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[Q] Anyone found a good PDF app?

I was planning on using Adobe Reader, but it's not compatible. Anyone have a recommendation?

vodkaequalslove said:
I was planning on using Adobe Reader, but it's not compatible. Anyone have a recommendation?
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If you're willing to part with $.99, ezpdf reader seems to be pretty good. And it supports highlighting/annotations!

Surprisingly, the built in pdf readers of MyLibrary and Polaris Office are pretty good too. I impulse bought ezPDF before finding out about the built in ones. I think the built in ones are sufficient if you don't plan on annotating.

mirumirai said:
Surprisingly, the built in pdf readers of MyLibrary and Polaris Office are pretty good too. I impulse bought ezPDF before finding out about the built in ones. I think the built in ones are sufficient if you don't plan on annotating.
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EZPDF was one of the free ones on the Amazon appstore last month. Amazon is still doing a free app a day. I suggest installing it getting all the free apps, cuz you may never know when you may end up needing one of them.

donatom3 said:
EZPDF was one of the free ones on the Amazon appstore last month.
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Now that you mention it, I remember seeing that, and thinking that I had no use for it. How quickly things can change...
Does EZPDF save your progress so you can pick up where you left off later?

vodkaequalslove said:
Now that you mention it, I remember seeing that, and thinking that I had no use for it. How quickly things can change...
Does EZPDF save your progress so you can pick up where you left off later?
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Yes, with the latest update that is one of the things they highlighted, I use it all the time and feel it is far superior than the other PDF readers. Developer is very active in improving and enhancing its features.

I think the built in one that comes with the transformer is pretty good
The only thing i dislike about it is the refresh rate on flipping pages,

+1 for EZPDF
I have tried many but I my favourite is EZPDf, its most complete

Why get a PDF reader when myLibrary handles it fine.

i got ezpdf for free from amzon. it is kinda slow to switch pages. I like repligo reader a lot better. Also allows you to annotate pdfs.

ravizzle said:
i got ezpdf for free from amzon. it is kinda slow to switch pages. I like repligo reader a lot better. Also allows you to annotate pdfs.
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I agree. I've tried ezpdf, but Repligo is my favorite.

Nthing ezPDF, though I'd love to see one that can do a two-page display for landscape.

My experience is that MyLibrary's and Polaris Office's rendering quality is pretty poor. ezPDF's and Repligo's quality is about the same though Repligo is faster at switching pages due to Repligo rendering a low resolution version first which provides you enough information to know whether you wish to read that page or swipe to the next one. However, certain (complex?) pages fail to be rendered by Repligo (you just get a blank page with an X) whereas ezPDF manages those pages without a problem. If Repligo can fix the page fail issue then Repligo would seem to be the best out of the four.

when you get the apss from amazon...how do you know it's compatible for the transformer?

captkronos said:
My experience is that MyLibrary's and Polaris Office's rendering quality is pretty poor. ezPDF's and Repligo's quality is about the same though Repligo is faster at switching pages due to Repligo rendering a low resolution version first which provides you enough information to know whether you wish to read that page or swipe to the next one. However, certain (complex?) pages fail to be rendered by Repligo (you just get a blank page with an X) whereas ezPDF manages those pages without a problem. If Repligo can fix the page fail issue then Repligo would seem to be the best out of the four.
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Now that Adobe Reader has been released for Honeycomb I thought I would update the above with the fact that, then though I had assumed having come from Adobe that it would be the best, its rendering is just as poor as MyLibrary and Polaris Office. For the time being I will be staying with Repligo; and ezPDF as a back up.

Mantano Reader seems pretty good, 7 day fully functional trial available.

Repligo is the best on the market, but there are a few thing in my wishlist:
- Continuous scrolling
- Two page view
- Support for textbox
OfficeHD Pro can display PDFs very well. Although, you cannot make any modification to the file.

I've yet to find one that beats GoodReader on the iPhone. It allows annotation etc and has a great feature where you can zoom in but lock the screen horizontally meaning that the text can fill the entire screen yet scrolling won't mess alignment up. I've love them to port this app or have another one copy this.

jimbob1971 said:
I've yet to find one that beats GoodReader on the iPhone. It allows annotation etc and has a great feature where you can zoom in but lock the screen horizontally meaning that the text can fill the entire screen yet scrolling won't mess alignment up. I've love them to port this app or have another one copy this.
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Goodreader is one of the best PDF readers on the market of any device. Oh man do I wish they had a android version because I have tons of books with my annotations in them and for this fact I still have my iPad. The one feature that I absolutely love is locking of screen size. I emailed them back a few months ago and they never replied back if they are porting to android..

Repligo is the best, for me.
Sent from my Transformer TF101 using XDA Premium App

GTA III works flaswlessy on Tablet

All you have to do is purchase on phone and sideload it, it will let you download data directly from tablet, at 1mb per second, it took about 7 mins for the whole process, 400mb download and data install. Go buy now, best 5 bucks ever spent.
Ps. I bought using my evo 3d, which also runs the game perfectly.
Edit: before you start asking, how to sideload it:
Dropbox, gmail, titanium backup, blue-tooth, etc. It also verifys market, so make sure you buy it.

excellent news, I did download the app, but got error parsing package message. Also says incompatible with my p6200, lets hope for the best for us 3g guys.

chrisrotolo said:
excellent news, I did download the app, but got error parsing package message. Also says incompatible with my p6200, lets hope for the best for us 3g guys.
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Try downloading with phone, then sideload it. It should work since it works for dell streak, even though it is android 2.3, it is a 7 inch tablet. It worked on my SGT7+ wifi, it should work on Tmobile. Just make sure you purchase it.

Downloaded but seeing quite a bit of lagg. Replacing user data files with GSII files now hoping that they will fix it

Which version do you have? Wifi or 3g? Also did you just sideload apk, and download data from tab, or copy both. Mine has no lag whatsoever with the data download directly to tab. I also have no lag with the data downloaded from my evo 3d. They both work perfectly. I also recommend using the analog steering and driving controls.

I sideloaded the .apk and let it download, had lag, so I replaced the data files with ones for the GSII from a site I found. No lagg now, just had to reset the controls as it aligned them for the S2's resolution. I don't have another Android device so I had to go the less legal route to get the APK, but I have bought the game on the iPad so I don't feel bad about it. Thumbs down to Rockstar for not having the compatibility in order

Cptnodegard said:
I sideloaded the .apk and let it download, had lag, so I replaced the data files with ones for the GSII from a site I found. No lagg now, just had to reset the controls as it aligned them for the S2's resolution. I don't have another Android device so I had to go the less legal route to get the APK, but I have bought the game on the iPad so I don't feel bad about it. Thumbs down to Rockstar for not having the compatibility in order
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Come one bro, dont include those details, as it can get you booted.
Also what type of lag were you referring to?

FPS issues in the entire game, basically. Driving around was very laggy and basically unplayable
The game is great and works better on 7 inches than the 10 inch iPad imho... just hope rockstar gets a grip and fixes compatibility settings. As a new Android user I can't even begin to express how utterly idiotic this issue with erroneous compatibility blocks is

Cptnodegard said:
FPS issues in the entire game, basically. Driving around was very laggy and basically unplayable
The game is great and works better on 7 inches than the 10 inch iPad imho... just hope rockstar gets a grip and fixes compatibility settings. As a new Android user I can't even begin to express how utterly idiotic this issue with erroneous compatibility blocks is
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Oh ok, mine still seems very responsive, Ill try other data file from other phones i have. Ill post results later. Yup, thats the problem with android fragmentation, but either way any android phone beats an iphone.

No...it doesn't. Believing that is just pure bias as there is no, and probably never will be, an OS that beats the other on everything. That's why I have one of each.

Youre still very new to this community, give it some time, to the infite modifications and freedom android gives you.

Customizing something all the way to Mars is nice, but still doesn't make up for lack of apps. I've been using the iPad in ways that physically aren't possible on Android because of the lack of certain apps and types of apps

give me an example and Ill try to tell which apps are available. I have over 400 apps installed. I go thru the apple catalog and I only see nonsense apps, or social apps, how many of those do you need. But its true there are more apps, but almost all are already in android. Maybe not the market but getjar, amazon market, appbrain and more.

Ok, here's a challenge for you, and if you do manage to find an app, you will be my hero:
One of my most used apps on the iPad is a certain type of note taking app. I say a certain type rather than a specific app as there are quite literally dozens of these available on iOS now. This type of app will let me import documents - minimum requirement is PDF, but more types is better - and write on top of them. So far Android has alternative. Then you get to the most important feature, magnification mode. The way this works in all of said dozen apps is that you have a window at the bottom of the screen that shows a small portion of the screen magnified. This allows you to write big letters and have it be shrunk down. These boxes are resizable and can be set for various zoom levels. They also have auto-advance, meaning that when you get to the end of the box it automatically moves it so you just write from the beginning again. This way you can write sentence upon sentence just as you would on paper, and just as accurately, even with a normal capacitive stylus. Other features that are often in these apps include the ability to insert images, machine text, web clips, audio recordings etc. You will also need to have the ability to export PDF. There are apps on android that can annotate PDF, but not at that level. All semester I've been using the iPad and nothing but the iPad both in lectures and outside, scanning paper documents using Scanner Pro and an external camera, annotating them (this is why just text editing is useless - I need to be able to have 100% control over size, placement, angle etc of the text on a page, underline and make arrows and drawings all over the place, not just write some text down) and storing them for reading. Just had an exam with 900 pages worth of curriculum and notes, all read on the iPad, and created on the iPad to begin with in the case of notes.
That kind of app in particular is crucial, and it has to be able to do exactly what I mention here, no "almost" with missing the magnification mode etc. They even provided all the lecturers with iPads this fall, and they've been using the same types of apps connected to projectors via VGA (try finding a VGA adapter for the galaxy tab, btw ).
This is just the ultimate example though, as it's not only the type of app I've used the most, but it's an app that is 100% productivity. No widgets, games or anything like that - it's a productivity issue, and an issue for Android's usability in settings outside of people who like to watch videos and play with ADWlauncher (which also includes me in my spare time, hence why I have an Android tablet).
Other examples off the top of my head: Splashtop's secondary product, xDisplay. It doesnt exist on Android (yet), and it's an example of an app where I don't care if there are "similar products" - it's the system I'm invested in and missing apps from major services like that is an issue. I could also bring up apps that have some sort of equivalent, but far from anything that works as good. Goodreader on the iPad -> ezPDF on Android, much less powerful app. Scanner Pro -> CamScanner, same thing, and they even broke 7.0 plus compatibility in the last update. There's no direct access app for the educational system my school uses, Classfronter, which isn't really an issue due to browser access but still an issue as it's slower. No good alternative to Reeder either, not that I've found anyways.
Education in itself is an interesting field. There are so many apps that make the iPad a powerful tool for both teachers and students on iOS. How about the ability to annotate documents wirelessly using Syncpad, an app that streams the image on screen to any HTML5 browser that's connected to the internet (not just local wifi)? Used that one a lot. Replaynote, letting you do notes and commentary and have it automatically turned into a video that you can send off to help people. Dictionary apps; when you study ENglish like I do, "a dictionary" isn't enough. You need as many as possible. That's iOS, not android.
Enough productivity. Fun apps. BBE's app has brought a music enhancement technology, that so far has only been licensed to Cowon for portable use, to iOS. There's no comparison to EQs in apps like Poweramp. Flipboard, awesome RSS reader that I use instead of Reeder when I want to relax, not read feeds for work. Tried Pulse, not the same, or even close. Neither is Currents. Zinio is luckily on both OSes though there are several magazines that are only available through Newsstand. Connecting the iPad to a synthesizer via USB and playing around with it on an amateur level is always fun.
Enough examples.
I love my 7.0 Plus. I love how personal the homescreen is after tweaking it, Google Talk on it is awesome, it's the device I reach for to check email in the morning, I love using a Wiimote for games, i use it as a mouse and keyboard for my PC in bed, remote control utorrent, browse the web, as a flashlight at night (LOVE that), video support makes me weep tears of joy, read books that aren't scanned A4 documents (and hence possible to reformat for 7 inches) etc. It's a great device, which is why I have it. However it isn't perfect. There's plenty of room for both OSes in my life, for the exact reason that neither is perfect.

Repligo reader for first, lets you write on top of pdf files (shapes, text,highlight, selections,w/e), I use it in class alot, but also lean to quick office since I just use camera to copy what i dont feel like typing.

Currents instead of pulse, much better. Also with repligo everything should be capable to be done, what ios app are you refering to which can do all that.

splashtop is on android also.

I think I answered what you needed, to long to read over again, while trying to study for nueuro final.

How did you get the GTA apk to your Tab? I tried AppInstaller, but I get an "access denied" error when I try to export it?
*edit* Nevermind. I was able to get the apk using Root Explorer. Can't wait to fire it up!

theundeadelvis said:
How did you get the GTA apk to your Tab? I tried AppInstaller, but I get an "access denied" error when I try to export it?
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you need root, and you can use root explorer to copy, to sd card. Make sure you click on r/w to be able to write and copy.

[Q] With a tablet like the TF300T and Dock, what software is missing...

I am a software developer, and have been creating Android apps for businesses since 2008. Up until recently all of the apps I have created have been for businesses to serve specific needs.
When I recently bought my TF300T I quickly wanted to start leaving the laptop home, but there are just a few things left I still cannot do on Android.
So my question to you is, what would you like to be able to do in Android that you cannot yet do?

I'd like to see a word processor that supports features such as: multiple columns, page numbering, a ruler, fonts, spacing, margins, multiple paper sizes, printing directly to a wireless or shared printer etc.
Some of these features are available for various Office suite word processors, but I have yet to find one that supports them all. It's getting better, but we're not there yet.
A robust office suite, really, is the only thing that's missing for me.

Google bought quickoffice, so I hope to see a Drive/office hybrid. MS is also working on office for android tablets afaik.
So office apps might not be the best choice as a software dev.

Has someone made a nice music player app that takes advantage of the tablet screen? Basically multiple frames so you can see what's playing (with basic controls) on one side of the screen, and be able scroll through your playlist or music directory on the other side of the screen.
Something like that with pop up windows (or frames) for additional features (like an Equalizer) would be pretty nice.
Actually not sure if the TF300 has a good music player, as I haven't received mine yet, but on my other tablet, everything I've found seems to be made for phones, and I hate having to cycle through different screens just to browse the playlist

I really want an app that synchronises handwritten note taking with audio, like the echo smartpen does. Then I could use it in meetings really effectively.
I think there is an ipad app that does this (grr...) but nothing for Android

mike-y said:
Has someone made a nice music player app that takes advantage of the tablet screen? Basically multiple frames so you can see what's playing (with basic controls) on one side of the screen, and be able scroll through your playlist or music directory on the other side of the screen.
Something like that with pop up windows (or frames) for additional features (like an Equalizer) would be pretty nice.
Actually not sure if the TF300 has a good music player, as I haven't received mine yet, but on my other tablet, everything I've found seems to be made for phones, and I hate having to cycle through different screens just to browse the playlist
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Google Play Music, which comes on the tablet, is tablet-optimized. The tablet also comes with MusicFX, which is an equalizer, and it integrates with Play Music.

EndlessDissent said:
Google Play Music, which comes on the tablet, is tablet-optimized. The tablet also comes with MusicFX, which is an equalizer, and it integrates with Play Music.
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I'd hardly call Google Music tablet optimized, it scales well but doesnt use space very efficiently.
This is the only one I know of, but its really ugly
https://play.google.com/store/apps/...jects.musicplayerforpad&feature=search_result
But yeah, I'd also like to see a better office editor. Quickoffice is a little too light on features to be taken seriously for more than minor edits.

The docks USB port does not recognize my camera and I do not like the way the tablet just puts your pictures in one big conglomeration. I would like a tablet that recognizes any digital camera and places your photos into files by date like a PC does. I use the tablet for work and I have to upload photos to my reports and then send the reports to my office. I have been able to type reports but it takes so many steps to get pictures from my camera into the tablet and then load them onto my reports that I am not able to do my reports quickly unless I am at home at my compute doing them.

I would love to get my hands on an Android clone of the airsketch app another teacher in my building has for his ipad.
Sent from my jitterbug using tapatalk.

I would like to have an app was functionally similar to Quicken. Personal financial tracking that was not web based. I have to carry a netbook to get that currently.
Mike
Sent from my ASUS Transformer Pad TF300T using XDA

Biggest problem with Android apps right now is they aren't optimized for tablets. Most of the apps are designed for phones.

Yeah, but that should change as tablets get cheaper and more popular.

I would like at least a word processor (if not a whole office suite) That;
1: Had all but the most advanced of a PC's word processors features such as full formatting, the ability to add fonts, full text options; the whole nine yards.
2: It having a nice ICS tablet layout. Not a clunky phone UI that has the features but not the layout to be of any use.
3: Full usb (or our dock) and bluetooth keyboard support with hotkeys and shortcuts (ie: Ctrl+V for paste etc etc...)
4: A supportive dev who would listen to community input and have a way to contact them easily where the other members of the community could also see the discussion (ie: a forums).
If you actually intend to do this (I REALLLLLLLY hope you do, its sorely needed) then I myself will plan on donating to the projects development as it goes along.
Sent from my ASUS Transformer Pad TF300T

SilentStormer said:
I would like at least a word processor (if not a whole office suite) That;
1: Had all but the most advanced of a PC's word processors features such as full formatting, the ability to add fonts, full text options; the whole nine yards.
2: It having a nice ICS tablet layout. Not a clunky phone UI that has the features but not the layout to be of any use.
3: Full usb (or our dock) and bluetooth keyboard support with hotkeys and shortcuts (ie: Ctrl+V for paste etc etc...)
4: A supportive dev who would listen to community input and have a way to contact them easily where the other members of the community could also see the discussion (ie: a forums).
If you actually intend to do this (I REALLLLLLLY hope you do, its sorely needed) then I myself will plan on donating to the projects development as it goes along.
Sent from my ASUS Transformer Pad TF300T
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Right now I am putting the finishing touches on a project I hope to release this coming week sometime. It will be a tool specifically for Tablets and geared towards software developers mostly.
I am responding to you because the app I am about to release does support all of the typical hotkeys like Ctrl-V etc.
The biggest problem with creating an office suite for tablets is supporting all of the various file types that are out there (Office 2000/2003/2007 etc.) If it was just a matter of supporting one file type, and having the ability to import/convert from/to the other file types than it would be much easier. The problem is that would add an extra step for users to deal with.
I also think that Google will be releasing a very nice Office Suite for Android very soon. I think with the push for Chrome OS, and the already stated fact that Google plans to merge Chrome OS into Android points to that even more.

sgrant said:
Right now I am putting the finishing touches on a project I hope to release this coming week sometime. It will be a tool specifically for Tablets and geared towards software developers mostly.
I am responding to you because the app I am about to release does support all of the typical hotkeys like Ctrl-V etc.
The biggest problem with creating an office suite for tablets is supporting all of the various file types that are out there (Office 2000/2003/2007 etc.) If it was just a matter of supporting one file type, and having the ability to import/convert from/to the other file types than it would be much easier. The problem is that would add an extra step for users to deal with.
I also think that Google will be releasing a very nice Office Suite for Android very soon. I think with the push for Chrome OS, and the already stated fact that Google plans to merge Chrome OS into Android points to that even more.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, Im excited for whatever Google has up it's sleeve. (maybe a built-in office suite in jelly bean? )
sounds like an interesting app and Ill be sure and give it a try!
Sent from my ASUS Transformer Pad TF300T

some apps require sd card to work (like this one or this one), because they put the data on sd card, so i want an app that have the abiltiy to use the internal memory as an "virtual sd card",
i know sd cards are not expensive, but i just feel like it's not necessary to use a sd card while there's still a lot of space on my device (like this one has 32 GB) and sometimes you forget your sd card or because of whatever reason you don't want to use your sd card.
so an app like that would be very useful (at least for me, i really need it )
i'd also like to see the list of apps you've created

I would like a virtual server running.
I have a particular need and idea to get some of my phone apps working on the tablet.
My idea is to create a virtual space something like Stick It! or Super Video, those app allow you to open a window and play your videos inside a hovering and movable window.
I took a measurement, and since owning an Asus TF300T with the keyboard dock, my tablet is mostly in landscape mode .
In landscape mode I can fit 3 windows of virtual space (or however you want to call it technically) of my phone in portrait mode.
So the apps on my phone where the developer is; for whatever reason, not interested in making those apps tablet ready, I can run those apps and see them the way they would look on the phone.
Because of the space that I measured, I can run 3 portrait phone apps at once. And just tap to switch between windows.
Does this sound like something that would benefit users?
Thanks
Rob
Sent from my SPH-D710 using Tapatalk 2

pepperonihead said:
The docks USB port does not recognize my camera and I do not like the way the tablet just puts your pictures in one big conglomeration. I would like a tablet that recognizes any digital camera and places your photos into files by date like a PC does. I use the tablet for work and I have to upload photos to my reports and then send the reports to my office. I have been able to type reports but it takes so many steps to get pictures from my camera into the tablet and then load them onto my reports that I am not able to do my reports quickly unless I am at home at my compute doing them.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
+1

There's a few apps I can think of off the top of my head. A gallery, a calculator & an app that brings all your social feeds together.
For the gallery, I'd like something similar to the stock gallery app except with the option to view it in list or folder view or something similar. Sorting options like sort by name, type etc and the ability to flick through them in that order would be good too.
For the calculator, heaps of buttons on the screen would be nice, and maybe they could be scrollable to reveal more buttons. Right now most calculators are just simple calculators with giant buttons lol. I'd really appreciate a scientific or graphic calculator on Android.
I'm also yet to find a decent tablet app that brings all your social feeds together. Something like the desktop Tweetdeck where you can have multiple panes would be great plus the ability to view profiles, messages, notifications etc.
I'd be willing to pay for any of these as long as their recently priced. (Not gonna pay $20 for a gallery lol)
If any of these are already on the market a reply or link would be appreciated lol, maybe I'm not digging hard enough.
---------- Post added at 09:24 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:21 PM ----------
rlanza1054 said:
I would like a virtual server running.
I have a particular need and idea to get some of my phone apps working on the tablet.
My idea is to create a virtual space something like Stick It! or Super Video, those app allow you to open a window and play your videos inside a hovering and movable window.
I took a measurement, and since owning an Asus TF300T with the keyboard dock, my tablet is mostly in landscape mode .
In landscape mode I can fit 3 windows of virtual space (or however you want to call it technically) of my phone in portrait mode.
So the apps on my phone where the developer is; for whatever reason, not interested in making those apps tablet ready, I can run those apps and see them the way they would look on the phone.
Because of the space that I measured, I can run 3 portrait phone apps at once. And just tap to switch between windows.
Does this sound like something that would benefit users?
Thanks
Rob
Sent from my SPH-D710 using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry for double post but I'd love something like this. Like multitasking with 3 vertical apps running in phone mode would be beautiful. Maybe not a virtual server (do you mean online?), but just running an app in a phone version rather than tablet. That way we could have apps like Launcher 7 etc run on tabs. Or maybe have 2/3 of the screen having a browser and the other 1/3 of space occupying a phone app. Great idea man.
It would seem pretty hard to code or implement though.
+1

Microsoft surface experience?

Hello guys. For those who have used the Microsoft surface, can you share your experience? I am just curious about its speed, performance, and how user friendly it is
Sent from my GT-N7005 using xda premium

I love mine. I find the interface refreshing and unique, the people app lets me do way more with social media than I have been able to do in the past. Typing on the touch cover is still a bit of a challenge but they are saying it takes a few days to get it done properly. Speed wise, there are no issues. Mine is snappy and responsive. Battery life is amazing. I can use it all day 6am until 7pm and still only be down to around 30-40% battery remaining. There is a lack of apps but nothing that I can't wait out. I expected the ecosystem will take a bit to get going and I'm willing to wait. I sold my ipad with retina and honestly don't miss it at all.

I really love mine the more I use it. I'm typing this on the touchcover and although I make a lot of mistakes I seem to be getting better at it. That said, I do have some issues but nothing that major (yet!). Battery life seems to be much less than the ipad, people report 8-10 hours, I only get like 4-7. The apps are a disappointment, but I plan to use this device productively soo all I really need is dropbox. The device seems to slow down when editing 2 page documents in word. I tried to make a brochure on here and dragging pictures around was a nightmare. I did type a paper onhere and while it took longer then on a regular keyboard it wasn't that bad.
IE 10 for metro is complete trash. Can't even load XDA so I find myself always forced to use the desktop version. If you buy one, I suggest the model higher than 32gb as we really only get lke 14 gb because of the os taking up so much room.
The touchcover gets very dirty it seems. I'm not suire if I can clean it without ruining it. I sneeze on it before and it has a nasty stain =/.
The device itself is very prone to scratches, I tend to try to plug the thing into charge while its dark and that damn connector is such a pita that I always scratch the bezel.
I love the keyboard gestures (which I know can be used on any computer). The UI is very fast, there's a crap ton of gestures to learn. Yet, there are some gripes. Closing an app takes a crazy amount of time. You have to drag all theway from the top of the screen to the bottom, unnecessary.
Overall, I love it and I plan on keeping it. I still have my ipad and my nexus 7 but this really helps me get stuff done. The fact I can plug in almost any usb device and hve it work is amazing. You can even charge cellphones and stuff with the USB. I would recommend getting the surface IF you realize you can't run anything that's not in the store. No browser addons, no exe fils, nothing. Sometime that makes me wish I got the pro, but this device is really enough. Get past the quirkiness of metro + desktop and it's a beast.
Sorry for the typos. This was typed on the touch cover while lying down in bed.
*EDIT* The messenger app sucks realy badly too. You add someone as a friend (which can't be done in the app you have to go to a website) then you can't ever send them a message cause it says "Name unavailable" but they can send you messages. Its a one way form of communication.
*Edit2* Another clunky part. There are no jpg thumbail previews in the desktop. And when you want to open an image it has to open a program in metro

brandonjuraimi said:
Hello guys. For those who have used the Microsoft surface, can you share your experience? I am just curious about its speed, performance, and how user friendly it is
Sent from my GT-N7005 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I love the surface responsiveness and the new UI. But still there is still miles to go to get this perfect.
1. After being ON for more than 3 days, clicking on Email opened up weather, can't reach the email by clicking on any of the tiles. Same with IE. I had to reboot.
2. The auto rotate stopped working suddenly. I had to reboot to get it working again.
3. The email Client is awful. Need a better email app. It can't even match 10% of other email client's functionality. (No multi select, too much delay when navigating emails in the list, no option to Archive vs Delete, Moving to folders isn't as easy,
4. There is no Cisco VPN client. If your work requires non standard Cisco VPN connectivity, stay away.
5. Enterprise Distribution of apps isn't clear yet. We shouldn't have to have enterprise apps published to Microsoft Store every time.
6. Silverlight doesn't run on RT? Kidding me?
7. Playing HD video isn't going to be easy. Not even one app which could play MKV files.
8. The copy paste of text inside surface isn't as easy as in iPad. Sometimes it takes too much time to get the needed text selected on IE.
9. Needs tweaking to run Flash on all websites (its a hack. Why?)
10, Pointing the cursor to an exact place in a text area isn't as easy as in iPad with the magnifying glass.
By the way, WHERE IS THE REPORT A PROBLEM button in RT ?
Though I have so many complaints, I still love my Surface. I don't use my iPad anymore. Many times, I had tried to touch my monitor while using my laptop. MS is spoiling me

mchimney said:
I really love mine the more I use it. I'm typing this on the touchcover and although I make a lot of mistakes I seem to be getting better at it. That said, I do have some issues but nothing that major (yet!). Battery life seems to be much less than the ipad, people report 8-10 hours, I only get like 4-7. The apps are a disappointment, but I plan to use this device productively soo all I really need is dropbox. The device seems to slow down when editing 2 page documents in word. I tried to make a brochure on here and dragging pictures around was a nightmare. I did type a paper onhere and while it took longer then on a regular keyboard it wasn't that bad.
IE 10 for metro is complete trash. Can't even load XDA so I find myself always forced to use the desktop version. If you buy one, I suggest the model higher than 32gb as we really only get lke 14 gb because of the os taking up so much room.
The touchcover gets very dirty it seems. I'm not suire if I can clean it without ruining it. I sneeze on it before and it has a nasty stain =/.
The device itself is very prone to scratches, I tend to try to plug the thing into charge while its dark and that damn connector is such a pita that I always scratch the bezel.
I love the keyboard gestures (which I know can be used on any computer). The UI is very fast, there's a crap ton of gestures to learn. Yet, there are some gripes. Closing an app takes a crazy amount of time. You have to drag all theway from the top of the screen to the bottom, unnecessary.
Overall, I love it and I plan on keeping it. I still have my ipad and my nexus 7 but this really helps me get stuff done. The fact I can plug in almost any usb device and hve it work is amazing. You can even charge cellphones and stuff with the USB. I would recommend getting the surface IF you realize you can't run anything that's not in the store. No browser addons, no exe fils, nothing. Sometime that makes me wish I got the pro, but this device is really enough. Get past the quirkiness of metro + desktop and it's a beast.
Sorry for the typos. This was typed on the touch cover while lying down in bed.
*EDIT* The messenger app sucks realy badly too. You add someone as a friend (which can't be done in the app you have to go to a website) then you can't ever send them a message cause it says "Name unavailable" but they can send you messages. Its a one way form of communication.
*Edit2* Another clunky part. There are no jpg thumbail previews in the desktop. And when you want to open an image it has to open a program in metro
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In response to some of your issues. I love metro ui based IE and find it loads XDA without issue. A good tip is to enable adblocking filters using the tips in this forum (find the topic called tips). It loads XDA fine now for me.
Closing an app by dragging top to bottom takes a lot of time? It's a half second gesture man. Be realistic. Alot of your complaints are issues that are not issues at all. It's a different UI, give it a break.
---------- Post added at 05:05 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:03 PM ----------
tcsekhar said:
I love the surface responsiveness and the new UI. But still there is still miles to go to get this perfect.
1. After being ON for more than 3 days, clicking on Email opened up weather, can't reach the email by clicking on any of the tiles. Same with IE. I had to reboot.
2. The auto rotate stopped working suddenly. I had to reboot to get it working again.
3. The email Client is awful. Need a better email app. It can't even match 10% of other email client's functionality. (No multi select, too much delay when navigating emails in the list, no option to Archive vs Delete, Moving to folders isn't as easy,
4. There is no Cisco VPN client. If your work requires non standard Cisco VPN connectivity, stay away.
5. Enterprise Distribution of apps isn't clear yet. We shouldn't have to have enterprise apps published to Microsoft Store every time.
6. Silverlight doesn't run on RT? Kidding me?
7. Playing HD video isn't going to be easy. Not even one app which could play MKV files.
8. The copy paste of text inside surface isn't as easy as in iPad. Sometimes it takes too much time to get the needed text selected on IE.
9. Needs tweaking to run Flash on all websites (its a hack. Why?)
10, Pointing the cursor to an exact place in a text area isn't as easy as in iPad with the magnifying glass.
By the way, WHERE IS THE REPORT A PROBLEM button in RT ?
Though I have so many complaints, I still love my Surface. I don't use my iPad anymore. Many times, I had tried to touch my monitor while using my laptop. MS is spoiling me
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
MKV does not equal HD, so try playing an MP4 or something in HD before making comments like this. So what if it doesn't play MKV format, there are plenty it does play.

cmscritic said:
I love mine. I find the interface refreshing and unique, the people app lets me do way more with social media than I have been able to do in the past. Typing on the touch cover is still a bit of a challenge but they are saying it takes a few days to get it done properly. Speed wise, there are no issues. Mine is snappy and responsive. Battery life is amazing. I can use it all day 6am until 7pm and still only be down to around 30-40% battery remaining. There is a lack of apps but nothing that I can't wait out. I expected the ecosystem will take a bit to get going and I'm willing to wait. I sold my ipad with retina and honestly don't miss it at all.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wow your experience with the Microsoft surface sure is awesome. It sounds awesome and I can't wait to check it out. Not sure if it is available in my country though...
Sent from my GT-N7005 using xda premium

mchimney said:
I really love mine the more I use it. I'm typing this on the touchcover and although I make a lot of mistakes I seem to be getting better at it. That said, I do have some issues but nothing that major (yet!). Battery life seems to be much less than the ipad, people report 8-10 hours, I only get like 4-7. The apps are a disappointment, but I plan to use this device productively soo all I really need is dropbox. The device seems to slow down when editing 2 page documents in word. I tried to make a brochure on here and dragging pictures around was a nightmare. I did type a paper onhere and while it took longer then on a regular keyboard it wasn't that bad.
IE 10 for metro is complete trash. Can't even load XDA so I find myself always forced to use the desktop version. If you buy one, I suggest the model higher than 32gb as we really only get lke 14 gb because of the os taking up so much room.
The touchcover gets very dirty it seems. I'm not suire if I can clean it without ruining it. I sneeze on it before and it has a nasty stain =/.
The device itself is very prone to scratches, I tend to try to plug the thing into charge while its dark and that damn connector is such a pita that I always scratch the bezel.
I love the keyboard gestures (which I know can be used on any computer). The UI is very fast, there's a crap ton of gestures to learn. Yet, there are some gripes. Closing an app takes a crazy amount of time. You have to drag all theway from the top of the screen to the bottom, unnecessary.
Overall, I love it and I plan on keeping it. I still have my ipad and my nexus 7 but this really helps me get stuff done. The fact I can plug in almost any usb device and hve it work is amazing. You can even charge cellphones and stuff with the USB. I would recommend getting the surface IF you realize you can't run anything that's not in the store. No browser addons, no exe fils, nothing. Sometime that makes me wish I got the pro, but this device is really enough. Get past the quirkiness of metro + desktop and it's a beast.
Sorry for the typos. This was typed on the touch cover while lying down in bed.
*EDIT* The messenger app sucks realy badly too. You add someone as a friend (which can't be done in the app you have to go to a website) then you can't ever send them a message cause it says "Name unavailable" but they can send you messages. Its a one way form of communication.
*Edit2* Another clunky part. There are no jpg thumbail previews in the desktop. And when you want to open an image it has to open a program in metro
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The Microsoft surface is still new so it probably still have quite a number of flaws. Hope Microsoft work on it and come out with Microsoft surface 2?
Sent from my GT-N7005 using xda premium

tcsekhar said:
I love the surface responsiveness and the new UI. But still there is still miles to go to get this perfect.
1. After being ON for more than 3 days, clicking on Email opened up weather, can't reach the email by clicking on any of the tiles. Same with IE. I had to reboot.
2. The auto rotate stopped working suddenly. I had to reboot to get it working again.
3. The email Client is awful. Need a better email app. It can't even match 10% of other email client's functionality. (No multi select, too much delay when navigating emails in the list, no option to Archive vs Delete, Moving to folders isn't as easy,
4. There is no Cisco VPN client. If your work requires non standard Cisco VPN connectivity, stay away.
5. Enterprise Distribution of apps isn't clear yet. We shouldn't have to have enterprise apps published to Microsoft Store every time.
6. Silverlight doesn't run on RT? Kidding me?
7. Playing HD video isn't going to be easy. Not even one app which could play MKV files.
8. The copy paste of text inside surface isn't as easy as in iPad. Sometimes it takes too much time to get the needed text selected on IE.
9. Needs tweaking to run Flash on all websites (its a hack. Why?)
10, Pointing the cursor to an exact place in a text area isn't as easy as in iPad with the magnifying glass.
By the way, WHERE IS THE REPORT A PROBLEM button in RT ?
Though I have so many complaints, I still love my Surface. I don't use my iPad anymore. Many times, I had tried to touch my monitor while using my laptop. MS is spoiling me
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That sounds really troublesome and watching movies and videos is a pain.
Sent from my GT-N7005 using xda premium

cmscritic said:
In response to some of your issues. I love metro ui based IE and find it loads XDA without issue. A good tip is to enable adblocking filters using the tips in this forum (find the topic called tips). It loads XDA fine now for me.
Closing an app by dragging top to bottom takes a lot of time? It's a half second gesture man. Be realistic. Alot of your complaints are issues that are not issues at all. It's a different UI, give it a break.
---------- Post added at 05:05 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:03 PM ----------
MKV does not equal HD, so try playing an MP4 or something in HD before making comments like this. So what if it doesn't play MKV format, there are plenty it does play.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree MKV does not equal HD. But the best compression today seems to be MKV files, and I have a ton of those. I don't want to convert all of them again into MP4 or any other format at this point. When all other OS supports playing it, why not MS - especially when they are late in the game, and know what the expectations are?

only 4-7 hours? maybe faulty device? everybody has like 8-10.. 4-7 aint too good

mr_dan said:
only 4-7 hours? maybe faulty device? everybody has like 8-10.. 4-7 aint too good
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Mine with continuous use from morning 7AM till 9PM still have 30% juice. I just use for browse & search - no play or video.

tcsekhar said:
Mine with continuous use from morning 7AM till 9PM still have 30% juice. I just use for browse & search - no play or video.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Agreed. Mine is about the same.
---------- Post added at 08:35 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:33 PM ----------
tcsekhar said:
I agree MKV does not equal HD. But the best compression today seems to be MKV files, and I have a ton of those. I don't want to convert all of them again into MP4 or any other format at this point. When all other OS supports playing it, why not MS - especially when they are late in the game, and know what the expectations are?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I know what you mean, I'd love to have it too (especially for the space savings) but I think we need to give MS some time to get the apps rolling. It's a new ecosystem and I've no doubt it'll get rolling soon. Would LOVE to see VLC on it.. that would rock.

I understand the os is new but I love the potential. I love this device regardless of my complaints. I do miss Google though.
In regards to my battery, I think something must be wrong, I'm using quite a lot of battery even just idling

mchimney said:
I understand the os is new but I love the potential. I love this device regardless of my complaints. I do miss Google though.
In regards to my battery, I think something must be wrong, I'm using quite a lot of battery even just idling
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'd take it in and have it looked at. I can usually go the whole day without issue.

mchimney said:
I understand the os is new but I love the potential. I love this device regardless of my complaints. I do miss Google though.
In regards to my battery, I think something must be wrong, I'm using quite a lot of battery even just idling
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Probably your wifi, email or any idling applications could have cause the huge drainage of battery
Sent from my GT-N7005 using xda premium

brandonjuraimi said:
Probably your wifi, email or any idling applications could have cause the huge drainage of battery
Sent from my GT-N7005 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I know Bluettoth also kills battery on phones and on the surface it is on by default. We need one of those battery monitoring apps, especially since the Start screen doesn't report battery details - I did find the "Windows Mobility Center" in the backend/desktop, and created a link on the start screen - it provides batter percentage among other shortcuts - pretty cool.
what I do love about the Surface is all the little things that can be tweaked on the descktop - By far more customizable than any other tablet out there.

tcsekhar said:
I agree MKV does not equal HD. But the best compression today seems to be MKV files, and I have a ton of those. I don't want to convert all of them again into MP4 or any other format at this point. When all other OS supports playing it, why not MS - especially when they are late in the game, and know what the expectations are?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
MKV is just a container, like avi or ogg. So actual compression is x264 or as some call it mp4. There is also MP4 container which contains also x264 compressed videos, so moving files from mkv to MP4 is possible without reencoding, but just repacking.
But I agree, it is not for everyone and I'm sure mkv support will come soon through some third party app like vlc or mplayer.
This device is very new to the market and the os as well.

encho said:
MKV is just a container, like avi or ogg. So actual compression is x264 or as some call it mp4. There is also MP4 container which contains also x264 compressed videos, so moving files from mkv to MP4 is possible without reencoding, but just repacking.
But I agree, it is not for everyone and I'm sure mkv support will come soon through some third party app like vlc or mplayer.
This device is very new to the market and the os as well.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
MKV is definitely the container of choice for HD in this day and age so any current system needs to be able to handle it if they want to sell units My whole HTPC movie library is in MKV. Having to convert to mp4 is not very practical as it requires time and steps (I use Handbrake for my Ipod touch). The latest Androids can play alomost anything thrown at them. I am sure someone will release a video player that will handle it if the surface is truly to be considered a media device. The question is will MS let it get certified in the store (Still unclear on the process and what's allowed - I would love to see a Opera or Firefox borwser too and I thought MS got sued years back for limiting options of browsers on the desktop OS). The question is how open MS will be to allow competing apps, especially if they want to sell hardware.

guitar1969 said:
MKV is definitely the container of choice for HD in this day and age so any current system needs to be able to handle it if they want to sell units My whole HTPC movie library is in MKV. Having to convert to mp4 is not very practical as it requires time and steps (I use Handbrake for my Ipod touch). The latest Androids can play alomost anything thrown at them. I am sure someone will release a video player that will handle it if the surface is truly to be considered a media device. The question is will MS let it get certified in the store (Still unclear on the process and what's allowed - I would love to see a Opera or Firefox borwser too and I thought MS got sued years back for limiting options of browsers on the desktop OS). The question is how open MS will be to allow competing apps, especially if they want to sell hardware.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Back in my Linux days I had a script which unpacks MKV like it would zip file and repacks into MP4. The whole process takes 1 minute. But as you said MKV support needs to come to RT and MS is aware of the fact that sale of their Surface tablets depends on third party apps.
So I don't think they'll have an issue with VLC or Opera or anything else. More apps equals more profit.

tcsekhar said:
3. The email Client is awful. Need a better email app. It can't even match 10% of other email client's functionality. (No multi select, too much delay when navigating emails in the list, no option to Archive vs Delete, Moving to folders isn't as easy,
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Agree its not very good, I hope they release an RT version of Outlook.
But you CAN multiselect, kind of swipe an email to the right a bit and a tick pops up in the corner, and then do the same for other.
At the moment, Hotmail/Outlook.com is better than the RT mail app...

Best comic book reader?

Anyone going to be using this to read comics/manga? Any recommendations on comic book reader apps?
I want one that can read from a cloud drive. The only one i've seen that can do this is the Challenger comics viewer app.

there also is CatComic which cost money but is worth it.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=meanlabs.comicat&hl=de

ken2802 said:
there also is CatComic which cost money but is worth it.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=meanlabs.comicat&hl=de
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I tried it and its almost perfect, but seems to be missing one feature that I'm looking for.
I want to be able to tap to scroll, where the comic will scroll for me down the page when i tap the screen. And after it reaches the bottom, the next tap will turn the page. Do you know if Comicat has this feature?

unsure if it does, most of the time i just use the volume keys.
edit,
i just know of one viewer which does it for sure and that is Perfect Viewer but this one doesnt support cloud storages.

I would go with ComicRack. Though it costs money for the fully featured version, it is by far the best reader I have used. It also has a PC counterpart that will sync everything with it, like info, and where in the books you are.
http://comicrack.cyolito.com/

mkygod said:
Anyone going to be using this to read comics/manga? Any recommendations on comic book reader apps?
I want one that can read from a cloud drive. The only one i've seen that can do this is the Challenger comics viewer app.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
for manga's i would go with mango http://mango.leetsoft.net/ been using this for years ! :good:

I've been using Perfect Viewer for years now. Will do the 'tap to scroll' that you like.
Sent from my SM-N900T using XDA Free mobile app

ComicRack has the most robust features of all. However, Astonishing Comic Reader https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.aerilys.acr.android has some Material Design, has no ads, and only has donations if you so choose.
ComicRack is awesome, but it is just too ugly for me!

I've always used this and found it very good.
Has been removed some time ago from play store, but developer keep working on it and you can download it from his website
http://www.manga-watcher.com/

I have been a long time user of ComicRack, but I just tried out the Astonishing Reader, and ... It's pretty good, but not enough to sway me away from ComicRack.
The ability to automatically group and sort by series, as well as other variables for a large collection is invaluable.
And when i loaded up a comic and paged through, while nice, it wasn't quite as silky smooth as I can get on ComicRack, there seemed to be a flash of loading with each page change.
Just my 2 cents, it might work great for you, thanks for the recommendation though, always worth checking out what else is out there, rather than getting complacent with "what I've always used"

moon+ reader is good

edru said:
I would go with ComicRack. Though it costs money for the fully featured version, it is by far the best reader I have used. It also has a PC counterpart that will sync everything with it, like info, and where in the books you are.
http://comicrack.cyolito.com/
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
:good: +1. BY FAR THE BEST!

Buka HD(ibuka.cn) seems perfect for this 4:3 screen (it has been optimized for Xiaomi MiPad, also 4:3), but it is only available in Chinese Language. The HD version can use the whole screen of N9, instead of having black bar on both sides). The online sources on Buka are also plenty enough.

Does ComicRack let you read comics from cloud services like CatComic?

I am also interested in this. It would be good experience for me.

ComicRack for offline comics and MangaWatcher for online (not available on google play but maintained) hands down the best of each world.

Comiccat is hands down the best. Syncs with the cloud as all and auto caches next issue from Dropbox so you can read through your whole library from the cloud. You can even set it to delete locally cached copies after reading.
Sent from my Nexus 9 using XDA Free mobile app

cmscritic said:
Comiccat is hands down the best. Syncs with the cloud as all and auto caches next issue from Dropbox so you can read through your whole library from the cloud. You can even set it to delete locally cached copies after reading.
Sent from my Nexus 9 using XDA Free mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I use both ComicRack and Comicat. One thing that I really don't like about Comicat is that when you sync to issues in the cloud, you get no cover art. That bugs me beyond belief.

mkygod said:
Anyone going to be using this to read comics/manga? Any recommendations on comic book reader apps?
I want one that can read from a cloud drive. The only one i've seen that can do this is the Challenger comics viewer app.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
ComiCat is the best and u can read of google drive

another vote for comicrack. i had already paid for the desktop version so getting the the android version was a no-brainer. love the sync and the ability to sort titles. i got them sorted by published date so i can go through my old stuff chronologically like when i used to buy them as a kid.