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Wow does this thing have a bad screen

Well, I just returned my G-tablet to Staples.
The bottom line is that the hardware is overall pretty good - with one major exception: the screen. I'm used to TN screens with bad viewing angles (both my desktop and laptop have TN displays) but this is just ridiculous. In landscape mode it's basically unreadable if you have it sitting flat on a table. In portrait mode there's noticeable color quality problems if you move your head from side to side. Also, the screen has poor contrast in general, even if you look at it straight on.
This kind of display is OK on a $300 netbook or a cheap budget tablet, but it's not OK on a $400 tablet. The G-Tablet has a lot of positives (fast CPU, USB host, etc.) but it's just not nearly as usable as an IPS device (like the iPad) because you're forced to look at it head on.
I worry that devices like this will sour people on Android tablets in general. Between the bad screen and the crappy stock firmware I would not be surprised if there are a lot of returns.
If you are considering buying a G-Tablet you really need to try one out in person. Some users may be fine with the screen, but I think for many people it will effectively kill the usability of the device.

I don't think this will peeve Joe Consumer off all that much, although I agree with you myself. The screen angles are probably the worse issue with this thing, from a hardware perspective.
I think Joe Consumer is going to be more peeved at the crappy UI and lack of features, and I hope that they get a firmware update out ASAP. They need this NOW, not even a week from now -- Staples has them in and they will probably start selling over the weekend.

roebeet said:
I don't think this will peeve Joe Consumer off all that much, although I agree with you myself. The screen angles are probably the worse issue with this thing, from a hardware perspective.
I think Joe Consumer is going to be more peeved at the crappy UI and lack of features, and I hope that they get a firmware update out ASAP. They need this NOW, not even a week from now -- Staples has them in and they will probably start selling over the weekend.
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Click to collapse
Hope some big issues are fixed, since a market & Flash update only covers some of the issues. Seems this "update" should have been out of box. Their CS folks will be a little busy in the coming weeks. So will Sears, Kmart and Staples, for returns if not a more stable device for non modders.
I like my G a LOT, but this device is as anti-consumer friendly for the average "out of box- not tech" consumer as you can get.
I have decided on this being my tablet of choice. Price and performance ratio is HUGE- even at $400. Sill will test the Archos 101 though.

rushless said:
Hope some big issues are fixed, since a market & Flash update only covers some of the issues. Seems this "update" should have been out of box. Their CS folks will be a little busy in the coming weeks. So will Sears, Kmart and Staples, for returns if not a more stable device for non modders.
I like my G a LOT, but this device is as anti-consumer friendly for the average "out of box- not tech" consumer as you can get.
I have decided on this being my tablet of choice. Price and performance ratio is HUGE- even at $400. Sill will test the Archos 101 though.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
+1. I've been showing mine off a little, hoping to inspire some anti-apple sentiment, but I've also been warning people that this one isn't for the faint of heart. Even considered the $399 iPad at TJ Max for the wife.
For those of us that have been around from day 1...be prepared for a lot of GT bashing next week.

yea black friday add running in Staples adds even says download from app store. if the update isn't done right on boot. People will be pretty angry with no app store and all the other issues.
I'm banking on getting one refurb'd the weekdays after BF.. that and my 101 should be here Monday

From the few reports I've read from users on the Archos forum, the 101 has similar issues with their screen. I'm interested to hear what a gtablet owner says about the 101.

Yea. I'll report how i feel about the screen when I get the 101 monday or Tuesday. I did 2 day air Thursday morning. Shipped Friday. Should be here soon

Returned mine for the very same reason a week ago. Notion ink has my name written all over it. I am positive however that all the work you guys are putting into the GTab will migrate over into similar hardware tabs like the Notion ink Adam

Archos 101 appears to have the same display as the Gtablet and the Notion Ink is still in "marketing conceptual stages". Notion Ink mass shipments are still months away.
After playing King of Fighters 2003 and Metal Slug 5 at 60fps with perfect sound- I am keeping this puppy
Those games (most bigger Neo Geo and CPS2 games) will not play on the Archos 101 due to 256mb ram. They play slow on the Droid X (same chipset as 101).
The Gtablet is kind of like the A10 Warthog of tablets

It's been fun, but I think it's time to go back...

I've played with my gtablet since they first came out. I have to say, as a preface, that it's not that I dislike the device. I think, at this point, an Android tablet has more "wow factor" than sustenance. With a nice, dual-screen desktop, a convertible notebook, and a good Android-based phone, I can't figure where this device fits it. I'd hoped for a replacement for my aging laptop, but the tablet just doesn't cut the mustard.
I have known about the downfalls of the software (the main reason my local Sears will get for my return), and I really do think that with better developed software, this will be a good device for $400. It's got excellent hardware (the screen excepted) and immense potential for those willing to put in the time to get it working. However, for what I had planned to do with the device, it's just not up to par for the amount of time I have to invest in it.
I look at the issue in this light: for another $150, I can get a device that is much more in line with what I use a computer for in the first place. I take handwritten notes in class, and capacitive touch isn't good for that -- strikes to the Lenovo S10 and Dell Inspirion Duo. Also, with Android, I don't have a way to sync back to my network and my catalog of handwritten notes from previous semesters. It's not Google's fault. OneNote is really the best application I've used for taking and organizing notes, and if the online version allowed you to draw, I might even rescind this reason.
I suppose if I had a lot more free time, or if I were a developer / CS person, I'd attempt to port Ubuntu (something that I had contemplated anyhow) over and run it on my tablet. Beyond getting correct drivers for everything, I don't think it would have been that much of a stretch to have done. If I weren't returning the device, I would have even taken the time to make the side buttons on mine backlit.
I'm not jumping ship for an iPad either. The only piece of (cr)Apple hardware in my apartment is my girlfriend's iPod, and it rarely gets used (and when it does, it gets synced with Winamp). Right now, the tablet I would want isn't even on the market yet, and when it does surface, it's going to be somewhere in the neighborhood of $1200.
So, if you're still reading, good luck. I hope my contributions to the community were of positive value. I would love to look back a few months from now and say that I should have kept it. I think it's going to take a lot of work from the community at large for that to happen, and you all are going to be the ones who lead the way. The work you guys have done (especially roebeet, et. al with the firmware mods) has been tremendous.
--
By the way, my tablet will be going back to the store at the University Mall in Tuscaloosa, AL if anybody is looking for one to pick up in the outlet. It will most likely still have clockwork recovery on it with the updated firmware in tow.

It was a pleasure reading your posts and I wish you well.

ehunyadi said:
It was a pleasure reading your posts and I wish you well.
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You'll be back. You're gonna return yours then by your own refurb haha.. jk. Is that even possible? Hmmmm

I also will be taking my tablet back at this point in time unless you can develop it cant really be a everyday dependable device. Iwent and bought the samsung galaxy tab while yes more pricey but i have since almost compltey replaced my smart phone and haven touched my computer for longer than 10 mins to sync some comic books
Sent from my GT-P1000 using XDA App

After all these mods, I'm keeping my g tablet, at least for the time being.
The galaxy tab is just awful.
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA App

I don't think the galaxy tab is awful but I don't think any tablet out today can practically replace a smartphone/phone or replace a laptop for that matter. IMO, tablets are for leisure. I'm also keeping my gtablet because I have a great smarthphone and an okay laptop already. I just need something more accessible than a laptop and a bigger screen than my smartphone.

kitzuki said:
I also will be taking my tablet back at this point in time unless you can develop it cant really be a everyday dependable device. Iwent and bought the samsung galaxy tab while yes more pricey but i have since almost compltey replaced my smart phone and haven touched my computer for longer than 10 mins to sync some comic books
Sent from my GT-P1000 using XDA App
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Click to collapse
I just have to say ew, and I'm a sprint supervisor for technical support.

Out of box and no modding, I would not keep this device either. Modded is another thing, since the device is amazing with the Nvidia driver patch from last night.
TnT Lite 2.0 + 2.03 Nvidia patch + Flash + Market fix = Kick a55 device.
Catch is 90% or more that get this device during the holidays will be non modders, so I understand the perspective, since fits the majority.
Viewsonic now have a community made FW package that would save their butts for massive returns with this device and actually make money. No way current state results in net positive $, come January.
Seems to me which is cheaper?
60,000 units sold x 70% returns (fair guess) = 42,000 x $100 (repack/refurb costs).......... $4.2 million cost impact for mass return scenario, or put a rom package on devices that works great and people will love and result in sales and increased demand......WHICH would you pick?
Added:
Viewsonic's decision will probably be an absolute marginal swing of about $7.2 million (for 60,000 units $4.2 million hit and $3M profit: for entire system)

Almost Going Back but Now .....
I had issues last night connecting to the internet. I was running stock ROM with a few sideloaded apps including Dolphin browser. Thought I had screwed it up. Unistalled everything to bring it back (close) to stock before the return later today. Then found out my wife was also having issues on her MacBook last night (PCs were all o.k.). Chalking it up to router (which I could see from the tablet).
So decided to play with the TnTLite V2 and 2.02. Now I am back on the keeping side of the ledger. I would feel better about this decision if I had paid much less for the unit, and I think we will be able to find lots of these returned and available in the next few weeks, but I am not going to wait that long. I have some travel coming and want to have this operational.
Last things I am hoping for: Music and Video off SDCard 2, tether unit to my Blackberry, Video chat operational. I am sure over the next few weeks, 2 out of 3 items will be checked off my list.
I only have a few more days to decide (14 day return at Staples!) but the scale is tipped toward keeping the device this afternoon.

xmr405o said:
I don't think any tablet out today can practically replace a smartphone/phone or replace a laptop for that matter. IMO, tablets are for leisure.
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Exactly... Tablet for surfing, video conf., emails, videos and games. Latop for work stuff. My wife does nothing more than surf the net, facebook, shop for stuff for the kids, etc etc. It's a perfect replacement for her aging laptop. If she needs to write a letter or do some "work" she can use my work laptop or the quad-core server in the office. For me, I just want something smaller than my laptop to surf and play games with.
So a replacement for a computer... No.
In addition to a laptop/computer... Yes.

anjenaire said:
I had issues last night connecting to the internet. I was running stock ROM with a few sideloaded apps including Dolphin browser. Thought I had screwed it up. Unistalled everything to bring it back (close) to stock before the return later today. Then found out my wife was also having issues on her MacBook last night (PCs were all o.k.). Chalking it up to router (which I could see from the tablet).
So decided to play with the TnTLite V2 and 2.02. Now I am back on the keeping side of the ledger. I would feel better about this decision if I had paid much less for the unit, and I think we will be able to find lots of these returned and available in the next few weeks, but I am not going to wait that long. I have some travel coming and want to have this operational.
Last things I am hoping for: Music and Video off SDCard 2, tether unit to my Blackberry, Video chat operational. I am sure over the next few weeks, 2 out of 3 items will be checked off my list.
I only have a few more days to decide (14 day return at Staples!) but the scale is tipped toward keeping the device this afternoon.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
When I initially heard about the GTab I was pretty excited for the hardware, but the software made me throw up a little in my mouth, so I completely dismissed it as a serious contender, and thus had my eye on the Archos 101.
After getting completely frustrated trying to track one down for purchase (Archos did a HORRIBLE job with initial supply) I was doing more research and saw that not only was the GTab completely unlocked (read: Hacker's Playground) and that the XDA community was already behind the device with several ROMs and hacks I actually scoffed at myself for ever considering buying the Archos.
2x as much RAM, easily 2x better CPU and graphics, 1080p out, android 2.2, and i could run down to my local Sears and pick one up immediately!!!
Ran down to Sears, grabbed a GTab, and w/in 5 minutes of opening it up I already had CM6.1, flash 10.1, full market, and all GApps. It was too good to be true. Decided to try out TnTLite and definitely a better "everyday" ROM than CM6.1 at this point, but that may not be the case in another week.
With the Tegra update from last night this thing screams. Flash plays just as well as my PC and the battery life is insanely impressive. I can't even imagine Gingerbread which *should* hopefully add support for the second CPU core.
Only complaints thus far: horrible viewing angle on the screen (turns out it's not so bad when you're actually watching a movie) and no backlit buttons.
COULD NOT BE HAPPIER WITH MY PURCHASE! This thing is going to make traveling this X-Mas with my kids a breeze. w00t!

xmr405o said:
You'll be back. You're gonna return yours then by your own refurb haha.. jk. Is that even possible? Hmmmm
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Click to collapse
The thought's crossed my mind. All the convertible notebooks I want are like $2k and $3k, and I don't have that kind of money to throw around. I'm kinda swinging towards picking up either a Dell mini 10 and modding it, or grabbing one of the ASUS 101MTs. I've gotten the "eww, Atom" remark already, and what I use a laptop for, an Atom is fine. I've been working on a 14" tablet for 3 years now that's running a Core Solo (even started with a half-gig of RAM). It's starting to show its age, which is the whole reason I considered the gtablet to begin with.
rushless said:
Out of box and no modding, I would not keep this device either. Modded is another thing, since the device is amazing with the Nvidia driver patch from last night.
TnT Lite 2.0 + 2.03 Nvidia patch + Flash + Market fix = Kick a55 device.
Catch is 90% or more that get this device during the holidays will be non modders, so I understand the perspective, since fits the majority.
Viewsonic now have a community made FW package that would save their butts for massive returns with this device and actually make money. No way current state results in net positive $, come January.
Seems to me which is cheaper?
60,000 units sold x 70% returns (fair guess) = 42,000 x $100 (repack/refurb costs).......... $4.2 million cost impact for mass return scenario, or put a rom package on devices that works great and people will love and result in sales and increased demand......WHICH would you pick?
Added:
Viewsonic's decision will probably be an absolute marginal swing of about $7.2 million (for 60,000 units $4.2 million hit and $3M profit: for entire system)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree completely. I was running TnT Lite on mine with the Flash APK, market fix, and a few apps. Viewsonic's update helped with the UI responsiveness, but Android (or the speed...) wasn't my problem. It just felt like the tablet was more like a toy than what I wanted it for.
Like I mentioned in the OP, if I would have kept the device, I would have put Ubuntu on it (or give up trying...) and modded it hardware-wise. Really, time was my biggest enemy with the tablet. If Sears return policy was at 90 days, I would have probably ended up keeping the thing. With the end of the semester approaching and a ever-growing list of things I need to do, I didn't have the spare time to invest.
--
If I learned anything from the experience, it's this:
If you're on the bleeding edge, sometimes you get cut
Capacitive touch screen devices are not good for note-taking. As such, if you ever intend to market something to students (I know, Viewsonic didn't...), either go resistive or Wacom. Or create an awesome stylus.
Release good products and the community will thrive on them. release mediocre products and you will have to thrive on the community.

teleknEsis said:
When I initially heard about the GTab I was pretty excited for the hardware, but the software made me throw up a little in my mouth, so I completely dismissed it as a serious contender, and thus had my eye on the Archos 101.
After getting completely frustrated trying to track one down for purchase (Archos did a HORRIBLE job with initial supply) I was doing more research and saw that not only was the GTab completely unlocked (read: Hacker's Playground) and that the XDA community was already behind the device with several ROMs and hacks I actually scoffed at myself for ever considering buying the Archos.
2x as much RAM, easily 2x better CPU and graphics, 1080p out, android 2.2, and i could run down to my local Sears and pick one up immediately!!!
Ran down to Sears, grabbed a GTab, and w/in 5 minutes of opening it up I already had CM6.1, flash 10.1, full market, and all GApps. It was too good to be true. Decided to try out TnTLite and definitely a better "everyday" ROM than CM6.1 at this point, but that may not be the case in another week.
With the Tegra update from last night this thing screams. Flash plays just as well as my PC and the battery life is insanely impressive. I can't even imagine Gingerbread which *should* hopefully add support for the second CPU core.
Only complaints thus far: horrible viewing angle on the screen (turns out it's not so bad when you're actually watching a movie) and no backlit buttons.
COULD NOT BE HAPPIER WITH MY PURCHASE! This thing is going to make traveling this X-Mas with my kids a breeze. w00t!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My exact experience to a T. Now with the updated drivers pack Tnt lite screams. Smooth as butta

G tablet
Wow after reading all post and being past my prime and wanting a pad badly I have decided I should wait for a more stable and suitable pad for my age group thanks to all of you who contributed in helping me with the decision of waiting maybe for Gingerbread.

guarionexpr said:
Wow after reading all post and being past my prime and wanting a pad badly I have decided I should wait for a more stable and suitable pad for my age group thanks to all of you who contributed in helping me with the decision of waiting maybe for Gingerbread.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If not a modder, the Gtablet is a dubious purchase, but 12/19 is when the official update comes for the Gtablet. Curious if they fix anything already fixed here.

Can anything involving the screen be improved with updates? I have been a fan of Android for a while and have a rooted EVO that I couldn't be more happy with. When I picked up my G tab I was thinking that all would be well with a little modding but I am not sure I can get past the screen.
I am looking for a good leisure device for the home and family, along with something and I can "hobby-mod". I am a little worried that with the viewing angles you won't be able to just relax and piddle on it. I think I grossly underestimated this shortfall of the hardware.
I swung by a Verizon store and spent about 20 minutes with the iPad and Galaxy Tab. Man, those are some pretty displays.
Is there any hope? I have TNT 2.04 and, performance-wise, I am content and can be patient for updates. Just those darn viewing angles....

J_Bone said:
Can anything involving the screen be improved with updates? I have been a fan of Android for a while and have a rooted EVO that I couldn't be more happy with. When I picked up my G tab I was thinking that all would be well with a little modding but I am not sure I can get past the screen.
I am looking for a good leisure device for the home and family, along with something and I can "hobby-mod". I am a little worried that with the viewing angles you won't be able to just relax and piddle on it. I think I grossly underestimated this shortfall of the hardware.
I swung by a Verizon store and spent about 20 minutes with the iPad and Galaxy Tab. Man, those are some pretty displays.
Is there any hope? I have TNT 2.04 and, performance-wise, I am content and can be patient for updates. Just those darn viewing angles....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was wondering this too. I am very happy with the performance but the angles are killing me. I've only had it for 2 days and other than that I'm thrilled. Sadly, that may be a deal breaker. Landscape is ok but portrait is awful.

DraglineDrummer said:
I was wondering this too. I am very happy with the performance but the angles are killing me. I've only had it for 2 days and other than that I'm thrilled. Sadly, that may be a deal breaker. Landscape is ok but portrait is awful.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Apparently, Engadget's review of the Dell Inspiron Duo was equally harsh on the screen angles. Netbook screens FTL.

DraglineDrummer said:
I was wondering this too. I am very happy with the performance but the angles are killing me. I've only had it for 2 days and other than that I'm thrilled. Sadly, that may be a deal breaker. Landscape is ok but portrait is awful.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've had my Gtab for almost a month, I've gotten used to the angles. It did bug me for the first week but as I tweaked this device and performance increase I've gotten over the sub par viewing angles. I think the tab's display is tolerable.

xmr405o said:
I've had my Gtab for almost a month, I've gotten used to the angles. It did bug me for the first week but as I tweaked this device and performance increase I've gotten over the sub par viewing angles. I think the tab's display is tolerable.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's what I'm hoping for is I'll just get used to it. It's only been two days at this point.
I think it's the best option right now with the hardware and performance but I just have not been completely ok with the $400 price tag for the display yet. I had debated taking it back and just getting a refurb Ipad for $450 but it has it's shortcomings as well and I would much rather have Android.

So long, and thanks for all the fish.

Factory wipe and back to the store you go, you incredibly powered but finicky thing, you!
Just not the device for me. I had fun rooting and customizing, but the tablet just doesn't want to behave. foremost, I want a device that works. Should have just sprung for the extra $150 (including tax) and got the iPad...
BUT wanted to say thanks to robeet and everyone else here who helped me with questions along the way. You guys are all pretty great!

Sorry to see you go! Hope you can find the tablet that best suits your needs.

now we can talk about him.

I am afraid my gtablet will suffer the same fate.

Funny I have both g tab and I pad and I'm thinking of giving the I pad as a gift basically there is nothing exciting about it.
I think you should try the I pad first. I'm not saying that the g tab is #1 but the I pad is definitely not.

Tried the ipad. Yeah, built in 3g w/ data was sweet.
But man, this is a BEAST. So much more than the iPad. Once an optimized tegra android rom rolls out...it's gonna rock. I'm having a bunch of fun trying stuff out, seeing what games I like, apps, etc...
Open source based devices for the win.
The iPad just works. But the g tablet works, in a much bigger atmosphere, so yeah, there are some bugs to iron out. But it's capable of a bunch more.
Oh and
http://www.engadget.com/2010/12/17/dungeon-defenders-first-wave-brings-unreal-engine-to-android-th/

One thing that bothers me is that when I am using this at night I have no idea where the home, search, setting keys are :/

shanghei said:
One thing that bothers me is that when I am using this at night I have no idea where the home, search, setting keys are :/
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Click to collapse
There are a few DIY options, You could put a small sticker on them, for example. Others have suggested glow in dark stickers so it can be seen at night.
I actually have a ZT-180 Frankencase where I punched out holes in the leather where the buttons are and then layered them with tape - gives it a tactile feel. But it's real ugly looking.

shanghei said:
One thing that bothers me is that when I am using this at night I have no idea where the home, search, setting keys are :/
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Click to collapse
or.... you use a ROM with the soft buttons so you don't have to use them... VegaN perhaps?

it2steve said:
or.... you use a ROM with the soft buttons so you don't have to use them... VegaN perhaps?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Exactly what I was going to suggest. I'm using the vegan rom and use the soft buttons that show on the status bar. I love this Rom and tablet so far! I haven't even tried tnt light but I don't think I need to, this rom works perfect for me so far. The ipad does seem a little boring compared to the g tab in my opinion, once you play with android its hard to use something like ios and be satisfied, for me anyway.

Alpha06 said:
Tried the ipad. Yeah, built in 3g w/ data was sweet.
But man, this is a BEAST. So much more than the iPad. Once an optimized tegra android rom rolls out...it's gonna rock. I'm having a bunch of fun trying stuff out, seeing what games I like, apps, etc...
Open source based devices for the win.
The iPad just works. But the g tablet works, in a much bigger atmosphere, so yeah, there are some bugs to iron out. But it's capable of a bunch more.
Oh and
http://www.engadget.com/2010/12/17/dungeon-defenders-first-wave-brings-unreal-engine-to-android-th/
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No Flash, no USB host, no USB connectors and iTunes interface forced upon the user are the main reasons- no iPad for me.
That said, there ARE some great games and others coming to it.... STAY AWAY FROM THE PRETTY LIGHT!
All our OP had to do was make a CW backup and update apps with Titanium. Any problems and BOOM! back in business in less than 30 minutes
That all said, were it not for Clockwork, I will be bold to say that almost EVERY one of us would be returning ours too (already would have). The roms are GREAT, but we would be pretty much be screwed without CW. Only mega techs would be bothering with the other options.

The only thing the ipads got on this is the screen.
http://www.droidgamers.com/index.ph...iglitz-about-unreal-engine-3-ddfw-and-android
JS: For Dungeon Defenders: First Wave, Tegra 2 is primarily a question of "best experience". The game runs by far best on Tegra 2 out of any mobile device we've put the title onto. It's nearly a portable PC level of graphics capability. So while the game doesn't require Tegra 2, we do prefer to play it that way here, which provides an HD resolution, the highest quality textures, and a set of levels that simply could not be rendered on the lower-spec devices. But for the wide array of other SOC's out there, they'll still be getting an experience that is pretty darn awesome.

bittrix said:
now we can talk about him.
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Click to collapse
I LOLed
Yeah, you can't deny that this thing is a powerhouse. But, in it's current state it is definitely a high maintenance device. And when it comes to a tablet, I just want to turn the thing on and have it do what it's told. Sure, thanks to clockwork flashing ROMS is not as terrible as it could be, but still...
Ultimately I don't have a lot of problems with the iPad's constraints. As a lifelong apple user I'm fine with the itunes based file system. (although killing the ability to use the device as removable drive has got to be one of the stupidest things I've ever seen!) And as far as the no flash thing goes, I was playing with an iPad in the store the other day, and all the sites I went to played video! CNN, BBC, ESPN, IGN... I guess they're running HTML5 in parallel with their traditional formats.
All that said, I might not even get one. Ver2.0 will be out in 4 months. I can probably wait.
In related news, I just noticed my receipt is EXCHANGE ONLY, and seeing as how I don't need $425 in credit at office depot, I've posted it on craigslist for $400. If anyone here is in the LA area and is interested in buying, I'll sell for $350.
Again, you guys kick ass. And overall I would consider it a positive experience.

rushless said:
No Flash, no USB host, no USB connectors and iTunes interface forced upon the user are the main reasons- no iPad for me.
That said, there ARE some great games and others coming to it.... STAY AWAY FROM THE PRETTY LIGHT!
All our OP had to do was make a CW backup and update apps with Titanium. Any problems and BOOM! back in business in less than 30 minutes
That all said, were it not for Clockwork, I will be bold to say that almost EVERY one of us would be returning ours too (already would have). The roms are GREAT, but we would be pretty much be screwed without CW. Only mega techs would be bothering with the other options.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi,
I don't know about others, but if it weren't for the helpful folks here, like roebeet et al, I probably wouldn't even have BOUGHT the Gtab !
Jim

To the op, don't leave for an ipad now. Gingerbread is here, honeycomb is almost here along with other tegra 2 devices, ipad 2 is coming...etc. why pay for an ipad that's going to be yesterdays news in a couple of months. At least wait for a price drop on the ipad.
To everyone else, everyone knows that being a custom rom flasher/addict isn't for everyone. Especially when its in its beginning stages just like our gtablet. I can say that force closes and bootloops don't bother me because I know its part of the game. I'm. Just glad I know where to look for solutions (xda) and I know how to use nvflash if necessary.

Life in LA said:
I LOLed
Yeah, you can't deny that this thing is a powerhouse. But, in it's current state it is definitely a high maintenance device. And when it comes to a tablet, I just want to turn the thing on and have it do what it's told. Sure, thanks to clockwork flashing ROMS is not as terrible as it could be, but still...
Ultimately I don't have a lot of problems with the iPad's constraints. As a lifelong apple user I'm fine with the itunes based file system. (although killing the ability to use the device as removable drive has got to be one of the stupidest things I've ever seen!) And as far as the no flash thing goes, I was playing with an iPad in the store the other day, and all the sites I went to played video! CNN, BBC, ESPN, IGN... I guess they're running HTML5 in parallel with their traditional formats.
All that said, I might not even get one. Ver2.0 will be out in 4 months. I can probably wait.
In related news, I just noticed my receipt is EXCHANGE ONLY, and seeing as how I don't need $425 in credit at office depot, I've posted it on craigslist for $400. If anyone here is in the LA area and is interested in buying, I'll sell for $350.
Again, you guys kick ass. And overall I would consider it a positive experience.
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APPLE FAN BOY ALERT. Jk. And I was soooo nice to u at the other forums too....never again!!!

you have them along the top as well on most screens as sofware keys. I'm using the Vegan-Tab rom and it is stable and fast!

Life in LA said:
I LOLed
Yeah, you can't deny that this thing is a powerhouse. But, in it's current state it is definitely a high maintenance device. And when it comes to a tablet, I just want to turn the thing on and have it do what it's told. Sure, thanks to clockwork flashing ROMS is not as terrible as it could be, but still...
Ultimately I don't have a lot of problems with the iPad's constraints. As a lifelong apple user I'm fine with the itunes based file system. (although killing the ability to use the device as removable drive has got to be one of the stupidest things I've ever seen!) And as far as the no flash thing goes, I was playing with an iPad in the store the other day, and all the sites I went to played video! CNN, BBC, ESPN, IGN... I guess they're running HTML5 in parallel with their traditional formats.
All that said, I might not even get one. Ver2.0 will be out in 4 months. I can probably wait.
In related news, I just noticed my receipt is EXCHANGE ONLY, and seeing as how I don't need $425 in credit at office depot, I've posted it on craigslist for $400. If anyone here is in the LA area and is interested in buying, I'll sell for $350.
Again, you guys kick ass. And overall I would consider it a positive experience.
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Double post.

Office Depot

Just got an email from Office Depot, they have the GTab on sale for $299.

deleted ten characters

To be fair, this post was first

dfin13 said:
To be fair, this post was first
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i checked the times after i posted, thats why i deleted. Mah bad.

I was there today and saw that. Limited time on it. Paid $380 there 6 months ago.

Price is right, I work Office Depot.
I can confirm this price(299) as I work at office depot. We are Making room for another tablet. Ill have to look through the stores 'Playbook' to see which one will be replacing this one.

davewinkwink said:
I can confirm this price(299) as I work at office depot. We are Making room for another tablet. Ill have to look through the stores 'Playbook' to see which one will be replacing this one.
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haha, the guy at the one I was at yesterday straight up said to me, "If you dont like that, we are getting the playbook in a couple of weeks. It's supposed to be the iPad killer"
Which by the way, i hate that term. First off, it means that the iPad is something that is so much better than everything else that it needs to be killed. The ipad isnt better, it is different. It is designed for a certain type of people. I'm glad android isnt anything like iOS. If it was, i wouldnt use it.
Secondly, there is nothing WRONG with iOS, I just dont like it. Wouldnt want to kill it though. Competition is good!

GTab Much Improved on Newer Versions (Purchases) 4-8-2011
D Wright said:
I was there today and saw that. Limited time on it. Paid $380 there 6 months ago.
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The GTab is different. I bought one from Office Depot in the early part of this year and I picked up another one yesterday.
The screen is different. When completely powered off for me it looks like a very, very dark green or 90% gray. Slightly different colored than the outer frame. Turned on simply incredible. You have to really turn it at some odd angles to get bad viewing. Angles you wouldn't normally view at. I could view it clear as day holding it flat overhead looking directly on. Completely flat and turned on good for internet and reading, just has a silvery or metallic tone, slightly, nothing as describe as before. For viewing pictures flat it has to be directly in front of you not at a distance, but, much better at a slight angle. Video not much change flat serious ghosting on dark colors. Who watches movies with a screen laying flat? You still get the (if someone is looking on over your shoulder) privacy using it from various angles which I like. On my dock, movies look HD TV quality at least for the two "shorts", they included, youtube and others. Mostly now depends on the quality of those movies.
Screen itself when on, is more HD. When flat, blacks show the most amount of distortion. It boots faster too. If you turn your head and look back you are on your desktop. It moves very quickly to the desktop. The browser has been seriously tweaked. Load time is fast and it also manages memory much better. I used on the 1st one, an all-in-one cache cleaner, app killer and memory manager that also let me check the CPU usage. Doesn't require much dump, really none.
Didn't see a need for flash 10.2 since out the box it was lightening quick, responsive and HD. I installed it anyway to see if there was a difference. It felt more weighed down, but the original flash on it said 10.1. All I did was throw Gapps on it without the nvidia drivers like with the first one. It did not need them. Noticed the screen cleaning cloth was different. The first one was a large red one and the new one a small green one.
Final assessment they did some serious work on it. Memory management much improved, seriously impressive. Feels absolutely stable. Not perfect, but they made it a serious contender--pre-honeycomb, to what's already out there and coming out. Apparently they have been paying attention to user comments. I probably will just pick up the 7 inch playbook now for my collection. No need for another 10 inch. Can't believe you can get all this under $300. The browser, the pages load on a dime. It's like--find the site and there it is. No freakin lag time. The loading of pages is spectacular. Moves in--flash on a page like it's handling text, and you can view video on a page with GTab flat, clearly. Nice job VS just throw out honeycomb now.

Yeah this deal was great.
I went to Office Depot to check it out, since I heard they had them there. I was planning on coming home and ordering it online, since they had it labeled as $399.
However when I came home, I discovered they had it for $299 on the website. So I attempted to print out a copy and take it in, only to find out my printer was out of ink. So now having two reasons to head up, I jumped in the car. After pulling it up on their sample GTablet in store, the salesman was like, "Huh, that's a helluva price"
So far I've been happy with it. It was kind of a pain to get nvflash working for some reason, but after doing a re-image to 3588 everything seems fine. Going to put TNT Lite on it and have fun. I agree with the screen being decent, it's not as good as an iPad2 screen but it's got a pretty decent viewing angle. Maybe 60 degrees? Colors are good too. And man, the battery life on this thing is insane compared to my iPhone! I kicked back last night with Angry Birds, next thing I knew I'd been playing for 3 hours and the battery still reported 90%.

Just ordered mine a few hours ago for local pickup, $299 plus tax, cant wait! I hope its worth it I have been on the edge about a tablet for months but for the hardware and some xda action thought I would give it a shot!

dcmtnbkr said:
Which by the way, i hate that term.
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I hate that term, too. I think people too often get the mis-informed idea that this tablet or that tablet is just like the ipad. And then once they got it, it doesn't feel like the ipad and they get a huge disappointment.
In fact, I'm sure that half the wooters who ordered a gtab believed that they got something like an ipad. All you have to do is read the woot thread to see how ill-informed people are.

Been on the fence for awhile... finally pulled the trigger and love it

I bought mine last week while on Spring Break in Ft. Myers Beach. The local Comp-USA had it for $299 so I price matched it at Office Depot in case I wanted to return it after I got home. I didn't do much with it last week and wasn't real thrilled with the lackluster tap-n-tap ui, but installed Vegan-tab on it today and absolutely love it. Still trying to learn my way around the android operating system. Lots of playing ahead. And, agree on the battery life. My iPod touch drains quickly on Angry Birds. The g-tablet battery life is much better.

IPad killer ha ha ha. Love that term.
I have this vision of Elmer Dude in his hunting gear saying: "Come hewers you silly iPad" hee hee
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA Premium App

I just bought mine there (Office Depot) yesterday, was $299, here in Oregon.
The door knob clerk tried to convince me not to buy, saying they didn't work and they were being recalled and they weren't selling them anymore. Told him I did my homework and I wanted the hardware, not the software, picked it up in front of him, smiled and walked to the counter.

Riccarr said:
I just bought mine there (Office Depot) yesterday, was $299, here in Oregon.
The door knob clerk tried to convince me not to buy, saying they didn't work and they were being recalled and they weren't selling them anymore. Told him I did my homework and I wanted the hardware, not the software, picked it up in front of him, smiled and walked to the counter.
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Click to collapse
This story is why I fear for the future of the GTablet - even the retailers want it to fade away (I had a similar situation in my local Staples, right before they pulled it).
And it is a shame because, other than the screen angles, the hardware itself is a bargain at $299.

roebeet said:
This story is why I fear for the future of the GTablet - even the retailers want it to fade away (I had a similar situation in my local Staples, right before they pulled it).
And it is a shame because, other than the screen angles, the hardware itself is a bargain at $299.
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Any idea why retailers and mainstream tech websites just want the gtab to die? This really is a bargain, considering what it could do.

propagandax said:
Just ordered mine a few hours ago for local pickup, $299 plus tax, cant wait! I hope its worth it I have been on the edge about a tablet for months but for the hardware and some xda action thought I would give it a shot!
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I have had this for one day and am having huge buyers remorse, the screen is really bothering me, has anybody successfully returned one of these to office depot, there policy says this:
"Technology & Furniture - 14 Day Return Policy:
Your Original Receipt is required for all returns or exchanges of technology and furniture.
Technology products may be returned or exchanged within 14 days of purchase with Original Receipt, in original packaging and with UPC code intact. If product box is opened, we will offer an exchange only."
http://www.officedepot.com/specialL...rservice/Refunds.jsp&template=customerService

goodintentions said:
Any idea why retailers and mainstream tech websites just want the gtab to die? This really is a bargain, considering what it could do.
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Could be one of two things.
1) Not a lot of margin on them. Viewsonic has them listed CHEAP. Not sure what the margin is on something like a Xoom though. Probably not much either.
2) The stock software, at least earlier versions (honestly it wasn't horrible on mine, but after flashing I've not looked back), was nearly unusable. We're all pretty tech savvy here, imagine if you were Joe Schmoe with no tech sense whatsoever? You'd get pissed off and return it.
3) nVidia just announced they are dropping driver support for the hardware. Viewsonic claims development will continue, but the GTab may be at the end of it's life.
I, honestly, had the opposite experience. The local Office Depot only had two tablets on display, this and the Archos 7. The sales associate flat out called the Archos 'crap' and said, "Look at this, it's been here three weeks and the touch screen is busted!".

propagandax said:
I have had this for one day and am having huge buyers remorse, the screen is really bothering me, has anybody successfully returned one of these to office depot, there policy says this:
"Technology & Furniture - 14 Day Return Policy:
Your Original Receipt is required for all returns or exchanges of technology and furniture.
Technology products may be returned or exchanged within 14 days of purchase with Original Receipt, in original packaging and with UPC code intact. If product box is opened, we will offer an exchange only."
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Click to collapse
There's a lot of chatter on complaintsboard.com about them and their return policy. If the "technology" box is open, then only an exchange. I can't post links so you'll have to search it.

$279 viewsonic g tablet is back woot deal

moofi. woot. com/moofi/deliciouswaffles
get rid of the spaces in the link .

I bought one on Friday. Still hasn't shipped :-(
Me and Woot have a love/hate relationship.

I don't get it. There is no design flaw. Why are they trying to dump this product? If they are really trying to dump this product for a newer model, the newer model better be able to sing and dance.

goodintentions said:
I don't get it. There is no design flaw. Why are they trying to dump this product? If they are really trying to dump this product for a newer model, the newer model better be able to sing and dance.
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They are not dumping it, its just being priced competitively given the availability $400 IPS tegra 2, HC Asus Transformer.
Any way amazon's deal (via woot) was way better given it was $280 to your door step (no taxes or shipping fees).

aasoror said:
They are not dumping it, its just being priced competitively given the availability $400 IPS tegra 2, HC Asus Transformer.
Any way amazon's deal (via woot) was way better given it was $280 to your door step (no taxes or shipping fees).
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Priced better? You're saying they are preemptively striking all the other tegra 2's that are coming out this/next month?

goodintentions said:
I don't get it. There is no design flaw
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Well, I can think of one giant design flaw that marred an otherwise great tablet (hey, let's take the most important part of the tablet and make it really, really, really crappy!). I would not be surprised to see this sucker at $200 new within the next couple of months with the onslaught of HC tablets hitting the market at sub-$500 prices.

dfin13 said:
Well, I can think of one giant design flaw that marred an otherwise great tablet (hey, let's take the most important part of the tablet and make it really, really, really crappy!). I would not be surprised to see this sucker at $200 new within the next couple of months with the onslaught of HC tablets hitting the market at sub-$500 prices.
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You're talking about the screen? I've had my gtab for a couple months now. Been taking it everywhere with me. In fact, myself and a couple others from the lab attended a meeting to share our designs and experiments at a meeting. I whipped out the gtab and began sharing our autocad drawings and calculations. People were impressed. A few asked intently about my tablet.
The point is I've had no problem at all with the screen. I don't understand why people are crying bloody murder about this aspect of it. May be because you guys are spoiled?
To me, this is not a design flaw. It's not even a weakness. It just is. It makes the gtab different.

I have the Asus now, and I guess you just don't know what you're missing until you've seen a superior screen in the flesh. My jaw literally dropped when I turned it on. Straight-on, the gTab has a great screen, but the viewing angles are terrible, and I consider that a design flaw, as in they went really cheap with the screen. The Acer A500 does not have an IPS screen, yet its viewing angles are almost comparable to the Transformer, so it is possible. Whoever manufactured the gTab just cut corners on the most crucial part of a tablet.
If you're happy with yours, that's great, but that screen ran me off, and I can't recommend it to anyone when they can (eventually) have a Transformer for about $100 more.
Kinda wish I'd kept mine another week so I could post the difference so you could see for yourself, but I don't suppose it matters

goodintentions said:
You're talking about the screen? I've had my gtab for a couple months now. Been taking it everywhere with me. In fact, myself and a couple others from the lab attended a meeting to share our designs and experiments at a meeting. I whipped out the gtab and began sharing our autocad drawings and calculations. People were impressed. A few asked intently about my tablet.
The point is I've had no problem at all with the screen. I don't understand why people are crying bloody murder about this aspect of it. May be because you guys are spoiled?
To me, this is not a design flaw. It's not even a weakness. It just is. It makes the gtab different.
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I am looking at buying this tablet, what is everyone saying about the screen?

dfin13 said:
I have the Asus now, and I guess you just don't know what you're missing until you've seen a superior screen in the flesh. My jaw literally dropped when I turned it on. Straight-on, the gTab has a great screen, but the viewing angles are terrible, and I consider that a design flaw, as in they went really cheap with the screen. The Acer A500 does not have an IPS screen, yet its viewing angles are almost comparable to the Transformer, so it is possible. Whoever manufactured the gTab just cut corners on the most crucial part of a tablet.
If you're happy with yours, that's great, but that screen ran me off, and I can't recommend it to anyone when they can (eventually) have a Transformer for about $100 more.
Kinda wish I'd kept mine another week so I could post the difference so you could see for yourself, but I don't suppose it matters
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I have an iPad2, the gTablet, an Acer netbook, a Dell laptop, and a 2010 MacBookPro.
The gTablet uses the exact same LCD as the acer Netbook. You can tell the screen is designed for a slightly off center nearly dead on viewing angle, and if you hold it so, it's quite fine.
You won't be able to see much at more than 10-15 degrees off center left/right (in landscape) or up/down (portrait)
It is what it is. It's not an iPad. It's not the $120 more Asus. It's the cheapest Tegra2 with great modding support here at xda you can buy. I wouldn't spend more than $280 on it, but for $280 its great.

goodintentions said:
Priced better? You're saying they are preemptively striking all the other tegra 2's that are coming out this/next month?
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There is nothing preemptive about it, the Asus transformer is already out there (NA release) and for even longer in EU, and the $399 NA price was already officially announced more than a month ago.
schettj said:
I wouldn't spend more than $280 on it,
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Thats the whole point, and I guess retailers do clearly see that.

PeteSeiler2010 said:
I am looking at buying this tablet, what is everyone saying about the screen?
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If you look at it straight-on, it is a great screen. If you look at it few degrees left or right, it loses quality but is still viewable. A few more degrees, and things become mushy. Tilt it slightly vertically and that's where the frustration really begins -- imagine those psychedelic videos where colors transform and turn negative. Like the post above said, it's a pure netbook screen and is meant to be viewed as you would with a netbook. Sticking it in a tablet was a cost-cutting shortcut.
Now, if you buy a case that props it up, it helps quite a bit. I'm not dogging the gTab really, it's a great tab that just needs to come down in price a little more in light of the the Transformer's release. If you're going to spend $280+ on a tablet, I'd advise you to spring for the extra $120 that will get you a Transformer.

dfin13 said:
If you're happy with yours, that's great, but that screen ran me off, and I can't recommend it to anyone when they can (eventually) have a Transformer for about $100 more.
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Don't get me wrong. Whenever someone asks me about my gtab, I tell them it's not for them and recommend an ipad or ipad 2. I do that with pretty much everything nowadays. When people ask me I recommend them the most mainstream thing possible.

Well I don't feel so bad for directing a coworker to get an iPad 2 today She saw my Transformer and said she was looking at iPads, but she liked the widgets of Android (she has an Evo). I told her to just get an iPad, you pick it up and it's a vessel for apps, nothing more, and knowing her, I thought that was best.
But after playing with the Transformer, she's torn. So I guess that's a plus for HC, it's not as techie as I thought.

Bought one from Woot on 4/25, got it on 4/29
Sent from my Evo using XDA app

dfin13 said:
Well I don't feel so bad for directing a coworker to get an iPad 2 today She saw my Transformer and said she was looking at iPads, but she liked the widgets of Android (she has an Evo). I told her to just get an iPad, you pick it up and it's a vessel for apps, nothing more, and knowing her, I thought that was best.
But after playing with the Transformer, she's torn. So I guess that's a plus for HC, it's not as techie as I thought.
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Click to collapse
I direct people to the ipad 2 unapologetically. I'm sick of people complaining about nothing. Let apple deal with those spoiled brats.

Well I found someone who bought it and I guess they were scared to try to do any custom ROM stuff and they sold it to me for $190. I think i got a deal, I am currently reading up on it before I try anything though. I have been using Android for well over a year now, I have a captivate and I always flash the newest ROM's that come out for it. I am hoping the G Tablet is about as easy as my captivate to mod. Anyone have a favorite ROM for the G Tab, I am looking at playing Pocket Legends and games like that.

PeteSeiler2010 said:
I am hoping the G Tablet is about as easy as my captivate to mod.
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You don't need to hope. Everything about the gtab is unlocked. It is currently the most hackable device out there.
Anyone have a favorite ROM for the G Tab, I am looking at playing Pocket Legends and games like that.
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I've used them all. The one that seems to run the smoothest and fastest is the calkulin+clemsyn combo. I use the overclocked version 5 one.
That said, you really should try them all out one at a time. Again, it takes so little effort to flash a rom. Actually, it takes about 2 minutes for each rom to flash. Try each rom for a week and see how you like them.
Some people like vegan ginger because it's the latest and greatest. I personally like the fastest and most stable. Your choice.

Thank you very much for the information, i can't wait to dive in!

goodintentions said:
You don't need to hope. Everything about the gtab is unlocked. It is currently the most hackable device out there.
I've used them all. The one that seems to run the smoothest and fastest is the calkulin+clemsyn combo. I use the overclocked version 5 one.
That said, you really should try them all out one at a time. Again, it takes so little effort to flash a rom. Actually, it takes about 2 minutes for each rom to flash. Try each rom for a week and see how you like them.
Some people like vegan ginger because it's the latest and greatest. I personally like the fastest and most stable. Your choice.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I currently have tNt 4.4 and I like it a lot. If/when I flash another rom, would I have to load all my Apps again? I have titanium backup but even then it would take a while to load them all. That might discourage me from trying ALL the roms out