Related
Any one else finding that most of the reviews of the Tab seem to be written by people who just don't get it?
I'm the first in line to call a spade a spade (that would be "shovel a shovel" for our American cousins) but I truly believe the Tab is a fantastic device and I cannot see where most of these reviewers are coming from.
I'm sure that some would say that us Tab buyers are trying to justify our purchase, but I'm honestly finding that the Tab has exceeded my expectations which were already quite high.
I've been in the market for a device that could sit between my laptop(s) and smartphone for casual media consumption and web browsing, and since buying my Tab last Friday, my Macbook has sat on my coffee table untouched and my HTC Desire has only really seen use as a phone.
I was seriously considering an Advent Vega, Toshiba Folio 100, or Archos 101 as they were all around half the price of the Tab, but after my experience with the Toshiba AC100 Android smartbook I decided that I really wanted the full Google experience (Market, Gmail etc) because it was just so much easier than faffing around with APKs etc.
In less than a week, beyond sitting at my desk, the Tab has become my primary device for Internet and media consumption, and I honestly did not expect that to occur.
Whilst the poor reviews don't affect me directly, I'm concerned that many people would be put off this fantastic device without giving it a fair crack of the ship which I can assure anyone who is sitting on the fence, the Tab most surely deserves!
Regards,
Dave
I tend to agree Dave.
The Tab is one of the best, if not THE best, android device i have used to date (and i have used many).
but its not for everyone and it does have some issues that needs to be addressed (such as the laggy browser).
It does seems like Samsung were able to overcome the issues the SGS had with the SGT and all the power to them.
I do think the reviewers just don't get it.
Some if the reviews i have read are just full of lies and totally biased (see BGR's review).
I really like the stock browser, but it is too laggy compared to others. Samsung should definitely have worked harder on that.
I'm also not convinced by swype on a device of this size but I could be convinced, if I could have swype automatically in portrait and something else in landscape.
Regards,
Dave
I don't think the reviews I've read have been overly negative but I've only read a handful:
Oddly, I found the review on Engadget to be one of the better ones, even if they only scored it 7/10.
They seemed genuinely enthusiastic about the Tab, which flies in the face somewhat of their general pro-Apple bias. I guess it just proves that some of the Engadget writers are genuinely enthusiastic about tech and not just stuff made in Cupertino.
GSMArena, normally a beacon of decent reviews, seemed to get a bit too hung up on trying to compare it to the iPad whilst avoiding declaring one better than the other. That and criticising the price a lot.
They also mentioned issues like the screen having ghosting issues, which I just couldn't reproduce when I used the Tab.
There was a 'review' on the BBC site by one of their tech bloggers which was beyond pitiful.
It just compared web-browsing and playing videos but was so lacking in any genuine insight or intelligence that I would advise not wasting your time on it.
Then the review on BGR, that one really did annoy me.
The reviewer criticised the pixel density of the Tab compared to smartphones and criticised the screen as too small compared to the iPad whilst conveniently ignoring the iPad's poorer pixel density.
If I was being generous, I'd say the review just didn't 'get' the Tab but it smacked much more of pro-Apple bias IMO.
So, one good review, one in-depth but indecisive review, one non-review and one advert for the iPad...
However, reading a lot of the comments left on various sites in response to their reviews, I would say there is a definite lack of 'getting' out there.
A lot of people just don't seem to see the appeal or usefulness of the Tab, which is fair enough everyone's entitled to their opinion but like you Dave, I'm not convinced they've actually given the Tab a fair go before reaching that decision.
Read WIRED review
http://m.wired.com/reviews/2010/11/galaxy_tab/
Sent from my GT-P1000 using Tapatalk
antz88c said:
Read WIRED review
http://m.wired.com/reviews/2010/11/galaxy_tab/
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
For those of us not on a mobile device: http://www.wired.com/reviews/2010/11/galaxy_tab/
well, comparing the tab with full fledge tablet will be useless
as i see it, tab is a phone that have tablet capabilities, considering they're still using FroYo which was a phone OS primarily
but when google OS for Tablet is ready in the market, and the tab get it, Ipad will get some rivalry from galaxy tab for sure, as Ipad cant be used as a phone, at all
Justin^Tan said:
well, comparing the tab with full fledge tablet will be useless
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I would say that comparison to any other Android tablets or the iPad is far from useless as they're all running similarly-capable OSs.
True, comparison to something running, say, Win7 would be a bit of a waste of time but I fail to see why comparing a 7" Android tablet to a 10" Android tablet would be useless.
Justin^Tan said:
as i see it, tab is a phone that have tablet capabilities
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
And what, if you don't mind me asking, are 'tablet capabilities'?
My vibrant feels so small now.
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App
Step666 said:
I would say that comparison to any other Android tablets or the iPad is far from useless as they're all running similarly-capable OSs.
True, comparison to something running, say, Win7 would be a bit of a waste of time but I fail to see why comparing a 7" Android tablet to a 10" Android tablet would be useless.
And what, if you don't mind me asking, are 'tablet capabilities'?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well let me put my fair understanding on both devices.
IPAD ADV
---------
- Bigger Screen: More Space for applications, pleasant for the eye
- Brighter Screen
- Longer Battery Life
- Applications tailored just for IPAD
IPAD DISV
----------
- Heavy.. use on one hand for a long time is just not comfortable.
- Can't Make Call without Jail Breaking / Additional Support
- Bulky, It would mean that you have to carry a bag with you all the time.
- Most of the stuffs don't work in IPAD. e.q. Flash
This is critical for some reason and at least for now, most websites run flash: Videos or Games and it's extremely cumbersome to get the contents to be played on the IPAD. Tethering not working right out of the box (if i remember correctly)
- No support for widgets. why is this important? well, because it's a feature that enable us to glance through information easily or access certain function easily. Plus, it's beautiful and pleasing. Imagine, you want to check your Data Usage, all you have to do is open your screen and you know straight how many have you used instead of opening the program and do a check button again. >.<!!
SGT ADV
--------
- Connectivity: you can make call, browsing using wifi or 3G.
- Light in size and pocket-able on most jeans or clothing.
- All in One? compared to IPAD, you will need an extra pair of device as a phone but with tab, you have it all.
- Device capable for honey comb & ginger bread.
- As android is open source, it's open to development and customization. This would mean that if samsung doesn't make SGT good enough for people, a team or someone can make that customization to provide more battery life, better interface etc.
SGT DISADV
------------
- Built on TFT technology.. which the screen is slightly distorted on certain angle.
- Compared to IPAD, the battery life sucks. However,
you get widgets, connectivity and multi tasking done right and still it's enough to be used as a daily phone / tablet.
- Not many application tailored for SGTab yet and my feeling about this is the future is a bit unknown .. With so many screen resolutions out. 7inch 8.9inch 10 inch.. it's just making it hard for developer to tailor the application but all in all, the android tablet coming to the market is definite so it's possible that the tailored applications will be growing steadily.
My Summary:
--------------
While ipad offers better battery life, applications, screen and performance. It does have certain disadvantages such as lack of flash support, customization, calls and it's bulky. And for some who wish to have portability and entertainment on the GO, Tab is definitely superior than IPAD in many ways. However, taking apps into consideration, the Apps in IPAD is amazing simply because they are tailored. Android is still evolving. We will see more applications tailored for Android tablet size become available in the near future. Having said that i would say all in all, the pro and cons between these two devices is 50:50 and at the end of the day, it's up to your preference whether you want a device with good apps support but lack portability or you want one with all in and portable.
foxmeister said:
I'm the first in line to call a spare a spare (that would be "shovel a shovel" for our American cousins)...
Regards,
Dave
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I believe that should be "call a spade a spade" - for the non-Americans...
-Daniel
Why is everyone comparing to an IPAD...this isnt an IPAD! Forget the reviews....I can show you 100 reviews that say it's a fantastic device....ask the users....
dweidman said:
I believe that should be "call a spade a spade" - for the non-Americans...
-Daniel
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Curse predictive keyboards!
Dave
Sorry for my bad english.
Then my point of view :
The SGT is not the better yes i agree with that.
But for me the point of view is different for everybody. Why ? Because i buy my 'item' because all off my requested features are in my 'item'.
If you havn't yet, look up the review that carrypad has done.
shollywood said:
Why is everyone comparing to an IPAD...this isnt an IPAD! Forget the reviews....I can show you 100 reviews that say it's a fantastic device....ask the users....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
exactly. and also this flash nonsense always. yes we can do flash. but this is not the killer argument here.
this is a handy tablet with a nice os. thats it. and it can be used as a phone too.
it has a great speaker, which makes conference calls very nice.
widgets with that screen size rocks. gamings is brilliant on the device.
there is no need for comparison to some other device. this one is great.
Most of the reviews I've seen have been positive if not amazing, the Giz article is not an outstanding review or the best piece of journalism I've seen!
My iPad is a lounge device, my SGT is my RoadWarrior device. I wouldn't compare them as they fill 2 very different roles for me.
foxmeister said:
I'm also not convinced by swype on a device of this size but I could be convinced, if I could have swype automatically in portrait and something else in landscape.
Regards,
Dave
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hello have you try to use keyboardmanager on the market
Sent from my GT-P1000 using XDA App
Finally my day off!
This has been a busy week at work and a lot of changes happening so quickly I haven’t had a proper chance to use my Adam as I wanted, but now I can give you a proper review of my experience so far.
First of all I want to share some information about me just so you don’t think im a biased person or working for Notion Ink.
My name is Bruno Alexandre, im 27 years old and im from Portugal, I work in a ISP and in a daily base I deal with equipments of every kind and all kind of applications.
I’m a gadget lover, I simply adore every details that a manufacturer places on a equipment and im very picky about build quality and software design, I prefer a practical design to something with a “bling” effect.
I started following the Adam back on CES 2010, Rohan ideas and vision attracted me, his way of thinking was just what I was looking for, a project that isn’t thought to the “elites” and accessible to everyone, the concept he had back then of the Adam was simple but practical and the way he just showed Slashgear a working concept, instead of just a video or something has we've seen recently on others, shown me he wasn’t there to fool anyone and he believed in it and so did I and that’s how I started to follow Notion Ink. Every update afterwards and the open communication he had with the community was something I have never seen before and I always hoped for from other companies, the project started to get even better with the first sketches of the Adam and continuous information he kept revealing about the hardware and the design behind, to a point I could not stand any more not having it and offered to pay ahead for my Adam, even before the Pre-order was known to public. I think when a project has a future, even coming from a company we never heard before is worth investing it is worth to support, and help in anyway possible.
Hardware & Design
As you have all seen the Adam hardware is no big news, every person that likes gadgets have heard of Tegra 2, Pixel Qi and all the other features, the Adam doesn’t bring nothing new in terms of technological innovation but it does bring a innovation in design.
The way it was built is just great, it was thought to be used on a daily base in any situation imaginable, the golden ratio does make a difference! The past 2 days I have used the Adam as a console, media player, work support and as a organizer, it fulfilled every expectation I had, it felt great in any handling position, feels strong being handled in any situation I came to face during my work, there's no crackling sound or protection caps coming off easily, the fingerprints are as bad as in a smartphone, you even cant feel the real weight it has and balances perfectly even by holding with just one hand while typing with the other! Have you ever tried to use the IPAD like that ? It just wobbles on your hand unless you have a case.
My colleagues at work also tried it and they were astonished how a small company from India was able to produce such equipment, they never even heard of Notion Ink or Adam, and they just loved to work with it. One of the biggest praises was the responsiveness of the touch screen and how smooth it was on Canvas to draw a line compared with a smartphone, the processing power and the speed of opening apps, video playback and specially the sniffer, many of them were Android users and they loved it.
Everything looks too perfect doesn’t it, well now its time for the bad parts, the screen protector first of all was awful, as bad as HTC screen protectors for smart-phones all the glare and reflections plus washed out colours made me rage, so I took it off and it felt much better.
The viewing angles of Adam are not very good either, not when compared with my Asus 1005HA LED Backlit screen or the Ipad, but it wasn’t meant to be looked from the side but head-on to be able to read so I take this as a small drawback.
The screen calibration in terms of brightness to contrast ratio is very bad, you notice it more when using at dark environment like the video shows below, but this is something that I think it could be easily fixed if we had the proper tools to mess with it like a normal desktop monitor OSD. (if there’s such tool please tell me since im a android newbie)
Pixel Qi, well this really does feel great, even tho sun is lacking here in Portugal this past days, ive used the Adam on the outside a lot and I love how the pixel qi works, it feels amazing being able to read everything without any problems, unique experience. Indoors even with low light conditions for example in bed with the night stand lamp it was readable or ( you will lol ) in the toilet !
Sound quality was just .. man it was awesome, its louder than the Asus 1005HA and the bass is much better, connected to a sound system is just gives enough juice to make it worth, lacks some equalizer but I think there’s apps out there to do the job.
Camera is one of those things there’s not much to talk about, it's a 3.2 camera like many phones have, the swivel does make it good because you can just point it to what you want, using Google Goggles with it is very cool, the design here helps again, with one hand you can easily stabilize the Adam while the responsiveness of the screen helps out the shooting.
The battery when tested at work was empty after 8 hours of people messing with it, playing watching videos, testing VPN connections, downloading and navigating using the canvas, it was madness the number of fingerprints on the Adam, but it was still very readable. You could only notice the fingerprints on the borders.
Software
Well the software is another issue, the idea behind Eden is good and I love the leaves, but not every application seem to have gone under proper testing or QA, they don’t fit well with each other and don’t respond properly sometimes to the commands you give to it, one of the examples is facebook tool, the cramped look of it and the minimized information makes it really annoying to work with.
The lack of Android Market to be able to get some of the Google Apps made the experience even worst, if Genesis isn’t ready yet then the Android Market should still exist in the meanwhile.
Mail app is very good, I enjoy the UI and how simple it looks while having every feature you need, its also very useful in a job like mine where im constantly receiving emails.
QuickOffice is also great, I work a lot with excel, acrobat, word and having the Adam around is a excellent working tool, I can give support to my colleagues in real time without having to go from one side to the other getting the information they need and taking time which is essential in my job.
The browser, I was kinda of disappointed with the UI from the browser, it felt.. wrong.. hard to explain, but once I got to work with the tabs I just loved how it felt, the idea of placing them like that helps a lot when you are consulting online or trying to get updated with the latest news in the gadget world, it was a fast experience with flash always loading in the websites quickly and with no issues.
The Video Player, had some issues, as you may have noticed on the video above, the sound and video were de-sync, I was using .wmv tried also .mkv and other formats, thought it was a issue with the internal SD Card, used my external one Class 6 and had the same issue, must be codec wise.
In the end I just preferred on having the LauncherPRO as my main screen since I could customize with every widget I wanted, with no limitations whatsoever as you can see on the video below, at least until NI can deliver a better interface or Honeycomb is out.
Conclusion
I'm not an expert reviewer, nor I have experience in reviewing equipments, some of you may not agree with me on some aspects but in the end this was my experience, and I just wanted to share with you all. I enjoy every day with the Adam I have, and it will be my main support at home and works to organize my life.
Do I regret buying the Adam ? No I do not, the Adam is a great tablet.
Would I prefer the Xoom over the Adam ? I wont pay $700 for a barometer, but … I wouldn’t mind having the quality of its screen. Also I had Motorola equipments before and my experience was bad.. not with 1 but more than 4..
Hope you enjoyed.
Thanks for your review bro. I have been looking for a down to earth review for a while. I am probably waiting for the Asus transformer but I would love to try out an Adam and see if it would change my mind. I guess in the end the question is, will it get Honeycomb?
Sent from my ADR6300 using XDA App
jorny32 said:
Thanks for your review bro. I have been looking for a down to earth review for a while. I am probably waiting for the Asus transformer but I would love to try out an Adam and see if it would change my mind. I guess in the end the question is, will it get Honeycomb?
Sent from my ADR6300 using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Rohan mentioned that they are working on honeycomb. If NI doesn;t bring it, the adam is pretty close to ASOP android, so I'm sure that the developers here will port it to the adam.
Thats what i hope also.
hmm..intresting review. Friend can you post some more of your experiences with Adam in detail. I would like to see how different application like
1) Rockplayer (for MKV,avi)
2) Laputa ebook reader
3) Google earth
and some good HD Games with motion sensors.
Video Playback
Do you think the video playback de-sync is because of the player?
Meaning that with another player this would not happen?
Good Review
zabaknilesh said:
hmm..intresting review. Friend can you post some more of your experiences with Adam in detail. I would like to see how different application like
1) Rockplayer (for MKV,avi)
2) Laputa ebook reader
3) Google earth
and some good HD Games with motion sensors.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sure ill post tomorrow probably.
Thanks for this review man. Appreciated. Looking forward to updates on your ongoing use.
Very nice and honest review. Thank you for sharing your experience.
Have you already rooted and installed market with NIH/XDA root packs? Or just using the update released by NI?
Thanks for the review.
I have been using Eden UI on G-Tab for a few days now, and I agree that it takes a little getting used to...and some of the Apps like Mail'd are good. Browser is so-so...and the keyboard could have used "Autoprompts" for words.
Thanks LeviathanPT for the review. I'll wait to pre-order my NI 3G+Pixel QI for the "general public".
Its good to read e-books and Comics?
Thanks
@ zabaknilesh
1) Rockplayer (for MKV,avi) - Still has the same desync issue even with rockplayer
2) Laputa ebook reader - Very cool app, i like the flipping pages transition and its very smooth and accurate, the books can be read very well. Also the thick part of the adam is excelent to grab and makes the reading experience much higher.
3) Google earth - Doesnt launch just crashes
4) Some good HD Games with motion sensors. - Is there any free games i could try ?
@tokyobreeze
Yes i have rooted using NIH since genesis isnt out and i dont want a limited (by software) equipment .
@SimonCt
Yeah reading e-books is awsome, comics is something i havent tried as a appbut ive been at some comic websites and its very cool.
Try jjComics Viewer if you can, The main use for me is read e-books and comics....
For ebooks im using Aldiko, that can be conected with Calibre
Thanks for your review. Very informative!
thanks
Thanks for this usefull review!
Very good review!
Did you try to re-load google earth and still crash?
Edit:
I see they got it working on the Viewsonic over here.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=10100271&highlight=google+earth#post10100271
Thanks for the comments guys, the google earth seems not to be compatible using the web android market and that guy doesnt supply the files needed :|
Flash
Have you been able to use a browser as the Skyfire with flash on it??
Hey guys I have made a review from my new adam with pixel qi! I also added a lot of pictures and two videos (showing eden, hardware, pixel qi outside, also made a comparison from screens of galaxy s and macbook pro, ... pictures and videos are on the second page) The review is in german, but pictures and videos can say more than 1000 words
Adam Tablet PC review with pictures and videos
please click on "gefällt mir" or I like button in the facebook fan box
Thanks!
So after watching Apple royally screwing up the launch for their customers (not themselves, of course), I decided to give the Xoom a try. I had already tried the original iPad and really loved it for what it could do, especially the battery life which was simply amazing.
Funny thing is, I'm really enjoying the web experience of the Xoom more than the iPad. I just hated the checkerboard while scrolling but I guess the iPad 2's engine has solved that problem. I also am enjoying the Xoom's speakers which are much louder than the iPad as that was one of my main issues since I like listening to the talk radio while in the shower. One thing I have noticed is that there seem to be more free apps for the Android than on the iOS side which is another huge plus.
I have read that many Xoom users were having issues with the browser crashing but so far after using it almost all day I have experienced just one force close. I agree with those that say the Xoom feels like a half baked product or was launched a bit too soon but if Google's commitment to their android OS is any indication then I see no reason why the Xoom can't become a serious iPad 2 competitor.
I have been using the Xoom since about 12:30pm and the battery finally died around 8:30pm, not bad at all but still nothing compared to the iPad which gave me almost 11 hours for the same type of use i.e web surfing and watching some videos on Youtube. Before I bought the Xoom I also played around with the new iPad 2 which was on display at my local BestBuy store and I really liked the design but something about the widgets that just seemed so boring compared to the honeycomb.
Yes I know the iPad 2 just spanks the Xoom as far as graphics go, according to Anandtech but then I never use the tablet for gaming. For that I have my 2010 Mac Pro and I don't really game much even on that. For me the Xoom is full of potential and because of that reason is a gamble while the iPad is safe territory but the potential is somewhat limited.
From the reviews/comments I thought I would really hate the Xoom but so far I'm really having fun with this thing!
It took me a couple weeks to notice the browser issues. I've actually had quite a few browser related problems since then. The Xoom is a riot. I love Honeycomb.
The Xoom is for geeks and techies. IPad is for ggeneral population
ipad2 for wife and xoom for me.
Well put.
My wife wanted a tablet for movies and games and is heavily invested in itunes, so the Ipad2 was her choice.
I, on the other hand, and an android geek and so the Xoom was wht I got this weekend.
I really dislike the whole Itunes echosystem and like my media to be portable to as many devices as possible (My pc, my phone and my tablet and my laptop).
you made the right choice
I have the same setup and it works great. Why only have one when you can have both? Each one has its strengths but I personally use the Xoom and wife uses ipad
kiwiruss said:
Well put.
My wife wanted a tablet for movies and games and is heavily invested in itunes, so the Ipad2 was her choice.
I, on the other hand, and an android geek and so the Xoom was wht I got this weekend.
I really dislike the whole Itunes echosystem and like my media to be portable to as many devices as possible (My pc, my phone and my tablet and my laptop).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sent from my ADR6300 using XDA App
To be honest.. My experience with the Android platform was very short lived. Now I will admit I was running a GTablet (Tegra 2, etc.) with Froyo.
What I found was
General instability - Didnt crash all that much, maybe once or twice over a 10 hour period. In this day in age, crashing is unacceptable - especially for a $400 plus device.
Lack Luster SDK - I didnt find the SDK all that polished. I was surprised to see how much deprication there was and how little developers did not adhere to new develop APIs. One thing that still perplexes me is that the depricated APIs were being suppressed by Google during compile within the Android Framework!!! This caused a bunch of issues on the GTablet - easy to fix but still..
Market - Mostly poor applications - For a platform that has been around now for a while I found over 70% of applications were of poor quality. Either they were unstable, unusable or just down right JUNK. Dont get me wrong I was attracted to the Android platform due to its openness but honestly I also want quality.
Fragmentation - I noticed that though a robust SDK it didn't absorb well the various platforms. Each platform needs to be tweaked for that device to properly work. Typically this should be absorbed by the framework... This lends to the reason why most wait for fixes from their cellular vendors/phone manufactorers and not from Google. I think this is a big mistake. Eventually Google will cave in due to the poor implementation quality from these 3rd party vendors. Information Security will drive this..
Performance - Generally OK but I found too much overhead from the OS and Framework. The OS and framework need some optimization. This will reduce the need of a tablet having 1GB of ram... That is insane for a device like this!
Anyway.... Soo I ended up selling the GTablet and just picked up a IPAD 2... All I can say is that they are in two difference classes - this coming from a Linux/Java developer...
I will eventually head back to Android once it becomes more mature as I am most comfortable in that environment - until I want a tablet that I can be productive with, less on the fiddling side.
^
I've noticed that unless an application comes from a major company, more than likely it will look horrible or just "unkept". Obviously as I have said "more than likely" there are a few exceptions, but other than that many Android applications simply don't match their iOS relatives in terms of aesthetic appeal. Or even overall quality for that matter. I'm shocked that Android doesn't receive horrible backlash from this.
To make things worse, you were using 2.2 on a tablet. Pre-3.0 versions of Android on tablet devices simply fail to even rival the iPad. I wouldn't even choose one myself despite my undying love for Android.
Choice is amazing isn't it. Nobody made a rule you can only pick one and be stuck with it. I agree apps on IOS are superior in general to Android but everything else on Android is better than IOS. The notification system and half ass mutiltasking on IOS alone drives me crazy. Also most apps on IOS are used a bunch in the beginning and then never again, there was even a study on this a while ago. So I only have a few things I do frequently and the Xoom does them excellently.
stanglx said:
To be honest.. My experience with the Android platform was very short lived. Now I will admit I was running a GTablet (Tegra 2, etc.) with Froyo.
What I found was
General instability - Didnt crash all that much, maybe once or twice over a 10 hour period. In this day in age, crashing is unacceptable - especially for a $400 plus device.
Lack Luster SDK - I didnt find the SDK all that polished. I was surprised to see how much deprication there was and how little developers did not adhere to new develop APIs. One thing that still perplexes me is that the depricated APIs were being suppressed by Google during compile within the Android Framework!!! This caused a bunch of issues on the GTablet - easy to fix but still..
Market - Mostly poor applications - For a platform that has been around now for a while I found over 70% of applications were of poor quality. Either they were unstable, unusable or just down right JUNK. Dont get me wrong I was attracted to the Android platform due to its openness but honestly I also want quality.
Fragmentation - I noticed that though a robust SDK it didn't absorb well the various platforms. Each platform needs to be tweaked for that device to properly work. Typically this should be absorbed by the framework... This lends to the reason why most wait for fixes from their cellular vendors/phone manufactorers and not from Google. I think this is a big mistake. Eventually Google will cave in due to the poor implementation quality from these 3rd party vendors. Information Security will drive this..
Performance - Generally OK but I found too much overhead from the OS and Framework. The OS and framework need some optimization. This will reduce the need of a tablet having 1GB of ram... That is insane for a device like this!
Anyway.... Soo I ended up selling the GTablet and just picked up a IPAD 2... All I can say is that they are in two difference classes - this coming from a Linux/Java developer...
I will eventually head back to Android once it becomes more mature as I am most comfortable in that environment - until I want a tablet that I can be productive with, less on the fiddling side.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sent from my ADR6300 using XDA App
ok one issue I have noticed while watching video streams on the Xoom is that the quality seems blurry. On the original iPad the same videos looked very clear and sharp. I watch Twit.live and revision 3 and while they were pretty sharp on the iPad, they just look blurry on the Xoom. What's going on here? Is that related to H.264 issue? I heard there will be a fix for that but I'm not sure. On the positive side tethering the Xoom to my T-Mobile Vibrant was effortless and worked beautifully!
f1restarter said:
ok one issue I have noticed while watching video streams on the Xoom is that the quality seems blurry. On the original iPad the same videos looked very clear and sharp. I watch Twit.live and revision 3 and while they were pretty sharp on the iPad, they just look blurry on the Xoom. What's going on here? Is that related to H.264 issue? I heard there will be a fix for that but I'm not sure. On the positive side tethering the Xoom to my T-Mobile Vibrant was effortless and worked beautifully!
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Are you using flash or HTML5? If it's flash, all the videos are blurry with the leaked 10.2 Flash apk. I'm hoping it's fixed in the final version. HTML5 videos look great although keep in mind the XOOM has a much higher res display than iPad (1280x800 vs 1024x768) and a bigger screen so if the video is low quality it will show on the XOOM and not on the iPad.
Ahh the high res screen. That makes sense! Yes I'm using html 5 and had my dolphin HD browser set to "iPad" in the UA. I had installed the leaked flash apk but it just seemed like a huge mess with it not being touch friendly at all, so I uninstalled it and am hoping they improve flash before releasing it officially. Personally I'm just hoping google would simply get rid of flash crap once and for all and just go with HTML 5.
I got the Xoom and I love it. Once we get the update for official flash and the SD card this thing is going to rock. I have a Samsung Fascinate and I would never buy another Samsung phone.
Sent from my Xoom using Tapatalk
I love my xoom! Every time I think I may want to trade it for the iPad2 because maybe iOs has better apps or a better gpu, I think what am I going to be doing 90% of the time on my tablet, browser and gmail. Which does this the best hands down? Xoom!!! Plus the xoom is Google's reference hardware and will be updated quicky and often! The rest will come!
Ok guys, here it is. My first-impressions with the 32GB Asus Transformer after about 24 hours of use. I would like to mention that the opinions below are formulated by someone who owns and uses the first generation iPad (I hate most things Apple) since it was released as well as a Nook Color for about two months.
PROS:
1. Browser (especially bookmark sync with Chrome): After using this for about 5 minutes I knew I was never going to be able to do without this feature. As someone who has their bookmarks extremely well organized in folders and such, syncing is a must. I didn't even bother migrating my bookmarks to my iPad as I knew it would take days to do, so I just learned to do without. However, this feature alone, makes this tablet more like a laptop/desktop replacement than the iPad could ever be. The speed is also very nice. However, I must say that the scrolling and pinching doesn't compare to that of the iPad.
2. Ability to change keyboard (SwiftKey): I must say that the Asus keyboard is pretty horrible. I don't know if it's the slight delay depending on the software that's running, the spacing, aesthetics of the keys, or simply the fact that you have to go to a submenu to access keys such as the "?" or "!" (c'mon, those are pretty commonly used keys). But after using SwiftKey BETA, I must say that the difference has been night and day. I hate having to rest these tablets somewhere or rely on using one hand to access all the keys when in horizontal mode. Fortunately, with SwiftKey, I don't have to worry about that and can keep my hands where they should be, on the bezel. Now if only the TF could automatically change keyboards when docked. SwiftKey can get kind of annoying when using the keyboard to type with its corrections. I think Tasker can handle this though, I'll let you know.
3. Dock: Wow! I was really skeptical as to how practical and efficient the dock would be. To my surprise, I was really impressed with how much it makes the Tranformer feel like a netbook (albeit a bit heavier than most netbooks). Not just a netbook, but an Apple netbook at that. I'm an avid Microsoft/Google fan, but one really must recognize and admire how fluid navigating on an Apple laptop is. The swiping of the finger on the trackpad to scroll up/down, left/right, makes it feel really Apple-esque. Props to Asus! By the way, haven't had any disconnecting dock issues so far. Keeping my fingers crossed!
4. Screen resolution: This thing sure is crisp. Aside from the negative issues I have with the screen (light bleeds; see below), I must admit that in the color/sharpness department, this thing is as crisp as my iPad and Nook Color are. I still would probably give the edge to the Nook Color, but I think it's a small screen/pixel density situation then.
CONS:
QUALITY CONTROL ISSUES:
1. Light Bleed: I posted my issues with it here. As I mentioned on that thread, it isn't too noticeable (only on full brightness or in a really dark setting). But the fact of the matter is that the screen is what you're staring at 100% of the time with such a device; and just knowing that you do have light bleeds keeps you subconsciously hunting for them. Really is a shame that this is an issue. I'm leaning towards getting it exchanged as soon as I feel that newer ones have these issues addressed (not holding my breath). Until then, I guess I'll have to get used to it. The question is, will I?
2. Very small creakiness on left/right edges (pushing inwards): Not much of a problem, but it is worth mentioning. Not that it is very noticeable; it's just that such creaking makes the overall quality and feel of the product seem a bit on the cheap side. I guess I was spoiled by my iPad, but I really don't worry about that thing falling down. This thing seems a bit more sensitive for me. Perhaps I'll get used to it with time?!
OTHER HARDWARE ISSUES:
1. Weight: I don't know of it's just my mind playing tricks on me or what, but the TF seems much heavier than my iPad (first gen). Perhaps it is the difference in dimensions which might require some time getting used to. I don't know what it is, but I definetely can't hold this thing comfortably nearly as long as I can the iPad.
2. Video Playback (including HQ YouTube): People are claiming that this is a limitation of the Tegra 2 processor. If that's the case, than why in the hell would they even bother with it? I mean, I don't expect this thing to run and yield the same quality that my 42" Panasonic VIERA plasma TV does, but this is a tablet. At least 1/3 of everything people do with tablet is watch movies. Especially YouTube movies. This thing should handle it as fine as the first generation iPad does (you know, the one that came out over a year ago). C'mon now! Anyways, my HQ YouTube videos sporadically jerks around and HD videos, well, you've probably seen tons of complaints about it. Tsk, tsk!
3. Smoothness/Speed: I must say that I was somewhat let down with the performance right out-of-the-box. Once again, it must be spoiled by the iPad here. I just feel that either Honeycomb is trying to pack too many animations, graphics, etc. or the processor is just lacking. Whatever the case, I am hoping that someone roots this thing fast and removes some of the resource hogs out of here (apparently there are a lot of unnecessary programs running on the background). Don't get me wrong, this thing isn't dragging ass or anything. It just isn't as speedy as I expected it to be out-of-the-box. I guess I'm more concerned about when I have my 100+ apps installed on this thing. If it's like this now, how will it be then? My EVO 4G seems a lot more fluid when navigating than this thing does, especially when it has a fresh install on it.
4. Smudgeness: I've seen some people complain about this here and there but I thought they just weren't used to using anything touchscreen and were probably exagerating. I was wrong. This thing really does attract a lot more smudging than the iPad, Nook Color, or my Evo. Not that big a deal, but a minor nuissance indeed.
SOFTWARE ISSUES:
1. App Availability/Reliability: So far I haven't come across many apps that don't work well with Honeycomb, but the ones that I do have issues with really bother me. Words with Friends need to step their game up and fix some of the performance and density issues the game is plagued with. Also, out of the apps that are available for Honeycomb and the iPad, the iPad version not only runs so much smoother, but usually contain a lot more features as well. Take Taptu for example. It looks and feels completely different and a lot more robust on the iPad. What a shame! (BTW, I know this is not a TF issue, but a HC issue. Relax!)
2. Auto-brightness: I mentioned this before in this thread. It really does seem that the auto-brightness is a bit too dim. Maybe it is just a dimmer screen than the iPad or Nook Color. But even still, it could use auto-brightness to compensate for that when not in max-brightness mode. Right?
3. Camera: I wasn't expecting wonders from the camera, but I was expecting a lot better movement experience when video recording. I hope that this is something that can be addressed with a software update (maybe tweaking the processing of the captured image/video). On a good note, the front-facing camera worked pretty decently.
I understand that getting a "perfect" device is, in most cases, unrealistic. But, as much as I despise almost everything Apple, I haven't had any cosmetic issues with any of the iPads/iPods I've owned or used. So I know it is possible to be a lot better.
I know, well, hope, that the future is much brighter for the Transformer. Asus seem to be very involved in improving our experience, which is a good sign. Let's just hope they can tackle the camera and video performance as soon as possible.
I know it seems that I have a lot more complaints than praises here. Don't get me wrong, there are issues. But the positive far outweighs them. At least enough for me to keep it. I highly recommend it to anyone wanting a tablet that will encompass a bit more than just surfing the net and watching YouTube videos. This thing really can replace your netbook.
SCORE: 7/10 (9/10 if they fix the software issues)
Reserved for updates, answers to questions, etc.
I bought an A500 and a Nook Color during recent deals, with plans to return one of them, and both arrived yesterday. I've rooted the Nook but left the A500 stock. I installed MX Player on both of them and have been playing movies ever since ... and am really disappointed in how the A500 screen looks in general and especially in comparison to the Nook's. It's kinda washed out, with bland colors, and just isn't sharp, while the Nook's is the opposite in all regards. Plus, movies on the Nook run very smoothly, while on the A500 there's a hint of hesitation throughout.
Sigh.
And I really wanted the A500 to be the tab I kept, because of everything else it can do that the Nook can't, with a bigger screen ta boot.
Might my A500 be defective or is this just the way things are, given that the screens use different technologies? I have tried fiddling with the A500s brightness adjustments, to no avail.
Thoughts? Suggestions? Thanks!
Have you tried to simply return for an exchange, or go to like a best buy and compare it to another? I watch movies on mine all the time, and usually via HDMI to my TV with no problems. I think I am using Twist player though for movies, so not sure if thats the trick. And, maybe try and convert the videos to different formats?
Not my experience
linter said:
I bought an A500 and a Nook Color during recent deals, with plans to return one of them, and both arrived yesterday. ... It's kinda washed out, with bland colors, and just isn't sharp, while the Nook's is the opposite in all regards. Plus, movies on the Nook run very smoothly, while on the A500 there's a hint of hesitation throughout.
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I have both, and my experience is different from yours. I find the A500 (tested outdoors) to be a bit brighter and truer whites (the NC has a very slight greenish tint).
I have viewed the same images on both, but not tried any movies.
The pixel density is higher on the NC, which is why it may appear sharper.
DeanGibson said:
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I hope not as I am basically getting this to replace my nook color (not nook tablet). I'm hoping the extra core/bump in processor speed, honeycomb/ics, and bigger screen will make it a better browsing experience. Although movie playback works well on nook so I will be bummed if that is worse here. Do you still use both DeanGibson?
Fer: Nope, haven't gone to BB to check others out. It's a ways away, and time is short ... but maybe have to go.
DeanG: Pix are fine, no problemo. It's movies I'm talking about. Really, the diff b/ the A500 and the Nook is pretty significant. Hopefully, some other movie-watching Nook and A500 owners will chime in.
Nstong: Hope your experience is better than mine has been so far!
Use both
nstong said:
Do you still use both DeanGibson?
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Yes, regularly
It is a bit washed out. I'd copied a movie onto my A500 and was comparing to my monitor last night and the colors are definitely more crisp and vibrant on the monitor. Cranking up the brightness on the A500 helped a bit. The A500 seems to need brightness turned up or it seems a bit dim.
Gnoop said:
It is a bit washed out. I'd copied a movie onto my A500 and was comparing to my monitor last night and the colors are definitely more crisp and vibrant on the monitor. Cranking up the brightness on the A500 helped a bit. The A500 seems to need brightness turned up or it seems a bit dim.
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After a few more tests, I've decided to return the A500. Sigh. Oh, well, maybe next year something'll come out that I can afford and that has a nice screen, etc. In the meantime, the Nook will do just fine ...
linter said:
After a few more tests, I've decided to return the A500. Sigh. Oh, well, maybe next year something'll come out that I can afford and that has a nice screen, etc. In the meantime, the Nook will do just fine ...
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**** really? Was the browsing, user interface etc. smoother?
For the price, it falls into the "good enough" category for me. The wife did not like the 7" size so it was 10" or bust. Given that, this ended up being a pretty decent deal. It's mostly going to be used in the car and traveling for web browsing and movie watching when needed. The display doesn't have to be fantastic for that.
As it is, I'll probably end up with a Win8 tablet in the future. Nothing like having a full blown OS when you need it.
linter said:
After a few more tests, I've decided to return the A500. Sigh. Oh, well, maybe next year something'll come out that I can afford and that has a nice screen, etc. In the meantime, the Nook will do just fine ...
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You made the right choice!
The A500 is a piece of junk!
Coming from a consumer electronics background and now working in IT, posts like make you stop and ask "Is it better color or exaggerated?" All the SG2 fanboys out there love that screen. When I see it I think OMG oversaturation! I think the colors are very true on my A500. No complaints here.
Turboboxer said:
Coming from a consumer electronics background and now working in IT, posts like make you stop and ask "Is it better color or exaggerated?" All the SG2 fanboys out there love that screen. When I see it I think OMG oversaturation! I think the colors are very true on my A500. No complaints here.
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I totally agree.
If you don't like this product take it the fffffff.BACK to store get what you want.save us the time from reading your crying. Please
This is a Development forum.not a complaint arena take that to acers front door.
Thank you and sorry for being so rude its not really my style.
Xo my friends.
erica_renee said:
I totally agree.
If you don't like this product take it the fffffff.BACK to store get what you want.save us the time from reading your crying. Please
This is a Development forum.not a complaint arena take that to acers front door.
Thank you and sorry for being so rude its not really my style.
Xo my friends.
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Someone got up on the wrong side of the bed this morning huh? lol
I chose a much more diplomatic/sarcastic response
I noticed the slight hesitation as well, if u use moboplayer its mitigated quite a bit. It also helps if you encode your videos at a less taxing preset.
linter said:
I bought an A500 and a Nook Color during recent deals, with plans to return one of them, and both arrived yesterday. I've rooted the Nook but left the A500 stock. I installed MX Player on both of them and have been playing movies ever since ... and am really disappointed in how the A500 screen looks in general and especially in comparison to the Nook's. It's kinda washed out, with bland colors, and just isn't sharp, while the Nook's is the opposite in all regards. Plus, movies on the Nook run very smoothly, while on the A500 there's a hint of hesitation throughout.
Sigh.
And I really wanted the A500 to be the tab I kept, because of everything else it can do that the Nook can't, with a bigger screen ta boot.
Might my A500 be defective or is this just the way things are, given that the screens use different technologies? I have tried fiddling with the A500s brightness adjustments, to no avail.
Thoughts? Suggestions? Thanks!
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I read the above post and looked familiar - like deja vu. It stuck in my mind cause I was exasperated after reading it. To the OP, there are some things you should just share with your significant other, or better yet your cat. "sigh":
12-06-2011, 09:36 PM
floete floete is offline
L4: Apprentice
got my a500 yesterday and after all that waiting and fretting, i hate to say it but ... bleh. main problem is screen with movies is just okay, especially compared to the nook's. it's washed out and not all that sharp. plus, the thing is fairly heavy. yeah, i know, i read the specs beforehand, but it's one thing to read em and another to feel em. as long as you've got something to rest it on, of course, no problemo, but it's not fun to sit w/ it in bed, at least as compared to the nook, which i also got yesterday, from the earlier BB refurb deal.
i'm only going to keep one of them. so far, i'm leaning toward the nook. but, damn, the a500 has so much to offer. if only the screen was better, i could probably deal w/ the weight. but the two of them together ... i dunno.
http://slickdeals.net/forums/showpost.php?p=45664562&postcount=1140
Users writing such posts, are close to being blind and much worse..
comparing a computerscreen and a tablet cannot be done by the eye. If this owner went and played a 720p edition of a movie on the tablet, using software decoding and later on played using hardware decoding and totally different calibration settings for colours your result is probably what most people buy a TV on, vibrant colours which are way off ISF calibrated standard, but for regular colour blind users, it looks nice . NEVER trust regular user opinions on screen and its appearance, we all see colour differently when it comes to personal taste, and you cannot ask one which is not a professional, about colours being wrong, if that user never had any idea on gamma settings, CMYK or CMS or even grayscale corrections done to the screen.
this user cannot be trusted, but if you do choose to do so, beware, you eyes might just be alot better and you get a personal better experience with a500 than the user chosing another tablet with different display, just because it looked vibrant.
meassuring colours on a500, will give an idea on which is wrong or how accurate it is, and its really not that bad..
Its like saying you prefer "SPORTS" picture settings on your telly compared to MOVIE settings. both are equally bad, but you get a personal view on it, making it better.
Best screen available today for any tegra2 tablet is the one on Samsung Galaxy 10.1, their panel used is alot better and more accurate. If just everybody included colour management on their tablet we could even calibrate it to be perfect.
Dexter_nlb said:
Users writing such posts, are close to being blind and much worse..
comparing a computerscreen and a tablet cannot be done by the eye. If this owner went and played a 720p edition of a movie on the tablet, using software decoding and later on played using hardware decoding and totally different calibration settings for colours your result is probably what most people buy a TV on, vibrant colours which are way off ISF calibrated standard, but for regular colour blind users, it looks nice . NEVER trust regular user opinions on screen and its appearance, we all see colour differently when it comes to personal taste, and you cannot ask one which is not a professional, about colours being wrong, if that user never had any idea on gamma settings, CMYK or CMS or even grayscale corrections done to the screen.
this user cannot be trusted, but if you do choose to do so, beware, you eyes might just be alot better and you get a personal better experience with a500 than the user chosing another tablet with different display, just because it looked vibrant.
meassuring colours on a500, will give an idea on which is wrong or how accurate it is, and its really not that bad..
Its like saying you prefer "SPORTS" picture settings on your telly compared to MOVIE settings. both are equally bad, but you get a personal view on it, making it better.
Best screen available today for any tegra2 tablet is the one on Samsung Galaxy 10.1, their panel used is alot better and more accurate. If just everybody included colour management on their tablet we could even calibrate it to be perfect.
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No one is saying it's that bad. People are just saying there are others that are better. For some it isn't as important. For some it is.
As for color management, that can help but even then, there can be consistency issues across the screen. I do wish we had color management on Android devices as it would help.
Gnoop said:
As for color management, that can help but even then, there can be consistency issues across the screen. I do wish we had color management on Android devices as it would help.
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maybe the CyanogenMod team can do so, they already played with colours, so why not go all the way, and let us chose ourselves.
anyways, an app might just do it too, at least on tegra2 tablets. dunno, if it can be generally used on all, since hardware changes and some might utilize and other simply skipped the functions of the display.
linter/floete - I've had the A500 for over a week and can attest that the display is not "washed out." Over the weekend I attached a compact flash card reader and viewed huge jpg images from a full frame dslr. The detail was amazing, and very useful for inspecting an image before sending it off. For movies, the display is also nice. This is subjective, but really, the IPS screens may be better, but the A500 is still really good. I don't feel like I'm missing anything with the A500. My only complaint is the 3' power cord - too short...