You're all no doubt absolutely delighted that you get the first review I'm writing of the Vulcan FlipStart V1.0! For those of you who aren't aware of this little device, it originated with the (often called "vapourware" MiniPC of 2004, demonstrated by Paul Allen). The concept has been refined massively, and is now on sale in the US for $1999 with the following specification:
Pentium M @ 1.1GHz
512MB RAM (not expandable)
Intel 915 graphics; 64MB Unified Memory Architecture
30GB HD (having spoken to the designers, at present this is all that will fit)
5.6" screen at 1024 x 600 pixel (220dpi) resolution
Webcam (VGA, I suspect)
Keyboard, trackpad and touchpoint
802.11b/g WiFi
Bluetooth 2.0
EV-DO cellular data connection
Windows XP Professional SP2
Additional features include media keys and an InfoPane; a secondary display of cellphone-like quality on the rear of the clamshell case which displays email, contacts, appointments etc. without opening the PC.
As shipped, the device comes with a large capacity battery, port replicator (providing Ethernet, Power, USB x 2, VGA and audio), small carry case and a screen wipe, plus the PSU to charge it.
Optional accessories are the slimline battery, a high-end leather case, chargers, and potentially high resolution camera or other devices connecting to a top-mounted expansion port (looks like it is USB but not a USB connector, just wire pads ready for devices using USB protocols).
It's really very hard to describe JUST how small this computer is. Most UMPCs are 7" screen, tablet or sliding tablet devices. Flipstart is a clamshell, and a very rugged feeling one at that. Finished in a fetching dark blue metallic with the distinctive InfoPane and slding metal "FlipStart" cover plate, the closed device is comparable to HTC's Athena, perhaps 3% or so larger. It can be slipped into the back pocket of your jeans with the slimline battery fitted, for example.
Opening the FlipStart reveals a thumb-type keyboard of moderate quality and good spacing; it has a backlight which is pleasant and even, and some handy quick access keys to zoom the screen, open the FlipStart navigator application, control media, and access the task manager. The shift keys are curiously large - you are expected to use your thumbs to type, and by placing the keys accurately and providing a large target, shifting with one hand whilst typing with the other is comfortable. Takes a while to adjust to this method, but it works very well.
Above the keyboard, from left to right, are two mouse buttons, a cursor pad with Page up/down, home and End functions, power keys, a small trackpad and a thumbstick-type device. The trackpad even has software to enable or disable tapping and tapzones, something woefully lacking on many fullsize laptops that assume you WANT to tap; pleasantly, this one has the right balance so tapping works without being obtrusive. The thumbstick device is very quick and convenient, but using the two as appropriate makes this a snappy PC to get around.
Of course, a touchscreen would be better, and when using the device with the Ameo the instinct to grab the stylus and tap the XP screen was very strong. A touchscreen would add depth and reduce the clarity of the insanely high resolution display, however.
Being in the UK, I am unable to test the EV-DO function, but the WiFi and Bluetooth work well - connecting "on the road" was painlessly accomplished via Bluetooth PAN and the Ameo on T-Mobile's 3G network.
Being a fully functional PC it runs PC applications. I've yet to find anything it can't handle, with the obvious caveat that I am applying common sense here and not trying stupid games, or HD video editing suites, or high-end desktop image editing applications.
Oh...
Wait, I did try that last one. It's running Photoshop CS3 adequately; let's say, CS3 on this is snappier (and obviously more capable and vastly more expensive) than Pocket Artist. Lightroom also runs well enough to use despite the FlipStart's display being relatively low pixel resolution for Adobe's recommendations. I'm tempted to try InDesign on it purely for the amusement of doing DTP on a pocket-sized computer - I have little doubt that it will be possible. The LCD's viewing angle is very critical in terms of tilt, but when you get it right the colour and evenness of the backlight is impressive; I wouldn't trust it for critical colour work, but it's certainly alright for previewing and basic adjustments or editing.
Quake 3 was included as a demo and at the default 640 x 480 resolution, was quite playable with an external keyboard/mouse combination.
All this CPU power comes with a cost, of course. Heat and power drain. The FlipStart features a little visible vent alongside the port replicator, and frankly, you'll love it if you ever get stuck in the frozen North with one; it's pretty warm! The fan is louder and more insistent than the dual fans in my XPS M2010 - which is really logical, given the large airspace available in the Dell. FlipStart's CPU is amongst the better ones you'll find in a "UMPC" device, most of the Origami/tablet type units sporting Geode or VIA CPUs. Sony's UX-series has more MHZ, but is larger and costs more.
Battery life is around 3-6 hours with the bulkier "extended" (actually standard) battery, and a mere one and a half hours with the slimline battery. Charging is via a small and delicate looking jackplug - given the amount of charging this device needs, I'd like to have seen a contact-based charging solution like a dock. No provision is made for this, the port replicator clips on and isn't significantly better in terms of wear and tear - plus, you'll want it with you to have access to the 2 flat USB ports. The standard USB port is under the hinge for the display, and bulkier items like memory sticks may not fit.
Overall, the FlipStart is a surprisingly usable "marvel of the modern age" - not only does it convincingly demonstrate just HOW much power you can cram into a small package, but outside of that demonstration, you can run serious applications on it. With remote desktop for the fiddlier file management, or an external display and keyboard/mouse, it's a perfectly functional computer - and if you have good eyesight, the display might not be an issue for extended use. The robust physical design points at a device designed for real world use, instead of geektoy chic - and as such the flexibility of it makes it a lot 'cooler' than you'd initially expect. As the Ameo has demonstrated, there's an upper limit to the size of device that you want to carry about, and this really does stay within it where larger UMPCs may fall foul of the "never take it anywhere" problem that also held back the better Handheld PC machines.
And on that note, that's where this device sits, in my opinion. This is the 21st century "Handheld PC", whereas Origami in the purest form - the tablets - are more confused about their purpose. Are they computers, or just powerful media players?
Having seen the games performance of this, I can envisage devices like it in 3 or 4 years time for high-end mobile gaming, where keyboards are replaced by game controllers, and titles like Gears of War or World of Warcraft can be made truly portable with no loss of quality over their PC or high-end console counterparts. With a desktop OS, and a port replicator, they could even be used for real work. The question is, would the costs come down sufficiently if they sold in large numbers?
At a good $800 or so premium over the HTC Athena, itself one of the most expensive WM consumer devices around, you'll need a good use for it to justify owning it. In isolation, though, FlipStart comes VERY close to bringing true desktop computing power to the genuinely "pocket sized" device. And this is just version 1.0...
One of the nicest aspects of the FlipStart is the contining number of "surprise and delight" features. For example, the zoom key is inherently a bit clever, zooming the window you are looking at to fill the screen, but you can also quickly adjust the zoom level by holding the key and using the scroll wheel. Is this a standard UMPC-like feature? It's really neat! I've never used a screen so sharp and small, yet so comfortable to work on before.
(Pictures will follow eventually, but there are plenty around if you Google!).
Related
ok, at 3.6" and 320x240, O2 Exec/JasJar is one of top contenders.
Nokia 9300 is about 4", 640x200 but non-square.
Any others? Budget is of no concern.
If 3-4" of screen is not big enough for you as a phone, you may be interested in FlyBook: 8.9" 16x9 screen (Tri-Band too)
http://www.flybook.biz/en/?section=generic&page=specs
mpman2k said:
If 3-4" of screen is not big enough for you as a phone, you may be interested in FlyBook: 8.9" 16x9 screen (Tri-Band too)
http://www.flybook.biz/en/?section=generic&page=specs
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*Bwahahahahahaha ...*
Sorry ... just had this mental image of holding up a 1.2kg 'mini-laptop' to the side of my head in order to make a phone call. 8)
agree,... i have Dell Notebook LCD Size 15" and connected to GSM... i wont bring it to a public place just to make a phone call. is it same right? kidding, smile...
I love my PPC
Well I was in Paris having a beer when I saw this guy holding his 15" laptop to his ear and talking. He must have been on wifi and with sype.
So I would thing that a laptop with gsm and a 100" External display would be it.
http://www.engadget.com/2006/03/08/lg-philips-unveils-100-inch-lcd-display/
actually u guys have the right idea.
there are PC Card (PCMCIA) based GPRS/GSM modules.
Pop it into a mini tablet PC, and voila!
I'll see what Tablets are out there in 6-8" size...
My guess is that this is probably a leading candidate -- it's a 19-inch Zenith with Space Phone (a wired speakerphone built into the TV, activated via the remote).
3waygeek said:
My guess is that this is probably a leading candidate -- it's a 19-inch Zenith with Space Phone (a wired speakerphone built into the TV, activated via the remote).
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:!: *phwhooaaarrrrr!* :!:
I absolutely *NEED* one of those babies!
---
But seriously ... I'd strongly recommend a VGA size screen (if you're buying new), as I find that there is nothing better than having more pixels - physical size notwithstanding. Although, I've got very good eyesight, so fine detail and small display features is not an issue for me. Personally I need two monitors for my work / software development, and I use two 1600x1200 20" LCD monitors for this.
If a 3.x" screen isn't large enough, then whatever you purchase really can't be classed as a phone anymore. Holding anything larger up to your ear and/or trying to carry something heavy around is a real problem. I'd probably be quite happy with a 2.x" screen, but at some phenominal resolution. Portability in a phone is absolutely required, but it still needs to have enough information available to be useful.
Choose carefully, and choose wisely. It's more how you use it, and what you use it for which is important. The BA with it's keyboard, built-in WiFi, BT, WM5, etc., etc., etc., pretty much encompassses everything I need. What it's missing ... I'm adding. 8)
well, i'm looking to utilize "pocket pc" aspect more thoroughly
but, it's irritating to deal with content that's desktop oriented. For example, i cant see at once more than like 4 columns in spreadsheet. Same for some PDFs that are not reflow-able...endless scrolling back and forth
starik said:
well, i'm looking to utilize "pocket pc" aspect more thoroughly
but, it's irritating to deal with content that's desktop oriented. For example, i cant see at once more than like 4 columns in spreadsheet. Same for some PDFs that are not reflow-able...endless scrolling back and forth
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I can very much empathize with this problem. And I hate this as well. There are zoom functions, but those only 'mask' the pixel problem.
The only way I can think of solving it is to have some ridiculous resolution, in a very small area. A 3.x" screen running at 480x640 is a start ... but something running at 960x1200 would be ROCKIN'! Mind you - the pixels would be too tiny for most text or for real 'usability' for a lot of people. But ClearType would just look awesome. ;-)
Then again ... maybe something like this would be a good solution. I can see this becoming VERY useful ... especially if battery life can be 'good' from something like this ...
Iljin Display Develops Coin-Sized Laser Projector Module
http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/cellphon...s-coinsized-laser-projector-module-167323.php
The future is looking VERY cool ...
Bigger screen than the Exec:
http://www.windowsfordevices.com/news/NS3737841146.html
raymondu999 said:
Bigger screen than the Exec:
http://www.windowsfordevices.com/news/NS3737841146.html
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looks very nice!
but, wtf they put WSIM in there
well the title says it all. What would be your realistic dream HTC phone? (hopefully if we stay realistic htc will use this as a source of ideas! hehe... never know eh?)
Here is mine (of course if they go higher than that no problem with me... ex the ram and stuff)
Basic stuff:
600mghz processor
300mb ram
3" wvga or svga
3+mp camera + front vga cam
touchflo
wifi, bluetooth, gps, high speed
SLIDE OUT KEYBOARD IS A MUST!!!!
Extra stuff:
-USB host capabilities!!!!
-Wimax (programmable so i can use an other company's service of wimax with my phone)
-DUAL sdhc slot
-Biometric reader (can't they use the screen's touch capabilities to say scan the distance between your knuckles or something, because those finger scanners are finicky... if its the finger scanner, it HAS to also be the "wake up" so when you can it scans AND turns it back on)
-DUAL BOOT! comes with wm6.1 but you can use Android and some things like calendar, notes, alarms, e-mail and other settings and such are automatically used in both modes.
-built in software to turn your phone into a router\wi-fi hotspot (much easier and more stable than bluetooth)
-this goes against everything cellphones companies do. MAKE IT THICKER! and add a bigger battery. I would GLADLY add 1 cm to my Mogul to get a mega battery, but not those third party extra backings, they just make it lumpy and un-compatible with the belt holster it comes with)
Sony CLIE UX50 form-factor
http://www.mobilemag.com/content/images/1843_large.jpg
Wifi, Bluetooth
3MP camera
GSM and CDMA versions
~400 - ~500 mghz processor
Small, OLED screen on the top of the device for seeing notifications
Backlight, easy to use keyboard
VGA screen
Small, thin, but good battery life
and either WM 7 or Android
First off. I just came here to say this. Your title is contridicting (Did I spell that right?). You can't have something realistic if it's a dream Don't argue with me on that. You know dreams aren't real.
Kraize said:
First off. I just came here to say this. Your title is contridicting (Did I spell that right?). You can't have something realistic if it's a dream Don't argue with me on that. You know dreams aren't real.
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dream (drēm) Pronunciation Key
n.
A series of images, ideas, emotions, and sensations occurring involuntarily in the mind during certain stages of sleep.
A daydream; a reverie.
A state of abstraction; a trance.
A wild fancy or hope.
A condition or achievement that is longed for; an aspiration: a dream of owning their own business.
One that is exceptionally gratifying, excellent, or beautiful: Our new car runs like a dream.
3mp camera??? you do realize that there is a 8mp Nokia phone right? so saying 8mp would be realistic lol.
Anyphnoe with the new nVidia tegra chip would be awsome. And a lot of hardware keys.
BTW: What about the sentence "My dream comes true"?
mikeeey said:
3mp camera??? you do realize that there is a 8mp Nokia phone right? so saying 8mp would be realistic lol.
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xD this is a WM forum, no chance to convince me of buying a nokia...not even the new touch-thingy, its a symbian crap-phone.
Mikulec said:
Anyphnoe with the new nVidia tegra chip would be awsome. And a lot of hardware keys.
BTW: What about the sentence "My dream comes true"?
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Hell, yeah, Tegra rocks ! Hardware keys...yes, not too much though.
I think the most important thing about camera is that it´s responding fast, not like the latest HTC devices..I read the Xperias cam isn´t that bad..? Anyway.
My specs for a phone next year:
800-1000Mhz, ~300 MB Ram, ~500 MB internal storage, SDHC support, powerful graphics-engine, long-lasting battery (new technologies could help with that), G-Sensor, (better) Light sensor, proximity sensor (maybe),
3"-3.5" display with WVGA, 3.5mm audiojack, BT 2.0, WiMAX, high-quality earphones (Sennheiser or something similar)
BUT, the most of all: WM 6.5 or even 7 with support for all the eye candy stuff like shake-control, multitouch etc..and of course: speed
Extra stuff:
built in software to work with friends, play multiplayer games on it and remote control software for my PC.
for free and easy remote controll software use www.logmein.com its what i use but it does require a data connection. works great, I used it to check what my printer model was at the store the other day when i forgot to take it down to buy ink
as for the nvidia chip *droooooooooooool* had not thought of that!
Hi, i am thinking of switching to diamond 2, however may i know is there any problems encountered with diamond 2? Like the parts spoils easily or software lag? Reviews from anyone here? Thank You.
i moved to d2 from polaris,
its huge upgrade specially the screen quality and it can run 3d apps and its faster + gsensor & light sensor are cool, but after the first week of excitement and getting used to new features, overall its pretty much the same...
i mean still the same windows, same games, same apps in much prettier package.
on the other hand when i hold it next to my polaris the polaris looks like a dinosaur i would never go back to that crappy qvga screen
the only disadvantage of d2 is the lack of d-pad its kinda missing cause not all apps & games made for only touch use.
An amazing device.
Last HTC phone I had was a Himalaya about 4 years ago, bought from eBay for a bargain price. That's still going, so I've no doubt that this device will keep me going for a good long while yet!
The only real benefits it has over other HTC devices are the camera (5MP with autofocus) and the general aesthetics... It's a very professional, very good looking phone. All of the other features are on all HTC WinMob devices, including the operating system. Ports are happening for the interface to adapt to different hardware across the range, but it's not big trouble.
In all, a very capable phone. Find one at a price you like and you will not be disappointed.
The current phone i had is Dream, however i met with keyboard problems. Thus no slider phone anymore for me, candybar is the obvious choice.
In the market i feel that TD2 is the most beautiful phone currently, but i am hoping i would never need to send it in to repair. Thank you for your reviews.
TD2
I agreed with BNM, the buttons & D-pad are essential to operate most games and programme mapping to. I also found that pocket player don't work very well with TD2. Going to try Pocket Music next.
where do you stand?
It all depends on your luck and what you want to do with your TD 2. For the former, it is all about receiving a version which doesn't present problems (I have this device for a month and going and still haven't had problems with it. Read here a lot about hardware failure, not charging to the maximum, lag in menu and so on); as for the latter, you must consider if your phone is a phone or is a testing device (a lot of problems arise when users try to make "fried eggs" with a phone - some of the users here are doing/did to their TD 2 some things just to test the device. I myself avoid changing the windows reg as it is how it is for a reason. Also I found it very dangerous to use programs to boost audio (consider that the levels are how they are because maybe, just maybe, that is the maximum of the speakers and more will fry them)). So you must decide where you stand
google g1 to d2
i just changed my g1 after using it for 6 months and bought d2.
what htc has done to windows is simply AMAZING.
i have never ever been so happy with a windows device.
i hardly feel im using the crappy windows interface but am able to enjoy all the usefulness of windows at the same time with a slick interface.
the only gripe i have is that htc should have put in a capactiive display.
the battery is cool...
wifi, 3g... everything is great
cheers HTC
I'm as happy now as when I purchased it 2+ months ago. Perhaps I've been lucky in not suffering some of the problems (screen and charging) some have.
Good points: TF3D is great. You get a really nice interface whilst retaining the power of WM underneath, the best of both worlds. Superb screen. Good Bluetooth sound quality. Excellent camera for stills. Styling is cool (if you like retro 70's, which I do!)
Bad: Wifi is weak, 3G sensitivity only average, camera poor for movies. Screen might be fragile.
The good points outweigh the bad, for me.
Happy with my D2 after 2 months of usage. I have not changed Rom or radio yet, I'll probably wait for official 6.5 upgrade before playing with hardspl and custom rom, but overall, the stock device is very nice. Battery life is what I expected (not great, but I have 2 days of moderate usage or 1 day of heavy usage ... it is ok. And it seems to get better with radio upgrade, and an extended battery in the 1300 mAh range may become available while keeping the same size...)
Screen is amazing, the resolution is so high that everything is very very crisp and ebook reading is almost as nice as e-ink. Only difference is that it is a transmissive technology, not reflective, so nice in shadow or in your bed, not nice in direct sunlight. touch sensitivity is ok, not as good as capacitive but not by much...and you have the stylus for old-style interface...and for handwriting recognition...and old keyboard...and making drawings. Best of both worlds, in the end i prefer this to a capacitive screen...
And the D2 size is perfect for me: not too big i never feel it is more anoying than a normal dumb phone...But still big enough to have a usable screen where WVGA is not overkill (it is not, but just barely: people which can not focus on nearby objects should beware that WVGA will be a disadvantage).
Whatever the technical evolutions in the future HTC models, or competing smartphones, I think the D2 has hit the perfect size: I would not change it at all, keep the overall size of the D3 or whatever exactly the same (but make its screen 3.4 inches maybe ;-) )
So to summarize, the screen, overall size and style of the phone makes it a winner for me, there is currently no other smartphone I would have instead. I expect this will change in 2010, but for me the D2 is the best choice in 2009...As a bonus, I have found the GPS very sensitive (even indoor) and accurate. It is a battery draw and it lags (not too much, but sometimes annoying), but it is more sensitive than my previous bluetooth GPS-only device!
Now for the drawbacks:
-lowlight performance of camera. It is not only the absence of flash, the camera is not sensitive enough, or the auto-iso is not correctly programmed. Low-end nokia phone are much much better at nightshots, and iphone 3GS is better too. They have less pixel, but imho a highly sensitive sensor with less pixels is better for a phone, for high def pictures I have a dedicated camera, the phone is there for the unplanned shots, and lowlight performance is much more important for those kinds of shots than megapixels...I hope this can be corrected by OS upgrade, the lens opening seems no worse than the iphone and better than the nokia...but maybe 5 megapixels CMOS sensor are inherently less sensitive than 2MP or 3MP ones...
- poor wifi sensitivity, D2 have much more trouble than a laptop with weak wifi signals...and more trouble than other handheld device. I hope radio upgrade may improve things a little, but I al not too optimistic, it may be a poor antenna...
- some slowdown of TF3D sometimes, or of the phone in general, and poor playback of movies...but here I am almost certain that playing with custom roms and using something else than windowsplayer should improve things a lot.
With xda-developers, I expect to keep enjoying the D2 for at least 3 years before getting tired of tuning my phone and buying the latest and greatest as replacement.
Had Diamond 1 now have TD2, first thought: not a big update and seemed bigger! missed scroll wheel, but now im used to it (after 1 week) glad i got it, much faster and more ram! as for wifi ok for me? did you try and go to settings/wifi/advanced/power mode and change to best performance????????
Yes I tried it, it does not make much difference. No problem at all when the signal is strong, but D2 can not catch signals as weak as my laptop can (normal), or even some not so weak that my older PDA can catch too (not normal)...
gkai said:
Yes I tried it, it does not make much difference. No problem at all when the signal is strong, but D2 can not catch signals as weak as my laptop can (normal), or even some not so weak that my older PDA can catch too (not normal)...
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I am 3 meters away from my wireless access point and still struggle to connect with all settings correct that work with HTC Elf and Wizard with ease.
I still don't think we have reached the ease of use of an iPhone and I think the WVGA format may not be the best for phones (too skinny in portrait and too wide in landscape)
TouchFlo3D still isn't sufficiently clever or fully featured although it is gratifyingly pretty.
I come to the TD2 from an MDA touch (HTC Elf) and in a few ways it is a step backward:
- battery life is far better on the Touch
- WIFI is also far better
- rounded rubberised style is more solidly constructed and has a better feel
- TF2D home has quicker access to SMS, tasks, program launcher, weather, missed calls
- snooze control more varied (I think this is a WM6.0 thing)
- And very significantly the radio reception shows 4 bars pretty much all the time where the TD2 struggles to get even 2 bars.
In every other way the TD2 is better
Tony
ADB will not connect via USB.
No ports open on the device, so no connecting ADB over IP (I have seen this work on the Maylong M-150 (Walgreens) tablet.)
Browser sends HTTP User-Agent:
Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; Intel Mac OS X 10_5_7;en-us) AppleWebKit/530.17 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/4.0 Safari/530.17
I have tested the factory reset button combination, it is valid. Hold Volume+ and Nook and Power, while the device is turned off.
WiFi options are rudimentary. There is no support for proxy in network settings, additionally, after receiving an IP address from DHCP, the device appears to connect to a website to verify connectivity. If you have a captive portal network setup (where HTTP outgoing requests are redirected to a login page), then the verification process will just hang. You will be unable to go anywhere using the included browser. After several minutes, the verification process will fail, and then you may be able to connect to the captive portal using the web browser. This is discussed on page 56 of the Nook Color user guide.
Would it be helpful to anyone to include the open source libraries that the device includes (under Legal Notices). I don't know if it is helpful to know what libraries are included (or omitted) compared to a conventional Android device?
Additionally, some notes on the MicroUSB connector. It is proprietary.
* It will sync, but not charge, when connected to my PC desktop's USB (wattage unknown.)
* An ordinary MicroUSB will sync, but not charge, when connected to PC.
* I left the included 120VAC-to-USB transformer at the office, so I do not know the listed wattage.
* The nook cable will charge the device when connected to my Moto Droid1 120VAC-to-USB.
* An ordinary MicroUSB will not charge the device when connect to the Moto Droid1 120VAC-to-USB transformer.
* Finally, the Nook cable will not fit in my Moto Droid1. Therefore it will not charge or sync. Careful examination of the Nook cable shows that the metal trapezoid connector is slightly longer, and appears to have additional pins. 12, in addition to the 5 conventional pins. I cannot tell by observation whether the receptacle within the nook makes contact with these pins.
phiz said:
Additionally, some notes on the MicroUSB connector. It is proprietary.
* It will sync, but not charge, when connected to my PC desktop's USB (wattage unknown.)
* An ordinary MicroUSB will sync, but not charge, when connected to PC.
* I left the included 120VAC-to-USB transformer at the office, so I do not know the listed wattage.
* The nook cable will charge the device when connected to my Moto Droid1 120VAC-to-USB.
* An ordinary MicroUSB will not charge the device when connect to the Moto Droid1 120VAC-to-USB transformer.
* Finally, the Nook cable will not fit in my Moto Droid1. Therefore it will not charge or sync. Careful examination of the Nook cable shows that the metal trapezoid connector is slightly longer, and appears to have additional pins. 12, in addition to the 5 conventional pins. I cannot tell by observation whether the receptacle within the nook makes contact with these pins.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
* Mine is charging off my Dell monitor using the Nook USB cable.
* Charger is 5V - 1.9A.
I've read everywhere that the USB cable can't charge over the PC. It even says it in the manual, but it charges just fine connected to my computer. It takes forever though and the light never turns solid green. But the battery percentage still increases to 100%.
Motherboard is a Gigabyte EP45-UD3P if anyone's curious.
The micro usb has two extra pins so that it will quickcharge using the ac adapter. If connected to a computer and the screen is on it does not pull enough to charge the device but with screen off it will. One of the techs said that on the b&n forums.
So as far as rooting this thing, it seems apparent that there are three attack vectors.
* If device checks MicroSD on bootup for updates.
* Userland exploit, loading a file, going to a URL, Wifi Protocol stuff etc. Perhaps in the PDF libraries? (Note, because of sand-boxing this may not lead directly to full root, but it may allowing running of other software that would be useful for reconnaissance on the device.)
* Wait for Nook SDK to come out, and use the increased access to the device to compromise it.
The device is frustrating to use as is. Not because of any major design flaws, but because of the untapped potential. Like, I would love to have DropBox to ease file management. And the browser is left wanting (it reports as Mac OSX, and does not render some pages well (Google reader is wholly unusable.)
I'm considering returning it. It has so much potential, but I'm expecting the quality of the Chinese knockoff android tablets to continue to improve.
charges perfectly fine off my 10 watt panasonic wall adapter with an oem micro usb. says it's not charging but it went from 93 to 100 in ~10 minutes while i was using it.
there was a good bit of stutter when registering my device. i had to tap multiple times to switch b/t numbers and letter input. sometimes i had to tap the character multiple times for it to register.
i agree though, this is the sweetest tablet next to the galaxy tab and iphone hardware wise. too bad it's locked down right now.
just like all the cheap-o android tabs, this one does have soft back and menu buttons. if you click the book icon at the bottom the back and menu buttons are there. the home, volumes, and power buttons are the only physical buttons. no search button, but i rarely use in on any of my other android devices.
video playback is horrid! all my mp4 will play but choppy. even streaming was crappy. i tried youtube mobile with no videos being able to be played. madthumbs (nsfw!) worked but so stuttery it made it unfappable.
NM reboot fixed everything. my ripped videos and stuff downloaded with videodownload helper play fine now. able to watch some kung fu treachery on the beautiful screen.
the little book icon (read it now) at the bottom doesn't seem to bring up the menu and back buttons anymore. now it just takes me to the last read book on the homepage. i'd rather have the back and menu buttons back.
The charging connector has too many pins for just charge control. I counted 12 extra pins over the 5 standard USB, but it's tiny enough that I could've skipped one. I'm sure that two are used for controlling the LED in the connector shell, one is probably used as a cable identifier, leaving 9 unknowns.
My guesses:
-OMAP boot mode (MMC boot, select pins (1-2)
-serial (2)
-JTAG (4 or 5)
-audio (2-3)
I thought that extra current capacity could account for all the rest, but why spend on what I'm guessing is not a cheap connector just to bus all those tiny pins together?
Anyway, I tried to buy a second charge/sync cable to dissect today but my local store only had cases and screen protectors in stock. The connector has all pins populated so I'm hoping I can break them out and start probing for a bootloader on serial. Hopefully iFixit will get a teardown done soon and we can get a good look at the parts.
seem like there's bug in that read it now button.
to get the menu and back buttons back you need to open a pdf on you sd card. then for some reason you get you back and menu buttons when you hit the read it now.
this is helpful in that with the menu button you can now have a forward button for web browsing, refresh and you can go back without scrolling all the way to the top.
pokey9000 said:
The charging connector has too many pins for just charge control. I counted 12 extra pins over the 5 standard USB, but it's tiny enough that I could've skipped one. I'm sure that two are used for controlling the LED in the connector shell, one is probably used as a cable identifier, leaving 9 unknowns.
Anyway, I tried to buy a second charge/sync cable to dissect today but my local store only had cases and screen protectors in stock. The connector has all pins populated so I'm hoping I can break them out and start probing for a bootloader on serial. Hopefully iFixit will get a teardown done soon and we can get a good look at the parts.
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Click to collapse
I want them to look into the additional pin issues. See this: meta ifixit com/View/1108/Nook+Color+Teardown+Request
You know, while they're in there.
madsquabbles said:
video playback is horrid! all my mp4 will play but choppy.
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Click to collapse
No problems with MP4/M4V playback here. I used the newest handbrake and selected the iPod touch preset to start with.
What I changed:
Picture Tab:
- Width -> 848
- Anamorphic -> Loose
Video Tab
- Framerate -> 23.976
- Constant Quality -> 59.31%
Audio Tab
- Mixdown -> Stereo (Maybe Pro Logic II will work?)
Chapters Tab
- Unchecked "Create Chapter Markers"
My source video was a 1080p MKV with AC3 audio. It looks gorgeous even though it's actually sized smaller than the full res of the screen (NookColor won't play MP4/M4V wider than 854).
I'm playing this off a Class 2 SD card and I didn't notice any choppiness.
I'm not sure if this is the right place to ask but do you guys think that it might be better to go with an archos 70 instead of the nook color since it seems like its roughly the same price and perhaps easier for people to work on? looks like they're similarly priced.
milkham said:
I'm not sure if this is the right place to ask but do you guys think that it might be better to go with an archos 70 instead of the nook color since it seems like its roughly the same price and perhaps easier for people to work on? looks like they're similarly priced.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I believe the archos 70 has a lower resolution screen and the viewing angle is not as good.
rubyw59 said:
I believe the archos 70 has a lower resolution screen and the viewing angle is not as good.
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Click to collapse
That's what I've read as well and I think it applies to the g-tablet. I've read on the forums here folks that have had or looked at both the NC and the archos and gtablet and they say the NC has a much better display. The who IPS thing, same as iPad and the newest iPhone 4.
Infinitely better screen...not even comparable. Text on the Gtablet looks blocky and absolute crap. I haven't seen a screen that bad in years. Maybe it's because I have professional IPS monitors at home. The nook color screen is simply stunning and easy on the eyes at any angle on the lowest brightness setting. It will burn out your retinas at the highest.
Great Product!
I've been on a quest for an Android Tablet before Christmas. I bought and returned the Viewsonic G-Tablet. Horrendous viewing angles, heavy to hold (weighs 1.55 lbs) and cost $379-$399. I returned my Archos 70, which cost me $301.99 with shipping. I think I finally found my tablet, the Nook Color. Once it got rooted, it was a no brainer. GORGEOUS SCREEN, 512 MB RAM, easy to carry, great customer support from Barnes and Noble (I purchased the 2 year additional warranty $54) and pretty good Out of the Box (OTM) software. I know more better Android tablets will be coming out next year, but for $250, you can't go wrong with a quality product like the Nook Color and the customer support service of B&N. Great product =)
bruce, thank you for this update. i have really been looking at all the tablets, I know the holy grail is honeycomb, but i don't think that is reality until next summer and I don't want to wait. I have been looking at all these inexpensive tablets from china, there is one I saw on androidforums with gps that sounded good, but the nook so far seems good.
After you root, does this still work as an e reader? Also, how hard is this to root for someone technical, but has never rooted a device (i used to work on unix computers 20 years ago)? Is there easy step by step instructions? Thanks again.
I haven't exhaustively compared the other options on the market right now, but my intuition is that the NC is the best on the market as far as price-point and build-quality, but there is no market access and limited app support.
By the time development really gets going on a NC rom, i predict that we will have competitive alternatives, either from brand name manufacturers (Asus), or no-name Chinese manufacturers (right now the Chinese tablets are held back by their resistive touchscreens.) And these alternatives will presumably have dedicated android buttons, which the NC does not.
If you need a tablet right now, and are a tinkerer, then the NC is the way to go. If you want a more full-featured and robust solution, we are going to see compelling alternatives in the 6-10 month time frame, I predict.
I don't think it will take 6-10 months for custom ROMs and Market access.
Seeing videos of people integrating Raspberry Pis into their cars with OpenAuto got me interested in Android Auto. There is one thing I don't like about it, however: you're just adding another device to pass on audio/video/touch to an external display, from the phone. Why not cut out the middle man?
Back in the good old days of my Xperia S, phones had a dedicated micro-HDMI output. Delicous 60fps 720p (and even 1080p, with the UI drawn at 720p, but for instance video playback in full 1080p), and a free charging/OTG port. However, nowadays, we're stuck with MHL, and unless you have a Samsung phone, which has a proprietary connector, you can't use MHL and OTG at the same time, nor does MHL properly support touch functionality (only in theory), so we need the OTG.
DisplayLink to the rescue. We're going to sacrifice a lot of display smoothness/responsiveness here unless you have a modern phone with a USB 3.0 Type-C port (so you can use a newer high performance DisplayLink adapter), but we can use an OTG hub to get both HID touch functionality and HDMI through the DisplayLink adapter at the same time. More on this later. Also, I originally bought a $6 USB to HDMI adapter off eBay thinking it would be DisplayLink (or a compatible off-brand clone), but it turns out to be the really dodgy Fresco Logic FL2000, which is so cheap because it does none of the clever things that DisplayLink adapters do, and instead just spits out full resolution frames as fast as it can, which is completely incompatible with USB 2.0 or low power devices like phones. I found an affordable HP DisplayLink DVI adapter second hand from a Chinese seller that works.
On to the next hurdle: charging while using OTG. This is an interesting one, as it's not something I really gave a lot of thought initially. I mean surely just using a powered hub and giving the phone 5V over its micro-USB port would work, right? Well, it's a bit more complex than that, but Sony used to have an OTG dock that could charge, so I'm confident once I get the right OTG hub, it will work fine on my Z5. The one I got off eBay wouldn't do anything but charge, and when I opened it up, I saw it doesn't even use the 5th OTG pin, which would explain why it didn't work. I soldered a regular Type-A plug onto it and used my Sony OTG adapter to test, and I can get either charging or OTG, so something a bit less hacky is required. I ordered the Acasis H027, so when it arrives, we'll see if that works.
Touch: I haven't tested it yet. I have an HDMI touch screen in storage at my brother's house, so next time I visit I'll see if I can get touches to register on the phone. Based on my Googling most people on the internet seem to have gotten this to work fine, although there is no touch calibration on Android as far as I'm aware, like there is on Windows.
Portrait mode: this is my personal pet project and what I've been struggling with the most so far. It would be by far the easiest to just use a touch screen in landscape mode, but hear me out. Because HDMI (touch) monitors are cheap anyway, and in the 7 inch to 24 inch size range, bigger usually means cheaper, I want Tesla-style portrait mode. In portrait mode we can fit more screen estate in the centre console of the car than in landscape mode, and a bigger screen = bigger text = quicker glancing = safer driving. And it also happens to look extremely cool. If you have a big car you can probably fit a 20 or 24 inch screen, but I think I'm going for 13 inch. However. Using the DisplayLink Presenter app or the DisplayLink Desktop demo app which as far as I can tell does exactly the same things, I cannot for the life of me get native portrait mode to work. Android insists on pillarboxing portrait mode, and no amount of forcing rotation, setting build.props like ro.sf.hwrotation or persist.demo.hdmirotation works to change its mind. More worryingly, it seems that for the HDMI rotation prop to work, you need to also set persist.demo.singledisplay, which prevents apps from accessing secondary displays, which means DisplayLink Presenter, which itself is an app, cannot mirror the screen output any more and you get a sad single stripe of garbage pixels on an otherwise completely black screen. I probably need help here from an XDA developer, to hack the DisplayLink app, or to develop an Xposed module that causes all apps to draw themselves in portrait mode while the system is actually in landscape mode, or something along those lines. I've tried most things in my power that I could think of, and since my phone is unlocked, rooted, magisk'd and xposed, that is actually quite a lot, but nothing helped. So, uh, help?
Lastly there is DPI, which is one of the easier hurdles that I did solve. Android Auto (in phone mode, so not connected to any head unit) has a ridiculously huge UI on my phone's native dpi, and while I understand the reasons for it, with a larger external touch screen attached it just becomes unreasonably huge. With Tasker set to run "wm density 240" the entire Android UI becomes a lot more suited to a large screen, and even though Android Auto is still pretty huge compared to other apps, it's what I would consider reasonable.
More to come!
So, quick update:
While the screen portrait mode issues were "simple" to fix (although root was definitely required), the touch orientation issues as well as charging-during-OTG require kernel modifications to be fixed. I managed to compile a modified kernel with charging-during-OTG support thanks to @nlra 's work on that front, but I couldn't get the new image to boot.
A few things happened in the mean time:
- I discovered scrcpy
- I got an Xperia XZ3 (which I haven't rooted yet)
Scrcpy seems to be basically what Android Auto does, but for the whole Android desktop instead of only one app. I kind of don't like it because it involves adding a computer in between the display and the phone again (probably a Raspberry Pi), but the advantages are so huge it's basically the only realistic option right now.
Scrcpy:
- Basically always runs at 60fps, even on USB 2.0
- Handles portrait/landscape gracefully
- Integrates display, touch, (audio in a future version), and charging in a single connection
- Doesn't require root (although automatically setting the Android resolution to 1920x1080 and keeping the display on at 0% brightness are things that can probably only be accomplished with Tasker, which requires root)
So basically this simplifies and moves the project further immensely, however there are still some blocking issues right now. Touch screens only work on Windows because in addition to generating touch events, Windows also generates fallback mouse click events for touches, something that Linux doesn't do, and because there is no formal touch screen support in scrcpy, multi-touch doesn't work at all. Audio support also seems to be in an experimental state currently, and is not enabled for regular builds.
I hope ROM1V will eventually implement touch screen support (it's been in his GitHub issue tracker since March) as I have enough work to do as it is. I will focus on the hardware part (Raspi, cabling, VESA mount etc.) first and if by that time touch support is still missing I'll take a crack at it myself. Thankfully scrcpy is built on SDL which I'm fairly familiar with, although I've never worked with the touch input API before.
For the charging you need hub with usb-c PowerDelivery passthrough and HDMI. I am testing ones with less power consumption right now. I am not sure why you weren't able to use it.
I think people would be better of using following app for changing resolution, etc. using SecondScreen (I think root is required to run HDMI in portait mode, because it is grayed out for me).
I am doing the same project, but I keep the screen 1600x1200 horizontally and use apps in split view mode. I don't want root. I was thinking of using SamsungDEX for it, but the menus are too small.
The good thing is though, that on Samsung it is possible to create two-apps split screen pair (e.g. google map + music) as a launcher shortcut (using Good Lock (MultiStar plugin) from Galaxy Store). Unfortunately, I don't think it is possible to automate launching two apps in split screen automatically, nor create a split-pair shortcut on other launchers.
It would be good to have some multiwindow manager since I also wanted my BMW-tuning/logging gauges app to run in a floating window on top or minimized to a floating icon. It is possible naturally but it is a lot of manual clicking :/
One more thing that I don't think will be possible, is to completely turn off the phone screen. With the screen on, Note8 doesn't do fast charging. Can the screen be off with scrcpy somehow, I don't think?
So this dead?