This is a new 2048x1536 clone from Best Buy. It has Rockchip RK3288 processor with a Broadcom BCM4350 WiFi AC/BT4.0/FM radio. It came with Android 5.0.1. As usual from the Chinese, the SW leaves much to be desired. In fact the Regulatory Information page is for the N9. It went the FCC as MID7802 and pictures and user manual are post there. I grabbed one for $150. I was interested since it supports HEVC/H.265. It plays them flawlessly. It scored 785 on AnTuTu video test v3.0. The speed test was 38005. Screen looks good. Now for the bad.
1. Won't turn on when off and charger connected.
2. Adaptive brightness doesn't use the control. Really bright and drains battery.
3. SDcard only accessible for stock apps. ES3 or Kodi can't see it. Probably mounted root only.
4. Camera app is really primitive. No option to record as HEVC even though HW encoding supported.
Any thoughts on this tablet and how easy or hard it would be to get a good ROM on it?
Hmm, the bad looks like stuff that could be fixed with a software update. Though I've yet to see an adaptive brightness option that was any good. I almost always adjust manually. I never really use camera functions on my tablets. The part where it won't turn on while charging is a bit disturbing though.
Battery drains while screen sleeps like crazy
decent tab
I managed to pick the flex elite 7.85" tablet up @ my local Best Buy yesterday for a discounted price of only $90 and so far very happy with it for the cost. Not sure I would be so happy at the full $150...maybe so though.
Battery life isn't the greatest even with a good battery saving app. Doesn't bother me to much though because I usually have my tabs plugged into the wall outlet.
Some things I like are the beautiful display and greatly bright lighting, makes it easy to use outside or in. Also like the quick responsiveness and sensitive touch screen. It's not so sensitive that you're accidentally hitting things you don't want to but plenty sensitive to pick up on the intentional hits. I like the thin style (only 0.3" thin, I think). Although it's plastic it feels solid and higher end in the hands. All in all it's just a decent tab for the average user...although maybe not so much for the enthusiast.
A couple things I don't like are that there are no accessories available for it at all. I'm rough on electronics (drop alot) and a good, solid case is near necessity for me. Still ticked off about dropping my Sero 7 PRO and killing it last year...man, was that ever a nice tab?!
Another thing I am a bit disenchanted with is no root instruction yet available and no ROM that I know of...been searching and hoping. I also read somewhere that it's not possible to write to the micro SD card from the tablet...if true, that really sucks! Though I rarely use a micro SD card with tabs, it's nice to be able to use them to keep onboard space freed up. I still need to buy a micro SD to test this last statement for myself, so can't guarantee the accuracy of the statement.
Anyway, decent tab that will probably fulfill my web browsing, shopping and WordPress needs for the next year so can't complain for a $90 investment. I don't expect any updates to the firmware over it's lifetime and really not to hopeful for a root instructional to be written but still pretty decent out of the box so far....I'll let you know about the possible microsd issue once I find out for myself.
OK, so I found out that the microsd card is difficult to get mounted and working correctly on this tablet (unfortunately I'm no geek). But I was finally able to use an app to xfer files after formatting the SD card to ntsf instead of fat32. Still a pita but got it working.
Now if only someone would make an easy root instructional for this thing I might actually keep it for a while
Alrighty, got one of these and so far it's been good for its price.
I can turn it off and on while charging, both sleep/wake and full power off/power on.
The brightness seems fine to me, but again I've not used adaptive as I've never had a tab with a worthwhile adaptive brightness, and I've had Nexus 7 and 9, Galaxy Tabs pro and S, and a half dozen others.
Getting an SD later today for it.
Battery life isn't great, but I'm not seeing the sleep drain I keep reading about.
As has been mentioned the SD is only visible to system apps. Unless you format it NTFS, then it can be found by other apps. Need to figure out how to make shortcuts/symbolic links so it can be reached from areas other than /mnt as I think some apps expect it to show up in the storage folder and other places.
It's fast and snappy. Display is crisp & nice and bright and is the perfect size. I too am seeing unexpected battery drain overnight (losing 50% of battery) while the tablet is sleeping. I wish the battery lasted longer on standby as my needs are to read to fall asleep and then wake up and study - the Tab A has a longer lasting battery than this. Takes a long time to boot up if it's entirely shut down. It refuses to run Netflix either in the Netflix app nor in the browser. I have all the latest updates of the OS plus Netflix but it's not working. It's a shame but I am today returning it to BestBuy due to the Netflix issue which I consider a core app. WINS: Display is awesome and CPU speed is very good! CONS: Won't play Netflix, battery life is weak, takes long to boot up.
still no sign of 4rd party rooms?
in the market for something to replace my POS dell 8 tablet. can anyone say how insignia is on updates? will this get 6?
Oma has made a rom for it at arctablet.com
bbobb said:
Oma has made a rom for it at arctablet.com
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
link?
cannot post links.
google 'insignia flex elite oma root'
should be top result.
Got to page 4, post 49.
micro sdcard should be formatted ntfs
i just bought this tablet used
i think my rom is hosed, it has a system process kill at startup and it is very laggy. it also shuts down is left to sleep for more then 5min. a factory reset doesnt change anything... but ive seen this before... nothing short of a full rom wipe fixes it. that's the real danger of chinese tablets, if you hose the os there is no way to fix it...
im trying to root it and put oma rom on it, to see if that fixes the software issues. i dont think its hardware, because once im in a game or app it runs lightning quick. even games like mortal kombat with their high end graphics run smooth... its really somethin on this screen.
boot time SUCKS on this tablet. like, 4min or something. what the hell insignia? you cant optimize this rom even a little bit?
I like the tablet. I have seen several software updates (didn't check the build numbers) before I flashed Oma's ROM. It still has a long boot time, but if you go to the developer options, and turn off the animation options, it feels pretty fast (definitely faster than anything that is even close to this price range). Oma's current rom doesn't fix the Netflix app issue. Maybe an update can figure out what the conflict is?
superhumvee said:
I like the tablet. I have seen several software updates (didn't check the build numbers) before I flashed Oma's ROM. It still has a long boot time, but if you go to the developer options, and turn off the animation options, it feels pretty fast (definitely faster than anything that is even close to this price range). Oma's current rom doesn't fix the Netflix app issue. Maybe an update can figure out what the conflict is?
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I just got one yesterday. I didn't update to the December update, but I flashed oma's rom (pretty sure I did?), rooted with king root and then replaced with super su and the boot up time is much much faster than stock. I want to say less than a minute vs. close to 3 or 4 before.
I bought two of these used off eBay, both seem to suffer from sound stutter/slight freeze ups once in awhile. I've reset both and made sure they are running the current OTA update.
It seems to mostly do it for Youtube and YouTube for Kids, but notice it once in awhile during some more graphic intense games. Which surprises me as from the specs at least this should be a pretty decent budget tablet.
I just picked up a "seller refurbished" on from Ebay -- there are a *ton* of them up there at the moment. It actually looks pretty decent. The battery life is *horrible* (about 4 hours of SOT for reading or web surfing), but the rest of the flaws can be worked around.
First off was setting the window animations to zero, as suggested here earlier, followed by KingRoot and SU substitution (also as suggested). Then, from the Store:
- SDFix:KitKat Writable MicroSD and
- Folder Mount
combined to let me store app data on the microSD.
- FlashFire did a great job of installing Xposed Framework and from there I can tweak to my hearts' content (Greenify, GravityBox, and XSSID Indicator so far)!
Right now, it looks like your best bet would be Oma's rom that someone mentioned earlier, which would be rooted and let you do some customization. I don't use KingRoot because there's some report that the software collects data on you without your consent. What with all the rumors about Xiaomi snooping on you and China's officially-sanctioned practices in cyber space, you don't want to assume unnecessary risks. Bad enough that Uncle Sam is looking over your shoulder, but China?? Do the math!
Back to the matter at hand. Looks like your tab will be stuck with Lollipop forever (1) because the sales of this model is low enough not to stimulate any interest in developing custom roms; (2) manufacturer's support is non-existent (I mean literally non-existent); (3) if you get a representative to answer, the person doesn't know enough to say anything beyond what's in the manual; and (4) they categorically refuse to release even a stock rom for the user to restore where the tab is bricked by their own OTA updates!!! What sets them apart is that I know of no other reputable manufacturer that would so adamantly oppose such potential remedies. Unbelievable! The only recourse is warranty - which means if you're outside that period, you're toast, even if the hardware is in perfectly working order.
To recap, absolutely no support and no update. Promulgating a policy that drives away consumers is of course their prerogative, but why they care so much about losing business is beyond me. So think hard before shelling out for their products. Low prices and enticing specs ain't worth crap if the tablet doesn't work at all.
Related
Hello there.
I'm a new Archos 101 16GB User having a mixed experience.
I feel that what I've got has huge potential, but just isn't being fulfilled - don't know if anyone else feels that.
I've come straight to tablets from netbooks and an iPhone, and have tried not to have any preconceived notions about how iPad sets the bar for these devices, although it does seem to be the case.
I'm finding, knowing very little about Android, that manufacturers have apparently rushed to force-fit a phone OS in a bigger package, which in respect of certain features makes the A101 seem like a giant (largeprint) smartphone. An example of this is the way in which the small, dainty iPhone-worthy icons for Apps can only be laid out on the 'desktop' panes with massive margins of space between them because the Android system seems to rigidly adhere to strict grid patterns for layout when really what users in this day and age want is user-definable pixel-perfect precise placement of elements. Of course, even iPhone is lacking this configurability.
Anyway, I'm currently trying to overcome my disappointment with the UI and the usability and consistency of desktops across horizontal and vertical orientations (Beautiful Widgets look 'OK' in portrait layout, and fugly in horizontal orientation), indeed the feeling that while what I wanted was the unified visual goodness of a WindowsMobile 7 type platform (or indeed the style brought by both HTC and third party developers (SPB?) to WinMo6, or indeed the carefully tuned visual loveliness of some of the HTC Android skins (Sense?) what I've actually got is a pretty clunky and grumpy Linux build that doesn't play well with its own software applications.
This is only a seventy two hour evaluation so far.
I've been looking at benchmarking, and have been led to Quadrant.
So I've got a batch of results, and I'm wondering if anyone cares to compare results and then compare notes.
I've already wiped and reinstalled the fresh FroYo firmware on the device, and am using gApps4 from these forums. I've populated with some apps and such, and had very unsatisfying attempts to switch from the stock Launcher (LauncherPro and ADW) as well as attempting to find usability in QuickDeskPro, mostly to no avail.
So in this 'stock' but loaded with apps state, Quadrant gives me a result of 780.
Then I've rooted with z4root and run SetCPU to give me 1000mhz on demand, and Quadrant gives me a result of 933.
Since then I've used SetCPU to give me 1000mhz on the 'performance' (non-scaled) setting and I get a result of 974.
With people in various forums talking about Archos Internet Tablet devices running Froyo giving them up to 1200 under Quadrant, I'm wondering what I'm doing wrong or lacking?
The 1200 scores you are talking about came from beta software and not the release software. Something was changed in the release version that brought Quadrant scores back down to those of 2.1. Don't read to much in to Quadrant scores though as they don't really affect real world use.
As for apps, the main issue is screen size and resolution. Many apps were not written with a resolution of 1024X600 in mind. So they don't scale very well. Beautiful Widgets is one of those. Once more developers become tablet aware and as Google increases compatibility with tablets this issue will go away.
The Android home screen is what you make it. There are other launcher, as you mentioned, that can be more customized however, there is no real theming that can be done on the 101 until it is rooted. This is the same for all Android devices unless of course you get a phone from HTC or one of the other OEMs that add their own theme to Android.
I think your main issue is that you know very little about Android and you are expecting it to be as evolved as iOS is even though it hasn't been around as long. New version of Android are coming that will be prettier and more tablet friendly but it will take a little time for it to be perfected.
with another beta beta firmware
the score is 1313
cajl said:
with another beta beta firmware
the score is 1313
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
any rumors regarding the release date?
About the same scores here. Topping out around 1000 in quadrant and a bit over 13 in Linpack.
Not sure about your problems installing launcherpro and adw, but I would try one or both again. The stock browser is horrendous in comparison (laggy, takes much longer swipes to see action, etc).
czesiu said:
any rumors regarding the release date?
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Click to collapse
With the A5A last year they gave us one on 14 Dec and another on 24 Dec.
Allen
AllenPapapetrou said:
and another on 24 Dec.
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Click to collapse
crazy Archos devs
no firmware the friday
cajl said:
no firmware the friday
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
?
________________
I get 820 on a temp-rooted archos 101 8GB with 1GHz set by set cpu.
Appearently the H264-coding takes much too long... my htc desire takes a fraction of a second to pass this test while the archos takes several seconds (20+). I read in another thread that the hardware isn't supported yet by Android-API on the Archos, which will be changed in the future, i presume.
Another glitch: The second 3D-test is much slower than on the Desire (7fps compared to 25), with some errors on the moon (black triangles). Perhaps the OpenGLS-driver is faulty in some way. The first 3D-test, however, shows 3-5 frames more per second than the Desire (clocked at 1152 MHz).
Thanks for the input, guys. I'm sure you all know how comforting, and useful it is to be able to geek out on a forum, compare stories and get tips.
BlazingWolf, I'm certain that you're right. Android is entirely new to me other than a quick fiddle (ooh-err) with a Sammy GTab in a branch of PCWorld with a snotty little elf breathing down my neck to see if he could play games on it.
My big mistake in starting to experiment with this device was that I came at it from an iPhone background, expecting to just load up a device with apps from an app store and watch as it sings, dances and performs tricks for me.
I'm back down to earth with a bump (and not in a bad way) because of the greater openness, some would say 'fragmentation' of the Android platform which creates a scenario similar to that in the PC world where we can have any one of a number of preconfigured devices using specific but sometimes unique chipset combinations, with an array of OS's and software that can be installed on them.
I'm sure one day Android will mature to the place where we begin to see such harmony on the software front end in such a way as the hardware backend becomes irrelevant.
My first 72 hours with the device were bitty. I was expecting these instant results and instant satisfaction, and progress didn't really start to be achieved until I'd wiped the A101 and reinstalled 2.2 from scratch. That's a daunting task, especially to a casual user who might buy this off the shelf. Of course, I'm sure Archos are already looking at that and working to fix it so that the product is good to go from the off.
I'm warming very quickly to the A101. I want to like it. I still have an A504wifi which has only ever been used as a much-loved, if clunky looking and with a sucky interface, portable video player, which has had a great deal of use. So I've been excited about the A101 for a while.
And as a device it is an odd one to classify. The inevitable comparison with the iPad is not necessarily as clear cut as it seems. We have to be utilitarian, sometimes, in looking at these things. The iPad fulfils a multiple of tasks, like the Archos, and it does it within a tightly regulated and strictly defined 'controlled' environment which pushes constantly at 'parity' across all contemporary devices (the OS version for example). This gives us an elegant, reliable but inflexible interface, the trade-off for which is the relative safety of the apps in the app store. The Archos, on the other hand, has a less than elegant interface, is suffering from the issues of platform fragmentation and the remote relationship between the OS developer and the hardware manufacturer, has an App Store full of garbage that doesn't work properly but might get fixed one day, and takes a lot of 'taming' as an all-round package in order to get consistent and satisfying results. That said, the nature of the more open platform affords more opportunities, akind to jailbreaking the iDevices, in successfully customising the device to complete satisfaction, and as already said assuming the OS platform is sufficiently developed to catch up with these new 'tablet' formats, especially the larger screen varieties, we could see something really special and really refined happening.
Where the Archos succeeds, however, is that it is clearly a better platform for at least two of the intended functions of the iPad. We've got a better movie player, capable of working with more formats, with instant HDMI output, and with a proper widescreen display instead of the iPad's nearly 4:3 widescreen letterbox squinty vision. We've also got a better e-reader than the Apple ArmBreaker. OK, the bezel on the iPad is easier to grip single-handed than the Archos's much thinner, but much more elegant design, but this is a device I can sit in an armchair with and actually fall asleep while still holding the thing (I know... it happened). With an iPad, I have to keep shuffling position because the thing is so dang heavy.
The Archos seems to be only a few shades shy of perfect, as far as a hardware platform goes.
Granted, Tegra2 might be fun. And definately the low amount of RAM is an inexplicable and bizarre mistake. Plus we could have done with a 32Gb storage option. Oh, and a more easily viewable screen would be nice.
But as I tweek the thing, and accept the failings of OS and softwares, while anticipating future fixes, I'm really getting to like the little fella. I just need a really nice case to cart it around in, and a decent size memory card so I can store more, and I suspect that if someone can make a permanent root happen, that will pave the way to things like 'Startup Managers' so I can stop some of these apps auto loading when I don't need them to.
A question, though... is there any reason why the MicroSD capacity is listed as being limited to 32GB? Is that an actual capacity ceiling, or is it just the number that was most commonly available or tested at the time? Is the hardware limited to 32Gig or is it Android which is limited? Can the Archos 101 'scale' as MicroSD capacities get larger, or are we literally stuck with 32GB?
I've had no issues with build quality, possibly because I don't expect it to be as solid as an iPad, being a cheaper price and different materials. I've never really had much history of busting my devices with rough treatment or accidents, and even my 'expensive' iPhone 3GS has experienced the not-uncommon 'natural' phenomena of cracks appearing in the back casing around the dock port.
One thing I did notice is that when the A101 first arrived fresh from FedEx the box was freezing cold and so was the device, and when I unpackaged it, the top edge of the device (top of the screen when held in landscape) appeared to be quite significantly convex in shape, arced, not separated from the glass in any way, but definitely bulging. I did a lot of pressing back down on the bulge and letting the device get to room temperature before this 'bulge' became minimal. It is there ever so slightly even now, but doesn't appear to be putting any pressure or distortion on the screen.
Oh, and I think it is just the viewing angle issue, but when I hold the device in portrait to browse long pages or long lists, it almost appears as if the screen itself is convex, and I tend to tilt it back and forth to change the viewing angle on each section of the screen. The screen could definately have been executed better, and I don't think it would have raised the price too significantly.
Any other tips for an A101 n00b would be greatly welcomed.
32GB is atm the maximum you can build a sd to.
The std doesn't give more.
There is a new spec by sony that has more, but it seems not compatible.
I'm not sure if you're interested, but my Samsung Galaxy S used to only do about 900 on the Quadrant benchmark with Android 2.1, it was laggy and slow and really seemed a bit disappointing! Then came Froyo! My oh my, what a difference, unbelievable! It's snappy, touch, and it's there, spin, and it spins, breath, and it feels you! And, it also performs excellently in a Quandrant test now, usually in excess of 1700, even out performs most Nexus One phones I think.
It's absolutely blown me away that a simple software upgrade could entirely change a user experience so much! Battery life has also improved dramatically, at times giving me upto 12 hours or more with general use (regular texting plus photos etc). Which is really great for a 1500mAh battery.
So, I wouldn't give up. Froyo is a really smooth incarnation of Android, and future releases will no doubt get even better. It's exciting seeing what having a company as powerful as Google, backing an opensource project like Android can achieve.
While Microsoft and other companies are focusing purely on developing products from a financial profitability standpoint, Google seems to be able to focus more on simply developing a really excellent product.
I think the biggest 'downside' to Android is that numerous companies overload it with bloatware and don't optomise it enough for their hard ware. There is maybe just a general lack of understanding on the importance of making Android work WITH not against the hardware it's on.
Keep the faith though, have a play around with it and I'm sure eventually things will improve for you, otherwise, if you're really disappointed just go and buy a Samsung Galaxy tab or something similar! Samsung does a really good job, even though they take a looooooong time for updates!
Just ran quadrant, score was 1380. Gapps5 launcher pro plus non root.
2500 with urukdroid build
I can't decide which device.... I like Archos(have a few of their products now) but the G Tab seems more capable of running newer versions of Android. Do you all see the G Tablet becoming the tablet to beat when updated with an official release? I like all the mod/hacking I have seen on the forum, I just think I may be better suited for a device with better "official' support from the manufacturer. Talk me out of Archos... I WANT to love the G tablet...
WAD.
If you're already on this forum, i suggest you get the g tablet. Since when does support from manufacturers did any good?
Archos is notorious for getting product to market quick and dumping support for product real quick
/end decision
I can only go on my own subjective opinion. Back in October, I was on the Archos 101 pre-order list - feels like it was a year ago, now. I only tried the GTab because I was sick of the 101's delays.
But now, if I was given the choice between the two, I would choose the GTab without hesitation. It has a chipset which is vastly superior, an open firmware and a great community. The Archos does have some pluses, or course - better HDMI port and an excellent media player come to mind. But the hardware it's on is already out-of-date. Even the Galaxy Tab 2 is going to have a Tegra 2 in it.
Read up on forum.archosfans.com, too -- a lot of grumbling on the Froyo update. and you can't even back out.
Alpha06 said:
Archos is notorious for getting product to market quick and dumping support for product real quick
/end decision
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
heh, i was notified this morn that the archos 70 is back in stock and had it in my cart before i remembered how archos has issed me off before.
plus, the gtab has better hardware for a bit more money. i'm getting another gtab after the holidays, when the staples/sears stuff is figured out. hopefully get a good deal.
WantADroid said:
I can't decide which device.... I like Archos(have a few of their products now) but the G Tab seems more capable of running newer versions of Android. Do you all see the G Tablet becoming the tablet to beat when updated with an official release? I like all the mod/hacking I have seen on the forum, I just think I may be better suited for a device with better "official' support from the manufacturer. Talk me out of Archos... I WANT to love the G tablet...
WAD.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
From what I gather based on posts by other people who have owned both, the Archos is MUCH better at media playback, while it's 256MB leads to problems... oh, and the Archos has a bit better screen, although I've not been bothered by the viewing angle except when specifically checking it as when in use I'm always looking directly at the gTab... gTab also has better overall performance. Archos is lighter than gTab.
My own personal drawback is the 10" size and weight... so I'm mulling a Nook Color ATM or maybe elocity a7 or wait and see what the next few months bring in the way of 7" tablets. NC seems best immediate option as B&N will probably support it for a year or so I'd imagine...
With the new Gtablet update, even non-modded, the Gtablet seems a better buy now (if you side-load Flash, of course).
1. Archos 101 = capped at 800mhz (that is crazy- not even smaller form factor phones do this). Out of box and after update, the 101 can not even bust 1,000 with Quadrant and rooting to remove the cpu cap result in 1,200.
2. Despite fanboy spin, the 256mb ram is a problem for Flash and general operation with 2.2. Not so bad with 2.1, but app managment is more dynamic with 2.2 and more apps tend to float in memory, rather than sit in a wait-state using a register stack.
3. The wifi signal is weaker on the 101
4. No adhoc connections and wifi tether other than hotspots does not work
5. Only 300mb of app space (over six times less than the G)
6. Sound quality of the 3630 is weak due to low volume and even worse, poor gain management (Archos adheres to the Euro sound cap law). Still, the speaker output is louder than the Gtablet- ironic.
7. If you like games like the Quake series, PSX or other more demanding apps, the 101 is a lot slower and not smooth like the Gtablet.
8. Larger CBR and PDF files that play super smooth and lag free on the G, either do not work or are laggy messes on the 101.
9. As mentioned above, Flash is problematic on the 101, due to the 256mb ram. Try more demanding sites like Dailymotion and the higher res Flash content. Smooth on the G and not on the 101.
10. To get decenty performance, you need to root the device and mod. Why even bother with the 101 then? Europe has the Advent Vega, Asia has the zPad and NA has the Gtablet. ALL better options, IMO and now the Elocity 7 is out and kicks the snot out of the Archos 70.
Seems the 101 was outdated upon release and to add salt to the wound, they capped the cpu that was already designed to be dynamic and clock to usage- wild.
BTW, I do not agree that video is MUCH better, but is better, none the less. The 101 handles higher def video better, due to more mature support for the 3630, but 1080p does not work well on the 3630 either. Hidef seems pointless anyway on a portable device, due to space and battery drain. Not to mention the display is not 1080p. I think people latching on to the video mantra of the 101 are putting far too much stock in the actual difference it makes.
All of my vids play fine on the Gtablet, but I do not care for 1080p and 720p MP4 tends to be space and battery drainers too. Still wish those would work on the Gtablet.
I own neither right now but am sort of in the same boat as the poster.
Here's what sort of changed my mind...
I purchased and received my Archos 101 and it was dead on arrival brand new from Amazon. I know crap happens but it really got to me since I'd felt like a kid on Christmas day when it came. Imagine getting something you're EAGER for an anticipating and then not having it work? We can't really blame Archos for this entirely though since it happens with every product.
Anyway, what actually got to me was calling Archos....the CS guy wasn't much help and tried to convince me to send it in for repair vs. Amazon return. But who wants to send in their brand new device with the possibility of getting back someone else's used device? Right? He couldn't guarantee that I'd get back my brand new and repaired unit plus I had to pay shipping. In essence, my price for the 101 would have been almost 370 in the end, so I just told him no thanks and sent it back to Amazon.
I ordered the Archos in the first place because while I can see myself rooting and modding, to me it's an unnecessary hassle vs. just getting something that's supposed to work. In other words, I had your outlook. Excited about the modding potential, but better suited to official support, so really I just prefer getting the updates in OTAs than rooting and modding.
The Archos 101/70 seem to 'just work'. And I'd been planning on slapping the official/unofficial? Google Market on there for good measure so I was prepared to get my hands dirty somehow anyway as I wasn't sure if this meant I needed to root or not. Archos has also, recently seemed to show that they're at least trying to get updates out the door while Viewsonic's site didn't at the time have any updates posted for the G tablet and it seemed like it was just some hardware put out and then forgotten.
However, when I was 'forced' to check out the G tablet more thoroughly it would seem it's not 1/2 as bad as I'd seen or read about (youtube, blogs, etc.) where users called TnT horrible and writers referred to it as garbage and unusable etc. I say 'forced' because I couldn't RMA the 101 for exchange as Amazon was out of stock, I had to RMA for refund. Then on impulse, I decided to get the G Tablet...because I'm plain through with waiting.
I'd known it had more raw power than the 101 but upon further reading here on xda and watching newer youtube videos it seems TnT isn't that bad if you factory reset first and start 'fresh'. Not to mention the fact that the mod community has embraced the G tablet as something 'good'. Viewsonic is also pretty 'vocal' for the most part on Twitter, and that has to count for something in terms of getting our voices heard by the company. Archos is there too but their posts are mostly about where to buy the tablet or that they're available at so and so.
My point being, I don't think it would hurt to at least try the G Tab first. Had I known then what I know now (and I should have, as I am somewhat of a tech head) I would have just gone with the G Tab and in some ways, I'm happy the 101 came DoA or maybe I'd have happily settled for a single core, 720p playing Android tablet vs. something with more power and thus potential...a dual core with 1080p playing capability and the ability to do everything faster.
Also, modding isn't horrible. It's a scary thing to think you have to do something that may brick your device to get it to an even workable state...but this isn't the case.
Even if you've never done it before once you're thorough and read/understand/execute in detail, you'll never brick. Most experienced modders can root and slap a new ROM on their devices in 20m or less (depending on the ROM size, etc) but don't watch that....if it takes you even an hour, as long as you do it right the first time (in terms of getting a recovery mod in there), you're going to be fine from then on. You'll have the added bonus of messing around with a variation of ROMs and may realize something's there that you like even more than the stock. You also have the backing of XDA devs which is a great, great thing.
My 2c.
I currently own both the GTab (running TnTLite 2.3) and an Archos 101 (finally) with the latest firmware update. Both have their good and bad sides and if you've been hanging around here, you should have a pretty good idea of what those are.
The GTab:
Pros: Fast processor, easy to hack, not easy to brick, good XDA support
Cons: Not great viewing angle, questionable (stock) UI, questionable support (from ViewSonic)
The Archos 101:
Pros: Better viewing angle, decent support (from my experience, so far,) very good multimedia support and streaming, much lighter than the GTab, built-in kickstand, HDMI out
Cons: Very locked down (but can still sideload,) slower CPU (even at 1Gz,) HDMI not reliable (at least for me)
I like them both, for different uses. I like to hack around and get to know the OS and the GTab (and my DROID) are great for that. For daily use, I use the 101 since it is lighter to carry around and has the built-in kickstand.
my $.02
I have to agree with most. I also had interest in the archos but was part of the waiting game and the misleading info from the company itself.
My draw to the archos was it being a lightweight device. HDMI ready to use and the media player that seems to be the attractive feature in comparison.
But I must say being part of this site gave me insight and "again" bumped into the gtab. At first glance the device SW is horrid to say the least. Why would they butcher it, is beyond my reasoning (perhaps a sweet deal played out w/tapntap) and the #1 problem for users trying it out of box as is. They should seriously post in the box or pamphlet to register at xda. lol.
Once you fiddle with the device(using a custom build like TnTlite/VEGAn you wont regard making your decison. Archos is limited as meantion herein and your halt for the possiblities that lay ahead.
So Yes you can say the archos is lighter, has the hdmi port... a kickstand.
I agree the Gtab is heavier in comparison, and for some the viewing angles are bad, but in the end, The Gtab is here now with an awesome HW and will be here tomorrow.
Thanks!!
Wow, thanks to all who have responded.... I am leaning heavily towards the G Tab, sounds like it would be a fun device to mod. I want a good media player in my device, that is the biggest reason I am considering Archos. I own an old 504 80gb and I have used it almost everyday. I want to take the next step up to touch screen and Android, but I want the device to have some what of a future. Seems to me Archos puts devices out that are already one generation old when they hit the market. Must be their business model to buy new every 1-2 years. I would like to have my device for minimum of 2-3 years before I upgrade.
Thanks
My brief thoughts on the matter, as posted on Archos fans forum.
"I have a GTab as well as a 101. And there is NO comparison: My GTab blows the 101 away on speed, responsiveness, and smoothness. Its just uglier & heavier! Lol! My 11 year old daughter has lay claim on my GTab. She's lucky I love her (and am afraid of my wife)! Lol! . . . Admittedly, a lot of tweaks have gone into the device as it clearly was bad straight out of the box. All I know is with a custom ROM, mine flies."
http://forum.archosfans.com/viewtopic.php?f=74&t=43968
Just got a G-tab from local Sears last night.
Took me couple of hours to get it going with the latest TNT Lite and market fix. (still new to all of this.)
First I wanted to get 101, but it was sold out everywhere.
G-Tab was horrible with stock UI. After loading TNT, it is much better, but it has ways to go. I like the responsiveness. Still have to get used to the interface. And run some video tests. (I would like to use it in the car as an entertainment system for my kids.) HDMI via dock may be a deal killer to me.
I don't like the screen and ergonomics of the device. I will probably play around with a device, for a couple of weeks and then return it to Sears. Still want to see what will happen at CES. Perhaps Adam, will fit me better.
I first buy the archos 101 for my birthday on november and its not so good. Example no custom roms, speed capped at 800mhz, one of the speakers stop working ,its feel very plastic cheap! I just returned to amazon and get the g-tablet its a diferent kind of animal! Tegra 2, 512mb ram, lots of custom roms.
Its your choice! But im super happy with g-tablet never looked back since i buyit!
Neoprimal;99 [QUOTE said:
Also, modding isn't horrible. It's a scary thing to think you have to do something that may brick your device to get it to an even workable state...but this isn't the case.
Even if you've never done it before once you're thorough and read/understand/execute in detail, you'll never brick. Most experienced modders can root and slap a new ROM on their devices in 20m or less (depending on the ROM size, etc) but don't watch that....if it takes you even an hour, as long as you do it right the first time (in terms of getting a recovery mod in there), you're going to be fine from then on. You'll have the added bonus of messing around with a variation of ROMs and may realize something's there that you like even more than the stock. You also have the backing of XDA devs which is a great, great thing.
My 2c.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I THINK its even more brick proof than people realize. I took mine from an infinite boot loop state with a partitioned (completely deleted) sd card and no back ups all the way back to stock in about five minutes (clockworkmod was the ONLY thing working) after spending about 25 minutes reading about NVFLASH and finding the correct usb to gtab driver for my pc operating system (mine was winxp pro but there was support for vista, win 7 64 and linux).
Thanks again Roebeet for pointing me in the right direction.
Pretty muck "brick proof-tacular" if you are willing to ask for help/read through threads/research.
I am fortunate enough to have both devices and did a comprehensive review with video for anyone who is still interested: http://www.blendblog.net/Default.aspx?tabid=36&EntryID=64.
They both have strengths and weaknesses as I point out in my review.
Sean
Allenfx said:
I THINK its even more brick proof than people realize. I took mine from an infinite boot loop state with a partitioned (completely deleted) sd card and no back ups all the way back to stock in about five minutes (clockworkmod was the ONLY thing working) after spending about 25 minutes reading about NVFLASH and finding the correct usb to gtab driver for my pc operating system (mine was winxp pro but there was support for vista, win 7 64 and linux).
Thanks again Roebeet for pointing me in the right direction.
Pretty muck "brick proof-tacular" if you are willing to ask for help/read through threads/research.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This has been my experience too... bought my G-Tab (after spending hours pouring over reviews etc.) fiddled around with ROM's, managed to get it stuck in an infinite boot loop (Clockwork does NOT like NVflash!) Took about a hour reading up on NVFlash (THANKS Roebeet!!!) and got it back running again. Then did it again several more times, just to be sure. So that's cool and all..
One problem tho'... the screen.
I've seen lot's of talk about how great/awful the viewing angles are for the G-Tab. With mine, when looked at perpendicular/directly on, it looks great! But tilt is just a bit away from you (as if to place it on a table) and it gets immediately blurry and weird-looking colors (like a cheap LCD laptop screen)
HOWEVER, turn it over (so's the dock port is on the top) and do the same tilt and it looks normal (a bit washed out, but normal color and no LCD blur) all the way flat on the table... IS THE SCREEN INSTALLED UPSIDE DOWN??? Could this be why some people have such opposite experiences? I looked on YouTube at some viewing angle reviews and their G-Tabs looked like mine does when it's upside-down!? I took it back to Sears and got another one, took it home and same thing! So I took it back, too and got money back and am now trying to figure out weather or not to try the Archos... still hooked on the G-Tab though, it was so nice, except for having to keep it pointed exactly at 90-degree viewing angle. Any thoughts? And another big Thanks to Roebeet, just loved TNTlite!
mattrahman said:
This has been my experience too... bought my G-Tab (after spending hours pouring over reviews etc.) fiddled around with ROM's, managed to get it stuck in an infinite boot loop (Clockwork does NOT like NVflash!) Took about a hour reading up on NVFlash (THANKS Roebeet!!!) and got it back running again. Then did it again several more times, just to be sure. So that's cool and all..
One problem tho'... the screen.
I've seen lot's of talk about how great/awful the viewing angles are for the G-Tab. With mine, when looked at perpendicular/directly on, it looks great! But tilt is just a bit away from you (as if to place it on a table) and it gets immediately blurry and weird-looking colors (like a cheap LCD laptop screen)
HOWEVER, turn it over (so's the dock port is on the top) and do the same tilt and it looks normal (a bit washed out, but normal color and no LCD blur) all the way flat on the table... IS THE SCREEN INSTALLED UPSIDE DOWN??? Could this be why some people have such opposite experiences? I looked on YouTube at some viewing angle reviews and their G-Tabs looked like mine does when it's upside-down!? I took it back to Sears and got another one, took it home and same thing! So I took it back, too and got money back and am now trying to figure out weather or not to try the Archos... still hooked on the G-Tab though, it was so nice, except for having to keep it pointed exactly at 90-degree viewing angle. Any thoughts? And another big Thanks to Roebeet, just loved TNTlite!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ummmm.... this is not meant to be rude at all but I have to speak my mind.
For 300 bucks you need to get over it and enjoy the awesomeness you get out of ten inches that I paid to get 4 inches from my GSM (fml)
The Screen is a 300$ screen... be happy you got one before it sold out.
Not rude at all... in fact I had the same thought process... HOWEVER it was $400 ($369 listed on line, but $399 in the store, $440 with taxes [they said I'd have to return the one I bought in the store, order another online and pick it up at the merch. pick-up to get the online price] ) so it was a bit more than $300.If it were, I'd be much more inclined to just suck it up and enjoy the zippy-fast and get a stand that would hold it at the right angle... I'm looking at a "lightly used" one online that comes with a stand and chip for under $400 that I may get. I've even considered a ~$200 Chinese knock-off with a resistive screen, but I think I'd hate it, no Multi-Touch, slow response, etc. I guess it's just a balance of how much $$ with what features.
Originally, I ordered a Xoom from Verizon, but $800 plus $20/month seemed too too much! So I cancelled the order - for $35 "restocking fee" ugh, I hate phone companies - I still want a Xoom tho'.
I'm just wondering if anybody else has notice the "upside-down screen" thing, or am I nuts?
Update: Just found G-Tab for $299 on eBay/Tigerdirect with free shipping, 10 left...
gtab viewing angles
Yeah, On gtab noticed the screen has better viewing angles from top and left side than bottom and right. I dont know if that means they are building it installed upside down but they should move the factory to the southern hemisphere if they are ;-) or something.
Lousy viewing in the sun, regardless of angle.
Also wish the return key wasn't so badly placed, hold it in the right hand only and bound to hit the return key...
What does everyone think of this device so far. My wife is out of contract and this might be her first smartphone. Any opinions are much appreciated.
Sent from my ADR6400L using XDA Premium App
I'm on my second one in less than a week. First one died randomly rebooting about every 5 minutes. Now my new one I just got yesterday just randomly rebooted.
When I took it back, the rep said it just needed hard reset, so she did it, then it rebooted in her hand! It was classic.
Terrible track record so far!
Outta the box, meh.
4 hours outta the box with some tweaking (root, freeze bloat, new launcher, etc) Best phone I've ever had.
Only downside is the locked bootloader which means no AOSP ROMS. But I think I can live with that.
Also MANY people have whined and cried about the penTile display, in my opinion the screen is beautiful. Some apps aren't optimized for the new higher resolution yet so they look a little "off" but it's no big deal. No fault of the phone but of app designers. It should get fixed in due course.
Sent from my DROID X2
Love it so far
I upgraded from the original droid running cyanogen 7 and I love the X2 so far. I installed laucherpro right away and rooted to install wired and wireless tether and freeze some of the bloatware that came with it.
I had a couple random reboots at first but I have not had one for a couple weeks now.
I was a little worried about the battery life at first but after a few days my battery must have finally been broken in and Im pleasantly surprised with the battery life.
No matter what you read elsewhere the screen is AMAZING... you can see it outside while its bright on the lowest setting, you bump it up to the highest and you can see it perfectly in direct sunlight.
People will also bash how much ram this has. Lots of people think that only having 512mb is a horrible thing. But if you actually do some research and learn about how android uses ram you'll realize that extra ram does no good. Essentially if its not being used its being wasted. I run a widget that I can click to see how much ram is left and its usually between 50 and 100. My friend has an atrix and his is usually around 400... which proves that hes not using the extra 512 he has available. So maybe down the road there will be some apps or a new version of android that will need 1gb or ram but i highly doubt it will be before Im up for another upgrade.
Rooting is a must
This was my upgrade from the Droid Incredible also rooted using Sky-Raider, and Cyanogen(mod) 7.0.3. The qHD and the dual core processor sold me on the phone.
After unboxing the I was struck by the brilliance and clarity of the screen and the phone was quite responsive at times. Easily viewable in direct sunlight (even when dimmed)but the phone was hanging when navigating to the home screen and the batter life was less than a day with light moderate use.
I rooted the phone using GingerBreak and after removing Bloatware, it is the best phone that I have seen for the price $199.99 with upgr.
The phone is worth the money, brilliant screen, responsive, and I am satisfied with the performance for now until there is a stable rom for it. Just ran benchmark with Quadrant Standard at 2128!
Read the engadget review posted 6-5-2011.
I really appreciate the opinions everyone. It seems like a great phone, but I think I'm getting her the Droid 3 simply because she's coming from the env touch (assbag of a phone btw) and would appreciate the physical keyboard. Thanks again.
Sent from my ADR6400L using XDA Premium App
You folks had better luck than me. First the good points that made me want to keep it.
Build
Display
Battery life
Call quality
Speed for game emulators
Radio reception
Easy to root
Form factor suits one hand operation better than other 4.3"
Tegra 2 has very good audio quality
Why I returned it.
Where is the memory? I appreciate that 108mb of the 512mb ram appears to be allocated to the GPU, but if you add up the OS, Home UI, OS tasks, opened user apps and free ram, there is still about 160mb missing out of 404mb. You can apply a memory script to help out, but the memory slowly leaks away, even with the script. The DX2 starts to lag.
MP3 pops and clicks. This is probably due to the low operational ram mentioned above, but even when not multitasking, there are random pops and clicks and gets much worse if multitasking.
Flash can spike the device temps past 115 degrees. Flash does not appear to get on with the DX2 firmware. Heat spikes and the battery is drained like the DX2 is on an LTE radio.
Random reboots. It seems to mainly happen during web browsing, Flash playback and playing video files. While I was debating on keeping it or not (due to the good things mentioned at top) and rationalizing that the issues would be fixed, my DX2 rebooted while updating a few market apps. I considered that a sign to return it.
Seems better to return it and see if they fix the problems, rather than get stuck with the DX2, IF the problems are not fixed.
IF they fix the issues, I will buy the DX2 again, or wait for the Bionic. I am more likely to get the DX2 again, since I doubt a 4.5" qHD LCD display, dual core and LTE will have very good battery life.
The DX2 would rock REAL hard if the issues are fixed. I have a gTablet with same chipset, 512mb ram and Froyo and it does not have the issues noted.
added:
I miss the DX2, mainly due to the sweet display Back to my Incredible for now
For my part, I've seemingly resolved the quirky behaviour by enabling the performance profile. The "medium" setting would cause reboots and strange laggy app issues. I'm still likely to get the Bionic later as well, and trade this one in for credit. I tend to swap between my upgrade, and my wife's line upgrade.
Ruoh said:
For my part, I've seemingly resolved the quirky behaviour by enabling the performance profile. The "medium" setting would cause reboots and strange laggy app issues. I'm still likely to get the Bionic later as well, and trade this one in for credit. I tend to swap between my upgrade, and my wife's line upgrade.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Where is the profile setup?
Dark_Wizard said:
Where is the profile setup?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
settings> battery & data manager> battery mode
stronggeek said:
settings> battery & data manager> battery mode
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thx!
10char
If you don't need 4G LTE or a front-facing camera, it's a great purchase on Verizon. First dual-core phone for them! More power means longer shelf-life for keeping up with demanding apps/games. Large qHD res screen, Tegra 2 processor, solid build quality and pretty decent camera. Some people don't like the Blur UI, but it's not as bad as it used to be. You can always replace with a third party launcher too.
If this phone didn't look exactly like the original Droid X, people would probably be talking about it more. I'm especially enjoying the tegra 2 gaming - Riptide Gp (link)
Mine is working alright for me, I can attest the Motorola bloatware does slow down the phone quite a bit.
I also have Quadrant only reading "1 Core" so I don't know if Quadrant needs to be updated or the rumors are true that the CPU is limited till we get the Ginger from Motorola.
As far as hardware goes, I doubt the 512mb of RAM will make a difference once we start using custom ROMs and remove quite a bit of the bloat. The Tegra 2 seems to make everything really snappy, the battery is better than my Droid 2, I do miss the keyboard though, so your wife may really really like the keyboard or hate it. I am a really really really big fan of the keyboard phones, but my phone died and they offered to let me upgrade early so I went with a Tegra 2.
Although with all the Motorola software / Verizon software etc. It runs pretty sluggish at times and the significant other's Captivate will run circles around my phone despite being just the Galaxy S internals. She likes to rub that in.
I just smile and wait till I end up running Liberty or MIUI on my phone so I can destroy her smug-ness.
I'm coming from a BB Storm and am super impressed by the DX2...all of the reasons I told myself I DIDN'T need an android phone are the reasons I am using this sucker so often. Love the apps. Here are some of my concerns:
HEAT - The plate below the battery cover, where the speaker is becomes too hot to touch at some points. After reading some of the forums it seems that this will occur more if I am watching flash or doing some major downloading. Three weeks in, it seems to be managed better as I am using Advance App Killer whenever I use the phone to kill process that start when I am doing nothing more than texting.
BATTERY LIFE - At first I was getting about 3-4 hours with moderate to heavy use. As another poster stated above, the battery seems to have broken in a bit, though it seems I will always need to pack a charger if I will be out for more than five or six hours.
MP4 PLAYBACK - I have tried to put 1-2gig mp4's on the SD card in a folder created called "_movies", but the X2 seems to struggle playing these files. On videos I have made using the X2, playback is not a problem. Error message is "File cannot be displayed or played". Annoying.
DISAPPEARING / GHOSTING APPS: Similarly, I have dropped adk files into a folder created called "apps" on the SD card (or sdcard-ext as IDed in file search). I have used my laptop in two ways to write the files: 1) with X2 tethered via USB using Windows 7 to copy/paste files on the SD and 2) removed the SD from X2 and plugged mini-SD into adapter to write files directly to SD.
UNIQUE NOTIFICATION: My BB had the ability to assign separate ringtones to different email accounts...I'm sure that I can do this with an app, but it seems so much easier in the BB settings menu thand the android.
So in researching these issues it seems all paths lead back to one thing: Rooting the phone. I have gingerbreak and am ready to do this, but am reluctant to do it knowing I have about 28 hours setting this phone up custom and I know I will have to start from scratch on that customization. Can anyone confirm that post-root I will still be utilizing the MOTOBLUR? I read a lot about people who hate it, but I like the 7 screens and widgets.
Just my 2 cents on the device. Overall, very happy. I'm sure I'll be extremely happy post-root as I think I am reading that rooting the device will solve a lot of the file and OS issues listed above.
Rock on, great forum. FIRST POST. android noob.
Like it so far , pretty much as good as the X1. The screen looks great , they really improved the visibility in sunlight.
Otherwise I do have a few of the common issues like music skip, slow screen turn on, and random reboots. I figure they will get sorted when I can get a better rom installed.
I'm liking the X2 just fine. I upgraded from the Incredible and I'm glad I didn't go for the DI2. Dual Core...hell yea! Beautiful 4.3" display...hell yea! My guess is that things will get better with easy rooting and Gingerbread. Besides, I didn't really like my DI until I started using customs ROMs and cleaned out the bloatware.
I love it and dont need 4g and wont get it here for years
If your not in 4g area and want a phone better than all the 4g phones get this one. i love this phone i had thunderbolt for a bit but it sucked it lagged like a Mother Trucker. I hate that the bootloader is locked cuz i love stock roms but o well ill live i have launcher pro plus running on mine with it rooted and ALOT of stuff FROZEN it makes it way faster and runs really smooth. i have heard alot of ppl complain about how much launcher pro sucks on this device but it think it works great i may have it have to reload widgets and such 1 out of a 100 times win i hit the home button but prob more like 1 out of 250. also i have used golauncher but i had a few problems with it stock blur actually works decent to but i dont like the look of it and i love 3d app drawer. i cant say ull love the phone but i know i do its by far best phone on verizon. Now if i could get a nexus on verizon id b the happiest man alive but o well i cant so ill have to live with my dx2 until they get a nexus or until another carrier can get service in southern il.
A lot of complaints of lag and freezing seem to be due to not enough random access memory. Shame that a nicely built tablet with great specs (Qi charging, 64-bit processor, vanilla Android) would be useless to many because of this issue.
I got one for $133 new from the Dell outlet with a sweet case for $15 both in red and gave it to Mom for Christmas, knowing that for her use it would be acceptable.
Here's what I found and how I've gotten the tablet to work great and have none of the issues.
1. Stick with the stock KK launcher. Forget Google Now or Nova as these use up too much memory.
2. The stock browser seems to work the best. Dolphin, Boat and others have been reported to be problem free too. Chrome is a no go.
3. Under Developer options shut off the animations as well as limit the background processes.
4. Disable anything you'll never use, and only install the apps needed.
5. Under "Google" account and "search" make sure Google Now is off.
These things may be self evident to some, but you will notice a night and day difference in the way this particular tablet operates if you stick to those things. At $130 it can't be beat.
Apologies for responding to my own post, just wanted to update, apparently Dell pushed out a OTA update recently that updated the kernel and the thing is much improved if not downright zippy now. Still would stick with my suggestions as I've noticed while Chrome may be somewhat usable it will still freeze.
Thanks for the tips. Despite the horrible reviews, I just ordered one from Amazon Warehouse for $75 Very Good condition. At that price, it is worth taking the plunge.
Use the stock browser keep off any RAM hogging apps and you'll like it. For $168 total I got a red one , the official red case and the dell wireless charger. Can't beat that price. It particularly excels as a movie watching device for travel. Good size and format, great battery life and storage with an optional SD card, and a 1080p screen. Seems to handle video playback really well too, stutter free.
Sent from my Nexus 6 using XDA Free mobile app
We're taking it on the plane for movies in 3 weeks, so that'll be perfect. Have you tried rooting and Greenify app? That could further help keep the background processes in check. I have a 1st gen; wife will get the 2nd gen, but if I like it enough, I might get another one for myself.
No I haven't mainly because of the amount of bricks being reported. Too much headache and since its my mothers there's no point. Lol. You'll love it for watching movies I swear they look better than on my Nexus 9. Maybe that Intel video enhancer or whatever its got really works well. The speakers are loud and sound great too.
Sent from my Nexus 9 using XDA Free mobile app
So I've had the tablet for a week now. The amount of bloatware pre-installed was insane. I was surprised since the 1st gen 3830 came with almost zero. After disabling all bloatware and all google apps, disabling animations, disable sync, disable backup & restore, it's running fairly well. Chrome browser is definitely not happening. Stock browser is good, but opening multiple tabs is still guaranteed to make the tablet lag.
All in all, this is a great tablet for someone who only does one thing at a time (No multiple browser tabs and switching back and forth between apps). 1920 x 1200 Screen is awesome, build quality fantastic, thin and fairly light, 802.11ac wireless, wireless charging, almost pure Android, and good enough battery life. This thing is perfect for my wife and was a steal at $75 from Amazon Warehouse. Got a $7 case from eBay and my wife is loving it. It's a big upgrade from her Nexus 7 2012.
That being said, I will not be picking another one up for myself unless we get a magic update that makes it as fast as my 3830. I like to multitask, so that's priority for me.
P.S. After all updates, I ran Antutu and the tab scored 33,000 vs 24,000 for my 3830. Sadly, real world experience doesn't reflect this.
waingro808 said:
So I've had the tablet for a week now. The amount of bloatware pre-installed was insane. I was surprised since the 1st gen 3830 came with almost zero. After disabling all bloatware and all google apps, disabling animations, disable sync, disable backup & restore, it's running fairly well. Chrome browser is definitely not happening. Stock browser is good, but opening multiple tabs is still guaranteed to make the tablet lag.
All in all, this is a great tablet for someone who only does one thing at a time (No multiple browser tabs and switching back and forth between apps). 1920 x 1200 Screen is awesome, build quality fantastic, thin and fairly light, 802.11ac wireless, wireless charging, almost pure Android, and good enough battery life. This thing is perfect for my wife and was a steal at $75 from Amazon Warehouse. Got a $7 case from eBay and my wife is loving it. It's a big upgrade from her Nexus 7 2012.
That being said, I will not be picking another one up for myself unless we get a magic update that makes it as fast as my 3830. I like to multitask, so that's priority for me.
P.S. After all updates, I ran Antutu and the tab scored 33,000 vs 24,000 for my 3830. Sadly, real world experience doesn't reflect this.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Lol, my mother went from my hand me down N7(2012) to this and so far, with the way I've set it up, she likes it for her style of use. It really is a shame as if the darn thing had 3 (gasp!) gigs of Ram it would be a killer little tablet, the fact that you can pick them up so cheap is another huge plus.
Hi! CJ, I have a Dell Venue 8 3840, and for some reason I'm unaware of, it's WIFI, & BLUETOOTH, have completely being "lost", I.E. the icons, the Settings options etc.... Have " disappeared ".
I would be most grateful for your advice on it's recovery.
Thanks & regards,
Mahil.
Hmmm, never heard of that happening before. I could ask you a bunch of questions to see what may have caused it but instead my advice would be do a reset. Under settings/back up & reset/ factory reset. Back up whatever files you don't want to lose, the cloud works great for that, and then reset. See if that brings it back.
Venue 8 touch screen freezing issue
I had bought my tablet online. It was working well initially. Then suddenly from one day the screen started to freeze once it was not in use for minimum 7-8 seconds although the tab was not hanging, just the tablet touch screen was not responding to touch.
my dell venue 8 3840 has kitkat 4.4.4. WiFi Bluetooth is not working at all. when i press on in the WiFi option, it goes to on but color doesn't change, i mean it keeps grey and it doesn't scan any WiFi signals. nothing happens on the screen. its like frozen. add device and reset options on WiFi menu are also freeze. when i come out of WiFi menu, it automatically turns off. i have already reset my tab 2 3 times to check if the issue resolves but the prob persists. advanced options are working. when i go there, it says mac address and IP address unavailable. and these options are also freeze. am not getting a clue of what has happened and how to get it fixed. plz help.
Dell Venue 8 8340 slow fix
Hey guys,
I have found a solution for the extremely slow performance of the Dell Venue 8 8340. You must disable wi-fi optimization in settings --> wifi --> advanced. After disabling this feature, the tablet runs fairly smooth with no crashing or delays. This may be a temporary fix; however, it does seem to affect the tablets performance. Also, I did not have the time to check if this fix has been posted, sorry for the repeat if it has. Please update on whether or not this tweak works for others.
Setting 'Developer Options' -> 'Background Processes' to 'At most 2 Processes' seems to help with performance. Reboots and updates sometimes reset this to the default though.
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Hello there,
I mainly want this tablet only for two purposes, one is browsing and another is watching movies.
But i just came to know that this tablet has an aspect ration of 4:3 and watching movies in this tablet will cause the movies to end up with two black spaces on either side.
Will this take away the experience of watching a movie? Other than from Browsing(which i'v heard this tablet is very good) my main usage is at watching Youtube videos and Movies.
Can any of you be kind enough to tell me about these and if this tablet is still good enough to purchase?
Regards,
Adi4u4882
I have this tablet. Its great. Had I known it would NEVER get updated to Android 5 or Android 6.. I would never have bought it. Dont be deceived by the updates it gets now. Those are just APP updates. Since it launched what about 2 years ago now its still on Android 4.4.4.
I would buy something else.. In the long run its worth it.
I have bought this tablet for my wife. Good thing was that i had few days for myself to test it. The big worry was that it will come all in China language and no Play store. As it turns out not to worry. There was English as default (even Polish was an option) and there was Google Play. All works superb. For this price its a bargain of the year. My wife use this tablet for imgur, google books and games so she is more then happy.
The only small problem... If you ever will want to do factory reset you need to have a google keyboard app ready. After FR there is no keyboard at all... so you cant connect to wifi and you have to have app on the sdcard.
Thats all from me.
For somebody who is not bother with the old software (kitkat) then this is a perfect tablet.
Zeblade said:
I have this tablet. Its great. Had I known it would NEVER get updated to Android 5 or Android 6.. I would never have bought it. Dont be deceived by the updates it gets now. Those are just APP updates. Since it launched what about 2 years ago now its still on Android 4.4.4.
I would buy something else.. In the long run its worth it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hey, can you explain what you mean? As far i know, Miui 7 was released sometime now and its based on Lolipop. Its available for Mipad here-> http://en.miui.com/download-229.html
What he means is that MIUI 7 for MiPad is based on KitKat.
Ya for watching movies it is a little odd one. In case of YouTube it's fine
Then about KitKat OMDG PLZ its crap
Don't know whether you are a nerd or not..... Any way its been 2months iam using it and here is my verdict
Pros:
1. Blistering performance
2. Nvidia CPU and GPU are doing best for a hand
held device.
3. Gaming is a whole new level
4. LG battery is a true power source for long time and
charge up quickly
6. Display is decend under direct sunlight.
Cons:
1. selecting Bluetooth from multiple windows closes
most of the time.
2. Brightness sometimes have its own idea about
changing to full blast ( don't say that auto
brightness is on or off ,I know well about how it
works)
3. Background app has limit ( even developer option
only gives choosing between number limits and
standard limit)
4. Background apps stops most of the times ( even
the second one in background stops occasionally)
5. Connecting to internet via Bluetooth devices has its
own mind about disconnecting all the times.
6. Camera didn't work always, its not stock camera
app, all apps for camera won't work occasionally
which inturn points culprit as nasty hardware
problem
7. All keys on bezel (back,home,multiple window) are
not good in response which is an inconvenience .
(you can use many soft key apps instead which
iam using now)
8. Mi Ui is not good(awful) which always take quiet a
time to load up if we prefer to go home directly.
9. Screen shot appear as a widget not a combination
keys which is inconvenient and annoying many
times
10. Entire system some times ( once in
thousand) slows in terms of performance.
11. Quiet a lot of heat builds up on gaming.
12. Last not least....... OMDG plz get rid of the that
stupid KitKat OS plz plz plz.....
naseeb sha said:
Ya for watching movies it is a little odd one. In case of YouTube it's fine
Then about KitKat OMDG PLZ its crap
Don't know whether you are a nerd or not..... Any way its been 2months iam using it and here is my verdict
Pros:
1. Blistering performance
2. Nvidia CPU and GPU are doing best for a hand
held device.
3. Gaming is a whole new level
4. LG battery is a true power source for long time and
charge up quickly
6. Display is decend under direct sunlight.
Cons:
1. selecting Bluetooth from multiple windows closes
most of the time.
2. Brightness sometimes have its own idea about
changing to full blast ( don't say that auto
brightness is on or off ,I know well about how it
works)
3. Background app has limit ( even developer option
only gives choosing between number limits and
standard limit)
4. Background apps stops most of the times ( even
the second one in background stops occasionally)
5. Connecting to internet via Bluetooth devices has its
own mind about disconnecting all the times.
6. Camera didn't work always, its not stock camera
app, all apps for camera won't work occasionally
which inturn points culprit as nasty hardware
problem
7. All keys on bezel (back,home,multiple window) are
not good in response which is an inconvenience .
(you can use many soft key apps instead which
iam using now)
8. Mi Ui is not good(awful) which always take quiet a
time to load up if we prefer to go home directly.
9. Screen shot appear as a widget not a combination
keys which is inconvenient and annoying many
times
10. Entire system some times ( once in
thousand) slows in terms of performance.
11. Quiet a lot of heat builds up on gaming.
12. Last not least....... OMDG plz get rid of the that
stupid KitKat OS plz plz plz.....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ty for the post mate, i was thinking to buy the device but i was hoping that miui 7 is based on Lollipop (that apparently itsnot) and that the tablet could be a bit more solid. I will check for something else, take care
As far as device being stuck with KitKat -- are there any specific apps you wanted to run on the tablet and couldn't because they require the newer OS?
Without going the CM route, can the Google Launcher be installed on it?
Funny enough that my wife did want this tablet to be her candy crash saga device she couldnt install it from playstore. We had to download an older version and put the apk on the device and then i installed. Apart from that all the apps she is using on htc one (LP) she is using on MIPad
lanc3lot said:
Hey, can you explain what you mean? As far i know, Miui 7 was released sometime now and its based on Lolipop. Its available for Mipad here-> http://en.miui.com/download-229.html
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Global Stable Build only. AFAIK it will still be based on kitkat.
Have it since its release.
Its fantastic .
Great sound for movies and music.
Runs any game smoothly.
Browsing is effortlessly.
Nice is nice , not to big not to small.
Overall if you want a tablet that will just perform without hiccups then this is a good option.
eventhough this device has cm12.1 port but still its not for daily driver. xiaomi doesn't even release the sources.
I was really looking forward to buying this device keeping in mind the specs & pricing. Cant really decide if i should buy this Mipad or wait for the Mipad 2.
So far the the Mipad 2 only offers a mild upgrade in terms of processor (whose gaming performance I'm totally unsure of) & build quality. Infact the lack of expandable memory slot rather makes want to avoid waiting for the mipad 2.
Although Mipad is stuck on Kitkat, the fine Nvidia gpu makes sure it can run any game you throw at it with ease. The real question is with the lack of updates from xiaomi, how long will mipad continue to be a master amongst gaming tablets ?
Please suggest me if I should buy this device or if there is anything better in the market around this price range, considering this device is almost 2 years old now.
You know what, as the micro-USB charging port on my Teclast P70 started to malfunction less than a year of use in, I've grown more fond of the Type-C connector. While wherever MiPad 2 being an upgrade over MiPad in terms of the raw power is arguable, the Type-C connector and newer OS would sway me to by a MiPad 2.
Yes
I'm regret too. Better buy NVidia Shield Tab. :crying::crying:
Its Great
Its a great device for media consumption , browsing , watching movies and playing games but not so good in terms of multitasking as MIUI is quite heavy and it has only 2GB ram but it does all other things smoothly without issues ! In this price range , atleast i think this is the best
adi4u4882 said:
Hello there,
I mainly want this tablet only for two purposes, one is browsing and another is watching movies.
But i just came to know that this tablet has an aspect ration of 4:3 and watching movies in this tablet will cause the movies to end up with two black spaces on either side.
Will this take away the experience of watching a movie? Other than from Browsing(which i'v heard this tablet is very good) my main usage is at watching Youtube videos and Movies.
Can any of you be kind enough to tell me about these and if this tablet is still good enough to purchase?
Regards,
Adi4u4882
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Simply put, NO. Nobody really mentions the overheat, the persistent lag throughout the UI, etc. I purchased this and the Redmi Note 2 together new and both have been a disaster. The Mi 3W was like the best thing in the world until the sim adapter ruined the sim pins. The Mi 4 was great although it overheated as well in Performance Mode, but performance wouldn't really drop because of the heat. The Mi Note was the love of my life until my son caused me to accidentally drop it two weeks after buying it.
Mi Pad? Terrible. It's nothing like MIUI on any other device. Heck, even the nice MIUI port for the Nexus 7 2012 and 2013 give those two LIFE. But this thing has been a disaster. The UI isn't smooth, not even browsing or typing. The heat? I mean I'm typing this all on it on Balanced Mode, brightness a little over half, no other apps running, no vibration, no sound and average room temp and it's already at 37.2° Celsius (98.96° Fahrenheit). Gaming? I think you can cook an egg on the back. It will throttle. Even ran the 3D Mark "Ice storm Unlimited" benchmark while hot a few days ago and it told me that the device was not at its best and should probably have some background apps closed or given time to cool down. Sure, not everyone wants to game on it even though the GPU was designed for that, but again, typing this up is giving it a bit of a struggle to keep its cool.
It is a beautiful device, and no device is perfect, but I really wouldn't recommend it. Thankfully the heat has not caused my battery to drain at the moment it is occurring (I have seen this with other devices I've owned), but heat + battery = problematic battery in a closer than expected future.
I really don't want to shart on your hopes, but when I read about it, it was a must have for me. Sadly, it was not what I expected.
*If its at a good price and SEALED NEW, sure go for it. But otherwise, big no.
IF IT IS A MI PAD 2, RESEARCH ISSUES FIRST.
Thanks for your candid response. Any potential Mi Pad *2* buyers may also want to consider the fact that Intel has recently decided to drop the entire Atom division (Mi Pad 2 is powered by Intel Atom X5-Z8500), so I wouldn't hold my breath for *any* Android updates for existing Atom-based products.
Has mi pad improved its software?
Its June 2016, has mi pad updates able to solve the heating and other issues till now or this is still a no buy?
Alternatively, is the cm-11 build stable enough for mi pad?
Cm11 is quite stable.
I use Cm11 and it'sfine overall. I get the occasional unexpected app closure but it's not an issue.
I use it for browsing, ebooks and youtube mainly.
Hope this helps.