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Posted 31 August 2012

Ainol Novo 7 Fire Tablet 16gb - £124.99 @ Futeko.com

£124.99
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Highly anticipated and finally stocked by Futeko.

This is a pre-order, as stock will be ready for dispatch on 6th September.

Ordering from Futeko.com gives you peace of mind.

First impressions video (English) here:

youtube.com/wat…xzU

The Novo 7 Fire is the latest tablet from the leading Chinese tablet brand, Ainol. It is the first Chinese branded tablet to feature a Google Nexus matching 1280x800 capacitive IPS display.

Key features:

Dual core CPU + dual-core GPU. Cortex A9 Amlogic 8726-M6 with dual Mali-400 GPU cores. Proven fast in the Aurora 2 and Elf 2.
1280x800 resolution. 216PPI 7" screen to match the Google Nexus 7.
IPS display. Enhanced brightness and 180 degree viewing angle. Capacitive touch for super sensitivity.
Micro-SD card slot. You can upgrade storage easily in 32GB chunks using micro-SD cards.
HDMI ouput. The Novo Fire can be used to play HD media content or HD games on a big screen TV.
Dual cameras. Both a 2MP front facing camera and a 5MP rear facing camera designed for taking high quality photos.
Bluetooth. A first for the Novo tablets.
Quality build. As with all Ainol tablets, the Fire is both robust and stylish.
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  1. littld's avatar
    Hardware spec is better than the Playbook in some respects. I doubt build quality will be as good. I'd rather have "Blackberry" printed on the front of a device I use every day than "Ainol." People will still be sniggering about that years after I binned it.
  2. Mr.No's avatar
    I don't fancy having a 7" Ainol anything. X)
  3. deleted490264's avatar
    Author
    FLOBADOB

    http://gadgetfreakz.co.uk/tablet-pc/ainol-novo-7-aurora-2-android-4-0-7-ips-tablet.htmlA couple of quid more but in stock!I have the old model and that is a great little tablet highly recommended.



    That is the old model. This deal is for the newly released Novo 7 Fire.
    (edited)
  4. deleted474018's avatar
    Mr No

    I don't fancy having a 7" Ainol anything. X)



    Getting old mate.
  5. HereKittyKitty's avatar
    Even the Ainol logo looks like an anus. Reminds me of the flag from Community:

    [image missing]


    [image missing]



    Maybe one of the designers was having a laugh.

    Spec-wise, this is amazing, and at such a low price. But it might be worth investing in a case that covers up the logo

  6. deleted144964's avatar
    Looking forward to some firmware updates, so many problems...

    1. Popping speakers
    2. Overheating, although people say this is a firmware issue, I'm not so sure, it just seems to be the battery that overheats, via charging or draining too fast. I dunno, it would be nice if it could be fixed though.
    3. Bluetooth sound + video at the same time does not work, (unless it's youtube or audio alone, that works) but your own home movies or films, in vplayer, or the two default players, will just lag and sound not work at all, or crash if you have bluetooth enabled. fine without.
    4. Touchscreen keypad does not work for entering wifi password, you have to use usb keyboard... (it works for everything else though, the touchscreen keyboard)
    5. WPS for the wifi doesn't work either.
    6. You can't keep performance mode on all the time, if you restart it reverts to normal, I wouldn't call that a fault, but something overlooked, it's too slow in anything lower than Performance mode... let me make an example, Powersaving = Htc Hero, Normal = overclocked HTC Hero. Performance = Samsung Galaxy Note.
    7. The colours are a little washed out, nothing at all like my cheapo korean IPS panels, which look more like my samsung note super amoled hd. This could be resolved, with a simple colour changer, which you see in samsung phones, lets your adjust the colours to "dynamic" "movie" "standard". Again not really a fault, but a missing feature.

    I also have some suggestions, the hardkey homescreen button should be on the left side where the power button is, or on the rightside near the end If you're holding it left hand you can't really reach it, because your hand is near the bottom to support the weight, and if you're holding it right hand, you deffinately can't reach it, which makes it annoying. As you have to use two hands really. In fact, even if it was where the power button was unless you have XXL size hands, you'd still not reach it, not without adjusting your holding position. It really needs to be on the side of the device at the top in the regions of the power socket area.

    Oh, if you're planning on installing gameloft games, don't just yet, format the intenal sd from your PC to 64k. Otherwise you'll end up wasting a great deal of time... Don't say I didn't warn you.
    After 6 hours of installing / tweaking, I installed Nova 3, when I restarted, I had a continuous "searching for errors" for the internal SD, it lasted hours and never went away, some people say it will go within 15 mins or so, but not for me, I had to erase everything from recovery menu... But the formatting to 64k before, seems to fix this problem.

    Also someone should make the tight fitting gel cases, you find for all the other devices except Ainol...
    ebay.co.uk/itm…a66

    Like the above link, because the plastic shell on the device is soft like butter, I just scraped it on a "soft bubble wallpaper" it ripped a chunk of the plastic off the tablet, the wallpaper came off as the winner, got to be the cheapest softest plastic I've ever seen.
    I know people say the build quality is good, they're wrong, sure it's better than the Chinese tablets you used to get, but I don't really enjoy hearing creaking sounds when holding the device, the screen is loose to the housing... It's no Samsung or Asus. But it's too be expected for a cheapo device. I'm not really bothered, I'm annoyed about the lack of cases... I've dropped my note a dozen times, it looks brand new, saved by a simple £1 gel case, one drop of this, and I can kiss the tablet goodbye. I don't know why anyone would want the giant book cover type cases they offer, which usually don't offer good side edge anyway, I want a tight fitting gel/rubber one.

    As for the battery life, haha, upto 8 hours? More like 2-3 hours, if you want an "enjoyable experience"
    Anything other than "performance mode" is too laggy, even low def videos go out of sync,
    As for brightness anything below 100% is not very visable with lights on, especailly for movies. In a dark room while looking at websites, you can get away with about 50-60% brightness, but not for movies, even 100% is pretty dark and dull compared to any other IPS screen, I'd say its more equal to a cheapo tft screen. Also HD videos don't look very HD on this device, I'd probably put that down to poor quality video player softwares, although you tube looks great. But the "video player" "movie player" "vplayer" are not very good really.

    But all the complaints, it's still a great tablet, for £115 (£125) if you didn't get the £10 refund, you're not going to find better in this price range. I have it plugged in most of the time, so battery isn't a problem. (I used it in bed mostly) Usually for bluetooth music to sleep with, or listening to debates on podcasts or youtube to relax to before sleep (Yes debates relax me, I'm weird).
    Also it's good for news reading while on the thunderbox.

    Games, it's a bit of a struggle for the device, I'd say they look about 16-20FPS slightly choppy, you perhaps wouldn't notice if you don't have a better device to compare with. I tried Fifa 12, Nova 3, Asphalt 7, that being said, it's perfectly good enough to play them.

    My advice is. If your budget is £125 get this device, don't get a playbook,
    But if you have £200 get the Nexus 7 16gb, as 8gb cheaper version isn't enough, assuming you can live without micro sd, no hdmi out, no flash support.

    Many of the problems I mentioned will be fixed in later firmware updates, and I'm sure if I keep pestering the gel case manufacturer they'll make some Ainol ones...

    Lol, and they put warranty stickers on the casing, which have mostly "rubbed" off by normal use already, so probably voids the warranty, even though it's not tampered with. Another reason I want a gel case (Not sure how that will work out with the overheating issue though). If anyone finds one, be sure to let me know.

    I'm going to get a bunch of Ainol fanboys attack me now, without reading what I have to say, I'm just giving my experience, I still recommend the device, it's still great value for money, but some issues I'd like to be worked out, but now to eat some yogurt, because I have Ainol Fire... :-)
  7. deleted490264's avatar
    Author
    TheBigYin71

    Cheaper here @£109 with free delivery - … Cheaper here @£109 with free delivery - http://ipadalternative.com/119-ainol-novo-7-flame-dual-core-android-403-ics-16gb-1280800px-dual-camera.html.



    I'm well aware that there are other international sites selling this product at a cheaper price with free delivery.

    Futeko.com is well respected on this site, and is based in the UK. Returns are simple and easy.

    PLUS, the sheer amount of emoticons ':)' on that site is creeping me out, and makes me simply want to cross it away!
    (edited)
  8. Hodge4ever's avatar
    jamstaruk1972

    im looking for something like this for my 5 year old,only looking for it … im looking for something like this for my 5 year old,only looking for it to play angry birds and online games from websites like cbeebies would this handle that?


    Easily, my Elf 2 (similar if not identical cpu/gpu) is running GTA etc... with no performance issues. Unless you want the rear camera and Bluetooth, I would look into an Elf 2 or Aurora 2.

    pjlhot

    Anyone know what the battery life is like with these?e.g how long it … Anyone know what the battery life is like with these?e.g how long it lasts in use, and how long it lasts in standby


    My Elf 2 lasts around 7 hours playing movies, browsing Internet etc... gaming is more like 4-5 hours.
    In standby mine is still going after a week (reviews seem to indicate 200-300 hours)

    HTH

    (edited)
  9. fishmaster's avatar
    grahamc2003

    I have the Annoi Elf 2. Nothing wrong with build quality, No one has … I have the Annoi Elf 2. Nothing wrong with build quality, No one has sniggered at 'Annoi' on the front yet, and if they did, I'd snigger back if they've spend 3 times as much on something inferior. I'd recommend Annoi. Mine didn't come with the appropriate hdmi lead to connect to TV, and the mini adapter I bought on ebay didn't fit, so a plus if this one comes with the correct hdmi lead (does it?). Good deal, price/performance can't be beaten imv. Can probably get for 20% cheaper direct from China if you don't mind waiting 3 or 4 weeks, and taking a risk of not being stung for various import fees. Next time, I'll cough up a little extra and buy in the UK.



    No one's going to snigger at Annoi though are they, no euphemism there. They might well snigger at Ainol though.
  10. deleted490264's avatar
    Author
    (OP)

    I actually had a Nexus 7 for a week and had the lifting screen problem.

    I was contemplating this or the BlackBerry Playbook.

    I chose this as I'm an adventurous ****.
  11. niceguyrichy's avatar
    MisterMadHatter

    I'm curious as to what features make the Nexus 7 worth paying the extra … I'm curious as to what features make the Nexus 7 worth paying the extra £35/75


    well just for starters, you get 3 tablets for the price of one :o)

    that's right, cos the first two Nexus' you get, you'll have to return and get replaced, because the damn things are so shoddily put together. see, 3 for the price of one
  12. deleted144964's avatar
    MisterMadHatter

    Or Amazon is £117.45 if you prefer to go through … Or Amazon is £117.45 if you prefer to go through them:http://www.amazon.co.uk/AINOL-TAB-NOVO7-Fire-Flame/dp/B00912BE08/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1346420478&sr=8-1



    Not sure why you'd want to save £7.50, to end up having to wait 2-3 weeks to receive it from China with the chance it gets lost, also risking maybe £15-25 customs charges depending on how much the seller values the item.
    And God forbid it's faulty, you'll have to pay like £30-40 to return it.

    This post is for a UK seller...
  13. koahhe's avatar
    I will flash the new firmware 0916 and let everyone know what is new
  14. lagtastic's avatar
    Must have too many hot currys the night before, hot!
  15. grahamc2003's avatar
    I have the Annoi Elf 2. Nothing wrong with build quality, No one has sniggered at 'Annoi' on the front yet, and if they did, I'd snigger back if they've spend 3 times as much on something inferior. I'd recommend Annoi. Mine didn't come with the appropriate hdmi lead to connect to TV, and the mini adapter I bought on ebay didn't fit, so a plus if this one comes with the correct hdmi lead (does it?). Good deal, price/performance can't be beaten imv. Can probably get for 20% cheaper direct from China if you don't mind waiting 3 or 4 weeks, and taking a risk of not being stung for various import fees. Next time, I'll cough up a little extra and buy in the UK.
  16. pjlhot's avatar
    Anyone know what the battery life is like with these?
    e.g how long it lasts in use, and how long it lasts in standby
  17. deleted491813's avatar
    mr_vega

    Getting old mate.



    How do you know his age?
  18. deleted231063's avatar
    Will definitely get one of these but will (a) wait for the price to drop. Hardware Heroes are usually a bit slower than Futeko at getting the latest tablets in but when they do, they are about £20 cheaper and (b) hang on for what might be a freebie upgrade to Android 4.1. The company blurb says it's upgradeable so they might just ship future batches with Jelly Bean.
    BTW, spent last week playing with the sister-in-law's Elf 2. It was a very impressive bit of kit. Definitely an Ainol fanboy now!
    (edited)
  19. hackerace's avatar
    kevinyork

    Just got the Nexus 7. Extremely pleased with it. Lovely design, feels … Just got the Nexus 7. Extremely pleased with it. Lovely design, feels great in the hand, superb screen and Jelly Bean seems flawless. Its a great all round package and comes with £15 Google Play credit. I would recommend spending a bit more and get the Nexus.



    im also thinking of buying the nexus but saw this one and can't decide which one to buy, this one has better specs.. aaaahhh can't decide!
  20. niceguyrichy's avatar
    Spud211

    Lot of money for an Ainol tablet - remember that these are cheap chineese … Lot of money for an Ainol tablet - remember that these are cheap chineese tablets so don't expect too much in terms of build quality.


    as i said above, there's absolutely nothing wrong with the build quality of Ainol tablets
    try googling Nexus build quality issues on the other hand...
  21. MisterMadHatter's avatar
    kevinyork

    Just got the Nexus 7. Extremely pleased with it. Lovely design, feels … Just got the Nexus 7. Extremely pleased with it. Lovely design, feels great in the hand, superb screen and Jelly Bean seems flawless. Its a great all round package and comes with £15 Google Play credit. I would recommend spending a bit more and get the Nexus.



    I'm curious as to what features make the Nexus 7 worth paying the extra £35/75. The Nexus 7 falls down on a few key features, as mentioned above (no SD slot, no HDMI and no flash support). I'm not saying you're wrong but I'd be interested to hear your reasons for recommending a more expensive tab with pretty much similar specs (but with less functionality) over this one.

    If people don't want to shell out £124 then the Elf II is a good option (as stated by many in this thread). It's currently selling on Amazon for £82.99, although perhaps the price will come down once the Novo 7 Fire is released. It's got really good reviews anyway.

    Elf II (Amazon)
    (edited)
  22. 5hooey's avatar
    Ladies vote hot if you love Ainol!
  23. MisterMadHatter's avatar
    martino2k6

    That is what I would be interested in. If it had NEON then I wouldn't … That is what I would be interested in. If it had NEON then I wouldn't hesitate to buy it, otherwise I would be a bit wary of getting it as media device.



    A benchmark test of the Elf II (Click Here) shows that the Elf II has Neon included so I imagine the Novo 7 Fire will too (otherwise it will be a bit of a downgrade). From numerous reviews I've read the Elf II is more than capable of running 720p MKV video and people are saying what a great multimedia device it is.
  24. deleted144964's avatar
    hackerace

    i think ipadalternatives are based in the uk.



    [image missing]

  25. fards's avatar
    I've got the ainol Elf 2 which is the same internals as this, but lower res screen

    its a stunning tablet, if you seriously think the playbook is a better deal then you know nothing about tablets at all.
    I spent some time with a playbook, other than it crashing continually and finding virtually nothing to do with it, I was utterly bemused by its supposed "appeal".

    The fact that Ainol released source for their quadcore tablets this week also adds very heavily in its favour.

    My Elf II scores higher in benchmarks than my Galaxy note, build quality is superb, it blows my old tegra 2 hannspad out of the water in every way, if it had BT build in then I'd say it was better device than the nexus 7.

    Hey if you're concerned about Ainol on the front, then don't be surprised if people comment about you RIMming with your "playbook"

    I think I'm likely to get one of the Fire for "my tablet" and use the ELF 2 as my hacking/development one, that the kids and my other half can use.
    definitely worth every penny.
  26. deleted57770's avatar
    I like these 7" tablets with microSD slot and HDMI (front camera for Skype). From a usability and safety point of view, I mean the secure handling of data and ease of transfer of contents such as photos taken, files etc, these Android tablets with microSD slot storage is best for lost cost storage and ease of use. If all of a sudden the tablet failed or dropped on hard floor or water... you just take out the microSD and voila your data is transferable immediately. For example, you have some exclusive photograph, spreadsheet, presentation or art work which you want to show to someone else but don't fancy them making a copy or stealing your fine details or your calculations. Then you just go to see that person with a microSD , slot it in his/her tablet, view the stuff and remove microSD. When needing to view a large video file quickly it is so much simpler to copy from PC to microSD slot and then insert microSD into the tablet. Even faster is to use microSD in an adapter to SD size, use this in digital camera to take photos. Afterwards viewing the photos on tablet is so quick and easy. Same for camcorder recorded material. Suppose that your battery runs flat and you forgot to take that mains or USB power cable. Without removable media you need to carry your device with you (that's why 7" is a sweet size as 10" is rather large comparatively). Another example: you have some hundreds megabytes or gigabytes of media files which you want to transfer to your friend (whilst on the road). This is easy with a microSD slot but not so for device with no microSD slot. A microSD slot means that you always have a spare piece of memory for contingency (transfer of data). But if when you use inbuilt flash memory storage like Apple, Nexus and Blackberry you are pretty much prone to loosing your data and contents unless you use cloud storage (payment) or regular data synch or backup with a PC. And when you need to transfer data and contents it is not so easy on-line for larger files (a few hundred MBs or GB would eat up your 3G allowance in no time) or off-line!
  27. deleted601889's avatar
    fards

    its a stunning tablet, if you seriously think the playbook is a better … its a stunning tablet, if you seriously think the playbook is a better deal then you know nothing about tablets at all.



    Think you should change the 'd' in your username to a 't'
  28. deleted144964's avatar
    Option one for me...

    Best case is: I get the tabby on time, and get to play with it, I get £10 off, and firmware is released and fixed problem.
    Worst case is: It turns out to be a hardware fault, and I'll sell it on eBay for £100, some people just use it for surfing, so a speaker issue or overheating when gaming won't be a problem, and buy a Nexus 7 and never buy a Chinese Tablet again.
    Or if it's a real problem I'll just return it under the 7 days DSR...
    I think they're hoping for a firmware update in a few days, so might be able to get the update before the 7 days, and then we'll know for sure.

    Don't really want a nexus 7 though £170 (inc postage) for 8gb model, to match the ainol 16GB £210 That's almost double the price, might as well keep my Note, The reason I wanted a Ainol, was because I was selling the note for £300, get tablet for £125 and got a cheapo Nokia for £30 = £145 in my pocket, and no dead phone when I go out, cause the Nokia has 1000 hours Standby (Who really needs a smart phone while on the move? a phone is most important, so battery is important).
    The no mSD is really bad move by Google and no rear cam, if they had it, they'd probably get 50% more sales...
    But I suppose it's some sort of sales tactic for the long term, if they put no mSD and rear cam in this model, next years model, they will have them, and tell everyone that's the "big update" and they'll not have to spend much money on updating the CPU / GPU / RAM, they'll use the same.

    I just hope they send my Ainol Saturday Special delivery, I was hoping to get it on Friday.
    But it was good of them to be honest and test it. I like this Futeko company. (They reply to emails fast too).
  29. koahhe's avatar

    I like the brightness of the screen but it is more reflective then I would have liked. The Fire has an IPS screen though when Elf2 doesn't. Don't notice any faint lines and it doesn't seem to get too hot. I have played an 720p movie for an hour and then Riptide GP for 10 minutes and it is only a bit warm. I did hear the popping noises 2 or 3 times. Pretty happy with it so far. Going to flash the Flambe rom now.


    IK1

    Would like to know how bright the screen is and is it reflective?. I … Would like to know how bright the screen is and is it reflective?. I found the elf2 to be a little dark and too reflective hence its going back. Can you see any faint lines when you look from an angle on the screen? Also does the back get hot?thanks


    (edited)
  30. mikerj's avatar
    My Fire has just been delivered apparently. Looking forward to a bit of Ainol action after work
  31. deleted490264's avatar
    Author
    Just posted a first impressions video on my channel:

    youtube.com/wat…d=1
  32. deleted606041's avatar
    samaraki

    My advice is. If your budget is £125 get this device, don't get a … My advice is. If your budget is £125 get this device, don't get a playbook,



    Another pretty ignorant comment without any clarification given why. Except for some apps that are still missing from the playbook ecosystem, the playbook would be 1000 times better in everything (hardware, build quality, screen quality, battery life, performance, quality of media play, handling demanding HD games, multitasking ability and so on...) than this crap. I'd suggest that you use one for at least couple of weeks to put some credibility to your expert comments.

    If someone is interested in an android tablet, I see no reason for even considering this piece of sh*te for £125. Better quality tablets with better quality software are available from reputable manufacturers at marginally higher cost (samsung galaxy tab 2 with the current money back, nexus 7, kindle fire/fireHD, upcoming iconia tab, or even xoom 2 ME that goes on sale at £149 regularly at CPW). Spending another 30 quids or so more would bring happiness and satisfaction much longer than the frustration and agony of wasting £125
  33. mikerj's avatar
    I had a quick play with the Ainol firmware yesterday and noted a few of the issues mentioned by samaraki (speaker popping, slightly washed out colours) but I didn't notice any significant overheating during normal use or whilst playing Angry Birds. The touch screen keyboard worked correctly for me to enter my WiFi password (no issues with WPA/WPA2, but I don't WPS). Performance seems fine in "Normal mode", at least games seem to work ok and the tablet seems reasonably smooth. One annoying thing on my tablet is the vibrator/buzzer which makes the sort of noise that motors with dry bearings make. The actual build quality is better than I expected, the gun-metal brushed alloy back looks very smart and it has a good solid feel.

    However I didn't linger with the supplied firmware as it's known to have quite a few bugs so loaded version 3 of the "Flambe" firmware made by Pat Moss on the SlateDroid forums. The speaker popping is still there; I have to wonder if this is a hardware problem caused by the speaker amp being switched in and out of a standby mode?

    It was used for maybe 5 hours last night by me, my wife and my 7 year old daughter for web browsing, office apps and plenty of games. There was no significant overheating apparent, though it gets a fairly warm when playing games. WiFi range seems very good, and I've had no drop outs. Scrolling, pinching etc. is not quite up to iPad standards, but is generally smooth and very useable. The battery was still showing about 1/4 remaining last night when I went to bed so 6 hours should be easily achievable.

    Overall I'm happy with it, it's a perfectly useable device which has met or exceeded my expectations.
  34. deleted606793's avatar
    samaraki

    I wouldn't say ignorant, far from it, it's ignorant that you think I'm … I wouldn't say ignorant, far from it, it's ignorant that you think I'm ignorant :-P, I can give you some reasons, not in any specific order of importance. This is why I would suggest Ainol over Playbook.1. No Android (Of course that's down to personal opinion, but I prefer Android)2. No IPS3. Lower res, 1024x600 vs 1280x8004. No micro SD slot (I think) - That's a issue for most people.5. It has a lower clock speed, although in real life use, I don't know if that makes much difference, because the software comes into play too.Yes, I'm ignorant in the fact I don't have a spare £130 to buy the device to play around with, to say I've had hands on experience, but the low res, no IPS, no mSD, is enough for me to not buy one imo. I won't say the software because I've not used it, maybe i'd prefer it to Android.But having tried Apple OS after listening to the whining of Apple fanboys, I was greatly disappointing, and it would be logical to think the same about Blackberrys firmware, having used blackberry smartphones, and knowing how good Android runs...I have tried the Samsung Galaxy Tab 2, I found it not as good as the Ainol.Please give links to the so called bargain tablets you're talking to, I'm feeling too ignorant to find for myself.If you're willing to buy me a playbook, I'll be happy to compare it to the Ainol.I think only a good compare is a nexus 7 vs Ainol, with the nexus you're getting by far the best performance, out of these 7" tablets, all brands atm, but you're lacking mSD, hdmi, flash, rear camera, and costs way more...So it's an easy choice for me, Ainol for me, if they sort out the current issues, it will be an easy winner, I also seem to be having more issues than others.



    Your comments about playbook is obviously based on specification sheets without any hands-on experience. My advice is don't rely on specifications as that hardly tells the real truth. I have the playbook and also one of the better android tablets (Samsung Galaxy tab 7.7) , and I am comfortable using both systems without any prejudice or preference, they compliment each other rather than conflicting.

    Yes playbook screen resolution is lower but it more than makes up for it with much much better colour, contrast, brightness and viewing angle. Just a mention of IPS in a crap tablet doesn't make the screen better. I'd suggest that you visit your nearest CPW or Curry's and compare the Playbook against Nexus 7 (supposedly better screen than the Ainol novo) screen. First put both of them under auto brighness and also check under maximum brightness. See them from different angles and take them closer to the daylight then come back and tell me which has better screen

    64gb playbook is selling for £129. If you tell me that 64Gb is not enough and lack of SD slot is a drawback then I'd ask what extra memory can you accomodate in the Novo? Simple, 16gb onboard + 32gb max SD, that makes it better storage option isn't it?? (also ignoring the fact that onboard memory is better than external SD storage for downloading apps, performance, and corruption issues)

    Higher clock speed in a lower quality chip? Again, if you are looking at the spec sheets look a bit deeper than superficially. Playbook uses a dual-channel memory giving it twice the bandwidth compared to Nexus-7 with sigle channel memory (I can't find the memory configuration for Novo but guess it can't be better than the Nexus 7). This matters more in real life performance compared to on-paper clock speed. Moreover, as I use both BBOS and Android every day I know which OS is smoother and more efficient in operation. If you didn't know, BBOS is based on QNX the OS used in your car and running nuclear power plants (yes you can guess how robust the OS needs to be). Also QNX is more efficient in multitasking due to its distributive computing capabilities (lacking in Android and iOS, only may be Windows 8 would be comparable).

    Only thing going for Android is apps (which lacks in playbook, but not everyone is looking for millions of apps), that's why I have an android tablet as well. If you want android that's your choice rather than suggesting 'don't buy playbook'. Playbook has apps and plenty of games that might serve the purpose of many. It's a much better media player (better video handling, better audio controller, better speakers, full HD video recording and playback) and the browser fully supports flash and HTML5 (arguably the best browser of all tablet OS right now). This might be good enough for the requirements of many that don't need thousands of 'fart' apps. But Yes if some apps are priority (like Netflix, Skype etc.) obviously playbook shouldn't be a choice then.

    As far as bargain (more expensive than Novo but better value for money considering better hardware and software integration, better built, reputable manufacturer) Android tabs are concerned I already mentioned them in my previous post.

    If SD card support is essential:
    Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 (Can't see why the Novo is better than this) hotukdeals.com/dea…933
    Acer iconia tab A110 (coming out soon at a price cheaper or at least comparable to Nexus-7 with better spec)

    without SD card support:
    Amazon Kindle fire (£129) or Kindle fire HD (£159) and the Amazon one paid app free daily is much better than crappy free apps in play store IMHO, in the future free Amazon instant video is bound to come to Prime customers.
    Motorola Xoom 2 ME (great lightweight tablet with 8.2 screen size ideal to carry around) Right now £185 at CPW, but was £149 a week ago and regularly goes back to that promotional price
  35. deleted231063's avatar
    Samaraki - the other guy seems to have given up now so I'm declaring you the winner of this epic debate!
  36. koahhe's avatar

    All of them have the popping sound which is not that bad especially after flashing Flambe v03. If you need more information check the Slatedroid forum here

    REAL_DEAL

    next batch for pre-order hopefully tomorrow, does anyone know if all the … next batch for pre-order hopefully tomorrow, does anyone know if all the issues popping etc/heat afftects all these or just the futeko batch as no firmware update yet so would expect these to have the same faults............

  37. REAL_DEAL's avatar
    koahhe

    All of them have the popping sound which is not that bad especially after … All of them have the popping sound which is not that bad especially after flashing Flambe v03. If you need more information check the Slatedroid forum here



    cheers for that link waiting to pre-order now
  38. koahhe's avatar

    Cannot describe any better than this guy did. You get used to it though and it doesn't bother me that much

    "It usually pops when the audio is initiated after a while...almost like a jolt that you get when a train starts or stops.

    This usually happens when I play an audio file or a video or a text to speech in a e-reader , that's when I hear it initially. Then stop it and minimize to home, I can hear the little pop then at times. Same when a video is stopped, minimized or started again. Sometimes it happens when clicking on buttons, usually when a playing sound gets stopped. It's like it happens when the connection to the speaker is stopped and it discharges or something. Again this is noticeable when you wear the headphones. "

    cbrpaul

    thx for info , its helping me decide to get one or not !!! Shame it has … thx for info , its helping me decide to get one or not !!! Shame it has not fixed the sound issue , makes me think its hardware not software thats the issue here !! Is the sound popping on ALL audio play backs ? movies , music , etc !!!

  39. koahhe's avatar

    This is terrible news and says how much Ainol cares about customer satisfaction. Not only that they were not able to release firmware to fix the problems they have but they continue to manufacture and sell them knowing that these issues cannot be fixed. Lesson learned. Never buy Ainol again and never buy anything directly from a chinese trader. All my respect to Futeko who seem to really care about their customers.

    cbrpaul

    thats a shame !!!!

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