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Hi peeps been looking around at the android tablets on the market and wondering if i should take the plunge?.Thought i would ask here as you guys probably have more experiance than most.Can you recomend a couple?, i'm not looking to spend a fortune just want something that covers most bases and doesnt struggle to run the usual suspects.HDMI out would be a plus but any ideas you can offer or just give me ideas on what not to buy.Any helps good, thanx in advance.
I have a smoldering interest in a tablet as well but I will continue to hold off as my Lenovo X61t and Windows Phone compliment each other pretty well and I don't "need" one.
However, I have taken note of the Archos' that were just released. The general feeling is that they feel cheap in build quality but the price and performance is right there. This is engadgets take on the two tablets they have.
http://www.engadget.com/2010/12/24/archos-70-and-101-internet-tablet-review/
I have used the Samsung Galaxy S and it is a nice device. Gotta be honest though, nothing seems to be "more complete than the ipad", just in terms of docks, jailbreaking, best apps, etc.
There are so many 'knock offs' in this category, let us know what you find!
I agree in the upset front, it's a great piece of kit but I refuse to spend that kind if money. Have found plenty of cheap ones, and I don't mind the price tag but most are just a bit gutless lol. But yeah likewise bring the info if you find something good.
Sent from my HTC Desire using XDA App
Back again, on the subject off cheapo knock off tablets have you seen the a-ok pad lol now don't laugh. I could be persuaded to gamble on something as (shall we say rough) if it ticked the right boxes. Anybody heard if them? Any horror stories?
Sent from my HTC Desire using XDA App
Buying a new tablet
I'm in the market for a tablet, and have taken my sweet time for the last 3 months researching and looking for the best one to buy. I've done my fair share of research and now i'm asking you: Should I buy the ASUS Transformer Prime with the dock, od should i wait for samsung/htc/moto/lenovo/acer... next-gen tablet? My fear is you see, that I'll buy The Prime, and that it won't be supported by some software develeopers, and left out in the cold with some apps, or not on par with the next-gen 2012 tablets. I want the best hardware specs, possible future windows 8 compatibility, preferably tegra device, 3g isn't a must, nor GPS but preferred. I don't mind waiting for a few more months since this would be my first tablet, wich i don't really need. NO IOS/IPad talk please, android tablet only (but like i said, with a possibility of win8 in the future). Any reasonable advice is more than welcome, and thank you all very much in advance!
IIRC Asus Prime will begin getting ICS/4.0 Jan 12th.
With that said, I would definitely play around with one before buying. Numerous reported issues that can't really be fixed through OTA's or software. (GPS, WIFI, light bleed, glass/screen loose from rest of tab).
Typical Asus if you ask me, crapshoot on quality.
Also depends on what you want in a tab. If you don't really want to play around/mod/customize then I think the Ipad 2 or hold out a couple of months for an Ipad 3 would be your best bet.
If you have to have an Android you have one of two options. Wait for more quad core tabs to be released, or start looking at what's available now.
Samsung 7.0 Plus is probably the best out for 7"ers.
For the 10"ers it's a toss up right now. Galaxy Tab 10.1 has good support, decent performance, light, easy to hold, good screen, great speakers (for a tab). It's cons to me are the Tegra 2 isn't up to snuff with Honeycomb OS.
The HP Touchpad is a great buy for the OS and specs, and can also be ported to Android (Still need to play with one)
Asus Transformer TF101 is also a good buy but again a crapshoot on quality but can be had for a good price.
The new Moto Xyboards are getting good reviews but they are overpriced for what they are, are only sold through VZW and were "technically" outdated before they were even released. Also locked bootloaders are never fun if flashing kernels are your thing.
Right now I'm looking at getting another tab so I guess you could say I'm in the same boat as you. I have an OG Galaxy Tab 7 on the way b/c I got it cheaper than cheap and just wanna play with it.
Considering picking up an 8" Xyboard also.
ETA: I probably won't pick up a Xyboard however until they come down in price or a WiFi only version is offered.
The SGT 7.7 also sounds promising. Decisions decisions.
First of all, thank you for the fast and torough reply... And yes, sweet sweet decisions
I forgot to say that I'm in the market for a 10" minimum tablet, don't want smthng smaller 'cause i allready have an SGSII so I'm covered for mobility.
As for ASUS's build quality, like I said I never owned a tablet so I definately will try out/play with one for a couple of hours before purchasing, and watch out for the screen bleed on an ips display. But currently most of my pc's componens (2xmobo, 2xgraphic cards, and a lappy) are ASUS made and i must say i'm more than satisfied with them, and as I recall, when I was buying my SGSII there was talk about screen burn-in, overheating and wifi problems too, but I haven't had a single one with my device. Besides that, I don't really need GPS or 3g in a tablet so it's not a dealbreaker with me on The Prime.
The problem is: I wouldn't buy any other tablet now existing in the market, mostly because of the Tegra3 chipset The Prime has, so if I'm paying a hi-end device (around 700$) i want the latest and fastest performer in the ring. And yes, in my book that is android only, as i find apple's devices a bit limiting sometimes (without any fanboyism, I come from a long line of iphones before my android). The things I'm worried hardware-wise are: the amount and speed of Prime's RAM (1gb od ddr2), possible wifi signal problems, screen bleed, and that it's topheavy when docked (a minor thing really). I love that it has a full USB 2.0 port, so you don't need a jack/ adapter of some kind (e.g. like on a SGSII microUSB to full USB). Not really worried about the one speaker layout eather, altough i was a bit dissapointed since the TF101 had a stereo layout, but still, not a dealbreaker (hey, it's still a tablet)...
Now you may laugh at this seeing your sig, but in my mobile history (25+ phones) the worst were accually motorolas (v3 being the worst of the lot, but than again A925 was more than excellent) I'm not so fond of HP either, last month i sold my DV6 3020em, (that's the i7 touchscreen version for Europe since i'm european), and i can say it was utter rubbish, overheating, shoddy build quality, squeaky, noisy fans, you name it... That's why I sold it, but it had a touchscreen which was more than handy, and that's why i want a tablet, I just might look a bit more into the HP touchpad after all.
Acer is great quality for it's price, really great. But I only had Acer's laptops, and the Iconia tablet is as ugly as a bullfrog from chernobyl, so I wouldn't want one.
Tf101 is ugly too by my standards, too big as well, but the looks aren't so important if it was an excellent performer, which none of the now available androids are compared to The Prime (at least not on honeycomb).
I played with samsung 8.9 a few days ago and I can report is't a great little device, thin, capable, satisfying all in all, but i'd like a bigger screen, and a real keyboard and it's not a tegra device (I play a lot of games so i'd like the tegra zone, as chainfire's plugins don't support all tegra tweaked games)
Now I do like to install a new ROM every few weeks on my SGSII but i srsly don't think that will be the case on a tablet (except Win 8, when it comes out).
So i guess the question remains: should i wait for Samsung's next gen 10.1 answer or just go with the prime now
P.S. sorry for my poor english
cavkic said:
First of all, thank you for the fast and torough reply... And yes, sweet sweet decisions
I forgot to say that I'm in the market for a 10" minimum tablet, don't want smthng smaller 'cause i allready have an SGSII so I'm covered for mobility.
As for ASUS's build quality, like i said i never owned a tablet so I definately will try out/play with one for a couple of hours before purchasing, and watch out for the screen bleed on an ips display. But currently most of my pc's componens (2xmobo, 2xgraphic cards, and a lappy) are ASUS made and i must say i'm more than satisfied with them, and as I recall, when I was buying my SGSII there was talk about screen burn-in, overheating and wifi problems too, but I haven't had a single one with my device. Besides that, I don't really need GPS or 3g in a tablet so it's not a dealbreaker with me on The Prime.
The problem is: I wouldn't buy any other tablet now existing in the market, mostly because of the Tegra3 chipset The Prime has, so if I'm paying a hi-end device (around 700$) i want the latest and fastest performer in the ring. And yes, in my book that is android only, as i find apple's devices a bit limiting sometimes (without any fanboyism, I come from a long line of iphones before my android). The only thing I'm worried hardware-wise is the amount and speed of Prime's RAM (1gb od ddr2), possible wifi signal problems, screen bleed, and that it's topheavy when docked (a minor thing really). I love that it has a full USB 2.0 port, so you don't need a jack/ adapter of some kind (e.g. like on a SGSII microUSB to full USB). Not really worried about the one speaker layout eather, altough i was a bit dissapointed since the TF101 had a stereo layout, but still, not a dealbreaker (hey, it's still a tablet)...
So i guess the question remains: should i wait for Samsung's next gen 10.1 answer or just go with the prime now
P.S. sorry for my poor english
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Don't jump the gun on the Prime until stock has settled in, right now retailers are price gouging due to low availability. The Prime should be $500 for the 32GB, $600 for the 64GB, not $650-700 for the 32GB.
I have a Transformer and an Iconia Tab A100, and I can tell you from first hand experience that the build quality isn't nearly as bad as the above poster is making it out to be. I actually like the finish on both the original Transformer and the Iconia series a lot, and the Prime seems to be a winner also. Another thing to consider for both ASUS and Acer is that they keep their Android releases relatively 'vanilla' except for a few bloatware-type apps of their own, unlike Samsung and HTC, who just can't help themselves but smear TouchWiz and Sense over everything they produce.
The only real reported issue with the Prime appears to be the GPS accuracy, but at least to me, it's a non-issue, since I disable GPS and bluetooth on everything.
The Windows 8 bit is yet to be seen, porting a device to another OS is something you can hope, but never hold your breath for. We've yet to see how Windows 8 distribution is going to work and remember that even if you do install Windows 8 down the road, it doesn't mean that you'll be able to run all windows-based programs, since mobile devices use ARM CPUs, and everything written for windows right now is made for x86 CPUs, so it will be up to each third party to rewrite their programs for compatibility.
Although I would never write out a company with pockets as deep as microsoft, they have proven time and time again that they are unable to compete in the mobile segment, so I don't see Windows 8 with as much hope and awe as many others do. (Especially since Ice Cream Sandwich is the first Android iteration we can really call "excellent")
TL;DR - If you can find a Prime for a decent price, then it's an amazing device to be had for a very reasonable price. If you plan on waiting, then checking out the upcoming Iconia A700 isn't a bad idea either if the dock isn't that important to you.
littleemp said:
Don't jump the gun on the Prime until stock has settled in, right now retailers are price gouging due to low availability. The Prime should be $500 for the 32GB, $600 for the 64GB, not $650-700 for the 32GB.
I have a Transformer and an Iconia Tab A100, and I can tell you from first hand experience that the build quality isn't nearly as bad as the above poster is making it out to be. I actually like the finish on both the original Transformer and the Iconia series a lot, and the Prime seems to be a winner also. Another thing to consider for both ASUS and Acer is that they keep their Android releases relatively 'vanilla' except for a few bloatware-type apps of their own, unlike Samsung and HTC, who just can't help themselves but smear TouchWiz and Sense over everything they produce.
The only real reported issue with the Prime appears to be the GPS accuracy, but at least to me, it's a non-issue, since I disable GPS and bluetooth on everything.
The Windows 8 bit is yet to be seen, porting a device to another OS is something you can hope, but never hold your breath for. We've yet to see how Windows 8 distribution is going to work and remember that even if you do install Windows 8 down the road, it doesn't mean that you'll be able to run all windows-based programs, since mobile devices use ARM CPUs, and everything written for windows right now is made for x86 CPUs, so it will be up to each third party to rewrite their programs for compatibility.
Although I would never write out a company with pockets as deep as microsoft, they have proven time and time again that they are unable to compete in the mobile segment, so I don't see Windows 8 with as much hope and awe as many others do. (Especially since Ice Cream Sandwich is the first Android iteration we can really call "excellent")
TL;DR - If you can find a Prime for a decent price, then it's an amazing device to be had for a very reasonable price. If you plan on waiting, then checking out the upcoming Iconia A700 isn't a bad idea either if the dock isn't that important to you.
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Click to collapse
Tnx for the reply, and I have to say I think you misunderstood me. I don't think I said anything bad about acer's or asus's build quality just HP's (and only the perticular model of the DV6 I had), just that they're a bit on the ugly side, but that's totally a subjective stand, and irrelevant to anybody else.
As far as Prime's price goes, it should be available in Croatia, about 2hrs drive from my home in 10days for less than 700$ with the dock for the 32gig version, which is not a bad pricetag considering where I live, and I'm ready to give that kind of money for it. The dock is accually something i like about the Transformer, and it would probbably be a dead heat between TF101 just because of the dock) and the Sammy 10.1 if it weren't for the prime.
GPS, like I said, I don't mind. The SGSII has a great GPS reciever which i hardly ever use, maybe 6 times since i got it in july.
As far as ARM windows goes, I know what to expect from it , nothing special, but it would be nice to have that option when it's available
So you are happy with the TF101 and the Iconia? But would you recommend buying now the Prime if I'm happy with the price? I should mention I probbably won't buy it before ICS, and I'll try to get a hold of a stock ICS one when it's out after Jan. 12. because I want to make sure i missed the first version shipment
I believe you about Motorola. Until my Droid X I have ALWAYS hated Motorola. I never had a phone that worked right after some wear and tear and always had problems. From before smartphones thru the Droid 1, 2, and 3. (Went through multiples of those). I'm also a Samsung and HTC fan.
I've never had a problem with Asus computer components myself, w/ that said, there are quite a few complaints when it comes to the TF201 on quality. With that said, you, as I'm sure you do, have to take into account the dissatisfied ones are always going to moan and groan much more and louder than the happy customer.
I guess I just wish it was like cars when it comes to Tablets and would love for them to let me take the exact tab I'm looking to buy for a test drive. (Not leave the store but just open the box and get a good look at it and test everything to make sure I'm getting what my hard earned money is paying for).
I really want a TF201, but I'm going to wait til a few more Tegra 3 tabs come out. I really think Motorola would have hit a homerun if they would have put a quad core in their Xyboards and kept the price what they're charging now.
The three tabs I'm really torn between right now are the Xyboard 8.2, TF201, and Samsung 7.0 Plus. But man we are so close to seeing quad core as the new standard for tabs so the other part of me just wants to sit it out and wait.
So true what you said about the sitting and waiting for the quad core as the new standard, but on the other hand, HOW BAD DO WE WANT ONE!?!
Personally for me it's no competition between the Prime and other tablets, the Prime is just on another planet.
This morning the store answered my email saying that the Prime will be available mid january (in about 10 days) and said that maybe they could reserve one for me because of the small supply, but said the price may be different depending on the usd/euro stocks, but under 700$ for the 32gig version with dock...
Still I'm not planning on buying one before a test drive like you said (mostly to check for screen bleed). And yes, I took into account the moaners which is true like you said again...
I think I wathched every single review/comparison of the tablet on youtube, and read at least 10 reviews online, and it's all mostly positive.
I'll update as soon as i get my hands on a test one, hopefully in about 10 days.
I looking to buy a tablet and from everything I have read and tested at Office Depot (viewing angles) the G tab seems fine to me. I am sure it will be faster after I root and load new ROM.
But with all of the new tabs coming (xoom and so on) at this point should I just wait. I know the xoom seems very high to me (800.00) not sure I want to pay that much. I know I don't want to buy another tab for 2 years or so. So maybe the xoom would solve that issue.
Thoughts?
David
If you are willing to root the 'g' tablet and install one of the community developed ROMs, I say go for it. The 'g' tablet was bleeding edge when it came out, is still at the head of the pack and will remain a strong platform for another year and a half to two years.
The price is right and unless you always have to be right at the bleeding edge, you will not be disappointed with a 'g' over the time frame you are looking at (and perhaps a little beyond).
Wait for Xoom to Come Out and Then Buy GTablet
Given how active the developers are, I'm betting that within a couple of weeks of the release of Xoom there will be a XoomLite Rom here for the Gtablet. So I'd wait a couple of weeks until the Xoom comes out. Take a look at it in a store and if it is really $800, unless there is something in the Xoom hardware that you can't live without, buy the Gtablet. Then put the ROM of your choice on your Gtablet (I use TNTLite) and keep checking back for what I expect will be a version of Xoom for our Gtablets.
If you are a tinkerer- get the Gtablet now. Seems all of the devices have quirks coming out, but one common thing is some form of dual core chipset. Quirks are there in one combo or other:
1. Overpriced
2. Proprietary connectors
3. No USB Host
4. No USB
5. Did I say overpriced yet?
Example is the Xoom. Costs $800. My Gtablet and 64gb iPod 4 cost $86 less than that.
My next tab will be the iPad "2". I love the app ecosystem and the game & app quality is AMAZING. I have my Gtablet and Incredible for Android fun and for Flash & internet function. Game emulators too.
BTW, my next phone will be either the Thunderbolt, Bionic or something similar on Verizon. No iPhone and the Xperia Play will likely have proprietary connectors, no microsd (Sony proprietary) and be locked down, so no dice for me.
iTunes may suck butt since a forced interface, but a lot of apps rock hard! Real hard.
Please forgive the slight tangent of my post.
If you're still unsure, then your best bet is to wait. You may even want to wait for the new 10.1 inch samsung tablet. I believe it will cost more than the Xoom but its another option. Here are some specs for that device:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=953341
I just bought one yesterday from office depot after looking at the tabs in general for awhile and
Buying a archos 7 first. I got rid of that because it wasn't what I thought. I think the g tab is the coolest
toy I have ever had. If you want just a giant cell phone without the phone then wait for the Xoom.
The new Elocity A10 is coming out, but the 4gb is more money than the 16gb Gtablet. For the extra money you get a (supposedly) better screen and backlit buttons. But, since it hasn't been shipped out yet you have no idea about the quirks involved.
The Notion Adam looks cool, people that have it seem to like it but who knows how long it will take to get your hands on one. I would wait and watch since it is a new company.
The Archos 101 has it's pluses like a ton of codecs, but it has bugs and also supposedly has a bad screen. The price is nice though.
The Xoom is $800 and requires a month of Verizon service. It is a great looking tablet, but if I were going to spend that much I could get a good computer with money left over.
You can wait forever for more tablets tablets to come out. When the iPad was announced I kept hearing over and over that a better, cheaper Android tablet was on the way. Here we are, nearly a year out and there is nothing that competes.
Were I think the G tab excels is price point. Especially if you can get the $279 price. It has a great following on this site, a good set of hardware and once it is rooted it flies.
Buy the gtablet...better yet buy two for the cost of one xoom! We'll get honeycomb too.
If you're willing to wait, also consider toshiba's tablet. http://www.thetoshibatablet.com/
I like that it uses a full SD Card slot for cheaper/larger storage options (>32gb) and has a user replaceable battery.
vpad10s ?
I've seen a lot of comparisons between the Gtablet and other tabs, but what does everyone about the vpad10s?
From the specs and all, it looks like a dual boot Gtab, which has its own appeals.
yelrx8 said:
I've seen a lot of comparisons between the Gtablet and other tabs, but what does everyone about the vpad10s?
From the specs and all, it looks like a dual boot Gtab, which has its own appeals.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Dual boot would be great if the device would at least come with Android 2.2 but instead only having 1.6 makes it deal breaker for me.
And then there's the Touchpad, the HP/Palm WebOS tablet that's due out this summer:
palm.com/us/products/pads/touchpad/index.html
Was in the same boat...
I was torn between waiting and getting the G...ended up with the G-tablet and no regrets once I figured out how to encode high def video so it would play.
Wth TNTLite installed, this thing really hums, and frankly, I was expecting a seriously bad screen, and while it's not a 90 degree viewing angle, it looks fantastic when you're looking right at it (and frankly, if I'm using it, I'm looking at it).
Not to mention that at the price they're going for (and I had shipping and taxes to get to Canada), it is still soooo much cheaper than any of the alternatives with same specs (The Elocity A10 for around the same price only has 4GB onboard).
Hope that helps...
You can always wait for something better, but for us it was a matter that it seemed like a great deal for the price. I had the FCs with the stock TnT apps but after installing the vegan rom everything is great.
Would of loved to have gotten a Xoom, but considering we got 2 Tegra2 based 10' tabs for the same price, and they do everything that we need I am satisfied.
Thanks everyone for your posts.
I have ordered a GTab from Amazon (should be here tomorrow.. you have to love prime). I have not ordered a keyboard yet nor a sd card. But have a 6gb card that should work for now.
If all goes well then I will keep it. I will try the xoom when it comes out, but for the money and features of the Gtab and for the use I need (really just notes in meetings and browsing the web) I think I am good.
Another question: I want to use either a USB keyboard or a RF keyboard/Track ball) what ROM do you suggest?
And if I wanted to make a backup of the current ROM before I upgrade what do you suggest? Or should I just use one of the manufacturer ROMs listed in the dev forum?
Again thank you for your help.
Up until last week, I too, was torn between waiting for the Xoom, or 'settling' with a lesser tab like the Galaxy Tab.
I picked up a Viewsonic G Tablet at Sears for $399, rooting it 30 minutes after unwrapping it, I've no regrets. My reasoning was as follows:
1 - Wanted it to be Android-based, so no Ipad.
2 - Galaxy Tab at 7", a little too small.
3 - Tegra2 based, should be Honeycomb-ready, no need for a rear camera.
4 - Xoom, even if Wifi-only version is released, I doubt it would beat the GTab at price.
This should last me until maybe the next gen of Android tablets arrive next year.
Currently running Vegan 5.1.1 ROM, with full market, all the apps I could want. This is so much fun!
Really was an easy choice for me. Price plus fun of rooting and flashing roms while I wait for honeycomb. The gtab rules and my friends that get to play with mine can't put it down. I can't put it down ;-)
After getting enough money (through the HP Touchpad fiasco), i can get the tablet I really want. Theres someone nearby willing to sell me a 16gb TF with dock for 425. Nothing is wrong with it and in perfect condition.
Should I get it because its cheap, or wait for the TF 2 thats supposed to come out in the next few months?
Im wanting to be able to use a tablet for school and because I'd have one within the next few days. This is the reason Id buy it now and cause its cheap.. I dont really want to wait, but I do because the hardware will be much better
Advice please. If you were in my situation
Something else- is there anything I should be aware of software wise, firmware or anything before buying a used one?
Try to figure out if the dock has the "bad" chip that causes battery drain. There's a thread out there that has more info, but the current owner should know.
If the tablet is a B7O, it may not be rootable (as of now), and B8O and beyond are all locked for now.
The TF2 may not be out until Q2 2012. Nobody has any solid info on it, so I wouldn't wait.
Owner said its B50
Is there anything that he should "look" for maybe model number of the dock? He hasnt rooted it yet, so my guess he doesnt mind the battery life on it how it is.
Thanks for this information!
So the B5O was the first run, I believe. Should be just fine, ask if you can play with it for 5 minutes just to be sure there are no physical problems (dead pixels, sticky buttons, etc.) The speakers may be out of balance, but I think that can be fixed through software. The battery drain issue is one where the dock won't let the tablet sleep correctly, it's a well-known problem that affects some docks (not tablets themselves).
I personally don't have or want a dock, so it wouldn't matter to me except I wouldn't spend as much to get both. I got my TF for $300 used, it was in like-new condition with the box and everything, which is good because I wouldn't have been patient enough to save up much more than that.
I say go for it, then root it and put CWM 3.2.0.1 and Prime 1.8.4 on it. That's just my opinion, of course. You can just leave it stock as well.
Alright, thank you again for the great info! Im not new to android, but new to tablets with ROMS and updates.
He said he bought it a month ago and the screen is perfect and no issues.
I want the dock or at least a BT keyboard because I find typing on tablets a little odd. Plus itll be nice to have the sd card slot and 2 usb ports Im not worried as far as battery- if my phone gets a days worth, dont see how a tablet cant when theres no 3g connection.
Whats the easiest root guide on here? seems a bit confusing with different methods. If I upgrade to the latest OTA (that fixes netflix) which method would I use?
I'd wait.. 425 for a used TF 3 months from when the new TF is supposed to come out... doesn't really seem worth it to me. I mean, I love my TF and everything, but I could definitely use something else for 3 months. Also, after reading about all the build issues and stuff, I'd be worried if my TF was used and I was unable to file a refund or whatnot.
asdfuogh said:
I'd wait.. 425 for a used TF 3 months from when the new TF is supposed to come out... doesn't really seem worth it to me. I mean, I love my TF and everything, but I could definitely use something else for 3 months. Also, after reading about all the build issues and stuff, I'd be worried if my TF was used and I was unable to file a refund or whatnot.
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Click to collapse
Where did you read that the TF2 is coming out in November?
Regardless, I think three months is plenty of time to enjoy something, and a long time to wait. And it might be longer. And the first Tegra3 tablet might be loaded with bugs anyway. Might as well have a TF, use it until the TF2 (or something else) is actually released AND tested in the real world. Just my opinion, but I've seen a lot of people drop a lot of money playing the bleeding edge game.
As for rooting, try the one-click method first. If that doesn't work, use the "pure root" which is what I used. I actually don't know much about NVFlash at all, it might be a good alternative, but they all get you where you want to be and I am more comfortable having CWM like my phone has.
I read it was rumored to come to India in October.
3 months would be a long time to wait, and plus if I want to use it for school (taking notes, papers on the fly )
When the first android 3.0 tablet came out, there were a lot of bugs and even the TF at its release was buggy. So I wouldnt doubt if 4.0 tablets or TF2 had bugs. I wonder if the TF2 will be compatible with the keyboard dock now.. At least then I could sell my TF to eat up the cost for the new one.
Edit: Something else I could do and want to get your thoughts on. Buy a new TF off amazon $380ish, I know its new, but it may not be compatible to root. This way I know the battery is in the best shape for me to condition it initally. Then I could just buy a BT keyboard/mouse- both of which would be cheaper than buying the dock. Then again, I'd loose the 2 usbports and sd slot.
Decisions decisions!
The problem with waiting is thus:
1. No matter when you buy there is something better around the corner. When the tf2 releases maybe the iconia 2 or galaxy tab 2 will be a few weeks ago and have a better spec.
2. New released product is usually more buggy. If you wait until a device had been in the market a little while there is a good chance that many bugs or early manufacturing problems will have been sorted. Case in point, the bugged power chips on some transformer builds.
3. Tf2 will be quad core tegra 3. On paper it will be more powerful than tegra 2 but at release time little if any software will be optimized to take advantage of the extra cores. For the first few months of tegra 3 there will be zero advantage to having a tegra 3 device in daily use.
I know all this from experience - I jumped on a dual core phone as soon as they released and right now I cannot notice any speed advantage over my previous single core phone. Because I have a Htc Sensation with the new qhd resolution some apps look messed up because they haven't been optimized for the new display. Got the phone and then realized if id waited a little longer, which would have been fine because it doesn't feel any faster than my old phone, I could have jumped on a nexus prime. Also there are other masters which won't concern all users but for a habitual hacker like me they are annoying. Thing like the fact that no one has really figured out the optimal way to deal with the new dual core architecture yet.
Ok enough ranting about my problems, hopefully I've given you something to think about.
Edit: if you are going to get a bluetooth keyboard instead of a dock, you might wish to consider a different tablet such as the acer iconia - at least then you will get a usb port.
Sent from my Transformer TF101 using Tapatalk
I went through and bought it yesterday Its really nice thats for sure.
Is there an option that turns off the automatic wake when you open the TF/keyboard?
Also, I didnt like the Iconia. The size is just awkward for me and I couldnt get past the screen, being able to see "grid" with the dots. I do like the usb port on it though, but i have two on the keyboard and SD car slot
Typing on this keyboard is super easy. Still hesitant to root it or not. Not sure if theres the extra incentive to do so.
Now to figure out the market and install apps (find them in the market first)
Righty, my HD2 is about to go to where all good phones go when they meet their maker, the African sub-continent
Yup its time has come, the USB socket seems to no longer except data connections, (probably broken PCB/tracks) and the digitiser has started to act erratically
as much as id like to get out the soldering Iron and replace the digitiser it doesn't cost that much more to get a new one.
So I guess im coming here to pick your brains and gather up what the community feels is the best options
So the choices above are
get a cheaper HD2 and wait out for the WP8 device launch when I could then choose to get a cheaper WP7 device or get a WP8 one
Keep the king of all phones the HD2 and shell out on brand spanky new one
Nokia 800(cheaper)
Nokia 900(would rather)
Titan (cheaper)
Titan II (Would rather)
Something else, perhaps a Smaller HD2 comparable gem
Ive put those 4 on because im interested in what the general feeling of the community is on them, obviously the 900 and the Titan II are better but I suppose the question is, for those that know is it worth the extra money?
In terms of spec I don't care, they are all good, but if your suggesting another one then 3.7in is the absolute minimum screen size and CPU spec around that of the 3 year old HD2 is acceptable, I don't play games so a 1GHz snapdragon is ok and around 512MB of RAM is fine too, the HD2 has a bit less which is fine. screen size is what's important
Im aware those newer ones are not as mod able as the HD2, but apart from web based XAP installing I don't do that much on it that needs the Full unlock so would I miss it...I dunno, side loading some of my custom XAPs would be handy I guess....
One last thing, yes I can and have researched them, but im open to suggestions and im more interested in what you guys have experienced with them, good or bad. We XDAers tend to know out stuff a lot more than the average review site!
sooo..... over to you great chaps and lasses, what do you think?
I loved my HD2 and would still be using it if it wasn't for the social integration that wp7 holds, No going back now, But if you can pick up a cheap HD2 for now then surely its the better option being what ur familiar with and knowing wp8 hopefully has some nice surprises to look forward to later in the year.
I've got an LG E900. It works smooth, but has so many little flaws, that I would go for a cheap HD2. I don't know about the Titans. But after using WP7.5 I wouldn't consider to buy a new WP device which isn't capable of WP8.
Maybe you get an used WP7.5 device cheaper than an HD2 and consider this as an opportunity to test WP. Because I guess Android isn't perfect either, but you know of its flaws and there aren't any surprises. Like when I've got my first call. WP vibrates, then rings, then vibrates. When I wanted to change this behaviour I considered myself lucky of being able to at least choose a different ringtone.
OtoTheBear said:
But after using WP7.5 I wouldn't consider to buy a new WP device which isn't capable of WP8.
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Click to collapse
That story is not over yet Microsoft just kept quit and that's it...
Anyway, I'd buy another HD2. It's already quite cheap and still the best. And when WP8 hits the stores, I'd buy a shiny new phone with new specs (second gen devices have not made a big jump but WP8 is hopefully going to catch up with android handsets).
The HD2 will always be nice (even when you got a new phone) as you can really, really play with it.
thanks guys, Its looking like a return to the king moment with half the vote suggesting getting a cheap HD2 and waiting for 1st gen WP8 devices to see what happens.....
Ok, ive had another thought, now there doesn't appear to be any development on this one but its unlockable to deploy xaps, I don't think its full unlock but as I said im not too bothered.
So, the phone im talking about, is the Samsung Focus s
From all information that I can gather its pretty good, all beit has a plastic feel about it, anyone have any additional thoughts on the matter?
ive got a day to decide before my phone will probably pack in, USB socket just fell off the PCB all together such an undignified end to the HD2 3 year reign
Well that's sad - but even the hd2 is not invincible
I think Samsung makes pretty decent phones (I played around with an omnia 7 and galaxy s2). The only downside is that they feel really cheap and shaby as you said.
Don't know what you're paying for it, but if it's really cheap, I'd buy it. Otherwise I'd stick with an HD2 and wait for the WP8 release.
chabun said:
Well that's sad - but even the hd2 is not invincible
I think Samsung makes pretty decent phones (I played around with an omnia 7 and galaxy s2). The only downside is that they feel really cheap and shaby as you said.
Don't know what you're paying for it, but if it's really cheap, I'd buy it. Otherwise I'd stick with an HD2 and wait for the WP8 release.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
well ive gone with the Samsung Focus S imported from the states, the screen size was the deciding factor, combined with the fact that dev unlock is fairly straight forward and interop isn't much harder. Titan was just too big, and the 800 was too small and inconsistent with what I was expecting, the 900 would have been great if I could have got one cheep, the Focus S ticked all the boxes bar the slightly plastic feel to them
theres sweet bugger all going on in development so perhaps ill try give something back to the community and learn a bit from the Gods on here
The HD2 is still holding in there, if I squash the whole lower portion of the phone very hard and remove the battery to charge it, it still kinda works, it just doesn't want to die
As of right now i am using a samsung galaxy tab s 10.5 from at&t for gaming and surfing the web and i was wondering if it's worth upgrading my tablet to something new for gaming or should i just keep what i have now. If you believe i should upgrade to something new what do you think would be better and i am looking for something that would keep up to date with all the newest os out there.
I think with how unique the tab s is, it's going to be a difficult choice. The dual processors are a pretty big deal, and there's still a bit of lifespan you could get playing games well on it. Having said that, the new Shield comes with a quad core 2.2, and it's a nice 200 bucks. You lose screen size, but it can update to marshmallow from the get-go. It also has front facing speakers, hdmi out, and can play your PC games. If that's the only thing you want out of a tablet, I'd say those new features might make the Shield worth buying in your case. The tab s is a powerful beast, though.