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Technical Details
- 8" capacitive screen provides more screen area for a more complete tablet experience
- Download from a library of thousands of apps via Amazon Appstore, preinstalled
- Flash enabled, pre-installed
- Quick Office Full version and Angry Birds preinstalled
- Front facing camera for video conferencing
Product Details
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Product Description
Amazon.com Product Description
A larger screen without the price tag, the 8” Velocity Micro Cruz T408 is perfect for multimedia lovers and fans of Android in search of a more robust experience without sacrificing mobility. Capacitive touch screen, front facing camera, Android 2.3, 802.11n wifi, 1GHz Cortex A8 processor, a premium software suite, and content via the Amazon Kindle for Android and Amazon Appstore for Android create an amazing feature set at a remarkable value. A fully licensed version of Adobe Flash Player 10.3 brings the best of the web right in the palm of your hand. Backed by Velocity Micro’s expert US-based support.
8” Capacitive Touch Screen
The T408 features a brilliant 800x600 resolution 8” capacitive touch screen for a richer experience when using apps, viewing pictures, reading books, or watching video.
Key Applications Preinstalled
The T408 comes preinstalled with an application suite designed to give you great functionality right out of the box:
100% US Based Support All Velocity Micro Cruz tablets are covered by non-tiered, in-house support, 100% based in the USA along with a 1-year parts and labor warranty. A call placed to our expert support team will never be routed anywhere offshore. Not ever.
Specs
What’s in the Box
Cruz T408, User's Manual, Quick Start Guide, Micro USB cord, AC Adapter
 Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) is fast, stable, and compatible with the largest library of applications of any Android version |
 With the Amazon Appstore for Android, access over 7,000 prequalified apps and a new free paid app every day! |
The T408 features a brilliant 800x600 resolution 8” capacitive touch screen for a richer experience when using apps, viewing pictures, reading books, or watching video.
Premium Content Portals
- Preinstalled with Kindle for Android application for access to the largest selection of the books people want to read, in full color – no need to repurchase your Kindle book collection
- Take full advantage of your T408’s powerful hardware with applications from the Amazon Appstore for Android – access over 7,000 prequalified apps and a new free paid app every day!
Design/Hardware
The T408 squeezes tons of features and ultra-fast performance into a smart, sleek design comparable with the more expensive competition. Key features of the high end hardware include:
- Fluid navigation with the 1GHz Cortex A8 processor
- Built in speaker for a complete multimedia experience
- Front Facing Camera – Video Chat with friends and family from the comfort of any wifi hotspot
- Integrated microphone – includes voice recording software
Mobile Multimedia Hub
- The T408 makes a great on-the-go Video Player compatible with MPEG-4, FLV, and H.264/H.263 files
- Just like your own personal juke box, the T408 holds and plays your favorite music files. Compatible with MP3, WAV, and OGG files
- Show off your digital photos or create slideshows with just a tap
Web
- Full web browser brings the internet right to your hands. Browse mobile or full webpages from the comfort of your sofa
- Get the best of the web including streaming video and games natively with Adobe Flash Player 10.3 installed
- Access your personal and corporate email with Android’s included email client
 Preinstalled apps provide quality content right out of the box. |
Key Applications Preinstalled
The T408 comes preinstalled with an application suite designed to give you great functionality right out of the box:
- Games - Angry Birds Rio, Chess, Checkers, Solitaire, and more
- QuickOffice – This full version of QuickOffice allows you to view PDFs and view/edit Word, Excel, and Powerpoint documents from anywhere!
- OI File Manager – View, move, copy, and save files to the Android system’s folders without syncing to a desktop
Android 2.3
Fast, stable, and compatible with the largest library of applications of any Android version, Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) provides users with all of the best features of the Android OS.
Connectivity and Expandability
The T408 comes preinstalled with an application suite designed to give you great functionality right out of the box:
- Fast and reliable Wireless-N networking (802.11b/g/n) – access home networks and wifi hotspots with just a few taps
- microSD card slot compatible up to 32GB. Offers virtually unlimited storage
- Micro USB port
A Premium Legacy
Cruz is the premier brand of Android based tablets from the foremost builder of finely crafted desktops in North America, Velocity Micro. All Cruz products are built with the same attention to detail and expert craftsmanship that have made Velocity Micro famous amongst PC enthusiasts for years. Since our first review in 2003, no other PC builder has been able to match Velocity Micro in value, performance, and quality. Those are the ideals that Velocity Micro was founded on. That is the premium legacy that comes with the Cruz.
 The T408 is sleek, affordable, easy to use, and engineered to attract attention. |
Specs
- 8” TFT Slim Capacitive Touch Display
- 4:3 800x600 Pixel Display
- Android 2.3 (Gingerbread)
- 512MB RAM
- 4GB Built-in Storage (expandable via mSD)
- 802.11 b/g/n wifi
- Front Facing Camera
What’s in the Box
Cruz T408, User's Manual, Quick Start Guide, Micro USB cord, AC Adapter
Product Description
A larger screen without the price tag, the 8" Velocity Micro Cruz T408 is perfect for multimedia lovers and fans of the Android interface in search of a more robust experience without sacrificing mobility. Capacitive touch screen, front facing camera, Android 2.3, 802.11n Wi-Fi, 1GHz Cortex A8 processor, a premium software suite, and content via Amazon Kindle for Android and Amazon Appstore create an amazing feature set at a remarkable value. A fully licensed version of Flash brings the best of the web right in the palm of your hand. Backed by Velocity Micro's expert US-based support.
Available Warranties or Services for This Item
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
53 of 53 people found the following review helpful
Amazon Vine™ Review
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Alert: this is not a highly technical review, but from a laptop/desktop user unfamiliar with tablets.
The feel and handling of the new Micro Cruz T408 is excellent. Not too heavy, but substantial. The screen is clear and made of high density, scratch resistant plastic, which leaves lots of fingerprints, as does the glossy black border. The screen itself reacts to the touch rather nicely. Out of the box, the tablet is pre-charged, so you can play with it immediately. The welcome screen steps you thru a brief setup of Wi-Fi, language, time, time zone, and email accounts, if you wish. You can load more than one email address if you have multiples email accounts and when you pull up your mail they can be separate or aggregated into one.
The home screen features icons for both the Amazon Kindle store and the Amazon Android Appstore, along with games, browser, email, inkpad, Napster, Facebook, Youtube, File Manager and W-Fi settings. If you have an Android phone, which I don't, I'm sure the tablet will feel very familiar.
One note, being a Prime member, I thought I could watch Prime Streaming Videos on this, but you can't. I also understand that it is also the same for Kindle Fire. I would assume that Amazon will fix that problem shortly. At least, I couldn't get it work! As of now, the true Android App Market is not available on the Cruz, just the Amazon Appstore.
The browser works like any other browser with a pop-up keyboard on the bottom of the screen, which does take some getting used to. The speed of internet connection to web pages is relatively fast, not quite desktop speed, but more than acceptable. The text size is adjusted by spreading two fingers across the screen to make it larger and bringing them to the center of the screen to make it smaller. Pages are turned by finger movements across the page, left or right, to move forward or backward.
From what I have read, this tablet runs Android Gingerbread 2.3 operating system, which is over a year old, but I have read it may be upgradeable in the future to newer operating systems.
Having never really used a tablet, my impressions are that it is convenient and fun to use. Smaller than a laptop and certainly more portable. I already used it in the kitchen to look up a recipe and on the couch to look up an actor's name. This will be a new tool for me. I feel it is not a replacement for my desktop, but another very useful portal. If you are looking for a very portable device for music, videos, or internet, this 8" screen is more than sufficient, a little bigger than a Nook or Fire, but smaller than an Ipad. Feels nice in your hand, when reading a book. Amazon books can be downloaded directly, just like a Kindle, by using your existing Amazon account.
I have used a friend's Ipad and find the Ipad certainly a bit more user friendly, but the $499 cost is more than double the cost of the Cruz.
UPDATE 11/28/11
After spending some time with the T408, I have observations. The battery life is great, if you don't use the wi-fi and connect to the internet. If you surf the web a lot, the battery drains fairly fast, maybe two hours or so. I installed an 8gb micro SD card, which gives you plenty of storage, and I understand you can put in a 32gb or 64gb card also. I tethered the T408 to my computer with the provided cable and was able to manage files. The most "profound" observation is that this not a windows computer and you have to learn a whole new way to function and may take a while to figure it out. Also, it is not a replacement for a desktop or laptop for certain functions, like printing or using a keyboard to type a document. A 8" tablet is not a replacement for a 20" monitor. I still like the Cruz T408, but with the sales going on now, there is a lot of competition out there in this price range.
UPDATE 12/12/11
It is rather frustrating that the operating system limits access to certain websites, like Android Market and many applications. This is the case with many if not all tablets, but this has got to change or people will not buy them.
The feel and handling of the new Micro Cruz T408 is excellent. Not too heavy, but substantial. The screen is clear and made of high density, scratch resistant plastic, which leaves lots of fingerprints, as does the glossy black border. The screen itself reacts to the touch rather nicely. Out of the box, the tablet is pre-charged, so you can play with it immediately. The welcome screen steps you thru a brief setup of Wi-Fi, language, time, time zone, and email accounts, if you wish. You can load more than one email address if you have multiples email accounts and when you pull up your mail they can be separate or aggregated into one.
The home screen features icons for both the Amazon Kindle store and the Amazon Android Appstore, along with games, browser, email, inkpad, Napster, Facebook, Youtube, File Manager and W-Fi settings. If you have an Android phone, which I don't, I'm sure the tablet will feel very familiar.
One note, being a Prime member, I thought I could watch Prime Streaming Videos on this, but you can't. I also understand that it is also the same for Kindle Fire. I would assume that Amazon will fix that problem shortly. At least, I couldn't get it work! As of now, the true Android App Market is not available on the Cruz, just the Amazon Appstore.
The browser works like any other browser with a pop-up keyboard on the bottom of the screen, which does take some getting used to. The speed of internet connection to web pages is relatively fast, not quite desktop speed, but more than acceptable. The text size is adjusted by spreading two fingers across the screen to make it larger and bringing them to the center of the screen to make it smaller. Pages are turned by finger movements across the page, left or right, to move forward or backward.
From what I have read, this tablet runs Android Gingerbread 2.3 operating system, which is over a year old, but I have read it may be upgradeable in the future to newer operating systems.
Having never really used a tablet, my impressions are that it is convenient and fun to use. Smaller than a laptop and certainly more portable. I already used it in the kitchen to look up a recipe and on the couch to look up an actor's name. This will be a new tool for me. I feel it is not a replacement for my desktop, but another very useful portal. If you are looking for a very portable device for music, videos, or internet, this 8" screen is more than sufficient, a little bigger than a Nook or Fire, but smaller than an Ipad. Feels nice in your hand, when reading a book. Amazon books can be downloaded directly, just like a Kindle, by using your existing Amazon account.
I have used a friend's Ipad and find the Ipad certainly a bit more user friendly, but the $499 cost is more than double the cost of the Cruz.
UPDATE 11/28/11
After spending some time with the T408, I have observations. The battery life is great, if you don't use the wi-fi and connect to the internet. If you surf the web a lot, the battery drains fairly fast, maybe two hours or so. I installed an 8gb micro SD card, which gives you plenty of storage, and I understand you can put in a 32gb or 64gb card also. I tethered the T408 to my computer with the provided cable and was able to manage files. The most "profound" observation is that this not a windows computer and you have to learn a whole new way to function and may take a while to figure it out. Also, it is not a replacement for a desktop or laptop for certain functions, like printing or using a keyboard to type a document. A 8" tablet is not a replacement for a 20" monitor. I still like the Cruz T408, but with the sales going on now, there is a lot of competition out there in this price range.
UPDATE 12/12/11
It is rather frustrating that the operating system limits access to certain websites, like Android Market and many applications. This is the case with many if not all tablets, but this has got to change or people will not buy them.
30 of 31 people found the following review helpful
Amazon Verified Purchase
First, I want to say that this is NOT a high-end, over $300 tablet. In this price range, I feel the fair thing to do is compare it to other similar-priced items, and this is where I feel this little guy shines.
//// Before I forget, I want to say that the BatteryWatch app by The Mobile Content Distribution doesn't work with this device. I'll explain why further into the review, but BEWARE of this problem, since it will make your tablet inoperable. //////
So, I wanted to get an eReader or something not very expensive and started searching. At first, I was inclined to go for the Kindle Fire, which costs the same as this device. I made a search by price and read the reviews, and realized that anything below this price wouldn't be worth buying. Once I determined the lowest acceptable price, I started reading through all the reviews and the two that stood out were the T408 and the Fire. I have to say that right now I feel VERY happy I chose this device over the Fire, and here's why...
1) I had a feeling I was going to miss having the Android Marketplace, but I don't believe the Fire has it either, so null point.
2) While I like Amazon, I didn't want to be stuck with no memory card or internal space, and only having the Amazon Cloud for storage. Being able to use a micro SD card really made a difference for me. If the Fire had free 3G or 4G, I would probably have found it more acceptable to stream and download everything from the Amazon Cloud, but since I have to use my cell phone as a mobile hot spot when I'm not at home or at a place where wifi is available, I really thought I should have more storage available with the device I got.
3) I don't believe there is anything that can be done with the Fire that cannot be done with the T408. But there are tons of things you can do with the T408 and would not be able to do with the Fire!
4) Again, the T408 is a device that costs under $200, but it is a tablet, which the Fire isn't.
Regarding the battery monitor app I mentioned earlier, I downloaded it the first night I got the T408. After a little while, the tab wouldn't turn on after it went to sleep. I jumped on the computer and started looking at Cruz tablets reviews and found one from someone who had the same issue and was able to take care of it by doing a hard reset. It was a different model, but I got on their website, figured out how to do it for the T408 and it actually worked. Since the review I read said they only had that problem once and after that the tablet worked fine, I was ok with it. I played with it a little more, then plugged it to charge and went to bed.
The next morning, it was dead. Dead, dead, dead! Hard reset, begging, crying, nothing worked. I went to work and when I got home, I checked my email (I had sent Circuit City an email the first time the device died the night before, so I was hoping to hear back from them), but there was nothing from the vendor. So I went back to the Cruz website and got their number. I called and it took a while for someone to come to the phone, maybe 10 minutes or so, but when they did, they were great. They tried this and that, and finally said that the device was dead. The person on the phone, who was pleasantly an English native speaker and not someone in India, told me he had never come across this problem before, but that I could send the device to them and they would either fix it, or send me a new one. Of course, I didn't want to wait, but I was happy that they were willing to help me.
Once I hung up, I logged into Amazon and looked up the contact number for Circuit City. When I called them, the lady who answered was extremely nice and told me that, since it was an Amazon purchase, they had to refund the order. She immediately sent me a return label via email and gave me the RMA number. She also transferred me to someone in sales who was going to help me purchase a new tablet, since I had decided that I should get a more expensive one so it wouldn't die on me in less than 24 hours. But, the guy on the phone really didn't do so great and I felt like just buying it somewhere else. Of course, I ended up going back to Amazon and purchasing a much more expensive Samsung tablet that I haven't received yet, but I have to say I now regret it because I am happy with my T408.
At any rate, I got the T408 to get it ready to ship back, and decided to give it another try. Now, I really didn't want or need a very expensive tablet, I just wanted a fancy reader with some apps, I have a desktop computer and a mini laptop, as well as a Samsumg Galaxy S2 phone. So a cheap 8" tablet to watch Netflix, do emails, and play some games was really all I wanted and felt it made sense to invest on. And the T408 is a handsome little guy, very light weight and, from the little I had played with it, did all I wanted it to do, and well. If only it hadn't died... So, I plugged back the charging cord and tried to do another hard reset. And it worked!! As soon as it came on, I started deleting everything I had installed and removing my personal information from it, after all, I had added my personal email account, my Netflix account, and such to the device. I thought that if I was going to return it, it would be great to clear everything out of it. So I did. And it continued to work. So I decided to play a game on it, and it kept working. So I sat it down and went to do a few things, it went to sleep. I came back later, and it worked. I went to sleep and I woke up the next day, and it was still working!
So, after a day of it working, I went ahead and started adding things back up to the tablet, but since the problem was a lack of power, I decided to leave the battery monitoring app out, and the little guy is working just fine.
To my surprise, I didn't find it too frustrating that I don't have access to the Android Market place. For what I need, the Amazon Apps store seems to work just fine. And I find that the games seem to be cheaper there too.
Right now, I'm all excited because I just installed an app for printing from my T408! I really haven't found anything that I wanted to do and couldn't with this device.
Here is my take on some of the points raised in other reviews:
- The camera is not for taking pictures, it's for video chatting. That's why it's located on the front of the device. And for this price you can't really expect it to be something to take awesome pictures with anyway. I mean, my camera cost about what this tab costs.
- The touchscreen works well once you realize that you have to hit a tad higher than where you would normally hit. There may be a way to adjust it, but I haven't really looked for it. I did feel a little frustrated with the screen at first, but once I adjusted myself to click on top of the area I intended to click on, the screen started to feel more responsive.
- Circuit City customer service works great if you call them. I still haven't received a reply to the email I originally sent them.
- Streaming video: I used it to stream Netflix and it worked great. I have no complaints there. No, it's not my HDTV, but between watching on my 5" HD Samsumg phone and on this 8" screen, I lean towards watching on the T408.
THE NEGATIVE: The menu to access the home page, return button, search and menu is on top of the screen. This is the only thing that actually bothers me on this device, you have to reach for the top of the screen whenever you need to use one of the main menu keys. It's just counter-intuitive and a pain to have to reach across the screen when it could just be on the bottom, where your hands are already positioned.
As I said, I think I'm in love with this little thing. For someone who's looking for a mobile entertainment center with a low price tag, this little guy is awesome. You can look around, but at this moment at least, I can guarantee that you won't find a tablet as good as this one for the same price. And when you read the negative reviews of the Fire, with its security issues, lack of storage and privacy, it really makes you feel good to have chosen the T408.
Enjoy!
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UPDATE - Still in love after 2 weeks...
So, I've had the tablet for two weeks now and had no additional issues with it. Since the only change is that I never installed the battery app back, I am 100% confident that it was what caused the issue.
I feel like, at the moment, the most important thing I have to add to this review is that I could not resist the curiosity and picked up the Samsung Galaxy 7.0 Plus last night, and I still love this guy more than the almost-$200-more Samsung. I know it sounds crazy, but other than the fact that the Samsung has bluetooth and access to the Android Market, at this point at least, it doesn't seem any better than my T408. As I get to play with it more, I will add updates with my thoughts. But, right now, I really don't feel it's worth the money to get the Samsung over this one.
By the way, kitty says: "11jnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn00" I think she likes the Cruz better too! :)
Believe it or not, there are also things I like better about the Cruz, like the bigger screen! I don't feel the resolution on the Samsung is any better (it may be, but I can't really tell), and really feel the size makes a difference in this case. That is true especially because the Samsung's screen seems to be taller, so things that just fit on the T408 screen actually need to be scrolled on the Samsung in order to view the far top or bottom of the screen. Read more ›
//// Before I forget, I want to say that the BatteryWatch app by The Mobile Content Distribution doesn't work with this device. I'll explain why further into the review, but BEWARE of this problem, since it will make your tablet inoperable. //////
So, I wanted to get an eReader or something not very expensive and started searching. At first, I was inclined to go for the Kindle Fire, which costs the same as this device. I made a search by price and read the reviews, and realized that anything below this price wouldn't be worth buying. Once I determined the lowest acceptable price, I started reading through all the reviews and the two that stood out were the T408 and the Fire. I have to say that right now I feel VERY happy I chose this device over the Fire, and here's why...
1) I had a feeling I was going to miss having the Android Marketplace, but I don't believe the Fire has it either, so null point.
2) While I like Amazon, I didn't want to be stuck with no memory card or internal space, and only having the Amazon Cloud for storage. Being able to use a micro SD card really made a difference for me. If the Fire had free 3G or 4G, I would probably have found it more acceptable to stream and download everything from the Amazon Cloud, but since I have to use my cell phone as a mobile hot spot when I'm not at home or at a place where wifi is available, I really thought I should have more storage available with the device I got.
3) I don't believe there is anything that can be done with the Fire that cannot be done with the T408. But there are tons of things you can do with the T408 and would not be able to do with the Fire!
4) Again, the T408 is a device that costs under $200, but it is a tablet, which the Fire isn't.
Regarding the battery monitor app I mentioned earlier, I downloaded it the first night I got the T408. After a little while, the tab wouldn't turn on after it went to sleep. I jumped on the computer and started looking at Cruz tablets reviews and found one from someone who had the same issue and was able to take care of it by doing a hard reset. It was a different model, but I got on their website, figured out how to do it for the T408 and it actually worked. Since the review I read said they only had that problem once and after that the tablet worked fine, I was ok with it. I played with it a little more, then plugged it to charge and went to bed.
The next morning, it was dead. Dead, dead, dead! Hard reset, begging, crying, nothing worked. I went to work and when I got home, I checked my email (I had sent Circuit City an email the first time the device died the night before, so I was hoping to hear back from them), but there was nothing from the vendor. So I went back to the Cruz website and got their number. I called and it took a while for someone to come to the phone, maybe 10 minutes or so, but when they did, they were great. They tried this and that, and finally said that the device was dead. The person on the phone, who was pleasantly an English native speaker and not someone in India, told me he had never come across this problem before, but that I could send the device to them and they would either fix it, or send me a new one. Of course, I didn't want to wait, but I was happy that they were willing to help me.
Once I hung up, I logged into Amazon and looked up the contact number for Circuit City. When I called them, the lady who answered was extremely nice and told me that, since it was an Amazon purchase, they had to refund the order. She immediately sent me a return label via email and gave me the RMA number. She also transferred me to someone in sales who was going to help me purchase a new tablet, since I had decided that I should get a more expensive one so it wouldn't die on me in less than 24 hours. But, the guy on the phone really didn't do so great and I felt like just buying it somewhere else. Of course, I ended up going back to Amazon and purchasing a much more expensive Samsung tablet that I haven't received yet, but I have to say I now regret it because I am happy with my T408.
At any rate, I got the T408 to get it ready to ship back, and decided to give it another try. Now, I really didn't want or need a very expensive tablet, I just wanted a fancy reader with some apps, I have a desktop computer and a mini laptop, as well as a Samsumg Galaxy S2 phone. So a cheap 8" tablet to watch Netflix, do emails, and play some games was really all I wanted and felt it made sense to invest on. And the T408 is a handsome little guy, very light weight and, from the little I had played with it, did all I wanted it to do, and well. If only it hadn't died... So, I plugged back the charging cord and tried to do another hard reset. And it worked!! As soon as it came on, I started deleting everything I had installed and removing my personal information from it, after all, I had added my personal email account, my Netflix account, and such to the device. I thought that if I was going to return it, it would be great to clear everything out of it. So I did. And it continued to work. So I decided to play a game on it, and it kept working. So I sat it down and went to do a few things, it went to sleep. I came back later, and it worked. I went to sleep and I woke up the next day, and it was still working!
So, after a day of it working, I went ahead and started adding things back up to the tablet, but since the problem was a lack of power, I decided to leave the battery monitoring app out, and the little guy is working just fine.
To my surprise, I didn't find it too frustrating that I don't have access to the Android Market place. For what I need, the Amazon Apps store seems to work just fine. And I find that the games seem to be cheaper there too.
Right now, I'm all excited because I just installed an app for printing from my T408! I really haven't found anything that I wanted to do and couldn't with this device.
Here is my take on some of the points raised in other reviews:
- The camera is not for taking pictures, it's for video chatting. That's why it's located on the front of the device. And for this price you can't really expect it to be something to take awesome pictures with anyway. I mean, my camera cost about what this tab costs.
- The touchscreen works well once you realize that you have to hit a tad higher than where you would normally hit. There may be a way to adjust it, but I haven't really looked for it. I did feel a little frustrated with the screen at first, but once I adjusted myself to click on top of the area I intended to click on, the screen started to feel more responsive.
- Circuit City customer service works great if you call them. I still haven't received a reply to the email I originally sent them.
- Streaming video: I used it to stream Netflix and it worked great. I have no complaints there. No, it's not my HDTV, but between watching on my 5" HD Samsumg phone and on this 8" screen, I lean towards watching on the T408.
THE NEGATIVE: The menu to access the home page, return button, search and menu is on top of the screen. This is the only thing that actually bothers me on this device, you have to reach for the top of the screen whenever you need to use one of the main menu keys. It's just counter-intuitive and a pain to have to reach across the screen when it could just be on the bottom, where your hands are already positioned.
As I said, I think I'm in love with this little thing. For someone who's looking for a mobile entertainment center with a low price tag, this little guy is awesome. You can look around, but at this moment at least, I can guarantee that you won't find a tablet as good as this one for the same price. And when you read the negative reviews of the Fire, with its security issues, lack of storage and privacy, it really makes you feel good to have chosen the T408.
Enjoy!
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**********************************************************************************************
UPDATE - Still in love after 2 weeks...
So, I've had the tablet for two weeks now and had no additional issues with it. Since the only change is that I never installed the battery app back, I am 100% confident that it was what caused the issue.
I feel like, at the moment, the most important thing I have to add to this review is that I could not resist the curiosity and picked up the Samsung Galaxy 7.0 Plus last night, and I still love this guy more than the almost-$200-more Samsung. I know it sounds crazy, but other than the fact that the Samsung has bluetooth and access to the Android Market, at this point at least, it doesn't seem any better than my T408. As I get to play with it more, I will add updates with my thoughts. But, right now, I really don't feel it's worth the money to get the Samsung over this one.
By the way, kitty says: "11jnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn00" I think she likes the Cruz better too! :)
Believe it or not, there are also things I like better about the Cruz, like the bigger screen! I don't feel the resolution on the Samsung is any better (it may be, but I can't really tell), and really feel the size makes a difference in this case. That is true especially because the Samsung's screen seems to be taller, so things that just fit on the T408 screen actually need to be scrolled on the Samsung in order to view the far top or bottom of the screen. Read more ›
16 of 16 people found the following review helpful
This is a great tablet for what it is. It is designed to be an inexpensive tablet for those who do not want to spend the big bucks for an iPad or a high-end Android tablet. Of course, it does not have some of the features that you would expect on a pricier tablet (like Bluetooth, a faster processor, higher resolution screen, etc.). But you should already know all of this going in. So it would be unfair to give this product a low star rating based on what it is NOT. I'm giving the Cruz T408 five stars because it does exactly what it's designed to do and performs excellently.
I have had this tablet for about a month now, and have had no problems whatsoever. It has handled just about every app I've thrown at it. I've experienced no lag in graphics and the screen quality is not as visually poor as many people claim. I have my screen turned down to 50% brightness to save battery power and still I get a great image. Certainly the resolution is less than many other tablets... But you know, we're talking about an *eight* inch screen here, so a lower resolution isn't as bad as it would be on a full-sized TV or any large screen. Let's be realistic - the smaller the screen, the easier it is to get away with low resolution and still get a decent picture.
Since I have never owned an Android device before, the lack of Android Market doesn't bother me. You can't miss what you don't know. And the Amazon App Store is growing (especially with the Kindle Fire out there), so there are plenty of good apps to be had. The T408 comes with many apps pre-installed and the Amazon App Store is included, so you are all set right out of the box.
One of the big selling points for me was the expandable memory. I have a 32gb SD card installed in my tablet and this gives me ample storage space. This issue is something that turned me off of the Kindle Fire, as you must use their Cloud Service to store anything beyond the 8gb of on-board storage. Also the Fire does not come with a USB cable to hook up to your computer...the T408 does. So your options for transferring and storing data are much more flexible with the Cruz tablet.
The eight inch screen is great compared to the seven inches on most smaller tablets (including the Fire). That extra inch goes a long way for viewing and functionality. You just have more screen to manipulate apps and for a bigger picture...but not so big that it becomes awkward to hold. The trade-off is that it is harder to find accessories, such as a case. I do recommend the HDE 8" tablet case, which you can search for here at Amazon. It's not a perfect fit, but it holds the T408 nicely and looks very professional...not cheap-looking, but yet at a very reasonable price.
Overall, this is a tablet that you can use in public without feeling embarrassed by cheap quality or second-rate appearance. It has the look and feel of a higher-end tablet, but without the price tag. Sure, it lacks some of the bells and whistles of the iPad and other expensive tablets), but it is a great way to get your feet wet in the Android tablet world without spending an arm and a leg. Good product, Velocity Micro!
I have had this tablet for about a month now, and have had no problems whatsoever. It has handled just about every app I've thrown at it. I've experienced no lag in graphics and the screen quality is not as visually poor as many people claim. I have my screen turned down to 50% brightness to save battery power and still I get a great image. Certainly the resolution is less than many other tablets... But you know, we're talking about an *eight* inch screen here, so a lower resolution isn't as bad as it would be on a full-sized TV or any large screen. Let's be realistic - the smaller the screen, the easier it is to get away with low resolution and still get a decent picture.
Since I have never owned an Android device before, the lack of Android Market doesn't bother me. You can't miss what you don't know. And the Amazon App Store is growing (especially with the Kindle Fire out there), so there are plenty of good apps to be had. The T408 comes with many apps pre-installed and the Amazon App Store is included, so you are all set right out of the box.
One of the big selling points for me was the expandable memory. I have a 32gb SD card installed in my tablet and this gives me ample storage space. This issue is something that turned me off of the Kindle Fire, as you must use their Cloud Service to store anything beyond the 8gb of on-board storage. Also the Fire does not come with a USB cable to hook up to your computer...the T408 does. So your options for transferring and storing data are much more flexible with the Cruz tablet.
The eight inch screen is great compared to the seven inches on most smaller tablets (including the Fire). That extra inch goes a long way for viewing and functionality. You just have more screen to manipulate apps and for a bigger picture...but not so big that it becomes awkward to hold. The trade-off is that it is harder to find accessories, such as a case. I do recommend the HDE 8" tablet case, which you can search for here at Amazon. It's not a perfect fit, but it holds the T408 nicely and looks very professional...not cheap-looking, but yet at a very reasonable price.
Overall, this is a tablet that you can use in public without feeling embarrassed by cheap quality or second-rate appearance. It has the look and feel of a higher-end tablet, but without the price tag. Sure, it lacks some of the bells and whistles of the iPad and other expensive tablets), but it is a great way to get your feet wet in the Android tablet world without spending an arm and a leg. Good product, Velocity Micro!
Most Recent Customer Reviews
Love this thing!
I have previously purchased a Micro Cruz T301. I did not research that model in great detail, so I wasn't aware of all the features or lack there of. That model had to be returned. Read more
Published 26 days ago by insanewomantimes3
A great gift
It is one of the best birthday gifts I have ever got for my girlfriend. She was very happy with all features and it was easy to operate for a non- techie person. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Champane27
Velocity Micro Cruz Tablet..
Since this is my first tablet, I really don't have anything else to compare it to. But with that being said, for an entry level tablet it's been great. Read more
Published 1 month ago by K. Goodwin
Great little tablet for the price!
Hi there I know your looking thru these reviews before you decide on a tablet so since i got this one last week I thought I would give you my views on this tablet as a owner. Read more
Published 1 month ago by somebodyinspokane
Nice tablet, good for entertainment, I think
It seems like there are a million tablets out there, frequently from brands nobody nobody has heard of! Not the case with this one-- it is a well known, and trusted company. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Movie Maker
Very Disappointed
Did some research on this tablet for awhile and thought it looked fine to use as a simple color e-reader for magazines and comics. Read more
Published 2 months ago by L. Homan
Entry level...
I've had this tablet for just over a month now, and these are my two cents.
The Pros:
For an entry level, under $200 tablet, it isn't terrible. Read more
The Pros:
For an entry level, under $200 tablet, it isn't terrible. Read more
Published 2 months ago by The Last Gunslinger
Gift Item
Purchased as a gift for my adult son who was never interested in a PC simply because he works on a computer 10 hours a day and has a cell phone for messaging. Read more
Published 2 months ago by M. Kemp
great tablet for tinkering
I researched many tablets in this price range for my 6yo and 13yo to play with so they would leave my Kindle Fire alone. After a month I'm still very impressed with this tablet. Read more
Published 3 months ago by Yvette Whidden
its is a fun tablet
this is an awesome tablet I recently purchased it after careful reveiewing many other in the similar price range it is good looking machine and I only have one complaint I was... Read more
Published 3 months ago by dubier
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