Just got used a500 but laggy plus problems - Acer Iconia A500

just got a used a500, but its laggy has hell on web browser when typing.
It took three wipes and on the last I had to disable reinstall of apps so the keyboard and system sounds would work.
Its running stock 3.2 do not have root etc.
Also I have found some games that use the tilt feature do not work right, the ones from android 2.1 up. I have some good games but can not play them as I used too. MX Mayhem is one of the games.
I'm new to honeycomb too.
Any help would be great thanks

I'll start by saying you may want to sit down and read around in these forums. Both this one and the Iconia A500 General to get a feel of some of the issues with the A500 or Honeycomb.
I don't know why your tablet is or was consistently "laggy" with 3.2 on it. But it appears you've managed to get it to work better for you by doing those wipes. The tablet does display some lag usually when it's woken up initially but after you've used it for a few seconds it will generally zip along. This is true of all HC based tablets.
I get virtually no lag on my A500 and I have quite a few apps installed, but I too get a little choppiness when I've woken it from sleep.
Re: browser lag when typing. It happens, again on all HC based tablets. You may want to check into alternative browsers. Dolphin for Pad is pretty good (that's what I use), but there's also Firefox, Opera and others.
Games which are not optimized for tablets and Honeycomb are not guaranteed to work properly. Older games which require the use of sensors are especially prone to issues. Some work. Some don't. Your only guarantee is if you get games that specifically state that they are made to work on Honeycomb. That's just how it works and it is what it is. There are a number of technical reasons why it's justified but I won't get into it.
Many people when they purchase these tablets with Honeycomb figure that all Android apps will work perfectly since it's also a version of Android but this just isn't the case. Tablets consist of bigger screens than phones and because of that sensors are calibrated at different dimensions and angles. Apps and Games need to be optimized for these changes and until they are, some will have trouble. Games are especially affected because they depend more on dimensions and sensor calibration. Sometimes developers will release an entirely different version of an app or a game made specifically for Honeycomb.
Your best bet right now is either to bear with the issues or get rid of the tablet. Ice Cream Sandwich will come along and SHOULD unify the Android Market in the long run. Your experience won't change by switching from one Android Tablet to another since Honeycomb is at the forefront of the trouble (being an offshoot of Android, made for tablets). ICS also won't solve these issues instantly or quickly as various developers will need time to bring their apps/games up to speed, so you'll just have to be willing to just stick with/through it until it does. If you are unable to do this or you feel the issues are just too much to handle, return the tablet or sell it if possible and get an iPad 2 which has a more streamlined market currently.

If you're open to rooting and installing a custom recovery and rom then you could quite possibly fix your problems with lag for the most part. I have reduced lag on the keyboard for my speed of typing (45 wpm on tablet) to less than a second at the worst, even in portrait mode.

Neoprimal said:
I'll start by saying you may want to sit down and read around in these forums. Both this one and the Iconia A500 General to get a feel of some of the issues with the A500 or Honeycomb.
I don't know why your tablet is or was consistently "laggy" with 3.2 on it. But it appears you've managed to get it to work better for you by doing those wipes. The tablet does display some lag usually when it's woken up initially but after you've used it for a few seconds it will generally zip along. This is true of all HC based tablets.
I get virtually no lag on my A500 and I have quite a few apps installed, but I too get a little choppiness when I've woken it from sleep.
Re: browser lag when typing. It happens, again on all HC based tablets. You may want to check into alternative browsers. Dolphin for Pad is pretty good (that's what I use), but there's also Firefox, Opera and others.
Games which are not optimized for tablets and Honeycomb are not guaranteed to work properly. Older games which require the use of sensors are especially prone to issues. Some work. Some don't. Your only guarantee is if you get games that specifically state that they are made to work on Honeycomb. That's just how it works and it is what it is. There are a number of technical reasons why it's justified but I won't get into it.
Many people when they purchase these tablets with Honeycomb figure that all Android apps will work perfectly since it's also a version of Android but this just isn't the case. Tablets consist of bigger screens than phones and because of that sensors are calibrated at different dimensions and angles. Apps and Games need to be optimized for these changes and until they are, some will have trouble. Games are especially affected because they depend more on dimensions and sensor calibration. Sometimes developers will release an entirely different version of an app or a game made specifically for Honeycomb.
Your best bet right now is either to bear with the issues or get rid of the tablet. Ice Cream Sandwich will come along and SHOULD unify the Android Market in the long run. Your experience won't change by switching from one Android Tablet to another since Honeycomb is at the forefront of the trouble (being an offshoot of Android, made for tablets). ICS also won't solve these issues instantly or quickly as various developers will need time to bring their apps/games up to speed, so you'll just have to be willing to just stick with/through it until it does. If you are unable to do this or you feel the issues are just too much to handle, return the tablet or sell it if possible and get an iPad 2 which has a more streamlined market currently.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah thanks.
I have found it seems to be getting better with the UI lag not happening all the time, but I have tried to disable the flash on sites to try and speed pages up.
It all depends on what site I am on for the lag on text input.
I have rooted devices before, but not going to do this one as I'm waiting to see if it gets ics and hopefully that might make it better re faster..
Its growing on me I and finding it a it better than the 32gb hp touchpad I had after the fire sale.
I have skyfire and that's not to bad, will give other browsers a try at a latter date.
Thanks again.

Cool beans.
Sent from my HTC Glacier using Tapatalk

Related

[Q] Miss my Galaxy Tab....Do you?

Returned my G-Tab today, and bought the Xoom. I think I am having 2nd thoughts though.
I love the G-tab's size, and GUI (go figure). But saw the Xoom at Best Buy, and it was too irresistable to pass up. However, the xoom's size reminds me too much of the Ipad, and I just can't seem to get use to the Honeycomb GUI yet.
I guess the Xoom may just take some warming up to.
Anyone else feel my pain?
Guess I am just looking for some support.
nealwheels said:
Returned my G-Tab today, and bought the Xoom. I think I am having 2nd thoughts though.
I love the G-tab's size, and GUI (go figure). But saw the Xoom at Best Buy, and it was too irresistable to pass up. However, the xoom's size reminds me too much of the Ipad, and I just can't seem to get use to the Honeycomb GUI yet.
I guess the Xoom may just take some warming up to.
Anyone else feel my pain?
Guess I am just looking for some support.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Never had a Galaxy tab and would not want one (at least the current 7" model). I need more screen real estate. I already have an Android phone to cover the smaller screens. I don't like panning and zooming everything.
i love my xoom more and more everyday. I love the hardware accelleration in the browser but I don't like the lack of flash or. Lack of tablet optimized apps at the moment one thing to always remember is updates will always come sooner on a Google eperience device
android_geoff said:
i love my xoom more and more everyday. I love the hardware accelleration in the browser but I don't like the lack of flash or. Lack of tablet optimized apps at the moment one thing to always remember is updates will always come sooner on a Google eperience device
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
And we already know those are coming, just takes patience. Good point about the Google Experience. Hopefully we will see some updates in the coming weeks.
yes I've seen alot of demos for new apps so I know there on there way. Its weird though if you go to the market and click apps for tablets there's only 16. Half of which are games but if you go to games for tablets section there are more
android_geoff said:
yes I've seen alot of demos for new apps so I know there on there way. Its weird though if you go to the market and click apps for tablets there's only 16. Half of which are games but if you go to games for tablets section there are more
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
One of my wish list items for market improvement.
I had the Tab and it was a neutered Android phone. Xoom is the way to go...give it some time.
ur serously saying that u liked Android 2.2 on a tab more then honeycomb?
I had a Gtab originally. I got rid of it because the service through TMobile was spotty and the screen was too small. I however love my xoom. Especially since I found a good converter program for all my movies. Once we get SD card support ill be golden
nealwheels said:
Returned my G-Tab today, and bought the Xoom. I think I am having 2nd thoughts though.
I love the G-tab's size, and GUI (go figure). But saw the Xoom at Best Buy, and it was too irresistable to pass up. However, the xoom's size reminds me too much of the Ipad, and I just can't seem to get use to the Honeycomb GUI yet.
I guess the Xoom may just take some warming up to.
Anyone else feel my pain?
Guess I am just looking for some support.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As an owner of the Tab and the ipad.....I have realized that 10 inches is for home and vacation use. 7 inches is portable and can be taken anywhere. I have an Evo which I thought was huge before I got the Tab....now it seems tiny.
I might buy the wifi Xoom if it is priced right but I already know from experience with 10 inches that it will stay at home.
Sent from my SPH-P100 using XDA Premium App
I sold my Galaxy Tab yesterday, I'm so gald to get rid of it. It was incredibly slow even after overclocking and 2.2 was NOT meant for tablets.
2.2 may not be meant for tabs, but at least it runs flash and all the apps work without being buggy.
mitchweight said:
2.2 may not be meant for tabs, but at least it runs flash and all the apps work without being buggy.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ran flash incredibly slowly, and the browser crashed all the time... sure.
Bauxite said:
Ran flash incredibly slowly, and the browser crashed all the time... sure.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
really? I haven't had any problems with Flash or Dolphin. I watch more videos on the Tab than on my iPad (of course...lol).
Haven't rooted the Tab either (but rooted my Evo almost immediately after getting it)....haven't felt a need. The speed is fine for me.
Though I enjoyed the greater screen real estate (versus my EVO), the Galaxy Tab really is (as someone else already mentioned) just a neutered Android phone. After using the Xoom for several days, and using apps designed for Honeycomb, the difference is remarkable (just try Pulse, YouTube, CNN, or any of the games optimized for 3.0).
I do miss flash in my browser a bit, but that will come soon. I definitely do NOT miss the capacitive buttons on the bottom (a requirement for pre-Honeycomb devices)...it was terribly annoying to be enjoying a video or reading a document and having to be careful with the way I held so as not to accidentally press one of those buttons.
Also, the location of the stereo speakers on the Xoom is so much more sensible than the speaker on the G-Tab, where, once again, if you weren't holding it 'just-so' the sound would be muted by the palm of your hand.
**I have yet to significantly miss the SD card or flash. I do wish we could permanently set the UA string on the stock browser though, and I'm looking forward to the Citrix Receiver being updated for Honeycomb**
For me, flash, UA string, and Citrix will make this device a real killer, and it's good to know they will all be coming very soon.
khov07 said:
Though I enjoyed the greater screen real estate (versus my EVO), the Galaxy Tab really is (as someone else already mentioned) just a neutered Android phone. After using the Xoom for several days, and using apps designed for Honeycomb, the difference is remarkable (just try Pulse, YouTube, CNN, or any of the games optimized for 3.0).
I do miss flash in my browser a bit, but that will come soon. I definitely do NOT miss the capacitive buttons on the bottom (a requirement for pre-Honeycomb devices)...it was terribly annoying to be enjoying a video or reading a document and having to be careful with the way I held so as not to accidentally press one of those buttons.
Also, the location of the stereo speakers on the Xoom is so much more sensible than the speaker on the G-Tab, where, once again, if you weren't holding it 'just-so' the sound would be muted by the palm of your hand.
**I have yet to significantly miss the SD card or flash. I do wish we could permanently set the UA string on the stock browser though, and I'm looking forward to the Citrix Receiver being updated for Honeycomb**
For me, flash, UA string, and Citrix will make this device a real killer, and it's good to know they will all be coming very soon.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree. It's definitely a neutered Android phone...but it stills does everything I need it to do for a portable device. I would probably feel different if it was my only tablet and I didn't already have an iPad for the past year that's had Pulse, the new CNN app, plus too many games that I have spent a fortune on!
Is Word with Friends optimized for the Xoom? A friend brought her husband's Xoom in for me to play with and we downloaded it and the letters were cut off. i thought it was under the tablet optimized section.
I am eyeing the wifi Xoom simply because I prefer Android to iOS but not having Netflix, Hulu, and my games might be too much to give up. Hopefully we'll see more advancement with the Android tablets.

Some Xoom Observations

This must be my 6th tablet if I include the 'first out of the post' compaq tablets eons ago, a toshiba laptop/tablet, 2 different ipads and an advent vega, so I'd like to think I've got a fairly balanced view on tablets.
I won't get into any of the usual iOS/Android flames, suffice to say in my opinion after a week of using Honeycomb on the Xoom, Android is much more suited to a tablet format than iOS on an iPad, which is really just a big phone, albeit a very slick one.
I'm sure most on this forum will be used to acting as guinea pigs for new technologies and that's a choice most of us have made by getting this device to see the possibilities of an Android tablet, so a few bugs was expected. A couple more updates and there's no reason why Android tablets will be just as slick as an iPad (as it is in the smartphone world now).
Now the hardware just needs to improve. While the Xoom is nice solid tech, it is heavy. I was trying to use it standing on up a train and after a while, it was particularly uncomfortable to use. The screen could be brighter too.
My one unexpected observation though is the screen size. Is it me or is a more rectangular 10.1" just not as easy to type on as the squarer 9.7" iPad?
I find that the wider screen means the keyboard either takes up all the screen or is squashed and the keys are not as easy to use. When I had the iPad, I found typing in landscape mode absolutely no problem. On the Xoom it's not quite as easy to type quickly on.
Anyway, just my opinion... while each day I like honeycomb more and more, I'm not entirely convinced that the Xoom will be my final Android tablet.
thx. xoom's really a sweet device, although it has few bugs. enjoy mine very much too
The think about android is that you can change the UI the way you like, you can have the sweet thumb keyboard app and that problem its solved. I find it hard to the ipad will let you change that UI keyboard setting.
I agree the xoom is too heavy, maybe they should realese a keyboard like asus transformer so it can be held in the lap (sorry for my english).
The screen on the xoom is the same as a widescreen monitor you use on a pc. The ipad is somekind of cropped. you can tell if you play videos on ipad...they dont fit the screen.
The only think that im a little sad about the xoom is devs arent interested right now to release honeycomb support. Not even all google apps have honeycomb support but i guess its matter of months or maybe they are waiting for xoom 2
I also had my Xoom for a week, and like you enjoy using it so far.
You can try to install this thumb keyboard for easier typing, even though it’s in beta, I have not had any problems use it.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1055327
I only took the Xoom on the train for one day and also found it difficult to use. My issue is more to do with the size than the weight. So I went back to use my Galaxy Tab and leave the Xoom for mainly home use.
The only real issue I've found with Honeycomb/my Xoom is the chronic shortage of apps designed for tablets specifically.
VaKo said:
The only real issue I've found with Honeycomb/my Xoom is the chronic shortage of apps designed for tablets specifically.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yes , my thoughts exactly !
SwiftKey tablet beta resolves any typing issues, I've been using it since before it went public beta, was part of the early testers. They've already listened to many of my suggestions, which is just great IMO.
i totally agree about the apps. I'm willing to wait...but is it me is the number of apps going down the market? It was 67 a few days, 64 yesterday and 60 rightnow.
Sent from my Xoom using XDA Premium App
Does anyone notice that number of apps for tablet on android market decrease overtime ? The first day i got my xoom, there were 67 apps, 2 weeks ago: 64 apps. now there are 60 apps.
I wouldn't worry to much about the apps, with the huge list of android tablets dropping this year we can all expect to see a rather consistent flow of new apps......Hopefullly
tritran18518 said:
Does anyone notice that number of apps for tablet on android market decrease overtime ? The first day i got my xoom, there were 67 apps, 2 weeks ago: 64 apps. now there are 60 apps.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's because when you click "Featured" Android Tablet apps, those are just "Featured". There are actually WAY more than that (150+) Honeycomb "optimized" apps in the Market.
It would be considerably more useful if there was a tablet part of the market, similar to iTunes having an iPad only part. There's no easy way to identify tablet optimized apps.
This is from a UK XOOM and I've a feeling that for some reason, Market is different in europe.
The fact that lists like this exist says volumes about the state of tablet support in the android market, but here is one of the user-compiled lists of apps that are either optimized for or work well with honeycomb:
http://forum.androidcentral.com/mot...al-optimized-honeycomb-apps-list-n-170-a.html
There's also the game compatibility thread in the xoom apps and themes section here on xda.
great resource... thanks!
scratch that... android c+?)&@l only allows 'registered users' to view links. Way to support open source guys!
Agreed. I'm sure the list is useful, but that kind of garbage makes me keep right on walkin.
yea its ridiculous
Is it that hard to register a free account?
in all honestly you should all already have android central accounts...it's the most popular android development site...
Xoom Gripes
First off, for what I use it for, my Xoom is better than my iMac and my MacBook Pro. That said, I have a couple of issues with it.
I hate the placement of the ports. I got a case from KeviKev (which is the bees knees), and I cannot prop it up while charging without putting strain on the cable/port.
When plugged-in to my TV (HDMI), the screen orientation changes in a very strange way. I turned the tablet upside-down so I could prop it up with the HDMI cable plugged in, and the picture on the TV went upside-down, too. I know I can lock the orientation, but I would like it if it were more intelligent about the way it handles screen orientation.
These flaws (if I can even call them that) are not an issue when I use the tablet out on the street, or when I lay it down on its back when I'm not really using the screen anyway. There isn't much that I can say about my Xoom that isn't praise. I have the U.S. 3G version and I live in Germany, and the lack of mobile broadband isn't a complete turn-off like I had anticipated. Kudos to Motorola and Google.

[Q] Do you still recommend the Galaxy Tab purchase?

I need a Honeycomb tab and I thought this Samsung was the best, but I've read a lot of complaints about it.
Now, after all these issues, should I go on with the purchase or do you think it's better to wait for something else? Thanks a lot
Frankie
that would depend on what you need. if you're looking for a multimedia device that plays just about everything out there, the archos 101 is better - but it has a crappy screen and locks up if you do more than one thing at a time.
if you need a netbook replacement, the transformer is the way to go. just be wary about the dock. it drains about 3-7% when docked,not in use and not charging. some reports says that if you let the dock drain it will not charge up again.
the galaxy tab 10.1 is a good general use tablet. where i find that it shines is reading comic books. the over saturated screen makes the colors really pop. plus being so thin, it feels like you're holding a comic. it also has the best screen of all the hc tablets currently. down sides are browser bookmarks that randomly change (not present in other tablets) and possible dust in your screen.
the two hc tablets have the same downsides of all hc/tegra2 tablets. poor selection in media playback, some bugginess with apps not working or crashing, browser gets bogged down with javascript heavy sites...
in my opinion, the gt10.1, or any hc tablet is just a good plaything for now (i'm not saying you can't be productive with it). hopefully by the end of the year a more complete product, software and hardware-wise, will be available.
I voted NO ...
If you know me from this board, I was trying and trying to get one imported from US (I live in Europe), but I got string of issues for that. Well, that's not the reason that I do not recommend this device, not at all. However, I took that as blessing in disguise
You know, I have no problem at all with the hardware. I don't mind Tegra 2 and I even prefer Tegra 2 compare to Exynos (mainly because I want THD gaming more compare to watching video). Also, I don't mind for not having SD card. And I really love the form factor, slim, thin, slick!
Now, why I don't recommend this tab?
Well, mainly because I am not sure with the current state of Android Honeycomb! I keep reading issues and bugs (?) on this new OS. For example: The slow (lag) text input on web browser, I don't think I can live with this issue because I use web browser a lot (right now, I am using my wife's iPad2). For me, this is crucial issue. From what I read, this is Honeycomb bug/issue as other tablets are experiencing the same.
So, yeah, I am now taking a break from finding my dream Android tablet. Until Google fixed this issue and other quirks on Honeycomb (like the sluggish performance on launcher, 4GB file size limit etc.). Which I think the upcoming Ice Cream Sandwich will address all this.
I voted no.
I like my galaxy tab, but honeycomb still has a long way to go. I bought it mainly for browsing the net and it can hardly do that correctly. lol
gogol said:
Which I think the upcoming Ice Cream Sandwich will address all this.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I too think that the current generation of Android tablet software/hardware have been rushed to market to compete with iPad/iPad2. While Android and the manufacturers have done an excellent job for the given time frame, I think the 2nd generation of software/hardware will be a massive improvement. Google are taking their time to release Ice Scream Sandwich which is reassuring. The fact they haven't released source code for Honeycomb just further supports this. And while even the 2nd generation of tablet hardware will have issues as well, I think the main issues will be resolved regarding Android integration on tablet (i.e. performance).
I know full well that waiting for the next generation is a never-ending game but allowing the 1st generation to pass and waiting upon the 2nd generation isn't a bad strategy.
I vote yes.
Granted, honeycomb still has some work to be done (hopefully with the 3.2 update "in a few weeks"), but I'm more than happy with mine. I haven't really experienced the keyboard lag people are talking about, so I can't comment there, but I wasn't happy with the sometimes jittery motion while swiping through home screens. Installed adw launcher and I'm loving how fast it is now.
Early adoption sucks.. I owned a xoom before this, so maybe I can appreciate it more. That being said, I also have an ipad and ipad2 in the house, and I would take this any day of the week.
Sent from my GT-P7510 using Tapatalk
I think you should just pick one up and see how you feel about it. Many will say dont bother, and many will say its the greatest. Personally I love mine, regardless of the state of Honeycomb I'm in it for the long run. But its best you form your own opinion and now based your purchases on others completely.
Sent from my ThunderBolt
my question exactly, I can get it at a local dealer - decent price BUT no local warranty - he promises to ship it back and handle everything if it goes wrong ! should I take the leap or should I wait or just pick up the Transformer instead?
Really depends on the user.
No - to my parents, sisters, wife, other newbs. The ramp is still just a bit too steep still on .any. Honeycomb tab device. Froyo is much more completely baked as a general consumer-ready OS.
Yes - to any enthusiast who wants to dig into the device, config/customize/root, etc.
Maybe TouchWiz will add a little to the newb acceptance factor...
There are certainly some quirks with HC on the tab. I didn't seem to have as many issues with 3.1 on my Xoom. However, there isn't a better screen or sound out there right now. All my complaints are software related and will either be corrected by Google or out developers. I give it 2 thumbs up.
I voted "Yes" even though I disagree with the way the option is written. The Tab has issues, of course, but its more than usable. Maybe I just have mine set up better than some, but I have almost no problems at all with anything on the device. The Tab is neither buggish nor slow, so I really don't see how anyone could credibly choose the "No" option.
Yes, I would buy a Galaxy Tablet...
...after ICS and next wave of tabs have come out, so I can pick it up on Black Friday for $250 and put CM8 on it!
No early adopter am I... oops I mean
I voted yes, but it all depends on what you expect from a tab.
It is running an OS designed for small, portable devices.
I look at it like a 'handyman' device; a jack of all trades, and a master of none. It plays games, but not as well as a console. It browses the web/email, but not as good as a netbook. It handles business needs for working with documents, but not as well as a PC.
I just don't understand why so many people expect it to be a laptop replacement.
IF you're uncomfortable with the uncertainties behind Honeycomb and IceCreamSandwich:
-AND aren't willing to root, don't buy any Android tablet now.
-AND ARE willing to root OR don't mind Honeycomb:
--AND value expandibility over fit and finish or low cost, get a Transformer.
--AND don't need expansion, want a more polished tablet, and don't mind paying more, get a Galaxy Tab.
--AND don't need expansion, don't mind some rough edges, want to get your feet wet in Android without spending a lot, and are ok with Gingerbread, get a Nook Color to root.
He states that he needs a Honeycomb tablet, so stop voting NO because you think HC is not mature.
YES! GT10.1 is the best Honeycomb tablet out there bar-none!
pokey9000 said:
IF you're uncomfortable with the uncertainties behind Honeycomb and IceCreamSandwich:
-AND aren't willing to root, don't buy any Android tablet now.
-AND ARE willing to root OR don't mind Honeycomb:
--AND value expandibility over fit and finish or low cost, get a Transformer.
--AND don't need expansion, want a more polished tablet, and don't mind paying more, get a Galaxy Tab.
--AND don't need expansion, don't mind some rough edges, want to get your feet wet in Android without spending a lot, and are ok with Gingerbread, get a Nook Color to root.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can you put this into an IF-THEN-ELSE statement? I can I think follow it better that way..
e.mote said:
Can you put this into an IF-THEN-ELSE statement? I can I think follow it better that way..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Those aren't allowed in General.
Yes, absolutely.
Does honeycomb have some issues? Yes. That being said this is a beautiful device and in my opinion, worth the price over the other HC tablets just for a refined form factor. Awesome screen, very polished design.
I bought this device to be able to quickly access news, email and calendars, to be able to view office documents in meetings without having to drag my laptop around, and lastly to entertain myself on flights. This device does all of those perfectly. Even iPad 1&2 owners that have stopped by to check the device out were absolutely blown away.
Wow, the wording on this poll is pretty extreme - the best you can say about the Tab is that it's "still usable." Well I've had mine for a week now, and I absolutely love it. Having played with every other Android tablet out there, as well as the iPad, I think it wins hands down.
1. I don't get what people dislike about Honeycomb. It has so many features and is much more intuitive than my Froyo phone; why aren't people complaining more about the iPad's lack of a widget architecture? That's HUGE in my experience. iOS just gives you a screen with a bunch of icons, and jumping from app to app, while we have sophisticated widgets that put enormous functionality right on the home screens.
2. Flash is important. A few quick hacks and you can also watch Hulu (lame that it's not automatically allowed, I admit). But there is Flash on half the sites I visit, and the Tab does a great job with it. Having used Flash on a couple phones previously, I can say this is a big leap forward with 10.3 and the Tegra 2 processor. I can't imagine why every reviewer doesn't disqualify the iPads on that basis alone - it's a deal breaker.
3. In terms of other Android tablets, the Tab 10.1 has by far the best screen I've seen - it's beautiful. And the thin/light thing really makes a difference to me when it comes to a tablet that you have to hold in your hands 90% of the time you're using it. Plus, it's just a much more attractive design than the others I played with. I like the Transformer's additional ports and keyboard dock, but I have a laptop and a netbook and I don't want a tablet to substitute for those. I want it to be a tablet. That's what the Tab 10.1 does best.
In sum, it's not "still usable," it's the best tablet currently on the market.
markp99 said:
Really depends on the user.
No - to my parents, sisters, wife, other newbs. The ramp is still just a bit too steep still on .any. Honeycomb tab device. Froyo is much more completely baked as a general consumer-ready OS.
Yes - to any enthusiast who wants to dig into the device, config/customize/root, etc.
Maybe TouchWiz will add a little to the newb acceptance factor...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think this sums it up. Android lacks the polish of iOS, but it's so damn fun exploring the endless possibilities of Android. Provided it's software related, there's also another option that works just as well or better. I have faith that any issues that currently exist will be resolved in due time. The hardware is great and I can work with the software.

Trying to switch from iPad to Galaxy Tab

So I had an iPad 1, and currently have an iPad 2. I recently switched from an iPhone to a Motorola Atrix and as far as a smartphone, I am enjoying Android much better than iOS on the phone. But switching from an iPad to the Galaxy Tab I'm still up in the air about.
So that being said, the GT is about as good as the iPad for our needs, mainly just web browsing in bed. I really didn't need to get the GT, but I was just craving something different to play with. But do have a few issues / questions.
For starters, I've noticed web browsing is a bit sluggish on the GT whereas it is really smooth on the iPad. I installed Dolphin Browser for Tablets, but it seems just as sluggish as the stock browser.
I am also worried about future OS updates from Samsung, being as they don't have the best reputation in that department. Atleast with the iPad I know I can install iOS updates the day they come out.
Does anyone know what's Samsung's timeline for putting out Honeycomb 3.2 for the GT? I was thinking they might skip it being as ICS is due out soon. They might put their effort more into that. I hope they already started working on it so we don't have to wait for a long time for it.
I guess the durability of the GT worries me also. My first one had the Neuton Rings, I exchanged it at best buy, so far so good with the new one. But I am worried that the new one will eventually get them. It's nice with the iPad that if I have any problems I can go right to an Apple store and get it taken care of instead of sending it off for warranty work.
Well so far I like it, I guess maybe only because it is something different to play with, so no major advantage over my iPad so far. But I'm keeping an open mind about it.
chocodough said:
So I had an iPad 1, and currently have an iPad 2. I recently switched from an iPhone to a Motorola Atrix and as far as a smartphone, I am enjoying Android much better than iOS on the phone. But switching from an iPad to the Galaxy Tab I'm still up in the air about.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm exactly the same way.
Right now, I've been thinking about getting a tablet for about a month now. I absolutely love Android and am excited about ICS. However, I believe in the tablet department, I think Apple really nailed it in terms of apps.
I believe that apps on the tablet need to be as smooth and as unique to the tablet/pad design. And apart from a very small amount of apps on Android, very few actually run smoothly and have taken advantage of this design.
In saying that, I have no doubt that Google will catch up eventually, but that may be a few years yet in terms of getting the same quality of apps.
At least in terms of tablets, Apple has it perfected, for the time being.
I believe samsung has to give us the most updated version of the android os for at least a year. They talked about fragmentation at the recent Google io and said that all android manufacturers will be part of this deal too. I don't think it should be too long before we see 3.2 or ics
Sent from my Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 on the Xda premium app
let me start by saying that these are my opinions.
Hands down the ipad is much smoother with more and higher quality apps. I own both the galaxy tab and the ipad 2, and i use the ipad muvh more because i can do things in a quarter of the time. I dont blame google for that though. I personally think that tegra is a pos, pardo the french. Every honeycomb tab is very laggy that ive tried(except the jetstream). Even the atrix is incredibly laggy when compared to an sgsii.
I typed tis response on my galaxy tab in about ten minutes due to the lag, i could have spent 2 on the ipad
guys stop whining.
90% of the IPad apps are iPhone apps just with higher resolution, they look the same, they feel the same, basically in most cases it feels like you are holding bigger ipod/iPhone.
However the choice of the apps already on appstore is hands down.
with android there is no key word like "You need an app for that"
you don't need an app to watch youtube
you don't need and app to check your bank account
...
I have 50 apps on my tablet where 80% is games
I have one video player app 1 news reader
and few other apps that makes my life easier
the rest I can do on the web browser or directly from inbuilt apps JUST AS I WOULD DO ON THE COMPUTER
the only thing I can't to is to play high end games and watch BluRay dvd
and really I don't have a need to play games on my laptop only thing I'm using it for is as a BluRay player,
my gtab replaced my laptop in nearly every field (including printing)
I own both an iPad and a Galaxy Tab, I got the tab to replace the iPad, which it has done successfully. My main usage is business use which, involves a lot of emails and Web access etc.
From my experience, the tab (or specifically, Android) beats the iPad hands down, the simple fact that you cannot do such a very simple task on an iPad (or any other IDevice for that matter) such as, attach a damn file other than a photo to an email is bewildering! How can it be geared for business use, when you need a 3rd party app to attach a PDF file, but creates a new email as opposed to just replying?
Or the way that you can only have multiple email signatures for different accounts, if you jailbreak it, not out of the box!
Yes their are more apps on the iPad, but if their were only 1000 tablet apps for Android, would you really have them all installed?
A lot of the Web orientated apps for iOS, are not needed on the Tab, as it is capable of giving you Web pages they way they are meant to be viewed. They both have their pros and cons, but my personal preference is the tab, I can stream movies from my network with nothing else needed other than a file manager, I can map network shares. With another simple app, I am able to print to any network attached printer, not just the ones Apple tell me I should use and on that note, I think that's what it all comes down to.
With Apple you pay £500 for a device and they enforce what they think is best for you, with an Android device, "YOU" decide what you do with it.
Rant complete!
RavenY2K3 said:
I own both an iPad and a Galaxy Tab, I got the tab to replace the iPad, which it has done successfully. My main usage is business use which, involves a lot of emails and Web access etc.
From my experience, the tab (or specifically, Android) beats the iPad hands down, the simple fact that you cannot do such a very simple task on an iPad (or any other IDevice for that matter) such as, attach a damn file other than a photo to an email is bewildering! How can it be geared for business use, when you need a 3rd party app to attach a PDF file, but creates a new email as opposed to just replying?
Or the way that you can only have multiple email signatures for different accounts, if you jailbreak it, not out of the box!
Yes their are more apps on the iPad, but if their were only 1000 tablet apps for Android, would you really have them all installed?
A lot of the Web orientated apps for iOS, are not needed on the Tab, as it is capable of giving you Web pages they way they are meant to be viewed. They both have their pros and cons, but my personal preference is the tab, I can stream movies from my network with nothing else needed other than a file manager, I can map network shares. With another simple app, I am able to print to any network attached printer, not just the ones Apple tell me I should use and on that note, I think that's what it all comes down to.
With Apple you pay £500 for a device and they enforce what they think is best for you, with an Android device, "YOU" decide what you do with it.
Rant complete!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Exactly how I think.
I love android and I love honeycomb, but it just doesn't seem to meet standards yet. Just scrolling through the home screens on the g tab is laggy, now you could say it's because of widgets but it's pretty clear that android can run damn smooth with the right hardware ala galaxy s2.
Hopefully ics will allow me to browse the Internet on my gtab without having to give a pause between each letter or violently press the screen just to make sure it registers.
mchimney said:
I love android and I love honeycomb, but it just doesn't seem to meet standards yet. Just scrolling through the home screens on the g tab is laggy, now you could say it's because of widgets but it's pretty clear that android can run damn smooth with the right hardware ala galaxy s2.
Hopefully ics will allow me to browse the Internet on my gtab without having to give a pause between each letter or violently press the screen just to make sure it registers.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Agreed, There maybe lag from time to time, but when you consider that all the interface on the iPad is, is the app draw on Android, where as Honeycomb has a whole lot more to it than that, and my app drawer had no lag to it at all lol.
With saying that, whilst not as much as Android, I did experience lag from time-to-time on my iPad, like I say not as much as on Android but!... I couldn't honestly tell you how many times the browser crashed out on me with the iPad, sometimes the websites weren't even particularilly big. Or the annoyance of trying to load a website, then flicking to email then back again, only to find it had to reload the page again because it doesn't do proper multi-tasking, and these things need to be accounted for also, Android simply does more stuff at the same time where as iOS cannot and may lag a bit because of it.
So far my experience with the Galaxy Tab has been positive. I don't experience any OS lag that I can tell, outside of the keyboard lag when typing. I only have 1 widget on the screen though.
My wife and I only really use it for web browsing in bed. I don't really use a lot of apps on the iPad / GT like I do on my Atrix phone.
Of course the only issue I really have is the browser lag. Either Safari or Atomic web browser on the iPad are much much smoother and not choppy when scrolling. So being as I mainly just web browse on it, that is my main issue. I use the stock browser as well as Dolphin for Tablets. I like the stock browser a bit better, I wish it had 2 options though that Dolphin has, such as setting the default viewing to desktop instead of mobile, and an option to have Flash load as needed instead of always.
I guess my main issue is that I didn't really need to buy a GT since the iPad did everything just fine for which my wife and I use it for. I'm just really trying to give myself reasons to keep it. If I keep it, I am debating on whether selling my iPad, or just let my wife use the iPad so I can actually have a tablet to actually use in bed without waiting for her to get done with it. hehe
I just noticed that the Motorola Xoom just got a 3.2.1 update recently while we are still waiting for 3.2. That is a bummer. I know 3.2 isn't a big update, but I hear it's mostly performance enhancments, which would be welcome though.
@mchimney
I notice no lag at all on my Atrix. The only issue I had was a few icons for some apps randomly disappearing from my desktop. I put on Go Launcher and the problem is gone. Actually the Atrix was what switched me to Android from the iPhone. I've had a Nexus One and an HTC Inspire, and although both were nice, just something about the Atrix which made me finally switch. I'm looking forward to the Atrix 2. One of th best things I like the most about the Atrix is how LOUD the external speaker is. I always thoughy the iPhone 4 had a loud speaker, and the Nexus One and the Inspire had low volumn speakers, but the Atrix definately has the best.
TASK650's rom seems to have cleared up any homescreen lag for me no matter what sort of retarded screen cluttering widget I use although at the moment I use only HD Widgets and Battery Girl (It's cute and fairly useless)
That rom also applies a fix to make the stock browser display desktop but I don't think you can toggle back and forth as with Dolphin.
In regards to Samsung updating HC I would not be too optimistic as my Fascinate is only able to go to 2.3 via a port of CM7 which I decline to use at the moment.
Of course since the wifi version is not saddled with Verizon we may indeed see updates in 3.x or ICS but I'm not holding my breath for that.
Swype keyboard seems to have no lag for me no matter what I do save for trying to share a page via News360 but I think that is an issue with the app rather than the keyboard.
Best of luck on your screen not getting rings
I also bought the Galaxy Tab because I wanted to escape from the closed Apple ecosystem. I've had about every Android phone that was released and enjoy them very much, and I try hard to love the Galaxy Tab, but it is giving me a hard time. Really, when it comes to the tabs there is no competition. Most has already been mentioned above, I'll add my short comparison:
- Ipad 2 : connectivity, itunes, no files system (this for me is the major one), screen resolution (too less to comfortable read e.g. pdfs and articles with small fonts), browser may be slow at times, no flash
+ Ipad 2: smooth operation and reliability, no stuttering, no random errors, no force closes, very fast in operation, lots of apps (which I do not need), available apps are of better quality (compare e.g. quick office HD on an iPad to that on android - the latter has e.g. not even the capability to create bulleted lists!), apps integrate much better (e.g. copy paste content between or from browser to apps etc), superior battery life and standby time, very efficient use of memory
- Galaxy Tab 10.1: laggy as hell, force closes of launcher and apps, most videos choppy, bad memory handling (try to open large pdfs/office docs and then to scroll, zoom etc)
+ Galaxy Tab: it's android, so customizable, filesystem (great!), easy data transfer, very fast download speeds, better screen resolution, the whole internet experience (including flash, although it very often stutters and cannot handle the content of some sites)
It's really a tough call, and I always oscillate between falling in love again with the other tab after having used the other for a while.. It heavily depends on what you want to do with the tab. For casual surfing, music, videos, photos etc the Galaxy is super, but if you are a power user that intents to use the tab as kind of a computer replacement while on the road to fulfill a variety of diverse tasks then the iPad is (with exception of the f***ing data transfer / no file system problem) without any doubt far superior.
How spoilt we are to have such discussions - remember if 5 or 10 years ago somebody would have given you a device with such power and capabilities, we wouldn't have believed it..
---------- Post added at 10:53 AM ---------- Previous post was at 10:37 AM ----------
I also bought the Galaxy Tab because I wanted to escape from the closed Apple ecosystem. I've had about every Android phone that was released and enjoy them very much, and I try hard to love the Galaxy Tab, but it is giving me a hard time. Really, when it comes to the tabs there is no competition. Most has already been mentioned above, I'll add my short comparison:
- Ipad 2 : connectivity, itunes, no files system (this for me is the major one), screen resolution (too less to comfortable read e.g. pdfs and articles with small fonts), browser may be slow at times, no flash
+ Ipad 2: smooth operation and reliability, no stuttering, no random errors, no force closes, very fast in operation, lots of apps (which I do not need), available apps are of better quality (compare e.g. quick office HD on an iPad to that on android - the latter has e.g. not even the capability to create bulleted lists!), apps integrate much better (e.g. copy paste content between or from browser to apps etc), superior battery life and standby time, very efficient use of memory
- Galaxy Tab 10.1: laggy as hell, force closes of launcher and apps, most videos choppy, bad memory handling (try to open large pdfs/office docs and then to scroll, zoom etc)
+ Galaxy Tab: it's android, so customizable, filesystem (great!), easy data transfer, very fast download speeds, better screen resolution, the whole internet experience (including flash, although it very often stutters and cannot handle the content of some sites)
It's really a hard call, and I always oscillate between falling in love again with the other tab after having used the other for a while.. It heavily depends on what you want to do with the tab. For casual surfing, music, videos, photos etc the Galaxy is super, but if you are a power user that intents to use the tab as kind of a computer replacement while on the road to fulfill diverse tasks then the iPad is (with exception of the f***ing data transfer / no file system problem) without any doubt far superior.
At first I was disappointed with my galaxy tab, however after looking deep down into my inner geek and going through all the available tweaks I'm extremely satisfied.
I can't really say much more than that, everything is buttery smooth, no hiccups. I haven't seen a force close for months, the browsing is incredible.
After doing everything to get maximum performance out of my tab the only thing that still bothered me was the non-uniform icons. So after applying my preferred icon pack I showed it to my non techy brother who has an Ipad 2 and he honestly preferred it over his Ipad.
The thing is, I would never recommend a galaxy tab for him because he doesn't have the time to go through all these tweaks, and without them this honestly doesn't even compare to an ipad.
Maybe you can put yourself in these shoes to help you choose.
mchimney said:
I love android and I love honeycomb, but it just doesn't seem to meet standards yet. Just scrolling through the home screens on the g tab is laggy, now you could say it's because of widgets but it's pretty clear that android can run damn smooth with the right hardware ala galaxy s2.
Hopefully ics will allow me to browse the Internet on my gtab without having to give a pause between each letter or violently press the screen just to make sure it registers.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As you said, ICS is coming in 1-2months. Samsung already said they plan to keep the Touchwiz development to a minimum since ICS is already very user friendly. That will also allow them to release faster updates. they are hardware masters and no software kings.
I was an ipad 2 user. Am switching to a GT 10.1 4G.
I use ADW launcher with a single home screen and static black wallpaper, 3 widgets and 10 or so shortcuts. No delay. No delay while browsing (the thumbs driven interface is excellent, pages load faster than on ipad)
There are software issues. 3.1 is a work in progress. I've rooted so I could have messed things a bit.
Apple's decision to ban in-app purchases made me rethink my commitment to their brand. Kindle 's store was conveniently accessible. I couldn't believe this decision.
GT's non-standard port and (incredibly) lack of vga out are irritants. What were they (not) thinking??
I still advise most people to stick to apple tablets, a more polished and foolproof product. But for tech savvy (i.e. people who like to waste time learning how to update their ROM), the GT is a very attractive alternative. Much much more satisfying than Apple's environment. (ftr, our household uses 2 iphones, 3 ipads, 3 macbooks, 2 minis, 2 imacs and a macpro :/)
mchimney said:
I love android and I love honeycomb, but it just doesn't seem to meet standards yet. Just scrolling through the home screens on the g tab is laggy, now you could say it's because of widgets but it's pretty clear that android can run damn smooth with the right hardware ala galaxy s2.
Hopefully ics will allow me to browse the Internet on my gtab without having to give a pause between each letter or violently press the screen just to make sure it registers.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think you need to try my rom out if you'r experiencing lag bro. Lol.
i'll second task. A custom rom like tasks and pershoots overclocked kernel clears up nearly all lag including flash and video playback. The roms also give much better battery life.
I was looking primarily for a near replacement for my laptop to use while lounging about and the Galaxy Tab 10.1 meets that need way better than an iPad. I don't like the browsing and file management experience on the iPad. On the Galaxy tab these functions work pretty much like a laptop.
However, if I could afford to buy just one tablet, it would probably be the iPad -- and that's only because the overall choice and quality of apps on that platform is way better.

samsung galaxy 10.1 major disappointment

I have owned the samsung galaxy 10.1 for approx 2 weeks. I sold my IPAD 2 to purchase as I have always been a fan of android phones. So far, I find the galaxy to be very unpolished. For example, the screens lag when navigating and apps force close to much. When I scroll up and down on the UI, its not smooth as butter like the IPAD. When I change the screen orientation, its very choppy. The IPAD runs circles around this device. I wish it wasnt the case as I wanted to like it. Even the on screen keyboard is hard to type on. Try copying and pasting a sentence. The arrows you use to drag across the words never line up with what is being clicked. I am not sure how anybody finds this device to be a pleasant experience unless you are in denial and I am not talking about the river. Maybe Ice Cream will fix some of the issues. For now, the tablet serves as a perfect example of what happens when technology is rushed to the market without consideration of quality.
I feel better now.
Lance
Take the time to tweak your device with everything available on these forums, it becomes an entirely different device.
Sent from my Samsung Fascinate
lancer123 said:
I have owned the samsung galaxy 10.1 for approx 2 weeks. I sold my IPAD 2 to purchase as I have always been a fan of android phones. So far, I find the galaxy to be very unpolished. For example, the screens lag when navigating and apps force close to much. When I scroll up and down on the UI, its not smooth as butter like the IPAD. When I change the screen orientation, its very choppy. The IPAD runs circles around this device. I wish it wasnt the case as I wanted to like it. Even the on screen keyboard is hard to type on. Try copying and pasting a sentence. The arrows you use to drag across the words never line up with what is being clicked. I am not sure how anybody finds this device to be a pleasant experience unless you are in denial and I am not talking about the river. Maybe Ice Cream will fix some of the issues. For now, the tablet serves as a perfect example of what happens when technology is rushed to the market without consideration of quality.
I feel better now.
Lance
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not sure if you are trolling here, but eh, I'm bored so I'll bite.
Those of us who find the Tab to be a pleasant experience must be in denial huh? Don't you think that's a pretty presumptuous and arrogant statement? How do you know what my experience with it has been? Or anyone else's for that matter?
I would usually sit here and try to help you solve your lagginess issue, maybe seeing if you have some sort of rouge process going on or if you are even on the latest firmware. Maybe point you to some of the great custom ROMs the developers here have given us. But, nope. You speak for everyone and everyone must be having the same ****ty experience as you, and if we say we don't we must be lying.
I will tell you though that my experience has been fantastic. The only time I get lag on the homescreen is when I have a live wallpaper up. I've never had any browser lag or lag anywhere else. I have a ton of widgets on my screens too. No lag. Of course though I'm totally lying, but you knew that already right?
I'm finished being sarcastic. Honestly if you aren't happy with the device, go sell it and get an Ipad again. Nobody is stopping you. The Tab is a fantastic product and I would go so far as to say it is the best tablet on the market as of this very moment. But it is not for everybody, especially for people who have no idea what they are doing.
Posting threads like this serves no purpose other than being a troll and drawing the ire of members like myself.
lancer123 said:
I have owned the samsung galaxy 10.1 for approx 2 weeks. I sold my IPAD 2 to purchase as I have always been a fan of android phones. So far, I find the galaxy to be very unpolished. For example, the screens lag when navigating and apps force close to much. When I scroll up and down on the UI, its not smooth as butter like the IPAD. When I change the screen orientation, its very choppy. The IPAD runs circles around this device. I wish it wasnt the case as I wanted to like it. Even the on screen keyboard is hard to type on. Try copying and pasting a sentence. The arrows you use to drag across the words never line up with what is being clicked. I am not sure how anybody finds this device to be a pleasant experience unless you are in denial and I am not talking about the river. Maybe Ice Cream will fix some of the issues. For now, the tablet serves as a perfect example of what happens when technology is rushed to the market without consideration of quality.
I feel better now.
Lance
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I bought mine a couple weeks back too, and my experiences are similar to yours. I still can't understand how a dual core device can be this laggy! I'm hoping its all due to the Samsung bloatware, so I'm going to load up a custom ROM over the weekend and see how that goes... you should try it too
I really like the additional screen space coming from a 4.2" Xperia Arc, and Honeycomb is a lot zippier now than it was back in April when I had the Xoom for a couple of weeks. I still believe its a better tablet than the iPad2 though. That thing seems so zippy because all it is is a magnified iPhone. There's almost nothing running in the background which gives it the appearance of being a lot quicker and better battery life. Load it up with widgets and lets compare them then.
My biggest problem though, is the lack of a good pdf app. I've tried tons of them and they are all really slow to load, very jerky pinch to zoom, and slow scrolling. Hope this improves with ICS
And to the poster above this, I don't get why you even bothered posting if you're going to be so incredibly unhelpful
lancer123 said:
I have owned the samsung galaxy 10.1 for approx 2 weeks... I am not sure how anybody finds this device to be a pleasant experience...
I feel better now.
Lance
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Lance,
I have watched my brother in law's ipad closely, and you are right. It is faster and more responsive (once tweaked) than my SGT was out of the box. However, the others are right too.
I have rooted and tweaked my SGT and it now makes my ios friends raise their eyebrows. You happily partied all over your ipad, making many changes suggested on user sites like this one. Now you need to do the same with your SGT. If you are unable or unwilling to do that, you are not an idiot or a molester of small animals, you are just one of those people that the ipad was designed for. So get another one, and enjoy it.
I prefer my Android gadgets, because they are more flexible. I am not locked into iTunes, and I have access to my 650GB music library that is not as compressed as AAC. I have a FREE SDK that works rather well, when i want to write my own apps. There are a few paid apps that I depend upon for day to day stuff, just like I would for iOs devices. For me, and many of the others in this form, that is what they want.
Sent from a distant planet with the aid of my towel.
lancer123 said:
I have owned the samsung galaxy 10.1 for approx 2 weeks. I sold my IPAD 2 to purchase as I have always been a fan of android phones. So far, I find the galaxy to be very unpolished. For example, the screens lag when navigating and apps force close to much. When I scroll up and down on the UI, its not smooth as butter like the IPAD. When I change the screen orientation, its very choppy. The IPAD runs circles around this device. I wish it wasnt the case as I wanted to like it. Even the on screen keyboard is hard to type on. Try copying and pasting a sentence. The arrows you use to drag across the words never line up with what is being clicked. I am not sure how anybody finds this device to be a pleasant experience unless you are in denial and I am not talking about the river. Maybe Ice Cream will fix some of the issues. For now, the tablet serves as a perfect example of what happens when technology is rushed to the market without consideration of quality.
I feel better now.
Lance
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I understand how you feel, and I felt the same way when I first handled the SGT 8.9 the UI lag was horrendous .. I felt the product manager of the device should be sacked (or worse done to him) for ever allowing such a device out the door in such state. To make matters worse for me, there was an ipad close by and the UI flow was like watching man utd beat arsenal 8-2 .. I promptly returned the device.
However my opinion has since change since coming here lots of people have filled me in with some tweaks and work around which resolves most of the laggy issue. (You can check out the SGT 8.9 Q & A section its a sticky under this section for people experience with the device)
First of if you can't be bothered to root your device, try the ADW launcher ex, everyone who tried that said its greatly improves the performance and eliminates the lag issue.
You can also if you are feeling adventurous root the device. And install some of the numerous roms around.
just try and take advantage of the open nature and make it yours. Soon ipad owners would be looking at your tab and feeling the envy.
Just my 2 cents
Sent from my GT-I9100 using XDA App
Please go get your ipad back dude. I have none of the issues you speak of. This thread is a total waste. I don't even believe you own a tab.
By saying "you like Android phones" I'm assuming you mean in comparison to the iPhone. Most of the same issues you’re experiencing in an Android vs. iPad tablet comparison apply to a phone comparison also so your statement's kind of confusing.
iOS is so "buttery smooth" because it's locked down like a prison with Apple exerting Orwellian control over the entire eco-system. I bought my G-Tab and paid more than an equivalent iPad because, for what I do, the collection of individual apps works better than the homogenous equivalents on the iPad. And I did that knowing the iPad had a better display and that the UI and navigation were smoother and more mature.
This forum is fascinating because of the disparity in experiences everyone has. I've had two G-Tab's (Wi-Fi and 3G) and never had a force close on either and I have over 50 apps installed. There's occasional stutter and lagginess but I'd say it appears (for me) less than 5% of the time. One huge difference between iOS and Android is that Android, with its limitless ability to be tweaked, can get hosed by people using badly written apps and the use of memory managers, task killers, battery monitors and the like. Every XDA forum I participate in has people *****ing about some function being hosed and then go on to elaborate about all the crap they've done to their device and ****ty low-rent apps they're using. And they don’t understand why their phone’s getting crappy battery life and has tons of issues no one else seems to be experiencing. I guess freedom comes at a price and it can be abused.
I've had a G-Tab in one form or another since August and have been really satisfied with it. I took my new 3G version on a trip over the weekend and it performed flawlessly and got fantastic battery life with 3G active continuously and download speeds of 8MB in TX (vs. less than 1MB for an iPad). I sat across from someone using an iPad on the flight home last night. The local video he was playing was gorgeous. Compared to mine, his WSJ app looked like crap as did Solitaire and a bunch of other stuff I saw him use. Meanwhile, I was streaming Hulu, HBOGO, and TV shows from my home server using the planes Wi-Fi. I can also play music I have stored on my home server, the Amazon cloud, or from the 2K songs I store locally using my $9.99 Rhapsody monthly subscription. All while reading magazines and newspapers using Next Issue and Press Reader. I’d gladly trade options and versatility for “buttery smooth” any day. iOS is great for a subset of device owners because of its constraints and consistency. But those restrictions are why I chose Android. Android can become smoother through s/w and h/w evolution but iOS will never become more open. Hopefully OP bought his G-Tab somewhere with a liberal return policy so he can return it.
BarryH_GEG said:
By saying "you like Android phones" I'm assuming you mean in comparison to the iPhone. Most of the same issues you’re experiencing in an Android vs. iPad tablet comparison apply to a phone comparison also so your statement's kind of confusing.
iOS is so "buttery smooth" because it's locked down like a prison with Apple exerting Orwellian control over the entire eco-system. I bought my G-Tab and paid more than an equivalent iPad because, for what I do, the collection of individual apps works better than the homogenous equivalents on the iPad. And I did that knowing the iPad had a better display and that the UI and navigation were smoother and more mature.
This forum is fascinating because of the disparity in experiences everyone has. I've had two G-Tab's (Wi-Fi and 3G) and never had a force close on either and I have over 50 apps installed. There's occasional stutter and lagginess but I'd say it appears (for me) less than 5% of the time. One huge difference between iOS and Android is that Android, with its limitless ability to be tweaked, can get hosed by people using badly written apps and the use of memory managers, task killers, battery monitors and the like. Every XDA forum I participate in has people *****ing about some function being hosed and then go on to elaborate about all the crap they've done to their device and ****ty low-rent apps they're using. And they don’t understand why their phone’s getting crappy battery life and has tons of issues no one else seems to be experiencing. I guess freedom comes at a price and it can be abused.
I've had a G-Tab in one form or another since August and have been really satisfied with it. I took my new 3G version on a trip over the weekend and it performed flawlessly and got fantastic battery life with 3G active continuously and download speeds of 8MB in TX (vs. less than 1MB for an iPad). I sat across from someone using an iPad on the flight home last night. The local video he was playing was gorgeous. Compared to mine, his WSJ app looked like crap as did Solitaire and a bunch of other stuff I saw him use. Meanwhile, I was streaming Hulu, HBOGO, and TV shows from my home server using the planes Wi-Fi. I can also play music I have stored on my home server, the Amazon cloud, or from the 2K songs I store locally using my $9.99 Rhapsody monthly subscription. All while reading magazines and newspapers using Next Issue and Press Reader. I’d gladly trade options and versatility for “buttery smooth” any day. iOS is great for a subset of device owners because of its constraints and consistency. But those restrictions are why I chose Android. Android can become smoother through s/w and h/w evolution but iOS will never become more open. Hopefully OP bought his G-Tab somewhere with a liberal return policy so he can return it.
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The stuff you speak of is why I have ran Linux exclusively on my PC for close to 5 years now. Yet I think the OP has a point and was just letting out steam. I too was extremely disappointed when I handled the galaxy tab (in my case it was the 8.9) right from boot the experience was horrendous and the UI lagged SOO much it was embarrassing. This first impression was a real turn off for me and I can understand the feeling of someone who gets a device with such awesome hardware only be bugged down with software. Sure you can always improve with tweaks and mods but if android is ever gonna replicate its success on mobile on tablets. Then the out of the box experience most be killer. Having and awesome out of the box experience and ability to further tweak should not be mutually exclusive. The experience I got on my galaxy s2 even with default rom was exquisite. Just breath taking. Even without Modding or installing a custom rom. That's what I expected from honeycomb. Hopefully most of this out of the box issues would be fixed with honeycomb 3.2 and ICS.
Sent from my GT-I9100 using XDA App
I must agree with OP. Its a f****g ambaresment how a product can be released in the state it was when it was in the box. Now after tweaking and rooting and flashing and using it for a couple of months its useable. But it still lags, not all the time , but try installing something form market and then go to homescreen, right then its laggy as hell.
But we all know this by now, so i agree with the rest of you that we have no need for this thread. And if OP just read a little before buying he would have found this info about the tab. Anyways welcome hope you get your tab sorted.
nickwarn said:
I must agree with OP. Its a f****g ambaresment how a product can be released in the state it was when it was in the box. Now after tweaking and rooting and flashing and using it for a couple of months its useable. But it still lags, not all the time , but try installing something form market and then go to homescreen, right then its laggy as hell.
But we all know this by now, so i agree with the rest of you that we have no need for this thread. And if OP just read a little before buying he would have found this info about the tab. Anyways welcome hope you get your tab sorted.
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Same experience here.... I've even rooted my tab and it did improve but not as much as I would of liked, this was a month ago though, so i don't know if anything better has comed out. I've thought about getting an iPad but..... I just can't if it can't play flash.... How the hell could you own a tablet and not watch a simple flash video. So if anyone can give me advice on how to make my 10.1 as smooth as some of you have said, then please do tell me how. I love my Gtab but the lag does really bother me enough to have had to remove all my widgets....
Sent from my Nexus S 4G using XDA App
shoo troll.
Klk450 said:
Same experience here.... I've even rooted my tab and it did improve but not as much as I would of liked, this was a month ago though, so i don't know if anything better has comed out. I've thought about getting an iPad but..... I just can't if it can't play flash.... How the hell could you own a tablet and not watch a simple flash video. So if anyone can give me advice on how to make my 10.1 as smooth as some of you have said, then please do tell me how. I love my Gtab but the lag does really bother me enough to have had to remove all my widgets....
Sent from my Nexus S 4G using XDA App
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Root your tab is only the first step. You need to flash custom rom after you root your tab, then only you can feel the difference.
I just got my tab last week, wifi only version. I can say I'm really satisfied with the performance and I love my tab. The basic steps are:
1. root your tab
2. flash custom rom
That's all you need to do to feel the difference. You can ignore some of the gimmicks, for instance supercharger, overclock kernel and etc that have been mentioned if you have no freaking idea what they are about at the moment. You will pick them up along the way just like I did.
The one tip that everyone here would tell you - READ THE FORUM!
For instance, the first sticky post in the Galaxy Tab 10.1 Android Development is a good read and good resource to get you started. Here's the link if you have no idea where it is (Seriously?): http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1171089
lancer123 said:
I have owned the samsung galaxy 10.1 for approx 2 weeks. I sold my IPAD 2 to purchase as I have always been a fan of android phones. So far, I find the galaxy to be very unpolished. For example, the screens lag when navigating and apps force close to much. When I scroll up and down on the UI, its not smooth as butter like the IPAD. When I change the screen orientation, its very choppy. The IPAD runs circles around this device. I wish it wasnt the case as I wanted to like it. Even the on screen keyboard is hard to type on. Try copying and pasting a sentence. The arrows you use to drag across the words never line up with what is being clicked. I am not sure how anybody finds this device to be a pleasant experience unless you are in denial and I am not talking about the river. Maybe Ice Cream will fix some of the issues. For now, the tablet serves as a perfect example of what happens when technology is rushed to the market without consideration of quality.
I feel better now.
Lance
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I agree with you on most counts, except that I don't have any issues with the onscreen keyboard and don't get force closes. There are some things you can do to improve the user experience (alternate launchers, overclocking etc), however it still won't feel like the iPad.
That being said, there are things you can do with the tablet out of the box which you can't do with an iPad:
- Adobe Flash support
- Emulation apps availability (SNES, DOS, Scumm)
- File / Directory browsing
- UI customization
- Non-market / store applications installation
While I would love the overall UI performance to be on par with the iPad, given a choice between the two I would rather have the above functionality instead. There is also the possibility of Android's UI performance improving in the future with all this functionality retained. In case of Apple, apart from limited UI customization perhaps, the other stuff is just not going to be available ever.
PS: And all that's just out of the box, if you root your device there's some far more interesting stuff you can do with the tablet!
---------- Post added at 01:01 PM ---------- Previous post was at 12:57 PM ----------
pngface said:
My biggest problem though, is the lack of a good pdf app. I've tried tons of them and they are all really slow to load, very jerky pinch to zoom, and slow scrolling. Hope this improves with ICS
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You have probably tried it already, but EZ PDF is pretty good. I am comparing it to GoodReader on the iPad and I don't have any issues with loading / scrolling / flipping / resizing.
Of course, this maybe dependent on the size and content of the PDFs you are using, so YMMV -- I mostly read book-sized documents, mostly text, and it works fine for me.
I recently bought a GalaxyTab and I have to confirm, it is quite laggy - In comparison to an iPad.
There are several things which can drastically improve the situation:
Use ADW Launcher EX
Custom ROM, Like Task650/Phantom Extreme Stock
Overclock (although, this didn't change a lot)
I found that the first two points are the most important. ADW Launcher makes the whole Homescreen and Applauncher absolutely smooth, just like on an iPad. And no, the stock launcher isn't.
It's great how many possibilites we have with Android, but be honest - I'd rather have ICS without any new features, but just great performance increases. Thats why I switched to Windows Phone in the first place - I don't want apple, but I want smooth scrolling, smooth transitions. And now, just because Android has much more possibilites doesn't mean it has the right to be slow and choppy. Take a look at the Windows 8 Developer Preview. My god, this isn't even an ALPHA and boy it's SO SMOOTH, I cried almost when I saw that.
The only reason I bought my Galaxy Tab is, that Microsoft still needs about a year until their first tablets are out - And I hate waiting
So please Google, get your Team together and tell them to START OPTIMIZING.
PS:
ezPDF is quite good - But the UI is horrible, and I miss the feature to insert Pages into a PDF. Mandano seems a lot more polished and faster, but misses a lot of annotation features.
I agree with the original poster. My tab is rooted, custom rom, adw, etc. My wife's ipad is a far smoother experience than this tablet. Would I switch back to the ipad prison? Not in a million years. My tablet does so much more than the ipad. If an example is needed, how about my choice of swype or thumb keyboard.
root your tab and wait for an ICS port... ICS is said to have hardware acceleration. That is the only thing Honeycomb lacks and that is why its not as smooth as the iPad...
OR
Flash a custom ROM such as Overcome 1.2.1 (didnt like 1.2.2 or 1.2.3) or w/e other one suits you and then come back edit the OP with the overall news... don't judge this book by its cover and remember its NOT iOS
A newbie when rooting is involved but i was wondering if you could give me an idea of what tweaks you have made? i'm considering rooting my device but unsure of what i could do to make it better.
Cpt Streamline said:
A newbie when rooting is involved but i was wondering if you could give me an idea of what tweaks you have made? i'm considering rooting my device but unsure of what i could do to make it better.
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Flashing a custom ROM is the big one, will make a huge difference. I am using Task650 & Phantom's "In Paris V4". I also installed pershoot's kernel and overclocked.
The experience
I love my Galaxy Tab in comparison to my previously owned iPad but the reason is simply because I like playing with roms and hacking to get the most of my device. On my iPad, I felt too restricted and forced to use software I didn't like. Yes, some of the apps are better on the iPad and yes, the interface is a bit smoother but it's nowhere near as attractive and it's far too limiting.
A friend of mine equated the iPad experience with being put in a padded room where he can't hurt himself and everything if fluffy and safe feeling. It made me laugh but somewhat sums up the experience. Personally, I'd rather not be spoon fed the experience but would rather create my own and make it about me.
My hope is that ICS will be a significant jump. realistically, Android tablet manufacturers should be trolling these forums for employees who can tweak up their software.. Why they don't do this, one will never know.
Either way, I don't think attacks on the Op are warranted. These forums are here for people to both vent and discuss like the adults we are.

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