Post by ryan on May 2, 2015 15:19:57 GMT
Samsung Galaxy S4 GT-i9500
Android 4.4.2
Samsung Multimedia Dock - EDD-S20EWE
USB Microsoft mouse
USB Microsoft keyboard
So I bought the Samsung Smart Dock for my mum over a year ago when her laptop hard drive gave in. I thought, as she isn't tech savvy, better for her to have one device - her S4 - and less work for me getting accounts to sync, different operating systems, etc.
These were the issues I had:
1. I couldn't get the display right, the edges of the display were being cut off on all sides;
2. I found it very cumbersome navigating around as the back and home buttons on the mouse (right-click and wheel-click respectively) wouldn't work;
3. The detection of mouse and keyboard along with the auto-desktop landscape mode sometimes worked and sometimes didn't - a big irritation;
4. Most apps are not designed for the large screen; I would have thought the 'device-width' would automatically change with an external monitor and that most apps would be designed to accommodate this, especially browser based apps - but obviously not? In the end this was the deal breaker - with the exact layout designed for a 5" screen just magnified onto a 21" screen, it just becomes too cumbersome for daily use;
So, after fighting with it for many days, I gave up and it has been in a box ever since.
Until a few days ago, when the monitor on my mom's laptop (the same one) gave in. And I thought, let's give that dock another go, the firmware upgrades may have solved some of the issues.
This is what I have found:
1. Solved display issue with the oversampling setting in the TV's advanced settings;
2. This time around all the mouse buttons work;
3. Haven't had any problems yet with mouse and keyboard, when using native apps;
4. The layout of course has not changed.
I don't understand why this isn't basic functionality. This is the only missing feature limiting this device from becoming a functional PC. Sure, it can't run Adobe or Office2013 or a number of other advanced apps but there are more than enough alternative apps out there already for most users. And Adobe and Office and many others run browser based apps or SaaS. I don’t want to get into a debate about this though. The point is the market and everything else is ready, or almost ready, so why are these manufacturers limiting themselves, and us, in this way!
Anyway…
I went Googling and found your Andromium and was thrilled.
It looks amazing.
However, I'm pretty much stuck from the start:
I installed your app and docked the phone and the TV displayed the full dekstop in landscape as it should.
But the mouse and keyboard just won't work - this is the same keyboard and mouse which were working without your app installed.
I fiddled with settings; I tried unplugging the HDMI, power, mouse and keyboard and plugging them back in in different combinations and at different times but just cannot get this to work.
So, I exited Andromium and restarted the device.
I found that the keyboard and mouse still wouldn't be detected, even when not using Andromium.
Again, I checked docking settings, etc.
So, I factory reset the S4.
Then, I tested it docking and everything worked as it should, as described above.
Before installing or configuring the device any further, to be sure, I installed Andromium again. And again, the phone ceased to detect the mouse and keyboard attached.
I have just factory reset once more.
Not sure where to from here.
Android 4.4.2
Samsung Multimedia Dock - EDD-S20EWE
USB Microsoft mouse
USB Microsoft keyboard
So I bought the Samsung Smart Dock for my mum over a year ago when her laptop hard drive gave in. I thought, as she isn't tech savvy, better for her to have one device - her S4 - and less work for me getting accounts to sync, different operating systems, etc.
These were the issues I had:
1. I couldn't get the display right, the edges of the display were being cut off on all sides;
2. I found it very cumbersome navigating around as the back and home buttons on the mouse (right-click and wheel-click respectively) wouldn't work;
3. The detection of mouse and keyboard along with the auto-desktop landscape mode sometimes worked and sometimes didn't - a big irritation;
4. Most apps are not designed for the large screen; I would have thought the 'device-width' would automatically change with an external monitor and that most apps would be designed to accommodate this, especially browser based apps - but obviously not? In the end this was the deal breaker - with the exact layout designed for a 5" screen just magnified onto a 21" screen, it just becomes too cumbersome for daily use;
So, after fighting with it for many days, I gave up and it has been in a box ever since.
Until a few days ago, when the monitor on my mom's laptop (the same one) gave in. And I thought, let's give that dock another go, the firmware upgrades may have solved some of the issues.
This is what I have found:
1. Solved display issue with the oversampling setting in the TV's advanced settings;
2. This time around all the mouse buttons work;
3. Haven't had any problems yet with mouse and keyboard, when using native apps;
4. The layout of course has not changed.
I don't understand why this isn't basic functionality. This is the only missing feature limiting this device from becoming a functional PC. Sure, it can't run Adobe or Office2013 or a number of other advanced apps but there are more than enough alternative apps out there already for most users. And Adobe and Office and many others run browser based apps or SaaS. I don’t want to get into a debate about this though. The point is the market and everything else is ready, or almost ready, so why are these manufacturers limiting themselves, and us, in this way!
Anyway…
I went Googling and found your Andromium and was thrilled.
It looks amazing.
However, I'm pretty much stuck from the start:
I installed your app and docked the phone and the TV displayed the full dekstop in landscape as it should.
But the mouse and keyboard just won't work - this is the same keyboard and mouse which were working without your app installed.
I fiddled with settings; I tried unplugging the HDMI, power, mouse and keyboard and plugging them back in in different combinations and at different times but just cannot get this to work.
So, I exited Andromium and restarted the device.
I found that the keyboard and mouse still wouldn't be detected, even when not using Andromium.
Again, I checked docking settings, etc.
So, I factory reset the S4.
Then, I tested it docking and everything worked as it should, as described above.
Before installing or configuring the device any further, to be sure, I installed Andromium again. And again, the phone ceased to detect the mouse and keyboard attached.
I have just factory reset once more.
Not sure where to from here.
