A week with the Galaxy Tab
I was lucky enough to get a Verizon Samsung Galaxy Tab android tablet for Christmas this year. I have been using it pretty extensively every day since I got it, and figured it was time for a review. First, the specs: I have the Verizon model, but it is not activated on the Verizon network; I have been using it exclusively as a Wi-Fi device at home, and occasionally through wireless tether via a Droid X. My first reactions to the Tab are that it is a lot of fun, even though I realize that the Tablet OS for Android will evolve dramatically in the next six months.
In many ways the Tab is like the ipad in that it is a ‘big’ version of an Android 2.2 phone, just as the ipad is like a ‘big’ ipod touch. Both the Tab and the ipad lack the ability to make phone calls on their respective networks (although both permit VOIP calls via skype; which I have successfully tried). The thing I like the best about the Galaxy Tab is its form-factor; at 13 ounces (380 grams) the Tab is extremely light. It comes in 100 grams heavier than the Kindle 3, in a shape that is almost identical to the Kindle, although with a 7” screen rather than a 6” screen. By comparison, the ipad has a 10” screen, but weighs 1.6 pounds (725 grams). The Tab has a 1024 x600 resolution screen, in comparison with the 1024x768 resolution of the ipad. The tab has a 4000mAh battery, a proprietary 30-pin USB port, and a microSDHC card port (which is compatible for 32GB cards). The Verizon model ships with a 16GB microSDHC card; 1.2GB of internal storage, and 512MB of Ram, on a Cortex A8 1.0GHz processor.
Out of the box, the device tried to immediately launch the Verizon activation screen, but the Best Buy Mobile people gave my wife a handout with instructions on how to disable it (power + vol up; vol down 2, vol up 3, vol down 4). It has never bothered me again.
Anyways, enough specs… none of that was new. My review…
Form Factor
The 7” form factor is perfect. I can hold the Tab in one hand, and use it for extended periods of time. With the Swype keyboard, which works great on a 7” screen in horizontal mode, I can swype words extremely quickly, and its very comfortable. If I want to hold it 2 handed, I can thumb type easily in horizontal mode. I tend to work more frequently with it in horizontal rather than landscape mode. When I first got a Droid X I was blown away by how BIG the keyboard on it was in comparison with the 3.7” Motorola Droid I used before. Now, my DX feels tiny. (One gripe, my brain struggles swyping on the DX now, as I have to be more precise on the smaller keyboard!)
I have been a Kindle user for almost two years, and I have always thought that the Kindle’s size was what a “tablet” should be. Chalk it up to being a long-time Star Trek fan, but the Kindle was the first device I ever owned that felt like a “comm padd.” And the Tab goes even further, since it is actually interactive with a touch screen. As a Kindle user, I also loved the ability to use the device in my hand, with little fatigue. While the Tab weighs 3 ounces more than the Kindle (380 vs 280 grams) it really is extremely comfortable in the hand.
E-books on the Tab.
The kindle app on the Galaxy Tab is the same reader as it exists on other android devices, but on a 7” screen it is a very good substitute for a Kindle itself. That said, I think the software needs improvement. For crisp text, I have increased the text size larger than I would on a Kindle. But by doing so, I get a vibrant rich black text on white. I also lower the brightness to about 20% to minimize the issues of glare from the LCD. I have tried the sepia and black backgrounds, but the dull white is the best on my eyes. As an experiment I read an entire book (Michael Harvey’s “The Chicago Way”) on the Tab this week. It was a pleasurable experience, EXCEPT when reading in bed with the lights out, and the Tab providing the sole lighting. As I expected, the LCD is just much harder on the eyes than the Kindle’s e-ink. Plus, the need to swipe the page to advance it, or tap in the very far right column, is not as user-friendly as the kindle’s four buttons.
For reading books, I say Kindle 3 still wins out; but only by a short margin. I have absolutely no doubt that an e-book Tab vs ipad competition would go to the Tab, hands down, due to the light weight of the device, and ability to easily hold it in one hand.
Swype Keyboard.
The Tab comes with the swype keyboard enabled, and it works extremely well. Holding the Tab with my right hand, my left index finger is quite fast in swyping with very few errors. I prefer it in horizontal and not landscape mode, as swype on the full-landscape keyboard works, but takes longer given the larger surface area. But there is little reason to use the Android keyboard when swype is such an efficient effective means to inputting information.
Battery
I can use the device all day without draining the battery (although obviously video usage would suck that down); When I put it on the charger (I have the multimedia dock for it) at night, it is usually about 40-45 percent of battery. During the day it is not in the charger, and is in a leather portfolio I was given for Christmas by my sister. The portfolio was something I did not anticipate wanting, but it looks professional, feels good, and does not appreciably add to the weight or bulk. I can still put the Tab in my coat pocket with it on.
Apps.
The ipad has the win in terms of the sheer quantity of tablet-designed apps for the moment. There just are not a lot of tablet-optimized apps out for Android yet. The ones I use the most are the Wall Street Journal, and the New York Times. The Times is probably the better of the two as it updates constantly, and is extremely readable on the 7” screen. The WSJ replicates each morning’s paper, and works well, but there is not as much text adjustments available, and I think the default text is too small. Samsung ships the device with its own customized browser, as well as an email client (for imap/pop), and a decent memo pad designed for a tablet. I use their email program for my campus mail, but gmail for my personal mail. The gmail app is great at 7.”
While the stock browser (different from the Android stock browser) is ok, I prefer Dolphin HD; it provides total customizability, including the ability to launch pages in “Desktop” rather than “Android” mode. I never cared for Dolphin on the OG Droid, but on the Tab, it works great.
With a quick install of the app “spare parts” it was possible to disable compatibility mode, and cause all android apps to launch full screen. This works extremely well. For example, the SatelliteGuys app is exactly the same as on the Droid X, but with much more screen real estate. It works very well. I have had no compatibility issues with any android app running full screen. The Slingplayer app works great, particularly with larger screen real estate – but it seems as if it could benefit from being enabled to sling higher quality video. The app thinks it is still on a 3.7 – 4.3” screen.
Samsung has provided a Media Hub and a Media Player, both are decent. The media hub is Samsung’s version of an itunes video app store. I downloaded (bought) an episode of Dark Blue for $1.99 and it was on the device and playing in under two minutes. Video quality was excellent, and it was enjoyable using the Tab in the gym on an elliptical machine. I with the audio was a bit louder though with headphones.
The media player works great. It has an excellent user interface, and organizes music by artist, genre, or album, very itunes-esque. I downloaded a few gigs of music, by copying folders from my itunes library, and it worked great. I don’t intend this to be my primary music device, I have a 160GB ipod classic for that, but for the ability to listen to music while working on the tab, its very nice. It would be nicer with a 32GB microsdhc card. (Or if the Verizon version included 16GB of internal memory like the T-Mobile one does, grrrr…..).
The video player is separate from the MediaHub, and pretty much any non-DRM’d video will play on it. I am still experimenting with various ripping programs to find the one that provides the best quality, and the best encoding tool. It accepts H.264, eGp, mp4, avi, and wmv video. I used tunebite to rip an itunes video to an ipad format (which uses 1024x768), and that seems to work well, but the jury is still out in the best approach for ripping video aimed at the tab.
Games.
Comes on, it’s a 7” device, there has to be some gaming done. In fact, there are several high quality games available for Android that are labeled as “HD” and work very well. For example, X-Plane is a top flight simulator my son loves on his ipod touch (the Android version works great). EA Sports’ FIFA 2011 soccer is very good. The GameLoft series all work on the Tab with excellent PQ. The only game that would not run on it was EA’s The Sims 3. Angry Birds works great on the device as well, but the game I use the most is Easy Sudoku, which I became addicted to on my Droid X. The Tab takes it to a new level. Full screen mode, with the grid taking 2/3 of the screen, and 2 full 9-key keyboards enabled to enter numbers (and enter pencil marks); this is the best Sudoku video implementation I have ever seen.
Final Thoughts.
I am an early adopter. I fell in love with the Tab when I first saw demo’s of it in September, and while I know there will be faster more powerful tablets out in the next several months, the Galaxy Tab is the “real” deal, and was well worth the investment. I have no regrets about asking for this for Christmas. And I definitely am happy I got it instead of the bulkier ipad. I love the customizability. I am running my Tab rooted, I quickly disabled Ads (from such things as Angry Birds – or even the SatGuys app); but as there is not a custom Kernel out yet, it is not over-clocked. I am going to use root explorer to disable some of the Verizon bloatware, and to do Titanium backups of my settings.
This is not a full review; that’s been done elsewhere, but my reactions to the device are generally very favorable. Yeah it was expensive, but I am very pleased.
I will be very curious to see where we are in three or four months in terms of app availability, and when this thing is running Honeycomb.
I was lucky enough to get a Verizon Samsung Galaxy Tab android tablet for Christmas this year. I have been using it pretty extensively every day since I got it, and figured it was time for a review. First, the specs: I have the Verizon model, but it is not activated on the Verizon network; I have been using it exclusively as a Wi-Fi device at home, and occasionally through wireless tether via a Droid X. My first reactions to the Tab are that it is a lot of fun, even though I realize that the Tablet OS for Android will evolve dramatically in the next six months.
In many ways the Tab is like the ipad in that it is a ‘big’ version of an Android 2.2 phone, just as the ipad is like a ‘big’ ipod touch. Both the Tab and the ipad lack the ability to make phone calls on their respective networks (although both permit VOIP calls via skype; which I have successfully tried). The thing I like the best about the Galaxy Tab is its form-factor; at 13 ounces (380 grams) the Tab is extremely light. It comes in 100 grams heavier than the Kindle 3, in a shape that is almost identical to the Kindle, although with a 7” screen rather than a 6” screen. By comparison, the ipad has a 10” screen, but weighs 1.6 pounds (725 grams). The Tab has a 1024 x600 resolution screen, in comparison with the 1024x768 resolution of the ipad. The tab has a 4000mAh battery, a proprietary 30-pin USB port, and a microSDHC card port (which is compatible for 32GB cards). The Verizon model ships with a 16GB microSDHC card; 1.2GB of internal storage, and 512MB of Ram, on a Cortex A8 1.0GHz processor.
Out of the box, the device tried to immediately launch the Verizon activation screen, but the Best Buy Mobile people gave my wife a handout with instructions on how to disable it (power + vol up; vol down 2, vol up 3, vol down 4). It has never bothered me again.
Anyways, enough specs… none of that was new. My review…
Form Factor
The 7” form factor is perfect. I can hold the Tab in one hand, and use it for extended periods of time. With the Swype keyboard, which works great on a 7” screen in horizontal mode, I can swype words extremely quickly, and its very comfortable. If I want to hold it 2 handed, I can thumb type easily in horizontal mode. I tend to work more frequently with it in horizontal rather than landscape mode. When I first got a Droid X I was blown away by how BIG the keyboard on it was in comparison with the 3.7” Motorola Droid I used before. Now, my DX feels tiny. (One gripe, my brain struggles swyping on the DX now, as I have to be more precise on the smaller keyboard!)
I have been a Kindle user for almost two years, and I have always thought that the Kindle’s size was what a “tablet” should be. Chalk it up to being a long-time Star Trek fan, but the Kindle was the first device I ever owned that felt like a “comm padd.” And the Tab goes even further, since it is actually interactive with a touch screen. As a Kindle user, I also loved the ability to use the device in my hand, with little fatigue. While the Tab weighs 3 ounces more than the Kindle (380 vs 280 grams) it really is extremely comfortable in the hand.
E-books on the Tab.
The kindle app on the Galaxy Tab is the same reader as it exists on other android devices, but on a 7” screen it is a very good substitute for a Kindle itself. That said, I think the software needs improvement. For crisp text, I have increased the text size larger than I would on a Kindle. But by doing so, I get a vibrant rich black text on white. I also lower the brightness to about 20% to minimize the issues of glare from the LCD. I have tried the sepia and black backgrounds, but the dull white is the best on my eyes. As an experiment I read an entire book (Michael Harvey’s “The Chicago Way”) on the Tab this week. It was a pleasurable experience, EXCEPT when reading in bed with the lights out, and the Tab providing the sole lighting. As I expected, the LCD is just much harder on the eyes than the Kindle’s e-ink. Plus, the need to swipe the page to advance it, or tap in the very far right column, is not as user-friendly as the kindle’s four buttons.
For reading books, I say Kindle 3 still wins out; but only by a short margin. I have absolutely no doubt that an e-book Tab vs ipad competition would go to the Tab, hands down, due to the light weight of the device, and ability to easily hold it in one hand.
Swype Keyboard.
The Tab comes with the swype keyboard enabled, and it works extremely well. Holding the Tab with my right hand, my left index finger is quite fast in swyping with very few errors. I prefer it in horizontal and not landscape mode, as swype on the full-landscape keyboard works, but takes longer given the larger surface area. But there is little reason to use the Android keyboard when swype is such an efficient effective means to inputting information.
Battery
I can use the device all day without draining the battery (although obviously video usage would suck that down); When I put it on the charger (I have the multimedia dock for it) at night, it is usually about 40-45 percent of battery. During the day it is not in the charger, and is in a leather portfolio I was given for Christmas by my sister. The portfolio was something I did not anticipate wanting, but it looks professional, feels good, and does not appreciably add to the weight or bulk. I can still put the Tab in my coat pocket with it on.
Apps.
The ipad has the win in terms of the sheer quantity of tablet-designed apps for the moment. There just are not a lot of tablet-optimized apps out for Android yet. The ones I use the most are the Wall Street Journal, and the New York Times. The Times is probably the better of the two as it updates constantly, and is extremely readable on the 7” screen. The WSJ replicates each morning’s paper, and works well, but there is not as much text adjustments available, and I think the default text is too small. Samsung ships the device with its own customized browser, as well as an email client (for imap/pop), and a decent memo pad designed for a tablet. I use their email program for my campus mail, but gmail for my personal mail. The gmail app is great at 7.”
While the stock browser (different from the Android stock browser) is ok, I prefer Dolphin HD; it provides total customizability, including the ability to launch pages in “Desktop” rather than “Android” mode. I never cared for Dolphin on the OG Droid, but on the Tab, it works great.
With a quick install of the app “spare parts” it was possible to disable compatibility mode, and cause all android apps to launch full screen. This works extremely well. For example, the SatelliteGuys app is exactly the same as on the Droid X, but with much more screen real estate. It works very well. I have had no compatibility issues with any android app running full screen. The Slingplayer app works great, particularly with larger screen real estate – but it seems as if it could benefit from being enabled to sling higher quality video. The app thinks it is still on a 3.7 – 4.3” screen.
Samsung has provided a Media Hub and a Media Player, both are decent. The media hub is Samsung’s version of an itunes video app store. I downloaded (bought) an episode of Dark Blue for $1.99 and it was on the device and playing in under two minutes. Video quality was excellent, and it was enjoyable using the Tab in the gym on an elliptical machine. I with the audio was a bit louder though with headphones.
The media player works great. It has an excellent user interface, and organizes music by artist, genre, or album, very itunes-esque. I downloaded a few gigs of music, by copying folders from my itunes library, and it worked great. I don’t intend this to be my primary music device, I have a 160GB ipod classic for that, but for the ability to listen to music while working on the tab, its very nice. It would be nicer with a 32GB microsdhc card. (Or if the Verizon version included 16GB of internal memory like the T-Mobile one does, grrrr…..).
The video player is separate from the MediaHub, and pretty much any non-DRM’d video will play on it. I am still experimenting with various ripping programs to find the one that provides the best quality, and the best encoding tool. It accepts H.264, eGp, mp4, avi, and wmv video. I used tunebite to rip an itunes video to an ipad format (which uses 1024x768), and that seems to work well, but the jury is still out in the best approach for ripping video aimed at the tab.
Games.
Comes on, it’s a 7” device, there has to be some gaming done. In fact, there are several high quality games available for Android that are labeled as “HD” and work very well. For example, X-Plane is a top flight simulator my son loves on his ipod touch (the Android version works great). EA Sports’ FIFA 2011 soccer is very good. The GameLoft series all work on the Tab with excellent PQ. The only game that would not run on it was EA’s The Sims 3. Angry Birds works great on the device as well, but the game I use the most is Easy Sudoku, which I became addicted to on my Droid X. The Tab takes it to a new level. Full screen mode, with the grid taking 2/3 of the screen, and 2 full 9-key keyboards enabled to enter numbers (and enter pencil marks); this is the best Sudoku video implementation I have ever seen.
Final Thoughts.
I am an early adopter. I fell in love with the Tab when I first saw demo’s of it in September, and while I know there will be faster more powerful tablets out in the next several months, the Galaxy Tab is the “real” deal, and was well worth the investment. I have no regrets about asking for this for Christmas. And I definitely am happy I got it instead of the bulkier ipad. I love the customizability. I am running my Tab rooted, I quickly disabled Ads (from such things as Angry Birds – or even the SatGuys app); but as there is not a custom Kernel out yet, it is not over-clocked. I am going to use root explorer to disable some of the Verizon bloatware, and to do Titanium backups of my settings.
This is not a full review; that’s been done elsewhere, but my reactions to the device are generally very favorable. Yeah it was expensive, but I am very pleased.
I will be very curious to see where we are in three or four months in terms of app availability, and when this thing is running Honeycomb.
