Galaxy Tab opinions

[Sparker]

Wondering if anybody has any real world experience with one. Going to be traveling a lot here soon and its catching my eye. Not really interested in an iPad. If i get one Im going to get the Sprint one with 2gb/month for $30. Opinions please

[laspariahs]

Wondering if anybody has any real world experience with one. Going to be traveling a lot here soon and its catching my eye. Not really interested in an iPad. If i get one Im going to get the Sprint one with 2gb/month for $30. Opinions please

motorola xoom or if you are adventurous the Notion Ink Adam, love that pixelqi screen.

[TL MILLER]

I have one. I love it for home use. Its a giant android phone.
I use it everyday

[chanke4252]

eh, it's ok. i wouldn't buy one, but tha'ts just me. the android tablet market hasn't really taken off yet. too few manufacturers asking a premium for things nobody wants. once tablet makers start making tablets without tying them to cell providers, and realize people won't pay 800 bucks for a glorified phone, i think we'll have some good options.

[rforsythe]

Xoom is going to be $800, and may potentially require activating Verizon 3G service on it just to use the WiFi. Honeycomb looks interesting, but who knows. The iPad's getting some significant competition coming down, but it's still the one to beat.

[Sparker]

yeah the xoom is crazy expensive and will be too new (too many bugs) for me to want to be the first one to buy it. Really thinking about the Tab on a cheap monthly plan as the monthly bill doesnt really bother me one bit.

[green_zx7r]

Get a Barnes & Noble Nook Color and root the sucker. You can put Honeycomb (3.0) on it now and overclock it to 1.1ghz. Personally I think it's a better tablet device than the Tab with better screen resolution... Sure it's no Xoom or Slate, but those will cost close to $700-800. For $250, you can't beat that price. Loving the Nook Color!

[Sleev]

we have one and it's ok. pretty inuitive interface. I just use my iphone and acer aspire for mobile stuff

[Swift]

iPad. Sorry but Apple's software is proven and has very little in the way of problems overall.

Every Samsung device I've ever owned has had problems. Lots of them.

[Sparker]

Get a Barnes & Noble Nook Color and root the sucker. You can put Honeycomb (3.0) on it now and overclock it to 1.1ghz. Personally I think it's a better tablet device than the Tab with better screen resolution... Sure it's no Xoom or Slate, but those will cost close to $700-800. For $250, you can't beat that price. Loving the Nook Color!

Very interesting. I have my samsung captivate rooted and the rom has it overclocked.

Did you root it yourself? What site?

[Sparker]

Also can you download apps from the android market that are compatiable with it?

[green_zx7r]

Very interesting. I have my samsung captivate rooted and the rom has it overclocked.

Did you root it yourself? What site?

Yep. Nookdevs.com is where I go. Go to the NC portal. It has all the info you need. Rooting the NC is made very easy thanks to the folks on the xda developer forums. Honeycomb is not yet polished on the NC so I am waiting for a more stable version to come out. I currently just have the vanilla froyo on it with the gingerbread keyboard. Considering the fact that the NC was never meant to be a true android tablet (meant to be an overkill ereader), this customized tablet is seriously the best bang for the buck.

[green_zx7r]

Also can you download apps from the android market that are compatiable with it?

Absolument!
I have the latest android market installed as well, and I can download any app I want, just like my rooted Droid. Just fyi. If you are set on the tab, I am pretty sure that the folks at the xda forums also have rooted it and have put custom roms on it. Heck, maybe they already have honeycomb on it as well. Either tablet works great once rooted. :)

[FZ1Guy]

Hi All,

Its been some time since this thread has been active. I hope some of you have had a chance to use the Galaxy Tab 2, 10.1".

Anyone have new input on this product... It seems to have a lot of features for a pretty low price tag.

Thoughts???

[FZ1Guy]

bump... for info!

[King Nothing]

I have had a Wifi Galaxy Tab 10.1 since last July and love it. When the whole table thing started with the original iPad, I was VERY sceptical. After having a tablet for about a year now, I don't know how I lived without. I think I'm going to be getting rid of my Tab 10.1 fairly soon as I want to upgrade to the Asus Transformer Prime Infinity. MMMMmmmm...Nvidia Tegra 3 quad-core, ICS, HD screen and Gorilla Glass 2 goodness.

[salsashark]

I think I'm going to be getting rid of my Tab 10.1 fairly soon as I want to upgrade to the Asus Transformer Prime Infinity. MMMMmmmm...Nvidia Tegra 3 quad-core, ICS, HD screen and Gorilla Glass 2 goodness.

closet macbook air fan...

[green_zx7r]

I have had a Wifi Galaxy Tab 10.1 since last July and love it. When the whole table thing started with the original iPad, I was VERY sceptical. After having a tablet for about a year now, I don't know how I lived without. I think I'm going to be getting rid of my Tab 10.1 fairly soon as I want to upgrade to the Asus Transformer Prime Infinity. MMMMmmmm...Nvidia Tegra 3 quad-core, ICS, HD screen and Gorilla Glass 2 goodness.

Transformer Prime Infinity... Want... :drool:

I've had the Xoom for awhile now. It's old, heavy, and doesn't have the best screen, but damn do I enjoy using it. It was ok on Honeycomb and it is tons more enjoyable once it got ICS on it.

I too was pleasantly surprised how the Android tablets have integrated into my life. I actually use it at work, business trips, and enjoy the convenience at home. I barely touch my home desktop computer at this point, and my non-technical wife now enjoys using it as well.

[FZ1Guy]

bump for more info...

[FZ1Guy]

bump

[FZ1Guy]

bump... let me know your experience!

[green_zx7r]

Well, the Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 isn't getting a lot of love from the tech reviewers as far as I know... It is suppose to be the successor to the fabulous Tab 10.1, but apparently they did not update much in the screen/hardware/processor specs. There's nothing wrong with last year's Galaxy Tab 10.1 specs, but it's now this year, and not seeing advancement in the mobile world is just not appealing to reviewers.

Depending on what you are using the tablet for, it's still a great tablet for general email/web/media use. Again, I'm perfectly happy with my Motorola Xoom, which is the oldest (and heaviest) Android 10.1 tablet around. I don't play much in the way of games on it, so if you are a gamer, look at the quad-core processor fitted Transformer Prime, or jump ship to iPad.

The question is always, if you want the best of the best or future proof your purchase. If yes, you can dish out another $100-$200 or so and get a very nice tablet (iPad2/3 Asus Transformer Prime Infinity) that will surely keep you happy for a lot longer (with better screen, better material, better processor, etc.). Personally, compared to the first gen single core processors, the dual cores are fast enough for me so I'll take my time in buying my next tablet. Having a smooth operating tablet is nice, but not $600 nice. :) Not that rich!

[Zach929rr]

Got an 16gb Ipad3 that I can tether to my rooted Thunderbolt wherever I am that has 3g/4gLTE

Was going to get the 10.2, but there were too many people complaining about wifi issues.

[King Nothing]

Well, the Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 isn't getting a lot of love from the tech reviewers as far as I know... It is suppose to be the successor to the fabulous Tab 10.1, but apparently they did not update much in the screen/hardware/processor specs. There's nothing wrong with last year's Galaxy Tab 10.1 specs, but it's now this year, and not seeing advancement in the mobile world is just not appealing to reviewers.

Depending on what you are using the tablet for, it's still a great tablet for general email/web/media use. Again, I'm perfectly happy with my Motorola Xoom, which is the oldest (and heaviest) Android 10.1 tablet around. I don't play much in the way of games on it, so if you are a gamer, look at the quad-core processor fitted Transformer Prime, or jump ship to iPad.

The question is always, if you want the best of the best or future proof your purchase. If yes, you can dish out another $100-$200 or so and get a very nice tablet (iPad2/3 Asus Transformer Prime Infinity) that will surely keep you happy for a lot longer (with better screen, better material, better processor, etc.). Personally, compared to the first gen single core processors, the dual cores are fast enough for me so I'll take my time in buying my next tablet. Having a smooth operating tablet is nice, but not $600 nice. :) Not that rich!
Couldn't have said it better myself.... I'm still getting the TF700 for $600 when it comes out.

[FZ1Guy]

Nice to hear from everyone. Sounds like the Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 is just an okay mid-level tablet. I do like the idea of getting something that will not be outdated in 6 months.... so thanks for the input.

[JDK1962]

I bought a Galaxy Tab 10.1 (WiFi only) for ~$390 back in February and totally love it. I use it primarily for reading PDFs (Kindle screen is too small and zooming/panning is a pain), Netflix, and miscellaneous small apps like Google maps/street view/sky.

[HR636]

Personally, when the iPad was announced I thought the idea was ridiculous. A bigger phone you can't call on or use computer software on. You need a backpack or briefcase to carry it with you, and it doesn't do anything better than a phone other than the larger screen. I still think it's ridiculous, although, someone must have been smart to predict people would still buy something so pointless.

I can see the use in a kindle, especially if you're an avid reader, as it causes less strain on your eyes and can be loaded with multiple books, but tablets?? Might as well get net book, at least you can type on it with two hands while it sits on your lap and use non-proprietary software.

[HR636]

Although, I'm not taking into account people who do nothing more with their computers than simple tasks and don't type fast enough on an actual keyboard to make a difference. For me, using a tablet is agonizing, slow, and limited in its capabilities. I still wish decent phones came with full keyboards, I can't type fast enough with touch screen. I multi-task on computers like nobodies business, so doing one task at a time with a tablet or phone irritates me.

[JDK1962]

Personally, when the iPad was announced I thought the idea was ridiculous. A bigger phone you can't call on or use computer software on. You need a backpack or briefcase to carry it with you, and it doesn't do anything better than a phone other than the larger screen. I still think it's ridiculous, although, someone must have been smart to predict people would still buy something so pointless.

I can see the use in a kindle, especially if you're an avid reader, as it causes less strain on your eyes and can be loaded with multiple books, but tablets?? Might as well get net book, at least you can type on it with two hands while it sits on your lap and use non-proprietary software.

Well, if you buy a tablet because it looks cool and you love gadgets, I would tend to agree with you. I know a number of people like that (some of whom live in my house). Why would you spend $400 to have something that is good for little more than Angry Birds?

I bought my Galaxy Pad 10.1 to do something VERY specific: to read PDFs. As I mentioned, my standard Kindle is pretty much useless for that task. Also, I don't really like reading for any length of time at my computer. I had been considering a Kindle DX, but decided to go with a tablet because the price was pretty close, and because the tablet is color (a lot of my PDFs are for technical books with color graphics). For what I bought it for, I'm completely, 100% satisfied.

In addition to meeting that need, it turns out that it has a great screen, and I notice I've been using my streaming Netflix subscription a lot more (not necessarily a good thing).

All in all, I'd say I use my tablet 2-4 hours a day. Despite having work and personal laptops and a Kindle 3. So the form factor is definitely fulfilling a need.

It is a niche product, however, and not a general-purpose computer replacement. As you point out, typing is painful, and so I pretty much avoid any applications requiring text input.

[salsashark]

^^ Along those lines, I have a xoom and found several great uses for it.

Reason I bought a tablet in the first place was to have something I can travel with. I first bought an ipad, rarely used it and sold it, then later picked up a xoom for a song.

For my work, it's not a direct replacement for a full computer. But for traveling, these things are great.
-Super light compared to a normal laptop (and with the baggage fees airlines charge, every ounce is important)
-Solid state drive can get knocked around a bit without being damaged
-Fits on an airplane seat tray (Also fits nicely in a motorcycle bag)
-HD screen w/ several movies loaded up makes flights much more tolerable
-Full browser allows for access to work email and intranets
-Battery life is great. If I'm not watching movies (stream or disc), typically only charge it once a week or so.

-Some of the small apps are great. One example. I bought a docsis modem and gigabit router but wasn't getting any speed increases from my old modem and router. Well, I found an wifi analyzer app and found that most of my neighbors were on specific channels. Used the laptop to adjust the wifi and the tablet to monitor the changes... Worked great.

Niche product? yep

Useful? No more or less than a computer or laptop. Just like those idiots who camp out at starbucks with a 1500+ macbook using it update their facebook status. It's what you do with it that makes it useful.