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Ellipsys · 05-28-2011, 07:49 AM

I just bought a Transformer to be my primary tablet/e-reader device. I have the dock on order, but who knows when it will get here. For anyone wondering these are the "proper" prices

16gb Transformer (tablet only) - $399
32gb Transformer (tablet only) - $499
Transformer Dock/Keyboard (only) - $150
Package 32gb Transformer + Dock - $650

The vast majority of sellers these days are selling WAY above that - 500+ for just the 16gb!

Overall, I like it but I'm having the following issues...

1. It does seem the right speaker is louder than left, as aforementioned. For awhile I was worried it was a mono-output device. Not a huge deal, but I wonder what the cause is.
2. I'd like to "decrapify" it and disable the Asus preinstalled widgets in favor of my own, but I've not found a tutorial as to how to do so safely and completely.
3. The biggest issue I've found to date - Video Playback. I've tried a handful of video players and nearly all of them are choppy on a typical 720p HDTV mkv format rip. Now, this thing plays Vendetta Online and Dungeon Defenders, some higher end 3d graphical offerings, without any trouble. The thing is advertised to play 1080p video (via HDMI out), so I figured simple 720p on the screen wouldn't be an issue. If I can't find a solution, its going back.

That said, aside from video playback (which I am assured is a bug, fixable by Honeycomb 3.1 or another patch) its easily one of the most powerful/thinnest tablets I've found and has a nice feature set.

For reading, I've picked up Moon+ Reader Pro from the Android Market. Inexpensive (and there is a free version) with tons of features. It expressively is said to work with online Calibre libraries and seems to have a nice aesthetic. I also plan to try both CoolReader and FBReader and if they work for me, I'll donate to show support for open source software.

On my PC - I'm using Calibre for library management (and reading. Not sure if there are any better, ideally open source but not truly required, plain readers out there for either books or manga, but I've not found any yet) and its fantastic, really showing that a Free and Open Source program can be the top tier solution for a given market.

Unfortunately, I can't seem to get it to recognize my Transformer. I'll post about this over in their forums hoping for a solution. Once I get it to recognize the Transformer, and I know the proper settings (Do I use Generic Ipad-like-device? Android Tablet? Something else?) for use and conversions, everything ought to be excellent.

05-28-2011, 07:49 AM	#44
Ellipsys Junior Member Posts: 2 Karma: 10 Join Date: May 2011 Device: Asus EeePad Transformer	I just bought a Transformer to be my primary tablet/e-reader device. I have the dock on order, but who knows when it will get here. For anyone wondering these are the "proper" prices 16gb Transformer (tablet only) - $399 32gb Transformer (tablet only) - $499 Transformer Dock/Keyboard (only) - $150 Package 32gb Transformer + Dock - $650 The vast majority of sellers these days are selling WAY above that - 500+ for just the 16gb! Overall, I like it but I'm having the following issues... 1. It does seem the right speaker is louder than left, as aforementioned. For awhile I was worried it was a mono-output device. Not a huge deal, but I wonder what the cause is. 2. I'd like to "decrapify" it and disable the Asus preinstalled widgets in favor of my own, but I've not found a tutorial as to how to do so safely and completely. 3. The biggest issue I've found to date - Video Playback. I've tried a handful of video players and nearly all of them are choppy on a typical 720p HDTV mkv format rip. Now, this thing plays Vendetta Online and Dungeon Defenders, some higher end 3d graphical offerings, without any trouble. The thing is advertised to play 1080p video (via HDMI out), so I figured simple 720p on the screen wouldn't be an issue. If I can't find a solution, its going back. That said, aside from video playback (which I am assured is a bug, fixable by Honeycomb 3.1 or another patch) its easily one of the most powerful/thinnest tablets I've found and has a nice feature set. For reading, I've picked up Moon+ Reader Pro from the Android Market. Inexpensive (and there is a free version) with tons of features. It expressively is said to work with online Calibre libraries and seems to have a nice aesthetic. I also plan to try both CoolReader and FBReader and if they work for me, I'll donate to show support for open source software. On my PC - I'm using Calibre for library management (and reading. Not sure if there are any better, ideally open source but not truly required, plain readers out there for either books or manga, but I've not found any yet) and its fantastic, really showing that a Free and Open Source program can be the top tier solution for a given market. Unfortunately, I can't seem to get it to recognize my Transformer. I'll post about this over in their forums hoping for a solution. Once I get it to recognize the Transformer, and I know the proper settings (Do I use Generic Ipad-like-device? Android Tablet? Something else?) for use and conversions, everything ought to be excellent. Last edited by Ellipsys; 05-28-2011 at 08:14 AM.