G-Tab or Archos 101 ?

[dman2275]

Hi everyone,

I was looking to pick up a tablet and could not decide between the Viewsonic G-Tab or the Archos 101. I definitely want a 10

 

[xmr405o]

I was looking to pick up a tablet and could not decide between the Viewsonic G-Tab or the Archos 101. I definitely want a 10’ tablet.

Which do you guys think is the better one?

Thanks,

Is your moto droid rooted with a custom rom? Then I would say you'd feel right at home with the gtablet.
Of course since you asked this question in the gtablet forum, I am a little bias. I never used an archos 101 but I'm loving my gtablet.

They (XDA) has made this tablet so great. Viewsonic also has made this tablet better out of the box. You'll love the tegra 2 cpu and 512 mb RAM....oh it has great battery life.
Flash is superb.

 

[bosbrucec]

Don't have Archos 101 but have Archos 70 it and G tablet. Most comparison points will carry over to Archos 101...

Physical : G tablet is much thicker, with a much glossier screen. (without fingerprints) looks nicer from front, but thick from side and cheaper from back. (Archos 70 fold out stand is very nice too)

Both have 9+ hour battery life, seems G Tablet can go 12+ but I think Viewsonic has conservative power management on it.

Archos is more generic Android OS and easy market hacks available, but Froyo (2.2) updates have made the device much less stable than 2.1 it shipped with.

G tablet overlay has some interesting features like accounts for multiple family members, but is a bit clunky.

On screen keyboard on Archos 70 is terribly unresponsive, so slow that I had to install Swype (great for smaller devices) on it and used that with one finger instead of multi touch. Keyboard on G tablet is excellent (custom layout in landscape mode and handles rapid multitouch quite well).

Archos CPU/GPU, RAM, and memory layout are all passable but RAM is barely passable (256 MB) so task killer is needed quite often and internal memory for apps is extremely limited for anyone loading lots of apps (there's an app to move them, but it's a constant hassle). Don't plan on running anything beyond 2.2 or possibly 2.3 on the Archos, as it is last year's hardware config.

G Tablet, on the other hand, has about 2x the CPU/GPU horsepower, 2x RAM, 8x the internal app storage, probably good for 2.3 and 3.0.

G Tablet has some issues with apps related to 90 degree accelerometer rotation (some that use the correct API work, but lots read the device directly so you gotta lie on your side to play the games ). It also has issues with some apps because of the 1024x600 resolution (Archos 70 has the much better supported 800x480 but Archos 101 may have the resolution issue as well).

Archos devices have some issues because of on screen Android menu/home/back/search keys but at least they are visible in the dark, while G Tablet off screen keys aren't backlit so need practice in the dark, especially if you ever rotate the device.

G Tablet has *really* weird viewing angle problems, most noticeable in portrait mode in one direction. Archos 70 it is no iPad or Galaxy Tab in screen brightness, but it has decent viewing angles.

Despite G Tablet's superior CPU/GPU, even with recent significant OS improvements, a lot of things flow smoother on Archos 70it. Most actual Games/apps tend to run faster (and can keep more in memory) on G Tablet, but navigation animations and some apps like photo gallery are much smoother on the Archos.

IMHO both are fun for hacking around with, but G Tablet will be fun for hacking furthed down the road. Software on both is clearly a bit of a problem right now (hence so many custom roms or hacks crop up for them).

The 7" form factor is vastly superior for portability (fits in suit or coat pocket easiy), but 10" form factor is a bit nicer for browsing when at home.

My Archos is going back as it has had several spontaneous reboots and failed to return from standby many times (requiring 10 second power press to reboot). If it had more responsive touch screen for multi-touch typing (or proper Swype support), was more stable, and had more RAM, I'd keep it.

I've only had the G Tablet for a couple of days so the jury is still out.

 

[xmr405o]

Fyi- a fix for the g sensor has been found...sorta lol. That's another reason why I like the g tablet, there's so much support for it at XDA where we never have to rely on waiting for the manufacturer to fix issues. Support from the dev community is always good because it usually helps out with the devices longevity...just like my old but still useful droid.

Just to add, tablets and especially tegra 2 tablets are fairly ahead of their time as far as android is concerned. This would explain why some apps run funky on the gtab. Next year when the other tegra tabs come out, devs would conform with the standards and the apps should be fine after that. At any rate, if u buy the gtab now you'll still have a fairly priced next gen tablet in your hands. I swear if VS would have included a galaxy tab or ipad type display, no doubt this tablet would cost a lot more than it is. Next year you'll see its value when we'll see how this tab compares in price vs the moto, samsung, lg, and htc tablets.

 

[rushmore]

Bos posted a good summary and the accelerometer patch allows most accelerometer games to work now. All that I have tried work now. Shame all the great updates need to be through mods. This device would be huge seller if had TnT Lite 3.13

Bos, surprised the jury is still out- assuming you have TnT Lite 3.13.

With that rom, device is very fast- interface included.

 

[xmr405o]

Bos posted a good summary and the accelerometer patch allows most accelerometer games to work now. All that I have tried work now. Shame all the great updates need to be through mods. This device would be huge seller if had TnT Lite 3.13

Box, surprised the jury is still out- assuming you have TnT Lite 3.13.

With that rom, device is very fast- interface included.

I'm more of a vegaN person.

But to add to rush's update, the accelerometer fix also allows 360 rotation on all apps which is a plus because it helps with the gtabs viewing angle issue on apps where turning the tab upside down helps with usability.

 

[dman2275]

Thanks for the replies everyone. I ended up picking one up at Electronics Express for $364.72.

I am looking forward to getting it in my hands asap.

 

[rushmore]

I'm more of a vegaN person.

But to add to rush's update, the accelerometer fix also allows 360 rotation on all apps which is a plus because it helps with the gtabs viewing angle issue on apps where turning the tab upside down helps with usability.

I would be too, but do not like how you can not unmount the microsd card, since not available or visible in settings. The issue with video files mysteriously deleting also gives me pause- for now.

Also reports of install issues with games like Angry Birds. Something to do with how the Advent Vega is mapped (main source for this rom), since it does not have two storage mounts (only microsd card- not internal).

added: dman, you picked a good time to get one, since the firmware options are better than a month ago and far better than before that

 

[PGP_Protector]

Just got a g tab yesterday, rooted yesterday & installed vegaN, so far enjoying it (Angry Birds & Angry Birds Seasons both Installed with no prob), also bought a few aps without issues.

 

[rushmore]

The G has come a long way in two months

 

[dman2275]

I installed Clockwork and now I am running TnT light and this tab really flies.

Now I need to play around with ADW and Launcher Pro to get it looking right.

I ended up going to Sears and getting the tab with free docking station deal....very happy ATM.

 

[SlvrScoobie]

wait, sears has a free docking station!?! I didnt get one!

 

[PGP_Protector]

wait, sears has a free docking station!?! I didnt get one!

I'm thinking the same thing

 

[SlvrScoobie]

sounds like its free from viewsonic after purchase - 1/2/11 to 1/8/11- bought mine on 1/1/11, wonder if im eligible
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=10294813#post10294813

 

[PGP_Protector]

sounds like its free from viewsonic after purchase - 1/2/11 to 1/8/11- bought mine on 1/1/11, wonder if im eligible
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=10294813#post10294813

Snap. Got mine a day too soon like you

 

[SlvrScoobie]

I read over at XDA that the reps at the US marketers (the rebate folks) said if your receipt is from 2011, youll get the dock if you send your 10.50$ in. Im gonna try..

 

[stiphy]

To those still trying to decide which one to get, I fortunately have access to both and posted a comprehensive review on my blog site at Blendblog.net Home - Archos 101 Vs Viewsonic Gtablet; Battle of the first generation Android Tablets. They are both good devices, but at different things. Hope the review is helpful!

Sean

 

[xmr405o]

To those still trying to decide which one to get, I fortunately have access to both and posted a comprehensive review on my blog site at Blendblog.net Home - Archos 101 Vs Viewsonic Gtablet; Battle of the first generation Android Tablets. They are both good devices, but at different things. Hope the review is helpful!

Sean

Hey nice review.

I do have to disagree on some of the sections. I know that I'll probably be bias to the Gtablet because unlike you I don't have both to compare.

Anyways, I really liked your video comparison. Very thorough, except I noticed your gtab was very slow booting up. My gtablet boots way faster than that and I have the same ROM loaded as you. Also, the wifi issues you have I don't have. My signal is very good to great from all around my house. I can even take my gtablet to my neighbors house using my Wifi with no lag at all or buffering when watching videos. I can even take it down the street approximately 3 houses down and still get a signal to browse the web.

So it seems to me, you are comparing a semi defective Gtablet to a fully functional Archos. Which could be the reason why you have the Archos winning in the Wifi and Power management/battery life section.

 

[kimkgk]

I think for pure horsepower the Gtab wins. Would be nice to have a kickstand though ....

 

[xmr405o]

I think for pure horsepower the Gtab wins. Would be nice to have a kickstand though ....

I know right! A kickstand would have been great especially with the sorry viewing angles haha.

 

[hkklife]

I had the 101 for a month before returning it. I do not have a GTablet but have spent some considerable time playing with one and am seriously considering getting one for myself if nothing more appealing for the $ ships or is announced within the next 30-60 days (the limited viewing angles & screen res are the main things holding me back on the GTab)

-Archos 101 has horrendous build quality. It's thin and lightweight, yes, but you can literally feel the unit flex in your hands
-My biggest gripe with the Archos was its terribly inaccurate touchscreen. It was very difficult to type on, play an action game or do any multitouch gestures. Maybe my unit was defective but it felt more like a bad resistive screen than a capacitive one (yes, the screen is plastic).
-Viewing angles are, IMHO, worse on the 101 than on the Viewsonic. The LCD panel also has a greenish tint to it when it's turned off and you can see the faint gridlines of the touchscreen.
-101 feels very much hampered by only having 256mb RAM
-The 4 onscreen "buttons" would occasionally disappear etc. Even though they are not backlit, at least the Viewsonic has permanent capacitive physical controls.
-I had a few issues with the 101 after the Froyo update(s), even the most recent one. Nothing major but I definitely noticed more random freezes and reboots, especially when browsing complex web pages.
-The unit was a little awkward when used in portrait mode.
-Viewsonic definitely beats the pants off of the Archos horsepower-wise.

To its advantage, the 101 did have a very good price ($299), great media playback & codec support, and a standard HDMI-out. The kickstand was a nice touch too. Battery life was pretty good but wi-fi reception left a bit to be desired (though still better than my Droid X).

 

[rushmore]

Hey nice review.

I do have to disagree on some of the sections. I know that I'll probably be bias to the Gtablet because unlike you I don't have both to compare.

Anyways, I really liked your video comparison. Very thorough, except I noticed your gtab was very slow booting up. My gtablet boots way faster than that and I have the same ROM loaded as you. Also, the wifi issues you have I don't have. My signal is very good to great from all around my house. I can even take my gtablet to my neighbors house using my Wifi with no lag at all or buffering when watching videos. I can even take it down the street approximately 3 houses down and still get a signal to browse the web.

So it seems to me, you are comparing a semi defective Gtablet to a fully functional Archos. Which could be the reason why you have the Archos winning in the Wifi and Power management/battery life section.

Agreed. Something seems wrong with his gtablet. Besides a few video codecs, my experience with both devices has the 101 at a lower level to the gtablet. Notice he does not point out / notice some MAJOR issues with the 101:

1. Only 230mb of device app storage (one eighth the space of the gtablet).
2. Half the ram of the gtablet.
3. Sound quality from 3.5mm is WEAK compared to the gtablet.
4. Flimsy build- especially the display and touch area.
5. Wifi is much weaker and no easy adhoc connectivity.
6. Far slower chipset and two year old gpu.

Considering $25 or less difference in price to the 16gb 101, there is not much practical comparison, IMO.

 

[kimkgk]

I would go nuts if the touch keyboard was slow or unresponsive. You can fly on the gtab compared o any touch keys I've tried on any other device.