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The Frankentablet: Windows and Android Mashup

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the better-than-zombiephone dept.

GMGruman writes "What happens if you take a netbook, remove its keyboard, put Windows 7 in one partition, a custom version of Android 2.2 in another, throw in a Linux bootloader, and physical buttons that match none of these? You get the ViewSonic ViewPad 10, a Frankenstein creation of technology body parts that just don't fit together. As this InfoWorld review shows, it's definitely a 'were they even thinking?' class of product."

121 comments

  1. All on one page... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Informative

    http://www.infoworld.com/print/160508

  2. Comment removed by account_deleted · · Score: 2, Funny

    Comment removed based on user account deletion

  3. Awesome by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    With a beowulf cluster of these you could have all the advantages of a small supercomputer but still be able to run windows games. And once you have 10+ of them together, you wouldn't have to buy any extra input devices!

  4. No pictures by iONiUM · · Score: 4, Informative

    TFA has no pictures. I can't really read a review about a tablet that has no images of it at all. Is there a better review with some?

    1. Re:No pictures by Flyerman · · Score: 3, Informative

      Haven't read it yet, but here's one with pictures:

      http://www.laptopmag.com/review/tablets/viewsonic-viewpad-10.aspx?page=all

    2. Re:No pictures by blair1q · · Score: 1

      And no mention of battery life.

      The meta is all ironic in that article.

    3. Re:No pictures by _0xd0ad · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Nobody wanted to use it long enough to find out.

    4. Re:No pictures by hey! · · Score: 1

      Oh, come now, be reasonable. For somebody to satisfy your demand, there'd have to be some kind of system that indexed *the entire Internet*. While we're at it, we might as well wish there was a system that magically tracked every image that was used on any web page anyplace in the world.

      --
      Post may contain irony: discontinue use if experiencing mood swings, nausea or elevated blood pressure.
    5. Re:No pictures by shutdown+-p+now · · Score: 1

      So, to begin with, the price is $680. Did they miss the whole Xoom sales fiasco? Apparently. Let's move on.

      The ViewPad 10 is currently only available with Android 1.6, though ViewSonic promises that an upgrade to Android 2.2 is coming "soon." There aren't any Google apps and no Android Market. ViewSonic doesn't believe these will be included in future updates, either ... Like almost every other non-Honeycomb Android tablet, the Android Market isn't available. Likewise, the Google suite of apps including Gmail, Google Talk, Maps, Voice Search, and YouTube isn't pre-loaded, nor is there an easy way to download them.

      Alrighty, so as Android tablet, this thing is dead in the water. Especially once stores stock up on Asus Transformer, which is $180 cheaper for better software and hardware (right now it's damn hard to buy because Asus only had 100k and they sold out in the blink of the eye, but a large shipment is promised in June, and you can get it for like $550-600 off scalpers on eBay today - which is still way more bang for the buck than ViewSonic monstrosity!).

      And for Windows 7, a touchscreen-only tablet is rather useless as it'll be a pain to use for any significant amount of time. Win7 is good on convertible tablet PCs when you want relative compactness, but that is an altogether different niche from iPad-like "slates".

      That, and, uh...

      ViewSonic rates the ViewPad 10's Lithium-Ion 3200 mAh battery at 4 hours. On our LAPTOP Battery Test (web surfing via Wi-Fi), the ViewPad 10 lasted 3 hours and 58 minutes in Windows 7 mode, and 5 minutes less than that in Android.

      An Android tablet with 4 hours of battery time is a joke (Xoom gets 8-9 hours easily, and so does Transformer without the dock). For Windows, this is still less than many netbooks.

    6. Re:No pictures by shutdown+-p+now · · Score: 1

      4 hours, both in Windows and in Android mode

      (how the fuck did they manage to drain battery so fast in Android??)

  5. Re:I can answer that one by Runaway1956 · · Score: 2

    You might want to see a doctor about that. I'm not really a sissy, but that sounds PAINFUL!

    --
    "Windows is like the faint smell of piss in a subway: it's there, and there's nothing you can do about it." - Charlie Br
  6. Ah, they're too late by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    They wanted to get into the Microsoft Research gallery of technological failures, but they missed the deadline.

  7. Bad article by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    TFA has no pictures / videos, also stopped reading at "... is one reason no tablets come close to the iPad" because it looks like it was written by an Apple fanboy.

    1. Re:Bad article by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Or it could be that all other tablets are half-assed pieces of shit.

    2. Re:Bad article by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Whether you like it or not, the iPad is the defacto standard aginst which all other tablets are measured.

      When someone produces a tablet that isn't a festering pile of whale semen mixed with donkey feces, then that measurment may cease.

    3. Re:Bad article by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You know. The tablet in TFA, I will agree upon--even I would rather have an iPad than that piece of shit.

      However, I would never choose an iPad over my Xoom. After using both, the iPad is joke in my mind. People bitch about a couple in-and-out problems here and there on the Xoom, which I can understand. But I have far more complaints about actual usability when I try to use an iPad, as opposed to just a few quirky little things that don't even get in my way or make anything difficult on my Xoom. STFU.

    4. Re:Bad article by shutdown+-p+now · · Score: 1

      I have major usability problems with Xoom, mainly with slow browser (nearly impossible to post on Slashdot - typing comments goes at like 1 character per second). They say things are mostly fixed on perf front in 3.1, now where's my damn OTA?..

      But I think the real "iPad killer" - i.e. a strong competitor - will be Asus Transformer. The right price - $400 for 16Gb, right in iPad price range; a better screen (IPS as well, but higher-res), only slightly heavier than iPad 2 (but lighter than original iPad or Xoom). And the dock is the killer accessory, of course - 16 hours of battery life alone is worth it, but having a full-size keyboard and trackpad (and mouse cursor in UI!) for when you need them. Oh yes, and Flash-based stuff works (and you have trackpad for non-touch-enabled crappy websites if you run into one).

  8. Photos? by Yvan256 · · Score: 1

    Why is there never any photos on those big websites?

    1. Re:Photos? by blair1q · · Score: 1

      Takes away from bandwidth used to send your browser history and cookies to their advertisers.

  9. Dear Viewsonic: by UncleTogie · · Score: 1

    Stick to monitors, guys. Please.

    --
    Don't tell me to get a life. I'm a gamer; I have LOTS of lives!
    1. Re:Dear Viewsonic: by Yvan256 · · Score: 1

      Not only that, but why can't they add a DVI-D/HDMI/mini-DP input on those nice digital photo frames? They'd make really nice, low-cost secondary monitors.

      No, I don't want a stupid secondary monitor that goes through USB, can only display nearly-static content because it doesn't have enough bandwidth for video and requires a special driver on top of that.

    2. Re:Dear Viewsonic: by h4rr4r · · Score: 3, Funny

      Not only that, but why can't they add a DVI-D/HDMI/mini-DP input on those nice digital photo frames? They'd make really nice, low-cost secondary monitors.

      You do realize you just answered your own question, right?

    3. Re:Dear Viewsonic: by localman57 · · Score: 1

      I've got a 1080p DVI ioGear USB adapter I've been quite happy with, ran me $50 from newegg. The video isn't nearly as bad as you might think, even full screen. I think it should be adequate for an 800x600 photo frame. I am frankly surprised that new monitors don't come with a USB option. If a separate dongle is $50, the Bill of Materials for the pcb and chips has to be under $20. Personally, I think the big boon for USB 3.0 will not be storage, but the ability to hang a 2nd/ 3rd/ 6th monitor off of your PC via USB, and still get decent performance.

    4. Re:Dear Viewsonic: by Yvan256 · · Score: 1

      The problem is, they don't offer those same LCD panels as monitors, even at higher prices.

      I don't care if an 8" 800x600 ViewSonic digital photo frame cost 60$ and the same display cost 80$ as a monitor.

      The digital photo frame also needs firmware and all, so it should be the most expensive product to begin with. By adding a digital video input to their digital photo frames, they'd sell to two target markets in one shot. It can't cost much to add a digital-only input port (I'm not asking for a VGA input).

    5. Re:Dear Viewsonic: by Yvan256 · · Score: 1

      USB-to-video is exactly what I don't want. What I want is a quality (i.e. ViewSonic, not some no-name brand that will stop working in six months), small LCD monitor with a digital video input.

      Those 8", 800x600 ViewSonic digital photo frames would be perfect if only they had a DVI-D input.

  10. It's for a niche market by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    (Mash)ochists. Okay so it's a lame pun

  11. Windows on iPad by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Windows on iPad thanks to ProgressQuest awesomeness.

    1. Re:Windows on iPad by clang_jangle · · Score: 1

      Only if your definition of "awesomeness" is taking the worst ideas from Apple and Microsoft and combine them. But to each their own...

      --
      Caveat Utilitor
  12. Re:I can answer that one by swanzilla · · Score: 1

    I strongly encourage you to visit a gastrointestinal specialist.

    --
    0 = 1 + e^(Alt something)
  13. What? by adamdoyle · · Score: 1

    I don't see the problem. It's a "tablet" (by today's definition) that gives you the option of booting into Windows in the rare cases that you might need to. If it's priced right, then I think it would be a good alternative to those other Android tablets. Granted, I think the Android tablets are stupid, so maybe I'm biased. I like to think of the tablets with Wacom transducers and decent processors as tablets - not those Android-loaded things.

    1. Re:What? by cpu6502 · · Score: 2

      The problem is running Windows 7 on a 1 gigahertz single-core CPU. I thought my brother's PC with 3 gigahertz Pentium was slow..... but this tablet at 1/3rd speed must be a real bear.

      --
      My AC stalker: " I personally agree with your posts most of the time, but that won't keep me from modding you troll"
    2. Re:What? by adamdoyle · · Score: 1

      Well it is the stripped down netbook version, right? I think it's called "starter edition," or something. (I've never used it though, so idk how "stripped down" it is)

    3. Re:What? by obarthelemy · · Score: 1

      RTFA: they choose a phone version of android; not even the latest one (both articles say 2.2, or 1.6) , and not only did they not try to tablet-ize it, but it barely supports the hardware (no turning off the screen, on ly the whole tablet). So it's the ususal so-so windows experience on one side, or a significantly worse than usual android experience on the other.

      --
      The Cloud - because you don't care if your apps and data are up in the air.
    4. Re:What? by h4rr4r · · Score: 1

      Earth to cpu6502, comparing hertz of CPUs of vastly different generations and with significant design differences is not a useful metric.

    5. Re:What? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      From what I've heard, you're the bear. (For those that don't know, he's gay and hairy).

    6. Re:What? by drinkypoo · · Score: 1

      The Wacom-equipped tablets I've seen have all been gutless wonders, usually with Pentium M. Who is making good ones and how do I find them?

      --
      "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
    7. Re:What? by b0bby · · Score: 1

      If it's priced right, then I think it would be a good alternative to those other Android tablets.

      It's not priced right ($600), Windows 7 runs very poorly on a low end Atom, and it's running Android 2.2 with no marketplace. So it's teh suck. Of course, most of the other Android tablets are too, which is a shame. I was hoping that by this time there'd be a decent selection of reasonably priced Android tablets out there, but so far there's nothing that's even remotely tempting me.

    8. Re:What? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I have a netbook with 7 Starter, and yeah, it's great for slow computers.

      Unfortunately ViewSonic puts 7 Professional and 7 Home Premium on depending on which model you buy.

    9. Re:What? by Andy+Dodd · · Score: 1

      Honestly, Froyo or Gingerbread on a tablet isn't that bad. I'm perfectly happy with the interface of Froyo on my Huawei S7. (What I'm not happy about is how long Huawei took to release Froyo, the fact that they only released it in Indonesia and only via "authorized service center" making it take forever to get a leaked version of the update, and how horribly buggy their Eclair build and radio baseband was.)

      However, if you're going to make a Froyo tablet, you should at least include the normal Android buttons. It sounds like Viewsonic's Froyo build is even worse than Huawei's Eclair build was.

      --
      retrorocket.o not found, launch anyway?
    10. Re:What? by Ogi_UnixNut · · Score: 1

      Thinkpad X61 Works for me. Wacom convertable tablet with Intel Core Duo. More powerful than I think I'll ever need, lol

    11. Re:What? by froggymana · · Score: 1

      Yes, but the atom architecture also cuts out a lot of things and only does in-order execution which is slower than the out of order execcution that the Pentiums did.

      --
      "To prevent this day from getting any worse, I'll just read ERROR as GOOD THING" 1GJU8xLuDKDxEs4KLf8fAGyptoDsqvEsBT
    12. Re:What? by drinkypoo · · Score: 1

      Thanks, looking now. It looks like they have both a tablet and a notebook sold as the X61, as in, a convertible AND a nonconvertible. WTF?

      --
      "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
    13. Re:What? by h4rr4r · · Score: 1

      Absolutely true. Just comparing them by clockspeed is totally useless. People are doing it with ARM cpus vs x86 these days too, for fun go look at ARM cpu floating point performance.

    14. Re:What? by kwark · · Score: 1

      The Thinkpad X201T sports an (previous generation) i7 at 2.13GHz (2.9 GHzin turbo mode), the fastest machine I own. The slowest thing about it is the Intel video.

    15. Re:What? by cpu6502 · · Score: 1

      >>>Earth to cpu6502, comparing hertz of CPUs of vastly different generations and with significant design differences is not a useful metric.

      If you truly think a 1 gigahertz ATOM with its simplified structure is faster than a 3 gigahertz P4 with its large cache, out-of-order execution, and speedy pipelining, then YOU are the one who needs to be calling earth.

      The MP3 encoder "Lame" runs much faster on the Pentium 4 systems. So do Adobe Acrobat, iTunes, and WinZip. Atom is like driving a poor-man's $15,000 Civic.... even if it's a 2012 model, it won't be as fast as the 2002 P4 ferrari.

      --
      My AC stalker: " I personally agree with your posts most of the time, but that won't keep me from modding you troll"
    16. Re:What? by froggymana · · Score: 1

      But his point still stands of the atom of being at least 1/3 slower than the 3GHz Pentium

      --
      "To prevent this day from getting any worse, I'll just read ERROR as GOOD THING" 1GJU8xLuDKDxEs4KLf8fAGyptoDsqvEsBT
    17. Re:What? by larry+bagina · · Score: 1

      Google announced a new version of the Galaxy Tab earlier today, the second tablet running 3.0/honeycomb. Should be out in a month or so.

      --
      Do you even lift?

      These aren't the 'roids you're looking for.

    18. Re:What? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      At least a Pentium-M would still ass-rape the pathetic 1 GHz Atom chip in this Viewsonic piece of trash.

    19. Re:What? by PCM2 · · Score: 1

      They gave one to every Google I/O attendee, in fact, so I have one right here. It seems pretty decent, for just having used it for a few minutes. For that matter, the Motorola Xoom isn't all that bad. I'm not sure either one is really competitive with the iPad yet, but that seems to mostly be a matter of what you can actually do with them -- meaning software -- which Google is working on, too.

      --
      Breakfast served all day!
    20. Re:What? by gmhowell · · Score: 1

      Atom is like driving a poor-man's $15,000 Civic.... even if it's a 2012 model, it won't be as fast as the 2002 P4 ferrari.

      Throw them both off a cliff...

      Coincidentally, that's what one should probably do with this tablet.

      --
      Jesus was all right but his disciples were thick and ordinary. -John Lennon
    21. Re:What? by gmhowell · · Score: 1

      Can anyone explain what is the difference between 2.2 and 3.0 that would make the latter 'tabletized'? I haven't used Android enough to know what this could possibly mean.

      --
      Jesus was all right but his disciples were thick and ordinary. -John Lennon
    22. Re:What? by shutdown+-p+now · · Score: 1

      Basically, core UI and stock apps are less aggressive about hiding widgets to conserve space.

      For example, in the browser, in 2.x the address bar is hidden once you scroll down (and will only reappear if you scroll all the way up, or open context menu), and to switch between tabs you have to go to context menu -> Windows. You also only get a single button crammed into address bar, doubling as bookmark list (normally) or stop (when page is loading) - reload, back, forward etc are all in context menu

        In 3.x, it looks more or less like Chrome - tabs on top, address bar underneath with back/forward/reload on left and find & bookmarks on right. Both tabs and address bar are always visible.

      For another example, notifications. In 2.x the text flashes in the status bar on top briefly, and then collapses into an icon on the left of the bar. If there are several notifications, they scroll one after another quickly as they appear, and collapse to icons after all are scrolled. To view them again, you have to slide the status bar down, which opens the notification "drawer" with item list in fullscreen mode, obscuring any open apps completely until you close the drawer.

      In 3.x, the status bar is on the bottom of the screen and quite a bit bigger, and has soft buttons for Home, Back, and task switcher on the left, and status icons on the right alongside the clock (very much like Windows tray). Notifications appear as popups in the top right corner above the clock, where they can be clicked immediately to open, or else disappear shortly, replaced by an icon in the tray. Tapping individual icons (which are bigger than in 2.x) opens corresponding notifications right away. Or you can tap on the clock, which re-opens them all as popups, stacked vertically.

    23. Re:What? by shutdown+-p+now · · Score: 1

      so far there's nothing that's even remotely tempting me.

      Did you see this?

    24. Re:What? by Stuarticus · · Score: 1

      So you didn't RTFA and see the price was a ridiculous $680?

      --
      If you think someone isn't free to have a different definition of "freedom" you may be a tyrant.
    25. Re:What? by b0bby · · Score: 1

      Ok, that one is a little tempting; when I last looked at it they were guessing it would be $500, but at $400 it's worth a visit to Best Buy to check it out.

    26. Re:What? by b0bby · · Score: 1

      Yeah, the Xoom doesn't seem all that bad, but I'm not going to pay more for it. The fact is, the ipad is better than any of the Android tablets, and it's only the fact that it's too tied down for my taste that I'm even waiting for a decent option to come along. But I'm sure I'd be happy with a free Tab!

    27. Re:What? by shutdown+-p+now · · Score: 1

      Unfortunately, brick and mortar Best Buy would likely not have any in stock (unless you're extremely lucky), as pretty much everyone is sold out on that now. They get new batches every now and then, but there's normally a few hundred online backorders everywhere so they go to those people first.

    28. Re:What? by Ogi_UnixNut · · Score: 1

      Yep, they have both. When new the nonconvertible is cheaper to buy, and as some people wanted the form factor and power without the extra cost of a tablet they don't use. I suspect the hinge is also stronger (The convertible version has one hinge in the middle that has to rotate, which is weaker than two on the side).

      You can usually tell the difference by the hinges. The nonconvertible has two ones near the edges, the tablet one big one in the centre.

      Have a look at the picture here to see what I mean (tablet is on the right): http://www.notebookreview.com/assets/23058.jpg

      They sell them as the X61s and X61 Tablet respectively, but most people just put them down as X61, hence the confusion. Hope this helps :)

  14. Re:I can answer that one by larry+bagina · · Score: 1

    blood everywhere?

    --
    Do you even lift?

    These aren't the 'roids you're looking for.

  15. Creamed spinach and red licorice... by _0xd0ad · · Score: 2

    You know the Reese's ad about how chocolate and peanut better go better together? I bet whoever came up with the ViewSonic ViewPad 10 had the same aspiration. The problem is this dual-OS tablet is not a delectable combination. Think creamed spinach and red licorice, not peanut butter and chocolate.

    Does anybody else want to try that now?

    No? Just me?

    Okay...

    1. Re:Creamed spinach and red licorice... by Dr.+Eggman · · Score: 2

      See a doctor. My informed (through television) opinion is that you may be pregnant and not know it.

      --
      Demented But Determined.
    2. Re:Creamed spinach and red licorice... by Rene+S.+Hollan · · Score: 2

      Saag paneer (curried spinach with fried fresh acid-set cheese) often includes star anise in the spice mix. Star anise tastes a bit like licorice.

      So, the combination isn't THAT outrageous, though the contribution of the star anise is subtle at best.

      Now, as for the pickled herring and raspberry jam my mother once came up with, well, lets just say it looks the same coming up as going down.

      --
      In Liberty, Rene
    3. Re:Creamed spinach and red licorice... by _0xd0ad · · Score: 1

      Saag paneer (curried spinach with fried fresh acid-set cheese) often includes star anise in the spice mix. Star anise tastes a bit like licorice.

      Red licorice is generally either strawberry or cherry flavor.

    4. Re:Creamed spinach and red licorice... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Now, as for the pickled herring and raspberry jam my mother once came up with, well, lets just say it looks the same coming up as going down.

      Certainly better than that peanut, butter, and jelly sandwich I hear all Americans like.

    5. Re:Creamed spinach and red licorice... by Rene+S.+Hollan · · Score: 1

      It's not "peanut, butter, and jelly." It's "peanut butter, and jelly."

      Loath it if you will, but at least get it right.

      --
      In Liberty, Rene
    6. Re:Creamed spinach and red licorice... by _0xd0ad · · Score: 1

      He knew that.

      Still... I'm pretty sure I've seen people who put butter, syrup, and peanut butter on their pancackes.

    7. Re:Creamed spinach and red licorice... by larry+bagina · · Score: 1

      "penis butter", not "peanut, butter".

      --
      Do you even lift?

      These aren't the 'roids you're looking for.

    8. Re:Creamed spinach and red licorice... by painandgreed · · Score: 1

      Yum.

    9. Re:Creamed spinach and red licorice... by Archangel+Michael · · Score: 1

      That does sound good. And if I'm pregnant then it is a MIRACLE!!!!!

      --
      Agent K: A *person* is smart. People are dumb, stupid, panicky animals, and you know it.
  16. Get a 10.2" Viewsonic gTablet instead by drsmack1 · · Score: 2

    The gTablet is a completely different product that is android only. Has dual 1 GHz tegra2 processor and really kicks ass. LOTS of dev support; with three viable alternate ROMs. I'm running Vegan-Tab on mine.

    They can be had for less than $300 new if you look around a bit.

    --

    Humor from a Genetically Molested Mind

    1. Re:Get a 10.2" Viewsonic gTablet instead by Microlith · · Score: 1

      Beware the terrible screen though, and Nvidia is dropping support for Harmony-based devices due to highly visible processor errata.

    2. Re:Get a 10.2" Viewsonic gTablet instead by drsmack1 · · Score: 1

      The screen is subpar compared to the Xoom or iPad - true. But it still works just fine for it's intended purposes.

      --

      Humor from a Genetically Molested Mind

    3. Re:Get a 10.2" Viewsonic gTablet instead by LanMan04 · · Score: 1

      The whole "dropping processor support" thing was overblown. Nvidia said they will produce Gingerbread video drivers for Harmony.

      --
      With the first link, the chain is forged.
    4. Re:Get a 10.2" Viewsonic gTablet instead by drinkypoo · · Score: 3, Interesting

      I'd rather spend $400 on this. And then if I love it another $150 on the keyboard+extended battery+port replicator unit. I trust Asus a million times more than Viewsonic. Maybe literally.

      --
      "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
    5. Re:Get a 10.2" Viewsonic gTablet instead by drsmack1 · · Score: 1

      If they are really $400 then that is a good deal. The things I liked about the gTablet (and the reason I bought one a few months ago) is that it has a unlocked bootloader and tacit cooperation from Viewsonic for third party ROMs.

      If ASUS is the same deal - then it will be VERY popular.

      --

      Humor from a Genetically Molested Mind

    6. Re:Get a 10.2" Viewsonic gTablet instead by drinkypoo · · Score: 1

      It's going to be a while before you can actually get your hands on one, because it's only becoming available today and selling out about as fast as it's going on sale, stocks are limited. It's Asus though so we know they will crank out some more if they sell, which they clearly are.

      --
      "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
    7. Re:Get a 10.2" Viewsonic gTablet instead by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The whole "dropping processor support" thing was overblown. Nvidia said they will produce Gingerbread video drivers for Harmony.

      Nvidia said they "will provide driver support IF the vendor asks for it" Viewsonic has already washed their hands of the G tablet just try and call their support lines.

    8. Re:Get a 10.2" Viewsonic gTablet instead by John3 · · Score: 1

      Good luck finding it for $400. The supplies of this tablet are extremely limited leading to prices in the mid to high $500 range.

      --
      "We make our world significant by the courage of our questions and by the depth of our answers." Carl Sagan
    9. Re:Get a 10.2" Viewsonic gTablet instead by GameboyRMH · · Score: 1

      Looks like you can hack MeeGo onto it too:

      http://wiki.meego.com/ARM/TEGRA2#Viewsonic_G_Tablet

      --
      "When information is power, privacy is freedom" - Jah-Wren Ryel
    10. Re:Get a 10.2" Viewsonic gTablet instead by christurkel · · Score: 1

      There was a time when ViewSonic made great stuff. I had a ViewSonic monitor that lasted for ages. What a shame.

      --

      CDE open sourced! https://sourceforge.net/projects/cdesktopenv/
    11. Re:Get a 10.2" Viewsonic gTablet instead by shutdown+-p+now · · Score: 1

      They really are $400, except that they're sold out practically everywhere. Right now you have to sit on NowInStock to snatch one when any retailer gets a new batch - they sell out within 10-15 minutes after they appear, every time (I think because there is a huge number of people on XDA forums jumping on every new batch).

      Scalpers on eBay and Amazon have them "available for shipping today", of course. For $500+.

    12. Re:Get a 10.2" Viewsonic gTablet instead by shutdown+-p+now · · Score: 1

      It largely depends on your luck when hitting the stores, as well as occasional availability at brick and mortar stores in vicinity. FWIW, I ordered one online earlier today, and miraculously they had it in stock and actually shipped.

      Of course, the real gem is the dock, and those are just as hard to find...

  17. Do NOT insult the Frankenstein monster. by mfh · · Score: 4, Informative

    Anyone party to the specific details of the Frankenstein story by Mary Shelly, will know that the supposed monster created was actually quite articulate, kind and thoughtful even. It was his creator who was the true monster.

    --
    The dangers of knowledge trigger emotional distress in human beings.
    1. Re:Do NOT insult the Frankenstein monster. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Interesting

      Uh.. except for that part where he "accidentally" strangles a child, frames a nanny for that child's murder, and deliberately murders two other people?

    2. Re:Do NOT insult the Frankenstein monster. by Drakkenmensch · · Score: 1

      I say skip to the end where that monster of a tablet runs off to the north pole to never see people again and commit suicide by fire.

    3. Re:Do NOT insult the Frankenstein monster. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Uh.. except for that part where he "accidentally" strangles a child, frames a nanny for that child's murder, and deliberately murders two other people?

      Well I'm sure we've all had days like that.

    4. Re:Do NOT insult the Frankenstein monster. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Indeed, and "Frankenstein" is the name of said creator, not the creation. Describing this thing as a "Frankenstein creation" (or a "Frankentablet" for short) seems fair enough, even at your level of pedantry; it doesn't mention the "monster" from the story anywhere.

    5. Re:Do NOT insult the Frankenstein monster. by mfh · · Score: 3, Interesting

      Uh.. except for that part where he "accidentally" strangles a child, frames a nanny for that child's murder, and deliberately murders two other people?

      The position I carefully take is that of pity for the monster for being abandoned. Had Victor Frankenstein provided love to his creation, as a good parent would, the creation would have no hatred for humanity. Had the boy William not threatened to harm the monster, and also invoked the name of Frankenstein, the monster would not have harmed the boy. This is an unfortunate case of the monster not fully grasping the true nature of the problem it faced; the monster believed the boy and therefore the monster acted out of self preservation. Remember that once the monster realized what had truly transpired he did level himself with a great deal of guilt, but it was too late.

      No, it was human cruelty that caused the monster to hate. I feel he was very much justified in his actions, sadly.

      --
      The dangers of knowledge trigger emotional distress in human beings.
    6. Re:Do NOT insult the Frankenstein monster. by sdguero · · Score: 1

      MOD PARENT UP!
      I was going to reply to the coward but luckily you got there first. :)

    7. Re:Do NOT insult the Frankenstein monster. by sdguero · · Score: 3, Interesting

      I think Mary Shelly's story actually fits pretty well. There is a lot of good qualities to the hardware and software in this Frankentablet, but the monster it has become is the result of Viewsonic's decisions.

    8. Re:Do NOT insult the Frankenstein monster. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Maybe, just maybe, not using the brain of an hanged murder could be wise.

    9. Re:Do NOT insult the Frankenstein monster. by ginbot462 · · Score: 1

      >> concise thematic explanation by mfh (56)

      Number 56 eh? You must be one the "cool" ones from the Village.

      Course, you're back from when the brainwashing had that personal touch like faked escapes or body doubles (Oh, and secret LSD experiments ... apparently they didn't want long lines of "volunteers").
      Nowadays, it's just "warrantless wiretap; seize the hard drive; force viewing Jersey Shore and Sandra Lee shows".

      --
      Atlas Shrugged : Thematic Story :: Battlefield Earth : Organized Religion
  18. The InfoWorld Reviewer is the /. Submitter?!? by RobotRunAmok · · Score: 2

    Links to an Ad, no pictures, no mention of battery life... is there an question that if InfoWorld wasn't paying for this placement slashdot would not even run this crap?

  19. Is this Viewsonic's new marketing strat? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I own a VS g Tablet. It's a nice alternative to the more expensive and slower 1st gen ipad but Viewsonic doesn't actually make any of the tablets they sell, all they are doing is putting their name on a piece of technology. The community at xda developers has been at war with Viewsonic for months to produce the next android operating system (3.0 the article mentions) and all we're told is that nvidia has to provide the drivers (nvidia makes the cpu inside the tablets) or they cannot make the next android iteration. Meanwhile nvidia has said that they will support any android version as long as the company requests the drivers, do you think Viewsonic has asked for the drivers? hell no!. They will never support these items and if you do call for tech support you're usually routed to some off-site secondary company hired to take the thousands of phone calls that using these items ultimately produce. I used to be an avid lover of Viewsonic monitors but now I'll never purchase another thing from them again.

  20. Re:Oh look by tripleevenfall · · Score: 1

    There needs to be a tag that indicates postwhoering by author.

  21. Re:Still better than Ipad... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    Then please go out & buy one. We'll quietly mock you behind your back.

    Actually, seriously...I have no fucking idea why anyone buys anything other than an iPad in the tablet space. And I'm far from a fanboi - I use Linux & Windows (when I have to) on my desktop/laptop, and I think Android kicks serious ass in the phone market. But really...in the tablet space - ALL the iPad competitors suck donkey cock in comparison. Android 3 is a festering turd (although I admit it has hope), Android 2.x on tablets is fucking retarded, the PlayBook & its QNX system looks pretty but is so fucking crippled if you don't carry a BlackBerry that RIM should have just gone out and hung themselves rather than release that shit and Windows 7 on a touch interface makes good geeks want to hang themselves.

    We may hate Apple for their closed ecosystem & walled-garden approach...but fuck, when it comes to the iPad, it does Just Work.

  22. Linux Boot Loader by sglewis100 · · Score: 1
    From the article:

    I asked ViewSonic why the boot menu didn't match the actual buttons and was told that the company used a Linux boot loader.

    If only they used a product whose source code was available, rather than Linux, maybe they could have changed the text to line up with the buttons.

    1. Re:Linux Boot Loader by oakgrove · · Score: 1

      Exactly. Those guys are idiots and deserve to be mocked.

      --
      The soylentnews experiment has been a dismal failure.
    2. Re:Linux Boot Loader by awshidahak · · Score: 1

      From the article:

      I asked ViewSonic why the boot menu didn't match the actual buttons and was told that the company used a Linux boot loader.

      If only they used a product whose source code was available, rather than Linux, maybe they could have changed the text to line up with the buttons.

      My thoughts exactly.

  23. I did suggest ViewSonix Linux, they didnt listen by fishdish · · Score: 1

    OMG they never quit do they? back in 2004 my company, Bluescreen (a services startup in http://www.hamk.fi/ s business park), ran a Linux operating system, with a little bit tweaked Enlightenment for ViewSonic to replace Windows in their Tablet PCs. ViewSonic having the opportunity to corner the market 5 years ahead Apple, decided to quit making tabs altogether. Now, another smart move.

  24. Time for the Morton salt approach? by hilldog · · Score: 1

    It never fails to amaze me how some companies -insert the usual suspects- feel duty bound to rush 'me too' products to market no matter how shoddy or ill suited to their core business. The waste in money, man power and resources must be staggering. I propose the Morton salt business model - do a few things and do them really really well. When I think 'salt' I think of Morton...rain, girl under umbrella, when it rains it pours etc.

  25. Re:I can answer that one by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Win 7 on a 1GHz single-core Atom? Apparently Viewsonic wanted to tap into the masochist niche market for tablet computing.

  26. Wow... by roc97007 · · Score: 1

    It's almost like Viewsonic set out to do a technological demonstration on why tablets don't work.

    --
    Oliver's law of assumed responsibility: If you're seen fixing it, you will be blamed for breaking it.
    1. Re:Wow... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      In my opinion tablets are a cross between ebook readers and netbooks, they seems like a good idea but they're not good for either.
      The final step will be an ebook reader that can browse the internet.

    2. Re:Wow... by dargaud · · Score: 1

      In my opinion tablets are a cross between ebook readers and netbooks, they seems like a good idea but they're not good for either. The final step will be an ebook reader that can browse the internet.

      ...and read cbr/cbz comic book files (in color obviously).

      --
      Non-Linux Penguins ?
    3. Re:Wow... by itsdapead · · Score: 1

      It's almost like Viewsonic set out to do a technological demonstration on why tablets don't work.

      ...or as if they got someone who hated tablets to design one which confirmed all their prejudices.

      --
      In a survey of 100 programmers, 111111 thought that duck-typing was a good idea.
    4. Re:Wow... by roc97007 · · Score: 1

      I don't agree. I see tablets occupying a niche between smartphones and laptops. I can do a fair amount of work on my smartphone using logmein ignition. All I really need to make it truly effective is a slightly bigger screen. A small tablet means to me that I don't need to carry a laptop around to do remote administration. This is of considerable value to me, being essentially oncall 24/7.

      My e-reader has been my smartphone for probably a decade. My e-reader in the previous decade was my PDA. I personally don't see the appeal in a single-purpose device.

      But to be effective, (a) no Winders. I mean seriously, don't we know by now that Winders doesn't work in a touch-only environment? It's just not a market M$ is interested in pursuing. Oh, they'll put something out there just to have a presence, but we all know that "tablet edition" is just the Accessibility suite rebranded. (b) No elderly smartphone-editions of Android. There's a steep learning curve on any new OS, and Android's curve is just starting to level out. Go back a couple minor revisions, and the OS rapidly gets unusable. You really do need to use a recent version of Android for a good user experience.

      So given this, the Viewsonic tablet was exactly the opposite of what you'd want to do for a product like this. I bet the design meetings were really interesting.

      Moreover, I bet the iPad design team is laughing their heads off. Craptastic offerings like this only pollute the message. It's almost like Viewsonic did it on purpose.

      --
      Oliver's law of assumed responsibility: If you're seen fixing it, you will be blamed for breaking it.
  27. Why the bashing of Windows 7? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Hell I like Linux much more than Windows myself, and yes, it wasnt designed to go on the "tablets" that are being released now, but still. I've used Windows on Slates and Tablets for the past 10 years and have never had anything to complain about (Well okay XP's tablet functionality was horrific, but cmon, tablets were almost nonexistent then). Personally I like Windows on my Tablets for the same reason I hate the iPad, I like devices that you know, do things.

  28. Salmon poached in liquorice... by AliasMarlowe · · Score: 1

    See a doctor. My informed (through television) opinion is that you may be pregnant and not know it.

    As a quick pregnancy test, see if you like Salmon poached in Liquorice. If you like it, you're obviously pregnant. If you throw up, it's probably a bout of morning sickness...

    --
    Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities. - Voltaire
    1. Re:Salmon poached in liquorice... by Yvan256 · · Score: 1

      And if you like fish sticks in custard, look behind you. There may be a blue phone box.

  29. If you lack direction throw in everything.. by MikeFM · · Score: 1

    Sounds like a case of a company having absolutely no idea what makes a good tablet so they just try to do it all. Maybe throw in a lot of buzzwords to make it sound cool. The end product costs about the same as an iPad and the iPad is awesome. Why would I want to try a crappy knockoff that isn't even cheap?

    Almost all of these companies would do better if they'd just create cool accessories for Apple products. I can think of many cool accessories nobody has done yet but instead I see consumer electronics companies cranking out crap tablets. You can only sell me a tablet once every couple years (and probably just once if it sucks) but I'll buy several cool accessories a year.

    --
    At what price learning? At what cost wisdom? The price is a man's peace of mind, and the cost is his life.
  30. Yes, but it create all the beautiful life forms by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    That looks stupid, but it is the way nature design

  31. WOW by kelemvor4 · · Score: 1

    That may very well be the harshest review of a piece of electronics I have ever read. Kind of reminds me of that "American Idol" show where they have these 3 judges who berate the contestants until they cry sometimes when the contestant isn't good.

  32. could not take the article seriously by vuffi_raa · · Score: 1

    I don't have a lot of love for the tablet since I have read other reviews that complained of the performance but when I read:

    this "slap it together mentality" is one reason no tablets come close to the iPad.

    I couldn't really take anything he said seriously as I knew that the rest of the review would be a bunch of biased crap - and when he goes into the windows usage it did get really stupid.

  33. Re:I can answer that one by mjwx · · Score: 1

    What happens if you take a netbook, remove its keyboard, put Windows 7 in one partition, a custom version of Android 2.2 in another, throw in a Linux bootloader, and physical buttons that match none of these?

    That's easy. Exactly the same thing that happens when I take a shit.

    Something long, brown and squishy comes out?

    OK, seeing as the tablet is square and already in a rigid case, we'll simply paint it white.

    --
    Calling someone a "hater" only means you can not rationally rebut their argument.
  34. Re:Still better than Ipad... by tehcyder · · Score: 1

    Then please go out & buy one. We'll quietly mock you behind your back.

    Actually, seriously...I have no fucking idea why anyone buys anything other than an iPad in the tablet space. And I'm far from a fanboi - I use Linux & Windows (when I have to) on my desktop/laptop, and I think Android kicks serious ass in the phone market. But really...in the tablet space - ALL the iPad competitors suck donkey cock in comparison. Android 3 is a festering turd (although I admit it has hope), Android 2.x on tablets is fucking retarded, the PlayBook & its QNX system looks pretty but is so fucking crippled if you don't carry a BlackBerry that RIM should have just gone out and hung themselves rather than release that shit and Windows 7 on a touch interface makes good geeks want to hang themselves.

    We may hate Apple for their closed ecosystem & walled-garden approach...but fuck, when it comes to the iPad, it does Just Work.

    My Advent tablet just works (even better with the custom ROM of course, but at least that is freely and legally available and painless).

    --
    To have a right to do a thing is not at all the same as to be right in doing it
  35. I have one of these by Raging+Bool · · Score: 1

    I actually bought one of these as soon as I saw it advertised in the UK. My work involves developing software for Windows, and we are interested in touch-screen devices, so it seemed reasonable to give it a go. The Android option is a free bonus.

    It was disappointing to see Android 1.6 only, and now that it seems 2.2 is available, I'll upgrade.

    I agree with the review article that the Windows 7 OS (Explorer, etc.) is not well-suited to touch operation. Try re-sizing a window to see how hard it is. Can you see the cursor change to a double-headed arrow? No!

    The device appears identical (except for branding) to the Novatech nTablet http://www.novatech.co.uk/novatech/prods/laptops/NNB-869.html. Novatech sells a fake-leather cover for their tablet with a keyboard built-in. For developing software, this makes the device usable.

    The USB ports are supported by Android as well as Windows, so if you want to drive Android with a keyboard and mouse, you can!

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  37. Fix it... by Bert64 · · Score: 1

    It's a shame this tablet seems so half-assed.. Is it possible to wipe it and install Android 3.x on it? Or are they planning to upgrade to android 3 with a future update?

    --
    http://spamdecoy.net - free throwaway anonymous email - avoid spam!