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So my situation, I was fortunate to earn a free ipad wifi/3g 16gb from a sales contest at work, well Ive played with the thing for a few weeks and I have to say apple blows. Anyways gunna sell it on ebay, looking like I can get about $450 for it.
I then want to take the money and buy an android tablet, i really want a honeycomb one, but I know they are very expensive as they are just coming out.
So I thought to myself why couldn't I just buy a tablet that comes with Froyo, and then root it, and flash a custom honeycomb rom once a developer ports it over to my device..? It would save me alot of cash/waiting.
So I'm assuming all the G tab owners did some shopping around before buying this tablet. What are the top 3 android tablets under $450 in your opinion?
Obviously another concern is which tablet under $450 will be likely to have the most developer support, being the flashaholic that I am, I really want something that has many roms and kernels etc.. availiable. I did see quite a few roms in the G tab development section, but I am finding it very difficult to find out information about other tablets as far as rom development. What do you guys thing from a developer support stand point?
Thanks!!!!
Under $450 and that are out now tablets....
If you're just looking for a tablet to browse the internet, casual gaming, youtube..you know basic stuff...you can save about $100 by buying a nook. Lots of dev support...I mean lots.
If you want something more powerful with a bigger screen but weaker viewing angles than the gtab is tops in my opinion. If you don't mind a used gtab...than I would grab one if you can find it.
As for a third choice, I guess I would get the archos 70 or 101.
Awesome thanks.
I personally wouldn't get a nook. I had one and ended up trading it for an archos 101. From what it looks like there is more development for the GTab. The nook is a nice device but I really didn't think the device was speedy enough for me. If I'm getting a tablet then it should have better specs then my phone (Nexus S). Screen on the Nook was nice but I've always wanted a bigger tab. I like my archos 101 but then again the processor was good but I felt it could be better. I just sold my archos a few days ago on here and ordered a GTab and it'll be here tomorrow. Nook is $250 new and GTab cost me $368, with the GTab you may be getting a worse screen but you get more internal storage, better processor, bluetooth, IMO better dev support, and a USB port which I personally want. I've also had a Galaxy Tab but when I had it development was slow so I got rid of it also again it has the same specs as my phone. IMO theres no point in a tablet that has equal or worse specs then your phone (unless you have a dual core phone) and after experience 7inch screens are good for reading and comics but 10.1inch screens are better for web browsing and even better for reading and comics
Had my gtab for about 2 weeks now that I bout from another user here on xda for $320. Prior to the purchase I had been following the forums and watching youtub videos of the device and drooling. Now that I have it, I feel I may have hyped it a bit too much. It is a good device but there are a few things about it that bother me but to be fair I was expecting some of them. the screen is as bad as they say. This device is pretty hefty. Holding it in can be tiresome at times. The bezel is thin on three sides, one of which also has capacitive buttons which makes it hard to find a comfortable way to hold it at times unless you are using both hands. No gps. As for the roms, as good as they are they are far from perfect. They each have their own issues which were easy to ignore at first but after a while i find to be annoying when you want something that just works. I appreciate the devs though and I'm sure in time they will figure everything out. After trying a xoom at frys the other day I can honestly say they know what a tablet should be like. I just wish it wasn't an extra 500 bucks.
BuI shopped arround for a good while. I have been using resistive screen tablet PC's in my work for years, and hated them. Ugly screens tedious repeated touches to get anywhere. Call me crazy but I really believe that anyone who complains about the screen on the gtab needs to take a reality check. This thing has better viewing angles than my android phone. What do you want to do with it? Rest it on your coffee table and sit 10 feet away at a 45° angle and expect perfect color? Yes there are nicer screens out there but IMHO this is way better than the crap I have seen for years. I'm sure it would have had a super top of the line screen too if Malta could have gotten screens from LG at nearly cost like apple does.
The price is perfect and the screen is perfect for the price. Enjoy the fact that no one will see what's on your screen unless you want them to. Its a security feature in my book.
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Mantara said:
BuI shopped arround for a good while. I have been using resistive screen tablet PC's in my work for years, and hated them. Ugly screens tedious repeated touches to get anywhere. Call me crazy but I really believe that anyone who complains about the screen on the gtab needs to take a reality check. This thing has better viewing angles than my android phone. What do you want to do with it? Rest it on your coffee table and sit 10 feet away at a 45° angle and expect perfect color? Yes there are nicer screens out there but IMHO this is way better than the crap I have seen for years. I'm sure it would have had a super top of the line screen too if Malta could have gotten screens from LG at nearly cost like apple does.
The price is perfect and the screen is perfect for the price. Enjoy the fact that no one will see what's on your screen unless you want them to. Its a security feature in my book.
Sent from my Chromatic Magic using XDA Premium App
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^^^^Yeah This. I waited a week for mine to come from the good ol' US of A (Im in oztralia )
After reading all the reports.. bad screens, slow stock UI etc I thought ok, well the screen is probably as bad as they say and the UI cant be that bad...
well it was exactly opposite - the screen is actually not that bad compared to some screens i deal with daily. UI was even worse than I could have imagined.
I know have vegan on it and it rocks. For the price I am absolutely blown away.
You can not go wrong with the g-Tab. Especially since you stated that you are a "Flashaholic." I have had mine for almost 2 months now and absolutely love it. I have tried both the vegan and TNT-Lite roms, and ended up staying with the TNT-Lite. While there are many things that could have been implemented better, in my mind it is a better value right now than the competition. I love the fact that it has removable storage. I have a little case that I keep my micro-SD cards in and swap them out whenever I want to watch something else or need more storage. Since purchasing this product, I have taken it with me on several business trips, and have found it indispensable. I can even back my photos up onto it using an SD card reader.
Bottom Line: If you do not mind playing around and fiddling with settings and enjoy trying new things, then I suggest getting the g-Tab. Over wise I suggest waiting a little longer until the "Tablet Form Factor" becomes more settled.
Just a note on the Notion Ink Adam which falls into the sub $450 category (wifi LCD version, anyways). I received hoping to get better viewing angles but they seemed to be the same as the Gtab, plus I really like the Gtab's form factor a lot more. The Adam was heavier, thicker and more squared off making it not as comfortable to hold as the Gtab. I ebayed the Adam and actually turned a little profit from it
Great info guys! Thanks to everyone who replied, all very helpful!
I got several buyers for my ipad so it should be gone today
I think the g tab sounds like it will do what I want, it really will just be for playing games, web browsing, and taking on airplanes etc, so it sounds like the way to go. And hopefully honeycomb roms will be available before too long!
Follow up question, where can you get a good case for the g tab? I liked the one that I bought my ipad, it was kind of like a little padfolio and it could fold into a "stand" which was great for watching movies on the plane.
Other than that just gotta research rooting this thing, I plan to pick one up before the end of the weekend. And you guys have already given me some ideas which roms to try. Thanks!
luigic81 said:
Follow up question, where can you get a good case for the g tab? I liked the one that I bought my ipad, it was kind of like a little padfolio and it could fold into a "stand" which was great for watching movies on the plane.
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Check the G Tablet Accessories forum, there are a couple of options depending whether you want a keyboard or not and at least one more on the way
Alright just a couple more for the helpful people here
1. is this the best way to root the g tab? http://droidpirate.com/2010/11/27/how-to-root-your-viewsonic-g-tablet/
2. After I root I will be following the instructions in this thread http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=865245
So I was wondering if I had to update anything in order to flash custom roms, or can I just root my tab, and then follow the instructions on that thread and be good to go on custom roms?
Also what ROM would you guys recomend? I am typically an AOSP guy assuming that everything is functional, but my wife will be using this tablet too and she is not very tech savvy, so I would like a rom that is pretty stable, any suggestions would be apprecited thanks!
Also I see clockwork v08 seems to be the hot ticket, so I assume that I will use that? I have always used Amon RA on my EVO, but it doesnt appear that Amon RA is availiable for the G tab, is that a correct assumption?
Thanks again for all the help, I know those last few questions arent necessarily pertinent to my original post, but I appreciate the help.
All the instructions you need to root the device are in the second thread you linked -> http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=865245
Just pick out a ROM - TNTLite and VEGAn are the two most popular around here - and follow the instructions carefully.
perfect thanks, guess I should've read this line from that thread
"You do NOT need to root your tablet to install a ROM on this device using this guide. All the after-market ROMs are pre-rooted."
LMAO!! haha cool.
Just a little update, I got my GTab today and love it sooooooooo much. Viewing angles aren't to bad. Monster Madness, Samurai II, and Backbreaker are awesome. Very fast device
Awesome I can't wait, should have mine before Monday
Wi-Fi only Motorola Xoom at Sam's Club
I think the gTab is the best bang for your buck at between $350 and $400 especially with the ROMs our gTabDevs are churning out for us. However, if you really want an official Honeycomb tablet I've read that Sam's Club will be selling these at their stores for around $500 each in the next few weeks.
Just thought some folks might want to know.
I am sticking with my Nook Color
After having received the Archos 101. I was disappointed in the screen quality and the touch screen and lack of dev support. I sold it and got the g tablet and was in love with it until I bought my mom a kindle and started to like the form factor and size. I then started becoming bored with my g tablet. I then began looking at the nook color forums and decided to buy one, since I have bought it, I haven't touched my g tablet. I really like the size and the feel of it, I read more now and still play the games I like. I am happy running CM7 gingerbread and looking forward to honeycomb when it comes out as AOSP.
The dirty little secret is that there is no day to day life changing use for a tablet. So this can put you in two categories.
#1. You want to try and use the tablet during travel and such. In this case form factor is going to be important. The Nook Color is probably a better option as you sacrifice overall performance for the usability of the design.
#2. You want a device to develop on and try to utilize the latest and greatest. The Tegra 2 is the "it" platform right now for the android tablets. The GTab and its brothers give you the best entry into this field.
I am solidly in #2. Sure I have played some games on my tablet, I have browsed the web and I have used it on the go. But there has never been a situation where my VZ Droid would not have let me do the exact same thing.
I am comfortable with the fact that I bought a development platform. Having it in hand shows me the potential of the concept.
slysecretspy said:
The dirty little secret is that there is no day to day life changing use for a tablet. So this can put you in two categories.
#1. You want to try and use the tablet during travel and such. In this case form factor is going to be important. The Nook Color is probably a better option as you sacrifice overall performance for the usability of the design.
#2. You want a device to develop on and try to utilize the latest and greatest. The Tegra 2 is the "it" platform right now for the android tablets. The GTab and its brothers give you the best entry into this field.
I am solidly in #2. Sure I have played some games on my tablet, I have browsed the web and I have used it on the go. But there has never been a situation where my VZ Droid would not have let me do the exact same thing.
I am comfortable with the fact that I bought a development platform. Having it in hand shows me the potential of the concept.
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Excellent post, and i'm in catoegory #2 as well, I'm playing with house money becuase I got the ipad for free. But my wife really wants something to play games with and I like to watch movies etc on the airplane as well as browse the etc at home.
hello, I've been recently looking at tablets. I want something pretty decently nice, with honeycomb (which you can put on this), and just generally nice specs. But my real question is, is this thing a piece of complete crap? it's off brand for things i buy usually, but I've seen generally good reviews. I've also been looking at the Transformer and the Xoom. Thank you all for the help.
considering that you can get one on Ebay for under $250, I would say yes, it's most definitely worth it.
Even with Froyo roms, it's a very useful tablet that will probably do the things that you want it to do. Yes, the screen angles are not ideal, but they are acceptable (in my opinion)
Put it this way, is buying a transformer, or Xoom for almost twice as much going to be just as useless when the newest tablets come out for Christmas?
I believe that it's a question of perception. What do you want to use it for?
and who knows, when Ice Cream Sandwich gets released, it may be easier to port to the G-Tablet than Honeycomb.
Well the transformer is only $150 more.. ill look up a comparison between the two. That was the other one I am still honestly considering
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gobluewolverines4 said:
Well the transformer is only $150 more.. ill look up a comparison between the two. That was the other one I am still honestly considering
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App
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I guess my point was, is the transformer going to be just as obsolete when the new tablets arrive? Nvidea is releasing a new tegra platform, that will basically make anything running on a tegra2 old hat. This would include the Xoom, Transformer, Iconia, as well as the G-Tablet, Adam, Vega, etc. These things depreciate faster than a car driven off the dealer's lot. Originally what, $450 when they were released? I bought mine for $300 (with a few extras) on Ebay. now they are retailing for $250 in Woot deals and Tiger Direct, while used ones on Ebay are plummeting down to nearly $200. When the new Tegra devices are released, I suspect that a G-tablet can be bought for $100 used.
What I mean, is why not save the $150 now, to put toward a better tablet down the line...The g-tablet will at least give you a less expensive introduction to the android tablet world, while still being a quite useful tool.
I would just hate to see somebody spend more money on a similar tablet that will cause them buyers remorse in 3 months or so. Of course, if you have the cash to burn, then go ahead and buy what you really want...for most people, that's an iPad...jk
TJEvans said:
I guess my point was, is the transformer going to be just as obsolete when the new tablets arrive? Nvidea is releasing a new tegra platform, that will basically make anything running on a tegra2 old hat. This would include the Xoom, Transformer, Iconia, as well as the G-Tablet, Adam, Vega, etc. These things depreciate faster than a car driven off the dealer's lot. Originally what, $450 when they were released? I bought mine for $300 (with a few extras) on Ebay. now they are retailing for $250 in Woot deals and Tiger Direct, while used ones on Ebay are plummeting down to nearly $200. When the new Tegra devices are released, I suspect that a G-tablet can be bought for $100 used.
What I mean, is why not save the $150 now, to put toward a better tablet down the line...The g-tablet will at least give you a less expensive introduction to the android tablet world, while still being a quite useful tool.
I would just hate to see somebody spend more money on a similar tablet that will cause them buyers remorse in 3 months or so. Of course, if you have the cash to burn, then go ahead and buy what you really want...for most people, that's an iPad...jk
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Wow. Very excellent explanation. I see now. Yes I will probably soon be purchasing the g tab!
PS: screw the ipad
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gobluewolverines4 said:
hello, I've been recently looking at tablets. I want something pretty decently nice, with honeycomb (which you can put on this).
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Honeycomb is not completely functional on the gtab (as of now). It is missing the Honeycomb specific drivers from Nvidia (aka full hardware acceleration, high def video).
If you really care about Honeycomb you should get the transformer IMO.
Although, I am quite happy with froyo based ROMs
Others are right in saying that quad core Tegra 3s are around the corner, Tegra 2 prices might drop by the end of the year. Given how Nvidia and Viewsonic acted regarding the gtab, I foresee support for Tegra 2s dropping drastically as newer hardware gets released.
Yeah the almost fully functioning honeycomb on here is fine for me. Should be ordering my g tab this week!
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App
Hello, I wrote a quick review for some guys that I work with. I am sure there are many reviews of the gtablet, but...
Here are my conclusions so far;
This thing is about the same size as the Xoom, and thicker than the IPAD. It is definitely not as sexy.
The screen is OK. It is not a high quality screen like you find on the other devices.
The processor is great, and the memory is sufficient. Things move pretty quick.
The ROM out of the box REALLY sucked. I was hoping to just deal with it, but Google had not approved the tablet so there were NO Google apps at all. Not acceptable. It took me a couple of hours to learn (last night till around 1:00am), but I replaced the stock ROM with a hacked ROM with everything I wanted.
This thing is really just a big Android phone with no phone or GPS.
I loaded up my Sony Reader software, downloaded all of my books, and then imported them into a DRM capable reader that is better.
Although there are some ROMs that support Gingerbread screens, I think I will stick with this 2.2 (or is it 2.3) Android feel.
What will I use it for?
Reading ebooks, PDFs (Scientific American, Maximum PC)
Google apps – maps, search
Kayak, hotels.com apps
Games (mostly for the kids) – I got Android Market to work
Web Browsing / some forum reading (via Tapatalk)
Personal email reading and contacts (no work email will be set up)
Maybe occasional Skype and Gotomeeting (camera sucks, so mostly audio)
News and weather
Of course, with the exception of reading the ebooks, I would always use the Macbook Pro if it were available.
So the speed and memory makes this all possible, but the experience (screen, size, build) is not equivalent to the expensive tablets.
Biggest complaints?
No GPS
Screen is not easy to see at an angle
I needed to root the thing to make it useful, which means I now need to stay on top of that and update it manually
The 10.1 device is a bit bigger / bulkier than I expected – the weight is the same as the ipad I believe.
I “can” watch videos on it (even 1080p), but moving the files would be a drag… it uses a microSD card that I would need to pop ion an adapter, or I could use the USB connection. Maybe I can find a way to do it with wifi or Bluetooth.
No USB charging… WTF??? It comes with a separate adapter that has to plug into the wall…
The screen is a 1024x600 which is similar to most pads, but it is really inferior to the Macbook Pro, and there is just something that is “fuzzy” about it.
Biggest positives?
Cheap - $269 delivered (no tax or shipping)
Fast
Should do what I want…
Next Steps…
See how much I actually use it for anything other than ebooks. If I do end up needing it more than I think, I would consider the Asus Transformer or something else new in the next year or so.
Hope this helps,
R
gobluewolverines4 said:
hello, I've been recently looking at tablets. I want something pretty decently nice, with honeycomb (which you can put on this), and just generally nice specs. But my real question is, is this thing a piece of complete crap?
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The screen is complete crap.
You should look hard for something with a better screen around $300-$350. If you can find it, get it.
And I *like* my Gtab - but its really just for kicking around and messing with roms and android. The screen really is killer bad unless you use it only at night, head on
Honeycomb works, and works well, as well as you could hope for unsupported xda rom hacking - ie, no netflix, no Hardware acceleration, occasional stand on your head workarounds, and the possibility of sudden death... well, ok, not that last one.
Bottom line: if you can find it for $100-$200, and want to play with roms, and tweak, and screw with it a lot to get it to be as good as a $400 one except for the horrible screen that cannot be fixed, YES, this is your tablet.
If you want a tablet to take out of the box and use, with rom updates from the manufacturer, and a screen you can read ebooks off of, this is NOT your tablet. Even for free.
So should I just get the transformer? Ah so many decisions!
Well I'm literally about to go to fry electronics and ill test out some there. Thanks !
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gobluewolverines4 said:
So should I just get the transformer?
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For $400, I'd say yeah.
Better screen, 1Kx800 resolution, 2x the ram. Yeah, looks like that's all worth $120.
Oh... and a GPS too.
Oh, and Honeycomb 3.1 from Asus. Plus lots of XDA love it seems.
gobluewolverines4 said:
So should I just get the transformer? Ah so many decisions!
Well I'm literally about to go to fry electronics and ill test out some there. Thanks !
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App
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I think the main question is what you want the tablet for or what to do with it.
A cheap $250-300 laptop has so much more computing power and practical use than any tablet...just a bit bulkier.
The tablet market will have much more offerings and better with faster cpus and such..just have to wait a bit.
I bought my gtab from woot 4/2011 for $275. I have installed several ROMs on it. They all are pretty good with their own pluses and minuses.
I'm currently on Flashback 5.4 HC: it looks nice and works well. Gmail, Talk - w/o video; G-Voice, Maps, Lattitude, Earth etc all work. You Tube works; a bunch of games works. The big screen is better than the phone size screen. Nice quick weather apps. Nice calendar.
What it cannot do is replace the screen and functionality of my desktop for real work.
If you can find a cheap Gtab and play with ROM's, flashing, androids quirks etc - jsut for the fun of it, then get a gtab. Fully flashable with great recovery process. Almost 99.99% Non-brickable. Get a used one for play and test.
If you want a decent a functional tablet w/o hassle, get an I-pad2.
I have read many complaints about the viewing angle of the screen, but I have had my tablet for months and I have no complaints. It has replaced my planner for work and is great for watching movies, not sharing with my neighbor.
I think of all the tablets available today, the HP Touchpad is the one I would choose. I got to play with a few tablets recently. Among them were the iPad, Moto Xoom, HTC Flyer, Blackberry Playbook, Huawei Ideos and the HP Touchpad. The newest Sammys weren't available. Nor were the Acers.
First off, the BB Playbook was the absolute worst of them all. It took 3 people to accidentally figure out how to delete a picture. Whilst messing with it trying to navigate around the UI, I snapped a picture of myself and wanted it off the system. I looked and looked and looked and finally called one of the store associates to assist. After he played with it for a long time, he called another store associate. The second associate played with it for a very long time also and then accidentally figured it out. We all went through every menu we could find and the answer was a simple downward swipe from the top of the LCD frame.
This brought back memories of my experience with a BB phone. No friggin way would I buy a damn BB tablet.
The rest of the tablets were sweet. The HTC Flyer was super smooth and gorgeous. The Xoom is old news. And the iPad is tired. I was really surprised by the Huawei tablet. It's so inexpensive, yet it works really well. Nevertheless, I love WebOS and my play time with the HP tablets was great. It worked flawlessly and smoothly and has that excellent multitask system. Plus I love the style, size and shape.
When the Sammys come out, I'll give them a try also and see it they can best the HP.
I'm liking the xoom. A keyboard and a mouse and I can ditch the MacBook.
Following the rules
im not and idiot or a noob, im tyring to post legitimate feedback on an android rom i am currently using but i need 10 posts so here is one more, thanks for this stupid rule! 8
I have been using Droid ROMS, MODS and kernels since the G1.
OG Galaxy Tab
I have the OG Galaxy tab and it rocks honeycomb pretty well. By 2 year old loves netflix so I'm happy.
Oops
OG Galaxy as in the 7 inch version. Honeycomb is on thru a custom ROM.
When I was in the market for a tablet I took a look at the xoom, playbook, iconia, and the transformer. The xoom was off the list because it was out of my price range. The playbook, I could not find the back button do that was it. It came down to the iconia and transformer, and I chose the iconia because of the full sized usb port and flash on the back.
Sent from 234 Elm Street
MartyLK said:
This brought back memories of my experience with a BB phone. No friggin way would I buy a damn BB tablet.
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also that in order to get e-mail on the thing you need to be linked up via bluetooth with another phone.
i went to check one out, was in a game when i did, looking all over for the exit button, took me and another employee 20 minutes just to figure it out, swipe up....yeah, lets not put softkeys on it like we do with our phone, nah, no menu, a FRIGGAN SWIPE MOTION!, i can't blame them for trying to be inovative, but the "physical buttons" for the playbook are so small that someone would need a stylus just to press the friggin' buttons.
it has flash, and 1080p playback....yet the camera on it sucks.
RIM, try harder next time.
I don't have a tablet. But I would like one!
Kiboe said:
also that in order to get e-mail on the thing you need to be linked up via bluetooth with another phone.
i went to check one out, was in a game when i did, looking all over for the exit button, took me and another employee 20 minutes just to figure it out, swipe up....yeah, lets not put softkeys on it like we do with our phone, nah, no menu, a FRIGGAN SWIPE MOTION!, i can't blame them for trying to be inovative, but the "physical buttons" for the playbook are so small that someone would need a stylus just to press the friggin' buttons.
it has flash, and 1080p playback....yet the camera on it sucks.
RIM, try harder next time.
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The store I was at had a couple Playbooks on display at different areas of the store and the first one I came to had a non-functional small round button on the top...the button about the size of a bb pellet. I didn't know it didn't function; that it was damaged, and figured it was some sort of LED indicator. On the second Paybook, which was fully functional, if I hadn't pressed that little round button by accident to turn on the device, I never would have figured out how to power it on because I attributed that round button as an indicator or something of that nature. I wouldn't have intentionally pressed it.
The Playbook is typical BB B.S. I had the same experience with my BB phone. I spent 90% of my time trying to find stuff on it than I did just using it. No wonder BB is in the crapper these days.
I went with a Transformer. I did some research too. I will say this that playing with a unit in the store and taking it home and using it for a week or two is a huge difference. I am sure you can make some basic decisions based on your likes and dislikes, To heavy dont like how it feels in your hand etc, but nothing takes the place of good ole fashioned "Use it". I wrote a pretty long article regarding my purchase and my decisions tree in the transformer forums, as there are a lot of "Can the Asus Transformer replace my netbook/laptop" threads on a lot of different forums and i wanted to put my thoughts out there as well. I will find the link and link it. But in short the basic answer is it depends. I know not the best answer and not the one you were looking for but its the truth.
Here is my post its long but might be worth a read if you are trying to decide
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=15679836#post15679836
I am very happy with the transformer and in my post i give the reasons i chose it.
The Rahl
we have the xoom here. not sure how we like it yet. can't get it to root. or rather can't find a walkthrough that doesn't assume you already have certain things installed on your computer. not their fault. it's the xooms for me needing to root to actually use all it's features.
i have the galaxy 10.1 its so dirty i love it. slim, light, and fast
Apple suxxx but by the way, I prefer the iPad 2 !
I prefer the 7 inch tablet, but there aren't any good ones. The best 10 inch is the sammy sung tab 10.1.
It down right makes all the other tabs look like s**t. Samsung did a GREAT job on the screen. I like the feel of the thrive but it's screen sucks. The ipad seemed heavy but I do like its keyboard. The touchpad and playbook are the worst. the iconia is pretty ugly. The xoom feels nice but has a bad screen in my opinion. Tab 10.1 is best then xoom or ipad.
Reply
I am using Apple i pad. Its features processing speed durability awesome.
Some tablets are truly great in the niche such as Xoom, Transformer and Ironia, but seems that it's still no one is good enough to beat the iPad. At least for me, I have to admit the using experience is really fantastic on iPad.
chikwarne said:
I am using Apple i pad. Its features processing speed durability awesome.
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skydeve said:
Some tablets are truly great in the niche such as Xoom, Transformer and Ironia, but seems that it's still no one is good enough to beat the iPad. At least for me, I have to admit the using experience is really fantastic on iPad.
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Yeah, I agree. The iPad is a powerful and well engineered tablet. But it lacks the high res display I desire and this makes it tired for me. I'm spoiled by the Retina display of my iPhone 4. There just isn't a display as good as the Retina display. If Apple puts an equivalent display in the next iPad, that would solve the tired problem.
i am waiting samsung tab 10.1 or sony
I have the Samsung Galaxy 10.1 and it rocks, so fast and easy to use.
I bought my 8 yr. old daughter a Velocity Micro Cruz. I sent that same POS back 2 weeks later. She is only 8 so I'm not looking to spend mega bucks and I don't buy anything made by Apple. I am thinking of getting her the Gen 9 Archos 8in tablet when it arrives in a few months. The Cruz isn't a bad tablet for the price point but it simply has too little internal memory. It constantly froze on us. It is great looking hardware, nice looking screen and a little heavy. Also, not having the genuine Android Market or XDA-Dev support was a killer. I came to realize I have no love for Android in it's current state (2.3 and below as I haven't used or seen a Honeycomb tablet yet). As a long time Windows Mobile user Android still reminds me of an incomplete and immature version of Windows Mobile that is more popular but not more effective. I am disappointed in this realization, especially when 90% of the tablets out there worth their salt, hardware wise, are Android based.
To be fair, I actually played with my friend's IPad II also. When I say played with, I mean sat there and used it for 2-3 hours to see if it could impress me. The answer is no. It's a $600 POS. What's scary is the Velocity Mirco Cruz was $179 total and the $400 or so price difference really doesn't show when it comes to using the damn things. The Ipad was lighter, faster and didn't freeze (because it has enough damn internal memory), but like every other damn Apple product it is limited and constricted. I swear if the Cruz had more internal memory it would have been 200x more effective than that Apple pos. Transferring information was easier. Using it as a part of my current environment was easier (HD2, Windows 7 laptop, Windows Vista PC). When I used the Dolphin browser it worked excellent (as did Safari). Basically the only satisfying experience I had on the Ipad was the Youtube application and the only thing that made it better than what I get on my HD2 is the screen size. Beyond that it has nothing on my 2 year old phone. Apple smapple.
I don't expect the HP or BB tablets to last very long in this market so I'm hoping Microsoft comes out with a viable tablet OS (which is rumored) and it doesn't actually disappoint me the way everything else has. Knowing I won't be able to replace the Cruz for under $200 I upped the ante to $300 and it looks like Archos is going to slide in with the gen 9's. Hopefully I won't remain disappointed.
New forum for this brand-spanking-new device? Why don't we introduce ourselves and start off the t700 community the right way?
Ill go first,
I've been a fairly active member of the Epic 4G Touch community here on XDA. I'm a rising senior at Kutztown University of Pennsylvania, and I've been waiting for a solid android tablet to replace my first generation iPad as my note-taking, homework-on-the-go, etc device. Planning on getting my t700 when it's released in a couple weeks (hopefully) and getting down with some custom ROMs!
Ok
I was really active in the HTC Fuze forum up until I got a iphone 4. I used to have a ipad for note taking and etc, but I always felt like it lacked something. Since the first generation ipad is now officially "obsolete" and wont be receiving any new updates or apps, I have decided to give android a go this time around.
Anyways I got to demo a TF300 today at Office Depot and I have to say I am fairly confident I will be happy with the Infinity. Assuming the higher pixel density does not impact the performance much.
I joined XDA last march when I got my Motorola Atrix, but I didnt really become an active member here until I got my Nook Color last June and loaded CM7 on it. A few months later the HP Touchpad firesale hit, resulting in me selling the Color for it. In retrospect getting the TP was a mistake, since it ruined 7" tablets for me (and thus now the Nexus 7) and started having some hardware issues that resulted in an on-going fight with HP's repair services. That's a long story though, and not one for here.
What is relevant is, to make up for the disaster that was the Touchpad I decided to get a TF300. Right as I was about to buy it though, rumors started flying around on the TF700 launching late June which made me decide to hold off. When the actual launch date and pricing were announced, I was somewhat caught off guard since it was cheaper than I expected.
As such, I'll be picking up a 32GB model with a dock (which I thought I wouldn't be able to afford given rumored pricing), running it rooted stock for about a month for warranty purposes and then loading it with CM9 and a Linux chroot. It'll replace my Touchpad as a light and portable way to take notes during classes as well as general couch surfing and lightweight productivity like writing papers, code, email etc.
reluttr said:
Ok
I was really active in the HTC Fuze forum up until I got a iphone 4. I used to have a ipad for note taking and etc, but I always felt like it lacked something. Since the first generation ipad is now officially "obsolete" and wont be receiving any new updates or apps, I have decided to give android a go this time around.
Anyways I got to demo a TF300 today at Office Depot and I have to say I am fairly confident I will be happy with the Infinity. Assuming the higher pixel density does not impact the performance much.
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Looks like we're both victims of ancient iPads lol
I joined XDA after getting an HTC Touch HD (Windows Mobile), then an HTC Desire HD (Android).
I started wanting a tablet about a year ago, but no Android model really seduced me, and anything by apple is a big NO. I got interested in the first Transformer and in the Prime, but the issues encountered by their users told me to wait.
Since the Infinity was announced, I have decided it would be the tablet to have.
I have been leeching on XDA for a pretty while, but became a more or less active member January last year when my LG O2x arrived. It was replaced by my tried-and-true SGS2 about half a year later (and donated to my then-fiancée -- I have flashed pretty much every custom ROM that came out, and have settled on SLIM for now).
I was looking for a tablet that could entertain me on my rather long commute to work (work shift-based in a hospital, with somewhere between 4.5 and 6 hours of (mostly train-based) commute per shift) -- before I mostly read on my e-reader; now, in addition, I browse the web and watch documentaries (or the incidental movie).
I got the TF700 before the actual release date (retail) and I am very happy with it. I must say that I am curious if the performance boost with a custom ROM will becomparable to that which I've seen on my SGS2. If so, then let me first brace myself, for it probably will knock my socks off.
Hi tf700 enthusiasts! I just pre-ordered my infinity from j&r and almost have gone completely insane with waiting months for the official release in USA.
I have never had a Tablet, and I am a bit nervous of any large monetary purchases. I was hoping to write my first post here with the knowledge that you guys here would provide great opinions, information, and support!
Looking forward to being a part of XDA!
Sent from my Nexus S 4G using xda premium
smoshua said:
I have never had a Tablet, and I am a bit nervous of any large monetary purchases. I was hoping to write my first post here with the knowledge that you guys here would provide great opinions, information, and support!
Looking forward to being a part of XDA!
Sent from my Nexus S 4G using xda premium
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Hi smoshua, welcome to XDA! If you can cope with the occasional irate developer and intellectually blunt users, you'll be fine in here. I hope you haven't been diappointed already ('"you were hoping to write you first post... you guys would provide ... information and support"), hahaha!
As far as the price goes: yes, the TF700 is quite an expensive device, but you should also remember you are buying the best-specced Android tablet today. No better way to increase e-peen length that that.
Long-time Android user, mostly Samsung thus far, this will be my first tablet.
I became involved here on XDA when I bought my Droid Bionic back in September. Decided I wanted this tablet because it's a beast...and I need something to take to class and write notes on (the dismal battery life on my laptop makes that difficult...it's too powerful for it's own good ). I also really want something light to carry around as a mostly laptop replacement since this thing gets pretty heavy carrying around...I'll keep it for more power hungry tasks and long writing sessions.
Hey all!
I´ve been using Android on both phone and tablet since August ´10 with the htc desire (currently running miui) and August ´11 with the tf101 (running Revolver). I´m atm selling my tf101 on ebay and bought my tf700 last week.
To be honest i´m a bit disappointed in the overall performance of the tf700 which feels almost identical of the tf101´s (which is a bit laggy sometimes) but maybe that will go away.
What would excite me to no end would be Ubuntu 12.04 or 12.10 running on the tf700.
I owned a Transformer Prime and ended up selling it on Ebay, but kept the keyboard with the intent of reusing it with the TF700.
My impressions so far with the TF700 are positive. GPS was important to me and I am pleasantly surprised by how much it has been improved. The strip at the top/back of the tablet looks well implemented and does not detract from the beautiful appearance of the device.
My only concerns are the I/O (slow copying of files into and out of the unit) and the jerkiness in Chrome makes it almost unusable.. probably just a setting or tweak somewhere.
Overall I am very pleased and not regretting the purchase like I did with the Prime.
If we get Jelly Bean things can only get better. :good:
tdp252 said:
I owned a Transformer Prime and ended up selling it on Ebay, but kept the keyboard with the intent of reusing it with the TF700.
My impressions so far with the TF700 are positive. GPS was important to me and I am pleasantly surprised by how much it has been improved. The strip at the top/back of the tablet looks well implemented and does not detract from the beautiful appearance of the device.
My only concerns are the I/O (slow copying of files into and out of the unit) and the jerkiness in Chrome makes it almost unusable.. probably just a setting or tweak somewhere.
Overall I am very pleased and not regretting the purchase like I did with the Prime.
If we get Jelly Bean things can only get better. :good:
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+1 on the JB my friend.
Sent from my Super Sexy Epic Touch rockin' "The Goodness"!
Hi All,
I have been a huge fan of tablet. In fact, I started using my very first tablet which was PC by HP like 7-8 years ago. Then bought ultraportable PC Tablet. When xoom came out I jumped on it. Then I switched to the Samsung Galaxy 10.1. Then went to iPad2. Got galaxy 10.1 back for awhile (this time with 4G). In an anticipation of Transformer Infinity I ended up selling my Galaxy 10.1. I believe I have done fair share of research and personal experience of tablet. I definitely enjoy Android Tablet over iOS due to its flexibility, and believe or not some apps are better on android (at least for what I do). Samsung was just too slow in terms of updating their OS, which was one of a big negative for me. Plus the build quality of the tablet was poor. Without any major physical damage I can think of, the plastic around the port broke off. So I was not going to go with Samsung again. Having seen phenomenal speedy update of ASUS, I was going to go with Infinity except.... IO issue seems a major one. So I will hold off and see if ASUS will fix this. But in the mean time, I will keep checking this forum as otherwise I wouldn't even have known such issue existed.
Leavin iPad2
Hi guys. Just like ya'll I'm standin around the beach waitin 4the launch.
Really just started messin with my 3D late April and the downgrade to get root and all that. Did the Newt rom and the ics and sense 4 were the hoot. I've gone back to stock waitin4 the official ics upgrade. Kinda fun playin around the innards of the 3D, if not abit like paintin by numbers, lol
Tablet wise I picked up the iPad2 when it came out. That was slightly before real android tablet action. I like the iPad2 but not the OS - I really feel at home with Android. I just put my iPad2(with my Apple goodies) and my AR Drone up on ebay. Figgure that'll cover most the cost of the 700 the way those iPad's hold resale value.
Bye bye Apple
Just like ya'll I'm standin around the beach waitin 4the launch
KilerG said:
I became involved here on XDA when I bought my Droid Bionic back in September. Decided I wanted this tablet because it's a beast...and I need something to take to class and write notes on (the dismal battery life on my laptop makes that difficult...it's too powerful for it's own good ). I also really want something light to carry around as a mostly laptop replacement since this thing gets pretty heavy carrying around...I'll keep it for more power hungry tasks and long writing sessions.
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Hi KilgerG,
when I read your text I had to laugh and read it loud to to my wife ;-) had the htd touch pro 2 (Windows Mobile), now have also the htc desire hd... For also a decent time, I cant wait to finally get a tablet. Apple was a no-Go, and not good Android tablets. Then the transformers came, but i read about their problmes. So no-GO. And the Infitnity... I ordered one week ago one and i cant wait ;-)
I just found this forum... hopefully I wont find anything here, that makes me thinking about buying the device really.
So I'm here as well.
My story is as follows
I started with a Nexus One because I was fascinated with the idea that you could change your OS on a phone. I didn't know at that time that it was already possible. I had no idea what an impact it would've on my life. But as you can imagine I got ORD quite fast.
When I owned the N1 I was a quite passive member and read a lot and just tried to learn all that stuff.
Then I bought the Nexus S and began to be a bit more active.
After the NS I bought the Galaxy S II which was my big mistake. I hate Touchwiz. CM was available though but it was always a bit buggy. So I ditched the SGSII as soon as the Galaxy Nexus came out.
With the Galaxy Nexus I started to become quite active. I'm currently a beta tester for the SLIM ICS/ Bean ROM.
And you'll see me from time to time in the CM threads because I'm really a big fan of their work.
I owned the TF101G before the TF700T. I liked it quite a bit but I came late to the game so that it was quite outdated when I bought it.
The biggest issue for me though was the low resolution. Use to the high resolution display on my GNEX it was really a pain to read on it.
That's actually the main reason why I bought the Infinity.
ATM I own just the tablet in gold but as soon as the dock is available I'll buy that too.
I'll use it mostly for reading, surfing, watching films on the go and writing my blog.
Mspeker38 said:
For also a decent time, I cant wait to finally get a tablet. Apple was a no-Go, and not good Android tablets. Then the transformers came, but i read about their problmes. So no-GO. And the Infitnity... I ordered one week ago one and i cant wait ;-)
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Same for me. I read through all the Prime desasters and luckily cancled my preorder before it was shipped.
Now I hope the Infinity has those things bugged out.
Can't wait till the grey version pad only is released here in Germany.
It is said to be next week.
Fingers crossed!
i wanna throw some links out and help discuss how fast tech is moving. Asus is taking the initiative to make tablets into ultra books. and microsoft is also starting in that direction.
http://www.engadget.com/2012/06/04/asus-tablet-600/
http://www.engadget.com/2012/06/04/asus-transformer-book/
with windows 8 on the horizon and these tablets running the full OS what do you guys recommend me doing ? i wanted to sell my laptop since i have a gaming computer and get something portable to take to class and stuff. use it to stream media and what have you. for 499 its releasing soon i want to get it buy a 32 gig sd card for the dock and be set !. super ips + is really important and the new hybrid tablets and docks are releasing with like 1300 by whatever resolution >_<
i dont want to get something that gets outdated fast but i feel like we are buying something experimental and this fall the real gadgets come out. even if i get it now will the resale value be enough to cover my loss and upgrade to tablets with i5 processors and same weight / cool design ?
I've been longing for a transformer mini (7" tab, full size dock) for some time. I thought the 370t might be the ticket, but instead of gaining a keyboard dock, it lost some extras and became the nexus 7. To add insult to injury, Asus came out after and told pocketlint there would be no transformer mini, apparently they couldn't imagine having a larger dock than tab, even though the empty bezel space would allow for generous front-facing speakers. I'll never understand why tabs direct sound away from the user when they're intended for multimedia.
Anyway, high res is a must (I'm a reader -- fuzzy text gets uncomfortable in long reading sessions), and netbook replacement is a must, and really only the infinity fits the bill. I'm looking forward to seeing just how well the screen performs outdoors. I'd prefer an efficient reflective solution like pixel qi or mirasol, but those can't seem to go primetime, so why not try and outshine the sun w. super ips+?
I'm a little disappointed there's no BT4, and wonder if the single GB of ram will be the first bottleneck to emerge as the device ages. I'm buying for the long haul. By the time I retire my infinity, the tablet category will no longer exist. We'll all have tegra X implanted directly into our brains and wired to our visual cortex.
But otherwise, I'm pretty excited. I came to XDA for XDAndroid on my winmo Touch Pro2. The transformer is the first android series with a better keyboard than that
Hi guys i worked really hard this summer to save up for this tablet and dock. it was sweet the first week and i made sure to factory reset and just install good known apps. 3 weeks later the device is still... pretty snappy i guess. it laggs opening the app drawer with only 2 pages of apps lol. getting back to the homescreen sometimes is a pain . and i dont understand why there is not a lot of people with the device ! the nexus 7 has every dev and his grandmother making things for it. its getting really hard to justify the money i spent for it
so my question is. would you sell your tablet and dock ( lets say my dad wants to buy it off me for 600$) and you get a nexus 7 and enjoy the custom roms, gaming and community behind it ? with lots to spare? i dont use the camera on the tf700, i mostly use cloud storage so idk if i need the micro and full size sd card i bought lol. hm at the same time i dont want to regret it later. oh well ! opinions ?
If the Nexus were 10", I'd consider it. As is, absolutely not. I've tried a 7" tablet before, and they're just too small to do anything productive on them. They're great pocket web browsers, but at that point I feel like I could just whip out my phone and as such dont see much of a point.
Roms WILL come for the Infinity. Its still a rather new device, the Nexus has the advantage of full source being available for it from day 1. Most non-nexus devices have only kernel source available, so it takes a while for devs to figure things out. Once one AOSP ROM drops, development should pick up really fast.
I'd never consider having a 7" tablet instead of a 10" tablet or the Infinity specifically, especially with the dock. This is more of a netbook (but not laptop) vs Infinity thing for me.
I'll definitely consider getting a 7" tablet as an addition to it, however, for note-taking on the go and such, but when there's a solid 7" tablet with SD card slot, 3G, good (and fast-charging) battery with reasonable CPU/GPU/SoC and JB out... pretty demanding, so I'm still waiting, 3G seems to be the biggest problem in these.
d14b0ll0s said:
I'd never consider having a 7" tablet instead of a 10" tablet or the Infinity specifically, especially with the dock. This is more of a netbook (but not laptop) vs Infinity thing for me.
I'll definitely consider getting a 7" tablet as an addition to it, however, for note-taking on the go and such, but when there's a solid 7" tablet with SD card slot, 3G, good (and fast-charging) battery with reasonable CPU/GPU/SoC and JB out... pretty demanding, so I'm still waiting, 3G seems to be the biggest problem in these.
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+1 for a 10" over a 7". I have to say I have a sorry long history with the various tablets, going back to the very first Android Tabs. I have had the full range of Asus devices, spent months testing the Xoom and the Galaxy 10.1 for VZW, the ViewSonic gTablet, all the way back to the Augen Gentouch and the Velocity Cruz. For me, 7" is a great e-reader and that is about it. I am very hard-pressed to come up with anything that it is useful for besides reading a book that I can't do faster and easier with either my phone or my tablet depending on the need.
I just don't see the value in it. Borrow a 7" and try to take notes, it really doesn't work nearly as well as you would hope. Then do it on a 10" and see the difference.
Good luck!
this is a subjective question to be answered by ones own needs
Sent from my ASUS Transformer Pad TF700T using xda app-developers app
No SD slot on Nexus, thats why I got a tf700 in the first place.
I was really tempted initially when I found out how few apps there are supported. But measured side by side its main competitor in my mind the ipad 3, the infinity just has so much more functionality I'm willing to wait for the app support. :victory:
I waited forever to get the Infinity so I definitely have patience for more development.
Trade for cash
Heck ya baby...
Bucks talk hardware walks!
I'd say no. If you REALLY want a device with lots of devs behind it and ability to customize it, go for something like the samsung galaxy tab 10 (or the tab 2.0 but thats reather expensive)
The reason i say the tab 10 is because:
10" tablet
Sources are available
Odin is provided BY SAMSUNG to make CUSTOM ROMS, how much easier can they make it?
LOTS of cooks making custom versions of android
Its been out for ages meaning there is a developed community behind it
In my area anyways they were given away like fruitcake, Buy a cell phone get a tab, buy a PVR get a tab, buy a car get a tab, go to school get a tab, etc. so the market is saturated
Tab 2.0 drives down the price of the tab 10, you can get them used for like, $200 in my area
Dual core, powerful enough to run pretty much anything on the market. VERY few apps take advantage of quad core
If you want to get a solid 10" tablet and not pay big money this is the one i would go with. Its not top of the line, its not as flashy, it doesnt have as many features as the prime but it IS a solid tablet that will do what you want with the customization you want while leaving LOTS of extra money in your pocket.
If there would have been any valid rumours about Nexus 10" tablets I wouldn't have even considered getting another tablet. Same goes for phones now. My SGS3 will be the last branded phone. I want to go to Google all the way. Just so tired of companies putting their "own value" to the product and making updates slow and actually most of the extra is just annoying. Thank god Asus didn't make that much changes, only some useless apps which can't get rid off without rooting. But still updates are slower than with Google's Nexus. And Asus is the best of the rest.
CandyAndy said:
If there would have been any valid rumours about Nexus 10" tablets I wouldn't have even considered getting another tablet. Same goes for phones now. My SGS3 will be the last branded phone. I want to go to Google all the way. Just so tired of companies putting their "own value" to the product and making updates slow and actually most of the extra is just annoying. Thank god Asus didn't make that much changes, only some useless apps which can't get rid off without rooting. But still updates are slower than with Google's Nexus. And Asus is the best of the rest.
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Samsung is bad for updates, i agree, however because we get all the sources it is pretty quick before you get AOSP versions that are up to date with google, at least thats the way it is with my S2.
hey boy i know you spend a good amount of money to get the infinity but your comparing it to the nexus 7 which is a 7" device with almost no features with cheapness ooozing all over it . It's like buying a bmw and you want to trade it for a honda civic!!!!! .
Sure it will have more developer because it came out first plus its a google nexus reference design what do you expect. Wait another month and you'll see that there will be a lot of developer for this device.
Why so many useless thread concerning this type of question eg: should i trade my infinity? , what color do you like? , should i get the 32gb? Why not get yourself a brain so you can make a decision.