Elonex Etouch 700ET android phone trapped in a tablet body?

exup · 30 January 2011 at 11:28PM

Just wondering if anyone else has come across these android tablets?
My girlfriend bought one for her daughter - and if all she would want it for is to browse the internet and check emails and possibly use live msn chat to her friends over the internet browser than that would be OK. even if its a little slow.

However, she would prefer to use MSN with a webcam and mic to chat to her mates like she does on her mums laptop.
The etouch is already hampered by a single USB input, so its either going to be a webcam or mic but doubtful both. Although I doubt you could get a webcam to work anyway due to its seemingly endless compatibilty issues.

Take the operating system - its android 1.6 which from what Ive read on the Elonex support forums is the mobile version of android - but this is a tablet - not a mobile phone. Even though - on its desktop display it has Bluetooth, 3G and Camera icons - these are not functioning as it does not have them. Elonex have included these for future hardware releases, or for 3rd parties hardware to make use of - again I doubt the compatibility of any 3rd party manufacturer.

My sister is pretty handy with android, but even she was at a loss to get anything to work.
This weekend, I was asked to at least try again with the tablet to see if I could get Skype - Android to work with it.
THe problem is I couldn't get it to even download as skype gives you the option to send the mobile number to download via SMS (can't do it as the etouch is not a phone, and not 3G compatible)
or via the skype.com/m link they give - but as I feel that this is the phone version of android, the browser won't recognise this link to be valid (in fact it says the link is not found).

Although there is an app market icon, it is not the Android app market, and although I have tried to download from the Android market, they will not work on this tablet - they need the Android market to work! The inbuilt app market has sod all in there which is of any use, unless you want some sort of deviant/adult chat/messenger app.

Any search on the 700ET brings back very little, except a few more users asking for help, mainly about the bluetooth (which I already found out doesn't exist).
As for the android experts on various forums - they have either not heard about it - or if they have, don't know much more than its name.

Last port of call is Elonex themselves, who I was going to attempt to call tomorrow and see if they can talk me though at least getting skype to work on it. I think I have seen somewhere though that Elonex weren't too bothered with another Etouch user.

As it is boxed as an android tablet and seems to even struggle to run anything from android, and if Elonex cannot or refuse to help me - What I would really like to do is take it back to Toys R Us for a refund as I feel it is simply not as described - but that maybe a long shot. (a long shot with a rifle is probably what it needs)

anyways thanks in advance if anyone can help me with it.

exup · 31 January 2011 at 2:26PM

oh dear - well that didn't go too well with Elonex
In their own words. The 700ET is NOT compatible with any android app, as it is running Android 1.6 (which I already know is the mobile version of android) and as this is a tablet, not a phone and cannot be used as a phone will not allow downloads of any android phone apps.
The only apps available are through its own inbuilt app market which is extremely limited and certainly no where near the "thousands of available apps" that the blurb says you can get for it. I would be suprised if there was more than 250. and less than 10 that are any good.

Toys R Us?
Spoke to customer service who said I should go to the Android App market, but as soon as I explained that the Etouch won't let you as its incompatible, she gave me their technical support number - so will see what they have to say.

Clark80 · 31 January 2011 at 2:35PM

try:

android.modaco.com OR https://www.xda-developers.com

If you can return it and get a slightly newer one (with Android 2.1/2.2) then you can probably do the things she requires.

exup · 31 January 2011 at 3:00PM

Clark80 wrote: »

try:

android.modaco.com OR www.xda-developers.com

If you can return it and get a slightly newer one (with Android 2.1/2.2) then you can probably do the things she requires.

Hi, just checked on those two sites -
xda immediately slagged off the 1000ET saying it is useless due to its "hidden" specs
whereas modaco: a user has bought the 1000ET and it still suffers from the incomaptibilty problems due to not being 3G, bluetooth etc.
but again - the tablet experts seem to feel that the quoted specs are worrying.

JJ_Egan · 31 January 2011 at 4:13PM

running Android 1.6 (which I already know is the mobile version of android)

Its an old version of Android .

Current Android 2.2.1 Froyo but i would guess your machine may but be capable of running a later Android . Worth checking for updates though .

jje

exup · 31 January 2011 at 5:37PM

JJ_Egan wrote: »

running Android 1.6 (which I already know is the mobile version of android)

Its an old version of Android .

Current Android 2.2.1 Froyo but i would guess your machine may but be capable of running a later Android . Worth checking for updates though .

jje

there are updates but nothing that will change the operating system.
After having spoken to Elonex, and then Toys R us tech support (who could only apologise for not being able to help me with the 700ET)
I finally spoke to the store manager.
Being polite as possible I explained the various issues, and she is a little concerned that the Android Logo which comes up when the tablet boots could be misleading (she is familiar with the product)
She has offered a refund on the item, saying herself that it isn't fit for the purpose it was bought. so at least a good result, Will be putting the money towards a small netbook, such as an MSIwind which my daughter already has, and should do everything my girlfriends daughter wants from it.

JJ_Egan · 31 January 2011 at 7:04PM

she is a little concerned that the Android Logo which comes up when the tablet boots could be misleading (she is familiar with the product)

Thats odd as it is an Android product and Android is not specifically a mobile phone OS .

You bought a bottom end tablet with limited hardware running Android .

You may have bought a more expensive tablet with better hardware running Android as per the Samsung Galaxy .

Even the top of the range Apple IPad runs a mobile phone OS .

Android is a mobile OS not a phone OS .

Actually the 1000 ET does run the later 2.1 OS probably what the ads are based upon .

Glad you got your money back .

jje

exup · 1 February 2011 at 1:59AM

Out of all the searching through Android apps - the main eye opener for me was the Skype Android download.
As soon as I clicked on the link for it, it asked me for my mobile number so it could send the link via SMS, and then I expect download the app over the 3G network - no use to the 700ET as it is not 3G compatible.
Skype do give a direct link, at skype.com/m - but this is not recognised by the browser (I expect that only mobile phones on 3G networks would recognise the link).

the 700ET box states simply on the front that is an Android tablet. and on the back says you have access to 1000s of apps (you don't as you can only access slideme marketplace)
The store customer services advised me to download apps from the Android marketplace, which you can't because its incompatible.
My sisters older mobile runs Android 1.6 and she gets apps straight from the Android market, so she was also initially at a loss why this tablet would not
I think this is why the store CS manager was suprised as it makes no bones, even on loadup that it is running Android, but unlike anthing else that people are familiar with which loads up with Android, this will not work with any Android App. as far as I found there are no apps in the slideme market which appear on the Android market

Personally I wouldnt have bought it in the first place, and my girlfriend only bought it as she thought she was getting an Android compatible tablet for her daughter.

When I bought a Windows7 MSIwind for my daughter last year, I expected it (and it does) run windows software - of course I know of the hardware limitations of the wind, but if it had refused to run any windows product I would have been annoyed, and it would have gone back to the shop as the 700ET is

but thanks for your advice jje, I did find it helpful

Bikertov · 11 February 2011 at 12:19AM

exup - thanks for elaborating in detail about your findings on the 700ET.

I saw one in Asda today, and on the face if it, I was going to buy it. Especially as it came with a neat case with build in keyboard and an 8GB microSD card - all for £97.

However, having seen what you have said, I will now steer well clear and save my money for something better.

BigRonW · 4 April 2012 at 7:57PM

Android is an "open" operating system, meaning that anyone at all can use it, for free. But to have access to the Android market (which has confusingly recently been re-named "Google Play") you need to be a member of a "manufacturer's club" called the "open handset alliance". Elonex is NOT a member, so cannot (legally) provide its customers with access.

Android's a pretty good operating system - I've owned Android phones since the first one (the T-Mobile G1) came out - which ran the same version (1.6) as this Elonex system. Android versions are named (in alphabetical order) after cakes; 1.6 was "Donut" (1.5 had been "Cupcake") then "Eclair", "Froyo", "Gingerbread"...and the current latest which is "Icecream sandwich" (what we'd call a "wafer" here in the UK) Tablets running "ICS" are now dribbling onto the market from China, and a 7" tablet should cost somewhere around £75. I splashed out that much myself on a model called the "Ainol Novo7 Paladin", which was the first tablet to feature the new version. It uses a different chip at its heart, meaning that it won't run every piece of software... but on the other hand the new chip draws such a low amount of power that the battery will last a full day without needing to be recharged. If you paid £100, you won't need to "save your money for something better". The Ainol DOES come with a legitimate copy of the market pre-installed, and (as I said) costs just £75-ish,which should give you £25 in change! But be quick! Ainol are apparently ceasing production of this model shortly.

fwor · 4 April 2012 at 9:10PM

BigRonW wrote: »

But be quick! Ainol are apparently ceasing production of this model shortly.

I'm not convinced that this is a good reason to buy a specific make/model of tablet.

Many of these "no-name" Chinese manufacturers have a well-established tactic to avoid having to pay support staff. They change models very frequently, and if you have last years model (or possibly even this years model), don't expect to get any support or upgrades from the maker.

The Wiki for the Novo7 says the following: "Many users are trying to hack and create scripts to enhance the compatibility of the NOVO7 tablets", which says it all really.

Elonex Etouch 700ET android phone trapped in a tablet body?

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