Apparently I was wrong. VGP DOES support portrait mode. Kudos to the dev who was very helpful in guiding me through the (admittedly very un-documented) program.

And it also turns out that Homeworld 2 doesn't need anything to run in a borderless window - it's actually built in. So after a couple of hours tinkering, I present to you:



Homeworld 2 Tablet Edition!

It's HW2 running in a 800x900 window + self modded VGP Pad = Mobile Starfleet management heaven! At least it's better than waiting for Gearbox to release HW Touch on iOS and Android.

It's also very playable: I actually performed better with this setup on the first few missions compared to how I did (a few years back) with a full sized laptop lol. Maybe it's gotta do with having all the critical controls at your fingertips? Plus HW2 itself is very touch-friendly for something designed in 2003 - menus are finger-sized and well laid out.

Now to fiddle around with Jagged Alliance 2 and KOTOR - and maybe HW: Cataclysm. Oh, and there's also MechCommander 2, yum.

This post has been edited by Eiraku: May 23 2014, 01:09 PM

Now the W4 is replacing XBox... LOL...

guys.. any1 tried outputting the w4 to external monitor? can it be full screen? is there any update needed? thanks..

yeah, it can be full screen, but depending on your drivers you might not be able to get it to duplicate your screen and if that's the case and you don't have a mouse... that's gonna be painful.

True. Without external controls TV-out is... hairy. If you have an android phone you can always install Unified Remote (or something) for emergency controls BTW, and iPhones should have something similar too.

Anyway, for W4 retrogamers out there, I managed to get Knights of the Old Republic 2 running portrait with VGP:



That said, it's not as trouble free as with HW2.

1) To get it running in a 800x600 window properly you MUST start the game in landscape before turning to portrait.

2) The mouse cursor is NOT locked in the window. I need to install and run Cursor Lock for this - and reactivate it from time to time.

Otherwise, it's very much playable - save for a few crashes here send there. I've yet to get the original KOTOR running though - it simply refuses to start altogether.

This post has been edited by Eiraku: May 27 2014, 11:59 PM

VGP is free? How much does it cost?

Technically running the game in a small enough window to fit the portrait resolution is not running it in portrait mode .

It is an interesting technique that I should give it a try though!

This post has been edited by marauderz: May 29 2014, 03:30 PM

Apparently HW2 CAN actually run in full portrait window, through some weird hocus pocus in the Lua based game code. Yes the control bar and other UI elements get stretched weirdly, but it does work.

And for KOTOR 2, if you don't do the whole landscape-launch-turn-portrait ritual, it actually runs fully portrait with - again - only the UI elements going wonky; the game itself adapts well to being run in 800x1280.

That said, this leaves no way to use the Win8 virtual keyboard for text input OR VGP, so yes: Pseudo-Portrait Mode then. Full-Portrait might work with GestureWorks though.

The "donate" version of VGP (the one that allows for customization and stuff - aka the one you want) is $5. Plus as a bonus, the dev (or rather the maintainer) is quite quick at offering support, which makes that 5 bucks well worth it.

Updates for VGP are kinda slow though, but yeah... $5.

This post has been edited by Eiraku: May 29 2014, 08:16 PM

That's why I said game never expected to be run in portrait orientation, I was referring to the UI

Yeah, please spare a thought for the passionate developers working after their work hours on stuff they're passionate about by buying them coffee!

BTW, if anybody, like me, like to use your W8 tablet more than your phone while not on the move - and still need to check the notifications and stuff from your phone (WhatsApp usually), check out WebKey for Android:



Not sure if I've posted this before so yeah. Just install the server on your target device, setup and access using your tablet browser with your login and password. Plus it's actually cross platform (runs from your browser) so technically you can access your android device from pretty much anything - iPad, iPhones or even other Android devices.

Last I checked it was free. There's a learning curve with it though and response lags a bit (it's actually a screen shot based remote access app), but there is no easier way to WhatsApp without the hassle of setting multiple accounts (and other stuff). VNC server for android is bugged as well, and doesn't support touch properly (WebKey is laggy but it does support touch) so that's that.

Be careful though, this app is so powerful it's almost an remote access backdoor exploit on its own - so make sure you secure access to your device with a proper password. And run it from localhost (a WIFI network or a Bluetooth PAN) for extra security.

And for the love of God, don't use it for nefarious purposes...

This post has been edited by Eiraku: Jun 1 2014, 03:53 PM

just inform everybody that acer iconia w4 earphone jack (port) support TRRS, 1 cable plug for both earphone and mics. tested it myself, it does work.

the manual said
Headset/speaker jack
Connects to audio devices
(e.g., speakers, headphones) or a headset with microphone.

Just got mine quite a bargain at Indonesia, while waiting for surface pro 3.

Anyone got solution on charging the tablet while using USB devices? If connect mouse/keyboard then can't charge?

On the internet some are selling modified USB hubs which claim to allow this. But success has not been guaranteed yet.

What the best keyboard for w4?im thinking getting crunch keyboard from lazada...or rapoo more better?

Mine comes with a keyboard folio "Acer keyboard cover" I'm looking for black crunch cover, lazada only has blue and white. KL can find?

this one black??
http://www.lazada.com.my/acer-iconia-w4-cr...ver-496193.html

Looking for crunch cover not the one with keyboard.

As per my testing, these do not really work with the W4, or at least not the Vener8. Although I have heard that using a normal, unmodified USB splitter cable will at least ensure that the battery DOES NOT drop charge while charging when concurrently using a USB device.

Have yet to verify this personally however.

On the subject of keyboards, depends on how you like your keyboard to be. The best deal for me would either be the Rapoo E6700 if you want an all in one solution, or the smaller E6300 if you don't really need a mouse and prefer mobility (my setup).

For "integrated case-keyboards" Acer actually has a first party keyboard case accessory available (BT Keyboard Case: http://bit.ly/1ldjqrZ) but I've yet to see it actually being sold anywhere really. Your next best bet would be either the OLD W3 mini keyboard cover (someone in lelong is selling it) or the elusive W3 keyboard dock.

This post has been edited by Eiraku: Jun 13 2014, 12:18 AM

Bought my Acer Iconia W4 few weeks back mainly for work and regular browsing. Was deciding between the LTE and Wifi version but no stock for LTE that time.

Sharing my pick-ups here - tablet, screen protector, Acer BT keyboard, Logitech BT mouse, microSD 64GB, SanDisk OTG 64GB and Daiso casing.







This post has been edited by leenux: Jun 16 2014, 10:19 PM

How much is d damage? Where did u bought it