Viewsonic G Tablet and Android 3 Honeycomb?

[talex]

Just picked up my G Tab, but have to wonder if I should just take it back and wait until q1 or 2 next year when Android 3 (Honeycomb?) is supposedly coming out with google approval for Tablets.

Tough call since nVidia's Tegra 2 seems to be aimed at the platform of choice for Honeycomb.

Has anyone heard if G Tabs will be able to run Honeycomb or any of the features Honeycomb will have that Froyo does not? It seems obvious it will get it's own market targeted toward tablets, but beyond that I cannot think of what it might have...

Seriously considering taking the G Tab back and waiting, but if it will run Android 3, then I might as well keep it...

Hopeing many chime in with their thoughts on this one...

 

[pbrauer]

Wow, most people are busy just hoping to get 2.3, and you are already talking about 3.0 being your deciding factor? Here are a couple of quick thoughts:

1. The G Tab has the Tegra 2 processor, which right now is supposed to be the platform standard for 3.0. Nothing to prevent that from changing by the time it comes out, but there it is.
2. There is already a strong dev community building custom ROMs for the G Tab, such as TnT-Lite and VEGAn. So that is a very good sign that there will be ports available at the minimum.
3. By the time 3.0 hits the streets history tells us that Google will already by hyping the next release of the OS (I am partial to Boston Creme...), and then you will have to decide if you should buy or wait.
4. Moore's Law dictates that the technology available in the tablet form factor will have doubled by then anyway, so anything you get now will be obsolete.

So, bottom line? Wait, and then wait again, because if you feel that it is going to be the "next" release of the software that will provide what you need, you will ALWAYS have to wait for the next release of the software. Tablets are in their infancy. Not only that but if you look at the development and adoption curve of these devices it is so much steeper than any of its predecessors (laptops, cellphones, etc) this is going to be an extremely rapidly moving target for a long time.

Or, realize that whatever you buy is going to morph and change over the next 18-24 months and accept it. Roll with it and embrace it. Buy the G Tab (or any other tablet) today and become part of the critical mass of Tablet users that inspire the dev community and the manufacturers to continue to innovate and enhance the technology.

-p

 

[talex]

Wow, most people are busy just hoping to get 2.3, and you are already talking about 3.0 being your deciding factor? Here are a couple of quick thoughts:

1. The G Tab has the Tegra 2 processor, which right now is supposed to be the platform standard for 3.0. Nothing to prevent that from changing by the time it comes out, but there it is.
2. There is already a strong dev community building custom ROMs for the G Tab, such as TnT-Lite and VEGAn. So that is a very good sign that there will be ports available at the minimum.
3. By the time 3.0 hits the streets history tells us that Google will already by hyping the next release of the OS (I am partial to Boston Creme...), and then you will have to decide if you should buy or wait.
4. Moore's Law dictates that the technology available in the tablet form factor will have doubled by then anyway, so anything you get now will be obsolete.

So, bottom line? Wait, and then wait again, because if you feel that it is going to be the "next" release of the software that will provide what you need, you will ALWAYS have to wait for the next release of the software. Tablets are in their infancy. Not only that but if you look at the development and adoption curve of these devices it is so much steeper than any of its predecessors (laptops, cellphones, etc) this is going to be an extremely rapidly moving target for a long time.

Or, realize that whatever you buy is going to morph and change over the next 18-24 months and accept it. Roll with it and embrace it. Buy the G Tab (or any other tablet) today and become part of the critical mass of Tablet users that inspire the dev community and the manufacturers to continue to innovate and enhance the technology.

-p

Thanks for the reply and trust me I know how fast tech can move and some of your points would be more valid, but have to be taken slightly with a grain of salt because 3.0 is "supposedly" the release that google will endorse as tablet approved, in other words the 1st official release of a more tablet specific OS not aimed at just smart phones, obviously once that comes out the next great thing will be around the corner and I can live with that, I did buy a g pad and the ability to hook a KB / mouse to it for Remote Desktop is the big one for me (use as a couch friend at home) RDP and use screen as Windws desktop on the road, that is my aim if I can get all that to work as I want it to then G Tab is here to stay. I do not know if 3.0 will make that easier or not but I can wait and see which is why I asked, figured forum members here would have more of a "skinny" on whether or not GTab or other Tegras will most likely be getting the upgrade or not.

Again thanks for the reply.

 

[rjoudrey]

How do you feel about the screen? I had to return mine because of it. I did enjoy the Vegan b4 experience though!

 

[rjoudrey]

I truly believe we will all be surprises come CES. Sometimes technology makes a leap, a lot of tablet vendors are waiting for Honeycomb to release the big guns.

 

[talex]

viewing angles can be aweful and the buttons should be backlit, at least a toggle for backlit buttons. seems like a pretty powerful tablet all in all but I have decided to take mine back as well in favor of a dual boot model.

 

[pbrauer]

I know a lot of people have reported angle viewing issues, try rotating your tablet 180 degrees and checking the angles that way. There may be a manufacturing issue here that some of the screens were actually mounted upside down

 

[rjoudrey]

These are actually netbook screens. I guess as the netbook market dove the stock of materials are being used elsewhere. I guess the quality if small type was more an issue than viewing angle for me. Don't know if this is a software or hardware issue. I think if you are OK with the screen they are excellent choices.

 

[talex]

Putting the G-Tab back to factory default and taking it back later today or tomorrow, going to get a dual boot model (win7/ Android) or just wait for Android 3 to come out to see if that can bridge the gap. That's the only way I can be guranteed it will do everything I want because Win 7 does, right now the G Tab truly is just a huge smart phone, nothing my Droid X cannot do other than hooking in USB devices which is pretty much useless because you cannot fully use a KB/Mouse in RDP.

Without the community this thing would be useless with the software it comes with, TNT and Vegan make this device far more useful than the original software but they effectively make it a huge smart phone...

It should be a fun year for people wanting tablets and 3.0 coming out also many dual boot devices which I think will really be the iPad killer, you can just do to much in Windows and the prices seem to compare well with the iPad.


Looking forward to seeing what comes out for Tablets, as of right now at least for me they are not up to my needs for one.

 

[Sploddy]

I recall all these types of questions back in the date of my Olivetti 8080. With electronic technology screaming ahead at light speed, by the time you have bout a gizmo its going to be out of fate before you get home and unpack it.
"They" say that 2011 is going to be the year of the tablet with over 100 new models coming out and Google telling manufacturers to stop building 2.2 devices.
I honestly believe that unless you want the first one off the rank, its best hold back until the bugs have been sorted out. I bought an el cheapo 2.1.2 Software 1.6 firmware. basically as an E Reader because it was cheaper than Kindle and what the heck if it played music and get emails, great. Absolutely lousy on graphics and Miniscule cartoons. But a great learning platform.

I think one should be looking towards the units that have a replaceable battery as primary. Once your sealed unit battery dies that's it, you have to drag a power genny behind you every where you go or a 9V battery pack on your belt.
Secondly get one that has been proven to be a winner with the latest software that works.
I am all for "Brand Name" products, generic products made in a Yak Barn in upper reaches of Tibet are going to be crap, no support and doesn't run half the software available. These abound on EBay by "Drop" sellers, who not only never see the devices or know anything about them, because they are shipped out from some backwater soup factory by the container load.

Still, whatever your views and feelings and its your money and your decision, from someone who started out using those brightly lit glass tubes and wind up gramophones (hey Dad, what's a gramophone?) LOL I suggest that you choose wisely and try to see one and play with it in your local store. If you like then then go looking for the best price. So many times I have seen people bid on EBay for a unit and end up paying far more than "Buy Now" offers !! Also free postage is always built in to the price !! Sometimes its cheaper to pay postage

FWIW

 

[EwanG]

My .02 worth, but if you need a tablet "now", then all you do by waiting is lose time and capabilities by not taking advantage of the things you want a tablet for. Had an iPad, then moved to the G-Tab. I can't say I've found the viewing angles to be all that different, and while there are no back-lit icons, there are some decent utilities that will let you setup a gesture to bring on-screen versions of the icons to give you the same functionality.

As mentioned, the Tegra 2 platform seems to be what the first wave of major vendor Android tablets will be based on, and the G-tablet gives you that today, and for less money than a Xoom will cost (both for the device, and the likely mandatory data plan). Of course I have a Cradlepoint portable router and a Clear 4G USB stick so WiFi everywhere is not a problem.

All that said, if you really don't "need" a tablet - i.e. you don't need a highly functional portable computing device with a screen larger than 4" - then waiting until the holidays will certainly increase your bang for the buck. By then the Tegra 3's will be coming out and today's tablets will be on clearance.

 

[androidjim]

Oh, I want 3.0 on my G Tablet too! I'm sure that eventually someone will make it happen. Gotta love this community!