This gtablet is f*ing awesome - G Tablet General

Followed the directions on this forum:
1. Installed clockworkmod
2. Flashed with TnT 3.00
3. Got full market to work
Started downloading apps.
This Tablet is awesome! I bought 12/2 and returned 12/4. Then followed this forum and the threads while I deciding on a new Tablet. Decided to try the Gtablet again and purchased again 12/18/10.
This thing blows away my friends' Ipads. Now, finally an Ipad killer.
Thank you to the great people on this forum. You guys are the best.

I miss my gtab
but I just couldn't get over how crappy the screen and view angle on it.
I think its hardware is amazing and the price is great on it too. Loved the long....LONG battery life too, but how can viewsonic have such a crappy screen and such low viewing angle?

I agree with ByBy. Picked my Gtab up on Sears Outlet and I've got TnT Lite running with Launcher Pro, Flash, and Market access and its awesome! Yah yah the screen isn't the best but if you hold it right it's fine, overall it's a great piece of hardware especially at a sub $300 price.
It's not quite an iPad killer but the open nature of Android really allows you to customize your experience and this is something iPad lacks. Couple that with the dual core Tegra2, Adobe Flash support, incredibly long battery life, and a webcam and this Tablet has the potential to be a serious competitor. We just need more support from Viewsonic(Kernel source and drivers), nVidia(GPU driver improvements), and Google(Honeycomb!).
Hopefully Viewsonic will release the kernel source as promised and we'll see even better speed optimizations and possibly even an OC capable kernel. I'm sure we'll continue to see more improvements with software and drivers as competitors begin to launch other Tegra2 tablets.
Cmon Viewsonic, release the source already!
Big thanks to the our local devs, the Fantastic Four, for making this tablet run the way it should have right out of the box!

pules said:
but I just couldn't get over how crappy the screen and view angle on it.
I think its hardware is amazing and the price is great on it too. Loved the long....LONG battery life too, but how can viewsonic have such a crappy screen and such low viewing angle?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The display is fine as long as you view from left, right or down. Viewing up to the the display is the problem. Though the viewing angle of the 101 is a little better (not a lot), the color depth of the Gtablet is far better than the 101.
For the $350 I paid, the display and total system ability is a solid purchase. Even at $400 it would be, considering the Tegra 2, USB host and 16gb internal storage.
added: Still, if the display had better angles- wow.

Thing is just so fast, it's making me really consider the elocity a7 over the Nook Color as my 7" complementary tablet even though I'm almost 100% certain that support from elocity won't be nearly as good as B&N support for the NC.
And as a secondary aside the display of the NC isn't swaying me enough against another Tegra 2 and "crappy" 800x480 screen...

Related

Archos 101 vs. G-Tab

Anyone have a hands on comparison? Initial reports were that the viewing angles were comparable. Now that everyone seems to have gotten their 101s, opinion is the angles are better on the 101. Anyone here have pros/cons on the two?
xguntherc had a GTab, and now has a 101 - we were chatting earlier today on IRC about it.
The viewing angles are better, but it might be because they flipped the screen. So, when you put it on your desk, you can see it better than the GTab.
roebeet said:
xguntherc had a GTab, and now has a 101 - we were chatting earlier today on IRC about it.
The viewing angles are better, but it might be because they flipped the screen. So, when you put it on your desk, you can see it better than the GTab.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
dammit i never caught that, turn the gpad upside down and the dam thing looks great laying flat.. son of a.. Why the hell would they do that?
wlawyer said:
dammit i never caught that, turn the gpad upside down and the dam thing looks great laying flat.. son of a.. Why the hell would they do that?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I never noticed as we have full 360/4 step rotation... I actually got used tp my ZT-180s with Button on top and cables coming out bottom as I usually had it plugged in to power and usb/adb... so out of habit that's how I've been holding the GTab except for some apps that refuse to rotate as well as launchers like LauncherPro and ADW... now turning the 'right' way up I can at least see what folks were talking about...
I was curious about this as well. I had been trying to decide between the two but broke down and ordered the G Tablet today. Hopefully I made the right decision.
Originally I heard the screens were the exact same model. Then everyone started getting their tabs on Archosfans.com and said the angles were better. Now that I know we can just turn it around if we need a greater angle.
Not to pile-on the Gtablet, but compared to the 101 8gb (not mine):
1. Display has better viewing angles and more touch responsive.
2. Lighter and comfortable to play accelerometer games with it.
3. Accelerometer works correctly (How Hard Is That Vs?)
4. Microsd seen in storage mode (HHITV?)
5. Microsd and USB drives hot-swappable (HHITV?)
6. USB harddrives (FAT32) actually work and also hot-swappable (HHITV?)
7. Uses 2.1 ATM, so no point in comparing performance. That said, Archos opted for basically an Android vanilla UI (HHITV?)
8. Droid X has 3630 and twice the ram, but is weak compared to the Gtablet for Flash, large CBR and PDF files and PSX gaming. Since the 101 has half the ram of the Droid X, my guess is the Archos 101 will be weaker than the Droid X for performance with 2.2.
Simple solution for me is in the future with the Archos "201" which has the Tegra 2 and 512mb ram Great chipset, but with MUCH better build and FW design effort.
Actually, Acer is apparently releasing a 10" Honeycomb tablet with Tegra 2 in early April.....
I initially chose the GTab over the 101 because it was released first. But, going on my experience with my 32, if I had to choose between the GTab/101 I would choose....
...the GTab. Reasons:
- Easy to root, easy to mod. The Archos, on the other hand, is locked down tight.
- APX mode is awesome. Virtually unbrickable.
- SEARS Outlet. One consumer's lack of knowledge is another one's gain.
- Hardware. Yes, the 101 has better support right now. But the Tegra 2 will eventually eat it for lunch. I think its just a matter of time. Flash, in particular, might be a big issue on a 256MB RAM device.
- Froyo. Archos will get to it eventually but they've already disappointed me with their release delays.
The GTab does have more than a few issues, which we all know. But other than the screen angles and h264 high profile support, these are potentially fixable.
Hardware wise, the Viewsonic beats the Archos. If you go to the official BenchmarkPhi website from the BenchmarkPhi app, you'll notice that there are at least two or three Viewsonic G-tablets in the top 10 fastest device list. I didn't see any Archos 101s. The Tegra 2 ARM chip can run is so powerful, we will soon be able to multi-boot Windows 7, Android, Linux, and even Mac OS X.
rushless said:
Not to pile-on the Gtablet, but compared to the 101 8gb (not mine):
1. Display has better viewing angles and more touch responsive.
2. Lighter and comfortable to play accelerometer games with it.
3. Accelerometer works correctly (How Hard Is That Vs?)
4. Microsd seen in storage mode (HHITV?)
5. Microsd and USB drives hot-swappable (HHITV?)
6. USB harddrives (FAT32) actually work and also hot-swappable (HHITV?)
7. Uses 2.1 ATM, so no point in comparing performance. That said, Archos opted for basically an Android vanilla UI (HHITV?)
8. Droid X has 3630 and twice the ram, but is weak compared to the Gtablet for Flash, large CBR and PDF files and PSX gaming. Since the 101 has half the ram of the Droid X, my guess is the Archos 101 will be weaker than the Droid X for performance with 2.2.
Simple solution for me is in the future with the Archos "201" which has the Tegra 2 and 512mb ram Great chipset, but with MUCH better build and FW design effort.
Actually, Acer is apparently releasing a 10" Honeycomb tablet with Tegra 2 in early April.....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Agreed on all counts, but, for tinkers on the forums... most is all fixable.
roebeet said:
I initially chose the GTab over the 101 because it was released first. But, going on my experience with my 32, if I had to choose between the GTab/101 I would choose....
...the GTab. Reasons:
- Easy to root, easy to mod. The Archos, on the other hand, is locked down tight.
- APX mode is awesome. Virtually unbrickable.
- SEARS Outlet. One consumer's lack of knowledge is another one's gain.
- Hardware. Yes, the 101 has better support right now. But the Tegra 2 will eventually eat it for lunch. I think its just a matter of time. Flash, in particular, might be a big issue on a 256MB RAM device.
- Froyo. Archos will get to it eventually but they've already disappointed me with their release delays.
The GTab does have more than a few issues, which we all know. But other than the screen angles and h264 high profile support, these are potentially fixable.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yep, gotta go with Roebeet. nVidia's Tegra2 just puts the smackdown on other available tablets ATM. Plus I think that with flash 256MB of DRAM is going to get a bit cramped, and might offer some difficulties in attempts to upgrade the OS past 2.2.
Software and video playback on the Archos are better ATM, but that seems to me to be exactly what Archos pushes their tablets as: multi-media devices primarily that also happen to be able to function as a tablet. (Sort of like Nook Color, Pandigital Novel, etc. are setup as ereaders w/color screens that also have some extra functionality although in these cases they tend to come with more customized UI making them "look" more like a reader device while Archo left theirs looking like Android, and let's not even talk about TnT... too lengthy for me to go into here.)
Anyways, so far out of Augen Gentouch78, White Pandigital Novel, and gTablet, the gTablet is the ONLY one that I've felt that good about OOB. It is just plain faster and more responsive by FAR than the other two and this is with stock TnT 1.01... (yep, I'm still on stock ATM)
Having owned both the G-Tablet and Archos 101 and doing reviews for both of them at MyTabletLife.com out of the box the Archos 101 wins by far.
With the Archos you get a very capable fast device with the familiar Android interface. Yes with Android 2.1 you cant compare some things, but I think the Archos will only improve with 2.2. My Droid 1 with 256MB or RAM and 600Mhz does just fine with Adobe Flash etc,so I would have to think that the Archos 101 with 1Ghz will be very capable of handling it well.
Viewing angles are much better then the G-Tablet. Though not as good as Galaxy Tab by any means. Neither is the brightness or clarity of the screen.
The Archos 101 is incredibly thin and light which I very much enjoy. I however did like the solid feel of the G-Tablet. Both tablets are well built and I would give a slight edge to the G-Tablet.
Overall expandability and longevity obviously go to the G-Tablet. The development community has worked fast on the G-Tablet and I am unsure if the Archos will have this as Archos had made it difficult in the past.
Right now the G-Tablet is 399 and the Archos 101 8GB is 299,so there is a hundred dollar price difference. I think both devices will be somewhat out of date in just 6 months, so its all about what you want now.....
Thin,light,works great out of box with great media features...
or
Powerful, needs to be tinkered with, good development..
CPG
MyTabletLife.com
Thanks for your detailed report! I have had no experience with the Archos -- I can't find one! -- but I'm no surprised that it would be better OOB. But thanks to roebeet et al the g-tablet is now very useable.
One question about viewing angle:
cpg716 said:
Viewing angles are much better then the G-Tablet. Though not as good as Galaxy Tab by any means. Neither is the brightness or clarity of the screen.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Have you tried to compare the screen of archos 101 with that of the g-tablet, with the latter **turned 180 degree** around (in landscape)? This was mentioned in one of the threads, and to my untrained eyes it makes a hugh difference -- not ipad good, but very useable. Have you tried that?
We still have the harsh reality that basic things that should work, do not on the Gtablet, but work smooth as butta' on the 101:
1. Accelerometer
2. Hotswap of microsd & USB thumbdrives & hard drives
3. Hard drives (fat23) do not appear to work with the Gtablet
4. Microsd not seen in USB storage mode (should be two logical drives- not just the internal).
5. Bluetooth input devices do not appear to work with TnT.
As far as bad things with the 101, not sure I agree with the 256mb ram not being a constraint (how would it not be?), unless you manage tasks with task manager to help out. Setting system apps to exclude and killing third party app should help.
The one issue that bugs me with the 101 is the soft buttons. They get in the way of apps and no practical way for devs to account for them. Either Archos comes up with a way for them to only pop up when needed, or apps will always be cut off and some soft button controls on some apps are not accessible.
case-sensitive said:
Thanks for your detailed report! I have had no experience with the Archos -- I can't find one! -- but I'm no surprised that it would be better OOB. But thanks to roebeet et al the g-tablet is now very useable.
One question about viewing angle:
Have you tried to compare the screen of archos 101 with that of the g-tablet, with the latter **turned 180 degree** around (in landscape)? This was mentioned in one of the threads, and to my untrained eyes it makes a hugh difference -- not ipad good, but very useable. Have you tried that?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i've been doing this and there is a big difference. i was sitting in a fixed position at my chair with the g on my desk. just by spinning the g upside down then back around you can tell a major difference. i haven't been able to watch movies this way yet.
do you have a fix for the not rec the SD card and you tube playback
wlawyer said:
dammit i never caught that, turn the gpad upside down and the dam thing looks great laying flat.. son of a.. Why the hell would they do that?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wait......correct me if I m wrong, but your saying take the gtab apart, flip the screen, and we'll have better viewing angles??????
Sent from my G-tab using Tapatalk
Kov695 said:
Wait......correct me if I m wrong, but your saying take the gtab apart, flip the screen, and we'll have better viewing angles??????
Sent from my G-tab using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
NO TAKING ANYTHING APART -- in landscape mode, just turn your g-tablet around so that the thinner bezel (the one with the camera) faces "down" (i.e. closer to your body).
It means a huge difference in terms of viewing angle. I claim no credit; I found out about this in a recent post but I don't remember where
The Poseidon Adventure move works- better angles. So let us see:
1. No hotswap
2. No USB storage for microsd
3. Accelerometer screwed up
4. LCD panel mounted upside down in relation to standard viewing angles.
Okeedokee
cutterjohn said:
Yep, gotta go with Roebeet. nVidia's Tegra2 just puts the smackdown on other available tablets ATM. Plus I think that with flash 256MB of DRAM is going to get a bit cramped, and might offer some difficulties in attempts to upgrade the OS past 2.2.
Software and video playback on the Archos are better ATM, but that seems to me to be exactly what Archos pushes their tablets as: multi-media devices primarily that also happen to be able to function as a tablet. (Sort of like Nook Color, Pandigital Novel, etc. are setup as ereaders w/color screens that also have some extra functionality although in these cases they tend to come with more customized UI making them "look" more like a reader device while Archo left theirs looking like Android, and let's not even talk about TnT... too lengthy for me to go into here.)
Anyways, so far out of Augen Gentouch78, White Pandigital Novel, and gTablet, the gTablet is the ONLY one that I've felt that good about OOB. It is just plain faster and more responsive by FAR than the other two and this is with stock TnT 1.01... (yep, I'm still on stock ATM)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Jeepers! If you like the G now, update to TnT Lite 2.0, do the market fix and install the Nvidia patch, you will go into "like" over-drive.
The other issues are too much for me. At least as far as paying $400. get down to $300 and I can put up with more issues.... Assuming they get fixed at some point.

[Q] quiz: why did you return your g-tablet?

I got my g-tablet from Sears on November 2 and returned it to the store yesterday. I told them it does not have flash as stated on the box and the display is of very poor quality. I got full refund.
Why did I return it?
- Nvidia quality sucks: I had dead laptop, because of defective nvidia chip. If you don't believe it check this: Apple, Dell and HP got a class action suit against Nvidia: www nvidiasettlement com. OpenGL drivers are full of bugs they may have fixed Angry Birds, but there are plenty other bugs I'm sure.
- Nvidia does not conform to standards. No NEON instructions in Tegra. They try to play their desktop video card game, by providing custom APIs and making their applications incompatible with other ARM CPUs. So far it is the opposite - applications that run good on every other Cortex A8, does not play on Tegra.
- Nvidia keep their specs closed. I tried to get information on how to hook a hardware JTAG debugger, but all specs are opened only for partners.
- The device has the worst display I've seen. In portrait mode it gives me distorted colors even when looked at 90 degrees angle.
- The device is made by Malata and not Viewsonic. There is no track history for this company and I don't want to risk my money with unknown hardware quality (software we all know sucks)
For all folks expecting Notion Ink Adam: I'm sorry but this is going to be the same crap. Notion Ink has no proven record (neither Pixel Qi),combined with a low quality Nvidia chip, this is going to hurt.
I'm going to wait for the upcoming Acer tablet with a 10-inch screen that will run a Qualcomm dual-core 1 Ghz processor (produced on the new 28nm technology, supports out of order execution).
One good word about the G-tablet: the apx mode allows you to flash any OS, but the tablet has only 512MB internal Flash, which is not enough for dual boot.
My perfect tablet needs to be a laptop replacement: that means dual boot Android/Gentoo Linux, ability to boot every other ARM OS(windows phone,etc) from a sdcard. Also it has to have a case with keyboard and mouse pad (to be used as laptop when needed).
The TnT interface shows how clueless are Viewsonic about what the people actually need.
I bought mine about 3 days ago.. and I'm returning it today because of the poor viewing angles on the screen.. and also because of the laggy ui.. even with custom roms
edit: changed my mind and I'm going to keep mine for a while. there's a lot of great work being done with custom roms that might fix the lagginess. looking forward to notion inks announcement on december 9th!
i have had mine for about a week, the only way i'm returning it is if something better comes out within my 30 day window. it certainly does have flaws but i'm gonna give it more of a chance.
I am keeping mine because I am running Android 2.2 which doesn't take advantage of the dual-core processor, and because it is more of an accessory than a laptop replacement for me. This is definitely a hacker's unit more than an out-of-the-box laptop replacement.
-=Sent from my ViewSonic G Tablet using Tapatalk=-
To get a better one
Sent from my HTC Vision using XDA App
Keeping mine. Roebeet has been working hard to make this tablet worth something. I have no compaints with this device while running tnt lite other than the screen viewing angles. Even still, 9 times out of 10, im holding my device right in front of me so viewing angles are not as big of factor. This device is really just ahead of its time. The hardware is there, just the operating system is yet to be optimized for a 10 inch tablet with a tegra 2 processor. Roebeets tnt lite is just a sneak peak at what this thing is capable of. Once there is a 100% stock android it will run even faster, or even android 3.0. With this thing being completely open, its only a matter of time. This is a hackers paradise. Its so new that not everyone was able to get their hands on it yet. Give this thing time, i think you will be suprised what this thing can do and regret returning it.
I'm keeping mine. With a good bit of modding its actually nice to use. The screen angles are pretty bad in good lighting but is fine in low light situations. So I just use it in landscape in good light areas. Aside from the screen and sadly the TnT software this Malta pad is great. It even has a potential to be a beast as new products are released and Tegra 2 support becomes stronger.
Anything we get until Feb of next year is going to be a bit of a mess. All the top tier companies who only want to release a 100% consumer friendly product are holding off for Honeycomb. The current releases are either mid tier companies hungry for market share, bottom of the barrel companies releasing crap, and start ups like Adam using time as an opportunity.
We're on the bleeding edge and it shows. Likely the only company thats going to put in the effort needed to make this a good experience is Adam. They're a new company with something to prove. That said, I wouldn't be surprised if the their tab ends up going for $600 and still selling well.
Bottom line: If you can put up with the viewing angles and 1 reboot a day this is a decent deal. Especially if you got it for $280 like I did .
Keeping mine and bought up Sears stock for today's sale, sorry about that anyone who shops near me. These rock after being loaded up correctly
No way I'm taking my back. After flashing to TnT Lite 2.02 it's a keeper. Now if I could only get wireless tethering to work it would be golden.
does this question really belong in development?
switt said:
Bottom line: If you can put up with the viewing angles and 1 reboot a day this is a decent deal. Especially if you got it for $280 like I did .
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
For $280 this tablet is a steal. There is no doubt in my mind that I would keep this tablet at that price.
However, at $417 after tax I'm on the fence about keeping this tablet. Performance wise, I can't complain. It's easily the fastest tablet on the market right now. After loading up TnT Lite with flash, this tablet is amazing. It's so much fun surfing the web. Battery life is great, this thing sips power.
but the screen, OMG the screen. It's just bad. I don't know any other way to say it. In portrait mode, it's usable but you can tell the image looks different at the top than it does at the bottom. I've found that there is really only one way to hold the tablet to get a good view and that is directly infront of you slightly below eye level.
linckraker said:
does this question really belong in development?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That was my question also, but I decided not to comment as I had assumed that a mod would've moved it to general by now.
Anyways ATM I'm keeping it. My primary reason for returning it would be driven by the form factor, as I REALLY MUCH prefer 7" for tablets. Just more portable and better for reading fiction, which means IF I keep that I'll also want a complementary 7" tablet. I just find 10" to be unwieldly.
As secondary reasons I would point out the absence of various features advertised on the box itself.
Just wish that a 7" Tegra2 would come out... I'd be all over it.
Where do i get one for $280
switt said:
I'm keeping mine. With a good bit of modding its actually nice to use. The screen angles are pretty bad in good lighting but is fine in low light situations. So I just use it in landscape in good light areas. Aside from the screen and sadly the TnT software this Malta pad is great. It even has a potential to be a beast as new products are released and Tegra 2 support becomes stronger.
Anything we get until Feb of next year is going to be a bit of a mess. All the top tier companies who only want to release a 100% consumer friendly product are holding off for Honeycomb. The current releases are either mid tier companies hungry for market share, bottom of the barrel companies releasing crap, and start ups like Adam using time as an opportunity.
We're on the bleeding edge and it shows. Likely the only company thats going to put in the effort needed to make this a good experience is Adam. They're a new company with something to prove. That said, I wouldn't be surprised if the their tab ends up going for $600 and still selling well.
Bottom line: If you can put up with the viewing angles and 1 reboot a day this is a decent deal. Especially if you got it for $280 like I did .
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Where do i get one for 280$, see them at staples for 399$?
acuralegendz said:
Where do i get one for 280$, see them at staples for 399$?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
some sears outlet stores have refurbs for 279
I think the problem with the question of "why did you return it" is that the people who did return it are probably not scanning this forum anymore.
I've been scanning the negative comments (which are mostly valid crticisms, I might add), and I've compiled a list in my head:
- The crappy UI
- The crappy UI (important enough to be mentioned twice)
- The viewing angles, especially when watching while laying on a desk. (btw, flip the device around, so that the camera is on the bottom, and you can get around that).
- No official Flash yet, even though the darn icon is on the box.
- App compatibility issues, in particular the g-sensor issue in games.
- Lack of h264 high profile playback support (this is a Tegra 2 hardware limitation, btw).
- Performance, even with the UI mods. That seems to be more of an Android limitation, given that dual core is not being exploited.
- Lack of HDMI given that there's no dock, and a lack of accessories like a case.
- The bang-for-the-buck.
The last one is important because I have seen more than few posts from people returning the item who mentioned that they might have kept it of were $300, or if they could snag a $279 outlet device. It's not that the device is "bad", but more that you didn't want to break the bank for a device that is really not fully optimized yet. And I can understand that 100%.
roebeet said:
I think the problem with the question of "why did you return it" is that the people who did return it are probably not scanning this forum anymore.
I've been scanning the negative comments (which are mostly valid crticisms, I might add), and I've compiled a list in my head:
- The crappy UI
- The crappy UI (important enough to be mentioned twice)
- The viewing angles, especially when watching while laying on a desk. (btw, flip the device around, so that the camera is on the bottom, and you can get around that).
- No official Flash yet, even though the darn icon is on the box.
- App compatibility issues, in particular the g-sensor issue in games.
- Lack of h264 high profile playback support (this is a Tegra 2 hardware limitation, btw).
- Performance, even with the UI mods. That seems to be more of an Android limitation, given that dual core is not being exploited.
- Lack of HDMI given that there's no dock, and a lack of accessories like a case.
- The bang-for-the-buck.
The last one is important because I have seen more than few posts from people returning the item who mentioned that they might have kept it of were $300, or if they could snag a $279 outlet device. It's not that the device is "bad", but more that you didn't want to break the bank for a device that is really not fully optimized yet. And I can understand that 100%.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm FIRMLY in the $300 camp as BOTH Staples & Sears had the gTab right next to a $299 and $249 Atom based netbooks(ASUS, Acer, Toshiba and something else...). Kind of a smack in the face to be asked to pay $400 for a less functional device, although I can kind of understand part of the reason being that the Tegra2 SoC isn't quite as cheap as ALL of the other SoCs. $400 still just seems like a hype price to me, and I do feel kind of ripped... would feel better IF it had a better camera(maybe 2) and GPS builtin... ...and if I had any REAL expectations of longterm VS support and OS upgrades, e.g. next Android version...
Yes, and I'd have to add viewing angles to my list of possible return reasons from using it a bit last night(in bed) with some sideloaded apps that forced portrait mode...
gturnersr said:
I got my g-tablet from Sears on November 2 and returned it to the store yesterday. I told them it does not have flash as stated on the box and the display is of very poor quality. I got full refund.
Why did I return it?
- Nvidia quality sucks: I had dead laptop, because of defective nvidia chip. If you don't believe it check this: Apple, Dell and HP got a class action suit against Nvidia: www nvidiasettlement com. OpenGL drivers are full of bugs they may have fixed Angry Birds, but there are plenty other bugs I'm sure.
- Nvidia does not conform to standards. No NEON instructions in Tegra. They try to play their desktop video card game, by providing custom APIs and making their applications incompatible with other ARM CPUs. So far it is the opposite - applications that run good on every other Cortex A8, does not play on Tegra.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wow, glad you were given an opportunity to complain about NVidia.... The class action suit you're referring to was in reality a problem of the OEM which NVidia and most OEMs covered completely. My Dell laptop at work died and was replaced with a newer model in ONE WEEK. Two year old information = FUD.
I returned mine after about 2 weeks. Didn't work well out of the box and wanted something with smaller screen. I went ahead and got the Galaxy Tab instead.
But I will be checking out the Sears Outlet for the blackfriday returns to play around with it.
Because of touch screen
I got my g tablet from Sears the day before Thanksgiving and had a lot of time to play with it. I had gotten to market to work and installed several apps and had even gotten used to the stock UI. But I am extremely disappointed in the responsiveness of the touch screen. There are time you have to press very hard on the icon to open a program. And typing is a chore. Unless there is something you have to do to calibrate the screen I will be returning it Monday. Also, I thought I read that it came with a temporary plastic film over the screen, but mine did not. There was a foam protector attached to the inside of the box.
Is there anything I can do to increase the sensitivity of the touch screen? I would love to keep it - but not with the way the touch screen is working (or NOT WORKING)
cutterjohn said:
I'm FIRMLY in the $300 camp as BOTH Staples & Sears had the gTab right next to a $299 and $249 Atom based netbooks(ASUS, Acer, Toshiba and something else...). Kind of a smack in the face to be asked to pay $400 for a less functional device, although I can kind of understand part of the reason being that the Tegra2 SoC isn't quite as cheap as ALL of the other SoCs. $400 still just seems like a hype price to me, and I do feel kind of ripped... would feel better IF it had a better camera(maybe 2) and GPS builtin... ...and if I had any REAL expectations of longterm VS support and OS upgrades, e.g. next Android version...
Yes, and I'd have to add viewing angles to my list of possible return reasons from using it a bit last night(in bed) with some sideloaded apps that forced portrait mode...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Tegra 2 is in the starting point of it's cost curve, so about $75 of the price is cost and correlating profit margin, since companies are not going to scale to their cost
You will find that the newer Tegra 2 devices in Q1 & Q2 2011 will all be around $500, since you will then also be paying for better displays and brand names too
The display on this device is how they were able to put a Tegra 2 in it -cost balancing. Ironically, if the OEM would have rotated the display 180 degrees when building them, it would not be an issue. Display looks as good as the Archos 101- when upside down

[Q] viewsonic gtab or elocity a7

I plan on modding both of them heavily. Which is the better option. The thing is I hate the tap tap on the view sonic.
If you are going to flash the Roman on the viewsonic then you don't have to worry about the tapntap. Get the viewsonic, more memory....bigger screen.
What is roman? Do you mean rom? And also what rom do you guys recommend that looks the most like stock android?
Oops I meant rom (I blame autocorrect). Lots of people are using vegan or tntlite. I'm rocking tntlite.
Oh alright cool! And does it actually look like android? Nofication bar and all? Also is there a lock screen?
Oh alright cool! And do these roms actually look like android? Is there an unlock screen, cause I've heard there isn't.
I just read an article about the A7, and besides the memory, they claimed that it wasn't true multitouch...
Jim
binsky3333 said:
Oh alright cool! And do these roms actually look like android? Is there an unlock screen, cause I've heard there isn't.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
VegaN has the default lock screen and yes... has notification bar.... some goodies that add buttons to it... but basically last beta was so fast and smooth I never went back to TnTLite...
Alright cool! I bought a elocity A7 lastnite! I think i am going to return it an instead pick one of these up from my local sears!
Viewsonic for now has more support here but has been out 6 weeks or more. The Elocity just came out so I think in time modding will be a wash. Depends u want bigger screen with worse viewi g angles or smaller screen that has less ram but is less expensive so can get bigger sd card. Out of the box ui and flash is better on Elocity.
As far as moding goes, the gtab would probably be the easiest with its lack of bootloader security.
An far an use goes, the 10 inch is better for browsing and every day use. The 7 inch is more portable for carrying around.
I have a gtab and an archos 70, and that is my thoughts on the two form factors. Basically the 10 inch is better for general use and the 7 inch is better if portability is the main priority.
Marine6680 said:
As far as moding goes, the gtab would probably be the easiest with its lack of bootloader security.
An far an use goes, the 10 inch is better for browsing and every day use. The 7 inch is more portable for carrying around.
I have a gtab and an archos 70, and that is my thoughts on the two form factors. Basically the 10 inch is better for general use and the 7 inch is better if portability is the main priority.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Elocity apparently comes rooted so it will be modders dream if we can get someone like Roebeet or Rothnic on it
WoW Elocity seems great
Where are you getting the Elocity from and what is the price.. I may look into it. sounds like a killer device.. .
Google is your friend
Its on amazon.
It's certainly an interesting looking device. I'd love to see one in person so I could play with it a bit. I've had and returned a couple of 7" tablets and the form factor was pretty nice and portable, it was always the processor that was lacking so this would seem to fix that issue for me. For the price it certainly has a nice feature set though, and it's pretty tempting.
I have both the Elocity A7 and Viewsonic G Tablet. I will have to say, my preference leans towards a smaller screen. I currently have the EVO and for light reading, etc the A7 did it for me. It already came rooted however, as it's mentioned earlier, the hack community for this tablet is VERY small - if it even exist at all. For that reason alone, I decided to focus on my Viewsonic.
I finally flashed it with TnT Lite on my Viewsonic and it has been a godsend. I hate saying this and I've defended argument about how the Android market access doesn't "make or break" a tablet but in this case, I am returning my Elocity A7 due to the lack of "hacks" and ability to gain access to the Android market. I am sure that in a few weeks/months, the Elocity A7 will have access to the market through a flash, etc but I personally cannot wait that long considering that I only have a limited time before I'm "outside" of their return policy.
Additionally, the Elocity A7 is somewhat "buggy". Not sure why but coming out of standby, the tablet is VERY slow - almost to the point where you can't use it and just wait for a little bit. Also, the power/standby button and the tablet's reaction time to come out of standby or go into standby is heavily delayed. I'm talking a good 4-6 seconds here. That's not acceptable.
It's also not true multi-touch and this is what broke the camel's back on my end. There's pinch to zoom on the browser but even that is buggy. You zoom in and it "over zooms" so it's basically useless for that purpose. I've tested the multitouch function through the multitouch app and it only recognizes one finger. With the awesome hardware it has, I'm not sure why the company decided on a one-finger capacitative screen. That just boggles my mind.
Viewsonic is by no means exempt from bugs as well. Why does the tablet come out of standby when I press the home key? Isn't that what the standby/power button is for? The sound: apparently you need it to be at the max to hear anything. Not but not least (and this is probably what the "defect" is), the screen. Viewsonic is known for making awesome monitors, right? Um. Yea.
But all in all, the Elocity is going back and I'm keeping the ViewSonic. I'm not 100% happy with what I have but with the support it has from the XDA community, I feel more "secure" keeping this product for the long-term (I'm sure I meant short term, but I you know what I mean).
Edit: Oh yea...BTW, the battery life difference between the A7 and G Tablet is NIGHT and DAY. While the A7 battery is slightly better than that of say, an Android smartphone, the Viewsonic battery life is absolutely phenomenal. I actually sat down one day for a good (ashamed to admit) 3 hours straight using this thing. One hour, I streamed Pandora while loading RSS feeds and playing Angry Birds for a good 1.5 to 2 hours and I was at 80% battery life! You cannot beat that.
I had the Viewsonic G Tablet and it took it back due to the defect scare. maybe i will go back and pick it up. I don't know.. however i need a tablet before christmas and the adam from notion ink is nowhere to be found. Can anyone assist me... I am not going to bother with the elocity... so I guess I need to choose between the Nook color, the archos 101 and the Viewsonic G tablet. I will use it ot read books, magazines, ocassional games.. web browsing, and whatever else I can think up. I usually get my devices and mod all of em. Please help.. the local sears has 5 in stock... however they have about 9 of them at the clearance outlet for a cheaper price...
chiliu78 said:
I have both the Elocity A7 and Viewsonic G Tablet. I will have to say, my preference leans towards a smaller screen. I currently have the EVO and for light reading, etc the A7 did it for me. It already came rooted however, as it's mentioned earlier, the hack community for this tablet is VERY small - if it even exist at all. For that reason alone, I decided to focus on my Viewsonic.
I finally flashed it with TnT Lite on my Viewsonic and it has been a godsend. I hate saying this and I've defended argument about how the Android market access doesn't "make or break" a tablet but in this case, I am returning my Elocity A7 due to the lack of "hacks" and ability to gain access to the Android market. I am sure that in a few weeks/months, the Elocity A7 will have access to the market through a flash, etc but I personally cannot wait that long considering that I only have a limited time before I'm "outside" of their return policy.
Additionally, the Elocity A7 is somewhat "buggy". Not sure why but coming out of standby, the tablet is VERY slow - almost to the point where you can't use it and just wait for a little bit. Also, the power/standby button and the tablet's reaction time to come out of standby or go into standby is heavily delayed. I'm talking a good 4-6 seconds here. That's not acceptable.
It's also not true multi-touch and this is what broke the camel's back on my end. There's pinch to zoom on the browser but even that is buggy. You zoom in and it "over zooms" so it's basically useless for that purpose. I've tested the multitouch function through the multitouch app and it only recognizes one finger. With the awesome hardware it has, I'm not sure why the company decided on a one-finger capacitative screen. That just boggles my mind.
Viewsonic is by no means exempt from bugs as well. Why does the tablet come out of standby when I press the home key? Isn't that what the standby/power button is for? The sound: apparently you need it to be at the max to hear anything. Not but not least (and this is probably what the "defect" is), the screen. Viewsonic is known for making awesome monitors, right? Um. Yea.
But all in all, the Elocity is going back and I'm keeping the ViewSonic. I'm not 100% happy with what I have but with the support it has from the XDA community, I feel more "secure" keeping this product for the long-term (I'm sure I meant short term, but I you know what I mean).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have both as well. This post is spot on, 100% in line with how I feel. Honestly, the answer is neither. I'm going to return both devices. The dealbreaker for the gtablet is the horrible screen viewing angles. The dealbreaker for the A7 is the lack of multitouch (and the low screen resolution). I'm keeping my fingers crossed that something worthy of my dollars will be released during CES.
l3iggs said:
I have both as well. This post is spot on, 100% in line with how I feel. Honestly, the answer is neither. I'm going to return both devices. The dealbreaker for the gtablet is the horrible screen viewing angles. The dealbreaker for the A7 is the lack of multitouch (and the low screen resolution). I'm keeping my fingers crossed that something worthy of my dollars will be released during CES.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
And I'll tell you what that is cause I'll be going to CES this year! Sorry. I had to brag a little.
alynch75 said:
Where are you getting the Elocity from and what is the price.. I may look into it. sounds like a killer device.. .
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Bj's was running a sale last week for 299$ plus shipping
Amazon has it for 349$

Why G-Tablet seems to be losing steam..

New eLocity Tablet:
NVIDIA Tegra 2 T250, 1GHz, 1MB L2 Cache
•Android 3.0 (Honeycomb) ** When available (2.2 on release)
•DDR2 512 MB, 667MHz RAM
•10.1″ IPS Multi Touch 1366×768
•4GB – 256GB Flash Memory
•1.0W Stereo Speakers
•3MP Front Facing CMOS Cam
•Analog Microphone
•Haptic Feedback
•3.5mm Stereo Headphone Output
•802.11b/g/n w/Internal Antenna
•Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR
•3G &3.5G Options w/GPS
•1 x USB 2.0 Host
•1 x Micro USB
•1 x Micro SD Card Slot (Up to 32GB)
•HDMI Output (1080P)
•Docking Port
•3-Axis Accelerometer, Ambient Light Sensor, Vibrate Mode.
Ships in a few weeks.. starts at $449
http://www.mytabletlife.com/2011/01/15/video-elocity-a10-ces-2011/
Not too shabby...
Nice catch.....IPS YES!!!!
These tablets remind me of Blackberry phones. They're all different, yet they're all the same. You have a Curve,Bold,etc..one or two things may be different, other than that, you can't tell them apart. Perfectly fine with my GTab, until something really major is brought to the table.
Aside from the better screen I can't see a good reason to ditch my g tablet.
Sent from my VEGAn-TAB-v1.0.0B5.1 using Tapatalk
well as someone that was planning on buying on g-tablet i was waiting for nice screen to show up
but with someone already coming up with this yeah im getting this instead...
kxs783kms said:
These tablets remind me of Blackberry phones. They're all different, yet they're all the same. You have a Curve,Bold,etc..one or two things may be different, other than that, you can't tell them apart. Perfectly fine with my GTab, until something really major is brought to the table.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Big ditto!
Colour me surprised if they can actually deliver all that and still keep that price point...
With the 3G/3.5G + GPS Option included I don't expect it to stay @ $449
I got my gTablet because it was a great value for the cost...I still think it was a great deal...
Will be nice to compare how this tablet measures up once it is released and we have a better idea on the real cost...
Thanks for the link!
Couldn't really tell from that video, but are the viewing angles any better on that screen? If they are, maybe a replacement screen for the Gtab is in our near future. ;-)
Sent from my VEGAn-TAB-v1.0.0B5.1 using Tapatalk
No offense, but the OP is pure conjecture, considering that device has not released yet. How can the G lose steam to a device not even out or (until now) made notice of?
That same premise could be used for several other devices coming out, as you could for any device "losing steam". I would say sucky out of box experience lost the steam for the G for most but modders.
Not to mention this device still has to actually ship in a few weeks and at $450. Not to mention mod support. G is already locked in for that.
I will take my $350 G with 13gb of extra space and proven mod community ANY day over that. Unless Webtop is being used, 1gb is is yet to prove a big difference maker for speed. Webtop needs 1gb ram just to not choke the system down. Seriously.
I am in total agreement with rushless. Our gTabs are a piece of electronics. And like all electronics there is a never-ending march of newer and "better" models on the horizon. Personally, at this moment in time, I can't think of a better tablet for me.
Thanks to the efforts of the gtab-devs here I have been thoroughly enjoying this tablet for the last month. This tablet was the perfect mix of price, performance, and the right amount of support from the xda community.
I wish nothing but the best for the OP and hopefully he enjoys the tablet he ends up with as much as I enjoy my gTab.
IPS screen is the only thing (if true) that would be of interest to me.
I will wait and see what the final specs are - I for one hope that this is true, and that we find this at some B&M stores to try out.
As much as I would like a better screen, the Gtablets' will do for me till there is an option with a minimum 720P (1280x720, 1280x800 or 13##x768 ) screen, posibly IPS, with a tablet optimized OS ( Honeycomb ); oh, and resonably priced. Think I might be waiting a while. Well I did buy a second one in December so I'd stop haveing mine taken by the familly to play 'Angry Birds'.
This post cracks me up..you want to play the waiting game? go ahead...shortly after you buy the next great thing something better will be out. I myself was going to wait but i'm tired of waiting. I have a gtablet and i am very happy with it.
TeutonicWolf said:
Colour me surprised if they can actually deliver all that and still keep that price point...
With the 3G/3.5G + GPS Option included I don't expect it to stay @ $449
I got my gTablet because it was a great value for the cost...I still think it was a great deal...
Will be nice to compare how this tablet measures up once it is released and we have a better idea on the real cost...
Thanks for the link!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is a 10" version of their current 7" device. The specs seem smack talk at $450, due in part to both the radios it will have, extra 512mb ram and ESPECIALLY the display.
Following the path of their 7" model, expect two months or so wait for the device and then a little more for mods- G serves me well now and at less cost.
The Moto Zoom seems interesting, but since tied to phone carriers, it will be artificially too high prices (like the Galaxy Tab) because of it.
Side note:
A positive about our display is when on a plane or other places, you have less spectator viewing. VS should have marketed it as a "private display" Then again, based on the out of box effort- there was NO marketing in the first place.
Gtablet vs Elocity A7
I have both and the Gtablet is the king. The Elocity A7 I enjoy but it has not been tweaked yet. The forum is just sort of getting started. The initial firmware updates are slower than what Viewsonic has been doing.
Cifs, NTFS, IPV6, and more in new kernels everywhere for the Gtablet and there are no kernel options yet for Elocity. No source code has surfaced from Elocity which could be bad for user development.
Don't get me wrong, the Elocity has its place in my hands, for size, weight, slightly better display.
Pros: Both devices
Gtablet - long life battery, flexibility, Great developer community and user support, 3300 on Quadrant
Elocity - Size, portability, fast out of the box, stock UI, rooted out of box, however need root manager to access /system. Has tremendous potential when firmware matches hardware.
Cons: Both devices
Gtablet - Weight
Elocity - Battery is far from the monster the Gtablet carries
I'm sticking with this until something completely different or superior comes about that I have to change.
Keep in mind that they announced 7 different configurations for the 10" model. I'm guessing for the min at $450, it'll be 4gb internal with 512mb ram wifi only with no 3g/gps.
wrong specs i see online it says 7
" inch screen not 10"
Not for me
this one did not tickle my taste buds, with the extent of customization, low price tag, battery life and not to mention incredible dev support; so far Gtab is more hot and spicy. Need a better recipe on table to loose my gtab. Regarding screen on this g string i do not mind it, with restricted viewing angle it works like privacy screen so that i can enjoy my stuff....
Hats off to the g tab dev for transforming this raw beauty to bombshell..
their efforts are really appreciated.

[Q] Best Tegra 2 tablet under $500?

I've been doing some research for buying an android tablet for about a month now. Things that have become a must for me:
512mb (or better) of ram
Tegra 2 cpu
Around 10" high res (enough for honeycomb) screen
Under $500
Rootable, and has good dev support
Most you will be thinking, "you're describing the viewsonic g-tab, right?" Well, that's mainly what I'm thinking about. I'm wondering if there are any other great tablets that I'm missing. Any advice, comments or whatever would be appreciated. Thanks!
Id stay away from the g-tablet. The specs seem great for the price, but the screen is a HUGE disappointment. The viewing angles are terrible, it washes out when moved the slightest bit. In fact, straight on doesn't even seem to be the best angle.
I didn't even bother rooting mine, which anyone would want to do since the tap n tap UI on it is terrible. The screen was an immediate dealbreaker. My flytouch 2 screen is leaps and bounds better, and that's kinda sad since it was less than half the price of a g-tablet.
Philthechil said:
I've been doing some research for buying an android tablet for about a month now. Things that have become a must for me:
512mb (or better) of ram
Tegra 2 cpu
Around 10" high res (enough for honeycomb) screen
Under $500
Rootable, and has good dev support
Most you will be thinking, "you're describing the viewsonic g-tab, right?" Well, that's mainly what I'm thinking about. I'm wondering if there are any other great tablets that I'm missing. Any advice, comments or whatever would be appreciated. Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think you're looking for something that doesn't exist yet. The best bet will probably be the Tablet Toshiba is dropping soon, assuming its around that price. Otherwise you might as well keep waiting with me.
Ah, ok. I had been hearing that. I didn't think it played that much into it. I wish I could buy one just to test it out
mobius999 said:
Id stay away from the g-tablet. The specs seem great for the price, but the screen is a HUGE disappointment. The viewing angles are terrible, it washes out when moved the slightest bit. In fact, straight on doesn't even seem to be the best angle.
I didn't even bother rooting mine, which anyone would want to do since the tap n tap UI on it is terrible. The screen was an immediate dealbreaker. My flytouch 2 screen is leaps and bounds better, and that's kinda sad since it was less than half the price of a g-tablet.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The view angle of the G Tablet certainly could be better, but this guy is exaggerating too much. The screen looks terrific when seen at the best angle. And I can highly recommend the G Tablet for you. It isn't perfect but no Tablet out there for any price is perfect.
Thanks guys for your input. I've decided I'm just gonna have to go with the risk and buy one. If the viewing angles really are that bad, I'll simply re-sell it on ebay
Viewsonic Gtab
Viewing angle is NOT that bad, accessories are the problem. Can't find them in the US! But once you get a good rom on it, I have had no regrets dropping a few hundred on the toy.
Notice I say toy, cause there is no 'need' for this equipment yet. No honeycomb, no easy out of the box use, but I enjoy the speedy vegan tab rom and have used it for movies, email, and just tom-foolery android apks. Get an atom laptop if you want something out of the box that is based on functionality if you need to buy before Q4 2011.
I have a g-tab, like it more than the ipad I had.
You should check out the Barnes and Noble Nook Color! I got one just for the ereader and have since rooted it and then even installed CM7. The only thing it doesn't have is a camera and Bluetooth mic support(yet).
BN really under sold its capabilities. It is the little tablet tablet could...
P.S. the dev community is amazing around it...
klaiii said:
You should check out the Barnes and Noble Nook Color! I got one just for the ereader and have since rooted it and then even installed CM7. The only thing it doesn't have is a camera and Bluetooth mic support(yet).
BN really under sold its capabilities. It is the little tablet tablet could...
P.S. the dev community is amazing around it...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As much as I agree with how awesome the value of the Nook color is... It doesn't meet any of his requirements.
I believe the Acer Iconia Tab and Asus EEE transformer meets all of your needs and price range.
I have Toshiba Folio 100 and I'm not happy with it, little dev support, bad screen, lots of bugs that Toshiba don't fix and if you buy one, you'll surly get one with bad part(s), because Toshiba made bad parts and every tablet has another parts. New Toshiba tablet seems OK, but I won't buy any from Toshiba. I have same problem and I'll wait. In near future(2012), tablets will better and they'll have dual boot(android,ubuntu;androd, windows 8), faster processors(nvidia quad core processor), new OS's(windows 8, ubuntu, android ice cream sandwich tbat will be universal, chrome os) and the best of all, they'll cheaper!
After this, I think you will wait
I have the Acer Iconia A500 Tab which was bought in Germany.
Has a few small issues as you would expect from a fresh honeycomb device but nothing that you couldnt live with until Acer put out the update for Honeycomb 3.1 before the end of June.
If you can get past the little niggles, it has an excellent screen with amazing viewing angles, bright, crisp and clear. Fantastic build quality, including a thin brushed aluminium skin and a reasonable weight that wont flare up your RSI.
After the usual tweaks and additional root apps for improved battery life, you can quite happily use the device constantly for between 10-12 hours (mixed media)
has 1gb of ram, 32gb space, wireless -n, USB, Mini USB, Mini HDMI, encryption etc etc etc.
Baring in mind that it is almost 'stock' honeycomb 3.0 (Still includes the mobile phone elements even though this is wifi only, there is a reason bhind the choice ), i believe the slab has a lot of potential and cant wait till people start improving it.
Im very happy with the device so far and fully expecting the issues to be resolved in the first customised version of the 3.1 update from Acer.
All for 499 Euro
There's your deal...

Categories

Resources