Problems With Big Lots Nextbook

[cherylharrell1961]

Sun I got one of the Nextbook tablets at Big Lots. If it worked better than my Polaroid, I'd take back the Polaroid and keep the Nextbook cuz it was cheaper. I may have to take it back and keep the Polaroid cuz some stuff is not working right.

The Google Play App does not work. It loads up and stays there as if it is up and working but it's not. Can't download a thing on it. Can't download from their site either cuz it says I have to have the app running and working. Yuck! I noticed it does the same thing on my Polaroid. So I am wondering if it is maybe a problem with Google Play not wanting to work on the new ICS version of Android?

The Colonial Heights Baptist Church app which I mentioned on another thread I could not get to work on the Nextbook. It would not download from the Google Play site due to Google Play not working right. I had downloaded it from elsewhere online and put it on the Polaroid. It works fine on the Polaroid. When I tried to install it on the Nextbook, it attempts to install the app but then says app not installed. It refuses to install. Sigh.

The battery life isn't as good as the Polaroids. I noticed the battery went down to 4% about 2 hrs after I started using the Nextbook. The Polaroids battery lasts longer than that. I wonder if the battery going low so quick is due to the fact that when you charge it up and plug it in the charge, the tablet turns on. I turn it off and when it is finished charging it turns back on. I would think that would drain the battery but don't know for sure since it is plugged in the wall.

It's a shame cuz the Nextbook feels lighter than the Polaroid, the Android Browser seems to work better on it, and the internet seems to work faster without cutting out as much on connections with lower and further away signals.

But if the battery is not gonna last as long as the one on the Polaroid and that app doesn't work. I will probably have to take it back and keep the Polaroid. Or did I get a bad tablet and exchanging it for another one like it work? If it's the case of the tablet was one that doesn't work too well but another one just like it will do better with the battery and run that app, then I may take back the Polaroid and just exchange the Nextbook for another one. Just wondering if anyone else is having the problems I'm having like lowere battery life, Google Play Store not working, some apps not working.

I don't dare root either one for fear of goofing it up as I know nothing about rooting or fear of voiding the warranty.

[busterswd]

One of the basic goals of rooting is to make the Google Play app work, so if you're not willing to root and NEED Google Play, you're SOL. The guide walks you through step by step, so if you read carefully, you'll probably be fine.

The battery life IS pretty terrible. Turn the brightness down, turn off WiFi if you're not using it, and you'll eck out a little more than 3 on a full charge. 2 hours for using the browser sounds about right, though.

[cherylharrell1961]

Thanks so much for the info. The Polaroid doesn't run Google Play either but at least it runs 2 programs that refuse to run or install on the Nextbook. So I may end up keeping the Polaroid and taking the Nextbook back cuz it has a longer battery life and those 2 programs work on it. It's a shame cuz I like how the Nextbook is thinner.

[N4RPS]

Thanks so much for the info. The Polaroid doesn't run Google Play either but at least it runs 2 programs that refuse to run or install on the Nextbook. So I may end up keeping the Polaroid and taking the Nextbook back cuz it has a longer battery life and those 2 programs work on it. It's a shame cuz I like how the Nextbook is thinner.

Hello!

The CHBC app, apparently, will work ok on the 701 series tablets because they use a different processor than the NextBook. If you want the Play Store on the 701, you'll have to add it with either Shawn's ROM or by LiquidLimez' method. If you have to return the 701, you can always reflash with the stock ROM from the manufacturer. That's why we raised hell for them to provide it to us.

On the 701c, disabling phone.apk in the system/app folder considerably improved battery life. It might on the 7s, also. Think I'll try that...

73 DE N4RPS
Rob

[cherylharrell1961]

Thanks so much for the info. I will try disabling phone.apk on both tablets and see what happens.

[N4RPS]

Thanks so much for the info. I will try disabling phone.apk on both tablets and see what happens.

Hello!

You have to be rooted to do that to EITHER tablet. Unless you root (or rename the file through ADB), that subdirectory is read-only.

Your church's app was interesting. I've been looking at the posts for the new 'Roid with a camera, but I'm done with ST.

73 DE N4RPS
Rob

[busterswd]

Hello!

You have to be rooted to do that to EITHER tablet. Unless you root (or rename the file through ADB), that subdirectory is read-only.

Your church's app was interesting. I've been looking at the posts for the new 'Roid with a camera, but I'm done with ST.

73 DE N4RPS
Rob

Heya, would you mine walking me through disabling something in the system folder? Your promise of potential additional battery life intrigues me and I'd like to learn more!

[N4RPS]

Heya, would you mine walking me through disabling something in the system folder? Your promise of potential additional battery life intrigues me and I'd like to learn more!

Hello!

It's as easy as a rooted tablet, using a file explorer utility to go to the /system/app directory, and renaming Phone.apk to something like Phone.old, for example. We did this with the 701c VERY EARLY, and it DID make a difference.

Seems as if non-cellular tablets with Phone.apk intact spend a lot of time (and battery resources) looking for a cellular network that isn't there for it...

73 DE N4RPS
Rob

[cherylharrell1961]

Thanks so much for the info. I noticed I couldn't find the file so wondered if you had to be rooted. The app of that church is not from my church but my cousins church. I do belong to the knitting group there tho lol. I thought they had a nice app there.

Tues I plan to take back the Nextbook and keep the Polaroid. It's a shame cuz it is cheaper too, lighter weight and the internet is faster on poorer connections. But if the batteries aren't gonna last as long as the Polaroid's and some of my apps won't run on it, I'm better off with the Polaroid. So far the Polaroid is working well. Only probs I seem to have with it are Google Play not working with it and Get Jar crashing sometimes. And with poor connections the internet tends to disconnect sometimes and I have to reconnect. But at least my programs work on it and I get about 5 hrs maybe of battery life. And the internet does work. And Google Play doesn't work on the Nextbook either.

[ZonaMojo]

I'm getting great battery life out of my Nextbook, 8-10hrs. One key is you can turn the brightness down to almost zero and still have a very bright screen. When not using Wi-Fi, put the tablet in airplane mode and the Wi-Fi will stop trying to search for a signal. You can also keep the tablet in airplane mode, turn on WI-FI to use, but the phone won't look for a connection. This option comes in Finless 1.5 rom. To charge the battery, plug it in BEFORE turning the tablet off. Once plugged in, then turn the tablet off and it will stay off. If you plug the charger in while the tablet is off, it will turn the tablet on. Also while using the tablet during the course of the day, instead of turning it off and on, put the tablet in suspend. It will save the battery from booting up or down.

As for Google Play not working, I am surprised it is even on your Nextbook, as Nextbook is not officially licensed by Google. In order to get Google Play to work properly, you need to install the Finless 1.5 ROM.

To be perfectly honest, the Nextbook Premium 7 w/ the Finless 1.5 ROM blows away any Gingerbread tablet in its price range...including the Polaroid. However right out of the box the Nextbook is just an average tablet.

[cherylharrell1961]

Thanks for the info. I need to try that. I'll still probably have to take it back Tues and keep the Polaroid cuz it does not run 2 apps/programs I want to use on it. And by now it may have been a month since I bought the Polaroid. If I exchanged this Nextbook for another one and took the Polaroid back. If this was was still lower than the Polaroid on battery life and didn't run my 2 apps/programs I need to run on it, I'd be stuck. If I exchanged this Nextbook for another one and still kept the Polaroid until I was sure the next Nextbook worked well, then if the next Nextbook worked well my time limit on returning the Polaroid would probably be up and I wouldn't be able to take it back. So I'd still have to take back the Nextbook. Sadly I can't afford both at the $89, $99 prices, only 1. I need to try turning down brightness on the Polaroid and see how that does. Some of my apps like Bible reading ones require access to the net to get the content unfortunately which necessitates me having to keep the wifi on when I use them. These forums are a good place for info.

[Conect11]

read only

Hello!

It's as easy as a rooted tablet, using a file explorer utility to go to the /system/app directory, and renaming Phone.apk to something like Phone.old, for example. We did this with the 701c VERY EARLY, and it DID make a difference.

Seems as if non-cellular tablets with Phone.apk intact spend a lot of time (and battery resources) looking for a cellular network that isn't there for it...

73 DE N4RPS
Rob

ok, got to the phone.apk using Root Explorer, but when I went to change the name the Tablet (Nextbook Premium 8se running Devmonkey's Rom from xda forums) told me it was read only. Any suggestions on how to change that?

[Finless]

In root explorer open /system. Look up at the top and it will say mounted RO and with a white box around RW. Click on that white box (it's a button). It will then remount /system and RW. If it does not then whoever made the ROM did not convert /system to EXT3 and it is still cramfs which is RO only.

Bob

[Conect11]

In root explorer open /system. Look up at the top and it will say mounted RO and with a white box around RW. Click on that white box (it's a button). It will then remount /system and RW. If it does not then whoever made the ROM did not convert /system to EXT3 and it is still cramfs which is RO only.

Bob

Thanks Bob, worked like a charm... except... changing the name caused the launcher to crash

I know that's on the dev who made the rom, not on you.

[Conect11]

to be honest, I'm not even sure why I'm trying to change the name of the phone app. I haven't noticed any problems with battery performance