I got handed one of these to evaluate this morning, and I am surprisingly impressed. Of course my opinion may change after spending more time with it beyond the 6 hours so far.
Let's get this out of the way first, this device is not in the same league as the Galaxy Tab 10.1 or iPad.
It's smaller, the screen is lower resolution and it's much more plasticky (and a bit heavier than it feels like it should be)
So now thats out of the way, lets talk about some positives.
1. Nice bright screen (for the price especially)
2. Almost no bloatware and what's there is either possibly useful (the nook app) or very slick (the universal remote which is very cool and could replace a universal remote for some like me))
3. Decent sound from the speakers (compared to the iPad or Galaxy Tab 10.1)
4. Cool auto location of buttons dependent on the orientation of the tab. (works a lot like the HTC Flyer)
5. Appealing interface customization- kinds of a honeycomb light, with blue icons and graphics but not as industrial as stock honeycomb (this is subjective of course, but the three that have seen it besides me liked it)
6. Respectable performance for the price (occasional very slight lag in the UI) but fast in apps
7. Full compatibility with new android market (got the new market when I first launched it) including books and movies
8. Built in micro hdmi port
9. 4:3 screen ratio- I know some prefer the 16:9 of the Samsung but i'm in the 4:3 camp for tablets and one of the things i like about my iPad
Cons
1. Really cheap box and packaging. Apple and Samsung do a much better job of reassuring you that the big bucks you just spent on their device is buying you quality. With the Vizio the device itself feels solid but the box and packaging is low rent. (though typical of Vizio, my YV gave the same impression)
2. YOU NEED A MICRO SD card. Out of the box you only have about 2.5 GB of space on the unit itself.
3. No accessories at all except a usb ac adapter and cable ( and a 25 cent cleaning cloth)
4. The UI stutters make the unit seem slower than it really is. Apps still seem fast though even pulse
5. Funky split keyboard in landscape mode- You just have to kind of see it to understand, but I'm not liking it much. The portrait more keyboard is ok.
Initial conclusion:
You really have to factor in the price of this thing to evaluate the overall value. Especially if it ends up in the $279-$249 on sale price range, its a good value.
Plus with the low price you aren't as tempted to baby it to the point where you don't take it with you and or take it out in less than perfect conditions. I would have no qualms about just shoving this in my backpack and heading out.
It's also something i wouldn't mind handing to my 10 year old niece to play fruit ninja on. I kind of cringe when she wants to use my iPad
I'll see how i feel in a week, but it definitely could replace both my nook color and my iPad for some applications. This might be the perfect coffee shop tab (that is unless you whip out your samsung or iPad to try and impress people...)
Vizio might have a winner if they can get above the noise of every thing else out there
Let's get this out of the way first, this device is not in the same league as the Galaxy Tab 10.1 or iPad.
It's smaller, the screen is lower resolution and it's much more plasticky (and a bit heavier than it feels like it should be)
So now thats out of the way, lets talk about some positives.
1. Nice bright screen (for the price especially)
2. Almost no bloatware and what's there is either possibly useful (the nook app) or very slick (the universal remote which is very cool and could replace a universal remote for some like me))
3. Decent sound from the speakers (compared to the iPad or Galaxy Tab 10.1)
4. Cool auto location of buttons dependent on the orientation of the tab. (works a lot like the HTC Flyer)
5. Appealing interface customization- kinds of a honeycomb light, with blue icons and graphics but not as industrial as stock honeycomb (this is subjective of course, but the three that have seen it besides me liked it)
6. Respectable performance for the price (occasional very slight lag in the UI) but fast in apps
7. Full compatibility with new android market (got the new market when I first launched it) including books and movies
8. Built in micro hdmi port
9. 4:3 screen ratio- I know some prefer the 16:9 of the Samsung but i'm in the 4:3 camp for tablets and one of the things i like about my iPad
Cons
1. Really cheap box and packaging. Apple and Samsung do a much better job of reassuring you that the big bucks you just spent on their device is buying you quality. With the Vizio the device itself feels solid but the box and packaging is low rent. (though typical of Vizio, my YV gave the same impression)
2. YOU NEED A MICRO SD card. Out of the box you only have about 2.5 GB of space on the unit itself.
3. No accessories at all except a usb ac adapter and cable ( and a 25 cent cleaning cloth)
4. The UI stutters make the unit seem slower than it really is. Apps still seem fast though even pulse
5. Funky split keyboard in landscape mode- You just have to kind of see it to understand, but I'm not liking it much. The portrait more keyboard is ok.
Initial conclusion:
You really have to factor in the price of this thing to evaluate the overall value. Especially if it ends up in the $279-$249 on sale price range, its a good value.
Plus with the low price you aren't as tempted to baby it to the point where you don't take it with you and or take it out in less than perfect conditions. I would have no qualms about just shoving this in my backpack and heading out.
It's also something i wouldn't mind handing to my 10 year old niece to play fruit ninja on. I kind of cringe when she wants to use my iPad
I'll see how i feel in a week, but it definitely could replace both my nook color and my iPad for some applications. This might be the perfect coffee shop tab (that is unless you whip out your samsung or iPad to try and impress people...)
Vizio might have a winner if they can get above the noise of every thing else out there
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