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Android Smartphone and Tablet Usage
Android smartphone and tablet AOA/OTG functionality provides support for keyboard and mouse usage on the handheld device, file transfers, and audio playback through the PC speakers. A device running Android 4.1 or later is required – I used an Android 4.4.4 Nexus 4 and Android 5.0.1 Nvidia Shield Tablet, connected via their default cables (which charged the devices while using them).
A user can assign a custom hotkey which toggles the keyboard and mouse functionality between the PC and connected Android device. This is convenient for users who may need to quickly switch between editing text-based work on an Android device and their main PC.
Unfortunately, only one of the smartphone/tablet functions can be used at any one time. I would have liked to be able to play music through my PC speakers while also controlling my tablet using the keyboard and mouse. That was not possible.
File Sharing
The file sharing mode is a little pointless. Many (all?) Android devices show up in the fashion of an external drive when connected to a computer's USB ports. This is exactly what Asus does with its File Transfer mode, so I do not see what is different about it.
I was hoping that there would be a file synchronisation mode similar to the PC-to-PC version for Android devices, but I was disappointed. Adding such mode would be an improvement for Transfer Express' Android functionality – it would be convenient for regularly transferring documents and media to and from Android devices, as well as acting as a quick manual backup method without leveraging cloud storage.
Copying files to and from the Nvidia Shield worked as one would expect. File sharing is an area where I feel that some form of wireless connectivity would benefit Transfer Express. That nice, big upper surface on the unit makes a good NFC contact point, and even a small Bluetooth+WiFi adapter would be simple enough to include, as far as hardware goes.
Audio Mode
Audio playback from an Android device through my PC speakers was decent at best. Lag was low, however there was a noticeable periodic pop to the audio playback (which may be related to my cheap Logitech X140 speakers). Both the stock Android music player and VLC functioned correctly, and audio from the Windows systems runs alongside the Android music (which is good when listening for PC notifications).
Both the Android 4.4.4 Nexus 4 and Android 5.0.1 Nvidia Shield functioned with audio playback, however only the Nvidia Shield supported tiered volume control – the Nexus 4 was either volume on or volume off. Windows 8.1 is required on the audio playback PC.
As was the case with file sharing, I felt like wireless connectivity was a missing piece of functionality when using the audio mode. Bluetooth connectivity is perfectly capable of provided good audio playback over realistic indoor distances.
Keyboard and Mouse Sharing
I enjoyed the novelty of being able to use a keyboard and mouse on my Android devices. The Android 4.4.4 Nexus 4 and 5.0.1 Nvidia Shield both responded well to keyboard and mouse usage. I did not notice any major loss in functionality – swiping and gestures simply required a click of the mouse and then the appropriate movement, and the peripherals responded to display rotation.
I can see the appeal for this keyboard and mouse usage mode to users who may need to type a large document through their tablet, but perhaps not often enough to warrant purchasing a dedicated keyboard. Or maybe you just want the luxury of typing a document on your tablet with a mechanical keyboard. An area for improvement is the transition between PC and Android usage – Synergy does this very well, in a different fashion to Asus' hotkey approach.
Gaming is a point worth noting for the Transfer Express keyboard and mouse sharing; I was also able to play Metro: Last Light and Dirt Showdown on my Nvidia Shield. I used a generic Bluetooth mouse and wired USB keyboard without issue.
The video above shows keyboard and mouse functionality using the Nvidia Shield Tablet.
No price, no performance, 0 comparison…. is this the manual that I’m reading?
Just what exactly are we reviewing here? The technology? Then just set up a samba share on a random linux and be done with it.
Jeez.
The unit isn’t near release yet, so there is no pricing information. We will update the article as soon as any pricing info comes through.
Performance of the USB 3.0 PC-to-PC transfer is shown. There’s also a video showing keyboard and mouse usage with an Android device, and multi-monitor configuration with two PCs. What other performance metrics would you like to see?
There’s mention of comparable methods, like an external USB 3.0 storage drive for file transfer (including performance numbers), Synergy for Android keyboard and mouse usage, native video output connections, etc..
This article is not a review. It is about the usage of Transfer Express, as the title says. There’s intentionally no score or award, because it’s not a review. It is an early look at the device/technology which is still months away from market and may undergo functional updates in the mean time. Some people may want a simple way of doing some of the tasks that Transfer Express is built for, hence why the article looks at its functionality and potential usage scenarios (as well as suggested improvements, in case you didn’t see them). Obviously if you have other ways of solving similar productivity tasks, Transfer Express is not for you.
Luke
Fair enough.
Binfer is a better way to transfer files between computers. It is the fastest and least complicated tool I have seen so far. http://www.binfer.com.
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The unit is as outdated and dead as SATA EXPRESS. No one is going to waste their time with this crap when you can use an external SSD or flash drive or even better, a 10Gb NIC between 2 PCs. I have 2 X99-A 3.1 boards and 950 PROs, but would not buy this thing since a NIC is better.
Here’s the speed of 3.1, which this device should have taken advantage of. http://www.overclockers.com/usb-3-1-testing-asus-goes-usb-3-1-capable-motherboards/