Is AirpadX compatible with Android Market?

[hong]

The following error message always occurs whenever I try to download an app from Android Market:
"There are no Android phones associated with this account".

After searching online, I have realized that a device has to be compliant with Google's certain standard to support Android Market.  AirpadX is not on the list of supported devices (http://support.google.com/androidmarket/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=1727131).

AirpadX appears to be rebranded MID device.  MID is not on the list either.

The Owner's Manual strangely only mentions Amazon Market. 

All of the above make me wonder if AirpadX uses the open source Android OS, hence not compatible with Android Market.

Could anyone shed some light on this?

[Dan Lawrence]

AIRPAD X IS A RE-BRAND OF THE ZENITHINK ZT280-C91.  YOU CAN RE-FLASH THE FIRMWARE AT THE LATEST 2.3.4 VERSION OR EXPERIMENT WITH THE LATEST ICS BETA AND THEN YOU WILL HAVE THE GOOGLE APPS INCLUDING MARKET AVAILABLE TO YOU.

FOUR TIMES you have been told it's considered shouting and is bad manners on any forum. 

[hong]

Thanks a lot for the tip.

I have just found its Android version is 2.3.4.  Did you mean this is not the latest version of 2.3.4?  As my understanding of what X10 says, AirpadX will be able to be upgraded to 4.0 sometime next month. Is that right?

Do you think we can upgrade it to 4.0 now by downloading the OS from http://www.zenithink.com/Eproducts_C91.php?download?

[moore_tr]

Hello, Hong - yes, that will work, but you should understand that X10 will not support that.  I have loaded various ROMs from the Zenithink site, and they work, but they don't conform to opensource rules, so you get exactly what they provide.  If you wish to continue with X10 support, you should stick to the ROMs they provide.  I tend to venture a bit more boldly, and have loaded ICS 4.0.3 - ICS has a very nice interface, and lots of widgets, and mostly works with Google market, with the exception that anything you buy will have to be downloaded to a PC, then moved over to the tablet.  (there's a bug in there I haven't found the source of yet).  It still works flawlessly with the Amazon appstore, though, so I can deal with that minor inconvenience.  By the way, I DON'T work for Zenithink, Amazon or Google, so I try to remain unbiased.

[hong]

Thanks a lot, moore_tr.

I tried to upgrade my AirpadX with Zenithink's Android 4.0 download for 10" C91 (512MB+8GB) android4.0 20120109_2n, but failed.  I followed their instructions as follows:
■First extract the firmware which you get or download, then copy the whole "zt-update" directroy into the root directory of TF card.
■Put the TF card into TF card slot, then press the "Camera" button at the same time to press the power-on button, then operate as per the reminders shown on the screen, the machine will be installed the firmware and then reboot.

I keep getting the following message:
Press CAMERA KEY when insert, other exit
No card insert.

I have made sure the SD card is in.  Do you have any tip for this?  Iam wondering if that is compatible with AirpadX.  Now, I am waiting for X10 to release the update for Android 4.0. 

[gjf]

Hong

I would make sure you can see the sdcard when the original OS is booted using the file browser.
Also make sure the zt-update folder is at the root of the sdcard.
Also be aware that the 4.0 is a beta version, not complete.
You might want to put in the 2.3.4 if you are just trying to get the androidmarket
Also make sure your version is correct  2n vs 3n  version is on the side of AirpadX barcode

GJF

[hong]

Gif,

Yes, I used the file browser to make sure the SD card is there and the zt-update folder is at the root of the sdcard.  The model number is ZT280H12NC91M512F8.  The current version is 2.3.4.

X10 is supposed to put out the update in two weeks.  I hope to have better luck with that.

[moore_tr]

Hi Hong, my device is an Airpad X, and I'm running the latest Zenithink release, dated 20120117, and have boosted the speed to 900 MHz - the ROMs being delivered so far, will only let you go as fast as 800MHz,, as that's the way the kernel is compiled.The instructions as posted by Zenithink are correct, but somewhat lacking in detail - english is not their primary language, and they are doing the best they know how.  There are a number of VERY helpful and informative postings on slatedroid.com, and you might want to check them out.  in particular, look at the forum on Cortex A9 -> ZT280 C91

[cjhallx]

which app did you use to change the speed? there are many to choose from. thanks.

[cjhallx]

Hong, just want to make sure that you are disconnecting the USB cable before you try flashing

[hong]

cjhallx, yes, I disconnected the USB. I tried with and without power cable plugged in.

moore_tr, I downloaded the package from Zenithink again today.  It is sttill dated 2012-01-10.

[moore_tr]

I used the "No Frills CPU control" app - with a stock kernel, you will only have 200MHz and 800MHz available.  I have a custom kernel, which will run at 900MHz.  If you are adventurous enough, go check out the forums on Slatedroid.com and you'll find out how this is done.  Again, I give warning, that X10 won't support this.  I don't think it would be appropriate for me to put the link for modified kernels and ROMs here, as X10 does their own, but you'll find really interesting stuff on slatedroid.  (hint)   

[moore_tr]

BTW Hong,

I have a pile of microSD cards here, and I haven't had any issues with them working on the Airpad X - but I tend to make sure they have a speed class of 6 or higher.  The other thing you may want to consider - the larger capacity microSD cards come formated as NTFS - that is supported in newer kernels, but when I first got my Airpad, it wouldn't recognize any NTFS filesystems.  So, if that's your issue with this particular SD card, you might reformat it as a FAT32, and see if it behaves any differently?

[hong]

Hi moore_tr,

The original format of the 1GB Kingston Micro-SD card had FAT format.  Per your instructions, the following is what I have just tried:
1. Formatted the SD in FAT32.  The error remains.
2. Formated the SD in NTFS.  The error remains.

I made sure AirpadX recognized the SD using the file browser, then shut down the device, and started the procedure of updating the flash.  No luck so far.

[moore_tr]

Strange - what speed rating is this card?  Have you tried a different one?