To G Tab, Or Not To G Tab, that is the question - G Tablet General

So I'm thinking about picking one of these tablets up. I'm sorry if this has already been asked but I'm going to ask anyway.
It's clear to me that the tapntap UI is garbage from what I'm hearing. Not like that is a surprise to me.
The question is, will this thing rock out with a good rom? Is it responsive, is battery life acceptable.
And most importantly, WHICH ROM IS THE BEST?????? I'd like to stay as close to Vanilla Android as possible. But I'm willing to go with a modified ROM as long as it loses the tapntap crap.

yes it has been asked (several times). You probably will not get much of a response since you asked this question in the development section. If you go through the general section and read the posts there you will have your question answered.

Thanks. Guess you all can delete this one.

Moved to general

derrickonline said:
So I'm thinking about picking one of these tablets up. I'm sorry if this has already been asked but I'm going to ask anyway.
It's clear to me that the tapntap UI is garbage from what I'm hearing. Not like that is a surprise to me.
The question is, will this thing rock out with a good rom? Is it responsive, is battery life acceptable.
And most importantly, WHICH ROM IS THE BEST?????? I'd like to stay as close to Vanilla Android as possible. But I'm willing to go with a modified ROM as long as it loses the tapntap crap.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Even with the updated stock rom (that should have released, but held off), the device now ok, but rocks hard with TnT 3.0 or Vegan.
What rom is subjective, but as stands now, I prefer TnT 3.0.
1. USB drives work great (fat32) I use 16gb, 32gb, 64gb and a 500gb Western Digital
2. Flash performs better than any current Android device- period.
3. PSX, Quake 1, 2 and 3 play very smoothly
4. Device is fast
5. Battery lasts all day when using the heck out of it
6. Sound quality from 3.5mm jack is amazing
First thing to do would be to install Clockwork .8 and read why it is so handy to have.

Battery life is probably around 8-10h in general use, little WiFi, little browsing, etc. but will obviously decrease if more CPU/GPU intensive apps are run, i.e. about as good as tablet battery life gets ATM.
Viewing angles of shipped screen are terrible, but I hardly notice it now as most of the time I'm looking straight on at the screen.
The gTab is just so much faster than other devices ATM as it's about the only Tegra 2 option.
Four different custom fws are available, but the most popular are TnT lite(roebeet), and vegan ROM(multiple contributors).
TnTL retains the base TnT with a more generic android experience, i.e. doesn't use the TnT launcher and applet things, but keeps the top bar and notification style. getting about 2400+ in Quadrant with this, which is what I currently use.
Vegan ROM B3 (beta) is a mix of Advent Vega fw and gTablet drivers, and so is even more generic Android experience. This is probably the one that you'd want given close to vanilla Android as possible...
The other two custom fws don't seem to have been updated in a while, but some people seem to like Cyanogen mod 6.1b4(IIRC).
At 10" and 1.5lb the gTab is a bit heavy and a little large as an ereader(part of my use), but fine for most other tablet uses, e.g. web browsing, etc. If this is a problem for you, there is another Tegra 2 tablet that just became available, the elocity a7 $300 @ Amazon w/a 800x480 screen supposedly better viewing angles and a better size for an ereader and acceptable IMO for web browsing and other uses. Not sure how well 3rd party devs will support this one yet... touch screen may only be 1pt, while gTab is 2pt and other than the above differences it's the same specs as the gTab, although it's lacking a microUSB port and last I checked the longish thread here there was some consternation with adb access to the tablet, but I didn't spend a great deal of time reading through the thread as I plan to wait a bit before adding a 7" tablet for better portability and as an ereader to complement the gTab. Also no idea if it support APX mode such that nvflash may be used, which is something else that the gTab supports. On the upside though, the a7 appears to be shipping pre-rooted...

Related

Would anyone recommend the G-Tablet?

I've been trying to decide between the G-Tablet and the Archos 101. I definitely want a 10.1 inch screen and am fine with rooting and installing custom ROMs. For those that have the G-Tablet would you recommend it? I had been leaning more toward it but then I realized after tax it would be about 430-445 so not far off from Ipad pricing. I was hoping to keep the price down but I've read good and bad things about it. Most of the bad seems just in regards to it as it is stock.
I guess I'm lucky because I'm stock with LauncherPro and a couple of other addons and have not seen the wifi or boot looping problems. I want to root but will stay stock to see what the updates are from Viewsonic.
The only thing I'm really disapointed in is that there is no Android Market and it doesn't look like there will be. The market that is being installed tomorrow is Pocketgear and I'm not impressed with it at all. I have searched for many things and have yet to find anything I was looking for. Maybe it will be different once it is on the Gtablet but I'm not going to hold my breath.
All in all I'm very pleased with the Gtablet. And with the support of the people here I'm sure it will only get better.
I had pre-ordered the 101, then found this device. First off, you might want to check out this forum, as the Gtab has been mentioned a few times:
http://forum.archosfans.com/viewforum.php?f=74&sid=14fbe18a3bde1b86944379a04044ace9
Here's my take on the 101 / Gtab pros and cons.
- Archos has a better media player and codec support. That's their bread and butter, so it's expected.
- The 101 is 256MB of RAM with a less powerful CPU than the GTab. This puts the GTab on more of the bleeding edge, with the issues that arise because of that. But it might be a better candidate for 2.3 or 3.0. Maybe.
- The 101 is locked down tight, as far as the firmware is concerned. The GTab is not and has an APX mode that makes it virtually unbrickable. Mods galore may arise, because of that.
- The prices are similar, assuming you compare the 16GB and you get the GTab on sale.
- The bad screen angles on the GTab seem to also affect the 101, from what I've read.
- Neither have the actual Marketplace, although I'm sure the 101 will get a hack sooner or later.
- Archos has been pretty good with ROMS, so far. Viewsonic support remains to be seen.
- The GTablet is popping up all over the place, in B&M. That means some decent return policies - Staples has a 14 day return on it, for example. The Archos is not as easy to find in B&M stores, at the moment.
- The Gtablet has Froyo today, and it has an (unofficial) Flash apk today.
I guess it's "pick your poison".
So I picked one up yesterday at Staples and am going to revert back to stock and return it... Here are my reasons why...
- Screen viewing angles are awful. Sitting at a table with the GTab laying flat is an impossible angle to view with.
- The device is heavy to hold. I found my hands hurting trying to use it while holding it.
- The image is not very crisp. I found that it hurt my eyes to use the device for long periods of time.
Again these are my perceptions and don't take them for anything beyond a personal review. I have been using a HTC Hero with CM6.1 and have been very pleased.
I am either going to get an iPad, wait for a better WiFi only tablet next year, or just stick with my trusty Netbook.
PS...Is there a link to instructions for reverting back to stock? Thanks!
If you haven't done anything fancy like install a ROM. You can just hit the factory reset under settings. If you have been playing around, then there is a stock TnT vanilla ROM on forum tegratab website (I can't link it) which you can install just like any ROM.
I don't know how to get rid of Clockworkmod (NVflash?), but I can't imagine the average Staples employee will dig that deeply.
I'm probably going to take mine back this weekend. I want to give the new OS update a fair shake. But otherwise I agree with you on virtually all counts.
packfan909 said:
So I picked one up yesterday at Staples and am going to revert back to stock and return it... Here are my reasons why...
- Screen viewing angles are awful. Sitting at a table with the GTab laying flat is an impossible angle to view with.
- The device is heavy to hold. I found my hands hurting trying to use it while holding it.
- The image is not very crisp. I found that it hurt my eyes to use the device for long periods of time.
Again these are my perceptions and don't take them for anything beyond a personal review. I have been using a HTC Hero with CM6.1 and have been very pleased.
I am either going to get an iPad, wait for a better WiFi only tablet next year, or just stick with my trusty Netbook.
PS...Is there a link to instructions for reverting back to stock? Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Try the vanilla ROM - it's in the development area. It should get you very close to stock. And also do a data wipe, of course.
lintmail said:
If you haven't done anything fancy like install a ROM. You can just hit the factory reset under settings. If you have been playing around, then there is a stock TnT vanilla ROM on forum tegratab website (I can't link it) which you can install just like any ROM.
I don't know how to get rid of Clockworkmod (NVflash?), but I can't imagine the average Staples employee will dig that deeply.
I'm probably going to take mine back this weekend. I want to give the new OS update a fair shake. But otherwise I agree with you on virtually all counts.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the ROM info. I am just going to return it at this point. The viewing angle and heft can't be resolved. And I appreciate the feedback on the Archos 101 with regards of viewing angle. A few friends tried the GTab yesterday when I brought it over, they were all unimpressed.
These tablets need to bake a little longer in the oven!
packfan909 said:
Thanks for the ROM info. I am just going to return it at this point. The viewing angle and heft can't be resolved. And I appreciate the feedback on the Archos 101 with regards of viewing angle. A few friends tried the GTab yesterday when I brought it over, they were all unimpressed.
These tablets need to bake a little longer in the oven!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Out of box the device sux, but with TnT 1.03 and market hack, it is solid. Archos 101 apparently uses the same display, so no better, but the device is lighter. Weak device though compared to the power of Tegra 2 and 512mb ram.
If you showed this device with stock rom- now wonder people were not impressed- yikes
rushless said:
Out of box the device sux, but with TnT 1.03 and market hack, it is solid. Archos 101 apparently uses the same display, so no better, but the device is lighter. Weak device though compared to the power of Tegra 2 and 512mb ram.
If you showed this device with stock rom- now wonder people were not impressed- yikes
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
^ this ^
Besides wake up time... A necessary evil... This pad rocks with TnT lite .3 cannot wait for 2.0 at this rate.
TNT lite .03 + Flash + gapps install = Keeper
If you are OK with flashing ROMS then get it. With TNT lite and Flash, I'm willing to keep it in spite of the viewing angles.
As far as weight is concerned: It doesn't feel heavier than an IPAD. Most of that weight is battery. Great battery life by the way.
My first road test of the gtablet tonight. I am flying to Vegas with the gtablet and the Archos 43. I will let you know how they do. For TSA screening purposes, will they want me to remove the gtablet from its case and run it through the xray like a laptop?
I was showing it off with CM 6.1 Beta. That viewing angle is a deal breaker for me. With regards to the weight, are you saying it weighs as much as an iPad?
Not sure why people are so surprised by the viewing angles. If you want the display of an ipad or even a galaxy tab, you're gonna have to buy an ipad or galaxy tab. The display on the g is fine for me, for now. When the big name tablets start coming out like htc and moto, that's when I'll expect more out of tablets. I'll also expect to pay more than 399 too.
Sent from my ADR6300 using XDA App
The problem is that one can't be sure until they have it in their hands. I would think that a normal operating position (on a desk with user in front of it) would be something to expect out of any tablet. I would love a Galaxy Tab but I refuse to pay a carrier for mobile internet service. If they released a WiFI only Galaxy Tab, I would run to the store to get it.
The viewing angles aren't as good as the iPad, but not so bad that it really bothers me that much. Maybe it'll get more annoying after a while - I'd eventually like an Android tablet with an IPS or other higher end LCD screen, but this will do for now in terms of hardware.
For me, $420 (including tax) for the G Tablet and a carrying case sounded like a good deal, for the early adopter set on XDA-developers who like to customize and live on the bleeding edge.
There is no way I would recommend this device in its current form to friends or family, of course, until the software improves markedly.
I also don't think the drivers etc. are doing full justice to the Tegra 2 at this point. My Nexus One actually gets about 5-10% higher scores on Quadrant. That shouldn't be. And for a dual-core chip, it oddly lags when the system is waking up from sleep mode and runs choppily sometimes thereafter - some sort of memory management bug.
Such are the joys of the bleeding edge.
i would have liked for it to have better viewing angles too, it definitely can be a pain to have to look at a certain way. but i usually keep it on a little stand when on my desk, i'm trying to not let the screen thing bother me too much. the software and stock ui are both jokes and i knew that going in. the blue weather homescreen is horrid, i like a nice clean and clutter free homescreen. i'm just staying confident that the boys here at xda are gonna make this tablet a nice user experience. i think it scored around 1900 on quadrant when i ran it on the g, i usually get around 1400-1500 on my incredible. i think the g-tablet should be doing way better though.
I have been driving the g tab since last Saturday and I would recommend it as a keeper. I tried the Huawei S7 for a day and ran away from it screaming. By comparisons, I have had good success side loading most of my favorite apps here without compromise. The device is modder friendly as have been my last dozen or so phones. Rooting was quick and easy. I have some market apps available, but for those not open, I load them on my Liquid, then use Titanium, to "restore" them onto the g tab.
If you are willing to do as something as super simple as install TnT Lite 1.03, or the coming 2.0- YES! Here is copy from part of another post:
Gtablet with TnT Lite 1.03, Flash app & market fix:
1. Best performing Flash of any current Android device: CHECK!
2. Market: CHECK!
3. Great sound quality: CHECK!
4. Smooth browser: CHECK!
5. Comics & PDFs, regardless of size, smooth: CHECK!
6. PSX4Droid smooth for 3D games: Using PSX4Droid 1.5, CHECK! (1.7 sucks)
7. Capcom 1 & 2 and ALL Neo Geo games playing super fine: CHECK (TigerMAME)
8. Wifi tether works great
Archos 101 has a 3630 and half the ram of the Droid X. Droid X does not play Flash as smoothly, nor the games in items 6 & 7 anywhere near as well.
Gtablet rocks- warts and all- Looking forward to TnT Lite 2.0
6. PSX4Droid smooth for 3D games: Using PSX4Droid 1.5, CHECK! (1.7 sucks)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1.5 would not load the bios for me..
Gtablet weight same as ipad
packfan909 said:
I was showing it off with CM 6.1 Beta. That viewing angle is a deal breaker for me. With regards to the weight, are you saying it weighs as much as an iPad?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
According to Apple the Ipad weighs 1.5 to 1.6 depending upon model. The Viewsonic site lists gtablet at 1.55 pounds.

Advice / Opinions on GTab

So, I've been doing my due diligence before deciding...and have spent a good many hours reading up here in the GTab XDA forums. So, now I'm asking for some earnest / honest advice from the community here...
I own an Archos 70 IT currently, and it's a blast. Gonna hand it off to the wife, and want a 10 inch Tablet for myself. Do I take the chance now with the GTab...or wait a few months for the new onslaught of Tablets with Honeycomb pre-installed?
I'm wanting the Tegra2 base...and am hearing that while the GTab is dismal out-of-the-box, Devs are cranking out ROM goodness to improve on the shoddy UI, etc.
I'm pretty Flash savvy, as I also own a Galaxy S Vibrant. So no concerns there. However, having said that...I worry about the manufacturers ability to deliver once Honeycomb is released. Samsung STILL hasn't released Android 2.2 Froyo for my device!!
Whatcha think? Should I take the plunge? Thanks in advance for you suggestions!
**EDIT - Just found another similar post....so feel free not to comment - oopsy?**
I recently sold my gtablet and purchased the flat computing a10w. Its essentially a rebrand with a 1366x768 screen, hdmi, better rom. Etc. Same price too.
I couldnt reccomend the gtablet... the a10w im more than happy to.
Sent from my V9 using XDA App
I've had my G Tablet for 3 days now and really like it. I did use it before the firmware update and see a big difference in performance with the new firmware. I loaded a bunch of pictures and a movie tonight on its internal memory and all plays well. I would recommend the G Tablet, I think this is turning out to be a nice tablet.
Regards!
Ed
daml said:
I recently sold my gtablet and purchased the flat computing a10w. Its essentially a rebrand with a 1366x768 screen, hdmi, better rom. Etc. Same price too.
I couldnt reccomend the gtablet... the a10w im more than happy to.
Sent from my V9 using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I tried to find info on this.
If it does in deed have the 1366/769 screen and an hdmi out for the same price, it might be worth a look. The rest of the specs are identical.
However, i found confilicting info. One article on it said it had the same 1024x600 and appeared to me just to be a rebranded gtab basically.
Also THIS post on xda says it just 1024x600
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=816719
Does it really come with 1G of ram? If so, thats a nice feature (along with the higer res screen).
Edit: That is the A10T so maybe the A10W does have 1366/768, not bad for the money.
Does it have dev support like the Gtab?
Not worth it if you cant root it to honeycomb this spring (like is suspect you will be able to with the gtab).
At this point i see no subforum for the flatpad so suppor alone would be an issue to make me hesitant to buy it.....
G-tablet + custom rom = awesome!
The stock firmware is horrible. I had it out of the box for 5 minutes before I loaded vegan onto it.
There are 2 models. A10t with 1024, gb ram, 8 gb internal and A10w with 1366, 512 ram and 512 internal. Roms, hacks etc from the gtablet should be 99% comatible. All that will be needed is to change the screen resolution, and to setup hdmi.u
Sent from my v9 using XDA App
If a Honeycomb tablet is your goal, then it seems that you either wait until machines that REALLY have Honeycomb on them are available, or you get one that you think should be able to run it AND has great community support AND is hackable, including infrastructure things like tools, etc.
I think that the Gtab is one of the few that makes the latter...
If you go the former way, even then, you're going to have to watch out for tabs that are so locked down (saw an article that Samsung was thinking of making their devices unrootable) that you're stuck w the manufacturer's upgrade schedule.
Jim
jimcpl said:
If a Honeycomb tablet is your goal, then it seems that you either wait until machines that REALLY have Honeycomb on them are available, or you get one that you think should be able to run it AND has great community support AND is hackable, including infrastructure things like tools, etc.
I think that the Gtab is one of the few that makes the latter...
If you go the former way, even then, you're going to have to watch out for tabs that are so locked down (saw an article that Samsung was thinking of making their devices unrootable) that you're stuck w the manufacturer's upgrade schedule.
Jim
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well said...and you nailed it on the head. After my experiences with Samsung, and the constant delays I was kind of looking forward to a product that worked as intended out-of-the-box. However, knowing the industry these days...any immediate release with 3.0 is gonna be anti-user friendly for the most part. Especially considering the big names releasing them. Seems like the good ones are gonna be tied into carriers anyways...lame-sauce.
All I've seen here has really helped me make up my mind for the GTab. Plus, I do thoroughly enjoy flashing some ROM goodness! Thanks for the info all!
Its like getting a new tablet going from vegan to tntlite and back and forth. I'm glad I have one to mess around with.
I can't even begin to think of the ways the various companies are going to screw with the newer honeycomb models. It seems like to them the dual cores are just an excuse to have 100s of things running at once and the end result is its just as slow as before.
I'm interested in flat computing. Sent them an email to ask about their lcd panel they use in the 1366x768.
daml said:
There are 2 models. A10t with 1024, gb ram, 8 gb internal and A10w with 1366, 512 ram and 512 internal. Roms, hacks etc from the gtablet should be 99% comatible. All that will be needed is to change the screen resolution, and to setup hdmi.u
Sent from my v9 using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I just ordered an LG screen per your recommendation in another thread and now I have to know,
Does the a10w have SIGNIFICANTLY better viewing angles than the gtab in stock form ?
daml said:
I recently sold my gtablet and purchased the flat computing a10w. Its essentially a rebrand with a 1366x768 screen, hdmi, better rom. Etc. Same price too.
I couldnt reccomend the gtablet... the a10w im more than happy to.
Sent from my V9 using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Did you receive your FlatPad yet? I am very interested to hear your comment on the quality of the sceen.
Thanks.
the gtab has not the best screen but otherwise is a pretty good piece of hardware that should get honeycomb one way or another once it gets released. i wish it had gps, a viewsonic dock, and a viewsonic case.
It's completely possible to be happy with the Gtab but it depends on what your looking for.
I personally find it a great peice of hardware, and it along with my G2 work together very well. I find I don't need to be attatched to my PC near as much were I would look something up on my desktop because the G2 screen was just to small. The Gtab screen is fine, I showed it to my friend and he said "I don't know what the people on the forums are complaining about".
Now if your wanting a tablet that is going to be top of the line for more than a year you are going to be waiting awhile, the tablet race is going to move very fast for a year or 2 until we get to a stable level with 2-3 major competing brands.
To me the Gtab is a great tablet with plenty of hardware to hold me over for that year or 2 until I find that stable platform that will be good for 2-3 years or more.
Of course I go from buying new products (went through 3 android phones in 6 months) to using a product for 3-5 years because it works well enough for what I need.
Agreed -- paired with an Android phone, this tablet is great value for dollars...
For me, the screen is the biggest shortcoming -- but as someone else pointed out, in some ways, the reduced viewing angle could be considered a "feature" if you are worried about security (i.e. someone looking over your shoulder)
At home, that isn't a concern for me so I would prefer an IPS screen or AMOLED (as in my phone) to be able to share the tablet for video playing...but the current screen isn't unusable so I'll live with it...
GPS would have been nice -- but I can pair with my Android phone and it works fine
I doubt I would ever use the tablet as a camera (especially when I have a 5MP camera in my phone and a 10+ MP "real camera") -- so again, the weak FF camera is fine if we ever get VideoCalls working properly...
I would have preferred a full size SDCard slot to the microSDCard...or even support for SDXC (new standard)...but small gripes...
Overall, there is nothing wrong with the hardware -- and the Devs here have made the software competitive with anything out there...Honeycomb will only make it better!
As an aside, I would like to see the soft buttons on the left hand side from TNT (and TNTLite) brought over to Vegan (which mas the soft buttons on the right top of the notification bar)...The TNT soft buttons are very similar to what has been shown in Honeycomb (which had theirs in the bottom left)

[Q] Should I buy?

Hello everyone,
I had wanted the Moto XOOM since it was shown off at D but every since I saw that $699 price tag I have been very disappointed. I want to stay at the $500 level... Although I love Android and I am a die hard fan and prefer it over iOS any given day, the iPad is not a bad option because my main purpose for a tablet is to quickly browse the internet while watching tv or something, without having to pull out my laptop.
I do not know why or HOW the G tablet completely surpassed my brain and eyes, but I just learned about this bad boy today! So far I have fallen in love with it. It is a XOOM, minus the dual cameras and 3G (later 4G) which I really do not care about. Other than that hardware is same for the most part (which is why I love the XOOM and now falling in love with the G tablet)
My question is how satisfied are you guys with the performance or the device? Is it what you guys expected? Are there different ROMS available? and if so then which one is the most stable and what issues it has, if any?
Thanks in advance I look forward to reading what everyone has to say!!
Hi,
Welcome to the forum. The answers to all of your questions are here, you just have to read a few dozen topics. The four sub-forums under the Viewsonic G Tablet heading will provide all the information you need to get what you need out of the G Tab.
The short answer is, "Yes, you should get one immediately!"
I am running VEGAn-Tab and have almost everything I need in a handheld device. On a scale of one to ten - my Gtab is about an eleven ... for me. Your mileage may vary, of course. Out of the box, it is about a five or six. But once you flash a ROM and do the Market fix, the heavens will open up for you and manna will rain down!
OK, I exaggerate a little! But only a little. Read the more recent reviews on Amazon.com and the forums here and you will see what we really think of them. Mine has changed my whole daily routine in a good way and my 17-inch HP notebook is now sitting in its messenger bag, possibly facing a new life as my wife's main computer. I am also looking at getting one for each of my support techs at the office, once I find a decent VNC client.
You will find, after reading some of the threads here, that the devs at xda-developers are doing amazing things with/for our little electronic buddies. It will likely serve your needs well.
Thanks for the input, really appreciate it.
I currently have an Incredible and am changing roms left and right and see that almost every ROM has SOMETHING that is not working, with the exception of maybe 5 that are solid from A-Z.
How many roms are there for the g tablet and how many of those are FULLY PERFECTLY functional?
Theirs quite a few people working on Roms and updates are pretty frequent so bugs are being worked out!(most already have) The most Stable roms out for G tab are the Vegan Beta 5.1 and Tnt Lite ones. Tnt Lite more stock Tap n Tap u/i if you like that or Vegan if you prefer more stock Android. Speeds is pretty snappy. faster than any phone ive had. The screen isn't the best but its still fine for me. It uses a laptop screen instead of an Ips like ipad or phones. bad for portrait mode good for landscape. in Short, Screen is so-so, Roms make this thing fly, Very Good tablet and very open. In a Sense it already comes Rooted. Flashing roms and kernels is cake and This thing is near impossible to brick!
In my opinion the G tab is a good example of the spirit of libre software coupled with nice hardware. It is locked just enough to keep someone from acidentally crippling their device, but if you want you can put damn near anything you can compile on it.
I can't speak for Motorola from experience, so I won't say anything other than that I don't trust or like them.

Xoom vs Galaxy Tab 10.1

Both tablets seem to have the same hardware and the only difference I can really find between the two is that the Xoom runs stock 3.1 out of the box and the Tab runs Touchwiz on top of 3.1 and that the tab is a bit thinner than the Xoom.
That being said, if you had to choose again, would you get the Xoom again or would you switch to the Tab or another tablet and why?
I am looking to get one of these tablets so I greatly appreciate any useful input.
i'd probably get the tab, just because its sleeker. I haven't really gotten to play with it. It's really up too you, it depends what ur needs are for a tablet.
There isn't a "need". More of an extreme want.
Does anyone know how the quality of community development compares between the two?
There have been some negative comments on the Tabs' build quality and the TouchWiz integration. The Tab may be lighter, but the Xoom can withstand some punishment.
Tiamat has done some developing for the Xoom, but I see no point in running a custom ROM with a custom kernel. If I was noticing performance issues, FC's, and the like then I would. The stock Xoom ROM's (especially 3.2) are quite stable and haven't given me any issues. 3.2 fixed the home screen performance lag issues, which made me a happy camper.
I haven't played with nor researched the Tab to make a valued opinion, but I am more than content with my Xoom.
the fact is that I dislike is that the tab feels more "bloated" whenever samsung implanted the "touchwiz" in it
I will prefer the partial aluminium back plate xoom + the stock android anytime
pennzoilgtr said:
the fact is that I dislike is that the tab feels more "bloated" whenever samsung implanted the "touchwiz" in it
I will prefer the partial aluminium back plate xoom + the stock android anytime
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Did not know that the Xoom has an aluminum backplate.
I've heard a few things about the tiamat kernel being pretty stable, but how are the other ROMs? Any speed or performance increases over stock 3.2?
yeah same here, got my xoom 3 weeks ago after long tablets comparison and very happy with it, dont care if it's heavy, i even got it cased with otterbox defender to make it safe, also gives it a good grip and protects the screen when i dont use it, didn't try the tab but i know that it's build quality is not even close to the xoom, like all samsung phones i have seen, they feel they are made of cheap plastic. also no external SD slot, HDMI, just feels like the crippled ipad and for the honeycomb, i am running stock 3.2 and it's great, just gonna root it soon to get it overclocked, OTG support for thumb sticks, and write capability for the microSD other than that i can't see anything that xoom lacks
xoom all the way
Motorola builds tough (my blackberries have been damn near bullet proof, the black v3 razr hinge was crisp even after a couple years of daily use, and this is no exception). It's a touch weightier but I've enjoyed the solid nature - I don't feel like it's going to break under my larger than average hands. Add the otterbox case and it's even better.
Plus there's Samsung's proprietary port nonsense, they really did ape after Apple on that one and it's a 'feature' I will happily run away from screaming into the arms of the Xoom with the micro usb, mini hdmi, etc.
Samsung has spent oodles on their advertising, but it's money they should have sunk into the design and build instead.
hector_122 said:
yeah same here, got my xoom 3 weeks ago after long tablets comparison and very happy with it, dont care if it's heavy, i even got it cased with otterbox defender to make it safe, also gives it a good grip and protects the screen when i dont use it, didn't try the tab but i know that it's build quality is not even close to the xoom, like all samsung phones i have seen, they feel they are made of cheap plastic. also no external SD slot, HDMI, just feels like the crippled ipad and for the honeycomb, i am running stock 3.2 and it's great, just gonna root it soon to get it overclocked, OTG support for thumb sticks, and write capability for the microSD other than that i can't see anything that xoom lacks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Xoom all the way. It's got everything with HC 3.2, Tiamat Xoom Rom 2.2 Moray with oc cpu to 1504GHZ and oc gpu Tachi kernel. So fast, so smooth, r/w micro sdcard, usbOTG thumb drive and HDD...good sound, nice, naturalistic color, 7 screens with ADW EX....I'm in heaven!
Haven't played with the samsung, so can't comment on that, but...
Xoom is very well-built... would definitely buy again and wouldn't really look at others since they don't seem to offer much, on the surface, different. That might all change, of course, when the next round of tabs come out.
Re: ROMs, Tiamat is really the only game in town... and their ROMs are superb... tremendous improvement over stock (like LiViD, I never saw a need for custom until, on a whim,I tried it... wouldn't conceive of gping back now). There are a couple teams doing kernels - Tiamat and Rogue. Both are excellent. Right now, I'm running the latest Tiamat ROM (moray) and Rogue kernel (arcturus) with great results (faster, more stable, better batt life than prev versions and way better than stock)... and there are also some nice additional features.
Hope this helps.
okantomi said:
Xoom all the way. It's got everything with HC 3.2, Tiamat Xoom Rom 2.2 Moray with oc cpu to 1504GHZ and oc gpu Tachi kernel. So fast, so smooth, r/w micro sdcard, usbOTG thumb drive and HDD...good sound, nice, naturalistic color, 7 screens with ADW EX....I'm in heaven!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
so after rooting, can i just flash the tiamat rom 2.2 moray and the tachi kernal all together at the same time ?? so i would have both overclocks and all other features ? sorry i am not really good with android flashing and rooting, i came from the good old Dell axim x51v and flashing roms there was really easy compared to android
hector_122 said:
so after rooting, can i just flash the tiamat rom 2.2 moray and the tachi kernal all together at the same time ?? so i would have both overclocks and all other features ? sorry i am not really good with android flashing and rooting, i came from the good old Dell axim x51v and flashing roms there was really easy compared to android
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you have the right Clockwork Mod Recovery installed, flashing a rom/kernel couldn't be easier. You will have to do a wipe data/factory reset the first time you flash a new rom (to get rid of stuff in the system that could conflict). I usually flash the rom 1st, and then if I want some additional features from the kernel (in this case the rom includes the stock gpu version of the kernel and I wanted the overclocked gpu) I just flash the kernel after I reboot the rom and make sure everything is set up and working well. If I did both at the same time and had a problem, I wouldn't know what caused it. (Though most of the time it would be the rom...still it's better to make changes a step at a time.)
I never had a good experience when it came to Samsung products... digital camera broke, tv crapped out.... my sister has the samsung washer and dryer and they seem okay for now
I just got my xoom not that long ago and I'm very happy with it... the only thing thats a little annoying is the amount of apps... figured there would be more... im sick of seeing iPoo get all the good apps first lol
Well, I posted in the Tab and Xoom forums at the same time. The Xoom community seems to be more enthused about their tablet. The only plus side they have come up with in the two comments is that its lighter and thinner. From what I can see, the Xoom is the better tablet overall with stock 3.2. If I actually cared about thickness and weight I would go with the Tab, but I'm more concerned with overall performance and user experience.
However, I will probably wait until the tegra3 devices get launched (hopefully with ICS) in the coming months.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1259258
^^^The link to the other thread^^^
Waiting for Tegra3 ? Just when you will decide to buy Tegra 3 there will be news of coming tegra 4.....
Bottom line is it is not about processor or ram it is more about release of Honeycomb source for more custom roms.
And the apps available for HC are far less then gingerbread or ipad.
rohit3192 said:
Waiting for Tegra3 ? Just when you will decide to buy Tegra 3 there will be news of coming tegra 4.....
Bottom line is it is not about processor or ram it is more about release of Honeycomb source for more custom roms.
And the apps available for HC are far less then gingerbread or ipad.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There are actually so many really good tablet specific apps. There's not enough time in a day to play all the decent games, use all the productivity apps, tweak my system with all the root tools, draw, paint, listen to music and audio books, read and stream video, etc... What the heck else do you want?
rohit3192 said:
Waiting for Tegra3 ? Just when you will decide to buy Tegra 3 there will be news of coming tegra 4.....
Bottom line is it is not about processor or ram it is more about release of Honeycomb source for more custom roms.
And the apps available for HC are far less then gingerbread or ipad.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Its just hard to ignore the fact of running a ~1.4GHz quadcore processor in a portable tablet. I'm a severe technogeek and I like having the best, so when I hear something is supposed to come out in ~3 months I don't mind waiting.
okantomi said:
There are actually so many really good tablet specific apps. There's not enough time in a day to play all the decent games, use all the productivity apps, tweak my system with all the root tools, draw, paint, listen to music and audio books, read and stream video, etc... What the heck else do you want?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have gone back to stock(bootloader locked again )
I have found good music player but disappointed with video players(mx,mobo,rock...)tried all.
My past Samsung infuse with single core processor handled movies better(that even played 1080p files)
Lots of reboots whether due to file or app.
rohit3192 said:
I have gone back to stock(bootloader locked again )
I have found good music player but disappointed with video players(mx,mobo,rock...)tried all.
My past Samsung infuse with single core processor handled movies better(that even played 1080p files)
Lots of reboots whether due to file or app.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't get it...you are using the Xoom with one hand tied behind your back. However, as they say, YMMV.
Xoom for build quality and pure android experience.
Samsung tab for the screen (yes it is better then the xooms)
With all that said i picked up my 3g xoom for 500$ and never looked back!

[Q] Would you buy it again?

Hi guys
Been thinking about buying a tablet for a long time. I have had extensive experience with the motorolla XOOM and a lenovo *forget the name*
Both were just not right.. They could not achieve what I wanted to achieve and the xoom was close but with no USB port to attach camera etc it just isnt right for my use.
I have been using android for a very long time and have thrown many custom roms on my phones etc
I plan to develop some apps, but most importantly I see the device being capable for travelling. Backing up my photos from my camera, taking movies with me for the plane etc.
A must is also the capability to browse Samba shares. I know android file manager apps have improved significantly to improve this.
As such, would you buy the device again? Has it got good developer community support as I am expecting that actual vendor support warranty is a joke like all devices.
Does the stock rom have a lot of crap on it? I currently run CM9 on my phone so i am guesing the answer will be yes. Could this potentially replace the notebook at home with the keyboard dock?
Thanks
if you would have asked me a month ago, i would have said no. But after unlocking, rooting, installing Cleanrom and overclocking, this device is a beast. I had an issue recently that made me want to get rid of it, but i came to find out it was app related. Its a great device. A lot of people have had issues with it, and a lot have it working fantastic. With whats available now, even including the new Google 10, i would recommend this device over everything available.
Sent from my ASUS Transformer Pad TF700T using Tapatalk HD
timrock said:
if you would have asked me a month ago, i would have said no. But after unlocking, rooting, installing Cleanrom and overclocking, this device is a beast. I had an issue recently that made me want to get rid of it, but i came to find out it was app related. Its a great device. A lot of people have had issues with it, and a lot have it working fantastic. With whats available now, even including the new Google 10, i would recommend this device over everything available.
Sent from my ASUS Transformer Pad TF700T using Tapatalk HD
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Right on!
Took 86 words right from my mouth...
:good:
timrock said:
if you would have asked me a month ago, i would have said no. But after unlocking, rooting, installing Cleanrom and overclocking, this device is a beast. I had an issue recently that made me want to get rid of it, but i came to find out it was app related. Its a great device. A lot of people have had issues with it, and a lot have it working fantastic. With whats available now, even including the new Google 10, i would recommend this device over everything available.
Sent from my ASUS Transformer Pad TF700T using Tapatalk HD
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ditto. I've used it for movies on planes, output to a TV to watch a movie at a friend's house, and instant video review from a GoPro with the SD slot on the keyboard. Have used it to get files into flash drives via the USB as well. The keyboard also makes it perfect for RDP to my server, wherever I might be. I came from a Prime with serious antenna interference that prevented use through one wall at home, and that has not been an issue on my Infinity (though I still get a slight reduction in Wifi throughput while connected to Bluetooth). My biggest gripe until I unlocked was the interface speed, and Cleanrom made it feel like a whole new device; feels like my Galaxy Nexus.
This is my portable computer now; my trusty Thinkpad hasn't been touched since I got my Infinity.
Sent from my ASUS Transformer Pad TF700T using Tapatalk 2
This device is very quick with Clean rom 2.3 and overclocked kernal. Before unlocking I was a little skeptical however once I unlocked the device has been great! If I was you I would go to best buy and buy it, test it out, then if you dont like it then return it before the 30 day warranty. Just keep it locked if you go that route. It doesnt use its full potential that way but atleast you will get a taste of this goodness. Stock Jelly Bean honestly wasnt that bad either just not as quick as Clean rom.
I also think it can replace a netbook maybe not a notebook like higher end notebook or anything. If you do a lot of game playing on a higher end notebook then its not the same however if you just browse the net then this is perfect for you and some.
Hi,
first of all: Sorry for my bad english. I come from germany.
I use this device for university, and i think i wouldn't buy it now, after using it for approx. 3 months. The stock browser is very slow. Even my Galaxy S2 with stock rom was better. Sometimes i don't believe that there's a quad core inside. It feels to slow. Pherhaps i also have to test a custom rom, but i don't want to loose guarantee.
The Infinity combinated with dock is really great to notice something very quickly. First I tried with an iPad in university and this was horrible. I sold it after 3 weeks. The Infinity is defintly better, but not what i expected to become. I hope that further Software Updates will fix this.
I don't want to be only negative: The micro HDMI is great. I used it several times. Also the possibility to plug in an usb - stick, or a micro sd card is very useful. The quality of the display is also very fine. Apps like dolphin browser, tune in radio ... are working very well. The killer feature against Apples iPad is the flash plattform.
If i have to say it in one sentence: It's to slow and has to much bugs for it's high price (in Germany it's 700€ ~ 905$)
No I wouldn't. Even with CleanROM and other tweaks, all sdcard related operations are too slow. App opening and closing animations are not smooth. Project Butter doesn't work, even on official CM10. Battery life is not good. I get max 5 hours of movie watching time. My old Xoom would give me 8-9 hours. In short, I'm not happy with the Infinity and I wish I'd have gone for Galaxy Note 10.1.
I would 100% absolutely buy the TF700 again. It's a great device, especially if you install a custom ROM (CleanROM *highly* recommended) as well as Clemsyn's OC kernel. Stock is not horrible, but CleanROM/Clemsyn combination is simply amazing. Makes the device crazy fast!
Of course, it's not a perfect device (there is no such thing), but it's by far the most versatile (keyboard dock, memory card slots, HDMI-out, etc), best looking (brushed aluminum), best performing, thinnest, lightest 10" Android tablet available right now.
The worst aspect of this tablet is the (lack of) quality control @ Asus. I would not recommend purchasing the tablet via mail order because of this. I would highly recommend that you purchase at Best Buy, so that you can exchange it if needed (in case you have a hardware issue). Best Buy has an excellent return policy.
I'd also recommend that you spend the extra $87 (with coupon) and purchase a 2-year Square Trade Accidental Coverage warranty. This way, even if you accidentally step on the device and break it, you are covered. Or, if you brick it while trying to install custom ROM's or something - you are covered. It gives you complete peace of mind for 2 years (at which point, you'll probably be upgrading again anyway).
Hope that helps you make your decision!
Sent from my ASUS Transformer Pad TF700T using Tapatalk 2
no.
cleanROM + kernals and all that developer goodness is awesome, but ASUS should have gotten their product right before releasing it. build quality issues, crappy I/O, yada yada. that said, the IDEA of a tablet with these specs is awesome, and the potential was great. it's just implementation fail.
curious abt the Nexus 10. the resolution on that thing is ridiculous, wondering how the pixel-pushing is going to fare with that new SoC.
No... It's a lazy and very slow so I don't like it..
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HDtOqCQ_I4Q&feature=youtube_gdata_player
Sent from Asus infinity tablet
Warranty invalidation for unlocking the bootloader is the only reason I wouldn't recommend it.
Yes I would, CleanRom has transformed this tablet into a beast and I have no regrets. Those kicking themselves for not getting an N10 will always be sore because technology isn't gonna stop improving just so you can feel better about your purchase. The Infinity has become my daily driver for all things related to the internet and gaming on the couch.
Yes I would, absolutely.
Sometimes, I'm thinking about the GNote 10.1, for example when I need to draw a graph on a PDF, but at the end it's very rare that I need it, my keyboard is so usefull : the battery, the keyboard itself, and to keep the tablet in a right angle in the bed, on the desk, during conferences with small places...
I had no issue with mine. Not at all, and I have locked bootloader (for now).
The best would be TF700 1080p screen with GNote 10.1 PLS technology (stylus and pressure), and Samsung multitasking-multiwindows system when it will be smooth.
I knew that it was overpriced and already outdated when I bought it, but I was too curious how it works with the dock, and the dock really makes it much more useful than a tablet alone (I had a TF101 without dock before).
1 GB RAM and the slow internal storage are not adequate for a high end tablet. And the software is very unstable and feels half-baked compared to a Linux or Windows desktop - even the Play store app crashed in the stock ROM (out of memory exception).
Do I regret that I bought it? No, money was not an issue, it is a nice toy and the screen is great. Would I buy it again? No. Let's see what 2013 brings.
aydc said:
No I wouldn't. Even with CleanROM and other tweaks, all sdcard related operations are too slow. App opening and closing animations are not smooth. Project Butter doesn't work, even on official CM10. Battery life is not good. I get max 5 hours of movie watching time. My old Xoom would give me 8-9 hours. In short, I'm not happy with the Infinity and I wish I'd have gone for Galaxy Note 10.1.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You must have a bad one. Mine is super smooth and fast!
So my answer is YES! Knowing what I know now, I'd buy it in a heartbeat. This thing is truly a beast. I never intentionally leave any of my devices stock...custom roms and kernels give you so much more. A Square Deal warranty is pretty cheap and gives great protection, so who cares about voiding the ASUS warranty?
diggeles said:
...
As such, would you buy the device again? Has it got good developer community support as I am expecting that actual vendor support warranty is a joke like all devices.
Does the stock rom have a lot of crap on it? I currently run CM9 on my phone so i am guesing the answer will be yes. Could this potentially replace the notebook at home with the keyboard dock?
Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, for sure I would.
It has Dev support and just started getting CM10 nightlies. Check out the Dev forum for more.
I think the stock ROM has some pretty useful tools. Splashtop, Asus cloud storage and even a tool for DNLA although MediaHouse is still the best for DNLA. I don't use the magazine, newspaper and book apps that came with it, but I guess they're useful for someone using them. The only real inclusion in the stock ROM that troubles some people is the stuff relating to the Asus Device Tracker, but you can search and read for more about that. I'm not worried about that given I have a SquareTrade warranty. So I'd get coverage regardless.
Yes, it can replace a notebook when you consider Splashtop. And if all you do is view media, read mail, edit a few files, browse the web and play games, yea it's all you need. If you need desktop specific applications, you can use them through Splashtop, WiFi connected desktop/laptop required .
No. You shouldn't have to root your device and install a custom OS to get decent performance out of a tablet. I am ok with it now that I have done these things, but the stock performance is unacceptable. I would definitely go with a different tablet if I had the choice.
If the stock performance had been good and custom OS's made the performance EVEN BETTER that would be ok in my book.
Hi all,
I didn't want to make yet another thread about should i buy blah blah blah.
please don't reply if you have had a sour experience with your unit as i think the reply will not be a genuine one.
I have looked at this tablet in local stores and tried some basic games and they run fine to me.
However i currently have a acer a510 1280x 800 res 1.3 tegra chip.
I have found all games from asphalt 7/6 nova 3 (even though not compatable) to run fine and smooth on my lower performance tegra tab.
My use will be gaming movies and also want the more laptop experience to respond to online questions while on the go.
Reading through the forum i see people complaining about slow fps and slow internal storage.
however the specs of the aussie version of this tab specifies ssd memory?
So my question is how do you perceive slow and this on all tabs or just some peoples. I.e. some one complaining about it being slow would get the same speed benchmark as some one who perceives it as being fine?
Also do you think it is more a optimization issue for games fps or the fact the res is just that much more? I know alot of games still have issues with tegra games and really for such a powerful company and chipset it really should get more attention than it is.
is the 1gb of ram a bottle neck?
I ask this because i have 1gb of ram on the a510 and have not had any specific issues running low on memory however i can see how a higher res "may require more ram" to run smooth.
I agree with many posts that this tablet really should be 1.5gb or 2gb of ram.
I was even surprised to see the upcoming lte model still only has 1gb of ram.
So i'm kind of stuck on if i should buy it or wait for the next gen hopefully mid next year.
Only the sometimes sluggish IO was a surprise, and not that big a deal to me. Otherwise, I knew the weaknesses when I bought it.
If 'the newest thing' is what you want, then yeah, you'll always be unhappy with what you've got. But if what you want is a little more specific and based on practicality, you can get a lot of life out of a good device, and the Infinity is a good device. I've had my TP2 for 3 years next month. I have no plans to upgrade that, and no device currently exists that I'd even consider to be an upgrade. I know what I want.
malos1984 said:
Hi all,
I didn't want to make yet another thread about should i buy blah blah blah.
please don't reply if you have had a sour experience with your unit as i think the reply will not be a genuine one.
I have looked at this tablet in local stores and tried some basic games and they run fine to me.
However i currently have a acer a510 1280x 800 res 1.3 tegra chip.
I have found all games from asphalt 7/6 nova 3 (even though not compatable) to run fine and smooth on my lower performance tegra tab.
My use will be gaming movies and also want the more laptop experience to respond to online questions while on the go.
Reading through the forum i see people complaining about slow fps and slow internal storage.
however the specs of the aussie version of this tab specifies ssd memory?
So my question is how do you perceive slow and this on all tabs or just some peoples. I.e. some one complaining about it being slow would get the same speed benchmark as some one who perceives it as being fine?
Also do you think it is more a optimization issue for games fps or the fact the res is just that much more? I know alot of games still have issues with tegra games and really for such a powerful company and chipset it really should get more attention than it is.
is the 1gb of ram a bottle neck?
I ask this because i have 1gb of ram on the a510 and have not had any specific issues running low on memory however i can see how a higher res "may require more ram" to run smooth.
I agree with many posts that this tablet really should be 1.5gb or 2gb of ram.
I was even surprised to see the upcoming lte model still only has 1gb of ram.
So i'm kind of stuck on if i should buy it or wait for the next gen hopefully mid next year.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
IMO I don't think this tablet would be the best for gaming until...when or if the Android game app market catches up to the hardware.
My wife plays the low end common games on this tab no troubles there.
I used to play Max Payne and Need for speed, those haven't been running too well lately for me.
The Tegra3 games are problematic for some and there isn't a large selection at this time.
Viewing movies in HD is fine for me...can't speak for others however.
Bottom line:
As the tablet stands now, I wouldn't invest the money to game on the Infinity if your Acer plays the intense games to your liking.
Best of luck with the tablet search.
jim

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