Database Users

[Q] Streak Your thoughts to a new buyer

Hello all,
I am looking to buy My streak next month and I would like some personal impressions (pro's and con's) from actual users.
I have read the wiki and the FAQ's (great stuff)
I am currently using the Xperia x1 and I love it but its time to upgrade. (im also selling one as I have 2). I live in NYC and of course I have ATT.
I am all but sold, but some personal experience from the highly respected XDA community would be nice.
thank you.

I have a real love hate relationship with mine. I've had it since June, but will be selling it soon to get the upcoming HTC Deisre HD.
PRO
Super screen, quite repsonsive, really bright. HD youtube looks fantastic on it. Really snappy to use. Internet is a joy to use.
\
the CON is as a phone it sucks. It's just too big. It took a while to make up my mind, but if you use your phone to make calls a lot, it may be a little big. I've even dropped it a couple of times due to it's large size. Support seems weak as well.

I got it a couple weeks ago and love. In my opinion its the best android device for At&t so far. The aria is a mid-lower end and the captivate feels cheap so i settled for the streak
When you first get it you will be amazed at how big it is but after using it for a couple weeks it feels normal and other devices (evo and iphone) feel SO small in your hand. One handed use sometimes is a bit hard when on the home screen but theres ways to go around that.
Browsing is awesome, haven't had to many issues due to the lack flash. Games are amazing on the 5" screen, haven't done too much movie watching but do watch the occasional youtube video.
Don't have anything bad to say about it other than its aspect ratio is set to "long" (think widescreen tv) while most android devices out there are "not long" (regular 4:3) so some apps won't look right but i have been seeing updates in the market for added streak support.
One downside though would be the connector/charger which is a PDMI connection. The cable that comes with the device is a tad too short and a spare cable from dell is $19.99!
Overall i'm happy with it and would recommend it if its your cup of tea. Also its a really big attention grabber. You don't understand how many times girls have came up to me and asked what it was and how i just pulled it out of my pocket. Then there is those that hate that say its too big as they play with their little iPhag phone..

I also came from an x1 and streak has been great for me, I can only think of glowing comments.
The obvious question is the size, but really its not that noticeable over any other phone (actually I would argue its less noticeable than the x1). If you want an approximation of the size, put a casio calculator in your pocket, keeping in mind that the streak is significantly thinner than it.
Plus as fone_fantastic mentioned its a real head turner, and seriously not as ridiculous to use as a phone as it seems, its a great device, highly recommended.

Wow, thanx for the responses, keep em coming, I'm a pretty big guy 6'1 210, I dont think I would mind the size and that is what actually interests me most.
I'm happy to see some of you love it. unbelievably its not being demoed in any of my nearby att stores, so I havent had any hands on time with it. another draw to it is that I havent seen a single person with one (just like my X1), and I'm a waiter, I see tons of people and tons of phones...but no Streak's I like having the stand out device. just a bit worried about dell's first attempt at a phone
like I said keep em coming please.

strboy said:
Wow, thanx for the responses, keep em coming, I'm a pretty big guy 6'1 210, I dont think I would mind the size and that is what actually interests me most.
I'm happy to see some of you love it. unbelievably its not being demoed in any of my nearby att stores, so I havent had any hands on time with it. another draw to it is that I havent seen a single person with one (just like my X1), and I'm a waiter, I see tons of people and tons of phones...but no Streak's I like having the stand out device. just a bit worried about dell's first attempt at a phone
like I said keep em coming please.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Lol I'm a waiter too, its just as sea of blackberries and iphones. Wish I could just pull out the Streak and show off

Ha! we arent supposed to either, but I will sneak it in and show guests sometimes, (my x1 that is)...I don't get the wow factor I used to but....Streaks a coming.
and Yeah i see tons of Iphones all my co workers have Iphone 4's and BB torch's, I cant wait till I get my streak.

The Streak does everything I could wish and more, if there's one bad thing it's that it is a bit fragile. If you decide to get one make sure you also get a decent protective case.

I don't use mine as a phone (data only contract), but as a MID I think it is great.
The screen size (and quality) is perfect for browsing while remaining truly portable. It is my first Android device and thanks to that is endlessly customisable and has got me tinkering 'under the hood again' which is something I hadn't realised I'd missed.
Build quality wise it isn't bullet proof but given that you take care of it you shouldn't have any problems.

I have a love hate relationship with mine to. I love it totally:
Web browsing: what other smartphone can you visit and read a website with not having to zoom in a scroll left and right to read text on any site?
Ease of use: it's a Android!
Reliability: the HTC HD2 is at this time the closest competition IMO, used to have one but it was so unreliable with it's wifi i soon started to hate the sight of it!
Size: fits in any pocket i have, including trousers.
Don't watch TV, but wait until you veiw youtube on it or start view photo's you'll never wnat a small screen again.
What i hate about it is when others who complain about the size! they new the size before they bought it right, so they obviously worry far to much about what others think of them! that's not the streaks fault it's theirs. If i'm standing at some busy junction and i answer a call, if others start looking then i think they just want one to and they're eyeing it up to see what it is
The galaxy tab will be released next month, but portable it's not! look at the size of the bezel around the screen! that would look strange, holding a netbook up to your ear

I know it's a bit off topic but the Samsung Tab won't be getting voice on the US side.
now back on track
I love the streak, best parts are as said before, screen size, browsing experience (I use dolphin HD, skyfire and regular browser) each one i like for different things, I do browsing mostly on it.
cons. my streak won't charge but it's ok ( I paid half price), besides that, is that it doesn't have froyo which I don't mind at all, the other thing is that there are not many devs for this phone/tablet yet, but nothing to worry. Also the down side is the "PDMI" port, there aren't any third party chargers, cables, docks but I hope they'll come down eventually.
I'm skinny 5'10 and the streak doesn't feel all that big when against my head, no one even notice when I'm on the BIG phone talking to someone, I don't get any weird looks, but when I lay that "flipflop" on the table everyone looks at it and wants to have a go.
I've used the X1 and had several HTC's as you can see on my sig, one thing tho is that you might miss the physical keyboard, but you'll get around it, the screen is so big that the on-screen keyboard are not bad at all, I personally use "multi-touch keyboard" and that does the trick for me.
hope that helps.

Yeah, I think that this device is one of the best things I have ever bought.
the only down side will be in two years time.
Once my contract is up, I don't think I'll be able to go to anything smaller! 5" is the exact maximum size for it to be held comfortably (I definitely wouldn't get a Galaxy tab to use as a phone). But I cannot face going back to a smaller sized screen it ouwld feel like a step back.
And I'm wondering will there be a Streak II ? Or any other phone like it in 2 years time.
I can just envision my self wandering around with a forlorn look on my face muttering "I want 5 inches, I want 5 inches" (and probably get arrested when i walk past a school)

I'm in love with this phone device. The screen is awesome. Very responsive and big enough for me to type fairly accuratly on.
Talking on the phone feels normal. I didn't expect it to, but I've had only minor issues with calling. I have found myself sometimes hunting for the speaker but find that I can hear fine if I just hold the Streak a hair away from head. Basically my fat head was muffling the sound if I had the phone resting against it without having the speaker right over my ear.
I do wish that Dell would answer someone's post about the screen failures. I suspect there was a build quality issue with at least the early Streaks.
I also wish someone would get 2.2 working on a Streak so I can do remote desktop and have full exchange support, oh and Flash.

To add 1 more con, there is no VPN support if you use windows vpn LP2T, but hopefully it'll get sorted on 2.2.

I was starting to panick somewhat after I ordered the Streak & agreed to sell my current HD2 to a friend soon as it arrives, and then came across some negative reviews and discovered many people were having problems on this forum with the firmware issues related to upgrade to Android 2.1 & the limitations of stock Android 1.6. (which version are u positive guys using?).
Now having read this thread, you guys have got me optimistic & excited again!
Can't wait for it arrive next week. Hopefully I will once again feel "...this is the best phone I have ever owned", just like I did when I got my HD2, and the HTC HD before that. I don't think I could bear the disappointment of feeling I have taken a step back in the eternal quest for the ultimate personal communication device which I embarked on about 15 years ago with the Nokia 2110, followed by a variety of iPaq (HTC-made) PDA's, Ipaq phones & various HTC-branded devices.
Thanks guys for sharing your impressions.

THJahar said:
Yeah, I think that this device is one of the best things I have ever bought.
the only down side will be in two years time.
Once my contract is up, I don't think I'll be able to go to anything smaller! 5" is the exact maximum size for it to be held comfortably (I definitely wouldn't get a Galaxy tab to use as a phone). But I cannot face going back to a smaller sized screen it ouwld feel like a step back.
And I'm wondering will there be a Streak II ? Or any other phone like it in 2 years time.
I can just envision my self wandering around with a forlorn look on my face muttering "I want 5 inches, I want 5 inches" (and probably get arrested when i walk past a school)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
LMao...I'll look for you in the papers two years from now
SAman1 said:
I was starting to panick somewhat after I ordered the Streak & agreed to sell my current HD2 to a friend soon as it arrives, and then came across some negative reviews and discovered many people were having problems on this forum with the firmware issues related to upgrade to Android 2.1 & the limitations of stock Android 1.6. (which version are u positive guys using?).
Now having read this thread, you guys have got me optimistic & excited again!
Can't wait for it arrive next week. Hopefully I will once again feel "...this is the best phone I have ever owned", just like I did when I got my HD2, and the HTC HD before that. I don't think I could bear the disappointment of feeling I have taken a step back in the eternal quest for the ultimate personal communication device which I embarked on about 15 years ago with the Nokia 2110, followed by a variety of iPaq (HTC-made) PDA's, Ipaq phones & various HTC-branded devices.
Thanks guys for sharing your impressions.
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Click to collapse
My sentiments exactly,
Question regarding the size, with my X1 I rarely ever hold it to my face I always use the Stereo headset that came with it, does the streak have on also (bundled) is it any good?

another ex-X1 user here. Love the streak and can't think of another device I could replace it with currently. In fact it's hard to leave it alone and the battery gets quite a hammering
Yes you get a stereo headset with the streak and it's not bad at all really. I don't use it myself (got some Ultimate Ears 'phones which sound incredible and I only use handsfree over BT in the car) but it should be fine...
I've kept the X1 for when i'm doing "rough stuff", like photographing 4x4 events - can just shove it in a pocket out of the way whereas the Streak would probably get damaged. For everything else though (especially in the car for satnav, music etc) it's one hell of a good device.
I really hope 2.2 makes it over cos that last little piece of the jigsaw - embedded flash in the browser - will make it a stunner. Keep an eye on the thread about USB hosting as well. If that can be actioned there are a lot of possibilities there too. For example I want to be able to download the occasional shot from my camera to check on the Streak's fairly well calibrated screen. I can also resize and send if necessary and POSSIBLY even back up the camera's memory card! (IF it works of course!!)
Everything works better than it did on the X1. BT streaming, web browsing, emulation (PSX for example), graphics, user interface (and i was using a custom WAD desktop on my X1), call quality, you name it
Up until I got the Streak I thought the X1 was the best phone I'd had but this is a whole other level!!

triondave said:
I really hope 2.2 makes it over cos that last little piece of the jigsaw - embedded flash in the browser - will make it a stunner. Keep an eye on the thread about USB hosting as well. If that can be actioned there are a lot of possibilities there too.
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Click to collapse
I've been following that thread, with the hope that one could maybe use the USB port with a serial port adaptor to connect to Cisco routers and maybe run an Android equivalent to Windows Hyperterminal app to configure Cisco routers? I guess that's a bit far-fetched since no Android drivers would be available ...but as you mentioned, there are many other possibilities to this USB Host functionality which are likely to work.
Which version of Android are you currently running tho? Is it stock or modified?
Can you get a full 12hrs availability from the battery daily with say, 2 hrs voicecalls, & 2 hrs HSDPA internet plus a few sms's?
Also wondering if you know what the USB connector on the Streak is called? Can't see myself unplugging the cable back & forth between my bedroom, the car & the office every day. Should be easy to make up the USB host cable as well as a few spare charging cables while I'm at it if I can source the connector somewhere.

Hi - running stock O2 2.1 build 8105
I generally have to charge by about 3pm after starting at 7am BUT the screen is pretty much constantly on during that time and as far as I can see from my use the screen hammers the battery more than anything else (it's surprisingly good on wifi at home if the screen gets turned off regularly). At home it'll go all day with occasional use and usually MSN Talk running in the background.
Not entirely sure what you mean by what the USB connector is called. Do you mean the PDMI one that attaches to the phone? Well, I say PDMI but it's not 100% proved yet is it, as far as I can see from what I've read. It does seem almost certain that it is though. If you find a source let us all know!!

triondave said:
Hi - running stock O2 2.1 build 8105
I generally have to charge by about 3pm after starting at 7am BUT the screen is pretty much constantly on during that time and as far as I can see from my use the screen hammers the battery more than anything else (it's surprisingly good on wifi at home if the screen gets turned off regularly). At home it'll go all day with occasional use and usually MSN Talk running in the background.
Not entirely sure what you mean by what the USB connector is called. Do you mean the PDMI one that attaches to the phone? Well, I say PDMI but it's not 100% proved yet is it, as far as I can see from what I've read. It does seem almost certain that it is though. If you find a source let us all know!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So you use the Streak like a PC - screen on & in use almost continuously? Based on that it would probably be safe to say it would last me all day with less than 4 hrs screen on time (screen is mostly off during phonecalls I guess due to proximity sensor) & fairly typical/light mobilephone use. That's great to know, thanks.
Indeed, perhaps the name PDMI will help me find it somewhere in Asia, but probably best to have a closeup picture of it. As long as someone makes a connector that fits the slot and we can find out Dell's pinouts, should be ok. When my unit arrives next week I'll at least have the USB cable to check the connector for myself .
Anyways, my apologies to the OP for having gone a bit off topic there.
I'm convinced now I'll be happy with the Streak, despite some minor challenges no doubt. Besides, if it turned out to be perfect, how would we find a worthy upgrade in another year from now....

Galaxy Tab: Is it Worth It?

I have the Galaxy S already and love it now it's on 2.2.1...
I have been tempted for the Galaxy Tab for a while but could never justify its expense. Now it appears to be quite a bit cheaper and Im sure I could rustle up some cash to sort out a purchase.
But with a 3 MP camera on the back and still no stupid PopCap games, is it worth it?
It's only a 7 inch screen - so it's quite a bit bigger than the Galaxy S, I guess it could be used for media, surfing the internet, Video etc, and it isn't the size of a laptop like the iPad...
To those who actually have it, what do you use it for?
Perhaps I can invent a solid reason for having more than "Im drooling, so I must get it".

Right now I have and use it as my one and only phone. I also use it for still continuing to learn Android development.
After my Spica got stolen, I struggled for a few months using a cheap Samsung 1080m I got for purchasing a new Samsung monitor, and after months of saving I bought the SGT. It hasn't disappointed me since, and I really think it's worth it because of the devs here in XDA.
If you're following latest tech/gadget news, sales of the SGT hasn't been too good and the return rates are high. But I'm guessing those are the typical consumers who don't go beyond simply buying the Tab and learning how to tweak it -- which should be normal case.
I'm assuming since you're in this forum, you would know your own way into tweaking, flashing ROMs and stuff, and that's a very big plus because honestly right off the box the SGT isn't really that sweet save for the tablet-optimized apps Samsung made.
Now as for how I use it, here's a little bit info about me:
During my undergrad CS course (which I graduated from 4 months ago) I was lucky enough to be part of a ladderized MSCS offering wherein we would be taking BS and MS courses alongside each other so that after graduating BS, we would only have a few months of MS left.
Fast forward, my MS is being paid by a university partner which in turn employs qualified students as full time consultants.
So how do I use my tab, well basically:
it's my primary phone, I bring it to me every where, I never put it inside my bag.
occasionally I would get emails from my adviser telling me I would have to present my thesis in some class, and when I'm on the go I usually just edit my existing documents and presentations on the tab, tweaking a few slides for the audience
I sometimes don't bring anything to presentations other than the tab, since I can load up my slides to thin clients hooked up to projectors deployed in my university, and I can control my slides from the tab
the camera, well, it sucks, unless you're in broad daylight, or in a place with extremely good lighting. i generally use it for taking pictures on random trips with friends, wherein I don't get to bring my SLR.
also used as my portable music player, as well as video player when I'm on the plane
when I'm in the train, which I take everyday for 2 hours back and forth from my house, I use the tab to read tech and research papers for my thesis
work requires me to be in constant communication so my email is always ready when im on the go.
hd games.
For some people the SGT may not be worth it, but for my case, it's worth every single peso I've saved. I think it's even worth me losing my poor old Spica.

The tab was worth it to me
And i use it everyday when im at work and usely watch like 4 too 7 shows on it and browse the net and also listen to pandora on 3g which i use it as my mp3 player and when i use it, it ony uses like 20mbs depends how many music you listen to but so far the 3g was worth it and lasts pretty decent which is ony 2gb but so far i ony used 300mbs of it which i had almost a month now.
I also play games on it, And when i get home i usely still have like 70% and sometimes down too 30% when i use it heavy so battery life is also really good on it which is the main thing for me because i use to take my netbook or laptop with me and the battery's ony lasted 3 too 4hours max so this replaced my netbook and laptop
I use too watch my videos on my zune hd which was nice but going from 3in too 7in is really a big improvement!
And the camera i say its pretty decent which i was suprized when i first took the first pic, And it beats some of my 5 and 6mp cameras, And i haven't had a problem in the dark taking pics sense the flash really lights everything up, Sure it doesn't hold a candle to SLRs but its pretty decent when you just want to take pics for fun or show people pics over the net.
But ya the tab is worth it to me and i also got a great deal from were i bought it from which is hsn so i get to pay payments and will get a 300$ back plus i got 70$ back from them because it didn't have some apps on it which was suppose to come with it, So it will be like 300 something ony

Personally, i'd wait for the Honeycomb equipped Motorola XOOM tablet
Sent from The Chaotic Void

zanderman112 said:
Personally, i'd wait for the Honeycomb equipped Motorola XOOM tablet
Sent from The Chaotic Void
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Personally, it's too big to be used as a phone.

It you get a t-mobile or at&t tab movieyou can always flash it to make phone calls that's a big plus. I have a Vibrant but now its a backup to my tab. I have also installed media hub and i am now building my movie library for when on the go. Very happy and i got it when it first came out and payed full price and not disappointed.
Sent from my SGH-I987 using XDA App

sjdean said:
I have the Galaxy S already and love it now it's on 2.2.1...
I have been tempted for the Galaxy Tab for a while but could never justify its expense. Now it appears to be quite a bit cheaper and Im sure I could rustle up some cash to sort out a purchase.
But with a 3 MP camera on the back and still no stupid PopCap games, is it worth it?
It's only a 7 inch screen - so it's quite a bit bigger than the Galaxy S, I guess it could be used for media, surfing the internet, Video etc, and it isn't the size of a laptop like the iPad...
To those who actually have it, what do you use it for?
Perhaps I can invent a solid reason for having more than "Im drooling, so I must get it".
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just wait for the xoom!
Its a real tablet with great specs
Sent from my HTC EVO 4G using tapatalk!

Well i first tryed one of those cheapish china made 7" tablets with good specs but once i got it i found out how bad a tablet could be, so 3 days later i went out and bought the SGT and quickly sold the china tablet at a very low price.
Now i am 100% sure that buying the SGT was the best move i ever made and really wish i'd bought it before i bought the cheap one.
Things i use my SGT for are:
Web surfing.
Watching Videos.
Music.
Bank account app.
Games.
Appointments.
Emails.
Navigation (Google Navigation, Copilot).
Comic Viewer/Reading.
Ebook Reader.
News Reader.
BedSide Clock and Alarm.
And my lastest thing is popping to the shops (PC World, Currys, Etc) and using the new Amazon UK App to scan bar codes to see how much cheaper i can get them online.
Phone calls and most texting i still use my HTC Desire, But i do sometimes use the SGT to text as the onscreen keyboard is better to type with.
But now i could not live without my SGT.

The Tab is my only phone, but since I only get 2 or 3 calls a day, that is not important.
Mostly I use the Tab for checking my e-mail, catching up on news, and being in a foreign country (South Korea) I use it to watch English movies and TV programs.
It is also a great e-book reader, music player and, when I can find them, a great game player. (Games are still under pending approval by the government here is South Korea.) It is also a great alarm clock.
When I travel I use a GPS Navigation app to keep track of where I am. When I go by bus, Google Maps keeps me up to date on where I am so I can judge when I need to call my friends to come pick me up. Traffic can get bad here on holidays, and my usual 2 hour bus trip turned into 4 1/2 hours due to Lunar New Year. (Happy Lunar New Year to all of you too!)
I also use it to check on my work papers and do any editing I need. Plus, the two note taking apps, one Speech to text, the other Sketch Memo, come in handy when I have an idea I need to keep.
And finally, the Korean/English dictionary has been a life saver more than once!!
The cameras come in handy when I go to the store and someone asks me to pick up something for them. I take a picture of the item and show it to the store clerks!
In short, I love my Tab, and think that anything bigger would be too big, and anything smaller would be too small. The size fits in my bag or pocket, it is big enough to read on, and the keyboard is usable, although not full size.
I have not rooted my Tab, and have found no real need to do so as the apps I can suit my needs.
I would recommend getting a case of some sort, just to protect it from accidents.

I have been using mine for the last 2 months and it mostly replaced my need for basic things done on the laptop - video, internet etc.
I can only say I am happy with mine, although I am curious as to what will happen regarding Honeycomb.
If nothing, Xoom - here I come

How do you use phone and data at the same time on the Tab?
I put my phones TMOUS sim card in it and only had cell service. The web would take me to a T-Mobile site only using a Euro ROM.

One thing about the xoom tab is, its not a 7in tab, 7in is a great size and i wouldint want anything bigger because if i want something bigger i just go back to my 12in netbook lol but the galaxy tab replaced it so for now on i want 7in tabs. And how would i put a 10in tab or bigger in my pocket? Lol the galaxy tab fits in my big pockets and for the pass 2 weeks i been using it as my mp3 player which i listen to pandora over 3g which is very nice
If i wanted a bigger tab i wouldve just got a ipad but i decided on the gtab and few days later i got my hands on a ipad at work to mess around with and it just seem to big. at first i thought the gtab was to.small when i was oordering it but when i got it i really like the size and its not to small or big.

codewisp said:
Personally, it's too big to be used as a phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
because its not a phone.
sjdean said:
I have the Galaxy S already and love it now it's on 2.2.1...
I have been tempted for the Galaxy Tab for a while but could never justify its expense. Now it appears to be quite a bit cheaper and Im sure I could rustle up some cash to sort out a purchase.
But with a 3 MP camera on the back and still no stupid PopCap games, is it worth it?
It's only a 7 inch screen - so it's quite a bit bigger than the Galaxy S, I guess it could be used for media, surfing the internet, Video etc, and it isn't the size of a laptop like the iPad...
To those who actually have it, what do you use it for?
Perhaps I can invent a solid reason for having more than "Im drooling, so I must get it".
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Its worth it, but i suggest wait for MWC.

spirit32 said:
because its not a phone.
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Click to collapse
It's not a phone in North America.
Most places elsewhere it has phone functionality out of the box. Even in North America, GSM Tabs can be flashed to allow phone calls.
Regards,
Dave

Thanks for the feedback guys.
Sometimes I do wonder about technology. I mean, what can I do better on a Tablet that I actually did before. I mean really, why do I need it?
But there is web browins, video, music, youtube, ebooks, online magazines, note taking, document editing, email and probably a lot more, like get an OBDII connector and you have a car monitor. All on a big 7inch screen.
The £200 worth of media you can get is great too!
Im very very tempted considering the price at the moment, but Im wondering what the next version would bring us.
I hear talk of Dual Core processors. I'd be interested to see if Samsung were really serious, whether we'll get things like full HDMI connectivity, WiFi N, 32 Gig memory on board, Better Cameras and Stereo Speakers.
What is the current Galaxy Tab like for Speakers, TV Connectivity and Wireless?
Can it playback DivX?
Thanks
Simon

Personally, I love my Tab. It has truly changed the way I consume media.
Prior to the Tab, I used to switch between my phone (HTC Desire) and laptop when at home, and used my phone pretty much exclusively when out and about.
Now, I only tend to use my laptop for work, and at home or out I use my Tab for web browsing, video, music etc. My phone (now a Desire HD) has become very much just a phone for the most part, but there are always odd occasions (going down the pub etc) when I don't want to take my Tab with me even though it is portable.
I've had my Tab since it was first released, and I don't regret a minute of it. Having said all that, I probably wouldn't buy one right now, simply because there's likely to be a Tab 2 (and other 7" tablets) coming out very soon, and I would be inclined to wait now until they are released to see (a) if they are much better, or (b) if it causes the Tab's price to drop.
I'm still pretty certain that the Tab will get Honeycomb, and if it does I doubt I will replace it for another few months.
Regards,
Dave

sjdean said:
What is the current Galaxy Tab like for Speakers, TV Connectivity and Wireless?
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Click to collapse
Internal speakers are ok - not going to win any fidelity awards, but definitely ok.
As to TV connectivity - you have 3 choices:
DLNA streaming
Analogue TV out (via additional cable).
HDMI TV out (via multimedia dock).
Can it playback DivX?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes it can.
Regards,
Dave

foxmeister said:
It's not a phone in North America.
Most places elsewhere it has phone functionality out of the box. Even in North America, GSM Tabs can be flashed to allow phone calls.
Regards,
Dave
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Click to collapse
well im not talking about galaxy tab. im talking about xoom.

spirit32 said:
well im not talking about galaxy tab. im talking about xoom.
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Click to collapse
Sorry! You're right! Missed that the post you commented on was referring to the Xoom!
Dave

I'm sold on the 7 inch form factor. The camera has actually been outstanding because at the size and shape and the speed that it takes pictures you can really capture stuff you can't get with other cameras. It's blazing fast between shots so even if you take like 1 blurry picture if you keep snapping you get tons of good shots. There is practically no pause between taking shots.. It's crazy. Wish all cameras were like this.
I'm sold on the Camera. If I need better I go to my droid Incredible with the 8megapixel.
I'd like to be able to make phone calls but I have a verizon tab. I doubt it ever happens. Still love the size. LOVE IT... Skype with friends has been nice though.
I'm using it for development as well. I also get like 20 percent discount on the service through work. I pay less for my phone and tab than I would for an iphone.
Honeycomb is in our future I think. I like 2.2 though and it works great.

Battery & Display suck; why the love?

Hi guys. I just bought the Acer Iconia and wanted to give a few of my initial thoughts.
First thing I noticed after performing all the updates was the lag. After exiting applications, it takes a little while for the icons to re-appear on the homescreen. I haven't added any besides the default. Also, when scrolling with the browser, it tends to render in square blocks.
Battery life..I've read reviews that it goes up to 8 hours while others say it lasts between 4-5 hours, and others say 6 hours. I understand that what we do varies, and the battery needs to be calibrated. After having it on for 3 hours and playing FieldRunners for 45 min (the rest of the time it was idle with all wireless connections off), I'm at 75% remaining. That's pretty crummy. Not even a calibration will improve it THAT much.
Also, when viewing a white background, you can see every "box" or pixel. Goodness, that's pretty frickin' bad. I'm not expecting any ridiculous "retina display" here but this is just a cheap panel.
I went into Staples to compare it to the Galaxy Tab and Xoom, and I see why Iconia is priced $100 less.
So, serious question. Why all the love for this thing?
Thanks!

Obvious troll is obvious
Sent from my A500 using Tapatalk

With 14 posts, maybe you shouldn't comment. And I can't imagine a troll would actually take the time to write up a full post. What a waste of time that'd be.
I genuinely want to know. Perhaps there's something I'm missing. I want to love it because for $299 (after the Staples $100 off tablets coupon) it might not be a bad deal even with my complaints. But for those who actually spent the full $400, what do you actually like about it?

If you wanna go to staples n pay $300 (not $100!) For extra bulk and a non functioning micro SD, or for a device that doesnt even have a micro sd, USB, or HDMI, go for it. If you feel like a thin piece of plastic is a better investment than stainless steel, that's your money. But don't polute our forums with a "grass is greener" thread. You dont like the Iconia cuz it has the same battery as every other device (the only difference is some companies lie more in their specs- I've tested them all, they are all about the same) or cuz you can see pixels on a white screen, go somewhere else.

It's $100 OFF, making it $299 as I posted above. Read the post and learn to write full words in english. Good lord, tough to get a real answer out of babies.
Don't be too hurt if people knock the device. I'm allowed to call it like I see it, and the reason I posted is so someone can point out the actual good parts of the device (besides USB port).
Does anyone else see the issues I was referring to in my original post?

allen099 said:
It's $100 OFF, making it $299 as I posted above. Read the post and learn to write full words in english. Good lord, tough to get a real answer out of babies.
Don't be too hurt people knock the device. I'm allowed to call it like I see it, and the reason I posted is so someone can point out the actual good parts of the device (besides USB port).
Does anyone else see the issues I was referring to in my original post?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I cant find your first post. You posted 224 messages. I klap my hands.

Don't diss the Odom, you can't make any friends that way.
For me it was the ports it offered. If the galaxy offered a micro SD I probabally would have bought it. The Acer on the other hand offers a lot of ports, which I found very fun. On the Xoom issue the Acer actually out performs it on display as thy have the same one but Acer codes it better. That has been proven in tests.
To break it down it was the price and the ports. The graphics are fine, watched The Green Hornet on this last night and I was satisfied with the performance. But to tell the truth I'm not a graphics whore.
I looked and played with all of these devices and I stick with my decision to buy the Acer.
Sent from my A500 using XDA Premium App

I obviously misinterpreted a conversation stater by the looks of it!
I beg pardon and stand aside.
Sent from my A500 using Tapatalk

Torisen said:
Don't diss the Odom, you can't make any friends that way.
For me it was the ports it offered. If the galaxy offered a micro SD I probabally would have bought it. The Acer on the other hand offers a lot of ports, which I found very fun. On the Xoom issue the Acer actually out performs it on display as thy have the same one but Acer codes it better. That has been proven in tests.
To break it down it was the price and the ports. The graphics are fine, watched The Green Hornet on this last night and I was satisfied with the performance. But to tell the truth I'm not a graphics whore.
I looked and played with all of these devices and I stick with my decision to buy the Acer.
Sent from my A500 using XDA Premium App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My slight trolling aside, I agree with Torisen. The screen is better than most devices, albeit topped by the Galaxy. I find the extra ports and functionality a major deal breaker for me, as well as the price difference vs what you get with the galaxy (to me the xoom was never even a question, there is a reason google views it as a flop.) Also, I'm personally a fan of.the stainless chassis, both in appearance and functionality. As for the lag, a real world test of the galaxy provided similar results due to the bloated Samsung ui. Another key advantage is the near stock system, free of bloatware. After weighing all of my options, I am very happy with my iconia true, their whole update process was screwy, but they seemed to have cleared it up a little (for instance at least most everyone got the 4.010.13 update at the same time!) In yhe end, if youre not happy with it, it is a ffree market, get a different one.

strider_mt2k said:
Obvious troll is obvious
Sent from my A500 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry, but I tend to agree at least a little with Strider_mt2k because I don't understand posts like this. If I did not like a $300 device that I purchased, I wouldn't criticized it on the dedicated forum for that device, and then expect strangers to convince me to keep it.
My "love" for this tablet is definitely not going to do anything towards negating your disdain for it. Technology life is too short to keep a device that so obviously disappoints you. Return it and get a tablet that you want.

internetpilot said:
Sorry, but I tend to agree at least a little with Strider_mt2k because I don't understand posts like this. If I did not like a $300 device that I purchased, I wouldn't criticized it on the dedicated forum for that device, and then expect strangers to convince me to keep it.
My "love" for this tablet is definitely not going to do anything towards negating your disdain for it. Technology life is too short to keep a device that so obviously disappoints you. Return it and get a tablet that you want.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah I agree. It did come across as an insult to the device, not any form of question. Don't like it? Complain to staples or wherever you bought it and get a different device

The battery stand 8 hours if
- you do not use 3D Games constantly
- Brigthness arround 50%
I use about 12 hours straight my tablet, wifi constantly open, reading ebook, playing games (a little), going internet....
but I charge my tablet every 1.5 day or 2 days sometimes... no I do not use my tablet every 2 minutes
so far with GPS, full brightness, Sygic navigator... about 5hrs++ wich is nice... since I do not drive that long, and I don't need the navigator 5 hours in a row.
playing games 3D . 6hrs ++
playing normal games (angry bird) 8hrs...
Charge the tablet until 100% do not overnight, let the battery drain until 5% oftenly. that's how I use my tablet.
I do not use OVERCLOCK or else. when I make those feedback

Go get an iPad 2 then and stop whining. Oh wait... the display still sucks on an iPad. At least you get a great range of connectivity with the Iconia.

i work at staples, i have had the time to play with all the tablets, i personally recommend the Acer over all of them, even to my customers
the 100 dollar coupons kill our stores sale figures, but i used one and bought the Acer.
i do not regret it one bit, i love my acer. you shouldnt have your face that close to the screen to see the pixels, if you do need to, you need to get glasses

allen099 said:
First thing I noticed after performing all the updates was the lag. After exiting applications, it takes a little while for the icons to re-appear on the homescreen. I haven't added any besides the default. Also, when scrolling with the browser, it tends to render in square blocks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't have such issues, maybe you've got a defect one?
Battery life..I've read reviews that it goes up to 8 hours while others say it lasts between 4-5 hours, and others say 6 hours. I understand that what we do varies, and the battery needs to be calibrated. After having it on for 3 hours and playing FieldRunners for 45 min (the rest of the time it was idle with all wireless connections off), I'm at 75% remaining. That's pretty crummy. Not even a calibration will improve it THAT much.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, how much do you really expect it to last when playing games? If you're claiming it's "crummy" then obviously you think some other tablet does a lot better, but.. well, so far I ain't seeing one. They all last more-or-less the same.
Besides... I don't play games on my tablet, but it's on for 3rd day in the row at the moment. I have WIFI on 24/7, I do some web browsing, reading comics etc. and it still has over 50% battery left. That ain't something I personally would call "crummy."
Also, when viewing a white background, you can see every "box" or pixel. Goodness, that's pretty frickin' bad. I'm not expecting any ridiculous "retina display" here but this is just a cheap panel.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Those aren't pixels! You're seeing the grid used for touch-input. You're mixing the two concepts!
As for the grid: yes, it is sometimes visible. I personally don't get bothered by it since it isn't as clearly visible as you make it out to be. But I can understand if some others are bothered by it. It is even mentioned in all the better reviews that the grid can be seen easier than on other tablets. If the grid bothers you that much then go and get another tablet. But bear in mind that even iPads have the grid and atleast I can see it on those, too.
So, serious question. Why all the love for this thing?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Because it is great hardware for a great price.

I've had mine for 48 hours, and I have to say I'm loving it. I did take into consideration the $100 off, and getting this device for $299. You can argue positives and negatives on devices of equal price, but for $299, the A500 is a bargain.
The two issues mentioned- display: yes, the transformer's display is brighter. BUT...I've read many, many posts over at the ASUS threads about light bleading. Further, about how the Transformer can "bend" a little due to plastic construction, and this in turn causes further problems. Still, I liked the TF...I was torn over between the two, so don't think I'm hating on ASUS here. But the display is about a 7.5-8/10 for me compared to the BEST displays I've seen. But its a 10/10 for $299.
Battery: I have only good things to say about battery life so far on mine. No, I don't play 3D games constantly, but compared to the many android phones I have had, I realize I'm not always thinking about having this plugged in just in case I'll need the battery power later.
The other points that were in the A500's favor were the aluminum as stated, full USB port (not a feature you should discount), mini usb port, etc. I can't imagine ONLY being able to transfer files via miniSD. That would be a pain.
Most of the other gripes I have are about Honeycomb...it's not up to competing directly yet with iPad, just a few bugs that keep it from going head to head right now. But that has nothing to do with the unit.
I got two A500's now by the way, and both seem to be working as advertised, they were better than I expected when I made the decision to buy them.

+ 1 for all the love here for our devices on such a hateful thread

The Odom Project said:
+ 1 for all the love here for our devices on such a hateful thread
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I love your haircut
Is that enough love? ^^

WereCatf said:
I love your haircut
Is that enough love? ^^
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Click to collapse
Hehe yeah lol.now I just need to re pierce my lips lol. . . Damn here we go again with the OT lol

I love this baby... and I'm not new to my portable devices... with auto brightness and auto use i get all day battery... and that includes using it's USB port to charge my Moto Atrix when it needs it! I must admit tho mine was a bit laggy with te stock kernel, but that was an easy fix!

Rant - Tablet Computing is really sucky

I have a Xoom WiFi only. What an amazing peice of kit. But it's crippled by the fact that Motorola or Google or whoever can't actually use the devices they make. I'm almost ready to throw mine in the bin it's so unusable.
- I had hoped I could use my Xoom on site rather than run round with my laptop, except I can't get files onto and off it easily. SyncToy won't play ball. I don't want to have to manually drag and drop each file in turn. Waste of time.
- Bluetooth and WiFi file transfer is just a missed opportunity
- SD card doesn't work
- Can't print reliably
- Simple features that are present on my HTC Desire are missing, like scheduling peak times for email polling so the wife doesn't get woken up at three in the morning if I forget to turn it off.
- Stupid stupid stupid stupid charger. No USB charging, which is supposed to be the universal standard. The charger is huge and the connector is so thin it'll break the first time someone trips over the cable.
- The Motorola Folio case is uggggggggly. Have these people not seen the Smart Cover for the iPad?
- I can stand the Xoom up in the folio case, but I can't charge it, because the charger connector is on the bottom. A poor attempt to get me to fork out more money for the charging dock I assume.
- Word, Excel etc, sort of work, but if you have headers and footers or anything like an automated spreadsheet, it ain't gonna work properly on Docs to Go or anything else for that matter. Good God, do these people not use the World's most dominant software?
It's great for games, and stuff though, but you CANNOT use it as a business tool; you'll spend all the time you were hoping to save in wrestling with the bloody thing.
The moral? Don't be an early(ish) adopter - I thought 6 months would be enough for Motorola to have this sorted.
TL;DR?
Rant over.

Sdcard is readable in 3.2 or u can simply root to make it fully usable
Usb charging is slow. The charger makes us can let our xoom fully charged super quiclly
The case for many ppl is nice
My bro bought it for business n he is quite happy with it

Have a lager and calm down, friend. I feel your pain.
However, you can save yourself a lot of grief by understanding that no matter what the marketing people say, a tablet is not a full laptop replacement yet, not even the iPad. You need to make some compromises if you intend to make full use of your Xoom while on the job.
First of all, lets discuss the charger. Moto opted not to allow the device to trickle charge simple because it would take far to long to fill the battery via a standard USB cable. Therefore they went for the dedicated charger which was a good choice under the circumstances. I agree I have worries to about the very thin connector, but they were working hard not to make the device too thick. THus far I have not brought the charger to the office because I have not had to charge the Xoom except for overnight. The battery can make it through a day pretty easily, so feel free to leave the charger behind and see how you do.
Next, Office apps. I agree, they are limited and are the same on pretty much every non-laptop you will try to work on. Key features are missing, other features work strangely...it gets ugly out there. Therefore, I try to restrict my Office app work on the Xoom to reading and making notes. I wouldn't try to actually create a document on the Xoom at this point, unless it was very short and/or I would be able to edit on my laptop later. I use the Polaris app that was provided with the Asus Transformer, which you should be able to find in the Xoom Apps forum here, and it actually does pretty well.
I have had good luck with Bluetooth transferring files, but it can take a while. You should try using the OTG connector in conjunction with a flash drive for larger files. It adds a step in the transfer but it works perfectly for me.
The folio case? I agree, ugly as sin. Therefore I go without a case during use since I really like the looks of the Xoom anyway. I put it into an iPad Exo Sleevecase from Waterfield (great company, great case) before putting it in my gear bag and it does just fine.
The Xoom is a fine business tool in my opinion, it just has its limitations. All tablets currently available are still at the stage where you are best off thinking of them as an extension of your laptop or desktop computer, not the whole shebang. Use it for the tasks it is suited for, and be creative with how you apply it to those tasks which are a bit beyond a tablet's skillset at the moment.
Remember, we went through a decade of clunky, useless TabletPCs before we suddenly had a burst of innovation (thanks Apple) to get to this point in mobile computing. We are still at the early stages...just think where we will be in a couple years. THAT is when tablets will really shine, and at the moment you are ahead of the curve, devising business use cases for tablets out of sheer necessity. That is not a bad place to be.

rschenck said:
Have a lager and calm down, friend. I feel your pain.
However, you can save yourself a lot of grief by understanding that no matter what the marketing people say, a tablet is not a full laptop replacement yet, not even the iPad. You need to make some compromises if you intend to make full use of your Xoom while on the job.
First of all, lets discuss the charger. Moto opted not to allow the device to trickle charge simple because it would take far to long to fill the battery via a standard USB cable. Therefore they went for the dedicated charger which was a good choice under the circumstances. I agree I have worries to about the very thin connector, but they were working hard not to make the device too thick. THus far I have not brought the charger to the office because I have not had to charge the Xoom except for overnight. The battery can make it through a day pretty easily, so feel free to leave the charger behind and see how you do.
Next, Office apps. I agree, they are limited and are the same on pretty much every non-laptop you will try to work on. Key features are missing, other features work strangely...it gets ugly out there. Therefore, I try to restrict my Office app work on the Xoom to reading and making notes. I wouldn't try to actually create a document on the Xoom at this point, unless it was very short and/or I would be able to edit on my laptop later. I use the Polaris app that was provided with the Asus Transformer, which you should be able to find in the Xoom Apps forum here, and it actually does pretty well.
I have had good luck with Bluetooth transferring files, but it can take a while. You should try using the OTG connector in conjunction with a flash drive for larger files. It adds a step in the transfer but it works perfectly for me.
The folio case? I agree, ugly as sin. Therefore I go without a case during use since I really like the looks of the Xoom anyway. I put it into an iPad Exo Sleevecase from Waterfield (great company, great case) before putting it in my gear bag and it does just fine.
The Xoom is a fine business tool in my opinion, it just has its limitations. All tablets currently available are still at the stage where you are best off thinking of them as an extension of your laptop or desktop computer, not the whole shebang. Use it for the tasks it is suited for, and be creative with how you apply it to those tasks which are a bit beyond a tablet's skillset at the moment.
Remember, we went through a decade of clunky, useless TabletPCs before we suddenly had a burst of innovation (thanks Apple) to get to this point in mobile computing. We are still at the early stages...just think where we will be in a couple years. THAT is when tablets will really shine, and at the moment you are ahead of the curve, devising business use cases for tablets out of sheer necessity. That is not a bad place to be.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have found the Xoom to be a great substitute for a laptop out in the field. I just email the files to my work pc, or use my Passport HDD or thumb drive to save...I use dropbox for some non-secure files. Cloud print works fine if you run Chrome on your pc. My work network is locked down tight but I use Splashtop HD to sync with and remotely access my home pc, so I can use full MS Word, Excel, PP etc. I use my Moto BT keyboard and an MS BT mouse if I need do do intensive writing/editing, otherwise Tablet Keyboard Pro or FlexT9 work great. I have the WiFi only Xoom but use my Clear 4G mifi hotspot for connectivity most places I need to be.
This can work. Rooting helps--gives you a few more tools. The battery life is great, especially if you set your screen to minimum necessary brightness and set a battery-saving screen-off profile in SetCPU.

Ok, I will admit that Xoom(as with many android devices) has some bugs to work out, but Android 3.2 has done a lot of fixes that you are talking about....And as for stuff like file managers it matters what one u use.

Some good responses here, I have been on a couple of business trips and left the laptop at home, taking just the Xoom. Sync with and use of Exchange email is brilliant (as it should be). What I had hoped to be able to do is modify spreadsheets while walking round sites, I have some great Excel sheets with drop downs and the like but that is not going to be happening any time soon.
I have found Memento, a great database app that will be my work around for this, but I shouldn't be working around...
I included the iPad in the "tablet computing is sucky" title.
My issue with Bluetooth, a technology that has been with us for years, is that it insists on asking me to OK every file - if I take 100 photos on a site survey, I want them to come over to my laptop with one approval, not 100. It can take a hour, that's fine, just stop asking me if it's OK...This has been a problem for as long as I have been using a smartphone (except my Nokia N73, that had great Bluetooth.)
My frustration remains that I have been able to see the potential of mobile computing and now we have powerful enough devices to deliver it, but the software just isn't there - as usual its the back room hobbyists providing the real world solutions, the paid for software falls very short of the mark.
You talk of 3.2, I have a work device so rooting is not possible and Motorola don't seem in any rush to update me. Any ideas?

66mustang said:
Some good responses here, I have been on a couple of business trips and left the laptop at home, taking just the Xoom. Sync with and use of Exchange email is brilliant (as it should be). What I had hoped to be able to do is modify spreadsheets while walking round sites, I have some great Excel sheets with drop downs and the like but that is not going to be happening any time soon.
I have found Memento, a great database app that will be my work around for this, but I shouldn't be working around...
I included the iPad in the "tablet computing is sucky" title.
My issue with Bluetooth, a technology that has been with us for years, is that it insists on asking me to OK every file - if I take 100 photos on a site survey, I want them to come over to my laptop with one approval, not 100. It can take a hour, that's fine, just stop asking me if it's OK...This has been a problem for as long as I have been using a smartphone (except my Nokia N73, that had great Bluetooth.)
My frustration remains that I have been able to see the potential of mobile computing and now we have powerful enough devices to deliver it, but the software just isn't there - as usual its the back room hobbyists providing the real world solutions, the paid for software falls very short of the mark.
You talk of 3.2, I have a work device so rooting is not possible and Motorola don't seem in any rush to update me. Any ideas?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you're taking pictures with your xoom, have it connected to a network (via a wifi network or phone tethering) you can use the auto upload feature that google+ has. That way you can access those pictures on your laptop as well by going to your google+ account.

I love my Xoom, even if my love for Motorola is waning, but I do have to agree to a point.
When I bought the thing, I had dreams of an all-in-one device... something that I could use as a laptop replacement but that I could also use to make phone calls.
Well, I can make phone calls using GrooveIP, but I would be lying if I said I was satisfied with this solution. GrooveIP works fine but generally kicks me out of Google Talk, which is pretty annoying given that I communicate more through chat than phone calls, so keeping it resident makes chat iffy. And speaking of GrooveIP, what's going on with the official Google Voice app for Honeycomb? I never imagined it would take Google so long to get it released.
The result? I finally decided to give up the dream and buy a new phone.
In a lot of ways, the Xoom has replaced my laptop for web surfing, but it doesn't make for a great word processor. I've purchased a few of the word processing apps available for Android, and they really aren't that great and lack key features such as auto-save. I still think that Google's official Google Docs app is the best of all available word processor apps, but even it is really mediocre on the Xoom. I think I gave it three stars in the market, and that might be one star too generous. I dislike Apple greatly, but iWork on the iPad is superior to anything available for Honeycomb. A native Google Docs Honeycomb app that doesn't rely on WebKit would be absolutely killer.
I still use my Xoom for most of my word processing, but it is a less than perfect solution. I love the size, and the tablet+bluetooth keyboard are still much more lightweight than my laptop, which makes them a more ideal travel companion. In fact, these days, the Xoom has replaced my laptop for about 85% of all my tasks, but it's still not a true laptop replacement.
I think it was unrealistic of me to expect my Xoom to be anything other than a tablet.

The first mistake was expecting it to replace your laptop + be productive as a business tool from the day you purchased it. Some things you mentioned the iPad 2 can't even do so it is what it is man.....
BUT if you use your xoom for play and your laptop for work then you won't have to worry about being stuck on your laptop charger all day long.

66mustang said:
- I can stand the Xoom up in the folio case, but I can't charge it, because the charger connector is on the bottom. A poor attempt to get me to fork out more money for the charging dock I assume.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Easy solution: turn the Xoom upside down. There is no dedicated button, dedicated top or bottom for most applications. In that case power connection is in the top, easy to charge, easy to work on the tablel. Xoom works well for me as a laptop replacement.

I won't get into a long explanation as to why uninformed people should not be posting such a thread. Here is what I will say:
True... tablets cannot fully replace a laptop or PC just yet in terms of raw power, RAM, graphics, gaming, or features. Windows has been an OS for computers for a loooong time now. Honeycomb for tablets has not been around for that long. There is a HUGE difference between a tablet, and a desktop/laptop. I'll make this very clear for you so that it's easy to understand:
[Words of wisdom]
A desktop is a powerful computer that is meant to stay in one place at all times, a laptop is less powerful desktop computer that is portable, meanwhile a tablet is essentially an even more portable laptop with less power. It's not supposed to fully replace a computer in the first place, but rather work right along side it instead. Thus, one should not say tablet computing is "sucky". Apples and bananas as they say... cannot be compared. Don't even attempt to do such a thing.
[/End Words of wisdom]
Tablets are catching up fast in terms of overall specs to match computers, it's very impressive. They are currently working on beast quad core tablets. That's a lot of power for a small lightweight device.

Re: Charging - The Xoom uses a 7.4V/24.1Whr battery, so can't use USB charging which is only 5V. The iPad2 has a 3.8V/25Whr battery, so it can. (All current HC tabs AFAIK use 7.4V batt.)
The iPad2's USB wall-wart is 5V/2A, and users report it takes 3-4 hrs for a full charge. Based on this, charging from a PC's 5V/0.5A USB port would take a long time (charge time isn't linear to current level, but we're simplifying). So practically, you'd still have to lug along an AC charger for the iPad, although PC charging exists as an emergency measure.
Re: Charge adapter - Moto Mobo is a phone vendor. The Xoom is its first tablet, and it's likely that some components were common-sourced from existing phone parts. The smallish charge adapter plug is likely one. Ergonomic issues should be ironed out for the Xoom2, which undoubtedly will be thinner and lighter.
Re: Tablet as productivity device - It'd be interesting to see how much app support ICS gets, as HC didn't get much love from devs, or consumers for that matter. The major thrusts for ICS are phone+tablet convergence and cloud computing, at least as inferred from Google I/O '11. Productivity wasn't mentioned. It'd be a step up for Gbread phones, but I don't see a big improvement for current HC users.
On the flip side, if ICS is indeed incremental, then it should be here relatively soon after 3.2. My SWAG says Oct, which would be enough time for holiday shopping. If true, vendors would likely hold their 2nd-gen tablet offerings until that time. Else, we'll see the second wave starting in Sept. Moto's Xoom2 will serve as a bellwether.
Speaking of the Xoom2, my money is on it having the TI OMAP 4460, with the 7" probably using the 4430. Both are a big step up from the Tegra 2 wrt multimedia support, and the 4460's 1.5GHz speed will make for easy marketing pitch ("it's 50% faster!"). Pricing will likely be the same as current, ie USD$500 for 32GB wifi base model, and probably $400 for the 7".

I bought a really expensive power drill but it's terrible at hammering nails and useless for painting my walls.
I'm mad and posting about it.
Sent from my Xoom using XDA Premium App

hi_its_ryan said:
I bought a really expensive power drill but it's terrible at hammering nails and useless for painting my walls.
I'm mad and posting about it.
Sent from my Xoom using XDA Premium App
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Click to collapse
lol, did u try applying the paint to the drill before using it on ur wall

hi_its_ryan said:
I bought a really expensive power drill but it's terrible at hammering nails and useless for painting my walls.
I'm mad and posting about it.
Sent from my Xoom using XDA Premium App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
+1 +1 +1 +1 +1
I think a tablet pc would be great OP?

my fav part of the gripe is about not using the worlds most dominant microsoft software... Of course they are not going to use it... Microsoft competes with android... Its the same as crying that your iphone cant run flash or windows programs...
I know it sucks but a tab is not a direct replacement for a laptop just yet... Theres a lot of ways to get around some of your gripes.. Like dropbox app for posting and syncing all your files to all your devices.. Docs to go.. It aint perfect but it helps... Etc...

My only gripe where I agree with the OP is the charger and not being able to charge when in the folio case...but when you consider that the battery lasts at least 24 hours with normal usage it's really not s big deal. I can get a good 5 work days when I use it to stream Pandora or Slacker over WiFi without needing to recharge.

Remote control your PC from your tablet. Then you have the best of both worlds.

brandogg said:
My only gripe where I agree with the OP is the charger and not being able to charge when in the folio case...but when you consider that the battery lasts at least 24 hours with normal usage it's really not s big deal. I can get a good 5 work days when I use it to stream Pandora or Slacker over WiFi without needing to recharge.
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Umm... someone already mentioned it, but... there is NOT a "correct" way to hold the Xoom, or any Honeycomb tablet for that matter. The soft keys are located on the screen itself, and will follow the screen when rotated, meaning you can hold it any way you want. Just unlock the screen rotation option, and then rotate the Xoom to position the charging port to the way that fits your needs. That is what sets Honeycomb apart from the rest. If the OP has this "complaint" he should think again before opening his mouth. It's called rotation... it's a feature. The Honeycomb developers want you to hold and position your tablet however you wish, not force you to hold it one way. Look it up, or better yet... use it.

its interesting to see the posts we have here...
personally i think a tablet is pretty close to becoming a laptop replacement... for some...
now... my laptop at the moment will probably crush many many desktops out there by a long shot (i definitely moved from desktops 5 years ago) but in saying that my battery life is HORRIBLE... i cant even go through 1 class and my charger is the size of a house brick lol but personally i love how i could whizz through a thousand, tabs, programs, music whatever with not one instance of lag and it dual boots like a boss and the 18 inch screen is amazing..
my xoom i bought it to hopefully be able to replace the aspect of taking my laptop to uni as we have alot of classes with just a powerpoint and we can type our own stuff from there (i just received my hk cheapo folio keyboard case today; as i dont see paying $50+ for one with a wire i would have preferred a bluetooth with trackpad or something) and i think im going to try and leave my laptop at home next time.. i agree the word compatible apps are sometimes uses, i cant find one where i can edit the notes section of a powerpoint but what i would really love is too have 2 programs open side by side on the one screen as this would be even easier to multitask but i will be finished uni before these will be met and then simply put my needs now/future are minimal in the 'business' area.. but this will NEVER replace a laptop for me im on it everyday for 6+ hours easy and the necessity for ease of access, large screen, etc for me negate the tablet switch for sometime if at all
for those who require specified proprietary programs your needs may never be met and if so they may only be met in the apple arena for sometime to come.. apple is the in thing at the moment and for the average joe as we all know cant understand alot of techno-babble (this may be a good argument for proprietary stuff to come out on the more tech android, but in business there are alot of people with their head in the sand)..
as for the OP i say this...
1. really consider rooting/flashing a custom rom you can always revert back to stock for warranty (i purchased mine overseas so i have NO warranty, im a poor uni student and saved for mine and honestly it was cheaper than my phone but yeh)
2. get an OTG cable (i got mine for $3 from hk) and use your flash drive for everything you want from the tablet/computer transfers (get a 32gb if you really need a large one).. that will remove alot of file transfer issues with bluetooth, etc and if you need to have constant backups then copy the file to the sdcard of the xoom to be super safe
3. have a better look in the area of printing.. i can wirelessly print from my android devices and they come out great (not good for photos) but documents come out pretty clear
4. burn the folio case, dance around it and move on try something else (if so inclined lol)...
5. the battery life is awesome.. absolutely awesome... i can go 2 full days without charge and using it all day on the train, music, wifi, internet.. bla bla
sorry for being long

My Review of the Galaxy Note 10.1 (2014 Edition)

I purchased the Galaxy Note 10.1 (2014 Edition) from amazon two weeks ago with overnight shipping. I received it the next day and was impressed by the build quality, except, the right side speaker is slightly loose. I did not notice it was loose until I read another post here saying they had a loose speaker and many others started to find out that theirs was too. Other than that, everyone was perfectly constructed.
When I turned it on for the first time everything was fast and fluid, even with Samsung's TouchWiz and all the other bloaty widgets and apps they come with. I have to say, Samsung can really make a polished piece of hardware, but that is where they should stop, unless they are going to invest a much larger amount of energy in to developing their software platforms. I have the Galaxy S4 as my phone, and now the Galaxy Note 10.1 Tablet, and I always love everything about the Samsung products except for almost 100% of the software they develop... but I will get in to that a little later.
One of the big reasons that I chose this over other Samsung tablets to be my first tablet since I got an Archos Internet Tablet (in 2008 or 9 ), well besides the obviously beastly processor and RAM, was because it had the physical button on the frame and a software digital button. I know a lot of users here and elsewhere hate the physical button, but I don't understand why when you are just wasting space on your screen when the frame of your device would have been actual wasted space without the button. I've used the Galaxy Tab 2 10inch and one of my biggest annoyances was the on-screen buttons because I use the app Splashtop to remotely control my PC, and those damn software navigation buttons always got in the way.
Anyways, on to other things, this thing is fast and powerful. 20-25 apps running in the background and no slow down of any noticeable amount. After a few days though, TouchWiz started lagging tremendously whether there were any apps running or not. Now I've replaced the stock TouchWiz with Nova Launcher Prime, and the Lock Screen with WidgetLocker, and never have I seen any lag on this device since. Plays large, HD quality games like FIFA 14 perfectly.
The S-Pen is actually really cool and I'm a fanatic about productivity and some of the features related to the S-Pen are really great when trying to be productive. It has a feature that lets you scrap book any video, image, text, area of the screen, etc. that I use often to research certain topics and bring them together. Action memo allows me to write down an address that someone is telling me over the phone, then circle it with S-Pen and it will pull up gMaps to direct me there automatically. It was a little strange getting used to writing on a tablet though but now it feels as fluid as if I were writing with a real pen.
I have to say something about the graphical quality of the screen though. It is beautiful, and I have not seen a better quality screen for such a device ever before. The resolution is higher than my Desktop PCs and it definitely shows. It is definitely better than even the iPad Air that I went to check out a couple days ago. Apparently this factor alone is the reason that this Dual-Quad-Core tablet requires that much processor, but that's fine with me.
The Note came with a host of perks such as a $25 Google Play gift card, a $50 Samsung Hub credit, Hulu+, Newsweek, premium "wifi hotspot" membership for 18 months and more that I won't every use. This brings me back to my biggest downfall with Samsung though. They give me $50 to spend on the Samsung Hub (Their version of the Play Store) and when I go there, everything is either junk, already pre-installed on my device, or just something I'm not interested in. I really wanted to use the Samsung Credit to buy some Tech E-Books through their book store and use the Play Store credit for apps/games, but their store only has about 25 tech-related books! So when I decide I won't be buying any books there and try to get some apps and games, half of the decent games worth buying take me directly to the Play Store instead. I feel like I may have this Samsung Credit for a while..
But getting less free stuff than I wanted is not going to detract even 1 star from this bad ass hog. Overall the thing is more powerful than any tablet in its price range, has the highest quality video capabilities, comes with a unique S-Pen that other tablets just don't have, and is a Droid!
:good: 4.5/5 is what my rating would have to be, because they have created a great tablet, and could have got a full 5/5 if they just polished and worked on their software platforms until completion.
Hopin to get KitKat Soon, came stock with 4.3. Thanks for reading.

Great Review
Awesome post mate.

Nice to read something positive.

Nice review
I must agree too , this is Samsungs most polished Tablet to date ..

ryancstl23 said:
I feel like I may have this Samsung Credit for a while..
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Nice review.
Unlike Google $25, Samsung $50 expires after 90 days. I myself haven't found a book or app worth spending this credit on.

There are some good documentaries in movies
Sent from my SCH-I605 using xda app-developers app

my opinion
.I'm using my note for 1 week now...
I've got the 16g wi fi version.
I ve got the 16 bec ause that was the only one available at the store and since there wo n't be any model available in my country soon and I was travelling in the US I, ve decided to buy this on with a 32g sd card.
So far everything is fine, stock configuration and beginning to do some customizations.
My previous tablet was the asus tf300 wich was stolen.
My first concearn was about the 16g of storage....Yes it's small but since I'm moving all available apps and files to sd card everything is working ok. Can't notice any difference between sd or internal apps running.
The s pen is awesome. the kind of thing that you just know you need it only after you get it. Much easier and accurate navigation through the tablet with it.
The multi screen function is also awesome. no need to exit one browser to see other one again....
The only thing that bothers me , and that's not a only Samsung fault, is the amout of pre installed apps.
I was waiting for the tf701 and the new nexus 10.....wich won't be available here either. ... Since both weren't available I've decided for the Samsung.
I'm a regular user, the main use is for reading aircraft manuals and articles and using some life easing and time saving apps...and so far I'm happy with my choice.the tablet is doing its job.
I read lots of reviews and comparisons and my conclusion is that when premium tablet is the concearn. ..regular every day users like me , any pick is a good pick.....Is pretty much like buying a premium sports car.... some will prefer Ferrari some lamborgini and others Porches but either one will be a great choice.

@luizfpg Nice review and also sounds like your a fellow Aircraft Engineer :good:

Geordie Affy said:
@luizfpg Nice review and also sounds like your a fellow Aircraft Engineer :good:
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Pilot actually cheers. ...

luizfpg said:
Pilot actually cheers. ...
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Oh go away then

How long does the device last between charge? Can you share some lights on your usage too?

nit3hawk said:
How long does the device last between charge? Can you share some lights on your usage too?
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That's a point where I'm not very satisfied. I think that me battery drains faster than it shoud. I use the device basically with wi fi on all the time right now my battery is low but latter after charging I'll reply with time time availability shown with 100%.

I think the battery is one of the few areas of honest disappointment. I don't like Android devices that make you do a lot of discovery to find battery drain culprits, or hold a charge quite as well as you'd expect. That's one area where I blame the TouchWiz skin on this tablet.
You were right to highlight the screen, it's absolutely phenomenal. It's far better than my Nexus 10 which was something. It outclasses my iPad as well, it's not just clear it has beautiful color reproduction. It's a bit heavier than I expected after reviews, and my home button is sticky. Besides that it's well made.
It's funny though, I can't say without a doubt I'd recommend it to people if it weren't for the S-Pen usage. The SPen on this is incredible, it works better than you'd think if you have no experience with it. No lag, good software tied in with it, it's the real deal as far as having a virtual notebook. That's why I bought it and why I love it so far. Take that away and the TouchWiz skin seems so unnecessary in so many ways. As someone who uses a Note 3 everyday, this clearly isn't as fast or slick, but it has the real estate. Interesting device.

nit3hawk said:
How long does the device last between charge? Can you share some lights on your usage too?
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I don't have an precise answer for that but I followed some of the advices from the battery saving thread and the battery is actually lasting longer.

luizfpg said:
I don't have an precise answer for that but I followed some of the advices from the battery saving thread and the battery is actually lasting longer.
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I have had mine for only a couple of days, and it's great except for the battery life. I also followed the advise on the battery saving thread, and seems to help.

nit3hawk said:
How long does the device last between charge? Can you share some lights on your usage too?
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Battery life about 10 hours medium usage with full-brightness. I drain the battery pretty quick though playing games on it and watching hulu..
I feel like my friends older Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 gets better battery life, but then again he always has the brightness to a minimum. I always max the brightness because its just too good looking.
By the way another thing I love about this tablet vs the Galaxy Tabs is that it uses the standard android MicroUSB charger instead of a fat proprietary looking one that doesn't charge any of my other devices.

ddavtian said:
Nice review.
Unlike Google $25, Samsung $50 expires after 90 days. I myself haven't found a book or app worth spending this credit on.
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I believe it can also be used on movies and music.