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I want one, is it worth it?

I want one of these and I can go get one from my local staples. Is this tablet worth it?
I know we have root and such but is the tablet going to be fast enough to support 2.3 or 3.0 when it launches. I know its the dual core tegra but all the reviews say this thing is slow.
Feedback ?

its slow with the stock interface. once you root and replace that with zpad, its pretty zippy. ive got no regrets yet, and i almost constantly have regrets after spending a little cash on electronics.

I'm in the same boat... I've been looking for a tablet, non iPad, and saw this in the black friday ads for Staples. Just noticed that there is no price difference between now and those ads. $400. So I'm tempted to pick one up. I have a Epic 4g and enjoy how android 2.1 works so far. I think the hardware sounds good just hesitant because of software issues... but as much as I know those will be ironed out by the smart people on these forums. I may just pick one up tonight.

bmasephol said:
I'm in the same boat... I've been looking for a tablet, non iPad, and saw this in the black friday ads for Staples. Just noticed that there is no price difference between now and those ads. $400. So I'm tempted to pick one up. I have a Epic 4g and enjoy how android 2.1 works so far. I think the hardware sounds good just hesitant because of software issues... but as much as I know those will be ironed out by the smart people on these forums. I may just pick one up tonight.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
379 sears (thanksgiving, not black friday 7am-9am) source bfads.net, with 2 micro SD cards and a case.

I added a general FAQ here:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=842899
I tried to lay out some of the current pros and cons, so feel free to look it over. Everyone's needs are different. I happen to like mine and plan on keeping it.

i originally purchased one, then i was lucky to grab 2 more that were refurbs, and i have been using all the builds here plus ones i have been trying to get stable of my own, only to find that it is nearly impossible to truelly screw this thing up beyond repair, not saying it isnt possible, just saying it is hard to do it.
i like the rothnic builds as the zpad builds are based on hardware that is identical to the gtab, but sold under another name malata i think. that is not to say that all the hard work robeet has done is not great as his builds are highly stable as well. Great job to both guys.
i currently have 7 builds of my own. the first two are not based on zpad, which are the ones i am having a major issue in figuring out what i am screwing up. on the 5 other builds, i am using zpad as my base and adding a very trimmed version of andriod 2.2. i am trying to keep everything to only what works all the time everytime in my zpad builds, where the two non zpad builds are based on my own version of the kernal, could be my whole problem, but neither are stable yet. for me to release my 5 versions, small differences with how games load, flash, utube, and some office stuff...apks...would not help anyone as rothnics builds and those who helped him are superior to mine as of today. hopefully, i will figure out my culprit that is causing my issues within the builds.
i will only release what will work 100% of the time that i create, otherwise, i am only congesting the forum with useless crap and not actually helping anyone...

akodoreign said:
379 sears (thanksgiving, not black friday 7am-9am) source bfads.net, with 2 micro SD cards and a case.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The nearest sears that will probably carry it on thanksgiving is about 100 miles away... so I might just bite the $20 bullet and freebie SD cards and case and pick one up tonight.
If I ever get free time I'd love to get involved with the development... just always busy with other stuff.

The core of the tablet is a dual core 1Ghz Tegra 2 w/ 512 mb of ram. Its very close to the fastest ARM hardware running Android atm so 2.3 will be no problem. Nobody can tell whether 3.0 will require dramatically more powerful hardware but its doubtful considering 600mhz Droid 1s are running 2.2 just fine.
That said, the ability to support isn't the issue here. The problem is with official support from Viewsonic. They need to release their source for any devs to be able to get deep enough to upgrade to a new build (correct me if I'm wrong here). Barring that they would have to release their own version of updated Android. Considering the condition of the initial build I am not hopeful Viewsonic or the OEM will supply this support so long after purchase.
While not having the latest Android version is going to suck, its not going to reduce the functionality of the device. I think this hits a sweet spot atm. Its not nearly as expensive as the Galaxy Tab but it gives you something to mess around with until the real Tier 1 tablets come out next year. The Galaxy Tab is still build on the same non-tablet OS so investing $600 at this time doesn't seem wise. In addition, the powerful hardware keeps hope alive that this tablet can be brought up to snuff even in a year when we'll likely have 1.2 dual core 1gb tablets.

i do not think they will support it, or only for a very short duration, which is why i am trying to develop something.
according to a customer service person, it is cosmetic issues nothing highly important, which leaves me unsettled.

picked mine up today, with high hopes for this tegra chip... but so far viewsonic has managed to destroy what could and should be a sweet set up... havent been able to push a rom onto it yet, still looking to root but even still my EVO blows this thing out of the ocean, lets be honest here... did they pull this screen from some speak and spell from the 80's?
and you with guys with the epics are going to laugh when a movies playing on it
its late, so in the morning i'll get back with how it fairs with a root and rom dosage
ohh ya... whats with the constant wifi error? out of the box a wifi device should at least connect to WIFI, unless viewsonic was going for a true 80's speak and spell

Stopped at staples last night and grabbed one. I'm looking for an instant on web browser/video player. Coming from my epic the screen sucks but nothing I've seen compares to my epics screen. The stock device is pretty laggy but I'm about to flash a custom rom and try that out. I have 14 days to return and staples said they would take it back no questions asked. Ill post more later.

I think with the upgraded rom with the dell home and flash is great, and now that we have the full market I can't bring my self to return it. .. lol
Sent from my UPC300-2.2 using Tapatalk

rodzero said:
its slow with the stock interface. once you root and replace that with zpad, its pretty zippy. ive got no regrets yet, and i almost constantly have regrets after spending a little cash on electronics.
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Click to collapse
+1.
Get it at Sears for $340 with a $50 replacement plan. Can't go wrong there if you flash it and break it... No regrets here either. If you are like most of us cruising this forums for cool stuff, you will love.
Can't see myself owning and iPad and be just like everyone else. I have yet to see to Android devices (from Android fans) that look the same....

If you install all the fixs here this thing rocks.

mopar said:
If you install all the fixs here this thing rocks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
- Returned 1st one after 2 days due to constant loops (wanted to exchange but no stock).
Lots of force closes with stock firmware + external sdcard / usb stick unrecognized.
- Picked up 2nd one and replaced with Zpad 1106 firmware:
* Very Zippy, have not experienced FC's so far.
* External sdcard / usb thumbdrive work fine.
- Now my son can have my old 12" Dell XT!

[Q] Thoughts on the latest firmware release from Viewsonic?

Just like to get some feedback on what you guys think of the latest firmware release from Viewsonic that supposedly makes it run quite a bit better. I'm one of the 10K wooters and I'm wondering if the fixes make it tolerable. Really the wife is going to be using it mostly for the internet and book reader. I know I'll also have a few games on there for me and the kids
I've never jailbreaked a phone or rooted a device but I'm sure I can handle the mod from some of the light reading I've done already. I had already figured that I'd go with TnT Lite since it looks like Vegan is a little more involved and probably more than I really need. Its been my experiance that these things are like classic cars, once you start tinkering it never ends and the wifey isn't gonna like having her tab in the "shop" constantly.
Any MUST HAVE apps??
Looking at Repligo "need to view pdfs"
Titanium backup
Toddler Lock and AirAttack HD
Thanx all
DJ

Looked harder and of course found good answers to my question in the following threads.
[Q] Is alt rom still needed to make gtab better
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=978494
G Tablet update question
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1002949
No doubt the excellent talent on here and other places have helped pave the way for a better stock ROM and will continue to do so.

which tablet to choose?

just to let everyone know up front I am not considering any apple tablets, so please do not suggest them
I've been looking at the HTC Flyer, the Samsung Galaxy tab, but am not sure if there are any other decent tablets out there between 7'' - 12''
budgets is about 200-400 quid
I'm just having a hard time making a decision, I'm not bothered about 1080p playback 720p is fine with me, must have a decent processor/gpu as I like to play alot of games as well, must be android only
at least 5mp camera, preferable with the option of being able to root and ICS
do i get a 3g sim or non 3g? what the heck do i do?
hdmi out is a selling point, dual core is a selling point
I won't be making calls on it but I might want to use 3g+ on it if im out and about
rooting and customisation very important
any one got any decent suggestions,
EDIT:
GOT THE XOOM IN THE END, WHAT A TABLET!! its freaking amazing

I hear the Tab is quite good.
Sent from my SPH-D710 using XDA

mox123 said:
just to let everyone know up front I am not considering any apple tablets, so please do not suggest them
I've been looking at the HTC Flyer, the Samsung Galaxy tab, but am not sure if there are any other decent tablets out there between 7'' - 12''
budgets is about 200-400 quid
I'm just having a hard time making a decision, I'm not bothered about 1080p playback 720p is fine with me, must have a decent processor/gpu as I like to play alot of games as well, must be android only
at least 5mp camera, preferable with the option of being able to root and ICS
do i get a 3g sim or non 3g? what the heck do i do?
hdmi out is a selling point, dual core is a selling point
I won't be making calls on it but I might want to use 3g+ on it if im out and about
rooting and customisation very important
any one got any decent suggestions,
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This should help you choose lol
droidfather.com/VideoCategory/Android-Tablets

The Asus transformer series are really nice, I'm looking around to get a Samsung Galaxy Tab myself soon, it looks quiet promising.

I would recommend the Motorola Xoom. The development for the device has been stellar, the devs are awesome and has an unlockable bootloader. Cm9 and other wonderful custom roms like Team EOS nightly builds are solid, fast and will make others envious. The Xoom feels solid and is well built. The screen is not as nice as the ones found on the Asus transformer or Samsung Tab but it isn't bad either. Those other screens also have their cons due to the nature of their technology. There have also been a decent amount of complaints about Asus build quality and Samsung lack of timely updates. The Xoom was the first to get ICS, the first to get a cornerstone build, the first to be officially supported tab for Cm9 and continues to have the latest android enhancements via Team EOS roms. Also the proprietary charger charges the xoom pretty fast and the accessories are cheap now due to it being out for a while. Because it was the first to market, it doesn't mean the it is obsolete. I got a bit of a bad rep in the beginning due to screw ups on Motorola part but all is well now.
I have a 4g Xoom and use it every day. I run the Team EOS nightlys, with the device overlooked to 1.4 (i can get 1.6, but not needed) and undervolted to save juice. Feel free to check out the development thread to verify my claims. Cheers!

what about the xoom 2?
i actually like the look of the xoom 1 but the xoom 2 doesnt look great, whats your thoughts

mox123 said:
what about the xoom 2?
i actually like the look of the xoom 1 but the xoom 2 doesnt look great, whats your thoughts
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Don't get the xoom 2. The bootloader is locked, there isn't nearly as much dev support, no custom roms, no micro sd card slot (deal breaker), more expensive and not all the much of an improvement. It also isn't a Google experience device.
Yea, this I will admit the the screen is better and the writing tech is nice. But you will kick yourself for not going with a better supported device. Before I purchase anything, I checked to see how the community support of the device is and recommend that others do the same. I don't want to solely rely on manufacturers for support.

To be honest I would wait for the Windows 8 tablets if you truly cannot buy an Apple device, as all of the Android tablets still suck(to put it mildly). The iPad is just in a whole another league right now, and ICS didn't make the situation any better. They all lag like crazy, even the 7.7 inch Exynos-equipped Tablet from Samsung. The tablet experience just isn't there yet for android.

What ever you do never get an LG V900 or V909, cant be rooted, or just shortly until you reboot.
Unless you like stock and no root.

Have a look to the Acer Iconia 501.

Toss3 said:
To be honest I would wait for the Windows 8 tablets if you truly cannot buy an Apple device, as all of the Android tablets still suck(to put it mildly). The iPad is just in a whole another league right now, and ICS didn't make the situation any better. They all lag like crazy, even the 7.7 inch Exynos-equipped Tablet from Samsung. The tablet experience just isn't there yet for android.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wow really? What tablets running ICS have you owned? My Xoom running Team EOS ICS 4.0.3 is smooth an rarely lags.
The ipad hardware is in another league but the software is still Crap. What good is having all of that power and design but only being able to do 1/4 of what an android tablet can do? Also you are limited to whatever apps Apple deems fit in their one appstore. The other other alternative is to jailbreak and uses cydia. Don't even get me started on having to rely on a pc or mac to back up apps and settings usin itunes. On android I just use titanium backup and clockwork recovery to make a full back up to my micro sd card. I have been through that Crap an will never go back. Have you?
I also like how people are assuming windows 8 is going to be the answer for everyone. It can't run your normal desktop apps, I will be more expensive, it will be locked down, possibly more vulnerable due to it being based of windows and missing so awesome features due to limited api access or something similar. Keep in mind the Android was never intended to take on desktop OSs and the ios doesn't come any closer to accomplishing that. ios is worst. I don't care if here are 200,000+ apps, how many fart emulators and angry birds clones do you need? I how many apps do people on average even bother downloading from the appstore? I can tell you it is not 200,000 or even 50.
I will admit that the stock rom may have its issues, the custom roms usually fixes and enhances the user experience. I have only used the Motorola Xoom and Asus Transformer. Both have Cm9 and Team EOS ICS 4.0.3 nightlys available for them that run like butter. I never use stock rom.
ICS is there in tablet experience and will be getting better with release of 4.0.5 and 4.0.4. I wish people wih limited hands on experience would stop making blanket general statements. Not having the opportunity to tinker wih various hardware and software is one thing, but being unsatisfied wih the out of he box experience is another. This is XDA, experiment, create and discover.

ASUS Transformer Series are good and popular

@runhopskipjump: Way to go turning this into an Apple vs Android thread. Read any reputable review site that actually have an objective viewpoint on the matter and you'll come to realize exactly what everyone else has(except for some die-hard android fans): the android experience does not translate well onto tablets yet.
I love android, and have been waiting on an android tablet that would match the iPad, like the SGS did with the iPhone, but alas no tablet has done so yet and with the new iPad, apple leapfrogged the android manufacturers by a year, again.
The only tablet I would even remotely consider is the updated Transformer Prime TF700, but that won't be out until June.
Windows 8 is going to bridge the gap between the PC and Tablet space, allowing tablets to run desktop apps and vice versa. I hate having to have two devices, when one should be enough. The battery life of the current crop of Windows 7 tablets just isn't quite there yet and is the only obstacle keeping me from buying one, and I am hoping that the arm version of Windows 8 is going to remedy that.

thats the problem alot of the hardware does suck, however with the tegra 3 having only 1 gpu core compared to a5x's 4 gpus,
i think apple did the right thing here but I can't support a company like apple
the transformer prime sucks and they have made a new model of the same prime tablet due to issues with the back aluminum and some slight enhancements,
so in a way there is a flaw with those tablets right there and to overcome those you need to purchase the even new model of the prime,
I don't want to be running around, I just want something that will work hardware wise, and the software I can work around with custom roms,

tab
i would chose the samsung galaxy tab

I really recommend you TAB from Samsung Galaxy family

.
Thread moved to Q&A due to it being a question. Would advise you to read forum rules and post in correct section.
Failure to comply with forum rules will result in an infraction and/or ban depending on severity of rule break.

I'm very satisfied with my galaxy tab 10.1
Covers all my needs, has great ROMs - I've only tried overcome, but there are others - and is overclockable.
Now that I've found the switchme app - me, my wife and child all have our separate accounts on it.
Whatever you get, make sure you have enough internal space for such an app.
It's very convenient for more than one user to be able to have their own google account on a tablet, since they often are shared my more than one user.
Sent from my GT-P7500 using xda premium

its such a hard choice as they are all good but only one is going to be bought,
I wish I could make up my damn mind

mox123 said:
its such a hard choice as they are all good but only one is going to be bought,
I wish I could make up my damn mind
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If money is no object, you have two choices. Either you want a tablet can double down as a netbook and you go for the upcoming ASUS Transformer tablet (skip the Prime, I've heard from several people that it has connectivity issues), or you're more into consuming media, in which case Samsung Galaxy Tab is really good.
At this point it slowly starts to become a matter of taste. The top competitors are pretty close to each other. I'm curious about the upcoming Google-branded tablet too - I kicked the HTC Sense to the curb after a mere 2 weeks and replaced it with AOSP, so I don't put great trust in third party shells.

New Agora 10inch ICS Tablet

Aussie kogan site (cant post links yet, long time watch not poster)
just announced looks tidy, thinking of getting one for the kids, anyone seen the original for this?
only $199 Aussie

Yeh im getting one Looks OK anyone know about a root for this thing? seems the OS is vey unstable acording to reviews

Not going to get one now safer to get a Google nexus 7 for $40 more
Sent from my GT-I9100 using xda app-developers app

So I got one of these, mainly out of curiosity lol. It arrived today so I've had a bit of a chance to play around with it.
For the price, I think it's pretty good value, however it leaves much to be desired, especially if coming from another tablet (I came from the Transformer).
Most of the time it operates fairly smoothly, but it's definitely laggy compared with faster devices. Browsing is fine until you load a page that is heavy on flash and/or javascript (ie. eBay is great, Gizmodo is absolutely horrid).
I really think that root access would allow us to at least improve the overall speed (if only letting us overclock the single core CPU), but I have no idea where to start with this myself. Unfortunately I doubt many people with the know-how will actually get their hands on this device.
I guess we'll just have to wait and see.
Cheers,
Jason

Hope they work out root soon want to get this for my son so he can play his shows/movies
Sent from GT-N7000 using xda premium HD

Yeah I got one of these running ICS 4.0.4. at the beginning of August here in OZ.
As a basic tablet this does ok. I took it to Taiwan with me for a motorbike tour. Figured if it gets broken I won't cry to much about it. It survived, but I ended up using my phone (S2) most of the time as it was significantly faster.
The stock apps that come with this tablet suck the big one however. Don't waste your time on the stock browser, use Chrome instead and get rid of the facebook app. It just blows chunks moving around pages, and tends to stall for so long you actually get a message asking if you want to close the app. At the very least run Friendcaster as the FB substitute.
Ideally I want to root this and run Resurrection Remix's version of Jelly Bean off it, like that on my S2 (yes I know different class, so not likely), but I haven't seen any real success on this yet. Let alone a stable ICS tweaked version either.
I do believe it's virtually a rebadge of the Eken A90.
But then all I want as a minimum is the option to overclock the CPU & GPU.

[Q] Still worth buying today?

Hey guys,
I'm looking to get an Android tablet for my girlfriend- she's no gamer or hacker, so doesn't have huge requirements. The one important one is being able to play Flash video well (she watches TV shows online). I've been shopping around, and it looks like I can get the original Transformer TF101 plus keyboard dock for the same price as the TF300 *without* dock.
How is the OG Transformer holding up these days? Is it still working fast enough to use as a daily browser, music listener and flash-player? Or would you recommend I skip up to the TF300, even though it means no keyboard?

Id go with the 300 the reboot issues that plauges the 101 would be infuriating for any one who isnt tech savy

mrevankyle said:
Id go with the 300 the reboot issues that plauges the 101 would be infuriating for any one who isnt tech savy
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Since when reboot issue's? Only i had is some times app crash but that's it
anyways 300 or 700.

Ive had my TF101 since last year, and bought my dad a TF300 about 2 months ago.
The TF300 is incredible. Even without keyboard (unless she'd want to do some work on it). Get it.
Oh, and TF300 is upgradable to JB straight out of the box.

I am working with my TF101 since February this year. I have JB on it using CM10 nightlies. The only issue is that flash player cannot be installed at this current time. However, netflix, crackle, and youtube work. I have not tried hulu or other video services because I have not paid for them. With the update to JB it had felt like a new device. So, for price, the TF101 with dock would be great if she decides to be on the move for over eight hours.
But on the flip side, the 300 or even the 700 would be a better buy. Since JB is an update right out of the box for the 300, you can rest assured that your device will stay current for at least that update. Plus, the way these dev forums go, you may even be able to upgrade past its life. As for the dock, I find it a blessing when I want to type a lot or enter complex passwords. Just the tab with a good case may be well enough.
Hope that helps and happy shopping.
*EDIT*
I have had no random reboots with the TF101 since I installed CM10 nightlies on it.

I'm still using my TF101 after all this time. Granted its rooted and flashed but I've had no problems with it. With Flash outside apps you could use a Browser like Maxthon which still has the option for working with Flash, then side loading the apk for her. Never had the random reboots with mine.
Then again out of the box maybe 300 is just easier to get going. /shrug
Sent from my Transformer using xda premium

IMO this device wouldn't serve well for someone non-technical, and it's not the fastest device. The biggest pros are the great battery life with the dock and the developer-friendliness.

i think its still worth it. i just got this one from a friend.

Honestly, at this point in time, I'd go for a Nexus 7..
(I actually jumped to the Note 10.1 but it sounds like your gf might enjoy the Nexus 7 more because it's a media, read/watch stuff kind of tablet.)

Never had issues with mine tf101 (rooted) and also dont remember ever having lack of performance. All games i tried work perfect (THD versions), xept that online shadowgun wich just says it only work on tegra3(as expected).
As you say she is not hacker, so most likely you will have to manually install flash (its not supported anymore, boo). It works quite well on mine, even to play flash games where you need to click on things, tho its hard to hit small ones. Flash video works fine (twitch.tv and youtube).
Overall you probably should get tf300, as it is more powerful and can be updated to JellyBean from stock. There is some guides how to install flash to JB.
I got 101 because it have 2 USB in dock and that distinctive look - i mean that textured back and goldy border, it does not look like other tablets or netbooks. I just fell in love with it
One thing that you might look upon - i weights more than 600grams that may be little heavy for woman. My sis hands get tired after playing for some time (tho she plays that gyroscope games where you need to dance shamanic rituals with the tab, so)