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so im highly debating on getting a tablet this month since im going on a cross country road trip in august. i decided i didnt want to bring my netbook due to the fact that all i need in a device is to browse the internet, play movies, and play music.
so my question to you guys is if this tablet would be good for me. im so confused because i had my heart set on 4 different devices and then would change my mind the next day. those devices were a rooted nook color, samsung galaxy tab 7, asus transformer, and the htc flyer. has anyone else had these tabs would like to chime in and say why they went with the flyer instead? i read the forums and also played with demo units in best buy so i have an idea about build quality and size for all 4 units. i already have a mytouch 4g running 2.3.4 so i dont see why i should carry the flyer if its running 2.3.3. i could get the asus transformer for a cheaper price as well as honeycomb. but i read a lot of good reviews on this forum about the flyer so im getting confused. lol
i neeeddd helpppppp in choosing
So what is your longer term use case?
The Flyer is a great size, much better than a Transformer for instance for me. I found it more stable and faster than a Transformer. Android 2.3.3 (soon 2.3.4) with Sense seemed better than Honeycomb for me.
I use mine as an e-book reader, web browser and for a few games and videos. It is fantastic for these things. I personally dont even carry the pen any more, but it worked well when I tried it if that is your thing.
The Jones said:
So what is your longer term use case?
The Flyer is a great size, much better than a Transformer for instance for me. I found it more stable and faster than a Transformer. Android 2.3.3 (soon 2.3.4) with Sense seemed better than Honeycomb for me.
I use mine as an e-book reader, web browser and for a few games and videos. It is fantastic for these things. I personally dont even carry the pen any more, but it worked well when I tried it if that is your thing.
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Click to collapse
well i wanted a tablet so i could take it to places and trips but also to use on the couch or bed instead of my netbook.
bapurado said:
well i wanted a tablet so i could take it to places and trips but also to use on the couch or bed instead of my netbook.
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Click to collapse
so, go for Flyer then... beside of that, if you'll get a 3G version, you'll have SMS and MMS out from box, which I don't know how many other tablets does with out hacking.... I'm happy with my Flyer, and i have it from more than a month..
bapurado said:
well i wanted a tablet so i could take it to places and trips but also to use on the couch or bed instead of my netbook.
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Click to collapse
thats the exact reason i wanted 1 as well. I couldnt be any happier with my choice, worked out great when i had a 2 day business trip to phx earlier this week.
heck right now im sitting out back in the hammock surfing the forums in between watching old episodes of Married With Children on Netflix
I currently own the flyer and the xoom. I find myself using the flyer more due to weight and portability. Honestly, the flyer is more responsive. It could be honeycomb problem, but it does fly when using. The op should go try it at bestbuy.
Sent from my HTC Flyer P512
copualt3 said:
I currently own the flyer and the xoom. I find myself using the flyer more due to weight and portability. Honestly, the flyer is more responsive. It could be honeycomb problem, but it does fly when using. The op should go try it at bestbuy.
Sent from my HTC Flyer P512
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Click to collapse
ive actually played with all 4 of the devices i listed minus the rooted nook color. ive only played with the stock firmware with the nook.
honestly they all seemed like nice devices. i just dont know if i should get the flyer or my other top choice which is the asus transformer. granted its heavier but it does have a bigger screen and honeycomb for a cheaper price. im just hoping other users who have had the tablets i listed could say why they chose the flyer instead of the others. im mostly concerned with usability and hardware/software performance more so than the screen size.
The Flyer specs (CPU, memory) beat the crap out of the Galaxy Tab 7" and a rooted Nook Color. So unless cost is your main concern, I'd go for more up-to-date technology.
As far as the Flyer vs. the Transformer, it comes down mostly to what form factor you like better, in other words screen size versus portability. And if you like Honeycomb, and the Transformer's keyboard accessory, then those are factors as well (although the Flyer is allegedly getting HC "soon").
As to why I bought the Flyer, I'm a big fan of HTC products. They make excellent products, and I've been waiting forever for them to release a tablet. The build quality is top notch. Some of the other tablets are okay in this regard, but usually plastic, and don't compare to the Flyer's sleek aluminum unibody.
I have a Galaxy Tab 7 inch and the Flyer 3G.
The Flyer is noticeably heavier than the 7 inch tab and does not have the phone dialler that the tab does, but having said that it is a better tablet by far.
My galaxy tab is rooted and overclocked but is no where near as capable as the Flyer whose processor just seems to munch through every task I throw at it.
Things I don't like about the Flyer are the touch screen which scratches so easily it might as well be made of butter! Appalling really for such a high end device that comes with a pen too, read the threads about scratched screens here.
If you do get one fit a screen protector.
The other disadvantage for me at the moment is no root capability although that may change soon?
The notes app with the pen is useful and coupled with evernote I use this a lot for work too.
I like HTC Sense, but at the moment I am using ADW launcher as I prefer the extra customisation options it gives, I use it on my galaxy s2 phone too.
IMHO the Flyer is the best 7 inch tab out there at the moment and I really like the portability of this form factor as it can be taken everywhere easily enough.
Sent from my HTC Flyer P510e using XDA Premium App
If you want portability, go with a 7" tablet. But a larger 10" screen will make a better replacement for a netbook, in my opinion.
My Flyer is great portability and I really appreciate the pen integration for the workplace. Perfect for further transforming my workflow to digital. And much more discreet than pulling out the iPad for business meetings. Again pen integration is great for note taking in meetings. The portability is also great to bring guidebooks on travel. Drops into a pant pocket...
At home, my iPad stays upstairs in the bedroom as a substitute for my laptop. I can remote into my workstations in the basement and my laptop in the living room. The larger screen is more comfortable for surfing the internet, reading RSS feeds and browsing magazines. iOS got tiring though... no flash, no avi / mkv, difficult to download files... the garden walls got pretty tall.
Get an ASUS Transformer as a replacement for your laptop/netbook. Android, large screen, GPS, microSD, 802.11n... no 3G, but there's a Starbucks on every corner or an Android phone as a hotspot.
Just honest advice.
I really like the pen input aspect, but it seems like for it to be useful you have to flash to HC (which doesn't look easy at all). I'm coming from a Nook Color and while I love it, there are a few things it can't quite do and in light of my wife needing a replacement for her broken original Nook, I'm looking at 7" tablets and giving her the NC.
I've tried a capacitive stylus on the Nook and it doesn't work very well, but from what I've seen of the digital stylus on the flyer it looks like exactly what I wanted. My question is can it be enabled for all applications in gingerbread or do you have to flash to the beta HC for it to work in all apps? How difficult is this to do? I'm mostly interested in sketchbook, Evernote, AndCAD and AutocadWS.
Also, how well does it do with HD video? I have a bunch of recorded TV on my computer (captured through media center and an HD tv card) and the NC is not nearly powerful enough to play them without re-encoding. I'm not worried about image quality (the re-encoded videos look great once run through the two separate encodes required to get them working natively on the NC), but I don't want to re-encode as it's a PITA due to the media format media center uses - I just want to stream them via DLNA. I figured the 1.5ghz processor in the flyer might be the only tablet that could do it as I don't think a dual core would help too much.
Looking at picking up the flyer and stylus at BB tonight, seems to be worth the extra $90 vs. the Lenovo A1 if the stylus can be made to work in the above mentioned apps.
For watching video, you might check out the Archos line of tablets.
www.archos.com
forum.archosfans.com
This company has always focused on the media aspects their devices. There isn't the pen support like on the Flyer, so you will have to use a capacitive stylus.
butterflygirl said:
For watching video, you might check out the Archos line of tablets.
www.archos.com
forum.archosfans.com
This company has always focused on the media aspects their devices. There isn't the pen support like on the Flyer, so you will have to use a capacitive stylus.
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Thanks, I've gone down the capacitive route and it doesn't meet my needs. Are the archos tablets able to handle high def videos better or just better setup for media play interface wise? I don't care much about the interface or anything, just whether it has the power to play HD video or not.
They play hi-def and have a wide range of codec support. Check out the forum at www.archosfans.com for more discussion of this.
Tech specs here: http://www.archos.com/products/gen9/archos_80g9/specs.html?country=us&lang=en
butterflygirl said:
They play hi-def and have a wide range of codec support. Check out the forum at www.archosfans.com for more discussion of this.
Tech specs here: http://www.archos.com/products/gen9/archos_80g9/specs.html?country=us&lang=en
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Click to collapse
The Archos 70 doesn't appear competitive with the flyer. I don't really want a larger tablet...
I tested a 720p anime that i downloaded onto the flyer and it seemed to play okay in rockplayer
I bought the HTC Flyer today and I love it! I sold my Viewsonic G Tablet and with the money I got from that, I went to Best Buy at lunch and picked it up.
I really like the size of this, and the speed is fantastic. This really is a well built and great is a super tablet.
I am really glad that I got this tablet.
The Flyer rocks. Like Butterflygirl, I tested 720p MKV files and they play great on the Flyer, but choke on my Droid 3 and Thrive.
IMO, the Flyer is the best tablet in the market, when considering the total of quality, function, performance and price.
I bought a case and 32gb micro sd for $56 delivered. The case is great for $15 and has two stand positions.
rushless said:
The Flyer rocks. Like Butterflygirl, I tested 720p MKV files and they play great on the Flyer, but choke on my Droid 3 and Thrive.
IMO, the Flyer is the best tablet in the market, when considering the total of quality, function, performance and price.
I bought a case and 32gb micro sd for $56 delivered. The case is great for $15 and has two stand positions.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Where did you buy the 32gb micro sd card?
I came to a flyer from a rooted nook color. So far (after about a week) I love it. Definite upgrade. I just got the stylus today and it is literally night and day from the capacitative stylus I tried on nook color.
Edit: forgot to add... I tried a 1080p mkv x264 blu ray rip and it didn't play. I haven't tried any other video files, but net flix works
kenypowa said:
Where did you buy the 32gb micro sd card?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I bought both the card and case from Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003WGJYCY
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005D7FEAQ
The case is fantastic, BTW.
Im using the Flyer with Gingerbread. The pen is good for taking notes in MSWord, annotations in pdf. No problem so far. Im looking forward to getting HC. The Flyer will be a "killer" then.
I'll be getting a flyer this week as well. My primary concerns are battery life and viewing the screen outdoors. What's the battery life consensus on this bad boy?
Sent from my DROID BIONIC using Tapatalk
I can't comment too much on the battery life, as I have only had it for 2 days, but from what I've experienced with it, its really nice. If you do wifi occasionally, and some videos here and there, but use it mostly for reading books/pdfs (as I do), I estimate that it can last around 3 days with a single charge.
As for the screen, when reading something outside on a sunny day with 0 clouds, I can read off of the screen as long as the sun isn't directly reflecting off of it. It's really nice.
theomni said:
I can't comment too much on the battery life, as I have only had it for 2 days, but from what I've experienced with it, its really nice. If you do wifi occasionally, and some videos here and there, but use it mostly for reading books/pdfs (as I do), I estimate that it can last around 3 days with a single charge.
As for the screen, when reading something outside on a sunny day with 0 clouds, I can read off of the screen as long as the sun isn't directly reflecting off of it. It's really nice.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks, I'm going to try to get to Best Buy again tomorrow. I'm usually not a fan on sense but when I played with it on the Flyer it was really nice. Can't wait to get my hands on this badboy.
Sent from my DROID BIONIC using Tapatalk
You will not be disappointed. And I bet you might be surprised how damn good the flyer is.
life64x said:
You will not be disappointed. And I bet you might be surprised how damn good the flyer is.
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Click to collapse
Talked two persons looking at tablets yesterday while unwashed visiting Best Buy - Received numerous messages from both thanking me in the last 24 hours.
I actually bought mine before launch and am happy even with their lowering the price - It is a real deal now!
Sent from my HTC Flyer P512
woodiah said:
Talked two persons looking at tablets yesterday while unwashed visiting Best Buy - Received numerous messages from both thanking me in the last 24 hours.
I actually bought mine before launch and am happy even with their lowering the price - It is a real deal now!
Sent from my HTC Flyer P512
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Click to collapse
Its a really device. I frankly was surprised. Heads down better then my transformer and nook. If they improve honeycomb..I will put it on instead of keeping rooted stock.
life64x said:
Its a really device. I frankly was surprised. Heads down better then my transformer and nook. If they improve honeycomb..I will put it on instead of keeping rooted stock.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How is it better than the nook? I have my nook rooted and it works really well, I just really want the pen integration and would like to be able to play recorded tv without transcoding. How does the screen of the flyer compare to the nook?
I'm looking at going to HC right off the bat due to being able to use the pen in all apps, how difficult is this?
bobzdar said:
I'm looking at going to HC right off the bat due to being able to use the pen in all apps, how difficult is this?
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Click to collapse
it's as difficult as the user is inexperienced using adb & fastboot to dig out from almost guaranteed mishaps. believe the health warnings. i like running HC on my flyer but it is buggy compared to GB and the development is stagnate pending an official HTC HC-Sense release still unannounced.
We all have flyers and we love them. I have this question. If you root your flyer and then upgrade the os to ICS, jelly bean and beyond. What would it take for you to want to replace it? What would htc have to do in terms of hardware upgrades, besides the obvious one of putting a multi core processor,or maybe adding gorilla glass to make you pull the trigger on the next one? The prospect of a 7" ipad has me intrigued, but even with that I wonder what I would do with my flyer besides make it an alarm clock and then all the apps i would put it , i am back to wanting to carry it with me again. And that has me seriously considering getting another flyer in case I screw the first one up, trying to root it
The next round of tablets will have at least double the screen resolution of the current, so I would probably move to the larger 10" +, except, see my signature below to find out why I probably won't be interested in future tablets even with faster hardware and better screens.
7-8" screen, internal GPS, $200-300 price point and has support longer than launch day. That's all I look for.
Samsung Galaxy Tab and Galaxy S not getting ICS due to Touchwiz bloat.
http://www.theverge.com/2011/12/23/2657132/samsung-no-ics-upgrade-for-galaxy-s-and-galaxy-tab
LOL
same excuse as HTC.............
it'd take a lot for me to go above a 7" tablet...i had a 10" and it was simply way too big
thinner and lighter would have me salivating for an upgrade, though i don't yet feel the need to update my tablet as often as my phone...so it may be the next iteration for me, not the ones directly coming up
actually, there are so many things i DON'T need in a tablet that i'd probably be happy with one of the $100 ebay ripoffs, but i'm too much of a consumer to have one...lol
Im still for the most part very happy with my flyer. esp with the advent of custom roms and oc/uv has made this thing just a treat to play around with. I'm also very happy with it's size.. not too huge. not too small... just right
that said. i've def drooled over the htc jetstream. what bothers me is i can't find it in wifi only anywhere and att is the only one selling them that i could find... but alas.. it's only a dual core...
i think i'll wait and go striaght from single core to quad core for my next tablet. i have been keeping my eye on ASUS recently the prime is cool but came out with a lot of bugs. i was also watching the MEMO 370t quad core 7 inch tab thats supposed to be priced around 250.. u get the same 8mp cam as on the prmie.. but no front facing cam.. and that might be a deal breaker for me as i spend a lot of time on skype with friends and family.
so ... my next flyer would idealy be a quad core dual camera wifi gps THE WERKS!
prolly Q3 or Q4 this year is when i'll be really trying compare whats available and whats up and comming and start planning on getting a new tab.
i already have too many devices to play with lol
2x win mobile phones 2x android phones 1x windows phone 2x android tablets 1x iPad 1x iPhone4s
i wanna start doing video reviews so they start sending me free stuff to review ... *dream job
sent from my HTC Flyer P512 using XDA Premium HD app
I think I'll just see what's available when my contract is up in 2013. I've dropped mine a few times so it has some scuffs.
Hardware I'd like a LED flash for the camera. I'm okay with the 5MP camera, but wouldn't mind a 8MP with full HD recording. That being said, HDMI out is a must. Higher screen resolution would be good too. I think the 1024x600 res can be upgraded. Also seeing how the new iPad has Bluetooth 4.0, that would be nice too. & a better standard pouch. The current one is pathetic.
But I'm not attached to my Flyer at the hip. I'd like another HTC, but if they don't have a new 7" tab soon, I'll have to shop somewhere else....
Sent from my HTC Flyer P510e
This.........
Nokia to release a 10" Windows 8 tablet with dual-core Snapdragon S4 in Q4
I know, blasphemous. But I need more productivity.
@ Digital MD... get a pogoplug... you can stream your own stuff to any device you have
@n7 of 9... do you miss the extra screen real estate of the 10" tablet? I was seriously considering getting a jet stream... cause I wanted another toy... and for the extra screen real estate
For Android tablets, I prefer 7-8". Easier to carry around and easier to hold for reading. My 10" tablet is a Windows 7 tablet and I will probably gets Windows 8 tablet end of the year. Yes... more blasphemy.
Edit: right now it would take a lot for me to get rid of my View. I am on stock HC and love the pen interface. I will probably always get the latest and greatest Archos tablet, but right now the View is the one I always carry with me. I also have the data plan for it which is very convenient.
Bluetooth 4.0 would be great.
A better way to output HDMI (The MHL stuff is just added bulk and works intermittently for me).
7 or 8 inch
better resolution
better gpu
continued scribe support/more apps that take advantage of it
less bezel, more screen real estate
built in kickstand?
vilasman said:
We all have flyers and we love them. I have this question. If you root your flyer and then upgrade the os to ICS, jelly bean and beyond. What would it take for you to want to replace it? What would htc have to do in terms of hardware upgrades, besides the obvious one of putting a multi core processor,or maybe adding gorilla glass to make you pull the trigger on the next one? The prospect of a 7" ipad has me intrigued, but even with that I wonder what I would do with my flyer besides make it an alarm clock and then all the apps i would put it , i am back to wanting to carry it with me again. And that has me seriously considering getting another flyer in case I screw the first one up, trying to root it
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
They would have to break into my house and fill my current flyer with holes. My girlfriend is looking for a flyer now even. The flyer runs amazingly regardless of the specs so I have no reason to want anything new. No tablets I've played with yet, impressed me the way the flyer did.
for a tablet, and for my personal useage patterns my Flyer is all I need
mcord11758 said:
for a tablet, and for my personal useage patterns my Flyer is all I need
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Being totally realistic here.. if the flyer or the tf101 don't suit your tablet needs nothing in the tablet world does.
vilasman said:
We all have flyers and we love them. I have this question. If you root your flyer and then upgrade the os to ICS, jelly bean and beyond. What would it take for you to want to replace it? What would htc have to do in terms of hardware upgrades, besides the obvious one of putting a multi core processor,or maybe adding gorilla glass to make you pull the trigger on the next one?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So far, nothing. The only reason, right now, that I would want to replace my Flyer is because something I did to the Flyer (eg: break it somehow...) I don't want anything larger than 7", I love the pen, and I have no complaints about battery life, screen or OS stability. My previous 7" tablet (cheap Chinese variety) really was a test (to see if 7" would work) and from day one after buying it, I have been on the lookout for a better quality 7" (which took almost 1 1/2 years to come!). Since I've gotten my Flyer, I've not even looked at different tablets...
Not another HTC hardware!
YOSEFE said:
Not another HTC hardware!
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Click to collapse
i'm the opposite...i have zero wish for anything other than HTC devices...every time i've veered i've regretted it
n7of9 said:
i'm the opposite...i have zero wish for anything other than HTC devices...every time i've veered i've regretted it
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I like my samsung captivate.. incredibly flexible when it comes to romming.
I want htc hardware in a phone, the problem is that if I'm going to use a protective case anyway, it defeats the purpose of that high quality metal feeling phone..
I have 3 Tablets:
HTC EVO VIEW 4G (WiFi Only)
WiFi Xoom (GED with ICS)
BlackBerry Playbook (With OS 2.0)
They're all really nice tablets. If you are looking for another nice 7" Tablet then the Playbook is Great for the price ($199). Awesome screen, 1080p Video Recording, HDMI Out, Bluetooth and the OS (QNX) is head & shoulders above IOS & Android. Playbook is really smooth and the Browser is the best Tablet Browser out there (there is only 1 Browser out there that tops it in tests and that is Chrome for Desktops). Apps are coming along.
The sub -$199 Google Nexus tablet.
http://www.phonearena.com/news/Goog...-its-cheap-MeMo-tablet-project-for-it_id28153
I was thinking of sending the fire back for the flyer/view, the HTC has a leg up on almost everything, however I am stuck on a few key features that the fire has, and I would like to know if there is some sort of port, or if HTC built these things in..
The fire has updates for it every few months so far, so its live, since the HTC flyer/view have been cancled, will they get updates??
The flyer/view have the "book sharing" built in, this is a nice book club feature that I like.
and the amazon silk browser has the reader view, BIG winner in my book... any way to do this on the HTC device?
I just want a handy device to read and watch some shows, prime is no big deal since they dont have what I want to see anyway, and I have Netflix anyway... I should also mention that I have a Galaxy note, so I dont "NEED" cameras or anything like that. I just need a nice responsive 7" tablet for reading/web/youtube/Netflix with a bright clear screen..
what do you guys think?
I'm not all that familiar with the other features you mentioned (book share and reader view), but as far as updates, I've found myself not needing or particularly wanting firmware updates for my Flyer. This is coming from a person who constantly changes the ROM on his HTC Desire Z phone to get better performance and features. I have never even bothered to put a custom ROM on my Flyer, the stock ROM just runs so smoothly, and has all the features I need.
I did do the upgrade from Gingerbread to Honeycomb. It added some more tablet-friendly interface layout, bit more eye candy, and much better pen support. It runs just as smoothly as GB. Really more of a personal preference, either GB or HC run rather nicely (fast and smooth).
I haven't found myself wanting anymore out of my Flyer. The performance is great, and I haven't had any significant bugs to speak of. There does seem to be a issue with GPS maintaining lock in HC (but I never use my Flyer for navigation). But of course, that isn't even an option on the Fire, anyway.
I haven't personally had a chance to compare side-by-side. But I believe the Flyer is more responsive (clock speed matters more than dual cores, for most tasks) and has a better screen than the Flyer. What you do get in the Flyer (in addition to the Prime-specific features you mentioned) is probably better support from 3rd party accessory manufacturers, as the Fire already has a healthy customer base, while the Flyer really doesn't have much to speak of.
Thremix said:
I was thinking of sending the fire back for the flyer/view, the HTC has a leg up on almost everything, however I am stuck on a few key features that the fire has, and I would like to know if there is some sort of port, or if HTC built these things in..
The fire has updates for it every few months so far, so its live, since the HTC flyer/view have been cancled, will they get updates??
The flyer/view have the "book sharing" built in, this is a nice book club feature that I like.
and the amazon silk browser has the reader view, BIG winner in my book... any way to do this on the HTC device?
I just want a handy device to read and watch some shows, prime is no big deal since they dont have what I want to see anyway, and I have Netflix anyway... I should also mention that I have a Galaxy note, so I dont "NEED" cameras or anything like that. I just need a nice responsive 7" tablet for reading/web/youtube/Netflix with a bright clear screen..
what do you guys think?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The updates you're talking about with the Fire are overwhelmingly updates to Amazon's proprietary software, not the underlying version of Android. The updates the Flyer/View have received included proprietary changes, but they're accompanied with updates to the Android software. So it's difficult to compare the updates of the two since the nature of each are different. That said, the Flyer/View already has far more functionality than the Fire ever will do to its hardware and access to the Google Play Store (still sounds weird to say that instead of Android Market). No amount of updates to the Fire will ever get it to level of things the Flyer/View can do. The Flyer/View may or may not see any more official updates (no one here knows for sure), but it's already on a higher level than the Fire as it currently stands.
I assume with book sharing you're referring to the lending of Kindle books. You cannot do this with the View/Flyer with Kindle books you have purchased from Amazon. It's a feature exclusive to Kindle devices. You can install the Kindle app on the View/Flyer and have full access to all of your books, but you can't lend/borrow and you don't have access to Prime library.
By "reader view," are you implying that the webpage is reformatted to allow you to more easily read the text? If so, there are ways of doing this on the Flyer/View. It may require a different browser or app, but it can be done.
Overall, the Flyer/View is a more well-rounded device than the Fire from a hardware point of view with GPS, cameras, and optional cellular connectivity (depending on the model). The quality of the screens are both good, and both devices feel great in the hand (although I like the feel of my View better). The View is better from an Android point of view with full access to the suite of Google Apps (Gmail, Voice, Maps, Play Store, etc.), something that the Fire does not have (quite possibly the biggest software-related point in my opinion). On the other hand, if you're heavily invested in the Amazon ecosystem, and your major concern is reading (including the lending/borrowing of books and accessing the Prime library), the Fire offers more options direct from Amazon. If you're into custom ROMs, the Fire also has a much bigger developer community with a lot more support. But as far as an all-around device for "reading/web/youtube/Netflix with a bright clear screen," the Flyer/View is by far the better device in my opinion.
For me, the answer was simple - a regular Kindle e-ink reader for books (including lending/borrowing and the Prime library) since it's far easier on the eyes anyway and can be read outside, and the View for everything else (plus I can read almost all of my Kindle stuff on the View if I don't have my Kindle close by). The incredibly low prices on both devices make owning both a viable option for many that want the best of both worlds.
"I should also mention that I have a Galaxy note, so I dont "NEED" cameras or anything like that. I just need a nice responsive 7" tablet for reading/web/youtube/Netflix with a bright clear screen.."
The screen itself should be about the same between the Fire and the View.
I was getting ready to get a Fire, then considered a Nook Tablet, then a View. Here are the main advantages of the View over the Fire:
-View has physical volume up/down buttons
-View has a microphone
-View has 2 cameras.
-View has 32GB of storage and a micro-SD slot for up to 32GB more.
-View has GPS
That's off the top of my head.
If the Fire does a good job for you with books and videos, you won't really gain anything by switching to the View.
If you want a tablet that is much more capable and runs a stock Android go for the View.
dan1101 said:
-View has 32GB of storage and a micro-SD slot for up to 32GB more.
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A major point that I overlooked in my post. As for the Flyer, it comes in both 16GB and 32GB varieties with the 16GB version being far more prevalent in my experience. Both have expandable storage as well.
"I assume with book sharing you're referring to the lending of Kindle books. You cannot do this with the View/Flyer with Kindle books you have purchased from Amazon. It's a feature exclusive to Kindle devices. You can install the Kindle app on the View/Flyer and have full access to all of your books, but you can't lend/borrow and you don't have access to Prime library."
No thats book lending.
When you're reading a book, there is a little bubble at the bottom. When you press on the bubble, it takes you into a conversation list with other people that are reading the book. Much like a book club. I think that is a neat feature.
I think the kobo at the something like this no?
Thremix said:
When you're reading a book, there is a little bubble at the bottom. When you press on the bubble, it takes you into a conversation list with other people that are reading the book. Much like a book club. I think that is a neat feature.
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No, there isn't an option for this in the Android Kindle app that I see.
That's not a huge deal...
So the htc screen wont be much better? I know the duo core thing is not a big deal, the hitch runs fine from the videos I've seen. Any word on ICS? One last thing.. can you take pretty good notes on the flyer? Is it like the galaxy note?
Thremix said:
That's not a huge deal...
So the htc screen wont be much better? I know the duo core thing is not a big deal, the hitch runs fine from the videos I've seen. Any word on ICS? One last thing.. can you take pretty good notes on the flyer? Is it like the galaxy note?
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The screen difference will be marginal at best.
No official word on ICS.
Yes, the Flyer/View use the same basic technology (albeit from different companies I believe, meaning the Note stylus won't work with the Flyer/View), so note taking is very similar if you have the Scribe. I also had a Note for awhile and found the View to be more precise in that regard.
Wow really.. I think my note is pretty accurate, so the flyer must be nice! I'm going to best buy in hopes of finding a demo.. or maybe sprint..
Thremix said:
Wow really.. I think my note is pretty accurate, so the flyer must be nice! I'm going to best buy in hopes of finding a demo.. or maybe sprint..
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They've been discontinued at both Best Buy and Sprint I believe, so it might be difficult to track down any display models in a store, especially that have a Scribe sitting there to use with it.
I've had other people contend that the Note is more precise, but I found the View to be when I had both devices. So chances are, that really means that they're both pretty similar when it comes to accuracy.
bsweetness said:
No, there isn't an option for this in the Android Kindle app that I see.
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It may not be in the Kindle app, but it is there in the stock HTC Reader app which I understand is powered by Kobo. I have not used it because all of my ebooks are from non-drm epub sources so while the HTC Reader displays those books perfectly, it does not allow me to use the share option.
Anyway to read the kindle books on the kobo app? Reason I ask is that kobo has a nicer UI.
I did find a demo at the sprint store, I liked it and found the screen to he a bit more vivid, I wish I would have had the time to really check out, unfortunately we were on a way to a movie, so I had maybe 30seconds with it. Can anyone cement on the speakers, some of you have had the fire so maybe you can give me an idea of the sound quality of the htc vs the fire? I think I'm gonna buy the HTC, I just need a little push lol..
All of you have been a great help.
Just to throw my thoughts in:
I am a college student and I have an internship in an office. I bought the flyer at the beginning of this semester to take notes and other various things at my job. I have used it for a few months now, and I can say that I don't even carry a notebook any more. It has also fully replaced my netbook. I have read several books for class on it, and it has worked well as far as that goes. The speakers are pretty good quality, I find them acceptable for Skype calls and YouTube videos.
Sent from my mobile typewriter with tapatalk
the flyer/view has basically one of the greatest displays for reading for its highest pixel density of android tablets (ipad 3 has a much higher resolution tho), and great color production for things other than reading. i love my htc flyer, and i would recommend it, the reading experience is still fantastic even if it lacks fire features, because htc adds their own (such as book sharing, as you mentioned)!
Similar Dilemma
I'm in the same boat, torn between fire and flyer.
For me the flyer was an extra $40, so is $40 worth:
bluetooth
2 cameras
512meg extra ram
8gb extra storage
microSD card reader
a microphone...
Normally I say, yes, of course it is, however of those, the only one that actually matters to me... might be the microSD card reader and extra storage, seeing as the fire only ships with 8GB.
Why are those other features not important to me? Because wherever I have my tablet to use, I will 100% of that time have my iPhone 4 in my pocket which has 2 cameras, 32GB storage, a microphone, etc. If I want to take a picture, i'll certainly use my phone before my tablet, same with skip or voice notes, or voip for that matter. If I had a stupid phone, of course I go with the flyer, but with an iPhone, maybe I stick with the kindle fire...
Another consideration is rom updates, yes flyer is popular, however each rom needs to support all that extra hardware, and often one piece either uses an older/supported version of android, or one piece just doesn't work. For example bluetooth for voip, or the hardware buttons of the flyer. With the Kindle it doesn't have much extra hardware, so not much else to support, therefore the rom updates that come out are more "clean" in my view.
I'm forcing myself to use both for a few days this week and make up my mind. The stylus could turn the tide to the flyer though...
We'll see...
paultman said:
I'm in the same boat, torn between fire and flyer.
For me the flyer was an extra $40, so is $40 worth:
bluetooth
2 cameras
512meg extra ram
8gb extra storage
microSD card reader
a microphone...
Normally I say, yes, of course it is, however of those, the only one that actually matters to me... might be the microSD card reader and extra storage, seeing as the fire only ships with 8GB.
Why are those other features not important to me? Because wherever I have my tablet to use, I will 100% of that time have my iPhone 4 in my pocket which has 2 cameras, 32GB storage, a microphone, etc. If I want to take a picture, i'll certainly use my phone before my tablet, same with skip or voice notes, or voip for that matter. If I had a stupid phone, of course I go with the flyer, but with an iPhone, maybe I stick with the kindle fire...
Another consideration is rom updates, yes flyer is popular, however each rom needs to support all that extra hardware, and often one piece either uses an older/supported version of android, or one piece just doesn't work. For example bluetooth for voip, or the hardware buttons of the flyer. With the Kindle it doesn't have much extra hardware, so not much else to support, therefore the rom updates that come out are more "clean" in my view.
I'm forcing myself to use both for a few days this week and make up my mind. The stylus could turn the tide to the flyer though...
We'll see...
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You are 100% in my boat! Lol the flyer will cost me about $50 more, and you and I have the same train of thought. I have my galaxy note for EVERYTHING, and with me, my gnote is almost as big as the tablets of topic! Lol
I found the speed to be more or less on par with these two tablets. And the htc reader app is a joke, the fire has a better "reading" atmosphere with the ability to change font and word spacing, and the silk browser reader view is a BIG home run.. I still can't shake the feeling I should just get the flyer.. lol
Thremix said:
Anyway to read the kindle books on the kobo app? Reason I ask is that kobo has a nicer UI.
I did find a demo at the sprint store, I liked it and found the screen to he a bit more vivid, I wish I would have had the time to really check out, unfortunately we were on a way to a movie, so I had maybe 30seconds with it. Can anyone cement on the speakers, some of you have had the fire so maybe you can give me an idea of the sound quality of the htc vs the fire? I think I'm gonna buy the HTC, I just need a little push lol..
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The Kindle books are DRM-protected, so unless you want to find a way around that (something we can't discuss on these forums), you have to use the Kindle app for Kindle books.
The Flyer/View have pretty darn good speakers for the size of the tablet. I can't think of a time when I wasn't more than satisfied with them.
Thremix said:
And the htc reader app is a joke, the fire has a better "reading" atmosphere with the ability to change font and word spacing, and the silk browser reader view is a BIG home run.. I still can't shake the feeling I should just get the flyer.. lol
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You don't have to use the HTC Reader app (although you can adjust the size of the text in the app). There are several different e-reader apps in the Play store that let you adjust font and spacing (and I know the Kindle app will at least let you adjust the font). But the biggest advantage to using the HTC Reader is that it has full integration with the Scribe pen. On Honeycomb, you can use the Scribe with any app, but you'll only be able to use some of the advanced functions of the pen with apps that are optimized for it.
You're definitely right about the Fire having a better "reading atmosphere" though. That's its primary purpose (along with watching video), so Amazon has put a lot of significant thought and design into it. The Flyer/View is very much a multi-purpose device, with the focus spread throughout the device instead of on just a couple areas like the Fire. That's why for people who want a device that is primarily going to be a reading/video device with most of the content coming from Amazon, the Fire is definitely a great option. But for those who want more than that, the Flyer/View offers many more options.
I just won a like new htc flyer with case and scrib pen for $212 shipped..
Dude, demonoid has all the books u need, the flyer reader app supports the pens and its unbeatable bybany other tablet, om taking notes all the tome, signing documents etc
Sent from my HTC Flyer P510e using XDA Premium App
Need some advice help me out! .... HTC Flyer 3G or HTC Jetstream 32GB, 4G?
(if same price)
Thanx
viriatto said:
Need some advice help me out! .... HTC Flyer 3G or HTC Jetstream 32GB, 4G?
(if same price)
Thanx
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Absolutely depends on your application. I have experience with both - I own a Jetstream and a very close friend of mine owns a Flyer. What is your application. I shall suggest accordingly in view of that.
I'm debating the very same thing. I had a tablet pc (HP tmz2) and used it for taking notes like crazy.
At work I go through a couple of those little 5x8" pads of paper a month. I would like to replace those. I also take a lot of other notes, business books, church, etc. I thought the Flyer might be good since its about the 5x8 pad size ( a little smaller) but maybe its too small.
I will use this mostly for notes. I have a 9.8" Android tablet (Window N90... chinese but works great) and an epic 4g so I really don't need another plain android tablet. I really just need something to write with. I don't really want to spend 500 bucks on a Galaxy note 10.1... if I was going to go that far, I could get some sort of slate pc with full windows (probably for $600-700). I can get the Jetstream for 250ish probably, the lenovo thinkpad tablet for 250ish or the flyer for 150ish...
Based on your usage with the 2 sizes and the fact that I really just want to take notes (not really super in depth college-classroom style notes... just rarely do I want to take these kind of notes), what is your suggestion?
icevapor said:
I'm debating the very same thing. I had a tablet pc (HP tmz2) and used it for taking notes like crazy.
At work I go through a couple of those little 5x8" pads of paper a month. I would like to replace those. I also take a lot of other notes, business books, church, etc. I thought the Flyer might be good since its about the 5x8 pad size ( a little smaller) but maybe its too small.
I will use this mostly for notes. I have a 9.8" Android tablet (Window N90... chinese but works great) and an epic 4g so I really don't need another plain android tablet. I really just need something to write with. I don't really want to spend 500 bucks on a Galaxy note 10.1... if I was going to go that far, I could get some sort of slate pc with full windows (probably for $600-700). I can get the Jetstream for 250ish probably, the lenovo thinkpad tablet for 250ish or the flyer for 150ish...
Based on your usage with the 2 sizes and the fact that I really just want to take notes (not really super in depth college-classroom style notes... just rarely do I want to take these kind of notes), what is your suggestion?
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Ok as you are looking at something to take notes mainly, then I would definitely suggest either of these HTC devices or Samsung's note devices. Difference between them-Samsung is more acceptable and more post-purchase support. I have used the Note and I definitely like the HTC Flyer or Jetstream better. Note 10.1 I have no experience so can't say much about it.
Between the Flyer and Jetstream, the basic difference is in the size. For a fully functional pen experience on the Flyer, definitely need to upgrade to Honeycomb. The gingerbread pen experience is honestly bad. The experience with the pen on Flyer honeycomb and Jetstream is the same. So no complaints there. Only question that then comes to mind is what about future? If you amongst those who need to have updates on and off and it itches to have something new, then Flyer for the simple fact that the community is larger and there are already updates available. So you will be getting.your hands on some newer flavors of android for sure. The Jetstream userbase is smaller and.not much development happening so for.now, it is more or less what you buy is what you will be sticking with. But, if you want a device which is going to have better hardware specs, the Jetstream wins hands down.
Seeing as you have a 9.8 tab and are happy with it, would be more sensible to go for the Flyer as you already have a larger tab for the other functions. If however you are looking at something to replace your old tab and give you your notes function, then I would suggest the Jetstream.
I am definitely very happy with my Jetstream and I know my friend with the flyer is also.very happy with his flyer. So I can assure you this that no.matter what others say, once you buy either of the tablets, I know they will work well and will serve your purpose equally well. If portability is an.issue, then flyer better (as in the case of my friend) but if it isn't, I would go for the Jetstream.
Sent from my HTC PG09410 using xda app-developers app
icevapor said:
I also take a lot of other notes, business books, church, etc. I thought the Flyer might be good since its about the 5x8 pad size ( a little smaller) but maybe its too small.
... I really just need something to write with. I don't really want to spend 500 bucks on a Galaxy note 10.1... if I was going to go that far, I could get some sort of slate pc with full windows (probably for $600-700). I can get the Jetstream for 250ish probably...
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Click to collapse
I have two tablets--a JetStream and a Samsung Slate Series 7 (SSS7 - a tablet PC). I use my SSS7 for taking notes at conferences, church, etc.
I have tried a few different note taking ap's on the JetStream that will capture hand written notes using the HTC stylus (i.e., storing the hand written text) -- I have yet to find anything that compares to using OneNote on the SSS7. OneNote is superior to any of the note taking applications on the android, at least the ones that I have tried, which recognize the HTC stylus.
To be fair, I need to give the native note taking ap on the JetStream another chance to see how it does (i.e., I tried it early on but not recently), but when I have used recommended programs such as Quill and PhatPad, they do not compare very well to the SSS7 & OneNote. Quill is not as smooth and PhatPad was just lagey.
I am not sure if the slowness is due to pen technology on the HTC being inferior to that of the SSS7 (Wacom) or if the issue is with Android 3.x OS -- I have heard that Icecream (4.x) would be faster. The tips on the Wacom stylus that can be switched out, to provide either the feel of a pencil or a pen.
Additionally, the built in hand recognition s/w on W7 and W8 is many times better than what I have been able to find on the Android (e.g., WritePad) -- W7 / W8, it can learn on it's own based on your corrections, or you can enter 50 sentences and it learns your hand writing -- I can nearly scribble something on the SSS7, and it gets it correct most of the time. The experience on the JetStream is usually frustrating.