Related
Before we were so rudely interrupted in the original thread, we were discussing the G1 hardware keyboard replacements. Please folks, if you must flame each other do it via PMs to avoid locking legitimate threads.
I've been able to find some inexpensive after market replacements on eBay, but still am not sure how difficult it is to actually do that. All the sites I've been able to find on the subject only provide time-lapse dis-assembly instructions of the entire phone. If anyone has done the replacement themselves, I'd greatly appreciate pointers on how to keep my phone operational after I put it back together.
I replaced the white keyboard in my Dream with a black one. It was a scary operation as it takes a bit of force to dismantle. I accidently pulled my antenna off and disconnected a flylead. ment my phone had no signal at all. later when i got home (did it in work ) i took it apart again and fixed it.
Take your time and have patience, alot of it is plastic and clipped together so requires a bit of force.
May I ask what is wrong with the keys on the bronze one? I did a quick skim of the old post and gather that you can't see the keys in daylight but I don't get why?
I'm just genuinely interested, I have a black G1 so never had such a problem.
brummiesteven said:
May I ask what is wrong with the keys on the bronze one? I did a quick skim of the old post and gather that you can't see the keys in daylight but I don't get why?
I'm just genuinely interested, I have a black G1 so never had such a problem.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's the combination of silver keys with light-silver backlight that make the lettering almost impossible to see in day light conditions. I'd take a picture if I had a camera with me today. Whoever came up with that color combination should be fired. Or at least made to stare at it every day for the next year. I have to tilt the keyboard at a weird angle just to distinguish the letters. From what I understand the white G1s suffer from the same problem.
The "Backlight Off" app definitely helps as it lets you toggle the backlight with a keyboard shortcut. I'm looking for a more hardware solution though.
I've been thinking about changing keyboards and housings too. But from what ppl are saying it seems to be pretty exhaustive. Do any of you guys have the service manual? I DL'ed it from somewhere and it goes through each step of disassembly and also shows assembly. I'm sure it would help out to give an idea of what you need. But like I said, even having read the service manual, it's still quite scary.
A full housing from my understanding is a bitc(....doing the KB I can see why. The LCD portions look ridiculously complex in comparison to other phones.
That said if you have the proper tools , good organization or memory , steady hands and patience really shouldnt be "that" tough to do the keyboard.
Heres the thing. Its really not that hard to unscrew things etc...but the piece you need to move in order to get proper access to the KB has 2 ribbons that are a PAIN IN THE ASS to take off and put back properly. Theres so little room for error.If youve never worked with ribbons before BE CAREFUL.
I will say G1 is pretty unique in how its put together , I swear they were determined to make it as complicated as possible
The really pain in the ass part is that the online manual/guide will merely tell you something like "remove part A" but no explanation how. Theres also 2 screws I swear it glossed over leading to frustration when I did the trackball/front keys.
Torx 5 and really good mini screw driver are mandatory.
Nice lil workstation is really helpful..(masking tape ,towel , table lamp or LED headlamp , vitamin/pill cases etc)
Im no mechanical engineer but Ive opened up damn near everything Ive ever owned at some point. Took me a solid 3 hours from start to finish. With major time spent on organizing the screws pieces and those damn ribbons.
I will say the black KB makes a HUGE difference. Black key on the front arent necessary but do look better and add much needed contrast.
KOF33 said:
I will say the black KB makes a HUGE difference. Black key on the front arent necessary but do look better and add much needed contrast.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Pics, or it didn't happen
Thanks for the tips!
Chahk said:
Pics, or it didn't happen
Thanks for the tips!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As you can see I also replaced the trackball with a glowing white one.
lol at the trackball
doing a case swap is only bad the first time LMAO. I learned a lot, like for example the brass inserts that the screws go into...are not pre-installed. You must CUT Them out of the old housing and HAMMER them into the new oneBut in the end, it turned out very nice.
As far as just replacing the keyboard, it isnt too bad actually once you know what screws hold what down!
-Remove the 6 torx screws for the back housing
-GENTLY pry open the TOP of the casing with a plastic case tool, work your way down to the bottom of the housing. The bottom is a PITA to remove. I usually get it by rocking it gently back and forth
-remove the long and short coax leads from the motherboard side. swing them out of the way
-peel back the tape and GENTLY pull the bottom connector (mouthpiece module) from the motherboard.
-peel back more tape and lift the latch for the keyboard connector (the one on the side)
-Peel the camera module up SLOWLY (it is double side taped down) as well as the imei card. The cam cable is routed under it, lift it all as a unit. When you get to the motherboard, STOP
-Now, gently twist the whole camera and motherboard unit as a whole until it is free of the latch on the side. Gently lift the camera end exposing the 2 small ribbon connectors on the bottom.
-Peel back the tape and GENTLY lift the ribbon connectors out of the board. Place the motherboard/camera unit to the side for now.
-Remove all the black and silver screws for the metal piece. The lcd should stay in place as the mouthpiece plastics kinda hold it for you, but you should still support it to keep from hurting the connections.
-Viola, keyboard access. Remember when you put it back together be sure to re-tape all the connections, else when you drop your phone one of them may pop loose.
Keeping the motherboard and camera/imea plate all as one module saves you from a very difficult connection and will help you keep everything aligned when reassembling it.
I guess the spacebar has 2 functioning buttons, (left and right) ... well my right side just konked on me, and i was wondering if a replacement keyboard off ebay will fix this, or are they just the button "covers"?
the "buttons" are just plastic nubs that make contact on a board behind it. That board would be what you need. I dont know if there are any on eBay, but I have a spare one if you want to PM me for details.
I dropped my G1 about 6 months ago and was devastated. After entirely too much research I finally got the guts to purchase a replacement digitizer and managed to install it successfully. However, in the process I managed to rip the LCD ribbon cable. I then had to order a replacement LCD screen. I've also damaged one of the black ribbon cables pretty severely causing the touchscreen to become unresponsive sporadically. I've just placed an order for one of those ribbon cables and will hopefully have that up and running soon. I've also purchased an entire new housing unit to rebuild the phone to make it look as new.
Now when I first took this thing apart I was by NO MEANS an expert or have ever done something like this before. I'm just an avid enthusiast who wanted to save a little money, feel a sense of accomplishment and to learn a few things along the way. I technically paid nearly the same amount of money it would have cost me to send the unit to HTC for repair, however i've learned everything there is to know about my phone's hardware. I know which board does what and are extremely confident about fixing ANY hardware problem in the future.
If you have the time, patience, and truly want to become confident about the workings of your phone, then I highly recommend fixing it yourself. I've bought my parts for VERY cheap off of reputable ebay buyers. You can find EVERY single piece for your phone on Ebay. My LCD has 1 dead pixel, but I guess that's the risk you take when you buy really cheap parts.
Hope this helps.
Hi,
Is anyone elses Prime have problems with creeky, lifting glass either to the right of the charger slot or the area with the volume adjuster? I don't want to send it to Asus to have it "Repaired" just for having creeky glass but I'm tempted (I can't send it back to Gamestop as I live in the UK). Do you think blasting it with a heat gun/Hair Dryer and pushing down on it will fix it?
Thanks, and nice forum .
ya I also have it next to the volume thing and near my camera I don't know if I should return it or send it to get repaired.
Not so far... Mine has no problems at all.
Was it this way when you received it?
Just noticed this yesterday to the right of the Volume control on mine. This is my second Prime as the first one had a faulty MicroSD slot but no other defects. I wonder if I can take it back to Gamestop (again) or will I have to deal with ASUS directly.
dmaple5495 said:
Not so far... Mine has no problems at all.
Was it this way when you received it?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It wasn't anywhere near as bad, at least not to the right of the charger slot. It is about a 2" by 1.5" rectangle that goes down by about 1 or 2mm when pushed down on it. I said if it gets any worse I'll send it to ASUS but I don't want to spend up to weeks without it because of this.
Do you reckon attempting to heat the adhesive with a hair dryer could cause damage to the screen/glass?
I have it too!
Just wanted to let you know that I also have the same issue. I noticed it first by the 2 inch section of bezel to the right of the dock arrow, and just noticed it by the volume keys after you pointed it out to me. I have pondered exchanging it with Best Buys, but I wondered if this was unreasonable. Any fixes or suggestions anybody? Thanks!
BrianMigs said:
Just wanted to let you know that I also have the same issue. I noticed it first by the 2 inch section of bezel to the right of the dock arrow, and just noticed it by the volume keys after you pointed it out to me. I have pondered exchanging it with Best Buys, but I wondered if this was unreasonable. Any fixes or suggestions anybody? Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I noticed it to the right of my charger port a week or so ago.
Makes a light creak noise when pushing on it. Not an area I really touch, but annoying all the same. Living in Australia, not going to RMA (yet at least), and can't send it back to B&H anyway.
Havn't noticed it get any worse.
How long would an RMA from Asus take? I would prefer to do an in-store exchange, but none of the Best Buys around me have Primes in stock. Also, what store is B&H? It doesn't sound familiar.
I thought it was only me having the problem to the right of the charger port. In this case it's probably a widespread issue that's due to there being no support underneath the glass.
I've go this problem too. Mine is right above the speaker and, to a lesser extent, above the volume rocker. The one above the speaker seems to be getting worse, probably because I can't stop myself from repeatedly pressing on the f***ing thing...
I also have some light bleed at the top of my screen, so what I'm going to do is wait until near the last day of Best Buy's extended Holiday return period (1/24) then go swap it out in-store. Hopefully by then they will have stock so I won't have to be tablet-less for any length of time.
Mine has light bleed down the right side of the screen, and the ride side of the tablet appears to be slightly raised. I can literally push the glass flush against the underbody. So yes, I have the same problem.
It is weird, it just feels a bit loose on the right hand side.
One thing I did notice is that it appears the Touch Glass is attached to the Back Panel with a rubbery adhesive or a rubber "filter" type thing. It almost reminds me of a gasket or something. So maybe it was actually designed to have some give since you will always be touching and pressing on the glass. However, I would expect that rubbery adhesive was intended to let the screen move a little in as you push it, but not somewhat push the screen away from the Back Panel.
Mine creeks where the time/notifications are in the bottom right of the screen
Is anybody willing to try heating up the screen a little bit with a hair dryer and then pressing the screen down until it dries/cures again?
I know when Anandtech.com described their teardown of the Prime, they used this method (hair-dryer/heat-gun) to get the screen off. He said he was able to put everything back together after he took it apart (I'm sure he has lots of experience though). Maybe this could actually be a really simple solution?
Having the same issue here guys. Just noticed it last night-I bought mine from Office Depot and I went and exchanged it right away. I opened my new one and it has the same issue. From what I am reading here it looks like it's a wide-spread issue and almost everyone has it.
I was wondering the same thing-how can I glue it to the back panel so it doesn't move. Mine has it above the speaker and a little bit on the other side where the volume keys are.
Any ideas on how to fix it?
Thanks.
BrianMigs said:
Is anybody willing to try heating up the screen a little bit with a hair dryer and then pressing the screen down until it dries/cures again?
I know when Anandtech.com described their teardown of the Prime, they used this method (hair-dryer/heat-gun) to get the screen off. He said he was able to put everything back together after he took it apart (I'm sure he has lots of experience though). Maybe this could actually be a really simple solution?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There is abthred in the general section on disassembling the Prime and they say not to heat up the unit since the screen isn't glued in it is dual tape of some sort. I am having the same issue and already exchanged mine-have the issue on the new unit too. Not sure if I should try to exchange it again...no fix yet, that I am aware of at least
Sent from my LG-P999 using xda premium
I got myself a prime last week, promptly ordered a keyboard because nobody had one in stock and I didn't feel like paying a $70 dollar premium on amazon to get it in the future anyway, and received the dock yesterday.
Electrically, the dock seems fine - all of the keys work, it charged normally, it's discharging normally, etc. - but it appears to have a physical deformity at the front of the unit. I took a picture of the unit to demonstrate... unfortunately, as some of you are no doubt aware, taking close-focus pictures of smallish things with an android camera is a little tough. Still, see attached image for the illustration. Note the gap between the rubber stopper and the fact that you can see the palm rest surface despite looking at the tray head on.
The question is, of course, "is this normal?" Does anyone else have a warped dock? It seems like the trackpad buttons don't quite click as easily as I think they should, but I don't have anything to compare it to. None of the local Best Buy stores have a dock on display, either.
[edit]I started this thread in the wrong forum and moved it here, then forgot to attach the file. Here's a link to an imgur-hosted copy:
http://i.imgur.com/Bn0la.jpg
nurrwick said:
I got myself a prime last week, promptly ordered a keyboard because nobody had one in stock and I didn't feel like paying a $70 dollar premium on amazon to get it in the future anyway, and received the dock yesterday.
Electrically, the dock seems fine - all of the keys work, it charged normally, it's discharging normally, etc. - but it appears to have a physical deformity at the front of the unit. I took a picture of the unit to demonstrate... unfortunately, as some of you are no doubt aware, taking close-focus pictures of smallish things with an android camera is a little tough. Still, see attached image for the illustration. Note the gap between the rubber stopper and the fact that you can see the palm rest surface despite looking at the tray head on.
The question is, of course, "is this normal?" Does anyone else have a warped dock? It seems like the trackpad buttons don't quite click as easily as I think they should, but I don't have anything to compare it to. None of the local Best Buy stores have a dock on display, either.
[edit]I started this thread in the wrong forum and moved it here, then forgot to attach the file. Here's a link to an imgur-hosted copy:
http://i.imgur.com/Bn0la.jpg
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
When mine is closed, the lid touches the rubber bumper on the keyboard which is what I would expect. Yours doesn't seem to close properly.
Thanks - that's what I suspected. It contacts the two rubber pads on the sides, so this poor thing is the victim of a god-knows-what. The box was completely undamaged so I guess someone sat on it at the factory.
Obviously anyone else that wants to weigh in is welcome to do so - on this topic, anyway, I don't recommend actually weighing in on the keyboard dock because I guess it will bend.
Yep, looks bent, as if it was laying on a soft rocking chair, couch or something undocked and someone sat on it. You could take your knee to the back of it with a hand on each side and try to bend it back You may end up with a creased unit afterward though... I'd send it back as a return and try to find one somewhere else.
My keyboard dock also came with a slight bend to it (from a UK Grey BC0KAS batch). I didn't notice it at first, but when I put the keyboard on a flat surface when closed, it wobbled. Towards the back the centre of the metal was coming into contact with the table, so the rubber feet were slightly raised.
I was able to gently apply pressure, using a soft cloth, to the metal around this area and correct this so it's not really noticeable now.
Also, when the tablet is docked, and closed, there is a slightly larger gap on the right side between the screen and keyboard than the left. It makes contact with all 3 rubber pads, but it's definitely there.
I'm still contemplating returning the whole lot to Comet, as I have 3 stuck pixels, and have been experiencing poor WiFi and some crashes.
Quality control definitely could have been better here.
SO! I went to another Best Buy that actually had docks in stock, did an exchange, and the second dock is bent as well. That said, the buttons on the trackpad actually click easily on this unit, so I think I'm going to keep it especially given how difficult it is to find anything with a TF-201 in its model number in stock.
It'd be interesting to see how many docks have warping or if it's supposed to be there. I guess it could be Asus' way of giving us space to fit our fingers in to open the unit...
Turns out mine was slightly bent too. I never would have noticed had it not been for this thread... Lol, anyway...mine was bent slightly in the middle. The middle rubber stopper didn't touch when cosed. It is really, really easy to bend this though...i just put pressure in the middle from behind and pushed slightly and the gap has disappeared.
I don't have the dock yet but this will be on my new dock QC checklist when I do get one. I'm not planning on getting one for a while so hopefully stuff like this will be ironed out by Asus and stocking levels are better. I'm thinking August (my birthday).
Hi all,
Today I suddenly noticed a click sound when putting my keyboard on the side and I found out that the case on the side of the hinge would come apart with little force.
It is easily replicated when you push the hinge push the hinge to the bottom and while holding the back case.
The problem is shown on the video below,
http://youtu.be/XS9zTEvvbzk
now, is it normal ? it seems like there are no screws holding that part together so it seems like it is bound to happen!
--------------------------------------
For the Fix
--------------------------------------
Just curious, how long have you had the dock? And how often do you connect and disconnect the prime from the dock?
My guess (and it's just a guess) is that the chassis on the edge uses snaps to keep the plate seams together. If this is true then it could be that something caused the snaps to break.
From what you're showing in the video, it definitely does not seem normal to me. I'm really hesitant to reproduce the issue with my own dock, so hopefully someone else in the forums whose had experience opening up the keyboard will provide some insight. In the meantime, if I were you, I would avoid any actions that would forcefully pry apart the chassis edge like that; it could aggravate the problem.
like i said, I barely need to use any force at all, just a a very small push.
I also figure out that the position of the hinge makes a difference as well.
If the hinge is in the "closed" position (imagine tablet docked with screen closed), it will not snap open.
it's when the hinge is opened up, the problem appears.
oO_SwooP_Oo said:
My guess (and it's just a guess) is that the chassis on the edge uses snaps to keep the plate seams together. If this is true then it could be that something caused the snaps to break.
From what you're showing in the video, it definitely does not seem normal to me. I'm really hesitant to reproduce the issue with my own dock, so hopefully someone else in the forums whose had experience opening up the keyboard will provide some insight. In the meantime, if I were you, I would avoid any actions that would forcefully pry apart the chassis edge like that; it could aggravate the problem.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Anyone ?
just a yes or no so I can try to return it !
babadudu said:
Anyone ?
just a yes or no so I can try to return it !
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Two weeks ago I started having this same problem. The slightest pressure pops it right back together. I don't know that I'll bother to return it. I would assume there is a good chance they all do, and that it may have something to do with the way we insert it and remove it from the dock.
I just noticed this problem the other day. It does it about half way when opening or closing. Kinda like the pins of the hinge push it open just a little.
Sent from my Transformer Prime TF201 using XDA Premium HD app
looks like it's not just me then, i am baffled that they didn't design screws to keep it together......
I have the same issues. The dock is generally just not well made. the back panel is too flexible, it pops open at the edges, and Ive noticed the hinges have gotten looser, and have a dead spot now, where the tablet can flap back and forth, similar to most laptops.
Same problem here. Just went to the shop on saturday and they sent it to Asus. Don't know yet, what happens.
Bought the prime about 10 weeks ago, so they don't want to exchange it without sending in here in Germany. I just wish there'd be ASUS-stores like Apple stores, where this would have been handled more easily...
As someone who has taken their dock apart to see what makes it tick i know there are several hidden screws inside the dock part of the keyboard (under a black sticker, hard to see or find if your not looking) that help hold the hinge together. i found my screen protector was adding pressure on the dock and removed some of the material so everything fit better tho after doing what i did i dont really recommend it to others.
I too am rather unimpressed with the construction of the dock however im not going to worry too much about it, if it gets too flimsy for my liking ill just take it apart again and tighten things up again.
I had this once but i just pressed it toghether slightly and it never happened again.
Pileot could you make a small video or take pictures of the screws you did tighten to make it better?
This just happened to me last night and I'm very deeply saddened.
I take the tablet out of the dock about once every two days, Max. I've had the dock for 12 days now. C1OKA to start the S/N. Amethyst. Bought it from Amazon 3/2.
No screen protector, no added weight. I noticed it happened when I grabbed the dock with the tablet open by the Asus sticker on the keyboard, with my hands on both side of the touchpad.
Entire backend popped open, both hinges, and alongside the bacl under the tablet slide.
Im going to see if Amazon will take it back and exchange otherwise Asus will get my backend fixed.
Any ideas to those of you who have opened it that will keep it in place? i don't want to put tape on it. But i understand the weight of the tablet in the dock fully extended changes the center of gravity putting more pressure on the bottom of the dock and if it only has tabs that is the reason it is popping open.
No breaks cracks scratches damage of any kind.
I too have a clicking dock.
Got the same problem with mine. It's only a month old and it seems to be the way I hold it whilst docked. I tend to hold it one handed by the black sticker whilst opening it with my left hand. Gonna send it to asus for a repair as it seems the catch as snapped. ANOTHER desgin floor.
Is there not a screw underneath the rubber ?
Sent from my Transformer Prime TF201 using xda premium
My docking station was also having this issue. THere's screws under the rubber feet of the dock. I had to tighten both screws near the hinge down and that resolved the hinge splitting. Who knows if it'll happen again, but it's a pretty simple fix.
Hi,
No issues with the dock whatsoever, however I did notice that at a 45degree angle the prime just closes by itself. Not sure if it was like that from the beginning but it seems like opening and closing does loosen the hinges hold a bit.
Anyone experienced this?
Hinge FIX
I meant to write this a few weeks ago.
So I have a C3 keyboard....My C1 from Amazon worked great for 13 days...then it "popped" at the hinge and i was like...oh ****...
In the pictures you can see where it pops and the hinge came apart.
What I found was the little old chinese lady who put these together on that specific day must have had a serious case of Arthritis....when i examined underneath the rubber feet, both screws on both sides were completely unscrewed. I got the right sized 6 star driver, popped the hinge back together (especially underneath the hinge-release area in the middle of the keyboard), and screwed them in but didn't overtighten. I checked to make sure the dock wouldn't pop out again by placing tablet in and holding it on both sides of the trackpad and it didn't pop open. Voila! Put a dollup of rubber cement on pads, stuck them back on, and let it dry. Happy again! I hope this works for you guys.
edit: screws are Phillips head, not 6 star. opened rest of dock with 6 star (not necessary for this fix); sorry for confusion. PS super glue works well too if no rubber cement
Your images are dead.
And they're back.
Perfect, thank's a lot. I had the same problem, and your solution worked 100% for me as well.
Hi all,
I'm just about to RMA my dock. The top and bottom halves are starting to separate and the hinge is getting looser and looser.
I've already emailed tech support and they have suggested user error - IE I'm forcing the tablet into the dock too hard! I will assure them that this is NOT the case!
I'll see what the tech guys say when I RMA it but I have to admit i'm more than a little disappointed.
Has anyone else on here noticed anything similar?
i have not seen this on mine, BUT i can see how this would happen. it honestly does not seem to have anything to do with pushing it in to hard. but more so with pushing it in when it is not aligned corretly.
it will slowely pull the hinged area apart over time, me and my mother both have the prime and dock. and she is not heavy handed at all but hers started to do the same thing yours is doing. after having her show me how she instered it into the dock. i noticed that she was not looking at the angle of the hinged area and just pushing softly until she would find the right angle for it to slide in. and as she was pushing softly the hinged area would move and seperate from just wiggling the prime till it fit in.
not saying that you doing this, but that seemed to be the cause of her dock starting to do what yours is doing. so i had to show her a better way of visually aligning the prime and dock so it would just slide in.
thats my OP anyway. hope that it gets fixed bruh
I have notice that mine pops apart if I pick it up by the front right corner. I do not mean that I am grabbing the very edge of the corner, I am merely picking it up as I would a netbook or other similar device. When I do this the dock pops apart at the USB port and along the back behind the hinge. You can tell the dock bends when it happens. It seems to be that the dock can not hold up to the weight of the tablet. I have only had this happen twice as I now make sure to pick it up with both hands. There is no damage since it just pops back together but one has to wonder how they can charge $150 for something that is so cheaply made. I will not be sending it back but I am still a little disappointed. Functionality is still great and I am still happy with the product, just wish I didn't have to be careful of how I pick it up.
While it probably could have been assembled better, I can only imagine RMA is going to consider this Customer Induced Damage and want to charge you more than the dock is worth by the time all is said and done. Good luck though.
Yatyas said:
I have notice that mine pops apart if I pick it up by the front right corner. I do not mean that I am grabbing the very edge of the corner, I am merely picking it up as I would a netbook or other similar device. When I do this the dock pops apart at the USB port and along the back behind the hinge. You can tell the dock bends when it happens. It seems to be that the dock can not hold up to the weight of the tablet. I have only had this happen twice as I now make sure to pick it up with both hands. There is no damage since it just pops back together but one has to wonder how they can charge $150 for something that is so cheaply made. I will not be sending it back but I am still a little disappointed. Functionality is still great and I am still happy with the product, just wish I didn't have to be careful of how I pick it up.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I suspect that this is the case - the tablet and dock have always been correctly aligned and no excessive force has been applied to the dock mechanism.
I've cancelled the RMA as ASUS wont tell me what the charges might be for sending the dock in. however its being UPS'd from the UK to Czech Republic so i cant imagine it would be cheap.
I've put up with all the issues so far, but this is the last straw for me. Tablet is great but build quality sucks big time. No more ASUS products for me