ilja | # 1381 | 2010-11-30, 12:20 | Report

I bought the galaxy Tab purely as a toy, I do not need it and it is big.
I am using it for facebook chat and sometimes for emailing only because it is so much easier with swype.
I use it for internet browsing in bed and sometimes for watching films my 8 year son uses it extensively for playing games.
I am starting to get bored of the new toy!
I always carry my n900 with me wherever I go. if I would have to choose the n900 would always win it has its flaws but I use it for voip(2 numbers),skype,mobile phone, texting,chatting, as an internet radio, I connect it to my PA system in my shop for music,
I do very short emails, sometimes watch a movie, I use the camera a lot, the torch is fantastic, use it as my main music player in my car,as a wireless modem when I am camping, eggtimer and for shure as data transport and a tuner and I love the fact that I can flush it at any time when things go wrong.
I know that many of these features are available with android
but do not like the advertising and somehow it feels as if there is less freedom to stuff it up if I want to.

nilchak | # 1382 | 2010-11-30, 17:05 | Report

[QUOTE=Capt'n Corrupt;885675]I. Just. Played. With. The. Tab.

Even at $649, this device is a steal ($549 in the US ). It encompasses the functionality of so many devices, in a package that's actually fun to use for extended periods. Would I buy a cheaper device? Nope. QUOTE]

He hey hey Capt, I know your are very enthusiastic about the tab and we wlcome that here ... and I am in your league as well (at least believe so), but that last statement was just too gung-ho.

Hey come-on at least this we can agree on - the Tab is still priced high. Yes considering all functionality and the additional functions over the iPad, its still a bit pricey when you consider the tab price cost of 2 year contract.

etuoyo | # 1383 | 2010-11-30, 18:18 | Report

[QUOTE=nilchak;886339] Agreed the Tab is way too pricey. I know it is slightly cheaper than the equivalent 3G ipad but I always felt the ipad was way way way too expensive. And the ipad is bigger. So surely should be cheaper to manufacture. And we know Apple products are always overpriced.

The Tab I think has been priced the way it has because of the ipad (which as I said is far too expensive) and because they want it to be more expensive than the Galaxy smartphones. However, in my opinion it is far less useful than a smartphone since it can only replace a phone for a very few number of people. For example you need a phone to go clubbing but if you are using the Tab as your phone you would have to leave your phone at home. So I think smartphones should be more expensive. The 3G Tab also means you have to pay for 2 tariffs (unless your provider allows you to have two sims in two different devices) which drives the cost up. The Tab is more useful at home but then again it is priced the same as a high spec laptop which is far more useful.

However, I have to say $549 is quite a good deal considering the Tab prices we have been seeing.

Capt'n Corrupt | # 1384 | 2010-11-30, 18:40 | Report

The cost and value are intensely personal choices, and I apologize for not stipulating more clearly that this is my opinion or entirely from my perspective.

Compared to 3G devices, the Tab is actually quite cheap at $549 or even $599 off-contract. 3G seems to raise the price quite substantially, and this seems to be with all devices. The Streak costs the same amount, and many modern smartphones phones cost around the same as well. On contract (from an admittedly small sample), I've noticed that the price is again similar to smartphones in price -- hovering around $1200 with data.

Of course, WiFi devices are far more affordable starting at around $300-$400 for a comparable device. Again, it depends on what you value. If you only want WiFi, then the additional $150 is a less justifiable expense. If not, it may be well worth spending.

Is it expensive? It really depends on what you consider to be expensive. For me, it's a value, to others it's likely to be outrageously priced.

eightyH | # 1385 | 2010-11-30, 21:29 | Report

A little history first, my previous devices are:
HTC advantage x7501. Windows mobile doomed that one
n810 tethered with a basic phone for a year and a half. That worked, but having a single device appealed to me.
n900 last December. My n900 is using an AT&T sim card. This means no 3G for me, but I'm ok with that.
I bought my wife a Galaxy S this summer and I would steal it and fiddle around with it when she wasn't looking. Gave me a decent taste of android and Galaxy devices.
On Nov 14th, I got a Maylong M-150 android tablet from the electronics giant walgreens.com. For $100 it was a good test run for the Galaxy Tab size and use cases. Best of all was a 30 day return policy that allowed me to return it to the store.

So, after goofing off with the Maylong, I made the plunge and bought the tab from AT&T on Nov 24th. So far I really like it, but I'm inclined to justify things I've paid a lot of money for. While the AT&T version was more expensive up front, I am not locked in to a contract and can turn the data on and off on a monthly basis as needed. I intend this mainly for home use with occasional outings, so I should be able to get away with no data or the $15 for 250MB. If I start using more than 2GB a month I will definitely regret this decision.

I haven't monkeyed around with it too much yet, but there are a few annoyances (these could all be problems with the user and not the device):

I heard that android had multi-tasking, but it is nothing compared to the n900. Example, I was emailed a username and password. I opened the email app and the app I was logging in to intending to switch between the two to enter the info. I entered the username, switched to email to get the password, back to the app and the username field was blanked out. Annoying, but not a deal breaker (it may just be the way that app worked).

I tried the tab in a Verizon store and played the game N.O.V.A. on it. Very cool, but I later found out that N.O.V.A. and other gameloft games are not available on the AT&T tab yet. Not sure if that is a gameloft thing, an AT&T thing, a tab thing or what. It seems gameloft is making HD versions that it will release soon, but I would like to at least try the "old" versions.

I have wifi repeaters in my house to get full coverage, but for some reason the tab will only get the signal from the main wifi unit, and therefore drops the wifi signal at the edges of the range of the main unit. (it's an a/b/g unit sitting in the basement surrounded by concrete). I need to check if my wife's Galaxy S has the same problem, the n900 does not.

I've crashed the default browser a few times, but that was probably because I had 5 pages open at once, bad habits from using the n900 I guess.

Front facing camera is nice, but I have yet to find an app that does video calls well. This is true for my wife's galaxy S also.

Accessories! I want an extra USB cable, but can't find one. Even directly from Samsung. Official Accessories (also, note the stylus )

Positives:
I like the size, large enough to read stuff, but still portable.
Screen is very good, I have the brighness at 25% and it is fine.
I haven't noticed any problems with lag or stuttering.
Looking something up quickly while watching TV with the wife is much nicer on the tab than the n900.
Number of apps available is overwhelming.

Even though I have a n810 and a n900, I'm just a basic user. I fiddle with them a bit, but my knowledge of linux is limited. I'm not uncomfortable using the terminal, but I don't really know what I'm doing. I plan to keep the n900 as my primary phone/mp3 player and use the tab for internet/email/games. This thread was not helpful in decreasing my desire for the Galaxy Tab. :P

Sorry for the rambling, I wrote this mess during little breaks at work.

TL;DR: I buy expensive things that I don't use to their full potential, but I still enjoy them. I bought a Galaxy Tab and I like it.

Capt'n Corrupt | # 1386 | 2010-11-30, 23:02 | Report

The feedback is awesome, and helps put some of the characteristics of the Tab into perspective.

Keep them coming!

Capt'n Corrupt | # 1387 | 2010-11-30, 23:44 | Report

Here's something that I can add.

After a cool down period, I can understand how some people say they get 'bored' of the device quickly after purchase. I personally think this is generally the case with any new toy, and the Galaxy Tab is no exception. In order to continue having fun, you buy new apps, or engage in tweaking and development.

However, that the novelty may wear off, I fully expect that the usefulness and usage time will actually increase slowly after the initial spike of all-day playing. As you discover new useful applications, find games that you enjoy spending time with, and find new uses for the device in your life, I'm sure that the Tab will be that companion (much like the N900) that you keep with you at all times.

It's so weird, but I actually feel like reaching for the device many times during the day even though I don't yet own one. It's always so sad when I realize that there's nothing there..... Sad on many levels...

Capt'n Corrupt | # 1388 | 2010-12-01, 00:07 | Report

I've also been doing a lot of thinking about reading on the device. While the screen and size is fabulous for novels, for large format reading (eg magazines), the 4:3 10" of the iPad is bang on.

I'm very interesting to hear everybody's thoughts on the subject. Is there something that I'm missing? What would be drastically better on a larger screen.

Don't read this the wrong way, I'm still quite sold on a 7" due to the portability factor. It's a companion after all, however the 10" has its appeals as well.

Capt'n Corrupt | # 1389 | 2010-12-01, 09:43 | Report

Here's an app called Twonky, that adds DLNA and UPnP support to Android devices. I've heard that the built-in DLNA app doesn't work all the time, and this one may actually increase compatibility!


http://androidandme.com/2010/11/appl...ng-to-android/

A powerful feature indeed!

lemmyslender | # 1390 | 2010-12-01, 13:17 | Report

I was very concerned going from a N800 to the N900 (smaller screen) for reading ebooks (a frequent activity). In reality, it wasn't nearly as bad as I had feared.

I think about it in terms of a typical paperback versus a larger hardbound book. The paperback is more portable, lighter, easier to whip out and read in limited time situations. It's also comfortable to hold and read for extended periods. The larger heavier hardbound book isn't as portable, doesn't get taken out for those limited time situations, and is harder to hold comfortably for longer time periods.

Depends on your reading style, but I think the advantages of the smaller, lighter 7" device outweigh a larger, heavier 10" device.

*EDIT* I guess that only applies to book type formats. For other formats, it would depend on the file type (pdf vs html, etc). The browser ought to be able to handle zooming / text re-flow as needed, at least reasonably enough. For PDF's the larger screen might be better. Isn't the Tab in landscape about the same screen width as an ipad in portrait? A little more scrolling required, but perhaps a fair trade-off.

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Last edited by lemmyslender; 2010-12-01 at 13:22.