Will the Vizio 8" do what I need it to do?

[GringoDog]

Okay, so I took all your generous advice, and went and bought one of these things. (In fact, I bought two. Husband might like to have one, and we can always return it within 90 days if he doesn't.)

Screen is spectacular looking and overall, I like the thing a lot. But I'm still learning this stuff, and I have a couple of "dummy" questions.

1. I was able to get it working as a remote control for our TV and cable systems. Very easily. Now, if we want to watch Hulu or a TV show from the Vizio on the TV, I have to get a cable, right? A big LONG cable, as the seating in that room is at least 20 feet from the TV. Is there another way that's cheap?

2. I cannot get my yahoo accounts to load into the email system that came with Vizio. I am able to get them with an app that I got from the droid market. I seem to remember getting some incompatibility notices when I tried to get yahoo onto the email, so I guess they don't play nice?

3. If Yahoo and Vizio don't play nice, what's the easiest way to get my yahoo contacts into this thing?

4. The gmail account works perfectly with the gmail app and the email app that came preloaded. BUT how do I move emails from the inbox to another folder? I'll be damned if I can find that on this mini-gmail app.

5. I don't particularly like the browser that came loaded on this thing. I use FF almost exclusively. Can I replace the browser? If so, how?

6. Last, but perhaps most importantly: Can I download pokerstars on this thing? Husband is addicted to it (and is not happy since they disallowed real money play).

Thanks for helping out a droid newbie.

 

[FanNo301]

Vizio seem to want to be connected to Google. Really think this is better than the the Yahoo connection.

Sent from my VTAB1008 using Android Tablet Forum

 

[rprr]

1. I was able to get it working as a remote control for our TV and cable systems. Very easily. Now, if we want to watch Hulu or a TV show from the Vizio on the TV, I have to get a cable, right? A big LONG cable, as the seating in that room is at least 20 feet from the TV. Is there another way that's cheap?

Go to HDMI Cable, Home Theater Accessories, HDMI Products, Cables, Adapters, Video/Audio Switch, Networking, USB, Firewire, Printer Toner, and more! and get a long micro-HDMI to HDMI cable

2. I cannot get my yahoo accounts to load into the email system that came with Vizio. I am able to get them with an app that I got from the droid market. I seem to remember getting some incompatibility notices when I tried to get yahoo onto the email, so I guess they don't play nice?

3. If Yahoo and Vizio don't play nice, what's the easiest way to get my yahoo contacts into this thing?

The Yahoo app from the marketplace works with Yahoo accounts.

5. I don't particularly like the browser that came loaded on this thing. I use FF almost exclusively. Can I replace the browser? If so, how?

I use Dolphinbrowser HD from the marketplace.

Thanks for helping out a droid newbie.

Happy to help.

 

[marvin02]

. .

4. The gmail account works perfectly with the gmail app and the email app that came preloaded. BUT how do I move emails from the inbox to another folder? I'll be damned if I can find that on this mini-gmail app.

5. I don't particularly like the browser that came loaded on this thing. I use FF almost exclusively. Can I replace the browser? If so, how?

. . . .

Thanks for helping out a droid newbie.

When you have an email open there should be an archive button at the bottom. If you want to apply another label hit the menu key and then select change labels. Set up your labels (what other apps call folders or categories) with your PC at the main Gmail site.

There are a number of browser you can choose from. I use the stock browser most of the time and like Opera Mobile (not Mini), Firefox is also available for Android.

Remember - when ever you think you want an option hit the menu button, if there is another layer of options that will pop a menu up.

 

[emilikins]

It's $189 at my CostCo, and I half considered it today, but the SD card app issue is the only thing that stops me. What's the chance of that being fixed with a firmware update, and what's Vizio's track record with updates and fixes?

 

[droid_dude]

Okay, so I took all your generous advice, and went and bought one of these things. (In fact, I bought two. Husband might like to have one, and we can always return it within 90 days if he doesn't.)

Screen is spectacular looking and overall, I like the thing a lot. But I'm still learning this stuff, and I have a couple of "dummy" questions.

1. I was able to get it working as a remote control for our TV and cable systems. Very easily. Now, if we want to watch Hulu or a TV show from the Vizio on the TV, I have to get a cable, right? A big LONG cable, as the seating in that room is at least 20 feet from the TV. Is there another way that's cheap?

2. I cannot get my yahoo accounts to load into the email system that came with Vizio. I am able to get them with an app that I got from the droid market. I seem to remember getting some incompatibility notices when I tried to get yahoo onto the email, so I guess they don't play nice?

3. If Yahoo and Vizio don't play nice, what's the easiest way to get my yahoo contacts into this thing?

4. The gmail account works perfectly with the gmail app and the email app that came preloaded. BUT how do I move emails from the inbox to another folder? I'll be damned if I can find that on this mini-gmail app.

5. I don't particularly like the browser that came loaded on this thing. I use FF almost exclusively. Can I replace the browser? If so, how?

6. Last, but perhaps most importantly: Can I download pokerstars on this thing? Husband is addicted to it (and is not happy since they disallowed real money play).

Thanks for helping out a droid newbie.

I use the built in email app for my yahoo account. WORKS GREAT. However, there is a trick to getting it set up.

This is how I set up. You can use this guide

How to set up yahoo mail on android | Phone Titan

But instead of typing in imap.mail.yahoo.com for the IMAP server, you type:

android.imap.mail.yahoo.com

Everything else is the same.

Good luck!

 

[SteveK]

Regarding storing applications on an SD card, it's actually quite easy to do. All you have to do is go into Settings>Applications>Storage Use. All your applications are listed, apparently in descending order of storage space used. You can press each app to bring up a menu to uninstall it or move it, etc. If the app is currently on the device, one of the buttons will say "Move to SD card". If the app is on the SD card, the same button will say "Move to device". It's a very quick and easy transfer. Of course, some applications can't be run from the SD card, and for these apps the move button will not be highlighted.

This procedure is described in the owner's manual if you need more information. I don't know if this is how most Android tablets work, but you definitely do not have to store all your applications on the device if you wish to conserve valuable space. It's apparently not possible to save it on the SD card when you initially download a new application, but it's very easy to move to the SD card once you've saved the application on your device (or to move back to the device from the SD card).

Hope this helps!

SteveK

 

[cnadigtial]

please check our new model,Android 2.2 Tablet PC laptop

 

[droid_dude]

Regarding storing applications on an SD card, it's actually quite easy to do. All you have to do is go into Settings>Applications>Storage Use. All your applications are listed, apparently in descending order of storage space used. You can press each app to bring up a menu to uninstall it or move it, etc. If the app is currently on the device, one of the buttons will say "Move to SD card". If the app is on the SD card, the same button will say "Move to device". It's a very quick and easy transfer. Of course, some applications can't be run from the SD card, and for these apps the move button will not be highlighted.

This procedure is described in the owner's manual if you need more information. I don't know if this is how most Android tablets work, but you definitely do not have to store all your applications on the device if you wish to conserve valuable space. It's apparently not possible to save it on the SD card when you initially download a new application, but it's very easy to move to the SD card once you've saved the application on your device (or to move back to the device from the SD card).

Hope this helps!

SteveK

SteveK: Sorry but you are only partially right about this. Yes you are able to move applications to the "SDCARD" using this method but it only moves it to the Vizio's built-in "virtual SDCARD" not the actual external SDCARD you might have installed on your VTAB (e.g. 32GB micro SDCARD).

Unlike most other Android devices, the VTAB created a SDCARD partition in internal memory to act like an external SDCARD. The limit on this is 2GB of space. Hence, if you read many of the other threads in this forum, many users have discovered this over time because they quickly run out of the 2GB "virtual SDCARD" space and wonder why their external SDCARD they installed does not seem to help. We are only able to load media files (books, music, movies, etc.) onto an external micro SDCARD (no applications).

This is confusing many users and most of the Vizio tech support people don't understand this. So, it seems they have been providing wrong information to users. Again, technically we can "move applications to the SDCARD" but this is NOT the external micro SDCARD, it only moves it to the virtual built-in 2GB limit SDCARD space.

I really wish Vizio Tech support would finally understand and recognize this problem and stop misinforming VTAB users.

 

[marvin02]

There is a lot of confusing about the VTAB's ability to move apps to SD and for apps to use a user installed SD Card for app data.

The VTAB has 4 GB of internal memory. This is partitioned so that the system uses part of it and the other area is :user space". This user space area is about 2.4 GB and is mounted in the file system at /sdcard. This mount point is important. Because the space on the internal memory is mounted at /sdcard the following occurs:

1. When you move an app to SD you are moving it from one part of the built in internal memory to the part of internal memory that is mounted at /sdcard.
2. Apps that default to using the /sdcard folder of the file system, if present, put their data on the internal memory mounted at /sdcard. This means that data intensive apps such as nav apps can quickly fill up the user space allotted (2.4 GB).

The user installed external SD Card is mounted in the file system at /sdcard/external.

1. It can be used for data by apps that have a user setting to specify the data storage point.
2. It can be used for pictures, music, and documents. The system will find these items on the user installed sdcard.
3. An optional update could be rolled out that simple changes the file that has the mount points in it and resets the device. This could be used by those who want to make better use of the external SD Card they have installed.

One other area of confusion is that the VTAB is the only (or one of the few) Android devices to use this memory model. It is not. Other devices do this also. The other Android devices that do this have more internal storage than the VTAB, so the issue is not as critical.

Another misconception is that it is an Android standard for the user installed SD Card to be mounted at /sdcard. I did some research and could not find any such standard. It may have become a practice, but it is not a standard.

Vizio can address this in many ways.

1. Users could be given a option on first operation of the device or upon a reset to change the mount points. An example would be for the internal space to mounted at /data and the external card at /sdcard
2. Users could be given an option to create a symlink to the external card so that it also shows up at /sdcard with no change in how the internal space is mounted.

These are system level changes that could be implemented in an update.

The only advantage to the current memory setup that I see is that it is new user proof. The built in Android functions work without any user discernible errors. For many users they will never notice the issue. I can see inexperienced users faces when a prompt comes up asking how they want to use the memory on the device on first use. It would need a well designed UI for the user to follow when setting up the device.

The bid drawback to how the memory is used is that the VTAB will never reach it's full potential.

Some designer dropped the ball. You can get away with a small amount of internal memory IF you make smart use of external memory.

 

[SteveK]

Droid Dude - You are correct. Using Vizio's terminology, I assumed that "Move to SD card" actually meant moving the application to an external SD card, but that is not what it actually means, as explained above by marvin02. This does seem a strange use of memory by Vizio.

In practice, it may not affect my actual usage of the device as I don't tend to have a lot of applications anyway. However, hopefully the Vizio engineers will resolve this problem as suggested above by marvin02.

Sorry for my original incorrect post.

Thanks.
SteveK

 

[droid_dude]

Droid Dude - You are correct. Using Vizio's terminology, I assumed that "Move to SD card" actually meant moving the application to an external SD card, but that is not what it actually means, as explained above by marvin02. This does seem a strange use of memory by Vizio.

In practice, it may not affect my actual usage of the device as I don't tend to have a lot of applications anyway. However, hopefully the Vizio engineers will resolve this problem as suggested above by marvin02.

Sorry for my original incorrect post.

Thanks.
SteveK

No worries SteveK, I just wanted to help my fellow VTAB users and clarify a misconception that even the Vizio support people don't understand. This is the MAIN reason why I an considering returning the VTAB within Costco return policy. I am hoping that if we educate the user base and they communicate to Vizio that this needs to be fixed (e.g call or write tech support and complain), Vizio might decide to fix this problem.

As Marvin02 said, this design defect definitely holds back the vTAB from reaching it's full potential.