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I am not currently a tablet owner. But I'm constantly trying to watch for the tablet that meets my needs. I feel those needs should be met before I can consider dropping money on a product that I will only need to upgrade within a few months if they don't.
I loved my ipod touch, and when my cellphone died...iphone was a no brainer for me. But when I view the ipad, I see nothing more than a larger ipod touch. So for now, it's been scratched off my list of potential tablet options.
Features I believe to be important to be considered a tablet that suits my needs:
-expandable memory
-customizable UI
-ability to attach usb devices (usb sticks, extrenal HDDs, etc.)
-file management
-ability to transfer data on/off device without the need to use syncing software
My research leads me to believe that the Xoom has basically achieved my list of requirements in full, except for point#3. As far as I'm concerened that could be rectified with little more than a micro usb to usb converter cable when/if one ever exists. So thats truly a minor concern.
My primary uses for the tablet would be:
-reading epubs
-music
-video
-email with hotmail and gmail accounts
-browsing web
-doc/pdf management and storage
Additionally, because I work in a tech support environment I would love:
-an app that I could use to scan whatever pc I'm attached to for system specs and what not. (I figure if any app store would eventually get this, the android one would, if one doesn't already exist)
So with my needs in mind, it seems to me that the Xoom qualifies. Which is exciting. But I read alot about new tech before I ever jump blindly into it, and am concerned that android 3.0 is still too infantile. This conclusion is solely based on posts from various forums of people experiencing issues with the OS, sluggishness, etc.
Is this the case? Having had no real experience with android based products, I don't know what to expect in the near future or even further down the road. Should I wait for the next honeycomb upgrade? Should I jump in now because things aren't as bad as some people make them out to be? Am I right to be cautious? Or is there a device out there that suits my needs listed above that I'm unaware of?
Sorry for my incredibly long first post
But I welcome any thoughts.
The xoom is a great device. I do not regret my purchase one bit And it will only get better. Not to say that there is nothing out there currently better, but i dont think there is any device that i would switch my xoom for.
Go for it.
You mean a cable such as this?
http://cgi.ebay.com/Micro-male-USB-...=260750150828&ps=63&clkid=8964873560898851009
The xoom is a fantastic tablet and honeycomb is certainly full featured when compared with its iRivals. But there is no denying that Google couldn't release a new version of android soon enough for me. Too many force closures and reboots without warning. So close to being fantastic. And its getting lots of attention from the devs on here so some great kernels to try.
So in summary, great tablet. Great xda support. honeycomb released in a hurry and needs a new bugfix release despite showing great promise
Just my $0.02
Sent from my MZ604 using Tapatalk
Yes! A cable such as that!
So what is android's bugfix track record? Good/bad? Am I better off waiting on honeycomb 2.0 release?
And as for the hardware, is the Xoom good/bad? Am I better off waiting on different hardware that runs honeycomb?
I own both a Xoom WiFi and a Nook Color. The Nook Color with the official 1.2 firmware will do everything on your primary use list out of the box for much less. Of course, the Xoom will too and a whole a lot more.
the developers are doing a terrific job with the xoom to make it a worth while tablet, but you might wanna buy it from Costco since they have a excellent return policy, just in case something better comes out you won't be comitted to a $600 purchase.
Yeah id agree that bigrushdog and the others are doing a great job of filling the gaps in the current kernel with their cooked replacements for rooted devices. Hardware wise the xoom is second place to nothing at the mo. With USB, hdmi and microSD it's missing nothing. Ok, it's not an ips screen but the one it has is very good. If you're thinking of waiting it's only worthwhile if you're gonna wait long enough for quad core tablets. Probably a long wait. If you reckon you'll jump on board with the xoom when honeycomb is patched I'd say you might as well not wait and get one now. The update will come eventually and there is plenty to enjoy in the meantime. It's only the occasional app closure that spoils the party at the mo.
Well, I plan to head down to bestbuy after work today and make my final decision. If I do come home with one today, should I be changing up the kernel? And can I reset back to factory if I do and decide to go back?
Really like the the looks of the upcoming Toshiba Tablet with the replaceable battery & built in usb. so at $600+, might not want to get locked into the xoom at that price point just yet.
I have the Xoom, and I love it!
There really isn't anything I don't like about it. I have had a couple issues with the browser closing (like 2 times in a month, and only when I am running multiple flash intensive sites). The speakers are nice and loud, the screen is really beautiful - no matter what people are saying.
Get one - you can always wait for the next best thing, but then you'll be waiting forever. Like I said, I hummed and hawed, but took the dive - and I am in love with my XOOM.
Karnalsyn said:
Well, I plan to head down to bestbuy after work today and make my final decision. If I do come home with one today, should I be changing up the kernel? And can I reset back to factory if I do and decide to go back?
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Click to collapse
If I were you, I would spend a little time getting used to the device before rooting. After you have decided that you really like it, like me, then I would root and flash a custom kernel.
Sent from my ADR6300 using Tapatalk
mankoorb said:
Really like the the looks of the upcoming Toshiba Tablet with the replaceable battery & built in usb. so at $600+, might not want to get locked into the xoom at that price point just yet.
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I literally just got home with the Xoom, and read this..... /facepalm
What was crazy, was they had 2 demo models setup at bestbuy. One of them was working flawlessly, with seemless screen transition. And the other was lagging upwards to 2sec response time on screen transition.
I've yet to unpackage the xoom....now I must consider whether or not to take it back and wait for the toshiba.
Karnalsyn said:
-video.
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Now, I didn't try a XOOM so I can't say this for sure, but looking around here it does look like the Tegra 2 can barely handle 720p video. If that is important, the Galaxy tab ( not the crippled WiFi only one) is better since it reads 1080p at really high bit rate. Like 40 mbps.
Edit: ouch, horrible timing it seems.
Sent from my GT-P1000 using Tapatalk
Seems the toshiba tablet comes with full usb, mini usb and full hdmi. The back can be taken off to change the battery, or to exchange with a different color back. All very good additions....
However, the price is looking like it'll launch at $700 us for the 16gb model. And I think that might be the deal breaker for me. $100 more for a full usb port and half the memory, when I can buy a $5 usb converter cable. Looks like I will be sticking with the Xoom.
Karnalsyn said:
I literally just got home with the Xoom, and read this..... /facepalm
What was crazy, was they had 2 demo models setup at bestbuy. One of them was working flawlessly, with seemless screen transition. And the other was lagging upwards to 2sec response time on screen transition.
I've yet to unpackage the xoom....now I must consider whether or not to take it back and wait for the toshiba.
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Click to collapse
Don't know best buy's return policy, but Costco allows you to return it up to 90 days with no restocking fee. I returned the first 1 I bricked and bought another 1 right then without any issue, so I figure I can play with the xoom for 90 days & check out the toshiba tablet & maybe a few others within that 90 day window or maybe a price drop & not be tied down to the xoom just yet.
I have to admit I was skeptical about the xoom, I made the jump, used it for two weeks, rooted and custom kernal, and love it. It has quirks, bluetooth keyboard lag online, but really it flies. I read somewhere that there was an it applcation for android to work on network systems but I believe it was expensive. Wait on a cheaper version if you want but the xoom rocks.
We need to know the status of when these devices will get upgrades.
At least fix the bugs.
I would recommend changing the 'a' in your name to 'o'
mmoran27 said:
We need to know the status of when these devices will get upgrades.
At least fix the bugs.
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Click to collapse
"Hey look I am another person who doesn't search the forum and *****es about things that have been addressed and handles a million times".
They have stated when they're updating every time, now shut up and go away.
another smartass
OK smartass when is 3.1 coming for the ASUS?
I guess you know that because they told you right?
You are the moron.
mmoran27 said:
OK smartass when is 3.1 coming for the ASUS?
I guess you know that because they told you right?
You are the moron.
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Click to collapse
3.1 got announced TODAY.
Asus has said when THEIR next update will be. Stop being an idiot. OH NO THEY DIDN'T ANNOUNCE THE UPDATE 2 SECONDS AFTER GOOGLE ANNOUNCED 3.1 **** THEY DON'T KEEP US UP TO DATE.
When is their next update?
sano614 said:
When is their next update?
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within 2 weeks.
seshmaru said:
within 2 weeks.
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Thanks!
Did they provide any details about it? Would you have a link by any chance?
sano614 said:
Thanks!
Did they provide any details about it? Would you have a link by any chance?
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Eh there's info on this forum and on the Anandtech review, an asus rep said they were putting out bug fixes, probably a new dock firmware, changes to android and kernel, changes to myLibrary app, and they said generic tweaks as well.
Ahhh the under-used search function. Rest in peace my dear departed friend, under your mountain of dust.
Next he will want Asustek to announce the exact date they will release the Tegra 9 tablet.
Ah, y'all are being too hard on the guy...
Asus DID sell a dock that more than half of recipients can't even use and haven't made an official statement, let alone provided a date for the fix.
Sure, it's nice they're on the forum but frankly the dock shouldn't have even shipped in the state it's in.
They also released the tablets with varying firmware (including 2.2!), the wrong firmware for certain areas causing Transformers to brick, light bleed problems, dust under the screen issues, creaking issues...
And that was for the people who could find one!
And then they posted on Facebook how much we loved them.
Not a stellar launch!
(P.S. I do like my Transformer. But I want my damn dock fixed ASAP! )
bleclair said:
Ah, y'all are being too hard on the guy...
Asus DID sell a dock that more than half of recipients can't even use and haven't made an official statement, let alone provided a date for the fix.
Sure, it's nice they're on the forum but frankly the dock shouldn't have even shipped in the state it's in.
They also released the tablets with varying firmware (including 2.2!), the wrong firmware for certain areas causing Transformers to brick, light bleed problems, dust under the screen issues, creaking issues...
And that was for the people who could find one!
And then they posted on Facebook how much we loved them.
Not a stellar launch!
(P.S. I do like my Transformer. But I want my damn dock fixed ASAP! )
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Click to collapse
Uh, they did release info about the dock update, but I guess you as well are plagued by the inability to use the search function or google. They have given a timeframe for a new dock firmware, also if you bought the dock thinking there wouldn't be issues, maybe you should have read a review first. Personally I'd rather have a buggy dock than no dock so witholding them completely doesn't really do you any good since then you wouldn't have a dock at all.
The bricking update yeah, they dun goofd on that. But they did give the people affected speedy RMA's and kept in contact with them, even on a seperate forum unaffiliated with Asus.
Really, show me an official link? I've read unofficial postings, but nothing firm.
Also, yeah, sorry that I assumed that Asus wouldn't ship something so broken. I mean, heaven forbid I'd want to USE what I paid for.....
bleclair said:
Really, show me an official link? I've read unofficial postings, but nothing firm.
Also, yeah, sorry that I assumed that Asus wouldn't ship something so broken. I mean, heaven forbid I'd want to USE what I paid for.....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Reading reviews before you buy is difficult I heard. I guess it is if you can't use google like just about 60% of the users on this forum. It was your decision to buy it, and your fault for disregarding the warnings in reviews. No one forced you.
Uh, the reviews I read said that Asus would have the issues sorted out before it was released.
And I guess it's okay with you that it was shipped with this many problems?
You're always sticking up for Asus like everything is perfect. Is that your job? Maybe you should go back to work before your manager at Asus catches you surfing.
I mean, I love my tablet. Just in no way shape or form was this launch done well. And I haven't seen a product shipped as broken as the dock in a long time... It's UNUSABLE right now for many people. (More than HALF if our little poll is accurate.)
I understand where people are coming from with their dissatisfaction. Asus should have NOT SOLD the docks until the issues were fixed, or they had a DAY ONE patch ready.
P.S. Where's that official link?
bleclair said:
Uh, the reviews I read said that Asus would have the issues sorted out before it was released.
And I guess it's okay with you that it was shipped with this many problems?
You're always sticking up for Asus like everything is perfect. Is that your job? Maybe you should go back to work before your manager at Asus catches you surfing.
I mean, I love my tablet. Just in no way shape or form was this launch done well. And I haven't seen a product shipped as broken as the dock in a long time...
P.S. Where's that official link?
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Click to collapse
I don't stick up for Asus about nearly everything, the tablet has designflaws which causes issues for some users which is bad. Some build quality issues, their regular tech support is ****, their advertising is bar none, their update bricked devices.
And I didn't read any review that stated the dock would launch without issues or that Asus had said it would launch without issues. Then again I read a lot of reviews since I get my hands on a lot of tech so I generally know which reviews are accurate.
Also shipping with problems is better to me than not shipping at all. Look at the viewsonic g tab, it launched with a **** stock OS which is unusable and still is. LG has unusable software on 2 of their devices. iPads come with light bleed and wifi issues, Xoom comes without a functioning microSD slot, with a lot of products there are problems at launch, but the important problems are the ones that can't get fixed through software. The fact is if you had read a credible review you would have known the dock was buggy but would get an update in the following weeks of the release.
Also a confirmed Asus rep making a statement is generally enough since Asus reps have generally been pretty forward about updates. Anand also stated an update would be on it's way. But I guess using a search is difficult
Thanks for the well thought out response! And I do use the search...
I just don't count anything on this forum as official.. I consider official as on Asus' pages, or an official press release by them, etc.
Anyway, it's a great piece of hardware for the price! I hope they get everything sorted out quickly. I'd really like to be able to use my dock.
You guys are complaining about the dock while many of us don't even have a chance of touching it!!!
I would rather have it now and wait for the incoming update.
I think Microsoft should now tell us when we can expect a updated skype with video calling ability. How irresponsible of them. right, eh, OP???
I keep reading post about people being "scared" that acer isn't going to update as fast as they would like. Or their is no Restore yet, bootloaders and other minor annoyances.
One thing I see is request for USB charging. Will never happen, the Acer's dual 3650mah batteries would never get charged under the .5 load that a usb port can supply, I doubt a usb port would even be able to turn the machine on. A quick look at the ac adapter shows it's putting out 12v and 1.5amp and that's capable of charging my machine from about 25% to 100% in about 2 hours. Thats very respectable in my eyes since I can run a full 10-12 hours with really moderate to heavy use (Video's/Music/Games) wifi always on and screen set to auto brightness.
Besides I didn't buy my acer for the software that it came with, I bought it because of the hardware. The Xoom Asus and Acer are pretty much twins as far as respective hardware. If your going to nit pick something, the xoom's SD card doesnt even function, the acer's does. And the Asus transformer lacks USB host all together if I understand correctly, I can't begin to imagine the fun things that could be done when the dev's start tweaking the kernel and making 3rd party apps as well that are capable of using both usb ports on the A500, esp if the mini usb is capable of being switched on as a host as well.. (god i wish i could program my ideas)
As far as the locked boot loader issue goes, it'll get unlocked, as well as recovery, it will come. Even if Acer decided to be a complete ass and never reaveal any flaws in their code base, someone will get it accomplished.
I got the HTC inspire as soon as it was released for AT&T, no recovery, locked bootloader. I lurked on the fourms and saw a mirror of the exact same thing here, i'm scared... im returning mine for this, this or that. Now look at the inspire; there are tons of rom's, and dev support is flourshing.
I'm staying with my A500. I've had it 1 week this Friday, and my until has had no battery drain issues, gps or any other bad issues I've read others having. i have rooted mine, renamed phone / telephony .apk > .bak, and it did help battery some. For the most part I wonder what some of these people are running in the background. (even live wallpapers can seriously strain the battery with the device idle. A good example is the Asus water live wallpaper that has been hacked to work with the A500)
My biggest problem with mine is the market refusing to download and install apps I find until I kill the MyApps service and task, then it works for a few downloads, then refuses again..
I can't see returning something with fairly minor software annoyances that will eventually get fixed anyway. Now granted I love to get under the hood and tinker (I am not a dev though) I see promise in Acer's future with this tablet.
I really can't justify buying a $599 Xoom when it's spec'ed the same as the acer, and has it's own shortcomings that readily already works with the A500.
Input please?
it's the "hey, look at me look at me look at me" syndrome.
either you buy it, you don't. if you've already got it, you either keep it or you don't.
if you're so scared to drop $450-600 for something then you're never going to be satisfied. me, originally, i bought this to hold me over til the 32gb transformer came out, but the more i play with it--despite it's shortcomings--the more i like it. the screen is really nice, much nicer than i was led to believe due to various "reviews" on the 'net.
it's no ipad screen but then again, what other tablet in this form factor even comes close to the ipad screen?
people need to stop crying so much and learn to live with what they've got. i didn't exactly NEED this tablet, and i could have very well continued living without it so i really don't understand these folks who are just itching to spend money on something just so they can cry about it online.
Acer A500 Ace Enough ?
I think your query is 100% valid. Here in Australia we have the Galaxy Tab 10.1v out but in very short supply, no Xoom yet, so I bought the Acer A500 then got offered a Galaxy but am still waiting for the delivery, I also have an iPad2.
Based on honeycomb alone I like it better than the iOS on the iPad 2, but iOS is really a few years old now and honeycomb is new.
Add in the ACER's native USB that works with drives or keyboards etc, a working microsSD, and the Acer is a force to be dealt with even at more money.
I look forward to the Galaxy but the Acer feels like old hardware with a new operating system, whilst the iPad2 for instance feels like new hardware with an old OS.
Here in oz, I am more concerned at the lag of accessories / cases for anything other than the iPad2
The only hardware issue I have is that it doesn't charge by USB and you get a small residual charge when using it whilst connected to the power
If I was doing it all over again the galaxy tab 10.1v is likely to have been worth waiting for, and might be selling my Acer on eBay less than a week after purchase.
But only if I can get the idea of the working microsSD - not on any tablet yet (but the Xoom should be working in the future) , and USB.. the idea of plugging a usb stick in a tablet is soooo good.
I also find using the Acer as a PDF reader much better than the iPad2 (a big deal for me) and finally I find the bigger bezel and wider viewable screen, better onthe acer than the apple especially when typing.
Live wallpaper is awesome on the acer.
Typing is so much better on the Acer.. iOS 5 has a lot of ground to make up for.
So Galaxy I expect to be better than the Acer, in build quality but not features.
Between the Xoom and the Acer, I do not get the point of the price difference for the Xoom .
Hope that diatribe helps
@mr_internet
In my case I sent it back because I am scared about the Iconia
bootloader is strictly closed at the moment and its
build quality (mine creaked on the right backside just where the border is - heard from few people having the same problem)
and in addition I had the chance to
get a Motorola Xoom at the same price as the Iconia - and because of its
great developer base plus the freedom to customize it in any way
I have choosen the Xoom about the Iconia.
On The Fence
I'm concerned about a few things but nothing major:
1. The "wobbly" charging pin failing once I'm out of warranty - I've had this kind of charging pin on a (admittedly) crappy Archos and returned it to BB.
2. The lack of accessories
The software doesn't bother me since I rooted (easiest root I ever did) the devs will ultimately prevail - what does bother me is if the devs lose interest - then we're dead in the water.
...Probably because people aren't getting the attention from the public they thought they would from buying a tablet. I figure Apple sold so many for that reason...
jb0nd38372 said:
I keep reading post about people being "scared" that acer isn't going to update as fast as they would like. Or their is no Restore yet, bootloaders and other minor annoyances.
Input please?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
When you drop $450 on a device on impulse, you look for reasons to take it back. Plain and simple. I believe a majority of people purchasing the Acer A500 were looking forward to the Transformer. When that didn't come (properly, anyway) they hurriedly got the A500 on impulse because it was available.
I think we all know how impulse purchases go. We practically sit there and look for reasons to return the device because we know it's something that we didn't REALLY think through thoroughly and I suppose the responsible part of our psyche becomes hyperactive. Everything and anything becomes a problem and we start seeing issues that aren't really there (not saying this is true of everyone).
The people who returned their A500s are likely serial returners, ie: people who regularly impulse buy and return stuff and between the Galaxy Tab 10.1 and the other Honeycomb tablets coming in June, there's going to be plenty fodder for them to get through before they finally settle on a device. There's nothing wrong with that as it's their money and they should spend it how they see fit. There's also the fact that some people are genuinely having software or hardware issues and simply lost confidence in the device.
So why are people returning it? It's all relative. Some people have/had hardware issues. Some are having software issues that they'd rather not wait to see fixed. And some are looking for something "better" to come along down the line.
i took mine back for more than a few reasons
the bulk, it was uncomfortable to hold
the short charging cable
the weird dot grid on the screen
and lastly not knowing how acer was going to handle updates
the biggest reason, the battery life
i liked the device it is just as fast as the xoom, the iconia is a good device but just wasn't for me.
i hope acer does you all that still have it right with the updates
I won't be returning mine. I love this device. I've been on Android for a little over two years and have seen devices come and go. This device does have some flaws like the short charging cable and the strong solid fact that it isn't the Transformer. To be honest why does everyone want the the Transformer over the Iconia? Because it has a keyboard dock with an extended battery plus USB function for an additional 150$? To me thats a waste. Or that fact that no one knows how Acer will handle the Android updates? Okay, that's valid but what about ASUS, they are still unknown to the Android arena. Maybe the dots on the screen that are on all touch screen devices like the Transformer and Xoom are the reasons. Maybe one day the very small development team will stop doing such? So download the Android SDK and have at it. The lack of accessories is a big reason, give it time the device just hit the shelves. There are probably millions more and more to come. I just don't get it, this is a very good device that can do practically the same things as all the other devices. The other reason I'm not returning it is the fact that at first I wanted the Transformer but the more I started to contrast the device instead of comparing, I started seeing that the Iconia does in fact offer a little bit more to it users but it is up the the users to decide.
Maybe those that are so scared should stick to buying APPLE products , dont worry Steve Jobs will decide for you what you need and when you need it!
My god Ive never seen so many babies!
I thought it was bad in the Windows Phone 7 forum , but in here its even worse ,the "if I dont get my updates I'm telling mommy" crowd is really annoying!
Maybe its because I was around when the first PCs and Macs came about ,maybe thats why Im more patient , I like to figure it out myself , I hate products that are already "Made" Like the Ipad, nothing to do with it, most of the people in here need an ipad if they want a tablet , they dont have to put any sweat into it!
To all the devs way to go , Im pretty sure if they just gave up because the bootloader wasnt available the Iconia would never make it, none of these Android tablet would make it!
I have to say this forum is the same as the Xoom with everyone second guessing the device, well I had the Xoom, infact I had two Xooms, the first one had wifi problems that developed over time and it eventually took anywhere from 30 seconds to one minute to connect to my wifi.
I had the second one up until yesterday when it completely froze up and nothing would help it. I did a factory reset and everything, finally after a hour setting turned off, I turned it on and it did come back up but the problem's continued with the wifi not working, and the screen became unresponsive. To me the Xoom with it's nonworking Micro SD and all of the other problem's it had was just not worth $589.99 at all, and that was just the wifi only version.
As for all the people complaining about how heavy the Acer is well you have not had a Xoom in your hands, this thing is not heavy at all, I purchased this right after I returned my Xoom to Amazon yesterday and this is a delight to hold next to the Xoom, I was waiting for the Toshiba tab but after reading many things about it and the use of their own market feature I decided to forgo that one and as for Samsung well I tried that one when AT&T sold it for $650.00 when it came out the very first time and all my downloaded apps kept disappearing from it every time I would turn it on. Was told it was a known problem but had no fix for it, both from AT&T and Samsung, needless to say I got rid of it!!
As for the little dots on the screen that the one guy took his Acer back over, all I can say is WOW, I have the exact same dot's on my Inspire, they are sensors that are built into the screen for better touch response!!!!!
Sounds like most share the OP's sentiment, myself included. Yes, I thought I wanted the Asus, but when I did a comparison, the Acer was superior. I bought the device because I was already an Android junkie, thanks to my Evo (CM7-powered). Can you say wireless tether? I knew you could.
I wanted a larger form factor for use at the office, and it gets a workout. I have my Exchange email and my Office documents - perfect for the manager type that I am. Having an instant-on device that I can use for meeting notes is something I've wanted for a long time (yeah, a pen and paper works, but I tend to lose those notes).
Yes, it's nice to play Angry Birds, too. The HDMI connection to my 60-inch LED television makes that experience almost religious.
Having a rooted device is a plus, because that brings Titanium Backup into play, and I find that very valuable.
Add in Pandora, my Music (Google Music this week, too!), and movies on the device just completes the package for me - it's an excellent travel device.
There's quite a bit of nit-picking over features, but what it boils down to is this: do you USE the device? Does it work for YOU? If so, great. If not, return it, try something else. If it's better, please let us know.
Then check back in a year, and let us know how it's going. Technology moves too fast to try to keep up with the latest features. Pick your poison, and make the most of it. Regret is for sissies.
Hows the hdmi working? Havent tried that sound good though
jimbobtexas said:
Sounds like most share the OP's sentiment, myself included. Yes, I thought I wanted the Asus, but when I did a comparison, the Acer was superior. I bought the device because I was already an Android junkie, thanks to my Evo (CM7-powered). Can you say wireless tether? I knew you could.
I wanted a larger form factor for use at the office, and it gets a workout. I have my Exchange email and my Office documents - perfect for the manager type that I am. Having an instant-on device that I can use for meeting notes is something I've wanted for a long time (yeah, a pen and paper works, but I tend to lose those notes).
Yes, it's nice to play Angry Birds, too. The HDMI connection to my 60-inch LED television makes that experience almost religious.
Having a rooted device is a plus, because that brings Titanium Backup into play, and I find that very valuable.
Add in Pandora, my Music (Google Music this week, too!), and movies on the device just completes the package for me - it's an excellent travel device.
There's quite a bit of nit-picking over features, but what it boils down to is this: do you USE the device? Does it work for YOU? If so, great. If not, return it, try something else. If it's better, please let us know.
Then check back in a year, and let us know how it's going. Technology moves too fast to try to keep up with the latest features. Pick your poison, and make the most of it. Regret is for sissies.
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Click to collapse
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moe3754 said:
I have to say this forum is the same as the Xoom with everyone second guessing the device, well I had the Xoom, infact I had two Xooms, the first one had wifi problems that developed over time and it eventually took anywhere from 30 seconds to one minute to connect to my wifi.
I had the second one up until yesterday when it completely froze up and nothing would help it. I did a factory reset and everything, finally after a hour setting turned off, I turned it on and it did come back up but the problem's continued with the wifi not working, and the screen became unresponsive. To me the Xoom with it's nonworking Micro SD and all of the other problem's it had was just not worth $589.99 at all, and that was just the wifi only version.
As for all the people complaining about how heavy the Acer is well you have not had a Xoom in your hands, this thing is not heavy at all, I purchased this right after I returned my Xoom to Amazon yesterday and this is a delight to hold next to the Xoom, I was waiting for the Toshiba tab but after reading many things about it and the use of their own market feature I decided to forgo that one and as for Samsung well I tried that one when AT&T sold it for $650.00 when it came out the very first time and all my downloaded apps kept disappearing from it every time I would turn it on. Was told it was a known problem but had no fix for it, both from AT&T and Samsung, needless to say I got rid of it!!
As for the little dots on the screen that the one guy took his Acer back over, all I can say is WOW, I have the exact same dot's on my Inspire, they are sensors that are built into the screen for better touch response!!!!!
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Good to see over here Moe Well, I too am keeping my Acer. It's too early in the game to be worried about updates and/or recovery. I "MAY" consider the Galaxy Tab as my return policy ends on June 7th, the day before it's released. The micro sd and usb are biggies for me. I also have to see what the pricepoint of the Galaxy Tab will be like. I'm still recovering from my Captivate though....
lrs421 said:
Good to see over here Moe Well, I too am keeping my Acer. It's too early in the game to be worried about updates and/or recovery. I "MAY" consider the Galaxy Tab as my return policy ends on June 7th, the day before it's released. The micro sd and usb are biggies for me. I also have to see what the pricepoint of the Galaxy Tab will be like. I'm still recovering from my Captivate though....
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Great to see that you are here lrs421, with all the great help from you and Bubby to get my Inspire rooted it is great to hear from you again, well if I ever need any help with this thing at least there is one person I know I can count on. I am not sure I will ever try a Samsung tab again since I has such trouble with that first Galaxy tab I had and the worthless Samsung tech support!!! I still have a eye on that Toshiba tab, I just cannot get over wanting it, kind of like a itch I cannot scratch!!!! Plus a removable battery is another thing that sounds good also!!!
moe3754 said:
Great to see that you are here lrs421, with all the great help from you and Bubby to get my Inspire rooted it is great to hear from you again, well if I ever need any help with this thing at least there is one person I know I can count on. I am not sure I will ever try a Samsung tab again since I has such trouble with that first Galaxy tab I had and the worthless Samsung tech support!!! I still have a eye on that Toshiba tab, I just cannot get over wanting it, kind of like a itch I cannot scratch!!!! Plus a removable battery is another thing that sounds good also!!!
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No prob I'm still learning alot about this tab as well.
This is my point exactly regarding the galaxy tab and "others". I see these threads popping up a lot lately about people keeping or returning tabs, waiting or upgrading, etc, etc. I've spent a lot of time in the Galaxy, ASUS, G Tablet and Xoom forums, in each one it's all the same; some happy people and some not so happy people. IMO, the perfect android tablet simply doesn't exist yet. Futhermore, we have to give these things a little time to evolve, it's only been a few weeks and in the hands of a few devs, albeit capable devs. I've rooted and hacked my Inspire to within an inch of it's life so I really don't mind running the Acer stock until things get sorted out. Those of you considering jumping ship, spend some time in the other forums and see what I mean.
I was torn between the Xoom and the Acer having returned my third transformer because of build quality issues (its a long story).
So I spent about 20 mins playing with each one in PCWorld (uk) today.
I have to say, I have come down on the side of the Acer for a number of reasons, yes there is the obvious ones of microsd, usb connectivity and hosting and of course the fact that it's about 30 quid cheaper in the UK.
But also the form factor was a big influence in my choice. Yes, I know it's a bit heavy but that extra frame real estate is a big help in holding the device in one hand.
I am a big guy with pretty big hands, and when holding the Xoom in one hand, because the bezel is so narrow, my thumb is actually on the touchscreen activating what ever is underneath it, the wider bezel on the Acer means this doesn't happen. Plenty of space for my thumb allowing for a wider holding position, and (because of something to do with fulcrums) as far as I was concerned, greater comfort.
lrs421 said:
No prob I'm still learning alot about this tab as well.
This is my point exactly regarding the galaxy tab and "others". I see these threads popping up a lot lately about people keeping or returning tabs, waiting or upgrading, etc, etc. I've spent a lot of time in the Galaxy, ASUS, G Tablet and Xoom forums, in each one it's all the same; some happy people and some not so happy people. IMO, the perfect android tablet simply doesn't exist yet. Futhermore, we have to give these things a little time to evolve, it's only been a few weeks and in the hands of a few devs, albeit capable devs. I've rooted and hacked my Inspire to within an inch of it's life so I really don't mind running the Acer stock until things get sorted out. Those of you considering jumping ship, spend some time in the other forums and see what I mean.
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I agree, I just picked up the Acer yesterday because it is available and a good product, but there is alot of ppl returning it hoping for better. I spent alot of time watching the Asus boards and it's the same over there, theres also alot of problems with the tranformer that Asus definately could have fixed before releasing it, and you can't get one. I am hoping that shear numbers of units sold will help out the Acer here, as the general majority of dev support seems to be heavily wieghted towards the transformer. I'm still not sure that ill keep the Acer, but once we get recovery I think ill be very comfortable keeping it.
Sent from my Inspire 4g using XDA Premium app
rorytmeadows said:
...Probably because people aren't getting the attention from the public they thought they would from buying a tablet. I figure Apple sold so many for that reason...
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I got married to a porn star the same day I bought my tablet man, they're chick magnets.
On a more serious note, I dunno, it's a solid device for me. There are issues, and I think forums generally tend to be populated with the more vocal(obviously) people as well as bringing about mob mentality. If the Xoom all of a sudden dropped to the same price at Bestbuy, I might consider an exchange, sure. Motorola has a proven support record for tabs. Acer is an unknown, and their PC's were never that great IMO either.
Vintage144 said:
Hows the hdmi working? Havent tried that sound good though
Sent from my SGH-i917 using Board Express
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Click to collapse
Perfectly. Just plug it in and go.
There have been some threads posted on the impending update of the A500 to Honeycomb 3.1 from various sources, but Acer itself just posted this on its Facebook Page:
Acer
Great news for the lucky owners of Acer Iconia Tab A500! The update to Android 3.1 will be available at the end of June! Stay tuned for the date of release, in the meantime see the new features in the official Android developers’ blog:
Great news. I only wish the update would come sooner!
They sure are getting a lot of hateful comments on there, sheesh. Facebook comments are the new Youtube comments, I guess.
At least we know they mean to keep up with everyone with updates.
yeah we've know about a june update since the device came out.
If the sleep mode issue is not fixed for another month and a half, it will hurt sales and accumulate a lot of returns.
Ace has a huge opportunity to gain tablet share and are mucking it up by not fixing the issue now. The recent 23mb update some have been getting apparently does not fix the issue.
The A500 is a sleep mode fix away from awesome, but needs to fix it to get there. Well, that and the unstable wifi in low signal areas.
rushless said:
If the sleep mode issue is not fixed for another month and a half, it will hurt sales and accumulate a lot of returns.
Ace has a huge opportunity to gain tablet share and are mucking it up by not fixing the issue now. The recent 23mb update some have been getting apparently does not fix the issue.
The A500 is a sleep mode fix away from awesome, but needs to fix it to get there. Well, that and the unstable wifi in low signal areas.
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Click to collapse
I am aware people have reported the sleep and Wi-Fi issues, but not all of the Acer A500 tablets are experiencing these problems. I know because I own an A500 and it doesn't have these sleep/Wi-Fi problems at all.
rushless said:
If the sleep mode issue is not fixed for another month and a half, it will hurt sales and accumulate a lot of returns.
Acer has a huge opportunity to gain tablet share and are mucking it up by not fixing the issue now. The recent 23mb update some have been getting apparently does not fix the issue.
The A500 is a sleep mode fix away from awesome, but needs to fix it to get there. Well, that and the unstable wifi in low signal areas.
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Click to collapse
Rush, since you no longer have an Iconia (you claimed in another forum that you took yours back) do you think its cool to keep bashing the Iconia with your wifi problems lol?
Look, no offense Rush, you are a great guy and a great poster and all so no offense meant here. But my Iconia has none of the problems you have mentioned in about every forum I have seen you in. This is a pet peeve of yours that has started to spread everywhere you leave that egg. Anyway, I think your wifi issues are not representative of the whole. My son went out and bought 4 of them the other day and so far he has reported none of the issues (wifi) that you have had with them. He did however have one unit with dead pixels. At any rate, since you are no longer an Iconia owner, is it fair that you keep staying in the threads *****ing about them lol? Sorry if this bugs you, but its been bugging me for awhile now. And here is why.
I see a number of people coming in various forums that act like they work for the competition (not implying you do) and in a way I can see this issue about complaining about one issue you seemed to have with wifi and it turning people off the tab itself. Anyway, in my opinion you could have fixed your wifi issues with a repeater. Instead you moved your router around and were never satisfied with the Iconia. It either had wifi problems or the screen turning on bugged you too much. Me, its bleh, they will eventually update it and fix it. As for wifi, nothing can probably be done as that is probably a hardware issue. Remember the iPhone 4 issue with holding it wrong lol? Anyway, its a great tablet and I wish you would stop beating it down every time you post. Everyone knows about your wifi problems, so now that you have unasked yourself of the Iconia, why not just give that a rest lol?
Thanks Rush..
P.S. I am not saying wifi is not an issue either. What I am saying is that this happens even with PC's, Phones, mobile devices etc. If people have a problem with it, they usually buy a repeater to cover the areas that are weak. And no one really uses this as a major complaint everywhere they go about their product. I realize that some people want a better wifi in their boxes, but sometimes things are sacrificed to give people a better cost reward. Truth is humans are never satisfied, and we will always find something to ***** about. In my case, and I might be in the minority, I love my Iconia, and it has really lived up to the hype. Matter of fact I saw an Engadget report the other day on the Samsung Gtab, and it was said to be better than anything else, and the tests and all didn't even mention the Iconia. It was up against the Xoom and other tablets. And this thing had no HDMI out, no USB, no nothing on it. It was for all intents a beefed up Ipad 2 running HC. Anyway, what I am saying is they forgot to mention the Iconia, and left out that it is by far the better tablet out there as of now. Sure there are pesky things with it, but compare that to the Xoom launch of a product that wasn't even ready to be released, and at a price point that was far too high, and you get my drift. Buy a repeater and be happy Rush, this is a great Tablet lol..
Thanks
Have posted many times this is the best tablet for features and function and IMO better than the Trans and even stated I would get a third when the issue is fixed. First one, the main issue was unstable wifi with minimum wake-up issues and the second one was polar opposite of that.
Problem is "End of June" is long time to wait. My gTablet strains the eyes now, in comparison.
deedub334 said:
There have been some threads posted on the impending update of the A500 to Honeycomb 3.1 from various sources, but Acer itself just posted this on its Facebook Page:
Acer
Great news for the lucky owners of Acer Iconia Tab A500! The update to Android 3.1 will be available at the end of June! Stay tuned for the date of release, in the meantime see the new features in the official Android developers’ blog:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Where did you read it? Could you post the link?
Ah found it... Acer itself
http://www.facebook.com/Acer?sk=wall
Honeycomb or Acer implementation?
Maybe not the right thread but...
I haven't had the screen issues (waking up) but I am a little confused on the battery usage looking for a cell connection.
Is it a Honeycomb 3.0.1 issue or the implementation of the OS by Acer that is the issue? Seems to me a major foopah that anyone would release a product, clearly using a battery as it's source of power, and have a part of the system being wasted looking for a cell signal that wouldn't matter even if it was available.
On my unit, it says 7% of the battery use is consumed by the Cell Standby. Do the units actually have a cell radio??
Does anyone know if 3.1 will have a function to turn it off? Having to root, then rename system files especially without the means to recover doesn't strike me as a viable way to reduce battery consumtion.
Just my thoughts...
I swapped my and it worked great
rushless said:
If the sleep mode issue is not fixed for another month and a half, it will hurt sales and accumulate a lot of returns.
Ace has a huge opportunity to gain tablet share and are mucking it up by not fixing the issue now. The recent 23mb update some have been getting apparently does not fix the issue.
The A500 is a sleep mode fix away from awesome, but needs to fix it to get there. Well, that and the unstable wifi in low signal areas.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hey, I had a WiFi problem, it kept dropping out if the signal was about 50%. I took my A500 back to PC World 3 days after I purchased it and PC World replaced it. Ever since then I have not had any problems with the WiFi dropping out or any other problems.
peterasimpson said:
Hey, I had a WiFi problem, it kept dropping out if the signal was about 50%. I took my A500 back to PC World 3 days after I purchased it and PC World replaced it. Ever since then I have not had any problems with the WiFi dropping out or any other problems.
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Click to collapse
The more the reports come in the more it seems to make sense that some "bad" units are out there. May be earlier firmware batches or just something bad on the IC board, but if a general firmware issue, a ton more folks would be having wifi and sleep issues.
Seems more a batch production/firmware issue, but WTH do I know (nothin')?
I'll take this moment to reiterate my my faith in Acer for providing future updates (a company highlighted as a close partner with Google at their recent I/O conference) and also my prediction that with the better USB host support in 3.1 the A500 is going to be much more attractive.
rushless said:
The more the reports come in the more it seems to make sense that some "bad" units are out there. May be earlier firmware batches or just something bad on the IC board, but if a general firmware issue, a ton more folks would be having wifi and sleep issues.
Seems more a batch production/firmware issue, but WTH do I know (nothin')?
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Click to collapse
Hey, Rush. Did you try turning off you GPS on your last tab? Mine still wakes once and a while, but notice I have had a lot less issues with GPS off.
By the way it was your earlier reviews that made me buy the a500 instead of waiting for the TF. Thanks, because I love this thing. Never thought about how handy having USB host on the tablet would be. No way I could go back to a tablet with out that function.
Just throwing my 2 cents in...I snagged an Acer the other day, and I have to say its by far the best tablet I've played with. I haven't had any issues with WiFi or sleep really, although I have noticed the screen coming on randomly a few times in the week I've had it. Nothing that really seems unforgivable given everything else that rocks about this thing. I gotta admit, my previous tablet before this one was a Gtablet, and I do love it but the Iconia is better in just about every way. The HDMI out was not a big factor on my decision to buy it, but Angry Birds on my 46" screen is pretty awesome to watch. Anyway, I totally recommend this tablet to anyone in the market to buy, it blows away the Xoom and is way cheaper to boot.
I just emailed acer to stress to them (as if they care) my upsets. I own an acer netbook that i loved. It was a good product, never caused me any problems that wernt user error. When i saw they had a tablet i didnt even hesitate to buy it. I figured it would be a great product like the experience ive previously had.
When i saw all of the hate threads about the bugs and lack of updates i patiently waited by with faith on acer.
3.2 is around the corner and there is still no "official" 3.1 update for most countries. There are still huge bugs in the open with no official fix. This is my first android device, and im disappointed.
I will most likely be looking for another tablet. One with support from its manufacturer. The support from the community here have been great though, so thank you to everyonewho contributes.
I may hang on to this device a little longer and see what happens but right now im feeling like i made the wrong decision when i bought this.
I dont normally make posts like this but i just felt like saying something.
/rant
n1nj4dude said:
When i saw all of the hate threads about the bugs and lack of updates i patiently waited by with faith on acer.
3.2 is around the corner and there is still no "official" 3.1 update for most countries.
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Click to collapse
The 3.1 update is already released in many countries and others will get it in a few weeks. And to be honest, Acer told you that the update will come in late June, early July, so it's pointless to expect it any earlier than that.
There are still huge bugs in the open with no official fix. This is my first android device, and im disappointed.
I will most likely be looking for another tablet. One with support from its manufacturer. The support from the community here have been great though, so thank you to everyonewho contributes.
I may hang on to this device a little longer and see what happens but right now im feeling like i made the wrong decision when i bought this.
I dont normally make posts like this but i just felt like saying something.
/rant
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Click to collapse
This is my first Android device too, and well, I'm actually very happy with it. A few niggles here and there, but those are all Google's doing and they'll exist on all the other Honeycomb tablets, too. One can only hope Google puts some effort into polishing it.
Still, there's no way in hell I'm gonna let go of my tablet.
Unless you can return the device for a refund/exchange I'd say hold onto it until Kal-El is out. That hardware is going to be nice and hopefully Google will have worked on the code side some too.
WereCatf said:
The 3.1 update is already released in many countries and others will get it in a few weeks. And to be honest, Acer told you that the update will come in late June, early July, so it's pointless to expect it any earlier than that.
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Many countries? Please do show me. And hacked roms/ ports dont count, i never said i expected it before the release date (which btw has not been 'told' officially for the US.) But the fact they are this many weeks behind competitors is bad for their business.
WereCatf said:
This is my first Android device too, and well, I'm actually very happy with it. A few niggles here and there, but those are all Google's doing and they'll exist on all the other Honeycomb tablets, too. One can only hope Google puts some effort into polishing it.
Still, there's no way in hell I'm gonna let go of my tablet.
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Click to collapse
For my first android device it isnt horrible, i just think acer could be doing a lot better.
muqali said:
Unless you can return the device for a refund/exchange I'd say hold onto it until Kal-El is out. That hardware is going to be nice and hopefully Google will have worked on the code side some too.
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Thank you, i will do this. I honestly havent heard about this tablet till just now, after looking it up, its got my interest peaked.
Thank you, i will do this. I honestly havent heard about this tablet till just now, after looking it up, its got my interest peaked.
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Click to collapse
Kal-El is the Tegra 3 chipset iirc. So not just any one tablet. Although unless Acer changes their bootloader stance I'll go with Asus' the next time around.
Patience is a virtue
wait until 5th july to start be upset.
and you expect what more???
for the price and the quality really!!!! this tablet is far better than some others all things compared... depends what you need.
I bought 2 tablets and 2 phone from ACER the same month. and I am purely satisfied with what I got.
I do not expect perfection at the first release... wait for the A100 or the future Iconia Tablet.... I think that will be something really awesome.
This is not the right attitude to have on xda!
Very few tablets have gotten 3.1 and none of the manufacturers has released it world wide.
Today we got the 3.1 update (unofficial) and the 3.1 kernel.
It is by all means a day of joy and the bootloader barely makes a difference. We got clockwork anyway!
Bec07 said:
This is not the right attitude to have on xda!
Very few tablets have gotten 3.1 and none of the manufacturers has released it world wide.
Today we got the 3.1 update (unofficial) and the 3.1 kernel.
It is by all means a day of joy and the bootloader barely makes a difference. We got clockwork anyway!
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What Bec said -
Had my tablet for two weeks now - used vcache's thread in the dev section to get the most recent OTA upgrade - rooted with modded Gingerbreak - removed bloatware apk's (and backed them up) and spent a couple days learning about the system. Thanks to xda - my tablet is able to pick up on a ad-hoc wi-fi network hotspotted from my cheapo VM Samsung Intercept (25$ USD a month for unlimited 3g - cannot do much better then that) - and I have perfect video playback for watching movies on the go (assuming I take the time to convert those pesky 720/1020 .mkv files to something the a500 can hardware decode).
16 gb internal storage - 32 gb on my microsd - 32 more gb on a USB stick I can plug in - this thing runs like greased lightning! Running the 144.07 official Acer version (as far as I can tell - early releases of 3.1 for this device do not yet support hardware decoding for video - i have been away a few days and this may be outdated).
Again - patience is a virtue. In the meantime - have you made sure you are running the latest OTA version and have you tried rooting your device and trimming away some of the fat? It is literally a 10 min fool proof process - the only thing you need to remember is to keep a safe backup of any system files you remove. Once Acer updates with another OTA version - you simply restore the system files and update. Very simple.
muqali said:
Unless you can return the device for a refund/exchange I'd say hold onto it until Kal-El is out. That hardware is going to be nice and hopefully Google will have worked on the code side some too.
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And hopefully a nexus series tablet, thats my next tablet.......now to go sell some old toys of mine to get ready
Sent from my A500 using XDA Premium App
I i think I came off to strong. I don't hate this tablet. The device itself is great, and being a first time android user, I already like it more than ios.
And honeycomb 3.0.1 is not a bad firmware.
My beef is with Acer, maybe I was just expecting to much from them. And maybe they are slow to the gun for good reasons we/I don't know about. I just think as a company who is in direct competition with motorola and Asus they should be more responsive to what's happening around them. But again this is my opinion, and I know you all will have yours,
And I don't have an attitude directed at xda as a couple of you seem to think, xda community has done nothing but provide support and advice when needed. The short time I've been here I've learned a lot from many of you, so thank you. (Excuse my typos, my soft keyboard keeps force closing some reason)
again
Have you checked out the OTA update thread in the dev section and made sure you are running a updated version? If anything - patching to the latest OTA dramatically improved my browser experience.
entropy.of.avarice said:
Have you checked out the OTA update thread in the dev section and made sure you are running a updated version? If anything - patching to the latest OTA dramatically improved my browser experience.
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Sorry I missed your first post, yes I am running the most recent version