[Android General] starrwulfe:
I'm going Padfone all the way...

Well I went and did it... I just bought an ASUS Padfone from Funnybom in Taiwan (Anyone else buy from them? They got back to my questions and let me knock a few $ off the price too!)

I was on the fence a few posts back about what I should get-- this or the Nexus 7/Galaxy Nexus combo...

Reasons I went Padfone? Well even though it's almost DOUBLE THE PRICE, its completely worth it...

1. In my main phone, a Motorola Atrix, the screen died. I'd gotten used to using my phone as a laptop for the past year or so, because I used the Atrix as my workstation at work to do emails, communicate, message, edit documents, and most anything that doesn't "heavy lifting"-- 75% of my workload is just pure writing/editing/communicating. Being able to yank that lapdock out and work anywhere without carrying a heavy laptop or worrying about whether there's wifi/LAN or not. It's still got a 3G connection!

2. The "Nexus Duo" seems STUNNING hardware wise-- the Pure Googlelyness of it all, and JELLYBEAN on both to boot. But the lack of onboard HDMI, EMMC memory on the tablet derails my workflow. Plus 7" vs 10" screen... At home, I use a dock+HDMI output to my 32" TV or 21" monitor. The Padfone doesn't have a desktop dock yet, but you can still plug in a mini HDMI to HDMI cable and tablet view pops right up. Add in bluetooth keyboard and mouse, and you're in business (or use a micro USB to USB adaptor, and a mini USB hub ;))

3. The "Nexus Duo"has limited storage, and I'd be syncing with Dropbox or something to get data from one to the other. That's the point of the Padfone, right? Also I can plug in other devices into the USB ports on the keyboard. It's so routine, that I totally forgot that I use that functionality all the time with getting pictures from my SLR into Dropbox when out on assignments--Padstation's keyboard has a SD card slot :good: I also tote around a 200GB HDD in my gearbag that I use to dump big files I get from other people at events.

4. The "Nexus Duo" would probably be OK in the battery department, but I really don't want the hassle of plugging in 2 devices, tethering one to the other, extra batteries, etc.. The Padfone truly is all-in-one. I'm not sure about that proprietary power cable though, so I'm going to buy an extra 40-pin charger to just keep in my bag, and leave one at home. I've got tons of microUSB ones here, so no worries there!

5. It's frikkin' schweet, and no one in Japan or the US really knows about it! Sure it looks like any other phone from far away, but up close, people will wonder about it... I cant wait to see the looks when I plug the phone into the tablet part at a Starbucks! It's already funny to see the looks at people when my "laptop" vibrates on the Atrix, so imagine what people will do when they see me talking into my STYLUS!! LOL!

In the end, even the price is actually reasonable when you think about the fact that you're getting a SIMfree phone, a 10" tablet, a netbook, bluetooth headset (sorta), extra battery (like I'll need that:p), cover, and 3 years of 30GB online storage (~,~)

Plus ASUS usually updates their products to the latest version of Android within months, not years, so I'm sure we'll get some Jellybean lovin' before the winter, unlike Motorola.

Now the shipping wait begins... ...while I wait, can someone tell me some of the great things they're doing with their toys? Are you using them for work, or more for just surfing the net? Games? I personally can't wait to use it to take notes while working in my classroom. I cannot begin to tell you how much I HATE writing in notebooks or memo pads. I figure I'll also get more reading done too... Kindle and now Google Books FTW!