EMS - simply incredible Chinese postal service

Omaroo (Chris Malikoff) · #1 25-10-2010, 01:46 PM

I ordered one of these cheap 7" Chinese Android tablets to see what Android 1.6 on a tablet was like for a project we're doing at work.

We're registered iPad developers, so this is interesting to see the other side.

Anyway - I didn't care what one or where it came from, so I organised one through eBay from a seller I'd never heard of before. The 7" "aPad" was AU$123 including shipping via EMS to my door in Sydney.

I ordered it late Thursday afternoon (21st) and it arrived here on my doorstep this morning on the 25th. There's even a weekend in between to boot.

How amazing is that - from Shanghai to Sydney in one working day - and for $6 of the $123 total. Simply incredible.

Now - after using it for the past couple of hours I think that the iPad is safe for a while yet....

ballaratdragons (Ken) · #2 25-10-2010, 01:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Omaroo

Now - after using it for the past couple of hours I think that the iPad is safe for a while yet....

Quote:

Originally Posted by Omaroo

The 7" "aPad" was AU$123 including shipping

Sort of answers itself doesn't it

But yes, mail from overseas always seems to get here blindingly fast, whereas AustPost leaves a lot to be desired

I get items from USA within 7 days but it takes 10 days for my families letters to get here from Queensland

h0ughy (David) · #3 25-10-2010, 02:02 PM

yep thats great - i got a timer within 2 working days - but my battery grip has taken 2 weeks to get here. Hit and miss

Omaroo (Chris Malikoff) · #4 25-10-2010, 02:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ballaratdragons

Sort of answers itself doesn't it

Not quite as simple as that Ken - hardware aside, the operating system (Android) is the same as it is on the more expensive Android tablets that sell for as much as the iPad - and it's quite frankly dreadful in comparison. Clunky as hell and a generation or two behind iOS - even Android v2.1 isn't much better. Anyways - it's a fun experiment and didn't break the bank getting hold of one, which was the point of the exercise.

David - did they send your battery grip via EMS, as such?

h0ughy (David) · #5 25-10-2010, 02:13 PM

yes - i ordered them two weeks ago (you know when the dollar was getting higher

)

as for the android system - you get used to it(i have 1.5 on my lg phone), as long as you dont use a apple system you would think it was great

ballaratdragons (Ken) · #6 25-10-2010, 02:20 PM

I don't even know what Android system is, so most of what both of you are saying is waayyy over my head.
As far as Android systems, Clunky's, iOS's, you've lost me

Me no Sprekkin de computerish

I just know that Australia's mail system sucks.

OzRob (Rob) · #7 25-10-2010, 02:30 PM

I know it is off topic a little but do you have a link from where you bought it? The wife has Google Sky for Android on her phone and it's great. Although I think she is going to get upset if I keep on stealing her phone...

Omaroo (Chris Malikoff) · #8 25-10-2010, 02:36 PM

Here you go Rob - knock yourself out

http://stores.ebay.com.au/wholesale-...or-electronics

(got to love the name he? "dropship for electronics".... hmmmm..)

TrevorW · #9 25-10-2010, 03:47 PM

Takes longer from NSW to WA Express Post

Osirisra (Ken) · #10 25-10-2010, 05:08 PM

It not called snail mail for nothing!

I own two IOS devices (iphone/ipad) and being in the IT industry have played around with Andriod and to be honest It a good operating system and it is constanly getting better, being placed on great hardware and it taking a huge chunk out of the market. I used to use WM5 device before the IOS and now that Windows mobile 7 is out I will looking forward to play with around with it as it is getting some great reviews. Now tripple booting IOS, Andriod and WM7, that would be awesome to tinker with.

I like IOS and for your avergage user it's fine but useless to a geek like me with out first being jailbroken. When I first got the iphone with out it being jailbroken I could not do anything that I used to do all the time on my WM5 device and since wm5 is not the greatist OS around that was painful.

Omaroo (Chris Malikoff) · #11 25-10-2010, 05:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Osirisra

It not called snail mail for nothing!

I own two IOS devices (iphone/ipad) and being in the IT industry have played around with Andriod and to be honest It a good operating system and it is constanly getting better, being placed on great hardware and it taking a huge chunk out of the market. I used to use WM5 device before the IOS and now that Windows mobile 7 is out I will looking forward to play with around with it as it is getting some great reviews. Now tripple booting IOS, Andriod and WM7, that would be awesome to tinker with.

I like IOS and for your avergage user it's fine but useless to a geek like me with out first being jailbroken. When I first got the iphone with out it being jailbroken I could not do anything that I used to do all the time on my WM5 device and since wm5 is not the greatist OS around that was painful.

I'm a "geek" too, and find that the GUI flows far more smoothly on iOS than the other two. They are, as I've called it' "clunky" from a human user aspect. Looking at some of the "open" applications I can see in Android Market, and having downloaded a few - they're junk. Sorry, but poorly executed, unreliable and awfully executed from the GUI standpoint. Jail-breaking is fine for those of us who don't mind existing in a constant state of breakage, but for a business user this would never do. "Average" users are 99.998 percent of the buying public - we as developers have to remember that. All they want is for things to work.

Osirisra (Ken) · #12 25-10-2010, 05:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Omaroo

I'm a "geek" too, and find that the GUI flows far more smoothly on iOS than the other two. They are, as I've called it' "clunky" from a human user aspect. Looking at some of the "open" applications I can see in Android Market, and having downloaded a few - they're junk. Sorry, but poorly executed, unreliable and awfully executed from the GUI standpoint. Jail-breaking is fine for those of us who don't mind existing in a constant state of breakage, but for a business user this would never do. "Average" users are 99.998 percent of the buying public - we as developers have to remember that. All they want is for things to work.

What about the tons of junk that is in the apple store? The GUI in IOS runs smooth as it isn't really much of a GUI, all you can do it call up a app and then close it...true it has basic 'backgrounding in 4+ but essentialy there isn't much of a UI. One thing that Android has that IOS dosen't have is energetic development, it's constatly growing and evovling whereas IOS is steadly loosing momentem.

I'm not saying andriod is the best but that it is screaming foward in share and appeal don't just discredit it yet.

The Blackberry and Symbian based OS phones are true clunky nightmares yet they are what most average users use and have the biggest market share.

The 99.998% of buyers don't have a clue so it ok for them. Just glad that us Geeks can have things like jail break otherwise I would be going nuts.