Database Info

[Q] Tablet for school?

I have been looking very closely at the VS gTablet for school. However, I am concerned about functionality versus a tablet PC (laptop convertible). Can anyone shed some light in both areas (experiences); because I am stuck deciding between a Lenovo 201 and the VS gTab. Also, is it possible to use a mouse and keyboard or a stylus (for note taking / drawing) on the gTab? Thanks!
I'm really looking for something to be able to take written notes with, record lectures, access internet for downloading notes and other materials.
Based on some of the research I have done; I have the following pro's and con's to decide from:
Lenovo 201:
Pro's: Comes with a digitizer pen, has more storage space, easily convertible, and works right out of the box.
Con's: Battery life, weight, and price.
VS gTab:
Pro's: Android OS, light, decent battery life, very portable, and price.
Con's: No digitizer pen, space not as upgradeable (correct me if I'm wrong), and needs to be modded to get full functionality.
Feel free to include anything I may have missed. Thanks in advance!

Go with the Lenovo, if you really want it for Pure school, and some basic functionallity

Well, the Lenovo may be out of the question after their sale ends tonight. It's too bad, get a $2800 tablet pc for $1600. I haven't received my student funds yet. If Lenovo doesn't have a sale like this later, I think the VSgTab will be the way to go.

Why don't you get the galaxy s tab?
Sent from my GT-I9000M using XDA App

goob1284 said:
Why don't you get the galaxy s tab?
Sent from my GT-I9000M using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
+1 it will fit in your budget

http://www.androidostablet.com/android-tablet/android-tablet-alu.html
has anyone tried these... seem good to me, i dont own one though.

It may, but it is also more expensive than the VS G Tab or the Archos 101. When I buy electronics, I tend to lean towards the powerhouses versus the mid to low end stuff. Not saying the galaxay isn't one of those; but the CPU that the GTab and Archos 101 offer are really nice!
But, at this point, it is a decision between the VS GTab and the Archos 101. I did find a capacitive stylus made by Pogo Sketch (broader head pen type) and DAGi (finer pen type) that should work for taking notes with. The biggest problem I face atm is the lack of stores in my area that have active demo models.

How about this android 8" tablet PC?

Hello guys, I have a problem with hand writing and I need a tablet to take quizzes during class etc. Which tablet do you recommend? I have AT&T but I'm not interested in a contract. And one of my firends bought a 8" China tablet PC on SpeMall.com.
it's seems good, with android 2.3 OS and 1.3Ghz processor, capacitive touch screen etc, seems can fit all my requirements, and i found that i can buy a leather case with keyboard with it, so it may bring me much more convenience in dealing with documents. So do you think it's worth buying? thanks for any suggests in advance!

[Q] Resistive screen tablet suggestions.

Hello XDA!
I've searched around but have not found a specific topic regarding suggestions of well made resistive screen tablets. What I am looking for is a tablet where writing with a stylus is very easy (like HTC Flyer) but less expensive. Most tablets sporting the stylus seem to be "cheap" ... Does anyone have suggestions on tablet in the 7"-10" range that has a decent set of specs, can be upgraded to Honeycomb (even if unofficial, I can deal with that) and can be found for less than the Flyer (which is going for like $300 now) ... ???
Or just point me to the topic that I missed when searching
Thanks!
_m

you can buy a capacitive (sp?) stylus for under 10 dollars. find an app that's made for handwriting recognition (i'm sure there are plenty) and you're done.
If you NEED something that comes prepackaged with good stylus software, look into the galaxy note or the lenovo thinkpad.

mtmerrick said:
you can buy a capacitive (sp?) stylus for under 10 dollars. find an app that's made for handwriting recognition (i'm sure there are plenty) and you're done.
If you NEED something that comes prepackaged with good stylus software, look into the galaxy note or the lenovo thinkpad.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ya, I would do what he says, meaning get a stylus. I would check out the Amazon Fire, im sure eventually it will get Honeycomb threw hacking, and it is $200.
Please thank me if I helped.

[Q] Anyone using an OQO Model 2?

Does anyone still use an OQO Model 2? If so, how would you rate the performance in comparison to say, a Galaxy Tab 10.1? By performance, I mean, browser performance, things like netflix, etc. I am very intrigued by the OQO and I am thinking about losing the tablets and going to a Model 02.

I have had an OQO 02 for a few years, and cannot fathom the thought of parting with it. These days I only use it as a "bedside" computer with 15" TV/Monitor, Full sized keyboard and mouse, using the OQO dock w/dvd r/cdr rw. I have in the past used it as my primary computer w/a triple monitor setup and a host of other "proof of concept" projects including using it as a mobile voip platform.
A few things to consider:
It would NOT be a good substitute for a tablet. Screen is too small. But can you put that tablet in your pocket?
The screen is not capacitive ie: "touch". It is proprietary Wacom - needs a Wacom pen to use for screen input.
If you decide to get one, only get the 1.5 ghz model, the 1.6 ghz model has, well, bad motherboards.
It has a noisy fan.
It has an underwhelming VIA CPU with only 1 meg RAM - I call it the "chugger" as in the "The little engine that could".
On the brighter side, Windows 7 works best with it and it should work even better with 8! I have only used Win8 Preview on it and it works fine - but I couldn't do an "upgrade" (loading previous drivers from existing Win7) because it says not enough memory, <1 meg. A full, fresh, install worked fine. I will wait for Win 8 RC0 to arrive before I commit.
The machine is very durable - I am hard on my equipment and the OQO has fared very well through my abuse.
Batteries are hard to find, although available with search - at the moment I am having two batteries recondtioned/fixed locally. They are available on ebay (used), also.
Finally, the OQO is a niche product. You have to want the very small form factor with full Windows OS (or Linux/Mac) to appreciate it.
See OQOTalk and OQOasis for the best information.
Hope this helps!
oqoman

Hi OQOman,
Thanks for replying! You have really given me a lot to think about. Of you wouldn't mind, could you tell me, is $300 a fair price for a model two with the specs you described? I have found several on eBay, but it seems most don't actually have the Wacom digitizer. I really want to try to load an older version of illustrator (maybe CS or cs3). Any thoughts?
Thanks
Kim

$300 seems to be a fair price. Be sure to get the pen. It's a $30 (when new) accessory.
I would look at Oqotalk and Oqoasis forums for the oqo 02 and accessories. Those two forums are the "Bible" for OQO. I wouldn't buy anything until I had read those boards.
Adobe should run on it. Remember it is only 1 meg RAM - but owners have used it.
All OQO 02 have the Wacom (inductive) screens.
OQOman

That Wacom pen, is it special to the oqo or can I buy another one that is Wacom but not specifically labeled for oqo?

All Wacom "penabled" pens work.

I've had both a 02, and 01+, and I have to say, I love them. If you do get one, I'd recommend doing a little modification, and throw an SSD in. The 02 requires a zif ssd, and the 01+ requires a 50pin IDE 5mm ssd, but as oqoman said, oqotalk and oqoasis seem to be the best places online to get infos. Oqoasis moreso, since oqotalk seems to have slowed down a bit.

Where are you having your batteries reconditioned?
oqoman said:
Batteries are hard to find, although available with search - at the moment I am having two batteries recondtioned/fixed locally. They are available on ebay (used), also.
oqoman
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi just ran into your post and wondering where you're having your batteries reconditioned or fixed? Will a Batteries+ type of shop work on these? Appreciate any insight you can provide to steer me in the right direction. Thanks!

OQO-2 resurrection
Hi, a few months ago I 'inherited' an OQO-2 along with a CD/DVD 'dock' and power-supply. It came without any manuals. The battery was about to explode, so I removed it and soldered the leads in the empty battery-housing to allow the power-adapter to run the computer. It's been up and running for a few months with an Ubuntu LinUx installed by the previous owner. Unfortunately it seems that I cannot set the screen resolution properly(it only allows for 640x480) and so I am never able to see the lower- and right-third of my screen. This makes it hard to do much of anything!
I've connected an external monitor to the dock, but I cannot get the computer to switch to it. Is there a specific keystroke-sequence required to switch to the external?
I've also attempted to install Windows 7 via CD/DVD. When I power-on the computer it'll access the CD/DVD, but it always returns to loading Ubuntu without allowing me to install Windows. Do I need to set the CD/DVD to 'boot' or to 'first-boot' in BIOS? If so, how do I access BIOS?
Rick Baran
USN, ret.

tablets with sim support?

i searched through the internet but there wasnt a solid answer to this question i could find.
the question is, which tablets have sim card support and if so how can i tell if the ones in retailers are different from ones offered from carriers.
like are there 2 models of galaxy tab 2 10.1? one with sim slot and one without? and could someone compile a list of all the current and popular tablets with sim card slots?

A tablet that does phone and uses AT&T or TMobil (assuming you're in the US) has a SIM slot. The SIM is used for the phone portion of the tablet on GSM phones. If the tablet doesn't have a phone, or it has a CDMA (Sprint, Verizon) phone, it has no use for a SIM card.

Well, of course. So the question would be "which tablets include a phone device ?" Nice try for an answer, dude ! BTW, it's not absolutely exact, as I'll explain below.
Ok, then, most SMALL tablets (7" or less) generally include a SIM slot because they allow you to phone without you looking as if you stuck a frying pan over your ear. This includes for instance the HTC Flyer and all Samsung Galaxy Tabs, just to cite the ones I know for sure, but of course there may be many others.
Classic "large" (10" or about) tablets can have a SIM slot too, even if NOT being able to phone. The reason is they allow 3G networking. If we are to cite another example, there is one on some Asus EeePads (not all models, so be careful when choosing).
Now the Eeepad is a bit special, as it has a true PC processor instead of most other models scaled-down 1 GHz ARM phone processors (the same my good old HD2 has already), and when you attach the separate mechanical keyboard to the tablet, you also get classical USB ports, allowing you to add a 3G dongle in case you bought a SIM-less model.
Apart form the Asus that's a bit out of the crowd (though not being more expensive BTW), you'll then have to check for the SIM slot when looking for a tablet.
Your question is of general interest IMHO. It wouldn't be a bad idea to keep a list of tablets with SIM slots to help people choosing, either here or on a dedicated topic, maybe put elsewhere (though I can't find where right now).
Now if you'd ask me which tablet I would choose if I had to, I'd answer "none" at first thought. The reason is, I do need a mobile device, but it has to do ALL : phoning, taking notes and noting down meetings, firing alarms, email and web browsing, remote access to the company's billing and accounting software, and my Word and Excel documents handy. And all this, of course, has to be with me all the time.
So, of course, the 4.3" format is just perfect. So why would I want a tablet ? The answer is just "I don't want one. Period". Now, why would I would want one anyway ? Well, maybe because it would be more confortable to show documents to other people, or just to get a larger workspace, after all.
So maybe the 7" format would be just fine. This, plus the fact it's able to phone, and the special stylus, always made me think about the HTC Flyer. Because I love my HTC HD and HD2, so I may stay sentimentally linked to HTC, so I probably won't be absolutely neutral here. There's also the Samsung galaxy Note, why not ? But if it's just for a larger phone with a stylus, is it worth the change ? Well, maybe for the stylus. The 7" tablet also still allows to phone whithout looking completely weird, though the limit is reached there IMHO.
Anyway, the point is, I want only ONE device to do ALL, and I want it with me everywhere and every time. That's why my HD2 is always in my belt pouch. I wouldn't want a phone PLUS a tablet to bring along. That's why I'm not really considering buying one, despite I really miss the stylus, as I often have to draw sketches and using the finger is just way too imprecise.
Now there's an interesting outsider, and it's once again from Asus : they threw some weird concept, a tablet containing a detachable Android phone ! All documents automatically synchronize when you stuff the phone into the hatch behind the screen, so you can actually always have the exact same and up-to-date documents on each, allowing you to bring and use any of them (or both !) according to what you're going to do and where you're going to. A concept at least worth a look IMHO.

Z80-Man said:
Well, of course. So the question would be "which tablets include a phone device ?" Nice try for an answer, dude ! BTW, it's not absolutely exact, as I'll explain below.
Ok, then, most SMALL tablets (7" or less) generally include a SIM slot because they allow you to phone without you looking as if you stuck a frying pan over your ear. This includes for instance the HTC Flyer and all Samsung Galaxy Tabs, just to cite the ones I know for sure, but of course there may be many others.
Classic "large" (10" or about) tablets can have a SIM slot too, even if NOT being able to phone. The reason is they allow 3G networking. If we are to cite another example, there is one on some Asus EeePads (not all models, so be careful when choosing).
Now the Eeepad is a bit special, as it has a true PC processor instead of most other models scaled-down 1 GHz ARM phone processors (the same my good old HD2 has already), and when you attach the separate mechanical keyboard to the tablet, you also get classical USB ports, allowing you to add a 3G dongle in case you bought a SIM-less model.
Apart form the Asus that's a bit out of the crowd (though not being more expensive BTW), you'll then have to check for the SIM slot when looking for a tablet.
Your question is of general interest IMHO. It wouldn't be a bad idea to keep a list of tablets with SIM slots to help people choosing, either here or on a dedicated topic, maybe put elsewhere (though I can't find where right now).
Now if you'd ask me which tablet I would choose if I had to, I'd answer "none" at first thought. The reason is, I do need a mobile device, but it has to do ALL : phoning, taking notes and noting down meetings, firing alarms, email and web browsing, remote access to the company's billing and accounting software, and my Word and Excel documents handy. And all this, of course, has to be with me all the time.
So, of course, the 4.3" format is just perfect. So why would I want a tablet ? The answer is just "I don't want one. Period". Now, why would I would want one anyway ? Well, maybe because it would be more confortable to show documents to other people, or just to get a larger workspace, after all.
So maybe the 7" format would be just fine. This, plus the fact it's able to phone, and the special stylus, always made me think about the HTC Flyer. Because I love my HTC HD and HD2, so I may stay sentimentally linked to HTC, so I probably won't be absolutely neutral here. There's also the Samsung galaxy Note, why not ? But if it's just for a larger phone with a stylus, is it worth the change ? Well, maybe for the stylus. The 7" tablet also still allows to phone whithout looking completely weird, though the limit is reached there IMHO.
Anyway, the point is, I want only ONE device to do ALL, and I want it with me everywhere and every time. That's why my HD2 is always in my belt pouch. I wouldn't want a phone PLUS a tablet to bring along. That's why I'm not really considering buying one, despite I really miss the stylus, as I often have to draw sketches and using the finger is just way too imprecise.
Now there's an interesting outsider, and it's once again from Asus : they threw some weird concept, a tablet containing a detachable Android phone ! All documents automatically synchronize when you stuff the phone into the hatch behind the screen, so you can actually always have the exact same and up-to-date documents on each, allowing you to bring and use any of them (or both !) according to what you're going to do and where you're going to. A concept at least worth a look IMHO.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Very good input. The truth is i'm a sales rep at TigerDirect in Canada. And whenever a customer asks me if the tablet they like has sim support, i'd have to give them a general unsure answer. It's unfortunate because not all tablets have it, and the specs on most sites never really specify either. Furthermore, it's not very realistic to open a sealed box to check if there is. Especially if the customer might not buy. I think it'd be great if everyone on the forums contribute and compile a list of model numbers of tablets that contain a sim card of some sort.

as a user ot the samsung galaxy tab 7.7 i would recomed your customers one of the 7" tablets there are wlan only and wlan/3g devices for each model. with a 3g module it allowes you to send sms or use it as a general mobile phone.
the bigger tablets only use the sim for a mobile 3g internet connection not for sms or phone, like the 10.1.
the wlan only version of the 7.7 is the gt-p6810 and with 3g its gt-p6800.
in canada the tab should be available very easy, but in my country i had little problems to get one of the 7.7 (the old ones 7.0 , 7.0+ , 7.0 2 are easy to get)
because apple sued samsung and said that the 7.7 looks like an ******* ipad.

Oh, maybe we should launch a contribution to offer Apple staff some glasses ?
OK, you did sum up what I thought : 7" tablets either allow phoning or are WLan only, and 10" tablets or bigger are either 3G or WLan only.
Each maker apparently offers both, for the same generic model number, so customers (and sellers) have to be vary careful about small details printed on the box and/or small sub-numbers in the model reference that may help finding more information on the web (preferably on makers' websites rather than half-informed resellers').
It's quite a puzzle, so maybe opening a Wiki here on XDA to list the "good" references could help people sorting things out.