[DARARepeater] Incite $99 Laptop from Microcenter

[Tigerwolf]

On Mon, 4 Nov 2019, Mark Erbaugh wrote:

>  1. The fingerprint sensor doesnÿÿt seem to work.

I've not tried programming the sensor to my fingerprint.  I use it just as 
a generic button.  I have noticed that it takes holding your finger on it 
for a few seconds sometimes even so.  The manual says you may have to put 
your finger sideways on the button to get a valid fingerprint scan.  At 
least one review I read mentioned 'having to get used to' the way it 
works.

It should be noted that the sensor apparenty does NOT function to turn the 
machine off.  Power down has to be from Windows via it's own shutdown 
procedure.

I have noticed at least with Linux, if you close the lid with the machine 
running, opening it does *NOT* turn the screen backlight on, so it appears 
totally off.  This has required a hard reset with the button on the back, 
which in turn, undoes the BIOS setup I use to boot from the 'extra' SSD 
Linux drive or from a USB stick.  It's possible there's a Linux config 
setting to work around this (i.e. leave backlight on with closed lid), but 
I've not explored this fully.

>  2. When the screen displays a solid background color (like during the
>     Windows update progress), there are some shadows in the backlight
>     near the bottom of the screen. The shadows are not noticeable with
>     normal background or during video playback.

This is pretty common, too.  I've got a blotch as well.  Actually, it 
started with 2 of them, but one has faded away over time and the other has 
become less noticible.  Looking at other people's machines at the 
clubhouse, I noticed bottom shadows seem fairly common.

There is one online review that measures lots of obscure things, including 
screen brightness at multiple screen locations.  That also had some 
shadowing observed.

As you mentioned, they're not really noticible with most content.

> Is there anything else anyone has had issues with?

I mentioned to the group that the touchpad will likely prove very annoying 
as it responds to the slightest brush as a mouse click.  The touchpad is 
NOT recognized as anything but a two-button mouse by Windows, so there's 
none of the usual touchpad 'tuning' options such devices normally would 
have in the Windows setup options.  With touchpads I've seen you can turn 
'tap equals click' off in the driver settings.

NuVision *MIGHT* have an updated driver, but the download/driver links 
where you'd get those (under 'DOWNLOADS' on the main nuvision.com website) 
is a non-functioning address.  Right now, after following the instructions 
support provided during a live phone support session, windows is totally 
dead for me since the OS download also comes from the same unreachable 
server.  I added a second solid-state hard drive to it and plan to dual 
boot to linux, so my machine's not a brick while awaiting a Windows OS 
reload.

Supposedly, the unavailable OS and Driver updates is because the company 
is relocating within California and the links are yet to be 
activated/changed by the ISP who hosts the dead site.  This was supposedly 
to be fixed "in a week or so" but as of last night the downloads still 
time out from the bad address.

Another thing to note:  since the case is aluminum, the wi-fi/bluetooth 
sensitivity is much lower than 'normal' machines.  I had to relocate my 
home wi-fi access point as the signal which worked fine with other 
machines was too weak to be reliable on the NuVision box.

-- 
=^_^=  Tigerwolf