Scroll Extreme First Impressions
Posted: April 5th, 2012, 6:37 pm
Got my first Scroll Extreme yesterday. For background I've been using Android since pre public release, I'm a Linux developer (I work for Red Hat and have been developing Open Source stuff for 14 years or more). So I'm biased you could say, however I also have iPad's - three of them and a pile of Android tablets 2.0/2.2/2.3/3.0 builds. CyanegonMod is my baby and I've also got an Android Fire sat here brought back from the US the other week running ICS 4.0 now.
So.. I'm not new to this.
My last devices Motorola Xoom and Archos 101T both frustrated me so it was optimism that I ordered the Extreme.
I've been blown away by it's quality but let down slightly by the silly things that let it down slightly.
Whats good which is obvious to the user:
The screen - it's awesome - touch wise it's slightly less usable than iPad2, however the screen is AS good as an iPad2 for resolution and refresh.
The processors are optimised for ICE ergo running fullscreen Netflix or iPlayer doesn't suffer.
Wireless onboard wiring is supremely well thought out, the antenna range beats Acer, Motorola and Archos devices by a mile.
Interface is brilliant, standard ICE with Scroll minimum modifications.
No market - no problem - fix it in seconds simply grab the latest Play .APK dump it on microSD put it in the slot power up and select the APK from File Manager, install, authenticate - done. Oh and make sure its a 32gb microSD card now not in 3 months. As soon as you've loaded Skype, iPlayer, TuneIn Radio and all your apps then move then in App Settings to SD card leaving the device with plenty of residual memory. Thats the most important hint/tip I can give you so in three months you're all still happy bunnies.
iPlayer - after some help here got it playing happily in full screen.
Front facing camera: better quality than iPad2
Rear facing says 2mp but if you go into options allows you to interpolate to 3m and 5m although quality isn't as good as iPad due to lens quality.
Sound: adequate but I use quality headphones which work fine.
Build quality - I've got two of the hundred odd shipped yesterday so thats 1% of UK shipped stock and they're both brilliant quality no screen issues, case is really really well made - weight is slightly less than iPad2 and it fits PERFECTLY into a spare iPad2 case I have although the camera and speaker / mic positions will not be lined up.
Ok now the crap stuff
I record a lot of podcasts and support for external USB microphones (that I can even manage with an iPad who make it massively difficult for me) are not supported via USB host mode and as it's not rooted yet I can't dmesg it to find out how and why.
Volume switch - what the ruddy hell was the designer thinking ?? Utterly crap. Beyond crap.
Power pack / charger / non standard fitting - just like the Archos. In this day and age Micro USB charging should be the norm. Allegedly you can trickle charge which would be good as I carry two 6600mah batteries in my case and a solar panel to charge my phones/iPad/Scroll on the road at 18w realtime.
Camera positioning is just adequate.
So am I happy for the money ???
Ok well if I was a retailer with Motorola, Acer and other Android stock I'd be crapping myself as this beats all of them not just for the money I mean technically too. Absolutely smashes them to bits. They really really are that good.
Too late to fix manufacturing issues around the power pack and the volume switch but if you can live with that then you're laughing.
Hope that helps anyone thinking about buying one !!
So.. I'm not new to this.
My last devices Motorola Xoom and Archos 101T both frustrated me so it was optimism that I ordered the Extreme.
I've been blown away by it's quality but let down slightly by the silly things that let it down slightly.
Whats good which is obvious to the user:
The screen - it's awesome - touch wise it's slightly less usable than iPad2, however the screen is AS good as an iPad2 for resolution and refresh.
The processors are optimised for ICE ergo running fullscreen Netflix or iPlayer doesn't suffer.
Wireless onboard wiring is supremely well thought out, the antenna range beats Acer, Motorola and Archos devices by a mile.
Interface is brilliant, standard ICE with Scroll minimum modifications.
No market - no problem - fix it in seconds simply grab the latest Play .APK dump it on microSD put it in the slot power up and select the APK from File Manager, install, authenticate - done. Oh and make sure its a 32gb microSD card now not in 3 months. As soon as you've loaded Skype, iPlayer, TuneIn Radio and all your apps then move then in App Settings to SD card leaving the device with plenty of residual memory. Thats the most important hint/tip I can give you so in three months you're all still happy bunnies.
iPlayer - after some help here got it playing happily in full screen.
Front facing camera: better quality than iPad2
Rear facing says 2mp but if you go into options allows you to interpolate to 3m and 5m although quality isn't as good as iPad due to lens quality.
Sound: adequate but I use quality headphones which work fine.
Build quality - I've got two of the hundred odd shipped yesterday so thats 1% of UK shipped stock and they're both brilliant quality no screen issues, case is really really well made - weight is slightly less than iPad2 and it fits PERFECTLY into a spare iPad2 case I have although the camera and speaker / mic positions will not be lined up.
Ok now the crap stuff
I record a lot of podcasts and support for external USB microphones (that I can even manage with an iPad who make it massively difficult for me) are not supported via USB host mode and as it's not rooted yet I can't dmesg it to find out how and why.
Volume switch - what the ruddy hell was the designer thinking ?? Utterly crap. Beyond crap.
Power pack / charger / non standard fitting - just like the Archos. In this day and age Micro USB charging should be the norm. Allegedly you can trickle charge which would be good as I carry two 6600mah batteries in my case and a solar panel to charge my phones/iPad/Scroll on the road at 18w realtime.
Camera positioning is just adequate.
So am I happy for the money ???
Ok well if I was a retailer with Motorola, Acer and other Android stock I'd be crapping myself as this beats all of them not just for the money I mean technically too. Absolutely smashes them to bits. They really really are that good.
Too late to fix manufacturing issues around the power pack and the volume switch but if you can live with that then you're laughing.
Hope that helps anyone thinking about buying one !!