[Q] Which tablet is best for my needs? - General Topics

Right now I'm debating with the Nexus 10 tablet or the ASUS TF700T. The main uses of the tablet I would want include
Gaming
Notetaking
Multimedia
Reading Books
Sociable Integration (Skype, MightyText, Viber, etc.)
Drawing
Overall Customization
If another tablet comes to mind that would offer these items, feel free to post it below.

Nexus 10 is faster and smoother, but no dock and no external storage options; not even microsd (if you plan to watch blurays without streaming, mtp is agonisingly slow.) For gaming, I'd say Nexus.
TF700 has the added benefit of the dock with battery, usb port(which supports real drives and not just sticks) and the keyboard/stand. And higher screen brightness. But has I/O issues. Though if you plan to unlock&flash, nothing beats a tf700 on cromix. But this does void your warranty from asus.
If you have time, Id wait for a bit, asus announced a new transformer with tegra 4 and 2gb ram; wait to see if that had the same issues or not.
Send From My Samsung Galaxy S3 Using Tapatalk 2

There is a stickied thread in this forum for just this type of discussion :angel:
Thread Closed

Related

Anyone now start considering about Huawei Mediapad FHD?

When initially Mediapad FHD was announced, most of us said well it's Huawei. Bad reputation company... But with so many QC issue ASUS is having, I am start thinking ASUS is as good/bad as Huawei (well I actually never tried Huawei so maybe I should not say this..).
As far as the specification on paper, this unit could be equal or perhaps even superior to the Infinity.
Type
Type
Tablet
Platform
Operating System
Android 4.0
Transfer Rate
LTE Cat4 (DL 150Mbps / UL 50Mbps), DC-HSPA+ (DL 84Mbps / UL 42Mbps)
CPU
Cortex-A9 Quad 1.2GHz
Appearance
Dimension (H X W X D)
257.4 × 175.9 × 8.8mm
Weight
~580g
Display
Size
10.1-inch
Resolution
1920*1200 IPS
Camera
Camera resolution
Front: 1.3Mp (720p Video Calling); Rear: 8Mp AF (1080p Camcording), Dual LED Flash
Capacity
Memory
8 / 16 / 32 / 64GB options
RAM
1GB
Connectivity
Wi-Fi
802.11b / 802.11g / 802.11n
Bluetooth
Bluetooth 3.0
Entertainment
Video player
[email protected](MPEG-4 / H.264 / VC-1 / WMV-9), with formats of MP4 / 3GP / 3G2 / RM / RMVB / ASF / FLAC / APE / MOV etc.
Music player
MP3 / WMA / FLAC / APE / WAV / RA / Ogg / MIDI / 3GP etc.
Headphone
3.5mm stereo audio jack, 2*Stereo speaker, Build-in MIC
Location
Location
GPS/A-GPS
Sensors
Accelerometer sensor
Supported
Ambient light sensor
Supported
e-Compass
Supported
Vibrator
Supported
Battery*
Type
Li-Poly
Capacity
6600mAh
There will be attachable keyboard with extended battery option.
The key specification here is CPU/GPU. Despite slower CPU clock speed it has better GPU (at least core # wise). This is like Exynos chip that Samsung has. Simply looking at New Ipad its CPU is mere 1GHz Dual Core, but GPU is where its power is. If you look at Benchmarks Android tablet beats CPU power but GPU power is far inferior. Exynos chip on SIII and Galaxy Note 10.1 comes the closest but yet far away. But considering how stable Galaxy Note 10.1 is (even on ICS), the stability must be coming from the memory (2GB) or GPU or maybe Nand (perhaps combination of all). So if mediapad does it right, it may function better overall than the Infinity, which definitely has some bottle neck somewhere.
I am not saying the MediaPad FHD would for sure be superior, but as Infinity having so many issues, giving a try on MediaPad FHD might not be a bad idea.
*Too bad MediaPad FHD gave up on 2GB memory as originally planned.
No because:
1. Huawei doesn't get dev support, ASUS gets some.
2. 1.2 ghz vs 1.7 ghz
3. 1 GB of RAM is the same
3. Not IPS+
Yes because:
1. Questionably better quality control
Keion said:
No because:
1. Huawei doesn't get dev support, ASUS gets some.
2. 1.2 ghz vs 1.7 ghz
3. 1 GB of RAM is the same
3. Not IPS+
Yes because:
1. Questionably better quality control
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
#1 is probably big on tech savy people which I guess majority of people on XDA.
#2, again I don't know much importance. Exynos on Galaxy Note 10.1 is 1.4 GHz but essentially equivalent Atuntu score and actually overall more smooth/stable than the Infinity (when infinity is performing at its peak with tweaks, I think it can match but not consistent and definitely not for everyone)
#3, I don't know why Huawei dropped this... It originally had 2GB RAM
#4. Hmm... Even with IPS+ under the direct sunlight I still had difficulty seeing and inside, I don't need IPS+, so for me IPS+ was never needed option.
Now for QC, never knows but with current QC track record of ASUS I am seeing, I cannot imagine any company could be much worse than that.
I think key Yes. here (Potential) is "16 core GPU."
But again who knows... I'm just throwing this here because I really want to have FHD tablet.... but cannot go back to Infinity until the ANR after ANR issue gets solved..
P.S. I never found Keion that interesting... but I know it is extremely highly rated anime.
HoushaSen said:
#1 is probably big on tech savy people which I guess majority of people on XDA.
#2, again I don't know much importance. Exynos on Galaxy Note 10.1 is 1.4 GHz but essentially equivalent Atuntu score and actually overall more smooth/stable than the Infinity (when infinity is performing at its peak with tweaks, I think it can match but not consistent and definitely not for everyone)
#3, I don't know why Huawei dropped this... It originally had 2GB RAM
#4. Hmm... Even with IPS+ under the direct sunlight I still had difficulty seeing and inside, I don't need IPS+, so for me IPS+ was never needed option.
Now for QC, never knows but with current QC track record of ASUS I am seeing, I cannot imagine any company could be much worse than that.
I think key Yes. here (Potential) is "16 core GPU."
But again who knows... I'm just throwing this here because I really want to have FHD tablet.... but cannot go back to Infinity until the ANR after ANR issue gets solved..
P.S. I never found Keion that interesting... but I know it is extremely highly rated anime.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
H-how dare you insult my favorite anime!
Joking aside, the main reason for instability on the infinity are the FHD screen (which the mediapad shares) and the IO issues (which the mediapad does not have).
Also wanted to add the infinity has a 12(+?) core GPU.
Keion said:
H-how dare you insult my favorite anime!
Joking aside, the main reason for instability on the infinity are the FHD screen (which the mediapad shares) and the IO issues (which the mediapad does not have).
Also wanted to add the infinity has a 12(+?) core GPU.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I hope fhd is not the issue but it could be... if so, until next generation cpu gpu combo comes, the issue will not be solved.. infinity has 12 gpu cores and note has 16. So gl benchmark of note is the best of all android tablets still behind new iPad.
I liked bakemonogatari though.
Never heard of 'em...
no
Sent from my ASUS Transformer Pad TF700T using xda app-developers app
Not buying cheap chinese knockoff. Almost no Chinese company I knows of has the ability to perform effective QC like the Taiwanese/Japanese/American companies do.
The closest one I can think of is Lenovo and their line of computers are still a long way from the old Thinkpads of yore (the corporations who stopped using thinkpads are a clear indication of that).
Funny considering that all iPhones and iPads are made by a Chinese company.
Huawei is fast becoming one of the largest telecom companies in the world.
Sent from my ASUS Transformer Pad TF700T using Tapatalk 2
clenz said:
Funny considering that all iPhones and iPads are made by a Chinese company.
Huawei is fast becoming one of the largest telecom companies in the world.
Sent from my ASUS Transformer Pad TF700T using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There's a difference between manufacturing and quality control.
Well Huawei, is still quite unknown, but the latest phones were not that bad.
I just don't understand why they wait so long to release their products. For example the new quad phone was announced for April? and still nothing. Now they have to fight against s3,hox and soon Note 2 and I phone 5,which is pretty hard.
For the pad is the same. Against note 10.1, tf700 and "new", ipad-I don't really so a chance. Well prove me wrong.
Nevertheless I will take a look at it, just to compare.
Gesendet von meinem ASUS Transformer Pad TF700T mit Tapatalk 2
Stop spamming OP.
tschulieh said:
Well Huawei, is still quite unknown, but the latest phones were not that bad.
I just don't understand why they wait so long to release their products. For example the new quad phone was announced for April? and still nothing. Now they have to fight against s3,hox and soon Note 2 and I phone 5,which is pretty hard.
For the pad is the same. Against note 10.1, tf700 and "new", ipad-I don't really so a chance. Well prove me wrong.
Nevertheless I will take a look at it, just to compare.
Gesendet von meinem ASUS Transformer Pad TF700T mit Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
True. But with its reputation, only way huawei can prove is when compared to more known brand. Otherwise, most would simply dismiss by saying but tf700 is coming soon... I really like fhd so hope either this or tf700 next update is the answer.
I'm thinking about the Mediapad FHD.
A combination of the lack of 3g support on the Infinity & Asus' stupid pricing in the UK means I will be looking at other options.
Actually, after returning my TF700 after a few days (freezing , light bleed, ands creen input Issues), I now think the way to go will be the new Microsoft Surface or some other Windows RT tablet , assuming they can get developers to create bunches of apps like Android and Apple (But I remember that app creation started off slow for both these platforms as well - Do you remember how few Ipda apps there were at the beginning) Hardwarewise it is a gamechanger. If you get a chance, watch the keynote video on it. I don't think QC will be an issue - I think it will be Applelike detail, but with a system that allows expandability via USB and sd, which is what I want, as well as that new keyboard. We are so close to release now that it would be a mistake to jump into another platform without at least seing what is released.
I really wanted to have Aius work for me but after 2 failed attempts (Prime and Infinity) I give up.
dknotty said:
I'm thinking about the Mediapad FHD.
A combination of the lack of 3g support on the Infinity & Asus' stupid pricing in the UK means I will be looking at other options.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well UK will get MediaPad before US so hope to see some review from there.
Actually, after returning my TF700 after a few days (freezing , light bleed, ands creen input Issues), I now think the way to go will be the new Microsoft Surface or some other Windows RT tablet , assuming they can get developers to create bunches of apps like Android and Apple (But I remember that app creation started off slow for both these platforms as well - Do you remember how few Ipda apps there were at the beginning) Hardwarewise it is a gamechanger. If you get a chance, watch the keynote video on it. I don't think QC will be an issue - I think it will be Applelike detail, but with a system that allows expandability via USB and sd, which is what I want, as well as that new keyboard. We are so close to release now that it would be a mistake to jump into another platform without at least seing what is released.
I really wanted to have Aius work for me but after 2 failed attempts (Prime and Infinity) I give up.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Windows 8 tablet is definitely interesting player. But based on the recent IFA Berlin, I feel like their target audience is slightly different. Here is why.
Windows 8 RT
This is more of direct competition to Android Tablet & iPad. But just as you mentioned, it will likely to take sometime before app market catches up with that of iPad or Android. Both had phone background so though they weren't initially optimized, they had enough application from get go. Whereas, Windows 8 the biggest advantage (could have been) was to use all Windows software poool, which RT does not allow and instead asking programmers to create Metro specific applications. So question is how long will it be? 6 months? 1 year? No RT tablet that is announced thus far have neither FHD screen nor inductive pen capabilities i.e. lacking main selling features of Infinity or Galaxy Note 10.
My guess is by the time the Metro market matures, there will be so many more RT tablet with cheaper prices, and of course better specs. So personally, RT is a pass.
Windows 8 Pro
Samsung Ativ Smart Pro actually have phenomenal spec with FHD, pen support, and support for all windows applications. However, its battery life is mere 5 hours DVD playtime (Infinity claims 9.5 hours and in my real life use I get only 5-6 hours, so who knows what 5 hours really become). The weight is quite heavy.
At this point, I feel like if Samsung really releases P10 Android Tablet, that would be the one but given such recent release of Galaxy Note 10.1, new tablet won't probably come for at least 6 months.
Certainly interesting time for tablet.
I bought the TF101 a long time ago, and after reading about the tf700, I've come to the conclusion that Nvidia Tegra sucks. I still can't watch movies at full frame rates on my TF101. Also the whole I/O problem really annoys me. However, software wise, Asus rules. Fantastic support for the tf101. Also, from what I read Tegra 4 may change things.
I bought a Huawei U8800 about the same time as the TF101. Hardware was pretty good, especially for the price. Software (especially OS optimization and updates) was terrible to say the least.
I'm not sure which tablet I want to buy. If Asus was using a different (read: better) processor than the Tegra 3, there would be no question. But I felt kinda burned on the Tegra 2 and the I/O situation. If the mediapad is significantly cheaper, I may go that route.
Also, I don't really use custom roms and dev stuff, so I don't factor that in. However, from my experience with the U8800, China has a huge dev community, and The XDA developers are aware of it and borrow from and work with them. So you will get some decent dev community support with Huawei, not as much as with Asus though.

[Resolved] Tablet Seeker

I am looking to buy a tablet preferrably android. I've been comparing android tabs and ipads from what i gather apple isn't the greatest in the tablet world. That's fine by me considering the prices, I'm basically looking for a general consensus. Which tablet in your opinion would you consider to be the "best android tablet"?
Big touch screen, great video quality and viewability, netflix, SD Card Reader, forward and rear facing cameras, USB 2.0 & Bluetooth are must haves.
I'm quite fond of the specs for the:
Asus Transformer Tablet 32 gig mem.
&
Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 with 16 gig mem.
Also what reliable facial recognition apps for unlocking the tablet are there?
Not resolved my apologies i believe i posted in the wrong section.
Hell i think i found a similar one at only half the price
Le Pan 2
http://www.lepantab.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=82
Double post my bad
Please use the sticky at the top of this section for phone decision questions. Thread closed.

Benefits of Samsung phone and tablet

I'm purchasing a galaxy note 2 from sprint next week. I am also in the market for a tablet its either the samsung note 10.1 or the ASUS infinity. Is there any benefits of having a samsung phone and tablet? The reasons why I want a infinity is for the slightly better display and battery performance, but like the S-Pen functions on the note 2. Any suggestions or comments would be appreciated.
zakolson5 said:
I'm purchasing a galaxy note 2 from sprint next week. I am also in the market for a tablet its either the samsung note 10.1 or the ASUS infinity. Is there any benefits of having a samsung phone and tablet? The reasons why I want a infinity is for the slightly better display and battery performance, but like the S-Pen functions on the note 2. Any suggestions or comments would be appreciated.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In my opinion I believe the note 10.1 out performs the infinity and if all you want is the display get the nexus 10. I've had my note for 2 months and love it
isnt the nexus 10 have no expandable storage?
No it's not, that can be a deal breaker for some but i figure between dropbox and other cloud services it wouldn't bother me. But back to between the note and the infinity. Screen res the infinity definitely wins but hardware it's a close race. In quadrant standard (take that for what it's worth) i score consistently in the mid 5000's. When it updates to jelly bean it will be much better. (my galaxy s3 went from 5200 to 6100 with the update) i have yet to slow this thing down.
even though it is a lower res screen it still has more pixels than the ipad 2 and HD movies still look pretty stunning.
If you see some of the post in this forum there is a word that N10 has lots of issue specificly with display as far infinity is concerned it has whole list of issues which have been talked about by its owners in this as well as forum specific to infinity but when it comes to note you will find there are some issues with quality but it restricted to display only and most of the actual users (there are many who are fake owners who only citizise note) will only praise not
I agree that there are very few issues with this tablet, and if you have a note 2 then you will love having both devices so similar, it will make syncing them a breeze.
I previously had the Transformer TF101 (the original copper); this Note blows it out of the water. Sure, the display isn't on par with the Infinity's, but I got the Note because I use it for taking notes and drawing stuff. For me, I rather have the stylus over the keyboard (though I am looking for a keyboard dock of a sort) because I take notes in physics classes. However.. I'd go for the Nexus 10 if you don't need the stylus. Although this tablet has better hardware than almost everything out there (or is it just everything?), the Nexus 10 is a great price for a great tablet with a great display, and that's all you need if you don't want the stylus. I have a Samsung Galaxy S2 for my phone, but I haven't noticed better syncing or whatever compared to when I used my Asus Tablet..
benefits:
- same apps for special Samsung markets
- synchronization works better on same brande devices
- special S pen application will works perfect on both device
- you need just Kies in PC (if you are using this kind of SW)
- compatibility of accesories

Buying a TF101

Hey guys,
I've been looking to get a tablet for a long time now and being the average broke-ass student on the internet, I'm looking for something cheap (i.e. 200$ range). Basically my options are the Iconia A500, Galaxy Tab 10.1 and the Transformer TF101. However, I heard the dev support for the Iconia isn't perfect, I don't like the build quality of Samsung stuff and so that leaves the Transformer.
Anyways so about the transformer now, I want it for watching movies, surfing the net and playing a few apps and games that currently lag on my aging HD2. How does the tablet fare in this regard? What about this tablets relevance? How long will it be able to handle apps and games before its Tegra 2 hardware shows signs of strain?
Thanks
Can I get some help with this?
As you have probably figured out, this forum is not very active lately since it is nearly a 2 year old device.
I still use mine daily, I am running TeamEOS 4 JellyBean ROM on it and it is just as fast as ever. There are very few games and apps that I run across that do not work because of the Tegra2 chip.
However - here is my advice:
If you want a 10" tablet with a netbook form factor (keyboard dock) and you can get both parts for $200 or so, then it is a fine deal.
If you are just looking for a "tablet" only, I would spring for the Nexus 7 personally. It is $200 for a 16 GB and has the Tegra 3, and is on JB 4.2.2 already. No expandable storage, but other than that it is a great tablet, and at 7" it fits in most pockets so it is quite portable.
Yeah I kinda figured that out lol. That said I don't think age can be the judge of these things, my HD2 is pretty old and is begining to show its age but seems to be handling JB just fine. Back on topic:
1) Working apps is nice, but how well do the apps work? Do they run smooth enough and not crash? Does heavy 3D games run fine and does it heat up the tablet?
2) What about video playback? I plan on watching 720p videos on it. I don't expect mkv to play too well but what about everything else? How do 720p videos look on the 10" screen?
See, basically I just want a great 10" tablet for watching movies, surfing the net and perhaps a few apps that my HD2 can't really run well (3d games mainly). I'm not expecting much at 200$ or a lot from its Tegra 2 but my requirement of 10" is why I have not considered the Nexus 7 or I'd have got that with my eyes closed.
Honestly, I am still impressed with what this thing can do. I am running the TeamEOS 4 ROM (Jelly Bean 4.2.2) and it is just as smooth as my iPhone.
I have my CPU overclocked to 1.4 GHz (up from the stock 1.0 GHz). It runs pretty smoothly and is a good balance. I have run it at 1.5 and 1.6 GHz on some older ROMs (MattmanWRX CM10/PA hybrid) with great success but on the EOS 4 it gets some random reboots and sleep of death if I run at 1.6. Also, at 1.6 it gets a bit warm. 1.4 stays pretty cool, maybe slightly warm if you game for a while.
Here is a video I just shot of the benchmark of the game Epic Citadel. The framerates tend to be between 20 and 30 FPS, 24 FPS is about as fast as the human eye can see so it is quite smooth IMO.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A7tlCgE1Hyg
I play 720p mkv files on it all the time. They run quite smoothly using MX Player. If the video is created with crazy high frame rates (50+ FPS) then it can struggle, but considering the 24 Hz limit of the eye, never had an issue with that. Even 1080p mkv @ 24 Hz play smoothly.
And a sample of a 720p mkv played on my TF101:
http://youtu.be/6b-WSArGeFg
The tf101 is great depending on the price, here in new zealand you can get a new tf300t cheaper than a new tf101, in that case there's no point in getting the tf101. As for performance compared to the terga 3 other than heavy 3d games the difference is unnoticeable and in same case beats its terga 3 rivals, as for the overall android experience u'd never suspect this device is 2 years old and came with honeycomb installed, it defiantly sports jelly bean as well as much newer devices.
My main issue with the tf101 is looks and feel compared to newer transformers, newer ones have rounded edges, slimmer and better external design (this would be the only reason id upgarde in the next 6 months). But newer transformers lack 2 usb ports (only have 1) and i believe the tf101 has louder/better sound due to dual speakers
To summarize if your struggling to spend extra money on a tf300t - tf700 (provided the tf101 isnt more expensive lol) id get the tf101 happily.
frederuco said:
Honestly, I am still impressed with what this thing can do. I am running the TeamEOS 4 ROM (Jelly Bean 4.2.2) and it is just as smooth as my iPhone.
I have my CPU overclocked to 1.4 GHz (up from the stock 1.0 GHz). It runs pretty smoothly and is a good balance. I have run it at 1.5 and 1.6 GHz on some older ROMs (MattmanWRX CM10/PA hybrid) with great success but on the EOS 4 it gets some random reboots and sleep of death if I run at 1.6. Also, at 1.6 it gets a bit warm. 1.4 stays pretty cool, maybe slightly warm if you game for a while.
Here is a video I just shot of the benchmark of the game Epic Citadel. The framerates tend to be between 20 and 30 FPS, 24 FPS is about as fast as the human eye can see so it is quite smooth IMO.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A7tlCgE1Hyg
I play 720p mkv files on it all the time. They run quite smoothly using MX Player. If the video is created with crazy high frame rates (50+ FPS) then it can struggle, but considering the 24 Hz limit of the eye, never had an issue with that. Even 1080p mkv @ 24 Hz play smoothly.
And a sample of a 720p mkv played on my TF101:
http://youtu.be/6b-WSArGeFg
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you so much for thr videos, this is exactly what I wanted to see and also solves the two doubts I had on its capabilities. I don't plan on playing 1080p as that would pointless but I trust that everything else (other video formats) play fine at 720p right? This is actually pretty good for a 2 year old tablet. I was under the impression that with the Nexus 4 and other newer tablets, these first gen Tegra 2 tablets would be struggling to run modern apps.
Also, 24fps is not as fast as the eye can see. That would be 90fps+ actually.
JoinTheRealms said:
The tf101 is great depending on the price, here in new zealand you can get a new tf300t cheaper than a new tf101, in that case there's no point in getting the tf101. As for performance compared to the terga 3 other than heavy 3d games the difference is unnoticeable and in same case beats its terga 3 rivals, as for the overall android experience u'd never suspect this device is 2 years old and came with honeycomb installed, it defiantly sports jelly bean as well as much newer devices.
My main issue with the tf101 is looks and feel compared to newer transformers, newer ones have rounded edges, slimmer and better external design (this would be the only reason id upgarde in the next 6 months). But newer transformers lack 2 usb ports (only have 1) and i believe the tf101 has louder/better sound due to dual speakers
To summarize if your struggling to spend extra money on a tf300t - tf700 (provided the tf101 isnt more expensive lol) id get the tf101 happily.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks JoinTheRealms, I'm importing these tablets from America and it certainly doesn't appear to have tf300t cheaper. In my search I tried hunting for the tf300ts first actually but they were 250$+ and slightly out of my budget and so I gave up. But that reminds me, about the USB.
---
How good is the keyboard dock? I see that it has an extended battery, USB ports and a MicroSD slot but is it absolutely necessary? I don't want to get it if possible, cause the keyboard dock is a good 30$ ~ 50$ extra (bringing it in TF300T territory). There are USB kits on ebay that seem to be going for like 10$ max but do those work well enough? I will be connecting my pen drive to the tablet a lot for watching movies.
RD274 said:
Also, 24fps is not as fast as the eye can see. That would be 90fps+ actually.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I stand corrected, but at the same time 24 FPS is "fluid" motion for most users. If you get below 20 FPS it can look a bit jerky.
Also, the games that are designed for faster processors (Tegra 3 for example) are simply not availble to install on the Tegra 2 devices. Some games (like ShadowGun) has a Tegra 2 version (ShadowGun) and a Tegra 3 (ShadowGun THD)
RD274 said:
How good is the keyboard dock? I see that it has an extended battery, USB ports and a MicroSD slot but is it absolutely necessary? I don't want to get it if possible, cause the keyboard dock is a good 30$ ~ 50$ extra (bringing it in TF300T territory). There are USB kits on ebay that seem to be going for like 10$ max but do those work well enough? I will be connecting my pen drive to the tablet a lot for watching movies.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think the Keyboard dock is great, you get a real keyboard and 2 USB port along with an SD slot. I have a 64 GB microSD and a 64 GB SD card. And it gives the extra battery and a real keyboard.
However, many users do not feel the need to have or use the keyboard dock. I know quite a few users who have never had a dock and just use a USB adapater when they need it. Most of them seem to work pretty well.
RD274 said:
Thank you so much for thr videos, this is exactly what I wanted to see and also solves the two doubts I had on its capabilities. I don't plan on playing 1080p as that would pointless but I trust that everything else (other video formats) play fine at 720p right? This is actually pretty good for a 2 year old tablet. I was under the impression that with the Nexus 4 and other newer tablets, these first gen Tegra 2 tablets would be struggling to run modern apps.
Also, 24fps is not as fast as the eye can see. That would be 90fps+ actually.
Thanks JoinTheRealms, I'm importing these tablets from America and it certainly doesn't appear to have tf300t cheaper. In my search I tried hunting for the tf300ts first actually but they were 250$+ and slightly out of my budget and so I gave up. But that reminds me, about the USB.
---
How good is the keyboard dock? I see that it has an extended battery, USB ports and a MicroSD slot but is it absolutely necessary? I don't want to get it if possible, cause the keyboard dock is a good 30$ ~ 50$ extra (bringing it in TF300T territory). There are USB kits on ebay that seem to be going for like 10$ max but do those work well enough? I will be connecting my pen drive to the tablet a lot for watching movies.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well my post kind of was all about the tf101 plus dock, its kind of the same story with the whole transformer line, they are all about the keyboard dock. Personally i cant stand tablets on their own, 95% of the time my tf101 is used as a net-book kind of thing. The keyboard dock effectively doubles the battery life to something like 16 hours, the usb/ sdcards are handy as well but the main thing for me is you can comfortably sit it in your lap and use it with one hand whereas with normal tablet you would normally hold it with one hand and control it with the other.
Although If your not interested in the keyboard dock id say there are probably many better options (probably tegra 3 options) for a standalone tablet.
JoinTheRealms said:
Although If your not interested in the keyboard dock id say there are probably many better options (probably tegra 3 options) for a standalone tablet.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Agreed, if I just wanted a tablet only, I would go for a N7. Even though it is only a 7" tablet, it has the same resolution as most 10" tablets and is a lot more portable.
frederuco said:
I stand corrected, but at the same time 24 FPS is "fluid" motion for most users. If you get below 20 FPS it can look a bit jerky.
Also, the games that are designed for faster processors (Tegra 3 for example) are simply not availble to install on the Tegra 2 devices. Some games (like ShadowGun) has a Tegra 2 version (ShadowGun) and a Tegra 3 (ShadowGun THD)
I think the Keyboard dock is great, you get a real keyboard and 2 USB port along with an SD slot. I have a 64 GB microSD and a 64 GB SD card. And it gives the extra battery and a real keyboard.
However, many users do not feel the need to have or use the keyboard dock. I know quite a few users who have never had a dock and just use a USB adapater when they need it. Most of them seem to work pretty well.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hmm its sad that I'd be locked out from the newer tegra games but I guess thats okay. Well thats good news. Anyways two last and simple queries:
1: Can I flip the display vertically and use the device upside down cause the usb kit does look like it would get in the way if it were placed at the bottom like that?
2: If I plugged in a pen drive to the tablet via the USB, I can easily copy-paste files from the pen drive to the internal storage right?
JoinTheRealms said:
Well my post kind of was all about the tf101 plus dock, its kind of the same story with the whole transformer line, they are all about the keyboard dock. Personally i cant stand tablets on their own, 95% of the time my tf101 is used as a net-book kind of thing. The keyboard dock effectively doubles the battery life to something like 16 hours, the usb/ sdcards are handy as well but the main thing for me is you can comfortably sit it in your lap and use it with one hand whereas with normal tablet you would normally hold it with one hand and control it with the other.
Although If your not interested in the keyboard dock id say there are probably many better options (probably tegra 3 options) for a standalone tablet.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
frederuco said:
Agreed, if I just wanted a tablet only, I would go for a N7. Even though it is only a 7" tablet, it has the same resolution as most 10" tablets and is a lot more portable.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I understand what you'll guys are trying to suggest but I don't really want the keyboard dock. The whole point of this tablet is multimedia usage and I'd hate to spend extra on a keyboard which I don't know if I'd be using a lot. Sure its nice thats it got a usb and sd card slot but I'd rather grab a stand and use the tablet as a tablet rather than a netbook or else I'd save more and get a cheap Fusion netbook.
Actually I don't think there are better options. The TF101 seems to have the best screen, build quality and dev support from the first gen tablets and for 200$, I think its pretty good. However I am keeping the Iconia A200 as an option too as it seems to be going for a very tempting 150$s. N7 is out simply cause I don't want just 7" or I'd take it no questions asked lol.
RD274 said:
Hmm its sad that I'd be locked out from the newer tegra games but I guess thats okay. Well thats good news. Anyways two last and simple queries:
1: Can I flip the display vertically and use the device upside down cause the usb kit does look like it would get in the way if it were placed at the bottom like that?
2: If I plugged in a pen drive to the tablet via the USB, I can easily copy-paste files from the pen drive to the internal storage right?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1 - Most apps, yes. There are some apps that may force the normal charger port on the bottom, but very few.
2 - Yes, the in built file manager has drag and drop from the external (microSD and USB drives) to the internal.

The Asus ZenPad 3S 10 (Z500M) thread

Decided to start this thread on advice from another forum poster in an attempt to drum up some interest with the hope of building a community of support since there aren't a lot of resources online about it. It's a good, fairly recently released android tablet with decent specs. I bought it last week and so far I am not disappointed though there are definitely a few niggles about it, as is the case with just about any device.
(pros) Things I love about this tablet:
-hexacore processor... it feels nice and snappy.
-big bright 9.7" ips screen
-build quality feels solid and seems very much on a par with Apple's iPads
-reasonably priced, especially when compared to the comparable Samsung tablets
-4GB RAM & 64GB internal storage (YEAH!)
-MicroSD storage (no singing the Nexus tablet blues anymore with devices that don't have MicroSD support)
(cons) Things I hate about this tablet:
-no root ability so no flashing of custom roms (so far)
-only android 6.0
-PowerVR GPU failed to blow me away for gaming but is still no slouch... just no Nvidia K1 killer
-hardware compacitive buttons instead of softkeys (which may be a plus or a minus but I feel it's a minus because of difficulties seeing the buttons when not lit in the dark)
-battery is not the best but not the worst either. Buy a $20 powerbank if you go on long plane trips
-too many pre-loaded Asus apps (bloatware) though I'm beginning to discover that they can be disabled
Anyway, I'd like to build up a community of support for this device and share tips & tricks for its userbase. The most important thing I'd like to see is a way for it to be rooted so that we can have some real fun with it. Plus, it should bust open the interest in this tablet tenfold if it occurs. It deserves its place among other classic more budget-conscious android tablets like the Nexus 7 2013, I feel..
The chipset is so new on this tablet that I can't get a fastboot command that shows the state of the bootloader to work.
Although Asus usually has locked bootloaders, Mediatek chipset are usually not locked in my experience. My Lenovo tab 2 10A has a Mediatek chipset that was not locked.
I am sure the chipset on this tablet is locked, but not positive. With a locked bootloader we can't do much with this tablet.
In the past I have owned the Asus TF 700 and the Asus TF 701 if memory serves Asus provided a bootloader unlock key (app) to unlock the bootloaders on these tablets on the Asus support pages.
On Asus products I currently have:
ASUS ZENPAD S 8.0 Z580CA
ASUS ZenPad 3S 10 (Z500M)
I have asked Asus support for a key for the S 8.0 and never received a reply. The S 8.0 has a Intel processor and the 3S 10 has a Mediatek processor. I really like Asus products but latley they are very restrictive on options.
JackOfOwls said:
Decided to start this thread on advice from another forum poster in an attempt to drum up some interest with the hope of building a community of support since there aren't a lot of resources online about it. It's a good, fairly recently released android tablet with decent specs. I bought it last week and so far I am not disappointed though there are definitely a few niggles about it, as is the case with just about any device.
(pros) Things I love about this tablet:
-hexacore processor... it feels nice and snappy.
-big bright 9.7" ips screen
-build quality feels solid and seems very much on a par with Apple's iPads
-reasonably priced, especially when compared to the comparable Samsung tablets
-4GB RAM & 64GB internal storage (YEAH!)
-MicroSD storage (no singing the Nexus tablet blues anymore with devices that don't have MicroSD support)
(cons) Things I hate about this tablet:
-no root ability so no flashing of custom roms (so far)
-only android 6.0
-PowerVR GPU failed to blow me away for gaming but is still no slouch... just no Nvidia K1 killer
-hardware compacitive buttons instead of softkeys (which may be a plus or a minus but I feel it's a minus because of difficulties seeing the buttons when not lit in the dark)
-battery is not the best but not the worst either. Buy a $20 powerbank if you go on long plane trips
-too many pre-loaded Asus apps (bloatware) though I'm beginning to discover that they can be disabled
Anyway, I'd like to build up a community of support for this device and share tips & tricks for its userbase. The most important thing I'd like to see is a way for it to be rooted so that we can have some real fun with it. Plus, it should bust open the interest in this tablet tenfold if it occurs. It deserves its place among other classic more budget-conscious android tablets like the Nexus 7 2013, I feel..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Seems like there are a lot of here that migrated from the N7-2013 to the Zenpad. I had been trying to hold off for the long rumored Samsung S3 but gave up and got the Asus as a Christmas gift. Like most of you all too, it would be really nice to see an update either by Asus or custom ROM. But I think the mediatek processor is the biggest limiting factor at this point.
I do not think Mediatek is such a negative thing. If you take a close look most of the large manufacturers of Android devices are using or have used Mediatek chipsets in some of those products. The ageing chipsets are almost non-existent in today's devices. The king of the hill on mobile chipsets is Qualcomm Snapdragon. The more Mediatek is used the more consumers will look for third party development. Imo
I'd like to christen this topic with its first question to owners of this device (or any android 6.0+ device for that matter) that are into portable gaming with their phones and tablets.
I just bought a SanDisk Ultra 128 GB MicroSD card which will be delivered tomorrow according to USPS tracking. Since I have a rather large GooglePlay base of purchased android games and apps, would it be best to use MicroSD card external storage or adoptive storage for them? Thanks.
loner. said:
I do not think Mediatek is such a negative thing. If you take a close look most of the large manufacturers of Android devices are using or have used Mediatek chipsets in some of those products. The ageing chipsets are almost non-existent in today's devices. The king of the hill on mobile chipsets is Qualcomm Snapdragon. The more Mediatek is used the more consumers will look for third party development. Imo
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm with you on terms of performance with the MediaTek and I do think it's likely to start seeing more widespread use. The weakness I was referring to is that at the moment it's not getting much love from the Custom ROM Developers
radon222 said:
I'm with you on terms of performance with the MediaTek and I do think it's likely to start seeing more widespread use. The weakness I was referring to is that at the moment it's not getting much love from the Custom ROM Developers
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
True XDA seems to have little love for Mediatek.
Fasle on getting widespread use. The use of Mediatek is worldwide in phones and tablets and coming on strong.
Problem: I just inserted the SanDisk Ultra 128GB MicroSD card into my Zenpad 3S 10 and though the card is recognized and I'm able to format it as external storage, I'm not getting the option to format it as adoptable storage. What could be the issue? Is this something that one of the Asus bloatware apps is causing? The android version is 6.0 so I know it's adoptable storage capable.
JackOfOwls said:
Problem: I just inserted the SanDisk Ultra 128GB MicroSD card into my Zenpad 3S 10 and though the card is recognized and I'm able to format it as external storage, I'm not getting the option to format it as adoptable storage. What could be the issue? Is this something that one of the Asus bloatware apps is causing? The android version is 6.0 so I know it's adoptable storage capable.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I prefer have the external sd card listed as external storage, but to see more options you may want to go to the website and download the manual for this device if you haven't already.
loner. said:
I prefer have the external sd card listed as external storage, but to see more options you may want to go to the website and download the manual for this device if you haven't already.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was able to enable adoptable storage under the ZenUI launcher by using this tutorial, but the transfer rates are ridiculously slow with the SanDisk Ultra 128GB. When I formatted it as adoptable storage, I got a warning that my MicroSD card was too slow for adoptable storage and that I would probably have issues. But the Sandisk is rated at 80 MB/s so I'm wondering what's up. When I tried to migrate the data to the MicroSD it said it would take an hour to migrate 37GB of data from my internal storage but it self-aborted after about 20 minutes or 10GBs. WTF? Running SD benchmarks right now to determine exact transfer rates and even that is taking forever in reading operations for the benchmark. According to the other ZenPad topic, this Asus device may have issues with large 128GB cards. I'm starting to become disgruntled because I bought this tablet with the hope of transferring all my apps and games to the Sandisk 128GB card and having it actually be feasible to run stuff off of it.
ETA: Just did a cold reboot and now my SanDisk 128GB MicroSDXC is showing 42 MB/s read speed using the A1 SD Bench app instead of benchmarking at 4.5 MB/sec before the cold reboot. Maybe this will work out after all. Retrying the data migration to adoptable storage now.
Well, my adventures in adoptable storage have not been a total success. I posted about my specific issue with it here. Hopefully other owners of the ASUS ZenPad 3S 10 have found a way to at least make microsd cards formatted as external storage able to run obb files off of it. I'm only realizing now how badly needed that root ability is. Thanks for any help.
I contacted Asus about upcomming updates and got the following responses (roughly translated from german):
Yes, an upgrade to Android 7 is planned for your device (I asked about the LTE version). Unfortunately, it has been delayed, but we expect it to be released at the end of the second quarter
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I then asked them about the non-LTE version, specifically because of this post which claims that the Z500 will never receive an update because the hardware is not supported by nougat.
We can't confirm this and cannot make any further comment on this false report. Unfortunately, we have no information on the release of Android 7 for your device.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Note how they could immediately tell me when the update is comming for the LTE version but have no information about the non-LTE version. Perhaps it is not supported by Android 7 after all and they are still figuring out a way around this? I'm not an expert on this topic, someone more skilled than me might want to take a look on the post I linked above, I can provide translation if needed.
Still not sure whether to buy this or the S2. Similair prices, I like the ZenPad more for the hardware, but the S2 is well served with Custom Firmware and is thus sure to be up to date for many years...
About the IMG GX6250 no being able to run Nougat, that's a lie. See here about the new Asus Tablet running Nougat, it uses exactly the same GPU as the Zenpad S3 10.
It make no sense, why would Google support a device in Android 6.0 and stop supporting the same device in Android 7.0 unless it was a old chipset and hardware configuration. If Googe was at odds with Mediatek it would be news...
hi
i have asus zanpad 3s 10 z500m for 3 days and i have a problem. After 3- 6 hours in standby tablet stop responding.i try a factory reset and after the night in standby mode the tablet don't start. i try power buton ,nothing.i plug in charger and after few seconds the tablet start.the battery have 45% so not the issue.
thank you!
lyon king said:
hi
i have asus zanpad 3s 10 z500m for 3 days and i have a problem. After 3- 6 hours in standby tablet stop responding.i try a factory reset and after the night in standby mode the tablet don't start. i try power buton ,nothing.i plug in charger and after few seconds the tablet start.the battery have 45% so not the issue.
thank you!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I would send it back for a exchange on a new replacement.
Thinking about getting one of these for my daughter to replace her aging first-generation 10" Samsung tablet. It seems more cost-effective than getting a Samsung Tab S2 (or the new and ludicrously priced Tab S3) for pretty much the same - or better - spec.
I know rooting is pretty much never going to happen (so I'd never consider one of these for myself) but how bad is the Asus bloatware/crap that they've bolted on top of Android? Would a new launcher (such as Nova) fix most of it without needing to root?
Andre
andrewilley said:
Thinking about getting one of these for my daughter to replace her aging first-generation 10" Samsung tablet. It seems more cost-effective than getting a Samsung Tab S2 (or the new and ludicrously priced Tab S3) for pretty much the same - or better - spec.
I know rooting is pretty much never going to happen (so I'd never consider one of these for myself) but how bad is the Asus bloatware/crap that they've bolted on top of Android? Would a new launcher (such as Nova) fix most of it without needing to root?
Andre
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The Asus bloatware and launcher really aren't bad at all and actually grown to like it. I'm coming from an N7 2013 and a series of Moto Droid that were as close to stock android as possible.
Sent from my P027 using Tapatalk
radon222 said:
The Asus bloatware and launcher really aren't bad at all and actually grown to like it. I'm coming from an N7 2013 and a series of Moto Droid that were as close to stock android as possible.
Sent from my P027 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I use Nova Launcher Pro.
Sent from my P027 using Tapatalk
Bought mine specifically for a decent resolution 4:3 device. Fought a bit with the bloatware to get it disabled to my liking - in particular some of it absolutely trashes the performance (I forget which though, this was months ago).
Coping without root. Only tend to use that for AdAway, so am using JumpGo as a browser - and almost none of the other apps I use are ad supported so it's not too terrible.
Would love to see a proper AOSP build for it. The hardware is brilliant but as it stands it's simply a stop-gap for me until something better with similar properties comes along with decent software.

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