I picked up the Flyer yesterday at BestBuy after playing with it for only ten minutes. I have been following android tablets on engadget and gizmodo for months now and decied on the Flyer.
Build Quality:
This thing is rock solid. No flex in the body and the device feels as sturdy as my EVO 4G. HTC continues to impress me with the quality of their products, and the aluminum back adds to the sturdy build. The tablet weighs a lot more than it looks, but that isn't a bad thing, adding to the quality feel. I don't mind the white accents on the back, as I would rather have a functional antenna than a solid aluminum backplate. The plastic also makes it easy to hold in landscape . I have used this device for a day now, and have held it in my left hand while operating it with my right. I have not noticed any issues with the weight and the size is perfect.
Hardware:
HTC kept it simple and it is a great device. As i mentioned above, this thing is solid and feels like a quality device. I can thumb type with ease in portrait mode, and landscape typing is almost like a netbook. The cameras are decent, but seem to be an afterthought. The front facing 1.3 mp camera does the job for video chatting and photo booth. On top of the device is a power button with an integrated notification light. This is a cool design variation, but it is hard to see the light when using the tablet. On the right side of the Flyer is the volume rocker, which feels responsive and does its job. On the bottom bezel lay the capacitive buttons (home, menu, and back) as well as a special button for the magic pen. HTC has designed the Flyer to have two sets of these buttons, so that they are easily accessible in either orientation. The speakers seem to be run of the mill, and slightly tinny. Plugging in headphones seems to alleviate any concerns.
Software:
The Flyer is running HTC's sense overlay on top of Android gingerbread. Many people are upset that this device does not ship with honeycomb, although I think HTC did an excellent job in revamping sense for a bigger screen. Launcher Pro does not compensate for the added screen real estate and makes the tablet look goofy. HTC's email app and calendar app mimic the dual pane view of honeycombs applications, and pull it off quite well. An update for honeycomb is in the works, and I'm guessing it will be out when the HTC view 4G ships on sprint later this month. Until then, I am very satisfied with sense and don't notice he lack of tablet apps. The bundled HTC movie and e book applications seem nice, but I don't want to subscribe to yet another service for movies and books, so I will wait for netflix.
Magic Pen:
This little metal pen costs $80 and still seems like a toy, but I am hoping more apps will come out that take advantage of the pen and unleash its potential. The notes application bundled with the Flyer syncs with evernote, a popular note taking app available on android ios and online. It allows drawings and type to exist on a single page and has options to record audio and play back while showing when notes were written. As a college student, I can se the potential of taking notes during a lecture and reviewing them later synced with the audio. The pen is capable of pretty fine writing ,and using the device in landscape mode allows the writing to be even smaller. I will post screenshots soon of the quality of writing and drawing.
Note: I have wirelessly tethered my EVO to the Flyer in the car for some excellent gps work, and I am going to make a car dock for a portable media center.
Wrap up:
As an avid HTC fan, I could jot wait for the Flyer. I am going into product design, and immediately saw the benefits of a tablet that allowed pen input. I hope HTC continues to provide applications that take advantage of this unique accessory and this device can only get better with honeycomb.
Please feel free to comment if you would like anything tested or screenshots etc.
Build Quality:
This thing is rock solid. No flex in the body and the device feels as sturdy as my EVO 4G. HTC continues to impress me with the quality of their products, and the aluminum back adds to the sturdy build. The tablet weighs a lot more than it looks, but that isn't a bad thing, adding to the quality feel. I don't mind the white accents on the back, as I would rather have a functional antenna than a solid aluminum backplate. The plastic also makes it easy to hold in landscape . I have used this device for a day now, and have held it in my left hand while operating it with my right. I have not noticed any issues with the weight and the size is perfect.
Hardware:
HTC kept it simple and it is a great device. As i mentioned above, this thing is solid and feels like a quality device. I can thumb type with ease in portrait mode, and landscape typing is almost like a netbook. The cameras are decent, but seem to be an afterthought. The front facing 1.3 mp camera does the job for video chatting and photo booth. On top of the device is a power button with an integrated notification light. This is a cool design variation, but it is hard to see the light when using the tablet. On the right side of the Flyer is the volume rocker, which feels responsive and does its job. On the bottom bezel lay the capacitive buttons (home, menu, and back) as well as a special button for the magic pen. HTC has designed the Flyer to have two sets of these buttons, so that they are easily accessible in either orientation. The speakers seem to be run of the mill, and slightly tinny. Plugging in headphones seems to alleviate any concerns.
Software:
The Flyer is running HTC's sense overlay on top of Android gingerbread. Many people are upset that this device does not ship with honeycomb, although I think HTC did an excellent job in revamping sense for a bigger screen. Launcher Pro does not compensate for the added screen real estate and makes the tablet look goofy. HTC's email app and calendar app mimic the dual pane view of honeycombs applications, and pull it off quite well. An update for honeycomb is in the works, and I'm guessing it will be out when the HTC view 4G ships on sprint later this month. Until then, I am very satisfied with sense and don't notice he lack of tablet apps. The bundled HTC movie and e book applications seem nice, but I don't want to subscribe to yet another service for movies and books, so I will wait for netflix.
Magic Pen:
This little metal pen costs $80 and still seems like a toy, but I am hoping more apps will come out that take advantage of the pen and unleash its potential. The notes application bundled with the Flyer syncs with evernote, a popular note taking app available on android ios and online. It allows drawings and type to exist on a single page and has options to record audio and play back while showing when notes were written. As a college student, I can se the potential of taking notes during a lecture and reviewing them later synced with the audio. The pen is capable of pretty fine writing ,and using the device in landscape mode allows the writing to be even smaller. I will post screenshots soon of the quality of writing and drawing.
Note: I have wirelessly tethered my EVO to the Flyer in the car for some excellent gps work, and I am going to make a car dock for a portable media center.
Wrap up:
As an avid HTC fan, I could jot wait for the Flyer. I am going into product design, and immediately saw the benefits of a tablet that allowed pen input. I hope HTC continues to provide applications that take advantage of this unique accessory and this device can only get better with honeycomb.
Please feel free to comment if you would like anything tested or screenshots etc.
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