Hi all,
Today I suddenly noticed a click sound when putting my keyboard on the side and I found out that the case on the side of the hinge would come apart with little force.
It is easily replicated when you push the hinge push the hinge to the bottom and while holding the back case.
The problem is shown on the video below,
http://youtu.be/XS9zTEvvbzk
now, is it normal ? it seems like there are no screws holding that part together so it seems like it is bound to happen!
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For the Fix
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Just curious, how long have you had the dock? And how often do you connect and disconnect the prime from the dock?
My guess (and it's just a guess) is that the chassis on the edge uses snaps to keep the plate seams together. If this is true then it could be that something caused the snaps to break.
From what you're showing in the video, it definitely does not seem normal to me. I'm really hesitant to reproduce the issue with my own dock, so hopefully someone else in the forums whose had experience opening up the keyboard will provide some insight. In the meantime, if I were you, I would avoid any actions that would forcefully pry apart the chassis edge like that; it could aggravate the problem.
like i said, I barely need to use any force at all, just a a very small push.
I also figure out that the position of the hinge makes a difference as well.
If the hinge is in the "closed" position (imagine tablet docked with screen closed), it will not snap open.
it's when the hinge is opened up, the problem appears.
oO_SwooP_Oo said:
My guess (and it's just a guess) is that the chassis on the edge uses snaps to keep the plate seams together. If this is true then it could be that something caused the snaps to break.
From what you're showing in the video, it definitely does not seem normal to me. I'm really hesitant to reproduce the issue with my own dock, so hopefully someone else in the forums whose had experience opening up the keyboard will provide some insight. In the meantime, if I were you, I would avoid any actions that would forcefully pry apart the chassis edge like that; it could aggravate the problem.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Anyone ?
just a yes or no so I can try to return it !
babadudu said:
Anyone ?
just a yes or no so I can try to return it !
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Two weeks ago I started having this same problem. The slightest pressure pops it right back together. I don't know that I'll bother to return it. I would assume there is a good chance they all do, and that it may have something to do with the way we insert it and remove it from the dock.
I just noticed this problem the other day. It does it about half way when opening or closing. Kinda like the pins of the hinge push it open just a little.
Sent from my Transformer Prime TF201 using XDA Premium HD app
looks like it's not just me then, i am baffled that they didn't design screws to keep it together......
I have the same issues. The dock is generally just not well made. the back panel is too flexible, it pops open at the edges, and Ive noticed the hinges have gotten looser, and have a dead spot now, where the tablet can flap back and forth, similar to most laptops.
Same problem here. Just went to the shop on saturday and they sent it to Asus. Don't know yet, what happens.
Bought the prime about 10 weeks ago, so they don't want to exchange it without sending in here in Germany. I just wish there'd be ASUS-stores like Apple stores, where this would have been handled more easily...
As someone who has taken their dock apart to see what makes it tick i know there are several hidden screws inside the dock part of the keyboard (under a black sticker, hard to see or find if your not looking) that help hold the hinge together. i found my screen protector was adding pressure on the dock and removed some of the material so everything fit better tho after doing what i did i dont really recommend it to others.
I too am rather unimpressed with the construction of the dock however im not going to worry too much about it, if it gets too flimsy for my liking ill just take it apart again and tighten things up again.
I had this once but i just pressed it toghether slightly and it never happened again.
Pileot could you make a small video or take pictures of the screws you did tighten to make it better?
This just happened to me last night and I'm very deeply saddened.
I take the tablet out of the dock about once every two days, Max. I've had the dock for 12 days now. C1OKA to start the S/N. Amethyst. Bought it from Amazon 3/2.
No screen protector, no added weight. I noticed it happened when I grabbed the dock with the tablet open by the Asus sticker on the keyboard, with my hands on both side of the touchpad.
Entire backend popped open, both hinges, and alongside the bacl under the tablet slide.
Im going to see if Amazon will take it back and exchange otherwise Asus will get my backend fixed.
Any ideas to those of you who have opened it that will keep it in place? i don't want to put tape on it. But i understand the weight of the tablet in the dock fully extended changes the center of gravity putting more pressure on the bottom of the dock and if it only has tabs that is the reason it is popping open.
No breaks cracks scratches damage of any kind.
I too have a clicking dock.
Got the same problem with mine. It's only a month old and it seems to be the way I hold it whilst docked. I tend to hold it one handed by the black sticker whilst opening it with my left hand. Gonna send it to asus for a repair as it seems the catch as snapped. ANOTHER desgin floor.
Is there not a screw underneath the rubber ?
Sent from my Transformer Prime TF201 using xda premium
My docking station was also having this issue. THere's screws under the rubber feet of the dock. I had to tighten both screws near the hinge down and that resolved the hinge splitting. Who knows if it'll happen again, but it's a pretty simple fix.
Hi,
No issues with the dock whatsoever, however I did notice that at a 45degree angle the prime just closes by itself. Not sure if it was like that from the beginning but it seems like opening and closing does loosen the hinges hold a bit.
Anyone experienced this?
Hinge FIX
I meant to write this a few weeks ago.
So I have a C3 keyboard....My C1 from Amazon worked great for 13 days...then it "popped" at the hinge and i was like...oh ****...
In the pictures you can see where it pops and the hinge came apart.
What I found was the little old chinese lady who put these together on that specific day must have had a serious case of Arthritis....when i examined underneath the rubber feet, both screws on both sides were completely unscrewed. I got the right sized 6 star driver, popped the hinge back together (especially underneath the hinge-release area in the middle of the keyboard), and screwed them in but didn't overtighten. I checked to make sure the dock wouldn't pop out again by placing tablet in and holding it on both sides of the trackpad and it didn't pop open. Voila! Put a dollup of rubber cement on pads, stuck them back on, and let it dry. Happy again! I hope this works for you guys.
edit: screws are Phillips head, not 6 star. opened rest of dock with 6 star (not necessary for this fix); sorry for confusion. PS super glue works well too if no rubber cement
Your images are dead.
And they're back.
Perfect, thank's a lot. I had the same problem, and your solution worked 100% for me as well.
Related
Hi guys, i've noticed recently when connecting the dock that the two slots on the bottom of the twblet are becoming slightly chipped/scratched. Does this happen to anyone else? Its only a mijor thing but its slightly annoying.
Mine's not chipping/scratching, yet. But, then again, if you saw how carefully I dock/undock, you would understand why. Looking forward to my first scratch/chip, so I can relax a bit and stop being so careful...
One of my slots has a slight nick on it from the dock. But you really have to go looking for it to see it. I would suggest just being careful how well you line up the keyboard and the tablet when you connect them in order to minimize any scratches that would annoy you. There are alignment arrows on the center of the dock and the bottom of the tablet.
well after dropping my first one from about a height of 4 feet (in the neoprene sleeve in the accessory section) and watching with horror as it bounced on an edge...and luckily was able to return it due to other issues....looked with less fear...
then my wife accidently dropped the new tablet..again in said neoprene sleeve...and although dinged on the edge..not nearly as bad as the first.
Moral? the harder you try to keep something pristine..the more likely it will get blemished faster :S
Having something like the dock feature..you are fundamentally going to get scuffs...it's the way it works when you introduce metal on metal.
worse case is when you take out the dock...and the gel's are available...put one on after undocking..that's what i plan on doing..as this thing is a slick bugger.
I got myself a prime last week, promptly ordered a keyboard because nobody had one in stock and I didn't feel like paying a $70 dollar premium on amazon to get it in the future anyway, and received the dock yesterday.
Electrically, the dock seems fine - all of the keys work, it charged normally, it's discharging normally, etc. - but it appears to have a physical deformity at the front of the unit. I took a picture of the unit to demonstrate... unfortunately, as some of you are no doubt aware, taking close-focus pictures of smallish things with an android camera is a little tough. Still, see attached image for the illustration. Note the gap between the rubber stopper and the fact that you can see the palm rest surface despite looking at the tray head on.
The question is, of course, "is this normal?" Does anyone else have a warped dock? It seems like the trackpad buttons don't quite click as easily as I think they should, but I don't have anything to compare it to. None of the local Best Buy stores have a dock on display, either.
[edit]I started this thread in the wrong forum and moved it here, then forgot to attach the file. Here's a link to an imgur-hosted copy:
http://i.imgur.com/Bn0la.jpg
nurrwick said:
I got myself a prime last week, promptly ordered a keyboard because nobody had one in stock and I didn't feel like paying a $70 dollar premium on amazon to get it in the future anyway, and received the dock yesterday.
Electrically, the dock seems fine - all of the keys work, it charged normally, it's discharging normally, etc. - but it appears to have a physical deformity at the front of the unit. I took a picture of the unit to demonstrate... unfortunately, as some of you are no doubt aware, taking close-focus pictures of smallish things with an android camera is a little tough. Still, see attached image for the illustration. Note the gap between the rubber stopper and the fact that you can see the palm rest surface despite looking at the tray head on.
The question is, of course, "is this normal?" Does anyone else have a warped dock? It seems like the trackpad buttons don't quite click as easily as I think they should, but I don't have anything to compare it to. None of the local Best Buy stores have a dock on display, either.
[edit]I started this thread in the wrong forum and moved it here, then forgot to attach the file. Here's a link to an imgur-hosted copy:
http://i.imgur.com/Bn0la.jpg
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
When mine is closed, the lid touches the rubber bumper on the keyboard which is what I would expect. Yours doesn't seem to close properly.
Thanks - that's what I suspected. It contacts the two rubber pads on the sides, so this poor thing is the victim of a god-knows-what. The box was completely undamaged so I guess someone sat on it at the factory.
Obviously anyone else that wants to weigh in is welcome to do so - on this topic, anyway, I don't recommend actually weighing in on the keyboard dock because I guess it will bend.
Yep, looks bent, as if it was laying on a soft rocking chair, couch or something undocked and someone sat on it. You could take your knee to the back of it with a hand on each side and try to bend it back You may end up with a creased unit afterward though... I'd send it back as a return and try to find one somewhere else.
My keyboard dock also came with a slight bend to it (from a UK Grey BC0KAS batch). I didn't notice it at first, but when I put the keyboard on a flat surface when closed, it wobbled. Towards the back the centre of the metal was coming into contact with the table, so the rubber feet were slightly raised.
I was able to gently apply pressure, using a soft cloth, to the metal around this area and correct this so it's not really noticeable now.
Also, when the tablet is docked, and closed, there is a slightly larger gap on the right side between the screen and keyboard than the left. It makes contact with all 3 rubber pads, but it's definitely there.
I'm still contemplating returning the whole lot to Comet, as I have 3 stuck pixels, and have been experiencing poor WiFi and some crashes.
Quality control definitely could have been better here.
SO! I went to another Best Buy that actually had docks in stock, did an exchange, and the second dock is bent as well. That said, the buttons on the trackpad actually click easily on this unit, so I think I'm going to keep it especially given how difficult it is to find anything with a TF-201 in its model number in stock.
It'd be interesting to see how many docks have warping or if it's supposed to be there. I guess it could be Asus' way of giving us space to fit our fingers in to open the unit...
Turns out mine was slightly bent too. I never would have noticed had it not been for this thread... Lol, anyway...mine was bent slightly in the middle. The middle rubber stopper didn't touch when cosed. It is really, really easy to bend this though...i just put pressure in the middle from behind and pushed slightly and the gap has disappeared.
I don't have the dock yet but this will be on my new dock QC checklist when I do get one. I'm not planning on getting one for a while so hopefully stuff like this will be ironed out by Asus and stocking levels are better. I'm thinking August (my birthday).
Hi all,
I'm just about to RMA my dock. The top and bottom halves are starting to separate and the hinge is getting looser and looser.
I've already emailed tech support and they have suggested user error - IE I'm forcing the tablet into the dock too hard! I will assure them that this is NOT the case!
I'll see what the tech guys say when I RMA it but I have to admit i'm more than a little disappointed.
Has anyone else on here noticed anything similar?
i have not seen this on mine, BUT i can see how this would happen. it honestly does not seem to have anything to do with pushing it in to hard. but more so with pushing it in when it is not aligned corretly.
it will slowely pull the hinged area apart over time, me and my mother both have the prime and dock. and she is not heavy handed at all but hers started to do the same thing yours is doing. after having her show me how she instered it into the dock. i noticed that she was not looking at the angle of the hinged area and just pushing softly until she would find the right angle for it to slide in. and as she was pushing softly the hinged area would move and seperate from just wiggling the prime till it fit in.
not saying that you doing this, but that seemed to be the cause of her dock starting to do what yours is doing. so i had to show her a better way of visually aligning the prime and dock so it would just slide in.
thats my OP anyway. hope that it gets fixed bruh
I have notice that mine pops apart if I pick it up by the front right corner. I do not mean that I am grabbing the very edge of the corner, I am merely picking it up as I would a netbook or other similar device. When I do this the dock pops apart at the USB port and along the back behind the hinge. You can tell the dock bends when it happens. It seems to be that the dock can not hold up to the weight of the tablet. I have only had this happen twice as I now make sure to pick it up with both hands. There is no damage since it just pops back together but one has to wonder how they can charge $150 for something that is so cheaply made. I will not be sending it back but I am still a little disappointed. Functionality is still great and I am still happy with the product, just wish I didn't have to be careful of how I pick it up.
While it probably could have been assembled better, I can only imagine RMA is going to consider this Customer Induced Damage and want to charge you more than the dock is worth by the time all is said and done. Good luck though.
Yatyas said:
I have notice that mine pops apart if I pick it up by the front right corner. I do not mean that I am grabbing the very edge of the corner, I am merely picking it up as I would a netbook or other similar device. When I do this the dock pops apart at the USB port and along the back behind the hinge. You can tell the dock bends when it happens. It seems to be that the dock can not hold up to the weight of the tablet. I have only had this happen twice as I now make sure to pick it up with both hands. There is no damage since it just pops back together but one has to wonder how they can charge $150 for something that is so cheaply made. I will not be sending it back but I am still a little disappointed. Functionality is still great and I am still happy with the product, just wish I didn't have to be careful of how I pick it up.
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Click to collapse
I suspect that this is the case - the tablet and dock have always been correctly aligned and no excessive force has been applied to the dock mechanism.
I've cancelled the RMA as ASUS wont tell me what the charges might be for sending the dock in. however its being UPS'd from the UK to Czech Republic so i cant imagine it would be cheap.
I've put up with all the issues so far, but this is the last straw for me. Tablet is great but build quality sucks big time. No more ASUS products for me
Hi all,
First off, can I thank all the contributors to this thread http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1530660
I realise I could post this in the thread above but I think it deserves a new thread.
After reading 25 pages of the above thread I thought I should closely inspect my screen for any sign of damage caused by the dock. A lot of the cracks look like they are caused by the dock and mine is only really used in the dock (about 95% of the time used in dock). Inspecting it I have found a micro crack in the tablet screen. It is covered by the dock and even with the dock removed it is very hard to see unless the light catches the crack right and the tablet it at the correct angle. I would have missed this had I not seen the thread above. The first I would have known about it would have been when it inevitably cracks properly. Like this one http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jIpaym8J4kk/T5wAQhFMV2I/AAAAAAAAX4U/AlpDo7CTrQg/s1600/cfp7.jpg (thanks tomanytoys for posting the picture of this one)
Others have claimed that their screens had spontaneously cracked without being dropped or impacted when left in a cold car overnight or after closing and opening the dock/tablet. This is obviously the cause in many case's
A little background on my tablet.
I have owned my tablet since 14/01/2012, pre-ordered from curries website so got it on the first day of release in the UK. I love it.
I (carefully) open and close it regularly, using the dock to protect the screen while its not in use (even if its just for a couple of minutes to make a brew). The tablet has never left my house and I use it docked 95% of the time. It has never been dropped and I have not added rubber tabs to the dock to prevent the screen cracking as some people have.
Here are the pictures of the micro crack.
The next picture is the tablet and dock. The tablet is not fully docked so you can still see the marks (but not the crack) and there position relative to the dock .
The next picture shows the tablet and dock again, this time the tablet is fully docked. Notice the marks are now completely covered by the dock. The small marks you can still see are dust and are in the previous picture as well.
The next picture is taken with a digital microscope (not the greatest resolution) from above the crack. Most of the marks you see to the right of the scratch are grease, You can see from the direction of the streaks how I remove the tablet from the dock (left thumb on the release catch, lifted away with my right hand), however the 2 small marks below the grease, on the corner of the glass are 2 more cracks starting. These 2 marks are too small to be seen with the naked eye.
Next picture, again taken with the microscope was taken from a near horizontal plane. Its shows the other 2 marks well and shows that the main crack does not go all the way through the glass.
My microscope also does video but I am having problems uploading or converting the weird file format it's outputting but in the video I have made, I move a light source around the crack and it shows up, almost 3d in appearance. I will try to do the video again in another format later.
Everyone that owns a dock should check their touchscreen for these micro cracks. They are very hard to see and much easier to miss, I know exactly where it is but finding it and pointing it out to another person is difficult every time I have done it.
Looking at pictures of other spontaneous cracks they can be on the left side like mine or on the right, near the right dock latch. Most cracks seem to be on the left like it mine. Maybe this is because most people are right handed.
My GPS dongle arrived just after I noticed the crack. The dongle doesn’t fit (or not without forcing it on) http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1622447
If I had not noticed the crack and I had decided to force the dongle onto the tablet I am sure it would have cracked the touchscreen immediately so be warned.
I have emailed Asus about the problem but I have not received a response but it is the weekend.
It is my intention to only send this back to Asus for repair when I have an independent engineers report about what has caused the crack so there is no argument from Asus about consumer induced damage. Mine could go all the way at any minute or while sending it to Asus for repair/inspection. I have other tablets so I can afford to be without it for a bit, back to Tegra 2 for now.
I will update as soon as I here from Asus about this issue
Anyone with a crack in the same place is welcome to beat Asus over the head with my pictures.
To my mind this is conclusive proof that the design of the dock/hinge is faulty because all the pressure of opening them is placed on a small area of glass. I am not a expert in glass or mechanical engineering but this seems obvious even to a layman what has caused this and other cracks.
Wow...now that definitely was caused by the dock, no doubt. I actually undocked mine to check for cracks after reading this. I am still amazed and grateful that my screen did not crack after dropping the Prime on concrete while docked...twice. I thought a cracked screen was a sure bet after dropping it, especially after reading all of these posts of screens cracking on their own. If you watch a tear down of the Prime you will see how flexible the glass is. I saw a picture of a plastic pry tool prying the bottom middle of the screen up at least an inch, while the left and right edges of the screen were still snapped into the rear panel of the unit. I really think it might be defective glass, and not the dock. I've had my Prime 2 weeks less than you, and it's docked only 50% of the time, so it's constantly being docked and removed. All that docking/undocking and the 2 drops never gave me a crack. All the more reason to get a SquareTrade policy.
I agree with you about the insurance for accidental damage but its not really the responsibility of an insurance company to pay for fault caused by bad design.
On the subject of insurance, while I was reading the thread that brought the problem to my attention I was thinking "got to some gadget insurance on this" I did a quick search and you can get insurance cover for as little as £40 per year so it would be silly not to get insurance after spending £500 on the Tablet.
I will get some when this is sorted.
Please don't make duplicate threads...
As you said yourself, you should have posted in the other thread.
Thread closed.
Hi all,
just wanted to share an experience of mine with the dock, and how I resolved it...
When the screen was closed, if either side of the prime was pushed against the dock, i heard almost a cracking noise... due to some of the threads on here that got me a little worried.
I noticed the hinge had a bit to much 'give' when wobbled up and down,
I then started to open the dock.
I first removed the rubber pads on the bottom (which hide screws) one of these pads (nearest the dock connector) came off WITH the screw attached to it!!
low and behold, the screw on the other side was lose too! I put the screws back in and tightened them (if you are going to do this be careful not to over tighten them) all those nasty noises are now gone
effectively, the docking port was not being supported because of this... I wonder if this is the cause of some of these broken screens??
Steve
I am looking at buying the dock but I wonder if a screen protector would be good in protecting the screen against these cracks that the dock may cause. Another idea I had is to maybe put some foam tape along the sides just so its a bit softer for the screen to lay on and gives it a little extra space so the keys don't come near the screen. I really want the keyboard cos honestly I hate most software ones.
Its obvious but
Whys that?
step one. remove rubber feet for dock,
step two. notice the 2 screws at the back (nearest docking connector) are lose
step three, tighten screws with a clockwise motion
step four, re-attach pads
If it needed pictures I would have provided pictures
But I will take some later and turn this thread into a how to
copc said:
Its obvious but
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
im having this exact problem.. it sounds like sand between dock and tablet, scratching the tablets screen -- very creepy lol.
gonna try the screw thing right away, reporting back later.
EDIT: Yay it works! No more creepy noise
Asus you fail big time!
Sent from my Transformer Prime using Tapatalk 2
I was reading this thread and remembered how my dock hinge was getting a bit loose and how annoyed I was with it. As soon as I read this thread, I thought, let's have a look. To my surpise both screws were almost fully unscrewed. Screwed the up not overly tight and the hinge is once again as it was the first day. Unbelievable.
Many thanks to the OP for a good hint.
I had the same noises and after checking and tightening the screws it's gone. 2 of the 4 screws were loose.
Thanks for the hint.
Thanks
Thanks given
For all clarity i have question to you, what color is ur prime?
Amethyst grey i expect right?
It is not very clear but what color is the hole under the soft pads? and can u tell me if it is plastic or is the hole also aluminium?
My CG dock also had the two screws on the hinge side backed out. The adhesive material stayed on the dock instead of the rubber foot so it wasn't readily apparent. But, when I pressed a screw driver through to the head of the screw, one of the two was obviously ready to fall out, fully unscrewed. The other may have had a turn or so engaged. Tightened them and no more creak on that side.
I haven't checked the two opposite the hinge side yet, but a quick squeeze does cause creaking there too.
Sent from my VS910 4G using Tapatalk 2
One of the screws actually inside the dock came out of mine and was subsequently lost. Anyone know what exact size these screws are, or where to get some replacements?
Sent from my HTC Vision using xda premium
I recalled reading about this last month as well, but that thread fell way down right after that.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=24721206&postcount=18
I LOL'ed after seeing this.....removed the paws.....and the screws came out with them....not even a little tight....scary but fixed...thanks op!
I opened the rubber feet and noticed that both the screws were completely out. Tightened them and put the rubber feet back. Checked the front screws and they were good.
Haha well both of my back screws came out with the pad... My tablet still 'wobbles' some when docked, even after tightening them... Hmmm =/
Thoughts?
Wow they came out with the pads. Totally fixed the creaking. and the fact that it would separate when held by the corner. I too have the wobble but only at the most widely opened point when gravity pulls it down, but we all know its top heavy. I would have added more battery to the base totally max it out. The damn thing is 60% empty. Not that Im complaining about battery life its amazing. But the balance when opened would have been better and would have approached 24 hour battery life which is the ultimate goal.