If Asus released a keyboard dock without battery at a significantly lower price, would you buy it? It would still have the pathway to charge from the dock to tablet using the adapter but no battery inside to lengthen life or charge from dock using battery.
I would. But I'm not sure how much lower the price would be without the internal batteries. $50.00 is realistic? Basically this would be a product to combat the slew of bluetooth keyboards (that do not have batteries) that someone can pick up and pair with the Transformer. This would let owners purchased the official keyboard dock at a fraction of the price if they don't feel they would need the battery.
I like the whole "choice" idea, you either buy the dock and use it like a netbook or don't buy it and use it as a tablet. I think if they added the option of buying an extra battery or not that would be much better. Or hey, maybe if they made the keyboard dock with a battery compartment. You buy the keyboard and it doesn't come with battery, you have to buy one to put in there. I'm not sure if the battery in the existing dock is user-serviceable.
Tubular said:
If Asus released a keyboard dock without battery at a significantly lower price, would you buy it? It would still have the pathway to charge from the dock to tablet using the adapter but no battery inside to lengthen life or charge from dock using battery.
I would. But I'm not sure how much lower the price would be without the internal batteries. $50.00 is realistic? Basically this would be a product to combat the slew of bluetooth keyboards (that do not have batteries) that someone can pick up and pair with the Transformer. This would let owners purchased the official keyboard dock at a fraction of the price if they don't feel they would need the battery.
I like the whole "choice" idea, you either buy the dock and use it like a netbook or don't buy it and use it as a tablet. I think if they added the option of buying an extra battery or not that would be much better. Or hey, maybe if they made the keyboard dock with a battery compartment. You buy the keyboard and it doesn't come with battery, you have to buy one to put in there. I'm not sure if the battery in the existing dock is user-serviceable.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The keyboard would probably need to run on standard AA batteries and USB support (SD card too), probably won't exist either.
Would it then not become to much 'top-heavy'. I thought that part of the reason that the battery was also part of the keyboard, was because it would weight more.
PS. I like it that there is an extra battery in it.
not going to happen so pointless discussion
miguelantonio said:
not going to happen so pointless discussion
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Lol, hilarious!
Tubular said:
If Asus released a keyboard dock without battery at a significantly lower price, would you buy it?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No
[Insert Signature Here]
why not just get a bt keyboard then? around 50 bucks and no battery. i think the dock for 150 is still good price also considering the tablet is so cheap at 399. for 550 u get the whole package.
I wouldn't buy it. I like the battery.
I could see merit in have the docking functions you don't get with a bt kb at about the same weight. I could see the heavy "screen" being awkward on your lap.
The whole point of buying the Transformer is for its unique keyboard dock. It's not just the battery, the additions of touchpad, USB ports, and a SD card reader greatly expand the potential uses for the device. Asus allows you to use the tablet without the dock, but as an extra incentive to get you to buy it they omitted USB ports on the tablet, so you're basically stuck with buying iPad-style adapters for expandability.
Really if you just want a good Honeycomb tablet by itself, then the Acer Iconia is a better choice, since the included USB port allows you to set it down on the desktop dock and just hook up any old USB keyboard to it.
Def concur with the rest, the real crux (lame ipad joke) is the added functionality beyond the keyboard. The extra battery/memory/ports. Anyone can run a bluetooth keyboard or USB keyboard, this is about a more integrated device.
Speaking of I finally got mine off of Newegg last night. Yay!
I wouldn't get it.
Sent from my X10i using XDA Premium App
Related
It seems like the keyboard should be able to connect to the tablet via blue tooth when it's not connected to the tablet.
I wonder if there is anyway to mod it be a blue tooth keyboard?
There are times where it's nice to use the transformer as a tablet, but during that time the keyboard is totally useless.
Can the keyboard even be connected to the tablet via cable to use the battery but without having to hold up the extra bulk and such?
No, if you want a simple keyboard buy one. This dock is a dock, not simply an external keyboard. Bluetooth would just rape the battery on both and limit the functionality of it.
tazmeister said:
It seems like the keyboard should be able to connect to the tablet via blue tooth when it's not connected to the tablet.
I wonder if there is anyway to mod it be a blue tooth keyboard?
There are times where it's nice to use the transformer as a tablet, but during that time the keyboard is totally useless.
Can the keyboard even be connected to the tablet via cable to use the battery but without having to hold up the extra bulk and such?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In one word...No
There are lots of bluetooth keyboards you can find if you want one. As they say ...it is what it is.
I still use mine as a tablet. I usually plug the charger into the dock when I'm using it as a tablet only.
You can pick up bluetooth keyboards for cheap. Doesnt hurt to have several options.
LG G2x - Miui
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it's really diapointing to see how little thought went in to the few responses.
does this sort of lack of thought and imagination really epitomize the general population here?
has anyone heard of the idea of a dual or multi-use tool?
and what about an on/off switch for blue tooth?
oh well, dead topic at this point
Sent from my Transformer TF101 using xda premium
tazmeister said:
it's really diapointing to see how little thought went in to the few responses.
does this sort of lack of thought and imagination really epitomize the general population here?
has anyone heard of the idea of a dual or multi-use tool?
and what about an on/off switch for blue tooth?
oh well, dead topic at this point
Sent from my Transformer TF101 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
so you made a thread asking if people agree with your opinion; they don't, and you call them dumb?
Also, yes, we are the epitome of the general population (...lol, wut?)
but to answer your question, the keyboard could have been a Bluetooth keyboard as well as a dock. no one is denying that. could it have been better if it were, probably. would it cost even more, most likely. would the additional cost justify the very limited uses of bluetooth-mode (uses that can't already be accomplished by the dock, in a close-range configuration) ?
nope.
so in conclusion, no.
I think the dock should have bluetooth so the keyboard could be used even when the tablet is detached. It's a shame, they didn't think of it.
@finalhit - the dock already is overpriced. I think they could easily added bluetooth without changing the price.
Get an ipad. It's probably got the most number of choices for bluetooth keyboard.
IRT the topic title: no.
Why? The Bluetooth stuff is in the tablet. To use the keyboard dock undocked via Bluetooth would be a cool feature, even if the battery drain would surge.
Versus how much that feature would increase the cost of the dock, I don't think it is a good idea: versus letting people buy a seperate Bluetooth keyboard if they need that sort of thing. My Transformer's dock is a pretty cheap piece of equipment, few moving parts if you please. The most expensive thing is probably the battery/charging stuff.
$150 extra for the dock makes a very good ROI versus just getting a standard netbook or tablet.
Spidey01 said:
IRT the topic title: no.
Why? The Bluetooth stuff is in the tablet. To use the keyboard dock undocked via Bluetooth would be a cool feature, even if the battery drain would surge.
Versus how much that feature would increase the cost of the dock, I don't think it is a good idea: versus letting people buy a seperate Bluetooth keyboard if they need that sort of thing. My Transformer's dock is a pretty cheap piece of equipment, few moving parts if you please. The most expensive thing is probably the battery/charging stuff.
$150 extra for the dock makes a very good ROI versus just getting a standard netbook or tablet.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
agreed, why would i want to rape the dock which is essentially a back up battery? makes no sense
tazmeister said:
it's really diapointing to see how little thought went in to the few responses.
does this sort of lack of thought and imagination really epitomize the general population here?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, I thought about it. I just thought it was a stupid idea. I like the way the dock works now (actually, I should say my girlfriend does since she stole mine and I haven't used it in months).
Go into the hardware mod and do it yourself, I dont want to add $50 for a feature that would drain both batteries faster and I would never use. How hard is it to have the TF in the dock if you are using the dock? I dont see a need to have the TF across the room while typing on the keyboard dock.
Magnesus said:
@finalhit - the dock already is overpriced. I think they could easily added bluetooth without changing the price.
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Click to collapse
Been hearing this since day 1, asked for someone to produce evidence (or product) of something that does the same for less, still haven't seen one example. Only bad examples of USB keyboards that don't provide the USB host control, SD card reader, stand and 6 hour battery functionality (with pass through charging).
I'm sure it is possible with enough effort to take a Bluetooth keyboard, replace the bottom with a custom module that provides mounthing for hard drive, card reader, battery, etc; or perhaps fashion a custom USB 3 hub you can rig for docking+charging.
In the end, unless you're the kind the get hackish at a work bench (I wish I had one), just using the dock when you want a keyboard, is a good idea. Much further away then docked somewhat minimizes the utility of a TOUCHSCREEN as well, unless you go bluetooth rat as well.
I think most people don't understand what we want - the dock should work as intentended when attached but switch to bluetooth when detached (could be switchable to preserve battery). There is no reason it would be in any way worse than it is now. Cost - as I said, it's already overpriced, so adding bluetooth doesn't have to increase it.
What value do you see in doing it that way? From what I can think of, I'd still opt to just pay less for the dock.
I could see the dock having bluetooth when detached beneficial when the tablet is hooked to my TV and I want to control it from my couch and the tablet is across the room hooked to the TV. Does someone make a bluetooth remote that can do this?
Magnesus said:
I think most people don't understand what we want - the dock should work as intentended when attached but switch to bluetooth when detached (could be switchable to preserve battery). There is no reason it would be in any way worse than it is now. Cost - as I said, it's already overpriced, so adding bluetooth doesn't have to increase it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, we understand. We just dont agree with either the usefulness or your judgement about them being able to do it without any cost impact.
if its that easy put it in yourself.
The whole purpose of the dock is to bring netbook like functionality and portable to the tablet. Using the dock/keyboard with bluetooth would defeat that purpose. Imagine sitting on a bus or train and trying to support the tablet and use both hands to type on the keyboard. You wouldn't be able to do it, unless you have extra arms, but as far as I know, I only have two.
Same thing with connecting the dock to the tablet with a cable. Defeats the whole portability the Transformer was made for. Portability is one of the Transformer's major selling points. And let's be honest, do you really need 16 hours of life on your tablet? Mine is off the charger from 7 am to around 11pm when I go to bed, and since I hardly use it at school, it can still have 85% battery when I plug it back in.
---------- Post added at 10:14 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:07 PM ----------
Magnesus said:
I think most people don't understand what we want - the dock should work as intentended when attached but switch to bluetooth when detached (could be switchable to preserve battery). There is no reason it would be in any way worse than it is now. Cost - as I said, it's already overpriced, so adding bluetooth doesn't have to increase it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Again, Bluetooth defeats the whole point of the dock. The dock wasn't meant to be used detached from the tablet. If that's the case, Asus would've just installed a little touchscreen LCD where the touchpad is and let it run HC as well. That's like saying a car should be able to run on apple juice, even though they are built to run on gas -.-
You think a keyboard that gives you USB ports, an extra 9 hours of battery (?), and the ability to add another 128GB+ to your tablet is overpriced at $100? Wow.
jimbobalu said:
I could see the dock having bluetooth when detached beneficial when the tablet is hooked to my TV and I want to control it from my couch and the tablet is across the room hooked to the TV. Does someone make a bluetooth remote that can do this?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
FWIW I saw this and thought it might be useful to you; didn't have time to look at the thread very closely though!
I thought of the same thing and even posted this idea to the Design Team of Asus. But I didn't get a response.
It would be a brilliant idea. I even tried to connect a BT dongle and see if they could pair up. Didnt work.
Suppose I want to read a book and didn't fancy swiping across the screen - I could use the dock remotely and turn the pages.
That still makes little sense? Who reads a book on this thing without holding it in their hands or having it in their lap?
About the only scenario that has made any sense at all was the one using the TF to power the TV with the dock remotely connected but even then I doubt 99.999% of the users would ever do that (ive only even powered a TV twice. once to test and a second at a friends house to show them something).
Hi all, trying to decide which tablet to get. Hoping to get some honest unbiased opinions. I am coming from an IPad 1 which i loved. Also, I have the $100.00 off staples coupon, however I can NOT get the Asus at 100 off. Everywhere I checked in my area would not honor the coupon because Staples does not have it in stock, I can only get the xoom or Samsung 100.00 off. SO I know most of the pros and cons of each but most reviews that favor the Asus like it because of the price cut. I am going into this with all 3 the same price (only difference being I can get a 32gb xoom at the price of the 16gb asus and samsung)
ASUS 16gb - 399.99
What I like about the ASUS:
Screen I read is the best.
Mini HDMI
SD Card
Lots of mod potential
CONS:
heavier
proprietary cable that i can not find for sale anywhere
large frame.
less than quality build
I dont care about the dock, probably wont buy it.
XOOM - 32gb - 399.99
What I like about the XOOM
Updates first
quality build
SD card slot
HDMI out
no proprietary cable
lots of accessories
CONS:
not the best screen
heaviest
seems to be a little slower than the others (not as responsive)
not a huge mod community
Galaxy Tab - 399.99 16gb
Pros:
light
quality build
smaller frame
optional keyboard if I want
nice screen
fast/responsive
good mod community
CONS:
proprietary cable
no SD Card slot (huge)
no HDMI out
So with all that said, any opinions/suggestions would really help. Like I said I have the 100.00 coupon and I hate to not use it. So with it I can get all 3 for 399.99 BUT if I choose the Samsung, I would probably pay the 499.99 for the 32 gig (using the 100.00 off) since it has no SD card slot which REALLY SUX. Id be using the tab for movie watching a lot, lots of web browsing, and some EBOOK/PDF mag reading mainly with light gaming and light music listening.
I REALLY need some help.
Honestly I had the same thoughts and just went with the GTab. Since this comes straight from Google you dont have to worry about updates, this tab is their flagship right now so we get updates before anyone. Not having a SD Card slot hasnt been an issue either. Forgot to mention I bought one from Best Buy for retail price, then I found one on eBay for $600 with a screen protector and the dock, took the one back to Best Buy. Basically what Im saying is, you can find a great deal on eBay for a brand new GTab with extras like I did and still came out cheaper. If I decide to sell it, I can sell it for the same price, or a little cheaper because I didnt buy the extra $35 dock nor did I spend the $36 in store taxes.
Sent from my Galaxy Tab 10.1 using Tapatalk
EmceeGeek said:
Honestly I had the same thoughts and just went with the GTab. Since this comes straight from Google you dont have to worry about updates, this tab is their flagship right now so we get updates before anyone. Not having a SD Card slot hasnt been an issue either.
Sent from my Galaxy Tab 10.1 using Tapatalk
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Click to collapse
Actually the Xoom gets the updates first, not the GTab.
Anyway I had the Xoom, returned it for the Transformer, then returned the Transformer for the Galaxy tab 10.1. I will be keeping the 10.1 and love it.
The Xoom screen is TERRIBLE and it's way too heavy. And up until recently the Xoom was the most expensive tablet on the market, despite having the worst features.
The Transformer was just a big POS. Software was extremely slow on laggy, build quality was abysmal.
I have no need for microSD or HDMI so that was no big deal for me. what I wanted was a light tablet with a wonderful screen and high build quality. The Galaxy tab 10.1 is the only one that gives me that.
What the Xoom has going for it is that it is the first to get Honeycomb updates, and it's built like a tank (in a good way, meaning it's sturdy).
I would use the $100 Staples coupon and get the Galaxy Tab 10.1. Thankfully it is still shipping without Touchwiz, since I don't like how Touchwiz tries to make Honeycomb look like iOS (seriously Samsung, get off of Apple's nuts already, it's embarrassing).
I have both a TF and a Tab, I got the Tab from a local craigslist seller for $375 about a week before the coupon came out. I then got another Tab from Staples with the coupon for my son and he loves it. I didn't really need another tablet but I decided to try and get a TF from Office Depot for $299. The first OD wouldn't honor the coupon and the 2nd one I went to took the coupon with no hassle. I also bought the keyboard dock for the TF as well. I compared both tablets over the weekend and here are my thoughts:
- I had no build quality issues with the TF I got, it was put together great.
- I fried the TF on day 2 trying to root and install cwm so I had to exchange it for another one at OD. In my opinion the Tab is much easier to root and install custom roms but it may be just that I'm not familiar with the process on the TF.
- The screen on the Tab beats the TF hands down. The Tab has the best screen I've ever seen on a tablet, even nicer than my iPad.
- The size and form factor of the Tab is fantastic, again no comparison.
- The only thing the TF really has in it's favor is the built-in micro sd card slot and hdmi connector, plus the keyboard dock that provides a 2nd battery. For those advantages you are carrying a heavier tablet. I got the Samsung USB adapter from BB and now I can read micro sd cards on the tab. You wouldn't want to use the Tab with the USB adapter but you can copy files to/from the micro sd card into the Tab's internal memory so that helps overcome the 16gb. I liked the USB adapter so much I bought a 2nd one to keep at work, they are only $20 each. It works with every USB stick I tried and even my SD card reader with a 32gb SD card. So going on a trip I can load a bunch of movies onto a memory stick and copy them onto the Tab when I want to watch them and delete them when I'm done. The HDMI port is totally useless for me as I have no use case for plugging the tablet into my TV.
- The TF has serious charger issues. Asus is using a higher voltage than a standard USB port therefore it won't charge with any other USB adapter. This really sucks, and they are charging too much for a spare adapter if you can even find them. The Samsung uses a standard USB wall wart. You can plug it into any USB wall charger and it will trickle charge. It will have an "x" on the battery like it's not charging - but it is! It is slow charging, if you don't believe it, leave it connected all night and you'll be at 100% in the morning. I also purchased a little dongle adapter that tricks the Tab into going into real charge mode with any USB wall wart. I also have Samsung's USB car charger that I leave in my car and it charges everything, including the Tab and my iPhone. As far as I know Asus doesn't offer a car charger for the TF. The TF also won't work with standard USB extenders, you have to order special ones for USB 3.0, where the Tab works with any USB extender.
So at the end of the day the Tab is the winner....
w4rmk said:
I have both a TF and a Tab, I got the Tab from a local craigslist seller for $375 about a week before the coupon came out. I then got another Tab from Staples with the coupon for my son and he loves it. I didn't really need another tablet but I decided to try and get a TF from Office Depot for $299. The first OD wouldn't honor the coupon and the 2nd one I went to took the coupon with no hassle. I also bought the keyboard dock for the TF as well. I compared both tablets over the weekend and here are my thoughts:
- I had no build quality issues with the TF I got, it was put together great.
- I fried the TF on day 2 trying to root and install cwm so I had to exchange it for another one at OD. In my opinion the Tab is much easier to root and install custom roms but it may be just that I'm not familiar with the process on the TF.
- The screen on the Tab beats the TF hands down. The Tab has the best screen I've ever seen on a tablet.
- The size and form factor of the Tab is fantastic, again no comparison.
- The only thing the TF really has in it's favor is the built-in micro sd card slot and hdmi connector, plus the keyboard dock that provides a 2nd battery. For those advantages you are carrying a heavier tablet. I got the Samsung USB adapter from BB and now I can read micro sd cards on the tab. You wouldn't want to use the Tab with the USB adapter but you can copy files to/from the micro sd card into the Tab's internal memory so that helps overcome the 16gb. I liked the USB adapter so much I bought a 2nd one to keep at work, they are only $20 each. It works with every USB stick I tried and even my SD card reader with a 32gb SD card. So going on a trip I can load a bunch of movies onto a memory stick and copy them onto the Tab when I want to watch them and delete them when I'm done. The HDMI port is totally useless for me as I have no use case for plugging the tablet into my TV.
- The TF has serious charger issues. Asus is using a higher voltage than a standard USB port therefore it won't charge with any other USB adapter. This really sucks, and they charging too much for a spare adapter if you can even find them. The Samsung uses a standard USB wall wart. You can plug it into any USB wall charger and it will trickle charge. It will have an "x" on the battery like it's not charging - but it is! It is slow charging, if you don't believe it, leave it connected all night and you'll be at 100% in the morning. I also purchased a little dongle adapter that tricks the Tab into going into real charge mode with any USB wall wart. I also have Samsung's USB car charger that I leave in my car and it charges everything, including the Tab and my iPhone. As far as I know Asus doesn't offer a car charger for the TF. The TF also won't work with standard USB extenders, you have to order special ones for USB 3.0, where the Tab works with any USB extender.
So at the end of the day the Tab is the winner....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well said *golf clap*. I completely agree with this post and could not have said it better myself. I was kinda upset that I only got the 16gb model but after a few days I figure it really is not that big a deal. Everything that this post says about the adapter I was thinking as well. By the time I would fill up this 16gb model I may be ready to buy another one and pass this off to my wife and daughter for kid games/apps which they won't need much space for.
The way the GT feels in your hand is fantastic, if you want a laptop get a laptop, if you want a tablet get the GT or iPad (yikes I know) or BB Playbook since they are all portable tablets and feel great in your hands.
My take Galaxy Tap 10.1
All aside... OK the Motorola has the ports, however the galaxy has the add on and would do the same....Screen quality is far greater and overall construction including wait is a no brainier...
I am still Loving my Tab...What makes it better I have a two year warranty.
I think I'm sold on a G Tab. Thx u guys!
Also you can get knock-off USB cables for the Tab from eBay for like 3 dollars. I had the previous 7" tab and bought a bunch of generic USB cables from eBay and they work great on the Tab 10.1. Now I wouldn't recommend doing ROM installs with the knock off cables, but for charging and file transfering they work like a charm! By the way all the adapter stuff from the 7" Tab works great with the 10.1 model, including the car charger. And you can buy all the chargers/cables/etc. from any AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile store because they carry the 7" Tab.
Had the Asus Transformer and went throught 4 because i was convinced it was the tablet for me. When i took number 4 back, that is when i decided it was time to Tab. I swallowed the extra dollars and got the 32gb. I had purchased a 32gb sd card for the Asus and knew that was plenty roomy for media. So i decided to stick with the feeling of 'plenty of room.' The form factor difference is just crazy extreme. The Tab feels much better in the hands, which is where it is 90% of the time.
Accessory wise, Samsung has alot more out and its been on the market the least between the 3 mentioned. He Samsung keyboard dock is alot closer to full size compared to TF dock. I found myself aways having to disable the track pad on the TF and aim the fingers much more norrow. You will tyoe faster than the full touch keyboard, but not by much. The battery on the keyboard was only useful on the 3 new TF i had to update amd restore out of the box. They aways seemed to be low on battery out of the box. I think the keyboard battery suuplement would only be useful on extensive travel and use.
Lastly, yes the Xoom and Asus have ports. But what good is a tablet if its connected to something? It certainly isnt mobile. So to me the adapters make perfect sense. You only want that stuff once in a while. Why should you carry the extra bulk and weight with you all the time? You shed those ports and internal junctures and you have a tablet as light and thin as the GT. Add it when you need it and disconnect it when done. 32gb and 16gb are alot of space and if you managw what you really need vs want, you wont miss the expandable storage. There are also lines of wifi 500gb pocket drives with batteries. I truly think that will be the future vs sd card. Larger capacity and group sharing friendly. No more passing the stick around to copy.
All in all the GT is a great experience and youll only be disappointed if you just cant stand it that people have ports and you have an adapter.
Sent from my GT-P7510 using Tapatalk
I was just wondering if anyone has tried this keyboard and if it in fact does work. I am considering getting the Acase(TM) Ultra Slim Bluetooth Keyboard Stand from Amazon, but want to be VERY sure that it will work.
ANY feedback or thoughts would be a great help.
Thanks.
http://www.amazon.com/Acase-Bluetooth-Keyboard-Galaxy-Transformer/dp/B005GMTK4O/ref=sr_1_110?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1316613213&sr=1-110
Just from the basic idea, it seems kinda pointless. For 100 bucks you get 2 USB slots, 1 SD card slot AND (more importantly) doubles the battery life. The link is pretty useless since not only does it not have any of that but also it drains battery life since it has to connect via bluetooth.
Also, it might be lighter then the tablet which would be a pain in the ass. One of the best things about the asus keyboard is that since its heavy, the tablet doesn't tilt backwards if left alone on the desk.
Agreed. The keyboard already acts as a stand and....a keyboard. But this is android so I guess that's an option.
Currently I just have the tablet and have been thinking about buying the keyboard dock.
Is it worth $130? I currently have a laptop here at school, along with a desktop, and my tablet. My brother thinks it would be dumb to get the keyboard dock, because I would essentially have 3 computers.
Opinions?
I've heard people say that once you use the dock, you "almost" forget about using your other options. I just got my wife a TF101 and the dock for Valentine's Day and she doesn't want to use the tablet without the dock. I plan on picking up a dock for my Transformer soon because after playing with hers, I definitely need to have one. Hope that helps but at the end of the day, it's your decision and your wallet that's being affected.
I got both..
The question is
Is this replacing your laptop? If so i would say get a dock.. Its easier for me to type with the dock.. I only have it out the dock when going outside or gaming.
Other plus is the battery in the dock.
Just my 2cents.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I777 using xda premium
i thought i will get the dock play with it for a week and leave and idont its one of the best buys i had and consider the fact that here is costs 250 us dollars
ifind the dock a very good replacement for my other 2 laptops first of all its quite smaller than a mini laptop so its great for me to carry around
second the battery is awesome im working with it almost every day all day and the battery never died
even when im browsing the internet listening to music and downloading torrents
the time here is 18:20 right now im using it since around 4:30 i have 74 battery on dock
also it supports a few games so it nice to play with it
there are also 2 usb ports for DOK or xbox controller or ps3 controller for gaming
even some 3g dongles are supported
i pesonally find the dock one of the best buys for me
now it up for you to decide
p.s sorry for writing too much lol
You can never have enough computers
I bought the dock three days ago and am very pleased with it.
Typing is faster than the onscreen keyboard and battery life has doubled.
I also use it as a stand, so I don't have to use a case as a stand.
not sure if this has been answered before but can the dock charge other thing through usb like say a phone
i had the tablet for about 3 months without the dock and loved it. I got it about 2 months ago and its awesome. great build quality, battery is great, you can plug just about anything usb into it, thumb/hard drives, wireless mice, etc.
you wont use your laptop except to burn dvd's.
Hell, its great even to have as a charging station, its so easy to take on and off.
If you've got the money to spend, you wont regret it.
---------- Post added at 07:53 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:49 PM ----------
Ligerblue said:
not sure if this has been answered before but can the dock charge other thing through usb like say a phone
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Click to collapse
yes, when the tablet is on the dock it will charge phones etc.
if you remove the tablet it becomes useless, except to charge itself.
I agree with the other posters; the dock rocks! I use my tablet pretty much exclusively with the dock. With it the Transformer can easily replace a laptop.
One advantage I haven't seen mentioned yet (at least in this thread) is the dock also protects the tablet's screen, when they are folded together.
Hermit, when the transformer is folded into the keyboard dock, is it secured by some mechanism?
LeoBloom. said:
Hermit, when the transformer is folded into the keyboard dock, is it secured by some mechanism?
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its kinda like spring loaded. Its a very firm hold, it doesn't flap around or anything.
If thats what you mean,
if your talking about how the tf attaches to the dock, then there are two hooks on the dock that lock into the bottom of the tf. then you have to slide the switch over to get it out. again very secure and firm.
Get the dock! I bought tablet alone at first but after a two months I decided to get the dock - and it changed the whole game! More juice, easier typing when needed, usb ports, card reader, even (rom based) 3g dongle!
Deffinetely go for it!
BTW - since I got TF (and the dock later) I didn't touched my laptop more than few times!
Bought it yesterday and got it today (F'yeah Amazon Prime)
It's awesome! I don't know why I have a laptop now >_<
dock is really awesome
it looks and feels amazing with tab attached to it! and battery life is incredible
I have to agree with everyone's comments about the dock - and as to "replacing" or having an extra computer......I have a dual screen I7, TF101, a hand me down Toshiba Tecra running as a home server, and a now dead Asus Slate (still trying to fix).
I have a Dell Studio XPS laptop that always overheats and runs out of battery way too fast. It's great and all but not practical for school use. I don't get much time near a charger so it's annoying to lug around a dead laptop.
I bought the tf in my first semester of college and absolutely adored it. I used it for everything and used it all day to bring it home with still 60-70% charge. 6 months later I bought the dock and it's just the cherry on top. It works beautifully, it's small, it's fast, it does everything I need it to do (Web surfing, music, study, gaming) and last days without charging (Doesn't heat up at all, only a little tiny bit when charging)
My laptop now stays at home as my webserver as an alternative to buying another desktop.
It's all up to you if you're going to use it enough to pay the $130 for the dock.
I just got the dock yesterday and have to say, it is very nice indeed.. I have a question though.
How do the little doors/flaps hold up for the USB connectors? They seem a bit flimsy and I was wondering if anyone has had any problems with those?
Get the dock.
The Transformer is only as good as the other offerings (Xoom/Tab/iPad) without it. With it, it's the best tablet on the market bar none...
Sell one of your laptops to fund it
Just to echo what everyone else is saying,
When I first saw the TF at I think it was CES (or MWC) last year, I thought it was just another android tablet. Its got a keyboard? Great, iPad has stuff like that too, so whatever.
But then my friend got one in the summer AND IT FOLDS UP LIKE A LAPTOP?! Sold! AND ITS A BATTERY?! AND A TRACKPAD?! USB PORTS?!
Needless to say, I was incredulous. The keyboard I think is what sets it apart from everything else on the market (save the prime). You can have your galaxy tabs and your xooms and xyboards - have fun typing on them. Not to mention all the function keys along the top row with shortcuts for the browser, settings, volume, brightness, probably some other stuff.
And it probably wouldn't be the worst idea in the world to throw a sizable SD into the dock to supplement your storage.
I wouldn't wait a second to buy the dock. Best addition to a tab ever. So much easier to type and the screen is protected during travel. Only downside is the additional $$$ really.
The extra battery life alone makes the dock worth it. Since getting the dock, I've put my Macbook pro up for sale and am just using my tablet (use my media pc for everything else).
One thing I wish is that the trackpad worked more like a real mouse (ie. when you're trying to drag something on the screen (to select text or drag the screen of a flash window). Right now it just acts as though you are touching the screen with your finger. It's still a lot better though. I find myself using the touchscreen more than the trackpad though (unless I need to make more precise touches).
I have no regrets of getting the dock.
Be warned though, if you let the battery in the dock completely die, you will need to plug it into a 5V power adapter to get the tablet to communicate properly with the dock's battery (will show up as 0% even if it's fully charged). I just plug my USB cable into my USB-110V adapter for my blackberry for a few seconds and it's good to go again.
Would be cool and also who knows maybe we can make a custom plate or something and furthermore it would increase the weight of the Dock thus balancing the unit when docked.
Another thing (software wise) that Asus should perhaps focus on is making it available for the user to control the charge from the dock like instead of starting to charge at 70% it could charge at 50 or just any user defined setting.
Also it would be good to know if the Dock uses its own power source or power from the surfpad.
Any ideas? Would be cool to make the most out of our beloved (non-defective Primes, if one can ignore the GPS like me lol).
Cheers
Seems like I remember someone had modified a keyboard dock (possibly for a TF101 cause it was awhile ago) to accept a small hard drive...maybe a SSD. Can't remember if I saw it here or on the Prime Forum. Anyone else remember seeing this one? He had room inside for a hard drive can't see why it wouldn't have room for a battery instead...but probably not both.
Johnny0906 said:
Would be cool and also who knows maybe we can make a custom plate or something and furthermore it would increase the weight of the Dock thus balancing the unit when docked.
Another thing (software wise) that Asus should perhaps focus on is making it available for the user to control the charge from the dock like instead of starting to charge at 70% it could charge at 50 or just any user defined setting.
Also it would be good to know if the Dock uses its own power source or power from the surfpad.
Any ideas? Would be cool to make the most out of our beloved (non-defective Primes, if one can ignore the GPS like me lol).
Cheers
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---------- Post added at 11:57 PM ---------- Previous post was at 11:46 PM ----------
OK, I found the thread. The guy's name is goodintentions. It was a 500GB HD. And it was definitely in a TF 101.
Regarding a Prime he wrote: "I already tried it. The result was a failure. The TFP dock is simply too thin. The only way to make it work is if we use SSD instead of HDD. But for now, SSD costs an arm and a leg for any significant storage. Not worth it."
So I am assuming that he was using a small hard drive in the TF101 NOT a SSD. And I guess he meant that he couldn't shoehorn a 2.5" HD into the Prime's keyboard dock. Well yeah.
But if he can get an SSD into a Prime (as he seems to be suggesting) then maybe its possible to slip in an extra battery.
I would rather have the SSD then the battery but that's just me.
Won't know until you try.
http://www.laptop-battery-shop.com/...-p-3607.html?zenid=e8df8c3pdqb3askr966d3gvr45
bopfan said:
Seems like I remember someone had modified a keyboard dock (possibly for a TF101 cause it was awhile ago) to accept a small hard drive...maybe a SSD. Can't remember if I saw it here or on the Prime Forum. Anyone else remember seeing this one? He had room inside for a hard drive can't see why it wouldn't have room for a battery instead...but probably not both.
---------- Post added at 11:57 PM ---------- Previous post was at 11:46 PM ----------
OK, I found the thread. The guy's name is goodintentions. It was a 500GB HD. And it was definitely in a TF 101.
Regarding a Prime he wrote: "I already tried it. The result was a failure. The TFP dock is simply too thin. The only way to make it work is if we use SSD instead of HDD. But for now, SSD costs an arm and a leg for any significant storage. Not worth it."
So I am assuming that he was using a small hard drive in the TF101 NOT a SSD. And I guess he meant that he couldn't shoehorn a 2.5" HD into the Prime's keyboard dock. Well yeah.
But if he can get an SSD into a Prime (as he seems to be suggesting) then maybe its possible to slip in an extra battery.
I would rather have the SSD then the battery but that's just me.
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Well sure that sounds pretty cool too, but for me it would just be cool to have heavier batteries for obviously longer user time but also to add some more weight to the Dock itself.
When I have time im gonna attempt to open the dock very carefully
cheers
http://www.laptop-battery-shop.com/...-p-3607.html?zenid=e8df8c3pdqb3askr966d3gvr45[/QUOTE]
Nice find!
But are they the same dimensions as the TF201?
Where could one find out what sort of batteries are already in the dock? Would be useful.
Cheers
Johnny0906 said:
http://www.laptop-battery-shop.com/...-p-3607.html?zenid=e8df8c3pdqb3askr966d3gvr45
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Click to collapse
Nice find!
But are they the same dimensions as the TF201?
Where could one find out what sort of batteries are already in the dock? Would be useful.
Cheers[/QUOTE]
I doubt there is much variation between the batteries in the tf101 dock and the batteries in the transformer prime. From what I understand asus was originally planning on placing speakers in the dock but punked out, the room is still there. With some rearranging it may be possible to fit multiple batteries in the dock.
I found that image in my search for suitable batteries to use for an external battery to go in my bag that charges the prime. Not using that one because 3300mah won't be much of an increase, likely going with 9600mah.