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First off, let me say that i'm no fan of Apple and I really can't stand Steve Jobs. Yes, i've bought his products, but I hate being told what to do once I give him my money. I like customization. I like options. Hence, I do not like Steve Jobs.
I was very excited about the Xoom. I checked online every day for information about it since it's announcement. I had very high expectations and, even though the price tag was higher than I wanted to pay, I was the first to buy it at my local Best Buy.
Now, with that being said. I'm coming up on my 14 day return policy and am debating if I should keep it. I am new to this forum and have been reading through all the threads and learned a lot. However, in my learnings, I have also found things that concern me.
To start, let me tell you why I bought it. I had an iPad before and I mainly used it for online browsing around the house. For movies when I go on trips. And I wanted to use the Xoom for all of that, but also as my work and personal organizer. For easy access to business plans and work integration.
Here's where I'm having problems. If these are things that I should expect to be fixed with updates over time, then great. If not, then I'll have to find another option.
1) The Tegra Processor. I read on here that the Tegra Processor is what is preventing the Xoom from playing my divx movies. Now, I have gotten them to work on RockPlayer. But it has that watermark in the top left hand corner and my status bar at the bottom of the xoom never fades out. Also, and this is the biggest problem, the quality doesn't look good. It looks like their is a subtle light grid in the background. Almost like the original LCD's you saw in airports back in the day. When I first heard about the Tegra issues, I was just going to return the Xoom and get another Honeycomb tablet, but then I saw that all of the Android Tablets will have one.
2) The Browser. I did the trips where you go into debug mode and tell the Xoom to view all webpages in Desktop mode, but there are still a few sites that will only show me the mobile mode. Also, I like to have my bookmarks sorted by the order in which I visit them, yet the Xoom seems to randomly organize them for me. Kinda annoying.
3) Accessories. The only thing that I loved about my iPad was not the unit, but the Apple portfolio case. The motorola porfotlio case is just bulky, scratches the unit, and the latch is loose at best. I've found some nice leather cases online, but none that fold over and cover the screen. Yes, I have a screen protector. But, even those I can't find a good one with anti-glare.
4) eMail. I use exchange and apparently my work email is one of the ones that won't work on the xoom. I had to get Roadsync, which is okay, but I just prefer to use the default, integrated email/contacts/calendar programs. My EVO is perfect for this.
5) Widgets. Seriously, what's the deal with having cell phone sized widgets on a 10.1" screen. LauncherPro is nice, but still has custom icons like it's a phone, which I find to be in the way.
I know that most of these things seem small. But when you drop $800 on a device because you expect atleast the same functionality as your smaller cell phone, you come to have higher standards. I knew about Flash and the SD card issue going in, but the rest is bothersome. I know i'm an early adapter and with that comes quirks.
In any case, you all are 1000x smarter than me with this thing. I will take whatever advice you have.
1. Touchdown for tablets is great for email.
2. Some sites might not have updated their pages yet.
3. Apple always gets the third party love but more and more products are coming online everyday check Amazon
4. Being this is Google's flagship devise you have to believe this will be supported with updates and the file types should change
OK, first off, I agree with alot of what you have said, your right the software is a bit buggy at this time, again at this time. What you have to consider is that that this is an android device, and by that I mean it does not have all the overage that alot of companies put out on top of the overall software that make it look nice and neat, to include custom apps and infrastructure, but this also means that it is much easier to update. Half the time lost between when an actual Android update comes out and the time it takes for your device to get that update is due to all the crap that the company puts on top of the original Android infrastructure.
Give it a bit of time and I am sure that most of your problems can be worked out to you satisfaction due to them being software and not hardware problems.
Also take into account that since Motorola chose to use this clean interface it makes it much easier to modify by the hacking community , which is definitely something that an iPad cannot due.
Sent from my Xoom using XDA Premium App
virgil1528 said:
1) The Tegra Processor. I read on here that the Tegra Processor is what is preventing the Xoom from playing my divx movies.
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Click to collapse
Any CPU/GPU can play video so long as it supports the right codecs. Have you tried transcoding to a supported codec?
xlGmanlx said:
1. Touchdown for tablets is great for email.
2. Some sites might not have updated their pages yet.
3. Apple always gets the third party love but more and more products are coming online everyday check Amazon
4. Being this is Google's flagship devise you have to believe this will be supported with updates and the file types should change
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well said.
+1 for Touchdown. It is fantastic for exchange, I use it on both my Evo and Xoom.
If this wasn't a Google Experience device, I'd say your complaints would carry more weight.
However, Google has always done a good job of keeping their GE devices updated and at the forefront.
This device only just came out, I'm fairly sure they will get things handled fairly quickly.
As far as the apps/widgets go. This is still a new device and platform. All android tablets are going to suffer from the same right now. However...again... this issue is largely due to the limited time the device/platform has been available. Within a few weeks...I'm sure we'll see a lot more apps/widgets (even the ipad had limited selection out right). Just think of what it'll be like in a couple of weeks/months with more custom apps/roms/kernels etc...
I had buyers remorse for the first evening...not for any particular reason...and now I can't put it down. Not to mention my wife (who has an iPad), won't shut-up about when she is getting her Xoom
So I would say hang on to it, but that's just me. Do what makes you happy
I've come to the decision that I'll be taking mine back on the 13th day.
I've tried to really give it love and get use out of it, but tablets just don't really fill any niche except "web browsing on the couch".
I'm a sysadmin by day, and although I've carried the Xoom with me every time I step away from my desk, it just hasn't served a single purpose on the job. I had imagined it would be neat to dial into servers using RDP, but the interface is just horrible. I'm much better off just dialing into the server in question at any desk I'm in front of. I'm never more than 8-12 feet from a desktop machine, so there goes that.
Pulse news reader is basically the killer app, but is hardly worth 1000 (799 + tax + extra charger + 129 protection plan against drops for 1yr + case).
Motorola certainly hasn't won me over on the price especially considering I prepaid for it on the first day I could (at two different best buys just to cover bases), and then people who *DIDN'T* do that had a chance at 200 dollars off that was honored in the end. Ridiculous.
I had intended to pick up android development for tablets eventually, but I can hold off and stick with honing my Python until these come way down in price or offer some more functionality.
That's too bad, this has taken over as my laptop and let's me have a mobile office so to speak
For RDP I use Remote RDP light and it works credibly, but if your looking for true RDP functionality then you have to have a mouse and keyboard, and guess what, you bought a tablet with a touch screen interface, you can buy a Bluetooth keyboard and mouse if you want, but that just means more devices to carry around. A tablet, any tablet, will not be the proper interface for RDP, it can't, it is not a PC with all the perifials. A tablet, as far as RDP is concerned, is a device to do what you have to do when a PC is not around and a cell phone is impractical. As a network administrator I can do some of the emergency things that I need to accomplish while out on the town with my tablet, reading a book, surfing the web, commenting on a blog, watching a movie, all without lugging a laptop.
Sent from my Xoom using XDA Premium App
Yeah, unless you wanted to leave the mouse and just use the tablet as a touch screen with a keyboard your better off with a laptop. But like you said in a pinch its tough too beat
richardjr said:
For RDP I use Remote RDP light and it works credibly, but if your looking for true RDP functionality then you have to have a mouse and keyboard, and guess what, you bought a tablet with a touch screen interface, you can buy a Bluetooth keyboard and mouse if you want, but that just means more devices to carry around. A tablet, any tablet, will not be the proper interface for RDP, it can't, it is not a PC with all the perifials. A tablet, as far as RDP is concerned, is a device to do what you have to do when a PC is not around and a cell phone is impractical. As a network administrator I can do some of the emergency things that I need to accomplish while out on the town with my tablet, reading a book, surfing the web, commenting on a blog, watching a movie, all without lugging a laptop.
Sent from my Xoom using XDA Premium App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Keep the tab. U will love it in 6 months when everything is revamped
Sent from my Xoom using XDA App
Usmc7356 said:
Keep the tab. U will love it in 6 months when everything is revamped
Sent from my Xoom using XDA App
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Click to collapse
I don't imagine I'll walk away and never look back, but now I know what they're good for (and not good for) and when the price wars drive these down to 400ish I'll scoop one up again. : /
Not all tablets are create equal, and sometimes it takes having one first hand to validate all the information out there and how it applies to your situation
ixobelle said:
I don't imagine I'll walk away and never look back, but now I know what they're good for (and not good for) and when the price wars drive these down to 400ish I'll scoop one up again. : /
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Return your Xoom and buy it in 6 months for cheaper price
Or probably there will be a new kind of better Honeycomb tablet at that time.
Usmc7356 said:
Keep the tab. U will love it in 6 months when everything is revamped
Sent from my Xoom using XDA App
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Click to collapse
codeman05 said:
Well said.
+1 for Touchdown. It is fantastic for exchange, I use it on both my Evo and Xoom.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I downloaded the free version of Touchdown this morning after reading this thread. Could you explain to me why it is so great? I haven't had time to use it extensively but maybe you can quickly list some advantages over the stock mail client?
Thanks!
I understand your frustration and you ultimately need to do what makes you feel most comfortable. Most of your issues are software related and you know things can only get better with updates. Google has a lot riding on Honeycomb so I expect updates to come fast and often.
1) The Tegra Processor - Seems like your issue is not with the Tegra but with how the codecs handle Divx. Software update could fix this but also developers can do wonders.
2) The Browser - Software update again. The browser is a great starting point and, with some minor tweaks, will be fantastic.
3) Accessories - As more Xooms sell, more 3rd parties will have a business case to make accessories for it. I'm thinking that when the Xoom wifi and Xoom for Europe are released (indications say that will happen at the same time) then we'll see a flood of new 3rd party goodies.
4) eMail - Software update. ALTHOUGH, I'm not 100% sure this is a priority for Google. People complain that they wish the AOSP phones went a step further with their Exchange implementations. Still, the chances are you'll be ok moving forward.
5) Widgets - This is a microcosm of the entire app market right now for Honeycomb. Devs need to start updating their apps with Tablets in mind. Again, more people owning Honeycomb, more reasons for devs to get on it.
The point I'm trying to make is the only way for the Xoom to go is up. As more people buy, more attention the aftermarket will pay to it. If previous Android versions are any indication (and they are,) this is a snowball effect. It'll just get bigger and bigger.
As to the RDP: I use the XtraLogic Remote Desktop app and it works wonderfully, completed designed around the touch interface.
Between Remote Desktop and ConnectBot, I've found a million uses for this as a sysadmin. I don't know how you haven't found a single use for it.
I am looking for a tab(like) device for a christmas present for each of my boys. We travel a lot to family and they are used to playing their DSs and PSPs but would the KF be a solid replacement (emulators...)? Battery life/durability/price and fuctionality will be the deciding factor. They enjoy games (birds and such) on my phone and using my phone as a wifi HS in the car, it makes sence not to spend the extra money for a 3G tab.
If the KF is not the answer would a NC(rooted) be a more acceptable item?
Other ideas?
Thanks
Why would you want to replace the PSPs and DSs? Are the boys unhappy with them? Both devices have a solid backing.
In general, I think the Fire would probably work out ok, especially since you do a buy-once-share-to-all on apps, books, and music (I'm assuming each boy gets his own).
get them the new ps vita (new psp) that's coming out for the holidays.
Sent from my Incredible 2 using xda premium
Two use their DSi(s) and the PSP has gone by the wayside. I am pushing the tab issue due to is versitility (apps/learning/games/music/video). I dont feel they are ready for their own laptop. Ages are 12,11,10,9,7 .... 3 and 5 months but the later two are not considered in the equation, unless someone pops up with a water proof model.
I have been looking at the NC, I dont have an issue rooting it and making it more versitile.
The Fire wouldn't be a bad way to go for what you want, but myself, I would go ahead with the laptop instead. Snag a couple of older models for $100 or so off Craigslist, let them get the hang of things on before handing them something nicer.
Little812 said:
Two use their DSi(s) and the PSP has gone by the wayside. I am pushing the tab issue due to is versitility (apps/learning/games/music/video). I dont feel they are ready for their own laptop. Ages are 12,11,10,9,7 .... 3 and 5 months but the later two are not considered in the equation, unless someone pops up with a water proof model.
I have been looking at the NC, I dont have an issue rooting it and making it more versitile.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My 2 year old daughter loves the Nook Color and iPad. On the iPad she can wake it, unlock it, swipe to the page she wants and launch apps. I suspect the fire will be just as easy. the Nook Color takes more work to make it toddler friendly. But your kids are old enough that either the NC or Fire would be easy to pick up. I personally would pick the Fire over the Color if I had to pick. The experience isn't as smooth as I hope it will be on the Fire. I would guess because it's essentially a hacked together piece of kit and a slower processor.
I think you'll have an easier time deciding when all the reviews come out.
But I can tell you that my nephews absolutely love the rooted nook color they have and the Kindle Fire will almost certainly be better.
For your kids? I'd wait and read User Reviews and not the Professionals once the device is out for a while.
A lot of semi-negative info is floating around on "scalability" and what it can or cannot do (the AF, that is).
Kids get bored quickly and a device (any device) that one cannot modify, add to or otherwise personalize may or may not be a good long term solution.
Thanks all around. The wife and I discussed it last night and we are going to wait before pre-ordering and look at some reviews.
Thank you all for your responses.
FYI: Nook Color refurb for $149 at Buy.com
They're not really refurb, they're new units with full 1-yr warranty from B&N. They're labeled that way presumably to clear inventory w/o impacting the official price.
I've gotten 3 refurbs from various discount vendors, and they've always been new. Since I open up my electronics to tinker, it's easy to tell when a device is new as vs been serviced.
http://www.buy.com/prod/nook-color-...ed/q/loc/111/221376447.html?sellerId=31227291
The good thing about the NC over the KF is that it's already supported by CM, and when ICS drops, it'll be one of the first to get it.
I just bought 3 of these (after buying one,) for my boys - 11, 9, and 8.
These are really ideal for kids, especially since you can easily limit their access to stuff if you choose to.
If you know how to hack these, then they are REALLY ideal. You can remove the Silk Browser (or, move it somewhere where it can't easily be found.)
They DO NOT have access to the Google Market - Good THING!
By disabling one-click, you can allow them to download free apps, but not spend any money - IDEAL.
You can setup e-mail on them pretty easily.
They can watch Netflix, Hulu (watch out for age appropriate content - Hulu doesn't limit this as yet,) or even certain shows on Amazon, if you have Prime.
They can read eBooks from the Amazon store, or check out eBooks from the local library.
Kids aren't usually as picky about interfaces. The Bookshelf Launcher is perfect for them.
kindly need help if the lower price of this is worth it?
Sent from my GT-I9100 using XDA Premium App
If you do not mind relying on Amazons storage cloud and the Amazon store front for everything, the $200 is a good price. Catch is you need to be around wifi most of the time for practical use of the device.
The Nook is more flexible and not cloud reliance, but $50 more and slower device (most would not notice this unless playing higher encoded video or Flash).
Seems if you do not mind paying a "little" more, the $300 Flyer is the best bet:
1. 8gb more storage
2. card slot for more storage
3. 512mb more ram
4. Based on the Droid 3 and Archos 90 (both same chipset and ram as Fire), the Flyer is a lot faster.
Still, if you are cool with the cloud and an Apple-like iTunes captive environment, the Fire is ok for $200.
lenovo A1 is
199$ for 2 gb
250$ for 16 gb.
single cor 1 ghz processor (I believe it's a little faster than nook)
runs full android 2.3 (if it catches on, there will probably be an ICS rom available)
two cameras (front and back)
7 hour bat life for browsing.
GPS (doesn't need data)
Expandable storage (no relying on cloud)
I'm still hard pressed to buy a kindle 8gb with no options is a really steep gamble.. Not having wifi in a car ride/whatever else means if you have a long trip, you have no storage..
More full featured than nook at same price..
Snow_fox said:
Not having wifi in a car ride/whatever else means if you have a long trip, you have no storage..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
A rooted android phone solves this, right?
mikecyber said:
A rooted android phone solves this, right?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
To access cloud storage yes. For many Android phones, you don't even have to be rooted to tether. I personally like the dual boot nature of the NC. Don't need to even root it to run CM on it.
mikecyber said:
Snow_fox said:
Not having wifi in a car ride/whatever else means if you have a long trip, you have no storage..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
A rooted android phone solves this, right?
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Click to collapse
Maybe, but not necessarily. My Kindle 3 can only access infrastructure wifi and is NOT able to use my phone's ad-hoc wifi network. The same was true of my fire sale HP Touchpad, which I resold for that reason.
I very much hope the Kindle Fire can use ad-hoc wifi; if not, I'll be returning it pretty quickly.
po96od said:
Maybe, but not necessarily. My Kindle 3 can only access infrastructure wifi and is NOT able to use my phone's ad-hoc wifi network. The same was true of my fire sale HP Touchpad, which I resold for that reason.
I very much hope the Kindle Fire can use ad-hoc wifi; if not, I'll be returning it pretty quickly.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry dont mean to hijack this thread I just had one question. The HP touchpad cant connect to a phones wireless teather signal? If that's true I may have to wait for the kindle fire to see if that can. I was just about to buy a touchpad. Thank you!
po96od said:
Maybe, but not necessarily. My Kindle 3 can only access infrastructure wifi and is NOT able to use my phone's ad-hoc wifi network. The same was true of my fire sale HP Touchpad, which I resold for that reason.
I very much hope the Kindle Fire can use ad-hoc wifi; if not, I'll be returning it pretty quickly.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Gents,
as far as I remember Android 2.2+ has a tethering option in Settings, that means:
1. U don't need rooting
2. U obtain a real access point (not ad-hoc!) to connect any wi-fi device.
Not to rain on the parade, but some carriers will charge you if they catch you tethering..
Also, after playing with the flyer, I can honestly say if you want a serious tablet, it is the way to go.
andybess22 said:
Sorry dont mean to hijack this thread I just had one question. The HP touchpad cant connect to a phones wireless teather signal? If that's true I may have to wait for the kindle fire to see if that can. I was just about to buy a touchpad. Thank you!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's quite true. Someone did eventually find a workaround, but it's pretty labor intensive and is limited to creating an open, unencrypted network, not so good for use in public places.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=17566563
---------- Post added at 08:25 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:55 PM ----------
tatuk said:
Gents,
as far as I remember Android 2.2+ has a tethering option in Settings, that means:
1. U don't need rooting
2. U obtain a real access point (not ad-hoc!) to connect any wi-fi device.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Using the Wifi hotspot on the vast majority of phones does require either rooting or paying your carrier a monthly fee to unlock the feature.
Iirc from when I researched this a few months ago, the network type (ad hoc vs. infrastructure) varied from phone to phone. People with different phones reported different results on the Touchpad forum I was frequenting at the time.
Newer versions of Android WiFi tether for Root users will create an infrastructure AP instead of ad-hoc, however, not all phones are supported. Definitely works on the EVO and the DInc, not sure about others.
I think the question is more what ecosystem do you like. The Fire is designed to lock you to the Amazon ecosystem, like the iPad is to Apple's, and the Nook Color to B&N's.
The Amazon ecosystem has Prime which has a great collection of free movies and TV shows with a Prime membership ($80). Amazon also has some free apps and their Market is growing day by day. The NC has a smaller but good market, but lacks in the area of media.
This all assumes you do not need to root your device and add an third party ROM. The NC is proven quantity in the area with CM7 and other ROMS. The Fire is unknown, it may never be rooted, or like the Transformer rooted for a while, and then locked. But, rooting comes with a lot of extra maintenance on the end user. When it is rooted, I really do not know week to week which features are going to work on my NC.
If u keep trying to upgrade ur rom then u are not using ur device as a tablet.. u are testing roms..
I have loaded a stable cm7 release for past 3 months and have never felt the need to upgrade. The rooted CM7 rom is far superior to the original BN rom due to its support of overclocking, without which NC is too laggy and frustrating to use.
jerrykur said:
This all assumes you do not need to root your device and add an third party ROM. The NC is proven quantity in the area with CM7 and other ROMS. The Fire is unknown, it may never be rooted, or like the Transformer rooted for a while, and then locked. But, rooting comes with a lot of extra maintenance on the end user. When it is rooted, I really do not know week to week which features are going to work on my NC.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
between the kindle and the nook I don't think there's much to think... Kindle all the way!
even tho it "locks" you to amazon, I'd rather be locked to Amazon than to B&N...
and you can always install a custom rom and get rid of the fire's rom
felipefill said:
between the kindle and the nook I don't think there's much to think... Kindle all the way!
even tho it "locks" you to amazon, I'd rather be locked to Amazon than to B&N...
and you can always install a custom rom and get rid of the fire's rom
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You are presuming the AF will be "rootable" allowing for a custom ROM. That is a bit premature. I would be more than surprised if Amazon didn't learn from B&N and devise a method of thwarting any attempt to root the AF and locking out Amazon.
"Locked In"/"Locked Out" = no choices
Lets put it this way:
Kindle Fire Pros: Superior hardware
Kindle Fire cons: "locked" to amazon, no SD slot, possibility of no dev support(at time of post)
Nook Color Pros: SD slot, active development.
Nook Color cons: Inferior hardware
That about right? I want a Fire, but can't jump on without root/roms available.
Sent from my SPH-D700 using Tapatalk
Since my girlfriend has a nook, I am just going to throw this out there right now.
We put CM7 on it, and she isn't looking back to the stock software.
After seeing what all amazon prime has to offer, and the fact that I get a free app a day from Amazon.. I will say that I personally think it is leaps and bounds better than the B&N market.
For 80$ a year.. Amazon Prime offers a *lot* and I don't want to be stuck in their ecosystem, but honestly.. they at least make it worth it.
If your not objecting to spending a little more money than a nook, but a lot less than an ipad.. The htc flyer (as another user has suggested multiple times) is a sexy piece of kit.
Nook is very nice with CM7, but the CM7 for nook isn't nearly as polished as it is for my captivate. I do understand there are good reasons for that fact, but it doesn't change the fact that it is over all less polished than the phone version.
I am not trying to push the flyer just to push the flyer, but honestly.. if you want a tablet.. don't screw yourself and get a product your unhappy with. Get a tablet from the beginning and be done with it. I know we are modders here and the "we can make it work" mentality is very present. I am also aware amazon isn't going to actively try to stop devs from rooting or roming the fire.. However, It still doesn't have much internal memory, or even the ability to expand the memory. It is just flat our problematic for serious use, even with drop box and amazon cloud, because now your literally anchored to wifi spots.
I would be really weary of the nook honestly. It is 50$ more than the kindle fire, the B&N ecosystem needs some serious overhauling in terms of whats offered, and even the CM7 as nice as it is, really doesn't compare to the htc flyer stock.
epakrat75 said:
To access cloud storage yes. For many Android phones, you don't even have to be rooted to tether. I personally like the dual boot nature of the NC. Don't need to even root it to run CM on it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You don't pay a dime for tether,on a rooted phone all day use.i have two tabs already 7 and 10 inch samsung.i tether most of the day five day a week.flawless way to go.i only buy wifi only devices because of this.For the price the fire is a great deal.the cloud is a sweet way to go for videos ,music.It does not use any of your gigs.
simply ginger
tatuk said:
Gents,
as far as I remember Android 2.2+ has a tethering option in Settings, that means:
1. U don't need rooting
2. U obtain a real access point (not ad-hoc!) to connect any wi-fi device.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you root you dont pay for a tether plan with your phone company.all day brother.
simply ginger
skeeterpro said:
You are presuming the AF will be "rootable" allowing for a custom ROM. That is a bit premature. I would be more than surprised if Amazon didn't learn from B&N and devise a method of thwarting any attempt to root the AF and locking out Amazon.
"Locked In"/"Locked Out" = no choices
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yes, I'm presuming that...
Has anyone successfully made an unrootable android device?
Ps: I'm not being rude, that's actually a question that I don't know the answer...
Sent from my OMNIA7 using XDA Windows Phone 7 App
Looking for a tab for my wife. Not only does she get a gift, but I get something to tinker with =)
There's a nook tablet in the trunk of my car. The hardware specs were better, and with the nook color's history, well...I leaped before I looked. The bootloader lockdown makes me a sad panda.
See, I dont want a weaksauce e-reader. I want a tablet! So, with a KF, I can put CM 7 on it (is that a honeycomb build?) and I'll basically have an acceptable tablet experience.
Should I return the nook? Does CM7 run stably on this thing? Are the hardware limitations (esp the lack of sd card port) really that restricting? Should I perhaps buy an actual tablet like a galaxy tab or a xoom?
I appreciate your input!
Duely blundered from my thunderdolt
CM7 is not running with sound, if she can handle that....
This sounds like getting her a shirt in your size and style for Christmas, not much of a gift imo.
Get her something SHE wants, not something YOU want.
(that said, I really like my Kindle Fire. I have not rooted as I actually like the amazon interface and it does everything I want it to do by sideloading apps off of my phone through dropbox. Read all of the issues people are having after rooting or messing with this or that before you get crazy with her device)
Rooting itself is trivial...
I got one of these for my wife.... She had a real hard time using it, not because there was Any issues with the unit, actually it did everything she wanted... The trouble was when she wanted to use it, she had to pry it out of my hands.
I got my own.
While I didn't root her's before I did it on mine, that was more because she didn't need anything other than what it came with. And I wanted to make sure I was not going to mess something up.
So I did all the experimenting on mine, and after doing that, I had no issues with rooting hers to add some "extras". She just keeps it in unroot mode to do all her stuff and stays in the default UI that comes with the Kindle Fire.
At $199 (actually I got mine for $123), it is hard to justify not just getting your own and let her have the present you provided.
I think it is a way cool device... and play with (my own) all the time. She uses her's daily for ebooks, videos, netflix etc..
+1 don't buy her toys for yourself.
I got my wife a Nook Color a few months back that she uses daily. She'd call out a hit on me if I so much as thought of rooting it. I think it's still on 1.3 firmware, but I'm not going near it to find out.
Thanks for the input.
I see what you guys are saying, but it's not what you think. A lot of her family members have gotten ipads, and she wouldn't mind getting a tablet too. We mutually agreed that 500 was too much, and well, I dont subscribe to the maccult.
She always steals my phone to play games on. I have a thunderbolt, and she has an iphone 4. She once made mention that if she could get her favorite games from my phone on a tablet of her own...well, now that would be something.
Since an N64 emulator capable of playing Mario 64 (one of the allures of my phone for her) isn't included off the bat, I'm merely saying I'll enjoy doing the needed mods to this thing.
At 200 or 250 a pop, the price is right, no?
Duely blundered from my thunderdolt
Dannar said:
Thanks for the input.
I see what you guys are saying, but it's not what you think. A lot of her family members have gotten ipads, and she wouldn't mind getting a tablet too. We mutually agreed that 500 was too much, and well, I dont subscribe to the maccult.
She always steals my phone to play games on. I have a thunderbolt, and she has an iphone 4. She once made mention that if she could get her favorite games from my phone on a tablet of her own...well, now that would be something.
Since an N64 emulator capable of playing Mario 64 (one of the allures of my phone for her) isn't included off the bat, I'm merely saying I'll enjoy doing the needed mods to this thing.
At 200 or 250 a pop, the price is right, no?
Duely blundered from my thunderdolt
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sideloading is enabled by default on the Fire, so you could load emulators and whatever off-market apps you like without much effort.
Definitely get the KF over the NT if you plan on toying around with it. The Fire's development has picked up in the past few days and I'm sure we'll see a fully working ROM (hopefully CM9) very soon.
I personally have an Acer A100, but got one of my less tech inclined friends to buy a Fire and let me tinker with it until I'm satisfied, then I'll turn it over. So I can definitely relate to the allure of toying around with someone else's devices.
Root it, install Go Launcher EX, install Android market, install Dolphin browser, install Swype, then unroot.
Configure go launcher ex to your taste, then make it the default desktop. Make Dolphin the default browser.
You now have a tablet with the best of both worlds, as you can access all of the Amazon content, including prime videos.
littleemp said:
Definitely get the KF over the NT if you plan on toying around with it. The Fire's development has picked up in the past few days and I'm sure we'll see a fully working ROM (hopefully CM9) very soon.
I personally have an Acer A100, but got one of my less tech inclined friends to buy a Fire and let me tinker with it until I'm satisfied, then I'll turn it over. So I can definitely relate to the allure of toying around with someone else's devices.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This.
As a previously very happy Nook Color owner, I was hoping that the NT would get hacked, but that effort seems to have stalled and all the devs are jumping on the NT bandwagon.
Even if the NT gets hacked in 1-2 months, all the devs seem to be getting Kindle Fires now ... and I know from experience that ROM development with only 1-2 devs is not pretty (especially if they eventually lose interest in your device).
I would also get a kindle fire over a nook just because there will be ;ore developpers dedicated to the device. Although, look around the web, HP is going to sell a few touchpads for 99$ on ebay Friday, so you might check it out.
Just wanted to know if you guys are still rooting for Barnes & Noble and it's product development efforts.
Check Engadget's hands-on videos here:
Nook HD
http://www.engadget.com/2012/09/26/barnes-and-nobles-nook-hd-7-inch-android-tablet-hands-on-video
Nook HD+
http://www.engadget.com/2012/09/26/barnes-and-noble-announces-nook-hd-9-inch-tablet-we-go-hands-on/
I personally thinking about getting the Nook HD which looks really great... but then again, the Nexus 7 has a front-facing camera. I'm still thinking about it.
Looks awesome, if you're a tinkerer. Assuming it's rootable and there are good ROMs for it. I don't think it's going to do so well with the average consumer though. B&N just doesn't have the clout to provide the best user experience. The price alone is pretty compelling though. Yes, having no camera is sad, how often do you really use it though? Plus the Nook has an SD Card slot which is so cherished by many.
I'm considering purchasing my first tablet, and I'm on the fence between the Nook HD+ and the Kindle Fire HD 8.9. The biggest influencing factor for me is how much/often it gets quality ROM releases, which is impossible to predict. If I knew the Nook would get good ROMs, the price would be the deciding factor. I would jump on it instantly. Right now I'm leaning toward the Nook, and hoping the ROMs will come.
The HD+ looks great! Lets hope for an unlocked bootloader. the $269 for a 16GB model makes it a winner in the 9" category.
{I do hope that they 'll make available to European buyers this time}
Pluses for me:
1) Price - both the HD and HD+
2) Relatively light weight
3) Expandable micro-SD storage
Minuses:
1) (and a big one) proprietary connector!
2) +/- locked bootloader (probably like Nook Tablet). Not impossible to work around, just harder.
Lack of front-facing camera (on the HD+ especially) is a meh for me. Would make sense if the Nooks had a built-in Skype-style app.
Just my $0.02.
New BN Tablets
A Mighty "Hooray"!!!
I actually cannot believe that my long wait for an affordable HD tablet with an 8.9 (actually 9 inch) screen is now here courtesy of BN!
Having a screen that was the size equivalent of a "trade paper (back)" has always been my goal for both reading and video purposes.
Under $300., with excellent performance stats, and with at least ICS 4.0 makes my mouth water. No camera is simply not an issue for me and with my Galaxy Nexus, tethering is a breeze for those few times when I might need cellular access.
I cannot imagine what a rooted version with JB would be like. I would want at bare minimum to have this be dual bootable, especially in light of the "potential" of the new BN video service.
Of course one needs to see some thorough reviews first but this is the first unit to meet all of my internalized criteria to move me off of my original and rooted (dual boot) NC. Hardware "dreams" can all too frequently become major disappointments!
I am currently running both 1.4.2 and CM 7.2 with both dual booted from the internal eMMc. I do almost all of my book reading with it. It is a tolerable form to use (size wise) in terms of my personal reading experience (also video). Have never liked it for magazine viewing or browsing.
9.7-10.1 have always been larger than I wanted to tote around and this new HD+ now has nailed my personal "sweetspot"!
Looking forward to seeing how it performs in the real world and how quickly it can be rooted and modified.
I was just getting ready to step up tot he table when I saw the emails today.
Now I just don't know, I think I will wait and see if it can be rooted. I use my Kindle app way too often
to not have it anymore. My rooted Nook Color will have to suffice, I'm sure that the devs will get on this one soon!
I don't want to give up my Nook Color case though! LOL
It has the same weak point as the previous Nooks (which I have been happy with for 2 years)
How hard is it to add a Microphone (for Skype, Free Phone Calls, Voice Search etc)?
That would make it perfect, without a need for another device.
traumadog said:
Minuses:
1) (and a big one) proprietary connector!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
B&N claims the proprietary connector lets the tablet charge faster, if that eases your conscience. But we all know it's just a way to get people to spend on accessories.
my only qualms is the lack of a camera....
if they are truly trying to target Amazon and try to compete they need to include a Camera on the tablet at least....not necessarily the HD but c'mon...9" tab without a camera....a lot of people won't buy it simple because of that...i'm not one of those people but it still will deter customers...
other than that...price and looks and specs are all top notch imo and if i do upgrade to a bigger tablet i will probably go with the HD+
foshoshin said:
B&N claims the proprietary connector lets the tablet charge faster, if that eases your conscience. But we all know it's just a way to get people to spend on accessories.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The only positive of this one is that the previous super-duper multipin connector broke so easily that heck, I'm happy to try another type of connector if it actually might not break off after a few weeks of use.
Overall though...if the boot loader can be cracked (presuming there is one, which I suspect there will be since B&N just doesn't get they'd be a lot better off incentivizing people to buy product rather than attempting to force them to when they just don't have the inventory to compete) $299 for a 32 GB 256 DPI is somewhat ridiculous. Glad I haven't bitten on the Nexus 7, and we'll have to see how the big Kindle with the small data plan looks, but B&N may have just done it again on the performance/price point game even if this is never going to appeal to the plug it in and turn it on market.
What's a chance of this thing getting a CM10? I want a good high res 9inch android tablet with sd slot for a while now. Well I would prefer SDXC over microSD though. If this one have lock bootloader, then what can we expect? Decrapified ICS maybe?
Bluetooth?
Anyone know if any of the new Nooks have BT - seems that they will be missing a lot if they do not. Samsung, IPad, Google, etc. mostly all have Bluetooth.
docfreed said:
Anyone know if any of the new Nooks have BT - seems that they will be missing a lot if they do not. Samsung, IPad, Google, etc. mostly all have Bluetooth.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Many sources I found are saying that they do indeed have bluetooth.
Unless you had developers mad scrambling to code up a new locked bootloader, I would assume the new nook tablet HD will come with the same bootloader as the one on the nook tablet that is already out now, which has the bootloader already cracked. If that is the case then it would be ready for customizing with a custom firmware as soon as it is released.
From the way some of the developers are working away with the cyanoboot app for the nook tablet I would assume the new nook tablet HD will come with the same bootloader, their has been lots of activity up in the nook tablet XDA forums recently with that app.
I am seriously thinking of getting the new nook tablet HD when it comes out here in a few months just for the hardware specs.
~~~~~~~~~~~
If you guys want to try to get cyanogenmod endorsed for this upcoming device I made a few threads up in the cyanogenmod forums at these links here you should start bumping. http://forum.cyanogenmod.com/topic/59466-nook-tablet-discussion-thread/
And this thread here too. http://forum.cyanogenmod.com/topic/59468-request-cm-10-and-cm-11-for-the-nook-tablet/
~~~~~~~~
Bumping those threads over in cyanogenmod showing some interest in getting a forum up for the nook tablet and the new nook tablet HD would help get things rolling for this new device. I feel this new nook tablet HD has lots of potential with others helping out to become the next new device to develop on, like how the nook color took off last year.
Who doesn't love car analogies?
I'm guessing u-boot (the bootloader) on the Nook HD will be locked down, just as the NT was, and that they will have made bauwks' hack impossible. I think the security tends to improve (from their point of view) with each iteration, so I assume bauwks' bootloader bug-fix will have been undone.
I happen to believe the N7 is a far, FAR superior tablet option for just about everyone. IMO, the Nook and KFire are a bit like selling you a sports car with the tires removed and brake pedal welded down and marketing it as a four seat, five-speaker CD-player (that only plays BN and Amazon CDs). And Amazon's "radio" plays ads when you turn it on.
This is the reason I've never bought (indeed, never used) a NookTablet, and have no intention of buying or using a locked KFire either. I find the artificial restriction to use the product to its full capability to be extremely condescending and cynical to the customer. And I see the locked bootloader as a major design flaw. Yes, Amazon and BN need have to have a business model to make money, and I support their right to do so. But notice that Google actually trusts its customers -- even encourages them-- to experiment and push the boundries of what they think you can do with YOUR computer that you bought with YOUR money. It's almost like Google actually believe in themselves as a company... trusting that they have a good software experience and content offerings that beat the competition. And they may be right. Because, it's funny-- with all the hackers out there, I haven't yet heard of any N7 (or any device) owner who elected to "close down" their tablets with an effort to try to run BN's or Amazon's OS so they can experience the fully-limited, tightly-controlled e-book experience.
Anyway, the above is just my opinion at the moment. Who knows, maybe I'll be pleasantly surprised and the Nook HDs will be unlocked... but I doubt it.
meteorrock said:
Unless you had developers mad scrambling to code up a new locked bootloader, I would assume the new nook tablet HD will come with the same bootloader as the one on the nook tablet that is already out now, which has the bootloader already cracked. If that is the case then it would be ready for customizing with a custom firmware as soon as it is released.
From the way some of the developers are working away with the cyanoboot app for the nook tablet I would assume the new nook tablet HD will come with the same bootloader, their has been lots of activity up in the nook tablet XDA forums recently with that app.
I am seriously thinking of getting the new nook tablet HD when it comes out here in a few months just for the hardware specs.
~~~~~~~~~~~
If you guys want to try to get cyanogenmod endorsed for this upcoming device I made a few threads up in the cyanogenmod forums at these links here you should start bumping. http://forum.cyanogenmod.com/topic/59466-nook-tablet-discussion-thread/
And this thread here too. http://forum.cyanogenmod.com/topic/59468-request-cm-10-and-cm-11-for-the-nook-tablet/
~~~~~~~~
Bumping those threads over in cyanogenmod showing some interest in getting a forum up for the nook tablet and the new nook tablet HD would help get things rolling for this new device. I feel this new nook tablet HD has lots of potential with others helping out to become the next new device to develop on, like how the nook color took off last year.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Fattire just erased all my doubts about getting the N7. My mind's made up! I'll go and get the N7!!!
Sent from my BlackBerry 9700 using Tapatalk
fattire said:
I'm guessing u-boot (the bootloader) on the Nook HD will be locked down, just as the NT was, and that they will have made bauwks' hack impossible. I think the security tends to improve (from their point of view) with each iteration, so I assume bauwks' bootloader bug-fix will have been undone.
I happen to believe the N7 is a far, FAR superior tablet option for just about everyone. IMO, the Nook and KFire are a bit like selling you a sports car with the tires removed and brake pedal welded down and marketing it as a four seat, five-speaker CD-player (that only plays BN and Amazon CDs). And Amazon's "radio" plays ads when you turn it on.
This is the reason I've never bought (indeed, never used) a NookTablet, and have no intention of buying or using a locked KFire either. I find the artificial restriction to use the product to its full capability to be extremely condescending and cynical to the customer. And I see the locked bootloader as a major design flaw. Yes, Amazon and BN need have to have a business model to make money, and I support their right to do so. But notice that Google actually trusts its customers -- even encourages them-- to experiment and push the boundries of what they think you can do with YOUR computer that you bought with YOUR money. It's almost like Google actually believe in themselves as a company... trusting that they have a good software experience and content offerings that beat the competition. And they may be right. Because, it's funny-- with all the hackers out there, I haven't yet heard of any N7 (or any device) owner who elected to "close down" their tablets with an effort to try to run BN's or Amazon's OS so they can experience the fully-limited, tightly-controlled e-book experience.
Anyway, the above is just my opinion at the moment. Who knows, maybe I'll be pleasantly surprised and the Nook HDs will be unlocked... but I doubt it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well spoken. The only thing that holds me back from getting a Nexus though is the limited storage space. But others might not be so picky on storage. I just love the additional storage space on the nook series and that they give you that microSD slot. 64 GB storage on top of the 8 GB on the nook color I have right now.
I am the kind of kid that needs at least 100 full music albums and 20 or so more movies on the go, and riding on the school bus does not supply wifi for that cloud of theirs. Yet I know I am the minority. Give me moar storage, lol. I know lots of others living in rural areas and/or traveling in parts of the world not covered by wi-fi also find that extra storage given by the included microSD card slot is a must have. And that is TONS of people.
~~~~~~~~
So nexus 7 is also trying to shut out a part of their business to others by limiting storage on their top devices, and not including an internal storage slot. I am sure they know that or they would of released a device to include more additional storage for others.
Thanks for helping develop for us in any case <fattire> I hope to see you develop on the nook tablet too. { Non cynical comment of course }
~~~~~~~~~~
You are right on that locked boot-loader, did not think of that. I am sure they will submit a patch on that locked boot-loader to defeat that hack. Such a shame. There might be some tablet being developed right now by Google that will give others the option to add storage and the newest android builds, I just do not understand why its taking so long or if they are deliberately holding back on releasing such of a device to force others into "cloud" use. I am sure it does not cost that much to implement that hardware on a device, I would buy it even at a few dollars more.
docfreed said:
Anyone know if any of the new Nooks have BT - seems that they will be missing a lot if they do not. Samsung, IPad, Google, etc. mostly all have Bluetooth.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, it will have Bluetooth. Here is a specs list straight from B&N, LINK, section 1.2 - 1.5 is all most people will care about.
meteorrock said:
There might be some tablet being developed right now by Google that will give others the option to add storage and the newest android builds, I just do not understand why its taking so long or if they are deliberately holding back on releasing such of a device to force others into "cloud" use. I am sure it does not cost that much to implement that hardware on a device, I would buy it even at a few dollars more.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I believe it's the 2nd one. Google purposely trying to force customer to use cloud storage. The problem here is that we also have greedy telecom on the other side that will nickle and dime your for every GB if they could and they have no incentive to improve their network capacity & coverage. We also have a weak FCC that don't do much. FCC should have done away with itself license spectrum and force the telecom to be a dumb pipe and every one just be like MVNO. That way we end up w/ more competitive market rather than oligopoly market. Sure if we have affordable unlimited LTE everywhere right now, then cloud storage make a lot of sense. And that if we aren't gonna saturate the bandwidth. Imagine even if everyone pulling movies and music over the LTE network in metropolitan area, the network would suck so hard that everyone will be pulling less than 1mbps. I don't think Google will have a new tablet anytime soon or w/ removable storage for that matter. Not until google realize that they are fighting with the wireless telecom and they have to be a telecom themself.
doubtful
meteorrock said:
Unless you had developers mad scrambling to code up a new locked bootloader, I would assume the new nook tablet HD will come with the same bootloader as the one on the nook tablet that is already out now, which has the bootloader already cracked. If that is the case then it would be ready for customizing with a custom firmware as soon as it is released.
From the way some of the developers are working away with the cyanoboot app for the nook tablet I would assume the new nook tablet HD will come with the same bootloader, their has been lots of activity up in the nook tablet XDA forums recently with that app.
I am seriously thinking of getting the new nook tablet HD when it comes out here in a few months just for the hardware specs.
~~~~~~~~~~~
If you guys want to try to get cyanogenmod endorsed for this upcoming device I made a few threads up in the cyanogenmod forums at these links here you should start bumping
~~~~~~~~
Bumping those threads over in cyanogenmod showing some interest in getting a forum up for the nook tablet and the new nook tablet HD would help get things rolling for this new device. I feel this new nook tablet HD has lots of potential with others helping out to become the next new device to develop on, like how the nook color took off last year.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
HIGHLY doubtful! they'll update the bootloader just like they did with the tablet, and, if you think otherwise, no offense, don't kid yourself
also... nook tablet has been out for almost a year and STILL only has nightlies (let alone a beta). again, no offense, but i'm seriously losing hope of EVER seeing a final version of cm10 (with a working 3.0 kernel (let alone bluetooth, mic, hw video accelleration) :\