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With the approaching release of the 10.1 and seemingly the 8.9 Galaxy Tabs, there are alot of choices going to be available on the market for Android Tablets. Many other big names are joining the fray...so many of you may be wondering...why Samsung vs the other makers?
Having owned nearly every brand of tablet as they've come along (except Xoom) (yes, I'm a gadget whore...I can't help it!) my preference is with a Samsung Device...here's why:
1) For most of the other vendors it's a first attempt at a Tablet device. Kinks will have to be worked out, and it usually ends up being a 3-6 month adventure of updates to get things smooth. Essentially making the device dated and obsolete at that time. (August 2011..Tegra4 anyone?) Mind you, Samsung had to learn some of these same things with a device that's been on the market for months now...so they've got a head start. Aside from the bugs with a new OS (Honeycomb), they should be releasing a damn solid piece of equipment.
2) Entertainment...so far, none of the other brands have services that at least strive to be similar to iTunes. Samsung Media Hub and it's music service have a way to go yet, but they give me options for entertainment right out of the box. I've rented a few movies through it...and quality & convenience is perfect for what I was looking for.
3) Hardware development...Samsung makes damn good hardware, and I wouldn't be surprised to see those Dual Core cpu's (Exynos...or sumthin?) they've been readying in future Tabs instead of Tegra chips. Aside from that, build quality has never been an issue IMO.
4) Brand Device cooperation...like Apple, Samsung has a whole slew of other devices that I'm sure will play nice with our Tabs. There are a few apps in the market that already point to this direction in the future.
5) Popularity - Samsung has an edge here...and for External Development sake, that's good for the end-user, us. Yes HTC has a huge following in the phone forums, and that will automatically spill over into their Tablets...but like I said, it will be their first venture into that category. The Vibrant forums are continually active and exciting, tho the current Tab forum seems overrun with crickets for the most part. There's still a few devoted devs cranking out Galaxy Tab Rom Goodness!
Don't get me wrong, there ARE some negatives...at the forefront of those is an outdated file system and bloated UI, both of which lag the Samsung devices. I'm hoping Honeycomb will eliminate at least the UI issues, as none of us wants to see Touch-Wiz overlaid on top of the hot 3.0 screenage. We can only keep our fingers crossed at Sammys use of RFS filesystems.
In closing...HTC / Asus / and the others are gonna have to be extremely aggressive out of the gates with their first Tablets to give Samsung a run for our money. Hope my opinions have helped you gain some excitement for March 22nd, and Sammy's announcements! I'd love to see other input that adds onto, or against this train of thought.
Some Linkage...
Exynos CPU
http://phandroid.com/2011/03/04/samsung-exynos-4210-galaxy-s-ii-chipset-rocks-in-3d-gaming-showcase/
Galaxy Tab 8.9
http://www.engadget.com/2011/03/09/samsungs-latest-8-9-inch-galaxy-tab-teaser-hints-impressive-sli/
Galaxy Tab 10.1
http://galaxytab.samsungmobile.com/
http://www.pcworld.com/article/219525/samsung_galaxy_tab_101_first_look.html
Oh...and stay tuned for reviews of both the 10.1 and 8.9 Tabs, I'll need to at least try em out lmao.
wow! thx for the faqs
Thanks for that. Nice outlook on the galaxy 10.1 there. With regards to your mentioned 22nd march, is that the date of UK release?
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HAJ32 said:
Thanks for that. Nice outlook on the galaxy 10.1 there. With regards to your mentioned 22nd march, is that the date of UK release?
Sent from my Desire HD using XDA Premium App
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22nd of March is when Samsung are having an event in Florida. It is widely thought that they will announce the 8.9" Tablet.
It is not known when either tablet will be released. Should be soon though.
Sent from my Amiga 500 using Workbench
Ok thanks. Basically I'm UK based and am desperate to get a tablet. For me its down to the xoom or the Samsung 10.1. I am already able to pre order the xoom for £500 but I am unsure on what to purchase. If the Samsung is much more it may come down to price, but at the moment they are pretty much neck and neck. The only thing I see putting the xoom in front is the SD card slot that should come into use in a near future update.
Sent from my Desire HD using XDA Premium App
There is another advantage not mentioned that is huge for me personnally....
The 10.1 is so much lighter and slimmer than any other available or coming honeycomb tablet.
It's 130g lighter than the Xoom. It has had to sacrifice extra ports to do it, but weight for a portable device is an essential selling point.
I am sure though that connectivity issues will come via an additional port such as HDMI connectivity which is fine for many who actually rarely use Hdmi.
the only minus i can see in the product it the lack of microsd slot, det hdmi and usb part i dont care about, this is 2011 and in 2011 i normally use dlna og manage everything over Wifi and 3g, so what do i need to hdmi for? damn i can't wait to this tablet comes out!
Agreed...I could care less about HDMI port. USB connectivity irks me a little, and seeming lack of SD card slot as well. However, 16gb should be just fine as I'll continue to use my phone as my music player as it's more portable. Video storage might be a concern though.
HMDI output for me is not important, as I have an HTPC setup in my living room. Haven't had cable tv in a few years, using various streaming services for entertainment.
The only reason I wouldn't get the Samsung tablets is because of the cheap plastic Samsung is obsessed with using on all of their devices. Hands-on with the 10.1 have already belittled the device to a "cheap plastic toy tablet". No other well-known major Android manufacturer has taken this approach with any of the announced Honeycomb tablets.
Even the presumed aluminum rim around the GTab 10.1 is said to be plastic. The only reason I will consider their tablets is because of the specs. More specifically the screen.
Eclair~ said:
The only reason I wouldn't get the Samsung tablets is because of the cheap plastic Samsung is obsessed with using on all of their devices. Hands-on with the 10.1 have already belittled the device to a "cheap plastic toy tablet". No other well-known major Android manufacturer has taken this approach with any of the announced Honeycomb tablets.
Even the presumed aluminum rim around the GTab 10.1 is said to be plastic. The only reason I will consider their tablets is because of the specs. More specifically the screen.
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Click to collapse
Couple things to consider here...weight for one. Cost would also factor in. If they release the 10.1 around Xoom pricing, that'd be a mistake. Although, have you held the Xoom? It feels almost identical to the Viewsonic GTab, perhaps slightly more solid because of the aluminum....all the tablets I've gone through have had similar builds, except the iPad. I loved the iPad's durability...just not the closed OS & aspect ratio / build format. I prefer the widescreen build.
The plastic is durable however, without a doubt. In all the posts here on XDA, I've rarely seen a comment regarding the body of a device breaking. Most have shattered a screen. I've dropped my devices extremely rarely...maybe two times over the course of a year, and that was my Vibrant phone. Not even a scratch.Am I overly cautious? Not that I've noticed...I just don't take the tablets when I'm hiking / biking / wrestling / playing football. Plus, I like to sell them when I get bored, so I like them to be mint. Not to mention I NEVER use a device without a case, personal preference.
I don't mind with plastic from Samsung as I own Nexus S. The Nexus S uses this kind of plastic compare to better material from HTC (I own HTC Desire as well). It is still good and durable.
For table features, after I saw and read almost read everything about Xoom:
- SD card slot is not that important for me as long as there is 64GB model. This came from Nexus S that has no SD card either. I can live with no SD card slot. The only thing SD card slot is needed if you really (REALLY) stuff everything to the tablets. That's why 64GB model is important.
- HDMI out is also not important for me as I have dedicated media player at home to stream from my 4TB NAS.
- USB port to connect and sync files with PC. This is required and handy for works. But, probably I can live with accessories if I have to Meaning, a proprietary connector via main connector?
- SCREEN, I really expect much better than Xoom washed out LCD. From 11 minutes video that I saw of GTab 10.1, this might be OK. The screen looks better than Xoom
- Lightness. The lighter, the better, period.
Well, all this Android Honeycomb tablets are just "first generation". There will be some lack of features, half baked features, annoyances and issues. But that's fine for first generation. So, my purchase will be based on that mind set. I will NOT expect much
Most probably I will just simply buy another upcoming hardware in 2012! Which I expect, the Android Honeycomb will be mature enough. And give this 2011 tablet to my wife or as "a toy" for my little daughter
Eclair~ said:
The only reason I wouldn't get the Samsung tablets is because of the cheap plastic Samsung is obsessed with using on all of their devices. Hands-on with the 10.1 have already belittled the device to a "cheap plastic toy tablet". No other well-known major Android manufacturer has taken this approach with any of the announced Honeycomb tablets.
Even the presumed aluminum rim around the GTab 10.1 is said to be plastic. The only reason I will consider their tablets is because of the specs. More specifically the screen.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
One thing to note is that even though the Samsung's products are made of plastic, my Vibrant couldn't be more durable. I like having a metal body which HTC usually has but, even if the Vibrant feels cheap and plasticky, I have used it without a case or screen protector for the entire time I've had it. Dropped it a few times and it hasn't suffered a scratch. Other than that I believe the Galaxy Tab 10.1 will be a solid device and Samsung uses good hardware so no worries there. Only problems I see are the ports on this device and also how updates are going to go. If it's like any of the Galaxy S phones then there might be a few problems. But this is looking to be a top of the line device.
Bandage said:
With the approaching release of the 10.1 and seemingly the 8.9 Galaxy Tabs, there are alot of choices going to be available on the market for Android Tablets.
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Click to collapse
There were 86 new Android tablet models on display at CES
I am looking to upgrade my original 7.0 Tab (running cm9) and am considering both of these devices. I am on Verizon and would still like to be connected to the network as opposed to wifi only (or I would probably just go Nexus 7). Would be interested in hearing everyone's thoughts on which unit is the better way to go. I am leaning 7.7, but the price seems a bit high. Should I be considering a different model?
Thanks in advance.
Sent from my ADR6425LVW using Tapatalk 2
nocaldawg said:
I am looking to upgrade my original 7.0 Tab (running cm9) and am considering both of these devices. I am on Verizon and would still like to be connected to the network as opposed to wifi only (or I would probably just go Nexus 7). Would be interested in hearing everyone's thoughts on which unit is the better way to go. I am leaning 7.7, but the price seems a bit high. Should I be considering a different model?
Thanks in advance.
Sent from my ADR6425LVW using Tapatalk 2
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Click to collapse
The 7.7 is the best small tablet out there, hardware-wise (yes, including the Nexus 7. The Tegra 3 solution has never impressed me, specially with all the performance problems that Nvidia's CPUs have had since the beginning). It is basically an overgrown Galaxy Note, with the fastest dual-core CPU and one of the fastest GPUs out there. The screen is just beautiful. It costs more, but it offers a lot more as well.
However, the OS that comes with it (Honeycomb) is awful. Slow, laggy, unstable. There are official ICS upgrades for the international models, but those have their issues as well. And in your case, if you buy the US Verizon model, you'll have to wait until Verizon offers the software upgrade. This will probably never happen. So, the best option is to go for AOSP-based ROMs, such as CyanogenMod 10 or ParanoidAndroid (both of which are based on JB).
The Tab 2's hardware pales in comparison, but it offers ICS from the box and has a JB leak already out there. It also has CM10/PA/other AOSP ROMs, helped by the fact that its CPU, even though is slower than the 7.7's, is the same as the Galaxy Nexus. Developers call those OMAP4-based devices "easy mode" development...
So, the choice is better hardware versus better software. I chose better hardware, since you can always improve the software but it's hard to improve the hardware of a tablet.
If you're willing to go for something bigger, the Note 10.1 sounds very impressive. It's the only tablet out there with a hardware that is better (IMHO) than the 7.7, and it comes with ICS, with JB coming in the next few months.
---------- Post added at 01:37 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:21 PM ----------
Clarifying my point... Even if you go the AOSP route, the software on the Tab 2 will be better than that on the 7.7. And that's simply because
(a) you'll have JB sources for your device, which helps A LOT;
(b) it's a cheaper device, therefore there will be more devices out there, and so, more developers; and
(c) it's "easy mode". TI releases all the docs, and people have a lot of experience from the Nexus and other similar devices. This is why, for example, the less popular Galaxy SII GT-I9100G had CM10 way before the regular, Enyxos-based GT-I9100.
well, from my experience, av been also a user of the GT - P1000, and i must say that it was the best gadget i ever had, moving to the 7.7 I was hesitating between 7.0 plus and this, never thought about the tab 2 for many reasons.
the truth is, i didn't find the 7.0 plus 3g, so i ended up with the 7.7 3g
i do like the 7.7, holding it in my hand is very confortable (my hands are huge, handy worker) but I HATE THE SMALL FONT, my GT - P1000 was great, i can read on it and use it without problems, but this, no way! by the end of the day you will have a horrible headache because if this tinny text...
no way to change it, even if there is an app who make it bigger (big font) but it laks stability, and the system will be affected, turns it to huge, but without it, you won't be able so see anything.
best regards
Sifou
Galaxy Tab 7.7
I am a Note II owner and love the phone. Then I really felt like buying an Android tablet. I went and got me Asus Transformer Infinity yesterday & boy Do I regret!! I just put an ad to sell it 100$ off price just to get rid of it & get a Note 10.1 !
Here's what pissed me off. Its a ***** to get the bootloader unlocked. You gotta use Asus unlocker tool & their servers dont respond. its been 48 hrs almost and still no luck.
Theres like only 1 or 2 costume roms available for it and for that this needs to be unlocked.
What pissed me off most that it had only 1gig ram. I thought since it was pricier then a Note 10.1 then its probably at least the same specs.
And damn is it laggy! I guess it could be the ICS' fault and that the JB for it will be smoother but right now it cant be compared to smoothnes of my Note phone at all!
The charger connector is also not standard mini usb which sux and the keyboard for it is too pricey!
One thing I was really looking for was to play Tegra 3 games on it & of the 5 games I tried only 1 was not buggy!
anyways... from what Ive seen from the Note 10.1 dev forum it looks just as promising as my NoteII.
so if anyone here thinks I am making a mistake or something I missed plz let me know.
donno why I even bothered buying this. I was so happy with my Note2. It would have been logical to get another galaxy product!
It was an expensive lesson I even ordered a screen protector for it which costs 30bux inc shipping!
I think you're making the right decision, but....
You should know that the Note 10.1 also doesn't use a mini-usb plug. It's also proprietary.
Don't waste your money.
The Note 10.1 didn't have ANY ROMs out when I bought mine,
and technically there still isn't any official JB for my N8013.
I would wait.
The Note 10.1 is not perfect, no tab is. Based on your post,
you seem to be a hasty kinda buyer cuz you seem to not
research your purchases beforehand. Keep in mind:
The Note 10.1 also has a proprietary non-standard charger/connector.
The few available docks if you want one are rare and pricey as well.
The TF700 has a far better display (by ppi)
The Note 10.1 is not tegra 3 but exynos quad.
Samsung is NOTORIOUS for taking forever to push updates
blud7 said:
Don't waste your money.
The Note 10.1 didn't have ANY ROMs out when I bought mine,
and technically there still isn't any official JB for my N8013.
I would wait.
The Note 10.1 is not perfect, no tab is. Based on your post,
you seem to be a hasty kinda buyer cuz you seem to not
research your purchases beforehand. Keep in mind:
The Note 10.1 also has a proprietary non-standard charger/connector.
The few available docks if you want one are rare and pricey as well.
The TF700 has a far better display (by ppi)
The Note 10.1 is not tegra 3 but exynos quad.
Samsung is NOTORIOUS for taking forever to push updates
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's a bit of an overstatement?
No one is saying the Note 10.1 is perfect.
Well, about the lag, the Note 10.1 doesn't lag at all - yes, I'm not saying this just because I own one, it's because it doesn't lag at all.
It's fast and fluid, and with the correct use, it will blaze at an amazing speed.
It has already many custom ROM's available and it's hack-friendly. Samsung releases the open-source very often for their devices.
Oh, and about the updates, Samsung was actually quick to bring in Jelly Bean. It makes your Note 10.1 be twice as fast (in some cases).
You can also have a plethora of keyboards (non-OEM) that are cheap, and some even turn to be covers as well.
All in all, it's a pretty nice buy, but if the non-standard charger/connector is a no-GO, then it's a don't buy this. This tab uses the proprietary connector.
ricardosteve said:
That's a bit of an overstatement?
No one is saying the Note 10.1 is perfect.
Well, about the lag, the Note 10.1 doesn't lag at all - yes, I'm not saying this just because I own one, it's because it doesn't lag at all.
It's fast and fluid, and with the correct use, it will blaze at an amazing speed.
It has already many custom ROM's available and it's hack-friendly. Samsung releases the open-source very often for their devices.
Oh, and about the updates, Samsung was actually quick to bring in Jelly Bean. It makes your Note 10.1 be twice as fast (in some cases).
You can also have a plethora of keyboards (non-OEM) that are cheap, and some even turn to be covers as well.
All in all, it's a pretty nice buy, but if the non-standard charger/connector is a no-GO, then it's a don't buy this. This tab uses the proprietary connector.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
+1 on that add also the multiwindow option /svoice /airview /front stereo speakers and n8000 model can do gsm calls and allot more, i used note II for like a week before buying note 10.1 and personally i think spen on 10.1 is some what more senstive and more ergonomic, something to note also the spen can work as a mouse in web browser to review links, etc and scroll
Sent from my X10S using xda app-developers app
did you vote yes or no ?
hoss_n2 said:
+1 on that add also the multiwindow option /svoice /airview /front stereo speakers and n8000 model can do gsm calls and allot more, i used note II for like a week before buying note 10.1 and personally i think spen on 10.1 is some what more senstive and more ergonomic, something to note also the spen can work as a mouse in web browser to review links, etc and scroll
Sent from my X10S using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
did you vote yes or no ?
I got my Note last Friday and can say that I love it. The quad core and 2GB of RAM keeps it fast and responsive, something I can't say about my first gen Android tablet that this replaces. I'''ll upgrade my Android phone next year once I see which LTE may come to my area; however, I know it will have similar specs to the Note.
toofank said:
I am a Note II owner and love the phone. Then I really felt like buying an Android tablet. I went and got me Asus Transformer Infinity yesterday & boy Do I regret!! I just put an ad to sell it 100$ off price just to get rid of it & get a Note 10.1 !
Here's what pissed me off. Its a ***** to get the bootloader unlocked. You gotta use Asus unlocker tool & their servers dont respond. its been 48 hrs almost and still no luck.
Theres like only 1 or 2 costume roms available for it and for that this needs to be unlocked.
What pissed me off most that it had only 1gig ram. I thought since it was pricier then a Note 10.1 then its probably at least the same specs.
And damn is it laggy! I guess it could be the ICS' fault and that the JB for it will be smoother but right now it cant be compared to smoothnes of my Note phone at all!
The charger connector is also not standard mini usb which sux and the keyboard for it is too pricey!
One thing I was really looking for was to play Tegra 3 games on it & of the 5 games I tried only 1 was not buggy!
anyways... from what Ive seen from the Note 10.1 dev forum it looks just as promising as my NoteII.
so if anyone here thinks I am making a mistake or something I missed plz let me know.
donno why I even bothered buying this. I was so happy with my Note2. It would have been logical to get another galaxy product!
It was an expensive lesson I even ordered a screen protector for it which costs 30bux inc shipping!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm done with ASUS, too...
TF700 has a superb display, and thats about it...mine was laggy,too. OTA wouldn't work, so i did an unlock using ASUS's unlock-tool, tried to update with TWRP and downloaded update.zip - would't work either but kept the tablet in a bootloop. ASUS of course refuses warranty because unlock, tries to charge me repaircosts 90% of a brandnew device - come on guys, kidding??? Sold the keyboard, bought the note 8010, fast and smooth with root and Team Union Jelly Bean...an expensive lesson for me, too...
I'm not bashing the Note. I have the phone and the tab as well and love both.
I'm commenting on the op's qualms about the choice he made, which he regrets.
All I'm saying is the op obviously didn't do any research before buying. Some of the
stuff he hates about the Asus TF are also present with the Note. Which means he
is still making the same mistake of not researching.
The reason I said he should keep it is cuz he seems to be guilt-tripping over a perfectly
good purchase. That and he's going to sell his perfectly good tab and be out $100 bucks
because of it.
And you're making a point of there being cheaper docks for the Note 10.1.
Cheaper dock options are also available for the TF700.
And no, the note does NOT have LOTS of ROMs but dev is heading there. On that subject
I was saying that if he waits, dev will get better for the TF.There are ~20 custom ROMs
on xda for the TF700 and less than ten for the Note 10.1. Two or three for the WiFi only devices.
I still also maintain that Samsung drags its feet when it comes to updates.
The TF had JB since October. As of writing this there still is no JB for the N8013, no
leak, no official. Asus is in fact known for their frequent updates.
The tab has quality control issues as I well. I had to return the first one I bought since
the screen was defective. If you read up, this very forum will confirm that I was not alone
in this. Some report lag with the software. Asus is well known for having poor quality
control though.
With all that said, I considered both tabs when buying, did my research and bought the
Note. I love the one I have now and don't regret it at all. It is amazingly good despite any reviews
saying this or that is better.
I've had both and the Note is a better choice (for me at least). A lot less lag and more options. I have the OG note for my phone and have it running stock android. I much prefer touchwiz on the 10.1. Multi window is awesome and I actually use the IR blaster a lot more than I thought I would. Lots of cool features that vanilla android doesn't offer. I vote Note
Sent from my big 10 inch..
Since the Note and N10 have come out the TF700 forum has become a ghost town. Picture tumbleweed. Scott Crossler, the magician who made the TF700 usable, is no longer supporting it. Others are trying to keep up his work but picture "Otto Pilot" from the movie Airplane. Asus has done little or no marketing for the TF700 and it's just sort of floating out there. Asus’ Q3 sales of 10.1" tablets was actually down year-over-year.
Here's my elevator conversation summary of the three most talked about Android tablets:
Note 10.1 - It's the most complete tablet available (any OS) and has unique features like multiview, inking via a Wacom digitizer with palm rejection, S-Note, and a slew of Samsung developed features not available elsewhere that make it a joy to use. It's powerful, has JB (kind of), has great sounding front mounted speakers, gets above average battery life, and has a great display with decent (for Samsung) color accuracy, good contrast, and is nicely bright. There are two downsides and they apply mostly to consumption-only buyers. The 720P display isn't as good on text and computer generated graphics as higher PPI tablets and all the things that make the Note great at creation and productivity add a lot of complexity for people that aren't going to use those features. It's also available with 3G and when so equipped it doubles as a giant phone. The only tablet I'd consider replacing my Note with is another Note with a higher PPI display.
N10 - I, like many people, saw the specs for the N10 before it was released and thought it was "game over" for all other 10.1" Android tablet makers. As it turns out the N10 is a "value" tablet not a "high-end" tablet. It has the highest PPI of any tablet on the planet but it's fairly dim, is pretty warm, and has just average contrast. The number of N10's reported with light bleed on their displays is pretty shocking (at any price) for a Samsung-built tablet. The N10's A15 SoC is state-of-the-art and kick-ass powerful. But, because of the mammoth PPI it's powering, it's no more powerful than the Note. It also has a bizarre quasi-phone UI which wastes a tremendous amount of display real estate and looks awkward on a 10" tablet. It's "Pure Google" which is fantastic for updates but, feature wise, it's a barren wasteland compared to the features bundled with TW. Battery life is below average and recharging time is six hours. The N10 is a great consumption device for the price. And that's about it.
TF700 - The Infinity is nothing more than a gussied up Prime which means its design is over a year old. It's also using a Teg3 SoC whose design is eighteen months old and at the end of its useful life and now used primarily in budget devices. It has no 5GHz Wi-Fi, uses single channel memory (the Note and N10 are dual channel), has 1GB of RAM, has IO issues that Asus has made famous, and is built using outdated components that, in a lot of cases, are from second-tier manufacturers (EG: AzureWave Wi-Fi radios). Asus' QC is dreadful, their repair center in TX horrible, and to unlock the bootloader you agree to completely void your warranty. There are a couple of things that are unique and, IMHO, the only reason people should be looking at a TF700. They are: the keyboard which also extends battery life, expandable storage, and the Super IPS display that makes it great for outdoor use. Someone only looking for PPI is better off with a N10.
So, as someone above said, no tablet's perfect. Of the three, I think living with the Note's perfectly acceptable but lower PPI display involves the least amount of compromise. For someone wanting/needing a higher PPI the N10's a decent choice and a good value. For someone who has to have a keyboard and/or higher PPI and expandable storage there's the TF700. But based on it and Asus' history, declining sales, and price, you're probably better off leaving Android and buying a W8 tablet.
BarryH_GEG said:
Since the Note and N10 have come out the TF700 forum has become a ghost town. Picture tumbleweed. Scott Crossler, the magician who made the TF700 usable, is no longer supporting it. Others are trying to keep up his work but picture "Otto Pilot" from the movie Airplane. Asus has done little or no marketing for the TF700 and it's just sort of floating out there. Asus’ Q3 sales of 10.1" tablets was actually down year-over-year.
Here's my elevator conversation summary of the three most talked about Android tablets:
Note 10.1 - It's the most complete tablet available (any OS) and has unique features like multiview, inking via a Wacom digitizer with palm rejection, S-Note, and a slew of Samsung developed features not available elsewhere that make it a joy to use. It's powerful, has JB (kind of), has great sounding front mounted speakers, gets above average battery life, and has a great display with decent (for Samsung) color accuracy, good contrast, and is nicely bright. There are two downsides and they apply mostly to consumption-only buyers. The 720P display isn't as good on text and computer generated graphics as higher PPI tablets and all the things that make the Note great at creation and productivity add a lot of complexity for people that aren't going to use those features. It's also available with 3G and when so equipped it doubles as a giant phone. The only tablet I'd consider replacing my Note with is another Note with a higher PPI display.
N10 - I, like many people, saw the specs for the N10 before it was released and thought it was "game over" for all other 10.1" Android tablet makers. As it turns out the N10 is a "value" tablet not a "high-end" tablet. It has the highest PPI of any tablet on the planet but it's fairly dim, is pretty warm, and has just average contrast. The number of N10's reported with light bleed on their displays is pretty shocking (at any price) for a Samsung-built tablet. The N10's A15 SoC is state-of-the-art and kick-ass powerful. But, because of the mammoth PPI it's powering, it's no more powerful than the Note. It also has a bizarre quasi-phone UI which wastes a tremendous amount of display real estate and looks awkward on a 10" tablet. It's "Pure Google" which is fantastic for updates but, feature wise, it's a barren wasteland compared to the features bundled with TW. Battery life is below average and recharging time is six hours. The N10 is a great consumption device for the price. And that's about it.
TF700 - The Infinity is nothing more than a gussied up Prime which means its design is over a year old. It's also using a Teg3 SoC whose design is eighteen months old and at the end of its useful life and now used primarily in budget devices. It has no 5GHz Wi-Fi, uses single channel memory (the Note and N10 are dual channel), has 1GB of RAM, has IO issues that Asus has made famous, and is built using outdated components that, in a lot of cases, are from second-tier manufacturers (EG: AzureWave Wi-Fi radios). Asus' QC is dreadful, their repair center in TX horrible, and to unlock the bootloader you agree to completely void your warranty. There are a couple of things that are unique and, IMHO, the only reason people should be looking at a TF700. They are: the keyboard which also extends battery life, expandable storage, and the Super IPS display that makes it great for outdoor use. Someone only looking for PPI is better off with a N10.
So, as someone above said, no tablet's perfect. Of the three, I think living with the Note's perfectly acceptable but lower PPI display involves the least amount of compromise. For someone wanting/needing a higher PPI the N10's a decent choice and a good value. For someone who has to have a keyboard and/or higher PPI and expandable storage there's the TF700. But based on it and Asus' history, declining sales, and price, you're probably better off leaving Android and buying a W8 tablet.
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Click to collapse
I would really like your opinion on why you think the n8013 in the US has not seen the JB update and why there seems to be not even a peep about it. All promotion of the note 10.1 happens only on the Samsung Mobile International Facebook Page, including the big Christmas vid, but not word about the 10.1 on the Samsung Mobile USA page. It is like the product vanished.
Thoughts?
rap6388 said:
I would really like your opinion on why you think the n8013 in the US has not seen the JB update and why there seems to be not even a peep about it. All promotion of the note 10.1 happens only on the Samsung Mobile International Facebook Page, including the big Christmas vid, but not word about the 10.1 on the Samsung Mobile USA page. It is like the product vanished.
Thoughts?
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Click to collapse
Because HTC, Motorola, and Samsung all suck at managing device updates. Before I got my N2 two weeks ago I was using a Teg3 One X. In an official press release with quotes from their CEO HTC said the Teg3 One X JB roll-out was going to be in October. Taiwan (HTC's home country) got a JB update in October that was so bad the roll out was stopped for the rest of the world. It started again two weeks ago and only five regions out of over a dozen have received it. In between, regional HTC offices have been providing inaccurate and conflicting updates on what the JB schedule really is.
Back to Samsung. Having nothing to do with updates Samsung's s/w management process is a cluster f-k. A single device can have over twenty four "current" versions of s/w running on it because Samsung creates unique s/w for each region a device is sold in. A good example is that while rolling out JB to the N8000 they were still releasing 4.0.4 ROMs in certain regions of the world. So there are newer ICS ROMs than there are JB. HTC rolls out a single version of "current" s/w that all of their devices globally (except specific Asian markets) get updated to within the span of a few weeks. So HTC's managing two versions (global and Asia) of s/w per device while Samsung's managing dozens. And the complexity this creates makes Samsung's update process overly complex and difficult for us on the outside to track and make sense of.
So, the short answer to your question of "where's the N8013's JB update?," is that it's stuck somewhere in Samsung's plumbing waiting to be deployed. It's fun to talk about reasons for delays like patent issues and the like but I really think it’s just Samsung being Samsung. The OG 8.9 on AT&T just got ICS last week after the rest of the world received it in August. Go figure.
The upside is that Samsung's s/w is versatile for end-users to manage with Odin so that when a newer ROM comes out for a different region you can just use that with no repercussions. My Brazilian N2 is running a Panamanian ROM and my also Brazilian Note 10.1 is running a British ROM. At some point soon either someone on XDA or Samfirmware is going to post a complete MD5 file for the N8010. Once that happens every 8010/3 user can update to it using Odin without the current complexity of loading a new ROM followed by using recovery to update it to JB from SD. Look at it this way; at least we have some options. The poor folks waiting on HTC and Motorola just have to wait.
This is kind of old but makes the point of how complex Samsung's s/w managment process is. This is a list of ROMs deployed just for the N8000. Kind of scary.
I don't understand what the problem is with the proprietary connector? Seems to work fine for me.
SkizzMcNizz said:
I don't understand what the problem is with the proprietary connector? Seems to work fine for me.
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Click to collapse
The problem is twofold:
Compatibility
Portability
Which are two sides of the same coin. You must use Samsung's connector
which limits your options for peripherals, unless you get an adapter. Even
then the lack of a separate HDMI port and the fact that you can't charge via
your PC's USB port (not enough current) are annoying. And you can't use your
devices chargers which means one more charger to carry around.
blud7 said:
The problem is twofold:
Compatibility
Portability
Which are two sides of the same coin. You must use Samsung's connector
which limits your options for peripherals, unless you get an adapter. Even
then the lack of a separate HDMI port and the fact that you can't charge via
your PC's USB port (not enough current) are annoying. And you can't use your
devices chargers which means one more charger to carry around.
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Click to collapse
small price to pay for the dogs bollocks of android tabs, I have been putting off buying waiting for decent specs with micro sd, bought a nexus 7 & took it back next day, felt like cheap plastic crap! I would love to see a review for the note 10.1 based on a price of £268 which is what I paid after cashback, im sure it would get editor's choice awards across the board!
goodie said:
small price to pay for the dogs bollocks of android tabs, I have been putting off buying waiting for decent specs with micro sd, bought a nexus 7 & took it back next day, felt like cheap plastic crap! I would love to see a review for the note 10.1 based on a price of £268 which is what I paid after cashback, im sure it would get editor's choice awards across the board!
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I was just answering his question :crying:
And that's a good price. I paid $499 plus shipping.
You can charge on a PC's USB... Just reeeeeeeeeally slowly.... Best to leave overnight to charge in this instance, but I have been using it before and charging at the same time...
Thanks for all the info. Im still waiting for someone to buy the asus
The thing that was most dissapointing was the lag. Jerky surfing and delayed responses.
Dont care much about that tiny higher screen resolution
blud7 said:
Don't waste your money.
The Note 10.1 didn't have ANY ROMs out when I bought mine,
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Click to collapse
The JB update came out the day I bought mine so YMMV.
and technically there still isn't any official JB for my N8013.
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Which is relevant only if the N8013 is the version he is going to buy (and seeing that he is from Norway it most probably is not).
The Note 10.1 is not perfect, no tab is.
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Sure but IMNSHO it's the best one out there.
Based on your post, you seem to be a hasty kinda buyer cuz you seem to not
research your purchases beforehand.
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Agreed, how could he assume for example that the Transformer had to have 2GB of Ram just because it was more expensive... :silly:
[*]The Note 10.1 also has a proprietary non-standard charger/connector.
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Yes, which means neither of them has an advantage over the other in this respect.
[*]The few available docks if you want one are rare and pricey as well.
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False, I got a Samsung original desktop dock (stand, charge and audio out) for € 20 (in Italy) and it works with practically all of the Samsung 7" and 10" tablet lines.
[*]The TF700 has a far better display (by ppi)
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Which is its ONLY advantage.
[*]The Note 10.1 is not tegra 3 but exynos quad.
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Which is actually a PLUS (unless you are a gamer maybe, which I am not).
[*]Samsung is NOTORIOUS for taking forever to push updates
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False, Asus has been one of the best ones for their tablet line but Samsung is not bad at all when you compare it with all of the others and has actually been pretty good with their smartphones.
I run the official JB on my Note 10.1 3G and should get the official JB update on my OG Note very soon.
What he should keep in mind is:
- the Note 10.1 has 2GB RAM (a killer spec for how I use it)
- MultiWindow
- the 3G version is one of the handful of 10" tablets in the world (all of them Samsung AFAIK) that have full GSM call and message capabilities (another killer spec for me)
- it has the S-Pen (I don't use it all that often but when I need it it's VERY useful)
- very good and loud stereo audio
- Touchwiz and Samsung added SW, services and personalizations
- I don't know how it would do with games (I don't have a single one installed on my mobile devices) but on everything else the quad-core Exynos is the fastest and smoothest Android tablet I have ever seen.
- very good battery life
- one of the very best non-HD displays
- light and with a PLASTIC back (I HATE metal bodies!!!!)
- it has an IR blaster and you can use it as a smart remote
I bought the Note 10.1 a couple of months after it's launch in the US, and I have been using it in school to take notes on lectures ever since.
My friend bought the 2014 edition a few months back and I noticed that it just falls short. Yes, it's good, but it's no where near as good as ours is.
First and foremost - the battery is stronger. He squeezes out a day of usage while I can go to school 3 days in a row without getting near a charger.
The note 10.1 surprisingly does not lag. I think that it's one of the only samsung devices out there that don't lag with Touchwiz. The 2014 edition lags even when you pull down the notification shade.
Even the 2014 main advantage - it's display - is not worth it. The quality on the original note is so damn good that resolutions don't matter. I gave a few people the chance to compare them. The majority pointed on my tablet, claiming it had the better screen. The sheer quality of the display definitely makes up for the not-so-high resolution.
These are just some few basic things. If you go in deeper you'll surely find other little causes to favour the one over the other. But looking on the big things - battery, UI and general feel and even the display of the Note 10.1 are superior to the new 2014 Edition. If you have a 2012 edition and are considering whether to upgrade or not - save your cash. The 2012 is simply the better one.
Even Though That 2014 Edition might be thinner and smaller in size and looking better
but old one can do everything very well
i don't even Consider buying the new one because it will just be waste of money
i love my note and i think it's more than enough for me ^_^
Just bought the 2012, refurb from a major UK seller with 12 months warranty, half the price of cheapest 2014 I could find - well happy.
The only feat the 2014 edition Galaxy Note 10.1 has over the original Note 10.1 is the higher resolution.
2560 x 1600 on a 10.1" screen is beyond overkill.
about as much as the 1920x1200 resolution of my Nexus 7. I wish the Nexus 7 had capacitive buttons and not on screen dock buttons taking up the screen.
The Note 10.1 (N8000) is originally planned to run fluently with 1GB of RAM only (similar to Note 1 N7000), but its RAM is doubled (2x) at the last minute, making every specs twice the Note 1 with the same resolution, so it is more than enough even now. :good:
On the other hand, the Note 10.1 2014 only has its RAM boosted to 3GB (1.5x), its octa-core still operates in each group of four instead of true octa-core so they're not that much better, but the screen resolution becomes four times the N8000's, so it's somewhat insufficient. In fact, it is possible that the lag often occured when the tablet switches from the 'power-saving' group of CPUs (1.2Ghz x 4) to the 'performance' one (1.9Ghz x 4), so the Qualcomm version might be better.
About the screen: the 2014 one has higher resolution, which means in order to look nice everything displayed on it should at least match the huge resolution. The N8000 on the other hand still has HD resolution, which is quite good (considering HD was once a hype in TVs), and everything bigger than HD is guaranteed to look nice on it.
Yes n8000 is quite good all the way. Im not either going to replace this by 2014 or Pros. A minor (for me, huge) issue is the lack of a newer OS, but if you dont use smart-accessories, share SNote, you will be fine. Im using Sonys sw2 and unfortunately there is growing numbers of apps that require the API level of the newer OS than it is in A4.1.2 :/
Sent from my Galaxy Note 10.1 (N8000).
One big thing that the note has going for it is support. I am not even sure if Samsung remembers this device.
I hate the home button on a tablet on a phone it's nice so it doesn't eat up space on a tablet with ample space navigation bars are a blessing. No matter how you hold the tablet you have access to the Navy bar unfortunately with a physical home button now you have to flip it around if you hold it a certain way.
Sent from my Nexus 5 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
I bought my n8013 last month after reading lots of reviews. Unfortunately, I did not look at XDA. It never even dawned on me that a tablet as awesome as this one would not even be brought up to the level of OS that my dual-core S3 was at. Still can't believe it. Having said that, this thing flies on Hyperdrive, has no lag at all with Nova launcher. But this machine really deserves at least one more major update. If the S5 is not the absolute best phone on the market when it is released, I think I will be done with Samsung's stuff for a while. I'll use and love this tablet till it falls apart tho.
Sent from my GT-N8013 using xda app-developers app
Latest isn't always greatest.
Keep in mind that 4.4 will not allow you to install flash player, so you may want to get N8013 if you rely on flash.
I'd be content with 4.2 of Jelly Bean.
mingkee said:
Latest isn't always greatest.
Keep in mind that 4.4 will not allow you to install flash player, so you may want to get N8013 if you rely on flash.
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Really explain to me how I'm running flash on my nexus 5 ? Works really good with Dolfin :what:
Sent from my Nexus 5 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
ilostmypistons said:
Really explain to me how I'm running flash on my nexus 5 ? Works really good with Dolfin :what:
Sent from my Nexus 5 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
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I have 4.4 on my Nexus 7 and I can confirm that Flash playback does not work well.
Try to play Youtube video embed.
GodSlayer said:
I bought the Note 10.1 a couple of months after it's launch in the US.
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I was one of the first on XDA to get a N10.1-12 in August, 2012, when it was launched. It replaced a year-old G-Tab 10.1 (which had the same screen resolution BTW). I've had a N10.1-14 since October. So I have lots of Samsung tablet experience. To say that the display on the '12 is "superior" to the '14 is ridiculous. The display on the N10.1-12 was painful from day one and Samsung was ridiculed for releasing such a high-end device without a 1,900x1,200 display which Asus and Acer were already offering. When I had a N2 going between it and the N10.1-12 was livable. The N10.1-12 was pretty much history after I got a N3 because of the pronounced difference in their displays.
The difference in form factor, design, and materials between the two is another big selling point for the N10.1-14. The N10.1-12 looked just like every other Samsung tablet and not like the flagship it was. And not a single reviewer had anything positive to say about the glossy plastic back and obviously plastic metallized bezel. The only benefit of the old design was front facing speakers but the N10.1-14's are certainly loud enough and most agree that the reduction in size by moving them to the sides was a worthy trade-off.
As for s/w changes the N10.1-14 adapts the same Multi View methods used in the N3. It's kind of jarring coming from the N10.1-12 but after using it for a while the changes Samsung made start to make sense. Using Air View to open apps with Pen Window is fantastic. You can have a browser present and minimized as an icon constantly available no matter where you are in the UI and no matter what you're doing. Leaks have already appeared of 4.4 with Magazine UX for the N10.1-14. In it, the number of Pen Window apps have tripled and the ability to "cascade" multiple apps is being introduced (it was a feature from the N10.1-12 that was missing). There's nothing from the N10.1-12 that I miss s/w wise.
The N10.1-12 is a great device and for people buying it today for $200'ish it's a great value based on the function it provides. Nothing's going to make a 147 PPI display acceptable when even today's low-end 7" tablets have it beat. And that low PPI display is the only reason the performance of the N10.1-12 is still adequate. The Exynos chip and Mali 400 GPU it uses are the same as what's in the SGS3 which debuted in March, 2012; almost two years ago.
And for those with short memories the N10.1-12 shipped with 4.0.4 and wasn't upgraded to 4.1 and the "Premium Suite" until January, 2013. There were tons of issues with the N10.1-12's launch s/w and plenty of lag; especially when multiple apps were open. So the N10.1-14 does have some occasional transition lag but is due to receive a major update this month; less time than the five months it took Samsung to update the N10.1-12 so it performed to its full potential.
You're entitled to your opinion and I'm not trying to change it. But as someone whose owned both devices I wouldn't want someone to buy the N10.1-12 today without some counter point to consider because you and I have greatly differing opinions.
the_game_master said:
I have 4.4 on my Nexus 7 and I can confirm that Flash playback does not work well.
Try to play Youtube video embed.
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Click to collapse
Theres a hacked version in the Nexsus 5 Q&A section maybe you can give it a try on your N7. It works real well on the N5. DL link: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B1qjrD8ZER9ITmlVNW1EVWM5YlE/preview
Sent from my GT-N5110 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
BarryH_GEG said:
I was one of the first on XDA to get a N10.1-12 in August, 2012, when it was launched. It replaced a year-old G-Tab 10.1 (which had the same screen resolution BTW). I've had a N10.1-14 since October. So I have lots of Samsung tablet experience. To say that the display on the '12 is "superior" to the '14 is ridiculous. The display on the N10.1-12 was painful from day one and Samsung was ridiculed for releasing such a high-end device without a 1,900x1,200 display which Asus and Acer were already offering. When I had a N2 going between it and the N10.1-12 was livable. The N10.1-12 was pretty much history after I got a N3 because of the pronounced difference in their displays.
The difference in form factor, design, and materials between the two is another big selling point for the N10.1-14. The N10.1-12 looked just like every other Samsung tablet and not like the flagship it was. And not a single reviewer had anything positive to say about the glossy plastic back and obviously plastic metallized bezel. The only benefit of the old design was front facing speakers but the N10.1-14's are certainly loud enough and most agree that the reduction in size by moving them to the sides was a worthy trade-off.
As for s/w changes the N10.1-14 adapts the same Multi View methods used in the N3. It's kind of jarring coming from the N10.1-12 but after using it for a while the changes Samsung made start to make sense. Using Air View to open apps with Pen Window is fantastic. You can have a browser present and minimized as an icon constantly available no matter where you are in the UI and no matter what you're doing. Leaks have already appeared of 4.4 with Magazine UX for the N10.1-14. In it, the number of Pen Window apps have tripled and the ability to "cascade" multiple apps is being introduced (it was a feature from the N10.1-12 that was missing). There's nothing from the N10.1-12 that I miss s/w wise.
The N10.1-12 is a great device and for people buying it today for $200'ish it's a great value based on the function it provides. Nothing's going to make a 147 PPI display acceptable when even today's low-end 7" tablets have it beat. And that low PPI display is the only reason the performance of the N10.1-12 is still adequate. The Exynos chip and Mali 400 GPU it uses are the same as what's in the SGS3 which debuted in March, 2012; almost two years ago.
And for those with short memories the N10.1-12 shipped with 4.0.4 and wasn't upgraded to 4.1 and the "Premium Suite" until January, 2013. There were tons of issues with the N10.1-12's launch s/w and plenty of lag; especially when multiple apps were open. So the N10.1-14 does have some occasional transition lag but is due to receive a major update this month; less time than the five months it took Samsung to update the N10.1-12 so it performed to its full potential.
You're entitled to your opinion and I'm not trying to change it. But as someone whose owned both devices I wouldn't want someone to buy the N10.1-12 today without some counter point to consider because you and I have greatly differing opinions.
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You and I are quite the opposite. I bought my N8000 four months ago, and despite being able to get the 2014 version, I decided not to. I will tell you why.
1/ Yes, the 10.1 2014 is more powerful, but it does not make the N8000 any less so. I moved to my N8000 from the sk17i SE Mini Pro, and the sk17i is the same powerful device as the original Galaxy S, specs-wise: 1Ghz single-core and 512MB of RAM. With the power of the -once- most powerful mobile device, it still had things that couldn't be done, why? Because the Galaxy S was the very best they could give you at its time. The best of that time was simply not sufficient, that was why people longed for more (Btw, the sk17i still completed most of the tasks I expected). When I moved to the N8000, which has four times the sk17i's specs, the tasks I gave to my device mostly remained the same: word processing (not as nicely as the sk17i with its hardware keyboard, though), web browsing and email, plus being my personal drawing canvas, and all of those have always been completed without lag. What I mean is, there was a time when even the best they could offer was not adequate, but now there exists a line in specifications that, when you cross it, it does not make any difference no matter how far you cross it. No matter how many years it has been, either. OEMs always compete; specs have outgrown the actual needs for it, CPUs and RAM outgrown what an average PC once has, and screen resolution/dpi gone beyond what the eye can see. All for the privilege to brag that "My device is better than your device", and do so for, like, a month? Now, tell me what you can't do without the 2014 version's specs, some kind of multi-gigs 3D games that you play for a few minutes each day? No problem, I will live without it.
2/ The 10.1 2014 portrays what I personally call 'Google's major design flaw' and what Samsung has to come up with to improvise: the hardware navigation buttons. I have written this multiple times, but again, since Android 4.2+, the tablet UI no longer exists (though developers still manage to pull it out from the depth of codes till its complete removal in 4.4). Since the Tab 3 generation (including the cute Note 8.0) it has been determined that Samsung tablets will operate with Android 4.2+ as the final update, so all these devices are equipped with hardware navigation buttons as preparation. As for the N8000, can you download the harware buttons from the Internet? Of course not. So if a 4.2+ update for the N8000 ever existed, it would stand out from the rest of Samsung tablets and have to be specially made. Maybe the guys at Samsung was preparing the 4.2 update when 4.3 came out. Maybe when they decided to skip 4.2 and moved to developing the 4.3 update, when suddenly 4.4 came out. Maybe they then decided to once again skip the underdeveloped 4.3 update for 4.4, or decided it was not worth the effort and abandoned ship, whatever took them that long to deliver absolutely nothing. But I can tell you, a flagship device like the N8000 having no update till now is not entirely Samsung's fault, much less the N8000's. Blame Google for releasing Android versions so quickly with little changes, user-wise (Okay, having no Tablet UI is a big change here). Whether or not there is an update remains a test of faith, or even an inside joke, remember Half-Life 3?
__________
With those aside, I agree with you that the 2014 version feels much more premium; it was such a pleasure holding it in my hand. The size, weight and material is admirable, especially from Samsung.
The size of the new unit rocks. And there is about where it ends. I have a TabPro 10.1 here I may return, especially since we will be getting kitkat. While the smaller size and weight is really nice, I have 2 major problems with it....
1) Stupid Physical Home Buttons. Hate it on their phones, hate it on their tabs. Especially annoying on tabs in portrait mode.
2) Our original note 10.1 has far superior multi-windowing, imo. I didn't much care for it on the Note 10.1 2014 (android 4.3) and they've changed it again in 4.4.2 on the *Pro tabs. My concern is that the kitkat update to ours is going to change it to the new method.
TabPro 10.1 returned. Just not convinced the "upgrade" actually is an upgrade to this tablet. In waiting mode
Hi,
I can get a brand new Note 8 for $200 CAD. Do you think it is still worth it to get? Is the $200 asking price reasonable for a two year old technology? Can $200 get a newer technology? I will mainly use it for web browsing, email, and stuff like that. I was planning to get the Tab S 8.5. Bestbuy has it on clearance for $329. What do you think?
I can tell you that I was surprised to find that there Isn't anything out there right now from Samsung worth replacing my Note 8 with. Although I've grown kinda restless with it the screen is better than some of the new offerings. The Tab A 9 inch tablet has a screen that's of way worse quality. The Note 8 is actually pretty stout. Check out some benchmarks on it, I'm sure it holds its own with some of the newer tablets. The screen is also nice, it's not killer by today's standard but still better than 70% of what's out there even now.
God no, this tablet is around 3 years old now, and is running 3 year old tech. Screen is not great (for today that is), battery life is poor (again for today), and it doesn't seem like you'll have any use for the pen, which is the only real purpose for this tablet, and what differentiates it from the rest. And with that, pen support is poor, S-Note is a worthless app, and 3rd party support for the pen is poor. Paying $200 for it is beyond insane.
Still rocks
My Note 8 3G on TouchWiz 4.4.4 still gives me 16+ hrs screen time (mostly book reading & writing) even after two years (obviously after de-bloating & tweaking). It's pretty solid with no issues whatsoever. This may not be the thing for those who always need the latest this or that, but I wouldn't change this tablet for anything yet -- is there any really worthy replacement?
I'm going to get right to what you want to hear. No, for $200 the Note 8 isn't worth it nowadays. You'd be better off taking that same $200 into a pawn shop and buying a decent laptop. You're just using it for browsing the web and checking email. Plus you can do so much more with a PC than you could on a tablet.
If you want web browsing, etc. Spend the $200 towards a Chromebook. Best browsing out there. Dell & HP ones are really great.
AkiOrpheus said:
My Note 8 3G on TouchWiz 4.4.4 still gives me 16+ hrs screen time (mostly book reading & writing) even after two years (obviously after de-bloating & tweaking). It's pretty solid with no issues whatsoever. This may not be the thing for those who always need the latest this or that, but I wouldn't change this tablet for anything yet -- is there any really worthy replacement?
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Click to collapse
Well, you didn't answer his question. Would you, now, pay $200 for it. Forget tweaking, most people don't have the time, knowledge base, or desire for that, evaluate the stock device, as is. Is it worth $200? IMO, no way. I would rather pay $500 for a modern device that doesn't require any tweaking and debloating, to get acceptable battery life or performance, than spend days or weeks tweaking something. My time is more valuable than that. And I will argue that in real-world usage (browsing, videos, etc), your device will not come close to the 16 hours you claim. Book reading and writing is not typical usage, and any modern device will likely beat your battery life with zero time invested in modifying it. My 1+ year old iPad Mini Retina absolutely destroys my Note 8 in battery life. It's not even close. Not that it's without it's share of issues, but overall, it's a much better tablet than the Note 8. Of course, it's much newer, so that's expected.
sputnik767 said:
Well, you didn't answer his question. Would you, now, pay $200 for it. Forget tweaking, most people don't have the time, knowledge base, or desire for that, evaluate the stock device, as is. Is it worth $200? IMO, no way. I would rather pay $500 for a modern device that doesn't require any tweaking and debloating, to get acceptable battery life or performance, than spenda days or weeks tweaking something. My time is more valuable than that. And I will argue that in real-world usage (browsing, videos, etc), your device will not come close to the 16 hours you claim. Book reading and writing is not typical usage, and any modern device will likely beat your battery life with zero time invested in modifying it. My 1+ year old iPad Mini Retina absolutely destroys my Note 8 in battery life. It's not even close. Not that it's without it's share of issues, but overall, it's a much better tablet than the Note 8. Of course, it's much newer, so that's expected.
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I'm not at all an Apple fan -- no SD Card support & a Mini 4 (16GB Cellular) costs $529! Also, Apple is nothing compared to the Android customization. I wonder if we were to put all the 431 Samsung stock apks on iPad Mini, how it would be on battery.
Regarding Note 8: Compared to the initial $499 price, $200 is a good price for me personally. According to the reviews Samsung Tab 3 not that good, I'll surely buy a Note 8 for $200, if I need one again. Tweaking is very easy due to Boeffla kernel and it's own apk with pre-made profiles. The only thing taking an hour is deleting unnecessary stock apks with Titanium. Obviously my tweaking did not take days or weeks (people spend more time on unnecessary things ). Since, I'll be using tablets or smartphones till I die, knowledge base is very useful in the long run rather than be a noob always . I do some browsing on the tablet during my lectures but I prefer big screen laptop for that, and movies definitely on laptop, not on an 8".
This tablet never gave me errors (even a FC) except when I mistakenly erased certain partitions about a year ago due to my noobness.
Thanks for the reply. I have decided to get the Tab S 8.4. Now is $329 a good deal? I know I can wait til Black Friday. But that is 1.5 months away. By that time the Tab S will probably all gone. I like the Tab S for its screen. Should I go for it?
Haha thats funny, thats the exact tablet I was looking at to replace my note. The screen on it is gorgeous I just wish the back was that faux leather like the Pro 8.4 has. Also you may want to look at the pro which has the same ppi its just Super lcd not oled like the Tab S. Anthet thing to consider is at least on Android Central theres a few people complainiing of lagginess o the Tab S. Best Buy has Tab S's open box for about $280. I had one in my hand, just couldnt justify getting over my Note and losing the S Pen. Plus although the screen is nicer its not $280 nicer so I couldnt justify it for me.
Tab S 8.4
jtcb said:
Thanks for the reply. I have decided to get the Tab S 8.4. Now is $329 a good deal? I know I can wait til Black Friday. But that is 1.5 months away. By that time the Tab S will probably all gone. I like the Tab S for its screen. Should I go for it?
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If you go for Tab S 8.4, don't upgrade to stock Lollipop 5.0.2 -- friends told me it's pretty bad -- just keep the original KitKat. Especially, the Tab S battery is 300 mAh higher than Note 8, so does screen resolution (170 dpi more) -- almost double. Hence, the Tab S will use more battery. No proximity sensor in Tab S, which is very useful in Note 8 to wake the screen without using consuming HW buttons. No S Pen, which is bad if you like to use the tab as a handwriting notepad (Note 8 is pretty good at it). Also, Tab S 8.4 isn't a cellular tab.
However, in the end it's upto the person who spends the money!
Edit: If you can afford $100 more, this latest Samsung Tablet is definitely a winner >>> Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 9.7
Tab S2 review
I have a note 8. I wouldn't pay 200$ for one because of the screen and lack of support from Samsung. You'll have to use a customized rom to get newer version of Android. You lose most of the pen functionality when you do that. That said, I would not opt for the tab s at $330 either. Limited support from Samsung and from what I've read, not a stellar performer based on the software.
Couple questions - are you stuck on Samsung? And do you have to buy new? A better Samsung option might be the tab A that has stylus. Not as much ram as the Note 8, but newer OS and I "think" samsung even announced another update for it.
Best option IMO would be to find a used Nvidia Shield. Can be found for the same $200 and its gotten the latest updates for Android and when it does get them they're timely.
dr_pepper said:
I have a note 8. I wouldn't pay 200$ for one because of the screen and lack of support from Samsung. You'll have to use a customized rom to get newer version of Android. You lose most of the pen functionality when you do that. That said, I would not opt for the tab s at $330 either. Limited support from Samsung and from what I've read, not a stellar performer based on the software.
Couple questions - are you stuck on Samsung? And do you have to buy new? A better Samsung option might be the tab A that has stylus. Not as much ram as the Note 8, but newer OS and I "think" samsung even announced another update for it.
Best option IMO would be to find a used Nvidia Shield. Can be found for the same $200 and its gotten the latest updates for Android and when it does get them they're timely.
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I always prefer new so yes I would buy new. I have considered Tab A but the screen resolution is the worst in all tablet I have seen. I like the stylus in the Note 8 and A. But I can always get a separate stylus. I also consider Nexus 9 just for the frequent update.
jtcb said:
I always prefer new so yes I would buy new. I have considered Tab A but the screen resolution is the worst in all tablet I have seen. I like the stylus in the Note 8 and A. But I can always get a separate stylus. I also consider Nexus 9 just for the frequent update.
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shield has a stylus as well
AkiOrpheus said:
I'm not at all an Apple fan -- no SD Card support & a Mini 4 (16GB Cellular) costs $529! Also, Apple is nothing compared to the Android customization. I wonder if we were to put all the 431 Samsung stock apks on iPad Mini, how it would be on battery.
Regarding Note 8: Compared to the initial $499 price, $200 is a good price for me personally. According to the reviews Samsung Tab 3 not that good, I'll surely buy a Note 8 for $200, if I need one again. Tweaking is very easy due to Boeffla kernel and it's own apk with pre-made profiles. The only thing taking an hour is deleting unnecessary stock apks with Titanium. Obviously my tweaking did not take days or weeks (people spend more time on unnecessary things ). Since, I'll be using tablets or smartphones till I die, knowledge base is very useful in the long run rather than be a noob always . I do some browsing on the tablet during my lectures but I prefer big screen laptop for that, and movies definitely on laptop, not on an 8".
This tablet never gave me errors (even a FC) except when I mistakenly erased certain partitions about a year ago due to my noobness.
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I tried that kernel, and all it's tweaking options. I have tried debloating, overclocking, undervolting, etc. Nothing gave me any appreciable improvement in battery life or performance, and many "tweaks" gave me stability issues. In regular usage, I would be lucky to get 7 hours on the Note 8, stock or otherwise. But like I said, that would be expected for a tablet that came out over 2 years ago.
The reason why I brought up my iPad was not because I am an Apple fan, but because it's a much more modern device with easily 3 hours more battery life in real-world use. Modern Samsung tabs get similar results, but my iPad was provided to me by my job, so that's what I have. This device's only selling point is the pen. If the OP needs one, this tab is for him, regardless of the price. If not, $200 is way too much to spend on almost 3 year old hardware. And I have a feeling that he is like 99% of people out there, in that he has no interest in investing (read: wasting) the amount of time necessary to learn tweaking, flashing, debloating, etc, and there are better choices than this one out of the box.
sputnik767 said:
I tried that kernel, and all it's tweaking options. I have tried debloating, overclocking, undervolting, etc. Nothing gave me any appreciable improvement in battery life or performance, and many "tweaks" gave me stability issues. In regular usage, I would be lucky to get 7 hours on the Note 8, stock or otherwise. But like I said, that would be expected for a tablet that came out over 2 years ago.
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That's strange sputnik767, because out of the box, Note 8 gave me minimum 12 hours with all the factory junk running. That time I knew nothing about tweaking or de-bloating. I heard some Note 8s had hardware issues since the factory; that may be your case.
sputnik767 said:
This device's only selling point is the pen.
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That's the reason I went for Note 8 + multi tasking, which are tremendously useful for me. However, judging a tablet just by specs is a difficult thing. Hidden hardware issues, OS issues, and battery issues only can be known after usage (sometimes user may never know ).
200... Yes yes and yes
Big screen... Yes
3g and calling ... Yes
Upgradeable to 5.1.1... Yes
And most important is the pen. Microsoft onenote is THEE industry leader to pen notes (sorry google keep).
Many people don't know what they want until they have it. And nothing on the market has this size screen with calling and a pen
FIN
Do you use the S-pen? I've used it for designing and drawing, including professional work, and then @$200 it's absolutely worth it. Which version is it the 4G LTE or the regular one? Could you link it here? I can say this is the best tech investment I've ever made. To me the size is perfect, and I use it as the GPS in the car, the kids watch movies on it, use it to draw manga and what have you, and it is still pocketable in a jacket, and I bring it with me everywhere. It's also the home modem hotspot for all computers. Too bad Samsung didn't sell enough of them, so there's no new version.
You can find one cheaper
I was able to get one for $75 a few months ago. Bought it off someone from a Facebook group. I am always looking at these groups in my city for all sorta deals form electronics to tools. If you really want something like the Note 8.0 take a look, there has to be someone out there selling one.
I recently switched from my Note 8.0, which I owned for about 2 years, to an Asus Zenpad 8.0 S (4Gbyte Ram, 64gb flash) and it works great with the z stylus from Asus. I can highly recommend it.
All together it cost 330 Dollar and you get a modern thin, light tablet. I use the tablet mainly for taking notes (LectureNotes), surfing and email. I also owned a Note 10.1 (2014 edition) for a few months, but that one was too heavy and big (and not cheap, otherwise a great tablet though).