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Summary: Honeycomb UI great but buggy
Xoom hardware and build quality feel excellent but the screen isn't what it should be (iPad is better)
Xoom vs iPad vs Gtab ... FIGHT! (The Gtab lost... big time)
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So I left work early with a couple of co-workers to scout out the Xoom. We are all work in technology so we have a pretty good idea of what we want, but we all have different perspectives.
I am the lead Internet Infrastructure Enterprise Engineer for Continental/United Airlines and I own the G-tablet, running VEGAn 1.0.0 beta 5.1.1 and the original Droid 1 running Ultimate Droid 3.0.1 (Gingerbread).
Nick, the iPad/iPhone 4 owner with us is a lead Systems Enterprise Engineer who's focus is Enterprise Active Directory with oversight of the Systems Engineering approval process.
Cory was third member of our scouting party was a Systems Project Engineer whose focus is on consolidation of physical server chassis into Virtual Servers. He currently owns a Droid X, switching to Android from the iPhone 3GS. He and I were looking to potentially purchase the Xoom.
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Our collective impressions:
Positives:
-The Honeycomb interface is more efficient than the iPads adaption of the iPhone UI.
-Xoom hardware felt very solid and reassuring to hold, much better feeling in the hands than a Gtab. It made my Gtab feel plastic-y and bulky.
-You could certainly tell there was a Tegra 2 behind the scenes at work.
-A few of the built in, tablet optimized apps, were refreshing to see on an Android device.
Negatives:
-Screen quality lacked something to be desired, specifically for an $800 device. While it was usable, the nearly year old iPad still had a superior display.
-There is still some work to be done on the software side. The built in browser did not do well at all with large images in websites. ESPN home page was very jumpy and really choked up when zooming in on images, Where as the iPad and my Gtab running Dolphin were relatively smooth.
-The Market is currently lacking many tablet optimized applications, as we all know too well.
-We couldn't determine the sound quality because of an apparent bug. Either the device as 100% volume and very distorted or the sound was off. Changing the volume up or down made no change until you had gone all the way down and the sound turned off.
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From an enterprise support perspective, Honeycomb still has a ways to go before we could deploy Android tablets as a supported enterprise class device. Much for the same reasons that we do not deploy iPads. I hope that they address enterprise class authentication with user control so we can look at deploying these as enterprise devices. A small side note, Continental has both iOS and Android applications for customers to use but we also have in house iPad applications for ticket agents to use in assisting customers. The application is supported on the enterprise but the iPads themselves are treated like a dumb terminal and are not an endpoint on our network.
From a user/consumer perspective, the device certainly has potential but I feel that the price tag combined with the lack of application support and general software polish make this a niche product for uber geeks at best.
Cory did not end up walking out of Best Buy with the Xoom after all. Instead he decided to keep waiting patiently for a tablet that is more refined with a higher quality screen at that price point or to see what software updates may bring in conjunction with a price drop.
I personally will be hanging on to my Gtab for the time being, patiently waiting for a Honeycomb ROM (I'll certainly be donating to the devs who bring it to us)! I would like to see what the Samsung Galaxy 10.1 and the LG tablet bring and/or a sub $500 Xoom option before making the switch.
Edit: Steve Jobs had already informed Nick that he will be purchasing an iPad2... and Nick does the bidding of Steve for he is an iSheep under the watch and care.
bmangold said:
From a user/consumer perspective, the device certainly has potential but I feel that the price tag combined with the lack of application support and general software polish make this a niche product for uber geeks at best.
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Remember that the Tegra 3 will be out second half of this year which will be the equivalent of a Quad Core chip. I "personally" was happy enough with my G-Tab (which replaced my iPad) to recently buy a second one. I think this will tide me over until Thanksgiving when you can expect Android 4.0 on a Tegra 3 to truly wipe the floor
Thanks! Good stuff....
EwanG said:
Remember that the Tegra 3 will be out second half of this year which will be the equivalent of a Quad Core chip. I "personally" was happy enough with my G-Tab (which replaced my iPad) to recently buy a second one. I think this will tide me over until Thanksgiving when you can expect Android 4.0 on a Tegra 3 to truly wipe the floor
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Click to collapse
I can't wait for Tegra 3 plus Android 3.1. I've been saying that Android 3.1 could be the beginning of the end for Windows in the consumer space. When people have a phone powerful enough to replace their Windows machines, that has a UI that scales from phone form factor up to tablet/netbook scale... not many people are going to care about buying a new computer.
I'm too much of a PC gamer to ditch Windows currently, but if Android tablet game development takes off... watch out.
TLDR:
Buy now or wait since new stuff is coming out? I want the HTC Flyer stylus functionality, and the dockable keyboard functionality as well!
Hello All,
I'm a general tech junkie who loves to expensive toys and things to tinker with (so using anything Apple is pretty much out of the question). With that said, I'm generally not an early adopter. I hate the feeling of spending $500 on something then seeing something that makes me feel stupid for not waiting 3 - 6 months later.
With that said, I had been holding off on a tablet for a while. Initially I was not planning on purchasing a tablet (in it's current form) at all. When the iPad came out, I honestly thought it was a joke of 9 iPhones Gorilla Glued together and didn't see the point.
Honestly, I still don't see the point for anything else other than using on the couch for general use or using while traveling. Both my wife and I travel (normally not at the same time) with work and carrying 2 laptops can be a real hassle. A tablet (being much lighter) would be great. We could use something to video chat with, and not have restricted internet access (more of an issue with her since I can do anything except look at porn and other obvious "no-nos" at work). Additionally, I don't see the use for a 3G model since most of my use would be while in a hotel or at home, and anytime I need a wireless connection, I can just WiFi Hotspot my phone.
So now I see this model. It looks great. Does everything I'd want, and acts as a laptop when needed! The reviews are great, and this looks like THE tablet to buy... for now.
Today I saw a promo video for the HTC Flyer, and while I would not want to purchase a 7" tablet the integration into the calendar and Ever Note looks flawless (Yes, I am aware this is a promo video and that's what they're supposed to do!).
This promo got me thinking. This tablet with a keyboard accessory is what I was looking for, something with a keyboard that I could use when I wanted a keyboard, and when I just want to play Angry Birds birds on the couch on a bigger screen, or watch a movie on a plane, I can have just the tablet. No tethering required to a keyboard to type a long XDA-Forum post.
Unfortunately, not only do I want my cake, I want to eat it too. Being able to write notes, and potentially have them transcribed to text would be amazing for my line of work. Being able to write notes on documents would be amazing as well. I'm imagining that this isn't functionality that could come to the Transformer since styluses (styli?) don't work on any Android device I've used, so this either has to be hardware, or very custom software that I doubt they'd release.
So I'm a bit torn on what to do. Buy now, or wait for something with all the features I want. HTC does make a large variety of devices, so I have to wonder if they might eventually come out with their own Transformer.
What does everyone think? Buy now, or wait for the plethora of tablets to grow and the technology to normalize a bit before making the investment?
You should check out the new lenovo tablet coming out in june. It has both a stylus for writing and a detachable keyboard.
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App
One big caveat is that the Scribe doesn't transcribe anything. It's basically just screenshots that are taken of whatever screen the user wants to annotate, and then notes can be taken on that.
This is a far cry from what Microsoft's been providing with Windows-based Tablet PC's for years, which treats "ink" as an actual data type that can be manipulated, copy, pasted, transcribed, etc. OneNote remains the best app for taking handwritten notes, with full searching.
I'd be more interested in the Lenovo if it provides that level of functionality, but it would be much more complex than just using a capacitive stylus to draw on the screen. And speaking for myself here, I'm not at all willing to wait until the late summer for it.
So is this something that is hardware or software controlled? The lenovo one sounds very appealing. I'm willing to wait, I just don't want to buy now and feel I should have waited 2 months. If I bought a Xoom, I'd be fuming right now.
Where can I get some info on the Lenovo one?
As for the Scribe, I wouldn't actually buy one on the account of a 7" screen and Froyo. I would really want the stylus features it offers, but it would need to be data, not drawing pictures. Linking this stuff directly to the calendar and Ever Note as well is great as well.
Sent from my DROIDX using XDA App
A couple of articles here about the Lenovo tablets here - http://thisismynext.com/ I'm a fan of the Thinkpad laptops so I'm looking forward to this although if I get the asus transformer I can't help but think I may then change it for the samsung tablet or this Lenovo one down the road.
(1) The thing about the samsung tablets (of any size) and the HTC is that (like the xoom) they're all laughingly overpriced.
The xoom is so overpriced that Motorola have sold so few that they have downgraded their economic forecast for the second quarter.
(2) Honeycomb transformer! someone offered me £430 for my used asus, i snatched out of their had so fast i might have broken their fingers
So i knowlonger have one! do i care? no!
If you like widgets wait two months for compatability to kick in.
I'm a huge user of rss news feeds and couldn't find one decent one that worked with honeycomb.
Also Dolphin HD web browser doesn't work, the standard browser is a crap one with tabs and a very very basic bookmarks feature.
I get another transformer when the keyboard is released and when i read of reviews of rss feeds and adw or vtl working properly.
checkbox111 said:
(1) The thing about the samsung tablets (of any size) and the HTC is that (like the xoom) they're all laughingly overpriced.
The xoom is so overpriced that Motorola have sold so few that they have downgraded their economic forecast for the second quarter.
(2) Honeycomb transformer! someone offered me £430 for my used asus, i snatched out of their had so fast i might have broken their fingers
So i knowlonger have one! do i care? no!
If you like widgets wait two months for compatability to kick in.
I'm a huge user of rss news feeds and couldn't find one decent one that worked with honeycomb.
Also Dolphin HD web browser doesn't work, the standard browser is a crap one with tabs and a very very basic bookmarks feature.
I get another transformer when the keyboard is released and when i read of reviews of rss feeds and adw or vtl working properly.
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Click to collapse
Yes, the Xoom is very overpriced. The guys in Best Buy were even saying that it's obsolete now because of the newer stuff coming out.
Motorola shot itself in the foot with that device. It's a great piece of hardware, but at $800, I'd rather buy 2 Transformers. Hopefully, the Transformer starts the beginning of a pricing war.
One thing that is important to me is Community Support.
I had a WinMo 6.1 Samsung phone a few years ago. It was an amazing piece of hardware. It had a dial pad on the front of the device, and a slide out keyboard. No other WinMo device had the dial pad on the front. The problem was that unlike the majority of HTC phones that were on multiple carriers, this one was a VZW exclusive, meaning this phone had 0 community support. I bought my Touch Pro 2 about a year or so later, and within a week had a MightyROM on it.
I don't want to buy this and be stuck running stock. I want to see if some of the "indy" devs will hop on and make some amazing ROMs that keep all functionality.
Lack of widgets right now doesn't bother me too much. I expect the amount of apps and widgets available to be smaller right now. The amount of growth Android as a platform has experienced since the OG Droid was launched has been nuts, so I have no doubt that widgets and apps will begin flooding in within 3 - 6 months.
EDIT:
Just checked that link on the Lenovo. I don't want to waste my time waiting for a 10" tablet either with stylus support. If it's not 10", I'm not interested (inb4 "That's what she said!" ).
G'day all,
I am a high school senior about to go off to college next year and am looking for a new laptop for college. I currently have a 13 inch Macbook that is 4+ years old but still runs, despite some battery issues. Now, I am trying to decide what to do for college: either a) get a new laptop or b) get a tablet.
I have just got my first smart phone (Samsung Fascinate) and love it and I think I would like another android device. So my question is this:
Could I go through college with an Old MacBook, always plugged into the wall and a tablet or do I need a new laptop?
And if I can do the first option why is the Xoom better than an Ipad 2? I was the Xoom badly but I am wary of the App Selection in terms of word processors and such to use as note taking programs in lectures, where to write my papers, etc. My main quell with the iPad is not being to access my file storage system as I can with the Xoom so that i can choose how I save things, but as I said the app support there, seems much more uniform.
So I guess I am also asking what are some good word processors to go along with the Xoom if I do go that route?
cking122 said:
G'day all,
I am a high school senior about to go off to college next year and am looking for a new laptop for college. I currently have a 13 inch Macbook that is 4+ years old but still runs, despite some battery issues. Now, I am trying to decide what to do for college: either a) get a new laptop or b) get a tablet.
I have just got my first smart phone (Samsung Fascinate) and love it and I think I would like another android device. So my question is this:
Could I go through college with an Old MacBook, always plugged into the wall and a tablet or do I need a new laptop?
And if I can do the first option why is the Xoom better than an Ipad 2? I was the Xoom badly but I am wary of the App Selection in terms of word processors and such to use as note taking programs in lectures, where to write my papers, etc. My main quell with the iPad is not being to access my file storage system as I can with the Xoom so that i can choose how I save things, but as I said the app support there, seems much more uniform.
So I guess I am also asking what are some good word processors to go along with the Xoom if I do go that route?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There's a thread here which may help.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1058409
I love the Xoom, especially once you get into tinkering with it.
I own a xoom and i totally love it, but i would wait a few more days for the transformer if i were you ,because the transformer has the same specs, more ports, has a laptop dock that can transform the tablet to a laptop while giving u 8 more hrs of battery life and its a lot cheaper than the xoom(if u can get a hold of one). Hope u can find ur tablet soon. Cheers!
There are a few very good apps as far as word processors. The best, IMO, is QuickOffice. There are also quite a few apps that record handwriting, which work well with a stylus. I don't have a stylus but I have tried a few of them just for fun, and choosing the best depends on your personal use. Some will take your writing and shrink it all to fit in lines on a sheet of paper, and others will just keep your writings as a picture, depends on your preferences.
Honestly, still a hard call on whether you will be fine with a laptop always plugged in and a tablet. I think it can be done, there just may be some minor inconveniences. Personally, I would go with the tablet and old laptop.
Think I have to agree:
Old Macbook + New Tablet.
Four years on a Macbook is hardly anything. Just bought my Son one (3 years old) on Ebay and was shocked at how well they hold their value. Get the battery replaced in the Macbook and buy a tablet. You're good to go.
Zoom >>> than iPad2 for many reasons but that is another discussion: Main reasons for me: Open Source nature and FLASH Support.
The app's you are interested in (Word Processing, ETC) are abundant in the Android Market. Some great examples have already been listed.
xoom is a great choice and should get updated soon and possibly even dropped in price to compete with the Asus transformer. Honestly, if I was in school I would consider the HTC flyer since it will have some great note taking and recording abilities. You can also go the route with a netbook, will be more powerful than a tablet and would be fairly mobile as well as pretty much replace your desktop/laptop for academic purposes, they are usually pretty cheap. Lastly, most college campuses have computers to use as well with your school ID. That could save you some money if on a tight budget.
So, feel free to flame, but I was writing something in another thread about tablets and the following came to mind:
Are tablets worth what we pay for them? Or are they just a marketing 're-deploy'? Allow me to expound:
Literally just before tablets careened onto the current computer scene(I know windows failed to promote tablets years back), there existed Netbooks. What it seems to me is that Netbooks are what the Industry thought we would want, A very portable yet still completely functional computer. As if even the small laptops weren't small enough...anyway. What I think happened is these things weren't cool enough. Maybe not powerful enough either, but that point should be moot because modern hardware can support this, as proven by current tablets.
I bought a Netbook and loved it, BUT I don't do a lot of gaming, just some simple web browsing, skyping, some skript kiddie type hacking. Plus for me the ultra small design was essential due to the nature of my work/constant traveling blah blah. This thing played movies, had the latest support of my favorite *nixes and performed pretty well except for battery life(typically a measly 3-4 hours) and of course gaming. Then came tablets; they look cooler, offer touch screen capabilities which sometimes feel as cumbersome as alt-tabbing, and have much much better battery and gaming performance, with the added benefit of blending nicely with the current "app store eco-structure".
Ahh, finally my point!!!:
A trend I see rising with tablets is the ability to add a keyboard and mouse....really? So what, then you have a laptop again? Or just the ability to go from cool-tech-but-not-too-nerdy tablet guy, to an fully functional device, and back again? I don't get it, other than the obvious shift to more clever marketing and selling us yet another device. On top of that I can use a USB 2.0 anything on my netbook, or be stuck with a proprietary connecter as with the Transform or iPad. Why would we choose this other than to look cool or because it's being shoved down our throats? What I see is a device (tablet) that is less fuctional, less productive, and more money compared to the more practical, just as portable netbook. I just miss the support of my Netbook, which I only paid $200 for....
Any thoughts...like maybe I'm a crazy hippy that needs to go live in a commune?
my points why my a500 is better use then a netbook,.
portability - no one can say its not easier to carry a slim tablet with a integrated keyboard
functionality - being able to do such things as stand in the street looking through the tab with the camera and seeing augmented reality deal, offer, new location without having to open startup, login and hold a massive block of hardware to do the same, and also a whole plethora of other uses such as barcode scanning, video making ,etc etc imaging scanning barcodes to find cheaper prices with a netbook,,,.,..one handed possible? probably not
battery life, my tablet can go 2days on a single charge with medium usage, a netbook would last a few hours,
i can do pretty much anything on my a500 i can do on my laptop.
i can access and use my laptop with screen and sound from anywhere else in the world.....from my a500 tablet (phonemypc)
also most usb devices connect to my a500 i think the only thing my lappy has that my tablet doesnt is a dvd drive, but the one in my lappy is dusty as hell as i download all my movies and move them between devices to play in diff' areas anyway. and then again my laptop has no gps. and only a front camera
if my laptop im writting this message with was a tablet it would probably be a crap one lol
no gps,no touchscreen, no back camera, front camera is weak no accelerometer no hdmi port lol etc etc
Major edit:
I see your point and don't want to convolute my thoughts too much. I just think a lot of the things you mentioned could be implemented, if the money was there.
You have pointed out that I have kind of answered my own questions...
Why tablets, because the phone market was so successfull and it allows for a lot of control on the developers end of the OS, so it's easier to implement the apps, market place as apposed to a traditional PC software sales setup.
r0zj0k3r said:
I think that depends on what you want to do. with my netbook, I literally could do everything I could on my computer because they were the same OS!!! That means, compiling software, video/audio editing, skype with group video , a similar app store could be integrated into a netbook style os (see ubuntu store). The industry just doesn't want to push it, and because it was easier to shift from phones to what amount to "really big phones"
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Do you think that the new windows OS will allow you to switch between a Tablet and your Netbook without loose of functionality?
warus1 said:
Do you think that the new windows OS will allow you to switch between a Tablet and your Netbook without loose of functionality?
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Click to collapse
I think it would be a great way for windows to break away from the pack, but I don't think they want to do that now. They seem to be in the same mode as everyone else, lets follow the market instead of trying really new things.
I am a graphic artist who has been using a Wacom tablet for the last 20 years. I can't STAND using my computer any other way (at least for real work). The touchpad is okay for general surfing and it's great in conjunction with the tablet but for my real work, there's no other way of doing it. For my full blown work I use a Mac but for all my portable devices, I like Android. All my smartphones have been Android but I've not gotten a tablet yet because I really haven't seen one that works for what I would really want a tablet for, which is being able to do my job on the go effectively. Sure the Galaxy Note tablets are a good step in that direction but from all the stuff I've seen it's not really a "pro" level device.
In an ideal world (speaking as a designer) Apple would create a Macbook tablet with a wacom digitizer but I really doubt that will EVER happen. A tablet running a full blown OS X, not an iPad. They even have a patent for a tablet that docks into an "iMac" style housing and becomes a full system and then slides out to be a fully functional, stand alone tablet system but they've never done anything with it. THAT would be MY holy grail. BUT, until they do, I guess the best option is the Cintiq Companion Hybrid. I LOATHE WINDOWS so going to the regular companion isn't an option, that leaves the Hybrid.
When I saw the announcement of the Wacom Cintiq Companion Hybrid, I really like the concept but I'm wondering how good it really is. The cost SEEMS outrageous but when you look at it as a fully functional Cintiq to use WITH my Mac and then it pulls off to be a self contained portable studio, then it is a LITTLE more reasonable. I've seen reviews of it as a Cintiq and everything I've seen says it's a great tablet for use with a Mac and the other parts of the reviews say the portable software that comes with it is good and the other high-end portable software seems to be a good analog to what it would be transferred to on the Mac. That leaves the last question, how good is it as a stand-alone tablet?
That's what I'm wondering now, if I intend on investing the kind of money they are asking, I want to know if the rest of the Android Tablet part of it is really good as well. It comes with 4.2.2 but none of the reviewers have detailed anything about the day to day use of it. Most are completely unfamiliar with the Android OS anyway. They are mostly Apple-heads and only use iPhones and iPads when not using their Macs. I'm wondering when we will see ANDROID reviewers review it. I know it's a very odd category but I don't want to get a GREAT expensive Wacom tablet that is abismal as an Android tablet as well. Has anyone around here gotten thier hands on one? If so, what do you think?
powerplaygraphix said:
I am a graphic artist who has been using a Wacom tablet for the last 20 years. I can't STAND using my computer any other way (at least for real work). The touchpad is okay for general surfing and it's great in conjunction with the tablet but for my real work, there's no other way of doing it. For my full blown work I use a Mac but for all my portable devices, I like Android. All my smartphones have been Android but I've not gotten a tablet yet because I really haven't seen one that works for what I would really want a tablet for, which is being able to do my job on the go effectively. Sure the Galaxy Note tablets are a good step in that direction but from all the stuff I've seen it's not really a "pro" level device.
In an ideal world (speaking as a designer) Apple would create a Macbook tablet with a wacom digitizer but I really doubt that will EVER happen. A tablet running a full blown OS X, not an iPad. They even have a patent for a tablet that docks into an "iMac" style housing and becomes a full system and then slides out to be a fully functional, stand alone tablet system but they've never done anything with it. THAT would be MY holy grail. BUT, until they do, I guess the best option is the Cintiq Companion Hybrid. I LOATHE WINDOWS so going to the regular companion isn't an option, that leaves the Hybrid.
When I saw the announcement of the Wacom Cintiq Companion Hybrid, I really like the concept but I'm wondering how good it really is. The cost SEEMS outrageous but when you look at it as a fully functional Cintiq to use WITH my Mac and then it pulls off to be a self contained portable studio, then it is a LITTLE more reasonable. I've seen reviews of it as a Cintiq and everything I've seen says it's a great tablet for use with a Mac and the other parts of the reviews say the portable software that comes with it is good and the other high-end portable software seems to be a good analog to what it would be transferred to on the Mac. That leaves the last question, how good is it as a stand-alone tablet?
That's what I'm wondering now, if I intend on investing the kind of money they are asking, I want to know if the rest of the Android Tablet part of it is really good as well. It comes with 4.2.2 but none of the reviewers have detailed anything about the day to day use of it. Most are completely unfamiliar with the Android OS anyway. They are mostly Apple-heads and only use iPhones and iPads when not using their Macs. I'm wondering when we will see ANDROID reviewers review it. I know it's a very odd category but I don't want to get a GREAT expensive Wacom tablet that is abismal as an Android tablet as well. Has anyone around here gotten thier hands on one? If so, what do you think?
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Click to collapse
Hey, I know this is a 3 month old thread, but maybe someone will find it useful.
I've been using the Cintiq Companion Hybrid for almost 2 months now, and almost exclusively.
First of all, the quality of the tablet is extremely high. It's exactly what one would expect from a Wacom product. There are unboxing and hands-on videos on YouTube showcasing how much thought has gone into this model.
This is the first time I've used a Wacom tablet, and when compared to UC-Logic or N-trig, this is much superior. Obviously, I fell in love with this tablet as soon as I opened the box and kept on getting more and more impressed as I was using it.
As for the Android part, it's pretty basic, except with the addition of some Wacom drawing programs. However, Sketchbook Pro is still the best choice when it comes to drawing on Android, and the matte surface of the tablet makes this the ideal combination. Wacom's Infinite Canvas is a great choice for vector drawing, and currently the only choice for me.
Now, the OS has shown a few bugs. Sometimes it will lag and revert back to its original background. Yesterday I connected it to a PC (Windows), and at some point it malfunctioned, started lagging, and then, after rebooting, I had lost some files from the internal storage as well as my external SD. Managed to get most of the files back from the external SD, but not from the internal storage, since I can't root, and therefore can't use any Android-based recovery programs. I don't know if this is specific to me or if it's a bug on all models.
Also, when connecting SD cards or USB drives (using the standard USB port -- no micro-USB or OTG, thankfully), navigating to them is somewhat unorthodox in that I have to go to the mount folder and guess where it's loaded.
The processors are pretty fast, and there's no lagging when playing graphic intensive games. Browsing the internet is much more enjoyable than Android 3.1 and before (I still haven't gotten used of the single mouse click, but Mac users won't have a problem). 1080p movies play fine, and when using HDMI-out, everything is smooth. I don't recommend watching a film in bed, as the Hybrid is too heavy to have on your chest when you're about to sleep (also stands for Kindle or comic book reading). Response is great when using the pen, as well when using the tablet.
I haven't been using the hardware keys much, but I find more use for them when in Cintiq mode.
As a Cintiq, things are butter smooth, except for some occasions when I have to disconnect and reconnect the tablet when I first connect it to the PC to get the pen functioning properly (this only happens once, if at all, and only when I first connect the tablet to the PC as a Cintiq). Files can be transferred to the PC instantly, and work is much easier.
I've also used a MIDI controller to play music on the Companion, and the only bug I've found is it locks when disconnecting, but that may very well be a bug of the software I'm using.
Skype, torrents and emulators are all fine. But I doubt any tablets show problems with those.
Typing on the Hybrid with its bigger touch-keys is great (Hacker's Keyboard is a great alternative), and closer to keyboard typing than other tablets.
The tablet's battery life is slightly less than 12 hours of constant use on high performance. I don't have WiFi enabled all the time, since up until recently I had another tablet for that. I'm kind of stingy when it comes to its battery since I love the fact that I can work on it anywhere and on-the-go. Since it's so portable, I like being able to use it wherever and whenever I'm awake, so I try to avoid spending the battery on things I can do without.
Now for the stinkers:
I absolutely hate the lens of its 8mp camera. It's horrible. Lighting is bad, definition is bad, colours are bad. You can use it to get reference material for drawing sketching, but that's about it. You won't be using it for anything else but reference drawing sketching material.
The microphone is not great either. Fuzzy and unclear. Purely only for voice notes. Skype calls are ok-ish. But that's about it.
Lastly, the speaker is terrible. Its volume is too low, badly placed and not clear enough. It's a terrible speaker.
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Overall, I am in love with this tablet. My PC recently broke down, so I've been borrowing a laptop when I have to use the Cintiq side (not often yet, mainly due to the lack of a "full-time" PC), but for everything else, I've been using the Companion's Android side.
I am quite sure I covered everything. I will update accordingly.
Thanks for the rundown on it. Sounds pretty much like what I keep hearing. The Wacom Cintiq aspect of it is incredible (I've been using Wacom for over 20 years so that's no surprise) but "your mileage may vary" on the Android part depending on what you specifically hope to accomplish. Biggest chance in it is whether or not Wacom will maintain the Android side of it or let it die on the vine and essentially revert to being just a battery powered 13HD within a couple of years. I haven't heard Wacom commit either way.
As for build quality, I'm not surprised. Wacom KNOWS how to build equipment well. I really didn't expect the camera to be much. I don't ever really consider the quality of the camera being that big a deal on tablets. Although, for $1300-$1600, you'd think they'd put a decent lens in there. They keep marketing it as a Cintiq that happens to run Android rather than an Android tablet.
As for the "single click" thing, you can always program the button (top half or bottom half) to have a "right click" functionality to give you that capability. That's the way I have it on the different Wacom tablets I have.
powerplaygraphix said:
As for the "single click" thing, you can always program the button (top half or bottom half) to have a "right click" functionality to give you that capability. That's the way I have it on the different Wacom tablets I have.
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Sorry for not making it clear. I was referring to an actual USB mouse connected to the tablet. I sometimes connect a mouse when I prop it up like a notebook. Old habits die hard.
Cintiq dead before its started Will die soon
Ok so I too have got the cintiq companion hybrid which runs on a pitiful 4.2.1 now I know I know at £1500 what did I expect errrmmm K I T K A T would have been nice Wacom, well with the announcement that Android will no longer support 4.2 soon the tablet will become a slate which is why Wacom was so desperate to throw them out there before this was announced.
They even started sending them out for free for 40 days trial if you dont like send back again before the notice of Android version being obsolete.
I have been on XDA Developers since well my first XDA and like many i would imagine get your new unit and immediately come on here for the updated rom etc. Wacom we are on our own any Guru on here wouldnt dare buy this piece of crap save 800 and get the 13hd want a great tablet get the Note 4 10.1
Sorry RANT over but I hope those with the Wacom share my concern a lot of money for a unit that to be fair had we know it would be stuck on 10.1 would have ordered a 15" wacom pen enabled tablet from China instead which are also stuck on 4.2 but for a fraction of the price and bigger.
Notontherugman said:
Sorry for not making it clear. I was referring to an actual USB mouse connected to the tablet. I sometimes connect a mouse when I prop it up like a notebook. Old habits die hard.
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XP-Pen Artist 15.6 Pro Drawing tablet With Screen
Wacom Cintiq Companion is a self-contained Windows computer with the full Wacom graphics tablet features already built in, which can also be used as a 'dumb' graphics tablet when connected to a Mac or PC.
Essentially, you can use this to draw, sketch and paint at your desk hooked up to your main computer, and draw, sketch and paint directly on it while sitting on the sofa or outside.
this Cintiq Companion 2 can be used at a desk as a graphics tablet for your regular computer, but because it also runs Windows, you can use full, familiar versions of Painter, Photoshop and so on when away from your workstation.
The nearest thing it has to a rival is the Microsoft Surface tablet, but this has neither Wacom's heritage nor chops when it comes to rich drawing tools. The iPad Pro is an excellent tablet but cannot be called a competitor here due to its mobile operating system.
It's a solid investment for digital illustrators who want flexibility. However, if you don't need to use it away from your desk, you could save money and purchase the XP-pen Artist 15.6 Pro , or benefit from a bigger drawing area with the slightly more expensive Artist 22E Pro .
I currently use a XP-Pen Artist 15.6 Pro Drawing tablet With Screen ( xp-pen.com/goods/show/id/394.html ) . It is a cintiq downgrade, but only because it does not have the muti-touch like the cintiq does. it support pen tilt function , 8192 pen pressure levels , battery-free and wireless stylus . 88% NTSC Color gamut , 1920x1080 resolution , 15.6 inch IPS Screen , it has no parallax , no lag .
Overall its an amazing tablet and I do suggest it! It works amazing for me, and personally, I improved a lot while using it.
The only problems, however, is that it always has to be plugged into a PC , Though it is lightweight and works great, the graphics are nice, and its only $439 .