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Basic features that should be addressed...

I bought my wife a blackberry bold this past weekend and all I can say is WOW. That thing has WAAAY more features (and settings) than my G1. And don't worry, I unlocked the phone so my wife can use it with our T-mobile accounts. In setting up this device, I've come to realize that a LOT of these features should be implemented into other devices, namely, the G1.
Here's a short list
1. Power-based settings (i.e. brightness changes when plugged in and on battery). A very BASIC feature.
2. Hiding folders in the music player. Blackberry gives the options to NOT include certain folders when searching for music. When I listen to music, I don't want to hear 50 ringtones.
3. User Customizable Profiles. Silent, Vibrate, Work, Home...Why not?
4. Alarm based auto-power on. If i set an alarm, and my phone is powered, but not on, it should be able to power on and wake me up. This is a GREAT feature for people that rely on alarms.(like myself)
5. Bluetooth profiles. I'm not new to mobile devices, so I know this is something they're currently working on. But come on...all we have is the headset profile. What come of lame-o **** is that? a2dp and wireless file access would be great, as well as phonebook access and callid and sms info for car kits...
There's more that I'm forgetting, but that's the gist of it. I realize that we're all technically beta testers at this point, but they should have released a more polished product to the masses. It would have helped their word-of-mouth sales greatly. Look at all the vista negativity. I've been using it without any problems since it was RTM, but people hate it because 'they heard' it has tons of problems. The average joe isn't going to want the g1 because 'they heard' it can't do this, or it can't do that. I personally love the device, and it has great potential, but t-mo and google may have shot themselves in the foot on that front.

InGeNeTiCs said:
Here's a short list
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm not trying to be an Android apologist here, but let's run through your list.
1. Nothing exists, but it would take no more than an hours work to code something in Java to handle this.
2. Create a folder named ringtones in the root of the sd card. Nothing in there will be parsed by the default Music Player app.
3. Locale is probably the most popular app to handle this. Get it on the Market.
4. If your phone is in standby (short press red button), Alarm Clock can wake Android up. A more advanced alarm app is Klaxon. Again, get on Market.
5. A2DP support is pending.
No hardware is released perfect. Some imperfections are worse than others, and it's really also a subjective matter. If that above list seems problematic, consider that a competing product has no copy and pasting or support for background apps (making IM apps useless). In that kind of light maybe the fact that your G1 doesn't brighten the screen when you plug it in doesn't seem so bad anymore.
Honestly though if the choice between Blackberry and G1 is a list of periphery features rather than BIS vs Gmail, then you're completely missing the point imo.

Might I also point out that Blackberry OS (and Symbian and WinMo and iPhone) are all very mature OSes. Blackberry being the most mature, and it clearly shows in it's stability and simplistic ease-of-use. The iPhone just has a ton of money backing it, so it's no surprise that it has some superior features, even though its only 18 months old.
Windows is windows... 'nuff said.
Symbian has the backing of Nokia, so obviously it's well developed too.
All of these OSes were CRAP when they first came out. Google has plenty of money backing this project (I hope...) so I plan on giving them another 6 months to work out some of these basic problems before I go back to my good ol' Canadian-made Blackberry.

By the way a new app called simply "Power Manager" has appeared on the Market. Here's the description:
This application is similar to the power mgt apps available on laptops. It allows you to quickly view and change the settings of your phone depending on power states (e.g. turn off the GPS when the battery level drops below 30%, lower the brightness of the screen when on battery power, etc). It also maintains battery stats.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

I just downloaded the battery program and it does address some of my concerns. It just sucks that all of these features have to be added as apps. Not having root access on an opensource device seems really stupid. It's like going to a ferrari dealership giving away free cars. Free cars! BUT....we took the engines out of them. Enjoy! What the hell are you supposed to do with that?
We've got an awesome platform to work with, almost all the source to create anything we want, but no access. It's beyond lame.
And far as the blackberry thing goes, I'm in NO WAY a BB fanboy. I've never owned one, and I they're a pain in my ass because my clients buy them thinking 'they just work' with MS exchange, when they need the enterprise client which my company doesn't want to shell out the cash for. So they get pissed at me when I tell them it doesn't 'fully' integrate. My frustrations aside, I merely used BB as an example of a device that had features that should be available on the G1.
And I think the whole alarm thing got misread. I realize that the phone will 'wake up' when the alarm activates. But if my phone is completely powered off, it will not turn itself on to activate the alarm. While this is not a totally necessary feature, and will probably be rarely used, it's very important for someone who RELIES on their alarms for scheduling purposes. I usually shut my phone off at night (I have customers in several distant timezones), but I can't do that if I want to use the alarm. I could obviously buy an alarm clock, but I don't see why the g1 can't do what another phone can.

No offense but bad analogy... It is hard to find the correct analogy... I guess it would be buying a hand gun, that you couldn't turn the safety off LOL Remember root is taken away for protection of users who don't know what it is. And as of right now we only know root is taken away on RC30... maybe when 1.0 comes out it will be available. Maybe they are working on a GUI to allow you to enable root. We have a long ways to go so I wouldn't say root is gone forever.

Side note: for your users with BB devices. I run Scalix on linux. Funambol bridges the gap for my users. I think that they even have an exchqange connector. Funambol is also availbe in the market place on the g1.

I have no problem with the actual integration process, the company just doesn't want to pay for it. We have people using windows mobile devices with no problems. I give the device recommendations, but they always come back with blackberries thinking it's the same thing. It's just frustrating. I'm venting. Sorry.

GPS software with Speed Logging and Replay

I'm trying to find a gps app to run on my Raphael that is capable of recording/logging a trip including timestamps.
I want to be able to replay the trip precisely, preferably on the phone, but if absolutely necessary I'd be willing to replay it on a laptop computer (I have a macbook pro and am running windows vista in a virtual machine) and logically I can replay it from a website as well.
Specifically, I want to be able to replay this in a courtroom in front of a judge, but I don't need to make a grand show of it (thus the reason I prefer replaying from the phone rather than carrying in a laptop).
Any advice would be great. I've considered writing my own app for this, but I really need to be able to replay the trip with graphical maps visible, which makes it more difficult to do. I've got TomTom installed already (which doesn't have this feature built-in as far as I'm aware).

tracking
I have not found a software which does what you are expecting, so I have acquired a TRACKSTICK PRO which does all what you require including tracing the trip on google earth!!
Hope this help
Chris from snowy Chamonix (France)

A completely new device, especially one without it's own ability to navigate would just add to an already excessive bunch of cables and take up a valuable power plug.
I can't figure out where or how to purchase one. The "get it now" button just takes you to a form to submit for them to call you back...This and the fact that it claims to be a "low-cost" solution makes me think that they aren't very interested in dealing with single unit sales.
Thanks for the advice, it's just not what I had in mind.

TrackMe might be what you are looking for.

bubble said:
TrackMe might be what you are looking for.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This looks pretty good I think. At least it's great for tracking and exporting, at least a little easier to work with than GpsGate which appears to only do NMEA sentences and a few file formats that nothing else reads. But this still leaves me trying to find the best way to present it.
I'd still like to be able to do sort of a playback of the trip rather than just data points on a map...and I'm still holding out hope for demonstrating the trip from my phone, but I'm starting to realize that none of the major GPS nav apps seem to have this feature, or at least I haven't found proof that they do. I think iGo might have a record/playback feature, but i haven't been able to verify.

[Q] Help me pick a phone. Please.

(long post warning...I'm placing the summary first for those who don't care to read the whole thing)
***
In summary, I want a mobile platform that I can tweak until I get it exactly as I like it; that will sync with Windows desktop and server platforms (this is a strong preference, not a "must"; upon which I own things and don't have to worry about them being stolen or broken; that doesn't tell everyone and their mother where I go and what I'm doing; and on which I can listen to Sirius radio; and to which I can transfer data back and forth via USB without any permission based cloud interface. It must also be compatible with Slingplayer software and I have a strong, strong, preference for a slideout QWERTY keyboard, but I'd sacrifice that if I have to for the above functionalities. I'm currently on ATT, but it doesn't have to be that way
***
I am thinking about purchasing a new phone. But the market is a bit more complicated than when I purchased my current phone (HTC Diamond), so I hope that you guys can give me some advice.
I have been a Windows Mobile user since 5.0. What I loved about WM is that I could come here and read about the various hacks, mods, and custom roms and generally find something to address any problems I had, or find a way to modify the phone to meet my preferences.
I love the mobile version of Office and I use it constantly for work purposes. I especially like being able to sync outlook contacts on both phone and device, and that I can make presentations from the phone, and can open and manipulate Word and Excel.
I was also using SiriusXM 6 by tcbush over on Geekstoolbox to listen to satellite radio. Unfortunately, Sirius has taken down their legacy servers that streamed content to third party providers. So it does not appear that I can listen to satellite radio any longer via my mobile device.
It is this turn of events (Sirius radio) that is my main motivator for seeking a new phone. I could listen to Sirius via the web, but that requires a Flash player and I can't find a version of flash for WM 6.1. I have both Opera Mini and IE. So, if any of you know a way for a WM 6.1 device to listen to Sirius, you will have solved my immediate problem and saved me some money. I would really appreciate that.
But on the larger scale, I know that one day I will have to replace my beloved Diamond. Her slideout QWERTY is starting to jiggle, there are a few scratches on her beautiful face even though she hasn't gone a moment without a case and screen protector. Every now and again her D-Pad loses its way, and I have to reboot. Alas, I fear the end is near. *sigh*
So, in looking over the current landscape, I see three options: iphone, Android, and WM7.
Apple products to me are out for personal preference reasons.
That leaves Android and WM7.
Problem 1:
I enjoyed my prior experience of owning a WM phone supported by a network of generous, friendly developers who found ways that we could modify our phones to our hearts' content. I also like the fact that I own my phone and all its content. Once I install or tweak something, then that's it unless I decide to change it.
But the current market seems to be based on a top-down control model. From what I've read, owning a phone with the current tech is like owning a home on leasehold property or in a HOA: You pay full price for ownership but you do not enjoy the rights of control normally associated with that ownership. It seems that the devices are locked, difficult to unlock, find ways to re-lock, and that a Nanny-server may at times uninstall or disable software that it doesn't like.
I just don't get it. Has the culture embraced a model where a user pays a provider only to be told by that provider what he can and cannot do with the property he has purchased?
Of course, my perception of these issues could be incorrect. I recently went back to school and have unplugged from most external things. I haven't been following the "insider info" on xda for nearly two years. If I'm wrong, please tell me.
Problem 2:
User tracking. Sounds Orwellian.
I get it that the cell provider can locate you. I understand the technology reasonably well for regular Joe, and I understand that the network needs to know where you are. But until recently, the cell provider could not release those records without a warrant or some emergency confirmed by law enforcement like a lost person, etc. I actually worked with Sprint in conjunction with the police to attempt to track a stolen phone. However, it now appears that the manufacturers themselves and many app developers are bypassing the law by tracking users without their consent. Am I right on this?
I've read a number of articles on the Apple and Android tracking problems - generic apps tracking you and reporting your movements to Apple, Google, etc. Apps turning on the mic or camera at intervals and tracking your surroundings or conversations. Route these concerns through the awfulness of the Electronic Communications Privacy Act, the Patriot Act, and the fact that both the post-digital presidential administrations (Bush II and Obama) seem intent on eroding what remains of our privacy, and it makes me uncomfortable. To make it worse, Google and Zuckerburg are both in bed with the Obama administration, and stories of their privacy infractions are epidemic.
Yet none of the progs I use on my WM 6.1 device use tracking (that I know of). So, in a very short time, it appears that the culture of mobile communications has gone from an ownership model with Constitutional protections to a free-for-all where you essentially pay big brother to track you.
I have heard many of my younger friends who have grown up in the big-government era use the default: "If you have nothing to hide, then you have nothing to worry about." But that's exactly backward. The law presumes your privacy and allows infractions only after due process. The current culture seems to presume lack of privacy, and treat privacy-seekers as an anomaly. And the tech seems to reflect the culture rather than the law.
Am I crazy? Even if I am crazy, is there a way to block this tracking? And, if so, does Android or WM7 better lend itself to blocking this tracking?
Problem 3:
USB data transfer.
WM7 doesn't support smart cards. But, the devices seem to have adequate on-board storage for my needs. However, from what I've read, I'll need to use Zune (on WM7, don't know about Android) to move data back and forth. Is that correct?
I currently use Windows Mobile Device Center to transfer files back and forth via USB or Bluetooth, and I really want to keep that functionality.
Thank you if you have read this far. And, given those criteria, what are my best options?

Droid X2. Get it.

Droid X2
Droid X2. Get it.
+1

Thanks for the responses. I've done a bit of research on the phone you recommended, and some research in general. I really need to spool back up
It looks like there are apps out there like WhisperMonitor that will help with my privacy concerns. Actually, it looks like there are Android Apps to address most of my concerns.
I'll keep researching that to determine how much functionality I'll have to sacrifice. And I appreciate the responses. Love the dual core structure of this phone. From what I've read, the benchmarks don't differ too much from single core phones, but it looks like the dual core really helps with load distribution and multi-tasking.
It will be hard to leave Windows...been with it since it was Pocket PC 2000. But atm, it appears that Android may work best for me.

I agree Droid X2, although VZW is expensive, its the best network

Off the basis of wanting a slide out QWERTY and Windows Phone 7, I would go with the HTC Arrive for Sprint. You still have Windows Phone, you can get Sling Player from the Marketplace, and it has a slide out QWERTY that when it slides out, angles the screen for better typing the way I look at it.

samsung galaxy s2
or atrix

If you QWERTY I'd wait till my4g slide if it launches with s-off. I don't imagine you'd be keeping the os in tact.
The g2 is also a beautiful phone. Amazing specs for the good hardware.
T-Mobile is also cheapest, I find, of the four carriers.
The epic 4g seemed nice. Hummingbird (Samsung 1ghz processor) is very nice and has a great gpu.
If you're looking to use google talk video chat, avoid nvidia tegra 2 chips.
Google's suite of software is pretty sweet. Google docs works nice, and there's an app for that.
As long as you download from android market you're good from malware. (If you do get it from market, google does pull the app from the store AND your phone, that's the only time I heard them doing this, and that was once instance.)
Besides... Supporting your developers is a great thing.
Did I miss anything?
Sent from my LG-P999 using XDA App

IMO almost any of the android phones would work for what you have in mind. As you pointed out in your follow up post there are apps out there for your privacy concerns. I've had a Moto Droid and now the HTC Thunderbolt. Both have been synced with my works exchange servers with no issues, google apps work great with Office docs, and the available roms and other customizations are almost endless.
Also, don't get hung up on a QWERTY keyboard. I swore I would never have a phone without one, but now that I do I actually don't really miss it.
Edit:
USB data transfer - very simple to do with android. Install a driver for the phone and then connect to your pc with a USB cable. Your pc will recognize the sdcard as removeable storage. Just select it in My Computer and drag and drop anything you want to move like you would for moving any file around in Windows.

Using the Asus Transformer for Business Instead of Netbook

Hello everyone,
So i thought I would go ahead and chime in with my own experiences and observations of the Asus Transformer (AT). I wanted to write an article that might help others trying to make a decision about replacing their laptop with the AT or maybe asking about a one vs the other. I wanted to stay away from a “VS” conversation and talk more about my experience. The long and short of it, is it depends. I think the AT can augment your business and maybe replace a netbook as a travel computer but i still need my laptop/desktop in the office. However, as you will see I am now using fully when out of the office my AT for all business needs and it works just fine.
Assumptions/Reasons for Buying:
So lets start with the reasons for wanting the AT. I wanted to find a solid replacement for my day to day use of my laptop while out of the office. I wear a number of hats one of which is application development, the other is as a Commercial Real Estate Broker. So needless to say this is for my brokerage business as i am pretty confident that there will be no Visual Studio use on the AT, well with the exception of a remote desktop of some kind. So, that all said what was i looking for? (Lets be honest we all want it ALL right but hey we can settle right?)
1. Email, this was first and foremost. A majority of both my businesses are relying on email as a main form of communication to my clients. Well, i didn't really need a tablet for this my phone handles it just fine, but typing anything longer than a paragraph is tedious , i have big hands and its just not the best experience, that said when i am out of the office most of my email replies are very short and so though i wanted/needed a better way to work with email the phone would have sufficed.
2. Document reading/generation: This one was a sticking point as we all know reading pdfs word docs and such is possible and works well on most devices, again the phone would work, but not for generation. I bought Docs to Go for my phone and it made things better but still no way was i going to get a "Word" experience. I know this is a debate by itself Microsoft "shop" vs opensource etc but lets be real, there is still a majority of the business working world that uses and will continue to use Microsoft office and so we just have to comply. (Yes you will service US Microsoft, resistance is futile)
3. Access to my daily files and work: So i also needed access to all my files and work related information. This was more a business choice than anything, putting information into the cloud, but i also had to think about how i was going to access so i am putting it in as a decision factor.
4. Browser media service: I wanted to be able to browse and access media whether at a clients to show them an article or news clipping or maybe a website etc. I also wanted something for reading surfing while having my morning coffee(We can be all work right?)
5. media entertainment Yes it has to be a "Fun" device to, watch a movie while travelling, or playing a game while waiting on my next appointent so this was on the list though not a major factor, as this gets us into an "apps" war and thats not the focus.
OK so there is more but that covers the major items
Decisions:
So I shopped and shopped borrowed friends ipads and a xoom, I really do like android in a lot of ways, it has its problems but I had an Iphone and was ready for a change. I am not going to bore you with the research but needless to say i chose the AT as my device to put this whole notion of Tablet for business to replace my laptop/netbook for work to the test.
REASONS:
1. Keyboard number UNO i wanted the physical keyboard cant live without it for major typing and work related stuffs. I tried the bluetooth one with the ipad and it wasn't bad, but the extra battery power in the AT was a bit of a topper not to mention all the expansions. ( I do think $150 is a bit much, but in the end, its what makes the Transformer a Transformer right?)
2. Expandability: Up to 64gigs of additional memory i can have a card with all my data a card with movies books music etc this was just too good to pass up. Yes i had already figured out a cloud solution etc but lets face it I wanted the kitchen sink with my device. The HDMI and USB were great additions as well. (A note my laptop took a dump one day and I was able to connect my external mouse keyboard to the AT and easily finish the day and deal with my laptop later)
3. Screen: yes as i mentioned it is going to be a bit of a "Play device" so it needed a great display and i liked this one over the xoom though the galaxy tab 10.1 i compared it next to was sweet and it had a keyboard, but the keyboard had no battery and had a lack of other expansion ports.
4. overall performace: this wasnt really to much of decision factor as all tablets are running tegra 2's for the most part and i wasnt looking at an ipad
THE PURCHASE:
I am putting this in because well it was an ordeal. I bought from bestbuy and got their 2 year replacement plan. Well i am on my 4th tablet and 3rd keyboard. Now I will be honest i wanted perfection and as was pointed out in a previous thread that just ain't gonna happen so really the first keyboard and tablet were it but i wanted a perfect no leak screen and a non discharging keyboard so back to the BB i went, again and again and again. Ok so now i have a series 60 tablet with a 50 keyboard and it all works, some light leaks but nothing that is earth shattering and doesn't bother me(Ok well it does but i got over it) So for those of you who think i just keep returning etc till its perfect, um take it from me, each one was worse, the second keyboard the space bar stuck, the 3rd keyboard was great, it does discharge but not a bad as the first. The tablet, on the second the light bleed was worse than the first and the 3rd one had huge dead pixel/flaws in the screen now the fourth some light bleed but in my opinion perfect as perfect can be. Moral of the story read the forums there are people here who are super helpful and will get you set straight but also be practical. If the little things really are going to bug you and you feel the need to come to a forum and write a post of Why i am returning my AT then its not for you, i knew the snowball i created with being picky and i got over it.
ONWARD!!!!!
OK THE SETUP APPLICATIONS AND PREP
1. First thing I did prior to buying anything was setup my business info and stuff to be accessible via the web. This required its own set of decisions which i wont get into, maybe a blog post about it later, but i migrated my stuff to google apps. (Hey i am going android so using google apps everything should all work right? it's all google, well sort of i will address it later)
a. Files and storage, i actually chose a combination of google docs and Microsoft live(25gigs of free storage how could i turn that down) I moved all the necessary files to the cloud and i was set
b. All my email addresses were migrated to my google apps and i was set there
c. Contacts moved to Zoho (I am debating this choice good for a later discussion)
2. Tested everything using my laptop and a web browser it all worked fine. I ran for about two weeks while i was doing more research on Android tablets apps etc, and I didn't have any issues.
3. Applications
a. Polaris Office/Docs To Go: I already had the later and the former comes with the AT so i was pretty much set for tablet handling of office docs. Its not a perfect solution by any means and would i like to have office on my tablet YES, do i need it not really. If i REALLY need to generate a word doc with high end formatting etc or i need that complicated cash flows analysis spreadsheet i can usually wait till i am back in the office in front of my computer. Remember this device is for travel/on the go and for THAT these apps are fine. (I am hoping they fix the keyboard issues with Office 365 because that will be IT and you will have it all)
b. Evernote became my note software, I REALLY miss onenote its my favorite office program but alas Android does not have support for it, mobile noter is not that great so migrated to Evernote. Evernote works well just takes a little bit to get used to as i had to change the way i organized my stuff, its different from onenote. (One thing i miss big time is pen input. I looked at the HTC Flyer because i really wanted to have the pen/OneNote experience. I found that this was one of those compromises. If i was still in school or in a job where i had to take copious notes in meetings, i would probably opt for a Tablet PC Fujitsu Q550 comes to mind so i could use pen input.)
c. With everything migrated to Google apps email was a snap put my google apps account info in and BAM its all there. I had already got Zoho synced with my contacts in Apps so they came down as well.
d. Using a combination of gdocs and the docs apps above is fine, though i really think google needs to "Finish" their products they have a habit of starting something putting it out there then never finishing or refine it. Google apps had a chance but with Office 365 available for a dollar more its gonna have troubles unless they step up their game. (We can have a google apps vs office 365 debate somewhere else)
e. To access my skydrive i use Sorami which is working well. The bad part is that i have to drag the file to the asus work on it here then push/send it, not ideal but it works. Quick note on collaboration, one of my sticking points on gdocs is that in order to collaborate on it and get all the functionality you have to convert it to a gdoc, i am not to keen on this as usually the conversion of complicated word docs with lots of formatting is horrible, hence Office 365 maybe the answer with the ability to use web apps and edit things in the native .DOC format. In any case its fine for on the go, and truthfully i don't know about others but my needs for generating complicated or highly formatted documents when i am away from my computer are pretty low.
f. For ZOHO i am limited to their mobile website they have an ios app now but android development is lagging, as it seems to with a lot of things, however i am hopeful they will come up with a native android app. I am still shopping on the CRM front so we'll see this may be a non-issue
That's the basics of apps i have the file explorers and a few games and other stuff but that's the basis of the business stuff.
HOW HAS IT WORKED
Now we get into the dirt of the article how did using the AT as a replacement for my daily out of office use workout. in a word GREAT but here is the skinny
THE GOOD:
1. Weight, wow being able to carry around my portfolio folder to hold documents etc and my AT was fantastic.
2. Access, i had access to all my documents when i needed them when i wanted them. (Let me clarify I know the AT is Wi-Fi so i tether it to my Nexus S 4G when i am not in range of a Wi-Fi hence my statement i can access everything) Yes its true i had that with just my phone but on the 10" screen with a keyboard i felt like i could really work with them when i needed and i could draft from scratch some pretty nice letters etc.
3. Email, yes i know we all have this with our phones but as i noted my hands are big so typing anything of length on the phone is tough for me, the AT made this a snap, take a few minutes between appointments to dock with my keyboard which is in my trunk not only does the pad get a top up, which it didn't need but hey some extra juice nevver hurts for that extra round of Angry Birds, and i can type up all notes etc.
4. Worth noting i did need to make a change to a .NET app for a client i was no where near a pc and this needed fixing now, i used splash top logged into my pc launched studio and made the change, was it horribly slow yes would i want to try and work that way HELL NO but was my client beyond happy and will i get a ton more business from him cause his problem was addressed right away OH YEAH. So i can do the same with office docs etc its not ideal but dang in a pinch there are work around’s.
THE BAD: (This i boil down to i would have been fine had i had a pc)
1. Well obviously programming, I did like having my laptop and being able to sit in a Pete's or something and work on some projects that had been lagging. So not being able to do my development is a bit of a downer, but its all about compromise right.
2. I mentioned earlier pen input. I REALLY like Onenote and I am an advid pen user, i replaced all the notebooks and post its around my desk with a Wacom Tablet and onenote. I did a tremendous amount of research, and business organization in Onenote, so putting this on the table as a “Compromise” was difficult. I downloaded EverNote and started taking notes via typing, and it wasn't so bad. Hence, my decision to make the switch. Again if Office 365 shapes up the way I think it will, i will be back in OneNote in a heartbeat.
SUMMARY
So for me the AT system will accomplish what i need and i think will only get better as android and apps mature. Email, doc reading editing and file creation, file access ebooks movies on and on the device is fabulous. For those thinking of going this direction, here are some thoughts. I look at my purchase of 700 which includes my 2 year replacement with BB and I compare that to what i can get in the PC world. Well the New Fujitsu Q550 i believe is about 700 and that is a full slate pc with about 6 hours battery has the stylus for writting runs office including one note (onenote + stylus = Heaven) there are a few reviews out there and this seems to be a nice challenge in the pc arena, if you want a PC for your work. The AT is not a pc so you have to adjust your thinking and try not to compare it to a netbook or pc thats why this is more of a "How i went about using the AT" rather than a vs because truthfully its not fair to compare apples to oranges. After making some changes to the way i do business i am able to successfully use the AT as a replacement for my day to day operations OUTSIDE the office i still have my PC and still use it. I think that moving forward online services like office 365 and google apps will level the playing field a bit to make comparing tablets to pcs a little closer but right now there are things that my tablet does that a pc is really hard pressed to do. Grab from my bag push a button read a book surf the net watch a video the list goes on. Maybe the new pc tablets will sleep/hibernate better and the gap will get closer I don't know. I miss some PC functions once in a while and with Tablets PC’s coming out as light as the Q550 I think the landscape is going to change, but take a look at your situation and see whats right for you. You can read “VS” articles all day but those are simply peoples observations/opinions. Take a step back and decide what you want and then mold your world to it.
Thats my experience please feel free to comment if we want to use this thread as a building block of Business “how to's” for getting people to undertand that tablets and pcs can live together it doesnt have to be an either or thats great. Maybe share some uses/apps things you do to leverage your AT in the work world.
The Rahl (Heh)

Why not use Splashtop HD to remote into your PC to do programming?

RTbar said:
Why not use Splashtop HD to remote into your PC to do programming?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
He did mention that he did remote desktop to his comp for a quick fix. Its def not ideal, especially for a long time.
If you have your code stored on a Linux box, you could SSH into it and use a terminal-based text edit to do it. Yeah, not the most fun, but it takes less bandwidth/power to do.

i had thought about the linux box but truthfully if i need to program i will grab my laptop. My goal was to use the AT on the business side though i am finding new ways of doing things everyday. Though kind of wondering since i dont NEED an AT shoud i wait on next gen Tegra3. Heh yeah that opens the wholebcan of worms "if i wait ill get the newest and the best" youll never buy anything then butbyou cant help but wonder. Heh I think ifthey had some firm dates on tegra3 i might consider but since there are no firm dates ichosetheAT.

[Q] Is the Nvidia Shield Tablet the right tablet for me?

Greetings,
I have been on the look out for a tablet for quite some time now.
Some background information:
I am currently a University student, and I enjoy power hungry video games like Diablo3 (if you think d3 isn't power hungry, ok. It isn't the point of the thread.)
I owe a gaming pc - Nvidia 660Ti, and a Tablet / Ultrabook Hybrid - Asus Taichi 31.
I live in Malta. (A&T and T-Mobiles are not available, I have yet to contact them wheter they are willing to offer their services from abroad regarding a data plan) (to my knowledge acquired from these forums, there is currently no possible way to integrate voice calling / smsing with the mini sim. The mini sim is only used for data transfer correct?)
I understand barely nothing about android, roms and kernals, I am studying for a pharmacist. What little I know is mostly about desktops from my interest and sources are typically the internet and some local technicians I enjoy chatting with. (if any1 can point me to a good beginner guide, that would be great)
I am currently looking for something that is able to:
replace my phone - just calls and sms. My lack of education on android devices and a very narrow google search lead me to believe there are apps with this ability if you are always connected to an internet connection? which wouldnt be a problem with the LTE/4G?
good alternative for an mp3 player - main issue: buttery life - size doesn't matter because I use bluetooth headphones
use XBMC hub - i think this tablet can easily handle it
take decent quality photos
stream games from long distances (when I am at university example, from my home) - is the only limiting factor the speed of the internet connection? Is it possible to connect the internet via a cable? (ethernet to mini usb converter?)​
My two main priorities are calling/texting and battery life.
I am yet to find a store who has this tablet on display so I can have a feel of the tablet, I do not know if 8'' is ridiculously large to carry around. And I think it also falls within personal preference.
What would you, if in my shoes, get? Should I look for a phablet? I personally find smart phones have a small screen, and the only use I have out of a phone is to text and call, so I would like to have the good out of both ends.
Thank you.

botno4 said:
Greetings,
I have been on the look out for a tablet for quite some time now.
Some background information:
I am currently a University student, and I enjoy power hungry video games like Diablo3 (if you think d3 isn't power hungry, ok. It isn't the point of the thread.)
I owe a gaming pc - Nvidia 660Ti, and a Tablet / Ultrabook Hybrid - Asus Taichi 31.
I live in Malta. (A&T and T-Mobiles are not available, I have yet to contact them wheter they are willing to offer their services from abroad regarding a data plan) (to my knowledge acquired from these forums, there is currently no possible way to integrate voice calling / smsing with the mini sim. The mini sim is only used for data transfer correct?)
I understand barely nothing about android, roms and kernals, I am studying for a pharmacist. What little I know is mostly about desktops from my interest and sources are typically the internet and some local technicians I enjoy chatting with. (if any1 can point me to a good beginner guide, that would be great)
I am currently looking for something that is able to:
replace my phone - just calls and sms. My lack of education on android devices and a very narrow google search lead me to believe there are apps with this ability if you are always connected to an internet connection? which wouldnt be a problem with the LTE/4G?
good alternative for an mp3 player - main issue: buttery life - size doesn't matter because I use bluetooth headphones
use XBMC hub - i think this tablet can easily handle it
take decent quality photos
stream games from long distances (when I am at university example, from my home) - is the only limiting factor the speed of the internet connection? Is it possible to connect the internet via a cable? (ethernet to mini usb converter?)​
My two main priorities are calling/texting and battery life.
I am yet to find a store who has this tablet on display so I can have a feel of the tablet, I do not know if 8'' is ridiculously large to carry around. And I think it also falls within personal preference.
What would you, if in my shoes, get? Should I look for a phablet? I personally find smart phones have a small screen, and the only use I have out of a phone is to text and call, so I would like to have the good out of both ends.
Thank you.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It can meet your needs. You can use Google Voice # and hangouts to make/receive calls. It is a beast at gaming and the nvidia game stream is great, however its huge. In my opinion WAY to big to be used as an everyday phone, and would only allow speak phone calls or through a blue tooth. The call quality is good though.
If you want a tablet I recommend it. However if you want a phone I suggest using a phone.
I would get the tablet then get a Moto G or a Moto E for free and use it as your phone.
Sent from my SM-N910T using XDA Free mobile app

OP did say they were in Malta. GV numbers are not available outside the US.

gerrykv said:
OP did say they were in Malta. GV numbers are not available outside the US.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
GV is google voice? Yes I live in Malta, and thank you I didn't know that.
Is there any other way possible to have voice call / texting possibilities on this tablet?