New Android Tablet

 I just bought one of these 10.2" Zenithink Generation 1 ZT-180s for $72 from someone that borked their Android system.

They are most commonly referred to as Zenithink Generation/Version 1 or by model number ZT-180 . What causes confusion is that the Generation/Version 2 is also called the ZT-180... However the first generation have a 'Ruby' codename circuitboard and everything one unit uses is incompatible with the other.

I will share these things though.

You will need a 32-bit windows machine (I flashed my tablet from a Win 7 Home Premium 32-bit laptop) and a USB to mini-USB cord. The regular full size USB end goes in the computer and the mini USB end goes in the tablet. I did also try on Windows XP Pro machine a few times but was not successful.

Some people specify when the cord has to go in to what, my cord was attached to both before anything was turned on all the way to the end of the ROM flash. So, there is something to try if the way I did it doesn't seem to work for you.

I got my machine up and running by going to How to Burn the 1204 Firmware Image on the Zenithink ZT-180 & Setup Android Market | Dreambeta and following the directions there. This gets a working Android 'Eclair' operating system also known as 2.1 on your tablet.

There is a special way to turn these tablets on to flash the ROM, you have to hold the button on the face in as you push the power button. A successful power on for the purpose of flashing a fresh ROM will result in the blue power led lighting up with no activity on the LCD. In my multiple attempts I was successful most of the time, but a few attempts did not result in a proper alternate power on situation-- it happens. Just turn it off and try again if you don't get it. (In about a ten second span you press and hold the indented button next to the LCD at 0 seconds, the power button at around 2 seconds releasing as soon as you see the unit power on, then between 8 to 10 seconds or so you can release the first button next to the LCD.)

I read all over that many lucky saps had it recognized and installed by Windows Update. I was not that lucky.

I had to get the secbulk drivers (which are from 2005/2006 everywhere I looked) when it was in this special mode for the tablet to be recognized by Windows. They are available here: http://code.google.com/p/embedded-system-training/source/browse/trunk/windows%E5%B9%B3%E5%8F%B0%E5%B7%A5%E5%85%B7/?r=38#windows%E5%B9%B3%E5%8F%B0%E5%B7%A5%E5%85%B7%2FDNW --gotta love UTF-8 URL encoding eh? Unfortunately, I already am familiar with SVN checkout so pulling them was not difficult for me. The above URL is where I got them and I used SVN to do it. (Happy Googling, I am a Git person and would be happy not SVNing ever. Don't ask, I won't help you with this.)

The flashing process with the files from the link waaaaaay at the top took between five and ten minutes to crash or be unsuccessful in a fantastic manner or finish successfully with the most awesome mobile operating system out there.

Once it was set up in order to connect, I had to set my IP as fixed for my wireless internet connection under the wireless menu for it to connect, otherwise I could see my network but it would loop between getting an IP and being unsuccessful.

I am unaware of anything blocking the wireless. The wireless module gets hot, so hot it stops working hot -- use the wired internet connection for Android Market if you can.

I used the Free ASTRO File manager from the Android Market. It was my first Android Market download.

You can access a USB flash disk by looking for the udisk directory in the file system from the ASTRO File Manager. Once you use something in a filesystem folder it seems to persist in the stock OI File Manager that is there from the get go. In my case it was a .pdf format book-- which did not open properly.

My next download was the Adobe PDF Reader because although it is advertised as reading a billion e-book formats, the billion they may or may not be advertising does not include the .pdf format in practice.

Once Adobe PDF Reader was installed, I was able to access the information in all my .pdf files by touching them from the OI File Manager.

To move my e-books to the unit I held my finger on the .pdf file icon in the ASTRO File Manager until I got a context menu that had 'copy' in it. Then after selecting 'copy' from the context menu I navigated to the /nand directory where I supposedly have 1.5GB or so of storage on the device. Once in that directory I pressed the screen until another context menu came up that said paste. I may have hit an edit button then pressed the icon-- but I am cutting and pasting my files is the important thing and to let you know where you can store stuff which is the /nand directory. Maybe it is only in the OI File Manager I press the icon for an extended period of time to get the context menu. Any which way, I had to do it the first time in ASTRO File Manager. Then once I had accessed a file in new directories they were easily accessible by the more simple and available OI File Manager.

Happy tableting.

-Brad