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Nice $35 Android Tablet - Page 2 — Parallax Forums

Nice $35 Android Tablet

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  • K2K2 Posts: 691
    edited 2017-01-27 22:49
    erco wrote: »
    How does that keyboard attach, are there POGO pins?

    Exactly. Four gold-plated POGO pins on kbd frame that match four circular gold-plated discs on side of tablet.

  • PublisonPublison Posts: 12,366
    edited 2017-01-27 23:49
    Probably the one on page 6. I scored one also back them.

    http://forums.parallax.com/discussion/162525/new-cheap-windows-tablet/p6

    Edit: Never mind. That's a Cabrio Win 10.
  • ercoerco Posts: 20,244
    Uh oh, prices are rising. You snooze, you loose. When erco says buy, you say "how many?"

    Tablet was $35, or $40 with keyboard on Jan 23. Why the increase? Global warming? Fake news? Meygn Kelly? Solar flares?

    Tablet now $38.48

    Tablet & keyboard $47.17
  • zappmanzappman Posts: 418
    edited 2017-01-31 23:38
    Just picked up one of these at my local Walmart for $37.00 plus state sales tax. I made this post using the new tablet. So far it seems to be well worth the $37.00.
  • zappman wrote: »
    Just picked up one of these at my local Walmart for $37.00 plus state sales tax. I made this post using the new tablet. So far it seems to be well worth the $37.00.


    How can the manufacturer afford to make these? Are they subsidized by the makers of the OS(Google). Google hasn't made a dime off of me since I have had my tablet.
  • ercoerco Posts: 20,244
    edited 2017-02-01 00:39
    erco wrote: »

    Now showing at $42.13 and $53.22... "Confusion fall!" cried Lavinia.
    MikeDYur wrote: »
    How can the manufacturer afford to make these?

    Mike, they heard you loud and clear and raised their prices!

  • Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi)Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi) Posts: 23,514
    edited 2017-02-01 01:06
    Yikes, this is like a reverse Dutch auction! I better hie me to WM before the price goes up to $50. I "need" one of these to access Chromecast on my TV from from my easy chair, rather than from my laptop (okay, I'm lazy. :) ), and without Google's tentacles in my Android phone.

    -Phil
  • erco wrote: »
    Mike, they heard you loud and clear and raised their prices!

    Sorry, I'll shut up.

    But if it has anything to do with supply and demand, maybe your the one. :lol:
  • ercoerco Posts: 20,244
    I've yet to cast, but heading thither. The Chromemagnun Man Cometh!
  • ercoerco Posts: 20,244
    Gotta love WM, prices fluctuate hourly. Now they're back down to 35 and 42. I forget, is it buy high sell low or verse visa?
  • TorTor Posts: 2,010
    I guess I can't get one of those from Japan.. I need a new one for my father.
  • Cluso99Cluso99 Posts: 18,066
    Price fluctuations caused by "Erco effect"! ;)
  • Chris SavageChris Savage Parallax Engineering Posts: 14,406
    I opened mine yesterday and was surprised by two things...

    1) The chargers didn't match. While both tablets were purchased at the same time, inside the box was a Intron(?) charger and on the other some generic charger.

    2) The chargers didn't connect to the USB port, but instead were micro-barrel plugs. Interesting. First thing everyone here (Parallax) noticed too.
  • PublisonPublison Posts: 12,366
    edited 2017-02-01 16:14
    I opened mine yesterday and was surprised by two things...

    1) The chargers didn't match. While both tablets were purchased at the same time, inside the box was a Intron(?) charger and on the other some generic charger.

    2) The chargers didn't connect to the USB port, but instead were micro-barrel plugs. Interesting. First thing everyone here (Parallax) noticed too.

    I don't like the small barrel chargers if they have to be used exclusively, but you can charge these through the USB also.

    I got an Intertek with mine. Worked fine.
  • Chris SavageChris Savage Parallax Engineering Posts: 14,406
    edited 2017-02-01 17:04
    Publison wrote: »
    I got an Intertek with mine. Worked fine.

    Intertek...that was it. I remember it made me think of "Office Space". :nerd:

    But the other one was generic. Didn't have a brand name and was just marked, "Made in China".

  • As for why these are low priced to begin with: These carry the "RCA" brand, which Technicolor licenses to various companies around the world. While "RCA" is considered a US-brand (even though Technicolor is owned by a French firm), it's strictly imported. The tablets are made by a Chinese firm (Alco Electronics) and sold into various markets, including ones we'd call emerging. They make money on sheer volume, and I believe they get a payment from preinstalling apps. The hardware isn't the latest inside these things -- there's no compass that I recall. Still, they get the job done.

    Why the price is going up is clear: Wal Mart is monitoring all of Erco's posts, and jacking up prices to take advantaging of the sales trends!
  • Just got mine. Posting with it now. Really a nice unit for $37! Works perfectly with Chromecast.

    I wish I could find someone to subsidize my stuff like this so I could sell it so cheap!

    -Phil
  • ercoerco Posts: 20,244
    edited 2017-02-02 15:57
    PhiPi, welcome to the Parallax/RCA Voyager tribe, We Know the Way!

  • ercoerco Posts: 20,244
    I just got one of the keyboard types for the kids. Per K2, very nice & solid. The tablet mechanically snaps into a rectangular surround to attach to the keyboard via POGO pins, so they are locked together very well. The splash screen is different from the tablet only version, says "Voyager Pro". Will advise if I find other differences.
  • ercoerco Posts: 20,244
    erco wrote: »
    My 6.0 unit works OK, but it sure seems like the older 5.0 tablet had finer touchscreen response. Maybe it just takes some getting used to.

    Now that I have new keyboard and non-keyboard Android 6.0 units for side by side comparison, I'm convinced that the touchscreen response of the keyboard unit (Voyager Pro) is superior, matching my older Android 5.0 unit. I recommend spending the extra $5-7 for the keyboard/Pro version. The keyboard works quite well and adds functionality as a stand, and offers the protection of a case.


  • K2K2 Posts: 691
    @erco:
    "The tablet mechanically snaps into a rectangular surround to attach to the keyboard via POGO pins..."
    It's almost like you're a mechanical engineer or something. :)
    Your concise description is excellent.

    "The keyboard works quite well and adds functionality as a stand, and offers the protection of a case."
    Exactly. The stand aspect is uncommonly handy, and the protection the keyboard provides the fragile display is fairly dramatic.

    As handy as smart phones and tablets are, the lack of a real keyboard is a significant detriment.
    As someone mentioned here before, a contest on Letterman between a telegrapher and the world's fastest texter showed that even Morse code is significantly faster than texting.
    With a 7" keyboard I could write a multi-page essay for school if I had to. Without a keyboard, forget it!
  • ercoerco Posts: 20,244
    Don't trust anything you see on Letterman. Jump to 3:40 for our seven minutes of fame.

  • Time to get you on Jimmy Fallon's show.

    Actually, your shenanigans are more in line with James Corden, Conan, or Chris Hardwick. Hardwick's ring bearer for his wedding last year was an R2-D2 provided by my friend John "Lord Hotwing" Boisvert (those are his robots in my avatar).

    http://www.10news.com/entertainment/san-diego-man-builds-replica-r2-d2-gains-fame
  • ercoerco Posts: 20,244
    I received both of those cases today. Both are listed as 7" tablet cases but G210 is bigger and fits my 8" Nextbook perfectly. Lots of rattle space for a 7" tablet, room for plenty more stuff in there. All neoprene, very nicely made. The "magenta" is well, PINK. My twin girls like it more than I do. :)

    The G230 is a much better fit for this RCA 7" tablet, plenty of room even for the keyboard version. The burgundy color (only color left!) is nice and certainly more macho than the big pink G10. The case is nylon material inside & out with foam in between.

    Both cases have an outside pocket big enough for charger or powerbank, earbuds & a small folding stand. Both erco-approved!
  • ercoerco Posts: 20,244
    I just got the big-brother 11.5" Galileo 2-in-1 Android tablet for a project. Really nice for $88! Solid feel, big beautiful (detachable) keyboard & touchpad. Feels like a laptop with a touchscreen. Multi-configuration, nice screen quality, good battery life and great reviews: https://www.walmart.com/ip/RCA-Galileo-Pro-11-5-32GB-2-in-1-Tablet-with-Keyboard-Case-Android-6-0-Marshmallow/53990867?variantFieldId=actual_color

    I don't have a Chromebook for comparison, but won't this do everything a Chromebook does? Reviews generally say yes, even that there are more Android apps than Chromebook apps. http://www.techradar.com/news/why-new-chromebooks-make-android-tablets-completely-irrelevant

    461b4351-7fda-418c-a6e5-8706ff666cc7_1.ab27bcc6ccc297b8e200d01915eb3c9d.jpeg?odnHeight=450&odnWidth=450&odnBg=FFFFFF

    7120a034-5a6e-4780-8ee0-dda56a6c940e_1.9f560a8d6e746543aac77bc4c5220894.jpeg?odnHeight=450&odnWidth=450&odnBg=FFFFFF

    63471645-6eda-4f5b-ac56-4480bb92e62a_1.e6b586ae4b2d16a94e40b42db2302534.jpeg?odnHeight=450&odnWidth=450&odnBg=FFFFFF
  • ercoerco Posts: 20,244
    edited 2017-09-03 17:10
    Here's a useful teardown report on this RCA Voyager 2 tablet: https://www.ifixit.com/Guide/RCA+Voyager+II+RCT6773W22+Disassembly/56082 My oldest unit is getting shorter battery life, so I looked into replacing the battery. As suspected, new batteries are pricey, starting at $19 (half the cost of a new tablet): http://www.ebay.com/itm/4200mAh-battery-for-RCA-RCT6203W46-10-RCT6272W23-p-n-MH49370-7in1-Toolset-/301697719041 Used batteries are ~$10, but they might be no better than my old one. What a wonderful disposable world we live in.

    Edit: $10 OBO from China: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Polymer-Li-ion-battery-3-7V-2000mah-fr-RCA-Voyager-II-7-RCT6773W22B-RCT6873W42-/172803283528

    And wow, FIVE huge 3000 mAH batteries (non-RCA) for $16? http://www.ebay.com/itm/5PCS-3000mAh-Li-Polymer-Battery-PCM-Rechargeable-For-PDA-ipod-Tablet-PC-357095/201758899688


  • ercoerco Posts: 20,244
    edited 2017-11-17 23:42
    Back down to $35 now, I ordered another one for a project. These may get discounted further for BF & holiday sales, but I know my local store keeps few if any in stock, so purchasing online may still be easiest. Unlike you like crowds and being trampled to save a buck.

    https://www.walmart.com/ip/RCA-Voyager-7-16GB-Tablet-Android-6-0-Marshmallow/53990885

    These still work great, but after ~1.5 years of nearly daily use, the battery life is about half of what it used to be. Hope my Leaf battery lasts longer than that!
  • ercoerco Posts: 20,244
    WM is blowing out these 7" tablets for $30 for Christmas. 16GB, Android 6.0, all 4 colors appear to be in stock and deliverable by Christmas. I just ordered two for the twins. Sale started Friday and it won't last forever!

    https://www.walmart.com/ip/RCA-Voyager-7-16GB-Tablet-Android-OS-Charcoal-RCT6873W42/53990885


  • Android rocks.

    Been playing with DroidScript recently. It has support for USB-SERIAL and also IOIO-OTG.

    The author is a MCU guy.
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