New Users Start Here: Viewsonic gTablet Tips and Tweaks

[jessrw]

I have seen this one at Office Depot when I started searching for a tablet. I thought was very nice. I have never owned a tablet so it is all new. I did search after search and had ended with the new Coby 8" and had pre ordered at Amazon but now the long wait and I do not want to wait. I really liked the price and the 8" instead of 7". So now I am searching again and have came back to the viewsonic but with reading about the ROM installing, I am just not sure. With being new to android anything. I do want a tablet that supports flash and has 1ghz processor.

Jessica who is so confused at this point.

 

[gadgetrants]

Curse me for not putting out my thread earlier....

Buy a they highest class you can afford. Brand doesn't matter that much but I tend to stay towards the big names. Mainly Patriot. Class 10 is the best you can get.

I know I'm gonna ruffle feathers here (I have NO DIPLOMATIC SKILL), so please take me with a grain of salt!

First, I'm using a Sandisk 16GB Class 4 ($25 or so) in my Nook (yep, I understand it's a different beast). Works flawlessly...probably the only place where the Class is an issue is the rare occasion where I'm writing a large (1GB) movie file to to the card. Other than that, I'm really hard-pressed to see where a Class 6 or Class 10 would make a noticeable difference.

Second, it occurs to me that the gTab has a front-facing camera, a microphone, etc. In other words, input interfaces that the Nook lacks. So perhaps being able to write quickly and accurately to the microSD card in that case could be an issue. But we're talking not DSLR here. And another consideration--I haven't seen any data that speak to this issue--is whether the gTab can even write at 1Mbps, 2Mbps, 3...? There's a teardown, right? Is it a standard internal USB port? If it is 50 or even 100Mbps, then at least the internal hardware can take advantage of a higher-end microSD card. Otherwise...?

Oh, by the way, I'M CHEAP!!!! *Looking at prices at Amazon...hmmmm, that's weird...*

Well, huh...just found a Class 10 16GB from Patriot for about $38. That's a pretty good deal. Maybe I'll just STHU now.

Amazon.com: Patriot Signature 16 GB Class 10 MicroSDHC Flash Memory Card PSF16GMCSDHC10: Electronics



-Matt

 

[lesshadow]

Hi,
I am brand new to the tablet thing and have been reading as much as I can online about the G-Tab. I have rooted my tab and think I have installed Clockwork mod-I get the recovery boot message in the corner but no menu.
How do I get to the menu?

I am really frustrated.

I would like to put a new ROM.
Thanks.

 

[gadgetrants]

Hey less, welcome to the forum and gTab ownership (I'm right behind you!). I can't advise because mine is being shipped, but I spent last night watching youtube videos on rooting the gTablet. The videos are not only really easy to find, but also seeing the same device as yours as it boots and runs is super helpful. If you haven't tried, I'd suggest giving it a try. There are many good owners at youtube, and I've seen plenty of videos on using CWR.

-Matt

 

[Fuganater]

I have seen this one at Office Depot when I started searching for a tablet. I thought was very nice. I have never owned a tablet so it is all new. I did search after search and had ended with the new Coby 8" and had pre ordered at Amazon but now the long wait and I do not want to wait. I really liked the price and the 8" instead of 7". So now I am searching again and have came back to the viewsonic but with reading about the ROM installing, I am just not sure. With being new to android anything. I do want a tablet that supports flash and has 1ghz processor.

Jessica who is so confused at this point.

Flashing ROM's is pretty easy once you fully understand the directions. Read this over: http://www.androidtablets.net/forum...rkmod-custom-rom-flash-player-market-fix.html

I know I'm gonna ruffle feathers here (I have NO DIPLOMATIC SKILL), so please take me with a grain of salt!

First, I'm using a Sandisk 16GB Class 4 ($25 or so) in my Nook (yep, I understand it's a different beast). Works flawlessly...probably the only place where the Class is an issue is the rare occasion where I'm writing a large (1GB) movie file to to the card. Other than that, I'm really hard-pressed to see where a Class 6 or Class 10 would make a noticeable difference.

Second, it occurs to me that the gTab has a front-facing camera, a microphone, etc. In other words, input interfaces that the Nook lacks. So perhaps being able to write quickly and accurately to the microSD card in that case could be an issue. But we're talking not DSLR here. And another consideration--I haven't seen any data that speak to this issue--is whether the gTab can even write at 1Mbps, 2Mbps, 3...? There's a teardown, right? Is it a standard internal USB port? If it is 50 or even 100Mbps, then at least the internal hardware can take advantage of a higher-end microSD card. Otherwise...?

Oh, by the way, I'M CHEAP!!!! *Looking at prices at Amazon...hmmmm, that's weird...*

Well, huh...just found a Class 10 16GB from Patriot for about $38. That's a pretty good deal. Maybe I'll just STHU now.

Amazon.com: Patriot Signature 16 GB Class 10 MicroSDHC Flash Memory Card PSF16GMCSDHC10: Electronics

View attachment 1851

-Matt

Class 100% matters in read and write speeds. Scandisk is an awesome company that provides huge amounts of flash memory for not alot of money. BUT their R/W speeds are horrible. I will make it my best effort to put out the thread tomorrow showing this. You will notice this mostly when watching movies, listening to music (mainly browsing through your library) and copying files to your device.

Yes USB 2.0 is capped but no flash memory card can R/W that fast.

Class 10 Scandisk <<<<<< Class 10 Patriot

Hi,
I am brand new to the tablet thing and have been reading as much as I can online about the G-Tab. I have rooted my tab and think I have installed Clockwork mod-I get the recovery boot message in the corner but no menu.
How do I get to the menu?

I am really frustrated.

I would like to put a new ROM.
Thanks.

Did you follow my directions? Did you read them several times before starting? It is key to fully understand them before starting. Please tell me the steps you did so I know how you got to where you are.

 

[gadgetrants]

Class 100% matters in read and write speeds. Scandisk is an awesome company that provides huge amounts of flash memory for not alot of money. BUT their R/W speeds are horrible. I will make it my best effort to put out the thread tomorrow showing this. You will notice this mostly when watching movies, listening to music (mainly browsing through your library) and copying files to your device.

Yes USB 2.0 is capped but no flash memory card can R/W that fast.

Class 10 Scandisk <<<<<< Class 10 Patriot

Now first, I want you to know I have a huge smile on my face as I write this (no lie!). You are truly adorable. A bull in a china shop, but adorable nonetheless. Second, I can see that we're gonna mix fabulously--like oil and water (just some affectionate sarcasm that time).

There are about 7 misunderstandings between your post and mine (mild exaggeration). But since I have HUGE HUGE respect for people who take the time and effort to help others and serve as mods, I won't do the obnoxious thing I normally do with non-mod responses (and which has cost me a few friendships in real life), which is go through each item and try to use logic (and my inflated sense of experience, skill, and knowledge) to outmaneuver you. If you want to indulge yourself, go back and read through my message and see if you can identify the places you misread me. If not, I swear, no worries. It's all good.

-Matt

 

[pbrauer]

Boys, play nice or I will pull this forum right over... You see if I wont!!

Sent from my HTC Thunderbolt using the Android Tablet app!

 

[gadgetrants]

Boys, play nice or I will pull this forum right over... You see if I wont!!

Sorry Peter, this one was 100% my fault! I don't know why sdcard discussions always bring the know-it-all out in me. I'll keep that oversized ego of mine in check!

-Matt

 

[18HourBroad]

I just bought my g-tab earlier in the week and am really excited! I installed Vegan and did all 6 of the steps and it's working great. All you people working on this are amazing. It's fun being able to tinker with it some.

I am really confused about what happens when you try to install a ROM over the ROM you're currently using. I saw a thread about backing up with Titanium, I guess doing Objective 2 with a new ROM, and then restoring your apps and files back using Titanium? I have looked all around for an answer, but just keep finding threads about flashingn over and over again. After I installed Vegan, I did download a few apps and put files on it, and would like to flash a new ROM and see what the others are like before finalizing on one. I also have a friend who just bought one too and I told her I'd flash it for her. thanks!

 

[xKurzx]

hello world total Noob Question i plan to use a internalmemory install for Clockworkmod V.08 how do i set that up

 

[SheriC]

I need some advice to help me with the decision to keep this device or return it and look for another solution. My apologies in advance for the long post.

Androids and all of this technology is new to me. I have an iPhone and am technical.

My primary reason for purchased the ViewSonic gTablet was to use as a Photo Viewer & Organizer Application. The rest is gravy.

I'm looking for:

• Photography accessory for uploading photos when shooting "in the field" to review photos
• Local Storage of photos, large size files .jpeg for short term
• Easy to view photos and locate specific images (thumbnail view in a file manager or some view that you can see multiple files quickly) I take a lot of photos at a time so I need a way to view a large number of photos

I would still use my laptop with PhotoShop for editing and a couple of external storage drives for primary storage and backup. May keep some favorite photos in albums on this device.

One of the guys in my photo class was using the iPad for this and it worked well. I thought this device might be a lower cost solution, but out of the box it just doesn't have the same sophistication in the UI (besides the gPad has numerous problems listed later).

My gTablet arrived two days ago and I was thrilled. The first night I charged it, installed update to UI, got familiar with installed apps. I was impressed. Last night I dug in deeper and tried to figure out how to use it for my needs.

Unfortunately, it doesn't do what I thought it would out of the box.

• UI for viewing photos is slow and appears to be buggy with default images from OEM (I haven't tried with my very large files yet)
• file management is not intuitive (still need to find info on hierarchy and conventions) Can't view thumbnails, can only open 1 photo at a time to see the photo
• gMarket didn't seem to work at all
• tried to download several files and got errors on all but automatic update to UI (couldn't download pdf user manual - said it didn't support that file format)
• experienced many "Force Close" messages
• response time overall was poor, especially working with default photo viewer app which froze up and the movement of the photos went rouge (it was stuck repetitively repainting and rotating)
• ViewSonic's user guide and quick start was sparse (assumed I already had a knowledge base on how to use Android / file system and connecting to external device)
• Connection to PC to gTablet via USB - have USB software - didn't work or I didn't know what to do after it was connected, i.e. where to see the external files
• Connection to card reader problematic - finally able to see USBdrive

Today I'm reading forums to learn more about it to help me with my decision. As many of the post suggest the out of the box experience is disappointing. My husband said "send it back". I hate to do it if it can work with some tweaks that I can manage myself, but it needs to fit my functional needs. The device does sound promising as a device once I do all the things everyone is saying, ie. root it, install Clockworks, ROMs, Apps etc.

All of the Android terminology and tools are new to me. Guess I've got a steep learning curve, but I'm not afraid of rolling up my sleeves and jumping in. I've been checking out various posts, youTube videos, and trying to sort out all the info on the various ROM choices. A lot to digest.

My key questions are:

1. If I choose to abandon the OEM software and perform all the updates, will I still be able to return it if it doesn't meet my needs? I'm guessing not. Unless I can restore it to the factory default if it doesn't work out. I think I saw mention of being able to do that.

2. Are there apps that will make this usable for my needs? If so what? Certainly would appreciate recommendations for ROM / Apps to use for photo viewer and organization on the device (not using Picasso).

If anyone has used their gTablet for this type of use, I'd appreciate hearing from you.

Here are the specs on mine:

Model number: UPC300-2.2
Android OS version 2.2
Tap UI version: 1.1-3588
Kernel version: 2.6.32.9-00000-10.8.2-dirty hudson@tapntapsvn #16
Build Number: FRF91
​

I appreciate that this forum is so helpful, I've learned a lot already.

Thank you!
Sheri

 

[pbrauer]

sheri - We have a whole thread actually dedicated to using the g-Tablet for photo purposes. And YES, hands down replacing the OEM is going to make 1000 percent of a different here.

so in answer to your questions:

1. you can always flash back to "factory" to return it if you decide that is the way you want to go.
2. read through this thread to see what others with the g-tablet are doing in this area: http://www.androidtablets.net/forum/viewsonic-gtablet/11835-any-photographers-here.html

 

[gadgetrants]

Hi Sheri! Welcome, and congrats on becoming a gTab owner.

I'll give you a very short answer--I'm sure others will offer their advice, too.

In a nutshell, I would not recommend the gTab for your particular needs. In my experience, it's a great fit for someone who specifically wants to modify and explore their device. In your case though, the modifying is not the goal, but a means to getting a device that works for a specific task (photo management). There are a number of good photo apps (though I wonder about the resolution/file size are on your shots), but I doubt any of them would be 100% suitable for in-the-field display + quick editing. Great for tourists, not so great for work.

I'd be happy to elaborate or extend the discussion if you have any questions...

-Matt

PS If you're willing to go the mod route, you'll quickly discover that it's a short hop to a much more stable, user-friendly gTab. For example, the built-in Android image gallery is pretty nice for normal folk (including thumbnails). You should also have little/no problem returning to stock if you feel like returning it. BUT it will take a week or two (I'm guessing) before you feel confident to mod and restore, so keep that learning curve/time in mind.

 

[gadgetrants]

Sheri, not sure if you're still out there with your gTab, but I wanted to follow-up on my first response to you, and perhaps eat some crow.

Here is where things are at (and it's all happened pretty fast): in the last few days, a Honeycomb (HC) ROM has been made available for the gTab. I think it's taken us all by surprise, and it's improving on a daily basis. Right now, a good chunk of the system works...the main lingering problems are: USB connection not functioning, Flash not working right, camera not working, and HD video playback also not working. Otherwise, it's an absolute beauty to behold...browser, gmail, maps, Market, it's all good.

What's particularly relevant for our conversation is how things are working, photo-wise. I knew the HC photo gallery would be sexier than the Froyo version (though functionally, they're pretty similar), but what really impressed me is how well it handles directories with 100+ photos smoothly. The other two things I'm impressed with is the speed in displaying thumbnails and loading/zooming larger (3MB) files. Another treat is that I have Picsay Pro (may still be free at Amazon) and it's built into the gallery menu as an "edit" option (basic image processing).

EDIT: something that continues to "wow" me is the thumbnail ribbon that runs along the bottom of the display (it fades off after a short delay)...it scrolls very, very smoothly and easily allows navigation through the folder. A big improvement over earlier versions.

Given how fast it works, and how adeptly it handles larger (jpg) files, I think my revised opinion is that it could very well work as a display unit in the field. Of course, we're talking about a MOD that is still being improved, but even as is, I think it would serve your needs.

-Matt

 

[xKurzx]

Which is better by compareson thenewhoneycombrom or vegan gingerbread