Related
I have been reading the same information as the rest of you about the VS G-Tablet, Staples and now Sears.
And I wonder how everyone is coming up with such wild suppostions based on almost NO really factual information.
Staples recall of inventory is a fact. I noticed that they are returning stock to VS because of some kind of flaw. We don't know what it is. We don't know if it is terminal or fixable. We don't know anything about remedies.
But whatever it is, it's not serious enough for them to start calling or notifying customers to return units and get their money back?!? If it really is a fatal hardware flaw, surely they will not get by without taking care of customers who already have purchased tablets.
Seems to me we need more info about why Staples did what they did and what is wrong before anything realistic can be determined.
Also, someone reported Sears is following Staples' path. Not trying to flame the poster, but we have (1) a report of no stock in that area (No Big Deal -- we never had any here!! ); and (2) we have an employee (not likely management at the level that would cover Sears corporate operations) saying they've had a lot of returns and don't know when they'll get any (again, nothing new there). Certainly not a stock recall like Staples.
I was in one of the area Sears stores here today and the little cardboard display they put up when they don't have VS G-Tablets in stock was still there. In fact, it had been updated to show the $379.00 price available today.
My point is that until we find out what the problem is that Staples is using as a reason for their action -- we really are just wasting our time speculating. And I certainly think the news media and the A**** fanboys are just spewing the garbage I would expect of them.
Am I the only person around who has noticed that a pile of us -- ranging from devs and hardware experts, down to just every day good old folks -- have been using, programming and flogging the G-Tablet for what (five-six weeks now?) and not one of us has raised a report of a fatal flaw????????????????
Sure. Grant that VS and whoever didn't do an adequate job of development and rushed the G-Tab to market. Grant that the software is not what we think is needed nor what we want. I can see that if it worked faster and better, it might be okay for some basic users.
Those of us who want more seem to be doing all right.
And one by one we have been fixing things.
Speaking for myself, I am not writing off the G-Tablet yet. I have two -- one from Sears and one from Office Depot. I could run down and return both right now.
But I'm not. I'm going to use the stuff that is available to me now to make both work like I want. Whatever else someone may say, it will do what I want it to do with the resources we already have on hand. And unless everyone else gives up, I see no reason we can't go right on and stay ahead of all the folks who are not smart enough to see the potential and go after it.
I am the minister -- so please don't start on plans for the funeral until the patient is pronounced dead for real. I don't see anything remotely close to that yet!
Rev
P. S. -- Sorry this rant got so long, but I just felt someone had to put some balance into what is being said about all of this. And I intended no flames for anyone who may disagree with my point of view. I am a minister and I am redemptive -- it's my job to try to "save" things!!
100% agreed...
As long as they release the kernel source, I don't really care whether Viewsonic recalls all their G Tablets or not. Because I am 100% certain there will be lots of other Tegra 2 tablets which will ship with updated firmware, which will give us a base image for Gingerbread and for Honeycomb down the road. As long as there's somebody willing to compile kernels and glue a kernel into the ROM images from very similar devices, well, we'll be just fine here and the G Tablet will continue to provide us with plenty of useful life over the next few years.
From what I can see from an earlier thread about a poster mentioning using the fact that several of the abilities the gtablet has on the cover do not work out of the box to return the tablet without having to pay the restocking fee. I believe that Sears and Staples are sending the units back to viewsonic and demanding that the touted abilities actually do in fact work before they get them back. (this can only help the tablet unless Viewsonic decides to give up.)
I really hope it stays around, Bought one for the wife, now I want one. (I got a nook color that behaves even worse out of the box. but I figure i'll root/rom it until it does work as the smaller size is definitely more portable.)
Even if Viewsonic were to give up I don't see our tablet caring much. The Zpad firmware works pretty well, the VegaN that I am running now is working very well, and TnTLite works pretty well.
I feel for the customers that bought this and are not techies. I recall the first time I turned mine on it was a barrage of force closes. Everything you touched would force close. It took a factory reset from the settings menu to make it stop. Flash was non-existent, clock had amnesia on wakeup, wifi lost it's mind.... If I was a regular customer I would have been PO'ed... Not known what to do, and it would have gone back with a "I will NEVER buy another Viewsonic product ever" mentality.
If all the above had not occurred out of the box this tablet may have been kept by more people. I'm sure lots of folks would have been plenty happy if it just worked. Most would not have known the real potential that was being strangled by the software overlay, and most would not care.
I think the biggest issue has to do with how things are sold in this country nowadays. Back when America made things, they had control of them. They touched them, tested them, and had a lot of pride in making sure they sold a good product. Viewsonic gained it's reputation by selling one of the best products.
This tablet is not made by Viewsonic. I don't really know how much Viewsonic had to do with it besides just signing on to have there name on the device in hopes of name recognition boosting sales. It reminds me of how companies sign athletes to endorse crappy products in hopes people will buy it because of the name. That is going to bite a lot of companies in the behind. Unless my perception of how American companies desire to do business is completely wrong then this path needs to stop.
Everything seems to need to be done as fast as possible, and with profit being the main goal. Who cares if it is the best.. Who cares if it could be better.. Just get it out there and make money.. Support? Why should we support our product? Why should we put a restore image online? Why should we update our website with info that might help folks understand what is being done about the issues?
This same stuff is happening with lots of companies. Sylvania is another example of the outsourced spin off type of product, there are many others.
I think we deserve better, and if a company has to have there rear end handed to them to figure out that quality, and customer satisfaction still counts then so be it....
If and I mean if VS decided to bail on the gtablet I would think they open the source code to the community. This is a great device.
At this point it doesn't matter, even if viewsonic abandons it.
It's a reference tegra 2 device for current app developers in the states (at least that's how I see it), we have badass roms for it, the advent vega is getting 2.3 which is easily ported...so it's all good.
No mystery
Nice posts. But there is no mystery that VS is getting these back. It's about their profit from sales of a marketable product. Whether this tablet goes the wayof the Edsel is immaterial to us afficianados but its still been a good ride. I think other tabs may sink us but so what.
It's still fun.
Mojav
here's my take on it, and what they need to fix for Joe Consumer
I can readily guess why these are going back, and a Staples rep I talked to actually mentioned that same thing. The stock firmware is bad.
But I don't mean just the Tap N' Tap UI, I mean the boot loops and FC's that occur. We've all seen them, even on TnT Lite. There is some instability that I am convinced has to do with how these devices were imaged.
Here's the problem -- here in XDA, we have clockworkmod and a great community to get us around those issues. But Joe Consumer has neither (unless they search on their own). And due to TnT's stupidity, they can't even download an offline update to at least attempt to fix the problems. Think about it...you're a user with a reboot loop, so you call Viewsonic for help. What can they do? There's no way to wipe the cache, wipe user data or even re-flash the device using the standard tools. It's insane.
What they need to do ASAP is deploy a firmware update that 1) can be run offline with a microSD card and 2) has a more enhanced recovery like clockworkmod to at least give the user the ability to wipe the user data or cache. And, if the user doesn't have a microSD card, they should send them a 1GB card, preinstalled with the recovery image, at no charge. I think it's an absolute requirement I hope VS are reading this and rip their TnT devs a new arse to fix this debacle before they give up on the device completely.
Still, worse case scenario is that we lose VS support but still have the zPad and Vega to look at, even it we don't have source. We have options, at least.
Sprdtyf350 said:
Even if Viewsonic were to give up I don't see our tablet caring much. The Zpad firmware works pretty well, the VegaN that I am running now is working very well, and TnTLite works pretty well.
I feel for the customers that bought this and are not techies. I recall the first time I turned mine on it was a barrage of force closes. Everything you touched would force close. It took a factory reset from the settings menu to make it stop. Flash was non-existent, clock had amnesia on wakeup, wifi lost it's mind.... If I was a regular customer I would have been PO'ed... Not known what to do, and it would have gone back with a "I will NEVER buy another Viewsonic product ever" mentality.
If all the above had not occurred out of the box this tablet may have been kept by more people. I'm sure lots of folks would have been plenty happy if it just worked. Most would not have known the real potential that was being strangled by the software overlay, and most would not care.
I think the biggest issue has to do with how things are sold in this country nowadays. Back
when America made things, they had control of them. They touched them, tested them, and had a lot of pride in making sure they sold a good product. Viewsonic gained it's reputation by selling one of the best products.
This tablet is not made by Viewsonic. I don't really know how much Viewsonic had to do with it besides just signing on to have there name on the device in hopes of name recognition boosting sales. It reminds me of how companies sign athletes to endorse crappy products in hopes people will buy it because of the name. That is going to bite a lot of companies in the behind. Unless my perception of how American companies desire to do business is completely wrong then this path needs to stop.
Everything seems to need to be done as fast as possible, and with profit being the main goal.
Who cares if it is the best.. Who cares if it could be better.. Just get it out there and make money.. Support? Why should we support our product? Why should we put a restore image online? Why should we update our website with info that might help folks understand what is being done about the issues?
This same stuff is happening with lots of companies. Sylvania is another example of the outsourced spin off type of product, there are many others.
I think we deserve better, and if a company has to have there rear end handed to them to figure out that quality, and customer satisfaction still counts then so be it....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I just got my g tab and am having all the issues u described out of the box. Internet crashes,WiFi dropping, force closes and all, did u just do the restart and it fixed everything? If so how do I do that and if u did more, what else do I have to do? I love my tablet and think it so much better than my friends ipad, but the issiues do bother me.....but I'll never return it, just want to fix it
Thx in advance
juda222000 said:
I just got my g tab and am having all the issues u described out of the box. Internet crashes,WiFi dropping, force closes and all, did u just do the restart and it fixed everything? If so how do I do that and if u did more, what else do I have to do? I love my tablet and think it so much better than my friends ipad, but the issiues do bother me.....but I'll never return it, just want to fix it
Thx in advance
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
When I got my very first device (before TnT Lite existed), it was terrible. Lots of FC's, and at least twice it rebooted on me for no reason and wiped my user data. As I recall, doing a manual data wipe helped but it was never really fully stable until I wiped it with nvflash (the bekit image).
Since then, they only time I've ever seen major instability is either when testing mods, which is understandable, or going back to stock.
roebeet said:
When I got my very first device (before TnT Lite existed), it was terrible. Lots of FC's, and at least twice it rebooted on me for no reason and wiped my user data. As I recall, doing a manual data wipe helped but it was never really fully stable until I wiped it with nvflash (the bekit image).
Since then, they only time I've ever seen major instability is either when testing mods, which is understandable, or going back to stock.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Apologies,is that an app I can download out of the market? sorry still a newb... and what mod do u use that makes it run so well now? Is that what nvflash is?
juda222000 said:
I just got my g tab and am having all the issues u described out of the box. Internet crashes,WiFi dropping, force closes and all, did u just do the restart and it fixed everything? If so how do I do that and if u did more, what else do I have to do? I love my tablet and think it so much better than my friends ipad, but the issiues do bother me.....but I'll never return it, just want to fix it
Thx in advance
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well.... We have to go back in history. (Only about 6 weeks ago)
The force closes "Might" go away if you can get into settings and find the factory reset selection. It may be under the privacy tab. I can't tell you for sure because I am not running TnT right now.
The wifi issue was a problem when the device woke up and there was a patch made by a smart guy named Bekit.
The time issue was something where the time zone would not stick. It would always reset itself back to GMT if I recall.
There were patches for all of them back then, and I had them all installed at one point. None are needed anymore.
My suggestion to you, if you actually want to keep the tablet is to read the instructions in the post below and flash a new rom. TnTLite is based on your stock firmware. It just has the bad parts removed, and good stuff put in. All of the major issues should hopefully go away. As Roebeet just told you Nvflash could be in your future to do a clean wipe but I hope not. The stock out of the box firmware is really bad. It is unfortunate because the hardware is really good.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=842004
juda222000 said:
Apologies,is that an app I can download out of the market? sorry still a newb... and what mod do u use that makes it run so well now? Is that what nvflash is?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, nvflash is fairly advanced stuff so I wouldn't recommend it unless you are fairly technical or if its the last resort. You need APX drivers setup on your PC as well as the nvflash image.
Try a user data wipe, as a first step. In stock, it's under Settings and Security, I believe. If that doesn't help, I'd recommend clockworkmod recovery next and try to do a clear cache, user data wipe and a SD partition fix, in that order (do the next if the previous one doesn't fix it). I'd do nvflash last.
I personally love nvflash, but like I mentioned you need to be somewhat technical to use it.
See the FAQ area under my sig for some pointers and links, to start you off with.
roebeet said:
No, nvflash is fairly advanced stuff so I wouldn't recommend it unless you are fairly technical or if its the last resort. You need APX drivers setup on your PC as well as the nvflash image.
Try a user data wipe, as a first step. In stock, it's under Settings and Security, I believe. If that doesn't help, I'd recommend clockworkmod recovery next and try to do a clear cache, user data wipe and a SD partition fix, in that order (do the next if the previous one doesn't fix it). I'd do nvflash last.
I personally love nvflash, but like I mentioned you need to be somewhat technical to use it.
See the FAQ area under my sig for some pointers and links, to start you off with.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
NVflash is the bomb... Finding the full sdk anymore... that sucks
juda222000,
Hang in there. I have been working on my second G-Tab and when I started it up, it worked worse than the first one did!!!
But it seems to me like if you just keep using common sense and rebooting to give it time to sort things out, and then using the info in these forums to get it together -- all will turn out well and you will have a really great tablet.
Just be patient and don't get ahead of yourself and cause yourself grief like I have done a couple of times!! Best wishes....
Rev
I personally suspect that the fatal flaw is no high price contract with a network provider.
As was stated.....if there really was a fatal hardware flaw we would almost definately know about it on this forum. The stock UI was poor but still not fatal. I would tend to agree that we need far more info before jumping to a conclusion about the life expectancy of this most excellent device (after a few mods).
Hey all,
I'm getting my G Tablet tomorrow and I'd just like to get some things clarified.
I know, the first thing some will say is USE SEARCH! Well, I did - and that's actually why I just want to get some things straight before I go down the path of modifying the device software. See, reading it all has managed to confuse me more than help me get a definitive instruction set for forging ahead.
I'm seeing the update "****s on CWM" according to a user...and then a 'fix' for that. Than I see that Gapps causes FCs for some, while it works for others. So...yeah, a little back and forth on what to do and who's instructions to follow.
Alright, so first thing's first....Should I flash the Clockwork Mod that I'm seeing available - 0.8? or is there something else I should consider or that I've missed? or maybe wait for a newer version? Should I even flash CWM if I get the newest (and I WILL be getting the newest) S/W version? Are there any downsides at all to flashing CWM on there in terms of messing with OTA updates, etc?
I read this:
"All the ROMS use a standard firmware updater that can be used by non-technical users. Here is an explanation on how it works:...."
Sooo, does that mean I can live without CWM? If an update doesn't work for some reason, will I be able to fix it or overwrite it somehow if I can't get into the tablet at all from the tablet itself? I read something about going into APX mode and putting things on through Windows, is this an infallible method?
Second of all, I read the FAQ thoroughly (I think and hope) but I'm still not 100% on what Gapps to DL or how to put a working Android Market on there especially with this new S/W update. I've seen how to 'fix' the Market to see missing apps, but not how to actually install it on the G Tablet. I may have missed that post somewhere on here.
I'm also unclear if I should get Gapps or not at all, as I've read that some have FCs on there while others do not - so what's the general consensus in light of this update that was just released as of Dec. 21, 2010?
Ultimately, here is what I'd like from my GTab:
I'd like to run the new official Tapn'Tap released recently first and foremost.
I'd like to have the official/unofficial (w/e) Google Market.
I'd like to run Google Apps (Gtalk, Gmail, etc.).
IF I don't like Tapn'Tap, and this is a worse case scenario situation, as in if I HATE TnT - I'd like to have the option to slap something else on there and I'd like to make sure I don't brick my Tablet. Whether that means storing an original official TnT ROM or whatever.
Point me in the right direction please, especially considering things may have changed as of the new S/W update.
Thanks much and sorry for all the questions. I assure you I used search and I attempted to put it together on my own. It's been a long time since I've modded (G1 was the last time) and I don't do it often. Also, apologies if I posted this in the wrong section....I considered posting it in Dev. section but this one seemed better suited.
Thanks again, XDA rocks.
Neoprimal said:
Hey all,
I'm getting my G Tablet tomorrow and I'd just like to get some things clarified.
I know, the first thing some will say is USE SEARCH! Well, I did - and that's actually why I just want to get some things straight before I go down the path of modifying the device software. See, reading it all has managed to confuse me more than help me get a definitive instruction set for forging ahead.
I'm seeing the update "****s on CWM" according to a user...and then a 'fix' for that. Than I see that Gapps causes FCs for some, while it works for others. So...yeah, a little back and forth on what to do and who's instructions to follow.
Alright, so first thing's first....Should I flash the Clockwork Mod that I'm seeing available - 0.8? or is there something else I should consider or that I've missed? or maybe wait for a newer version? Should I even flash CWM if I get the newest (and I WILL be getting the newest) S/W version? Are there any downsides at all to flashing CWM on there in terms of messing with OTA updates, etc?
I read this:
"All the ROMS use a standard firmware updater that can be used by non-technical users. Here is an explanation on how it works:...."
Sooo, does that mean I can live without CWM? If an update doesn't work for some reason, will I be able to fix it or overwrite it somehow if I can't get into the tablet at all from the tablet itself? I read something about going into APX mode and putting things on through Windows, is this an infallible method?
Second of all, I read the FAQ thoroughly (I think and hope) but I'm still not 100% on what Gapps to DL or how to put a working Android Market on there especially with this new S/W update. I've seen how to 'fix' the Market to see missing apps, but not how to actually install it on the G Tablet. I may have missed that post somewhere on here.
I'm also unclear if I should get Gapps or not at all, as I've read that some have FCs on there while others do not - so what's the general consensus in light of this update that was just released as of Dec. 21, 2010?
Ultimately, here is what I'd like from my GTab:
I'd like to run the new official Tapn'Tap released recently first and foremost.
I'd like to have the official/unofficial (w/e) Google Market.
I'd like to run Google Apps (Gtalk, Gmail, etc.).
IF I don't like Tapn'Tap, and this is a worse case scenario situation, as in if I HATE TnT - I'd like to have the option to slap something else on there and I'd like to make sure I don't brick my Tablet. Whether that means storing an original official TnT ROM or whatever.
Point me in the right direction please, especially considering things may have changed as of the new S/W update.
Thanks much and sorry for all the questions. I assure you I used search and I attempted to put it together on my own. It's been a long time since I've modded (G1 was the last time) and I don't do it often. Also, apologies if I posted this in the wrong section....I considered posting it in Dev. section but this one seemed better suited.
Thanks again, XDA rocks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't know how much direction pointing I can do but here goes..
Clockwork mod in my opinion is a necessity. Version 0.8 is the best one for most people because of how it deals with the memory locations. Yes, you can do things without it. The update process is as simple as putting an update.zip file, and a recovery folder with a command file in it on an sdcard and holding the vol + button while hitting power. It is easy. Clockwork has a lot of little features though that make life easier. You can make a complete system backup with it. You can install updates, and new firmware with it. You can completely lock up your tablet and using clockwork and your backup be back in business in about 3-4 minutes. You can load new roms and if you hate them you can go back to your old working stuff in minutes. Yes, there are ways to make one of these tablets work again when they get stuck. I don't think anyone has actually bricked one. Some may think they have, but I doubt it.
Unless you are dead set on wanting the stock TnT interface the easiest way to get what you want is to load one of the roms. Yes, there are ways to get most of it without loading a new rom. Most everyone that has gone the I have to stay stock but want all the mods has eventually just loaded a rom. TnT3.0 is based on the latest stock stuff. It has the market, flash, etc. already in it. VegaN is what I use mostly but they are both stable and fast.
Before you flash something brand new that just came out I would read about it and see what others have to say about issues. It usually only takes about 30 minutes until you can tell if it is going to be good or not.
All of the roms for this tablet have there own little quirks. The stock has gotten better with each update but it still is not as good as the ones I named.
Finally.. This tablet is very easy to play with. It is pretty much unbrickable. Anything you can possibly break one of us has probably already broken before and fixed. There are some people that seem to have problems doing every little thing. Most don't. So I wouldn't let any of it scare you off because none of it is that hard.
With a little bit of searching almost everything you may want it to do can be done. I really love mine, and when I got it almost 2 months ago I hated it...
"Finally.. This tablet is very easy to play with. It is pretty much unbrickable. Anything you can possibly break one of us has probably already broken before and fixed. There are some people that seem to have problems doing every little thing. Most don't. So I wouldn't let any of it scare you off because none of it is that hard."
"Sigh" of relief. Then I'm not too worried. As I said I've dabbled in modifying my G1 and it is mostly cake. But I've just been seeing conflicting posts on whether cwm works with the newest official tnt release or not so I wasn't sure what to do.
Thanks for your advice. And when I said pointers, I meant like this as well as pointing me to any posts I may have missed on how to do whatever. Though I THINK I found most of them.
Neoprimal said:
"Finally.. This tablet is very easy to play with. It is pretty much unbrickable. Anything you can possibly break one of us has probably already broken before and fixed. There are some people that seem to have problems doing every little thing. Most don't. So I wouldn't let any of it scare you off because none of it is that hard."
"Sigh" of relief. Then I'm not too worried. As I said I've dabbled in modifying my G1 and it is mostly cake. But I've just been seeing conflicting posts on whether cwm works with the newest official tnt release or not so I wasn't sure what to do.
Thanks for your advice. And when I said pointers, I meant like this as well as pointing me to any posts I may have missed on how to do whatever. Though I THINK I found most of them.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The new release overwrites clockwork. But it is not hard to put back. Always a good idea to copy the clockwork backups folder to your pc, or somewhere they won't be lost. The custom roms typically leave the recovery image alone and can be installed with or without clockwork by either extracting the zip contents for stock recovery, or installing it as is in clockwork.
Sprdtyf350 said:
Finally.. This tablet is very easy to play with. It is pretty much unbrickable.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I can vouch for that. Erased system, boot, data and cache in preparation for a new ROM. Accidentally rebooted and couldn't get into recovery. Booted it into APX mode, flashed stock and was on my way.
I would just run ZRoot, then upload the TnTLite 3.0 recovery and update.zip and then do the recovery mode process. You should have a microsd handy just in case it doesn't work, but so far I haven't needed that.
This tablet is much easier to work with and very forgiving since VS never took the time to lock down the bootloader etc like Motorola did with my Droid X. You really shouldn't fear changing files out etc, provided you're getting a ROM from one of the people providing them here. If you can press and hold two buttons at once, you can make your gTab an awesome little tablet. It benchmarks about 1000 points higher than my Droid X on quadrant. Can't wait to see what these guys can do with Gingerbread.
Sprdtyf350 said:
The new release overwrites clockwork. But it is not hard to put back. Always a good idea to copy the clockwork backups folder to your pc, or somewhere they won't be lost. The custom roms typically leave the recovery image alone and can be installed with or without clockwork by either extracting the zip contents for stock recovery, or installing it as is in clockwork.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It is also not hard to alter the update so that it does not overwrite clockwork.
Open update.zip
Find updater-script, Open in notepad++
Remove the line that references recovery.img
Flash update
hogasswild said:
I would just run ZRoot, then upload the TnTLite 3.0 recovery and update.zip and then do the recovery mode process. You should have a microsd handy just in case it doesn't work, but so far I haven't needed that.
This tablet is much easier to work with and very forgiving since VS never took the time to lock down the bootloader etc like Motorola did with my Droid X. You really shouldn't fear changing files out etc, provided you're getting a ROM from one of the people providing them here. If you can press and hold two buttons at once, you can make your gTab an awesome little tablet. It benchmarks about 1000 points higher than my Droid X on quadrant. Can't wait to see what these guys can do with Gingerbread.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
with the new update however does the z4root still work? i heard it may not anymore. just curious also since im hopefully getting mine on sat for xmas
rothnic said:
It is also not hard to alter the update so that it does not overwrite clockwork.
Open update.zip
Find updater-script, Open in notepad++
Remove the line that references recovery.img
Flash update
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the info Rothnic! I had already flashed it before I figured out it removed Clockwork. Learning new stuff every day is good... Thanks..
dragonfly1113 said:
with the new update however does the z4root still work? i heard it may not anymore. just curious also since im hopefully getting mine on sat for xmas
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The very first time I rooted, I used ZRoot and installed 2.4.0. I didn't change anything and used the exact same process of simply copying over the 3.0.0 files over to the root directory of the internal memory and did the recovery procedure (vol+ and pwr keys). It worked like a charm.
hogasswild said:
The very first time I rooted, I used ZRoot and installed 2.4.0. I didn't change anything and used the exact same process of simply copying over the 3.0.0 files over to the root directory of the internal memory and did the recovery procedure (vol+ and pwr keys). It worked like a charm.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ok cool, thanks cant wait for my g tablet hopefully sat morning
I think you'll like it a lot. I also own an iPad. While they are similar they are also a little different. Merry Christmas!
hogasswild said:
I think you'll like it a lot. I also own an iPad. While they are similar they are also a little different. Merry Christmas!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
my mom has an ipad and my dad could only buy it while i was on my honeymoon bc he knew i wouldnt approve of an apple device in the house haha.
rothnic said:
It is also not hard to alter the update so that it does not overwrite clockwork.
Open update.zip
Find updater-script, Open in notepad++
Remove the line that references recovery.img
Flash update
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My device hasn't come yet (damn you FedEx!) but I'm eagerly awaiting it.
My plan:
Unbox, start it....do a factory reset from the getgo if it has enough juice.
Set it back up. Charge it to full. If whatever comes on it is as unbearable as I've seen in on Youtube - start modifications.
Will CWM install on it AFTER I do the update if it's available to me? I've seen that the update messes with it if it's already there - but noone's mentioned putting it on there after the fact. I may just go that route for simplicity sake.
Thanks for this!, and thank you all for chiming in with your experience. I feel much better about just getting my hands dirty in it all. I had wrote something to someone yesterday about jumping in and just doing it, but when it comes to dealing with it yourself it can be a daunting task - especially when it still has that new smell, lol. Anyway, thanks again. You guys really rock.
Will stop back later on after I've done my thing
I think they are both nice devices. There are trade off for both of them. I think the screen on the iPad is wonderful, where the gTab's is okay. But the gTab has a forward facing camera, you can print from it, and you can modify it fairly easily too.
Sprdtyf350 said:
Finally.. This tablet is very easy to play with. It is pretty much unbrickable.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
...famous last words...
Seriously though...trust the directions from the great devs like roebeet. Follow their instructions word for word. You can switch ROMs and then flash back if you want. No worries...
Off topic!
Well...disappointment! Fedex had my package out for delivery at 8am and at 8pm, they're not here. This is why I like UPS, they show up at my door on the day of delivery, no exceptions - they have shown up at almost 9pm before. The Archos 101 I got was sent out at 8am as well but got here at 1:30pm - I suppose that was before the holiday rush.
Checking the details of my tracking I'm seeing a "delivery exception" at 7:30pm (I guess it was time to get back to the facility so they can clock out by 8pm?) and upon calling them I get a somewhat stumbling but polite CS who tells me the delivery went out "late" - upon which I asked if 8am was considered late, especially from a distribution facility WITHIN the same zip code as I am, and all he could say was "Very sorry about this".
Aaaanyway....I guess it will be tomorrow before I can report my adventures.
Think I'll be able to get my $3.99 back from Amazon? I have Prime and with that the package would have come tomorrow anyway. Basically my $3.99 is wasted. Imagine if I didn't have Prime though? Whew.
ima_UNC_fan said:
...famous last words...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you can figure out how to brick it you will probably get an award.. It won't be a good award but probably one of those top ten dumb things people do awards. So far unless you plug the motherboard into a wall socket no one has bricked one. May think they have, but like I said before I doubt it..
And your right.. If it can be done, someone eventually will figure out how. And then we will all laugh at them.. At least I will
I finally got the G tablet tonight and...alright, don't flame me for this - but I don't see what all the complaints about the screen being horrendous or the device being molasses slow are about?
I don't know how people are trying to view it...but when looking at it or setting it on a stand to watch media, I'm not seeing any problem with the viewing angles. It's about the same as my laptop so I watch it the same way.
It's not even a 1/4 as slow as the stuff I've seen on Youtube or in some of the review videos I've seen around the net. I haven't gotten a single FC. Granted, I haven't put in a SD Card yet so maybe problems will start then?
I guess I should note, the very first thing I did was did a factory reset. Then I hooked it up to Wifi and got the 3053 update. I'm one of those who will be waiting for the 'official' update on the 24th.
I set up the time and date, restarted and everything works. I haven't installed flash yet (don't need it that much) and stuff that I DO want on there right now works fine (skype, pandora, fring, dropbox, evernote). I'm slowly figuring out a list of what I want/need from my Mytouch 4G to port to the VS GTab. Figure I don't really NEED Gtalk, Gmail on there because I have these on my phone AND PC - do I really want them making noises all around my home on 3 devices? I was concerned about getting the Google Apps on but now I'm finding I really don't need them. So it seems to me this will be a matter of learning to separate what I need on a tablet vs. my phone - I was of the mentality that I should just get whatever's on my phone on the tablet, this is something others apparently do as they seem to want everything that's on their phone, on their tablets as well.
I personally don't see the point in that. Had I had the Google Market, that would have escaped me as I'd have used Appbrain to just get my motherload of apps from the MT4G to the GTab. Not having it has slowed me, and now I get to re-evaluate before I do grab apps for it.
Now I just have to merge/convert my HTPC into a NAS device as well and find an app that will allow me to DLNA stream media from it and I'll be in mobile heaven.
I haven't had my wifi drop at all anywhere in my home and I've marched all over with it (I use full Wifi N, no G compat. so maybe my range is wider?). Tried email, etc. to replicate crashes and force closes but haven't so far. No surfing issues. I DID find that one app got 'stuck' being downloaded and I had to delete the file before the 'downloading' icon would go away, even after restart.
Maybe the trick to getting a workable GTab in the first place is to factory reset it before first use? Iunno. Things may change and issues may pop up the more I use it and as time passes - but so far, so good!
Again, I can't thank XDA enough for the advice and info. I've found and been given.
Sprdtyf350 said:
If you can figure out how to brick it you will probably get an award.. It won't be a good award but probably one of those top ten dumb things people do awards. So far unless you plug the motherboard into a wall socket no one has bricked one. May think they have, but like I said before I doubt it..
And your right.. If it can be done, someone eventually will figure out how. And then we will all laugh at them.. At least I will
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I figured it out. Accidentally hit one of the devkit nvflash .cabs and boom
Hey there everyone!
I have to say up front, that I haven't had any of the major issues that everyone is going on and on about. I had the one time occurrence of the barrage of "Force Quits" that happened the moment I got it out of the box... But in less than 30 min, the 3389 Update was available and I haven't had one issue since.
The only 2 things that I was worried about was the ability to watch Youtube, which I found that as long as you view the original "Desktop" version of youtube then you have no problems... The Desktop version was a simple click of a link at the bottom of the Youtube Mobile Page... Fixed... Done...
(My only REAL Question)
The other problem that I had, and am still having, is simply trying to get my Gmail account to unload in the "E-Mail" application that came with the G Tab. It says to check my incoming mail settings, which I did, and still can't quite figure that out... Any ideas?
Other than that though, this thing has given me nothing short of a good experience. I'm not too savvy with the MOD aspect of everything, but I would think that if I put that on my system, that I would have the mods themselves to blame for anything that went wrong..... And I certainly wouldn't want to jeopardize my Warranty just to have gmail pop up 3 weeks faster than Viewsonic can pay it's employees to pump out updates.... I'm giving them time, as I would hope any customer base would give me if I were the manufacturer.
Sit back, relax, and enjoy the cool little gadget... That's how I see it. It has a crap ton of potential, and I'm willing to watch this infant grow without boosting it full of steroids and blackmarket performance drugs... Last thing I want is a third arm that doesn't work growing out of it's face............
Quote:
"For this guide, it is not necessary to root the Viewsonic G Tablet in order to flash CyanogenMod. You can simply install ClockworkMod Recovery & continue on.
WARNING: INSTALLING CLOCKWORKMOD RECOVERY ON THE VIEWSONIC G TABLET WILL VOID THE WARRANTY."
(I would imagine though that all of this stuff can be erased? If it voids the warranty, then why in the world would anyone ever put it on there if it can't be undone...?)
Hello there... this is probably going to get laughed at by the more experienced users on the site, but what the hell, here it goes.
I've had a Droid 2, an HTC Thunderbolt, a Dell Streak 7 tablet, and now, my pretty new TF300 tablet. I've never rooted any of them (the Thunderbolt looks scary as f*** to root), mainly because I was scared. I want to unlock all the capabilities of my device, but the idea of bricking anything I have just scares the piss out of me.
I've heard people say that the Transformer (not necessarily the TF300, mind you) is fairly easier to root than other devices because ASUS provides you the software you need to root it. Well, to my surprise, that software was nowhere to be found when my tab showed up. So I guess it's up to me to seek out the details and do some hardcore tab rooting... but damn am I scared.
Bottom line: I'm verrry inexperienced at rooting things... I probably couldn't root my way out of a paper bag. I see the lingo people use in the topics where they talk about rooting their device, and I am just totally lost. I guess I'm looking for input from others who were new to rooting until they hit this device, or input from pros about how risky it is, the ease of the rooting process, a more in-depth explanation of the rooting process... anything. The more, the better. Anything anybody could say to help me nut up enough to root my device, I'm looking forward to hearing it.
All you have to do, if you're still on the OG firmware (.17), is find the app called Sparkyroot, open it, and follow the directions. There is no danger of a brick by using Sparkyroot.
Note that if you've updated to .26 or .29 firmware, you'll have to downgrade to root, which could potentially cause a brick. But really, as long as you can control your attention span and follow directions, you should be fine.
Check out this thread:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1645029
I'm a computer programmer and I rooted only because I wanted to remap the keys on the dock. If you are so hesitant, and don't have a good reason to root, maybe your tablet is just fine the way it is. If you don't have a good reason to root, but you have time to kill, and want to learn new things, then it may be a good thing to do.
As a first safe step, on your laptop you can just install the android sdk with platform-tools, install the usb driver for tf300t, and see if you see anything when you type "adb devices" in command prompt. Maybe doing this will give you a better idea on things that you'll need to do.
Honestly, I'd wait until you have a real need or reason to root. You say you want to "unlock all the capabilities" of your TF300. But what do you mean by that? Is there a specific app you want to run?
I rooted my phone because I wanted free WiFi tethering. I haven't rooted my TF300 because I haven't yet run into any increased functionaliy that I feel I really need or want.
Another thing to consider is that OTA updates can fail or brick a rooted device (or you may simply lose root). So if you want an OS update, you sometimes have to flash an older, un-rooted stock ROM on your device, then take the upgrade. A bit of a hassle. I expect that, since the TF300 is so new, we'll be seeing a few OTA's over the coming months. Until things settle down I, personally, am happy as is.
You're gonna think this is so stupid... but the reason I want to root is so I can run an app called GameCIH, which would help me cheat in a game. lol
In my own defense, the developers have made that game so difficult that your only real hope is to buy in-game currency for real money. Enough other people say, "Cheating is wrong, but in this case, it's pretty warranted."
Lol, you have piqued my curiosity. What game? And its stupid easy on .17. I did it about 4 hours after receiving. If you wish to waive your warranty, you can unlock, install CWR(clock work recovery), then flash the SU(super user) zip.
Sent from my SGH-T989 using XDA
The game is called Defender II from Droidhen. If you go to Play, you'll see a whole poop ton of one-stars, people complaining that the game basically became impossible after the last few updates.
Now, since I'm such a know-nothing when it comes to stuff like this, I don't feel bad asking: I saw that Asus released a bootloader thing for unlocking the TF300 today. Is unlocking different from rooting, and can I hack that game having just used the bootloader apk? I tried using the GameCIH app, but it told me my device wasn't rooted so I couldn't use it.
And to answer somebody's earlier question, I have provided my device with all the firmware updates supplied it over the air by Asus. Does the bootloader app I downloaded tonight make that any less problematic?
-Tim
Here are my reasons to root:
- app backups/restore with saves (mostly games )
- tune settings (look at http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1641219)
- some apps require root access for more functionality (nova laucher, titanium backup)
- I'm a linux user so I like having god-like control over my system even if I don't use it offen
- and many more...
The only reason to not do this is loosing your warranty.
At this moment I have root only in my phone (Galaxy S II) but I'm also thinking about rooting my TF300T
^^
Another good reason would be to overclock imo. I've seen threads on XDA where people are getting 1.5 or 1.6 from root/overclocking, which is +EV imo.
If you can follow directions, you should be ok. At some point, everyone roots for the first time. I had no clue about any of this either (and I'm still not the best, especially with adb commands on the comp) but once I rooted my first device, I found it to be pretty interesting and now I do it with anything I get.
I'd advise you to read the root threads thoroughly, you will see a lot of Q&A which will show you where people tend to get stuck in the process. You also might want to just use it as-is for a week or two and make sure you don't have any defects, since your warranty could be void, and you wouldn't want to find out about an unrelated problem later that you can't get fixed.
I'm extra hesitant because it sounds like the downgrade is more dangerous than anything else, and damn it, in every thread, they use so many technical terms that I don't understand...
Make sure the blob file is in there with ADB tools and *circus music playing in my head*
Haha, trust me, I know where you are coming from. Rooting may be a good place to start actually, if you truly screw it up I don't think they will be able to know that it's rooted and will still cover it (someone else can chime in here if I'm wrong). Unlocking, however, apparently sends them information and will void your warranty for sure.
The only way to learn it is to do it
Then again, if things are working well for you, leave it as-is, won't hurt anything to run it stock.
Yeah, if that's the case though, then I really wish I didn't unlock it... I thought it was like rooting but it did nothing for me except kill my warranty and OTA updates... so until I nut up enough to root it, I guess I'm stuck on .29. Not a bad update, mind you, but as they keep upping the tab, I'm going to be stuck in the stone age. That kind of sucks.
Can someone reply to this ASAP:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1668173
Does following the steps in that post allow for a much easier root than I would have had to do less than a week ago? It sounds like it's a cinch to install CWM onto the tab (which, by the way, I know zip-**** about), and then after that, it says to "flash" a file to achieve root.
And on a side note, what the Bejesus does it mean to flash a file?
If you are unlocked, then yes that's the best way to go. Just to confirm, when you boot up, it says "bootloader unlocked" in the top left?
Flashing a file means to install the .zip from CWM.
In the top left, it says "Device UnLocked" or something like that. It's not near me at the moment, but yeah, it definitely says the word unlocked when I boot her up.
And thank you for the clarification
Sack up, and Root it!
It's FUN!
nordis,
I've flashed CWM onto my tab and I'm navigating it now, but I'm still unclear about how to root it.
The step says:
"After flashing CWM, you might also want root. It's easy, just flash the attached zip "
How! What?! Damn it! Can somebody detail what he means, or if I have to enter a specific command using my computerizer, what do I have to input? Because if I have to guess, I'll do it wrong, and this bastard will detonate in my arms.
Edit: I'm also in the process now of backing up my device. I don't know if rooting makes me wipe everything, so why the hell not. If I'm making a mistake doing this, then someone post back right away and I'll fling my tablet at the wall and hope for the best.
Edit: I did it! I'm rooted! I'm the smartest man alive! Nobody else needs to answer any questions I asked about this then
See, it ain't so bad. Pretty fun figuring this stuff out really. Now get to work rooting your phone and all your friends phones and tablets immediately
-T-mobile SGS2 Hercules
Tim 13 said:
I've flashed CWM onto my tab and I'm navigating it now, but I'm still unclear about how to root it.
The step says:
"After flashing CWM, you might also want root. It's easy, just flash the attached zip "
How! What?! Damn it! Can somebody detail what he means, or if I have to enter a specific command using my computerizer, what do I have to input? Because if I have to guess, I'll do it wrong, and this bastard will detonate in my arms.
Edit: I'm also in the process now of backing up my device. I don't know if rooting makes me wipe everything, so why the hell not. If I'm making a mistake doing this, then someone post back right away and I'll fling my tablet at the wall and hope for the best.
Edit: I did it! I'm rooted! I'm the smartest man alive! Nobody else needs to answer any questions I asked about this then
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can anyone explain what flashing CWM is and how it's relevant to rooting? It has nothing to do with unlocking the tablet right?
I'd like to keep my recalled tablet.I've never had a problem with it.
Any ideas on how to avoid the kill switch...? Maybe Nandroid backup just to be safe then find a way change serial,android Id,Mac,ect. Such as with bluestack tweaker software.
Don't you see anything unethical in what you propose?
Sent from my SGH-M919 using Tapatalk
I don't know to me it's unethical to dispose of a good gaming tablet.They are still vague on whether you need to send it back.For example I received an email last night saying that I would receive mine today and that they were going to instruct me on how to dispose of it.
I don't need to be given a lecture on morals just knowledge thanks you.
People have started receiving their replacement and yes, you do have to send the old one back.
And it IS unethical of you to keep the old tablet. Just because the old tablet gets disabled doesn't mean they won't be able to salvage internal parts for refurbishing like any other company that refurbishes devices. You paid for one tablet and Nvidia is spending a ton of money to lend a hand and replace defective units free of charge and without requiring a credit card hold (I just had to do that for HTC) and you still want to take the whole arm? That's very selfish and this is why we can't have nice things.
And it IS unethical of you to keep the old tablet. Just because the old tablet gets disabled doesn't mean they won't be able to salvage internal parts for refurbishing like any other company that refurbishes devices. You paid for one tablet and Nvidia is spending a ton of money to lend a hand and replace defective units free of charge and without requiring a credit card hold (I just had to do that for HTC) and you still want to take the whole arm and leg and ... I respect your opinions but I don't see you respecting mine.You have made yourselves clear but haven't helped..thank you anyways.
You don't have to ship the tablet back if you don't want ManualG has said this: "We don't require you to send it back to us to receive the replacement and are collecting them only to make it less of a burden on everyone else who dont have drop off locations like that close by."
Thank you shorty.Looks like Dave just got educated.
BlackDave said:
People have started receiving their replacement and yes, you do have to send the old one back.
And it IS unethical of you to keep the old tablet. Just because the old tablet gets disabled doesn't mean they won't be able to salvage internal parts for refurbishing like any other company that refurbishes devices. You paid for one tablet and Nvidia is spending a ton of money to lend a hand and replace defective units free of charge and without requiring a credit card hold (I just had to do that for HTC) and you still want to take the whole arm? That's very selfish and this is why we can't have nice things.
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Click to collapse
you dont have to send it back. it varies per region...i just got my replacement one today and the flyer in the box says that i should take care of the disposal/scrapping. no return label, no request to send it somewhere...nothing. period.
so, i dont feel like doing anything unethical by keeping it...just accepting the risk of the battery exploding...
Mr.Optimistic said:
Thank you shorty.Looks like Dave just got lectured.
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Click to collapse
Yeah he sure lectured me by just informing us that we either dispose it ourselves or Nvidia does. (this is taken from the same post he's referring to)
There are opinions to respect but the morally wrong ones, I will not respect. That is all I'm saying.
Anyways, better not turn on that new tablet until someone figures it out, if anyone does.
I was not trying to lecture anyone sorry everyone took it the wrong way. I just wanted to give people information on the situation.
So shorty88 are you going to keep yours too?
Unless Nvidia specifically says we have to send it back I am keeping mine
Hey. I got my tablet today. I got the yellow paper saying I will get a box to return the old one. They actually put that paper in there twice. Anyways, my old tablet is currently running BlissPop Rom and after setting up my new tablet, I was waiting for the old one to shut off or something but nothing has happened. Not sure if it's because it's on a different rom but I basically have the 2 tablets running side by side. I even wiped it and it still works. So there you go.
I'll probably return it or keep it for spare parts but I don't trust the battery.
BlackDave said:
Hey. I got my tablet today. I got the yellow paper saying I will get a box to return the old one. They actually put that paper in there twice. Anyways, my old tablet is currently running BlissPop Rom and after setting up my new tablet, I was waiting for the old one to shut off or something but nothing has happened. Not sure if it's because it's on a different rom but I basically have the 2 tablets running side by side. I even wiped it and it still works. So there you go.
I'll probably return it or keep it for spare parts but I don't trust the battery.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'd be very concerned if they could remotely force an OTA on a device not even running an Nvidia ROM...
aenews said:
I'd be very concerned if they could remotely force an OTA on a device not even running an Nvidia ROM...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not possible for nvidia to push any updates to a non-stock ROM.
danjull said:
Not possible for nvidia to push any updates to a non-stock ROM.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Obviously. I'm saying I'd be very concerned if they could remotely cause the tablet to brick via OTA on a non-Stock ROM as that would require a very deep level of privacy intrusion.
aenews said:
Obviously. I'm saying I'd be very concerned if they could remotely cause the tablet to brick via OTA on a non-Stock ROM as that would require a very deep level of privacy intrusion.
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Click to collapse
No concern necessary. Android requires permissions for those types of operations. No one making a custom rom would include such a thing.
danjull said:
No concern necessary. Android requires permissions for those types of operations. No one making a custom rom would include such a thing.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I know that. Again, I'm saying I'd be pretty hypothetically concerned if it were possible for Nvidia to remotely force an OTA on a custom ROM. I know that wouldn't happen...
Ok, let's just dial this back a bit. Here in Canada, you do not have to return the old tablet. I will be keeping mine for parts. Although I would also like to order a replacement battery and swap it out. In this scenario, it is 100% safe to keep using the tablet. So, in the event that you no longer have a suspect battery, how would a person avoid the kill switch?
Davis4ever said:
Ok, let's just dial this back a bit. Here in Canada, you do not have to return the old tablet. I will be keeping mine for parts. Although I would also like to order a replacement battery and swap it out. In this scenario, it is 100% safe to keep using the tablet. So, in the event that you no longer have a suspect battery, how would a person avoid the kill switch?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Have you tried searching the General forum? [hint: what you're looking for should be pretty obvious]