Electronics The Android Tablet Watch Thread - Page 15

**DaFace** · 02-01-2012, 10:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kcxiv

Now I need a usb cable.for this. Didn't come with one.

Really? My wife's had one of those adapters that's just a plug for a usb cable to charge it. So you just unplug it from the adapter and into the computer and you're good to go.

kcxiv · 02-02-2012, 12:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaFace

Really? My wife's had one of those adapters that's just a plug for a usb cable to charge it. So you just unplug it from the adapter and into the computer and you're good to go.

I cant its a wall only cable on this one. I bought the adapted for the Pc though. Only 3 bucks

**007** · 02-03-2012, 05:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kcxiv

Now I need a usb cable.for this. Didn't come with one.

It didn't come with a cable that you connect to your computer? Seriously?

kcxiv · 02-03-2012, 06:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Guru

It didn't come with a cable that you connect to your computer? Seriously?

nope, just in the box in the kindle and the ac power plug and thats it. I had to order one for 3 bucks lol Fire is as basic as it gets, but its pretty ****ing cool. Watching Gilligans Island on Amazon prime haha

WoodDraw · 02-01-2012, 10:14 PM

I really don't like how Amazon is trying to split the Android market. Some of it comes from Google ****ing up, and some of it comes from content providers being cavemen, but it worries me. Especially if they continue to subsidize prices. Hopefully the competition leads to Google releasing a well made Nexus tablet though. Because it's needed.

Over the past month or so, I've been able to spend a lot of time with and iPad 2, Prime, and Fire. The iPad is easily the best device, although it has issues that drive me crazy (for a company as obsessed with experience, I can't understand how they've made it so hard to switch between applications). The Fire is the worst. But it does what it does well enough. It's just not a true "tablet", in the sense of Google and Apple. The Prime is also very nice, at least with ICS. Still would never recommend it to a basic user over the iPad though.

Fish · 02-02-2012, 08:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WoodDraw

I really don't like how Amazon is trying to split the Android market. Some of it comes from Google ****ing up, and some of it comes from content providers being cavemen, but it worries me. Especially if they continue to subsidize prices. Hopefully the competition leads to Google releasing a well made Nexus tablet though. Because it's needed.

Over the past month or so, I've been able to spend a lot of time with and iPad 2, Prime, and Fire. The iPad is easily the best device, although it has issues that drive me crazy (for a company as obsessed with experience, I can't understand how they've made it so hard to switch between applications). The Fire is the worst. But it does what it does well enough. It's just not a true "tablet", in the sense of Google and Apple. The Prime is also very nice, at least with ICS. Still would never recommend it to a basic user over the iPad though.

What's so hard about switching between apps on iPad? You know there's several ways to do so... The easiest is a simple 4-finger swipe left or right to switch to recent apps. Or you can double tap the Home button, and have a list of 6-7 most recent apps. I don't see how it could be any easier...

And what is it you don't like about the Prime? I think it's pretty awesome and close to being on par with the iPad.

Mojo Rising · 02-02-2012, 07:32 PM

I just saw the Vizio Tabs back at Costco for $189 new. I have had mine for a month and am very happy with it. They are $259 new on Ebay.

The only 2 issues with it are that it has a slot for up to 32 gigs of external memory but none of the itune syncers will recognize the external card and will only write to internal (limited to 4 g.) The workaround for me was to download it to the chip via my Samsung phone and then put the chip in the tablet. The power connector also seems a little unstable. I haven't had any problems yet and it does have the Costco warranty (which isn't what it used to be but they are good at returning stuff.)

Taco John · 02-02-2012, 07:53 PM

I hate HP so much right now...

Imon Yourside · 02-02-2012, 08:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Taco John

I hate HP so much right now...

I've done that for quite a while, not quite as bad as Packard Bell but not far away either.

**007** · 02-03-2012, 05:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Taco John

I hate HP so much right now...

Why?

jiveturkey · 02-02-2012, 08:48 PM

The Fire is pretty terrible out of the box. With CM7 it's tits.

**jjchieffan** · 02-05-2012, 11:54 PM

I got the Xoom on Black Friday for $200. Well worth the money at that price. I can't get high speed here at my house, so the 4G hotspot is great for my laptop. My daughter has a ton of games on it and gets a lot of use out of it, and it works for everything I need it for. It is still running on Honeycomb, but I hear that ICS is just about ready to roll out for it.

**DaFace** · 02-15-2012, 11:45 AM

My ASUS bubble has officially been burst. After having a great opinion of them for years, I'm to the point that I'm not sure I can recommend them in good conscience ever again.

As I mentioned previously in this thread, I was having a problem with my power adapter not charging consistently. It was a bit of a hassle, but I just lived with it. However, a few weeks ago, when I was plugging it in, a little plastic piece in the center of the power port snapped off. I'm not sure if I wiggled it or what, but I certainly didn't put a ton of force into it.

Anyway, I called ASUS and got an RMA to send it in for repair. I had to pay for my own shipping to send it in, and it got there on February 1st. It took a full week until I heard from them, but they sent me a canned e-mail message that the damage was my fault and included a form for me to fill out and FAX BACK IN to pay for it. (It wasn't a huge amount - $85 - but it's the principle of the thing.)

I, of course, dispute that damage like that should be my responsibility. I heard back the next day that the rep was going to check in with the technician and get back with me. After sending three emails in the past week asking for an update and a phone call to their support line to escalate the issue, I finally heard back from them this morning - more than two weeks since they originally received it. To their credit, they're going to cover it under warranty - not because they agree it's my fault though - because they haven't heard back from the technician and are tired of waiting for such a small amount.

Anyway, here are a few key things I've learned in the past week that I'll pass along to anyone considering buying an ASUS product:

ASUS has three levels of people you have to deal with in the RMA process: the people you talk to on the phone, the warranty coordinator who tells you if you have to pay for shit, and the technicians doing the work. You can't talk to the technicians AT ALL under any circumstances. The warranty coordinator only communicates via e-mail, and doesn't have any direct contact with the technicians. And the people on the phone only have access to the system that includes generic statuses, so they can't tell you jack shit. It's INCREDIBLY frustrating.
There is a strong sentiment online that the repair facility in Grapevine, TX is shady. There are numerous reports of tablets in new condition "arriving" completely beat up. One guy posted the pic of his that looked like someone had run over it with a truck. They tried to get him to pay for it until he produced pictures of it before he sent it off in perfect shape. They then tried to say UPS damaged it, but they didn't have the box or pictures of it, so UPS wouldn't cover it under insurance. So eventually, ASUS gave him a new one, but it took a month of intermittent e-mails (no phone calls) to work it all out.
Until recently, the Better Business Bureau had ASUS listed with an "F" rating. It currently says "no rating" as they investigate a few complaints, but the trend is there. Directly from the BBB's web site:

Quote:

We have identified a pattern of complaints concerning customer service and service issues. Complaints processed by the BBB claim that 1) products sent to the company for repairs are still not working properly when returned to the consumer. 2) Customers calling the company are asked to call back or told they will receive a call back and in many cases don't.

Anyway, in the end, I'm getting my tablet repaired under warranty, but the process it's taken to get it done has been one of the most frustrating customer service experiences I've ever had. I'm still a believer in the overall quality of their products, but if you ever get something that isn't working properly, be prepared for a battle. And if I were you, I'd try and buy it from someplace with a really generous return policy.

At this point, I'm just hoping I get it back working like they said they would. It's sad, but I'm not even confident in that at this point.

TL;DR ASUS products are decent, but their warranty process is a nightmare.

patteeu · 02-15-2012, 11:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaFace

...

TL;DR ASUS products are decent, but their warranty process is a nightmare.

Good to know. I'm getting ready to build a new PC and I had an ASUS motherboard targeted. I may still go with it, but I'll at least reconsider my options based on your report.

**DaFace** · 02-15-2012, 11:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by patteeu

Good to know. I'm getting ready to build a new PC and I had an ASUS motherboard targeted. I may still go with it, but I'll at least reconsider my options based on your report.

Until this, I've never had a problem with the products themselves, and I probably built 10-15 computers with their motherboards back when I was doing the computer tech gig. My brother's got a laptop of theirs, and a friend of mine has the original Transformer and has had no problems.

I think they rushed the Prime out a little too quickly and didn't have time to do proper quality control. Hopefully they'll learn from that, but who knows. For me, I'd at least have to consider some sort of alternative warranty in the future. It'd be one thing if this was something I don't use very often, but being without the tablet I paid $500 for for a month (probably) just isn't acceptable. If this were a laptop, I'd be even more pissed.

02-01-2012, 10:14 PM	#5
WoodDraw Veteran Join Date: Mar 2004 Casino cash: $10005059	I really don't like how Amazon is trying to split the Android market. Some of it comes from Google ****ing up, and some of it comes from content providers being cavemen, but it worries me. Especially if they continue to subsidize prices. Hopefully the competition leads to Google releasing a well made Nexus tablet though. Because it's needed. Over the past month or so, I've been able to spend a lot of time with and iPad 2, Prime, and Fire. The iPad is easily the best device, although it has issues that drive me crazy (for a company as obsessed with experience, I can't understand how they've made it so hard to switch between applications). The Fire is the worst. But it does what it does well enough. It's just not a true "tablet", in the sense of Google and Apple. The Prime is also very nice, at least with ICS. Still would never recommend it to a basic user over the iPad though.
Posts: 3,785

02-02-2012, 07:32 PM	#7
Mojo Rising Veteran Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: OC Casino cash: $10009560	I just saw the Vizio Tabs back at Costco for $189 new. I have had mine for a month and am very happy with it. They are $259 new on Ebay. The only 2 issues with it are that it has a slot for up to 32 gigs of external memory but none of the itune syncers will recognize the external card and will only write to internal (limited to 4 g.) The workaround for me was to download it to the chip via my Samsung phone and then put the chip in the tablet. The power connector also seems a little unstable. I haven't had any problems yet and it does have the Costco warranty (which isn't what it used to be but they are good at returning stuff.)
Posts: 1,792

02-02-2012, 07:53 PM	#8
Taco John Sapere Aude Join Date: Jun 2001 Casino cash: $3417937	I hate HP so much right now... __________________ Ehyeh asher ehyeh. Donger's Razor: "The most establishment-friendly explanation that gives leftist and neocon politicians the most amount of cover is the only possible explanation, even when gaping holes and leaps of logic are required to get there."
Posts: 78,006

02-02-2012, 08:48 PM	#11
jiveturkey Captain Kick Ass Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: Kansas Casino cash: $9305197	The Fire is pretty terrible out of the box. With CM7 it's tits.
Posts: 5,781

02-05-2012, 11:54 PM	#12
jjchieffan Supporter Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Highlandville, MO Casino cash: $3282247	I got the Xoom on Black Friday for $200. Well worth the money at that price. I can't get high speed here at my house, so the 4G hotspot is great for my laptop. My daughter has a ton of games on it and gets a lot of use out of it, and it works for everything I need it for. It is still running on Honeycomb, but I hear that ICS is just about ready to roll out for it. __________________ Genesis 1:1 In the beginning, God created the Heavens and the Earth. Following the historical accounts and the genealogy from that point on, the age of the Earth is approximately 6000-7000 years old. The Big Bullshit Theory is a lie. It and the evolution theory go against real science. Satan has used our public school system to brainwash everyone into believing these lies. Be not decieved.
Posts: 12,617