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

I got my g-tablet from Sears on November 2 and returned it to the store yesterday. I told them it does not have flash as stated on the box and the display is of very poor quality. I got full refund.
Why did I return it?
- Nvidia quality sucks: I had dead laptop, because of defective nvidia chip. If you don't believe it check this: Apple, Dell and HP got a class action suit against Nvidia: www nvidiasettlement com. OpenGL drivers are full of bugs they may have fixed Angry Birds, but there are plenty other bugs I'm sure.
- Nvidia does not conform to standards. No NEON instructions in Tegra. They try to play their desktop video card game, by providing custom APIs and making their applications incompatible with other ARM CPUs. So far it is the opposite - applications that run good on every other Cortex A8, does not play on Tegra.
- Nvidia keep their specs closed. I tried to get information on how to hook a hardware JTAG debugger, but all specs are opened only for partners.
- The device has the worst display I've seen. In portrait mode it gives me distorted colors even when looked at 90 degrees angle.
- The device is made by Malata and not Viewsonic. There is no track history for this company and I don't want to risk my money with unknown hardware quality (software we all know sucks)
For all folks expecting Notion Ink Adam: I'm sorry but this is going to be the same crap. Notion Ink has no proven record (neither Pixel Qi),combined with a low quality Nvidia chip, this is going to hurt.
I'm going to wait for the upcoming Acer tablet with a 10-inch screen that will run a Qualcomm dual-core 1 Ghz processor (produced on the new 28nm technology, supports out of order execution).
One good word about the G-tablet: the apx mode allows you to flash any OS, but the tablet has only 512MB internal Flash, which is not enough for dual boot.
My perfect tablet needs to be a laptop replacement: that means dual boot Android/Gentoo Linux, ability to boot every other ARM OS(windows phone,etc) from a sdcard. Also it has to have a case with keyboard and mouse pad (to be used as laptop when needed).
The TnT interface shows how clueless are Viewsonic about what the people actually need.

I bought mine about 3 days ago.. and I'm returning it today because of the poor viewing angles on the screen.. and also because of the laggy ui.. even with custom roms
edit: changed my mind and I'm going to keep mine for a while. there's a lot of great work being done with custom roms that might fix the lagginess. looking forward to notion inks announcement on december 9th!

i have had mine for about a week, the only way i'm returning it is if something better comes out within my 30 day window. it certainly does have flaws but i'm gonna give it more of a chance.

I am keeping mine because I am running Android 2.2 which doesn't take advantage of the dual-core processor, and because it is more of an accessory than a laptop replacement for me. This is definitely a hacker's unit more than an out-of-the-box laptop replacement.
-=Sent from my ViewSonic G Tablet using Tapatalk=-

To get a better one
Sent from my HTC Vision using XDA App

Keeping mine. Roebeet has been working hard to make this tablet worth something. I have no compaints with this device while running tnt lite other than the screen viewing angles. Even still, 9 times out of 10, im holding my device right in front of me so viewing angles are not as big of factor. This device is really just ahead of its time. The hardware is there, just the operating system is yet to be optimized for a 10 inch tablet with a tegra 2 processor. Roebeets tnt lite is just a sneak peak at what this thing is capable of. Once there is a 100% stock android it will run even faster, or even android 3.0. With this thing being completely open, its only a matter of time. This is a hackers paradise. Its so new that not everyone was able to get their hands on it yet. Give this thing time, i think you will be suprised what this thing can do and regret returning it.

I'm keeping mine. With a good bit of modding its actually nice to use. The screen angles are pretty bad in good lighting but is fine in low light situations. So I just use it in landscape in good light areas. Aside from the screen and sadly the TnT software this Malta pad is great. It even has a potential to be a beast as new products are released and Tegra 2 support becomes stronger.
Anything we get until Feb of next year is going to be a bit of a mess. All the top tier companies who only want to release a 100% consumer friendly product are holding off for Honeycomb. The current releases are either mid tier companies hungry for market share, bottom of the barrel companies releasing crap, and start ups like Adam using time as an opportunity.
We're on the bleeding edge and it shows. Likely the only company thats going to put in the effort needed to make this a good experience is Adam. They're a new company with something to prove. That said, I wouldn't be surprised if the their tab ends up going for $600 and still selling well.
Bottom line: If you can put up with the viewing angles and 1 reboot a day this is a decent deal. Especially if you got it for $280 like I did .

Keeping mine and bought up Sears stock for today's sale, sorry about that anyone who shops near me. These rock after being loaded up correctly

No way I'm taking my back. After flashing to TnT Lite 2.02 it's a keeper. Now if I could only get wireless tethering to work it would be golden.

does this question really belong in development?

switt said:
Bottom line: If you can put up with the viewing angles and 1 reboot a day this is a decent deal. Especially if you got it for $280 like I did .
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For $280 this tablet is a steal. There is no doubt in my mind that I would keep this tablet at that price.
However, at $417 after tax I'm on the fence about keeping this tablet. Performance wise, I can't complain. It's easily the fastest tablet on the market right now. After loading up TnT Lite with flash, this tablet is amazing. It's so much fun surfing the web. Battery life is great, this thing sips power.
but the screen, OMG the screen. It's just bad. I don't know any other way to say it. In portrait mode, it's usable but you can tell the image looks different at the top than it does at the bottom. I've found that there is really only one way to hold the tablet to get a good view and that is directly infront of you slightly below eye level.

linckraker said:
does this question really belong in development?
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Click to collapse
That was my question also, but I decided not to comment as I had assumed that a mod would've moved it to general by now.
Anyways ATM I'm keeping it. My primary reason for returning it would be driven by the form factor, as I REALLY MUCH prefer 7" for tablets. Just more portable and better for reading fiction, which means IF I keep that I'll also want a complementary 7" tablet. I just find 10" to be unwieldly.
As secondary reasons I would point out the absence of various features advertised on the box itself.
Just wish that a 7" Tegra2 would come out... I'd be all over it.

Where do i get one for $280
switt said:
I'm keeping mine. With a good bit of modding its actually nice to use. The screen angles are pretty bad in good lighting but is fine in low light situations. So I just use it in landscape in good light areas. Aside from the screen and sadly the TnT software this Malta pad is great. It even has a potential to be a beast as new products are released and Tegra 2 support becomes stronger.
Anything we get until Feb of next year is going to be a bit of a mess. All the top tier companies who only want to release a 100% consumer friendly product are holding off for Honeycomb. The current releases are either mid tier companies hungry for market share, bottom of the barrel companies releasing crap, and start ups like Adam using time as an opportunity.
We're on the bleeding edge and it shows. Likely the only company thats going to put in the effort needed to make this a good experience is Adam. They're a new company with something to prove. That said, I wouldn't be surprised if the their tab ends up going for $600 and still selling well.
Bottom line: If you can put up with the viewing angles and 1 reboot a day this is a decent deal. Especially if you got it for $280 like I did .
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Where do i get one for 280$, see them at staples for 399$?

acuralegendz said:
Where do i get one for 280$, see them at staples for 399$?
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Click to collapse
some sears outlet stores have refurbs for 279

I think the problem with the question of "why did you return it" is that the people who did return it are probably not scanning this forum anymore.
I've been scanning the negative comments (which are mostly valid crticisms, I might add), and I've compiled a list in my head:
- The crappy UI
- The crappy UI (important enough to be mentioned twice)
- The viewing angles, especially when watching while laying on a desk. (btw, flip the device around, so that the camera is on the bottom, and you can get around that).
- No official Flash yet, even though the darn icon is on the box.
- App compatibility issues, in particular the g-sensor issue in games.
- Lack of h264 high profile playback support (this is a Tegra 2 hardware limitation, btw).
- Performance, even with the UI mods. That seems to be more of an Android limitation, given that dual core is not being exploited.
- Lack of HDMI given that there's no dock, and a lack of accessories like a case.
- The bang-for-the-buck.
The last one is important because I have seen more than few posts from people returning the item who mentioned that they might have kept it of were $300, or if they could snag a $279 outlet device. It's not that the device is "bad", but more that you didn't want to break the bank for a device that is really not fully optimized yet. And I can understand that 100%.

roebeet said:
I think the problem with the question of "why did you return it" is that the people who did return it are probably not scanning this forum anymore.
I've been scanning the negative comments (which are mostly valid crticisms, I might add), and I've compiled a list in my head:
- The crappy UI
- The crappy UI (important enough to be mentioned twice)
- The viewing angles, especially when watching while laying on a desk. (btw, flip the device around, so that the camera is on the bottom, and you can get around that).
- No official Flash yet, even though the darn icon is on the box.
- App compatibility issues, in particular the g-sensor issue in games.
- Lack of h264 high profile playback support (this is a Tegra 2 hardware limitation, btw).
- Performance, even with the UI mods. That seems to be more of an Android limitation, given that dual core is not being exploited.
- Lack of HDMI given that there's no dock, and a lack of accessories like a case.
- The bang-for-the-buck.
The last one is important because I have seen more than few posts from people returning the item who mentioned that they might have kept it of were $300, or if they could snag a $279 outlet device. It's not that the device is "bad", but more that you didn't want to break the bank for a device that is really not fully optimized yet. And I can understand that 100%.
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I'm FIRMLY in the $300 camp as BOTH Staples & Sears had the gTab right next to a $299 and $249 Atom based netbooks(ASUS, Acer, Toshiba and something else...). Kind of a smack in the face to be asked to pay $400 for a less functional device, although I can kind of understand part of the reason being that the Tegra2 SoC isn't quite as cheap as ALL of the other SoCs. $400 still just seems like a hype price to me, and I do feel kind of ripped... would feel better IF it had a better camera(maybe 2) and GPS builtin... ...and if I had any REAL expectations of longterm VS support and OS upgrades, e.g. next Android version...
Yes, and I'd have to add viewing angles to my list of possible return reasons from using it a bit last night(in bed) with some sideloaded apps that forced portrait mode...

gturnersr said:
I got my g-tablet from Sears on November 2 and returned it to the store yesterday. I told them it does not have flash as stated on the box and the display is of very poor quality. I got full refund.
Why did I return it?
- Nvidia quality sucks: I had dead laptop, because of defective nvidia chip. If you don't believe it check this: Apple, Dell and HP got a class action suit against Nvidia: www nvidiasettlement com. OpenGL drivers are full of bugs they may have fixed Angry Birds, but there are plenty other bugs I'm sure.
- Nvidia does not conform to standards. No NEON instructions in Tegra. They try to play their desktop video card game, by providing custom APIs and making their applications incompatible with other ARM CPUs. So far it is the opposite - applications that run good on every other Cortex A8, does not play on Tegra.
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Click to collapse
Wow, glad you were given an opportunity to complain about NVidia.... The class action suit you're referring to was in reality a problem of the OEM which NVidia and most OEMs covered completely. My Dell laptop at work died and was replaced with a newer model in ONE WEEK. Two year old information = FUD.

I returned mine after about 2 weeks. Didn't work well out of the box and wanted something with smaller screen. I went ahead and got the Galaxy Tab instead.
But I will be checking out the Sears Outlet for the blackfriday returns to play around with it.

Because of touch screen
I got my g tablet from Sears the day before Thanksgiving and had a lot of time to play with it. I had gotten to market to work and installed several apps and had even gotten used to the stock UI. But I am extremely disappointed in the responsiveness of the touch screen. There are time you have to press very hard on the icon to open a program. And typing is a chore. Unless there is something you have to do to calibrate the screen I will be returning it Monday. Also, I thought I read that it came with a temporary plastic film over the screen, but mine did not. There was a foam protector attached to the inside of the box.
Is there anything I can do to increase the sensitivity of the touch screen? I would love to keep it - but not with the way the touch screen is working (or NOT WORKING)

cutterjohn said:
I'm FIRMLY in the $300 camp as BOTH Staples & Sears had the gTab right next to a $299 and $249 Atom based netbooks(ASUS, Acer, Toshiba and something else...). Kind of a smack in the face to be asked to pay $400 for a less functional device, although I can kind of understand part of the reason being that the Tegra2 SoC isn't quite as cheap as ALL of the other SoCs. $400 still just seems like a hype price to me, and I do feel kind of ripped... would feel better IF it had a better camera(maybe 2) and GPS builtin... ...and if I had any REAL expectations of longterm VS support and OS upgrades, e.g. next Android version...
Yes, and I'd have to add viewing angles to my list of possible return reasons from using it a bit last night(in bed) with some sideloaded apps that forced portrait mode...
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Tegra 2 is in the starting point of it's cost curve, so about $75 of the price is cost and correlating profit margin, since companies are not going to scale to their cost
You will find that the newer Tegra 2 devices in Q1 & Q2 2011 will all be around $500, since you will then also be paying for better displays and brand names too
The display on this device is how they were able to put a Tegra 2 in it -cost balancing. Ironically, if the OEM would have rotated the display 180 degrees when building them, it would not be an issue. Display looks as good as the Archos 101- when upside down

This gtablet is f*ing awesome

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

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

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

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

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

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
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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
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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
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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)

gTab value - see the retail price for Xoom?

An article is suggesting $700 - $800 price for the Xoom when it goes on sale next month. That's a lot of money for an extra camera!
Thanks to the talents and efforts of these xda developers, I am sure we will all get the best firmware upgrades once these Gingerbread devices hit the market.
From my gTab running TnT 4.10

a extra (good) camera, decent audio and probably a much better screen. 3 things gtablet is incredibly lacking, even for the price.

I don't think the Xoom is overpriced but it is expensive. With the Xoom, you get two better cameras, extra RAM, and a better screen. Those all account for the higher pricing not too mention that it will be the first honeycomb device and it's made by a big name manufacturer which also contributes to the inflated price. What's good about Android tablets, we have choices on devices and prices.
There's a wide spectrum of choices and it looks like the gtablet and Xoom are on opposite sides. Gtablet is on the value side and the Xoom is on the premium side. And then I hope there's going to be a lot in the middle to choose from.
I always thought that the Gtablet would be a great value after all the other tablets hit and the pricing of the Xoom confirms it. Android tablets particularly 10 inch tablets are going to run from about $350-800.

abstrusius said:
a extra (good) camera, decent audio and probably a much better screen. 3 things gtablet is incredibly lacking, even for the price.
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I agree but I still think the gtablet is fairly priced. For around $350-399, you get a fast processor and 512mb RAM, decent to ok hardware including the screen and the ability to unlock and mod. You take what you get from the price you pay for a very functional and under appreciated device.

abstrusius said:
a extra (good) camera, decent audio and probably a much better screen. 3 things gtablet is incredibly lacking, even for the price.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Also:
* GPS
* Honeycomb
* 1 GB DDR2 RAM
* 1280x800 resolution (certainly with better viewing angles)
* 5MP Dual LED Flash Camera (HD Video Recording)
* 2MP Front Facing Camera
* 32GB On Board Storage
* HDMI
* I assume it will have a FULL market with a greater # of working apps.
* Support should be better than what has been the cse with Viewsonic and
Elocity (my A7).
Not saying the g-tablet isn't a good value. Just that Moto also has a lot of extras. The Advent Vega, basically a g tablet with 1 GB RAM, would run you close to $600. It not like your paying double for the exact same specs. The question is, "is it worth it to you?".
The Bad:
It will likely be locked down tight... Still there will be developers working on that. The specs will have them coming.

To Expand......
* GPS
* Honeycomb
* 1 GB DDR2 RAM
* 1280x800 resolution (certainly with better viewing angles)
* 5MP Dual LED Flash Camera (HD Video Recording)
* 2MP Front Facing Camera
* 32GB On Board Storage
* HDMI
* Full Market (this is a Google Experience device..fully supported by Google)
* 3G/4G connectivity
* Sensors - Barometer, Accelerometer, Gyroscope
I think they have priced themselves out of the market.....but we'll have to see what carrier subsidies/plans are as well as any competition from others (the new Toshiba tablet, the Galaxy Tab 2, etc..).
$599-$649 would be a price I could handle (no contract) as I'd use it WiFi only. A full featured device locked down wouldn't be so bad as a "Google Experience" device is very vanilla with next to nothing added, like the original Motorola Droid.

xmr405o said:
I don't think the Xoom is overpriced but it is expensive. With the Xoom, you get two better cameras, extra RAM, and a better screen. Those all account for the higher pricing not too mention that it will be the first honeycomb device and it's made by a big name manufacturer which also contributes to the inflated price. What's good about Android tablets, we have choices on devices and prices.
There's a wide spectrum of choices and it looks like the gtablet and Xoom are on opposite sides. Gtablet is on the value side and the Xoom is on the premium side. And then I hope there's going to be a lot in the middle to choose from.
I always thought that the Gtablet would be a great value after all the other tablets hit and the pricing of the Xoom confirms it. Android tablets particularly 10 inch tablets are going to run from about $350-800.
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$800 for a netbook without a keyboard that can't run World of Warcraft (just an example to show the gpu is nowhere close to what is required to run a game that doesn't require that much power) is pretty expensive AND overpriced.
Sure we're looking at things like a smaller form factor, less weight, flash storage and a touchscreen that increase the cost usually - but do you think it really costs Moto even 1/2 of that much to manufacture it? I HIGHLY doubt it. We'll get a breakdown soon enough I'm sure and I mean, I'm reasonable so I wouldn't expect to buy it at cost or close to cost but I bet you the manuf. cost is around 250-300 (keeping in mind the Galaxy Tab materials cost is $205).
I think a good price point for devices with the Xoom's spec is $450-500. I think even the GTab is a bit on the high side at $400. The GTab should have been set at $350, but VS has to get some 'extra supn', supn' from the early adopters - like any other sensible company.

Neoprimal said:
$800 for a netbook without a keyboard that can't run World of Warcraft (just an example to show the gpu is nowhere close to what is required to run a game that doesn't require that much power) is pretty expensive AND overpriced.
Sure we're looking at things like a smaller form factor, less weight, flash storage and a touchscreen that increase the cost usually - but do you think it really costs Moto even 1/2 of that much to manufacture it? I HIGHLY doubt it. We'll get a breakdown soon enough I'm sure and I mean, I'm reasonable so I wouldn't expect to buy it at cost or close to cost but I bet you the manuf. cost is around 250-300 (keeping in mind the Galaxy Tab materials cost is $205).
I think a good price point for devices with the Xoom's spec is $450-500. I think even the GTab is a bit on the high side at $400. The GTab should have been set at $350, but VS has to get some 'extra supn', supn' from the early adopters - like any other sensible company.
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I totally understand your point.
However, based on the tablet market only, which is fairly new, this price isn't considered overpriced. Tablets in general are expensive because it's what's hot right now. Can people find better uses or more economical/practical uses for $800? Yes, they can.
I remember when some netbooks cost $800 and that floored me! I think prices will stablize but not until the competition heats up and consumers have more choices.
BTW- I do not play WOW nor do I own a netbook but how much does a netbook cost that has the power to run WOW?

RojasTKD said:
Also:
* GPS
* Honeycomb
* 1 GB DDR2 RAM
* 1280x800 resolution (certainly with better viewing angles)
* 5MP Dual LED Flash Camera (HD Video Recording)
* 2MP Front Facing Camera
* 32GB On Board Storage
* HDMI
* I assume it will have a FULL market with a greater # of working apps.
* Support should be better than what has been the cse with Viewsonic and
Elocity (my A7).
Not saying the g-tablet isn't a good value. Just that Moto also has a lot of extras. The Advent Vega, basically a g tablet with 1 GB RAM, would run you close to $600. It not like your paying double for the exact same specs. The question is, "is it worth it to you?".
The Bad:
It will likely be locked down tight... Still there will be developers working on that. The specs will have them coming.
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Advent vega only costs 249 pounds in the UK

lmbdx said:
Advent vega only costs 249 pounds in the UK
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The vega has 512 RAM, right? For about $400 US dollars. Unless there's a new model that I missed.

xmr405o said:
I agree but I still think the gtablet is fairly priced. For around $350-399, you get a fast processor and 512mb RAM, decent to ok hardware including the screen and the ability to unlock and mod. You take what you get from the price you pay for a very functional and under appreciated device.
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Sorry, I didn't express myself well. I paid an unbelievable price for mine (60% import tax over the price I paid on ebay plus the shipping from USA), and notwithstanding its failings I still love the Gtablet. I couldn't ask for a better introduction to the Android world. To find this forum and meet you incredible guys only make the whole experience really fascinating.
You are absolutely right!

lmbdx said:
Advent vega only costs 249 pounds in the UK
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I'm sorry I ment the Malata ZPad 1GB of RAM version (same device more RAM).
http://www.aliexpress.com/product-f...een-16GB-1GHz-Tegra-2-3G-GPS-wholesalers.html
At any rate, between my g tablet and eLocity I don't see another tablet in my near future.

Don't know about you guys but every Motorola device I have owned has been garbage. No way am I paying $800 for a tab. I had a hardtime justifying $400. I am very happy with my gtablet and it will probably be at least a while before I replace it.

Neoprimal said:
$800 for a netbook without a keyboard that can't run World of Warcraft (just an example to show the gpu is nowhere close to what is required to run a game that doesn't require that much power) is pretty expensive AND overpriced.
Sure we're looking at things like a smaller form factor, less weight, flash storage and a touchscreen that increase the cost usually - but do you think it really costs Moto even 1/2 of that much to manufacture it? I HIGHLY doubt it. We'll get a breakdown soon enough I'm sure and I mean, I'm reasonable so I wouldn't expect to buy it at cost or close to cost but I bet you the manuf. cost is around 250-300 (keeping in mind the Galaxy Tab materials cost is $205).
I think a good price point for devices with the Xoom's spec is $450-500. I think even the GTab is a bit on the high side at $400. The GTab should have been set at $350, but VS has to get some 'extra supn', supn' from the early adopters - like any other sensible company.
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I agree the Xoom (at $799) is overpriced, but I'm fairly confident it has the horsepower to run WoW... that or NVIDIA is way overselling these Tegra 2's

xmr405o said:
I totally understand your point.
BTW- I do not play WOW nor do I own a netbook but how much does a netbook cost that has the power to run WOW?
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About $400. Any single or dual core with the ion/ion2 chipset can play it. It's no Crysis, which is why it's a good example.

Too bad it doesn't have any USB ports for hosting.

football0552 said:
I agree the Xoom (at $799) is overpriced, but I'm fairly confident it has the horsepower to run WoW... that or NVIDIA is way overselling these Tegra 2's
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Th issue is how much you have active with WOW. The AI sucks up some clock cycles as well and the Tegra 2 is passive cooled.
The point for me and tablets is high portability and not having to wrry about a power socket all the time. Once you throw a fan in the device, and a chipset to power more resource hungry games (even WOW), you then need a fan and more juice.
I have an M11X for more "hardcore" portable gaming. That all said, the iPad 2will be dual core and a gabillion commercial devs are working on games for it.
The hardware probably will not "go to" the software, so devs are making the software fit more in line with passive cooled resources.
Even Windows is working on a tablet centric OS, which is ironic, since Windows usually pushes the hardware to catch up to the software

tcrews said:
$599-$649 would be a price I could handle (no contract) as I'd use it WiFi only. A full featured device locked down wouldn't be so bad as a "Google Experience" device is very vanilla with next to nothing added, like the original Motorola Droid.
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Close. Best Buy is selling it for $699. No mention of a contract.
http://www.fudzilla.com/notebooks/item/21643-xoom-expected-at-best-buy-02/17

[Q] Best Tegra 2 tablet under $500?

I've been doing some research for buying an android tablet for about a month now. Things that have become a must for me:
512mb (or better) of ram
Tegra 2 cpu
Around 10" high res (enough for honeycomb) screen
Under $500
Rootable, and has good dev support
Most you will be thinking, "you're describing the viewsonic g-tab, right?" Well, that's mainly what I'm thinking about. I'm wondering if there are any other great tablets that I'm missing. Any advice, comments or whatever would be appreciated. Thanks!

Id stay away from the g-tablet. The specs seem great for the price, but the screen is a HUGE disappointment. The viewing angles are terrible, it washes out when moved the slightest bit. In fact, straight on doesn't even seem to be the best angle.
I didn't even bother rooting mine, which anyone would want to do since the tap n tap UI on it is terrible. The screen was an immediate dealbreaker. My flytouch 2 screen is leaps and bounds better, and that's kinda sad since it was less than half the price of a g-tablet.

Philthechil said:
I've been doing some research for buying an android tablet for about a month now. Things that have become a must for me:
512mb (or better) of ram
Tegra 2 cpu
Around 10" high res (enough for honeycomb) screen
Under $500
Rootable, and has good dev support
Most you will be thinking, "you're describing the viewsonic g-tab, right?" Well, that's mainly what I'm thinking about. I'm wondering if there are any other great tablets that I'm missing. Any advice, comments or whatever would be appreciated. Thanks!
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I think you're looking for something that doesn't exist yet. The best bet will probably be the Tablet Toshiba is dropping soon, assuming its around that price. Otherwise you might as well keep waiting with me.

Ah, ok. I had been hearing that. I didn't think it played that much into it. I wish I could buy one just to test it out

mobius999 said:
Id stay away from the g-tablet. The specs seem great for the price, but the screen is a HUGE disappointment. The viewing angles are terrible, it washes out when moved the slightest bit. In fact, straight on doesn't even seem to be the best angle.
I didn't even bother rooting mine, which anyone would want to do since the tap n tap UI on it is terrible. The screen was an immediate dealbreaker. My flytouch 2 screen is leaps and bounds better, and that's kinda sad since it was less than half the price of a g-tablet.
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The view angle of the G Tablet certainly could be better, but this guy is exaggerating too much. The screen looks terrific when seen at the best angle. And I can highly recommend the G Tablet for you. It isn't perfect but no Tablet out there for any price is perfect.

Thanks guys for your input. I've decided I'm just gonna have to go with the risk and buy one. If the viewing angles really are that bad, I'll simply re-sell it on ebay

Viewsonic Gtab
Viewing angle is NOT that bad, accessories are the problem. Can't find them in the US! But once you get a good rom on it, I have had no regrets dropping a few hundred on the toy.
Notice I say toy, cause there is no 'need' for this equipment yet. No honeycomb, no easy out of the box use, but I enjoy the speedy vegan tab rom and have used it for movies, email, and just tom-foolery android apks. Get an atom laptop if you want something out of the box that is based on functionality if you need to buy before Q4 2011.

I have a g-tab, like it more than the ipad I had.

You should check out the Barnes and Noble Nook Color! I got one just for the ereader and have since rooted it and then even installed CM7. The only thing it doesn't have is a camera and Bluetooth mic support(yet).
BN really under sold its capabilities. It is the little tablet tablet could...
P.S. the dev community is amazing around it...

klaiii said:
You should check out the Barnes and Noble Nook Color! I got one just for the ereader and have since rooted it and then even installed CM7. The only thing it doesn't have is a camera and Bluetooth mic support(yet).
BN really under sold its capabilities. It is the little tablet tablet could...
P.S. the dev community is amazing around it...
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As much as I agree with how awesome the value of the Nook color is... It doesn't meet any of his requirements.
I believe the Acer Iconia Tab and Asus EEE transformer meets all of your needs and price range.

I have Toshiba Folio 100 and I'm not happy with it, little dev support, bad screen, lots of bugs that Toshiba don't fix and if you buy one, you'll surly get one with bad part(s), because Toshiba made bad parts and every tablet has another parts. New Toshiba tablet seems OK, but I won't buy any from Toshiba. I have same problem and I'll wait. In near future(2012), tablets will better and they'll have dual boot(android,ubuntu;androd, windows 8), faster processors(nvidia quad core processor), new OS's(windows 8, ubuntu, android ice cream sandwich tbat will be universal, chrome os) and the best of all, they'll cheaper!
After this, I think you will wait

I have the Acer Iconia A500 Tab which was bought in Germany.
Has a few small issues as you would expect from a fresh honeycomb device but nothing that you couldnt live with until Acer put out the update for Honeycomb 3.1 before the end of June.
If you can get past the little niggles, it has an excellent screen with amazing viewing angles, bright, crisp and clear. Fantastic build quality, including a thin brushed aluminium skin and a reasonable weight that wont flare up your RSI.
After the usual tweaks and additional root apps for improved battery life, you can quite happily use the device constantly for between 10-12 hours (mixed media)
has 1gb of ram, 32gb space, wireless -n, USB, Mini USB, Mini HDMI, encryption etc etc etc.
Baring in mind that it is almost 'stock' honeycomb 3.0 (Still includes the mobile phone elements even though this is wifi only, there is a reason bhind the choice ), i believe the slab has a lot of potential and cant wait till people start improving it.
Im very happy with the device so far and fully expecting the issues to be resolved in the first customised version of the 3.1 update from Acer.
All for 499 Euro
There's your deal...