cheap Viewsonic gTablet

[D. Hugh Redelmeier]

Woot today (for the second time) sold out their gTablets at US$285. 
<http://www.woot.com/Forums/ViewPost.aspx?PostID=4418501>

So TigerDirect.ca's offer of a gTablet for C$299.97 looks pretty good.  
But they might only sell it "mail order" and might charge too much for 
shipping (I don't know).
<http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applications/searchtools/item-Details.asp?EdpNo=7212231&sku=V18-0020&cm_sp=Right%20Nav-_-DOD-_-V18-0020>

The gTablet's hardware looks very good.  Everyone whines about the 
firmware and recommend that you replace it.  I have no experience with it 

(I have an iPad so I can wait patiently for something better.  The fact 
that Google is not releasing the source for Android 3.0 for a while and is 
constraining licensed distributors concerns me.)

Things I've noted:

- capacitive touch screen (like iPad and Nook Color).  Everyone says that 
  this is important.  I know that my iPad responds to touch much more
  fluidly than my Nokia N800 or my Nuvi GPS unit.  Downside: stylus isn't 
  useful; interface must account for reduced precision (or is it accuracy?  
  I don't know).

- I like the iPad's resolution (1024x768) better than the gTablet's 
  1024x600.  I like the iPad's aspect ratio better too.

- I like 10.1" tablets.  7" ones are more portable.  For me, 10" is a win 
  only if you get more pixels.

- specs: <http://www.viewsonic.com/products/gtablet.htm>

- more connections than an iPad1 (camera, USB slave and host, MicroSD, 
  HDMI? (may require a dock).

- better CPU than my iPad (same as iPad2)

- refurb iPad 1's were sold by the Apple store for not too much more than 
  this.  A better deal, but not for Linux reasons.  I haven't seen stock 
  for some time.
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