Need recommendations on a tablet.
- Thread starter asterwald
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It is, but I covered that on an earlier post in this thread. It's got amazing battery life, that's the trade off.
The US xoom has ICS already (or those that "converted" theirs to a US version). Ones bought in other countries are being upgraded shortly, but the time frame depends on where.
And yes, I prefer android, I don't hide that. But I believe I am objective because I often recommend iphone/ipad to certain users, not just make blanket statements. I even suggested to this poster that he add the ipad to his list of potential tablets.
There aren't many in here that show any objectivity beyond their preferred brand, and that goes for people on both side of this stupid "war".
Cool, that means a lot as ICS supports hardware acceleration for UI. When I used the Zoom running Honeycomb, I found it to be laggy when scrolling.
I can't speak for everyone but I believe I gave a balanced opinion to the OP. The whole "only Apple users lack objectivity" shtick gets old, real fast. Both sides have their zealots.
I really liked honeycomb, but ICS is much better. I wouldn't use a xoom without ICS again.
I never said only apple users lack objectivity, in fact I've said many times in this forum that it goes on both sides. However generally speaking apple users are far, far worse. I've been involved in IT for almost 2 decades and I can count on one hand the number of windows users that were zealots about it. But I can also count on that same hand of the many mac users I've come across that were complete fucking cunts to those who didn't see it their way. Sorry, I know it's a strong word but it's fitting because my experience dealing with them has been consistently very unpleasant.
Ha. I got a lot of shit thrown at me by Windows and Linux users when I switched to Mac.
I wonder if those people you encountered were long time mac users. There was a long period when Apple was less than an underdog and literally about to go bankrupt. Perhaps they're conditioned with an perpetual underdog mentality.
One of my good friends switched to mac and I jokingly gave him a hard time about it at the time, but he's happy and I'm glad for him. For a long time there was no discussion about computers but recently every time I see him he becomes more and more a like a digital Jehovahs witness trying to get me and our other mutual friends to join his flock. I dislike religion, even the made up corporate ones so pretty soon I'm gonna have to tell him to shut the fuck up about it..
I got some of that too. I jokingly teased back, of course.
Never understood that. Whenever people ask me for an recommendation on a new PC, I'll recommend a Mac. If they mention they want to remain with Windows, I'll give some advice and let them go on their way.
Precisely.. you appear to be the only mac head here that can be objective. As the "tech guy" I often get asked what they should buy when it comes to their phone. If they are totally computer illiterate I always say that iphone is probably best for you. I will explain why I don't use iphone and they can make their decisions from that. They will often see the stuff I do however and are disappointed to find out they can't do the same with an iphone/ipad. Heck, even the mac friend I was just talking about was seriously impressed with my xoom.I got some of that too. I jokingly teased back, of course.
Never understood that. Whenever people ask me for an recommendation on a new PC, I'll recommend a Mac. If they mention they want to remain with Windows, I'll give some advice and let them go on their way.
I wouldn't say that computer illiterate equals Apple. I like using my iPhone without having to tweak and customize the hell out of it. People don't have to do that with a lot of other modern electronics. And other consumer products. I think that's a big appeal for many.
Android is a great alternative for those want that ability to customize. And what I mean by customize is not a new theme or wallpaper but flashing a ROM, rooting a device and so on.
This is where things get interesting. There's some things I really like about Android. I love their approach with the launcher. I think the apps you really want should be placed on the home screen(s) and all other apps organized in a grid like iOS underneath. I think widgets are a great idea on the tablet (never really used them on the mobile) but others should have that option.
But there's a lot of things that should be left behind. Task managers, access to the file system (it shouldn't be completely eliminated either, just under advanced settings to turn on for pro users), worrying about malware, etc.
Different OS' for different folks.
10" Fire could be released in Q2... check out #29: https://terb.cc/vbulletin/showthread.php?354035-Amazon-Kindle-Fire-199.-Dual-Processor/page2
Amazon Kindle Fire
I bought two of these off kijiji private sale. Unopened BNIB pickup for $250 and $230, no warranty obviously. I have been using them since November / December last year.
PLUS:
- I find the 7 inch format best for handling and portability; nice build quality; screen has good visual quality
- It can handle 720p HD online Flash video (eg. youtube, vimeo) on full screen, and 720p (and many 1080p) downloaded / stored videos of most formats (depending on the video bitrate and type of media player)
I don't mean playing videos with youtube app, which is not really showing HD on the full screen. I mean using the web browser to play Flash video, just like playing it in Windows PC, on full screen. You can choose "720p" from the quality selector (normally it will play at 480p resolution on full screen) and the videos play smoothly.
I believe this a very important feature lacking in many other tablets, because when you have a tablet with a screen larger than the smartphone (eg. 7 inch +) with higher resolution (eg. 1280 x 768 or 600), you want to watch HD videos on full screen for the best result.
This is where I find most current tablets which use the popular Tegra 2 chip fail (personally own(ed) devices such as Atrix 4G phone, Viewsonic G Tablet, Galaxy Tab 8.9, and devices I have played with such as Moto Xoom and Galaxy Tab 10.1). I find that the HD video performance is sketchy if not hit and miss on these Tegra 2 devices - some such as the GTab 10.1 do better (some videos play smoothly and others stutter), while other devices eg. Atrix 4G totally freeze.
NOTE: I also own the original Galaxy Tab 7 inch which I still love. It has an older single core processor but the graphics processor (SGX 540) is superior to that of the Tegra 2, because it can play 720p HD youtube Flash videos and 720p (and many 1080p) downloaded videos smoothly (consider it is an older single core processor!). Apparently the OMAP 4430 chip used in KF also has the SGX 540 GPU, but clocked at a higher rate (304 vs 200 MHz), meaning even more video performance.
AVERAGE:
- Decent weight-to-battery life ratio (heavier than the original Galaxy Tab 7 inch, with about the same 5.5 to 6.5 hour battery life - OK it is not 8+ hour of the iPad but this is a smaller 7 inch tablet)
- Decent performance for a dual core processor - there are hints of hesitation swiping the screens and starting apps. Website loading also have slight pauses (compared to my current HTC Sensation phone which has a different Snapdragon dual core processor). The OMAP 4430 chip inside the KF is certainly much faster than the older single core Hummingbird chip in the original Samsung Galaxy Tab.
MINUS:
- On-screen buttons (Home, Go back, Menu) only. You have to bring up a swipe bar from the bottom to use these buttons, eating up screen real estate
- No built-in microphone. You can use external microphone headset with a suitable plug, but sound recording only works with a few apps and the quality is lousy
- (related to above) No Skype or other types of VOIP (SIP) calling
- No camera (a popular feature in most other brand name tablets)
- No external memory card slot (A BIG MINUS). 8 GB internal storage only (about 5 GB usable).
- "Dumb" USB socket (it is micro USB) - no USB host or OTG to hook up to devices such as external drive, headset, keyboard etc. (another BIG MINUS)
- wifi only, no 3/4G (you have to pay premium for this feature in other tablets)
- Horrible OEM launcher (Android lingo for "user interface") which is slow, limited and awkward to navigate
- Android Marketplace is NOT included (because it uses its own Amazon app store) (one more BIG MINUS)
CONCLUSION:
If you are the average user who want everything to work perfectly out of the box, you may be disappointed. You may find a lot of restriction in access (eg. to apps and services) and function. It has been designed ("locked down") to use Amazon (and Amazon approved) services exclusively.
However, if you tweak and hack your Android device like me (a little bit technical and sometime dangerous, but there are excellent detailed guides out there), you can transform this into a wonderful Android tablet with decent performance. I installed a custom ROM (firmware) which is rooted and has Android Market, so that I have access to the widest range of apps available. I installed GO Launcher which gives me better user experience.
After the above modification, I find that it is currently my best internet tablet / media (video) player for the price, but with a lot of deficiency (mainly lack of hardware features). However, the price of new tablets with better performance is coming down - I am keeping my eyes on the Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.0 wifi only, which costs a mere US$349.99 (my original GTab cost CAN$500). I think the dual core Samsung Exynos processor in this device will be no trouble with video playback.
People say Amazon loses money in the sale of the Kindle Fire at such a ridiculously low price. I honestly don't think any future brand name tablets would sell for less than $250.
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True the GPU of the KF does not have to drive as many screen pixels as, say, the GT 10.1 with a 10 inch true HD resolution screen. Apart from KF, Nook Tablet and RIM Playbook which are all 7 inchers, there is currently no 10 incher I know of that uses the OMAP 4430 chip.
I am not doing a comparison here, just user experience. It is my intention though to bash the Tegra 2 chip because I am disappointed with the video performance device after device,.
Yeah I know, I have an Atrix running CM9 beta, once rooted with a good ROM it installed it flies, but video is definitely still it's Achilles heel.
This is why I sold the Atrix after only two weeks and bought an HTC Sensation 4G instead. It comes with dual core Snapdragon clocked at 1.2 GHz, but I installed a custom ROM and kernel which boosts the speed to 1.5 GHz (the same as the Sensation XE). Now it really flies, plus no problem with 720p Flash videos in the browser.
Here is a 2012 Market forecast for Tablets if you're interested....
OTB
February 22, 2012
iPad's Market Share to Dip only Slightly in 2012: Report
By Beecher Tuttle , TechZone360 Contributor
The iPad will withstand the flood of Android devices and continue to be the dominant player in the tablet space in 2012, accounting for more than 62 percent of all tablet sales, according to market analysis firm TrendForce.
As the pioneer in the tablet game, Apple's market share is sure to slip each year as more competitors enter the market with rival tablets. This is what makes Tuesday's projections so astounding. With a 66 percent market share in 2011, Apple's dominance is barely waning, even with new devices hitting store shelves every day.
Even more impressive, TrendForce says that the iPad's market share won't drop below 60 percent until 2015, when it will still account for 59.3 percent of all tablets sold. The research firm believes that the iPad 3 – rumored to sport a high resolution display and industry-leading hardware/software integration – will help solidify Apple's position as the market leader.
"The only concern is that iPad 3’s high resolution panel comes with a low yield rate; whether or not the panel production will be enough to supply the market demand remains to be seen," says TrendForce.
Part of the rationale behind the projections is the lack of legitimate competition from rivals. While acknowledging the Kindle Fire's strong fourth quarter, the research firm notes that Amazon's tablet cannot match consumer expectations over the long term.
"In addition, according to the component makers, Amazon’s orders for panels in 1H12 decreased, which suggests at the time being, Kindle Fire is still unable to threaten iPad’s leading position," TrendForce adds.
Android, meanwhile, has failed to make a strong transition to a tablet platform, forcing several manufacturers to look to Microsoft's Windows 8 as an alternative option.
However, even with its famed Microsoft Office suite of apps, Windows 8 has a lot to prove, says TrendForce, "such as whether or not the ARM Windows 8 tablet is able to release as scheduled, the weight and battery life, and whether the software compatibility and interface design cater to the users’ preferences."
The iPad is expected to account for around 59 million of the 94 million tablets sold in 2012.
OTB
February 22, 2012
iPad's Market Share to Dip only Slightly in 2012: Report
By Beecher Tuttle , TechZone360 Contributor
The iPad will withstand the flood of Android devices and continue to be the dominant player in the tablet space in 2012, accounting for more than 62 percent of all tablet sales, according to market analysis firm TrendForce.
As the pioneer in the tablet game, Apple's market share is sure to slip each year as more competitors enter the market with rival tablets. This is what makes Tuesday's projections so astounding. With a 66 percent market share in 2011, Apple's dominance is barely waning, even with new devices hitting store shelves every day.
Even more impressive, TrendForce says that the iPad's market share won't drop below 60 percent until 2015, when it will still account for 59.3 percent of all tablets sold. The research firm believes that the iPad 3 – rumored to sport a high resolution display and industry-leading hardware/software integration – will help solidify Apple's position as the market leader.
"The only concern is that iPad 3’s high resolution panel comes with a low yield rate; whether or not the panel production will be enough to supply the market demand remains to be seen," says TrendForce.
Part of the rationale behind the projections is the lack of legitimate competition from rivals. While acknowledging the Kindle Fire's strong fourth quarter, the research firm notes that Amazon's tablet cannot match consumer expectations over the long term.
"In addition, according to the component makers, Amazon’s orders for panels in 1H12 decreased, which suggests at the time being, Kindle Fire is still unable to threaten iPad’s leading position," TrendForce adds.
Android, meanwhile, has failed to make a strong transition to a tablet platform, forcing several manufacturers to look to Microsoft's Windows 8 as an alternative option.
However, even with its famed Microsoft Office suite of apps, Windows 8 has a lot to prove, says TrendForce, "such as whether or not the ARM Windows 8 tablet is able to release as scheduled, the weight and battery life, and whether the software compatibility and interface design cater to the users’ preferences."
The iPad is expected to account for around 59 million of the 94 million tablets sold in 2012.
