First Impressioins of Matsunichi Le Pan 9.7" Tablet

[ffred]

I have just spent the afternoon familiarizing myself with this recently introduced sub-$200 Android tablet. I am impressed.
While boasting only a 1Ghz. processor and 512 MB of RAM, the tablet is astoundingly fast, even compared to my Nook Color (which I have overclocked to 900 Mhz. and runs Cyanogen Mod7). The capacitive-touch screen is very responsive. Netflix is preinstalled, as well as a few other apps which almost everyone uses. I spent an hour or so installing Amazon Apps (Android App Store was pre-installed) and listening to Pandora through the nice-but-not-great speakers.
I was pretty bummed out that I couldn't score an Asus Transformer in the wild cyber Monday sales, but I don't think I'd be any happier with the Transformer even had I managed to obtain one. My sole disappointment is that 2.2 does not support Bluetooth input devices, for I had planned to team the Transformer with a keyboard dock.
The gadget is very nicely finished with a rigid aluminum frame and looks and feels very smart. It has an unusual 20-pin connector that feeds into a male-end USB through a five-foot or so tether, so communicating with a PC is no problem, but there is no specific USB port on the device. Nor is there an HDMI port, both disappointing.
The display is crisp, clear and vivid.
This model runs only Froyo, I'm told (I'd like to port my Nook cyanogen Mod7 to it, but I fear the hooks and handles wouldn't fit correctly). The newer model, running Ice Cream Sandwich (or at least Honeycomb) is now being pre-ordered at Amazon.Ca for CDN$259. Amazon US doesn't have anything yet on this model.
The larger screen size is very friendly to my aged eyes, and I have Nook, Kindle, Aldiko and Adobe Reader installed now. Not designed specifically as an e-reader, it handles the job effortlessly.
I highly recommend this tablet.
ffred

[exscentric]

Is this the Le Pan or another unit. I googled Le Pen and only found your post???

If it is the Le Pan, Amazon lists it and has had it just recently though they are presently out of stock. This was the US site.

Looks like a great unit, hope it is since mine is on the way :-)

[ffred]

Sorry, I misspelled the tablet's name in my original post. My original impressions are unchanged.
ffred

[exscentric]

Mine came yesterday, having couple of problems but love the thing already anyway.

Maybe you can tell me. Does the home screen rotate when you turn the unit to different orientations? Mine does not, though if an app is open the app rotates just fine.

Also, did you have any problems with the new firmware. Mine keeps telling me mine is bad. I've downloaded three times.

Like the bigger screen - as yourself - old eyes

[exscentric]

Will post my cure for the firmware problem I mentioned in case anyone else stumbles across this thread looking for help.

Got it to work. I finally tried a class 6 sd card rather than the one Le Pan sent or the class 4 I had been trying. It worked fine. Le Pan service mentioned the error would happen when the file was not there or the sd card was absent so I wondered about the sd cards being to slow.

Anyway much happier :-)

[ffred]

There is, on the hard button menu, a place where you can choose "Auto-rotate screen". Some apps seem to lock the screen even after you have selected "auto-rotate", but at least in most cases it remains in the state chosen. I don't know if this a kink in the software or if it is performing as intended After a week or two I'll probably have a better idea.
I never thought I'd complain about screen sensitivity, but I've found that even the smallest unintended brush with a carelessly dragged finger sends a signal with unintended consequences. I think I'll order a matte-finished screen protector, because I certainly need one to eliminate reflections, and perhaps it will dull the exquisite sensitivity of the screen. A far cry from my old PocketBook IQ 701 with its resistive screen that requires a dull point (like a ball-point cap) to register a command.
I'm very happy with this good build of Froyo. The device works so well that I fear, with their soon-to-be-released Le Pan II, that the new build (of Honeycomb or ICS) will not be as satisfactory. There's another reason to get the LP II, I think, because it will have a faster processor and, I think, a gigabyte of RAM. If that is true, I'll be sorely tempted to pass this one off to a grandchild and buy the new model.
If this thing had better merchandising I think it would dominate the market.
ffred

[exscentric]

Aren't kids and grandkids great to have around so you have reason to get new toys and hand down the old ones :-) Works great here too.

[Bluestar59]

ffred - I was wondering about the part you wrote above: "My sole disappointment is that 2.2 does not support Bluetooth input devices, for I had planned to team the Transformer with a keyboard dock." (I assume you meant the Le Pan)
I found this on the Le Pan website under their FAQ and they answer this one query thus:
19. How do I turn Bluetooth® on /off and pair my tablet with other Bluetooth devices?

Go to MENU → Settings → Wireless and Networks → Bluetooth settings → Select "Bluetooth" to turn on Bluetooth Bluetooth Icon; the tablet will now automatically start to scan for Bluetooth devices within range. Then follow the screen prompts to pair the devices. TC970 has Bluetooth 2.1 wireless connectivity for hands-free devices and stereo music streaming.
- I would be curious if that works on your tablet. If so, that would be a plus.

[JimCool]

I have read reviews of this tablet. It seems to be very good. I'd like to buy this.

I read PDFs file (technical books and manuals with pictures).

Did you read PDF files (which is over 20 mb)? How was it? How was the portrait mode for reading?

I don't think that there is a problem on small size like 2 mb or 4 mb. It may be slow if the size is more than 10 mb or 20 mb.

Thanks in advance,

[ffred]

I have loaded "Drawing Portraits, Faces and Figures" by Giovanni Civardi (90.03 MB) and "Van Rensselaer-Bowier Manuscripts" (historical document - 30.90 MB) without a hitch. Both are PDF files and run with very little lag - some, of course, but not much. I had to go back to select orientation.
I was searching in the wrong place for USB transferring - the icon is on the top left of the home screen, for anyone still puzzling over this. It took me a little while to figure it out.
As for Bluetooth - I've read that Froyo does not support input devices. I'd like to hear from someone who's tried it.
ffred

[ffred]

I've been researching on-line and I've found some information that may help. It seems that there are two two kinds of Bluetooth protocols that support keyboards, and the serial input device simulator sounds like it will work with Bluetooth 2.1. For all I know, maybe the other protocol named in the article will work as well, but android 2.2 is specifically named.
That sounds like good news, but I'll snoop around the web a little longer before I part with money.
Here it is:
http://www.o-learn.com/content/andro...tooth-keyboard
ffred

[Bluestar59]

I was reading the reviews on Amazon for the "Freedom Pro Bluetooth portable folding keyboard". A reviewer managed to pair his HTC Incredible with Android 2.2 to it, using SPP (serial port profile).

[ffred]

Bad news, folks. The Le Pan tablet is rarely available at the price discussed, if it is available at all - Amazon now wants $219, and NewEgg $299, even more than the LePan II is supposed to cost. In addition, they are almost everywhere sold out. Maybe the company decided to redirect all their efforts to the Le Pan II roll-out.
For those of you who managed to score one, the "Acase Leather Flip Book Jacket/Folio for Apple iPad Tablet WiFi/3G, Black" is $15.99 at Amazon, and it works perfectly (Thank you, happy Amazon reviewer). The thin leather roll that secures the top of the tablet covers the SD card slot and the volume controls, but the volume can be operated perfectly through the leather. I trust that you'd manipulate the SD card with the cover off, anyway. There's enough room for the charger to plug in, just barely. If you think its too snug it would be easy to trim. This item is advertised at having been originally $71, Hmmm. I don't think so.
ffred

[Bluestar59]

Remarkably, Amazon Canada is still selling it for CDN$169.00 here.
I opted to pre-order the newer Honeycomb version. Probably won't deliver till January. I found there is a Le Pan rep. based in the US, who is making sporadic posts under 'nehinbin' in the xda-developers forum website. It does sound like he has his hands full at the moment with rolling out the newer model for North America.

[ffred]

Someone over at www.androidtablets.net has successfully got an Apple keyboard to work with his TC970. He had to install another utility for it to work, and he reports that is kind of laggy - he types ahead of the input - but that wouldn't bother a non-typist much. I think its a HID keyboard, so the program must convert somehow to SDD. But read it yourself, my perusal was hasty and I might be wrong.
They've started a TC970 forum over there since they were getting so many posts, and that forum might be more useful overall than Mobileread for the 970. I'll continue to post here, though, because I have other devices.
ffred