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I received my as part of the pre-order process about a week and a half ago.
My overall rating on this device would be a 8/10.
Upside - Super Fast boot -
works wireless and wired
magically increases phone screen resolution
Downsides
price is a bit high
the keyboard is small, but usable, even for real typing.
I have had some mixed results with different roms and programs. For the basic programs - email, calender, office, IE - everything works fine. Some programs though don't play well with the Redlfly, such as the official opera 9.5 release.
When a program doesn't work, the redfly screen goes black. Also, HTC photo album, tomtom do not work.
Google maps works.
Nothing is perfect- the actual web load speeds combined with substandard browsers make certain tasks great, but some pages are more of a pain then they are worth.
am i ready to travel without my laptop - Yup, especially for short trips. When the newer opera starts working with redfly, i think that will make a huge difference.
As in other reviews the battery life is one of the real selling points here. I left it going, wired, using the phone and a cordless mouse - for several hours and had no indication of losing my power and my phone was powered out at max (i was using a bluetooth headset)
the other way to use it, is to whip it out of a case, hit a button and bamb wirelessly send an email, looking something up, ect ect.
The redfly is VERY well constructed - very lightweight, but feels solid and well put together, the materials and the feel of the case are rubbery - and they look fantastic.
I did not experience the lapse in typing as the reviewer in pcworld did - maybe she needed a rom upgrade
Currently i'm using Lorentis' V5 diamond rom - this rom for some reason redfly doesn't like my today screen plugins and they look "scrambled" like a bad tv signal, but this is just a minor issue as you can see all the icons and move into the programs with no difficulty.
If your traveling or if you want to be able to expand the capability of your phone in random situations - this Redfly is the thing to have.
Relating to media - redfly's screen refresh rate is pretty slow - which can cause issues when scrolling on large web pages - but - it works.
My slingbox program played, but looked like a slide show and you can see the screen refresh line re-writing. - So, you can use this as a nice portable media screen- but it is my guess that this screen thing is not only a limitation of their driver and our phone, but i think it also is part of the battery life having a less active monitor.
one of the great things on the keyboard is there are lots of built in shortcut keys - they were REALLY awesome and work very well.
I got a mobile dvd player case that fits it very nice - and there is enough room for my mouse - i'm thinking about adding backup battery - one of these deals Tekkeon MP3450 for the heck of it.
again this is a fantastic device - it doesn't turn your phone into a laptop - relating to multimedia but, it greatly expands the capabilities for both speed and ease in the core applications
If you have any questions, shoot away
I've been looking at many reviews and ads and videos on this thing and I honestly must say with all due respect that I don't see the point.
You state that it improves capabilities for "both speed and ease in the core applications." I can only assume you say "speed" because you think you can do things quicker on a larger screen. AFAIK the redfly does not actually speed anything up for the phone. It is simply a dumb terminal that scales the screen larger and passes input/output.
If this device cost $200 I could possibly see it. But, for $500 you could buy a used P3 ultra-mobile off of ebay that although would be about 25-50% bigger would provide much much more in terms of capabilities, especially when paired with the phone itself for wireless internet.
Multimedia is not increased and, as you state, it has compatibility problems with quite a few applications. Pocket Office is really no where near as functional as real Office...I would never attempt to write a real document over a few paragraphs using pocket Word. Outlook is really the only thing that is very functional (since it is basic e-mail which aren't generally too long) and for that I find the small Kaiser/Tilt screen fine.
I suppose if I had limitless money I would buy one (just like I would by everything), but as I said an old PIII ultra-mobile can be had for cheaper.
Also, generally I am either packing just a phone, or I'm packing my whole case. If the redfly is to big to holster on my hip (which it is) I have to carry a case, and at that rate I might just as well carry my full size notebook.
And as far as being able to quickly whip it out and start on an e-mail, etc... Yes, you probably save about 15-30 seconds vs bringing a laptop out of standby...I'll give it that. But, that brings me back to the fact that I would consider it a waste of time to pull it out in the first place for just an e-mail which I feel is quickly and easily done on the tilt keyboard itself.
The only rational explanation I read for using these things is if you are a company that wants to fit mobile employees who already have phones with "laptops" for very basic tasks (like e-mail). Because the cost of a laptop (and all associated maintenance) can be bery high, this could be a one time fee solution that wouldn't require any additional support.
For an individual user, especially a power user, I can't see that the benefit of a larger screen is really worth the $500. But I'm glad you like it (to each his own), apparently they tapped into some market of people that find it useful and cost-effective.
in principal i don't disagree- it does not speed up your phone
however, for me, it has speed up and made easier my ability to use the phone
primarily in email, calender word, excell- ESPECIALLY excell.
If your on the go - it can be helpful
there is a big difference from my comptuer bag carrying my Dell 700m at 4 pounds and my tiny portable DVD player bag i use for the redfly - less than 2lbs, its like a feather
i have a bad back, the less stress the better - this is light enough to just grab and go anywhere with.
Its also somewhat future proof cause it can go from phone to phone, - hopefully they keep up the drivers.
I debated a small PC eee or something. you can even get them for 200 bucks.
For now i'm sticking with the redfly. - also, i note the pricepoint is the only major downside to the device.
once they get opera 9.5 working - i think it will take it to a whole new level.
I see your selling yours... no longer satisfied?
The price is now $400 new.
Protonus said:
I see your selling yours... no longer satisfied?
The price is now $400 new.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
needed full laptop functionality - changed my job from running around locally to flying around nationally - needed to use photoshop ect ect with me
its yours for 350 - basically new, paypal and shipped conus
I am the proud owner of a HTC touch HD phone, and a very happy owner too. I got it just before Christmas, and it is currently running on Duttys rom, 2.6. All in all my best phone so far.
As many, I have always looked upon the iPhone as one of the absolute best phones ever made, in my opinion it more or less revolutionized how we look upon a phone’s capabilities. However, since I have never had an iPhone, I found it hard to argument for or against it. Therefore I have bought one (used), which will arrive by mail within the next few days. When I get it, I will use it for a month and keep posting here how it goes and how it performs compared to the touch HD. Why do I do this? Because I’m curious, and because I want to see what all the hype is about, and most of all, i hate the fact that everyone is *****ing about which product is the best, but only a few has actually had and used the two phones for a longer period of time.
So far I bought the phone (iPhone 3g), and I am waiting for it to arrive. I must say the wait is long I have downloaded iTunes, so all I’m waiting for right now, is the phone itself.
Besides the normal things you do with a phone (calling, sms), I daily use my touch HD for web browsing, email correspondence and video and music. All of which performs perfectly (thank you coreplayer ). So this is what I plan to use the iPhone for, since touch HD is a windows mobile phone, I rely upon activesync to take care of my outlook contacts and calendar notes, we’ll see how well iTunes does this.
I also like the fact that it is so easy to get what you want with windows mobile, mostly through you guys here at xda.
When the phone arrives I’ll post my first experiences.
Update: 15-4-2009
It'll arrive tomorrow. Thanks for all the replys
Update 17-4-2009
First impressions
So i’ve used the phone for all in all 5-6 hours so far, so I can only tell you about my first impressions. I had some problems getting my music from my pc to the phone, it turned out that you have to enable music synchronization in itunes, in order to get anything transferred to the phone. First thing I did was to transfer my music through explorer (drag and drop), more or less the exact same way as with touch hd, this isn’t allowed, so I had to go through itunes, convert all my music, find out how to get it from itunes to the phone, before I could listen to music. In all in all much more difficult than I had believed, but now I know how it works, so hopefully this won’t be an issue in the future. I can see the problem for those who has many more songs than I had on my laptop, it’s takes a long time to convert to the itunes format, so this would be a major drawback. Why can’t I just put my mp3’s directly on the phone?
This being said, I really like the flow on the phone, the framerate compared to touch hd, is better, giving a better feel. However, I’ve been a bit annoyed by the sensitivity of the screen; it probably takes some getting used to.
Finally, when I used the phone this morning in my way to work, I had some issues with the 3G connection. My touch hd has no problems what so ever when I am using to surf and check mails and so on, the iphone used 3G for 3 minutes, and then I found myself browsing using edge, which is in my opinion is not an option. This is something that will be an annoyance if it keeps up (I’m hoping it was a onetime only).
As for the browsing itself, iphone surpasses the touch hd. Opera is simply to slow compared to safari, but if I can’t get a proper connection, there really is no choice.
One thing that really impressed though was the app store. All though you have to put in your credit card information in order to create an account, it is really easy to browse through all the apps, find what you like and install it. And there really are many different and funny apps, which all in all lifts the overall user value.
I’ll return in next week with more views. Thanks for all the responses
04-05-2009
The first many days.
Hey, sorry for the delay. Been busy at work, but finally found some time to write some more. I have had and used the phone for quite some time by now, it performs as expected. All though I begin to see the small bugs, which most people forget to mention when recommending the iphone. I read somewhere that the iPhone simply “just works”. That is not entirely true, yes I have never had a smartphone that performs as well as the iPhone, it has the least amounts of crashes and so on. However, to say that it simply works, is wrong. When I browse the web, safari hangs on every load, so you have to wait for the entire page to load until you start navigating. Furthermore the video player used in safari has a tendency to hang a lot when you are viewing a longer video, and especially if wifi is turned on. But still, the browser is the best mobile browser so far. Opera hangs/stalls/dies a lot too, and of the two browsers, I prefer safari. There’s still a long way to go until web browsing on the mobile is perfect.
The phone itself has rebooted three times, one time in a game and the two other times it just stalled and went black. Odd… Again if I compare to touch hd, it is more or less the same. My touch hd also died a lot of times, and the one thing that annoyed me most on a windows mobile device, is the fact that the memory isn’t flushed correctly. To many times you have to do a hard reboot, in order to get the memory cleared and to get good performance again.
I mentioned the connection problems earlier, or the lack of connection… Well it hasn’t improved, when you are traveling, the phone looses connection so many times it’s a major problem. Sometimes safari stops working when the connection is lost. Damn, that annoys me… So why don’t you just use wifi? Because with wifi turned on, the battery is used up in no time at all. This brings me to the next issue: The battery. I have to charge the phone one time every day, even with wifi turned off. “Then you use the phone a lot” you might say, and the answer would be: “yes I do, but that’s what the iphone is all about…”. If you don’t use the iphone for all the things that are so nice on the phone, why use it at all. I listen to music, surf the web, check emails, and play games on it daily. And this results in a charge a day. So all in all, the battery performance is poor. Furthermore if you are playing a game, and receive a phonecall, the game is shut down, without save, stupid…
This brings me to the app store, this is the one thing that makes me praise the iPhone. Yes we have the same on windows mobile, but not so approachable and comprehensive. Installing a game or a program could be much much easier on winmo. There is only one big flaw in the app store, if you are connected through 3G, there is a max on 10 mb per download. So if you find a game that’s larger than 10 mb, you have to wait to download it. Why??? 10 mb on 3g shouldn’t be a problem… By the way, you gotta love the facebook app… All though you can’t connect a contact to its facebook profile, it’s still a nice app
The GPS is not entirely accurate, but still usable. I won’t say that much about the gps since I don’t use it allot. And google maps is more or less the same as on touch hd.
The last thing: I saw many movies on touch HD. I have ripped many of my dvd’s and converted them to divx. On touch hd you just transfer the movie to the phone and you can see it. On iphone I have to convert it to some stupid format in order to see it. I hate having movies in so many different formats, and hate to rely upon itunes.
I’ll write a new post in the near future, and as for the guy who commented on my description on to much sensitivity: Sorry, but that’s just my experience of the phone
Samoht2003 said:
I am the proud owner of a HTC touch HD phone, and a very happy owner too. I got it just before Christmas, and it is currently running on Duttys rom, 2.6. All in all my best phone so far.
As many, I have always looked upon the iPhone as one of the absolute best phones ever made, in my opinion it more or less revolutionized how we look upon a phone’s capabilities. However, since I have never had an iPhone, I found it hard to argument for or against it. Therefore I have bought one (used), which will arrive by mail within the next few days. When I get it, I will use it for a month and keep posting here how it goes and how it performs compared to the touch HD. Why do I do this? Because I’m curious, and because I want to see what all the hype is about, and most of all, i hate the fact that everyone is *****ing about which product is the best, but only a few has actually had and used the two phones for a longer period of time.
So far I bought the phone (iPhone 3g), and I am waiting for it to arrive. I must say the wait is long I have downloaded iTunes, so all I’m waiting for right now, is the phone itself.
Besides the normal things you do with a phone (calling, sms), I daily use my touch HD for web browsing, email correspondence and video and music. All of which performs perfectly (thank you coreplayer ). So this is what I plan to use the iPhone for, since touch HD is a windows mobile phone, I rely upon activesync to take care of my outlook contacts and calendar notes, we’ll see how well iTunes does this.
I also like the fact that it is so easy to get what you want with windows mobile, mostly through you guys here at xda.
When the phone arrives I’ll post my first experiences.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Looking forward to hear your experinces
Yep look forward to it!
Not sure it was revolutionary... the LG Prada was a full touch screen phone before the iPhone.. Apple just packaged it well... Steve jobs could box a turd and sell it. pretty much like Apples claim on the mouse! That was actually Xerox's baby!
Looking forward to your experience and an honest review / comparison between the 2!
I actually have both (HTC Touch HD and iPhone 3g), too
Yeah, waiting to see your comments...
We are talking about Apples & Oranges here!!! Arent we?
the real great things on the iphone are aps! they are realy cool, good looking, running smooth... but only one at a time with a verry bad cam and no mms... (yet )
if it had a better cam, MMS (soon) eand a real GPS (and GPS software) i would defintly forget my HD!
way to go pal, will be glad to read your reviews.
bouyaka said:
the real great things on the iphone are aps! they are realy cool, good looking, running smooth... but only one at a time with a verry bad cam and no mms... (yet )
if it had a better cam, MMS (soon) eand a real GPS (and GPS software) i would defintly forget my HD!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oh my.
Jesus phone has a lot of shortcomings, but MMS? Who cares? It's the silliest thing since plastic toothpick. Why do you want to pay your operator for this surrogate email?
And do you really consider HD's camera usable?
daraj said:
We are talking about Apples & Oranges here!!! Arent we?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not really.... I'll explain...
I've just sold my iPhone 3G and bought a HD. My reasons were...
1) I get bored and I had the iPhone since last July and fancied a change
2) I wanted expandable memory
3) I think the iPhone is looking dated now. Controversial I'm sure...
4) I now want stereo Bluetooth streaming for a new iO Play car kit I have had fitted
I used to change phones far too often and had 13 in a year once, but the iPhone is the longest serving handset I've had for a while. Despite not being bleeding edge when it comes to the specification, the way you interact with it, the simplicity, the fluidity and the Apple ecosystem all added up to make it a revolutionary phone. There is a reason why every new touch-screen phone is an iPhone killer.
The email client is superb, web browsing superb and media playback superb. And the text inputs auto-correction is very intelligent and doesn't just look out for spelling mistakes, but patterns in typing which it relates to possible words.
The App store is great, but getting full of rubbish making the genuinely useful stuff harder to find. Rumours are there will be a premier store soon. The O2 contracts are great, as the free data and free WiFi access are superbly implemented, switching between seamlessly. And once you've authenticated with the free WiFi once that's all you ever have to do. I could walk into a Starbucks, McDonalds, Costa, Hotel, Airport etc etc and it would connect to the WiFi before I even realised I was in a hotspot.
But it's not the Jesus phone everyone seems to think. And I hate, really, really hate the fan-boy love affair some people have with it... to the point I was embarrassed by it sometimes.
"No, I don't want to talk to you about your iPhone, stranger...."
The limitations in the iPhone are 75% software based, most of which will be corrected in version 3 of the software. Things like additional Bluetooth profiles, landscape text input in all apps, MMS, tethering etc will be welcome additions.
And that's one of the things that bothered me. These are simple things that really should be included as standard.
Things like the poor camera didn't bother me. I mean, Sony Ericsson have been putting rubbish cameras in phones they didn't market as imaging devices for years. If the camera is the main focus, there are much better options (like buying a camera).
The lack of expandable memory is a big deal for a multimedia phone though. I can understand the marketing / product reasons behind it, but even that seems to contradict the 'one device to do everything' approach Apple take with this.
Now to go back to my original point, Apples Vs Oranges, the HD and the iPhone aren't that different. Both have huge strengths, both have huge weaknesses, both have massive amounts in common. The thing that differs between them is down to the person buying it. What do you want from a phone....?
Out of the box usability and slickness? iPhone.
Endless tinkering, customisation and free reign of what you do with your phone? Touch HD
But both have the capability of matching the other in every single aspect. There is pretty much nothing that you can do with one that you can't with the other. Exactly the same can be said for Windows PC operating systems Vs Apple Mac OS X. Funnily enough, most of what I have said above can be applied in some way to that argument too.
So, the other downsides to the iPhone.... (some of this is entirely personal opinion).
Text input needs work in it's current form. The keys are just too small. This is made up by the excellent auto-correction, but it's still poor. And you can't add in new keyboards without jailbreaking, which brings me to..
Restrictive approach to third party applications. Apples closed-door approach has no benefits. I originally thought it would be good as it would ensure reliability and stability, but there are some terribly shaky applications in the App Store. I see no benefit in this for consumers and the only way around involves invalidating your warranty.
Hardware restrictions - No expandable memory, as above. Screen size Vs chassis size and screen resolution are falling behind the competition. Poor build quality is another factor that's not uncommon either.
If you are the kind of person who enjoys Windows Mobile, I predict you will get frustrated with the iPhones shortfalls and will be jailbreaking it within a day.
Robster83 said:
Not really.... I'll explain...
I've just sold my iPhone 3G and bought a HD. My reasons were...
1) I get bored and I had the iPhone since last July and fancied a change
2) I wanted expandable memory
3) I think the iPhone is looking dated now. Controversial I'm sure...
4) I now want stereo Bluetooth streaming for a new iO Play car kit I have had fitted
I used to change phones far too often and had 13 in a year once, but the iPhone is the longest serving handset I've had for a while. Despite not being bleeding edge when it comes to the specification, the way you interact with it, the simplicity, the fluidity and the Apple ecosystem all added up to make it a revolutionary phone. There is a reason why every new touch-screen phone is an iPhone killer.
The email client is superb, web browsing superb and media playback superb. And the text inputs auto-correction is very intelligent and doesn't just look out for spelling mistakes, but patterns in typing which it relates to possible words.
The App store is great, but getting full of rubbish making the genuinely useful stuff harder to find. Rumours are there will be a premier store soon. The O2 contracts are great, as the free data and free WiFi access are superbly implemented, switching between seamlessly. And once you've authenticated with the free WiFi once that's all you ever have to do. I could walk into a Starbucks, McDonalds, Costa, Hotel, Airport etc etc and it would connect to the WiFi before I even realised I was in a hotspot.
But it's not the Jesus phone everyone seems to think. And I hate, really, really hate the fan-boy love affair some people have with it... to the point I was embarrassed by it sometimes.
"No, I don't want to talk to you about your iPhone, stranger...."
The limitations in the iPhone are 75% software based, most of which will be corrected in version 3 of the software. Things like additional Bluetooth profiles, landscape text input in all apps, MMS, tethering etc will be welcome additions.
And that's one of the things that bothered me. These are simple things that really should be included as standard.
Things like the poor camera didn't bother me. I mean, Sony Ericsson have been putting rubbish cameras in phones they didn't market as imaging devices for years. If the camera is the main focus, there are much better options (like buying a camera).
The lack of expandable memory is a big deal for a multimedia phone though. I can understand the marketing / product reasons behind it, but even that seems to contradict the 'one device to do everything' approach Apple take with this.
Now to go back to my original point, Apples Vs Oranges, the HD and the iPhone aren't that different. Both have huge strengths, both have huge weaknesses, both have massive amounts in common. The thing that differs between them is down to the person buying it. What do you want from a phone....?
Out of the box usability and slickness? iPhone.
Endless tinkering, customisation and free reign of what you do with your phone? Touch HD
But both have the capability of matching the other in every single aspect. There is pretty much nothing that you can do with one that you can't with the other. Exactly the same can be said for Windows PC operating systems Vs Apple Mac OS X. Funnily enough, most of what I have said above can be applied in some way to that argument too.
So, the other downsides to the iPhone.... (some of this is entirely personal opinion).
Text input needs work in it's current form. The keys are just too small. This is made up by the excellent auto-correction, but it's still poor. And you can't add in new keyboards without jailbreaking, which brings me to..
Restrictive approach to third party applications. Apples closed-door approach has no benefits. I originally thought it would be good as it would ensure reliability and stability, but there are some terribly shaky applications in the App Store. I see no benefit in this for consumers and the only way around involves invalidating your warranty.
Hardware restrictions - No expandable memory, as above. Screen size Vs chassis size and screen resolution are falling behind the competition. Poor build quality is another factor that's not uncommon either.
If you are the kind of person who enjoys Windows Mobile, I predict you will get frustrated with the iPhones shortfalls and will be jailbreaking it within a day.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What I meant by that is the fact the HD is highly customizable to the bones, heck you can even run an Android OS on it. Iphone is a very closed OS with very little tweaks allowed by Apple ( Not talking about Jailbreaking) From the usability to the screen to the memory to the GPS vs A-GPS.. from the camera to almost everything in both phones are different. I consider the Iphone a weekend phone While the HD is a very business oriented phone that gets the job done and good.
Not sure If I can really say they are very similar. Just my 2 cents
daraj said:
What I meant by that is the fact the HD is highly customizable to the bones, heck you can even run an Android OS on it. Iphone is a very closed OS with very little tweaks allowed by Apple ( Not talking about Jailbreaking) From the usability to the screen to the memory to the GPS vs A-GPS.. from the camera to almost everything in both phones are different. I consider the Iphone a weekend phone While the HD is a very business oriented phone that gets the job done and good.
Not sure If I can really say they are very similar. Just my 2 cents
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's fair enough. But when you sit the two side-by-side and ask them to do the same task, there isn't much difference. If you think about what you do with your phone, I'd bet the HD does things in a very similar way to the iPhone. There are only so many ways to construct a text message, make a call or browse the internet on a touch screen mobile
The one big thing I didn't mention that you have just reminded me of, is the touch screen. The capacitive screen on the iPhone is much more responsive in use.
Robster83 said:
That's fair enough. But when you sit the two side-by-side and ask them to do the same task, there isn't much difference. If you think about what you do with your phone, I'd bet the HD does things in a very similar way to the iPhone. There are only so many ways to construct a text message, make a call or browse the internet on a touch screen mobile
The one big thing I didn't mention that you have just reminded me of, is the touch screen. The capacitive screen on the iPhone is much more responsive in use.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yup. WVGA on HD and VGA on Iphone ( Not sure if its even VGA)
pretty much it boils down to what you do with it. I have both devices. I use the HD and the iphone sits on the desk. I am an admin at my company and we are windows based the windows mobile device it the best phone for us. While I like the Iphone it is not praticle for me to use. I hav not found any thing that I do on the iphone that I gave not been able to find an app that works on the hd doing the same or better. I really like being able to change the rom on my phone and customise it. Can't really do that with the iphone. And I think the display on the HD is much better.
daraj said:
Yup. WVGA on HD and VGA on Iphone ( Not sure if its even VGA)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Capacitive Vs Resistive is a bigger aspect than the resolution which, I agree, the iPhone falls short of. It is HVGA (320x480).
You have to be crazy to think that the iphone hasnt changed the mobile industry. It is an amazingly capable, intuitive and beautiful device to boot compared to these piece of lard htc OS's (the stock ones).
I owned about 15 HTC/Winmo devices starting with the SPV c500 and culminating in the Diamond as soon as it came out and got an iphone 3g at around the same time. None of the roms could come close to the intrinsic slickness, speed and support for the iphone, I jailbroke it, and was blown away and it became my primary device. However the iphone is currently mediacentric and not a buisness/professional phone and I needed an OQO UMPC to carry around as well but it doesnt claim to be anything else in fairness.
I have been quite impressed by the cooked Win 6.5 roms and skyfire recently though, and I am going to buy the HTC Touch Pro2 when it comes out as I need to use programs like word with a built in keyboard and tv out facility and perhaps retire my UMPC/laptops. This forum is also a great feature in choosing a HTC phone for customisation.
And for people who say the iphone doesnt have microsd, poor camera etc... How many crippled HTC devices have we seen? The iphone has been in a class of its own untill recent catch up devices.
imperiallight said:
And for people who say the iphone doesnt have microsd, poor camera etc... How many crippled HTC devices have we seen? The iphone has been in a class of its own untill recent catch up devices.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Expandability is (in my opinion) essential for any electronic devices. I have an 8GB card in my HD now, and I plan on upgrading to a 32GB soon by simply inserting a memory card. iPhone...can't do that. You have to buy a new phone to do so. I also have a spare battery which I can swap out when I am on the road and can't charge my phone...like camping perhaps. Iphone...can't. I like to copy and paste text from one program to another (multitasking). iPhone...can't. The HD 5MP camera takes great pictures which can be geo tagged with great accuracy. iPhone (until v2.0 comes out)...can't. Sure, there are some HD's out there that are crippled or bricked. Why? Because people that have the mental capacity to appreciate a multitasking device/computer actually like to open the hood and tweak it. Sure, iPhone apps may seem to run smoother. But that's because of the lack of multitasking! My HD (or any other Windows Mobile device) runs processes and applications in the background so you can do more and be more productive.
Honestly, do a side by side comparison of the HD and the iPhone. And I am not talking software, I mean hardware. We can debate applications all day, but it's the hardware that defines the capabilities. If you want a list of HD hardware features then I will post them for you.
*double post*
DerrickD2,
You have misunderstood the thrust of my post, that the iphone was/is a trailblazing and revolutionary device in the mobile sector. It seems anywhere bar this 'nerdy spec-hugging' forum that its not too hard to accept. The Touch HD is a better device in my opinion too as like I already stated, other companies have played catch up. There is no need to tell me its hardware specs.
But to pick up on a few points:
* Upgradeable SD is important, it annoys me to only have 16gb but I can stream content off free iphone optimised filestores available, some providing 10gb a go. Not ideal but workable.
* Spare battery, well the iphones battery is pretty decent and lasts for many years. If you want to keep the battery charged you can do it on the fly by adding these 'double your battery' packs and their ilk/cases when you are running low and you dont even 'have to swap the battery':
http://us.kensington.com/html/15462.html
* You can cut and paste text in jailbroken phones within the app. You can mulitask too, to an extent on JB phones although I dont know if it's sytemwide cut and paste (prob. not)
* Megapixels aren't everything on a camera. Its about the lens too. The 2MP camera of the iphone image quality is known to be quite decent, better than most 3.2MP HTC offerings but I agree it should have a better camera.
* Like I said the iphone isn't productivity centred and its probably why they dont consider multitasking a crucial feature but from what I understand its processor is faster than any HTC phone. Jailbroken iphones can run background apps too but obviously native apps dont support this.
We can debate applications all day, but it's the hardware that defines the capabilities.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is so contentious! Hardware can define the capabilites and software/OS/User experience can define the capabilties! It depends on what the consumer needs. Horses for course's!
I have the Galaxy S already and love it now it's on 2.2.1...
I have been tempted for the Galaxy Tab for a while but could never justify its expense. Now it appears to be quite a bit cheaper and Im sure I could rustle up some cash to sort out a purchase.
But with a 3 MP camera on the back and still no stupid PopCap games, is it worth it?
It's only a 7 inch screen - so it's quite a bit bigger than the Galaxy S, I guess it could be used for media, surfing the internet, Video etc, and it isn't the size of a laptop like the iPad...
To those who actually have it, what do you use it for?
Perhaps I can invent a solid reason for having more than "Im drooling, so I must get it".
Right now I have and use it as my one and only phone. I also use it for still continuing to learn Android development.
After my Spica got stolen, I struggled for a few months using a cheap Samsung 1080m I got for purchasing a new Samsung monitor, and after months of saving I bought the SGT. It hasn't disappointed me since, and I really think it's worth it because of the devs here in XDA.
If you're following latest tech/gadget news, sales of the SGT hasn't been too good and the return rates are high. But I'm guessing those are the typical consumers who don't go beyond simply buying the Tab and learning how to tweak it -- which should be normal case.
I'm assuming since you're in this forum, you would know your own way into tweaking, flashing ROMs and stuff, and that's a very big plus because honestly right off the box the SGT isn't really that sweet save for the tablet-optimized apps Samsung made.
Now as for how I use it, here's a little bit info about me:
During my undergrad CS course (which I graduated from 4 months ago) I was lucky enough to be part of a ladderized MSCS offering wherein we would be taking BS and MS courses alongside each other so that after graduating BS, we would only have a few months of MS left.
Fast forward, my MS is being paid by a university partner which in turn employs qualified students as full time consultants.
So how do I use my tab, well basically:
it's my primary phone, I bring it to me every where, I never put it inside my bag.
occasionally I would get emails from my adviser telling me I would have to present my thesis in some class, and when I'm on the go I usually just edit my existing documents and presentations on the tab, tweaking a few slides for the audience
I sometimes don't bring anything to presentations other than the tab, since I can load up my slides to thin clients hooked up to projectors deployed in my university, and I can control my slides from the tab
the camera, well, it sucks, unless you're in broad daylight, or in a place with extremely good lighting. i generally use it for taking pictures on random trips with friends, wherein I don't get to bring my SLR.
also used as my portable music player, as well as video player when I'm on the plane
when I'm in the train, which I take everyday for 2 hours back and forth from my house, I use the tab to read tech and research papers for my thesis
work requires me to be in constant communication so my email is always ready when im on the go.
hd games.
For some people the SGT may not be worth it, but for my case, it's worth every single peso I've saved. I think it's even worth me losing my poor old Spica.
The tab was worth it to me
And i use it everyday when im at work and usely watch like 4 too 7 shows on it and browse the net and also listen to pandora on 3g which i use it as my mp3 player and when i use it, it ony uses like 20mbs depends how many music you listen to but so far the 3g was worth it and lasts pretty decent which is ony 2gb but so far i ony used 300mbs of it which i had almost a month now.
I also play games on it, And when i get home i usely still have like 70% and sometimes down too 30% when i use it heavy so battery life is also really good on it which is the main thing for me because i use to take my netbook or laptop with me and the battery's ony lasted 3 too 4hours max so this replaced my netbook and laptop
I use too watch my videos on my zune hd which was nice but going from 3in too 7in is really a big improvement!
And the camera i say its pretty decent which i was suprized when i first took the first pic, And it beats some of my 5 and 6mp cameras, And i haven't had a problem in the dark taking pics sense the flash really lights everything up, Sure it doesn't hold a candle to SLRs but its pretty decent when you just want to take pics for fun or show people pics over the net.
But ya the tab is worth it to me and i also got a great deal from were i bought it from which is hsn so i get to pay payments and will get a 300$ back plus i got 70$ back from them because it didn't have some apps on it which was suppose to come with it, So it will be like 300 something ony
Personally, i'd wait for the Honeycomb equipped Motorola XOOM tablet
Sent from The Chaotic Void
zanderman112 said:
Personally, i'd wait for the Honeycomb equipped Motorola XOOM tablet
Sent from The Chaotic Void
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Personally, it's too big to be used as a phone.
It you get a t-mobile or at&t tab movieyou can always flash it to make phone calls that's a big plus. I have a Vibrant but now its a backup to my tab. I have also installed media hub and i am now building my movie library for when on the go. Very happy and i got it when it first came out and payed full price and not disappointed.
Sent from my SGH-I987 using XDA App
sjdean said:
I have the Galaxy S already and love it now it's on 2.2.1...
I have been tempted for the Galaxy Tab for a while but could never justify its expense. Now it appears to be quite a bit cheaper and Im sure I could rustle up some cash to sort out a purchase.
But with a 3 MP camera on the back and still no stupid PopCap games, is it worth it?
It's only a 7 inch screen - so it's quite a bit bigger than the Galaxy S, I guess it could be used for media, surfing the internet, Video etc, and it isn't the size of a laptop like the iPad...
To those who actually have it, what do you use it for?
Perhaps I can invent a solid reason for having more than "Im drooling, so I must get it".
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just wait for the xoom!
Its a real tablet with great specs
Sent from my HTC EVO 4G using tapatalk!
Well i first tryed one of those cheapish china made 7" tablets with good specs but once i got it i found out how bad a tablet could be, so 3 days later i went out and bought the SGT and quickly sold the china tablet at a very low price.
Now i am 100% sure that buying the SGT was the best move i ever made and really wish i'd bought it before i bought the cheap one.
Things i use my SGT for are:
Web surfing.
Watching Videos.
Music.
Bank account app.
Games.
Appointments.
Emails.
Navigation (Google Navigation, Copilot).
Comic Viewer/Reading.
Ebook Reader.
News Reader.
BedSide Clock and Alarm.
And my lastest thing is popping to the shops (PC World, Currys, Etc) and using the new Amazon UK App to scan bar codes to see how much cheaper i can get them online.
Phone calls and most texting i still use my HTC Desire, But i do sometimes use the SGT to text as the onscreen keyboard is better to type with.
But now i could not live without my SGT.
The Tab is my only phone, but since I only get 2 or 3 calls a day, that is not important.
Mostly I use the Tab for checking my e-mail, catching up on news, and being in a foreign country (South Korea) I use it to watch English movies and TV programs.
It is also a great e-book reader, music player and, when I can find them, a great game player. (Games are still under pending approval by the government here is South Korea.) It is also a great alarm clock.
When I travel I use a GPS Navigation app to keep track of where I am. When I go by bus, Google Maps keeps me up to date on where I am so I can judge when I need to call my friends to come pick me up. Traffic can get bad here on holidays, and my usual 2 hour bus trip turned into 4 1/2 hours due to Lunar New Year. (Happy Lunar New Year to all of you too!)
I also use it to check on my work papers and do any editing I need. Plus, the two note taking apps, one Speech to text, the other Sketch Memo, come in handy when I have an idea I need to keep.
And finally, the Korean/English dictionary has been a life saver more than once!!
The cameras come in handy when I go to the store and someone asks me to pick up something for them. I take a picture of the item and show it to the store clerks!
In short, I love my Tab, and think that anything bigger would be too big, and anything smaller would be too small. The size fits in my bag or pocket, it is big enough to read on, and the keyboard is usable, although not full size.
I have not rooted my Tab, and have found no real need to do so as the apps I can suit my needs.
I would recommend getting a case of some sort, just to protect it from accidents.
I have been using mine for the last 2 months and it mostly replaced my need for basic things done on the laptop - video, internet etc.
I can only say I am happy with mine, although I am curious as to what will happen regarding Honeycomb.
If nothing, Xoom - here I come
How do you use phone and data at the same time on the Tab?
I put my phones TMOUS sim card in it and only had cell service. The web would take me to a T-Mobile site only using a Euro ROM.
One thing about the xoom tab is, its not a 7in tab, 7in is a great size and i wouldint want anything bigger because if i want something bigger i just go back to my 12in netbook lol but the galaxy tab replaced it so for now on i want 7in tabs. And how would i put a 10in tab or bigger in my pocket? Lol the galaxy tab fits in my big pockets and for the pass 2 weeks i been using it as my mp3 player which i listen to pandora over 3g which is very nice
If i wanted a bigger tab i wouldve just got a ipad but i decided on the gtab and few days later i got my hands on a ipad at work to mess around with and it just seem to big. at first i thought the gtab was to.small when i was oordering it but when i got it i really like the size and its not to small or big.
codewisp said:
Personally, it's too big to be used as a phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
because its not a phone.
sjdean said:
I have the Galaxy S already and love it now it's on 2.2.1...
I have been tempted for the Galaxy Tab for a while but could never justify its expense. Now it appears to be quite a bit cheaper and Im sure I could rustle up some cash to sort out a purchase.
But with a 3 MP camera on the back and still no stupid PopCap games, is it worth it?
It's only a 7 inch screen - so it's quite a bit bigger than the Galaxy S, I guess it could be used for media, surfing the internet, Video etc, and it isn't the size of a laptop like the iPad...
To those who actually have it, what do you use it for?
Perhaps I can invent a solid reason for having more than "Im drooling, so I must get it".
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Its worth it, but i suggest wait for MWC.
spirit32 said:
because its not a phone.
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Click to collapse
It's not a phone in North America.
Most places elsewhere it has phone functionality out of the box. Even in North America, GSM Tabs can be flashed to allow phone calls.
Regards,
Dave
Thanks for the feedback guys.
Sometimes I do wonder about technology. I mean, what can I do better on a Tablet that I actually did before. I mean really, why do I need it?
But there is web browins, video, music, youtube, ebooks, online magazines, note taking, document editing, email and probably a lot more, like get an OBDII connector and you have a car monitor. All on a big 7inch screen.
The £200 worth of media you can get is great too!
Im very very tempted considering the price at the moment, but Im wondering what the next version would bring us.
I hear talk of Dual Core processors. I'd be interested to see if Samsung were really serious, whether we'll get things like full HDMI connectivity, WiFi N, 32 Gig memory on board, Better Cameras and Stereo Speakers.
What is the current Galaxy Tab like for Speakers, TV Connectivity and Wireless?
Can it playback DivX?
Thanks
Simon
Personally, I love my Tab. It has truly changed the way I consume media.
Prior to the Tab, I used to switch between my phone (HTC Desire) and laptop when at home, and used my phone pretty much exclusively when out and about.
Now, I only tend to use my laptop for work, and at home or out I use my Tab for web browsing, video, music etc. My phone (now a Desire HD) has become very much just a phone for the most part, but there are always odd occasions (going down the pub etc) when I don't want to take my Tab with me even though it is portable.
I've had my Tab since it was first released, and I don't regret a minute of it. Having said all that, I probably wouldn't buy one right now, simply because there's likely to be a Tab 2 (and other 7" tablets) coming out very soon, and I would be inclined to wait now until they are released to see (a) if they are much better, or (b) if it causes the Tab's price to drop.
I'm still pretty certain that the Tab will get Honeycomb, and if it does I doubt I will replace it for another few months.
Regards,
Dave
sjdean said:
What is the current Galaxy Tab like for Speakers, TV Connectivity and Wireless?
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Click to collapse
Internal speakers are ok - not going to win any fidelity awards, but definitely ok.
As to TV connectivity - you have 3 choices:
DLNA streaming
Analogue TV out (via additional cable).
HDMI TV out (via multimedia dock).
Can it playback DivX?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes it can.
Regards,
Dave
foxmeister said:
It's not a phone in North America.
Most places elsewhere it has phone functionality out of the box. Even in North America, GSM Tabs can be flashed to allow phone calls.
Regards,
Dave
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
well im not talking about galaxy tab. im talking about xoom.
spirit32 said:
well im not talking about galaxy tab. im talking about xoom.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry! You're right! Missed that the post you commented on was referring to the Xoom!
Dave
I'm sold on the 7 inch form factor. The camera has actually been outstanding because at the size and shape and the speed that it takes pictures you can really capture stuff you can't get with other cameras. It's blazing fast between shots so even if you take like 1 blurry picture if you keep snapping you get tons of good shots. There is practically no pause between taking shots.. It's crazy. Wish all cameras were like this.
I'm sold on the Camera. If I need better I go to my droid Incredible with the 8megapixel.
I'd like to be able to make phone calls but I have a verizon tab. I doubt it ever happens. Still love the size. LOVE IT... Skype with friends has been nice though.
I'm using it for development as well. I also get like 20 percent discount on the service through work. I pay less for my phone and tab than I would for an iphone.
Honeycomb is in our future I think. I like 2.2 though and it works great.
I've had my 32gb tf 101 for roughly a month after being one of the lucky ones to find the tablet in stores. Mine has no defects except the inevitable minor light bleed.
After trying to incorporate the tablet in my life it has become clear that tablets aren't for me. I always end up reaching for my phone. I've taken the tablet with me on my travels, on the plane with movies and music and all that great stuff. But I end up using my phone 90% of the time, my laptop for another 9% and the tablet for the final 1%. At home my tablet is very rarely used as well. It truly is a unique experience and 3.1 makes it far better. For the time that I've used it, I thoroughly enjoyed it. The display is beautiful.
I'm sure for some people it makes a lot of sense. But sadly it isn't for me. If anyone in the GTA, ON Canada wants it, feel free to shoot me a pm.
Sent from my Samsung Captivate.
Many people are making an assumption that a tablet will replace a laptop or a desktop and will become a productivity device. When people mocked original iPad and called it an oversized Touch they actually weren't that far off; a tablet is purely a consumption and entertainment device. It's understandable that $500 is hard to justify for something like this considering your phone can perform at least 90% of the tasks your tablet can, albeit on a smaller scale. Hopefully OEM's will flood the market with decent Android tablets and drive the prices down to a more bearable ~$200 range.
Personally I find myself reaching for the tablet first and settling for my phone if I absolutly must. Most of the time my phone is set to bluetooth tether. To be honest I'd probably be better off with a 3g call-capable tablet and a pen-sized bluetooth headset. I almost never carry my laptop any more. But I rarely need to work on the go (other than answering emails)
THe only reason I reach for my laptop is Netflix. Otherwise, I spend most of my time on the tablet at home
I want it. Have the 16gb version and loving it. 32gb would be great. Please shoot me a pm with price. Thanks
vernicex said:
I want it. Have the 16gb version and loving it. 32gb would be great. Please shoot me a pm with price. Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Newegg had them in stock this morning.
I have a 360, a Boxee Box, and a Blu-ray player attached to my TV. All 3 have some overlapping features, but each one does something the other two can't do, and I enjoy having the different options. If one of them died, I could limp along with the other two, but I'd rather not. Point is, tablet and phone features will always overlap, you just have to figure out which task each one is better at and use it accordingly, then you'll find the tablet has a valuable place in your tech collection. I could live without the TF, but I'd rather not
I use it to read pdfs. most my books and journal articles are available in pdf format. The TF is by far the best pdf reader. I agree, you don't ready need it if you have good laptop. It's a luxury toy not pc replacement.
Sent from my Inspire 4G using XDA Premium App
dfin13 said:
I have a 360, a Boxee Box, and a Blu-ray player attached to my TV. All 3 have some overlapping features, but each one does something the other two can't do, and I enjoy having the different options. If one of them died, I could limp along with the other two, but I'd rather not. Point is, tablet and phone features will always overlap, you just have to figure out which task each one is better at and use it accordingly, then you'll find the tablet has a valuable place in your tech collection. I could live without the TF, but I'd rather not
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What (s)he said! I have 2 PS3s at home just because I didn't want to spend money on a bluray player only. A tablet is luxury for most of us... there are very few instances where a tablet would be beneficial (e.g. inventorying, showing clients photos or videos etc.). I personally love my tablet and have not used my PC as much. And with a baby around it's great to have a neat little gadget that's portable and has nice multimedia features.
He I don't really fault people for buying a tablet and then realizing it has no place in their life. I bought a used 7" Galaxy Tab for the gf a couple of weeks ago to replace her eReader. She thinks its neat, but she hasn't used it for anything but reading and to her, it seems like a waste. So I'll probably sell it and get her the new Nook reader. Tablets just aren't for everyone.
have you ever tried one of the thumb keyboards available on the market place? They make using a tablet sloop much easier and more practical
I'm pretty new to the whole tablet world, started with the NookColor and moved onto the Transformer. I've got to say it's mostly a consumption device but it's a fantastic consumption device at that. I love the internet on the 10" screen, love the entirely useable e-mail client included, love the quality of the games available and look forward to the continued evolution of the platform in general.
I loaded up the Autodesk sketch program and found myself cheerfully painting like a kid for the first time in decades - It's not that I can't do anything in particular on a tablet vs. another device, just that the tablet seems like a good fit for many more things. A magazine looks like a magazine, the internet looks like it does on my real computer and the remote access means I've got my fully useable desktop with me anywhere there's a wifi connection.
I think the only real downside it the portability. I grew up in an era where professionals carried around day planners so this is no big stretch for me but it is unusual given today's norms. Too big to fit in a pocket and too small to justify a computer bag.
All in all though if a phone and laptop do what you need that should be all you need. I'm not happy reading stuff on my laptop and personally prefer the touch interface when on the go so tablets fit my bill - for now.
use it as an in dash display in your car. That way it is always with you in a practical manner.
Then when you need to take it out of your car you can carry it into the library/coffee shop or whatever.
newtybar said:
use it as an in dash display in your car. That way it is always with you in a practical manner.
Then when you need to take it out of your car you can carry it into the library/coffee shop or whatever.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This was my plan all along (still the primary reason), but then when I got my TF, I found so many other uses. Yes I have a MT4G and a laptop, but the TF makes viewing things so much easier. I have just loaded up Supernatural seasons 5 and 6, so I can get caught up anywhere I want to. I love it!
I can't agree that the TF is not a productivity tool, it is my tool of choice for email and browsing at home and Google docs app is the business. I do have the dock though which turns it into a netbook but with better battery life and screen.
So far loving it.
First to android and tablets and ive turned on my computer twice in 3 weeks...
and both times was so that i could remote into and control my music downloads as i watched tv, surfed the net, and responded to work emails.
even last night, i downloaded a "read to me" story of the 3 little pigs and watched it with my daughter before she went to bed...
then i get to surf the net in bed again.. catch up with xda, news, sports, etc..
its a convenience..
this past weekend i took it on a road trip.. my daughter played games, i used it to book a room while using the hotel's wifi, snapped a few pics in the car, and even got it to tether off an older palm treo phone...(so i had internet in the car!)
i should be receiving mines any minute now...
already owning the g2x and a laptop the sole reason for me getting the transformer is to read pdf files. Being a college student textbooks become really expensive. Now days you can get a copy of the text in pdf for a fraction of the cost or if you just search the net you can find it for free. For me reading pdf files off a laptop is really inconvenient and the battery life is nothing compared to a tablet. Therefore it made sense for me to invest in a tablet and load all my pdf text onto the tablet. I save money in the end and I don't have to lug around a bunch of heavy ass textbooks everyday. So it's a win-win situation for me.
AnyMal said:
Many people are making an assumption that a tablet will replace a laptop or a desktop and will become a productivity device. When people mocked original iPad and called it an oversized Touch they actually weren't that far off; a tablet is purely a consumption and entertainment device. It's understandable that $500 is hard to justify for something like this considering your phone can perform at least 90% of the tasks your tablet can, albeit on a smaller scale. Hopefully OEM's will flood the market with decent Android tablets and drive the prices down to a more bearable ~$200 range.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Won't happen unless subsidized, most phones are $450.
For me I've noticed that since getting this the battery on my evo lasts 3x as long. Surfing on this is much more pleasant.
As a university student, the tablet is an awesome device once you put the proper apps in it.
-a proper file manager (I've still yet to find one with drag&drop and proper shortcuts like windows explorer)
-a proper 'windows-office' like program and one that opens pdfs
-a proper video player (moboplayer)
-a proper calendar and agenda device
-a proper ebook reader (ie moonreader)
etc
The advantage of android apps is that they open much faster than if you were to run windows versions of the programs. With files are easily transferred over ftp, it is very time-efficient.
I'd say this device can easily take the place of my current netbook (and it has). The long lasting battery life and the tiny form factor (along with its lightweightness) really sold it for me
lawonga said:
As a university student, the tablet is an awesome device once you put the proper apps in it.
-a proper file manager (I've still yet to find one with drag&drop and proper shortcuts like windows explorer)
-a proper 'windows-office' like program and one that opens pdfs
-a proper video player (moboplayer)
-a proper calendar and agenda device
-a proper ebook reader (ie moonreader)
etc
The advantage of android apps is that they open much faster than if you were to run windows versions of the programs. With files are easily transferred over ftp, it is very time-efficient.
I'd say this device can easily take the place of my current netbook (and it has). The long lasting battery life and the tiny form factor (along with its lightweightness) really sold it for me
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Try repligo readerd for a good pdf reader, you can even add notes, drraw lines and rectangles, write free hand on the pdf ...
Has anyone tried to use the Note to replace a phone, tablet and laptop? If so how successful was it and was there anything you could not do such as printing?
It can't replace a laptop but it can do quite a bit including printing.
I'd be able to do many things with the Note if I had to if my laptop broke. But for everyday use - no way. Playing games, reading stuff, browsing, media etc. - yes. Writing an official letter several pages long comfortably- no.
Basically, no it can't replace a laptop but it'll replace a phone and tablet quite easily (in fact, tablets will seem excessively bulky after you get used to the Note). Perhaps in a few months/years when developers actually make good software for Android that rivals that of Apple's App Store, it could replace a laptop, but until then it won't.
It's quite capable hardware-wise of replacing all three but its missing the software component of it - the software available on the Market and preinstalled just isn't taking full advantage of the phone's capabilities. It's sad, really. Hopefully this will change with ICS and the release of the Pen SDK.
Depends on what you use your laptop for. If its just browsing the web and some multimedia stuff then maybe. If its things like word processing then probably no.
Gaugerer said:
Has anyone tried to use the Note to replace a phone, tablet and laptop? If so how successful was it and was there anything you could not do such as printing?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Gaugerer said:
Has anyone tried to use the Note to replace a phone, tablet and laptop? If so how successful was it and was there anything you could not do such as printing?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It will never replace a Laptop/Notebook. At least NOT in the next 5-10 years to say a minimum. Before everyone starts shooting at me... Why? I will try to explain my opinion in a simple manner:
A Desktop/Tower PC: You have a keyboard and a screen but its not portable.
Laptop/Notebook(13"-18.4"): You have a screen and a keyboard and it's portable.
Netbooks(10"-13"): You again got have a screen and a keyboard and it's portable but the small screen is not very comfortable to use. Subjective so NO bushing please. For me it's not, but I agree those tiny things are very portable.
Tablet(7"-10.1"): Good performance, NO hardware keyboard on most, virtual typing on flat surface or even in a angle NOT very comfortable for long typings and (usually)half the screen is GONE also and it's NOT even near to a Laptop/Notebook/Netbook's usage comfortability.
For everyone else that does not require often writing or specific tasks, it's near perfect.
Tablet(7"-10.1") with keyboard dock: Android might be good, but is NOWHERE near or close to Windows or OCX or Linux as every day usage for almost everything.
And also to be honest here. A Tablet with a keyboard dock? Then the main difference with the Netbooks, is the Operating system. Think about it.
And last but NOT least, Phoneblets: Same performance as Tablets, PERFECT MIX to a phone and a tablet, it CAN indeed replace them, but it will NOT directly replace the Tablets(might replace it for some that are satisfied with 5.3", like me) or neither any above categories for the above aforementioned reasons.
The main reason is the smaller screen. A 7-10.1" might not be very pocketable, but it's much more easy to work on those screen sizes.
Everything exists in it's own category. Before you ask why, because other people need/want what we DO NOT need or want. E.g: I don't need Tablets, I own a Notebook/Laptop which is a 18.4".
Why that screen size? Because I need/want a 17-18" Laptop/Notebook. Like people need/want a Tablet or a Netbook or a Phoneblet or a economic car, while others don't care and get a 5.0L V8 instead of a 2-3L Hybrid.
In the end? They will give us/make what the Market Demands. That's all there is to it. Market demand and profit. Where's a Market to get into, there's profit. If not, they move on.
P.S: While I love my GNote and I never owned personally a Tablet (had a GTab for 2 weeks), if I had own one, it would have replaced it. Hell, I barely use my Laptop now(fiance does tho ) and mostly I'm on my Desktop and my GNote.
And productivity is going very well also. GNote for social "work" and some quick emails(also some games, funny apps, killing time, oh and calling) and if I need something more "advance" or specific, I just use my PC.
But when I visit friends, I usually take the Laptop/Notebook with me. Even if I love my GNote it cannot replace it as of now. But the future is looking very promising tbh.
Gaugerer said:
Has anyone tried to use the Note to replace a phone, tablet and laptop? If so how successful was it and was there anything you could not do such as printing?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The obvious answer is, of course, what do you do?
The biggest difference between a laptop and a smartphone is the operating system. Only being able to have one app open at once is a dealbreaker as far as productivity goes. And that's just one difference.
People bring up mouse/keyboard but you can use a bluetooth keyboard/mouse with the Note. So that's irrelevant.
Highly dense text/apps would be much easier on the eyes with a tablet. I've already hit a few games that had just unbearably small text. The new amazon store has quite small text, but still readable.
As a phone - no question it works, unless you tend to use pockets that would be too small to hold the note. ( The note is far more pocketable than people think though ).
- Frank
I have found very little use for my laptop since I bought the Note.
My main machine is a desktop with 2x 24" monitors, so that's where my design work happens. Anything else is a satellite to my desktop, and the Note replaces both my old Android (Desire HD/Ace) and my laptop for pretty much everything, with the added advantage of having stylus input. Being able to write to USB stick over OTG cable is a big win too.
I used to have a tablet, but a 7" device isn't pocketable so I left it at home all the time. The Note is small enough to pocket but big enough to show clients images, layouts, videos, Flash, and to annotate effectively, especially with the laptop-level resolution.
I haven't received my Note yet. I get it next Wednesday.
But as a Dell Streak, HP TouchPad, and Macbook Pro owner my usage ranking is; Macbook Pro, Dell Streak, then TouchPad.
I like the larger tablet with some activities, but as an all around tablet I take the smaller 5" Streak every time. The Note will do everything my Streak does but better.
Soon, I'll just be a Macbook Pro and Note owner. I think that's my ideal form factors... and there is a specific void they both fill well.
Gaugerer said:
Has anyone tried to use the Note to replace a phone, tablet and laptop?
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replacing laptop? what have you been smoking son?
There are many "levels" of laptops. From netbooks to workstations. You have to be more specific. I mean do you think the Gnote can replace my W520 that I use to run adobe software while driving three external monitors?
investmenttechnology said:
replacing laptop? what have you been smoking son?
There are many "levels" of laptops. From netbooks to workstations. You have to be more specific. I mean do you think the Gnote can replace my W520 that I use to run adobe software while driving three external monitors?
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For those that use the Laptops just for surfing the net, occasional e-mailing, some text writing and in general very, very basic stuff, then yes, it possible to replace them.
But then again laptops for the mentioned usage(performance wise) are much cheaper than the Note.
for me it easily replace phone (htc hd2 runnig android) and tablet (galaxy tab 7" still prefer tab over note over ebook while i have both under my hand) but laptop i dont think so as koniakki said if you only surf, email, office it may replace laptop for you at some situations but generally it cant replace laptop.
let's have some more inputs on this from note/note 2 users.....
can it really replace a laptop...?
for someone who is mostly uses the laptop for surfing the web, listening to music, watching videos reading ebooks/pdf and travels often carrying the laptop around, Can the note/note 2 be considered a laptop replacement device....?!?
No it can't replace laptop completely. I use btooth keyboard and mouse and it almost replaces laptop until when I need to do serious photo editing or work on a complex excel sheet or compile few c# codes. These exceptions are once in a blue moon stuff and hence I wouldn't feel comfortable to give up laptop for Note or Android tablets. Windows 8 tablet may finally replace laptop.
Sent from GNote.
willstay said:
No it can't replace laptop completely. I use btooth keyboard and mouse and it almost replaces laptop until when I need to do serious photo editing or work on a complex excel sheet or compile few c# codes. These exceptions are once in a blue moon stuff and hence I wouldn't feel comfortable to give up laptop for Note or Android tablets. Windows 8 tablet may finally replace laptop.
Sent from GNote.
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+1
Although the Note is an epic device, and can do almost anything, For situations like that ^^ it cannot replace a laptop / pc
I use mine for everything, I do all my emailing / surfing / movie /music watching + streaming on the Note ( Mainly because im too lazy to move to the other side of the room to access the PC lol)
I would imaging for your average user then yes, It can / could replace a laptop, But at some point there will be a moment where you think 'Damn it ! wouldn't this just be easier on my computer?'
I must also add, Im super lazy, I have remote desktop app on my Note so I can access my computer and print files without leaving the sofa, I also have the Viera connect app so I can control my TV when I cannot be bothered to reach over for the remote control lol..... All I need now is for someone to pump my chest every few seconds so I dont have to waste energy breathing :laugh:
I adore my Note. Still it will never replace my PC/laptop. The specific reason for me is productivity. Productivity means MS Office, Digital Audio Workstations, large screen, large and higher precision input devices (mouse, normal size keyboard). Although I have been able to tackle some productivity tasks using the Note - "send me a PDF of the paper document you filed at the registry office", "take a look at this excel and tell me when it can be ready" etc.
Hm, now that I think of it - I often read XDA on the Note but have written only 1 post from the Note - I'd really rather do it using a normal keyboard.
well before my htc desire broke down i was planing to buy tablet... and when it broke down i had no choice but to use my money to buy new phone... i had to chose between sony xperia s (i think, cant be sure now) and note... i chose note cos i hoped that it will satisfy my need for tablet...
it didnt.
i end up buying tablet few months later
so NO! it cant replace not even tablet, and definitely not pc/laptop
tatkovladko said:
I adore my Note. Still it will never replace my PC/laptop. The specific reason for me is productivity. Productivity means MS Office, Digital Audio Workstations, large screen, large and higher precision input devices (mouse, normal size keyboard). Although I have been able to tackle some productivity tasks using the Note - "send me a PDF of the paper document you filed at the registry office", "take a look at this excel and tell me when it can be ready" etc.
Hm, now that I think of it - I often read XDA on the Note but have written only 1 post from the Note - I'd really rather do it using a normal keyboard.
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I agree. Note hardly replaces my notebook for the productivity. However, it can be used as a substitute while you travel light. Reading and sending emails, paying bills, communicating, reading news and books, watching movies, listening music, playng games all are possible. Great gadget for me. The best.
Sent from my GT-N7000
I stopped bothering switching on my laptop long before i got the GNote.
No.