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It seems like tablets are the next big thing slated for success/attention in the mobile device category – pun intended (if you can find it). So when Camangi had their WebStation up for pre-order they got some decent attention. Turns out it wasn’t so deserved.
Michael Smith from Gizmodo was able to get an early unit, paid for it in full, and recently posted his review. It’s a long and thorough review, but I think it’ll suffice to just read his conclusion:
But essentially it’s about as powerful as a digital picture frame, and that’s very sad. Basically my plan at this point is to call American Express and find out what I can do to return and refund. In my opinion the Camangi WebStation is a total fail and I can’t recommend it to anyone at any price.
It doesn’t get much worse than that in terms of “summing it up”.
The company recently sent me an Email suggesting I better hurry up and pre-order because the opportunity ends on December 31st and if I don’t snag one by then, I might just miss out altogether. For some reason I think they’ll have PLENTY of WebStations sitting in a warehouse somewhere, begging to be stolen (since they can’t be sold).
Here is the Email they sent me:
Dear Rob,
Thank you in advance for your support for Camangi WebStation.
The pre-order event is only available until Thursday, Dec. 31 2009, 11:59:59 p.m. (GMT-5:00). In case that your coupon number will be invalid in 3 days, please go to our Store to place an order before the deadline. After shipping out all pre-order products, WebStation will also be ready on our Online Store and Amazon.com soon. If you prefer not to use PayPal to place an order, you can purchase WebStation until then.
If you have any question or opinion, please do not hesitate to contact us.
Thank you very much!Camangi wish you a Happy New Year!
All the best,
Camangi WebStation Team
Oh well… I guess we’ll have to play the waiting game for a decent Android Tablet to come out of the mill. And I’m wondering if by then it’ll be a Chrome OS Tablet we’re really wanting?
“If you have any question or opinion, please do not hesitate to contact us.
Thank you very much!”
Not very professional when your grammar is bad in an email trying to get people to buy your product.
The grammar issues probably have to do with the companies foreign origins. Unless you expected them to write back to him in Japanese?
The company is not from the USA, give em a break IAN. ha
I get it… SLATED…
Sorry bout the second comment, the first one said it didn’t go through so i posted a second. now here is third! I now have talked to much!
A waiting game? I’m pretty happy with my Archos 5.
archos 5 + resistive screen + no android market and working apps = fail…
Relying on Gizmodo for a honest review? Have you READ their site?? Come on. Get a Camangi for yourself and see what you think knowing that:
There’s no flash for Android.
This IS a first edition.
Android does a lot more.
Besides noone has had a WebStation for more than a couple DAYS! Is that enough time to FAIRLY review the device? No.
I don’t work for Camangi. I just think Gizmodo isn’t credible for reviews. My opinion.
With a name like Camangi Webstation, looks like a marketing plan doomed to failure…. LOL
Message for Michael Smith.
Michael you are full of it.
What is it Camangi did not pay you for the review and for $300+ you paid was too expensive for you. Or you just want to teach them a lesson?
It was not a nice review and for you to get so aggressive and vindictive
show just how really small your penis is, or brain, I cannot decide as you did not elaborate on your findings.
You are abusing your ability to review products, you are not objective and people should not listen to your BS.
I have Camangi WebStation as well.
Clearly there are some issues with the product, however, we all remember iPhone first edition. It was pathetic and we all let it slide. Give Camangi the same chance.
The product is real, it was released and it is working.
It feels great. You could compare it to iTouch Tablet (if there was one)
The screen is bright in colour.
WiFi will need some work, yet it is fast enough.
3G is great.
I would prefer Camani in my hand rather than so many others posting fancy pictures and undeliverable specs and products, nowhere to be found.
Overall for the first edition Camangi is great and if they continue to work on the improvements, we will have a great product very soon. I was not able to post the picture of Camangi in my possession.
Michael you were out of line.
You should apologize to Camangi.
They run a real business and you should not try to ruin it for them
Apologize.
The Truth
if this thing really sucks then well that su kale cause this thing is like so totally cool looking n stuff
I knew it sucked after watching the youtube video..especially the part when the lady said how wonderful the movie played…when it clearly didn’t.
These people clearly ripped everyone off! I mean C’mon now… they knew it didnt work properly and still let all of us plop down our 399.00 without caring. What a piece of JUNK!
Maybe Google themselves should make a tablet…I think it would turn out much better
Funny how “The Truth” poster above speaks in the SAME broken English as the Camangi customer service letter and website!
Haha! Hilarious fail by Camangi to discredit a negative review! I especially like how the Camangi employee accused the reviewer of a small penis. Very professional Mr. Camangi employee!
“You no are fair!” – fail
@Mensahwatts They should. And also partner up with BestBuy and sell it on an invite basis.
This is awesome! Look at comment number 10 above. Written to me. Clearly written by someone from Camangi. Compare the writing style to the Dear Rob letter above.
I will reply quickly here and then fully on my own blog at tomorrowland.com.
Message for Camangi: My review was honest. I told you in the letters I wrote to you that I would review it honestly wether or not you sent me a “free” review unit. Which I think is one reason you didn’t send me one. I was not vindictive. However, I was very disappointed in the product, which I still feel is basically about as powerful as a digital picture frame. We’ll see what apple announces in January. But lets make the simple comparison of the WebStation to the JooJoo. For $100 more you get a tablet that works A LOT better. Much faster processor. Much smoother UI. And can play 1080P video. WebStation won’t play ANY video at all, does not support any flash, and can’t even keep up with my reasonably slow typing on the virtual keyboard.
So I will apologize to Camangi: I’m sorry if my tiny little review was that devastating to your business that I’m ruining it. But you have to put out products that can handle the harsh realities of real users. You knew from the emails I sent you what I was looking for this thing to do. I’m no different than the other users.
For everyone else, I will post videos of the WebStation side by side with that old first edition iPhone that they call pathetic. They’ll go up this weekend along with my full response to Camangi’s note to me.
Why are ppl all over Michael about his review? Are you people serious? The thing is lame and barely works. His review is spot on!!
Michael, please make a 5 min video and show all these idiots what exactly is going on with the webstation. I mean sure it can be improved in the future but for now.. well its simply not “good”.
ok.. so mr. smith is angry that the device didn’t do what he expected it to, and the people who sold it to him are mad about the negative review. is anyone going to remember this crap? no.
Camangi may have a slow hardware. But even without hardware issues, I haven’t seen a really impressive Android implementation on larger than phone Screen. That’s why none of Android Netbooks or tablets have been very successful. Android needs a lot of software tweaks to make it a palatable offering on non-smartphone device. It seems none of these vendors have such software skills.
I’m kind of sad that this tablet didn’t live up to the hype, since it looks like a nice product. Oh well, one of these companies will bring out a capable android tablet eventually. I think Archos already has a foot in the door since they have the Archos 5 with android. I guess we’ll just have to wait and see.
The main issue I have with this review is the reviewers somewhat Godly view of an- as of yet- unconfirmed, unreleased Apple tablet. Bias ruins reviews I am afraid.
I am not saying that this device is a good device, I do not own one and nor did I ever consider buying one, but when trying to make a good review at least keep the biased references on the down-low. Or, better yet, refer to things that actually exist.
The engineers at Camangi really f’ed up the WebStation by using the PXA303/PXA300 SoC.
The PXA303 (a slightly revised PXA300) DOES NOT include a hardware video decoder…and it also does not feature any form of 3D acceleration that could be used to help increase the responsiveness of an Android powered device.
Intel themselves claim that the chip is only capable of H.264 30fps decoding at QVGA resolution…that’s 320×240 folks, and likely requires a very very low bitrate.
Furthermore, the PXA300 has a tiny 256KB frame buffer which is probably one of the main reasons why the WebStation with its –800×480– screen resolution feels ‘laggy’.
You can read up on the PXA3xx processors at:
http://www.techarp.com/showarticle.aspx?artno=365&pgno=1
Camangi essentially put a processor that, in this day an age, is meant for low end, low resolution smartphones, into a device which Camangi themselves like to compare to the iPhone (just check their hilarious PR Video from a few months ago @ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CzkODn9WEzM)
I agree whole heartedly with the reviewer…this device is an overpriced wifi enabled digital picture frame, or for the glass-half-full GearDiary type, it’s the best Android powered e-Book reader.
Other than aesthetics, the $400 WebStation its MUCH less capable than the $240 SmartQ V7.
Gentlemen,
For the record I am not an employee of Camangi, I just love gadgets and have most of them from around the world.
Please wake up and look outside your little world and you will realize that the population makeup in the world around you is comprised of people from many backgrounds who, like myself, were not born in the US or Canada and do not speak native English. I am proud to say that I speak 7 languages and still could communicate on this level in English with all of you. Equally you should realize that any spelling or grammatical mistakes in my letters have nothing to do with my IQ.
Let us talk about the expectation and the bar Michael Smith placed on a simple product such as WebStation.
Why all apparatuses must be compared to iPhone.
Can you imagine if all salads must look, taste and be digested like a tomato salad (which is actually very good for you but who cares) or that every car now must drive, feel and perform like a Mercedes or that all your reviews, opinions and comments must be on the level of Dostoyevsky or Yesenin. If that was the case for Camangi, that it must be compared to an iPhone, than you should not post another written comment for as long as you live as you do not write, speak or have the brain power to compete with Dostoyevsky or Yesenin.
I would imagine that by now your ego is reacting and you are not happy with my comments as you are taking it personally and you will still allow yourself to coexist in this world and continue to do what you do. What I am talking about is equally my opinion, which I am entitled to have, as you are to yours.
My comments are not personal at all and I would imagine that Michael Smith is likely a nice guy who is just trying to make a difference in the world and maybe build a career and some good old dollar.
That is okay with me and therefore allow Camangi to coexist and provide the product that maybe isn’t as good as iPhone in your opinion but still would have a place in the world with people that a) do not care for iPhone; b) do not have the same expectation as you have; c) would appreciate a reasonable price point and d) would be happy having it.
Granted, the product need some improvements and you could have spoken about all the inefficiencies in a positive way, as that is how I would review your inferior writing and thoughts if compared to Dostoyevsky or Yesenin.
In my opinion, you should have done it differently. As a good sport and as a good intended person, you should have communicated with Camangi management, since you already have had prior communications, give your opinion, encourage them to make the changes, you feel should be made and wait for them to do it.
That would have been constructive, nice and businesslike effort on your part. To butcher them publicly the way you have done was brutal and had no purpose.
In addition to the above, I would be more than happy to send you $399 back if you feel that the Camangi people were misleading you or somehow were dishonest in dealing with you.
The Truth.
I bought a camangi when it was released. It is very slow and locked up quite often. Needs a faster chip and at least 256 megs of memory.