Sunday, November 2, 2014

Asus Transformer T100 tablet/laptop. (new to me)

I will be using this to run some SDR software and for traveling.

If you go to the Asus Transformer T100 wiki, you will see that there are a number of versions...all with the same title, but with different coded models...

Mine is the plain version, 1.33ghz processor 32gig ram, detachable keyboard with no storage inside.

It runs Win8.1  I will say that so far, I would hate to run this OS on a normal laptop, but since most of the time I use this one as a tablet...it is fine.

I picked mine up off ebay.  Works fine, knew the charging cord had an issue.

What I learned so far...

--Charging--

I travel with my assortment of charging plugs and wires, I have a few 2.1A and 1A chargers + European plug adapters.

The T100 owners manual says it requires a 2.1A charger...well not exactly.  The adapter that comes with the T100 is a wallwart, 3' attached cord, terminated with a microUSB plug.

So the trick is, you apparently need a specific kind of USB cord to trick the T100 into charging at full power.  When I plug a standard microUSB cord into one of my 2.1A adapters...it will take approx a week to charge...and I wish I was exaggerating.  I gained 8% charge after sitting for 8 hours on the charger.  After I got home and used the Asus adapter (with an intermittent connection)...it was fully charged (from 8%) after about 2 hours.

I have ordered a new USB cord to use with my adapters...we will see.

--Win8.1 

I have never seen Win8 in person...I have seen Windows Phone 7 (or whatever it is called).

On a tablet it is mostly useful...I will skip Win8 things...but there are some tricks to maintaining the software on the T100.

There is built in software called ASUS Live Update Utility.  (also available on the Asus support site)

This software does all the driver and BIOS updates that you would normally do by hand...but does not check for updates automatically, you have to run the software and check for updates...this T100 I got had zero updates, BIOS or otherwise.   Updates pretty much required a reboot mid update to complete...weird but worked.

Of course Windows updates also runs...that one at least is automatic.

So far, all the software I have tried to install has installed and run.

I will leave the Win8 debates for someone else.



--SDR stuff--

Well for a laugh I installed SDR# and my RTL-SDR dongle...but I and not convinced the T100 has the horsepower to do all that...but we will see...

...to be continued...

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