The Core
Why We Are Here => Hardware & Technology => Topic started by: Brad on July 03, 2011, 12:17:26 PM
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I picked up an HP Touchpad a couple of days ago and thought I would jot down some impressions. I have an iPad1 for comparison and I fondled an iPad2 in passing at a local retailer so I'm not an expert by any means.
1. Hardware: TP is the same size and weight as the iPad1. iPad2 is slimmer and and lighter.
1a. TP has stereo speakers and iPad1 only a mono speaker. TP sound quite good.
2. Speed: TP falls in between the iPad1 and iPad2. It is noticeably faster than the iPad1 and all the tech reviewers say the iPad2 is a bit faster.
3. OS: webOS was made for a tablet. I don't want to take anything away from Apple and iOS, but webOS is, IMO, and improvement.
The biggest thing is multitasking. I never realized how limiting not being able to multitask was on my iPad until I got the TP in my hands but you can have many web pages and many apps open and running at one time. Nice.
I like the virtual keyboard on the TP better.
4. Browser: the stock TP browser is better than Safari. It's faster than iCab. It runs Flash pretty well. The browser is important to me since that is what I will use the TP for most.
5. Apps: 300 tablet specific apps at launch. They have most of the basics here. The Amazon Kindle app is a placeholder while they work on it - disappointing but at least it is coming. Email is good, calender is good. Skype is built in but I have not used it. You also can use about 4000 webOS phone apps. which appear small screened. For example Pandora Radio is a small screen but the interface is so simple there is no reason to make it larger - it works just fine.
TP vs. Android vs. iPad: Just based on reading I would say that TP beats Android tablets running Honeycomb right from the start. Better interface, more tablet specific apps, multitasking, speed.
iPad2 is still a front runner. However, if you are wary of getting into Apple's walled garden approach then HP starts looking like a good alternative:
1. OTA updates for TP. You don't need to connect to computer or iTunes for OS updates.
2. USB file transfer. I've not tried this yet but I'm told that the TP shows up as a drive when connected to computer via USB. You can just drag files into appropriate folders on your TP. Again no iTunes acting as gatekeeper.
3. Linux core to OS.
4. HP allows third party patches to the GUI to extend capabilities and "homebrew" apps in addition to official apps in the catalog.
Bottom line: I like the interface a lot. I love multitasking. No regrets on buying it and I think it is worth putting on your short list if you are shopping for a tablet.
Added:
Here is the most comprehensive (long) review of the TP I've read yet:
http://www.precentral.net/review-hp-touchpad
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Good comments - am keeping an eye out on the newer pads. The iPad I have is nice ... except that I only seem to use it for playing Angry Birds, in having never really lived in Apple land before.
Samsung has a 10" tablet may be worth a look. Not sure why HTC brought out a 7" - too small IMO.
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After playing with it some more:
The rubbery sleeve came in and that was a big improvement since I was always afraid the thing would slip out of my hands.
The hardware is well built but no earth shaker. But the software is really quite good. Some roughness around the edges but that can be cleared up with updates. In re the interface: iOS has a rival.
I'm finding for serious web surfing, I'm liking the TouchPad over the iPad. While iCab browser greatly improved the web on iPad, the whole way webOS deals with web pages as individual cards, and cards in stacks just seems to work faster for me. Multitasking helps too.
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OuchPad: Best Buy Sitting on a Pile of Unsold HP Tablets
http://allthingsd.com/20110816/ouchpad-best-buy-sitting-on-a-pile-of-unsold-hp-tablets/
When they hit Woot for $100, ping me.
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What on earth did they do wrong?
The product seems fine as far as I can see.
Too late to market?
Are people seeing the future as just an Apple/Android choice?
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App stores are the tail wagging the dog now. I've considered giving some color nooks as gifts to the grandkids but having an ipad or maybe a galaxy is sort of a social experience via common apps.
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They pooched the chute on the launch. HP should never have left anyone from Palm launch a product - ever.
The OS was a little rough around the edges. About a month later they pushed out an update that fixed it. Stuff like the Kindle app was just a placeholder for the first few weeks and didn't actually work. My 16GB TouchPad is great. Still lacks apps, but the browser runs Flash pretty well so for a lot of things you don't need apps. The Touchpad compares well vs. the original iPad. iPad2 beats it though, slimmer, faster, smoother, more apps. While HP/Palm was screwing around they got lapped by Apple.
In the mean time they are dinking around screwing up the webOS phone launch.
However if HP can stay in the game long term, the Touchpad can become a viable rival in the tablet wars. I don't think HP has much choice, with laptop sales slowing, they need a tablet.
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HP Touchpad now selling for around £350, which isn't bad, but the lack of apps has to be a real concern, hence why just ordered a Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1.
However, the HP Touchpad does look good - but I think it really needs to do something to address the apps issue. My big interest is eBooks and in ePublishing, and this tends to be apps driven.
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Brian, Kindle app works now. And there is another basic ebook reader for public domain type books called pReader. New apps, scaled for the tablet are rolling out each week.
You have two other resources:
1. Many of the older smartphone apps also work just fine on the tablet. (eg. Pandora) they just don't fill the screen.
2. webOS allows legal "jailbreaking" You can legally add a patch that allows you to actually extend the capabilities of the OS and the core apps (like calendar) with patches provided by the community. I think there are Homebrew apps too, but I have not messed with this.
I think Touchpad is sort of going through the same process Android did in smartphones early on in comparison to iPhone. Might be worth grabbing one at a discount price.
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and then it crushed to death by HP!
http://mashable.com/2011/08/18/hp-shutting-down-webos/
Yeah, I just heard about it. It looks like HP is getting out of the webOS hardware business (which frankly they are not very good at). But there is a chance they might license out webOS to somebody who really knows how to make hardware tablets and phones. Frankly, Google buying Motorola makes webOS more attractive in this regard rather than less.
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When they hit Woot for $50, ping me.
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Looks like BestBuy US is extending their return policy on Touchpads only, to 60 days. I may look into this since as much as I like webOS, I hate getting stuck with orphaned hardware AND OS.
I suspect I'll get store credit at best so I may have to look into a Samsung Galaxy Tab. Jeez, I'm slowly getting borged by Android and Goog.
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I picked up 4 at the local walmart. I'm going to give a couple to my daughters and keep one on the kitchen counter (retiring the last laptop doing "wherever RC sits" duty).
Bring me up to speed on webos. Are there any must-have apps?
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There is talk in the Android forums of porting Android over - apparently, it seems quite possible due to shared heritage etc.... one group claim to have started on the port already.
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This is a fine piece of work. Already, I can see that it has a few advantages over the iPad. Now I'm really puzzled as to why HP took such a draconian step to dump them.
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RC, I see you took advantage of the $99 sale. Now that I have exchanged my $500 one for a Galaxy Tab. I might pick up a Touchpad for 99. i can risk that much.
>must have apps
Advanced Browser
I got addicted to News Republic.
The Pandora app is for the phone but it works fine.
Kindle
Touchpad is a fine web surfer.
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Been trying round the UK stores (inc BestBuy) but nobody putting the prices down yet.
Managed to reserve some for collection at various Argos' around Edinburgh in the hope that the price will come down tomorrow.
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Good luck eurotrash. I'm trying to decide if I want to buy one at $99. I now have a Galaxy tab 10.1 and a iPad1 and I'm not sure I need a third tablet. While the Galaxy Tab is workmanlike it is not exciting me the way either the iPad or the Touchpad did. Also, the Touchpad has one of the finest virtual keyboards I've ever used.
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Front of G News US says that they are getting hard to find already
http://www.pcworld.com/article/238542/99_hp_touchpad_selling_out_during_fire_sale.html
>best virtual keyboard
Absolutely. Its usability puts iPad to shame.
But the webs browsers, while more than good enough for the average user, are not in the same league as iCab. I've yet to find a way to automatically clear cookies only closing. OTOH, they do flash. OTOH2, no streaming Netflix.
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The Advanced browser adds goodies. It gets you closer to iCab than the stock browser but you are right it is not up to iCab.
I also like the Just Type feature. Miss that.
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RC this might interest you, there are some links to good guides to webOS on Touchpad in the article:
http://www.precentral.net/new-touchpad-tips-apps-accessories
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Looks like the price drop has hit the UK as far as I can see.
PC World doing the TouchPad Tablet PC - 16GB for £89 and the TouchPad Tablet PC - 32GB for £115.
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>16GB for £89
Brad was right, even with its average browser, this is a worthwhile machine. Had it come out earlier, it would have been serious competition for ipad.
Thanks for the link, Brad. Maybe it'll save me from having to bring my daughters up to speed re the tablet ecosystem.
Quote from the comments on that page: "Our little webOS family just got ALOT bigger, this past weekend!"
I've been thinking about that scenario over the weekend, mostly with regard to webos app developers who went from 2 or 3 downloads a day to 2 or 3 thousand. So how many touchpads were produced? This is a strange situation, to have a dead system grow legs.
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<added>
>the whole way webOS deals with web pages as individual cards, and cards in stacks just seems to work faster for me.
I didn't see this written up in the little navigation pamphlet but I happened to pinch across the lower corner of the bezel and found that it was shorthand for minimizing the active screen to a card. Then a swipe upward closes the card. All done with gestures, no Home button-pushing required. A few old Pre apps don't respond to being minimized this way but that's no big deal.
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Had 2 each in 2 baskets on Dixons then their site went crazy whilst trying to checkout. Jason had 5 in a basket when the same thing happened.
I have 2 on reserve in one branch of Argos and 1 in another and hopefully by tomorrow morning the price will have come down there. From what I have read in this thread, I really want one now.
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I hear HP is writing off the expense of liquidating 2.5 million Thinkpads as advertising. It certainly seeds the OS into the world and makes webOS a little more attractive to a corporate buyer.
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Since I'm using these as coffee-table machines available for family and guests to use, I rummaged through the free games in the app store. There's a pretty decent selection of time-wasters there.
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Sooo.... we know the price point for tablets, eh?
Reports say that HP's website went down under the load. Their social media rep is trying to direct traffic via twitter. http://twitter.com/#!/BrynaAtHP
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2391478,00.asp
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>Amazon
Guardian: "Think HP is going to be able to license WebOS? Think again"
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2011/aug/22/hp-webos-licensing-prospects
I think Amazon, Google, or -a long shot- Facebook may buy WebOS.
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Its possible Samsung could buy the whole PC division including webOS.
http://www.zdnet.com/blog/computers/who-should-buy-hps-pc-division-samsung-lenovo/6563
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Would be surprised if Google were to consider buying webOS when they already have Android, but now Google is buying Motorola and has the potential to go vertical with smartphones and make Android proprietary, would think some of the other tablet PC companies would be considering their options on webOS - Samsung, HTC, and Acer for starters.
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>Would be surprised if Google were to consider buying webOS
Except for the patents. Add them to the Motorola/Android armaments and the arsenal begins to look really formidable. Also, there's been a lot of talk about WebOS really being suited to smart devices like kitchen appliances. (Great, now Big G will know the milk is out of date.)
And then there's the need to keep someone else from buying them and competing. We've seen more than a few buyouts just to shut them down in this industry.
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Good point RC - one way or another a few companies will consider it - whether any action will be interesting.
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Patents: Palm had some very early big concept patents - important ones because they were a pioneer in the smartphone field. So there is value as innoculation against MS and Apple.
Rumor is that Samsung is looking at buying thewhole computer division which includes tablets and mobile.
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>Samsung is looking at buying thewhole computer division which includes tablets and mobile.
Yeah, they've been spotted touring production facilities.
I believe Palm's board of directors valued those patents at $800M minimum back when HP was buying them. With the G/Motorola deal raising the ante on mobile tech patents recent guesstimates put them in the range of $1.5B ...or close to what HP actually ended up out-of-pocket for Palm.
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I would very much like to see a webOS slab phone by Samsung. I never had great confidence in the Pre 3 slider as a form factor that I would be be able to live with. I'd go with a phone made by Samsung.
Same with a tablet, I'd love to see a webOS tablet made by Samsung too.
I've got a Galaxy Tab now with Android Honeycomb (replacement for the Touchpad) and I have no issues with the hardware. It is light and thin. Android Honeycomb is serviceable even workmanlike but no more than that, and it is just not elegant or neat the way webOS was. It's drilling down through layers and layers of menus for everything which gets annoying. Besides I miss flicking those cards away. Nor are the Android apps for Honeycomb all that stable, or plentiful either - lots of betas.
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New Rumor: Touchpad to get document (Office) editing soon via QuickOffice app. Word and Excel first, Powerpoint to follow.
http://www.webosroundup.com/2011/08/touchpad-to-get-document-editing-this-week/
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Also RC: be sure to download the Box.net app for each Touchpad. Last I heard, Box was still honoring their Free 50GB cloud storage offer for Touchpad buyers. Free forever, or until Box goes under. They normally charge $20 a mo. for that I think.
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Android Honeycomb is serviceable even workmanlike but no more than that, and it is just not elegant or neat the way webOS was. It's drilling down through layers and layers of menus for everything which gets annoying.
Brad, if you haven't already done so, check out ADW Desktop - faster than the standard desktop, allows you to drop apps into 'folders' that 'pop-up' the contents. Alternatively, look at 'circle menu' - a neat widget that does a similar kind of thing. With these options you could run all your apps from one desktop screen, and still have all your apps at your finger tips.
Its what I like about android - I can set my desktop to be pretty much exactly how I want it.
'Elegance and neat' is there if you want it, but so is ugly and functional - just depends on what you want.
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Thanks for the tips 4Eyes, I will certainly check those out!
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Just found out that ADW has a neat 'dockbar' launcher that you can drop apps on - liking it :)
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The Touchpad may have been heavy and thick, but those little speakers had great sound.
I signed up to be notified if HP gets more in stock. I'm not holding my breath that I'll get one but I like RC's idea of setting it up as a tablet for guests and will put it in the living room.
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You can now edit office documents and spread sheets on the Touchpad. Just go to the software manager app and update Quickoffice.
http://www.precentral.net/quickoffice-hd-document-editing-now-your-hp-touchpad-1
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Precentral and other tech sites have picked up the story that Samsung has recruited Raymond Wah, former vice president of HP's Personal Systems Group. WebOS possibly has a pulse.
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There's an android boot
http://rootzwiki.com/content.php?234-EXCLUSIVE-CyanogenMod-7-On-the-HP-TouchPad
Frankly, WebOS covers all the bases so well that I doubt I'd change to android.
Meanwhile, HP says they're going to manufacture 'one last batch' of Touchpads.
And they've announced a WebOS update is coming. This is getting to be a bizarre exit strategy.
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13924_3-20099049-64/hp-update-to-boost-touchpad-functionality/
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Meanwhile, HP says they're going to manufacture 'one last batch' of Touchpads.
From what I've read it seems that the US is going to get precedence with these new units. Getting any info on whether any will hit the UK is like getting blood from a stone.
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Truly bizarre...
HP's Dead TouchPad Claims No. 2 Best-Selling Tablet Spot
http://www.fastcompany.com/1777059/hp-discontinued-touchpad-will-be-the-worlds-second-best-selling-tablet
HP's announcement about the one last run
http://h20435.www2.hp.com/t5/The-Next-Bench-Blog/More-TouchPads-on-the-Way/ba-p/68749
>UK
Yeah, I'd guess that these will go to the feeding frenzy in the US. But, hey, b###h loud enough and HP will do "really, just ONE more last run."
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Popularity makes webOS a more valuable asset when they sell it = higher price. Still it is bizarre exit. (I can see now first had why Samsung's androids pads have not caught fire tho.)
One theory is that HP didn't want to leave it's suppliers with huge plies of Touchpad parts that would have to be destroyed.
I'm hoping to get a cheap Touchpad: 1. I'm missing it, 2. I have this folio cover and Touchstone charging dock to use with it.
If I can get one I'll set it up as a guest tablet in the living room. (Or use it and set up the Android tablet as the guest tablet.)
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I luckily got ttwo of the 32g models. I had 3 but Argos put in a waiver that they would only give one per person. The kids love them.
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Has anyone figured out how to get video to play on the bloody things. From what I've been reading it is thought the encoding should be MP4 AVC H264
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HP Touchpads 32G for sale at Currys £249 including Case and Wireless Charging Dock - better deal than on Ebay listings. http://bit.ly/roxM56
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I just got one of these for my Mom for her birthday. She won't do more than browse the web, read books and pipe her favorite yoga channel to the television, so it should be great for her.
I missed the $100 sale, but even at $300 for the 32GB model it's way cheaper than most of the other tablets. And, from what y'all have said, much easier to use, which means less headaches for me.
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Curious though...could HP not just set WebOS free and allow it to become opensource?
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Given Samsung's legal problems with their Galaxy line, I'd bet that they'll end up buying WebOS.
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grnidone good buy. I'm still hoping to get another Touchpad.
In the meantime the Samsung Galaxy Tab I got to replace my $500 Touchpad had the screen fritz out. I have to say, the GalaxyTab was beginning to annoy me. Samsung's spell check was abysmal. The light weight was nice but I miss my Touchpad. BestBuy was good about it and let me exchange the GalaxyTab outside of their 14 day return period for a, wait for it, iPad2. I must have a good lost puppy look.
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There are enough of these Touchpads around now that there are more than a few "dual pad" households. The reviews coming in are invariably "yeah, I like the Ipad2 but I kinda like the Touchpad better." I find I'm gravitating to the Touchpad more & more for general web reading (flash, better virtual keyboard) and there is now absolutely no doubt in my mind that this machine could
have given Apple a run for the money. (Are you listening Samsung?)
If I could get iCab (or Chrome) and a smart cover on the Touchpad, I'd be set.
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RC have you managed to get videos running on the thing other than flash. I am trying to covert .wtv files without any success.
Interestingly, I went here http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows7/Sync-TV-shows-to-a-device-in-Windows-Media-Center and connected the touchpad. It recognized it as a HP touchpad and a webOS device and transferred the files. Unfortunately it transferred them as .wtv so unable to play them on it.
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It's amazing what a difference a decent virtual keyboard can do. iPad has the second best KB IMO, Touchpad the best. GalaxyTab's KB is bad.
Surprisingly, there were not that many tablet-only apps for Android Honeycomb, but more of them were big name than Touchpad.
Until the screen went out on it the hardware of the GalaxyTab was impressive, light weight with a very high res screen. If you could marry webos with more state of the art hardware, like HTC or Samsung can produce, I think webos could give Apple some serious competition.
What I would really like to see is a webos, slab style phone. I want that more than a tablet.
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>videos running on the thing other than flash
No, sorry. I generally avoid all videos during my daily reading but flash is so ingrained in the web now that it's a nuisance factor on the Ipad.
But you piqued my interest
HP says that the only video formats supported are MPEG-4, H.263, and H.264
PDF -bottom of page 3: http://h18004.www1.hp.com/products/quickspecs/14077_na/14077_na.pdf
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HP to bring 6,000 more TouchPads to UK - for staff only • Channel Register http://bit.ly/pgWQbM
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>What I would really like to see is a webos, slab style phone.
Agreed. I had an Android phone and I absolutely hated it. Not user friendly AT ALL. But then, I'm very particular about phone interfaces: if I have to figure it out, I won't use it. It has to be What was RC's term for it? dead head simple to use or I just won't bother. It took me 2 weeks to figure out how to get to my voicemail on the damn thing. Constant frustration, I was actually glad the damn thing died so I'd have to dig out my Nokia e62 from 1996 to use. I'm surprised to say, other than the apps -- and it does have apps, but they are expensive -- my Nokia is surprisingly advanced for its age.
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have you tried this
http://mctvconverter.vivolum.net/content/site/en/home/index.html
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have you tried this
http://mctvconverter.vivolum.net/content/site/en/home/index.html
Yep! No joy.
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Blackberry Playbooks taking a price dive to Rogers employees down to $249 for 16GB and current blackberry owners get A $100 prepaid mastercard from RIM - which could see that price coming down to $149. It will be interesting to see how this plays out globally.
http://www.bgr.com/2011/09/16/blackberry-playbook-price-slashing-begins-249-and-up-for-rogers-workers/
I noticed that in the UK that Carphone Warehouse got some drips and drabs of the Touchpad in the last week but they sold out quicker than politicians.
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>What I would really like to see is a webos, slab style phone.
Agreed. I had an Android phone and I absolutely hated it. Not user friendly AT ALL. But then, I'm very particular about phone interfaces: if I have to figure it out, I won't use it. It has to be What was RC's term for it? dead head simple to use or I just won't bother. It took me 2 weeks to figure out how to get to my voicemail on the damn thing. Constant frustration, I was actually glad the damn thing died so I'd have to dig out my Nokia e62 from 1996 to use. I'm surprised to say, other than the apps -- and it does have apps, but they are expensive -- my Nokia is surprisingly advanced for its age.
They are not all the same. Some manufacturers do insist on knackering the interface. I've used three android handsets with reasonable frequency: An HTC, an LG and my Nexus (HTC - interface by google). The LG is bad. The HTC is very good, but a touch strange in places. The Nexus is excellent.
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I think that is probably one of the core differences between Android and iPhone.
With Android, you make it work the way you want it to - but then that lets the manufacturers and phone companies 'improve' it with their crappy branding stuff.
I am still using my Sony Xperia - rooted and with my own combination of ADW Desktop and Circle Launcher on it - works just like I want it to
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Two months later, HP finally sent a 32gb touchpad that I ordered during all the chaos.
Any recommended accessories, apps, things to do?
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Any cheap touchpads still available? My kids are nagging me for something to play Angry Birds on. :)
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Any cheap touchpads still available? My kids are nagging me for something to play Angry Birds on. :)
Looks like they are dribbling them out to those who placed orders and employees.
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It wasn't as good a deal as the near giveaway HP was doing but I managed to snag a 32GB TouchPad for $240. Considering my original TP was 16GB for $500 I'm happy with the price. I will swipe RC's idea and set it up as a 'guest tablet' in the living room.
This is handy because a still have a cover and a touchstone wireless charging stand for the Touchpad and I was wondering what I was going to do with them.
I guess even if WebOS dies I'm willing to risk $240.
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Got this case/stand dealio, works pretty well.
http://www.amazon.com/Poetic-TouchPad-Adjustable-Compatible-Touchstone/dp/B005J064XS/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1319119247&sr=8-6
I like this thing, I just wish the app store had more to offer.
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>I like this thing
If I had to choose, I'd probably give up the Ipad2 and keep the TP for general duty. The Ipad's less-convenient virtual keyboard & lack of the WebOS gesture to close a tab by flicking it off the screen are becoming more and more annoying.
OTOH, the TP's stock browser lacks cookie and history settings to automatically nuke when closing. And the battery life doesn't seem to be quite a good as the Ipad, though it's plenty good.
Mostly, what I *REALLY* want is to have ICab on the TP. Barring that, flash and the WebOS keyboard and gestures on the Ipad.
>apps
Hell, they've doubled in the last 6 weeks. Not that I use any, but you should have seen the tumbleweeds in there when the TP first came out. Most were for the Pre phones.
>tips
You can save web pages as shortcut icons to the Launcher rather than to bookmarks (bookmarks on the TP suck -no management). The TP defaults to the last used section of the Launcher when you click the arrow on the right-hand end of the task bar. Sooo... put your bookmark icons in a section of the Launcher such as, say, Favorites and it become sort of a cludged quickstarter page that you can navigate using only touch, no clicking of the real/physical oval launch key.
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>Launcher
Yeah. that helps make up for lack of apps - just go to the web page. With real multitasking it works a treat.
I like the iPad but I do find I miss the Touchpad.
I still recommend the Touchpad if you can find one at a good price.
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BTW, there was an update last week. Here's a cryptic mention of "connectivity with non-HP phones possible" and "improved messaging" but I've not seen any significant changes in speed or UI.
The comments are worth a quick read.
http://jaaksi.blogspot.com/2011/10/no-strings-attached-enjoy.html
<added>
Some more info on the update
http://www.engadget.com/2011/10/18/hp-touchpad-gets-webos-3-0-4-update-now-able-to-answer-calls-fr/
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I got my new 32GB Touchpad in yesterday. Restored all my settings from my HP account in a couple of minutes. Then I let it update to the new OS update while it charged. Everything went smooth as silk.
Later I set it up as a guest tablet and got a chance to play. Even though it has been 7 weeks or more since I had a TP in my greedy little paws all the gestures and navigation came back to me instantly. This thing is still a pleasure to use. I know it will be underutilized but I don't regret buying it at the price I paid, since I had been considering buying an Amazon Fire and setting that up as a guest tablet prior to this opportunity on the TP. The bigger TP is kinda perfect for this task.
As to the future: webOS has huge potential if they can just find someone to design and market the hardware. I still want a webOS phone! It's a real shame HP just quit the game before it even started.
It's nice they are continuing updates at least for now.
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webOS to go Open Source
http://www.hp.com/hpinfo/newsroom/press/2011/111209xa.html
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This is better than HP just killing it, or selling it to somebody who will never use it in a production device. I still want a WebOS phone. Bad.
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As it turns out, my thoughts on the Touchpad and WebOS have been collected in quick interview and are now being emailed directly to a VP there. I'll let you guys know when I turn down Meg Whitman's offer to join HP in order to reboot the brand, hhh!
Whitman: HP WebOS Tablets Still a Possibility
http://www.eweek.com/c/a/Linux-and-Open-Source/HP-WebOS-Tablets-Still-a-Possibility-Whitman-310255/
HP dumped the refurbished Touchpads on their Ebay store this weekend. Price for the 16GB model was $99. 32GB was $149. According to the tech news, the resulting feeding frenzy caused Ebay's servers to bog down. This was **EBAY** ...not some little podunk website.
HP TouchPad fire-sale sells out in minutes, cripples eBay
http://www.slashgear.com/hp-touchpad-fire-sale-sells-out-in-minutes-cripples-ebay-12201530/
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Well tell them to convince somebody to put webOS on a phone, slab type please. One, each. Cos right now our choices are only so-so: Windows Phone which still does not do major updates OTA; Android loaded with IQCarrier plus Google spyware; iOS the walled garden.
Sigh.
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Some good apps have come out for the Touchpad recently: Touch Surf, E-Notes - Evernote in a Touchpad app, Pandora Tablet, Zite (excellent), Read on Touch, Dropboxify.
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Thanks Brad, Zite is very cool. (free) makes a magazine style output of news categories you pick.
Touch Surf looks good too, I'll probably grab that as well. ($1) Bookmarking/surfing tool.
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All you iPad users, Zite is also available for you. Not on Android yet tho.
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You can now make your Touchpad dual boot with Android.
http://forums.webosnation.com/android-touchpad/310720-cm9-touchpad-heres-your-get-started-guide-27.html
It is Alpha, but seems stable. A friend made his dual boot and reports no problems other than the usual annoyance of having to switch between OS's.. I did my 9 mos in the trenches as an Android phone user and dumped it for a new webOS Pre3 phone I bought on eBay so I'm not setting up my TP to dual boot unless webOS completely fails.
Currently there are still good deals on TP's compared to pure Android tablets.
News-
the open sourcing of webOS is proceeding a pace, and will be complete by Sept 2012.
Meg Whitman has said that HP will probably make new openwebos tablets sometime in the future, just not sure if it will be in 2012.
More apps are being produced for Touchpad. Slow progress but it is quickening now that Enyo has been open sourced.
WebOS Rumors-
There is talk of porting an emulation layer to webOS so that most Android apps could run on the Touchpad.
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>I'm not setting up my TP to dual boot unless webOS completely fails.
Same here, and that's not likely. For me, webos is only missing some of the 2nd-tier apps that aren't mission-critical but would be nice to have ...such as security camera access/management. Itunes has plenty, appmarket has a few, and webos has none.
BTW, I'm not sure if it was upgraded or I missed some of the nuances the first time around, but Advanced Browser can now be tricked out to be very similar to iCab on the Ipad. There's sort of a quickstarter and you can set it up to delete cookies when close the browser --which was a minor problem with guests using the Touchpads.
>good deals
What's the going rate for a 16gb TP, now?
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Here is a better tutorial on installing Android.
http://m.webosnation.com/how-install-cyanogenmod-9-android-your-touchpad
>deals
Best deal from a respectable retailer is from Newegg $215 for 16GB factory refurbished, and $260 for a 32GB refurb.
If this one died tomorrow, I would buy another one in an instant.
>Advanced Browser
I will look into this again. I like it better but not being able to set it as default is a pain.
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>pain
I just put a site/browser icon on the task bar then surf all my usual reading sites from quickstart icons. I haven't run into any problems with it not being the default so far.
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>pain
I just put a site/browser icon on the task bar then surf all my usual reading sites from quickstart icons. I haven't run into any problems with it not being the default so far.
Yeah I retested it after writing that and found it works as you said, so I'm in business. Thanks.
The Advanced Browser lets me Tweet it or send to Read it Later which were things I was really missing.
What I'm finding is that I prefer the Touchpad for all my reading and posting even over the iPad 1. I'm even preferring a tablet over my laptop for the morning review of forums, news and blogs and I really only resort to the laptop when I have lots of typing to do. I'm a little surprised at this sea change in my habits.
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I finally got around to installing Android (CyanogenMod 9 - Android 4 ICS) on my TP.
Had a couple little hiccups but still didn't take long. I could do it from scratch now in less than 5-10 mins, it really is dog simple. You can probably do it in 30 mins when I save you the hiccups, including reading the details.
Dual boots so I still have webOS, but man is android snappy on this thing, I should have done this long ago. Only issue so far is Android doesn't reconnect to my non-SSID-broadcasting network after reboot. Likely just an issue with my particular network setup. WebOS was left untouched and works as it did.
Most impressive after using it a bit is the microphone search, I guess which is on par with Siri. That and the robust app store, looks like Apple's.
Well worth it, if you have considered doing it, go for it. I'll post the specifics for a quick install if you're interested.
Resistance was futile...
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A friend has a TP with the dual boot to Android or webOS and the hardware runs Android like a champ.
News is that the official port of OpenwebOS will not run on legacy devices, although the community is free to port it just like they did with Android. But it looks like officially my TP and my Pre3 phone are at a dead end. Eventually I'll put Android on the TP and use it till it dies. I'm hoping the phone and some critical apps stay working until somebody comes out with a decent webOS phone, otherwise it's back to an iPhone or try a Win8 phone.
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A friend just made my TP dual boot. Heck Android runs better on the TP than it did on my late and unlamented GalaxyTab. Plus the 4:3 aspect ratio of the TP works better and is easier to read.
With openwebOS not being able to run on legacy devices, it finally seemed like a good idea to go dual boot so as to extend the life of the hardware plus some new apps. I still like webOS better because I don't have to manuallly close out a bunch of apps all te time, but I can forsee the day when the webOS browser will become obsolete.
Installed Opera Mobile on Android so that makes me happier.