Can you view 2 apps side-by-side on Transformer

[teknofil]

Hi! I would really like to buy an Asus Transformer, but I really need it to be able to do the following:


Have a small internet browser/widget open on the screen beside a text editing app/widget.


Is it possible on the Transformer? Given the large screen, I would hope that I could look at a wikipedia article on the left side of the screen and summarize things on the right side in a note-taking app for schoolwork. But are there widgets or apps that allow this type of multi-tasking?


Thanks!


-Kelly

 

[goodintentions]

http://www.onskreen.com/cornerstone/index.phpYou mean something like this?

http://www.onskreen.com/cornerstone/index.php

 

[teknofil]

I am an utter n00b. I went to the product page fro Onskreen. That looks perfect!!! It says however that it is available directly to the OEMs. Do you know if Asus includes this as an option when updating the Transformer's OS?

Thanks so much!

 

[goodintentions]

I am an utter n00b. I went to the product page fro Onskreen. That looks perfect!!! It says however that it is available directly to the OEMs. Do you know if Asus includes this as an option when updating the Transformer's OS?

Thanks so much!

Well, here's the problem. Onskreen (the company) is having a really hard time convincing google and tablet manufacturers to include cornerstone (the multi-tasking feature) in the updates. Here's why.

Apple has spent the last year convincing the general populace that tablets are strictly fun and game devices. At work, I use the transformer for everything from reference guide at test sites to typing reports in the office. I have not touched my laptop for 4 months now. My colleagues, all ipad 2 owners, keep telling me that it was a mistake for me to get "an imitation" rather than the real ipad 2. And yet when it was time for work they'd put away their ipad 2s and take out their bulky laptops to work. They can't imagine for one minute that the tablet could actually be a productive device.

And that's the problem that we're seeing. Manufacturers and google are for-profit organizations. If most people just want the tablet for fun and games, there's no point to include something like cornerstone in their systems.

Recently, manufacturers have been asking onskreen to survey potential users why they would want this feature on their tablets. Manufacturers really are having a tough time seeing anyone ever wanting to use this feature because most people just want the tablet either for game or for surfing.

No doubt I am in the very small minority who have figured out a way to incorporate the tablet (specifically the transformer) into our daily productive lives. But the vast majority of the people out there simply aren't interested in a feature like this.

So, the short answer is don't give up hope for this feature to come to our transformer update. At the same time, don't think it will come tomorrow. Onskreen will have many challenges before they could convince google and tablet manufacturers that cornerstone is worth the investment.

Just stay in touch. I'll keep you informed about onskreen's progress.

Here's an interesting fact. Onskreen originally made cornerstone to look almost like windows. In their original prototype, you could move different windows around, resize, etc. just like on the laptop or pc. It was google who forced onskreen to take out this feature because google didn't think people would want to see something like that on their tablets. Personally, I think that's shortsightedness. They think they gotta make the android tablets look and feel like the damn ipad 2. And since iOS doesn't have multiple window screen, then they just assume people wouldn't want it.

Personally, I'd kill to have multiple windows on my tablet. Like I said, I've effectively replaced my laptop with my transformer. My laptop has been sitting on my table collecting dust for 4 months now. I really should turn it on again one of these days. 4 months is a long time to leave it off LOL!

PS - Check out my hardware mod thread. I recently soldered in a 500 GB hard drive. I now carry around a transformer+dock with a 500GB internal hard drive LOL!

http://www.androidtablets.net/forum...d-500-gb-harddrive-off-switch-hard-drive.html

 

[teknofil]

Thank you SOOO much for the excellent response!!

I have to decide in the next two days between a tablet (transformer) or a netbook for school and this was very helpful!

I REALLY want to try android, but productivity, and especially the multiple windows would be so very essential as I read my medical textbooks (pdf) and type up notes.

I have been using iPhones since 2007 for productivity, and honestly I am really tired of only one thing on screen at a time. That just makes me sad that they are trying to make tablets like an iPad 2. I want things to be organic, flowing widgets, use all my fingers to move things around and resize at will.

So, what apps do you use that help make the transformer a notebook replacement? Any good word processing apps, GTD/todo apps, web-based collaboration apps, google apps, etc?

I was thrilled to see multiple windows in the Cornerstone platform. That would be AMAZING. I saw on facebook that they might allow people to beta test it. I wonder how many months it will take before we see this sort of change? Is there anyone at google I can contact to encourage them to make it an option for Honeycomb users?

Also, do you know if Ice Cream Sandwich will work on Transformer, by any chance?

Thanks again! and AMAZING mod!! How much weight does it add to the total device?

-Kelly

 

[goodintentions]

So, what apps do you use that help make the transformer a notebook replacement? Any good word processing apps, GTD/todo apps, web-based collaboration apps, google apps, etc?[/qs]
The transformer comes with polaris office preinstalled. It's got word processor, pdf viewing, powerpoint, and excel spreadsheet. I also recommend "documents to go" and "quickoffice". They all have their strengths and weaknesses. Between these 3 office apps, you should be able to do everything that you need to.

I also use repligo and ezpdf for viewing very large pdf files. The cool thing about these 2 apps is you can hand write directly into your pdf files.

I'm an engineer. My job varies from testing the strengths of concrete beams both in the field and in the lab. We use a lot of references from the standard manuals for engineers. Instead of carrying these books that have thousands of pages each like other people, I just carry my transformer around. I take notes directly into these pdf books with a adonit job stylus and a dagi stylus. Right now, these are the best styli on the market for capacitive touch screens.

I was thrilled to see multiple windows in the Cornerstone platform. That would be AMAZING. I saw on facebook that they might allow people to beta test it. I wonder how many months it will take before we see this sort of change? Is there anyone at google I can contact to encourage them to make it an option for Honeycomb users?

Haha, since when did a corporation as big as google willing to listen to ordinary joes like us?

You can't really blame google and other tablet manufacturers. The ipad at the moment dominate about 70% of the tablet market, despite not being able to multitask and absolutely no port whatsoever. So, the clowns at google and tablet manufacturers are just playing safe by being too willing to smell the exhaust fumes from apple's ipads. They're too afraid to try something new. People seem to be fine with the ipad, so the clowns at google and tablet manufacturers are keeping the android UI at single window only. The only way we're going to see cornerstone anytime soon is if (1) the ipad 3 has multi-windows capability or (2) onskreen is able to convince those clowns at google and asus that people really want this kind of UI.

Also, do you know if Ice Cream Sandwich will work on Transformer, by any chance?

It most certainly will. As soon as the the source code is released, I will join the race to port it to the TF.

Thanks again! and AMAZING mod!! How much weight does it add to the total device?

Actually, it lost weight. There are counter weights in the dock because without the counterweights the tablet part would be heavier than the dock. So, I took out the counter weights and the hard drive actually weighs a little lighter than the counterweights.

I have to decide in the next two days between a tablet (transformer) or a netbook for school and this was very helpful!

Well, if you don't know what you want or is not so technically inclined, you probably should stick with conventional machines like a netbook or laptop. See, I'm an engineer who's one of past lives was a programmer by trade. I also know my way around hardware with these gadgets. For someone that's not technically inclined, something I find simple to do might mean a world of pain to that person.

Personally, I think the touch screen is the way of the future. I can't stand the touchpad included in the dock at all. Either I plug in a mouse or I use the touch screen. You should see the weird looks people give me when they see me poke my "netbook" LOL!

Added by edit.

By the way, an alpha version of windows 8 just got released to devs. Word is windows 8 is compatible with the tegra 2. I can't wait for someone to port it into the asus transformer.

For now, I have honeycomb dual boot with ubuntu linux.

 

[TDsoundwave]

Nice post intensions. I am a social worker in a psychiatric hospital and i recently purchased this tablet. it is so nice to have a laptop/tablet onthe go! writing up treatment updates on the unit sure beats lugging charts all over the hospital! At home I have to remind myself to put it down lol i'll probably take your advice and not try to hack or modify my tablet as i am not technologically inclined beyond some of the basics, but I'll definitely be following your posts . . .you seem to know your stuff!

 

[teknofil]

Thanks sooo much for the excellent post!!

I spent an hour Monday playing with the Galaxy Tab 10.1 and the Transformer. To be honest, the Tab had better colors & everything worked effortlessly. I was quite disappointed with the Transformer because it wouldn't highlight or annotate the exact same PDFs I had annotated in the Tab an hour earlier. It wouldn't load the exact same web pages with videos that the Tab had managed flawlessly. The experience was not nearly as nice as the Tab... BUT, I think the store hadn't updated the OS on the Transformer since you guys have said it DOES annotate pdfs. I also have read that it CAN run flash videos... Plus once I realized the Tab didnt have an SD card, I just had to go with the Transformer.

Just a note: The galaxy Tab has a really amazing feature that allows you to place a notepad on TOP of any app you are working in! That was a perfect solution for me. It comes with the Touchwiz update (i think that is what its called). apparently some youtube transformer users have tested touchwiz on the transformer and it worked! (but it did shut off wifi as well!) but some developers are working to get this widget-on-top-of-apps update working on Transformer too. Fingers crossed!

-Kelly

 

[teknofil]

Do people accept that you carry it around? I am afraid i will get strange looks carrying a tablet around the hospital wards. Norwegians generally arent as gadget-y as their American professional counterparts...

 

[teknofil]

this is what it looked like. this widget was called "pen memo"

 

[sculptedstylus]

I couldn't fine Pen Memo or Touchwiz in either the Android or Amazon Markets!

 

[teknofil]

These are only available as a software update on Samsung Tabs. for it to work on any other device, it has to be a hack, where you totally mess with your tablet's OS and you give it a SAMSUNG OS...

more here: You can also google "transformer" "Touchwiz" "boot" and there are people in development forums working on a fix to make this work on transformers without the Wifi issue...

 

[goodintentions]

Do people accept that you carry it around? I am afraid i will get strange looks carrying a tablet around the hospital wards. Norwegians generally arent as gadget-y as their American professional counterparts...

Haha, my "girl friend" is a therapist and she uses her transformer for everything, both work and fun.

 

[teknofil]

Hi! I got a response in another forum, here:
General Work in 2 apps side-by-side on Transformer screen? - Android Forums

Basic Web browser features are supported. - Homepage, Bookmark. - Back, Forward and Reload. - Search (Google, Bing and Twitter). - (Experimental) Play HTML5/FLASH videos. Special features supported in this version. - Resize screen. - Rotate screen. - Change UI Theme. https://market.android.com/details?id=jp.mmasashi.android.dualscreenbrowser&f eature=search_result

Screen print:

https://www.gstatic.com/android/market/jp.mmasashi.android.dualscreenbrowser/ss-1280-1-3

 

[Nedra144]

Hi ! I was having the same problem when I came across an app in the google play store. It is called OverSkreen (floating brwser). Hope this helps!