Starts June 1
Android 2.1 (upgradable to 2.2)
7" touch screen (resistive but not too bad apparently)
3G + Wi-Fi
3MP Camera
3GB included data, $25 included calls and 100 standard SMS (3-month expiry).
Update: See gmore's comment here:
Australia post is selling these as well for $99, avaliable today.
The product code is: 24677.
DSE still sell these at $149, though if both Big W and Optus Shop are dropping the price to $99 net Wed, DSE should be doing the same, if only a few days later.
Damn I just paid $149. But pity all the people who paid $279 not long ago.
However, when I tried to buy in a shop, none of the local BigW had any in, or coming.
Check for the optus website price dropping.
Not a bad tablet. BUT because the CPU is ARM11(v6), not cortex(v7), it will not run Flash.
Any tablet without flash is a bit lame, but at $99 you can forgive that.
ipad is unforgivable
Not everything you do with one of these is based around flash, since owning it it hasnt bothered me at all.
All your really doing is help Adobe build the demand almost like a flash fan boi, no offense
Does any store have this tablet set up so we can go in and actually try it out before buying?
So, from a quick look at reviews, etc. this seems to be:
OLD (hence the lower price)
SCARCE
SLOW
Only able to get you up to Android 2.2 (AFAIK)
NOT providing Full FLASH
My remaing questions:
Can it play the Math / Sci / Business videos (f4v's & mp4's) of KhanAcademy.org…?
How much of the 7" screen is available & used to display such videos?
How is picture & audio quality (esp. for Khan Acad videos)?
TIA, if you have one & can confirm in a reply
Buy from DS and if you not happy with it, return within 14 days
Just had a quick look at the site you mention. Other than being pretty uninspiring videos, they all seem to be YouTube based. YouTube videos always seem to work fine, fill the entire screen and have the usual 480p video quality (mediated by the usual slow YouTube buffering issues that everyone suffers from, get some more bandwidth YouTube).
Audio on this tablet comes from two speakers on the sides of the unit, with Dolby processing - so they are quite reasonable. You can also use Bluetooth headset as well.
Video is stutter free.
OLD (hence the lower price)
Ancient - it was released in December :-)
SCARCE
Yes, but available online from Optus. Their price may go down too.
SLOW
A slow CPU on paper, but I find it surprisingly responsive. Videos may need conversion so they can be played with the hardware decoder, but ipad is the same.
Only able to get you up to Android 2.2 (AFAIK)
That is officially supported, but you install other ROMs, incl 2.3. Not honeycomb, but this is really a big phone.
How is picture & audio quality (esp. for Khan Acad videos)?
Khan uses youtube, so it automatically launches the Android youtube app. Works very well.
Sound is fine, but you might prefer headphones.
edit: beaten by the sane one
For IVI>>
Loaded a couple of short avi movies and it played ok but the audio/video sync was out. It may have been the player i was using ?? QQPlayer. They were hd quality too which is expecting a bit much from a 7" tablet. :-) They played full screen. Youtube vidoes played perfectly.
……………………………………………………………………………………
I wish people would keep things in perspective… don't compare a $600 item with a $99 item.
For the price this thing may be the bargain of 2011.
I can't find this on the DSE website. Can someone please provide a link?
If it is available now, how frustrated would they get at you for purchasing at full price, taking back on Wednesday and asking for a refund + re-purchase? Do they offer post purchase price matching for 14 days also?
I want a $99 tablet today! :)
DSE still sell these at $149, though if both Big W and Optus Shop are dropping the price to $99, other retailers should follow suit.
Can you provide a link to the DSE product page?
Seems like they have removed it off the site :O I was on it just yesterday. Sold out maybe, you might want to give your local store a call to see if they have stock.
It was this:
http://dicksmith.com.au/product/E6572/optus-mytab-7-quot-and…
Only 600MHz CPU this is crap. My IDEOS U8150 is around the same and capacitive screen.
You cannot compare the two, Ideos U8150 is a phone, where as ZTE is a tab with 7" screen. Branded Android tab with 3G at $99 is a steal even if its an outdated model. Heck using it as an ebook reader, and nothing else would justify your spending. Not to mention it also comes with 3gig worth of data.
and $25 calls.
and 100 SMS.
and a handfree
and GPS
and ……
My IDEOS U8150 is around the same and capacitive screen<<
You forgot to mention the price?? DOH!!
My I7 laptop with 32gigs of ram, yadda, yadda… is better than this :-(
I got it for $99 as well for my IDEOS U8150 from crazy jones
Like i said, you can't compare the two. Ideos is a 2.8" phone, ZTE is a 7" tab, people will use them for different things. Personally I'd prefer reading, web browsing and doc editing on the ZTE even if it has no multi-touch, and this is comparing to my Galaxy S
Same here iChopstick. I would rather use the ZTE than my Sony X10.
As for those querying speed, I was surprised, it is no slouch. I have since upgraded it to 2.2 and it is faster again.
Bang for your buck… great.
This link may be of interest to some..
http://www.zte.com.au/optus/V9.htm
Its the same price, DSE have it for $99 locked to Vodafone, but we all hate Vodafone :)
Hmmm…looks like DSE have removed it from their site…was there yesterday…
http://dicksmith.com.au/product/E6572/optus-mytab-7-quot-and…
The reviews and Q&A are still there:
http://reviews.dicksmith.com.au/8465-en_au/E6572/reviews.htm
http://answers.dicksmith.com.au/answers/8465-en_au/product/E…
That would suggest they will put in back up on their website once stock comes in, and hopefully at $99 like the rest.
Since it's a resistive screen, is it bad? I'm used to using capacitive touch screens all the time..
It one of the more responsive resistive screen, sliding is pretty smooth. Does mean no multi-touch unfortunately, but its a great toy for its price.
One of the best touch screens I have ever used, regardless of capacitive or resistive.
does this tablet come with a optus sim card? i mean if we need to use that free sms, data, etc, we should be given a sim card, isnt it? on the other end, if i unlock the tablet and put my 3's sim into the tablet, i wont be able to use that free 3g data, right?
yes… and yes…
Yes. and yes IF he does not care bout the optus sim.
Yes. and no IF he place the optus sim back whenever he wants to use it or put the sim in other tabs/mobile.
Bought one for the misses a couple of weeks ago when they dropped to $149. Updated to Android 2.2 straightway and it was seamless. Works great for a very cheap tablet. For $99 thinking about getting another one for me. They are easily unlocked for free, so you can choose who you get your data through (mind you it has Optus written on it - but your not here buying a brand to show off if you are spending $99 are you?) The only real comparassion you can make is to the Telstra T-Touch which based on all of the reviews is a crap device (plus they are still $149 - $199)
I happen to also own one of the said Telstra Tab, calling it an atrocity is just the beginning. I've seen generic Chinese tabs that work better.
iChopstick, Upgrade your Telstra Tab to 2.2 - it turns it into a pretty decent device.
Really, I might give that a try, now just to remember where I put it, was tossed to a corner somewhere when i got ym ZTE
hopefully there will be enough stock for each of us on wed :)
I imagine it will be a battle of the fittest outside of Big W on the day, heck, I own two tabs already, and I'm tempted :O
Now if only there was OzBargain badge/shirt that we can all wear!!
since u already owned 2 of them, give some chance for the 1st timer :) hehe.. i love the idea where all the ozbargainers wear the same shirt gathering at the shoplets.
Ozbargain Beret & Mu Mu have to be the first and probably the best selling merchandise lol
Hmm I cant decide whether to get this My Tab, or spend other $100 on a ~$200 LG Optimus One.
I know theyre not exactly the same thing, but I want something cheap to make calls with, light internet surfing, reading pdf files and a wee bit of gaming on the bus. The screen size doesnt bother me too much, since Im used to a small ipod nano screen size anyway. Any recommendations?
Anyone know if this will be the new regular price for the My Tab? (wont go back to $149).
Ive seen a lot of new generation tablets in the catalogs lately.
This price will probably stick around until they've cleared all stocks, can't see any reason for it to go back up.
Also, I don't see this as a viable replacement for an actual phone, so unless you have another phone handy, you're probably better off with the LG Optimus One, DSE have that for $179 locked to virgin.
do both…(ish)
maybe go for an ideos….
http://www.harveynorman.com.au/product/1256975592841/huawei-…
(current 20% off takes it to $80)
$99 for the tab
$180…. same price as the lg…
where does it say 20% off?
Struggling to resist this deal…
Bought my mum one when it was 199, ouch. Might buy this as an ereader, mainly read indoors so eink vs lcd isn't much of an issue.
reading outdoors isn't the only reason to get eink. Get a Kindle for not much more if you are just going to use it for reading
One lesson for me: never be an early adopter. Wait until, it can't get any cheaper and bite. I regret buying a nookcolor when it was $200 + shipping.
I plan to grab one of these and use it while travelling. Can someone comment on the following:
- web browsing (smh.com.au or qantas.com.au)
- wifi range (how far can I roam?)
- reading pdfs (is it usable)
- viewing photos (are the colours realistic)
Ta
Used mine for web browsing and it is ok… Don't expect the same as a laptop.
WiFi,.. Here in a 2 story house it is faultless and the modem transmitter is set to the lowest power.
PDFs.. If there is a pdf reader app for android then is ok. Check "The Market" for apps (software) available for android devices.
Photos… Yes, fine! Remeber 7" screen. But again do not expect the same as a full sized laptop/computer.
Can anyone tell me how these go in playing Avi files, mainly just kids movies? and do you have to load them on a sd card or usb, I have no idea about these tablets
download Mobo Player for free off the android market.
thanks :)
Does anyone know if the firmware can be updated to a different language as I want to give it to my parents?
The ZTE V9 aka Lite is used around the world so I would say yes. Google?
went to a number of Optus stores here in Adelaide today and all had it priced ready for $99 on the 1st but wouldnt sell it early bugger, went to one BigW and they had no stock at Tea Tree plaza so couldnt be bothered wasting more fuel driving around.
Always get this sort of info after you have already got one. damn…
Not a bad tablet though, but processor is too slow and not that good to use it as a mobile phone because of the size.
J.J.Z…. Have you actually used one???
Hmm.. Any reason I should get one as I already have a Samsung Galaxy S (phone, not tab)? For $99… hard to resist but I don't really see myself using it.
Potential uses:
- 2nd PC and web browser (so wife and I don't fight over the laptop)
- eBook reader
- car video player for the kids
- his res 7" photo frame
- huge screen car navigation with full voice guidance
- music player with Bluetooth streaming
- emails, document viewing and editing on a good sized screen
- use as a spare phone
- it's $99 and does all this while some devices only do one and cost more!
Is that enough reasons?
Hi billy_bob,
Hey, this car navigation with voice guidance is exactly what I want. What is the software and where do I download the software from ? Can you post a link ? Many thanks..
etwu
Advv.. I've got a 4" android phone too and find this thing is heaps better to use. The extra screen real estate, the great battery life, speed, yes speed, regardless of what the specs say it is fast!
OK, its another toy to add to the collection "LOL", but one I have no regret buying for one second!
its a bargain for $99 but it is a low end budget device with resistive touch screen, 600Mhz processor, and has a shoddy camera. Of course it does a lot of things, but unless u have a particular use for it NOW, might be better waiting and spending double on a device that is far superior. You could do so much more with the money. The tablet market is only going to heat up in the coming years!
I recently bought my 7" galaxy tab only because it did everything i wanted in a device. And i couldn't ask for more. Its a high end device with decent camera, 3G internet surfing, responsive screen with decent resolution, fast processor, music player, phone/sms, ebook reader, pdf annotator, gps device, games. At the end of the day, dont compromise for what you want.
Perfect! 100% agree
For voice guided nav, CoPilot Live - is this free?
CoPilot Live - is this free?
NO
but google is your friend.
I have a big w catalogue but I cannot see this deal in there.. Does anyone have a link to an online catalogue?
It is in my one that i got last night, Page 18, the exact photo as above top right hand side of page. Catalogue is titled Make the Most of Tax Time
Ah maybe I don't have that one yet then - thank you :)
BIGW release catalogue prices 2pm the day before on the dot. You could always try and get one before the rush the next day.
Its a hit and miss with stuff behind the counter, but great for stuff out on the shelves.
I was REALLY keen on buying the My Tab but today I went to the optus store and asked one of the guys about it. He recommended me NOT to buy it whatsoever, even at the bargain price of $99, since they're "crap. really crap. we're always getting them back for repairs and people trying to get refunds". Being an Optus store assistant, I really doubt he'd be lying about the quality (well, lack thereof) of their products. He wasn't trying to upsell me to a more expensive tablet either.
This has got me now worried. I was never expecting to get a top of the line tablet, and from the reviews I wasn't expecting such. However, I would expect some level of quality- I wouldn't want to be returning it for repairs every few months or so.
Has anyone who has had it for a long period of time had any problems so far?
i doubted the quality of ZTE v9 too, but as an entry level to play with android, i think it is quite OK. From the negative comments, i am not sure those ppl are comparing with tabs worth >$300 or whatsoeva. Anyway, to me, i think that every electronic device purchased is based on luck. 99-25(credit) = 74… 74 to get a 7"… i can't argue with that for the quality.
I think I've seen one example of someone bad mouthing it - and the other 99% think its great or at least good.
I'd suggest that maybe the store assistant has got his eye on arranging for one of these to go his way, maybe by getting a friend to come in and buy it, and wants the minimum of competition.
Havn't had it for a "long" time, only 2 days and I can assure you it is a great piece of gear. Walks all over my Sony Ericcson Experia X10i android phone which costs much much more.
I won't go into specifics of my findings but if you look around the net you will find tons of reviews from owners and I can guarantee what the postive ones say is correct.
You will find the odd crank review on any product so learn to read between the lines.
Asking any sales assistant for an opinion on any product is always a waste of time. Spend your time researching, it will end in you making the better choice. It's called "reward for effort".
If you want a $99 7" tablet that can compete with a $3000 laptop then good luck to you.
If you know what 7" android tablets are about and can do then you will be very happy with this one!
Get on YouTube and watch some videos on ZTE Light or ZTE V9 (same item).
BTW.. You will see some pundits saying the touch screen is an older technology… Ignore it. It is the best touch screen I have used.
I don't know what people are reading from what I wrote. I clearly said:
I was never expecting to get a top of the line tablet
Therefore I NEVER said I was expecting some $3000 laptop or equivalent
and from the reviews I wasn't expecting such
Says I've read reviews and done my research. And also, I don't know about you guys but asking people on forums about their experiences with a product also counts as research in my opinion.
Also, I'd stab a guess at saying most reviews written online are from people who have only owned a device for a relatively short span of time. How many people really use something for over 6-12 months and think "hey, it's still working well. maybe I should write something on it?" Hence, why I asked if anyone had used it for a long period of time.
And to say that asking a sales assistant is 'always a waste of time' is ridiculous. I would understand if he was spruiking it as some marvel of modern technology, but he was clearly not. What benefit would he gain from telling me not to buy it? And no, there was no stock anyway so it would have made no difference if he wanted to buy it or not.
Sorry if I seem cranky, I just get annoyed when people lecture me on things which I clearly indicate I have done. I also own several android devices already so know what to expect in terms of performance. So no, I didn't ask if the device's performance lived up to it's specs. It obviously does. I just asked if anyone has had problems e.g. breaking down
And to say that asking a sales assistant is 'always a waste of time' is ridiculous.
Sorry to say mate but it usually is an utter waste of time, most of them know little about their own products. You asked for advice, you got it…good advice too, you should listen to those with experience & read a few reviews, because it sounds like your shop assistant simply knows nothing!
You do realise don't you, that just because they work in the shop doesn't always mean they know what the hell they're talking about? :)
Whilst I agree sales assistants 99% of the time are completely useless (no offense to anyone), in this case I wouldn't see why he would lie. And I didn't even ask the guy about what he thought about it, I just asked if they had any in stock. He just mentioned this which I thought was interesting.
I had my mind set on buying this already (and probably still will- I see it as a cheapish toy). It's specs (bar capacitive touch screen, gorilla glass and camera) equal my Motorola Milestone which I am satisfied with, and I figured with more screen estate it'd be useful to look at lecture notes and the like.
I simply wanted to find out if my $99 investment would last me the week, or maybe longer
Edit: Sorry if I'm going off tangent. I just got annoyed when people mistook what I was asking. Not whether it's value for money or if it's specs are good, but whether it will have problems in the long run e.g. durability issues, buttons falling off- stuff which you probably wouldn't pick up until you'd used it for a while
Chill Johnn, i believed the "you" he means is not pointing at you personally, is just like a "you" in general. At my 1st read, i sense no offence at all. I am hoping to get one too on the day. Do you guys think there will be plenty of stock in the optus outlets?
Haha I'm very stressed with uni assignments right now so I'm kinda venting my frustrations on here. Probably not the best way eh? ;P
And finding out if there was going to be much stock at the optus outlets is the reason why I asked the sales assistant in the first place. I asked at Liverpool (NSW) and they had none, and had no intentions of ordering more soon I believe. I think this may be the case with other stores also. Prob best to give them a ring BEFORE June 1, just to see which ones have any left and if they're getting more so you know which ones to camp outside of haha
RE>> "And to say that asking a sales assistant is 'always a waste of time' is ridiculous."
If you don't do your own research and just rely on finding an honest & informed sales assistant you deserve what you get.
june 1. optus will sell the mytab for $99 as well.
Can anyone confirm if this has a front facing camera?
It does not. I think some people are confusing it with the "lite" model. This is the plain V9.
Yeah right, most reviews are confusing: http://www.pcworld.idg.com.au/review/broadband/optus/mytab/3….
I was hoping to use it for skype video call, but for that price, I can't complain.
i dont think skype has video call for android? But its coming soon.
"Skype envisions a world where video plays a larger role in the way we communicate. It's on computers, televisions, and it will eventually be coming to mobile devices too. We're betting big on video, and we intend to set the bar on mobile video calling, and it's something we're going to do this year. We will be bringing a direct to consumer app to the Android marketplace later this year. This application will be available for all consumers globally to download regardless of carriers."
This was before Micro$oft bought Skype - amirite
There are a dozen links here to specs & reviews.. Considered looking??
BTW… It only has one regular camera.
Yeah I did, that's why I got confused because some of the reviews mentioned that it has
dual camera like PCWorld review, and some dont. Thanks for the confirmation.
Is it locked to optus?
Will it be possible to unlock?
Seriously, don't any of you guys read all of the other comments??? :s
AFAIK it's locked, but you can pay & have it unlocked by Optus. But try your luck using this site:
http://arrtoo.x10.mx/unlockBlade.php
http://www.nextgenserver.com/calculator/
Just to let peeps in the area know, there was one left behind the counter in BigW Top Ryde, so I put it on layby.. price was marked as $149, explained the sitch to the girl and she said I can just cancel it on the day and purchase it again for $99. There was however a $2 layby fee, but I suppose in my case just knowing that I don't have to rush for one on the day is worth that money to me. Also strangely though, she said they were getting more in on the 3rd of June.. not sure if she read that wrong or what, but perhaps if there aren't any on the day, then maybe Friday is the time to check. DSE are out of stock, not sure about Optus stores.
do you think id be able to layby it before the 1st of June?
im thinking of getting one of these for typing lecture notes, how is the typing on the V9 with the resistive screen?
terrible. get a laptop/netbook.
it will be faster if u write it down. How about getting the staples deal for 1 box of papers, u will have sufficient papers to write on for years. Anyway, typing down notes with keyboard or writting it down with pen is faster than doing it on a tablet. Eventhough on an ipad2, i find it cool but inappropreiate. Just my personal preference, i still support old school. :)
Forget about typing in lectures! Get yourself a good voice recorder. Preferably one that does USB xfer to PC; & if your budget permits one that is supported by Dragon Naturally Speaking (IIRC there's a few makes/models/variants).
Then you can just record the lecture, and let yourself concentrate on comprehending the topic! You can let technology do the lion's share of transcribing it for you at a later time! ;)
Its definitely not a good idea, dude. Even ipad is not ideal for typing too mang words. It has nothing to do with the resistive screen. I dont know if it is because i have already get used to it, I just found the screen has become more responsive. But u have to download a keyboard if u wanna type lecture notes.I am now using Go Keyboard, awesome..
Great find! I was looking to enter the tablet market and this might just be the push that I was looking for. So just to confirm, as far as we know, Big W & DSE will have this on sale at $99 from 1st June, and Optus stores may also have it at the same price from 1st June as well - is that right?