Database Users

iPad2 tomorrow. Who's on the fence?

I know I am.
We can debate about it till the end of time and end of day, it's just preference. I dislike the Apple arrogance, but they make a kick ass piece of hardware. To do what it can do on lesser hardware specs (CPU) is an amazing accomplishment. Once you get into an app on either platform, it's pretty much the same thing.
However, I am in the Android ecosystem and I dig it. I am a tinkerer, so it's definitely for me since I love the customization. But I am also a cheap bastard, and price could win this war for me.
The XOOM is expensive, even with the 25% coupon.
Here's where I jump ship to iPad vs. XOOM (which I do have on order and is shipping)
- Lower iPad entry price. 400 - 450 for a 16gb iPad2 is killer. However, it would have to be closer to 400. At 450, it's 150 away from full flash, higher resolution, more capacity and expandability... etc etc...
- Higher resolution screen. This is huge. I want to be able to paint with sketchbook and already believe 4:3 is better than 16:10 for this, but even a 16:10 1280 x 800 is already better than iPad 1's 1024 x 768. A higher res screen would likely be 1280 x 1024.
If they get both of these, price and screen, I am not leaving Android, but I will leave the XOOM behind. And not just as an in comparison vs. iPad stance, but lets look at 2011. Almost every Android pad coming out has similar to same specs as XOOM. We all knew we were paying the premium for first adopter syndrome, but at some point, I need to be smart about all this.
Thoughts?

DatterBoy said:
I know I am.
We can debate about it till the end of time and end of day, it's just preference. I dislike the Apple arrogance, but they make a kick ass piece of hardware. To do what it can do on lesser hardware specs (CPU) is an amazing accomplishment. Once you get into an app on either platform, it's pretty much the same thing.
However, I am in the Android ecosystem and I dig it. I am a tinkerer, so it's definitely for me since I love the customization. But I am also a cheap bastard, and price could win this war for me.
The XOOM is expensive, even with the 25% coupon.
Here's where I jump ship to iPad vs. XOOM (which I do have on order and is shipping)
- Lower iPad entry price. 400 - 450 for a 16gb iPad2 is killer. However, it would have to be closer to 400. At 450, it's 150 away from full flash, higher resolution, more capacity and expandability... etc etc...
- Higher resolution screen. This is huge. I want to be able to paint with sketchbook and already believe 4:3 is better than 16:10 for this, but even a 16:10 1280 x 800 is already better than iPad 1's 1024 x 768. A higher res screen would likely be 1280 x 1024.
If they get both of these, price and screen, I am not leaving Android, but I will leave the XOOM behind. And not just as an in comparison vs. iPad stance, but lets look at 2011. Almost every Android pad coming out has similar to same specs as XOOM. We all knew we were paying the premium for first adopter syndrome, but at some point, I need to be smart about all this.
Thoughts?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sources in the media say the higher res screen is not going to happen because it would cause more power drain. They are going to make a thinner screen, though, allowing the device to be thinner.
I can never get an iPad because iOS is pathetic for a tablet OS. Not near enough functionality for my tastes. It's just an app delivery system.
Unfortunately, this leaves me still waiting for a tablet that fits my needs (Toshiba? LG?). My Xoom is going back, I'm too bothered by the power button and speaker placement, especially considering the price.

They aren't going to lower the price and they aren't bumping the screen specs up. So your decision is already made. Apple hits the same price point every year, they aren't going to lower it when they are already below all relevant competition. They have already confirmed that the screen is the same resolution as well.
What will change I think is that Apple will be running a dual core TI OMAP4430 processor with the Imagination Technologies Powervr SGX540 clocked at 300mhz. The reason I think this is what they will use is that Apple owns a significant stake in Imaginations Technology, they might even outright own it at this point, and they have used their technology in past iphones and ipads.
If they do use this SoC, then the iPad will have SIGNIFICANTLY higher graphics processing power than the Xoom and other Tegra 2 tablets. Also, Apple won't support it, but it would be capable of playing back 1080p high profile content flawlessly. Maybe once its jailbroken and XBMC is installed . . . . .

I'm not really on the fence, as I will get a Xoom eventually. But I do think that the pricing of the Xoom is ridiculous, and I do think that this will change once the iPad 2 is announced.
Motorola justified the premium price by saying it has many features that the iPad doesn't have. This is stupid. First, 4G and Flash are not available on it, yet. Second, the product that the Xoom should really be compared to is the iPad 2, not the original iPad. Flash can certainly be ruled out for the iPad 2, given Steve Jobs' stance on it. But how come Motorola is so certain that iPad 2 won't get 4G support? And front+rear cameras support, and faster CPU, are unlikely to be missing on the iPad 2.
I do think that Motorola will change the pricing on the Xoom once the iPad 2 is out there. This is probably why they don't say anything about the price of the wifi-only version yet (except informally said to be around $600, not saying anything about the capacity). The official price of the current 3G+wifi model probably won't change, but I'm sure they will do some coupon or mail-in rebate to effectively lower its price, and then introduce a range of lower capacity and wifi-only model to try to match iPad's pricing.
Apple probably will lower the prices with the new iPad. They typically cut the price of the same capacity model (due to flash memory price dropping like crazy all the time?) when they introduce a new generation of products every year (see iPod Touch). I highly doubt they can do much lower than $499 for the cheapest model though, because honestly that's already shockingly cheap when it was introduced last year. My guess is the starting price will still be around $499, maybe $450 but not any lower. Maybe they will retain the current generation 16GB iPad and slash its price, just like what they did with the iPhone 3GS. But the prices of the newer higher capacity models should be lower than what they are now.

tsekh501 said:
I'm not really on the fence, as I will get a Xoom eventually. But I do think that the pricing of the Xoom is ridiculous, and I do think that this will change once the iPad 2 is announced.
Motorola justified the premium price by saying it has many features that the iPad doesn't have. This is stupid. First, 4G and Flash are not available on it, yet. Second, the product that the Xoom should really be compared to is the iPad 2, not the original iPad. Flash can certainly be ruled out for the iPad 2, given Steve Jobs' stance on it. But how come Motorola is so certain that iPad 2 won't get 4G support? And front+rear cameras support, and faster CPU, are unlikely to be missing on the iPad 2.
I do think that Motorola will change the pricing on the Xoom once the iPad 2 is out there. This is probably why they don't say anything about the price of the wifi-only version yet (except informally said to be around $600, not saying anything about the capacity). The official price of the current 3G+wifi model probably won't change, but I'm sure they will do some coupon or mail-in rebate to effectively lower its price, and then introduce a range of lower capacity and wifi-only model to try to match iPad's pricing.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't think flash can be ruled out. They could easily just say that it wasn't ready to run as smooth as they require, but now with the new hardware it does. They have reversed themselves on dozens of things as vehemently rejected as Flash in the past. That would be a major coup against Android too.

There is no on the fence for me, Honeycomb compared to the sorry excuse for a tablet OS they call iOS is a no brainer.

DatterBoy said:
I know I am.
We can debate about it till the end of time and end of day, it's just preference. I dislike the Apple arrogance, but they make a kick ass piece of hardware. To do what it can do on lesser hardware specs (CPU) is an amazing accomplishment. Once you get into an app on either platform, it's pretty much the same thing.
However, I am in the Android ecosystem and I dig it. I am a tinkerer, so it's definitely for me since I love the customization. But I am also a cheap bastard, and price could win this war for me.
The XOOM is expensive, even with the 25% coupon.
Here's where I jump ship to iPad vs. XOOM (which I do have on order and is shipping)
- Lower iPad entry price. 400 - 450 for a 16gb iPad2 is killer. However, it would have to be closer to 400. At 450, it's 150 away from full flash, higher resolution, more capacity and expandability... etc etc...
- Higher resolution screen. This is huge. I want to be able to paint with sketchbook and already believe 4:3 is better than 16:10 for this, but even a 16:10 1280 x 800 is already better than iPad 1's 1024 x 768. A higher res screen would likely be 1280 x 1024.
If they get both of these, price and screen, I am not leaving Android, but I will leave the XOOM behind. And not just as an in comparison vs. iPad stance, but lets look at 2011. Almost every Android pad coming out has similar to same specs as XOOM. We all knew we were paying the premium for first adopter syndrome, but at some point, I need to be smart about all this.
Thoughts?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not a big deal, the 32gb 3g I pad currently costs $729, the new I pad will be the same or more, I could careless about $70, also the xoom with no flash sucks balls, to be stuck with an iPad that will never get flash would be a travesty. Please hurry up adobe

I am on the fence. What I really need is a good tablet that will replace my notes at work as well as be a nice toy for my 2.5 year old to play with and learn on. We won't know everything until tomorrow, but I love how Android is an actual OS whereas iOS is an app launcher. The thing to realize, Apple is also going to show some stuff coming out in iOS5. Nobody knows what is in the new OS. For all we know, they completely revamped it to be more like a desktop experience. If this is the case, I think I am going to have to go with IPad. If this is not the case, I will probably stick with Android, maybe not the Xoom but the Samsung 10.1 or another one. The only part that I am wary about are the amount of apps. I know that android will be getting more apps as time goes by, but IPad already has those apps. Therefore there is no waiting at all for them. Ahh, it's going to be such a hard decision to make when it comes down to it.
Disclaimer: I have never owned a single piece of Apple hardware/software before. The only android hardware/software that I have used is my HTC Hero CDMA.

I am waiting the next Samsung 8.9" tablet that will be announced on March 22
Hoping it doesn't use Tegra 2, has nicer screen like super amoled and 64 gb model.
I might jump into iPad 2 if iOS5 is not just a launcher.
Xoom is nice, but too expensive for current state (dislike Tegra 2 performance, hate the screen, hate the power button).
Sent from my Nexus S using XDA App

I'm not seriously on the fence about an iPad2...not a big apple fan, but I may still return my Xoom and wait a few weeks given that the iPad2 can change pricing and speed up some of the missing features (ie flash).
I don't own (or ever have owned) an current generation Apple product. I did own a original Macintosh and Apple II GS. I do like their hardware though.
As an aside, I always thought Apple should start using other apple names besides macintosh. The iphone could've been the fiji and the ipad the granny smith.

I am also on the fence - and I am coming from the GTablet. Dont get me wrong the Tegra 2 is an awesome platform and have become very comfortable with the source strucutre (Froyo), etc. etc. BUT I hated the screen. I just could not get past how bad the screen was on the GTablet. This now brings me to a point where I am tablet-less. Since the iPAD 2 announcement is tomorrow I am definitely on the fence. Other than an iPOD I don't own any Apple equipment. Having a strong linux/java development background so I do gravitate towards the Google platform BUT as I see it for what I want it to do (Browsing, Playing Games, Email, Media, E-Reading, etc.) the IPAD 2 is just as good (if not better possibly). With the GTablet I LOVED the tinkering with the kernel, loading up different ROMs, creating FrankinROMs, the little development I did, etc. but honestly I have enough tech playing in my life/profession soo.. the net net is I just need something that works, has great support and most importantly a great screen.
NOW.... If Motorola was smarter the WIFI would be out by now; someone like me would have pulled the trigger already especially due to the fact the 3G version is utterly crazily priced!... Unfortunately for them I have now reserved my self to be on the fence... Stupid stupid Motorola... I suspect everyone who is on the fence is/was in the same position! Listen Motorla - you probably just lost many customers to the (right now) king of Tablets... I would love to know the strategy of these manufacturers... Apple was smart to wait till after ALL the tablet announcements... its like seeing a boxer throw punch after punch barely connecting, tiring out the opponent... By the time the IPAD 2 hits the shelves - Android 3.0 will be a whisper in the wind - unfortunately due to the fact XOOM hasnt had the glaring reviews we all suspected and all others delayed till end of April or beyond. I suspect Apple will announce the IPAD 2 will be released 1st week of April - killing a huge market share of potential Google purchasers (like me?). If I were Apple this is what I would do.
Anyway... fun to discuss, speculate, etc.

Count me in as being on the fence. I was really hyped on Xoom coming out but the price and lack of options has completely killed my desire for one.
The biggest complaint I have is the fact that there is no WiFi version available at this time. I really dont need another data contract, and with having a Evo I can thether for free and dont need an overpriced CDMA radio. Having played with a Xoom, I think its great device and would really like one, but it loses out to the iPad in the following:
1) No WiFi $500-600 version
2) No Apps. I know there will be apps, but if I pay $800 for a device, I expect strong app support.
3) Fully thought out & functional product. Xoom seems rushed with no flash, no SD memory card, and crappy video support. I dont mind that these things will be updated in the future, but at a $800 price point its utterly retarded that its not fully functional.
I think the biggest mistake Motorola made is not offering a WiFi only version and releasing sooo close to the iPad 2 launch.
I will likely buy a iPad 2, since it will be announced tomorrow, WiFi version will be available soon and has the better apps. Although iOS sucks balls, I would rather have a cheaper tablet that is comparable.

No Brainer
i have never connected this to my computer and have already 20 albums, 3 movies and all my contacts, calendar, bookmarks.
oh i also have :
my jobs wifi with password
my house wifi with password
and all my friends wifi with passwords....i didnt do anything besides sign in my google account.
4g connections...micro sd...flash..soon enough (complain all you want about that..early adopters are a rare breed)
heavy dev help on the way....massive google overhauls as well
you do the math...
if your cheap i can see the complaining. otherwise, nah bro

also forgot
apple Ram is being up'ed to only 512mb.
and they arent using a Micro sd card
and they arent using a hdmi port
and they arent using a micro usb cord
but its apple so it doesnt matter, right?

Bauxite said:
There is no on the fence for me, Honeycomb compared to the sorry excuse for a tablet OS they call iOS is a no brainer.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
+1
The few people I spoke to about this said they were waiting for an iPad 2 because they like the sleek UI - can't fault iPad/Phone/Pod for the simple, easy to use, non-breakable UI - but I'd feel trapped and even jailbroken - a broken man...
Xoom caught my eye in the end (was contemplating something like the HTC Flyer but think its too small for a home-wifi-only-tab) and I'm waiting for the £450 wifi version to hit the pre-order so I can pre-order!

Dude... I think your in the wrong thread... This is the iPAD2 on the fence thread... Not sure what your saying (my Chrome Translation feature is not working) but its not coming across.. you may need to resend the message or your in the wrong thread...
dudeimgeorge said:
i have never connected this to my computer and have already 20 albums, 3 movies and all my contacts, calendar, bookmarks.
oh i also have :
my jobs wifi with password
my house wifi with password
and all my friends wifi with passwords....i didnt do anything besides sign in my google account.
4g connections...micro sd...flash..soon enough (complain all you want about that..early adopters are a rare breed)
heavy dev help on the way....massive google overhauls as well
you do the math...
if your cheap i can see the complaining. otherwise, nah bro
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

Lets not all forget about the horrible iTunes that is basically required to sync the iPad. Hrm. I've gone so long without ever needing to install that hunk of junk. That might be the main reason I pick Xoom at the end of the day.

cheebahawk said:
Count me in as being on the fence. I was really hyped on Xoom coming out but the price and lack of options has completely killed my desire for one.
The biggest complaint I have is the fact that there is no WiFi version available at this time. I really dont need another data contract, and with having a Evo I can thether for free and dont need an overpriced CDMA radio. Having played with a Xoom, I think its great device and would really like one, but it loses out to the iPad in the following:
1) No WiFi $500-600 version
2) No Apps. I know there will be apps, but if I pay $800 for a device, I expect strong app support.
3) Fully thought out & functional product. Xoom seems rushed with no flash, no SD memory card, and crappy video support. I dont mind that these things will be updated in the future, but at a $800 price point its utterly retarded that its not fully functional.
I think the biggest mistake Motorola made is not offering a WiFi only version and releasing sooo close to the iPad 2 launch.
I will likely buy a iPad 2, since it will be announced tomorrow, WiFi version will be available soon and has the better apps. Although iOS sucks balls, I would rather have a cheaper tablet that is comparable.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm a little confused, iPad will never have flash or SD support. The fact you have to wait a couple of weeks for flash means they should've delayed the project, your trippin. 1080p video when iPad doesn't have it isn't much of a comparison. When watching comcast on demand on my xoom everything looks a million times better then with my iPad. Everyoe is different and has different needs, but your points are mute except for price

First of all, a disclaimer, I own both ;-) I am a self proclaimed hardware whore. I currently use a nexus one but have owned 2 iphones in the past. I have a macbook pro as well as a dell xps, oh and I (or my kids) have an iPad.
Plain and simple, no one can knock apple for shaking up an industry. What they originally did for the phone scene and the eventual tablet scene was a well needed shot in the arm and they deserve the success they have received.
However, on a day to day basis do I use the iPad or iPhone? No. Why? Because while they do the basics very well they are certainly not flexible. Try to do something that Apple doesn't approve of and you'll quickly realize what I mean. While Jailbreaking is cool n' all that, I still prefer my functionality to be sanctioned by the manufacturer rather than hacked in.
As for the iPad2, my biggest complaint about the original iPad (and why my kids now exclusively use it) is browsing. Their browser is horribly slow, scrolling a page and waiting while the checkered pattern cleared up annoyed the crap out of me. And sure, flash sucks but it is a standard - and shame on you Apple for not embracing standards.
So, I genuinely don't care what the iPad2 has over the first generation if they don't fix the browser.
.... although I truly, truly miss Netflix

^^^^^^Amen!
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA Premium App

To the owners, Is Note 10.1 worth buying?

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
Click to expand...
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
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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.
Sent from my GT-N8013 using Tapatalk 2

habs101 said:
i the verge and gizmodo married they would make a new website called
ibiased.com
period.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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.

Why I chose the Galaxy Note... one mans journey

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
Sent from my GT-N8000 using XDA Premium HD app

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.
Sent from my GT-N8013 using Tapatalk 2

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.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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.

planning to buy one soon...some questions?

Hi all, I'm new to this forum
I'm a computer science student and I'm finally switching from old fashioned way of studying to tablets...many reasons for that, but most importantly because of the price of the textbooks compared to PDF and e-book. after many researches, I guess galaxy note 10 is my pick!
I'm mostly looking for a tablet that is good for reading(ESPECIALLY READING) and wouldn't hurt my eyes that much, or is light to hold in hand, can open +500 page PDFs and make notes on them easily...is GN 10.1 the answer?!
I really liked kindle paperwhite tablet(has great light), it looks really good for reading, but it does not have s-pen, and not probably good for note taking...also IPAD would be good since it has a better resolution which helps for reading, but again no stylus...but is GN 10 resolution/lighting really bad as some people mention?! do you suggest any tablet that is really good for the purpose of reading and making notes?!
Does anyone know if there will be a newer version of it coming anytime soon?! it's been a year now...I really need to buy one these days as the semester has already started, but if there be any official news about anytime soon, I'd rather wait for that...especially with all the complaints about the resolution, I guess that'd be the area they fix! do u think I should wait?
thanks guys

swamks said:
Hi all, I'm new to this forum
I'm a computer science student and I'm finally switching from old fashioned way of studying to tablets...many reasons for that, but most importantly because of the price of the textbooks compared to PDF and e-book. after many researches, I guess galaxy note 10 is my pick!
I'm mostly looking for a tablet that is good for reading(ESPECIALLY READING) and wouldn't hurt my eyes that much, or is light to hold in hand, can open +500 page PDFs and make notes on them easily...is GN 10.1 the answer?!
I really liked kindle paperwhite tablet(has great light), it looks really good for reading, but it does not have s-pen, and not probably good for note taking...also IPAD would be good since it has a better resolution which helps for reading, but again no stylus...but is GN 10 resolution/lighting really bad as some people mention?! do you suggest any tablet that is really good for the purpose of reading and making notes?!
Does anyone know if there will be a newer version of it coming anytime soon?! it's been a year now...I really need to buy one these days as the semester has already started, but if there be any official news about anytime soon, I'd rather wait for that...especially with all the complaints about the resolution, I guess that'd be the area they fix! do u think I should wait?
thanks guys
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Berlin IFA 2013 Exhibition to Be Held on September 6, with Participation of New Products from Samsung so it maybe worth waiting a week or so to see what Samsung has been working on.
.

I agree that you should wait for IFA next week.
But anyway, Galaxy note 10.1 is great. I'm an orthopedic Surgeon, and I read a lot of books and references and articles. and I had chosen this tablet over the ipad for the Spen, and reading large books
After one year of using it, I'm not regretting a bit. I can open > 1GB pdfs quickly. Books over 3000 pages. Also making notes, underlines, highline, adding photos, illustrations, all is easy and enjoying to do. And more than this using application called ezPDF reader, you can save all your annotations and sync them with your smartphone. And voice versa.
About resolution, is totally comfortable for me at less 50%brightness.
I really highly recommend this, especially at its low price currently.
Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk 2

thanks guys
well assuming at IFA Samsung reveals a new galaxy note, how long will it take to release the product?

btw, how much was it when it first released?

The 32gb WiFi (8013) was $550 and the 16gb was 500.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using xda app-developers app

I'm literally on the same exact boat. CS major, hate textbook prices, want something that I can ditch textbooks AND regular notebooks with.
Anyway, I'm waiting a little for the conference in September like people above me mentioned. If they announce something soon and it's similarly priced, then I'll get it. If not, then the price of the current generation will go down once the new one comes. Either way, it's a win-win. I agree that you should wait just few more weeks. Just use your laptop for the textbooks in the meanwhile.

All the talk so far for IFA has been the GN3 SMARTphone and no tablet talk at all. I would have picked up a GN8.0 but the Samsung is too stupid to offer a 32GB version so I refuse to get stuck with limited storage. I may take the plunge and get the GN10.1 but will likely hold off until IFA next week just in case they shock up with some big news. Somehow I doubt it.

There is rumor that there will be Samsung Galaxy Note 12.0 .... but 12 inches ?!?! it's really too big!! and 8 is too small for taking notes for me! if they could upgrade the 10 one with better resolution, I'll definitely go for it...I wish I could get something similar to Kindle Paperwhite screen...my friend has it and it's great for reading!!! but it's kinda too small plus it doesn't have stylus, and not good for note taking! these companies... they can easily make a product that have all the great qualities, but they don't, instead they make different products each with some special feature......keeping people hungry!
btw doesn't the 8 one come with SD card tho?

exactly the price of the books!!! I'm an international student and really the price is crazy for some books...Do they even consider who the buyer of their books are?! students...who are mostly not in a situation to pay 250 for a physics book! lol
There is rumor that there will be Samsung Galaxy Note 12.0 .... but 12 inches ?!?! it's really too big!! and 8 is too small for taking notes for me! if they could upgrade the 10 one with better resolution, I'll definitely go for it...I wish I could get something similar to Kindle Paperwhite screen...my friend has it and it's great for reading!!! but it's kinda too small plus it doesn't have stylus, and not good for note taking! these companies... they can easily make a product that have all the great qualities, but they don't, instead they make different products each with some special feature......keeping people hungry!
btw doesn't the 8 one come with SD card tho? I don't think I really need 32GB for my tablet!

swamks said:
8 one come with SD card tho?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes it does have micro SD slot
See the 1 minute mark http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hllY_mn31b4

swamks said:
There is rumor that there will be Samsung Galaxy Note 12.0 .... but 12 inches ?!?! it's really too big!! and 8 is too small for taking notes for me! if they could upgrade the 10 one with better resolution, I'll definitely go for it...I wish I could get something similar to Kindle Paperwhite screen...my friend has it and it's great for reading!!! but it's kinda too small plus it doesn't have stylus, and not good for note taking! these companies... they can easily make a product that have all the great qualities, but they don't, instead they make different products each with some special feature......keeping people hungry!
btw doesn't the 8 one come with SD card tho?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The rumor os the 12.1" tablet seems very solid, but at that size it's just unusable for tablet use for that I have a 17.3" notebook. If this is part of Sammy's IFA announcement then my support for the Dev community will go undeterred as I rely on the Devs to fix what the OEM's won't OS Updates.
---------- Post added at 09:21 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:20 PM ----------
kkretch said:
Yes it does have micro SD slot
See the 1 minute mark http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hllY_mn31b4
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
While it does have microSD it has insufficient internal storage. 16GB is a JOKE, they should never have made it or released it. The 32GB is still MIA for US import and that was announced 4-5 months ago. I gave up waiting for Expansys-USA to get them.

The only reason why I have this tablet is because I got it for free. I would have never purchased it on my own, and here is why:
The price is astronomical for the quality and screen resolution.
S-Pen is really for the most part a gimmick, unless you use it for GIMP or something similar.
Samsung software (TouchWiz) is crap and just lags the tablet down.
Gonna give you the obvious here: get the new Nexus 7. You can substitute the S-Pen for a regular $1 stylus and have it work just as well for most purposes.

dwegiel said:
The only reason why I have this tablet is because I got it for free. I would have never purchased it on my own, and here is why:
The price is astronomical for the quality and screen resolution.
S-Pen is really for the most part a gimmick, unless you use it for GIMP or something similar.
Samsung software (TouchWiz) is crap and just lags the tablet down.
Gonna give you the obvious here: get the new Nexus 7. You can substitute the S-Pen for a regular $1 stylus and have it work just as well for most purposes.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I had a Nexus 7 and returned it, it was just to small. When the keyboard is on the screens text window is just to small and the cheap rear firing speakers were also a real turnoff. I also own a Blackberry Playbook and it also has a 7 inch screen but the screen layout was so much better than the Nexus 7 and the forward speakers on the Playbook are the best in any tablet, including my Note 10.1. The feel in your hands of the Nexus was also very annoying to me, it just did not feel comfortable in my hands compared to my other 3 tablets that I own (playbook, kindle fire and Note 10.1).
Remember...... There is always something new coming out and I think people have a pretty good idea as to what they are going to buy before asking question here. A trip to a Best Buy or similar store would be a good idea to see what the devices look and feel like in your hands.

kkretch said:
I had a Nexus 7 and returned it, it was just to small. When the keyboard is on the screens text window is just to small and the cheap rear firing speakers were also a real turnoff. I also own a Blackberry Playbook and it also has a 7 inch screen but the screen layout was so much better than the Nexus 7 and the forward speakers on the Playbook are the best in any tablet, including my Note 10.1. The feel in your hands of the Nexus was also very annoying to me, it just did not feel comfortable in my hands compared to my other 3 tablets that I own (playbook, kindle fire and Note 10.1).
Remember...... There is always something new coming out and I think people have a pretty good idea as to what they are going to buy before asking question here. A trip to a Best Buy or similar store would be a good idea to see what the devices look and feel like in your hands.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have to agree the 7-8" tablets are simply too small for real keyboard use. I got an iPad mini LTE 64GB for free and its getting sold after a week. Free is great, but I will take the cash and invest it into a better Android tablet. I feel the GN10.1 is still worthy of purchase and device support ios still strong a year later. I don't plan on running TW anyways, custom ROM's all the way.

RaptorMD said:
I have to agree the 7-8" tablets are simply too small for real keyboard use. I got an iPad mini LTE 64GB for free and its getting sold after a week. Free is great, but I will take the cash and invest it into a better Android tablet. I feel the GN10.1 is still worthy of purchase and device support ios still strong a year later. I don't plan on running TW anyways, custom ROM's all the way.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Maybe check out their ATIV line of devices instead? I got the chance to use a Nexus 7 today and yeah, it is about an inch short of glory (not meant to be sexual...). It's oddly phablet-ish. Still, this 1280x768 isn't bad, it's just not great. Ultimately, it's all up to the user anyways. Go take a look in a store and see what fits you. Everyone's preference is different.

dwegiel said:
The only reason why I have this tablet is because I got it for free. I would have never purchased it on my own, and here is why:
The price is astronomical for the quality and screen resolution.
S-Pen is really for the most part a gimmick, unless you use it for GIMP or something similar.
Samsung software (TouchWiz) is crap and just lags the tablet down.
Gonna give you the obvious here: get the new Nexus 7. You can substitute the S-Pen for a regular $1 stylus and have it work just as well for most purposes.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
S-Pen is great for annotating and for taking notes in a class environment. S-Notes imho is the best software for notes which is not available for non touchwiz tablets. TouchWiz itself is pretty good. At least most bluetooth problems are resolved by Samsung before release unlike the nexus 7 2013 that has quirks in Bluetooth. A 7 inch tablet is not optimal in a class or note taking environment imho, the screen is much to small.
I feel like you couldn't be more wrong about everything. All that said i would advise the op to wait a week or so and see what comes. A new unit is inevitable. At that point they will unshelve the old units and the price will take a drop on eBay. Or buy the new model which should serve even better.

conan1600 said:
S-Pen is great for annotating and for taking notes in a class environment. S-Notes imho is the best software for notes which is not available for non touchwiz tablets. TouchWiz itself is pretty good. At least most bluetooth problems are resolved by Samsung before release unlike the nexus 7 2013 that has quirks in Bluetooth. A 7 inch tablet is not optimal in a class or note taking environment imho, the screen is much to small.
I feel like you couldn't be more wrong about everything. All that said i would advise the op to wait a week or so and see what comes. A new unit is inevitable. At that point they will unshelve the old units and the price will take a drop on eBay. Or buy the new model which should serve even better.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
S Suite just sucks. I can't import PDFs (S-Note will crash). To me, it is all just a gimmick. OneNote makes it slightly better (but only slightly).
The quirks of the nexus 7 are due to Android 4.3. Bluetooth was already borked in the 4.1.2 to 4.2 transition. Oh well.

conan1600 said:
S-Pen is great for annotating and for taking notes in a class environment. S-Notes imho is the best software for notes which is not available for non touchwiz tablets. TouchWiz itself is pretty good. At least most bluetooth problems are resolved by Samsung before release unlike the nexus 7 2013 that has quirks in Bluetooth. A 7 inch tablet is not optimal in a class or note taking environment imho, the screen is much to small.
I feel like you couldn't be more wrong about everything. All that said i would advise the op to wait a week or so and see what comes. A new unit is inevitable. At that point they will unshelve the old units and the price will take a drop on eBay. Or buy the new model which should serve even better.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yeah the thing is I'm kinda in a hurry to get it sooner since I need it so bad for this semester!
do u have any idea how long will it take for the price to drop if something new didn't come out?! I'm not a constant follower of tech devices so I don't have enough info about when things get cheaper etc etc
I won't go for ebay to buy it! can't really trust it!lol...prefer best-buy...does anyone know if I buy it today and the price drops in a a few weeks, can I go back and get a refund of the difference?! I'm a foreign guy, lol...not familiar with the policies that much!
I heard cosco is selling it for 370 in LA!!!!!!!!!!! have to check that out!

I am a phd candidate molecular biology/virology/immunology.
I use my note 10.1 a ridiculous amount every day. Suggestions if you want to do it without pulling your hair out.
1. Get an aftermarket s-pen. This is not optional if you plan to write, highlight, etc a lot. The one it comes with is crap and sort of a gimmick as someone said. Having a real full size pen makes the s-pen functionality go from "so close" to "works how it should". I use the bamboo stylus feel carbon because I like a heavier feeling pen. There are many other alternatives that are great aftermarket pens too.
2. If you want to do reading and highlighting, use EZPDF reader which is on sale now for reading textbooks and highlighting. Sale is here. https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=udk.android.reader&hl=en.
3. Use dropsync with your textbooks or something similar so your reading, highlighting, and notes/work on assignments are not only backed up in the worse case scenario but accessible from multiple devices like a pc at home or a phone on the go when you need to look at something quickly. Use multiple folders and keep things organized.
4. Get a small external keyboard if you have note heavy classes, writing with the pen just isn't fast enough to me, when I can type and have it perfectly legible. I use this one because I can switch to typing on tablet, phone, or home pc with one button http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...SIN=B0099SMFVQ&linkCode=as2&tag=digitren08-20
If you want a cheaper one, I used to have this one and had no issues. http://www.amazon.com/Logitech-Keyb...833&sr=1-1&keywords=logitech+keyboard+android
5. For note taking I use lecture notes. I keep the keyboard in my lap to type, the tablet on the desk/table to add illustrations and diagrams or insert an image from my textbook pdf (multitasking for the win). If you have to do math based things the formula recognition is nice but has a fairly unforgiving learning curve for more advanced math. If you can get it done, it's best to do the math in snote with the formula recognition and simply import the math into lecture notes for the pages you need it.
6. Use a custom rom, don't use stock touchwiz. It's garbage. I use android revolution, and designed my own layouts on top of it and my own icon set (this part is not necessary, only the rom is)
7. GMD spen control is great for quick shortcut gestures. This one is optional, but I set one for ezpdf, snote, lecture notes, graphing calculator, periodic table, open currently running apps, and a few other apps I use a lot. Makes stuff very fast. https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.gmd.spencontrol&hl=en
8. If you're going to be on campus a lot, consider a external battery charger. Let's me charge my tablet from 0-100% once as well as my phone from 0-100% in one charge, simultaneously if need be. When I know I'm going to be using it long term I just plug it in so it doesn't burn down. I use this one: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008YRG5JQ/ref=oh_details_o03_s00_i01?ie=UTF8&psc=1
9. Master multitasking on it. I usually have ezpdf reader open, lecture notes open, and snote open at a minimum at one time and switch back and forth between them by gestures. People watching must think i'm going ape**** on my tablet.
I use to have a giant gaming laptop, so I took my old case from that and bought some foam and cut it to fit the tablet, keyboard, and external battery. It was a really nice case so I felt it was wasted sitting there. Makes carrying my stuff around very easy and it's hilarious how the thing feels like a pound or two compared to 20 like my old laptop. Took all of 20-30 minutes to modify it.
Outside of school I use it to read comics and draw. I couldn't be happier with it. Like others have said, a true 1080p screen would be nice, but I've never had it hurt my eyes or anything. The new one if it is 12 inches is just too big :/
The tablet certainly isn't perfect. There's a lot of suggestions/ways to improve things that I would have for samsung mostly workflow and tweaks to functionality, but enough they would have some work to do. For a first try at trying to get into academia they did a decent job, but their second attempt whenever it is better have a lot of gripes fixed. It could be the number one contender in academia with some work, but I wouldn't trade it for a surface or anything similar that is out nowadays.
I typed this in a hurry, so sorry it's a disorganized mess.

Do not upgrade to Tab S3!

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.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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.
Click to expand...
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.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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.
Click to expand...
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")
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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.