what tablet should i get

[Dmodegirl]

Exactly. I would not buy this because it is running 1.5....

I personally have both devices (a) VIA processor with Android 1.7 and (b) RockChips processor with Android 1.5. The RockChips based device with android 1.5 is a much better user experience and I can't find a single reason why I would want the VIA + Android 1.7 device over my RockChips one. In fact, the via device is sitting in a drawer whereas I use my RockChips device (Moonse E-7001) every night.

Thanks, mine is on the way!

 

[andyonepointfive]

I'd stay away from the EKEN tablets, at least as long as they stick to the VIA CPU. At this point, the Rockchip CPU tablets are a better choice.
What's inside m003 seems to be up for debate - Some sites say VIA @ 600MHz, some VIA @800 MHz, some Rockchip...

I just returned my tablet with Rockchip 1.2 GHZ processor for a full refund. The Rockchip might be too powerful for the 7" tablet I purchased because the system froze on me several times while using it and I was forced to do a system reboot. It didn't fix it. The seller has since switched stock to a slower processor. Not sure if this is a coincidence. More powerful doesn't always mean more stability. Be sure to test everything your product can do, even do a system reboot, within the timeframe of the refund, because you don't want it to be a month later, something happens and you do the reboot, but it's still fried.

 

[joshua.lyon]

I'd stay away from the EKEN tablets, at least as long as they stick to the VIA CPU. At this point, the Rockchip CPU tablets are a better choice.
What's inside m003 seems to be up for debate - Some sites say VIA @ 600MHz, some VIA @800 MHz, some Rockchip...

I just returned my tablet with Rockchip 1.2 GHZ processor for a full refund. The Rockchip might be too powerful for the 7" tablet I purchased because the system froze on me several times while using it and I was forced to do a system reboot. It didn't fix it. The seller has since switched stock to a slower processor. Not sure if this is a coincidence. More powerful doesn't always mean more stability. Be sure to test everything your product can do, even do a system reboot, within the timeframe of the refund, because you don't want it to be a month later, something happens and you do the reboot, but it's still fried.

Sorry to hear your had a bad experience with your device. Almost all the feedback I have seen on the RockChips devices has been positive. It doesn't surprise me that there are a few bad units out there though... and without more details it's hard to tell if it was a production quality issue isolated to your device hardware, a software issue, etc.

I should note that there are a number of new firmwares available for the aPad v2 (eg. the RockChip aPad / Moonse E-7001 with the camera). I'm running one of the Hybrid firmwares and I'm really happy with the increase in stability and speed of the device. Many people on the 'other forums' recommend that you upgrade the firmware on your aPad v2 as soon as receiving it. Now that I've personally experienced the ease of upgrading my device and the benefits that come with it, I would also recommend upgrading the firmware on your device.

 

[pawnslinger]

Exactly. I would not buy this because it is running 1.5....

In terms of priority, you should make sure you are looking at the hardware before looking at the OS.

At this point in time, most of the devices running Android 1.6/1.7 and higher are running the slower processors. On the flip side, the devices running the better processors (RockChips) are running Android 1.5.

I personally have both devices (a) VIA processor with Android 1.7 and (b) RockChips processor with Android 1.5. The RockChips based device with android 1.5 is a much better user experience and I can't find a single reason why I would want the VIA + Android 1.7 device over my RockChips one. In fact, the via device is sitting in a drawer whereas I use my RockChips device (Moonse E-7001) every night.

I agree with someone who posted earlier in the thread -- I'd prefer a 1 Ghz processor and a bigger screen... but unfortunately there just aren't any devices like that available for sale right now.

The problem with Android 1.5 is that some apps won't run on it. For example, the new Kindle app from Amazon requires Android 1.6. I am going to hold out for a newer version of Android... 1.5 is just not good enough.

 

[joshua.lyon]

The problem with Android 1.5 is that some apps won't run on it. For example, the new Kindle app from Amazon requires Android 1.6. I am going to hold out for a newer version of Android... 1.5 is just not good enough.

That's true. Some apps are locked to Android 1.6 and newer. On the same token though, some apps won't run on crappy hardware. (usually just the games / video stuff though). Even worse, many of the devices with Android 1.6+ don't even have access to the market so you'd be having to go through back-channels to try to get some of those 1.6 only apps.

If I had more patience I probably would have held out for a device with a larger capacitive screen, a better processor, and one of the newer OS's... but at $170 I figured the aPad / Moonse E-7001 would tide me over for a while.

If I was going to read books on the device I would probably just use Aldiko . I tried it out and it seems to work well. I tried to convince my wife - who is an avid reader - to use the aPad for reading books, but she just wouldn't do it. She said there's still something special about holding a book in your hand instead of an eReader.