Related
Checked sears outlet, seems the only refurb left at $280 is in Ohio. I see it in stock locally at Sears and some of the office supply chains for $400.
Would you still buy this for $400 or pass?
I bought it for $400, and am happy with the purchase.
Would I have liked to get it cheaper? Yes. But I still think it's worth the price.
-Adam
Agreed. I wish it cost me less too but even at $400 I am still very happy with it after installing and running VEGAn b5.1.
I got mine at for $399.00 at Staples, and I'd buy another at that price. You can get them online for as low as $369.00, might want to look into that if price is an issue.
Ok thanks. It's either this or the Nook color. Decisions, decisions.
Travels said:
Ok thanks. It's either this or the Nook color. Decisions, decisions.
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I own both the nook and gtablet. I love both but they are two totally different devices. So depending on what you want and need, your choice might be more clear. If you don't care about a camera, processor speed, the ability to upgrade OS, size of the screen, usb ports, hdmi and the ability to play more video file types then you can save a ton of money with the nook. For what the XDA devs did for the nook is amazing. Its a very capable basic tablet. Couple that with the build quality and screen, the nook can easily be the best buys for an android device.
Thx xmr405o. I'll be reading books or news on it most of the time, so screen quality is a must. The gtablet looks so tempting though. May just go with the NC for a few months, then a decision on a 10" tab should be clearer. Thx again.
Travels said:
Thx xmr405o. I'll be reading books or news on it most of the time, so screen quality is a must. The gtablet looks so tempting though. May just go with the NC for a few months, then a decision on a 10" tab should be clearer. Thx again.
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Click to collapse
I am also interested in reading eBooks on this device (via the Nook app), but I want a tablet for much more than that. Is it really bad reading eBooks on this device?
Reading Books
I love my g tablet for reading. Never bothers my eyes at all. Especially with the Nook app to adjust background and brightness. The guys at XDA were the reason I bought the g tablet. Their mods were easy for me to install and I am a newbie at it. Can't keep it away from the better half now so may get another.
TheKaz said:
I am also interested in reading eBooks on this device (via the Nook app), but I want a tablet for much more than that. Is it really bad reading eBooks on this device?
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Click to collapse
I read comics, magazines, newspapers, and books on this tablet as well as watching movies. The only thing that could be a negative is that it is a bit heavy and you notice that when you hold it in your hands for any length of time.
I've solved this slight issue with a foldable stand for it as well as a case with a kickstand so now when I know I'm going to be using this tablet for a duration for reading or watching something I simply use either one of those solutions.
I bought my wife a Nook Color reader from B&N which runs Android but this G tablet does so much more I don't mind the extra weight or the extra cost.
I paid $379 and got the free case from Sears. I've had it since 12/22 and I will probably return it this weekend, here why:
1) VS has not fixed the lag after sleep issue. Tired of rebooting this thing all of the time.
2) The browser crashes randomly. I think this is probably caused by the flash plugin.
3) The screen is really bad for a tablet. It hurts my eyes when viewing in portrait mode and has to be angled right to see even in landscape. Would be a great netbook screen, but does not work well in this device.
4) May not support honeycomb. The CPU and memory specs are there, but the display is the weak link. I also have doubts if VS will continue to invest support for this product
5) I can wait for the Asus or Motorola tablets that were announced at CES
I know most of these issue would be fixed with an alternate ROM, but I like having a warranty on things that I purchase new.
I think the g-tab is worth it for $279 and I've even looked for one at the local sears outlet, but $379 is too much for a semi-DIY device.
TheKaz said:
I am also interested in reading eBooks on this device (via the Nook app), but I want a tablet for much more than that. Is it really bad reading eBooks on this device?
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Click to collapse
I don't think it's really bad. I use Laputa to read my ebooks on the G-tab and it allows me to read on landscape mode but portrait really doesn't bother me.
pine1000 said:
I paid $379 and got the free case from Sears. I've had it since 12/22 and I will probably return it this weekend, here why:
1) VS has not fixed the lag after sleep issue. Tired of rebooting this thing all of the time.
2) The browser crashes randomly. I think this is probably caused by the flash plugin.
3) The screen is really bad for a tablet. It hurts my eyes when viewing in portrait mode and has to be angled right to see even in landscape. Would be a great netbook screen, but does not work well in this device.
4) May not support honeycomb. The CPU and memory specs are there, but the display is the weak link. I also have doubts if VS will continue to invest support for this product
5) I can wait for the Asus or Motorola tablets that were announced at CES
I know most of these issue would be fixed with an alternate ROM, but I like having a warranty on things that I purchase new.
I think the g-tab is worth it for $279 and I've even looked for one at the local sears outlet, but $379 is too much for a semi-DIY device.
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Click to collapse
Would you want to sell it?
sjmoreno - could you tell which case w/kickstand you use?
pine1000 said:
4) May not support honeycomb. The CPU and memory specs are there, but the display is the weak link. I also have doubts if VS will continue to invest support for this product
5) I can wait for the Asus or Motorola tablets that were announced at CES
I know most of these issue would be fixed with an alternate ROM, but I like having a warranty on things that I purchase new.
I think the g-tab is worth it for $279 and I've even looked for one at the local sears outlet, but $379 is too much for a semi-DIY device.
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Click to collapse
There is a news about the asus tablets on crunchgear and they said that asus will not be shipping the tablets until at least summer and it will not have honeycomb on them. The more i think about it, the gtab is a fair deal as we have at least 6 months to play with it and still have the chance to be upgraded to honeycomb in the future. The screen does not bother me that much, plus which OS does not have issues? I can stand with windows vista..and i can virtually deal with any OS issues.
Good luck to you and see you in 6 months..
So my situation, I was fortunate to earn a free ipad wifi/3g 16gb from a sales contest at work, well Ive played with the thing for a few weeks and I have to say apple blows. Anyways gunna sell it on ebay, looking like I can get about $450 for it.
I then want to take the money and buy an android tablet, i really want a honeycomb one, but I know they are very expensive as they are just coming out.
So I thought to myself why couldn't I just buy a tablet that comes with Froyo, and then root it, and flash a custom honeycomb rom once a developer ports it over to my device..? It would save me alot of cash/waiting.
So I'm assuming all the G tab owners did some shopping around before buying this tablet. What are the top 3 android tablets under $450 in your opinion?
Obviously another concern is which tablet under $450 will be likely to have the most developer support, being the flashaholic that I am, I really want something that has many roms and kernels etc.. availiable. I did see quite a few roms in the G tab development section, but I am finding it very difficult to find out information about other tablets as far as rom development. What do you guys thing from a developer support stand point?
Thanks!!!!
Under $450 and that are out now tablets....
If you're just looking for a tablet to browse the internet, casual gaming, youtube..you know basic stuff...you can save about $100 by buying a nook. Lots of dev support...I mean lots.
If you want something more powerful with a bigger screen but weaker viewing angles than the gtab is tops in my opinion. If you don't mind a used gtab...than I would grab one if you can find it.
As for a third choice, I guess I would get the archos 70 or 101.
Awesome thanks.
I personally wouldn't get a nook. I had one and ended up trading it for an archos 101. From what it looks like there is more development for the GTab. The nook is a nice device but I really didn't think the device was speedy enough for me. If I'm getting a tablet then it should have better specs then my phone (Nexus S). Screen on the Nook was nice but I've always wanted a bigger tab. I like my archos 101 but then again the processor was good but I felt it could be better. I just sold my archos a few days ago on here and ordered a GTab and it'll be here tomorrow. Nook is $250 new and GTab cost me $368, with the GTab you may be getting a worse screen but you get more internal storage, better processor, bluetooth, IMO better dev support, and a USB port which I personally want. I've also had a Galaxy Tab but when I had it development was slow so I got rid of it also again it has the same specs as my phone. IMO theres no point in a tablet that has equal or worse specs then your phone (unless you have a dual core phone) and after experience 7inch screens are good for reading and comics but 10.1inch screens are better for web browsing and even better for reading and comics
Had my gtab for about 2 weeks now that I bout from another user here on xda for $320. Prior to the purchase I had been following the forums and watching youtub videos of the device and drooling. Now that I have it, I feel I may have hyped it a bit too much. It is a good device but there are a few things about it that bother me but to be fair I was expecting some of them. the screen is as bad as they say. This device is pretty hefty. Holding it in can be tiresome at times. The bezel is thin on three sides, one of which also has capacitive buttons which makes it hard to find a comfortable way to hold it at times unless you are using both hands. No gps. As for the roms, as good as they are they are far from perfect. They each have their own issues which were easy to ignore at first but after a while i find to be annoying when you want something that just works. I appreciate the devs though and I'm sure in time they will figure everything out. After trying a xoom at frys the other day I can honestly say they know what a tablet should be like. I just wish it wasn't an extra 500 bucks.
BuI shopped arround for a good while. I have been using resistive screen tablet PC's in my work for years, and hated them. Ugly screens tedious repeated touches to get anywhere. Call me crazy but I really believe that anyone who complains about the screen on the gtab needs to take a reality check. This thing has better viewing angles than my android phone. What do you want to do with it? Rest it on your coffee table and sit 10 feet away at a 45° angle and expect perfect color? Yes there are nicer screens out there but IMHO this is way better than the crap I have seen for years. I'm sure it would have had a super top of the line screen too if Malta could have gotten screens from LG at nearly cost like apple does.
The price is perfect and the screen is perfect for the price. Enjoy the fact that no one will see what's on your screen unless you want them to. Its a security feature in my book.
Sent from my Chromatic Magic using XDA Premium App
Mantara said:
BuI shopped arround for a good while. I have been using resistive screen tablet PC's in my work for years, and hated them. Ugly screens tedious repeated touches to get anywhere. Call me crazy but I really believe that anyone who complains about the screen on the gtab needs to take a reality check. This thing has better viewing angles than my android phone. What do you want to do with it? Rest it on your coffee table and sit 10 feet away at a 45° angle and expect perfect color? Yes there are nicer screens out there but IMHO this is way better than the crap I have seen for years. I'm sure it would have had a super top of the line screen too if Malta could have gotten screens from LG at nearly cost like apple does.
The price is perfect and the screen is perfect for the price. Enjoy the fact that no one will see what's on your screen unless you want them to. Its a security feature in my book.
Sent from my Chromatic Magic using XDA Premium App
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Click to collapse
^^^^Yeah This. I waited a week for mine to come from the good ol' US of A (Im in oztralia )
After reading all the reports.. bad screens, slow stock UI etc I thought ok, well the screen is probably as bad as they say and the UI cant be that bad...
well it was exactly opposite - the screen is actually not that bad compared to some screens i deal with daily. UI was even worse than I could have imagined.
I know have vegan on it and it rocks. For the price I am absolutely blown away.
You can not go wrong with the g-Tab. Especially since you stated that you are a "Flashaholic." I have had mine for almost 2 months now and absolutely love it. I have tried both the vegan and TNT-Lite roms, and ended up staying with the TNT-Lite. While there are many things that could have been implemented better, in my mind it is a better value right now than the competition. I love the fact that it has removable storage. I have a little case that I keep my micro-SD cards in and swap them out whenever I want to watch something else or need more storage. Since purchasing this product, I have taken it with me on several business trips, and have found it indispensable. I can even back my photos up onto it using an SD card reader.
Bottom Line: If you do not mind playing around and fiddling with settings and enjoy trying new things, then I suggest getting the g-Tab. Over wise I suggest waiting a little longer until the "Tablet Form Factor" becomes more settled.
Just a note on the Notion Ink Adam which falls into the sub $450 category (wifi LCD version, anyways). I received hoping to get better viewing angles but they seemed to be the same as the Gtab, plus I really like the Gtab's form factor a lot more. The Adam was heavier, thicker and more squared off making it not as comfortable to hold as the Gtab. I ebayed the Adam and actually turned a little profit from it
Great info guys! Thanks to everyone who replied, all very helpful!
I got several buyers for my ipad so it should be gone today
I think the g tab sounds like it will do what I want, it really will just be for playing games, web browsing, and taking on airplanes etc, so it sounds like the way to go. And hopefully honeycomb roms will be available before too long!
Follow up question, where can you get a good case for the g tab? I liked the one that I bought my ipad, it was kind of like a little padfolio and it could fold into a "stand" which was great for watching movies on the plane.
Other than that just gotta research rooting this thing, I plan to pick one up before the end of the weekend. And you guys have already given me some ideas which roms to try. Thanks!
luigic81 said:
Follow up question, where can you get a good case for the g tab? I liked the one that I bought my ipad, it was kind of like a little padfolio and it could fold into a "stand" which was great for watching movies on the plane.
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Click to collapse
Check the G Tablet Accessories forum, there are a couple of options depending whether you want a keyboard or not and at least one more on the way
Alright just a couple more for the helpful people here
1. is this the best way to root the g tab? http://droidpirate.com/2010/11/27/how-to-root-your-viewsonic-g-tablet/
2. After I root I will be following the instructions in this thread http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=865245
So I was wondering if I had to update anything in order to flash custom roms, or can I just root my tab, and then follow the instructions on that thread and be good to go on custom roms?
Also what ROM would you guys recomend? I am typically an AOSP guy assuming that everything is functional, but my wife will be using this tablet too and she is not very tech savvy, so I would like a rom that is pretty stable, any suggestions would be apprecited thanks!
Also I see clockwork v08 seems to be the hot ticket, so I assume that I will use that? I have always used Amon RA on my EVO, but it doesnt appear that Amon RA is availiable for the G tab, is that a correct assumption?
Thanks again for all the help, I know those last few questions arent necessarily pertinent to my original post, but I appreciate the help.
All the instructions you need to root the device are in the second thread you linked -> http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=865245
Just pick out a ROM - TNTLite and VEGAn are the two most popular around here - and follow the instructions carefully.
perfect thanks, guess I should've read this line from that thread
"You do NOT need to root your tablet to install a ROM on this device using this guide. All the after-market ROMs are pre-rooted."
LMAO!! haha cool.
Just a little update, I got my GTab today and love it sooooooooo much. Viewing angles aren't to bad. Monster Madness, Samurai II, and Backbreaker are awesome. Very fast device
Awesome I can't wait, should have mine before Monday
Wi-Fi only Motorola Xoom at Sam's Club
I think the gTab is the best bang for your buck at between $350 and $400 especially with the ROMs our gTabDevs are churning out for us. However, if you really want an official Honeycomb tablet I've read that Sam's Club will be selling these at their stores for around $500 each in the next few weeks.
Just thought some folks might want to know.
I am sticking with my Nook Color
After having received the Archos 101. I was disappointed in the screen quality and the touch screen and lack of dev support. I sold it and got the g tablet and was in love with it until I bought my mom a kindle and started to like the form factor and size. I then started becoming bored with my g tablet. I then began looking at the nook color forums and decided to buy one, since I have bought it, I haven't touched my g tablet. I really like the size and the feel of it, I read more now and still play the games I like. I am happy running CM7 gingerbread and looking forward to honeycomb when it comes out as AOSP.
The dirty little secret is that there is no day to day life changing use for a tablet. So this can put you in two categories.
#1. You want to try and use the tablet during travel and such. In this case form factor is going to be important. The Nook Color is probably a better option as you sacrifice overall performance for the usability of the design.
#2. You want a device to develop on and try to utilize the latest and greatest. The Tegra 2 is the "it" platform right now for the android tablets. The GTab and its brothers give you the best entry into this field.
I am solidly in #2. Sure I have played some games on my tablet, I have browsed the web and I have used it on the go. But there has never been a situation where my VZ Droid would not have let me do the exact same thing.
I am comfortable with the fact that I bought a development platform. Having it in hand shows me the potential of the concept.
slysecretspy said:
The dirty little secret is that there is no day to day life changing use for a tablet. So this can put you in two categories.
#1. You want to try and use the tablet during travel and such. In this case form factor is going to be important. The Nook Color is probably a better option as you sacrifice overall performance for the usability of the design.
#2. You want a device to develop on and try to utilize the latest and greatest. The Tegra 2 is the "it" platform right now for the android tablets. The GTab and its brothers give you the best entry into this field.
I am solidly in #2. Sure I have played some games on my tablet, I have browsed the web and I have used it on the go. But there has never been a situation where my VZ Droid would not have let me do the exact same thing.
I am comfortable with the fact that I bought a development platform. Having it in hand shows me the potential of the concept.
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Click to collapse
Excellent post, and i'm in catoegory #2 as well, I'm playing with house money becuase I got the ipad for free. But my wife really wants something to play games with and I like to watch movies etc on the airplane as well as browse the etc at home.
hello, I've been recently looking at tablets. I want something pretty decently nice, with honeycomb (which you can put on this), and just generally nice specs. But my real question is, is this thing a piece of complete crap? it's off brand for things i buy usually, but I've seen generally good reviews. I've also been looking at the Transformer and the Xoom. Thank you all for the help.
considering that you can get one on Ebay for under $250, I would say yes, it's most definitely worth it.
Even with Froyo roms, it's a very useful tablet that will probably do the things that you want it to do. Yes, the screen angles are not ideal, but they are acceptable (in my opinion)
Put it this way, is buying a transformer, or Xoom for almost twice as much going to be just as useless when the newest tablets come out for Christmas?
I believe that it's a question of perception. What do you want to use it for?
and who knows, when Ice Cream Sandwich gets released, it may be easier to port to the G-Tablet than Honeycomb.
Well the transformer is only $150 more.. ill look up a comparison between the two. That was the other one I am still honestly considering
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gobluewolverines4 said:
Well the transformer is only $150 more.. ill look up a comparison between the two. That was the other one I am still honestly considering
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App
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Click to collapse
I guess my point was, is the transformer going to be just as obsolete when the new tablets arrive? Nvidea is releasing a new tegra platform, that will basically make anything running on a tegra2 old hat. This would include the Xoom, Transformer, Iconia, as well as the G-Tablet, Adam, Vega, etc. These things depreciate faster than a car driven off the dealer's lot. Originally what, $450 when they were released? I bought mine for $300 (with a few extras) on Ebay. now they are retailing for $250 in Woot deals and Tiger Direct, while used ones on Ebay are plummeting down to nearly $200. When the new Tegra devices are released, I suspect that a G-tablet can be bought for $100 used.
What I mean, is why not save the $150 now, to put toward a better tablet down the line...The g-tablet will at least give you a less expensive introduction to the android tablet world, while still being a quite useful tool.
I would just hate to see somebody spend more money on a similar tablet that will cause them buyers remorse in 3 months or so. Of course, if you have the cash to burn, then go ahead and buy what you really want...for most people, that's an iPad...jk
TJEvans said:
I guess my point was, is the transformer going to be just as obsolete when the new tablets arrive? Nvidea is releasing a new tegra platform, that will basically make anything running on a tegra2 old hat. This would include the Xoom, Transformer, Iconia, as well as the G-Tablet, Adam, Vega, etc. These things depreciate faster than a car driven off the dealer's lot. Originally what, $450 when they were released? I bought mine for $300 (with a few extras) on Ebay. now they are retailing for $250 in Woot deals and Tiger Direct, while used ones on Ebay are plummeting down to nearly $200. When the new Tegra devices are released, I suspect that a G-tablet can be bought for $100 used.
What I mean, is why not save the $150 now, to put toward a better tablet down the line...The g-tablet will at least give you a less expensive introduction to the android tablet world, while still being a quite useful tool.
I would just hate to see somebody spend more money on a similar tablet that will cause them buyers remorse in 3 months or so. Of course, if you have the cash to burn, then go ahead and buy what you really want...for most people, that's an iPad...jk
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Click to collapse
Wow. Very excellent explanation. I see now. Yes I will probably soon be purchasing the g tab!
PS: screw the ipad
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gobluewolverines4 said:
hello, I've been recently looking at tablets. I want something pretty decently nice, with honeycomb (which you can put on this).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Honeycomb is not completely functional on the gtab (as of now). It is missing the Honeycomb specific drivers from Nvidia (aka full hardware acceleration, high def video).
If you really care about Honeycomb you should get the transformer IMO.
Although, I am quite happy with froyo based ROMs
Others are right in saying that quad core Tegra 3s are around the corner, Tegra 2 prices might drop by the end of the year. Given how Nvidia and Viewsonic acted regarding the gtab, I foresee support for Tegra 2s dropping drastically as newer hardware gets released.
Yeah the almost fully functioning honeycomb on here is fine for me. Should be ordering my g tab this week!
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Hello, I wrote a quick review for some guys that I work with. I am sure there are many reviews of the gtablet, but...
Here are my conclusions so far;
This thing is about the same size as the Xoom, and thicker than the IPAD. It is definitely not as sexy.
The screen is OK. It is not a high quality screen like you find on the other devices.
The processor is great, and the memory is sufficient. Things move pretty quick.
The ROM out of the box REALLY sucked. I was hoping to just deal with it, but Google had not approved the tablet so there were NO Google apps at all. Not acceptable. It took me a couple of hours to learn (last night till around 1:00am), but I replaced the stock ROM with a hacked ROM with everything I wanted.
This thing is really just a big Android phone with no phone or GPS.
I loaded up my Sony Reader software, downloaded all of my books, and then imported them into a DRM capable reader that is better.
Although there are some ROMs that support Gingerbread screens, I think I will stick with this 2.2 (or is it 2.3) Android feel.
What will I use it for?
Reading ebooks, PDFs (Scientific American, Maximum PC)
Google apps – maps, search
Kayak, hotels.com apps
Games (mostly for the kids) – I got Android Market to work
Web Browsing / some forum reading (via Tapatalk)
Personal email reading and contacts (no work email will be set up)
Maybe occasional Skype and Gotomeeting (camera sucks, so mostly audio)
News and weather
Of course, with the exception of reading the ebooks, I would always use the Macbook Pro if it were available.
So the speed and memory makes this all possible, but the experience (screen, size, build) is not equivalent to the expensive tablets.
Biggest complaints?
No GPS
Screen is not easy to see at an angle
I needed to root the thing to make it useful, which means I now need to stay on top of that and update it manually
The 10.1 device is a bit bigger / bulkier than I expected – the weight is the same as the ipad I believe.
I “can” watch videos on it (even 1080p), but moving the files would be a drag… it uses a microSD card that I would need to pop ion an adapter, or I could use the USB connection. Maybe I can find a way to do it with wifi or Bluetooth.
No USB charging… WTF??? It comes with a separate adapter that has to plug into the wall…
The screen is a 1024x600 which is similar to most pads, but it is really inferior to the Macbook Pro, and there is just something that is “fuzzy” about it.
Biggest positives?
Cheap - $269 delivered (no tax or shipping)
Fast
Should do what I want…
Next Steps…
See how much I actually use it for anything other than ebooks. If I do end up needing it more than I think, I would consider the Asus Transformer or something else new in the next year or so.
Hope this helps,
R
gobluewolverines4 said:
hello, I've been recently looking at tablets. I want something pretty decently nice, with honeycomb (which you can put on this), and just generally nice specs. But my real question is, is this thing a piece of complete crap?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The screen is complete crap.
You should look hard for something with a better screen around $300-$350. If you can find it, get it.
And I *like* my Gtab - but its really just for kicking around and messing with roms and android. The screen really is killer bad unless you use it only at night, head on
Honeycomb works, and works well, as well as you could hope for unsupported xda rom hacking - ie, no netflix, no Hardware acceleration, occasional stand on your head workarounds, and the possibility of sudden death... well, ok, not that last one.
Bottom line: if you can find it for $100-$200, and want to play with roms, and tweak, and screw with it a lot to get it to be as good as a $400 one except for the horrible screen that cannot be fixed, YES, this is your tablet.
If you want a tablet to take out of the box and use, with rom updates from the manufacturer, and a screen you can read ebooks off of, this is NOT your tablet. Even for free.
So should I just get the transformer? Ah so many decisions!
Well I'm literally about to go to fry electronics and ill test out some there. Thanks !
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gobluewolverines4 said:
So should I just get the transformer?
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Click to collapse
For $400, I'd say yeah.
Better screen, 1Kx800 resolution, 2x the ram. Yeah, looks like that's all worth $120.
Oh... and a GPS too.
Oh, and Honeycomb 3.1 from Asus. Plus lots of XDA love it seems.
gobluewolverines4 said:
So should I just get the transformer? Ah so many decisions!
Well I'm literally about to go to fry electronics and ill test out some there. Thanks !
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think the main question is what you want the tablet for or what to do with it.
A cheap $250-300 laptop has so much more computing power and practical use than any tablet...just a bit bulkier.
The tablet market will have much more offerings and better with faster cpus and such..just have to wait a bit.
I bought my gtab from woot 4/2011 for $275. I have installed several ROMs on it. They all are pretty good with their own pluses and minuses.
I'm currently on Flashback 5.4 HC: it looks nice and works well. Gmail, Talk - w/o video; G-Voice, Maps, Lattitude, Earth etc all work. You Tube works; a bunch of games works. The big screen is better than the phone size screen. Nice quick weather apps. Nice calendar.
What it cannot do is replace the screen and functionality of my desktop for real work.
If you can find a cheap Gtab and play with ROM's, flashing, androids quirks etc - jsut for the fun of it, then get a gtab. Fully flashable with great recovery process. Almost 99.99% Non-brickable. Get a used one for play and test.
If you want a decent a functional tablet w/o hassle, get an I-pad2.
I have read many complaints about the viewing angle of the screen, but I have had my tablet for months and I have no complaints. It has replaced my planner for work and is great for watching movies, not sharing with my neighbor.
Hello all
I have been given an opportunity to buy this tablet with the dock for not much money. It's second hand but used lightly and in great shape. The price is about 25% lower than the price of a NEW Asus Nexus 7 16GB in my country (no google play store here ).
My main concern is that it could be outdated. I had an Tegra 2 device (optimus 2x) and it was a pain to load any custom roms on it. I could only load Gingerbread roms on it. Sold it very quickly.
Is the TF101 showing its age? Does it run smoothly and are your batteries in good condition after this period? Any problems with apps? Games?
This would be my first tablet, so i'm not very much informed about them. I have been in the market for one a long time (1 year) and this is the first good opportunity I have seen. I would use it mainly for writing at college, some web browsing (flash running ok?) and casual gaming.
So would you recommend it now?
Any problems I should know about?
Only if you get it VERY cheap. And I say that as a TF101 owner.
The Tegra2 SoC is ****. It cannot play back standard 720p scene MKV-files without recording. Much less 1080p. XBMC and similar products don't want to support it because it lacks NEON-support which makes it easy to offload video-decoding to the GPU. Only thing I've gotten to play in a watchable state (but with occasional stutter) is Futurama.
It has also been plagued by unstable firmware updates, random reboots and sleeps of death. Asus has completely abondoned it and no further firmware updates are expected.
Your only chance of getting this tablet past ICS and onto JB (and whatever comes next, whenever that comes) is through third-party ROMs. If you get a model you can root. You may or may not be that lucky. Asus never unlocked the bootloader for the TF101.
So yeah. Unless you get it very cheap ($100 and less, keyboard dock included), I say no. Not worth it. There's much better things you can buy these days.
Its about 270 USD, but keep in mind that the nexus 7 is over 380 USD :crying:
Basically you will be paying 75% of the price for 25% of the goods.
You will be paying almost full price for a discontinued product instead of one still receiving updates, and one being ensured good support, both from AOSP/Google and from the Android community.
At this price, you will regret buying it.
Again: I say this as a current TF101-owner.
Get the serial number, and make sure it is Not a 3G variant, haggle it down to 200-225 and it would be worth it IMO.
ONLY if you rooted and made it custom though.
I have a N7, and I had a TF (until it died)
Personally they work nearly the same except for video playback. Videos with the proper kernel did work, just not HD without stutter. Games and other things are wonderful. (Of course assuming you rooted and rommed it, both of mine are/were)
Thing O Doom said:
Get the serial number, and make sure it is Not a 3G variant, haggle it down to 200-225 and it would be worth it IMO.
ONLY if you rooted and made it custom though.
I have a N7, and I had a TF (until it died)
Personally they work nearly the same except for video playback. Videos with the proper kernel did work, just not HD without stutter. Games and other things are wonderful. (Of course assuming you rooted and rommed it, both of mine are/were)
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lujo_zgb said:
Its about 270 USD, but keep in mind that the nexus 7 is over 380 USD :crying:
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Click to collapse
I'm going to disagree with all of you guys about the 200 USD Price... That's completely ridiculous for an used TF101. I got my TF101 2011, last black friday, at bestbuy for $249.99 and with all the cases and other stuff I got for that device it came around $270. (This is without the dock and it was brand NEW).
Now this device is outdated and I see listing on ebay for the device used for around $75 with dock. NOT Worth it; you can buy better stuff.
Clocked at 1.5GHz mine plays practically any 720p scene release I throw at it.
DTS support can be a pain but other than that, no issues.
I'm not exactly sure what and how much of it you need to smoke to find them on Ebay for $75 with dock though, docks alone go for that price or above.
I bought my TF101 from a friend and we both looked at current eBay prices. I agreed to $200 for tablet and dock and I agree that someone must be high if they think they can get that for $75 on eBay. Just doing a quick search, I see one without a dock that's at $177 with 6 hours left and a refurb with dock at $275 - these prices are pretty typical of what I've been seeing, too. Refurb's a bit high in price, but not ridiculous compared to the $250-ish average we'd been seeing.
Additionally, using the awesome eValuator app, $220-260 is average and that goes to $280-299 when I search "TF101 and dock".
Even the ones that are broken and won't power on are still going for over $100.
To the OP, I would recommend making a choice depending on if you want a 10" or 7" tablet. I don't think 25% less is a great deal if you really only want a 7" tablet. I was actually looking at the N7, too - when I was shopping, I went with the TF101 because I liked the keyboard dock, I trust my friend that nothing is messed up with it, and I wanted the 10" size. I'd tried some 7" tablets and since my phone is 5" the 7" tablet wasn't a big enough difference to appeal to me.
I also appreciated how easy the TF101 is easy to take apart if I want to replace the battery. I think it's a great design and I wish newer tablets still had these features.
I've had this for maybe a month and I have no complaints. I have watched Netflix in HD on it for a few hours at a time and had no issues - I don't know how this differs from other video playback, but perhaps I'm not picky, I thought it looked fine (and there wasn't any stuttering). I don't really play any intensive games on it, so I can't comment on that. I'm on stock ICS rooted right now, but going to mess around with ROMs.
Best Android tablet from it's time, hands down!
If you can get a refurbished one (they seemed to be everywhere at one point) then it's worth it. I found the tablet and the dock at different stores for under 250$ two different times and haven't had any issues with them whatsoever (I have 2). B&H had the refurb dock for 99$USD I think newegg was 120$CDN... but that was a while ago.
I'm running JB 4.2.1 and overclocked to 1.6GHz, watching 720p mkv natively in mplayer without any lag or issues. The dock makes it a must once you get used to it and learn the hotkeys and the extra battery time kicks ass! The USB ports means I can connect a usb to serial adapter to connect to devices at work, no need to carry around the laptop... or just connect external ntfs storage or whatever.
Overall I'm very satisfied, the only "problem" I have is the lack of updates from Asus but oh well, there are some awesome devs working here to bring us the best. I'd go watch the other forums on xda to see how active other tablets/devs are, compare your choices to make an informed decision.
My wife owns a Nexus 7, I own a TF101 w/ keyboard dock.
I'd take the TF101 hands down.
That isn't to say the Nexus 7 isn't a wonderful tablet. But I use my TF101 almost as much as a work computer; the larger screen and durable build, the nice speed even if it is a dual-core instead of N7's quad, the 1.5ghz (overclocked via EOS 4 Rom) speed.... I love this thing.
I love my wife's Nexus 7 mainly because it is small enough to fit in some pockets and very light.
You have to figure out what you want from your tablet and proceed accordingly. I'm a firm believer that trailing edge technology often is a much better deal than chasing after the newest (the minute you leave the store it too is trailing edge!).
The price range on these is almost NEVER below $200, and that is without a keyboard. The poster w the neg comments early on is either badly misinformed about everything he mentioned or just trolling. Easiest way to test that thesis? Go to either Amazon or Ebay (w/ sales where time is almost out) and note the price ranges there. Even Craigslist, where I got mine for a steal ($225 w/ keyboard). Read the other comments, make a list of what you expect from your tablet, and go for it. Both tablets are great in different ways.
And did I mention my wife says she sorta covets my TF101?
One add'tl edit.... The TF101 has TWO SD-Card slots, a mini-HDMI output, TWO USB ports (on keyboard), and a few other jingles. Nexus 7, like its competitors (iPad, Nook, and KindleHD) have few to none of them. Just another thought...
Price range without keyboard for NEW is $150ish (Not misinformed at all). Newegg was one of the sites that had this deal. Also, I got mine for $250 new in 2011 (That was when this tablet was good/ at the top of the market)- it was a black friday doorbuster. The BB Mobile store near my house had stock when I went in.
There are better tablets out there that will go on sale and I personally wouldn't buy a USED TF101 unless if it was $100 or less.
lujo_zgb said:
Hello all
I have been given an opportunity to buy this tablet with the dock for not much money. It's second hand but used lightly and in great shape. The price is about 25% lower than the price of a NEW Asus Nexus 7 16GB in my country (no google play store here ).
My main concern is that it could be outdated. I had an Tegra 2 device (optimus 2x) and it was a pain to load any custom roms on it. I could only load Gingerbread roms on it. Sold it very quickly.
Is the TF101 showing its age? Does it run smoothly and are your batteries in good condition after this period? Any problems with apps? Games?
This would be my first tablet, so i'm not very much informed about them. I have been in the market for one a long time (1 year) and this is the first good opportunity I have seen. I would use it mainly for writing at college, some web browsing (flash running ok?) and casual gaming.
So would you recommend it now?
Any problems I should know about?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes.
Newegg has the TF101 for $250 refurbished right now, and the dock for $99.
Big sales really can't be used to determine going price and market value. eBay averages are really the most accurate measure of what people are currently asking and what people are willing to pay.
I just cashed in a a Newegg super deal a few days ago, myself - and that's what it was, an awesome super deal that was way below the market price.
If a person wants to hold out for a super sale that may or may not happen that's their choice.
Sent from my SGH-T999 using xda app-developers app
Remember, I am not from the States. Prices here (Croatia) are much higher.
For example, I can buy a 9.7 inch Prestigio multipad with 1 GHz and 1 GB RAM for 350 USD - USED.
I'll probably buy the TF101 I found and live with it. If not, I will sell it for profit, because I can probably make some 50-100 bucks of it.
shonkin said:
The poster w the neg comments early on is either badly misinformed about everything he mentioned or just trolling.
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Yes, misinformed troll creating and hosting CM-builds for the TF101 community, that's me. </sarcasm>
I'll keep my tf101 until I stop setting value in it, but Asus/nvidia seriously oversold the thing and I'd be lying of I said I was 100% happy about it when I got it delivered.
It gets better with Roming though.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2
HA!
AsusT said:
Price range without keyboard for NEW is $150ish (Not misinformed at all). Newegg was one of the sites that had this deal. Also, I got mine for $250 new in 2011 (That was when this tablet was good/ at the top of the market)- it was a black friday doorbuster. The BB Mobile store near my house had stock when I went in.
There are better tablets out there that will go on sale and I personally wouldn't buy a USED TF101 unless if it was $100 or less.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
you, my friend, are a liar and/or a fool. you will NEVER find a tf101 "under $100" unless it was broken. you will also NEVER see a new one for $150. period. look at ebay....cheapest place to find anything most of the time. good luck finding one with the keyboard for under $275. and good luck finding one without the keyboard under $200. USED. most of them listed that are $100-$150 are BROKEN. learn to read. cracked screen...chipped case....sound doesn't work....the $100 to $150 ones are severely abused transformers. if you can get one for $250-$300 with the keyboard dock, you have a good tablet that's worth the money. period. if you're not completely retarded and can follow basic instructions from this very website, you can then put the newest CM10 nightly build on the tablet, overclock it to 1.5Ghz or more, use "swapper" to make a 1GB swap partition, and you have - in theory - a 1.5Ghz, 2GB ram tablet with 2 usb ports, a keyboard, an sd slot, micro sd slot, hdmi out, the newest android OS....and in the 10.1" form factor. you can't find that ANYWHERE else on the market. people on here that say otherwise simply don't know what they're talking about. stock, it's a good tablet. modded, it's by far the best buy for your money and will smoke most others on the market that are three times the price (you know, the big goofy white ones) in performance, features, and all-around look and feel.
Just to update you guys... I have bought the tablet today. I like it pretty much. Finding the screen a bit awkward when using in portrait mode though.
It's kinda heavy, but I'll get used to it, after all, it took me some time to get used to a 4.65" mobile phone screen. I rooted it and I am still using the custom rom, as I usually do with all the stuff I buy. Eventually I will put a custom ROM on it because I had some serius hickups and a reset.
As far as the price point goes, I think that I couldn't have bought a better tablet for this price. I paid about 270 USD for it and it even has some of the plastic foil on it. Not even a scratch.
Now im off to find a custom ROM that has the ability to use all the buttons on the keyboard and thats overclockable.
Google Now and pinch to zoom in emails would be great too.
Thanks to all of you who replied, you helped a lot! Including the poster with negative comments.
I know you've already bought it, but I wanted to chime in that comparing my TF101 to my son's Nexus 7, I'd take the N7.
I liked the TF101 a lot, but as others mentioned, the stock firmware had become unstable. I had apps crash and freeze, even when I wiped and reflashed it. Unfortunately, the 4.2 ROMs are okay but lack some features. For example, I've seen some complained that the dock keyboard isn't fully functional. One of my complaints with the custom ROMs that I've tried is that Google Talk crashes anytime I try voice/video chat.
I'll still use, but I admit that I covet a newer tablet with the quad core.
Keyboard dock and Google Talk fully working here on 4.2, although I'd rather use Google+ Hangout for video chat.
Hi,
I'm interested in buying a Novatech Ntab II 9.7 from Novatech UK.
I tried to find some reviews on the tablet but could not find any except videos on unboxing and just doodling around. The only proper reviews I found were for older versions or the windows one. Can someone who owns this Android tablet provide a review on it please?
Other questions which I'd like to have answered would be battery quality, wifi stability, feel and responsiveness, camera quality.
My use will be for reading and web browsing - no gaming involved. Is this some other Chinese made tablet or the build quality is better?
Also can someone provide feedback please on how accessible is Amazon Web store? This table comes without Google Play
Another question would be on the rooting side. Anyone got to root it themselves? They offered to root it for 40GBP but am seeing it as too expensive. Any custom roms for it?
I cannot post the URL to the website but if one is interested a quick google search for novatech ntab ii 9.7 will give the result
Wish you all a happy & blessed Easter!
novatech ntab ii
Hi,
I have the ntab ii.
For the price (£179), its well made, aluminium casing, feels good in the hand, a little on the heavy side, but has long battery life, so thats ok with me.
The screen is excellent, and overall its very well specced.
It also takes a 64gb micro sd card without any difficulty (this needs to be formatted to fat32 to work). Novatech were of the opinion that this is not compatible, but it is and I've advised their tech department who seemed grateful for the info on their own product!
As for rooting it, I'd like to do the same, but can't find any info on it. I asked novatech, but they gave a nonsensical answer that seemed to avoid the question. I also note that the version they sell now has kitkat (mine has 4.2.2). Either way it still doesn't have google play store.
Amazon store is really pretty crap, and overall, despite being a great tablet in terms of design, build and spec, not having google play store is a major, major flaw with this product. You can get by without it, but it really reduces the enjoyment of the purchase. I'm not sure why they have to use this cut down version given that android is meant to be freeware, (no doubt google imposes it on them to maintain market dominance).
Wifi stability is fine, a bit weaker than my laptop, but thats to be expected. Works fine in my 2 bed flat. I haven't really used the camera, so can't comment on that. As stated, the screen is superb, so for browsing / reading you won't be dissapointed there if you decide to buy.
I'm 50:50 as to whether or not I'd recommend this product. At first I thought I was getting a great deal for the price, which in theory you do, but after a few days of realising just how poor the amazon store is compared to google play, I was left thinking that with the benefit of hindsight, I'd probably fork out the extra cash and get something with google play installed.
If it can be rooted however, that would change everything, as it would mean that you get the well specced tablet for a great price running kitkat with no restrictions. I'd gladly pay £30 to get mine rooted and increase its functionality. Who offered to do yours for £40?
Happy to answer questions, and would gratefully receive any info on rooting this device.
Cheers.
Hi,
Many thankjs for the review! That is one great review Now I have bought a Nexus 10 but your's will surely help other people considering the tablet.
With regards to the 40quids, its Novatech themselves who offered to root it, over their live chat.
Goodluck with the rooting
Matthew
Shrubmonkey said:
Hi,
I have the ntab ii.
For the price (£179), its well made, aluminium casing, feels good in the hand, a little on the heavy side, but has long battery life, so thats ok with me.
The screen is excellent, and overall its very well specced.
It also takes a 64gb micro sd card without any difficulty (this needs to be formatted to fat32 to work). Novatech were of the opinion that this is not compatible, but it is and I've advised their tech department who seemed grateful for the info on their own product!
As for rooting it, I'd like to do the same, but can't find any info on it. I asked novatech, but they gave a nonsensical answer that seemed to avoid the question. I also note that the version they sell now has kitkat (mine has 4.2.2). Either way it still doesn't have google play store.
Amazon store is really pretty crap, and overall, despite being a great tablet in terms of design, build and spec, not having google play store is a major, major flaw with this product. You can get by without it, but it really reduces the enjoyment of the purchase. I'm not sure why they have to use this cut down version given that android is meant to be freeware, (no doubt google imposes it on them to maintain market dominance).
Wifi stability is fine, a bit weaker than my laptop, but thats to be expected. Works fine in my 2 bed flat. I haven't really used the camera, so can't comment on that. As stated, the screen is superb, so for browsing / reading you won't be dissapointed there if you decide to buy.
I'm 50:50 as to whether or not I'd recommend this product. At first I thought I was getting a great deal for the price, which in theory you do, but after a few days of realising just how poor the amazon store is compared to google play, I was left thinking that with the benefit of hindsight, I'd probably fork out the extra cash and get something with google play installed.
If it can be rooted however, that would change everything, as it would mean that you get the well specced tablet for a great price running kitkat with no restrictions. I'd gladly pay £30 to get mine rooted and increase its functionality. Who offered to do yours for £40?
Happy to answer questions, and would gratefully receive any info on rooting this device.
Cheers.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Novatech themselves offer to root?! Cool. Will get back in touch with them. Maybe my last request was just a communication breakdown.
I'm kind of novice, but can anyone advise on the following...once rooted, does that mean I'm only half way there, I then need to find a suitable ROM to flash into the device with a fresh install of kitkat / jellybean with google play activated etc?
yancho said:
Hi,
Many thankjs for the review! That is one great review Now I have bought a Nexus 10 but your's will surely help other people considering the tablet.
With regards to the 40quids, its Novatech themselves who offered to root it, over their live chat.
Goodluck with the rooting
Matthew
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Click to collapse
I have had one of these and it was very good value whilst it lasted. Unfortunately it died on me after 2 years.