First impressions

[mithbre]

I do not have a plastic film over my display or, if I do, I cannot find the edge. PINE64: if you ship with a plastic film over the display on production model (I don't care whether you do this.), please be certain there is some kind of pull-tab to get the thing off.

Try putting some tape on a corner and pull up. It looks like the protector was on the touch screen before it was shaped, so it's a nearly perfectly fit. If the black areas look speckly then you have a screen protector on.

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As others have mentioned the trackpad issue, but what I've noticed is that the area you can move it around in depends on where I last tapped on the screen.
Bottom right makes me unable to get to the left half, top left allows movement in all but an inch or two on the sides.

In my specific unit, plugging in the mini HDMI hole is not lined up with the port

  DSC07284.JPG (Size: 54.01 KB / Downloads: 372)
It's extremely tight, tight enough that Ill likely take a file to the case at some point.


For those that wish to take apart the Pinetab.

  DSC07286.JPG (Size: 313.81 KB / Downloads: 411)
Follow the blue line with a plastic spudger, NOT the red line. Open from top to bottom, remove the top first. I found the top left (near the I/O) to be the easiest starting point. Be patient putting it back together, the bottom may not be easy to align.

My favorite thing from looking at the inside is that it looks like the flash memory can be replaced if you don't mind cutting through some foam tape.
Also mine has very late 2019 stamped all over the place (cables and mobo) inside, have they really been in production since December?

[wd5gnr]

Day 1. Pretty nice but a lot of work to get software working. None of the usual Linux stuff works as other have mentioned (e.g., apt). In addition, I can't seem to get Libertene to do anything but it could be I don't know how to use it.

The fonts look slightly better scaled up and with screen protector off (I would have sworn I didn't have one but I did).

One other thing: the charger cable doesn't seem to seat all the way down. Not a big deal but makes me wonder.

I found "Command mode" (Turn on with volume down held down) but don't know how to use it. Anyone know what to do with it in that mode? An earlier post implied you could install things that way...

[wd5gnr]

Two more observations:

sudo mount -o remount,rw /

Will allow sudo apt update to work and then you can insall packages.

However, note that emacs, for example installs icons that don't work. Works fine from terminal, though.

The other is, what is in /android? Hmmm....

[sunrunner]

Finally got that film off. Good idea about using tape in corner

https://ibb.co/0qW505Q

[andybleaden@gmail.com]

Early Day 2 update:

1. [hardware/firmware keyboard] Trackpad -- I was wrong. There is also close to 5cm inaccessible area along right edge.
   
2. [hardware/firmware keyboard] Function-key row completely unresponsive with or without Fn key depressed. Fn-arrow keys (pgdown, etc.) work as expected.
   
3. [hardware? software?] Speakers are super quiet and headphone jack unresponsive. I am uncertain what the issue is. On inspecting the port, it appears to be too far recessed for fully seating the jack. However, I think I saw elsewhere that there may be an internal pin setting forcing the jack into UART mode. I haven't opened the back cover yet. Need to find an appropriate tool for that.
   
4. [hardware/firmware] Stylus input is significantly less responsive than finger input, and it does not matter what stylus I use. Active stylii are completely unresponsive (not surprising due to display type.)
   
5. [networking/serial] Hooking USB to USB on laptop: neither machine detects the other.
   
6. [software] I can't find a way to background a task. Installed syncthing and when other apps are closed, syncthing comes to the foreground and I can't drop out to the "desktop." I know this could be done with desktop Unity/Lomiri.
   
7. [software] Just for grins, I tried to `apt update` from terminal. apt seems to be installed and working okay but all the repositories are unsigned which prevents it from downloading the catalogue files.
   
8. [software] Font antialiasing is bloody awful.
   
9. [software] Attempting to establish sync with Nextcloud (in Settings app) results in forever-spinning indicator. Expected either success + setup stuffs, or a timeout/failure indicator.
   

I have not yet experimented with alternate OS and SD card booting. Reports elsewhere indicate no display when booting from SD. It would be lovely to have an SD-card writer app available to flash them right from the tablet. I haven't check to see if `dd` is available via Terminal, though.

Headphones will work if you use sudo alsamixer and unmute them each boot though so not permanent fix. Volume here can also be raised. People have mentioned issues with other cloud accounts which will need a fix. The jumpdrive facility enables you to "view " your tablet's emmc and storage from a pc to add music etc. UArt switch is located next to sd card slot and is VERY small?
.

[wd5gnr]

I have noticed the wifi appears to only scan for 2.4GHz signals. Anyone else?

[GreyLinux]

I have noticed the wifi appears to only scan for 2.4GHz signals. Anyone else?

The WiFi module will only ever be able to detect 2.4ghz it doesn't have the capability to detect 5ghz bands .
In the specs on the store it states tha it's a single band , maybe in the future and with a different rockchip we might see modules with dual bands available

Specs from the store

WLAN: Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, single-band, hotspot

[wd5gnr]

I have noticed the wifi appears to only scan for 2.4GHz signals. Anyone else?

The WiFi module will only ever be able to detect 2.4ghz it doesn't have the capability to detect 5ghz bands .
In the specs on the store it states tha it's a single band , maybe in the future and with a different rockchip we might see modules with dual bands available

Specs from the store

WLAN: Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, single-band, hotspot

Ah... did not notice that.

[ImaPagan]

First, thank you to all who posted before I received my unit-you saved me hours of trying to figure out some of the details when my unit arrived yesterday. My impressions of the Pinetab:

1. The build is better than I thought. It has a solid feel-perhaps due to its slightly thicker construction.
2. The ports worked, and I figured out how to get to the SD card slot (I thought it was a tray initially). The USB port ended up being very useful (next item).
3. I started out with the installed UT. It was okay, but the tracking issue was a big distraction. I couldn't get my BT mouse to connect with BT, so I used a USB BT adapter. The mouse worked, but the same issue occurred as with using the track pad-I could only use small areas of the screen.
4. I moved on to Mobian, and was impressed with the performance. BT didn't work with Mobian either, but at least the mouse tracked correctly as does the trackpad. The problem is I haven't figured out how to force a rotation out of portrait, if that is possible. The portrait view was fine when I used the Pinetab to read part of an ebook last night. I did  bit of web surfing too with FF. Overall, it worked pretty good.

My main reason for purchasing was to replace an Android tablet-a Fire tablet that I just couldn't stand anymore (the FireOS is the worst, in my opinion). I didn't want to be trapped into the planned obsolescence of another Android tablet. I also wanted to be able to distro-hop just like I do on the desktop.

Overall, worth the money and waiting. Hopefully the distros will mature soon so the experience is a bit more fluid.

Update: I figured out that I overlooked the rotation icon..so disregard my comment about rotation! Also, I read afterward that BT wasn't working yet on any OS.  For now, I will keep using Mobian. UT is usable, but the trackpad issue is just too distracting for me.

[mindwave]

Well after losing it for a date and DHLs typical US stupidity it arrived yesterday, safe and sound, although I have to admit, when I picked it up off the ground, i was surprised I wasnt thrilled with the package. BUT you guys have shipped al iover the planet so apparenly you know what youre doing.

Im SURE it must be economy,but really DHL is one of the worst carriers INTERNAL US, thats available. Which is why they dont do door to door anymore... but I digress.

Im pretty impressed, The back is textured, and considering I just moved into a house with tile EVERYWHERE its a great idea. Matter of fact I woke up thsi morning to find my 1 month old Toga Tab (which was considerably more $) lying face down on said tile and just knew it was toast, but its intact.

The Ptab, whoever said it was thicker than the average tablet I cant imagine what their comparing it to certainly not anything in the sub $250 range.

I was disappointed when I saw your processor  setup of choice, but after working on my own raspberry tab/notebook for the last several month I certainly understand, with your resources this must have made trimming it down MUCH easier.

One thing I am looking forward to is a battery test.
My own creation is using a 10kmWh setup and It seems to be lasting all day (8+ hours), and thats with zero software tuning or battery savings ideas.

The NEW Raspad3, that I just ordered (hey it was a LOT cheaper than the first one I never receoved) says up front its looking at 4 hours. Thats REALLY sad, I almost DIDNT order it because of that, but  hope Im learning enough with my own that maybe I can make a change

But I didnt REALLY get the PT to hack the HW, so far your HW has always been pretty solid (I have 2 laptops one of hich - new pro- is a daily driver) I hacked a TON of earlytablets, for about 5 years, all the way through android 4.4 than my child needed more attention than my hobby so i went looking at prepackaged goodness, and found that they market blows.

Hence the Ptab

1 - screen seems very solid - i dont see or experienec any issues with any kind of "screen protector" pre installed, but I guess Ill go looking later

2- HW in general is very solid, I have accessed the SD card slot yet but I just downloaded a new image, so we'll see how that goes

3 - keyboard/cover - its nicer than most $25 similar devices, backlighting is a cool idea, i HATE track pads, so dont really care, HOWEVER it seems to me that the one thing that I recall readng in every update, was that they were still working on it, well lets hope they are STILL working! One interesting oddity, it seemed as though I ran into a solid vertical wall an inch from each side of the screen, then I opend a wiondow full screen and the window got smaller. THEN I got out of full screen and the right edge of the wall extended all the way to the right side of the screen, where as the LEFT side of the limit was wherever I dragged the window....very interesteing...but again, I would just as soon plug in a ring trackball rthan use a trackpad...

4 - browsers - well that was interesting. Just for grins I opened morph and typed in mozilla.org and when I went to click on download firefox, i was sent tio a MSFT page to download edge, which failed....? Closed it, opened it again and this time was sent to a mobile firefox link that had to be emailed to me. So then I tried every bowserr I could think of and they were all confused by what OS I was using, except OPERA, opera downloaded a .deb but the app store applications wouldnt loa it, but I thought that was progress. I realize its me and like 4 other folks planet wde who remember opera, but I used that a GREAT deal at work.

5 - Power supply - or should I say LACK of PSU - honestly I dont recal what the order page said, you guys are normally pretty strait shooters so I asume that it wasnt promised so you delivered wxactly what was promised. I actually LIKE the bright RED. Im color blind and have just under a gazillion cables in my office, but there is nO WAY I wont be able to find that one....now a dedicated brck....

6 - I am actually considering a pine phone, becuase I work from home now and for probably at least another year, and so my personal cell has been absconded so MAYBE....My whole family just upgraded our pphones and buying 3 MID/HI tier phones in one season hurts a LOT, but Im still reading, I really dont need fancy, and if I can help the cause so much the better!


OVERALL - you guys have swung for the fences, now its up to the community to get it over the wall. We ALL should have understood that when we paid. I see a few folks asking questions, that like firearms, should disqualify them from buying for AT least another 90 days. Do some reading, some researcjh and decide, you want slim and working? PineTab or Amzon Fire 10, you want experimental and maybe NOT so much immediate function but LOTS of potential? Pinetab or RASPAD. At 4 hours and the looks of a VIC20 the rpad is not my 1st choice, but I like the OS,.......

hope this helps someone

j