RadioShack-
"Only US Froyo, 7" phone, less than iPad2 & Galaxy." on by notinterestedparty
Pros: Very stable smartphone, way better than my Dell Streak Mini5. Only 7inch, Froyo phone option to date. Display is high quality. Case w/ kick stand. USB port. AT&T or T-mobile sim card slot. Micro SD card slot. Most deficits can be overcome with apps.
Cons: Very little internal memory limits the number of apps you can install since many apps out there are internal-only installs. CPU is under powered for multi-tasking. Slow CPU will never allow Flash 10.1 and Honeycomb to ever work most likely.
Summary: It makes calls and runs Froyo at a time when nothing else does and costs less then its "tablet-only" competitors. It is cheper than smaller devices like the Dell Streak. It is unlocked and works great with my AT&T sim card. If you are ok with only a few apps or mostly SD card apps, this Tablet is perfect for you. If you are addicted to alot of apps this will not work for you at all. The internal-memory only apps add up quickly and all the SD card memory in the world can't save you from that. The Viewpad 7 does everything the IPAD2 does plus makes calls and more. For less than the price of an iPad2 under contract. The Viewpad has no contract commitment and unlocked, but you don't get all of this without some trade-offs. Many of this tablet's shortcomings can be minimized by a good collection of system utility apps. Here's what you'll need. A good task killer can free up CPU and memory. You'll need it. I would not recommend running a lot of widgets in combination with a live wallpaper before launching large apps as an example of slowing performance. Any subsequent apps you open would be slow at best. If you are not currently using an app much you might consider uninstalling it for the moment as internal memory only apps fill up the tiny internal memory very quickly. You can always reinstall them later. You'll also need an app that moves all moveable apps to the SD card. You'll need skyfire browser for a little Flash 10.1 support, but not many sites will play video even with skyfire. Also it is low on video codecs so you'll need and app for that. Now you should be good for everyday use as long as you don't fall in love with installing a bunch of internal-memory only apps or running more than a couple of apps at one time. If you assume that Flash will not work than you will be right most often. Occasionally Skyfire will play one or 2 videos on a site, but not often. The tablet comes with a YouTube app that works great so you won't need flash for that content, but any links for instance that direct you to YouTube.com it will fail to play that video in a browser. On the whole tho, if you use this device primarily as a phone, mp3, video player, and messaging smartphone you will have a no problem with this device. Too many productivity apps, gaming apps and you'll wish that you had opted for tab with more CPU power and more internal memory. Currently, all more powerful options have had their phone functionality disable by US cell phone carriers so they can force you to have to buy a separate phone from them in addition to a tablet. If you prefer to carry a separate phone and tablet then you could do better then this device of the tablet selection, but the Viewpad 7 is an awesome large screen smart phone however. As for the Details, the case that comes with it doubles as a kickstand. What you all want know of course is, "Can I have a Facebook widget a Twitter widget, a Koi Pond live wallpaper, and Angry Birds all running at the same time?" Yes. All will run simultaneously with no performance problems. I would recommend this product to replace the Dell Steak Mini 5. I did. The Streak is unstable, the speaker is distorded at best and the video on the Viewpad 7 is just as good as the Streak and bigger. The stereo speakers on the Viewpad 7 are far superior. The Gorilla glass of the Dell Streak actually makes the LCD underneath more prone to accidental breaks and Dell's less than responsive support will not fix them or send out replacement parts. The 7 inch Viewpad 7 still fits in your pocket. And when you pull it out of your pocket the screen will still be in one piece. The Viewpad 7 is mores stable and more rugged. I only wish I had discovered it before I bought the Dell Streak Mini 5. Hope my experience helps you all make more informed purchases. The only Improvements I would make to this device if it were mine would be a CPU capable of Flashplayer 10.1, and alot more internal memory. This combination would allow more multitasking and more installed apps. Otherwise this is an awesome over-sized smartphone. Some reviewers call anything with a bigger than 4.3 inch screen as a "glorified smartphone." I disagree. A large screen does not make it a smartphone "glorified" it only makes it large screen and possibly more legible. In short the Viewpad 7 is an awesome large screen smartphone running the same OS as an HTC EVo 4G or Droid X, but so much bigger without sacrificing video quality. Viewsonic leverages their video experience to keep the resolution that Android approved devices require while still keeping the display quality sharp. I highly recommend it.
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"Cumbersome as replacement for phone, but more useful" on by vabiro
Pros: Great screen, removable/expandable SD, integrated 3G/WiFi/BT, Portable HotSpot, More flexible development options so more interesting applications and real multitasking.
Cons: Unable to root the OS using existing tools, and as a result it is difficult to work around rough edges. I am confident that as install base increases this may change. One thing that will not though is the poor location of the pwr button.
Summary: If you're looking for a direct replacement for a phone this is not the tool. It is significantly more flexible than any of the iOS platforms, and the result is that there is a strong hacking/developer community.
One thing that has driven me to distraction is the inability to easily access the power button. This may sound trivial, but when trying to use this as a phone in the car it is infruiating.
For example, the process to make a call is this:
- locate device
- locate the correct corner. They all look the same when the screen is blank and you are in a car at night
- hit the power button
- VERY QUICKLY - because it blanks out - find the spot on the screen that you need to sweep your finger across to turn it on. This can only be don on one 2cm diameter spot
- if you do manage to get the correct spot, pray you are on the correct screen, because if you're not, then you have to navigate using the unlit buttons on the side (Remember you're trying to drive). Understand it isn't that these buttons aren't backlit, it is that they don't seem to turn on when needed!
- Find the telephone icon and press it
- hope that you default to the dial pad or favourites if your destination call is a favourite. If you are in any other screen you are going to have to navigate to the correct screen.
You haven't dialled your number yet, but you have probably realised that there is no flat surfaces in the interior of your car and that this can't be done with one hand, unless you're also an NBA player.
This is not a phone. It may think it is, but it is not.
If you're using it for just about anything else however, it is BRILLIANT! Literally and figuratively.
The screen is large enough at 7" as well as being nice and bright. Replace your GPS unit with this and you will not regret it. The combination of Google's Navigation Beta and the 3G connection gives great navigation and real-time traffic information. You can overlay street view, satellite, or layers from your Google account maps. That is very cool for the map geeks.
Some of these problems may be opportunities for Viewsonic and Google to enhance their product through updates, but you can't update the size and location of that power button. -
"Non-functional out of the box" on by esterer
Pros: Gets good reviews
Cons: Doesn't work
Summary: I ordered one of these from the Viewsonic store and was delivered promply. When I opened the box I noticed that some had obviously opened it before because the bags were ripped open and the cardboard was bent. The wi-fi would not turn on and only gives you a clue on what is going on by saying "error". After tracking down a customer service phone number (not on website - you have to phone the main number and it's on a recording) and going through some resets with their tech, they gave me a RMA. I'm sure it was returned previously because... the wi-fi didn't work. I left a note in the box for the next sucker.
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"I love this phone" on by Dieygoo
Pros: everything is nice
Cons: except the touch print, the 2.2 android witch you will never update it and the 150MB built in memo to install programs and if you have less than 15MB left it will not read any received SMS
Summary: i have it and i like it upon everything
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"Good value for the price of 169 euro (in my case)" on by broeze
Pros: Recently I bought a ViewPad 7. I believe the type must be at least one year old so that means really old in terms of tables. When I wanted to charge the battery, it didn't work at all. Viewsonic gave a great service though and they sent me a new one.
- BCons: When I wanted to charge the battery, it didn't work at all. Viewsonic gave a great service though and they offered me a new one.
- Quality of screen, speakers, microphone, camera are weak. But they work. You can connect the audio to external devices thouSummary: It is a great personal assistent and gadget to get an opinion of what an Android tablet brings compared to an ipad.
ViewSonic ViewPad 7 user reviews
