What to do first - TouchPad General

Hey guys so i just got a shipment notification so I'll be picking up my touchpad tonight.
Where should i start?
Install Android? I'm very comfortable with Android.
install another operating system?
Good apps? Games?
Looking for a good browser.
Basically any recommendations for a touchpad noob I'd appreciate.
Thanks a lot

Congrats!
Honestly, I would try out WebOS for a while. I was surprised how much I liked it. I haven't bothered to install Android (this coming from an Android phone and Nook Color with CM7). For starters, do a system update to get the latest WebOS version. Then, make sure everything works (ie. don't go and void your warranty right away ). There are some free apps you may as well peruse and download in the HP App Catalog.
It's not really necessary anymore since the latest OS update brought a lot of performance improvements, but you may want to check out the Preware patches once you're satisfied with the hardware.
I don't think there are too many other OS options yet aside from CM7. However, ICS, Ubuntu, and Windows 8 are all good possibilities in the future.
FWIW, the stock WebOS browser is so-so. There are a few patches to add some features, but it's still a sore spot compared to all of the options on Android (why can't WebOS get Opera or Dolphin?!). That said, it does handle most pages very well.

Thanks for all the good info!
System updates, are those done via computer or ota?
I assume most software changes such as adding cm7 can be undone for warranty purposes?
I have cm7 on my desire hd so i should be able to use wifi hotspot on my phone and pick it up on the touchpad?
Usually i like to do a bit more research on a device but i got caught up in a $99 black Friday sale so i panicked and bought

The system updates can be done OTA. I believe you can do them through the computer too though if it's easier, or you run into any issues. There is an app/settings pane in the menu to do it.
For the most part -- yeah you should be able to revert to stock if you need to. I'm not sure what breadcrumbs all the patches and CM7, etc, leave behind, but it should be possible. There's something called WebOS Doctor that should be able to restore as well. That said, HP's support has so far seemed incredible for a discontinued product, so it might not even be a problem unless the mods really did break it.
I think wifi tethering should be ok, but I can't say for sure. I think there is a thread somewhere around here about that or ad-hoc networking.
Lol... I know what you mean. I bought mine during the fire sale weekend with barely an idea of what I would do with it.

So i got my new toy last night. Everything is working good. Did the system update on webos ota. Seems like a pretty cool OS. I did find it slightly laggy though while scrolling, surfing, loading programs. I also installed cm7, only took about 10 mins and it's an OS I'm more comfortable working in (plus i needed dolphin browser for proper tabs, i wanted to pull my hair after surfing with the Web OS "tabs"). For being in alpha stages i must say it's very usable.
What are some reasonable expectations on battery life? Webos or Android, standby or "heavy" use?
All in I'm quite happy with my initial testing, especially for the price!

brad808 said:
So i got my new toy last night. Everything is working good. Did the system update on webos ota. Seems like a pretty cool OS. I did find it slightly laggy though while scrolling, surfing, loading programs. I also installed cm7, only took about 10 mins and it's an OS I'm more comfortable working in (plus i needed dolphin browser for proper tabs, i wanted to pull my hair after surfing with the Web OS "tabs"). For being in alpha stages i must say it's very usable.
What are some reasonable expectations on battery life? Webos or Android, standby or "heavy" use?
All in I'm quite happy with my initial testing, especially for the price!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Really about 7 - 8 hours on android and webos
Sent from my Touchpad using Tapatalk

Related

Nuke WebOs from touchpad?

Is it possible to totally remove webos from the touchpad and install Android only? Would be nice to have the maximum storage space available. Thanks all.
I wouldn't want to remove webOS. I've been an Android user for a pretty long time, but find that I like webOS better.
In Cyanogen's original post, introducing their android port, they address this and say that webOS should be left on the tablet.
Actually it's pretty neat having dualboot, you get the best of both worlds. But to each their own. I haven't run across any posts that address this, but if I do, I'll post the link.
They wouldn't nuke webos because the android OS is still in alpha, so if anything should happen you'd be left with a dumb tablet.
Sent from my LG-P925
Definitely like the dual boot, prefer it that way!!
I wish I could ditch WebOS, waste of space on my tab, not booted into it since the day Alpha 1 was released and have no intention of ever booting into WebOS again.
Not a good idea to nuke webOS just yet as we do not have a stable release of any Android distribution yet.
Sent from my Touchpad using Tapatalk
Another thing to think about is that portions of webos are necessary right now for booting cm7. Removing webos completely would result in a brick. Just sayin......
Sent from my Touchpad using Tapatalk
And warranty purposes if you want a replacement/insurance claim
Sent from my Desire HD using Tapatalk
I tried CM7 and Xron's take on it. I didn't think I was going to because I have a 4.3" android phone, no desire to see that experience scaled and stretched. I immediately saw I was right. Gingerbread does not lend itself to tablets well, IMO.
The first thing I did in android? Googled "moboot default webOS." I will leave it on there in the event I absolutely want to watch netflix or something. I just feel that the cards, and multi-tasking gestures in webOS is so much more intuitive.
I would try a Honeycomb build or ICS, but I just don't find a buggy phone OS a good fit for a tablet. Not that I'm complaining, its an alpha build, but even smooth and stable, I would not want 2.3 on here.
theronkinator said:
I wish I could ditch WebOS, waste of space on my tab, not booted into it since the day Alpha 1 was released and have no intention of ever booting into WebOS again.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
afaik CM-Release states that WebOS hardly takes up any space so it would be dumb to ditch it just for space issues?
Don't plan on removing web os. The more I learn the more I think I can wait on a stable Android Port to live along side web os.
Sent from my Vibrant
quarlow said:
I tried CM7 and Xron's take on it. I didn't think I was going to because I have a 4.3" android phone, no desire to see that experience scaled and stretched. I immediately saw I was right. Gingerbread does not lend itself to tablets well, IMO.
The first thing I did in android? Googled "moboot default webOS." I will leave it on there in the event I absolutely want to watch netflix or something. I just feel that the cards, and multi-tasking gestures in webOS is so much more intuitive.
I would try a Honeycomb build or ICS, but I just don't find a buggy phone OS a good fit for a tablet. Not that I'm complaining, its an alpha build, but even smooth and stable, I would not want 2.3 on here.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yep thats my point too. great developement. stable and responsive alpha. but it still feels like a stretched phone os. webos feels so much more tablet optimized.
Well, we understand that it is just Alpha builds. However, going on about how you do not want to wipe WebOS because of Alpha/Beta/Not Tablet Roms, doesn't help. It is just a personal opinion there. I would love to wipe out the WebOS part as well, if nothing than to free up more space. However, I do understand that it is an essential part to the Mods to work and I would not. If the day comes and the Mods are independent, I would wipe it.
As far as warranty is involved, did you not just void the warranty by installing the CM on the touchpad?
Not to say webos is bad, but I just would rather dual booting Ubuntu-native and CM9 alpha 2.
How would you charge it if the battery was dead?
--Matt
mkosem said:
How would you charge it if the battery was dead?
--Matt
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
.......by charging it through Android?
mkosem said:
How would you charge it if the battery was dead?
--Matt
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Native Ubuntu
I have the 16GB Touchpad. Currently running Android ICS (the CN version). Prior to that, I had Gingerbread... probably installed it back in October? My point is that I have not booted into webOS at all since October. I don't even remember what webOS looks like anymore.
My Touchpad is used daily and I have been happy 99% of the time. No real reason for me to keep webOS on it. On other other hand, how much storage space can I gain if I "nuke" webOS out of my Touchpad? Is it 2GB, 3GB, or perhaps more?
Thanks!
Firstly, lthe Android team doesn't have any way to do this. It is so till necessary on occasion to have WebOS on here, because the underlying firmware (below the kernel) requires it.
Secondly, even if you did completely remove all the other partitions from WebOS, yo would only gain yourself approximately one gig of space. 1056 MB to be exact. Then you need your /boot which is 30, so you gain 1024. Not a significant amount of space, so why bother, especially since you still need the WebOS in case something goes terribly wrong and out have to reform pat or reinstall anything.
Sent from my HPTouchpad, running the latest CM9 nightly build, using the XDA Premium app
i think the better question should be: "when can we get a stable ICS on the HP Touchpad?"
it will be nice to be able to run just a "stable" ICS on the hp touchpad. i will never wipe out webos for any alpha or beta OS, even when i can.

How many of you are going for the CM7

I think I'm going to wait awhile on mine. I'm beginning to see others having certain issues that a n00by like me would probably not enjoy All & all I'm happy with my rooted 1.40 Nook. I may just wait for the SD card version of CM7 to play with it. I sure do admire these guys that know how to work with this code and develop OS systems Sure wish I knew how to do this stuff.
I'm perfectly content with the way I currently have my NT set up. Rooted, OTA-blocked, using an alternate launcher, and having a shortcut to the default launcher if I want to read something or browse the Nook Store.
Now if CM9 becomes available on the NT, I might have to give that a shot.
I think some of the main features that a custom ROM such as CM7 can provide are bluetooth and multi-touch (which isn't available yet but currently under development). I'm not sure that's available for a rooted stock ROM. I saw some video of someone using a PS3 controller to play emulated games on their Nook Color so I can imagine that would be a great freature to add on.
I'm going to wait until they do further testing with CM7, at least until they get to a beta stage but I think it's the way to go for me.
I'm just waiting for a sure way to access the nook library. I have some magazine subscriptions that I don't wanna give up.
One of the main reasons I got the Nook Tab is because I saw that people were working on getting CM7/9 going on it. I had a $250 gift card from work to B&N, so it was a winning situation for me. I doubt I would have bought it if CM7 hadn't been on the horizon. I've actually never used it stock, I had it rooted and all B&N stuff stripped off within hours of buying it.
I definitely recommend flashing CM7 unless you are completely married to the stock B&N Stuff, then wait for the SD install method. Flashing CM7 is easier than most of the steps required to root, side load, fix unreadable menu's, etc, all the dumb crap I had to d to make this thing usable.
Almost everything is available in the market. No sideloading, no finding apps with your browser and tricking the market, almost everything works. All my important apps and favorite games have worked with no issues.
Menu's are all standardized, everything is readable, all options are open, just fantastic having all those little pieces working in every app with no fuss or hacks.
Rebooting is so much faster, not sure if it was all the apps I had or what but my reboots took forever with my stock rooted, now are 3 times quicker.
The thing just feels snappier, not sure if it is a placebo effect or not, but definitely feels faster.
Overall it feels like a tablet instead of a hacked e-reader. There may be some bugs that surface and a few things are being looking to, but so far so good
CM7 was the reason why I'm going to get a NOOK... well and the books lol
I installed the B & N app from the market and everything works great. I have been able to use my existing account to purchase books i have been able to move books over onto the Sd card in .epub format and read them. Make sure to fix permissions andcormate cache anddevlick cache if you are updating from first CM7 alpha.
Yeah i love cm7
I was nervouse when i first did it but it turned out all right in the end. Now ive got CWM and titaniumbsckup functionality and i can flash any rom or anything. Not only is cm7 a great new version of the OS but it opens the door to all the other roms that you could ever want to install. Only complaint is that the HD youtube videos lag, but the devs know about it and are fixing it. Id highly recommend it. Hope you take the plunge!
-Silente
Sent from my CM7 Nook Tablet
the only thing that worries me is that I have 1 week left to decide if i want to buy the 2 year warranty. what would happen if i need to send in for repairs if it has cm7?
Lined up all the tools I might need if disaster were to strike. Stuck the zip onto an SD card & went for it. I'm not looking back. Warranty? I won't be needing no stinkin' warranty.
The Lord has indeed Blessed me this day!
Swyped from my BNTV250 CM7-2a using Tapatalk
Greatness83 said:
the only thing that worries me is that I have 1 week left to decide if i want to buy the 2 year warranty. what would happen if i need to send in for repairs if it has cm7?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That would be a big VOID if they could tell. If it won't boot up not much chance of that
pepi4 said:
That would be a big VOID if they could tell. If it won't boot up not much chance of that
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I installed CM7 and messed around with it for a day or so. It worked great - with the exception of streaming video. Where HULU and Vulkano (slingbox-like DVR that works with my Directv) were smooth as silk with rooted NT on CWM, the CM7 vers. video would briefly "hang/stutter" from time to time - a bit annoying. Others have reported this same issue, and I know that the Devs are working on this.
Also, I lost all of my B&N stuff - not a huge loss - but think I may wait for the SD card version which, if I understand correctly, will allow me to hang on to that.
That said, I reverted back to the stock 1.4.0 using the "magiccard" method, and then re-rooted with Albert's SD card method (vers 4.50). So, assuming the unit keeps working (will boot,) does anyone know if there is a way for B&N to tell that a unit has ever been on CM7/rooted? I thought the magiccard method basically wiped the partitions and put the stock rom back on.
Thanks! Bob
pepi4 said:
I think I'm going to wait awhile on mine. I'm beginning to see others having certain issues that a n00by like me would probably not enjoy All & all I'm happy with my rooted 1.40 Nook. I may just wait for the SD card version of CM7 to play with it. I sure do admire these guys that know how to work with this code and develop OS systems Sure wish I knew how to do this stuff.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I purchased my nook tab specifically to tinker with and have no investment in BnN ecosystem. So far I've have some really frustrating problems that took a week or two of research and tinkering to work out. It has been a great learning experience. I now know a little about the inner workings of the Android OS and have a functional tablet to play with while the wife watches Netflix. Getting CM 7 working gave me a real sense of accomplishment. Before getting the tab for xmas I only had experience rooting my Droid 3 (one click method at that), So I am a real n00b too. I just went into this wanting to tackle my own problems. My advice, if you like what you've got, don't fix what ain't broke. - yes I am a hillbilly thankyaverymuch!
2nd post in xda sent from nook tab CM7
I'll try it out if/when an SD bootable version comes out. I read and buy a lot of graphic novels and comic collections that are only viewable via the built-in reader.
For awhile I was just following on the developments and waiting till a stable version was released of CM7 because I was able to do what was needed with stock + root. The other day I decided to do some catching up in the NT scene and figured the CM7 Alpha12 looked pretty stable, so I gave it a shot. I am really glad that I did this, the NT just runs so much better than it did using the stock firmware + root. I am loving CM7 Alpha12 so far. If you were skeptical about installing CM7 due to it's Alpha status and possible bugs, as long as you haven't invested a ton of money into the B&N Store or stream a lot of video content. I think you should give it a shot because TEAM-B has been doing a great job.
Changed my mind and glad I did! !!! Loving CM7
I think I am going to wait for the SD version.
I think after a stable method to root/ block/ flash comes out that us non-devs can execute with consistent success I will try CM7. I am rooted - Thanks Indirect! - but I also had problems with the last time I tried CM7. At this point it's just not worth the extra work to try and fix a borked NT. Having said that, Veronica's ROM here:http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1512373 is pretty awesome looking and I can't wait to try it out.
Post removed
I'm terrifically sorry - I've committed the noob crime of failing to search....and posting (inadvertently) in a thread that was already dead. I found the answer to my question. Sorry for the nuisance.
- Computerslayer

Why is everything so unstable?

This is my first entry into the Android tablet market and I love the Transformer Prime but are things supposed to be so unstable?
My browser crashes, flash locks up, the camera locks up, the task manager stops for no reason etc... Is it the tablet cpu, the OS or the applications? Do people with other brand tablets have the same issues?
Don't mean this to be a rant but after running Linux of the desktop for the past 8 years, I am a bit shocked at how so many things just don't work as intended.
Stability depends what version of firmware you're running. If you're not already on .15 then you may be experiencing major known issues with the tablet and stability.
Otherwise, perhaps some apps are a bit slow, which is being detected as a potential crash. Try sticking performance mode on and selecting 'Wait' when an app hangs next time. I get this with the stock browser a lot, but Chrome Beta (and other browers) are much better. There are a lot of threads here with people rooting for their favourite one.
As for the 'task manager stops' issue, I've never had this so can't comment? What exactly happens?
I wouldn't compare my tablets stability to a mature desktop platform like Linux, but I can't remember being truly frustrated with it except for the reboots on older firmware - and I use mine 5+ hours a day...
The software isnt perfect yet. There are still some issues with ICS and still some with asus adapted it. And i think there is also some room for improvement for the gpu drivers which will come from nvidia.
Everything is new with the prime. New chip, new OS... Things will only get better
Did you do a hard reset after upgrading to ICS from HC? My prime was buggy as all hell until I found someone mentioning to make sure to do a hard reset after upgrading and I tried it and made such a difference it was unbelievable. Every once in a while things crash but it was a night and day difference.
I don't know if you have to do it between patches (I didn't have to after the first hard reset) and it'd amaze me if you did have to, but it seemed to be required for the 3.x -> 4.x upgrade.
I didn't have much on the tablet so I decided on a full reset, redid my settings and added back the few apps I had put on it and everything is 100% better. Thanks for the suggestions! Maybe the HC to ICS upgrade and all the firmware updates over the past few weeks might have mucked up some stuff.
The bad thing about android is its open source and not everything is going to work as great as we hope out of the box
The awesome thing about android is its open source and nearly everything can be tweaked or "made better" by communities like this.
Stock web browser sucks. Theres lots of other web browsers on the market, many for free. give em a try see what works best for you with relation to speed, features, etc.
Stock launcher, in my opinion, is VERY laggy on the home screens. I use ADW now, no lag, works well for me. YMMV, try different launchers see what works best for you.
Do some research into task killers, there is a HUGE debate as to weather or not they help or hinder. The stock asus task killer is very laggy IMO. There are otheres out there but really i just stick to closing apps as im done with them (select the recent apps button, swipe the apps you want to close to the right of the screen to close them)
Overall this tablet has a HUGE potential however there will be some time before we see a huge amount of stuff for it development wise, we JUST got a unlock for the bootloader, Android for tablets is still pretty new, give it a little time. Good luck!

[Q] Android or WebOS for Disabled Child?

Hey everybody. I was hoping for some educated opinions on this. My sister and brother in law picked up a Touchpad for my niece to be able to use. She is 14 and has cerebral palsy. With her motor controls being diminished somewhat she has never been able use a standard PC very effectively. They had always thought that a touchscreen device would be something she could get used to. So far the Touchpad has been a very good pickup for them as she is able to get some good general entertainment out of is. I was talking to them recently about the option to put Android on it and they were curious about it. They both have Android phones and like them very much. They have a few concerns about hacking the tablet and putting Android on it which I was hoping you all could help with.
They are worried that it won't run as smoothly as it does currently with WebOS on it.
They are worried about loosing the few apps that they have purchased on WebOS (namely read along books).
They are worried about not all of the features working on it.
So give those concerns ... should they go ahead with Android on their HP Touchpad? I am going to send them the link to this thread and it would be great to see some legit opinions. Thank you all!!
NickPDX said:
Hey everybody. I was hoping for some educated opinions on this. My sister and brother in law picked up a Touchpad for my niece to be able to use. She is 14 and has cerebral palsy. With her motor controls being diminished somewhat she has never been able use a standard PC very effectively. They had always thought that a touchscreen device would be something she could get used to. So far the Touchpad has been a very good pickup for them as she is able to get some good general entertainment out of is. I was talking to them recently about the option to put Android on it and they were curious about it. They both have Android phones and like them very much. They have a few concerns about hacking the tablet and putting Android on it which I was hoping you all could help with.
They are worried that it won't run as smoothly as it does currently with WebOS on it.
They are worried about loosing the few apps that they have purchased on WebOS (namely read along books).
They are worried about not all of the features working on it.
So give those concerns ... should they go ahead with Android on their HP Touchpad? I am going to send them the link to this thread and it would be great to see some legit opinions. Thank you all!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you add android (I recommend the unofficial cyanogenmod nightlies, which I use), it won't affect webos at all. That being said, all android ports to the TP are in Alpha, though it runs very well. I would say to go ahead and install android, there's nothing to lose. WebOS is an excellent os, I use it about 50% of the time.
Thanks for the reply. Won't effect WebOS at all? Is it running off the SD or something? I have a HTC HD2 and I used to run Android off an SD and that way I could boot off the ROM or SD ROM and get the best of both worlds. Also, are you experience many issues with the Wifi on those builds? My niece of course likes her Angry Birds, but other than that probably 90% of what she does involves the internet or streaming media ... if the wifi didn't work correctly it would suck for her.
Thanks again!
NickPDX said:
Thanks for the reply. Won't effect WebOS at all? Is it running off the SD or something? I have a HTC HD2 and I used to run Android off an SD and that way I could boot off the ROM or SD ROM and get the best of both worlds. Also, are you experience many issues with the Wifi on those builds? My niece of course likes her Angry Birds, but other than that probably 90% of what she does involves the internet or streaming media ... if the wifi didn't work correctly it would suck for her.
Thanks again!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It affected my webos, but only slightly. Just deleted a few apps that I had installed through preware. Don't let this scare you, though, as I believe it was probably user error. Regarding wifi, there is a wide range of opinions. Mine works very well, but others do not. Android does not run off sd card, as touchpad does not have a slot for it. My basic understanding is that it partitions a portion of the hard drive for android and uses the rest as a faux "sdcard".
IMO, you should do it. My second "android" device was also an hd2, so it seems you have the background and know how to do it. As always, be careful to read as much as possible first. Also, there are a few outdated tutorials floating around (I encountered them when I did my touchpad). If you need a list of the current tuts, I'm sure I or another user can give you the links.
dung8604 said:
Regarding wifi, there is a wide range of opinions. Mine works very well, but others do not. Android does not run off sd card, as touchpad does not have a slot for it. My basic understanding is that it partitions a portion of the hard drive for android and uses the rest as a faux "sdcard".
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, you end up with WebOs, Android, and a shared data area that is called "sdcard" under Android and visible from a PC.
The WiFi issues can usually be overcome if the WiFi router is yours. If you have to connect to an encrypted WiFi network e.g. at school, that could be an issue.
The range of apps for Android is much wider, including some very nice read along (or read to you) books. But switching to Android means they have to be bought again.
I LOVE the look and feel of WebOS, but I'm a die hard android fan. With wifi being spotty at best on android, I'd stick with WebOS for now. But like the previous posts have said, you can dual boot both OS (just set WebOS to the default in moboot)
wifi fix
There is a "fix" for the wifi. Just install Rohan's Mod. It works beautifully. I don't have any wifi issues at all.
There's another thing that "fixes" the Wifi issue. Set your router to use one of the lower channels - I suggest 1-3, but anything below 6 is good. Then reconnect to it with your Touchpad, and you're good. There's been some issues in the upper channels, mainly with the fact that CM can support up to channel 14, but nothing in North America is legally licensed to use those channels. So set your regulatory domain to 11, your router to a lower channel, and you're golden.
They are worried that it won't run as smoothly as it does currently with WebOS on it.
Cm9 Runs extremely smooth
They are worried about loosing the few apps that they have purchased on Web-OS.
They wont lose any apps you can always reboot to web-os
They are worried about not all of the features working on it.
Almost about every works expect for the camera and you could always switch back to web-OS and use the camera.
One thing i think you might find a problem is that Android might be to complex for her
nyamd20 said:
They are worried that it won't run as smoothly as it does currently with WebOS on it.
Cm9 Runs extremely smooth
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
CM9 (at least Alphas/official nightlies without overclock) is far behind the latest WebOS in term of interface smoothness.
OP, Battery drain is rather big, and if you'd allow it to discharge to 0%, you wouldn't be able to charge it from Android until you reboot to webos (which could be tricky) and charge it some time from there. Camera doesn't work, mic doesn't work, there are some force closes here and there, and even reboots sometimes.
Overall, don't think that current state of TP Android is suitable for non-geek person, and, as i understand, your niece is extremely non-geek. Better stick with WebOS for now, or get ready to explain stuff to her.
Yea Def put android on it. You wont lose webos if she doesnt like android. So you can give the child a choice.

Recommendations for ROM

I have been a member for a long time, but I never post anything so in that sense I'm new enough that I can't post this in the forum I wanted to, so I'm asking here. This is going to sound like a hateful rant and I'm sure someone is thinking, "If she knows that, then why is she hatefully ranting?" I am not ready to give up yet, so I'm explaining how I arrived at this point.
I have had my Gtab for about a year and a half. In that time I have rooted it and changed the ROM several times. I moved up to the 1.2 bootloader. In all this time I haven't really used it much because it just doesn't work right no matter which rom I try. Each rom will be ok for a few days, and then it starts getting glitchy. I got so fed up with it, I just parked it for several months and didn't touch it. Just recently I have installed the smoother bean rom. It is sort of ok but it doesn't 'just work'. I'm not a bigtime gamer, I like angry birds and sudoku. I surf the internet, watch videos, read books/magazines that are in epub format. When I study, I highlight text and make notes. When I sit down to study, I need it to work. No hangups or lockups or slow/frozen screens. When I get it out to use at the KH to follow along with the material I studied previously, I need it to just work. It has been to the point that I had to open the thing and physically unplug the battery to get it to behave. I was so excited to get this tablet and read all the information in these forums about it, so I knew what I was getting into when I bought it. The bloom is off the rose and I just want a tablet that does what I want it to do. I don't even care if it has jellybean or ICS or even Honeycomb at this point... I just want a tablet that works without having to fiddle around with the software.
And I don't install crazy amounts of apps. I think there are 7 or 8 that I use. Mainly Moon+ reader, Dolphin browser, Pinterest and Sudoku and Angry birds. I also like to sync my google stuff, calendar, contacts, email.
I'm am thinking I might put it back to stock and let it do all the OTA updates and see how it runs. But if I do that, I have to do the fix that makes the google market and stuff work. If I can do that and in the end have a working tablet that is decent and stable, I'll do it. Can anyone give me any feedback after having done this themselves? How was your tablet after? I remember how horrible it was out of the box. Is it better? MUCH MUCH Better? or just a little better.
Is there another rom that has been proven to be stable? I'm not worried if the camera or bluetooth doesn't work, I don't use those with the tablet. I don't think they are working right now, I'm not sure I haven't tried them since I installed the smoother bean rom. It can be any version of Android, I don't care.
I have given some thought to selling my gtab and getting another tablet, but I don't want to do that just yet. I know there has to be a solution, I just haven't found it yet.
Any feed back or suggestions would be most appreciated. The developers work hard on this tablet and have kept it going when Viewsonic themselves quit on it. I think that its really cool that there is such a devoted community of people who still love this tablet.
Thanks in advance for any suggestions!
My recomendation for "stable"
No expert here, but I have multiple g-tablets. For the "stable" ROM, I use Cyanogenmod cm-7.2.0-smb_a1002.zip
Hope that helps,
Jack
I have very similar experience as yours. Bought the gtab long ago, played for a while, then stashed away for several month, but pulled it out again while some brilliant devs actually put JB on it.
I will never ever go back to stock on gtab. Both Smoother Bean and G-Harmony Jellybean ROMs work reasonably well. In my opinion, they are already pushing the limit of the hardware.
atfsi said:
No expert here, but I have multiple g-tablets. For the "stable" ROM, I use Cyanogenmod cm-7.2.0-smb_a1002.zip
Hope that helps,
Jack
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Whereabouts can I download that ROM? I googled the file name and I found the cyanogen download page with the various releases but I wasn't sure which one to pick. I didn't see any that said for the gtab and to tell the truth, it was late and my eyes were sleepy! If you know of a place to download the ROM, I would appreciate it. I would like to give it a shot and see how it goes on my tablet. I'm also going to try out reinstalling JB. I didn't realize there was a update for smoOther bean. So, we'll see what happens.
For stability and full function of the Gtablet, you will probably want to use a Froyo rom. All other versions of Android required re-written drivers and/or kernel, as Viewsonic did not release an official version, and never released their source code. My favorite Froyo rom is:
TNT 6039
I used that rom with VTL Launcher for months, until TeamDRH released their JellyBean rom. You might need to make some minor modifications to see all the apps in the Play store, just read the thread.
I also have another Gtab that is running CyanogenMod. This became my 'stable' tablet. My parents, kids and nephews have used it for months with no complaints. If it gets a little slow, just wipe the cache and it speeds right back up again. Hardware acceleration does not work on Gingerbread, so major 3d games often have graphical glitches, but it is very stable. Here is a link:
CyanogenMod 7.2
If you can wait a few more days (hopefully!) TeamDRH will be releasing a new JB rom with their new kernel. I am currently running my own CM10 build with the new kernel and it is great. Very fast and stable. None of the released JB roms ran very well on my 'experimental' Gtab, so I built my own. After a ton of work, it is running even better than my 'stable' tablet, so I would be willing to bet that when they release their new rom, it will be the best available. Judging by the description of your usage, I would try CM 7.2.
DaggerDave said:
For stability and full function of the Gtablet, you will probably want to use a Froyo rom. All other versions of Android required re-written drivers and/or kernel, as Viewsonic did not release an official version, and never released their source code. My favorite Froyo rom is:
TNT 6039
I used that rom with VTL Launcher for months, until TeamDRH released their JellyBean rom. You might need to make some minor modifications to see all the apps in the Play store, just read the thread.
I also have another Gtab that is running CyanogenMod. This became my 'stable' tablet. My parents, kids and nephews have used it for months with no complaints. If it gets a little slow, just wipe the cache and it speeds right back up again. Hardware acceleration does not work on Gingerbread, so major 3d games often have graphical glitches, but it is very stable. Here is a link:
CyanogenMod 7.2
If you can wait a few more days (hopefully!) TeamDRH will be releasing a new JB rom with their new kernel. I am currently running my own CM10 build with the new kernel and it is great. Very fast and stable. None of the released JB roms ran very well on my 'experimental' Gtab, so I built my own. After a ton of work, it is running even better than my 'stable' tablet, so I would be willing to bet that when they release their new rom, it will be the best available. Judging by the description of your usage, I would try CM 7.2.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Second that! :good:
When will TeamDRH be releasing a new JB rom?
Do you mind to share the new rom?
Thanks for the feedback ya'll. I did install the CM7 ROM and I also tried another one, I can't remember right now which one it was. I was tempted away by the G-Harmony Jellybean ([ROM-AOSP][BL-1.2]G-Harmony Jellybean 4.1.2 ODEXed (UPDATED 12/28)) , I installed the Overclocked version and I have to say it is doing very well. I did have some SOD's but I supercharged it and bumped up the CPU with No Frills CPU and since then it has had no trouble. Its been since Saturday that I installed this ROM and I have used it a bunch since then. I guess time will tell.
I do have a question tho about a problem I'm having but it's absutely not a deal breaker. I can't get google calendar to sync. I know other ROMS have had a package to install that fixed this but I wasn't sure if I could do that with this rom. I don't want to jack up my install. I don't absolutelly have to get the calendar working right now. I don't have reliable internet at home, so the only time I get online with the thing is when I wifi tether to my phone. Was just wondering if anyone knew how to resolve this issue. Again, I would post in the forum for this ROM but I'm not allowed yet.
Thanks!
DaggerDave said:
For stability and full function of the Gtablet, you will probably want to use a Froyo rom. All other versions of Android required re-written drivers and/or kernel, as Viewsonic did not release an official version, and never released their source code. My favorite Froyo rom is:
TNT 6039
I used that rom with VTL Launcher for months, until TeamDRH released their JellyBean rom. You might need to make some minor modifications to see all the apps in the Play store, just read the thread.
I also have another Gtab that is running CyanogenMod. This became my 'stable' tablet. My parents, kids and nephews have used it for months with no complaints. If it gets a little slow, just wipe the cache and it speeds right back up again. Hardware acceleration does not work on Gingerbread, so major 3d games often have graphical glitches, but it is very stable. Here is a link:
CyanogenMod 7.2
If you can wait a few more days (hopefully!) TeamDRH will be releasing a new JB rom with their new kernel. I am currently running my own CM10 build with the new kernel and it is great. Very fast and stable. None of the released JB roms ran very well on my 'experimental' Gtab, so I built my own. After a ton of work, it is running even better than my 'stable' tablet, so I would be willing to bet that when they release their new rom, it will be the best available. Judging by the description of your usage, I would try CM 7.2.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can you share the ROM, please?
lekhwani said:
Can you share the ROM, please?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Do you mind to share the new rom?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
When DRH is ready to release their new rom, it will likely be on the other forum first. Search Google for "gtablet roms 1.2/1.3" and that forum will be listed at the top of the page. Can't link you to it, else I may anger the XDA Moderators! Sounds like they are very close, just waiting on a new recovery.
As for my current build, just a basic CM10 build with a few minor customizations (my chosen boot animation, removed/replace system apps, changes to build.prop, etc.). I cannot share it because I am using the new (unreleased) kernel, and it's a pretty 'plain' version of CM10, but you can easily build it all yourself. Once you have your build environment setup, it is easy to rebuild an updated version any time you like. Only thing is, you are on your own when it comes to troubleshooting and support! If you are interested, I can link you to the info I used to figure out how to build the kernel and CM10, and the Git locations of the required source code. You would need a decent computer running 64bit Linux (I use Arch Linux, but Ubuntu is easier to setup), about 50GB hard drive space, and some free time. I just did it for fun, plus I'm impatient and wanted to try the new kernel, and none of the JB roms at the time would run well for me.
Best ROM for G-Tab
Hi all,
I bought my G-Tab whentheyfirst came out and have tried about 13 or 14 ROM's over the last (nearly) two years. In my opinion the best is SmoOtherBean by Nobe1976. Out of the box it is pretty good, I made a few minor adjustments after the install and it is running perfectly.
Changed dpi to160 (enabled Music / Movies in the Play Market)
Used ROM Toolbox to delete Music FX and DSP Manager (fixed problem where music would suddenly blare or change volume)
Set min/max CPU to 312 / 1200 (seems to wake up faster, no lags when browsing,etc)
Give Nob1976 a thumbs up if you like his ROM - stop the trolls who have chased off so many devs.....
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1900562
This post. A million times this post. Smooth bean looks promising but I've been through so many roms with mediocre to poor tab perf.
[=torilyn73;37717272]I have been a member for a long time, but I never post anything so in that sense I'm new enough that I can't post this in the forum I wanted to, so I'm asking here. This is going to sound like a hateful rant and I'm sure someone is thinking, "If she knows that, then why is she hatefully ranting?" I am not ready to give up yet, so I'm explaining how I arrived at this point.
I have had my Gtab for about a year and a half. In that time I have rooted it and changed the ROM several times. I moved up to the 1.2 bootloader. In all this time I haven't really used it much because it just doesn't work right no matter which rom I try. Each rom will be ok for a few days, and then it starts getting glitchy. I got so fed up with it, I just parked it for several months and didn't touch it. Just recently I have installed the smoother bean rom. It is sort of ok but it doesn't 'just work'. I'm not a bigtime gamer, I like angry birds and sudoku. I surf the internet, watch videos, read books/magazines that are in epub format. When I study, I highlight text and make notes. When I sit down to study, I need it to work. No hangups or lockups or slow/frozen screens. When I get it out to use at the KH to follow along with the material I studied previously, I need it to just work. It has been to the point that I had to open the thing and physically unplug the battery to get it to behave. I was so excited to get this tablet and read all the information in these forums about it, so I knew what I was getting into when I bought it. The bloom is off the rose and I just want a tablet that does what I want it to do. I don't even care if it has jellybean or ICS or even Honeycomb at this point... I just want a tablet that works without having to fiddle around with the software.
And I don't install crazy amounts of apps. I think there are 7 or 8 that I use. Mainly Moon+ reader, Dolphin browser, Pinterest and Sudoku and Angry birds. I also like to sync my google stuff, calendar, contacts, email.
I'm am thinking I might put it back to stock and let it do all the OTA updates and see how it runs. But if I do that, I have to do the fix that makes the google market and stuff work. If I can do that and in the end have a working tablet that is decent and stable, I'll do it. Can anyone give me any feedback after having done this themselves? How was your tablet after? I remember how horrible it was out of the box. Is it better? MUCH MUCH Better? or just a little better.
Is there another rom that has been proven to be stable? I'm not worried if the camera or bluetooth doesn't work, I don't use those with the tablet. I don't think they are working right now, I'm not sure I haven't tried them since I installed the smoother bean rom. It can be any version of Android, I don't care.
I have given some thought to selling my gtab and getting another tablet, but I don't want to do that just yet. I know there has to be a solution, I just haven't found it yet.
Any feed back or suggestions would be most appreciated. The developers work hard on this tablet and have kept it going when Viewsonic themselves quit on it. I think that its really cool that there is such a devoted community of people who still love this tablet.
Thanks in advance for any suggestions![/QUOTE]
Running SmoOther Bean but it starts up laggy?
Nice you gave me some more settings to try. Don't know that I want to change the DPI or have any issues with volume. Did change CPU settings. Anything else you'd recommend?
After it's run for about 10 minutes, it seems to work OK, only occasional lag. I'm setting background processes limit to none on every boot up. Anyone have a way to make that change stick between reboots?
Thanks!
Downloadbob
ugsny321 said:
Hi all,
I bought my G-Tab whentheyfirst came out and have tried about 13 or 14 ROM's over the last (nearly) two years. In my opinion the best is SmoOtherBean by Nobe1976. Out of the box it is pretty good, I made a few minor adjustments after the install and it is running perfectly.
Changed dpi to160 (enabled Music / Movies in the Play Market)
Used ROM Toolbox to delete Music FX and DSP Manager (fixed problem where music would suddenly blare or change volume)
Set min/max CPU to 312 / 1200 (seems to wake up faster, no lags when browsing,etc)
Give Nob1976 a thumbs up if you like his ROM - stop the trolls who have chased off so many devs.....
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1900562
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Check out nobe1976 UnOfficial -BAKED ROM
For anyone who is "still looking" for something stable, check out noble1976 modified Blackbean (on this site).
I am very satisfied with this "beta" version that this maybe will be the last one I'll be using (its that stable for me).
A big THANK YOU to Noble1976 for his hard work on getting this version to work on the gtablet and his PAC rom and all the other help he has given to us. :good:
What's your experience like with Blackbean?
Are you seeing any startup or sleep lag like I'm getting with SmoOther Bean? I switched from Go Launcher EX to the default one (Apex?) and it does seem a bit better.
Would like something a bit more responsive for daily use though. What's involved to flash Blackbean over SmoOther Bean? Repartition, etc?
Thanks for the heads up on this - might give it a shot when I hear back from you! Sounds like a good weekend project!
Downloadbob
_dave said:
For anyone who is "still looking" for something stable, check out noble1976 modified Blackbean (on this site).
I am very satisfied with this "beta" version that this maybe will be the last one I'll be using (its that stable for me).
A big THANK YOU to Noble1976 for his hard work on getting this version to work on the gtablet and his PAC rom and all the other help he has given to us. :good:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
downloadbob said:
Are you seeing any startup or sleep lag like I'm getting with SmoOther Bean? I switched from Go Launcher EX to the default one (Apex?) and it does seem a bit better.
Would like something a bit more responsive for daily use though. What's involved to flash Blackbean over SmoOther Bean? Repartition, etc?
Thanks for the heads up on this - might give it a shot when I hear back from you! Sounds like a good weekend project!
Downloadbob
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
BAKED Bean you will must NVFlash to the new 2013DRH setup. The boot.img in that ROM is the latest fosser2 3.1.10 kernel. The mounting is completely different other then the System. So updating the Tablet with the latest that is linked in the OP should be done to the T.
downloadbob said:
Are you seeing any startup or sleep lag like I'm getting with SmoOther Bean? I switched from Go Launcher EX to the default one (Apex?) and it does seem a bit better.
Would like something a bit more responsive for daily use though. What's involved to flash Blackbean over SmoOther Bean? Repartition, etc?
Thanks for the heads up on this - might give it a shot when I hear back from you! Sounds like a good weekend project!
Downloadbob
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The only "lag" I'm seeing is after the opening screen animation the screen goes blank for 10sec or so. So, just wait till the regular default screen appears.
And be sure to do what Nobe1976 said. It went very easy for me changing over, for I already have used NVFlash 2013DRH version with
nobe1976 "PAC" ROM. Good Luck.

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