs well I'm looking for about 8gb of memory and about a terrabyte of memory its for my own use and I am looking for a desktop I already have a nice monitor from Samsung alls I need is a fast good desktop PC that will not run me over 800$,,, please do not mention apple,,, I hate apple and everything that has to do with that lame fruit lol all suggestions accepted guys
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda app-developers app
I built a mid-level gaming PC for ~$550, including monitor.
i5-3450 (processor)
HD 6870 (graphics card)
ASRock B75 Micro ATX motherboard
1Tb 7500 RPM HDD
8Gb DDR3 1600 RAM.
Antec Neo Eco 520W PSU (PSU = power supply)
HAF 912 case, I don't really push the hardware very much haven't needed additional cooling
Some random DVD-RW drive
WIFI usb adapter with antenna
Ubuntu/Win7
(and I got a 20" Gateway 5ms LCD monitor from an Acer outlet and later got a shiny backlit keyboard from Zippy)
This was a budget build, but I'm really happy with the performance. It can certainly play movies and music just fine and I can play games like Guild Wars 2 on highest settings while maintaining 50-60fps.
With a bigger budget I would have probably added an SSD and I would love to do that and get a backup mechanical HDD and set up a RAID.
You'll probably have to go over budget or compromise if you don't build it yourself. It's hard to find pre-built systems with really good specs because they often skimp on things like GPU or stick you with integrated graphics. And you have to be careful when buying from "make for you" places, because they'll often have no problem putting in crappy parts - "ibuypower" and their sister site absolutely loves to stick a crappy PSU in your machine and there are plenty of stories of people's systems getting fried. It also would have cost me $900 to buy my system, less the monitor, from them. So you're paying a LOT more than if you do it yourself - and it's really not that hard - it's like those lame LEGO sets where they just tell you what to do step-by-step.
Are you going to be video editing or just watching ? Do you care about gaming ? Windows or Linux ? Et cetera.
I know it can be confusing at first if you've never built a computer before, but you will be able to get a much better machine and you will have full control over it and be able to make compromises that benefit YOU - not some company's bottom line when it comes to mass-producing and skimping on the quality and hardware.
louy89 said:
Hey guys so I'm shopping around for a new and very good computer but I don't know where and with what to start I will give u the basics of what I am loooking for,, I do a lot of music and movies and I need a fast and very cooled down computer so that everything runs well I'm looking for about 8gb of memory and about a terrabyte of memory its for my own use and I am looking for a desktop I already have a nice monitor from Samsung alls I need is a fast good desktop PC that will not run me over 800$,,, please do not mention apple,,, I hate apple and everything that has to do with that lame fruit lol all suggestions accepted guys
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I recommend you go to the reddit page /r/buildapc
You will most likely get more replies quicker and it is what that sub-reddit specialises in (build recommendations)
PM me for a link as I am prohibited from posting links as I am a new member
for what you are seeking and your max budget.. your best bet would probably be learning how to piece a system together yourself, as "very cooled down" usually will require a gaming or server tower, which off the shelf only alienware comes to mind and they're way over your budget
Go on newegg and look at their barebone DIY combos. You can buy those or get some ideas of parts from them. That's what I did. Also, when making your own computer, always start at the motherboard and make sure the socket types are a correct fit for the rest of your parts(mainly the cpu and ram).
Even just a really basic case for a custom build might be an improvement over am old crappy pre-built PC where they just jammed everything in willy-nilly with cords everywhere.
I just wonder what the OP means by "very cooled down". To me, that would mean some kind of liquid cooling system (definitely DIY for this budget) - but if the OP is not planning to edit or anything that's probably overkill. I mean, if someone's only had pre-built boxes, I doubt their mind is jumping to OC-ing and stuff. Just trying to give the OP ideas of how to tell people better what they are looking for.
Pennycake said:
Even just a really basic case for a custom build might be an improvement over am old crappy pre-built PC where they just jammed everything in willy-nilly with cords everywhere.
I just wonder what the OP means by "very cooled down". To me, that would mean some kind of liquid cooling system (definitely DIY for this budget) - but if the OP is not planning to edit or anything that's probably overkill. I mean, if someone's only had pre-built boxes, I doubt their mind is jumping to OC-ing and stuff. Just trying to give the OP ideas of how to tell people better what they are looking for.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I highly doubt OP will need liquid cooling, especially if he's/she's just starting to learn to put PCs together.
Pennycake said:
Even just a really basic case for a custom build might be an improvement over am old crappy pre-built PC where they just jammed everything in willy-nilly with cords everywhere.
I just wonder what the OP means by "very cooled down". To me, that would mean some kind of liquid cooling system (definitely DIY for this budget) - but if the OP is not planning to edit or anything that's probably overkill. I mean, if someone's only had pre-built boxes, I doubt their mind is jumping to OC-ing and stuff. Just trying to give the OP ideas of how to tell people better what they are looking for.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That was my train of thought, as if the OP is looking for a computer which would basically retail over $1,500 so DIY would be the only way to go
OK those are very good options And yes I will b using a lot of movie viewing and downloading torrents as well as music mixing because I Anna DJ solo sum thing that is fast processing I like to go to tiger direct.com anyone familiar with that?? If possible a simple list of things to start with would help along guys thanks alot
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda app-developers app
louy89 said:
OK those are very good options And yes I will b using a lot of movie viewing and downloading torrents as well as music mixing because I Anna DJ solo sum thing that is fast processing I like to go to tiger direct.com anyone familiar with that?? If possible a simple list of things to start with would help along guys thanks alot
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Look at motherboards, cpu, graphics cards, and ram.
eyau1992 said:
I highly doubt OP will need liquid cooling, especially if he's/she's just starting to learn to put PCs together.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I would agree that they probably don't need it, but I was calling for clarification from the OP since things like "super cooled" are pretty relative.
louy89 said:
OK those are very good options And yes I will b using a lot of movie viewing and downloading torrents as well as music mixing because I Anna DJ solo sum thing that is fast processing I like to go to tiger direct.com anyone familiar with that?? If possible a simple list of things to start with would help along guys thanks alot
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't really know what you'd want for music mixing, but I know my mom edits music on a pretty low-spec laptop with no issue (it's part of her job).
What do you have now ? Whether you post here or elsewhere, it will help people to know what you're working with - your current specs and what programs you use.
I'd look at the requirements of the programs you use and what they recommend. I would recommend you look at benchmarks against different processors, et cetera - to see what's best for YOUR needs. I'm not an Intel fanboy, but I went with the i5 because it did the best for games in my budget. Find what's best for what YOU want to do.
For just watching videos, you don't really need anything fancy - and the GPU is a big part of the budget. I've watched and streamed HD video on my old laptop with integrated AMD, on a tablet, on my phone, et cetera. Granted, it's a nice phone - but still. You don't need anything super-fancy.
Torrenting is going to depend more on your internet connection than anything.
I don't know about Tiger Direct - they never had the best deals that I could find for what I wanted to buy, so I never bought from them. I would recommend NOT buying from one place if you plan on building it yourself. Find what you need and then see who offers the best deal.
Also, I'll just say that I cannot stress enough how important it is to have a good PSU - and one that is able to support what you're plugging into it. Please read up on this if you do build your own and do not get a cheap one unless you want to take a chance of failure - which can result in the whole system frying to sending electricity through anything the PC touches, to causing a fire.
Sent from my Transformer TF101 using xda app-developers app
First, it takes a lot of effort on your part to put together a box component by component. Someone already mentioned connector compatibility, and it just snowballs from there.
Second, you cannot build your own "performance" machine cheaper than buying a comparable pre-built. Individual shipping & handling, etc. all adds up. I always build my own workstation piece by piece, and I always spend more (sometimes way more) than the boxes that I buy pre-built for other uses.
Others have mentioned TigerDirect and NewEgg. I have used both sources for many years, and I highly recommend searching both for their current deals. Don't limit yourself to their "bare bones" packages. Who cares if it comes with a crappy keyboard and mouse (just throw them onto a shelf for emergencies). Both sites offer tools to narrow your search by price range and specs.
By the way, I just bought a Dell from NewEgg with an I5 processor (running 3.something GHz), 8GB memory, 1TB hard drive storage, and 64-bit Win7 Pro for $650. It's for an office environment, and for that it is smokin' fast! It would be more than satisfactory for watching movies and listening to music.
This was my first computer I've built from pieces, but it genuinely surprised me how easy it was. The motherboard's manual explained most everything, and installing Win7 from a flash drive was incredibly fast.
The only part I found to be a little tricky was the motherboard header - and I just took my time on that and read everything twice.
The research for buying parts took a bit of time, but it all starts to come together once you understand the hardware nomenclature and stop being overwhelmed by "all those numbers".
For $550 (which was including shipping on the individual pieces) , I couldn't find what I wanted pre-built, but there were some "scratch and dent" type sales for similar prices (but that was less shipping) - which might be a good place to look for whole systems.
Sent from my SGH-T999 using xda app-developers app
Pennycake said:
This was my first computer I've built from pieces
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Congratulations -- be warned though, having a system with every little piece exactly the way you want it can spoil you on ever buying a pre-built box for yourself again.
Pennycake said:
The research for buying parts took a bit of time
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Exactly! That's what I was trying to say when I said that it takes a lot of effort. If you had to pay yourself for your time then this would be the most expensive machine you ever bought; but, if you really enjoyed the hunt then it is worth the satisfaction.
I have always built my own pcs, but for family, sometimes they need a computer asap. Doing research on store bought computers is difficult sometimes. They don't always list the exact specs on the box or details online. They all usually have decent ram and cpu as well has a hdd. The main problem has always been the graphics. Normally they are the integrated kind, but some have a discrete card. It's hare to pass up some of the holiday deals locally though.
I've always built my own computers as well. If you're particular about the components that go into your machine, or if you don't want to be forced into upgrades you don't want I think it's the only way to go. Like if you want more ram and they want to package that with a larger hard drive that you may not want for example. One of the biggest benefits for me is having the ability to upgrade or replace individual components down the road.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda app-developers app

My REVIEW of the LC-Power SINA-1 Tablet [edited]

Hello there,
in september 2012 I bought my first tablet, a LC-Power MIRA-1. Shortly after, on the 19th I posted a [Q] post here because I had a few questions. In the following weeks, some replies back and forth, more quirks came to light.
In short, I was semi-happy with the MIRA-1 (everything was fine save a few situations where the single-core tablet speed could not really keep up, for example, starting firefox and the keyboard, it always froze 2-3 secs "firefox is not responding. close/wait?")
Still, I do believe, I learned some valuable lessons about android and others with the MIRA-1 or thinking about getting one were helped too.
Fade in today.
I recently bought the new LC-Power SINA-1. It cost me 200EUR (Germany). In comparison, the MIRA-2 (which is like the MIRA-1 with an extra camera and a smaller rechargeable battery) still costs 160 EUR
I found the new SINA-1 to be a very interesting product, especially considering the price.
I came here to write my own review. I am in no way affiliated with LC-Power and I do not get a dime for writing this.
My motive for writing this and yes, maybe even advertise, is very simple. First of all, xda-developer has helped me before and I'd like to give back. More importantly however, I believe in tablets that do not cost an arm and an leg as well as the android (modding) community. I would very much love to see the LC-Power tablets get the attention they deserve...
Thank you for keeping with me so far. Let us begin!
Technical specs for the new SINA-1 tablet:
CPU: ARM Cortex A9 Dual Core 1,5GHz
GPU: Mali 400 QuadCore 250MHz
RAM: 1GB DDR3
Memory: System 1GB + 16GB NAND Flash (+ MicroSD up to 32GB)
Display: 10.1" IPS 5 Point Touchscreen, 1280x800
Networking: 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0
Cameras: 0.3MP front, 2MP back
Connectors: micro-HDMI out, micro-USB host, micro-USB connector, 3.5mm headphones jack
OS: Android 4.1
Want to know more? google it
As I mentioned before, the tablet costs 200 EUR (Onlineshop, Germany, Dec, 15th 2012)
Material and built quality:
The first impression is very good. The tablet feels solid, has a certain weight to it, but is not too heavy.
The front appears to be glas and if it is not, it must be a very hard plastic. The back is made out of aluminium. I have no doubt that both can be scratched, please forgive me for not doing the experimentation on that. However, in a few days of extensive (time) yet normal (application) use, I have yet to see any marks besides fingerprints.
Where the front and back meet I can not feel any sharp edge (MIRA-1 I could).
It is very thin (quite a bit thinner than the MIRA tablet and a bit higher as well)
Overall, I would give the material and quality very good marks. I dont doubt that it could be better in some regard, even if I can't name one right now.
Display (visual):
The 1280x800 resolution suits the tablet well. It is definately a neccesary step up from 1024x768 (MIRA). Even if I did not exactly see pixalation with the old ones, the picture is indeed better with the higher resolution. Webpages like reddit look sharp, the text in 100% zoom is not too small. Pictures look vivid and good. Videos are even better (given the source material is of sufficient resolution itself).
The viewing angles are what you would expect from an IPS panel. Frontal (no angle) is best, the more you move to the side and increase the angle, the more you lose contrast and brightness. I have seen worse and have yet to observe the "picture went negative", but viewing some content with 2-3 people should not be a problem when you dont mind sticking your heads together
The brightness (350cd/m²) is good, in fact, in a dark room you may want to lower it a bit. Even on the lowest setting it is not too dark.
The contrast is equally good, or should I say "normal". It did not attract attention, neither positive nor negative...
First tests with a bright (300W) lightsource led me to believe that the glossy display does not become a shaving mirror when you have a bright light behind you, but it is definately harder to see the picture. Especially noticeable with movies.
Due to it being winter without sun, I can not test the tablet with summer-sun-brightness outside. I fear the results will not be too good. You may want to keep that in mind if you live in africa and will be using the tablet in the sun - might be trouble. (Then again, I don't know any tablet that has a matte display)
The illumination (is that the right word?) - the background light source illuminating the display with the same brightness consistenly - is adequate. There are a few bright spots (tested with a black fullscreen per 1.0 eyeball), especially on the lower left corner/border).
It is not noticeable when looking at brightly coloured images, but it will be a nuisance when watching a movie which is very dark.
I felt that here, my old MIRA-1 did do better. There, I never noticed bright spots like this before.
Display (touch):
The 5-point-capacitive display does very well in accepting touches, even light ones. 2-point touch (zoom) works equally great and the short test with fruit ninja confirmes that 5 points can be tracked. I did not experience any noticeable lag with 1,2 or 5 points in normal operation.
If you take a paint app and draw with your finger, a slight lag can be observed, however, as I understand current technology, this is common and just the way it is.
In conclusion, the display visually is adequate. Are there better displays out there? Yes, definately. Do you get them for 200 EUR? Definately not! Do you need a better display? Well, I can not answer that for you. In my opinion, the illumination is the only real and still overlookable drawback, everything else is fine. 8/10
The touchscreen part of the display is as it should be. I can not really imagine some way to improve it. 10/10
Together 9/10
Actual Performance:
The performance is quite good and right were it should be. There are faster tablets and phones out there and if we were talking about speed in my workstation or gaming rig, I would be right there with the "FASTER!!!!"-crowd. But since I don't plan on playing skyrim or bf3, rendering 3d images or encoding hd-videos on the tablet, I dont need huge speed reserves, I want a tablet that performs well with the usual tasks like webpage browsing, playing media files and so on.
As mentioned before, this is one of the main problems I had with the old MIRA tablet. 2-3sec freezes, applications (mainly the browser) that did not react and had to be waited for. With the SINA-1 they are gone. The OS works like a charm, switching applications goes instantly, browsing webpages is fun and the waiting in the browser now is for the reason it should be - networking speed! (browsing with firefox+adblock+hackers keyboard)
Since the old MIRA did perform well with movies and the games that I tested, it is no wonder that the SINA-1 does perform equally good. HD videos work well, jumping around in them works fast, even over HDMI with 1920x1080.
And I have yet to find a game that does not run perfectly on the SINA-1. I have tested the occasional gamer games like Angry Birds, some RPGs and even some 3D shooters.
It is hard to give points for the performance. On the one hand, I am fully satisfied (10/10), on the other hand are tablets and phones being sold with much much more power, at least on paper.
Button/Connector placement:
There are only two buttons, power and volume up/down. Both are placed on the right higher side, where I would have placed them myself. They feel high-quality (they dont dangle/wiggle) and have a distinct pressure point that needs some force. This helps you in knowing when you actually pressed the button and not press buttons by accident.
The connectors are on top (right side). One exception would be the headphone jack which is on the right side above the buttons.
The USB host (where you can plug in normal usb devices) is no longer a common USB port (like MIRA had), but a micro-USB. A short adapter cable came with the tablet.
The normal USB host (where you connect your tablet with the pc to access the memory/sdcard from the pc) is also micro-USB. A longer cable came with the tablet.
I would have liked the normal USB port to stay.
Also, these two distinct different USB ports look the same. Some attention must be payed to not confuse them.
HDMI is mini-HDMI. Adapter did NOT come with the tablet. (Which would have been nice!)
Power In is 5V at 2.5A. Adapter came with the tablet (duh!) - the cable is a bit short for my taste. About the same as with the MIRA before.
Note: the tablets rechargeable battery can no longer be loaded over USB
The connectors are close together, but not too close. you should be able to connect all 3/4 with power at the same time.
The microSD slot is on the right side, almost on the back.
Speaker: The speaker(s?) is on the backside. I feel like the device is not as loud as the MIRA tablets, but still works well for watching movies or listening to music in a normal room when you are alone.
Software:
Android 4.1 is working great.
Some might argue there are a few needless apps preinstalled. For example Google Maps and Navigation on a device which has no GPS and no mobile internet built in.
But there is no real crapware either.
Google Play:
Google Play is installed and working fine. The device gets shown as "Rockchip SINA-1"
I did run into some trouble with my old MIRA-1 and some apps. A few were apparently not compatible (although I did not understand why), others that were compatible did refuse to install (I can not and will not exclude a layer 8 problem here)
All those apps work now with the SINA-1. Install is fast and there is no trouble. The 16GB memory will suffice for a lot of apps.
Battery:
The rechargeable battery is a bit less powerfull than the one in the MIRA-1 and a bit more powerfull than the one in the MIRA-2.
Still, with the higher speed and I would assume, higher resolution, more power is needed. Hence with usage, the charging level does indeed go down. Quite a bit faster than with the MIRA-1. I will have to correct my earlier estimate from 5-6hrs down to 4-5hrs.
In fact, bring your loader if you are gonna go out all day and will be using the tablet much.
Support:
LC-Power is usually quick in answering normal support emails, but they will not exactly fall over each other trying to resolve any exotic issue that might come up. Maybe if you speak mandarin and mail them directly at tech and dev headquarters in probably china you might have some luck, but I doubt that the LC-Power people in Germany, USA or UK or ... had much to say about developing the device and customizing the android (except of course, maybe some translation)
Also, do not expect regular android updates or any long time support and new android versions. 2-3 months ago I was promised 4.1 for the MIRA-1, still hasn't been released.
Connectivety:
Wireless LAN b/g/n is working as intended. I feel however, that the signal strength is weaker than with the MIRA-1 tablet.
Bluetooth: What can I say. Its Bluetooth. Its there, it can be used, it works...
Mobile internet: Only per additional USB dongle (or tether your mobile phone...)
Ethernet: Apparently there are USB dongles for Ethernet LAN out there. Havent seen one yet, but I havent looked hard either.
Modding:
So far, there has yet to establish a big LC-Power community with modders, mods and custom roms. I really really hope it will happen some time. But dont hold your breath, you are on your own. Spread the word of the LC-Power devices, lets get a high enough market share an the chances of a active modding community will rise dramatically. Or do it yourself...
So...
if you dont care about mods and custom roms, the SINA-1 is ok for you.
If you want to play around, learn android, program aps, make mods, maybe even a custom rom, feel free to give the SINA-1 a try.
If you want to download the newest custom ROM, install it per 10 step manual and prag in school about your mad hacking and modding skills, look someplace else...
Rooting:
The device does not come pre-rooted. (MIRA did)
I welcome that change to some degree. I honestly believe in not giving the run-of-the-mill users the ability to break something beyond their own (or even some specialist) capability to repair it.
Then again, I also am not fond of the tricks one has to employ to actually root a device IF someone knows what he is doing and wants to use a device to its full potential.
That being said, it was relatively easy to root the SINA-1. Instructions at the end of my review
One last sentence about the stock ROM. It is not available for download (at least I could not find it). I know of no way to reflash it or recover a bricked device. You wont find extensive help, manuals and tipps to that end. Make sure to have an appropriate backup and/or tread carefully.
I myself will investigate, if you have any insight into that topic, feel free to contact me...
Summary/Conclusion
I really like this tablet. A lot. I found it superior to the MIRA-1 in almost all aspects (especially speed, compatability, screen resolution and build quality). It has however its week points (battery run time, uneven lightning of the display).
Since it is a 10" tablet without mobile internet, it obviously was made for home usage. Browsing webpages from the couch, watching a movie while your in a room without a TV, or listening to music without bringing your stereo, add a game now and then when you are bored. This is where this tablet shines. I could imagine it being used in a work environment / office as well. And when the batterie gets low, you hook it up.
The occasional traveler should be happy as well. Get a dongle or tether it to your phone and you can surf the web in the bus/train. Hook up your headphones and watch a movie (just hope the sun doesnt shine too much). Also, dont expect the tablet to last a flight around the world without loading up...
All in all, a very decent device with a very attractive price.
So should you get it? Well, it depends...
If you have a MIRA-1 or 2 and you are really happy with them, you dont care about waiting 1-2sec for some apps. Then dont get the SINA-1
If you have ANY other single core tablet that is not up to its tasks, makes you wait for apps, annoys you in some way, yes, give the SINA-1 a try - and sell the old one for some cash...
If you are thinking about getting the MIRA-1 or 2 (or another similar single-core device), try really hard to look for the other 40 EUR and get the SINA-1. Or get the MIRA used for like half its retail (~80 EUR), but be warned about the possibility of the tablet being to slow now and then
If you have another dual-core (or more) high-end tablet, probably with a big name on it like some fruit or samsung or nexus.. Sure, buy it. whats another 200 EUR. Or dont, I dont think it will be an upgrade. Just another tablet, even if it is a decent one
the get it or dont get it reasons in the modding subsection still apply
I myself regret nothing. I watch movies in bed, I surf the web on the couch. If I am really lazy I even open up teamviewer to do 2-3 clicks on my PC without getting up. I take the tablet with me on train rides and watch a movie or surf the web with my phone tethered. And I recently started to use it at work for presentations (put my notes on it). And when I am bored, I do play a game now and then.
Mind you, I did/could have done all that with the old tablet as well. But it sure makes more fun now
End of the review---
I certainly hope that this rewritten and formated review is more informative and better on the eyes.
I think I got most of my english mistakes as well.
I hope this helps some folk decide
If you have questions, feel free to ask them here. I will try to look back now and then and answer those questions.
good day
Catwiesel, Germany
Addendum:
How to root the SINA-1
Disclaimer: no guarantee, you break it, not my fault bla bla...
First, it was not difficult. It was done by the "root with restore by bin4ry method"
step 1: enable usb-debugging and allow installing of "foreign apk's" (or whats it called in english)
step 2: get a usb driver for windows (7 x64 in my case)
step 2b: since you probably wont find a driver, modify the google drivers from the android development sdk. add the line to the google.ntx86 and ntamd64 block:
%CompositeAdbInterface% = USB_Install, USB\VID_2207&PID_0010&MI_01
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
step 3: add the file adb_usb.ini at /users/[username]/.android directory with the following line:
0x2207
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
(i had to do this in my user account and in the administrator account*)
step 4: connect the tablet with your pc, make sure all drivers were installed and usb debugging is on
step 5: google, find and download the zip archive with the batch file, scripts and tools needed
(root_with_restore_by_bin4ry_v17.zip did it for me)
step 6: extract the archive, best to some easily found directory like c:\rootit
step 7: start a command line (cmd.exe) (as administrator?)
note: the actual rooting only worked for me when i started the command line as administrator
step 8: start runme.bat from c:\rootit, ch
step 9: choose method 1, wait for it to finish
(all this information was googled and very little trial and error. did not take me more than 30mins with no clue before hand whatsover)
Drivers
can you please explain how did you installed drivers?
I'm having troubles following your manual. I need sina-1 for developing but i can't connect it with adb cause drivers aren't installed correctly.
tnx for review.. I bought SINA-2 and use your method of rooting and it works.. have U tried some custom rom already? I don't know which is compatible with my device...
Does anybody know how to flash recovery or custom rom to this tablet. I have googled and nothing found. Maybe there is no recovery or custom rom for this device.
Update 9 months later
very small update after a few months of light and sporatic use:
- rechargeable batterie runtime:
I might have overestimated the runtime originally. additionally, rechargeable batteries dont get better over time...
that means that you really will be running to the charger a lot at home and should take it with you.
do not expect to be able to surf the web or watch movies the whole day without recharging.
- wireless range:
the wireless range is really really bad.
I originally stated it to be not great, but actually it is really bad.
No other device I ever had or currently have had a worse range.
expect slow transfer speeds even when directly next to the router
expect trouble even behind one wall / more than 5m away
expect no connection or unuseable for anything expect the most rudimentary stuff (getting an email) behind more then 1 wall and/or more than 5m away
--> apparently this WAS a problem with the earlier SINA-1 tablets and LC-Power will fix it. This would also mean that the newer ones should not have this problem
--> this bad wireless connection might also be a reason for the bad batterie runtime
- micro-sd:
I've had bad trouble with my 32GB MicroSD card(s) (SANDISK 32GB SDHC microSD Class 10)
the previous tablet (mira-1) took it, my even older mobile took it, the SINA-1 did not...
since my 8GB and 16GB cards were working I thought my 32gb card is incompatibel
--> A few weeks ago I could test another SINA-1 (new), no trouble with my 32gb microsd...
- Android
no new android / update has been released by LC-Power (that I can find)
- Modding:
still no real community
- Apps / Games
a few games (that might need a somewhat more powerfull device) that I can tell you are working are:
magicka, pokerstars, terraria
- built, glas, buttons
after light and cautious use over many months, the tablet can still look like new (if you clean it)
I have no scratches, no color scraping off, the buttons dont wobble. its like new
- the power-in jack
this needs a mention too, since it really is not well done. the plug fits, but will fall out very very easily.
best not to move the tablet when you have it plugged in
conclusion:
my first review still stands more or less... for its price this is a okay tablet
if the wlan is indeed being fixed and the batterie will run a bit longer for the current sold devices, this is still a good buy for ~150 EUR
since I do not really know what is wrong with the microsd issue (my tablet broken? newer tablets unaffected) I can not use it for reviewing. but be warned
HOWEVER...
there is a new LC-Power SINA-2 tablet that I will be reviewing soon...
I will post the link later
Thank you so much for sharing.
Very useful review, thank you.
Sent from my LT30p using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
Front camera not supporting video calls
Hi!
I was wondering if anyone who owns this tab had any issues with incoming/outgoing video calls (via skype/facebook/ooVoo).
Fact is, I can't make video calls via any of the above software, when i try, skype just blanks out and goes to previous screen. When incoming calls arrive it does the same but it says that I have a missed call.
OoVoo on the other hand connects to video call but automatically uses the back camera instead of front.
I don't get it. Any advices/ideas?
Thx
Here you go guys This tablet got CM10.2 fully working, with stock kernel <3
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=58477955&postcount=1187
Hope this helps!
The Grüß,
H.
And Sina 2 review?

Convert Phone to Tablet

Im guessing this forum is meant for software primarily, but im gonna ask this anyways.
If there is a seperate forum for this, i apoloize, but this is primarily a software question.
In theory, shouldn't it be possible to take out the electronics of a phone and hook up a bigger screen and larger battery to convert it into a tablet? I have a LG G6 lying around with a busted screen and a battery that lasts a total of 3 hours, so selling isnt worth it, disposing even less since id pay money to for that. The idea then is to take the completely functional motherboard, get a screen and a battery and 3D print a body that can accommodate it all.
Now the question: is there some sort of hardware ID or driver thing going on for either of the two things? Is it even locked? This is more out of curiosity, but if it is possible, i would try it out if i have the time.
Are batteries that large even available for purchase?
MICHAEL(SMHOS.ORG) said:
You can't really o that to a phone because the screen will not match
The flex won't match
And the body.
Leave thànks If this helps and donate
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thats not really the point of the question. It would be put into a custom printed body, maybe i can even manage to mold it somehow. Since the diagonal of the screen is somewhat irrelevant to the software, that shouldn't be a problem either, and finding an 11 inch 2880x1440 screen shouldn't be that hard. The question is if the rest of the phones hardware would recognize there is a screen there, even if its a bigger one. Im not quite sure what "flex" is supposed to mean, but fitting the parts together won't be a problem.
I would imagine it would be harder to get the phone into permanent portrait mode, but Nova Launcher for example doesnt even require root for that. The resolution, if 1440p 18:9 is required for some reason, this would be fixable with root. But the hardware itself is an issue.
So the real question is has anyone ever modified his phones actual hardware?
*edit*
By flex you mean the ribbon cables, right?
This, too, should be possible. Unless LG went to extreme lengths to design a custom exotic connector, im fairly sure you can get it to work as long as the hardware will still recognize it.
You would have to have a phone, like a Samsung, who has the video section separate from the main CPU body. I found the Voyo computer use the Samsung video driver for tablets on their tiny CPU boards. While nice CPU's (Deca-Core) the video out would be an issue.
You would also run into video driver issues with the ROM.
Then there would be the touch screen modules you would have to convert as well (along with software in the ROM).
What you might want is an OTG to HDMI adapter. Run a bluetooth mouse and keyboard and drive the HDMI on a big screen. Problem solved. If you want it portable, then the best advice is one that was already given....
....get yourself a tablet....
PyxelDE said:
Im guessing this forum is meant for software primarily, but im gonna ask this anyways.
If there is a seperate forum for this, i apoloize, but this is primarily a software question.
In theory, shouldn't it be possible to take out the electronics of a phone and hook up a bigger screen and larger battery to convert it into a tablet? I have a LG G6 lying around with a busted screen and a battery that lasts a total of 3 hours, so selling isnt worth it, disposing even less since id pay money to for that. The idea then is to take the completely functional motherboard, get a screen and a battery and 3D print a body that can accommodate it all.
Now the question: is there some sort of hardware ID or driver thing going on for either of the two things? Is it even locked? This is more out of curiosity, but if it is possible, i would try it out if i have the time.
Are batteries that large even available for purchase?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you were to physically make it work, it would still require compiling a custom kernel with support for the screen added to the kernel. The kernel is what allows your software to use your hardware, kinda like drivers on PC except the drivers are built into the kernel instead of installed separately. You can't just install what the screen needs, it has to be built into a whole new kernel compiled from source and then you've got to get the kernel working with the whole device, not just the new screen.
Sent from my LGL84VL using Tapatalk
Droidriven said:
If you were to physically make it work, it would still require compiling a custom kernel with support for the screen added to the kernel. The kernel is what allows your software to use your hardware, kinda like drivers on PC except the drivers are built into the kernel instead of installed separately. You can't just install what the screen needs, it has to be built into a whole new kernel compiled from source and then you've got to get the kernel working with the whole device, not just the new screen.
Sent from my LGL84VL using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Which would explain why there arent any results online for people doing this. Its way beyond the scope of what could be considered worth it.
Anyways, thanks
skeltonh said:
You would have to have a phone, like a Samsung, who has the video section separate from the main CPU body. I found the Voyo computer use the Samsung video driver for tablets on their tiny CPU boards. While nice CPU's (Deca-Core) the video out would be an issue.
You would also run into video driver issues with the ROM.
Then there would be the touch screen modules you would have to convert as well (along with software in the ROM).
What you might want is an OTG to HDMI adapter. Run a bluetooth mouse and keyboard and drive the HDMI on a big screen. Problem solved. If you want it portable, then the best advice is one that was already given....
....get yourself a tablet....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Getting a decent tablet would cost me a couple hundred quid, especially one with that hardware. Also it wasn't solely necessity, if i would just need a tablet, i would indeed buy one, but it was also to see if it could be done. Might very well have been a first. Also it would have allowed for some decent creativity. Sadly, were just not there yet, if we ever get to that point where smartphones will have the level of customizability of even a half decent laptop. Things like Project Ara would have been perfect for this, but sadly, money won over innovation

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