# Purchased a TouchPad for $149 and feeling ripped off...



## mp3markel (Aug 24, 2011)

I posted this over at http://forums.precentral.net and got a negative response. I'm not bias towards any OS but with using WebOS I feel it is severely lacking in the typical day to day use department... Just wondering what other people's thoughts are and what are you actually doing with your TouchPad right now as we wait for Android? Also, if you can enlighten me with these very basic gripes I have with TouchPad I'd appreciate it!

Original post:

Hardware wise I know I got a really good deal, software wise I wonder, what is this thing good for? I bought this assuming I could use it the very least for a decent ebook reader, I can barely do that with my TouchPad! There are 0 options or features in Adobe Reader, I can't do simple things like bookmark where I stopped reading, or reorder books and why do I swipe up and down instead of right to left? pReader doesn't load pdf files and I refuse to convert and send files to a Kindle account in hopes of my books being pushed to my device, why can't reading a PDF file be convenient on this tablet, it's mind boggling to me!

The browser seems decent except I have not been able to figure out on how to move the cursor to the end or beginning of text. Example: If the text box I'm typing in is 20 characters long and I type 30, the beginning of the text gets scrolled and is out of sight. I normally just arrow over using my arrows keys on my keyboard or press the Home key. How is this possible on the TouchPad?

I see other posts of people surprised that so many of us TouchPad "firesale buyers" want to install Android. In my opinion the Touchpad is severely limited (perhaps crippled) by WebOS and the apps it offers. As of right now my Touchpad is only good at playing Angry Birds or surfing the web (with poor text manipulation). If the potential of Android did not exist for this device I would be regretting my purchase, I can't even imagine spending 499!


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## Bimmer84 (Aug 22, 2011)

Standalone, some people like it, some people don't. It didn't hold it's weight, so they dumped it. If everyone loved it, you think they would have had a firesale on it? Just keep playing with it, you will find more things you like, and probably some more things that you don't like.


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## BrentBlend (Jun 11, 2011)

I'm pretty sure noone here would have gotten one if it weren't for android

just a hunch.....


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## I Am Marino (Jul 14, 2011)

At least you have one. Lol


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## BTGGTR1 (Jun 13, 2011)

I got the 32GB one coming, and it's staying in the box....until the thing gets Android ported to it!! lol
If it doesn't happen, oh well, I'll sell it. No biggie.


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## tenfar (Aug 24, 2011)

if you dont need this, you can sell it to me. maybe i can help on building android to runing on this great hardware.


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## Taylored (Aug 22, 2011)

First: http://forums.precentral.net/hp-touchpad/293028-new-touchpad-heres-your-get-started-guide.html
download WebOS doctor > update the OS > put it into developer mode > Install Preware > Install patches that make sense for what you need > Install the overclock Kernel > install the plethora of homebrew apps available > stop whining

Android users are starting to get spoiled.


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## piiman (Aug 21, 2011)

BrentBlend said:


> I'm pretty sure noone here would have gotten one if it weren't for android
> 
> just a hunch.....


Wrong, for 99.00 its a good deal just to use as a digital picture frame. Now you have a picture frame that can browse the web, check your email, track your appointments etc etc. How can you be disappointed about that even if android doesn't get put on it?? Christ some people are NEVER happy

and why would you use a pdf reader as an e-reader? No wonder you're disappointed.


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## yarly (Jun 22, 2011)

I think there was too much impulse buying with these and not enough, "what will I use this for and what is it good for?"

Just be patient. There will be plenty of development on it soon since anyone that wanted one that can code now has one.


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## Taylored (Aug 22, 2011)

I would certainly not have bought this device if it were not so drastically marked down, but for $99-$149 this is a steal. I too would like to see an Android port. Though this is mainly because I like tinkering. This device is fine how it stands now. If you do some minor research you can find many ways to speed up this device. And most of this is 'one-click'. People love those--I do not want to understand it... I just want it to work with--'one-click' methods.


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## pwnst*r (Aug 24, 2011)

So you think you can find a better deal on an "e-book reader" with all the extra features elsewhere? Would you have been happier just getting a proper e-book reader aka kindle or nook for slightly cheaper? Sounds like an impulse buy to me. You probably wouldn't have been happy with any tablet, honestly.


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## yarly (Jun 22, 2011)

WebOS might lack some apps (or ones that look decent on a 9.7" screen), but for the price, who could pass it up? I doubt we will ever will see a tablet this cheap again with the same hardware specs. The hardware in it costs nearly $300 alone.

http://www.isuppli.com/Teardowns/News/Pages/HP-TouchPad-Carries-$318-Bill-of-Materials.aspx


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## Bschrib (Jul 31, 2011)

Is there some specific reason you aren't using the Amazon Kindle app to do your reading?

Not sure how it's done on the touchpad, but on my Eee Pad I just drop my digital library into the Kindle folder and it sees all my books, not to mention the plethora of books that Amazon offers.

Again if your idea of a ebook reader is .PDF formatted books you'll likely be disappointed by any tablet on the market unless it has a giant screen and good resolution. I understand some technical books are best served in .PDF but for just books go with the Kindle App. I can say that I've been using it for 3 days on my Touchpad and it's almost as good as the Android version.


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## meggiedude (Aug 24, 2011)

Similar points have been made to this OP in the precentral.net forum.

In the end a Mod there closed his thread as he was effectively flaming.
Making points about what he was sure the Android Tabs and iPads could do, when he had not even tried them. 
This caused lots of return comments along the same lines as I see here.

He's bought a tablet with it seems the primary requirement to read pdf files and then complaining that it does not have the ability to bookmark said pdfs. 
2 and 2 have been put together and the Touchpad is therefore pants in his opinion.
That's the main reason for him believing he's been ripped off. Ridiculous.

Nothing to see here - move along.......


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## mp3markel (Aug 24, 2011)

meggiedude, sorry you have taken severe offense to my posts. I admit to flaming WebOS because I was surprised on how much I think the OS is lacking. I am not biased toward any OS, if a device can preform a function how it's expected then that's a great product!

I know the TouchPad (hardware wise) was an amazing deal and that's why I couldn't pass it up. I figured if I never installed Android on the device at least it would function as a decent ebook reader. meggiedude think's it's absurd that I am unhappy with my purchase because the stock Adobe reader app lacks the ability to bookmark. I thought tablets of this caliber wouldn't have a problem with reading pdfs or any other ebook format. It shocked me when I realized Adobe reader is severely lacking in features, Kindle just doesn't seem to work at all with importing files and pReader cannot find my converted epub files on the device. If I paid 500 for this device I would have returned it on day 1.

I'm not going to sell the tablet in hopes that Android will eventually come to the device. Until then I am going to install Preware to see what it offers and hopefully find a decent way to read ebooks...


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## meggiedude (Aug 24, 2011)

mp3markel, 
Despite what you may think I have not taken severe offense at your comments.
I really hope you get what you wish, but I think you are setting yourself up for disappointment here.
Adobe Reader does what Adobe reader does and thats not the fault of any tablet/PC/phone. I'm assuming you mean that Kindle also won't handle the pdf files, but thats not what its for, and again you will have the same problem on any android device, or for that matter if you bought a physical Kindle device.
Android will come to this device, if its not there already in some Alpha/Beta form. But this won't address your issues if they are as you describe.
I'm sure there are plenty here who will help tweak and fettle this device for the benefit of all, but unfortunately you will be waiting for a long long time, and a code re-write from Adobe to get what you desire.
Again, I repeat I took no offence at anything you said. You weren't rude, which would have caused offence, just misinformed.


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## yarly (Jun 22, 2011)

HP touchpad is a developer's dream. Assuming you like developing for free, because I don't foresee a huge market for paid stuff. There's quite a few things missing that one might take for granted. Features that browsers like Opera Mobile and Dolphin have, a keyboard that predicts your typing (or a swype like keyboard). Lots of things for ideas that could be done, just need implemented 

It's not quite a hacker's dream, since not everything is quite as open as android, but there's still quite a bit of room to work with and way more than say iOS.


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## thestuff (Aug 23, 2011)

For what it's worth, you may be able to use Calibre (ebook management tool on PC/Mac) and convert the pdf into a format that kindle software (is that available on touchpad?) can use.


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## spacemanps (Aug 22, 2011)

http://greggivan.com/improve-touchpad-performance-by-disabling-loggin/

How to speed up your touchpad


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## mortymouse (Aug 24, 2011)

Considering the hardware in even a 16gig model is around $130-$150 or so, I think getting it below that cost is beyond a steal. Even if Android never makes it way on it, for $99 I have a Kindle that can surf, get email, etc.


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## yarly (Jun 22, 2011)

mortymouse said:


> Considering the hardware in even a 16gig model is around $130-$150 or so, I think getting it below that cost is beyond a steal. Even if Android never makes it way on it, for $99 I have a Kindle that can surf, get email, etc.


Hardware for it is actually worth more than that http://www.isuppli.com/Teardowns/News/Pages/HP-TouchPad-Carries-$318-Bill-of-Materials.aspx


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## bendystrawboy (Jun 16, 2011)

Hillarious, op tried to read ebooks on adobe reader LOL.

typical for most normal people, you never thought "hmmmm, maybe I,should google what I should use to read books?

I am with you on wondering why,there are no arrow keys on the keyboard.


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## shankbone (Oct 17, 2011)

I bought my 32GB TPad not knowing Android was being ported. For $150 why not? I was certainly NOT going to buy an iPad. So far I am happy with it, and as I find more and more things I can do with it I am sure I got more than my money's worth. Now I need to find the instructions for dual-booting this with one of the Android releases. Any suggestions?


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## elmerohueso (Oct 14, 2011)

shankbone said:


> Now I need to find the instructions for dual-booting this with one of the Android releases. Any suggestions?


Read the stickies. Instructions for installing and dual-booting Android are right there!


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