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To the owners, Is Note 10.1 worth buying?
Coming from SONY TABLET S !!!
Really didnt enjoyed good android experience on any of the tablets, do would u rate Note 10.1?
Why m hesitant is:
1. Nexus 7 price point
2. Love for Sony, Xperia Tablet coming
3. M'soft Surface, if priced well hell yeahh...
sent from seXperia S
xperiax10.awesome said:
To the owners, Is Note 10.1 worth buying?
Coming from SONY TABLET S !!!
Really didnt enjoyed good android experience on any of the tablets, do would u rate Note 10.1?
sent from seXperia S
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Click to collapse
Since we bought it I would say we thought it was worth buying. I think the real question is do you think it is worth buying? That depends on what you plan to use it for.
Hell yes its worth buying to me. I would rate it a solid 8.75-9.0
I'm on a flight from Portland to Dallas writing this. I have the Note in portrait mode in multview connected to GoGo Wi-Fi. In the lower panel I have XDA open in a browser window and am watching a movie in the upper panel. No lag, no hiccups, pretty amazing.Try doing that on any other tablet. The guy sitting next to me (who's an ass) has an iPad and I can see him looking out of the corner of his eye in amazement. The more I use the Note the more impressed I am.
I am coming from TFP and it worth every penny.
Sony to Samsung
I was in the exact same boat as the OP. I had (still have) the Sony tablet and upgraded to the Samsung. Final verdict - Mixed bag.
The samsung is immediately and obviously faster than the Sony. The screen is of course slightly larger as is the tablet in general. The one thing you will be blown away by coming from the sony is the audio on the Note. The speakers are loud and placed directly on the front of the unit. I don't know if you are one of the people effected by the low audio problems with the Sony, but if you were you will be smiling from ear to ear.
As for all other aspects, the wifi signal strength is much improved, but the screen will be a mixed bag as well. While it is brighter, it will at first appear less crisp since it is essentially the same resolution of the Sony, but the Sony had those pixels squeezed into a smaller screen, so they were higher density. Does this cause any problems? Not in the least. The screen is still bright, crisp and easily viewed from a wide angle. I have read that Samsung "tweaked" the screen somehow so that it was not the same as every other screen out there in this resolution, and if so...it shows. Text is not as sharp as on the higher definition screens or the iPad, but it is sharper than it was on the Sony.
Web browsing is LEAGUES better than it was on the sony, and the apps that support the sPen are generally pretty decent. If you are using this for a multimedia device or games...look no further. The benchmarks for this tablet in those area are awesome. If you are a graphics artist or dabble in those things, the included photoshop is good, and I imagine will only get better with the first Samsung and Adobe updates.
Now the downsides...first, for the price, the screen really should have been better...but as I said, it's nowhere near being bad. The back of the unit is shiny plastic, so it's a fingerprint magnet...but it's upside is that since it's plastic, it has stronger wifi reception and gps. The pen that is included does NOT have the eraser you may have seen in some videos, but it does tuck away into the unit nicely and comes with several spare tips and a few varieties of them.
The biggest downside...and honestly for me it's 50/50. I started using my sony as a universal remote for every device in my home. The Samsung has such a remote, and in theory it should be FAR FAR better than the one on the sony....BUT...it only worked for the fist 30 minutes I set it up and never again. I searched online and only read more horror stories about that software (not the hardware...the note itself has no issues with its IR transmitter...only the included program). I updated the software and tried a thousand ways to fix this...but no joy. The built in software is supposed to not only control devices, but provide a visual guide of all the shows on TV, information about them, and learn your preferences much like a TIVO, but once it starts developing issues, they never seem to go away. But as with everything, YMMV, so take that with a grain of salt. I use ATT Uverse as my provider, so it may just be issues with them (although that would not seem to be the case online).
To sum it all up, I am happy with the purchase. At the moment, Amazon has a deal going on the 32GB version that is only $528 I believe, as opposed to the $549. The company providing it charges no taxes and only $8 shipping, so that's a HUGE savings. Would I purchase the unit again? Without hesitation. I picked mine up on the first day it was available, and only the 16gb version was available. I am planning on returning the 16gb and picking up the 32gb. So not only would I buy it again, but...I really am buying it again! LOL.
Hope that helped a little. If you have any questions, fire away
Totally
I had the tf300 and its not even close. The s pen is so useful and the software is much better than my last one. Highly recommended. I have not tried the tf700, but if outed like the tf300 this is the tab to beat.
As you already have a Sony tablet, I wouldn't buy the Note right now. Sony has their second attempt, Xperia Tablet, expected next month.
Wait and see how that plays out.
Hmmm, even the reviews are not very impressive considering the price tag..
sent from seXperia S
*Omnipresent* said:
Hell yes its worth buying to me. I would rate it a solid 8.75-9.0
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I really like my Note. IMO, If you're buying it for some reason other than the active digitzer + stylus combo, you've probably bought it for the wrong reason. If you buy this tablet, you're buying it for productivity.
I took mine with me to class today, was able to write some very solid looking notes quickly and easily, while simultaneously recording audio. It has a few cons, like the cameras occasionally being terrible, and the back being made of what feels like a cheap plastic, but as far as I'm concerned the pros (digitizer + stylus, side-by-side app viewing, quad-core Exynos beast + 2GB RAM for multitasking) outweigh the cons by far.
Hell, the only reason I ever bought either the iPad or iPad2 was that I had this hope that I could somehow find a good, accurate stylus that would let me take notes in class and ditch my paper-and-pen notebook. With the Note 10.1, I've found that tablet. I already love it more than I ever loved my iPad(s).
Did I mention it's great for note taking?! :silly:
Many of us bought this for the pen. In this aspect it's peerless. Combined with this, it's also very good in most other ways.
People are complaining that it should have a higher resolution screen, I disagree. Reason: My eyesight isn't all that great, and to me the difference is minimal, and I would rather have the quad horsepower dedicated to the pen, and other functions rather than screen real estate.
In a year or so, the higher resolution tablets will be standard, but until then i'd rather have it this way.
Whatever. :laugh: The point is: this tablet is fairly perfect for what I wanted: A pen interface, in the iPad/Galaxy format.
xperiax10.awesome said:
Hmmm, even the reviews are not very impressive considering the price tag..
sent from seXperia S
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I think it's really interesting how the "professional" reviews don't match up at all with the real world hands-on experiences of the people on the forums. The way I see it, I don't even bother with reading reviews anymore when you can get much more thorough and unbiased reviews from the good folks here on XDA.
Sent from my GT-N7000 using Tapatalk 2
NessLookAlike said:
I really like my Note. IMO, If you're buying it for some reason other than the active digitzer + stylus combo, you've probably bought it for the wrong reason. If you buy this tablet, you're buying it for productivity.
I took mine with me to class today, was able to write some very solid looking notes quickly and easily, while simultaneously recording audio. It has a few cons, like the cameras occasionally being terrible, and the back being made of what feels like a cheap plastic, but as far as I'm concerned the pros (digitizer + stylus, side-by-side app viewing, quad-core Exynos beast + 2GB RAM for multitasking) outweigh the cons by far.
Hell, the only reason I ever bought either the iPad or iPad2 was that I had this hope that I could somehow find a good, accurate stylus that would let me take notes in class and ditch my paper-and-pen notebook. With the Note 10.1, I've found that tablet. I already love it more than I ever loved my iPad(s).
Did I mention it's great for note taking?! :silly:
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I'm considering the upgrade of my tab10.1 to the note to use it taking notes in my classes as well. How the palm rejection works when you touch the screen with the hand who is writing? And, maybe it is the response at the first question as well, can i disable all the touch input excepting the active digitalizer of the s-pen? It would be perfect to me in that case :cyclops:
aNard said:
I'm considering the upgrade of my tab10.1 to the note to use it taking notes in my classes as well. How the palm rejection works when you touch the screen with the hand who is writing? And, maybe it is the response at the first question as well, can i disable all the touch input excepting the active digitalizer of the s-pen? It would be perfect to me in that case :cyclops:
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Palm rejection is perfect, at least in the S Memo app that comes stock with the Note. Until other market apps are updated to support the Note, S Memi will probably be the one or two apps you'll want to use to take notes.. but it really is perfect. The app itself has a few quirks, but I'm sure they'll be ironed out over time. This morning when I was taking notes, it felt weird to leave my hand resting on the screen, and I was concerned my palm would get lots of grease on the screen -- but nope, everything was fine! It takes maybe 5 minutes to get used to. And yes, you can disable all touch input except the digitizer. There's a button for it in the note-taking app.
It really is that good for taking notes.
Thank you, I think you've settled the final word over my tablet upgrade with that post and your reassurances
Inviato dal mio Galaxy Nexus con Tapatalk 2
I didn't buy this for the pen.. I bought it cause it has the most powerful processor you can get in a tablet.
And that should last me quite awhile.
What is striking me as wierd is the mixture of reviews for the Note 10.1.
Gizmodo absolutely ripped into it and recommended against purchasing it while others seem to love it.
i the verge and gizmodo married they would make a new website called
ibiased.com
period.
It really comes down to what you want it for. I feel pretty sure they went with a less dense screen to improve speed, especially with the pen.
Browsing on this is as fast as with my laptop on Ethernet.
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habs101 said:
i the verge and gizmodo married they would make a new website called
ibiased.com
period.
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Agreed, cant they put their apple fanboy status aside.
Walt Mossberg I felt gave the note a very fair review. Given that he is an apple fanboy my opinion of him is even greater because the review was very objective.
I had been in the market for a tablet for a few weeks, having not owned one before, I felt it was time to take the plunge. The main purpose was for evening internet browsing, maybe accompanied by a pint of beer. I'd previously purchased a galaxy Note phone for this very purpose, but I found even that was too much of a compromise screen wise, 5" just wasn't doing it for me, I had to go large. And if I had a tablet I could downgrade to a smaller size phone in future.
After extensive research on the net I narrowed the choice down. A 7” tab would be too small a leap in screen real estate for my needs, so the Nexus was ruled out, which left the front runner been the Transformer TF300, I though a keyboard would be nice for my very basic needs of Word and Excel, and of course it had the Tegra 3, which I had convinced myself I needed. I was aware the 300 could have a few ‘issues’ after reading the xda forums.
I resisted the urge to purchase as the Berlin IFA was about to commence, and Samsung and others would be releasing their latest tech there. Along comes the Note 10.1. And with that comes more frantic Googling for the latest internet reviews ( I ain’t gonna let go of £400 without knowing exactly what I’m buying!).
After reading the review at Android Police the Note seemed a pile of crap. A turd in the bath. A stink in a cesspool. However, my research goes further than that and I started reading user reviews and of course the review from Lisa Gade on youtube. All these seemed to counter what android Police had stated. With my head spinning I had to put some rational thought to my purchasing decision, and my thoughts were…
Do I need a keyboard – would be nice, but given my very limited use of work related stuff, and a large onscreen keyboard on tablets anyway, it would be possible to manage without, I shouldn’t compromise other factors just to have a keyboard.
Front facing stereo speakers – basic design principles tell me this is the way it should be done.
S pen – never really used it on my phone, but I was intrigued by the ‘hover’ function when viewing the web.
Charging cord – Another bummer mentioned at Android Police, its only 3 feet long, no way I could use the Note when its charging. Solution, charge it overnight.
Build quality – now that review at AP had a lot to say about flexing, squeaking and poor fitting. I saw the videos on that site and I agree with what the reviewer was showing us there. But I can only conclude that the unit he had must have been either pre production or had been subjected to some fairly vigorous tear downs.
I have my Note here and I must say it has very high build quality, absolutely no squeaking, all panels are flush fitting, and the only flex is right in the middle of the back panel, which incidentally is where I never hold it anyway. Also I’ve never had an issue with lightweight back panels, right from my first Samsung Galaxy phone. The technology is there to make things like that these days, it just makes sense, lightweight and no signal interference.
Tegra 3 – The reason I was after a Tegra device was so that I could ‘enter the tegra gaming zone’. It seems a nice place. But then again I don’t spend much of my life playing games and I can easily get my fix from whats available on Google Play.
Now that I have a Note I’m very happy in the knowledge that I have an even better processor, preloaded with masses of codec support and developed hand in hand with the Note to give a great browsing performance.
Cameras – I have no need for cameras on a tablet, waste of time. Oh hang on though, what have Samsung got here, this thing watches my eyes and doesn’t dim the screen unless I fall asleep, clever b******s.
GPS – I’ll only want this if I use Google Sky maps, I usually know where I am if I’m in my own house.
But it’s good to know that Glonass is included on the Note, another thumbs up in the high quality components list.
Audio quality. - Note has a Wolfson DAC. Nothing more to add here.
A note about resolution. One tablet I considered was the transformer Tf700 for its high res screen. Much talked about and much coveted. I wouldn’t turn it down. But when people are buying a tablet they need to consider what device they will be replacing. For me it will be primarily replacing my laptop, which has a 17” screen with a resolution of 1600 x 900. So just by downgrading to a 10” size screen with 1280 x 800 I’m getting higher res anyway, and given that it’s a PLS screen its higher quality to boot. So I’ve already gone ‘high res’ just by getting the note.
I’ve only wrote this review because I’m so impressed with my Note. I hope many others buy it and it gets the success it deserves.
Nice review, enjoyed reading it and hopefully teaches people not to be in haste at knocking a device without seeing real world usage user reports.
I think you have made a good choice and am happy that you are enjoying your note as it is out of the box, hopefully with the Jelly Bean update around the corner it will get even better.
Also love Lisa's reviews because her reviews do not seem to be biased unlike a number of other 'professional' reviewers.
same things i considered and bought note on its day of launch in india..
btw u forgot multiscreens and an extensive battery life
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Here's my bottom line. If I could have bought a 10.1 inch tablet with a 1920 x 1200 screen and a wacom digitizer and pen along with a 1.4 ghz quad core CPU and zero lag for $500 instead of this I would have.
Doesn't exist.
So I bought this.
** The problem I have with reviewers who have slammed this tablet is that they are comparing it either to tablets that do far less or simply do not and cannot exist at this price point. The lowest price for a pen based Windows RT tablet from Samsung will start at $150 more. And that will have worse dpi than this.
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mitchellvii said:
Here's my bottom line. If I could have bought a 10.1 inch tablet with a 1920 x 1200 screen and a wacom digitizer and pen along with a 1.4 ghz quad core CPU and zero lag for $500 instead of this I would have.
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Hehe, +1.
mitchellvii said:
Doesn't exist.
So I bought this.
** The problem I have with reviewers who have slammed this tablet is that they are comparing it either to tablets that do far less or simply do not and cannot exist at this price point. The lowest price for a pen based Windows RT tablet from Samsung will start at $150 more. And that will have worse dpi than this.
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I get a sense that what the OP and I need is more like Galaxy Tab 3 10.1 with GN 10.1 specs less s pen + better screen / premium quality. I don't really care that much for the s pen. I do need everything else you mentioned out of the tab though. So, I feel that some of the low points of this tab, screen resolution and lack of premium build feel, could've been mitigated had Samsung saved the money on S Pen and associated hardware and software expenses.
SM05 said:
Hehe, +1.
I get a sense that what the OP and I need is more like Galaxy Tab 3 10.1 with GN 10.1 specs less s pen + better screen / premium quality. I don't really care that much for the s pen. I do need everything else you mentioned out of the tab though. So, I feel that some of the low points of this tab, screen resolution and lack of premium build feel, could've been mitigated had Samsung saved the money on S Pen and associated hardware and software expenses.
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Lol, yeah that crazy Samsung with their crazy s-pen.
It's simple, if you don't need or use pen input, why the hell are you buying this tablet? Buy an iPad or an Infinity that are pure consumption devices. The SGN 10.1 is for people that want to do WORK with their tablet.
mitchellvii said:
It's simple, if you don't need or use pen input, why the hell are you buying this tablet? Buy an iPad or an Infinity that are pure consumption devices. The SGN 10.1 is for people that want to do WORK with their tablet.
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If it were that simple I wouldn't be replying on my GN 10.1. I posted this before but yeah, consumption device is what I mostly need. I don't plan on buying any Apple devices, don't wanna say ever but for a long time. That leaves android, which I prefer anyways (GS2 is my current phone). There aren't that many stable, fast and well built android tabs out there. Build quality + specs is why I went with GN. S pen is just an appendix as far ad I'm concerned. Lol
So, if you're listening Samsung, give us galaxy tab 10.1 with the same specs as GN, premium/better finish and improved screen dpi, if possible, and no s pen. All under 500 please. Lol
SM05 said:
If it were that simple I wouldn't be replying on my GN 10.1. I posted this before but yeah, consumption device is what I mostly need. I don't plan on buying any Apple devices, don't wanna say ever but for a long time. That leaves android, which I prefer anyways (GS2 is my current phone). There aren't that many stable, fast and well built android tabs out there. Build quality + specs is why I went with GN. S pen is just an appendix as far ad I'm concerned. Lol
So, if you're listening Samsung, give us galaxy tab 10.1 with the same specs as GN, premium/better finish and improved screen dpi, if possible, and no s pen. All under 500 please. Lol
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Yes, they need 2 models. Consumer - $400, without the pen. Creator / Producer - $500 includes pen . Display on both needs to be the same (highest resolution and quality they can manage without slowing the system down.)
mitchellvii said:
Lol, yeah that crazy Samsung with their crazy s-pen.
It's simple, if you don't need or use pen input, why the hell are you buying this tablet? Buy an iPad or an Infinity that are pure consumption devices. The SGN 10.1 is for people that want to do WORK with their tablet.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I wouldn't say the infinity is a pure consumption device. I like my note a lot more then the prime I owned but with the keyboard dock it really does move it out of a pure consumption device.
nice review. exactly what i went thru lols
I mentioned it elsewhere, but the first review I read was from Lisa. Always unbias and as someone that knows about stylus's and wiacoms, she was very to the point about the device. Most if not all the others, reviewed the device as a competitor to the iPad, Transformer etc, when in reality those devices do not do what the Note does. After reading that stupid review from AndroidPolice, and I say stupid since no journalist/writer would make such a headline or put in stupid comments of the device giving them cancer, I went to the store to test it myself. It was nothing like what the reviews mentioned and right then and there I knew this was the tablet to get. A few days later I got it.
Haven't regretted it since.
is it the perfect device, No. nothing is, no matter what any one says, including Apple. Each and every device has its pro and cons, but this device runs circles around my previous Lenovo and overall, its one awesome device.
TS
As has been noted, I did not buy the Note for its pen, this was low on my list of needs as I had never found much use for it on my Galaxy Note phone (I found it just too cramped a space for my liking). I was instead drawn more by its quality and cutting edge components. However, given that the pen was there I’ve been giving it a go anyway, and I’ve found it a much better experience on this larger screen, infact I’m now beginning to use it all the time, it just seems easier and quicker for most things.
Websites are not designed to be prodded at with fingers, but to be used by a precise pointing device, so navigating using the pen feels quicker and more natural. When playing games (Air Attack HD) its easier to slide the pen around the screen and fingers are not blocking out the action.
Oh, I forgot about another reason that swayed me towards buying the Note, and that was to do my own little bit to support Samsung against the dark forces of crApple and its abuse of the (broken) patent system. Or as someone else on the net succinctly put it – the American patent system is a pile of ****, and Apple is sitting on top of that pile.
I’ve been listening to the sound quality of this thing, I’m going to put up a new post about it so its easier for people to find.
I've had my Note a few months now and I still believe its the best tablet out there. The nexus 10 does have a higher resolution but the
Note screen is beautiful anyway, also I use the S pen for everything and it has an SD card, so that tips it for me.
I remember years ago when I was a lad buying hi-fi equipment or stuff like that, Samsung was always at the bottom of the pile, the Beko
of the hi-fi world, if you had Samsung, you just had crap. Sony and the others were the things to aspire to, and if you were really
lucky, Technics! So it really does amaze me how samsung have seemingly come from nowhere over the past few years and are in the
position they are in now.
I had the original Galaxy phone and I think that represented a milestone with its combination of Amoled screen and Android operating
system. The numbers it sold in clearly showed Samsung they had created a winner and that this was the direction to go in. Thankfully
they did. After that I had the original Note. The return of the stylus to the small screen devices was a masterstroke. I sold the Note a
few months ago as it was a bit big for me and I was missing the Sense user interface I had years ago on the HTC Blackstone. I'm now
using a One S.
I'd never be daft enough to be like one of those iSheep who cant think beyond what a marketing campaign tells them, or who has no
sense in value for money. But am I a Samsung Fanboy? Definitely.
P.S. Samsungs projected phone sales for 2013 are over half a billion units.
Samsung been producing top class electronics for years .
VCR TV DVD Hard |Drives SGS1 2 3 and Note 10.1 are just a few of my Samsung products .
Sony no longer cut the mustard in my view .
jje
I had the Original Samsung Galaxy Nexus and was only so-so on it. I quickly traded it for a Motorola Razr Maxx. But the S III looks like a great phone and most people that own it seem to really like it. The Note phones are just too big for my tastes. But it would be cool to have that form factor with a pen. I'm hearing rumors the S IV may have a pen with a smaller form factor than the Note. We'll see.
But I won't make the decision on my next phone, or any other product, just based on my love of the Note 10.1. But I will give them serious consideration, unlike Apple. I have no desire to go down that dark path.
Only for tables i love the built quality of htc phones i had hd2 for 3 years without a single scratch and i may consider htc butterfly as my next phone, but on tablets i have nerarly owned every samsung tablet out there and i will not buy any tablet rather than samsung again
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Fanboy? No...
In fact, I dislike Samsung because of some of their surreal business practices - like having reciprocal 'no sell' policy between Canada and the US that prevents me from buying Samsung products from stores like Amazon.com. Which would be ok - if Samsung Canada carried the same products as Samsung US, or at least allowed you to order them *through* Samsung Canada - but they don't. This makes their opening the first physical Samsung Store in Burnaby, BC, Canada rather surreal since the store carries a tiny fraction of what Samsung US sells.
The customer support is often wonky and frustrating (note, we North Americans are still waiting for *any* updates for the Note while it's already rolling out for the second time in Europe).
They try too hard to be Apple and get it wrong too often.
That being said, here's the reality - I have an Q1U-V tablet, a Series 7 Slate, a Galaxy Nexus and a Galaxy Note 10.1. I have two external DVD drives, both Samsung. About the only thing I don't own made by Samsung is a desktop computer or monitor. I've had to buy most of them by driving to the US and buying them over the counter and bringing them back to Canada.
Why?
Simple. While they don't get it perfectly right - they get far closer to what I want than anyone else does. In the end, really - I have no other options. And Samsung seems to be slowly fixing the things I find annoying - so I'm prepared to cut them a lot of slack.
So am I Samsung fan boy? No. But they are my main consumer electronics producer for now...
Nope. I tolerate them only because of the S-Pen. As soon as someone else comes out with one that runs Android I will jump ship immediately.
I don't really value the name of the company ..
Even apple , I believe it produces bad products when it comes to smartphones and tablets aka ipads .. but I dream of a mac laptop ..
I had a Samsung and I'm buying the next tablet from samsung again too ..
ONLY BECAUSE OF THE PEN AND THE SOFTWARE FEATURES ..
I have to admit It sucks when it comes to quality .. I never expected it would feel this bad ..
but It's still a Great device even with the bad feeling of the material of it :good:
I may have tendencies of fanboyism but tbh they do make quality products, it all started with my S3 then i bought an SSD and now the Note, all of which serve me well and work flawlessly.
I feel that the large departments for R&D which they possess play a large role in how good these devices are, e.g they have shrunk the die in many of their mobile chips in order to lower power consumption and heat production. Not many companies are capable of such things and this in my books is why samsung excels.
Nope
While I love my Note 10.1 and have had it since the first day it was released in the US it is far from the perfect tablet.
Proprietary charger.
Always a big negative in my book for any device. If you want to have more functionality than a standard usb form factor charger offers then include a second port for that functionality but leave the charging to a standard usb form factor plug.
Screen resolution.
While I have no real complaints about the screen I expect an apple style rollout this year of a new Note 10.1 with a higher resolution screen making all of us early adopters have to decide if the upgrade is worth it for something we all wanted and expected in the beginning.
Software Updates.
It is frustrating to watch multiple updates come out across the globe for items in the same family of devices without getting even a hint or update on the progress of updates for your region. I think Samsung could do a lot to quiet people's complaints on the update delays by communicating the progress and causes of delays to their users. Even without a definite release date just being able to see that it is in the pipeline would do a lot to satisfy me.
And one final minor issue for me.
Placement of the S-Pen in the body of the device.
The pen placement really confuses and frustrates me. It seems that the note is designed to be held in a landscape orientation, speaker placement, volume button directions, native app orientations, camera positions, accessory orientation, etc. That being the case why does the pen come out of the bottom of the device? If I am using a stand I have to lift up the tablet to get the pen out or put it back in place. When I hold the tablet in portrait orientation, which I do most of the time, because I am right handed I have to choose ease of access to the s-pen (camera to the left), or keeping the light sensors uncovered (camera to the right). I would guess the same from the reverse would be true for lefties. Upper left corner vertical in landscape, next to the power button, would have made much more sense as then the pen would be easily accessible from any position other than upside down while keeping the power and volume buttons accessible as well.
The note 10.1 is a great tablet. It is fantastic for taking notes and as a digital sketchbook but it isn't anything that would make me into a fanboy for Samsung.
I do love my note 10.1. The best tablet for me right now. Not the best at everything, but best overall. The nexus would have been my second choice.
Higher Res screen is no good for me as my eye sight is not as good as it used to be. So the nexus would not have been beneficial.
The nexus had no SD card slot, may as we have an ipad.
A big plus for me with the note is USB charge. I can go travelling and use the same extended battery for my phone and tablet.
My old tablet was an ald xoom. I sold it for 160 ukp and bought the note for 330 with 80 cashback, so it was a sub 100 ukp upgrade.
Yes it has. I have a Glaxy Player, GS3 and now a Note 10.1.
I think "fanboy," especially the way it's used on XDA, implies a kind of blindness favoring a specific manufacturer. I bought (coming from a i9100 SGS2) the Teg3 One X over the SGS3 when they came out because I liked the display, design, and Sense vs. TW.
Here's a quote from Samsung's CEO made in June:
"A particular focus must be given to serving new customer experience and value by strengthening soft capabilities in software, user experience, design, and solutions."
http://www.informationweek.com/mobi...ung-ceo-software-key-to-device-wars/240002193
It's clearly being taken to heart. The welcome and unique capabilities of the Note series make other Android devices look barren. I liked the features (I'm a productivity user) of the Note 10.1 so much I got a N2. And it has even more features than the 10.1. I was playing with a friend’s N10 over the holidays and it looks like a barren wasteland feature-wise compared to the Note. Similarly, he was amazed at what the Note could do that his N10 couldn't.
Samsung's raised the bar for other manufacturers in features and usability. From the "Phone X" leaks at Motorola it seems they've gotten the message. The N4/Optimus G and One X+/DNA/Butterfly are simply re-hashes of existing direction with better h/w. To me, features are like crack; once you're hooked they're hard to give up. So I'm not married to Samsung and would consider other devices but not if it means I'm going backward.
In the high-end space I think manufacturers that just mildly evolve their devices are going to be screwed going forward. As it is, their a generation behind Samsung and if Samsung keeps moving the goal ahead their struggles will only continue. Motorola survives because of Verizon and HTC actually lost market share with the introduction of the One series. From a volume and market share perspective everyone other than Samsung’s in trouble. It'll be interesting to see what's announced at CES and MWC in the next couple of weeks.
TheWerewolf said:
Fanboy? No...
In fact, I dislike Samsung because of some of their surreal business practices - like having reciprocal 'no sell' policy between Canada and the US that prevents me from buying Samsung products from stores like Amazon.com. Which would be ok - if Samsung Canada carried the same products as Samsung US, or at least allowed you to order them *through* Samsung Canada - but they don't. This makes their opening the first physical Samsung Store in Burnaby, BC, Canada rather surreal since the store carries a tiny fraction of what Samsung US sells.
The customer support is often wonky and frustrating (note, we North Americans are still waiting for *any* updates for the Note while it's already rolling out for the second time in Europe).
They try too hard to be Apple and get it wrong too often....
That being said, here's the reality - I have an Q1U-V tablet, a Series 7 Slate, a Galaxy Nexus and a Galaxy Note 10.1. I have two external DVD drives, both Samsung. About the only thing I don't own made by Samsung is a desktop computer or monitor. I've had to buy most of them by driving to the US and buying them over the counter and bringing them back to Canada.
Why?
Simple. While they don't get it perfectly right - they get far closer to what I want than anyone else does. In the end, really - I have no other options. And Samsung seems to be slowly fixing the things I find annoying - so I'm prepared to cut them a lot of slack.
So am I Samsung fan boy? No. But they are my main consumer electronics producer for now...
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I laughed a little I'm not sure I quite agree with they "try to hard to be Apple and get it wrong too often." comment. What does that mean exactly?
Frankly Samsung has very clearly innovated, beyond and better than has Apple in many cases. I think one can only fault, if that's even a realistic term in this case, things like the heavy use of plastic vs metal/glass... but is that even really fair? Those same materials are what make the unit so "flexible" in many cases (replaceable battery, internal sd card, light weight, more resiliency when dropped).
I think if anyone is playing catch up now it's Apple. Samsung isn't building knock-offs, they are building better and in many ways different mouse traps. Even Samsung's software is well polished comparatively.
The only thing I dislike on the Note 10.1 is the lower res screen. But that's simply because I know there's better out there. However that doesn't mean it's low quality, quite the contrary it's an excellent screen.... I just wish it was as "excellent" as the one on my Note 2
It's not that I won't buy from other manufactures, Samsung has just made consistently the best products I have use recently. They have converted me from HTC for phones, and Nexus tablets. Now I own a galaxy s3, 8 Samsung pebble, a note 10.1, and a Samsung laptop. As long as they keep up the innovation and good customer service, I think I will stay with them for a long time. As much as everyone complains on these forums, I actually think their rollout schedule of updates is really good
Sent from my SPH-L710 using xda app-developers app
I'm not a samsung fan boy and i will never be one. Will never spend a penny on samsung products again.
xuanphucn said:
I'm not a samsung fan boy and i will never be one. Will never spend a penny on samsung products again.
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Click to collapse
why?
HUYI said:
why?
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It would appear not to matter. Motorola and HTC both had new products in the period and still lost market share. LG maintains its percentage of market share primarily with low to mid-range devices. According to reports the N4's sold only 400K units so it's in high-demand from lack of supply.
I can say I.support Samsung now. This note 10.1 and SG3 are my first Samsung devices. They perform so well I left them stock. Not even rooting them. I underestimated them. They do produce some quality products.
I will say though I loved my previous Transformer Prime. Only reason I got refund on it(to buy note 10.1) was because I saw its forum and developement scene kin agoing downhill. It still was, IMO, a great experience. Its the price we pay to be on cutting edge technology at the time. I still have my Nexus7 to satisfy my Tegra3 /Asus needs though
I'd easily recommend either Samsung device I own to others. They work great out the box. Only thing I don't like is their updating software routines. but its cool with me since device works so well out the box.
Also I will likely be getting a Note 2 shortly. Then give my SG3 to my woman. I love that huge. 5.5in. SuperAmoled. Screen on it. It'll compliment my tablet well. Can you believe that that company Haewei is releasing a 6in+. Phone? Love it. Even the rumored SG4 will likely be at least 5ins. I love the phablet category!
demandarin said:
I can say I.support Samsung now.
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Whoever thought we'd see that day.
I'm having fun with my Note, it's a toy to me....Samsung has to do a lot more to lure me away from my HTC phones........
Apple today, as you may know by now, unveiled It's new tablet, the 'iPad Air'.
The price of it STARTS at $499 for the 16gb version while the Note 10.1 starts at $550 (or $499 if you buy from Amazon). However, the microSD slot makes up for it being able to insert additional memory if needed. With all this being said, I'm not a tablet-tech junkie but...doesn't the Note 10.1 have the superior hardware along with the stylus? I'm having trouble understanding some of the reviews because they dock points off the Note 10.1 due to the pricing while the iPad Air will receive accolades for it.
I don't own the Note 10.1 (yet) because I was waiting for the new iPad reveal (which was today) and also the upcoming Nexus 10 before I make a decision. What are your thoughts on this?
vinotauro said:
Apple today, as you may know by now, unveiled It's new tablet, the 'iPad Air'.
The price of it STARTS at $499 for the 16gb version while the Note 10.1 starts at $550 (or $499 if you buy from Amazon). However, the microSD slot makes up for it being able to insert additional memory if needed. With all this being said, I'm not a tablet-tech junkie but...doesn't the Note 10.1 have the superior hardware along with the stylus? I'm having trouble understanding some of the reviews because they dock points off the Note 10.1 due to the pricing while the iPad Air will receive accolades for it.
I don't own the Note 10.1 (yet) because I was waiting for the new iPad reveal (which was today) and also the upcoming Nexus 10 before I make a decision. What are your thoughts on this?
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Click to collapse
As a long time iPhone and iPad user (before recently switching back to Android with the Note 3 and 2014 Note 10.1), I can honestly say that there are four reasons Apple is still the better talked-about of the two:
1. Apple uses better materials (aluminum, glass, etc.)
2. The marriage of its software and hardware is seamless (very little to no lag or crashes)
3. The polished, superior quality of its apps (compare GoodNotes with ezPDF and you’ll see what I mean)
4. “Apple” is a status symbol, a declaration of success.
I went ahead and bought the Note 10.1 as soon as it came out, and with my 45-day return policy at Best Buy, I decided to pay close attention to the releases from Apple and Google, as you are doing.
As I used my 10.1 more and more, though, I decided that I most likely wouldn’t be swayed. The thing that most convinced me was the S-Pen along with LectureNotes. I write notes during meetings A LOT, and I have never experienced a more accurate and fluid experience as I have with this tablet. I tried about 20 different styli and about 50 different apps on the iPad, and nothing comes close to the diminutive S-Pen. It’s fantastic.
So today my wife is thrilled with the announcement of the iPad Air, but I’m just “meh”. I suspect it will be the same with the Nexus 10. Neither of those have the S-Pen, plain and simple.
If the iPad and/or Nexus 10 came out with a digitizer or ability to use the S-Pen to its full potential, then I’d have to take a second look.
vinotauro said:
Apple today, as you may know by now, unveiled It's new tablet, the 'iPad Air'.
The price of it STARTS at $499 for the 16gb version while the Note 10.1 starts at $550 (or $499 if you buy from Amazon). However, the microSD slot makes up for it being able to insert additional memory if needed. With all this being said, I'm not a tablet-tech junkie but...doesn't the Note 10.1 have the superior hardware along with the stylus? I'm having trouble understanding some of the reviews because they dock points off the Note 10.1 due to the pricing while the iPad Air will receive accolades for it.
I don't own the Note 10.1 (yet) because I was waiting for the new iPad reveal (which was today) and also the upcoming Nexus 10 before I make a decision. What are your thoughts on this?
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Click to collapse
I think it depends on what you are using it for. The 2014 Note 10.1 is far superior for movie watching, drawing and note taking. The iPad (new or old) covers most everything else. Android gives you freedom as opposed to iOS higher quality (mostly) rigid solutions. If you have the money get one of each.
With the lower weight (and smaller size of the iPad mini 2) the remaining arguments to go for a Note are centered around the S-Pen, it's superior screen and (much more) freedom of (poorer) choice.
I note 10.1 has been the most productive tablet I've owned. And I've owned a ton. Even last year's model with its crappy screen resolution got more use than my nexus 10.
Sent from my XT1058 using Tapatalk
Han Solo 1 said:
2. The marriage of its software and hardware is seamless (very little to no lag or crashes)
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This point is apparently not so true anymore since theres many reports of ios7 not playing well with iPads
Beats it in size
10.1 to 9.7
Beats it in ram
3GB to 1GB or 2GB
Beats it in resolution and PPI
2560x1600:299PPI to 2048 x 1536:264PPI
Beats it in camera
8MP; 2MP Rear to 5MP; 1.2MP Rear
A7 specs are dodgy to get a hold of but I'm sure the processor beats it as well.
People are sheeple. If you are going to put up money, you may as well get something that will last you. Very rarely have I purchased something that feels damn near futuristic in nature, like I've made a leap into the near future to use it. This tablet gave me that feeling and continues to do so.
icebergisonfire said:
Beats it in size
10.1 to 9.7
Beats it in ram
3GB to 1GB or 2GB
Beats it in resolution and PPI
2560x1600:299PPI to 2048 x 1536:264PPI
Beats it in camera
8MP; 2MP Rear to 5MP; 1.2MP Rear
A7 specs are dodgy to get a hold of but I'm sure the processor beats it as well.
People are sheeple. If you are going to put up money, you may as well get something that will last you. Very rarely have I purchased something that feels damn near futuristic in nature, like I've made a leap into the near future to use it. This tablet gave me that feeling and continues to do so.
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Click to collapse
A7 is dual core 1.3ghz, but its not all about the cores and ghz, they optimized it well.
The iOS app ecosystem is always considered by consumers and reviewers as part of the device. Mutually inclusive. This is the key reason for the perceptive advantage for the ipad.
ChrisNee1988 said:
A7 is dual core 1.3ghz, but its not all about the cores and ghz, they optimized it well.
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I'd be the first to agree as there is synergy there and the developers can code to the specs rather than the crapshoot of Android devices. However, everything I throw at this tablet, it handles like a champ.
The ipad mini with the high res display is going to be the premium tablet market share eater.
ios 7 works fine with the iPad, but needs all the bling turned off. Just like Android. I like the 2014, but still seems $50 too high for them.
rushless said:
The ipad mini with the high res display is going to be the premium tablet market share eater.
ios 7 works fine with the iPad, but needs all the bling turned off. Just like Android. I like the 2014, but still seems $50 too high for them.
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That's what I don't understand though. Android is no longer subservient to iOS. At the very least, it's on equal footing. There is more ram in our tablet, a faster processor, a bigger screen, a better front and rear camera, not to mention the $25 on Google Play and the $50 on the Samsung Store and it's only $50 more. In comparison to what their competitors are doing, we got a great deal from Samsung.
icebergisonfire said:
That's what I don't understand though. Android is no longer subservient to iOS. At the very least, it's on equal footing. There is more ram in our tablet, a faster processor, a bigger screen, a better front and rear camera, not to mention the $25 on Google Play and the $50 on the Samsung Store and it's only $50 more. In comparison to what their competitors are doing, we got a great deal from Samsung.
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Click to collapse
Well I think the point is, we are not in the PC world. I think that specs are less and less important. That's why Apple doesn't even release most of their stats. Its all about optimization. I bought a 10.1 2014 from Best Buy to try out and so far my results have been both good and somewhat iffy. I have definitely seen some of the lag and stutter. I use my tablets for a lot of PDF reading and markup. This tablet doesn't seem to handle it very well. I think the issue is the super high resolution of the screen. I had the same problem with the Nexus 10 when I bought it earlier this year.
I love Android and I would never switch, but I do have to say that I get slightly jealous when I go to Best Buy and try out PDF handling on the iPad and it is butter smooth... Why can't we have that? I have used all sorts of programs to display PDF's on the various tablets I have had, ezPDF has been the best all around thus far but when zooming and turning pages it just starts to chug...
I plan to stick with the 2014 because it does so many other things really well. I just wish that Samsung and Google could get on a better road together where they optimize the crap out of Android to run better on hardware. I hate Touchwhiz with the rest of them, but if they did this there would be much less of an issue. Just a thought.
alias747 said:
I do have to say that I get slightly jealous when I go to Best Buy and try out PDF handling on the iPad and it is butter smooth... Why can't we have that?
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This is really my only issue as well. I had high hopes for iAnnotate on Android, but it stinks.
ezPDF Pro is the best on Android (Mantano Premium gets good grades although I have yet to try it), but it's still not up to my standards.
The S-Pen, with LectureNotes, is hard to beat, though.
Han Solo 1 said:
This is really my only issue as well. I had high hopes for iAnnotate on Android, but it stinks.
ezPDF Pro is the best on Android (Mantano Premium gets good grades although I have yet to try it), but it's still not up to my standards.
The S-Pen, with LectureNotes, is hard to beat, though.
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Interesting, I haven't got around to trying Lecture Notes on the 2014, I tried it on my old 10.1 and it worked pretty good. I ended up really liking Papyus. However, that is another thing I am annoyed about on the 2014... Papyrus is UNUSABLE. There is so much lag when I write on the screen it is ridiculous. Not sure if Papyrus just needs to be updated to better work with the new hardware or what, but that was pretty disappointing.
Damnn iPad air is a very impressive (thin, light, aluminium) candy crush machine/PDF viewing LCD. =/ Wasnt a big fan of the older, heavy aluminium iPads but this one is so kewllllll... gimmi wacom digitizer and android on it pleaseee
nebsif said:
Damnn iPad air is a very impressive (thin, light, aluminium) candy crush machine/PDF viewing LCD. =/ Wasnt a big fan of the older, heavy aluminium iPads but this one is so kewllllll... gimmi wacom digitizer and android on it pleaseee
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Click to collapse
It's two tenths of a pound lighter than the 10.1 2014.....
I just want to know where you found it for 499 on amazon.....
Sent from my SM-P600 using xda app-developers app
---------- Post added at 11:36 PM ---------- Previous post was at 11:31 PM ----------
moses2303 said:
I just want to know where you found it for 499 on amazon.....
Sent from my SM-P600 using xda app-developers app
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Click to collapse
Oh I guess you're talking about the gift card promo, not quite the same, but close
Sent from my SM-P600 using xda app-developers app
Who cares what Apple says? I don't. I mean, they come up to the podium with a holier than thou attitude, and act like they are some kind of God and you need to obey their gospel or you are a lesser person, I really can't stand their arrogance. Now, does Apple make good stuff? For the most part, yeah. Is it any better than anything else out there? No.
You have to remember that tech journalists and bloggers need something to write about. They need to draw people to their site in order to get advertising revenue.
The smartphone and tablet world is less and less about a direct comparison of specifications between devices and more and more about gravitating towards your preferred ecosystem. That is a personal choice.
In the Midwest it is not unusual to find people sitting around in a coffee shop seriously debating between the merits of a ford versus chevy pickup truck. I say, who cares? Drive the one that you like.
The same can be said about electronics. If you don't feed the controversy machine then there isn't a controversy. Buy the device that you like and to those that criticize you for your choice tell them to go pound sand.
The iPad is a beautiful piece of tech, in particular the new one. But it's got the same shortcomings. Jailed ecosystem, no digitizer, and what really kills it, iTunes.
Once it's jailbroken, I MIGHT consider buying it, but that's only if my 10.1 starts crapping out like the Transformer Prime or something.
Folks if you are thinking of upgrading to the Tab S3: do not do it, it has a massive power drain bug that is likely a hardware issue at this point:
https://forum.xda-developers.com/galaxy-tab-s3/how-to/wifi-power-drain-bug-please-report-to-t3624872
I miss my good old S2.
Wouldn't touch it - don't like the available sizes. Happy with my 8" Tab S2.
...........
I wasn't interested in it either. The breakable glass back totally turned me off, as well as the unimpressive processor. I don't think Samsung put the proper effort into it, except for designing the price tag, and my two Tab S2's are going good, and if the screen didn't break my older Google Nexus 7 would be too. What I have been ogling is the new Ipad Pro 12 or 10, tho I never owned an Apple product before.
penguinjoe said:
Wouldn't touch it - don't like the available sizes. Happy with my 8" Tab S2.
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Totally agree penguin. Battery isn't great, but ergonomically, the 8" is the best tablet you can get. You can hold this for ages and your wrist doesn't get tired.
Masteryates said:
Totally agree penguin. Battery isn't great, but ergonomically, the 8" is the best tablet you can get. You can hold this for ages and your wrist doesn't get tired.
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I have two Tab S2's, the 8 and the 9.7. For my purposes I now prefer the 9.7. The easiest to hold tho was my old Google Nexus 7, even though it was heavier it was narrower and my hand could grip it.
Bullwinkle J. Moose said:
I have two Tab S2's, the 8 and the 9.7. For my purposes I now prefer the 9.7. The easiest to hold tho was my old Google Nexus 7, even though it was heavier it was narrower and my hand could grip it.
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Click to collapse
I agree that you could get your hand around a Nexus 7 but that was at the expense of screen. On websites, this was a pain. That's why I think the Tab S2 8" is the best of both worlds.
Masteryates said:
I agree that you could get your hand around a Nexus 7 but that was at the expense of screen. On websites, this was a pain. That's why I think the Tab S2 8" is the best of both worlds.
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I have both the gen 1 and gen 2 Nexus 7's and agree that while the size was nice for gripping, I much prefer the additional real estate and general quality of the 8" S2 display. I use a Moko case that has a handle to facilitate holding the S2 - I don't have big hands and I also kept hitting the screen with my fingers and palm when holding with one hand.
sparksd said:
I have both the gen 1 and gen 2 Nexus 7's and agree that while the size was nice for gripping, I much prefer the additional real estate and general quality of the 8" S2 display. I use a Moko case that has a handle to facilitate holding the S2 - I don't have big hands and I also kept hitting the screen with my fingers and palm when holding with one hand.
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Click to collapse
Yes sparks. I find that because the S2 is so light, I don't need to hold as much of it to feel secure in my hand. I'd say I've medium sized hands. I think the 9.7" version would be a different proposition all together.
...............
sparksd said:
I have both the gen 1 and gen 2 Nexus 7's and agree that while the size was nice for gripping, I much prefer the additional real estate and general quality of the 8" S2 display. I use a Moko case that has a handle to facilitate holding the S2 - I don't have big hands and I also kept hitting the screen with my fingers and palm when holding with one hand.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree, and I like the real estate on the 9.7 even more. I've even been ogling the new 12" Ipad, but like I said I don't even know how to work them. I'll have to look into the Moko case. What I do now is use no case at all except for transport, but a glass shield to protect the screen. Seems to me that the added weight of a case defeats the purpose of these ultralight devices, but a case with a convenient gripping handle might be good...
PS It's a hassle posting on here: "the string you entered for image verification doesn't match"......huh? what string? It just says check box if you're not a robot and I did (and so would a clever robot!)
Bullwinkle J. Moose said:
I agree, and I like the real estate on the 9.7 even more. I've even been ogling the new 12" Ipad, but like I said I don't even know how to work them. I'll have to look into the Moko case. What I do now is use no case at all except for transport, but a glass shield to protect the screen. Seems to me that the added weight of a case defeats the purpose of these ultralight devices, but a case with a convenient gripping handle might be good...
PS It's a hassle posting on here: "the string you entered for image verification doesn't match"......huh? what string? It just says check box if you're not a robot and I did (and so would a clever robot!)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Two years ago I bought an iPad Air 2 even though I've never been a fan of Apple products - I've had a lot of Android devices and my home PCs/laptops are Windows. But I must admit I am very impressed with the iPad- very polished and very stable. The iOS ecosystem has a lot I don't like - the sandbox approach to file management for one - but a lot of the apps available are extremely well done and sophisticated. Look at "Complete Anatomy" for one - I tried it out of curiosity and didn't buy the full edition but it is absolutely amazing. My doctor saw it and said he wished he had it in med school. My last large Android tablet - an Asus TF700T - was a PoS that I only used for screwing around with custom ROMs; it was pretty but it's performance was terrible. My brother has the 12" iPad and it is very nice and could make a good work machine. But I'm a retired S/W Systems Engineer (started in '71!) so work is foreign to me ...
Sparksd - Was it hard to learn to work the Ipad coming over from Windows and Android? I'm lazy and don't want to put a lot of effort into learning a whole new system...besides I' m already all tuckered out just from reading that 4-letter word you so rudely wrote...eek!...work! I don't see anyone else putting together such a nice tablet as Apple, though.
Bullwinkle J. Moose said:
Sparksd - Was it hard to learn to work the Ipad coming over from Windows and Android? I'm lazy and don't want to put a lot of effort into learning a whole new system...besides I' m already all tuckered out just from reading that 4-letter word you so rudely wrote...eek!...work! I don't see anyone else putting together such a nice tablet as Apple, though.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It was quite easy. In fact, what originally got me interested was when my 94 year-old Mom was given an older iPad by my nephew and she was able to use it on her own. I don't think I would have left her with an Android device or PC. The most difficult aspect to get used to and understand was the iOS file management philosophy but once I read up on it and got a couple of file management apps (FileBrowser, GoodReader, and Documents) I could deal with it.
And apologies for using the word for That Which Should Not be Spoken Of. Retirement is great!
I may give it a try, Spark. If I do I'll buy it at Costco. I'll have 90 days to decide if I want to keep it then. Plus Costco extends the warranty by a year.
To be honest, unless you have an existing investment in Android or Android apps, or have a specific need that Apple doesn't support, the iPads are better tablets. They are built better, work smoother, and have much better battery life over all. I am the lone hold out in my family with a Nexus 7 and a Galaxy Tab S2 (because the N7 is starting to get creaky)
The only issues I get from my family, who are uniformly Apple users, are that printing directly from apps doesn't work right (generally solveable by using the Brother print app), occasionally the bluetooth will glitch and cause the music player to start automatically, and Safari will crash under moderate load. Dolphin generally solves that latter issue, though I'm not sure how. Oh, and there are no obvious ways to block ads outside of the web browser. That's it - really. Otherwise, they love the things. We have upgraded through the iPad 2 to the iPad Air and now my wife is on an iPad Air 2.
Given Google's lack of interest in tablets and tablet software, the only thing keeping me on Android tablets is the fact that I own a lot of Android apps and games for them, and several reasonable firewall and privacy apps are available for it. Obviously, as an XDA member, I tend to prefer a higher level of control and modification of my devices, but if I were suggesting something for a non-technical user, I would point them at the new iPad 5. (unless they want to do art or technical work, then an iPad Pro 9.7")
jshamlet said:
To be honest, unless you have an existing investment in Android or Android apps, or have a specific need that Apple doesn't support, the iPads are better tablets. They are built better, work smoother, and have much better battery life over all. I am the lone hold out in my family with a Nexus 7 and a Galaxy Tab S2 (because the N7 is starting to get creaky)
The only issues I get from my family, who are uniformly Apple users, are that printing directly from apps doesn't work right (generally solveable by using the Brother print app), occasionally the bluetooth will glitch and cause the music player to start automatically, and Safari will crash under moderate load. Dolphin generally solves that latter issue, though I'm not sure how. Oh, and there are no obvious ways to block ads outside of the web browser. That's it - really. Otherwise, they love the things. We have upgraded through the iPad 2 to the iPad Air and now my wife is on an iPad Air 2.
Given Google's lack of interest in tablets and tablet software, the only thing keeping me on Android tablets is the fact that I own a lot of Android apps and games for them, and several reasonable firewall and privacy apps are available for it. Obviously, as an XDA member, I tend to prefer a higher level of control and modification of my devices, but if I were suggesting something for a non-technical user, I would point them at the new iPad 5. (unless they want to do art or technical work, then an iPad Pro 9.7")
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I completely agree with your assessment. I do like the level of control and modification that Android gives but that's the engineer in me who likes to really play around with the settings, ROMs, etc. As a "tablet user" though, give me my Air 2. It just plain works well and as I mentioned earlier, the level of polish and sophistication in a lot of available apps is outstanding. I'll always have Android devices but my next tablet upgrade would be another iPad. The S2 is a big upgrade from my Nexus 7 (and it blows my Asus Transformer Pad Infinity TF700T away) and is fun to use but my Air 2 is a better tablet. And this is from a guy who never thought he would buy an Apple device.
Yeah, I've been deeply disappointed by Google's lack of interest in tablets. I was hoping that after all the effort that went into Honeycomb they might actually reach parity with iOS, but nope. It is all still phone centric.
What is more baffling is that Samsung hasn't picked up the slack either, and despite being "Galaxy" devices, the Galaxy Tabs aren't really being treated that way. I still like my Tab S2, and it is at least as good as my wife's iPad Air 2 in terms of performance, but it isn't anywhere near it in terms of battery life. That last one is frustrating because it's a tablet. Make the thing a millimeter thicker and put a real battery in it. Our old iPad 2, despite being practically geriatric at this point, outlasts my Tab S2! (I keep it around as a Facetime client)
Same with my phone - I could tolerate an extra few millimeters if it meant the battery lasted longer. I really hope this thin fetish ends at some point...
jshamlet said:
Yeah, I've been deeply disappointed by Google's lack of interest in tablets. I was hoping that after all the effort that went into Honeycomb they might actually reach parity with iOS, but nope. It is all still phone centric.
What is more baffling is that Samsung hasn't picked up the slack either, and despite being "Galaxy" devices, the Galaxy Tabs aren't really being treated that way. I still like my Tab S2, and it is at least as good as my wife's iPad Air 2 in terms of performance, but it isn't anywhere near it in terms of battery life. That last one is frustrating because it's a tablet. Make the thing a millimeter thicker and put a real battery in it. Our old iPad 2, despite being practically geriatric at this point, outlasts my Tab S2! (I keep it around as a Facetime client)
Same with my phone - I could tolerate an extra few millimeters if it meant the battery lasted longer. I really hope this thin fetish ends at some point...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It doesn't look good these days for the overall tablet-only market, with a greater emphasis on hybrid and detachable devices - look at the Surface and where Apple is going with their Pro line. I think Google sees their niche in Chromebooks, which leaves Samsung as the big Android player. And if I'm an app developer, I'd be focused on either targeting phones (Android or Apple) or Apple tablets, not Android tablets, making Android tablets even less desirable as an end-user device. (Regarding battery - charged my Air 2 last night and this morning it was still at 100% with Bluetooth, WiFi, and location all enabled. Usage drain is also better than any other device I've owned.)
jshamlet said:
Yeah, I've been deeply disappointed by Google's lack of interest in tablets. I was hoping that after all the effort that went into Honeycomb they might actually reach parity with iOS, but nope. It is all still phone centric.
What is more baffling is that Samsung hasn't picked up the slack either, and despite being "Galaxy" devices, the Galaxy Tabs aren't really being treated that way. I still like my Tab S2, and it is at least as good as my wife's iPad Air 2 in terms of performance, but it isn't anywhere near it in terms of battery life. That last one is frustrating because it's a tablet. Make the thing a millimeter thicker and put a real battery in it. Our old iPad 2, despite being practically geriatric at this point, outlasts my Tab S2! (I keep it around as a Facetime client)
Same with my phone - I could tolerate an extra few millimeters if it meant the battery lasted longer. I really hope this thin fetish ends at some point...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have to disagree Jshamlet. The thing that made me buy this tablet was the weight, and I notice how heavy any other tablet is when I holding. Maybe Samsung could attempt something like last years Motorola phones where there is a back plate which includes a battery, giving the best of both worlds?
---------- Post added at 11:50 AM ---------- Previous post was at 11:48 AM ----------
jshamlet said:
Yeah, I've been deeply disappointed by Google's lack of interest in tablets. I was hoping that after all the effort that went into Honeycomb they might actually reach parity with iOS, but nope. It is all still phone centric.
What is more baffling is that Samsung hasn't picked up the slack either, and despite being "Galaxy" devices, the Galaxy Tabs aren't really being treated that way. I still like my Tab S2, and it is at least as good as my wife's iPad Air 2 in terms of performance, but it isn't anywhere near it in terms of battery life. That last one is frustrating because it's a tablet. Make the thing a millimeter thicker and put a real battery in it. Our old iPad 2, despite being practically geriatric at this point, outlasts my Tab S2! (I keep it around as a Facetime client)
Same with my phone - I could tolerate an extra few millimeters if it meant the battery lasted longer. I really hope this thin fetish ends at some point...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have to disagree Jshamlet. The thing that made me buy this tablet was the weight, and I notice how heavy any other tablet is when I holding. Maybe Samsung could attempt something like last years Motorola phones where there is a back plate which includes a battery, giving the best of both worlds?
Talking of picking up the slack, I'd love One Plus to put there foot in the door. Samsung have had there chance......
Hi folks.
I was close to buy an iPad air 2 also, but:
- no GPS
- expensive
were the two reasons that I preferred the tab s2 instead. Also, I found it for a very good price.
I agree that for general usage the iPads are better tablets, I would never buy my mother an android, but for an engineer like me, with low budget, this was a better choice.
The alternative for me was to an even cheaper tablet, like Amazon fire, but the quality is even lower.
And I think the screen of the Tab S2 is amazing.
mauricempc74 said:
Hi folks.
I was close to buy an iPad air 2 also, but:
- no GPS
- expensive
were the two reasons that I preferred the tab s2 instead. Also, I found it for a very good price.
I agree that for general usage the iPads are better tablets, I would never buy my mother an android, but for an engineer like me, with low budget, this was a better choice.
The alternative for me was to an even cheaper tablet, like Amazon fire, but the quality is even lower.
And I think the screen of the Tab S2 is amazing.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Its funny that I bought my 65 year old mother a Nexus 4 back in 2012, thinking it would be too complex. She loved that phone and took an even bigger risk by replacing it with a Huawei P9 Lite. She's now an Android FanGranny and snaps at my sister whenever she suggests getting her an iOS device.