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Hi all,
I know the G tab has been out since late last year...
And I know that after I root and rom it, this thing will be amazing.
But am I too late for the party? Is it worth it to buy one now? Or should I just wait at this point to see if something better is coming out... I have not been researching tablets as much as phones lately.
oresteez said:
Hi all,
I know the G tab has been out since late last year...
And I know that after I root and rom it, this thing will be amazing.
But am I too late for the party? Is it worth it to buy one now? Or should I just wait at this point to see if something better is coming out... I have not been researching tablets as much as phones lately.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is a good question. The G-Tab is a sweet tablet for the price point, it will get its best shot at Honeycomb next week, when Notion Ink drops a first party release of Honeycomb for the Adam (which shares a lot of similar elements to our tablet).
That being said, everyone who currently owns a tablet (except for the Transformer and the NEW Galaxy Tab 10.1) is paying the early adopter price. Android isn't 100% there yet, but if you own an Android phone you know this. For me, I absolutely love Gingerbread (2.3.3) on my Droid X, and I loved 2.3.4 on my Droid 1; it's a complete enough OS for me now. Honeycomb 3.1 feels much better than 3.0 as well.
Tegra 3 (Kal-El) is right around the corner, and will probably come in at a $400.00 price point. Qualcomm is shooting for 4-core tablet processors by the end of the year (Q4). Also, we're expecting to see Ice Cream / Ice Cream Sandwich (next Android version, for both tablet and phone) in late Q3.
If you can wait, wait. if not, get a G-Tab. Something like a Xoom is not worth the premium over the G-Tab, even for a nicer screen.
It is an excellent question, but you really have to understand your own tech preferences to know for sure.
The GTAB's main cons right now are the screen angles (most likely unfixable) and the stock software. For the latter, there are many mods you can use, but if you are looking for a HC port it's not quite there yet - we're hoping that will change soon.
Its pros are price. For $125 less than a Transformer, you can get a device that's comparable in speed and might be comparable in software, in the near future. But you are in the hands of the modding community since the vendor seems to have abandoned the device.
There will always be the next best thing, around the corner. So it's a really a question of price and whether or not the device serves your purposes at that price.
I'm confident that this device is more than capable of doing what I want to do.
Mostly web browsing.
Some games.
Perhaps Facebook games.
youtube, flash, netflix if possible.
I'm not going to use it for work, and start editting documents, etc.
I'm going to check out one at Sears possibly today and see if the viewing angles are an issue.
I think the main reason I'm worried about something new coming out, is because of the chance the modding community might move on to the next device. haha
Also a valid point to consider. I can't speak for everyone here, but for myself I plan to pull back after this month. Not so much because the GTAB isn't a good device to mod anymore, but for personal reasons (taking a break from modding tablets, in general - will still have my GTAB but will be less focused on it, that's all).
There was a bit of a lull last month, but there's still activity right now in development as new devs have popped up as some of the older devs/modders have moved on it seems. So, it's hard to say what will happen in a few months, but right now there's still some activity. I think that will continue until the Notion Ink HC port shows up and it's ported over to the GTAB (we hope).
Great info in these posts as i'm in the same situation as the original poster. Currently an ipad user but would like to try an android tablet on the "cheap". Unfortunately, there isn't any retailer nearby carrying the tablet so i cant see how bad the viewing angles are first hand. Is the screen good straight on?
Elroyy said:
Great info in these posts as i'm in the same situation as the original poster. Currently an ipad user but would like to try an android tablet on the "cheap". Unfortunately, there isn't any retailer nearby carrying the tablet so i cant see how bad the viewing angles are first hand. Is the screen good straight on?
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Have you ever used a netbook before? The screen is a typical netbook screen. Straight on and 45 degrees each way looks fine. From up above viewing angle will go to almost 90 degrees without the loss of quality. From below anything beyond 45 degrees and you will lose the colors.
There are also some nice youtube video comparisons between the G-Tablet and iPad. One in particular shows the differences in the viewing angles. You'll know which one I'm talking about becuase the creator uses his daughter's iPad, with her "Hello Kitty" wallpaper on it...
(in my opinion though, how can you see the superiority of a screen that has Hello Kitty on it, lol)
The viewing angles are bad, but, I VERY rarely need to share the screen or find myself in a position where the screen is hard to see. sure, other devices have screens with better angles, but how often do you browse the web or watch a movie at an 80 degree angle from a personal device?
I love this tablet. I bought a leather case from electronic crap dot com and its like carrying around a journal. Easy to carry, I play games on it and I log into my computer at work from it all the time.
I agree, there always something better around the corner, but this tab has a great price point and there are lots of stable and highly usable roms.
Bottom line is you don't get this tablet because its the latest and greatest. You gt it because its way cheaper than other tabs with the same power.
Thanks everyone. I do have a netbook, never really had issues with the screen. I also saw that video with the hello kitty screen saver. Straight on, i'm guessing the screen is pretty decent.
You will be happier spending a bit more on the crop of Honeycomb tablets released this year. The first time you flip your gTab around to show someone something on the screen, only to see that person moving his or her head around with a look of stern concentration on their face, desperately trying to find the right angle to see what the hell you're trying to show them, you'll wish you had forked over their extra $100 or so for a better screen. You may think, "Oh I'll never do that, I'll always just be looking at it straight on with no deviation!" but you'll find out soon enough that's not the case.
That's just one example. There are other solitary situations where the screen won't be at the sweet-spot angle -- for example, my Transformer is sitting on my desk here at work, propped up in its case, but it's behind me and to the right, and still looks great. I often reach back and press the power switch to get a quick look at my email or whatnot. The gTab would require me to move directly in front of it to get a good view.
gTab was a good starter tablet when the only other option was a $700 Xoom. With the cheaper tablets being released, its value has decreased greatly. But if you only have $275 or whatever to spend, and can't afford $125 more, then I guess it's your best option for a 10.1" Android tablet.
Hi my 2 cents...
Having used the G-tab for about 4+ months; my recommendation is to wait (if you can). My biggest gripe is the screen (both resolution and viewing angles).
I use it primarily as a media consumption device...watching videos, games, browsing and reading books (in that order)
videos - if I have an option (pc or tv near by) i chose them as the resolution on G-tab is not good. HD videos are choppy (I have tried a few mods but all more or less same)
Games - this is good no complaints
Browsing - this does not have 3g so without wifi its useless. I tether using my iphone, which is cumbersome but works
Reading books - good; but the screen is useless outside (unless its night or cloudy)
This is a great device to buy cheap and beat the crap out of it...(software wise). I also owned an ipad and adam and they also have their own problems.
My first Android tablet is Gtab because it is cheaper and has good performance compared to other 10" tablet in the market. For 10" size tablet, if you have up to $300 budget, Gtab was a good starter tablet (with Xda support). If you have up to $400 to spend, ASUS transformer is not bad. If you have more than $500, of course, you will have more choices. So it depend on your budget.
Thanks everyone for your replies. I think this would be a good, cheap way to get into Android tablets. I would still have my ipad as a backup.
asdf73 said:
videos - if I have an option (pc or tv near by) i chose them as the resolution on G-tab is not good. HD videos are choppy (I have tried a few mods but all more or less same)
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I'm willing to bet you only tried the ginger based ones. Those don't have hw acceleration, so HD vids are choppy. The froyo ones, especially the ones based off of TnT, are pretty smooth.
My recommendation to the OP is if you're going to get the gtab please please please go to my website and read it. And if you're going to compare it to the ipad, please stick with froyo. It is not the latest and greatest, but it certainly is stable and fast.
I was thinking about TF or GT10.1 but non of HC based tablets supports Netflix as for the moment... Well, paying $125 or more in case of GT10.1 for not been able to watch Netflix in my opinion is just wrong.
No doubt, IPS or better screen is a must for photo-frames.
All in all there are no perfect tablet as of now but hopefully we will get there...
I went to Office Depot today to see the screen.
I didn't think it was as bad as what everyone is saying.
Sure, its not as nice as an iPad screen...but its potentially almost half the price...
I don't mind that tradeoff... I'm looking at buying it used anyway. I figured that's the best way to break into the tablet realm and not have any regret about not waiting..
oresteez said:
I went to Office Depot today to see the screen.
I didn't think it was as bad as what everyone is saying.
Sure, its not as nice as an iPad screen...but its potentially almost half the price...
I don't mind that tradeoff... I'm looking at buying it used anyway. I figured that's the best way to break into the tablet realm and not have any regret about not waiting..
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Click to collapse
Hey, I sent you a private message. PEACE!!
I highly NOT recommend buying the G Tablet. It has nothing to do with the viewing angles.
The reasons why I would tell people to stay away from the tablet are the following:
1) Viewsonic released the damn thing and then basicaly orphaned it immediately. The result is a lack of software libraries needed for development, and the implications are inferior mods with more limited capabilities. As far as I'm aware, there are no Gingerbread roms that truly support HD or fully support graphics hardware acceleration. And getting Honeycomb on the damn thing has been a Promethian effort. All Honeycomb mods are in alpha, and there's hardly any guarantee that any will ever be fully functioning.
2) The bulky design is far from a joy to hold in your hands. It makes it unpleasant to use the touchscreen while holding it, making both gameplay and activities like typing more difficult.
3) Others may disagree with me, but software on the tablet has always acted jerky and has always been slow. It completely lacks the smoothness of other devices, and sometimes it's hard to believe that you're actually using a comparartively (for price vs. power) powerful piece of hardware with dual core processor and not something that feels like it barely has the computational power to run your web browser or word processor (however, it does handle graphics rendering as well as it should).
Maybe I'm overly pessimistic, but I cannot imagine an application for which the G Tablet could be at all recommended. I would highly advise looking elsewhere for an entry level Android device, or wait for the new batch of Honeycomb tablets which will roll into stores very soon.
Hi guys, before now I was a galaxy tab 8.9 user and even though I was disappointed with the performance of honeycomb on that tablet (mainly due to samsungs touchwiz and Nvidia tegra 2 hardware limitations) I still enjoyed the tablet especially since running an alpha build of ICS on it. I decided to sell my tab when the transformer prime was released for obvious reasons. (Its an overall much better tablet) and within my price point.
However I have had cause to hold back because of all the negative press the tab as been getting. I am not really concerned about the gps issues because I never for one day used the gps on my galaxy tab 8.9. I have a galaxy s2 which satisfies my gps needs.
What I am most concerned however is the wifi issues reported by users and also the Is the Is flickering issues some are having since upgrading to ics.
How bad and wide spreed as this problems? do you think the prime is still worth buying or are the wifi and Is the screen flickering issues minor issues which can be fixed via software update?
I would really appreciate recommendations from users before I make my decisions thanks
Dude just go for it, buy it, try it out.
I was concerned too when I ordered, but I lucked out with a good prime. The tablet is awesome and the quick updates from asus are constantly improving the experience.
Worst case you don't like it, just return it and get your money back.
Sent from my Galaxy S2
Its still a fantastic tablet. Im fortunate to be in the UK and have the dock which truly makes it a worthy purchase. If I'm honest I wouldn't have bought it without the keyboard.
I can see the GPS issue is an annoyance but I would never consider using the device as a Navigation aid. The fact that you need wifi for the maps to work I never expected to use it in such a way. Lets face it the iPad doesn't have GPS and the apple fans aren't up in arms that they can't navigate from their device.
With the dock this is the closest thing to a netbook and love the fact that in essence I have an Android based netbook.
My advice don't expect too much, its an excellent tablet and even with its faults I love mine.
You will definitely need to try this for yourself to see if it works the way you use it.
Just order online, then you can return it within 2 weeks, that should be enough for testing.
I had many of the same concerns but I went for it in hopes of getting a good unit and i did. I'm extremely happy with it and it gets more use than any laptop or desktop in my house.
halloumi3 said:
I had many of the same concerns but I went for it in hopes of getting a good unit and i did. I'm extremely happy with it and it gets more use than any laptop or desktop in my house.
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I second that. Only hassle I have is GPS and that is no dealbreaker for me on a WiFi-only device.
Make sure you get either Build 8.33 (Honeycomb) or 9.4.2.27 (Icecream Sandwitch) on your Prime, especially the 8.33 sped most things up with HC.
Kashban said:
I second that. Only hassle I have is GPS and that is no dealbreaker for me on a WiFi-only device.
Make sure you get either Build 8.33 (Honeycomb) or 9.4.2.27 (Icecream Sandwitch) on your Prime, especially the 8.33 sped most things up with HC.
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Click to collapse
How can you find out what Firmware a Prime has prior to buying? Will the Retailers tell you?
Thanks
Since we're having soooo many duplicate threads asking the same thing, might as well just copy my post from similar threads.
*************
I don't have wifi or screen issues. I half-heartedly tried to get GPS going but really have no patience or the inclination to do so! GPS is not what I bought the device for...and I bought the TFP knowing full well of the GPS issues. If I can't see any satellites...oh well. Am I a "dumb" consumer for buying a product that doesn't have all marketed specs working...I don't know...maybe. But spending $500 on the TFP without GPS was well worth it to me. I've bought PCs in the past where I knew the video card was crap....I simply swapped it out for something that met my needs.
If you're worried about encountering the noted issues (not including GPS which sounds like it will never work 100%), buy from somewhere with a good return policy. Try it out for a couple of weeks. That is what I'm doing and so far mine is a keeper. Actually, I bought two from two different stores...the second is still en route. I did this just in case one of them had problems...the second one is probably going back without ever being opened.
Good luck with your decision.
Get it... The problems are very much exaggerated in my opinion. Really who is going to put the tablet on their dashboard and use it for GPS ...
I have it, it's fast, It's stable, it's running ICS, almost no issues, wifi runs great, it's just a beast of a tablet. I suggest it for anyone.
And it's rooted...
Sent from my ASUS Transformer Prime
Beyond slower wake up for the Wi-Fi and some other quirky wi-fi issues (won't work with my Verizon MiFi currently), I've had no issues with it. Still waiting on my keyboard dock, however.
i was a little upset when i first got it.. the wifi signal was pretty week when i used it in my bedroom (furthest point from my router, up stairs and on the other end of the house) infact it was loosing connection. However after some updates it does seem better. i no longer get a dropped connections get about 1 bar of signal. it works really well everywhere else in my place plus i can tether my thunderbolt to it if need be. i was at first going to return but i am leaning more towards keeping it now.
i hope they release another update that focuses mainly on wifi strength.. is that even a possibility? still testing but overall id say im pretty pleased.
bigbrovar said:
Hi guys, before now I was a galaxy tab 8.9 user and even though I was disappointed with the performance of honeycomb on that tablet (mainly due to samsungs touchwiz and Nvidia tegra 2 hardware limitations) I still enjoyed the tablet especially since running an alpha build of ICS on it. I decided to sell my tab when the transformer prime was released for obvious reasons. (Its an overall much better tablet) and within my price point.
However I have had cause to hold back because of all the negative press the tab as been getting. I am not really concerned about the gps issues because I never for one day used the gps on my galaxy tab 8.9. I have a galaxy s2 which satisfies my gps needs.
What I am most concerned however is the wifi issues reported by users and also the Is the Is flickering issues some are having since upgrading to ics.
How bad and wide spreed as this problems? do you think the prime is still worth buying or are the wifi and Is the screen flickering issues minor issues which can be fixed via software update?
I would really appreciate recommendations from users before I make my decisions thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Seems to depend on what you want from your tablet. If you want navigation device that will help navigate a cruise missile to its target, then maybe you should got with a Galaxy Tab LTE.
Now, if you want a slick/fast tablet running Google's latest and greatest OS, there is no comparison. This thing is hands down the best Android tablet on the market.
I just got mine in the mail yesterday and I'm really liking it. I think at this point you're less likely to get a dud.
only if you MUST have android
Guess, I will be the one contrary opinion.
The hardware is very nice. It is even sleeker than the iPad which is really saying something.
The Android fragmentation is still a major issue which unfortunately means, if you honestly look at the user experience, no android tablet is worth buying unless you are a hardcore Apple hating tech geek, or unless you must have a 7 inch tablet.
I have tried 5 different Android tablets the last month and am really surprised what a disastrous mess the Android ecosystem is. You would think that any tablet with the same processor and version of android could run the same software straight off the market. NOPE. I mean seriously, WTF?
Google needs to clamp down in some way to end this stupidity. I have a bunch of recent action titles that run on an Acer Inconia A500 but wont run on other Tegra 2 tablets under the same version of Android, and forget the prime.
While much is made off how the prime is the best Android gaming yet, Google for graphics benchmarks of the iPad 2 vs the prime. The iPad 2 is more than twice as fast in most graphics benchmarks. Not only is there a vastly larger selection of games, they all work. When a new OS update is released everyone gets it, no waiting and wondering if you will ever get it.
Anyone in the High Park area of Toronto want my prime before I return it to Staples?
I will be keeping my lowly 8GB Acer Iconia A100 because I love the compact 7 inch size and comfortable to hold round edges. The sharp edges of the iPad 2 makes it uncomfortable to hold for long, and this is one thing the prime should not have copied from the iPad, the prime is even worse.
I changed the build.prop file on my A100 to make it think it is an A500. It is compatible with far more hardcore action games than my prime. How is that for irony?
Yes guys size does matter. My iPad 2 is a vastly superior tablet in every way, but I use my lowly Iconia A100 cause it is the most comfortable to hold. I am still kicking myself for returning the 16GB playbook I bought for just $200.
Unless Google muscles in to clean up the fragmentation mess, if Apple pulls a mea culpa and actually releases a 7 inch iPad, Android will continue to be the poor cousin of iOS that people only buy because it is cheaper or because they are fanatic extremeists who want to strap on an explosive laden jacket and run into an Apple store shouting "Android Akbar!!!!"
No don't get it. If you are going to ask rather than get and try it, then the answer is no. If you try it then ask, the answer is keep it. When you are buying a car or a house please come on here and ask us for our opinion again
Sent from my Transformer Prime TF201
dpkform said:
Yes guys size does matter. My iPad 2 is a vastly superior tablet in every way, but I use my lowly Iconia A100 cause it is the most comfortable to hold. I am still kicking myself for returning the 16GB playbook I bought for just $200.
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Click to collapse
lol
expect for the fact that it's heavier, thicker, has a smaller screen, no expandable storage, no HDMI out, little customization, and so on so on.
Also $120 more expensive to boot.
wifesabitch said:
lol
expect for the fact that it's heavier, thicker, has a smaller screen, no expandable storage, no HDMI out, little customization, and so on so on.
Also $120 more expensive to boot.
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Click to collapse
yes, I meant to say ALMOST every way but hey ever try editting on a tablet - too painful... LOL
I will give the prime this one HUGE compliment. It is the first tablet that seems to equal the elegant design and build quality of the iPad. In fact I think the prime is better looking. I have never seen a PC laptop that was even close to a MacBook pro or the latest MacBook air in terms of quality, and I have owned HP Envy, Alienware, and other expensive laptops. Higher price to performance sure, but never close to the same build quality and display quality. At least with tablets non-Apple manufacturers are FINALLY waking up to high quality IPS displays. That's a great thing.
And I definitely prefer the 16:10 ratio screen of the prime to the iPad's 4:3 especially for video. Won't hold the reported wifi issue against it, as my prime has no wifi nor GPS issues, then again neither did my iPad 1, which had the same wifi complaints from many people as the prime seems to.
The iPad does do 1080p HDMI out - with Apple's overpriced $45 HDMI adapter, and more fun the iPad 2 and iPhone 4S do wireless video mirroring to a $100 Apple TV though only 720p.
As to customization, you would think the alleged "open" Android system is more so but no. Especially since the iPad 2 is now jailbroken. There are far far far more options out there for a customizing a jailbroken iPad, and if you consider the amount of software, and especially accessories, even a non-rooted iPad has far more options for customization. But even that I don't hold against the prime cause really no one needs that amount of customization. The problem with the prime and Android tablets in general keeps coming back to the atrocious inexcusable app incompatibility even among essentially identical hardware. Seriously. WTF?
All that said, the reality is both are the highest quality tablets on the market, but no matter how great the prime is, the problem is the Android tablet ecosystem is currently an epic fail. Google played too loosely with Android, yet ironically allowed locked boot loaders - you know - you have to "jailbreak" Android devices too.
I really hope Google grows a pair, and starts laying down some law on the Android devices and ecosystems. First thing they need to do is disallow any custom UI on top of Android. Aftermarket sure - pre installed no. And lay down a set of hardware requirements, such that a base Android OS works on every type of hardware, just like Windows can be installed on a lot of different hardware.
Consumers I think will tolerate a lot of screwing around with limited cell phones because carriers have been screwing consumers and proprietary hardware since the beginning of time. That I think is why Android phones are now doing very well against the iPhone. But tablets as a replacement for PC - I think there will be much less tolerance for the mess that is currently the Android ecosystem. Even on PC's for the most part - things just work. On Android - it's a mess.
dpkform said:
yes, I meant to say ALMOST every way but hey ever try editting on a tablet - too painful... LOL
I will give the prime this one HUGE compliment. It is the first tablet that seems to equal the elegant design and build quality of the iPad. In fact I think the prime is better looking. I have never seen a PC laptop that was even close to a MacBook pro or the latest MacBook air in terms of quality, and I have owned HP Envy, Alienware, and other expensive laptops. Higher price to performance sure, but never close to the same build quality and display quality. At least with tablets non-Apple manufacturers are FINALLY waking up to high quality IPS displays. That's a great thing.
And I definitely prefer the 16:10 ratio screen of the prime to the iPad's 4:3 especially for video. Won't hold the reported wifi issue against it, as my prime has no wifi nor GPS issues, then again neither did my iPad 1, which had the same wifi complaints from many people as the prime seems to.
The iPad does do 1080p HDMI out - with Apple's overpriced $45 HDMI adapter, and more fun the iPad 2 and iPhone 4S do wireless video mirroring to a $100 Apple TV though only 720p.
As to customization, you would think the alleged "open" Android system is more so but no. Especially since the iPad 2 is now jailbroken. There are far far far more options out there for a customizing a jailbroken iPad, and if you consider the amount of software, and especially accessories, even a non-rooted iPad has far more options for customization. But even that I don't hold against the prime cause really no one needs that amount of customization. The problem with the prime and Android tablets in general keeps coming back to the atrocious inexcusable app incompatibility even among essentially identical hardware. Seriously. WTF?
All that said, the reality is both are the highest quality tablets on the market, but no matter how great the prime is, the problem is the Android tablet ecosystem is currently an epic fail. Google played too loosely with Android, yet ironically allowed locked boot loaders - you know - you have to "jailbreak" Android devices too.
I really hope Google grows a pair, and starts laying down some law on the Android devices and ecosystems. First thing they need to do is disallow any custom UI on top of Android. Aftermarket sure - pre installed no. And lay down a set of hardware requirements, such that a base Android OS works on every type of hardware, just like Windows can be installed on a lot of different hardware.
Consumers I think will tolerate a lot of screwing around with limited cell phones because carriers have been screwing consumers and proprietary hardware since the beginning of time. That I think is why Android phones are now doing very well against the iPhone. But tablets as a replacement for PC - I think there will be much less tolerance for the mess that is currently the Android ecosystem. Even on PC's for the most part - things just work. On Android - it's a mess.
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Click to collapse
Sorry, but I call b.s. on Ipad customizations. AS I have one jailbroken and modded to the extreme. You have to jailbrake Ipad to only be able to do half the things android does right out the box. THE IPAD ZCUSTOMIZATIONS FROM CYDIA N SUCH are crap. All stuff still looks basically the same. You can change wallpapers, some icons...system sounds, lockscreen n that's about it. THE MOST EXTREME Ipad mod was getting a sort of launcher called Honeypad. Its more of a hybrid android OS of honeycomb. I can launch it and you would think my Ipad was an android tablet. REALLY MADE Ipad feel like a new device. I could apply Widgets n stuff. But with ipad1 or 2 having limited Ram, you run out quick. That's when I knew I wanted an android tablet. Yes apple has superior games, which I have all the best ones like Infinity Blade2, etc... Android allows wauly more freedom out the box n you can do more. USB adapter support on either Ipad is a joke. Apple nerfed it.
WHEN IPAD1 first came out, you use to be able to hook thumb drives, external keyboards, mouse, even external harddrive. VERY shortly after apple released people were doing this and didn't like it. APPLE ONLY WANT YOU using thEIR ACCESORIES. SO on an update apple reduced the voltage output to USB adapter therefore making it useless except for only apple accessories basically. This caused a huge uproar on ipadforums.
Ipad1, as much as I love mines, has nothing on the prime. NEITHER does ipad2. PRIME is way better than both. People believe in that Ipad vs. Prime gpu benchmark b.s. too much..lmfao point blank prime is way more powerful. It was even said although ipad2 might score higher on gpu benchmark, prime/tegra3 in real life will perform and look better. AS its fact that tegra3 CPU is a hell of alot more powerful than ipad2 CPU.
Op get the Prime. If you want old outdated devices, get an ipad2 or any other Android device. There won't be anything coming out to be more powerful till around may-june at the earliest. As of right now, Prime is the most powerful tablet in the world!
I have been up in the air myself with all these negative reports. I plan on picking one up this week locally and reporting of any issues.
From an outside view on these forums and others. It looks really bad for the prime having so many issues. I am willing to take the risk and spend the money in hope for getting a great unit. Anything less than amazing, i will return it and venture elsewhere. Apple makes great products. Just not for me.
Aside from the Wifi, I don't care much about GPS myself, this thing is ridiculous awesome. It has serious power decodes 1080p mkvs no problem, with ICS the stock video player does it even I love the tablet, the design is great, the performance is killer... The Wifi issues do suck though, I can;t wait till this actually gets resolved
Will Sony respond to the Ipad 3, or leave the tablet market altogether? Interesting times...
Guitardave said:
Will Sony respond to the Ipad 3, or leave the tablet market altogether? Interesting times...
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Did you read something to make you think Sony would leave the android tablet market?
Sent from my Sony Tablet S using Tapatalk
They will probably do a new tablet either late summer or before Xmas. I just hope they stick with Android and don't do anything stupid like use their own OS or even worse Windows 8.
non-concerned
I don't see this as a big concern.
The new IPad HD is simply an updating, and not a huge change. It is getting a better processor and HD screen. Stuff the IPad 2 should have had in the first place.
While I absolutely love my Sony "S" it has a few quirks I would like straightened out. It will be interesting to see what the next generation looks like and hopefully it will be more successful.
I was just wondering if the tablet s was Sony dipping their toes in the market, and if they consider it to be worthwhile continuing to develop a successor, or if they didn't sell that many and so will give tablets up as a bad job. I have no idea either way. As far as I can see, the problem Android tablets have is that there are so many different ones by different manufacturers, whereas the Ipad is made by only one company and seems to be the better integrated product overall. I don't know of any Android tablets with comparable specs that the new Ipad has?... And it seems that some developers have given up on Android altogether - Sky, for example have said that they aren't developing Sky Go for Android tablets, and the same with their Sky Sports Ipad App. If this is how major companies are thinking, then it's going to be tough to convince companies like Sony to carry on with trying to make a rival tablet.
Guitardave said:
I was just wondering if the tablet s was Sony dipping their toes in the market, and if they consider it to be worthwhile continuing to develop a successor, or if they didn't sell that many and so will give tablets up as a bad job. I have no idea either way. As far as I can see, the problem Android tablets have is that there are so many different ones by different manufacturers, whereas the Ipad is made by only one company and seems to be the better integrated product overall. I don't know of any Android tablets with comparable specs that the new Ipad has?... And it seems that some developers have given up on Android altogether - Sky, for example have said that they aren't developing Sky Go for Android tablets, and the same with their Sky Sports Ipad App. If this is how major companies are thinking, then it's going to be tough to convince companies like Sony to carry on with trying to make a rival tablet.
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Well that's the problem with all android products. Way too much choice, occasionally makes me wish I had an iPhone so I knew my phone wouldn't turn old in a month lol. But back to the main point I can't say whether Sony will or will not make a new tablet this year, however what with them releasing (IMO) some really nice phones it seems like they are trying to reassert themselves in the market, so its very possible they will. Better question is what will they upgrade/change ignoring processor and screen resolution
Sent from my Sony Tablet S using XDA Premium HD app
I think they're going to have to look closely at the form of the thing - I really like the way that the Tablet S looks and feels with it's wedge shape, but it was like they designed it and then struggled to think of how to design a case for it. Whereas the Ipad has the clip on cases where you open it and the thing turns itself on. The whole thing is integrated better somehow. It's little details like this that Sony has to get right if it's going to compete. And it may have to swallow it's pride and lower the price too. I'm sure the mindset of a lot of people will be "Why pay £399 for this Sony when I can have a proper Ipad for the same money?".
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2401278,00.asp
This article should provide some answers.
Looking forward to seeing what Sony has up their sleeves in the future.
Sounds positive.
But they do need to get companies like Sky on board, or what's the point? A tablet really is only as good as the apps that are available for it.
I just hope this is not some kind of VHS/Betamax (or blu-ray/hd-dvd to be more modern...) face-off where there will only be one winner. Because if that's the way it goes, then it will be Apple.
Im sure by the fact that they say they hit their sales expectations they understand just where they are in terms tablets. Really though just gonna have to give it time android is still evolving. And I kinda disagree that a tablet is only as good as the apps you can get. But I mostly use mine to read news, watch YouTube and listen to music so I can't say I know what every user does.
Sent from my SGH-I997 using XDA
Hi everyone,
I in the market looking for a tablet. I'm new in this business of the tablet world but been searching a lot for the best experience. I'm a heavy computer user (personal and professionally) and past experiences thought me that if you want something good you got to pay!
Not a fan of iPad because of several limitations like iTunes sync, no USB, no expansability like microSD. I think it makes it putting files in or out very tiring...
With that in mind, I really enjoyed the Transformer series idea, and prime (in comparison with tf101) really looks and have the horsepower of an high-end product.
But I'm really worried about giving 600€ (or pounds or dollars) for a product with poor wi-fi performance, GPS I don't care much, but wifi is the main connectivity tech nowadays. Is it really a deal breaker? Are there different series (like groups of SN's) in stores, some worse than others?
But mainly, are these "problems" gonna be solved by the next products like the tf700 (Infinity) or the tf300? And are they worth the wait to see?
thnks
The upcoming Transformers are supposed to fix all these issues so I'd recommend waiting for the 700T if you're patient enough.
Sent from my iPhone 4S using Tapatalk
Pizza4Breakfast said:
The upcoming Transformers are supposed to fix all these issues so I'd recommend waiting for the 700T if you're patient enough.
Sent from my iPhone 4S using Tapatalk
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^ This or wait for the supposed killer Samsung flagship tab (Galaxy Tab 11.6), with its Dual Core Cortex A15's and a gorgeous 2650x1600 Display it will match if not out shine the new iPad's but then again its pure speculation.
transformer prime is worth getting now. only small numbers suffered from weak wifi. my wifi works great and had my device since 12/22. only took me 1 purchase to get a good unit
there will ALWAYS be something better coming out in the upcoming months. The prime was a huge leap (IMO) from all the other tablets out there, so I got it. For what I use it for it's ran everything with no issues at all, 1080p Movies, Interwebs, Apps, Games, ect. The only thing i've seen it have any issues with is Go Launcher, but thats really not a big deal. ...
I would recommend anyone get this, unless they just want to wait a few months and get the next latest and greatest, but like I said there will always be something better coming out.
If you are going to wait for the next tablet to be released you are never going to get one hehe. There is a new "killer tablet " being released every month or 2.
Just get the one that best fits your needs now.
My Transformer P. Works wonders, is indeed fast... got today 50mbit down 20 up at college.
GPS is not the best one i have used, but i do get locks and it does works.
I know that there will be always something better coming out, I just read in here so many people returning their devices that I got the feeling that I'm buying a malfunctioning device.
I also haven't decided on wanting a tablet with or without 3G (since I already have Internet on my phone samsung nexus S, in which I can tether or something). But thats another discussion...
I'm happy with mine, which I bought last month. I haven't had any problems at all with wifi. I don't need GPS, so I haven't even bothered to test it.
I was a little bummed to find out afterwards that a new model with a higher-res screen was coming out later, the T700, but since I've been able to get so much more done with this device than the iPad, stuff like actually writing papers on the go, I actually don't mind. If you want something primarily as an ebook reader, you might want to hold out for the devices with a better screen or just buy the new iPad.
I would wait til the next best thing unless u need a tablet now then tp in my option the best tablet on the market now
I don't know about the waiting because, I don't need it now as I will probably never REALLY need it.
It would be fun and handy to have and use as a on-the-go bases or weekend trips or play some video in the tv. I actually think It can replace partially my laptop, especially with the myCloud desktop thing.
well it sounds like you about to purchase a transformer prime then seems to fit all your needs. for the record its not a malfunctioning unit. very small number of users here returned it for good.
remember, nothing is as good as it seems and nothing is as bad as it seems. Somewhere in between Reality falls. So in saying that, stop waiting and go get you this great device you gonna love it and be like you don't even know why you worried so much about it. I do commend you doing your research on the product first. I'm sure you'll make the best decision that fits your needs. plus if you have phone with tethering, don't waste extra money on a 3g unit. it costs alot more for device itself plus you have to add a data plan. tethering is more then good enough. my tethering is fast and good enough to play games online with no issues or slowdowns.
http://online.wsj.com/article_email...12043639469540-lMyQjAxMTAyMDIwOTEyNDkyWj.html
good find. I can only see this as being positive for Android. plus Google store will likely be stocked up. some tablets won't be hard to find anymore. I'm sure Google would keep their online supplies stocked up. then this will also tie into Google wallet accounts. purchases made easy on Google online store through Google wallet.
Assuming this comes true, it confirms the obvious, that the laissez faire vendor adoption method has failed. Google needed to be more hands-on. Hopefully it'll be the first step in a process, as by itself, it isn't enough to win market share.
Much as I would like to get a decent $199 tab, selling widgets at a loss (or break-even) is not a winning strategy. Goog will have to cook up some magic jelly beans, then grow a beanstalk and climb out of the low-rent district. Apple the Jolly Giant is waiting at the top.
Exciting times!
dec. esryse
Ya im not disappointed by this
e.mote said:
Much as I would like to get a decent $199 tab, selling widgets at a loss (or break-even) is not a winning strategy. Goog will have to cook up some magic jelly beans, then grow a beanstalk and climb out of the low-rent district. Apple the Jolly Giant is waiting at the top.
Exciting times!
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How can you say it's not a winning strategy? Razor blade manufacturers have been doing it for years--sell the razor at a loss, make it back big-time with the razors. Amazon is doing it with the Kindle, and I think Google could benefit significantly from doing it as well. They want to sell ads on mobile devices, and I'm sure they recognize that Apple would like to take this business away from them on iOS devices. And that's not to mention selling content via Google Play.
I think a subsidized tablet could help kick-start the Android tablet market in general. At the very least, it could convince developers that they should be investing in tablet-optimized apps, which is the one thing that's missing from the equation.
While this is good news and all, Google REALLY need to start trying to get developers into making good Android Tablet apps, we are getting close to an even keel on phone apps, but Android Tablet apps lag so far behind iPad it isnt even funny!
e.mote said:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702303404704577312043639469540.html
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Google bought Motorola Mobility and would NEVER rely or use Asus to throw it's own name on their tablets. Google knows Asus tablets aren't up to par with quality and could never compete with Apple on quality. I'll buy a Google branded Moto tablet instantly cause it will be of high quality and defect free. I've used 3 ipad3's already and not one had ANY light bleed at all. Strangely every Asus tablet I've touched or used had some kind of light bleed. People do see the inferior products being used.
http://www.engadget.com/2012/03/29/nvidia-ceo-suggests-199-tegra-3-tablets-in-the-summer/
He's been saying that since last year... however, I also find it to be annoying.
Anyways, if Tegra 3 devices do hit $199 price, I can only imagine how crippled other aspects in the system specifications will look like.
Btw, this notion that if more "android tablets" are in the wild.. you will see more 3rd parties developing dedicated tablet apps due to the increased potential in profit/revenue.
However, if you look into smartphone market, it's not exactly true. You certainly see growth compared to when Android Market started, but if you compared to iOS app store... it's nothing to boast about considering that Android Smartphone (as a whole) leads the share in smartphone market over iPhone.
Simply put, Android users do not spend money on apps as much as iOS users. Until this TREND changes... you won't see 3rd parties developing unique tablets apps for Android. Btw, Google's approach with unified "app" between tablet & smartphone doesn't help either.
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/android-vs-iphone-economics-apps-160608285.html
>How can you say it's not a winning strategy? Razor blade manufacturers have been doing it for years...Amazon is doing it with the Kindle, and I think Google could benefit significantly from doing it as well. They want to sell ads on mobile devices
It's not a winning strategy because the razor-blade model is not yet proven on tablets. I haven't seen Amazon break out the champagne for the loads of profit from selling things through the Fire. Amazon is in a much better position to monetize from its tablet because a) it has more stuff to sell, not just ads, and b) the Fire is intentionally limited to get all its contents exclusively from Amazon. A Goog tablet won't have the same luxury, not if it were to be "open" as prior Nexus devices.
Fundamentally, it's not a winning strategy because you can't base a platform around the idea of pushing ads/wares into the user's face. Amazon is selling a portable kiosk. Google is trying to sell an entire mobile platform, and the platform has to succeed on its own merit, ie have an intrinsic worth. The rumored $199 tablet can only be a barebone, stripped down unit. It cannot compete with the incumbent iPad, nor with the more functional Win8 tablets when those appear.
I'd agree that it's a necessary stop-gap action. Goog needs to get enough devices out there so devs would develop for it. It's the same as what RIM is doing with Playbook. A $199 tab is also needed not to compete with Amazon, but prevent it from hijacking the Android platform.
The only winning strategy has to be based on the user experience, which in turn depends on the OS. Simply put, HC wasn't good enough. Based on what I've seen here of the Prime's update travails, ICS is still a beta. Fully 5 months after launch, the main improvements in 4.0.4 changelog still have the words "faster" and "more stable" and "fixes" in them. Fine for enthusiasts, not so fine for Joe Blow.
You can make it good, or you can make it cheap. Android failed on the first, so it needed to resort to the second. But the long-term solution is still to make it good.
The more tablets they spew out, the more work it takes for devs to port/update apps for that specific tablet. When the TFP came out a bunch of games didn't work (Dead Space, Gameloft, etc) and they had to take time to port it. How big of the market share do you think the TFP represents 1%? Then tmw some ABCD tablet is gonna come out and they will have to port for that again. I read somewhere that interest for Android tab delopment is actually declining unlike the smartphone market. They better get their stuff together before W8 hits.
^^^
Same thing goes for accessories...
Modded by MBOK
What Google could hopefully do is to subsidize them a bit. While we pay our 400-700€ for a tablet most of the "normal" consumer won't and most people I also won't recommend such an expensive device for the few things they would do with it.
Tablet market in general is still very small and even Apple has just a little tiny piece of it. To get it attractive for the "normal" users they have to be around 200€/$ max and Google hopefully can do that.
MysteriousDiary said:
What Google could hopefully do is to subsidize them a bit. While we pay our 400-700€ for a tablet most of the "normal" consumer won't and most people I also won't recommend such an expensive device for the few things they would do with it.
Tablet market in general is still very small and even Apple has just a little tiny piece of it. To get it attractive for the "normal" users they have to be around 200€/$ max and Google hopefully can do that.
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I dont think pricing them cheaper is gonna do a whole lot anymore. You have the iPad 2 setting the upper bar at 400 and the iPad 3 setting the absolute highest at 500 then you have the Fire setting the low bar at 200. All other tablets are stuck in the 300 area or is forced to compete with the iPad head on. And you bet 99% of consumers are gonna ask why they would want to pay more for an Android tab when they can get an iPad for cheaper.
The problem is that they need more devs on Android. How many times do we have to wait for iOS apps to hopefully be ported over. When does it ever happen the other way around?
Well there are great Android Apps who are not available for iOS. I'm always wondering why people look at iOS apps and want the exact same instead of looking what Android has to get the same job done. It's about getting the things done people want to do on their tablet - doesn't matter if the app is called a or b. Especially since ICS more and more Apps also have a native Tablet UI - thanks to the fragments. On the other side iOS still is like a stretched phone OS with it's 4x4(5) grid - even on a big tablet.
The new iPad doesn't sell well too. The sells of it are much worser than Apple seems to have expected and the workers in Foxconn got already "just" 4 day weeks and holiday because of the reduced iPad production. They also switched some production lines to other products because of the less demand in new iPads. Even the chinese sellers in blackmarket are sitting on their new iPads and can barely sell them.
http://www.wantchinatimes.com/news-subclass-cnt.aspx?cid=1102&MainCatID&id=20120328000090
And while maybe about 50% of people have a SmartPhone it's maybe less than 10% or 5% for tablets. We're still far away from a bit tablet boom. For most usecases the current ones were just too expensive - those are tablets for us...the geeks. Kindle Fire is just available in the US and not all want a tablet where you barely can see and feel the Android underneath it.
I still believe in a big success of a good 199$ Tablet from Google/ASUS. It's also the perfect price range for birthday gifts.
>http://www.wantchinatimes.com/news-subclass-cnt.aspx?cid=1102&MainCatID&id=20120328000090
Good anecdotal piece. It's a bit too soon to determine iPad sales, but there are caution flags out (also anecdote-based).
http://blogs.barrons.com/techtrader...s-avoid-shares-till-fyq2-ipad-sales-play-out/
>I still believe in a big success of a good 199$ Tablet from Google/ASUS.
Assuming a bit better specs than Fire, it should be a best-seller. By itself, it may well jump-start Android tab adoption/development, especially as iPad & Win8 won't be in this price range. Then again, Apple may well release the rumored $300 miniPad in 2H to put a choke hold on Android.
In that same vein, Acer & Co, masters of the cheap netbooks, may want to repeat their fortune with cheap Win8 tabs. The sticking point here is Win8's 1366x768 min res, which would preclude Win8 from cheap 7" units.
Going down the line, I can't imagine Amazon will sit still for Google to eat its lunch. We may well see a $149 Fire yet.
How low can they go?
MysteriousDiary said:
Well there are great Android Apps who are not available for iOS. I'm always wondering why people look at iOS apps and want the exact same instead of looking what Android has to get the same job done. It's about getting the things done people want to do on their tablet - doesn't matter if the app is called a or b. Especially since ICS more and more Apps also have a native Tablet UI - thanks to the fragments. On the other side iOS still is like a stretched phone OS with it's 4x4(5) grid - even on a big tablet.
The new iPad doesn't sell well too. The sells of it are much worser than Apple seems to have expected and the workers in Foxconn got already "just" 4 day weeks and holiday because of the reduced iPad production. They also switched some production lines to other products because of the less demand in new iPads. Even the chinese sellers in blackmarket are sitting on their new iPads and can barely sell them.
http://www.wantchinatimes.com/news-subclass-cnt.aspx?cid=1102&MainCatID&id=20120328000090
And while maybe about 50% of people have a SmartPhone it's maybe less than 10% or 5% for tablets. We're still far away from a bit tablet boom. For most usecases the current ones were just too expensive - those are tablets for us...the geeks. Kindle Fire is just available in the US and not all want a tablet where you barely can see and feel the Android underneath it.
I still believe in a big success of a good 199$ Tablet from Google/ASUS. It's also the perfect price range for birthday gifts.
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Click to collapse
Thanks for the shocking revelation, to me, on current Ipad sales. I love it..lol. seems like all the current issues with it and not really being an upgrade from ipad2 is hurting sales dramatically. Steve is rolling over in his grave over this latest Ipad. I hope this is the beginning of the downfall of apple. All that national
ITS LIKE THEY SAY, WHAT GOES UP, MUST COME DOWN. Apple has no where else to go but down. Seems like people realizing there are more choices in tablets other than Ipad.
MysteriousDiary said:
The new iPad doesn't sell well too. The sells of it are much worser than Apple seems to have expected and the workers in Foxconn got already "just" 4 day weeks and holiday because of the reduced iPad production. They also switched some production lines to other products because of the less demand in new iPads. Even the chinese sellers in blackmarket are sitting on their new iPads and can barely sell them.
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If the iPad 3 isn't selling well then Android is selling at all. Because Apple sold 25% of the tablets Android ever sold in just 3 days. The lower workload and blackmarket sellers not being able to resell iPads could just be because Apple was better prepared compared to their iPad 2 launch (ie having preorders for the 3). Apple learned unlike ASUS did going from OG TF to the TFP.
You know news sites love to make controversies and because people will read anything related to Apple. Take the heat problem for example, there was all the controversy but then they found out that its not even that much hotter to other tablets.
xGary said:
If the iPad 3 isn't selling well then Android is selling at all. Because Apple sold 25% of the tablets Android ever sold in just 3 days. The lower workload and blackmarket sellers not being able to resell iPads could just be because Apple was better prepared compared to their iPad 2 launch (ie having preorders for the 3). Apple learned unlike ASUS did going from OG TF to the TFP.
You know news sites love to make controversies and because people will read anything related to Apple. Take the heat problem for example, there was all the controversy but then they found out that its not even that much hotter to other tablets.
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so the tens of thousands of ipads throwing up Shutting down due to overheating is controversy? especially since its well documented on apple forums and ipadforums.net, which is the largest Ipad forums. it wasn't controversies, that's a real issue with the new Ipad which got national television coverage on it in less than a week of its launch. that's one of the main reasons Ipad sales have halted. along with ipad2 users seeing no real benefits into upgrading. everyone totes it not as a real upgrade. more comparable to b.s. iPhone in-between builds. next Ipad to release will be the true upgrade to ipad2. current latest release is more like the ipad2S.
demandarin said:
so the tens of thousands of ipads throwing up Shutting down due to overheating is controversy? especially since its well documented on apple forums and ipadforums.net, which is the largest Ipad forums. it wasn't controversies, that's a real issue with the new Ipad which got national television coverage on it in less than a week of its launch. that's one of the main reasons Ipad sales have halted. along with ipad2 users seeing no real benefits into upgrading. everyone totes it not as a real upgrade. more comparable to b.s. iPhone in-between builds. next Ipad to release will be the true upgrade to ipad2. current latest release is more like the ipad2S.
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I did not see where tens of thousands of iPads shutting down due to overheating happen. Look on the iPad 3 section on the iPadForums right now. How many threads do you see with people complaining about heat? I looked through 4 pages and the only thread I saw about heat was someone asking if there was indeed a heat problem and people replying that it does get a little warmer but nothing crazy. It is an electronic, it gets warm. My TFP got hot when I played an hour of Dungeon Defender. Does the iPad get hotter? Probably. Do I notice it? No.
And Apple is set to release once a year. It is their schedule that they will stick to. People can't expect Apple to make a major breakthrough like the iPhone and iPad every year. They will make huge breakthroughs but just not every year. A lot of Android devices get crappy upgrades between versions and no one cries about it. Maybe for once there could be a huge breakthrough from Android and Apple will follow that. Why must it always be the other way around?
Interesting article on Why the Google store selling tablets online would succeed.
http://www.extremetech.com/electron...iled&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=pulsenews