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Hi peeps been looking around at the android tablets on the market and wondering if i should take the plunge?.Thought i would ask here as you guys probably have more experiance than most.Can you recomend a couple?, i'm not looking to spend a fortune just want something that covers most bases and doesnt struggle to run the usual suspects.HDMI out would be a plus but any ideas you can offer or just give me ideas on what not to buy.Any helps good, thanx in advance.
I have a smoldering interest in a tablet as well but I will continue to hold off as my Lenovo X61t and Windows Phone compliment each other pretty well and I don't "need" one.
However, I have taken note of the Archos' that were just released. The general feeling is that they feel cheap in build quality but the price and performance is right there. This is engadgets take on the two tablets they have.
http://www.engadget.com/2010/12/24/archos-70-and-101-internet-tablet-review/
I have used the Samsung Galaxy S and it is a nice device. Gotta be honest though, nothing seems to be "more complete than the ipad", just in terms of docks, jailbreaking, best apps, etc.
There are so many 'knock offs' in this category, let us know what you find!
I agree in the upset front, it's a great piece of kit but I refuse to spend that kind if money. Have found plenty of cheap ones, and I don't mind the price tag but most are just a bit gutless lol. But yeah likewise bring the info if you find something good.
Sent from my HTC Desire using XDA App
Back again, on the subject off cheapo knock off tablets have you seen the a-ok pad lol now don't laugh. I could be persuaded to gamble on something as (shall we say rough) if it ticked the right boxes. Anybody heard if them? Any horror stories?
Sent from my HTC Desire using XDA App
Buying a new tablet
I'm in the market for a tablet, and have taken my sweet time for the last 3 months researching and looking for the best one to buy. I've done my fair share of research and now i'm asking you: Should I buy the ASUS Transformer Prime with the dock, od should i wait for samsung/htc/moto/lenovo/acer... next-gen tablet? My fear is you see, that I'll buy The Prime, and that it won't be supported by some software develeopers, and left out in the cold with some apps, or not on par with the next-gen 2012 tablets. I want the best hardware specs, possible future windows 8 compatibility, preferably tegra device, 3g isn't a must, nor GPS but preferred. I don't mind waiting for a few more months since this would be my first tablet, wich i don't really need. NO IOS/IPad talk please, android tablet only (but like i said, with a possibility of win8 in the future). Any reasonable advice is more than welcome, and thank you all very much in advance!
IIRC Asus Prime will begin getting ICS/4.0 Jan 12th.
With that said, I would definitely play around with one before buying. Numerous reported issues that can't really be fixed through OTA's or software. (GPS, WIFI, light bleed, glass/screen loose from rest of tab).
Typical Asus if you ask me, crapshoot on quality.
Also depends on what you want in a tab. If you don't really want to play around/mod/customize then I think the Ipad 2 or hold out a couple of months for an Ipad 3 would be your best bet.
If you have to have an Android you have one of two options. Wait for more quad core tabs to be released, or start looking at what's available now.
Samsung 7.0 Plus is probably the best out for 7"ers.
For the 10"ers it's a toss up right now. Galaxy Tab 10.1 has good support, decent performance, light, easy to hold, good screen, great speakers (for a tab). It's cons to me are the Tegra 2 isn't up to snuff with Honeycomb OS.
The HP Touchpad is a great buy for the OS and specs, and can also be ported to Android (Still need to play with one)
Asus Transformer TF101 is also a good buy but again a crapshoot on quality but can be had for a good price.
The new Moto Xyboards are getting good reviews but they are overpriced for what they are, are only sold through VZW and were "technically" outdated before they were even released. Also locked bootloaders are never fun if flashing kernels are your thing.
Right now I'm looking at getting another tab so I guess you could say I'm in the same boat as you. I have an OG Galaxy Tab 7 on the way b/c I got it cheaper than cheap and just wanna play with it.
Considering picking up an 8" Xyboard also.
ETA: I probably won't pick up a Xyboard however until they come down in price or a WiFi only version is offered.
The SGT 7.7 also sounds promising. Decisions decisions.
First of all, thank you for the fast and torough reply... And yes, sweet sweet decisions
I forgot to say that I'm in the market for a 10" minimum tablet, don't want smthng smaller 'cause i allready have an SGSII so I'm covered for mobility.
As for ASUS's build quality, like I said I never owned a tablet so I definately will try out/play with one for a couple of hours before purchasing, and watch out for the screen bleed on an ips display. But currently most of my pc's componens (2xmobo, 2xgraphic cards, and a lappy) are ASUS made and i must say i'm more than satisfied with them, and as I recall, when I was buying my SGSII there was talk about screen burn-in, overheating and wifi problems too, but I haven't had a single one with my device. Besides that, I don't really need GPS or 3g in a tablet so it's not a dealbreaker with me on The Prime.
The problem is: I wouldn't buy any other tablet now existing in the market, mostly because of the Tegra3 chipset The Prime has, so if I'm paying a hi-end device (around 700$) i want the latest and fastest performer in the ring. And yes, in my book that is android only, as i find apple's devices a bit limiting sometimes (without any fanboyism, I come from a long line of iphones before my android). The things I'm worried hardware-wise are: the amount and speed of Prime's RAM (1gb od ddr2), possible wifi signal problems, screen bleed, and that it's topheavy when docked (a minor thing really). I love that it has a full USB 2.0 port, so you don't need a jack/ adapter of some kind (e.g. like on a SGSII microUSB to full USB). Not really worried about the one speaker layout eather, altough i was a bit dissapointed since the TF101 had a stereo layout, but still, not a dealbreaker (hey, it's still a tablet)...
Now you may laugh at this seeing your sig, but in my mobile history (25+ phones) the worst were accually motorolas (v3 being the worst of the lot, but than again A925 was more than excellent) I'm not so fond of HP either, last month i sold my DV6 3020em, (that's the i7 touchscreen version for Europe since i'm european), and i can say it was utter rubbish, overheating, shoddy build quality, squeaky, noisy fans, you name it... That's why I sold it, but it had a touchscreen which was more than handy, and that's why i want a tablet, I just might look a bit more into the HP touchpad after all.
Acer is great quality for it's price, really great. But I only had Acer's laptops, and the Iconia tablet is as ugly as a bullfrog from chernobyl, so I wouldn't want one.
Tf101 is ugly too by my standards, too big as well, but the looks aren't so important if it was an excellent performer, which none of the now available androids are compared to The Prime (at least not on honeycomb).
I played with samsung 8.9 a few days ago and I can report is't a great little device, thin, capable, satisfying all in all, but i'd like a bigger screen, and a real keyboard and it's not a tegra device (I play a lot of games so i'd like the tegra zone, as chainfire's plugins don't support all tegra tweaked games)
Now I do like to install a new ROM every few weeks on my SGSII but i srsly don't think that will be the case on a tablet (except Win 8, when it comes out).
So i guess the question remains: should i wait for Samsung's next gen 10.1 answer or just go with the prime now
P.S. sorry for my poor english
cavkic said:
First of all, thank you for the fast and torough reply... And yes, sweet sweet decisions
I forgot to say that I'm in the market for a 10" minimum tablet, don't want smthng smaller 'cause i allready have an SGSII so I'm covered for mobility.
As for ASUS's build quality, like i said i never owned a tablet so I definately will try out/play with one for a couple of hours before purchasing, and watch out for the screen bleed on an ips display. But currently most of my pc's componens (2xmobo, 2xgraphic cards, and a lappy) are ASUS made and i must say i'm more than satisfied with them, and as I recall, when I was buying my SGSII there was talk about screen burn-in, overheating and wifi problems too, but I haven't had a single one with my device. Besides that, I don't really need GPS or 3g in a tablet so it's not a dealbreaker with me on The Prime.
The problem is: I wouldn't buy any other tablet now existing in the market, mostly because of the Tegra3 chipset The Prime has, so if I'm paying a hi-end device (around 700$) i want the latest and fastest performer in the ring. And yes, in my book that is android only, as i find apple's devices a bit limiting sometimes (without any fanboyism, I come from a long line of iphones before my android). The only thing I'm worried hardware-wise is the amount and speed of Prime's RAM (1gb od ddr2), possible wifi signal problems, screen bleed, and that it's topheavy when docked (a minor thing really). I love that it has a full USB 2.0 port, so you don't need a jack/ adapter of some kind (e.g. like on a SGSII microUSB to full USB). Not really worried about the one speaker layout eather, altough i was a bit dissapointed since the TF101 had a stereo layout, but still, not a dealbreaker (hey, it's still a tablet)...
So i guess the question remains: should i wait for Samsung's next gen 10.1 answer or just go with the prime now
P.S. sorry for my poor english
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Don't jump the gun on the Prime until stock has settled in, right now retailers are price gouging due to low availability. The Prime should be $500 for the 32GB, $600 for the 64GB, not $650-700 for the 32GB.
I have a Transformer and an Iconia Tab A100, and I can tell you from first hand experience that the build quality isn't nearly as bad as the above poster is making it out to be. I actually like the finish on both the original Transformer and the Iconia series a lot, and the Prime seems to be a winner also. Another thing to consider for both ASUS and Acer is that they keep their Android releases relatively 'vanilla' except for a few bloatware-type apps of their own, unlike Samsung and HTC, who just can't help themselves but smear TouchWiz and Sense over everything they produce.
The only real reported issue with the Prime appears to be the GPS accuracy, but at least to me, it's a non-issue, since I disable GPS and bluetooth on everything.
The Windows 8 bit is yet to be seen, porting a device to another OS is something you can hope, but never hold your breath for. We've yet to see how Windows 8 distribution is going to work and remember that even if you do install Windows 8 down the road, it doesn't mean that you'll be able to run all windows-based programs, since mobile devices use ARM CPUs, and everything written for windows right now is made for x86 CPUs, so it will be up to each third party to rewrite their programs for compatibility.
Although I would never write out a company with pockets as deep as microsoft, they have proven time and time again that they are unable to compete in the mobile segment, so I don't see Windows 8 with as much hope and awe as many others do. (Especially since Ice Cream Sandwich is the first Android iteration we can really call "excellent")
TL;DR - If you can find a Prime for a decent price, then it's an amazing device to be had for a very reasonable price. If you plan on waiting, then checking out the upcoming Iconia A700 isn't a bad idea either if the dock isn't that important to you.
littleemp said:
Don't jump the gun on the Prime until stock has settled in, right now retailers are price gouging due to low availability. The Prime should be $500 for the 32GB, $600 for the 64GB, not $650-700 for the 32GB.
I have a Transformer and an Iconia Tab A100, and I can tell you from first hand experience that the build quality isn't nearly as bad as the above poster is making it out to be. I actually like the finish on both the original Transformer and the Iconia series a lot, and the Prime seems to be a winner also. Another thing to consider for both ASUS and Acer is that they keep their Android releases relatively 'vanilla' except for a few bloatware-type apps of their own, unlike Samsung and HTC, who just can't help themselves but smear TouchWiz and Sense over everything they produce.
The only real reported issue with the Prime appears to be the GPS accuracy, but at least to me, it's a non-issue, since I disable GPS and bluetooth on everything.
The Windows 8 bit is yet to be seen, porting a device to another OS is something you can hope, but never hold your breath for. We've yet to see how Windows 8 distribution is going to work and remember that even if you do install Windows 8 down the road, it doesn't mean that you'll be able to run all windows-based programs, since mobile devices use ARM CPUs, and everything written for windows right now is made for x86 CPUs, so it will be up to each third party to rewrite their programs for compatibility.
Although I would never write out a company with pockets as deep as microsoft, they have proven time and time again that they are unable to compete in the mobile segment, so I don't see Windows 8 with as much hope and awe as many others do. (Especially since Ice Cream Sandwich is the first Android iteration we can really call "excellent")
TL;DR - If you can find a Prime for a decent price, then it's an amazing device to be had for a very reasonable price. If you plan on waiting, then checking out the upcoming Iconia A700 isn't a bad idea either if the dock isn't that important to you.
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Tnx for the reply, and I have to say I think you misunderstood me. I don't think I said anything bad about acer's or asus's build quality just HP's (and only the perticular model of the DV6 I had), just that they're a bit on the ugly side, but that's totally a subjective stand, and irrelevant to anybody else.
As far as Prime's price goes, it should be available in Croatia, about 2hrs drive from my home in 10days for less than 700$ with the dock for the 32gig version, which is not a bad pricetag considering where I live, and I'm ready to give that kind of money for it. The dock is accually something i like about the Transformer, and it would probbably be a dead heat between TF101 just because of the dock) and the Sammy 10.1 if it weren't for the prime.
GPS, like I said, I don't mind. The SGSII has a great GPS reciever which i hardly ever use, maybe 6 times since i got it in july.
As far as ARM windows goes, I know what to expect from it , nothing special, but it would be nice to have that option when it's available
So you are happy with the TF101 and the Iconia? But would you recommend buying now the Prime if I'm happy with the price? I should mention I probbably won't buy it before ICS, and I'll try to get a hold of a stock ICS one when it's out after Jan. 12. because I want to make sure i missed the first version shipment
I believe you about Motorola. Until my Droid X I have ALWAYS hated Motorola. I never had a phone that worked right after some wear and tear and always had problems. From before smartphones thru the Droid 1, 2, and 3. (Went through multiples of those). I'm also a Samsung and HTC fan.
I've never had a problem with Asus computer components myself, w/ that said, there are quite a few complaints when it comes to the TF201 on quality. With that said, you, as I'm sure you do, have to take into account the dissatisfied ones are always going to moan and groan much more and louder than the happy customer.
I guess I just wish it was like cars when it comes to Tablets and would love for them to let me take the exact tab I'm looking to buy for a test drive. (Not leave the store but just open the box and get a good look at it and test everything to make sure I'm getting what my hard earned money is paying for).
I really want a TF201, but I'm going to wait til a few more Tegra 3 tabs come out. I really think Motorola would have hit a homerun if they would have put a quad core in their Xyboards and kept the price what they're charging now.
The three tabs I'm really torn between right now are the Xyboard 8.2, TF201, and Samsung 7.0 Plus. But man we are so close to seeing quad core as the new standard for tabs so the other part of me just wants to sit it out and wait.
So true what you said about the sitting and waiting for the quad core as the new standard, but on the other hand, HOW BAD DO WE WANT ONE!?!
Personally for me it's no competition between the Prime and other tablets, the Prime is just on another planet.
This morning the store answered my email saying that the Prime will be available mid january (in about 10 days) and said that maybe they could reserve one for me because of the small supply, but said the price may be different depending on the usd/euro stocks, but under 700$ for the 32gig version with dock...
Still I'm not planning on buying one before a test drive like you said (mostly to check for screen bleed). And yes, I took into account the moaners which is true like you said again...
I think I wathched every single review/comparison of the tablet on youtube, and read at least 10 reviews online, and it's all mostly positive.
I'll update as soon as i get my hands on a test one, hopefully in about 10 days.
So I'm in a bit of a pickle, I can't decide if I should keep my Acer or my Asus. I have both right now but will be returning one of them, so I'm looking for any differentiators I can use to decide, here's what I've got:
Acer:
- USB support right out of the box (not planning on currently picking up the ASUS keyboard)
- Feels sturdier
- Power connector isn't proprietary
- Rotation lock is a physical button, I find I use that a lot.
- Not quite as wide as the Asus.
- Plays youtube HD smoothly in the Youtube app. This seems very strange, given they are identical hardware wise, but the Asus stutters when watching HD in the YouTube app. The Acer doesn't, for whatever reason. I can get around it by watching in the browser... but I like the app.
Asus:
- Feels snappier (might be my imagination, also I got this one 'later' so maybe the Acer is just a little extra bogged down by apps... though I have gotten them both to an identical state and the Asus seems to still have a very slight edge).
- Slightly better screen. It is noticeable when watching the same video content side by side.
- Gorilla Glass? (I can't confirm whether the Acer has this or not, have seen many posts both ways, and seen Acer confirm it both ways)
- Slightly lighter and very slightly thinner.
- Better sound (just seems better flat out, headphones are identical)
- Keyboard dock add on (though I am not planning to pick that up yet).
- $50 cheaper, though I had to pay $20 shipping so the net is $30 back to me. Not a big deal.
Any additional information, or things I should consider? I really don't know which to choose!
I'd choose the ASUS Transformer
The ASUS comes preloaded with a lot of nice apps and widgets. I LOVE the feature that I can use splashtop without any prior experience and connect to my shared media on my PC, also without changing any settings.
The wider bezel is great in my opinion. I had the XOOM and when I was holding it in one hand I would always touch the screen by accident; and I do not have big hands!
Even though you don't plan on picking up the dock you should It is an amazing piece of hardware.
I cannot comment on the comparison since I never touched the Acer but I can tell you that I am very pleased with the ASUS and it gets nice support from the devs here and ASUS directly.
Thanks funnycreature, I should elaborate a bit more on my original post.
To add to the list above, the Asus has some light bleeding on the screen, in 3 spaces. This doesn't really bother me, but it is definitely there, and not on the Acer. I have not really used the prepackaged apps on either device much, so I can't comment on that. I had a Xoom as well before I had these 2, and I think it was actually my favorite, but I didn't keep it because I thought the cost was far too high for the very small bit I favored it. I like the size of it, I didn't have the width issues you did, and I think the Asus is a bit too wide. The Acer is the middleground there. Having gotten the Thumb Keyboard now though... it is not nearly as big of an issue.
If all things were equal, I would keep the Asus. I bought it because that was my intention, but once getting it I found it was a much tougher call than I initially suspected. If that Youtube app problem wasn't there.... the Acer would be back at the store. But that scares me a little bit, and I don't know if it will *ever* truly get fixed (and I watch a lot of Youtube videos on my tablet while the wife is asleep!). It is a very, very close comparison.
The other bonus for the Asus that I didn't mention, though, is that it has about 3x the community here on XDA, which I'll go ahead and assume means 3x the development effort. That is nice to know.
sirix1 said:
Thanks funnycreature, I should elaborate a bit more on my original post.
To add to the list above, the Asus has some light bleeding on the screen, in 3 spaces. This doesn't really bother me, but it is definitely there, and not on the Acer. I have not really used the prepackaged apps on either device much, so I can't comment on that. I had a Xoom as well before I had these 2, and I think it was actually my favorite, but I didn't keep it because I thought the cost was far too high for the very small bit I favored it. I like the size of it, I didn't have the width issues you did, and I think the Asus is a bit too wide. The Acer is the middleground there. Having gotten the Thumb Keyboard now though... it is not nearly as big of an issue.
If all things were equal, I would keep the Asus. I bought it because that was my intention, but once getting it I found it was a much tougher call than I initially suspected. If that Youtube app problem wasn't there.... the Acer would be back at the store. But that scares me a little bit, and I don't know if it will *ever* truly get fixed (and I watch a lot of Youtube videos on my tablet while the wife is asleep!). It is a very, very close comparison.
The other bonus for the Asus that I didn't mention, though, is that it has about 3x the community here on XDA, which I'll go ahead and assume means 3x the development effort. That is nice to know.
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The bleed seems to be an illness of the mobile IPS displays and since the Acer most likely doesn't have an IPS it won't show the bleed. I hardly notice it and it doesn't really bother me. I also hardly ever watch YouTube videos
You should try experiencing more what each device can do beside watching videos. Maybe that will make the decision easier!
I find it strange that you order 3 tables and only keep one! What do you do with the tables you don't keep?
Honestly, I find the whole "this vs. that" discussion boring. I say: evaluate them, give them some side-by-side use if you can, and then make your decision. This is all very subjective, particularly since the major specs--processor, RAM, storage--are essentially the same.
The TF has pros and cons, the Acer has pros and cons, the Xoom has pros and cons, etc., etc. What's better for one person may not be better for another. So, just do your research and make your choice--looking for "unbiased" input on a forum dedicated to one device is unlikely to bear fruit.
wynand32 said:
Honestly, I find the whole "this vs. that" discussion boring. I say: evaluate them, give them some side-by-side use if you can, and then make your decision. This is all very subjective, particularly since the major specs--processor, RAM, storage--are essentially the same.
The TF has pros and cons, the Acer has pros and cons, the Xoom has pros and cons, etc., etc. What's better for one person may not be better for another. So, just do your research and make your choice--looking for "unbiased" input on a forum dedicated to one device is unlikely to bear fruit.
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That's why I say "Tablets are like shoes, they need to fit you and the purpose"
sirix1 said:
I had a Xoom as well before I had these 2, and I think it was actually my favorite, but I didn't keep it because I thought the cost was far too high for the very small bit I favored it.
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That's quite interesting for me, how did you find the Xoom's screen, was it acceptable? I returned my TF and am now thinking of getting either a Xoom or wait and see ho much the GT 10.1 will be here in the UK. I'm getting cheesed off waiting for the GT specs and price though. :-(
UKseagull said:
That's quite interesting for me, how did you find the Xoom's screen, was it acceptable? I returned my TF and am now thinking of getting either a Xoom or wait and see ho much the GT 10.1 will be here in the UK. I'm getting cheesed off waiting for the GT specs and price though. :-(
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Well, it was definitely on par with the Acer. I didn't have the Asus/Xoom at the same time so I couldn't compare them side by side. I didn't even know there was a difference until I got the Acer/Asus side by side, but the Asus is the winner. It is not huge though, not at all, in fact someone else brought it up before I even noticed it. When you run media, like a video, side by side you can see the colors are slightly richer on the Asus. I am sure that is a 16m colors vs. 256k colors issue. The Xoom was at least Acer quality, could have been Asus, not sure, I would find out what panel it has and that should tell you. It was a good device, basically identical I just liked the form factor a little more (less wasted space). I would have paid a ~$30 premium for it, but definitely not $200. Why did you return your TF?
Honestly, I find the whole "this vs. that" discussion boring. I say: evaluate them, give them some side-by-side use if you can, and then make your decision. This is all very subjective, particularly since the major specs--processor, RAM, storage--are essentially the same.
The TF has pros and cons, the Acer has pros and cons, the Xoom has pros and cons, etc., etc. What's better for one person may not be better for another. So, just do your research and make your choice--looking for "unbiased" input on a forum dedicated to one device is unlikely to bear fruit
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Sort of, but we aren't talking about your favorite flavor of pizza here. There are completely objective differences here, and things that are in fact just "better." I asked this forum because it is more lively than the Acer forum, and I think I lean *ever so slightly* towards the Asus anyway (maybe just because I have an asus laptop). People here are truly in the know, I figured if there was a difference I didn't know about, maybe I could learn. And if someone was interested in the differences in the 3 android honeycomb tablets, maybe they could learn something from my post, since I've owned all 3 now.
I find it strange that you order 3 tables and only keep one! What do you do with the tables you don't keep?
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I return them. I don't usually do anything like that, it just happened to work out this time. I bought the Xoom, liked it, but decided that for $600 it just wasn't enough. I went back and they had the Acer in stock, so I picked that up. I saw they had the Asus in stock online like a week later, and decided what the hell, I've tried the other 2 now let's give it a go. I expect the Asus to win in a landslide... I didn't think my decision would be difficult.
Thanks for all the replies!
I had an Acer and currently have an Asus and the Acer felt much heavier especially when holding it in one hand. The metal construction gave it a nice quality feel, but it also made the back of the device slippery and a little harder to hold than the Asus. The Asus feels a little snappier, I noticed lag on the unlock screen of the Acer. However, the Acer seemed to have a more responsive touch screen. When I first received the Asus I noticed I had to tap the screen a little harder than the Acer, now I'm used to it and is no longer an issue. Also the Asus seems to be more hackable than the Acer, I believe the Acer still has a locked bootloader and the devs are having trouble putting clockworkmod recovery on the device. My Acer did play YouTube videos in the app better than the Asus.
I am happy with the Asus, I just need to find the keyboard dock. It seems to run smoother, the devs seem to be having success with Modding the transformer, and Asus seems to be ontop of things.
P.S typed this all on my transformer gotta love the tumb keyboard.
sirix1 said:
Why did you return your TF?
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It was due to what I consider to have been poor build quality, light bleed, creaky housing. I hope that this was just an initial manufacturing issue and that Asus will get to grips with it very soon and will produce a better Transformer. Of course there are people here who have had better units without these problems, I wasn't so lucky.
I like the solid construction of the Xoom, not so much the screen but I could get used to that I suppose. The Xoom is more expensive than the TF and that's a major consideration, also I'm not so sure that the Xoom will be as well supported as the TF, by both Motorola and not forgetting the guys here at XDA. There's a lot off stuff going off in this section.
I really am in limbo here trying to make the right decision.
also I returned my Acer because the GPS SUCKED. the Acer took forever to get a GPS lock and would lose the GPS signal randomly under a clear sky. I haven't gotten a chance to test the GPS on the transformer but I heard that it is good.
I looked at the Acer. Found it a nice tab - far better than the over priced, heavy Xoom (that I once owned 2 - until the TF came along and put them to shame).
But the Acer isn't as nice (on the pocketbook) as the TF, nor as versatile. Having the dock is nice - I don't use it often, but comes in very handy when wanting more bat life, more ports, faster typing - the kb dock is well executed. A benny of buying the kb dock is the clamshell design makes having a case unnecessary imo - stuffed it into my carry on luggage on my trip to Hawaii and no problems.
But if you don't want the dock, I'd go for the Acer due to full size USB on the tablet itself (that's the only thing I wanted extra on the TF). Marginally worse screen isn't a big deal. Didn't check the speakers, but if you say the TF is better, then the Acer's speakers must blow...
But you might also want to check the new Gal Tab 10 when it releases in the near future.
the transformer is great bang for the buck, and I like tablets with bigger bezels like the Asus and the Acer. I guess I have fat fingers because it was hard to hold the xoom with one hand without touching the screen by accident. but the xoom should always get honeycomb updates first, and should be the most hackable.
theydonkno said:
also I returned my Acer because the GPS SUCKED. the Acer took forever to get a GPS lock and would lose the GPS signal randomly under a clear sky. I haven't gotten a chance to test the GPS on the transformer but I heard that it is good.
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The one that I had worked very well, even got a lock in my front room where my HTC Desire couldn't.
theydonkno said:
the transformer is great bang for the buck, and I like tablets with bigger bezels like the Asus and the Acer. I guess I have fat fingers because it was hard to hold the xoom with one hand without touching the screen by accident. but the xoom should always get honeycomb updates first, and should be the most hackable.
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Hmmm, unless you're in the UK.
Transformer
I'd say TF, I found the Acer very heavy and the screen is not as sharp. The TF has lots of great widgets and the ability to remote desktop into your pc or mac.
I use that feature a lot, it comes in handy.
Polaris office is also another good feature. The Acer does have that usb port on the tablet, but the keyboard that attaches to it seems flimsy and the tablet doesn't attach 100% to it. And the dock doesn't have an extra battery.
I find that the TF gives me lots of options for expandability and ease of use.
Both are good choices, but the TF comes out on top imo.
UKseagull said:
It was due to what I consider to have been poor build quality, light bleed, creaky housing. I hope that this was just an initial manufacturing issue and that Asus will get to grips with it very soon and will produce a better Transformer. Of course there are people here who have had better units without these problems, I wasn't so lucky.
I like the solid construction of the Xoom, not so much the screen but I could get used to that I suppose. The Xoom is more expensive than the TF and that's a major consideration, also I'm not so sure that the Xoom will be as well supported as the TF, by both Motorola and not forgetting the guys here at XDA. There's a lot off stuff going off in this section.
I really am in limbo here trying to make the right decision.
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I use to own the Xoom and its a great device but way overpriced & the screen isn't that good. The price you save by going TF again can go towards a dock. I have shown my ex-Xoom & TF dock to many family members, friends & co-workers. All of them love the TF over the Xoom & many of them plan to get the TF & dock once they are able to find them.
Like someone said earlier, its all personal preference but for me, it's TF all the way.
sirix1 said:
Well, it was definitely on par with the Acer. I didn't have the Asus/Xoom at the same time so I couldn't compare them side by side.
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I know I just wrote that it's all subjective, but really I meant that in total. I'll say this as well: I have a Xoom and a TF sitting side by side right now (still haven't returned the Xoom to Costco, been busy), and the TF screen is heads and shoulders better than the Xoom's.
First, the angles are better. Much better. Like, night and day difference better. Second, colors on the TF are much more natural--the Xoom tends to be VERY cold (i.e., has a very strong blue tint). There are apparently two different Xoom screens floating around, each with their advantages/disadvantages, and the one I have is not even close to the TF.
In fact, even if the Xoom cost less than the TF, and even if the TF didn't have the dock, I'd still keep the TF over the Xoom on the strength of the screen alone.
wynand32 said:
In fact, even if the Xoom cost less than the TF, and even if the TF didn't have the dock, I'd still keep the TF over the Xoom on the strength of the screen alone.
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That's the big draw, the screen (when it's OK) is head and shoulders above most of the other tablets without the IPS screens and obviously the price is right too.
I'm getting p*ssed off going back and forth to this and that tablet, each have their plus and minuses. I can see me getting another Transformer at this rate ... IT BETTER BE BETTER THAN MY OTHERS!
I had Iconia and was good, except for the wifi problems and the constant turning on when in sleep. The new software fixes them. I returned it because the screen was inferior to the transformer, the metal housing was to damn slippery...dropped it on carpet a few times...the weight of it..the thickness of it and the main was the better development community here for the transformer. It is really a good tablet(Iconia) but did not suit me.
Since tablets became popular - Thank you Steve - I have been through a pretty good portion of them. Transformers, Galaxys, LGs, and now the Nexus 7. I've been unfortunate in that every tablet I've ever purchased had some kind of glaring issue. Not a minor one, but glaring and unable to ignore issue.
I really want a tablet. Does anyone happen to know or could take a guess at which one currently seems to have the least amount of reported issues? I've Googled this a lot tonight, but the results are just too jumbled to make a clear choice.
Thanks in advance for any help or opinions on this.
Its what you need not what is the best!
ericc191 said:
Since tablets became popular - Thank you Steve - I have been through a pretty good portion of them. Transformers, Galaxys, LGs, and now the Nexus 7. I've been unfortunate in that every tablet I've ever purchased had some kind of glaring issue. Not a minor one, but glaring and unable to ignore issue.
I really want a tablet. Does anyone happen to know or could take a guess at which one currently seems to have the least amount of reported issues? I've Googled this a lot tonight, but the results are just too jumbled to make a clear choice.
Thanks in advance for any help or opinions on this.
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I think with tablets you always have to look at the price to performance ratio. When you buy a cheap tablet( tablet < $100) you will of course run into issues. When you buy expensive tablets (tablet >$300) you will get no problems but it is overpriced. I find most of the time the extra power that such tablets have are of no use as most people like myself would purchase a tablet for the size and reading aspect (for websurfing, reading ebooks, checking emails, etc.) The only time you would need a tablet with the excess power is if you were gaming.
It is for this reason I think you shouldn't really think of tablets in terms of issues or problems. Instead, work out what your needs in a tablet would be then look into buying one that suits thoses needs. For example, I wanted a relatively inexpensive tablet mainly for reading ebooks. After extensive research, I learned that screen resolution was the major issue for me as I could have purchased a very cheap tablet for $50ish but It was 800x600 resolution. This would have left me scrolling side ways with every page as tablets like those cannot display the whole page at once. Hence I started looking into tablets with a resolution of atleast 1024x600.
I ended up purchasing a Ainol Novo 7 Flame, which I highly recommend to you as well. Take a look at my review and let me know what you think:
Ainol NOVO 7 Flame Review
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
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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.
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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.
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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 .
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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!
I've been bashing my head over this for the last few weeks but I don't seem to be any closer to a solution so I figure maybe the good folks here can give me a few good suggestions..
I've tired of dealing with my ipad2's crap and want to move over to an Android tablet but I'm not sure which one to go for.. Mostly my usage would be reading books/'comics, watching media.. web-browsing and remote-system administration through both RDP/Citrix and command-line interfaces.
I'm not opposed to gaming either..
So.. ideally I'm looking for a decent specced tablet.. 10inch screen, a keyboard (integrated or bluetooth if it can be folded into "One" piece is a must)
Decent quality screen
Removable storage (SD card etc) is a huge boon.
And a nifty/speedy processor that'll last.
Now.. So far the tablets I've been looking at are..
Asus Transformer Prime = This seemed to hit all the buttons but after reviewing the forums here and asking friends who actually own one the build-quality/QA seems to be pretty bad to the point i've been totally put off getting one.
Nexus 10 - Seems nice, no keyboard and SD card are a huge mark against it
Archos 101 XS Turbo - Seems interesting, but don't know enough about it and good word on the ground is thin in order to make a judgement call...
Any others I might not have heard about, or even word about the ones I've listed so far would be a huge help..
Thanks!
Got my son the transformer prime, the whole family loves it.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1846277
Sir ThisThread Will Assist You. Thanks & Closed.