Viewsonic Viewpad 7e - First Impressions

[delphin]

I just picked up a Viewpad 7e over on Amazon for $169.99 (USD) and I have to say that, based on what I have seen so far, this is an amazing little Android 2.3 tablet, and, just to stay on-topic for this forum, in addition to that, this little guy makes one hell of a nice e-reader.

It comes with Kindle for Android pre-installed, and you can add B&N's Nook for Android from 1Mobile Market (which is pre-installed).

I also added FBReader from the FBReader.org web site (because it was newer than the version at 1Mobile Market) and that also runs flawlessly.

The screen on the Viewpad 7e is only 800x600, but is amazingly sharp. PDFs that look like hell on my Sony PRS-650 are perfectly readable on my Viewpad 7e.

In part this is no doubt because the screen is a bit larger (7 vs 6 inches) but I suspect that it is also because the Viewpad 7e is doing fairly sophisticated sub-pixel rendering.

This is less surprising when you consider that, although the screen on the 7e is smaller than an iPad, and slightly lower in overall resolution (800x600 vs 1024x768), in terms of dots-per-inch the Viewpad 7e is actually higher than an iPad (143 dpi for the viewpad vs only 132 dpi for iPad and iPad2 ).

The Kindle Fire and Nook tablets have seven inch 1024x600 screens, which technically offer even higher DPI resolutions, but because they have aprox16:9 aspect ratios instead of 4:3 like my Viewsonic, they actually offer a few square inches LESS screen area.

Specifically, a 7 inch diagonal 800x600 = 5.6x4.2 = 23.5 sq/

. . . where a 7 inch diagonal 1024x600 = 6.0x3.5 = 21 sq/in.

So although you technically have a higher screen resolution on a Nook Color or Kindle Fire, it's crammed into less actual screen area.

After trying out a 7 inch 16:9 screen on a Nook Color, I found that I greatly prefer my Viewpad's 4:3 aspect ratio on a small tablet device (I guess there is a reason that iPads are 4:3). Although 16:9 wide screen format is a bit nicer for wide screen movies, as soon as you try to rotate the tablet and use it in portrait mode, it sucks for basically everything else.

As far as it's other Android features go, my Viewpad 7e kicks the living hell out of both the Kindle Fire and Original Nook Color (and is currently selling for less than either)

- Android 2.3 (not 2.0 or 2.2 like many other low cost tablets)

- Fast 1GHz Arm 8 CPU (only single core, but this thing FLYS)

- 512k of RAM memory (most sub-$200 tablets have only 256k or less)

- Bright clear 800x600 screen (not the 800x480 found on many other sub-$200 dollar tablets)

- Fast Integrated Web Browser with Flash Video Capability

- MicroSD slot for up to 32 Megs of SDHC expansion memory.

- Both front and back facing cameras (a little grainy in low light but as good as most cell phones)

- WiFi (works great, even though my router is at the other end of the house on another floor)

- Dual mode Host/Storage-Device USB OTG port (supports external USB keyboard/mouse)

- Bluetooth (Bluetooth Keyboard/mouse/file transfer)

- HDMI High Definition Video Out (480p/720p/1080i user selectable)


I do have a few minor grumbles, though nothing major.

- This little sucker weighs in at about 15.8 ounces (same as the original Nook Color) which is surprisingly hefty in such a compact device.

- It doesn't come with built in access to the full Google Android Market (Though it does come with 1Mobile Market, and the Amazon Android App Store pre-installed, and also allows full unrestricted installation of downloaded or side loaded .APK files).

- Battery life is spec'ed at a relatively short 5 hours, and could be even less if you run the screen at max brightness and run a CPU intensive application like Flash Video. Luckily, it also goes the other way, and if you want to use the device as a simple e-reader, and read in a room with subdued lighting with the screen brightness turned down (and Bluetooth, WiFi, and AppSync turned off) then you can pretty easily extend that time to 6 to 7 hours or more.

- WiFi stays active during SLEEP (so apps can update or sync), and this really increases the SLEEP power consumption (so that you can still run the battery flat in less than 24 hours even if the device sleeps the whole time). If you manually disable WiFi before putting the device to SLEEP then you do get dramatically lower power consumption and will only loose a few percent of your battery over several hours.

Overall though, these are fairly minor quibbles, and I have to say that I am VERY happy with my 7e and wouldn't trade it for either the Nook Color or Kindle Fire, even if the prices were equal.

[Noah98]

Is the screen resistive or capacitive?

[delphin]

Originally Posted by Noah98

Is the screen resistive or capacitive?

It's resistive, but you wouldn't know that unless you checked the specs because the sensitivity is really good.

Even then, I had to get out the plastic stylus from an old PDA to be sure - yep, it works, but I have been using it for a week with just a light finger touch, just like my friends nook, so I don't see any reason to bother with a stylus.

Nice to know that I could use a nice slim stylus if I wanted to (as opposed to those fake finger-fat monstrosities they call a 'stylus' for a capacitive screen.)

[MartynB]

As a tablet I am highly impressed with this little beauty. I'm an avid reader and no longer use my Kindle because this is simply better - you can read at night!

In addition I've obtained a library case with an inbuilt keyboard so I an use it for anything (theoretically) but more of this in a moment.

I've added the full 32GB 10X memory card (microSD) most of which is unused.

Here comes the bad news.

I always have an icon coming up telling me that I'm low on memory - this has now got to the point where the device cannot even update the already installed Google Docs.

I have checked every application - those that I can move to the SD card are there already but a significant number are not and the button to move them there is greyed out.

It is pretty useless having 32GB memory that I can't use and a pretty rum bit of design to constrain me to part of the onboard 4GB.

This is my first tablet so I'm not Android savvy. does anyone know how I can fix this issue or should I just return the tablet as unfit for purpose?

Just to add to this most of the internal memory remains free and almost all of the 32GB SD. What I have noticed is that the Kindle app is using only internal memory and the bulk of that is for my library of books.

I cannot move the application to the SD and I don't seem to be able to do anything in respect of where I store the data (books). There doesn't seem to be a file manager app and based on what I'm seeing I wouldn't have enough memory to install it.

Either the tablet is dumb or I am - I kind of hope it's me - because I like the tablet.

Cheers,

Martyn

[MartynB]

Replying to my own thread, research since my last post has added to the sum of my knowledge: -

The Viewsonic 7e uses Android 2.3 (Gingerbeard)
There is 4GB onboard memory
This memory is split 50/50 between system and user
Gingerbeard application (apparently) must specify whether or not they can be installed on additional memory (e.g. microSD card)
If this is not explicit in the application it must go into the 4GB (really only 2GB) onboard memory.
How many apps specify this before you (purchase and) download them? Few, I suspect.
The Kindle app can't be installed on the microSD and neither can its data (the books you buy.
Unless you want to keep archiving your books off the system it can't support many (the Kindle itself has 4GB devoted to the Kindle)

In summary, the lesson learned is that when you buy any tablet and it boasts that you can increase the storage to a huge amount ask yourself, "but how much of this will I be able to use in the real world?"

The answer in respect of my adding a 32GB microSD to my Viewsonic 7e is, "Probably about 1%.

Based upon what I've learned would I recommend this tablet?

It is gorgeous on form, has a fabulous screen but should have been shipped with the full 32GB - so no, I wouldn't recommend it.

Would I have bought it if I knew then what I knew now?

Absolutely not - my wife bought it as a present and, sadly, feels guilty. It's not her fault that the vital information was not provided at the point of sale so the device is being returned as unfit for purpose. A great shame.

[Beryll Snyder]

Originally Posted by MartynB

Replying to my own thread, research since my last post has added to the sum of my knowledge: -

The Viewsonic 7e uses Android 2.3 (Gingerbeard)
There is 4GB onboard memory
This memory is split 50/50 between system and user
Gingerbeard application (apparently) must specify whether or not they can be installed on additional memory (e.g. microSD card)
If this is not explicit in the application it must go into the 4GB (really only 2GB) onboard memory.
How many apps specify this before you (purchase and) download them? Few, I suspect.
The Kindle app can't be installed on the microSD and neither can its data (the books you buy.
Unless you want to keep archiving your books off the system it can't support many (the Kindle itself has 4GB devoted to the Kindle)

In summary, the lesson learned is that when you buy any tablet and it boasts that you can increase the storage to a huge amount ask yourself, "but how much of this will I be able to use in the real world?"

The answer in respect of my adding a 32GB microSD to my Viewsonic 7e is, "Probably about 1%.

Based upon what I've learned would I recommend this tablet?

It is gorgeous on form, has a fabulous screen but should have been shipped with the full 32GB - so no, I wouldn't recommend it.

Would I have bought it if I knew then what I knew now?

Absolutely not - my wife bought it as a present and, sadly, feels guilty. It's not her fault that the vital information was not provided at the point of sale so the device is being returned as unfit for purpose. A great shame.

The 32 GB are for data. This is also a device for playing videos and music.
For that purpose the amount seem to be just about right.
In my opinion reading ebooks on a device like that is not exactly fun: eye strain.
A workaround for the kindle problem: convert to epub or mobi, then you are free to use the reader app you prefer.

[MartynB]

Had an interesting response from Amazon.

They advise that, assuming a fresh install, I may be able to move Kindle reader App (3.3.x) to MicroSD and then both App and data will reside on MicroSD (and if that is full start to occupy installed memory).

I'll do a factory reset on Viewsonic 7e (after a full backup) the migrate all possible apps to MicroSD (checking version of factory installed Kindle App and removing it if it is less than 3.3x).

I'll update thread with the results.

[MartynB]

Update...

Cannot uninstall Kindle Reader V3.1 from device because it was factory install so installing V3.3 will not allow selection of where it is installed or where data is installed.

I'm sending the Amazon technical response to Viewsonic in the hope that they will do a fix (firmware, whatever) to enable users to get around this problem.

Will update further.

[soondai]

7 inch 4:3 is a great format for a reader. Wish it weren't relegated to just budget tablets.

Wouldn't hold your breath on Viewsonic. XDA is much more likely to help you out:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/forumdisplay.php?f=1225

[MartynB]

I believe that it is appropriate to draw a simile in order to bring the issue into context, as I see it.

Were I to purchase a tablet, and add 32GB memory to its 4GB memory so that I could store my huge music collection or, being a photographer, add tens of thousands of my huge library of photographs only to find that I was unable to listen to my music or view (and show to others) my photographs then I would take the view that the tablet was unfit for purpose.

You may feel that I should restrict myself to one or two tunes; one or two photos and maybe a couple of books. Why on earth should I wish to impose such a ridiculous limitation on myself.

Amazon has stated that were I able to remove Kindle Reader 3.1 from my device (which appears to be impossible unless done by Viewsonic) and install 3.3 or above that this arbitrary limitation would be removed and I could, as I choose so to do, view all of my books. It is worth remembering that my Kindle is the 3G version so it's memory limitation is less of a limitation because I have 3G on that but not on the Viewsonic. I certainly don't always have Wi-Fi.

In fact and in law the problem is owned by the vendor so in raising this I am doing them a favour because they should be running around to provide the tablet that they described to me.

In summary, a device which includes the software that you want (main selling point) but doesn't permit you to use that software as you would choose and on the basis that it was sold is not fit for purpose. It is a matter for the vendor to resolve; for them to consult with the manufacturer; for them to accept back the goods as unfit for purpose or to provide a solution quickly. Such a solution would not require me to convert all my Kindle books into some other format.

BTW the screen is brilliant from which to read in all lighting conditions. You can set the display automatically to adjust to current lighting conditions, thus greatly reducing eye strain. Not a feature of the Kindle itself - try reading in an otherwise dark place!

[MartynB]

Interestingly and to expand on the above I transferred around 10GB of music files to the 32GB card.

Then, clicking on the Music App which comes with the Viewsonic 7e, I was delighted to see all of those music files catalogued and ready to play - which, of course, they did.

Thus, where the files are located is of no importance to the App because it finds them.

Many people will buy the 7e because it has the Kindle App. Many of those, like me, will want to return it when they find that they cannot carry around their library.

Amazon told me what was required and I have passed this on to Viewsonic. The ball is now in their court and they need to respond quickly. I've drawn their attention to this thread.

[MartynB]

Working with Viewsonic I downloaded Kindle for android 3.3.1.1 onto the SD card and installed it - it's a 25MB download. It appear to have downloaded to the device memory (because the Move to SD card is greyed out - or it is installed to the SD and I can't move it back to the device memory, which doesn't cause me a problem)

I've downloaded all my 200MB of book onto the SD card so this is now looking good.

I reckon if Viewsonic issue an FW update which patches the default Kindle app to the most recent, that will pull an up-to-date version onto any other devices out there. The main thing is that the app should enable you to specify where things are stored so Viewsonic and Amazon may need to chat but I think we have the makings of a fix,

Thanks to all.

[wodin]

Thanks for the review, I need a couple of cheap android tablets to use as touch screen interfaces for my home automation system. Since they will be single use devices, and always plugged in (mounted on the wall) neither battery consumption nor memory constraints are issues for me. I was thinking about a rooted Nook Color, but this is the same price and doesn't require rooting.

Speaking of rooting, there are (fairly technical) ways to remove installed apps, and also repartition the memory, but it's not for non-technical people, nor the faint of heart. If you're interested, I'm sure xda-developers could show you the way.

[MartynB]

Following a tip from Viewsonic I googled Kindle 3.4.1.1 and downloaded it onto the 7e from 1mobile market.

On installing, I found that I had 3.4.2.4. Bargain!

It just goes to show that you don't judge a person or a company if things go wrong - you give them the chance to set things right and then tell everyone how good they are.

11 out of 10 Viewsonic. Top Job.