OK, so I tried the unit in the car and placed on the passenger seat. It received a signal but keep losing it. I then moved it closer to the dash by the radio and it kept the signal much better. The third scenario was I placed it lying down on the dash and it kept the signal with no problem, or loss of signal.
Conclusion on the GPS is that it is definitely better with ICS update but a stand alone GPS it is not, unless it is mounted on your win shield with some type of Mount. Problem is that it then blocks a good potion of your view.
Here is a link to the video I shot this afternoon during my drive to test the GPS function. Please dont atempt this on your own... I am a profesional http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dCFoo_jMWOE&feature=youtu.be
Standing in my yard it locks on a signal within 20-30 seconds and grabs 11-13 Sat's and locks on 10-12 of them.
Now that GPS does work it makes it much more difficult to return, except that it has some minor screen bleed on the upper right side of the screen. Other than that the tablet is amazing with the update. Desisions, desisions
Two observations...
1) Your route was a short straight line. There are algorithms in most GPS s/w to compensate for signal loss. A straight line doesn't show how well the Prime was actually keeping up with the satellites.
2) The jumping and stuttering of the arrow signifying your position would indicate loss of signal.
There are some videos posted of a G-Tab using CoPilot. You'll see the difference.
Who on earth would use their tablet for a turn for turn navigation? Dont you have a smart phone? The only thing I would want GPS for is weather etc which probably wouldnt need too much of a signal
DroidHam said:
Who on earth would use their tablet for a turn for turn navigation? Dont you have a smart phone? The only thing I would want GPS for is weather etc which probably wouldnt need too much of a signal
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I do. And I'm tired of people that don't questioning why anyone else would. You do whatever you want. Nav s/w makers wouldn't be offering tablet-ized versions of their products if people weren't buying them.
It was meant to show people that the tablet did lock a signal. It wasn't a trip to Canada. I had absolutely no lock on Satellites before the update not in my yard and most defiantly not in my car. Now it locks without any issues, both in my car and in my yard. Some my find the information useful while others may not. Do with it as you wish.
BarryH_GEG said:
I do. And I'm tired of people that don't questioning why anyone else would. You do whatever you want. Nav s/w makers wouldn't be offering tablet-ized versions of their products if people weren't buying them.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So your telling me you put your tablet on your dash and look at it? What kind of phone do you have? And how is your vision?
I don't use it as to Navigate, it was just to demonstrate that after the ICS update I was able to lock on to a signal. Before the update I had Nada.
DroidHam said:
So your telling me you put your tablet on your dash and look at it? What kind of phone do you have? And how is your vision?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Its turn by turn with voice prompt. Turn left on XXX. In 1/4 mile turn right onto xxx. You do not have to actually watch the screen. I do not see what issue people have with the concept of someone using a Tablet for GPS. When I had a Xoom I put it on the passenger seat and listened to the prompts.
BarryH_GEG said:
I do. And I'm tired of people that don't questioning why anyone else would. You do whatever you want. Nav s/w makers wouldn't be offering tablet-ized versions of products if people weren't buying them.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Barry, you are a vast minority. Face it. If you have such issues, deal with it. Sick of you incessantly *****ing, over about your issue. Thread after thread after thread. Please return it and move along.
I could give 2 craps about my GPS, but it works fine for me. My 4.6" screen on my phone is fine, when I don't want to use the nav in my car. 10" is ludicrous for my need as an in car van unit.
Thank you OP for your test that was summarily dismissed by some certain people.
Sent from my Transformer Prime TF201 using xda premium
rz22g said:
Its turn by turn with voice prompt. Turn left on XXX. In 1/4 mile turn right onto xxx. You do not have to actually watch the screen. I do not see what issue people have with the concept of someone using a Tablet for GPS. When I had a Xoom I put it on the passenger seat and listened to the prompts.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What kind of phone do you have?
DroidHam said:
So your telling me you put your tablet on your dash and look at it? What kind of phone do you have? And how is your vision?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I use it when I travel, both here and in Europe.
Here are the reasons:
1) The larger screen real estate gives you a greater view of where you are and what's upcoming.
2) Tablet nav s/w has a split view making turns and expressway exits easier to navigate.
3) The tablet's battery will go five times longer than my i9100's.
4) Tablets have better GPS chips and antennas than phones and (not in this case) get and keep a signal better.
5) My phone's free to use as a media player and to take BT calls.
6) I don't drain my phone's battery.
I have a stand for it with a thin bean bag bottom and it sits on the passenger seat unless I'm with someone and then they hold it.
I'm not justifying myself to you, but some might be curious what the benefits are. And I really don't care whether others use their phone, stand-alone GPS, a compass, a sextant, or Citgo maps.
NO problem, thanks for your input.
Bimboy said:
Barry, you are a vast minority. Face it. If you have such issues, deal with it. Sick of you incessantly *****ing, over about your issue. Thread after thread after thread. Please return it and move along.
I could give 2 craps about my GPS, but it works fine for me. My 4.6" screen on my phone is fine, when I don't want to use the nav in my car. 10" is ludicrous for my need as an in car van unit.
Thank you OP for your test that was summarily dismissed by some certain people.
Sent from my Transformer Prime TF201 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If it's unimportant to you, why are you so hell bent on convincing other people that it should be unimportant to them too? Granted, people using tablets for navigation are a minority but it was important to enough people that they returned their Prime's over it. People trying to convince others that it's unimportant are as bad as what you're accusing me of.
Very cool. Thanks for putting this together to show what is indeed possible. I think this is the first video we have seen of a working navigation while driving. I understand results will vary, but you give us hope.
Is that co-pilot?
Sent from my Transformer Prime TF201 using Tapatalk
Very cool. Thanks for putting this together to show what is indeed possible. I think this is the first video we have seen of a working navigation while driving. I understand results will vary, but you give us hope.
Is that co-pilot?
No, I used Sygic, I have Copilot also, was gonna test it on Co Pilot tomorrow, but based on all this back and forth I'm not sure I will.
BarryH_GEG said:
If it's unimportant to you, why are you so hell bent on convincing other people that it should be unimportant to them too? Granted, people using tablets for navigation are a minority but it was important to enough people that they returned their Prime's over it. People trying to convince others that it's unimportant are as bad as what you're accusing me of.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am not hell bent on anything. From reading past posts of yours, you are not unintelligent. Here is somebody who took the time and ingenuity to satisfy the whims of people just like you to show that his GPS works, and you can't get off your ass to do the exact same test, using your imposed parameters, but instead just bash the person for showing their results. Seriously.. wtf. Jeesh.
Think.. you can do it.
Sent from my Transformer Prime TF201 using xda premium
I'd get a 3g A-GPS enabled tablet if i'd really rely on its GPS and would want it to use as my main navigation device. It really helps alot when driving through tunnels and stuff.
Bimboy said:
I am not hell bent on anything. From reading past posts of yours, you are not unintelligent. Here is somebody who took the time and ingenuity to satisfy the whims of people just like you to show that his GPS works, and you can't get off your ass to do the exact same test, using your imposed parameters, but instead just bash the person for showing their results. Seriously.. wtf. Jeesh.
Think.. you can do it.
Sent from my Transformer Prime TF201 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You mean like these three 10 minute videos showing multiple different scenarios using two different types of nav s/w so people would have something to benchmark against?
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1428404
lmfao. lets not start a war over GPS. Barry doesn't even have a Prime, I think. He just adding what he knows from experience with tablet navigation.
demandarin said:
lmfao. lets not start a war over GPS. Barry doesn't even have a Prime, I think. He just adding what he knows from experience with tablet navigation.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
And if you re-read my response to OP, it wasn't negative. It was simply pointing out some observations based on his testing. If it came off that way, especialy to OP who took the time to post his results, I'm sorry. And demandarin, is right. Since I am a heavy tab nav user (a minority) I'm just trying to share what I know from experience.
Related
Bought a 32gb grey prime, serial starting with BCOK from Office Depot. I'm noticing that I hardly ever get more than 2/3 the signal of the computers in my house, and no GPS (as expected). Lately I have seen from this forum that SOME people are getting C1 serial number primes and are reporting that their wifi is great and that their GPS is fully functional (something that people seem to have all but given up on).
The quality seems to vary from prime to prime, but at least people are reporting perfectly functional tf201 primes out there.
Any thoughts on whether I should start playing the return game until I get the perfect one? Observed any trends in what company seems to be selling the better primes?
Note: First xda post- after the forum intro video, I must that you be nice to me if this seems to be a silly question to ask on here
Maybe try this fix. Might work might not...or might just be temp.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1467964
otherwise if you can get an exchange right away I would exchange it. Or return it and buy another one if you see it somewhere else.
Does your wifi work? Yes, just not as strong as other computers in your house. Do you really need the GPS? Probably not, but you paid for it.
I think the return game just screws it up for others that really are looking to get their hands on a Prime but can't because of all the useless returns. Yes, some people have issues, but I'm sure 90% of the returns are pointless.
Looking into the fix aznmode . Currently combing the forums to see if I can get exact measurements as to where I should squeeze. I am unsure about the envelope method across the whole top of the screen, as I have no clue what else is under there (mind I am still researching).
I completely respect your stance 05GT. As I get the time, I am testing my wifi in different conditions, and am steadily developing an opinion as to whether this is going to be a real problem with me. Naturally, it just feels safer to have a more efficient machine, since these devices are so exclusively integrated with the internet. With my college lifestyle jumping from network to network it may be, might not. Its why I plan on dragging my trial period out a little longer to see if I can just get on with my device or if a fix will spring up.
I've tested a BC Prime, made in December. And Asus sent me a C1 Prime made in January. With the exception of a tiny bit of light bleed on the C1, they seemed identical.
mt6272 said:
Looking into the fix aznmode . Currently combing the forums to see if I can get exact measurements as to where I should squeeze. I am unsure about the envelope method across the whole top of the screen, as I have no clue what else is under there (mind I am still researching).
I completely respect your stance 05GT. As I get the time, I am testing my wifi in different conditions, and am steadily developing an opinion as to whether this is going to be a real problem with me. Naturally, it just feels safer to have a more efficient machine, since these devices are so exclusively integrated with the internet. With my college lifestyle jumping from network to network it may be, might not. Its why I plan on dragging my trial period out a little longer to see if I can just get on with my device or if a fix will spring up.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In your tests, it may be good to use wifi analyzer mentioned in that video. It's actually very useful in determining how well your device picks up wifi around you. I have another tablet I compare mine to and for the most part they're almost the same. I do notice from time to time my other tablet will have slightly longer reach as it can pick up 1 more wifi than the prime but its a very weak signal so I just discount it.
Such a first world problem hey? Kinda disgusting... No one wants a bad unit, im not judging anyone but some people can't even get their hands on one.
reNeglect said:
Such a first world problem hey? Kinda disgusting... No one wants a bad unit, im not judging anyone but some people can't even get their hands on one.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So we should be happy we have units that see no GPS satellites and have intermittently non-functional vibration motors because at least we have a prime? Right. That's just stupid.
No WiFi issues on my TF201-B1-CG, WiFi is great on this thing. GPS is a hit or miss for me.
deltatux
beavertank said:
So we should be happy we have units that see no GPS satellites and have intermittently non-functional vibration motors because at least we have a prime? Right. That's just stupid.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Vibration motors work fine, go to market, and download a vibrator app and test it. I'm sure with custom roms it will be fixed. As for GPS well you could just use your phone or if you really want to use it on a tablet just wait for the next android tablet to hit the market instead of complaining and complaining.
I thought I would follow up on my situation. My last day to return my prime is tomorrow.
I have done more extensive wifi testing, and I can conclude that the wifi is just weak. Close to the router it gets 2/3 signal. On the other side of the house where my sisters computer is getting 24mb/s, my prime is getting 1 mb/s.
Against my every wish ( everything else on the tablet is wonderful) , I am returning tomorrow. Good wifi is just something I need. Every store around is sold out on primes
So, what I will do is get a replacement tablet until ASUS gets things together ( best buy has a generous 45 day return policy).
As a college student, what will be a good replacement?
I was looking at the htc flyer ( a low end price replacement) or the lenovo thinkpad 1838 ( a higher end replacement..) as they both seem to have responsive touch screens that are good for writing. Would anyone recommend one of these, or something else within this price range for me?
It appears like I'm one of the many people with non existent GPS. I wonder how much it really matters though. Outside of location services for apps, what is the point of having this on a wifi only tablet? You are going to get some location info on wifi. When you are not connected to the Internet, what good is the GPS? Google maps generally requires a data connection, as do most apps.
I already knew about the GPS problems before buying the tablet, so I'm not stressing about it.
What are you using GPS for when you are offline?
Thoughts?
teknomar7 said:
It appears like I'm one of the many people with non existent GPS. I wonder how much it really matters though. Outside of location services for apps, what is the point of having this on a wifi only tablet? You are going to get some location info on wifi. When you are not connected to the Internet, what good is the GPS? Google maps generally requires a data connection, as do most apps.
I already knew about the GPS problems before buying the tablet, so I'm not stressing about it.
What are you using GPS for when you are offline?
Thoughts?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I feel the same way, I just got my prime and I knew about the gps issue and to me it is a non issue. The wifi works just fine so I am very happy
For me is more the fact that I paid $500 + tax for a fully working tablet and its not what I got. I'm funny like that.
At this point in time, in a premium 2012 tablet, GPS is not exactly black magic. It should work in a premium tablet - it works perfectly on a wifi samsung 10.1.
At the very latest it's like buying the keyboard dock with a non working sd card reader. Yes, there is the cloud, the micro sd card in the tablet, just plug a usb drive, blah blah blah. Really?
It's there. Its a great gps chip. It should simply f*ing work, simples.
rueben68 said:
For me is more the fact that I paid $500 + tax for a fully working tablet and its not what I got. I'm funny like that.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
True. But, they originally delayed shipment of the tablet because of the GPS issue and then said they were planning to disable it. So, I wasn't even expecting to have the option available on it. I'm just curious what people would use it for if it was functioning. Maybe to make myself feel better that it's not working.
teknomar7 said:
I'm just curious what people would use it for if it was functioning. Maybe to make myself feel better that it's not working.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
http://bestandroidappsfor.com/maps-navigation/best-android-offline-maps
Offline maps are great for off roading, for instance. Or trekking in a big national park. Heck,een geotagging, tagging your pictures/notes for organizing them later.
Star, planets, educational apps.
Edit: oh yeah, those tablet retrieval security apps...those that would report back (when connected) where your precious is located if stolen. That's about it, LOL.
teknomar7 said:
What are you using GPS for when you are offline?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Locus Pro, but there are many offline solutions such as CoPilot.
rueben68 said:
For me is more the fact that I paid $500 + tax for a fully working tablet and its not what I got. I'm funny like that.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
RipplingHurst said:
At this point in time, in a premium 2012 tablet, GPS is not exactly black magic. It should work in a premium tablet - it works perfectly on a wifi samsung 10.1.
At the very latest it's like buying the keyboard dock with a non working sd card reader. Yes, there is the cloud, the micro sd card in the tablet, just plug a usb drive, blah blah blah. Really?
It's there. Its a great gps chip. It should simply f*ing work, simples.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The two posters above nailed the issue dead on.
GPS isn't voodoo, nor is it black magic. It's a standard feature in Android devices. Why is this top of the line, leading edge, Android device deficient?
As has been discussed many times, Apple has sold tens of millions of iPads with no GPS chip whatsoever, and for $100 more per tablet on a same-storage basis. So, obviously, the market as a whole doesn't demand GPS in a tablet. Toss in about 6 million Kindle Fires to illustrate the point.
I kind of understand the idea that the chip is there so some people want it to work, but for myself I have to admit that I pretty much don't care beyond that completely theoretical level. I suppose my opinion is influenced by the fact that I never once used GPS on my original Transformer. Not a single time. Didn't even think about using it. So, the chip sat there, completely unused. What do I do, complain now that I spent money on something I never used? Should I have demanded a lower-priced version of the Transformer without a GPS chip?
I think the fact remains as it always has with the Prime: if you want navigation-quality GPS on a tablet, then the Prime isn't for you. Neither is the iPad. So, make a different choice. I choose to simply think of the Prime as a tablet that's like the iPad in not having GPS, only $100 cheaper.
Sent from my Transformer Prime TF201 using Tapatalk
wynand32 said:
As has been discussed many times, Apple has sold tens of millions of iPads with no GPS chip whatsoever, and for $100 more per tablet on a same-storage basis. So, obviously, the market as a whole doesn't demand GPS in a tablet. Toss in about 6 million Kindle Fires to illustrate the point.
I kind of understand the idea that the chip is there so some people want it to work, but for myself I have to admit that I pretty much don't care beyond that completely theoretical level. I suppose my opinion is influenced by the fact that I never once used GPS on my original Transformer. Not a single time. Didn't even think about using it. So, the chip sat there, completely unused. What do I do, complain now that I spent money on something I never used? Should I have demanded a lower-priced version of the Transformer without a GPS chip?
I think the fact remains as it always has with the Prime: if you want navigation-quality GPS on a tablet, then the Prime isn't for you. Neither is the iPad. So, make a different choice. I choose to simply think of the Prime as a tablet that's like the iPad in not having GPS, only $100 cheaper.
Sent from my Transformer Prime TF201 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Do you turn off the GPS location services in the settings? Does this actually turn off the radio to preserve battery or just disable the app usage?
teknomar7 said:
I wonder how much it really matters though?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Regarding your title question.... To you... Not much. To others... I can't say, but for me, I put off my purchase directly because this feature is not available/functional.
wynand32 said:
......I think the fact remains as it always has with the Prime: if you want navigation-quality GPS on a tablet, then the Prime isn't for you.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
'always' = o'rly?
As it remains, now, yes, but AFTER ASUS TOOK THAT FEATURE OFF OF THE SPECIFICATION LIST....AFTER ALREADY MANUFACTURING IT AND SELLING IT AS PREVIOUSLY SPECIFIED AS HAVING GPS CAPABILITY
sorry for SHOUTING, but some folks forget the timeline involved, and also that we are not all after the same thing -feature wise- with tablets or other technologies. Some features are more important to others, some features may never even be used by some folks...maybe they will use it in the future or folks will give the tablet to their kids who my discover unused features.
Also, some of ya'll must never travel out of cell phone signal range, and that's a very sad thing, because there exists a LOT of places on this beautiful planet and some of them, gasp, don't have wifi or cellular coverage for location services-places where I turn phones off because they become completely useless. I travel to some of these places, and would be nice to navigate, geocache, geotag pictures from my DSLR, watch movies, play some simple games, keep notes of the journey, itinerary, etc... on less than 2 or 4 devices, possibly even on just 1 nearly awesome device... but I guess not this one-that doesn't make me wrong for wanting GPS capabilities on a high-performance Android Tablet and being interested in one that was supposed to have said capability.
/rant
GPS doesn't drain battery if not in active use, it's not like wifi that test network even when no network usable.
So you can leave it on but what for...
teknomar7 said:
Do you turn off the GPS location services in the settings? Does this actually turn off the radio to preserve battery or just disable the app usage?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The "GPS location service" is WiFi. Google has mapped out where millions of WiFi nodes are, plus you are getting AGPS data over WiFi if there is an open access point.
"GPS Satellites" is what you want to uncheck to save battery.
Striatum_bdr said:
So you can leave it on but what for...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Use your imagination! Think of places where you might want to know where you are but there is no wifi or cell coverage. Think of things you would want to do with that information. Think of reasons for wanting that information integrated within a device you use for other purposes (ie: using something you already have with you instead of bringing something additional)
The sad thing is mine and my dads prime had gps working outside until the last update which was to "fix the gps".
Yes, my GPS was working too until the last update specifically for GPS. Then it no longer worked. It has been posted that the update would disable GPS. Guess I should've believed that and passed.
I use GPS a lot with my smartphones and wanted it here for the larger map. I carry a 3G MiFi for travel so maps and aGPS were a go once upon a time and the larger map was indeed a plus.
It matters to me but I'm not returning my Prime until or unless a fix is known.
-jts
Sent from my Transformer Prime TF201 using Tapatalk
mrmark93 said:
Regarding your title question.... To you... Not much. To others... I can't say, but for me, I put off my purchase directly because this feature is not available/functional.
/rant
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Are you planning to purchase an alternative tablet for GPS? Is the Galaxy Tab the only other one with that feature?
teknomar7 said:
Are you planning to purchase an alternative tablet for GPS? Is the Galaxy Tab the only other one with that feature?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My Prime's pretty solid, no real issues that aren't software as far as I can tell.
If Asus can't fix the GPS issue I'll probably buy a bluetooth GPS puck and call it a day.
Col.Kernel said:
The "GPS location service" is WiFi. Google has mapped out where millions of WiFi nodes are, plus you are getting AGPS data over WiFi if there is an open access point.
"GPS Satellites" is what you want to uncheck to save battery.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's what I meant... thanks.
I actually noticed Google Maps was crashing on me when I had GPS turned on and couldn't get a signal. Then when I turned it off and just used wifi for location, it worked fine. Plus, every time I open Facebook it tries (and fails) to find my GPS location. So, I will probably just disable it for the time being.
teknomar7 said:
It appears like I'm one of the many people with non existent GPS. I wonder how much it really matters though. Outside of location services for apps, what is the point of having this on a wifi only tablet? You are going to get some location info on wifi. When you are not connected to the Internet, what good is the GPS? Google maps generally requires a data connection, as do most apps.
I already knew about the GPS problems before buying the tablet, so I'm not stressing about it.
What are you using GPS for when you are offline?
Thoughts?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
+1. A good point well made.
If I ever need GPS data I can use my mobile, but can't ever remember needing to use it.
mrmark93 said:
Regarding your title question.... To you... Not much. To others... I can't say, but for me, I put off my purchase directly because this feature is not available/functional.
'always' = o'rly?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Okay, yes, there is a group of people who bought Primes and didn't find out about the likely permanence of the GPS issue until after their return policy expired. For those people, ASUS needs to come up with a solution, up to and including giving a refund.
However, this thread is about whether GPS matters today. Certainly, anybody buying it now and visiting this forum has zero reason to complain, except in general to say "Boy, I really wish the Prime had working GPS, because then it would be the perfect tablet." Fact is, though, it doesn't, and so that wish and $.25 won't even get a person a cup of coffee nowadays.
First off, I think it's an awesome tablet, nice screen, damn quick, and custom rom running, it's great BUT as we know wifi/gps issues. I'm not jumping ship to the iPad because personally I think i'll probably end drowning than be saved, but let's not turn into ipad vs prime and whatnot.
I pretty much have 1 day left to return the prime to the store and I'm not 100% sure what to do, although I feel like I'll probably end up sticking with it as I'm not entirely convinced the TF700 will be that huge of a difference.
GPS: Nonexistent, couldn't get a lock at all:
Bluetooth: I tried sending some photos from my nexus while streaming pandora on the prime and it seemed ok but when accessing a page on tapatalk it felt like it was slower. I don't have a bluetooth mouse, or headset to test it better.
WiFi
I'm not exactly sure if my tablet is suffering from the WiFi weakness.
Here is the scenario:
I have two ap's at home on 2 different channels. One on first floor and one in basement.
I was pretty much right in the middle of them and I ran WiFi analyzer on both my galaxy nexus and the prime and to my surprise both had very similar dbm and both had very similar speed test results.
My galaxy nexus was averaging at about -80 dbm
My prime was averaging at about -70 dbm or so.....
My laptop was no surprise better.
BUT at work:
I'm using a tenants AP, it's a bit strange. (I work as security and yes they gave me permission and the key to use it)
Galaxy Nexus will average at about -89 dbm and it will have enough WiFi bars showing in blue and i will be able to use the connection and browse around.
Prime will average at about -80 dbm but it will not catch a connection for me to browse, the first and/or second bar will either stay gray or it will just drop the connection completely.
Meanwhile my laptop is fine. There is an occasional drop of connection on both nexus and laptop but I feel like the AP is to blame.
But then why isn't the prime getting a lock enough for me to browse even though dbm is better?
Any ideas? Is this a keeper?
Down the road I'm planning to get a dock for it aswell but not sure any issue would really affect my experience there.
Just return it if you are unsure then if you have regrets you can buy another
Sent from my PG86100 using Tapatalk
Return it! This thing is just a ticking time bomb, and all Asus does is say hang in there, a fix is coming, meanwhile your 30 days are up in smoke and you have no choice but to keep it.
I wouldn't feel this way if the first Prime I bought didn't have a washed out screen along with all the other defects. Upon contacting Asus they basically told me to return it, so I did. I got a C2O model, champaign color, 64gb. It had gorgeous, vibrant colors, no light bleed, GPS that worked somewhat, wifi that was acceptable but still had the wifi/bluetooth problem.
Eight days later I was at a Chicago Rush game so my daughter could get her Spirit award for cheer. I was sitting in my seat, wiped my screen off because I wanted to record the event and noticed when the light shined on my screen what looked like very fine scratches on the black bezel. Upon further examination I noticed if I rotated my prime the scratches had a rainbow effect. In my head I went OH NO!, I am a jeweler and know what rainbow flash means, stress cracks.
This occurs all the time in gemstones, they get stressed during cutting or mining and the stress can get much worse or break, and thats whats happening to a lot of peoples Primes, while docked. Stress is causing their screens to break, which Asus chalks up to user abuse, BS. I treat my "Toys" with care, I don't have a lot of money to blow on thi stuff so it needs to last. I sold my First gen Ipad a month ago to help pay for this thing.
Good luck in whatever you decide, I know I loved my Prime but, man, I would be pissed at myself for seeing all the warning signs and not taking heed.
I'd return this one. Gary says something is coming in a couple of weeks....repair parts are arriving at ASUS....
I'd give ASUS about a month, first to see what the surprise is, and to give ASUS a chance to get any "changes" into inventory. Then buy your new one.
If you saw nothing truly wrong with your unit just keep it. I've had mines since 12/22 and had no issues at all. One of the first ones. All it took was my 1 purchase to get a great unit. Nothing will be better on Android or comparable till around end of June at the earliest.
demandarin said:
If you saw nothing truly wrong with your unit just keep it. I've had mines since 12/22 and had no issues at all. One of the first ones. All it took was my 1 purchase to get a great unit. Nothing will be better on Android or comparable till around end of June at the earliest.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have also had mine since christmas (BCOKAS serial) and honestly.. I have had nothing to complain about. It has gotten wifi everywhere I have wanted it to, the gps is there when I am outside (not that id ever use my tablet for gps), and the screen is b-e-a-utiful and SUPER bright. I bought the keyboard dock to go along with it, and the battery life is outstanding. I can use this baby all day and still have some battery life left when I go to bed.
In the end, though, it comes down to personal preference. ASUS has made a statement that there are repair parts coming... so worst comes to worse you can send it in to them.
Return it.
Either for exchange where hopefully you will get an additional amount of time to play with it and decide, or for cash.
If for cash you may have to wait a while for another to show up if you decide you can't live without it, or you can buy something less stressful.
I have finally decided that without the right software and ability to take handwritten notes properly that I don't care how cool, amazing and sexy the hardware is (and oh boy is it gorgeous hardware, especially with (then without, then with, etc) the keyboard dock. It just doesn't work regarding my use cases and specific needs.
Damn shame.
I can't say I didn't expect these responses. But ill admit it's a rough choice. If asus gets new parts I'm hoping they won't their customers in the dark.
I was quite shocked at the results from wifi range on phone and tablet and I think I'm kind of lucky.
Mine is a C10K serial. I'm not exactly how top notch the wifi is suppose to be so I don't have much to compare to but when comparing to my phone that gets great wifi reception, results are almost identical which simply makes me believe its fine.
If the screen cracks, well I bought warranty for a reason. Ultimate decision will probably be tomorrow morning and ill see how I feel when I pick it up
You're running a custom rom, so you unlocked the bootloader, voided warranty.
Are you sure returning the Prime is actually still an option?
Sent from my Transformer Prime TF201 using XDA
YoMarK said:
You're running a custom rom, so you unlocked the bootloader, voided warranty.
Are you sure returning the Prime is actually still an option?
Sent from my Transformer Prime TF201 using XDA
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Let me ask you if they'll know or check :-D
I never noticed a problem with the TFP WiFi when I had one. Granted, I wasn't comparing side by side with another device - I was just using the TFP, and WiFI signal never bothered me.
Totally ignoring the comparison with your Nexus, does the WiFi connection cause you trouble? If so, return it. If not, keep it and enjoy.
Coderedpl said:
Let me ask you if they'll know or check :-D
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've heard that the serial number is uploaded to them when you unlock.
robertg9 said:
I've heard that the serial number is uploaded to them when you unlock.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yea it is, but i registered it, and ended up not liking it later
Coderedpl said:
Yea it is, but i registered it, and ended up not liking it later
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not sure what you mean by this. When you unlock, your serial number gets marked in their system and your warranty is forever lost.
h3ckman said:
Not sure what you mean by this. When you unlock, your serial number gets marked in their system and your warranty is forever lost.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The serial number is for that specific tablet. If i return it to the store, and the store accepts. It is no longer my concern as they accepted it in the way it was.
If i decided to get another one, new serial.
If i keep it and it gets damaged somehow, and i get warranty replacement = new serial.
see what i mean?
Coderedpl said:
The serial number is for that specific tablet. If i return it to the store, and the store accepts. It is no longer my concern as they accepted it in the way it was.
If i decided to get another one, new serial.
If i keep it and it gets damaged somehow, and i get warranty replacement = new serial.
see what i mean?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oh yeah. For some reason I was thinking you would be sending it to ASUS. My apologies. Yeah, the store will have no idea.
h3ckman said:
Oh yeah. For some reason I was thinking you would be sending it to ASUS. My apologies. Yeah, the store will have no idea.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Last day tomorrow.....I still don't know, was on hold for 30 minutes with asus and nobody ever answered, will try again tomorrow.
I finally got one on number 6 that gets good WiFi I'm not letting this go but Bluetooth does drop WiFi down from 18mb/s same room as router Bluetooth takes it down to 3-4mb/s. So I go from 18mb/s down to 3 or 4mb/s with Bluetooth. I don't use Bluetooth that much though.
Hello Prime owners! Asus has just released the 04012012 update with the following fixes:
-GPS issues fixed!! GPS chip power flow enhanced, can now lock on while you are on the toilet! However, it is recommended that you open a window as using the toilet can interfere with the gps signal.
- Face unlock added! Just stare at the Prime's front camera and the Prime will open or be turned off based off your looks! Best to use after a morning shower as ugly looks can cause the Prime to reboot in disgust.
- Wifi has been completely fixed!! The Prime can now pick up a perfect signal 300 feet from your router. Signal can be enhanced if yuo gently rub the center of the screen with a circular motion.
- Battery life increased! Battery can now last two days in a singal charge. to activate this power feature, simply hold down the power button an select shut down. The prime will beep with a confirmation of the power saving mode being activated!
- Random reboots fixed! no ore rebooting when watching long sessions of porn via the web browser. Now you can stream safely without stopping your strokes with your right hand (or left)
The update will be released in the next hour or so in Europe, Germany, Africa, china and Iraq followed lastly to the U.S.
Also, Gary has chosen to pass on any secret info to me first, so I am now the official Asus contact person!!
Love you guys!
Dude, its 1st what where you thinking when you made that post?
brantje said:
Dude, its 1st what where you thinking when you made that post?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ha Ha April Fool!!
rmsingh said:
Ha Ha April Fool!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah lol!!! Finally a reply that makes sense!!
Ah so it is. Didn't even realise.
Yes, hopefully asus pull something special out their backside....
Sent from my GT-I9100 using XDA
Added feature: No more losing warrenty when unlocking the bootloader
brantje said:
Added feature: No more loosing warrenty when unlocking the bootloader
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Now you're pushing it! !!
Sigh, yet another victim to people that don't know the difference between lose and loose.
Lose: to misplace. To not have. (Think about 'losing' an "o")
Loose: not tight.
Really not that hard.
Skullmonkey said:
Sigh, yet another victim to people that don't know the difference between lose and loose.
Lose: to misplace. To not have. (Think about 'losing' an "o")
Loose: not tight.
Really not that hard.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Didn't had my coffee :x
>Sigh, yet another victim to people that don't know the difference between lose and loose.
Write on! Lets due badder inglish!
>Didn't had my coffee :x
Oh man thats awesome.. ouch!
I thought I was the only one drinking already this morning .
Cheers mate!
Sorry cant add a smilies i had to disable java, switch plug ins to on demand, bend over, and take one up the [email protected]@....just to have a smooth browser....
I'm on the toilet but I am still not getting a lock. What am I doing wrong? Does it matter if its one or two?? I can try later if I need to.
Sent from my Droid Razr using Tapatalk
benefit14snake said:
I'm on the toilet but I am still not getting a lock. What am I doing wrong? Does it matter if its one or two?? I can try later if I need to.
Sent from my Droid Razr using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hmm, that's odd as its working fine for me. Let me ask, did your dinner last night include beans by any chance?? I think the chemicals produce by beams are strong enough to still cause a weak GPS signal.
Skullmonkey said:
Sigh, yet another victim to people that don't know the difference between lose and loose.
Lose: to misplace. To not have. (Think about 'losing' an "o")
Loose: not tight.
Really not that hard.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sigh....Yet another victim to people that dont know the difference between an online forum and a grammar class who scours forums attempting to find poor grammar or mis-spelled words or improper use of syntax.
"There are only two things that are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I am not sure about the former." ~Albert Einstien
MRCANNADY said:
Hmm, that's odd as its working fine for me. Let me ask, did your dinner last night include beans by any chance?? I think the chemicals produce by beams are strong enough to still cause a weak GPS signal.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Damnit! I had a feeling this could be the cause. Now I will have to wait for the devs to come out with beanfix2.0.
I told my wife no more bean filled burritos, but she rarely listens =)
Sent from my Transformer Prime TF201 using Tapatalk
MRCANNADY said:
Hello Prime owners! Asus has just released the 04012012 update with the following fixes:
-GPS issues fixed!! GPS chip power flow enhanced, can now lock on while you are on the toilet! However, it is recommended that you open a window as using the toilet can interfere with the gps signal.
- Face unlock added! Just stare at the Prime's front camera and the Prime will open or be turned off based off your looks! Best to use after a morning shower as ugly looks can cause the Prime to reboot in disgust.
- Wifi has been completely fixed!! The Prime can now pick up a perfect signal 300 feet from your router. Signal can be enhanced if yuo gently rub the center of the screen with a circular motion.
- Battery life increased! Battery can now last two days in a singal charge. to activate this power feature, simply hold down the power button an select shut down. The prime will beep with a confirmation of the power saving mode being activated!
- Random reboots fixed! no ore rebooting when watching long sessions of porn via the web browser. Now you can stream safely without stopping your strokes with your right hand (or left)
The update will be released in the next hour or so in Europe, Germany, Africa, china and Iraq followed lastly to the U.S.
Also, Gary has chosen to pass on any secret info to me first, so I am now the official Asus contact person!!
Love you guys!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You have a mean streak. I'm having trouble getting the newest update to work and you make it even worse by suggesting I'm missing out on a cure for all my Prime's quirks.
[Guess that makes it a good one on me]
benefit14snake said:
Damnit! I had a feeling this could be the cause. Now I will have to wait for the devs to come out with beanfix2.0.
I told my wife no more bean filled burritos, but she rarely listens =)
Sent from my Transformer Prime TF201 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Try pinching your butt cheeks at each end, this will help according to a few people lmao!!
Lol ya awesome update asus, no i have gps and wifi works great,
wow even 10000$ android market credit. nice
Justin_Thyme said:
Sigh....Yet another victim to people that dont know the difference between an online forum and a grammar class who scours forums attempting to find poor grammar or mis-spelled words or improper use of syntax.
"There are only two things that are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I am not sure about the former." ~Albert Einstien
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Banned because mispelled words and bad syntax can cause bricks.
MRCANNADY said:
Try pinching your butt cheeks at each end, this will help according to a few people lmao!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Is a wipe required or can I keep my data?
Sent from my Transformer Prime TF201 using Tapatalk
FOr xformer Prime, do I really need the GPS dongle or would the GPS work w/o it?
Are you going to be using GPS alot with your Prime? If yes, then hell yah you need it!
Windiddy said:
FOr xformer Prime, do I really need the GPS dongle or would the GPS work w/o it?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't and won't need it, but signed up today to get it. I may want to sell my Prime in the future and having it might make that easier.
Put it like this:
What's the point of not having it if it's free? Ever thrown something away that you turn out to want/need maybe not even a week later? Kind of like that to me
Windiddy said:
FOr xformer Prime, do I really need the GPS dongle or would the GPS work w/o it?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you want to be able to rely on your Prime for navigation assistance then yes you need the GPS dongle. GPS will not work reliably without it, if it did they wouldn't need to manufacture and freely distribute a dongle now would they?
Also.. its free. So even if you never use it, it is worth signing up for and getting just in case you do need or or you want to sell your tablet sometime in the future.
babymatteo said:
Are you going to be using GPS alot with your Prime? If yes, then hell yah you need it!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
so does it mean that Prime's internal GPS doesn't work? very disappointing.
Windiddy said:
so does it mean that Prime's internal GPS doesn't work? very disappointing.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Where have you been? The internal GPS has never worked on anyone's Prime since they started shipping in December. Asus even removed it from their advertising.
chamberc said:
Where have you been? The internal GPS has never worked on anyone's Prime since they started shipping in December. Asus even removed it from their advertising.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
For the record, I decided to test the GPS on my Prime today while the weather was warm. This after I checked my serial number of the device: C1 by the way...
Walked outside and stood 10 feet away from my front door. Less than 10 seconds and a lock. I walked around a bit and walked back into the house and it was still locked.
Sent from my Transformer Prime TF201
That's because you are / were connected to your home router which gives the prime your location based on IP. A better test would be to disconnect WIFI, disable location services and reboot, then test. You probably wont get the same results
Of course you need it ! Having it will add couple more bucks to the price when you're selling it
el_chiefo said:
That's because you are / were connected to your home router which gives the prime your location based on IP. A better test would be to disconnect WIFI, disable location services and reboot, then test. You probably wont get the same results
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You're right! Now answer me this: why would I ever turn that off in the real world?
Google has mapped millions of Wifi SSIDs to assist with this very same thing. Half of all telephony GPS devices would have the same difficulty without it (especially since Google leases this information to Microsoft and Apple), my MyTouch 4G Slide included. Why would I not keep location services on?
Sent from my Transformer Prime TF201
I will happily sign up for that dongle, but not without i see my screen light-bleed free. Made up my mind to be without it for a few weeks, maybe a month. If it takes longer than that, i'll ask for another one at the store.
rorytmeadows said:
You're right! Now answer me this: why would I ever turn that off in the real world?
Google has mapped millions of Wifi SSIDs to assist with this very same thing. Half of all telephony GPS devices would have the same difficulty without it (especially since Google leases this information to Microsoft and Apple), my MyTouch 4G Slide included. Why would I not keep location services on?
Sent from my Transformer Prime TF201
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Why would you need gps if you had wifi? To check where in the house you are? Or which section of McDonald's you're in? If a device needs wifi for the "gps" to work then they might as well not call it a gps cause my Desktop can triangulate my position with wifi.
xGary said:
Why would you need gps if you had wifi? To check where in the house you are? Or which section of McDonald's you're in? If a device needs wifi for the "gps" to work then they might as well not call it a gps cause my Desktop can triangulate my position with wifi.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Who cares?
If the problem is solved because Wifi assists the GPS in finding a lock, then who cares? GPS in small devices isn't always going to work. I learned that 10 years ago when they sold only GPS USB dongles and it took forever to get a good lock. Turning Wifi on takes care of the issue.
Look, I get it. We all want our devices to work perfectly. My desktop doesn't handle two video cards easily. My video card doesn't handle TV relay (like Slingbox) well. My phone doesn't have a dedicated number row on the slide out keyboard. My A500 was a bit bulky. My Sony BluRay speaker system sometimes has a delay. My Insignia LED TV doesn't handle Xbox great. My Astro A40s bleed through batteries.
Welcome to technology. If you don't work in IT, let me give you a heads up: nothing ever works 100%, 100% of the time.
Just consider yourself lucky it's the GPS with your tablet, something so absurd to make use of on a tablet anyway.
And if you're still bothered by the whole "Asus sold us a load of crap" concern, well, this is life. This won't be the last time that happens. And honestly, I agree with that other poster; if it didn't have GPS in the description or on the package, would you have refused to buy it? Google's ingenious SSID mapping has made geolocation so much faster and efficient (unless you live in the backwoods).
I'm sorry, I don't aim to be mean or anything, but this is ridiculous. It's semantics. If it works, it works. Is the world going to end because you have to turn on Wifi to lock quicker?
Sent from my Transformer Prime TF201
Anyone else having problems with ASUS' quality website where it doesn't recognize your serial number?
I swear, ASUS sucks at customer service and I think the PRIME is my last ASUS product ever. Unfortunate.
im just asking bc I have a Sgt10.1 and looking to upgrade. I wouldn't like to buy a defective product. I can't decide to get prime or ipad3.
Windiddy said:
im just asking bc I have a Sgt10.1 and looking to upgrade. I wouldn't like to buy a defective product. I can't decide to get prime or ipad3.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It turns out, if you're a normal human being and don't mind running Wifi alongside your GPS (like most people run their phones), you'll be absolutely perfect. Only if you're a stickler for no reason will you have a problem.
I am learning over the past 24 hours that people are making a big deal over GPS because they are too stubborn to make the modern-era change of running Wifi alongside GPS. If you have no problem doing that (like a normal person), then you'll be perfectly fine.
Sent from my Transformer Prime TF201
Buy and ipad3. Stay away from the TF201. It sucks in many ways, the only good thing it has going for it is the quad core and the screen. Wi-fi - SUCKS, GPS - SUCKS.
I don't mind that GPS sucks (actually never ever got a lock on once), but when Wi-Fi sucks when you are 10 feet from the router. That's a huge problem. I cannot even sit on my sofa and use the TF201. My Xooms, no problem. I can even go 70ft away with the Xoom and no problem. TF201, about 4 1/2 feet then it takes a DUMP.
For the price the ipad3 will give you a much better user experience. TF201 as far as I am concerned is a defect. LEMON.
ASUS won't even let me click to get the free dongle.
rorytmeadows said:
It turns out, if you're a normal human being and don't mind running Wifi alongside your GPS (like most people run their phones), you'll be absolutely perfect. Only if you're a stickler for no reason will you have a problem.
I am learning over the past 24 hours that people are making a big deal over GPS because they are too stubborn to make the modern-era change of running Wifi alongside GPS. If you have no problem doing that (like a normal person), then you'll be perfectly fine.
Sent from my Transformer Prime TF201
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I totally agree! I personally don't see what the big deal is. I get a location lock when using Google Maps, as an example. I don't see why anyone needs to have a constant gps lock all of the time. I'm not getting it. I have my Rezound and Tom Tom if I need door to door direction.
Sent from my Transformer Prime TF201 using Tapatalk 2
rorytmeadows said:
Who cares?
If the problem is solved because Wifi assists the GPS in finding a lock, then who cares? GPS in small devices isn't always going to work. I learned that 10 years ago when they sold only GPS USB dongles and it took forever to get a good lock. Turning Wifi on takes care of the issue.
Look, I get it. We all want our devices to work perfectly. My desktop doesn't handle two video cards easily. My video card doesn't handle TV relay (like Slingbox) well. My phone doesn't have a dedicated number row on the slide out keyboard. My A500 was a bit bulky. My Sony BluRay speaker system sometimes has a delay. My Insignia LED TV doesn't handle Xbox great. My Astro A40s bleed through batteries.
Welcome to technology. If you don't work in IT, let me give you a heads up: nothing ever works 100%, 100% of the time.
Just consider yourself lucky it's the GPS with your tablet, something so absurd to make use of on a tablet anyway.
And if you're still bothered by the whole "Asus sold us a load of crap" concern, well, this is life. This won't be the last time that happens. And honestly, I agree with that other poster; if it didn't have GPS in the description or on the package, would you have refused to buy it? Google's ingenious SSID mapping has made geolocation so much faster and efficient (unless you live in the backwoods).
I'm sorry, I don't aim to be mean or anything, but this is ridiculous. It's semantics. If it works, it works. Is the world going to end because you have to turn on Wifi to lock quicker?
Sent from my Transformer Prime TF201
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That is stupid. Do you work for ASUS? If the tablet didn't have a camera would I still have bought it? Yes. But if I bought it and they told me "lol the camera is actually fake, we didn't think you would use it." then would I give them hell for it? Yes. As far as I know, people use gps on their phones for turn by turn without internet and it works fine. So I am not sure what you mean by gps won't always work in small devices. As far as I am concerned the TFP is bigger than many GPS devices on the market.
BTW, there is a difference between needing wifi to get a faster lock (aka AGPS) versus using wifi to triangulate one's position (aka the internet). I don't get what your deal is that just because you don't use the gps on the tablet then you think that it is absurd. If no one uses it then why did they put gps on the tablet in the first place? Why does Apple put gps on their 3G iPads if no one uses them?
---------- Post added at 07:52 AM ---------- Previous post was at 07:45 AM ----------
rorytmeadows said:
I am learning over the past 24 hours that people are making a big deal over GPS because they are too stubborn to make the modern-era change of running Wifi alongside GPS. If you have no problem doing that (like a normal person), then you'll be perfectly fine.
Sent from my Transformer Prime TF201
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That is tragic. Looks like the modern era is actually degrading. I guess eventually we will have to connect our phones to a cable to make a phone call and then start writing each other letters. Looks like we rather burn the battery and data on our phone unlike the abnormal people who have phones with gps that actually receives signals from satellites rather than using wifi to triangulate the position.
---------- Post added at 07:53 AM ---------- Previous post was at 07:52 AM ----------
dabombcra said:
I totally agree! I personally don't see what the big deal is. I get a location lock when using Google Maps, as an example. I don't see why anyone needs to have a constant gps lock all of the time. I'm not getting it. I have my Rezound and Tom Tom if I need door to door direction.
Sent from my Transformer Prime TF201 using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yea you personally don't. But don't talk for others.