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GPS/PCI Express Break-off from Hardware Breakdown Thread

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

hardware people, change camera?

Anyway to change out the camera to a higher resolution?

I asked this too, but didn't get any good replies. People just asked me why I would want to. Their argument is that hte resolution is good enough for a webcam, which is basically all it can be used for anyway.
They explained that holding this large tablet up to take actual photos would make me look like an idiot...I mean, I am an idiot, but I guess I'm supposed to prevent myself from looking the part.

I want a better webcam, damn it.

goodintentions said:
I want a better webcam, damn it.
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I think you can get a better camera bundled with a new tablet

schettj said:
I think you can get a better camera bundled with a new tablet
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You can get GPS and a better ROM bundled with a new tablet, too, but people still find ways to do it with a gTab.

goodintentions said:
I want a better webcam, damn it.
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It could be worse, you could have bought an iPad 2

I take the train everyday to and from the city. I think it's funny how ipad 1 and 2 owners always manage to sit next to me while I'm playing with my gtab.

G-Tab does get looks from ipad users
goodintentions said:
I take the train everyday to and from the city. I think it's funny how ipad 1 and 2 owners always manage to sit next to me while I'm playing with my gtab.
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Yup. I'm excited to get on the gtab bandwagon. Had it for about a month now and have tried 3 roms. On Vegan RC1 now and contemplating Illuminate HC. It runs great on Gingerbread. I added the carbon fiber/skinomi to it and WOW...it is pretty much a custom/expensive looking pad now! It beats any pad out there just by looks!
I can see how ipad users want to "sit next to us gtab users" coz they know they can't tweak their pads like we can!

gtabrocks said:
I can see how ipad users want to "sit next to us gtab users" coz they know they can't tweak their pads like we can!
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Actually, I suspect they sit next to me to show off what they have. If there's one thing I know about ipad users is that they are proud of what they have. It's like lexus drivers showing off their really nice right off the assembly line lexus to a beat up impala like mine.
In their eyes, I'm using a piece of crap. So, they sit next to me and take out their ipad to show off what they have. I've talked to a couple of them and they were very surprised when I showed them how responsive and fast my gtab was. Before, they always thought that anything other than an ipad = slow, sluggish, and unresponsive.

goodintentions said:
I take the train everyday to and from the city. I think it's funny how ipad 1 and 2 owners always manage to sit next to me while I'm playing with my gtab.
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That's because the only way they can see what the hell you're doing with it is to sit more or less in your lap

schettj said:
That's because the only way they can see what the hell you're doing with it is to sit more or less in your lap
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hahaha this made me laugh. Back to topic, yes I have looked into this but I have not found a similar camera that supports the cable that connects to the G-tab. Now that the GPS project has come to a close I might need a new one...
EDIT: ok, camera prolly isn't gonna happen. There really isn't much information out there on this sort of mod. Here are a couple pics of the ribbon cable the camera connects to the board via.
Here is the port it connects to on the mainboard (top right):
If someone can find more info on this, I will do more digging. Oh ya, one more thing. I found a PDF datasheet that might be similar to the one that we have installed. It is attached below.

Computer help!!

Hey guys so I'm shopping around for a new and very good computer but I don't know where and with what to start I will give u the basics of what I am loooking for,, I do a lot of music and movies and I need a fast and very cooled down computer so that everything runs well I'm looking for about 8gb of memory and about a terrabyte of memory its for my own use and I am looking for a desktop I already have a nice monitor from Samsung alls I need is a fast good desktop PC that will not run me over 800$,,, please do not mention apple,,, I hate apple and everything that has to do with that lame fruit lol all suggestions accepted guys
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda app-developers app

I built a mid-level gaming PC for ~$550, including monitor.
i5-3450 (processor)
HD 6870 (graphics card)
ASRock B75 Micro ATX motherboard
1Tb 7500 RPM HDD
8Gb DDR3 1600 RAM.
Antec Neo Eco 520W PSU (PSU = power supply)
HAF 912 case, I don't really push the hardware very much haven't needed additional cooling
Some random DVD-RW drive
WIFI usb adapter with antenna
Ubuntu/Win7
(and I got a 20" Gateway 5ms LCD monitor from an Acer outlet and later got a shiny backlit keyboard from Zippy)
This was a budget build, but I'm really happy with the performance. It can certainly play movies and music just fine and I can play games like Guild Wars 2 on highest settings while maintaining 50-60fps.
With a bigger budget I would have probably added an SSD and I would love to do that and get a backup mechanical HDD and set up a RAID.
You'll probably have to go over budget or compromise if you don't build it yourself. It's hard to find pre-built systems with really good specs because they often skimp on things like GPU or stick you with integrated graphics. And you have to be careful when buying from "make for you" places, because they'll often have no problem putting in crappy parts - "ibuypower" and their sister site absolutely loves to stick a crappy PSU in your machine and there are plenty of stories of people's systems getting fried. It also would have cost me $900 to buy my system, less the monitor, from them. So you're paying a LOT more than if you do it yourself - and it's really not that hard - it's like those lame LEGO sets where they just tell you what to do step-by-step.
Are you going to be video editing or just watching ? Do you care about gaming ? Windows or Linux ? Et cetera.
I know it can be confusing at first if you've never built a computer before, but you will be able to get a much better machine and you will have full control over it and be able to make compromises that benefit YOU - not some company's bottom line when it comes to mass-producing and skimping on the quality and hardware.

louy89 said:
Hey guys so I'm shopping around for a new and very good computer but I don't know where and with what to start I will give u the basics of what I am loooking for,, I do a lot of music and movies and I need a fast and very cooled down computer so that everything runs well I'm looking for about 8gb of memory and about a terrabyte of memory its for my own use and I am looking for a desktop I already have a nice monitor from Samsung alls I need is a fast good desktop PC that will not run me over 800$,,, please do not mention apple,,, I hate apple and everything that has to do with that lame fruit lol all suggestions accepted guys
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda app-developers app
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I recommend you go to the reddit page /r/buildapc
You will most likely get more replies quicker and it is what that sub-reddit specialises in (build recommendations)
PM me for a link as I am prohibited from posting links as I am a new member

for what you are seeking and your max budget.. your best bet would probably be learning how to piece a system together yourself, as "very cooled down" usually will require a gaming or server tower, which off the shelf only alienware comes to mind and they're way over your budget

Go on newegg and look at their barebone DIY combos. You can buy those or get some ideas of parts from them. That's what I did. Also, when making your own computer, always start at the motherboard and make sure the socket types are a correct fit for the rest of your parts(mainly the cpu and ram).

Even just a really basic case for a custom build might be an improvement over am old crappy pre-built PC where they just jammed everything in willy-nilly with cords everywhere.
I just wonder what the OP means by "very cooled down". To me, that would mean some kind of liquid cooling system (definitely DIY for this budget) - but if the OP is not planning to edit or anything that's probably overkill. I mean, if someone's only had pre-built boxes, I doubt their mind is jumping to OC-ing and stuff. Just trying to give the OP ideas of how to tell people better what they are looking for.

Pennycake said:
Even just a really basic case for a custom build might be an improvement over am old crappy pre-built PC where they just jammed everything in willy-nilly with cords everywhere.
I just wonder what the OP means by "very cooled down". To me, that would mean some kind of liquid cooling system (definitely DIY for this budget) - but if the OP is not planning to edit or anything that's probably overkill. I mean, if someone's only had pre-built boxes, I doubt their mind is jumping to OC-ing and stuff. Just trying to give the OP ideas of how to tell people better what they are looking for.
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I highly doubt OP will need liquid cooling, especially if he's/she's just starting to learn to put PCs together.

Pennycake said:
Even just a really basic case for a custom build might be an improvement over am old crappy pre-built PC where they just jammed everything in willy-nilly with cords everywhere.
I just wonder what the OP means by "very cooled down". To me, that would mean some kind of liquid cooling system (definitely DIY for this budget) - but if the OP is not planning to edit or anything that's probably overkill. I mean, if someone's only had pre-built boxes, I doubt their mind is jumping to OC-ing and stuff. Just trying to give the OP ideas of how to tell people better what they are looking for.
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That was my train of thought, as if the OP is looking for a computer which would basically retail over $1,500 so DIY would be the only way to go

OK those are very good options And yes I will b using a lot of movie viewing and downloading torrents as well as music mixing because I Anna DJ solo sum thing that is fast processing I like to go to tiger direct.com anyone familiar with that?? If possible a simple list of things to start with would help along guys thanks alot
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda app-developers app

louy89 said:
OK those are very good options And yes I will b using a lot of movie viewing and downloading torrents as well as music mixing because I Anna DJ solo sum thing that is fast processing I like to go to tiger direct.com anyone familiar with that?? If possible a simple list of things to start with would help along guys thanks alot
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda app-developers app
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Look at motherboards, cpu, graphics cards, and ram.

eyau1992 said:
I highly doubt OP will need liquid cooling, especially if he's/she's just starting to learn to put PCs together.
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I would agree that they probably don't need it, but I was calling for clarification from the OP since things like "super cooled" are pretty relative.
louy89 said:
OK those are very good options And yes I will b using a lot of movie viewing and downloading torrents as well as music mixing because I Anna DJ solo sum thing that is fast processing I like to go to tiger direct.com anyone familiar with that?? If possible a simple list of things to start with would help along guys thanks alot
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda app-developers app
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I don't really know what you'd want for music mixing, but I know my mom edits music on a pretty low-spec laptop with no issue (it's part of her job).
What do you have now ? Whether you post here or elsewhere, it will help people to know what you're working with - your current specs and what programs you use.
I'd look at the requirements of the programs you use and what they recommend. I would recommend you look at benchmarks against different processors, et cetera - to see what's best for YOUR needs. I'm not an Intel fanboy, but I went with the i5 because it did the best for games in my budget. Find what's best for what YOU want to do.
For just watching videos, you don't really need anything fancy - and the GPU is a big part of the budget. I've watched and streamed HD video on my old laptop with integrated AMD, on a tablet, on my phone, et cetera. Granted, it's a nice phone - but still. You don't need anything super-fancy.
Torrenting is going to depend more on your internet connection than anything.
I don't know about Tiger Direct - they never had the best deals that I could find for what I wanted to buy, so I never bought from them. I would recommend NOT buying from one place if you plan on building it yourself. Find what you need and then see who offers the best deal.
Also, I'll just say that I cannot stress enough how important it is to have a good PSU - and one that is able to support what you're plugging into it. Please read up on this if you do build your own and do not get a cheap one unless you want to take a chance of failure - which can result in the whole system frying to sending electricity through anything the PC touches, to causing a fire.
Sent from my Transformer TF101 using xda app-developers app

First, it takes a lot of effort on your part to put together a box component by component. Someone already mentioned connector compatibility, and it just snowballs from there.
Second, you cannot build your own "performance" machine cheaper than buying a comparable pre-built. Individual shipping & handling, etc. all adds up. I always build my own workstation piece by piece, and I always spend more (sometimes way more) than the boxes that I buy pre-built for other uses.
Others have mentioned TigerDirect and NewEgg. I have used both sources for many years, and I highly recommend searching both for their current deals. Don't limit yourself to their "bare bones" packages. Who cares if it comes with a crappy keyboard and mouse (just throw them onto a shelf for emergencies). Both sites offer tools to narrow your search by price range and specs.
By the way, I just bought a Dell from NewEgg with an I5 processor (running 3.something GHz), 8GB memory, 1TB hard drive storage, and 64-bit Win7 Pro for $650. It's for an office environment, and for that it is smokin' fast! It would be more than satisfactory for watching movies and listening to music.

This was my first computer I've built from pieces, but it genuinely surprised me how easy it was. The motherboard's manual explained most everything, and installing Win7 from a flash drive was incredibly fast.
The only part I found to be a little tricky was the motherboard header - and I just took my time on that and read everything twice.
The research for buying parts took a bit of time, but it all starts to come together once you understand the hardware nomenclature and stop being overwhelmed by "all those numbers".
For $550 (which was including shipping on the individual pieces) , I couldn't find what I wanted pre-built, but there were some "scratch and dent" type sales for similar prices (but that was less shipping) - which might be a good place to look for whole systems.
Sent from my SGH-T999 using xda app-developers app

Pennycake said:
This was my first computer I've built from pieces
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Congratulations -- be warned though, having a system with every little piece exactly the way you want it can spoil you on ever buying a pre-built box for yourself again.
Pennycake said:
The research for buying parts took a bit of time
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Exactly! That's what I was trying to say when I said that it takes a lot of effort. If you had to pay yourself for your time then this would be the most expensive machine you ever bought; but, if you really enjoyed the hunt then it is worth the satisfaction.

I have always built my own pcs, but for family, sometimes they need a computer asap. Doing research on store bought computers is difficult sometimes. They don't always list the exact specs on the box or details online. They all usually have decent ram and cpu as well has a hdd. The main problem has always been the graphics. Normally they are the integrated kind, but some have a discrete card. It's hare to pass up some of the holiday deals locally though.

I've always built my own computers as well. If you're particular about the components that go into your machine, or if you don't want to be forced into upgrades you don't want I think it's the only way to go. Like if you want more ram and they want to package that with a larger hard drive that you may not want for example. One of the biggest benefits for me is having the ability to upgrade or replace individual components down the road.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda app-developers app

Considering a Surface RT

Hi Surface Owners!
I am still debating which tablet to get and have recently included the Surface in the list. Of the current crop of tablets available, it's between the Nexus 10 and Surface RT. I'm not sure what will be announced at MWC, but i'll keep an eye out obviously.
I wanted to get your advice, as most of the people reading will own a surface. How do you find it now a few months on from release?
I will be selling my Macbook, so my new tablet is going to be my go to for the time being. I will be going travelling for several months, so this will be it's main use. I am wanting something that I can connect either my camera or SD card to so I can download photo's on to the device but also from the device to an external HDD. Obviously using it for entertainment will be a big thing, as well as to plan out parts of our journey and using the internet. I wouldn't mind if I could do some very minor photo editing also. Can anyone let me know what the photo app is like on the device, also if there are any decent photo apps on the marketplace.
So the surface looks like a winner in terms of the USB and SD card slots, making it easier to connect whilst travelling. But the Nexus wins on the screen and probably power. I used Android already on my phone so am used to it, but I quite like the interface on Windows 8 as it's something new. Android and IOS get a bit boring after a long time...
Any advice would be greatly appreciated. If anyone owns both tablets it would be great to hear your thoughts also.
Cheers,
Mike

Surface RT is my current ultra-portable computer, and it works well for that so long as it's not all that I have for an extended time. I miss the stylus that my old tablet had (an advantage of the Surface Pro) but do not find that, for example, the kickstand of the RT makes it hard to use on my lap (the way some reviewers have claimed). I have the Touch Cover (and am in fact writing this on it); it works great and you can type quite quickly and with perfect touch-typing muscle memory after a short time of using it.
Prior to the Surface RT, my most portable computer was an old Core 2 Duo ULV (1.2GHz) HP tablet, with a stylus but no touchscreen, 12" screen with 1280x800 resolution, 5 hours battery life (when new), 4GB of RAM (came with 1GB, upgraded immediately), an 80gb 4200RPM 1.8" magnetic hard disk, and 3.5lb weight. I loved it. Still use it, actually; it runs Win8 quite well aside from not being able to use Metro snapping. However, in almost every way possible, the Surface Pro blows it away. For less than the cost of old HP tablet (which was about $1500 new), I can upgrade the C2D to a quad-core chip with over twice the speed per core, I can upgrade the digitizer and add multitouch, I can trade in the 12" screen for one with far higher DPI, I can massively improve the storage by going solid-state instead of rotational (and can get 128GB), and I can keep the 5 hour battery life. The things I would lose are the ability to upgrade the RAM (4GB is a bit low, IMO) and storage (not that I ever did upgrade the old 1.8" drive) and the replaceable battery (I'll live). Oh, and swapping full SD for MicroSD and 2 USB 2.0 ports for a single USB 3.0 port, which means I'll probably want to get a hub. Still, it's tempting, and I may well buy myself one even though right now I don't really need it.

I have a Surface RT and use it as my portable device when I don't want to lug around my ultrabook. For some context, I have an iPad and an ASUS Transformer TF-101 as well. Prior to the Surface RT, I used the Transformer for that. But the lack of things that were important to me made the RT the go-to device when it came out.
For me, things like the USB port, MicroSD card, and Microsoft Office were important. Even more important was the built-in support for Bitlocker, so my MicroSD card can be encrypted at all times and easily read by my other Windows 8 machines. And my other external USB hard drives that are also encrypted can be easily opened by the Surface RT. Native VPN client and RDP helps with work as well (I know there are ways to do this with the other tablets).
I have the apps that I need at this point. I'm not a big social media person, so I can't speak to the apps for those things. But there are enough apps of interest to me that keep me satisfied. Can't speak to the photo apps, however. I don't take photos with it, though I have taken video and those were good.
Overall, I'm very happy with the RT. I got it with the Touch Cover and I can actually type fairly well on it. (I've actually had questions from iPad owners asking about the keyboard, if it was available for their devices.)
I had considered waiting for the Surface Pro, but the extra size and weight, plus the shorter battery life (I get great battery life with the RT, BTW), were concerns for me. I could just as well take my ultrabook (had an Asus Zenbook, now a Sony VAIO T13), which is quite a bit faster than the Surface Pro.
For what it's worth.

You can browse the store from any web browser:
http://www.windowsphone.com/en-us/store
For your use cases:
> I am wanting something that I can connect either my camera or SD card to so I can download photo's on to the device but also from the device to an external HDD.
You will be able to do that so long as your camera doesn't need extra drivers to show up (as a USB store) or you use a USB reader for the removable media.
> Obviously using it for entertainment will be a big thing, as well as to plan out parts of our journey and using the internet.
Great web browser. Can play most video, Audio...
> I wouldn't mind if I could do some very minor photo editing also.
Check the store...
> Can anyone let me know what the photo app is like on the device, also if there are any decent photo apps on the marketplace.
The built in photo app is pretty basic.
I would expect you could get by with the surface rt - get the 64gb one, and get a 64gb card...
I took one on a week cruise (along with a netbook for backup) and was able to use just the surface for the whole trip, including dumping GoPro video and digital camera shots to the surface and then onto an external USB disk.

Thanks for the advice guys, much appreciated.
Just a quick note, I meant gallery app, to look and browse / organise your photos, not the camera app to take photos. I laugh when I see people taking photos with there tablet ha ha. I like the way the ipad shows your photos by map, gallery and a journal function for example.
Sent from my HTC Sensation using xda app-developers app

Mikeparakh said:
Thanks for the advice guys, much appreciated.
Just a quick note, I meant gallery app, to look and browse / organise your photos, not the camera app to take photos. I laugh when I see people taking photos with there tablet ha ha. I like the way the ipad shows your photos by map, gallery and a journal function for example.
Sent from my HTC Sensation using xda app-developers app
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The Photo album app that comes with the RT is very basic. You may want to check out apps in the store that have more functionality.

Mikeparakh said:
look and browse
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Yep
/ organise your photos
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Nope.
Really basic. Grid of photos, or slideshow/swipe browse full screen. That's what you get.

What you are saying about getting bored with the other operating systems is exactly why I made Surface my choice. I've been playing with android for the last 7 years. And thanks to all the devs here at xda I was able to make all of my devices do exactly what I wanted.. But it was time for something totally different. I made the right decision. To be honest, at the beginning, learning the new ui was frustrating! :crying: Because I was having trouble finding things and when I did it didn't seem be consistent through the ui.... After about 3 days it all started to come together very well... you'll find that the system is actually set up quite well. I found everything I needed in the store. I'm very pleased with the purchase.

So any 2.5" hard drive will work with the Surface RT? Wow, I'm a bit surprised here. I thought there might not be enough power to power up a hard drive. Is the USB port capable of supporting a USB hub? My plan is to connect at least a 2-port USB hub, and transfer photos from my camera to the portable hard drive. If the Surface RT can do that, then I may not need to consider the Surface Pro even though it have USB 3.0.
---------- Post added at 01:49 AM ---------- Previous post was at 01:47 AM ----------
Mikeparakh said:
Thanks for the advice guys, much appreciated.
Just a quick note, I meant gallery app, to look and browse / organise your photos, not the camera app to take photos. I laugh when I see people taking photos with there tablet ha ha. I like the way the ipad shows your photos by map, gallery and a journal function for example.
Sent from my HTC Sensation using xda app-developers app
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I agree with you and that's what I love about the iOS photo app. Does anyone here know of a photo app for Windows RT that can show my photos base on its location data?

So, all in all, are people happy with the device? What are the major issues to be concerned with, if any?

No major issues.
For the same price in Canada, the Asus ME400 offers Windows 8 x86 so I went with that due to needing Java/Cisco for remote connectivity to work. I did not regret owning surface. There was nothing majorly wrong with it, I loved the full USB port (which the Asus does not have). Surface RT use s a proprietary charger vs the Asus which uses micro-usb charger. Surface charges faster.
If the app you want is not in the app store, or you need drivers for your devices, that could be a problem. Note that Surface RT does not offer a full size SD card slot, only a micro. You can't put your camera card directly into Surface unless you are using microsd.
Build quality is top notch, the kickstand is great, battery life is very good, and Windows RT is pretty slick.

USB hubs work, but unless you use a powered hub (and power it from the wall or another source), you're still going to be limited by the relatively meager power of the Surface RT's single USB port. It's enough for a 2.5" disk of at least 5400 RPM (haven't tried 7200 RPM yet) but funning (for example) a mouse and a hard drive off of it might be too much.

It's sounding pretty positive so far! I keep reading reviews though and none seem to be great! But I think most of the companies doing the reviews are stuck half way up Apple's ass.
I keeping an eye on a few auctions ending on Ebay tonight, to see if I can pick up a bargain, fingers crossed! If not, I will probably purchase one from John Lewis over the next two weeks.
I've read a few sites that think Microsoft will drop the price on the RT soon, do you think this will happen? All speculation I guess, no one really knows..
The other thing is, they don't seem to hold there value well. Where as the Nexus 10, you could almost make money on if you decided to sell due to it being hard to get.

Mikeparakh said:
It's sounding pretty positive so far! I keep reading reviews though and none seem to be great!
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They expected an iPad with a windows logo. They got a Windows tablet instead. Coupled with the need to dogpile on the new UI, and as you said the large number of Apple Experts With Very Short Memories, and the review effect isn't shocking.

I have a Surface RT and I love it! I use it for nearly everything. I use remote desktop or team viewer for anything that requires x86 apps.
Its brilliant to use around the house! my wife has her Nexus 7 and has to switch between that and her laptop every so often while I just use the Surface.
When my laptop dies which wont be long (though it could be longer as I don't use it now) then I plan on getting a Surface Pro. The build quality of it (Surface RT) is outstanding. I had an issue with the touch cover, contacted Surface support and they were amazing, got a new touch cover no questions asked and in quick time, reported the issue at around 1400 and got the new one at around 1300 the following day! I cant recommend it enough. Everyone I show it is impressed with near enough everything it can do, the only downside is that not all the apps I used to use on Android are available, but Android is coming up to its 5th Birthday in October and that will be 1 year of Win RT.
25'879 are in the Windows Store as of writing and if, this is a big if, Microsoft can some how link the WP store and the WinRT store then it has massive potential.
I only wish that Microsoft really pushed hard on getting these into people hands. In the UK John Lewis is a very repeatable store but that is the only brick and mortar place you can get one. In nearly every store I go these day there is a gadget area selling iPads and Androids, come on Microsoft lets have you back at the top of the tech tree, where you were when you bailed out Apple!

So I've gone ahead an purchased. I managed to get a bargain! £425 for a brand new Surface RT 64GB with black touch cover! Hopefully will arrive tomorrow, fingers crossed. Really want a blue touch cover, so might sell the black and get a blue.
Anything I should know before I first switch on and setup?

After some more usage with the RT, I'm quite liking it. There's definitely lag, especially on games. "Rat On A Snowboard" even lags and there's nothing even going on with that! Something isn't right and a Tegra3 should be able to at least handle ROAS.
Otherwise, "Mobile.HD" works brilliantly so that's a major plus. I've got the UK Netflix showing on my Metro UI, and then I can access the US Netflix using the browser so very pleased with that. "Pow!" seems decent for comics. "Tome" for Goodreads.
But the games really are a letdown. Hardly any decent games and what ones are there run very poorly. I realise it's not an iPad and that'd be more suited for games etc but the Tegra3 works great on the Nexus 7 and it's just not working right in the RT. Whether that's due to the Nexus 7 using all of the Tegra3 cores and the RT not using them all, or whether it's poor coding, or a problem with RT itself, I haven't got a clue. But it's not as fluid as it could/should be.

Surface RT
Again in context I have laptop Dell Duo Flip screen. Nexus 7, Playbook 64gb ( I like gadgets). I was considering a Surface RT or Surface Pro.
But I ended up with a RM Slate 100 (EXOPC) 2gb Memory, 32gb mini pe ssd card (also spare slot for second ssd card or gps unit, 2 usb ports full size, HDMI out, SD Card slot (I added 32gb 45mb sec) 11.6 inch screen I upgraded to Windows 8 Pro. in all it cost me £180 pounds.
it was a gamble but the result is a very capable Surface Pro look alike. Any wireless keyboard will work when needed. Linked to my Nexus with a mouse and keyboard simulator it works great through plasma TV via HDMI. Skydrive adds another 48gb storage, dropbox for moving files around.
Added bonus Android for X86 works as well from SD Card .
Boot time 20 sec with Office 2010 loaded. Program start times ready to go Word 3 sec, Excel 1.8 sec, Outlook 4.5 sec, Paintshop Pro X5 31 sec.
Any one else put together a surface pro look alike.
How does a Surface compare.

I have the Asus VIVO Tab RT which uses same OS. I love it as an ultra portable tablet/laptop but one thing I really hate is the browser. I just hate IE10 on Windows 8/Windows RT and wish Chrome or Firefox would release a browser for RT.

I just received my Surface RT 64GB with a black touch cover. First impressions are fantastic! I love the look and feel of the device. Just from setting it up, i'm amazed at just how responsive the touch cover is! I think I'll get used to it very quickly. Doing the updates now so haven't played much, but very happy thus far! Still would like a blue touch cover though!

[Q] Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 upgrade RAM

Has anyone tried upgrading the ram? I haven't seen a need for more ram yet on my friend's, I'm just curious. How about anything else? I know you can't replace the LCD without a lot of risk. I was reading the cracked open article for the note 10.1 and it looks like there's some room for meddling. I can't see the video right now though. Just curious if anyone's tampered with any of the hardware. I don't have much experience with tablet hardware yet, but Walmart's selling the note 10.1 refurbished cheaply right now, so I thought maybe it's an ok opportunity to experiment a bit. Rather not waste $300 completely though. Would really rather be able to use it for school if I don't break it lol.

NiaCas said:
Has anyone tried upgrading the ram? I haven't seen a need for more ram yet on my friend's, I'm just curious. How about anything else? I know you can't replace the LCD without a lot of risk. I was reading the cracked open article for the note 10.1 and it looks like there's some room for meddling. I can't see the video right now though. Just curious if anyone's tampered with any of the hardware. I don't have much experience with tablet hardware yet, but Walmart's selling the note 10.1 refurbished cheaply right now, so I thought maybe it's an ok opportunity to experiment a bit. Rather not waste $300 completely though. Would really rather be able to use it for school if I don't break it lol.
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RAM, doubt it. The kernel would not be able to address it, so you'd need a modified one for it. You'd also need to know BGA soldering in order to replace it. The LCD is not too difficult to replace, ifixit has a decent tutorial on it.
Generally, you will NOT be able to upgrade an ARM based computer, since everything revolves around a System on a Chip (SoC) which has only particular pipelines and connections for components. Upgrades are extremely risky and require expensive tools. ARM tablet =/= x86 laptop.
Your best hope is with an ODROID tablet, which has user replaceable CPU and a few other things. But it will cost, heavily.