Notion Ink Adam

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lofreq

334 posts

Ultimate Geek

#73401 13-Dec-2010 20:55

Hi all

Im sure there are a few of you out there like myself who have been thinking about a tablet alternative to Apple, and ive been following the development of the Adam by Notion Ink for what seems like years now.

They are finally taking preorders... and the amount of development into the OS and interface, let alone the hardware, seems to be certainly more remarkable than the tons of cheap chinese vanilla android tablets out there.

Price seems competitive, hardware looks built to be Honeycomb-ready, and if Rohan is lucky, there will be a reasonable selection of apps and app developers to add to the device. the factory implementations of the UI/Email/tabbed browser etc seem pretty cool too

i was tempted to preorder the 3G version non-PixelQi unit (since all the PQ display ones are sold out and they are waiting on stock for screens) but then wasnt sure if i should wait till CES for them to reveal the device properly... thought id prompt this forum for some opinions.

what do you guys think about the hardware (PixelQi options, Tegra graphics, swivel camera, reverse trackpad etc)... software ("infinite tabbed" browsing, email, etc).... design... and so on? a worthy alternative to the iPad/iPad2, and to Samsungs Galaxy Tab perhaps? or yet another crapfest?

http://www.notionink.com/

anyway - go ;)

Galaxy Note 3 SM-N9005, on Telecom 4G LTE. ROM: Stock Touchwiz, Android 4.3, XUDMJ6 MODEM: MJ4 Kernel: Stock (for now...:)

WallySimmonds

60 posts

Master Geek

#416745 13-Dec-2010 21:02

I'd be very interested to see the pricing on these. I hate to say it, but the current crop of Android Tablets from the major manufacturers seem to be disappointing in one way or the other (Galaxy Tabs Price, Viewsonics Viewpads processor, Archos 70s availibility and wifi issues) and the cheap Chinese pads are mostly resistive screens (bad a couple like the Wopad, but they have severely underpowered processors to make them probably not worthwhile).

I'm very surprised that Apple have managed to stay ahead of the game for so long. When's the release date? I'm itching to buy something, and I don't really want to buy 1st gen Ipad...

jjnz1

1358 posts

Uber Geek

Lifetime subscriber

#416749 13-Dec-2010 21:17

I too have been following the Adam since Dec 09, and I was about to pre-order the PixelQi 3G unit but decided to wait until Dec 18th (their video review release date) to get a better look.

(I was one of the lucky ones with a pre-pre-order invitation).

Since I decided to postpone my purchase, I have noticed that the PQi 3G is all sold out, and not due in for ages. I think I will wait till some more become available.

The major selling points for me is:

10 inch screen with that special holding curve
Based on android... cyanogenmod hopefully!!!
PixelQi screen, which allows for 15 hours running life and viewable in the sun!
Replaceable battery
Vodafone 3G capable.
HDMI out
GPS, not just AGPS.

What I want to know before I buy:
How many points can the touch screen register at once? eg.Nexus one is 2, SGS is lots.. need to be greater than 3.
User complaints after a month of normal use, remember the dreaded Nokia N97/GPS?
Actual user reviews.

jjnz1

1358 posts

Uber Geek

Lifetime subscriber

#416753 13-Dec-2010 21:22

WallySimmonds: I'd be very interested to see the pricing on these. I hate to say it, but the current crop of Android Tablets from the major manufacturers seem to be disappointing in one way or the other (Galaxy Tabs Price, Viewsonics Viewpads processor, Archos 70s availibility and wifi issues) and the cheap Chinese pads are mostly resistive screens (bad a couple like the Wopad, but they have severely underpowered processors to make them probably not worthwhile).

I'm very surprised that Apple have managed to stay ahead of the game for so long. When's the release date? I'm itching to buy something, and I don't really want to buy 1st gen Ipad...

Shipping starts around 6th Jan 2011.

Prices start from $500NZD to $730NZD plus $67NZD shipping. (plus import tax/duties)

lofreq

334 posts

Ultimate Geek

#416792 13-Dec-2010 22:14

indeed - the selling points to me are
- the build quality/assumed rgidity of the metal body - grip, lack of fingerprints on the matte finish on the spine/rear etc
- the usability in bright light, and battery life offered by the switchable backlit PixelQi screen (im so so keen to sit and read a good book on this with backlight off, at the beach or something, for example, and have the battery to do it)
- being able to browse websites fullscreen and still be legible, portrait style, on the usable 10" screen, it will be like turning all your favourite sites into fullpage magazine style layouts (ive thought long and hard about this, from observing how much easier and fun it is to browse sites on the 9" ipad compared to what might be on a half sized Galaxy Tab - and i really feel, at the end of the day, sitting back and just reading with one hand, instead of having to hunch over and have a finger at the ready constantly panning the screen around, would be such a nicer experience)
- plus the UI of an infinite panning window, with accelerated graphics, is something i hope will be a joy to use, and somethign to show off to ipad users. cus lets be honest, who wants to play 2nd fiddle ;p

im tentative about
- weight. (the ipad is uncomfortably heavy, and the thin edges and fat center dont serve well for one handed operation. it gets heavy FAST. Rohan talks about the design and weight of the Adam, and how the curved spine is a natural grip, and shifts the center of mass much closer to your hand, as opposed to this awkward twisting force making you clamp your hands on the edge of the ipad - im excited to hear when a designer actually considers real world issues like this AND still has a strong design esthetic to his product) - so can he pull off a usable weight and grip in hand

- app support. are they going to pull it off? will the app store be reliable? will the developers continue their support or will they fragment across platforms... will the apps be trickier to design??

- file management. i kind of hate regular android file management where apps seem to just make their own folders in the root folder willy nilly, its a huge mess and im a stickler for organised tree structures. will the device have intelligent media scanning, which will work fast? how will it move media files about and how easily will they playback, etc.

- and how well will the 3G/wifi/GPS radios work... i see they have a series of units that work on 850mhz 3G which is great as i would love to see this thing sing on XT speeds, so im hoping the radios work well and reliably

i think waiting for the 18th dec video preview would be a good idea, and im prepared for the long wait for PQ screens to come back into stock - so im not expecting to see anything till like March or April probably...

Galaxy Note 3 SM-N9005, on Telecom 4G LTE. ROM: Stock Touchwiz, Android 4.3, XUDMJ6 MODEM: MJ4 Kernel: Stock (for now...:)

WallySimmonds

60 posts

Master Geek

#416812 13-Dec-2010 22:43

They're pretty similar to the Viewsonic Gpad and Malata devices, you've got to admit.

lofreq

334 posts

Ultimate Geek

#416823 13-Dec-2010 22:57

specs wise yes, design/UI/screen wise, id say no

Galaxy Note 3 SM-N9005, on Telecom 4G LTE. ROM: Stock Touchwiz, Android 4.3, XUDMJ6 MODEM: MJ4 Kernel: Stock (for now...:)

jjnz1

1358 posts

Uber Geek

Lifetime subscriber

#416826 13-Dec-2010 23:00

WallySimmonds: They're pretty similar to the Viewsonic Gpad and Malata devices, you've got to admit.

I don't think so.

I would liken the Gpad and Malata to an Apple Iphone 3gs
and the Adam tablet to a Samsung Galaxy S.

If you like Apple, great.

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WallySimmonds

60 posts

Master Geek

#416829 13-Dec-2010 23:04

Why? They're pretty much the same hardware (and probably the same OS under the hood) right?

Technically you can put whatever the community provides on these tablets, so don't see why they're that much different to the Viewsonic offerings.

The better screen is only offered on the 3G version from what I've read.

Disrespective

1925 posts

Uber Geek

#416948 14-Dec-2010 10:17

Keep an eye out on the 18th for a video of the tablet in action rather than emulated renders. Source (for what it is)

jjnz1

1358 posts

Uber Geek

Lifetime subscriber

#419101 19-Dec-2010 16:02

Well, The Notion Ink video is a big disappointment for me.
http://www.engadget.com/2010/12/18/notion-ink-releases-adam-demo-video-attempts-to-explain-itself/

The panel/tabbed browsing doesn't appeal to me. It looks way to over thought and ugly.
I think I will wait until Cyanogenmod or someone similar brings out something a bit more useful, as I still do think it has potential hardware wise.

lofreq

334 posts

Ultimate Geek

#419174 19-Dec-2010 20:06

i kinda agreed with you until i watched the 2nd vid and thought about it some more - instead of stretching 800x480 standard android apps to fullscreen, they just run each one in a long scrolling panel. so the effect is like havnig a row of phones in front of you all running a different app each. after a bit of thought it did seem like a unique solution using the portrait based OS apps in a different way.

i read later that the scrolling panel view is only one of 3 views, you can also choose to run apps stretched, and you can run them in some form of reduced 'notifications only' mode as well. the laggy response seems a bit poor until you realise the number of things running concurrently. i think typically you wouldnt be running more than 3 apps at a time, id assume the response in that case would be great.

it seems like an elegant bridge for the device so it can get out there on the market, with room to move to Gingerbread and then Honeycomb later. i think, with the concurrent apps ability, it would be more useful than an ipad in terms of the "one thing at a time" mode of operation - longpress for task manager then switching apps, and only seeing one app at a time..... compared to effectively being able to alt-tab and glance at the apps youre interested in, seems to have usability and workflow merit to it. a worthy replacement to your laptop for the most part when consuming media, thats what appeals to me

i agree with the commenters that, i wish they had a better PR department! heh

Galaxy Note 3 SM-N9005, on Telecom 4G LTE. ROM: Stock Touchwiz, Android 4.3, XUDMJ6 MODEM: MJ4 Kernel: Stock (for now...:)

WaxerNZ

69 posts

Master Geek

#421188 24-Dec-2010 00:10

I am also a long time follower but cant imagine a very polished product coming from them now. I will either get one with vanilla android via hack or something else.

I think that its expensive. The cost with import tax etc seems steep for a 8gb device. By the time you add on the sdhc card its right up there for price. Pixel qi is an unknown factor as I have never seen one in person and pictures make it look washed out. The price notion ink gave rose and they removed the rear trackpad.(Didnt want anyway)

Its not really competing with ipad but ipad 2 so I would rather wait a little and see what competition from apple and other android companies is like. (Honeycomb tablets at ces potentially, Motorola teaser suggests as much or at least soon)

UI seems pretty dumb to me. I have yet to see one person give me an example over how its better than stock android. Including multitasking. There are also what seem to me some bad ui decisions that make no sense at this stage. Mostly based around not using screen real estate. If its there use it. Why put app draw as one line. Why not show all apps across whole screen like vanilla android. Also why repeat currently open windows first. I know they are there so you can rearrange the panels but if I don't want to rearrange panels I have to get past them first. Why not have the rearrange panels button somewhere else. If they thought it important enough and a common enough function that they put them there then surely it deserves better placing or dedicated button. If not required often enough for dedicated button then how useful are panels going to be.

I think the panel layout and how it looks to be continued into their apps is restrictive. Email for example. Why not use pc style approach where I can choose which inbox, get preview of msgs etc all from one screen. Why split it into the panels. Seems like an excuse to continue theme rather than an actual improvement.

Whole thing looks more like it was based around sideloading phone apps which is no way to make a tablet. A good tablet will always be the one that uses the screen size to its advantage and has apps specifically designed around that idea. Both google and apple understand that and have said as much.

If I understand right. Panels are not full app running. So app needs to be made to run in panel mode. Thus pretty much useless for google marketplace apps designed for tablets once honeycomb releases.
If I start up a honeycomb tablet I assume I will be greeted by homescreen with all information and settings I most desire based on my own settings. Wifi, news, weather, social networking, emails etc can all be placed within a swipes range. Open app drawer for extended list of apps to open. Then copy and pasting or reading/ looking between apps requires a long hold.
On adam it will have a screen showing information from my previously opened applications assuming they are adam developed. Much like saved tabs in a browser. Then If I no longer need them now that I have come back, to keep things from bogging down I have to close them and open the apps I want using an app drawer that is a single line across the screen.

Im just not seeing the benefit from what they have shown so far. Am I missing something.