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I would consider myself as an Android advanced user. I've had the G1, MyTouch 3G, NexusOne and Droid X. I've purchased each device the day it was released and I've helped dozens of people switch from dumbphones and Iphones to Android. I've rooted, used custom ROMs, etc. Additionally, my company is very much google-based (Gmail, docs, and talk are all core components to how we do business).
I really expected the Xoom to deliver greater capabilities than my Android phones, primarily for consuming media and viewing AND editing spreadsheets.
I pre-ordered the Xoom and picked it up yesterday morning (2nd in line out of 12+) and after less than 24 hours I've decided to return it. Primarily it is because I can actually do MORE with my Driod X than I can with the Xoom based on my daily usage. The biggest pains/frustrations I have with the Xoom are:
Lack of flash support/real browser: I know it's coming "in a few weeks" but in the meanwhile when I want to read news items with flash videos, browse "real" sites or play flash games, I have to actually pull out my phone because the Xoom can't do it! I should be able to pull up my browser, visit any media site and start consuming media. Instead I'm limited to standard browsing. With this much processing power and the huge screen it's absolutely ridiculous that the device doesn't include a full-featured browser!
Apps: The lack of tablet-optimized apps is extremely frustrating. All the apps I need to use work just fine on my Droid X. I was hoping for additional functionality on the Xoom, but it's actually worse because some of my regular-use apps are quite buggy on the Xoom (e.g., spreadsheets in DocumentsToGo simply does not work).
Having to carry both a charging cable AND a USB cable...it's just ridiculous.
Mobile Google Docs: because Google Docs is such an important tool for my business I NEED full google docs capabilities. The processing power in this device is FAR superior to that of my netbook, why can't they put that to use? Spreadsheets in Google Docs mobile is absolutely useless.
Bugs: In the market, clicking on "my apps" always loads the most recently installed app rather than loading the "my apps" list in Market. Additionally, pausing a movie and attempting to browse back to the movie list in Gallery fails, so I have to browse to Home, load Gallery and then browse back to the movie list.
Lack of DLNA. On my Droid X or NexusOne I'm able to access my media, download it, upload it, or stream it from any computer on my home network. With the Xoom I can't. So, if I want to watch a movie while sitting in bed I have to connect the Xoom to my PC, download the movie, disconnect it and then I'm ready to watch. In this case the Xoom is a DISCONNECTED media device...I haven't owned a disconnected media device for 1 1/2 years! Ridiculous! I should be able to jump on the network, browse for media and start streaming, but it's impossible with the Xoom.
I'm frustrated that this device - which cost FOUR TIMES what my cutting-edge phone cost can't even keep up.
What are your thoughts? Are there solutions for the issues above that I'm just not aware of? Have any of you experienced similar frustrations?
P.S. the battery life and screen are really cool, but I don't see any significant improvements in Honeycomb over Froyo...maybe I should go buy a Galaxy Tab?
I'd say give it at least until your 14 day return period.
When the iPad came out, I had a friend who got it first day (He's an Apple fanboy...the annoying kind. lol) He whined and moaned for two weeks about there not being any iPad oriented apps. Now he defends the iPad like it's the holy grail.
Just give it time. The XOOM's main purpose at this point is to give developers a platform for developing on Android tablets. They JUST got the thing, so it might be a little while.
The charger thing is kind of frustrating, but I'm not going to let that ruin it for me. My backpack has plenty of pockets.
mitchweight said:
I would consider myself as an Android advanced user. I've had the G1, MyTouch 3G, NexusOne and Droid X. I've purchased each device the day it was released and I've helped dozens of people switch from dumbphones and Iphones to Android. I've rooted, used custom ROMs, etc. Additionally, my company is very much google-based (Gmail, docs, and talk are all core components to how we do business).
I really expected the Xoom to deliver greater capabilities than my Android phones, primarily for consuming media and viewing AND editing spreadsheets.
I pre-ordered the Xoom and picked it up yesterday morning (2nd in line out of 12+) and after less than 24 hours I've decided to return it. Primarily it is because I can actually do MORE with my Driod X than I can with the Xoom based on my daily usage. The biggest pains/frustrations I have with the Xoom are:
Lack of flash support/real browser: I know it's coming "in a few weeks" but in the meanwhile when I want to read news items with flash videos, browse "real" sites or play flash games, I have to actually pull out my phone because the Xoom can't do it! I should be able to pull up my browser, visit any media site and start consuming media. Instead I'm limited to standard browsing. With this much processing power and the huge screen it's absolutely ridiculous that the device doesn't include a full-featured browser!
Apps: The lack of tablet-optimized apps is extremely frustrating. All the apps I need to use work just fine on my Droid X. I was hoping for additional functionality on the Xoom, but it's actually worse because some of my regular-use apps are quite buggy on the Xoom (e.g., spreadsheets in DocumentsToGo simply does not work).
Having to carry both a charging cable AND a USB cable...it's just ridiculous.
Mobile Google Docs: because Google Docs is such an important tool for my business I NEED full google docs capabilities. The processing power in this device is FAR superior to that of my netbook, why can't they put that to use? Spreadsheets in Google Docs mobile is absolutely useless.
Bugs: In the market, clicking on "my apps" always loads the most recently installed app rather than loading the "my apps" list in Market. Additionally, pausing a movie and attempting to browse back to the movie list in Gallery fails, so I have to browse to Home, load Gallery and then browse back to the movie list.
Lack of DLNA. On my Droid X or NexusOne I'm able to access my media, download it, upload it, or stream it from any computer on my home network. With the Xoom I can't. So, if I want to watch a movie while sitting in bed I have to connect the Xoom to my PC, download the movie, disconnect it and then I'm ready to watch. In this case the Xoom is a DISCONNECTED media device...I haven't owned a disconnected media device for 1 1/2 years! Ridiculous! I should be able to jump on the network, browse for media and start streaming, but it's impossible with the Xoom.
I'm frustrated that this device - which cost FOUR TIMES what my cutting-edge phone cost can't even keep up.
What are your thoughts? Are there solutions for the issues above that I'm just not aware of? Have any of you experienced similar frustrations?
P.S. the battery life and screen are really cool, but I don't see any significant improvements in Honeycomb over Froyo...maybe I should go buy a Galaxy Tab?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Man, no offense but your entire post you seem like a whiney little kid. Your a early adopter of a device and complaining on this forum about early adopter syndrome.
Flash? Man i'm sick of seeing flash post's as flash is becoming irrelevant. iPad(#1 tablet) doesn't even have flash. Get over yourself.
Apps? O-M-G the Tablet has been out a grand total of 1 day. You surprised they don't have apps? Wow...
Bugs? It's Honeycomb fool it was just released!!!!!!!!!!
Streaming media... Bro the device has been out 1 day.
All your points sound so dumb...
Sorry to hear bout your frustrations. But it is what early adopters are supposed to be. We pretty much for the device to test it. Google will indeed update the software and makes this experience on honeycomb better. Your frustrations are largely because of apps developers have not yet update
their apps. Hope you'll come back here soon once this thing is updated in a few months.
Sent from my Xoom using XDA App
I don't know, but if I read your reasoning it looks like you already knew before you buy or you need to just postpone your purchase.
1. You can postpone your purchase until Flash 10.2 available
2. You can postpone your purchase until all your apps are available in Honeycomb version
3. I agree with this, but charging this beast via USB will take long long long time!
4. You can postpone your purchase until Google doc updated
5. Hmmm, I think this is normal, right? At least in my Nexus S is like this.
6. You should know this before you buy the Xoom
jamaicansolja said:
Man, no offense but your entire post you seem like a whiney little kid. Your a early adopter of a device and complaining on this forum about early adopter syndrome.
Flash? Man i'm sick of seeing flash post's as flash is becoming irrelevant. iPad(#1 tablet) doesn't even have flash. Get over yourself.
Apps? O-M-G the Tablet has been out a grand total of 1 day. You surprised they don't have apps? Wow...
Bugs? It's Honeycomb fool it was just released!!!!!!!!!!
Streaming media... Bro the device has been out 1 day.
All your points sound so dumb...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
AMEN Brotha!
jamaicansolja said:
Man, no offense but your entire post you seem like a whiney little kid. Your a early adopter of a device and complaining on this forum about early adopter syndrome.
Flash? Man i'm sick of seeing flash post's as flash is becoming irrelevant. iPad(#1 tablet) doesn't even have flash. Get over yourself.
Apps? O-M-G the Tablet has been out a grand total of 1 day. You surprised they don't have apps? Wow...
Bugs? It's Honeycomb fool it was just released!!!!!!!!!!
Streaming media... Bro the device has been out 1 day.
All your points sound so dumb...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Flash is still present on a lot of the internet. People are buying Android tablets because they want Flash. If they didn't, they'd already own an iPad. You can down play it if you want, but it's supposed to be a huge advantage of Android.
The tablet's been out one day, but the iPad had several tablet-specific apps ready on day 1 and from what I hear did a good job of scaling up phone apps so they were at least usable on the iPad. Google has had a year to catch up and to find a way to make most phone apps translate properly to Honeycomb. It's not a big complaint of mine, but it's a valid complaint.
Bugs are bugs. Nobody has to like them, but it's what you get with a new OS.
Streaming media is what most tablets are used for, it should work.
Why are you insulting him for expressing what he doesn't like about it? He's offering constructive criticism about the Xoom.
mitchweight said:
I'm frustrated that this device - which cost FOUR TIMES what my cutting-edge phone cost can't even keep up.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Actually it's 1.4 times the cost of your phone. Comparing the subsidized cost of your Droid X to the retail cost of the Xoom is a bit uneven. The retail of the Droid X was $560ish when I bought mine a few weeks ago, making it 1.4 times.
mitchweight said:
I would consider myself as an Android advanced user. I've had the G1, MyTouch 3G, NexusOne and Droid X. I've purchased each device the day it was released and I've helped dozens of people switch from dumbphones and Iphones to Android. I've rooted, used custom ROMs, etc. Additionally, my company is very much google-based (Gmail, docs, and talk are all core components to how we do business).
I really expected the Xoom to deliver greater capabilities than my Android phones, primarily for consuming media and viewing AND editing spreadsheets.
I pre-ordered the Xoom and picked it up yesterday morning (2nd in line out of 12+) and after less than 24 hours I've decided to return it. Primarily it is because I can actually do MORE with my Driod X than I can with the Xoom based on my daily usage. The biggest pains/frustrations I have with the Xoom are:
Lack of flash support/real browser: I know it's coming "in a few weeks" but in the meanwhile when I want to read news items with flash videos, browse "real" sites or play flash games, I have to actually pull out my phone because the Xoom can't do it! I should be able to pull up my browser, visit any media site and start consuming media. Instead I'm limited to standard browsing. With this much processing power and the huge screen it's absolutely ridiculous that the device doesn't include a full-featured browser!
Apps: The lack of tablet-optimized apps is extremely frustrating. All the apps I need to use work just fine on my Droid X. I was hoping for additional functionality on the Xoom, but it's actually worse because some of my regular-use apps are quite buggy on the Xoom (e.g., spreadsheets in DocumentsToGo simply does not work).
Having to carry both a charging cable AND a USB cable...it's just ridiculous.
Mobile Google Docs: because Google Docs is such an important tool for my business I NEED full google docs capabilities. The processing power in this device is FAR superior to that of my netbook, why can't they put that to use? Spreadsheets in Google Docs mobile is absolutely useless.
Bugs: In the market, clicking on "my apps" always loads the most recently installed app rather than loading the "my apps" list in Market. Additionally, pausing a movie and attempting to browse back to the movie list in Gallery fails, so I have to browse to Home, load Gallery and then browse back to the movie list.
Lack of DLNA. On my Droid X or NexusOne I'm able to access my media, download it, upload it, or stream it from any computer on my home network. With the Xoom I can't. So, if I want to watch a movie while sitting in bed I have to connect the Xoom to my PC, download the movie, disconnect it and then I'm ready to watch. In this case the Xoom is a DISCONNECTED media device...I haven't owned a disconnected media device for 1 1/2 years! Ridiculous! I should be able to jump on the network, browse for media and start streaming, but it's impossible with the Xoom.
I'm frustrated that this device - which cost FOUR TIMES what my cutting-edge phone cost can't even keep up.
What are your thoughts? Are there solutions for the issues above that I'm just not aware of? Have any of you experienced similar frustrations?
P.S. the battery life and screen are really cool, but I don't see any significant improvements in Honeycomb over Froyo...maybe I should go buy a Galaxy Tab?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Out of curiosity, why not use one of the streaming service apps from the market? I use VLC Stream & Convert Pro. Works for me (haven't tried it yet on my Xoom, but can't imagine why it wouldnt work).
https://market.android.com/details?id=com.gmail.traveldevel.android.vlc.license
only the strong survive
Early adopters are a rare breed. especially in the google expereince.
you have to except that google moves fast, but not in a bugless manner. regardless its something people can deal with and are fine with.
i bought it, i enjoy it, and i can see the areas of needed improvement. but im happy, because im all android and trust in google making this a great experience. maybe its not on day one, but through google/dev support it will sure enough be a great package.
my suggestion:if you were expecting perfection. you are not a early adopter. your a brat.
buyers remorse threads from complainers should be deleted on any forum.
falconeight said:
buyers remorse threads from complainers should be deleted on any forum.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
/thread
10chars
I honestly don't see too much reason to complain about some bugs in the device at this early stage. The device hardware-wise is awesome (disliking how much fingerprints get on it, but meh, I carry a cleaning cloth around), and Google will only keep updating Android to make it run better.
Software support from 3rd party developers will catch up quickly. In less than 24 hours, the number of apps in the Android for Tablet section nearly doubled since I bought the Xoom yesterday morning.
It's rootable, the bootloader is unlockable, and once the source goes live, I know some of the really talented devs out here will start picking apart bugs in the source and making some really sick custom ROMS for the Xoom.
Yeah, there's some inconvenience with using the device, certainly Honeycomb has its share of bugs, and some missing features that really should have been a part of the OS at launch. But after showing my Xoom to a couple people at work that have iPads, they were completely blown away by how tablet-like Honeycomb is. In fact the most-used remark was "It's not a giant phone."
All-in-all, I'm very happy with my Xoom, and can't wait to see what the future holds for this device.
Rebuttal:
1- Lack of Flash. You are an early adopter.
2- Apps. You are an early adopter.
3- Charging complaints. Typical of tablets - that's not going to change.
4- Google Docs. Early adopter.
5- Bugs. Early adopter.
6- Lack of DLNA. Early adopter, this could come later (or it might not).
See the pattern? You pre-ordered with assumptions, and those assumptions were wrong. In the case of Flash, it was more of an 11th hour change but it was still before release.
In all honesty, none of the things you've mentioned surprise me in the least. Probably my only real complaint with the device so far is that the microSD isn't working yet - that's something they should have gotten fixed before release since it's a blatant hardware problem.
Thanks for all the feedback. I understand the early adopter pains, and to be fair, Droid X and froyo are pretty mature platforms. When Honeycomb becomes mature I'm sure it will be killer.
While I know Google was trying to steal some thunder from the iPad 2 announcement, I think they would have gotten a lot more mainstream traction if they had addressed some of these issues before release.
Thanks for pointing me to streaming from VLC, I'll take a look at that and post back the results.
Any other ideas on spreadsheets?
Ditto to what everyone else is saying, plus: I think it's clear that they found some issues with Flash and the Tegra 2. I'd much rather they spend a few extra weeks optimizing things than just put out a bug-ridden version (which would have people up in arms about things being buggy).
I mean, really, it's always this way: some people complain if a company delays a product because of bugs, and others complain when they don't. Personally, I'd rather have my Xoom to use now with a few bugs than wait a few weeks for it to be more "perfect." I think offering the device itself with some (I think) minor bugs and without some major bugs is a good compromise.
mitchweight said:
[*]Mobile Google Docs: because Google Docs is such an important tool for my business I NEED full google docs capabilities. The processing power in this device is FAR superior to that of my netbook, why can't they put that to use? Spreadsheets in Google Docs mobile is absolutely useless.[/LIST]
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Did you try using "about:debug" in the browser and then going to Settings to change the browser's User Agent String to "Desktop"?
Please try that and let us know if Google Docs works properly after the change.
I usually have major buyer's remorse with everything I buy, but not with the xoom. Nothing you mentioned was unknown. My iSheep friends bithced about the same stuff when the iPad came out. And they are still *****ing about flash .
EDIT: as per jm9843, I can confirm that about:debug does work for change UAString. I'll check if google docs works.
EDIT: Desktop Google Docs warns you that some features may not work, and gives a weird version that looks almost like desktop but is clearly different. I can't say I like it, but it could do in a pinch. It's odd though.
roebeet said:
Rebuttal:
1- Lack of Flash. You are an early adopter.
2- Apps. You are an early adopter.
3- Charging complaints. Typical of tablets - that's not going to change.
4- Google Docs. Early adopter.
5- Bugs. Early adopter.
6- Lack of DLNA. Early adopter, this could come later (or it might not).
See the pattern? You pre-ordered with assumptions, and those assumptions were wrong. In the case of Flash, it was more of an 11th hour change but it was still before release.
In all honesty, none of the things you've mentioned surprise me in the least. Probably my only real complaint with the device so far is that the microSD isn't working yet - that's something they should have gotten fixed before release since it's a blatant hardware problem.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I wonder why the ipad was able to be released without anyone needing to defend I with the early adopter line?? It released with a thousand apps at launch, no early adopter waiting period. It released without a million bugs throughout the os, no early adxopter waiting period. You people bashing him are hilarious and stupid. Motorola and google completely messed up this release. Regular consumers don't give a **** about your early adopter excuse, they want things working day 1. And why do we care what regular users think??? Because if regular users treat the xoom and honeycomb like the beta software/hardware it is right now, there will be no getting out of your early adopter phase bcause companies won't suport the platform.
Sent from my SPH-D700 using XDA App
mitchweight said:
Lack of flash support/real browser: I know it's coming "in a few weeks" but in the meanwhile when I want to read news items with flash videos, browse "real" sites or play flash games, I have to actually pull out my phone because the Xoom can't do it! I should be able to pull up my browser, visit any media site and start consuming media. Instead I'm limited to standard browsing. With this much processing power and the huge screen it's absolutely ridiculous that the device doesn't include a full-featured browser!
Apps: The lack of tablet-optimized apps is extremely frustrating. All the apps I need to use work just fine on my Droid X. I was hoping for additional functionality on the Xoom, but it's actually worse because some of my regular-use apps are quite buggy on the Xoom (e.g., spreadsheets in DocumentsToGo simply does not work).
Having to carry both a charging cable AND a USB cable...it's just ridiculous.
Mobile Google Docs: because Google Docs is such an important tool for my business I NEED full google docs capabilities. The processing power in this device is FAR superior to that of my netbook, why can't they put that to use? Spreadsheets in Google Docs mobile is absolutely useless.
Bugs: In the market, clicking on "my apps" always loads the most recently installed app rather than loading the "my apps" list in Market. Additionally, pausing a movie and attempting to browse back to the movie list in Gallery fails, so I have to browse to Home, load Gallery and then browse back to the movie list.
Lack of DLNA. On my Droid X or NexusOne I'm able to access my media, download it, upload it, or stream it from any computer on my home network. With the Xoom I can't. So, if I want to watch a movie while sitting in bed I have to connect the Xoom to my PC, download the movie, disconnect it and then I'm ready to watch. In this case the Xoom is a DISCONNECTED media device...I haven't owned a disconnected media device for 1 1/2 years! Ridiculous! I should be able to jump on the network, browse for media and start streaming, but it's impossible with the Xoom.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Whats funny is I've been debating returning mine and none of your reasons made my list. After being a day 1 purchaser of a G1 and a Palm Pre, you get used to those things you listed.
My issues are more related to performance. With a tegra 2 processor, I'm really surprised at how sluggish the system gets sometimes. It's only been 24hrs and I'm already counting the days till the first OTA.
BUT, I gotta say, the potential of this device is amazing and that alone is keeping me from acting on any returns. Plus, depending on where you bought it, you'll have at least 14days to return it. No rash decisions...give it a chance.
First off, let me say that i'm no fan of Apple and I really can't stand Steve Jobs. Yes, i've bought his products, but I hate being told what to do once I give him my money. I like customization. I like options. Hence, I do not like Steve Jobs.
I was very excited about the Xoom. I checked online every day for information about it since it's announcement. I had very high expectations and, even though the price tag was higher than I wanted to pay, I was the first to buy it at my local Best Buy.
Now, with that being said. I'm coming up on my 14 day return policy and am debating if I should keep it. I am new to this forum and have been reading through all the threads and learned a lot. However, in my learnings, I have also found things that concern me.
To start, let me tell you why I bought it. I had an iPad before and I mainly used it for online browsing around the house. For movies when I go on trips. And I wanted to use the Xoom for all of that, but also as my work and personal organizer. For easy access to business plans and work integration.
Here's where I'm having problems. If these are things that I should expect to be fixed with updates over time, then great. If not, then I'll have to find another option.
1) The Tegra Processor. I read on here that the Tegra Processor is what is preventing the Xoom from playing my divx movies. Now, I have gotten them to work on RockPlayer. But it has that watermark in the top left hand corner and my status bar at the bottom of the xoom never fades out. Also, and this is the biggest problem, the quality doesn't look good. It looks like their is a subtle light grid in the background. Almost like the original LCD's you saw in airports back in the day. When I first heard about the Tegra issues, I was just going to return the Xoom and get another Honeycomb tablet, but then I saw that all of the Android Tablets will have one.
2) The Browser. I did the trips where you go into debug mode and tell the Xoom to view all webpages in Desktop mode, but there are still a few sites that will only show me the mobile mode. Also, I like to have my bookmarks sorted by the order in which I visit them, yet the Xoom seems to randomly organize them for me. Kinda annoying.
3) Accessories. The only thing that I loved about my iPad was not the unit, but the Apple portfolio case. The motorola porfotlio case is just bulky, scratches the unit, and the latch is loose at best. I've found some nice leather cases online, but none that fold over and cover the screen. Yes, I have a screen protector. But, even those I can't find a good one with anti-glare.
4) eMail. I use exchange and apparently my work email is one of the ones that won't work on the xoom. I had to get Roadsync, which is okay, but I just prefer to use the default, integrated email/contacts/calendar programs. My EVO is perfect for this.
5) Widgets. Seriously, what's the deal with having cell phone sized widgets on a 10.1" screen. LauncherPro is nice, but still has custom icons like it's a phone, which I find to be in the way.
I know that most of these things seem small. But when you drop $800 on a device because you expect atleast the same functionality as your smaller cell phone, you come to have higher standards. I knew about Flash and the SD card issue going in, but the rest is bothersome. I know i'm an early adapter and with that comes quirks.
In any case, you all are 1000x smarter than me with this thing. I will take whatever advice you have.
1. Touchdown for tablets is great for email.
2. Some sites might not have updated their pages yet.
3. Apple always gets the third party love but more and more products are coming online everyday check Amazon
4. Being this is Google's flagship devise you have to believe this will be supported with updates and the file types should change
OK, first off, I agree with alot of what you have said, your right the software is a bit buggy at this time, again at this time. What you have to consider is that that this is an android device, and by that I mean it does not have all the overage that alot of companies put out on top of the overall software that make it look nice and neat, to include custom apps and infrastructure, but this also means that it is much easier to update. Half the time lost between when an actual Android update comes out and the time it takes for your device to get that update is due to all the crap that the company puts on top of the original Android infrastructure.
Give it a bit of time and I am sure that most of your problems can be worked out to you satisfaction due to them being software and not hardware problems.
Also take into account that since Motorola chose to use this clean interface it makes it much easier to modify by the hacking community , which is definitely something that an iPad cannot due.
Sent from my Xoom using XDA Premium App
virgil1528 said:
1) The Tegra Processor. I read on here that the Tegra Processor is what is preventing the Xoom from playing my divx movies.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Any CPU/GPU can play video so long as it supports the right codecs. Have you tried transcoding to a supported codec?
xlGmanlx said:
1. Touchdown for tablets is great for email.
2. Some sites might not have updated their pages yet.
3. Apple always gets the third party love but more and more products are coming online everyday check Amazon
4. Being this is Google's flagship devise you have to believe this will be supported with updates and the file types should change
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well said.
+1 for Touchdown. It is fantastic for exchange, I use it on both my Evo and Xoom.
If this wasn't a Google Experience device, I'd say your complaints would carry more weight.
However, Google has always done a good job of keeping their GE devices updated and at the forefront.
This device only just came out, I'm fairly sure they will get things handled fairly quickly.
As far as the apps/widgets go. This is still a new device and platform. All android tablets are going to suffer from the same right now. However...again... this issue is largely due to the limited time the device/platform has been available. Within a few weeks...I'm sure we'll see a lot more apps/widgets (even the ipad had limited selection out right). Just think of what it'll be like in a couple of weeks/months with more custom apps/roms/kernels etc...
I had buyers remorse for the first evening...not for any particular reason...and now I can't put it down. Not to mention my wife (who has an iPad), won't shut-up about when she is getting her Xoom
So I would say hang on to it, but that's just me. Do what makes you happy
I've come to the decision that I'll be taking mine back on the 13th day.
I've tried to really give it love and get use out of it, but tablets just don't really fill any niche except "web browsing on the couch".
I'm a sysadmin by day, and although I've carried the Xoom with me every time I step away from my desk, it just hasn't served a single purpose on the job. I had imagined it would be neat to dial into servers using RDP, but the interface is just horrible. I'm much better off just dialing into the server in question at any desk I'm in front of. I'm never more than 8-12 feet from a desktop machine, so there goes that.
Pulse news reader is basically the killer app, but is hardly worth 1000 (799 + tax + extra charger + 129 protection plan against drops for 1yr + case).
Motorola certainly hasn't won me over on the price especially considering I prepaid for it on the first day I could (at two different best buys just to cover bases), and then people who *DIDN'T* do that had a chance at 200 dollars off that was honored in the end. Ridiculous.
I had intended to pick up android development for tablets eventually, but I can hold off and stick with honing my Python until these come way down in price or offer some more functionality.
That's too bad, this has taken over as my laptop and let's me have a mobile office so to speak
For RDP I use Remote RDP light and it works credibly, but if your looking for true RDP functionality then you have to have a mouse and keyboard, and guess what, you bought a tablet with a touch screen interface, you can buy a Bluetooth keyboard and mouse if you want, but that just means more devices to carry around. A tablet, any tablet, will not be the proper interface for RDP, it can't, it is not a PC with all the perifials. A tablet, as far as RDP is concerned, is a device to do what you have to do when a PC is not around and a cell phone is impractical. As a network administrator I can do some of the emergency things that I need to accomplish while out on the town with my tablet, reading a book, surfing the web, commenting on a blog, watching a movie, all without lugging a laptop.
Sent from my Xoom using XDA Premium App
Yeah, unless you wanted to leave the mouse and just use the tablet as a touch screen with a keyboard your better off with a laptop. But like you said in a pinch its tough too beat
richardjr said:
For RDP I use Remote RDP light and it works credibly, but if your looking for true RDP functionality then you have to have a mouse and keyboard, and guess what, you bought a tablet with a touch screen interface, you can buy a Bluetooth keyboard and mouse if you want, but that just means more devices to carry around. A tablet, any tablet, will not be the proper interface for RDP, it can't, it is not a PC with all the perifials. A tablet, as far as RDP is concerned, is a device to do what you have to do when a PC is not around and a cell phone is impractical. As a network administrator I can do some of the emergency things that I need to accomplish while out on the town with my tablet, reading a book, surfing the web, commenting on a blog, watching a movie, all without lugging a laptop.
Sent from my Xoom using XDA Premium App
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Keep the tab. U will love it in 6 months when everything is revamped
Sent from my Xoom using XDA App
Usmc7356 said:
Keep the tab. U will love it in 6 months when everything is revamped
Sent from my Xoom using XDA App
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I don't imagine I'll walk away and never look back, but now I know what they're good for (and not good for) and when the price wars drive these down to 400ish I'll scoop one up again. : /
Not all tablets are create equal, and sometimes it takes having one first hand to validate all the information out there and how it applies to your situation
ixobelle said:
I don't imagine I'll walk away and never look back, but now I know what they're good for (and not good for) and when the price wars drive these down to 400ish I'll scoop one up again. : /
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Click to collapse
Return your Xoom and buy it in 6 months for cheaper price
Or probably there will be a new kind of better Honeycomb tablet at that time.
Usmc7356 said:
Keep the tab. U will love it in 6 months when everything is revamped
Sent from my Xoom using XDA App
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codeman05 said:
Well said.
+1 for Touchdown. It is fantastic for exchange, I use it on both my Evo and Xoom.
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I downloaded the free version of Touchdown this morning after reading this thread. Could you explain to me why it is so great? I haven't had time to use it extensively but maybe you can quickly list some advantages over the stock mail client?
Thanks!
I understand your frustration and you ultimately need to do what makes you feel most comfortable. Most of your issues are software related and you know things can only get better with updates. Google has a lot riding on Honeycomb so I expect updates to come fast and often.
1) The Tegra Processor - Seems like your issue is not with the Tegra but with how the codecs handle Divx. Software update could fix this but also developers can do wonders.
2) The Browser - Software update again. The browser is a great starting point and, with some minor tweaks, will be fantastic.
3) Accessories - As more Xooms sell, more 3rd parties will have a business case to make accessories for it. I'm thinking that when the Xoom wifi and Xoom for Europe are released (indications say that will happen at the same time) then we'll see a flood of new 3rd party goodies.
4) eMail - Software update. ALTHOUGH, I'm not 100% sure this is a priority for Google. People complain that they wish the AOSP phones went a step further with their Exchange implementations. Still, the chances are you'll be ok moving forward.
5) Widgets - This is a microcosm of the entire app market right now for Honeycomb. Devs need to start updating their apps with Tablets in mind. Again, more people owning Honeycomb, more reasons for devs to get on it.
The point I'm trying to make is the only way for the Xoom to go is up. As more people buy, more attention the aftermarket will pay to it. If previous Android versions are any indication (and they are,) this is a snowball effect. It'll just get bigger and bigger.
As to the RDP: I use the XtraLogic Remote Desktop app and it works wonderfully, completed designed around the touch interface.
Between Remote Desktop and ConnectBot, I've found a million uses for this as a sysadmin. I don't know how you haven't found a single use for it.
Hi, I was about to purchase an eeepad transformer for myself when one of my friends told me he already ordered me one as an early birthday present . I was overjoyed when he said it is shipping from TigerDirect right now to his house (so he can wrap it and give it to me as an official present). Anyway, back to the real subject; I was wondering a few things (this is my first native android device although I do run it on my touchscreen desktop at times).
1. Does the transformer (or honeycomb in general) come with that really cool visualizer live wallpaper which acts as a visualizer for your music playing. I remember that on android 2.2 and I thought it was really interesting.
2. I bought (and took advantage of the free app of the day) apps on Amazon app store and I was wondering if I could run those apps on:
a) honecomb
and/or
b) another android device
3. I was also wondering whether android has the ability to install a screensaver app (yes, I know that LCD screens never really burn an image into them however, I would rather see a neat little animation on the screen then nothing)
4. Last, but not least, does any android browser support Java.
-the last two points aren't that important however; if u have an answer to any of these questions, please tell me so I can know what to expect when it arrives.
Thanks very much for reading all of this
Dyskmaster said:
Hi, I was about to purchase an eeepad transformer for myself when one of my friends told me he already ordered me one as an early birthday present . I was overjoyed when he said it is shipping from TigerDirect right now to his house (so he can wrap it and give it to me as an official present). Anyway, back to the real subject; I was wondering a few things (this is my first native android device although I do run it on my touchscreen desktop at times).
1. Does the transformer (or honeycomb in general) come with that really cool visualizer live wallpaper which acts as a visualizer for your music playing. I remember that on android 2.2 and I thought it was really interesting.
2. I bought (and took advantage of the free app of the day) apps on Amazon app store and I was wondering if I could run those apps on:
a) honecomb
and/or
b) another android device
3. I was also wondering whether android has the ability to install a screensaver app (yes, I know that LCD screens never really burn an image into them however, I would rather see a neat little animation on the screen then nothing)
4. Last, but not least, does any android browser support Java.
-the last two points aren't that important however; if u have an answer to any of these questions, please tell me so I can know what to expect when it arrives.
Thanks very much for reading all of this
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1) pretty much all the default android LWPs are gone. only one it ships with it the Asus Mywater one.
2) most apps work on honeycomb, some will be very small and not fill up the whole screen. I've downloaded about 10 apps from amazon and they've all worked. and yes once bought from the amazon store they'll work on any device you own as long as your signed into your amazon account through the app. I have apps on my TF, Nexus One, and my dads Vibrant.
3) i've actually wanted this to lol. Sadly theres nothing like this yet aside from the gallery slide show, but it's still not a screensaver.
4) there are a bunch of java settings so i'm pretty sure it has java support.
neok44 said:
1) pretty much all the default android LWPs are gone. only one it ships with it the Asus Mywater one.
2) most apps work on honeycomb, some will be very small and not fill up the whole screen. I've downloaded about 10 apps from amazon and they've all worked. and yes once bought from the amazon store they'll work on any device you own as long as your signed into your amazon account through the app. I have apps on my TF, Nexus One, and my dads Vibrant.
3) i've actually wanted this to lol. Sadly theres nothing like this yet aside from the gallery slide show, but it's still not a screensaver.
4) there are a bunch of java settings so i'm pretty sure it has java support.
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Click to collapse
wow, thanks for answering all of that. Really glad Amazon app store works fine! I will look for more live wallpapers for honeycomb in the marketplace when I get the transformer
Dyskmaster said:
wow, thanks for answering all of that. Really glad Amazon app store works fine! I will look for more live wallpapers for honeycomb in the marketplace when I get the transformer
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Click to collapse
no problem. There are tons of live wallpapers that work in honeycomb, but as with regular phones. they mostly lag the hell out of the stock launcher.
i'm hoping that maybe when we have 12 core processors LWP's won't lag anymore lol
Hey there you sexy people. I'm looking at buying a tablet, but if I'm going to purchase a tablet it *must* support Netflix streaming; this is my most desired feature. My second most desired feature is a full-size USB port, so woohoo for the Iconia!
When the unofficial (hacked) APKs came out I know people had some luck with it working on the device. My question is, does it still work, or has Netflix killed it with a server-side update?
I'm specifically looking for answers from people who have recently tried it within the last few days (or are able to try it right now).
If anyone cares to add to the discussion aside from Netflix, feel free to tell me what made you happy or angry about the A500. I know the Android 3.1 release being pushed back over and over is a big one. I'd like to hear if you are glad with your choice in tablet.
Thank you all!
msullivan said:
When the unofficial (hacked) APKs came out I know people had some luck with it working on the device. My question is, does it still work, or has Netflix killed it with a server-side update?
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even the hacked apk's never worked. They were mislabeled as working on that thread. i've been trying just about every hour of every day to get the market version as well as every release thats been put up on the internet along w/ build.prop modifying to get this thing rocking netflix... but alas it still isn't working.
aaaanyway, thats not to say it wont work anytime soon but the only tablet it works awesome on to my knowledge is the ipad, and i'm not counting 7" tablets because i just dont care enough about them to look into them.
and to dive deeper into what you posted about the only real gripe i have for this a500 is that its heavy, you get used to it after a while but at first its crazy heavy. Partly the size has to do w/ the usb port i'm sure, making it thicker which is unfortunate but the weight... i have no idea where its coming from after playing around w/ the galaxy tab for a bit.
good times, hope you find a tablet that works for you.
From my understanding regarding the Netflix app (this is compiled from reading many threads on the subject):
Tablets based on Android 2.3.3 seems to work fine.
Tablets based on Android 2.3.4 is a hit or miss proposition, mostly miss. The ones that don't work either have no playback or playback is at a faster speed ("the chipmunk effect" as some call it).
Tablets based on Android launches, but doesn't playback at all (at least up to 3.0.1...don't know about 3.1, will have to read the threads again). Usually says the device is unsupported.
Hogmeister said:
even the hacked apk's never worked. They were mislabeled as working on that thread. i've been trying just about every hour of every day to get the market version as well as every release thats been put up on the internet along w/ build.prop modifying to get this thing rocking netflix... but alas it still isn't working.
aaaanyway, thats not to say it wont work anytime soon but the only tablet it works awesome on to my knowledge is the ipad, and i'm not counting 7" tablets because i just dont care enough about them to look into them.
and to dive deeper into what you posted about the only real gripe i have for this a500 is that its heavy, you get used to it after a while but at first its crazy heavy. Partly the size has to do w/ the usb port i'm sure, making it thicker which is unfortunate but the weight... i have no idea where its coming from after playing around w/ the galaxy tab for a bit.
good times, hope you find a tablet that works for you.
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Click to collapse
I was unaware of both of these things; thank you for your input, gentlemen!
i wish
In Honeycomb 3.0 Netflix does not even show up in the market on the a500 - none of the modified versions out there seem to work. Tried a million of them.
After flashing the unofficial advance leak of 3.1 for the Iconica - Netflix does show in market, everything works except actually watching anything - bombs out with a 12001 : cannot connect to server.
I would guess support will be added soon - perhaps around the time 3.1 becomes official.
I saw a post here a few weeks ago about Hexxeh (the guy behind all the ChromiumOS releases) having a build almost ready for our TF's, live-booted from a USB. Anyone know anything about the project in regards to progress or a possible ETA? As much as I love my Honeycomb, having a real web browser to actually do things like use Google Docs and what not would be really, really great.
Not to be a smart-ass, but why would you want to downgrade your tablet?
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You would be better off waiting for Google to release a proper Honeycomb optimized Docs app. Current Linux ports to Tegra-based hardware are slow and buggy, and not really ready for prime time. Even when fully optimized, most of the inherent snappiness in a Chromebook comes from the fact that it packs a SSD and RAM that are capable of several magnitudes faster I/O than the Tegra. The current Android browser performs a lot better than Chrome/Chromium OS ever could on a Tegra.
Well the people behind chrome are now working with the people in Android to make the browser better.
I narrowed my choices down to a Chrome Book, Netbook, and a Transformer. Bottom line was that the Transformer gives you many more options, plus the 16 hour battery capacity was a big chicken dinner winner!! I have the Chrome OS running on my laptop at work and all it is is installed icons with hotlinks to existing webpages and sites. Microsoft does offer their "skydrive" with a hotmail account. Skydrive is a 25gb account of free "cloud" storage inside your hotmail account, plus cloud versions of Word, Excel, PPoint and OneNote. But you can still get there on the browser on the Transformer. Between my dropbox, sugarsync, and MS Skydrive accounts, plus Google docs (all free), I can't imagine needing anymore cloud storage (32gb+). I also have an unlimited HostGator account for the really big stuff. Can access that on the Transformer also. Wifi is so universal now I can't remember the last time I actually used a tablet or laptop without a connection. I love leaving the house in the mornings and never having to worry about a plugin all day. At lunch, i just grab the tablet off the dock and do all my reading while eating. It's so light and handy. Tether to my Evo cell phone and I'm online anywhere anytime. Awesome!
ExploreMN said:
Not to be a smart-ass, but why would you want to downgrade your tablet?
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I asked that on the other thread if you want a device with an OS installed with ONLY a browser and a cloud app, buy a chrome book!
ExploreMN said:
Not to be a smart-ass, but why would you want to downgrade your tablet?
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To have a working brower on the tablet I already bought. Internet is the main reason I bought it based on reviews that the browser was so damn good.
I am hopefull that I will not have to wait for Google to straighten up their Honeycomb browser as that does not even seem like any kind of priority for Android, despite the reorganisation that took place at Google. Saying that the Chrome team is working with the Android team does not equal them working on fixing the browser in a timely manner.
ExploreMN said:
Not to be a smart-ass, but why would you want to downgrade your tablet?
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Click to collapse
I mean... don't get me wrong, I love my TF and Honeycomb very much. I wouldn't be abandoning it, just sort of dualbooting between it and ChromiumOS. I really hope they pull themselves together to make a competent browser, I'm guessing for ICS. I want to be able to use the browser just as I do on my computer. No input lag like I'm experiencing right now typing this. The ability to use fullon web apps like Google Docs. No browser force closes after scrolling through my Tumblr dashboard for too long.
I'd let this one go. Hexxeh got rid of his TF.
Also, as a ChromeOS tester, I can say that it's not really worth even installing on devices made for it. The whole OS will be dead soon anyway, Android is clearly the horse Google is betting on.
SilverZero said:
I'd let this one go. Hexxeh got rid of his TF.
Also, as a ChromeOS tester, I can say that it's not really worth even installing on devices made for it. The whole OS will be dead soon anyway, Android is clearly the horse Google is betting on.
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Ah... now there's the answer I was looking for. I can stop waiting around for this then. Thanks!