Database Info

PPC antique?

Not been on these forums for a while, but as some of you may know i've had all the various xda's, including recently the k-jam (poor build quality) and the jasjar (slow,bulky and generally not what is was cracked up to be) and so parted with them and choosing a more 'normal' communication device in the shape of a Samsung d600.... I hate it, it's boring, plain and caveman like, where as the xda's are clever, smart and feature packed. I'd love a ppc again, but for it's prime function, communication there just too damn unreliable! Until now, I found this a few weeks ago,a umpc, and the details were released yesterday from m$,follow the links below for more. These will change the ppc world for good imo. Yes there a bit bigger, but look what they pack! can use it for all my daily routines and sat nav and have a small,dedicated and reliable phone for just that. It looks awesome! What's more, there set to launch priced from $599, so not sill money! and when other companies release them, using other cpu's than intel. Can't wait, this is what I personally have been waiting for.
http://www.origamiproject.com
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/umpc/default.mspx
http://origamiproject.com/default.aspx

But you still have to carry around 2 'objects'
The main reason I got my first PPC (Blue Angel) is because it was phone and Diary (etc) all in one. Less to carry around.
(of course now I have a Universal and need a bluetooth headset so that isn't quite the case any more :roll: )

jaythemagician said:
What's more, there set to launch priced from $599, so not sill money! and when other companies release them, using other cpu's than intel.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Firstly they are set to eventually cost $599ish but the initial itterations will cost $1000+ and secondly there are 4 models of UMPC that have been announced so far and only 3 of them use intel chips.
Samsung, Asus & Founder (all Intel chips) :
http://www.engadget.com/2006/03/09/hands-on-with-asus-and-founder-umpcs/
Tabletkiosk (No intel chip)
http://www.engadget.com/2006/03/10/tabletkiosk-v-700-umpc/
Personally I guessed during all the hype that it was another attempt to bring about Bills dream of a tablet PC future, when they come down in price mebbe I'll get one but only as a replacement for my laptop if anything, I love the portability of my PPC's and phones too much.

No,there launching from $599-$1000+ depending on model etc, then by christmas there hoping to get the cheapest down to around $500. Trust me on this I have one arriving next week :wink: . I know what you mean about 2 devices and carrying around etc etc, but for me, the extra power and usability wins. I guess I was just so dissapointed by the jasjar....beautiful screen....the end :roll: As for price even at $1000 it's reasonable, I paid what ammounts to around $1200 for the jasjar when it was first released....! :shock:

Jay,
Which model did you order, and from where?

Here is an interesting related discussion.

I really don't see the appeal in such a device.
Stuck in the middle between a PDA and a laptop, with few of the benefits of either.
You can't stick in in your pocket. So you're going to need a bag to carry it ... in which case you'll get way more grunt from carrying a laptop. And with a laptop you get a keyboard.
It comes with XP ... which I support professionally and won't touch with a barge pole otherwise. I'm actually suprised they don't want to release it with Vista so they can have a nice locked down implementation of 'trusted computing' as well.
Assuming these devices do get sufficient market pentration I'll be interested to see what happens in terms of porting an opensource OS to the platform.
Don't get me wrong - I'm sure that there are people for whom this device will be a real boon ... but for the general public I think it's going to be too bulky with insufficient benefits to offset that bulk.

The jasjar was too bulky for pockets too :lol: at least I can do all my web development on the go now in dw,ps and actinic etc. It's alot smnaller and smarter than lugging my laptop about. They'll be bringing pouch type thins out i imagine to carry then round and they don't weigh in at too much either. My dream device

leek said:
Here is an interesting related discussion.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
good post and a good read cheers

victoradjei said:
Jay,
Which model did you order, and from where?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
got one to test (and keep!) from m$. $100 all in,bargain!

I want one to test and keep too!

jaythemagician said:
No,there launching from $599-$1000+ depending on model etc, then by christmas there hoping to get the cheapest down to around $500. Trust me on this I have one arriving next week :wink: . I know what you mean about 2 devices and carrying around etc etc, but for me, the extra power and usability wins. I guess I was just so dissapointed by the jasjar....beautiful screen....the end :roll: As for price even at $1000 it's reasonable, I paid what ammounts to around $1200 for the jasjar when it was first released....! :shock:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'll believe it when I see it, I believe that the that have been announced wont be below $800 when they're launched, of course over time as new models come out they'll go down in price but the launch of the first few models I'd say you're looking at between $800 - $1000+
Gonna read the link now, I quess we'll see when they're launched.

Jesus, what a waste of cash (imo). Jack of all trades and master of none...
... Your money, time and effort though.

Samsung Q1 UMPC available for pre-order for $1,400
Suprise, suprise!!
I love being right LOL.

Throwdown: IPAD vs. Gtablet; I bought My wife an IPAD for Xmas!

Ok... I am a die hard NON apple kind of guy. My wife bought her Iphone a year ago leaving me and verizon to fend for ourselves. Then I suggested she buy a Mac book as she has been slamming windows for as long as we have been married. So, after loving angry birds on my Gtab for the past month, I thought, what a perfect gift for her (and me to compare) an IPAD would be. So I bought her one for Christmas.
I have to say, the screen really is fine. The lighter weight and the form factor is sweet too. But, to have to have an app (which they do have an app for everything many free for sure) to view most web sites in a "standard" mode such as to see video on them etc., I still can not see that. And, no add on memory and no real interface... the battle is on!
I will update you periodically as I try and see it from an Apple user perspective.

That IPS screen is very nice. Did some after Xmas shopping today and took another look at the iPad. It's the one thing that really stands out on the iPad, versus the GTab.
I know that, in time, Android tablets will catch up (Notion Ink? please don't be vaporware).

roebeet said:
That IPS screen is very nice. Did some after Xmas shopping today and took another look at the iPad. It's the one thing that really stands out on the iPad, versus the GTab.
I know that, in time, Android tablets will catch up (Notion Ink? please don't be vaporware).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hold off, since rumors of some form of USB, microsd, and additional camera functionality will not die in regard to iPad 2011 models.
I can not look at the iPad display, since I then have to reacclimate to G's dispaly. ..... ....
Man, just think of the Gtablet with at least a Galaxy Tab level display.....

Here's my guess on the iPad v2 - it will almost certainly have a camera. Makes sense for Facetime.
A USB port and / or a microSD slot would be a major shocker, so I highly doubt that would happen. It goes against the walled-garden approach that Apple loves so much.

I have been an iphone user for two years. You may heard this before but lack of flash of support equals COMPLETE FAIL as I an an avid news junkie and enjoy news clips.
Now if only Netflix and google can work out their differences and bring official support for streaming netflix to droid devices then I will be switching to droid in the spring when my phone contract is due for renewal.
PS, I have owned an apple PC and it would not run 1/5th the software that was available while the apple had software support for virtually NOTHING that I needed on the PC and couldn't get.
My brother and I had this same argument about a year ago where he was praising the superiority of the Mac, about a month later he embarrassingly admitted to me I was absolutely right about the Apple causing him to not have acess to most of the software out there.
At the time I bought my last Dell laptop I spec it out with the 2G Duo Core, a wireless N1 card, a Geforce mobile GT8600, a 7200spd hard drive and 2G of Ram. I went to the apple web site and spec' out the SAME configuration, it was over $1,000 MORE!
Same hardware, LESS software, nearly double the price.
Come on...how is that EVEN a contest? I have since upgraded that same laptop to Win 7 32b and it STILL runs like a champ (do you think that would have been the case with a macbook?)
By the way, my viewsonic (although a tad buggy at this time) was 25% cheaper than an ipad and the only real advantage I can see of the ipad was superior screen while it has weaker hardware, and I am 100% confident that the Droid 2.2 and coming honeycomb will equal or surpass the ipad in the coming year.
Gauntlet thrown, Apple failed.
I do love my iphone but I have physically thrown it after getting literally thousands of video errors with flash videos news sites not to mention the fact that the vast majority of "apps" are just dumb downed versions of web pages that I do not really care for (there are quite a few with functionaity for actual mobile use but many apps are just "internet for idiots". What I am saying here is that I am not impressed with "who has the most apps" I just need certain specific ones (which you can get from EITHER company pretty much).

I personally have a love/hate relationship with Apple.
My first laptop was a greyscale PowerBook, I've used all the older pre-10 iterations and I think OSX is an outstanding achievement. But iOS just burns me up and I can see that they are expanding this walled-garden mentality into their Mac products, as well. No standard external ports like USB, no external storage, nothing allowed on the device except through iTunes, no Flash just because Jobs is pissed off that Adobe dumped them for MS. I just hate that with a passion. And the iPad v1 is the culmination of everything I loathe about them.
But, it does have a really nice screen.

I am a veteran of the Windows/Mac Wars of the 90s and the one thing I learned is: If it does what you want and I can run what I want, then I don't care what you run. If you like Apple, if you like Win7, if you like Linux, if you like iOS, if you like Android, if you like webOS... then bully for you! I happen to like some of those myself, so whoop de do!
But tell me my platform sucks or try to spend 30min telling me WHY my platform sucks, well, I have better things to do, thanks.
-=Sent from my VS GTablet (VEGAn b4) using Tapatalk=-

I Gave My iPad to my Wife
I gave my iPad to my wife to read her Kindle books on. I bought my gTablet on November 17th, and I have not missed my iPad. I am loving my gTablet, and it is just getting better and better with time. I am running TNT Lite 3.1.2 on mine. With flash, adhoc wi-fi support, and the full market, I am plenty happy. I am looking forward to the bright future of the gTablet.

Doing some research on video out on the IPAD. It has a selection of cables for composite, component and vga, but guess what? Only very few apps output to video such as movies, photos and not much else.
When I hooked up my HDMI to my dock today, EVERYTHING I saw on the screen was showing on the big screen.

roebeet said:
I personally have a love/hate relationship with Apple.
My first laptop was a greyscale PowerBook, I've used all the older pre-10 iterations and I think OSX is an outstanding achievement. But iOS just burns me up and I can see that they are expanding this walled-garden mentality into their Mac products, as well. No standard external ports like USB, no external storage, nothing allowed on the device except through iTunes, no Flash just because Jobs is pissed off that Adobe dumped them for MS. I just hate that with a passion. And the iPad v1 is the culmination of everything I loathe about them.
But, it does have a really nice screen.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You are far more qualified than me to make this assessment but if you are only designing your OS to have functionality with very specific in house written end user software, I would think it would be EASY to achieve a tighter higher performaing OS.
Do the circumstances of how osx exsists in the first place not SIGNIFICANTLY diminish its level of "oustanding" as an achievement?
popezaphod said:
I am a veteran of the Windows/Mac Wars of the 90s and the one thing I learned is: If it does what you want and I can run what I want, then I don't care what you run. If you like Apple, if you like Win7, if you like Linux, if you like iOS, if you like Android, if you like webOS... then bully for you! I happen to like some of those myself, so whoop de do!
But tell me my platform sucks or try to spend 30min telling me WHY my platform sucks, well, I have better things to do, thanks.
-=Sent from my VS GTablet (VEGAn b4) using Tapatalk=-
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Fair points. Although unfortunately for all of us here, if a thing sucks it is going to suck regardless of what any individual really thinks. Suckage is an absolute and will be unaffected by all the good will of the world. Rotten meat will not become premium meat because 1000 people love it. Unfortunately this seems to be the casse with apple. In the 80s A Team and Knight Rider were top shows, just because people were watching did not make them actually good. Just because lots of people are buying Ipads does not over come the facts of an absolute and unavoidable conclusion based on the facts (listed above about ports, camera, storage devices, flash, cost, etc etc.). Its not really about convincing or anyones opinion. Its just a fact that it sucks, kind of like how the world is round (regardless of if anyone likes said fact or not).

insight3fl said:
Ok... I am a die hard NON apple kind of guy. My wife bought her Iphone a year ago leaving me and verizon to fend for ourselves. Then I suggested she buy a Mac book as she has been slamming windows for as long as we have been married. So, after loving angry birds on my Gtab for the past month, I thought, what a perfect gift for her (and me to compare) an IPAD would be. So I bought her one for Christmas.
I have to say, the screen really is fine. The lighter weight and the form factor is sweet too. But, to have to have an app (which they do have an app for everything many free for sure) to view most web sites in a "standard" mode such as to see video on them etc., I still can not see that. And, no add on memory and no real interface... the battle is on!
I will update you periodically as I try and see it from an Apple user perspective.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
LOL, well your credibility for providing a non-bias Apple user perspective is tainted by stating you're a "die hard NON apple kind of guy". jk. My sister in law has an Ipad and I think its just a great big Ipod touch which is actually a compliment. It's so smooth and pretty to look at. Did you download skyfire on the Ipad? I heard it was out as an app. I'm curious to see how it runs on the Ipad.
Let us know.
Thanks

roebeet said:
Here's my guess on the iPad v2 - it will almost certainly have a camera. Makes sense for Facetime.
A USB port and / or a microSD slot would be a major shocker, so I highly doubt that would happen. It goes against the walled-garden approach that Apple loves so much.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree, a ff camera will be on the Ipad 2. You know Apple was gonna do that anyways but decided to leave it out so people will be more likely to upgrade. That's why I'm so leary when buying apple products or any product for that matter. I want it to have my minimum requirements at least for me to consider buying it.
I also agree that it will not have expandable memory which is a shame.

xmr405o said:
I agree, a ff camera will be on the Ipad 2. You know Apple was gonna do that anyways but decided to leave it out so people will be more likely to upgrade. That's why I'm so leary when buying apple products or any product for that matter. I want it to have my minimum requirements at least for me to consider buying it.
I also agree that it will not have expandable memory which is a shame.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think folks will be surprised and there will either be USB function, or micro sd options (both?). The only thing holding Apple back from complete market domination are those issues and people that hate Apple. Though Apple can do nothing for the latter, they can compromise with the former.
There should be some decent "leaks" in about a month. We shall see.........

My first computer back in the late 70's was an Apple ][. That was back in the days of Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak. Even back then it was clear that the Woz only really cared about the technology and Jobs only really cared about the money. I was an avid Apple defender back then but a few years later we had Apple taken over, Woz and Jobs were out and Peter Skelly was in. Skelly had been the CEO of Pepsi Cola and his knowledge of technology consisted of being able to flip the on/off switch on lights, computers and various electrical items. Eventually he had the sense to bring Jobs back in.
Here's the problem, Jobs is glorious at design and ergonomic functionality, he is also a true technophile. He designs magnificent looking machines with super friendly GUI's that people love. But, once you get past the look of his machines you find that they offer simple AND limited functionality, and that is the very reason that the great masses love Apple machines.
Because people love the look and feel of the machines they are willing to pay bloated prices for what they see as "superior" technology when really the only thing superior is the physical design and ease of use for the technically unannointed. That is GREAT business, but lousy geekiness.
You can't knock Apple's ability to design machines that sell and make piles of money and you can't knock their success. For me, the problem is that I don't want to give them my money anymore because their machines aren't "fun".
My first priority is that my techno gadgets be functional and a close second is that they must be fun. Apple doesn't fit into that nook. Even so I did buy three Mac's a couple of years ago and found that their build quality was poor and that surprised me a lot. But in business, public perception is a bigger selling point that anything else and Apple got that right, too bad they didn't get the technical end right.
R

I came across this old thread while researching the GTablet. The only thing that is really holding me back from buying one is the screen. The videos I see on Youtube make the screen look really bad, especially one that has a side by side comparison of the Gtablet vs Ipad. Since the GTablet has been out for awhile now, are those who own it still happy? I need to find a B&M store that has one so I can check it out, I really wish it had an IPS screen like the iPad though. I dont get why somebody doesnt come out with a killer Android tablet that can really compete with the iPad.

androidmonkey said:
I came across this old thread while researching the GTablet. The only thing that is really holding me back from buying one is the screen. The videos I see on Youtube make the screen look really bad, especially one that has a side by side comparison of the Gtablet vs Ipad. Since the GTablet has been out for awhile now, are those who own it still happy? I need to find a B&M store that has one so I can check it out, I really wish it had an IPS screen like the iPad though. I dont get why somebody doesnt come out with a killer Android tablet that can really compete with the iPad.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I picked the gtab because I like to customize the gtab and try different Roms. I am very happy with mine using vegan tab. Flash has been a big bonus. The screen works surprisingly well. Sure, its not perfect, but this gtab has some power and is 400 bucks less than xoom. If you like out of the box OS and don't like to tinker, then get the 16GB iPad from best buy for $399. Battery life on the gtab is awesome. I wake up at 4am and use it throughout the day and heavy use by evening. I will have several hours left on the battery when I go to bed around 9pm. Try Office depot, as many have them in stock to play with. Good luck.

androidmonkey said:
I came across this old thread while researching the GTablet. The only thing that is really holding me back from buying one is the screen. The videos I see on Youtube make the screen look really bad, especially one that has a side by side comparison of the Gtablet vs Ipad. Since the GTablet has been out for awhile now, are those who own it still happy? I need to find a B&M store that has one so I can check it out, I really wish it had an IPS screen like the iPad though. I dont get why somebody doesnt come out with a killer Android tablet that can really compete with the iPad.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So I was having the same issues before I picked up the gtablet, and having used it for a few days, the screen isn't really that bad. I also love the more widescreen aspect of it vs the ipad allows for better media watching. But it does mean you have to dive more into the device and its setup (custom roms, etc) and if that is daunting to you then I would skip the gtablet.

No issues with geek stuff like flashing ROMs. Ive been an Android user since the G1, member here on xda since then. I currently have a SGS Vibrant, rooted with Bionix.
So, what would you compare the screen to? I have a nearby Office Depot, will try to check it out tomorrow. Is the GTablet the best thing going right now? From the specs, it seems so. One last thing, what are you using to protect it? Screen protector? Case?

androidmonkey said:
No issues with geek stuff like flashing ROMs. Ive been an Android user since the G1, member here on xda since then. I currently have a SGS Vibrant, rooted with Bionix.
So, what would you compare the screen to? I have a nearby Office Depot, will try to check it out tomorrow. Is the GTablet the best thing going right now? From the specs, it seems so. One last thing, what are you using to protect it? Screen protector? Case?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
With the newest official and unofficial VS update, you may not need to use an alternative ROM.
I would compare the screen directly to a netbook screen. It is by no means imho as horrid as some would have you think, but it's not for everyone. Some people feel you should be able to see what's on the phone/tablet screens while they sit flat on a desk and you're in a chair - while I think it's nice to be able to, I certainly don't think it's necessary to enjoy it and this is just something again, imo vendors have used to inflate the cost of these devices beyond their 'real' practical value. "why is our tablet $800 when so and so is selling one with the same internals for $300? well, have you SEEEEEN our screen? BIG difference!" yeah, you get my drift.
Spec-wise, I think it's a toss-up between the GTablet and it's siblings (interpad, hanspree tablet, malata zpad, avent vega, etc.) or the Notion Ink Adam. As you probably know, the iPad is pretty nice but it's def. lacking in terms of (imo, again) certain little details where the GTablet and other Android devices with similar specs excel and you would have to either learn to live in Apple's walled garden or do some 'techie' stuff in order to jailbreak anyway. Is it the BEST right now? I don't know - probably not. It was released in Nov. 2010, there's bound to be something with similar specs and a 'better' screen by now, if not then yeah it's probably the best VALUE for what you get as of right now.

I would have got her an ipad too.
Don't get me wrong I love my gtab, but I exhaust so much time modifying and fixing my own one. I don't mind that for myself but stuffed if I'm gonna spend my entire free time fixing someone elses tablet. Ipad can't do as much but in return I don't have to ever look at it or maintain it hence freeing up my spare time.
Sent from my VEGAn-TAB-v1.0.0b5.1.1 using Tapatalk

Curious how the Best Buy and Staples sales are going this first weekend

Wondering how the Surface is doing for sales at BB and Staples now. I normally wouldn't care as I love my Surface but we all need it to be successful if we want to see some good app development in the Store and see growth in quality apps, which is currently lacking in the store.
I will tell you that over the weekend I was at South Coast Plaza mall in Southern California and the Microsoft Store there, which is big , was pretty busy (Maybe not Apple busy, but pretty good traffic).
Anybody have any info from BB or Staples personnel in the know or any other source?

I believe it is online only availability.

Stores have stock now. Was in a Best buy today. Surface was the 1st thing you see walking in the door.

lqaddict said:
I believe it is online only availability.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have read elsewhere that it has been spotted and purchased in Staples and Best Buy. I don't imagine a huge impact on RT sales until the Pro is out in the wild and attracting a lot more attention and awareness for the Surface brand.
Also, some of those cases where it is set up at best buy it has been said that they are not setting it up with the keyboard cover which IMO would draw much more attention.

We just got our Surface display set up at Staples, and a few people checked it out. But before we ever had them in store people kept coming in looking for the tablet with the "click" commercial, so i'd say the interest will be there and I love what the Surface does, so ill be glad to show it customers.
Sent from my SCH-R950 using xda app-developers app

conmanxtreme said:
We just got our Surface display set up at Staples, and a few people checked it out. But before we ever had them in store people kept coming in looking for the tablet with the "click" commercial, so i'd say the interest will be there and I love what the Surface does, so ill be glad to show it customers.
Sent from my SCH-R950 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
John Lewis now have them in physical stores in the UK.

Microsot surface rt hidden at best buy
I visited a BestBuy in Gainesville, Florida, with my son. I wanted to see the Surface RT even though I own one. I could not see one. Then I spotted it with the black cover among other portable products. The Surface RT is not displayed at any specific promotional spot as the other other products are. So, even though, BestBuy carries it, I do not think people will notice it.
I hope Microsoft will address the issue.

went into Staples on Sunday (Dec 16) after I found out online that they had them in the store on Saturday. Big sign at entrance advertising the Surface. When I purchased the 64Gb version of it I found out that I was the first person in this Store who bought one. The folks at Staples wanted me to report back to them whether I liked it. I told them I will surely like it (played with it for some time at a MS Store in Boston). They told me that they only found out Wednesday that they will have them in the Store on Saturday and thought it seemed rushed by MS.
anyway, glad I was able to buy it at a local store (next MS store is 1.5hs from here).
place of Staples: Beavercreek, Ohio (Dayton area).

I just checked at the local Best Buy. It was just tossed in with the other tablets, and they didn't have the full selection of keyboards (nor did they have a keyboard out with it).

Poor product placement? Lmao...I think people who want it, know about it and will get it. Other random people, most likely will get an ipad. Lol. I honestly thought they would have a MS rep in every major best buy location to hype it up. Or , even a special station where multiple Surfaces are setup allowing people to play with them...kind of like apple has its booth in every store. Hopefully MS will do good on sales, even with poor product placment because it is a very important and effective marketing strategy.
I need to go check out my local store. I was sure I wanted the Pro but after realizing that the RT does a lot more than i thought i decided i would get that. Then after reading up some more im not sure if I am up for a windows 8 tablet anymore, just because i am more familiar with android. So i went from being 100% to not knowing what tablet I want. They get old fast... :/

equisbox said:
Poor product placement? Lmao...I think people who want it, know about it and will get it. Other random people, most likely will get an ipad. Lol. I honestly thought they would have a MS rep in every major best buy location to hype it up. Or , even a special station where multiple Surfaces are setup allowing people to play with them...kind of like apple has its booth in every store. Hopefully MS will do good on sales, even with poor product placment because it is a very important and effective marketing strategy.
I need to go check out my local store. I was sure I wanted the Pro but after realizing that the RT does a lot more than i thought i decided i would get that. Then after reading up some more im not sure if I am up for a windows 8 tablet anymore, just because i am more familiar with android. So i went from being 100% to not knowing what tablet I want. They get old fast... :/
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Coming from Android as well, I find the Surface Rt way more customizable out of the box via registry tweaks and such. Something only possible via rooting android. I also find it much more stable than ICS (I cant comment on JB as I have not played with much on my wifes Nexus 7 since I got my Surface now.

At the Best Buy I visited (in KY), it was basically in the back where the cheap ipad covers were. The Kindle, ipad, android, and every other tablet got much better placement and the sales people weren't talking about them and knew almost nothing about them.
I think this whole plan was put together quickly and without any real prep.

I work at a staples in Oklahoma. All our documentation was about how big a win it would he for us to be the first retailer to have it on the shelf. The only spot we had open for the surface was the end cap with the nexus so they left all the nexus display stuff and accessories up for the first 3 days, but had the Surface model and tags in front... ugh. I guess technically we did have it first. Lol. They didn't work out the deal till like Wednesday of last week and we had stock by Thursday so in the corporate world that's crazy ass fast.
We sold 3 to one business guy with a startup that needed internet explorer and office and that's it. Other wise I've sold 2 to my personal friends that I told to wait and not buy online till they can come in to my store to buy it. Ha. Also, if you decide to take funny pictures of your face and perhaps other body parts, the photo app love tile will keep scrolling the pics even after you delete them... just a heads up. Lol
Sent from my SGH-T959 using xda app-developers app

bigwilly90210 said:
I work at a staples in Oklahoma. All our documentation was about how big a win it would he for us to be the first retailer to have it on the shelf. The only spot we had open for the surface was the end cap with the nexus so they left all the nexus display stuff and accessories up for the first 3 days, but had the Surface model and tags in front... ugh. I guess technically we did have it first. Lol. They didn't work out the deal till like Wednesday of last week and we had stock by Thursday so in the corporate world that's crazy ass fast.
We sold 3 to one business guy with a startup that needed internet explorer and office and that's it. Other wise I've sold 2 to my personal friends that I told to wait and not buy online till they can come in to my store to buy it. Ha. Also, if you decide to take funny pictures of your face and perhaps other body parts, the photo app love tile will keep scrolling the pics even after you delete them... just a heads up. Lol
Sent from my SGH-T959 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hopefully MS will follow up and get proper displays for Staples and Best buy as it really is a great product (I have had one since launch and have done some awesome tweaks on mine (full flash, no lock screen, starts up when opened, networked, etc). Hardwarewise it is stable, and the OS is getting better -It just needs the developer community to get behind it, and that is only going to happen if they see users($$$).

After my good experience at the local Staples here in Dayton, Ohio I also went to BestBuy today. What a let-down. I couldn't find anything about the Surface. The only special place I found was the iMac stand that is placed pretty much in your face when you walk into the store. When I asked for the Surface a guy in the laptop section told me that "oddly enough, it's placed in the mobile section". Okay, when I walked over to the mobile section I found two or three tablets with Win8 (Asus Avivo, Samsung), but there was no Surface. When I asked again the BB guy told me that they are right there, pointing to the laptops I just looked at. Doh! I guess anything Windows 8 goes by Surface at BB at least in this store.
On the other hand I am not really surprised.....

Yeah the Surface at our staples is set up on and end cap, which isnt a terrible spot, but it doesn't quite jump out at you, and the end caps beside it are the Lenovo Twist and the new Samsung 23" All-in-one desktop, so its not terrible placement.
Sent from my SCH-R950 using xda app-developers app

Hey guys me again
I said that I wasn't sure about whether I wanted the Surface anymore after seeing all the android tabs and what not (because I have a lot of experience with the android OS.) I love android, I have a Samsung Galaxy S3 currently, and I was thinking of buying an android tablet so everything would be synced and what not. After thinking about it some more, and going to my local Best Buy, to play with the Surface, I realized that I definitely wanted it over anything else. I realized that I want something new, and all android has to offer are the same things I can already do with my phone, just a little bigger. I'm definitely going to go purchase this tablet in the next few days.
As far as product placement, my local Best Buy did an excellent job of actual physical placement. It is right in front of you when you walk in the store. I, somehow, still missed it and had to ask an employee to point me in the right direction. They need a banner or some sort of sign. LOL. They need to hire me as a manager, I'm sure I can put my BA Business and MSIS degree to good use
I was worried about the screen resolution, but in person, it is everything and more. I am not that picky about resolution, as long as everything looks good, and everything looks amazing on the tablet. Who cares if it doesn't have the crazy high resolutions, because it is perfect for what it is.
Also, played with the type cover because that is the only cover they had out at my local Best Buy. I couldn't test the touch cover, but the type cover is amazing. I played around with office, and I literally fell in love with the little device. I must get it. I think if everyone would stop being so bias and give it a chance, they will fall in love with it. I am an android fan, but I am giving this tablet a chance. Plus, the android tablet I bought last year, I ended up returning because all it was to me is an overgrown phone. Every time I wanted to do something I couldn't decide whether to do it on my android phone or my android tablet. LOL! So I just returned it to avoid the headache altogether.
Anyhow, I don't think the stores are doing too hot with sales. I didn't even see anyone else playing with the tablet, maybe because I was hogging the only one they had out, but who knows. Sucks because I really want it to do well.

equisbox said:
.....
Anyhow, I don't think the stores are doing too hot with sales. I didn't even see anyone else playing with the tablet....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Waiting on eye glasses repair...
Costco: guy asks "where is the old windows ?"
Lady asks "are there any windows seven laptops left?"
mom+kids "we'll just go get an ipad" (kids cheering, after trying to use the w8 demo unit for a few minutes)
Bestbuy:
Lady "where are the new ipads?"
Dude "this thing has awesome specs! Do you know how to put real windows on it?" (To his buddy)
Salesguy, "ya, I don't know about the surface thing. Doesn't sell. Can't believe they didn't have the pro ready for christmas."
All folks who might have considered a surface, maybe. Its not getting any serious attention from what I've seen.

I bought one from my local Best Buy, they just had it out with the other tablets, had the $499 32Gb, $599 32Gb with cover (One I got) and the $699 64Gb with cover.
I think Microsoft could really benefit for a better advertising campaign, also they should ship specific display models to stores that have a looping display on them. A black square with a black screen doesn't make one want to pick it up.
It's a nice device, build quality is awesome, OS is buggy though. Not sure if I'll keep it or not (have a month thanks to longer holiday return policy) or maybe get something like the 13" Lenovo yoga.
I still haven't gotten the white list hack to work, unless that was fixed not to in the latest update.
I still don't really get the hype or people waiting for the Pro, it's just a tablet computer, maybe it will be nicer in quality, buy really you can buy that now, the surface is great because of the battery life, size and for the most part a full OS, the pro looses most of that.
I do have to say I own a iPad mini and love the thing for size and weight but for the most part it's a gamming device, even my old full size ipad was just that also.
One of my first wishes for the surface is 4 rows of tiles instead of three, my start screen is getting kind of long!

Zytryx said:
I bought one from my local Best Buy, they just had it out with the other tablets, had the $499 32Gb, $599 32Gb with cover (One I got) and the $699 64Gb with cover.
I think Microsoft could really benefit for a better advertising campaign, also they should ship specific display models to stores that have a looping display on them. A black square with a black screen doesn't make one want to pick it up.
It's a nice device, build quality is awesome, OS is buggy though. Not sure if I'll keep it or not (have a month thanks to longer holiday return policy) or maybe get something like the 13" Lenovo yoga.
I still haven't gotten the white list hack to work, unless that was fixed not to in the latest update.
I still don't really get the hype or people waiting for the Pro, it's just a tablet computer, maybe it will be nicer in quality, buy really you can buy that now, the surface is great because of the battery life, size and for the most part a full OS, the pro looses most of that.
I do have to say I own a iPad mini and love the thing for size and weight but for the most part it's a gamming device, even my old full size ipad was just that also.
One of my first wishes for the surface is 4 rows of tiles instead of three, my start screen is getting kind of long!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I also wish there were 4 tiles, and I also want the ability to group apps into folders on the start screen - I have over 100 apps installed and its a bit tough to manuevur, even with shrinking the size of the start screen shortcut.

[Q] when will be see custom phone builds

I would like to see custom phones like empty shells that can have this screen that processor and this much ram. To put tegether the hardware we want.
Sent from my LTEVO using xda premium

They probably won't ever be available to the general consumer, since it is pretty much a customized item. Which are usually very expensive. If the manufacturer has to keep taking requests instead of mass producing then either
A. Production is extremely slow and they go out of business
Or
B. They charge high prices to do this and no one wants to pay that except for Lebron James so once again not available to the general consuner
Also no updates. You would have to build a custom ROM yourself if a new version of Android came out
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda premium

It would still be cool if we could upgrade the ram or something on our own maybe one day with a different operating system. Hmm maybe blackberry 10
Sent from my EVO using xda premium

Go work in China
Sent from my GT-P3100 using xda app-developers app

Phones aren't desktop computers - they're not even laptops.
Being able to "upgrade the RAM" is not the same concept when it comes to the phone. Besides, even if someone could come up with a system - you'd be paying an extraordinary amount of money just to be able to have a huge, clunky phone in which you could "upgrade" one component.
Why bother ? The other components are going to become obsolete, too. Why spend more money when you could just buy a "normal" phone and upgrade ALL components for at a total savings ?
Phone hardware is specialised to fit in a small package. "Custom" laptops are ugly and bulky - and don't even let you pick that many components. Who wants an ugly and bulky phone that costs more than a mass-market one ? I don't think a lot of people would go for that. Sure, custom desktop geeks are willing to let a big chassis take up a lot of space in their homes - but they don't have to lug that thing with them everywhere they go (only to really serious LAN parties and only if they're poor college geeks who can't keep up with gaming laptops or mini-boxes or something).
If you look at phone motherboards, they're very, very compact with chips on both sides - this is going to mean making the phones a lot bigger to be able to make those user-accessible, not to mention the bulk taken up by the new connections needed to make this all interchangeable.
So, let's say it will cost you $2000 for this phone - and this phone is going to be at least 7" tablet size... o, but there's another problem... you can't just make the screen bigger to cover all the area taken up by these new, bulky, spread-out components - because you'd have to make the battery bigger, but there's nowhere to put more battery unless you make the phone even thicker.
So you're going to end up with a a big rock with a small screen - either really, really thick or a huge bezel. That alone is going to make it pretty ugly. And you have to remember that this thing isn't super-powerful, either. So you're trading the portability and weight of a phone to be able to change a few components that are likely going to be obsolete before the $2000 even pays for itself.
Because you could have just bought a $700 phone - and another one, and most of a 3rd. That's six years of phones if you keep them each for 2 years.
Do you really think that the huge beast of a $2000 phone with swappable components is going to be in great condition or have great specs 4 years out, even if the company that made it for you is still in business and producing the custom RAM it needs ? Of course not. Yet you could have had a brand-new, top-of-the-line phone at that time for the same amount of money.
I know it's a cool idea to be able to customise your phone - and maybe some day technology will be there. But right now it's a really, really bad trade in value.

[Discussion] Ubuntu Edge

"In the car industry, Formula 1 provides a commercial testbed for cutting-edge technologies. The Ubuntu Edge project aims to do the same for the mobile phone industry -- to provide a low-volume, high-technology platform, crowdfunded by enthusiasts and mobile computing professionals. A pioneering project that accelerates the adoption of new technologies and drives them down into the mainstream." - http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/ubuntu-edge
What do you guys think about the device? I for one can't wait for it! Discuss below.
"Give a man a fish you feed him for a day, teach him to fish, you feed him for a lifetime." In other words help others find an answer don't just give it to them.

Does anyone know if the CPU architecture will be ARM or x86?
This phone seems really interesting and if it has Merrifield inside (Bay Trail for smartphones) I might actually get one. Hopefully I can find this out before the 21st of August.
I was initially thinking of getting it when my contract ran out next year but I'm getting the idea that if one wants one you need to buy through the campaign.

cypher49 said:
Does anyone know if the CPU architecture will be ARM or x86?
This phone seems really interesting and if it has Merrifield inside (Bay Trail for smartphones) I might actually get one. Hopefully I can find this out before the 21st of August.
I was initially thinking of getting it when my contract ran out next year but I'm getting the idea that if one wants one you need to buy through the campaign.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
They haven't specified at all, only saying it will be the very best available when they start manufacturing.

"armv7 A15 support 40bit adressing"
That is what one of the officials said on indiegogo. The guys name is Victor Palau.

Help spred the word!
https://www.thunderclap.it/en/projects/3486

Someone buy me one... I want one... can't afford... I will just pray they start making it for US carriers and I can get one with my new contract next year ha. Seems like this phone will be the "next best thing" if the project gets enough support. I like the sapphire screen and sleek design they've come up with. Would buy 10/10.

t3hcurs3 said:
Someone buy me one... I want one... can't afford... I will just pray they start making it for US carriers and I can get one with my new contract next year ha. Seems like this phone will be the "next best thing" if the project gets enough support. I like the sapphire screen and sleek design they've come up with. Would buy 10/10.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This phone will never ever ever ever come to carriers.
A) the phone will never exist.
B) even if it will, they will start a new campaign and change the price to a more realistic $850. Can carriers subsidize this to $200? They won't like it much...
C) the phone is the phone equivalent of a Bugatti Veyron. You won't see these just lying around in a store. They are limited production and must be built on a per order basis. Carriers on the other hand, stockpile phones, something canonical can't allow with the little support they have.
D) The margins are extremely small. Ubuntu style. Seriously, look at the specs, then the price. You can't expect a company that has such small margins to really take off and compete with multi billion dollar companies.
This phone is only for hardcore Ubuntu enthusiasts who absolutely must have the best, and can afford it. Since you're American, if you buy this phone, you'll end up paying for it twice during the course of 2 years. More if you keep it longer.
Don't worry. Since Ubuntu is open source, it's only a matter of time before Ubuntu Touch is finalized and flagships start shipping with dual boot capability.

I backed it, but am sadly anticipating the crowd fund to fail.
If you look at the descriptions, pretty much every hardware aspect is still up in the air, even the cpu architecture. And given how poorly they handled the developer preview release, burst their hype bubble, and only barely have a dd-ready build after all this time, I don't think it would release on time even if it did fund successfully.
Motorola was way ahead of its time starting with the Atrix and its webtop mode, is a shame that they axed it and Google never built in that support after buying Motorola. The whole screen becomes a touchpad when in webtop mode on a tv was really cool. (Granted, the web dock laptop WAS like $500 for a crappy screen and keyboard dock, but still, it worked!)
I REALLY want to see the whole desktop convergence thing happen, but the MHL vs OTG stuff still needs to be worked out and standardized, so one port can simultaneously output hdmi, be a usb host, and still charge the device, before it will be ubiquitous. One dock to rule them all! (Either that or standardize the two-port hdmi & usb side by side with specified orientation and spacing)
In the meantime, newegg has a deal today on a Samsung 11 pin mhl dock sometime today. (Good for s3/4 and notes)

Today we broke past $10M in support, and soon the world record for crowd funding will be broken.
The Ubuntu Edge has an unlocked bootrom and we are encouraged to hack/tinker with it.
Yesterday Mark Shuttleworth posted this message:
A message from Mark Shuttleworth
Hi everyone
Thanks in large part to all of you, the Ubuntu Edge campaign response has been incredible. In just over three weeks more than 20,000 people have backed the project, from individuals giving a single dollar right up to Bloomberg’s fantastic $80,000 contribution. Along the way we’ve broken crowdfunding records, including the fastest project to hit $2 million (7hrs 59mins), and the highest ever 24-hour total ($3.45 million). We’re now on the verge of an even bigger milestone as we approach the all-time crowdfunding record of $10.27 million.
Speaking both personally and for the team, the more time we spend on this project, the more excited we get about the possibilities of this new class of device. And as the news has spread we’ve seen industry thought leaders coming round to the idea that convergence can be a real force, and that this project represents a new way to underwrite innovation.
That led to some significant engagements with suppliers that enabled us to drop the price below $700, without compromising the specification. And now that we’ve seen next-generation phones from other major names, we think the price-performance of the Edge is off the charts -- it offers real value. We’re even more convinced that it will take a new approach to unlock the next wave of mobile innovation.
Whatever happens in the next nine days, the Ubuntu Edge is already making a difference. This campaign lets enthusiast consumers signal their interest to a mobile industry that caters overwhelmingly to the mainstream. It’s making it clear that we’re no longer satisfied with minor updates; we’re looking for true innovation and we’re ready to pay for it. And that message is getting through.
So in a sense, we can be proud of what’s been achieved already -- but we really want to hit that $32 million! We’re going to need a huge push, a surge in awareness that builds momentum to carry us over the line. No one here is giving up while the goal remains achievable, and you’ve all gone out of your way to add your voice to the chorus. So I’m writing to ask you to take to the Twitterverse and other social networks to encourage like-minded types to join you, and me, and companies large and small, in backing the Ubuntu Edge.
As they say, the future is already here, it’s just not widely distributed. We’re working to put it in the hands of 40,000 people, to start a revolution. And you’re there at the start.
Mark Shuttleworth
Founder, Ubuntu and Canonical
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think there is still a ton of people who do not know about the device, and if you want one, help spread the word and support the campaign!

Aonoa said:
Today we broke past $10M in support, and soon the world record for crowd funding will be broken.
The Ubuntu Edge has an unlocked bootrom and we are encouraged to hack/tinker with it.
Yesterday Mark Shuttleworth posted this message:
I think there is still a ton of people who do not know about the device, and if you want one, help spread the word and support the campaign!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I can't wait to get my Edge, I'm so fed up of my Lumia 920 and it's constant niggles that gripe me on a regular basis, I'm really looking forward to trying Android... To be honest I can't believe the storage capacity on this thing!!! There's no way Apple will ever do a 128gb model... imagine the price after Apple tax gets included

Since the op seems to be on vacation there is no need for this thread to stay open. Please continue your discussion here
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2379508&page=4
Thread closed