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I don't currently own a G Tablet. I'm in the market for a tablet though. Would you guys buy this device again?? How is development community? I was thinking about buying a Barnes and Noble nook, but for 50 dollars more you can get this device with much better hardware. What do you guys think as owners of this device?
Tynen said:
I don't currently own a G Tablet. I'm in the market for a tablet though. Would you guys buy this device again?? How is development community? I was thinking about buying a Barnes and Noble nook, but for 50 dollars more you can get this device with much better hardware. What do you guys think as owners of this device?
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Using search, I found the exact same topic I replied to the last time.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1068794
Oddly enough, the title was "would you buy again/still"
Tynen said:
Would you guys buy this device again??
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For sub $300 BNIB and sub $250 (used with accessories) hell yes
And BTW I do have a nook color as well as a gtab.
Just check all the threads here about the honey comb port, over clocking kernels, custom ROMs, ..
In a skinny minute.
No. The screen is just abysmal. I knew going in the poor viewing angles and reflectivity. But I cannot stress enough how poor on both counts. The screen is so poor that color shifts occur at the edges when viewing straight on. The angles so poor that rotations, very normal and expected with a pad, are visually tedious on the yes. Each orientation offers its own set of problems.
I love the hardware. I love the tweakability. I'm a hardcore Android phone user of almost two years now. I am committed to Android over iOS. But I just cannot tolerate the screen.
In a heartbeat! I have a number of Android devices and the Grab is my favorite! I bought for the price and stayed because I love it.
gwalborn
Sent from my VEGAn-TAB-v1.0.0b5.1.1 using Tapatalk
Yes, and I actually did buy again (2nd one, for my son).
Mine is still stock, and I use it daily, for web and news. My son has CM7 on his.
Jim
Yup. Love it.
Well it's been a week with the one I bought for my kid....
And I am trying to talk myself off the ledge of buying 1-2 more, it is that good...
I never booted the stock rom, went right to Vegantab7, smooth as silk....XDA should be PAID BIG TIME by viewsonic...Really viewsonic might consider letting XDA run their tablet division, and they would SMOKE all competition.
I am a hardcore laptop user, but this thing really could replace quite a lot, except for windows specific apps...
Plus I can tether wirelessly through my rooted OG droid, really elegant all around..
Money WELL spent.
Good luck.
Scott
Without a doubt! Running Honeycomb thanks to the development community!
I wouldn't pay the original $399 but for under $300 its the best bang for the buck. I'm hoping to get a second one soon. I like the nook but the 7 inch screen is just too small. I really don't get all the complaints about the screen.
I have two G-Tablets. After purchasing the first one, I really thought the whole screen issue was overblown, so when I saw an ad for a used tab with a case and micro sd for $200, I jumped on it. As it turns out, the viewing angels are noticeably worse. I have to believe there are quality control issues from the Chinese manufacturer, and explains the amount of people who complain of this. The original one did not have a great screen, but it was acceptable. The latter, however, is worse yet. My opinion only.
My biggest complain against purchasing again would have been the lack of vendor support. However this has been resolved based on the support of the developers here and elsewhere. I would not however, pay more than $250 for the device, as it is clearly reaching its end of hardware life; although the developers are extending its software life.
The device is also a good gateway into the world of android and should help people decide what type of device to purchase in the future. One with 'proven' vendor support vs one that is more risky. Which in reality translates into more expensive verus less.
I also think the only way to explain the wide range in screen experiences, has to be build based. I don't have problem with the screen; to me it looks and behaves as a typical netbook screen would.
So my answer would be, I would buy again if I could find one around $250 and could be assured of the screen quality.
Nope, I returned mine after 7 days. The screen is truly awful (or was on mine) and while the developer support is great and certainly makes the device worlds better than it is stock, my opinion is that it's still too flawed. I kept running into things that simply wouldn't work (multiple apps and widgets) and these issues were causing me to fuss with more than just use the device. But what it did show me was that I think I would enjoy regularly using a tablet so for now I'll wait for Asus to ramp up production of the Transformer and for $100 more than G-Tab I'll have something with a native OS that runs and a screen that is likely to be 10x better. Or for less $ I may pick up a Nook color and mess around with that.
That's my 2c anyway.
Absolutely. I don't know where else you'll match the value (price/performance combo).
The screen could bother some...depends on your expectations. For me, it's a non issue. The audio issue (occasional steady buzz that takes a reboot to fix) is worse for me.
If you expect a $600+ device, this isn't it. But it's close, and can be had for less than half that.
I did buy mine. I agree that it's an amazing tablet and the community is awesome! But the screen is horrendous.
Now that I've got Netflix installed, I am very happy. In the process, I've come to the conclusion that the CM7 nightlies are the way to go if only for the increased battery life. Also, TNT and Vegan both had the deep sleep problems that I have yet to encounter with CM7
So, yes. It took a while, but I've finally gotten this to run the way I want it to. I'd certainly buy again at the WOOT! pricepoint.
Probably not. Its a great tablet for the price, but the vendor support just isn't there. The best support/info is from this site.
Just too many bugs with it.
But I must admit that I mostly use it for surfing the net while I am at work, and that does it just fine.
Absolutely!
I made an educated decision to buy it in the first place. I came here and other forums to research and understood that I was getting a tablet that had a lackluster screen, really good internals, and a crappy default OS. However I also knew that the quality of the ROMs and community support here on XDA and was comfortable with that. I did not walk into this blind and I think that makes my answer easier.
The screen is not as bad as I thought it would be. So that has not been an issue for me. I do think it is inconsistent or some people are making it sound worse than it is. Maybe a personal issue or preference.
However for less than $300 I have a device and with Vegan Ginger on it, I have had both IPAD and Xoom users be shocked how good it is for half the price.
My intention was also to purchase one of these for a lower price and wait for this rush of new tablets to come out. You generally see much better products after the initial rush. This way in a year I will hand this to my kids and get a high end tablet that will most likely blow anything that is out there now, out of the water.
Hi all,
I know the G tab has been out since late last year...
And I know that after I root and rom it, this thing will be amazing.
But am I too late for the party? Is it worth it to buy one now? Or should I just wait at this point to see if something better is coming out... I have not been researching tablets as much as phones lately.
oresteez said:
Hi all,
I know the G tab has been out since late last year...
And I know that after I root and rom it, this thing will be amazing.
But am I too late for the party? Is it worth it to buy one now? Or should I just wait at this point to see if something better is coming out... I have not been researching tablets as much as phones lately.
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This is a good question. The G-Tab is a sweet tablet for the price point, it will get its best shot at Honeycomb next week, when Notion Ink drops a first party release of Honeycomb for the Adam (which shares a lot of similar elements to our tablet).
That being said, everyone who currently owns a tablet (except for the Transformer and the NEW Galaxy Tab 10.1) is paying the early adopter price. Android isn't 100% there yet, but if you own an Android phone you know this. For me, I absolutely love Gingerbread (2.3.3) on my Droid X, and I loved 2.3.4 on my Droid 1; it's a complete enough OS for me now. Honeycomb 3.1 feels much better than 3.0 as well.
Tegra 3 (Kal-El) is right around the corner, and will probably come in at a $400.00 price point. Qualcomm is shooting for 4-core tablet processors by the end of the year (Q4). Also, we're expecting to see Ice Cream / Ice Cream Sandwich (next Android version, for both tablet and phone) in late Q3.
If you can wait, wait. if not, get a G-Tab. Something like a Xoom is not worth the premium over the G-Tab, even for a nicer screen.
It is an excellent question, but you really have to understand your own tech preferences to know for sure.
The GTAB's main cons right now are the screen angles (most likely unfixable) and the stock software. For the latter, there are many mods you can use, but if you are looking for a HC port it's not quite there yet - we're hoping that will change soon.
Its pros are price. For $125 less than a Transformer, you can get a device that's comparable in speed and might be comparable in software, in the near future. But you are in the hands of the modding community since the vendor seems to have abandoned the device.
There will always be the next best thing, around the corner. So it's a really a question of price and whether or not the device serves your purposes at that price.
I'm confident that this device is more than capable of doing what I want to do.
Mostly web browsing.
Some games.
Perhaps Facebook games.
youtube, flash, netflix if possible.
I'm not going to use it for work, and start editting documents, etc.
I'm going to check out one at Sears possibly today and see if the viewing angles are an issue.
I think the main reason I'm worried about something new coming out, is because of the chance the modding community might move on to the next device. haha
Also a valid point to consider. I can't speak for everyone here, but for myself I plan to pull back after this month. Not so much because the GTAB isn't a good device to mod anymore, but for personal reasons (taking a break from modding tablets, in general - will still have my GTAB but will be less focused on it, that's all).
There was a bit of a lull last month, but there's still activity right now in development as new devs have popped up as some of the older devs/modders have moved on it seems. So, it's hard to say what will happen in a few months, but right now there's still some activity. I think that will continue until the Notion Ink HC port shows up and it's ported over to the GTAB (we hope).
Great info in these posts as i'm in the same situation as the original poster. Currently an ipad user but would like to try an android tablet on the "cheap". Unfortunately, there isn't any retailer nearby carrying the tablet so i cant see how bad the viewing angles are first hand. Is the screen good straight on?
Elroyy said:
Great info in these posts as i'm in the same situation as the original poster. Currently an ipad user but would like to try an android tablet on the "cheap". Unfortunately, there isn't any retailer nearby carrying the tablet so i cant see how bad the viewing angles are first hand. Is the screen good straight on?
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Have you ever used a netbook before? The screen is a typical netbook screen. Straight on and 45 degrees each way looks fine. From up above viewing angle will go to almost 90 degrees without the loss of quality. From below anything beyond 45 degrees and you will lose the colors.
There are also some nice youtube video comparisons between the G-Tablet and iPad. One in particular shows the differences in the viewing angles. You'll know which one I'm talking about becuase the creator uses his daughter's iPad, with her "Hello Kitty" wallpaper on it...
(in my opinion though, how can you see the superiority of a screen that has Hello Kitty on it, lol)
The viewing angles are bad, but, I VERY rarely need to share the screen or find myself in a position where the screen is hard to see. sure, other devices have screens with better angles, but how often do you browse the web or watch a movie at an 80 degree angle from a personal device?
I love this tablet. I bought a leather case from electronic crap dot com and its like carrying around a journal. Easy to carry, I play games on it and I log into my computer at work from it all the time.
I agree, there always something better around the corner, but this tab has a great price point and there are lots of stable and highly usable roms.
Bottom line is you don't get this tablet because its the latest and greatest. You gt it because its way cheaper than other tabs with the same power.
Thanks everyone. I do have a netbook, never really had issues with the screen. I also saw that video with the hello kitty screen saver. Straight on, i'm guessing the screen is pretty decent.
You will be happier spending a bit more on the crop of Honeycomb tablets released this year. The first time you flip your gTab around to show someone something on the screen, only to see that person moving his or her head around with a look of stern concentration on their face, desperately trying to find the right angle to see what the hell you're trying to show them, you'll wish you had forked over their extra $100 or so for a better screen. You may think, "Oh I'll never do that, I'll always just be looking at it straight on with no deviation!" but you'll find out soon enough that's not the case.
That's just one example. There are other solitary situations where the screen won't be at the sweet-spot angle -- for example, my Transformer is sitting on my desk here at work, propped up in its case, but it's behind me and to the right, and still looks great. I often reach back and press the power switch to get a quick look at my email or whatnot. The gTab would require me to move directly in front of it to get a good view.
gTab was a good starter tablet when the only other option was a $700 Xoom. With the cheaper tablets being released, its value has decreased greatly. But if you only have $275 or whatever to spend, and can't afford $125 more, then I guess it's your best option for a 10.1" Android tablet.
Hi my 2 cents...
Having used the G-tab for about 4+ months; my recommendation is to wait (if you can). My biggest gripe is the screen (both resolution and viewing angles).
I use it primarily as a media consumption device...watching videos, games, browsing and reading books (in that order)
videos - if I have an option (pc or tv near by) i chose them as the resolution on G-tab is not good. HD videos are choppy (I have tried a few mods but all more or less same)
Games - this is good no complaints
Browsing - this does not have 3g so without wifi its useless. I tether using my iphone, which is cumbersome but works
Reading books - good; but the screen is useless outside (unless its night or cloudy)
This is a great device to buy cheap and beat the crap out of it...(software wise). I also owned an ipad and adam and they also have their own problems.
My first Android tablet is Gtab because it is cheaper and has good performance compared to other 10" tablet in the market. For 10" size tablet, if you have up to $300 budget, Gtab was a good starter tablet (with Xda support). If you have up to $400 to spend, ASUS transformer is not bad. If you have more than $500, of course, you will have more choices. So it depend on your budget.
Thanks everyone for your replies. I think this would be a good, cheap way to get into Android tablets. I would still have my ipad as a backup.
asdf73 said:
videos - if I have an option (pc or tv near by) i chose them as the resolution on G-tab is not good. HD videos are choppy (I have tried a few mods but all more or less same)
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I'm willing to bet you only tried the ginger based ones. Those don't have hw acceleration, so HD vids are choppy. The froyo ones, especially the ones based off of TnT, are pretty smooth.
My recommendation to the OP is if you're going to get the gtab please please please go to my website and read it. And if you're going to compare it to the ipad, please stick with froyo. It is not the latest and greatest, but it certainly is stable and fast.
I was thinking about TF or GT10.1 but non of HC based tablets supports Netflix as for the moment... Well, paying $125 or more in case of GT10.1 for not been able to watch Netflix in my opinion is just wrong.
No doubt, IPS or better screen is a must for photo-frames.
All in all there are no perfect tablet as of now but hopefully we will get there...
I went to Office Depot today to see the screen.
I didn't think it was as bad as what everyone is saying.
Sure, its not as nice as an iPad screen...but its potentially almost half the price...
I don't mind that tradeoff... I'm looking at buying it used anyway. I figured that's the best way to break into the tablet realm and not have any regret about not waiting..
oresteez said:
I went to Office Depot today to see the screen.
I didn't think it was as bad as what everyone is saying.
Sure, its not as nice as an iPad screen...but its potentially almost half the price...
I don't mind that tradeoff... I'm looking at buying it used anyway. I figured that's the best way to break into the tablet realm and not have any regret about not waiting..
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Hey, I sent you a private message. PEACE!!
I highly NOT recommend buying the G Tablet. It has nothing to do with the viewing angles.
The reasons why I would tell people to stay away from the tablet are the following:
1) Viewsonic released the damn thing and then basicaly orphaned it immediately. The result is a lack of software libraries needed for development, and the implications are inferior mods with more limited capabilities. As far as I'm aware, there are no Gingerbread roms that truly support HD or fully support graphics hardware acceleration. And getting Honeycomb on the damn thing has been a Promethian effort. All Honeycomb mods are in alpha, and there's hardly any guarantee that any will ever be fully functioning.
2) The bulky design is far from a joy to hold in your hands. It makes it unpleasant to use the touchscreen while holding it, making both gameplay and activities like typing more difficult.
3) Others may disagree with me, but software on the tablet has always acted jerky and has always been slow. It completely lacks the smoothness of other devices, and sometimes it's hard to believe that you're actually using a comparartively (for price vs. power) powerful piece of hardware with dual core processor and not something that feels like it barely has the computational power to run your web browser or word processor (however, it does handle graphics rendering as well as it should).
Maybe I'm overly pessimistic, but I cannot imagine an application for which the G Tablet could be at all recommended. I would highly advise looking elsewhere for an entry level Android device, or wait for the new batch of Honeycomb tablets which will roll into stores very soon.
Just curious how people feel who have played with them a few days.
If android never comes, are you happy with the device as is? Is the current crop of apps and the OS not sufficient and you bought it only with the hopes of android?
Do you like the existing OS and if android is never ported would you still be happy with your purchase?
I think for 99/149 I don't see many complainers but just curious what people think who've had the device a few days.
I have had it a few hours and I am very happy, the few thins i really want my tablet to do it is do wonderfully, even more happy than my Nook Color on CM7. honeycomb on the NC might be nicer, but until a HC port comes to touchpad i doubt i'll put android on it.
If no android then its ****. I don't like the webos. ANDROID is farrrrrrrrr better.
I agree that android is so much better.. one thing that would make this thing collect dust on my desk is the lack of apps.. I must admit that i did get it mainly for the potential of an android port. I am of no help porting android but if that doesn't happen relatively soon then I think it will be on eBay..
I have a question for those that may be more familiar with webos... when i am listening to music and plug my headphones in, it still plays the music on the speakers and my headphones, which as you know defeats one of the main purposes of headphones.. LOL is it a bug or intended?
I really like it, I think webos makes more sense on a tablet than android currently does, but that's imho. Its a shame they dumbled in the beginning of the os game, it could've been something special. Inductive charging is really cool, I misses that after I got rid of my pre and its cool to have it back. I'm surprised more devices don't have it. The tp isn't great for app happy people, but out of the hundreds of appa I've tried on ansroid I only use 3 or 4 of them regularly ans the tp's internet ia more than capable of replacing some of them.
Sent from my Nexus S 4G using XDA App
For what I paid and what limitations they inherently have, I couldn't justify paying more than $150 with any OS on it. I'd like to see some more games on the WebOS side but at $150 I'm happy with it and it wouldn't be worth any substantial money to have more.
Even if Android doesn't come, I am happy with my purchase. I really like the way a lot of things work in webOS. But I will replace the OS with android if it gets a polished build.
Even if you only use the touchpad as a digital picture frame, you can't get one with this size and quality of screen for $99.
For what I paid and what limitations they inherently have, I couldn't justify paying more than $150 with any OS on it.
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You wouldn't pay more than 150 even if it had android on it? Say it was an official android device and it was 200 bucks. You wouldn't think that was a deal?
Like it so far the audio is great.
Mine is sitting quietly in my office, waiting for someone to work some magic with Android. I've played around with webOS for a few hours but that got boring fast. This is my first tablet purchase and even at the firesale price I'm not impressed. I see little use for tablets beyond being a source of occasional entertainment for people with money to burn.
Sent from my Nexus S using XDA Premium App
i manage to get two 32gb,
i give one to my wife with the intent to keep it stock webos and the other for me to play and maybe flash android one day.
i love android ,but 115 british pounds for a capacitor screen with a browser that support flash,a decent email client,photos and video playing,music sound good(due to the thickness of the tablet i think the speakers take advantage of that),just a bit heavy.
what there is to don't like.??
definitely not a 400pounds worth,but definitely 115.
don't forget the nice 50gb free cloud space that comes with it.
thumb up for me.
So far, I love my decision to purchase it. I picked two up, one for me and one for the girlfriend. WebOS is very smooth and looks amazing but needs some more apps which could come with the huge influx of Touchpads. I will be looking forward to an android port just to mess around with it and decided which to keep.
I've currently applied a few speed patches and have it overclocked to 1.5GHz and it flies.
I feel like the screen clarity sucks. I have never used a tablet before, except a brief use of a ipad during a checkout, but the touchpad screen looks blurry to me. It remind me of the old school color screen nextel phones i95.
I've had it for almost a day now. Very happy after I finally got the patch installed, it's pretty ridiculous to have to click the thing 20 times to get the patch to finish.
When I bought it I had fully intended to flash android when it's ported, but now I think I'm going to stick with webos for quite a while. There's nothing that I really miss from the Nook Color so far, and webos has a far better browser and keyboard than android.
I bought one and ordered another (that I hope will someday arrive). After playing with this one for a few days... I wish I had bought a few more.
Yeah, app catalog is lacking, but as a previous poster said, $100-150 for a 9.7" capacitive, snappy internet slate is awesome. I'd love to permanently mount one in the kitchen for recipes and whatnot, and replace the "family calendar".
Can anyone comment on the readability of PDFs on the Touchpad? That is the primary reason I would be buying this to supplement my nook color.
The NC is perfect for everything except finance/accounting/technical PDFs , for which I'm hoping the 10" screen of Touchpad would be better?
lazarus2297 said:
I agree that android is so much better.. one thing that would make this thing collect dust on my desk is the lack of apps.. I must admit that i did get it mainly for the potential of an android port. I am of no help porting android but if that doesn't happen relatively soon then I think it will be on eBay..
I have a question for those that may be more familiar with webos... when i am listening to music and plug my headphones in, it still plays the music on the speakers and my headphones, which as you know defeats one of the main purposes of headphones.. LOL is it a bug or intended?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Same thing happened to me when I plugged in my beats by Dre solo hds.. did the software update and problem was eliminated..
Sent from my LG-P999 using XDA App
Proud owner its still in the unopened box, haven't had time to open it and get into it enjoyably.Plan to keep it stock Web OS, I owned a palm pre and enjoyed it. I still believe Web OS is underrated and some users don't see the brilliance of it. I would have paid more if I had to. But the idea of flashing anything on it talks to the flashing geek in me haha. I would be more interested in flashing window 7 on it (not sure if it's a option) just saying.
Enjoy...
Sent from my Nexus X 4G using xda premium
imjimmy said:
Can anyone comment on the readability of PDFs on the Touchpad? That is the primary reason I would be buying this to supplement my nook color.
The NC is perfect for everything except finance/accounting/technical PDFs , for which I'm hoping the 10" screen of Touchpad would be better?
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the built in app is decent at PDFs
I'm actually surprised by how much I like mine. I have a honeycomb tablet, also, and the hp is actually very enjoyable to use. It definitely lacks in expandability, since the app catalogue is def smaller, but I actually like it a lot.
That being said, definitely not worth the original price. 150$ (32gb) maybe.... we'll see in a few weeks.
after a string of cancelled orders, I decided to just suck it up and buy one from CL. I paid about 40$ over tax+shipping but it's worth not having to deal with shopping around while at work. I'm much more productive and I actually have my toy in my hands.
That being said I'm keeping my eyes open for a 16gb for my daughter to play with, hopefully HP SMB will have some more tomorrow.
I know this question has come up before, but still looking for some opinions. I just returned a transformer prime that I purchased due to some dead pixels on the display and have been questioning what I should do.
With the time I had with the prime, I was impressed overall with the experience. The wireless was on the weak side, but I didn't have an issue using it anywhere in my house I needed to. With the upcoming 1080p displays, I am thinking I will wait to get another tablet as I would like to use it to read and I'm sure the higher resolution will make a big difference. I also know that other manufacturers will be releasing competitive devices, so I may not stick with ASUS depending on what else is out there, although I do like that it seems like they are on top of updates and bugfixes unlike some of the other companies.
I have also been considering looking at the next ipad when it is released. I am definitely an android fan, and haven't used ios much other than playing a bit on other people's iphones. I know that there isn't as much OS customization available for the device, but I am not sure if that should be a deciding factor. I know the ipad defninitely has more tablet specific apps and even though android does handle scaling any app up to tablet size, some of the games and apps aren't that great. It also seems like if a company is going to release an app or a game that it will definitely be available for ios and may or may not be for android. I don't really haven't figured out what my overall use of the tablet will be, but I would hate to limit myself because an app I want isn't available.
I'm not sure what everybody's thought is on this. I know that this is an android specific forum, but I'm also sure that a lot of people probably own or have used an ipad and know it's strengths and weaknesses.
I am in the same boat with you. I have been holding off for a while before getting a prime. I was planning on picking one up tomorrow. I do not support apple products, nor do they stick out to me. they make great stuff. But sense all the new UI with android devices is improving daily, its awesome. Both Acer and Levono are coming out with a Tegra 3 quad core powered tablet in the near future. I have been lurking these forums for a while doing my research and checking reveiws and watching issues. While i really want the transformer prime aside from any other tablet out. I feel that some of these issues weigh heavy in my decision..
In short. if you like the tablet alot, give it another shot. If you do not. Wait and see what happens soon.
I would say that if you don't need a tablet right now, and you don't need a tablet with a keyboard dock then wait until there is more selection before making a new purchase. There is no sense in buying something you are unsure about, or keeping something that you aren't completely happy with.
As for the iPad, I have used them and while they are very smooth I just wasn't impressed with the OS itself. It ran fine (better than Android in a lot of ways) and there are a lot of apps available for it that I wish were on Android but the overall experience just never got me all that excited about the device. All in all the iPad is great, though. It just wasn't for me.
One thing to consider if you are moving from Android to iOS is that you will have to buy or find replacements for any apps that you have come to rely on. For most Android apps you will be able to find a direct replacement in iOS, but it would be an added expense on top of the cost of the new hardware. Also you would lose out on most Google services, so if you have come to rely on those the transition might be a little rough. Google makes apps for iOS but they are no where near as nice as they are on Android.
Getting new apps will be a bit of a pain, but I would assume there is an equivalent ios app for everything that I rely on with my phone. The google apps may be a problem. I will have to take a look to see how they work and if they will suit my needs.
My UK Prime is due for delivery this weekend, but I'm still 50/50 whether to cancel or not.
However, when I'm on the 50% side to persue the purchase it's because I realise there are unlikely to be any other competing tablets out for at least 6 months. If competing tablets are announced in mid to late Feb, stock won't be here until June or July.
I plan on keeping my Prime for 12 months. By xmas time, the tablet market should have matured nicely with the next wave of technology in them, and I'll look to sell my Prime and upgrade.
But I'm not willing to wait 6 months for something similar or better to come out.
I want one now and the only two tablets I'd consider are the iPad 2.5 (due in March) and the Prime.
I don't own a hp touchpad or have ever used one, what are your experiences in using one?
I'm thinking of buying a second hand one for use as a 720p video player (downscaling videos) and occasional web surfing on CM9 or CM10 (depending on what works better).
Is there anything I should know before buying one? What are the cons of this compared to other tablets?
Thanks!
Unless you particularly want one, or its ridiculously cheap I wouldn't bother.
The WebOS OS is alright but it is now largely unsupported and you aren't likely to get new apps other than via Preware and the community.
Android CM9 on the device is stable but I haven't managed to get a stable enough CM10 build working reliably to keep our long term.
Getting replacement batteries is becoming harder and they are likely to fail any time now! In fact that's the position I'm in now and as I'm outside the US, it's either throw the TP away or take a chance on a non-official battery from China! (eBay is the only place I've found then even then and returns are at customer shopping cost so I'm hesitant.)
There are loads of Android tablets out there that are likely to be better supported in terms of spares and repair and you are likely to get a similar spec one just as cheap. In fact there are some reasonable ones for around $100/€100 if you know what to buy.
To be honest the only thing I miss now I'm using my Galaxy Tab 2 (my 7" travel device) more regularly is the wireless charging dock, which I loved.
You doesn't get a pad at that price with similar power nowadays.
Only HDMI out is missing. For me.
I have two touchpads and I'm quite happy with them. I use them with cm10 and they are working perfectly for me. My main apps are "mobilesheet" (perfect for musicians as replacement for score files), facebook, internet, email, podcasts, music and videos on local and internet. Maybe in the future as a remote control for our Yamaha 01v mixing console.
I agree with above poster. I paid 165 for my tablet and I can say it was best $165 ever paid. I user my touchpad for everything from Netflix, surfing, other video watching app and games. No issues what so ever. You can't get same powerfull device for such low price. I tried to find a similar tablet for around 200 but couldn't get anything. So you have to pay over 300 for 10 inch device that too a old one. All new 10 inch ones are around 400.
Sent from my Touchpad
HP Touchpad multibooting with CM9 should be fairly usable even now.
Please keep in mind that there are no official CM10 builds yet (and for a long time now...)
When KitKat comes out, I doubt CM11 will come out soon either for it.
I am still on CM9 and is able to keep up with most apps.
Also there are some common faults with Touchpad, I have them too.
Volume Up/Down buttons are flaky. Sometimes need hard presses or dont register properly.
Plastic fascia cracking, near the stereo speakers. This can grow slowly unless fixed (by you, HP/Palm would not care)
It was a good deal to buy during the firesale, but on today's date, I think I would personally go for a Nexus 7
Mainly for the high spec hardware & not wait for some OEM/Dev to release the latest google updates.
I bought an Asus transformer prime (TF200) which has a detachable keyboard which includes an additional battery USB and SD slot had some WiFi problems but I fixed that and gave mine to mum having already given one to my daughter.
Last month when she was down from university she kept "borrowing it" so I asked if she wanted to swap. I now have a TP back running jcsullins experimental with working Bluetooth and couldn't be happier as I get to have fun again trying out different ROMs and muck about with a fast easily rooted unlocked device with the added advantage of Webos which is still good in its own right.
If you do get it make sure to also purchase the Touchstone charger which is brilliant.
All the best with your decision.
TouchPad was a powerful device, when first came out. Hardware still supports newest apps and Android versions with nearly 0 problem. Also it's a quality device. If you find a cheap one (like the fire sale days), you can buy it with no doubt. I bought it nearly 2 years before and still using it; Android Jelly Bean :good:
Go for it!
I have 3 of these for over two years now and all are still in use! My personal daily driver, the kids and a hack/mod.
Its a great tablet, you wont be disappointed...of course you will need Android installed as WebOs, well isnt bad, but really isnt goo either.
good luck
Pros
Large Screen
Good sound quality
Excellent development
Cons
CPU is starting to show it's age
The image quality of the screen is relatively poor compared to other tablets (it's not bad)
It's really heavy
In the end I would consider something like a used 2012 Nexus 7 instead but if you love the Touchpad's form factor I would say go for it.
I'm going to have to agree with some of the previous posts in looking for a Nexus 7 instead unless you really need or want a 10 inch tablet. You wont find hardware in that size even remotely close to the TouchPad. Right now I'm still running CM 9(Ill admit not the latest build still) however its starting to get on my nerves a bit, it seems to get bogged down pretty easily. I guess it all comes down to your own preferences and if you can get one that its pretty good shape.
The wireless charger is a must for this. You can use easily as digital picture frame and just pick up off charger to check email, etc. Plus can be picked up for very little money. Buy both together under $150 but wireless charger can be had for $26 shipped on amazon if you get one without.
Sent from my GT-N8013 using Tapatalk 4
I'm thinking of buying a second hand one for use as a 720p video player (downscaling videos) and occasional web surfing on CM9 or CM10 (depending on what works better).
The Tochpad can handle that easily.
Loved my hp....couple years ago. My opinion, if you want a larger screen and a nice one at that, 32 gig plus microsd, look at the nook hd +
Sent from my BNTV600 using Tapatalk
FunkiBluDawg said:
HP Touchpad multibooting with CM9 should be fairly usable even now.
Please keep in mind that there are no official CM10 builds yet (and for a long time now...)
When KitKat comes out, I doubt CM11 will come out soon either for it.
I am still on CM9 and is able to keep up with most apps.
Also there are some common faults with Touchpad, I have them too.
Volume Up/Down buttons are flaky. Sometimes need hard presses or dont register properly.
Plastic fascia cracking, near the stereo speakers. This can grow slowly unless fixed (by you, HP/Palm would not care)
It was a good deal to buy during the firesale, but on today's date, I think I would personally go for a Nexus 7
Mainly for the high spec hardware & not wait for some OEM/Dev to release the latest google updates.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
With extremely light usage for a year, often not used at all, I observed a crack form on the back side next to one of the speakers as others have experienced. I like my TouchPad but if I were shopping for a new device, I would consider different manufacturers and spend more time searching for reviews. I would also recommend a Google Nexus tablet.
Love my Touchpad, incredible for $100. Still decent for the price of course. Who knows, I may not upgrade for a couple of years more!
Nevertheless, if I was shopping now I would consider some of the other devices. There are faster and better support devices out there. If you can live with a smaller size, then you'll score a great deal. If you want something bigger (like the TP), it's probably going to cost a little bit more. If you want something bigger with awesome resolution, like the Nexus 10...then it'll cost even more still.
Good luck!