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Hi all,
Not seen a thread about this new tablet from Huawei yet. In the UK it is going to be exclusive to Expansys - http://www.expansys.com/d.aspx?i=199911
A quick list of specs,
- Snapdragon 768MHZ
- 256MB RAM
- MicroSD slot
- 7" 800x480 screen (CAPACITIVE!!)
- Sim card slot, supporting HSPA/UMTS
- WiFi 11b/g/n
- 3.5mm stereo audio jack
- 2mp camera
- 2200mAh battery
Now for me, this seems REALLY good, as an alternative to the iPad. Although it is more than twice as expensive as other Chinese Android tablets, its spec is far superior and because it is made by a reputable company, the quality is likely to be much better than the currently available junk.
At first I thought it was Wifi only without 3G, but now that I found that it has, I am not even going to consider the iPad, especially seeing as HTC has yet to make a tablet anyway. So yep so far it looks really good.
What is not clear, is whether it has GPS and multi-touch.
I am wondering if there is going to be a section for this device over here at XDA Dev?
Thinking about it, isn't 800x480 a bit too low?
I've been looking into this as I'm interested in one.
From what I've read Huawei haven't even released the specifications of this yet - it may even have a resistive screen and looks like it won't be available until August anyway!
If you find any more info on it, let us know!
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=6979170#post6979170
I think Expansys said they will have it in stock (UK) next week.
But yea, wouldn't put money in yet until there are reviews to read.
If you have a look at this vid, it shows a stylus so it definitely looks as if it's a resistive screen.
http://techpinger.com/2010/06/watch-huawei-smakit-s7-android-tablet-hands-on-and-first-look-video/
But the fingering operation seems too smooth for a resistive screen?
Either way I hope we find out next week!
If it turns out to be just a polished turd then, well the iPad will be on the card again...
wywywywy said:
But the fingering operation seems too smooth for a resistive screen?
Either way I hope we find out next week!
If it turns out to be just a polished turd then, well the iPad will be on the card again...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yep, it's resistive
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQjOMGhuS3k
Don't want an iPad though...
Oh crap!!!
* writes off another device on the list *
She has a nice accent though.
wywywywy said:
Oh crap!!!
* writes off another device on the list *
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm not sure myself. I'm still considering it - like you say it does have a very responsive screen resistive or not...
Or do you know of any other similar devices to be released soon that have a capacitive screen (not an iPad ) that would be worth looking at?
wywywywy said:
She has a nice accent though.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, what is it?
The thing is, I have a Toshiba TG01, which at the time was said to have a "really responsive resistive screen", and the reality is that it's nowhere near a real capacitive. In fact even my spare dodgy Samsung Symbian feature phone with a cheapest possible capacitive screen is more responsive.
I wouldn't mind resistive so much on a Windows PC tablet (in fact I have a few, still in use), but on a mobile fingery tablet, it is definitely a deal breaker for me.
One thing that is worth looking at is the Ramos W7. But it has been delayed again and again, and the places that are going to sell it are a bit dodgy... And you know what the usual problems a small Chinese brand could bring. The spec and price point look very nice as a Dell Streak alternative though. I can see myself using it on the toilet a lot, which at the moment an iPod Touch does this particular job for me, if that is not too much detail for you.
God damn it I wish HTC would make one!
I wouldn't buy a tablet with a capacitive screen. Capacitive means no handwriting (with pen), and I want my tablet to replace my old paper notebook. Resistive screens also have much higher accuracy, which could be useful in some applications (like spreadsheets).
My old Touch Pro 2 is working pretty well, despite the resistive screen.
I had a good look at this and was very tempted as i wanted an android tablet it looks very good they say the bad points are
No multitasking and no built in memory,
In the end i went for the Dell Streak and i am glad i did it blows the icrap stuff out of the water
link bellow
http://www.expansys.com/d.aspx?i=199911
nilezon said:
I wouldn't buy a tablet with a capacitive screen. Capacitive means no handwriting (with pen), and I want my tablet to replace my old paper notebook. Resistive screens also have much higher accuracy, which could be useful in some applications (like spreadsheets).
My old Touch Pro 2 is working pretty well, despite the resistive screen.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sounds like you are in the market for a PC-tablet rather than a media/entertainment-tablet like the one we are discussing.
I have a few Fujitsu tablets and also had some UMPCs with Windows 7 and resistive tech works very very well on them. Not quite the same case with these iOS/Android tablets though.
I dunno there is no lack of competition for the ipad. Everyone and their brother is releasing numerous models. I personally am partial to ASUS and plan on going that route. I heard they will have 2 versions. A windows OS and an Android OS. Heres some other options
http://mashable.com/2010/01/27/9-upcoming-tablet-alternatives-to-the-apple-ipad/
wywywywy said:
Sounds like you are in the market for a PC-tablet rather than a media/entertainment-tablet like the one we are discussing.
I have a few Fujitsu tablets and also had some UMPCs with Windows 7 and resistive tech works very very well on them. Not quite the same case with these iOS/Android tablets though.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I guess you're right.
I would love a linux powered tablet. An iPad with Ubuntu and a resistive screen.
I've got a OQO 01, but that's not really the same. It's too small.
Do you have any suggestions?
Well, there are a (small) number of netvertibles to choose from. Gigabyte's TouchNote seems to be especially popular and can be had for cheap second hand, but Asus has a new EEE netvertible too. If money was no object, Fujitsu does have a nice range with CULV processors.
They all come with keyboards though. If you are desperate a true tablet, Archos 9 is coming out next week... But I'll be very wary of Archos's quality and support!!
EDIT:
I tried Ubuntu Netbook Remix on one of mine by the way, and in my opinion it is quite unfinished... There are number of problems with device drivers too. Things might have changed since, but I'd rather have something that just works.
wywywywy said:
Hi all,
Not seen a thread about this new tablet from Huawei yet. In the UK it is going to be exclusive to Expansys - http://www.expansys.com/d.aspx?i=199911
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've just been looking around at this again, mainly because it seems that it's going to be the best available Android 2.1 tablet around for a while...
Anyway, it seems as if eXpansys UK were lying about it being exclusive to them because Play.com, Clove Technology, Handtec and others have this for sale too. They're all cheaper than eXpansys too.
Hmm, still thinking about getting one. Anyone else? Forum on XDA for it too?
Expansys has posted their own (obviously positive) review.
http://www.expansys.com/blog/?p=785
But it is more of an advert than a review.
Huawei S7
So I picked up the Cruz Reader, the Cruz Tablet and the Huawei S7 this weekend over at Best Buy, and the only one that I am keeping is the S7. Even with the TFT as opposed to the Capacitive Screen on the Cruz Tablet, the Huawei is better in every regard.
I will be posting more details separately for each device later today, but for right now, I would say don't even bother with the Cruz devices.
I am really curious about the Huawei Ideos S7. I have not seen much video of the actual retail version that is available now at Best Buy. I ordered a Maylong M150, but have been waiting for weeks for it. I know the Huawei is 3 times the price, but 2.1 with actual non hacked market access kinda seems worth it. I am curious about the battery life, though.
Hello,
I just received my Toshiba folio 100 with android 2.2. I'm trying to install 10.1 version of adobe flash since 2 hours but without success.
Has anyone already done it?
There's no Android Market on this device. I've downloaded the 10.1.95.2 apk file and installed it, but it froze my browser.
Any help would be welcomed.
Thanks,
Pedro
Sorry I can't help as I don't have one but when did they launch and where can you get one? How much?
How are you finding it? Would love to hear a review.
It has Opera Mobile 10 doesn't it? would that version work for other phones as well?
cmit37 said:
Sorry I can't help as I don't have one but when did they launch and where can you get one? How much?
How are you finding it? Would love to hear a review.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not that great, and not coming to the US either.
Toshiba Folio 100 preview
By Paul Miller posted Sep 2nd 2010 12:21PM
http://www.engadget.com/2010/09/02/toshiba-folio-100-preview/
We just got to handle the Folio 100, after witnessing it bolted to a wall earlier, and we have to admit that it's lighter and thinner than it looks at first glance. Unfortunately, it still feels pretty cheap, and we're not sure how much we trust ourselves one-handing something this large and fragile seeming. Our brief glimpse of Toshiba's custom skin on here was most depressing -- it's not final, but we're not sure why Toshiba is even bothering showing anything in this abysmal state. The bits we've seen of Toshiba's market (for music, apps, e-books and so forth) look a bit better, but as far as we know there's no official Android Market on this thing -- a kiss of death for almost any Android device. Toshiba's biggest failure here, however, is probably the LCD it sourced for this tablet -- the screen looks as cheap and low res as could be, and while a €399 list price is decent for a tablet this size, it hardly seems a good excuse to stoop to KIRF-level components. Hit up the gallery for all the angles, along with some comparison shots with the mind share monopolizing iPad.
Update: We just heard from Toshiba's US team and there are apparently no plans to bring the Folio 100 stateside. Given our lackluster first impressions, we can't say we're all that upset by that...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I can't seem to find anywhere this Toshiba Folio can be purchased yet, it's apparently supposed to be released October 2010 for £329.
A dump of that Opera Mobile should be interesting as it's not going to be out yet for Android publicly probably for a little bit longer. It's been shown off since February and here's a video on the Galaxy S. It's the same guy in both videos but his hair seems to have green since February in the latest one.
Are there any other reports of Opera Mobile being preloaded on any other device?
About the Adobe Flash though, the press release here [PDF] advertises it's Adobe Flash 10.1 trueness so I would assume it's pre-installed like on the Froyo Galaxy S update (albeit not the latest version, it's always updating being Flash and all).
If you're trying to install it from a provided APK and it's crashing maybe it's because the NVIDIA Tegra2 the tablet's supposed to have is a dual core chip and Adobe needs to provide a special version for it (don't trust me on this).
Currys in Croydon has one on display. I had a play with it and haven't been very impressed.
Good:
- Android 2.2
- We plugged in a USB keyboard and it worked instantly and the sales advisor said that a USB mouse worked just as well.
- The Toshiba file browser makes it easy to access the USB port and the SD card (Full sized SD slot I think)
- Has four buttons on the side but I like the fact that you have to press them deliberately to activate them rather than just accidentally brushing over them and closing your app like with my Galaxy S.
- Tegra 2
Bad:
- It looks really cheap and the LCD panel is like one of the cheapest netbook panels you can find on the market. The Galaxy Pad and the iPad were displayed next to it and they just made it look even cheaper
- Fonts don't look very smooth
- I couldn't get flash websites to play when just switched on. I found an apk of 10.1 and installed it however it started to crash the android browser. The sales assistant said that he would look into enabling flash. I'll check back in a few days to give flash on BBC iPlayer a go.
- Barely any apps installed by default. - I'd forgive the app problem in the case of the Vega due to the much lower price but is not forgiveable in the case of the Folio when it looks like a Asda's own brand electronic photo frame and it costs £330
- Swiping through the interface didn't feel any smoother than on my Galaxy S
If the Vega turns out to be a better quality product I will probably get it.
cmit37 said:
The Galaxy Pad and the iPad were displayed next to it and they just made it look even cheaper
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Where do you live that the Galaxy Pad is on display? What country / store?
I got my Folio 100 today, and im looking forward to do some real nice modding here, and first get Market app working, as done on Eken M001, so that experience can easily help us here..
I know from my motorola and htc, that the flash player 10.1 you can download, does a model check, and is , as far as i know, only working on N1,desire,droid,milestone phones, maybe that check is no longer present..
cmit37 said:
- It looks really cheap and the LCD panel is like one of the cheapest netbook panels you can find on the market. The Galaxy Pad and the iPad were displayed next to it and they just made it look even cheaper
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
pricetag on it, is also for us in Denmark like 50% percent off almost.. so comparing to another galaxy pad or little cheaper ipad, im not sure you can expect LG lcd inside such a model, but ill see if the quality is acceptable.
most of them can be calibrated anyways, so if its a color issue, it can be fixed.
cmit37 said:
- Fonts don't look very smooth
- I couldn't get flash websites to play when just switched on. I found an apk of 10.1 and installed it however it started to crash the android browser. The sales assistant said that he would look into enabling flash. I'll check back in a few days to give flash on BBC iPlayer a go.
- Barely any apps installed by default. - I'd forgive the app problem in the case of the Vega due to the much lower price but is not forgiveable in the case of the Folio when it looks like a Asda's own brand electronic photo frame and it costs £330
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
All this is without modding, lets just get the modding started, and ill think less of what Toshiba accomplished and look at others when their packs are in place.
cmit37 said:
- Swiping through the interface didn't feel any smoother than on my Galaxy S
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
? what exactly do you mean? i got Galaxy S, and if you already state its just as good, im looking forward to it
how can it be bad?
Paul22000 said:
Where do you live that the Galaxy Pad is on display? What country / store?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I live in UK
Dexter_nlb said:
? what exactly do you mean? i got Galaxy S, and if you already state its just as good, im looking forward to it
how can it be bad?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't know - I just expected the Tegra 2 Dual Core to just obliterate the single core CPU in the Galaxy S. I have no doubt that the Folio is a great platform to loads apps on I just expected a lot more of it considering it costs £130 more than the Advent Vega in the UK.
That said if someone gave me one I would sing it's praises
Have you gotten any good 3D games on it? I'd love to see how good the Tegra 2 is.
I think I saw an article today saying that Toshiba rushed to get the Folio out and didn't include Flash. It is or it should be downloadable from the Toshiba Market and the second batch due in Q1 2011 will have it installed by default.
On a side not I upgraded my Galaxy S to Froyo today and it is so cool playing all flash content, chrome2phone etc
cmit37 said:
Have you gotten any good 3D games on it? I'd love to see how good the Tegra 2 is.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
not yet, it has so far been more technical, and trying to root it, and get into recovery so i can somhow make a proper backup of the device before i start changing everything..
cmit37 said:
I think I saw an article today saying that Toshiba rushed to get the Folio out and didn't include Flash. It is or it should be downloadable from the Toshiba Market and the second batch due in Q1 2011 will have it installed by default.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
and no, i looked at the system partition right now, there is no flash apk's and no libs indicating any flash support.
Dexter_nlb said:
not yet, it has so far been more technical, and trying to root it, and get into recovery so i can somhow make a proper backup of the device before i start changing everything..
and no, i looked at the system partition right now, there is no flash apk's and no libs indicating any flash support.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Toshiba is expecting to release flash for the FOLIO during next week (expected 10th). This should be available through Toshiba Market.
/Kevin (DK)
Out of all the Android tablets the only 2 that shine is the Toshiba Folio 100 and the Advent Vega.
Why?
Well firstly they're both >8.8" so you get a generous dose of screen-estate and the form factor is still nimble/small. These could substitute for netbooks but 7" tablets cannot imho.
Secondly they're generous in they're offerings (BT, Wifi, HDMI, USB host, SD slot) and high-performance.
I live in Australia so we always get devices a little later than US/UK. So for me the availability does not matter as the transaction would occur through the internet.
I may be importing an Advent Vega or a Toshiba Folio 100 ... so I am eagerly waiting for reviews (none available yet, just Google'd).
What will be the general deciding factor would be:
1) Display.
We know that Froyo supports only upto 600p. We know both devices have 10.1" TFT screens, so I hope they've kept the gloss to a minimum.
We know Toshiba Folio 100 has a 600p display and the Advent Vega was leaked to have a 600p resolution. However, in a recent video (@3:20) the PR says videos play above 720p but below 1080p on the Vega. This implies 1366x768 resolution which would mean (once Gingerbread is ported) sharp graphics, no need to convert videos, possible to watch digital TV.
These are huge advantages over the Folio 100, but it could've been said accidentally and he may have meant to say "the device can playback more than 720p but less than 1080p content via videoOUT but not on the device screen". If this is the case its upsetting because Tegra2 is supposed to be able to smoothly playback 1080p video ... so this implies a performance bottleneck (most likely by a smaller 512Mb RAM, if not then a lack of drivers).
2) Performance.
I've already gotten into the subject; which one has more RAM? Both have the same Tegra2 SoC which is supposed to be blazing fast, but if it only had 512Mb RAM it would only be as fast as the current-highend (Galaxy S, Desire Z, Droid2). And would mean it might jitter at the performance-intensive applications we currently have, and one's we will have in the future.
3) Battery life.
We don't know the REAL battery life on either device, must wait for reviews.
4) General build/features.
They're pretty even as far as "hands-on" describes but the Toshiba is slightly ahead because it has an SD slot (cheaper cards) than Vega's microSD. Also the Toshiba has a removable battery which the Vega may not have (unknown at the moment). The Toshiba has 3G connectivity, which the Vega lacks but may get in 2011Q1.
5) Price.
Wait and see.
Currently I'm hooked on the Advent Vega (name reminds me of Vegeta) and the prospect of a 720p tablet. I don't care much for the price, if the Advent Vegeta really gets a 720p screen and 1GB RAM I would easily overlook its shortcomings (No Market, No 3G, microSD, nonremovable-battery, plastic build) I would be happy to pay in the iPad range
.... I will get Market hacked, MIUI loaded, tether (I've already got 2GB/month on my GalaxyS) hehehe
I got mine yesterday. I think they are a little on the crazy side releaseing this table so early as people will give it negative feedback based on their expereince. This device is not ready for the general public. If your technical you can work you way around it, but you need to be at developer level to get this performing to its bes. Im going to hang on to mine for a while, although no flash player or sound when im playing video files and a slightly dodgy HDMI port are worrying me.
be nice if we could get a folio device section on here....
second that with the need for a Folio section
Has anyone had any problems with the DNLA or UPnP? I cant get mine working when all the other devices like xbox, archos and pcs all find the UPnp server
I had the Folio 100 for a while but returned it, I started a thread on Modaco with all my info.
Short version:
Current flash APK crashes _hard_ it will not work without an update from Adobe or Tosh (or the OEM that really made it)
All the games I tried wouldn't run at all. Either they were trying to rely on /mnt/sdcard (which doesn't exist due to the way they mount the internal memory), the opengles lib segfaulted (Look like the drivers are alpha quality) or they used the Android market call-home anti-piracy check, which fails due to not having the market.
Also the deep power-save it goes into could get stuck (and would always kill adb when the screen went off)
The OS is signed with the SDK _test keys_ (talk about amateur mistake)
IMHO, combined with the _terrible_ screen I'd steer clear until the software is updated at the least.
I think that we need a Folio section too.
A Test2 build seems to be out ...
Working for live stream of the F1 practice.
Still beta as it managed to reboot the Folio just now
CHECK YOUR TOSHIBA SERVICE STATION PEOPLE FLASH PLUGIN BETA AVAILABLE!!!!!!!
Working well on BBC Iplayer!
i am still not sure i want to by the Acer,,, or the Asus..
be honest with me.. why did YOU buy the Acer.
it doesnt have to be Asus vs Acer. it can just be why you got the Acer.
was it the usb port?, the expandable memory? price? (target has them for $399 so i am really tempted.)
so what pushed you over the edge to buy the Iconia ?
i also am still not sure if it cna see dSLR cameras on the USB port to read the images off the cameras memory card so if someone says it works for their dSLR then thats a huge game changer for me.
i own an ipad and its really really a tough choice given the app and game availability on the ipad, but i am an android phone user so i am very familiar with Android.
USB Full
All the features, mainly usb
To be honest, it was down to the Acer or the ASUS for me although I did like the fact the hardware was working at launch (SD slot, USB etc).
While everyone seems to be complaining on the Acer ROM update schedule, or lack thereof, I am happily running a custom ROM (of which there are several now) which is now at 3.2
What drove me to the Acer was it was available when I decided to buy. Otherwise, it would have been a hard choice. But, I think after actually looking and holding the ASUS I would have picked the Acer.
I use it primarily for business (sales) showing customers products by using well bookmarked PDF files, email (I moved my domain over to Google Apps for business and quick lookups while I am on the road (WiFi tether to my HTC phone) so I don't need a seperate data plan.
No complaints.
do either of you own or owned an ipad to give me your thought comparisons outside of the obvious massive App lead that the ipad has?
I got it for free... kinda... I traded some work for it.
I needed an upgrade from the Archos 101 which was only about three weeks old at the time I saw the upcoming Acer. Preordered it from BB.
I still would have gotten the Acer if Asus TF was available. I need the USB. Period. And I don't care about the TF dock feature.
Well I just plugged my Canon Power Shot A1100 IS in and the Aconia recognized it right away and the pictures showed up right away.
I haven't tried my Nikon or Canon DSLR yet but no reason why they shouldn't work as well on jpg files.
I bought it because of the USB slot, expandable memory, HDMI and the price.
Bought mine for simple reasons
I did the stupid thing and did not bother to do any homework before going out and buying my first tablet (apple I pad 2) - returned to the store the next day. Had no idea it had no native flash support (the "solution" was to use Skyfire for crummy flash support).
Went home, did my homework - when it came down to simple price/vs features the Acer Iconia seemed like the best choice - microSd, full size USB port (awesome for me - it works with a USB hub also, I have lots of USB devices).
Not sure we can claim apple has much if any "app lead" over android tablets - and once you consider how many apps are written for the Android phone but run great under Honeycomb as well. Don't feel much of an app shortage here, the Droid market is freaking huge.
All in all, very happy with my purchase.
I bought mine largely due to the full-sized USB port as I'm an avid retrogamer, so getting to play emulators with the actual controllers (I have USB adapters for them) on my tablet was pretty much a childhood fantasy come true ^_^.
Anyway, that and I really love the metal casing... it just feels solid and sturdy, not large or bulky at all even though it's the heaviest tab of the bunch. I'm sure in some instances, like holding it up over your head in bed or something, you'd notice the weight, but really, there are no heavy or bulky tablets in this category at all, only those that are impressively small like the Galaxy Tab 10.1.
I will note that Acer is so far the worst at getting updates out, but the community here seems pretty devoted, not to mention there's a ton of cross-developer action as the Tegra 2that all of these share means much of the software can just be transplanted from one brand to another. So, if you're going to root and run roms, software becomes a bit less of a concern. As far as the hardware goes, I love it myself.
It was a choice between the Acer and Asus for me. I got the Acer because I was impatient, but I ended up not returning it because after using it I couldn't see myself getting by with no usb and no flash. I considered the new Galaxy Tab as well but for the same reason I decided not to wait.
If I DID end up waiting, I'm sure I'd have decided to wait for a Kal-El based tablet. At some point in the 'waiting for better to come' game, you have to take a step or you'll never buy a product. I use the tablet daily, even my wife uses it now and so it's proven it's value to me.
I use the flash for extremely stupid things, but tbh to each his own, right? One of these things is to sneak into bed at night. By the time I go to bed sometimes my wife is already sleeping and she's a very light sleeper. Flicking a light on to see where I'm going would surely wake her up and it's sometimes difficult to navigate around the bed (without smacking off a big or little toe). I thought, "can I live without the flash? Sure!" But it would be an inconvenience, especially if I do ever find myself in a slightly more important scenario where I need it and don't have (for taking a pic in low light, for eg).
The USB is a must as I travel a lot and the big reason for getting the tablet beyond using it in my home is so I can travel light (without having to use my laptop). With the usb I can plug flash drives or hard drives in and watch my tv series and movies or use it to juice my phone if I strain it chatting too long or whatever.
Other than that, I didn't like the feel of the Transformer and I didn't want to depend on getting/using the keyboard part to have usb functionality. I had been keeping up with all the pics of the light bleed and saw it first hand. Who wants to worry about getting a tablet with light bleed at a time when they weren't in very many stores? That would have meant back and forth shipping. Not my thing.
The Acer is fully usable as-is, with the Asus and Samsung you MUST buy accessories for them to get a usb port.
I also considered resale value, like any tech head . If I am to resell my Acer A500 right now, I'm going to get ~$400 for it (not everyone knows about the sale price of 350 at certain stores). In a few months, I will lose another $50 to depreciation...as by then I'm sure the price will further fall to something more attractive to fringe and impulse buyers.
The Samsung with added accessories to make it function similarly to the Acer is already in the $550 region, but it will depreciate exactly the same as the Acer, unfortunately. Same with the Asus.
So after you buy the accessories to get USB (if you need it), you still end up selling the other tabs (with accessories) for approximately the same price as the Acer, as resale value for accessories is little to nothing and you can very rarely if at all sell them on their own. (This is based on the many, many times I've seen people reselling their tablets with accessories like docks and cases for way, way less than what they got it for).
In essence, you lose more money with the other tablets IF you need* to accessorize them. *(to play catch up to the A500, like buy the keyboard section for Asus or buy the proprietary addon for the Samsung to get USB)
I replied before reading the whole thread and missed the inquiries into the Apple side of things <insert evil grin>... imma hate me some on Apple, hoo wee. Android is slowly doing to Apple in the mobile market what Microsoft did to Apple in the computer market. What's amazing is that everyone always said Microsoft beat Apple because of developer support, because Windows had all the software, all the games. Now, we've seen the exact opposite, Apple with all of the software goodies and their competitor standing out alone on their OS alone... but what happened this time? Android is proving once and for all that Apple's walled-garden approach, their almost communistic approach to electronics just isn't going to appeal to the masses once they are exposed to the idea of choice, something Android offers in spades. We all want to do whatever we want with our devices... they are OUR devices after all, not Apple's or Samsung's or HTC's or Google's. Apple has made it clear that they intend to impose strict control over their hardware and software, whereas Google has opened the door wide and invited everyone in with a gentle wave. I, for one, after having had (and at the time loved) an iPhone for 2 years, will NEVER buy a single Apple product again.
entropy.of.avarice said:
I did the stupid thing and did not bother to do any homework before going out and buying my first tablet (apple I pad 2) - returned to the store the next day. Had no idea it had no native flash support (the "solution" was to use Skyfire for crummy flash support).
Went home, did my homework - when it came down to simple price/vs features the Acer Iconia seemed like the best choice - microSd, full size USB port (awesome for me - it works with a USB hub also, I have lots of USB devices).
Not sure we can claim apple has much if any "app lead" over android tablets - and once you consider how many apps are written for the Android phone but run great under Honeycomb as well. Don't feel much of an app shortage here, the Droid market is freaking huge.
All in all, very happy with my purchase.
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I'm not a huge Apple fan at all but in their defense they do have a huge "app lead" and it's not necessarily the number or amt. (though it certainly does have that as well) it's the popularity of the device. The iPad has had hulu and netflix forever and Android is just getting it now. It's not a huge deal but the fact is, apps will almost always hit IOS first, and that IS saying something.
I agree with you though, I don't feel a shortage. I have every app I need (and many I don't, lol) so I'm not worried. With Hulu and Netflix now on 2.2/2.3 and heading soon to 3.1 I can safely say I'm completely happy with my purchase as well.
v_lestat said:
do either of you own or owned an ipad to give me your thought comparisons outside of the obvious massive App lead that the ipad has?
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I don't, my daughter and son-in-law do (Ipad 1 & 2). I had enough time to use theirs but to each his own they say.
I like being able to read/write office files (Polaris) and maybe you can do that in the App Store?? I also don't like needing to use iTunes for everything (and maybe you don't?).
Like I said, no regrets on my part.
If I was going to be torn between devices it wouldn't be between the Acer and the Asus it would be between the Acer and the Toshiba Thrive.
I have the ipad2 32gb 3g Verizon. Stood in line on March 11. It's nice I play w/ it occasionally. I really like my Acer a500 though. It does more than the ipad can. Imo the Acer is a better machine.
I have the Nikon d3100 dslr. Both tablets will display the jpegs. I pop out the SD card and use a card reader, in the Acer, or the adapter, in the Apple, to access the pictures.
Also, starting tomorrow, the Acer is $350 at Target ($399-50gc).
Like most people, full size USB. All Android tablets are pretty much the same... this had full size USB so easy choice.
However, if I had to make a choice now, it'd be a bit harder cos the Tosh Thrive has it as well but that looks massive! But you can get it in pretty colours.. oooh!
edit: Oh, I also see it has a full size hdmi! I've already broken 2 micro-hdmi cables on the Acer cos all u need to do is put a tiny bit of pressure on the cable and the end snaps off!
For me it was all about the SD expandability, if I had known about the Toshiba Thrive, I probabbaly would have waited. It's not all about micro-weight and thickness with me. Acer tab has micro SD up to 32 G, Toshiba has full SD up to 128 G I believe.
Sent from my A500 using XDA Premium App
has anyone compare this acer iconia a500 to the viewsonic gtab, which have similar hardware. only difference is the older android 2.2. it has usb and hdmi and etc... i am debating between the two. also gtab aonly cost 260 buck at amazon
As far as the gTablet goes, the software isn't a concern since roms for all of these Tegra 2 devices are becoming plentiful and easy to install, so finding 3.0 or 3.1 on the gTablet is likely a piece of cake. Now, as far as the SCREEN goes ...
The aspect ratio on the gTablet is just off... everything is squished just a little, so round things are slightly ovular, squares are slightly rectangular... I got a Pocket eDGe off of woot a while back and it was the exact same way. The screen on the gTablet is also off-center with that thick-ass bezel along the bottom. Personally, I originally wanted a gTablet until I saw that screen, but if you can live with it and wanna run a custom rom, it's the cheapest way to get a Tegra 2 tablet, and it even has a full-size USB port on there, which was one of the reasons I'd originally considered it. As for how it feels in the hand, I played with one and it feels like a cheap Xoom... similar thickness and feel to the edges, but obviously a lower (though acceptable) build quality. I still think the way my Acer feels in my hands is the best of all those I've tried, including the Xoom and Galaxy Tab 10.1 (oh but the GTab 10 is f-ing sexy... my bf has that one). If you can afford the Acer, I'd still say go for that one, but if money is your primary concern and you're not bothered by the screen, go for it. Just remember, the screen's resolution is slightly lower (1024x600 vs 1280x800 on the rest), and there's only 512MB RAM in there vs the 1GB the others have... also only a front facing cam, none on the back, but I never take pics with my tablet anyway... that's what my phone is for. Otherwise, it's Tegra 2 all the way... it's definitely worth what they're going for these days, but so is the Acer even though it costs more.
Torisen said:
For me it was all about the SD expandability, if I had known about the Toshiba Thrive, I probabbaly would have waited. It's not all about micro-weight and thickness with me. Acer tab has micro SD up to 32 G, Toshiba has full SD up to 128 G I believe.
Sent from my A500 using XDA Premium App
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I'm right there with you. I'm still within my return window, so I'm seriously considering returning the a500 and getting the thrive when it comes in august. I've always been a toshiba fan.
My only concern is will the toshiba be locked down and unrootable.
Mainly because of Android (aka not an oversize iPod) and the USB slot.
Would have gone for another if it was thinner. Now with the acer case on it's darn fat and heavy. If you don't really care about the USB go for samsung 8.9. I'm still torn between the two.
Target plus $50 gift card
Sent from my HTC Glacier using XDA App
The major selling point for the Kindle Fire is of course the price. Especially in this forum where all we really care about is the price and hardware so we can put custom ROMs on later.
So as i see it, they both have similar processors, the same amount of RAM and cost the same but the Ideapad has a bunch of other stuff- dual cameras, gps, bluetooth and a microsd slot.
so assuming both devices get rooted why would we choose the Fire over the Ideapad?
cant tell if the A1 has an IPS screen
specs show that the A1 has TI OMAP 3622, which isnt listed on the ti omap page, but the nc is 3621, so guessing its the same chip, @ 1ghz rather than 800mhz.
the A1 also has a smaller battery 3550 mAh vs 4000 mAh (11% smaller or about 7hrs, if NC has 8hr baseline)
so, guessing that if the A1 does have an IPS screen, it would have same performance to an O/C nook color, but with 1hr less battery life. with the NC2 coming out very soon, for the A1 to complete, guessing that sony will have to drop the price for the 16gb model to $200 to be competitive.
I have been wondering myself how this is all going to fall out.
Supposedly the ideapad may be a minimum 250$ for those of us living in the states with no SD card option.
While the kindle fire is nice.. 16 GB can feel small on a phone.. so I don't know if it is practical for a tab at all without SD card expansion.
If the roms maintain the silk browser and amazon storage.. it may be worth it.
The downsides to the Kindle I see are as follows.
1. lack of buttons.
2. any mods done may be more permanent since it is a more modified version of android.. So once it is rooted/romed.. I worry it may not be able to go "back to stock" which is a bit more damaging.
The only advantage to the kindle I see is the dual core processor..which by itself is sex/tempting..
But, honestly I don't see any other advantage unless the only reason you want a tablet is as an ereader in the first place (which is true of many people)
It does have an IPS display and from what i understand there are is an 8gb version for $200 that wont ship in the US and a 16gb for $250 that will (i didnt see anything about no sd slot in the 8gb version)
Maybe the release of the kindle fire will push lenovo to sell the $200 8gb version in the us.
actually the lack of button seems like a big deal. i mean, we can root it but how functional is android without the home and menu buttons?
IPS display, gorilla glass & price are the only positives.
Oh, one more, it will drive the price down on every other tablet except for the ipad.
ok to lack of hardware buttons Cm7 for the book puts an on screen section on the status bar for menu, back and search.
Sent from my PC36100 using xda premium
The A1 has a single core CPU vs the dual core on the Kindle Fire. That's pretty big for me. I already have a Nook color and it can get a bit sluggish sometimes, even o/c to 1200.
I also have an NC, and it runs fine for what I use it for. I don't use widgets/apps that run continuously. It can play MKV/AVI movies OK at SD resolution, using QQPlayer.
The big question is how good is the KF as a modded device, and lack of an SD slot is a major bummer--not just for ease of modding, but also for storage expansion. 8GB (actually, 5GB) isn't a lot. The unrooted KF can get away with it, since it uses Amazon's cloud services. CM7 can't.
But the Lenovo A1 isn't in the equation, as you can already get the same (except cams & GPS) from the existing NC right now for $150. And the NC is already a CM-supported device, so you don't have to wait around a couple of months for it to get dev support. As for the missing features--cams, GPS, HDMI-out--you have to ask yourself what's important for your use. Those aren't important to me.
I'm looking forward to the NC2, which is rumored to have the same 4430 SoC. Hopefully, B&N will match the KF's $199 price, but if the NC2 is as moddable as the NC, at $250 it would still be a good deal for the SD slot.
I agree, NC is probably still a good deal than the A1. I had a nook color before, I liked it for a while but was disappointed that it didn't have a mic. and the speed was a little bit slow as well, even after OC. then, I sold it and got a 7 inch galaxy tab. I loved the tab a lot, it only costed me 260 (woot deal) and it came with everything and 99% of games and app worked fine after gingerbread upgrade. Then I was stupid enough to trade the tab with the 10.1 tab... the 10.1 tab was good and much faster than the 7 tab but too big and half of my apps didn't work.
Anyways, i am also looking for a 7-8 inches tablet.. I want a dual-core, gps, mic, sd-card, at least 8 hours battery life and under $350. mic and gps are must since I have many apps and games for my sons that they need mic and gps..
I am waiting for the galaxy 7+.. Any other idea?
Eh.. Maybe I will regret it later..
I really like the idea of "cheap, no frills" tabs.
I mean in my phone I get the idea.. GPS is nice since if I get lost odds are I will have my phone.
Bluetooth is nice since I'm using my phone anyway.
In a tablet device.. if I can get it cheaper without frills.. then so be it.
I'm really going back and forth both ways on the kindle fire. I may pick up one if I decide to hop on a tablet yet.
It really depends on whether or not the A1 comes out and what kind of reviews it gets.
I guess what we expect the tablet to do also plays into it a lot though. I mean, I just want a web browsing/manga reading device
I've been looking at these too. The IdeaPad is supposed to have a GPS, which is really nice. I'm not sure what the screen is going to be like.
Anyway, I think the Fire is going to appeal to the common man, but the IdeaPad is going to appeal more to the hacker. I'm shopping for my wife, so I'm suck in the middle.
Either way, I welcome the device. Android doesn't really have a main stream tablet. The Transformer is highly tech cool and the Galaxy 10 is pretty and refined, but nothing has really come along to put Android into the main stream tablet world. Sure it's most likely 2.3, but the Fire is going pull a ton of attention to the Android tablet world.
I think an unexplored angle is that it could even break into Apple's bread and butter iPod touch market. If game developers pick up on it, it becomes a very attractive touch competitor. Better browser, better CPU, better screen, same price. I'm sure it will run Angry Birds and Fruit Ninja. In 6 months the reburbs will be $150, fairly close to the magic $100 disposable tech line.
israel102 said:
The major selling point for the Kindle Fire is of course the price. Especially in this forum where all we really care about is the price and hardware so we can put custom ROMs on later.
So as i see it, they both have similar processors, the same amount of RAM and cost the same but the Ideapad has a bunch of other stuff- dual cameras, gps, bluetooth and a microsd slot.
so assuming both devices get rooted why would we choose the Fire over the Ideapad?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Because of the integration with Amazon media services and their Cloud storage. I already have a Xoom 10.1 tablet so I'm not looking for the benefits of a tablet. The Fire will be a convenient device to read, email, watch an occasional movie and wait for the hackers to do their thing.
If I were buying a tablet it would not be a 7 inch one regardless of the capabilities.
1215kids said:
Because of the integration with Amazon media services and their Cloud storage. I already have a Xoom 10.1 tablet so I'm not looking for the benefits of a tablet. The Fire will be a convenient device to read, email, watch an occasional movie and wait for the hackers to do their thing.
If I were buying a tablet it would not be a 7 inch one regardless of the capabilities.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Though I see the logic in the point you mention for your planned usage, I still do not see much point in a rooted Fire. Kind of a rat in the cage, due to the lack of storage expansion. Not to mention the Amazon interface and their closed app system would be compromised (not seeing Amazon letting that happen). In short, a person will have a few GB of space and that is it. Android market? What is the point? No room for apps & media
Seems the price is not worth the trade-offs, IMO.
I also have a KK which I paid $139 and for $60 more I will have a much more capable device. Also currently have 20gb of storage in the cloud that includes pics, docs, etc. plus the hundreds of songs. The music doesn't count against the 20gb.
My wife uses the KK exclusively.
Looks like the A1 is up on the Lenovo site, but at $229 for the 2GB model. The 16GB is $250.
Has anyone seen this for $199 anywhere?
The magic $199 price has me looking for a table to add as a remote control & some light couch surfing, emailing and occasional travel use. I like the fact that the Fire is dual core, but think the sd card, cameras and gps would be nice to have.
it was 199$ on the lenovo site for a while..
The release date has been pushed back twice already.
I am guessing they are selling well.
Its 229 and that's on SALE! It retails for 350!!! It also only has 2 gig internal. NO IPS, no dual core... same or worse RAM.... the only redeeming factor in my mind is that I think it has an expansion slot??? Also I don't like lenovo for bussiness or home..
s0m3f00l said:
Its 229 and that's on SALE! It retails for 350!!! It also only has 2 gig internal. NO IPS, no dual core... same or worse RAM.... the only redeeming factor in my mind is that I think it has an expansion slot??? Also I don't like lenovo for bussiness or home..
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Click to collapse
It will probably always be "on sale".
What are the chances of an internal SD in the Fire?
There's bound to be a moderately simple way for Amazon to flash the thing, and I doubt it would take long to replicate once it's released.
Snow_fox said:
it was 199$ on the lenovo site for a while..
The release date has been pushed back twice already.
I am guessing they are selling well.
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I saw that too... other colors were available at the time as well, now it is only Black or White.
Also, the employee discount is only $10, which seems odd, so that means $239 for me - but I am still not sold on it at that price. If I could have gotten the discount on the lower spec one priced @ $199, I prob would have bit.
Estimated ship date is 11/8, but the rep I am chatting with now claims it will ship before then.
He has also stated that it does not have Gorilla Glass (which I think I read elsewhere in this thread that it has).
ETA: the rep I am talking too also says that the A1 ships with android 3.1... and just offered it to me for $219.
ETA2: he backtracked on the 3.1, and is also unable to confirm the release of 2.3
ETA3: I ordered a white one @ the $219 price: bonus = Free Shipping!
Does anyone have one?
I can't see any new info on it on the net. I have preordered one, but this really seems fishy. I won't be getting one until mid November though so if there's something wrong at least I'll have plenty of time to cancel my order.
I noticed it's actively cooled, anyone know how loud those fans are?
I'm surprised with the total lack of reviews or information about this tablet. To me it looks like one of the best Windows 8 tablets currently available, specially for the price.
Yeah. I wondered why too
The prices is great!. They are selling it at what other OEM charging for the atom processors.
Even the battery life is good, about double of the surface pro. Heck. They didn't even try to cheat you on purchasing overpriced keyboard dock.
Sent from my LT26i using xda app-developers app
This device doesn't have a keyboard dock, only an optional cradle. It extends battery life and works great while working at a desk/table, but not so well while sitting up in bed, on a sofa, or anywhere else a laptop comes in handy. Maybe not an issue for some, but that's unfortunately a deal-breaker for me. The whole point in considering a hybrid to begin with. Not sure why they don't have one like the W510. Great device otherwise.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using Tapatalk 2
I"m using the Toshiba U920t, which converts from a tablet to a laptop. It is a bit thicker, and the battery is only good for about 5 hours, but it works well, and is only a couple hundred more than the W700 with 128 GB SSD.
http://www.toshibadirect.com/td/b2c...model=U920t&lid=CFAMsatellite_SeriesLinkU920t
I have been using a w700 for a month
I love this tablet. I have the i3 with the Intel HD4000 graphic card. I have many tablets, but here's a quick rundown:
Pros
1) runs full win8 which is pretty seemless with touch
2) Beautiful full HD screen
3) Fast SSD, boots in 7 seconds
4) Dock, keyboard and case included in 700 price
5) I run Photoshop with huge images from my Sony a65 24.3 mp camera. It runs almost as fast on i3/4gb as my Sandybridge i7 with 16gb of RAM. I use full MS Office Pro Plus, have a bunch of Metro apps and use Bluestacks for stuff like Google Books (which works great)
6) Bat life is 8-9 hours!
7) The Win store is criticized for lack of content, but some of the games are unreal. Toy Soldiers, Reckless Racing 2, Etc. they blow away the best games for my Asus Infinity/Ipad 3.
8) It's full windows with a beautiful screen and small form factor, what can I say?
Cons
1) SSD is small, 64gb in my case, going to replace it with a 256gb msata
2) No SD slot
3) One usb on device (3 on dock)
4) a little heavy for kindle/ereader usage
After getting this thing, I am going to sell my 2 Asus Transformers and my Ipad and just keep my Nexus 7 for reading.
This thing is amazing, close to full pc/tablet convergence.
I have an Acer W700 tablet as well but with tge i5 processor and the 128GB SSD.
Pros
- The price. The best tablet under 1000€ and it even beats a few of the tablets above 1000€ as well.
- The hardware is fantastic. No lagg or anything! ( this is NOT a gaming tablet but it plays smaller games without problems)
- The touch works great the only problems I've encountered arecaused by the softwares.
- The battery life is amazing beats my vaio every time.
Cons
- No SD card slot ( Being compensated by a 500GB 2.5" external USB 3.0 HDD)
- No 3G modem ( a pro for me since I don't gave to pay for a subscription)
This tablet is one of the best tablets on the market for the price.
I wrote a rather extended review on this Tab on my blog. I will be writing more on both Windows 8 and W700 in the new future.
Link to the review: Can't post a external link here, just go to my blog and click on "Devices" on the right side, should be the one on the top.
I saw pics online of a keyboard case for this tablet similar to the surface style. Should be coming soon.. too bad i couldn't wait..
Nicaragüense said:
I saw pics online of a keyboard case for this tablet similar to the surface style. Should be coming soon.. too bad i couldn't wait..
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Click to collapse
Yeah I feel the same.. The cover is made by Acer so I think that they will release it for us who have already bought the tablet. Otherwise, ebay for a first / third party afterwards that it has been released. Swedish E-tailers do already have the tablet in their stores but are still waiting for delivery from acer.
-- edit --
The delivery is estimated to the 14th of february
I really love this tablet! I have the I3 version (Ivy bridge) and it is extremely fast. Wonderful screen (comparable to the retina from Apple). Im very impressed so far!
jonthe838 said:
The delivery is estimated to the 14th of february
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Net-On-Net has i3 Sandy version in stock, I ordered my on 2012-01-02, had it in my hands on 2012-01-04.
Has anyone seen any update regarding the keyboard case? I've searched everywhere and could not find any information regarding it's release in USA.
People are having download speed problem away from router on Acer own forum
http://community.acer.com/t5/Acer-Tablets/Acer-Iconia-W700-Wi-Fi-problem/td-p/631/page/32
For those who have intention to buy, it would be wise to check the link before you make final decision so that you won't have
buying regret.
I got mine on January 14th from Futureshop in canada with the keyboard case...the case is very nice.
Only one issue...some times (mostly starts in google chrome but keeps on after closing it and resolves by screen off and on) my touch screen goes crazy and clicks by it self, I have not tried calibrating or other solutions yet and I am thinking of returning, but getting new one will be more trouble...any idea guys?
It seems like that the so far keyboard case is only available in Canada
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2
i bought one W700 i5 3371U version, a bit heavy but i really love it
im still looking for file explorer replacement, specially for touch optimised, cause it's so small
any suggestion ?
I did the factory reset and didn't install chrome and problem is solved...no screen issue anymore...and I love the tablet
specialex said:
i bought one W700 i5 3371U version, a bit heavy but i really love it
im still looking for file explorer replacement, specially for touch optimised, cause it's so small
any suggestion ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
metro commander. Works great for me!
anduios said:
People are having download speed problem away from router on Acer own forum
http://community.acer.com/t5/Acer-Tablets/Acer-Iconia-W700-Wi-Fi-problem/td-p/631/page/32
For those who have intention to buy, it would be wise to check the link before you make final decision so that you won't have
buying regret.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, almost all W700's have WIFI issue as delivered, but easilly fixable with a driver update. Mine suffered from constantly disconnecting/re-connecting, installed new driver from Acer site, works perfect now. (Make sure to follow instructions about removing old driver, restarting, installing new driver)
---------- Post added at 04:17 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:12 PM ----------
ajamils said:
It seems like that the so far keyboard case is only available in Canada
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2
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Click to collapse
I got mine from Amazon.ca, has the keyboard case, but the identical item on Amazon.com also came with the keyboard case. Was $50.00 cheaper on Amazon.ca, & only had to pay gst, versus ND state tax, plus GST and PST if would have ordered on Amazon.com. (Info for any other Canadians who live close enough to be able to shop both sides of the border.)