Related
i was just wondering if anyone has or is getting a gen8 archos tablet and if so are there any developers working on it?
Crimton said:
i was just wondering if anyone has or is getting a gen8 archos tablet and if so are there any developers working on it?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have the Archos 101 but I am not a developer
petter11 said:
I have the Archos 101 but I am not a developer
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
so how are you liking it? have you already put the market on? any noticable bugs or quirks worth mentioning? thanks
it took me 1 day to absolutely go from "hmm, not sure this is what i wanted" to "holy ****, this is the best tablet yet".
it's a thing of beauty if you are willing to dig in with the gapps kit and getting all the apps that i love on my Desire onto the tablet.
it's fantastic. any specific questions you'd like answered, let me know.
Can you please give more details about it?
What about the screen? Does it look OK with market apps, cause it has bigger screen resolution. Does it look nice or blurry? I 've seen Archow with win7 and it's terrible.
Speed? Updates? Any good resources for roms (other than XDA)?
Sorry for botherning but I 'm interested to get one. Santa Claus promished it to me (LOL).
I'd be interested in what you have to say about it - particularly battery life.
Looking @ getting the Archos 70 for the wife, and the 101 for myself.
Sorry archos I went ahead and got a g tablet. It's not perfect but with a little work its a good tablet and cm6.1 is already in beta for it.
Sent from my ADR6300 using XDA App
i made a video of my 101 hooked up to my TV, have a look:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EYAyQQk2C78&hd=1
the device is great. speed is great, the design is great. for some examples, movies look fantastic, Angry Birds looks incredible. it does have a little lag once in a blue moon, but usually because i'm pushing it too hard.
we're still waiting on 2.2, but other than not having flash websites (who cares?), you wouldn't know it. when we get 2.2, this is gonna scream.
the battery life is the best i've experienced in a device lately. i can go at least 2 days with normal use. apparantly, it's been tested by some dude on Star Wars 2. it played 3 times over before the battery died.
i rarely plug it in.
was wondering how is the screen quality? view angles? both in landscape or protrait? have the folio 100 for a few more days, 760g feels a bit on the heavy side after some hours of use. build quality? color gamut and sharpness on the screen?
how does the 101 do in this matter?
i looked at the Folio just before i bought the 10". i found the screens on both to be identical. what moved me over to the Archos was the fact that the Folio out of the box was force crashing left and right. the salesguy and i both laughed and i walked away.
otherwise, the screen quality is very good. is it quite as good as the iPad? no. but, i have not had any headaches trying to read and watch on it.
anotherdroid said:
i looked at the Folio just before i bought the 10". i found the screens on both to be identical. what moved me over to the Archos was the fact that the Folio out of the box was force crashing left and right. the salesguy and i both laughed and i walked away.
otherwise, the screen quality is very good. is it quite as good as the iPad? no. but, i have not had any headaches trying to read and watch on it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
never expected it to be like the ipad, but if u say that it is identical as the folio, then the quality is not what i would prefer but still good enough for me.
can you try the skyfire browser on it? How is the video streaming?
Quick review of my Archos 70
I've had my Archos 70 for about a week now. One of the lucky ones. I'm really happy with it but there are a few quirks that I hope will be sorted out once 2.2 is released for it. Here's a few of my thoughts on it.
1. I like the screen. I've read people complain about the viewing angle but it's fine for me. I wish the resolution was a higher but that really only comes into play when using the web browser and viewing high resolution images.
2. There is definite issue with the soft buttons that needs to be fixed. I don't run into it all that often but it does make using alternate launchers/book readers a little annoying. Basically the soft buttons are unknown to some apps. It's not actually limiting the screen area like status bar is. usually full screen apps are the issue. The kindle app for instance chops off the bottom line of text which makes reading books hard. The Nook app on the other hand has no issues because you can set your own margins.
3. Swype works really well in portrate mode. The best way to "type" on one of these things. If I need to write a forum post or anything more than a few lines I'll pick up the archos. I can't stand the keyboard on my IPad so to me this is a HUGE benefit. The only downside is in landscape mode the soft buttons overlap the side a bit which makes hitting the period and back buttons a little hard
4. My android phone has a track ball and I wish this had one. About the only feature I miss from the ipad is the hold over a word for zoom in on a text field that allows you to place the cursor where you want it the track ball fixes that on the phone but not so much without it. My finger is not precise enough for cursor placement. The stock keyboard does have arrow keys but Swype does not. (I did figure out that if you hold down the power button an option comes up to modify the soft buttons to include arrow keys but it's really large.)
5. The bottom left corner gets pretty hot but it's not unbearable. That's the only part of the device that I noticed that. Plus when in portrate mode the side with the camera is a little heavier.
6. This thing is great for reading. The nook app works really well for me
7. It feels great in your hand. Just the right size and weight.
8. No compass. I wasn't expecting it though. Ipad does have one (since I've kinda compared the 2 in this already)
9. Google maps works great and wifi triangulation works well.
10. The screen does not get as dirty as fast as the ipad. I'm constantly cleaning the ipad as the fingerprints can really get in the way of viewing. I don't find that to be a problem with this device. The bezel does attract fingerprints but a microfiber cloth cleans that right up.
11. This thing needs froyo and root I've gotten way to used to having root and being able to control what the device does. Maybe over thanksgiving I'll have some time to look into it. Right now you must manage tasks on it and clear up memory or the thing will lag a bit. Some of the autokillers I've not found work for me. I guess if you've never seen 2.2 with a tweaked android internal memory manager they would be ok for you but not for me Luckily the task app it comes with is pretty good.
12. Even though it won't charge thru USB the included charger comes with the most common plug styles and allows you to swap them out. Really nice.
13. Battery life is pretty amazing but I think they toggle off wifi when the screen is off no matter what. I want to keep wifi on so I get email on it. Could be fixed with the firmware upgrade.
14. Video playback is nice and smooth and the audio player is pretty good as well. I did try some mkv files at 720p (not sure of the full specs of the media but could find out) and did get some slow down in the video in high motion areas. You could tell as the audio/video sync would go out then come back. I was also using the mini-hdmi->hdmi cable to put it on my tv when that happened. I've not tested any other videos yet. I don't have a lot of digital video hanging around these days.
15. I'd recommend getting a case. Kindle 2 or nook cases seem to work. A screen protector is also a good idea. I've been really careful with mine and i've still managed to somehow scratch the screen. I can only see it at specific angles in certain light so it doesn't detract from actual use but still you hate to have a scratch on a pretty screen
I'm very happy with the device. Once we get froyo I'll be even more ecstatic. I've not seen the need to grab my ipad once since I got it so that's sayin something.
http://twitter.com/#!/_mrbirdman_/status/5054131584634881 oh snap! and that coming from the guy who first rooted the droid x.
That hurts me. Sh...t.
How can I recall my letter to Santa... Anyone???
Just so you guys know, the A70 and A101 are available on the Archos.com store.
Only the 8GB version of each so far. They've been up for under an hour now, but I'm sure they've taken a ton of orders, so better get it quick if you want it.
Crimton said:
http://twitter.com/#!/_mrbirdman_/status/5054131584634881 oh snap! and that coming from the guy who first rooted the droid x.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's a deal-breaker for me! I was all set to order too. Archos, I hope you're reading this!
Next!
Billy
mmhh..
didnt they say that it will be almost imppossible to root the droid x too??
it will get rooted..just like the ps3 got "jailbroken" lol (i hate when people use the that term) but may be it will take years..lol
I've had one for a week too, definitely wanted a 7 incher since I prefer to have extra portatility. Everything is working great and Froyo update will only make things better.
Altough rooting etc is a nice thing to mess around with the device, I dont feel like it is a necessity for enjoying the device.
At the end Android devices pretty much let you do everything you want out of the box and it's not like I thought that AOSP roms were the best things on earth either (back to sense rom on Desire).
Once Froyo is here with Flash support and Froyo ap2sd, the device will have all I want and I wont change my mind wether a root shows up or not (we know it will eventually).
Leviuqse said:
mmhh..
didnt they say that it will be almost imppossible to root the droid x too??
it will get rooted..just like the ps3 got "jailbroken" lol (i hate when people use the that term) but may be it will take years..lol
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The X was rooted almost immediately (or even before launch?), but they haven't broken the bootloader encryption yet, so basically all that gained them at first was the ability to manipulate the filesystem outside of /data. Custom ROMs/kernels have been a bit of a chore. I haven't watched the progress too closely, but last I remember they've been able to get everything but kernels working, and even that may have progressed.
Hello all,
Apologies if this has already been answered already, but I am VERY tempted by the G-Tablet. LOVE the idea of sticking the customs ROMS on there.
I understand that the ROMS are by no means perfect, and I am fine with that. They are ever evolving and I am fine with changing ROMS now and again and trying out new things.
The only thing that has prevented me from making the purchase is the negative reviews of the screen that I have heard - particularly in portrait mode.
Is it really THAT bad? What is it like in portrait? And landscape?
Does anyone have any video or pictures or links to show what the screen looks like, particularly in portrait mode and in landscape too?
Should the screen be the thing that prevents me from buying it? Is it that much of a deal breaker?
Any video, comments or pictures would be greatly appreciated.
I really want to jump on the G-Tablet band wagon, but if the screen is that bad then I guess I will hold off.
Thanks in advance.
I use mine for, among other things, reading digital magazines and comics. In portrait mode the screen is pretty bad and has a 3D sort of effect at certain angles. In landscape mode it looks best when you're viewing it straight on and as your angle gets higher it looks lighter in color, the lower your angle the darker it gets. But I read everything in landscape mode anyway so this doesn't bother me.
For me even with the screen issue, using VEGAn rom beta 5.1, I love this tablet. It's something that I have been enjoying for over a month now rather than other folks "waiting" for something better and not having a tablet at all.
I also have an iPad (company issued) which I hardly ever even turn on (only when I want to keep my little kids busy with the Netflix app).
Once you experience the freedom and the fantastic custom roms our xda folks cook up I'm sure you'll fall in love with this tablet too. With all of the folks that complain about the screen in these forums, almost all of them have still kept their gTabs. That should tell you something.
Search youtube and there's a video showing the gtablets viewing angles. To me its not a deal breaker. I mostly use the tab in ladscape mode even while I'm ereading. Portrait mode is ok but its not a dealbreaker either. I think the tab is fairly price with what you get.
I loathe the screen.
If you happen to have a netbook, there's an easy way to replicate the GTab experience for reading comics or magazines. Just run an app on your netbook to open up the graphic, then flip it 90 degrees (so that it's in portrait) and look at the viewing angles. Notice, in particular, the significant changes if you tilt it slightly to the right or left. That's exactly what happens on the Gtab. On my Mini10v, you have to flip it 90 degrees counter-clockwise, so that the keyboard is on the right side.
I actually think a netbook is slightly better because the refresh is 60 Hz, whereas the refresh on the Gtab is (we think) 50 Hz.
gogorman said:
Hello all,
Apologies if this has already been answered already, but I am VERY tempted by the G-Tablet. LOVE the idea of sticking the customs ROMS on there.
I understand that the ROMS are by no means perfect, and I am fine with that. They are ever evolving and I am fine with changing ROMS now and again and trying out new things.
The only thing that has prevented me from making the purchase is the negative reviews of the screen that I have heard - particularly in portrait mode.
Is it really THAT bad? What is it like in portrait? And landscape?
Does anyone have any video or pictures or links to show what the screen looks like, particularly in portrait mode and in landscape too?
Should the screen be the thing that prevents me from buying it? Is it that much of a deal breaker?
Any video, comments or pictures would be greatly appreciated.
I really want to jump on the G-Tablet band wagon, but if the screen is that bad then I guess I will hold off.
Thanks in advance.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Most people are simply comparing the G Tablet screen to the typical smartphone screen or iPad.
Personally, I dont THINK the screen is meant to be used in portrait mode for anything more than looking at apps and reading. For THOSE uses, it is fine (imho). You can read ebooks, comics, even websites with it as well as use most apps. It tickles your eyes (some people say it hurts theirs) if you try to use it with low on screen light things like gaming and watching movies...but I find it more similar to my eyes trying to adjust to 3D, it doesn't hurt but you can tell it's not going to work for very long because it feels awkward. I don't wear glasses.
The angles also aren't great compared to a cell/smartphone. I don't have a problem with this because I look at it head on, and when I put it on it's stand, I angle it at around 90-100 degrees, the same as my notebook and it looks fine.
Just keep in mind that the screen is comparable to a netbook/notebook, in which case you wouldn't be flipping that on the side to look at anything, nor would you be looking at it comfortably at extreme angles.
Forget sitting in your chair and glancing at it on a desk, that won't work. Nor picking it up and holding it at anything close to 180 degrees in your hand (like you MAY hold your cell). Think of it as a touchscreen netbook without a keyboard and you'll find it to be perfectly acceptable (I think).
Should the screen prevent you from buying it? That's hard to say. I don't think it's a deal breaker by any means (otherwise I would have returned mine), but that is in my opinion, and this sort of thing is really up to the user/buyer to decide. I wouldn't spend $100 more for a "better" screen, so automatically this may be a defining factor between the types of buyers we are.
The angles are NOT good, however when I'm actually actively using I never notice how bad they are as I'm looking directly at the screen and not from an angle. I've even used as an ereader in portrait mode and have not had problems. i.e. I really only notice it when I have it ont he table or desktop and check to see how flash progress, etc. is going and even then I can usually make out the important bits as it seems to be only colors for me that appear washed out while black and white show up as usual -> mostly text which is what I want to see anyways...
I've had mine since the monday before Thanksgiving. I'm keeping it because a) there's nothing else as good/fast/powerful out ATM, b) Notion Ink seemed kind of hazy and I'd like to see how long that they survive, etc.
Try an Office Depot or something and see if they have an actual demo unit. Staples HAD demo units, but Sears just had a mockup...
(I've also had/have an Augen Gentouch78, Pandigital Novel(white), Nook Color, and gTablet. The NC screen is much better, but again I don't notice the viewing angle unless I'm specifically looking for that as I'm always looking directly at the screen when actively using... caveat: I don't watch videos generally, so maybe this is where it becomes important to some people... better screens are always nice though, and I lust after the PixelQi'ed Notion Ink Adam for outdoor/sunny use... but not @ $500 and their uncertain future...)
[EDIT]
Forgot to mention, but when I used it as an ereader I was holding it in portrait orientation which is how I prefer to orient devices when using them as a reader, assuming that they even support landscape mode to begin with. I'm using my NC purely as a reader ATM since it's batt runtime isn't all that long v. the gTab, and my crappy 128MB uSD wasn't able to boot the unit, and I just don't feel like manually rooting it which is no big deal ATM as I'm mainly using it as a reader. When it gets warmer I'll change my mind I'm sure and it'll be serving more portable tablet duties as well as reading... just have to order some 8GB class 6 uSDHC cards now... already ordered case for NC which I have yet to do for gTab, but I want to buy a bluetooth GPS/logger before anything else ATM, which is looking to cost more than I expected for such a simplistic device(no display, just couple LEDs, GPS chipset(MTK v2 3329), and some memory & storage)...
[/EDIT]
I've had mine for about a month now and I am currently 200 pages into "Teach Yourself Electronics and Electricity"
I read it in both portrait and landscape mode and the angles aren't too bad.
I wouldn't jump out and use it in landscape mode permanently or anything, but I can live with them.
Compared to an iPad, Galaxy Tab and the B&N Nook Color, the screen is very sensitive to the vertical viewing angle (in landscape mode), with solarization effects kicking in once you are off-axis.
This is a netbook screen as mentioned above.
If you are using the tablet in landscape mode and holding it in your hand, then you can adjust easily and automatically to make sure the viewing angle is optimal.
The screen is bright and the colors are vibrant. I enjoy using my tab this way as a couch-based internet/video terminal. The experience can be as good as the iPad (with the benefit of added flash).
However, when held vertically, depending on which way is up, the viewing angle sensitivity can be so great that each eye sees different levels of solarization - giving a subjective effect similar to that from red/green 3D specs...
Also, the solarization effect is not symmetrical when you look at the screen from above/below the viewing axis, with the screen giving acceptable-ish results if looked-at from above, but miserable results from below. Thus the device seems to be optimized for use on a stand/dock sat on a table and viewed from above. (This seems consistent with the original TnT console UI mode).
This all sounds terrible, and the screen definitely IS now the weakest part of the package - but despite that, the overall experience of the Gtablet is VERY enjoyable - just check out the forums.
Accordingly, the screen cannot be THAT bad...
You really need to see one in action and decide for yourself. It is VERY subjective....
Well I bit the bullet and made the purchase.
Managed to find one at a Sears Outlet 2 hours away for $296 total.
Thanks to all for the replies.
The next question is: Which ROM do I put on there? I know that each of them have their own pro's and con's but is there one I should put on there to start with to see how it goes (when initially replacing the Tap'n'Tap UI)? Is one more stable or feature packed than another?
Again, any input would be GREAT!
Thanks!
I use (as do many) TNT lite. It's based on the stock Veiwsonic but It is worlds better than stock. TNT lite development is very active.
I haven't but you can try them all.
gogorman said:
Well I bit the bullet and made the purchase.
Managed to find one at a Sears Outlet 2 hours away for $296 total.
Thanks to all for the replies.
The next question is: Which ROM do I put on there? I know that each of them have their own pro's and con's but is there one I should put on there to start with to see how it goes (when initially replacing the Tap'n'Tap UI)? Is one more stable or feature packed than another?
Again, any input would be GREAT!
Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There are two "good" (i.e. well supported, active user community) ROMs right now - TNT Lite and Vegan ROM. Both have significant user communities here at XDA numbering in the many thousands. Personally, I think Vegan ROM is the fastest, smoothest experience currently on the G Tablet. It has a few bugs (mostly the media issues on the external SD card - if you don't have one or don't use it much for that this is not an issue). TNT Lite is just a stripped down, sped up, much improved version of the stock ROM that came with the device. But still not quite as lightweight or zippy as Vegan in my opinion. CyanogenMod 6.x seems to be less supported right now, because most of the work is going into making CyanogenMod 7 work properly.
In a few weeks time, Vegan should be ported over to running on top of CyanogenMod 7. And in a few weeks time, hopefully, CyanogenMod 7 itself will be stable and awesome. There's a lot of great development activity going on right now, so stay tuned.
Loved android hated the screen!!
Having owned both a gtab and an iPad I have to say that in the end the screen quality killed owning the gtab for me. The viewing angles make it impossible to lay the gtab on a table like I can do with my iPad. I hate the locked down nature of the iPad and wanted to love the gtab but in the end I couldn't justify owning a device that frustrated me that much. I look forward to the next batch of honeycomb tablets and anticipate purchasing one. (lol that the iPad autocorrect capitalizes the word iPad properly)
gogorman said:
Well I bit the bullet and made the purchase.
Managed to find one at a Sears Outlet 2 hours away for $296 total.
Thanks to all for the replies.
The next question is: Which ROM do I put on there? I know that each of them have their own pro's and con's but is there one I should put on there to start with to see how it goes (when initially replacing the Tap'n'Tap UI)? Is one more stable or feature packed than another?
Again, any input would be GREAT!
Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'll refer you to this thread where it's being discussed.
I never went to Vegan out of fear of the install somehow borking the tablet. I really can't bother with all that NVflash nor partitioning nonsense. CWM is as deep as I every want to go and so far between stock, tnt lite and cyanogen that's all I've ever had to do...load cwm, wipe data and cache, wipe dalvik and slap on a new/different ROM.
Speed means nothing to me if there are any frustrating or super noticeable, "get in your way" bugs, and from what I saw of TnT lite 4.1 it had nothing super noticeable and didn't lack any features I want/needed...in fact, nothing 'broke' in TnT lite 4.1 which is why that's what I recommend over all others.
Just remember to always, no matter what....wipe your cache and data. Many users will tell you it's not necessary but believe me when I say, it's better to do that than end up with some magic number or uid error because I've read about very bad experiences from people who just try to upgrade to a different OS. Some of these incessant errors seem to require APX mode or full re-flashes back to original - doesn't sound good, does it?
I may be spared out of being thorough or just dumb luck (knock on wood!!!!), but the fact is I've been spared.
I would recommend in addition to getting input from people in this and the other "what ROM is best" thread, to go read through the various ROM threads themselves. Check youtube to see how the various ROMs look and check screenshots, stuff like that to see what you may light.
Lastly, if you plan to try "on" different ones, I recommend Appbrain to help you get apps back on your tablet in an efficient manner, as long as you have access to the 'proper' market.
Appbrain allows you to sync your apps to a server, from there you can manipulate them - hard to explain but try it and see. And if a ROM causes Appbrain to ID the tab as something different every time, you can simply copy your app list to everything it uses. Appbrain simply checks your tab for what you have/don't have and looks up the apps 1 by 1 in the market, allowing you to install the newest versions possible till you're back in business.
A secondary backup method is to instruct Astro to backup your apps, then you save the folder with those apps to your SD card or your PC so you can sideload them manually when you're done swapping the OS.
Good Luck!
Hey man! This thread inspired me to make a video about! I had a lot of questions that no one seemed to answer in the videos they posted, so I figured I'd add to the community! Hope it helps some people out!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DO1XyVK6cms
Hi all,
Maybe this is useful for some folks. I loved my original Galaxy Tab and have now upgrade to the Plus. For info, I'm using the devices in Asia (Malaysia, Singapore, China, Vietnam) mostly. The version I have is a 3G with calls enabled.
I use the Tab as my primary mobile phone. It is therefore essential that it fits into the back pocket of my jeans or pocket of my suit pants. I have paired it with a VoyagerPro+ Headset and this works perfectly for calls, audio (mono of course) and Skype. I'd say I'm a heavy user with 2-3 hours of calls a day and a fair bit of web surfing, sms and emailing.
What I loved about the Original:
Contrary to many of the reviews, I really enjoyed the fact that this was an oversized phone, not a pint sized tablet. I never felt there was anything wrong with Gingerbread as an OS on a screen of this size, in fact I really liked the experience. Icons were big, keyboards very useable particularly in Portrait and the whole thing had a solid, Tonka like feel to it. It was also really tough, having dropped it countless times, never without a problem. Another handy feature was the sim card slot; very easy to access as I often swap sims.
What I noticed immediately with the Plus:
Clearly this is a small tablet. You tend to hold it in landscape much more often. The resolution of the screen is the same, but all the icons and toggles are much smaller. This makes quick operation (e.g. whilst walking) quite difficult. If placed on a desk, this is not so much of an issue. The learning curve in moving to Honeycomb is quite steep and (personal matter of taste) the transition from home screen to home screen is a bit kitchy. The tablet feels thinner (though it's not...except at the edges)
What I am beginning to like with the Plus:
Though the operation of the device is more "delicate", i.e. more care needs to be taken about where your fingers tap, there are quite a few cool features to be had in Honeycomb. The widgets are superb. Some of the tablet tailored apps are also great, particularly Youtube notwithstanding that rotation of the screen immediately reloads the video (arrrghh!!!). It feels fast, and after a week I'm already noticing that the battery time is noticeably better. In some of the blogs, the Samsung apps which float above open apps have not really impressed the reviewers, but I have found that the dialer and the calculator are particularly useful, say if you're browsing a site and want to dial or check something.
What I miss about the Original Tab:
I hope that over time I'll have the same trust in the sturdiness of the Plus. Going back to the Original Tab, I feel the same sense as when I first bought it, namely that everything on the screen looked huge. It really feels like you were playing with Lego and now you're playing with Duplo . One of my favorite apps (smart keyboard pro) doesn't play nicely with Honeycomb and so I have lost my multilingual inputs until I find a replacement.
Wrap-up:
It's a week in with the Tab Plus. I had the original for a year. Already, I know I would not want to go back to the original mostly because I enjoy the Honeycomb features, the speed and the longer battery life. I'm still not as fast at typing on the Plus, but hopefully this will improve over time.
For anyone looking to upgrade from the original, be aware that it is may not be the quantum leap you experienced when you first got the Galaxy Tab, but provided you can get used to the smaller icons & toggles it's a good upgrade.
Happy to take questions if anyone's interested.
Cheers,
Marc
marcolamy said:
The learning curve in moving to Honeycomb is quite steep and (personal matter of taste) the transition from home screen to home screen is a bit kitchy.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You might consider a third party "launcher" app (such as ADW, Go Launcher, etc) that can make your home screen and launcher feel more like gingerbread. Otherwise, happy you are enjoying your tab
take care
gary
I agree that it definitely got the pint sized tablet treatment, which is somewhat of a shame given the choice between cramped tablet or luxuriously roomy phone. It has a nice solid feel though, and I was relieved to see with the latest firmware update the Market app no longer forces a nearly useless landscape mode.
I've made icons even smaller than stock with ADWlauncher EX and locked the tablet to landscape mode. I found the stock setup way too huge and "blown up phone"-like than what I want.
My WiFi only 7+ maybe feels a bit more unstable than the 7? Netflix freezes every once in awhile, which absolutely never happened on the 7. Then again the 7 couldn't even stream half the video that's out there, so I'm not complaining.
I actually like the look and feel of the smaller icons. Yes, a bit harder to navigate but esthetically it just feels better to me.
The only thing I really miss from the original Tab is my high res embedded album art. All of the music players I've used are stretching the thumbnails rather than finding the embedded file. I'm assuming this is a Froyo vs. Honeycomb thing?
Speaking as an old school, analog geeky tech guy who was dragged kicking and screaming into the digital age, I can honestly now say I don't know how I lived my life without a Tab 7+ in my back pocket.
rtfm, how do you find yourself spending your time on the 7+? What do you use it for? When do you use it instead of a phone?
speedrabbit said:
rtfm, how do you find yourself spending your time on the 7+? What do you use it for? When do you use it instead of a phone?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
We're still WiFi only out here in the boondocks of northern New England. No 4G and barely any 3G in the area. So the Tab for me is mostly a media consumer. I've tried to use it at work as a notepad, document viewer but it's a bit cumbersome to get everything in order for that big meeting you're going to have. But for looking at, listening to or reading stuff like I say how did I live without it?
Being an old shortwave/ham radio geek, the ability to lay in bed and stream radio stations from anywhere in the world is still a revelation to me.
I've purchased my first 2 Kindle ebooks from Amazon and read them on the Tab. I still have mixed feelings about "owning" e vs. "real" books on the living room shelves but I looked forward every night to reading a book on the Tab.
The 7+ does video where the 7 couldn't. Netflix just works (mostly).
I threw away my old big-red-LED AM/FM alarm clock and i use the alarm in the tunein Radio app to wake up every morning.
If you download the maps that you need before you go on a trip Google Maps is your GPS all set for your vehicle.
Music. I'm still waiting for the proper player to get the album art right, but it's got all my music on it.
Online news. Every morning with a cup of coffee. Read the headlines and a few stories. From just about anywhere in the world. Still for free. Simply amazing.
All of this from a little box that fits in your back pocket.
Hi, same here. I've been using Original Galaxy Tab for quite some time, and I've bought myself a 7+ last two weeks. For me, it is indeed an upgrade version of the original one, but it's not too far away. It has better speed, but it is not as fast as SII. I used SII last month and I thought they would be more or less the same in term of performance as they share the same processor. Is it related to Honeycomb? Anyway, I love the Honeycomb instead of Gingerbread on the original Galaxy Tab. Honeycomb's widget and notification bar are quite useful and eye-candy.
What I miss on the 7+ is the feeling of toughness and durability. The original Galaxy Tab feels solid and tough. Gorilla glass, and the black colour border makes the difference. On 7+, the silver border looks fragile, I accidentally scratch it last week and the paint drop is obvious at that spot. =(
One more thing, when I put it in my pocket, (yes it's my primary phone), I always mispress the power button and volume rocker. Maybe its because this time, the edge is thinner and sharper.
This will b my first tablet. So my question is the design of the plus exactly like the original because im trying to find cases and things and there's not much out there for the tab plus just wondering mine will b here Monday or sooner so just wondering
Typed by my midget minion
rtfm1777 said:
My WiFi only 7+ maybe feels a bit more unstable than the 7? Netflix freezes every once in awhile, which absolutely never happened on the 7. Then again the 7 couldn't even stream half the video that's out there, so I'm not complaining.
I actually like the look and feel of the smaller icons. Yes, a bit harder to navigate but esthetically it just feels better to me.
The only thing I really miss from the original Tab is my high res embedded album art. All of the music players I've used are stretching the thumbnails rather than finding the embedded file. I'm assuming this is a Froyo vs. Honeycomb thing?
Speaking as an old school, analog geeky tech guy who was dragged kicking and screaming into the digital age, I can honestly now say I don't know how I lived my life without a Tab 7+ in my back pocket.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I had both the Wifi and 3G versions of the 7+. The Wifi version was defintiely more unstable. I already sold it. It kept having sleep of deaths.
the 3G version for some reason is rock solid.
Another thing is that I can watch Flash video on the 3G version. For some reason, the Wifi version is more finnicky playing online streaming video. I don't understand it. I tried the same sites, but got different results.
However... the 3G version for some reasons takes a hell of a long time to charge. I was charging it at 4 in the afternoon and it's now 8:20pm and in four hours or so I only got up to about 60% charge. What the hell?!
Mochan said:
I had both the Wifi and 3G versions of the 7+. The Wifi version was defintiely more unstable. I already sold it. It kept having sleep of deaths.
the 3G version for some reason is rock solid.
Another thing is that I can watch Flash video on the 3G version. For some reason, the Wifi version is more finnicky playing online streaming video. I don't understand it. I tried the same sites, but got different results.
However... the 3G version for some reasons takes a hell of a long time to charge. I was charging it at 4 in the afternoon and it's now 8:20pm and in four hours or so I only got up to about 60% charge. What the hell?!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My Tab + charges in 3 hours and it was always full battery.
First tablet ever for me, bought it for the bat life and size. Needed something bigger than the 4.8 inch Viliv N5 or old Sony UX 280p. Seems my vision is getting worse with age lol, anyhows i have found the device to be very gratifying. Been an old pda user for years, so it feels like a larger smoother pda for me. Check news, facebook, watch vids and such on it. Only complaint is not neccisarily its fault (gameloft games dont run on it). Or at least the ones i playon my G2.
Sent from my GT-P6210 using xda premium
rtfm1777 said:
My WiFi only 7+ maybe feels a bit more unstable than the 7? Netflix freezes every once in awhile, which absolutely never happened on the 7. Then again the 7 couldn't even stream half the video that's out there, so I'm not complaining.
I actually like the look and feel of the smaller icons. Yes, a bit harder to navigate but esthetically it just feels better to me.
The only thing I really miss from the original Tab is my high res embedded album art. All of the music players I've used are stretching the thumbnails rather than finding the embedded file. I'm assuming this is a Froyo vs. Honeycomb thing?
Speaking as an old school, analog geeky tech guy who was dragged kicking and screaming into the digital age, I can honestly now say I don't know how I lived my life without a Tab 7+ in my back pocket.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Let me update this 2 months later. One firmware update and a couple of Netflix upgrades have come and gone. The video playback is rock solid and whatever slight stability issues I noticed in the beginning are not bothering now. I'm still annoyed by the album art thumbnail issue. But as far as I'm concerned the 7+ is top of the line.
And if I've got what I need right now, why do I need ICS?
My Galaxy Tab "died" over the weekend and since I need a Tab I replaced it on Monday with the Plus.
Overall I'm liking the Plus but some thing are bugging me. The fonts and widgets seem smaller, though the screen's are the same resolution. Can't seem to make home screens I'm happy with
On the plus side the P6200 is so much faster! Also the screen seems much more vibrant.
Now if I could only get my screens sifted I'd be a happy camper.
Sent from my GT-P6200 using XDA App
GPRS/EDGE Class details
This is my first post in this forum. I am planning to finalise on Galaxy Tab plus 7.0 (GT-P6200). The Samsung India website doesn't provide exact information about the Product.
Which data class the GT-P6200 belongs> Is it Class 10 or Class 12 or Class 33?
The Exynos chipset used in GT-P6200 is same as GT-P6800?
Is the CPU Overclocked in GT-P6800?
The Tablet GT-P6200 sold in India comes with IR peer and from which country dose the company imports the Tablet (China, Korea or Vietnam)?
Hello all,
I currently have a Motorola Xoom and was thinking of selling it off and upgrading to a transformer infinity.
Looking around this seems to currently be the best android tablet and I love the idea of the dock keyboard. I have a keyboard for my Xoom but it means I have to prop the xoom up on something to be able to use it lol!
The infinity looks like a very impressive piece of kit, but I am just wondering what people's views are?
I am quite attached to my old Xoom, even though it's not the prettiest or lightest tablet around it's been worth its weight in gold and has worked with everything I have thrown at it and he battery life has also been very good. I've got my old Xoom rooted and running Jelly bean so I was wondering if the infinity was also a good solid device?
The only thing that I find annoying with my xoom is it's weight... its like carrying a brick sometimes and it's a little to heavy to hold with one hand
Sent from my Xoom using Tapatalk 2
if you just read around the forum here, you will find all the information you need to make your decision.
as for what i think, i really like it. the new JB update has make it run a lot smoother and the dock works wonderfully. only thing i would see that would hold you back would be the build. not quality per say (although it does seem to be an issue for some) but the fact that the xoom is built like a brick. after going from such a sturdy tablet, any and all other tablets feel pretty flimsy so that will be something you need to judge for yourself.
burt_ie said:
Hello all,
I currently have a Motorola Xoom and was thinking of selling it off and upgrading to a transformer infinity.
Looking around this seems to currently be the best android tablet and I love the idea of the dock keyboard. I have a keyboard for my Xoom but it means I have to prop the xoom up on something to be able to use it lol!
The infinity looks like a very impressive piece of kit, but I am just wondering what people's views are?
I am quite attached to my old Xoom, even though it's not the prettiest or lightest tablet around it's been worth its weight in gold and has worked with everything I have thrown at it and he battery life has also been very good. I've got my old Xoom rooted and running Jelly bean so I was wondering if the infinity was also a good solid device?
The only thing that I find annoying with my xoom is it's weight... its like carrying a brick sometimes and it's a little to heavy to hold with one hand
Sent from my Xoom using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I had xoom at one point, and felt heavy as well. Despite the difference is only ~200g, it is significant enough to notice. In any event, Infinity is indeed for me the best tablet available at the moment. Just make sure to get it from a place where you can potentially exchange as unfortunately quality control issue exist with ASUS.
For the reasons you listed - possibly yes. However take into account that while it might be the " best android tablet", it suffers from i/o issues and the last time I had so much stuttering and response lag was when I had a Motorola defy running 2.1... and this is supposed to be the top end tablet with JB.
I just bought one (literally, today), and I'm already regretting it. I simply can't live with the stuttering and choppyness of the browsers this thing provides. It's terrible. Probably returning mine to the store.
RpR said:
I just bought one (literally, today), and I'm already regretting it. I simply can't live with the stuttering and choppyness of the browsers this thing provides. It's terrible. Probably returning mine to the store.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Now that has put me off! Quite shocked to hear that, is that a common problem?
I was looking forward to getting a lighter tablet, the bulkiness and thickness of the Xoom is starting to get to me... It feels like an armoured tank! lol
I wonder if there is still stuttering and choppyness with custom ROMS? I guess I'll have to have a ready through these boards to find out some more before I decide.
Thanks for your input everyone
Sent from my Xoom using Tapatalk 2
burt_ie said:
Now that has put me off! Quite shocked to hear that, is that a common problem?
I was looking forward to getting a lighter tablet, the bulkiness and thickness of the Xoom is starting to get to me... It feels like an armoured tank! lol
I wonder if there is still stuttering and choppyness with custom ROMS? I guess I'll have to have a ready through these boards to find out some more before I decide.
Thanks for your input everyone
Sent from my Xoom using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Is it possible to get one locally close to home?
Maybe you can buy it try it.
My Infinity has been pretty much a good experience.
I'm not a nit-picker though.
Some folks have gotten some real nasty disappointing units.
There's plenty of good along with bad if you search these forum pages.
Check the Newegg and Amazon reviews for a little more input.
edit:
Here's one of the threads about the Infinity.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1811538&highlight=asus+qc+problems
burt_ie said:
Now that has put me off! Quite shocked to hear that, is that a common problem?
I was looking forward to getting a lighter tablet, the bulkiness and thickness of the Xoom is starting to get to me... It feels like an armoured tank! lol
I wonder if there is still stuttering and choppyness with custom ROMS? I guess I'll have to have a ready through these boards to find out some more before I decide.
Thanks for your input everyone
Sent from my Xoom using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Who knows what that guy has going but most people are quite satisfied with browser experience. Especially now that Project butter is running for the Infinity. Just go to test drive it for yourself. Then you will know the answer to what your looking for.
Sent from my ASUS Transformer Pad TF700T using xda app-developers app
I see this posted a lot and it's true with most browsers. That said I run opera and get smooth performance with it. I used it on my xoom when everyone complained about stuttering with the same result. when I used my xoom exclusively we had pretty much the same complaints. Unfortunately the opera team has yet to scale the url bar up to the infinity resolution yet so the text is tiny.
Sent from my ADR6425LVW using xda premium
I was starting to miss my Xoom (i gave it to my father) about 3 weeks after i got the infinity. All the bugs and lag were getting on my nerves. But with the two recent updates, things have gotten better.
burt_ie said:
Now that has put me off! Quite shocked to hear that, is that a common problem?
I was looking forward to getting a lighter tablet, the bulkiness and thickness of the Xoom is starting to get to me... It feels like an armoured tank! lol
I wonder if there is still stuttering and choppyness with custom ROMS? I guess I'll have to have a ready through these boards to find out some more before I decide.
Thanks for your input everyone
Sent from my Xoom using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's not all bad. It's got a cool design, it's light, sturdy.. got some powerful specs running under the hood, seems to be able to handle heating well, great camera, the best screen ever etc.. BUT - as great as those features are, I just can't get over how non responsive everything is. Any website I try to open on the default browser takes 3-4 secs to respond, some sites cause the browser to ANR, or it would appear to be displaying a site smoothly and then it freezes for a couple of seconds while you're trying to scroll; or switching between apps with the task manager, sometimes it's smooth as butter like on my S3, sometimes you can see how much it struggles; even going over the different settings menus makes it stutter. Not to mention the delay you get trying to flip the tablet from vertical to landscape..... it really bothers me.
I'm going to see if I can get a replacement and try out a different unit, maybe mine came from a bad batch at the factory, who knows. Maybe it actually runs smooth and consistently so for other people and what I'm experiencing is a faulty model. But if these issues are common then I would advise to stay away from the tf700 until Asus has it fixed (or sadly abandons it and retries with a new tablet).
furou said:
It's not all bad. It's got a cool design, it's light, sturdy.. got some powerful specs running under the hood, seems to be able to handle heating well, great camera, the best screen ever etc.. BUT - as great as those features are, I just can't get over how non responsive everything is. Any website I try to open on the default browser takes 3-4 secs to respond, some sites cause the browser to ANR, or it would appear to be displaying a site smoothly and then it freezes for a couple of seconds while you're trying to scroll; or switching between apps with the task manager, sometimes it's smooth as butter like on my S3, sometimes you can see how much it struggles; even going over the different settings menus makes it stutter. Not to mention the delay you get trying to flip the tablet from vertical to landscape..... it really bothers me.
I'm going to see if I can get a replacement and try out a different unit, maybe mine came from a bad batch at the factory, who knows. Maybe it actually runs smooth and consistently so for other people and what I'm experiencing is a faulty model. But if these issues are common then I would advise to stay away from the tf700 until Asus has it fixed (or sadly abandons it and retries with a new tablet).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
To be honest with you, I don't think exchanging for another unit will give you a better experience. What you have described is pretty much the standard performance of the TF700. The fact is that Tegra 3 is not capable of driving a full HD screen (we are still stuck with single-channel memory in 2012!!!) and thus the stuttering. The poor I/O also makes things worse. Even the JB update cannot really make the browser free from ANR, and simple tasks such as downloading files in the background will make your tf700 unresponsive. If you want full HD screens, stay far away from Tegra 3. Snapdragon S4 Pro is the way to go.
Sounds like a mixed bag then, I think I shall have to try one out first for sure...just have to find somewhere selling one locally, or maybe order one on line and try it out for a few days, if it doesn't work out I could always send it back.
I just love the design with the attachable keyboard, and I am really looking for something a lot lighter than my Xoom. I did originally look at the Transformer Prime, and then I heard about the infinity.
I am sure the Infinity is great device, the Xoom also has a bad reputation but I have had no problems with it whatsoever.
I think a shopping trip is due today to see if I can find an Infinity in stores =)
Sent from my Xoom using Tapatalk 2
The stock browser is bugged. That's common knowledge. Other browsers work just fine without hanging. One program having an issue is not the fault of the tablet if the rest works fine.
As for the ANr. Usually you (used to) get them when an app takes a while to load. Most of those times, it works again when you get the popup. Since JB I have only had one App Not Responding error, and that was a Live Wallpaper which Playstore listed as incompatible. That was my own fault, not the Tf's.
I've not had a single speed or performance issue. Nothing lags, everything runs fast. There are some very unlucky people here, and some very lucky ones.
The only negative I've found is that developers (not the guys here) are so obsessed with the SGS3 that there's hardly anything to be found for the Tegra 3 and the massive resolution of the TF700.
ShadowLea said:
The stock browser is bugged. That's common knowledge. Other browsers work just fine without hanging. One program having an issue is not the fault of the tablet if the rest works fine.
As for the ANr. Usually you (used to) get them when an app takes a while to load. Most of those times, it works again when you get the popup. Since JB I have only had one App Not Responding error, and that was a Live Wallpaper which Playstore listed as incompatible. That was my own fault, not the Tf's.
I've not had a single speed or performance issue. Nothing lags, everything runs fast. There are some very unlucky people here, and some very lucky ones.
The only negative I've found is that developers (not the guys here) are so obsessed with the SGS3 that there's hardly anything to be found for the Tegra 3 and the massive resolution of the TF700.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I must disagree with your point about ANR. It is true that the apps will usually work again after those pop-ups, but those ANR messages should not be there in the first place. They are annoying and make me less confident about my tablet's reliability. To be 100% honest, the Infinity is the most crash-prone Android devices I have ever used. You might not believe me, but my Sensation on ICS is a lot more stable than the Infinity, and less lags at well.
For the lack of development, I guess it is expected, given the high price tag of the Infinity and the fact that it is not a popular model.
ShadowLea said:
The stock browser is bugged. That's common knowledge. Other browsers work just fine without hanging. One program having an issue is not the fault of the tablet if the rest works fine.
As for the ANr. Usually you (used to) get them when an app takes a while to load. Most of those times, it works again when you get the popup. Since JB I have only had one App Not Responding error, and that was a Live Wallpaper which Playstore listed as incompatible. That was my own fault, not the Tf's.
I've not had a single speed or performance issue. Nothing lags, everything runs fast. There are some very unlucky people here, and some very lucky ones.
The only negative I've found is that developers (not the guys here) are so obsessed with the SGS3 that there's hardly anything to be found for the Tegra 3 and the massive resolution of the TF700.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Actually, the stock browser is the least buggy for me. Can't use chrome or dolphine because they stutter so much on the tf700.
I'm happy to hear you're experiencing a fast and smooth tablet as it suggests that getting a replacement will solve it.
Either we have different definitions to "lag-free" or Asus's quality control on the tablet is so meh that its smoothness and stability vary wildly from unit to unit.
Well I decided not to go for the infinity in the end, it sure looks good but my with my budget restraints I think it's a little out of my league at the moment
I've opted for the Prime as it was a considerable lot less... at least it's lighter than my Xoom.
Thanks for all your help guys
Sent from my Xoom using Tapatalk 2
You can get the infinity for 347.49 from best buy price match
Sent from my ASUS Transformer Pad TF700T
I am in the UK, don't think we have them here
Sent from my Xoom using Tapatalk 2
I absolutely love my Infinity. ASUS does have quality control issues. Make sure you buy from a vendor that will allow returns if the device is defective. Mine came with a SMALL amount of light bleed, two minor scratches on the back plate, and the screen pops out of the bezel a TINY bit over the camera. These issues are annoying and it took me some time to accept them, but they don't hinder my device's performance. I would definitely recommend purchasing the Infinity, but make sure you get a good one.
Sent from my ASUS Transformer Pad TF700T
Ok, so i'm tempted to buy one of these as I have a bunch of vouchers which means i can buy it for £25 instead of £129.
I'm a little concerned about the lack of love of the original Hudl device in terms of custom roms and general hacking , and i kinda understand it since its a UK device. so i'm unsure to go for it because of this. Its an Intel Atom cpu so i would love it if it was able to be installed with windows 8.1/10 eventually.
Anyone else seen the device and have any thoughts on it?
http://www.tesco.com/direct/hudl2-8-wi-fi-tablet/454-7907.prd?pageLevel=&skuId=397-7926
http://www.pcpro.co.uk/reviews/tablets/391081/hands-on-tesco-hudl2-review
Looks like I've found the right place for my review
I tried posting this in a comment box on Engadget. Suffice to say, it did not fit! I thought there might be a modding forum for the hudl1 over here on xda but to my surprise there is not :-O slightly concerning. I don't understand why it being a British device would be an issue, we make great stuff!
Anyway here goes..
Had a good shot on the hudl2 today. Going in teaco today was like the opening scenes of the Lego movie. Hudl propaganda everywhere. Point of sale cardboards you expect. But I have to admit impressed with the kiosk they've set up. The branding is simple, and hey had all colours of hudl on display, it definitely lures you in. On top of tat, giving the big brother Lego-movir feel, all of the television displays are showing a hudl2 promo vids on loop. 'Were really pleased to announce...' Etc..
The demo units run in obviously a demo mode. Pristine, I think I might have been their first prodder. All the tabs were heleved in landscape view and the first Hong you notice therefore is how wide they look. If you've seen the nexus7, these seem like pretty much the same ratio. The demo mode has a display encouraging you to 'try it', which if you tap, takes you to the android home screen. Naturally it is maiden with blinkbox icons. The home screen to the left features tescos feed. Things like shopping offers, how to get started on blibkbox etc. You can hide then (they appear as cards), but they come back soon enough. The home screen one to the right of the main, is more blink box a centric with more direct links to movies and music etc.
You can choose to ditch blinkbox icons if you wish but long and short, you're not getting rid of these left and right home screens anytime soon. I had a good look through the options and settings, and nowhere did I see the option to remove ho.eacreens.
Neither was I able to enable developer option s, something to note.
Going into settings, apps, I attempted to close/stop any references to Tesco processes running to see if it was possible to 'de-teaco' the homeacreens. And sure, I was able to stop them. But returning to the home screen starts them again and back they appear, as if they never went away.
The homeacreen to.the left incurs the highest lag in all my experience using the tablet. As you scroll left, the background blurs, which is a nice aesthetic touch but I would hedge my bets that is what's causing the lag. As another person has reported, touching the app drawer brings up the app icons very promptly, with only a slight *very very slight* * delay. To the otaku, this will annoy them possibly, but to.most casual users who don't race around phones/tabs as they likely so on desktop PC's, this won't be a problem at all.
Similarly, launching apps was prompt, about th same as the initial 'pressing on app drawer' button.
It feels very much like a smartphone, with a. Bigger screen, which is what most ppl expect.
The screen. The screen is absolutely stand-out feature on this tab. The colours, to my taster are desaturated enough to look natural, I would estimate skin tones in videos would look very nice on this. Photos look absolutely lovely, and using the tab to tweak them with Google Photos was easy, fun and satisfying.
Play store..
Internet wasslow connection in this particular tescos but at least they're connected! A welcome change to a lot of stores/demos. Indeed, these tabs were 'box-fresh' I downloaded Flipboard, which flipped through lagfree, although I can't say 100% for sure about hr speed because the connection was so slow that images weren't displaying yet.
I downloaded flickr, a nice appfor viewing photos on nice screens and it looked wonderful with next to no.lag (aside the net connection ).
Feel in the hand. These things are naturally powered up and connected via mai s as well as a central stem from beneath the desk holding them up. So I wasn't able to feel how theysit in the hand vertically. But I was able to.hold it horizontally and that was indeed very comfy, the rubbery soft touch back is very nice and trippy too.
No accessories were available yet.
I can't comment on the sound, but the screen is just lovely. Again, to echo others, the viewing angles are not fantastic, but its respectably bright and crisp. No such 'cyan oven mode style' colour options in the settings though, if the look isn't to your preference.
This is my first time using an 8inch tablet, its a nice experience. However this like email in landscape could definitely so with a bit of a makeover (everything appears very large), like email for kids . (Gmail I'm talking about).
Goodgle Newsstand, this had had a recent update which makes it quite graphically intense, using the cards style material UI of upcoming Google Android L. Scrolling through the items incurred a bit of lag, I would put in on par with my galaxy S3 (running CyanogenMod 11l. As a news reading experience, this app has a lot of potential, but Aimo It would only be optimal under android L.
Browsing through the play store for music, movies and books requires a fair amount of close-up viewing it on a galaxy s3, not so here. The items on display are pleasant and text metainfo, like price, genre, year etc. Are nicely legible.
Browsing speed..
Now this is the only area where I was not particularly amazed with the hudl 2. I fired up theverge as its quite intense. The chrome.browser held most of the images in place, however a quick scroll from very top to very bottom of the site had images blinking out of view,, then re-appearing. Not a ram issue I don't think. I think (only suspect) this might be a limit of the atom CPU.
I did nothing more strenuous to he tablet, and apart from that, I would say it is very very serviceable. Especially for £129.
Were it not for this potential.nexus9 around the corner with rumoured android L, I would buy this immediately.
would it be possible to put the GEL launcher on this? and thanks for the in depth review^^^^^^^
nice hands-on. sort out the strange spelllings and wording and you could put that on a proper website.
i'll be getting mine tonight (cost me £25 on top of my clubcard vouchers which have been sitting doing nothing for years) so will give some feedback for what its worth. i'm totally wanting to run windows on it though. I can't get my head around why anyone would chose a (presumably more expensive) Intel x64 chipset over an ARM given that Android is optimised for ARM.
SkEvol said:
I tried posting this in a comment box on Engadget. Suffice to say, it did not fit! I thought there might be a modding forum for the hudl1 over here on xda but to my surprise there is not :-O slightly concerning. I don't understand why it being a British device would be an issue, we make great stuff!
Anyway here goes..
Had a good shot on the hudl2 today. Going in teaco today was like the opening scenes of the Lego movie. Hudl propaganda everywhere. Point of sale cardboards you expect. But I have to admit impressed with the kiosk they've set up. The branding is simple, and hey had all colours of hudl on display, it definitely lures you in. On top of tat, giving the big brother Lego-movir feel, all of the television displays are showing a hudl2 promo vids on loop. 'Were really pleased to announce...' Etc..
The demo units run in obviously a demo mode. Pristine, I think I might have been their first prodder. All the tabs were heleved in landscape view and the first Hong you notice therefore is how wide they look. If you've seen the nexus7, these seem like pretty much the same ratio. The demo mode has a display encouraging you to 'try it', which if you tap, takes you to the android home screen. Naturally it is maiden with blinkbox icons. The home screen to the left features tescos feed. Things like shopping offers, how to get started on blibkbox etc. You can hide then (they appear as cards), but they come back soon enough. The home screen one to the right of the main, is more blink box a centric with more direct links to movies and music etc.
You can choose to ditch blinkbox icons if you wish but long and short, you're not getting rid of these left and right home screens anytime soon. I had a good look through the options and settings, and nowhere did I see the option to remove ho.eacreens.
Neither was I able to enable developer option s, something to note.
Going into settings, apps, I attempted to close/stop any references to Tesco processes running to see if it was possible to 'de-teaco' the homeacreens. And sure, I was able to stop them. But returning to the home screen starts them again and back they appear, as if they never went away.
The homeacreen to.the left incurs the highest lag in all my experience using the tablet. As you scroll left, the background blurs, which is a nice aesthetic touch but I would hedge my bets that is what's causing the lag. As another person has reported, touching the app drawer brings up the app icons very promptly, with only a slight *very very slight* * delay. To the otaku, this will annoy them possibly, but to.most casual users who don't race around phones/tabs as they likely so on desktop PC's, this won't be a problem at all.
Similarly, launching apps was prompt, about th same as the initial 'pressing on app drawer' button.
It feels very much like a smartphone, with a. Bigger screen, which is what most ppl expect.
The screen. The screen is absolutely stand-out feature on this tab. The colours, to my taster are desaturated enough to look natural, I would estimate skin tones in videos would look very nice on this. Photos look absolutely lovely, and using the tab to tweak them with Google Photos was easy, fun and satisfying.
Play store..
Internet wasslow connection in this particular tescos but at least they're connected! A welcome change to a lot of stores/demos. Indeed, these tabs were 'box-fresh' I downloaded Flipboard, which flipped through lagfree, although I can't say 100% for sure about hr speed because the connection was so slow that images weren't displaying yet.
I downloaded flickr, a nice appfor viewing photos on nice screens and it looked wonderful with next to no.lag (aside the net connection ).
Feel in the hand. These things are naturally powered up and connected via mai s as well as a central stem from beneath the desk holding them up. So I wasn't able to feel how theysit in the hand vertically. But I was able to.hold it horizontally and that was indeed very comfy, the rubbery soft touch back is very nice and trippy too.
No accessories were available yet.
I can't comment on the sound, but the screen is just lovely. Again, to echo others, the viewing angles are not fantastic, but its respectably bright and crisp. No such 'cyan oven mode style' colour options in the settings though, if the look isn't to your preference.
This is my first time using an 8inch tablet, its a nice experience. However this like email in landscape could definitely so with a bit of a makeover (everything appears very large), like email for kids . (Gmail I'm talking about).
Goodgle Newsstand, this had had a recent update which makes it quite graphically intense, using the cards style material UI of upcoming Google Android L. Scrolling through the items incurred a bit of lag, I would put in on par with my galaxy S3 (running CyanogenMod 11l. As a news reading experience, this app has a lot of potential, but Aimo It would only be optimal under android L.
Browsing through the play store for music, movies and books requires a fair amount of close-up viewing it on a galaxy s3, not so here. The items on display are pleasant and text metainfo, like price, genre, year etc. Are nicely legible.
Browsing speed..
Now this is the only area where I was not particularly amazed with the hudl 2. I fired up theverge as its quite intense. The chrome.browser held most of the images in place, however a quick scroll from very top to very bottom of the site had images blinking out of view,, then re-appearing. Not a ram issue I don't think. I think (only suspect) this might be a limit of the atom CPU.
I did nothing more strenuous to he tablet, and apart from that, I would say it is very very serviceable. Especially for £129.
Were it not for this potential.nexus9 around the corner with rumoured android L, I would buy this immediately.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Good review - and the web pages thing does seem to be an issue. I thought I would add a couple of points based on 24 hours of ownership of this device....
The first thing I noticed was how laggy the Tesco launcher was - not helped by the boat load of Tesco crapola on left screen. The first thing I did was put Nova on there and it was like night and day - zero lag. I disabled most of the Tesco apps and hid them in the launcher as well which basically left me with, essentially, a stock Android tablet. It also left no visible sign of Tesco on the tablet because Nova can get rid of the search bar (Tesco had moved their Tesco button up here instead of having it on the Navigation bar on Hudl1) The only gripe about performance would be that there is some lag with some live wallpapers.
I stuck Asphalt 8 and Modern Combat 5 on there and there no problems. Both games play really, really well. I also tested the touch responsiveness - an issue on Hudl 1 - by playing CounterSpy and Alone and it seems to be a lot better on Hudl 2. I have not really had a chance to test the speakers yet as I have mainly used it with headphones. I've also not had any issues with app incompatibility caused by the Intel processor yet. Internet speed seems great so far- even large games downloaded quickly both on home and work WiFi.
My biggest gripe is the 9gb of free space - 11 out of 16gb free should be the minimum. First thing I will do when I root it will be to get rid of some of bloat with Titanium.
Overall though - very impressed. As already mentioned, the screen is just fantastic. Huge improvement on the first one and a really, really decent device. For the money its a no-brainer.
Thanks for continuing the discussion! What you've said all sounds very positive!
Have you managed to root it? I note that there sadly didn't seem to be much support for custom rom'ing the hudl1. But those changes you made with the launcher sound like they took care of any lag, this is great!
One thing you did mention.. I thought i would ask you, for clarity.. When you said..
gripweed said:
Good review - and the web pages thing does seem to be an issue.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
--were you referring to your own experience with loading pages? Or were you just echoing the concern i had expressed in my review?
Also, to hear that games work well is also really great!
Took the plunge today used my staff discount didn't use any club card put the google launcher disabled everything other than child and my Tesco which I couldn't do. Tablet is really fast display and size and great feels better the nexus 7
SkEvol said:
Thanks for continuing the discussion! What you've said all sounds very positive!
Have you managed to root it? I note that there sadly didn't seem to be much support for custom rom'ing the hudl1. But those changes you made with the launcher sound like they took care of any lag, this is great!
One thing you did mention.. I thought i would ask you, for clarity.. When you said..
--were you referring to your own experience with loading pages? Or were you just echoing the concern i had expressed in my review?
Also, to hear that games work well is also really great!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was more echoing your concerns tbh - noticed it crop up in at least a couple of "hands on" reviews and was wondering if it was an issue. I haven't especially noticed but I will try a few more content heavy web page and see what happens. I should apologise for the lack of clarity on my original reply as I haven't rooted it yet- I rooted the last one and ran exposed and gravity box which did compensate slightly for the lack of custom roms. There was a bit of interest in Hudl modding on Modaco last time, which was where I found the rooting info.
I think Rooting may take a while as this is an Intel Atom Bay trail Z3735D cpu. The Onda V975i has the same CPU and has been rooted so it may be possible to adapt it to work although it is running an older version of android which may raise other problems. Also I would not try any rooting method until a recovery ROM and method are available.
My Hudl 2 on order.
---------- Post added at 11:23 AM ---------- Previous post was at 10:37 AM ----------
Further From my previous post it appears that these Bay Trial tabs can have a Bios so It will be interesting to see how this tab matures. Windows Anyone!
vermillions said:
Further From my previous post it appears that these Bay Trial tabs can have a Bios so It will be interesting to see how this tab matures. Windows Anyone!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Pretty cool to think that would be possible.
Windows has a 1000 uses, what would you choose to do? (just curious)
Do you think that Kings might have solution to rooting?
SkEvol said:
Pretty cool to think that would be possible.
Windows has a 1000 uses, what would you choose to do? (just curious)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am the worst person with devices, I like to get them to do more than they were originally intended to do and to tinker and learn as much as poss, then I just end up never using them. But if a Dev overcomes all the obstacles in Boot and Bios and is able to roll all the drivers into a windows rom, I couldn't help myself I would have to test it.
Hudl2 Thread
How do we lobby the XDA Devs to open a section for the Hudl2?
Do we need to raise money to buy one to send it to a dev?
I'd quite like a recovery loader (at the bare minimum) to be able to back up the Hudl2, before asking for some kind dev to port a new Rom to it.
What can we do to make any of the above options happen?
giac0m0 said:
How do we lobby the XDA Devs to open a section for the Hudl2?
Do we need to raise money to buy one to send it to a dev?
I'd quite like a recovery loader (at the bare minimum) to be able to back up the Hudl2, before asking for some kind dev to port a new Rom to it.
What can we do to make any of the above options happen?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't know the answer to any of your questions but I'd be willing to contribute £5 to the cost of finding out how to root it, in whatever form that takes.
Just out of interest has anyone tried Root Genius? it is made by the same people that made Shuame. If not working I suspect root will probably come from installing IntelAndroidDrvSetup and then a flash from Fastboot if we can get into Fastboot. But it will need someone with the correct knowledge to make the flashable update with the right parameters. All only a guess though.
Hi. Does anyone have an idea of how someone who's not in England can purchase one?
I'm very interest, seems great value for the money.
Thanks.
vermillions said:
Just out of interest has anyone tried Root Genius? it is made by the same people that made Shuame. If not working I suspect root will probably come from installing IntelAndroidDrvSetup and then a flash from Fastboot if we can get into Fastboot. But it will need someone with the correct knowledge to make the flashable update with the right parameters. All only a guess though.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Someone over in MoDaCo had a similar thought and suggested this may work:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2681783
giac0m0 said:
Someone over in MoDaCo had a similar thought and suggested this may work:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2681783
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes it might, my Hudl 2 is not yet delivered so I am unable to test at present. But I think it is worth a shot.
(kicking myself for ordering with delivery and not picking up from store.)
vermillions said:
If not working I suspect root will probably come from installing IntelAndroidDrvSetup and then a flash from Fastboot if we can get into Fastboot. But it will need someone with the correct knowledge to make the flashable update with the right parameters.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm impressed! I have no idea now you had the thought process of thinking of doing that! I take it you must have quite a lot of experience with routing. I only ropted my s3 because i needed to. Sometimes i wish i had the insight to be able to suggest something like that. I usually work off of what faq or how-to suggests. I'm quite interested in why this device would require a different method because of it's cpu. Interesting to me.
Has anyone had success playing encoded videos e.g. x264 codec and similar? I used to get decent results using MXplayer or VLC beta on my previous tablet (a cheap Chinese version that should be worse than the Hudl2), but now I suspect that poor x86 support from those players is letting it down. I've downloaded the x86 codec for MX and played with the various performance options, but results range from good to appalling depending on the video, with stuttering or full crashes. I've also tried some other players that claimed x86 support, but no dice.
Any advice gratefully received, as I'm very happy with my Hudl2 apart from this.
Sent from my Hudl 2 using XDA Free mobile app