9

I am looking for an Android tablet which can easily run multiple weeks or even months while being hooked up to a power source.

I want to use the tablet for automatically taking screenshots of websites, taking from a queue which is being filled constantly.

The (no-name) tablets I am using currently get really hot very fast and seem to slow down as a result, so the Android phone (Samsung S3 Neo) are taking three times as many screenshots per hour than the tablets.

Requirements

  • a decent processor and RAM
  • battery life irrelevant, it will be powered
  • must sustain working a long time without getting too hot
ArtOfCode
  • 2,253
  • 3
  • 22
  • 37
Marv
  • 193
  • 2
  • 6
  • 1
    Your major problem here is that you're leaving them plugged in. Many tablets don't like being left plugged in for more than a few hours when fully charged; they tend to heat up. – ArtOfCode Jun 06 '16 at 10:29
  • Why not get your hands a litte dirty and remove the casing fron the tablet,or open it enough to vent. – Hydranix Jun 06 '16 at 15:17
  • If your needs don't conflict, you could use a regular laptop/desktop computer with it's superior thermal management, and emulate the tablet via the android emulator and use that for screenshots. – Hydranix Jun 06 '16 at 15:20
  • You may be able to deal with the heating issue by running it off a charger known to charge it slowly (i.e. one that only delivers 500mA, assuming this is enough to keep the battery topped up in your case). – Chris H Jun 06 '16 at 15:56
  • I have tried emulating Android for this cause, but I generally got better performance on real devices (best example are the smartphones which work perfectly). @Hydranix – Marv Jun 06 '16 at 17:24
  • 4
    @Marv Have you tried virtualization? You don't need to emulate ARM, you can virtualize Android x86. – Fiksdal Jun 06 '16 at 17:32
  • @Hydranix Or why not just an Android based laptop? – JBentley Jun 06 '16 at 19:43
  • @JBentley I assumed that the asker wanted the screenshot to be from a mobile/tablet's perspective and that a laptop with their typically larger screen and ratio might not be desirable. – Hydranix Jun 06 '16 at 20:08
  • @Marv True that virtualization/emulation is never exactly like running native, but for screenshotting sites I believe it would more than meet expectations. If you were using a normal x86 to host the emulator, did you ensure that the processor supports and the options was enabled for hardware virtualization in the hosts firmware? – Hydranix Jun 06 '16 at 20:13
  • 1
    I would go with a time switch and try to find a good middle across all devices so you never run out of battery and do not charge 24/7. It depends on the workload and the devices itself but 3 Hours loading, 3 Hours on Battery should be enough to keep the devices powered – Kimmax Jun 06 '16 at 22:06
  • @Kimmax that is work I am not able to do, those devices are running 24/7 and I can't run to them every three hours to unplug and plug them. – Marv Jun 07 '16 at 06:30
  • 1
    @Marv that's why I mentioned a time switch. Easy not to expensive device which enable or disable a socket on specific times – Kimmax Jun 07 '16 at 07:04
  • @Kimmax I have completely overseen that. Sounds like a good idea aswell, I will take a look into it! – Marv Jun 07 '16 at 07:08

5 Answers5

6

I have a first generation Asus Transformer (TF101) that I leave plugged in constantly. It is used as a digital picture frame and wall mounted home automation control panel.

It is a bit aged at this point, but it does run Chrome (versus the default browser from a few years ago). My assumption is that Chrome will work for you, as I have very few problems with Chrome on the large variety of sites I utilize. Prior to it becoming a permanent fixture to my wall, it was used to watch flash videos (yes, it can handle flash) in addition to other web surfing duties.

Asus Transformer TF101

Amazon currently sells this tablet for $70 (used) for the 16GB model and $290 (new) for the 32GB model.

There are several newer generations, but I do not know the differences between them and this first generation one.

I have had no problems with heat with this tablet.

My one complaint has been that the speakers are very poor. Even at full volume, it can be hard to hear when the tablet is sitting on a coffee table 4 feet from you.

The tablet can be upgraded from Honeycomb (3.1) to Ice Cream (4.x) for sure. I have a version of CyanogenMod installed.

Andy
  • 3,260
  • 4
  • 22
  • 38
4

A new tablet (versus my previous answer) is the Samsung Galaxy Tab. This is several years newer than the Transformer and faster. It is also thinner.

When my Transformer became a wall fixture, this was the replacement I purchased. The Amazon review says that it comes with Honeycomb (3.0), but I assume that is outdated because mine arrived with Lollipop (5.0).

Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 inch

I don't keep this one on constantly, but I do use it for multiple hours at a time watching Netflix, Youtube or other video streams. The battery is great. When I have it plugged in while watching these videos, there is no excessive heat. As a bonus, the sound is a lot better than the Transformer too.

Amazon currently sells the 16GB version for $150 new and the 32GB version for $150 used.

Andy
  • 3,260
  • 4
  • 22
  • 38
4

An alternative option, if you are willing to use something other than an android tablet, would be to use a Raspberry Pi.

  • It can run for weeks without any problems

  • It's very power efficient, since it lacks a bult-in display, battery, and a lot of the other hardware typically found on Android tablets

  • It's cheap, with the cheapest model, the Pi Zero, costing just $5, and the one with WiFi, bluetooth, and a 64-bit quadcore processor costing $35

The Pi can also run Android, so you can use the software you already wrote, but can also run Linux. It can also run "headless", i.e with no display connected, and can still do graphics processing. It's something I'd definitely look at.

Jonas Czech
  • 671
  • 6
  • 20
3

This does not answer your Question directly, but provides another approch:
I would keep the current device and go with a solution wich cuts the 24/7 charge to some hours per day. This stops the overheating and you do not need to buy a new tablet.
To do this I would buy a time switch, which is a device that switches a socket on and off based on the times you set on the device. This way you can keep all devices plugged in and the device disables the power source without further do.
To have this work perfectly you have to find a time span which holds your charge at your desired level across all devices, as an example 3 hours loading, 3 hours on battery should keep your devices over critical battery levels. However if the power consume across all devices is to far part you should consider using a second time switch for this device/s.
I would group the devices based on battery capacity and charging speed and aim to keep the battery level between 20-80%. Also note that the Li-Ion battery does not charge in a linear way and significantly charges slower from about 80% charge level.

Kimmax
  • 156
  • 2
1

What does exactly "taking screenshots" mean?

1) You are using the tablet's camera while looking at the monitor, or

2) capturing the tablet's screen (so that the page is rendered on the tablet itself?).

In the first case, you could be better off with different kind of hardware (e.g. raspberry Pi with PiCamera which you can program at will). In the second case, you might open the tablet and put a heatsink on (again, Raspberry Pi heatsinks with self adhesive thermmally conductive tape would probably fit a tablet's SoC nicely).

Otherwise, I think that having the consumer-grade tablet plugged in 24/7 is very hard on the tablet. As alternative, you could use professional-grade Android hardware, which is used for electronic cash registers, such as:

http://www.customamerica.com/en_us/scheda-prodotto.jsp?codice=240

(don't know about the specs of those, but I assume they are built do be plugged 24/7, I could be mistaken)

pacoverflow
  • 289
  • 2
  • 13
xmp125a
  • 119
  • 1
  • I am taking the screenshot programatically, I have developed an app that uses Android WebView to display a website and take screenshots. So jeah, it is dependent on the tablets screen. I have tried emulating Android for that cause, but I got better results using real devices. – Marv Jun 06 '16 at 17:22