Related
In a good way
This is the most game-changing piece of equipment I have had since I built my first PC from mail-order parts in the early 80s. I sincerely believe the G-Tab is the best-kept tech secret going today, especially with the efforts of all the nice folks here at xdadevelopers.
Some background: I am a VP for a tech service company and run some pretty powerful iron for the company so I have high standards for performance. I just don't have time to sit and watch hourglasses and "loading" pages all day.
When I decided I wanted to take the plunge into "tablife," I spent plenty of time reading reviews and forum posts and then found this website. After lurking for a week or so, all I read told me this was the tab for me. So I got one.
The rest is history. After doing all recommended stock updates and deciding "yeah, this really is a potential jewel," I went ahead and got root and then flashed the enhancement pack. I had no external SD card until last night, so I will be doing the REAL flashing this weekend some time. I have to say though, the enhancement pack and addition of (a working) marketplace makes all the difference in the world. I may even run it this way for a while.
But now my days are filled with searching for the elusive "perfect app" to replace the Windows one I use on my regular PCs and laptops. Thank god for this place and all the resources of the web - I think I will be able to do everything I need to with this.
Of course, now I have to have a keyboard/case and docking station and any other possible peripheral I can jam onto it!
I empathize with you totally! Since I got a Gtab, my poor ipad has seen very little use...
Rarley use a pc anymore....
Sent from my VEGAn-TAB-v1.0.0B5.1 using Tapatalk
I use my gtab for daily web browsing but I still feel it is lacking something for my daily use. For example, entering comment to the xda forum is too slow using my gtab, as I still use my laptop for blog, etc. Otherwise, I think that I put my laptop to rest.. forever.
nunjabusiness said:
In a good way
This is the most game-changing piece of equipment I have had since I built my first PC from mail-order parts in the early 80s. I sincerely believe the G-Tab is the best-kept tech secret going today, especially with the efforts of all the nice folks here at xdadevelopers.
Some background: I am a VP for a tech service company and run some pretty powerful iron for the company so I have high standards for performance. I just don't have time to sit and watch hourglasses and "loading" pages all day.
When I decided I wanted to take the plunge into "tablife," I spent plenty of time reading reviews and forum posts and then found this website. After lurking for a week or so, all I read told me this was the tab for me. So I got one.
The rest is history. After doing all recommended stock updates and deciding "yeah, this really is a potential jewel," I went ahead and got root and then flashed the enhancement pack. I had no external SD card until last night, so I will be doing the REAL flashing this weekend some time. I have to say though, the enhancement pack and addition of (a working) marketplace makes all the difference in the world. I may even run it this way for a while.
But now my days are filled with searching for the elusive "perfect app" to replace the Windows one I use on my regular PCs and laptops. Thank god for this place and all the resources of the web - I think I will be able to do everything I need to with this.
Of course, now I have to have a keyboard/case and docking station and any other possible peripheral I can jam onto it!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Since you're in mgmt in a tech Co., and now that you've experienced the Gtab, it'd be interesting to try to leverage tech like this in the 'real world's!
Jim
Yeah it will probably ruin my marriage.
cbmoore9 said:
Yeah it will probably ruin my marriage.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
LOL.....I had to get one for the wife too so it wouldn't ruin mine!!
cbmoore9 said:
Yeah it will probably ruin my marriage.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Do what I did, buy one for wife too. Lol!
cbmoore9 said:
Yeah it will probably ruin my marriage.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oh boy...
ditto
I'm new to Android, new to rooting and new to modding. I've had my GTab for about two weeks now, and during that time I've read just about every page in the GTab development forum on xda, on Android Forums, on Droidpirates and any other GTab site I could Google (I'm 73, retired, and have lots & lots of free time).
Thanks to the dedicated devs and other helpful members of these sites, and following their instructions and advice, I've gone from knowing absolutely nothing about Android to developing the confidence to successfully flash the TnT enhancement pack, TnTLite 4.1, and currently VEGAn 5.1. This within a period of two weeks; all ran fine with no issues at all--except the well-documented ones that are constantly being tackled and solved.
In these posts, I've watched the evolution of this machine from its perception as a near useless piece of crap at its introduction to its present state as the best tablet on the market today, bar none; one that will go head to head with the best to come this year.
It's really exciting to see these talented devs get down into the heart of this tablet and coax it into becoming all that it's capable of being; it's almost like being present at childbirth. The most exciting part is that we all get to participate in this birth. And now, the pace of development is picking up even more, and our devs are branching out into new territory; I can hardly wait to see what magic they'll perform next!
snarful said:
I'm new to Android, new to rooting and new to modding. I've had my GTab for about two weeks now, and during that time I've read just about every page in the GTab development forum on xda, on Android Forums, on Droidpirates and any other GTab site I could Google (I'm 73, retired, and have lots & lots of free time).
Thanks to the dedicated devs and other helpful members of these sites, and following their instructions and advice, I've gone from knowing absolutely nothing about Android to developing the confidence to successfully flash the TnT enhancement pack, TnTLite 4.1, and currently VEGAn 5.1. This within a period of two weeks; all ran fine with no issues at all--except the well-documented ones that are constantly being tackled and solved.
In these posts, I've watched the evolution of this machine from its perception as a near useless piece of crap at its introduction to its present state as the best tablet on the market today, bar none; one that will go head to head with the best to come this year.
It's really exciting to see these talented devs get down into the heart of this tablet and coax it into becoming all that it's capable of being; it's almost like being present at childbirth. The most exciting part is that we all get to participate in this birth. And now, the pace of development is picking up even more, and our devs are branching out into new territory; I can hardly wait to see what magic they'll perform next!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well said!
cbmoore9 said:
Yeah it will probably ruin my marriage.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My son is in first grade and just learning to write... when learnlng the B he had to write some lines with arbitrary words... the whole last line was:
"Tablet tablet tablet tablet tablet"
Does that mean his life's ruined now as well? At age of 6...
At work I manage service tickets, and download drivers.
At home I surf the web, check sports scores, and manage rpg characters
Yep, the Gtablet is the first thing I see in the morning before getting of bed, read the news. Wife is jealous, but she does not know that I have one for her also.
By the way, if anyone is interested, for your hd video, I get silky smooth playbay of video out of the Sanyo HD2000a camcorder by converting it to the mkv [email protected] bitrate, 1920/1080, mp3 audio. All my camera recordings are at 1920x1080 60fps.
Mikeg1969 said:
LOL.....I had to get one for the wife too so it wouldn't ruin mine!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
astevens54 said:
Do what I did, buy one for wife too. Lol!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I feel your pain (in the wallet), see my sig below. At first it was cute hearing "are the birds angry", "can I have the tablet to play Angry Birds", etc. But I realized I was getting less and less time with it. It replaced my iPod Touch and a Netbook, both sitting lonely now.
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!!)
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
I stumbled on this review while looking for info on new ROM's. It paints a decent picture of my ugly but hardy tablet. If I ever sell it, this article would be a good link to help bump up the price . It's a half decent read and at least half-way accurate. Check it out: http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/8017833/viewssonic_g_tablet_the_best_android.html?cat=15
matguard said:
I stumbled on this review while looking for info on new ROM's. It paints a decent picture of my ugly but hardy tablet. If I ever sell it, this article would be a good link to help bump up the price . It's a half decent read and at least half-way accurate. Check it out: http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/8017833/viewssonic_g_tablet_the_best_android.html?cat=15
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ugly? I wouldn't say the thing is ugly.
The article's author is Chris Matier. The OP is 'matguard'. Coincidence? Perhaps. Still, good article.
Hmmmm, who is this really?
Anyways, very good review. It kind of explains why I still kept and use it after going out and buying an Ipad 2, and I am still running it stock.
The Ipad was necessary for the very good business apps I needed and really like and use. But other than being an owner of Ipods I have never been a user of Apple. Right off the bat, the closed society and structure grates me more than I thought it would. I could never go with their desktops or laptops.
By the way, I had used two credit cards on the Itunes store and both had the numbers lifted with attempted big purchases from the thief. Now only use Itunes gift cards but WTF? So much for Apple's security. They just go into denial mode when anyone complains or points out defects.
This review pretty much states my reasons for having the tab and loving it also. I jumped on it during a woot sale. Tried to go unrooted for a bit, but the rooting was easy, the roms are fun. I enjoy my tablet greatly.
This review is spot on. Explains all reasons I like and dislike my tablet. XDA is a necessity for this tablet to shine.
Sent from Desire HD or Inspire 4G or whatever this thing is called via premium XDA app.
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?