Droidian Slip

[BBOSAK2143]

Yesterday was out doing one of my jobs and had to get some oil for my car, so I stopped in at Big Lots. Well, I decided to take a look at the ole glass locked cage to see what junky electronic devices were there! To my surprise I stumbled on a little pocket sized tablet that was marked down to $15. I figured "Damn, I paid more for that for a small MP4 player(Poloroid). That thing cost me $35 about 3 years ago and probably runs maybe a 800mhz processor in it. So, I could not resist this little things for $15.

To my surprise is a dual core Emerson EM544, was originally marked around $50 and dropped down a few times. So, said "Why not!" So I bring it home charge it up within a few hours and boom, hook to the internet and email. Seems like an alright deal! Is expandable to one of those mini's to 32gb, so I figure at some point will do that! Is just wild though as just a year ago, I saw close to the same device over there running around $100 and now to dump down this low is quite unreal!!!

Anyway guess I will have to start learning the ins and outs of Android as 4.1 is the OS on there. So far have not had luck putting my London_tower pic on there, but give me some time will figure! Am just happy to have a small unit as such, since my cell phone would be very lame for any search on the net, if my car became disabled or just finding some place when I am out! Not really looking to carry my PC in my pocket, just have a nice little utility in case of emergency! I know many people live on these things, but I do not think that could ever be me, though I will not say never as that seems to be a curse to me! Every time I say "never" it happens!

Anyway if anyone has some decent info to get me going with Android, will be grinning! As I say, just something maybe to have access to a map if needed would probably be the major accessory would ever want! Also for those that shun "Big Lots" maybe should rethink when it comes to deals of such?? I honestly do not think you can get one of these things cheaper than this, but if someone knows, please share it with us all!

[BBOSAK2143]

Goes out to all the wiz's out there! Was looking at a smaller OS and would absolutely love to have something like this on this cheapo tablet. System is call Porteus and claims is for smaller devices. Boots fast has the minimal needs and to me is more geared towards functionality. Am sure some have seen my moans and groans of this smaller device which has Android "Ice Cream Sandwich" on it seems more of a toy! Sorry, this version of Android, just seems to be lame! Just want something a little more business-like. As have said something can use to put small word programs and maps to help me with not getting lost out here in the boonies!

Would be more interested in getting my normal Desktop looks, least coloring than playing games as do not do that so much these days. Seems games hold about maybe 10 or 15 minutes of my attention before I give up! Also am wondering if anyone has tried Porteus for a smaller device and would love to know the results????

[Xanayoshi]

You should probably just shove your pre-conceived notions in a closet and figure out what the device may offer you instead of just bricking it. I say bricking it, because there are so many steps on the way towards what you want to do, it is easier to say brick it. This kinda stuff is difficult on well known devices with heavy communities and tons of support. On something you found at Big Lots it will be near impossible, and would be better to just work with what you have. Especially if you have no clue. When I went to pick up my cheapo tablet I was installing ROMS by that point(and I totally bricked it...there are some advantages..receipt and idunnowhathappeneditwontwork...cool try again). What you do have can be impressive. You can easily control Samba with a droid. You can remote all your systems. If you have HDMI port you can run all of your PC video and sound through your television with ease. The list goes on and on but it is the capacity of the user more so than the device. This is why I have girlfriends with really good Phones that trade them in every six months for a new and better one, even though they never did more than play a couple games and text. They have no clue what it can do and they do not care, it just needs to be clean, pretty, and on par with what everyone else has. Manufacturers are rather aware of this, so long as people suck, you will have things like..the NFL on your phone..(Gee thanks Verizon!!)

[BBOSAK2143]

I did let it reload as was running very poorly! Yes am going to try, but thus far does not look like it has near anything major can do, so figured if it would at some time get as you say "bricked" did I really loose a lot? Now had I spent a few hundred bucks on it, would not really think of doing anything like this unless I know is a sure shot! Saw that Porteus and their site, but of course does not have any instructions for loading a device and consider that at one's risk! Still, as I learn about these different OS's would just love to hear from someone who has changed one of these devices over to that system or even something else, just to hear the results!

Of course when I mean "major" am just talking about running a generic maps program! Sure this thing will browse my email and the web, but what if say I am out somewhere and I want to write something? Is not looking promising on that! Basically as have said, just looking for it to do a few minor things, but thus far is looking like I am asking it to fly to the moon! So, yes am a bit frustrated with it! I would consider the remote deal something totally off the wall for this thing so far! I tried another tablet, right before I got the laptop and believe me that could do what I am talking about hands down!

I did the reload bit, since even opening up the browser was erroring out. I had installed a offline maps program in there and it gave me some weird line and would not work! Not sure, but maybe someone fiddled with it before and that is why was running rough! Stores like Big Lots, never know what you are going to get! Have to learn somewhere with all this as, what crappy instructions I got with it is not much! So any decent links to get me going with this "Ice Cream Sandwich" will also be appreciated!

[Xanayoshi]

You are lacking gapps(google applications) so you either have to look up the device and see if anyone got sick of it and rooted it or just look for a general apk. The first thing you should install is ES File Explorer as I imagine there is either no file manager or a horrible one. You need an SD, there is no real debate here, these are reallllly cheap at WalMart, and you can get the adapter card as well, so you can use on other hardware.

You need to set your device up to install apk.

On ICS this should be settings-->security-->unknown sources(check)

Now to look for apks.....

There are legal apk, you have no gapps, you gotta do what you gotta do, maybe see if you can actually get gapps on there somehow.

Apk success will vary. Think of them as Android .deb. Personally I was taking them off of the play store with another device then at root making a backup apk, then I simply moved the SD to the cheap tablet and installed. Netflix viola. I am not sure how far I can broach this subject legally under U.S. laws, however, if you look you will find, as a Linux user you are generally 30 steps ahead. You can totally go terminal on an Android.

Your device is probably pretty lite on memory and having ICS is probably not a good thing, but that is what was selling, ICS..for whatever reason, I guess people like Ice Cream. This is an obstacle in itself.

E-Mail should not be difficult, you will have to set it up, again, if you get gapps, this will solve all of this. Since Google is the devil this may not be so bad though really.

[BBOSAK2143]

Wish this thing did what you are talking about! Settings dead ends with sound and wifi! I guess with a name like "Ice Cream Sandwich" for an OS, I should not expect it to be even half-way serious! This thing is getting to be a real "brick" See, I did have google maps installed. Now it worked, but then when I shut it down and next time I rebooted said it was running but will be damned if I could access it!

So, I uninstalled it and after that all hell broke loose, this thing has been nothing but junk since! Had some stupid game on there I also dumped. Was able to use the USB connect to the computer, but since reload nada! Will just go around in circles and never connect. Also will not download anything refusing since I do not have an SD card. Before you could see I had at least a gig's worth of space. Now, I have over that as is just basic OS with probably close to 3gigs and this thing will refuse to download anything!

So now is basically useless anyway! I can't transfer anything to it or from it and the system works like Ice Cream on a Hot Summer's day! Melts to nothingness!!! Even tried it on the Laptop and is zip, just will not connect anymore! So I guess am dead in the water with this thing!

[Xanayoshi]

Can you reset it? It is usually some sort of combination of buttons, like, poweroff and the up button or something like that.

I've bricked my Droid 2 at least 30 times, it's not always the end of the world. You have not gone root however. Brick shouldn't really apply yet.

[BBOSAK2143]

For those that have read about this cheap tablet I bought, may also have some help for others in the same predicament. If you read what I was telling Xan about this cheap acting crazy and not caring what I do to it, long as it gets functional. You will then know I was very desperate. $15 is not a ton of cash to loose, but if it can be avoided is a good thing. Have to remember, I bought this at Big Lots and has no warranty is "As Is"

When I bought it, was not real usable as things were not quite right. Installed one program "Google Maps" worked one time. Next time booted up and it said it was running and did absolutely nothing! Same goes for the small office program that was in there and almost everything else! I had also noticed was quite a bit of space used up for hardly nothing on it! Since this was not the very first tablet I ever had, I knew this was not functioning right and was 10x useless than the tablet I had tried!

Enough of that and will say what I did to get it back to usable! First off set it back to factory. That is accomplished by getting into boot by pressing the + and power key. Will bring up the menu so you can reset this unit. As after that still was off, I decided on a last ditch effort. I found an apk of Android 4.2 and installed it. Now am getting the proper response. Only thing that is not compatible is Google +. I can live with that, as long as I can use this thing!

For those reading this, the unit is an EM544(Emerson 4.3 tablet). The OS on there was 4.0 Android "Ice Cream Sandwich". Sure is a gamble, to do something like that, but is not as bad as trying to redo the entire image which can leave it as everyone calls it "bricked" Anyway, the result is I was able to once again install Google Maps and this time after reboot, still works! The small office program on there is also now in working order. I have also added Opera browser to it as is a little spunkier on this thing. Remember at present runs off my 3g connection here, so needs all the help can get! At present only have a small SD in there, but will change that soon. Still, have no real plans to use it as a work station, just something for an aid when I go out in the boonies!

See as you can tell from my location I live in the middle of nowhere! When I have to go to one of these job sites have no clue where it is, sure I look it up. Still, looks easy sometimes on the computer, I jot things down take it with me and head off! Well, have been a few times guess I did not write down all very well!!!! So, now if that happens again, I have a useful little tablet that can help me find my way!!! Now, if I was able to figure a way to get this thing to also work like a cell phone, could leave that one at home and just have the tablet in my pocket! Hey, those phones cost a lot of cash! No way can afford that now!!!! Also is just a though!!! Am happy solved this as even though is a cheapo unit, all the need I have for it is mostly cheap!!!! Got the PC for the major stuff!!! Handles well and Laptop is no slouch either, does well with its systems just a little slower than the PC is all!

[BBOSAK2143]

You know, I kind of like the name for this section! Well, I am back at it! Going to see what can be done with this little toy of mine! Xan, you got me curious about the remote stuff, so I decided to give it a go! The results are rather humorous!!! First tried RKRemoteControlGeneralCastV2.0.3.apk. Went in no problem, program came up with display and all, but of course will not do a blessed thing!

Next, I tried Smart_IR_Remote_Samsung_HTC_1_6_8.apk. Now it sounded great as seemed if you typed in the model number then pointed the remote at the tablet would learn the functions. Well, put the number in(fun, fun with big fingers like mine!) then I picked the remote type(graphic display) then commenced the learning. Well, that did not get far at all! Soon as I clicked on the button to learn program stopped working. Think it has something to do with Google Play as this thing can't seem to work with that!

I have also tried some programs to get Silverlight happening on this thing but of course does not! I have Adobe Flash 11 installed on this thing, so should be fairly accommodating, but thus far all attempts to try and get on Jet have failed! Programs tried are Skyfire-Web-browser and Silverlight for Android. Both are humorous as Skyfire does work but only as a browser and nothing halfway integrated with Silverlight as is claimed. The Silverlight for Android, is even funnier!!! When you install then launch sends you right to the MS Silverlight site that tells you that you need Windows or Apple to run it!!! I guess I am not the only one that can not write a program!

Will go through more and post results as time permits. Hopefully, some of this stuff will be useful for other users of these little toys to know their capabilities. So far battery life on this thing is also terrible! I mean a laptop could run for a good 2 or three hours. These things if they can run for an hour straight would probably go into Ripley's "Believe it or Not" Still, least it can function for a half hour pretty well so will mess with it here and there and just post back as to let those that own these types know what they can do with them!

Originally, I had wanted an Archos 5 some time ago, but never had the cash for it! I would have bought one with the 500gb hd and used some of it for my music to play in the car. Sure wish one of those would have been around when I had bought that Zune, from what I heard and hear, many of those units are still functioning great, while most Zunes have died! Of course that is including mine which no longer functions! Just more garbage from MS and another one of the many reasons that have compiled to insite my dislike for them!

[BBOSAK2143]

I decided to try something a bit more wild! Once these things are rooted you can do a dual boot with Linux but of course if you can get the image is another story???? Now, if you all remember this fact of my poor connection, will also know the reason have been building all my own OS's also! See, I just went on Sourceforge and figured, 150mbs should be no problem at all! Yeah right! Soon as the download reached 8mbs there it went down the toilet! So, had to switch over to a torrent file and get the ole Transmission to pick it up!

Am going to once again brag about Ultimate when it comes to Transmission as that is what made me realize how great this utility is! It may take 5 or 10 minutes to pick up a torrent when is not tons of people having it, but rest assured it will get it! So, when it comes to Transmission rest assured will always be in any OS I build! Well as am not on a speedy connection is going to take time to get this image so can write about some other utilities and things for these small tablets that have tried today.

1) Tried a nice little program called Battery Life Repair that is available in apk form. After installation I have noticed that the battery is not dropping super fast like it was. Remember since this thing has to be a good year old, who knows what kind of life it will have. So, maybe this will help and seems to already have so I recommend it.

2) SuperSU. apk is another one if you want to use the following as I am to have the Ubuntu image am going to use. See this way will leave the android system in tact but give the added option of using Ubuntu. So this is one of the utilities needed before the next one.

3) Complete Linux Installer apk is what is needed to install a Linux image and there are several choices that will run on these android units, but I decided on the Small Ubuntu 13.10 which includes the LXDE desktop which I do like quite a bit. Just because I frequently use Gnome, does not mean I do not like other desktops. LXDE is tops on the list as to its reliability. If everything is dangling and going to hell on a Linux distro, generally that desktop will be last final survivor on a multiple desktop system as I usually create these days! Believe me have seen it a few times!!!

Okay well got the zip file put it on the sd card and how BS goes now the program just does not want to access the sd card so is something else to solve now! Google play all that keeps doing is messing up, maybe has something to do with it all! Am new to this all and learning so will have to forgive me on some things. Will get back here when I figure a way to get this thing to access that sd card!