Velocity Micro Cruz T301 7-inch Tablet Android 2.0 (Black)
Review by B. Montgomery : Pleasantly Surprised!

I purchased the Velocity Cruz Tablet T301 expecting to have an E-READER, as well as a light, internet tool to play with around airports, public spaces, etc. when I couldn't be near a computer. I will have to say, I have fallen IN LOVE with this Tablet! I commute on a daily basis downtown, so I am very happy that I was able to download all my books on this device. (You have the KINDLE app and BORDERS app included on the device) The only bummer is I can't seem to get the NOOK app to download on the device, so if you love Barnes & Noble that's something to think about. (I even went on freewarelovers.com and it allows you to download the link, but it won't finish the download once on your device.) Speaking of freewarelovers.com, this website has TONS of cool free Android apps to download that are super easy to install, I have downloaded a lot and continue to see more updated daily, so make this website a favorite because you'll be using it a lot! (Anyone know any other cool websites to download from???)

The tablet is very fast on the internet, and has great colors and clarity for websites, as well as an awesome zoom capability! Also, one cool thing to note with the Kindle App is you are able to make the screen white, sepia, or black (for night time reading) as well as highlight sentences which can open up the dictionary (already installed) while reading to let you know what something means, as well as add notes to certain sentences if you happen to be studying, reading something of importance, etc.

All in all, for the price it is, I would have to say I am VERY satisfied with my purchase. I wasn't willing to spend $400+ for a tablet, I just wanted a good machine that would allow me to read my books from multiple e-reading sites, as well as allow me to go on Facebook, Email, and any other websites!! This tablet has allowed me to do that, and a bit more! :) I have also downloaded the PANDORA app, so it's very nice to listen to music while reading and browsing the web. Speakers sound nice!!! (Headphone plug as well)

Cons: At this moment, we are not able to get on the Android Market, so you are cut off from certain apps because they are connected to that Marketplace. (Hence freewarelovers) I'm hoping Velocity will open that up because that would be awesome!! Also, no flash player, I believe you have to find an app. to play videos on-line. Saw a few for youtube, etc. just haven't put on my Tablet yet. Also, as stated before, no NOOK app available for this yet. (Even tried putting it on SD Card and transferring to Tablet, will not work.)

Pros: Great size, awesome e-reader capabilities, fast internet, all websites are colorful/detailed and will fit to the tablet screen (not small websites that are hard to read), cool apps, long battery life. (Mine will last about a week, and that's both reading for about an hour everyday, and surfing the web for an hour everyday. Can go longer if WIFI is turned off.) and cheap SD cards you can buy to have a larger file if you feel that 8GB is too small.

Anyhoo, Hope this review was helpful, I know that I was very nervous to buy the Tablet after a few reviews I read. But I can tell you, I think you'll be very surprised and pleased with what a great little purchase this is. And again, if you're looking for an IPAD, this is not it. (Has similarities.. but not it at all.) So if I were you, I would either spend the money and get the IPAD, or spend less and get this item without the disappointment or regrets. :) Happy Shopping!.

Velocity Micro Cruz T301 7-inch Tablet Android 2.0 (Black)
Review by Lezley R. King "BracedDiva" : I Love My Cruz

I love my Cruz I tell everyone it's a Kindle Color. If your looking for a tablet like the IPad then this is not the tablet for you. If you are looking for an e-reader, something to check facebook, twitter and play a few games then this is the tablet for you. I enjoy reading and surfing the net and I've found that this is perfect for that reason.

Velocity Micro Cruz T301 7-inch Tablet Android 2.0 (Black)
Review by Kathy : Really fun...for what it is

Okay...you can go bigger and pricier...but this is a really great item, fun to use right out of the box...and a nice introduction to using a tablet. In a world where technology upgrades happen like the rising and setting of the sun...this is a reasonable investment for now...and should you want something bigger and better when you can afford it...you haven't broken the bank to jump onboard. I love mine...just as is...and use it daily. Would recommend to anyone looking for a fun device that is really pretty good.

Velocity Micro Cruz T301 7-inch Tablet Android 2.0 (Black)
Review by Julia Hatcher : A Kindle Color

If you want an Android tablet running the latest version, able to play all the latest apps and flash video, don't buy this tablet. If you want an Android tablet you can root or upgrade, don't bother, you will not be happy. If you want it to be an Ipad, forget about it.

However, if you want a $250 color e-reader that has a stable OS, long battery life, and a seven inch 800x600 touchscreen you will be pleased. You will be more pleased with the capability to surf the internet, check e-mail and load simple apps. The Cruz comes preloaded with the Kindle reader and most other e-readers can be downloaded from freewarelovers.com. The screen size, the rubber back, touch screen, wifi, and all day battery life make this an excellent e-reader that compares well with the Nook color. The new version of the Android Kindle app (which can be downloaded from freewarelovers.com) also allows you to download magazines in color.

As an e-reader with expanded capabilities the Cruz is a great product and I am very pleased with it. Out of the box, the software is very stable, the battery is 75% charged and the Kindle app is ready to go. As a cutting edge Galaxy or Ipad competitor, the Cruz falls short, but it is much cheaper than those devices. I describe the Cruz to my friends as a Kindle version of the Nook Color. A "Kindle Color" is the best way to describe it.

I have loaded my Cruz with the following apps, all obtained from freewarelovers.com or the web, and they all work well: Kindle, Overdrive Media Console (for library e-books), Kobo Reader, Aldiko Reader, Wapedia, Newspapers, Reuters, Iheartradio, Skyfire browser and Dolphin browser.

Velocity Micro Cruz T301 7-inch Tablet Android 2.0 (Black)
Review by Kalaab : Exellent Portable Device

Ar dtús, bhí mé ag dul chun teideal m'athbhreithniú "Reader eBook fheabhas", ach a bheadh ag díol na Tablet Cruz gearr. Cé go bhfuil mé úsáid as mo príomha Cruz Tablet mar léitheoir ebook, tá sé i ndáiríre gléas ilmheán le cumais idirlíon. Is é seo an difríocht lom do léitheoirí ebook traidisiúnta, a tack de ghnáth ar ghnéithe ar nós playability MP3 beagnach mar afterthought. Tá an córas oibriúcháin Android aghaidh go héifeachtach agus elegantly sé gnéithe tábhachtacha: leabhair, ar an idirlíon, ceol, scannáin, pictiúir, agus cluichí & apps. Beidh mé ag briseadh síos gach: eBook Reader: An Cruz bhí ina rogha is follasaí dom mar léitheoir ebook ar thrí chúis: PDF, TXT, agus tacaíocht HTML. Ar ndóigh, tá apps a ligfidh tú chun léamh na formáidí ebook mór chomh maith (Kindle, Nook, srl), ach mar gheall ar an raidhse de leabhair a bhaineann úsáid as na trí fhormáid chaighdeánach atá luaite thuas, an easpa tacaíochta do na formáidí ar aon léitheoir Tá, go dom, do-ghlactha. These formats have been around for many years and are excellent formats for ebooks. When an ebook reader supports only its proprietary format and maybe one of those three, that sends a message to me that they're interested in the money of their constituency, not their ease of use or satisfaction. In any case, the Cruz supports all major formats for ebooks, and reading on it is a pleasure. (*****)Internet: The Cruz supports true internet connections, meaning 802.11x wireless connectivity. The included browser is sufficient for most applications, but does not support Flash, meaning no youtube, etc. A previous reviewer recommended the 3rd-party browser Skyfire, which I have installed successfully for that purpose. Aside from that, there is not much else to comment on. The web is at your fingertips, as the tired old saying goes. (****)Music: With the ability to read numerous formats and create playlists, it's a good fill-in for an MP3 player if you only want to carry one device. Media of all types (ebooks, movies, music, etc) are stored on an SD card, which I find more convenient than limiting. The size of the device does not behoove you to ditch your standard MP3 player, but considering all of the additional functionality of the device, it'll make you think long and hard about it. (****)Movies: This device reads MP4 format for video. While I prefer other codecs and file formats for compressed video, you can get a reasonably good-looking and -sounding full-length movie down to just over a gig with the right software, making this a very enticing feature of the tablet. (***)Pictures: Photo support is pretty standard these days, and the implementation of photo galleries and desktop pictures is what you would expect. Nothing about this feature stands out, but on the other hand, nothing is missing. (***)Games & Apps: A lot of people have griped about a lack of official Android Market access on this device, and while those complaints are valid and realistic, there is an abundance of software you can install on your Cruz from many resources. There are third-party marketplace apps ready to be installed, and finding apk software bundles on the 'net is a cinch. Installing is as easy as dropping the apk on your SD card, browsing to it using Android's Astro file browser, then launch and install. I have run into a few applications that don't want to cooperate, but the vast majority of apps and games I have installed have been problem-free. Keep in mind, however, it does take some know-how and creativity to find apk's without Android Market, but it is not difficult. (****)Overall, I'm compelled to give this tablet four stars overall. The tablet takes a bit of getting used to, but is easy to use and makes taking media with you wherever you go a snap. The fact that the tablet features a user-replaceable battery is also a perk, considering some manufacturers (who shall remain unnamed) like to stick it to you in that area.Naturally, this tablet will garner a lot of comparison to the iPad. However, this notion is strictly apples-to-oranges in its nature of comparison, though I will say that I prefer the ability to choose and install software rather freely with the Cruz, an option not as immediately available to iPad users.I do not wish to make this a soapbox review about the evils of Apple equipment; I will be the first to admit that Apple makes good, sound, reliable, and accessible equipment. However, for reasons stated above (as well as reasons not stated in the review pertaining to Apple), my purchase of the Cruz was not just a matter of settling, it was a matter of preference.I love this product. After using it as much as I have (for all sorts of things), I just shake my head while I look at the Kindles and the Nooks with bemusement. They seem to me like a dial watch: "What, all it does is tell time? Isn't this the 21st Century, the Information Age?" ... Okay, that may be taking it a bit far, but there is certainly a gap in functionality between these new tablet devices and ebook readers..

Velocity Micro Cruz T301 7-inch Tablet Android 2.0 (Black)
Review by TRLB : As long as your expectations are in check, you'll love it

I recieved this device for Christmas, and was a little concerned given all the negative reviews I've seen. But I must say, after having it for a while now, I really like it. And this is totally honest, and I don't work for VM. It does everything I wanted it to do. It's an awesome e-reader, it has excellent video playback, I can surf the web easily and I've been able to install a ton of apps from Android Market alternatives.

My only con would be not having flash and You Tube video access, but that was not my primary reason for wanting this item. I think too, people are extremely critical without knowing enough about the device or not really playing with the device enough before judging. I'm sooooooo glad I didn't spend $400-600 on an Ipad, when all I wanted is what is on this device.

I would suggest, that before you purchase, go to the website and read the manual. Find out if it does the things you need it to do, and if it does, it will be a great purchase. If not, buy an Ipad..

Velocity Micro Cruz T301 7-inch Tablet Android 2.0 (Black)
Review by P. McGurn : Not bad for the price.

I gave this to a seven year old for Christmas because she was always using my phone to play games.

PROS:
Kindle app is great on this device.
Movies look and play great, i was surprised how good they look and it's really easy to put them on the SD card and play them.
Plays MP3s, again easy to put the mp3s on the sd card and play.
Free simple games that she likes and it's better on the bigger screen than on my phone.
Battery life is great, I was surprised how long it lasts even on the internet and playing movies.
She has all her pictures on there and she can show them to her friends, etc.

CONS:
Slow processor, doesn't support any newer games.
Android 2.0 - old OS is slow and doesn't support newer games. Update: They now have an update on their site to Android 2.2 and it is much better.
No access to app market and finding apps is tedious especially since a lot of them don't install.
Doesn't support flash, though skyfire browser lets you play flash.
No camera.

Mixed feelings:
Capacitive touch screen - although better than any resistive screen I've used, it's not as good as other capacitive screens I've used, probably because of the slow processor.
The stand is nice but it was designed to use with a charger that has a 90 degree bend and not the straight one that comes with it.

I am fairly happy with it. For the price it replaces a book reader, movie player, mp3 player, and she can play games on it. She loves it, but I would need more if it was for me. It's a good introduction device for her.

Velocity Micro Cruz T301 7-inch Tablet Android 2.0 (Black)
Review by FrisbeePat : I Love Mine But After A Few Easy and Legal Mods

First of all, I love this device! And just so you know, I was a software engineer in my previous career and now teach an engineering curriculum in high school, so believe me, when kids are wowed by your technology then you know it's good stuff. A few months ago I foolishly bought a Chinese knock-off Android tablet and I hated it; it was the classic case of "you get what you pay for." The Cruz T301 is definitely NOT a knock-off. The screen is gorgeous and extremely responsive, the Kindle app works just fine with all my eBooks, and there are plenty of the apps that I need in the Amazon store. Take note, I said "apps that I need." No, the Cruz does not have access to the Android Marketplace but let's be honest, there's a lot of junk apps in the full marketplace and I don't need 99.999% of them.For those that are either having troubles with their Cruz or are hesitant due to some of the negative reviews, I should tell you that the Cruz is not great out of the box. There are some things you need to do in order to get the maximum performance out of it. None of these things will void the warranty (like rooting it) or take a great deal of expertise.1. Read the complete user guide BEFORE opening the box. The manual included with the Cruz is laughable at best.2. UPGRADE TO ANDROID 2.2! I am shouting that one because it is the first thing you should do with it out of the box! (After giving it a full charge anyway) The upgrade is easy to do, takes about no more than 15 minutes, and there are simple step-by-step instructions on the manufacturer's web site. Believe me you will see a great deal of improvement in performance if you upgrade it. Plus upgrading it to 2.2 is just the right thing to do. No one should be running 2.0.3. Download and install the SkyFire web browser. The browser is not available in either the Cruz Market or the Amazon Marketplace (as far as I can tell) so what I had to do is find the install file online, download it to my laptop, copy it to the Cruz's SD card, and then install it from there. This browser has workarounds for lack of Adobe Flash support and loads full web pages (instead of mobile versions of web sites) at acceptable speeds.4. Spend the $9.95 to upgrade to OfficeSuite Pro. I've had pretty good experiences with not only browsing MS Office documents (both old format and 2007) but editing and even composing them as well.5. Install a screen shield/protector. Not only will it reduce (if not eliminate) scratches on the surface, it reduces the glare and improves the touch response, especially when dragging items. Actually every tablet owner should do this, it just makes sense. If you don't want to do it yourself, find a Zagg store at a nearby mall and have them install one.6. Repeat to yourself: THIS IS NOT AN IPAD! You paid less than half the price of an iPad and you're getting almost all of the capability. If you want an iPad, save more money, wait a while longer and buy one. It only has 256 MB of RAM so don't go crazy opening 20 apps at once. Some apps will stay in system memory even after you close them out, so use ASTRO (the Cruz's file manager) to kill any unwanted apps to free memory.Again, I'm a techie so I think I have a sense of what's good and what's not. For the past year I've been Jones-ing for either a Kindle, and iPad, or both. Now I don't want either one because my Cruz has made me extremely happy, once I did the steps I listed above. And I hope I've persuaded those of you on the fence to go ahead and buy the Cruz 301, I think it's a steal at for the $160-$200 price range..

Velocity Micro Cruz T301 7-inch Tablet Android 2.0 (Black)
Review by Clint L Daniels : Velocity Cruz Reader

I bought for my daughter for Christmas this but something that I really know about it. I had read other reviews that seem very positive and the description of the product looked good. We bought my son a tablet android Archos 7 at Best Buy at about the same time. I must say that the tablets Cruz speed much better than the Archos just out of the box. A few weeks later and my daughter loves it around. The browser works well, especially for Facebook. My son, on the other hand uses the Archos is rare. It is very difficult to get a Kindle app to work with. App Kindle works seamlessly on Cruz! Downloads in no time at all the Wi-Fi. And I just ADSL Lite, is not really high speed. I highly recommend a tablet that can not say anything about other Archos 7 tablets we've tried them.

Velocity Micro Cruz T301 7-inch Tablet Android 2.0 (Black)
Review by veritasnumquamperit : An eReader/Tablet that Fails Miserably

I purchased the Velocity Micro Cruz T301 from a third party seller (not Amazon). I have no complains for their customer service. Velocity Micro as a company is a different story. But first, the tablet itself.

Out of the box, everything seemed set up for success. The features were decent for the price, the tablet itself is nicely designed, a stand is included, the instruction manual was short but helpful, and the tablet came fully charged. Unfortunately, the good design stopped there.

First, the screen, while acceptable during initial testing, is clearly not the highest quality. Text was fuzzy, more so than the 800x600 resolution would warrant. Text was even fuzzier than on my wife's 3rd generation iPod touch. Since the T301 is sold as an eReader or Reading Tablet, text clarity is crucial, and the tablet fails on that count.

Since the tablet has the Kindle for Android app "pre-installed" I expected that Kindle, of all the apps, would work fine. I signed in and downloaded a few books out of my Archived Items. I opened a book that I had been previously reading. It crashed. I opened another book. It crashed. A few other books. One or two worked. I thought perhaps an update would help. I downloaded the latest version of the Kindle app from the Cruz Market. That didn't help. I tried restarting the tablet. That didn't help.

After perhaps an hour of constant crashes in the Kindle app, I decided to try some other eReader apps. The Nook app wouldn't install. The Kobo app installed but I didn't have sufficient time to test it. I can understand some other eReader apps not working/installing properly, since the tablet only runs Android 2.0, but why doesn't the built-in Kindle app work?

I decided to try the web browser. I discovered that the screen, while capacitive, is nothing like an iPod Touch, or a basic Android phone. Instead, you have to press firmly to scroll. The web browser crashed. The tablet even rebooted at one point while trying to use the browser.

A few other basic apps are included, and those worked for the most part. But I didn't buy the tablet to check email or update Twitter; I wanted to read my Kindle books.

I decided it was time to call tech support. I was at queue position 36. Two hours and fifteen minutes later, I was finally at queue position 2. When I got through and the phone started ringing, I discovered my two hours of waiting had landed me in...you guessed it...a voicemail box. No apology, no "sorry to keep you waiting for two hours when you could have left a message after 5 minutes." I left a message, expecting a call back the next day. No call by noon, so I called back. Once again, queue position 25. I called sales. They were also busy. I called PR and got in touch with a friendly but unempowered individual who promised to have support call me back "as soon as possible." Midnight Thursday night, and still no call. Repeated attempts to reach tech support earlier on Thursday landed me in the queue at positions 26, 18, and 15.

Perhaps I received a defective device, but due to my inability to reach tech support, or even sales, or even get a human being to answer my calls, and due to the constant crashes and loss of functionality, I cannot recommend this tablet.

For what it's worth, the T103 Cruz Tablet I played with at Borders before buying the T301 had similar crashes, but I had hoped it was only their much-abused display model that had issues. Now I suspect it is the cheap parts and poorly configured software on the Velocity Micro tablets/ereaders that is at fault.

Don't buy the T301. Save your money for another tablet, like an iPad or Nook Color, or else just buy a Kindle. Having used all three of those devices previously, they are leaps and bounds ahead of Velocity Micro's offerings.