| Colleen on the Android [message #980] |
Tue, 29 May 2012 20:14  |
Rick
Messages: 25
Registered: April 2012
Karma: 0
|
Junior Member |
|
|
From Newsgroup: comp.sys.atari.8bit
"And as a tablet/e-reader combo that tries to compete with Apple's iPad, the
Novel is slow and inelegant, and lacks the full versatility that a true
tablet user expects."
Reading that I just had to run out and buy one of these beauties. Not that I
am keeping score but it's my second Android tablet. It was on sale at Big
Lots for $40 so I figured what the hey. Believe it or not they had an
Android netbook, no touch screen but a keyboard with mouse pad, on sale for
$30 but I didn't get there in time for that one.
This was an inexpensive Pandigital Novel, the black reduced feature model
that even people with the white model turn their nose up at.
It does everything you'd expect it to do considering the reviews. Works good
at Wifi hotspots, nice picture viewer, couple of lame games that my six year
old grandaughter likes to play, e-reader is functional.
Problem is no access to the real Android Market so I'm reduced to putting
APKs on an SD card with my WinXP machine and plugging it into the tablet for
the install which brings me current.
I've been running Droid800 on my two tablets and it's a pretty sucky
experience. They are both trailing edge 800 MHz ARM based boxes. Does
Colleen run any faster then Droid800? Are they all still open source? I
haven't played with frame skipping yet but not experiencing much love. I
expect just a little bit more performance from an 800 MHz, 32 bit,
processor emulating a 40 year old 8 bit. I'm sure much of the half broken
stuff like loading carts and binaries can be fixed but slow is too slow. I'm
already shopping for a faster tablet!
Rick
--- Synchronet 3.13a-Win32 NewsLink 1.83
|
|
|
|
| Re: Colleen on the Android [message #982 is a reply to message #980] |
Mon, 04 June 2012 18:57  |
Trevor
Messages: 23
Registered: January 2012
Karma: 0
|
Junior Member |
|
|
From Newsgroup: comp.sys.atari.8bit
I've been pretty happy with my Acer Iconia. You can get them refurbished
for about $230 on ebay. They have a dual core processor and a full size
USB port. I actually bought it for my wife for Christmas, but she lasted
about 3 months before deciding I'd get more use out of it.
I have been curious about how you're supposed to control the Atari
emulators I've tried to use, however...
- Trevor
On 5/29/2012 5:14 PM, Rick wrote:
> "And as a tablet/e-reader combo that tries to compete with Apple's iPad, the
> Novel is slow and inelegant, and lacks the full versatility that a true
> tablet user expects."
>
> Reading that I just had to run out and buy one of these beauties. Not that I
> am keeping score but it's my second Android tablet. It was on sale at Big
> Lots for $40 so I figured what the hey. Believe it or not they had an
> Android netbook, no touch screen but a keyboard with mouse pad, on sale for
> $30 but I didn't get there in time for that one.
>
> This was an inexpensive Pandigital Novel, the black reduced feature model
> that even people with the white model turn their nose up at.
>
> It does everything you'd expect it to do considering the reviews. Works good
> at Wifi hotspots, nice picture viewer, couple of lame games that my six year
> old grandaughter likes to play, e-reader is functional.
>
> Problem is no access to the real Android Market so I'm reduced to putting
> APKs on an SD card with my WinXP machine and plugging it into the tablet for
> the install which brings me current.
>
> I've been running Droid800 on my two tablets and it's a pretty sucky
> experience. They are both trailing edge 800 MHz ARM based boxes. Does
> Colleen run any faster then Droid800? Are they all still open source? I
> haven't played with frame skipping yet but not experiencing much love. I
> expect just a little bit more performance from an 800 MHz, 32 bit,
> processor emulating a 40 year old 8 bit. I'm sure much of the half broken
> stuff like loading carts and binaries can be fixed but slow is too slow. I'm
> already shopping for a faster tablet!
>
> Rick
>
>
--- Synchronet 3.13a-Win32 NewsLink 1.83
|
|
|
|
| Re: Colleen on the Android [message #985 is a reply to message #982] |
Mon, 04 June 2012 21:32 |
Rick
Messages: 25
Registered: April 2012
Karma: 0
|
Junior Member |
|
|
From Newsgroup: comp.sys.atari.8bit
"Trevor" wrote in message
news:jqjb3c$ogh$1@dont-email.me...
> I've been pretty happy with my Acer Iconia. You can get them refurbished
> for about $230 on ebay. They have a dual core processor and a full size
> USB port. I actually bought it for my wife for Christmas, but she lasted
> about 3 months before deciding I'd get more use out of it.
>
> I have been curious about how you're supposed to control the Atari
> emulators I've tried to use, however...
Colleen/Droid use shaded overlays on the screen to simulate joysticks. You
just tap anywhere in the upper right hand side of the screen to bring up the
menu system and console keys. It is a bit awkward switching back and forth
between the touch screen and onscreen typewriter. My latest tablet does not
have a provision for a USB keyboard and that is somethng I really miss. I
had problems loading ROMs/Cartridges but .ATRs seemed to work fine.
The first Atari emulators, even those written in C, could run on a 286 and
would outrun a real Atari on a 386. I've got to believe the ARMs have as
much 'go fast' in them as a 286. I tried wading through the code and it has
become a tower of babble. I can't remember how I originally got involved but
David Firth emailed me with problems he was having with the original
Atari800 emulating the CPU. He sent me a copy of his code, I compiled it and
sent it through a disassembler to see what it was doing and made a few
suggestions. He sent me back a different version written by his brother who
was writing an Oric emulator. The thing is, David's code was completely
obvious and understandable to anyone versed in C. My response was obvious
and straight forward as to why there was a problem, the compiler, and how to
work around it. His brother's code took yet a different way of working
around the compiler problems and was both obvious and understandable. Now I
look at this mess and it stuns me. I don't think I have it in me to learn
enough ARM assembly language to go through that again.
Heck, too old and grumpy. Ordered parts from Jamco for another Atari project
I started. I ordered a thought I ordered 27C080 and they sent me a 27C1001.
99% sure it was my fault but these senior moments are killing me!
Rick
--- Synchronet 3.13a-Win32 NewsLink 1.83
|
|
|
|
| Re: Colleen on the Android [message #1029 is a reply to message #982] |
Fri, 06 July 2012 18:20 |
Clu
Messages: 72
Registered: July 2012
Karma: 0
|
Member |
|
|
From Newsgroup: comp.sys.atari.8bit
I have two Android devices being a Archos 32 and a Nextbook 8".
The Archos is great, the Nextbook barely passes as a usable device. :P
I think when it comes to Android devices the saving throw is to get a
device that is marketed and supported by the Android market. If it is
not a system that does not run that off the bat, you should probably
steer clear of it.
However, that said, the Nextbook is good for reading pdf files in a
larger format. Now if I can just figure out why Angry Birds is trying
to access the internet all the time though it is already loaded, why my
screensaver keeps wanting to activate (that was embarrassing when giving
a presentation in front of a lot of people), and ... not sure but I
think the movies do ok.
But Android Market and having that support I think is a good indicator.
Doc Clu
On 6/5/12 1:57 AM, Trevor wrote:
> I've been pretty happy with my Acer Iconia. You can get them refurbished
> for about $230 on ebay. They have a dual core processor and a full size
> USB port. I actually bought it for my wife for Christmas, but she lasted
> about 3 months before deciding I'd get more use out of it.
>
> I have been curious about how you're supposed to control the Atari
> emulators I've tried to use, however...
>
> - Trevor
>
> On 5/29/2012 5:14 PM, Rick wrote:
>> "And as a tablet/e-reader combo that tries to compete with Apple's
>> iPad, the
>> Novel is slow and inelegant, and lacks the full versatility that a true
>> tablet user expects."
>>
>> Reading that I just had to run out and buy one of these beauties. Not
>> that I
>> am keeping score but it's my second Android tablet. It was on sale at Big
>> Lots for $40 so I figured what the hey. Believe it or not they had an
>> Android netbook, no touch screen but a keyboard with mouse pad, on
>> sale for
>> $30 but I didn't get there in time for that one.
>>
>> This was an inexpensive Pandigital Novel, the black reduced feature model
>> that even people with the white model turn their nose up at.
>>
>> It does everything you'd expect it to do considering the reviews.
>> Works good
>> at Wifi hotspots, nice picture viewer, couple of lame games that my
>> six year
>> old grandaughter likes to play, e-reader is functional.
>>
>> Problem is no access to the real Android Market so I'm reduced to putting
>> APKs on an SD card with my WinXP machine and plugging it into the
>> tablet for
>> the install which brings me current.
>>
>> I've been running Droid800 on my two tablets and it's a pretty sucky
>> experience. They are both trailing edge 800 MHz ARM based boxes. Does
>> Colleen run any faster then Droid800? Are they all still open source? I
>> haven't played with frame skipping yet but not experiencing much love. I
>> expect just a little bit more performance from an 800 MHz, 32 bit,
>> processor emulating a 40 year old 8 bit. I'm sure much of the half broken
>> stuff like loading carts and binaries can be fixed but slow is too
>> slow. I'm
>> already shopping for a faster tablet!
>>
>> Rick
>>
>>
--- Synchronet 3.13a-Win32 NewsLink 1.83
|
|
|
|
| Re: Colleen on the Android [message #1034 is a reply to message #1029] |
Fri, 06 July 2012 20:09 |
Trevor
Messages: 23
Registered: January 2012
Karma: 0
|
Junior Member |
|
|
From Newsgroup: comp.sys.atari.8bit
Angry Birds is full of ads (even the paid version; they're just not
quite as obvious). A popular workaround is to disable the Internet
connection when playing it.
I love my Acer tablet. :)
And my Raspberry Pi finally came this week. It's not an Android device,
though. It actually reminds me of the Sinclair ZX81 that my dad put
together from a kit, and was the first computer I learned to use. I'm
excited to finally get some time to play with it this weekend.
- Trevor
On 7/6/2012 3:20 PM, Clu wrote:
> I have two Android devices being a Archos 32 and a Nextbook 8".
>
> The Archos is great, the Nextbook barely passes as a usable device. :P
>
> I think when it comes to Android devices the saving throw is to get a
> device that is marketed and supported by the Android market. If it is
> not a system that does not run that off the bat, you should probably
> steer clear of it.
>
> However, that said, the Nextbook is good for reading pdf files in a
> larger format. Now if I can just figure out why Angry Birds is trying
> to access the internet all the time though it is already loaded, why my
> screensaver keeps wanting to activate (that was embarrassing when giving
> a presentation in front of a lot of people), and ... not sure but I
> think the movies do ok.
>
> But Android Market and having that support I think is a good indicator.
>
> Doc Clu
>
>
> On 6/5/12 1:57 AM, Trevor wrote:
>> I've been pretty happy with my Acer Iconia. You can get them refurbished
>> for about $230 on ebay. They have a dual core processor and a full size
>> USB port. I actually bought it for my wife for Christmas, but she lasted
>> about 3 months before deciding I'd get more use out of it.
>>
>> I have been curious about how you're supposed to control the Atari
>> emulators I've tried to use, however...
>>
>> - Trevor
>>
>> On 5/29/2012 5:14 PM, Rick wrote:
>>> "And as a tablet/e-reader combo that tries to compete with Apple's
>>> iPad, the
>>> Novel is slow and inelegant, and lacks the full versatility that a true
>>> tablet user expects."
>>>
>>> Reading that I just had to run out and buy one of these beauties. Not
>>> that I
>>> am keeping score but it's my second Android tablet. It was on sale at
>>> Big
>>> Lots for $40 so I figured what the hey. Believe it or not they had an
>>> Android netbook, no touch screen but a keyboard with mouse pad, on
>>> sale for
>>> $30 but I didn't get there in time for that one.
>>>
>>> This was an inexpensive Pandigital Novel, the black reduced feature
>>> model
>>> that even people with the white model turn their nose up at.
>>>
>>> It does everything you'd expect it to do considering the reviews.
>>> Works good
>>> at Wifi hotspots, nice picture viewer, couple of lame games that my
>>> six year
>>> old grandaughter likes to play, e-reader is functional.
>>>
>>> Problem is no access to the real Android Market so I'm reduced to
>>> putting
>>> APKs on an SD card with my WinXP machine and plugging it into the
>>> tablet for
>>> the install which brings me current.
>>>
>>> I've been running Droid800 on my two tablets and it's a pretty sucky
>>> experience. They are both trailing edge 800 MHz ARM based boxes. Does
>>> Colleen run any faster then Droid800? Are they all still open source? I
>>> haven't played with frame skipping yet but not experiencing much love. I
>>> expect just a little bit more performance from an 800 MHz, 32 bit,
>>> processor emulating a 40 year old 8 bit. I'm sure much of the half
>>> broken
>>> stuff like loading carts and binaries can be fixed but slow is too
>>> slow. I'm
>>> already shopping for a faster tablet!
>>>
>>> Rick
>>>
>>>
>
--- Synchronet 3.13a-Win32 NewsLink 1.83
|
|
|
|
Members
Search
Help
Register
Login
Home
