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Hi everybody,
i've been reading a lot about the gtablet the last couple of days, and i've got a general view of what the device is and what it is not. I'm comfortable with installing custom ROMs and apk and fiddeling with the system to get the device in a working state.
The only problem that i have is that i like to have such devices in my hands to play around with them before i would buy it. Since i'm from Belgium, it's nigh impossible to get my hands on one. So i'm asking anybody who already has a gtablet ( and got rid of the horrid stock software), what they think of the device in terms of lag / responsiveness and general use. Is it a good replacement for the couch-laptop? I've only played around with an iPad, how does it stack up against that in performance / use?
Also, does anybody have any info on the best ways to ship one from the USA, or a distributor in Europe? Amazon charges a big buck for shipping and taxes, it would take 400€ to get it here. Any info on good european deals would be eternally praised
Thanks for reading!
trikkeuh said:
Hi everybody,
i've been reading a lot about the gtablet the last couple of days, and i've got a general view of what the device is and what it is not. I'm comfortable with installing custom ROMs and apk and fiddeling with the system to get the device in a working state.
The only problem that i have is that i like to have such devices in my hands to play around with them before i would buy it. Since i'm from Belgium, it's nigh impossible to get my hands on one. So i'm asking anybody who already has a gtablet ( and got rid of the horrid stock software), what they think of the device in terms of lag / responsiveness and general use. Is it a good replacement for the couch-laptop? I've only played around with an iPad, how does it stack up against that in performance / use?
Also, does anybody have any info on the best ways to ship one from the USA, or a distributor in Europe? Amazon charges a big buck for shipping and taxes, it would take 400€ to get it here. Any info on good european deals would be eternally praised
Thanks for reading!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Unless you want to try eBay, I think the amazon deal is the best you're gonna get, I'm in Canada and had to order from Amazon as well since Viewsonic is not selling this outside of the US, you can try getting a Malata Zpad which is essentially the same thing, but from what Iv'e seen those are going for $599US. There are also a few more companies that are also releasing the same tablet under different names, you mgiht want to google that.
The GTablet is definitely responsive. I was very surprised about how much faster it runs than my phone. I've played with the iPad and this is just as zippy...
As far as replacing the laptop...I would say no. We use the GTab for websurfing, games, ebooks, email, videos and streaming TV. If I need to type a lot, I head for the laptop and a real keyboard.
Overall, I'm VERY happy with the GTab. It's a GREAT device and I would def recommend getting one.
ima_UNC_fan said:
The GTablet is definitely responsive. I was very surprised about how much faster it runs than my phone. I've played with the iPad and this is just as zippy...
As far as replacing the laptop...I would say no. We use the GTab for websurfing, games, ebooks, email, videos and streaming TV. If I need to type a lot, I head for the laptop and a real keyboard.
Overall, I'm VERY happy with the GTab. It's a GREAT device and I would def recommend getting one.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
+1 once I applied the touchscreen calibration and TnT Lite 2.4!
I bought my gtablet 2 weeks ago. I have 30 days to return the baby. Following are my questions.
1. I know lot of pundits are calling 2011 as the year of tablets. Did I jump the gun and bought it too early? gtab's spec was the reason for the buy.
2. Do you think in the future they will release firmware update to honeycomb since google doesn't recommend froyo for tablets?
3. lot of the current apps dont work.
4. you tube streaming is horrible.
5. last but not least the screen.
I appreciate the efforts of several guys on this forum for supporting the device. however I am still on the side line as far as introducing other roms on the device. so it limits my gtab to some extent.
Difficult question to answer since it ultimately depends on your expectations and personality. Viewsonic has (recently) been pretty good about releasing updates and working with the dev community here at XDA; that indicates that there is a possibility (not certainty) that they will continue to do so into the new year. The G-tablet's hardware will support Honeycomb, so it is reasonable to expect them to release an update IF Honeycomb is released within Q1 or Q2 of 2011.
If you are holding back on loading a rom, the question we need to know "why" before we can give you more meaningful advice. If you're holding off because you're considering returning the unit, that's one thing (and understandable). If, however, you are uncomfortable loading roms, that's another. All I can tell you is that the G-Tablet is a fantastic device with both VEGAn and TnTLite--much better and faster than stock TnT. I anticipate the XDA devs will probably actively develop/improve their roms for at least Q1 & Q2; probably longer if Honeycomb is released within that timeframe. We must acknowledge, however, that Viewsonic's recent updates are making strides into improving the user experience, so that remains an alternative. Bottom line: if you're willing to educate yourself on loading roms and doing the market fix, the G-Tablet is the best bargain out there currently.
As to some apps not working, some apps don't work on my HTC Evo either. The G-Tablet seems to run most apps very well. This is surprising since Froyo & Gingerbread apps aren't really designed for tablets. I see no reason to be alarmed regarding the G-Tablet's ability to run apps or play YouTube currently (which I have no problem with on TnTLite or VEGAn).
There will be better tablets released this year. For one thing, the G-Tablet's screen is poor quality when viewed at an angle. Also the front facing camera is mediocre at best. Other than those 2 issues, the hardware is very solid and will probably not be surpassed until Q3 of 2011.
no. do not keep it. i had one last week for two days (long enough to experience the latest update). its not great without the willingness to mod it by the end user.
today i bought a galaxy tab, and its exactly what i was hoping for when i bought the gtablet last week. sure, i now have a monthly data subscription, but only for the first 6 months (tmobile) and then i can drop it. and yes, i did spend more on the device... but maybe thats why the viewsonic product was so bad, because its an entry model device based on awful software and flimsy hardware (mine creaked).
the samsung has everything i was looking for... android market, swype, youtube, flash, etc. etc. etc... its just awesome.
dont wait too long to return. youll be sorry.
No one can answer that question for you, it is for you to decide. Not even the above poster's answer is valid - except for him and his experience. I also tried the Galaxy Tab and I hated it. Yes, much nicer screen, but the seven inch size was a no go for me. Everyone's needs and experience is different so don't do anything based on what someone here tells you to do.
If you feel up to mod'ing the G you can end up with a nicely functioning tablet, albeit with a screen that has a lousy viewing angle, but, on the other hand for a lot less money than other alternatives.
I am a total noob to Android and went to the irc chat room for the G and someone there walked me through the rom change. I now have a nice unit, runs smoothly, fairly fast and its doing what I need it to do. It still has a lousy screen viewing angle but I also have an extra few hundred bucks in my pocket that I didn't have to put out for a Galaxy that I didn't like.
Ultimately it has to be your decision. There are a number of people in here who are willing to help out if you want to take advantage of their help.
R
Take it back quickly. Get the Galaxy Tab......wait...didnt I just hear they are locking down the bootloader on it. No Gingerbread or Honeycomb unless Samsung lets you have it. So it has the the potential of being outdated already. But seriously, if your having 2nd thoughts about a purchase....RETURN IT!!!! It's your money. Why would anything we have to say have any bearing on your remorse.
If you're having buyers remorse already then I would say return it. Usually when someone asks a question like that they have issues or gripes with the device. This tablet has the hardware to be great and the software is catching up to it. There is a decent backing behind the product and that's a great thing. As for the screen users have been running tests with other screens to try and find an alternative.
For me I personally love modding my device to make it my own. If you're the type of person that wants a complete out of the box working tablet then I would return it.
I don't think any of the tabs out today has an advantage over the other. If ur gonna return the gtablet, don't get anything else that's out right now. I would just wait a few months. Or at least wait til the prices drop on the alternative tablets.
As other posters has said, u haven't seen the capabilities of this tablet without flashing a rom or modifying the stock ui.
Just to answer some of ur questions
No I don't think u bought it too early because tegra 2 tabs are gonna be expensive next yr albeit they will probably have better screens and camera. You just purchased a tablet with next years hottest cpu at a pretty fair price.
Yes, viewsonic has earned my trust that they will update this device. I also have the utmost confidence in our current devs to bring us faster roms.
All the apps I have works. If ur talking about the g sensor games then I would agree but that's not a lot of apps.
You tube streaming is super fast on my vegan tab. Other flash sites too! Especially justin tv. I have a wireless n router and when I stream from those sites no stutter at all.
And the screen...umm no comment lol.
Overall, I'm happy with my purchase and u should be too unless u got extra money to spend and/orthe patience to wait til next yr.
No....send it to me.
Thanks everyone. I am not new to android. Mt3g and currently vibrant. But never flashed a rom. So nervous. Things I like are hardware and no contract. On top of that I got it for 30% off. So really a bargain. But I offset it by buying extended warranty.
Called viewsonic cs but that number is not working. Tried 4 times, after the automated voice and 10 mins hold the call disconnects and it got me concerned.
nexusonemeover said:
the samsung has everything i was looking for... android market, swype, youtube, flash, etc. etc. etc... its just awesome.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Funny, I can say the same things about my GTablet. Granted, it's maybe 95%-98% of the Market, and I had to tinker with it, but I'm a big boy who likes to tinker.
Unfortunately, the devs here have taken away some of the fun by making it so easy to download and flash the rom.
But hey, glad you are enjoying your Galaxy Tab. And if you were so unhappy with your GTablet, stop trolling the GTablet forums.
-=Sent from my VS GTablet (VEGAn b4) using Tapatalk=-
popezaphod said:
Funny, I can say the same things about my GTablet. Granted, it's maybe 95%-98% of the Market, and I had to tinker with it, but I'm a big boy who likes to tinker.
Unfortunately, the devs here have taken away some of the fun by making it so easy to download and flash the rom.
But hey, glad you are enjoying your Galaxy Tab. And if you were so unhappy with your GTablet, stop trolling the GTablet forums.
-=Sent from my VS GTablet (VEGAn b4) using Tapatalk=-
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ill rephrase for the sensitive folks... some people need (or want) the device to work out of the box, no changes required. the gtablet just isnt that device.
in an increasingly crowded marketplace where devices are getting better and better at launch, a device like the gtab takes a backseat for out of the box readiness. yes, you can mod till youre blue in the face and get it to do most of what others do from the get go, but having to mod to get it almost there is not optimal for every user.
and to the other deflating comment, i love XDA and i will troll whatever forums and whenever i wish... pardon me for posting an opinion in a public forum.
I was also worried I made a bad decision with my gtab purchase a week ago as well. I came in to an unexpected $400 and decided to treat myself to a gtablet. The day after I got it I flashed the vegan 3 rom. That fixed the "bad software" issue for sure. The my only concern was with the screen. But my worry was 2 fold: 1) viewing angles. 2) "fuzzy" graphics. I'm used to my Droid X having razor sharp fonts and graphics, which the gtab does not. Part of the problem is the screen quality which is related to the viewing angle. I think the bigger part has to do with resolution. The gtab resolution is 1024 x600 pixels @ 10.1" while the Droid X is 854 x 480 @ 4.3". Packing 66% of the pixels into 42% of the screen size helps make things sharper.
So I'm now at the point where I'll keep the gtab. I'm not 100% satisfied, but it's pretty damn good. Maybe there will be luck with finding a better LCD that can be dropped in. If next year a better tegra 2 tablet comes out, then I might just switch and sell my gtab on ebay. I won't get what I paid for it, but I'm hoping to get at least $250 for it. I would have gotten $130 worth of use out of it.
As for flashing a new rom; It is really easy to do with the proper instructions. I had not done any rom flashing since I have a droid x, and was kinda reluctant as well. But now I look back and realize there really wasn't anything to be nervous over. Most of the "caution, you may brick your device" warnings you read are similar to the medical wavers you sign that say "you might die" even though you are just getting some teeth pulled. Yes, it can happen. But most of the time everything works out fine.
I think you would need to be happy with it the way it is today to keep it. There are no guarantees that it will get any further updates from VS. In fact it really seems like a product that they had branded just for the holidays.
I'm still undecided about mine, but I suspect that once I see what comes out of CES, the gtablet will probably go back to Sears.
sam96_77 said:
I bought my gtablet 2 weeks ago. I have 30 days to return the baby. Following are my questions.
1. I know lot of pundits are calling 2011 as the year of tablets. Did I jump the gun and bought it too early? gtab's spec was the reason for the buy.
2. Do you think in the future they will release firmware update to honeycomb since google doesn't recommend froyo for tablets?
3. lot of the current apps dont work.
4. you tube streaming is horrible.
5. last but not least the screen.
I appreciate the efforts of several guys on this forum for supporting the device. however I am still on the side line as far as introducing other roms on the device. so it limits my gtab to some extent.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
nexusonemeover said:
ill rephrase for the sensitive folks... some people need (or want) the device to work out of the box, no changes required. the gtablet just isnt that device.
in an increasingly crowded marketplace where devices are getting better and better at launch, a device like the gtab takes a backseat for out of the box readiness. yes, you can mod till youre blue in the face and get it to do most of what others do from the get go, but having to mod to get it almost there is not optimal for every user.
and to the other deflating comment, i love XDA and i will troll whatever forums and whenever i wish... pardon me for posting an opinion in a public forum.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sam, I agree with the people who've said that noone can tell you. As someone who prefers not to mod myself, I am right there with you in feeling out the insecurities of dropping a chunk of change on something that may or may not be faulty in relation to actual hardware or that's shaky in terms of future software releases and support. The thing is, in a case like this, we're all early adopters here....and the problem with cookie cutter devices like the G Tablet (cookie cutter meaning the same base hardware as a plethora of devices coming soon) is that it really doesn't get a whole lot of respect in terms of software from the people that sell it because at the end of the the day, they're in it for the money like all companies are but more so they're not all about loyalty or trying to keep customers. If they can get you to keep your device for 30 days - that's money in their pocket no matter what.
That is the raw, real truth of the matter. I have certainly had my own ups and downs with it but unless there's a DEEP hardware issue - I'm not seeing a reason to return mine. If you REALLY don't want to mess around with ROMs and 3389 (newest OTA) isn't satisfactory for you, then I'd say return it. Something faster and better will always be on the horizon, and if you keep returning or waiting for the next best thing, you end up with nothing. And we'll always have buyers remorse, believe me...there's always a reason to return a buy.
At this point, we have no guarantees that Viewsonic will support it beyond Froyo. They have never claimed, nor said they would and when it comes to devices like this. That's a cold hard fact. They're dabbling in the tablet waters, and if it doesn't 'work out' for them they could just decide to call it quits in terms of releasing updates and supporting it. Even if they do decide to go ahead and jump into the market, when they release new equipment we don't really have anyone at viewsonic saying "don't worry, your tablet will be upgraded for as long as it can be". We just have to hope and have faith.
I would say, if you really don't want to nor see yourself modding your tablet. Even in the lightest, then maybe it isn't the device for you. Get an iPad...where you know Apple has a vested interest and will release updates for it as long as it can be updated. But if you see yourself dabbling, even a little bit (it really is pretty easy and for the most part safe), then I believe 100% that this tablet is going to be a powerhouse next year when honeycomb hits (barring any unforeseen internal hardware faults currently).
To Nexus, you've made a point in that the Galaxy Tab IS indeed a great device and workable right out of the box but there are pretty big differences which make them very different. I also think that yes, it is preferable to the G Tablet for people who want that out of the box usefulness. But is the Galaxy Tab a value, I really don't think so. Quite simply, you're paying a lot more for a lot less.
Kind of like buying a VW Bug with great insides vs. a VW Touareg with some glitchy insides (that are quite possibly fixable in the near future).
For one, the Galaxy Tab is single core - meaning right now what you see is what you get. The G Tablet will have new doors opened when Honeycomb allows the second core to be utilized synchronously (I think? and hope). The Galaxy Tab is a 7inch device which by all means is a big difference than the 10inch G Tablet. I have used 7inch devices and they feel like really big phones. Still quite usable and maybe even preferable by some, but not all. The G Tablet feels like flat computer in comparison and the bigger screen is obviously noticeable. The Galaxy Tab is $200 more than the G Tablet without a contract. It is $350 with a contract, but you must have data on the account for, you say 6 months, right? That's still a minimum of $530. Is the G Tablet perfect, no way. But by all means it's great hardware with great potential for a value price right now. The Galaxy Tab on the other hand, is a great out of the box experience fit for anyone out there, but lacking the power and potential of the G Tablet - better screen? sure...but not necessarily a better buy.
Coming from owning a Vibrant, maybe I'm a little biased, but I wouldn't be too sure Samsung will be paying attention to the Tab for too long into next year, especially when the new hotness the Galaxy Tab 2 is released....and all this talk about locking bootloaders etc. I dunno. I feel better that even if VS takes a dump and refocuses elsewhere, at least the devs here will be taking care of us for a while.
^^^ Very insightful reply. And, you made some good points I had not considered.
Sent from my SGH-T849 using XDA App
sam96_77 said:
Thanks everyone. I am not new to android. Mt3g and currently vibrant. But never flashed a rom. So nervous. Things I like are hardware and no contract. On top of that I got it for 30% off. So really a bargain. But I offset it by buying extended warranty.
Called viewsonic cs but that number is not working. Tried 4 times, after the automated voice and 10 mins hold the call disconnects and it got me concerned.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
30% off!!!! U lucky son of a gun haha. Well that makes the gtab a great buy. I'm jealous.
I was disapointed until Loaded Vegan and did the calibaration fix,also practically bricked it and had to load ubuntu linux cuz windows driver would not work but now i am very happy this thing is so fast!
And mind you the software is not optimized for Dual core processor.
Definately not for the none tech inclined.But if you are willing to root and want a solid Android device this is it!
I could get a galaxy tab but why would i pay for internet i can tether off my evo for free.
Sent from my VEGAn-TAB-v1.0.0b4
I will try the simple answer. Keep it.
If you dont want it, ill take it for $250. Wont pay $400 for it from Sears and all the "refurbished" ones on Sears Outlet @ $279 are no where close to me and they dont ship.
nexusonemeover said:
ill rephrase for the sensitive folks... some people need (or want) the device to work out of the box, no changes required. the gtablet just isnt that device.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Completely agree with you. The Galaxy Tab is, in fact, the closest thing to an Android tablet that works out of the box.
Anyone buying an Android tablet before June 2011 is basically an early adopter. If you want something that Just Works(tm), your best bet is to go the premium route and get a Galaxy Tab. If you don't have the money and don't want a service contract, you're going to have to do some hacking in some way, shape or form to get things working.
And yeah, I can be a crabby ***** sometimes.
So at my local store there is a deal on this thing, buy now, pay 6months later.
Is it worth buying? I've looked at the reviews and they are all pretty good, I like the touchwize element and the look of the Samsung customised apps on it.
I recently bricked my Sony Tablet S, so looking for something a little different until it's fixed!
Any ideas please?
Well overall, this is a pretty solid tablet. Best in class IMO.
But, that being said, it still has its quirks.
Not to mention no ICS (and we all question whether we'll get it or not)
Also, if u decide to get it, don't expect any AOSP (CM, AOKP, MIUI) for some time. Samsung isn't cooperating with us by withholding some important bits of source that we need.
Sent from my SPH-D700 using xda premium
Thanks for the feedback, for me it's not about the ROM's, but the usage. Is it stable, fast, pretty lag free?
I can get it, use it under a 15day money back guarentee.
It's a great tablet. I've had an iPad, a Samsung Galaxy Tab (original 3G 7 inch) a Galaxy Tab 10.1 and now this, and this is the first one I have been completely happy with.
The hardware is similar to the SGS2, which means its smooth and fast, with sufficient battery life for all the travelling I do. The SGT10.1 had the rather poor Tegra2 chipset which I found quite disappointing, whereas the Xynos in the SGT7+ is fast and stable. The fact that it has a microSD slot is very important to me (The SGT10.1 lacked one and therefore if you got a 16GB one, you were stuck with about 13GB of storage).
At the moment it lacks ICS, but having been using ICS on my Galaxy Nexus for a couple of months, I can live with Honeycomb for now.
I'll be sticking with my SGT7+ for a while I think!
I'm happy with mine overall, but it does have a few issues that may be common to all firmware versions:
1. Bluetooth keyboard/mouse lag has been reported.
2. Analog audio output volume can be low/problematic (I always use a bt headset).
3. I've noticed network lag on every wifi AP I've connected to: 20-150ms fluctuating ping latency to LAN and Internet hosts. Other devices on my LAN, including my old Nook Color, get the expected sub-10ms pings to each other.
Sent from my GT-P6210 using Tapatalk 2
I enjoy this tablet.
I bought this for the 7" form factor. I think it works great. I use it for taking notes, or outlining ideas, along with lots of reading. Web, E-Book, work document review whatever... it works just fine. I also like it for a "second Screen" for podcasts while I'm browsing on my desktop PC.
Cons for me are it seems to warm up on the left side with heavy wifi use, and that is mildly annoying, but tolerable. Touch Wiz seemed to talk up a bunch of RAM and crash on me, I replaced it with Go Launcher HD and haven't had a problem since. I just wish I could ditch it completely.
As far as I can tell at this moment, there isn't a another 7" tablet with the same battery life, feature set, and price point. Ultimately that is why I picked one up.
So TouchWiz isn't good on it?
It was one of the reasons why I'd buy it...
SWFlyerUK said:
So TouchWiz isn't good on it?
It was one of the reasons why I'd buy it...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
TouchWiz is fine on mine and on the other units I purchased for floor-use at the plant.
I have had nearly zero issues out of my 7+. Former iPad, Xoom, and Kindle Fire owner here, and the 7+ is easily the best tablet I have owned, TouchWiz included.
Very Good Product, but...
Flyer:
I have had my SGT 7 plus for about a month, and it is my favorite of our five tablets, which include a Nook Color, a Xoom and 2 Transformer 102s; all of which have ICS. It works very smoothly and has all the power I need. However I do not do intensive gaming.
The screen image is bright and clear, and aside of a few force closures, most likely caused by apps mis-behaving, I have had no problems with the stock Honeycomb OS.
Regarding the negative comments about TouchWiz, I feel it has some nice features, but I do not feel the hidden app tray on the bottom of the screen is as handy as it would be if the apps were selectable (if they are I have not figured how).
In response to the comment about TouchWiz consuming a lot of power, I personally have not found that to be the case. To me it just seems to be a feature that is somewhat unobtrusively there if you want to use it (although I would be the first to admit I probably am not familiar with all the features).
Regarding power use in general, compared to my other tablets, my SGT 7 plus is very good. In fact, if I just close the screen, it barely sips power. Of course I am sure that is, in part, because of the way I have it set up.
There are a few things that I wish were different; such as the lack of a stand alone USB connector, and the use of a proprietary charge/usb connector. But to me that is really nitpicking in the overall scheme of things.
The only serious concern I have is the impact the soon to come out SGT 2 7" will have on our getting ICS in a timely manner. There is no doubt in my mind the SGT 7 plus is a better tablet, and an excellent value when bought at the $299 or less sales price even with the Honeycomb OS.
However, it does not have ICS, and presently there is no concrete information as to when/if Samsung will make it available; and, in my opinion, ICS is a much better O.S, so availability of ICS for the SGT 7 plus is a very important consideration in deciding which tablet to buy.
In my opinion, holding prospective and recent customers in limbo in this manner, as Samsung is presently doing, is a terrible way for a company to do business. There is no doubt in my mind the SGT 7 plus is a better built tablet, with more features than the SGT 2 7", but if the SGT 7 plus does not receive the ICS it will be limited in utilization of the new software being developed, and therefore may be basically obsolete within a matter of a couple of months.
Personally, although I love mine, if considering purchasing today, I would wait another month or so to see how this scenario (ICS update) plays out.
Hope this is of help to you!
Cbill
For what its worth, Samsung HAS confirmed that we will get the update. Full stop. This was in an officially released press release, which can be found on Samsung Mobile's facebook wall.
Time frame, however, was never officially released except for the fact that the Note and the S2 would get the update first. This, to me, points to no ICS update until the Note gets its update.
Just my two cents on the ICS issue, because I keep seeing people acting like Samsung hasn't said any thing about our tablet, and they have.
Robyr:
Obviously you are not at a decision point of purchasing (or returning a recently purchased) SGT 7 plus.
O.K., lets say you are right when you opine Samsung will release ICS for the 7+. The next question is when?. Two week , two months, six months? Every week new 7" tabs, with ICS installed, and with new and improved features, are coming on the market. Given these circumstances, how long is an appropriate time to wait for a current operating system upgrade for your newly purchased (and only recently released to the market) Tablet.
I love my 7+, but I also want the smoothness, and increased versitility that ICS brings. I have it on my Transformer 102 wifi, and my Xoom wifi(contrary to what an earlier poster stated) and I even have it on my poor little ole Nook Color (CM9), and I do not feel those of us owning Tab 7+ 's, not tied to a carrier should have to wait any longer without some official indication of timing schedule from Samsung.
Let's not lose sight of the fact that the ICS operating system has been available for a considerable amount of time, and, I suspect, most, if not all of the 7 plus's that have been sold in this country were purchased in anticipation of upgrade to ICS in the" not-to-distant future" from their purchase date I know that certainly was the case with me. Instead of providing that upgrade in a timely manner, it appears Samsung chose to undercut their own customers by bringing to market a low cost, downgraded Tab 7, using ICS as a sales feature, while leaving their 7 plus customers out in the cold.
I have two days left to decide whether I will keep my 7 plus. It is not an easy decision. However, whichever way I decide, in the future I will always be very cautious about purchasing samsung phones or tablets.
Cbill
Decided to buy it, will be here tomorrow and can't wait!
All the other manufacturers are just as bad, if not worse than Samsung when it comes to upgrades of IS, and it has been a 'feature' of the phone market for as long a there have been phones capable of being upgraded.
The way I look at it is that the tablet still works exactly the same way now as it did when I bought it, irrespective of ICS's prevalence on other tablets. Sure it's nice to get a new OS, and I won't complain if ICS is released in a timely matter, but if honeycomb sucked that badly then it would have been a poor purchase in the first place.
But as for the OP, go enjoy your new tablet, and remember to feel sorry for the chumps with aching arms from holding their heavy iPads up all day =)
Sent from my GT-P6210 using xda premium
Thanks guy, arrived yesterday and what a fantastic device. Alot better than the Son Table S, although I paid £270 for mine and noticed there was no IR?
No IR
There must be some variation in the models. I bought mine in the US in Feb from Best Buy for about £250, and it came with IR, and a cool piece of IR software for controlling TVs, DVD players, etc.
However, it appears Samsung have not changed model numbers despite the hardware change.
Thanks for the response.
I'm on GT-P621 and was a little confused about root.
Can someone point me to the correct root solution thread please?
Not a noob, but a newby to this device!
SWFlyerUK said:
Can someone point me to the correct root solution thread please?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Try here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1367249
Hey XDA,
My beloved Omnia 7 has sailed off into my sister's hands, and I was left stranded on an island of sadness, phoneless.
But no matter, as the power of the intertubes brought me here, and much other places.
I am looking for a savior budget phone.
And I found one.
No, folks, it's not a WP7 device as you may have anticipated, ala the shining turd that is the Nokia Lumia 610 (or some other
generic, faecal device). I have ventured to the lands of china and have explored options I would have not dared to before due to fear
of SARS, rape, and being casually ripped off by scamers.
And guess what, brotha? It appears like the Hero 9300+ is my guy.
Yeah, yeah, I know. A clone, not to mention a modified one. But if this is a turd, it's a sparkling one, worth a whole $200 dollars.
Some specs (the most important + drawbacks):
-CPU: MTK6577, two cores running at a generic 1GHz. Seems like a piece of ****, but one that flies pretty fast. Antutu scores look rather promising.
-GPU: SGX-531. The old cousin of our modern SGX-540's and 544's. Not bad, not great. It does the job for me given I can play
generic time wasters like Dead Trigger at a solid 30fps with next to no lag.
--OS: Android 4.0.4 (marketed off as 4.1 JellyBean; the developers thought they could fool us English folks by editing the SDK during ROM creation, har har har. ******s.)
-RAM: 512MB. This may be a problem given ICS takes up what, 300MB? Plus I want to run a launcher (Why? Because **** you, that's why) which will take up additional memory space.
-Camera a world class piece of ****. 5MP marketed as 8MP, records video at who knows what resolution. (I will be installing another ROM for this bad boy which will enable 1080p recording unless you guys have better suggestions how to pimp this thing up).
BEST PART: Gorgeous 5.3 inch display.
Anyways, that's that for specs.
Price is $210, with Fedex delivery, from Pandawill (Safe? Not safe? Hm, got PayPal covering my ass anyway).
THE ULTIMATE QUESTION:
Is there anything around this price that beats the **** out of this but has a display which is not too small?
Am I making the right decision here?
Thanks matey for giving this your two cents. It's all appreciated.
LINK:
http://www.pandawill.com/i9300-smar...oid-40-mtk6577-1g-ram-3g-gps-wifi-p66034.html
I highly doubt you would find another phone that isn't from china that has those specifications and price tag, however, I still wouldn't buy the phone because...well it's from china and not of a legitimate/recognised phones manufacturer. I would instead pass this phone and maybe save up another 100 dollars and get a phone of similar specs (maybe not the same screen size) from htc, sony, samsung etc. just for the security, support, safety and the mods
jman2131 said:
I highly doubt you would find another phone that isn't from china that has those specifications and price tag, however, I still wouldn't buy the phone because...well it's from china and not of a legitimate/recognised phones manufacturer. I would instead pass this phone and maybe save up another 100 dollars and get a phone of similar specs (maybe not the same screen size) from htc, sony, samsung etc. just for the security, support, safety and the mods
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hey matey, thanks for the reply.
I don't think I can agree with you more. This is a huge risk and I know it, although review have been rather positive (which, I must say, is encouraging).
Given the price point and the fact that I need a phone ASAP, I am not so sure I can bang out another $100 bucks for an imaginary phone with similar specs; I mean, this thing performs closely to the galaxy nexus- a ~$500 device. I also found out that Chinese phones are going to be blessed with new quad and oct core processors in Q4 2012 and Q2 2013, respectively. Going to be an insane jump, but I bet they will be price accordingly.
Thanks for your response nonetheless, I'll definitely go ahead and snoop around for brand devices right now.
Israeleet said:
Hey matey, thanks for the reply.
I don't think I can agree with you more. This is a huge risk and I know it, although review have been rather positive (which, I must say, is encouraging).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Glad to see you coming around in your mindset... imho, buying some Chinese knockoff is only asking for trouble. If it were my decision to make, I'd find a friend with an old Android you can use and buy a real phone with a warranty, a little support, and some quality behind it. The specs may be one thing, but if I know Chinese knockoffs, everything about the case/finish/etc will be absolute junk.
I'd rather use a non-Android for a while, personally...
SparkyXI said:
Glad to see you coming around in your mindset... imho, buying some Chinese knockoff is only asking for trouble. If it were my decision to make, I'd find a friend with an old Android you can use and buy a real phone with a warranty, a little support, and some quality behind it. The specs may be one thing, but if I know Chinese knockoffs, everything about the case/finish/etc will be absolute junk.
I'd rather use a non-Android for a while, personally...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was actually looking into WP7 devices earlier because my previous device was one. I am sad to note that nothing compares other than an old Samsung Focus (much like my Omnia) from the US for $170. I mean, it's not too bad, but I feel it's time for an upgrade. I snooped around other shops, nothing comes close to the Hero, but your suggestions have shaken me up a bit. I'll be wary as this online buying thing is no game of tag- they can disappear on you.
What did you eventually purchase?
I have X710D and did have a bad experience with the seller, but eventually found another seller who I have now purchased many phones from with great success.
In relation to Chinese phones, I have to say walk with care as many fiddle the OS version number and it always pays to ask as many questions as possible prior to purchase. If there are features that you want then ask for confirmation, if they don't know then treat this as a warning about the seller.
Quality: I have no problem with the quality of build of Chinese phones. I do however have an issue with some stupid design decisions - like the 3.5mm headphone jack on the X710D - can't take standard headphones.
Just found out that the X710D has stopped manufacture, so hope that a better design is coming.
9300+ looks promising.
Hi all.
I too was in the market for a new phone and purchased a 9300+ from a site called Android for cheap and I can tell you it's a great phone. It's zippy and handles anything you can throw at it. I'm running wp8 custom on mine and it looks beautiful on the big screen. I'd recommend this phone to others as have I already. Gaming on it has no lag and due to the multi touch screen its really responsive.
I've had mine for 3 months and I think when I eventually purchase a new phone it will probably be a newer model of the same phone..... If they are still in existence then lol.
All in all its an awesome phone. I don't think you will be disappointed
Sent from my 9300+ using xda premium
Hello all
I have been given an opportunity to buy this tablet with the dock for not much money. It's second hand but used lightly and in great shape. The price is about 25% lower than the price of a NEW Asus Nexus 7 16GB in my country (no google play store here ).
My main concern is that it could be outdated. I had an Tegra 2 device (optimus 2x) and it was a pain to load any custom roms on it. I could only load Gingerbread roms on it. Sold it very quickly.
Is the TF101 showing its age? Does it run smoothly and are your batteries in good condition after this period? Any problems with apps? Games?
This would be my first tablet, so i'm not very much informed about them. I have been in the market for one a long time (1 year) and this is the first good opportunity I have seen. I would use it mainly for writing at college, some web browsing (flash running ok?) and casual gaming.
So would you recommend it now?
Any problems I should know about?
Only if you get it VERY cheap. And I say that as a TF101 owner.
The Tegra2 SoC is ****. It cannot play back standard 720p scene MKV-files without recording. Much less 1080p. XBMC and similar products don't want to support it because it lacks NEON-support which makes it easy to offload video-decoding to the GPU. Only thing I've gotten to play in a watchable state (but with occasional stutter) is Futurama.
It has also been plagued by unstable firmware updates, random reboots and sleeps of death. Asus has completely abondoned it and no further firmware updates are expected.
Your only chance of getting this tablet past ICS and onto JB (and whatever comes next, whenever that comes) is through third-party ROMs. If you get a model you can root. You may or may not be that lucky. Asus never unlocked the bootloader for the TF101.
So yeah. Unless you get it very cheap ($100 and less, keyboard dock included), I say no. Not worth it. There's much better things you can buy these days.
Its about 270 USD, but keep in mind that the nexus 7 is over 380 USD :crying:
Basically you will be paying 75% of the price for 25% of the goods.
You will be paying almost full price for a discontinued product instead of one still receiving updates, and one being ensured good support, both from AOSP/Google and from the Android community.
At this price, you will regret buying it.
Again: I say this as a current TF101-owner.
Get the serial number, and make sure it is Not a 3G variant, haggle it down to 200-225 and it would be worth it IMO.
ONLY if you rooted and made it custom though.
I have a N7, and I had a TF (until it died)
Personally they work nearly the same except for video playback. Videos with the proper kernel did work, just not HD without stutter. Games and other things are wonderful. (Of course assuming you rooted and rommed it, both of mine are/were)
Thing O Doom said:
Get the serial number, and make sure it is Not a 3G variant, haggle it down to 200-225 and it would be worth it IMO.
ONLY if you rooted and made it custom though.
I have a N7, and I had a TF (until it died)
Personally they work nearly the same except for video playback. Videos with the proper kernel did work, just not HD without stutter. Games and other things are wonderful. (Of course assuming you rooted and rommed it, both of mine are/were)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
lujo_zgb said:
Its about 270 USD, but keep in mind that the nexus 7 is over 380 USD :crying:
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Click to collapse
I'm going to disagree with all of you guys about the 200 USD Price... That's completely ridiculous for an used TF101. I got my TF101 2011, last black friday, at bestbuy for $249.99 and with all the cases and other stuff I got for that device it came around $270. (This is without the dock and it was brand NEW).
Now this device is outdated and I see listing on ebay for the device used for around $75 with dock. NOT Worth it; you can buy better stuff.
Clocked at 1.5GHz mine plays practically any 720p scene release I throw at it.
DTS support can be a pain but other than that, no issues.
I'm not exactly sure what and how much of it you need to smoke to find them on Ebay for $75 with dock though, docks alone go for that price or above.
I bought my TF101 from a friend and we both looked at current eBay prices. I agreed to $200 for tablet and dock and I agree that someone must be high if they think they can get that for $75 on eBay. Just doing a quick search, I see one without a dock that's at $177 with 6 hours left and a refurb with dock at $275 - these prices are pretty typical of what I've been seeing, too. Refurb's a bit high in price, but not ridiculous compared to the $250-ish average we'd been seeing.
Additionally, using the awesome eValuator app, $220-260 is average and that goes to $280-299 when I search "TF101 and dock".
Even the ones that are broken and won't power on are still going for over $100.
To the OP, I would recommend making a choice depending on if you want a 10" or 7" tablet. I don't think 25% less is a great deal if you really only want a 7" tablet. I was actually looking at the N7, too - when I was shopping, I went with the TF101 because I liked the keyboard dock, I trust my friend that nothing is messed up with it, and I wanted the 10" size. I'd tried some 7" tablets and since my phone is 5" the 7" tablet wasn't a big enough difference to appeal to me.
I also appreciated how easy the TF101 is easy to take apart if I want to replace the battery. I think it's a great design and I wish newer tablets still had these features.
I've had this for maybe a month and I have no complaints. I have watched Netflix in HD on it for a few hours at a time and had no issues - I don't know how this differs from other video playback, but perhaps I'm not picky, I thought it looked fine (and there wasn't any stuttering). I don't really play any intensive games on it, so I can't comment on that. I'm on stock ICS rooted right now, but going to mess around with ROMs.
Best Android tablet from it's time, hands down!
If you can get a refurbished one (they seemed to be everywhere at one point) then it's worth it. I found the tablet and the dock at different stores for under 250$ two different times and haven't had any issues with them whatsoever (I have 2). B&H had the refurb dock for 99$USD I think newegg was 120$CDN... but that was a while ago.
I'm running JB 4.2.1 and overclocked to 1.6GHz, watching 720p mkv natively in mplayer without any lag or issues. The dock makes it a must once you get used to it and learn the hotkeys and the extra battery time kicks ass! The USB ports means I can connect a usb to serial adapter to connect to devices at work, no need to carry around the laptop... or just connect external ntfs storage or whatever.
Overall I'm very satisfied, the only "problem" I have is the lack of updates from Asus but oh well, there are some awesome devs working here to bring us the best. I'd go watch the other forums on xda to see how active other tablets/devs are, compare your choices to make an informed decision.
My wife owns a Nexus 7, I own a TF101 w/ keyboard dock.
I'd take the TF101 hands down.
That isn't to say the Nexus 7 isn't a wonderful tablet. But I use my TF101 almost as much as a work computer; the larger screen and durable build, the nice speed even if it is a dual-core instead of N7's quad, the 1.5ghz (overclocked via EOS 4 Rom) speed.... I love this thing.
I love my wife's Nexus 7 mainly because it is small enough to fit in some pockets and very light.
You have to figure out what you want from your tablet and proceed accordingly. I'm a firm believer that trailing edge technology often is a much better deal than chasing after the newest (the minute you leave the store it too is trailing edge!).
The price range on these is almost NEVER below $200, and that is without a keyboard. The poster w the neg comments early on is either badly misinformed about everything he mentioned or just trolling. Easiest way to test that thesis? Go to either Amazon or Ebay (w/ sales where time is almost out) and note the price ranges there. Even Craigslist, where I got mine for a steal ($225 w/ keyboard). Read the other comments, make a list of what you expect from your tablet, and go for it. Both tablets are great in different ways.
And did I mention my wife says she sorta covets my TF101?
One add'tl edit.... The TF101 has TWO SD-Card slots, a mini-HDMI output, TWO USB ports (on keyboard), and a few other jingles. Nexus 7, like its competitors (iPad, Nook, and KindleHD) have few to none of them. Just another thought...
Price range without keyboard for NEW is $150ish (Not misinformed at all). Newegg was one of the sites that had this deal. Also, I got mine for $250 new in 2011 (That was when this tablet was good/ at the top of the market)- it was a black friday doorbuster. The BB Mobile store near my house had stock when I went in.
There are better tablets out there that will go on sale and I personally wouldn't buy a USED TF101 unless if it was $100 or less.
lujo_zgb said:
Hello all
I have been given an opportunity to buy this tablet with the dock for not much money. It's second hand but used lightly and in great shape. The price is about 25% lower than the price of a NEW Asus Nexus 7 16GB in my country (no google play store here ).
My main concern is that it could be outdated. I had an Tegra 2 device (optimus 2x) and it was a pain to load any custom roms on it. I could only load Gingerbread roms on it. Sold it very quickly.
Is the TF101 showing its age? Does it run smoothly and are your batteries in good condition after this period? Any problems with apps? Games?
This would be my first tablet, so i'm not very much informed about them. I have been in the market for one a long time (1 year) and this is the first good opportunity I have seen. I would use it mainly for writing at college, some web browsing (flash running ok?) and casual gaming.
So would you recommend it now?
Any problems I should know about?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes.
Newegg has the TF101 for $250 refurbished right now, and the dock for $99.
Big sales really can't be used to determine going price and market value. eBay averages are really the most accurate measure of what people are currently asking and what people are willing to pay.
I just cashed in a a Newegg super deal a few days ago, myself - and that's what it was, an awesome super deal that was way below the market price.
If a person wants to hold out for a super sale that may or may not happen that's their choice.
Sent from my SGH-T999 using xda app-developers app
Remember, I am not from the States. Prices here (Croatia) are much higher.
For example, I can buy a 9.7 inch Prestigio multipad with 1 GHz and 1 GB RAM for 350 USD - USED.
I'll probably buy the TF101 I found and live with it. If not, I will sell it for profit, because I can probably make some 50-100 bucks of it.
shonkin said:
The poster w the neg comments early on is either badly misinformed about everything he mentioned or just trolling.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, misinformed troll creating and hosting CM-builds for the TF101 community, that's me. </sarcasm>
I'll keep my tf101 until I stop setting value in it, but Asus/nvidia seriously oversold the thing and I'd be lying of I said I was 100% happy about it when I got it delivered.
It gets better with Roming though.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2
HA!
AsusT said:
Price range without keyboard for NEW is $150ish (Not misinformed at all). Newegg was one of the sites that had this deal. Also, I got mine for $250 new in 2011 (That was when this tablet was good/ at the top of the market)- it was a black friday doorbuster. The BB Mobile store near my house had stock when I went in.
There are better tablets out there that will go on sale and I personally wouldn't buy a USED TF101 unless if it was $100 or less.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
you, my friend, are a liar and/or a fool. you will NEVER find a tf101 "under $100" unless it was broken. you will also NEVER see a new one for $150. period. look at ebay....cheapest place to find anything most of the time. good luck finding one with the keyboard for under $275. and good luck finding one without the keyboard under $200. USED. most of them listed that are $100-$150 are BROKEN. learn to read. cracked screen...chipped case....sound doesn't work....the $100 to $150 ones are severely abused transformers. if you can get one for $250-$300 with the keyboard dock, you have a good tablet that's worth the money. period. if you're not completely retarded and can follow basic instructions from this very website, you can then put the newest CM10 nightly build on the tablet, overclock it to 1.5Ghz or more, use "swapper" to make a 1GB swap partition, and you have - in theory - a 1.5Ghz, 2GB ram tablet with 2 usb ports, a keyboard, an sd slot, micro sd slot, hdmi out, the newest android OS....and in the 10.1" form factor. you can't find that ANYWHERE else on the market. people on here that say otherwise simply don't know what they're talking about. stock, it's a good tablet. modded, it's by far the best buy for your money and will smoke most others on the market that are three times the price (you know, the big goofy white ones) in performance, features, and all-around look and feel.
Just to update you guys... I have bought the tablet today. I like it pretty much. Finding the screen a bit awkward when using in portrait mode though.
It's kinda heavy, but I'll get used to it, after all, it took me some time to get used to a 4.65" mobile phone screen. I rooted it and I am still using the custom rom, as I usually do with all the stuff I buy. Eventually I will put a custom ROM on it because I had some serius hickups and a reset.
As far as the price point goes, I think that I couldn't have bought a better tablet for this price. I paid about 270 USD for it and it even has some of the plastic foil on it. Not even a scratch.
Now im off to find a custom ROM that has the ability to use all the buttons on the keyboard and thats overclockable.
Google Now and pinch to zoom in emails would be great too.
Thanks to all of you who replied, you helped a lot! Including the poster with negative comments.
I know you've already bought it, but I wanted to chime in that comparing my TF101 to my son's Nexus 7, I'd take the N7.
I liked the TF101 a lot, but as others mentioned, the stock firmware had become unstable. I had apps crash and freeze, even when I wiped and reflashed it. Unfortunately, the 4.2 ROMs are okay but lack some features. For example, I've seen some complained that the dock keyboard isn't fully functional. One of my complaints with the custom ROMs that I've tried is that Google Talk crashes anytime I try voice/video chat.
I'll still use, but I admit that I covet a newer tablet with the quad core.
Keyboard dock and Google Talk fully working here on 4.2, although I'd rather use Google+ Hangout for video chat.