Tight lipped

[Androidfonefan]

As a user of the current Vizio tablet and wanting to use the up and coming Vtab 3010 I am perturbed buy Vizios desire to keep everyone in the dark about the release time and price of the new tablet. This coupled with no time line released for the Honeycomb update for the current model.

I know they said the release would be based on the serial number of the tablet or something like that, (at least that is what I read here on the forums in a post some place) which sounds like a cop out of some sort to me.
If all the Vtab 1008s have the same hardware in them then the Honeycomb ROM for one should work on them all, so if they have it they should just release it and have it over with.

Is it just me or does anyone else feel like we are being kept in the dark on purpose?

 

[Ken401]

I can't say whether the lack of information is intentional, but like many others, patience is getting hard to maintain as we await the release of Honeycomb. I believe we saw on Youtube a Vizio rep at CES 2012 saying it hopefully would be released by the end of the month (January), and now February has come and gone without explanation. You do have to ask, "What happened?"

So, yesterday I started a chat session with Vizio support asking whether the release for VTAB1008 would be Honeycomb or possibly ICS (hoping the delay may be an indication of jumping to ICS). The rep confirmed it would be Honeycomb, but as to its release date, he would only say it has not been confirmed yet. He would not even give a general indication whether it might be released within the next 30 days.

I truly appreciate they are working on an upgrade for a device that is well into its life cycle, but I find myself struggling with the hardware manufacturers control over the availability of Android updates for my tablets unless one is willing to root and rely on independent developers. I am thinking here in comparison to Windows and the choice we have of upgrading to the next release or not, which is mostly independent of the hardware makers support. The point I am trying to make is ASUS, for example, does not decide whether I can upgrade my 2 year old netbook to Windows 7. I just go buy an official copy from a known reputable source and move on. I think I would like my tablet to work similarly. Another example is my Droid X, which Motorola has decided it remains on Gingerbread...thank you very much... I should be able to upgrade the OS directly from Google without rooting and finding custom ROM's etc.

(okay, end of rant, resuming focus on the really important things in life)

 

[robop]

I don't know about you guys but I saw a CES video with a rep talking about 3010 would be coming out or at least all the info would be out at the start of May and they were looking to have 1008 software near the end of march give or take a couple of weeks, (early April)

 

[Androidfonefan]

You gots a linkenhimer to that video there?

 

[Ken401]

Here is the one I was thinking of. She says second half of 2012 for the new tablet.

 

[Mandos]

For what it's worth, the Vizio tech rep I talked to today said the firmware update was being currently pushed out incrementally, and would be complete and show as an update, within two weeks.

 

[bkaler]

For what it's worth, the Vizio tech rep I talked to today said the firmware update was being currently pushed out incrementally, and would be complete and show as an update, within two weeks.

post ur chat log? You're not the first to come here and say that, and I'm leaning towards people creating nasty rumors rather than Vizio support being stupid.

 

[Ken401]

@bkaler It does seem like someone would announce in this forum receipt of the upgrade if it is true that that "the firmware update was being currently pushed out incrementally."

 

[Androidfonefan]

Seriously, why put it out in increments? As I said, if all the Vtab 1008s have all the same hardware why not just put the release out there and let people update?
Not looking to start a conspiracy theory, just saying "Why the secrecy?" One obscure video and second hand rumor of when. Being that Vizio is an American company based out of California I want to like them, I want to buy their products to help an American business but it puts a shadow of doubt in my mind when this kind of stuff goes on.
Just like with StraightTalk cellular always leaking 7 months in advance that some new cool phone is coming and then the put a clamp down on any further news, so we never know when the phone is being released or how much it will cost until it hits the market in the middle of the night on a busy weekend where no one sees it until its to late and they have already spent all their money on BBQ.

 

[Kail]

Well, I got my Vizio from Costco. If they don't upgrade to Honeycomb in 60 days. The Vizio goes back to Costco! As is right now, the Vizio with Gingerbread does not even come close to the original Ipad 1 I owned in terms of operational smoothness. The only thing that's a plus with them is the built in GPS for which I could get from the Samsung Galaxy Player 5.

 

[J515OP]

Well, I got my Vizio from Costco. If they don't upgrade to Honeycomb in 60 days. The Vizio goes back to Costco! As is right now, the Vizio with Gingerbread does not even come close to the original Ipad 1 I owned in terms of operational smoothness. The only thing that's a plus with them is the built in GPS for which I could get from the Samsung Galaxy Player 5.

Well the vtab is no iPad but it doesn't cost the same as an iPad either. Smoothness depends on a lot of things, if you are counting on Honeycomb for that, don't hold your breath. Maybe Vizio can skin it well enough to have smoothness but not likely. ICS would bring smoothness but I don't see that anytime soon.

The vtab is a great tablet for the price and the features but you can't count on Apple like support of the software since Vizio is clearly stepping in the middle and holding back from what Google is releasing. Because of that the user experience on the hardware is also not going to be iPad like. I hope Vizio makes some progress in their software but I hope more that developers get a hold of this thing and start making some ICS ROMs

 

[Androidfonefan]

Well, I got my Vizio from Costco. If they don't upgrade to Honeycomb in 60 days. The Vizio goes back to Costco! As is right now, the Vizio with Gingerbread does not even come close to the original Ipad 1 I owned in terms of operational smoothness. The only thing that's a plus with them is the built in GPS for which I could get from the Samsung Galaxy Player 5.

The Vizio will never compare to a IPad, 1or 2. They are two completely different animals. The IP out classes the Vizio in about every way. The Vizio is a entry level Android Tablet.. I doubt honeycomb will do anything to raise your view of this device.

Sent from my AT100 using Tapatalk

 

[Kail]

I got the Vizio to find out more about Android as the price is right! The problem is that the Vizio is just slow enough that some of the operations are just not predictable. Sometimes you touch the back button and nothing happens and you do not know whether its working on it or it just crashed or you did not touch the button long enough. Even the power button is working intermittently....i.e. you press the power button to get it to sleep and when you press it again to get it back and it just doesn't respond at all. So I just let it go to sleep on its own with a fast timer and then it will come back when I press the power button.

I don't expect Honeycomb will be any better, but that at least shows Vizio cares and that this tablet is not a dead end for now! But, things don't look that good with all the delays and broken promises.

 

[Nimble1]

I bought my Vizio because of curiosity about tablets and of course the price. I did not want another phone service (IE:3G or 4G). So far I have been very pleased with it and at this price point it has some issues but none that are terminal for me.
Not real sure what the upcoming firmware will do for me? About the only real issue is the SD card issue but so far it has not caused me any problems.
In short, I like my VTAB!

 

[Mandos]

post ur chat log? You're not the first to come here and say that, and I'm leaning towards people creating nasty rumors rather than Vizio support being stupid.

This was a phone conversation with a Tech Support rep at their call center. I'm just repeating what she said--I'm not a power user (at least not with Andriod--Windows PC guy), so I have no more than a layman/user's understanding of this.