My Semi-Casual review, I got mine from
Walgreens, But obviously also available at Amazon. (Amazon better displays the specs)
Observations:
With the Samsung Flip Cover, it docks ok but doesn't feel super locked in when docked. However I picked up a cheap hard rubber bumper case on ebay (wanted a kickstand) and the thickness makes it feel much more solid and secure in the adjustable microusb mount.
Audio is decent for a clock radio and comes with a smallish male<>male 1.8mm patch cable. It works but is a snug fit for the SGNII's size; I use a longer patch cord I already had laying around, but there's plenty of space in the cord compartment for the extra slack cord.
USB plug is molded rubberized and made to adjust, I have mine locked pretty firmly in and it hasn't moved or slid around. The plate/cover on the top, however, wants to pop loose if I'm too grabby when I go to get the phone and head to work.
Has a nice (clock radio) battery backup with an include watch-type battery, needs slight loosening with a screwdrive to pull the protective battery plastic out, but easily done.
There is a switch (insde the cord compartment) to toggle between charging modes for different phones, but the default setting worked for the Note II, no issues.
Confession: I felt slightly guilty getting it because I kinda thought it felt like iHome was *finally* improving their docking products for the Android consumer market and somehow we were Apple iToy runners-up , but I bought it to send the consumer message that if they build it, we shall accessorize!
Overall I like it, and would like to see more products like it.
Hi, I read with interest the posts about wobbly (back and forth) docks on the tf101.
My TF700T developed this also after just 1 month.
Aditionally and more seriously perhaps, I noticed it stopped docking securely. I examined both the dock and the tablet and eventually noticed the retaining pin (inside the hole) on the right side of the tablet seems to have broken off due to frequently docking and undocking the two.
Has anyone else seen this?
ive sent it back to Asus who are claiming customer induced damage. This make me very angry bcoz i looked after it like a baby. all i did was use it a lot both docked and undocked.it never left my house. I reckon its a design flaw and eventually all many more of you will notice this.
I have not had this issue after 18+ months of use on my TF101
You may want to ask in the TF700 forum for feedback on that model.
I just started to notice the same thing after 6 months but it's barely noticeable. Also the tf101 was their "affordable / low-end" model so it's to be expected. I would contact them for a replacement.
Lethe6 said:
I just started to notice the same thing after 6 months but it's barely noticeable. Also the tf101 was their "affordable / low-end" model so it's to be expected. I would contact them for a replacement.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Mine is the top end 64GB Transformer Infinity. As you say its barely noticeable. However it is insecure and if you combine the fault with the hinge that allows it to rotate too easily under the weigth of a tilted tablet, with the more serious issue of snapped docking pins then I would say there is potential for the two to separate and the tablet to fall and smash!
There IS a problem with the quality control of the docks. Some people have no problems. Some are wobbly. Some, like mine, will not move at all. My TF700/201 dock was so stiff when it arrived that i could see the tablet beginning to flex when trying to close it but the dock was not rotating at all. After un-docking the tablet I couldn't even rotate the docking clamp with my bare hand. Not being one to waste time or money sending things off or trying to return them, I opened up the tablet myself and fixed the problem.
This Transformer Prime video shows you how to take it apart. It's not very difficult.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZwAypkC26Cc
I doubt that anything major with the design has changed for the TF701 dock since the TF700 dock was a re-branded TF201 dock.
Skip to 10:54 in the video and note the two large silver mounting brackets for the dock with 3 screws each holding them down and the silver nuts at the end of the shaft which the docking clamp rotates on.
To adjust the tension on the dock you need to turn the nuts on the ends of the shaft. They provide tension on the docking clamp.
Depending on the tools you have available it will most likely be easier to loosen the three mounting screws on both sides so that you can create a little more room by lifting the docking mechanism up away from the back of the casing to get a good grip on the nuts. I would recommend not taking the screws all the way out of the clamps. That being said, don't try to turn the nuts forcefully without a firm grip on the docking clamp. Just pay attention to whats going on so as not to create another problem whilst fixing this one.
Remember to set both sides as evenly as possible so you're not torquing the face of the tablet with the docking clamp when you close the tablet. I loosened both of mine up and then slowly tightened them until the resistance felt the same. Without the tablet in there it will be very apparent when one side is tighter than the other.
After adjusting the tension, re-tighten the mounting bracket screws on both sides. You can dock the tablet and check to see if you've removed the wobble or lack thereof without putting the keyboard back on.
Once the dock tension is set to your liking you may also want to tape down some coins or washers inside the front of the dock if you have problems with the docked tablet tipping over backwards when set on an incline or with the screen tilted back just to avoid taking the dock apart again later.
Hi, it's about time for me to do an upgrade, my TF Prime is dying, just random lags and can't handle most new apps well anymore. Was looking at Google Nexus 10 and others including Win8 tablets, but deciding to perhaps give TF series another try. A few questions for people that updated from TF201 (or early devices) to TF701:
1. The speaker, is it louder on TF701, the same, or softer?
2. The headphone jack: is it improved in terms of how tight it holds the connector? The TF201 headphone jack is so loose it always falls out
3. Is it thicker or thinner than the TF201? And weight?
4. Does the device slow after a considerable amount of use? I was really happy with my TF201 initially but it's been slowing like crazy these days
5. Docking issues: seems to be the most talked about one here, is it still a big problem, or does new shipments fix it?
Much thanks in advance.
david90531 said:
Hi, it's about time for me to do an upgrade, my TF Prime is dying, just random lags and can't handle most new apps well anymore. Was looking at Google Nexus 10 and others including Win8 tablets, but deciding to perhaps give TF series another try. A few questions for people that updated from TF201 (or early devices) to TF701:
1. The speaker, is it louder on TF701, the same, or softer?
2. The headphone jack: is it improved in terms of how tight it holds the connector? The TF201 headphone jack is so loose it always falls out
3. Is it thicker or thinner than the TF201? And weight?
4. Does the device slow after a considerable amount of use? I was really happy with my TF201 initially but it's been slowing like crazy these days
5. Docking issues: seems to be the most talked about one here, is it still a big problem, or does new shipments fix it?
Much thanks in advance.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1. Probably little louder
2. It is ok
3. Thinner I think (compare the specs on Asus website)
4. No
5. New shipments with production month 2013.11 or later must be ok. We are wating for confirmation about this from users.
Snah001 said:
1. Probably little louder
2. It is ok
3. Thinner I think (compare the specs on Asus website)
4. No
5. New shipments with production month 2013.11 or later must be ok. We are wating for confirmation about this from users.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the reply, more inputs from others would be much appreciated
So did Asus claim that the newer productions fixed the issue, or we are just being optimistic about it?
david90531 said:
Hi, it's about time for me to do an upgrade, my TF Prime is dying, just random lags and can't handle most new apps well anymore. Was looking at Google Nexus 10 and others including Win8 tablets, but deciding to perhaps give TF series another try. A few questions for people that updated from TF201 (or early devices) to TF701:
1. The speaker, is it louder on TF701, the same, or softer?
2. The headphone jack: is it improved in terms of how tight it holds the connector? The TF201 headphone jack is so loose it always falls out
3. Is it thicker or thinner than the TF201? And weight?
4. Does the device slow after a considerable amount of use? I was really happy with my TF201 initially but it's been slowing like crazy these days
5. Docking issues: seems to be the most talked about one here, is it still a big problem, or does new shipments fix it?
Much thanks in advance.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1. The speaker, is it louder on TF701, the same, or softer? Sounds better to me - richer
2. The headphone jack: is it improved in terms of how tight it holds the connector? The TF201 headphone jack is so loose it always falls outNo probs with mine
3. Is it thicker or thinner than the TF201? And weight? I would say that docked it is thicker than the prime.
4. Does the device slow after a considerable amount of use? I was really happy with my TF201 initially but it's been slowing like crazy these days No where near as bad as other devices but I think it is the 2GB of ram that fixes that issue
5. Docking issues: seems to be the most talked about one here, is it still a big problem, or does new shipments fix it? Mine from 2013/10 had a loose dock. Connection was fine but I have RMA'd it to get a better dock
One change that you did not mention is the microSD card slot. It's much improved in the 700 and 701. Previously on the 100 and 201 models, an inserted microSD card would protrude by a few millimeters, making it susceptible to to being bumped and accidentally ejected (and lost!). On the more recent devices with the new and improved iteration of the slot, microSD cards are now completely flush with the shell. Accidental ejection is now all but impossible.
sbdags said:
1. The speaker, is it louder on TF701, the same, or softer? Sounds better to me - richer
2. The headphone jack: is it improved in terms of how tight it holds the connector? The TF201 headphone jack is so loose it always falls outNo probs with mine
3. Is it thicker or thinner than the TF201? And weight? I would say that docked it is thicker than the prime.
4. Does the device slow after a considerable amount of use? I was really happy with my TF201 initially but it's been slowing like crazy these days No where near as bad as other devices but I think it is the 2GB of ram that fixes that issue
5. Docking issues: seems to be the most talked about one here, is it still a big problem, or does new shipments fix it? Mine from 2013/10 had a loose dock. Connection was fine but I have RMA'd it to get a better dock
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks! Yes when I saw the 2GB RAM I was much relieved, they should've done that for the Prime... good to hear.
Too bad they had to sacrifice the weight and thinness for the power though.
But I think I'm still positive about this machine, just need to hear even more about the dock. I guess in the worst case I can always just RMA it. Is there a possibility that they won't let me exchange for a better dock?
VancouverIngo said:
One change that you did not mention is the microSD card slot. It's much improved in the 700 and 701. Previously on the 100 and 201 models, an inserted microSD card would protrude by a few millimeters, making it susceptible to to being bumped and accidentally ejected (and lost!). On the more recent devices with the new and improved iteration of the slot, microSD cards are now completely flush with the shell. Accidental ejection is now all but impossible.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oh that's right, I have read something about the improved slot for microSD. That is good to hear, thanks for the note :good:
Just got new 701, Date 2013.11
I have only few hours, and after semi detailed inspection, everything seems to be OK. Dock doesn't disconnect, even before update was working fine. Headphone jack works as one would expect, no issue to report. No problems with front glass panel. Fingers crossed it stays that way.
turbinea said:
Just got new 701, Date 2013.11
I have only few hours, and after semi detailed inspection, everything seems to be OK. Dock doesn't disconnect, even before update was working fine. Headphone jack works as one would expect, no issue to report. No problems with front glass panel. Fingers crossed it stays that way.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Does the tab sit firmly in the dock hinge with no lateral flex when you open and close from the full open position?
sbdags said:
Does the tab sit firmly in the dock hinge with no lateral flex when you open and close from the full open position?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't know exactly what do you mean by lateral flex. Tablet is somewhat loose in the hinge, but that seems to be design, and it 'works' same way as i saw in some videos. I can lift tablet few degrees from closed position before hinge on the dock starts to rotate. If you mean if it twists in the hinge along axis, then only little bit, and it is because of loose nature of the hinge. If you mean something completely different then please make me some very basic diagram or something, I'll try.
However, i discovered some very strange phenomenon with this tablet. It maybe well known effect, but i see it for the first time and it is somewhat hard to describe.
Before, i had only TF101 and it has plastic back. This model has brushed aluminum back. When i trace my finger on the metal surface of tablet's back, i feel subtle... resonance, rumble (?) in my fingertip. Not sure how to describe it. It only occurs when tablet is in the dock and charging from charger, and i have to move fingertip over surface, simply touching surface is not working. I really hope this thing is not possessed.
turbinea said:
I don't know exactly what do you mean by lateral flex. Tablet is somewhat loose in the hinge, but that seems to be design, and it 'works' same way as i saw in some videos. I can lift tablet few degrees from closed position before hinge on the dock starts to rotate. If you mean if it twists in the hinge along axis, then only little bit, and it is because of loose nature of the hinge. If you mean something completely different then please make me some very basic diagram or something, I'll try.
However, i discovered some very strange phenomenon with this tablet. It maybe well known effect, but i see it for the first time and it is somewhat hard to describe.
Before, i had only TF101 and it has plastic back. This model has brushed aluminum back. When i trace my finger on the metal surface of tablet's back, i feel subtle... resonance, rumble (?) in my fingertip. Not sure how to describe it. It only occurs when tablet is in the dock and charging from charger, and i have to move fingertip over surface, simply touching surface is not working. I really hope this thing is not possessed.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Unfortunately sounds like Asus haven't fixed the loose hinge on the 11 models then.
The resonance is because the device is not earthed. Happens on metal laptops as well as on my TF201 and TF700 as well. Not much you can do about it
sbdags said:
Unfortunately sounds like Asus haven't fixed the loose hinge on the 11 models then.
The resonance is because the device is not earthed. Happens on metal laptops as well as on my TF201 and TF700 as well. Not much you can do about it
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yes it is loose, but it wont loose contact with the dock, and it sounds worse than it really is. but i guess it's a matter of personal opinion.
anyway, thanks for 'resonance' explanation, going to cancel exorcist now
turbinea said:
I don't know exactly what do you mean by lateral flex. Tablet is somewhat loose in the hinge, but that seems to be design, and it 'works' same way as i saw in some videos. I can lift tablet few degrees from closed position before hinge on the dock starts to rotate. If you mean if it twists in the hinge along axis, then only little bit, and it is because of loose nature of the hinge. If you mean something completely different then please make me some very basic diagram or something, I'll try.
However, i discovered some very strange phenomenon with this tablet. It maybe well known effect, but i see it for the first time and it is somewhat hard to describe.
Before, i had only TF101 and it has plastic back. This model has brushed aluminum back. When i trace my finger on the metal surface of tablet's back, i feel subtle... resonance, rumble (?) in my fingertip. Not sure how to describe it. It only occurs when tablet is in the dock and charging from charger, and i have to move fingertip over surface, simply touching surface is not working. I really hope this thing is not possessed.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Haha yes, that was the case for TF201 too and I guess with all the brushed aluminum spin finish products. The first time I felt it I thought my tablet was vibrating non-stop, so I got a bit worried. Its' a strange feeling
I was also wondering, with the updated specs (esp. improved WIFI and 2GB RAM), is the browsing experience much improved now? Is it comparable to other major tablets like Nexus 7, iPad Air and Surface 2? Because that's one of the major let down for me on the TF201, browsing experience is simply awful especially after a long time usage, the 1GB RAM and crappy Wifi just won't do, no matter what browser I use.
david90531 said:
I was also wondering, with the updated specs (esp. improved WIFI and 2GB RAM), is the browsing experience much improved now? Is it comparable to other major tablets like Nexus 7, iPad Air and Surface 2? Because that's one of the major let down for me on the TF201, browsing experience is simply awful especially after a long time usage, the 1GB RAM and crappy Wifi just won't do, no matter what browser I use.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes it is however you can easily fix that on the TF201 with CROMi-X which uses browser to ROM. My prime runs faster than the browser here with browser to ram installed.
Just wondering if anyone has considered the possibility of modding the previous TF700 dock connection to work with the TF701 input? Do the locking brackets even line up? Is it just the connector that differs. I would test, but I already sold my TF700 and its dock to get my TF701.
may not have to resort to that
wotlos said:
Just wondering if anyone has considered the possibility of modding the previous TF700 dock connection to work with
the TF701 input? Do the locking brackets even line up? Is it just the connector that differs. I would test, but I already sold my TF700 and its dock to get my TF701.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you don't mind helping me test a possible fix for the disconnection issue, I may be able to help you go ahead and order your dock for the tf701 and check for play of the dock to tablet connector on the dock (forward and backward, just nudge LIGHTLY with a small screwdriver). If the connector has some wiggle, maybe a millimeter or so, try it with the tablet, you will probably not have any disconnection issue. If there is no wiggle, loosen the two screws that hold the dock connector down in 1/8th turn increments equally until there is some wiggle, then try with your dock. If that works, let me know and we can continue monitoring the function of our docks to ensure that the issue is fixed and that no other related problems arise. I believe I may be on to something with this and would very much appreciate the additional test case
hey everyone ,
i have a very curious question , why many and many aren't cover the magnetic pins and let it exposed , it's rare to find a cover that covers this area as well
so why is that ? is it because it will weaken the magnetic or something or just a random no reason for that ?
thanks in advance
I've wondered the same thing. Since the Mods require physical connection to the pins, and a case will add thickness to the back, preventing them from touching, it makes no sense to me for the pins to be exposed. Especially when they run the risk of being damaged.
But then, why do so many iPhone cases have a cutout for the Apple? Probably just to show off.
klamation said:
I've wondered the same thing. Since the Mods require physical connection to the pins, and a case will add thickness to the back, preventing them from touching, it makes no sense to me for the pins to be exposed. Especially when they run the risk of being damaged.
But then, why do so many iPhone cases have a cutout for the Apple? Probably just to show off.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If it was to Show off with pins this will be weird ???
I would assume they did it solely because they didn't want to cover any connection and not because they understood that it would be better if they covered it to protect the mods. Probably got a specification and just did something similar to what they do with other devices and leave connectors uncovered.
I think this is probably the correct answer. Pretty much all cases available at launch were like this. I'm sure Lenovo just sent out a CAD file to manufacturers but didn't want to give away how Mods actually work, so case designers just generated a cut-out in their CAD file like they usually do without putting any additional thought to it (or thought about it hard, but had to have a product ready for distribution and couldn't afford to hold it back for an explanation).
I've heard somewhere that it was for the pins to release their heat after using a mod for a long period.
Maybe some manufacturer or even Lenovo would make a passthrough adapter for Moto mods,hence the pins are left uncovered.
Then again not likely as thickness and clearance would still be a problem as most cases and covers aren't uniform.Would still be cool though
My two cents here.
Seems like if they cover them and some foreign material got behind the case and the pins, it could short out the pins and potentially cause all kinds of issues. Worst being melting the case or starting a fire. That's my guess