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Sony Tablet S is a serious disappointment. Here's why.
- Thread starter glaurung
- Start date
- Status
Tablets in general do, they're usually too big to be charged via microusb~.
BocoDragon
or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Realize This Assgrab is Delicious
Sony seems to be playing catch up with tablets about as well as they played catch-up with MP3 players. If it follows the same path, they may never get it right.
Sony hardware being cutting edge was an entire generation ago. And by generation, I mean generation of humans. I can hardly remember those days.
Sony hardware being cutting edge was an entire generation ago. And by generation, I mean generation of humans. I can hardly remember those days.
OP, if you've dealt with as many Sony products as you claim, then you should know one of their faults is preloaded crapware. It's just something you deal with. I chose to buy a Sony laptop because I know I can do a clean install. I chose to buy one of their mp3 players because the noise cancelling at the time outweighed the disadvantage of the horrible file transferring software. I chose not to buy the Sony tablet or Sony android phones because the reviews dinged them for having a hardware and custom software combination that encumbered android, and in my opinion the pure google version is better anyways. What I don't get is why you relied on a salesperson for all your relevant facts. Since you're so concerned about details, of course it's gonna take longer to boot if you're doing a factory reset. I can't think of the last thing I bought that had an SD card slot that came with an SD card. The earliest one would have to be a camera I bought at Costco years ago that they threw in rather than have one provided in the box by the camera maker. I admit the velcro tape for the tablet cover is an incredibly dumb design, but again, do your own research. Saves you so much trouble and frustration down the line.
VanMardigan
has calmed down a bit.
I think Honeycomb needs some serious work, but I'm probably buying a Transformer Prime next month. No way I'm buying an iOS device unless Apple updates that snoozefest of an OS. It's bad enough on a phone, but to turn on a tablet and be greeted with a row of lifeless icons is inexcusable. I'll take janky over that any day. I would much rather have Windows 8 on a tablet, but I don't want to wait until fall. I really hope ICS gets spread around quickly to these latest tablets.
The reviews for the Prime make it seem like its the one to get for those that don't want an iPad for whatever reason.
The reviews for the Prime make it seem like its the one to get for those that don't want an iPad for whatever reason.
I just like Flash with my internet. Apple decided that they dont like flash, and I decided that I dont like apple. So no, Ipad did not "get it right" they got it the most wrong out of anybody. I honestly dont understand why so many people spend good money on a tablet or phone that openly leaves out something that 90% of the internet uses just because they dont agree with it. That always seemed like bullshit to me and bothered me. But it seems to work for a lot of people, so whatever I guess.
ZackieChan
Member
Root it, man. Delete all that Sony junk.
I still don't know why you bought this in the first place. Just because? You seemed fine with iPads, so why change?
I still don't know why you bought this in the first place. Just because? You seemed fine with iPads, so why change?
Extra Sauce
Member
I want a tablet but I don't see a product out there yet that is a good investment. The android ones seem clunky and don't have enough apps compared to Apple, and the iPad is way overpriced considering the hardware specs you get.
edit: Oh and tablet without youtube lol... fuck iPad seriously.
edit #2: I'm an idiot apparently. Always assumed iPad didn't support YouTube, since YouTube uses flash.
edit: Oh and tablet without youtube lol... fuck iPad seriously.
edit #2: I'm an idiot apparently. Always assumed iPad didn't support YouTube, since YouTube uses flash.
but it has youtube.
but Sony's MP3 players are pretty great
I was eying an Android one a while back that was absolutely beautiful.
Regarding micro-USB: it might sound weird, but the micro-USB cables really aren't that common around the people I know. Now that Android phones are around, there's more of the cables, but on the whole mini-USB is still a lot more common. Almost all of my other hardware uses mini-USB (cameras, accessories etc). I guess the point was that I would expect to get a cable with the damn thing, in the box.
Regarding Android Marketplace: there are two separate things, the default Android Marketplace that exists as a separate application and that keeps track of the applications you have installed. The other is called Sony SelectApp, which I cannot access since I am not in the UK. Choosing another country in the settings does not help either, because in most lesser countries the service does not exist at all. When I access this application, I end up on the Sony Tablet home page, not their storefront. You should be able to download the free games from there and the Sony Music service applications etc.
Regarding pre-purchase research: I thought I did enough of the research, probably even too much. The stuff I asked the clerk was about the things that I could not find online. But the fact that the wanker lied to me about DLNA media support is unforgivable.
Regarding pre-loaded bloat/crapware (mingus): yeah, it's a sad thing for me to experience over and over again. Laptops and PCs in general are easier, because you really have control. But with this thing, the setup wizard tells you one thing, the end result is something else. I just figured out that the default setup bypasses Sony's email application altogether, opting straight for the Gmail app.
Regarding returning the device: I cannot do that were I live. Customer's the bitch here.
Regarding Android Marketplace: there are two separate things, the default Android Marketplace that exists as a separate application and that keeps track of the applications you have installed. The other is called Sony SelectApp, which I cannot access since I am not in the UK. Choosing another country in the settings does not help either, because in most lesser countries the service does not exist at all. When I access this application, I end up on the Sony Tablet home page, not their storefront. You should be able to download the free games from there and the Sony Music service applications etc.
Regarding pre-purchase research: I thought I did enough of the research, probably even too much. The stuff I asked the clerk was about the things that I could not find online. But the fact that the wanker lied to me about DLNA media support is unforgivable.
Regarding pre-loaded bloat/crapware (mingus): yeah, it's a sad thing for me to experience over and over again. Laptops and PCs in general are easier, because you really have control. But with this thing, the setup wizard tells you one thing, the end result is something else. I just figured out that the default setup bypasses Sony's email application altogether, opting straight for the Gmail app.
Regarding returning the device: I cannot do that were I live. Customer's the bitch here.
Extra Sauce
Member
Wait wait wait... I always assumed iPad couldn't play YouTube videos since YouTube is flash-based.
You telling me what exactly?
You telling me what exactly?
But... It does have youtube?
Extra Sauce
Member
You guys are shattering my entire belief system in a million pieces.
I still don't think I'm gonna get an iPad, but I'm realizing I shouldn't have kept this incorrect assumption to myself all that time!
Pardon my ignorance then.
I still don't think I'm gonna get an iPad, but I'm realizing I shouldn't have kept this incorrect assumption to myself all that time!
Pardon my ignorance then.
Im pretty sure it does. Youtube designed a specific app for iphone/ipad that should work fine. Its not flash based.
But when I talk about missing flash, lots of sports sites with embedded video, news sites, entertainment sites like ebaumsworld and liveleak ad even some automotive sites all use flash, not to mention all the flash gaming websites. I was missing out on so much stuff with my Iphone that it wasnt fun to have one anymore.
The Technomancer
card-carrying scientician
Oh yeah dude, you can definitely play YouTube on iPad. There's an app for that.
In theory, Sony should make awesome tablets.
If you are spending serious dough, get an iPad. The only reason to get anything else is to save cash. Sony is the only company that can hope to compete with Apple in the tablet market, shame they can't.
I'll probably get an iPad 3 this year now that the product has matured and the 1st two barebones models are out of the way.
If you are spending serious dough, get an iPad. The only reason to get anything else is to save cash. Sony is the only company that can hope to compete with Apple in the tablet market, shame they can't.
I'll probably get an iPad 3 this year now that the product has matured and the 1st two barebones models are out of the way.
I just stated exactly why people buy something besides an ipad.
The Faceless Master
Member
it's really weird that some of your complaints are about the device being used and having stuff on it when it was a store model, which, obviously, people use.
and the microusb comment is baffling to me, i mean for years now, every phone except the iStuff uses one.
the rest of the complaints, i agree, you should have gotten an iPad. oh wait, you already had one...
i'd never get an iPad... ok, i'd CONSIDER it if there was some real multitasking on it in the future and IRC suddenly became usable, and if there were a simple way to run stuff not on the app store.
and the microusb comment is baffling to me, i mean for years now, every phone except the iStuff uses one.
the rest of the complaints, i agree, you should have gotten an iPad. oh wait, you already had one...
i'd never get an iPad... ok, i'd CONSIDER it if there was some real multitasking on it in the future and IRC suddenly became usable, and if there were a simple way to run stuff not on the app store.
Sorry to hear. Your best bet probably is to put some custom rom on it. To be honest I'm not all that jazzed about honeycomb either; it's not as refined as gingerbread and compatibility across apps is still an issue, but the ones that are optimized for tablets are pretty glorious. I bought an Acer Iconia mainly to read pdfs and save some trees. After messing around with my kid brother's ipad I just didn't want to deal with itunes. To each his own, etc. I just feel sympathetic whenever someone makes a substantial purchase only to be hit by buyer's remorse.
I think flash fans make up a minority of buyers. Minority of 1% ain't much!
Yeah, I have no beef with browsing with Flash plugin on all the time in desktop mode on my Xoom, although it does take some extra processing. It's just Apple curating web content to meet their own ends.
EDIT: By the way OP, there are mini-to-micro USB adapters. I have like a few at home myself.
No, the other end of the charge cable is the power brick. You don't transfer anything aside from current with that.
crazy monkey
Banned
Samsung galaxy tablet is much better. Touchpad is also better.
It bothered the fuck out of me. Maybe Im just strange. But I didnt like seeing ????? all over webpages. That kind of shit annoys me.
the funny thing about it is that I dont really hate the design of apple products and I like the functionality. Its really just the complete animosity towards flash software that made me dump apple for Samsung.
I actually snooped around some Android forums and it seems that the device still cannot be successfully rooted.
But I did find this sweet bit of news: Android 4.0 confirmed for Sony Tablet
They're not saying when it happens though. So it might be August 2012.
Ignatz Mouse
Banned
I didn't know this tablet existed until I today, when I took a rare step into a bricks-and-mortar computer store.
I played with all the Android tablets, and this one was pretty low on the aesthetics/form factor list.
Also, as the OP described, this was the only one with crap all over the home screen. Save files for Crash Bandicoot, it appeared.
Yeah, there are better tablets out there. The Transformer was cheaper and is much better from my playing with my father-in-law's and playing with one in the store.
I played with all the Android tablets, and this one was pretty low on the aesthetics/form factor list.
Also, as the OP described, this was the only one with crap all over the home screen. Save files for Crash Bandicoot, it appeared.
Yeah, there are better tablets out there. The Transformer was cheaper and is much better from my playing with my father-in-law's and playing with one in the store.
Don't get me wrong, lack of flash is a joke, especially their reasoning but even without flash, iOS is still the best by a long shot.
With Steve Jobs gone, hopefully Apple will be less petty.
Just FYI, Youtube has been on the HTML5 video train for a long time now. The increasing majority of the videos on there can be viewed without Flash on a modern browser.
And at this point, it's done. Flash lost. Adobe isn't even bothering to continue developing mobile Flash.
As an Android phone fanboy, and an iPad fanboy, and a long time HTML5 proponent, I say good riddance.
OP: Sony + Android has been a trainwreck since Sony started working on Android devices. Stay away unless you hear of some miraculous revolution in Sony's software development team.
Well then since you CAN access the standard Android Marketplace, most of your problems can be solved:
Get the Wifi Explorer (which is free) so you can transfer files without any cable.
Research and find the most suitable DLNA app that allows you to play your media.
As for bloatware, either root your tab or wait for the ICS upgrade which will allow you to remove all the bloatware.
So there you go.
Al-ibn Kermit
Junior Member
There is absolutely no way I would buy a smartphone or tablet without trying it out first, especially one with an operating system that I've never used before. You should have also tried comparing it to the competition to see how it differs from other android tablets. It sounds like Sony jammed it with half-baked apps and other bullshit.
I don't mean any offense, but I think your first problem was going to a Sony store to buy the tablet. You should have gone somewhere where at least the salesman is a little less biased and where you get to compare everything side by side.
I don't mean any offense, but I think your first problem was going to a Sony store to buy the tablet. You should have gone somewhere where at least the salesman is a little less biased and where you get to compare everything side by side.
D
Deleted member 17706
Unconfirmed Member
Why would you ever ask a floor sales person anything when you are obviously pretty Internet-savvy?
But didn't you say Android is shit? You didn't at least try an Android tablet first? That was a big wall of text, putting blame on everyone/thing except where it should be.
TheChewyWaffles
Member
I read your op and still can't figure out why you didn't buy an iPad 2.
Touchpad? for a 99 dollar toy maybe but usable? no not really. Using my touchpad after using the iPad is just frustrating.
in theory they should make awesome stuff, period. They used to. I can't believe how I don't own one Sony product now. My house was sonyland a few years ago... Playstation, tv, receiver, etc. They have been outclassed by so many the last few years. No point in buying any of their products.
pharmboy044
Member
Vita?
Are we looking at the same thing? That shit is one piece of sweet ass hardware. Don't lump the Vita with this weird half ass tablet.
Ninja Scooter
Member
Thread summary for those that missed the giant OP:
Isn't Flash better from a developer standpoint?
Mohonky
Member
Eh, would never have this problem; I know never to buy Sony unless it's video camera's.
Never understood why Sony is held in such high regard. They always use cheap materials, shit breaks or stops working just outside of warranty and they are always pushing some propriety connection / memory device with their products and they charge you some Sony tax like their product is a higher tier than competition.
Has always been that way right from my first Walkman which was a pos.
Never understood why Sony is held in such high regard. They always use cheap materials, shit breaks or stops working just outside of warranty and they are always pushing some propriety connection / memory device with their products and they charge you some Sony tax like their product is a higher tier than competition.
Has always been that way right from my first Walkman which was a pos.
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