Asus Eee Pad Transformer Tablet Tips and Tricks Part 1

09/25/2011 Comments Off on Asus Eee Pad Transformer Tablet Tips and Tricks Part 1 Asus Like

Recently I got my hands on the ASUS Eee Pad Transformer, great device by the way, and I’ve decided to compile a list of tips and tricks as well as questions and answers to help you get the most out of this Android tablet. I’ve learned a lot in just a few short days, asked a lot of questions and have done quite a bit of research as well. I feel the need to share this newly acquired knowledge with you and I hope you find it helpful. This will be part 1 of an ongoing series.

Being as this is my first ever Android tablet I’m still learning new things each day myself. I know a lot of people who visit our site are also looking for answers. So I figured why not use this as an opportunity to create an educational how-to series for fellow ASUS Eee Pad Transformer owners.

Before we get started I’d like to give a special thanks to Walkop from the Android Tablets Forum for all of his help and support. He’s always there to answer questions even for rookie Honeycomb tablet users such as myself. Slowly but surely I’m getting more familiar with how they work, the seemingly endless capabilities they have and hopefully this in-depth series will help you do the same!

Get the Most Out of Your ASUS Eee Pad Transformer Battery

I had my ASUS Eee Pad Transformer shipped to Canada from Thailand so it came as no surprise that along with it came the international (European) style charger which of course is not compatible with our outlets here. After my new tablet arrived I immediately went to a local Staples and purchased a basic $20 USB to AC adapter. Big mistake. I mean it worked, but it charges really slow so my advice would be spend the $35 or so and get the actual ASUS charger.

One thing I noticed right away was that while the tablet was being charged there was no light or indication that it was actually being recharged. As it turns out, after asking around I found out this is in fact normal. Yes I was a bit worried at first but was glad to find out there wasn’t any glitches with my device or the USB charger itself. Still, I felt it would be convenient to be able to keep track of the status of the batteries better, I say batteries because I’m referring to the ASUS Transformer itself as well as the optional charging/keyboard dock. That’s when someone referred the following must have Android app to me.

Dual Battery Widget

If you own an ASUS Eee Pad Transformer then you without a doubt will want to download and install the free Dual Battery Widget app. Alright, so this is more a widget than an actual app, despite what you want to refer to it as it’s still free and it works great!

With this handy battery widget you can monitor the status of your internal battery as well as the dock station (aka keyboard) or secondary battery.

This widget for Android tablets is resizable so you can make it as small or large as you’d like. It’s specifically developed for tablets such as the ASUS Eee Pad which have external/optional docking stations, but it will work on other tablets too. For tablets without a dock it will simply display icons for only the main internal battery.

Download on Google Play

Ways to Reduce Usage & Increase Battery Life

If you’ve purchased the ASUS Eee Pad keyboard/docking station then you are already enjoying the advantages of having twice the amount of battery life compared to most other Honeycomb tablets. Having an average of roughly 16 hours of battery life is nothing to frown upon, still there are simple tips and tricks that you can use to help ensure you will get the most out of your batteries.

Automatically Have Wi-Fi Turned Off When On Standby

Even if your tablet is in standby mode if your Wi-Fi is turned on it will still drain the battery even if it’s not being used. That is unless you specify otherwise in the settings. You can adjust it so your Wi-Fi automatically turns off when you are not using your Asus Eee Pad tablet. All you have to do is go to:

Settings > Wireless & networks > Wi-Fi disconnect policy

Once you’re there you’ll be prompted with 3 choices which include “When screen turns off“, “Never when plugged in” and “Never“. To get the most out of your battery simply choose the first one, “When screen turns off”. You can just set it and forget it!

Lower Screen Brightness

If you lower the brightness on your screen this will also help increase your battery life. Changing the brightness is very straight forward, all you have to do is go to:

Settings > Screen > Brightness

Once you’re there just drag the bar to adjust what brightness level is suitable for you. The lower it is, the less your battery will be used.

How to Take Screenshots With Your ASUS Eee Pad Transformer

ASUS has made taking screenshots a breeze on the Eee Pad. All you have to do is tap and hold the “recent apps” icon located on the bottom left of your screen. All screenshots are automatically saved in your photo Gallery. In order to make this feature active you will have to make a quick adjustment. Just go to:

Settings > Screen > Screenshot

Once you’re there simply tap the box beside “Capture screenshots by holding the Recent Apps Key“, a check mark will appear and you’re all set! Here’s a couple of screenshots I recently took just to give you an example of how easy it is.

ASUS Honeycomb Transformer screenshot of settings

Main screen screenshot for Asus Transformer Honeycomb tablet

Conclusion

Today I only touched on a few basic areas but I hope you enjoyed this article and found it helpful. I’m just getting started though and you can expect more in-depth how-to’s and tips & tricks for the Transformer tablet soon! Of course if you have any helpful tips or advice or suggestions for topics to cover please share them in the comments section or contact me directly!

Stay tuned for much more to come and thanks again for stopping by!