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advice from Android users?

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bobsuruncle454

Newbie
I am looking into purchasing a Superpad 10.2 Android 2.1 Tablet from China. I have read almost all of the 9 trillion reviews available on Amazon and it seems like it would be worth the money but I know nothing about a Superpad or Android. I am fairly computer literate but have never owned a tablet or used any Android device. Below are the specs on the device I am looking into, if that helps:

  • Display: 10.2" TFT Touch Screen (1024 x 600 resolution) w/single-point resistive touch; Processor: FlyTouch ARM11 1Ghz; OS: Android 2.1; RAM: 256MB DDR2; Graphics Model: Supports 720p / 1080P
  • Internal Hard Drive: 2GB Flash with 2 TF slots for expansion (supports MicroSD 32GB Max); Ports: 2 x USB 2.0, 2 x MicroSD Slots, Mini HDMI, DC Jack, 3.5mm Headphone/Line-Out, RJ45 Ethernet; Audio: Built In Stereo Speakers and Mono Recorder
  • Camera: 1.3 MP Built In Camera; Wireless Connection: WiFi supports 802.11 b/g/n; Battery Type: 3800mAh Li-ion Battery
  • Power: AC Adapter - 100V - 240V; Dimensions: 10.5" x 6.5" x .50"
First of all, the Android 2.1 seems like it may be outdated from what I have found on this forum's website. Is it upgradeable?

Second, I know this device is not the equivalent of a laptop by any means but will it be okay for using Skype, watching Netflix, playing online, editing Word and Excel documents on a small scale, playing a few games, checking the weather, and so on? What kind of internet speeds can I expect from a device like this?

If I opt to add the max of two 16gb Micro SD Cards, will that greatly, somewhat, or maybe improve my performance?

Any suggestions on apps that I would enjoy or need to do what I detailed above?

Is the Android userface pretty user friendly? Compared to the webOS on the Palm phones, easier or more difficult to get used to? Compared with going between Windows XP and Windows 7 for the first time, how weird is it going to be?

Do the GPS abilities on a device like this work outside of a WiFi area if there is no 3G or 4G capabilities or is that something that will be useless to me?

By trying to save a couple hundred bucks and going with a no name Chinese made model, am I going to regret it? I hate iPads (as well as pretty much anything made by Apple) and really don't want to go that route. I don't want to throw even a little bit of money away but also don't feel like shelling out too much for a toy. Any suggestions?
 
bobsuruncle454 said:
...
[*]Display: 10.2" TFT Touch Screen (1024 x 600 resolution) w/single-point resistive touch; Processor: FlyTouch ARM11 1Ghz; OS: Android 2.1; RAM: 256MB DDR2; Graphics Model: Supports 720p / 1080P
Click to expand...

Resistive touch will frustrate you without a stylus. Eventually you will mark the screen permanently and it will look dull and scratched. Android 2.1 does not support Flash
 
I'm not sure how much this tablet costs, but it will likely give you a very poor view of Android right off the bat.

If you're willing to go the custom rom route, nook color is your best best for a cheap tablet, like lunatic says.

If you're not willing to do that you can get a 7" Galaxy Tab from Samsung, wifi only, for about $300. That said, you could probably find one on Ebay for much cheaper. Those come with at least Android 2.2, and full google app support, which is the minimum you want to start with.

Right now the new tablets like the Transformer start at $399, the Samsung 10.1 (which I have and LOVE) at $499.

So I guess it depends what you're willing to spend. And as long as you buy it from a real retailer, you can always return it if you don't like it.
 
Right, almost forgot to mention that most likely it will not have the Android Market on it but some weird Chinese clone site with limited and questionable apps.
 
So, according to the reviews it does come with s stylus and it has the Android Market pre-installed upon delivery. Also, everything from the description to the pictures show that the camera is front facing and many of the reviews mention people having great success with Skype.

I really appreciate those of you who have already posted back and hope to get even more feedback still. I do not really understand what is meant when lunatic59 explained that this would be like going from XP to OS X. What is OS X? I have never heard of this.
 
Also, Lunatic59 mentioned something about an unsupported hack to upgrade from Android 2.1 to something newer. What exactly would an unsupported hack entail and what are the pros and cons? Is this like "jailbreaking" a cell phone? Can you just take it to the mall and have it done for you like you can with the iPhone? How would someone go about doing this?
 
My two cents (I briefly skimmed over everyone's comments).

But after a lottttt of research myself, I would have deemed this one not a great product to buy for you.

For one, resistive touchscreens will annoy you. They are not very responsive, and not very accurate. They look dull, and don't give you a nice appearance. Look for capacitive screens. They're much nicer to the feel and very responsive.

Also, 256mb of RAM will not give you a very good performance on multitasking. Since this is a key component of Android, especially tablets. Make sure you get 512mb or more and you should be good.

The camera at 1.3mp isn't great, but it's not horrible either for just a tablet. Obviously you won't be taking pictures with this, but for skype it'd be fine.

Also, I doubt this would come with the android Market preconfigured. You'd probably have to hack it on their. It's different for every device, so maybe google around to see if it can be done on this device. (Believe me, it may say it comes with the market (and it probably does), but that doesn't mean the market will actually work. Sometimes they put the market on there but you can't actually download anything).

After a final deliberation, don't go with it. You may think you're saving yourself some money, but you'd be giving yourself a bit of frustration at the same time. The best low end tablets I can think of would be either:

Viewsonic G Tablet
Archos 101
Nook Color

All of these devices are around the $250 mark. I just ordered the Viewsonic G Tablet 2 days ago because I saw it has support for Cyanogenmod 7. So maybe consider one of these?
 
You are getting good advice. You won't like the cheap Chinese tablets, trust us on this. Unfrugal purchase. Poke around and read about the Augen tablet released almost exactly a year ago to great hope and fanfair (and note that news articles now say Augen is out of business).
 
Okay, so I get the picture I think and am going to stay away from the Chinese knockoffs. Now I am stuck yet again in another dilemna. I cannot decide between the Viewsonic G Tablet and the Asus Eee Pad Transformer. Is the Asus worth an extra $150.00? If so, why? I want to make sure every penny that I put into this feels well worth it a month or a year later. Please give me some advice on this.
 
If you can afford the Asus eee Pad basically you'll be getting a newer OS (Android 3.0 instead of 2.2), two cameras (one 5mp vs the G-Tablet's 1.3mp), and 512mb more RAM for better multitasking. They share the same cpu and from what I hear have similar battery life.

I've heard no complaints about multitasking on the G-Tablet however, and running Cyanogen on it would probably make it better.

So from what I can tell those are the only differences :)

Oh, and the eeepad has a keyboard that you can buy to make it similar to a laptop.

Here's a nice comparison:
http://www.byemobile.com/compare/Asus/Eee Pad Transformer/vs/ViewSonic/G-Tablet/vs/Motorola/XT701
 
Barqers,

Thanks for responding. I appreciate the insight from anyone who knows something about tablets and the Android system. I do have a few more questions to pose (anyone is welcome to answer them though) if you don't mind.

First of all, what is this Cyanogen you speak of? Sorry but I have never heard of it.

Second, with Android I have heard from a few places that there are not as many apps available on the 3.0 as it is so new. Is this true? Does anyone out there use the 3.0 or newer that has also used an older version? I understand that even if this is true it will not be an issue in time but I am just curious.

Third, my little brother uses an Android phone and he complains constantly that his phone runs apps in the background that eat at his data minutes and his battery life. He says there is no way to shut those apps off and keep them from running. I don't really understand even what he is talking about so could someone please explain this to me? Also, is this an issue with tablets as well as the Android phones?
 
Okay I'll answer them to the best of my knowledge :)

1. Cyanogenmod is a group of developers who took the base Android operating system and modified it to run faster, smoother, and more efficiently. Very useful to get rid of "bloatware" and keep your system just the way you want it.

2. I believe most apps will be compatible with 3.0, but I don't think they're necessarily optimized for it. So the app will run like it does on any other android version. Android 3.0 is supposed to be optimized for tablets, from what I've heard anyways!

3. This is sort of true. If an application is truly running itself in the background and there's absolutely no way to disable this then I would consider this a poorly written and intrusive application. I would remove these applications right away. To comment on the data usage, you can disable background data usage, or you could root your phone (tablet) and install droidwall and specify which apps have access to 3G/wifi data selectively. Also, keep in mind that to "close" an application you must exit the app by using the back button. If you use the home button Android will assume that you want to keep the app running in the background until there is no free memory left to sustain it.

You would only have an issue if you downloaded a misbehaving application. Good coders make sure their apps don't have memory leaks or run when the user doesn't want them too. I usually test an app out for a couple days and if I don't like it or if it's eating my battery life I'll rid of it fast because I know there's probably 50 other alternatives in the Android Market.
 
Barqers,

Thanks again for some more good advice. I am still a little confused on this Cyanogenmod, though. The first time you mentioned it you said I should "run it" and then you said it was a group of developers. I have googled it and can't find anything that makes sense. Is it an app?

Also, to "thehoodedclaw", you mentioned looking up the Augen tablet. I found some information but am not sure if you were trying to tell me this was a good one or to stay away from it. Please specify.
 
Also, to anyone really, what is "rooting?" I keep hearing it mentioned over and over again but don't really understand what it is supposed to mean. My dog "roots" around in the ground with his nose but I really doubt that has anything to do with this.
 
bobsuruncle454 said:
Barqers,

Thanks again for some more good advice. I am still a little confused on this Cyanogenmod, though. The first time you mentioned it you said I should "run it" and then you said it was a group of developers. I have googled it and can't find anything that makes sense. Is it an app?
Click to expand...

Yuo can read up about it here: CyanogenMod | Android Community Rom based on Gingerbread In essence, it is a replacement operating system for what your phone or tablet shipped with.

Also, to "thehoodedclaw", you mentioned looking up the Augen tablet. I found some information but am not sure if you were trying to tell me this was a good one or to stay away from it. Please specify.
Click to expand...

I believe his point was that Augen tablets were very popular because of the low price point but they had resistive touch screen and many were disappointed. So much so that Augen is no longer doing business.

Also, to anyone really, what is "rooting?" I keep hearing it mentioned over and over again but don't really understand what it is supposed to mean. My dog "roots" around in the ground with his nose but I really doubt that has anything to do with this.
Click to expand...

Rooting is gaining administrative access to the file system so you can modify things that you otherwise wouldn't be able to change. It is a term derived from the Unix/linux file system where the primary administrative account is known as root.
 
Just a little input here to clear up a little name brand snobbery going on. The Flytouch 3 tablets are awesome you just have to be careful where you purchase them from. Contrary to the whole cheap chinese knockoff theory of the tons and tons of these pads out there most all are virtually the same. Where you run into problems is assembly and quality control. If you research you can find good reseller who order from quality wholesalers.

By saving a couple hundred bucks you can get a great deal. While I have only been into the tablets for a short while I have setup and help people purchase about 15 or so. None have had to be returned and no complaints at all except for some issues that are happening on many tablets, like Netflix. The most common issue is the stock firmware which is easily replaced.

The flytouch comes with internal gps, and they have released the newest Flytouch 4 with internal gps and 3g with capacitive touch for around $300. Using a direct from China shipper is a little risky but if you research again there are a couple good ones. Finding a reseller in your area helps, so long as they are not just a drop ship seller. I am not sure what the forum policy is about linking resellers.
 
After reading all your post I would suggest you spend the extra money on the Asus eee Pad. You will be able to take it out of it's box, turn it on and enjoy it, you won't have to fuss with anything and it will be an enjoyable experience.
 
I have to say this... there's a reason for the, 'name brand snobbery going on', around here. Because you know you can trust it, and that it works.

Sure, it might be an extra $150, but without having to think twice, you know what it does, and there's no additional research involved other than going around looking for the place that sells it cheapest. It's reliable.
 
bobsuruncle454 said:
Barqers,

Thanks for responding. I appreciate the insight from anyone who knows something about tablets and the Android system. I do have a few more questions to pose (anyone is welcome to answer them though) if you don't mind.

First of all, what is this Cyanogen you speak of? Sorry but I have never heard of it.

Second, with Android I have heard from a few places that there are not as many apps available on the 3.0 as it is so new. Is this true? Does anyone out there use the 3.0 or newer that has also used an older version? I understand that even if this is true it will not be an issue in time but I am just curious.

Third, my little brother uses an Android phone and he complains constantly that his phone runs apps in the background that eat at his data minutes and his battery life. He says there is no way to shut those apps off and keep them from running. I don't really understand even what he is talking about so could someone please explain this to me? Also, is this an issue with tablets as well as the Android phones?
Click to expand...


Regarding apps available for tablets: There are literally thousands. Some are built specifically for tablets (I believe the count is at around 300, last I checked)
The ones not built for tablets work and are great with very few exceptions. I've downloaded maybe 3 out of about 70 that don't work. I have had no trouble finding great apps for my Honeycomb tablet. I was afraid of this same thing before I bought one, just because of web chatter about Honeycomb apps. There is a great thread over at XDA on apps that work with honeycomb. If you want me to link it for you, let me know.
 
Rabid1 said:
Just a little input here to clear up a little name brand snobbery going on. The Flytouch 3 tablets are awesome you just have to be careful where you purchase them from. Contrary to the whole cheap chinese knockoff theory of the tons and tons of these pads out there most all are virtually the same. Where you run into problems is assembly and quality control. If you research you can find good reseller who order from quality wholesalers.

By saving a couple hundred bucks you can get a great deal. While I have only been into the tablets for a short while I have setup and help people purchase about 15 or so. None have had to be returned and no complaints at all except for some issues that are happening on many tablets, like Netflix. The most common issue is the stock firmware which is easily replaced.

The flytouch comes with internal gps, and they have released the newest Flytouch 4 with internal gps and 3g with capacitive touch for around $300. Using a direct from China shipper is a little risky but if you research again there are a couple good ones. Finding a reseller in your area helps, so long as they are not just a drop ship seller. I am not sure what the forum policy is about linking resellers.
Click to expand...

For $99 more, he can get a transformer from a fully legit seller and not have to replace the stock firmware. Sound like a way better deal for an android beginner
 
I believe this is the last question I still have, though. What apps would you guys suggest I get? I am all about not having to pay for apps if I can get away with it. I definately want a few games for my kids to play when I give them time with my tablet. I would love to be able to view and edit word docs and maybe spreadsheets. I want to be able to use Skype and Netflix. I don't even know what else I could do with this thing so apart from that sky's the limit I guess.

Also, does anyone suggest getting the keyboard with the Asus Transformer to make it into more of a laptop? Would it be smarter to go with a nice leather case and a wireless keyboard for less $$$? Or is the keyboard that is made for it worth the $$$?
 
bobsuruncle454 said:
Is the Asus worth an extra $150.00? If so, why? I want to make sure every penny that I put into this feels well worth it a month or a year later. Please give me some advice on this.
Click to expand...
bobsuruncle454 said:
Also, does anyone suggest getting the keyboard with the Asus Transformer to make it into more of a laptop? Would it be smarter to go with a nice leather case and a wireless keyboard for less $$$? Or is the keyboard that is made for it worth the $$$?
Click to expand...
bobsuruncle454 said:
I believe this is the last question I still have, though. What apps would you guys suggest I get?
Click to expand...
Read the Apps subforum.

All of the above are highly subjective questions. We can't answer them for you. It's up to you to determine which options suit your best. If you want some suggestions you'll need to clarify your needs/wants.

No device is one-size-fits-all. It's all about finding what suits you best. The only information that we have to work with is what you share with us.


bobsuruncle454 said:
Third, my little brother uses an Android phone and he complains constantly that his phone runs apps in the background that eat at his data minutes and his battery life. He says there is no way to shut those apps off and keep them from running. I don't really understand even what he is talking about so could someone please explain this to me? Also, is this an issue with tablets as well as the Android phones?
Click to expand...
No, it's an issue with new Android users who don't understand how Android works.
 
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