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[Q] Two questions from a prospective TF300/700 buyer!

Hi guys! I've just sold my first generation Kindle Fire and I'm heavily considering purchasing an Asus tablet (although I am having a little bit of trouble deciding between the 300 and the 700, SO DIFFICULT), so I'm new here. Here are my two questions:
Question one: If I connect a tf300 to my 1920x1080 monitor, will it output a full 1080p resolution? If not, will the tf700?
Question two: I know that connecting PS3 or Xbox 360 controllers is quite common amongst Transformer owners and I know that I'm able to map controllers for TegraZone or Google Play games, but if I perhaps download a PS1 emulator such as FPse (I really want to replay Final Fantasy 8 ), will I still be able to map its controls to a PS3 controller so I can make it as if I were actually playing a PS1? I played with FPse on my Kindle Fire, but it was annoying having to use the touch screen as a controller.
Thank you all for your time and help

I was in the same problem, and I decided to buy TF300T, reasons:
1. Right now almost all android apps are not fully 1920x1080 capable, even some apps don't allow native 1280x800 resolution...Sure TF700 IPS+ panel is amazing...but It's too much expensive for me.
2. CPU differences are not so big between both tablets, about 0.3Ghz.
Your questions will be answered :
TV output on TF300T is 720p, enough for me. I don't know about TF700. But you can play mkv in 1080p on TF300T also.
Xbox360 and Sixaxis fully compatible (playing Onlive, Dead Trigger and others...).
I use emulators like FPse, ePSXe, N64oid, Mame4Droid Reloaded...all of them fully playable. If you have ICS, you can OC TF300T at 1.5Ghz, and you can play PS1 games with OpenGL (enhanced 3D graphics) at full speed.
For me the answer is TF300T, if you buy it you will not regret at all.

Thank you for the help! Do you use a 360 or sixaxis controller to play your emulators though? It's not buggy is it?

Had the Kindle Fire rooted and rom-ed
Ran great. Got the chance to get the TF300T and couldn't pass it up.
LOVE the Bluetooth and micro sd.
Not a hard decision
Sent from my ASUS Transformer Pad TF300T using xda premium

Another one coming from Kindle Fire here.
TF300 is great, but there are some downsides I felt. Weight,size and I/O jitter, although it got much better on Jelly Bean.
But KF was more practical and I could take it out on a bus or on the street easier.
I guess Nexus 7 could be a better upgrade. If I'm not mistaken, with root you can use a OTG cable to plug usb devices, and from my experience, HDMI out is not something you really use. Never used on TF300 and spent precious bucks on a MHL adapter for Galaxy Nexus and never uses it.
But if you are looking for bigger screen and dock, go for it. I love my TF300, just miss my KF because of the size.
It's like an awesome netbook which you can take the screen off.

Thanks for all your opinion guys I think I'm settling on the TF300...
I dedicated today to TF300/700 research and in the end, I couldn't justify paying around $150 more for a TF700!
Sorry for being repetitive, but does really no one know if I can map PS1 or N64 controls on my Xbox 360 controller?

Sorry for being repetitive, but does really no one know if I can map PS1 or N64 controls on my Xbox 360 controller?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's possible You can map the buttons to the controls inside the emulator apps.

Where is the development?

Seems that custom ROMs are nonexistent, and things have come to crawl around here. I thought for sure we would have been further along by now. Anyone?

What sort of custom development would you like to see for this device? Anything in particular?
Not sure how it would work out, but I think it would be interesting to see a port of Ubuntu Touch for SHIELD myself.

CM, Miracast games to TV, more hmdi options such as screen off while stream movies without 3rd party apps. I really don't care for PC to shield, a waste of time in my book. Hope Nvidia presses devs to add Shield controls to their games. Need a better option for games+data to SD card. Their apk fix is an [email protected]@ joke.

Ubuntu is a joke theses days, they force feed their eco system. Their vision in mid 2000s was great now just lost. That's what happens when outside sources fund your business. Slackware is what really makes me enjoy Linux. Stays true to its roots despite what others say. Mark my words CM will be lost now that its a business with funding only a matter of time. Thxs

shawnchalfant said:
CM, Miracast games to TV, more hmdi options such as screen off while stream movies without 3rd party apps. I really don't care for PC to shield, a waste of time in my book. Hope Nvidia presses devs to add Shield controls to their games. Need a better option for games+data to SD card. Their apk fix is an [email protected]@ joke.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
so many problems with this device that affect a lot of the trivial functions for the main reasons i bought it for (GAMING?!?!).
im not trying to come off as a "hater" on these Shield forums here as im actually somewhat of a nvidia fanboy but, ive been wanting this device since before it was even a idea on Nvidias dry erase board. now after owning it since launch i barely use it because of all these issues...
- horrible D-pad (which may never have a fix since its hardware)
- SD card limitations
- 0.5 second audio lag in 100% of emulators i use
- noticeable input lag in 100% of all the games ive played (not streaming)
- sleep/wake performance issues
- stripped screw holes (also a hardware thing).
all in all im just really disappointed and i think its sad that my Xperia play is still my main Android gaming device and my Shield is just collecting dust
really close to listing this thing on eBay and it breaks my heart. :crying: but i just cant see myself using this thing until all the issues are fixed. looks like ill get burned on this Tegra just like i did on the ZuneHD...

I am getting really close to selling mine for the same basic reasons.

[Q] Get a shield or wait?

I'm really interested in getting an 8" Tablet. I'd be using it for movies, reading, surfing, gaming, etc. while at work and traveling. I was looking at this Shield and the Asus Memo Pad 8. I see that the Memo pad 8 is on clearance, so I assume they are releasing an updated version soon.
Both the Memo 8 and the Shield released at the same time. So does anyone know if Nvidia is working on an updated model of the Shield around the corner at all? Would hate to get one for a new one to be released a couple of months later.

hi
i this oder the tablet i was say get the Shield i think they this came out with this 8" Shield so i dont think they be makeing a new one any time soon all so the Shield tablet is the best when it comes too android upgrades so if you are going too get a tablet get the Shield you be vary happy with it

DFA1 said:
I'm really interested in getting an 8" Tablet. I'd be using it for movies, reading, surfing, gaming, etc. while at work and traveling. I was looking at this Shield and the Asus Memo Pad 8. I see that the Memo pad 8 is on clearance, so I assume they are releasing an updated version soon.
Both the Memo 8 and the Shield released at the same time. So does anyone know if Nvidia is working on an updated model of the Shield around the corner at all? Would hate to get one for a new one to be released a couple of months later.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
wait and get the shield, trust me i had a galaxy tab S and i returned it for my shield, which was $120 less than the galaxy tab S, and its much more powerful runs everything super smooth, i also have a shield portable tho, thats what made me want to go with the shield tablet also, the asus memo pad sucks IMO

I am not sure because mine is super laggy a lot of time even though I have the latest update. My old Nexus 7 2013 runs smoother than the Shield. I hope mine is a lemon (getting a replacement due to dead pixels) . I will see if the new one is any better.

My shield smokes my 2013 Nexus 7.
I just geek benched, it rivals an older lenovo laptop i5 520m I use in garage on cars.
My Nexus, not so much.
If you didn't hard reset after updating, well you need to. If you did, then you've a roque app maybe.
WR

I say yes, because I just got myself one.
The options for me:
1. Google Nexus 9 32GB WiFi Only - $399
2, NVIDIA Shield Tablet + Controller 32GB/LTE/WiFi - $399
I picked the freakin' shield tablet over google's newest nexus. It's that awesome of a device.
I don't see a huge upgrade in specs in 2015 (Nexus N1 has good specs for the price but....the same) -- really, the K1 and Keplar are freakin' amazing.
If you do go and get one, stick around for my kernel soon to be released...

Yea I don't think that Nvidia is looking to create a new SHIELD Tablet anytime soon. They're still polishing this model and considering it's their first tablet, it seems they're going to play with it for awhile.

I believe my problem is Google Now Launcher. I just uninstalled it and things look to be a lot better. I will monitor for the next couple of days.

myrcgarage said:
I believe my problem is Google Now Launcher. I just uninstalled it and things look to be a lot better. I will monitor for the next couple of days.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I just freaking remembered if you use GEL, to turn off " Ok Google" in the options.
If you limit to only recognizing voice on search screen bug goes away.
I'm sorry I forgot an just dawned that might be it.
WR

WarRaven said:
My shield smokes my 2013 Nexus 7.
I just geek benched, it rivals an older lenovo laptop i5 520m I use in garage on cars.
My Nexus, not so much.
If you didn't hard reset after updating, well you need to. If you did, then you've a roque app maybe.
WR
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
A benchmark app says nothing about how fast the device is for normal everyday use. Sure, it runs every game I have tried extremely well, but it still have irritating slowdowns now and then in UI and apps like browsing, which makes it feel slower then my other much less powerful tablets for normal use.

I didn't mean should I get the memo 8 over the shield, I meant should I wait to see if a new 2015 shield is around the corner and wait for that newer model.
Finally found a store in Atlanta that had both the memo 8 and the shield on display. (after I asked the employee if they had them and he said no for both... Dumb ass).
Both felt great, I actually preferred the memo 8's feel over the shield. But know the shield had more power. So basically I will be getting the shield and my gf can get the memo 8 (their on clearance so I assume a newer memo 8 is around the corner).
Do any of you use the shield's flap case thing? Is it worth it?

DFA1 said:
I didn't mean should I get the memo 8 over the shield, I meant should I wait to see if a new 2015 shield is around the corner and wait for that newer model.
Finally found a store in Atlanta that had both the memo 8 and the shield on display. (after I asked the employee if they had them and he said no for both... Dumb ass).
Both felt great, I actually preferred the memo 8's feel over the shield. But know the shield had more power. So basically I will be getting the shield and my gf can get the memo 8 (their on clearance so I assume a newer memo 8 is around the corner).
Do any of you use the shield's flap case thing? Is it worth it?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's a better-than-decent piece and does what it's supposed to do with any issues. Saying it's worth the $40 price tag is a bit of the stretch, though. Many people like having the flap because it makes it much easier to wake the device, since the wake/power key could have been designed much better.
While I was using it, I ended up unconsciously babying it, so I bought another case for like $12 off Amazon and now I don't care what happens to that case, lol

Thanks for all the responses. I'm about to pull the trigger, but have one last question. 16gb $300 model or 32gb $400 model? I'm with Verizon so the AT&T LTE wont benefit me, are there any other features other than LTE and 32gb storage on $400 model?
I'm going to get a 64gb sdcard anyway so would I be able to store all my apps and games on that, and run them well? I'm guessing I'd have to get one of the high end (high speed) microsd cards to run games/apps properly.

I think the only difference from the 16 to the 32 is the bigger storage option and the LTE. Since I am on sprint and only plan on tethering with my note 4. I went with the 16gb model and bought a 64gb card as well.
Other than when they talk about the bands. The only difference I see is;
Storage 32 GB (WiFi+4G LTE) / 16 GB (WiFi-only)
http://shield.nvidia.com/gaming-tablet/
Scroll down for the specs. Hope this helps!

But is 16gb enough? Will apps/games run off the 64gb microsd?

My 2 cents coming from an iPad -
The Shield is lightning fast compared to my iPAD 2. When I compare it to my wifes Ipad Mini Retinia its about the same.
The screen is very very good on the Shield - I have no clue what others are saying its average. I have compared it to the Retina and its very very close and some instances better.
The form factor is great though the iPad Mini form factor is better for reading and browsing.. the shield is better for moving watching, gaming etc.
The speakers are amazing.
Did I say its lighting fast?
The ONLY slow down I have on 5.01 is when it first wakes up out of a deep sleep. Other than that I have 0 slow downs. I HAD slow downs when 1 I didnt do a full reset after an upgrade AND 2 Facebook and Facebook Messenger absolutely destroy the tablets performance. I dont know what facebook does with Messenger but that is a POS like I have not ever seen. It literally occupies a 1/2 of a core all the the time doing nothing. So... I have 0 slow downs except for right out of deep sleep. Prior to 501 I saw MANY slow downs.... I was not impressed. Now... I am impressed!
Browsing is amazing (recently with 501 and the new version of chrome)...
Battery life is HORRRRIBLE! Now.... I will preface that with I am comparing it to my iPad 2 and the iPad Mini which I could literally go days without seeing a charger with normal use. The shield however has a very powerful GPU in a very small form factor. So, its probably sufficient for the size, etc. I can only get even after removing bloat 5 hours of on screen time - thats it. I would get 50 % more than that on the apple products. This is my only complaint... but its one I live with and I can not fault the device due to its size and power.
SD Cards - I havent found a single person who has been 100% happy how it works. Everyone seems to have issues with either games not installing on them (inconsistent), accessing them in general (many successful after rooting), even issues with recovery images not being able to format large SD Cards. I would suggest if you can afford the extra $$ get the 32 GB if you think your going to need the storage. Reserve the SD card for movings, music and pictures (for now until they fix it).
WifI - horrible performance compared to every other device I have compared it to. If you have strong WiFi signal in your house you will be fine. If your already on the fringe (2 bars out of 4) forget it... this tablet may not even connect to the AP at any distance. Its also very sensitive to APs that are on the same channel. If your AP is on channel 11 and your neighbors channel is on channel 11 and your within 10 dB of each other, the tablet drops connections like crazy. The simple fix is to either get a booster, better antenna, better AP and change the channel... The device however is flawed and no software can fix these issues.
Developer Friendly - yes the platform is very developer friendly so if your into making custom roms, kernels, etc. This is a great tablet.
Quality - My tablet, excellent. but others have complained. So its a roll of the dice. Generally when everything works as it should its perfect. Unfortunately there have been lemons.
Nvidia Support - AMAZING! even with the lemons Nvidia is fast to respond. I have had many conversations with techs in their forums and they are almost as fast as Google when it comes to updates. I love that!
Software Quality - ****E!!! In my career I have never seen so many bugs (I run a division of software engineers - in software engineering for 20 years). I am shocked with how poor the quality assurance is. There are core user functions that broke in 501 - In my world these would have been show stoppers! But Nvidia let it go out the door. I am shocked honestly. 501 has to be the worst Quality OS revision I have seen from any product. They introduced regressions like screen corruption (its apparent in many many many games, apps, etc.), battery stats are all messed up, battery life inconsistent, some games no longer work at all. Nvidia and Google need to step it up on the quality side. The tablet is usable but for some it may not be - especially if one of the apps you use on a daily basis is now broken.
Wait or not? I dont think it matters. The hardware is not going to change and I dont think Nvidia or Google's code quality is going to change. They will fix these issues in the next release and break other things.
Its a question of whether or not do you go with Android or not. If you like to fiddle with your tablet its a yes... if not go with apple.
If you want a small form factor android then you go with the shield.
I recommend the tablet for its price, performance and support. I own it and for now will be keeping it. I personally dont like Apple - I dont seem them an innovative anymore.
But, If you want rock solid performance, quality and battery life - go with Apple.

Don't wait unless you are anal and are going to obsess over ever minor issue. If you are looking for gaming nothing out there can compare. The grid being free is amazing especially if you are like me and have not played any of the games on it. There is occasional stutter using 2.4ghz but I have loved multiple hours and game play is awesome. Battery is not great but I get between 4-5 hours and it typically take around 2 1/2 hours to charge to full.
I read all the negatives prior but quickly came to realize that most complaints appear to come from the same people. Be aware of the potential issues and decide if the risk is worth the reward.
Sd card if rooted works great, I have a 64gb samsung class 10 using folder mount almost all game data on external and everything runs fine. I could not recommend an ipad over this Tablet unless you are tech illiterate and want to over spend on limited storage so that you can pay tons for apps and check Facebook

I own an Apple iPad Air2 64gb and a nVidia Shield Tablet 32gb. I used to own the Nexus9 32gb tablet but returned it for the nVidia Shield Tablet. I wanted both an Apple and an Android tablet for gaming. I also have the nVidia controller and the Steelseries XL ipad controller. I prefer gaming on the Nvidia Shield tablet and spend more time gaming on this tablet. I went with the 32gb model Shield due to more internal memory. There are some games that I cant move to the SD card. That is why I went with the 32gb model with a 64gb microsd.
Do not wait, and pick up the nVidia 32gb tablet. I have 22gb left on the internal memory on my nVidia 32gb after moving everything I could to the sdcard. So if I had the 16gb model I figured it would only be about 6gb left of internal memory.

kuztov67 said:
I own an Apple iPad Air2 64gb and a nVidia Shield Tablet 32gb. I used to own the Nexus9 32gb tablet but returned it for the nVidia Shield Tablet. I wanted both an Apple and an Android tablet for gaming. I also have the nVidia controller and the Steelseries XL ipad controller. I prefer gaming on the Nvidia Shield tablet and spend more time gaming on this tablet. I went with the 32gb model Shield due to more internal memory. There are some games that I cant move to the SD card. That is why I went with the 32gb model with a 64gb microsd.
Do not wait, and pick up the nVidia 32gb tablet. I have 22gb left on the internal memory on my nVidia 32gb after moving everything I could to the sdcard. So if I had the 16gb model I figured it would only be about 6gb left of internal memory.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If rooted use folder mount and you can move all

Trigger pulled, I'm now a Shield owner. Got the Nvidia cover, Fintie Cover, and 64gb Samsung Microsd. Been using my girlfriend's Memo 8 for the past week and think I'm now a tablet user (at least at work). Not sure if I'll use it for a lot of controller gaming (unsure if I will find a controller I like). I'm more of an Xbox controller lover than a PS4... but if it works I might give it a try. Haven't even turned it on yet.
Will attempt to root it here shortly while at work. Fingers crossed....

[Q] Nivida Shield Tablet without the "gaming" ?

I'm in the market for a 8inch+ tablet.
I'm generally using it for web browser, mostly android games (Heartstones) and youtube.
I also do have a decent PC with Nvidia video card that can stream on the Nvidia shield table if I ever want to do it.
I heard the Nvidia shield tablet is great for gaming.
The main reason I had my eyes on the Nvidia shield tablet is because of the dual front speaker and great cpu power (future proof).
Would it be a total waste $ if I'm not using it for the main purpose of gaming?
I will definitely not get the Nvidia controller. Unless it was on a sale later in the coming years.
Should I just get a galaxy tab/similar tablets?
Any other tablet recommendation ?

It would be a sound purchase even if you will not be using it primarily for gaming. I'm one of those purchasers, and I am very happy with my purchase. I upgraded from a Tegra Note 7 and Nexus 7 LTE. I purchased the Shield Tablet LTE and transferred the SIM I was using on the Nexus. I'm very satisfied.

I'm running an AOSP build with none of the proprietary Nvidia apps or services and I use it more than the Nexus 9.

I think it is a solid tablet for pretty much any purpose. There are some goodies which few other tablets offer. Sound is nice - louder and more full than other tablets I experienced. The stylus is an extra that I unexpectedly actually use some times for sketching and even general control. I read a lot of comics with it, watch some movies or youtube, and of course browse the web. Web browsing is kinda sluggish some time for me. I had a low budget 8 inch Win 8 tablet before - browsing was a better experience there - but still, the Shield is quite good or I think comparable to other high end tablets.

Have had mine for 2 months, haven't spent a single moment using it for gaming - & love the thing.

Thank for the inputs.
I will most likely get the Shield tablet.
I want to get something $300 ish.
The galaxy tab series are nice but I want something bit more.
The galaxy tab S series are what I'm looking for in term of performance but its over my budget.

I been reading some research on the other forums as well.
I'm now a bit worry about the cracked edge.
How common is this?

I'm an all around type of person. I sometimes play games but I also use it as a regular tablet. I also have a tablet mount in my car and use it to play Sound Cloud, Waze, Torque Pro and other various apps. It does have its own quirks such as 5.0.1 doesn't really respond to root very well so I've elected to drop back down to 4.4.4. Works wonderfully right now.

bobola said:
I been reading some research on the other forums as well.
I'm now a bit worry about the cracked edge.
How common is this?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's not uncommon but supposedly they've fixed the major issues that cause it to just spontaneously crack. Still, it's very easy to get replaced and the send you one first so you won't have to be without. It's annoying but it's mostly cosmetic atleast.
One downside is lack of accessories. There are screen protectors and cases, but there aren't many options. No tempered glass and really only one hard case right now and I doubt that will get better.
I'd recommend it over a samsung, but then again samsung is one of the last major OEMs I'd get a device from. Not a fan of their software or physical button setup (one hard button + capacitive buttons.
For the price I went for it and don't regret it. The stock os is basically AOSP with some extras thrown in and Nvidia has been pretty good about updating it.
---------- Post added at 10:53 AM ---------- Previous post was at 10:49 AM ----------
SEscobedo said:
I'm an all around type of person. I sometimes play games but I also use it as a regular tablet. I also have a tablet mount in my car and use it to play Sound Cloud, Waze, Torque Pro and other various apps. It does have its own quirks such as 5.0.1 doesn't really respond to root very well so I've elected to drop back down to 4.4.4. Works wonderfully right now.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
5.0+ and I've had zero issues with root, flash the newest supersu zip for 5.0 and you should be fine. Everything I did with it before lollipop works fine after updating. I can see some apps not working with ART if they haven't been very well supported/updated, but I haven't had any issues with that either.

And here I'd definitely recommend Samsung over NVIDIA, although Samsung badly needs to come out with a newer generation tablet featuring an S-Pen. The Tab S line makes this device look clunky unresponsive in terms of touch input.

Use mine for non gaming and work - it's been great. No cracked edges and I bought it in October last year. I love the pen functionality!

sbdags said:
Use mine for non gaming and work - it's been great. No cracked edges and I bought it in October last year. I love the pen functionality!
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Click to collapse
Hi sbdags! Great to see you here. Are you thinking of doing any development for this wonderful tab?
Without you I would have ditched my TF700 ages ago.

okantomi said:
Hi sbdags! Great to see you here. Are you thinking of doing any development for this wonderful tab?
Without you I would have ditched my TF700 ages ago.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi mate - long time no see! Yes once I finish the latest CROMi-X for the TF701T I am going to unlockl and see what can be done with the shield. I'm keen to keep the CleanROM principles so it will be stock NVIDIA based but allow us to remove what we want and offer some performance tweaks.
Watch this space.

Your deft touch is all this baby needs. It's almost great right out of the box.

okantomi said:
Your deft touch is all this baby needs. It's almost great right out of the box.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Which is why I am still locked and not rooted yet

sbdags said:
Hi mate - long time no see! Yes once I finish the latest CROMi-X for the TF701T I am going to unlockl and see what can be done with the shield. I'm keen to keep the CleanROM principles so it will be stock NVIDIA based but allow us to remove what we want and offer some performance tweaks.
Watch this space.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This tablet could definetly use a ROM with some (especially battery) tweaks thrown in!

Opinion needed - Purchasing the K1 May 2016

Hi.
I hope this post does not make people mad. I just need a current perspective. Most searches on this are older.
I am thinking about buying this tablet but I am unsure. I hope this does not draw haters. I am just trying to reason it out and be a better informed buyer.
My reasons
1. Tablet seems to be out of stock. A lot.
-Does this mean truly it is being discontinued? Is there a new version on the horizon?​-Is it just so good they can't keep them on the shelves?​2. Should I go with the Zen 8 with 4GB of ram or other comparible? I mean for few dollars more...
3. Is the Shield K1 only good because of the Game pad mapper support for touch only games?
4. Would the Ipega controller(or similar) with touch game pad mapping be just as good?
I want a good gaming tablet and a good media tablet.
Thanks.

There's no definitive answer on the Shield X1 yet. I wouldn't bother playing that waiting game if you need a tablet now. I don't know how Nvidia handles their Shield line of products as this is my first Nvidia portable, but if it's anything like they do with their GeForce video cards, then you'd be seeing an announcement about a successor a month in advance of its release.
Supply isn't keeping up with demand right now. I was on vacation when I decided to pull the trigger on the Shield K1 because my Nook HD+ felt sluggish. I bought the Shield K1 a week before they started going out of stock everywhere last month, and even though I didn't need it immediately since I wasn't on vacation anymore, my phone died this week so I've been using the new tablet while I wait for a warranty replacement phone to be delivered. Fortuitous timing.
The biggest problem I see with the ZenPad S 8.0 Z580CA is that there doesn't seem to be a way to unlock the bootloader currently, so even though you can root it, there isn't any active development for it, and it's still stuck on Lollipop. Also, everyone seems to say it has pretty bad battery life.
As for performance, the Shield K1 will smoke the ZenPad in pretty much everything graphics-related because of the Kepler GPU. The Shield is still the best Android gaming tablet, and while its raw CPU and memory performance isn't at the top due to the SoC's age, it's still more than good enough to not be an overall system bottleneck.
I've only had two issues with the K1 so far. One is that I can't get the camera to save to external SD. This is the writing-to-exFAT issue that's apparently related to Marshmallow permissions, but I've had my LG G4 on Marshmallow since February and never had any such external SD write issues, so I don't know if it's an Nvidia-specific thing. The other issue is the hypersensitive touchscreen, which can be recalibrated in the software. I also still need to install a tempered glass screen protector, which might change the touch sensitivity as well.
I can't answer your game controller questions as I haven't started playing any games on mine yet.

For me, the SHIELD tablet is currently the best one in the market. Only problem I have had is that since the Marshmallow update, the sound over HDMI is broken (doesn't work) though the image is working perfectly fine.

1. Tablet seems to be out of stock. A lot.
-Does this mean truly it is being discontinued? Is there a new version on the horizon?
Probably no , nvidia reps are saying it is just a production rate not meeting higher demand.
-Is it just so good they can't keep them on the shelves?
Yes the price reduction gave this shield an epic boost compared to other tablets at the moment.
2. Should I go with the Zen 8 with 4GB of ram or other comparible? I mean for few dollars more...
Thats a good tab but i've seen a few hick ups in performance during a review video on youtube. besides tegra k1 is far more superior that intel soc. (you also have to consider the fact that intel soc are x86/64 architecture so there are few comparability issues in apps and games)
3. Is the Shield K1 only good because of the Game pad mapper support for touch only games?
No it is good because you are getting high end performance tablet for 200$ , it plays every game you throw at it with ease, you have all the things you need as gamer in built (console mode , twitch , 1080 screen , direct wifi controller)
4. Would the Ipega controller(or similar) with touch game pad mapping be just as good?
i dont have it so i cannot answer that.
Upcoming shield k1 successor will likely not be in same price range as the k1. It is expected to be somewhere between 300 to 400$. Shield k1 was relaunched around nov 2015 , so i highly doubt that it is at its end of cycle. In one of geforce forums a nvidia representative said they are viewing shiled k1 as a relaunch tablet and its EOL support in no way near . so you are covered to get android N for this device.
Its the best bang for buck at the moment and still keeps up with soc from this year.

Thank you all. I went ahead and ordered a K1. With 2 day shipping put it out to the middle of next week. So i did 1 day. Lol. Should be Tuesday now. Stock is still low but at least they have them. I hope it comes sooner.
Sent from my LG-H810 using Tapatalk

You made a right choice. For gaming there truly isn't anything else comparable out there. Media wise I'm not so sure, just on the basis of the subpar screen.

New one
http://www.androidcentral.com/nvidia-shield-tablet-refresh-may-have-been-outed-fcc
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Just my luck. Never fails. Just like my shield TV. Now you can get it with 2 game pads.
Anyone need something new to come out sooner. Let me know. I can just buy the old one and after i click order the announcement of the new device will soon follow. oh well. I am still looking forward to the k1.
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Haha lol , im sorry but i think you can return the shield if its unopened besides i think the new tablet will probably be 100$ more. Performance might increase only 10-20% , battery size might be little less as it is said to be lil thinner.
so i think you are not losing much comparing price to performance ratio.

Nah.
I am sure it will be a keeper for a while. Thx
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Just bought one . Hard to get it, always out of stock, 192.44€