[clug] DreamBook?

[Robert Edwards]

On 03/12/10 10:34, Angus Gratton wrote:
> On Thu, 2010-12-02 at 17:20 +1100, Robert Edwards wrote:
>> Anyone on the list seen or have any opinions of the DreamBook Android
>> tablet currently being sold in Big-W for $188? 7" touchscreen, 256MB
>> RAM, 2GB SSD etc. etc.
>>
>> Worth buying?
>
> Not really.
>
> It appears to be the same WonderMedia WM8505 chipset as the Eken M001
> $99 tablet and a few of the others, just with more RAM.
>
> If that's the case, I've spent a lot of time messing with these things
> (I got Froyo to mostly run on mine last week) and they're not a
> particularly good device at $99, let alone $188.
>
> In fact, Ars Technica reviewed a similar (possibly same) model sold in
> the US @ $99US as the "worst gadget ever"
> http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/reviews/2010/11/worst-gadget-ever-ars-reviews-a-99-android-tablet.ars
>

Yep, the Maylong M150 reviewed by Ars Technica looks identical to the
DreamBook for sale in Big W. I'll stay away...

Congrats on getting Froyo going on the Eken M001. I still have my
SmartQ R7 running Ubuntu - clunky but does the job. I might be able
to make it to Dickson College next Tuesday. What time are you all
going to be there?

Cheers,

Bob Edwards.

>
> Funnily enough, many of the problems are software related (missing
> kernel support in particular.) I actually wrote an open letter
> encouraging Wondermedia to release their docs/code so the current
> community efforts can be more successful, and the products can suck
> less:
> http://projectgus.com/2010/11/open-letter-to-wondermedia-technologies/
>
> I'm told the letter has apparently been forwarded on to them by someone
> with contacts at the company, but I'm not exactly holding high hopes.
>
>
> Someone mentioned the Tegra-based tablets, and I think these will be
> really interesting - looking forward to seeing reviews when they come
> out. The Viewsonic Viewpad 7 that was announced for Australia yesterday
> also sounds good, if only because it has a capacitive touch screen
> instead of resistive.
>
> Regards,
>
> Angus
>
> PS If anyone is interested in messing with these things for general
> hacking's sake, I was going to bring mine (I have two tablets and a
> netbook, related chipsets) to the MHV meeting next Tuesday at Dickson
> College, and show what I've been doing to mess around with them. Plug
> plug. ;)
>