Database Info

I'm now G-Less

Due to my worry that there's a good chance Viewsonic will stop support for the G Tablet - I returned mine back to Sears.
The salesman told me most are being returned and he did hear that there is a recall. When I asked what info he was told - he just said that there is a recall and he doesn't know specifics - but the returns are all different problems.
My thanks to all who provided the info on these forums and I intend
to take the plunge again with either a different tablet or Viewsonic's next gen.

I did the same exact thing for the same exact reason.. returned my G to sears last night. I see one on craigslist now for $300.. Its bit tempting considering i'm not paying full retail... guess i'm going back to my nook color till april next yr.

Sorry to hear. I am sure you are not alone.
From the VS tweet is sounds unlikely there is a recall or even 'manufacturing defect' related to hardware.
"We are looking into Staples' gTablet action and will provide more information as we get it."
However, if there is a recall you would be able to return your device no matter the purchase date.
I think a lot of people are just spreading the same rumor - egged on by attention hungry non-fact checking tech blogs, uneducated point of sales employees and a miscommunication on Staples part.
I know there are a lot of people lookng for deals on these things. What Sears location did you return your to?

Yikes!
Two folks who have bought into the Engadget, Apple biased conjecture based on a sign at a Staples.
Best to do what you feel though, none the less.

Thanks... more for us to buy cheap! LOL!

I did the same, although for different reason, namely because I couldn't deal with the screen any longer.

Lnin0 said:
Sorry to hear. I am sure you are not alone.
From the VS tweet is sounds unlikely there is a recall or even 'manufacturing defect' related to hardware.
"We are looking into Staples' gTablet action and will provide more information as we get it."
However, if there is a recall you would be able to return your device no matter the purchase date.
I think a lot of people are just spreading the same rumor - egged on by attention hungry non-fact checking tech blogs, uneducated point of sales employees and a miscommunication on Staples part.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Most likely Viewsonic's tweets would deny a recall as long as possible even if one was in the works.
On the other hand a Viewsonic recall would affect more than just Staples. However this is only the beginning of this fiasco. Let's see how it progresses over the next couple of weeks.

oblomov said:
I did the same, although for different reason, namely because I couldn't deal with the screen any longer.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I could live with the screen. For me it would be the lack of Flash and the constant WiFi drops.

as long as there is a dev community supporting it i am happy
the viewing angle is a $50 fix with a replacement LCD and the hardware on this is going to remain competitive for some time still.
i could have paid a lot more for a better GUI and angle views but would have had a less powerful tablet.
i believe this gTab will be around for a bit and i am enjoying my veganTab.

I called Viewsonic CS this morning for exactly this reason - they need to nip this in the bud NOW and assure their user-base that they have this under control.
I completely understand your reasons for returning it. If I hadn't gotten mine used at the Outlet, I'd be a bit worried as well. As it is, I'm here for the long haul - if they eventually pull support, we have zPad and the VEGA to keep us going. It's been a wild ride and I don't think it's going to end anytime soon.

Lnin0 said:
Sorry to hear. I am sure you are not alone.
I know there are a lot of people lookng for deals on these things. What Sears location did you return your to?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
New Brunswick, NJ

I have two, one new from staples and one from sears outlet. I am very happy with them both and so is wifey. She loves hers. I think the update they came out with yesterday is spot on. They are now in the same boat as all other tab manufacturers right now. It's stable and responsive right now with the update. Archos does not have flash oob nor does any other tablet, except the Galaxy. FAIK, there is NO 10" tablet that has flash oob, including the Ipad. The update leveled the playing field with everything else that is out there at this time.
When, not if, they get flash oob, this will be the leader of the pack. I think you guys are jumping ship a tad too early, but that'[s just my opinion and we know about opinions.

BluesTele said:
New Brunswick, NJ
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There you go Roebeet, that's a quick 2 hour round trip! GO GET IT!

BluesTele said:
New Brunswick, NJ
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Click to collapse
What a time for me to be away lol. Would of been like an hour lol.
Hoppefully someone will take advantage, if it becomes available.

iDroidNow said:
the viewing angle is a $50 fix with a replacement LCD and the hardware on this is going to remain competitive for some time still.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How does one go about doing this?

Fuzzy John said:
I could live with the screen. For me it would be the lack of Flash and the constant WiFi drops.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
From an out of box perspective, I would have been G-less from day two.
Still, you were a simple install away from a stable TnT Lite 2.4 and Flash is easy to install. For non modders that want out of box- the G is not "G" for good.

deependh200 said:
How does one go about doing this?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
there is a thread about it here. also one of the guys on the tegratab IRC has already done it, is posting a thread on here with pics, and apparently it is an easy process.
here is a link to ones i think may work but again there is a thread about what exactly he used being posted shortly.

Not trying to be a downer here, but to the OP, who freaking cares?
This is a dev community, the support here is what drives a lot of people to keep using their devices, tweak em, and tinker around.
Congrats on returning your device...make sure you let everyone know you did so based on hearsay/some misplaced worry. Last time I checked viewsonic never said it was dropping support, and as a matter of fact they have been leaning a different way entirely as evidenced not only by their twitter feed but actual OTA updates that you can receive.
This thread is lame.

rushless said:
From an out of box perspective, I would have been G-less from day two.
Still, you were a simple install away from a stable TnT Lite 2.4 and Flash is easy to install. For non modders that want out of box- the G is not "G" for good.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
When I got the G Tablet I did it with 2 things in mind:
It is not an Apple (I am "alergic" to Apples).
I wanted to kick up my feet in my Lazy Boy and use it. I am getting too old and tired for constantly maintaining stuff. A year or so ago it would've been different.

I haven't seen Outlet devices all day - I just get an an error over and over.
Maybe they have my IP address blocked.
Calling the NB store.... maybe it's sitting in the Closeout section. (Crosses fringers)

A sincere and heartfelt "thank you" from a bona-fide n00b.

A quick background about me: I started looking at picking up a tablet around the end of December for my January birthday. I'm a huge Android fanboi, and have been toying around with/incessantly ROMing my rooted Droid1 for over a year now, so I wanted to step it up a notch and get a tablet that had a reasonably large development backing. And then I found out about the G-tablet. It seemed an almost unobtainable mix of top-of-the-line specs along with hackable software. I had to act on it. I convinced my mom that this was the ONLY thing I wanted for my birthday, and all that I asked for was a nominal (less than 1/4) assistance toward the purchase of the $380 device. She agreed, and I excitedly bought my G-Tab about a week and a half ago. Since then, I've been completely unable to tear myself away from this forum; the activeness of the development community here for the G-Tab is even greater than I imagined, and on an almost daily basis I find a new reason to spend more and more time here (hello Notion Ink ports/forthcoming Honeycomb ports!!!). You guys are seriously a wonderful and brilliant community. I'm sincerely thankful for the great group of people who are significantly smarter than me and are able to do incredible things with such an incredible piece of hardware. I got this device because it was about as hackable a piece of hardware as one could get, and while the development portion of that hackability could have led to a lot of frustration and disappointment, it has MORE THAN met my expectations. As a result, I've got a rooted, custom ROM'd device with a Hulu hack, full market hack, and Swype hack. I honestly couldn't have possibly extracted more value out of a $380 purchase in any theoretical world, and I attribute that all to you, the active developers here.
I know this is my first post and I'm a total n00b, but I really do appreciate what all of you devs have done here, and I wanted to let you all know that.
Thanks, sincerely.

Very nice first post and welcome to Gtab Android Heaven!

Thanks a lot :-D. I hope to one day contribute to this active and robust community. Cheers.

Welcome, not too many people ever say thanks, always *****ing about something not working. Some of these people here are scary smart!

If you have been molesting a droid for over a year, you are nowhere NEAR the n00b I was when I got my Gtab a few weeks ago. I had only seen a couple of droid phones in person, but I liked what I saw. Droid users I have shown my Gtab to have been really impressed with it. The most common comment is "damn that's fast!" (I am running Vegan and loving it.)
And you are so right about these fora, lots of sharp folks here with good instructions (if you are careful to follow them) for just about anything you might need to squeeze onto the tab. I also have yet to see anyone get ugly in a thread like you see in so many other places.
A supportive development community like this can change a lot of things and I am glad to have found it!

Nice post. I like you, was hardly active here at all until I discovered the g tablet. I have since been barely able to tear myself away from the g tablet forum here. A sincere thanks from me as well to the guys doing the hard work making these tablets what they are.

4rs fed said:
Welcome, not too many people ever say thanks, always *****ing about something not working.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
LOL! So true.

If you got half a lick of sense and take the time to do your research (before asking stupid or repetitive questions) this community will bend over backwards to help you. I spent about a year researching tablets and when the g-tablet hit this site I realized it's potential and knew it was time to dive in. I've never owned an Android device until buying the g-tab Mid December and the amount I've learned from the smart folks here is phenominal, and i still feel like a noob. Each day is a new learning experience. Kick back and enjoy the ride!

Im Another noob who has purchased a G-Tab because of the fact that so many of you Devs are doing such a great job with this tablet and sharing your efforts with all the rest of us noobs.
Up till around 2 months ago id had basically no contact with Android other than i knew it was a mobile phone OS by Google. Had never seen it, basically knew nothing about it other than its name.
I had been here to XDA before as i used to own a Dopod mobile phone, and i was using a windows mobile rom from here.
So i was so happy to see that the ipad had started a great new tablet trend (not a ipad fan, but realise if it wasnt for the ipad, the current trend may never have happened). So i was excited when Tablets started kicking off, always wanted one. So i started searching for an alternative to the ipad.
The first tablet i almost bought was a "WeTab", a German 11.6 inch made tablet, it sounded great on paper, great specs, but after i started reading the user reviews, i decided that it wasnt the right tablet for me. Weak touch screen and poor software support put me off.
So i kept looking for the right tablet to get, after a while i settled between either the Gtat, or the Archos. I wanted a 10 inch and these both looked like great tablets. The software review for the G-tab were not good at all, but the hardware specs looked better to me than the Archos.
Since ive been using PC's for almost 20 years now i knew full well Viewsonic was a good brand name, and even if they didnt manufacture the products, it was the quality that went with the name that made me consider the G-tab.
But it wasnt till i checked XDA to see if you guys were doing anything with the G-tab that i realised that thanks to you guys the weak ended software side of the G-tab was not a real issue. That you guys had taken the G-Tab and made it a monster in the jungle
I ordered 1 from Amazon, which i learned i could by one from a thread here, and around 2 weeks later it turned up. Ive been having a ball messing with it ever since, Android is great, and you guys make it even greater.
Sorry if i rambled a bit here but i just wanted to say "THANK YOU" for all you guys have done for myself and the rest of us noobs

Echoing the thank yous as the community is the reason I got this tablet when I did.

Yeah, echoing as well. I bought the device only after I knew that you were out there to make the software issue into a non-issue. I use my tablet only a daily basis for both my work and my pleasure. I wouldn't be able to do either without the great stuff you guys have done. Much appreciated.

Another me to reply. Forgot where i first saw the gTab, but after reading here for a couple of weeks, i found mine at Sears for $379, plus the rebate for the free dock.
Without all of the tremendous resources on this forum, i would have missed out on this journey. I have tried all of the ROMs, and have settled on the Vegan 5.1b rom for now.
Thanks again to all of the developers,and to the non-developers, this would not have bee possible without your persistence in testing these roms and asking the what if questions.

I'll echo the same sentiment. Frankly I would probably not have bought the gtab if I had not come across this forum and all the people here who have been working to make it a better product.
Thx to all of you.

I also would like to add a big thanks for all this incredible info & apps.these dev have added to the gtab and other devices. Again Thanks, J.
Stock gTab.

Gonna go ahead and throw out my THANKS to the Devs here and those all around XDA. I have spent more time on XDA since getting my Hero a year and a half ago,then my Evo when it came out, and now wasting away on my G Tab. Wife loves the tab so much I had to get her one. Both of ours were rooted the day we got em.. entirely because this community!
I look forward to seeing what the next big rom is for the G Tab! (Running VEGAn now, hopefully someone releases a Honeycomb rom in the next couple weeks!!)

I need help for a tablet purchase

I am going to purchase a tablet ASAP. I have been waiting and looking for something to come out that is just the one, but that has not come. I waited forever for the Xoom but the price is staggering in my opinion. I have come back to the Viewsonic G Tablet for the reason that it is pretty fast and thanks to you guys the rooting seems to make it show its muscles. That being said I would like to know that this is a good purchase and that I am not making a mistake. I also would like to know about the rooting and which one works the best for this unit. Also, after being rooted how hard is it to update the system. I am a noob at these units so please understand I am just searching for answers. Oh, and can you run torrent programs on tablets?
Thanks

I guess really what you need to do is make a list of available tablets. Then base the decision on the best price point via hardware/support. I think one of the main things that makes the G-tablet shine is XDA and its developers. But as in all electronic inevitability, its only good as the people behind it. I got my G-Tablet because it was going to be one of the cheapest tablets out there, its what I could afford. Are there better ones out there, well yes and no just depends on what your going to be doing with it. Know the devices faults. Don't listen to reviews, most will give you a half-ass answers, play with the device in person if you can. Thats all I can really help with, do research make sure you get the most bang for the buck. And above all else, good luck and I hope you enjoy your future purchase, it's your decision

RedbullSushi said:
I am going to purchase a tablet ASAP. I have been waiting and looking for something to come out that is just the one, but that has not come. I waited forever for the Xoom but the price is staggering in my opinion. I have come back to the Viewsonic G Tablet for the reason that it is pretty fast and thanks to you guys the rooting seems to make it show its muscles. That being said I would like to know that this is a good purchase and that I am not making a mistake. I also would like to know about the rooting and which one works the best for this unit. Also, after being rooted how hard is it to update the system. I am a noob at these units so please understand I am just searching for answers. Oh, and can you run torrent programs on tablets?
Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The only real issues I have with my GTAB is the viewing angles since I like to stream Neflix and Hulu and the sort via "Playon". It's not so good unless you have it facing you near direct
Also, the PDMI port is only for use with a dock (until someone puts out a PDMI to HDMI cable).
The great things about the GTAB is the hardware, this thing is virtually unbrickable. Believe me I have bricked it and was able to bring it back from the cold dark black screen that makes you think this thing is a goner!!
Performance is TOP NOTCH, Aside from some glitches with the custom roms its very responsive. And thanks to the Fantastic Dev-Nation we have here at XDA this thing has gotten a lot of love!
Battery life is amazing, I get 12+ hrs of use even after watching three 2 hour movies back to back to back!.
Torrents are supported, I have used "tTorrent Lite" to aquire a few things though as with most torrents speed is questionable and even more so with the tablet.
Rooting this device is very easy, "z4Root" will do it in a tap.. (Litterally)
ROM? I use VEGAn 5.1 Beta (without the 5.1.1 supplement patch)
Others here like, TnT Lite, and there are variants of CM7 floating around. Some are Officially supported and others are not.
The GTAB can be a Fantastic device provided you are willing to make the effort it takes to transform it from "Out of the Box CRAP" to the magnificant device it was meant be.
So unless you have issues with viewing angles (as many do), can aquire a dock to stream AV to an output of your choice, are frightfull of modding, then perhaps this device is not for you.

Hey I really appreciate the posts. I am not afraid to mod the device at all, as a matter of fact I find that half the reason for getting this tablet. It is going to be for fun so I am looking forward to learning more. I feel that technology is something I am always chasing and pushing into areas like this helps to keep me young in this area. I think this solves my issue and I will get my unit ordered today. I still have the question of a torrent program. That is something I heard you can do with Android.
Thanks again guys for the helpfull posts. I appreciate it very much.

DVDFab
I've said this before on another thread but if you plan on purchasing the DVDFab software with all the bells and whistles do a google search for tarzan media. I've bought it from them for less than $40 with free lifetime upgrades.
It is by far the easiest, most flexible dvd ripping/converting app I've ever used.
Edit: posted on wrong thread somehow... Sorry.

Being that you have brought up ripping......are you ripping and burning to dvd from a tablet, or what? This is a new thought being that I was not aware of an external burner plugging into the unit. Please fill me in on this or did I just misunderstand.
thanks

What if i said you could get the GTab for $300 shipped?
I was also going to wait and see how that Tablet Market plays out.
Then I heard about and posted this: Available from SearsOutlet for $279

RedbullSushi said:
Being that you have brought up ripping......are you ripping and burning to dvd from a tablet, or what? This is a new thought being that I was not aware of an external burner plugging into the unit. Please fill me in on this or did I just misunderstand.
thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oops, somehow my post got in the wrong thread. But, since you asked...
No, I am not using my gTab for ripping or burning; just viewing.

I ordered mine today. I took the advice of a member and bought a used/like new in original packaging for 327. I thought that was a good price. I will be researching the ROM loading now while I wait. If any of you guys have good easy instructions or tips please feel free to post or PM me.
Thanks

Question about gtab and tech mainstream websites

Why aren't mainstream tech websites mentioning the gtab? It didn't even make it to most of the top 10 lists. Is there a conspiracy to downplay the effectiveness of the gtab once it's rooted and flashed? I've used the update viewsonic provided and even that has made the gtab totally awesome.
I'm just puzzled why the modding and hacking communities are the only ones recognizing the potential and power of this machine. None of the tech websites is mentioning anything about the potential behind this tablet. It's mind boggling. Even viewsonic has decided to stop supporting it. Why?

goodintentions said:
Why aren't mainstream tech websites mentioning the gtab? It didn't even make it to most of the top 10 lists. Is there a conspiracy to downplay the effectiveness of the gtab once it's rooted and flashed? I've used the update viewsonic provided and even that has made the gtab totally awesome.
I'm just puzzled why the modding and hacking communities are the only ones recognizing the potential and power of this machine. None of the tech websites is mentioning anything about the potential behind this tablet. It's mind boggling. Even viewsonic has decided to stop supporting it. Why?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Cnet, PC magazine, mobile magazine and PC world have. It seems they have Apple stock they are banking on so they are plugging ipad. Notice every other commercial was ipad now its Xoom.
Those type entities like to cattle-herd consumers in certain directions for maximum profitability of those who are paying for advertising on their sites. GTab is a sleeper tab and although they down played it many are still buying as of late in mass quantity. It is selling by word of mouth by satisfied buyers. The very best advertising the kind you don't have to buy. Interesting to watch them change their reviews. Check out cnet for a laugh.

I think primarily because it doesn't come from one of the "big" companies like Motorola, Samsung, or HTC. There wasn't much of a push by Viewsonic advertising wise to put this thing in the spotlight and when it first came out it was lamented for it's poor viewing angles and horrible custom UI. Sure the product has improved immensely since launch by way of updates and custom ROMs but it's hard to shake off that initial impression. Right now many people see it as just another android 2.2 tablet.

It's all about Marketing, I'm sure. The Xoom is a media darling because Motorola has paid lots of money to make sure of that -- ie. the Superbowl commercial.
And Apple's Marketing juggernaut is legendary.

edirector said:
Cnet, PC magazine, mobile magazine and PC world have.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, they did a quick review of the gtab when it first came out late last year basically saying it sux and then they haven't said anything else since.
Check out cnet for a laugh.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What do you mean? I just went to it. Didn't see anything different.

Here's an example of how much the GTAB is ignored
GTAB has had OTG access since Day One, even with the crappy software. The Xoom did not, when it was released.
So, I happened to find an OTG cable in my Bag of Carp and ported the GTAB config changes and init changes to the Xoom. I am not a dev by any means, but it was fairly easy to do, given my experience here - maybe an hour of work to port, test and then release.
The darn thing ended up on Engadget. The ONLY mod I've ever done that's made it to Engadget.
As happy as I was to see it get advertised, I had to scratch my head and wonder why my other mods, which required a LOT more work, and even the rest of the developers here have gotten zero recognition on sites like that. I know gojimi made it to Engadget once, but it was due to his Adam apps that he ported, not his GTAB ROMs.
Maybe the Woot! sale and subsequent $299 sales will finally give the GTablet the visibility it deserves.

I wonder if the larger "mainstream" publications shy away from anything ROM related (and probably root too).
I'm a woot-er waiting for mine still, but from all I've read, TnT out-of-the-box pretty much sucks and you have to be willing to do the flashing, etc to get it to a more useful state. So, since it's not a good tablet without a newly flashed ROM, this isn't really a great device for the general consumer.
That said, I'd think you'd see it get more play on more techy oriented websites that wouldn't be avoiding discussion of ROMs.

roebeet said:
Maybe the Woot! sale and subsequent $299 sales will finally give the GTablet the visibility it deserves.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
They haven't taken any notice of the woot deal, either when it was on, or now, even w the 10k sales in one day. Funny thing is when the Samsung Galaxy players went on sale in Korea, and apparently sold 10k in one day, that made news all over the place. That should tell you everything.
Jim

All journalists have a hive instinct.

jimcpl said:
They haven't taken any notice of the woot deal, either when it was on, or now, even w the 10k sales in one day. Funny thing is when the Samsung Galaxy players went on sale in Korea, and apparently sold 10k in one day, that made news all over the place. That should tell you everything.
Jim
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, the $299.99 16GB iPad from Verizon also made front page news on Engadget this past week.

goodintentions said:
Yeah, they did a quick review of the gtab when it first came out late last year basically saying it sux and then they haven't said anything else since.
What do you mean? I just went to it. Didn't see anything different.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It moved up a half star.

chrishaw said:
I'm a woot-er waiting for mine still, but from all I've read, TnT out-of-the-box pretty much sucks and you have to be willing to do the flashing, etc to get it to a more useful state. So, since it's not a good tablet without a newly flashed ROM, this isn't really a great device for the general consumer.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The last OTA actually made it faster and more functional. I would say to anyone getting a new gtab to give the stock a shot for a day or two. I was a totally different experience from when I first picked up a gtab to playing withe the latest OTA at office Max this weekend.
Sent from my Chromatic Magic using XDA Premium App

First Time Post

Hello all. First time post. Let me start off by thanking you for accepting me into this fine community.
I had to chuckle while reading some excellent posts on the good and bad points when it came to some of the performance and features of the Infinity.
The reason for the chuckle was because I had this forum opened in one tab of my browser, and Amazon opened in another. I had actually been looking over the contents on my shopping cart. In it was one(1) ASUS Infinity tablet. I placed the item there a few days ago, but for some reason I couldn't get myself to hit the "Submit Order" button. Something just didn't feel right about the purchase. The decision over which tablet to choose is becoming more and more confusing. With talk about what may or may not be available in the not too distant future re: New iPad, Windows 8, etc etc really has me hesitating at this juncture.
My two daughters each purchased the new iPad so at least I have an opportunity to get a feel of what that product has to offer. Unfortunately, detaching them from their new toy has been a struggle all its own. One of the main reasons for my looking at products other than Apple is that their products seems SO proprietary.
In any case, I think that I will keep visiting this forum for a while longer before I make a final decision as to which tablet to choose. My apologies for the long-winded post. Peter

Hi Peter,
Deciding what Tablet you want for yourself is a very personal decision. If you really don't care about the environment (iOS vs Android) and are just a casual user - I do have a recommendation. At the risk of being flamed, I would say to get an iPad.
It comes down to this: Apps make the ecosystem. While android is gaining in applications and games, and just put out a huge checklist for Tablet developers, apple has a better application and gaming experience for the average user. You are absolutely subject to the proprietary OS, but most people don't care. It's good enough.
I love android (and I suspect that many others do as well) for a few reasons. It's mine. It's fully customizable and I can but really cool community built OS's Recovieries, etc on it. I've learned a lot about how devices work and the things most people don't see. That said, I've had my share of problems too. Many users don't know enough and brick their devices trying to do something that sounds cool but they don't fully understand. If you're a casual user there is no need to get caught up in it. Apple does in fact set the standard for hardware and Android will briefly surpass it, but it's always a tight race. Also, there are a lot more accessories for the iPad then any tablet device. I also love it because I enjoy pushing the envelope and making things better. Finally I love the community around android. It's awesome that I see the same usernames popping up across our little section of XDA helping each other out, supporting each other, joking around, and disagreeing even. It's fun.
Also, for the casual user you can go to a nearby apple store and get your issues fixed if you mess something up.
The first decision you make should be an ecosystem/environmental one. Also, if you don't have itunes there is a bit of a learning curve. I don't think that Apple products have that "intuitive feel" everyone claims. Android just seems harder because there is more customization that can take place.
Before I get flamed - I'm not advocating for Apple or the iPad, but I am advocating for really thinking about what kind of device you want and what you want to get out of it before you make your decision.
Good luck and if you have you have more questions, we're happy to help!

Osteele said:
Hello all. First time post. Let me start off by thanking you for accepting me into this fine community.
I had to chuckle while reading some excellent posts on the good and bad points when it came to some of the performance and features of the Infinity.
The reason for the chuckle was because I had this forum opened in one tab of my browser, and Amazon opened in another. I had actually been looking over the contents on my shopping cart. In it was one(1) ASUS Infinity tablet. I placed the item there a few days ago, but for some reason I couldn't get myself to hit the "Submit Order" button. Something just didn't feel right about the purchase. The decision over which tablet to choose is becoming more and more confusing. With talk about what may or may not be available in the not too distant future re: New iPad, Windows 8, etc etc really has me hesitating at this juncture.
My two daughters each purchased the new iPad so at least I have an opportunity to get a feel of what that product has to offer. Unfortunately, detaching them from their new toy has been a struggle all its own. One of the main reasons for my looking at products other than Apple is that their products seems SO proprietary.
In any case, I think that I will keep visiting this forum for a while longer before I make a final decision as to which tablet to choose. My apologies for the long-winded post. Peter
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You are welcome here, whatever you decide, but if you go with another tablet or OS, please don't come and tease us about how much better/faster/cooler yours is than ours. that really gets on my nerves, lol!
But I'm sure you would never do that.
I would advocate that if you are interested in customising your tablet, the Infinity is a good one. First of all, it has a beautiful screen, will continue to receive firmware/OS updates and is finally starting to be well supported by some of the best developers in the Android ecosystem. Personally, I don't care about iOS on any level. It's far to closed a system for me, too limited. My Infinity , running CleanROM v1.3 with TWRP 2.3.0.0. recovery absolutely flies. It is super fluid and very powerful. I keep it connected to its keyboard dock and I take it off the charger at 5:30 a.m. and never have to charge again though 17 hour day of almost constant use. Much of that use is internet browsing and with the CleanROM tweaks, the stock browser performs incredibly well. I also have a flawless tablet and dock. Never any problems. I also take care of it, but nothing out of the ordinary...just keep it in its case...don't drop it or spill on it.
I've been using it instead of a laptop, and it just about replaces my desktop. Browsing is actually faster on the Infinity, and watching videos is a lot nicer. I haven't used the HDMI port, so I can't comment on it, but having the micro sd, the fullsize sd and full size USB ports means I never have to worry about not having enough storage...my 750GB WD Passport works perfectly in the USB port. That's a lot of movies.
Well, I know some people are worried about unlocking and voiding their asus warranty in order to flash custom software, but I found that a 2 year square deal warranty with accidental damage coverage works better for me anyway. It cost me $99, but I found out later that with a coupon I could have saved $30. Oh well.
Anyway, good luck with your decision!

wolfman87 said:
Hi Peter,
Deciding what Tablet you want for yourself is a very personal decision. If you really don't care about the environment (iOS vs Android) and are just a casual user - I do have a recommendation. At the risk of being flamed, I would say to get an iPad.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you so much for the quick response wolfman87. I wish that I could say that you've helped me move closer my ultimate decision. But of course you are absolutely right about that decision being a very personal one.
I suppose that there are so many factors that one may have to consider. It's so bizarre because I have been in IT for quite a while now and whenever a client asks for a quote on a new piece of hardware for example, the first question that I ask is: What exactly do you plan on doing with this new piece of hardware?
A liitle bit about myself:
Spend most of my time in a Windows client / server environment. (For better or worse my clients have dictated my skill-level)
Which is probably the reason that I am always looking to learn new things. Lately that has been:
Ubuntu desktop and server.
Virtual PBX (freePBX and Asterisk and PIAF)
Video Tutorials. Everything from Linux, jQuery, ASP .NET, Visual Studio, javascript.
Some of the things that I would like for a tablet to be able to do for me:
Receive and send email. Multiple Microsoft Exchange accounts required.
Connect remotely to client machines.
Browse the internet (many sites still require Flash)
Read all of the epub and pdf material that I now have sitting on my HP laptop
Would like to use a SIP client in order to dial thru my home based PBX with a secure VPN tunnel.
I enjoy recording music on my SSL Soundscape DAW.
Things that I found interesting about the Infinity:
Connectivity eg. HDMI - External storage - Dock
So far, I do not think that the iPad can offer any of these things. Unless I am wrong of course !!!
Once again, let me apologize for this long-winded response as well.
I thank you so much for your time and input. It is greatly appreciated.
Peter

okantomi said:
You are welcome here, whatever you decide, but if you go with another tablet or OS, please don't come and tease us about how much better/faster/cooler yours is than ours. that really gets on my nerves, lol!
But I'm sure you would never do that.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You are absolutely right okantomi, I would never come back to do such a thing. By the way, thank you for the great response. I suppose that some of the negative stuff that I read in certain sections of this forum got me a little nervous. I should know better. We don't live in a perfect world, and no ONE item is going to please everyone. This phenomema is what brings about change and improvement.
I will give it another day or two, discuss the purchase with my better half, then see what we come up with.
Have a great weekend. Peter

Here's my two cents... Above, someone mentioned apps... Basically, an iPad is just that - an interface to run apps. On the other hand, Android does so much more. Besides running apps, the OS itself is actually useful and a great productivity tool. The widgets that run on your desktop are simply awesome. Just by looking at my home screen, I can see my upcoming appointments, the time, the date, the weather, my Gmail account and my work email account (exchange). I can do all of that simply by turning the device on! When you turn on an Ipad you see icons - that's about it.
Add to that the features of the Transformer series, such as a keyboard dock with an extra battery, a trackpad, memory card readers, HDMI-out and a USB port and I think you can see just how powerful a Transformer running Android can be. I actually started out with an iPad 1 (as it was basically the first tablet available) - it was a great device - until I stumbled upon Android and the Transformer line! You really can do so much more with a Transformer than you can with an iPad. Hell - even this post - just try typing this on an iPad - it would take forever with the on-screen keyboard!
Like had already been stated - it all depends on what you want the device to do. For me, the iPad is just way too limiting. It may have more apps (for now - although that's beginning to change), but that is literally all that you can do with it - runs apps. There are no widgets. There is no way to expand upon the hardware (I.E. extra ports). It's very "basic".
Anyway, good luck deciding - I have a feeling that we'll be seeing you around these parts soon enough though!
By the way, don't let the "complainers" in this forum scare you off - it's mainly just so same few posters complaining over and over again. Or, it's folks that don't even own the TF700! It is deceiving - there are *many* happy TF700 users out there!
Sorry for the long post - it's just so easy to get long winded when you have a real keyboard to type with!
Sent from my ASUS Transformer Pad TF700T using Tapatalk 2

Osteele said:
Thank you so much for the quick response wolfman87. I wish that I could say that you've helped me move closer my ultimate decision. But of course you are absolutely right about that decision being a very personal one.
I suppose that there are so many factors that one may have to consider. It's so bizarre because I have been in IT for quite a while now and whenever a client asks for a quote on a new piece of hardware for example, the first question that I ask is: What exactly do you plan on doing with this new piece of hardware?
A liitle bit about myself:
Spend most of my time in a Windows client / server environment. (For better or worse my clients have dictated my skill-level)
Which is probably the reason that I am always looking to learn new things. Lately that has been:
Ubuntu desktop and server.
Virtual PBX (freePBX and Asterisk and PIAF)
Video Tutorials. Everything from Linux, jQuery, ASP .NET, Visual Studio, javascript.
Some of the things that I would like for a tablet to be able to do for me:
Receive and send email. Multiple Microsoft Exchange accounts required.
Connect remotely to client machines.
Browse the internet (many sites still require Flash)
Read all of the epub and pdf material that I now have sitting on my HP laptop
Would like to use a SIP client in order to dial thru my home based PBX with a secure VPN tunnel.
I enjoy recording music on my SSL Soundscape DAW.
Things that I found interesting about the Infinity:
Connectivity eg. HDMI - External storage - Dock
So far, I do not think that the iPad can offer any of these things. Unless I am wrong of course !!!
Once again, let me apologize for this long-winded response as well.
I thank you so much for your time and input. It is greatly appreciated.
Peter
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This might be a jumble of thoughts - sorry in advance:
That's really good information actually. From the first post it sounded much more casual. Since the needs that you have are more technical I would lean towards the Android side of things (I think that there are more IT based applications for Android). You can definitely set up exchange accounts (not sure how many, but I know you can). You can also remote into other machines (VPN, I think RDP, etc.). Of course web browsing comes standard, even on the base model
If you are going to be doing a lot of emails the dock absolutely is worth it. for ~$100 (if you get the 201) you get basically a netbook KB and the extra battery life. I have a friend who uses a bluetooth KB for his iPad and it lasts a while itself, but doesn't increase the tablet uptime.
Also a few people are working on getting a distro of linux up on this. It's harder since the bootloader isn't the same as the older models, but I don't think that it's something you can do on the iPad.
If you aren't running any iDevices right now it makes sense to stick with Android/Windows as an ecosystem. My other advice is go to play.google.com and look around at the apps, specifically for what you want to do: (for example: https://play.google.com/store/search?q=SIP&c=apps). This will help you get a feel for what is out there and what you can do.
For hooking up to HDMI - I actually may have blown the port on mine recently - I still haven't tested it again. But I got the Square Trade warranty through amazon (2 years plus accidental damage) for about $75. They're a solid provider and while I hope I don't have to use them, they don't care if you voided your ASUS warranty with unlocking, etc.
If you you and your better half will be using the tablet, I would say to stick to the infinity since the screen is super crisp (I assume that for emails, PDF's, remote PBXing, you aren't worried too much about the resolution) and it gets bright in the outdoors (IPS+). I have an iPad 2 for work and it really is much better than even that screen. Not as good as the iPads, but the best on the market for android.
If you really don't care about the screen, there are other good models out there. The Infinity rocks in terms of horsepower and as I mentioned the screen. Those are probably the two BEST things about it. I figure (for me) it will last at least 2 maybe 3 years. (hopefully more)
Oh, as a note - try before you buy. The headset jack is a bit weird and if you do a lot of audio it takes a bit to get used to holding it closer to the top.
Oh, and no need to apologize for being long winded

To all you great folks who have taken the time to respond to my lenghty posts, my heartfelt thanks. I have to be very honest, and I hope that this doesn't come off sounding strange, I am not a huge APPS kinda guy. Maybe I am not up to speed with that whole apps thing, but I just can't see why some folks put so much emphasis on the procurement of apps. Let's face it, how many are you really going to need / use. Once you find the ones that do exactly what you need for them to do that should pretty much do it.
Well, that's just me talking of course. Perhaps it has a lot to do with the fact that most of the time I am using my machines for work and not so much for play.
Have yourselves a safe and enjoyable weekend!
Thank you
Peter

Osteele said:
I wish that I could say that you've helped me move closer my ultimate decision.
[...]
It's so bizarre because I have been in IT for quite a while now and whenever a client asks for a quote on a new piece of hardware for example, the first question that I ask is: What exactly do you plan on doing with this new piece of hardware?
[...]
Ubuntu desktop and server.
Virtual PBX (freePBX and Asterisk and PIAF)
Video Tutorials. Everything from Linux, jQuery, ASP .NET, Visual Studio, javascript.
Some of the things that I would like for a tablet to be able to do for me:
Receive and send email. Multiple Microsoft Exchange accounts required.
Connect remotely to client machines.
Browse the internet (many sites still require Flash)
Read all of the epub and pdf material that I now have sitting on my HP laptop
Would like to use a SIP client in order to dial thru my home based PBX with a secure VPN tunnel.
I enjoy recording music on my SSL Soundscape DAW.
Things that I found interesting about the Infinity:
Connectivity eg. HDMI - External storage - Dock
So far, I do not think that the iPad can offer any of these things. Unless I am wrong of course !!!
Once again, let me apologize for this long-winded response as well.
I thank you so much for your time and input. It is greatly appreciated.
Peter
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If web browsing is a must -- and for most of us, it is -- then pretty much any Android machine wins over any iDevice because of Flash support (even with the support detracted on JB devices, you can still sideload the apk and it will still work).
Shell connection has several (free) apps available. I do that from home, mostly, so I do not have really extensive experience with them.
EPub and PDF -- Mantano all the way (I use it for both technical reading (medical and biochemical literature, mostly) and leisure reading (although that is non-fiction as well, mainly (astro)physics, quantum dynamics, archeology -- the high resolution screen REALLY helps in that corner, for it renders formulae, graphs, tables, and such just beautifully!).
To me, given both private and work use, TF700 hands-down, but as has been said oftentimes on this thread already, it's your choice. And indeed you are welcome in here anyway.
Osteele said:
[...]I am not a huge APPS kinda guy. Maybe I am not up to speed with that whole apps thing, but I just can't see why some folks put so much emphasis on the procurement of apps. Let's face it, how many are you really going to need / use. Once you find the ones that do exactly what you need for them to do that should pretty much do it.
Well, that's just me talking of course. Perhaps it has a lot to do with the fact that most of the time I am using my machines for work and not so much for play.
Have yourselves a safe and enjoyable weekend!
Thank you
Peter
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It does make a major difference whether you use the 700 for work alone or also for leisure activity. I have two kids, aged 4 and 2, and they love tablet -- and they're ever handier than me. :S The app thingy is an ongoing search for the best-performing launcher, the best-performing office application, etc. -- and a lot of it is hoarding (I have enough games purchased-but-not-played-yet to last me for the next decade-and-a-half, hahaha!).
(Oh, and sometimes, an app is really good for all things it does, but it doesn't incorporate a feature you need. You then find another app that does, but that one either has a clunky interface (preventing everyday use) or misses some feature the other app did provide... and so on, and so on. )
Jtrosky already tackled this, but I wanted to emphasize it a bit: currently, only a small minority has devices that display major faults. Don't let the few posts about them detract you from trusting the TF700.
I was one of the many that noticed low I/O performance, which is the one issue that is faithfully reproducible, I guess -- and although not eliminated entirely, it has been greatly improved upon by recent updates. I was one of the instigators of the "I/O pressure" -- I unashamedly admit -- and I think we did the right thing in being so vocal. I love my 700, though, and I am easily standing up against the many friends carrying iDevices around (with regards to both screen quality, battery life, physical keyboard, and connection options (main USB, (micro)SD cards)...
Have a good and merry weekend yourself as well!

MartyHulskemper said:
If web browsing is a must -- and for most of us, it is -- then pretty much any Android machine wins over any iDevice because of Flash support (even with the support detracted on JB devices, you can still sideload the apk and it will still work).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Good morning Marty, and thank you for your valuable input. Undoubtedly, you seem to be getting the most out of your trusty tablet. I am happy to hear that.
I am going to take in all I can about tablets in general this weekend. I know that can probably set me a back a while. I am currently delving into a little .NET programming. So, there is always WIndows 8 tablets.
Came across this article last nite:
http://www.pcworld.com/article/2010050/leaked-windows-8-tablet-pricing-suggests-asus-is-targeting-big-spenders.html
Will most likely add to my confusion though. No one is holding a gun to my head, right?
Have a wonderful day wherever you may be!
Peter

Osteele said:
Good morning Marty, and thank you for your valuable input. Undoubtedly, you seem to be getting the most out of your trusty tablet. I am happy to hear that.
I am going to take in all I can about tablets in general this weekend. I know that can probably set me a back a while. I am currently delving into a little .NET programming. So, there is always WIndows 8 tablets.
Came across this article last nite:
http://www.pcworld.com/article/2010050/leaked-windows-8-tablet-pricing-suggests-asus-is-targeting-big-spenders.html
Will most likely add to my confusion though. No one is holding a gun to my head, right?
Have a wonderful day wherever you may be!
Peter
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oh, no, you're only in as much hurry as you put yourself in -- that Intel-based ASUS tablet is priced outrageously high -- 1399 dollars for a tablet? Meh. The people that would pay that )to include the dock accessory) would rather pay 1100 dollars for a really good laptop instead. I'd that swell, and I'd gain Windows gaming in the process (Borderlands 2 on the train commute ftw, hahaha! ) and a crapload of ecosystem apps that have been refined over many years instead of the 2 years we have had Android tablet apps and 0, nada, zilch for Windows 8 tablet apps.
If they price it lower, though, it might even be very tempting (especially when they do not break compatibility with Windows 7 applications -- I haven't been paying much attention to Windows 8. I guess I have some catching up to do...
And as far as your catching up goes: yes, I'd expect you to be busy reading for a week or two, at least. As we say in Holland: it will, at the very least, keep you off the streets.

MartyHulskemper said:
Oh, no, you're only in as much hurry as you put yourself in -- that Intel-based ASUS tablet is priced outrageously high -- 1399 dollars for a tablet? Meh.
If they price it lower, though, it might even be very tempting (especially when they do not break compatibility with Windows 7 applications -- I haven't been paying much attention to Windows 8. I guess I have some catching up to do...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hello again Marty. I was under the impression that the pricing was somewhere in the vicinity of:
Pricing for Asus' Vivo Tab RT will start at $599
As was mentioned here as well:
http://www.theverge.com/2012/10/12/3495334/asus-vivo-tab-rt-pre-sales-begin-first-windows-rt-tablet-starts-at
IT's going to take more than a tablet to keep me off the streets. :laugh: :laugh:
Have a wonderful day. Peter

Osteele said:
Hello again Marty. I was under the impression that the pricing was somewhere in the vicinity of:
Pricing for Asus' Vivo Tab RT will start at $599
As was mentioned here as well:
http://www.theverge.com/2012/10/12/3495334/asus-vivo-tab-rt-pre-sales-begin-first-windows-rt-tablet-starts-at
IT's going to take more than a tablet to keep me off the streets. :laugh: :laugh:
Have a wonderful day. Peter
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi Peter!
Yes, it did say that in the article, but the RT versions of Windows 8 are the versions that carry ONLY the Metro interface, and are able to run ONLY apps that have been specifically programmed to run on that particular version (although I might have understood all that totally wrong, in which case somebody will undoubtedly be so friendly as to point me to my errors. The more usable versions will cost you significantly more, and the dock will set you back even more...

MartyHulskemper said:
Hi Peter!
Yes, it did say that in the article, but the RT versions of Windows 8 are the versions that carry ONLY the Metro interface, and are able to run ONLY apps that have been specifically programmed to run on that particular version (although I might have understood all that totally wrong, in which case somebody will undoubtedly be so friendly as to point me to my errors. The more usable versions will cost you significantly more, and the dock will set you back even more...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Aha !!! Gotcha. Thanks to you, I will be going to bed a little smarter this evening. Thank you. Peter

Update
Well folks, I just wanted to stop by to let you know that I took the plung today at approx 18:00. After spending a considerable amount of time scouring the internet and reading reviews ad nauseam, I finally decided upon the Infinity. Should arrive in a few days and I must say that I am excited. Nice to feel like a kid again.
There is a good possibility that I may have a few questions once I have spent a little time with the unit. Hope you all don't mind if I post those questions here on this forum.
Thank you all again for being so helpful. I hope that I have made the right decision.
Peter

Osteele said:
Well folks, I just wanted to stop by to let you know that I took the plung today at approx 18:00. After spending a considerable amount of time scouring the internet and reading reviews ad nauseam, I finally decided upon the Infinity. Should arrive in a few days and I must say that I am excited. Nice to feel like a kid again.
There is a good possibility that I may have a few questions once I have spent a little time with the unit. Hope you all don't mind if I post those questions here on this forum.
Thank you all again for being so helpful. I hope that I have made the right decision.
Peter
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Bring it on bro.....We are waiting!!!

buhohitr said:
Bring it on bro.....We are waiting!!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you Sir. I really appreciate that.

Congrats! Welcome to the club
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda app-developers app

Welcome to the Infinity family.
As a .NET Developer myself, I find this device comes in handy sometimes with the supernote it saves alot of papers and keep them all in one place. I use Supernote for writing pseudo code, brainstorming, UML diagram etc. Maybe you will find this method useful or maybe not. Anyhow, I hope you enjoy the infinity!
Cheers

Osteele said:
Well folks, I just wanted to stop by to let you know that I took the plung today at approx 18:00. After spending a considerable amount of time scouring the internet and reading reviews ad nauseam, I finally decided upon the Infinity. Should arrive in a few days and I must say that I am excited. Nice to feel like a kid again.
There is a good possibility that I may have a few questions once I have spent a little time with the unit. Hope you all don't mind if I post those questions here on this forum.
Thank you all again for being so helpful. I hope that I have made the right decision.
Peter
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I hope so, too, Peter -- you'll find out soon enough, I guess. ; ) It does come pretty sudden, so after your initial resolve to wait it out and inform and inform and inform. I know the feeling of waiting, however, mostly gets the best of me -- I guess us gadgeteers are not the most resilient to marketing and spec sheets. Hahaha!
Welcome to the club, and don't fret about posting your questions. It's not your type of user we get fed up with, and to be honest, I think you'll be fine with the guides that have sprung up -- at least as far as unlocking woes, Nvflash, custom recoveries and custom ROMs, etc. go. It's going to take a fair bit of Play Store scavenging to find apps that suit your needs and style optimally, but we'll get there. Relish the kid feeling, and don't lose the fun in finding your way.
By the way: I assume you ordered it with the dock?