I have ordered a Zenithink ZT-180-102A and plan to use it to view sheet music for the band I play in, and turn the pages with a USB foot switch that sends a PgDn key to Acrobat Reader.
Has anyone tried this before? Any gotchas?
I would think that the tablet will be (just) big enough to view A4 PDF sheet music at 10.1" (would have preferred slightly bigger)
I'm hoping Adobe Acrobat Reader for Android can go full screen and respond to PgDn messages
Battery life seems a bit light, but figure I can run it from the power adapter if required
Hopefully no outside gigs, as I don't know how well the screen would work in sunlight
If I'm reading the foot switch description right, I can configure the key press via the software on a Windows machine, then plug it directly into the Zenithink as a standard HID device. Anyone tried anything like this?
Zilch said:
I have ordered a Zenithink ZT-180-102A and plan to use it to view sheet music for the band I play in, and turn the pages with a USB foot switch that sends a PgDn key to Acrobat Reader.
Has anyone tried this before? Any gotchas?
I would think that the tablet will be (just) big enough to view A4 PDF sheet music at 10.1" (would have preferred slightly bigger)
I'm hoping Adobe Acrobat Reader for Android can go full screen and respond to PgDn messages
Battery life seems a bit light, but figure I can run it from the power adapter if required
Hopefully no outside gigs, as I don't know how well the screen would work in sunlight
If I'm reading the foot switch description right, I can configure the key press via the software on a Windows machine, then plug it directly into the Zenithink as a standard HID device. Anyone tried anything like this?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi, did you get this set up yet? I was looking at something similar for my band. Does the ZT180 have usb slot in it for the foot switch?
Yeah - that particular tablet is pretty iffy in build quality and design. I posted some details on it here.
The main limitation is the screen size for displaying A4/Letter. Since it's a 16:9 (or 16:10?) ratio, you get black bars at the top and bottom if you display the full page, so it's more like A5 size. For most of my music that is readable, but not ideal.
In landscape the size is about right, but you can only see half the page at a time.
The Adobe Reader software lets you do Cntl-N to move to the next page (dunno why PgDn doesn't work). The cheap footswitch I got of eBay works fine (you set it up once with some Windows software and then plug it into the USB port of the tablet)
I've ordered a 3 pedal one to try though, (cheaper than the 2 pedal ones strangely) so I can do Forward/Backwards, a maybe some sort of Scroll with the middle switch if I have it in landscape mode.
A proper A4 one would be nice though. I think I would actually take an eInk based one in preference - if I could find a reasonably priced A4 one - as the battery life would be so much better. Or maybe a Windows tablet so I could also run GuitarRig or similar for FX/MIDI stuff at the same time. Still thinking about it though. Let us know how you go.
Any update?
I would love to hear how this is going.
I am planning on getting a tablet for guitar music and would love foot pedal options.
Any suggestions? Tablets, apps, pedals etc...
I haven't used it much to be honest. The screen is a bit small, esp at 16:9 ratio for A4/Letter sheet music. The pedal idea works pretty well though, I'm using on my Thinkpad (sitting on it's side on a a music stand) for now.
I'll revisit when some genius invents a tablet which is greater than 10.2", and when a decent build quality model with Gingerbread is out.
I have to admit I'm slightly tempted with the 14" (?) EEE Windows slate that has come out recently. I think it's an i5 or so, and this would allow me to run guitar rig etc while viewing sheet music.
I purchased a Viewsonic G tablet for this very same purpose. I can read my music using Adobe in the Portrait mode ok but I would like to put it in landscape mode and use my cicada by page flip foot pedal to do a page up and page down. Have you come across anyone who can remap the keyboard to recognize page up and page down or as you have found out control N for page down.
I got my Gtablet a few weeks ago and have been playing with a few apps.
Chord Reader (pretty much just a phone), eSongBook and GuitarTapp
The each have nice features but I really need a combination of the three. I don't own a foot pedal but would like to have that feature and hear how that is working for other people.
Features I would like:
1. Change keys
2. Make setlists
3. Nice, big display
How are people mounting this for a stand? Or do you just set it on a music stand?
Best rig would be with a 13 inch macbook I believe. Check out Modbook http://www.axiotron.com/index.php?id=modbook
New Sheet Music Reader: MobileSheets
For anyone that happens to come to this thread looking for information, I recently released an android sheet music reader app called MobileSheets. It's currently only available for 10'' tablets. The app is designed to let you take images or PDFs you have (either from scanning, taking a picture with the tablet camera, or from files obtained on the internet) and create songs from them. You can organize your library based on album, artist, and genre, and create setlists. It also comes with a built-in metronome, and companion app for your PC. Please check out zubersoft.com/mobilesheets for more information.
One of the best reasons to get a tablet ever! How does the footswitch work?
An update is coming out this Sunday, Dec 4th that's going to add support for any bluetooth pedal for hands-free playback. Examples of supported bluetooth pedals include the Cicada PageFlip and the Airturn BT-105. I'm going to start offering a deal soon where if you buy the Airturn BT-105 through a link on zubersoft.com/mobilesheets, you will be given a free copy of the paid version of MobileSheets.
As for how the pedal works, the previously mentioned devices have two pedals. My app supports multiple modes - the default mode is the left pedal goes back one page, the right pedal advances a page. Another mode is the left pedal scrolls the page while the right advances to the next page (great for landscape mode). Once you try hands-free page turning, you will never want to go back
hmmh... this seems to be just what i was looking for... i am planning on going completely digitla on my students, as in: have 'em watch their sheetmusic on the tablet in lesson (in this case motorola xoom), then afterwards send 'em the sheets for them to print out by themselves. i'm just sick of lugging 10+ kg of sheetmusic around all day actually i was planning on buying an inexpensive printer and hook it up to the zablet via usb, wifi or bluetooth and print the stuff for them on site, but as there's no pc or router nearby and usb doesn't semm to work either, i settled for the paperless approach (which does have it's pros and cons).
one thing i'd like to know about your program though: i've got several realbooks in pdf form that i'd like to use, each containing around 2-300 songs on about as much pages. how would i go about organizing those? simply bookmark each song seperately? or would i have to split the huge single pdf into small, single ones?
[/quote] from blue powder --- one thing i'd like to know about your program though: i've got several realbooks in pdf form that i'd like to use, each containing around 2-300 songs on about as much pages. how would i go about organizing those? simply bookmark each song seperately? or would i have to split the huge single pdf into small, single ones?[/QUOTE]
I use ezPDF viewer. (available on Android Market) It allows me to use my foot switch (cicada page flip) and allows me to mark my .pdf sheets with notes for corrections or whatever. I agree with a previous poster, once you use a foot switch you won't want to go back. I am in a JAM that has about 500 songs. It took two 3 inch binders to carry them every night. Well we have now converted 16 of the 21 members to electronic viewers. It is the only way to go.
As far as organizing my folders I simply created 26 folders labeled "A" to "Z". Then every time I add a new song I simply put it in the appropriate folder. You can leave them all in one giant folder but it takes longer to find the song you want later. I found a little pain up front saved a lot of pain later.
Enjoy
do you mark your pdf's using a pen? if so, which one? if not - how DO you do it? that's one thing i would be missing in a purely digital surrounding, being able to mark up certain things etc. i don't think i'm going to have much need for a footswitch in a teaching situation, though, and as far as gigs are concerned, i play mainly jazz, and most of the leadsheets i get are a page long. if not - tough luck, i'll play better from memory anyway ;-)
the folder a to z folder-approach seems absolutely feasible, i'd probably go even more ballistic and create several mainfolders (like fingerpicking, theory, leadsheets etc), then have the a to z folders inside those. something like that. i'm more worried though that my students will be turned off by not getting physical handouts anymore. may take them a while to get used to it
ezpdf app and boxwave pointing devices
bluepowder said:
do you mark your pdf's using a pen? if so, which one? if not - how DO you do it? that's one thing i would be missing in a purely digital surrounding, being able to mark up certain things etc. i don't think i'm going to have much need for a footswitch in a teaching situation, though, and as far as gigs are concerned, i play mainly jazz, and most of the leadsheets i get are a page long. if not - tough luck, i'll play better from memory anyway ;-)
the folder a to z folder-approach seems absolutely feasible, i'd probably go even more ballistic and create several mainfolders (like fingerpicking, theory, leadsheets etc), then have the a to z folders inside those. something like that. i'm more worried though that my students will be turned off by not getting physical handouts anymore. may take them a while to get used to it
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
OK first I would recommend looking at ezpdf on the android market. The developer has been very quick to make certain changes. I can say that the program has really improved 800 % over the past 4 months I have been using it. The developer updates the product about every 4 days. New features and bug fixes. Granted I don't use all of it's features but I think it is better than Adobe. I tried to embed a copy of the annotations page but I could not so go here "https://market.android.com/details?id=udk.android.reader&hl=en"
Pen - I do use a pen/pointer to write on my pdf's. I use the boxwave products as they were rated the best and most reliable on a capacitive screen. I have bought others but I keep coming back to the boxwave products. I even have one with an actual writing pen on the other side of it so I can take paper notes if I have to.
Folders - I do the same thing with my music folders. I have it broken out to Christmas music A - Z, Our Regular Music A - Z, Then stuff that I am practicing for my self A - Z.
Sheet Music - If you are going to stick to one page and you are young enough to be able to see clearly then forget the foot pedal. It is just one more thing to have to carry. I am 60, the old eyes are not as sharp as they used to be.
Students - I don't know how you are planning on giving them the files or where you teach, ( private classes, class room setting, high school etc) But - Hey when I was learning (still am) I would have loved it if the instructor gave me a downloadable file with all of my music for the semester. Then I could either print it or put it on a tablet. My choice. Most parents today think that if they don't buy their kids the latest gizmo they will be stunted or social outcasts, so I bet most of your students already have tablets.
Another thought - Another thing to keep in mind. My buddy teaches banjo. He was going to get a tablet for himself then we talked and he decided to get a tablet and a notebook and a projector. He then calls up the sheet music on his laptop and projects it on the screen for the class of 6 students. He uses the tablet for private instruction with out the projector.
Hope that helps.
Really take a look at ezpdf
Hello -
My solution to this problem was:
1. Scan in all my sheet music as high resolution files (300 or higher).
2. Use a photoshop technique on each image to eliminate grey and make sure the blacks are black and the white background is white - (there is a great way to do this with the eyedropper tool which you can find on youtube). At this stage I also straighten the image of each page.
3. Use a photoshop action to import the individual scanned image of each page as 'layers' on a single photoshop document --- and then save as a photoshop document.
4. Use a photoshop action to stack each photoshop layer (on a given document from step 4) out in a long continuous sheet of music and then flatten the image and save as a bitmap (so now the image would look like a flat, opened out, long, scroll).
5. Use a photoshop action to set the canvas size the correct dimensions and dpi for your given display/tablet.
6. Manually open each 'scroll' and move around the systems of your music to fit in the window you have made in step 5 ---- and save each window as a high res jpeg. Save the jpeg as the name of the piece followed by the page number.
7. Use a photoshop action to add a text layer of the same value as the file name. Save as a pdf.
8. Combine the individual pdf pages into a single pdf document for each individual piece.
9. All done. I now have 3 hours of music as PDFs that are perfectly viewable in my tablet AND can be searched for using the find feature of the PDF reader (thanks to step 7). What could be easier!
----
The lenovo A4 size tablet is an ugly looking brick - I wouldn't like that compared with this ipad solution
Fakebook
For many of the above reasons my favorite gigging tool is the Fakebook. It does PDF very well (even importing and indexing huge collections like a real book or vocal book), but at the same time it has thousands of built in chord charts (transposable). Nice annotation or scribbling, search, links to YouTube and Spotify performances and great playlist editing.
Best $1.50 spent on my Google Play account! play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.skrivarna.fakebook.android
The Adobe Reader software lets you do Cntl-N to move to the next page (dunno why PgDn doesn't work). [/QUOTE said:
Yes. ctrl + n gDn. But what could be the code of PgUp?? If anyone knows the answer, please describe it is very important to me. . And there's a code table of Adobe Reader for Android?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Related
I want to get this tablet for sheet music.
Any ideas how I could buy or hack a foot pedal to turn the pages for me?
bluetooth mouse?
usb mouse?
usb footpedals?
Here is a USB foot pedal for $32
Scythe USB-2FOOTSWITCH Express Pedal USB Input
Would I be able to rig this up to go page forward and back on a gtablet?
You could probably do the same thing with a cheap usb mouse if you just taped it in place were you need it to click...But maybe someone else knows more about getting a peddle to work
'Supplemental USB Foot Switch Input Device for Keyboard /Mouse, such as Double Click, [Ctrl+S].
. Under the difficult or ineffective situation to use your hands, you can do entry task by your foot with this Foot Switch.'....This looks promising it might actually work I just cant verify that...sorry
How about just using Voice Actions?
Actually a laser mouse positioned above your foot would work as well. The way the mouse works is it takes pictures of the surface below and then identifies the movement. So you could place the mouse slightly above your foot and wear socks that have some sort of design on them. Map the page switch to any mouse movement.
nunjabusiness said:
How about just using Voice Actions?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm just imagining that during a performance...nice concerto, then the pianist shouts "TURN!"
but I digress. I'll try some things out with a trackball. If buttons can be assigned a turn page command, than your foot pedal idea would work.
I just need to find an app that allows mouse usage
Didn't even see your link. I am pretty sure that could work as long as it just reports as an HID. If it just reports as a mouse, then its just about making the software respond to clicks.
Lets put it this way, if you get this going I am pretty sure you can turn this into a $9.99 app if it doesn't already exist.
I would pay for the app as I have no coding skills.
There are several apps that are specifically for guitar music and I would love to be able to use the pedal with one of them.
I've been searching, and from what I can see, it doesn't exist.
I plugged my logitech trackball into the g-tablet and it does work as a pointing device. However, it comes with some expected glitches.
First, there IS a small crosshair cursor on the screen. The axis' are off. Moving the ball right goes down, left goes up, up goes right, and down goes left. The right button doesn't seem to do anything at all, while the left button does initiate activity. I thought I could "trick" it by rotating the g-tablet, but alas, it does the same movements on all points of view.
I loaded a multiple page sheet music PDF into Ez PDF reader, and was able to turn pages. In portrait mode (ideal for reading sheet music) I was unable to get the cursor to the complete bottom of the page, where the selection is to turn a page. However, by keeping the cursor in the middle of the page, I clicked, and the page turned...BUT, turning BACK is REALLY tricky.
So, it works, it's glitchy, and it may not be the same with the pedal you're considering. Of course, a trackball can be placed on the floor. you can still navigate with the touch screen while it's plugged in.
All you'd need to do is set the cursor, and click the left button to get the page to advance.
I'm wondering if an app can be created that simply controls clicks, not mouse movement...so that it would be an ad-on for Adobe PDF viewer, Kindle Reader, or EZ PDF reader to simply institute a turn page command with each mouse click...forward with right click, backward with left...
Ah well...if only I knew enough to attempt to make an app.
in any case, there are my findings, it could work, but whether it works efficiently would depend on a future app to be written.
What instrument are you playing? My brother-in-law bought his iPad specifically for taking piano sheet music around with him. I know that he never had trouble turning pages on analog sheet music, so I didn't expect him to have a problem reaching up and swiping a screen, just as he would a real piece of paper.
I play bass, and the music (chord sheets) that I use I make sure to reduce to one page prior to scanning them, eliminating the need for page turning until the song is over and both hands are free.
This is a little off topic, but if an app like this could be created, or a tool found to do this, it would be an amazing tool for handicapped individuals to read books with a tablet. If simply click something with their feet/hand/wrist/elbow could turn the page, it could be used in a variety of situations.
I also wonder if broadening your search to include products or apps that are already out there but are marketed to the handicapped or disabled might help you find something.
Anyway, just a thought. My mom runs a daycare for handicapped children and young adults and something like this would be awesome for her kids to use.
I play guitar, ukulele and bass. I don't read sheet music so this would be just lyrics and chords usually.
Sometimes I change key or my buddy is playing capo 3 and I want to play uke or bass (no capo) and so one of the several apps that will import guitar tabs and change keys on the fly would be nice.
Changing the page isn't critical. It would be for the occasional song that I can't fit on one page or for seamlessly going from one song to the next.
When putting music on a stand, I can put three pages side-by-side which eliminates the need for a page turn.
Also, I know with some PDF viewers, you can make setlists. Does anyone know if any guitar chord apps would do this?
Cheap usb keyboard. Open it and wire a foot switch across the keyswitch for a key that does what you want like pgdn or enter?
Another option:
I am a working musician (guitar and vocals) and I use mine all the time for charts. I just paste them all together into a single doc using MS Word or whatever. I space them out between songs and I use a Calabri 14pt font and it works like a charm. A lot of the charts I use display on one screen in protrait mode. If I need to scroll I just swipe with my finger. It's really easy to do, much easier than it sounds. I use OfficeSuite Pro to display the docs. It has a full screen mode that is great for this purpose. Good luck!
Thanks frankencat.
Glad to hear it is working for you.
Have you had any problems with the viewing angle? I have heard the gtab can get a little picky.
I lead worship at my church and i use my tablet for my chords and lyrics. I use power point files and just swipe with my finger from song to song, but even that does break up the "flow" of the service slightly. I would absolutely love for this pedal to work just to go from slide to slide. It would be amazing. I would pay for any app it takes.
I am a worship leader as well. I use my gtablet for that purpose with pdfs. EZPDF Reader is the only pdf reader I have found that will work with my pedal. I use a pageflip bluetooth pedal. It will only work when set to send L & R commands.
I would insert a link, but haven't posted before. Google Pageflip Cicada...
80 dollars well spent!
Hope that helps!
Blessings!
Thanks Brandon. Glad to hear that it is working for you.
I am hoping to find an app that will let you change the keys of songs on the fly and make "set lists" of songs.
Anyone have any luck finding something like this for Android?
brandonhardin: Does your PDF app let you make setlists? or do you individually open up files or compile them in advance?
Do it with Bluetooth
Here are the parts you need:
http://www.seeedstudio.com/depot/bl...39_142&zenid=3d82021ce7f95ff23b4a7f97d9333d47
http://www.seeedstudio.com/depot/se...32_133&zenid=3d82021ce7f95ff23b4a7f97d9333d47
http://www.seeedstudio.com/depot/th...56_160&zenid=3d82021ce7f95ff23b4a7f97d9333d47
http://www.seeedstudio.com/depot/pl...78_184&zenid=3d82021ce7f95ff23b4a7f97d9333d47
http://www.seeedstudio.com/depot/ds...78_183&zenid=3d82021ce7f95ff23b4a7f97d9333d47
http://www.seeedstudio.com/depot/se...32_135&zenid=3d82021ce7f95ff23b4a7f97d9333d47
I can even help you write the code if you need to for the hardware as it would be really simple!
The Android code can be done using the APP INVENTOR so no super coding skills needed http://appinventor.googlelabs.com/about/
Basically, you will have your page turner act as a Bluetooth SPP connected to the Android phone. The page turner will need code that puts it in wait if pressed multiple times within 5-10min and goes into sleep if not continually activated with two buttons presses to wake up. this will save you massive battery life.
Just have the APK register whatever serial command you give over the SPP bluetooth to automatically turn the page.
Ka-Peche?
bob_frapples said:
Thanks frankencat.
Glad to hear it is working for you.
Have you had any problems with the viewing angle? I have heard the gtab can get a little picky.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
A little bit bit it's really not a problem. Sounds like I am in good company...I lead worship at my church too.
Childofthehorn said:
Here are the parts you need:
http://www.seeedstudio.com/depot/bl...39_142&zenid=3d82021ce7f95ff23b4a7f97d9333d47
http://www.seeedstudio.com/depot/se...32_133&zenid=3d82021ce7f95ff23b4a7f97d9333d47
http://www.seeedstudio.com/depot/th...56_160&zenid=3d82021ce7f95ff23b4a7f97d9333d47
http://www.seeedstudio.com/depot/pl...78_184&zenid=3d82021ce7f95ff23b4a7f97d9333d47
http://www.seeedstudio.com/depot/ds...78_183&zenid=3d82021ce7f95ff23b4a7f97d9333d47
http://www.seeedstudio.com/depot/se...32_135&zenid=3d82021ce7f95ff23b4a7f97d9333d47
I can even help you write the code if you need to for the hardware as it would be really simple!
The Android code can be done using the APP INVENTOR so no super coding skills needed http://appinventor.googlelabs.com/about/
Basically, you will have your page turner act as a Bluetooth SPP connected to the Android phone. The page turner will need code that puts it in wait if pressed multiple times within 5-10min and goes into sleep if not continually activated with two buttons presses to wake up. this will save you massive battery life.
Just have the APK register whatever serial command you give over the SPP bluetooth to automatically turn the page.
Ka-Peche?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That is amazing, but I am afraid it is way over my head!
I'll have to test this when I get home, but -
This was actually THE REASON why I bought the g-tablet. I'm a pianist, and I wanted a screen to view music on.
I own a footpedal page turner, and I don't remember the model right now - but it's essentially a wireless keyboard with only two keys, PGUP and PGDWN. It's just difficult to put a laptop on top of a piano and be able to see it, so I was hoping this would work with my G-Tab... Until I realized I have a touchscreen, and could just swipe to turn pages.
I'll check out the pageturner footswitch and return with the brand information when I get home tonight.
As a pianist I have the freedom to use a hand to turn pages while still playing with the other, but I can see where many other instrumentalists would prefer a footswitch.
~A
I thought I'd start a review page for the Touchpad. I got my Touchpad on Tuesday and have spent a good bit of time with it. In general, I see a lot of potential. I am disappointed that it took so long and isn't better than it is.
Now I understand most of the poor reviews that the unit has gotten. Comparing a first generation product with a 2nd or 3rd generation product doesn't is not likely to be very positive. But, most of us thought, between HP and Palm, the unit would be a lot further along. Perhaps HP is too big to be creative and responsive enough for a fast moving market like phones and tablets. However, to be fair, the things the unit does well, it does very well. And, what it doesn't do well, it generally doesn't do at all.
First, the weight. Personally, I like the feel of it. A few ounces either way really doesn't make much difference. It has a good balance and feels solid.
Second, the WebOS. I am new to it, but so far, I am impressed. The multitasking is really well done. The setup on the unit was simple and logically organized. There is a somewhat intuitive feel to the interface, even though if I knew more, it might be even better.
I setup my Exchange client with no problems and it works well. I will try to add some more accounts later for testing.
Now for the items I am disappointed with. I know it sounds like I don't like the unit, but I do, and it is so close. But, unfortunately, close only counts in horseshoes and nuclear war.
First, as far as I can tell, whoever designed this either never used an iPad or Android tablet or didn't use it much. They don't understand the first rule of the smart device market: You have to have some key working software. Okay, there is some, but in general, it is a real disappointment. There will be lots of other things needed, but everyone wants video, music, news, and a way to move data around. A lot of people will want a time manager, too. If you missed that in the design, you missed the key items.
It plays MP3s well, but without Pandora, it doesn't really matter much.
The worst thing so far is that the video player is useless. Most of the videos I see and use are AVIs and they don't work at all. And only about half of the MP4's have worked so far. One of the top priorities needs to be a movie player that isn't useless. Something like VitalPlayer for the Android.
You also need a good news reader. If you have an Android you get News360 or Pulse. Where is the comparable product?
Oh, by the way, it isn't terribly easy to find anything in the Appstore. It doesn't give enough granularity. It is hard to find the diamonds amoung the trash.
The other item that is needed is a file manager. Something like ES File Explorer on the Android. It allows you to move files from the LAN to the Local file structure and to move files inside the unit. I know the idea is that WEBOS handles it. But as far as I can tell, I have to hook up to a PC to move files. There is a paid app in the app store, but it doesn't do enough.
I have used Android up to this point. A year ago, it was pretty bad. But, today it is a great competitor. WEBOS can be there, too, but it can't take very long or there won't be a market. If HP is counting on business users only, they are probably DOA. From what I have seen, other than e-mail, business use takes a back seat to personal applications on tablets.
What do you think?
7-25-2011 It is getting better
Today, I downloaded KalemSoft Media Player and Gemini File Manger. They each fill at least part of the gap in the functionality of the Touchpad. The KamelSoft Media Player has added considerable functionality to the media play including additional codecs for AVI, etc. And, the MP4s that didn't work with the built in player seem to work with it. It is a $6.99 item but, so far, it seems to be a good investment. I had to add an app to my Android 2.2 unit to get the same capabilities, so it is makes sense that I will have to do the same for a first generation WEBOS tablet, I guess.
The Gemini File Manager is a valuable addition, because it has a nice two column, full screen, interface and has networking capablities. Currently it only works with Dropbox. But it is a step in the right direction. I had to download a file manager, ES File Manager, with this functionality for my Android also, but it was free. ES File Manager allows local network connection, which is pretty useful. This is pretty inexpensive at $2.99 though.
Last week, I downloaded SpaZ HD Beta Preview 1 to use as a Twitter client. It is worth a look. I have enjoyed learning how to use it.
I have download several news readers, but so far nothing that is as good as Pulse or News 360. NewsRoom is a start, but it is still in the phone format.
Pandora works, but it is in the phone format. And, that doesn't really matter much to the functionality.
So things are coming along. With a few more apps, it will be almost as good as my Android for my daily use. Android and iPad have a lot of apps, but how many are of any real use?
There are a few things missing. A working RDP app is essential for small businesses. A solid time management package that interfaces with Quickbooks would be useful, also.
Agreed, thanks for that review
Sent from my Nexus S 4G using XDA Premium App
Well, I am wrong about at least one thing. There is a Pandora app. It works, but it is a phone app and takes a little getting used to. But, it seems to work well.
I bought Newroom hoping it will be like Pulse. It is also a phone app and will take some work to get used to. But it might do some of what I want until a better app comes along. I also bought TapNote for Touchpad which I think will be a good tool, and Internalz, so I can get to the file structure. It is a phone app, so it will be a little strange until it is upgraded.
I downloaded TED, which is a source for seminars that seem to be pretty diverse. The first one I watched was great. It showed off the video pretty well.
I'm still impressed.
I prefer to buy the Touchpad than iPad. Because Touchpad is a way better than other tablets but is a bit buggy yet, but with time and devs, all can be solved.
Good luck with devs and with OTAs touch pad FAIL and webOS phones are butt ugly with a nice OS
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA Premium App
I actually want to buy a touchpad....only if it doesn't become a dead system and gets reasonable support compared to android and iOS from developers
I would have to add that the font rendering is the ugliest since Windows 3.11. Seriously. The UI itself is beautiful, but reading web pages or mails hurts your eyes after a few minutes. The fonts look like they are smudged, like the screen is blurry. It is a huge fail and the biggest downside IMO. Sure, application load times are really bad, and there are no apps. But apps only need to be loaded once, and the number of apps might change. The incredibly distracting font rendering won't go away
Send an email to: Leo Apotheker, Sean Robison & Steve DeWitt. They need to hear from you.
First name.Last [email protected]
Think it's Stephen but will check. No hear back from me then it's that.
Sent from my Sapphire/dream using XDA App
Can only print to HP printers.
-1. My HP laptops can print to my Canon printer
Can't wait for Android on this thing
I bought one of the firesale units and starting playing with it. I have some questions:
1) It don't seem to support ad-hoc wireless networks. Is there any software I can add or configuration change I can make to change this? I have a Windows Mobile cell phone that can share its connection over wifi, but its ad-hoc only.
2) I put some pdfs and an m4v and flv video on the device, organized in folders. I go in acrobat reader and it seems to find the pdfs, but just puts them in a single list, rather than showing the file hierarchy. I would like to be able to browse the file hierarchy and touch a file and have it open in an appropriate player or reader. I have a lot of pdfs to put in the device and they need to be organized, not one big list.
3) Acrobat reader and Quick Office seem to be a little slow to load. I am wondering if there is an app that is quick loading that will show a file hierarchy and show or play pdf files and videos, similar to GoodReader for ipad?
4) Is there anything that will play .flv video files? The m4v video showed up in the photo viewer, but not the .flv
Thanks in advance.
guyandhisdog said:
Can only print to HP printers.
-1. My HP laptops can print to my Canon printer
Can't wait for Android on this thing
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So can my Lenovo laptop.
But this isn't a HP laptop.
Sent from my HTC Sensation Z710e
I know its not a HP laptop. Just sayin, one HP product can and one (newer) can't. That = -1
anyone else notice that this thing seems to crash/freeze alot? have to reboot quite often.
treestump said:
anyone else notice that this thing seems to crash/freeze alot? have to reboot quite often.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
have u updated the pad? i've been playing with mine for 2 days and havent had a hang up or freeze yet.. u might have a faulty model
I haven't gotten my HP Touchpad yet. Heck, still listed as "shipping soon" from Amazon/eCost.
This may be useful for improving performance until we have Android running:
http://www.zdnet.com/blog/mobile-news/how-to-improve-the-performance-of-your-new-hp-touchpad/3866
hurrpancakes said:
So can my Lenovo laptop.
But this isn't a HP laptop.
Sent from my HTC Sensation Z710e
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I read a review that said you can print to other printers but its a bit harder. Don't no the details sorry but at least you can. (supposedly)
starfcker69 said:
I haven't gotten my HP Touchpad yet. Heck, still listed as "shipping soon" from Amazon/eCost.
This may be useful for improving performance until we have Android running:
http://www.zdnet.com/blog/mobile-news/how-to-improve-the-performance-of-your-new-hp-touchpad/3866
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Picked mine up Saturday morning and found that article yesterday. By all means do what it says, helps a lot. The more I use my touchpad the more I like it. Great little $100 investment IMO. Really wish there was a Wordfeud or Words with Friends app for it though. Preware should be installed on every WebOS device.
starfcker69 said:
I haven't gotten my HP Touchpad yet. Heck, still listed as "shipping soon" from Amazon/eCost.
This may be useful for improving performance until we have Android running:
http://www.zdnet.com/blog/mobile-news/how-to-improve-the-performance-of-your-new-hp-touchpad/3866
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks a lot for this link! I don't even have my touchpad yet but i look forward to being able to poke around with it and get every ounce of performance possible.
Are there any other good resources for WebOS tweaks or mods? Ultimately i'll probably put android on this thing (once the devs do all the hard work) but in the meantime, i'd like to see just how usable the device is as-is.
my gripes:
browser - not as good as Android's. some pages had minor render issues, some menus didn't work right. some flash videos would not play.
browser - only way to go "back" is the back arrow at the top left corner so you have to keep your thumb near it.. awkward to hold. why no left swipe or something?
lists, any - no scroll bars! i added like 100 bookmarks then it's a pain in the ass to get from top to bottom. have to swipe down like 10 times
camera - no app is included to use it other than skype.
video player - videos files are shown as group of big icons, no way to change that to a list view, and the space allocated for the name does not have enough characters
no way to change the icons on the taskbar?
serious lack of good apps that are designed for touchpad .. maybe a dozen that i ended up keeping.
no included rss reader, calc, notes, etc.
i don't believe the Bing navi app has 3D mapping or live rerouting (for use with tether) and i didn't see any in the market.
no voice to text function ?
doesn't support mkv or avi out of the box (same for Android, iOS) .. have to reencode videos from usenet. there is a (1) paid app that can play these apparently, haven't tried it yet
no video out, rear camera, back / search / menu buttons, low-res screen, heavy... but you know that going in.
App Store - no sorting options (ie, #downloads, #reviews)
.....
things i like:
hardware is solid, battery life is impressive, viewing angles excellent, and the GUI looks polished. OS is reasonably responsive and stable (after ota update). basic functions (wifi, web, email, IM, a/v playback) work as expected.
good deal for $100.
I like my 32GB Touchpad so far, I applied the improvements and it does seem better, I have to try the overclock. It's good for the price I paid, but not for it's starting one. I'd still like to see Android on it and I hope there's more development both on webOS and Android for it.
For your news reading needs you could try the Mosaic app, it's similar to Pulse with its own twist.
os10 said:
my gripes:
no way to change the icons on the taskbar?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can by going into the Launcher and touching an app for a few seconds so you can move them around.
I put some pdfs and an m4v and flv video on the device, organized in folders. I go in acrobat reader and it seems to find the pdfs, but just puts them in a single list, rather than showing the file hierarchy.
I would like to be able to browse the file hierarchy and touch a file and have it open. I have a lot of pdfs to put in the device and they need to be organized, not one big list.
Also would like to search for text in PDFs.
Ideally I am looking for something similar to ipad's Goodreader wher you can organize a hieararchy of mixed file types, PDF and video, and view any of them.
Acrobat reader and Quick Office seem to be a little slow to load. I am wondering if there is an app for this that is quick loading.
Any ideas?
Agree that Acrobat reader is one of the worst PDF readers all across the pad platforms. But unfortunately it seems that's the only choice on webos. Hope this wave of TP can bring some new PDF reader to it.
[Q] How to search through a PDF?
please excuse the question but I tried google a few times and couldn't get anything. Can the default adobe PDF viewer even search documents? If it can how the hell can I find the option? Is there anything 3rd party that allows searching through pdfs?
[Q] PDF Reading and Citrix?
To current owners, how is reading pdfs on the TP? Is it snappy like Ipad 2 and how about large pdfs like 100mb or greater? I dont really care about annotations.
Also does Citrix work? I saw an ad showing Citrix working. Thx
For the pdf file it's very fast and snappy,very usable, but only tested with a couple of 50Mo one, if you have bigger to test give me a link.
About citrix, take a look here:
http://forums.precentral.net/webos-development/190779-request-citrix-app.html
And
http://blogs.citrix.com/2011/02/09/...ake-webos-devices-enterprise-ready-at-launch/
Ok, I couldn't resist the temptation and got a Touchpad to play with. The two hospital pages where I use Citrix to access medical records don't work. The demo on Youtube looks so smooth . Adobe Acrobat on the WebOS is just as horrid as on the Android platform. There is no way, I can sit there read the PDFs in this condition. The letters all look fuzzy, and I don't think this is purely an issue with resolution and display. The software doesn't fully render it.
The good part is that flash works really well from the browser. Very well done. Also the cards arrangement of the overall OS is the best I have seen out of all 3 tablet platforms. It's unfortunate. I think it just take a little more work from HP to make it competitive.
1. A better screen. It's listed as IPS display but no where close to the Ipad.
2. Work out the small bugs in the WebOS
This pad desperately needs Alkido.
darkamulet said:
please excuse the question but I tried google a few times and couldn't get anything. Can the default adobe PDF viewer even search documents? If it can how the hell can I find the option? Is there anything 3rd party that allows searching through pdfs?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not to the best of my knowledge, I've looked through every option and nothing. I also asked this same question about searching PDFs and never got a response. FYI I have a few 40mb+ pdfs w/ schematic drawings and it has the tendency of chugging along or even worse it loses the menu bar uptop where I can select pages from. I'll get stuck on page 230 out of 500 and will have to close the card down and open it up again to get the number list.
Just wondering if anyone has tried reading journal articles on their nook tablet. I'll download several articles a week (.pdf normally) and was wondering how reading this type of document works out. This is probably 50% of what I'd use the nook for so it's fairly important to me. Most common journal I read articles from is probably Journal of Neurosurgery. Any insight would be appreciated. Thanks.
It depends on the PDF. For text-heavy content, it should be fine. For text+graphics, it's not.
The problem is the 1024x600 (1.7:1) aspect ratio, in conjunction with the small 7" size. The width is simply not large enough to accommodate standard 8.5x11 (1.3:1) page layout, and manually zooming in/out will be de rigueur. You can turn it 90 degrees to get the width needed, but then the shortened height will cause excessive vertical scrolling. In short, it's a lot of hassle.
For text-only content (most ebooks), the text can reflow to fit the elongated aspect, so there isn't a problem.
IMO, for scientific journals, a 4:3 aspect screen is a must, along with a 10" size minimum. For now, that limits your choice to the iPad, as all major-brand Android tabs have 16:10 aspect. It's not a surprise since these cater to consumers, where movie-viewing is the 2nd-largest use case, after web browsing.
I use the nook as a secondary reader if I'm not at a computer or have my printed copies nearby. So far, I have just been using the stock B&N reader app since you can pull up the page icons by tapping the center of the screen. It makes scanning through easy before I zoom in to read what I'm looking for.
I don't know yet about reading papers through the first time on this device...seems like it would not be as good.
I would prefer another app that has the same overview feature, but lets me add notes that I could sync back and see on my computer. Which does you use?
RepliGo was favored for its annotation feature, but I find it inferior to EzPDF in most other aspects. The recent version of EzPDF now also has annotation, although I haven't used the function enough to give an opinion.
There's also Foxit Mobile for Android which has annotate, which I haven't tried. It's a great reader on the PC, so one would think sync'ing would be an option, although I don't see it yet in the User Guide. The Android reader is 1.0, so that'll likely be added if not already available.
http://foxitsoftware.com/products/mobilereader/android/guide.php
http://foxitsoftware.com/products/mobilereader/android/benefits.php
You're probably right, that spot reading sci/tech journals would probably be OK on the NT. I was referring to long-form reading.
I am currently on my 2nd Prime. The first was returned after 4 days. This one is as close to 100% as I can imagine.
Anyway, I had grand visions of all sorts of things I could use it for; however, they haven't really come true.
I also own an Asus Netbook (slow, but at least 3 times the computer that the Prime is), and a Dell laptop running both Win 7 & Simply Mepis Linux. I also have a very good desktop box (which I triple or quad boot).
I do not have the docking station for the Prime.
I desired to use it to view Instrument Approach Plates (Aviation Stuff). They are downloadable as a very large PDF file (598 pages for Alaska) which does not have a linked index (not the fault of the Prime). As you may guess, scrolling to the "Y's" is very slow.
Without purchasing an external Bluetooth GPS, it cannot be used with a moving map--even is one can be found.
I have found it very difficult and cumbersome to move files between the Prime and any of the other computers.
I have attempted to use the bundled browser (POS, in my opinion), and Firefox for Android (FF is my preferred browser on the computers) and found it lacking on the tablet. I have finally settled on Opera Mobile--Not great, but at least useable. (It doesn't even have a HOME key/button, for goodness sakes.)
I attempted to transfer files via Bluetooth from my laptop (yes, they can see each other), but gave up in frustration.
So, without seeming to be whining, what do other owners use the Prime to do?
Jerry in Anchorage, Alaska
Undocked:
1. Random surfing
2. RSS reading
3. ebook reading (my #1 use)
4. Video watching
5. Email triage
6. XDA forum browsing
7. Light gaming
Docked:
1. Draft writing
2. Note taking in meetings, seminars, etc.
3. Responding in email
4. Posting to XDA forums
Undocked:
- browsing the web
- emails on the road or office or on the can
- some games
- Google maps and navigation
- check movie times
Docked:
- browsing the web
- documents and emails
- watch movies (MX Player is the best and NetFlix)
- transfer data from mini SD to micro SD to move files between laptop and Prime
I do video and music editing on the laptop still and if I am really getting down and dirty on writing emails or documents, I would switch to the laptop and use Word 2010. Other than that, I can't see myself using the laptop for anything and prefer the Prime as it also lasts 12 hours on the tablet alone and I have not done a full test on how long it lasts with the dock.
Just have to know what it can and cannot do and work with it. You sound like you need something a little more robust than a tablet. I wouldn't dare to think of doing any kind of video editing on the Prime or even music.
Porn. Basically just porn.
Heh, ok not really
Web surfing, email, games, watcing videos, etc. Normal stuff you would use a computer or laptop for.
Reminisce on what else I could have spent $500 on.
other than that:
Games
Web Browsing
Music
Movies
some word processing
Emails
Navigation (Oh wait thats right my prime has never seen a satelite, I dont think it knows what one is or what to even do with it if it found one) Thanks ASUS!
I think if you want to figure out whether or not a tablet is for you, it's best to consider exactly what makes a tablet different from a notebook. It's those differences that make the tablet much worse for some things, but much better for others.
They are:
1. Instant-on: tablets can be turned on and off instantly. That means they can be used for quick tasks like checking email where booting/waking a notebook is simply less convenient and/or less efficient.
2. Standby battery life: can sit there for days unused, which along with #1 makes them great for doing ad hoc stuff where often a notebook will often be out of power and need plugging in.
Note: Ultrabooks and Macbook Airs mitigate some of the advantages here, but I think even with those wake and standby times are still tablet strengths.
3. Form facter: tablets can be used in more settings and positions than notebooks. For example, lying on a couch or in bed, standing in line, etc.
4. Mobile OS: touch-based, relatively simple interface makes casual tasks easier and more pleasant. Modern tablet OSs provide a more natural interface for many things, getting rid of mice and trackpads for direct manipulation of on-screen elements.
These things combine to make tablets great for things that don't require a great deal of content creation (the Prime's keyboard dock changes that equation a bit when you're talking about raw data entry). No, they can't beat notebooks for heavy duty tasks, but then again that's not their strength: they're best for all the non-heavy-duty tasks we use computers for. If you stop and think about how you use a computer, I think you can probably come up with a good list of such tasks.
A tablet won't replace a notebook for many people, but it makes a great adjunct device. Even here at the office where I have a decent notebook (HP Envy 14), I still use my tablet for some things because it's more comfortable, efficient, and/or just more fun.
Pure entertainment:
games - Really diggin Blood and Glory right now
netflix
youtube
web searching
gmail
Haven't tried an ebook yet
To help transfer files use Dropbox. It has clients for Windows and Linux and mac and Android so very easy to move stuff around. Between that and having a freeNAS box that I can easily browse with es file explorer I have no troubles with it.
I personally use it mostly for Web browsing and forum posting. I also ssh into my university Linux system often to work on labs and whatnot. I do watch some video on it when bored and it's my primary email device.
Do you own another Android device with a GPS? Bluetooth2GPS is free and works fine between my Prime and Nexus.. solved my only 'slight' issue with the device
I run in performance at 1.5 with vc and I'm mainly in Browser -much easier to use with touch than on my notebook (Toshiba 16" i7) ive actually forgotten and touched the screen on that by accident!! just my preference I guess seems just as fast as Chrome on there. Facebook, Netflix, GTalk and Gmail ...also makes my notebook pretty much just for games now. Transferring files I simply hook up over USB and drag and drop... ASTRO or the native Asus file manager that came with it to mess with them once they are loaded.
rand4ll said:
To help transfer files use Dropbox.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Even better, add in Dropsync, to sync files locally. I do that so I have my important files synced but available when I'm offline.