Toshiba Folio - Failure with promise?

[choccybutton]

I purchased a Toshiba Folio on Friday and had a play over the weekend. Overall certainly not overly impressed. My main usage for the tablet would be reading books, blogs and news feeds, but wanted it for kids to play games on occasionally as well.

The Toshiba market place is void of worthwhile apps (other than the Dolphin browser which looks excellent). Struggled to find anything useful for Twitter, Facebook, rss readers, games, etc, etc.

Before I purchased the device I read a few reviews and they weren't great, but I still purchased instead of waiting for an Archos 101 based on the hardware spec's seeming to be better than the Archos (dual core processor and twice the memory?). My hope is that with the decent hardware spec the device will be great with either Android 2.3 or 3.0 when the OS is optimized better for the device.

Am I dreaming here? At the moment I'm seriously considering returning the Folio for a refund due to it not being fit for purpose. I also have an iPad fan sat next to me in the office waxing lyrical about the iPad. He let me have a play on it last week and I must admit the whole experience was much slicker than the Folio with Android. I don't want to buy an iPad, but it seems the only option at the moment?

 

[jtbnet]

I purchased a Toshiba Folio on Friday and had a play over the weekend. Overall certainly not overly impressed. My main usage for the tablet would be reading books, blogs and news feeds, but wanted it for kids to play games on occasionally as well.

The Toshiba market place is void of worthwhile apps (other than the Dolphin browser which looks excellent). Struggled to find anything useful for Twitter, Facebook, rss readers, games, etc, etc.

Before I purchased the device I read a few reviews and they weren't great, but I still purchased instead of waiting for an Archos 101 based on the hardware spec's seeming to be better than the Archos (dual core processor and twice the memory?). My hope is that with the decent hardware spec the device will be great with either Android 2.3 or 3.0 when the OS is optimized better for the device.

Am I dreaming here? At the moment I'm seriously considering returning the Folio for a refund due to it not being fit for purpose. I also have an iPad fan sat next to me in the office waxing lyrical about the iPad. He let me have a play on it last week and I must admit the whole experience was much slicker than the Folio with Android. I don't want to buy an iPad, but it seems the only option at the moment?

It sounds like you are having the same problems with the Folio Tegra2 tablet that folks like me are having with other Tegra2 tablets like the Viewsonic Gtablets I bought last week... the software is FAR from mature and Not production quality at this point... I guess we fit in the niche of interested Early Adopters...

That said there is a lot of on-going development for these tablets and things are improving pretty quickly... I'm enjoying my $379 Gtabs for hacking and basic use like browsing etc... I'm going to stick it out and try most new versions that are available... but that's what I purchased these for... hacking, testing, and playing... Not to fill a need or for business use as they are not ready for that at this point...

 

[rushmore]

The only apparent common thing between these two devices is the Tegra 2. There may be some serious OS framework compatibility problems that need correcting before Tegra 2 devices are ready for Android.

 

[choccybutton]

I've taken it back. PC World refunded without a quibble. I had another envious play with the iPad, came close to buying one, but then refused again when came to my senses and remembered how much of a rip off it is. Thing that emphasises that to me is the

 

[T4ylor]

I have also been locking at the Folio in the event of the Advent Vega being delayed till after Christmas but after your experience I think that I will give it a miss. What this now does if leave me with a possible dilemma as iam after 2 tablet for Christmas presents for my daughters. An Ipad is not an option, not just for the price but also due the fact that the Ipad will not play the games on the Cbeebies website which makes it useless to a 5 and 3 year old lol. Due to their ages I am certainly not spending Galaxy Tab money but I am starting to panic if I can not find something soon I might buying something just for the sake of it.

Are you looking at anything else at the minute?

 

[choccybutton]

I have also been locking at the Folio in the event of the Advent Vega being delayed till after Christmas but after your experience I think that I will give it a miss. What this now does if leave me with a possible dilemma as iam after 2 tablet for Christmas presents for my daughters. An Ipad is not an option, not just for the price but also due the fact that the Ipad will not play the games on the Cbeebies website which makes it useless to a 5 and 3 year old lol. Due to their ages I am certainly not spending Galaxy Tab money but I am starting to panic if I can not find something soon I might buying something just for the sake of it.

Are you looking at anything else at the minute?

I personally would go for the iPad. They may not be able to play the CBeebies games, but there are ton's of apps for the ipad for kids, and the iphone for that matter and iphone apps run on the ipad. The fanboy next to me allows his kids to play on his ipad all the time, I've seen numerous Disney games on the his ipad. Also my 3 year old plays frogger on his sisters iphone, that will be available on the ipad. Definitely a good purchase for kids from what I've seen (assuming you're loaded enough to afford them)

 

[FrayAdjacent]

I'd agree with what jtbnet said, the software isn't mature yet.

I realize this going in, waiting for my Archos 101. The software will not be perfect, but I don't intend to use it for much outside of web surfing and email. It will mostly be 'couch browsing' and some 'e-pinching'.

Hopefully this topic's issue is just a good piece of hardware with software that just isn't ready yet... and then the software will catch up.

 

[T4ylor]

I personally would go for the iPad. They may not be able to play the CBeebies games, but there are ton's of apps for the ipad for kids, and the iphone for that matter and iphone apps run on the ipad. The fanboy next to me allows his kids to play on his ipad all the time, I've seen numerous Disney games on the his ipad. Also my 3 year old plays frogger on his sisters iphone, that will be available on the ipad. Definitely a good purchase for kids from what I've seen (assuming you're loaded enough to afford them)

I understand where your coming with the Ipad has both me and wife have Iphones which both kids seem to be on the moment you put them down which is were the idea to get them a tablet comes from. There seems to be more apps certainly on mine for them than there is for me. That said they do love the games and activities on the Cbeebies website along with other sites that the Iphone will not play which means they then take over and argue over the laptop. Also if iam honest I would find it hard to justify buying a 3 year old a