Buying A Refurbished Mac? Here’s What You Need To Know

by Matt Smith 

Apple’s computers – like its phones and tablets – have continually topped customer satisfaction and reliability surveys, and often by no small margin. Though Macs don’t sell in the volume of other computers, their high prices make Apple the largest computer manufacturer by profit. Consumers with a fat wallet usually look towards a new iMac or MacBook.

Buyers on a tight budget, however, find even the most affordable Mac unobtainable. This often leads to the consideration of a refurbished model. No one wants to lay down a wad of cash for a dinged-up, battered second-hand computer – here’s what you need to know on your search for a pristine, but affordable, refurb.

Apple’s Refurbished Store Is The Only Official Source

Like most computer manufacturers, Apple runs a shop that resells units that were defective (but are now repaired) or returned for other reasons. Every Mac product, including the iMac, Mac Mini and all MacBook models, can be found on Apple’s own refurbished outlet.

Buying direct from Apple has its upsides. You’re guaranteed to receive the system in factory condition, including packaging, cables, documentation and pre-installed software. All refurbs come with the standard one-year warranty, too, and AppleCare can be purchased for further protection. There’s essentially no difference between a refurbished Mac direct from Apple and a brand new one.

That translates to moderate discount, however – almost never more than 20%, and often 10% or less. This can save you over a hundred dollars if you’re aiming for a particularly expensive Mac, like a MacBook Pro 15? with Retina display or a 27-inch iMac. But it isn’t going to make a Mac affordable to someone who can’t afford a new one.

Still, you can sometimes scoop a good deal, so even the most frugal buyers should check the official store. For example, the MacBook Pro 13? with Retina can currently be had refurbished for as little as $1,249, a cool $250 of the regular purchase price.

If you’re looking for officially refurbished products, Apple is your only source. Cupertino does not want other retailers to participate in third-party refurb programs, not even those that are certified as official Apple specialists. Everyone else has to sell their second-hand Macs as “used”.

Amazon does list refurbished Macs, but on closer inspection this appears to be due to a quirk of the company’s third-party listings. The products labeled as refurbished are usually new-in-box Macs being resold by people who decided they did not need or want them. You can score a discount, but it’s often no better than what Apple offers.

Some Used Macs Are Practically Refurbished

While the conservative use of the “refurbished” term has kept third-party stores from cashing in, there are some that provide an extensive testing process, and “used” Macs from these companies are still worth your consideration.

The two big names in used Macs are The Mac Store and PowerMax. The former is essentially a third-party reincarnation of the Apple store, complete with retail locations in the American northwest, while PowerMax is an online retailer specializing in selling used Macs. Both companies offer a wide selection of products, ranging from near-new models to those several years old, and the testing process for each retailer is similar. Both inspect their used models to ensure everything is working, test the battery to confirm it still holds a charge, and then re-sell the used Macs with a 90-day warranty. PowerMax also offers six and 12-month extended warranties, though they are rather expensive.

Since these are used systems – albeit tested and refurbished to a minimal set of standards – you won’t receive the original packaging and you usually won’t receive all original documentation. Of course, this leads to a much better price. MacBook Air models go for as little as $749, which is 25% off the new price; 27-inch iMacs go for as little as $1,069, a whopping $730 cheaper than the newest model.

Of course, not all sellers test their hardware. You can find used Macs on eBay, Craigslist and Amazon, but these often have not undergone a testing process, and may not come with their original OS. In exchange, these used systems usually sell at the lowest prices available. Un-warrantied used Macs are often a great find, but sometimes they are the dinged-up, half-broken horrors every refurb shopper has nightmares about. Buyer beware!

New vs. Refurbished – What’s The Better Value?

While the discounts found on Apple’s refurb store are unlikely to make a Mac affordable to budget buyers, they do call into question the value of buying new. An official Apple refurbished Mac comes with all the original accessories, has the same warranty, and can be covered by AppleCare. Buyers can usually buy a refurb of the newest version of a particular Mac, too, unless it hit store shelves just a few weeks prior.

Considering all you receive, is there a reason to buy a new Mac? Honestly, I can’t think of one. The refurbished option is a bit less expensive and otherwise identical to the new laptop in every way. Buyers who want the latest model will have to go new, because refurbished models are not immediately available when a new Mac comes out. But even that justification seems weak, as the first refurbs are stocked just a few weeks after the latest model is released.

“Used” Mac models from third-party outlets provide even greater savings, but whether the savings is worthwhile depends on your taste for risk. Apple computers are reliable, so the used Mac will probably be fine, but you can’t buy AppleCare for these systems so repairs that happen after 90 days will come out of your wallet.

Buyers should also consider the value of new-ness if the Mac in question is more than a few years old. Though The Mac Store and PowerMax perform a basic refurbishing process, they don’t replace the battery or the accessories. Desktop systems tend to age better than laptops because they are quicker to begin with and have no battery to age – keep that in mind while browsing.

Conclusion

Buying a refurbished Apple product is not a bad idea, but the official refurbs are not going to significantly improve the affordability of a new Mac. Fortunately, there’s a vibrant market for “used” Macs which can essentially be considered refurbished, but they are technically not because Apple does not have a third-party refurbishing program.

Have you purchased a refurbished Mac before? Let us know about your experience in the comments.

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British signs are SO much funnier than ours.....

How To Avoid Impulsive Shopping Online

Buck The Trend: 5 Tips To Avoid Shopping Impulsively Online

by Joel Lee

Did you know that Amazon’s developers have made it their goal such that any customer can visit the site and purchase an item within 30 seconds? Take a moment and really let that sink in. Never before has it been possible to go from “I want X” to “I bought X” in such a short time, especially from the comfort of your own home. This, of course, amplifies the problem of impulsive shopping.

There’s nothing inherently wrong with being an impulsive shopper. If you can afford it, then by all means go for it, but when impulsive shopping starts to take a toll on your finances, you may want to nip it in the bud before it rolls out of control. The other issue with impulsive buying, particularly online, is that you miss out on product research, which could result in not getting the item you thought you’d get.

Think you have a problem with impulsive online shopping? Here are some tips and tricks to help you regain control.

Don’t Save Credit Card Information

Several years ago, before online shopping really exploded into what it is today, we’d have to retrieve our wallets, break out our credit cards, and enter the details into an inconvenient online form every time we wanted to order something. Nowadays, most of that information can be saved right on the website, effectively eliminating many of the steps in the online purchasing procedure.

One way to reduce the allure of impulse purchases is to intentionally bring that inconvenience back. On sites like Amazon, you can choose to delete your saved credit card numbers, shipping and billing addresses, etc. from their records so that you’re forced to enter them again per purchase. As a bonus, this also helps keep your credit card numbers safe.

Disable “One-Click Buy” Options

Perhaps the greatest innovation when it comes to impulse purchases: the “one-click buy” button. Nowadays, you don’t even need to put much thought into a potential purchase — you could be browsing the Internet, click on a stray link to a product you might be interested in, and BAM! Suddenly you have a nose-trimmer back-scratcher two-in-one headed your way.

I’ll admit that I’m not much of an impulse buyer to begin with, but even I will feel the pull of temptation when I see that “one-click buy” button taunting me. That’s why I’ve disabled that feature on all of the online shopping sites I use. You should consider disabling it as well if it’s overly tempting.

Clear Browsing History and Cookies

It’s quite possible that some of your impulse buys come from the recommended items that are shown to you on most online shopping sites. Sometimes these items are selected based on your shopping history and sometimes they’re based on your browsing history. It’s impossible to know for sure, but clearing your browser history and cookies can lead to less accurate recommendations.

Why would you want that? Because if the recommended items are inaccurate, then you’ll be less likely to want them. The less likely you want them, the less likely you will want to buy them. It sounds a bit silly but if you’re a sucker for item recommendations, then this might help cut out some eye-catching offers every once in a while. Most browsers have the ability to manually and automatically clear the history.

Unsubscribe From Shopping Newsletters

Have you signed up for shopping newsletters? If so, you’d do well to unsubscribe from as many of them as you can, as soon as you can. On one hand, it’s nice to be notified of deals and sales, some of which might actually be very good in terms of value. If newsletters aren’t a big temptation for you, then sure, stay subscribed.

However, how many times have you fallen for the “I don’t need it now, but I might want it later” excuse? Or the “It’s so cheap that I’d be losing money if I didn’t take advantage of this sale” line of reasoning? Or even the “I don’t love it, but I have some spare money, so why not” rationale?

I have a rule for myself: I won’t buy anything unless I actively seek to buy the said item. That means I’m not subscribed to any deals or sales newsletters because if I spotted it in the newsletter and bought it on an impulse spree, it would violate my rule and resolve. Doing the same might prove beneficial for you as well.

Wait and Research

This tip is actually the one that has helped me the most in terms of avoiding shopping impulsively, and I’ve heard that it has helped a lot of others as well, so take it for what it is: before making any online purchase, wait 3 months. If you still want it after waiting, then go ahead and buy it. If 3 months is too long or too short, feel free to change it to whatever time period works best for you.

What’s so great about this tip?

First, it gives you time to sleep on it. It greatly mitigates buyer’s remorse, which is the sense of regret that can come after making a purchase. Have you ever bought something and later wondered, “Why did I buy this?” That’s buyer’s remorse and it could’ve been avoided by waiting to see if you actually want the item before buying it.

Second, it gives you time to research. Online purchases are inherently risky because you don’t really know what you’re getting. That monitor might look good in photos, but how is the picture quality? Those headphones look pretty nifty, but will they hold up for more than a few months? Since you’ll be waiting anyway, spend that time on research. Check out our guide to online shopping for tips on how to research properly.

Third, it gives you time to save up. Impulse buys are notorious because they’re often bought with money that you don’t have or can’t afford to spend. If you’re waiting 3 months to buy a new TV, that gives you 3 months to save up enough money for that TV. If it turns out you don’t want a TV, you now have extra money that could be spent elsewhere.

What about the magnetic pull of sales? If something is half price for the next week, you don’t really have 3 months to wait. In these cases, I like to ask myself, “Would I consider buying this item if it wasn’t on sale?” The answer will help you determine whether you want it because it’s on sale OR you actually want it.

Conclusion

Internet technology is constantly moving towards faster speeds, improved convenience, and instant gratification. Online shopping is easier than it’s ever been, which can pose a threat to your wallet. Take the precautions above and minimize the drain that impulsive buys can have on your budget.

Are you an impulsive shopper? What tips and tricks do you use to keep yourself in check so that you don’t throw away money on items you don’t really want or need? Share your thoughts and experiences with us in the comments!

www.makeuseof.com

How to Stay Fit At Your Desk

8 Easy Exercises To Help You Stay Fit At Your Desk

by Yaara Lancet

How many hours a day do you spend sitting? Whether you’re gaming, freelancing or have a hardcore desk-bound job, you’re probably not moving enough.

Not everyone has the time or ability to leave everything for 2 hours and go for a run or a bike ride, but that doesn’t mean you have to give up. Staying fit at your desk is actually possible. Below you’ll find a collection of exercises anyone can do. Some don’t even require getting up, others take no longer than 10 minutes out of your daily routine.

Find some you can do. Find some you want to do. Don’t let your lifestyle be the boss!

Tap Your Feet

This is an exercise you can do without getting up, even while you’re working. Place your feet on the floor and start tapping them quickly, as if you’re running on the spot. You can start relatively slowly, and increase your speed as you go. You’d be surprised how quickly this little exercise will increase your heart rate. You may also feel your leg muscles, and you’ll definitely get your blood circulating better.

The only downside to this simple exercise is the noise it makes. Unless you work on a carpeted floor, your feet are going to create a good amount of noise, and co-workers sitting next to you may not appreciate it. One way to solve this is to get all your co-workers on board too. This way, you’re all tap-tapping at the same time, no one gets annoyed, and everyone gets to move a bit.

The Praying Position

Image via Yan Trokel

This is a great arm exercise you can do from anywhere. Yes, even during that long and boring office meeting you have to sit through. Sit up straight with your feet flat on the floor, and bring the palms of your hands together in front of your chest, as if you’re praying for something (like the meeting to be over). Now push your hands together as hard as you can. You’re going to feel the muscles in your arms working. Hold this for 10-20 seconds (or more if it feels easy), and release. Repeat the sequence several times.

A variety of this exercise is to hold your hands together tightly and try to pull them apart instead of pushing them together.

Shoulder Stretching

Are you hunched in front of your computer all day? Here’s a way to stretch your shoulders a little bit. Raise your shoulders upwards as if you’re shrugging and hold them there for a few seconds. Release, and repeat at least 15 times. Another good shoulder exercise is to roll back your shoulders until your shoulder blades are almost touching. Hold for several seconds, release, and repeat. I’ve read in several places that you can try to hold a pen between your shoulder blades as you do this, but I couldn’t do it to save my life.

Elbow To Knee

This exercise uses your hands as well, so you can’t do it while working or typing, but once you get used to it, you can definitely do it while reading from your screen. Sit up straight in your chair and place your hands on the sides of your head. The point of the exercise is to bring each elbow towards the opposite knee, working on your abdominal muscles. Start by twisting your body to the right, lifting your right leg and bringing your left elbow towards your knee. Hold this position for a second, and go back to sitting upright. Now do the same thing with the right elbow and left knee. Do this over and over again.

As long as you don’t have evil co-workers who’ll laugh at you (what they should be is jealous!), this is a great exercise for the office, as it doesn’t make any noise and doesn’t include very big movements.

The Wall Sit

Image via greatist.com

This one does require that you leave your chair, but we all do that every once in a while. This will be perfect if there’s a wall behind your desk. If not, you can find a different wall to lean on for a few minutes. Once you find a wall, pretend you’re sitting on a chair while leaning your back on the wall. Your feet should be placed away from the wall, your knees should be bent as if you’re sitting, and your buttocks should be in the air. Keep this up as long as you can. You can distract yourself by reading an important report or article while you “sit” there.

Hip Flexion

This is another perfect exercise you can do while you work, as it keeps your hands completely free. Sit straight in your chair, and keep your knees at a 90 degree angle. Now raise one foot off the floor and hold it in that position as long as you comfortably can (don’t kill yourself; you need to keep working while doing this!). Put your foot down and raise the other foot in the same way. After several repeats, you’ll definitely feel your hip muscles. Do this every day, and you’ll be strengthening your legs without leaving your desk.

If you’re looking for the perfect exercise for grouchy co-workers, this is it. It’s quite, it’s discreet, and there’s nothing in it that can disturb anyone.

Squeeze!

If you find the above exercises too distracting or embarrassing, there’s something else you can do that’s almost invisible to anyone but you. Choose a muscle you want to work on (for example, your abdomen or your buttocks), squeeze it as hard as you can for 10-15 seconds, and release. Repeat this until you’ve had enough or set a number of repeats you want to do and do them.

This may seem like a worthless exercise, but believe me, it’s not. Try it.

The 7 Minute Workout

Do you work from home? If so, why not take a mere 7 minutes out of your day to exercise? The 7-minute workout page will take you through 12 sets of 30 seconds each, with 10-second stops for rest after each one. Each set is comprised of a different exercise, such as jumping jacks, abdominal crunches, step-ups on a chair, and more.

The website is very visual, with huge countdowns and illustrations of the exercise. It will take you through the routine by hand, and after only 7 minutes, you’ll know you’ve done something good for your body that day.

Other Ways To Stay Fit

The exercises above are a whole lot better than doing nothing, but there are other things you can do to keep healthy and fit. Take the stairs when you can, walk or bike to work if possible, drink plenty of water, and don’t be tempted by all the snacks in the kitchen. If you control your working environment, you may want to consider a standing desk.

If you’re the more visual type, you should check out these desk exercise videos. If these don’t get you moving, nothing will.

What do you do to keep yourself from going stale at your desk? Have any tips to share?

www.makeuseof.com

How Dual Band Routers Can Solve Your Wireless Woes

by Kannon Yamada

The majority of problems experienced with WiFi network connectivity arises from the wireless router. Most of the time, the problem can be traced back to the cheap modem-router combinations that telecommunications companies like AT&T and Comcast foist off on their customers. While these units provide cheap Internet connectivity, they often don’t provide better connection speeds than 802.11g, colloquially referred to as “wireless g”. Since the release of 802.11g in 2003, wireless standards rocketed past even wireless-G’s successor, 802.11n.

The newest standard today is 802.11ac, which adds not just increased transfer speeds but also better connectivity. To get the most out of the latest wireless standards, however, you need a wireless adapter with the 802.11n or 802.11ac technology in addition to a router capable of providing such speeds.

Another issue complicating the various wireless standards is that ofchannel saturation. For those living in apartments, you may frequently experience Internet disconnections. That’s because the 2.4 GHz spectrum remains the most popular bandwidth for modern devices. A very recent trend among device manufacturers has been to include 5 GHz, along with the older 2.4 GHz band. These routers are known as “dual-band” and can connect to either 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz wireless adapters.

Wireless-N and Wireless-AC Explained

802.11n

Two different standards: Little do users know, different mainstream versions of 802.11n exist, distinguished by connection speeds. As of 2013, there are over 2 common standards for wireless-N devices. These range in speed from 144.4 Mbit/s to 300 Mbit/s. Most importantly, unless your router supports the same transfer rate, then you won’t be able to hit the maximum advertised data transfer speeds, even if you have an adapter rated for 300 Mbit/s speeds.

Range: Also important, the 802.11n standard features improved range over the previous 802.11g standard. You get over double that of a 802.11g with a wireless-N router.

Feasibility: What this all means is that if you pick a next generation wireless standard, consider what your requirements are. Most users won’t actually get that much benefit going from a wireless-G to a wireless-N device. However, if connection stability or file transfer rates are a problem, switching over to wireless-N will make a qualitative difference in performance.

802.11ac

5 GHz: 802.11ac broadcasts entirely on the 5 GHz broadcast spectrum. The wireless-AC standard remains today’s fastest, consumer-available means of connecting to your computer. Until the end of 2013, the AC standard will remain in an unsolidified beta. The format will likely receive its final draft in 2014, with it becoming the dominant standard in 2015.

Multiple versions: Several versions of the AC technology exist, although the maximum speed has yet to be realized. For example, the fastest version of the wireless-AC standard reaches speeds up to 866.7 Mbit/s. The slowest standard falls shot of even wireless-N at speeds of up to 87.6 Mbit/s. When buying, make sure you buy the faster versions.

Draft: 802.11ac standards are commonly referred to as “draft”, meaning they aren’t finalized specifications. As a result of its unrefined status, four different standards for it currently populate the marketplace. Of these four, the transfer speeds vary wildly.

Beamforming: Wireless-AC also includes a promising technology known as “Beamforming”. Beamforming permits a router to direct its signal toward an adapter. So rather than shooting WiFi signal everywhere, it focuses it in the direction of your computer. So while higher frequencies have lower wall penetration than lower frequencies, Beamforming allows better quality connection even in the 5 GHz spectrum. Not all wireless-AC routers possess this capability, though, so make sure this feature is supported before making a purchase.

How Are Dual-Band Routers Different?

Dual-band routers broadcast on two different frequencies: 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz. Currently, 2.4 GHz is oversaturated with devices. That’s because almost every smartphone, tablet and laptop uses either Wireless-G or Wireless-N to connect to receive Internet. Imagine what would happen if twenty people tried to exit a bus through the same exit at the same time – the same holds true for data transmissions. The air can only hold so much traffic at any one time.

The simplest solution to solving oversaturation of a broadcast frequency: Try switching to another frequency. Almost no one uses the 5 GHz bandwidth. In my apartment complex, out of the 18 different routers detected by my computer, only one broadcast on the 5 GHz bandwidth: mine.

Conclusion

In short, the maximum speed attainable by your network can bottleneck from two choke-points: First, the router and second, the wireless adapter. It sounds commonsensical, but I have often seen wireless-N devices on wireless-G networks, the owners believing that they had faster connection speeds.

If you want to optimize the speed of your home network, considerswitching over to a dual-band router and start buying devices using at least the wireless-N standard (802.11n). While the wireless-AC standard is not yet finalized, you can still get an extremely fast device for not much more money than a wireless-N router or adapter.

Does anyone want to upgrade? Please share in the comments.

www.makeuseof.com

Compare Tablets Before Purchase

Why You Shouldn’t Spend Money on Cheap Chinese Android Imports

by Kannon Yamada

Many of the tablets sold in Asia, particularly China and Southeast Asia, suffer from serious design and quality-control issues. On the other hand, some China-designed tablets actually compare quite well with well-known manufacturers. For example, the popular Hyundai (not Hyundai of Korea) T7 tablet pound-per-pound, beats the first generation Nexus 7 in specifications and in price. However, do the best tablets from China compare to the latest tablet, such as the 2013 Nexus 7 in terms of value?

In my experience, no. Plenty of excellent Chinese manufacturers exist, such as Pipo and Ramos. Unfortunately, the vast majority of China-only devices fall short of the standards set by multinational corporations in the United States and elsewhere.

This article delineates the hardware and firmware components of the Hyundai T7, and common issues with China-only tablets. At each point of analysis, I compare it against the 2013 Nexus 7. Ultimately, I determine whether Chinese tablets are worth importing.

Are Cheap Chinese Tablets as Good as the Real Thing?

To answer the question regarding the quality of cheap, Chinese-designed tablets, I purchased an ASUS Nexus 7 (designed in Taiwan) and a Hyundai T7, both with 7-inch screen sizes. What may confuse American readers is why a knock-off company would steal a Korean car company’s brand to sell tablets.

Hyundai in Korea manufactures almost everything, from televisions to the subcomponents of cars – they’re one of the few companies in the world that’s both horizontally and vertically integrated. However, it does not sell tablets. Several knock-off companies do sell tablets illegally under Hyundai’s brand. Hyundai’s actual information technology division has nothing to do with the T7?s production.

Hyundai of Korea is totally unrelated to the T7. The tablet is actually made by a company known as Toptech Technology, which illegally produces tablets under Hyundai’s brand. You can find their websitehere. Regardless of its shady pedigree, the T7?s reputation among importers remains high. Many regard it as the best tablet for less than $200 for its low price and feature-rich specifications. Truthfully, it’s more comparable to ASUS’s MeMOPad HD 7 in terms of pricing — but the T7 beats the MeMOPad in almost every conceivable category at face value.

Depending on the manufacturer, Chinese-designed and manufactured tablets vary wildly in quality. Some manufacturers, such as Pipo andRamos, maintain higher standards for both build quality and performance. Others, such as Ainol and off-brand manufacturers, while popular, do not possess a reputation for reliability or quality.

However, the hardware isn’t the primary failing of most Chinese tablets – it’s the firmware and software that fall short.

Firmware Quality

Conversely, the strength of the Nexus 7 is in its firmware. In fact, out of all devices sold globally, the Nexus series of products remains king of software updates. Not only does Google and its partners commit to a minimum 18-months of support, the enthusiast developer community produces firmware updates long after official support ends. For example, the HTC Nexus One received an unofficial update to Ice Cream Sandwich (Android 4.0). Considering the Nexus One’s 2010 launch, Nexus phones remain the best of the best in software support.

Following in the Nexus series’ footsteps, the Nexus 7 (2013 edition) received a software update days after its release. It currently includes the latest Android 4.3 software, including TRIM support.

In comparison, the T7 received a beta-update to 4.2.2, the second most advanced version of the Android OS. Strangely, Toptech’s tablet also has a single custom ROM available, which eliminates many of the China-only apps and improves performance. Unfortunately, this particular custom ROM is based on Android 4.0. While the 4.2 beta firmware update improves performance, it’s half-baked and suffers from a variety of problems, primarily bad battery life, occasional stability issues and strange glitches resulting in odd behavior.

Bad firmware remains a key weakness in China-only tablets. For the most part, China’s chipset manufacturers are reluctant to release source code. Additionally, developers also complain of poor support. Many apps run poorly on Chinese tablets and few quality custom ROMs exist.

Dimensions, Feel and Manufacturing Quality

The Hyundai T7 remains about two or three millimeters thicker than the Nexus 7. It uses a slick, piano-polish, white plastic case, with a plastic, silver bezel. Conversely, the Nexus is wrapped in a black, matte rubber finish. Neither design is particularly easy to tear down, although compared to an Apple product, the T7 is a cakewalk, whereas theNexus 7 rated a 7 in repairability from iFixit.

Both feel very well made, although the Nexus 7 is qualitatively superior. Its screen has a resolution and quality that you can’t find at a similar price-point from a Chinese device. However, I should point out that neither screen suffers from busted pixels.

A commonly-reported issue in many China-only tablets is that of busted pixels. I’m not sure why this is, as the same factories that produce LCD screens for multinational corporations also produce them for small Chinese firms. Regardless, buying a cheap tablet will likely result in a higher degree of screen imperfections.

App Performance

The Samsung Exynos 4412 CPU inside of the T7 feels snappy. Compared to budget tablets, it’s among the fastest around. Unfortunately, its implementation on the software side leaves a lot to be desired. While the T7 played several games without lag, it suffered from numerous graphical glitches.

Things eventually became pretty much unplayable, very rapidly:

I also ran several news reading apps, namely Feedly, and which ran extremely smoothly. Aside from the problems with 3D graphics, the T7 was rock-solid.

In comparison, the Snapdragon S4 Pro inside of the Nexus 7 ran 3D graphics, without the glitches which plagued the Hyundai. It also ran all apps without issue.

In general, apps running on chipsets popular in China will likely experience a great deal of compatibility issues with apps.

Battery

With its 3300 mAh battery, the Hyundai T7 should in theory give the Nexus 7 a run for its money in battery longevity. Unfortunately, it’s not even close. The T7 doesn’t doesn’t properly suspend while idling, meaning it drains out overnight. Fortunately, several kinds of power management software will eliminate the suspend issues, giving it proper idle state performance.

Frequent issues with Chinese-designed tablets are poor battery quality and overheating. The same holds true in the T7, which doesn’t properly calibrate its battery. If you’ll notice, the battery indicator fluctuates wildly, even after performing calibration.

AnTuTu Synthetic Benchmark

Anandtech recently discovered systemic issues in benchmarking software: Manufacturers universally cheat on benchmarking tests, with the exception of Nexus devices. For those who haven’t heard: Virtually every other manufacturers design their products to overclock if benching software runs, such as AnTuTu. Numbers can vary by as much as 20%, above actual performance.

That said, the T7 scores in the 17,000 range, which places it among high-end tablets, such as the ASUS Transformer Pad Infinity. Many recent Chinese CPUs perform similarly. For example, Rockchip’s RK3188 scores approximately equal to the Exynos 4412, in AnTuTu. The RK3188 also powers a large number of stick-PCs.

More or less, despite the benchmarking scandal, higher end Chinese CPUs can perform roughly on par with the latest designs from large multinational corporations.

Head-to-Head Comparison

Shockingly, the RAM used in the Hyundai T7 is higher quality than that used in the Nexus 7. In fact, it’s among the highest quality RAM I’ve seen in any device. Aside from that, however, the Nexus 7 is approximately equal, or better than the T7 in almost every other category.

Hardware

• CPU: Oftentimes the most salient difference between tablets from the West and from China is in the build quality and hardware. The majority of China-sourced (and many Western tablets, as well) designs use one of three ARM chipsets: MediaTek, ATM, Allwinner and Rockchip. The Korean-made Exynos 4412 in the T7 appears infrequently among many Chinese tablets. Anyway, the Snapdragon S4 Pro is marginally faster than the Exynos 4412, scoring 20,000 in AnTuTu against the Exyno’s 17,000.
• RAM: The RAM performance of the T7 scores 1,700 in AnTuTu, whereas the Nexus 7 scores around 1,100. RAM performance isn’t all that impressive a statistic.
• Screen: The 800 x 1232 screen resolution of the Hyundai T7 equals the original Nexus 7. However that’s not enough to beat the extraordinary quality of the Nexus 7?s 1920 x 1200 resolution, which leads its form factor in screen quality.
• Storage: the 8 gigabytes of storage in the T7 is half that of the 16 gigabytes in the Nexus 7. However, the Nexus 7 doesn’t include microSD card support. The T7, on the other hand, can support up to 128 gigabytes of space. Additionally, Chinese devices rarely implement TRIM, meaning over time they will require a factory reset in order to prevent lag. Some can bemanually TRIM‘d, fortunately. I suggest trying this TRIM method, first.
• Price: A $80 difference between the two devices still doesn’t justify purchasing a T7. While it’s better than any other device in its price range, in terms of hardware, its software doesn’t stack up to the latest Nexus tablet.

Software/Firmware

• Updates: The Nexus 7 receives firmware updates for 18 months after release. The Hyundai T7 received one half-baked beta update three months after its release.
• Custom ROMs: The Nexus 7 will have dozens, if not hundreds, of high-quality custom ROMs, which improve performance throughout its life-cycle. The Hyundai has one custom ROM and a potential AOKP ROM from Slatedroid developer Frontier. If Frontier manages to create an AOKP custom ROM, the T7 will compare well with even the Nexus series of tablets.
• Stability: The Nexus 7 is rock-solid. The Hyundai T7 occasionally experiences forced reboots/crashes.

Conclusion

So do Chinese-originated designs compare favorably to those sold by well-heeled companies, such ASUS or Samsung? Unfortunately, no – they’re not equal. In terms of hardware, you can get a better deal from China-only tablets, but because of poorly developed firmware in the Hyundai, fantastic hardware fails to function properly.

So while you can get a good resolution, solid-performing tablet for a lot less than its Western (and Eastern) competition, the hardware won’t perform properly because of poorly built firmware. Although some devices by Pipo and Ramos have comparatively better firmware than the T7, these come with higher price tags. Comparatively, you get a better deal by sticking with well-known brands.

It’s important to close on the note that most tablets originate from China. In fact, one of the best hardware manufacturers in the worldcomes from a territory currently claimed by China (Taiwan). It remains somewhat of a mystery why Toptech felt it neccessary to steal Hyundai’s brand name, given China’s pedigree.

Anyone else buy China-only tablets? Please share your experiences in the comments.

Source: www.makeuseof.com