Database Users

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.
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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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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.
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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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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
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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.
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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.

note 10.1 full of lag? plus ipad comparison

Hey guys...
So I want to love the note and think the spen with a tablet is just awesome. So I went to best buy today to play around. Have any of you played with the note in best buy? I ask because wow it was laggy. Noticeable shutters While swiping home screens; delays after trying to close out multi screen display, etc. Yet everyone on here says its super fast... I even disabled home screen widgets. On the flip side I'm considering a used iPad retina. I'm kinda tired of android. Currently have a nexus 7 which is fantastic but I need more functionality. The iPad just seems so polished from the gorgeous retina display to the more polished apps. I know multitude of people sold their iPad after using the note so I'd love to hear those opinions. Thanks for the help guys... Fwiw I'm an android guy at heart but the fragmentation of android makes me really appreciate apple lately... Their stuff is just smooth.

dale_cooper said:
Hey guys...
So I want to love the note and think the spen with a tablet is just awesome. So I went to best buy today to play around. Have any of you played with the note in best buy? I ask because wow it was laggy. Noticeable shutters While swiping home screens; delays after trying to close out multi screen display, etc. Yet everyone on here says its super fast... I even disabled home screen widgets. On the flip side I'm considering a used iPad retina. I'm kinda tired of android. Currently have a nexus 7 which is fantastic but I need more functionality. The iPad just seems so polished from the gorgeous retina display to the more polished apps. I know multitude of people sold their iPad after using the note so I'd love to hear those opinions. Thanks for the help guys... Fwiw I'm an android guy at heart but the fragmentation of android makes me really appreciate apple lately... Their stuff is just smooth.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Don't base off your decision on BB's display model. I tried the same and it was super leggy.. I found gazillion things running and weird stuff people had tried on it or it could be anything but it was just unusable on the other hand iPad was normal (is it deliberate ?!?!) Anyhow, try buying one and play with it for about 2 weeks and then make a decision (you can always return it if you don't enjoy it - within X days policy)

dale_cooper said:
wow it was laggy. Noticeable shutters While swiping home screens; delays after trying to close out multi screen display, etc. Yet everyone on here says its super fast... I even disabled home screen widgets.
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Don't you think there would be a 100 page thread on the front page of the forum if that was true? There's a couple of user-made videos showing transitions, multiview in action, and multiple apps running that are floating around. Check those out. Below is a comparison review to the TF700 made by Lisa at MobileTechReview who's considered pretty thorough and unbiased. Personally I have over 100 apps loaded and have 30 widgets on my home pages and I don't have any lag. I will say when using S-Note in multiview there's a bit of lag when moving from the other open app to it but it's only noticeable because everything else is so fast comparatively. JB should fly on Exynos Quad with 2GB of RAM. Until the Nexus 10 comes out the Note is the fastest Android tablet on the market bar none.
On the flip side I'm considering a used iPad retina. I'm kinda tired of android.
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Apples and oranges (no pun intended). If you're only interested in consumption, browsing, and gaming the Note's features probably aren't a big deal for you. An iPad or Nexus 10 would serve you better because of their displays. If all I cared about was consumption I'd probably get the Nexus 10. I'm not a big fan of walled gardens so nothing Apple makes is on my shopping list.

Op answered his own question really. New Ipad is the opposite of more functionality..lmfao you will get way less as IOS isn't as versatile as android. Apple is cool and alot of good apps bit Android is superior by far,IMO. My first tablet was an ipad1. Used it over 2 yrs. Back then Ipad was only real good device out. Android tabs were lacking. Now, Android tablets are tons more capable of various tasks than a mere Ipad. I gave my Ipad to my 2yr. Old daughter. I now have 2 Nexus 7's, Note 10.1, and ipad1. I use to have a transformer prime also. Once i went android, tablet wise, there was no looking back.

dale_cooper said:
Hey guys...
So I want to love the note and think the spen with a tablet is just awesome. So I went to best buy today to play around. Have any of you played with the note in best buy? I ask because wow it was laggy. Noticeable shutters While swiping home screens; delays after trying to close out multi screen display, etc. Yet everyone on here says its super fast... I even disabled home screen widgets. On the flip side I'm considering a used iPad retina. I'm kinda tired of android. Currently have a nexus 7 which is fantastic but I need more functionality. The iPad just seems so polished from the gorgeous retina display to the more polished apps. I know multitude of people sold their iPad after using the note so I'd love to hear those opinions. Thanks for the help guys... Fwiw I'm an android guy at heart but the fragmentation of android makes me really appreciate apple lately... Their stuff is just smooth.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well I love iPads, have had every one usually on release day, same with iPhones, but I can also appreciate Android tablets, and while most Android tablets I've used to date have been disappointing (most recently the Asus Infinity), I have to say the Note 10.1 is a remarkable product. I haven't used the S pen much yet, but it does seem very capable. I'm running straight stock and don't notice much, if any, lag. The browsers could be a little faster at page rendering, but all in all from an overall perspective it's plenty fast.
I have to agree with you about iOS apps being more polished, they truly are, but android apps keep getting better and better. The nice thing I like about android is that it's a lot more flexible and I'm a geek at heart, so all the widgets and stuff are really cool. The Note takes that to a whole new level with the pop up apps, side by side windows and s pen functionality.
I also love the display, I think it's awesome, the front facing speakers are also a very unique feature. It's hard to compete with the audio quality out of an iPhone / iPad, but this Note's speakers are stellar.
My Note is a little on the creaky side, but I'll leave that for nit-pickers So far I love mine and the pro's far outweigh the con's.

kevroc said:
Well I love iPads, have had every one usually on release day, same with iPhones, but I can also appreciate Android tablets, and while most Android tablets I've used to date have been disappointing (most recently the Asus Infinity), I have to say the Note 10.1 is a remarkable product. I haven't used the S pen much yet, but it does seem very capable. I'm running straight stock and don't notice much, if any, lag. The browsers could be a little faster at page rendering, but all in all from an overall perspective it's plenty fast.
I have to agree with you about iOS apps being more polished, they truly are, but android apps keep getting better and better. The nice thing I like about android is that it's a lot more flexible and I'm a geek at heart, so all the widgets and stuff are really cool. The Note takes that to a whole new level with the pop up apps, side by side windows and s pen functionality.
I also love the display, I think it's awesome, the front facing speakers are also a very unique feature. It's hard to compete with the audio quality out of an iPhone / iPad, but this Note's speakers are stellar.
My Note is a little on the creaky side, but I'll leave that for nit-pickers So far I love mine and the pro's far outweigh the con's.
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Click to collapse
Really appreciate the thoughtful replies and not flaming me - started the thread while in the theater waiting for Argo to start (excellent movie by the way), realized I rambled a little bit.
Anyways, Demandarin - I never thought about that but it's really true, the ipad is a media consumption device for the most part while the note's hardware (and software) enable functional tasks to be performed.... So if I want functionality beyond really smart/polished apps (which iOs does have), note is the correct choice.
I had the first ipad, sold it cuase I didn't use it much. Had an OG transformer with dock, sold that cause I didn't use it much. I don't use my nexus 7 much but because it was so cheap I don't feel as bad. The problem is that my laptop is slim and portable so its always on the couch with me and I end up not using a tablet. The note though is advanced enough to where I think I would use it alot - in fact I want to get rid of my laptop (and have a mac mini as the "computer" in the house).
It was interesting as I was in best buy this older guy who had no idea about tablets was looking at the note vs the ipad. I'm thinking man there is no way that guy should get the note, there's just too much going on for the average user compared to the simplicity of the ipad . It's also interesting how the ipad runs in full demo mode practically, everything is locked down and apps are demo's - because of this its smooth and perfect. I figured the note was overloaded with crap as you guys said... its really a shame because if I was a general consumer like that guy, I would've been like man this note is a piece of CRAP (due to lag and the downright CLUSTER of widgets on the homescreens).
I'm gonna go ahead and try the note - the s-pen and split screen is so useful to me (I can see me doing both all the time).

You sound like compulsive gadget buyer.
Do you really need the note and not just want it?

makanimike said:
You sound like compulsive gadget buyer.
Do you really need the note and not just want it?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Lol... does it matter?
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

I dunno. For you to decide.
It's just that you have tried tablets three times, and three times you end up not using them.
Aa for the original question: I can confirm there is no lag on a non-abused note. I used apex launcher for two days but switched back to stock touchwiz cause for me apex was laggy

dale_cooper said:
the s-pen and split screen is so useful to me (I can see me doing both all the time).
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It's also a great device for people with ADD...

Could be bc it was plugged in...
Sent from my SPH-D710 using Tapatalk 2

gmfeny said:
Could be bc it was plugged in...
Sent from my SPH-D710 using Tapatalk 2
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Click to collapse
A very good conclusion
Sent from my X10S using xda app-developers app

gmfeny said:
Could be bc it was plugged in...
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I don't know why some people are having touch response issues when their devices are plugged in. Mine doesn't act any differently one way or the other and it probably spends have the time I use it plugged in via the universal dock. A couple of people on the One X forum where having the same issue but they are way in the minority. It doesn't seem like something with the device itself; if it were I'd imagine we'd be seeing a lot more comments from owners.

I never realized it until it was mentioned here. I thought it was bc i have a screen protector.
Sent from my SPH-D710 using Tapatalk 2

As long as I have unit plugged into a surge protector...no problems. Without surge, it acts differently. Not sure if this would make a difference but maybe try this and see if it helps those who are having issues.

It's really risky to try stuff at stores. Chances are that the device has been used by hundreds of people without a reboot, so RAM may be completely depleted and so much in the cache partition that would confuse the device. Apps in the background can for sure make it laggy. My advice is go back and ask them clear the RAM and reboot if possible. If the iPad ran perfectly, maybe it was because nobody was playing with it and and the most popular device was just exhausted
I've used iPads before and up to a month or so ago I had my iPad2. It's a very entertaining OS, but you get tired of it very quickly; I only had it for 5 months. I bought with the excuse that the apps on iOS have more development that its counterpart in Android. And to a point it is true, but the hype gets dull very quickly.
I will confess that I'm a sort of compulsive buyer and buy things without really needing them. Just this year I've had and sold about 3 tablets beside the 3 I currently possess. If you buy the Note 10.1, I don't think you will regret it. For the first time this year I see myself keeping this one for a long time. You will not miss the iOS exclusive like Infinity Blade and tweetbot, and better facebook and twitter apps. I will not lie to you, the iOS is butter smooth, Android doesn't feel like that yet; but that should not be enough reason for not getting all the other perks...

I'm gonna try to scoop one up on craigslist... however I'm VERY intrigued to see what the nexus 10 pricing will be.

My SGN10.1 was initially full of lag as well.
What I found works is this. If you snap off the back plate you will see what looks like a screw cap. Carefully unscrew that and pour the lag into an empty jar. There is a lot of lag in there so the jar may be about half full before you are done. Once you have poured out all the lag screw the lid back on the jar and dispose of it in a hazmat safe landfill. Lag is carcinogenic so please avoid touching it.
Many people do not realize this but SGN10.1 units which have been manufactured in colder climates actually add the lag as an antifreeze. It is supposed to evaporate once the tablet is exposed to a warmer climate but occasionally it does not and the owner must pour it out manually.
Hope that helps. Once the lag has been removed your SGN10.1 should perform much better.

mitchellvii said:
My SGN10.1 was initially full of lag as well.
What I found works is this. If you snap off the back plate you will see what looks like a screw cap. Carefully unscrew that and pour the lag into an empty jar. There is a lot of lag in there so the jar may be about half full before you are done. Once you have poured out all the lag screw the lid back on the jar and dispose of it in a hazmat safe landfill. Lag is carcinogenic so please avoid touching it.
Many people do not realize this but SGN10.1 units which have been manufactured in colder climates actually add the lag as an antifreeze. It is supposed to evaporate once the tablet is exposed to a warmer climate but occasionally it does not and the owner must pour it out manually.
Hope that helps. Once the lag has been removed your SGN10.1 should perform much better.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Before I go to the hazmat safe landfil, should I change the blinker fluid on my car? :laugh::good:

mitchellvii said:
My SGN10.1 was initially full of lag as well.
What I found works is this. If you snap off the back plate you will see what looks like a screw cap. Carefully unscrew that and pour the lag into an empty jar. There is a lot of lag in there so the jar may be about half full before you are done. Once you have poured out all the lag screw the lid back on the jar and dispose of it in a hazmat safe landfill. Lag is carcinogenic so please avoid touching it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Mine is a little too fast. Is it safe to pour some of the lag in?

10.1.2014 versus Sony Xperia Tab Z

I've seen lots of discussion comparing with the various iPads, but not much discussion on the Sony Xperia. I was pretty much sold on the Note originally as I LOVE my S3 phone, but I must admit I do see the reason behind all the negative Samsung reactions in terms of bloatware. Man do they put a bunch of junk on there! Luckily I have my S3 rooted and have successfully turned off bunches of bloat, and the phone is now massively faster . . . . . even on the stock ROM.
The more I play with the Xperia and read the reviews, the more I like it. The biggest 2 drawbacks in comparison are (1) lower screen resolution and (2) no S-pen. Neither one of those are deal brakers for me, but they do factor into the overall decision.
So, I know I'll get lots of pro-Samsung comments given the forum I'm in, but I'd like some honest feedback. Has anyone had lots of time with both tabs that can give some user level insight as to which way they would recommend? I have no doubt both are quality devices. Just trying to make a smart spend with my hard earned $. :fingers-crossed:
Thanks in advance.
~Vol
P.S. The new Kindle HDX is sneaking into the discussion, too. It has a *whopper* of a set of specs at a great price point. Root and install a well-built custom ROM, and maybe it kills all of them??

Vol4Ever said:
I've seen lots of discussion comparing with the various iPads, but not much discussion on the Sony Xperia. I was pretty much sold on the Note originally as I LOVE my S3 phone, but I must admit I do see the reason behind all the negative Samsung reactions in terms of bloatware. Man do they put a bunch of junk on there! Luckily I have my S3 rooted and have successfully turned off bunches of bloat, and the phone is now massively faster . . . . . even on the stock ROM.
The more I play with the Xperia and read the reviews, the more I like it. The biggest 2 drawbacks in comparison are (1) lower screen resolution and (2) no S-pen. Neither one of those are deal brakers for me, but they do factor into the overall decision.
So, I know I'll get lots of pro-Samsung comments given the forum I'm in, but I'd like some honest feedback. Has anyone had lots of time with both tabs that can give some user level insight as to which way they would recommend? I have no doubt both are quality devices. Just trying to make a smart spend with my hard earned $. :fingers-crossed:
Thanks in advance.
~Vol
P.S. The new Kindle HDX is sneaking into the discussion, too. It has a *whopper* of a set of specs at a great price point. Root and install a well-built custom ROM, and maybe it kills all of them??
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I love the resolution and feel of the 10.1 2014 but hate lack of root (0x0) and the physical button. S-Pen is a must for me or I would probably just go with the upcoming Nexus 10 refresh.
I really just wanted to say.....GO VOLS

Are you saying root and custom Roms won't be possible on the 2014? THAT would be a deal breaker for sure! Haven't looked much at the N10, but I guess I should. When is refresh product due out?
And on the Big Orange, I firmly believe Butch is the man to get it done. Our true freshmen have shown some "sparks" here and there. Just don't have the exp or conditioning to bring it for 60 solid minutes. I remain big time optimistic we are finally headed back up. Goodness knows we mist definitely bottomed out over the last few seasons. Wow.

ckelly33 said:
I love the resolution and feel of the 10.1 2014 but hate lack of root (0x0) and the physical button. S-Pen is a must for me or I would probably just go with the upcoming Nexus 10 refresh.
I really just wanted to say.....GO VOLS
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Click to collapse
what refresh? as far as i know nothing has been announced and rumors say there wont be another 10 inch nexus this year

The Xperia Tab Z was my first choice was as I have an Xperia Z1 phone, however I ended up returning the XTZ after a couple of days and getting the new Note 10.1.
The biggest issue with the XTZ for me was the video playback quality. When viewing 1080p movies it seemed to be dropping frames, and as well Netflix and Youtube playback was no where close to my iPad. I didn't want a situation where I was only able to use the tablet for some things and then had to go back to using my iPad for watching movies or reading ebooks. There is also the issue of the Bravia engine on the XTZ which seemed to be putting too much contrast and sharpening into all of the videos and images. I can understand why they are using Bravia as it does give the illusion of a slightly higher resolution display, but it's no where near iPad quality.
The XTZ is a great tablet though, and if the Note 10.1 didn't exist it would be the Android king without a doubt.
The best thing for me about the Note 10.1 is that it is capable of doing everything with pretty much state of the art quality. I've had a few jaw dropping moments with it where the display truly give the illusion of looking through a window. It's fantastic for video playback.
It's been a long time coming to finally get an Android tablet that matches or exceeds the iPad and I'm so far pretty thrilled with my 10.1.

30Seconds said:
It's been a long time coming to finally get an Android tablet that matches or exceeds the iPad and I'm so far pretty thrilled with my 10.1.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What are your comments on the bloatware and all the built-in Samsung apps? Did you delete or disable a bunch of those? And I doubt I'll be doing much movie watching on the tab, but I do like to play some of the higher end games every now & then. Currently read a lot of e-books on a rooted Nook Tablet, but hoping the new device will ultimately replace that as well. And I agree that one of your obvious goals is one of mine. Use 1 tablet for pretty much everything outside of phone & texting with my S3.

I also remember now why I punted the Nexus . . . . . no SD card. That plus constantly changing connectors plus the "do it our way or not at all" mentaility is the main reason I moved away from Apple products. I used iPhones up through the 4 models, and then made the Android switch. Haven't looked back on that particular decision!

30Seconds said:
The best thing for me about the Note 10.1 is that it is capable of doing everything with pretty much state of the art quality. I've had a few jaw dropping moments with it where the display truly give the illusion of looking through a window. It's fantastic for video playback.
It's been a long time coming to finally get an Android tablet that matches or exceeds the iPad and I'm so far pretty thrilled with my 10.1.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Truth. The display is the best I've ever seen on a tablet. At full brightness it's absolutely incredible. The functionality of the SPen was the main draw for me with this tablet though. If you're a student or work in a setting that demands a lot of note taking then this tablet is the way to go. If I didn't need these functions, I would have waited for the new Nexus 10, which I'm sure will be superb as well. The ability to use this tablet as a virtual notebook for all of my classes made this the right choice for me though, even though it was quite expensive.

I currently own both of these tablets Samsung better screen better speakers and its faster I would go with the Samsung myself but the Sony is a nice tablet I have it running pacman ROM and it is very smooth
I am going to China on the weekend and was actually thinking of returning my samsung taking the Sony with me and then trying to find the 10.1 LTE version in Hong Kong on my way home so on a side note does anyone know how much the LTE version will cost in Hong Kong and a good place to buy it thanks
Sent from my Nexus 4 using XDA Premium HD app

I loved my Z while I had it. My only complaint was that bad boy was a fingerprint magnet. I haven't yet tried a Note 10.1 2014 because there is no development for it or the Note 3.

golfinggino said:
I currently own both of these tablets Samsung better screen better speakers and its faster I would go with the Samsung myself but the Sony is a nice tablet I have it running pacman ROM and it is very smooth
I am going to China on the weekend and was actually thinking of returning my samsung taking the Sony with me and then trying to find the 10.1 LTE version in Hong Kong on my way home so on a side note does anyone know how much the LTE version will cost in Hong Kong and a good place to buy it thanks
Sent from my Nexus 4 using XDA Premium HD app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As far as I know, 10.1 2014 is not yet available in Hong Kong.

Vol4Ever said:
What are your comments on the bloatware and all the built-in Samsung apps? Did you delete or disable a bunch of those? And I doubt I'll be doing much movie watching on the tab, but I do like to play some of the higher end games every now & then. Currently read a lot of e-books on a rooted Nook Tablet, but hoping the new device will ultimately replace that as well. And I agree that one of your obvious goals is one of mine. Use 1 tablet for pretty much everything outside of phone & texting with my S3.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So far all I have done is install Nova Launcher and turn down the animations to 0.5 in the developer settings. This makes it more than fast enough for me and I am not going to root or flash until we get a look at more finalized OTA firmwares. I know there are a lot of early reviewers that say this tablet lags, but since the first OTA update it has been running as quickly as one would expect it to.
I'm completely thrilled with this tablet, I can finally get rid of my IPad.

I've had the chance to own both for a while and there's pros and cons to each. The xperia was light, quick enough, NFC, DLNA, etc. Screen was good for movie watching. Expandable memory. Water proof. And it seemed less bloated although it really does have a crap load of Sony stuff on there. On the flipside, as one user said, it was a finger print magnet. It also felt extra long in portrait mode. Luckily it's a light tablet so it's not super uncomfortable but it does create a weird experience in portrait. Also, being a snapdragon s4 chipset, it's significantly slower during intense operations or even if you put a live wallpaper like ditalix live wallpaper on it.
The note has all the specs necessary, minus NFC. S pen is great just like my note 3. Screen in gorgeous. Relatively light in the hands. But again, as another user mentioned, the physical button is quite annoying in portrait mode and for a tablet so expensive, there should be no stuttering. Rooting is a fix for that though.
Although, neither was meant for portrait use, Web browsing feels more natural in portrait mode, much like the ipad. I still own both tablet, along side the ipad air. Note 10.1 2014 is my productivity beast at work and I travel with it. The xperia is my wife's favorite because she can read in the pool with it without a care, and takes it to the beach. The ipad is my favorite at home. Perfect for browsing the Web, chromecasting content, watching videos in bed, reading magazines, etc. Although, the note can do those things perfectly fine, it just doesn't have the same feel as the ipad for me when I'm in lazy mode.
Basically, if you u spend a lot of time outside with the tablet, xperia. If you need productivity first, note. If you want an all around great experience without all the bells and whistles, ipad.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N900A using xda app-developers app

30Seconds said:
The Xperia Tab Z was my first choice was as I have an Xperia Z1 phone, however I ended up returning the XTZ after a couple of days and getting the new Note 10.1.
The biggest issue with the XTZ for me was the video playback quality. When viewing 1080p movies it seemed to be dropping frames, and as well Netflix and Youtube playback was no where close to my iPad. I didn't want a situation where I was only able to use the tablet for some things and then had to go back to using my iPad for watching movies or reading ebooks. There is also the issue of the Bravia engine on the XTZ which seemed to be putting too much contrast and sharpening into all of the videos and images. I can understand why they are using Bravia as it does give the illusion of a slightly higher resolution display, but it's no where near iPad quality.
The XTZ is a great tablet though, and if the Note 10.1 didn't exist it would be the Android king without a doubt.
The best thing for me about the Note 10.1 is that it is capable of doing everything with pretty much state of the art quality. I've had a few jaw dropping moments with it where the display truly give the illusion of looking through a window. It's fantastic for video playback.
It's been a long time coming to finally get an Android tablet that matches or exceeds the iPad and I'm so far pretty thrilled with my 10.1.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
To echo this, I would go into Best Buy to play with the tablets all the time, coming closer and closer to pulling the trigger to purchasing but stopping. When I read the specs of this tablet, I had to bite and I've been rewarded immensely for my purchase. I've had those jaw dropping moments as well. I ask it to do so much and it's almost like it's mocking me, tackling everything I throw at it with ease.

Between the Note and the Xperia, it all comes down to the screen. The Note wins, hands down.
I do like the whole waterproof thing, and it's a touch lighter than the Note. But the large bezels really make it feel clunky and less weildy in landscape mode. Samsung's decision to trim the bezels really pays off in usability. It feels closer to the iPad in portrait mode even though it's still the same 16:10 screen.
BTW, another area where the Note wins hands down is reading comic books. It's the closest thing to the printed page. I am awed by how great comic books look on the Note, even though the pages are less resolution than the screen itself.

I was looking at buying the xperia but decided to wait for this to come out. I tried both of them in a shop and the xperia was too bezzly for me and the screen of the Note was unreal. Anyways I just got my Note about an hour ago and the screen alone makes this awesome.

I have had a Xperia Tablet Z since it was released and its very nice. My wife loves it as well. The thing that is nice is that its extremely fast and has no lag. I am very impressed with the build quality, and battery life as well. I am not a fan of the case I have on it because it is a el cheapo leather case that is not that impressive. That doesn't detract from how happy I am with this tablet.
I am going to get a Note 10.1 2014 through work in the next week or so. When that comes in, I will give my wife the Xperia since she loves it. I think the Note 10.1 is going to be better for what I do than the Xperia. I am most worried about lag or response time with this device. I am going to use Nova launcher for sure, and root the device if possible.

One area where the Note beats the Xperia hands down is remote desktop. The MS app defaults to 1280 x 800 on the Note and is very fast. It defaults to 1980 x 1200 on the Xperia and chugs along with lots of tiling with tiny touch targets. The SPen allows you to hit touch targets too small for your finger and allows you to hover over links and menus. It's a fantastic rdp implementation on the Note but almost unusable on the Xperia.

http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2464769

Bought a Galaxy Note 12.2 - mixed feelings...

Well I picked up a Note 12.2 (black/32GB) Friday and well have some mixed feelings considering the cost.
1. Need to root for more multiwindow apps
2. Chrome performance is still lacking - Googles fault, not Samsung's but figured raw performance would address it.
3. Really hate the physical home button and cap buttons more then I even thought I would. Why Samsung thinks this is a good idea beats me!
4. Really don't like that everything is scaled up in size for the larger screen. I realize it's the same resolution as my Nexus 10 but a DPI setting would have addressed this. Just makes it feel cheap and like it's for old people or kids. Need to root to change DPI...
5. Seems Samsung took big step backwards on some S Pen apps. The demos I watch for the previous Note devices work much better and more streamlined then on the Note 12.2. Really not sold on the S Pen and think mine is going back for a Tab Pro 12.2 if it's released soon otherwise maybe just a outright return.
6. Seems really stupid they hide the menu button under the multitask button (long press). I know many apps have a menu button but for those that do not this could really throw off a person who is not resourceful. This is the kind of crap that backs up the idea that an iPad is easier to use.
7. Definitely some random lag. Why does Samsung need to over bloat everything. stock Android fits in like 300MB and TW Android is like 8GB!
8. Very limited development activity!
I probably have more to say just not coming to mind yet. If I keep it I simply have to root in order to address the DPI and multi-window apps. It's an expensive device to give up warranty on... Only on day 3, we'll see how the next few go...

Totally understandable. Takes a bit of contemplation when the price is this high before deciding to root.
Having owned a Galaxy Tab 10.1 in the past, I knew going in though that there was no way i'd be satisfied with out of the box Touchwiz. I also knew that I wanted certain applications like Titanium Backup so I basically knew I was going to root from the moment I handed over my credit card to the cashier.
Good luck on your decision.

Thanks for the review it's a shame Samsung screwed this up. Had huge potential. Their latest products are not very impressive. I think you just made my mind to get the new Sony z2 tablet.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N900A using XDA Premium 4 mobile app

sabre31 said:
Thanks for the review it's a shame Samsung screwed this up. Had huge potential. Their latest products are not very impressive. I think you just made my mind to get the new Sony z2 tablet.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N900A using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Its not bad at all. .. Just a lot of money for something that is not near perfect. I thought about a Z2 buy really wanted a 12 inch tablet. Root will address mammy issues and Google improving Chrome performance will do a lot. I'm pretty sure I'm taking the note 12.2 back and getting a tab pro 12.2 as $100 is to much for the s pen unless you are going use it a lot. .

I feel the same about the bloat. Really, my only problem with the tablet was TouchWiz. I plan to root within the next few days (as long as I'm still enjoying the tablet). I, for one, ONLY got this for drawing and writing.

H
Sent from my SCH-I605 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app

This thread reminded me that I had bought button savior for another android device that I had so thanks for that. Currently using button savior with root and liking it. Nice to have home, back and menu buttons within reach now.

Well after using my Note Pro 12.2 for week+ then trying my Nexus 10 again you really see how much better this tablet is. Decided to keep it, hopefully I'll find some value out of the S Pen. Just rooted it today so it's getting even better as I apply some tweaks (DPI, Chrome user agent, freezing apps, enable more multiwindow apps).

Had one for a few days...
Really nice screen size, like the larger fonts/UI as they are, easier to read and use compared to an iPad.
Disappointed in poor gallery performance showing 2560+ wide png images very slow render times.
Lag is still seen browsing the Web, eBay seems to bog it down . 8 cores and 3GB ram... Why?
PDF reading with EbookDroid improved but still short of Goodreader on the ipad.
Preferred the older gen of a snote, f (x) input / wolfram now gone.
Price given the issues above seems too high.

Too big
So I have had the Note 12.2 for a couple of days and all I can say that it is too big for me as a daily tablet. I will give it few more days of use and than decide if I'm going to keep it or not.

rkirmeier said:
Well I picked up a Note 12.2 (black/32GB) Friday and well have some mixed feelings considering the cost.
1. Need to root for more multiwindow apps
2. Chrome performance is still lacking - Googles fault, not Samsung's but figured raw performance would address it.
3. Really hate the physical home button and cap buttons more then I even thought I would. Why Samsung thinks this is a good idea beats me!
4. Really don't like that everything is scaled up in size for the larger screen. I realize it's the same resolution as my Nexus 10 but a DPI setting would have addressed this. Just makes it feel cheap and like it's for old people or kids. Need to root to change DPI...
5. Seems Samsung took big step backwards on some S Pen apps. The demos I watch for the previous Note devices work much better and more streamlined then on the Note 12.2. Really not sold on the S Pen and think mine is going back for a Tab Pro 12.2 if it's released soon otherwise maybe just a outright return.
6. Seems really stupid they hide the menu button under the multitask button (long press). I know many apps have a menu button but for those that do not this could really throw off a person who is not resourceful. This is the kind of crap that backs up the idea that an iPad is easier to use.
7. Definitely some random lag. Why does Samsung need to over bloat everything. stock Android fits in like 300MB and TW Android is like 8GB!
8. Very limited development activity!
I probably have more to say just not coming to mind yet. If I keep it I simply have to root in order to address the DPI and multi-window apps. It's an expensive device to give up warranty on... Only on day 3, we'll see how the next few go...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1. No you don't there is an app for that.
2. Chrome sucks on anything. It literally is the worst. Dolphin and others can sync with desktop chrome and dolphin supports flash. You lost all credibility the moment you complained about chrome.
3. Samsung intends for it to be used mostly in portrait they are nice when used with a keyboard. But its ok to dislike it
4 . It's a bigger screen of course they made things bigger. It makes sense. If you want a smaller launcher use a different launcher. Or just root and adjust your dpi. Buy a third party protection plan like square trade and you dont have to worry about your warranty.
5. The spen apps have gotten better. Look around the forums. Many people had the old 10.1 and upon switching hated the new ones but have come to prefer the new apps. And if you "arent sold on the spen" why the #*@% did you pay extra for it?
6. Google has been pushing to get rid of the menu button. Samsung and some chinese oems are the only ones that still have it and samsung is the ONLY one that gives you the apps button and menu button. All apps should have an overflow in kitkat and samsung gives you this. 2 ways to get to a menu!! Dont you feel lucky!!
7. This device does not lag period. Ive only observed very slight jumps in graphics (the drop down bar almost exclusively) it is extremely smooth out of the box even before rooting and disabling apps. Your whining about a minor easily fixed graphical complaint (force gpu rendering and disable some bloat, no root required) which apparently ruins the entire tablet for you. As for bloat everything has bloat. When was thr last time you bought an LG phone or an iphone or hell even a nexus. Just so you know STOCK ANDROID DOESNT COME WITH GAPPS!!! So even nexus is bloat ridden. Samsung adds alot of functional applications. Most of the "bloat" is actually extremely useful if you are a business minded person. And you can disable alot of it. Just root and uninstall!
8. It is a 750 dollar 12 inch tablet with identical specs to a 500 dollar tablet and similar to some 350 dollar tablets. What do you expect devs (most that do this as a hobby) to just go running to best buy and grabbing it up? Also you keep complaining about rooting but you want dev activity which would mostly require root. Are you serious? Your like a bad tech reviewer that just found out rooting exists and cant device to hate or love it. If you want more dev activity buy another one and give it away to your favorite developer.
So in conclusion you dont know why you bought this tablet (Im thinking "ooh its big and shiny!!!" Had something to do with it) you didnt read the forums to see that the spen apps have been improved or that many of your complaints (ui lag and multiwindow apps) could be easily fixed, and your bipolar about rooting. I suggest you return it and purchase an ipad air. It might be a bit closer to your level.
Sent from my SCH-I605 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app

Duly.noted said:
1. No you don't there is an app for that.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Tried the non root app and it didn't work for all apps and most importantly some key apps that I need. They work fine now that I'm rooted and enabled them for multiwindow.
Duly.noted said:
2. Chrome sucks on anything. It literally is the worst. Dolphin and others can sync with desktop chrome and dolphin supports flash. You lost all credibility the moment you complained about chrome.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I couldn't care less what you you think about my credibility. You clearly have a personality disorder! Already using Dophin w/flash (generally only for flash sites). I didn't know it would sync with Chrome so I may look into that although Chrome beta does perform a lot better then stable Chrome.
Duly.noted said:
3. Samsung intends for it to be used mostly in portrait they are nice when used with a keyboard. But its ok to dislike it
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wrong, it's intended to be used in landscape. The wouldn't put the buttons on the bottom (holding in landscape) if it was meant to be used in portrait.
Duly.noted said:
4 . It's a bigger screen of course they made things bigger. It makes sense. If you want a smaller launcher use a different launcher. Or just root and adjust your dpi. Buy a third party protection plan like square trade and you dont have to worry about your warranty.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Already rooted and the a different launcher (already using Apex) only adjusts the launcher icons, not overall DPI. You say of course... Well I disagree! To maintain a constant experience they should have adjusted the DPI. Bigger screen should mean more real estate, same size icons, not bigger everything!
Duly.noted said:
5. The spen apps have gotten better. Look around the forums. Many people had the old 10.1 and upon switching hated the new ones but have come to prefer the new apps. And if you "arent sold on the spen" why the #*@% did you pay extra for it?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well at the time the none pen (tab pro 12.2) was not available. Since you seem to think you know everything I would think you knew this. I had 14 days to return this and tab pro 12.2 was release within that time but I decided to keep the note. Wouldn't say I'm still sold on the pen but I plan to keep this tablet for at least 2 years and I'll get some use out of the pen. Will improve resale when I'm ready for the next tablet so I figure it's costing me about $50 premium which is really not that bad. So there you go... That is why the #*@% I got the Note instead of the Pro Tab 12.2.
Duly.noted said:
6. Google has been pushing to get rid of the menu button. Samsung and some chinese oems are the only ones that still have it and samsung is the ONLY one that gives you the apps button and menu button. All apps should have an overflow in kitkat and samsung gives you this. 2 ways to get to a menu!! Dont you feel lucky!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have no idea what reality you live in but I have plenty of apps that don't have the menu button overlay and all tablets that use the on screen navbar buttons will show a menu button in the navbar when needed. You can call it what you will. I don't like Apple/iCrap anything but my point is that this can cause confusion for an inexperienced user (not me) and I'm sick of hearing the argument that iPads/iPhones are easier to use. This oversight by Samsung back up that claim for inexperienced users.
Duly.noted said:
7. This device does not lag period. Ive only observed very slight jumps in graphics (the drop down bar almost exclusively) it is extremely smooth out of the box even before rooting and disabling apps. Your whining about a minor easily fixed graphical complaint (force gpu rendering and disable some bloat, no root required) which apparently ruins the entire tablet for you. As for bloat everything has bloat. When was thr last time you bought an LG phone or an iphone or hell even a nexus. Just so you know STOCK ANDROID DOESNT COME WITH GAPPS!!! So even nexus is bloat ridden. Samsung adds alot of functional applications. Most of the "bloat" is actually extremely useful if you are a business minded person. And you can disable alot of it. Just root and uninstall!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Samsungs ROMs contain a ton of bloat in the ROM code, it's not just the apps that take up the extra space. I know what stock Android is and that GAPPS needs to be loaded on ROMs like CM, AOKP, Paranoid, OmniROM. Been using these ROMs about as long as I have been using Android (@ 5 years). You can sit hear and defend Samsung all you want. I have had an S2, S3, S4, and the Note 12.2. Every single one of these device had some lag. It's not that big of deal or I wouldn't continue buying Samsung. I just really thought the raw horsepower of this tablet would make it smoother. My almost 2 year old Nexus 10 is smoother overall in the GUI, no question about it! The 12.2 clearly has more horsepower and I clearly see that in several apps I use that require a ton of processing power.
Duly.noted said:
8. It is a 750 dollar 12 inch tablet with identical specs to a 500 dollar tablet and similar to some 350 dollar tablets. What do you expect devs (most that do this as a hobby) to just go running to best buy and grabbing it up? Also you keep complaining about rooting but you want dev activity which would mostly require root. Are you serious? Your like a bad tech reviewer that just found out rooting exists and cant device to hate or love it. If you want more dev activity buy another one and give it away to your favorite developer.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've rooted every Android device I have ever owned. In addition to the list of phones above I've had a few other makes of phones and a few other tablets. I don't have an issue with rooting at all. Both my S3 and S4 were rooted the same say I got them. It was simply a little harder to root a $800 device with the understanding that it would void warranty. So I waited a couple weeks until I was sure I was keeping it and to ensure there were no hardware issues with the unit. So according you your response I guess it's not ok to state that there is limited to no developer activity. I was simply stating a fact but you seem to think that for some ****ing strange reason people can't state a fact without you ****ing lecturing them for stating suck a fact. Again, back to my statement in #2, you seriously do have a personality disorder. You should seek some help with that...
Duly.noted said:
So in conclusion you dont know why you bought this tablet (Im thinking "ooh its big and shiny!!!" Had something to do with it) you didnt read the forums to see that the spen apps have been improved or that many of your complaints (ui lag and multiwindow apps) could be easily fixed, and your bipolar about rooting. I suggest you return it and purchase an ipad air. It might be a bit closer to your level.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There you go again running your mouth. I'd guess you are some spoiled kid who been taught no respect. To be clear, I bought this tablet for two reasons. First, I have been waiting a year for the next generation of tablets to replace my Nexus 10. Second, I have wanted a larger tablet and no one else makes a 12 inch tablet.
So in conclusion I don't know what your problem is. I posted up some good honest opinions on this tablet. You obviously don't think Samsung can do no wrong. I don't use Apple products but I'm not too childish to respect what they do right. I have never owned a iPad but do support a few of them so I'm not oblivious to how they work and compare to Android tablets. I assure you my "level" of technical skills is much higher then you could ever possibly imagine. I'd love to compare technical knowledge, experience, and pay rate any day!

rkirmeier said:
Tried the non root app and it didn't work for all apps and most importantly some key apps that I need. They work fine now that I'm rooted and enabled them for multiwindow.
I couldn't care less what you you think about my credibility. You clearly have a personality disorder! Already using Dophin w/flash (generally only for flash sites). I didn't know it would sync with Chrome so I may look into that although Chrome beta does perform a lot better then stable Chrome.
Wrong, it's intended to be used in landscape. The wouldn't put the buttons on the bottom (holding in landscape) if it was meant to be used in portrait.
Sorry typo on my part. Meant landscape lol
Already rooted and the a different launcher (already using Apex) only adjusts the launcher icons, not overall DPI. You say of course... Well I disagree! To maintain a constant experience they should have adjusted the DPI. Bigger screen should mean more real estate, same size icons, not bigger everything!
Exposed and the app settings module would change dpi system wide or app specifically
Well at the time the none pen (tab pro 12.2) was not available. Since you seem to think you know everything I would think you knew this. I had 14 days to return this and tab pro 12.2 was release within that time but I decided to keep the note. Wouldn't say I'm still sold on the pen but I plan to keep this tablet for at least 2 years and I'll get some use out of the pen. Will improve resale when I'm ready for the next tablet so I figure it's costing me about $50 premium which is really not that bad. So there you go... That is why the #*@% I got the Note instead of the Pro Tab 12.2.
I have no idea what reality you live in but I have plenty of apps that don't have the menu button overlay and all tablets that use the on screen navbar buttons will show a menu button in the navbar when needed. You can call it what you will. I don't like Apple/iCrap anything but my point is that this can cause confusion for an inexperienced user (not me) and I'm sick of hearing the argument that iPads/iPhones are easier to use. This oversight by Samsung back up that claim for inexperienced users.
Yet that doesn't change the fact that Samsung is the only company giving you menu function at all does it? If it was a nexus you wouldn't have any sort of menu key. At least you have one. The ones I find most often that don't have overflows are emulators. This is because devs haven't updated their apps to include them.
Samsungs ROMs contain a ton of bloat in the ROM code, it's not just the apps that take up the extra space. I know what stock Android is and that GAPPS needs to be loaded on ROMs like CM, AOKP, Paranoid, OmniROM. Been using these ROMs about as long as I have been using Android (@ 5 years). You can sit hear and defend Samsung all you want. I have had an S2, S3, S4, and the Note 12.2. Every single one of these device had some lag. It's not that big of deal or I wouldn't continue buying Samsung. I just really thought the raw horsepower of this tablet would make it smoother. My almost 2 year old Nexus 10 is smoother overall in the GUI, no question about it! The 12.2 clearly has more horsepower and I clearly see that in several apps I use that require a ton of processing power.
I don't see the lag. It is a matter of perception. I have used a nexus side by side and feel the note is just as smooth. I'm not defending Samsung. They could of dine several things better, my issue really is that if you root (you did) all those issues can be fixed and it is an amazing device that speaks for itself.
I've rooted every Android device I have ever owned. In addition to the list of phones above I've had a few other makes of phones and a few other tablets. I don't have an issue with rooting at all. Both my S3 and S4 were rooted the same say I got them. It was simply a little harder to root a $800 device with the understanding that it would void warranty. So I waited a couple weeks until I was sure I was keeping it and to ensure there were no hardware issues with the unit. So according you your response I guess it's not ok to state that there is limited to no developer activity. I was simply stating a fact but you seem to think that for some ****ing strange reason people can't state a fact without you ****ing lecturing them for stating suck a fact. Again, back to my statement in #2, you seriously do have a personality disorder. You should seek some help with that...
No just that you stated it as a con bothered me. It is such an obvious downside with such an expensive device that it doesn't need to be said. And more importantly I had a thing going with the numbers.
There you go again running your mouth. I'd guess you are some spoiled kid who been taught no respect. To be clear, I bought this tablet for two reasons. First, I have been waiting a year for the next generation of tablets to replace my Nexus 10. Second, I have wanted a larger tablet and no one else makes a 12 inch tablet.
I like this much better. My issue before is that it seemed like a list of complaints (we get a lot of those)
This is you describing precisely why you bought it and the issues you have face. I have no issue now
So in conclusion I don't know what your problem is. I posted up some good honest opinions on this tablet. You obviously don't think Samsung can do no wrong. I don't use Apple products but I'm not too childish to respect what they do right. I have never owned a iPad but do support a few of them so I'm not oblivious to how they work and compare to Android tablets. I assure you my "level" of technical skills is much higher then you could ever possibly imagine. I'd love to compare technical knowledge, experience, and pay rate any day!
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I make 150 dollars an hour at one job 962 dollars in 8 hours at another (typically ends up around 1500 a day though) and 8.50 an hour at another (keep it for the discounts.) Although I don't work in the tech field. I don't have the attention span for it. Love technology but coding is incredibly boring and tedious to me. I'm only learning it as hobbt to modify my own devices (and potentially release a rom one day) I'm not implying that I know more than you. More just bringing it to your attention that it was kind of a whiny post. It's much better now that you have described in detail your grievances. Also if your pay grade is so good why do you worry about the warranty? And if your tech skills are so good you should be our first Dev
Oh and yes I DO have a personality disorder. Kind of. I have aspbergers. A form of high functioning autism that manifests itself in social skills. I am very bad with social cues such as body language lol. I would rather be be alone than with people usually. Sadly my girlfriend doesn't agree. It is often found along side ADD. I also have that. It's OK though. People with ADD are typically very bright (which I am) That being said I intended to be a bit offensive. Your post was written In a way that got it very little attention. You get more responses ( I wouldn't have been a jack*#@) if it had been written just a bit differently a list of a problems will get nothing more than a return it from most people. Especially when you answer your own problems ( Rooting was a great solution) Good luck with the dpi change (I love adjusting apps individually instead of system wide) and I sincerely hope you enjoy the tablet for the next 2 years. I will.
---------- Post added at 01:47 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:44 PM ----------
Oh and do ignore my typos and horribly punctuation/grammar. I'm in the middle of something.

Duly.noted said:
I make 150 dollars an hour at one job 962 dollars in 8 hours at another (typically ends up around 1500 a day though) and 8.50 an hour at another (keep it for the discounts.)
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LOL! Speechless!!!

rkirmeier said:
LOL! Speechless!!!
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Man when you get 400 off a tv minimum don't look so bad

Worth getting this?

My girlfriend got this tablet today, at my recommendation. It's the lte, snapdragon 800 version. She wanted a 10 inch tablet so I thought this would be one of the best products on the market. I was so wrong... I owned a nexus 10 previously and that tablet was flying, had very snappy ui. This one simply isn't as smooth. Even the launcher seems laggy, like it's not running at 60 fps (more like 40 fps, not very choppy but noticeable). And TouchWiz... Omg the entire system feels like frigging gingerbread, what's with that ugly white in the settings and notification. Forget gingerbread, this looks like froyo.
So I insisted she sends it back and get a nexus 7, but she actually likes it. She likes the s pen and multi window (which I won't deny that are great features, I own a note device myself) but she hates how the ui looks as well.
I can't understand why this feels so stuttery, on paper it has killer specs.
Please don't think that I'm bashing you guys for getting this device, it's your money, your decision and your taste, I have no problems with that, I just personally feel that there are better alternatives for Android tablets, especially that this costs so much.
But do you think it will get better in time? Maybe with the kitkat update? Will it at least change the UI? It's currently so ugly!

lvnatic said:
Please don't think that I'm bashing you guys for getting this device, it's your money, your decision and your taste, I have no problems with that, I just personally feel that there are better alternatives for Android tablets, especially that this costs so much.
But do you think it will get better in time? Maybe with the kitkat update? Will it at least change the UI? It's currently so ugly!
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Does anyone here actually use their devices for anything but transitioning through home pages and opening and closing apps? That's where there's some lag and stuttering. I don't have any performance issues within apps and I have 142 installed. Your girlfriend sounds like most of the people I know that have N10.1-14's or Pro/Notes and like them; a lot. The more you do with them the more you appreciate them. For basic consumption any tablet will do and there are a lot cheaper options than the N10.1-14. If I was just looking for consumption I'd own an iPad as its transitions and overall fluidity is better than any stock Android device. Not everyone here's looking for a garage project. As for 7/8" vs. 10+" there's no comparison for creation and productivity so recommending a small format tablet to someone who needs/wants a larger one doesn't really fly. And the N10 with its 32nm eighteen month old CPU and GPU that's half as capable as either the Mali/Adreno in the Pro/Notes is a non-starter. The only other ultra HD 10" tablet is the TF701 and it's got lag issues too as reported by users. People should buy what makes them happy and clearly the Pro/Note's aren't for everyone.
And the Pro/Note's with 4.4 and M-UX still have some of the stuttering and lag people have been complaining about so I wouldn't bank on major improvements going forward. Core TW has been touched up and is a bit cleaner and flatter but those that hate it will continue to do so. All the productivity features (multi-window, S Finder, My Files, S Note, Pen Window, S Pen, Action Memo, Scrap Book, persistent clipboard, Air Command, Air View, syncing Scrap Book, S Note, and the stock browser across devices) have a ton of open threads and processes running in the background even when they aren't active. With no running apps I've cleared RAM and had 40+ processes close. Moral of the story is if you don't want/use those things (EG: you) they waste resources and slow down performance. But if you do (EG: me and your girlfriend) there's nothing that compares to the N10.1-14 and other Pro/Notes.
I'm doing some office work at a coffee shop; here's my setup. There's no tablet I can think of that lets me do what my N10.1-14 does in such a small factor. I had the old N10.1 and could leave my laptop home about 25% of the time. With the N10.1-14 I'm up to 50+%. That, at least to me, is worth some millisecond-long stuttering in transitions.

lvnatic said:
My girlfriend got this tablet today, at my recommendation. It's the lte, snapdragon 800 version. She wanted a 10 inch tablet so I thought this would be one of the best products on the market. I was so wrong... I owned a nexus 10 previously and that tablet was flying, had very snappy ui. This one simply isn't as smooth. Even the launcher seems laggy, like it's not running at 60 fps (more like 40 fps, not very choppy but noticeable). And TouchWiz... Omg the entire system feels like frigging gingerbread, what's with that ugly white in the settings and notification. Forget gingerbread, this looks like froyo.
So I insisted she sends it back and get a nexus 7, but she actually likes it. She likes the s pen and multi window (which I won't deny that are great features, I own a note device myself) but she hates how the ui looks as well.
I can't understand why this feels so stuttery, on paper it has killer specs.
Please don't think that I'm bashing you guys for getting this device, it's your money, your decision and your taste, I have no problems with that, I just personally feel that there are better alternatives for Android tablets, especially that this costs so much.
But do you think it will get better in time? Maybe with the kitkat update? Will it at least change the UI? It's currently so ugly!
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I feel your pain, and while I really like this tablet, I'm not a fanboy and won't make excuses or explanations for the lagginess etc. All I will say is this, check http://www.sammobile.com/firmwares/ for the latest firmware for your model (p605 I think) and download and install it via Odin. I have the wifi only model and the latest firmwares (NC2 and NC3) made a HUGE difference in the overall responsiveness of the tablet. With tweaking and customization this tablet is heads and shoulders above the iPad and all other tablets, but it takes a little work (disabling unnecessary Samsung apps and services for example).
Hope it works out though bro.

NC2 has helped a lot. My snappy version still stutters occasionally but its pretty rare these days. I agree that it is a bit poor that Samsung released the device in what seems like an unfinished state. However there are few alternatives that can offer the functionality of this tablet.
Sent from my SM-P605 using Tapatalk

toyanucci said:
I feel your pain, and while I really like this tablet, I'm not a fanboy and won't make excuses or explanations for the lagginess etc. All I will say is this, check http://www.sammobile.com/firmwares/ for the latest firmware for your model (p605 I think) and download and install it via Odin. I have the wifi only model and the latest firmwares (NC2 and NC3) made a HUGE difference in the overall responsiveness of the tablet. With tweaking and customization this tablet is heads and shoulders above the iPad and all other tablets, but it takes a little work (disabling unnecessary Samsung apps and services for example).
Hope it works out though bro.
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Thanks, I'm gonna check that out.
Sent from my N9005 Samsung Galaxy Note 3

My opinion is flash custom rom and kernal, get rid of bloat and use nova laucher instead of touchwiz and youll see a big difference. When its all stock there is alot of unessary things you dont need or use. Theres alot of changes you can do to speed it up.Just search around the threads and youll find a ton of info.

mikep2323 said:
My opinion is flash custom rom and kernal, get rid of bloat and use nova laucher instead of touchwiz and youll see a big difference. When its all stock there is alot of unessary things you dont need or use. Theres alot of changes you can do to speed it up.Just search around the threads and youll find a ton of info.
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Doesn't this tablet have the knox trigger which voids warranty? I usually don't mess up with someone else's devices, but especially in this case when it's about my girlfriend.
Sent from my N9005 Samsung Galaxy Note 3

BarryH_GEG said:
Does anyone here actually use their devices for anything but transitioning through home pages and opening and closing apps? That's where there's some lag and stuttering. I don't have any performance issues within apps and I have 142 installed. Your girlfriend sounds like most of the people I know that have N10.1-14's or Pro/Notes and like them; a lot. The more you do with them the more you appreciate them. For basic consumption any tablet will do and there are a lot cheaper options than the N10.1-14. If I was just looking for consumption I'd own an iPad as its transitions and overall fluidity is better than any stock Android device. Not everyone here's looking for a garage project. As for 7/8" vs. 10+" there's no comparison for creation and productivity so recommending a small format tablet to someone who needs/wants a larger one doesn't really fly. And the N10 with its 32nm eighteen month old CPU and GPU that's half as capable as either the Mali/Adreno in the Pro/Notes is a non-starter. The only other ultra HD 10" tablet is the TF701 and it's got lag issues too as reported by users. People should buy what makes them happy and clearly the Pro/Note's aren't for everyone.
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Haha yea I dont get it either ... i have both notes [ 2012 & 2014 ] its a huuuge improvement ... when I open the browser on my old one it takes 5- 10 seconds to load up ... the 2014 edition does have no loading times it starts up instantly.... but this is the only thing ... sime minor startup problems ... but these are gone on the new note ... so I dont get whats the complainign about ...

BarryH_GEG said:
Does anyone here actually use their devices for anything but transitioning through home pages and opening and closing apps?
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You deserve the Internet kind Sir! [emoji106]
iR¡[email protected]!* from i9505 via Tapatalk 4

You're not going to get the S Pen experience anywhere else so I think the conversation is pretty much over on if it should be kept. She's keeping it. If you love her, you'll root it and customize the crap out of it to give her the experience you know she deserves. *cues Palladio suite*

I like the build quality very much, I do like the s pen (I have it on the phone and it's even better on a larger screen) and, like I said, on paper it has very good specs. I installed the Google now launcher and turned all transition animations to 0.5. It does move better, and the original browser is very smooth (much better then chrome). I'm starting to get the hang of it, but I still hate the user interface (I still think that it looks like gingerbread). Maybe with the updated TouchWiz from the pro series I will like it).
I didn't search on the forums and I'm sorry for being lazy, but does this device have the Knox trigger?

^^ this +1
---------- Post added at 11:27 AM ---------- Previous post was at 11:26 AM ----------
Stocklone said:
You're not going to get the S Pen experience anywhere else so I think the conversation is pretty much over on if it should be kept. She's keeping it. If you love her, you'll root it and customize the crap out of it to give her the experience you know she deserves. *cues Palladio suite*
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This +1
---------- Post added at 11:31 AM ---------- Previous post was at 11:27 AM ----------
lvnatic said:
I like the build quality very much, I do like the s pen (I have it on the phone and it's even better on a larger screen) and, like I said, on paper it has very good specs. I installed the Google now launcher and turned all transition animations to 0.5. It does move better, and the original browser is very smooth (much better then chrome). I'm starting to get the hang of it, but I still hate the user interface (I still think that it looks like gingerbread). Maybe with the updated TouchWiz from the pro series I will like it).
I didn't search on the forums and I'm sorry for being lazy, but does this device have the Knox trigger?
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I think that every phone/tablet needs to have Nova Launcher installed. I understand some people like Apex or GO! but I recommend Nova. You can change the theme/icons all you want and its lag free in all of my experiences. Also you've already changes the transitions to .5 so that is really all you should need.
And Yes, all Samsung devices at this point will come with Knox i believe.

Funny enough I have Nova on my Note 3 but TouchWiz on this tablet. With the NC3 update it's as smooth as butter, the way it's supposed to be. As much as I like Nova, I don't like the app drawer on a screen this size, TouchWiz is way better looks wise and with the update as I said, performances are on par with each other.
Sent from my SM-G900T using Tapatalk

I'm loving this tablet so far, I use it for the university mostly and the battery lasts like 2 days with moderate/intense use.
I also use the spen a lot (wish I had a more realistic pen). it also doesn't lag and it is pretty fast.
The only thing i wish, is that it had more features like we see on phone or the phablet, for the price I paid for it.

lvnatic said:
Doesn't this tablet have the knox trigger which voids warranty? I usually don't mess up with someone else's devices, but especially in this case when it's about my girlfriend.
Sent from my N9005 Samsung Galaxy Note 3
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it does trip knox and void the warranty. You can still disable some apps and use nova launcher to speed it up some.

Hi,I just got it and love it (have always been a fan of the note phone series,but its a whole new experience on a tablet!!!) So just a question, can I install the NC3 firmware from the Hongkong model? Will it void Knox(i dont rly care, rooting it in a week anyways) and will change the apps n stuff? (like my HOX singapore rom has a whole lot of useless preinstalled crap).
BTW I got it from US(Newegg.com), and I didnt get any extra tips!! Any idea where I could buy some? Either in India or US?

lvnatic said:
what's with that ugly white in the settings and notification.
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The white in the notification bar and settings are the new Google standard. Apparently the guys that designed the blue Halo settings at Google were locked in a cubicle and never went outside during daylight. Because if they'd gone outside, even only once, in bright sunlight they'd have noticed that the blue was not even close to readable. At all. People who are frequently outside, as many of us are, had to make a hood out of our jacket to actually read stuff on that crappy interface. We looked like old time photographers with a hood over our heads.
The white interface makes our phones usable outside again. That guy that approved the blue Halo interface should be sentenced to sit in the bleachers of his kid's softball game for 30 straight days as punishment. Instead, he'll probably approve something else in the future that will be unusable outside.

psycho2097 said:
Hi,I just got it and love it (have always been a fan of the note phone series,but its a whole new experience on a tablet!!!) So just a question, can I install the NC3 firmware from the Hongkong model? Will it void Knox(i dont rly care, rooting it in a week anyways) and will change the apps n stuff? (like my HOX singapore rom has a whole lot of useless preinstalled crap).
BTW I got it from US(Newegg.com), and I didnt get any extra tips!! Any idea where I could buy some? Either in India or US?
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Mine is from USA and I installed the NC3 with no issue. I didn't even need to wipe or reinstall anything. You're installing via Odin so I don't think it will trip your Knox though if you plan to root I don't see how that's an issue. I haven't heard of any instance where Samsung failed to take back or repair a device due to Knox being tripped either (so many of the refurbs on sale recently have come with Knox tripped) so it really isn't an issue. Re the tips, mine didn't come with any either, bought off Amazon but I have some from my Note 3. I've been using the S Pen ALOT and have not had reason to change the tip yet on either the Note 3 or this tablet so I wouldn't worry about the tips right now if I were you.
Sent from my SM-G900T using Tapatalk

toyanucci said:
Mine is from USA and I installed the NC3 with no issue. I didn't even need to wipe or reinstall anything. You're installing via Odin so I don't think it will trip your Knox though if you plan to root I don't see how that's an issue. I haven't heard of any instance where Samsung failed to take back or repair a device due to Knox being tripped either (so many of the refurbs on sale recently have come with Knox tripped) so it really isn't an issue. Re the tips, mine didn't come with any either, bought off Amazon but I have some from my Note 3. I've been using the S Pen ALOT and have not had reason to change the tip yet on either the Note 3 or this tablet so I wouldn't worry about the tips right now if I were you.
Sent from my SM-G900T using Tapatalk
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Awesome! thanks! mine is a refurb too but with knox intact.

toyanucci said:
Mine is from USA and I installed the NC3 with no issue. I didn't even need to wipe or reinstall anything. You're installing via Odin so I don't think it will trip your Knox though if you plan to root I don't see how that's an issue. I haven't heard of any instance where Samsung failed to take back or repair a device due to Knox being tripped either (so many of the refurbs on sale recently have come with Knox tripped) so it really isn't an issue. Re the tips, mine didn't come with any either, bought off Amazon but I have some from my Note 3. I've been using the S Pen ALOT and have not had reason to change the tip yet on either the Note 3 or this tablet so I wouldn't worry about the tips right now if I were you.
Sent from my SM-G900T using Tapatalk
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thanks for the help dude. I installed NC3, there is a noticeable improvement over MK1. However I believe I lost some of the MK1 apps. WatchON is gone,replaced by something called Peel. Some other apps are gone too, I think. Are you able to redeem your Samsung hub 50$? I have the code but unable to redeem in India.I am arriving in US in 5th July.Is the 90 day usage limit valid on the from the date u get u get the code or from when u redeem it?