SolidOrange
Android Expert
i finally got my hands on a viewsonic gtab, and wanted to throw up some pics and a quick review for anyone else who was considering the purchase.
first pics, out of the box last night:
first impressions; the hardware is GREAT, the included software is AWFUL!! the dated and non-customizable home screen is a huge put-off considering it IS running FroYo, and not having the Android Market pre-installed seems crazy to me. luckily, there is a quick fix for both of those issues! root, and flash TnT lite then take 5 minutes to do the market fix and you will have a GTab that looks like this:
now the software finally lives up to the hardware, and this thing absolutely FLIES!! web browsing is insanely quick, and opening/running apps is unbelievably fast. if you don't believe me, here's the Quadrant benchmark scores to prove it.
after playing with it for just a few hours, here's a quick list of pros and cons.
PROS:
-Price (compared to iPad and Galaxy Tab)
-Dual core processor (FAST! and ready for future Android updates)
-Can access full Android Market
-Can be rooted very easily
-Overall build quality
-Screen size
CONS:
-Awful stock software
-Screen viewing angle is pretty narrow in portrait view (it is more than acceptable in landscape)
and some comparison shots with my Droid:
to sum it all up, if you do not have the time/ability/confidence to root and flash a new ROM, the GTab is certainly NOT worth the money. however, if you can do it (and it's REALLY easy), you are getting a device that is just as cabable, has a bigger screen, and is far cheaper than the Samsung Galaxy Tab.
first pics, out of the box last night:
first impressions; the hardware is GREAT, the included software is AWFUL!! the dated and non-customizable home screen is a huge put-off considering it IS running FroYo, and not having the Android Market pre-installed seems crazy to me. luckily, there is a quick fix for both of those issues! root, and flash TnT lite then take 5 minutes to do the market fix and you will have a GTab that looks like this:
now the software finally lives up to the hardware, and this thing absolutely FLIES!! web browsing is insanely quick, and opening/running apps is unbelievably fast. if you don't believe me, here's the Quadrant benchmark scores to prove it.
after playing with it for just a few hours, here's a quick list of pros and cons.
PROS:
-Price (compared to iPad and Galaxy Tab)
-Dual core processor (FAST! and ready for future Android updates)
-Can access full Android Market
-Can be rooted very easily
-Overall build quality
-Screen size
CONS:
-Awful stock software
-Screen viewing angle is pretty narrow in portrait view (it is more than acceptable in landscape)
and some comparison shots with my Droid:
to sum it all up, if you do not have the time/ability/confidence to root and flash a new ROM, the GTab is certainly NOT worth the money. however, if you can do it (and it's REALLY easy), you are getting a device that is just as cabable, has a bigger screen, and is far cheaper than the Samsung Galaxy Tab.
he doesn't tend to drink the coolaid very easily!
