Asus Vivobook X202E Windows 8 Touchscreen PC Review

A review from a user who just recently purchased an Asus Vivobook X202E.
 
Initial Impressions:

1. Very responsive touchscreen, no lags, no missed touches.
2. Viewing angle is bad. You need to be looking straight on the screen.
3. Touch pad not so good. Too sensitive Asus smart gesture. I would always accidentally activate the charms bar at the right using the regular scrolling on the touch pad.
4. Start up and shutdown, a bit slow. I think an SSD drive would have been better.
5. Windows 8 is really cool. Downloaded Start8 for the start menu. What's good about this is that it has multilanguage support.

Overall, solid feel, nice brushed metal texture.

 

For those who wants to upgrade, the Wi-Fi card and hard drive are the only parts upgradeable.

I plan to use SSD, so to be sure I opened it up. You would need a 7mm thick SSD. My initial intention was to use an Intel SSD 330 but that's 9.5mm so I might just opt for a Samsung SSD 840 instead.

This is a great laptop, especially if you're just into web browsing and more on office works only.

Price ranges from 26,995 to 27,500 for credit card and 24,800 to 25,500 for cash purchase. That's for the Core i3 unit. You should really get one though the only thing that might hold you back is the screen. Its also similarly priced like the Lenovo S405 and Samsung Slimbook Series 5.

If you plan to do some Photoshop, the smaller screen might be an issue for prolonged use. 


Cons:

1. The 2-cell battery would last only between 3 to 4 hours.
2. The fan seems to be continuously running even on idle mode.
3. The HDD seems a bit noisy - that's why I switched to SSD.

Windows Experience Index

Upgrading: Replaced the HDD with an SSD. From the Read/Write speed at 85MB/s, its now a lot faster as seen below using Speed Test Pro. Read is now 430 MB/s and Write is 135 MB/s.

Below are the actual original specifications before the upgrade to SSD:

Asus Vivobook X202E specs:
11.6 inch LED display @ 1366×768 pixels
Intel Core i3 3217U Ivy Bridge 1.8GHz
Intel HD 4000 Graphics
4GB DDR3 RAM
500GB HDD
WiFi 802.11 b/g/n
2 x USB 2.0 ports
1 x USB 3.0 ports
30.3cm x 20.0cm x 21.7mm
2.9lbs
Li-Polymer battery
Windows 8
Php26,995 (suggested retail price)

There's a lower model also avilable for this model.
 
Asus Vivobook X202E specs:
11.6inch LED display @ 1366×768 pixels
Intel ULV Celeron 847 1.1GHz dual-core
Intel HD Graphics
2GB DDR3 RAM
500GB HDD
WiFi 802.11 b/g/n
2 x USB 2.0 ports
1 x USB 3.0 ports
30.3cm x 20.0cm x 21.7mm
2.9lbs
Li-Polymer battery
Windows 8
Php20,995 (suggested retail price)


Tried a stress test on the GPU using AIDA64 and I just confirmed that the GPU clock indeed goes up from 350Mhz default clock speed to 1.05Ghz on full load. It just confirms that you can really perform some light gaming on lower settings for newer games and even play on max settings with some older games on the X202E.

But I do recommend using a laptop cooler if you are planning to play some games on this little monster.

Accessories: 

Laptop cooler - My current temps using CMC3 cooler is now lower by around 6-8C.

I uninstalled Asus' Power4Gear Hybrid to enable Intel Speedstep for lower temps and better battery life. Even at Battery Saving mode P4G doesn't enable Speedstep and I suspect incompatibility issues of P4G with Windows 8. 

Use Windows 8 Built-in recovery tool to get a backup of the recovery partition. No need for any other third party tools.

1.) prepare a external HD with at least 20gb space
2.) go to Control Panel > Recovery
3.) Select Create Recovery Drive & tick the copy the recovery partition from PC to recovery drive
4.) follow the succeeding prompts & it should do the trick

*credit of content and photos to peterjommel, ccl 2003, dm1179 of TPC

DOH Erik Tayag Dances the Oppa Gangnam Style

Before, we saw him dance to the tune of Maroon 5's Moves Like Jagger, now we see him dance ala Korean rapper Psy of the hit song Oppa Gangnam Style. He even made a live telecast in an ABS-CBN morning show (Umagang Kay Ganda). He is one guy who would do anything to promote Health and specifically safety against the dangerous and deadly firecrackers (though there's a new firecracker that's called Gangnam Bomb - or something to that effect).


I really think blowing up things in celebration of any festivity is a crazy idea we just inherited from our ancestors. They have this superstition or belief that it helps drive away evil spirits - another crazy idea.

We respect the tradition but not to the extent of taking property limbs and lives in the process. 

Startups Versus the Juggernauts

Should entrepreneurs just give up on their app ideas, simply because Facebook could eventually clone them and crush them with a billion users? Of course not, and anybody who thinks that Facebook (or any other big company) cloning a startup's product spells Armageddon for that startup doesn't know what they're talking about.

Remember when Facebook tried to make a Foursquare competitor? How about the time it tried to make a Groupon competitor, and it went nowhere? The same is true of its Quora competitor (Facebook Questions) and even its Craigslist competitor (Facebook Marketplace).

I could go on and on, but the point is clear: a big company launching a clone can be scary, but it doesn't mean Armageddon. There are two other factors to consider: defensibility and vision.


My point is this: it takes a lot more than a clone to take out a scrappy startup. It also takes a long-term commitment by a juggernaut. Don't be afraid of the juggernaut entering your market, entrepreneurs. If you have a long-term vision, focus on defensibility and build faster than the competition, you'll eventually become the juggernaut.


"As long as u have a good product and is accessible (damn those with 10000 page registration), combine that with complete dedication and competence, there's no need to fear. Quality and word of mouth goes a long way."

Read more of why startups shouldn't be afraid of Facebook cloning them:

http://news.cnet.com/8301-33617_3-57560622-276/why-startups-shouldnt-be-afraid-of-facebook-cloning-them/

Miss Universe Conspiracies

Just coincidence?

MISS UNIVERSE 2012 and other pageant conspiracies. In my heart, Ms Philippines, Janine Mari Raymundo Tugonon is still the winner! #MissUniverse2012 ~ @VinceGolangco

And this is where I draw the line against racist nations.

That's most probably true! Miss Philippines should have won!

Amalayer : End of the World Lies and Truths

So, were you one of those threatened by the December 21, 2012 "End of the World" prophecy?

If I am still blogging about this and you are still reading it, then that means we are still alive and there was never an end of the world...unless the predictions are again a tad late, or our interpretations were incorrect.

Who were those silly Mayan peeps who predicted this "doomsday" stuff anyway?

English : Should Filipinos Be Fluent in It?

"Antaray naman ng agent pang-1st Runner Up ng Miss Universe up ang spiel!"

If the spiel is familiar that's because it's the same answer Miss Philippines 2012 Janine Tugunon told to the judges when she was asked in the Miss Universe 2012.

Inspired by Ms Philippines Janine Marie Tugunon from Ms Universe, the debate goes on,.... on whether call center agents, or Filipinos, should be fluent in English or not.


Should we make it a big deal to require ourselves to become fluent in the English language? or should we stick with, and patronize our national dialect?

The "K" Conundrum

Have you ever wondered how an SMS gets sent? Watch as Bianca Gonzales, popular TV host (plus one of the most influential social media personality), traces the path of that "K" you just sent.

We're going to get a little bit technical to help you understand a very valid point.

I would like to share with you a great and very interesting educational video from Globe called The “K” Conundrum. It explains how tedious it is for an SMS or text message to travel and reach another mobile device. We believe that sharing the video will definitely help us understand how it works.

I'm just not really sure if that's Bianca Gonzales or Petra Mahalimuyak (hehehe). I swear I could have watched a Petra Mahalimuyak video and not be able to tell the difference! Bianca sounds a bit off on the video.

But thanks for finally releasing a video that is anti-"K" reply.


Are you among those people who receives the "k" reply, or worst... are you among the ones who sends them out. Are you just that busy that you can't even spare a little more letters?

Some people would just use the "miscall" method...which they believe is a lot more wise! They inform all their relatives and close friends about their personal policy of miscalling instead of sending "K" or "OK".

Many would argue that the Telecom Giants which includes Globe -- some many years ago until the present -- earned from 15-million to 17-million revenues just from the letter(s) "K" & "OK."

Whew! After watching the video, would you still be sending text with just a “K” on it? From now on, I'm going to make sure my text is all worth the travel. No to effortless messages!

PowerColor HD7950 3GB GDDR5 (V2)

If you're planning to get the PowerColor HD7950 3GB GDDR5 (V2) with dual fan, make sure that your power supply has a 8-pin PCI-Express connector.

 In the Powercolor website it says the card has two 6-Pin PCI-Express Power Connectors. However when I opened the box the card is actually using x1 6-Pin and x1 8-Pin connector. So it is using the same power connectors as the PowerColor HD7970 cards.

I'm guessing this is because the new version of the card has a higher power draw than the previous version. Maybe for better overclocking or because of new BIOS / firmware the card is using? Anyway just make sure your PSU has the necessary PCI-Express connector.


You may be wondering if my card has a black pcb? If so, maybe this Powercolor 7950 might also be using 7970 pcb, that's why it has an 8pin and one 6pin power supply. Maybe just like the Sapphire 7950 950mhz ED, its a 7950 but with a 7970 PCB. If it is, then I've got one hell of a good card! 

I actually looked into that as well but unfortunately the Powercolor 7950 version 2 (dual fan) is using a red PCB. It is not based on the reference HD 7970 PCB which looks like this:

 Sapphire HD7950 950mhz Edition with reference HD7970 PCB

Power VRM section of reference HD7970 PCB 

However, when I checked the PCB of the Powercolor card it has a lot more VRM blocks(?) than the one above, which I think is a good thing. So it's possible that the newer custom PCB design of Powercolor HD 7950 can draw more stable power resulting in better overclocking performance. However I don't think I'll be able to flash the BIOS to that of a reference Radeon HD 7970. 

Here are some pics of the PowerColor HD7950 3GB GDDR5 (v2) with dual fan that I found on the web. Despite the red PC, notice that the Power VRM section has more blocks than the reference design of Radeon HD 7970. Also it is using the same CHiL CHL 8228 voltage control chip that is used by reference Radeon HD 7970 PCBs.

 PowerColor HD7950 3GB GDDR5 (v2) PCB

I also read that this Powercolor Radeon HD 7950 card has the same PCB as the Club 3D Radeon HD 7950 model. It's possible that both are actually the same card because Powercolor and Club 3D have the same parent company (Tul Corporation). The Club 3D card is known to run stable at 1250GHz core and 1700GHz memory with 1.2 volts which is impressive :-)

Anyway the main reason why I got the PowerColor HD7950 3GB GDDR5 card is that its the cheapest one I can find here in TipidPC (costs Php 11.9K). Other potential buyers of Radeon HD 7950 should take a good look at the HIS Radeon HD 7950 IceQ X2 Boost (Php 14.3K) because of this:

 HIS Radeon HD 7950 IceQ X2 Boost - PCB with metal plate for cooling VRM and RAM chips

HIS Radeon HD 7950 IceQ X2 Boost - Twin 8-pin PCI-E connectors

Eventhough the card doesn't have the 7970 PCB, but the same as the Club3D, then it's still one hell of a card... I watched this video:

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UcKWzVkgspc

and was totally amazed by the 7950's potential... So if the Powercolor 7950 is the same as the Club3D, then I believe that it could be OC'd like crazy.

The HIS 7950 card seem to be a mean machine, but I'd still prefer the Powercolor over that, or the Sapphire, due to the price per performance ratio. At 12-13k, Powercolor's are a steal! hehehe!

I'm still thinking if I would put a 7970 bios in my card. I don't see any reason to do it as of the moment, because my CPU seems to be the main bottleneck right now.

I've had good experiences with Powercolor cards, especially with the PCS+ models, since the cooling is top notch and the price is very good compared to the more expensive cards from ASUS, MSI, Gigabyte, or even Sapphire. I don't plan to overclock the videocard at very high speeds, maybe settle for a decent overclock with stock voltage since I don't want to increase the temps inside my case. Also I'm only using a 1080p monitor so I feel the Radeon HD 7950 is more than powerful enough for games at that resolution.

The Ssapphire card's price isn't that far off from the His IceQ X2 with boost, just a few hundred bucks difference, so no regrets. But compared to the Powercolor, there's the big price difference. I share the same sentiment and very satisfied right now with my card, being able to playBF3 at ultra settings and 4x MSAA smoothly at a 1080p monitor.

Club 3D HD 7870 jokerCard Tahiti LE 2 GB Review

AMD's new GPU is called "Tahiti LE" even though it's a part of the Radeon HD 7800 series, because it is derived from the same 3.5 billion-transistor "Tahiti" silicon that goes into making all Radeon HD 7900 series products and not the "Pitcairn" silicon that goes into making the HD 7870 GHz Edition and HD 7850. The new SKU drops the "GHz Edition" moniker by featuring lower clock speeds than the HD 7870 GHz Edition, but it makes up for that with more pixel-crunching muscle.  

Club 3D Radeon HD 7870 jokerCard (Tahiti LE)
Tech Power Up
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Club_3D/HD_7870_jokerCard_Tahiti_LE/

HD 7870
- 1280 shader units
- 32 ROPs
- 2GB VRAM
- 256-bit memory bus
- core clock @ 1000 MHz
- memory clock @ 1200 MHz

HD 7870 Joker Card
- 1536 shader units
- 32 ROPs
- 2GB VRAM
- 256-bit memory bus
- core clock @ 975 MHz
- memory clock @ 1500 MHz

HD 7950
- 1792 shader units
- 32 ROPs
- 3GB VRAM
- 384-bit memory bus
- core clock @ 800 MHz
- memory clock @ 1250 MHz

The Good
Good overclocking potential
Solid PCB design
Supports CrossFire with HD 7950 and HD 7970
Support for software voltage control
Very quiet in idle
Full-size HDMI output
Support for PCI-Express 3.0 and DirectX 11.1

The Bad
High power consumption during gaming, multi-monitor and Blu-ray
A bit too expensive
Noise while gaming could be lower
Can't CrossFire with regular (Pitcairn-based) HD 7870

Powercolor HD 7870 Vertex II VS Powercolor HD 7870 Myst Edition

Which is better Powercolor HD7870 Vertex II with higher engine clock rate because its OC already or the new Powercolor HD 7870 Myst Edition with lower engine clock speed but higher memory clock speed and UEFI ready?

I believe the Myst Edition is better. It is based on Radeon 7950/7970 GPU (Tahiti LE) so it has more shaders and has PowerTune with Boost (975 MHz). The memory is faster as well at 1.5GHz (6GHz effective). Based on reviews, when overclocked the card reaches 1.2GHz core speed and 1.6GHz memory speed.


The Myst Edition card is basically the same Club3D Joker Card reviewed here:
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Club_3D/HD_7870_jokerCard_Tahiti_LE/31.html

Review of the PowerColor Myst Edition card here:
http://www.hardwareheaven.com/reviews/1639/pg1/powercolor-pcs-hd7870-myst-edition-tahiti-le-graphics-card-review-introduction.html

Performance wise it is about the same Geforce GTX 660 Ti... not bad for a videocard costing Php 10.5K only.

You can check the benchmarks of both cards on the same test setup made by the same reviewer below. Hopefully this will help you decide.

TechPowerUp Review - PowerColor HD 7870 PCS+ Vortex II
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Powercolor/HD_7870_PCS_Plus_Vortex_II/1.html

TechPowerUp Review - Club 3D HD 7870 jokerCard Tahiti LE 2 GB
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Club_3D/HD_7870_jokerCard_Tahiti_LE/1.html

If I were you, just decide on which videocard will allow you to play your games at your monitor's resolution with the best FPS and graphics settings. Don't think about whether a videocard is more "pogi" or if the card is "mas matipid sa kuryente" because bottom line what's important is that the videocard allows you to play your games the way you them to be played :-)

Battlefield 3
7870 Myst - 59.2fps (12.11 driver)
7870 Vortex II - 55.3fps (12.7 driver)

Metro 2033
7870 Myst - 26.1fps (12.11 driver)
7870 Vortex II - 25.0fps (12.7 driver)

Unigine Heaven
7870 Myst - 57.2fps - (12.11 driver)
7870 Vortex II - 56.9fps (12.7 driver)
 
The 7870 Myst edition uses the new improved driver while the Vortex II uses the old driver. If they used the same drivers, Vortex II might get a better result. AMD is really improving their drivers. The 7870 is now better compared with the similarly priced GTX 660. Its equivalent is the 660 Ti.

I always prefer better cooling for low temps at low noise. It has a different build quality, and for the power consumption of the 7870 Myst edition, I would go for the real 7950 with lower consumption.

Unique Melody Mage Cabled with Whiplash TWag v2 OM

How does the Mage sound? Also, how does the TWag change the sonic characteristics of the Mage? I've always resisted the temptation to buy an aftermarket cable, but arguably at the price level of these customs the owners already gunning for the maximum sound quality possible.

I've always thought about the Mage as something like the custom version of the UM3x with forward mids. Too bad UM Phil didn't have a demo version so I could hear the general sonic signature ("general" because the demos sound quite inferior to the real deal).


The Mage is not mostly tuned for forward mids but it is more tuned for a brighter sound signature. When I say brighter sound signature, the highs are more accentuated throughout the spectrum but doesn't drown the other notes for the mids and lows, in addition there is no sibilance, 0%. The main strengths of the Mage are Exceptional acoustics and vocal reproduction, lively sound (doesn't have that dark sound sig CIEM/IEM), fast and high quality bass (Best bass quality I've heard so far), imaging is excellent, soundstage is really wide but not that tall (more of landscape type or widescreen).


*Disclaimer - The TWag recommended burn-in is 300 hours. So far I'm at the 100-hour mark burn-in therefore the full potential of the TWag is not yet heard.

Switching from stock cable to TWag, The first thing that you will notice is the added clarity to the highs and mids and extension of lows and highs. Soundstage made it more wide and added depth (taller). What surprised me is the added live presentation to the Mage by the fact Mage has already a bright sound sig, it surprised me that it made more enjoying to listen. TWag is worth the money.

Don't resist even if you know the benefits already, cause you'll end up buying the product. Sorry for the long write-up. I just like to be certain as possible.

Ortofon e-Q7 and EarSonics SM3 v2 Comparison

Shown above are the Ortofon e-Q7 (red one), EarSonics SM3 v2 and an 8gb Cowon J3. A simple, but definitely not lacking in power, portable system.
 

They quite share some interesting characteristics. Both have excellent midrange and treble response only differs in presentation.

The e-Q7 is the first IEM I've had and I must say that it change my view of how IEMs performs. Midrange is prominent but not as enveloping like the SM3. It's punchy and very detailed without sounding analytical (as opposed to the SM3) all nuances is presented cleanly and cohesively with a lot of musicality. Musicality and accuracy is how I describe e-Q7's mids. Treble on the other hand is as good as well. It's always sparkling and very snappy without exhibiting sibilance.


Other IEMs with a lot of treble like the TF10 or the CK10 might appear more detailed than the e-Q7 but most of the time, I got really tired of that treble energy pretty quick, (apart from them being a bit cold and unexciting). So to my ears, the e-Q7 treble is how it should be; precise, sparkly, yet very smooth and easy. Bass in on the leaner side though, but with the way they were tuned as a monitor type it's quite normal. Nevertheless it's never lacking in quality. It goes deep as possible without any bloat from the mid bass frequency and has excellent reverberation, decay that you usually hear from dynamic drivers. It's quite revolutionary so to speak.

Now comes the SM3. I've read a lot of mixed bag comments about them with most complaining about their treble response and the rather intrusive mids (as the comments suggest). So I took the plunge and got myself a pair. And after listening for about 15 hours or so, I've come to realize "those people bashing the SM3 might either have a bad source or bad ears" coz the SM3 are far from just a FOTM item.

It's a wondrous craft that you won't see quite often. With the right source (I'm NOT talking about high priced amps here) the SM3 performs exceptionally well. Mids are how people describe it; very prominent but like the e-Q7 is precise and highly detailed. Well detailed is a bit of understatement because how the SM3 presents the music is quite unconventional as oppose to the majority out there.

With some typical nuances that hit you outright, there are others that would hit you in some unexpected places. You might even hear other nuances you typically didn't in other phones. They can be musical at times but can be quite analytical in other inferior recordings as well. Treble on the other hand is also in par with the e-Q7 only a tad recessed, yet certainly not lacking in quality. They are quite close to the real thing to my ears. Unlike some cymbal crash that hits prominently and disappears the SM3 treble adds a little more decay onto it, that feels like a rippling water that I really like. It's unusually amazing to my ears.

Bass is typically the same for these phones to my ears, given their monitoring characteristics. the e-Q7 may have a tad bit of decay and extension, while the SM3 had more quantity, but overall it's basically the same.

To better describe the SM3, Ill tell you about my other in ears...

The GR07 has good bass impact but the midbass is a little forward. They extend pretty well up on top giving an airy and light (not bright) presentation. The soundstage is meh...typical of a stage monitor.

The BA200 has excellent mids, detail and incredible soundstage. But Somewhat lacking in impact and treble extension.

The SM3 combines all of the strengths of my two other favorites, but none of the weaknesses. It has good impact (but less than the GR07) and treble extension. Mids are better than both, in my opinion. The most noticeable feature would be the soundstage. It is even ahead of the BA200, which has excellent presentation already.


*credits to tallie0814

Nexus 7 : Turning It into a Multitasking Muscle-Machine

We can force the Nexus 7 to use its GPU to render 2d graphics. Nasa Developer Options-->Force GPU Render. Improves 2d scores by more than 400% (from 233 to 1000).

So I went back to <click here for link> to follow the directions from <click here for link> claiming to improve UI responsiveness. The change was noticeable especially while browsing with Opera Mobile with other things open.

Then I decided to run quadrant for S and G's.

Holy crackers!!!


I wasn't expecting higher bench scores with the fix so I did the benching last. I tried that mod for a faster response from the UI. I also don't have any games currently running.


If I'd run games, I think stock can run anything that a modded Nexus could if only with a small difference in frames per second. The kernel modifications affect the CPU and I/O areas more than graphics. 2D graphics can be boosted by just enabling the [force 2D rendering to theGPU] option. I just like my devices performing more than what was paid for with a little tinkering. Because it's already there, it's up to us to make it work. Thank Google for being run by geeks first and businessmen second.

*credits to steve_c of TPC

Astronomical Telescopes : Guidelines in Buying

I agree that it is costly to buy pro-level astronomical scopes like Takahashi, APO, etc. But for the beginners, don't despair, there's a lot of entry level scopes (3"-4"). Just don't buy the "toy" scopes.

Some guidelines:

- Decide on what you want to see. There is rarely a scope that does it all. Decide whether you're interested in deep space objects (DSO - like nebulas, galaxies, clusters) or lunar and planetary.

- If you choose DSO, you need the best aperture you can afford/ carry and medium to low power only (20x-100x). If planetary, small apertures will do but you need high powers (100x-200x rarely this high) plus a very stable mount.

- Don't believe the "power" hype, like the 600x etc. Actually its not the power or magnification that's important, its the "Aperture" because for astro DSO use, the objects are faint and NOT small so you need to gather more light. Astro Telescope- definition: an instrument that gathers light.



- Power is limited by the "seeing" conditions at the time plus the amount of "light pollution". It is limited to 50x per inch of aperture. Therefore, for a 3" scope it is limited to 150x.

- Aperture determines light gathering power. The bigger the better, the only restriction is how much you're willing to spend and how heavy an instrument you're willing to lug around.

- Another factor is focal length... for DSO, a rich-field or short FL (400-600mm) will do but for planetary you need long FL (600-1000+mm). This is because FL determines power (power = FLobjective/EPfl)

I only have a 60mm(40mm clear aperture f/10) home made telescope (copy lens objective (400mm) plus binoculars eyepiece (20mm) and 20x mag ) but I have seen a lot of things from my backyard. My main interest is DSO. I have observed the great Orion Nebula, Pleides, Beehive Cluster, Lagoon Nebula, Hercules Cluster, and a lot of Messier's objects even with the moderate light pollution.

There is also the option of making your own telescope. You can buy an objective lens (surplus copier lens or buy a telescope objective online )and together with a binocular eyepiece and a PVC tube make a refractor. A reflector or Newtonian is also possible but I am not aware of local availability of parabolic mirrors. Making your own mirror is also possible btw.

Oh NEVER look at the sun with a telescope or binoculars without a sun filter. INSTANT BLINDNESS.

Ainol Novo 10 Hero : Best Ainol Tablet ... So Far

Ainol Novo10 Hero so far is the best release of Ainol... As in 0 known bugs and issues...

Very recommended... Although there's some sacrifice in specs if we compare it to Ainol Novo7 Flame...

#1 Stripped down Cameras.. 0.3MP Front / 2.0MP Rear without FLASH
#2. No more Light Sensor.
#3. No more build sturdiness. Leather-Case is a MUST.

But overall build quality is very impressive..


Novo10 Hero works very well.. no issues, no hiccups, no wi-fi problem, no overheating. Just plain beautiful. Whereas, Novo7 Fire (Flame) has to run with very strictly chosen firmware like Feiyu-10.31-QM/TM to run smoothly. However, some issues like popping sounds are still there but is now reduced. This is coming from my own hands-on experience of both..


It can handle graphics intensive games, so far. But it can get a bit hot (but again no overheating). Video watching is also great - no skipped frames so far. I've yet to test the HDMI so you guys might want to wait for feedback on that one.

I'm also using it as a torrent machine and pdf/comic book reader. I read a lot of med related books and it can get pretty pic intensive and I haven't encountered any problems yet. If you have time, go to the show room and tinker with it. I think I drove my friends crazy this past week just going to Apple and Samsung stores to pit the hero against the iPad, Tab and Note. So far, I'm happy with my purchase.



Finished installing essential apps and casual games and tested every function of the Tablet...

1. WiFi Works like charm... No disruption or low connectivity issues... Accelerometer & G-Sensor works too.
2. Battery definitely last longer after a full charge... No incorrect Battery Meter issue... No heating up while Charging.
3. Both of Cameras works fine... Just don't forget to carefully remove the plastic cover on Rear Cam...
4. Minimal to NO Backlight Bleeding and NO Dead Pixel... 10pt. TouchScreen Sensitivity is fluid smooth...
5. Stereo Speakers are incredible... Great Audio Clarity and Quality... Although the built-in MIC records a little bit low but decent enough quality...
6. Build Quality is awesome although some part produce usual creaking sounds but I guess They can bear with that...
7. Apps compatibility on JellyBean aren't in full scale yet... Twitter is not compatible...
8. Games compatibility on JellyBean are same on above, except for casual games...
9. It runs on Android JellyBean 4.1.1 with build date 2012-10-31... I did not update as it seems functioning well... I also found no way to root this Tablet except Upgrading to 2012-11-15 Firmware...
10. HDMI port, USB port, Earphone port, Charging port and Storage Expansion Slot works well too...

Overall, the Ainol Novo10 Hero Tablet is an AWESOME Tablet and definitely worth its price... 



Are you planning to buy Ainol Novo Tablets with Action-Semi ATM7029?

I don't intend to discredit Ainol for moving into QuadCore Cortex-A9 Tablet, but choosing Action-Semi ATM7029 will be a DISASTER.

Why?

#1. It has the worst DualCore Graphics Processing Unit or GPU called Vivante GC1000. This GPU performance has barely surpass a SingleCore Mali-400 GPU. Plus it is unknown to Game Devs. so don't expect compatibility as-well on Heavy 3D Games.

#2. Action-Semi chipset is really not so popular. Haven't seen any Smartphone or Tablet manufacturer using or planning to use their products except for Ainol. Software support is still unknown which is a huge threat to Firmware Devs. and maybe for Ainol Software Engineer as-well. Not only that, performance is also unknown.

So don't be fooled on what you see on paper. Research before you buy.


My most recommended Chipset for Tablets are:

#1. Nvidia Tegra 3 - some China MID brands are planning to build a Tablet using this chipset. It may not be cheap but surely it will be great).

#2. Samsung Exynos 4412 - there are already China MID brands like Ramos and FreeLander are offering Tablet with this chipset. Although the price are still $250.00 or more, but I guess it'll subside in due time.

#3. Allwinner A31 - this one is new and has few information except it has a stunning OctalCore SGX543 MP*8 GPU. Some China MID brands are already on their way building Tablet with this chipset like Onda and Ampe.

#4. RockChip RK3066 - this is well tested. Good Kernel Support, Great Mali-400 MP*4 GPU @ 266MHz, No Overheating issue and Power Efficient. It became very popular to Tablet.

#5. AMLogic 8726-M6 - although it has poor reputation under IceCreamSandwich 4.0 OS, it was a totally different chipset on JellyBean 4.1 OS. Its fine on my Bro.-in-Law's Ainol Novo10 Hero. It has Mali-400 MP*2 GPU @ 400MHz which is doing fine on Heavy 3D Games

#6. FreeScale I.MX6Q - it has a QuadCore Vivante GC2000, which is still not recommended for Gamers. Also, some feedback says it has poor Power Efficiency.

*credits to ivan_lee05 of TPC