Streak 7 worth it at this point? - Dell Streak 7

I bought one a while ago when there was a sale on them, but ultimately returned it because I didn't really have a use for it at the time and was kinda strapped on cash. Anyway, considering getting another one, primarily since it's the only decent 7" tablet I know of with a full-size SD slot (which would make transferring videos a breeze - my primary use for it).
Is it still worth it, though, considering the low screen resolution? There's the Huawei Mediapad / T-Mobile Springboard, which in comparison runs for about $100-$150 more, and has a 1280x800 screen, in addition to HDMI-out without a dock (and possibly phone call support with ICS, although I can't confirm that on the Springboard at least). Of course, that $100-$150 extra may not be worth it, or could be put toward something else.
I mean, the two primary uses of the device would be watching videos and reading books...would a higher resolution really be that beneficial? Most of the videos I'd plan to load onto the device would be like 620x350 or something like that - all below 800x480; being able to load 720p files and have them hardware-accelerated would be nice, though.

magus57 said:
I bought one a while ago when there was a sale on them, but ultimately returned it because I didn't really have a use for it at the time and was kinda strapped on cash. Anyway, considering getting another one, primarily since it's the only decent 7" tablet I know of with a full-size SD slot (which would make transferring videos a breeze - my primary use for it).
Is it still worth it, though, considering the low screen resolution? There's the Huawei Mediapad / T-Mobile Springboard, which in comparison runs for about $100-$150 more, and has a 1280x800 screen, in addition to HDMI-out without a dock (and possibly phone call support with ICS, although I can't confirm that on the Springboard at least). Of course, that $100-$150 extra may not be worth it, or could be put toward something else.
I mean, the two primary uses of the device would be watching videos and reading books...would a higher resolution really be that beneficial? Most of the videos I'd plan to load onto the device would be like 620x350 or something like that - all below 800x480; being able to load 720p files and have them hardware-accelerated would be nice, though.
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Click to collapse
I don't think it is worth the $300 price any longer, but if you can find it for $100-$150, then I say it would be worth it.

At this point I wouldn't buy one that didn't come with a warranty. Parts are too difficult/impossible to find.
good luck,

otnos said:
I don't think it is worth the $300 price any longer, but if you can find it for $100-$150, then I say it would be worth it.
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DCoop said:
At this point I wouldn't buy one that didn't come with a warranty. Parts are too difficult/impossible to find.
good luck,
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In that case, any idea where I could buy one with a warranty for around $200? Or a 4G T-Mobile version with a warranty for around $300?
EDIT: Anybody know if this site is legit, at least with the 1-year warranty?:
https://www.blinq.com/#computers-ne...d-2-2-froyo-16gb-tablet/51763?source=googleps

magus57 said:
In that case, any idea where I could buy one with a warranty for around $200? Or a 4G T-Mobile version with a warranty for around $300?
EDIT: Anybody know if this site is legit, at least with the 1-year warranty?:
https://www.blinq.com/#computers-ne...d-2-2-froyo-16gb-tablet/51763?source=googleps
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Click to collapse
Seeing as they are discontinues it's a pretty long shot as to finding one with a warranty for that money. The fact it has a warranty and that new is gonna drive the price up to 250 or 300

blinq.com got really good reviews over at Amazon, so they are legitimate. The Dell 7's they have are used but they do come with a 1 year warranty. Having said that, and having had a Streak7 for 4 months, I'd recommend looking for something else. I just checked my local Craigslist and saw a brand new HP Touchpad 32Gig for $250. I'm sure it could be bought for less if you had cash.
I really grew to like my S-7, I had an ipad2 for several months and it doesn't compare of course, but for what it costs (I got my Streak 7 for $150 used) it does a great job. Yes the screen isn't great but you adjust to it, but it certainly wasn't worth the $300-400 it originally cost. If Dell would upgrade the screen and processor it would be a winner. I love the 7" screen and that's what I'm going to buy in the future, something with a really nice 7" screen and a new processor. I use mine most of the time in a car or airplane and the 7" is so much better in size for those applications.
I dropped my Streak onto a tile floor from my desk and it cracked the glass that covers the screen. The screen itself is perfect, just the glass covering is cracked. It's hard to find another glass that covers the screen, there aren't any in the US, the Chinese want $90 to deliver a new screen with glass, and mine only cost $150 to begin with. So the difference as far as my monetary loss between not buying or buying the screen is $60. So I could write off the $60 and put the $90 screen cost towards an HP or other tablet.
Good luck with what you decide,

Find something else. There isn't much development for the streak 7. Only one ROM out there if you like to play around with stuff like that. the battery is pretty weak. 4 hours our less and then you're scrambling for a charger if you're doing anything important. I have had my 4g version for about a year and the headphone jack is acting up. I tried to clean it andit still usually only likes to play out of the right ear. I have to jiggle it around and then not move it. I like to use my Bluetooth headphones most of the time, but that runs the Barry down even faster. I am going to try and find something else soon. But I do like the 7 inch form factor. Not to big, not to small.

Battery life isn't bad after a custom rom and a few tweeks.
Get ICS B4 or HoneyStreak R8, get SetCPU and set up some profiles to slow down the processor when screen is off.
I usually get about 48 hours of standby time, and 5-8 hours of video watching.

giveen said:
Battery life isn't bad after a custom rom and a few tweeks.
Get ICS B4 or HoneyStreak R8, get SetCPU and set up some profiles to slow down the processor when screen is off.
I usually get about 48 hours of standby time, and 5-8 hours of video watching.
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Click to collapse
Does it not already have deep sleep at kernel level?
Looking into buying since rez isn't an issue and many other tablets that are of same price range have no development know not much here but least a few ROMs and Kernel.
It'd just be used when mobile as carry a 19" workstation anyway.
Main device would still be SGSII.
Sent from the valley of the shadows......

Related

Help with buying a HDTV with XDA expertise...

I'm looking for some help with buying a HDTV. I would like to keep it between $500-$1000 with a good 5 yr warranty.
I'm open to all suggestions, lcd or plasma, or whatever anyone has to say.
Are there any deals somewhere? I know Circuit City will beat prices...
I see a lot of people here at XDA who know what they are doing and so why not ask for help?
Thanks
edit: Does anyone know when the industry switches so that I might get an older model for cheap?
what do you mean does anyone know when the industry switches?
Rory
yi3o8 said:
I
edit: Does anyone know when the industry switches so that I might get an older model for cheap?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sometime in February 2009, but this will not effect HDTVs as they are already digital. This will only affect older model TV's that require an analog signal.
Hey mate
can I suggest you go to www.avforums.com. This is a forum all about audio/visual kit and by far and away one of the VERY best places for advice like this.
It is a UK site but the models and comments will be relevant to you. They will probably even know where to get "it" in the US as well as a lot of them buy kit and ship it over.... gota love that American "Monopoly money"
Thanks.
I have checked out avforums, I know what to get, but I am trying to find a deal cuz I'm a poor ol' college student.
By switching over, I mean getting rid of all the old models, I don't plan on using an antenna for a hdtv
Thanks again, and I'll post when I figure it out. So far, a 42" element for $700 at circuit city looks good, but I am trying to get the $400 warranty down
By switching over, I mean getting rid of all the old models, I don't plan on using an antenna for a hdtv
Click to expand...
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Over here in the UK, as I understand it, we are about to launch the first freeview HD "over antena" where previously it has been the domain of Freesat or cable.
$700 for a 42"???? Thats a bit cheap to say the least, what model is it? Is it only 480 or does it go to 720? I doubt for that price its 1080. $400 for a warranty? Doesn't it come with one included? Us Brits really start appreciating our "1984 Sales Of Goods Act"!
I picked up my 42" LCD at Best Buy. I managed to haggle to sales manager down to $980. Came out to $1230 out the door with tax and the four year warranty included.
The new LCD's are amazing. Ultra thin, crystal clear quality. I run mine in 1080p via HDMI cables; The HD cable box, the X Box 360, the Blueray player, all via HDMI. Gorgeous.
42" is too small for a 1080p screen. Over on AVForums they suggest the bare minimum for seeing the extra detail that a 1080 screen gives, you need at least a 46 and ideally a 50 .... or its just wasted and the human eye cannot see the diference between 720 and 1080.
Out of interest, what model can you get for that money? (excluding warranty)
Monty Burns said:
42" is too small for a 1080p screen. Over on AVForums they suggest the bare minimum for seeing the extra detail that a 1080 screen gives, you need at least a 46 and ideally a 50 .... or its just wasted and the human eye cannot see the diference between 720 and 1080.
Out of interest, what model can you get for that money? (excluding warranty)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The model is
Element 42" Plasma HDTV
(ELE PHD42W39US)
Asked to get the tax covered which makes it $700. The specs look good, but I would need the warranty even if it was a name brand.
Decided on...
I realize noone will probably care, but I decided on a philips 32" that I like. I was told they were bought by LG, but this tv looked good and so I went for it.
I got it from newegg http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16889104111 and was given a $40 discount and it came with free shipping. With a 4 yr warranty it all came to $760.
This tv from sam's club would have been $638 + $78 3 yr warranty (which I don't trust walmart to be easy to deal with) + $44 taxes = $760 ... plus a lot of gas.
From circuit city, I could have got a 40" samsung or polaroid for about $1000 after the 3 yr warranty, or a 37" vizio for $785 - all of these being open box and reduced.
I went for higher end and a place that I trust.
Sounds very coool! Let us know how it works out for U...
Hah something on XDa that i know more than a few people...with tv i would go with Sony or Samsung LCD their new line are very good...deep black level i would go with samsung 6 or 7 series...and Sony their new XBR8 coming out soon which is over price but should be very nice...some people say that HDTV they all look the same nuh uh...lil things like 120htz and 1080p matters but only if u get something bigger than a 40 inch...best is research on avsforum cause stores like bestbuy and all of them set their tv on display or store mode where the contrast and brightness at highest u got to see a tv in dark room to apppreciate its beauty...
Yep, little things do matter
jtoyz2 said:
Hah something on XDa that i know more than a few people...with tv i would go with Sony or Samsung LCD their new line are very good...deep black level i would go with samsung 6 or 7 series...and Sony their new XBR8 coming out soon which is over price but should be very nice...some people say that HDTV they all look the same nuh uh...lil things like 120htz and 1080p matters but only if u get something bigger than a 40 inch...best is research on avsforum cause stores like bestbuy and all of them set their tv on display or store mode where the contrast and brightness at highest u got to see a tv in dark room to apppreciate its beauty...
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Thanks for the advice. I couldn't find a 120 mhz for cheap, and I'm on a budget. But I looked very closely at bigger tvs that did not look as good as the philips 5000 series which has a 26000:1 contrast ratio. If I had more money I would have gone with the 7000 series and if I had a ton of money I would have went the route you mentioned
Stupid commercialism, it's like: spend just this much more and you get this this and that. If you try to get a deal and buy junk, you realize these things make a big difference. And 1080p will be standard by next year...
yi3o8 said:
... And 1080p will be standard by next year...
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I hope not!
I would imagine the bulk of TV's are the 40" or below area and thats useless for 1080. As I mentioned and the poster above you need somewhere in the 40's and idealy higher foro 1080 to be any use. Mines a 46" Samsung and to be honest, I can't really tell the diference when playing a BD through it from a 720 or 1080 - mind you, my eyes are 34 years old
If it becomes standard, a lot of people are going to be paying extra for tech in the tv thats useless.
yi3o8 said:
Thanks for the advice. I couldn't find a 120 mhz for cheap, and I'm on a budget. But I looked very closely at bigger tvs that did not look as good as the philips 5000 series which has a 26000:1 contrast ratio. If I had more money I would have gone with the 7000 series and if I had a ton of money I would have went the route you mentioned
Stupid commercialism, it's like: spend just this much more and you get this this and that. If you try to get a deal and buy junk, you realize these things make a big difference. And 1080p will be standard by next year...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i dont think 1080p will be standard by next year...HD and Digital will be...cause 720p is HDTV...if you on a budget buying a TV you are looking at the right direction with Philips LCd they are very good...
I just recently bought one of those new Vizio Plasma's and I must say I am quite impressed. This is the first hdtv I have purchased since my old fat sony one has lasted for more than 15 years haha. I got the 32 inch model for only 549 from walmart. That seems like a pretty damn good deal to me for a 32 inch screen. Picture quality is excellent even compared to my friend's auquos. My only gripe is the sound quality inst the best coming from the small drivers under the screen. However, 549 for a 32 inch plasma is almost unheard of for the type of quality that you receive with these displays. Good luck.
Vizio are decent tv...the best out of the lesser known brand...but if u can buy it at costco because their return policy is 90 days...and in that time frame u can decide if that something u would like to keep...Aquos have the best black level on most LCD...their black level can be compare with Plasma sometime even better...of course lcd and plasma u can compare the difference only if its 40inch or bigger...anything smaller i think most brand would do...

is nook for the moment the best buy?

i live in sweden, so its a problem for me to get this tablet/e-reader. but I have so much positiv about it, that I think I want it. the problem is that i cant buy it in sweden, so hade to buy it throw e-bay, so the totalt cost for me with shupping is around 330-340 dollar. Now i have found one to pay 360 dollar, and I now its working, and already in swden.
Do you rekomend me to buy this? or do you think another tablet can be better for that price?
In my opinion, the Nook Color is the best buy simply because for the price VS. quality point. I have not seen an alternative with as nice of screen and 512 MB ram (along with fairly easy market access). If you are willing to have a lower quality screen and 256 MB ram, and having to sideload apps...Then there are many, many options in this price range. The Cruz tablet @ $149 comes to mind.
On the flip side, if having Bluetooth and a camera are important to you -- you may want to look elsewhere as well.
thanks fot the answer. No, no need of camera, and I read that maybe bluetooth will work soon.
I just want to have my tablet to surf and read, some games, and maybe some movies. But the important is that the surf is good and i think the screen is perfect for it? i just hope that HC och some other rom can fix so no page is lagging on the internet. And excuse me for my language
anyone else?
Great device, easily the best in its price range in the US (~$250), but if you have to spend >$300, it may be worth waiting for a newer device in that price range.
ok thanks. yeah, but I dont think I will wait anymoore, its easy to just wait and wait and wait and never buy
I doubt we will see a device of this quality at this price for awhile. All the new stuff will be up in the $400 + Range. Sure, there will be those KIRF s from China.... but a retail device? NC is the value champ.
Keep in mind we are all a little biased in here
There is a lot of value in this device, as long as you don't require camera/bluetooth/3g. Bluetooth may be coming, but don't buy it based on that as it may or may not happen. You can tether to a rooted smart phone to get a virtual 3g device, but if for some reason you want a 3g tablet without tethering then this is not for you either.
But other that that, this thing rocks!
claytorj said:
Keep in mind we are all a little biased in here
There is a lot of value in this device, as long as you don't require camera/bluetooth/3g. Bluetooth may be coming, but don't buy it based on that as it may or may not happen. You can tether to a rooted smart phone to get a virtual 3g device, but if for some reason you want a 3g tablet without tethering then this is not for you either.
But other that that, this thing rocks!
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The device also lacks a GPS receiver, but the Nook Color is still good value for the money.

Streak 7 for $199 at Staples

this coupon
http://reg.e.staples.com/c/s/tagfrm...d3Bnb0JBUmtBQUdwMFZ3d0FBQUU2&PID=552179&n=927
= $199 streak 7
is it worth buying, given the low resolution? how's the battery life?
Grabbed one after seeing the link at slickdeals, couldn't resist it for $200.
I was waiting to be able to grab a tablet of such quality and bran for a good price.
Not gonna lie, I"m incredible tempted.
However, some things are holding me back. Namely the sort of meh dev activity, the resolution, the lack of GB at least, and some other niggling things. Dunno though, 199 is amazing for a device of this quality.
EmilVee said:
Not gonna lie, I"m incredible tempted.
However, some things are holding me back. Namely the sort of meh dev activity, the resolution, the lack of GB at least, and some other niggling things. Dunno though, 199 is amazing for a device of this quality.
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Click to collapse
Unless you wanna wait another year or get some chinese chong ching ARM questionable quality, 30 day shipping and no warranty tablet, the DS7 at this price and of such power and quality is the best option in the market right now for under $400 because it'll do what any other tablet does.
Root it, get a clean ROM from DJ_steve, OC it and it'll be just as good as any other tablet in the market right now regardless of the size of the screen. This monster runs a dual core tegra 1GHz that can go as high as 1.4ghz(reaching Xoom/Iconia levels).
I happily jumped on this deal without doubting it. Waiting to get out of class and get back to my dorm to finally get to play with it.
Anyone find any teardown for this tablet ? I want to know how easy is to replace the battery ? How long do they last ? 2 years ?
I just picked one myself just now ... Any tips on what I should do next ? Honeycomb 3.2 ?
GhostXtreme said:
Anyone find any teardown for this tablet ? I want to know how easy is to replace the battery ? How long do they last ? 2 years ?
I just picked one myself just now ... Any tips on what I should do next ? Honeycomb 3.2 ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Dell has said an official Honeycomb 3.2 is coming, unless i hear otherwise, i think i'm gonna stick with the stock for now and delete the stage UI widgets, which seem to slow down the tablet quite a bit.
we need to bring the community back to life now!!
RavenSEAL said:
Unless you wanna wait another year or get some chinese chong ching ARM questionable quality, 30 day shipping and no warranty tablet, the DS7 at this price and of such power and quality is the best option in the market right now for under $400 because it'll do what any other tablet does.
Root it, get a clean ROM from DJ_steve, OC it and it'll be just as good as any other tablet in the market right now regardless of the size of the screen. This monster runs a dual core tegra 1GHz that can go as high as 1.4ghz(reaching Xoom/Iconia levels).
I happily jumped on this deal without doubting it. Waiting to get out of class and get back to my dorm to finally get to play with it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You know, I'm Chinese. I could be offended by your comment and say something equally offensive, but I'm just going to let you feel stupid. Then again, self-righteousness is a powerful thing.
RavenSEAL said:
Dell has said an official Honeycomb 3.2 is coming, unless i hear otherwise, i think i'm gonna stick with the stock for now and delete the stage UI widgets, which seem to slow down the tablet quite a bit.
we need to bring the community back to life now!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just install Zeam Launcher/ADW Launcher/Launcher Pro/etc. Stage UI will never even come into play; the device is vanilla FroYo with a custom launcher and a few added apks (like Swype).
EmilVee said:
You know, I'm Chinese. I could be offended by your comment and say something equally offensive, but I'm just going to let you feel stupid. Then again, self-righteousness is a powerful thing.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Lol, i knew someone was gonna say something about that. Then again, i am describing the quality of their tablets, not the people <3
My personal advice: get it! I love this thing, and I'm on FroYo (I might upgrade to DJ's HC 3.2, but we'll see).
There have been a lot of posts on this, but I know it can be a pain to wade through the forums so I'll summarise the good and bad for this device.
The Bad
Might as well get it out of the way.
First, the battery. It sucks. This is my main device (computer, phone, camera, etc.), which puts me in a pretty good position to rate this. It's livable if you're OK with frequent charging, but if you're going to go for long stints away from a power supply and with heavy use, this is a dealbreaker. If you're normally near an outlet, this is simply an inconvenience.
Next, the screen. It's definitely not up to snuff with the likes of the Nook Color or the Galaxy Tab series, but it's really not that bad. It has one viewing angle that's pretty poor ("down," in portrait mode), but it really isn't a bother. Long and the short of it: you won't notice if you don't have it next to a Galaxy Tab (even then; my wife has a GTab 7, and I like the contrast better on the Streak7 screen).
Next, in the inimitable words of Steve Balmer, DEVELOPERS DEVELOPERS DEVELOPERS DEVELOPERS! I used to have the OG Droid, which was one of the most developed for devices on the planet. The Streak 7 is one of the least. This may or may not be an issue for you.
The Good
This is a bit broader of a category, and, of course, varies by model.
First, the T-Mo version has 4G. This is incredibly nice and puts it ahead of a lot of the other guys out there.
If you're on the WiFi version, you can disable the cellular stuff and greatly increase your battery life (I do mean greatly; cell standby is the number one battery drain on this device). This isn't exactly a "pro," but it does negate a con if you're going WiFi only. You must be rooted to do this, though.
The processor. Oh, the processor! Tegra 2 is a phenominal little SoC. Don't listen to the detractors (who rely mainly on crappy benchmarking software; there are no good benchmarks for mobile devices right now- not Quadrant, not Egypt, etc.). Think of it this way: the Snapdragon may not have been the "best" of the smartphone chips in the last run of single core phones, but it was the reference hardware. Thus, almost everything ran faster on it due to being optimised for it. The same goes for the Tegra 2, which can be found in the Streak 7, Moto XOOM, Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1, ASUS Transformer, and on and on. All reference hardware from Google (basically, the XOOM and GTab 10.1) run Tegra 2. Everything I've seen works very smoothly and very quickly.
Cameras. It's got two. Don't expect stellar shots, but the quality is head and shoulders over the iPad2 and it also has a flash.
Gorilla Glass. Enough said.
Size, if it's what you're looking for. I prefer the 7" size because I take it everywhere with me. If that's not an issue for you, you might prefer the 10.1" models. Even without needing portability, though, I think I'd still opt for 7" (I know; that's what she said).
Full size SD card slot. This is great for reading camera memory, purchasing an extra card for media storage, or just saving cash on a second SDD for use as dedicated memory.
Vanilla Android. In it's stock form, the Streak 7 runs a skinless version of FroYo. It can't really be overstated how welcome this is for the type of people who crawl XDA.
Well, that's the long and the short of it. Is the Streak 7 right for you? Maybe. Depends on your usage. I got a Streak 7 for me and a Galaxy Tab 7 for the wife. We both wanted the 7" size, but she benefits more from the long battery life, nicer screen, and even TouchWiz (yes, there are people out there who find it useful). The Streak7 would drive her nuts, but the Galaxy Tab would drive me nuts. Different strokes, you know?
Z4nd4r said:
Just install Zeam Launcher/ADW Launcher/Launcher Pro/etc. Stage UI will never even come into play; the device is vanilla FroYo with a custom launcher and a few added apks (like Swype).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I didddddd
Z4nd4r said:
My personal advice: get it! I love this thing, and I'm on FroYo (I might upgrade to DJ's HC 3.2, but we'll see).
There have been a lot of posts on this, but I know it can be a pain to wade through the forums so I'll summarise the good and bad for this device.
The Bad
Might as well get it out of the way.
First, the battery. It sucks. This is my main device (computer, phone, camera, etc.), which puts me in a pretty good position to rate this. It's livable if you're OK with frequent charging, but if you're going to go for long stints away from a power supply and with heavy use, this is a dealbreaker. If you're normally near an outlet, this is simply an inconvenience.
Next, the screen. It's definitely not up to snuff with the likes of the Nook Color or the Galaxy Tab series, but it's really not that bad. It has one viewing angle that's pretty poor ("down," in portrait mode), but it really isn't a bother. Long and the short of it: you won't notice if you don't have it next to a Galaxy Tab (even then; my wife has a GTab 7, and I like the contrast better on the Streak7 screen).
Next, in the inimitable words of Steve Balmer, DEVELOPERS DEVELOPERS DEVELOPERS DEVELOPERS! I used to have the OG Droid, which was one of the most developed for devices on the planet. The Streak 7 is one of the least. This may or may not be an issue for you.
The Good
This is a bit broader of a category, and, of course, varies by model.
First, the T-Mo version has 4G. This is incredibly nice and puts it ahead of a lot of the other guys out there.
If you're on the WiFi version, you can disable the cellular stuff and greatly increase your battery life (I do mean greatly; cell standby is the number one battery drain on this device). This isn't exactly a "pro," but it does negate a con if you're going WiFi only. You must be rooted to do this, though.
The processor. Oh, the processor! Tegra 2 is a phenominal little SoC. Don't listen to the detractors (who rely mainly on crappy benchmarking software; there are no good benchmarks for mobile devices right now- not Quadrant, not Egypt, etc.). Think of it this way: the Snapdragon may not have been the "best" of the smartphone chips in the last run of single core phones, but it was the reference hardware. Thus, almost everything ran faster on it due to being optimised for it. The same goes for the Tegra 2, which can be found in the Streak 7, Moto XOOM, Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1, ASUS Transformer, and on and on. All reference hardware from Google (basically, the XOOM and GTab 10.1) run Tegra 2. Everything I've seen works very smoothly and very quickly.
Cameras. It's got two. Don't expect stellar shots, but the quality is head and shoulders over the iPad2 and it also has a flash.
Gorilla Glass. Enough said.
Size, if it's what you're looking for. I prefer the 7" size because I take it everywhere with me. If that's not an issue for you, you might prefer the 10.1" models. Even without needing portability, though, I think I'd still opt for 7" (I know; that's what she said).
Full size SD card slot. This is great for reading camera memory, purchasing an extra card for media storage, or just saving cash on a second SDD for use as dedicated memory.
Vanilla Android. In it's stock form, the Streak 7 runs a skinless version of FroYo. It can't really be overstated how welcome this is for the type of people who crawl XDA.
Well, that's the long and the short of it. Is the Streak 7 right for you? Maybe. Depends on your usage. I got a Streak 7 for me and a Galaxy Tab 7 for the wife. We both wanted the 7" size, but she benefits more from the long battery life, nicer screen, and even TouchWiz (yes, there are people out there who find it useful). The Streak7 would drive her nuts, but the Galaxy Tab would drive me nuts. Different strokes, you know?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hm... What are we talking about in terms of battery life here? As long as it's at least 8 hours, I don't think this should be an issue.
I may try it out. It's definitely a steal @ $199. If things don't turn out well, then I'll just return it or maybe re-sell it for profit once the promotion is over.
Thanks for the info!
EmilVee said:
Hm... What are we talking about in terms of battery life here? As long as it's at least 8 hours, I don't think this should be an issue.
I may try it out. It's definitely a steal @ $199. If things don't turn out well, then I'll just return it or maybe re-sell it for profit once the promotion is over.
Thanks for the info!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That depends: are you going WiFi? How many hours of that is actual usage? I can get 15 hours of light use out of the 4G version; would easily be a full day out of the WiFi with phone.apk and telephony.apk disabled.
If you're talking full usage, I wouldn't expect much more than 4-5 solid hours from the WiFi version with the cell radios disabled (but WiFi on). Maybe a little more if you installed Honeycomb. Less for the 4G version; maybe 3+ hours of continued use.
Z4nd4r said:
That depends: are you going WiFi? How many hours of that is actual usage? I can get 15 hours of light use out of the 4G version; would easily be a full day out of the WiFi with phone.apk and telephony.apk disabled.
If you're talking full usage, I wouldn't expect much more than 4-5 solid hours from the WiFi version with the cell radios disabled (but WiFi on). Maybe a little more if you installed Honeycomb. Less for the 4G version; maybe 3+ hours of continued use.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, I'm going wi-fi if I get this. When you say 'full usage', what do you mean? 4-5 hours is kinda... ****.
Also, can I safely assume that the Streak will never have CM7? I just read an earlier topic that sort of came to that conclusion.
EmilVee said:
Hm... What are we talking about in terms of battery life here? As long as it's at least 8 hours, I don't think this should be an issue.
I may try it out. It's definitely a steal @ $199. If things don't turn out well, then I'll just return it or maybe re-sell it for profit once the promotion is over.
Thanks for the info!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have the 4G version, but do not use the 4G. The most I get is around 3 hours with constant use over WiFi.
EmilVee said:
Yes, I'm going wi-fi if I get this. When you say 'full usage', what do you mean? 4-5 hours is kinda... ****.
Also, can I safely assume that the Streak will never have CM7? I just read an earlier topic that sort of came to that conclusion.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you want battery life drop 500 on a different tablet. I could get through 3 hour long shows and then need to charge. Dell really should have made the battery replaceable.
Glad I just sold my 4g version for 250 before this happened (the deal)
Found myself not using the tablet much after getting a ThunderBolt. I'd much rather have a 10 inch empty shell that a phone slides into then a tablet at this point. Spent too much time trying to figure out where I was on my twitter timeline between devices. Same thing with games. They need a way to upload your save state so you can swap between devices.
Sent from my ADR6400L using XDA Premium App
nrfitchett4 said:
If you want battery life drop 500 on a different tablet. I could get through 3 hour long shows and then need to charge. Dell really should have made the battery replaceable.
Glad I just sold my 4g version for 250 before this happened (the deal)
Found myself not using the tablet much after getting a ThunderBolt. I'd much rather have a 10 inch empty shell that a phone slides into then a tablet at this point. Spent too much time trying to figure out where I was on my twitter timeline between devices. Same thing with games. They need a way to upload your save state so you can swap between devices.
Sent from my ADR6400L using XDA Premium App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hearing this, I think... I might just go with the Nook Color.
yup picked up dell streak 7 today using this coupon
awesome deal! - I picked up a dell streak - can't wait to put honeystreak on it! I'm returning my crappy two day old Coby Mid7016(with bootleg coby ginger**** with no flash support LOL)
Here is link for $100 off any tablet with exception of E readers and HP tablet, my co worker used the coupon for a Samsung Tab 10.1 16 gig for only $399 with coupon - Awesome!
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13845_3-20081008-58/get-an-acer-iconia-10-inch-android-tablet-for-$299.98/
dell streak 7
i recently bought my dell streak 7 after searching the prons and the cons on the internet.
some people complain about the battery time
and some others complain about the screen.
after playing with it for some time, i don't think that the screen is that bad. the colors are pretty good, the resolution though could have been better BUT i have heard that if you manage to change the "density" of the screen its like changing resolution. i haven't tried to change it yet but i will, when i find time to do it.
now about the battery. i only use wi-fi so i have "flight mode" enabled at all times and i switch on the wifi when i need it. i have also deleted the "Stage UI" and am using Launcher Pro Plus.
The standby time is very good, i lose a little less than 1% of battery/ per hour. i went to sleep at 1am (80% battery) and i woke up at 10:30am (73% battery). 7% of battery for 9 1/2 hours
The "use" time is a bit of a problem. i have wi-fi on and i play order and chaos online. The volume bar is set at half and i get around 4 hours of playtime for the tab to run out of battery. When i surf the web i can get up to 6 hours if i don't watch videos, since sound drains the battery faster. i haven't tried to mute all sounds and play games to see if it gets any better.
i have read on another post that when you flash honeycomb on the device you get better battery time on both standby and playtime.
So you can wait for the official HC update or you can even flash DJ_Steve's 3.2
I haven't played on another tablet except ipad but i thing that DS7 its worth the 200$. i paid 400euros (galaxy tab 7 costs 320euros) to buy it since i live in Europe
i hope that my post helped you clear some things on your mind.
alucardnos said:
i recently bought my dell streak 7 after searching the prons and the cons on the internet.
some people complain about the battery time
and some others complain about the screen.
after playing with it for some time, i don't think that the screen is that bad. the colors are pretty good, the resolution though could have been better BUT i have heard that if you manage to change the "density" of the screen its like changing resolution. i haven't tried to change it yet but i will, when i find time to do it.
now about the battery. i only use wi-fi so i have "flight mode" enabled at all times and i switch on the wifi when i need it. i have also deleted the "Stage UI" and am using Launcher Pro Plus.
The standby time is very good, i lose a little less than 1% of battery/ per hour. i went to sleep at 1am (80% battery) and i woke up at 10:30am (73% battery). 7% of battery for 9 1/2 hours
The "use" time is a bit of a problem. i have wi-fi on and i play order and chaos online. The volume bar is set at half and i get around 4 hours of playtime for the tab to run out of battery. When i surf the web i can get up to 6 hours if i don't watch videos, since sound drains the battery faster. i haven't tried to mute all sounds and play games to see if it gets any better.
i have read on another post that when you flash honeycomb on the device you get better battery time on both standby and playtime.
So you can wait for the official HC update or you can even flash DJ_Steve's 3.2
I haven't played on another tablet except ipad but i thing that DS7 its worth the 200$. i paid 400euros (galaxy tab 7 costs 320euros) to buy it since i live in Europe
i hope that my post helped you clear some things on your mind.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That sounds about right for my 4G version. I stay in airplane mode and turn on WiFi when I turn on the tablet. I get around 3 hours, maybe 3:30, before I have to recharge. For stock use, the 4G modem is always activated, and there is no way to deactivate it without rooting the device, which I don't want to do.

About to upgrade

I am about to upgrade my phone. Currently on a Touch Pro 2 and Xrom. This will be my first Android phone and obviously I am considering the Bionic. I know nothing about Android and since Microsoft seems to have abandoned the smartphone world and very few phones are on 7, it seems like a good time to make the move.
I have read the reviews, scoured this forum and it looks like the Bionic is everything it is supposed to be. I am a noob, just an old one, this phone is my b-day present to myself, will be 48 in a few days. I do have a few questions...
Is the Bionic really the shiznit phone or should I wait for a while for a better phone on the horizon?
I can get this phone for $220 bucks through Amazon or $250 through Verizon. Is there any reason to not get it from Amazon?
I am not quite ready to get into flashing new rom's on Android as I have a lot of learning to do first, but I hate bloatware. With the TP2 getting off the stock rom was a good thing, I can go two days on a battery charge, but is it as important with Android? I know the Bionic can be rooted and bloatware removed, but does it slow the phone down if it is left there?
Thanks in advance, this forum rocks!
I upgraded from the TP2. Couldn't be happier. Didn't have many problems with the TP2, but it's old and outdated. This thing is just a beast. You could wait for something better, but I decided that it was time. If something else comes out and I want it, I'll just use a different upgrade.
Thanks, actually I have had zero issues with my TP2 that I got right after it's release. I wasn't sure I wanted to give it up, but I will have it as a backup phone so that works out. My only apprehension is the Motorola phone, I swore I would never have another after the MotoQ that got replaced 4 times in 4 weeks before I demanded a Touch Pro 1 and Verizon coughed it up to keep me happy.
I like new and learning Android will be fun. I just don't want to go through what I did with the MotoQ, what a pc of crap that was. Motorola used to be awesome, but I haven't had a good Moto phone since the StarTac.
Regarding buying it thru Vz vs. Amazon....a couple things come to mind
1) Who has a better return/exchange policy? Vz has 14 days to return and $30 restocking fee. If the phone is defective in the 1st year I believe Vz would give you a Factory Refurbished Phone. How does Amazon stack up to that? Brick and mortar store gives you same day service, pretty important if you can't live w/out your phone.
2) Are you planning to get any accessories? I don't know if it's still going on but when I bought my Bionic with the HD Dock, the dock ended up being $54. Normally I get a corporate discount of 25% on accessories, but this must have been some other promotion. So you may want to shop your complete purchase and get a total out the door price.
I had some buyer's remorse initially with the Bionic but overall I love the phone. I came from the HTC Incredible. The colors were more vibrant on the Incredible, but the Bionic looks OK. Reds, blues, and greens all reproduce nicely, yellow and orange leave something to be desired tho. But if you spend any time at all outdoors, the screen on the Bionic is amazing...it's very visible outside, something I'm not used to with my Incredible.
So far my only serious complaints with the phone is the issues it has switching networks, this is a known issue as you're probably aware and should be fixed with an OTA. Also, I haven't heard this from anyone else so it may be an issue specific to my location, but I exchanged my 1st Bionic b/c the voice quality over 4g was horrible. I could hear fine, but others couldn't hear me very well. The new phone had the same issues so I leave 4G off unless I know I need it. It very well could be an issue with my being on the outer fringe of 4G reception but I'm not sure. When doing speed tests over 4G I was getting 20Mbps down and around 6-8Mpbs up...so it would seem like I have OK signal.
Testing the demo at the store the pentile screen was very noticeable for some of the things I wanted to demo on the phone. I still see it from time to time, but it doesn't bother me, the text is clean and crisp and easy to read so that's good enough for me.
I have a little heartburn over the HD playback capabilities. Being that the phone comes with an HDMI output and offers an HD Dock to connect to your HDTV, I expected a little more with HD playback. I was hoping to throw a bunch of 720P movies on an SD card for when we travel and be able to play back the movies at the hotel. However the only HD playback I've seen from the phone that's smooth is video shot thru the onboard camera. Now I'm trying to figure out how to convert my existing movies to playback better on the Bionic.
None of these issues were dealbreakers for me. I keep in touch with what's on the horizon as far as other devices and aside from 720p resolution screens coming out, there's nothing that's really going to make the Bionic seem outdated. The only other phone I considered holding out for was the Nexus Prime. I like the idea of a brick phone that's just a large touch screen and the function buttons are built in to the app instead of being phsyical buttons...but I'd rather wait until we have a plethora of Ice Cream Sandwich O/S phones to choose from...I didn't want to put all my eggs in Samsung's basket only to be left disappointed.
Also something else to consider regarding 1280x720 screen resolutions...all of Verizon's 4G phones have struggled with battery life, I'd have to imagine a 1280x720 screen is only going to eat that up faster.
I would recommend against the Bionic, but only because of the locked bootloader situation. Not being able to load what I wanted was the reason I left the iPhone -- I don't want to settle for a half-baked solution with a rooted-but-unlocked Bionic.
Overall, the phone performs well (with the exception of random data connection loss and battery drain). But, for $200 or more, I ought to be able to do with the phone what I want.
There is no difference in buying from Amazon or Verizon directly, except with Verizon you have 14 days to return it for a 30% restock fee, Amazon will let you have 30 days. After 30 days you get a refurb from Verizon for the remainder of a year.
I understand battery life, the TP2 I had to charge after about 8 hours until I went with a custom ROM. I don't see much that it can do that I want to do that I can't already do with my TP2, except a better camera and movie playback. I do take pics with my TP2, but I am not sure I would take or play many movies with the Bionic, so that isn't much of an issue. I have a real camera and blue ray players all over the house. I know I would miss my physical keyboard, and every new phone I have touched with a physical keyboard feels like lightweight junk and nothing has the solid feel I am used to. The current Droid phones from Verizon leave little to be desired, with the exception of the Bionic. At least I can say the Bionic has a good feel, I will just have to learn to type on the touchscreen. The screen is large enough that my fat fingers can, I demo'd the phone at a VZ brick and mortar. I will miss my Bing Navigation but can adapt to Google, my old 7 series BMW is not BT capable, but does have Navigation that works, though I am so used to my Bing voice app that I rarely use it. I may get the Nav cradle for the Bionic, it has some appeal.
As far as unlocked phones go, the current trend from Moto seems to be locked bootloaders. I do believe that the awesome people here will crack that code or Motorola will give it up. Though I don't really see much reason to upgrade, my phone is getting old and I am a tech junkie at times. I think the time is now.
I am still interested in other peoples opinions, your experience has value, at least to me.

lapdock 500

Im going to purchase the lapdock 500. The reviews on the 100 seem so-so, so Im hoping that the 500, being more xpensive, is higher quality, and works better. anyone have the 500, or expirence with both that they can share?
I can't provide a review yet, but it's on sale for $150 right now!!
I got this from slickdeals:
1. Go to Verizon’s site.
2. Click the big “Shop” button up top.
3. When the page loads, scroll down and click “View All” next to Accessories.
4. Click on the “DROID 4.”
5. LapDock 500 should be the first option, simply click “Add to Cart” from that page.
6. Go straight into your cart and you should see it for $149.99 rather than the $249.99.
7. Checkout and enjoy.
Good luck.
I ordered it from Amazon for $349, sooooo when I saw that deal, I about crapped! Gut on Verizon, ordered one, and have the one from Amazon all boxed and ready to go back!
For what it's worth, it's very nice, high quality, so I can't wait to get the new one here and start playing!
Sent from my DROIDX using XDA App
So, I finally got mine.
The performance is ok... kind of like using a netbook. I wish the camera would work. Also, playing youtube is a little choppy. Perhaps it's not hardware accelerated or anything.
Does anyone know if there is any work being done on the webtop 3rd party people? Is there supposed to be an update for that soon???
So IMHO, if you are on the fence for getting this, I would vote NO.
I bought this for $150 during the recent sale and was very excited, especially because I denied on the Atrix lapdock deal in Dec. for $50.
Anyway, as noted earlier, the screen is not very good. I tried to watch streaming video and it not pleasant. The bad "refresh" rate or something resulted in a sort of jittery show. That defeated my primary purpose.
The touch pad was also poorly implemented. Pressing it often moved the cursor.
Another factor although not a huge one was the software/interface was not that intuitive or impressive. I'm sure that would have improved over time (updates and my own experience) but the effort didn't seem worth it. The device is also somewhat heavy. For $50, I might have kept it, but for $150 just wasn't worth it.
Good news, I returned it at the Verizon store without any restock fee or hassle.
I am thrilled that I got the 500 during the Verizon $150 deal. The 500 makes using the Bionic for any lengthy amount of time quite usable. It is not meant to be a substitute for a laptop or netbook. I feel it perfectly complements the Bionic by extending the capabilities of the phone. I would advise using a mouse with the 500.
I've had mine now for 2 days and have done nothing but mess around with it and honestly..imho i love it! Yea the sd card, ethernet, camera and monitor out dont work but there is an update so the bionic can use the 500 to the fullest so thats great news..there are as many cons as there are goods but the cons will get fixed thru updates except for the touchpad..that really did suck..but all else is great..the screen could be better but its still great..
Cons- cant use the pull out dock idk why just doesnt work well which has to do with the software so a update fix
Touchpad sucks- use mouse
Camera, ethernet, sd card and monitor out functions dont work YET but will soon
Phone has to sit flat and cant be moved or the lapdock will shut down- dont know why but once again an update fix
Pros- everything...surf internet fast, play your games on lapdock from phone, make calls from lapdock, 7 hours battery life, charges phone while using lapdock, good speakers, nice screen and just a lot if fun...better than carrying a heavy full on laptop for simple things...one of the better investments in my life funny thing is that i also got mine for 150$ but thru CL and brand new still sealed..the guy had no clue how much this thing was actually worth!
Sent from my DROID BIONIC using xda premium
how would you compare it to the Bionic branded lapdock itself (anyone test out both of these)? i'm assuming all the missing functionality you speak of now is simply a USB device driver to be implemented in future patches..
IMO the lapdock can essentially replace your last full sized laptop, assuming your not a hardcore gamer, audiophile, A/V troll etc lol. i am all of the above, but seriously if your using a laptop for all that get a tower ffs. screen is acceptable, viewing angle is so so, webtop itself is unimpressive but 3.0 will change all that. only complaint is the keyboard, keys feel like cheap plastic and aren't very sensitive.

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