Looking at unlock Atrix, reasons for/against? - Atrix 4G General

Im looking at possibly getting an unlocked Atrix + the lapdock, but i have a few questions.
Does the Lapdock support video playback/netflix? How do games handle on it? What kind of limitations are there with it?
Ive looked around a bit and didnt find the exact answers im looking for, probably just need to look harder but i thought i would ask the experts who can give advice based on time-used experience rather than a quick overview or review from a "omg i just got it!" perspective
I am mostly looking for a replacement for my ipod touch 4th gen. Theres nothing wrong with my ipod, i just want a larger screen for watching movies and playing games and stuff while at work. The lapdock would make this VERY practical for my purposes while at work.
Edit: Something else I need to know. I can get the Atrix 4g for 249.99 from Amazon Wireless if i select Replace Phone. I dotn actually have a contract though, so if i went this route, can i still use the phone without actually having a contract?

Related

Problems with X10 and Other things from potential buyer

Hello, I have about 600 bucks to spend, and am thinking about this phone, before I buy I have a few questions.
-Have you had any problems with the phone?(battery, hardware, not turning on etc...) I want to know every problem you've ever had.
-Should I buy the unlocked international version which has no warranty or the US version with a 1 year warranty?
-Will the X10 US version work with T mobile for voice calling and text messaging? I dont plan on buying a 3g plan?
-For US customers only: If you've had a problem with it, did you have a manufacturer warranty(no other ones)? or was it without warranty as in you brought the international versions?
-What would be a good place to buy one? I'm thinking mobile city online, but would buy from another store if they carried the US version for a cheaper price.
-How are the games on this phone? I'm talking about the 3d games, would you say they're better than a 2nd gen itouch?
I guess you are too busy to actually read through the threads on the forum then? There are plenty of answers on here if you just bothered to look mate.
actually i have been looking, have found some issues with the battery, thats about it
apr1000 said:
actually i have been looking, have found some issues with the battery, thats about it
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
there are several ways to slove the battery issue. in particular, the new firmware will solve it completely.
im not in US so im not able to answer most of your questions.
there is no perfect phone in the market. all is dependent on how you are going to use the phone and what functions and performences you are pursing.
in general, im happy with my X10.
I can't aneswer your US related questions either, but I can tell you that I'm more than happy with my X10i.
The battery was an issue right off the shelf, but after tweeking it a little, it'll last me close to 2 days. Which is more than enough for a smartphone.
Also, not sure how the deals work in the US when it comes to getting a 3g plan, but I can tell you this phone is meant to be used with a data connection. Of course Wifi could work just fine for you if you don't want to buy a data plan.
Either way you decide to use the phone, it'll surely work out quite nicely for you.
If you want to play games, go get an itouch.
Sent from my X10i using XDA App
ok any other problems other than the battery?
your help is greatly appreciated
oh and i already have itouch, i saw some youtube videos of xperia x10 games, but not clear enough.
so my question is on a scale of 1 to 10 with 7 being the itouch 2nd generation, what would you rate the xperia x10 in terms of game graphics?
apr1000 said:
ok any other problems other than the battery?
your help is greatly appreciated
oh and i already have itouch, i saw some youtube videos of xperia x10 games, but not clear enough.
so my question is on a scale of 1 to 10 with 7 being the itouch 2nd generation, what would you rate the xperia x10 in terms of game graphics?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Graphics wise? About 12. Much larger display, much higher resolution as well as a more powerful cpu and graphics chip.
You should post your question on Howard Forums, not XDA DEVELOPERS, you'll probably get more help especially regarding questions related to the US market.

Help enhance my demo Xoom at [redacted] to increase sales!

I'm an employee at [removed (PM me if curious)] and we are selling WiFi Xooms. We haven't sold ANY yet! I need some help and advice.
First I need to solve a problem. Some SOB uninstalled the Google Books app, and a factory restore not only didn't fix that, but it wiped the bundled in music as well! I figure I can just make a dummy account for the Xoom and reinstall the Google Books app, but I need to add music so that people can try the music app and test the speakers.
How can I put music on the Xoom so that the music app will have nice album art like before?
Second, I need a way of locking certain apps and settings IE, I need a child-proofing app. The Xoom didn't come with any kiosk software so any Apple fanboy can sabotage the tablet! I also could use a way to return the tablet to a default demo setup, just in case something does happen, like Ti Backup. (The boss says I can't root it )
Is there any app that allows me to "Lock" the settings and/or access to certain apps?
And finally, I need suggestions on apps that show off the functionality. Bonus points for things the iPad CAN'T do. I need apps that show off the power and graphics ability of the Xoom. They have to be fairly easy to use as people might open them themselves, but others I can use to quickly demonstrate features.
Also, I need apps that don't use an internet connection, as sometimes the public wi-fi goes down. That way if it does go down, I can still demonstrate the Xoom's abilities.
Help me sell Xooms and show up all those iSnobs that come into my store!
TheGeek007 said:
I'm an employee at [removed (PM me if curious)] and we are selling WiFi Xooms. We haven't sold ANY yet! I need some help and advice.
First I need to solve a problem. Some SOB uninstalled the Google Books app, and a factory restore not only didn't fix that, but it wiped the bundled in music as well! I figure I can just make a dummy account for the Xoom and reinstall the Google Books app, but I need to add music so that people can try the music app and test the speakers.
How can I put music on the Xoom so that the music app will have nice album art like before?
Second, I need a way of locking certain apps and settings IE, I need a child-proofing app. The Xoom didn't come with any kiosk software so any Apple fanboy can sabotage the tablet! I also could use a way to return the tablet to a default demo setup, just in case something does happen, like Ti Backup. (The boss says I can't root it )
Is there any app that allows me to "Lock" the settings and/or access to certain apps?
And finally, I need suggestions on apps that show off the functionality. Bonus points for things the iPad CAN'T do. I need apps that show off the power and graphics ability of the Xoom. They have to be fairly easy to use as people might open them themselves, but others I can use to quickly demonstrate features.
Also, I need apps that don't use an internet connection, as sometimes the public wi-fi goes down. That way if it does go down, I can still demonstrate the Xoom's abilities.
Help me sell Xooms and show up all those iSnobs that come into my store!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
10% of your commission, and you got a deal
Sent from my PC36100 using Tapatalk
TheGeek007 said:
I'm an employee at [removed (PM me if curious)] and we are selling WiFi Xooms. We haven't sold ANY yet! I need some help and advice.
First I need to solve a problem. Some SOB uninstalled the Google Books app, and a factory restore not only didn't fix that, but it wiped the bundled in music as well! I figure I can just make a dummy account for the Xoom and reinstall the Google Books app, but I need to add music so that people can try the music app and test the speakers.
How can I put music on the Xoom so that the music app will have nice album art like before?
Second, I need a way of locking certain apps and settings IE, I need a child-proofing app. The Xoom didn't come with any kiosk software so any Apple fanboy can sabotage the tablet! I also could use a way to return the tablet to a default demo setup, just in case something does happen, like Ti Backup. (The boss says I can't root it )
Is there any app that allows me to "Lock" the settings and/or access to certain apps?
And finally, I need suggestions on apps that show off the functionality. Bonus points for things the iPad CAN'T do. I need apps that show off the power and graphics ability of the Xoom. They have to be fairly easy to use as people might open them themselves, but others I can use to quickly demonstrate features.
Also, I need apps that don't use an internet connection, as sometimes the public wi-fi goes down. That way if it does go down, I can still demonstrate the Xoom's abilities.
Help me sell Xooms and show up all those iSnobs that come into my store!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Honestly, if the person wiped this and the device will not reset it when it is wiped you need to call Moto and let them know or call your Home Office and let them know. PM me what store you work for and I will try and help as best I can.
Verrrrry interesting original post...
I'm guessing Best Buy. First thing:
Move it out of the stinking netbook aisle at the very back, put it in a more prominent place, where it deserves to be. If you hide stuff like that, people aren't gonna see it, therefore they aren't gonna buy it. This should be basic stuff for a retail chain, but for some reason these types of things slip their mind. When I went to bestbuy to get my xoom, I wouldn't have even known it existed if I hadn't done some research beforehand, and the tablet was waaaaaaaaaaay in the back of the netbook section, and I mean the VERY back...last "stall" there.
As for your boss, I think he can take the hit on ONE xoom to sell many of them. Tell him that the most effective way to "ipad baby-proof" the thing is to root it and install TitaniumBackup. He probably thinks rooting means radically changing things, which currently, it doesn't. You're going to have to explain it to him, probably in baby terms if he's anything like most managers I've had, who didn't know their butt from a hole in the ground. If you put it in terms of profitability, he MAY understand.
As for cool apps, just give the sales force a demo model to play with when they're not doing anything else. Let them get to KNOW the device. When I go to buy something, it's not so important for the sales person to know what they're selling me because I already have done a ton of research, but I am not your typical customer. You're going to get a lot of people in there who aren't really that tech-savvy, so if the sales people on the floor know how to use the device, they can demo some of the cooler features to the people.
For example:
Your grandmother walks into the store, she's looking for something to use to email her grandchildren, perhaps a video chat occasionally and she wants something EASY to use, fairly inexpensive and something she's not going to have to pay the geek squad to set up. Well, right this way ma'am, I have something that would be perfect for you, <insert sales demo here>... unit sold.
Another example:
Younger person comes into the store, looking at iPads. Ask them what they're looking to do with the device. If your sales force KNOWS both the iPad and the Xoom, it's kind of a no-brainer to be able to make the best sale for the customer and isn't that what business is all about?
I rarely go into a superstore like Best Buy and find truly knowledgeable people when it comes to the latest electronics. The BestBuy in South County, Missouri lost a sale not too long ago from me because they told me I couldn't buy the Verizon Xoom off contract, which is nonsense. So I simply went to another store and bought it. Perfect example of a person not knowing what the heck they're talking about.
I realize that there are a LOT of new products out there, but it's the responsibility of the store's employees (and ultimately the store's management) to LEARN about these devices so that when people ask BASIC questions, they can answer them.
It wasn't too long ago that I attended a sales lecture at college. Younger people (age 35 and under) normally knew what they were going after when they went to buy tech, and often preferred to be left alone to fiddle with the product a bit and basically only needed help during the actual sales process (or the retrieval process if the item was locked in a secure case). People 35 and over almost universally wanted help from start to finish because their understanding of the tech wasn't always so great. To sell to that person over 35, which is going to be a sizable portion of your business, your employees need to know that device and demo what it it can do on a moment's notice.
So, to me, you've got the "location, location, location" problem and also the "knowledge, knowledge, knowledge" problem if you haven't sold any of these things yet.
Here's something you can do, which will really appeal to older folks... set up one xoom on one side of the aisle, set up another one in sight of the first, but farther away, perhaps on the other side of the aisle. When someone comes in and asks what the xoom can do, just turn on video conferencing and SHOW them how cool it is. Have your sales people be able to demo the different features.
You can also show them how much FASTER the xoom is rendering web pages than the iPad. Everyone loves to save time, irrespective of age.
Another thing the xoom does EXTREMELY well is reformatting text. It will automatically reformat the text when you zoom in on a website, to make it readable. In fact, it makes the text beautiful.
You can show them how they can have live widgets on their home-screens, and the iPad can't.
Honestly, if people knew what the xoom could do, who in the hell would buy an iPad anyway???
Motorola made a HUGE mistake with their superbowl commercial too, they didn't show what the xoom could do. Nobody is going to buy a device like this because it looks cool. Sure, that's something they think about, but that's waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay down their list, probably down around "what kind of towel do I need to use to clean the screen" or something. What matters most is functionality and price. If it doesn't do what I need it to do, if it doesn't enrich my life in some way, what good is it??
I guarantee you that if you gave me 10 minutes with 10 people who were going to buy an iPad, and they gave me a fair chance to demo what the xoom could do, at least 7 of those would buy the xoom instead. The number would be even higher if it was just a basic netbook buyer, because a good netbook is even MORE expensive than the xoom.
It baffles me that these things aren't FLYING off the shelves. I think that's mostly due to bad sales tactics and poor marketing. It's unfortunate too because it's such an amazing device.
Oh yeah, FLASH. iPad can't give you the web like a desktop can, but xoom can.
Didn't you say you worked at (Hint - That was easy) - Anyways when I purchased my XOOM from (Staples) it was right in the front near the registers? Had its own display with other accessories, etc. I've been in retail sales before and the only way I would imagine to make more of a push on the product is have both positive and negative reviews about the product compared to other competitors. I believe in 100% honesty and if you are straight forward with a customer and tell them the benefits and disadvantages of the unit compared to what’s on the market currently they will appreciate it. Honesty in my opinion goes a long way then any marketing gimmick a retail chain will try to implement on its staff or customer.
stevenege said:
Honestly, if the person wiped this and the device will not reset it when it is wiped you need to call Moto and let them know or call your Home Office and let them know. PM me what store you work for and I will try and help as best I can.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oh it boots, but its missing the Books app and the music that was preloaded. Hence my problem. I guess doing a factory restore from recovery mode won't get back the music. :/
if you have a Nexus or some other phone that can do mobile hotspot on display or some phone that can do mobile hotspot, that'll be your best chance of getting internet connection. from there you can reinstall anything.
i think most of the displays i've seen failed because of the lack of internet. every ipad i've seen always had internet connection. impressed with some of the free games like Gun bros or dungeon and defenders
vkuber said:
Didn't you say you worked at (Hint - That was easy) - Anyways when I purchased my XOOM from (Staples) it was right in the front near the registers? Had its own display with other accessories, etc. I've been in retail sales before and the only way I would imagine to make more of a push on the product is have both positive and negative reviews about the product compared to other competitors. I believe in 100% honesty and if you are straight forward with a customer and tell them the benefits and disadvantages of the unit compared to what’s on the market currently they will appreciate it. Honesty in my opinion goes a long way then any marketing gimmick a retail chain will try to implement on its staff or customer.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Darn! I made it too easy. ^_^
I'm very honest in my sales, I always mention its V1.0 of the software and that the apps aren't there yet. Its very hard to explain its potential without demonstrating it somehow.
And yes we have an endcap right near the registers with lots of accessories. The Xoom deserves a prominent place in our store TBH.
It really irks me, people come in to the store and in that sheepish voice ask "do you have any iPads?". By the time I say "No. But I would love to show you our android ta..." they are halfway out the door.
Still looking for a "kiosk-mode" or "kid-safe" app that locks the device settings in some way. That and apps that really bring out the Xoom's best qualities.
Hey check this out for app locking. http://htcdev.net/topic/1224-kid-mode-for-your-tablet-and-smartphone/
Sent from my HTC Incredible using XDA App
Also, I'm looking for a way to keep the device on and at full brightness 100% of the time (it will be plugged in 24/7). I know under apps/development you can keep it from powering off while charging, but that doesn't keep it bright.
I'll look into zoodle, but perhaps "kid-mode" is too much control. But its a start. Thanks. ^_^
TheGeek007 said:
Also, I'm looking for a way to keep the device on and at full brightness 100% of the time (it will be plugged in 24/7). I know under apps/development you can keep it from powering off while charging, but that doesn't keep it bright.
I'll look into zoodle, but perhaps "kid-mode" is too much control. But its a start. Thanks. ^_^
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Download Quick Settings (Free) from the market. Once installed, in the menu, choose customize and drag the Screen Timeout to the top area. You can set it to "Never Timeout". This appears to keep the screen from dimming, at least in the 5 minutes I tested it.
Gotta say +1 on the bad placement at best buy. They even had a whole featured section called "tablets" with the streak, galaxy, Ipad, etc. I had to ask someone if they were selling xooms. They were out (this was wifi release day) but they directed me to their demo model all the way on the other side of the store BEHIND all the computers, near the random stereo cables. Went to staples and it was front and center and in stock. Sorry BB, I came to you first and you let me down.
But forget about attracting new people to buy the xoom, put it somewhere that I can find it if I came there SPECIFICALLY for it.
Sent from my Xoom using Tapatalk
My suggestion would be putting the wallpaper of android that came preinstalled. Put games like gunbros,dungeon defenders, cordy on the center homescreen. Also gmail widget. And YouTube app is very pretty and lots of people use it and it'll be a very good bet to get people. Also, sideload Amazon appstore as well as the market on there. Picsay also is an awesome little app. Good luck.
Sent from my Nexus One using XDA App
Are you allowed to lock apps with a password? If so, there ares dozens of solutions already in the Android market:
https://market.android.com/search?q=app+password&so=1&c=apps
Just apply a password to the apps you want to protect, at least I assume its thats simple... I haven't tried these apps myself, so you'll have to experiment.
TheGeek007 said:
I'm an employee at [removed (PM me if curious)] and we are selling WiFi Xooms. We haven't sold ANY yet! I need some help and advice.
First I need to solve a problem. Some SOB uninstalled the Google Books app, and a factory restore not only didn't fix that, but it wiped the bundled in music as well! I figure I can just make a dummy account for the Xoom and reinstall the Google Books app, but I need to add music so that people can try the music app and test the speakers.
How can I put music on the Xoom so that the music app will have nice album art like before?
Second, I need a way of locking certain apps and settings IE, I need a child-proofing app. The Xoom didn't come with any kiosk software so any Apple fanboy can sabotage the tablet! I also could use a way to return the tablet to a default demo setup, just in case something does happen, like Ti Backup. (The boss says I can't root it )
Is there any app that allows me to "Lock" the settings and/or access to certain apps?
And finally, I need suggestions on apps that show off the functionality. Bonus points for things the iPad CAN'T do. I need apps that show off the power and graphics ability of the Xoom. They have to be fairly easy to use as people might open them themselves, but others I can use to quickly demonstrate features.
Also, I need apps that don't use an internet connection, as sometimes the public wi-fi goes down. That way if it does go down, I can still demonstrate the Xoom's abilities.
Help me sell Xooms and show up all those iSnobs that come into my store!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Quick list:
Flash (47% of all web sites have flash according to a research firm as of today)
Higher quality cameras (Many times better then the iPad 2)
Excellent battery life
A solid screen. (It might help if you turn the brightness off auto and place it at 100%)
Put it next to the ipad2's, not by netbooks. (some kind of DroidDoes-eque banner would be great, but I can understand that could be hard to get.)
A SD slot (stress that it WILL happen soon. (like may)
4G upgrade (Stress it's FREE, something the iPad 2 will never have, and that it's a hardware upgrade and will only take a matter of days)
I would load up a couple of graphically advanced games on the main home screen. (like maybe GunBros and SpeedX 3D, both of which are fun, free, good looking games)
Stress how open it is to making it individual (ease at which to customize)
If the person looks tech savy, be sure to say the boot loader is unlockable.
Stress the widescreen (16:9) over the "full screen" (4:3) iPad
Use some of the tablet optimized apps to show the multipane options. (show this next to the iPad as an OS designed for a tablet screen, not a handheld screen.)
And lastly for my list, compare the browser to the ipad browser, with tabs and a fuller experience. it earns high marks.
Hope this helped and wasn't too repeative.
(p.s. on the hole lack of books app, just go through and reinstall the apps and register with the same account as the Xoom is on.)
p.s.s. just customize it, make it look like a person uses it, not like it just came from a factory.
Another thing you can show them...
HDMI Out, with HD support. They could even do video chats on their TV (something the ipad can't do w/o an expensive add-on, and even then it doesn't look very good due to it not being HD and being in 4:3).
The ONE area where the ipad beats the xoom is standby battery. But for all that battery, you give up all the cool widgets and what makes android cool. So to me, it was a no-brainer.
If you have the authority, send a demo xoom home with your sales associates, let 'em keep it for a weekend or something so they KNOW what all they can do with it. Encourage them to play with it and do whatever they want. Once a person gets ahold of this device, they'll realize how amazing it truly is and they'll start to spread that enthusiasm to customers. I loved my android phone at first, but after a week of playing with it, I wouldn't trade it for a dozen iphones.
It's all about getting these things in peoples' hands. If they can SEE what it does, they'll want one, it's just that simple. It beats the ipad in virtually every area. When you couple that with the fact that the xoom is incredibly customizable, themeable, unlockable and the browsing experience is so much better, it's a winner of a tablet.
If they want a tablet to play the guitar, drums or some other synthesizer nonsense, then the ipad is for them. If they want to CONNECT to other people and experience the web as it's meant to be, they need the xoom.
Google maps with 3d buildings look great on zoom.
Sent from my Xoom using Tapatalk
Prepare your Xoom with Moboplayer and load it up with some movies in different formats with all different kind of subtitles (.srt, .ass (this is a subtitle format), and be sure to get some .mkv with built-in subtitles). Then choose the correct subtitle for the correct customer.
>It really irks me, people come in to the store and in that sheepish voice ask "do you have any iPads?". By the time I say "No. But I would love to show you our android ta..." they are halfway out the door.
I don't know what you can do for the Xoom, but it'd help your sales pitch by not starting with a "no."
That said, there isn't much you can do or say, other than to wait for Moto to drop its premium pricing--or until it releases the 16GB SKU at a more competitive price.
http://ubergizmo.com/2011/04/16gb-motorola-xoom-on-its-way
Most people don't want a Xoom and you can't make them.
Sent from my Captivate

[Q] Christmas Present for 5 boys?

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.

Cheapy tablet wars, your opinion!

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.

[Q] Thinking of Buying an A500. A few questions.

Hello, I've been tablet shopping and i found an A500 for $300 refurb. Best deal i can find around.
I want to buy it, but i'd like to ask a few questions first.
First off. It advertises as a Honeycomb tablet. Will there be an OTA ICS update waiting for me when i set it up?
If so, How is ICS on this device? Is it buggy? does everything work? Or will i be constantly rooting/roming to get it to work properly?
If i have to root/rom, How is it? Easy? difficult? oneclick? I know my phone was a pain, but another one i did was a snap. Wanted to know how easy it is to rom this device?
How is video playback? One of the main things i wish to do is play movies/videos. mainly; Netflix, Streaming, and .avi and mp4's. How is playback? I can't stand choppy video or audio-lag. So this is pretty important to me.
Also, Some basic performance reviews would be great. not the main purpose of this thread, but hey, any information is helpful.
I was looking between this and the EeePad transformer. Basically within $20 of eachother.
Thank you.
FourForty said:
Hello, I've been tablet shopping and i found an A500 for $300 refurb. Best deal i can find around.
I want to buy it, but i'd like to ask a few questions first.
First off. It advertises as a Honeycomb tablet. Will there be an OTA ICS update waiting for me when i set it up?
If so, How is ICS on this device? Is it buggy? does everything work? Or will i be constantly rooting/roming to get it to work properly?
If i have to root/rom, How is it? Easy? difficult? oneclick? I know my phone was a pain, but another one i did was a snap. Wanted to know how easy it is to rom this device?
How is video playback? One of the main things i wish to do is play movies/videos. mainly; Netflix, Streaming, and .avi and mp4's. How is playback? I can't stand choppy video or audio-lag. So this is pretty important to me.
Also, Some basic performance reviews would be great. not the main purpose of this thread, but hey, any information is helpful.
I was looking between this and the EeePad transformer. Basically within $20 of eachother.
Thank you.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
depending where you live you will most likely have ics waiting for you most places have it now ics runs nicely hadn't had any bugs with it so far the video playback is great the only time it starts to lag for me is when 1080p is being streamed to a TV ......rooting and romming is easy enough after root flashing custom roms is about 3 clicks from cmw lol rooting i cant say now i mine was rooted before ics but there's lots of tutorials performance wise it can be over clocked to about 1.5ghz but even not over clocked i hadn't found a game that will make it lag yet even N.O.V.A 3 with its online multi player and sweet graphics xD
Its not all amazing though there are some problems
1.some tablets don't have the best wifi saying even in the same room as the router they get one block of signal i think to be an old Gen problem though....i have surprisingly great wifi connection????
2.The Video recording is TERRIBLE on honeycomb not the video but the sound is all congested and gross,but if you do update it there has been BIG improvements with ics
3.does not like Bluetooth headsets with a mic input it will pair but not connect with most of them ,but some still work xD...
One more thing there is also built in GPS not needing wifi and great for gaming and modding so i think...external 3g Hawaii usb adapter have had success working micro sd works up to 64gb and external hard rive up to 2tb xD good luck hope this helped
FourForty said:
Hello, I've been tablet shopping and i found an A500 for $300 refurb. Best deal i can find around.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can beat that price easily. The last one I bought was auction style and got it for $210 shipped. It was the 8gb version. The 16gb can be had for a little more than that if you don't mind playing the auction game. Personally, I'd never pay more than $250 shipped for a refurb. I expect the refurbs to get to the ~$200 price point by the end of the summer.
http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw...+a500&LH_FS=1&LH_BIN=1&_sop=15&_osacat=171485
As far as the rest... What Gears said.
Thank you both for the replies.
The WiFi connection concerns me a bit. But not a deal-breaker for sure.
Glad to hear video playback is good. As that's most likely going to be my main use of this tablet.
I don't use bluetooth headsets, so not too worried about that.
As for beating the price. Here in Canada, That's literally the best price i could find. Newegg.ca has it for $268. so after tax/fees, it's $301.
I'm not a fan of buying used electronics off ebay. Too much risk. and a boat load of hassle with returns/paypal. well, almost all are final sales. And i don't want to get screwed.
At least with sites such as newegg i get a warranty.
Even with that being said. I used your link and found one on ebay. Currently winning at $122. But with 6-days left. I doubt it will be a good deal. my max is $225, so we'll see how long that lasts.
FourForty said:
Thank you both for the replies.
The WiFi connection concerns me a bit. But not a deal-breaker for sure.
Glad to hear video playback is good. As that's most likely going to be my main use of this tablet.
I don't use bluetooth headsets, so not too worried about that.
As for beating the price. Here in Canada, That's literally the best price i could find. Newegg.ca has it for $268. so after tax/fees, it's $301.
I'm not a fan of buying used electronics off ebay. Too much risk. and a boat load of hassle with returns/paypal. well, almost all are final sales. And i don't want to get screwed.
At least with sites such as newegg i get a warranty.
Even with that being said. I used your link and found one on ebay. Currently winning at $122. But with 6-days left. I doubt it will be a good deal. my max is $225, so we'll see how long that lasts.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
FYI & I don't know if they are available in Canada, but a friend & I each picked up refurbished a500s from the referenced "Official Acer Store" on eBay. They came with a 90 day warranty. It was about 4 months ago and they were $267US then. Upon receipt both appeared to be brand new. Mine has had absolutlely no issues. My friend's developed a couple of horizontal colored lines after about 3 weeks. The Acer Store folks quickly arranged for a prepaid return and sent him another immaculate appearing unit in about a week. It has been flawless. None of the 3 units had any difficulty with Timmy Dean's v3.2.1, HC downgrade , the ICS OTA, or bootloader or ROM mods. Whatever you decide, goodluck. The a500 is a super piece of hardware and these forums are a goldmine of information and hours of reading pleasure!
I bought mine around valentines day off eBay for $280 refurbished, a 16gb version. Got the square trade warranty for $40. The tablet was fine for about a week and then my screen started coming up along the top/bottom edges. So I shipped it back. The second one has had no problem. I rooted, installed recovery, custom rom, and backed up on the first one. When my 2nd tablet came I was able to just root, install recovery and recover from my SD backup with no problem.
I love this tablet! Personally, I choose it over the Asus ones that were out at the time I got mine. From what I've heard, the Asus and other tablets don't allow a constant HDMI out like the Acer. They only utilize it when an app calls it. That could have been a stock rom issue, but even then if u have a newer tf101 u can't unlock it like its older model. As stated above, all games run flawlessly. I can play Shadow Gun then load up GTA3 and switch between the two without either game lagging.
You'll be happy with your purchase after the first minute of playing with the Iconia.
Sent from my Iconia A500 using XDA
WiFi works quite well under Gentoo for me. On Honeycomb, it was sightly buggy at times. The changes in ICS seem to have gotten rid of this issue, for me at least.
apapousek said:
WiFi works quite well under Gentoo for me. On Honeycomb, it was sightly buggy at times. The changes in ICS seem to have gotten rid of this issue, for me at least.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Agreed i havnt had any wifi issues at all since ics
what specifically do you want to do with a tablet? That should help narrow your search , do you need root? do you need custom roms or is the stock fine? are you into testing? If your squeamish about "tech" stuff ,root /rom wont be your thing ,the stock roms offer alot in these tabs ,just having ICS doesnt ensure you anything over HC , most people have this problem about worrying about updates , getting antsy over it , if you go custom rom it all depends on what your comfortable with , you might change the rom daily ,or you might be totally satisfied ,I have a Windows phone 7 that has a custom rom I installed back in december , havent changed a thing since , On my Acer I couldnt tell where I was a week ago ,everything gets changed between a few days to a week !
Read the dev section , anything by skrillax ,civato ,vache,blkthdr (thor if you can find it) and Moscow desire to name a few and you'll be on the right track and as civato says "dont be a chicken, just do it" otherwise stay stock and wait for Acer............
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