Having used the Transformer for just over a day now I have to say that I like it, very much.
First impressions:
Not so slippery in the hands as the Acer Iconia.
Screen doesn't seem quite as bright but has fuller colors and wider viewing angles.
The Acer has the edge on screen touch sensitivity, but only just.
No at-will turning on like the Acer (which might be a fault of the individual unit rather than the Iconia as a whole), although I have noticed that a second press of the on/off switch is sometimes needed to urge the Transformer back to life. I also had that with the Iconia but in that case, the unit was registering the 'on' command but just taking a few seconds to react so that a second press was called for - just to have the unit turn on and off a few times until I regained my patience. That shouldn't happen with a tablet and certainly didn't with the Zoom or iPad.
Through the 'Settings', the security locked can be manipulated at will, including always off, which is how I keep mine.
Asus have not placed anything intrusive over the Honeycomb OS which I prefer and the 'Waveshare' UI operates just like another app and not an over-the-top add on to Android.
Waveshare includes MyNet, MyLibrary and MyCloud which allows syncing your data with the Asus servers (free for the first year - how much from thereon?), connection to other PC's (a dream to set up and operate) and a place to access all your media including a few radio stations which one can listen too. There's a lot to it but I won't go into that here as it has been covered excellently elsewhere.
The problem with browsers advertising themselves as Mobile instead of Desktop has been dealt with within the browser's settings allowing a "User Agent String" choice of 'Tablet', 'Desktop' or 'Mobile' settings to be selected thus obviating the need to go the "about:debug" route after each reboot.
Asus also have the stock Android keyboard or one can opt for the Asus keyboard. It claims that a sort of 'swype' is available on their k'brd but I have yet to get it to work.
At this time, I am using the Android version but I sure do miss the Swype offering - it should be along some day . . .
The Transformer is 20 grams lighter (get with the metric program, America) than the Acer and feels better in the hands. Buttons are not intrusive nor accidently hit; I found this a problem with the Xoom.
Charging is simple and it will charge through USB connection to a PC although it has to be on to do this (strange)
Most have commented on the fullness of the speakers; I am not an audio buff but find them adequate, not super although I have not connected them to an external source as yet.
The notification bar carries an image of an SD card when installed and its files can instantly be brought up with a touch.
The Asus live wallpaper of the water with lumps of ice floating about was not very good so don't bust a gut downloading it (it did not come standard on my unit).
I haven't had time to try out a lot of the Waveshare features but they do look promising; same for the cameras and video and HDMI.
All in all, I am pleased with the Transformer and it looks like a keeper. Now where is that keyboard docking accessory?
Nanos.
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Monday, May 2, 2011
More changes in gear
So here is an update:
The B&N is working well for me and I am using it to read my Kindle books sometimes.
The Dell was a little slow for my PC requirement and it had a few annoying quirks, not least of which was that there was no Win7 backup disc or drive partition. On a netbook without a CD or DVD one had to make one's own backup discs. I thought I had such a device - but I didn't, and all other attempts to make a backup failed. I had no intention of buying a new device to backup a system for which I had already paid the license. The back up should have been supplied on a disc or a partition of the main drive.
However; I also had trouble with the automatic screen brightness which seemed to please itself every ten seconds or so, and disabling the auto function didn't make much difference. The start up time for applications was slower than I had anticipated allowing for the 1.6 Intel processor and overall, it was sluggish.
Battery time was bad at just over two hours and placing it in standby was not a long-term option.
So, it went back a few days ago.
In the meantime, the Asus Transformer came and went at midnight on 25/26 April.
I found one in stock at Amazon at 12.28am Arizona time, but by the time I got it into the cart and checkout, it had been relegated to the 'sold out' state!
I ordered it and the keyboard anyway and sat back expecting a wait of at least two weeks, maybe four.
And so, the same afternoon, I dropped into Best Buy (who had never put it up for sale that night) just in case they had one. Of course, they didn't and I was informed that they might be arriving some time in the next 2 - 3 weeks.
Long story short; I got talked into buying an Acer Iconia A500. For all the world just like the Asus, Xoom et al.
In a nutshell, the Asus has a better screen with IPS display and Gorilla glass to save all the knocks it might take. The Acer supposedly has slightly better cameras and for the money, and the Asus at $350 has 16MG memory compared to the Acer's $400 32GB.
The deal stealer is the $150 keyboard accessory (do you hear that, Motorola? 150 Dollars!)
So, here I am using the Acer, which chooses to turn itself on sometimes when it should be in standby. Several time when left in such a state, I have returned to use it only to find that the battery had but a few minutes left. For some reason, its also doing the self-determination auto screen brightness thing that Dell did! I wondered if it was something to do with the light where I normally sit but found that it happened anywhere but usually just before dusk, when I had the house lights on. At times like that, it made the unit very annoying to use and reading in bed became a chore.
If you buy one, be aware that the back of the Acer is very smooth, I almost dropped it a couple of times.
I have also noted that the Google Reader creates a shimmering top and bottom frame line on occasions but I also noted this on the Xoom and so I put this down to the app although it certainly seems to happen more frequently with the Iconia.
Now we get to the good(?) part: Two days after I bought the Acer, together with complete assurance from the sales guy that I could return it within 14 days, I received an update from Amazon stating that the Asus had shipped and should arrive by 5/4/11, but without the keyboard accessory.
So, it looks like the Acer is going back too.
Bottom line between the Acer and the Xoom; the Xoom seem to perform better - but at what extra cost???
The B&N is working well for me and I am using it to read my Kindle books sometimes.
The Dell was a little slow for my PC requirement and it had a few annoying quirks, not least of which was that there was no Win7 backup disc or drive partition. On a netbook without a CD or DVD one had to make one's own backup discs. I thought I had such a device - but I didn't, and all other attempts to make a backup failed. I had no intention of buying a new device to backup a system for which I had already paid the license. The back up should have been supplied on a disc or a partition of the main drive.
However; I also had trouble with the automatic screen brightness which seemed to please itself every ten seconds or so, and disabling the auto function didn't make much difference. The start up time for applications was slower than I had anticipated allowing for the 1.6 Intel processor and overall, it was sluggish.
Battery time was bad at just over two hours and placing it in standby was not a long-term option.
So, it went back a few days ago.
In the meantime, the Asus Transformer came and went at midnight on 25/26 April.
I found one in stock at Amazon at 12.28am Arizona time, but by the time I got it into the cart and checkout, it had been relegated to the 'sold out' state!
I ordered it and the keyboard anyway and sat back expecting a wait of at least two weeks, maybe four.
And so, the same afternoon, I dropped into Best Buy (who had never put it up for sale that night) just in case they had one. Of course, they didn't and I was informed that they might be arriving some time in the next 2 - 3 weeks.
Long story short; I got talked into buying an Acer Iconia A500. For all the world just like the Asus, Xoom et al.
In a nutshell, the Asus has a better screen with IPS display and Gorilla glass to save all the knocks it might take. The Acer supposedly has slightly better cameras and for the money, and the Asus at $350 has 16MG memory compared to the Acer's $400 32GB.
The deal stealer is the $150 keyboard accessory (do you hear that, Motorola? 150 Dollars!)
So, here I am using the Acer, which chooses to turn itself on sometimes when it should be in standby. Several time when left in such a state, I have returned to use it only to find that the battery had but a few minutes left. For some reason, its also doing the self-determination auto screen brightness thing that Dell did! I wondered if it was something to do with the light where I normally sit but found that it happened anywhere but usually just before dusk, when I had the house lights on. At times like that, it made the unit very annoying to use and reading in bed became a chore.
If you buy one, be aware that the back of the Acer is very smooth, I almost dropped it a couple of times.
I have also noted that the Google Reader creates a shimmering top and bottom frame line on occasions but I also noted this on the Xoom and so I put this down to the app although it certainly seems to happen more frequently with the Iconia.
Now we get to the good(?) part: Two days after I bought the Acer, together with complete assurance from the sales guy that I could return it within 14 days, I received an update from Amazon stating that the Asus had shipped and should arrive by 5/4/11, but without the keyboard accessory.
So, it looks like the Acer is going back too.
Bottom line between the Acer and the Xoom; the Xoom seem to perform better - but at what extra cost???
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Gear change
No, I don't mean in the car! I mean computer gear.
After 14 days I took the Motorola Xoom back for a refund but within a week I bought a B & N Nook Color from their ebay slot for $ 195
Of course, I put Honeycomb on it as soon as possible and I am loving it. It is no where near as good a the Xoom but for 200 bucks . . .
Its quite an impressive piece of gear for the price; great screen and scrolling and of course, just made for reading books!!!
Anyway, I started to experience that old NTP feeling again (new toy purchase), so I bought a Dell Inspiron Duo and, I have to say, I'm very impressed with the quality and feel of it. It's a little slow loading but otherwise put performs well. The swivel screen is impressive in its ease of use and design. The touch screen is very useable, even with Windows. The Dell UI overlay is next to useless and battery life is bad at around 3 hours.
I've been using Microsoft Speech quite a bit and have found it accurate. It's still not better than a keyboard, of course, but quite useful with practice.
All in all, it will do me until I decide on which tablet to savor next!
Nanos
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Corning Glass - in the future
I don't have many close friends who would enjoy this glimpse of the future so I'm placing it here for the (very) few who read my blog to see and wonder over.
It's basically a Corning Glass promo which I first saw at pocketnow.com.
Enjoy!.
Nanos
It's basically a Corning Glass promo which I first saw at pocketnow.com.
Enjoy!.
Nanos
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Motorola Xoom; Impressions
As a whole, I note the weight of both the iPad and Xoom are normally described as being the same but the Xoom feels slightly heavier, I think this may be because of the aspect ratio being 16:10, thus distributing the weight differently. It is certainly easy to maintain a hold on the unit due to the type of material the case is made of.
I like the aspect ratio and find it better than the iPad and certainly better than the other tablets at 16:9. A minor matter where the benefit seems to be disproportionate to the scale of the difference.
The screen is easy on the eye (I have not yet experienced eye strain as I regularly do with other tablets) and responsive to the touch but it is a fingerprint magnate so a screen protector will be the next item on the shopping list.
I find the Android browser to be fast although some sites come in mobile flavor. Per the Forums at XDA this can be altered within the browser although it resets itself. Apparently the problem is that the browser is set to take instructions from each app or web site as to which resolution is available and should be displayed (mobile or regular) but not enough coders are taking full advantage of that capability - yet.
This, like the small number of Honeycomb-ready apps, can only improve with time, and I am certain this will be improved upon in the very near future. At this time, I have only come across one app that does not scale at all (AAA Solitaire) but then, I haven't had time to try them all.
The keyboard is not SWYPE but, of course Swype is not everyone’s cup of tea. I actually like the keyboard and it is responsive and accurate, and two-handed typing is possible. The prediction of this keyboard is exceptional and, frankly, I think I might get to like it better on this larger device (as compared to a cell phone).
Which brings us nicely to the angle for typing. This would normally be dealt with by using a suitable jacket capable of holding the device securely for carrying and at various angles for typing, surfing, etc.
The word is that the Motorola jacket (at around $39) stinks in that it looks and feels cheap and scratches the Xoom sides. And whilst talking about accessories, the basic dock (at around $49) is similarly not receiving good reviews. There are reports coming in about the dock saying it is nothing more than a physical support and charger. There’s not even an outlet to hook up to a PC, let alone an HDMI. I won’t be wasting my money of that, either.
As for the UI: I noted a few professional bloggers saying that they did not find it intuitive. Are they kidding? There are a few new things in Honeycomb but if they had taken the time to read the briefest of booklets supplied with the Xoom (‘Master Your Device’) they would have seen it all set out there in a couple of sentences. So, if someone tells you it is difficult to use the new Honeycomb, you tell them they are simple minded.
Now, going around the screen, starting bottom left: (looking at the unit in landscape mode)
There is an arrow pointing to the left – a back arrow
A little house – the home button
A files icon – when pressed it brings up running apps (similar to a long press on the home button on Froyo. As with Froyo, no need to go around killing apps all the time, just leave them alone for goodness sake!
Bottom right of the screen:
This is the main notification area. It always shows the time, Wi-Fi/3G strength meter and battery meter.
It also shows small icons indicating downloading, mail, ‘Reader’ count and various other items.
Pressing on the individual icons brings up the message (or WHY) for that icon.
Pressing on the time brings up the info on the temporary icons (mentioned above) and also a quick access to Wi-Fi connections, Settings in general, etc. Another tap brings up quick access to Airplane mode; screen brightness; lock screen, etc, etc. (There is also a ‘Settings’ button in the Apps so you can place a shortcut to Settings on one of the five available screens.)
Top right of the screen:
An icon for Apps
A “+” sign which brings up a screen for adding apps and widgets (also can be reached by a long press/hold on the screen itself).
Top left of the screen:
A Google search including a ‘mike’ icon for voice search.
The search is programmable to include the web, apps, contacts, etc, etc.
What else? The charger is not a mini USB as one would have hoped but a miniature single insulated pin type (think earphone connector). The charging adapter would be placed on the side of the unit when in portrait mode (reading books/mags, e.g.) but on the bottom edge of the unit when viewed in landscape mode which could prove problematical when using a sleeve/angle support.
Battery is working out really good for me and I would predict that a full day's work could be achieved with the Xoom. Charging is rapid (I just performed a 30% to 85% in half hour).
The Power button being on the back seems a reasonable place for it and there is certainly no chance of hitting any peripheral buttons by accident, like on some tablets I could name. In fact the only other buttons are the volume controls set on the top left side of the device and they are very well engineered and placed.
Videos play well and look great without any noticeable flicker, but there is no DNLA at this time so accessing material from another network source (e.g. NAS) is not available yet. (Just a matter of time, I'm sure)
I have tried taking a small video and to me it was very acceptable (I am not an aficionado). I have not tried video conferencing, and frankly am not likely too, but the camera gave a reasonable but slightly grainy picture without much delay/jitter.
Editing in Google Docs is working well for me, almost as good as on a true PC (I haven’t tried a whole new document, but I don’t see any problem). Editing a spread sheet was a little trickier due to the size.
I guess you could call all the above ‘Pros’, so how about the ‘Cons’?
The availability of Honeycomb apps
Currently available of accessories
No Flash
No 4G (c’mon, unless you are a media hound, who cares?)
No HDCP over HDMI support
Micro SD not yet active
OK, that is 5 quite important items but all of them have fixes which will be available soon; I believe the 4G (free) upgrade is the farthest away at around 3 months. It’s only a matter of days for the Flash update, weeks for the SD update and only a matter of time before more, lots more apps and accessories become available.
One other Con, as mentioned above, is that the charger is not the micro USB flavor
All in all: I am extremely pleased with my purchase and would recommend it to anyone without hesitation. Will the price come down soon? Who can tell?
Let me know if there is anything else you would like me to cover.
Nanos.
I like the aspect ratio and find it better than the iPad and certainly better than the other tablets at 16:9. A minor matter where the benefit seems to be disproportionate to the scale of the difference.
The screen is easy on the eye (I have not yet experienced eye strain as I regularly do with other tablets) and responsive to the touch but it is a fingerprint magnate so a screen protector will be the next item on the shopping list.
I find the Android browser to be fast although some sites come in mobile flavor. Per the Forums at XDA this can be altered within the browser although it resets itself. Apparently the problem is that the browser is set to take instructions from each app or web site as to which resolution is available and should be displayed (mobile or regular) but not enough coders are taking full advantage of that capability - yet.
This, like the small number of Honeycomb-ready apps, can only improve with time, and I am certain this will be improved upon in the very near future. At this time, I have only come across one app that does not scale at all (AAA Solitaire) but then, I haven't had time to try them all.
The keyboard is not SWYPE but, of course Swype is not everyone’s cup of tea. I actually like the keyboard and it is responsive and accurate, and two-handed typing is possible. The prediction of this keyboard is exceptional and, frankly, I think I might get to like it better on this larger device (as compared to a cell phone).
Which brings us nicely to the angle for typing. This would normally be dealt with by using a suitable jacket capable of holding the device securely for carrying and at various angles for typing, surfing, etc.
The word is that the Motorola jacket (at around $39) stinks in that it looks and feels cheap and scratches the Xoom sides. And whilst talking about accessories, the basic dock (at around $49) is similarly not receiving good reviews. There are reports coming in about the dock saying it is nothing more than a physical support and charger. There’s not even an outlet to hook up to a PC, let alone an HDMI. I won’t be wasting my money of that, either.
As for the UI: I noted a few professional bloggers saying that they did not find it intuitive. Are they kidding? There are a few new things in Honeycomb but if they had taken the time to read the briefest of booklets supplied with the Xoom (‘Master Your Device’) they would have seen it all set out there in a couple of sentences. So, if someone tells you it is difficult to use the new Honeycomb, you tell them they are simple minded.
Now, going around the screen, starting bottom left: (looking at the unit in landscape mode)
There is an arrow pointing to the left – a back arrow
A little house – the home button
A files icon – when pressed it brings up running apps (similar to a long press on the home button on Froyo. As with Froyo, no need to go around killing apps all the time, just leave them alone for goodness sake!
Bottom right of the screen:
This is the main notification area. It always shows the time, Wi-Fi/3G strength meter and battery meter.
It also shows small icons indicating downloading, mail, ‘Reader’ count and various other items.
Pressing on the individual icons brings up the message (or WHY) for that icon.
Pressing on the time brings up the info on the temporary icons (mentioned above) and also a quick access to Wi-Fi connections, Settings in general, etc. Another tap brings up quick access to Airplane mode; screen brightness; lock screen, etc, etc. (There is also a ‘Settings’ button in the Apps so you can place a shortcut to Settings on one of the five available screens.)
Top right of the screen:
An icon for Apps
A “+” sign which brings up a screen for adding apps and widgets (also can be reached by a long press/hold on the screen itself).
Top left of the screen:
A Google search including a ‘mike’ icon for voice search.
The search is programmable to include the web, apps, contacts, etc, etc.
What else? The charger is not a mini USB as one would have hoped but a miniature single insulated pin type (think earphone connector). The charging adapter would be placed on the side of the unit when in portrait mode (reading books/mags, e.g.) but on the bottom edge of the unit when viewed in landscape mode which could prove problematical when using a sleeve/angle support.
Battery is working out really good for me and I would predict that a full day's work could be achieved with the Xoom. Charging is rapid (I just performed a 30% to 85% in half hour).
The Power button being on the back seems a reasonable place for it and there is certainly no chance of hitting any peripheral buttons by accident, like on some tablets I could name. In fact the only other buttons are the volume controls set on the top left side of the device and they are very well engineered and placed.
Videos play well and look great without any noticeable flicker, but there is no DNLA at this time so accessing material from another network source (e.g. NAS) is not available yet. (Just a matter of time, I'm sure)
I have tried taking a small video and to me it was very acceptable (I am not an aficionado). I have not tried video conferencing, and frankly am not likely too, but the camera gave a reasonable but slightly grainy picture without much delay/jitter.
Editing in Google Docs is working well for me, almost as good as on a true PC (I haven’t tried a whole new document, but I don’t see any problem). Editing a spread sheet was a little trickier due to the size.
I guess you could call all the above ‘Pros’, so how about the ‘Cons’?
The availability of Honeycomb apps
Currently available of accessories
No Flash
No 4G (c’mon, unless you are a media hound, who cares?)
No HDCP over HDMI support
Micro SD not yet active
OK, that is 5 quite important items but all of them have fixes which will be available soon; I believe the 4G (free) upgrade is the farthest away at around 3 months. It’s only a matter of days for the Flash update, weeks for the SD update and only a matter of time before more, lots more apps and accessories become available.
One other Con, as mentioned above, is that the charger is not the micro USB flavor
All in all: I am extremely pleased with my purchase and would recommend it to anyone without hesitation. Will the price come down soon? Who can tell?
Let me know if there is anything else you would like me to cover.
Nanos.
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Got it!
Ok, I have my Xoom in my grubby little hands, activated and sync'd with gmail. I didn't have to but I decided to try out the one month plan.
Costco have a 30 day policy to reimburse the difference should the price drop and they foot the activation fee!
More to follow . . .
Nanos
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
The Xoom Looms
Today, I very nearly talked a Costco phone salesman into selling me a Xoom a day early.
We got in conversation and he enthused about the Xoom stating he had time to play with it earlier and "it rocked!"
I was told that they had five in stock (are you kidding me!?) but, after checking and double checking, he found he couldn't let me buy one until tomorrow, 24th. I'm telling you, he really tried to let me have one.
Oh well, it was well worth a try.
Now the good news; Costco are selling the Xoom at $10 cheaper at$789 without contract.
I have heard speculation before but I saw the prices right there on their screen
The salesman stated it was available without an obligatory one month minimum data plan. I wonder if this is so as everywhere else seems to think that it is a must?
Later this evening, I had a call from BestBuy telling me that the Xooms were in and would be on sale first thing tomorrow.
To save ten bucks, or not to save?
Hmmm
Nanos
We got in conversation and he enthused about the Xoom stating he had time to play with it earlier and "it rocked!"
I was told that they had five in stock (are you kidding me!?) but, after checking and double checking, he found he couldn't let me buy one until tomorrow, 24th. I'm telling you, he really tried to let me have one.
Oh well, it was well worth a try.
Now the good news; Costco are selling the Xoom at $10 cheaper at$789 without contract.
I have heard speculation before but I saw the prices right there on their screen
The salesman stated it was available without an obligatory one month minimum data plan. I wonder if this is so as everywhere else seems to think that it is a must?
Later this evening, I had a call from BestBuy telling me that the Xooms were in and would be on sale first thing tomorrow.
To save ten bucks, or not to save?
Hmmm
Nanos
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Xoom pre-ordered today
I saw that Best Buy had the Motorola Xoom up for pre-order today so I dutifully went there, credit card in hand.
What did they have there?
A small sign about the size of a small sheet of paper with a photo of the Xoom and a price of $799. No real or dummy models there, no accessories, no nothing!
I ordered one anyway. The salesman took a $50 deposit and gave me a gift card for that amount. The idea is that I will receive a telephone call the evening before, when they are certain the Xooms will be delivered, and I call in, in this case, Thursday, and pay the balance. If I change my mind in the meantime, I'm stuck with a $50 Best Buy cash card - no big deal.
All the rest is the same at this time; a compulsory one month's data purchase (1GB for $20) or a more expensive plan. I'm looking at a monthly plan but I'll be checking in with Verizon to see if I can get a better deal as I am an existing a customer. BTW. Verizon have nothing on their website for the Xoom at this time but I'll keep an eye out.
Hurry up Thursday!
Nanos
Saturday, February 19, 2011
Celiocorp and that $499 Atrix netbook accessory
I mentioned the other day the Redfly netbook-type accessory for Winmo cell phones. I used the Redfly PC download on my laptop when I had a Winmo phone and found it very useful. I never bought the netbook accessory itself but it looks like Celiocorp or working on a version for Android - and the 7" is selling for $199 and the 8" for $249.
Now that sounds like an affordable alternative to the current $499 Atrix addon.
I've sent a query to them and will post the reply, if I receive one.
Www.celiocorp.com
Nanos
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Xoom/Galaxy 10.1? (Oh, and Swype)
The galaxy 10.1 is looking promising. Of course, no price yet, no release date - and comparisons give the Xoom the edge. It seems to me that general opinion is looking at the Galaxy coming in at a lower price than the anticipated $800 of the Xoom. Personally, I'm not so sure, taking into account the original Galaxy price for wi-fi only. I think we could be looking at a tie.
A deal breaker for me would not be 4g, nor extra MB on the camera, but having Swype on the keyboard. I'm writing on it now and, for me, its the bees knees, in fact, I wouldn't be blogging from my cell phone if it were not for swype. (No, I don't have shares in the company!)
I'm not an Apple fan, but I've enjoyed using the iPad which I have now sold and I'm starting to get withdrawal symptoms for a 10 inch tablet. This puts the Atrix out of the running because it can be used in netbook mode, etc, etc, but it can't pass for a tablet. As I've mentioned before, with the right prices I would have gone for both Atrix and Xoom but . . .
Early adopter or geek, or both, Atrix plus netbook accessory plus Xoom AND those data plan prices??? We're talking serious money, folks!
What would tempt me? Atrix at 199, media dock and netbook accessory for 200 (together) and Xoom (wi-fi only) for 575.
There you are, now we're talking less than $1,000.
Nanos (the dreamer).
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
