Related
I'm tablet shopping.
I have 500 bucks to spend. I don't know much about the Iconia other than the reviews being good. Are the problems I've read about honeycomb on the Xoom present here as well? Is 3.1 coming any time soon?
I don't want to buy another iPad
Dammit I thought I was in General Mods please move.
If they're OS related (aka Honeycomb's), then yes, all tablets running Honeycomb have them. Compared to Xoom though, the Iconia is sexier (my opinion), and has a working microSD card slot.
On the other hand it has other problems, e.g. the screen turns on by itself from time to time, and there is (apparently) battery drain from Cell standby (divided opinions on this one).
The thing that got me hooked though was the USB port. At the moment you can attach a keyboard or USB storage, and it works, and it seems with a 3.1 update it will be able to do even more.
Re: 3.1, I've seen a post around here somewhere from a user who contacted support about a problem with the browser, and they stated that the problem would be fixed in the 3.1 update sometime in June. Don't have any additional info.
gunnyman said:
I'm tablet shopping.
I have 500 bucks to spend. I don't know much about the Iconia other than the reviews being good. Are the problems I've read about honeycomb on the Xoom present here as well? Is 3.1 coming any time soon?
I don't want to buy another iPad
Dammit I thought I was in General Mods please move.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Buy it - you'll love it. The combination of features can't be beat. I just tried out this morning the USB mouse (there's an apk floating around this forum somewhere - I just don't remember where it is).
Also, I might point out it's quite sturdy, Gorilla glass screen and, at least for me, I have not had any sudden screen on/off behavior, no hardware issue whatsoever, and excellent battery life. I have WiFi set to turn off when the screen is off and I only lose a few % of battery overnight.
All in all, it's a lot of fun to use
adancau said:
If they're OS related (aka Honeycomb's), then yes, all tablets running Honeycomb have them. Compared to Xoom though, the Iconia is sexier (my opinion), and has a working microSD card slot.
On the other hand it has other problems, e.g. the screen turns on by itself from time to time, and there is (apparently) battery drain from Cell standby (divided opinions on this one).
The thing that got me hooked though was the USB port. At the moment you can attach a keyboard or USB storage, and it works, and it seems with a 3.1 update it will be able to do even more.
Re: 3.1, I've seen a post around here somewhere from a user who contacted support about a problem with the browser, and they stated that the problem would be fixed in the 3.1 update sometime in June. Don't have any additional info.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The xoom has a working microSD card as well via custom kernel. The Iconia is a great tablet but the lack of recovery is what ultimately led me to the xoom. The two are actually very similar. No word on 3.1 yet Gunny, the jurory is still out on what Acers support will look like, another reason I chose the xoom in the end. I enjoyed my time with the Acer. The Acer has lots of potential but it's a tough nut to crack. Even with running stock I didn't like the idea of not being able to complete recover without sending it into Acer.
Although you can kind of recovery by flashing the Chinese update.zip, I would have felt better with a stock US image. Good luck my friend.
Sent from Desire HD or Inspire 4G or whatever this thing is called via premium XDA app.
Im in the same boat. I have the iconia, and am loving it. But I think when my fourteen days comes due I'm going to bring it back, and get the galazy 10.1 and try it. Which ever I like more, I'm keeping.
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA App
I took the plunge today. So far so good.
Seagullbeagle said:
Im in the same boat. I have the iconia, and am loving it. But I think when my fourteen days comes due I'm going to bring it back, and get the galazy 10.1 and try it. Which ever I like more, I'm keeping.
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Tomorrow is my 14th day.. I'm pretty sure I'm going to return it and wait for the 10.1 tab. There are some quirks that are really bothering me about the tab
Screen on and off
Laggy text input while typing.
Sometimes laggy browser.
Considerable lag w/ live wallpaper.
The battery rocks, I've already reset to stock and re-rooted. I also have the ntfs support enabled. I have an external 32gb sd which was a pain to get working. I am bothered that Acer didn't include a file manager. (I know there are plenty out there).
Just my thoughts.
If your looking for another reason to keep your Iconia, take a look at this review:
http://techcrunch.com/2011/05/03/the-five-minor-differences-between-the-motorola-xoom-and-acer-iconia-tab/
I think this review by TechCrunch really breaks down some of the more obvious differences and puts it into perspective as to why the Iconia is a better purchase.
Don't worry about Honeycomb 3.1 ... it'll be out soon enough for the Iconia and someone will ALWAYS hack the system so if your ever worried about being locked out... also give it some time.
lanisan said:
Tomorrow is my 14th day.. I'm pretty sure I'm going to return it and wait for the 10.1 tab. There are some quirks that are really bothering me about the tab
Screen on and off
Laggy text input while typing.
Sometimes laggy browser.
Considerable lag w/ live wallpaper.
The battery rocks, I've already reset to stock and re-rooted. I also have the ntfs support enabled. I have an external 32gb sd which was a pain to get working. I am bothered that Acer didn't include a file manager. (I know there are plenty out there).
Just my thoughts.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
All of the stuff you pointed out can be fixed via a software update.
The Samsung tab losses a lot of input ports to attain its thinness.
No USB, no HDMI, & who knows what else.
mr.r9 said:
All of the stuff you pointed out can be fixed via a software update.
The Samsung tab losses a lot of input ports to attain its thinness.
No USB, no HDMI, & who knows what else.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is why I chose the Iconia over the Xoom or Tab 10.1, updates can fix the laggy stuff, you cant add a usb/hdmi port(unless your a serious modder or computer engineer). Ive only had my Iconia for 3 days but so far I havent had any issues anyone else is talking about.(Screen or Wifi issue).
I think engadget also raised the possibility of the iconia having ddr3 memory, although from what I read on the Nvidia white papers, it only supports ddr2 memory.
Anyone see any breakdowns that identify the memory modules, and if they are truly different from other tabs?
Many perhaps have seen this comparison but for those that have not....
Comparison between the xoom and galaxy 10.1
http://www.androidpolice.com/2011/0...ablet-when-size-does-matter-xoom-comparisons/
Great review ,very informative.
Thanks 4 this. Really thinking of getting this device when it launches on the 8th. If there is work arounds for the lack of ports, and it can be customized other than fast boot, then the thinner form factor and lighter weight is a scale tipper for me.
Up until about a week ago, I also had both the Xoom and the IO Tab 10.1. The Galaxy Tab 10.1 is better in every single way except for one: the dock connector and the button placement. I know a lot of people complained about the Xoom's tiny charging pin, but I loved the fact that there were separate micro USB and HDMI ports. I hate that I have to buy an adapter, and then carry it around everywhere... just in case. I also find myself hitting the power button on accident a lot on the Galaxy Tab, and adjusting the volume requires me to move my hands from their natural placement no matter which orientation I'm holding it in.
My favorite things about the Galaxy Tab (aside from the obvious size and weight) are actually the screen and the speaker placement. The screen on the Galaxy Tab is leaps and bounds better (if you hold the Xoom off-angle, you can actually see the touchscreen sensors), and the speakers on the side make so much more sense than on the back.
I actually tell people that the Galaxy Tab 10.1 is basically as if someone walked into a conference room and said "make me an iPad 2 that runs Android." Ironically, I recently had someone flat out ask me "is that an iPad running Android?!"
I am a bit worried about Samsung support though. I have an Epic 4G, which seems to have gotten significantly worse with the latest update. My IO edition Tab is SUPER buggy (which is understandable for a pre-release product). I'm just hoping that Samsung is prompt with updates that fix more than they break.
TL;DR > Galaxy Tab 10.1 rules, Xoom drools!
Android 3.0 is buggy, especially the stock browser.
One question about the speakers on GT10.1, how is the sound compared to Xoom?
I have both and am wondering if i am doing something wrong as I connect my cable up to my computer and no drive comes up like my xoom? I can transfer info onto the galaxy tab via ADB,,,is this it?
silentshab said:
Up until about a week ago, I also had both the Xoom and the IO Tab 10.1. The Galaxy Tab 10.1 is better in every single way except for one: the dock connector and the button placement. I know a lot of people complained about the Xoom's tiny charging pin, but I loved the fact that there were separate micro USB and HDMI ports. I hate that I have to buy an adapter, and then carry it around everywhere... just in case. I also find myself hitting the power button on accident a lot on the Galaxy Tab, and adjusting the volume requires me to move my hands from their natural placement no matter which orientation I'm holding it in.
My favorite things about the Galaxy Tab (aside from the obvious size and weight) are actually the screen and the speaker placement. The screen on the Galaxy Tab is leaps and bounds better (if you hold the Xoom off-angle, you can actually see the touchscreen sensors), and the speakers on the side make so much more sense than on the back.
I actually tell people that the Galaxy Tab 10.1 is basically as if someone walked into a conference room and said "make me an iPad 2 that runs Android." Ironically, I recently had someone flat out ask me "is that an iPad running Android?!"
I am a bit worried about Samsung support though. I have an Epic 4G, which seems to have gotten significantly worse with the latest update. My IO edition Tab is SUPER buggy (which is understandable for a pre-release product). I'm just hoping that Samsung is prompt with updates that fix more than they break.
TL;DR > Galaxy Tab 10.1 rules, Xoom drools!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hey guys, Aaron from Android Police here. I pinged Artem (the owner of AP and writer of the review) to let him know about this thread. He's super busy, but hopefully he can find a few minutes to pop by this thread later today.
Thanks for checking out the review
poisike said:
One question about the speakers on GT10.1, how is the sound compared to Xoom?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
interested in this as well. the review made it sound like it could be similar to the xoom tho.. which to me is subpar. oh well.. not expecting much out of tablet speakers tho
oh.. and thanks to artem. that was quite an excellent review
poisike said:
Android 3.0 is buggy, especially the stock browser.
One question about the speakers on GT10.1, how is the sound compared to Xoom?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The speakers on the GT10.1 sound MUCH better to me. Perhaps it's just because they're not aimed completely away from me, but I've been pleasantly surprised with the sound quality. I agree that the stock browser has been pretty buggy in 3.0 (though much more on the IO edition GT10.1). I didn't play with 3.1 on the Xoom very much after I got the GT (and I have since returned it), but it definitely felt more polished.
camblue said:
I have both and am wondering if i am doing something wrong as I connect my cable up to my computer and no drive comes up like my xoom? I can transfer info onto the galaxy tab via ADB,,,is this it?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I had to disable USB debugging mode in order to get the MTP file browsing to work over USB. It's really frustrating, and seems to run a Samsung app instead of the default Honeycomb support. This and the Software update (under Settings > About tablet) are just two examples where this does NOT appear to be stock Honeycomb... I'm hoping 3.1 changes this.
Thank you,,,i disabled USB debugging mode and there is still nothing? I can get ADB to work all day long but nothing in fastboot or nothing for file browsing? I tried the kies drivers and P4 escape drivers that Pershoot gave me and nothing seems to work,,,is there something else that I can try?
silentshab said:
The speakers on the GT10.1 sound MUCH better to me. Perhaps it's just because they're not aimed completely away from me, but I've been pleasantly surprised with the sound quality. I agree that the stock browser has been pretty buggy in 3.0 (though much more on the IO edition GT10.1). I didn't play with 3.1 on the Xoom very much after I got the GT (and I have since returned it), but it definitely felt more polished.
I had to disable USB debugging mode in order to get the MTP file browsing to work over USB. It's really frustrating, and seems to run a Samsung app instead of the default Honeycomb support. This and the Software update (under Settings > About tablet) are just two examples where this does NOT appear to be stock Honeycomb... I'm hoping 3.1 changes this.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
camblue said:
Thank you,,,i disabled USB debugging mode and there is still nothing? I can get ADB to work all day long but nothing in fastboot or nothing for file browsing? I tried the kies drivers and P4 escape drivers that Pershoot gave me and nothing seems to work,,,is there something else that I can try?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hmm, I think I used the drivers from this post: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1074802
I have heard some people having problems with thier cables so that is my next step, then i have heard others having problems with leaving USB debugging on so i am trying that but still nothing,,,so I am about to haul off and throw this thing out the window LOL
silentshab said:
Hmm, I think I used the drivers from this post: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1074802
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I wanna get my first tablet. I was thinking about Asus Prime but Asus realeased a product full of bugs and issues that even ICS cant solve. The Galaxy Tab seems like a good product for me. My main use is HD videos, web browsing and reading. Games will be nice too
My main concern about the G Tab is there is no SD card slot. It is realy important to me. There is any way to connect an external memory to it?
How about ICS? did the G Tab get the update?
Thank you
Google EPL-1PLRBEGSTA (I cant post links yet)
Should bring up a USB and SD Card reader adapter for the tablet.
ICS has yet to be released.
and the USB adapter is in the box (at least with mine)
tab 10.1 will get ICS someday (probably earlier with cyanogenmod )
I have the 10.1, and a good friend just got the Asus... all things said and done, i think the 10.1 wins out. The mod community (task650, cyanogen, b00sted, etc) are doing great things with ROM/theme development, so you won't be missing out on that front...
...but my biggest preference over the ASUS is the casing itself - it's surprisingly heavy in comparison, which was a big factor for me in selecting a tablet (if I wanted something bulky and heavy, I'd just carry my laptop around). The keyboard attachment available with the ASUS is better executed than the Samsung keyboard, admittedly - but with the plethora of virtual keyboards available, I find myself rarely missing a physical keyboard. As for the lack of SD slot, I have the USB adapter (3rd party one, but works great - and was far cheaper than the official Samsung one), and have a 4gb stick I use with no issues... the sticks need to be formatted in FAT-32 to work, although pershoot's kernel offers NTFS support.
My two cents - good luck!
I have the 32GB version of the 10.1 and I also have the USB adapter, (the Samsung version). I've had the device since launch day and have yet to run out of internal space. Nevertheless, I have a 64GB usb thumbdrive and have, on occasion plugged it into the tab via the USB adapter to copy a movie to it or transfer a file to the USB drive. I've never had a problem with this setup, so it seems viable. As for an answer to your second question, there are already ICS ROMs available here on XDA, (most if not all are in Alpha,) and Samsung is releasing an ICS update for the entire 2011 range of Galaxy Tabs, (10.1, 8.9, 7.0 Plus, and 7.7.) I hope this info helps. Good luck with your decision.
Thanks for your comments. It is really a hard decision. The Galaxy Tab 10.1 ןד a stable, fast and reliable device, but its Tegra 2 device while the Tegra 3 is coming. I think I will wait a little to see whats coming next.
The G TAB 10.1 seems to be a little expensive for me, compare to the Prime technology. They both 499 USD but at least on paper, the Prime is better.
same price? go with Prime obviously!
One thing I would advise if going with the prime though, is waiting until the newer version comes out. ASUS released the first prime with some rather serious design flaws in the back panel that cause poor wifi, bluetooth, and GPS reception, (the GPS being the most serious.) As a result, they have released an updated version with a new back panel that purports to fix these issues. The unfortunate thing is that the updated Tranfsormer Prime is going to be set at $600-$700 here in the US, so it will be a great deal more expensive than the 10.1, and with the lack of apps that are optimized for dual core, let alone quad core, I don't think the extra $100-$200 is justified. Just my two cents.
czesiu said:
same price? go with Prime obviously!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Have you read the front page of their forum? It's falling apart. Five friends bought the Prime over the holidays and three are returning it.
I had a prime on order due to be delivered tomorrow, but the day after iCS was released I canceled the order. I knew it had gps issues, but it seems like the update is jacking up some tablets and I don't want to take the chance. I bought the SGT 10.1 today with the bluetooth logitech android keyboard. I will consider selling it on ebay is 6+ months if something better comes along that I just must have. I will give this a try though, its charging up now! I know I didn't want to pay $650 (tablet and dock) for something that is potentially broken out the box...
I have not decided yet if I go on the Galaxy or not. I have few more questions:
Can I connect a bluetooth keyboard/mouse to it?
Does it have HDMI output? From what I found, an adaptor is needed.
Well, games are not the reason that I want a tablet, but how the Galaxy run games? I mean, its smooth? laggy?
Thanks
BarryH_GEG said:
Have you read the front page of their forum? It's falling apart.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So I hopped over to the first page of the Transformer Prime General forum and I was floored! I knew that it was having issues and that customers were up-in-arms about it, but I didn't realize the true extent of the problem until I looked at that thread. With as many problems as this device is having, the locked bootloader seems like the least of their problems, but unlocking it is definitely a priority so that a dev can go in and clean up the mess that ASUS seems to have made with this software. The hardware, on the other hand, is another story. No amount of XDA wizardry can fix poorly designed hardware. It seems that ASUS rushed the Prime to market, and in an attempt to be "belle of the ball," as it were, at CES, they rushed this ICS update which seems to have added to owner's woes.
Here's a list of the most prevalent issues with the Transformer Prime, pulled from their "General" section:
1. GPS Issues: GPStest showing no signal whatsoever. Device can't get GPS lock)
2. Wifi Issues: Poor Connectivity/unable to connect to wifi.
3. Bluetooth Issues: Poor Connectivity
4. "Unknown Serial" Error: Many devices are unable to get OTA updates due to the fact that the system can't recognize their serial number. (This one is horrendously bad)
5. MicroSD card slot: Some owners are loosing their cards due to improper design of the slot. Apparently the placeholder from the Prime is very similar to a standard MicroSD, but is not the same size in order to stay in the devices' slot and fit flush.
6. Dock problems with USB: Apparently some of the the docks are incapable of powering or mounting usb devices unless you put the tablet in the dock, connect the USB device, and then restart the tablet while everything is connected.
7. Lockup/Reboot: Since the ICS update, (for those who dodged the "unknown serial" bullett,) the tablet will randomly freeze, the screen will lock up and it will reboot itself.
8. Screen "Banding": After the update, some devices are experiencing "banding," a display of horizontal bars across the screen which interrupt the display and render the underlying display partially visible/unusable.
The issues above are just a few that I've picked out after reading through the first 2 pages of the "General" section in the Transformer Prime forums here at XDA. I pinpointed these issues for a few reasons. First, they have been confirmed by other members/owners and are widespread. Second, they are all recent. Third, these are all rather serious and are not merely the complaints of people upset with functionality or UI changes or issues that can be solved by a mere reboot/reset. It would seem that the Prime, Tegra 3 or not, is not a good bet. If you want a tablet now, go with the 10.1 If you're not sold on the 10.1, there are plenty of other Android tablets out there for you to choose from. For now though, I'd steer clear of the ASUS Transformer Prime
bar_rodoy said:
I have not decided yet if I go on the Galaxy or not. I have few more questions:
Can I connect a bluetooth keyboard/mouse to it?
Does it have HDMI output? From what I found, an adaptor is needed.
Well, games are not the reason that I want a tablet, but how the Galaxy run games? I mean, its smooth? laggy?
Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can connect a bluetooth keyboard and mouse to the tab. I have an Apple bluetooth wireless keyboard (the slim aluminum version), and a Kensington Slimblade Bluetooth mouse. I connect both of them to the tab at once and it is like having a very light, slim, sexy laptop.
You will need an adapter, but you can have HDMI out. You might also want to look into things like allshare and DNLA. These are apps and standards that allow you to stream contents from your tablet to other devices in your home.
Games are wonderful. Although I rarely ever play them, I've loaded mine up with the big games, and they all work wonderfully.
rkmj said:
You can connect a bluetooth keyboard and mouse to the tab. I have an Apple bluetooth wireless keyboard (the slim aluminum version), and a Kensington Slimblade Bluetooth mouse. I connect both of them to the tab at once and it is like having a very light, slim, sexy laptop.
You will need an adapter, but you can have HDMI out. You might also want to look into things like allshare and DNLA. These are apps and standards that allow you to stream contents from your tablet to other devices in your home.
Games are wonderful. Although I rarely ever play them, I've loaded mine up with the big games, and they all work wonderfully.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
OK, and thats only with one core because ICS isnt out yet, so its sounds great. I found a seller on Ebay that sells the G Tab 10.1 at about 420 USD. I will go for it. Thank you all!
Is there a HDMI out via mhl or a standard Samsung connector?
Some of the Adobe apps don't work on screens under 8.9in. Can you root and then hack the config file (my mind blank as to what its called) to set the size of the screen?
Can I modify the keyboard dock for my 8.9 tab to fit the note? (Not as stupid as it sounds. The 8.9 dock is the same as the one for the gtab and the 10.1 tab.)
BTW if any UKer fancies swapping for an iPad3 let me know
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2
I had no problem with any Adobe applications playing Flash or YouTube in the browser.
Yes you can change the DPI but only if rooted.
No the galaxy tab comes with preparatory charging connection while Note has micro USB.
Fortunately I'm not a UKer, so can avoid falling into the iPad swapping trap! ! .
Edit: you have to buy a separate MHL adapter to connect to hdmi via micro USB.
1. It's HDMI via MHL
2. Adobe Photoshop works as long as you add some missing fonts.
3. No idea
Thanks for the information. Cheers.
The Adobe apps I was thinking of were Touch, but also Proto and Collage. Do you know if they can be made to work in the same way?
Sent from my GT-P7310 using Tapatalk 2
Hey guys i'm not from this forum but from the galaxy ace forums.
I'm looking into buying this tab but I just want to know how good is it to live with everyday. I'll just be using it for everyday tasks, web browsing, music, movies and regular fooling around but I would also be starting my masters degree soon so I will want to to take some basic notes and that sort of thing.
I would also like to know how easy it is to root and install custom roms on it, also on average what kind of overclocks can be achieved if I ever need any extra horse power. I was also looking at the Nexus 7 but that does not have any expandable memory slot which sucks and also I think 4 cores for a 7" tab is just being wasteful .
But any way, what are your thoughts on it, I've watched and read the reviews and I know its a good tab I just a want to know how good is it a month or 2 later.
Thanks again for any input guys.
The only thing I wouldn't use it for would be note taking because of trying to type on the keyboard would feel to slow for me. For note taking, I'd think the Note 10.1 would be great because of the s-pen that you could use. It is really easy to flash anything custom to the tablet, just flash recovery via Odin or Heimdall, then boot into recovery and flash whatever you want. I use my tablet for web browsing and as an e-reader and it's fit my uses just fine. Also thinking of using it as a "portable" media player as well since the audio output from the small speakers is really good IMO, and it also has the same audio codec as the SGS3, WM1811, which is a really good audio processor.
amd-dude said:
Hey guys i'm not from this forum but from the galaxy ace forums.
I'm looking into buying this tab but I just want to know how good is it to live with everyday. I'll just be using it for everyday tasks, web browsing, music, movies and regular fooling around but I would also be starting my masters degree soon so I will want to to take some basic notes and that sort of thing.
I would also like to know how easy it is to root and install custom roms on it, also on average what kind of overclocks can be achieved if I ever need any extra horse power. I was also looking at the Nexus 7 but that does not have any expandable memory slot which sucks and also I think 4 cores for a 7" tab is just being wasteful .
But any way, what are your thoughts on it, I've watched and read the reviews and I know its a good tab I just a want to know how good is it a month or 2 later.
Thanks again for any input guys.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
go for it its an excellent tab...
No lags at all...
All your needs will satisfied in a premium touch even without rooting/overclocking the tablet...
It can be overclocked to 1.3 ghz and for rooting tutorial search the forum you will get it...
Thanks for the speedy replies guys...I'm really leaning toward this tab just because of its' priceerformance ratio
Its a great tablet for its price.
Pros-
Sim supported, 3G with 14.4 Mbps speed
Good battery life (comparing to other tablets)
Light weight and looks awesome in white color
64 GB Expandable memory
USB On the go support
Cons-
Some awesome games are not supported (i think it because its new developers will add support soon)
No Gorilla Glass
No HDMI
The Samsung galaxy is full worth the money dude I'm 24x7 online in it using 2g gprs the battery stands for more than one day and the screen on time is 5 to 7 hours depends on the usage with games and stuff that means you can continuous use upto 5 to 7 hours till drain this is he only best tab at 18k to 20 k price range with ICS and don't forget to update to 4.0.4 from 4.0.3 from the box good luck
Sent from my GT-P3100 using xda app-developers app
Well, I strongly disagree about the note taking, I use Evernote, and for note taking it has been a dream-come-true! Its optimized for our screens, and syncs to their servers for backup. Price is very good for what you get. It has a couple of things other 7" tablets dont have, such as GPS (Glonass), and an IR emitter (universal remote for your entertainment system).
This tablet has also had most of its source code released so all the devs here should, in theory, have a field day hacking at it. It also has a very decent CPU and GPU; these chips are used in many other devices aswell, so their technically should be tons of support for lots of games and apps that indulge in nicer hardware (they run smoother, sometimes).
This has become my main music device. I use bluetooth headphones and they, and my tab, support Bluetooth 3.0 and Apt-X Bluetooth lossless audio codec by CSR; listening to music is simply delightful!
Bought mine to replace a Arnova 10g2 that was just not up to the job i wonted it for which was to read E books and Comics (My father now has it now! He loves it?) as the screen was really poor! Happy with the Tab 2 once over-clocked and cyanmod flashed! Got a bit disappointed with the announcement of the Galaxy 7 until they mentioned the lack of external memory support! Still if they release a Nexus 7 with external memory! Then I think my mother might soon be the owner of a nearly new Tab 2! lol!
Good screen, plays Dead Trigger well and SD Slot! What more could you ask for?
amd-dude said:
Hey guys i'm not from this forum but from the galaxy ace forums.
I'm looking into buying this tab but I just want to know how good is it to live with everyday. I'll just be using it for everyday tasks, web browsing, music, movies and regular fooling around but I would also be starting my masters degree soon so I will want to to take some basic notes and that sort of thing.
I would also like to know how easy it is to root and install custom roms on it, also on average what kind of overclocks can be achieved if I ever need any extra horse power. I was also looking at the Nexus 7 but that does not have any expandable memory slot which sucks and also I think 4 cores for a 7" tab is just being wasteful .
But any way, what are your thoughts on it, I've watched and read the reviews and I know its a good tab I just a want to know how good is it a month or 2 later.
Thanks again for any input guys.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm generally pretty happy with this tablet, it was supposed to be a stopgap tablet until the Nexus 7 was officially announced but once I realized that there would be no external storage (which I pretty much knew anyway) I stuck around with this.
I'm not happy with the tablet but I am content with it, if that makes sense.
It doesn't have the fastest processors/gpu, the screen isn't the greatest and the proprietary dock (makes having to buy all new accessories a pain) but as
long as you come into this tablet knowing what to expect, then it's pretty damned good. It doesn't have a huge Rom community but that also cuts down on the over saturation
from some of the more popular phones (have you seen the Galaxy sII or Desire HD forums?!? Ai yi yi) off the top of my head, I think this has a Stripped down stock Rom,
CM9, CM10 (alpha) maybe a Miui Rom which covers all the major basics as far as I'm aware.
I've been running CM9 RC2 since about 2 weeks after I bought this and I'm pretty happy and Once I wake up from this nap I'll probably be flashing CM9 stable & supercharge
it.
I know that I didn't really productively answer your questions but I hope I gave you some perspective on the tablet.
P.S. The thing I hate and I mean hate is the limited internal memory (I think it's 4.7gb or some such) which didn't seem bad at first cuz I was planning
on buying a 32gb card for everything, but apps especially games chew into that space so damn quickly and it doesn't get saved to teh ext card instead, even though I have all my media moved to the external card, I still run into scenario's where I can't update apps because I get that dreaded notification Tablet space is low.
Dev's are working on ways to utilise ext cards for storage bbut there is nothing stable I'm willing to try yet.
I'm running CM1O and its sooooo cool.
The Tab itself is very nice to touch and use . The tab has a nice weight to it and is balanced to hold. one draw back is the placement of the speakers.... sometimes playing games the sound becomes "muffled" due to hand/control positioning. Same as charging /playing music , It is sometimes awkward to use, but not overpowering.
Cant say i have any issues with the Tab , apart from the ones that i have caused lol.
Screen quality is VERY good for a budget tablet /size, same as sound quality.
Storage could become an issue but has workarounds , but over all........ WOW.....LOVIN IT !!!11!!!
I liked it when I bought it but the Nexus 7 is far and away the better 7" tablet in my opinion with one exception. The advantage of the Samsung is the internal micro SD. If you are staying stock, and want to watch media from non cloud based sources, the Samsung is better. If you will be rooting, you can use an OTG USB cable and use micro sd cards on the 7. The 7 is better in almost every other way and has a plain JB interface without the extra bloat Samsung puts on their tablets. My guess is we may never even see an official Jelly Bean release for the Galaxy 2 given the speed at which Samsung updates their software. Of course, there are multiple JB ROM's already out for the Galaxy 2, just not stock versions.
My Galaxy 2 died last weekend. It would just go dead and then required you plug in to the computer and hold the power button for 60 seconds. As soon as the screen would shut off, the same issue occurred. I called Samsung and they were very quick to send me a shipping label to return it for repair. Within 4 days the unit was supposedly repaired with a "Software Upgrade (External Factor)" whatever that means. It should arrive back on Tuesday. Hopefully it is fixed.
Just my opinion....
amd-dude said:
Hey guys i'm not from this forum but from the galaxy ace forums.
I'm looking into buying this tab but I just want to know how good is it to live with everyday. I'll just be using it for everyday tasks, web browsing, music, movies and regular fooling around but I would also be starting my masters degree soon so I will want to to take some basic notes and that sort of thing.
I would also like to know how easy it is to root and install custom roms on it, also on average what kind of overclocks can be achieved if I ever need any extra horse power. I was also looking at the Nexus 7 but that does not have any expandable memory slot which sucks and also I think 4 cores for a 7" tab is just being wasteful .
But any way, what are your thoughts on it, I've watched and read the reviews and I know its a good tab I just a want to know how good is it a month or 2 later.
Thanks again for any input guys.
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I have no complaints. Does everything my Thrive does , i can put JB on, and have used this as a credit Card terminal. I had audio issues with a custom rom and video playback, nothing major. Only things i dont care for are the stock predictive text and that some of my tegra specific apps dont work (this having and OMAP cpu and all).
Was definitely worth the cash since it actually outperforms my Thrive for most uses and cost half as much. Thrive wins points for the full sized usb and hdmi ports though.
Thank you all for your time on replying...I think this is the tab I am gonna settle on...a good solid all rounder.
I have this (the 3G version) for a week now. So far I'm perfectly happy with the purchase. Excellent value for money.
I really like my tab 2 7.0", but....
My Pros
- TouchWiz actually has some nice apps on this device. File manager, email, pop-up apps, power toggles are nice features
- Speakers are awesome
- Expandable memory
- Works great with USB thumb drives, mouse and keyboard (with adapter)
My Cons
- Screen resolution sucks, things are blurry (like most Android tablets). Some newer devices like Nexus 7, Asus Infinity, iPad3 have HD screens
- No TV out
- TouchWiz although I think is quite nice slows it down at times. I rooted and froze a ton of unwanted apps. Not all can be to be disabled through native ICS settings
- Chrome that comes with the latest update crashes a lot. New bookmark widget is also bad. Install ICS browser+ from the market instead.
I got it yesterday, rooted and installed AOKP JB. The size feels perfectly great to me. I have not cycled the battery enough to give any input on tat. Games run awesomly well, including minecraft PE on fancy graphics. Its an awesome tab, i love it
Sent from my GT-P3113 using Tapatalk 2
The Tab27" wireless reciever is weak compared to the Nexus 7
samcory said:
The Tab27" wireless reciever is weak compared to the Nexus 7
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the wireless receiver on galaxy tab 2 7" is the worst thing on this tablet, the second is the battery life with wifi on! i got mine, i like it but......
For typing, Thumb Keyboard is the best coming from a blackberry. The split keyboard is excellent and fully customizable. The only issue is holding this in portrait mode leads to the death grip but if you are note taking and don't need a strong wifi connection you got to try it. Landscape mode resolves this also.
I am going to try a custom rom to help boost this baby up a bit.
Yea this device may start out with OK performance but it does get pretty laggy. Rooting and running a Jellybean ROM will increase performance a good amount.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus