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Returning for Galaxy Tab =X

Ok guys, it was a good run... a week run. I don't mind this tablet, I tried TNT 2.2 and ZPAD. I liked them both, TNT a little more.
-This tablet has AMAZING potential, and awesome hardware such as the processor. Software out of the BOX is again like everyone says: HORRIBLE.
Overall build quality is pretty good, not considering the little creeks you get holding the center of the back.
-The official thing that ticked me off to return this tablet was.....wait for it............ LCD Display and viewing angles. Im sorry but it seems like its from the Early 2000's not a display we would see in many electronics Now a days.
-Another deciding factor for me is the touch sensitivity, didn't do it for me. Not as sensitive as I would like.
-Non-illuminated keys, hard to use at night, keys get pressed easily at night.
So after thinking if i should wait for iPAD2, since the rumors are racing; or get Galaxy Tab,
Ive decided to get the Galaxy Tab - I got a brand NEW Galaxy Tab(Sprint) on Ebay for $500 - White backing, Sealed BRAND NEW In BOX. No contract.
I'll be turning the Data OFF and using it as WiFi only, It wont be linked to Sprint, I will NOT activate the 3g.
I got to check the device out, and its extremely portable, its nice. 7 Inch isnt THAT bad at all.
Any comments?

Sorry to see you go. Enjoy your new tablet!

I see these goodbye posts all the time in all the forums I've been a part of. And "sorry" is almost in each post?At the end you just need to be happy with your product. Personally I am not replacing this tablet for anything that's out right now because of the dual core tegra 2 processor. My next tablet is going to be another T2 but definitely a better screen and hopefully a gig of RAM. I don't care if its a 10 or 7 inch tablet because both are practically the same in reference to portability since I can't fit them in my pocket.
Honestly, the only goodbye post that I am looking out for is Roebeets, Rothnic, Bekit, or any other devs. But I figured i'd chime in because I don't think anyone should be sorry for moving on to a different device....unless you were getting a cruz tablet then it would be flame city for you. Jk
I'm sure you'll enjoy ur galaxy tab because its a nice device.

Not gonna disagree with any of your complaints, and if it is not right for you, then get the one you want.
Personally I don't mind the screen, since it is only for me, and I just hold it at the right angle. The non-illuminated buttons are a bit of a silly oversight (and I would much prefer real buttons to those capacitive ones) but I don't mind so much since it has on-screen soft-buttons.
I like it because it is well powered (battery and processor), inexpensive, and has a large display.
Most importantly is that it is easily modifiable. If it wasn't it would have gone right back. It nearly did anyway because I was falsely told by Sears' website that it was a viewpad 10. Since roebeet, rothnic, omiji (? sorry can't remember), and all the others I cannot name have made this device software so good I see awesome potential beyond the great tablet it has already become.
So VS owes XDA and it's senior modders a lot since without them probably all of us would have returned the POS that VS put on the shelves.
In summation Thank You to the XDA team working on the G tab, and if anyone else is thinking about returning this product consider this before you do so, because Samsung, Apple, or any other manufacturer will not give the type of updates and support you can get here from an open device like this, from a place like XDA.
And to the OP, I hope you enjoy your Galaxy better, I have a Captivate and I like it. I am sure if you want a good experience out of the box like what I have in my Captivate, you will be very happy with it.

Hannigan174 said:
In summation Thank You to the XDA team working on the G tab, and if anyone else is thinking about returning this product consider this before you do so, because Samsung, Apple, or any other manufacturer will not give the type of updates and support you can get here from an open device like this, from a place like XDA.
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Definetly +1
I could not of said it better myself.

The notionink adam goes on preorder later today also for $400-500. I'd suggest looking into that tablet also.

mmathai77 said:
Ok guys, it was a good run... a week run. I don't mind this tablet, I tried TNT 2.2 and ZPAD. I liked them both, TNT a little more.
-This tablet has AMAZING potential, and awesome hardware such as the processor. Software out of the BOX is again like everyone says: HORRIBLE.
Overall build quality is pretty good, not considering the little creeks you get holding the center of the back.
-The official thing that ticked me off to return this tablet was.....wait for it............ LCD Display and viewing angles. Im sorry but it seems like its from the Early 2000's not a display we would see in many electronics Now a days.
-Another deciding factor for me is the touch sensitivity, didn't do it for me. Not as sensitive as I would like.
-Non-illuminated keys, hard to use at night, keys get pressed easily at night.
So after thinking if i should wait for iPAD2, since the rumors are racing; or get Galaxy Tab,
Ive decided to get the Galaxy Tab - I got a brand NEW Galaxy Tab(Sprint) on Ebay for $500 - White backing, Sealed BRAND NEW In BOX. No contract.
I'll be turning the Data OFF and using it as WiFi only, It wont be linked to Sprint, I will NOT activate the 3g.
I got to check the device out, and its extremely portable, its nice. 7 Inch isnt THAT bad at all.
Any comments?
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Shouldn't be too bad, and at the price that Samsung is hawking these for they should support it for a while and better than any other currently shipping Android tablet.
7": yeah, I'm missing that form factor ALOT myself, but I just can't bring myself to give up Tegra2 for something lesser even for a better(IMNHO) form factor(7") nor a better screen(awful gTab viewing angles).
I'm keeping my gTab(actually I'm stuck now anyways past my 14d Staples return) and evaluating 7" complementary(to gTab) tablets, of which(ATM) Nook Color is looking nice w/IPS screen and a8 CPU plus now rooted. Just need to get over to a B&N and try out a demo unit... (want to see how overall system and browser fare speedwise @800MHz on an a8...)
Might just wait out until next year and see if anyone coughs up a 7" Tegra2 or one of the other SoC companies cough up their dual core a9 SoCs and they get in a 7"...
Notion Ink: They sound nice, but since they're a new/small tablet only company I'm waiting to see if they survive to release their 2nd tablet, hopefully Tegra3 based...

OP should avoid the 101 then, since mega gimped device.
Probably best to wait until March. There should be 2.3 or higher Tegra 2 tablets all over the place by then.
Maybe a very stable out of box 2.3 Gtablet by then too..... Maybe at least.

japhule said:
The notionink adam goes on preorder later today also for $400-500. I'd suggest looking into that tablet also.
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$375 only!
http://www.engadget.com/2010/12/09/notion-ink-adam-pre-order-to-begin-today-pricing-starts-at-375/

I have been refreshing the NI site for days ready to buy Adam but when I got up to bat I couldn't pull the trigger.
$375 is with a standard LCD - not PixelQI. PQ is $499 w/ Wifi or $550 w/ 3G
Shipping is $50 - the thing comes straight from factory in India.
However, a few things made me hesitate on the device I have waited a year on.
- you must also pay 'customs' but nothing states what this fee is
- shipping is $50 through DHL which is not insured
- ccavenue is processing orders and they do not take MC
- you are billed in full as soon as you place order while estimated ship date is 6-8
- given no further manufacturing delays and that shipping is quick 6-8 weeks is a long wait
- specs list "8+ GB Flash"...so is that 8GB or what?
- crazy amount of return conditions the least of which is getting RMA 7 no later than 7 days after shipment (probably take longer than that for DHL to get it to you) and a 20% restocking fee for 'open' items (that's $100 + return shipping)
- no mention of 'bad pixel' policy
So while I am in love with this thing and will be so jealous for those brave enough to order site unseen (not even a hands on or real photo on website) I am just not that brave.
Now the question is....do I open my gTablet and play with it until round 2 or do I look at something maybe a little bit pricier but with a better display?

Lnin0 said:
I have been refreshing the NI site for days ready to buy Adam but when I got up to bat I couldn't pull the trigger.
$375 is with a standard LCD - not PixelQI. PQ is $499 w/ Wifi or $550 w/ 3G
Shipping is $50 - the thing comes straight from factory in India.
However, a few things made me hesitate on the device I have waited a year on.
- you must also pay 'customs' but nothing states what this fee is
- shipping is $50 through DHL which is not insured
- ccavenue is processing orders and they do not take MC
- you are billed in full as soon as you place order while estimated ship date is 6-8
- given no further manufacturing delays and that shipping is quick 6-8 weeks is a long wait
- specs list "8+ GB Flash"...so is that 8GB or what?
- crazy amount of return conditions the least of which is getting RMA 7 no later than 7 days after shipment (probably take longer than that for DHL to get it to you) and a 20% restocking fee for 'open' items (that's $100 + return shipping)
- no mention of 'bad pixel' policy
So while I am in love with this thing and will be so jealous for those brave enough to order site unseen (not even a hands on or real photo on website) I am just not that brave.
Now the question is....do I open my gTablet and play with it until round 2 or do I look at something maybe a little bit pricier but with a better display?
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Yep they're already out of money...

cutterjohn said:
Yep they're already out of money...
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For those that are wanting but not ordered an Adam - the Pixel QI versions are already sold out. All they have left now is the LCD version.
Since I couldn't pull the trigger on the Adam I guess the only thing standing between me unboxing my g tablet is questions of the viewing angles. Since my wife picked this up from the store I have not seen it in person. Is it really a deal breaker? What is Office Depot return policy on open products - I know during the holidays returns are extended until Jan 8 but not sure if that mean sealed in the box or not? I imagine I could just go and return it Dec 26 if it is that bad....stores are usually so crazy that day they ask few questions about returns.
Oh, and about Notion Ink. They updated their blog explaining some of the conditions (such as $50 shipping) and it is a little more comforting. I never doubted they were a good, honest company. I think my issue is that they are biting off more than they can chew.
Building a fantastic product in a lab is one thing - seeing a new product introduction through the entire manufacturing process is something completely different and that is where I am not sure of NI's experience. While the prospect of waiting sux, I think I am more comfortable doing so than jumping in on the first run.
It is not a question of NI taking care of me if there is an issues, it is a question of when. I am still jealous of all those who did place the order and will kick myself the day everyone starts posting their unboxing videos :-(

Lnin0 said:
For those that are wanting but not ordered an Adam - the Pixel QI versions are already sold out. All they have left now is the LCD version.
Since I couldn't pull the trigger on the Adam I guess the only thing standing between me unboxing my g tablet is questions of the viewing angles. Since my wife picked this up from the store I have not seen it in person. Is it really a deal breaker? What is Office Depot return policy on open products - I know during the holidays returns are extended until Jan 8 but not sure if that mean sealed in the box or not? I imagine I could just go and return it Dec 26 if it is that bad....stores are usually so crazy that day they ask few questions about returns.
Oh, and about Notion Ink. They updated their blog explaining some of the conditions (such as $50 shipping) and it is a little more comforting. I never doubted they were a good, honest company. I think my issue is that they are biting off more than they can chew.
Building a fantastic product in a lab is one thing - seeing a new product introduction through the entire manufacturing process is something completely different and that is where I am not sure of NI's experience. While the prospect of waiting sux, I think I am more comfortable doing so than jumping in on the first run.
It is not a question of NI taking care of me if there is an issues, it is a question of when. I am still jealous of all those who did place the order and will kick myself the day everyone starts posting their unboxing videos :-(
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Office Depot will give you a return gift ticket for Jan 8th (they did for me). Since Flash and the acceleromter have issues out of box, Office Depot should allow return and no restock or forced store credit (they do this for opened electronics). The store manager wrote on my receipt "Full return allowed", since he was aware of the issues.

Lnin0 said:
For those that are wanting but not ordered an Adam - the Pixel QI versions are already sold out. All they have left now is the LCD version.
Since I couldn't pull the trigger on the Adam I guess the only thing standing between me unboxing my g tablet is questions of the viewing angles. Since my wife picked this up from the store I have not seen it in person. Is it really a deal breaker? What is Office Depot return policy on open products - I know during the holidays returns are extended until Jan 8 but not sure if that mean sealed in the box or not? I imagine I could just go and return it Dec 26 if it is that bad....stores are usually so crazy that day they ask few questions about returns.
Oh, and about Notion Ink. They updated their blog explaining some of the conditions (such as $50 shipping) and it is a little more comforting. I never doubted they were a good, honest company. I think my issue is that they are biting off more than they can chew.
Building a fantastic product in a lab is one thing - seeing a new product introduction through the entire manufacturing process is something completely different and that is where I am not sure of NI's experience. While the prospect of waiting sux, I think I am more comfortable doing so than jumping in on the first run.
It is not a question of NI taking care of me if there is an issues, it is a question of when. I am still jealous of all those who did place the order and will kick myself the day everyone starts posting their unboxing videos :-(
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For personal viewing/usage I don't really find it to be that noticeable except when I rotate the tablet specifically to look at this and was simultaneously checking for backlight bleed(had bad bleed on GT & WPDN).
Sorry, but there's a problem with a company that immediately charges for an order when they KNOW it will not be shipping for a while. They're SUPPOSED to NOT charge UNTIL the item is shipped or about to be shipped. So this tells me that they're tight on money ATM...

Wow...Sears has joined staples!

Sears has run out of tablets at the location near my house.
I asked when they wil get more and this was his response
"Due to high return rates, I dont think we will be receiving any more."
But we was not totaly sure.
So now what? I just snagged one off amazon incase they get pulled there too. I'm getting a bit mad.
EDIT: I went back there on my way home and spoke to the manager. He told me that the employee was mis-informed. And now I feel Like a jerk cuase I might have gotten that guy in trouble. Oh well.

Picked up one yesterday at Office Depot. They even matched the Sear's sale price of $379. Immediately loaded VEGAn - with the new ROM this device ROCKS!

Not true... Many stores in my area have them and the ones that dont have dates for restock - 15 - 25 days on average...

I just called CS (for the second time today) and SEARS / Office Depot have not pulled the device, at least not yet. And allegedly an update is still planned for tomorrow. Allegedly.
My local Staples has definitely pulled it, even the floor model. They are all being sent back.

Engadget has an article about this... I'd love to know what the defect is/was...
Though if i could guess its the fact that it says it has adobe flash support right on the box and as we all know thats not true.
http://www.engadget.com/2010/12/18/viewsonic-g-tablet-pulled-from-staples-stores-manufacturing-de/

I called my Staples as well - it sounds like it's firmware related (as I expected). Not the crappy UI as much as things like the boot loops and FC's. Yes, it happens on stock, too.
And keep in mind that, with stock, users don't have XDA or clockworkmod to help them. I can't see how VS Customer Service can fix those issues since there's no way to wipe user data or redo the SD partitions.

Hopefully not the nivida problem again. I got burned by it 2 years ago (my HP laptop)...

roebeet said:
I called my Staples as well - it sounds like it's firmware related (as I expected). Not the crappy UI as much as things like the boot loops and FC's. Yes, it happens on stock, too.
And keep in mind that, with stock, users don't have XDA or clockworkmod to help them. I can't see how VS Customer Service can fix those issues since there's no way to wipe user data or redo the SD partitions.
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Maybe, VS should include a XDA developer link in the custumer support site or the gtablet package.

Engadget HATES the G Tablet
The Engadget guys are becoming [email protected]#$ing pu$$ies, I agree for a normal user this tablet will be a BIG disappointment - GREAT JOB VIEWSONIC for screwing up!, but for advance users this is a decent tablet. It is just embarrassing to see both Samsung and Viewsonic screw up like this by going early to market with bad design decisions (7 inch tablets SUCK!!)
I am eager to see what the "manufacturing defect" Staples has uncovered!

Well this really sucks. I was very worried this was going to happen, once these retailers dump the product, I'm afraid that VS will dump it too. Therefore, all of us that still have the tablet and actually like it will be left without any type of support or updates from VS.
I will assume we will be OK with the development that goes on here, but it would be nice to have VS supply us with stuff. I guess we can use the stuff from the Vega and Z-pad. Any thoughts on that aspect?

rayden25 said:
Well this really sucks. I was very worried this was going to happen, once these retailers dump the product, I'm afraid that VS will dump it too. Therefore, all of us that still have the tablet and actually like it will be left without any type of support or updates from VS.
I will assume we will be OK with the development that goes on here, but it would be nice to have VS supply us with stuff. I guess we can use the stuff from the Vega and Z-pad. Any thoughts on that aspect?
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I've ben concerned about this for weeks, now. Staples pulling it is bad enough, but if SEARS And Office Depot do the same then I will be very worried. And i think there's a possibility that it could happen. In 3 months, we could completely lose any support from VS.
But, as you said, zPad will hopefully be alive and well as well as the Vega. They have superior UI's and if they continue supporting it into 2.3 then we will be in pretty good shape. I would say that the possibility that VS will deploy a 2.3 firmware is low. But, again, maybe they will surprise me.

Ouch. Just saw this pop up on my newsfeed. As ViewSonic, what do you do now with all your early adopters? Do you offer to take back the units which were sold now that you are prematurely removing support and updates? Do you just write all those people off who bought your unit in November and are beyond their return window? Offer a trade-in allowance towards its successor?

Talk2Rider said:
Ouch. Just saw this pop up on my newsfeed. As ViewSonic, what do you do now with all your early adopters? Do you offer to take back the units which were sold now that you are prematurely removing support and updates? Do you just write all those people off who bought your unit in November and are beyond their return window? Offer a trade-in allowance towards its successor?
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S.O.L.
**** outa luck

I don't know if you all remember, but the (Ipad) some problems when it came out also.
The difference seems to be the way that Apple vs. VS are reacting (dead silence for the latter), and how much leverage they have w/the resellers.
Just strange...
Jim

http://www.electronista.com/articles/10/12/18/viewsonic.gtablet.pulled.from.staples/
http://www.gottabemobile.com/2010/12/18/staples-pulls-viewsonic-g-tablet/
http://www.crunchgear.com/2010/12/1...et-recalled-staples-pulls-veiwsonic-gtablets/

Had to leave a comment on that crunchgear article. I believe the author is an apple fanboy with his statement "the first of the garbage tablets"...

Personally, this is part of the reason I paid for one of those accidental warranty extensions. Sears said that within two years I just need to call in and they'll send me the purchase price of the tablet (minus the warranty). So in a couple years regardless of what VS does, I still can get my money back. Basically a $50 lease for two years...

bousquet said:
Personally, this is part of the reason I paid for one of those accidental warranty extensions. Sears said that within two years I just need to call in and they'll send me the purchase price of the tablet (minus the warranty). So in a couple years regardless of what VS does, I still can get my money back. Basically a $50 lease for two years...
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Off topic:
LOL... Jeremy Clarkson is my hero. That poor excuse for Top Gear USA sucks hard!

Viewsonic would have already killed/delayed the device if one hand knew what the other was doing. We are a very small percent of the Gtablets that are either sitting in a warehouse or in Christmas wrapping right now. The REAL fun kicks in on the 26th
I already posted and communicated to Viewsonic how they can manage damage control and PERHAPS turn this around. If they do not, Viewsonic's NA sales and operations planning meeting in the next few months will be "bloody". Tap UI dev will be dead to the business world and so probably will the marketing product management "team" for this device- IF they do not take proactive steps.
That said, if they dump most of the liability to the OEM and their proxy, VS may minimize their loss and simply shut shop on the product. Catch here will be their credibility in the tablet market will be destroyed.

bousquet said:
Personally, this is part of the reason I paid for one of those accidental warranty extensions. Sears said that within two years I just need to call in and they'll send me the purchase price of the tablet (minus the warranty). So in a couple years regardless of what VS does, I still can get my money back. Basically a $50 lease for two years...
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Glad I did the same. I have a way out if I need it. I think zPAD and VEGA will go on and that will be more than good enough for the life expectancy of this gadget anyway... Long live Roebeet...!

My Zpad Story (work in progress)

I thought I'd post my story so far in acquiring my zpad and update it as I go along.
And see if anyone else is interested in it.
January 2011
I wanted a tablet pc as soon as I saw my friend's Ipad, but thought that they would be too expensive, so I just put it out of my mind. Then while looking for a netbook for my wife, a friend of mine said he could get pc's at great prices from china. We agreed to get her a netbook through him and he told me he could also organise other cool tech like tablets, etc.
(We get ripped off really badly here in south africa, everyone is greedy here and they put up huge mark ups on tech. e.g. galaxy tab is R8000 here which is $1117 at the current exchange rate. Instead of the $650 that it currently is on amazon.com. Which is ridiculous!!!)
He is starting up an importing business from China to South Africa(where I live), I would be his first customer.
He showed me a few tablets, which either were underpowered or had a 3 hour max battery life or both. Eventually he showed me the Malata tablets, the windows one and the one that they later called the Zpad. The windows one sucked so I was interested in the Zpad. Specs looked good and the more I looked into it online the more I was keen. But it was still a lot of money.
I found out mid January that I had gotten funding for university this year, so I decided to get the Zpad. The order hadn't gone through yet for the netbook so I added the tablet (and other tech that we've wanted for a while, eg. 1GB external HDD & logitech G9x mouse, malata dock..) and paid and waited.
1st Feb 2011
Package finally arrived. When he saw the box my friend phoned me straight away in alarm. The box was tiny, way to small to house a netbook and a tablet and all the other stuff.
When he opened it, there were a few 1GB and 2GB USB drives in the box.
SHOCK AND HORROR!!!
He phoned around frantically trying to find out if he had been ripped off by his chinese supplier or not, as he had never bought from the guy before.
Eventually the guy replied, it was 20:00h in china, he says that the guy who dropped the packages off must have switched them around by mistake. He said he couldn't get hold of DHL to find out if the other guy had got the package already, or even to find out who the other guy was, as it was late there.
So now after waiting 3 weeks or so for my tablet I sit and wait, to find out where my tablet and my wife's netbook and everything else is. Are they with the would be flash drives owner? Will he give them back? Will the Chinese guy still send us new ones if the other guy doesn't give them back to him? Very stressed out.
Update:
2nd February 2011
Heard back from the supplier in China and from what I could understand (His English is a little broken, but can't blame the guy, I can't speak a worn of Mandarin) he says that they have had this problem in the past and how it works is they use a 3rd pary company to take their packages to DHL and then DHL send it, so the 3rd party guys must have made the mistake. This happened before and they stopped using that company as a result, but now it has happened again.
He says it shouldn't be to difficult to get hold of the stuff and get it sent to us, but it will take a while.
I really hope so. I'm still worried that some guy is playing on my Zpad or have taken the factory screen cover off (which I was planning to keep on, if it came with one), or even worse has sold it...
So no concrete progress, but things are looking up.
Update:
3rd February 2011
It's Chinese newyear now. So I wasn't expecting much progress today, and didn't get any. But the Chinese supplier told us he hasn't gotten the status of the parcel yet, but we should hold on to the wrong parcel we received and he will chase them up and try to get them exchanged.
Update:
4th February 2011
The supplier said that DHL are contacting the person who received our parcel and he will let us know the outcome.
Update:
18th March 2011
So, we still haven't heard from DHL, and our chinese contact hasn't contacted us since my last post. He is also no longer on the trading sites like alibaba, etc. So we think we have been swindled.
My friend here is going over to china in a few months, so he will probably see if he can find this guys, using private investigators and press charges against him (and maybe a fist or two).
My friend did take responsibility though, saying that it was his fault and he should have tested out his contact first.
He has found a more reliable contact and is waiting for a sale to go through, and then will try order it again, out of his pocket.
But I don't know if I still want the Zpad, with shipping, 3G and GPS, the tablet cost about R6500 here, which converted is about $900. Which is really expensive, but the cheapest I can get it at. I can get the Gtablet for R4313 ($600), buying through a local online business who buy from amazon.
But I don't know, there are many new tablets coming out now, so there is no longer the benefit of getting the only tegra 2 tablet, and getting use out of it before the big boys arrive. So I think I might as well look around, now that the Zpad is no longer on it's way.
I'm thinking about getting the Xoom WIFI instead when it comes out. My dad is going to Italy soon, and hopefully it will have released in Europe by then, so he can pick one up for me at a comparable price to the US $600. When it finally gets here it will be ridiculously expensive, I estimate the same price that I paid for the Zpad,($900). So if the Xoom is anything less than 650 Euros, Then I have saved money, buying a better tablet.
Then when my friend has managed to make some money back, he can refund me, rather than ordering me another one, and I will have money left over for accessories.
So, right now it is just a wait to see when the Xoom Wifi comes out in Europe, how much it will be, and if it releases before my dad gets there; sometime in May.
Yep, more waiting, but I'm happy to wait again, I feel I am getting a better deal now, and I feel more in control.
Update March 20th:
I have placed my order to get the Xoom Wifi with a local company, they will get it from the US as soon as it releases, so it will ship on the 28th/29th and I should get it in at most a week from then.
Update April 3rd:
My Xoom came yesterday, and WOW!!! It is amazing, it is an awesome resolution screen, great viewing angles, incredibly responsive, amazing battery life, has honeycomb.
The Zpad not coming was a blessing in disguise. I will still try get my money back for the Zpad from my friend to cover the cost of the Xoom, though.
Really , Really glad that I didn't get a Zpad in hindsight. I know that's a bit cheeky to say in the Gtab forum, but after waiting this long, I would want it to be perfect, and well neither tablet is perfect, but the Xoom is a lot closer.
So, this will be one of my last posts on the Gtab forum, I'll be living in the Xoom on from now.
Thanks so much for reading my story everyone.
I will update if this thread is still around and I get my money back from my friend, but otherwise that's it.
Cheers

wow, that really sucks.
I hope all works out and the Chinese supplier fixes his mistake and sends you your order.

Thats really bad. I think it's at the same level as my story at ebay... Sad.
Seems getting a zPad is just not as easy as we thought.

Ya, it is sad. But I'm optimistic. It might be a DHL mistake too, in which case they will have to fork out of it doesn't sort its self out.

Good luck getting it sorted out. I had ordered a low end DSLR Camera for my daughter for Christmas. It made it to within 15 miles of my house and then vanished at the FEDEX facility. By that point, everywhere was sold out of low end DSLR Camera, the original seller, Wal-Mart, was of no help other than sorry and refund my payment and I was left scrambling and finally had to fork over much more $$$ in order to not disappoint on Christmas morning.
The fact that you ended up with a package gives me hope. Perhaps it was just an address switch-a-roo and the other party will confess especially if he/she is contacted. The tough part is the start of the Chinese New Years which will bugger up all shipping from there for a month. Best of luck. The waiting is the hardest part.

anjenaire said:
Good luck getting it sorted out. I had ordered a low end DSLR Camera for my daughter for Christmas. It made it to within 15 miles of my house and then vanished at the FEDEX facility. By that point, everywhere was sold out of low end DSLR Camera, the original seller, Wal-Mart, was of no help other than sorry and refund my payment and I was left scrambling and finally had to fork over much more $$$ in order to not disappoint on Christmas morning.
The fact that you ended up with a package gives me hope. Perhaps it was just an address switch-a-roo and the other party will confess especially if he/she is contacted. The tough part is the start of the Chinese New Years which will bugger up all shipping from there for a month. Best of luck. The waiting is the hardest part.
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It's common for a lot of packages to go "missing" around Christmas time from UPS/FedEx and other carriers. I have had a few friends who have worked for FedEx and the stories they would tell convinced me to never order anything around Christmas time for delivery. At least you were able to get your money back

That's what I am hoping too. To track down whoever was supposed to get the one we got and ask them what they got instead, because they have to sign for it, so there will be a record of them receiving something... So we just have to find out if it was our stuff or not. Either way I'm sure they will be forced to return it...
We'll see what tomorrow brings.
Thanks for the moral support.

Did the Chinese supplier give your friend a tracking number? Does it match the DHL package you received? If it doesn't, then DHL is the one who messed up.
I hope everything turns out ok for you. I hate to hear stories like these. But I'm also an optimistic guy and I also give people the benefit of the doubt.

xmr405o said:
Did the Chinese supplier give your friend a tracking number? Does it match the DHL package you received?
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Ya he did give us the tracking number and we tracked it all the way from hongkong to my friends doorstep. The mix up may have been when the agents fetched the package from him.

Have updated the original post with the latest news.

Have updated the original post with the latest news.

Updated again:
18 March 2011

If you are paying with Paypal or Credit card, get it refunded by them ...

y2k-inc said:
If you are paying with Paypal or Credit card, get it refunded by them ...
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We transfered to him in china.
And we can't get hold of him to ask for refund.

From all accounts the Xoom is a better tablet.
I have a ZPad and am extremly happy with it and the community work on it (pershot et al).
If I was I am buying to day it would be a Xoom and in a months time perhaps an asus based perhaps 6moths after that what ever Malata has or who every has the fastest at the time.
One thing that seems to stand out about the ZPad is that as Malata seem to manufactuer for others and the ZPad is almost their andriod reference platform*, there is an openess that one may not get from Motorola.
*from Dmesg "Machine:NVIDA Harmony Development System"
Very few HW things in the IT industry stay the best for long, even more so with emerging product lines just look at how netbooks evolved from low end devices to dual core atoms and 6hrsplus batt life in less than 6 months.

That is how I feel too.
The xoom is currently the best, and that's what I'm paying for. It isn't as open as Zpad, but it works without as much tweaking (micro SD and Host USB aside). And to be honest, that's what I really want, something stable that Just works.
I have placed my order to get the Xoom Wifi with a local company, they will get it from the US as soon as it releases, so it will ship on the 28th/29th and I should get it in at most a week from then.
Very Excited!!!
Will keep you posted. Hopefully this is where the Drama will end.

I have update the OP(original post) with the conclusion to my story.
I'm still a few hundred dollars worth out of pocket but over the moon about the outcome regardless.
Cheers

canceled my gtablet order

I just canceled my order that I placed on woot.com because all this talk about the viewing angles and no market or honeycomb and I really like to have my devices ready fresh out the box so im just gunna wait for the Samsung 10.1 coming in june with its gorgeous display and slim design .I was having that feeling of buyers remorse after I ordered the gtablet lol

Those were the debates I had in my head when I was deciding whether to purchase the woot deal or not. You know what it came down to for me. The cheapest gtab with 16gb internal will be $499. $499-274.99=$224. That's practically 2 Gtabs for the price of one Samsung Galaxy Tab. Plus I will NEVER trust Samsung again when it comes to software. They have screwed me enough times and still are the slowest Android manufacturer at updating software.

juanzr1 said:
I just canceled my order that I placed on woot.com because all this talk about the viewing angles and no market or honeycomb and I really like to have my devices ready fresh out the box so im just gunna wait for the Samsung 10.1 coming in june with its gorgeous display and slim design .I was having that feeling of buyers remorse after I ordered the gtablet lol
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cool story

I no have any problem with the viewing angles. For me it is ok. And don't expect cheaper tablets unless the unknown brands... The Gtablet is one of the most versatile tablets, you can flash freely almost anything without brick it.
And of course always is gonna be a better deal around the corner, if you wait, but it can keep you waiting for life. I rather prefer live the present.
Just my 0.02 cents

Angles do not bother me at all. In fact, I was traveling this week and the guy next to me kept trying to see what I was doing and I was glad to know that he probably was having trouble.
I have not doubt somebody will figure out how to get Honeycomb on this thing, but right now, I am happy with it as it is with Vegan. My plan is to keep this for a year while HC gets its bugs worked out and the technology drops in price. Then I will buy a new one and give this to my kids who use it over 50% of the time anyways...

juanzr1 said:
I just canceled my order that I placed on woot.com because all this talk about the viewing angles and no market or honeycomb and I really like to have my devices ready fresh out the box so im just gunna wait for the Samsung 10.1 coming in june with its gorgeous display and slim design .I was having that feeling of buyers remorse after I ordered the gtablet lol
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*Honks the Nobody Cares Horn* *HONK!*

I'm about to return my 2nd gtab.
I picked up my first Viewsonic gTab from Tiger Direct in Canada. The battery wouldn't charge right out of the box. I ordered another one and sent the first one back. The second randomly loses power while on battery. I have to tap it in the right spot to get it back up again.
I think the build quality is suspect on these units. I'm going to wait for Xoom/Asus Transformer/Samsung...I have to be patient...I don't want to get sucked in to the iDarkside available in stores now.

If every device worked "out of the box" sites like XDA would not be around. XDA is here to help improve the out of box experience. if you don't do that what's the point of coming here?

donatom3 said:
Those were the debates I had in my head when I was deciding whether to purchase the woot deal or not. You know what it came down to for me. The cheapest gtab with 16gb internal will be $499. $499-274.99=$224. That's practically 2 Gtabs for the price of one Samsung Galaxy Tab. Plus I will NEVER trust Samsung again when it comes to software. They have screwed me enough times and still are the slowest Android manufacturer at updating software.
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And that's the same reason I ordered 2. And, if I knew then what I know now, I would have purchased the OP's for a total of 3.
Special thanks to the everyone working on the gTablet. I hope to pay them back somehow.

juanzr1 said:
I just canceled my order that I placed on woot.com because all this talk about the viewing angles and no market or honeycomb and I really like to have my devices ready fresh out the box so im just gunna wait for the Samsung 10.1 coming in june with its gorgeous display and slim design .I was having that feeling of buyers remorse after I ordered the gtablet lol
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if you think buying a samsung product will get you a great out of the box experience you are sadly mistaken. the samsung vibrant was pretty much useless and took forever to get the froyi update necessary to make it run at even reasonable speed. cannot compare apples and oranges - this is a 285 dollar tablet

Unmeritedfavour said:
I picked up my first Viewsonic gTab from Tiger Direct in Canada. The battery wouldn't charge right out of the box. I ordered another one and sent the first one back. The second randomly loses power while on battery. I have to tap it in the right spot to get it back up again.
I think the build quality is suspect on these units. I'm going to wait for Xoom/Asus Transformer/Samsung...I have to be patient...I don't want to get sucked in to the iDarkside available in stores now.
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Yea and I read in the thread somewhere that viewsonic didn't even make the device or something like that. Altough I know it is a great device for the price, I just don't want to settle for less when there's better tablets coming out in a couple of months

jhermit said:
Angles do not bother me at all. In fact, I was traveling this week and the guy next to me kept trying to see what I was doing and I was glad to know that he probably was having trouble.
I have not doubt somebody will figure out how to get Honeycomb on this thing, but right now, I am happy with it as it is with Vegan. My plan is to keep this for a year while HC gets its bugs worked out and the technology drops in price. Then I will buy a new one and give this to my kids who use it over 50% of the time anyways...
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Used the screen to your advantage huh lol nice,and yea I get you by christmas the xoom will probably be around 400$ and also lg tablets toshiba tablets and the rest of the bunch

For the price, I'll take the drawbacks. I just need to do a bit of reading to figure out how to tweak it once it arrives. Hopefully some of my experience with the DX will come in handy.

Samsung makes decent hardware (though my sig might suggest otherwise) but their software sucks. Go look at how stressed out the CM guys are trying to get CM on the SGS.
At $280 the gTab is in the toy category. If I paid $400+ I would expect the thing to work flawlessly.
To each his own really, for me the excitement around the gTab is that it is nearly 100% unlocked so tinkering with the thing will be super easy.
Even some of the complaints people have with the device with the newest patches are kids play compared to some of the crap I had to deal with on my SGS in order to make it work the way I wanted.

That ran through my head for about 5 seconds. Then I remembered that I have a Vibrant.
The hardware's fantastic, but the software it shipped with was garbage, and samsung clearly doesn't give a crap about showing the modders any love with releasing source. Don't get me wrong, I love my phone, but it's the combo of Samsung hardware and Team Whiskey software that makes it good.
Personally, I'm avoiding giving Samsung any more money (Android-wise) unless they start acting more like HTC (who mostly does well, I think) or something.

captain_fid said:
And that's the same reason I ordered 2. And, if I knew then what I know now, I would have purchased the OP's for a total of 3.
Special thanks to the everyone working on the gTablet. I hope to pay them back somehow.
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+1 bazillion.

Really if you have a personal preference like this, why even come on to a GTab forum and post something that you know will possibly start a flame war.
If you did not want to buy it because of what you hear great... for you!
Why do I care?

DroidHam said:
cool story
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Lol... I was thinking the same thing.
Sent from my HTC Glacier using Tapatalk

donatom3 said:
Those were the debates I had in my head when I was deciding whether to purchase the woot deal or not. You know what it came down to for me. The cheapest gtab with 16gb internal will be $499. $499-274.99=$224. That's practically 2 Gtabs for the price of one Samsung Galaxy Tab. Plus I will NEVER trust Samsung again when it comes to software. They have screwed me enough times and still are the slowest Android manufacturer at updating software.
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Man.....I know what you mean. I own an epic 4g (great phone) and they just now, finally released the Froyo update for it. Thank god for these forums.

Even with Buyers remorse why would you not sell the tablet for more on ebay or craiglist to make some extra cash???

Why is there so much hate towards the Shield ?

Why is there so much hate towards the Nvidia Shield ? I went to gamestop and see if they have any accessories and the rep replied, why would want to buy accessories ? The Shield is a piece of crap. It's not just the rep but other people have said the same thing. I bought my Shield two days ago and love it.

dia_naji said:
Why is there so much hate towards the Nvidia Shield ? I went to gamestop and see if they have any accessories and the rep replied, why would want to buy accessories ? The Shield is a piece of crap. It's not just the rep but other people have said the same thing. I bought my Shield two days ago and love it.
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It does have issue. Wait till the flex cables starts getting bad in another few months. The you can only use it while connected to HDMI. The flex cable is part of the LCD. So when the parts do become available they will be pricey.

So i bought a device for $200 just so it doesn't work in a few months ?

dia_naji said:
So i bought a device for $200 just so it doesn't work in a few months ?
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Some have been lucky and have not seen the issue. But others like myself, not so..
Here is a thread on the issue.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2511870
And another as well.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2620432
You might be one of the lucky ones. Seems to be split about 30% bad and 70% ok.

Why so much hate towards the iPhone when it first got out? Because it is a new, largely misunderstood product and those who call it crap typically never touched it.
The relevant thing about the SHIELD is that the vast majority of its owners seem to love it. The opinion of uninformed people doesn't matter.
Think also that Gamestop might not be very happy at the idea of a device for which you cannot come and buy games at their stores.
Solarenemy68 said:
You might be one of the lucky ones. Seems to be split about 30% bad and 70% ok.
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How do you come with that estimate?
If you have a problem with the flexi-cable, this is clearly a hardware defect and you should have your unit RMA'd. The feedback on NVIDIA's service has been very good so far.

Gnurou said:
Why so much hate towards the iPhone when it first got out? Because it is a new, largely misunderstood product and those who call it crap typically never touched it.
The relevant thing about the SHIELD is that the vast majority of its owners seem to love it. The opinion of uninformed people doesn't matter.
Think also that Gamestop might not be very happy at the idea of a device for which you cannot come and buy games at their stores.
How do you come with that estimate?
If you have a problem with the flexi-cable, this is clearly a hardware defect and you should have your unit RMA'd. The feedback on NVIDIA's service has been very good so far.
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Did you not even read any of the post I quoted? Based on the ones saying they have issue and the ones saying they do not it is about the split that I said it was. Also if you had read any of the post you would have seen that I bought the unit on Ebay under the impression it had a power problem which would be an easy fix. it however is not a power problem but a flex cable issue.
So since I bought used on ebay for 40 bucks, sending it in for repair or RMA is not an option. I will just wait till parts become available. Or throw it away and count a 40 dollar lose. No big deal for me unlike those who did spend 200+ on it.

Solarenemy68 said:
Did you not even read any of the post I quoted? Based on the ones saying they have issue and the ones saying they do not it is about the split that I said it was. Also if you had read any of the post you would have seen that I bought the unit on Ebay under the impression it had a power problem which would be an easy fix. it however is not a power problem but a flex cable issue.
So since I bought used on ebay for 40 bucks, sending it in for repair or RMA is not an option. I will just wait till parts become available. Or throw it away and count a 40 dollar lose. No big deal for me unlike those who did spend 200+ on it.
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Well I have read the posts and my answer was not specifically targeted at you, but first and foremost to the people who spent 200+ on it and specifically to the OP who was worried his unit could stop working after a few months.
It is possible that your unit is a pre-production one that was handed to developers. These are known to be of lesser build quality and had flexi-cable issues. The production units I own since launch do not show this issue so far and I am a quite heavy user.
Just wanted to point out that your estimate of failing units is anything but reliable, so hopefully people won't start making ideas based on it.

What's about those from Europe who get the white screen of death and try to RMA it, will Nvidia accept and repair it on warrenty?

I'd also have to go with the whole "The only people who hate on it are the ones who have never touched it" reason. I bought my Shield to replace my PSP and my HP Touchpad as an emulation/Android gaming device ~couple months ago and I've yet to regret the purchase. The main reason I didn't buy it when it was announced was because I thought the price was a bit too steep, but now that it's (still) $200 I think it's definitely worth it.

nex86 said:
What's about those from Europe who get the white screen of death and try to RMA it, will Nvidia accept and repair it on warrenty?
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As long as you have proof of purchase from the US or Canada then they must honor the warranty regardless of where you live. What they will do is stick you with shipping cost most likely both ways.

I unfortunately do not.
I bought it off a german seller, but maybe I can ask there.