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Galaxy tablet fails to hit the right Note
By Rich Jaroslovsky |
September 2, 2012, Sunday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
HERE'S a word to Apple's patent lawyers: Trust me, no one will mistake the stylus-based Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 tablet for an iPad, simply because the new Note doesn't measure up to the competition.
The tablet builds on Samsung's Galaxy Note 5.3, a similarly stylus-equipped smartphone that came out earlier this year and provides geeky fun on a five-inch screen. The Galaxy Note 10.1 offers a lot more screen, but a lot less fun.
Unlike its smaller cousin, the 10.1 is a Wi-Fi-only device. There's no option to connect over a cellular network, as you can with the phone or with the AT&T or Verizon Wireless versions of the iPad. It starts at US$500 for a model with 16 gigabytes of storage, the same as a Wi-Fi iPad.
At less than 9 millimeters thick and weighing 590 grams, the Galaxy Note is a smidgen thinner and lighter than the iPad. But the way Samsung achieves its advantage is by making the tablet seem plasticky and cut-rate.
Not only can you actually feel the back flex when you push on it, but there's even a visible distortion on the screen where your finger is pressing. I've never seen that on a tablet before.
The Galaxy Note also skimps on the screen, which is usually among the strongest selling points for any Samsung device. The tablet's 1280 by 800 resolution means its picture is made up of a little over a million pixels. That sounds like a lot - until you realize that the Retina Display on the iPad packs more than three million pixels into a similar amount of real estate.
The Galaxy Note's most distinguishing characteristic is, of course, the stylus, which Samsung calls an S Pen. It hides so well in a corner that there's a sticker to show you where to find it.
Own interface
Remove the pen, and a menu automatically pops up showing the pre-loaded apps that take advantage of it. These include Samsung's S Note, which lets you draw pictures, and Adobe's Photoshop Touch editing software.
The Galaxy Note runs "Ice Cream Sandwich," the next-to-newest version of Google's operating system, on top of which Samsung has added its own interface and features.
Some of its tweaks are useful, like the ability to split the screen to show some apps running side by side. Other Samsung-specific enhancements are more questionable, like the extra software button that snaps a screenshot which I sometimes found myself hitting by accident.
The Galaxy Note has some nice touches. It has a pair of speakers, as opposed to the single one on the iPad; a microSD slot allows you to expand storage capacity; and an infrared blaster lets the tablet double as a television remote control.
On the other hand, you won't find its battery life coming close to the iPad's.
The late Steve Jobs famously detested the idea of using a stylus. But if your heart yearns for one, you might be better off buying an iPad together with an add-on pen.
The tablet builds on Samsung's Galaxy Note 5.3, a similarly stylus-equipped smartphone that came out earlier this year and provides geeky fun on a five-inch screen. The Galaxy Note 10.1 offers a lot more screen, but a lot less fun.
Unlike its smaller cousin, the 10.1 is a Wi-Fi-only device. There's no option to connect over a cellular network, as you can with the phone or with the AT&T or Verizon Wireless versions of the iPad. It starts at US$500 for a model with 16 gigabytes of storage, the same as a Wi-Fi iPad.
At less than 9 millimeters thick and weighing 590 grams, the Galaxy Note is a smidgen thinner and lighter than the iPad. But the way Samsung achieves its advantage is by making the tablet seem plasticky and cut-rate.
Not only can you actually feel the back flex when you push on it, but there's even a visible distortion on the screen where your finger is pressing. I've never seen that on a tablet before.
The Galaxy Note also skimps on the screen, which is usually among the strongest selling points for any Samsung device. The tablet's 1280 by 800 resolution means its picture is made up of a little over a million pixels. That sounds like a lot - until you realize that the Retina Display on the iPad packs more than three million pixels into a similar amount of real estate.
The Galaxy Note's most distinguishing characteristic is, of course, the stylus, which Samsung calls an S Pen. It hides so well in a corner that there's a sticker to show you where to find it.
Own interface
Remove the pen, and a menu automatically pops up showing the pre-loaded apps that take advantage of it. These include Samsung's S Note, which lets you draw pictures, and Adobe's Photoshop Touch editing software.
The Galaxy Note runs "Ice Cream Sandwich," the next-to-newest version of Google's operating system, on top of which Samsung has added its own interface and features.
Some of its tweaks are useful, like the ability to split the screen to show some apps running side by side. Other Samsung-specific enhancements are more questionable, like the extra software button that snaps a screenshot which I sometimes found myself hitting by accident.
The Galaxy Note has some nice touches. It has a pair of speakers, as opposed to the single one on the iPad; a microSD slot allows you to expand storage capacity; and an infrared blaster lets the tablet double as a television remote control.
On the other hand, you won't find its battery life coming close to the iPad's.
The late Steve Jobs famously detested the idea of using a stylus. But if your heart yearns for one, you might be better off buying an iPad together with an add-on pen.
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