Tablet URGENTLY needed! Toughpad? Or Getac...

Hello guys, I have been hiding for a while. Mostly because my Panasonics always just work. My orange MK1 CF19 is STILL going. So is my newer MK6(? or is it a MK5 lol?).

Anyways, I needed an android tablet as of yesterday, to start my new job. The app I need to use will run on 4.1 or better. I also need at least a decent camera, and built-in GPS. We will call the budget " let's be reasonable" and stop it at $300. At that price point, I can go to Best Buy and get an okay tablet and a decent case, TONIGHT. So if I can get a Toughpad or a Getac for less than $300 that is already fully rugged, score.

The Toughpad FZ-A1B only has Android 4.0.3... I am not sure how updatable these are? Or if this tablet is even going to be fast enough not to frustrate the heck out of me. The Getac Z710 actually looks like a better choice. I also prefer the way it looks.

But my past experiences with Panasonic products being what they are does make me want to look at the Toughpad closer before pulling the trigger.

 

That's not true I've got a fast enough answer from their support. But I'd stay away from android tablets from Panasonic too - I prefer to receive update for OS sometimes )
Samsung Galaxy Tab Active or something like that. Or any standard tablet + case. As recent as possible.

 

My FZ-A1 works fine for me but I just watch movies and surf the forums. It's no speed demon for sure. If I was you look into there other ToughPads like the G1 maybe. I think Shawn had one .

 

I have a G1, but they are windows units.
Had an A1 a few years ago, but it went away.
There are a couple distros of linux that is Android ported to work on a PC.
Sheepman says cyanogen works on a 19 mk1

 

Thanks for the help guys! All very good points! I have a few too lol..

1) Not hacking or cobbling anything together. I have tried to do just that for several years ever since I got my current scan-tool.

The app I need to use for work, has to have Google Services installed to function. I simply don't have the time or patience (especially past today) to deal with trying to possibly make this or that work. Plus, I can't really afford to risk it since this is how I will get paid. On the other hand, this job is still a risk and with me not being established in it yet, popping $400-500 or more for a new shiny tablet just isn't a smart option. The $300 is still a stretch... I have $160 I can spare, anything past that requires... soul selling troubles lol.

I have an Autel Scanner that is Android based. I need android 4.1 minimum, it is 4.0. It doesn't have Google Play installed, and apparently has most of the Google Services stripped out. I was able to sideload the needed .apk into my Autel. And I supposedly found (and installed) the correct Google services. But this option still isn't working.

2) Not sure I care about the latest and greatest. And pretty sure I can't afford it.

The ONLY android device I have ever owned that actually got a new version of Android, was my old Fujitsu Tablet. Other than that, I have not found a company that updates their Android devices past maybe 1-2 small revisions or usually about a year.

I have an android device on 4.0 that still works great(ish). I have another on 5.1 (my car head unit, so not usable as no camera) that works AWESOME. So I am more concerned with either getting a rugged tablet, or getting something that is well supported in aftermarket arena with a rugged case. And none of these brand new tablets with only $100 or more cases available either.

The Samsung tablets seem to have the best cameras across the board, especially down in the price range I want to spend. That Active is awesome, and also works with nitril and latex gloves. But only the older one is kinda in my budget. And that one is still a steep $220 for a tablet only running 4.4 kitkat.

I was hoping that Panasonic would follow its normally great product support with updating stuff. So out of these two choices, the Getac is winning by a landslide it seems. It has amazing GPS and all the features I need, even if those are at a bare minimum due to its age. I can afford it now, but it sucks I will be waiting on eBay and shipping.

3) As for consumer or community support, other than here, I won't get any. But past the decision-making process, I have also never needed any. The response would simply be "Well you need to talk to the software vendor" anyways.

I spent an hour in Best Buy tonight waiting for help. I was promised 4 times help would be "right there." As I was walking up to customer service to complain and try to get help, yet again, the idjiot that already told me twice, again said help should be there in a minute or two. I went off on him and left the store. Proceeded to Walmart.

Walmart only had one "almost" viable option. Their salesperson was at least more available but kept telling me that Android sucked and I should go with Apple instead. Once I got it through that I had to have Android, he knew nothing. One tablet had half the info I needed for specs, the other had the other half. Neither had all the info I needed to make a choice beyond the "Hey this is a Samsung and likely the better, and more expensive, option." The other was a Lenovo. My "awesomely reliable" iPhone went from 63% charge to shutting off as I tried to look up the info.

So that leaves me without a tablet, a work assignment I really need to finish tomorrow (but can maybe stretch out another day or two) and yet more info to hunt down. Amazon has some Samsung options available quickly enough, but specs are a pain to hunt down or figure out for most of them.

 

https://www.amazon.com/Simbans-Tang...1541591258&sr=8-3&keywords=android+tablet+gps
https://www.amazon.com/Lenovo-Yoga-...1541591258&sr=8-6&keywords=android+tablet+gps

 

So which model are you looking at....link ??

 

I ordered the Samsung Galaxy Tab A SM-T580 from Amazon. It will be here later today with Prime shipping in time for me to get my work assignments done. Also ordered a ruggedized case for it.

I am (still) looking at the Z710.

Ignoring stuff like a better camera, MUCH better processor, and newer OS, the other features the Getac has that are relevant to me, still blow the doors off the Samsung. It has much better GPS (but the GPS in the Samsung is good enough for my primary purpose). It has 3.5G WWAN (HSPA+/UMTS/EDGE/GPRS/GSM) that "should" be a simple sim drop in from my T-Mobile 5s iPhone. It has a normal USB port that I can plug my inspection camera directly into. It is smaller (more of a preference). Super rugged. And the screen will work in the nasty automotive environment it is going to be used in.

Normally, I simply tether my phone. But it is showing its age and I am having some issues lately. I think it just needs a battery and/or IOS update, but whatever. The Z710 might be a nice backup plan.

But for now, it will cost me more in lost work to wait a week for the Getac to arrive than just get the Samsung. So I pulled the trigger. I actually have a job or two already on my books, that could pay for the Getac next week if I still feel a need for it.

Or I wait a few weeks and either go for a higher spec Toughpad, or one of the other rugged options.

 

I was looking at them last night but android 4.1 is over 6 years old and you will find that a lot of aps will not run on it. Anything tickets me off more is just get into something and it crashes.

 

Fortunately, most of the apps I need to make use of, are older enterprise apps. But yeah processing bandwidth on those older ones is greatly lacking. Where even my Autel tablet has issues, is browsing. And for my job I need Google Services running smoothly with their app, so the processing power will be a big help.

The Samsung has a 1.6 GHz "octa" core Processor and 2gb sdram. Storage is only 16gb, but there is an SD-micro slot of course. Pretty sure there is an unused 64gb card around here somewhere. In the process of setting it up now.

The real appeal the Getac still has for me, is the possibility I can hack it to run the software off the Autel scanner. I think the two android and processor systems are close enough to make it feasible. My tool guy told me he had seen it done where somebody imaged one of the Autel scanners and got that image to run on another tablet that actually had a slightly better OS. My scanner is out of warranty and support at this point, although I think my warranty gets re-instated if I buy the expensive software update package. I want to do that, but I am not sure the current tablet will survive another 3-4yrs to really make it worthwhile.

I am at the point where while I would still have to be SUPER careful messing with the Autel, trying to do that to another tablet wouldn't scare me.

 

Well, I wanted a much smaller tablet... But now that I have the app installed and have spent an hour navigating around it, a smaller tablet would have sucked. This Samsung 10.1" is just the perfect size. It is mostly being used like a service writer's clipboard, except digital with audio and photo notes worked into the mix. Pretty cool actually!

But it is probably time to close this part of the conversation down. Thanks for the help and advice guys!

I think the solution may just be "all of the above" lol! The Getac is probably still the best bet and perfect cost point for experimenting with cloning my Autel. Size, I/O, everything. Better even than the Autel base tool. If I can make it work...

For now, this Samsung should be speedy and new enough. Rugged? Yeah, we shall see how long it lasts with a "ruggedized" case...

I probably won't be willing to lose a lot spec wise, but if this doesn't survive I am definitely going to be taking a closer look at the Toughpad options. Or just get one of these, and glue a Panasonic or "ToughTab" badge onto it somewhere.... Tell me that doesn't take a few cues from the Toughbook designer's handbook?!

And while I am at all of this, I suspect I am going to find a new use for one of my CF-19's collecting dust right now...