Hey all,
I've been looking around trying to decide what to get for on-the-go work since my last laptop died. I want something more portable (weighs less) than your normal laptop, and I really don't need the power. The Transformer Prime definitely has the power, but I'm not sure if it has the same or adequate functionality and so I'm thinking maybe I should get a netbook or ultrabook instead.
I'm a computer science major, and I also do web development and work on apps in my spare time. Here are the things I would be using the tab for:
-Textbook replacement: Biggest reason for going with the Transformer, I'm sick of paying for textbooks and since I can download them, I'm going to forego the $500 fee for my education.
-Coding: I'm currently studying C++, so I would need to be able to write and (possibly) compile relatively small programs (largest would probably be a few thousand lines.)
-Web Development: I write in html/css/php/js and I add more languages as I go. I generally don't need to do more than manipulate files, code in a basic text editor, and preview files in a browser (this is a big one, I need to be able to see what is going on when I display it.)
-Image Editing (optional): I have a desktop which I rely on for image processing and other intensive tasks, but sometimes being able to edit an image really quickly can be helpful. Not necessary, but would be a plus.
Other than those functions, I'm going to be using the device for media consumption a lot, browsing the net and such. So, what would you recommend? And are there any things that a comp-sci major such as myself may need to do on the go that I forgot? (Honestly, I may be missing something here, would like to hash this out as much as possible) An ultrabook seems like overkill, and a netbook would definitely fill my needs (+more ram is really nice) but the battery life and dual functionality of the Transformer Prime as a tablet could be very useful, I might end up using it more than I would a netbook, in which case I'd want it.
Also, I've heard you can boot ubuntu on the Prime. Would this be a better way to create my ideal programming/webdeveloping/textbook reading tablet/laptop?
The Prime will be able to do function #1 easily enough, but functions 2-4 will not happen, IMO. You need a laptop/ultrabook for those. The Prime does not have enough processing power or memory ... besides, your C compiler and image editors will not be available for the Prime. I did see a demo of Ubuntu running on the original Transformer ... it was really, really slow. I do not expect the Prime to be that much faster.
Many folks who expected the original Transformer to be a laptop replacement were sorely disappointed -- the same will be true for the Prime. These are still consumption devices, for the most part. I do expect the Prime will replace my laptop for many of my tasks, but for development, I have my high-powered (dual boot: Win/Ubuntu) laptop.
Yeah, I'm not expecting it to do all the same things as a netbook/laptop. Obviously its less powerful and functional (at least for development purposes) but the thing is I never used my laptop for more than text-editting and the OCCASIONAL image processing job (very rare, I prefer working at home on my desktop for that.)
If I get a Prime and end up using it more than I used my laptop, then I'd consider it worth it. If I can code on it (especially with preview, very important feature) then the rest should be ok. And being able to read textbooks e-reader style would be very nice.
Its not easy to weigh the pros and cons, thats why I'm posting here, trying to get different perspectives.
Some users have been able to make some serious adaptations and use the Transformer really well. It's just so limited, that I think you will be disappointed ... I think you are forgetting that you are a computer science major! Just teasing...
Besides all that ... this is NOT a cheap device by any means. For the money you would pay for the Prime you could get a pretty good laptop that will last you quite a few years. Then, you can buy a cheap consumption device that fulfills the needs of consumption rather well. Of course, I am one to talk ... I bought the Prime. I do, however, have a good laptop and desktop, so it is a little different.
Very true, I think I'll definitely feel the squeeze of inferior hardware if I do get it which is unfortunate =/
As for getting a laptop, I really am done with them. Weighs too much, hurts my back while running around, generally bulky and again, I don't use them all that much. I think the Transformer style laptop/tablet combo is the way to go in the future, so much more functionality for the same amount of hardware (As opposed to having two devices). I think when similar devices have >2GB ram and can run a more powerful platform like Windows 8/Linux, they will definitely be full fledged enough to compete with laptops.
Still, right now is right now... I guess it really depends on what I'll be using it for more than anything else. If my primary use is taking notes and reading textbooks, and coding is more on the side, then the Prime is probably the better choice. So the question is, is using the Prime as an e-reader for textbooks that much better than opening them up in a pdf and reading them on a netbook/laptop?
hmm, need to think about that...
if you have a desktop, you could jsut remote log-in to that via splashtop, teamviewer or logmein.
that's probably the best way to get access to the things you need for 2-4. Other things you could do well on your prime.
worst case, hold out for an ultrabook ie mac book air, or acer aspire s5?
I'd actually never heard of splashtop before, thank you for that info! This definitely changes things, since I rarely use photoshop/other features that a laptop would be able to have. If that's the case, I can just remote login when I need those functions and go with a basic text editor for on the go coding!
I'm definitely leaning toward the Prime now, I think it'll support what I need without sacrificing too much functionality.
Textbooks-As others have said, you can definitely use the prime for #1. If you would like to use it for the other tasks, here are a few helpful apps.
Web- Android web editor pro. What I use for web development, should do everything you are looking for.
C++- check out C4Droid. It is a C compiler for android, that supports C++ with root. Can't vouch for it though, I use mostly Java.
Image editing- adobe has launched a whole mobile design suite specifically for android tablets not to long ago, Photoshop touch being the main feature. I use it fairly often, it is quite good, not on par with regular Photoshop but a big step up from average image editors.
Hope you find something useful out of my ramblings.
Sent from my Transformer Prime TF201 using Tapatalk
Splashtop HD is really good. Probably the best. Another great thing is that The Prime comes with this built on so no need to buy the app.
If you have a desktop just sitting around while you are out, Splashtop is a great way to remote desktop in, particularly on wifi (as with the prime). Think of it almost like a thin client connecting to the mainframe servers... which is how I got my CompSci degree. You get all the power of your desktop with all the portability of your tablet.
Personally, I'm hoping to find a way to write android apps FROM an Android device... seems like a logical programming environment, considering all the libraries and such are already present. Who needs an emulator when you're holding the real thing.
webin said:
If you have a desktop just sitting around while you are out, Splashtop is a great way to remote desktop in, particularly on wifi (as with the prime). Think of it almost like a thin client connecting to the mainframe servers... which is how I got my CompSci degree. You get all the power of your desktop with all the portability of your tablet.
Personally, I'm hoping to find a way to write android apps FROM an Android device... seems like a logical programming environment, considering all the libraries and such are already present. Who needs an emulator when you're holding the real thing.
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Best thing would be some remote desktop software indeed.
I run Teamviewer on all my PCs/Laptops and there is a client for Android too. Works like a charm, even through internet connections.
I have C4Droid on my phone and ATP, and can say that it works wonderully. I'm a comp sci major too, just like OP. I code in c++, C4Droid is awesome. the only downside to it is the inability to do multi-file projects.
Sent from my DROID3 using XDA App
Related
for me its a toss up between the ipad 2 and the prime. I wanted to know why the people here are after the prime instead of going for the ipad 2.
keep in mind, i don't know what androids like at all, so please answer in more detail then: I like android more then apple.
people talk about freedom of the device, whats that about? i can download stuff using something like utorrent? could i install games not made for android? i wish i knew more about this thing, but im bad at research.
Please don't tell me why you like the ipad2 better, i just want to know stuff about the prime that the ipad2 is missing for you.
Well for one, its hasn't been released yet, so for most people its a competition between old technology and new technology. Plus you are on an Android/Palm/Windows dominated forum.
As for why people prefer Android to Apple, there are many reasons. For a majority of the people on XDA it has to do with the ability to completely customize the entire operating system, something that apple cant do (either by restrictions or a less dedicated mod community), anything from modifications to stock or a completely independent new rom, thats what XDA does.
For many people they don't trust Apple for the way they trick customers and do buisness. There are hundreds of reason, too many for me (one person to list) as for why people prefer Android to IOS.
In addition to Android being a more open system than iOS, it also seems to be getting updated at a quicker pace. If (or when) your device gets outdated, you will always have a dedicated community keeping your device up to date for a long time.
Also, the connectivity on a device like Prime seems to be above and beyond what you get on the iPad.
You have Micro HDMI out (need dongle for iPad), Micro SD card slot for expanding memory (not available on iPad), option to get a keyboard dock w/extra battery (only wireless option that drains battery for iPad)
With the dock you get even more connectivity with a regular USB port (needs another dongle on iPad) that supports regular mouse/keyboard. Also supports a USB hub should you want to use your regular PC Mouse/Keyboard.
I might be biased since I have only played with iPads and never owned one. Did sell my Galaxy Tab 10.1 and pre ordered the Prime though.
Just my $0.02
IMHO, it's because the Transformer Prime is a true convergence device. Apple could have easily made something like it, but to protect their profits, they kept the iPad and MBA separate (i.e. crippled) instead.
If the iPad could do everything a Mac can do, Apple would stand to lose a lot of profits. So that's why the smart money is on the Transformer Prime.
Blueman101 said:
Well for one, its hasn't been released yet, so for most people its a competition between old technology and new technology. Plus you are on an Android/Palm/Windows dominated forum.
As for why people prefer Android to Apple, there are many reasons. For a majority of the people on XDA it has to do with the ability to completely customize the entire operating system, something that apple cant do (either by restrictions or a less dedicated mod community), anything from modifications to stock or a completely independent new rom, thats what XDA does.
For many people they don't trust Apple for the way they trick customers and do buisness. There are hundreds of reason, too many for me (one person to list) as for why people prefer Android to IOS.
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true, its not out yet, but a lot of people have watched a crap ton of videos or have had some hands on. I also would like to know how android works for the tablet.. lol im a complete nub at this stuff.
joe_dude said:
IMHO, it's because the Transformer Prime is a true convergence device. Apple could have easily made something like it, but to protect their profits, they kept the iPad and MBA separate (i.e. crippled) instead.
If the iPad could do everything a Mac can do, Apple would stand to lose a lot of profits. So that's why the smart money is on the Transformer Prime.
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great answer, this makes me lean towards the prime.
Truth be told, im MOST likely getting the prime, i just would like to hear good things about it.
Obvisously it being the tube first quad core tablet and being 32gb at the same price point as the 16gb iPad 2 are huge reasons. Of course with the dock the price is 650 but I believe it's a worthy addition. It's also thinner, has way more connectivity, I.e. hdmi out, SD slot, etc. The promise of having ICS (Google's new OS) before the end of the year.
You can't really tinker with ios and I don't actually consider it an OS anyways. Just homescreen after homescreen of start menus. Ios is boring and just overall not an enjoyable experience. Everytime I use my EVO 3d I still get excited about all the stuff i can do with it. Google is just more enticing in my opinion.
If you really are bad at research you might consider sticking with the iPad2. I think of Android as the tinkerer's OS. I have IT degrees and certs and still have to research pretty hard to keep up with all the work that the great devs here do. It's not the simplest platform out there. However if you want to get better at researching this stuff and like learning about your tech from the inside out I say get the Prime and watch these forums closely.
The biggest upside to this tablet over any other tablet for me though is the keyboard dock. It's an ingenious innovation in tablets that is sure to be copied at some point. A peripheral that actually adds battery life while providing not one, not two, but three or more excellent options (usb, sd, keys) to the device is pretty amazing.
skeptikal said:
If you really are bad at research you might consider sticking with the iPad2. I think of Android as the tinkerer's OS. I have IT degrees and certs and still have to research pretty hard to keep up with all the work that the great devs here do. It's not the simplest platform out there. However if you want to get better at researching this stuff and like learning about your tech from the inside out I say get the Prime and watch these forums closely.
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im sure ill be able to get the most of it.
Pretty simple. its not Apple. that is the biggest selling point
I considered the iPad2 for about 10seconds after the whole Amazon cancelling orders fiasco, but then I realize how boring and expensive the thing really is. 64GB model is 120$ more expensive, no option for a decent keyboard dock, gated community iOS crap.... BUT they do have some apps I do want that aren't out YET for Android. I don't know, I want a tablet with functionality, customizability, and with next year's tech in it. Honestly, after ICS I probably won't bother rooting and flashing the device... But I still prefer an Android. It's a fun OS, ICS looks amazing, and if I ever decide to root and flash, I can! The iPad doesn't really offer that much. It hardly lets you do decent word processing last I checked.
I mean, since Dropbox and all that stuff, syncing docs between devices is a joke, I remember the iPad1 being kinda lame in that respect (plus it was using that Apple word processing suite... ick). I don't know... and the whole Gamestop getting behind Tegra 3 is really awesome. Gives me hope that Android might get more exposure, get more popular, and therefore more devs actually working to release games on the platform rather than iOS only.
I just think it's kinda lame that Asus didn't have enough stock to go around to release these things before Christmas... Regardless, I'm staying away from iPads THIS year and getting the Prime.
I own an iPad2 for about half a year.
And I am an Android user, my phone is HTC Desire, Nexus S, and pre-ordered Galaxy Nexus.
First of all, please excuse my english language
Previously, I was waiting a good decent Android tablet, good hardware profile, good battery life, screen is nice, etc.
My eyes was on Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1, but Honeycomb 3.0 at that time really put me off with issues like "slow text input on web page". And the fact that it came very late in Europe (even barred in Germany!).
ASUS Transformer 1 just does not cut it, I don't like the hardware profile, thick and heavier than GTab 10.1. Sure, I use iPad2 as reference because as Android user, I always want a device that is better (or on par) than fruit device!
I could wait and wait, but nevertheless my wife asked me a tablet and I thought iPad2 will suit her (as non power user).
After half a year using this iPad2, here are some things that I don't like:
1. The virtual keyboard.
Why on earth, Apple created virtual keyboard like that? No lower case indication, no easy way to output numeric chars (on Android, I can long press), and way too much click to output []+ for example (I hate this when I create a post in XDA starting with "[Q]" ... or typing "Google+"). Really, I wish I can change the keyboard. Alas, I cant.
With Android, you can change it the way you want. There are many good virtual keyboard apps!
2. Non-unified file system
All right, in iOS, there is no unified file system. Each app has its own storage space. That's make a bit difficult to manage files. Granted, I always want to use my device as storage for my files. There is nothing wrong with it, right?
If I got a file attachment in iOS, how do I download it? How can I access that file from other apps?
3. Sharing thing
On Android, if I have something, like a file, an app, or anything, I can easily share it with other users via intuitive user interface, using WhatsApp, Facebook, Google+, email, what not.
I simply cannot do this with iOS. You can say, this is not a big deal, but that's disadvantage.
Right now, I always go back to my Nexus S to share things!
4. Boring home screen
Yeah, this is obvious. There is nothing you can do with iOS home screen. Icons icons and loads of icons. I want "direct information" right in the home screen, like weather, news, system status, etc. You cannot have that, you must access each app manually to get that information. With Android, you can have widget, simple.
------------
So, now, with the Prime, I think I found the right tablet for me I still hate Honeycomb, but it will get ICS.
The hardware profile is much better than the iPad2, with SD card slot, HDMI, and decent keyboard dock. While still maintaining thinner and lighter profile.
Why shouldn't I get one?
People complaint about "smoothness" and "fluidity" of the scrolling / home screen. Yes, most probably iOS is better on this, but ICS is not that bad! I don't think you will experience choppy and laggy user interface or such. I will opt for all those advantages on Android rather than just smoothness.
Apps, apps and apps. Yeah, this is personal. So far, I am satisfied with all apps that I can get from Android. ... Of course, except Facebook app! But, I think I can use the web browser
Hope this helps
Here's what can be done on android that can't on iOS. (expect maybe by jailbreaking but it become way less convenient than your usual iOS expérience)
_ widget : widget are great on tablet where you have big screen. Lot of usefull and funny stuff can be had to the homescreens.
_lives wallpapers : many cool looking or even usefull interactive wallpapers.
_ acces to files. You can dl torrents and every thing else easily.
_ google stuff intégration. Google is the best on the internet. Android is where google shine the most.
_ change every thing in the os. Homescreens, keyboard, everything can be change by a single tap in the market.
_ custom rom. Developpers can build thing that completly change the way android works.
_ geeky funny stuff like easter egg
_flash
Overall, with Android you'll never find yourself unable to do something that a low power device should be able to do (don't expect to do a CG short movie on your tablet...) And the experience of the OS itself (outside of each individual apps) is way less boring than iOS.
gogol said:
People complaint about "smoothness" and "fluidity" of the scrolling / home screen. Yes, most probably iOS is better on this, but ICS is not that bad! I don't think you will experience choppy and laggy user interface or such. I will opt for all those advantages on Android rather than just smoothness.
Apps, apps and apps. Yeah, this is personal. So far, I am satisfied with all apps that I can get from Android. ... Of course, except Facebook app! But, I think I can use the web browser
Hope this helps
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smoothness is a big deal for me, but i had the ipad, this thing MUST... MUUUSST!! be faster then my ipad1?! don't tell me its less fluid then that. I don't know if i could handle it.
You know, iOS will always better on that smoothness/fluidity of the user interface, even with ICS.
You know why?
Because iOS does a lot less than Android.
Really, a lot less ...
For example, see the above post from user kokusho. Those are just examples what you cannot do on iOS.
But, have you seen ICS on Galaxy Nexus and some bit demos on the Prime?
I don't think that is not acceptable for smoothness.
ICS is super fast, but at certain times, you might "perceive" some kind of lag. For example, going back/to home screen from apps drawer, or long SMS list. But yeah, that does not mean it is not fast nor smooth. It is smooth, but it is not the same like iOS.
As I said, I won't bother that much. There are a lot more advantages on Android that make life easier for using tablet. And it will get better.
Really, to answer your question on this thread is "very simple":
Why Do You Like The Prime More Then The Ipad2?
Because The Prime with Android can do much more than iPad2 ...
Here, if you want to know more about Android smoothness/fluidity:
https://plus.google.com/u/0/105051985738280261832/posts/2FXDCz8x93s
If you know a bit about "technical", it's worth to read ...
blaziner18 said:
smoothness is a big deal for me, but i had the ipad, this thing MUST... MUUUSST!! be faster then my ipad1?! don't tell me its less fluid then that. I don't know if i could handle it.
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blaziner18 said:
for me its a toss up between the ipad 2 and the prime. I wanted to know why the people here are after the prime instead of going for the ipad 2.
keep in mind, i don't know what androids like at all, so please answer in more detail then: I like android more then apple.
people talk about freedom of the device, whats that about? i can download stuff using something like utorrent? could i install games not made for android? i wish i knew more about this thing, but im bad at research.
Please don't tell me why you like the ipad2 better, i just want to know stuff about the prime that the ipad2 is missing for you.
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Well I had Asus Transformer one and currently I have Ipad 2. Here is why Ipad 2 is a piece of crap:
CONS OF IPADS:
1. Ipads have much worse resolution. On paper it you might think it is not that bad. But when I sold TF (just to wait and buy Prime of course) and bought Ipad2 (a temporary solution) I could not believe my eyes. Asus have a great display. Everything is sharp and clear. Ipads resolution is not good enough. While playing games the difference is almost invisible. But when browsing internet, reading books and so on the difference is huge. On Ipad the text is not clear, not sharp. My eyes have hard work to make. Believe me or not. Ipads displays sucks.
2. Ipads do not have external slots lile SD slot, USB slot. If you want to copy to Ipad mp3 or mkv you have to use stupid Itunes. Also if you copy some files into Ipad they are only seen by a certain application you are going to use to play those files. While in Android tablets like great TF you copy files and you can access to the by any of application on tablet. Full freedom.
3. You cannot customize desktop on Ipad. After using TF I felt a huge discomfort using Ipad. I could do nothing with the screen. No widgets, no nothing...
4. No flash on ipad. I have few favorite WWW which demands flash. They worked on TF properly but on Ipad.... they do not. lol....
PROS OF IPAD
1. More GAMES. Yes games only. So what you have plenty of apps. But not having the ability of widgets (like weather) those apps are not so attractive like those for Android. But comparing Android games with Ipad games I must say that there are only few more (for me) games on iOS than on Android. I thought there will be much more great games on iOS. Another disappointment.
As for me Ipads are just toys. More like consoles. A stuff for kids mostly. For people not demanding having a PC compared possibilities.
If you want to have useless toy - take Ipad. Want to have small PC - take Android - Asus PRIME! YEACH! AMEN!
iPad 2 pros:
Software availability - but this will change, development is increasingly Android + iOS rather than iOS first, Android port maybe some day.
Raw GPU power - potential for more graphically-impressive games, though Tegra 3's GPU is still good and may win out on more complex scenes?
Ease of use - there's not much to the OS, so not much to go wrong.
3G version available - would have to use another device (or maybe dongle) with the Prime.
Transformer Prime pros:
Customisability - you can change anything on Android, Apple want to control the experience.
No walled garden - free to install any application without Google's permission, no need to jailbreak.
Screen - higher resolution and brighter.
Raw CPU power - the other side of the coin, this gives the Prime more potential than the iPad 2 in other areas.
Dock option - makes the Prime into an Android netbook and extends battery life. iPad alternative is not integrated, drains the battery, and does not have a trackpad.
Expansion - microSDHC card slot and micro-HDMI port on tablet, and SD card slot and USB 2.0 port on dock. iPad requires additional dongles.
Camera - superior camera. Though I'm not sure what you're doing with a camera on a tablet.
For some (most?) people, the ease of use and application availability points mean the iPad 2 wins out. But for most of us here, being able to change stuff and use more of the potential of the device means that the Prime is the winner.
infinitemethod said:
Obvisously it being the tube first quad core tablet and being 32gb at the same price point as the 16gb iPad 2 are huge reasons. Of course with the dock the price is 650 but I believe it's a worthy addition. It's also thinner, has way more connectivity, I.e. hdmi out, SD slot, etc. The promise of having ICS (Google's new OS) before the end of the year.
You can't really tinker with ios and I don't actually consider it an OS anyways. Just homescreen after homescreen of start menus. Ios is boring and just overall not an enjoyable experience. Everytime I use my EVO 3d I still get excited about all the stuff i can do with it. Google is just more enticing in my opinion.
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Truth, iOS gets very boring. I was using an iPhone 4 for maybe 2 months and there was something about it that I didn't like. Now I figured it out once I went back to my X2. iOS is just so plain and linear, it holds your hand on everything. Even when you're installing a jailbreak mod, you just press "Install" and sit back unlike on Android where you have boot into recovery yourself and point it to whatever it is you want to flash.
I found my Transformer better than the iPad, so I'm sure I'll find the Prime better as well
I look at the iPad as dummy-proof. Too simplistic for my needs, and kind of boring, just having grids of icons. I also like to tweak things, and even without rooting, Android has a a lot of personalizations that I cannot do with iOS.
Apple innovates, and repackages well, and they know how to make things look cool that have been around for a long time (brilliant marketing). However, I just do not like the 'better than you' smugness that is too often associated with folks who pony up the Apple premium prices.
I had an iPad and currently have an iPad2 for work, but I want what I want, and I just feel that Apple doesn't allow me to do that.
I had a Xoom, which was okay, but seemed first gen. My hacked Nook Color is more useful to me, and I may keep it to read books on (I read lots of books). The Xoom is quite a bit heavier than the Prime, and I found that reading for long periods was a chore on the Xoom in comparison to the compact and lighter Nook Color
I'm hoping that the Prime is the "baby bear" (just right) to the "papa bear" Xoom (too big and cumbersome) and "mama bear" Nook color (a bit too small). ..and don't ask me how I thought of that analogy.. I was just thinking of comparing three things
Bimboy said:
I'm hoping that the Prime is the "baby bear" (just right) to the "papa bear" Xoom (too big and cumbersome) and "mama bear" Nook color (a bit too small). ..and don't ask me how I thought of that analogy.. I was just thinking of comparing three things
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Wouldn't The Prime be more like Goldilocks? The one all the bears are after?
Seriously though, the widgets are the thing that really sets Android apart IMHO. On my phone (Dell Streak 5), every person I've shown it to is just amazed.
I have the weather, lists (groceries and to-do), music player, RSS feed and calendar widgets. That at-a-glance information means I can get out the door quicker in the morning and not be late! And it's my book/manga reader too.
Hi, folks!
I am seriously thinking about buying a TF201 to repace my Vaio. The main obstacle for me seems to be the way to handle my mail. I am used to keep my mail locally (with pop3) and backing it up later. Can anyone, please, clarify a few moments:
1. Is there any decent email application that would be able to handle about 25-30 Gb of email, show it with threads, use Android addressbook, etc? I hear about K9 but this one seems to be rather rudimentary in comparison to a full blown desktop client. Don't suggest a GMail app beuase it's a cloud based app.
2. Did anyone try to use a wired network on a Prime, say with USB-to-Ethernet?
3. Did anyone try to use a 128 Gb flash drives on a Prime?
Thanks a lot in advance,
I'm right in the same boat! I have an HP Touchsmart TM2-2057sb and I'm deciding right now to sell it and just run with the Prime. All of my tests seem to line up that way!
1. Touchdown is a good email client. On my A500, I used that to get my work email and it's probably your best bet.
2. Yes, the latest .21 update has given the ability to do this. Check the herehttp://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1581824 for the Prime for several threads describing which ones work the best.
3. Not sure. But hard drives yes. Considering the SD can handle 64 and the microSD 32, plus the ability to connect a portable hard drive. I think you're safe.
I'm still going to keep my laptop for another few weeks just to make sure I can do everything I need to but the real test will come on our next vacation somewhere.
Sent from my Transformer Prime TF201
rorytmeadows said:
I'm right in the same boat! I have an HP Touchsmart TM2-2057sb and I'm deciding right now to sell it and just run with the Prime. All of my tests seem to line up that way!
1. Touchdown is a good email client. On my A500, I used that to get my work email and it's probably your best bet.
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Can it import emails from another client? Say, from an mh folder structure?
vomus said:
Can it import emails from another client? Say, from an mh folder structure?
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Not sure as I wouldn't store my emails that way.
Sent from my Transformer Prime TF201
rorytmeadows said:
Not sure as I wouldn't store my emails that way.
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I looked at the program but it seems to be an Exchange client only. No "normal" pop3/imap mode of operation. Would not work for me this way.
vomus said:
I looked at the program but it seems to be an Exchange client only. No "normal" pop3/imap mode of operation. Would not work for me this way.
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Click to collapse
I thought it could handle that. The default Android email app handles POP3/IMAP. What do you have in your email folders that's so precious? Upload it to a cloud based email service and call it a day. Then you'll never have to worry about questions like these ever again.
Sent from my Transformer Prime TF201
I have been using GMAIL routing all my accounts to it and have not had any issues. Also have been using OWA on chrome beta with no issues to get my work email. I think it is a great replacement for a laptop
Droidmail and advanced email both have the option to store your emaail locally.
The TFP is a terrible laptop replacement as far as productivity is concerned. I tried really hard to use it in that capacity, but despite my best efforts, Android in general just isn't up to that task yet.
Granted, if your idea of a laptop replacement is nothing more than something to check/store email on, you should be able to get by. It's when you roll into making presentations and spreadsheets that you begin to feel the pain. Anything beyond the most basic of tasks is either impossible or at best, a chore.
Web browsing utterly blows as well. Soooooo slow, and crashes/freezes frequently. My phone slaughters the TFP as a browser, and I only consider it tolerable. (Galaxy Nexus)
Even Google's own services offer sub-par experiences on Android compared to what you can get on Mac/Win PCs. Try editing a spreadsheet in Google Docs' Android app. Activate an entire row of cells for editing, enter values, save row? No thank you! Google Hangouts? Good luck finding how to start one, much less getting it to actually work. My wife's TFP always fails to connect to the other party--unless she opens the Hangout session on her laptop, leaves, and then joins on the TFP.
The gmail app crashes constantly for some as well, so even something as basic as email is finicky. (but you can get around that by using other apps at least)
imho, the only way this would be a decent laptop replacement is if all you do is check email, keep a calendar, and read pdfs. (It's like, the best PDF reader ever). Maybe if you type up Word docs occasionally that contain nothing but text.
My prime is my 'tabbook'. A netbook in concept is not really intended for the 'locally' bit so much as the cloud bit, hence the 'net' part in the name.
Although in reality a netbook is just a compact laptop with low end hardware, so people use it like a regular laptop instead. Android tablets are closer to how Netbooks were originally intended, and lack powerful software by comparason. Things like MS Office, full Photoshop, etc. That's the big difference. Access to the most powerful tools on this device requires going closer to bare Linux, and that is most easy at terminal level.
1.) I'm only familar with stock email applications (Froyo - ICS) and gmail. Storage space matters aside the principal problem is attachments. The clients can be pissy about opening certain types of files. I think K9 lacks tablet friendly UI but it does say, it's intended for large mail chewing. When I need to go outside the stock email/gmail, I've always just reached for mutt. Simply put, the device is cloud oriented. I rely on "Caching" such as having a months worth of e-mail stored and sync when Internet access becomes available again.
2.) Some threads have existed, between TF101/TF201, and I've considered getting one of these. When I get my tablet back from RMA, I want to try the adapter that came with the Zenbook.
3.) I've only tried 4GB flash drives formatted in FAT32. You should have no problems AFAIK as long as the file system is supported. That can vary by kernel/rom setup on any such device.
punitenshu said:
The TFP is a terrible laptop replacement as far as productivity is concerned.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
All of the issues you point out are software issues. And why e.g. you can use a Windows/Linux/Mac netbook as a laptop, but you cannot (so easily) use an Android anything as a laptop. E.g. you won't get MS Office unless you remote to a PC.
Browser wise, speed seems to leave a lot to be desired on the 10" transformers. I think either the software isn't tuned for Tegra 3 properly, or there is just not enough power being devoted. I'm curious about how the Kait powered models are gonna do later in the year. I really would like to know what the hell is with the GMail app too.
Sadly, stuff like Google Docs while decent on a PC, is not so good on mobile. Microsoft's solution was crippled off Windows Phone last I looked at reviews, and Android apps offer much more features than Google Doc's mobile clients.
These are issues people should look at when deciding if a device like this is right for them. For me, all the heavy duty software I need can be run from a Debian chroot and a terminal emulator, so I'm good lol.
Personally, I don't feel productive on a notebook to begin with. I need 2+ screens, a real keyboard with number pad, and a real mouse. So, for me, the Prime is indeed a notebook replacement. I just don't consider a notebook to be a desktop replacement
bedoig said:
Personally, I don't feel productive on a notebook to begin with. I need 2+ screens, a real keyboard with number pad, and a real mouse. So, for me, the Prime is indeed a notebook replacement. I just don't consider a notebook to be a desktop replacement
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
All of which can easily be had in a normal person's laptop setup even without resorting to the "desktop replacement" class laptops. (I'm typing right here with my spare monitor, mouse, and number pad-sportin' Samsung Series 7).
I'd say the term "desktop replacement" when applied to laptops is leagues closer to being a realistic term than "notebook replacement" when applied to an Android tablet. Heck, even a sorely-underpowered Ion Netbook is better for productivity.
But, yeah, you're right--it's a great laptop replacement for people that don't really do anything with their laptops, sort of like how a microwave is a great oven replacement for people who eat out every day.
punitenshu said:
All of which can easily be had in a normal person's laptop setup even without resorting to the "desktop replacement" class laptops. (I'm typing right here with my spare monitor, mouse, and number pad-sportin' Samsung Series 7).
I'd say the term "desktop replacement" when applied to laptops is leagues closer to being a realistic term than "notebook replacement" when applied to an Android tablet. Heck, even a sorely-underpowered Ion Netbook is better for productivity.
But, yeah, you're right--it's a great laptop replacement for people that don't really do anything with their laptops, sort of like how a microwave is a great oven replacement for people who eat out every day.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Woah, relax. I'm just saying I find the notebook form factor limiting. Of course you can add peripherals to a notebook to duplicate a traditional "desktop" environment. But as long as we're adding peripherals, let's add external monitors, a keyboard, and a mouse to the tablet along with an external PC to VNC into...
Edit - I just realized I may have been reading some combativeness into your post that wasn't really there. If so, my bad
punitenshu said:
All of which can easily be had in a normal person's laptop setup even without resorting to the "desktop replacement" class laptops. (I'm typing right here with my spare monitor, mouse, and number pad-sportin' Samsung Series 7).
I'd say the term "desktop replacement" when applied to laptops is leagues closer to being a realistic term than "notebook replacement" when applied to an Android tablet. Heck, even a sorely-underpowered Ion Netbook is better for productivity.
But, yeah, you're right--it's a great laptop replacement for people that don't really do anything with their laptops, sort of like how a microwave is a great oven replacement for people who eat out every day.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree with this. My tm2 is really just a mobile desktop for checking email, looking up things on the web, FB, looking up eateries/attractions while travelling. I would never use this as anything for productivity.
Sent from my Transformer Prime TF201
bedoig said:
Woah, relax. I'm just saying I find the notebook form factor limiting. Of course you can add peripherals to a notebook to duplicate a traditional "desktop" environment. But as long as we're adding peripherals, let's add external monitors, a keyboard, and a mouse to the tablet along with an external PC to VNC into...
Edit - I just realized I may have been reading some combativeness into your post that wasn't really there. If so, my bad
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No problem...I'm used to coming across that way on the interwebz, just don't want to confuse the TC by being unclear about what each of us actually thinks constitutes "laptop replacement".
Where I work (university) most people actually do commonly use laptops in "desktop environments"--and having a desk with a second monitor/mouse isn't really excessive considering you'd need even more than that for an equivalent desktop setup. As far as I'm concerned, I just exchanged two static pieces of hardware for one and gained portability in the process.
Hey guys,
I own a sensation with stock JB and LOVE android and google's interface to death. I need a laptop for school to take notes and the transformer fits the bill. I keep reading about the wifi bug and am wondering how bad it is? Is it just some devices or all, will I have trouble connecting to networks like a busy library or somewhere weak/loaded with users. I dont really care about GPS, I have my phone with a data plan for that. I was thinking of the tf300 but am worried about breaking the glass and I get the feeling it is fragile as it is not gorilla glass. The infinity is a little out of price range although I am considering trying to buy a used prime from futureshop with extended warranty(owned by bestbuy) and return it and hope for the prime
I dont know about custom roms but Get the Prime only if you're satisfied with casual gaming or browsing, using the prime for school work is just like placing yourself at the edge of a cliff, you'll never know when it'll crash, screen glitch or have a random reboot. File transfers rate using a thumbdrive is dirt slow. The best advice is to wait for the jellybean release and to examine the results and make a decision from there
I love my prime its my 6th but I've finally got a good one. If u get one check the screen very carefully...
Sent from my HTC Sensation Z710e using xda premium
People who use a custom rom with some tweaks are very happy with it. I use stock and wait for JB. If that does not fix things - I will just install a custom ROM.
Rooted user with ATPTweak and Browser2RAM here. I am very satisfied with my device, using it for college classes and it didn't fail me once. It is great to take notes in SuperNote. Combine that with a camera that is actually good enough to "screenshot" the board from afar and you've got yourself the perfect educational device.
I don't have any of the issues described by other users, except for the occasional ANR when updating apps and using the tablet at the same time.
Very Happy
I bought a second hand one from Craigslist that came with the keyboard. I could not be more satisfied. I know the GPS does not work but I have never needed it. It may reset itself or have an ANR a few times a week, but I game, surf, watch videos all on stock with no problems. I constantly put new ROM's on my phones, so I am sure it could do it on the Prime, but I have never had the need. As to the wireless, it is a little weaker to pick up than say my HTC Sensation, but not so much that it is a problem. My daughter has the Nexus 7 with JB and I think the Prime will only get better with JB.
DeKubus said:
Rooted user with ATPTweak and Browser2RAM here. I am very satisfied with my device, using it for college classes and it didn't fail me once. It is great to take notes in SuperNote. Combine that with a camera that is actually good enough to "screenshot" the board from afar and you've got yourself the perfect educational device.
I don't have any of the issues described by other users, except for the occasional ANR when updating apps and using the tablet at the same time.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Exact same situation here. I'm not sure that I would still buy it at the same full price today, seeing how close in specs the Nexus 7 is, but it's still a really nice device.
Put reddit.com/r/aaw on the screen and it's also a chick magnet.
waltthizzney said:
Hey guys,
I own a sensation with stock JB and LOVE android and google's interface to death. I need a laptop for school to take notes and the transformer fits the bill. I keep reading about the wifi bug and am wondering how bad it is? Is it just some devices or all, will I have trouble connecting to networks like a busy library or somewhere weak/loaded with users. I dont really care about GPS, I have my phone with a data plan for that. I was thinking of the tf300 but am worried about breaking the glass and I get the feeling it is fragile as it is not gorilla glass. The infinity is a little out of price range although I am considering trying to buy a used prime from futureshop with extended warranty(owned by bestbuy) and return it and hope for the prime
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As for your original question there is no WiFi bug. On many primes there is a physical manufacturing issue where they did not get proper contact between the antennas that are on the glass side of the device and the ground points with the backplate. Is causes the signals to attenuate at fairly short distance from the router. Don't buy it if they don't let you test it against another tablet unless you plan on opening it up and fixing the issue.
As for what everybody else says, yes stock software is buggy and annoyingly unstable. Jelly bean seems to fix most of what ails the prime. Again I wouldn't buy one unless you plan on voiding the warranty and unlocking for a custom ROM.
Your last sentence bothers me about getting the prime cheap and trying to exchange for what I assume you meant to say was an infinity. Why not just switch the price tags in the store or even easier, steal one?
Its the keyboard
waltthizzney said:
Hey guys,
I own a sensation with stock JB and LOVE android and google's interface to death. I need a laptop for school to take notes and the transformer fits the bill. ....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
One thing I didn't see anyone mention is the keyboard dock and how its (to my knowledge) unique among Android tablets. The keyboard dock has a usb port that works with everything I've thrown at it including flash drives, track balls, external hard drives, mice, usb card readers, and a usb wired Ethernet adapter. I can also use multiple usb devices at the same time using a small usb hub. About the only issue I've had is if I try to use the wired Ethernet and the external hard drive at the same time. Both work individually and also when used together with a mouse, but I'm guessing they draw too much juice to use at the same time - but that's hardly a limitation. As far as usefulness for school work/note taking etc, I would think the dock and its capabilities offers a huge advantage
As far as buggy software, many or most of the complaints I see seem to revolve around the built in browser - which I have basically never used anyway. I use Chrome and Dolphin and don't have any problems.
My WiFi also works more than adequately. I don't get as good a speed as I do with my Dell laptop but I get better WiFi speed than I do with my Droid 3 phone. So it falls in the midrange of my devices. At work, my office is on the other side of the building from the wifi router with an elevator shaft and a bank of metal file cabinets between me and the router. No device gets a very good signal at my desk. But even in that worst case environment, my prime gets a good enough signal to get my email and do light web surfing - which is as good as any device can do in that location. Its not a problem at home at all. It's not a speed demon by any means but I'm not trying to download huge files with it either (as some have said they do). Since I have a variety of devices available including a desktop and a laptop, I'm not sure why I would choose to do things like that using a tablet anyway. For a big download I'd probably do it on my desktop while I do other things with the tablet. Also, I'm guessing you probably don't need to be doing bit torrents and take notes in a class both at the same time?
Which brings up the question of weather its going to be your only device? If you have a regular computer (either laptop or desktop) I would not worry. IMO there are some tasks that tablets are just not well suited to and I don't see how a student could get away with any tablet as their only computer anyway.
All that said, here are a couple of points:
1. buying it specifically for the purpose of returning it is reprehensible. Don't do it. This sort of behavior is part of the reason electronics are as expensive as they are for everyone else.
2. Given that the Transformer Infinity is out and offers all the same advantages as the Prime, the only reason to go with a prime now is if the price is really, really good. I would say that to be reasonable, a used prime would definitely have to cost less than a new TF300 - since the new TF300 would have a full warranty. Unfortunately Amazon has $324 as the cheapest used prime while I would say no more than about $250 would be a good price for a used one (not including keyboard)
3. You could consider a TF300 which once again offers the keyboard dock with all its advantages for around $300 not including the keyboard.
ratman6161 said:
One thing I didn't see anyone mention is the keyboard dock and how its (to my knowledge) unique among Android tablets. The keyboard dock has a usb port that works with everything I've thrown at it including flash drives, track balls, external hard drives, mice, usb card readers, and a usb wired Ethernet adapter. I can also use multiple usb devices at the same time using a small usb hub. About the only issue I've had is if I try to use the wired Ethernet and the external hard drive at the same time. Both work individually and also when used together with a mouse, but I'm guessing they draw too much juice to use at the same time - but that's hardly a limitation. As far as usefulness for school work/note taking etc, I would think the dock and its capabilities offers a huge advantage
As far as buggy software, many or most of the complaints I see seem to revolve around the built in browser - which I have basically never used anyway. I use Chrome and Dolphin and don't have any problems.
My WiFi also works more than adequately. I don't get as good a speed as I do with my Dell laptop but I get better WiFi speed than I do with my Droid 3 phone. So it falls in the midrange of my devices. At work, my office is on the other side of the building from the wifi router with an elevator shaft and a bank of metal file cabinets between me and the router. No device gets a very good signal at my desk. But even in that worst case environment, my prime gets a good enough signal to get my email and do light web surfing - which is as good as any device can do in that location. Its not a problem at home at all. It's not a speed demon by any means but I'm not trying to download huge files with it either (as some have said they do). Since I have a variety of devices available including a desktop and a laptop, I'm not sure why I would choose to do things like that using a tablet anyway. For a big download I'd probably do it on my desktop while I do other things with the tablet. Also, I'm guessing you probably don't need to be doing bit torrents and take notes in a class both at the same time?
Which brings up the question of weather its going to be your only device? If you have a regular computer (either laptop or desktop) I would not worry. IMO there are some tasks that tablets are just not well suited to and I don't see how a student could get away with any tablet as their only computer anyway.
All that said, here are a couple of points:
1. buying it specifically for the purpose of returning it is reprehensible. Don't do it. This sort of behavior is part of the reason electronics are as expensive as they are for everyone else.
2. Given that the Transformer Infinity is out and offers all the same advantages as the Prime, the only reason to go with a prime now is if the price is really, really good. I would say that to be reasonable, a used prime would definitely have to cost less than a new TF300 - since the new TF300 would have a full warranty. Unfortunately Amazon has $324 as the cheapest used prime while I would say no more than about $250 would be a good price for a used one (not including keyboard)
3. You could consider a TF300 which once again offers the keyboard dock with all its advantages for around $300 not including the keyboard.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
thanks guys..... Why I am buying it is because I want something to take notes on at school in class and when reading chapters in books. I use to have a macbook pro that got destroyed taking it to school on my bike everyday, now I own a Levano Y580... (beast of a laptop btw for a great price) but do not want to lug it around and want to just keep it at home. my last two questions are with note taking apps like the one mentioned, Can you save these notes as DOCS then open them on your windows pc in word? also can you use google docs offline like you can on windows on your prime?
also what are the common issues I should inspect in regards to hardware issues?
waltthizzney said:
thanks guys..... Why I am buying it is because I want something to take notes on at school in class and when reading chapters in books. I use to have a macbook pro that got destroyed taking it to school on my bike everyday, now I own a Levano Y580... (beast of a laptop btw for a great price) but do not want to lug it around and want to just keep it at home. my last two questions are with note taking apps like the one mentioned, Can you save these notes as DOCS then open them on your windows pc in word? also can you use google docs offline like you can on windows on your prime?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, that's getting to more a matter of what software you want to use and how you want to take your notes. Handwriting recognition does not work for me...not on the prime and not on anything else I've tried. Even things that work for others don't work for me. My handwriting is so terrible that it just doesn't work. So I can't speak to that. And I absolutely despise on-screen keyboards as well for anything other than web surfing etc. So the keyboard dock is the biggest reason I chose the prime in the first place...though what works for you is for you to decide.
As to typing notes (which I assume is OK with you since you said you used to do this on a laptop) there are a number of options. You mentioned knowing Android well so I will leave it to you to pick apps that do the job for you. As far as what is on the machine as it comes out of the box, there is Super Note which I don't particularly like. There is also Polaris Office which handles Microsoft Office documents quite well in my opinion). Any 10 inch screen is not going to be that great (once again for me) to do detailed editing, but matched with the keyboard dock it works great for typing notes to be saved as Word docs and transferred to the PC later. However I mostly use Polaris office for reading documents others have sent me.
What I actually use for notes most of the time is Ever Note so that my notes get auto synced to my desktop PC. These can be easily copied and pasted to Word Documents if I wanted to though I rarely actually do that.
As far as Google Docs, I don't really use them but I don't think you can get at them off line (i.e. with no internet connection)
As far as carrying it around every day, well, the tablet can get broken too. So if your Mac Book got "destroyed" then I'm not sure a tablet will fare much better...a lot of it is made of glass after all. But if you are set on a tablet, I don't think the Prime is any more fragile than any other.
---------- Post added at 03:51 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:49 PM ----------
waltthizzney said:
also what are the common issues I should inspect in regards to hardware issues?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's a question that will typically generate a flame war on this forum between the people who have had problems and those who have not. I'm one of the ones who hasn't had any problems getting it to do the things I want it to do.
But I'll leave it to you to browse the forums and decide for yourself.
ratman6161 said:
Well, that's getting to more a matter of what software you want to use and how you want to take your notes. Handwriting recognition does not work for me...not on the prime and not on anything else I've tried. Even things that work for others don't work for me. My handwriting is so terrible that it just doesn't work. So I can't speak to that. And I absolutely despise on-screen keyboards as well for anything other than web surfing etc. So the keyboard dock is the biggest reason I chose the prime in the first place...though what works for you is for you to decide.
As to typing notes (which I assume is OK with you since you said you used to do this on a laptop) there are a number of options. You mentioned knowing Android well so I will leave it to you to pick apps that do the job for you. As far as what is on the machine as it comes out of the box, there is Super Note which I don't particularly like. There is also Polaris Office which handles Microsoft Office documents quite well in my opinion). Any 10 inch screen is not going to be that great (once again for me) to do detailed editing, but matched with the keyboard dock it works great for typing notes to be saved as Word docs and transferred to the PC later. However I mostly use Polaris office for reading documents others have sent me.
What I actually use for notes most of the time is Ever Note so that my notes get auto synced to my desktop PC. These can be easily copied and pasted to Word Documents if I wanted to though I rarely actually do that.
As far as Google Docs, I don't really use them but I don't think you can get at them off line (i.e. with no internet connection)
As far as carrying it around every day, well, the tablet can get broken too. So if your Mac Book got "destroyed" then I'm not sure a tablet will fare much better...a lot of it is made of glass after all. But if you are set on a tablet, I don't think the Prime is any more fragile than any other.
---------- Post added at 03:51 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:49 PM ----------
That's a question that will typically generate a flame war on this forum between the people who have had problems and those who have not. I'm one of the ones who hasn't had any problems getting it to do the things I want it to do.
But I'll leave it to you to browse the forums and decide for yourself.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
thanks for the reply...... Trying to decide between the tf201 which has a nicer screen vs the tf300 which has most bugs fixed and will not get as scratched!
I just got a new Prime on ebay for $300. Did I pay too much considering some of the problems I've been reading about?
kosenn said:
I just got a new Prime on ebay for $300. Did I pay too much considering some of the problems I've been reading about?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
just think you got it $200 cheaper than most of us and if you dont care about warranty all can be fixed or worked around other than (as far as i know) bt/wifi dropout http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1443868&highlight=dropout.
I just got my Prime 201. I tried to upgrade from 3.2.1 and it shows no updates available. The build number is HTk75.us_epad-8.8.3.33-20111223.
kosenn said:
I just got my Prime 201. I tried to upgrade from 3.2.1 and it shows no updates available. The build number is HTk75.us_epad-8.8.3.33-20111223.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
so go to asus and download one if its available. they have instructions there too. This is of course not in the least bit applicable to the thread you have posted in. (OMG listen to me, I have become my father)
I need a laptop to program on at school (Java this year, C++ next)
For a while I thought I HAD to get a laptop, and I was thinking a used Mac Book pro 13", around $900 or so.
I recently found AIDE (Android IDE) which allows for Java, C, C++ (and a few other languages I believe...) and also Eclipse project integration.
Does anyone use AIDE on an N10, or in general at all? Would this be a good or adequate move for me to make? Is AIDE able to compare with an IDE like Eclipse, or any others you can think of? (we use Eclipse in the class I'm taking now. Submissions are done on school Linux computers with Eclipse).
I would be buying a keyboard dock to use with the N10
Here's my current pro/con list
N10 Pros:
$400 cheaper at least
It's all I need in a computing device; internet, media, programming
Super portable
Android + Android Market
Matches my Nexus 4 :3
N10 Cons:
Um...perhaps might not be a pleasant programming experience? Whole point of this thread lol
_________
Laptop Pros:
Portable
Will do what I need it to, and more if something comes up in the future
I definitely know I can program on it, and is fully compatible with classes I take.
Apple product: it will work, and it will work nicely.
Laptop Cons:
More expensive than N10
Not quite as portable (larger than 10")
It would probably be an Apple product (cloud 'ecosystem' disjoint)
To be quite honest, money is the biggest factor here.
But on a final note, I'm mostly looking for personal experiences from you guys. What have you done with AIDE, what's your experience, what do you like/dislike.
I'll appreciate suggestions on what to buy, but it's almost meaningless without reasons to back it up.
I don't think a tablet can ever fully replace a laptop, especially for programming. Decent keyboard would be a major reason.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium
Yeah, you don't want to be programming on a tablet without a dedicated keyboard, those typos will be nasty. I doubt you could compile in a reasonable amount of time either.
Sent from my A100 using xda app-developers app
Ydoow said:
I need a laptop to program on at school (Java this year, C++ next)
For a while I thought I HAD to get a laptop, and I was thinking a used Mac Book pro 13", around $900 or so.
I recently found AIDE (Android IDE) which allows for Java, C, C++ (and a few other languages I believe...) and also Eclipse project integration.
Does anyone use AIDE on an N10, or in general at all? Would this be a good or adequate move for me to make? Is AIDE able to compare with an IDE like Eclipse, or any others you can think of? (we use Eclipse in the class I'm taking now. Submissions are done on school Linux computers with Eclipse).
I would be buying a keyboard dock to use with the N10
Here's my current pro/con list
N10 Pros:
$400 cheaper at least
It's all I need in a computing device; internet, media, programming
Super portable
Android + Android Market
Matches my Nexus 4 :3
N10 Cons:
Um...perhaps might not be a pleasant programming experience? Whole point of this thread lol
_________
Laptop Pros:
Portable
Will do what I need it to, and more if something comes up in the future
I definitely know I can program on it, and is fully compatible with classes I take.
Apple product: it will work, and it will work nicely.
Laptop Cons:
More expensive than N10
Not quite as portable (larger than 10")
It would probably be an Apple product (cloud 'ecosystem' disjoint)
To be quite honest, money is the biggest factor here.
But on a final note, I'm mostly looking for personal experiences from you guys. What have you done with AIDE, what's your experience, what do you like/dislike.
I'll appreciate suggestions on what to buy, but it's almost meaningless without reasons to back it up.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I often program on my Nexus 10 but always over SSH with a hardware keyboard. Its something that's nice to have as an auxiliary device but if you don't have at least a decent desktop then buy a laptop first.
It also depends on what you want to program. If you want to make a Linux or Windows desktop application then the Nexus 10 won't be ideal. When I'm doing application programming I usually work on a desktop or laptop.
I use N10 to access remote dev machines and code (VS2010) from there using a bluetooth keyboard/mouse. These are all Windows machines. I would never run an IDE locally on the device itself, for one I code .NET mainly, and two, compiling would probably hella slow.
I would say it depends on what you are programming. These days, I primarily do Android development. So AIDE + the N10 was my main choice. I bought a Logitech keyboard at a low price, and my tablet has become very productive.
I have also been trying to learn other programming though. I put a lot of time into C++, which the N10 also fairly suits. I chrooted Ubuntu on my N10 and I use the terminal (not VNC) to write and compile C++ applications. It can get a bit tedious, but it works for basic, console based applications. Also for Perl, Ruby, Python and PHP, I use sl4a. I can write my programs in DroidEdit and it lets you compile with sl4a.
I bought the N10 as sort of a development machine. I know that more complex applications, like a Windows program, will not be entirely possibly. However, if I am working on a piece of my application (for example, maybe some database access or other kinds of general I/O), I can easily just copy that source code over to my N10 and test it with a test class, then integrate it into my main application when I have access to a desktop or Internet for a remote connection.
Absolutely not. You really don't want to be programming on something that small and relatively slow, especially for two years of school. Get a decent laptop with a 15"+ screen as you're gonna need all the screen real estate you can get. A MacBook Pro would be a waste of money for your purposes.
wireroid said:
Absolutely not. You really don't want to be programming on something that small and relatively slow, especially for two years of school. Get a decent laptop with a 15"+ screen as you're gonna need all the screen real estate you can get. A MacBook Pro would be a waste of money for your purposes.
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I could not agree more. And what is his obsession with Apple laptops? They're overpriced for what they are nice though they might look. Why don't people realize that there are so many better alternatives out there where you can get such a cheap laptop for 500 dollars and you can just slap a Linux distro on it. Heck I bought my wife a Sony Ultrabook for 600 dollars 13 inch screen 4 gb ram hybrid ssd drive/hdd and it's more powerful than a MacBook Air. Oh and it can dual boot with Ubuntu.
Sent from my Nexus 10 using Tapatalk HD
Hello XDA, I don't often venture out of the branded device forums so here goes nothing.
I have chronic nerve damage in both of my arms (primarily right arm which is my writing hand). I am going back to school this year and the pain seems to be getting worse. The most painful thing for my arm is without a doubt writing, and I am filing for a 504 plan to allow me to use some other method of typing besides writing.
So there's the back story, now here's my question.
I need a device (not necessarily android, but a tablet is one of the main contenders) that can give me a solid writing experience (keyboard or bust, a keyboard cover/accessory will suffice, but NO on screen typing), offer an all day battery life, is portable and easy to store, and can also double as a media device. I am sort of on a budget, but am already in the market for a tablet so I'm willing to spend some extra $ on this. 600$- maybe $800, preferably less obviously.
Note, I probably won't have internet access during school, so DRM is out of the question.
So here are the candidates.
Chromebook - don't know what the stance on DRM is for these nowadays, but I would love a Chromebook as they are cheap, have nice typing experiences, and have great battery life. Again, if anybody can pitch in on DRM for the Chromebook that would be great. All I need for school is a writing supplement so a word editing software will work fine. I'm also aware that you can install Ubuntu on a Chromebook and Ubuntu has the libro office.
Android tablet - I love android, and was very close to buying the new shield tablet a few weeks ago. I'm glad I didn't because that device doesn't have many solid accessories currently, but a device like the nexus 7 probably does. However, the writing programs on android are really lackluster and don't offer the precision of a real laptop
Surface tablet - this one is kind of a long shot, but if for some reason the school requires a windows os (which could be possibly) I would choose this over a standard laptop because it doubles as a tablet.
Cheap windows laptop - this one is self explanatory, a cheap run of the mill windows laptop would type fine, but would be dead useless to me outside of school and I already have a laptop (a Toshiba satellite that is massive and has a terrible battery life) for home. Also the tablet would probably be slow and have a terrible battery... and yeah, windows.
So there you go. Thank you for reading this, this is very important for me right now as starting school again has out me in a tremendous amount of pain from writing, and I would love to find a solid supplement that meats all of my goals.
Thanks,
William
Does anybody here have a keyboard accessory for an android tablet that they could recommend?
Bump :/
Hi,
I'm sorry I don't have any answer to your question, but since you're on the topic of typing and nerve damage, I thought I'll let you know about the Typematrix keyboards (http://www.typematrix.com/) that offer physical, ergonomic-layout keyboards such as Dvorak, Colemak and BÉPO, which are all designed to ease the pain (and up the speed) of typing. Learning to (touch-)type efficiently takes 4-8 weeks depending on the layout and the keyboards themselves aren't cheap (= in the $100-120 range), but if you value your health, I think it's worth it. Plus, the washable silicon skins are über soft and silent as well ! ^^
(I'm not affiliated with Typematrix in any way, but I give kudos when deserved )
wtoj34 said:
Hello XDA, I don't often venture out of the branded device forums so here goes nothing.
I have chronic nerve damage in both of my arms (primarily right arm which is my writing hand). I am going back to school this year and the pain seems to be getting worse. The most painful thing for my arm is without a doubt writing, and I am filing for a 504 plan to allow me to use some other method of typing besides writing.
So there's the back story, now here's my question.
I need a device (not necessarily android, but a tablet is one of the main contenders) that can give me a solid writing experience (keyboard or bust, a keyboard cover/accessory will suffice, but NO on screen typing), offer an all day battery life, is portable and easy to store, and can also double as a media device. I am sort of on a budget, but am already in the market for a tablet so I'm willing to spend some extra $ on this. 600$- maybe $800, preferably less obviously.
Note, I probably won't have internet access during school, so DRM is out of the question.
So here are the candidates.
Chromebook - don't know what the stance on DRM is for these nowadays, but I would love a Chromebook as they are cheap, have nice typing experiences, and have great battery life. Again, if anybody can pitch in on DRM for the Chromebook that would be great. All I need for school is a writing supplement so a word editing software will work fine. I'm also aware that you can install Ubuntu on a Chromebook and Ubuntu has the libro office.
Android tablet - I love android, and was very close to buying the new shield tablet a few weeks ago. I'm glad I didn't because that device doesn't have many solid accessories currently, but a device like the nexus 7 probably does. However, the writing programs on android are really lackluster and don't offer the precision of a real laptop
Surface tablet - this one is kind of a long shot, but if for some reason the school requires a windows os (which could be possibly) I would choose this over a standard laptop because it doubles as a tablet.
Cheap windows laptop - this one is self explanatory, a cheap run of the mill windows laptop would type fine, but would be dead useless to me outside of school and I already have a laptop (a Toshiba satellite that is massive and has a terrible battery life) for home. Also the tablet would probably be slow and have a terrible battery... and yeah, windows.
So there you go. Thank you for reading this, this is very important for me right now as starting school again has out me in a tremendous amount of pain from writing, and I would love to find a solid supplement that meats all of my goals.
Thanks,
William
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Click to collapse
Hi Dude
i guess there is many options to choose since the market is huge
i would suggest something like this : 10.1 Inch Tablet Pc Intel Atom Baytrail-T Z3735D 1.33Ghz Quad Core DDR3 2GB SSD 32GB Dual Cameras Ultrabook Win8 it comes as a tablet that you can attach to a base (proper qwerty keyboard and stand) 32gb storeage about $400
or this : samsung XE500T1C windows 8 Quad-core is equipped with a keyboard Bluetooth/WIFI *same kind of a deal but 64gb storage and more slick and "known" device about $600
and if you feel that you might need more than that here : Intel Core I5 + 4G DDR3 + 128GB SSD+ Bluetooth+3G * this one is about $730
also since u have one m8 you can have look at the app i use for documents WPS Office: PPT, DOC, XLS, PDF
and here u have a solution in case you would like to get any other tablet SEARCH FOR TABLET CASES WITH KEYBOARD
all these links work but i mainly gave them as examples since you might be able to get them devices locally/cheaper