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[Q] Sat on the fence?

An Ex-Transformer owner here, wondering if there are many other folks that are sat on the fence with regards to which tablet to buy? I popped into my local PC World today and had a look at the various tabs on display, as expected the Asus screen looked fantastic compared to the others (although it showed signs of LB).
The Acer Iconia was OK although I felt that the screen transitions weren't the smoothest in comparison, it's not the best looking tablet out there. The Motorola Xoom appears to be very well built, smooth in operation and with a mini hdmi port as does the TF. The screen isn't as crisp as the TF although this may be a contender for me, just a shame it's around £100 more than the TF. Can I get away with that .... hmmmm.
The spanner in the works, or what's preventing me from making a decision, is the forthcoming Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1. We don't seem to have a firm UK release date or price yet, I don't think the spec is even certain yet. Bl**dy Samsung!
Anyone else care to share their 'on the fence' thoughts?

Well, I had 2 TF's for about 2 weeks in total and liked the experience on the device. But, had to return both, due to speaker issues. I was hoping to get the 10.1 hoping, if it would have a better CPU(Exynos) than Tegra 2, but in vain. Acer hasn't impressed me. For the price range, I guess I will go again for the Transformer, hoping that pieces from newer production batches, might have the speaker issues fixed.

I was sold on the keyboard dock functionality, so there wasn't (still isn't) anything on the horizon that entices me more than the TF. When the next TF (Tegra 3) goes up for pre-order my current TF will go on Ebay.
So why exactly did you return the TF?

I returned mine mainly because of the light bleed, it was quite bad and the replacement wasn't any better. The light bleed wasn't there for the first couple of days, it just appeared from nowhere. That got me concerned that the same might happen with a good replacement. It had unbalanced speakers although that wasn't a major concern, maybe a software fix would sort that out. The TF's body didn't seem to be very substantial, I experienced SOD, it even happened when I went to return the unit .... that was quite funny really.
Please don't get me wrong folks, I'm honestly not TF bashing, just sharing my experiences with the one that I had. I would like another TF, but I'm struggling with the build quality.
P.S, I posted the OP here as there isn't a general Tab forum (unless I've gone forum blind) and I've been most active within the TF forum.

I an currently sitting on the fence watching and waiting to see if the galaxy tab has a SD card slot if not I will prolly fall in the xoom yard
Sent from my captivate BLAZING on firefly 3.0

There a Transformer - Xoom comparison here http://ht.ly/1cPdhx you can clearly see that the TF has a much nicer display. The guy mentions a difference in video playback, I imaging that the Xoom is a bit smoother with it having 3.1?
Edit: It sounds like the Xoom's SD slot doesn't function out of the box, but there are ways to get around that problem.

To be honest, there really aren't any other Tablets I'd consider, at least not Android tablets. The TF blows all the others out of the water as far as I'm concerned. It's specs are at least as good as all others, but with a much better quality screen. Also, it seems like you must've had a dud or something, but I am actually very impressed with the build quality overall.
The Samsung looks semi-interesting to me, but it doesn't offer a keyboard attachment or a fully functional office suite built in. As well, Samsung is known for their plastic / cheap feel when it comes to build quality and is also known for being the slowest manufacturer to put out updates, correct me if I'm wrong...

Yes, I can't have had a good one that's for sure, but of the 4 or 5 TF's that I've seen in the flesh, all of them had light bleed. Thinking about it, the only reason I really like the TF is because of the screen clarity and colour. If only I could slap an IPS screen (a good one ) onto the Xoom's sturdy chassis!

I ordered the 32GB TF from AAFES (Military retail store) but they never actually had it to ship. I was always on the fence between the TF and Xoom.
The biggest negative for the Xoom was the price but AAFES just price matched Walmart.com's $569 sale price for me with their usual free shipping and no taxes. In the end, the Xoom price was almost the same as the 32GB TF after you add on the tax and shipping to the $499 pricetag since I would have had to purchase it from another retailer.
I am looking forward to my new Xoom. Seeing how I am colorblind, I don't think I will miss the difference between the two screens, lol.

Opinions Please: What tablet would suit me?

G'day,
IcedCube here. I have in my possession a Galaxy Tab 7" and for the life of me, I love the little thing (I recently got a ICS Chinese Tab but it's a different kettle of fish. ). I carry it everywhere I go, as it's a beautiful size. Looked at the Galaxy Note, and went "Pfft. So what? My sexy little Galaxy Tab is what I want". And even if it's a little "fat", it feels like a tank. I've dropped from chest height onto a concrete floor by accident and it survived. Not a single scratch or crack in the screen. And it had it's protective OEM cover on it too.
Recently (okay, maybe one or two months ago), I got rid of my Iconia Tab A501 (3G). Kinda feel sorry I did that though, because as soon as I loaded the leaked ICS up on it, I felt the Tegra power. Anyway....
My friend recently got a Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9" and I was surprised at it's size and performance. So I guess I am a little envious; but whatever. I was wondering if you guys could help me suggest a tablet. I know I can search google myself, but here we go.
My local PC store has a ASUS Transformer TF201 I believe, but not sure if it's 3G or not. It looks pretty nice and that keyboard is awesome - replenishes vital juice while you type. I wish the Iconia had a keyboard for it, because that Dock connector was quite under-used...
Needs to support hardware video decoding. This helps me along boring car trips, I can load up my anime and have the H/W decode the x264 video stream, without my battery life being depleted quickly. I know Tegra video decoding got really good in ICS, but yeah.
Hardware accessories. Optional, but if the tablet has options (like keyboard) or other things that I can buy to add on to it if I wanted to, then that would give it bonus points.
I know how the Tegra 2 was a bit poor in comparison with other tablets, so if it's not nVidia, then I guess it might be interesting. I'll take a look at nVidia tabs too, so I'm not ruling them out.
Bonus points if there's custom ROMs for it. Even more bonus points if there's AOKP or CM9 for it.
On that note, unlocked bootloader. I'm looking at you, Acer.
At least 10" screen, unless the 8.9" screen has a high resolution. My chinese tab runs at 1024x600 and it's a little meh. I miss the 1280x800 screen that the Iconia Tab has. The screen should also be sharp, because I don't like blurry text.
3G Support. Because what's a tablet to me if I don't have WiFi access on the road? I know I can carry around a pocket WiFi hotspot but then you have to recharge it's batteries and all that crap. Also must be GSM since Australia doesn't have CDMA anymore (was killed off in 2005/2006).
At least 8GB or 16GB internal storage. Bonus points if the tablet has microSD slot, so I can slip in an external microSD filled up with my songs, etc.
Decent battery life. Don't want something that will conk out in less than half a day. Do note that I would be using it on the road, so it should be able to survive moderate web browsing use.
Price tag that won't give the wallet a heart attack. If possible, less than $500. I can go over this, but if I can get it under $500 (or even see if anything's up in the XDA marketplace.... now there's an idea...)
Alright. So that's the list. Over to you!

Hi!
I think, that a Acer Iconia A510 would be nice. That is the tablet i buy in the next few days, if it is available in germany.
I hope, that the display and the reaction time is good on it.
The power with a quadcore and enough of RAM in a 1280-panel would be very nice for everything and the price is OK for that.
I tested the Sony Tablet S-Tab and it was very very nice to handle. It was (only) a dualcore, but it was very smooth to surf and use all the apps. But now the hardware is to old and the price to high for that.
Greets from germany

Sony S-Tab, eh? I never heard of that. Sounds rather interesting - I guess I'll add that to the list of "random research" to do.

in the Design Aspect and style its Sony
samsung tablets r surely gaining momentum recently but i dont lik samsung designs and UI. if u hav taste in good designs and UI styles and special unique features i recomment Sony tablets ..they are awesome and iam sure u wil fall in love after evaluating a sony tablet.. just try on..
Sony tablet S is very nice very good.. pricing not much bad.. its worth.. soon getting ICS update.. its really fantastic piece of hardware..
galaxy tabs are rather feels lik boring aftr a while of use.. othr tabs just feels dull and there isnt anything special of its kind.. but i guarantee sony delivers everything u need..its truly of an impressive feel u ever get..

mahesh911 said:
samsung tablets r surely gaining momentum recently but i dont lik samsung designs and UI. if u hav taste in good designs and UI styles and special unique features i recomment Sony tablets ..they are awesome and iam sure u wil fall in love after evaluating a sony tablet.. just try on..
Sony tablet S is very nice very good.. pricing not much bad.. its worth.. soon getting ICS update.. its really fantastic piece of hardware..
galaxy tabs are rather feels lik boring aftr a while of use.. othr tabs just feels dull and there isnt anything special of its kind.. but i guarantee sony delivers everything u need..its truly of an impressive feel u ever get..
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Looked at this. Saw a WiFi-only one, looks pretty interesting. However, when I eBay'd a 3G version, the price tag broke my wallet. Also looked at the Sony P Tab, which has 3G and Dual 5.5" screens (looks like a clamshell). Price tag stung the wallet.
I also took a look at the Iconia Tab A510 model, and it looks like it'll suit the bill. The price tag is still is a bit of an issue, but I guess I can sell my Galaxy Tab on the XDA marketplace to get some cash.

I dont know the size but Asus Padphone?

You thought about the Nexus 7?
...sin you already have the tab. And they worked with Asus on it.
Sent from my HTC Vision using xda premium

ASUS PadFone: Possible, but looks like it might be out of my league. GSMArena states it's around 610 EUR, which means... according to XE.com... 754.420 Australian Dollar. That's some serious cash right there, and would also mean that it would replace my Galaxy Nexus...
Nexus 7: No 3G version I believe. Gotta have something that does 3G since it's impractical to carry around a modem in my pocket every single place I go.
Galaxy Note also looks like a worthy contender.

I'll probably get flamed but oh well. Get the new iPad. You might not be able to get the 3G version but you should be able to get the wifi model for your budget. If you've got a smart phone then most likely you can tether to it for 3G access providing you have a decent data bundle.
The screen outs any Android tablet. You'll get a better app choice, it's fast and runs extremely smooth.
I've got a Teg 2 Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 and my iPad destroys it in everything. Ok it doesn't have flash nor will Jelly Bean. No expandable storage, cloud storage fixes that, you can jailbreak it easily and get iFile and get the camera connector kit for a few dollars then you can hook up an SD card for those longer journeys.
It simply is the best tablet I've tried and now I see why it is widely popular. Jailbreaking it opens a ton of useful features.

nikzDHD said:
I'll probably get flamed but oh well. Get the new iPad. You might not be able to get the 3G version but you should be able to get the wifi model for your budget. If you've got a smart phone then most likely you can tether to it for 3G access providing you have a decent data bundle.
The screen outs any Android tablet. You'll get a better app choice, it's fast and runs extremely smooth.
I've got a Teg 2 Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 and my iPad destroys it in everything. Ok it doesn't have flash nor will Jelly Bean. No expandable storage, cloud storage fixes that, you can jailbreak it easily and get iFile and get the camera connector kit for a few dollars then you can hook up an SD card for those longer journeys.
It simply is the best tablet I've tried and now I see why it is widely popular. Jailbreaking it opens a ton of useful features.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
BTW, OP can also get iPad 2 since hes on a budget.

> new iPad
Ever since I know how the new iPads and such are made and how much effort you have to take into consideration when trying to repair it yourself, I wouldn't even consider one. Plus, I will not support a company that is trying to eliminate Android. Call me crazy, but ever since Android got into my blood, it's been calling my name every time I attempt to walk away from the OS.
I have had an WiFi only iPad in the past, and while it was very nice, I found when I went back to an Android device, I felt refreshed knowing I'm using something loved by the community and I have the freedom to root and install a custom ROM if I feel like it. On iOS, it's locked down and while you can regain root access by jailbreaks, can I download a completely different ROM on the iPad and use that? Nope.
I understand your views and I'm not flaming anyone, I'm just stating that I'm a Droid and I'm not going to let myself be corrupted by Apple. I've had my share of Apple devices in the past (owned 2 iPhone 3G, a MacBook, 2 PowerPC Mac Minis (one of which I still own) and an iPad), and yeah.
More suggestions welcome!

the best size tab I've seen is the 7.7
Tbh I am so annoyed that the nexus isn't a 7.7 ... it just looks too narrow at 7" and i'm contemplating whether to get one or not. 7.7 or Note IMO
Have a look at one, its the best size IMO

mojo22 said:
the best size tab I've seen is the 7.7
Tbh I am so annoyed that the nexus isn't a 7.7 ... it just looks too narrow at 7" and i'm contemplating whether to get one or not. 7.7 or Note IMO
Have a look at one, its the best size IMO
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I looked at the Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7 and i must say, i think that hits the "I'm sold!" Button. The screen looks pretty good and the resolution is a nice 1280x800. 7" normally gives you a 800x480 screen resolution, and that is a little skinny if you hold it upright.

Get any if the ASUS Transformer Pads. You can get an older model that will definitely fit your budget and your needs. The transformer tablets have FAR AND AWAY the best battery life when equipped with the attachable keyboard. I believe it has 3G capability. It has a 1200x800 screen if I remember correctly. It has a Tegra processor depending on the model, and is upgradeable to ICS.
Or just get the LATEST Transformer and go slightly over budget, but it will satisfy all your other needs. (Tegra 3! )
Sent from my HTC_Amaze_4G using xda app-developers app

Thanks everyone for your comments. I decided to buy another Iconia Tab (A501), because I have used it in the past and I really liked it. Plus, the recent development with the Patched Bootloader means that I can run another OS on the tab if I wish to. So yeah.

OptimusLove said:
BTW, OP can also get iPad 2 since hes on a budget.
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This. I have the iPad 3 and love it, but I honestly wish I never sold my iPad 2. The gains from the screen are not worth the added thickness and weight, shorter battery life, ungodly charging time, and frame rate drops when gaming. Unfortunately now that I have used a tablet with such a high resolution, I couldn't go back to the iPad 2 even if I wanted to. I wish I never saw this screen :/ BTW,This is coming from an Android fan who just preordered the Nexus 7.

[Q] Purchase advice for Asus TF700t 64GB please

I am on the fence between the Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 and the TF700T infinity. Any thoughts you all may have please share. The pen isn't a deal breaker for me, but the KB dock for the TF700 could be a real deal maker. I like the concept of a tablet book. Not to mention the hi-rez screen and some pretty impressive CPU/GPU specs.
I also have thoughts of waiting for the next product release cycle from both Asus and Samsung to see what the future may hold.
Fell free to coment... positive, negative please feel free to fend the good the bad and the ugly/beautiful...I'll put my big boy panties on; so let it rip.
Warmest Regards from Kentucky,
TIA,
Brad

bradslinux said:
I am on the fence between the Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 and the TF700T infinity. Any thoughts you all may have please share.
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Asked and answered. About 100 times.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1830459
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1833842

Although the Q&A forum is the next one down, I'll chime in.
I was on the same fence. I decided on this over the Note b/c
I like that the dock has a battery to help charge the tablet
I like the extra storage accommodations in the dock
I love the HD screen
I like the feel of brushed metal as opposed to plastic
HTH

I could not be happier with my Infinity. Wait for what Asus makes to trump it and you'll be waiting till 2013. The device just came to the USA a few months ago, so it's still relatively new.
Far as 64GB, the markup is insane. Here's a related thread
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1790957
This thing is so nice, I don't even use the XDA "app" with it, I pull up the full site, just like when on a laptop .
Here's a video to help you decide

bradslinux said:
I am on the fence between the Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 and the TF700T infinity. Any thoughts you all may have please share. The pen isn't a deal breaker for me, but the KB dock for the TF700 could be a real deal maker. I like the concept of a tablet book. Not to mention the hi-rez screen and some pretty impressive CPU/GPU specs.
I also have thoughts of waiting for the next product release cycle from both Asus and Samsung to see what the future may hold.
Fell free to coment... positive, negative please feel free to fend the good the bad and the ugly/beautiful...I'll put my big boy panties on; so let it rip.
Warmest Regards from Kentucky,
TIA,
Brad
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Make sure you physically use the Infinity before you dump that much money out, specially for the 64mb model. For that price and the dock you can buy a pretty powerful i7 laptop with a great screen. Regarding the Infinity the specs and numbers look great on paper but when you use it, it doesn't seem like the same thing as on paper. The JellyBean update did make it more smooth, but regular conventional browsing it jerks around when doing a simple scroll through a website. I've learned specially with technology that "specs" on paper do not necessarily coincide with the real world. If I could install Android on my wife's iPad I would LOVE to do that as I think th Apple hardware and quality is fantastic and proven.
Good luck.

bradslinux - As usual, the only person who can really decide is you. Because you'll always get answers that are all over the map here.
I was reading here before buying and thinking I might encounter issues such as those mentioned above and others people claimed to experience. But, it turns out my experience with the Infinity has been great and I'm not having such issues. (I've always prefered using XScope for my web browsing, 2nd place Dolphin, 3rd place Firefox, stock always is last place with me even with Chome. And it was like that with me even before I had the Infinity.) No physical laptop is as light as the Infinity with its dock and everything from web browsing to everything else has been a pleasure and a breeze to perform. Plus, you can't detach the screen from a laptop and the Infinity with just the screen is so light it's scary :laugh: .
You can even read in the threads about the JB update, there are people who are happy like me and others who are upset. Of course it's best to factory reset after the update, but even with that there are some happy afterwards and some who are sad. (If you like root, be sure to read about how to handle that before doing the JB update.)
Nobody can answer the question but you.
Every single Android device I buy, I see tons of complaints about, and every single time I get it I'm so much happier than the complaints. But that's how it has been for me. I know what I like and I like the Infinity .
AnandTech - ASUS Transformer Pad Infinity (TF700T) Review

Without really talking about money (which is quite lame - because the infinity is priced pretty high) - and without saying anything regarding 64 gb or 32 gb. I - Would - Totally - Go - For - Infinity.
Read that out loud so you'd feel my enthusiasm
Other than Asus kinda disappointing me when it comes to their bootloader, unlock procedures and built in applications - that device is amazing.
I've got it a week ago with the docking station - Can't get enough of it. Even doing stupid things I wouldn't normally do, such as literally sitting away from my computer and using splashtop to remotely work with my pc ...
If you're into tablets, and you like gadgets, and you want a convenient, tough, good looking and very cool device - definitely take the infinity.

advocator said:
Without really talking about money (which is quite lame - because the infinity is priced pretty high) - and without saying anything regarding 64 gb or 32 gb. I - Would - Totally - Go - For - Infinity.
Read that out loud so you'd feel my enthusiasm
Other than Asus kinda disappointing me when it comes to their bootloader, unlock procedures and built in applications - that device is amazing.
I've got it a week ago with the docking station - Can't get enough of it. Even doing stupid things I wouldn't normally do, such as literally sitting away from my computer and using splashtop to remotely work with my pc ...
If you're into tablets, and you like gadgets, and you want a convenient, tough, good looking and very cool device - definitely take the infinity.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There's some great input in this thread.
I couldn't agree more as far as the positives.
Had my 32 gig gray Infin for over 2 months and have few complaints.
I'm not one of the "lucky" I am just a gadget consumer who bought a product that more than fulfilled it's ability.
If all the apps in the play store were written for tablets like this one I believe there would minimal *****ing about this thing.
I'm one of the buyers that thinks this tab may just be future enabled...
Sent from my ASUS Transformer Pad TF700T using xda app-developers app

I'm spoiled with the ease with which I could root and unlock my Galaxy Nexus, and have been trying different radios, kernels and ROMs for months, with virtually no worries, no complexity. I'm new to the Infinity, so the complexities and uncertainty about NVflash (too late for me), unlocking and rooting once JB is installed, etc, is still a bit bewildering in comparison to the GNEx (I have lots of reading to do) -- and I'm finding it irritating so far. That said, even with stock JB installed, and Apex Pro and Beautiful Widgets (and HD widgets - still deciding which I like better on this device), I'm finding the TF700T to be a pretty amazing device.
I took it out "for a spin" today -- into NYC by train, on a couple of subways, and to a couple of meetings. I purposely did NOT carry a backpack or briefcase, took no laptop, no laptop brick, etc. The Infinity and dock, in a simple slipcase, was the only "business tool" I brought with me in addition to a phone today.
On the train into NY and even in the NYC subways (Verizon has picocells in the train tunnels), my Galaxy Nexus had a strong signal, so I flipped on it's Wi-Fi hotspot and my TF700T was connected the entire time I was traveling. Sweet!
At the business meetings, I opened up a few PowerPoint presentations I had copied on the device before my trip. The display was so bright and clear that the presentations looked great on the 10.1" screen -- and I was able to pass the tablet itself around for people to look at, navigate through slides, etc. Incredibly effective.
On the way home, I assembled notes from the day, marked up the presentations. I used it as a primary email client for the day. Amazingly (for me, coming from a Galaxy Nexus as a reference point), I used the device for several hours today, the display was amazing even in the brightest light- and I essentially did everything needed with a fraction of what I would normally carry for a business day in the New York. After many hours of use, I had barely dented the battery charge -- this is really pretty amazing. As bright as clear as the display is,it is apparently pretty energy efficient.
Anyway - between functionality, usability, elegance, battery life and sheer portability, this is clearly going to have a big impact on my days as a "road warrior".
Honestly - the only thing seriously giving me second thoughts is increasingly real sounding speculation about a Google / Samsung Galaxy Nexus 10.1 in the works, with 2560 x 1600 resolution (among other things). I have a strong feeling that I'll be wanting that new device when it comes out. But for now, the TF700T strikes me as the best device available in its class-- at least for my purposes.

jonstrong said:
Honestly - the only thing seriously giving me second thoughts is increasingly real sounding speculation about a Google / Samsung Galaxy Nexus 10.1 in the works, with 2560 x 1600 resolution (among other things). I have a strong feeling that I'll be wanting that new device when it comes out. But for now, the TF700T strikes me as the best device available in its class-- at least for my purposes.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wow...as a commensurate gadgeteer myself I would just love something like this alleged Google / Samsung Galaxy Nexus 10.1 with 2560 x 1600 resolution.
If they build it...I will (well you know)

I can't compare the two. There's plenty of information here and the net comparing the two for you to make judgement on what will suit your needs and desires.
If you do choose the Infinity, I would suggest going with the smaller 32GB version because the cost of the larger is not money well spent. Since the Infinity has the SDHC/XC slot, you can get a lot more storage for the money in that route. Heck, wait for a sale, and you can get a lot more. Personally, I went with the smaller unit. Picked up the Scandisc 64GB microSDXC card for $50. I hardly use any storage on the internal, so even the SC card is a bit of waste. Really, unless you're going to have hundreds of apps, thousands of songs, or a lot of video stored, you really don't need that much memory.
Also, if you want to save a few dollars, you can pick up the dock for the Prime, TF201. It's the same thing, just a different color. It's nice you want want the extra battery, SD card slot, or USB ports. If you just want the keyboard, I would suggest just getting a blue tooth keyboard since you can use it on more than one device. It's essentially what I did, but I already had a portable keyboard I used with my smartphone.
If you're really indecisive, see if someone lives near you and see if you can meet up and check out their device. Handling is always better than reading.

More about the potential 10" Nexus is here.
I doubt it will have a dock, so I'll keep my Infinity .

Darnell_Chat_TN said:
More about the potential 10" Nexus is here.
I doubt it will have a dock, so I'll keep my Infinity .
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was just thinking about that myself. Mixed feelings though. I love having the extra battery in the dock. Keyboard is nice, but I tend to prefer Swype, even on a tablet. (using it now).

Thanks everybody for the remarks and opinions. No longer on the fence, I just popped for the 64gb version w/dock kb and a nice leather case. It should be in my hands tomorrow with the case following behind early next week. The biggest deciding factor for me was the "Keyboard vs "S" Pen" arguement, the KB won it.
All the responses I received only go to further my appreciation of what the XDA community has to offer.
My greatest difficulty will be in NOT installing a custom ROM right out of the box. LOL
With great anticipation of the arrival of my new tablet, and warmest regards to all,
Brad

Enjoy!

Tablet to replace my Toshiba Thrive 10"?

So the topic was previously about getting rid if my phone and tablet for a Note 2, but after using Splashtop to play a desktop PC game on my tablet...I definitely want to keep one for the screen size. Unfortunately, the tablet (Toshiba Thrive 10" 32GB) isn't fast enough to play games adequately smooth (and I know its not my connection as same game/settings are much smoother on my Galaxy Nexus). Seeing how much they go for and all the accessories I have and recently purchased, I can easily get at least $300 for it, maybe as much as $400 if I'm lucky.
Anyway, I'm definitely looking for a powerful, quad-core tablet here, and I know the Nexus 7 is the go-to tablet to recommend, but I may want something a bit bigger in screen size (although the 32GB version at the $250 price sure is nice...). That being said, it doesn't have to be 1080p or have amazing viewing angles - basically as long as its not an utterly bad screen.
Right now, I'm leaning toward a Note 10.1 16GB 3G since it can double as a phone, and the pen input would be nice (although no real use as I don't take handwritten notes outside of school and don't do any graphic design and whatnot), but for that same ~$600 I can pick up an ASUS Infinity 64GB or a 32GB plus keyboard dock. And $600 is a lot for something when I already have a tablet that can do basically everything I want it to other than remote desktop gaming.
The Sony Xperia Tablet S doesn't really appeal to me, but feel free to try and sell me on it, whenever it goes back on sale, since I don't know what it has over the competition.
Acer Iconia tablets don't appeal to me when ASUS seems to be the better option a majority of the time.
I wouldn't mind the Toshiba Excite 10 or especially the 7.7, but the lack of support has me worried (although Toshiba seems good with support - granted, it took a while, but the Thrive 7, a tablet that sold poorly, still got an ICS update recently).
Any suggestions?

So I slimmed down my options to the following (all under $400, which ideally is my limit after considering my uses and current financial standing):
-Toshiba Excite 7.7 16GB - I can get it for about $350 with tax/shipped through a friend, and it seems like a pretty good choice in every department (screen particularly) except for support (locked bootloader with small dev community)
-Galaxy Nexus 7 32GB (when it arrives) - about $290 with tax/shipped through Google, and looks to be great except that it's 7", which is kinda bordering on too small for me for my use
-Asus Transformer TF300T 32GB - seems like I can get one around $350 with tax/shipped in scratch-free condition (and the 16GB version doesn't go for much less), and seems to be the best 10" tablet for the price
Of course, I'm going to wait until the 29th to see what Google has upcoming - if there's going to be a 10" tablet like rumors say, and it's under or around $400, that's probably going to get heavy consideration. Until then, any advice? I'm considering dropping the Excite 7.7 off that list based on lack of support alone...

[Q] what should l do?? What should l choose?

Ok, to make a long story short. I handed in my prime for RMA and got offered to alternatives , a TF700 or a samsung note 10.1.
Now , I had really ****ty experience with the prime. Primarily wi fi issues, but the performance in general was rubbish. With that said there were many aspects of the prime that l liked, Such as the keyboard and battery time.
My question is what are the known issues that with the note 10.1 and it's main drawbacks?
Keyboard isn't a must, nor is the pen, though l would love both! I could in short go for either.
It's kinda time urgent , I only have a few days to decide.
Help?
Thanks in advance!

The note is superior to tf700 in every way except screen resolution. I exchanged 3 tf700 then tried the note, the results is obvious. I only regret not taking the 3g version.
Sent from my GT-N8010 using Tapatalk HD

Could you be a bit more detailed?

There are no drawbacks as the software is more refined in every way and the hardware is solid and future proof atleast for year or two
But there only difference is the body and the screen resolution
Apart from that it is better then prime or any other tablet in the market even N10 once it gets JB the reason being the world class developement done by Samsung on the OS

The screen on tf700 was deformed, not well fixed on edges. Less ram, only 1 gb, no dualband n Wi-Fi, no Bluetooth 4, low end internal storage, not as fluent as the note. Much better battery on the note. A lot of random reboots on stock tf700, none on the note.
I have changed the 3 Asus after using each one for a few days. I admit that the resolution was great, but the note is a better tablet overall.
Sent from my GT-N8010 using Tapatalk HD

And the price to in India the prime is almost 200 dollars more expensive

the prime? Don't think it factors in as such into my question... Kinda keen on Tf 700 vs Note 10.1
I've read tons of reviews and they go both ways , but it seems the TF700 comes ahead a lot of the time. That's the confusing part. I've tested both in the store, with no clear winner. Screen on Tf is great and they both felt snappy. The pen on the Samsung was fun to use and accurate, but testet a few pens on the transformer and they were pretty good as well. Big issue is 1 gb DDR3 vs 2GB ddr2 , and Tegra vs Exynos. Kinda a bummer considering games and certain apps are tegra focused .
But the old Prime is still in the back of my mind, I\O performance etc...
BUT A BIG DRAW BACK WITH SAMSUNG, I can't plug in a HDMI and USB cable at the same time... kinda need it from time to time ( external drive and HDMI, or game controller and HDMI or...)

I think almost everyone that owns a Note 10.1 went through the same decision. And newer owners are also factoring in the Nexus 10. Obviously the people in this forum chose the Note. You'd get other opinions from forums dedicated to those devices and I suggest you ask and look in those too.
For me, the decision was easy. I dd look at the Asus forums as well as here. In the Asus forums there are tons of post of people having problems. Granted, people with problems tend to find forums. But why do you not see people here posting about problems? The few you do see are mostly folks that tried to either root or flash their units and didn't read the instructions fully. Sure you'll find an occasional legit problem post, but they are so few and far between that it's an effort to find them. That's not the case in the Asus forums.
I spent a lot of money for the Note 10.1. I bought it before any of the recent price drops. I have no buyers remorse at all.

Well good to know. I've posted a similar thread in the ASUS forum just in case, but response has been limited. The big issue l have with the Samsung is lack of ports and weaker battery compared to the ASUS. wouldn't mind a keyboard, but seen that there are dozens of keyboard folios and so on....but again one comes to the issue of battery being drained ( in this case by the bluetooth)
I'm on the fence , 50-50 so that's why I was looking for personal experience with the unit(s). I kinda missed the mark with the Prime , so don't want to mess up again.
BTW I see it mentioned a dozen places, how is the support from Samsung, ie updates etc....?

I owed a prime and had all the bad experiences. I read and read before getting another tablet and everything pointed at the infinity, so I got one. Had it a little over a week and noticed lag from time to time, but nothing major, until I bought the new need for speed... geez, it's unplayable on the infinity. I pulled it up on my note 2 and its flying. So I returned it and got the note 10.1. It flies! The screen is the only advantage the infinity have

I've owned the Transformer Prime for almost a year and I had the Transformer Infinity for about a month before I traded it for a Galaxy Note 10.1.
The memory issues with the transformers is really bad, when you use the browser it constantly hangs and gives ANRs (App not responding). It is basically unusable in the browser. I had the same problem with the Prime and the Infinity, it happens more often when you have multiple apps running.
I debated it for a long time because I really wanted the high resolution, but once I got the Note 10.1 I knew within a day that I made the right choice. Everything works as it should, everything is faster and smoother, graphics intensive games like N.O.V.A. and Dead Trigger actually run better (N.O.V.A was unplayable on the Infinity because it lagged so much). The screen isn't as good, but it isn't worth the issues you have to deal with on the Transformer line.
I used the keyboard dock on the Infinity and loved taking notes in school with it, but since I got the Note 10.1 I started taking notes with the S-Pen and I carry a bluetooth keyboard just in case I need it. I've liked taking notes with the S-Pen so much that I never even use the keyboard anymore.

As a previous prime owner of 8 months, id have to say i have no regrets
What i miss
-usb slot
-full sd slot
-hdmi
-extra battery
What i dont miss
-anr
-wifi/bluetooth issues
-slow playstore install/uninstall
-the cheap buttons on keyboard(one snapped off, too easilly)
The things i wish the note has but doesnt
-a decent port connected keyboard with, hdmi, usb, sd card
The comprimises
-usb/sd card adapter
-allcast(when sammy finally gets its finger out its bum).......stream game over wifi, while using bluetooth gamepad/keyboard/mouse
As a prevoius prime owner yourself, i think your in a position to appreciate this phrase "it just works"......and thats the main thing that makes the things ive lost bearable, trust me its a relief......another thing i like is that it feels more sturdy,
If you can find a tf700 without daily issues, then i'd say go for that, but me i wont trust their quality control on the tablet front for a while
On a side note, battery on the note, even without the extra battery is commendable..........at least 10h constant use on avarage......thats brightness dim, powersave on......by the way powersave is pretty impressive to (limit to1000mhz), no hiccups.

Just to reiterate what banderos101 said,
I'm a former TF101 owner (the original transformer from asus), and I miss the same things he misses. In addition, my transformer often had weird stutterings that may or may not have been associated with the roms I used on it (but it had them on stock too before I rooted and flashed custom roms).
That said, I don't know much about the TF700, but you probably should pick it based on what your primary usage will be. I got the Note instead of another transformer tablet because I take notes using a pen (physics is hard to type notes for) and because it has 2gb RAM. Also, the screen resolution doesn't matter to me much because it didn't put me in shock and awe when I used my friends' iPad retinas and TF700's, but maybe that's because I'm nearsighted.

DeBoX said:
Well good to know. I've posted a similar thread in the ASUS forum just in case, but response has been limited. The big issue l have with the Samsung is lack of ports and weaker battery compared to the ASUS. wouldn't mind a keyboard, but seen that there are dozens of keyboard folios and so on....but again one comes to the issue of battery being drained ( in this case by the bluetooth)
I'm on the fence , 50-50 so that's why I was looking for personal experience with the unit(s). I kinda missed the mark with the Prime , so don't want to mess up again.
BTW I see it mentioned a dozen places, how is the support from Samsung, ie updates etc....?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'll come at this from a completely different perspective from everyone on this thread. I have an Acer A500. Had it for a few years. Sunday night, my wonderful children decided I needed a new tablet so they dropped my acer out of the car. Off to the store! LOL! I'm not dedicated to any brand at all. I want cheap and as much bang for the buck as I can get. My 2 contenders were the same as yours. Asus Infinity vs Samsung Note. The real question you have to ask is what do you really want the tablet for? What do you expect to get out of the experience? No matter what you read here, the Asus is a better tablet than the Samsung. It has a visibly better screen. It has more storage for the dollar. IE, the 32gb Asus is the same price as the 16GB Samsung. The processor is slightly faster, but the Asus has a 5th independent low power processor that allows it to run much less power therefore slightly longer battery in real world. Average test is about 8 hours for the Samsung, 10 for the Asus.
The Asus also allows you to add the keyboard with an additional battery in the keyboard as well as full sized USB ports etc. So if you are looking for a laptop replacement, it's hard to beat. Now, you're probably asking, why am I putting all this in the Samsung thread?
I bought the Samsung. Why? Because the #1 thing I need from my tablet is the ability to take handwritten notes in meetings and it has to be easy and fast. Bottom line is, the digitizer system on the Note is unbeatable. Period. The Asus can't touch it. The Note is a great screen versus an amazing screen. It's nearly as fast processor wise, 1.4GHz vs 1.6GHz. So while the Asus in my mind is a better tablet, the Samsung Note is better for what I need. And by better I mean, lightyears better. There isn't a tablet on the market that can touch the Note for writing. It is truly paper and pencil good. But if you don't care about that, the Asus is a little better in a lot of ways.

I get 14 hours on the note on regular use, the record being 16 (talking about screen+ WiFi active, not about stand-by). With tf700 i had 11 hours with the first one, the other 2 devices never more than 8 hours (all without the dock, i did not buy one).

mobiushky said:
I'll come at this from a completely different perspective from everyone on this thread. I have an Acer A500. Had it for a few years. Sunday night, my wonderful children decided I needed a new tablet so they dropped my acer out of the car. Off to the store! LOL! I'm not dedicated to any brand at all. I want cheap and as much bang for the buck as I can get. My 2 contenders were the same as yours. Asus Infinity vs Samsung Note. The real question you have to ask is what do you really want the tablet for? What do you expect to get out of the experience? No matter what you read here, the Asus is a better tablet than the Samsung. It has a visibly better screen. It has more storage for the dollar. IE, the 32gb Asus is the same price as the 16GB Samsung. The processor is slightly faster, but the Asus has a 5th independent low power processor that allows it to run much less power therefore slightly longer battery in real world. Average test is about 8 hours for the Samsung, 10 for the Asus.
The Asus also allows you to add the keyboard with an additional battery in the keyboard as well as full sized USB ports etc. So if you are looking for a laptop replacement, it's hard to beat. Now, you're probably asking, why am I putting all this in the Samsung thread?
I bought the Samsung. Why? Because the #1 thing I need from my tablet is the ability to take handwritten notes in meetings and it has to be easy and fast. Bottom line is, the digitizer system on the Note is unbeatable. Period. The Asus can't touch it. The Note is a great screen versus an amazing screen. It's nearly as fast processor wise, 1.4GHz vs 1.6GHz. So while the Asus in my mind is a better tablet, the Samsung Note is better for what I need. And by better I mean, lightyears better. There isn't a tablet on the market that can touch the Note for writing. It is truly paper and pencil good. But if you don't care about that, the Asus is a little better in a lot of ways.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for your post, it's nice to "hear" a slightly different approach. The problem in my case is that I'm kinda looking for the Jack of all trades , pref master of all
The pen idea is really tempting and l hear people praising it to high heaven. I have an old Lenovo x 201 Tablet and loved it for years, but it's kinda big and cumbersome to lob around for short trips and meetings / classes .
I'm looking for something that can at the very least cover these areas:
Media machine ( connected to a screen)
Gaming
Productivity (notes in class+ I work as an IT consultant so quick notes at work etc. In this case both have almost equal merit. pen vs keyboard )
Stable ( regular updates)
Connectivity ( ports and connections)
Good performance
HAS TO HAVE GOOD BATTERY ( average use wifi + bluetooth + browsing and note taking + maybe a short vid. here and there)
What l don't really care about
Screen rez.
Build materials ( ok, don't want it China cheap, but don't need super hyper space age Unobtanium)
Still trying to narrow down everything l need it for.
I know I want my cake and eat it too, but let's be honest, why have the cake if you can't eat it??

To be honest that was the note 10.1 out of the box... It really doesn't need constant updates because it just works how its supposed too... I've never owned an Asus tablet but wouldn't constant updates mean it has constant problems that are trying to be fixed?
Gaming is fine, you can run the chainfire 3d app for tegra games, I run with sonic and that works fine and a few other games (NFS most wanted, GTA3, Dungeon Hunters 3 and Assassins creed 3) and have no problem...
Notes are easy to take using the pen, think back to high school with a folder, about the same size and not that heavy.
You can get an adaptor for usb connectivity - Just cant use an HDD as it requires too much power but a thumb drive works fine (mines 32gb), I have a 64gb sd card installed and I got the 32gb 3g version, forgot phone, no problem...
Performance is fine, there's no problem and 2gb of RAM makes it snappy - even when you fill it with stuff, I have around 4gb left internally and about 2gb on the 64gb sd card - no lag or stutter...
There is a HDMI adaptor you can get but haven't tried it. If you have a smart tv from 2012 then you can share your screen wirelessly and you can get the wireless adaptor that plugs into the tv set. For older versions of TV sets freeing up your usb port you can use the wireless adaptor that plugs into the tv instead of the MHL Adaptor.
Screen resolution is fine for what I need, it plays 720P movies very well and I don't care that I can't magnify the screen into infinity when viewing pics or text...
I have had no problem with build quality, mind you most people I know seem to put it into a folder for protection - don't use anything with magnets as it might affect the wacom digitiser.
The S-pen makes it easy to enter notes or data, its a shame that Samsung used a little known format for s-notes but there's ways around that too...
Battery life is awesome, I use it 8 hours a day watching movies, surfing the web, listening to music, writing, taking notes and making calls and still have around 20-25% at the end of the day...
Overall I find it fine for what I use it for, the new JB update makes it so much better....
At the end of the day you will make your decision, if you live in America you might be able to change that decision, but I like my note 10.1. It is the only tab out there that allowed me to make phone calls and that's what pushed it over the edge for me.. That and the bluetooth stylus that doubles as a handset.... :laugh:

ultramag69 said:
To be honest that was the note 10.1 out of the box... It really doesn't need constant updates because it just works how its supposed too... I've never owned an Asus tablet but wouldn't constant updates mean it has constant problems that are trying to be fixed?
Gaming is fine, you can run the chainfire 3d app for tegra games, I run with sonic and that works fine and a few other games (NFS most wanted, GTA3, Dungeon Hunters 3 and Assassins creed 3) and have no problem...
Notes are easy to take using the pen, think back to high school with a folder, about the same size and not that heavy.
You can get an adaptor for usb connectivity - Just cant use an HDD as it requires too much power but a thumb drive works fine (mines 32gb), I have a 64gb sd card installed and I got the 32gb 3g version, forgot phone, no problem...
Performance is fine, there's no problem and 2gb of RAM makes it snappy - even when you fill it with stuff, I have around 4gb left internally and about 2gb on the 64gb sd card - no lag or stutter...
There is a HDMI adaptor you can get but haven't tried it. If you have a smart tv from 2012 then you can share your screen wirelessly and you can get the wireless adaptor that plugs into the tv set. For older versions of TV sets freeing up your usb port you can use the wireless adaptor that plugs into the tv instead of the MHL Adaptor.
Screen resolution is fine for what I need, it plays 720P movies very well and I don't care that I can't magnify the screen into infinity when viewing pics or text...
I have had no problem with build quality, mind you most people I know seem to put it into a folder for protection - don't use anything with magnets as it might affect the wacom digitiser.
The S-pen makes it easy to enter notes or data, its a shame that Samsung used a little known format for s-notes but there's ways around that too...
Battery life is awesome, I use it 8 hours a day watching movies, surfing the web, listening to music, writing, taking notes and making calls and still have around 20-25% at the end of the day...
Overall I find it fine for what I use it for, the new JB update makes it so much better....
At the end of the day you will make your decision, if you live in America you might be able to change that decision, but I like my note 10.1. It is the only tab out there that allowed me to make phone calls and that's what pushed it over the edge for me.. That and the bluetooth stylus that doubles as a handset.... :laugh:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can you tell me more about the wireless HDMI solution. One of the BIG issues I have with the note is the fact that it's lacking ports and there aren't any docking stations etc with both hdmi and usb . I have several really good LED TV's at home , but non have wireless DLNA or similar setups ( have to buy extra plugs etc) so a HDMI port would have been great...
Another issue is the fact that there seems to be an increase in TEGRA optimized games... somthing that's a major bummer since l actually like using the tab as a mini game console .

KoRoZIV said:
I get 14 hours on the note on regular use, the record being 16 (talking about screen+ WiFi active, not about stand-by). With tf700 i had 11 hours with the first one, the other 2 devices never more than 8 hours (all without the dock, i did not buy one).
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Click to collapse
Is that 14h out of the box, or have you done some tinkering with it?

For the games run chainfire 3d... You can then run the tegra games with no problem...
Allshare cast dongle or Allshare cast hub - http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2003478 & http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0089VO7MY/ref=oh_details_o02_s00_i00