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Just got an email from Office Depot, they have the GTab on sale for $299.
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To be fair, this post was first
dfin13 said:
To be fair, this post was first
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i checked the times after i posted, thats why i deleted. Mah bad.
I was there today and saw that. Limited time on it. Paid $380 there 6 months ago.
Price is right, I work Office Depot.
I can confirm this price(299) as I work at office depot. We are Making room for another tablet. Ill have to look through the stores 'Playbook' to see which one will be replacing this one.
davewinkwink said:
I can confirm this price(299) as I work at office depot. We are Making room for another tablet. Ill have to look through the stores 'Playbook' to see which one will be replacing this one.
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haha, the guy at the one I was at yesterday straight up said to me, "If you dont like that, we are getting the playbook in a couple of weeks. It's supposed to be the iPad killer"
Which by the way, i hate that term. First off, it means that the iPad is something that is so much better than everything else that it needs to be killed. The ipad isnt better, it is different. It is designed for a certain type of people. I'm glad android isnt anything like iOS. If it was, i wouldnt use it.
Secondly, there is nothing WRONG with iOS, I just dont like it. Wouldnt want to kill it though. Competition is good!
GTab Much Improved on Newer Versions (Purchases) 4-8-2011
D Wright said:
I was there today and saw that. Limited time on it. Paid $380 there 6 months ago.
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The GTab is different. I bought one from Office Depot in the early part of this year and I picked up another one yesterday.
The screen is different. When completely powered off for me it looks like a very, very dark green or 90% gray. Slightly different colored than the outer frame. Turned on simply incredible. You have to really turn it at some odd angles to get bad viewing. Angles you wouldn't normally view at. I could view it clear as day holding it flat overhead looking directly on. Completely flat and turned on good for internet and reading, just has a silvery or metallic tone, slightly, nothing as describe as before. For viewing pictures flat it has to be directly in front of you not at a distance, but, much better at a slight angle. Video not much change flat serious ghosting on dark colors. Who watches movies with a screen laying flat? You still get the (if someone is looking on over your shoulder) privacy using it from various angles which I like. On my dock, movies look HD TV quality at least for the two "shorts", they included, youtube and others. Mostly now depends on the quality of those movies.
Screen itself when on, is more HD. When flat, blacks show the most amount of distortion. It boots faster too. If you turn your head and look back you are on your desktop. It moves very quickly to the desktop. The browser has been seriously tweaked. Load time is fast and it also manages memory much better. I used on the 1st one, an all-in-one cache cleaner, app killer and memory manager that also let me check the CPU usage. Doesn't require much dump, really none.
Didn't see a need for flash 10.2 since out the box it was lightening quick, responsive and HD. I installed it anyway to see if there was a difference. It felt more weighed down, but the original flash on it said 10.1. All I did was throw Gapps on it without the nvidia drivers like with the first one. It did not need them. Noticed the screen cleaning cloth was different. The first one was a large red one and the new one a small green one.
Final assessment they did some serious work on it. Memory management much improved, seriously impressive. Feels absolutely stable. Not perfect, but they made it a serious contender--pre-honeycomb, to what's already out there and coming out. Apparently they have been paying attention to user comments. I probably will just pick up the 7 inch playbook now for my collection. No need for another 10 inch. Can't believe you can get all this under $300. The browser, the pages load on a dime. It's like--find the site and there it is. No freakin lag time. The loading of pages is spectacular. Moves in--flash on a page like it's handling text, and you can view video on a page with GTab flat, clearly. Nice job VS just throw out honeycomb now.
Yeah this deal was great.
I went to Office Depot to check it out, since I heard they had them there. I was planning on coming home and ordering it online, since they had it labeled as $399.
However when I came home, I discovered they had it for $299 on the website. So I attempted to print out a copy and take it in, only to find out my printer was out of ink. So now having two reasons to head up, I jumped in the car. After pulling it up on their sample GTablet in store, the salesman was like, "Huh, that's a helluva price"
So far I've been happy with it. It was kind of a pain to get nvflash working for some reason, but after doing a re-image to 3588 everything seems fine. Going to put TNT Lite on it and have fun. I agree with the screen being decent, it's not as good as an iPad2 screen but it's got a pretty decent viewing angle. Maybe 60 degrees? Colors are good too. And man, the battery life on this thing is insane compared to my iPhone! I kicked back last night with Angry Birds, next thing I knew I'd been playing for 3 hours and the battery still reported 90%.
Just ordered mine a few hours ago for local pickup, $299 plus tax, cant wait! I hope its worth it I have been on the edge about a tablet for months but for the hardware and some xda action thought I would give it a shot!
dcmtnbkr said:
Which by the way, i hate that term.
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I hate that term, too. I think people too often get the mis-informed idea that this tablet or that tablet is just like the ipad. And then once they got it, it doesn't feel like the ipad and they get a huge disappointment.
In fact, I'm sure that half the wooters who ordered a gtab believed that they got something like an ipad. All you have to do is read the woot thread to see how ill-informed people are.
Been on the fence for awhile... finally pulled the trigger and love it
I bought mine last week while on Spring Break in Ft. Myers Beach. The local Comp-USA had it for $299 so I price matched it at Office Depot in case I wanted to return it after I got home. I didn't do much with it last week and wasn't real thrilled with the lackluster tap-n-tap ui, but installed Vegan-tab on it today and absolutely love it. Still trying to learn my way around the android operating system. Lots of playing ahead. And, agree on the battery life. My iPod touch drains quickly on Angry Birds. The g-tablet battery life is much better.
IPad killer ha ha ha. Love that term.
I have this vision of Elmer Dude in his hunting gear saying: "Come hewers you silly iPad" hee hee
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I just bought mine there (Office Depot) yesterday, was $299, here in Oregon.
The door knob clerk tried to convince me not to buy, saying they didn't work and they were being recalled and they weren't selling them anymore. Told him I did my homework and I wanted the hardware, not the software, picked it up in front of him, smiled and walked to the counter.
Riccarr said:
I just bought mine there (Office Depot) yesterday, was $299, here in Oregon.
The door knob clerk tried to convince me not to buy, saying they didn't work and they were being recalled and they weren't selling them anymore. Told him I did my homework and I wanted the hardware, not the software, picked it up in front of him, smiled and walked to the counter.
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This story is why I fear for the future of the GTablet - even the retailers want it to fade away (I had a similar situation in my local Staples, right before they pulled it).
And it is a shame because, other than the screen angles, the hardware itself is a bargain at $299.
roebeet said:
This story is why I fear for the future of the GTablet - even the retailers want it to fade away (I had a similar situation in my local Staples, right before they pulled it).
And it is a shame because, other than the screen angles, the hardware itself is a bargain at $299.
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Any idea why retailers and mainstream tech websites just want the gtab to die? This really is a bargain, considering what it could do.
propagandax said:
Just ordered mine a few hours ago for local pickup, $299 plus tax, cant wait! I hope its worth it I have been on the edge about a tablet for months but for the hardware and some xda action thought I would give it a shot!
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I have had this for one day and am having huge buyers remorse, the screen is really bothering me, has anybody successfully returned one of these to office depot, there policy says this:
"Technology & Furniture - 14 Day Return Policy:
Your Original Receipt is required for all returns or exchanges of technology and furniture.
Technology products may be returned or exchanged within 14 days of purchase with Original Receipt, in original packaging and with UPC code intact. If product box is opened, we will offer an exchange only."
http://www.officedepot.com/specialL...rservice/Refunds.jsp&template=customerService
goodintentions said:
Any idea why retailers and mainstream tech websites just want the gtab to die? This really is a bargain, considering what it could do.
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Could be one of two things.
1) Not a lot of margin on them. Viewsonic has them listed CHEAP. Not sure what the margin is on something like a Xoom though. Probably not much either.
2) The stock software, at least earlier versions (honestly it wasn't horrible on mine, but after flashing I've not looked back), was nearly unusable. We're all pretty tech savvy here, imagine if you were Joe Schmoe with no tech sense whatsoever? You'd get pissed off and return it.
3) nVidia just announced they are dropping driver support for the hardware. Viewsonic claims development will continue, but the GTab may be at the end of it's life.
I, honestly, had the opposite experience. The local Office Depot only had two tablets on display, this and the Archos 7. The sales associate flat out called the Archos 'crap' and said, "Look at this, it's been here three weeks and the touch screen is busted!".
propagandax said:
I have had this for one day and am having huge buyers remorse, the screen is really bothering me, has anybody successfully returned one of these to office depot, there policy says this:
"Technology & Furniture - 14 Day Return Policy:
Your Original Receipt is required for all returns or exchanges of technology and furniture.
Technology products may be returned or exchanged within 14 days of purchase with Original Receipt, in original packaging and with UPC code intact. If product box is opened, we will offer an exchange only."
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There's a lot of chatter on complaintsboard.com about them and their return policy. If the "technology" box is open, then only an exchange. I can't post links so you'll have to search it.
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.
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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.
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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.
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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... :/
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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
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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
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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.
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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....
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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!
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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.
so the liveview is $25 on amazon, the second gen sony smartwatch is $94, and the pebble is $150. I have preordered the pebble, but have yet to pay. I wanted to ask if the liveview is worth it in comparison, for the price being so cheap..i may just buy it to try it out since its so cheap. i have an htc one s with android 4.2, also does liveview have push notifications?.... any suggestions..thanks
When a Google search brings up the suggestion "Sony Liveview don't bother", you know you'll be wasting your money.
Those Amazon reviews paint a very negative picture.
See what kind of reviews the Pebble gets and decide from there. You'll likely get what you pay for.
Sent from my Galaxy Note 2 using Tapatalk 2
got to respectfully disagree. For 20$ this thing is awesome.
I'd sort the reviews by date.
Also, consider the technical sophistication of your average user.
If you are posting on xda - you are the top 1% generally.
This thing is awesome.
There's a new firmware and client software out from sony that obviates pretty much all of the old problems.
AND there's an Open Live View reverse engineering effort that is 90% functional already!
This thing is badass!
imho.
willfck4beer said:
got to respectfully disagree. For 20$ this thing is awesome.
I'd sort the reviews by date.
Also, consider the technical sophistication of your average user.
If you are posting on xda - you are the top 1% generally.
This thing is awesome.
There's a new firmware and client software out from sony that obviates pretty much all of the old problems.
AND there's an Open Live View reverse engineering effort that is 90% functional already!
This thing is badass!
imho.
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yea i ended up getting it for $27 off amazon with expedient shipping. so i should get it soon and im hoping it works well with my htc one s...and for that cheap why not...much better than spending $150 on a pebble that ill get in like 6 months
i got my liveview, and id say its worth the money...it does what it says it does, though it sometimes disconnects...im glad i bought this and didnt spend 150 on a pebble, since its kinda of a gimmick... i mean its basically a pager on your wrist, but 27$ for it, i cant complain
For $20-30, it is a steal. Unfortunately they don't ship to my country, otherwiser I would have ordered an extra one as well.
I saw the Pebble, and frankly, I miss a two quite important functions from it that the liveview has: volume up and down as a music remote. Yeah, most likely someone will figure out how to add them to the 3-button-only interface (long press track skip would be ok) but till then, I'll go with my Liveview. Even if the connection is still not rock solid. Yeah, it is much, MUCH better than it was, but still not 100% if you are skipping music tracks left and right.
Another thing to watch out for: the frames are extremely fragile. Yes, even the metal clip-on frame. My wristwatch frame has a holding clip broken off (so it is useless as the LV falls out of it quite easily) and the clip-on is broken at the microUSB connector part. I actually had to attach the LV with a piece of masking tape to the frame so it won't fall out. I'm thinking of supergluing it there.
i found sony liveview a good smart watch but this is depending of what you demand from it
i found that it offers me the basic functionalities with cheap (really cheap) price
may be you found it a little bit dull (its look is not that great for some people), but who cares
It all depends on what you want to do with it, for me I wanted to use it as a cycling computer that worked with my phone using the my tracks app which worked perfectly so I love it for that and it only cost me $25. If you buy it just for the hell of it and don'd really know what is available for it then you might hate it, also I haven't encountered any issues with it disconnecting with my phone as others have had but it can be difficult to set up at first.
auda said:
i found sony liveview a good smart watch but this is depending of what you demand from it
i found that it offers me the basic functionalities with cheap (really cheap) price
may be you found it a little bit dull (its look is not that great for some people), but who cares
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+1
I just got my liveview so far so good I bought one when it first cam out switch to an HTC amaze and it didn't work at all so I got rid of it, switched to a samsung note 2 and since I rarely had a problem with my old nexus s and t959 I figured it was worth getting it over the pebble I synced it about 2 hours ago and no disconnects and everything seems to be working fine
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Mine frequently disconnects, and I also had issues with the clip not holding, so I was a little disappointed. That being said, I only paid $22 for it, so I can't be too upset. I only need it to be able to discreetly check text messages at work, so it serves its purpose.
Sent from my HTC Flyer using xda app-developers app
Hello,
I was in a position like you at one point here's my take on it:
I considered the Liveview when it came out, but the reviews were horrible. Personally felt it looked a bit cheap for a wach... I saw the price drop, but since I can't get the US deals, I gave up on that one.
I then saw the pebble, but missed the kickstart. Noticing that the shipping date was so far away (and the price of $150 seemed too high), I looked elsewhere.
I found a nice balance with the Sony Smartwatch. It's cheaper than the pebble, and the general reviews are better than the previous liveview. I also like how they bundle the 20mm watch strap adapter so you can make it look better with other straps. This is what I ended up getting and I'm quite happy since all I really need was for my notifications to show up on my watch (free app for that!). Cost me about $100 AUD, but I've seen it cheaper in US sites.
just purchased one last night and i should be getting it on saturday. will post my thoughts on it. not expecting too much for $22 but im still excited!
I kickstarted the Pebble. I had another Android smartwatch on preorder until I realized the Pebble is the only waterproof one. I dreaded the thought of washing my hands wrong, or getting caught in the rain and ruining my $300 watch. The $115 Pebble seemed like a no brainer, all things considered.
With that said, the Pebble SDK still isn't public yet, so there's currently a severe lack of functionality. The Pebble has piqued my interest in smarter watches though, so I've been keeping my eyes peeled for better alternatives.
I think the year of the smartwatch is coming soon. Especially if the rumors of an Apple iWatch are true.
Have mine for a half year now. I use it almost every day. It's pretty useful if you are listening to music via your phone in car and want to skip a song etc. . Also the Camera Watch function is pretty funny
i can only speak about the liveview since i have not bought a smartwatch yet.
as you can see within this thread and on openliveview.com, custom firmware developement and a liveware manager replacement is in developement.
the custom liveware manager replacement you can find here, has all the functionality the liveware manager has, except plugin support (wich is currently in developement)
besides, it has a notification implementation that is pretty similar to how custommessagenotifier works.
the firmware is yet not for daily usage since it does not put the watch into deepsleep yet and has no bluetooth support yet.
a big minus would be that you need to kindoff break your wristband holder to charge the liveview.
overall i'd say, the liveview is currently extremely customizable since the custom manager and the custom firmware are opensource.
to the smartwatch:
it has bluetooth 4 instead of 1.1 (liveview) wich makes the bluetooth battery drain pretty small and it could theoretically even be ported to iphone.
the screen is the same except it has multi touch instead of 4 tap keys.
it has more internal storage than the liveview so a custom firmware would be more awesome on it.
overall i'd say, its better than the liveview but unless we devs get our hands onto it, there will mostly not be a custom manager / rom soon, so you will need to stick to connection issues and sony's creepy try to write software.
It seems a good idea this new project.
Since 2 years, the LiveView is not on my wrist but on my desk.
Liveview is so worth it considering the price.
Sent from my GT-I9100
I got mine for $15. I can't even find a cheap wristwatch at walmart for that much. The Liveview is a watch, but has some added functions which are pretty cool. Worth every penny of my $15.
Been planning on buying this for my Samsung Galaxy Nexus running on Jellybean 4.2.2 just wanted to ask if anyone can tell me if this watch is compatible on my device and android version. Just recently got ahold of bluetooth headset (Nokia BH-503) can this watch has capability to override handsfree and music controls of bluetooth headsets.
Now that I think of it, can I pair to devices on a phone at once? Asking because here in my country this costs 30$.
Hey everyone! First of all I didn't see a Q&A forum so if this is in a bad spot sorry about that.
So I have been wanting to get a smartwatch and i have been stuck on deciding between the Sony smartwatch 2 and the Pebble Steel.
I have been looking everywhere, reading and watching reviews, but no one ever gives a good opinion on which is better. It seems like they end up weighing them out as even. For the Sony sw2 with the metal wristband it is currently $199 with free shipping. The Pebble Steel is $249 with free shipping that takes several weeks (so the site says) and may include import taxes.
I am currently using a Nexus 4, enjoy some small development, mainly looking for practical use, with a nice look.
Currently I am leaning towards the pebble steel. I don't know guys. Please share some of your opinions and thoughts, it would be appreciated!
Thanks!
Sony Smartwatch 2 FTW
babanomania said:
Sony Smartwatch 2 FTW
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Whats your reason behind that? Have you used both? And do you have the metal or silicone band?
I have the SW2 and have tried the Pebble, and while the Pebble is a great device that lasts a good deal of time, I prefer the touchscreen and colorful display of the SW2. The app selection is not that great, but it has all that I need and then some. If you are using the Sony made Gmail notifier app, prepare for some battery drain on your phone. None of the other apps I have used really cause that much of a drain if any.
mikeydubbs said:
Hey everyone! First of all I didn't see a Q&A forum so if this is in a bad spot sorry about that.
So I have been wanting to get a smartwatch and i have been stuck on deciding between the Sony smartwatch 2 and the Pebble Steel.
I have been looking everywhere, reading and watching reviews, but no one ever gives a good opinion on which is better. It seems like they end up weighing them out as even. For the Sony sw2 with the metal wristband it is currently $199 with free shipping. The Pebble Steel is $249 with free shipping that takes several weeks (so the site says) and may include import taxes.
I am currently using a Nexus 4, enjoy some small development, mainly looking for practical use, with a nice look.
Currently I am leaning towards the pebble steel. I don't know guys. Please share some of your opinions and thoughts, it would be appreciated!
Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is a hard question to answer. Unfortunately, right now the Smart Watch market is in the very beginning stages in commercial availability and functionality.
For the most part, the Sony and the pebble do the same thing...and seem to do it well. In this case, the option really boils down to color or black and white screen. I have both the Pebble (1st edition) and the Sony SW2... The Sony quickly replaced the Pebble when it arrived. I loved the color screen, Android UI, and build quality. I felt that the pebble was outdated technology being in B&W and was a toy in comparison. I used the Sony for a few months...to be honest, I really wasn't impressed either. The watch face was really big and overwhelming. I did feel that the functionality was decent, but customization was very limited. Disconnects were prevalent every day and many times I missed notifs all together. I also experienced constant slow downs and extensive lag that could only be fixed by a restart.
Now...once I got the SmartQ Zwatch... my impressions and overall acceptance of the smart watch device changed. After a few firmware upgrades from SmartQ, the Z became my daily driver. Amazing considering I expected the LEAST from the Zwatch.
But this was almost 6 months ago now...for you the situation is different. Now we have devices like the Omate Truesmart, SimValley AW420/421.RX, and ZGPAX S5...dual core, full featured power houses. And with Google and Apple expected to release their stab at the Smartwatch...it's a tough time to commit to one.
My recommendation to you...is really try to figure out what your wishlist is for a SW. How will you use it? Will you need a full function device? I know this can be a difficult thing to do since you most likely don't know what your expectations are.
My advice is to start small. Buy something that has all the functionality you want....see if you like having a vibrating wrist. Some people hate it! Look at the Zwatch...it's only $99...fairly feature rich for that price with 4gb of storage, WiFi, BT, KitKat 4.4 and a great screen. With all the other possible devices hitting the shelves soon, it won't be long before you'll be looking to upgrade.
How this helps.
Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk
I've had the same disconnect problem with sw2, but I fixed it by changing the oom values. You need a rooted phone to do that. Mine has 1gb of ram.
Sent from my LT30p using Tapatalk
mghtymse007 said:
This is a hard question to answer. Unfortunately, right now the Smart Watch market is in the very beginning stages in commercial availability and functionality.
For the most part, the Sony and the pebble do the same thing...and seem to do it well. In this case, the option really boils down to color or black and white screen. I have both the Pebble (1st edition) and the Sony SW2... The Sony quickly replaced the Pebble when it arrived. I loved the color screen, Android UI, and build quality. I felt that the pebble was outdated technology being in B&W and was a toy in comparison. I used the Sony for a few months...to be honest, I really wasn't impressed either. The watch face was really big and overwhelming. I did feel that the functionality was decent, but customization was very limited. Disconnects were prevalent every day and many times I missed notifs all together. I also experienced constant slow downs and extensive lag that could only be fixed by a restart.
Now...once I got the SmartQ Zwatch... my impressions and overall acceptance of the smart watch device changed. After a few firmware upgrades from SmartQ, the Z became my daily driver. Amazing considering I expected the LEAST from the Zwatch.
But this was almost 6 months ago now...for you the situation is different. Now we have devices like the Omate Truesmart, SimValley AW420/421.RX, and ZGPAX S5...dual core, full featured power houses. And with Google and Apple expected to release their stab at the Smartwatch...it's a tough time to commit to one.
My recommendation to you...is really try to figure out what your wishlist is for a SW. How will you use it? Will you need a full function device? I know this can be a difficult thing to do since you most likely don't know what your expectations are.
My advice is to start small. Buy something that has all the functionality you want....see if you like having a vibrating wrist. Some people hate it! Look at the Zwatch...it's only $99...fairly feature rich for that price with 4gb of storage, WiFi, BT, KitKat 4.4 and a great screen. With all the other possible devices hitting the shelves soon, it won't be long before you'll be looking to upgrade.
How this helps.
Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is exactly what i was hoping for from a reply, thanks!
I dont think i would mind the black and white screen, and i feel like the steel would take away from the "toy" feeling. But as you said, it is still early for the smartwatch generation. All that im really looking for is an easy way to see notifications, flip through music, and as i would think/consider basic functionality. Ill have a look at some of the ones that you mentioned!
i have been watching reviews on youtube for these
honestly they seem pretty cool but i would probably wait until they get the technology up to speed with the vision.
they seem more like notification centers for you to then check your phone
and not as much SMARTPHONE
they are missing some key stuff
FULL COLOR
AND TOUCH SCREEN
camera
actual ability to talk on the phone and message back.
that is the major issues
i have with pebble.
sw2 seems slightly better to me
but both im sure are cool to play around with
I'm not really sure you want what you think you want. You'll never be able to put as much functionality on your wrist than you can in your pocket. It makes too much sense to let the wrist device extend the pocket device. It's still useful for situations like driving and shopping, even if you can't do everything with it. A microphone would be nice though.
Sent from my LT30p using Tapatalk
tacotester1 said:
i have been watching reviews on youtube for these
honestly they seem pretty cool but i would probably wait until they get the technology up to speed with the vision.
they seem more like notification centers for you to then check your phone
and not as much SMARTPHONE
they are missing some key stuff
FULL COLOR
AND TOUCH SCREEN
camera
actual ability to talk on the phone and message back.
that is the major issues
i have with pebble.
sw2 seems slightly better to me
but both im sure are cool to play around with
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There are apps available for the pebble to send text messages
I don't know of an app that you can actually type a text from for the Pebble though. SW2 you can.
Sent from my SGH-M919 using Tapatalk
Testingchip said:
I don't know of an app that you can actually type a text from for the Pebble though. SW2 you can.
Sent from my SGH-M919 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Its called wrist ponder
mikeydubbs said:
Its called wrist ponder
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think the writer above said that you write the sms with your watch, not preloaded sms, but actually you write the sms with your watch from the start. Doesnt Wristponder work on the way, that you have to write sms with you phone, like "ill be there in 5min" and use these preloaded sms to answer.
Sent from my Galaxy Note 10.1 (N8000).
The "which one should I get?" question is one that is difficult to answer and likely to get different answers depending on which form you asked. I am sure the folks in the Pebble will give you valid Pebble recommendations in their forum, same for Gear, AI, HOT, Onate, etc. Here, you will get SW2 recommendations.
I looked at all and chose the Sony obviously. There were/are things about each design I liked and disliked. I like the community aspect of the Pebble and the greater number of apps/extensions available to customize the watch, especially the watchface. I like the build quality and looks of the SW2, and the ability to use touch instead of buttons. Plus most of the functions I need are covered by the available extensions. My biggest gripe continues to be the limited number of watchfaces... I envy the complete customization available with the Gear (eg. recreating a high-end watch face like a Bell&Ross, Omega, Breiltling, etc). And even the Pebble offers way more and way more functional watchfaces... eg. one that shows time, weather, and notification counts).
Ultimately, I think the real winners will be the next gen of true "smart" watches. Whether its the gear 2, or something like the Omate. Where you can completely customize with ROMs and add functional apps from the Play Store. I don't know if cameras and calls are that big of a deal, but I really think the smartwatch has to be more than a notification window and more of a smartphone extension.
My two cents... discounted as usual.
I say the smart watch 2!
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N900A using xda app-developers app
mikeydubbs said:
Hey everyone! First of all I didn't see a Q&A forum so if this is in a bad spot sorry about that.
So I have been wanting to get a smartwatch and i have been stuck on deciding between the Sony smartwatch 2 and the Pebble Steel.
I have been looking everywhere, reading and watching reviews, but no one ever gives a good opinion on which is better. It seems like they end up weighing them out as even. For the Sony sw2 with the metal wristband it is currently $199 with free shipping. The Pebble Steel is $249 with free shipping that takes several weeks (so the site says) and may include import taxes.
I am currently using a Nexus 4, enjoy some small development, mainly looking for practical use, with a nice look.
Currently I am leaning towards the pebble steel. I don't know guys. Please share some of your opinions and thoughts, it would be appreciated!
Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was in the same dilemma few days back and I chose Gear instead of SW2. Reason being simple. Now with the launch of Gear2, we can get Gear at the price of SW2 if not less. You get more features with Gear. And its cool too. If you check Gear forum, you can see the Null ROM which has added more features to Gear than the stock OS. With Null ROM, you can connect it to any device and not just Galaxy range. Check it out and decide. Try to see all 3 at the same time and see which one you like. End of the day, you are not gonna spend 24hrs of ur time seeing notifications. Its gonna act as your watch so check how comfortable are you wearing one and how it suits you. For the usage you mentioned, all 3 serves the purpose.
All the best! Gonna place my order for Gear next week
Sent from my GT-N7100 using Tapatalk
I used to have first Sony attempt to a Smartwatch and the experience was horrible (few years back).
Now, I played with Gear, SW2 and Pebble and, let's put it simple: my money went to Sony's SW2. Is far from perfect but, considering the price, is a very good quality/price ratio. If you ask me which smartwatch is the best nowadays I would say: TOQ ... it has by far the best display - but that is expensive.
Functionality wise - they are all the same: a simple notification extension to your smartphone.
Hi All,
I have bumped into limited activities on S2 s-health app such as circuits, HIT, aerobics, weight training or just simple sports tracking. The ones pre-loaded on s2 are very limited and really useless. So if i want to track my exercising i have to set up on walking or running which records useless parameters such as speed, why on earth would you need your speed whilst training in weights section
I can see that there are a lot more selections on s-health app but you can only track it fro your phone standalone from s2 gear.
now is there a way to sync or add more sports activities into s2?
I would appreciate if you could guide me.
Thanks
Id like to know this too!
For now unfortunately no.
I have the exact same problem! I don't understand why Samsung hasn't included more activities? There is so much more space to turn the bazzle for more activities!
I just want, at least, an "other" category that tracks heart rate and estimates calories burned
Jrobsky said:
I just want, at least, an "other" category that tracks heart rate and estimates calories burned
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah "other" or general gym would do as well. Not practical to measure your gym workout under walking
Any solution yet anyone?
I agree with the rest, this would be very useful, i like to go kayaking, it would be very helpful to have that as an option on the watch. You would not think it would be to difficult for them to make the ability to have the same activities on the watch as on the phone. Hopefully they will get something done with it soon.
You would think that this new amazing watch would do at LEAST what the crappy little Gear Fit did from which I upgraded... So far I'm not overly impressed... no Google Now, no sleep monitoring, no real customization... maybe with time there will be more functionality, but I am wondering (since I just got it 3 days ago) if I should have went with the Moto 360 g2 instead...
That sums up Samsung great hardware but piss poor software integration and updates, so an article the other day saying their own employees say this !!!
Look at the picture i post, it is the same with sleep tracking, i am so disapointed ... my last sam**** product ...
svavrek said:
You would think that this new amazing watch would do at LEAST what the crappy little Gear Fit did from which I upgraded... So far I'm not overly impressed... no Google Now, no sleep monitoring, no real customization... maybe with time there will be more functionality, but I am wondering (since I just got it 3 days ago) if I should have went with the Moto 360 g2 instead...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
From what i have been able to gather from outside sources.
It is the Tizen OS.
I have used an app for working out called JEFIT, i use the Pro version.
This is a very good app.
I contacted them to see about future app updates and watch integration. With Tizen, Android Wear, and Apple.
They did not give me a full answer but did answer with using the Apple watch as an example.
I do see that there should be something very soon to be able to get this watch in the field it should be.
The other problem:
most people that want a smartwatch are not Lift Junkies, more of cardio junkies.
So the market to create and adapt for the lifters to utilize isnt as high as everyone else who wants to use the GPS to track distance and speed, as well as how much cardio they did.
I have been rethinking the whole watch thing too.
Im beginning to think i should have gotten the Moto 360 g2
I ended up saying F Samsung. Traded in, got the LG Urbane and the new V10 and sooooooooooooo happy! Never looking back.
Anybody ever figure this out? I don't understand why there isn't other options other than running and walking and hiking and biking
Sent from my SM-G928V using Tapatalk
svavrek said:
I ended up saying F Samsung. Traded in, got the LG Urbane and the new V10 and sooooooooooooo happy! Never looking back.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What's your battery life like and does Google actually offer many more apps ?
Sent from my SM-G935F using XDA-Developers mobile app