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Sorry if this is OT. Just recently started using android for about a month now (gingerbread tablet). And I've been using google voice a lot which means I've been txting up a storm since I got it.
My rant is that I really despise the auto complete. I've tried gokeyboard too and it seems just as bad. I know part of the problem is my device is low end ($220 lenovo a1) and can't keep up with how fast I type, but even when I'm slow it just sucks major ass.
Not trying to bash (because I still intend to use my device) but compared to my windows phone the auto complete doesn't compare.
Is there an alternative? Or how do the keyboards work on android. Are they responsible for the auto complete or are they only good for different layouts?
Thanks.
Keyboards on android change everything. A new keyboard can use a different auto-correct, layout, keysizes and other things. I don't have any knowledge of tablet keyboards, but ICS keyboard is great, SwiftKey has pretty good correction, Skype is fast on phones and Smart Keyboard Pro works well as well. Try some different ones, one has to work for you.
Big Rant here... we're almost at half time this year, and there is NO QWERTY PHONES in sight!!! What the f**?
I'm using the Sprint Epic 4G, which is what I would consider to be the 2nd best QWERTY phone (1GHz A8 CPU, PowerVR 540 @ 200MHz) even though it is 2 years old.
Only the Droid 3/4 beats it, and that is based on 2011 technology, and spec wise they are not much of an upgrade (Dual Core 1+GHz CPU, Power 540 @ 300 Mhz), with only the addition of another core, but the GPU is identical except for the clock speed.
And what's in store for 2012? I can't find any news QWERTY phones. I want to upgrade both CPU and GPU, so at least a Quad Core A8 or Dual Core A9, with a GPU on par at least with the Samsung GS2 Mali-400. The only news I've heard of is the Motorola Photon, but there has been nothing concrete since the initial rumours!
Yeah, it's a shame. I guess there isn't nearly as much demands these days for a qwerty phone, or the OEMs are just obsessed on super sizing the phone's screen now. I doubt the Photon will have a keyboard too.
It's not so much that there is not a demand. It's more of a general feel the corporate big wigs have from not being in touch. They're so into making the screens bigger, they're not actually taking certain things into account. Like that some people don't want something the size of a tablet, as a phone. Or just because the screen is larger doesn't mean we don't want a physical Keyboard. I for one am not a fan of the virtual KB. Fat Fingers, and a virtual KB. Not a good combination. Not to mention the virtual KB ets up a good portion of the screen anyway. If they keep this up, those that do have real keyboards won't be able to keep the damm things in stock. IMO it's split about 50/50 those that want a Virtual KB, and those that want a real KB. I would suggest to the manufacturers to give us the Physical KB, and find a way to keep the thickness of the device to a minimum. That would work better in their favor.
prboy1969 said:
It's not so much that there is not a demand. It's more of a general feel the corporate big wigs have from not being in touch. They're so into making the screens bigger, they're not actually taking certain things into account. Like that some people don't want something the size of a tablet, as a phone. Or just because the screen is larger doesn't mean we don't want a physical Keyboard. I for one am not a fan of the virtual KB. Fat Fingers, and a virtual KB. Not a good combination. Not to mention the virtual KB ets up a good portion of the screen anyway. If they keep this up, those that do have real keyboards won't be able to keep the damm things in stock. IMO it's split about 50/50 those that want a Virtual KB, and those that want a real KB. I would suggest to the manufacturers to give us the Physical KB, and find a way to keep the thickness of the device to a minimum. That would work better in their favor.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Agreed, phone manufacturers these days just want to make the phone as slim as possible. Reviewers love it that a phone is 1mm slimmer than a competitor, rather than sacrificing that a bit in order to pack some actual functionality... A keyboard just doesn't have the same wow-factor than a big shiny phone, unfortunately.
The stupidity of the masses (especially the iSheep crowd) in my opinion is probably to blame. Touch screen only phones are functionally useless especially when you want to get any work done. Try manipulating a spreadsheet in landscape mode... almost the entire screen estate is eaten up by the virtual keyboard!
I say this from experience having gone from HTC Hermes (has KB) to Omnia 2 (no KB) and now Epic 4G (has KB). I've also learnt of HTC recent defection from keyboard phones... and this touch-only and slimness obsessiveness is getting out of control.
Some rumours says that there will be a Xperia phone with QWERTY keyboard this year...
Sent from my LT26i using Tapatalk 2
I for my self can say i use to love the keyboard but got so use to on screen keyboard that when i use a keyboard its so hard to adapt (at least for me) back to it like on my droid pro i find my self using the virtual keyboard instead of the fisical one
Sent from my DROID Pro using xda premium
Qwerty's don't sell nearly as well. In addition, manufacturers don't want to spend the additional $$ needed to produce a device variant that also has a keyboard. Not sure why they don't offer them and just charge more for them....probably once again they simply don't sell the numbers required to make the same profit as producing full touch screen phones.
Phones are getting bigger and most don't want a brick in their pocket. You are unfortunately the minority.
The people that are used to them should squash the habit and dive into virtual keyboards. The selection is much greater. Most keyboarded devices are sub par in comparison to modern day super phones. And things don't seem to be changing anytime soon. The Droid 4 has a beautiful keyboard. Probably the best on the market. But the device itself is horrible. Not sure which I hated more, the screen or blur. Probably a combination of both. It comes down to economics. When you add a keyboard, the hardware suffers. The manufacturers have budgets to keep within.
The people with sausage fingers, hopefully will at least have the option to get the biggest screen device on the market to help compensate.
Adapt or be unhappy with every device you buy.
Sent from CDMA V6 SC GNexus w/Liquid & Franco.kernel
samsung india has released a qwerty phone last month. its a low/mid range phone. wid dual camera n dual sim . but its armv6 chipset
http://m.samsung.com/in/consumer/mobile-phone/mobile-phone/dual-sim-phone/GT-B5512HKAINU-features
Sent from my Nexus One using Tapatalk
Probably because no one really shows interest in them. Android enjoys a good screen size, adding a keyboard hurts that a bit(IE: Evo 4G Slider or w/e it was).
It seems all of the new phones this year have super large screens and no keyboards. I already have a tablet, the point of a phone is to be portable, anything over about 4.3" seems like overkill. My Droid 3 may be a little thicker due to its keyboard but the other 2 dimensions I care more about when holding it. I held a friend's Droid RAZR and it felt a little too big for a phone and its only 4.3".
For just typing words, Swype can be faster than physical keyboards, but for typing symbols and having arrow keys a physical keyboard can be nicer.
Keyboards are slowly becoming a thing of the past..imo with phones coming
out with massive screens, manufacturers wont want to add to the bulk with a physical keyboard.
Aerocaptain said:
Qwerty's don't sell nearly as well. In addition, manufacturers don't want to spend the additional $$ needed to produce a device variant that also has a keyboard. Not sure why they don't offer them and just charge more for them....probably once again they simply don't sell the numbers required to make the same profit as producing full touch screen phones.
Phones are getting bigger and most don't want a brick in their pocket. You are unfortunately the minority.
The people that are used to them should squash the habit and dive into virtual keyboards. The selection is much greater. Most keyboarded devices are sub par in comparison to modern day super phones. And things don't seem to be changing anytime soon. The Droid 4 has a beautiful keyboard. Probably the best on the market. But the device itself is horrible. Not sure which I hated more, the screen or blur. Probably a combination of both. It comes down to economics. When you add a keyboard, the hardware suffers. The manufacturers have budgets to keep within.
The people with sausage fingers, hopefully will at least have the option to get the biggest screen device on the market to help compensate.
Adapt or be unhappy with every device you buy.
Sent from CDMA V6 SC GNexus w/Liquid & Franco.kernel
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wow really :what: "
Adapt or be unhappy with every device you buy " . " The people that are used to them should squash the habit and dive into virtual keyboards " . this the same kind of thinking that says everyone should own a Prius. because they're good for the enviroment. Reality is they're not. It takes forever to recoup the enviromental impact damage from producing one. Also it's called choice, I don't want a virtual KB. As for the statement " When you add a keyboard, the hardware suffers " . I'd say your off on that one. Example the EVO Shift. The manufacturers listen to the people. But if we're all lemmings, then we get what they give and smile.
alunral said:
Probably because no one really shows interest in them. Android enjoys a good screen size, adding a keyboard hurts that a bit(IE: Evo 4G Slider or w/e it was).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Adding the KB affects the size a bit. But that's more of a manufacturers choice than anything else. But it's still worth the trade off IMO to have the KB.
TEAM MiK
MikROMs Since 3/13/11
I for one am not a fan of virtual keyboards. I may be naive but I think that the keyboard makes a phone look distasteful, but that's my biased opinion.
Nevertheless, lets be honest here. Virtual keyboards are no longer very popular and even the company that was most famous for its creation of Qwerty phones has moved into the path of full touch (Blackberry). That's not to say that there will NEVER be a Qwerty phone coming out (Black berry has confirmed that they will still continue designing new Qwerty phones) but it will most definitely not be flooding the market like other full touch screen phones are.
I have the xperia pro now, but already I'm looking to see what is coming next.
It really surprises me that there are now no QWERTY phones out this year, this is a worrying trend.
For those who say "use the on screen keyboard and shut up", trying using one with your eyes closed, not so easy to use now is it, no right then, that is why I need a physical keyboard, because on screen ones are too small and I can not see or feel what letters I am typing.
I do realise however that this is becoming rather a niche market, so I guess fewer and fewer suppliers will be releasing phones with this facility.
Its a shame Motorolla didn't release a GSM version of its Droid 4, a trick missed I feel.
Well at this rate, when my contract expires, it seems I'll be looking at a Blackberry or going back to a 'feature' phone, sad days
Well, physical keyboards add weight, volume, and cost to the phone. The slide-out function also introduces at least two more potential points of failure (the sliding mechanism itself, and the connecting data ribbon), which means more time and money has to be spent on QA.
I think the net result of all this is that for a keyboard phone to be technologically and structurally competitive, the price skews high, and it looks like there's just not enough relative demand for that feature. If manufacturers try to make a cutting edge, high-priced keyboard phone, they run the risk of having a whole bunch of product (with especially high manufacturing cost) that sits in the warehouse... cell phones don't age well, so that's a scary thought for them.
I'm afraid it's looking like keyboards (as they exist now) are being mitigated to the role of "smart phone training wheels", which means fewer and fewer high-end offerings down the road.
Just my (somewhat depressing) 2 cents.
leona said:
I have the xperia pro now, but already I'm looking to see what is coming next.
It really surprises me that there are now no QWERTY phones out this year, this is a worrying trend.
For those who say "use the on screen keyboard and shut up", trying using one with your eyes closed, not so easy to use now is it, no right then, that is why I need a physical keyboard, because on screen ones are too small and I can not see or feel what letters I am typing.
I do realise however that this is becoming rather a niche market, so I guess fewer and fewer suppliers will be releasing phones with this facility.
Its a shame Motorolla didn't release a GSM version of its Droid 4, a trick missed I feel.
Well at this rate, when my contract expires, it seems I'll be looking at a Blackberry or going back to a 'feature' phone, sad days
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Your telling me that the on screen keyboard is too small? Try a Galaxy Note, If your telling me you can not see what letters you are typing you seriously need an eye examination.
prboy1969 said:
It's not so much that there is not a demand. It's more of a general feel the corporate big wigs have from not being in touch. They're so into making the screens bigger, they're not actually taking certain things into account. Like that some people don't want something the size of a tablet, as a phone. Or just because the screen is larger doesn't mean we don't want a physical Keyboard. I for one am not a fan of the virtual KB. Fat Fingers, and a virtual KB. Not a good combination. Not to mention the virtual KB ets up a good portion of the screen anyway. If they keep this up, those that do have real keyboards won't be able to keep the damm things in stock. IMO it's split about 50/50 those that want a Virtual KB, and those that want a real KB. I would suggest to the manufacturers to give us the Physical KB, and find a way to keep the thickness of the device to a minimum. That would work better in their favor.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If the world were split 50/50 over a hardware keyboard Apple wouldn't hold such a large market share, considering they offer zero phones with physical keyboards... just saying. Your estimate might just be really far off base...
leona said:
...trying using one with your eyes closed, not so easy to use now is it, no right then, that is why I need a physical keyboard, because on screen ones are too small and I can not see or feel what letters I am typing.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Why would you close your eyes & type? Nevertheless, if you can't see the letters, go see an optician.
Sent from my GT-I9100 using XDA
Did it ever occur to you he might actually suffer from some form of visual handicap?
I'm surprised by the replies some people give on xda nowadays.
- Sent from my mobile device
I have a chance to choose as a gift between mediapad lumia 710 and wildfire s.
I don't want to go for the nokia, it's with wp7.5, and i already have an original wildfire for just about 1,5 years and has connection issues. Should I go for media pad? Is it worth?
I don't know this brand at all, is it trustworthy?
dark_fighter said:
I have a chance to choose as a gift between mediapad lumia 710 and wildfire s.
I don't want to go for the nokia, it's with wp7.5, and i already have an original wildfire for just about 1,5 years and has connection issues. Should I go for media pad? Is it worth?
I don't know this brand at all, is it trustworthy?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you want to use it yourself then just go for it. If you want to sell it, depending on the country, probably Lumia or HTC are the better choices.
As for the credibility of Huawei, just Google it
Sent from my HTC Glacier using Tapatalk 2
You are comparing a 7" tablet with a 3.2" or 3.7" phone. You can find a spec comparison of the Mediapad and the Wildfire S here: http://www.gsmarena.com/compare.php3?idPhone1=4264&idPhone2=3777 You can also use the page for comparing the Lumina.
Besides their difference in size, there are also other significant differences, e.g. the Mediapad is more than three times the weight of the Wildfire S).
However: I just unpacked my Mediapad and it is an very nice device. Its built is solid and I like its feel (I had a SGT for a short time before. Didn't like it).
If you look for a tablet that size, go for the Mediapad. It offers a good value for the price (around 300€ in .de). If you look for a phone, probably the Wildfire or Lumina is the better choice.
Using the Medaipad as phone might also look a bit funny if you do not use a headset (maybe like this: http://gigaom2.files.wordpress.com/2011/11/tablet-as-phone.jpeg?w=210&h=300)
As for the company, Huawei is a Chinese manufacturer, which is active in Europe mainly by providing infrastructure components for communication/GSM networks. They started to bring customer end-products to the European market some time ago and are set to drastically increase their market share.
From a consumer standpoint, I think they can be trusted the same way as aKorean or Taiwanese phone manufacturer. But maybe check for customer service in your area.
Cheers,
CS
Thank you very much for your replies. The fact is that I don't want a WP phone, as I am used to the android structure and interface, and also the openings that the android allows as an open-source os. I have never used a smartphone with an OS different than Android, and if wp are just like normal windows then it is for sure a no-go. And about Wildfire S... I don't know... I am using the original one right now, and from day first I wanted more performance, and this is one thing that wf's don't do. Also I have connectivity issues (signal and wifi) whatever rom or radio I used. And it is only 18 months old phone.
Amd yes I am going to use it as a phone too, to make calls and send sms's. One of my biggest concern is about moving with it around... Is it comfortable? (note, that I hadn't owned any other tablet in the past). Do you use/need a bag like a netbook/notebook?
dark_fighter said:
Amd yes I am going to use it as a phone too, to make calls and send sms's. One of my biggest concern is about moving with it around... Is it comfortable? (note, that I hadn't owned any other tablet in the past). Do you use/need a bag like a netbook/notebook?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ok. I'm in the U.S. and the Springboard (which is essentially the Mediapad) is not used as a phone (by T-Mobile)... mind you once rooted it could be used as such (sort of. you need only to read the questions of folks trying to get their rooted Springboard to work as a phone). I don't know that I would want to use a tablet like a phone. For starters while it is not as large as a 10 inch tablet, it still would be awkward holding it up to your face to talk. I just recently saw a Samsung Galaxy Note. It's a 5 inch tablet that works as a phone but even that looked weird size-wise holding it to your face. You would probably not look as weird if you paired the tablet with a bluetooth headset and use it as a phone that way.
This tablet is 7 inches and you could put it in a case that would make people think you are carrying around an ebook reader. Since it's 7 inches you wouldn't necessarily need to cart it around in a netbook case unless you wanted to. It fits nicely in other things although I would probably put it in a protective sleeve if I were going to put it in a messenger bag or purse.
Windows Phone isn't like your regular windows. It's a true phone ui unlike the old Windows Mobile which felt like a small desktop ui. Just go to YouTube and see it yourself.
Of course nothing beats the openness of Android, but in media pad case, you basically only got root instead of a full custom rom since Huawei haven't release the source code. Root only is good enough for me, since I mainly use root access for backup. Other people might be disappointed because they're expecting custom rom.
As for using it as a phone, I don't think the size is friendly enough for this tablet to be used as your main phone. Maybe as a secondary phone, definitely not as your primary phone. It doesn't have a phone speaker, thus you use it like you use speakerphone. of course earphone (and blue tooth? never tried it) is an option.
Portability wise, for me it's a bit too big to be carried comfortably inside a pocket (it does fit nicely into the back pocket, but I really don't want to sit while it is in my back pocket). I usually use a small bag to carry it around.
Of course I am not going to stick a 7" tablet in my face to speak and of course I will use a hands-free set (I am used to it, since my wildfire voice speaker is crap and I don't hear sh*t if I am outside).
With mediapad, fact is that it offers the performance of a high end phone in a much much lower price, and since I can choose it as a gift, I consider it very seriously...
But the big question is, will it last for let's say 2-3 years? I mean I don't want to get full of problems with it after 1,5 year making it nearly unusable like my wf is now.
An other question... Is it possible in HC to use it as phone? I know that it hasn't any dialer in it, but is it possible to speak using a dialer like ExDialer or TouchPal?
I heard you can downlad phone.apk and install..
just like that?
dark_fighter said:
just like that?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes. Or you can install ICS rom which has built in dialer.
Hi guys, I'm new to the (modern) tablet scene. I tried to get into tablets when I started college back in 2007 with the Fujitsu T4215 and absolutely loved handwriting and the idea of tablets back then, but unfortunately the hardware at the time proved a bit too heavy (literally) and clunky for me (e.g. low battery life, and other hardware issues I had with my laptop). I rediscovered pen and paper for some time and found I work way more effectively writing, however, it can be very hard to organize and now I just have stacks and stacks of paper. I'm just starting graduate school, and it it seems like the hardware (e.g. HTC flyer, Samsung Note) and software (e.g. Lecture Notes, Quill, ezPDF) are starting to converge to a point of being usable and affordable, so I'm thinking of giving tablets another shot.
I'm pretty sure I'm going to replace my dying laptop with a serviceable windows 8 tablet-top (I love onenote) after all the kinks of the 1st generation of windows 8 tablets have been worked out, so I've been hesitant to spring for the samsung note (despite the rave reviews) since they would be filling the same niche. This still gives me a year or so of downtime though, leading me to consider the 7 inch HTC flyer.
My dilemma right now is if you guys think the HTC flyer/view is a good investment right now. It seems like there are rumors for a 7 inch samsung note? And the HTC flyer with windows RT. Although the price for those I'm guessing is going to be $350+ and perhaps out of my student budget. But would the HTC flyer hold its value for a year or so? Should I get used or new? What would be a good price to invest in? Or should I wait for a new device? It's so hard to decide with hardware improving so quickly and everything becoming outdated in a just a few months.
My usage is fairly light. I'm coming from a slow Android 2.3 smartphone and ipod touch 2 (whose smoothness still blows my mind even though it's older than my android phone), so I feel no matter what the flyer is still a big upgrade for me. I'm just looking for a good companion to hold all my pdfs, papers (gonna start scanning all my handwritten notes), while allowing for some handy pen annotation. And if I could connect remotely to my desktop for some matlab and or mathematica I'd be ecstatic.
Thanks guys!
EnPaceRequiescat said:
Hi guys, I'm new to the (modern) tablet scene. I tried to get into tablets when I started college back in 2007 with the Fujitsu T4215 and absolutely loved handwriting and the idea of tablets back then, but unfortunately the hardware at the time proved a bit too heavy (literally) and clunky for me (e.g. low battery life, and other hardware issues I had with my laptop). I rediscovered pen and paper for some time and found I work way more effectively writing, however, it can be very hard to organize and now I just have stacks and stacks of paper. I'm just starting graduate school, and it it seems like the hardware (e.g. HTC flyer, Samsung Note) and software (e.g. Lecture Notes, Quill, ezPDF) are starting to converge to a point of being usable and affordable, so I'm thinking of giving tablets another shot.
I'm pretty sure I'm going to replace my dying laptop with a serviceable windows 8 tablet-top (I love onenote) after all the kinks of the 1st generation of windows 8 tablets have been worked out, so I've been hesitant to spring for the samsung note (despite the rave reviews) since they would be filling the same niche. This still gives me a year or so of downtime though, leading me to consider the 7 inch HTC flyer.
My dilemma right now is if you guys think the HTC flyer/view is a good investment right now. It seems like there are rumors for a 7 inch samsung note? And the HTC flyer with windows RT. Although the price for those I'm guessing is going to be $350+ and perhaps out of my student budget. But would the HTC flyer hold its value for a year or so? Should I get used or new? What would be a good price to invest in? Or should I wait for a new device? It's so hard to decide with hardware improving so quickly and everything becoming outdated in a just a few months.
My usage is fairly light. I'm coming from a slow Android 2.3 smartphone and ipod touch 2 (whose smoothness still blows my mind even though it's older than my android phone), so I feel no matter what the flyer is still a big upgrade for me. I'm just looking for a good companion to hold all my pdfs, papers (gonna start scanning all my handwritten notes), while allowing for some handy pen annotation. And if I could connect remotely to my desktop for some matlab and or mathematica I'd be ecstatic.
Thanks guys!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The Flyer is dead. It's not a bad tablet par se, but cannot compare in price to the Nexus 7. There is very Iittle development going on in the Flyer.
Do yourself a favour and buy a Nexus 7 or 10.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda app-developers app
If you are looking for a current tablet with great writing capabilities I'd recommend the Samsung Note 10.1. If cost is your concern and 10" seems too big I think the flyer with a custom ROM, Like Leedroid HC OR Mawakious, would do you well. I've seen flyers as low as $130 on eBay, the scribe pen is on clearance at sites like buy.com for about $26, although I've seen it as low as $19 on eBay, along with a case, which I've seen some nice ones with a pen holder for $13.
So roughly you could pay as low as, pad in some shipping costs (very rough estimates here), ~$180, maybe less.
Samsung hasn't confirmed a 7" note, yet. I wouldn't base my buying on something that does not yet exist.
I still don't regret getting the flyer.
Sent from my HTC Flyer P510e using Tapatalk 2
gersto said:
If you are looking for a current tablet with great writing capabilities I'd recommend the Samsung Note 10.1. If cost is your concern and 10" seems too big I think the flyer with a custom ROM, Like Leedroid HC OR Mawakious, would do you well. I've seen flyers as low as $130 on eBay, the scribe pen is on clearance at sites like buy.com for about $26, although I've seen it as low as $19 on eBay, along with a case, which I've seen some nice ones with a pen holder for $13.
So roughly you could pay as low as, pad in some shipping costs (very rough estimates here), ~$180, maybe less.
Samsung hasn't confirmed a 7" note, yet. I wouldn't base my buying on something that does not yet exist.
I still don't regret getting the flyer.
Sent from my HTC Flyer P510e using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Samsung has confirmed the 7" note, but not when it will go on sale. I'm sure the price will be $350 + .
If you don;t need a stylus, the Samsung 7.2 tab 2 is a good deal and has current JB ROMs and development for around $149.
I don't regret getting the View a year ago. It is a solid tablet. But I certainly wouldn't recommend buying one now. There are much faster and better supported tablets available today for around the same price. I thought I would use the pen a lot, but I haven't. If I were to get a 7" tablet today, I'd get a Nexus 7, or possibly a Samsung.
If you are on budget, Flyer is a good choice. You can't expect it to have uptodate software or fancy things like window view in galaxy notes but the price/productivity can't be beat. And so far, this is the only mobile size 7inch tablet with stylus in the market. Even if Samsung release a 7 inch note in the future, it will be expensive.
I like my Flyer very much. It is the best personal electronic device that I have ever bought, although sometimes I wish it had SamsungNote software and small stylus. Btw imo, Samsung devices usually do not look good.
Thanks guys for all the comments! From what it seems the hardware definitely is quite out of date, and that the flyer is really only worth it if I make good use of the pen. I guess my media consumption is light (casual youtube, hulu, skype), so hopefully the hardware won't give me issues. For those of you for whom the flyer/view was good for productivity, how do you guys make use of the pen?
@rickwood, what did you originally intend to use the pen for? Was the pen not smooth enough for your intended uses?
Also, how would the flyer/view fare for connecting to a keyboard and remote desktopping/ssh'ing, in case I'm checking on some code on the fly?
Thanks!
EnPaceRequiescat said:
For those of you for whom the flyer/view was good for productivity, how do you guys make use of the pen?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In my case, I usually use the pen when I take notes in class everyday. I'm using the app LectureNotes, PDFView(for pdf import to LectureNotes) and LectureRecodings(for recording with taking notes).
using :
HTC Flyer ICS yetki
HTC Desire MIUI ICS
EnPaceRequiescat said:
Thanks guys for all the comments! From what it seems the hardware definitely is quite out of date, and that the flyer is really only worth it if I make good use of the pen. I guess my media consumption is light (casual youtube, hulu, skype), so hopefully the hardware won't give me issues. For those of you for whom the flyer/view was good for productivity, how do you guys make use of the pen?
@rickwood, what did you originally intend to use the pen for? Was the pen not smooth enough for your intended uses?
Also, how would the flyer/view fare for connecting to a keyboard and remote desktopping/ssh'ing, in case I'm checking on some code on the fly?
Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The hardware is definitely old but i have used it for numerous task, including media and games. Many "HD" games work great (and no i'm not just talking about Angry Birds, heh)
i've used Skype and Youtube and no issues with HC on those fronts. Never used Hulu Plus and Netflix seems to work fine, slight stutter here and there though.
I've used DicePlayer for playing videos loaded on the tablet and works great with the built-in hardware acceleration up to 720p HD movies.
I've tried using remote desktop, had 2X, and my job uses Citrix, they are "useful" but i think the 7" screen hinders that use more than it helps. It's good for a quick check but productivity-wise may be cumbersome to use. Having a bluetooth keyboard & mouse does help, but the screen real estate is more the issue, at least to me.
The tablet is definitely capable.
EnPaceRequiescat said:
@rickwood, what did you originally intend to use the pen for? Was the pen not smooth enough for your intended uses?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I thought I'd use the pen for light note taking. On paper, I write really small. On the View, for some reason I had a hard time doing this - - all my text came out really big. Not sure if this was due to the small size of the pen, the resolution of the tablet, or the fact that I was using a compatible Fujitsu pen rather than a true HTC pen. In any case, I wasn't pleased with how my notes were turning out, so I rarely use the pen anymore.
Hope this helps
Its actually a kinda rule in mobile tech field and allied, to not compare gadgets with age difference more than an year (in fact 6 months)
So kindly don't compare a quite way-back-released Flyer/View with latest Nexus and note 2/3 etc
My advise, HTF flyer is one of the best-all-in-one device you would find around (in fact a very few are there)
I can keep counting on features and its usability and fill up a page or 2, with REAL-LIFE uses with just a 1 Real-Portable-Device in your Jeans/Trouser/Coat Pocket (and not in a another BAG( which is actually pseudo-portable)).
If short of money, GRAB it quick. Believe me the major rate dip and stuff for this Product is already done/over. The current prices will remain till the inventory(which is already low) gets over (except you knock off some bargained deal with a seller). If you are thinking of some stop gap arrangement (with regards to your win8 tablet..better don;t). Wait a few months..win8 pro would be out in jan 2013. Get a
MS surface pro...and if you like like Win 8, SURFACE PRO would be really a great product (Hope you are saving money for it; Price would be 2-3X times the flyer's cost)
Personally i really like MS surface PRO (not RT)
If have money and cant live without flaunting Newest OS (FYI Flyer runs Jellybean too but not with all functions AON) and Gadget to friends and allied, go for other options. Yes there are some better options and the list will keep adding with time (and more money you are ready to spent)
I advise getting a Flyer than Evo View, if you are looking to replace your phone too.(and cant carry multiple devices)
P.S. Just some experience, in case that helps. I am not a "lets-buy-a-new-phone/tablet" guy just bcoz options are there and money is there in my bank account. I always RIP a product when it is missing/making me difficult to handle some new technology/function which i/associated people need or it BREAKS down.
When i bought My HTC KAISER back in 2007 (For 600$(including shipping) importing a Tmobile MDA vario III version to my country as there were none available here) i knew i made a good choice.
That new design and functions served me for some 3 years without me feeling much to shift over EXCEPT some screen real estate shortage(which gets short with each passing year given the fact how bigger handhelds are becoming) & resistive screen
& then i bought the FLYER (after waiting for its Initial 700$ price to come down to 370$) and i knew that price is worth it for a 7 inch Capacitive HTC's Beautiful tablet with Wifi, 3G, GPS, Dual Cameras, 32Gb+Slot Storage and the Hidden GSM phone(the deal breaker for me). It has replaced my phone too HTC KAISER (which still looks at me the same way.... sometimes when i need to lend a phone to someone(with all functions working and just wear n tear damage))
Also see how i substituted a 600$ product with a 370$ product after 3-4 yrs & latter being a more smarter, more useful and lot more productive product
Thats how technology works and changes & also how usage of product/s changes!
Personally, now, I use it as my All-in-one device
- Mainly for Phone,
- Quick Internet browsing (using Wifi at home & 3G Sim outside)
- GPS
- Voice recorder for notes(in professional work) & life voice-logs(when alone)
- a Drawing Pad for my nephew (They say the "magic" Pen is great)
- Full fledged Alarm Clock
- To-Do List Reminder
- my Music Portable (Home, Office and Travel(Airplane; Trains etc)) Esp. over Wireless Stereo BT headset
Including playing my music in Car using Aux/Drive/BT input (esp. when Days of CD/Discs are long gone)
- my Video Portable playing 720p HD videos with proper 16:9 Ratio(Home, Office and Travel(Airplane; Trains etc))
- Gr8 Games when i feeling bored
and Mind you ...if 7 inch real estate is small ...get a HDMI out and you would love the stuff on a big LED or Projector screen.
- Measure Distances & Heights (Smart Rule App)
- Taking Database Backups of my blogs and websites
- Torrents
- Wifi Hot spot for other gadgets
- Occasional Written note taking (kinda to do list only) . Scribe Pen is so handy (Mine came free/included with Flyer)
- Voice controlled Commands (Still researching Voice assistants like Speak to it & utter and they are FASCINATING)
- and the list is endless with what not can be done with loads of USEFUL and PRODUCTIVE apps available esp. after ROOTING the device into a Fully-Controlled (Beautiful-)Beast!
and
LoVVVe it.
(My only gripe (for the money and beautiful device this is).. is why HTC didn't put a flash in and may be they should have added a larger battery. Camera is not good in low light & buttery runs out soon when i use these many functions )
EnPaceRequiescat said:
For those of you for whom the flyer/view was good for productivity, how do you guys make use of the pen?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The most useful feature for me is annotating PDF files. I use Repligo app. Another trick is that you can convert Power point (or whatever) files into PDFs and annotate them. I can't find any good app to annotate Word files. Foxit Viewer comes with the Flyer is useless.
I also use the pen for taking handwriting notes. I use Quill (you can get it for free here: http://code.google.com/p/android-quill/downloads/list), and HandyNote. But I'm reducing this load because it is difficult to search the content of handwriting text (with out handwriting recognition). And it's not easy to copy/paste them to other docs. That's not good for my purpose of tracking/reorganizing the notes later. But there are some app for handwriting recognition such as WritePad. Maybe they are good if one practices enough.
In addition, I guess the pen is very useful for people who enjoy drawing.
About the Flyer's competitors from price/(pen)productivity aspect, I don't see any at this point. Maybe there will be some in a year or two. MS Surface is promising but it will take time till the app support from the developers get to an adequate level with Android. Or maybe Apple will start to adopt real stylus and keep suing all Android OEMs, who knows..
I hope it helps.
freworld said:
Its actually a kinda rule in mobile tech field and allied, to not compare gadgets with age difference more than an year (in fact 6 months)
So kindly don't compare a quite way-back-released Flyer/View with latest Nexus and note 2/3 etc
My advise, HTF flyer is one of the best-all-in-one device you would find around (in fact a very few are there)
I can keep counting on features and its usability and fill up a page or 2, with REAL-LIFE uses with just a 1 Real-Portable-Device in your Jeans/Trouser/Coat Pocket (and not in a another BAG( which is actually pseudo-portable)).
If short of money, GRAB it quick. Believe me the major rate dip and stuff for this Product is already done/over. The current prices will remain till the inventory(which is already low) gets over (except you knock off some bargained deal with a seller). If you are thinking of some stop gap arrangement (with regards to your win8 tablet..better don;t). Wait a few months..win8 pro would be out in jan 2013. Get a
MS surface pro...and if you like like Win 8, SURFACE PRO would be really a great product (Hope you are saving money for it; Price would be 2-3X times the flyer's cost)
Personally i really like MS surface PRO (not RT)
If have money and cant live without flaunting Newest OS (FYI Flyer runs Jellybean too but not with all functions AON) and Gadget to friends and allied, go for other options. Yes there are some better options and the list will keep adding with time (and more money you are ready to spent)
I advise getting a Flyer than Evo View, if you are looking to replace your phone too.(and cant carry multiple devices)
P.S. Just some experience, in case that helps. I am not a "lets-buy-a-new-phone/tablet" guy just bcoz options are there and money is there in my bank account. I always RIP a product when it is missing/making me difficult to handle some new technology/function which i/associated people need or it BREAKS down.
When i bought My HTC KAISER back in 2007 (For 600$(including shipping) importing a Tmobile MDA vario III version to my country as there were none available here) i knew i made a good choice.
That new design and functions served me for some 3 years without me feeling much to shift over EXCEPT some screen real estate shortage(which gets short with each passing year given the fact how bigger handhelds are becoming) & resistive screen
& then i bought the FLYER (after waiting for its Initial 700$ price to come down to 370$) and i knew that price is worth it for a 7 inch Capacitive HTC's Beautiful tablet with Wifi, 3G, GPS, Dual Cameras, 32Gb+Slot Storage and the Hidden GSM phone(the deal breaker for me). It has replaced my phone too HTC KAISER (which still looks at me the same way.... sometimes when i need to lend a phone to someone(with all functions working and just wear n tear damage))
Also see how i substituted a 600$ product with a 370$ product after 3-4 yrs & latter being a more smarter, more useful and lot more productive product
Thats how technology works and changes & also how usage of product/s changes!
Personally, now, I use it as my All-in-one device
- Mainly for Phone,
- Quick Internet browsing (using Wifi at home & 3G Sim outside)
- GPS
- Voice recorder for notes(in professional work) & life voice-logs(when alone)
- a Drawing Pad for my nephew (They say the "magic" Pen is great)
- Full fledged Alarm Clock
- To-Do List Reminder
- my Music Portable (Home, Office and Travel(Airplane; Trains etc)) Esp. over Wireless Stereo BT headset
Including playing my music in Car using Aux/Drive/BT input (esp. when Days of CD/Discs are long gone)
- my Video Portable playing 720p HD videos with proper 16:9 Ratio(Home, Office and Travel(Airplane; Trains etc))
- Gr8 Games when i feeling bored
and Mind you ...if 7 inch real estate is small ...get a HDMI out and you would love the stuff on a big LED or Projector screen.
- Measure Distances & Heights (Smart Rule App)
- Taking Database Backups of my blogs and websites
- Torrents
- Wifi Hot spot for other gadgets
- Occasional Written note taking (kinda to do list only) . Scribe Pen is so handy (Mine came free/included with Flyer)
- Voice controlled Commands (Still researching Voice assistants like Speak to it & utter and they are FASCINATING)
- and the list is endless with what not can be done with loads of USEFUL and PRODUCTIVE apps available esp. after ROOTING the device into a Fully-Controlled (Beautiful-)Beast!
and
LoVVVe it.
(My only gripe (for the money and beautiful device this is).. is why HTC didn't put a flash in and may be they should have added a larger battery. Camera is not good in low light & buttery runs out soon when i use these many functions )
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Couldnt agree more and glad I got my for christmas
Expansys.ie were doing good deals on them, less than 250euro, which is one of the cheapest places I've seen them retail for new
Simple, the flyer is a capable device that was thrown to the side immediately after release. It performs well enough to be functional at most task but does little great. For me it is a better device than a nexus 7 because the nexus is stripped of allot of functionality the flyer has. If you want to be up to date with software do not consider this device. If you are looking for a small screen tablet that is versatile this is probably still the best option although I have not spent much time with the galaxy tab 2.7
A frustrating device for me because I enjoy its abilities but miss the tweaking custom rom aspect of a device that has good after sale development from the OEM
Flyer
mcord11758 said:
Simple, the flyer is a capable device that was thrown to the side immediately after release. It performs well enough to be functional at most task but does little great. For me it is a better device than a nexus 7 because the nexus is stripped of allot of functionality the flyer has. If you want to be up to date with software do not consider this device. If you are looking for a small screen tablet that is versatile this is probably still the best option although I have not spent much time with the galaxy tab 2.7
A frustrating device for me because I enjoy its abilities but miss the tweaking custom rom aspect of a device that has good after sale development from the OEM
Flyer
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ah, thank you guys so much for all the good input! I think I'm gonna try for the flyer -- seems like a good budget way to try things, particularly the pen. I'm hoping that I can start to use it as a scratchpad of sorts, in addition to reading scanned notes (I write large so hopefully the 7" screen is adequate even when my writing gets shrunk). The lack of usb otg (at least, without an external power source) is a slight shame, but hopefully i'll be able to live without via bluetooth and the cloud.
Also, I didnt know that the Flyer could be used as a phone! Is this through 3G VoIP, or does it actually have a cell radio?
Happy new years guys!
Both
EnPaceRequiescat said:
Also, I didnt know that the Flyer could be used as a phone! Is this through 3G VoIP, or does it actually have a cell radio?
Happy new years guys!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Then you indeed missed a major function of this beast. Through 3g Voip as well as Cell radio
Happy new year to u too. Get yourself a gift
P.S. USB OTG issue is also a minor gripe... exact situation is being discussed here ( with possible options including USB -Y cable)
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1082909
I would not recommend spending your money on any tablet or smartphone device that is over 20 months old. The specs are not even last gen, they are 2 generations old.
That said, there isn't much better in the 7" form factor. I love the 7" tablet size. But unfortunately, the manufacturers have relegated this size to the budget/low-spec end of the spectrum. Mostly thanks to the low priced Kindle Fire HD and Nexus 7. And Samsung has joined the "race to the bottom" with its mediocre spec'ed Galaxy Tab2 7.0. The technology of smartphones has left 7" tablets in the dust, its such a shame.
Unless the pen functionality is really important to you (I personally never use it on the Flyer) I'd probably go for the Nexus 7. Yes, its missing some big features. But its simply much better supported by both its manufacturer and the dev community. This forum has become quiet as the grave. So you won't even get much of a community here to chat with or get help if you want to root and S-Off, flash ROMs, etc. Yes, there are still a few devs that soldier on, and other community members still trying to keep this forum alive. But the Flyer's best days are long gone.
I don't regret a bit buying the Flyer when it first came out way back in the summer of 2011. And I still use it every day. But if I didn't already have the Flyer, I wouldn't buy one now. Probably I would get a Nexus 7, wait to see how good the 7" Note is, or wait to see if any higher spec 7" tablets are on the way (doubtful).
I agree with most that has been said. If you want/need the pen and want 7"... get a flyer/evo view. I have a view and use it almost daily for writing. I always had notepads and sticky notes all over the place, now its all within lecturenotes (sweet app).
If you think you'll "maybe" use the pen... get a nexus or other 7".
I use the crap out of the pen and am looking to get another flyer/view for a friend as a gift.
Only if you really need the pen should you consider the GTab 7 2 or HTC Flyer. Having played with both I think the better option now is the Samsung model. But again, only if you really need the pen. If you can live with a capcitive stylus go with a Nexus 7. It will be supported for a long time to come and will always be on the latest OS
/*
AidenM said:
Only if you really need the pen should you consider the GTab 7 2 or HTC Flyer. Having played with both I think the better option now is the Samsung model. But again, only if you really need the pen. If you can live with a capcitive stylus go with a Nexus 7. It will be supported for a long time to come and will always be on the latest OS
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hmm, the galaxy tab2 7? Doesn't that only use the capacitive pen? also, it seems like i can't find that secondhand anywhere, and new costs $200, so I feel I might as well get the nexus7 if I'm foregoing the digitizer.
I'm also the kind of person who had notepads and sticky notes all over the place, and notes involve math that say, swype is not good for (though it is quite fast), which is why the digitizer is a big draw. But from the comments people are giving, and how fast technology is moving, it seems like it's almost better nowadays to just buy new (so... the samsung note7 whenever that comes out), just like how I can't imagine buying secondhand computers these days.
Hey guys. Not sure if this is the correct place to post this, but it wouldnt allow me to post in other area as I have fewer than 10 posts. Appologies if it should be in a different area
Anyways. I am a big blackberry fan due to the physical keyboard, and although the new OS is good, im still an android lover when it comes to software
i'm just wondering though, now that their chipset has changed to the snapdragon processor, would this make it any easier to root the device to run a version of android in the future? Or would it be very difficult?
I remember they did it to the HTC device that was on windows 6.5 a while back and the initial process took quite a while, but once some people had android up and running the rest was a breeze
so question is, would anyone else be interested in this? there is a real lack of high-end phones with physical keyboards and this is one of the reasons i bought the Q10. i do however still love android
anyone else interested? post here or let me know how difficult the process would be.
I was thinking the same.
I would immediately buy Android phone with Q10 form factor. I would even try using BB10 because I dont use as many apps on my GNote. Problem is me relying heavily on Google services (drive, music, etc.) and it seems like BB10 lacks native Google apps.
Also I burned myself with Palm (and I have to say Pre 3 was great, definitely on-par with Android phones of its time) and can't be sure Blackberry will be around in six months from now
Same here
yodjone1 said:
Hey guys. Not sure if this is the correct place to post this, but it wouldnt allow me to post in other area as I have fewer than 10 posts. Appologies if it should be in a different area
Anyways. I am a big blackberry fan due to the physical keyboard, and although the new OS is good, im still an android lover when it comes to software
i'm just wondering though, now that their chipset has changed to the snapdragon processor, would this make it any easier to root the device to run a version of android in the future? Or would it be very difficult?
I remember they did it to the HTC device that was on windows 6.5 a while back and the initial process took quite a while, but once some people had android up and running the rest was a breeze
so question is, would anyone else be interested in this? there is a real lack of high-end phones with physical keyboards and this is one of the reasons i bought the Q10. i do however still love android
anyone else interested? post here or let me know how difficult the process would be.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Same here. I really need a qwerty phone, but LTE Android phones don't have it...
Yes, Please provide a way of rooting q10. I love qwerty phones. But no android phones has qwerty keypad.
You have the priv which is an android, and also you could have a jolla +physical keyboard (sailfish) which it is suppose that can run google services seamless. It is a non sense this lack of physical keyboards... we are going to a very basic scenario. Time ago we has touchkeyb, physical keyb and stylus. Can we call it progress?
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