The Spam Thread!

[cpd2009]

Try running Quick System Info PRO on that one, it should give you some specs on the tablet. And yeah, resistive screens won't cut it anymore if you ask me.

In other news, Wikia has just granted me admin and bureaucrat rights on the Strawberry Shortcake wiki. Anyone up for a promotion?

I'm not sure if I can. Kmart's in-store demo units are usually only for display purposes in a glass case. Once in awhile they will have an active demo unit behind the counter, but it may be locked down. So, it will be difficult, if not impossible, to get Quick System Info PRO on it. Menards may be different. If they have a BF tablet, there is certain to be a display unit, as I believe Fluttershy was such a unit before I bought her discounted for $99 last January. I don't know if they will have it connected to the store WiFi or if an app store would be set up.

As for their resistive screens, Fluttershy's screen is far more responsive and accurate, and I can play Angry Birds without issues in terms of control. Herman however has a far more fussy touch screen. Sometimes in Angry Birds, after you aim, your bird will suddenly rocket downward away from your intended aim after you let go. It only happens on occasion, but when it does, it's rather annoying. Other games seem alright with his touchscreen. Also, navigating the UI can be annoying too. Sometimes when you try to scroll up, the touch screen registers a "click" for some reason and instead of scrolling, it takes me into a system setting, an email, or whatever he thinks I clicked.

A capacitive screen would be great...if I can find one that is affordable and of good quality. It also has to have decent battery life. I know that I shouldn't expect an iPad-like battery life in a discount tablet, but it should at least provide 4 hours of steady gaming compared to the two hours that my current tablets have. I read that Allwinner CPUs have better power management than comparable Rockchips, and they have a wide range of built in video decoders like the Rockchips as well. I also mentioned they have better game support as well.

I'm also paying attention to the home shopping channels as well. They tend to offer these kinds of tablets during the holidays, from the high end Samsung Galaxy Tabs to that discount 9.7'' tablet that got all the bad reviews.

I did lower the screen brightness on both of my tablets, and I will see if that extends their battery life.

[huckleberrypie]

My dad owns one of them Galaxy Tabs, more specifically the 7.0 Plus model. A little on the more expensive side at 300-something USD, but it's worth the purchase.

[RAMChYLD]

I agree with Blake with this. Sometimes it's best to just stick to the mainstream brand products like Samsung since it's more likely to be officially supported.

[cpd2009]

I agree with Blake with this. Sometimes it's best to just stick to the mainstream brand products like Samsung since it's more likely to be officially supported.

The tablet of my dreams is the Toshiba Thrive or Excite. Customizable back plate, user replaceable battery, Android 4.0 ICS, Google Play access.....you name it. It would trump both of my current tablets. But again, it's cost. A basic Thrive or Excite costs as much as an iPad Mini.

The main reasons why I don't want an iPad....for one, planned obsolescence. Apple is not right in the head by releasing two new full-size iPads in the same year. Add the iPad mini, and that is three new iPads this year alone. Second reason is complete lockdown. Unless you jailbreak (which is legal now), you are stuck with the AppStore and it's restrictions, and there is no expandable memory....not even a MicroSD slot. Third reason....lock down to iTunes. I like Android tablets because you can just connect them to your PC or Mac and drag and drop your music, videos, or documents on them like a flash drive. iPad? You must sync through iTunes. Unless it's on a Mac, syncing takes forever, as David told me with his experience syncing Eva on Windows iTunes.

No matter what tablet I get, be it a discount tablet or a high-end Thrive or Excite, it will always be Android.

There is a charm though about using the low-end discount tablets. They don't perform like iPads or Thrives, but for the price, they are decent...especially if you can find one with a capacitive screen. I may also count "HypeAversion" as well.

As long as discount tablets have a 1ghz processor or above and a built in GPU, Amazon AppStore will likely work. Though I'm still waiting to hear on those two Angry Birds apps that won't run anymore.

[cpd2009]

Obama was re-elected for US President...


And Fluttershy has root access, as "Smart System Info" tells me. User name is listed as "root", and I never gave her root access (and I recently restored her to factory defaults as well). Only thing close to a root is soon after her purchase, I went to the Polaroid support site and upgraded her to the latest firmware listed.

I now have the urge to download and run this app on Herman. Herman was brand new, and I wonder if he has root access as well.

[RAMChYLD]

Another iOS app bites the dust on iOS 5.

The Ashens videos app now only works in iOS6.

An excellent letdown, Ashen. YOU DISAPPOINT ME!

Of course, not that it matters anymore anyway.

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Also, I just found out that Apple is crippling the App Store access for iOS5 users- the Eva says that the entire store is not available to Malaysia, it's a lie, it's just no longer available to iOS5 devices. Smooth, Apple.

[cpd2009]

Another iOS app bites the dust on iOS 5.

The Ashens videos app now only works in iOS6.

An excellent letdown, Ashen. YOU DISAPPOINT ME!

Of course, not that it matters anymore anyway.

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Also, I just found out that Apple is crippling the App Store access for iOS5 users- the Eva says that the entire store is not available to Malaysia, it's a lie, it's just no longer available to iOS5 devices. Smooth, Apple.

Do you know of other people with iOS6 that can still access the Apple AppStore? If they can and you can't, then Apple really is beginning to be unfair. There is one other person on the Apple Discussion Boards saying the same thing... <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="https://discussions.apple.com/thread/4430294?start=0&tstart=0">https://discussions.apple.com/thread/44 ... 0&tstart=0</a><!-- m --> No responses though.

However, it's also possible that it could just be a random error. Seeing as how one other person is having the same access issue though....

If Apple dropping iOS5 access to the AppStore turns out to be true, there is no way I'm going to get an iPad. It may even lower my opinion of Apple altogether. If Apple starts playing the "obsolescence" card with Lilly, then I'm buying a copy of Windows 7 and converting her to a Windows desktop, or I'm going to start plans for a new as-yet-to-be-named desktop PC. Or just switch to Greta full time.

This is somewhat, but take a look at what happened with my Angry Birds apps. At first, I thought it was Fluttershy since she runs Android 2.3 and I first thought the reason why they wouldn't run is that they dropped Android 2.3 support. But, Herman exhibits the same issue, and he is running Android ICS 4.0.3! Only thing I can think of, as stated before, is Rovio blacklisting the GC800 GPU, but it could just be a random error. Too early to tell.

I know that the Spot apps that you love as well as several others are not available on Android, and Malaysian users can't access the Amazon App Store. I have said this several times before, but I think it's about time to consider an Android tablet. Keep in mind that I'm not suggesting replacing Eva completely with an Android tablet. Keep Eva along for those Spot apps, and beg the developer of the Spot app to add Android support. I think Google Play is available in Malaysia. Correct me if I am wrong.


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Apple....I have a message for you. DON'T RUIN LILLY!! I spent two or more years trying to get her, and thanks to your awesome Mac Mini, I finally did. But, now I am concerned about how you treat your hardware. If you ruin Lilly with your planned obsolescence card, then I will lose all respect I have for you.

[cpd2009]

I really need a new avatar...

...probably change it to Herman's namesake because I found out Herman was rooted at the factory!

Perhaps that is a sign that most of those discount BF tablets already come rooted. That means I could go grey market and find some package to add Google Play, but I'm fine with the Amazon AppStore.

[RAMChYLD]

Do you know of other people with iOS6 that can still access the Apple AppStore? If they can and you can't, then Apple really is beginning to be unfair. There is one other person on the Apple Discussion Boards saying the same thing... <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="https://discussions.apple.com/thread/4430294?start=0&tstart=0">https://discussions.apple.com/thread/44 ... 0&tstart=0</a><!-- m --> No responses though.

However, it's also possible that it could just be a random error. Seeing as how one other person is having the same access issue though....

Well, I do know people with newer iOS devices that have been upgraded to iOS6, and theirs work fine, so yes, it's an iOS5 only issue.

I should probably make it clear tho- the store still does work if you ignore the error and go do a search. Just that you can no longer see the opening screen of the store. Of course, whether it's still worth using when half of the apps listed won't run on iOS 5 anymore is another issue.

I'm very disappointed in Ashen tho. All the app does is link to his Youtube videos, Twitter page and home page, and it needs iOS 6? Why?

[cpd2009]

Well, I do know people with newer iOS devices that have been upgraded to iOS6, and theirs work fine, so yes, it's an iOS5 only issue.

I should probably make it clear tho- the store still does work if you ignore the error and go do a search. Just that you can no longer see the opening screen of the store. Of course, whether it's still worth using when half of the apps listed won't run on iOS 5 anymore is another issue.

I'm very disappointed in Ashen tho. All the app does is link to his Youtube videos, Twitter page and home page, and it needs iOS 6? Why?

You can ask Ashen about it, or perhaps the developer of his app as for the reasoning. For such a simple app, it makes no sense to lock out iOS5 users.