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I can't decide which device.... I like Archos(have a few of their products now) but the G Tab seems more capable of running newer versions of Android. Do you all see the G Tablet becoming the tablet to beat when updated with an official release? I like all the mod/hacking I have seen on the forum, I just think I may be better suited for a device with better "official' support from the manufacturer. Talk me out of Archos... I WANT to love the G tablet...
WAD.
If you're already on this forum, i suggest you get the g tablet. Since when does support from manufacturers did any good?
Archos is notorious for getting product to market quick and dumping support for product real quick
/end decision
I can only go on my own subjective opinion. Back in October, I was on the Archos 101 pre-order list - feels like it was a year ago, now. I only tried the GTab because I was sick of the 101's delays.
But now, if I was given the choice between the two, I would choose the GTab without hesitation. It has a chipset which is vastly superior, an open firmware and a great community. The Archos does have some pluses, or course - better HDMI port and an excellent media player come to mind. But the hardware it's on is already out-of-date. Even the Galaxy Tab 2 is going to have a Tegra 2 in it.
Read up on forum.archosfans.com, too -- a lot of grumbling on the Froyo update. and you can't even back out.
Alpha06 said:
Archos is notorious for getting product to market quick and dumping support for product real quick
/end decision
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
heh, i was notified this morn that the archos 70 is back in stock and had it in my cart before i remembered how archos has issed me off before.
plus, the gtab has better hardware for a bit more money. i'm getting another gtab after the holidays, when the staples/sears stuff is figured out. hopefully get a good deal.
WantADroid said:
I can't decide which device.... I like Archos(have a few of their products now) but the G Tab seems more capable of running newer versions of Android. Do you all see the G Tablet becoming the tablet to beat when updated with an official release? I like all the mod/hacking I have seen on the forum, I just think I may be better suited for a device with better "official' support from the manufacturer. Talk me out of Archos... I WANT to love the G tablet...
WAD.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
From what I gather based on posts by other people who have owned both, the Archos is MUCH better at media playback, while it's 256MB leads to problems... oh, and the Archos has a bit better screen, although I've not been bothered by the viewing angle except when specifically checking it as when in use I'm always looking directly at the gTab... gTab also has better overall performance. Archos is lighter than gTab.
My own personal drawback is the 10" size and weight... so I'm mulling a Nook Color ATM or maybe elocity a7 or wait and see what the next few months bring in the way of 7" tablets. NC seems best immediate option as B&N will probably support it for a year or so I'd imagine...
With the new Gtablet update, even non-modded, the Gtablet seems a better buy now (if you side-load Flash, of course).
1. Archos 101 = capped at 800mhz (that is crazy- not even smaller form factor phones do this). Out of box and after update, the 101 can not even bust 1,000 with Quadrant and rooting to remove the cpu cap result in 1,200.
2. Despite fanboy spin, the 256mb ram is a problem for Flash and general operation with 2.2. Not so bad with 2.1, but app managment is more dynamic with 2.2 and more apps tend to float in memory, rather than sit in a wait-state using a register stack.
3. The wifi signal is weaker on the 101
4. No adhoc connections and wifi tether other than hotspots does not work
5. Only 300mb of app space (over six times less than the G)
6. Sound quality of the 3630 is weak due to low volume and even worse, poor gain management (Archos adheres to the Euro sound cap law). Still, the speaker output is louder than the Gtablet- ironic.
7. If you like games like the Quake series, PSX or other more demanding apps, the 101 is a lot slower and not smooth like the Gtablet.
8. Larger CBR and PDF files that play super smooth and lag free on the G, either do not work or are laggy messes on the 101.
9. As mentioned above, Flash is problematic on the 101, due to the 256mb ram. Try more demanding sites like Dailymotion and the higher res Flash content. Smooth on the G and not on the 101.
10. To get decenty performance, you need to root the device and mod. Why even bother with the 101 then? Europe has the Advent Vega, Asia has the zPad and NA has the Gtablet. ALL better options, IMO and now the Elocity 7 is out and kicks the snot out of the Archos 70.
Seems the 101 was outdated upon release and to add salt to the wound, they capped the cpu that was already designed to be dynamic and clock to usage- wild.
BTW, I do not agree that video is MUCH better, but is better, none the less. The 101 handles higher def video better, due to more mature support for the 3630, but 1080p does not work well on the 3630 either. Hidef seems pointless anyway on a portable device, due to space and battery drain. Not to mention the display is not 1080p. I think people latching on to the video mantra of the 101 are putting far too much stock in the actual difference it makes.
All of my vids play fine on the Gtablet, but I do not care for 1080p and 720p MP4 tends to be space and battery drainers too. Still wish those would work on the Gtablet.
I own neither right now but am sort of in the same boat as the poster.
Here's what sort of changed my mind...
I purchased and received my Archos 101 and it was dead on arrival brand new from Amazon. I know crap happens but it really got to me since I'd felt like a kid on Christmas day when it came. Imagine getting something you're EAGER for an anticipating and then not having it work? We can't really blame Archos for this entirely though since it happens with every product.
Anyway, what actually got to me was calling Archos....the CS guy wasn't much help and tried to convince me to send it in for repair vs. Amazon return. But who wants to send in their brand new device with the possibility of getting back someone else's used device? Right? He couldn't guarantee that I'd get back my brand new and repaired unit plus I had to pay shipping. In essence, my price for the 101 would have been almost 370 in the end, so I just told him no thanks and sent it back to Amazon.
I ordered the Archos in the first place because while I can see myself rooting and modding, to me it's an unnecessary hassle vs. just getting something that's supposed to work. In other words, I had your outlook. Excited about the modding potential, but better suited to official support, so really I just prefer getting the updates in OTAs than rooting and modding.
The Archos 101/70 seem to 'just work'. And I'd been planning on slapping the official/unofficial? Google Market on there for good measure so I was prepared to get my hands dirty somehow anyway as I wasn't sure if this meant I needed to root or not. Archos has also, recently seemed to show that they're at least trying to get updates out the door while Viewsonic's site didn't at the time have any updates posted for the G tablet and it seemed like it was just some hardware put out and then forgotten.
However, when I was 'forced' to check out the G tablet more thoroughly it would seem it's not 1/2 as bad as I'd seen or read about (youtube, blogs, etc.) where users called TnT horrible and writers referred to it as garbage and unusable etc. I say 'forced' because I couldn't RMA the 101 for exchange as Amazon was out of stock, I had to RMA for refund. Then on impulse, I decided to get the G Tablet...because I'm plain through with waiting.
I'd known it had more raw power than the 101 but upon further reading here on xda and watching newer youtube videos it seems TnT isn't that bad if you factory reset first and start 'fresh'. Not to mention the fact that the mod community has embraced the G tablet as something 'good'. Viewsonic is also pretty 'vocal' for the most part on Twitter, and that has to count for something in terms of getting our voices heard by the company. Archos is there too but their posts are mostly about where to buy the tablet or that they're available at so and so.
My point being, I don't think it would hurt to at least try the G Tab first. Had I known then what I know now (and I should have, as I am somewhat of a tech head) I would have just gone with the G Tab and in some ways, I'm happy the 101 came DoA or maybe I'd have happily settled for a single core, 720p playing Android tablet vs. something with more power and thus potential...a dual core with 1080p playing capability and the ability to do everything faster.
Also, modding isn't horrible. It's a scary thing to think you have to do something that may brick your device to get it to an even workable state...but this isn't the case.
Even if you've never done it before once you're thorough and read/understand/execute in detail, you'll never brick. Most experienced modders can root and slap a new ROM on their devices in 20m or less (depending on the ROM size, etc) but don't watch that....if it takes you even an hour, as long as you do it right the first time (in terms of getting a recovery mod in there), you're going to be fine from then on. You'll have the added bonus of messing around with a variation of ROMs and may realize something's there that you like even more than the stock. You also have the backing of XDA devs which is a great, great thing.
My 2c.
I currently own both the GTab (running TnTLite 2.3) and an Archos 101 (finally) with the latest firmware update. Both have their good and bad sides and if you've been hanging around here, you should have a pretty good idea of what those are.
The GTab:
Pros: Fast processor, easy to hack, not easy to brick, good XDA support
Cons: Not great viewing angle, questionable (stock) UI, questionable support (from ViewSonic)
The Archos 101:
Pros: Better viewing angle, decent support (from my experience, so far,) very good multimedia support and streaming, much lighter than the GTab, built-in kickstand, HDMI out
Cons: Very locked down (but can still sideload,) slower CPU (even at 1Gz,) HDMI not reliable (at least for me)
I like them both, for different uses. I like to hack around and get to know the OS and the GTab (and my DROID) are great for that. For daily use, I use the 101 since it is lighter to carry around and has the built-in kickstand.
my $.02
I have to agree with most. I also had interest in the archos but was part of the waiting game and the misleading info from the company itself.
My draw to the archos was it being a lightweight device. HDMI ready to use and the media player that seems to be the attractive feature in comparison.
But I must say being part of this site gave me insight and "again" bumped into the gtab. At first glance the device SW is horrid to say the least. Why would they butcher it, is beyond my reasoning (perhaps a sweet deal played out w/tapntap) and the #1 problem for users trying it out of box as is. They should seriously post in the box or pamphlet to register at xda. lol.
Once you fiddle with the device(using a custom build like TnTlite/VEGAn you wont regard making your decison. Archos is limited as meantion herein and your halt for the possiblities that lay ahead.
So Yes you can say the archos is lighter, has the hdmi port... a kickstand.
I agree the Gtab is heavier in comparison, and for some the viewing angles are bad, but in the end, The Gtab is here now with an awesome HW and will be here tomorrow.
Thanks!!
Wow, thanks to all who have responded.... I am leaning heavily towards the G Tab, sounds like it would be a fun device to mod. I want a good media player in my device, that is the biggest reason I am considering Archos. I own an old 504 80gb and I have used it almost everyday. I want to take the next step up to touch screen and Android, but I want the device to have some what of a future. Seems to me Archos puts devices out that are already one generation old when they hit the market. Must be their business model to buy new every 1-2 years. I would like to have my device for minimum of 2-3 years before I upgrade.
Thanks
My brief thoughts on the matter, as posted on Archos fans forum.
"I have a GTab as well as a 101. And there is NO comparison: My GTab blows the 101 away on speed, responsiveness, and smoothness. Its just uglier & heavier! Lol! My 11 year old daughter has lay claim on my GTab. She's lucky I love her (and am afraid of my wife)! Lol! . . . Admittedly, a lot of tweaks have gone into the device as it clearly was bad straight out of the box. All I know is with a custom ROM, mine flies."
http://forum.archosfans.com/viewtopic.php?f=74&t=43968
Just got a G-tab from local Sears last night.
Took me couple of hours to get it going with the latest TNT Lite and market fix. (still new to all of this.)
First I wanted to get 101, but it was sold out everywhere.
G-Tab was horrible with stock UI. After loading TNT, it is much better, but it has ways to go. I like the responsiveness. Still have to get used to the interface. And run some video tests. (I would like to use it in the car as an entertainment system for my kids.) HDMI via dock may be a deal killer to me.
I don't like the screen and ergonomics of the device. I will probably play around with a device, for a couple of weeks and then return it to Sears. Still want to see what will happen at CES. Perhaps Adam, will fit me better.
I first buy the archos 101 for my birthday on november and its not so good. Example no custom roms, speed capped at 800mhz, one of the speakers stop working ,its feel very plastic cheap! I just returned to amazon and get the g-tablet its a diferent kind of animal! Tegra 2, 512mb ram, lots of custom roms.
Its your choice! But im super happy with g-tablet never looked back since i buyit!
Neoprimal;99 [QUOTE said:
Also, modding isn't horrible. It's a scary thing to think you have to do something that may brick your device to get it to an even workable state...but this isn't the case.
Even if you've never done it before once you're thorough and read/understand/execute in detail, you'll never brick. Most experienced modders can root and slap a new ROM on their devices in 20m or less (depending on the ROM size, etc) but don't watch that....if it takes you even an hour, as long as you do it right the first time (in terms of getting a recovery mod in there), you're going to be fine from then on. You'll have the added bonus of messing around with a variation of ROMs and may realize something's there that you like even more than the stock. You also have the backing of XDA devs which is a great, great thing.
My 2c.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I THINK its even more brick proof than people realize. I took mine from an infinite boot loop state with a partitioned (completely deleted) sd card and no back ups all the way back to stock in about five minutes (clockworkmod was the ONLY thing working) after spending about 25 minutes reading about NVFLASH and finding the correct usb to gtab driver for my pc operating system (mine was winxp pro but there was support for vista, win 7 64 and linux).
Thanks again Roebeet for pointing me in the right direction.
Pretty muck "brick proof-tacular" if you are willing to ask for help/read through threads/research.
I am fortunate enough to have both devices and did a comprehensive review with video for anyone who is still interested: http://www.blendblog.net/Default.aspx?tabid=36&EntryID=64.
They both have strengths and weaknesses as I point out in my review.
Sean
Allenfx said:
I THINK its even more brick proof than people realize. I took mine from an infinite boot loop state with a partitioned (completely deleted) sd card and no back ups all the way back to stock in about five minutes (clockworkmod was the ONLY thing working) after spending about 25 minutes reading about NVFLASH and finding the correct usb to gtab driver for my pc operating system (mine was winxp pro but there was support for vista, win 7 64 and linux).
Thanks again Roebeet for pointing me in the right direction.
Pretty muck "brick proof-tacular" if you are willing to ask for help/read through threads/research.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This has been my experience too... bought my G-Tab (after spending hours pouring over reviews etc.) fiddled around with ROM's, managed to get it stuck in an infinite boot loop (Clockwork does NOT like NVflash!) Took about a hour reading up on NVFlash (THANKS Roebeet!!!) and got it back running again. Then did it again several more times, just to be sure. So that's cool and all..
One problem tho'... the screen.
I've seen lot's of talk about how great/awful the viewing angles are for the G-Tab. With mine, when looked at perpendicular/directly on, it looks great! But tilt is just a bit away from you (as if to place it on a table) and it gets immediately blurry and weird-looking colors (like a cheap LCD laptop screen)
HOWEVER, turn it over (so's the dock port is on the top) and do the same tilt and it looks normal (a bit washed out, but normal color and no LCD blur) all the way flat on the table... IS THE SCREEN INSTALLED UPSIDE DOWN??? Could this be why some people have such opposite experiences? I looked on YouTube at some viewing angle reviews and their G-Tabs looked like mine does when it's upside-down!? I took it back to Sears and got another one, took it home and same thing! So I took it back, too and got money back and am now trying to figure out weather or not to try the Archos... still hooked on the G-Tab though, it was so nice, except for having to keep it pointed exactly at 90-degree viewing angle. Any thoughts? And another big Thanks to Roebeet, just loved TNTlite!
mattrahman said:
This has been my experience too... bought my G-Tab (after spending hours pouring over reviews etc.) fiddled around with ROM's, managed to get it stuck in an infinite boot loop (Clockwork does NOT like NVflash!) Took about a hour reading up on NVFlash (THANKS Roebeet!!!) and got it back running again. Then did it again several more times, just to be sure. So that's cool and all..
One problem tho'... the screen.
I've seen lot's of talk about how great/awful the viewing angles are for the G-Tab. With mine, when looked at perpendicular/directly on, it looks great! But tilt is just a bit away from you (as if to place it on a table) and it gets immediately blurry and weird-looking colors (like a cheap LCD laptop screen)
HOWEVER, turn it over (so's the dock port is on the top) and do the same tilt and it looks normal (a bit washed out, but normal color and no LCD blur) all the way flat on the table... IS THE SCREEN INSTALLED UPSIDE DOWN??? Could this be why some people have such opposite experiences? I looked on YouTube at some viewing angle reviews and their G-Tabs looked like mine does when it's upside-down!? I took it back to Sears and got another one, took it home and same thing! So I took it back, too and got money back and am now trying to figure out weather or not to try the Archos... still hooked on the G-Tab though, it was so nice, except for having to keep it pointed exactly at 90-degree viewing angle. Any thoughts? And another big Thanks to Roebeet, just loved TNTlite!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ummmm.... this is not meant to be rude at all but I have to speak my mind.
For 300 bucks you need to get over it and enjoy the awesomeness you get out of ten inches that I paid to get 4 inches from my GSM (fml)
The Screen is a 300$ screen... be happy you got one before it sold out.
Not rude at all... in fact I had the same thought process... HOWEVER it was $400 ($369 listed on line, but $399 in the store, $440 with taxes [they said I'd have to return the one I bought in the store, order another online and pick it up at the merch. pick-up to get the online price] ) so it was a bit more than $300.If it were, I'd be much more inclined to just suck it up and enjoy the zippy-fast and get a stand that would hold it at the right angle... I'm looking at a "lightly used" one online that comes with a stand and chip for under $400 that I may get. I've even considered a ~$200 Chinese knock-off with a resistive screen, but I think I'd hate it, no Multi-Touch, slow response, etc. I guess it's just a balance of how much $$ with what features.
Originally, I ordered a Xoom from Verizon, but $800 plus $20/month seemed too too much! So I cancelled the order - for $35 "restocking fee" ugh, I hate phone companies - I still want a Xoom tho'.
I'm just wondering if anybody else has notice the "upside-down screen" thing, or am I nuts?
Update: Just found G-Tab for $299 on eBay/Tigerdirect with free shipping, 10 left...
gtab viewing angles
Yeah, On gtab noticed the screen has better viewing angles from top and left side than bottom and right. I dont know if that means they are building it installed upside down but they should move the factory to the southern hemisphere if they are ;-) or something.
Lousy viewing in the sun, regardless of angle.
Also wish the return key wasn't so badly placed, hold it in the right hand only and bound to hit the return key...
Hi All,
I know, there are many threads about KF vs NT, sorry for another one, I just haven't found my answer yet about following.
I'm visiting US and plan to buy a souvenir - either Kindle Fire or Nook Tablet. I lean towards NT slightly - because of the SD slot and RAM. I'm worried about locked bootloader however.
I would like to use the tablet for video playback, surfing the web, playing some games.
I'd like to have there ICS/CM9 one day. And that's the question. We have seen big progress in NT hacking recently, but it's definitely behind the state of KF development (of course thanks to B&N obstacles).
Is it only a matter of time and effort till NT gets working ICS (capable of reasonably smooth performance including video playback, etc.), or is it still a mystery, whether we ever get there? How big is the risk of ending with devs giving up due to some B&N obstacle?
Thanks for your opinions/knowledge, I'm scratching my head for 1,5 months already
Aleq
Based on what we're seeing with CM7 I don't see any impossible hurdles for CM9. It's just a lot more work and a much less mature project. I'd say NT is a no brainer over KF.
Cool, Nook Tablet with only 8GB of storage was introduces for $50 less, $199 total. It keeps the SD slot so I'd say that's a great deal.
I just hope no new bootloader (with new hacking countermeasures) comes with it or it gets cracked soon.
UPDATE: Too bad, the RAM has been cut from 1GB to 512MB :-(
I am a amazon prime member/amazon fanboy try to buy everything there and was really excited in the summer when I heard amazon was making their own line of tablets.
Then it was finally announced and I was like wtf seriously... 8gb or storage and no sd card slot plus the dreaded power button and no volume control buttons. I was massively disappointed and planned to wait till they updated the kindle but since the NT was on sale for 200 I bought it and couldn't be happier for my needs. Before I was using a coby tablet with lower res screen and no development since no firmware is public.
KF seems useless until updated with sd card/moved power button
Aleq said:
Hi All,
I'd like to have there ICS/CM9 one day. And that's the question. We have seen big progress in NT hacking recently, but it's definitely behind the state of KF development (of course thanks to B&N obstacles).
Aleq
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am really interesting in this problem too, NT hardware is much better but software development it’s far behind than KF.
What B&N obstacles are you taking about?
Judging by the youtube videos I have seen, CM9 is coming along nicely. I think once a 3.0+ working kernel is working, it will only be a matter of time.
The obstacles with the NT are B&N's bootloader being locked down and continuously changing. That keeps holding up development as new fixes are constantly being needed to progress further. Now, it seems, with the introduction of the 8GB version, it seems to be stalling a bit again while current progress is ported over to that build as well. I may be wrong on that, but that's the way it seems to me.
So I bought Nook Tablet and I'm loving it. Best souvenir from vacation ever
Running so far only rooted stock 1.4.2 + Android Market. Looking at CM7, looking forward to CM9.
nexuslm said:
What B&N obstacles are you taking about?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Locked bootloader, new firmwares removing root and preventing old rooting methods.
Sent from my BNTV250 using XDA
The only thing I disliked about my Nook is the fact that the B&N store is useless outside the States.
So using CM7 is pretty much obligatory for me.
That's true, but partly the same applies to Amazon Store - foreigners are not allowed to make purchases there.
Hacking - root + Market (Play, eh.) or CM7 / CM9 (it's coming!) was always the main reason for me to get one. I wouldn't be buying either of two, if it would be locked to stock forever
Hey guys
I've been looking a LOT around amazon and such for a tablet under $100. Why under $100? I need it to be under that price because there's a very high "luxury" tax applied in my country to products over $100, and it's an extra money I would rather not give to the govt because it's plain ridiculous already. Also, I'm planning on getting two of them, and I can't afford more than $150-200 on them. Why? this stupid country only gives you a "coupon" of $400 to spend online -YEARLY-, and I don't want to use it all on just two tablets, or be left with less than $200-250 to spend on other stuff I also need.
Monetary reasons explained and set aside, I'm getting the tablet for my mom, who only needs to browse the web, get on facebook, get & reply to emails, maybe some chatting and whatnot. She doesn't need much and I'm sure a simple Zeepad or something similar would do, but I'm a power user who mods almost every device that comes across his hands, so I'm using this chance to get a tablet too -if- I like the one I'm buying to my mom.
My mom's needs are... well, the basics. Maybe playing a video or two and nothing else. Me, on the other hand, want to upgrade it to the highest android version available for it (whether it be GB or ICS, or even Froyo since some come with Eclair (Eww)) and give it lots of possible uses. These include using it as a VNC viewer, remote keyboard/mouse, some development (if I get a keyboard+case for it), some gaming (ok, maybe not THD or anything but if it runs Angry Birds I'm happy XD) etcetera.
So, to resume, I'm looking for something including these specs, if possible:
3G (optional but it would be a big plus)
WiFi (must, or if not, then 3G)
600-800Mhz CPU (ARM? Adreno? Cortex? wtf?!)
A decent GPU (PowerVR? (like my Defy)?, what's a good GPU in android devices anyways?)
No stylus-exclusive (avoid if possible)
No resistive screen (I've heard they suck, and I don't want to push a screen like if it were a button (Blackberry Storm anyone? Eww xD) and be forced to use a stylus. If I can use my fingers on a resistive screen and it feels like a capacitive one, then that's okay with me )
USB host (to be able to plug in USB drives, keyboards, mices, etc)
Ethernet port optional but cool if it has one.
Tethering ability (though I think this is more OS-dependant than anything else)
Full Android Market (stupid chinese tablets)
SD card reader
Medium-small size. My whole Nook Simple Touch has the right size for the screen size I'd like (I think that's 7-9 inches?), I don't want to carry a tablet of the size of a notebook. Something that can fit a big pocket in a jacket or a pant would be cool, like the NST . This is optional but not required.
Battery life to stand a lot. Hey, my phone lasts only a day even without WiFi turned on which sucks. I've heard their batteries are like 6 or more hours, which seems okay... I'm not really sure what is "good" in this aspect.
Camera would be cool.
Phone (or at least SMS) functions would be cool, too.
And last but not least, able to be upgraded, or at least with a good hacker community stabilished. I want to be able to upgrade the tablet to other android versions (I don't mind if they're experimental) or at least compile a version for it. With this, I'm saying I don't want to be using google translate to find info on how to install another ROM in my tablet because everything comes from chinese forums and the tablet uses a random, non-standard OMFG-9372 processor nobody knows -anything- about and have to use dodgy apps or hacks to modify it, mmkay? okay.
Now, I've done my homework and these are the items I've came up with, however I'm still looking for more devices:
EEpad MID: http://www.amazon.com/Android-Table...C2/ref=sr_1_99?ie=UTF8&qid=1334592070&sr=8-99
Elsse: http://www.amazon.com/Elsse-Interne.../ref=sr_1_125?ie=UTF8&qid=1334592099&sr=8-125
Pandigital: http://www.amazon.com/Pandigital-An...H0/ref=sr_1_60?ie=UTF8&qid=1334591812&sr=8-60
Zeepad: http://www.amazon.com/Zeepad-Tablet...7Q/ref=sr_1_25?ie=UTF8&qid=1334591744&sr=8-25
Skytex: http://www.amazon.com/Skytex-Primer...E0/ref=sr_1_50?ie=UTF8&qid=1334591812&sr=8-50
Zeepad (2): http://www.amazon.com/Zeepad-Androi...1_fkmr1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1334592627&sr=8-3-fkmr1
Coby Kyros: http://www.amazon.com/Coby-MID7015-.../ref=sr_1_121?ie=UTF8&qid=1334593041&sr=8-121
"Random" brands:
http://www.amazon.com/Boxchip-Corte...0K/ref=sr_1_82?ie=UTF8&qid=1334592041&sr=8-82
http://www.amazon.com/Tablet-Intern...5Q/ref=sr_1_91?ie=UTF8&qid=1334592986&sr=8-91
Now, my thoughts:
EEpad MID: Looks good, but it has no reviews, so that detracts me from buying it. I can't find much info on the web on modifying it though.
Elsse: Seems like an asian tablet with no official Android Market, but eh, what do you guys say?
Pandigital: Looks like it sucks .
Zeepad: There isn't much info about it
Skytex: Looks cheap-o and low-quality :/
Zeepad (2): Seems to have good features and such.
Coby Kyros: Now, this, coming from Coby it makes me think of a cheap device like the MP3 players they make, but surprisingly, it has more reviews than the rest of the tablets and it's under $100. Also, it seems to be more powerful than the rest of the ones I've looked at (in the links here), and the reviews seem to be good. It makes me think if it's possible to upgrade it to 2.2 or 2.3, it would be really cool if it would.
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Sorry for the long read!... in case you want a resume, I'm just looking for two tablets: A simple one for my mom to browse the web, emails, play some games, chat and etc, and another one (or the same one if possible) for a power-user who would modify/upgrade it and use it as an IT work tool (VNC viewer, dev. tool, document editing, pdf reading, flash, some gaming, etc).
Any thoughts you guys have in relation to an android tablet to get? what's something "good" and something "bad"? I'd like to see opinions, reviews or suggestions on other tablets to look for or what other keywords should I look for in Amazon?
Thanks in advance!
- DARKGuy
Bump?
Coby Kyros is listed as "resistive" on Amazon, i'm not sure you've noticed that. I think you should check the Ainol (or any allwinner based device). They have somewhat limited community and support but it should be good for performance and gaming. Or bump the price range to 150 and look at Cortex A9 devices with reputable brands..
I agree with NightWatch71 about the tablet but not the price. I found it at around $75 in some places, but that was a long time ago so I forgot. Try looking around on Google Shopping.
Prices on Amazon change so often it's almost impossible to keep up and new manufacturers are releasing tablets a dime a dozen
This list is kept up to date tabletninja.com/finding-the-best-tablets-under-100/
A lot of the same options listed with a few new options from some newbies
Afternoon folks.
I'm currently on the fence with the N9, and I may have an opportunity to buy a brand new 16GB for only £130-ish.
However, even at that price I'm not willing to forgive the many sins I'm reading about on here, light bleed, getting extremely hot and not being able to have more than 1 Chrome tab open are deal breakers for me.
I know these problems exist but, to my surprise, this doesn't seem to be a very popular forum compared to the N7 (2013) which is my current tablet (was the N9 a bit of a flop or do people just not develop for it on here??) and I wanted to check if there have been any kind of hardware revisions or software improvements that have made the N9 a great device to use, as it should have been from day one.
So yea, even now a year later, are these problems I'm reading about on here widespread?? If not is there a light at the end of the tunnel or should I just avoid?
Thanks
djbenny1 said:
However, even at that price I'm not willing to forgive the many sins I'm reading about on here, light bleed, getting extremely hot and not being able to have more than 1 Chrome tab open are deal breakers for me.
I know these problems exist but, to my surprise, this doesn't seem to be a very popular forum compared to the N7 (2013) which is my current tablet (was the N9 a bit of a flop or do people just not develop for it on here??) and I wanted to check if there have been any kind of hardware revisions or software improvements that have made the N9 a great device to use, as it should have been from day one.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't believe there have been any hardware improvements.
You might want to check this thread and this thread as well and read about various folks' experiences. You might also wait a few weeks and check back after Android 6 is rolled out (though I think the consensus among folks running the previews is that it is not much different).
I think the bottom line is that some people are very happy with the N9 and others are very unhappy with it. Some issues, the chrome tab one in particular, seem universal unless you modify your device. Others, like overheating and light bleed, appear to be either luck of the draw or situation-dependent. (I have had neither of those problems -- I had overheating due to a misbehaving app but the app was updated and I never had the issue again.)
djbenny1 said:
However, even at that price I'm not willing to forgive the many sins I'm reading about on here, light bleed, getting extremely hot and not being able to have more than 1 Chrome tab open are deal breakers for me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Obviously everyone has a different experience but I would just like to share that my N9 was perfectly fine. No light bleed issues, doesn't get extremely hot (although it does warm a little after heavy usage but I wouldn't call it "hot") and I frequently have multiple Chrome tabs open (in fact I haven't even heard of this issue until now). So I don't doubt some people are having these issues, but I don't think they are as common as you may think because people without problems generally don't say anything.
djbenny1 said:
I know these problems exist but, to my surprise, this doesn't seem to be a very popular forum compared to the N7 (2013) which is my current tablet (was the N9 a bit of a flop or do people just not develop for it on here??) and I wanted to check if there have been any kind of hardware revisions or software improvements that have made the N9 a great device to use, as it should have been from day one.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I can't speak about the difference in popularity of the forums but rooting and flashing roms was fun when I got my first Android device but now I'm happy to have something that "just works" so I don't frequent the forums as much. I don't believe there has been any revisions that changed the hardware.
In the end, I like my N9 but it is obsolete now.
woshiweili said:
Obviously everyone has a different experience but I would just like to share that my N9 was perfectly fine. No light bleed issues, doesn't get extremely hot (although it does warm a little after heavy usage but I wouldn't call it "hot") and I frequently have multiple Chrome tabs open (in fact I haven't even heard of this issue until now). So I don't doubt some people are having these issues, but I don't think they are as common as you may think because people without problems generally don't say anything.
I can't speak about the difference in popularity of the forums but rooting and flashing roms was fun when I got my first Android device but now I'm happy to have something that "just works" so I don't frequent the forums as much. I don't believe there has been any revisions that changed the hardware.
In the end, I like my N9 but it is obsolete now.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Obsolete?
What would you say is better? When I checked the other day it was 4th in the list of highest benchmarking android devices.
If you can wait one or two more months, and the price of a new tablet is OK for you, then you might want to wait and see how the Pixel C is doing in the tests.
djbenny1 said:
Obsolete?
What would you say is better? When I checked the other day it was 4th in the list of highest benchmarking android devices.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Google just announced Pixel C three days ago. While it may not be an obvious successor to Nexus 9 (perhaps the last Nexus tablet?), it is the most current tablet from Google. Nexus 9 has also been out for about a year, the same amount of time the two previous Nexus tablets were released before they were replaced.
djbenny1 said:
Afternoon folks.
I'm currently on the fence with the N9, and I may have an opportunity to buy a brand new 16GB for only £130-ish.
However, even at that price I'm not willing to forgive the many sins I'm reading about on here, light bleed, getting extremely hot and not being able to have more than 1 Chrome tab open are deal breakers for me.
I know these problems exist but, to my surprise, this doesn't seem to be a very popular forum compared to the N7 (2013) which is my current tablet (was the N9 a bit of a flop or do people just not develop for it on here??) and I wanted to check if there have been any kind of hardware revisions or software improvements that have made the N9 a great device to use, as it should have been from day one.
So yea, even now a year later, are these problems I'm reading about on here widespread?? If not is there a light at the end of the tunnel or should I just avoid?
Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi, djbenny1...
I've generally avoided answering such questions in the past, partially because the answer is going to be hugely subjective, and partially because it also depends on what your expectations of the device are. If you plan on playing lots of graphic, GPU intensive, high octane video games on it, I would be inclined to look elsewhere for another device.
And it also depends on what you're prepared to pay for it...
At £130 this represents a significant reduction in price, from the original £319 (for the 16Gb model) and £399 (for the 32Gb model) price points, when the Nexus 9 was announced in the Autumn of last year (2014). A quick Google search reveals that the 16Gb model currently retails for around £250, give or take a few quid.
Leaving aside the dull, uninspiring appearance of the Nexus 9, and the reported hardware problems - the flexi-back, the lightbleed issues, (I never had those issues with my Nexus 9, and I've no idea if HTC made changes to the production process to remedy these problems.), but I would be surprised if they haven't, given how widespread those reports where.
...but leaving aside those issues, the problem with the Nexus 9, IMHO, is it tried to do too many things, too quickly...
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** Implement the new Android RunTime (ART), replacing the old Dalvik runtime, as part of Lollipop. (And compounded further by a memory leak in the initial release version of Lollipop).
** Along with the Nexus 6 smartphone, it was one of the first devices to run Android on a 64bit platform.
** Run Android encrypted (ie, the data partition) by default. Seamless, on-the-fly, encryption, surely has to have some resource penalty (CPU cycles, etc.), resulting in impaired performance - (See my comments later about encryption.)
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All of these elements introduce a multiplicity of 'difficult-to-quantify' variables, whose aggregated deficits cannot be easily foreseen. And introduced together, on one device, and at the same time, seems to me to have been not the best idea from Google. There's certainly no doubting Googles audacity with the Nexus 9, introducing these features, but they did too much, too quickly.
I don't pretend to be either a software or a hardware expert, but everything I know about designing new devices and developing software, suggests that a slower process of design, implementation, testing, and feedback is better in the long run. A slower process of iteration...
...rolling out a new feature on a new device - see how it works in the real world. And then later, add-in a second feature, and see how that works out. Maybe wait for the next device release, before adding in a third feature, and so on and so forth. To quote the old aphorism, "Rome wasn't built in a Day", so why did Google attempt to (metaphorically) do so with the Nexus 9 ??
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For my own part, I'm pretty happy with my Nexus 9 .
I'm currently running it with the 3rd Android M developer preview installed, it's rooted, and as a requirement of acquiring root, it's also unencrypted.
And running it without encryption, made a **BIG** difference to my Nexus 9. See my post here from June of this year, and the benchmark results I obtained with AnTuTu as a result of decrypting it.
With regard to the oft reported problem of Chrome reloading tabs... yes, it does do this, but I can't say this is a major problem for me.
I've spent the past few hours drafting and submitting posts on XDA, preparing and sending several emails via MailDroid, and all the while, frequently dipping in and out of Chrome to do some fact checking, and with something like around 20 tabs open. Yes, they do reload (but not every time), but it takes no more than a few seconds. Maybe again, this has something to do with my device not being encrypted. I should also add here, I tend to run Greenify rather aggressively (as I do on all my Android devices), hibernating all the apps I have installed that I can realistically get away with. Obviously I don't hibernate things like widgets, or apps which set alarms, or depend on push notifications... but this leaves more RAM for the 3 or 4 apps I do use on a frequent basis.
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So... My Nexus 9 does what I need it to do, which is primarily web browsing via Chrome, email via MailDroid, and posting here on XDA, via a combination of the XDA Premium 4 app and Chrome.
I'm not a big video game player, but I've been known to occasionally indulge in a game of chess, with Shredder Chess, or a game of Sudoku with Andoku 2. The most graphics intensive games I play on it are Temple Run: Oz and Subway Surfers. Both games run without problem. And I can't say my Nexus 9 gets particularly hot... A little warm, yes... but hot - no.
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So, should you buy one for £130...??
I would say, if you're prepared to tinker with it a little (Unlock the bootloader, flash ElementalX kernel for decryption purposes), then I think there are worse ways of spending £130.
Another way of looking at it is, what alternative devices are available for £130? What specifications do they have? RAM, CPU, version of Android? Likelihood of further updates to Android? If you want to tinker with it, how easy or difficult is to root or unlock the bootloader?
Would I buy one today for £130?
Yes, I would (if I didn't already have one).
The benefit of hindsight is a wonderful thing - a phrase often used with negative connotations, but I use it here positively. Knowing what I know about it now, and having had it for nearly a year, and how to get the best out of it, I would have no hesitation about buying one for that kind of money... .
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Right, I can't think of anything else to add. Which is probably a good thing... I've rambled on far too long as it is .
I don't know if I've clarified a few things for you or muddied the waters further. I hope it's the former .
Anyway, good luck, with whatever you decide.
Kind Rgrds,
Ged.
I was sitting on the fence on whether or not to get the N9 what tipped my hand into buying one was Argos dropping the price down to £179 and I'm very please with it so far. I've got slight screen bleed at the top but this is only noticeble on dark screens.
jonchill said:
I was sitting on the fence on whether or not to get the N9 what tipped my hand into buying one was Argos dropping the price down to £179 and I'm very please with it so far. I've got slight screen bleed at the top but this is only noticeble on dark screens.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, the Argos price was too tempting for me also.
I also have a touch of lightbleed which I wouldn't put up with if I'd paid £300. Compared to the Nexus 7 (2013) I think the screen isn't quite as good. The black levels aren't as low but the screen can go a touch brighter.
When you get over the screen however, the speed and small things like always on google now, (even when the screen isn't,) make the tablet worth it.
At £179 I'm happy, at £300 I wouldn't be, at £130, I'd deffo take the chance.
Hi all, I'm Rafael and I'm a noob.
Some weeks ago I've started to look at devices in a different way, and discovered a big world inside it; I've seen a lot of useful things that you can learn and do with an old device or with the device that unfortunately I bought:
a teclast m89.
This last is the reason because I want to study and learn what can I do with a device sold and reviewed like the best of the best and after a month of conscious use I've discovered that i want to destroy it.
Why?
Minimum brightness of the screen is the maximum brightness of a standard device;
80% of the ? drain go to the screen;
Battery autonomy, 3/4 videos on Amazon video, little web surfing and that's all. connect the cable.
Amazon video? you have a 2k display but you can't see a video in HD.
You want to read a book? don't worry you can't relax in your bedroom with the lights off because the screen is a navy seal torch!
You want security patches? Don't worry we sell you a new tablet instead! (Who cares about customers and pollution).
You want gestures? Android 7 and no mayor updates it's enought for the price you paid!
Native Dark mode?
Random shutdown? Yes we offer it, specially if you're working on something of unsaved and important from several hours.
What teclast m89 is good for? Anything outside of the box except using like a cutting board.
But looking on custom ROMs, modding, and a lot of things I thought that this device have a potential. Yes, I think that is not possible to solve all the problems I mentioned above but I hope for the best possible result.
So I've looked tons of videos and red a lot of webpages but I'm continuing to feel ignorant and unsure about Android things, I saw a lot of videos where people saying how fantastic the root is but at the end of the video I don't understood what a root is (maybe is my fault).
Something about me:
I have a Windows background, ms-dos and commodore 64 (experience at 4 years old), I'm able to Use a Bios and change settings without do a disaster or install Ubuntu without destroy the PC, able to fix a broken display in simple devices, upgrade a laptop or build a rig...but I'm a completely noob
So the question to the community is this:
How can improve my knowledge regarding android and move the first steps into install custom ROMs? how can i become aN aware user? From where you start?
Thank you very much
Cheers
Rafael
Other devices LG G3, Samsung S3, Honor 9 lite.
P.S. I hope it's all right with rules and section, sorry in advance.