Dear lord, do NOT buy the Velocity Cruz.

[HoopyFrood]

With the Wi-Fi turned off, most processes/apps shut down, and the screen brightness turned way down I can get 10 hours easily from my Cruz E-reader 101. YMMV.

I have the screen brightness turned way down because it is easier to read that way.

[annk]

It sounds a little like this thread is discussing at least three different models: the Cruz reader, the T103 and the T301.

I just got the T301 and am very happy with it. The Kindle app works great, and I like the extra tablet functionality. I check my gmail and Facebook on it, as well as using the browser for a bit of Internet surfing (but it's not particularly fast).

Cruz is supposedly coming out with a Honeycomb model later this year, and I wanted to try it out at a lower-cost model to check out the company first. I already have an Android phone and like the interface.

My battery life is very good. Two days with wifi on constantly and quite a bit of use, and the device in sleep mode only when not in use.

[Killing Floor]

I gave up on the Cruz reader. Hammering away at the glass nearly drove me insane. I returned it to Borders on the last day I was able to, and bought a first generation Kobo for $69. No frills, no nuttin'. Anything I bought from Borders, I was able to re-download using the Borders dektop app, and it integrates well with Adobe Digital Editions for transferring books from my pc. I'm done with the Cruz.

[celtica98]

@annk and others............

It does get a little entwined with the different Cruz models. Especially the difference in screens, Resistive (on the readers) vs Capacitive (on the tablets), it does sound like those who bought readers struggle with that.

I am very happy with my T301 as I have posted before. I enjoy it more everyday. My battery life is way more than what they say to expect. Probably because I don't keep wifi on all the time.......

It is definitely not an ipad competitor, but it works for what I need, as a secondary ereader, (yay-I can read library ebooks!) and on the go access to the web and email, carry pics and music.

I gotta tell ya, though, many of my clients bring pictures to me on their ipads. (I work in a home decor related business). They lovvvve pulling out their gadget to show me pictures of what they are looking for, but they can never get them to work, the screen keeps flipping positions, the screen is too sensitive and so on. It does make me chuckle...........all that $$$$$.

[Killing Floor]

Originally Posted by celtica98

@annk and others............

It does get a little entwined with the different Cruz models. Especially the difference in screens, Resistive (on the readers) vs Capacitive (on the tablets), it does sound like those who bought readers struggle with that.

I am very happy with my T301 as I have posted before. I enjoy it more everyday. My battery life is way more than what they say to expect. Probably because I don't keep wifi on all the time.......

It is definitely not an ipad competitor, but it works for what I need, as a secondary ereader, (yay-I can read library ebooks!) and on the go access to the web and email, carry pics and music.

I gotta tell ya, though, many of my clients bring pictures to me on their ipads. (I work in a home decor related business). They lovvvve pulling out their gadget to show me pictures of what they are looking for, but they can never get them to work, the screen keeps flipping positions, the screen is too sensitive and so on. It does make me chuckle...........all that $$$$$.

The day I bought my Cruz 101, the floor model 301 wasn't working, so I didn't have a chance to test it. When I returned the 101, I had an opportunity to try a working 301, and the touchscreen seemed to be sensitive and accurate. But...I really didn't want to spend in excess of $200+ for a reader, so I'm happily reading on my Kobo now. The other bells and whistles, such as video, music, the ability to surf, in retrospect were just nice toys. It was a long haul for me with the Cruz 101; had the screen been touch resistive, I'd probably still have it. But for $120, I guess that's too much to expect.

[happygirl]

I have not had these problems yet. The screen works nicely even before I calibrated it...

I haven't done any of the Cruz updates yet, but did load Sky fire on it. Seems to work just fine. It isn't a pad and it isn't necessarily what I am looking for in a reader, but for some one that is looking for a cheap android device, this fits the bill just fine I think.

My biggest complaint is the glare. I do like the ability to surf a bit, and have found the wifi just fine. We are on satellite and I am fairly use to a slow feed since we are in a state forest, so perhaps my expectations / experiences are different....more time to wait

Have you stuck with your latest pick for a reader, and do you like it? Did you try loading other reading apps on it before returning it like Aldiko, or Moon?

Originally Posted by mwheinz

I bought the $99 VC reader yesterday at Best Buy. After 3 hours, I took it back.

I knew it would be sluggish.

I knew it would be heavy.

I knew the touch screen would be relatively unresponsive.

I expected to at least be able to turn pages in my books.

Either the Borders app or the touch screen itself was so utterly unresponsive that, while I could type in text (by pushing down till I saw the letter appear) I simply could not scroll in the borders app at all. Oddly enough, I think the bug must be in the borders app - because I was able to scroll the desktop screen.

In other news, I could not figure out a way to delete my borders id from the app, so I had to change my password before I returned the unit.

[wdadli1]

Originally Posted by Killing Floor

Hi Mike,

I'm new to e-readers, and bought the Cruz 101 because of the price (on sale for $119), and the numerous formats it allegedly supported. I've had it for 2 days, and believe me, it's been a tough 2 days, but I think I almost have this figured out.

For the manual and firmware upgrade, you can get it from the Cruz site here: http://cruzsupport.velocitymicro.com...sp?deptID=5758 you'll need an external SD card to do the firmware upgrade. I really don't know if this improved things, but after researching the Cruz, it was mentioned that the first thing you should do is update the firmware.

I spent hours trying to connect to youtube, only to find Android doesn't support flash. I found an alternative browser called Skyfire. I downloaded it to my pc, then transferred the file to the internal SD card via the usb cable. I navigated to the file using Astro, the file manager, and after double tapping it, it installed the browser. It does a pretty good job of streaming the video.

Then, I found a problem reading digitally protected e-pub books. More googling, and I found a a free app called Overdrive Media Console (google it). Bliss. I was able to download digitally protected e-pub books borrowed from my local library. To do this, the "ticket" for the protected e-pub book is an .ascm file you have to transfer to the internal SD card. I put it in a folder I created called "downloads." Navigated to it using Astro, double tap, Overdrive opens up, and you're prompted to start the download. Before being able to use Overdrive, you need to get a digital ID from Adobe, so if you don't have one, you have to go to Adobe to register your name and email address.

Oh, I forgot to mention to read the manual, I had to get a pdf reader from the installed Cruz Market. I installed the Amazon Kindle app from the Cruz Market as well, and I'm now reading a book from Amazon. You can't read in landscape mode when using the Kindle app.

To convert videos, you need to convert whatever video to mp4 format- there's many free you can google. I use this: http://sourceforge.net/projects/akmeffmpeg/ Through some guesswork, I figured out the right setting to convert videos that's viewable on the Cruz.

I've since transferred photos, and mp3 music to the Cruz. Photos and videos can be found using the "Gallery" icon. For music, the music icon.

I've spent 2 long days fiddling with this, and believe I have most of the kinks worked out. I haven't tried opening any txt documents, as the included Office app is a trial only.

I've had pretty good luck in finding 3rd party apps when googling, if I add the words, "cruz android" to the query terms; e.g. "e-pub reader for cruz android reader."

The touch resistive screen is the major weak point in the Cruz. I've found that after calibrating the screen using the tip of a covered Bic pen, and using the very edge, the touch screen will be more accurately responsive.

I'm practically brain dead from 2 days of working with this thing. I'm still a bit undecided whether to keep this, but for the price, and as a reader only, it certainly does its job. The video and music are just extra perks. Being able to download books from my public library is a big plus for me. After all the work I've done, I almost feel I can't return this thing. Anyway, I posted to hopefully help anyone avoid the frustrations I did.

I am REALLY grateful for your post! I've been struggling with the video part for some time. I will try the converter you suggested.

[wdadli1]

To convert videos, you need to convert whatever video to mp4 format- there's many free you can google. I use this: http://sourceforge.net/projects/akmeffmpeg/ Through some guesswork, I figured out the right setting to convert videos that's viewable on the Cruz.

Can you share the settings you used that worked for you? I am still struggling, trying to make this work for me.
Thanks!

[BrowniePoints93]

I'll my question here rather than start a new thread, as this seems to be the only relatively active forum that I've found. Here goes nothing:

I got a new Cruz Reader (R101)(Android 2.0 OS) and I already have a memory card (2GB) for which I use for my phone occasionally. I put the memory card into the tablet and everything worked fine. However, I took it out and put it back in my phone as I had to get something off of it and I added a few new pictures to it. Then I go to put the card back in the tablet, I boot the tablet up. When I go the gallery to check to see if the new pictures are there, they aren't. Instead it's just an icon that apparently means error or something where pictures I deleted from the card were. No sign of my new pictures. It still says 73 total pictures, even though there's now only 50 or so. Same story with my music. I had 25 or so songs on there that since I no longer needed, so I deleted them from the card. I then added a new mp3 format podcast to the card. Yet, I go to the music function on the tablet and it still shows all of my songs that I deleted, but doesn't play them (obviously because they're no longer on the card) and says "Sorry the player does not support this type of format".

So my question is, am I missing something? Do I have to update or "refresh" the card on the tablet or something so it shows the changes that I made? Or did I do something wrong as I added these files when the card was in the phone, but this is also how the original files were placed on the card and they worked perfectly when I originally inserted the card so...? The memory card is compatible I know because it was working earlier and there's plenty of free space on it (1.83 GB). The Kindle App I downloaded earlier is still there and working.. I'm lost as all I did was add new photos and delete several old ones that I longer cared for, and pretty much the same with the music.

Any help? Thanks!

[Killing Floor]

Originally Posted by wdadli1

To convert videos, you need to convert whatever video to mp4 format- there's many free you can google. I use this: http://sourceforge.net/projects/akmeffmpeg/ Through some guesswork, I figured out the right setting to convert videos that's viewable on the Cruz.

Can you share the settings you used that worked for you? I am still struggling, trying to make this work for me.
Thanks!

I don't use that particular software anymore, I use this: http://download.cnet.com/Any-Video-C...nt;contentBody Amopng a few others I can't recall at the moment (on my work computer, and I'm off for the holidays). There's plenty of free converters. Any Video works, but I'm not positive it's totally free, but I haven't been nagged to pay anything.

I got rid of the reader by the way. The screen was just too difficult to hammer away at. I've since bought an Alurtek reader- no bells or whistles, but it's great as a simple reader. I also found a free reader for my Android smartphone. I convert videos for the phone. Good luck!

As to the original software I linked, it was just trial and error. I haven't used it in quite awhile, so I've forgotten the settings. Sorry.

[Killing Floor]

Originally Posted by BrowniePoints93

I'll my question here rather than start a new thread, as this seems to be the only relatively active forum that I've found. Here goes nothing:

I got a new Cruz Reader (R101)(Android 2.0 OS) and I already have a memory card (2GB) for which I use for my phone occasionally. I put the memory card into the tablet and everything worked fine. However, I took it out and put it back in my phone as I had to get something off of it and I added a few new pictures to it. Then I go to put the card back in the tablet, I boot the tablet up. When I go the gallery to check to see if the new pictures are there, they aren't. Instead it's just an icon that apparently means error or something where pictures I deleted from the card were. No sign of my new pictures. It still says 73 total pictures, even though there's now only 50 or so. Same story with my music. I had 25 or so songs on there that since I no longer needed, so I deleted them from the card. I then added a new mp3 format podcast to the card. Yet, I go to the music function on the tablet and it still shows all of my songs that I deleted, but doesn't play them (obviously because they're no longer on the card) and says "Sorry the player does not support this type of format".

So my question is, am I missing something? Do I have to update or "refresh" the card on the tablet or something so it shows the changes that I made? Or did I do something wrong as I added these files when the card was in the phone, but this is also how the original files were placed on the card and they worked perfectly when I originally inserted the card so...? The memory card is compatible I know because it was working earlier and there's plenty of free space on it (1.83 GB). The Kindle App I downloaded earlier is still there and working.. I'm lost as all I did was add new photos and delete several old ones that I longer cared for, and pretty much the same with the music.

Any help? Thanks!

Did you update the firmware as I outlined above? Is it possible the media is on the internal SD card? Aside from that, I really don't know.

Sorry to say to anyone who has this reader- if you can return it, do so. It was more trouble than it's worth. I returned mine nearly a year ago.

[magkelly]

Hi, new here.

In defense of my Crux T301 I have to say that it's a lot better than I expected given some of the posts I've seen lurking here. I got one as a gift recently and so far I don't find it nearly as hard to use as some people seem to. It was a bit hard to set up some things and some things android just won't run on it, like Angry Birds, but so far I've managed to read e-books of just about every type, surf the web a bit, play music, play some games (I'm a Bejeweled fan and have several versions now to mess with on the Cruz.) etc. I've even got internet radio going with all my favorite stations and while the tablet can be a bit slow sometimes I've found that more often than not it's me that's causing the problem not the Cruz.

In a way I do wish I could use a stylus with this pad. Touch things never seem to work as well for me as for some people. I must have too much by way of skin oils or my energy field is a bit off or something because I've never managed to use any touch screen device well without a stylus. I've tried to use some of the most responsive devices out there, like my friend's Iphone and Ipad? I still end up tapping and tapping and tapping. It's like machines just don't register my finger presence hardly.

I'm not noticing a huge lag except maybe when waiting on internet radio to buffer. Pages turn fine when I read, music plays off the SD card beautifully. Certain games are a little slow but that's true of my laptop too and it's a heck of a lot more powerful device than the tablet. On my dual core PC my jewel and card games run fine but I've never really liked playing them on anything else and even though I have mini versions of some of them on the tablet I expect I won't be playing them that often. Mostly this thing is going to be for reading e-books and playing mp3's and that I must say it does quite well.

I've played with a Kindle and a Nook. I can't say that they are worth the extra $100-200 they would cost me. My Cruz was bought brand new for $60 shipped. For that money? I think it's an awesome little tablet. Could be a little faster and a little more responsive maybe, but it's not that bad that I can't use it all the time and for me it's plenty capable of doing most of what I need it to. It is what it is, a budget tablet. It's not a $500 Ipad and I don't really expect it to suddenly be one. My expectations were pretty low when I got it. I actually feel a bit like it surpassed them a bit so I am not unhappy.