The Onda forum is filling up with complaints of dissatisfied owners [Google Translate].
The biggest complaints:
1) CPU utilization when no software is running is too high: 30%
2) Tablet crashes after 40 minutes of gameplay (sometimes video watching too)
3) Pressing the Volume buttons at different times will cause a crash
4) There’s a memory leak causing many crashes
One person believes there’s an issue with Intel Power Management eating RAM and turning it off is the solution [Google Translate]:
In the “Device Manager” -> “System Devices” in the “Inter (R) Power Management IC Device” This device is disabled, then I flat idle memory has been stable at 32%.
Another person claims to have documented the memory leak and provides a screensnap [Google Translate]:
As if the hue and cry weren’t enough, Onda has quietly made a change on its download page without any announcement about it that I can find. The mirror of Windows 8.1 with Bing shows an update as of July 29th:
This was July 26th:
This is today, July 30th:
I can’t figure out if people need to entirely reflash Windows 8.1 with Bing and then apply the BIOS update or if the updated Windows also includes that.
The Moderator has recommended to several people that they completely reflash Windows 8.1 with Bing, dated July 29th.
All of the owners are really screaming loudly at Onda (moreso than owners of the iFive Mini 3GS did at Five) — and I suppose they’re correct to do so. But behind Onda is Intel and Microsoft. Both of them need to fix this with the kind of priority they give to patching high-level security violations.
At least one person found satisfaction just by applying the BIOS update and provided photographic proof:
Finally, a warning: Do not try to install any other version of Windows except the one provided by Onda. One fellow installed Professional Edition and now the gravity sensor doesn’t work [Google Translate]. That makes sense. Only Onda would include the special drivers for its tablet.
Previously here:
Onda V975w: Driver Package
Onda V975w: BIOS Update, Windows Activation
Onda V975w: Windows Graphics Memory Adjustment
Onda V975w: It Crashes A Lot?
Onda: V975w Is Now On Sale
Onda V975w: First Owner Images
Onda V819w And V975w Officially Go On Sale
Onda V975w Might Begin Sales This Week
The Mystery Of The Onda V975w microSD Card Slot
Onda Adds V975w To Their Site
More About Onda V975w Price At Tmall
Onda Announcement Is Covered By Copy And Paste “Journalism”
Onda V975w Tmall Price Increase
Onda V975w Appears At Tmall
A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, I bought an Onda V972. I used and tested it for a whole week, until I realised I bought a genuine piece of crap. I returned it and got a refund. Looking and reading most of the Onda forums, it seems nothing has changed since then. The lesson I learned is that you cannot buy a first-class tablet for little money, unless you are a techno-masochist who gets turned on by endless tweaking of third-class china-crap. After all, we all have our weaknesses.
Ian, i must agree with you… i have several tablets, some from top brands and other two “top chinese Tablets”… Chinese tablets always under perform and i always have to be tweaking them, even if on paper they seem to be amazing. I guess im a masochist !
Almost wishing I’d got a Dell instead of the V975w… waiting for 2 weeks and still not shipped (pre-orders were promised within 1 week) and now all these problems…
I hope they get all this figured out, as I plan to use the heck out of this thing,
I hope you’ll be able to use the heck out of it!
Just got my tracking number this morning, so I guess we’ll see next week!
i get the tablet today, but too bad i get alot of work to do. install all those updates
By the way it has been reported that, with Windows instead of Android, the brightness is as bright as the iPad Air.
I think I’ll get one anyway even with all those software problems!
Hello, I tried disabling the power management thing you mentioned above. Now my tablet will not boot.
I don’t own it and I didn’t suggest it — those in the Onda forum did.