[Q] HTC Flyer Design Flaws - can the Pen be set free? - HTC Flyer, EVO View 4G

Got my Flyer yesterday. In many ways it's very impressive but I really don't understand some of the design decisions made by HTC.
The unique selling point for this tablet is undoubtedly the pen. Without the pen functionality there are plenty of other tablets (Samsung Galaxy etc) around that are more or less equivalent for about half the cost.
That presumably means that most people who have shelled out the extra cash for the Flyer have, like me, done so because of the pen. The problem is though, that having used the Flyer a couple of days, it has become clear that the pen can only be used with the limited range of bundled apps specifically developed by HTC, so basically the extra money you spend getting a pen enabled device just gets you HTC notes (which is OK but not earth shattering), the kids art package (Zoodle) and the ability to scribble on the screen and take a screenshot (not sure about anyone else but that's not really much use to me).
This creates the ludicrous situation of there being scores of Android Apps that would really benefit from the Pen Input (Handrite, Tabnotes, Writepad, MaplePaint, Magic Doodle, Budgerigar, TapeMachine) etc but if you want to use these apps on the Flyer you've still got to use your finger or a capacative (i.e. fat iPad) stylus!
This makes absolutely no sense to me - doubling the cost just for HTC notes and a kids art package makes the flyer very poor value for money. As things stand all we can do is hope against hope that developers will convert/produce enough apps to support the pen (HTC has released the API) to justify our expensive investment but the problem is they'll be investing a lot of time for a very specific section of the market and so may not get the returns to justify their efforts.
Two questions:-
(1) Why have HTC done this? There is presumably no technical reason why the Pen couldn't have been (optionally) usuable in any app and on any part of the operating system - this is the way Windows Touch tablets (including those using active digitizers like the HP Touchsmart series) have always worked and indeed the way that capacitative pens work on the iPAD. Why couldn't HTC have left the decision TO US as to whether we wanted to use finger or pen input
(2) More importantly, can this be 'fixed' by the XDA community so that the Pen can optionally be used in any app the user chooses?
Consider this the launch of the 'Free The Pen' campaign!
Are you listening HTC?

Well first of all I returned the pen a day after I bought it. Now that being said it was pretty cool for the amount off time its been out. I just didnt really see much use coming from it for me being that I already have two or three styluses (sp? Styli?) keep in mind tho that the other side does work as a regular stylus although it is awkward to use being that is metal so if you do get use(even if its just a little) of the poem side it may still be worth it to you. Give it a few months n im guessing there will be more apps then toy know what to do with. .
Sent from my HTC Flyer P512 using XDA Premium App

Hi,
I've the Flyer now for almost ten days and it was integrated in my usual work on the first day. Since the days of my Apple Newton (like a brick, but back in the 90s a sensation) I wished a device which I can use to make handwritten notes in a meeting, during a call or just during normal work. Making notes with an on screen keyboard does not work well for me. Takes too much time and consumes to much concentration. But with the flyer it's like on paper. And that's for now aboslutely enough for my needs. The flyer replaced my usual paper notebook and gives the power of a full mobile device on top.
Regarding other pen enabled apps. HTC just announced a Sense SDK which will include a SDK for pen apps. So hopefully we'll see some of this apps later this year.
bye
Sven

charalew said:
...
This makes absolutely no sense to me - doubling the cost just for HTC notes and a kids art package makes the flyer very poor value for money
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Doubling? I would agree it would suck if it actually doubled the price but that's not quite the case...
Also, I'm not a programmer but I'm guessing integrating pen functionality might be easy. I'd guess it'd be an option that can be set and if the user doesn't have a pen it won't be activated. Think of it like Qualcomm's game strategy. They help developers optimize games for Adreno GPUs which means that they will look the best they can on Adreno devices BUT they don't prevent the games from running on other devices (unlike Tegra Zone games). This in my opinion is the best way to deal with developers since you help them make a better/more functional product but don't limit them to just one section of the market. I'm hoping pen functionality will be like this, allowing more devs to choose to include it in their apps.

Returned my pen as well. Not worth $80 when a $30 pen from Fujitsu would work on the same 3 apps that are enabled for pen use. The haven't released the api they have only announced it. So it's still useless from a development standpoint.

There are lots of Reviews that show what the Flyer and can't do so there is no reason to buy one and then wonder why it can't do certain things.
Also, here in the UK there are no 7" 3G tablets with 32GB that are half price of the Flyer.
The price of all tablets is higher in the first few months.

jah said:
There are lots of Reviews that show what the Flyer and can't do so there is no reason to buy one and then wonder why it can't do certain things.
Also, here in the UK there are no 7" 3G tablets with 32GB that are half price of the Flyer.
The price of all tablets is higher in the first few months.
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Yep I read a few reviews before I bought it. I took them to mean that there were only a couple of apps that had been developed to specifically take advantage of the pen - I didn't quite realise the pen couldn't be be used anywhere else! The question is WHY have HTC crippled the pen functionality in this way? I don't see any technical reason why they would have had to implement it this way (which is why I wasn't expecting it) and I'm struggling to see what they were trying to achieve by deliberately limiting the pen's functionality.
The current Amazon price for the 3G Flyer is £559.98. The price for the 7" 3G Samsung P1000 is £351.90. I admit that's not quite half the cost of the Flyer - it's actually 62% of the cost.
That's still a massive premium to pay for an extra 16GB of memory (particularly as the Galaxy, like the flyer is expandable with an SD Card) and a pen that can only be used in a couple of bundled apps! For me, the Flyer would be worth the extra money if the pen was usable everywhere but as things stand I don't really think that the price differential can be justified. Nevertheless I'll be keeping it in the hope that more apps appear or better still, that the Pen can be set free!

charalew said:
Yep I read a few reviews before I bought it. I took them to mean that there were only a couple of apps that had been developed to specifically take advantage of the pen - I didn't quite realise the pen couldn't be be used anywhere else! The question is WHY have HTC crippled the pen functionality in this way? I don't see any technical reason why they would have had to implement it this way (which is why I wasn't expecting it) and I'm struggling to see what they were trying to achieve by deliberately limiting the pen's functionality.
The current Amazon price for the 3G Flyer is £559.98. The price for the 7" 3G Samsung P1000 is £351.90. I admit that's not quite half the cost of the Flyer - it's actually 62% of the cost.
That's still a massive premium to pay for an extra 16GB of memory (particularly as the Galaxy, like the flyer is expandable with an SD Card) and a pen that can only be used in a couple of bundled apps! For me, the Flyer would be worth the extra money if the pen was usable everywhere but as things stand I don't really think that the price differential can be justified. Nevertheless I'll be keeping it in the hope that more apps appear or better still, that the Pen can be set free!
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My Galaxy Tab was £499.
Youtube video reviews of the Flyer I saw were very clear about what the Flyer can and can't do. Also, comments here are very clear about the Fyler's functionality.
See here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=981406&highlight=scrybe&page=2

Related

What do you think between Xoom and Flyer?

What do you think between the Xoom and the Flyer?
One thing that is actually putting me off the Flyer is the 7" instead of 10"
I am thinking I want a wifi only one for home use - but for home use only I'd want something a little bigger than an oversized phone... any thoughts?
http://www.digitalversus.com/four-tablets-compared-ipad-galaxy-tab-10-1-flyer-xoom-news-18059.html
Since you'll be using it primarily at home, and you didn't mention the need for stylus input, I'd say the XOOM is probably a better choice for you.
Personally, however, I'd get the Flyer for its portability and inking capability.
I don't really have a need for a stylus - I think it's a brilliant addition - and if I had kids (also ones that could be trusted on a tablet ) I think it would be good so they could draw pics and stuff without any mess
Is there any mention of a keyboard add-on for the Flyer (wireless) I think I saw one for Xoom which'd be more of an interest for me as I'd be thinking of replacing my primary laptop with a tablet for most day-to-day stuff if it works well
Of course ultimately it all depends on the price of a wifi-only edition!
I think you summed up the screen size issue pretty well:
- 10" is home use. I have an iPad and it works really well for that. It is really something you can use all around the house with ease and enable you to check the internet in a nice chair, on the coach, etc. But I would not take the iPad in public transport - on a plane yes - and it is not a laptop replacement as some tend to pretend it is - maybe in 3-4 years when it'll be powerful enough and the resolution decent (but then again a mouse OS is much better for working)...
- 7" is for on the go. You can slide the 7" in a pocket, it's lighter, easier to hold in one hand and is a much better size to do things than a smartphone. It's perfect to watch a video, surf the web without having to pinch and zoom all the time, read a book, etc.
I have an iPad, so I don't need the Xoom; I'm more interested by the Flyer because I can take it around with me.
I like the stylus idea if it works. I've seen many videos, but all they show is someone scribbling large ribbons of colour on screen. If you can't write with the stylus; take notes, do some sketches, it is a useless addition. I can't see a lot of potential for a stylus though, especially for 10"; someone sends you a document, you're in a cab, you scribble some notes for feedback and you send it back. Way better than trying to do that over the phone...
Last thing for me is Honeycomb. The Flyer has to be upgraded to Honeycomb - thanks for XDA - as it is very likely that none of the apps produced for Honeycomb will be tablet specific: it would be a shame to have a tablet and not be able to access specific apps developped for that format...
10 inch is great for home use but a pain for everything else. I bought a Galaxy tab to take with me when I leave the house and my ipad stays at home. I got really tired of carrying around the ipad.
Sent from my SPH-P100 using XDA Premium App
I thought HTC already said that the Flyer will get an official update to Honeycomb at some point?
The XOOm is you want primary home use. The specs are also far superior, dual core etc. But if i were you, i'd choose Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 over the XOOM. some reviews havemt said the XOOm isnt amzing... Also motorola have a bad phone reputation.
If by specs you mean CPU then yes however the Xoom is kinda like a truck with a highly tuned formula one engine. Plenty of power but its all lost in the drivetrain.
In other words, processing power is useless if you have nothing to take advantage of it. I have kicked around with various kernels and hacks on many devices and got some amazing Quadrant benchmark results but in the end, its just for self satisfaction. In normal use it makes little difference.
IMO some of the killer features of the Flyer are:
- Pocketable size
- Guaranteed dev community support
- Timescribe (especially the "pickup where you left off" calendar feature for recurring appointments
- Its a HTC
Lets face it. HTC are still terrible at marketing. The things that make senseUI and their devices great are all of the little things which make using them a great overall experience. You'll never get buyers remorse buying HTC because you always get more than was advertised.
How can you even compare the Xoom and Flyer? To me you might as well be comparing a pda and an XPS laptop. I think they are 2 different classes of device. Pprtability vs multimedia/home use.
I refuse to choose. The way i see it, i would normally spend $1200 on Descent laptop. Why not buy a Flyer and Xoom (or Asus Transformer) for about $1400?
Basically. ... I want BOTH!!!!!
Tabbed on my Galaxy 987
globiboulga said:
I like the stylus idea if it works.
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Right! I'd like to know if you can write while you have your hand resting on the screen. That goes for the XOOM, too. I want something close to "natural", and when I write, I have my hand and all sorts of fingers dragging around on the sheet.
marinierb said:
Right! I'd like to know if you can write while you have your hand resting on the screen. That goes for the XOOM, too. I want something close to "natural", and when I write, I have my hand and all sorts of fingers dragging around on the sheet.
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It does have the ability to detect your hand vs the stylus. From what has been published so far,it looks like it works extremely well. Will have to wait till I get my hands on one ( ) to see if it is really as good as it looks.

Last Day to return Flyer...Should I?

I am very impressed with the Flyer so far. You need to own one to appreciate just how good HTC made this tablet. You know there is a but coming.....but the lack of Honeycomb and the price is giving me second thoughts. I can pick up the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 for the same price with updated Honeycomb. I know the Flyer may be getting honeycomb and it looks like it may be months away. I like the 7" form factor and portability but with all things considered is it better to just get the Samsung and jump on the Flyers next version? This is tuff..... any ideas?
Ha ha, I can't believe you are asking others to make a choice for you!
I hope you are not still wearing the same underwear because you needed your Mom to tell you when to change them!
Yeah, my Mom is not around and neither was yours so I decided to use the forum for some guidance. It's always good to surround yourself with other views. You never know what you might learn.
I say get the tab.
Sent from my HTC Flyer P510e using XDA Premium App
The 10" form factor feels like a completely different device to me. If your mostly using it for couch surfing, the larger screen is nice. But for portability (or lack of it, compared to the Flyer) is going to feel very different. And while the plastic backing on the Galaxy Tab helps keep the weight down, it also makes it feel less high end than the aluminum unibody on the Flyer.
Good point. The portability is best thing going for the Flyer. I have the iPad2 and have rarely touched it since getting the Flyer. The costs being the same as the Galaxy 10.1 is making it hard for me to justify the expense especially with the Flyer having no Honeycomb. Thinking maybe getting the Galaxy 10.1 and holding out till 8.9 or HTC comes with a refresh of the 7". Still debating.
If you're considering between a 7 and a 10 then you might as well get the 10. Because you should already know if you want the awesome portability of a 7, there is no debate on which is better for carrying it with you. Think bag or no bag, hands full or pocketable.
I prefer the 7" for sure. At this point I am just contemplating wether it makes sense to spend that much for a 7" when you can have a 10" with updated software. I guess I am wondering wether the Flyer is an Over BUY at the price point in comparison to the Tab 10.1 wich fits the price point for its model.
I think 7" is an ideal size. I have a Gtab, iPad 2, and X201Tablet. My wife uses the iPad2, mostly to read online and play some games. My Gtab stays home, usually by my bed to watch movies via Upnplay, probably going to sell it. X201T is really nothing you want to carry around, I usually use that one for Detail sketches or CS5 work. However I carry my Flyer with me everywhere. Great for Train commute and surfing the internet during lunch, Free internet everywhere in NYC. I don't think Honeycomb is really going to make this tablet any better right now. How many apps are actually made for Honeycomb, what some 300+ or so? I know it is a lot of money, but I definitely make the most out of it. I actually do work and research for my work on it. To me it is well worth the price. Only thing I really want is more app for the Scribe pen. If anything HTC should make another variation of the Flyer with no Pen option and sell it for $100 less. If this is a simple case of techolust, I would just get the 10.1 until your next fix come on the market.
frankic said:
I am very impressed with the Flyer so far. You need to own one to appreciate just how good HTC made this tablet. You know there is a but coming.....but the lack of Honeycomb and the price is giving me second thoughts. I can pick up the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 for the same price with updated Honeycomb. I know the Flyer may be getting honeycomb and it looks like it may be months away. I like the 7" form factor and portability but with all things considered is it better to just get the Samsung and jump on the Flyers next version? This is tuff..... any ideas?
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Click to collapse
If you like the 7" form factor then why are you going for the 10.1" SGT? In my opinion... the value shouldn't be based solely on the screen size. Judge the product's value as a whole and not just because it's expensive plus it's small since the product in its entirety has a different value proposition.
I read a few different articles regarding the G-Slate with the 8.9" form factor and they say it feels weird given the size... but they said that about the 7" too when it first came out.
I owned a Motorola Xoom for two months. Just returned last week for an HTC Flyer. I like the Flyer a lot better. Don't think because you're getting a dual processor and Honeycomb that the device will run fast. My Xoom was lagging. Many other people have the same experiences. The Flyer has a much more snappier experience. Honeycomb apps are not that much better. Maybe if you play games, the games may look better, but that's pretty much it. 7 inch is the perfect size for a tablet in my opinion. 10.1 inch is just not portable. You'll end up getting a bag to carry it around.
thanks guys I appreciate all your opinions. the truth is that you must consider price when making a purchase. We all do. it's hard to say that you are getting more bang for your buck with a galaxy tab but with a bigger screen, higher processor and thin build it must be considered. It's priced right for the market. You can make a case for the Flyer also but 500 for a smaller screen and older OS is pushing it a bit. Truth is I will probably stick with the flyer. It would suck if HTC decides not to go with honeycomb though. The Flyer has just enough little features that make this thing rock...
10" tabs are pointless imo. A netbook can do more, costs less, is more durable and is just as portable once you factor in the fragility of a tablet.
Stick with the flyer. 7" tab is the perfect size.
The only thing I have to add is the pen integration. As a 2nd gen tab user, I found taking notes on my iPad just didn't work well. If you don't need it then get something else for the money.
Because these devices are meant to be portable case material gets a lot of consideration. Plastic for a device this size just seems flimsy. I don't believe in purchasing a car and leaving it in the garage. I don't baby my electronic devices either. Hence the aluminum is comforting. Titanium or magnesium to lighten things up would be interesting... Maybe a Lenovo will consider the material.
The larger screen is definitely more comfortable if you are primarily couch-surfing. I also prefer the larger screen to browse magazines in full page or side-by-side. The smaller screen of the Flyer works well for guidebooks or as an e-reader. Larger screen also makes remoting into workstations easier, though I'm getting handy with the smaller screen.
Again, to me the pen integration is why I have this particular device. It doesn't bother me that honeycomb isn't on the device... I personally don't expect honeycomb to drastically effect the functionality of the device other than access to apps which will take advantage of the larger screen. I would prefer to see more advancement and focus on pen integrated apps.
frankic said:
thanks guys I appreciate all your opinions. the truth is that you must consider price when making a purchase. We all do. it's hard to say that you are getting more bang for your buck with a galaxy tab but with a bigger screen, higher processor and thin build it must be considered. It's priced right for the market. You can make a case for the Flyer also but 500 for a smaller screen and older OS is pushing it a bit. Truth is I will probably stick with the flyer. It would suck if HTC decides not to go with honeycomb though. The Flyer has just enough little features that make this thing rock...
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Yes, obviously price is a factor for most everyone (except the filthy rich). But it seems like you are trying to compare the "value" for 2 devices with potentially very different functionality due to their form factors.
You said you have an iPad2, which is exactly the same form factor as the GT 10.1. The size and weight of the two are virtually IDENTICAL. Aside from the freedom that the Android OS gives you, what makes you think that you would use the GT any more, or like it any more than the iPad? Plus, you would be owning 2 very similar devices (if you had the GT and the iPad), which actually seems like a waste of money. It seems more value added to spend your money on two devices with different form factors. The Flyer for portability, and maybe the iPad for times when you are couch surfing and want a bigger screen. Although, if you ask me, maybe its the iPad that you should get rid of!
The "value" a device brings to you is not necessarily the specs (like a bigger screen or a slightly more updated OS) but the use that you get from it. Its not always about the numbers, and you can't quantify how much you like or prefer something.
Also, the GT does not have a "higher" processor, in all regards. Its a 1 GHz dual core versus the 1.5 GHz single core on the Flyer. The dual core is better for multi-tasking, such as switching between apps, or apps running in the background. But within a single app, the higher clocked single core processor will actually prove faster. The vast majority of apps do not support multi cores yet, and don't take advantage of it. This is why people on here have commented that the Flyer actually feels snappier than the current dual core tablets (in addition to Honeycomb possibly causing some lag).
kcchen said:
It doesn't bother me that honeycomb isn't on the device... I personally don't expect honeycomb to drastically effect the functionality of the device other than access to apps which will take advantage of the larger screen.
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I have to agree. While the Flyer is the only tablet I own, I was recently in Best Buy, fiddling around with every tablet they had, particularly the Honeycomb ones. I wasn't really blown away by Honeycomb. Some things are cool, such as how the launcher and other apps make better use of a larger tablet screen. And there are various features only on Honeycomb that sound cool. But to be honest, I was not all that crazy about the general theming and look of Honeycomb versus Sense Gingerbread. Maybe I'm must too much of an HTC junky, and biased. Also, the Honeycomb launcher seemed a bit sluggish, as commented in various places. Maybe HC needs a bit more work, or slightly faster CPUs. All in all, my takeaway from the experience was that I am not really disappointed that the Flyer has Gingerbread.
redpoint73 said:
The "value" a device brings to you is not necessarily the specs (like a bigger screen or a slightly more updated OS) but the use that you get from it. Its not always about the numbers, and you can't quantify how much you like or prefer something.
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Exactly! Before I bought my Flyer I was looking for the best hardware, latest OS. After much thought and trying out different devices I decided that I wanted the 7" form factor. With that there were only 2 real choices for me, this and the galaxy tab. The flyer performs much better than the galaxy tab. Reviewers of the flyer complain about the specs, but with actual use, it's fast and smooth, less lag than the 10" honeycombs.
I rarely use my laptop now. When not at work I use this almost exclusively for browsing, email, news, games, listening to music, watching videos, reading android forums =), whether at home or commuting or at a cafe. I'm very happy with the performance. Battery life is decent. My only complaint is the camera that's it. Picture quality on my HTC desire is better than this.
Sent from my HTC Flyer P510e using XDA App
Thanks for all your replies. I decided to stick with the Flyer. The portability can not be beat. I have not really put the pen to use as of yet but I am a big Evernote user and expect to use the Pen much more soon. I miss spoke when I mentioned higher processor, I am aware of the dual core just miss-spoke. The one drawback to the flyer is email threading and right side preview which is available through honeycomb. I am hoping the 7" form factor will adopt these features when Honeycomb is added. The email client for HTC is not my cup of tea. That's is really my biggest gripe.
redpoint73 said:
The "value" a device brings to you is not necessarily the specs (like a bigger screen or a slightly more updated OS) but the use that you get from it. Its not always about the numbers, and you can't quantify how much you like or prefer something.
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I couldn't agree more. The value should be based on what's important to YOU! I tried to justify my purchase because I know I overpaid (when comparing to other tablets). Then I realized that it really comes down to whether I like the tablet or not.. and..well... I do
Also, a ton of people pay that same price for only 3.6-4.1 inch screens (phones off contract). So when you look at it that way the price for the flyer is pretty damn good.

Considering the flyer, few questions first

Hi there, I saw that the flyer has received a big discount in the UK and with the recent HC support it's suddenly become much more enticing. I've a few questions however.
On the whole how well does the flyer function when compared to dual core devices like the tab or xoom? Does sense notably slow down the device or does it integrate nicely? Has there been any word of future upgrades to ICS or will the flyer end with HC? How is the performance in games/cpu and gpu intensive tasks? Any other recommendations/negative points I should be aware of before purchase?
Many thanks
General rule of thumb that I've seen based on benchmarks and user experience is that just because its a single core, doesn't mean it is slower than dual cores. It depends entirely if the apps are written for multiple cores, which many if not mostly all out there right now are still based on single.
The single core on this outperforms the dual core on the kindle, so that's saying something.
If we are talking about seeing a difference between gaming, I doubt the cores are noticeable to the average user, unless you can 'see' the rendering and background process in milliseconds.
See here for anandtech's bench of the flyer
http://www.anandtech.com/show/4463/the-htc-flyer-review/8
Hollow.Droid said:
Hi there, I saw that the flyer has received a big discount in the UK and with the recent HC support it's suddenly become much more enticing. I've a few questions however.
On the whole how well does the flyer function when compared to dual core devices like the tab or xoom? Does sense notably slow down the device or does it integrate nicely? Has there been any word of future upgrades to ICS or will the flyer end with HC? How is the performance in games/cpu and gpu intensive tasks? Any other recommendations/negative points I should be aware of before purchase?
Many thanks
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Click to collapse
+1 mate. Been checking all websites, and this tablet has had a massive price cut.
V.intersted!
---------- Post added at 08:58 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:57 PM ----------
kaijura said:
General rule of thumb that I've seen based on benchmarks and user experience is that just because its a single core, doesn't mean it is slower than dual cores. It depends entirely if the apps are written for multiple cores, which many if not mostly all out there right now are still based on single.
The single core on this outperforms the dual core on the kindle, so that's saying something.
If we are talking about seeing a difference between gaming, I doubt the cores are noticeable to the average user, unless you can 'see' the rendering and background process in milliseconds.
See here for anandtech's bench of the flyer
http://www.anandtech.com/show/4463/the-htc-flyer-review/8
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Click to collapse
How do heavy games run on it? I.e - GTA 3?
i overclocked my Desire S to 1.5 ghz (same CPU)
chipset) and gameplay was not as smooth as i'd liked.
so are games smooth?
Hollow.Droid said:
Hi there, I saw that the flyer has received a big discount in the UK and with the recent HC support it's suddenly become much more enticing. I've a few questions however.
On the whole how well does the flyer function when compared to dual core devices like the tab or xoom? Does sense notably slow down the device or does it integrate nicely? Has there been any word of future upgrades to ICS or will the flyer end with HC? How is the performance in games/cpu and gpu intensive tasks? Any other recommendations/negative points I should be aware of before purchase?
Many thanks
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Click to collapse
The problem with my advice is that the Flyer was the first tablet I'd ever used. So my basis of comparison may be off. Here are just my 'stream of consciousness' thoughts:
1. The integration between the pen and the tablet (which is really what HTC was pushing for) is disappointing. This improves somewhat in honeycomb, because you can now use the pen as you would your finger. However, the pen is, in my opinion, an expensive novelty. There are many problems with Notes and PDF Viewer; for example, many people complain about the lack of control over pen width when annotating in PDF Viewer. Similarly, I find the Notes app disappointing (no way to zoom, limited or no choices over pen tips, etc.). To a certain extent, you can hope for development by others (see the Quill app for example), and by HTC. But I found it ridiculous that this is the best that the programmers and engineers in charge could come up with.
When it comes to pen integration, you can't trust 10 minute YouTube reviews by people who are happy that they can write on the screen; you have to look for real life experience from those who have tried to integrate the pen into their own work.
2. I found the battery life quite weak. Look up some reviews, and you find hugely disparate opinions---some people claim to be able to use the Flyer for a week without recharging while others say you need a daily recharge. Personally, I find that it's a daily recharge. No scientific tests from me, but I'm guessing about 5-6 hours of continuous usage doing low CPU intensive applications like reading PDFs or browsing websites.
3. The camera is bad. Real bad. It's not about the resolution of the camera---it's about the quality of the lens. My Sony k800i cellphone from nearly 6 years back takes better pictures.
4. Development: my understanding is that development is a little bit stagnant, just because it's not a hugely popular device. Time will tell whether these sorts of sales helps the situation.
In the end, the Flyer was my first tablet (which I bought for a good price), and perhaps my expectations were simply a bit too high. I paid $200 for this device, and the truth is, years ago, I bought my Sony PSP for around $130. If I think of it as a toy, something I can play some games on when I'm bored, or check my e-mail when I'm not at my desk, or read PDFs...then it's an acceptable purchase.
However, I do think that the HTC was designed in a rush, and it shows.
TSGM said:
The problem with my advice is that the Flyer was the first tablet I'd ever used. So my basis of comparison may be off. Here are just my 'stream of consciousness' thoughts:
1. The integration between the pen and the tablet (which is really what HTC was pushing for) is disappointing. This improves somewhat in honeycomb, because you can now use the pen as you would your finger. However, the pen is, in my opinion, an expensive novelty. There are many problems with Notes and PDF Viewer; for example, many people complain about the lack of control over pen width when annotating in PDF Viewer. Similarly, I find the Notes app disappointing (no way to zoom, limited or no choices over pen tips, etc.). To a certain extent, you can hope for development by others (see the Quill app for example), and by HTC. But I found it ridiculous that this is the best that the programmers and engineers in charge could come up with.
When it comes to pen integration, you can't trust 10 minute YouTube reviews by people who are happy that they can write on the screen; you have to look for real life experience from those who have tried to integrate the pen into their own work.
2. I found the battery life quite weak. Look up some reviews, and you find hugely disparate opinions---some people claim to be able to use the Flyer for a week without recharging while others say you need a daily recharge. Personally, I find that it's a daily recharge. No scientific tests from me, but I'm guessing about 5-6 hours of continuous usage doing low CPU intensive applications like reading PDFs or browsing websites.
3. The camera is bad. Real bad. It's not about the resolution of the camera---it's about the quality of the lens. My Sony k800i cellphone from nearly 6 years back takes better pictures.
4. Development: my understanding is that development is a little bit stagnant, just because it's not a hugely popular device. Time will tell whether these sorts of sales helps the situation.
In the end, the Flyer was my first tablet (which I bought for a good price), and perhaps my expectations were simply a bit too high. I paid $200 for this device, and the truth is, years ago, I bought my Sony PSP for around $130. If I think of it as a toy, something I can play some games on when I'm bored, or check my e-mail when I'm not at my desk, or read PDFs...then it's an acceptable purchase.
However, I do think that the HTC was designed in a rush, and it shows.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the quick sum up mate, appreciated!
I too think the pen was majorly overhyped.
It seems to be a key selling point for HTC, but in daily use for me, I couldn't find much use for it!
Cheers!
-------------------------------
Sent from my HTC Desire S
olyloh6696 said:
How do heavy games run on it? I.e - GTA 3?
i overclocked my Desire S to 1.5 ghz (same CPU)
chipset) and gameplay was not as smooth as i'd liked.
so are games smooth?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Keep in mind that the Desire S is 1.0 at stock frequency, so if you overclock the flyer/view you can go to higher frequencies. I believe 1.8ghz is safe from the OC tools out there in development for it right now.
I took the quick opportunity to demo GTA3 running on a stock EVO View 4g. It's USA Sprint ver of the Flyer. So far it's pretty fluid, but I gotta say it's obviously not supported or officially available for our tablets yet.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQJxdhFshbU
kaijura said:
Keep in mind that the Desire S is 1.0 at stock frequency, so if you overclock the flyer/view you can go to higher frequencies. I believe 1.8ghz is safe from the OC tools out there in development for it right now.
I took the quick opportunity to demo GTA3 running on a stock EVO View 4g. It's USA Sprint ver of the Flyer. So far it's pretty fluid, but I gotta say it's obviously not supported or officially available for our tablets yet.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQJxdhFshbU
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yep, but they both have exactly the same CPU chipset (Qualcomm S2 8255)
Just the Flyer has the chip clocked at 1.5Ghz by default, and the Desire S at 1Ghz.
On some kernel to, I can OC to 1.8
I wonder if the extra RAM the Flyer has will be useful in GTA gameplay!
-------------------------------
Sent from my HTC Desire S
olyloh6696 said:
+1 mate. Been checking all websites, and this tablet has had a massive price cut.
V.intersted!
---------- Post added at 08:58 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:57 PM ----------
How do heavy games run on it? I.e - GTA 3?
i overclocked my Desire S to 1.5 ghz (same CPU)
chipset) and gameplay was not as smooth as i'd liked.
so are games smooth?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Mine runs GTA3 very smoothly. Controls are a little wonky, but that's a function of the game, not the tablet. Regardless, it's still fun and shows off what this hardware is capable of. I've not encountered any issues with sense slowing down the tablet, and globatron's HC has been quite smooth for me. I'm still pretty torn between launchers when I usually immediately install ADW, if that's any indication of Sense's quality.
I disagree with a lot of TGSM's review. I think with HC that the pen integration is fairly useful, even if imperfect. I've already taken about 8 pages of notes and was quite pleased how quickly I was able to write them. I probably will still use pen/paper for lectures, but book notes and proofs will likely be done on the tablet. And despite the poor integration with pdf apps, it's still way more useful than no stylus for annotation.
Regarding battery life, it seems to be pretty solid. I've only had the tablet for a couple weeks, but I can usually squeeze out 16 hours before worrying about charging. Another poster in this forum showed great results with juicedefender (126 hours in idle, 26 hours awake), and I will likely give that a shot very soon.
Overall, if you can find a flyer for under 300 USD (or below 360ish with a stylus), I would really recommend it. IMO it is the best value for a 7" tablet, and offers a ton of functionality that you'd sacrifice with the NT or Fire. With the tab 7+ at $400, the flyer is damn good deal unless you really value Peel or thinness.
flyer seems plenty fast to me, esp when you use some app to free up ram.
Battery life is good as I only use it couple hours a day on wifi, and end up with 70% left.
You can also overclock it with the custom rom, which im doing right now.
notphilip said:
Mine runs GTA3 very smoothly. Controls are a little wonky, but that's a function of the game, not the tablet. Regardless, it's still fun and shows off what this hardware is capable of. I've not encountered any issues with sense slowing down the tablet, and globatron's HC has been quite smooth for me. I'm still pretty torn between launchers when I usually immediately install ADW, if that's any indication of Sense's quality.
I disagree with a lot of TGSM's review. I think with HC that the pen integration is fairly useful, even if imperfect. I've already taken about 8 pages of notes and was quite pleased how quickly I was able to write them. I probably will still use pen/paper for lectures, but book notes and proofs will likely be done on the tablet. And despite the poor integration with pdf apps, it's still way more useful than no stylus for annotation.
Regarding battery life, it seems to be pretty solid. I've only had the tablet for a couple weeks, but I can usually squeeze out 16 hours before worrying about charging. Another poster in this forum showed great results with juicedefender (126 hours in idle, 26 hours awake), and I will likely give that a shot very soon.
Overall, if you can find a flyer for under 300 USD (or below 360ish with a stylus), I would really recommend it. IMO it is the best value for a 7" tablet, and offers a ton of functionality that you'd sacrifice with the NT or Fire. With the tab 7+ at $400, the flyer is damn good deal unless you really value Peel or thinness.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the lengthy explanation! So you'd still recommend it now, and dual cores (and quad cores round the corner!) Won't affect it hardware value now?
-------------------------------
Sent from my HTC Desire S
olyloh6696 said:
Thanks for the lengthy explanation! So you'd still recommend it now, and dual cores (and quad cores round the corner!) Won't affect it hardware value now?
-------------------------------
Sent from my HTC Desire S
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Definitely, especially at that sale price from the other thread (which I assume prompted this thread). Though it is single core, it is still plenty fast. I was completely astounded when using it compared to my OG droid.
Just considering the pricing trends that Samsung and HTC have been following over the past year, I would guess that upcoming tablets like tab 7.7 or any of the quad cores are going to be $450+ at launch. With that you will get faster speed, ips screen, and guaranteed ICS/jellybean, but you will also have to pay a lot more and wait for them to come out.
I would also postulate from how the xoom, nook color, and other functional tablets have maintained their value, that the Flyer will still be worth at least $100-150 in a year. So if something absolutely great does come out around Q3/Q4 2012, you will be able to upgrade for only a small loss.
In any case, there is enough note-annotating and web-browsing functionality in the Flyer that I can easily see myself using it for the next 18 months. It would really take a large advancement in stylus technology to make me want to replace this. However, if you really want cutting edge tech all the time (not unlike a lot of folk on this forum) or don't care for the stylus much, you may want to replace it sooner or just wait for the 7.7.
Thanks for the great responses, they're appreciated Out of interest, has there been any word on an ICS update?
There will nor likely be an ics update. With honeycomb source for the kernel we can hope a dev will make it happen
Sent from my HTC Flyer P510e using xda premium
mcord11758 said:
There will nor likely be an ics update. With honeycomb source for the kernel we can hope a dev will make it happen
Sent from my HTC Flyer P510e using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Whenever this does happen, I will make sure a couple jacksons find their way into that dev's paypal account *HINT HINT*
Benjamin's last name is Franklin, not Jackson. ;-)
Sent from my MB865 using xda premium
Personally, I love this tablet and I am so glad I got it. The performance easily keeps up with my brothers ASUS Transformer in terms of tasks and the launcher runs way smoother. I love HTC Sense, and really buy into the whole "HTC Ecosystem" with HTCSense.com and all that that stuff. The pen is phenomenal and will be even better with the HC update. I think the HTC customizations make it that much better. The big selling point for me: 7 inch tablet. I want to be able to carry it around with me when I go places. I can't do that with a 10 incher. The battery life is ok for me. I was at 45% last night when I plugged it in after showing it off to family and friends, using it throughout the day sporadically, and watching Netflix once everybody left. If it makes it through the day, the battery is good enough for me. Honestly, the camera doesn't matter to me. It looks pretty darn goofy to take pictures with a tablet in my opinion. I only use the FFC, which is good enough for video calling. I think the stylus was overhyped, but it is still great, and functional enough for me. If someone asked what tablet I recommend, it would be Transformer Prime if you like 10 inches, and you have the $$, or the Flyer if you want a less expensive 7 inch option. This tablet will be outdated within a year or so, but I can easily sell it for $100 ish and then buy the next HTC tablet, if it doesn't cost too much. I am really happy with this tablet overall.
notphilip said:
Definitely, especially at that sale price from the other thread (which I assume prompted this thread). Though it is single core, it is still plenty fast. I was completely astounded when using it compared to my OG droid.
Just considering the pricing trends that Samsung and HTC have been following over the past year, I would guess that upcoming tablets like tab 7.7 or any of the quad cores are going to be $450+ at launch. With that you will get faster speed, ips screen, and guaranteed ICS/jellybean, but you will also have to pay a lot more and wait for them to come out.
I would also postulate from how the xoom, nook color, and other functional tablets have maintained their value, that the Flyer will still be worth at least $100-150 in a year. So if something absolutely great does come out around Q3/Q4 2012, you will be able to upgrade for only a small loss.
In any case, there is enough note-annotating and web-browsing functionality in the Flyer that I can easily see myself using it for the next 18 months. It would really take a large advancement in stylus technology to make me want to replace this. However, if you really want cutting edge tech all the time (not unlike a lot of folk on this forum) or don't care for the stylus much, you may want to replace it sooner or just wait for the 7.7.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Cheers!
Yes it was me who posted and found the deal
Having said all that,
The XOOM Is currently selling for the same price... I'm considering getting that instead, as it seems more future proof.
-------------------------------
Sent from my HTC Desire S
Yea, this thing is really nice with hc and the stylus. I ended up stuck at the hospital for four hours yesterday, and I used it to draw up some plans for my dorm room when I go back to school, did some emailing, surfed the web, and played some games. For $200, I couldn't be happier. It even fits nicely in my coat pocket. I plan to use it to replace my textbooks, and I feel like it will work very well for that.
The stylus does add functionality. I was never interested in a tablet, because I have a netbook, but when I saw the flyer I changed my mind. If you plan to play heavy games, I don't really think a tablet is the way to go anyway, but HTC has always pushed functionality, and the flyer is obviously marketed towards students and business people, so if you are one of those this is a really nice option.
Sent from my HTC Flyer P510e using Tapatalk
I like it a lot, paticarly after the HC update.
I reaally like the thumb keyboard app I purchased which world great on a 7" tablet. This is a great productivity tools.
gdbusby said:
Benjamin's last name is Franklin, not Jackson. ;-)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
But Jackson is on a $50. That's two and a half times more motivation.

[Q] HTC Flyer 3G or HTC Jetstream 32GB, 4G?

Need some advice help me out! .... HTC Flyer 3G or HTC Jetstream 32GB, 4G?
(if same price)
Thanx
viriatto said:
Need some advice help me out! .... HTC Flyer 3G or HTC Jetstream 32GB, 4G?
(if same price)
Thanx
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Absolutely depends on your application. I have experience with both - I own a Jetstream and a very close friend of mine owns a Flyer. What is your application. I shall suggest accordingly in view of that.
I'm debating the very same thing. I had a tablet pc (HP tmz2) and used it for taking notes like crazy.
At work I go through a couple of those little 5x8" pads of paper a month. I would like to replace those. I also take a lot of other notes, business books, church, etc. I thought the Flyer might be good since its about the 5x8 pad size ( a little smaller) but maybe its too small.
I will use this mostly for notes. I have a 9.8" Android tablet (Window N90... chinese but works great) and an epic 4g so I really don't need another plain android tablet. I really just need something to write with. I don't really want to spend 500 bucks on a Galaxy note 10.1... if I was going to go that far, I could get some sort of slate pc with full windows (probably for $600-700). I can get the Jetstream for 250ish probably, the lenovo thinkpad tablet for 250ish or the flyer for 150ish...
Based on your usage with the 2 sizes and the fact that I really just want to take notes (not really super in depth college-classroom style notes... just rarely do I want to take these kind of notes), what is your suggestion?
icevapor said:
I'm debating the very same thing. I had a tablet pc (HP tmz2) and used it for taking notes like crazy.
At work I go through a couple of those little 5x8" pads of paper a month. I would like to replace those. I also take a lot of other notes, business books, church, etc. I thought the Flyer might be good since its about the 5x8 pad size ( a little smaller) but maybe its too small.
I will use this mostly for notes. I have a 9.8" Android tablet (Window N90... chinese but works great) and an epic 4g so I really don't need another plain android tablet. I really just need something to write with. I don't really want to spend 500 bucks on a Galaxy note 10.1... if I was going to go that far, I could get some sort of slate pc with full windows (probably for $600-700). I can get the Jetstream for 250ish probably, the lenovo thinkpad tablet for 250ish or the flyer for 150ish...
Based on your usage with the 2 sizes and the fact that I really just want to take notes (not really super in depth college-classroom style notes... just rarely do I want to take these kind of notes), what is your suggestion?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ok as you are looking at something to take notes mainly, then I would definitely suggest either of these HTC devices or Samsung's note devices. Difference between them-Samsung is more acceptable and more post-purchase support. I have used the Note and I definitely like the HTC Flyer or Jetstream better. Note 10.1 I have no experience so can't say much about it.
Between the Flyer and Jetstream, the basic difference is in the size. For a fully functional pen experience on the Flyer, definitely need to upgrade to Honeycomb. The gingerbread pen experience is honestly bad. The experience with the pen on Flyer honeycomb and Jetstream is the same. So no complaints there. Only question that then comes to mind is what about future? If you amongst those who need to have updates on and off and it itches to have something new, then Flyer for the simple fact that the community is larger and there are already updates available. So you will be getting.your hands on some newer flavors of android for sure. The Jetstream userbase is smaller and.not much development happening so for.now, it is more or less what you buy is what you will be sticking with. But, if you want a device which is going to have better hardware specs, the Jetstream wins hands down.
Seeing as you have a 9.8 tab and are happy with it, would be more sensible to go for the Flyer as you already have a larger tab for the other functions. If however you are looking at something to replace your old tab and give you your notes function, then I would suggest the Jetstream.
I am definitely very happy with my Jetstream and I know my friend with the flyer is also.very happy with his flyer. So I can assure you this that no.matter what others say, once you buy either of the tablets, I know they will work well and will serve your purpose equally well. If portability is an.issue, then flyer better (as in the case of my friend) but if it isn't, I would go for the Jetstream.
Sent from my HTC PG09410 using xda app-developers app
icevapor said:
I also take a lot of other notes, business books, church, etc. I thought the Flyer might be good since its about the 5x8 pad size ( a little smaller) but maybe its too small.
... I really just need something to write with. I don't really want to spend 500 bucks on a Galaxy note 10.1... if I was going to go that far, I could get some sort of slate pc with full windows (probably for $600-700). I can get the Jetstream for 250ish probably...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have two tablets--a JetStream and a Samsung Slate Series 7 (SSS7 - a tablet PC). I use my SSS7 for taking notes at conferences, church, etc.
I have tried a few different note taking ap's on the JetStream that will capture hand written notes using the HTC stylus (i.e., storing the hand written text) -- I have yet to find anything that compares to using OneNote on the SSS7. OneNote is superior to any of the note taking applications on the android, at least the ones that I have tried, which recognize the HTC stylus.
To be fair, I need to give the native note taking ap on the JetStream another chance to see how it does (i.e., I tried it early on but not recently), but when I have used recommended programs such as Quill and PhatPad, they do not compare very well to the SSS7 & OneNote. Quill is not as smooth and PhatPad was just lagey.
I am not sure if the slowness is due to pen technology on the HTC being inferior to that of the SSS7 (Wacom) or if the issue is with Android 3.x OS -- I have heard that Icecream (4.x) would be faster. The tips on the Wacom stylus that can be switched out, to provide either the feel of a pencil or a pen.
Additionally, the built in hand recognition s/w on W7 and W8 is many times better than what I have been able to find on the Android (e.g., WritePad) -- W7 / W8, it can learn on it's own based on your corrections, or you can enter 50 sentences and it learns your hand writing -- I can nearly scribble something on the SSS7, and it gets it correct most of the time. The experience on the JetStream is usually frustrating.

[Q] Good time to get View/Flyer, or wait?

Hi guys, I'm new to the (modern) tablet scene. I tried to get into tablets when I started college back in 2007 with the Fujitsu T4215 and absolutely loved handwriting and the idea of tablets back then, but unfortunately the hardware at the time proved a bit too heavy (literally) and clunky for me (e.g. low battery life, and other hardware issues I had with my laptop). I rediscovered pen and paper for some time and found I work way more effectively writing, however, it can be very hard to organize and now I just have stacks and stacks of paper. I'm just starting graduate school, and it it seems like the hardware (e.g. HTC flyer, Samsung Note) and software (e.g. Lecture Notes, Quill, ezPDF) are starting to converge to a point of being usable and affordable, so I'm thinking of giving tablets another shot.
I'm pretty sure I'm going to replace my dying laptop with a serviceable windows 8 tablet-top (I love onenote) after all the kinks of the 1st generation of windows 8 tablets have been worked out, so I've been hesitant to spring for the samsung note (despite the rave reviews) since they would be filling the same niche. This still gives me a year or so of downtime though, leading me to consider the 7 inch HTC flyer.
My dilemma right now is if you guys think the HTC flyer/view is a good investment right now. It seems like there are rumors for a 7 inch samsung note? And the HTC flyer with windows RT. Although the price for those I'm guessing is going to be $350+ and perhaps out of my student budget. But would the HTC flyer hold its value for a year or so? Should I get used or new? What would be a good price to invest in? Or should I wait for a new device? It's so hard to decide with hardware improving so quickly and everything becoming outdated in a just a few months.
My usage is fairly light. I'm coming from a slow Android 2.3 smartphone and ipod touch 2 (whose smoothness still blows my mind even though it's older than my android phone), so I feel no matter what the flyer is still a big upgrade for me. I'm just looking for a good companion to hold all my pdfs, papers (gonna start scanning all my handwritten notes), while allowing for some handy pen annotation. And if I could connect remotely to my desktop for some matlab and or mathematica I'd be ecstatic.
Thanks guys!
EnPaceRequiescat said:
Hi guys, I'm new to the (modern) tablet scene. I tried to get into tablets when I started college back in 2007 with the Fujitsu T4215 and absolutely loved handwriting and the idea of tablets back then, but unfortunately the hardware at the time proved a bit too heavy (literally) and clunky for me (e.g. low battery life, and other hardware issues I had with my laptop). I rediscovered pen and paper for some time and found I work way more effectively writing, however, it can be very hard to organize and now I just have stacks and stacks of paper. I'm just starting graduate school, and it it seems like the hardware (e.g. HTC flyer, Samsung Note) and software (e.g. Lecture Notes, Quill, ezPDF) are starting to converge to a point of being usable and affordable, so I'm thinking of giving tablets another shot.
I'm pretty sure I'm going to replace my dying laptop with a serviceable windows 8 tablet-top (I love onenote) after all the kinks of the 1st generation of windows 8 tablets have been worked out, so I've been hesitant to spring for the samsung note (despite the rave reviews) since they would be filling the same niche. This still gives me a year or so of downtime though, leading me to consider the 7 inch HTC flyer.
My dilemma right now is if you guys think the HTC flyer/view is a good investment right now. It seems like there are rumors for a 7 inch samsung note? And the HTC flyer with windows RT. Although the price for those I'm guessing is going to be $350+ and perhaps out of my student budget. But would the HTC flyer hold its value for a year or so? Should I get used or new? What would be a good price to invest in? Or should I wait for a new device? It's so hard to decide with hardware improving so quickly and everything becoming outdated in a just a few months.
My usage is fairly light. I'm coming from a slow Android 2.3 smartphone and ipod touch 2 (whose smoothness still blows my mind even though it's older than my android phone), so I feel no matter what the flyer is still a big upgrade for me. I'm just looking for a good companion to hold all my pdfs, papers (gonna start scanning all my handwritten notes), while allowing for some handy pen annotation. And if I could connect remotely to my desktop for some matlab and or mathematica I'd be ecstatic.
Thanks guys!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The Flyer is dead. It's not a bad tablet par se, but cannot compare in price to the Nexus 7. There is very Iittle development going on in the Flyer.
Do yourself a favour and buy a Nexus 7 or 10.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda app-developers app
If you are looking for a current tablet with great writing capabilities I'd recommend the Samsung Note 10.1. If cost is your concern and 10" seems too big I think the flyer with a custom ROM, Like Leedroid HC OR Mawakious, would do you well. I've seen flyers as low as $130 on eBay, the scribe pen is on clearance at sites like buy.com for about $26, although I've seen it as low as $19 on eBay, along with a case, which I've seen some nice ones with a pen holder for $13.
So roughly you could pay as low as, pad in some shipping costs (very rough estimates here), ~$180, maybe less.
Samsung hasn't confirmed a 7" note, yet. I wouldn't base my buying on something that does not yet exist.
I still don't regret getting the flyer.
Sent from my HTC Flyer P510e using Tapatalk 2
gersto said:
If you are looking for a current tablet with great writing capabilities I'd recommend the Samsung Note 10.1. If cost is your concern and 10" seems too big I think the flyer with a custom ROM, Like Leedroid HC OR Mawakious, would do you well. I've seen flyers as low as $130 on eBay, the scribe pen is on clearance at sites like buy.com for about $26, although I've seen it as low as $19 on eBay, along with a case, which I've seen some nice ones with a pen holder for $13.
So roughly you could pay as low as, pad in some shipping costs (very rough estimates here), ~$180, maybe less.
Samsung hasn't confirmed a 7" note, yet. I wouldn't base my buying on something that does not yet exist.
I still don't regret getting the flyer.
Sent from my HTC Flyer P510e using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Samsung has confirmed the 7" note, but not when it will go on sale. I'm sure the price will be $350 + .
If you don;t need a stylus, the Samsung 7.2 tab 2 is a good deal and has current JB ROMs and development for around $149.
I don't regret getting the View a year ago. It is a solid tablet. But I certainly wouldn't recommend buying one now. There are much faster and better supported tablets available today for around the same price. I thought I would use the pen a lot, but I haven't. If I were to get a 7" tablet today, I'd get a Nexus 7, or possibly a Samsung.
If you are on budget, Flyer is a good choice. You can't expect it to have uptodate software or fancy things like window view in galaxy notes but the price/productivity can't be beat. And so far, this is the only mobile size 7inch tablet with stylus in the market. Even if Samsung release a 7 inch note in the future, it will be expensive.
I like my Flyer very much. It is the best personal electronic device that I have ever bought, although sometimes I wish it had SamsungNote software and small stylus. Btw imo, Samsung devices usually do not look good.
Thanks guys for all the comments! From what it seems the hardware definitely is quite out of date, and that the flyer is really only worth it if I make good use of the pen. I guess my media consumption is light (casual youtube, hulu, skype), so hopefully the hardware won't give me issues. For those of you for whom the flyer/view was good for productivity, how do you guys make use of the pen?
@rickwood, what did you originally intend to use the pen for? Was the pen not smooth enough for your intended uses?
Also, how would the flyer/view fare for connecting to a keyboard and remote desktopping/ssh'ing, in case I'm checking on some code on the fly?
Thanks!
EnPaceRequiescat said:
For those of you for whom the flyer/view was good for productivity, how do you guys make use of the pen?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In my case, I usually use the pen when I take notes in class everyday. I'm using the app LectureNotes, PDFView(for pdf import to LectureNotes) and LectureRecodings(for recording with taking notes).
using :
HTC Flyer ICS yetki
HTC Desire MIUI ICS
EnPaceRequiescat said:
Thanks guys for all the comments! From what it seems the hardware definitely is quite out of date, and that the flyer is really only worth it if I make good use of the pen. I guess my media consumption is light (casual youtube, hulu, skype), so hopefully the hardware won't give me issues. For those of you for whom the flyer/view was good for productivity, how do you guys make use of the pen?
@rickwood, what did you originally intend to use the pen for? Was the pen not smooth enough for your intended uses?
Also, how would the flyer/view fare for connecting to a keyboard and remote desktopping/ssh'ing, in case I'm checking on some code on the fly?
Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The hardware is definitely old but i have used it for numerous task, including media and games. Many "HD" games work great (and no i'm not just talking about Angry Birds, heh)
i've used Skype and Youtube and no issues with HC on those fronts. Never used Hulu Plus and Netflix seems to work fine, slight stutter here and there though.
I've used DicePlayer for playing videos loaded on the tablet and works great with the built-in hardware acceleration up to 720p HD movies.
I've tried using remote desktop, had 2X, and my job uses Citrix, they are "useful" but i think the 7" screen hinders that use more than it helps. It's good for a quick check but productivity-wise may be cumbersome to use. Having a bluetooth keyboard & mouse does help, but the screen real estate is more the issue, at least to me.
The tablet is definitely capable.
EnPaceRequiescat said:
@rickwood, what did you originally intend to use the pen for? Was the pen not smooth enough for your intended uses?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I thought I'd use the pen for light note taking. On paper, I write really small. On the View, for some reason I had a hard time doing this - - all my text came out really big. Not sure if this was due to the small size of the pen, the resolution of the tablet, or the fact that I was using a compatible Fujitsu pen rather than a true HTC pen. In any case, I wasn't pleased with how my notes were turning out, so I rarely use the pen anymore.
Hope this helps
Its actually a kinda rule in mobile tech field and allied, to not compare gadgets with age difference more than an year (in fact 6 months)
So kindly don't compare a quite way-back-released Flyer/View with latest Nexus and note 2/3 etc
My advise, HTF flyer is one of the best-all-in-one device you would find around (in fact a very few are there)
I can keep counting on features and its usability and fill up a page or 2, with REAL-LIFE uses with just a 1 Real-Portable-Device in your Jeans/Trouser/Coat Pocket (and not in a another BAG( which is actually pseudo-portable)).
If short of money, GRAB it quick. Believe me the major rate dip and stuff for this Product is already done/over. The current prices will remain till the inventory(which is already low) gets over (except you knock off some bargained deal with a seller). If you are thinking of some stop gap arrangement (with regards to your win8 tablet..better don;t). Wait a few months..win8 pro would be out in jan 2013. Get a
MS surface pro...and if you like like Win 8, SURFACE PRO would be really a great product (Hope you are saving money for it; Price would be 2-3X times the flyer's cost)
Personally i really like MS surface PRO (not RT)
If have money and cant live without flaunting Newest OS (FYI Flyer runs Jellybean too but not with all functions AON) and Gadget to friends and allied, go for other options. Yes there are some better options and the list will keep adding with time (and more money you are ready to spent)
I advise getting a Flyer than Evo View, if you are looking to replace your phone too.(and cant carry multiple devices)
P.S. Just some experience, in case that helps. I am not a "lets-buy-a-new-phone/tablet" guy just bcoz options are there and money is there in my bank account. I always RIP a product when it is missing/making me difficult to handle some new technology/function which i/associated people need or it BREAKS down.
When i bought My HTC KAISER back in 2007 (For 600$(including shipping) importing a Tmobile MDA vario III version to my country as there were none available here) i knew i made a good choice.
That new design and functions served me for some 3 years without me feeling much to shift over EXCEPT some screen real estate shortage(which gets short with each passing year given the fact how bigger handhelds are becoming) & resistive screen
& then i bought the FLYER (after waiting for its Initial 700$ price to come down to 370$) and i knew that price is worth it for a 7 inch Capacitive HTC's Beautiful tablet with Wifi, 3G, GPS, Dual Cameras, 32Gb+Slot Storage and the Hidden GSM phone(the deal breaker for me). It has replaced my phone too HTC KAISER (which still looks at me the same way.... sometimes when i need to lend a phone to someone(with all functions working and just wear n tear damage))
Also see how i substituted a 600$ product with a 370$ product after 3-4 yrs & latter being a more smarter, more useful and lot more productive product
Thats how technology works and changes & also how usage of product/s changes!
Personally, now, I use it as my All-in-one device
- Mainly for Phone,
- Quick Internet browsing (using Wifi at home & 3G Sim outside)
- GPS
- Voice recorder for notes(in professional work) & life voice-logs(when alone)
- a Drawing Pad for my nephew (They say the "magic" Pen is great)
- Full fledged Alarm Clock
- To-Do List Reminder
- my Music Portable (Home, Office and Travel(Airplane; Trains etc)) Esp. over Wireless Stereo BT headset
Including playing my music in Car using Aux/Drive/BT input (esp. when Days of CD/Discs are long gone)
- my Video Portable playing 720p HD videos with proper 16:9 Ratio(Home, Office and Travel(Airplane; Trains etc))
- Gr8 Games when i feeling bored
and Mind you ...if 7 inch real estate is small ...get a HDMI out and you would love the stuff on a big LED or Projector screen.
- Measure Distances & Heights (Smart Rule App)
- Taking Database Backups of my blogs and websites
- Torrents
- Wifi Hot spot for other gadgets
- Occasional Written note taking (kinda to do list only) . Scribe Pen is so handy (Mine came free/included with Flyer)
- Voice controlled Commands (Still researching Voice assistants like Speak to it & utter and they are FASCINATING)
- and the list is endless with what not can be done with loads of USEFUL and PRODUCTIVE apps available esp. after ROOTING the device into a Fully-Controlled (Beautiful-)Beast!
and
LoVVVe it.
(My only gripe (for the money and beautiful device this is).. is why HTC didn't put a flash in and may be they should have added a larger battery. Camera is not good in low light & buttery runs out soon when i use these many functions )
EnPaceRequiescat said:
For those of you for whom the flyer/view was good for productivity, how do you guys make use of the pen?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The most useful feature for me is annotating PDF files. I use Repligo app. Another trick is that you can convert Power point (or whatever) files into PDFs and annotate them. I can't find any good app to annotate Word files. Foxit Viewer comes with the Flyer is useless.
I also use the pen for taking handwriting notes. I use Quill (you can get it for free here: http://code.google.com/p/android-quill/downloads/list), and HandyNote. But I'm reducing this load because it is difficult to search the content of handwriting text (with out handwriting recognition). And it's not easy to copy/paste them to other docs. That's not good for my purpose of tracking/reorganizing the notes later. But there are some app for handwriting recognition such as WritePad. Maybe they are good if one practices enough.
In addition, I guess the pen is very useful for people who enjoy drawing.
About the Flyer's competitors from price/(pen)productivity aspect, I don't see any at this point. Maybe there will be some in a year or two. MS Surface is promising but it will take time till the app support from the developers get to an adequate level with Android. Or maybe Apple will start to adopt real stylus and keep suing all Android OEMs, who knows..
I hope it helps.
freworld said:
Its actually a kinda rule in mobile tech field and allied, to not compare gadgets with age difference more than an year (in fact 6 months)
So kindly don't compare a quite way-back-released Flyer/View with latest Nexus and note 2/3 etc
My advise, HTF flyer is one of the best-all-in-one device you would find around (in fact a very few are there)
I can keep counting on features and its usability and fill up a page or 2, with REAL-LIFE uses with just a 1 Real-Portable-Device in your Jeans/Trouser/Coat Pocket (and not in a another BAG( which is actually pseudo-portable)).
If short of money, GRAB it quick. Believe me the major rate dip and stuff for this Product is already done/over. The current prices will remain till the inventory(which is already low) gets over (except you knock off some bargained deal with a seller). If you are thinking of some stop gap arrangement (with regards to your win8 tablet..better don;t). Wait a few months..win8 pro would be out in jan 2013. Get a
MS surface pro...and if you like like Win 8, SURFACE PRO would be really a great product (Hope you are saving money for it; Price would be 2-3X times the flyer's cost)
Personally i really like MS surface PRO (not RT)
If have money and cant live without flaunting Newest OS (FYI Flyer runs Jellybean too but not with all functions AON) and Gadget to friends and allied, go for other options. Yes there are some better options and the list will keep adding with time (and more money you are ready to spent)
I advise getting a Flyer than Evo View, if you are looking to replace your phone too.(and cant carry multiple devices)
P.S. Just some experience, in case that helps. I am not a "lets-buy-a-new-phone/tablet" guy just bcoz options are there and money is there in my bank account. I always RIP a product when it is missing/making me difficult to handle some new technology/function which i/associated people need or it BREAKS down.
When i bought My HTC KAISER back in 2007 (For 600$(including shipping) importing a Tmobile MDA vario III version to my country as there were none available here) i knew i made a good choice.
That new design and functions served me for some 3 years without me feeling much to shift over EXCEPT some screen real estate shortage(which gets short with each passing year given the fact how bigger handhelds are becoming) & resistive screen
& then i bought the FLYER (after waiting for its Initial 700$ price to come down to 370$) and i knew that price is worth it for a 7 inch Capacitive HTC's Beautiful tablet with Wifi, 3G, GPS, Dual Cameras, 32Gb+Slot Storage and the Hidden GSM phone(the deal breaker for me). It has replaced my phone too HTC KAISER (which still looks at me the same way.... sometimes when i need to lend a phone to someone(with all functions working and just wear n tear damage))
Also see how i substituted a 600$ product with a 370$ product after 3-4 yrs & latter being a more smarter, more useful and lot more productive product
Thats how technology works and changes & also how usage of product/s changes!
Personally, now, I use it as my All-in-one device
- Mainly for Phone,
- Quick Internet browsing (using Wifi at home & 3G Sim outside)
- GPS
- Voice recorder for notes(in professional work) & life voice-logs(when alone)
- a Drawing Pad for my nephew (They say the "magic" Pen is great)
- Full fledged Alarm Clock
- To-Do List Reminder
- my Music Portable (Home, Office and Travel(Airplane; Trains etc)) Esp. over Wireless Stereo BT headset
Including playing my music in Car using Aux/Drive/BT input (esp. when Days of CD/Discs are long gone)
- my Video Portable playing 720p HD videos with proper 16:9 Ratio(Home, Office and Travel(Airplane; Trains etc))
- Gr8 Games when i feeling bored
and Mind you ...if 7 inch real estate is small ...get a HDMI out and you would love the stuff on a big LED or Projector screen.
- Measure Distances & Heights (Smart Rule App)
- Taking Database Backups of my blogs and websites
- Torrents
- Wifi Hot spot for other gadgets
- Occasional Written note taking (kinda to do list only) . Scribe Pen is so handy (Mine came free/included with Flyer)
- Voice controlled Commands (Still researching Voice assistants like Speak to it & utter and they are FASCINATING)
- and the list is endless with what not can be done with loads of USEFUL and PRODUCTIVE apps available esp. after ROOTING the device into a Fully-Controlled (Beautiful-)Beast!
and
LoVVVe it.
(My only gripe (for the money and beautiful device this is).. is why HTC didn't put a flash in and may be they should have added a larger battery. Camera is not good in low light & buttery runs out soon when i use these many functions )
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Couldnt agree more and glad I got my for christmas
Expansys.ie were doing good deals on them, less than 250euro, which is one of the cheapest places I've seen them retail for new
Simple, the flyer is a capable device that was thrown to the side immediately after release. It performs well enough to be functional at most task but does little great. For me it is a better device than a nexus 7 because the nexus is stripped of allot of functionality the flyer has. If you want to be up to date with software do not consider this device. If you are looking for a small screen tablet that is versatile this is probably still the best option although I have not spent much time with the galaxy tab 2.7
A frustrating device for me because I enjoy its abilities but miss the tweaking custom rom aspect of a device that has good after sale development from the OEM
Flyer
mcord11758 said:
Simple, the flyer is a capable device that was thrown to the side immediately after release. It performs well enough to be functional at most task but does little great. For me it is a better device than a nexus 7 because the nexus is stripped of allot of functionality the flyer has. If you want to be up to date with software do not consider this device. If you are looking for a small screen tablet that is versatile this is probably still the best option although I have not spent much time with the galaxy tab 2.7
A frustrating device for me because I enjoy its abilities but miss the tweaking custom rom aspect of a device that has good after sale development from the OEM
Flyer
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ah, thank you guys so much for all the good input! I think I'm gonna try for the flyer -- seems like a good budget way to try things, particularly the pen. I'm hoping that I can start to use it as a scratchpad of sorts, in addition to reading scanned notes (I write large so hopefully the 7" screen is adequate even when my writing gets shrunk). The lack of usb otg (at least, without an external power source) is a slight shame, but hopefully i'll be able to live without via bluetooth and the cloud.
Also, I didnt know that the Flyer could be used as a phone! Is this through 3G VoIP, or does it actually have a cell radio?
Happy new years guys!
Both
EnPaceRequiescat said:
Also, I didnt know that the Flyer could be used as a phone! Is this through 3G VoIP, or does it actually have a cell radio?
Happy new years guys!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Then you indeed missed a major function of this beast. Through 3g Voip as well as Cell radio
Happy new year to u too. Get yourself a gift
P.S. USB OTG issue is also a minor gripe... exact situation is being discussed here ( with possible options including USB -Y cable)
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1082909
I would not recommend spending your money on any tablet or smartphone device that is over 20 months old. The specs are not even last gen, they are 2 generations old.
That said, there isn't much better in the 7" form factor. I love the 7" tablet size. But unfortunately, the manufacturers have relegated this size to the budget/low-spec end of the spectrum. Mostly thanks to the low priced Kindle Fire HD and Nexus 7. And Samsung has joined the "race to the bottom" with its mediocre spec'ed Galaxy Tab2 7.0. The technology of smartphones has left 7" tablets in the dust, its such a shame.
Unless the pen functionality is really important to you (I personally never use it on the Flyer) I'd probably go for the Nexus 7. Yes, its missing some big features. But its simply much better supported by both its manufacturer and the dev community. This forum has become quiet as the grave. So you won't even get much of a community here to chat with or get help if you want to root and S-Off, flash ROMs, etc. Yes, there are still a few devs that soldier on, and other community members still trying to keep this forum alive. But the Flyer's best days are long gone.
I don't regret a bit buying the Flyer when it first came out way back in the summer of 2011. And I still use it every day. But if I didn't already have the Flyer, I wouldn't buy one now. Probably I would get a Nexus 7, wait to see how good the 7" Note is, or wait to see if any higher spec 7" tablets are on the way (doubtful).
I agree with most that has been said. If you want/need the pen and want 7"... get a flyer/evo view. I have a view and use it almost daily for writing. I always had notepads and sticky notes all over the place, now its all within lecturenotes (sweet app).
If you think you'll "maybe" use the pen... get a nexus or other 7".
I use the crap out of the pen and am looking to get another flyer/view for a friend as a gift.
Only if you really need the pen should you consider the GTab 7 2 or HTC Flyer. Having played with both I think the better option now is the Samsung model. But again, only if you really need the pen. If you can live with a capcitive stylus go with a Nexus 7. It will be supported for a long time to come and will always be on the latest OS
/*
AidenM said:
Only if you really need the pen should you consider the GTab 7 2 or HTC Flyer. Having played with both I think the better option now is the Samsung model. But again, only if you really need the pen. If you can live with a capcitive stylus go with a Nexus 7. It will be supported for a long time to come and will always be on the latest OS
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hmm, the galaxy tab2 7? Doesn't that only use the capacitive pen? also, it seems like i can't find that secondhand anywhere, and new costs $200, so I feel I might as well get the nexus7 if I'm foregoing the digitizer.
I'm also the kind of person who had notepads and sticky notes all over the place, and notes involve math that say, swype is not good for (though it is quite fast), which is why the digitizer is a big draw. But from the comments people are giving, and how fast technology is moving, it seems like it's almost better nowadays to just buy new (so... the samsung note7 whenever that comes out), just like how I can't imagine buying secondhand computers these days.

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