Database Users

Poor reviews!

Any one else finding that most of the reviews of the Tab seem to be written by people who just don't get it?
I'm the first in line to call a spade a spade (that would be "shovel a shovel" for our American cousins) but I truly believe the Tab is a fantastic device and I cannot see where most of these reviewers are coming from.
I'm sure that some would say that us Tab buyers are trying to justify our purchase, but I'm honestly finding that the Tab has exceeded my expectations which were already quite high.
I've been in the market for a device that could sit between my laptop(s) and smartphone for casual media consumption and web browsing, and since buying my Tab last Friday, my Macbook has sat on my coffee table untouched and my HTC Desire has only really seen use as a phone.
I was seriously considering an Advent Vega, Toshiba Folio 100, or Archos 101 as they were all around half the price of the Tab, but after my experience with the Toshiba AC100 Android smartbook I decided that I really wanted the full Google experience (Market, Gmail etc) because it was just so much easier than faffing around with APKs etc.
In less than a week, beyond sitting at my desk, the Tab has become my primary device for Internet and media consumption, and I honestly did not expect that to occur.
Whilst the poor reviews don't affect me directly, I'm concerned that many people would be put off this fantastic device without giving it a fair crack of the ship which I can assure anyone who is sitting on the fence, the Tab most surely deserves!
Regards,
Dave

I tend to agree Dave.
The Tab is one of the best, if not THE best, android device i have used to date (and i have used many).
but its not for everyone and it does have some issues that needs to be addressed (such as the laggy browser).
It does seems like Samsung were able to overcome the issues the SGS had with the SGT and all the power to them.
I do think the reviewers just don't get it.
Some if the reviews i have read are just full of lies and totally biased (see BGR's review).

I really like the stock browser, but it is too laggy compared to others. Samsung should definitely have worked harder on that.
I'm also not convinced by swype on a device of this size but I could be convinced, if I could have swype automatically in portrait and something else in landscape.
Regards,
Dave

I don't think the reviews I've read have been overly negative but I've only read a handful:
Oddly, I found the review on Engadget to be one of the better ones, even if they only scored it 7/10.
They seemed genuinely enthusiastic about the Tab, which flies in the face somewhat of their general pro-Apple bias. I guess it just proves that some of the Engadget writers are genuinely enthusiastic about tech and not just stuff made in Cupertino.
GSMArena, normally a beacon of decent reviews, seemed to get a bit too hung up on trying to compare it to the iPad whilst avoiding declaring one better than the other. That and criticising the price a lot.
They also mentioned issues like the screen having ghosting issues, which I just couldn't reproduce when I used the Tab.
There was a 'review' on the BBC site by one of their tech bloggers which was beyond pitiful.
It just compared web-browsing and playing videos but was so lacking in any genuine insight or intelligence that I would advise not wasting your time on it.
Then the review on BGR, that one really did annoy me.
The reviewer criticised the pixel density of the Tab compared to smartphones and criticised the screen as too small compared to the iPad whilst conveniently ignoring the iPad's poorer pixel density.
If I was being generous, I'd say the review just didn't 'get' the Tab but it smacked much more of pro-Apple bias IMO.​
So, one good review, one in-depth but indecisive review, one non-review and one advert for the iPad...
However, reading a lot of the comments left on various sites in response to their reviews, I would say there is a definite lack of 'getting' out there.
A lot of people just don't seem to see the appeal or usefulness of the Tab, which is fair enough everyone's entitled to their opinion but like you Dave, I'm not convinced they've actually given the Tab a fair go before reaching that decision.

Read WIRED review
http://m.wired.com/reviews/2010/11/galaxy_tab/
Sent from my GT-P1000 using Tapatalk

antz88c said:
Read WIRED review
http://m.wired.com/reviews/2010/11/galaxy_tab/
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Click to collapse
For those of us not on a mobile device: http://www.wired.com/reviews/2010/11/galaxy_tab/

well, comparing the tab with full fledge tablet will be useless
as i see it, tab is a phone that have tablet capabilities, considering they're still using FroYo which was a phone OS primarily
but when google OS for Tablet is ready in the market, and the tab get it, Ipad will get some rivalry from galaxy tab for sure, as Ipad cant be used as a phone, at all

Justin^Tan said:
well, comparing the tab with full fledge tablet will be useless
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I would say that comparison to any other Android tablets or the iPad is far from useless as they're all running similarly-capable OSs.
True, comparison to something running, say, Win7 would be a bit of a waste of time but I fail to see why comparing a 7" Android tablet to a 10" Android tablet would be useless.
Justin^Tan said:
as i see it, tab is a phone that have tablet capabilities
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And what, if you don't mind me asking, are 'tablet capabilities'?

My vibrant feels so small now.
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App

Step666 said:
I would say that comparison to any other Android tablets or the iPad is far from useless as they're all running similarly-capable OSs.
True, comparison to something running, say, Win7 would be a bit of a waste of time but I fail to see why comparing a 7" Android tablet to a 10" Android tablet would be useless.
And what, if you don't mind me asking, are 'tablet capabilities'?
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Well let me put my fair understanding on both devices.
IPAD ADV
---------
- Bigger Screen: More Space for applications, pleasant for the eye
- Brighter Screen
- Longer Battery Life
- Applications tailored just for IPAD
IPAD DISV
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- Heavy.. use on one hand for a long time is just not comfortable.
- Can't Make Call without Jail Breaking / Additional Support
- Bulky, It would mean that you have to carry a bag with you all the time.
- Most of the stuffs don't work in IPAD. e.q. Flash
This is critical for some reason and at least for now, most websites run flash: Videos or Games and it's extremely cumbersome to get the contents to be played on the IPAD. Tethering not working right out of the box (if i remember correctly)
- No support for widgets. why is this important? well, because it's a feature that enable us to glance through information easily or access certain function easily. Plus, it's beautiful and pleasing. Imagine, you want to check your Data Usage, all you have to do is open your screen and you know straight how many have you used instead of opening the program and do a check button again. >.<!!
SGT ADV
--------
- Connectivity: you can make call, browsing using wifi or 3G.
- Light in size and pocket-able on most jeans or clothing.
- All in One? compared to IPAD, you will need an extra pair of device as a phone but with tab, you have it all.
- Device capable for honey comb & ginger bread.
- As android is open source, it's open to development and customization. This would mean that if samsung doesn't make SGT good enough for people, a team or someone can make that customization to provide more battery life, better interface etc.
SGT DISADV
------------
- Built on TFT technology.. which the screen is slightly distorted on certain angle.
- Compared to IPAD, the battery life sucks. However,
you get widgets, connectivity and multi tasking done right and still it's enough to be used as a daily phone / tablet.
- Not many application tailored for SGTab yet and my feeling about this is the future is a bit unknown .. With so many screen resolutions out. 7inch 8.9inch 10 inch.. it's just making it hard for developer to tailor the application but all in all, the android tablet coming to the market is definite so it's possible that the tailored applications will be growing steadily.
My Summary:
--------------
While ipad offers better battery life, applications, screen and performance. It does have certain disadvantages such as lack of flash support, customization, calls and it's bulky. And for some who wish to have portability and entertainment on the GO, Tab is definitely superior than IPAD in many ways. However, taking apps into consideration, the Apps in IPAD is amazing simply because they are tailored. Android is still evolving. We will see more applications tailored for Android tablet size become available in the near future. Having said that i would say all in all, the pro and cons between these two devices is 50:50 and at the end of the day, it's up to your preference whether you want a device with good apps support but lack portability or you want one with all in and portable.

foxmeister said:
I'm the first in line to call a spare a spare (that would be "shovel a shovel" for our American cousins)...
Regards,
Dave
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I believe that should be "call a spade a spade" - for the non-Americans...
-Daniel

Why is everyone comparing to an IPAD...this isnt an IPAD! Forget the reviews....I can show you 100 reviews that say it's a fantastic device....ask the users....

dweidman said:
I believe that should be "call a spade a spade" - for the non-Americans...
-Daniel
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Curse predictive keyboards!
Dave

Sorry for my bad english.
Then my point of view :
The SGT is not the better yes i agree with that.
But for me the point of view is different for everybody. Why ? Because i buy my 'item' because all off my requested features are in my 'item'.

If you havn't yet, look up the review that carrypad has done.

shollywood said:
Why is everyone comparing to an IPAD...this isnt an IPAD! Forget the reviews....I can show you 100 reviews that say it's a fantastic device....ask the users....
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exactly. and also this flash nonsense always. yes we can do flash. but this is not the killer argument here.
this is a handy tablet with a nice os. thats it. and it can be used as a phone too.
it has a great speaker, which makes conference calls very nice.
widgets with that screen size rocks. gamings is brilliant on the device.
there is no need for comparison to some other device. this one is great.

Most of the reviews I've seen have been positive if not amazing, the Giz article is not an outstanding review or the best piece of journalism I've seen!
My iPad is a lounge device, my SGT is my RoadWarrior device. I wouldn't compare them as they fill 2 very different roles for me.

foxmeister said:
I'm also not convinced by swype on a device of this size but I could be convinced, if I could have swype automatically in portrait and something else in landscape.
Regards,
Dave
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hello have you try to use keyboardmanager on the market
Sent from my GT-P1000 using XDA App

Xoom in Hand (My quick review), ask me anything you want to know

Display - Pretty good but not nearly as great as the iPad's.. nor is it as bright as the iPad. Pixel density looks A LOT like the iPad.. I can't really say the Xoom is any sharper than the iPad.. Whites look much better on the iPad.. they definately have a much higher color gamut and contrast ratio on the iPad. This is disappointing considering how much the Xoom costs off-contract. The Xoom screen looks nearly identical to what Samsung uses on their Galaxy Tab 7". Viewing angles are "decent" but again, not as good as iPad. I would say they are using a cheap PVA type panel, not IPS on this unit. PVA is still much better than TN at least.
Weight - Same weight as iPad.. so to me, it feels too heavy for it's size... but I think the Xoom is much easier to hang onto/hold because of it's widescreen nature'd body.
Speed - Depending on apps I guess.. or how optimized they are.. Angry Birds Seasons (the tablet version) runs like crap compared to Angry Birds on my Galaxy Tab.. not sure why.. Web browsing is a real treat.. Definately renders web sites faster than the iPad.. content is ready to explore at a much faster pace.. However, scrolling isn't as nice as it is on the iPad.. I don't know why Android can't get scrolling anywhere near iOS's Safari. Scrolling is choppy and clunky depending on how many pictures are needed to be shown on the screen at one time. Quadrant scores LOWER than my Galaxy Tab.. Could be Quadrant's not optimized well enough for the Tegra2 platform.
Battery Life - I will have to edit this in later.. my Xoom came out of the box with 77% life..
Interface/UI - I actually like Honeycombs UI.. the quick-softkeys are delightful to use.. especially to multitask with.. Flying between apps is instantaneous and snappy.. much faster than iPad's multitasking.
Speakers - Horrible placement.. they project all sound away from you being on the rear of the device when you're holding the Xoom.. so everybody else hears MORE than what you're hearing.. Otherwise they sound pretty good.. I would say as good as iPad.. and even louder.
Data Connectivity - Verizon 3g on the Xoom FLIES.. I've gotten over 2mb down and over 1mb up.. the modem chip inside the Xoom must be pretty exceptional.. my Galaxy S phone (also on Verizon) barely gets over 1mb down and about 600-700kbps up. Wifi on the other hand seems weak.. my connection is constantly dropping to my home's Wifi connection.. and the Wifi router is just 1 room away :/
Interesting Tid-Bits
The built-in "Chrome" Browser is GPU accelerated.. resulting in much smoother/faster rendering/scrolling.. When installing a 3rd party Browser like Dolphin HD, the web browsing experience plummets, which reminds you of your first Android powered phone and browser.. slow rendering and horrible, choppy scrolling. So with this said, if an app isn't taking advantage of the Tegra2 SOC, don't expect much performance.. this probably also explains the crappy framerates you get when running Quadrant.
I'll post more later.. going back to playing with the Xoom.

the ac adapter ... does it support the european voltages (between 220-240 volt)

SmokeMasta said:
the ac adapter ... does it support the european voltages (between 220-240 volt)
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Click to collapse
The AC adapter says this:
Input: 100-240V~50/60hz 0.6A
Output: 12V --- 1.5A

Hey Diversion, have you noticed any Force Closes, I wouldn't say an abnormal amount, but anything significant since you've been using it?

vitodintino1228 said:
Hey Diversion, have you noticed any Force Closes, I wouldn't say an abnormal amount, but anything significant since you've been using it?
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I had a few in the browser, but i had about 5 tabs open of nothing buy pictures.

vitodintino1228 said:
Hey Diversion, have you noticed any Force Closes, I wouldn't say an abnormal amount, but anything significant since you've been using it?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nope, not a single Force Close yet today.. The first time I opened the Market it said my Market was "Out of date" but after closing out and going back in, all was well.

bwcorvus said:
I had a few in the browser, but i had about 5 tabs open of nothing buy pictures.
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I haven't gone more than 2 tabs in the browser so far.. i'll open a lot more windows and see if I can get mine to FC.

Thanks buddy, I appreciate it. So far i'm imperssed, honestly. I think it's a solid device. Worth 800 bucks? Probably not, but over 18 months, what the hell, I can afford to be an early adopter. I may invest in an anti glare screen. I can't tell if it's so nice looking that its glassy, or so poorly implemented that its a glare magnent, lol.
Either way, i'm happy with my investment, and I really hope google puts a lot of attention to fixing bugs and any other issues with Honeycomb.

vitodintino1228 said:
Thanks buddy, I appreciate it. So far i'm imperssed, honestly. I think it's a solid device. Worth 800 bucks? Probably not, but over 18 months, what the hell, I can afford to be an early adopter. I may invest in an anti glare screen. I can't tell if it's so nice looking that its glassy, or so poorly implemented that its a glare magnent, lol.
Either way, i'm happy with my investment, and I really hope google puts a lot of attention to fixing bugs and any other issues with Honeycomb.
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It's just as glossy as the iPad/Galaxy Tab (I own both).. I was in my car using my Xoom in a parking lot.. and it was just badddd.. sun glaring in my eyes lol.. But I expected that.

Diversion said:
It's just as glossy as the iPad/Galaxy Tab (I own both).. I was in my car using my Xoom in a parking lot.. and it was just badddd.. sun glaring in my eyes lol.. But I expected that.
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I can agree with that, I don't know.. It doesn't outweigh the pros as of yet. The main thing that i'm eager to test at this point is the Battery, and some of the dual core optimized games and what not. What about you? Are you looking for anything in particular? Any other experience you can comment on? So far, by the way, tethering to my droid x is working phenomenally.

vitodintino1228 said:
I can agree with that, I don't know.. It doesn't outweigh the pros as of yet. The main thing that i'm eager to test at this point is the Battery, and some of the dual core optimized games and what not. What about you? Are you looking for anything in particular? Any other experience you can comment on? So far, by the way, tethering to my droid x is working phenomenally.
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Click to collapse
What I'm really looking for is a Tablet with an alternative OS (anything not Windows) with great battery life and gives me the tools to be as productive as a netbook.. Far reaching goals im sure though.

Does honeycomb have an easy way for selecting in the middle of sentences / words? I know the IPad has a magnify glass come up when you hold your finger near a word so that you can see exactly where the cursor is, does honeycomb do something similar? Also, how is the copy/paste in honeycomb? I know on my 2.3 phone, it's not that great and hard to select exactly what you want.

you able to find google body app... cant find it on market and it's not preinstalled???

Can you try viewing streaming websites on WiFi (justin.tv or ustream.tv) and see how the tablet handles higher quality streams?

JimmyHACK said:
you able to find google body app... cant find it on market and it's not preinstalled???
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I was wondering the same thing.

vitodintino1228 said:
Hey Diversion, have you noticed any Force Closes, I wouldn't say an abnormal amount, but anything significant since you've been using it?
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Click to collapse
The only one that I've seen so far is when trying to run "Remote Desktop Client" by Xtralogic. No dice so far, so I'll have to keep a look out for a Xoom-Approved RDP client

schnoz said:
Does honeycomb have an easy way for selecting in the middle of sentences / words? I know the IPad has a magnify glass come up when you hold your finger near a word so that you can see exactly where the cursor is, does honeycomb do something similar? Also, how is the copy/paste in honeycomb? I know on my 2.3 phone, it's not that great and hard to select exactly what you want.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
When you click the words a little pointer comes up, drag it were you want it.
Sent from my PC36100 using Tapatalk

schnoz said:
Does honeycomb have an easy way for selecting in the middle of sentences / words? I know the IPad has a magnify glass come up when you hold your finger near a word so that you can see exactly where the cursor is, does honeycomb do something similar? Also, how is the copy/paste in honeycomb? I know on my 2.3 phone, it's not that great and hard to select exactly what you want.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have no experience with Android 2.3.. but there seems to be a pretty nice/decent cut and paste built in.. I haven't used it yet.

I have had an iPad since july of last year, sold it yesterday in prepartion for the Xoom purchase today. Walked into Verizon purchased the Xoom and walked right out no hassle, no activation required. Here my Mini Review so far, with some comparisons to my previous 32gb ipad.
Hardware:
Nice heft, feels really solid and has that industrial feel. I do not feel I am going to drop it because it slips out of my hand... i always felt that way when holding an ipad.
its a 16:10 screen so it is wider than it is long. Should be perfect for movies.
Screen is a finger print magnet like ipad.
Software:
Gmail- is incredible on this thing. Drag and drop, color labels, etc. the workflow with gmail is priceless and so fluid. I cannot speak of the general "email" app because i only use gmail.
youtube- way way faster loading videos on this than it was on the ipad. it has some eye candy, which is always nice.. esp for android.
browser- Browser is great! and it loads pages faster than my ipad did. also it has tabs and THEY DO NOT RELOAD ON SWITCHING!! I had 8 tabs open... flipping through them flawlessly! As always using google account you can sync bookmarks and such between desktop and xoom.
Havent tried the music app yet
The gallery is like your standard vanilla android gallery.. loaded all my picasa pics from the cloud.
Other apps- there are very few "tablet apps" in the market. The 2 I did DL was pulse and accuweather. Pulse was pretty basic but did take advantage of the fragments. Accuweather is slick... but they need to polish up some pixelation i saw tapping the background "live" water.
Apps like facebook and kindle scale up nicely. While some apps dont like the speedtest app.
Speaking of speed test, i did a load on my wifi connection at 15mbps down and 3 up and i pull 14mbps down and 2 up. My ipad could never pull above 10mbps. I also noticed my signal holding strong than it did on my ipad.
Workflow is great!! This is what i have been missing on ipad... background task, unintrustive notifications.
Thats all I have right now... so far I am liking the decision i made. But i know i will be missing my apps the ipad had!!! Android cant match it yet... it will take some time.

If Xoom battery life is anything like G Tablets (Also Tegra 2) it should have pretty damn good battery Life

[Q] Should I swap my p1010 wifi only galaxy tab for one of these?

So simple question really has anyone had any experience using both? (specifically the wifi only tab which I have which is worse than the 3g model)
I use my tab for reading books, reading comics and browsing the net. I have a gs2 so for gaming it is much better than my tab. I wont be doing much else than what I have listed so what do you guys think which is better?

Well overall the device is good enough for what you need it for, gaming (if you ever wish to) shouldn't be a problem on this due to the tegra 2 processor. Honeycomb is being ported and so far so good so that's a plus. Although the viewing angles on the screen are horrible, front on its beautiful but try looking at it from the sides its quite bad.
Sent from my HTC HD2 using XDA Premium App

M..N said:
Well overall the device is good enough for what you need it for, gaming (if you ever wish to) shouldn't be a problem on this due to the tegra 2 processor. Honeycomb is being ported and so far so good so that's a plus. Although the viewing angles on the screen are horrible, front on its beautiful but try looking at it from the sides its quite bad.
Sent from my HTC HD2 using XDA Premium App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, I agree...the screen is horrendous. Little bit chunky...but over all a decent wee tablet. With external hdd support using usb host (fat32 seemed to work best for me)...then onto your big hdtv! Cant do that on a ipad haha!
Ive not used the original galaxy tab...but im guessing sammy has used a nice screen...I would keep it if you already have the sgs2.

badasschris said:
I use my tab for reading books, reading comics and browsing the net.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The answer is NO, the viewing angle is really small and (at least for me) at an very awkward angle for intensive reading and only works well in landscape mode. For reading I prefer white on black, but the backlight is bleeding like crazy.

Although I believe there have been some attempts, to replace the screen with one that has a better viewing angle.
Sent from my HTC HD2 using XDA Premium App

badasschris said:
So simple question really has anyone had any experience using both? (specifically the wifi only tab which I have which is worse than the 3g model)
I use my tab for reading books, reading comics and browsing the net. I have a gs2 so for gaming it is much better than my tab. I wont be doing much else than what I have listed so what do you guys think which is better?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
IMHO
Yes, you get a tablet with a bigger screen, same performance, 3G connection, and HoneyComb (in development).

Thanks guys for your helpful replies.
I think for me the tab probably is better but I just have to get used to the fact it is a rather limited device. I've always thought the Advent vega looked like excellent value for money but as I use my tab pretty much exclusively for reading/comics and web I shouldn't get annoyed that it is not very good at doing much else.

No!
The Tab's screen may be smaller but it really is night and day between it and the Vega's screen as far as viewing angles and sheer quality goes!

If all you want is a bigger screen then yes, the Vega is amazing value for money. I'm typing this on mine right now! However I'm using an allternative ROM, launcher, browser etc because out of the box it's just useless.
It definitely has problems though, I mean it took me quite some time to get the software to make it behave the way I wanted to, the colours are very washed out (Samsung's screens on the other hand are very good with colour) and the 16:9 presentation is quite useless for anything but movies , especially with the huge menu bar the thing comes with if you don't mod it. Finally, the accelerometer has problems with games, I've not yet had an accelerometer-based game work properly on it...
I bought mine to showcase my portfolio without carrying a load of paper around and for that purpose it's pretty good but it really could do with better colours.

Acer Iconia vs Galaxy Tab 10.1 hand on comparison.

I hope this is of some use to someone as Ive been on a search for an ideal tablet for myself since the Xoom was released.
Ive had the Acer for about a month and love it for the most part.
Galxy Tab owner for about a day ((so why a review ??)) Its not.
Its a physical comparison as its difficult to track down an Acer without a huge magnet brick stuck to the back and the Tab releases country wide tomorrow.
Anyways...here goes any questions more than happy to answer.
HxW
This was a big surprise. Unlike the Asus Transformer with its mega wide bezel the Acer is actually pretty compact in that area. So much so that stacking the Tab on top produced negligible difference. As far as height and width theres about 'half a skinny straw' difference.
Weight
Well this is where the difference comes in. The Tab is simply much lighter. If you hold both in your hands it may seem like a "slight" difference. But after a short period you will quickly notice the acer is just plain heavy. After using the Tab for a bit then picking up the Acer the difference is huge.
Thickness
This IMO is the second biggest determining factor. Do you want the slimmness ? .......Or the Ports.
Holding the Tab it feels like a larger Kindle. Or just a truly "slate" computing device. Ive had several star trek moments holding it thus far.
Acer has always felt like a laptop cover ripped off the keyboard where the ports somehow magically transferred to the top. Yes its thick but I can connect this sucker to a monitor , a external drive , a card reader , and easily expand with a micro SD.
Look good or be efficient ?? Your choice IMO cant go wrong.
FYI:Tab will require at least 2 add ons , plus a case that can accommodate your extra accessories in order to match connectivity.
Microphone-
**SO FAR*** my biggest grip with the Acer has been the awful mic. It just sucks. Dont know if its the quality or the placement but the end result remains suckage. Far too often a phrase like "When can we meet ?"
results in "can we me".... or worse "w"..... WTF?!!?
Voice to text is my primary need/use for a tablet, this was a huge deal for me.
Galaxy Tab has been better. But frankly neither are up to snuff to my Nexus One. Im assuming phones in general will just have better mic quality.
Audio clip from Tab (using camcorder)
http://db.tt/XrcHGaK
Audio clip from Acer (using camcorder)
http://db.tt/eZ0rOIa
While not a tell all example the above differences in clarity were consistent with other apps as well.
Screen-
Thus far there really isnt a reason to side for one or the other outside of need or preference. Until this.
The screen on the Tab is gorgeous and is simply richer in color and after flicking through Picasa it seems to have gotten a more accurate representation of the pictures taken.
While I do feel the tab pushes colors a bit much ;almost like oled does. Ex: The YT still shot Rebecca Blacks red jacket is too saturated
However over a wide range of pictures and videos it just felt more vivid with better blacks.
This isnt a Ipads "cool" vs Tabs "warm" approach to color temp. The Tab is simply a better looking screen.
Software---
Not touching on this unless asked.
I will say I still have numerous videos FC on YT and the browser does NOT have any quick controls on the galaxy tab. Major bummer and worthy of return or sell if it cant be added as I find the controls are what make two handed Tablet browsing possible.
Wrap up-
In short Lebron James is overrated.
But seriously
Acer-8/10
Tab- 9/10
If you will make regular use of the ports , or weight isnt an issue the Acer is the choice.
If you care about aesthetics and or mobility is a bigger concern then the Tab is the way to go.

i stopped reading when u said the acer is heavy and teared up with laughter at the thought of u weight lifting

BrianDigital said:
i stopped reading when u said the acer is heavy and teared up with laughter at the thought of u weight lifting
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Right, because "heavy" means "unable to lift" and not relative to the topic of tablets. Try harder next time.

Very detailed.connectivity is why my Acer rules
Sent from my LG-P999 using XDA Premium App

LIKE YOUR REVIEW, very truthful...
i bought the acer because it came first in my country.... but then loving it... usb port is the biggest difference among 2 tablets in favour of iconia, where weight is the biggest difference in favour to the tab

I was contemplating on whether to buy Galaxy Tab or Iconia A500, and I chose Iconia A500 because of USB host mode port, plus the fact that I don't need any proprietary adapters or cables. Those kinds of things are surprisingly hard to come by here, and they're a lot more expensive to replace should they break.
As for the weight: well, everyone has their own taste. I personally don't see enough of a difference for it to make matter to me.

I choose Acer because of non proprietary adapter and cables...
now
- galaxy tabs is really toooooo light... I feel like I was about to broke it just by holding it hahahah
I wanna buy it so deep... but after tested it... hu... no thanks, maybe the 8.9...

I'm amazed at the white color temperature difference between the two displays. Which is which in the pictures?

I guess samsung is the warmer one... you don't mess with samsung displays.

@xManMythLegend,
What video files will it support?... the only thing that bugs me is my Archos can support all my xvid divx out of the box... my samsung epic also supports divx... my acer doesn't know what divx is... bummer.

After the Captivate, Samsung is dead to me. Thanks for the review though. The Acer holds up better than I expected it to in the comparison.

What was wrong with captivate? i9000 is still awesome for me. Branded/carrier versions will always suck.
I'm pissed at samsung's tablet atitude, It's like they're trying to imitate Apple. I don't want a stupid adapter to be able to use usb!
Anyway, great review! I was actually waiting for the Galaxy tab but now I couldn't care less. Iconia's connectivity outweighs it's weight by far

Excellent review -- thank you! I'm sold on my A500 (primarily because of the USB port), but it's always good to know what else is out there and how it compares.
I don't understand why people rely on the stock software and configuration for images and/or video on any tablet. Even with a desktop PC monitor, you have to fine tune the settings to get your photos and videos to display properly. I wouldn't use the Samsung's default display settings because I think they're (for the most part) over-saturated. I use 3rd party gallery and video apps, both of which allow for rather customized display settings. I'm very happy with my A500's display the way I have these apps customized, and this was very important to me (right along with the USB port and memory expansion options) due to being an avid photography hobbyist.
I hope that doesn't sound too defensive, because I'm really not -- I knew the A500's display is "cooler" (more blue) than most when buying it. I just think they all need tweaking -- even the precious iPad, which everyone raves about the display out of the box.
Thanks again!

Well i bought Acer Iconia A500 because of the ports i don't mind a difference of 0.00000033mm in thickness or 0.000000888 pound in weight but i do care a lot if my device has all the ports i can use without the worry of looking them here and there.

sanaell said:
I choose Acer because of non proprietary adapter and cables...
now
- galaxy tabs is really toooooo light... I feel like I was about to broke it just by holding it hahahah
I wanna buy it so deep... but after tested it... hu... no thanks, maybe the 8.9...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I believe 8.9 will be a very interesting form factor for many people especially if it does include an sd card slot.
silencer51 said:
I'm amazed at the white color temperature difference between the two displays. Which is which in the pictures?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Top Is the galaxy tab Bottom is the acer.
threedfreek said:
@xManMythLegend,
What video files will it support?... the only thing that bugs me is my Archos can support all my xvid divx out of the box... my samsung epic also supports divx... my acer doesn't know what divx is... bummer.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I immediately installed mobo player. Plays everything but .mov thus far it also has terrific on screen controls.
internetpilot said:
Excellent review -- thank you! I'm sold on my A500 (primarily because of the USB port), but it's always good to know what else is out there and how it compares.
I don't understand why people rely on the stock software and configuration for images and/or video on any tablet. Even with a desktop PC monitor, you have to fine tune the settings to get your photos and videos to display properly. I wouldn't use the Samsung's default display settings because I think they're (for the most part) over-saturated. I use 3rd party gallery and video apps, both of which allow for rather customized display settings. I'm very happy with my A500's display the way I have these apps customized, and this was very important to me (right along with the USB port and memory expansion options) due to being an avid photography hobbyist.
I hope that doesn't sound too defensive, because I'm really not -- I knew the A500's display is "cooler" (more blue) than most when buying it. I just think they all need tweaking -- even the precious iPad, which everyone raves about the display out of the box.
Thanks again!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I completely agree! If these were hd tvs you could not even begin the discussion without calibration. I even cut out a portion on it. In short since there are no universal apps to do this and most devices require root access ;along with the fact most people simply would not bother. So unfortunately out of the box is what people will judge it by.
But you are 100 percent correct calibration can fix many many issues. I have yet to try on the tablet but fully intend to.
P.s apologies for any weird typos. voice to text is strangely capitalizing words that shouldn't be.

I had the Acer and returned it for the Galaxy Tab 10.1
I'm loving the GT much better. The main reason I wanted a tablet was for mobility and having something lightweight. The Acer was nice, but after surfing the net for a while I was inclined to place it either in my lap or on a solid surface. If I put it in my lap it would start sliding all over the place. The GT doesn't slide in my lap like the Acer did. It's also not as heavy, so I don't mind holding it if need be.
All tablets that come with a USB will be rather thick in size. There's no way that the GT could keep it's slimness with a USB port on the device itself. This was a concern for me in deciding if I wanted the device. Once I found out that they have a USB adapter, I was sold. The Acer had many ports, but I rarely used any of them when I had the device. It all boils down to how you're going to use a tablet. That will determine which one is the best fit.

cdf3 said:
I had the Acer and returned it for the Galaxy Tab 10.1
I'm loving the GT much better. The main reason I wanted a tablet was for mobility and having something lightweight. The Acer was nice, but after surfing the net for a while I was inclined to place it either in my lap or on a solid surface. If I put it in my lap it would start sliding all over the place. The GT doesn't slide in my lap like the Acer did. It's also not as heavy, so I don't mind holding it if need be.
All tablets that come with a USB will be rather thick in size. There's no way that the GT could keep it's slimness with a USB port on the device itself. This was a concern for me in deciding if I wanted the device. Once I found out that they have a USB adapter, I was sold. The Acer had many ports, but I rarely used any of them when I had the device. It all boils down to how you're going to use a tablet. That will determine which one is the best fit.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I did the exact same thing today and share the same sentiments. I think the acer is very good at being a full featured unit out of the box. But it was not comfortable for me to use and my glove size is an 11. I picked up the GT10.1 and wow I didn't care what is was missing.

usman3206 said:
Well i bought Acer Iconia A500 because of the ports i don't mind a difference of 0.00000033mm in thickness or 0.000000888 pound in weight but i do care a lot if my device has all the ports i can use without the worry of looking them here and there.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
+1
The Acer wins for me based on connectivity and flexibility overall.

PLease tell us about the software. Tab is 3.1....is it smoother? The Acer is still driving me crazy with the scroll lag.

Actually the weight and size difference is dramatic. The photos and numbers paper really dont translate well to how well it feels in hand. Saying that I do miss the usb port on the a500 but the GT10.1 is more portable and hand friendly. Using it as an ereader is great as well because it balances in the hand without feeling top heavy.
Go play with one at BB and tell me what you think, just curious.
Another reason for my switch was I truly feel thus device will sell well and therefore have longer support. Acer already announced they were scaling back production due to slow sales. Which tells me Acer really needs to do better advertising because they have a winner.
I think noils down like this.......
If you want a light hand friendly device then get the GT10.1
If you want a device that has more media input/output accessiblity device and offers expandable storage then go with the a500.
Sent from my GT-P7510 using Tapatalk

Thoughts on time spend with a sample Galaxy Note

Hi,
I had a chance to spend some time with a sample version of the Samsung Galaxy Note. Since it was a sample I can not comment to much about that part, but I did write down my thoughts on the hardware and using a 5.3" unit as a phone.
If you feel like reading a bit about it you will find it on my blog, ftechviews.blogspot.com
/Faaborg

Thanks for sharing us, I especially like the part you explained about the UI being scaled up to fit the higher resolution screen
Though now I wonder, does the bigger screen and higher resolution really bring about any "real"and tangible result, for example, when you open the browser, can you see the letters clearly without zooming in? Also, I wonder if the stylus would fall out easily... thanks a lot
Sent from my GT-I9100 using xda premium

Thanks for sharing that, I'm about to buy either a note or nexus, I really want the biggest screen possible yet still be able to carry it around in a pocket like a phone. You have convinced me the note will be ok

The browser is one one of the few places where the high resolution is put to good use. You can see most of a webpage, but the font is really small. Its readable but hard to read. Zoom ones or turn the phone in to landscape helps.
On the sample I had the stylus was almost impossible to get out, so no I would not say that it falls out easily.

Thanks a lot for sharing your experience! I've been eager to hear about how this device will perform, so news like this is appreciated.
You've already answered one question about the stylus, but how is it secured specifically? Is it magnetic or simply held by plastic? Also, how was the battery life? That's perhaps one of my major concerns so far, and I assume you've had enough time to get a basic impression.

Here is another site where someone owns a Note and has shared his experience:
http://androidforums.com/samsung-galaxy-note/432191-i-have-got-galaxy-note.html

The stylus is not magnetic, but is locked in bu the plastic around it. Battery life was good for such a big device. I could easily use it for an entire work day, including travel time.

Could you also test the audio quality via headphones out. was it excellent, very good, good, average or bad. How was it compared to the best mobile phone player u ve ever heard.

Would there be a 32gb version coming out??? ANyone.?

Regarding audio I primary used it for audio books. The quality is good, and the output volume it better than average. Its not the best I heard, nor is it the worst.

faaborgs said:
Regarding audio I primary used it for audio books. The quality is good, and the output volume it better than average. Its not the best I heard, nor is it the worst.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
then that means probably it uses the same crappy audio DAC as the galaxy s2. thats very sad !
Sent from my GT-I5801 using XDA App

faaborgs said:
Hi,
I had a chance to spend some time with a sample version of the Samsung Galaxy Note. Since it was a sample I can not comment to much about that part, but I did write down my thoughts on the hardware and using a 5.3" unit as a phone.
If you feel like reading a bit about it you will find it on my blog, ftechviews.blogspot.com
/Faaborg
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks I planning to buy a New device but you really help me to make a better decision.

Faaborg, did you have any chance to test the videoplayback on the device?
I read somewhere that playing MKV in 720p on the device showed some lagg, which is very dissapointing if it's true...

For some strange reason, what I can't explain, I did not get around to testing video playback. Sorry.

Did you see any lag while using the stylus? And was navigating through the homescreens etc. as snappy as the S II ?

There was a little lag when using the stylus, the experience was very much like the same as the HTC Flyer. All UI navigation was super quick and the same goes for installed apps and the browser.

I was thinking about getting the note, since i want a tablet and want to change my phone. Though they have not yet told anyone what market they are putting it to.
I wish they could say which carrier it would work with in USA.
The size is perfect, its thin and has a what seems to be a great pen to use.

Yes.for sure it will be available in 32GB later.
Sent from my GT-I9100 using XDA Premium App