Related
Not sure that the "selling my g tab" threads are making sense to me. Or that they represent the majority of the faithful fans.
So I wanted a "keeping my g tablet" thread.
1. Ok, if you wanted an ipad they just dropped in price, but can you really go back???
2. Xoom is still at least 200 more right now. You can buy a laptop for 299 easily.
3. Some other dual core tegra brands "may" come out, but that is still iffy at best and they still cost more.
4. HC will come out and be supported by the devs on g tablet.
So do you have any thoughts here?
I am keeping my g tablet and really enjoying the freedom of android tablet fun. Try Dungeon Defnders to see the real potential of this HW!
keeping my gtab but getting an ipad 2 for gaming.Droid games suck at the moment
keeping my gtab but getting an ipad 2 for gaming.Droid games suck at the moment.
angry birds.... lawl. with the weakness..
Sigh...I'm hearing Sam's Club may be selling the xoom for $540, still a bit on the fence about it. If only the viewing angle on this screen wasn't so poor it would be a no-brainer.
Unless something gets donated to me I'll be keeping mine for a while, since i sold my netbook to get the g-tablet, plus a dozen or so odd jobs to pay for it. Work is bad and money is worse, so I tend to be Mr. Bargain pants.
Thought I should add I love it, as do the kids and wife
Just picked up mine a few days ago as it was the best decision I have made . Can't Really see the need to a motorola xoom (other then the 1GB Ram and 1280x800) and won't go with ipad (they don't even have emulators.... so sad).
Now if I could just find a good case
Got mine two weeks ago after doing some extensive research on which one to buy.
The viewing angles aren't great but don't bother me at all. Keeping till something comes out in the same price range with all around better hardware "screen, processor, memory, etc".
Keeping mine, as well. If anything else, it's a good Tegra dev unit.
I can fully understand why some people are jumping ship, and I did get a Xoom myself (on the super cheap). But the Xoom still has a LOT of problems to be worked out.
I'd still like to see HC on the GTAB - that would be the icing on the cake, AFAIC.
Love Gtab
I am not a Gtab owner, I am getting one actually. Before I made the decision, I was thinking to buy a Galaxy tab also (similar price, better screen but smaller size, and I feel Samsung is a better brand) ...I am talking about the sprint galaxy tab of course (T-Mo's and ATT's are more expensive) ......At the meanwhile, there is way more support (xda devs) for the Gtab than the Sprint galaxy tab....so, all in all, I chose Gtab, best tab in $300-400 price range so far..
ps: ipad 2 is coming soon, and we all know the 1st gen ipad has huge price drop....ipad is great, very good in quality and performance.. but..I just don't like apple, coz it is not customizable...
I plan on keeping mine as well, and I'm probably one of the few people on here that could care less about HC. To me its great eye candy, but it seems like we would loose way too much in terms of a trade off till google does some updating on it. (USB, MicroSD, etc...) I'd be perfectly happy if we could get some updated drivers for the Gojimi's Ginger Vegan. Now that would be sweet.
Apple is a status symbol and I have never been into that Would have considered an Ipad 2, but I much prefer the Android Platform and believe it will overtake the iPad/iPhone.
A not as good of screen and a little bit heavier than the iPad, but the external SDCard, Android Platform, Duo chip, 512MB RAM, and price has me not looking back. I have my music library and movies on the external card. I also have the hope of getting my honeycombs... Ha!
Got a Malata case from the group buy (see accessories section if you want one) and I am really loving my setup for under $400
Keeping mine too.
I will be keeping mine, until I find something I like better within the same price range. I will hand my tab down to my son who uses it more then I do anyway!
Keeping my Gtablet.
The power/$ ratio is just too good. I have seen benchmarks with the Xoom that put them neck to neck. Granted it doesn't have all the bells and whistles.
Keeping mine as well...absolutely love it. Anyone complaining about viewing angles should try getting a skinomi skin, it did wonders. And now that we have not just Cyanogen support but now Caulkin is onboard as well.
corwinmortac said:
Keeping mine as well...absolutely love it. Anyone complaining about viewing angles should try getting a skinomi skin, it did wonders. And now that we have not just Cyanogen support but now Caulkin is onboard as well.
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You mean this? It's a combo pack with a carbon fiber skin.
http://www.skinomi.com/viewsonic-g-tablet-carbon-fiber-skin-protector.html
Not sure how a skin would improve viewing angles, could you pop up a pic at an upward angle for comparison? I swear, I want to love this thing, but the screen is kind of cooling me on it. I think it really is something I'd spend another $150 for if the rumors of that wifi Xoom are true.
Keeping mine. Does everything I need it to do with VEGAN 5.1. Try expanding your memory on the ipad2 2. Spent a bunch of money on a screen security angle protector for my laptop so when I travel the people next to me on a plane can't see the screen so No issue with the GT screen. Have an iphone and don't like being told what I can and can't do with my investment.
i use mine for news, web-browsing, email and writing. along with a few other random things like wordwise (words with friends doesnt align exactly right for me), and twitter (so i can keep up with the daily bits o' wisdom of colbert, charlie sheen and gilbert). it also kept me from going cabin crazy during recent flights, watching some shows i had recorded. for all of these things, this thing is perfect. i dont get the aggravation over the viewing angles; but then again, i havent played around with other tablets for comparison. i also dont use it much for gaming. i have a ps3 for that one. so yeah, im definitely keeping mine. i havent regretted the purchase for a single moment- thanks especially to all the devs on these boards.
btw, do tablets really need a second camera on the rear? i cant imagine someone holding up a 10" tablet to get a picture of their wife in front of the white house
keeping mine...unless another model meets some specific need i see no point in getting a different one. For me every other tablet out or coming out is missing some piece of the puzzle not to mention most are much more money...anything over what i paid for my gtab and i could buy a absolutely killer laptop so why bother. The people that are running from gtablet to go to xoom etc are going to be the same people jumping from that to the "next big thing later" have fun pissing your money away.
I could not imagine getting rid of this very inexpensive tablet.
Definitely keeping mine in anticipation of HC.
You just can't beat the price.
So my situation, I was fortunate to earn a free ipad wifi/3g 16gb from a sales contest at work, well Ive played with the thing for a few weeks and I have to say apple blows. Anyways gunna sell it on ebay, looking like I can get about $450 for it.
I then want to take the money and buy an android tablet, i really want a honeycomb one, but I know they are very expensive as they are just coming out.
So I thought to myself why couldn't I just buy a tablet that comes with Froyo, and then root it, and flash a custom honeycomb rom once a developer ports it over to my device..? It would save me alot of cash/waiting.
So I'm assuming all the G tab owners did some shopping around before buying this tablet. What are the top 3 android tablets under $450 in your opinion?
Obviously another concern is which tablet under $450 will be likely to have the most developer support, being the flashaholic that I am, I really want something that has many roms and kernels etc.. availiable. I did see quite a few roms in the G tab development section, but I am finding it very difficult to find out information about other tablets as far as rom development. What do you guys thing from a developer support stand point?
Thanks!!!!
Under $450 and that are out now tablets....
If you're just looking for a tablet to browse the internet, casual gaming, youtube..you know basic stuff...you can save about $100 by buying a nook. Lots of dev support...I mean lots.
If you want something more powerful with a bigger screen but weaker viewing angles than the gtab is tops in my opinion. If you don't mind a used gtab...than I would grab one if you can find it.
As for a third choice, I guess I would get the archos 70 or 101.
Awesome thanks.
I personally wouldn't get a nook. I had one and ended up trading it for an archos 101. From what it looks like there is more development for the GTab. The nook is a nice device but I really didn't think the device was speedy enough for me. If I'm getting a tablet then it should have better specs then my phone (Nexus S). Screen on the Nook was nice but I've always wanted a bigger tab. I like my archos 101 but then again the processor was good but I felt it could be better. I just sold my archos a few days ago on here and ordered a GTab and it'll be here tomorrow. Nook is $250 new and GTab cost me $368, with the GTab you may be getting a worse screen but you get more internal storage, better processor, bluetooth, IMO better dev support, and a USB port which I personally want. I've also had a Galaxy Tab but when I had it development was slow so I got rid of it also again it has the same specs as my phone. IMO theres no point in a tablet that has equal or worse specs then your phone (unless you have a dual core phone) and after experience 7inch screens are good for reading and comics but 10.1inch screens are better for web browsing and even better for reading and comics
Had my gtab for about 2 weeks now that I bout from another user here on xda for $320. Prior to the purchase I had been following the forums and watching youtub videos of the device and drooling. Now that I have it, I feel I may have hyped it a bit too much. It is a good device but there are a few things about it that bother me but to be fair I was expecting some of them. the screen is as bad as they say. This device is pretty hefty. Holding it in can be tiresome at times. The bezel is thin on three sides, one of which also has capacitive buttons which makes it hard to find a comfortable way to hold it at times unless you are using both hands. No gps. As for the roms, as good as they are they are far from perfect. They each have their own issues which were easy to ignore at first but after a while i find to be annoying when you want something that just works. I appreciate the devs though and I'm sure in time they will figure everything out. After trying a xoom at frys the other day I can honestly say they know what a tablet should be like. I just wish it wasn't an extra 500 bucks.
BuI shopped arround for a good while. I have been using resistive screen tablet PC's in my work for years, and hated them. Ugly screens tedious repeated touches to get anywhere. Call me crazy but I really believe that anyone who complains about the screen on the gtab needs to take a reality check. This thing has better viewing angles than my android phone. What do you want to do with it? Rest it on your coffee table and sit 10 feet away at a 45° angle and expect perfect color? Yes there are nicer screens out there but IMHO this is way better than the crap I have seen for years. I'm sure it would have had a super top of the line screen too if Malta could have gotten screens from LG at nearly cost like apple does.
The price is perfect and the screen is perfect for the price. Enjoy the fact that no one will see what's on your screen unless you want them to. Its a security feature in my book.
Sent from my Chromatic Magic using XDA Premium App
Mantara said:
BuI shopped arround for a good while. I have been using resistive screen tablet PC's in my work for years, and hated them. Ugly screens tedious repeated touches to get anywhere. Call me crazy but I really believe that anyone who complains about the screen on the gtab needs to take a reality check. This thing has better viewing angles than my android phone. What do you want to do with it? Rest it on your coffee table and sit 10 feet away at a 45° angle and expect perfect color? Yes there are nicer screens out there but IMHO this is way better than the crap I have seen for years. I'm sure it would have had a super top of the line screen too if Malta could have gotten screens from LG at nearly cost like apple does.
The price is perfect and the screen is perfect for the price. Enjoy the fact that no one will see what's on your screen unless you want them to. Its a security feature in my book.
Sent from my Chromatic Magic using XDA Premium App
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^^^^Yeah This. I waited a week for mine to come from the good ol' US of A (Im in oztralia )
After reading all the reports.. bad screens, slow stock UI etc I thought ok, well the screen is probably as bad as they say and the UI cant be that bad...
well it was exactly opposite - the screen is actually not that bad compared to some screens i deal with daily. UI was even worse than I could have imagined.
I know have vegan on it and it rocks. For the price I am absolutely blown away.
You can not go wrong with the g-Tab. Especially since you stated that you are a "Flashaholic." I have had mine for almost 2 months now and absolutely love it. I have tried both the vegan and TNT-Lite roms, and ended up staying with the TNT-Lite. While there are many things that could have been implemented better, in my mind it is a better value right now than the competition. I love the fact that it has removable storage. I have a little case that I keep my micro-SD cards in and swap them out whenever I want to watch something else or need more storage. Since purchasing this product, I have taken it with me on several business trips, and have found it indispensable. I can even back my photos up onto it using an SD card reader.
Bottom Line: If you do not mind playing around and fiddling with settings and enjoy trying new things, then I suggest getting the g-Tab. Over wise I suggest waiting a little longer until the "Tablet Form Factor" becomes more settled.
Just a note on the Notion Ink Adam which falls into the sub $450 category (wifi LCD version, anyways). I received hoping to get better viewing angles but they seemed to be the same as the Gtab, plus I really like the Gtab's form factor a lot more. The Adam was heavier, thicker and more squared off making it not as comfortable to hold as the Gtab. I ebayed the Adam and actually turned a little profit from it
Great info guys! Thanks to everyone who replied, all very helpful!
I got several buyers for my ipad so it should be gone today
I think the g tab sounds like it will do what I want, it really will just be for playing games, web browsing, and taking on airplanes etc, so it sounds like the way to go. And hopefully honeycomb roms will be available before too long!
Follow up question, where can you get a good case for the g tab? I liked the one that I bought my ipad, it was kind of like a little padfolio and it could fold into a "stand" which was great for watching movies on the plane.
Other than that just gotta research rooting this thing, I plan to pick one up before the end of the weekend. And you guys have already given me some ideas which roms to try. Thanks!
luigic81 said:
Follow up question, where can you get a good case for the g tab? I liked the one that I bought my ipad, it was kind of like a little padfolio and it could fold into a "stand" which was great for watching movies on the plane.
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Check the G Tablet Accessories forum, there are a couple of options depending whether you want a keyboard or not and at least one more on the way
Alright just a couple more for the helpful people here
1. is this the best way to root the g tab? http://droidpirate.com/2010/11/27/how-to-root-your-viewsonic-g-tablet/
2. After I root I will be following the instructions in this thread http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=865245
So I was wondering if I had to update anything in order to flash custom roms, or can I just root my tab, and then follow the instructions on that thread and be good to go on custom roms?
Also what ROM would you guys recomend? I am typically an AOSP guy assuming that everything is functional, but my wife will be using this tablet too and she is not very tech savvy, so I would like a rom that is pretty stable, any suggestions would be apprecited thanks!
Also I see clockwork v08 seems to be the hot ticket, so I assume that I will use that? I have always used Amon RA on my EVO, but it doesnt appear that Amon RA is availiable for the G tab, is that a correct assumption?
Thanks again for all the help, I know those last few questions arent necessarily pertinent to my original post, but I appreciate the help.
All the instructions you need to root the device are in the second thread you linked -> http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=865245
Just pick out a ROM - TNTLite and VEGAn are the two most popular around here - and follow the instructions carefully.
perfect thanks, guess I should've read this line from that thread
"You do NOT need to root your tablet to install a ROM on this device using this guide. All the after-market ROMs are pre-rooted."
LMAO!! haha cool.
Just a little update, I got my GTab today and love it sooooooooo much. Viewing angles aren't to bad. Monster Madness, Samurai II, and Backbreaker are awesome. Very fast device
Awesome I can't wait, should have mine before Monday
Wi-Fi only Motorola Xoom at Sam's Club
I think the gTab is the best bang for your buck at between $350 and $400 especially with the ROMs our gTabDevs are churning out for us. However, if you really want an official Honeycomb tablet I've read that Sam's Club will be selling these at their stores for around $500 each in the next few weeks.
Just thought some folks might want to know.
I am sticking with my Nook Color
After having received the Archos 101. I was disappointed in the screen quality and the touch screen and lack of dev support. I sold it and got the g tablet and was in love with it until I bought my mom a kindle and started to like the form factor and size. I then started becoming bored with my g tablet. I then began looking at the nook color forums and decided to buy one, since I have bought it, I haven't touched my g tablet. I really like the size and the feel of it, I read more now and still play the games I like. I am happy running CM7 gingerbread and looking forward to honeycomb when it comes out as AOSP.
The dirty little secret is that there is no day to day life changing use for a tablet. So this can put you in two categories.
#1. You want to try and use the tablet during travel and such. In this case form factor is going to be important. The Nook Color is probably a better option as you sacrifice overall performance for the usability of the design.
#2. You want a device to develop on and try to utilize the latest and greatest. The Tegra 2 is the "it" platform right now for the android tablets. The GTab and its brothers give you the best entry into this field.
I am solidly in #2. Sure I have played some games on my tablet, I have browsed the web and I have used it on the go. But there has never been a situation where my VZ Droid would not have let me do the exact same thing.
I am comfortable with the fact that I bought a development platform. Having it in hand shows me the potential of the concept.
slysecretspy said:
The dirty little secret is that there is no day to day life changing use for a tablet. So this can put you in two categories.
#1. You want to try and use the tablet during travel and such. In this case form factor is going to be important. The Nook Color is probably a better option as you sacrifice overall performance for the usability of the design.
#2. You want a device to develop on and try to utilize the latest and greatest. The Tegra 2 is the "it" platform right now for the android tablets. The GTab and its brothers give you the best entry into this field.
I am solidly in #2. Sure I have played some games on my tablet, I have browsed the web and I have used it on the go. But there has never been a situation where my VZ Droid would not have let me do the exact same thing.
I am comfortable with the fact that I bought a development platform. Having it in hand shows me the potential of the concept.
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Excellent post, and i'm in catoegory #2 as well, I'm playing with house money becuase I got the ipad for free. But my wife really wants something to play games with and I like to watch movies etc on the airplane as well as browse the etc at home.
Seriously, I have become quite a fan of Apple's Macbooks and own and use both a Macbook and iMac pretty much daily. The Macbook is used a lot for running tracks and click tracks in live band situations which it excels at. We also use it to share internet in our house. Seems like anything with wi-fi will connect to it! But when it comes to portable devices I just found Apple's iPad and iPod touch a bit too limiting.
I recently sold my latest generation 32gig iPod Touch (had 4 buyers lined up to buy it...crazy) to get some extra money to put toward buying the G-Tablet. I bought one, and after a little updating and extending the ROM, I have to say I am blown away by this G-Tablet. After putting the Skinomi on it I think the screen is fine. Viewing angles aren't that great but no big deal to me.
This G-Tablet is fast and so much more fun than Apple's portable stuff for me personally, because I love the fact that I can change ROMS and that I can have the full Market and especially have FLASH! I was very bored with the iPod after having two generations of Touch's, even though my new one had the two cameras and faster processor. The HD camera was nice to have, but I already had a small Kodak Playsport that shoots 1080p and better pictures. Not being able to see videos on some of my favorite websites like mma-core.com (mixed martial arts fighting and info) was quite annoying and eventually what killed the experience for me.
Really enjoying the G-Tablet experience and for me personally I'm not missing anything and have gained a lot of freedom in getting the G-tablet. The only trouble is my wife and both kids keep asking to use it every night when we are all sitting in the family room hanging out! Even made a nice DIY leather case for it (See post in Accessories section)
Welcome to the other side of "The Walled Garden."
I have an iPad my company issued me but I still use my gTab most of the time between the two. They both have their pros and cons. Once I can get the Netflix app to stream on the gTab I'll probably use my iPad even less.
willyc32 said:
Seriously, I have become quite a fan of Apple's Macbooks and own and use both a Macbook and iMac pretty much daily. The Macbook is used a lot for running tracks and click tracks in live band situations which it excels at. We also use it to share internet in our house. Seems like anything with wi-fi will connect to it! But when it comes to portable devices I just found Apple's iPad and iPod touch a bit too limiting.
I recently sold my latest generation 32gig iPod Touch (had 4 buyers lined up to buy it...crazy) to get some extra money to put toward buying the G-Tablet. I bought one, and after a little updating and extending the ROM, I have to say I am blown away by this G-Tablet. After putting the Skinomi on it I think the screen is fine. Viewing angles aren't that great but no big deal to me.
This G-Tablet is fast and so much more fun than Apple's portable stuff for me personally, because I love the fact that I can change ROMS and that I can have the full Market and especially have FLASH! I was very bored with the iPod after having two generations of Touch's, even though my new one had the two cameras and faster processor. The HD camera was nice to have, but I already had a small Kodak Playsport that shoots 1080p and better pictures. Not being able to see videos on some of my favorite websites like mma-core.com (mixed martial arts fighting and info) was quite annoying and eventually what killed the experience for me.
Really enjoying the G-Tablet experience and for me personally I'm not missing anything and have gained a lot of freedom in getting the G-tablet. The only trouble is my wife and both kids keep asking to use it every night when we are all sitting in the family room hanging out! Even made a nice DIY leather case for it (See post in Accessories section)
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good to hear that! If Viewsonic/malata made a better screen for it, it would be a perfect tablet! I guess that nothing is perfect.. and don't tell Steve!!
willyc32 said:
Seriously, I have become quite a fan of Apple's Macbooks and own and use both a Macbook and iMac pretty much daily. The Macbook is used a lot for running tracks and click tracks in live band situations which it excels at. We also use it to share internet in our house. Seems like anything with wi-fi will connect to it! But when it comes to portable devices I just found Apple's iPad and iPod touch a bit too limiting.
I recently sold my latest generation 32gig iPod Touch (had 4 buyers lined up to buy it...crazy) to get some extra money to put toward buying the G-Tablet. I bought one, and after a little updating and extending the ROM, I have to say I am blown away by this G-Tablet. After putting the Skinomi on it I think the screen is fine. Viewing angles aren't that great but no big deal to me.
This G-Tablet is fast and so much more fun than Apple's portable stuff for me personally, because I love the fact that I can change ROMS and that I can have the full Market and especially have FLASH! I was very bored with the iPod after having two generations of Touch's, even though my new one had the two cameras and faster processor. The HD camera was nice to have, but I already had a small Kodak Playsport that shoots 1080p and better pictures. Not being able to see videos on some of my favorite websites like mma-core.com (mixed martial arts fighting and info) was quite annoying and eventually what killed the experience for me.
Really enjoying the G-Tablet experience and for me personally I'm not missing anything and have gained a lot of freedom in getting the G-tablet. The only trouble is my wife and both kids keep asking to use it every night when we are all sitting in the family room hanging out! Even made a nice DIY leather case for it (See post in Accessories section)
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What is skinomi...
Sent from my UPC300-2.2 using Tapatalk
iondokk said:
What is skinomi...
Sent from my UPC300-2.2 using Tapatalk
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http://www.skinomi.com/vigta.html
Jon
Does the Skinomi make the screen look better or is it just for protection? Maybe less glare?
I'm using it. Less fingerprint on the screen for sure.
Apple Sucks
I got rid of my iPad1, I had iPad 2 in hand ready to buy...called Apple to see if I would have any issues with reloading the content....bingo...issue!!
Apple does not allow you to re-download books or music.
You can re-download apps once.
Apple expects you to pay again for content you already paid for....so long apple
Steve Jobs...the apps nazi....no more money for YOU!!!!!!
I was near an Office Depot today and stopped in to see if they had the G Tablet on display. Sure enough there it was very close to the front of the store in an Android tablets display. I had never seen the device in person before and based on what I have been reading I was expecting to see literally the worst screen I have ever seen on a device. Imagine my surprise when I hit the power button and was presented with what was in my opinion a very nice display. Sure if I changed my viewing angle to an unnatural position it started to look worse but it's a tablet! I'm literally always going to have it directly in my line of sight. When used in this manner I thought it looked great!
I have bought and returned an iPad 2 due to terrible backlight bleeding. One thing that struck me as much better about the G Tablet screen was that it was much less pixelated than the iPad 2 screen. Web pages were sharper as was the overall interface. In my opinion the viewing angle issue has been greatly overblown.
This unit on display was running in the classic mode and even then it was quite sluggish. I'm not sure if this should be attributed to the fact that Viewsonic's ROM is simply awful or if this particular unit had an issue. Regardless I'll be rooting and installing one of the preferred ROM's on my device anyway so performance will not be an issue.
For $279 this is looking like quite a value, can't wait to receive it!
Nice to read this. I was also expecting to see a really crappy display that blacks out the second you tilt your head a fraction. Really glad to hear that this isn't the case.
Now I'm about to stand on my head to get a shipping email. Ain't gonna happen until at least Monday.
Good lord. I wasn't this anxious for Xmas when I was a kid ;->
Metal_in_Silk said:
Nice to read this. I was also expecting to see a really crappy display that blacks out the second you tilt your head a fraction. Really glad to hear that this isn't the case.
Now I'm about to stand on my head to get a shipping email. Ain't gonna happen until at least Monday.
Good lord. I wasn't this anxious for Xmas when I was a kid ;->
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You are funny but I get you nothing like the anticipation of a new tech toy. You will love gtab particularly thinking about how much you paid for such a fun device.
The screen is fine in landscape mode as you indeed will position it at a natural angle and everything will be fine. Just so I am clear, by natural, I mean you don't really position the display perfectly flat in front of your eyes, you tend to look at the screen having your eyes positioned higher than the screen (unless your the kind of person who enjoys having his arms in the air). This is when colors are the most uniform from top to bottom. if you were to raise it or lean it back too much so that you end up positioning your eyes lower than the bottom of the tablet, you get past the screen's viewing angle.
This is only problematic in portrait mode (which I seldom use). For example, if you rotate your tablet so that the top is now facing left, you then need to position the tablet to your right a little to get the same color uniformity as you need to keep both your eyes over the top of the tablet.
If they made xooms or ipads with this screen for 300$ in addition to the 600$ "perfect screen", I would chose the 300$ one as you easily get used to it.
To put it in perspective, the touchscreen is not sensitive enough on a tiny area at the top left corner of my g-tablet and I have trouble taping things there (where the home button is located on VEGAn tab and the battery icon on gAdam). Comparatively, this is by far a worst problem than the viewing angle in my mind.
I think it looks bad, when I have it laying down I can't see a thing. When I show friends something I wonder if they can see it. It's not the worst but it could be much better
(Devil's Advocate)
I've had my GTAB since November and I do love the device - it's a modder's dream since it's very difficult to fully brick. Got mine used on the cheap and I feel that the hardware itself is solid. Except the screen.
You are 100% correct that it's fine when using spot-on in landscape, but tilt it ever so slightly down and solarization begins. And, in portrait mode, even the slightest tilt will change the screen image significantly.
I didn't really notice this flaw at first. It really took me at least a week or two of using it for various things before it became noticable. Trying to play a game where you need to move the device around a lot, playing a video when it's flat on the table and you are looking at it from an angle. Or reading comics in portrait mode.
The iPad1, for all its faults (and there are many), has a fantastic IPS screen that eats the GTAB's for lunch. I have a SmartQ R10 with the same screen and that's what I use for reading comics... not the GTAB. I think the screen has been the #1 hardware issue here in XDA since the forum opened - so much so that there are several threads on trying to get a replacement screen that would fit.
Here's a post I made over at Slatedroid comparing the GTAB angles with a Xoom and an R10: http://www.slatedroid.com/index.php?/topic/15865-screen-angles/. Those pictures are very accurate.
Not trying to kill people's excitement - just understand what you're getting - it's still a GREAT bargain and a great device. But the screen angles can be a problem, depending on what you use it for.
As for the question on speed -- imo, 3389 (and even the latest 3588 release) are still a bit sluggish, as you mentioned. Several alternate ROMs out there will improve speeds significantly as they are using newer drivers that Viewsonic has yet to incorporate into a released firmware.
I should think that those of us who don't plan to watch videos or play games will be quite satisfied with it.
Thanks for the comparison pictures -- that was a great service to those of us on the fence The viewing angle issue, while noticeable, now seems tolerable to me. I'm torn between grabbing a Xoom tomorrow or ordering a G-tab from Tigerdirect tonight (kicking myself for being such a wuss and not getting it from Woot...). Aside from the screen, my biggest concern is that the G-tab will never get Honeycomb, and if it does, whether or not the lower resolution will make it incompatible with tablet apps. I love Android, but I don't want to use the tablet as an oversized phoneless phone for too long.
Decisions, decisions ...
roebeet said:
Here's a post I made over at Slatedroid comparing the GTAB angles with a Xoom and an R10: http://www.slatedroid.com/index.php?/topic/15865-screen-angles/. Those pictures are very accurate
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From those pictures I doesn't look that bad. Sure IPS has better viewing angles, but most people use a TFT monitor on their computer at home, and they dont complain. There is a down side to IPS and its the refresh rate that can cause ghosting. Plus think of it as a semi security feature, it will be harder for people to look over your shoulder and see what you are up to.
Google seems to be really bent out of shape with getting AOSP out for 3.0 - my guess is that Moto is really paying them them a nice sum to keep the Xoom as the ONLY HC device around.
If one Harmony based device gets HC, someone will probably manage to port it to ours. We just need that first device to get it. But that may not be for a long time. And agreed on the screen, but keep in mind that the Notion Ink Adam has the same screen so if they manage to port it, then the GTAB will likely get it.
LowSky said:
From those pictures I doesn't look that bad. Sure IPS has better viewing angles, but most people use a TFT monitor on their computer at home, and they dont complain. There is a down side to IPS and its the refresh rate that can cause ghosting. Plus think of it as a semi security feature, it will be harder for people to look over your shoulder and see what you are up to.
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Agreed - the bottom line it what you plan to do with the device. Spot-on landscape mode looks like just like a netbook screen, because that's exactly what's in the GTAB.
docprego said:
I was near an Office Depot today and stopped in to see if they had the G Tablet on display. Sure enough there it was very close to the front of the store in an Android tablets display. I had never seen the device in person before and based on what I have been reading I was expecting to see literally the worst screen I have ever seen on a device. Imagine my surprise when I hit the power button and was presented with what was in my opinion a very nice display. Sure if I changed my viewing angle to an unnatural position it started to look worse but it's a tablet! I'm literally always going to have it directly in my line of sight. When used in this manner I thought it looked great!
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People like to exaggerate. I don't know why, but they like to do it. It's also because this unit doesn't cost as much as, say, the ipad.
My brother, someone who always wants the newest and greatest, came over to visit today with his 2 kids. I let the kids play with the device because they were curious. My brother started criticizing it after I told him how much I paid for it. First, he criticized it for the small internal sdcard. I had to tell him that the ipad has the same amount of internal space. He then accused the battery of not lasting long enough. I had to tell him that actually it's right up there with the ipad. He then picked it up and said it was too heavy. I told him that it only weighed .22 lb more than the ipad. Not to be outdone, he claimed that .22 was too much more than his ipad. He then said it must be really really slow. I brought it over to him and showed him that it was running just as fast as his ipad. He started playing with it and then he said "aha, it doesn't have 3g."
The point is he had never seen the gtab before. Actually, he had never heard of it before. Yet, he didn't like it at all. It was obvious he was desperately looking for reasons not to like it.
I did notice that even though he was looking for every reason to criticize it he never noticed the screen being "bad". So, obviously the gtab screen isn't really that bad. People online who are bashing this device describing the screen as the worst thing ever to have existed (or something like that) are just exaggerating because they are looking for a reason to bash the device.
It's no different than a typical netbook or laptop screen. Why the bloody hell is it a life and death issue all the sudden?
goodintentions said:
It's no different than a typical netbook or laptop screen. Why the bloody hell is it a life and death issue all the sudden?
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Because with a netbook / laptop screen, you are looking at it at the same angle 90% of the time. A tablet is a different animal - you have it flat on your desk, or in portrait mode reading a book, or moving it around if you're playing a game. It's not at the same landscape mode / angle all the time. Completely different device.
Here's a perfect example: I was playing that evil and life-draining game Angry Birds earlier today. On my Xoom tablet, I have a tendency to play it where the screen is leaning back slightly on my palm, as that's comfortable for one handed play. Screen is fine. But on the GTAB, when I play it that way the screen solarization can be seen - I have to force it to be more spot-on to my line of sight, but that's not as comfortable in my hand.
That's the difference, and why it's not really that noticeable until you really start using it day-to-day for a long period of time.
Don't get me wrong. I notice it, too. It just doesn't bother me like it supposedly bother other people. But then again, I was born in a house with a dirt floor and grew up with a 4 inch black and white tv, so I guess my standards aren't as high as yours.
Thanks for the link to the comparison roebeet. I think I can live with that. One of my (major) pet peeves is having a co-worker peer over at what I'm doing, makes me want to do a Three Stooges eyepoke. This should actually work in my favor as:
1) I won't have to outen some nosy body's eyes when I check msgs
2) Will probably save my job and/or a lawsuit one day (see #1)
Still excited and bouncing in anticipation LOL it's been ages since I've played around with mods on a device. Really looking forward to it
Metal_in_Silk said:
Still excited and bouncing in anticipation LOL it's been ages since I've played around with mods on a device. Really looking forward to it
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Just ordered mine, in the same boat as you Tigerdirect the estimated arrive date as the 29th, but Memphis tends to get things a little quicker *fingers crossed*
goodintentions said:
Don't get me wrong. I notice it, too. It just doesn't bother me like it supposedly bother other people. But then again, I was born in a house with a dirt floor and grew up with a 4 inch black and white tv, so I guess my standards aren't as high as yours.
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In my house, my kids call me "the cheapskate". I set new lows for standards.
And at least you had a TV - I used to make dioramas with cartoon cutouts in them to make my own cartoon shows. And I liked it!
dfin13 said:
Just ordered mine, in the same boat as you Tigerdirect the estimated arrive date as the 29th, but Memphis tends to get things a little quicker *fingers crossed*
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Lucky you! You'll be modding and playing Angry Birds while I'm still waiting on a shipment confirmation
Srsly, this is gonna be some fun. The screen doesn't suck as bad as I thought it would and playing with the various mods will be a very welcome distraction from doing ppls taxes
roebeet said:
In my house, my kids call me "the cheapskate". I set new lows for standards.
And at least you had a TV - I used to make diarrheas with cartoon cutouts in them to make my own cartoon shows. And I liked it!
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Now THAT was an interesting mental image
dfin13 said:
Thanks for the comparison pictures -- that was a great service to those of us on the fence The viewing angle issue, while noticeable, now seems tolerable to me. I'm torn between grabbing a Xoom tomorrow or ordering a G-tab from Tigerdirect tonight (kicking myself for being such a wuss and not getting it from Woot...). Aside from the screen, my biggest concern is that the G-tab will never get Honeycomb, and if it does, whether or not the lower resolution will make it incompatible with tablet apps. I love Android, but I don't want to use the tablet as an oversized phoneless phone for too long.
Decisions, decisions ...
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When I played with the xoom up close I noticed the bad viewing angles too. At that price unacceptable but at the price of the g tab understable they already gave you quite a lot for little money, costs had to be cut somewhere. Xoom should be top notch. I started to buy it until I saw the viewing angles and build. The SmartQ awesome. I actually need another tab for work with a different operating system but did not find the ipad engaging enough. I hate the slow rate of trickle with these tabs.
Looking at the last picture unless they were swapped the xoom looked washed out to me. SmartQ held it's own in every picture.
Metal_in_Silk said:
Now THAT was an interesting mental image
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Darn spell check screwed up. But maybe I should have left it - it was a more interesting response!
edirector said:
When I played with the xoom up close I noticed the bad viewing angles too. At that price unacceptable but at the price of the g tab understable they already gave you quite a lot for little money, costs had to be cut somewhere. Xoom should be top notch. I started to buy it until I saw the viewing angles and build. The SmartQ awesome. I actually need another tab for work with a different operating system but did not find the ipad engaging enough. I hate the slow rate of trickle with these tabs.
Looking at the last picture unless they were swapped the xoom looked washed out to me. SmartQ held it's own in every picture.
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Yeah, it's a bit washed out once the angles go past a certain point - I think it's just the nature of a TFT screen and probably can't be avoided. But slight angles (which you can't really see in those pics) are very good on the Xoom.
And x2 on the GTAB comment. At less than half price, it's still a bargain. We don't have HC either, but that's something that's potentially fixable, at least.
As for the SmartQ R10, the angles are great but it's a slow-as-molasses device (Telechips CPU with Android 2.1, only) - works fine as a cbz reader, however. What I'm still waiting for is an IPS screen paired with a Tegra 2 chipset. They are coming this year, allegedly.
So my GTab is on the truck out for delivery. I'm seriously considering returning upon arrival without even opening it. I know we are not suppose to talk about Honeycomb but I really doubt that this tab will ever get it. I am a ROM addict with my incredible and feel real comfortable with all that. But is the screen glare and lack of honeycomb enough to spend an extra 100-200 on another tablet. Think Asus or even Xoom.
What are your thoughts... Any insight will be greatly appreciated. I commute 75 minutes on a commuter rail every day to work. I use my device for movies, shows, reading and games.
Thanks all...
rmd0311 said:
So my GTab is on the truck out for delivery. I'm seriously considering returning upon arrival without even opening it. I know we are not suppose to talk about Honeycomb but I really doubt that this tab will ever get it. I am a ROM addict with my incredible and feel real comfortable with all that. But is the screen glare and lack of honeycomb enough to spend an extra 100-200 on another tablet. Think Asus or even Xoom.
What are your thoughts... Any insight will be greatly appreciated. I commute 75 minutes on a commuter rail every day to work. I use my device for movies, shows, reading and games.
Thanks all...
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This tablet will do all of those admirably without Honeycomb. Battery life is amazing, Video support under Froyo based roms is good. Gingbread still needs drivers, but Software Decoding works in many cases, depending on the quality of your source etc.
Reading might be the only disappointing area. If you hold the Tab in portrait mode, that's where the viewing angles get to be a problem. Might bother you, might not.
Having said all of that, If I didn't have a G-Tab, I'd probably be buying an Asus Transformer (not a Xoom). But, since I have my G-tab, it's quite capable and I'll be keeping it.
I would keep it...
Most of the other tabs will not be out until June or later. I would wait and keep the gtab until the market and prices stabilize. The gtab is more than capable of doing what u want.
As far as I know, there has not been an Android tablet released yet that has not had its share of problems and disappointments. How long will it take until the Asus has all the fixes in place....or until there are custom ROMs for it (if ever)?
I wouldn't spend a premium on a device that has not been on the market long enough to know if it meets my needs.
The Gtab at under $300 is a steal as far as I am concerned. I've had mine for a month, running Vegan-Tab 5.1.1, happy as can be with it. Many people have posted about the poor viewing angle. I disagree....I actually like the viewing angle as I don't want everyone in the neighborhood to be able to see my screen anyway. I just haven't seen the issue....of course, each of us is different in that regard.
I'd buy the GTab all over again. I think it will meet/exceed my NEEDS for a loooong time to come. And when I am done with it, my grandkids will have a new toy!
Joe
If you think the screen will be an issue then send it back and wait for an IPS from ASUS. $400 and Honeycomb
Joeb2751 said:
As far as I know, there has not been an Android tablet released yet that has not had its share of problems and disappointments. How long will it take until the Asus has all the fixes in place....or until there are custom ROMs for it (if ever)?
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Yeah the Engadget review wasn't very good of the Asus tab. Not that I have a lot of faith for them to review it without some sort of bias but the videos did not show it off well. The OS seems really sluggish and the screen, while IPS has some serious glare on it. Seems to defeat a lot of value of IPS when you still have to hold the tablet at an angle to see the screen properly.
I probably won't buy a high-end tablet until late in the year to see the direction the manufacturers go.
rmd0311 said:
So my GTab is on the truck out for delivery. I'm seriously considering returning upon arrival without even opening it. I know we are not suppose to talk about Honeycomb but I really doubt that this tab will ever get it. I am a ROM addict with my incredible and feel real comfortable with all that. But is the screen glare and lack of honeycomb enough to spend an extra 100-200 on another tablet. Think Asus or even Xoom.
What are your thoughts... Any insight will be greatly appreciated. I commute 75 minutes on a commuter rail every day to work. I use my device for movies, shows, reading and games.
Thanks all...
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Click to collapse
I bought my g-tab from TigerDirect yesterday and was totally disappointed during my first 45mins with the machine when it was stock. The custom UI was probably put together by a gang of retarded midgets.
Then I installed Vegan 5.1.1 and my g-tab became the greatest steal of a buy in 2011.
For $280, you can't go wrong. With Calkulins Rom, Pershoots overclock kernal and Go Launcher this thing just fly's. It does everything you need it to do. Will I upgrade in a year or so, probably. By then the bugs should be worked out. This tab with Froyo runs great. Don't get caught up on Honeycomb, they all have their limitations.
If I was you I would hold out and keep my gtab because there are alot of tabs coming to the market you might favor one of those just keep your gtab in good condition because viewsonic has some strick return policy rules
Sent from my Dell Streak 7 using XDA Premium App
I have the urge to get the transformer or xoom as well, but I'm not giving up the gtab just yet. With the gtab, I can install different roms and play with stuff.
With transformer or xoom, I'm entirely at their mercy. There is no evidence that honeycomb on those devices are any more stable or smooth.
I do know gtab does everything I need....just not everything I want...(want gps!!)
Gtab doesn't do GPS?
californicatorz said:
I bought my g-tab from TigerDirect yesterday and was totally disappointed during my first 45mins with the machine when it was stock. The custom UI was probably put together by a gang of retarded midgets.
Then I installed Vegan 5.1.1 and my g-tab became the greatest steal of a buy in 2011.
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Eh? Did I miss the memo on short people being less intelligent?
Chiming in...
Here at work, Verizon dropped off a Xoom for me last week to demo. It's interesting, has a better screen, built in cell radio comes in handy, and a bit sexier - but definitely had it's shortcomings and definitely not worth the $300 premium in price.
Truth be told, it made me proud of my GTab (Vegan 5.1.1, pershoot's 1.4 kernal, and VTL launcher). I see nothing on the market that is worth upgrading to currently.
Love my tablet. Thinking of getting a second one for the Girlfriend. Running Vegan-tab ge rc1 and have it set up better than my computer in most instances. You can't expect this thing to replace all of your computer needs but it can come close. Sure it don't have gps built in but that is what we have phones for and if you need how just buy a Bluetooth one for about 40 or less bucks. It's a wonderful machine for the price you can't beat it.
Sent from my Desire HD using XDA Premium App
IMHO You'd be a fool not to wait for the EEE Asus Transformer. 400 bucks for a legit honeycomb tablet. another 150 for a legit laptop/notebook. Thats the way to go...
They took Honeycomb out of the oven too soon, they need to cook it for another few months before it becomes tasty. You'll see the shortcomings now that the affordable (or reasonably priced) tablets are arriving. It will take developers a few months of usage to make it better... I was going to get the Asus also but decided to wait until summer instead. Until then the G Tab with Froyo is all that is needed.
I have VegaN 5.1.1 and ADW Launcher on mine.
For reading, I like Aldiko because I like the two page, side-by-side presentation. I have also set up Aldiko as an Adobe DRM device, which means I can purchase books from Google/books then download and read them directly on the G-Tablet with no other steps in between.
Movies / Shows I prefer Rock Player. I haven't found any in my collections that don't play well with this setup.
Games; I have X-Plane 9, Leos RC Simulator, Angry Birds, Curling, Sudoku, ... No problems with any of them or many others.
I am so accustomed to the screen by now that I hardly notice the viewing angle difficulties any more. Sitting upright, like on a train, and holding the tablet is one of the best angles, so there is no problem there. The worst is probably laying the tablet flat on a desk in landscape mode. But if I turn mine upside-down, even that works very well.
I do have to keep my phone handy while not at home or in the office. Through the phone ( Samsung Galaxy S ), I can tether to 3G via Wifi and tether to GPS via BlueTooth.
I have no reason to need a more costly tablet right now. The G-Tablet does everything I want it to do.
Not sure what the return policy is but if it's 30 days, I would keep the gtab to at least try it. It's super easy to put it back to stock so that shouldn't be an issue.
I bought my gtablet back in November for $379. I recommended it at that price (at that time) so with the price dropping under $300, I think it's a great buy. IMO, it's the best 10 inch tablet for $300 and below. It's also a good "starter" tablet. It's a good tablet to see if you really want or need a tablet. The gtablet is not frustratingly slow so it's a good representation of an Android tablet's capabilities.
When holding the GTab in lanscape mode, the horizontal viewing angle is not too bad, the vertical viewing angle is terrible especially when watching dark video. For reading e-books, most likely you will be holding it in portrait mode, the viewing angle should not be an issue.
For $300, I don't regret buying the GTab and keeping it because I know there is a large and active community to support it.
I'm actually returning mine for the Acer. Taking a bit of a gamble that there will be good development on it, but for $150 difference, I thought that the better screen, newer software and hardware was a good move. I figured the support (both manufacturer and dev) of a new tablet would outlive the year-old gtab.
-J