Database Users

[Q] Would you still advise buying the tab ?

There are 2-3 weeks before all the major tablets launch and I am considering buying the tab. I want a 7 inch so if i wait ill go for the flyer. But I was wondering if it is still worth paying $600 for the device. The new tablets will launch for $1000-120o so please advice me as to whether I should get the tab or wait ?

Just to add I currently have an HD7 as my primary phone and have been using the Desire HD as my backup phone and I will sell the desire hd to buy the galaxy tab. Plz consider this when advising. Thanks

Well, in the computer world there is always something coming around the corner that is better, faster and/or cheaper. That's just the nature of technology.
But, the Galaxy tab is great for me. I bought mine when they first became available in the states for $550 off contract. You can find them now for $500 off contract. To me the 7" size is a better choice then the 10" that most of the new hot tabs have. 7" is better for holding in your hand for ebook reading. The SGT is about half the weight of the iPad and Xoom which makes a huge difference.
The Galaxy tab has flash video for web but the iPad and Xoom do not.
From an ease of use and slickness the SGT runs behind the iPad but ahead of Honeycomb tablets like Xoom (read the Xoom reviews; people like the look of Honeycomb but they admit that it is not as easy to use as android 2.2).
If you are hooked on the 7" size like I am then you might consider the Dell Streak 7 which adds 4g to the mix.
As far as which provider to go with, I think one of the GSM providers (ATT or TMobile) would be better than the CDMA providers (Sprint or Verizon) as the CDMA tabs seem more locked down and have less development going on.

I would wait at this point - Samsung is suppose to be coming out with 8" Honeycomb tablet this summer.

If you can find one used or on sale
at a great price its fine for web browsing and email
and it's the only 7" capable phone out too, if you don't mind flashing it.
Just dont let anyone see you using it as a phone

Sorry is costing me $600 slight typo

Even though I returned my Tab, I'd still heartily recommend one to people looking for a great Tablet.
For me, it was TMobile winding me up that made my decision for me.
Awesome device, carriers did their best to make it fail it appears.
But some 10buck data plans? And the price it's going for atm? Well worth it I'd say. Seems everyone's pushing now for larger than 7inch devices, but the form factor is perfect. It's still luggable around (pocket requirements, but it's doable). Great screen, VERY decent sound compared to other tablets.
Sure, there's 3.0 tablets, but... Don't know. I think the Tab running 2.2 should be renamed 'Tab Classic' It's still very good, no matter what else comes after it.

I think now $500 new off contract and $400 used would be a nicer price?
No reason to rush into a Galaxy Tab with so many options coming unless its a good deal,
except maybe since it has a phone, I'd bet it will be the last 7"+ device with one.

YES
I just bought mine a week ago....luv it gave my ipad to my girlfriend ...I didnt realize how much i missed flash...7 inch is perfect for e reading ...portability is better ....10 inch to me is rather wide not easy to handle....

I have had the Tab for about a month and love it. I played with the iPad regularly since my girlfriend has one, but I consistantly came away with the Tab over iPad for 4 main reasons:
1- I much prefer 7" to 10" inch for mobility, one hand holding, ability to put in a pocket, etc.
2- I had a jailbroken iPhone and got rid of it when the original Droid came out. I still have a DroidX as my main phone due to the fact that I much prefer Android to Apple for the interface, customization, and app selection. Yes, iTunes has many apps and iPad has many tablet apps, but from experience, I found that many apps were 57 versions of the same thing, just with a different sports team branding or something, and I have yet to be unable to find a good Android app for any of my needs.
3- Even compared to another Android tablet like the Xoom, the ease of typing on a Tab is great. Granted, I have larger hands than most, but I can thumb type in portrait or landscape at about 35 words per minute, not too far behind my keyboard speed.
4- Last but not least, I use my Tab for everything. AllShare lets me use it as a remote to stream from the computer to the tv, with a cardock it is essentially a carputer, I can edit documents on a small device without carrying a laptop, and with it is great for showing off pictures and things better than a phone. That is only the tip of the iceberg.
I am sure if I put further thought into it, I would come up with alot more and this is a long post already, but something else the Tab has done for me that I really enjoy is that I enjoy it so much, I have gone from a lurker to a poster on many Android forums, including starting out here on XDA.

Forgot to mention price
Sorry, forgot to mention your concern about price. I got a brand new T-Mobile Tab (researching on XDA I found GSM had more dev work being done) on eBay for $425, so only $100 more than a Nook Color with the protection plan, which is what I had before the Tab and returned it after a week.

SonicTab said:
If you can find one used or on sale
at a great price its fine for web browsing and email
and it's the only 7" capable phone out too, if you don't mind flashing it.
Just dont let anyone see you using it as a phone
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have the phone enabled on my Tab and I use it all the time. I bought the tab without a contract and flashed it with the JMI rom and a modem.
If you buy a device that is capable of voice communication and you use it that way why should you be wary of someone seeing you use it that way?
The device is FCC legal, has a prepaid sim card and is running a legal operating system.
There is nothing wrong with using a device in a way it was designed to be used as long as you pay for it.

Bugman1 said:
There is nothing wrong with using a device in a way it was designed to be used as long as you pay for it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think he was just making a joke about how foolish you look holding it up to your head..
Sent from my SCH-I800 using XDA App

00r101 said:
The Galaxy tab has flash video for web but the iPad and Xoom do not.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Motorola is getting an hint of respect from me... The less Flash (and Air) the better.
Anyway the tab is really awesome to watch videos, can decode with no trouble 1080p at over 40mbps... Plus i'd say this form factor is the best one. And it works as a phone.
Sent from my GT-P1000 using Tapatalk

get one! the portability is awesome. 10" screen is too big to carry around. at least for me.

Got the tab and am loving it !!!

Congrats ...i was in the same boat 2 weeks ago best decision I ever made....better than the ipad....
Sent from my SGH-T849 using XDA Premium App

The Tab is currently the least worst 7" Android tablet out there. I love it. Now priced at where it should be (here in UK at least). Pop in a 3GB sim card (9 quid on amazon) and it's the perfect always online mobile device. It'll be interesting to see other 7" or so devices hit the market soon. That's what I would be comparing it against.
The 10" ones are not mobile enough due to size and weight (I use a car dock with the Tab - can't do that with a 10" without infringing on some local law ). I'm also a bit wary of how the Tegra 2 chipset found in most of them is performing. Video especially seems a bit of a letdown. At least we'll all soon have a lot of choices in formats and features. Still early days...
My one concern is that we may not see Honeycomb on the Tab. I suspect Samsung will skip over it for the Gingerbread V2/Ice Cream (depending on rumours) OS which brings in Honeycomb features for smartphones. The Tab has physical buttons and Honeycomb would seem wrong with that. Of course, knowing Samsung we may see nothing at all....

Yes I am still happy with my tab.
I would have suggested an version #2 if it was 7 inch with better camera and SuperAmoled screen.
Will sell mine only if next version includes all that features without losing batery life.

Yes if you desire portability. Personally I love my tab,now my dad wants one too so I think I'm going to give him mine as soon as I get the replacement back from Samsung(tab stopped turning one, dead battery I'm guessing). I'm gonna get the iPad 2 since I already have the Evo, which I use on the go and I miss iOS adventure games

This is by FAR my favorite tablet!!

I've loved the concept of tablets for a long time, but two things that were always keeping me from replacing my laptop with a tablet - full sized ports and a video editor.
I've tried iPad and iPad2 - too limited
Galaxy tab (7 inch) - LOVED it, but couldn't justify keeping it anymore
Xoom - It was great, but didn't really have a use for it.
Acer Iconia - Really liked it, but again didn't do everything I wanted.
Toshiba Thrive - So far, I'm thinking I'll be able to replace my laptop. I can even hook this thing to a TV or monitor (with adapter) and use a full sized keyboard and mouse, external hard drive, game controller, whatever.
For what I do on my laptop, since I don't really develop anymore, I can do just about everything on the Thrive.
Even the movie editor, although basic, is working out for me so far..
Granted I've only had it a day and a half, but so far so good.

I played with all of the top rated tablets before I purchased my Thrive. And as far as I'm concerned, the quality and features of this tablet are among the best of all the currently available choices. But what blows me away is the total lack of interest from the xda development community. That and Thrive owners, including myself, had to literally beg for an xda forum. This is a total mystery. And they've left us no clues. Because I never have seen any negatives on this tablet, period. But what has scared away all the developers is aparently a well kept secret. I had high hopes when I first purchased my Thrive. But up until now only 1 and maybe 2 persons are qualified(?) developers, and have taken interest in the Thrive. And things are just plain dead right now, even at thriveforums.org. What a bummer! So I will probably end up selling it, even though it is a great tablet, and getting something that has more developer interest, such as the Asus Transformer. Because I like to play.
9-29 UPDATE: Rumor has it that the next Thrive update is going to make things more difficult for everyone, as Fastboot has been removed. If Toshiba does this, it will make it a lot harder for us to "play."

Lexus One said:
I played with all of the top rated tablets before I purchased my Thrive. And as far as I'm concerned, the quality and features of this tablet are among the best of all the currently available choices. But what blows me away is the total lack of interest from the xda development community. That and Thrive owners, including myself, had to literally beg for an xda forum. This is a total mystery. And they've left us no clues. Because I never have seen any negatives on this tablet, period. But what has scared away all the developers is aparently a well kept secret. I had high hopes when I first purchased my Thrive. But up until now only 1 and maybe 2 persons are qualified(?) developers, and have taken interest in the Thrive. And things are just plain dead right now, even at thriveforums.org. What a bummer! So I will probably end up selling it, even though it is a great tablet, and getting something that has more developer interest, such as the Asus Transformer. Because I like to play.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Man Lexus One. You should hang in there. We may not have any love from the XDA crowd, but those of us working on the Thrive are doing great things. I think you will see a lot more come along when ICS is released. This device by far is running smoother than any of the others. Tweaks I have made to the boot image for memory management has really stepped it up. Guys like to overclock to make the device run smoother, but right now, I do not think we need it. dj_steve is porting ROMs and giving you guys that like custom ROMs the ROms to play with. I am keeping those of us that like the stock feel what we need. I do not think going to the Asus will make you any happier. Development has slowed down for all the tablets. I think all are looking for ICS release and the source to go with it.

I am getting one of these soon (from the AndroidAndMe contest) and was excited about the ports and goodies and all despite the thickness. It also made me sad there is barely any development tho.

dalepl said:
Man Lexus One. You should hang in there. We may not have any love from the XDA crowd, but those of us working on the Thrive are doing great things. I think you will see a lot more come along when ICS is released. This device by far is running smoother than any of the others. Tweaks I have made to the boot image for memory management has really stepped it up. Guys like to overclock to make the device run smoother, but right now, I do not think we need it. dj_steve is porting ROMs and giving you guys that like custom ROMs the ROms to play with. I am keeping those of us that like the stock feel what we need. I do not think going to the Asus will make you any happier. Development has slowed down for all the tablets. I think all are looking for ICS release and the source to go with it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You could be right about things improving for the Thrive. However I think you are operating more on faith than on the facts. Because if things don't start picking up soon, the new quad core tablets will be popping up, and interest in Thrive development will probably diminish even more. Sorry to be so negative, but it's hard for me to have your faith right now. But I am thankful that the Thrive has got people like you and dj_steve to keep things interesting and fun. And everyone else who has helped in the area of development.

I just bought one last week when Was visiting the US (in fact am typing this on it!!) And have to say I love it. My wife bought an I pad, and I think she secretly wishes she got the thrive instead!! Love the connectivity and Android is far superior to iOS. As for the thickness, I don't even notice it now. The latest rom seems to have fixed the sleep of death issue.
And the price was great, worked out about £260, which is pretty cheap for honeycomb tablet.
All in all highly recommended!
Cheers

ayster said:
I just bought one last week when Was visiting the US (in fact am typing this on it!!) And have to say I love it. My wife bought an I pad, and I think she secretly wishes she got the thrive instead!! Love the connectivity and Android is far superior to iOS. As for the thickness, I don't even notice it now. The latest rom seems to have fixed the sleep of death issue.
And the price was great, worked out about £260, which is pretty cheap for honeycomb tablet.
All in all highly recommended!
Cheers
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Glad to here you like it. I enjoy mine also. At least when I can get it away from the wife. She's hooked on Angry Birds.

Every day there's something I like more about it.
Just last night I was messing with ES File Manager, mapped a drive to my windows share that has all my media and tried to launch a video (something I haven't been able to do over the network on other devices).
Boom, WMV, AVI, MP4.. all played flawlessly.
I didn't have to do anything special but download the file manager.
I'm putting my laptop on Craigslist.. this thing is officially a replacement for me.
.. let me rephrase that, for me, it is a laptop replacement.. not that it's a replacement for me.
..although if I was a tablet, my wife could push my buttons all she wanted.. haha

Glad you are liking it. You might want to check out thisone.org.

dalepl said:
Glad you are liking it. You might want to check out ThriveForums.org.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've been following XDA for years, since I first bought my Samsung i760 and fell I love with it. Its a great phone that I always consider bringing back into service! Then when I jumped to HTC I found this the place to be, now I'm like wtf... how is the thrive so neglected? The potential this device has with full sized USB is insane! Why wouldn't devs take advantage of it? I feel like no one cares about the thrive, Toshiba turned around and made a tablet that all the fanboys on here ***** that the ipad doesn't have... the ipad doesn't have expandable memory, it doesn't have full sized USB or HDMI out, the web can could be better.... ppl flamed the ipad so much and Toshiba turned around and took all these ideas and put them into a tablet and granted its bigger than normal but its not overly so.
Toshiba went above and beyond making this tablet and so many people turned around and **** on it and ignored it... so now we may never get another tablet like this again. Soon we will all be told how much storage we need and be forced to upgrade when we either don't have enough or our batteries can't hold longer than a 5 minute charge...
Sigh, I'm ranting but I'm gonna start moving away from xda now I love their dev's and the projects they embark on but I can't take the forum as much anymore. Even the mods are getting on my nerves, like the post that's in the Toshiba dev thread in here... the mod says its not his job to keep a thread cleaned and organized... what crack are you ****ing smoking? If your not a dev or project manager it is your ****igng job you retard, why else are you a ****ing mod? Ive been a forum mod, IRCop, NetAdmin and if that's your attitude your just being unreasonable and I see that more and more here at xda. Kids these days are so backwards, I fear for future generations. I think I'll be spending more time over at thriveforums.org.
Anyway sorry for ranting...
Sent from my Toshiba Thrive using Tapatalk

I wonder if people fear the Toshiba name? When I got my galaxy tab the Thrive had just come out. I had minor interest only because it was a 10" tablet. When I ditched the tab and went shopping I was struggling between the Xoom and the 10" tab. The guy showed me the Thrive. I played with it for almost half an hour. The price was right...and having reward point certificates didn't hurt either I transferred files over using my USB thumb drive which was cool. Haven't tried the HDMI yet. I've been thru a few devices and this is by far the best one.
I'm very satisfied with my Thrive.
**sent from my Thrive using Tapatalk**

pcdebb said:
I wonder if people fear the Toshiba name? When I got my galaxy tab the Thrive had just come out. I had minor interest only because it was a 10" tablet. When I ditched the tab and went shopping I was struggling between the Xoom and the 10" tab. The guy showed me the Thrive. I played with it for almost half an hour. The price was right...and having reward point certificates didn't hurt either I transferred files over using my USB thumb drive which was cool. Haven't tried the HDMI yet. I've been thru a few devices and this is by far the best one.
I'm very satisfied with my Thrive.
**sent from my Thrive using Tapatalk**
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I love my Thrive too. Just purchased it last nite. Enjoying every minute of it. Still learning all the ins and outs of it.
Sent from my AT100 using xda premium

Just got mine today and I love it. Viewing angles are better than any tablet I had before.

Just got mine yesterday coming from the viewsonic g tablet. WOW what a difference.
Sent from my AT100 using xda premium

I love mine you should look into, Toshiba Thrive forum, lots of good information.
Sent from my Thrive, rooted and looking for more.

Love Thrive!!
I gave the NookColor to the kids for games, videos and Netflix after I purchased the Thrive AT100 on Saturday. Love it!!!!!!!!!!
I looked at a ton of different comparisons: Transformer, Jetstream, Galaxy Tab 10.1 & iPad2 vs. Thrive. None is a match!
From the standard SD slot, to the Full size USB & HDMI; to the great screen; nice weight and solid performance --- I'm in love!!!!!
I know the AT200 is out 'soon' so I'll upgrade then -- I have a 30 day return policy..... AT200 is a monster! Great job Toshiba! They came to the dance when they had a great product; rather be late to arrive then to be Dead-on-Arrival like so many others who came out fast with gen1 pieces of half-assed junk.
Love Thrive! I haven't even rooted; not certain I'll need to.
Cheers m8s.

[Q] The Color still worth it?

So I have been an xda member since long before the android craze took root, or even before the icrap products were aired, back in the days when the good old winmo or symbian was the only platform of choice for enthusiasts and geeks like us. Those days are sadly the past now, and most of the good folks who were driving the growth of the winmo platforms have now migrated to android, or even ios.
I'm finally taking the jump too and have decided to tinker around with android, thus my dusting off of this account and bringing it back to life from lurker status. I've already purchased a xoom and an iconia a500 recently and am now looking to purchase a third tablet. I know, that sounds a little crazy, buying three tablets on the trot, but they're all going to go around among either family or family after I'm done playing with them. Since I've run my cash well dry by now, as you might as well have guessed, this is going to be my last tech purchase for a while, and probably might also be the tablet that gets left over to me in the end after the others are set up and sent to their new homes as presents as this will be the cheapest yet.
There, I've laid out the whole story. Now for the nagging question, is the nook color still worth the money? I had set my mind on the purchase and was getting down to the exploring options part when I noticed craigslist showing kindle fires going consistently for as much or as the nook colors or even less than that. And that has got me torn. I really badly wanted to buy another nook device, this will be me second after the nook simple touch, which I have yet to receive. However, I am also a performance and a bang for buck junkie, and I am also likely to end up staying with for the long haul. So I want something robust enough ot last me a couple of years from now atleast. Now with the fire sometimes going even cheaper than the nook, is the color still a good buy, and should I take the plunge on this, or that?
I really havent found a recent comparison between the two, especially if they're competing for my dollars at the same price point, to help me decide which one ot go with. The lack of a micro sd is the real killer in fire, the lack of dual core and a modern, higher performing soc in the nook color. I'll be buying either as a potential primary device and will be tinkering with both, meaning rooting, and installing custom roms, so I couldnt care less for what amazon tries forcing down my throat. And I will definitely be buying second hand, probably off craigslist, to save what little I can of my last bits of remaining money and hopefully buy a radeon 7850.
So there, thats my dillema, all put out in fornt of you folks. The question has been bothering me for days, and no amount of searching has managed to help me, and thus I have ended up here, resorting to the good old xda and its pool of immense resources.
Also, should I post this same question on the kindle fire threads too, to get the other side of the picture? Any help would be appreciated.
--Werentuckl

Nook Color is definitely still worth it* You can get them used or refurb and the prices come down to around $100.
*It really depends on what you want it for though. It would be more appropriate to compare a Nook Tablet to a Kindle Fire. But the Color is really the ultimate tinker's device. Great developer community and practically unbrickable. With CM7 and CM9 you get great performance numbers for the hardware and tons of bang for the buck.
Nook Tablet is also a good device but it is going to cost more which brings other possible tablets into consideration. Even though B&N wasn't as nice making the NT as open as the NC it is still a great device and the developer support is growing. It is nearly as good for tinkering as the NC at this point.
If you want a device for email, light gaming, web surfing, videos and tinkering as well as a great reading device the Nook Color is about the best bang for the buck you can get.
JP

I agree. Still a lot of bang for the buck, especially in the $100 range. My coworker always brings me ads from here and there advertising Android 2.0 tablets for $88, this one beats them every time for just a few dollars more.
I used to run Android 1.5 off the SD card using haret on Windows 6.0 (HTC Touch). I miss those days.
After Modding 6 or 7 Nook Colors for family, friends, and coworkers today I decided to pick one up from Cowboom for $100. My daughter has a HTC Flyer and Wife has an iPad 1. I really have no use for one, but I like to tinker from an alpha/beta tester standpoint, and I figure I could at least get my money back when I get bored with it.

All good points actually, and the reminder about android on winmo reminds me of my cousin, he still runs gingerbread of his hd 2. Good stuff.
However, what actually has me torn is seeing both the fire and the nook color going for the same prices. They're both hitting close to hundred on pre-owned units off craigslist. So I can't really decide which would be the better choice for the same price.
And the nook color was my first choice, the merits of rootability and the vibrant community had me won over. And then I saw the fire going for the same price for twice the processor, and now I don't know which way to lean.

The Fire doesn't have an SD card slot. Total deal breaker.

my nook essentially hard bricked without warning, just out of warranty. beyond that it was just too slow IMO for me - laggy video was my main issue. my RAZR is so nice for playing video i no longer can stand slow processor Android devices. my next tablet is probably the Samsung galaxy tab 2 for $250, dual core, GPS, camera, compass, microphone... all the stuff that is missing in the NC. i think you should save your money and put it towards something less limited

The reply above is right on. Personally, I would not buy another Nook in todays market. I have a Nook Tablet too (both were gifts). The Nook was great when I was learning to flash roms, etc because it is literally unbrickable.
What I really HATE is B&N and TI putting all the effort to lock the OS down. If it were not for the great devs here the Nook sales would have stalled long ago.
I for one will never buy another product which has such an anally locked boot loader and OS. The Nexus Tablet is right around the corner.

You should have asked here about the issue you were having with laggy video. I watch .avi's every day at lunch, Grimm, Walking Dead, etc., keep Hitchhikers Guide on it as a matter of principal and keep a few Pinky and the Brain's as baby sitting tools. I use MoBo player and software decode everything. Smooth as glass. The "Server Room Drive-In" is famous.

Ok, here's my 2 cents. As I only own NC, I'll comment only on it.
The nook color is a good device- for old technology. Ok, so the DEV team for NC is fantastic, porting ICS over, which has completely revamped how I see/use the NC now. It's awesome, plays videos, works smoothly. Everything is running clean from Eyeball's nightly.
However, as from your situation, you're looking to keep this device for a while. While the software side (able to crack BN, root, and run android) is fun to tinker with and has good support, the hardware is just not going to be good enough for these days' technology. There are a lot of apps that just needs more power than what the NC has.
So, if you're just buying to tinker and browse the internet on the go, NC is fine. But if u wanna do anything heavy, wait a few more months until some of the newer gen android tablets are priced lower in the market.
Btw, the fire without SD? deal breaker.

Okay, so I've been following this thread, and frankly, it hasnt made my choice any easier. I've gotten two posts against the nc, every post against the fire thanks to its lack of an sd slot, and plenty of others cautioning me against the nc because its dated. :'(
Now what do I do? And guys, even though I will be keeping this device for good, lets not forget that I'm under money constraints, I go any higher and I wont be able to buy my gpu. Plus, waiting is also not an option, I have until the end of this month to complete all my purchases, since I'm getting all this through a family member coming back from the states.
--Werentuckl

Wait for google's nexus tablet,
Sent from my NookColor using xda premium

Werentuckl said:
... Now what do I do? ...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I fail to see a problem. You say you are a tinkerer. The unbrickable nature of the NC, (yes someone said they bricked it a while back but they also said they couldn't play videos either, do the math), makes it a no-brainer. Couple that with the fact that you can get them for between $100 and $150 all day long and you are golden.

I am actually satisfied with my nook color use it more than my ipad 2, feel that the ipad is big for all day use
Sent from my NookColor using XDA Premium App

Given the lack of information on the Google tablet, I would go with either the Nook Color or Nook Tablet. Given limited cash, obviously the nook color. I have a nook color and nook Simple Touch. I love the nook color, sure it doesn't have everything I want, but nothing does. If you are worried about it being dated, you will never buy anything. Everything is dated by the time it gets to market. The biggest problem I have is everything seems to be designed for something else. All the roms seem to be made more for phones than tablets, even my windows 7 notebook came from HP with ta
blet services installed and running on a notebook that doesn't have the hardware to use the services. I am more
worried about the Microsoft/BN deal. Perhaps it will mean more support for windows products in Android, more likely like the Kindle Fire, the next nook will not have a SD slot and will be designed to push people to Microsoft's online services. Perhaps even a nook running windows...
Microsoft always has found creative ways to kill great products... But from what I see, the Nook is by far the best for the money.

I'd agree with Floyd, the google tablet wont be launching until after I am unable to purchase anymore.
So, I'm leaning just a little more towards the nook now than I was before, and I have found a couple of other options to throw in the mix for considering as well. I just found the iconia a100 going for 190, a little under 200 after taxes, at the acer ebay store. And though the fact that the thing has little to no dev support or any roms for that matter, and has abysmal battery life, the thing is still very feature rich. Should I be even be looking towards it or not? Sans custom rom loading goodness and crap battery, its very good bang for buck, no?
Damn, this is so frustrating! This is why spending the last bits of your money is always so difficult. I had no such problems buying either of the last two tablets or the wacoms. :'(
And MisRy, everything is more expensive in ny, thats where the problem initialyl started from, the nc and the fire playing in the same price brackets. Though, any ideas about any decent deals or devices solidly under 200, new, or refurbed, or even craigslisted for nyc, would be welcome.
--Werentuckl

Werentuckl said:
...
And MisRy, everything is more expensive in ny, thats where the problem initialyl started from, the nc and the fire playing in the same price brackets. Though, any ideas about any decent deals or devices solidly under 200, new, or refurbed, or even craigslisted for nyc, would be welcome. ...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nook Color refurbished, http://www.barnesandnoble.com/p/cert-pre-owned-nook-color-barnes-noble/1100666155 $135 shipped. My boss got his wife's in 4 business days via UPS.
Brand new from Sears with in store pickup for $150, http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_05725930000P?aff=Y&cj=true&sid=I0084400010000100600
Sent from the Center of My Mind

I would say yes, depending on the price. Got mine in Feb '11 and I've worked the crap out of it. I still don't see any other 7 inch tablet in the sub $200 range as flexable as the nook. The color with CM7 RC2 hits the sweet spot for me. Of course: YMMV.
Sent from my NookColor using Tapatalk 2

Kind of in this dilemma as well. Has anyone had trouble running programs from the play market(3d games, comic apps, drawing apps)? I picked up a NC for 125 a week ago and triple booted without a hitch. It just seemed kind of slow to me, but then again I didn't do too much tweaking. I already returned it but might get it again. Awaiting the Nexus tablet, but would like something to hold me over til then. Any recommendations?

I wouldn't pay 150 for NC, maybe 100 nowaday since the nook tablet is going for 200.

Please use the Q&A Forum for questions &
Read the Forum Rules Ref Posting
Moving to Q&A

Xoom tablet VS Other tablet discussion

I am making this sticky thread to allow discussion of all other tablets and theie comparison to the Xoom. Feel free to discuss thoughts on upgrading, specs, and value of swapping. Please respect other members and their opinions. Flaming is against forum rules so again please be respectful.
Thanks
FNM

well as i just ordered my Xoom yesterday and it should be at my house this afternoon, and since it is my first tablet, i will say that i did a lot of research (no hands on though) on a few tablets before i decided to get the Xoom.
what i like about it is its history as being the first tablet with Honeycomb and one of the first to get ICS. And now will be one of the first to get JB so a big plus is the support for the device. Couple that with Google's purchase of Motorola and it seems like a match made in heaven
i know there are smaller, thinner, lighter tablets out there, but for the price and specs, its more than i need and i am sure i will be very happy with it

I'll take this opportunity to say that imho, the OG Xoom on team EOS ROM is still the best tablet currently available. It will be even better once it has been updated to Jelly Bean (Android 4.1) later in July.
I have been hankering for a new toy and have been looking at the Nexus 7, in part because I know that team EOS is going to be developing for it. But I'm wondering if I'll really be happy with it, seeing as it is missing some important features (especially no sdcard slot). 7 inch form factor is really nice for reading and gaming. It's easy to carry around too, but I have no problems carrying my Xoom in my backpack. I'm not sure about getting it yet, but no matter, it certainly won't replace my Xoom.
I am kind of interested in the Transformer Infinity when it comes out, again because Team EOS may develop for it, but it's not a nexus tablet... Then, there may be a 10 inch nexus tablet coming out later in the year. What to do?

I think the XOOM is one hell of an excellent device that would last me for a few more years. Has great people backing it up and making this tablet one of the best for the long run. To be exactly honest I was never in the tablet market, but by chance I had $400 AUD left over from my HTPC build so I decided to spend it on the XOOM. Probably one of the best choices I had done, but also another problem I don't use my tablet all that often, since there is no need. I'm always in front of a computer or laptop so my tablet just sits there. But I'm trying to use it for other things, such as reading eBooks and mangas. Though I just do all of that on my phone, but on the tablet is a lot more nicer with the big HD screen. In short, I have no need for another tablet even if I got it for free it be sitting right next to my XOOM collecting dust, and I rather use the XOOM since it has a tough feel to it. The Australian MZ601 is very well built!

Xoom is KING!
I've had the Xoom since it was first announced. (I was one of the lucky ones with a 25% off coupon, which they quickly ended) Since then I have bought and returned an Acer, an Asus, an iPad2, a Toshiba and have bought and kept an Archos 80 and a new iPad.
Having had and used various tablets I still prefer the Xoom for most uses. I have the Archos as a cheap backup if the Xoom goes down and I have the new iPad and use sometimes. The display is better than the Xoom but most other features are less useful than the Xoom.
I recently dropped the Xoom face down on the floor from my lap. I was sure I would have a broken screen. Apparently no worse for the wear. It Is Built Like A Tank.
ICS made the Xoom even more functional and if it should get JB then that would be even more reason to use and enjoy the zoom.
The new Google tablet sounds good but no micro sd card and no HDMI cripples it considerably.
Unless the Xoom gets broken or is stolen, I see no reason to update and there are no tablets on the horizon that interest me.

Mine arrives Monday, cancelled my nexus 7 for it. As soon as it arrives in going to flash the US Rom to make it a Google device....thanks to XDA

I've yet to see a tablet that is as good as the XOOM. Period.

yosterwp said:
I've yet to see a tablet that is as good as the XOOM. Period.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
While I love my Xoom (first tablet and it's done a great job of making my netbook pretty much pointless) I wouldn't say that it's better than anything else out there. IMO the screen on the Xoom leaves a lot to be desired contrast wise especially compared to the Tab 2.

I also just picked up a Xoom. I've been in the market for a tablet over the last few weeks and considered a bunch. While the Ipad does offer a lot app wise, the additional tablet apps just didnt interest me. So ios was a non starter.
I use a Gnex and love it to death. I figure I'll stick with the google ecosystem. As soon as I found out the Xoom was getting Jellybean my mind was all but made up. I have a jellybean rom running on my nexus and it seriously does perform at another level. It just made me realize that I didnt need the latest quad core processor to run like a beast. So with that In mind I didnt go out searching for the latest tegra 3 android tablet. I've tried other android phones that werent stock android and I never enjoyed them.
Here's what I love about the Xoom:
- built like a tank, some say its too big...I love quality feel it has
- micro sd slot, thanks
- hdmi out, wicked
- in line for Jellybean in a few weeks
- everything works like it should...wifi, gps, cameras
Its not the flashiest tablet...doesnt have a cutting edge processor.....no next gen display....it just does the job for me.

as long as the next full size (read: 10.1/8.9) Nexus/GED has a good processor (1.5+) and has decent screen to go along with vanilla jb, ill be on board.
Ill be on board faster if google is selling it w/ the same strategy as the Nexus 7.

063_XOBX said:
While I love my Xoom (first tablet and it's done a great job of making my netbook pretty much pointless) I wouldn't say that it's better than anything else out there. IMO the screen on the Xoom leaves a lot to be desired contrast wise especially compared to the Tab 2.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, I agree that hardware-wise, the Xoom is no longer bleeding edge, but software-wise, there is nothing really out there on ICS to touch it, and with Jelly bean custom roms that will come, this thing is going to scream. Right now, everything just works (on the configuration in my signature, at least), and that's more than some android tablets can claim. Transformer Prime, I'm talking about you, lol...
One thing I really hate is the disrespect the Xoom gets outside of the Xoom community, and it's started to resurface again now that the Nexus 7 is being called the 1st "nexus" tablet, when we know that that was actually the OG Xoom. I'm still torn about whether I want to add a Nexus 7 to my stable of Android devices, or wait for something more satisfying.

I too have been itching for an upgrade to my release day Xoom but once I loaded the JB ROM I realized what a waste of $200 the Nexus 7 would be. The Xoom on JB will satisfy me until the next version of Android which I will bet the Xoom will get though unofficially. It has been an up and down past year-and-a-half for the Xoom but one I don't regret and look forward to another year at least.

063_XOBX said:
While I love my Xoom (first tablet and it's done a great job of making my netbook pretty much pointless) I wouldn't say that it's better than anything else out there. IMO the screen on the Xoom leaves a lot to be desired contrast wise especially compared to the Tab 2.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I always felt that what the xoom lacks in hardware, it makes up in software. I completely agree about the screen. But with the xoom, that same screen is going to be showing jelly bean officially. Speaking of Jelly Bean I can't wait for it to drop on our xooms!
I guess its fair to say that the xoom does have some shortcomings, but so does all other tablets. But with the xoom, there is a good amount of support from Google and Motorola, being a GED at least in the U.S. That fuels development even more and it's a great thing when an awesome community backs the xoom too! In a way, it makes up for some of them.
But I completely understand what you were saying. Good point

Putting some thoughts here
I've owned many tablets in the past, ranging from Apple to Android. One thing for sure that made me love my xoom on top of many other tables is that Team EOS roms are great and their efforts developing customization are the one thing that makes me stick to the xoom.
When rooted, you feel like you have the power on top of your device to do anything you like. if you brick your device, it is still recoverable due to the amazing community support for it.
Price wise- it is affordable.
ROM size it a bit small compared to phones but ROM Images (system) are designed to fit just ok.
Screen: very responsive especially with ICS better than HC.
Charge time: very fast.
Speaking of JB, I don't have a single doubt that Team EOS would make it for us.

Ghost-of-the-Sun said:
You're telling me that Samsung, HTC, Sony and Google itself with Nexus devices have magical powers that gives them the ability to update their devices while the little Motorola can't do anything?
Think before posting, please.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
To each his own, i love my little motorola, xoom first to get HC, ICS and soon to be JB, all of google (TM) product will get jb first, I wonder what samsung htc and sony will do for an OS when google stop releasing the source code, Motorola will be one step ahead of your samsung, htc and sony,..

tumpy said:
To each his own, i love my little motorola, xoom first to get HC, ICS and soon to be JB, all of google (TM) product will get jb first, I wonder what samsung htc and sony will do for an OS when google stop releasing the source code, Motorola will be one step ahead of your samsung, htc and sony,..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Since several threads were merged, this conversation has taken a bit of a turn, but to back-up your point, my Samsung GS2 E4GT phone still has not received the official upgrade to ICS, probably more due to Sprint than Sammy, but we are running custom roms based on leaked builds. They work fine but it's been quite a long time to wait for OTA and source.
The OG US Wifi Xoom has gotten every official upgrade just as fast as possible, and our devs get them to us even faster and much improved!
---------- Post added at 12:16 PM ---------- Previous post was at 12:07 PM ----------
Mandelbrot.Benoit said:
I too have been itching for an upgrade to my release day Xoom but once I loaded the JB ROM I realized what a waste of $200 the Nexus 7 would be. The Xoom on JB will satisfy me until the next version of Android which I will bet the Xoom will get though unofficially. It has been an up and down past year-and-a-half for the Xoom but one I don't regret and look forward to another year at least.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can you use it as a daily driver, or are you just test-driving right now until the full version comes along?
I will admit that I'm tempted to try it, but nightly 114 is already so smooth and lag-free that I'm at least pretty satisfied for daily use.

okantomi said:
Can you use it as a daily driver, or are you just test-driving right now until the full version comes along?
I will admit that I'm tempted to try it, but nightly 114 is already so smooth and lag-free that I'm at least pretty satisfied for daily use.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am sacrificing a lot test driving the JB preview. BT, sound, data isn't working but enough is working to at least show the smoothness and lag free experience we should expect with JB. I was getting tired of the lag when hitting the "recents" button, home screen scrolling etc. Much more responsive on JB but in hindsight I have lost more than I gained and it may not be worth it for most.

My Xoom
I'm running a stock Xoom M604 Xoom. It's running ICS, which was slow to rollout here in Canada, but it came all the same. The updating of the OS is one of /the reasons I chose Xoom. I use it for most day to day things, as well as using it to control a friends DLNA amp. The "variety" of apps available for Android and iOS are moot, as there are so many redundant and useless apps for both platforms. I like not being locked in by the manufacturers whim, which is why I won't consider an iPad or iPhone. Only complaint I have with my Xoom is scrolling between the desktops. Which is a minor complaint vs iOS, because we actually have desktops I love the stock keyboard. It's large enough that I can still impress people with typing speed in Teamview sessions. I'm not a bleeding edge type, so thus far my Xoom has all the horsepower I need.

Mandelbrot.Benoit said:
I am sacrificing a lot test driving the JB preview. BT, sound, data isn't working but enough is working to at least show the smoothness and lag free experience we should expect with JB. I was getting tired of the lag when hitting the "recents" button, home screen scrolling etc. Much more responsive on JB but in hindsight I have lost more than I gained and it may not be worth it for most.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
OMG! EOS Jelly Bean! That's all I can say.

okantomi said:
OMG! EOS Jelly Bean! That's all I can say.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I completely agree and cannot wait another second for it.
I haven't personally tried any quad core tablet, however there's no comparison between my xoom and my old advent vega (which was good, but the viewing angles were terrible) and with my dad's galaxy tab 10". they're all terribly sluggish.

My thoughts on the Motorola Xoom

The Motorola Xoom. Of all android tablets, it was the experiment; the first ever of its kind. Winner of Best Of Show at CES 2011. Pioneer of Android Honeycomb. I bought this spectacle of computing technology the day it came out in the US, on March 27th, 2011. While I was watching loads of coverage from CES, and even afterwards, I anticipated what the Xoom would be like. Proponents of it were saying it would be great, that it would be able to keep up with the iPad. Critics of the Xoom, and android alike, were saying it was inferior, and would not get many sales. When I finally got my hands on one, (the last one in stock for a few days at my local Staples), I was blown away. Of course, there were few apps for it at first, but I am a patient person and knew more apps would come for it in the future. For months, I used it daily, along side my laptop. I tethered it to my Droid 2 (also Motorola ), which I had a grandfathered unlimited data plan. I took it with me as much as I could, and used it at school daily. I look back on that time and chuckle at myself; I stayed on the stock ROM, since I was afraid to flash/unlock bootloader/etc. Once I got enough courage to do it, I realized that my Motorola Xoom could do so much more. More months went by, and more tablets came out. The Galaxy Tab. Asus Transformer. HTC Flyer. Motorola Droid Xyboard. I realized how much more technology was seemed (and advertised) to have been put in these; however, I looked at my Xoom, and saw that it was keeping up. Even the processors of new tablets were increasingly better, but the Xoom (and it's workhorse Tegra 2) was staying in the game. My stock rooted honeycomb was still a daily driver, months and months after it came out. Even with the introduction of quad core android tablets, like the Transformer Prime, Xoom was staying around. And then i experienced TeamEOS. It was the first ROM i flashed for my xoom. TeamEOS's ICS rom. Faster than ever before, I was overjoyed that my Xoom had new life. Fast forward to now, with the introduction of Jellybean. The Xoom is still one of the very first devices to receive the OTA. This shows that the Xoom will still be at the front of Android tablet technology for a very long time.
tl;dr: The Motorola Xoom, which I bought on day 1, is still one of THE best Android tablets in the world. Mine runs TeamEOS 3.0 Nightlies, and will for a very long time.

I love my Xoom and TeamEOS :good::laugh:
Thanks for all the work guys!
PS. I flashed TeamEOS the first day I received my Xoom.

realistically though, I give the Xoom a year to a year and a half before it starts becoming obsolete

all I can say is, I love my xoom.
But I´m a little dissapointed with moto´s customer/update service.
I know you guys in the US got the official ICS update long ago.
I´m from germany and we have the mz601 aka the Euro 3g/umts version with mobile data.
The only official update we got was from 3.1 to 3.2.HC.
We would be totaly screwed if there was no Team EOS.
EOS releasing the latest JellyBean Nightlys for the euro model gives me 4.1 before official moto even rolled out ICS over here.
Considering the xoom got hyped and is still considered as a Google Experience Device this kinda sucks.
Anyway, since Team EOS is around, I´m a happy xoom owner and I see the hardware nowhere near its limits, leaving plenty of room
for performance upgrades with upcoming android releases or dev tweaks.

A very good review - I fell in love with the Xoom based upon the CES show and knew I needed one - and one I bought.
I bght the WiFi only one, the plucked up the courage to root and there has been no looking back. I recently bought a second hand 3G Xoom and gave my WiFi one to my younger brother and we are an unstoppable force.
This device really exceeded my expectations and truly has kept up - I do however wish that Motorola had provided these updates - who nows they could offer the developers on here programmer and developer jobs - then we would see fast worldwide updates.
Sent from my MZ601 using XDA Premium HD app

I agree. I use my Xoom everyday and I love it. I didn't think I needed a tablet until I got my Xoom. I am also running Team EOS and love it.

Excellent post from OP, my wife say she has to compete with the Xoom for my attention..

tumpy said:
Excellent post from OP, my wife say she has to compete with the Xoom for my attention..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My family says the same thing...

Probably the most disregarded and underrated tablet out there. Love ICS on it waiting for a stock jellybean before I root it.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda app-developers app

I bought my WiFi Xoom the day they went on sale & use it everyday. I have not rooted mine yet as stock ICS (soon to be stock JB) work fine for me. The Xoom has a fantastic build & having a GED unit can't be beat. I have no need for any other Android Tablets. The next Tablet for me will be the Surface Pro.

I concur! I've never figured out why it has been panned by so many critics though! I never thought I'd use it for more than e-books originally but the VERY first time I saw it at Costco (and just happened to have my tax refund in my pocket) I instantly got it (3G/WiFi). I use it everyday, more than I thought I ever would. I'm a web designer and I actually find that showing my designs to clients works very well and I hardly ever bring my Mac Book Pro to meetings.
I think I'll be using my Xoom for a long time still. A couple of times I thought about getting something newer but every time I find my Xoom matches or beats the alternatives.
(And yes I do read a lot of e-books on it!)
Sent from my Xoom using xda premium

Part of my initial beef with the launch of and the way this device was being handled was that I saw the potential for this device and jumped on it immediately. The lack of LTE until 6 months after launch made me want to punch the responsible party in the throat. I was fairly disappointed about the way USB and SD cards are being handled but am pretty confident in the community's ability to improve that. I think it sucks that their efforts are being wasted on what should be core functionality instead of cutting edge things this device was meant for.
I have run this device hard and hung it up wet. I believe that I have gotten my money's worth. I use this thing everyday. It isn't quite the geospatial data collection tool I had envisioned it being but I blame most of that on my hatred of the cloud and failings as a developer who can't really do much from scratch. Once ESRI fleshed out its Android API, I'll be able to adjust my vectors via my tablet.
Sent from my Xoom using xda premium

after having mine for 12 days now the only thing i don't like about it is the location of the speakers
and that's it, everything about it is just simply great, i could not have gotten a better tablet

I think the speakers on the Xoom are better than most speakers of tablets/phones

alex94kumar said:
I think the speakers on the Xoom are better than most speakers of tablets/phones
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think you are right!

I was actually surprised how good the speakers on the xoom sounded. like, really surprised

yeah, xoom has 2 speakers... its great for movies, especially since i always lose my earphones...

I've got a confession to make. I just got my new 16 GB Nexus 7 today. As always, these things are fun to unbox and play with, but I can already tell it's not as nice as my Xoom. Perhaps things will change over time but, if pressed, I'd keep the Xoom over the Nexus.
Sent from my Xoom using xda app-developers app

R1150GSA said:
I've got a confession to make. I just got my new 16 GB Nexus 7 today. As always, these things are fun to unbox and play with, but I can already tell it's not as nice as my Xoom. Perhaps things will change over time but, if pressed, I'd keep the Xoom over the Nexus.
Sent from my Xoom using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How is the speed on the N7, compared to the Xoom? Like, overall UI and game performance

I bought two of the 32gb WiFi versions last Christmas. I use my Xoom daily and I love it. Probably the greatest thing among many excellent points about the device is battery life. It may be chunkier than most tabs but it's got one of the largest batteries of any tablet.
Being a GED, it's still a solid choice for those in the market for a tablet. Refurbs can be had cheap making them a real bargain.
Sent from my Xoom using Tapatalk 2