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Hi all,
Every time I get a new phone, I like to write a guide giving my impressions and help anyone that may be interested in getting it as well.
Just to give you an overview, I've had android devices since September 2010.
Device history: Motorola Cliq>MyTouch 3G Slide>HTC G2> MyTouch 4G Slide
Now onto the Glide...
Build quality is solid, albeit cheap at times. It's very plasticky and light. All of my previous phones have felt much more dense in the hand. The shiny plastic bezel around the sides gets scratched up very easily, as does the top bezel over the screen. The top bezel wear is mostly from using the keyboard, as when you go to press the top keys, your fingernails may scrape the bezel. The back cover is nice, although I prefer soft touch finishes. My G2 felt the best in the hand. Back cover withstands knocks fairly well, and doesn't show scratches easily.
The charging port cover is a nice touch.
This is the biggest device I've owned thus far, and the bulk is becoming apparent. I wish Samsung worked a little harder on getting the form factor down in size a bit, because I feel as though it's not as optimal as it could be. When I pick up a phone, I want to feel that I'm holding nothing but the screen and keys I need. This phone feels a little wider and taller than necessary. Very blocky. If they tapered the edges more, this phone would be much easier to hold. There's a lot of space between the soft keys and screen and around the screen in general. This is about as big as I will go for form factor, because it's just starting to get a little unmanageable.
I wish Samsung made the screen a little bigger or added a trackpad, instead of making room to stick their logo on the front. The amount of space it takes up is deliberate and offsets the entire screen on the phone.
Screen: It's very bright and colorful. I appreciate the extra screen space over my old phones. This is about the limit for screen size for me. I don't think going any bigger would make the phone any better. I will however mention that the screen resolution is quite low for a screen this size. I didn't think I would notice it as much, but text does become hard to read when you try to zoom out on a webpage. 75% of the time, this is not a big deal but it's prominent enough that I mention it. There's a subtle hint of sharpness missing when it comes to the screen.
I hope that future phones will work more towards having edge to edge displays or displays without bezels (such as the Droid Razr M).
Keyboard: It will take some time to get used to, but it's a decent keyboard. Tactile feedback, although the keys are flat. Not the best keyboard I've used, but heaps better than my previous phone the 4G Slide. The keys are big enough that the flatness doesn't matter much. But it is hard to type on this phone without looking, if that's your thing. The G2 keyboard is hands down the best keyboard I've used on a device. I like the accent colors for different symbols and numbers
Battery: The stock battery that comes with this phone is very good. It holds a charge very well and can last you through the whole day with light to moderate use. I find myself charging my phone less than my previous phone, even though the screen size is bigger. Definite plus.
Speed: This is all relative now. Any phone you buy today will have more than enough power for your daily tasks and beyond. I have noticed that the Tegra 2 chipset is terrifically fast and tackles anything I throw at it effortlessly. I did not expect anything less. I would like to point out that, when under load, the phone does not feel as hot as my older phones did, even though the temps still go fairly high. While playing GTA Vice City over an hour the temperature peaks at around 50 degrees Celsius. I suspect the plastic helps with this, as when my G2 got that hot, the metal accents made it uncomfortable to hold.
What's interesting to note is this: http://www.notebookcheck.net/Mobile-Processors-Benchmarklist.2436.0.html
The Tegra 2 ranks all the way down at 640. But just the fact that it's on the list impresses me. I expect that phones will catch up to laptops in terms of computing power within the next 1-2 years. They are already matching laptop chips from 8 years ago.
Faults:
I sorely miss my physical trackpad. I used it on a daily basis, and it's a blaring omission on this device. I would always use my trackpad to wake the phone, as it's very easily accessible and the easiest button to locate on a device. It's also much easier to reach for, vs. the power button. The similar sized Relay 4G manages to incorporate a physical button (not trackpad) in the same size as the Glide. The trackpad was also a great way to edit text on screen without the keyboard open.
Speaking of the power button, I kinda wish it was placed up top. It's in an awkward position, very close to the top corner of the phone. If it's going to be that high up the side of the device, might as well put it on top because you index finger has a longer reach than your thumb (yes, I've thought about this extensively).
The charging port is poorly placed. It's almost impossible to use the keyboard if your phone is charging. There's no good way to wrap your hands around the phone when charging. Also puts unnecessary strain on the cable and port if you're talking on the phone while charging, as it's at the top of the phone. Having the headphone jack right next to it only compounds the problem. Although the keyboard is still ok to use when you have only headphones plugged in.
There is no notification light. Very big miss on Samsung's end with this one. Why they couldn't throw one in is beyond me.
I will update this review, the more I own the phone. If there's anything you'd like me to comment on or compare, please let me know. I'd be more than happy to add it.
Nice review, you showed pretty much the most important downsides of the phone. I would also add RDS radio, which to me is the most important omission. The led notification can be decently passed with NoLed app.
I got mine just a week ago, and I can say I enjoy it, it's surprisingly powerful. As my first smartphone, can't really compare, but overall, it met all my expectations, and for the money I paid (155$) it is a pleasure. In Europe one can't really find anything close as performance to this.
Great phone overall.
Indeed this is an S2 variant with QWERTY sans FM radio hardware and larger screen. I was thinking of getting an S3 Mini instead will probably go for a second Captivate Glide for my gym and car audio use.
God knows when we'll see an S3 QWERTY variant.
Long live hardware QWERTY keyboards!
incidentflux said:
Indeed this is an S2 variant with QWERTY sans FM radio hardware and larger screen. I was thinking of getting an S3 Mini instead will probably go for a second Captivate Glide for my gym and car audio use.
God knows when we'll see an S3 QWERTY variant.
Long live hardware QWERTY keyboards!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I doubt we'll ever see any more QWERTY devices. The last one was released in September 2012, and there hasn't been any word on a new phone coming out. And very few of the phones available are actual high end premium stuff. Not the mid range garbage you're used to seeing all the time.
They are getting quite rare and hard to come by.
incidentflux said:
Indeed this is an S2 variant with QWERTY sans FM radio hardware and larger screen. I was thinking of getting an S3 Mini instead will probably go for a second Captivate Glide for my gym and car audio use.
God knows when we'll see an S3 QWERTY variant.
Long live hardware QWERTY keyboards!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
S3 with a keyboard would be so sweet!
JB
dudejb said:
S3 with a keyboard would be so sweet!
JB
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
http://www.christianpost.com/news/samsung-galaxy-s3-with-qwerty-keyboard-launching-on-t-mobile-this-month-81229/
http://www.samsung.com/us/mobile/cell-phones/SGH-T699DABTMB-features
Speaking of the Relay 4G, I actually just picked one up.
I can safely say, the hardware is flawless. It actually covers EVERY one of the faults I listed with the Glide.
I don't want to trade in my Glide just yet though, considering dev support for the Glide is much further along (nearly perfect).
If anyone would like direct comparisons or side by side details, please let me know. Both of these phones are arguably the best Android QWERTYs currently on the market.
gtmaster303 said:
Speaking of the Relay 4G, I actually just picked one up.
I can safely say, the hardware is flawless. It actually covers EVERY one of the faults I listed with the Glide.
I don't want to trade in my Glide just yet though, considering dev support for the Glide is much further along (nearly perfect).
If anyone would like direct comparisons or side by side details, please let me know. Both of these phones are arguably the best Android QWERTYs currently on the market.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
agreed ... i need to get me a relay as well...
gtmaster303 said:
Speaking of the Relay 4G, I actually just picked one up.
I can safely say, the hardware is flawless. It actually covers EVERY one of the faults I listed with the Glide.
I don't want to trade in my Glide just yet though, considering dev support for the Glide is much further along (nearly perfect).
If anyone would like direct comparisons or side by side details, please let me know. Both of these phones are arguably the best Android QWERTYs currently on the market.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi gtmaster! I found this forum (and you!) looking for a comparative between captivate glide and relay. I read your great review about the glide, and I'll be very interested if you could write some sort of summary telling what is better and what is worse in the relay.
Of course my biggest concern is how the keyboard performs (if not I wouln't be looking for a qwerty ), but for example, how the 5MP camera in the relay compare to the 8MP in the glide, regarding pictures and videos?
Thanks in advance mate!
ninguno2 said:
Hi gtmaster! I found this forum (and you!) looking for a comparative between captivate glide and relay. I read your great review about the glide, and I'll be very interested if you could write some sort of summary telling what is better and what is worse in the relay.
Of course my biggest concern is how the keyboard performs (if not I wouln't be looking for a qwerty ), but for example, how the 5MP camera in the relay compare to the 8MP in the glide, regarding pictures and videos?
Thanks in advance mate!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry, been pretty caught up lately, but I haven't forgotten about you. I'll try and get some comparisons up tonight. 12 hours shifts really do take a toll on you
Sent from my Captivate Glide
I think this is a great review. I just wanted to add a few notes from my own perspective.
Keyboard: This is the worst keyboard I've ever owned. My previous devices have been blackberries up until getting a Stratosphere last year. It's soft, the targets are imprecise, and the tactical feedback is... squishy. Being 4-rows sucks, and aside from that it's marginally worse than the Strat in feel (strat is 5 row and, well... better.) Still, compared to BB, a joke. This keyboard actually drops to the level of being fatiguing to use. Where I would have no problem writing a novel on the BB, and a blog post on the Strat, I've actually started to use the virtual keyboard even for poking around in C source files on the terminal in VIM.
Hardware: Damn this tegra 2 is fast and silky. I have a side-by-side debian install and even building C++ projects I feel is only limited by the SD card speed. I can't see needing to upgrade this guy for a long time. Unless the Blaze has a much better keyboard (and has 1900mhz support, I travel the globe, dammit.)
Network: Has been pretty good. I'm travelling in Costa Rica right now, and I get HSPA+ almost everywhere. A few times I have had to re-register on the network (even a reboot wouldn't get me back) but I blame that on latin america cell service.
Wifi: Reception is about on par with other phones. Not as good as my Nexus7, nowhere near as good as my laptop, but if I'm reasonably close to the signal it does OK.
Battery: Bad. I got even got a giant 3800mah beast. Fortunately with thegreatergood's cm10.1, latest litekernel, inverted apps, and ondemand governor, I've gotten it to where it is serviceable. Being a former BB user, I still scratch my head when people think getting through almost an entire day with barely using your device before it dies means it's good. I can get about 2-3 hours of screen time now before things start to get low, and it can idle for days. I'd like more, but soldering the stock battery in parallel to this monster I have in here doesn't seem like an awesome idea.
Overall I'm extremely pleased with this device. It's so fluid and smooth - all of that "Android lag/stutter" I've come to expect over the years (developing on android and such, just never using one as my personal device) is all gone. It's not as "smooth" as my wife's jesusPhone4s, but god the UI on her phone seems so primitive and ugly compared to mine.
I feel like this is the first phone (thanks to thegreatergood, dman and CM10 team) that I'm really happy with since my torch, but I use it more than the torch because that was basically only good for talk/text/email. This phone is inferior at the text/email part, but better at everything else. And I can run a full blown Django dev server on it so I can code on the road .
Review Relay 4G
ninguno2 said:
Hi gtmaster! I found this forum (and you!) looking for a comparative between captivate glide and relay. I read your great review about the glide, and I'll be very interested if you could write some sort of summary telling what is better and what is worse in the relay.
Of course my biggest concern is how the keyboard performs (if not I wouln't be looking for a qwerty ), but for example, how the 5MP camera in the relay compare to the 8MP in the glide, regarding pictures and videos?
Thanks in advance mate!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So in response to your query (better late than never)...
The Relay 4G is much better than the Captivate Glide in a lot of key areas. I feel as though Samsung deliberately took the Glide back to the drawing board and corrected most, if not all of the flaws the phone had.
For starters, it's a much better device to hold. The back of the Captivate Glide is very slippery, despite being raised and textured plastic. I don't know why but I'm always scared of dropping it. The Relay 4G has a soft touch finish on the back which nicer to hold and easier to grip. Even though the Relay is marginally bigger than the Glide, the tapered and rounded edges make it fit in the hand naturally. The hand is not made to accommodate flat and angular objects well. This is especially apparent when you hold up an iPhone 4/4S/5. Sure, it's a high end device and feels like a luxury item, but it never felt ergonomic.
The phone has a notification light (Hurrah!). It also has a physical home button. It's well placed and easily accessible, making the phone to turn on a breeze.
The keyboard. Ok, this is where things get interesting.... It's not a bad keyboard by any means. I've used quite a few keyboards over the past few years and this one is somewhere in the middle. On the one hand, the keys are very responsive and properly spaced out (horizontally). But on the other hand, the whole orientation of the keyboard is shifted to the left for some reason. It doesn't feel centered or natural. You can grow accustomed to anything over time, and this by no means a deal breaker but it is a quirk to be mentioned. Also, I noticed that the keys themselves are very thin. Although the typing and feedback is precise, there's not much room between the keys vertically. I feel like Samsung focused hard on trying to cram a number row into a dedicated keyboard space and slightly ruined it.
The camera is decent. It's by no means the best camera you will ever use, and it will get the job done in a pinch. But don't ditch your old point and shoot for this camera. There's a lot of noise whenever you take pictures with a lot of detail. If you put in a little effort though, it will give you some great shots for a phone. I think when Samsung was designing this phone, the camera is where they cut corners and I'm glad they decided to do that here. I'd rather they cut corners here than with the keyboard, battery, or design.
The way I see it is, if you're buying a phone for its camera, you're buying it for the wrong reason. The cameras that manufacturers slap onto the back of phones these days are monumentally better than they used to be, but in the real world they still pale in comparison to a dedicated point and shoot. Sure you can probably get some amazing shots when you put them side by side. But with the phone, the angle, lighting, distance, location, status of your marriage, amount of mortgage you have left, what day of the week it is, and what kind of car you drive all have to be just right to get those amazing shots. Smartphones are closing the gap, but we're not there yet folks...
Overall the Relay feels solid in the hand, but at the end of the day it's still plastic. I don't care what you have to say about plastic or what kind of finish you put on it. The phone still feels cheaper (notice I didn't say cheap outright). It's solid I'll give you that, but you don't get the sense that you have a high end crafted device. Nor is this meant to be. Plastic and quality never go in the same sentence, no matter how hard you try. You cannot escape the fact that this phone is very generic bland looking, plasticky, and boring black. Personally I don't care so much for looks as I do for functionality, but ever since I've moved away from HTC devices and into Samsung devices, I noticed that the physical presentation of the phone isn't anything to write home about. Although I will say the styling is slightly better than the Captivate Glide. But that's like saying Rosie O'Donnell is slightly better looking than Whoopi Goldberg.
The Relay is, what the Captivate Glide should've been. After spending some time with the Relay, I realize that the Glide was more of an afterthought, rather than an actual phone designed for people who love a keyboard. So would I say you get one? ABSOLUTELY. But do I expect more from Samsung, or any manufacturer that's going to make the next android QWERTY? Yes.
Does any of that really matter? Not in the least. Because whoever makes the next QWERTY (assuming there is one), knows that it's a lukewarm market with no competitors and the sole buyers being the low-mid range market, texting teenagers, and us.
Thank you for your reviews.
I don't own a Relay, but reading the specs it looks like glide has better camera (as you said), more powerful processor (please correct me) and gorilla glass, which Relay doesn't have.
Relay apparently has no FM Radio, which is a lack in Glide (not the main, yet i would enjoy).
Glide has 4 soft keys on the front, instead of Relay's 3 (and i think this is a point for Glide, for esthetics and functionality).
Looking at the specs, i don't understand what makes Relay so far better than Glide.
sbiricuda said:
Thank you for your reviews.
I don't own a Relay, but reading the specs it looks like glide has better camera (as you said), more powerful processor (please correct me) and gorilla glass, which Relay doesn't have.
Relay apparently has no FM Radio, which is a lack in Glide (not the main, yet i would enjoy).
Glide has 4 soft keys on the front, instead of Relay's 3 (and i think this is a point for Glide, for esthetics and functionality).
Looking at the specs, i don't understand what makes Relay so far better than Glide.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, the glide is definitely slower. Gorilla glass is just a gimmick as far as I'm concerned. Sure it may be stronger, but it all depends on how you drop your phone. If it impacts a certain way, it will crack. Sometimes you get lucky and it won't. It has more to do with the design rather than the glass itself.
I would much rather have a physical home button, even if it means I lose a soft key. The ease of use is tremendous.
The relay is an all around better package than the glide. It's not amazingly better in any single way, but all the little changes add up to make a big difference.
Sent from my Captivate Glide
Battery on the Glide, and Relay AT&T
Hello,
Thanks for the great reviews.
I've got two questions, first is the Relay an AT&T phone? I was under the impression it was not.
Second, with regards to the battery on the Glide, for me I've found it rather disappointing, if I barely use the phone, I can get two days out of it. This is not ideal, I don't want a phone just to sit around, I want to talk, text, that's the main maybe some google play stuff, a hard day of use and I've got to charge the battery nightly. I'd love to know tips on battery improvement or a battery of the extended variety that will work with the glide?
Thanks.
tech927
1 full day's use with a battery is not considered to be dsiappointing in the Android world. It is rather considered fair.
tech927 said:
Hello,
Thanks for the great reviews.
I've got two questions, first is the Relay an AT&T phone? I was under the impression it was not.
Second, with regards to the battery on the Glide, for me I've found it rather disappointing, if I barely use the phone, I can get two days out of it. This is not ideal, I don't want a phone just to sit around, I want to talk, text, that's the main maybe some google play stuff, a hard day of use and I've got to charge the battery nightly. I'd love to know tips on battery improvement or a battery of the extended variety that will work with the glide?
Thanks.
tech927
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The relay is a tmobile phone, but it supports AT&Ts bands.
There are quite a few battery threads out there. Go search
Sent from my Galaxy S Relay
I thought I would create this post for others who might be considering moving to the Note 2.
I was previously using an Evo 4G. It was a decent phone after it was rooted, but battery life was still poor. After a lot of research and back-and-forth, I made the plunge and upgraded to the Note 2.
Here are my observations after having been using the Note 2 now for a week:
1. The size factor goes away quickly.
I was prepared to have a hard time adjusting to the size of the Note 2. The screen is larger than my entire Evo 4G! But after using it for a day, I was used to it and really liking it. Like I have read in so many other posts, I don't think I could ever go back to a small phone again. The size is really great.2. TouchWiz takes some getting used to.
TouchWiz is the layer Samsung puts on top of Android, like HTC uses Sense. Before blowing away my stock rom on the Evo, I had been using Sense, and thought it was decent. Then I upgraded my rom on the Evo to a Jellybean AOSP rom, and really liked that much better.
TouchWiz is similar to the AOSP, with some peculiarities that take some getting used to, but over all I think it is superior to HTC's Sense. I don't know how much of it is the software and how much of it is a beast of a phone, but there is very, very little lag or stutter ever on the Note 2. It's just a joy to use.
The homescreen clock, however, is atrocious and was quickly replaced. I'm currently running WPClock 2 live wallpaper and like it much better, but still not quite what I'm looking for.3. The camera is amazing
For either stills or video, for a phone camera this takes truly awesome photos. It's not up to the level of my Canon T2i, but for something that slides into my pocket, it comes pretty darn close. A whole 'nuther level from where the Evo 4G was. Not even in the same league. And the burst mode - just hold the button and it rattles off 6-frames-per-second. Again, not prosumer level, but for a phone it's pretty sweet.4. Speaker phone is great
I have found myself actually using the speaker phone, and the people I'm talking to can't believe that they are on speaker.5. Did I mention the screen is gorgeous?
Every time this past week I have needed to use the phone, it's made me smile. It's just a joy to look at. I know others will talk ppi and resolution and AMOLED etc, but from a sheer usability standpoint the display is just lovely. Bright, crisp, vibrant. It is just that good.There are other things I'm sure I'll think of once I close this post.
But if you are looking for a new phone and are considering the Note 2, stop it and go get one. I don't regret it for a minute.
Great observations. I'm shocked you didn't mention the battery life though!
Here are some tips and app suggestions for you:
S-Pen Toolbox - this lets you customise an app menu when you pull out the S-Pen
SwipePad + recent apps add-on - the best multi-tasking-app launching - app swithching program available
My script calculator - maths with pen and paper -sort of
Smart Screen Off - excellent if you have a flip cover or wallet style case
Now some tips:
The S-Pen is not only for taking notes, retouching photos and being artistic! It is veryeuseful when web browsing. The hover function works like "mouse over". It interacts with pull down menus on many web pages and enlarges thumnails!! Not many people know that!
As you seem to like photography I can also recommend:
PhotoshopTouch
PicsPlayPro
Snapseed
TouchRetouch
Afterfocus
Pro HDR Camera - wipes the floor with the stock camera HDR
If you don't have a case, get one. If you want a screen protector avoid the syrupy soft plastic ones. They do not look very nice -fter a few days with the S-Pen. I use cheap hard plastic ones that you can pick up for between $5-$10 for two. I change these every two months or so.
Enjoy you Note
Great post! (both of you, actually).
I concur with #1, absolutely. I think thats the biggest "hesitation" for most folk. And after a few days of using it, it didn't feel ridiculously big, as I feared, or others had mentioned. Weirdly, I think it looks smaller with a case on it. *shrug*
And yes, for once, I have a battery that I NEVER have to worry about.
Dmwitz said:
Great observations. I'm shocked you didn't mention the battery life though!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Actually, I'm still exploring the battery life. I was a little surprised that I didn't experience the kind of battery life that others reported, and am experimenting with the reasons. Map was eating my battery, which I couldn't figure out because GPS radio was turned off, and I had not used the map app. Turns out it is actually Google Services through map and it automatically tracks your location, so now that I have turned that off, my battery is lasting longer.
Dmwitz said:
Here are some tips and app suggestions for you:
S-Pen Toolbox - this lets you customise an app menu when you pull out the S-Pen
SwipePad + recent apps add-on - the best multi-tasking-app launching - app swithching program available
My script calculator - maths with pen and paper -sort of
Smart Screen Off - excellent if you have a flip cover or wallet style case
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Great recommendations! Thanks!
Dmwitz said:
Now some tips:
The S-Pen is not only for taking notes, retouching photos and being artistic! It is veryeuseful when web browsing. The hover function works like "mouse over". It interacts with pull down menus on many web pages and enlarges thumnails!! Not many people know that!
As you seem to like photography I can also recommend:
PhotoshopTouch
PicsPlayPro
Snapseed
TouchRetouch
Afterfocus
Pro HDR Camera - wipes the floor with the stock camera HDR
If you don't have a case, get one. If you want a screen protector avoid the syrupy soft plastic ones. They do not look very nice -fter a few days with the S-Pen. I use cheap hard plastic ones that you can pick up for between $5-$10 for two. I change these every two months or so.
Enjoy you Note
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I just picked up a flip cover from Samsung, so will be really interested to see how well Smart Screen Off app works with it. I have also ordered the Sena case leather pouch.
As for screen protectors, I prefer to not use one. I know some are worried about scratching their screen. I think like this. In my generation, (grew up in the 70's) a lot of grandparents put plastic set covers on the seats of their cars. They were cheap looking, uncomfortable, and squeeky. But the people who bought their car used had awesome seats! I would rather enjoy the screen as designed instead of covering it up. Just me.
Dmwitz said:
As you seem to like photography I can also recommend:
PhotoshopTouch
PicsPlayPro
Snapseed
TouchRetouch
Afterfocus
Pro HDR Camera - wipes the floor with the stock camera HDR
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
One thing he didn't mention (and I agree with just about all of those suggestions) is Vignette. It is the only camera app I use, for actually taking pics. Its GUI isn't all happy-pretty-insta-filter-dumbed-down, but it hands-down takes some of the best pics I have ever seen on a phone.
Sorry!
kingdazy said:
One thing he didn't mention (and I agree about all of those suggestions) is Vignette. It is the only camera app I use, for actually taking pics. Its GUI isn't all happy-pretty-insta-filter-dumbed-down, but it hands-down takes some of the best pics I have ever seen on a phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Vignette was the first photo-filter-camera app I bought!! And I use it alot for the Illford black and white which is really incredible.
I have over 30 camera and retouching apps installed as I write so forgive me for missing that one.
Now after checking how many I have installed I need to mention:
Aviary - the best sharpness filter I have found and also allows you to rotate images for hand to get the horizon…well horizontal
Pixlr -
Paintersque
Little Photo
connman said:
I thought I would create this post for others who might be considering moving to the Note 2.
I was previously using an Evo 4G. It was a decent phone after it was rooted, but battery life was still poor. After a lot of research and back-and-forth, I made the plunge and upgraded to the Note 2.
Here are my observations after having been using the Note 2 now for a week:
1. The size factor goes away quickly.
I was prepared to have a hard time adjusting to the size of the Note 2. The screen is larger than my entire Evo 4G! But after using it for a day, I was used to it and really liking it. Like I have read in so many other posts, I don't think I could ever go back to a small phone again. The size is really great.2. TouchWiz takes some getting used to.
TouchWiz is the layer Samsung puts on top of Android, like HTC uses Sense. Before blowing away my stock rom on the Evo, I had been using Sense, and thought it was decent. Then I upgraded my rom on the Evo to a Jellybean AOSP rom, and really liked that much better.
TouchWiz is similar to the AOSP, with some peculiarities that take some getting used to, but over all I think it is superior to HTC's Sense. I don't know how much of it is the software and how much of it is a beast of a phone, but there is very, very little lag or stutter ever on the Note 2. It's just a joy to use.
The homescreen clock, however, is atrocious and was quickly replaced. I'm currently running WPClock 2 live wallpaper and like it much better, but still not quite what I'm looking for.3. The camera is amazing
For either stills or video, for a phone camera this takes truly awesome photos. It's not up to the level of my Canon T2i, but for something that slides into my pocket, it comes pretty darn close. A whole 'nuther level from where the Evo 4G was. Not even in the same league. And the burst mode - just hold the button and it rattles off 6-frames-per-second. Again, not prosumer level, but for a phone it's pretty sweet.4. Speaker phone is great
I have found myself actually using the speaker phone, and the people I'm talking to can't believe that they are on speaker.5. Did I mention the screen is gorgeous?
Every time this past week I have needed to use the phone, it's made me smile. It's just a joy to look at. I know others will talk ppi and resolution and AMOLED etc, but from a sheer usability standpoint the display is just lovely. Bright, crisp, vibrant. It is just that good.There are other things I'm sure I'll think of once I close this post.
But if you are looking for a new phone and are considering the Note 2, stop it and go get one. I don't regret it for a minute.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Great summary of first impressions. Very to the point. I came over from an evo 3d and I can say that even tough I liked sense I have grown to like touchwiz even more. The biggest plus of course is the battery life. Although I don't get the same life as some on here say they get I can use my phone from 7am till about 5pm on regular days. On my 3d I could barely make it to 12pm. All I can imagine is how great the note 3 will be or even this one once we get more updates.
Sent from my Amazing Galaxy Note 2!
This device is a amazing Peace of Technology.
Sent from my SPH-L900 using xda app-developers app
I agree as of about 3 hours ago
It truly is incredible. I mean coming from the epic touch I knew I was getting an awesome upgrade but until you have it in your hands and are using it you really have no idea how good it's going to be.
Sent from my SPH-L900 using xda app-developers app
This device is amazing. I had gotten the iphone 5 three days ago and took it back today and exchanged it for the Note 2. Soo glad I did that. This screen is amazing....dont know what I was thinking picking the iPhone 5 over this AMAZING device.
Sent from my SPH-L900 using xda premium
llfloyd79 said:
This device is amazing. I had gotten the iphone 5 three days ago and took it back today and exchanged it for the Note 2. Soo glad I did that. This screen is amazing....dont know what I was thinking picking the iPhone 5 over this AMAZING device.
Sent from my SPH-L900 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Don't know what you were thinking either but at least you came to your senses lol. Welcome home!
Sent from my SPH-L900 using xda app-developers app
Thanks lol.
Sent from my Galaxy Note II
Impressions - Update
I'm now 2 weeks into my Note 2 upgrade, so thought I would give some additional observations.
Battery life is simply amazing.
After a couple of charge cycles, battery life with moderate usage easily lasts all day without giving it a thought. Depending on usage, might last 2 days. 2. Days. Incredible.The screen continues to "wow" me.
The size is fantastic. Years ago, I was the proud user of the very first PDA called "Newton." It was by Apple and was way ahead of it's time and had a very large screen. Over time PDA screens became smaller, and phones followed that trend. Finally, there is again a screen big enough to actually use for more than making calls without me having to take my glasses to see the tiny display.
Also, the color and resolution are just incredible. I still smile each time I go to answer a call or text.Camera continue to impress
Like I mentioned earlier, it's not fair to compare the camera on the phone to a stand-alone prosumer model, but for a phone I think it is about the best I have ever used. Controls are simple, autofocus is fast, color reproduction is accurate, and resolution is very nice.I'm still not using the S-pen often, but think that is just getting used to having it available.
Overall, the only thing that I would change is I wish I could have upgraded sooner. There is no comparison from where I was with an Evo 4G. I'm a Mac guy, and enjoy the ease of use the Mac OS offers. With that said, Android on this device has the feel Apple has built its reputation on. It's fast, beautiful, ease-of-use (while not totally a function of the phone) is tremendous, TouchWiz interface is perfect for this device, and over all it's just a joy to use.
Truly great design doesn't hinder usage, it makes it intuitive and easy to do complicated things. That's Android, TouchWiz and this device.
Agree with most of what's been said here, I've moved to Note 2 from an old Nokia, MUCH smaller, and now I've got used to making sure it's secure when I'm working, I have to admit to liking it a LOT.
The screen and camera are both excellent, and once I've got used to turning off things that are not needed, the battery life is OK.
there are a few app and android issues, it would be nice to be able to do things like have sounds selectable by time of day, so the alarm can be left active, but ringing and other notifications can be turned off, and I've just posted a Q re being able to run more than one Text to Speech app concurrently.
The only thing I'd change on the hardware side is the position of the On/Off switch, it's altogether too easy to catch it when holding the phone, especially if it's fitted with the flip cover, which mine is.
I've also found an "interesting" issue, but not investigated it yet, when running off a 2.1 A capable 12 V charger unit in the car, with GPS active and other apps in background, the charger appears to be unable to keep the battery charged, so over a longer journey, the battery is being significantly discharged. That may be down to a poor charger cable, but without an app to show battery current, I have no way to know if it's the phone that's eating power, or the lead that's not allowing full charge current to flow.
Have to admit, having resisted the move to a smartphone for some time, now I've bitten the bullet, I am very pleased indeed with the Note 2, and I'm still only just discovering what the thing is really capable of.
Irish Steve said:
Agree with most of what's been said here, I've moved to Note 2 from an old Nokia, MUCH smaller, and now I've got used to making sure it's secure when I'm working, I have to admit to liking it a LOT.
The screen and camera are both excellent, and once I've got used to turning off things that are not needed, the battery life is OK.
there are a few app and android issues, it would be nice to be able to do things like have sounds selectable by time of day, so the alarm can be left active, but ringing and other notifications can be turned off, and I've just posted a...
Have to admit, having resisted the move to a smartphone for some time, now I've bitten the bullet, I am very pleased indeed with the Note 2, and I'm still only just discovering what the thing is really capable of.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Boy, for your first smartphone, you've set the bar high. I'd be curious to see how your opinions change re: size and function over the next three years.
As far as your "time of day, and sounds" issue, you might want to look into an app called "Tasker", Very Powerful application, you might find it's daunting at first to wrap your head around, but it's exactly what you're looking for.
Sent from my calculator watch.
kingdazy said:
Boy, for your first smartphone, you've set the bar high. I'd be curious to see how your opinions change re: size and function over the next three years.
As far as your "time of day, and sounds" issue, you might want to look into an app called "Tasker", Very Powerful application, you might find it's daunting at first to wrap your head around, but it's exactly what you're looking for.
Sent from my calculator watch.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
the one redeeming feature for me is over 40 years working with one sort or another of computer, so the learning curve isn't so steep. Tasker will indeed be worth reading up on, as it may well be the answer for some of the things I'm looking for, certainly on some of the sounds on or off issues.
have to admit, it's making me think seriously about the longer term upgrades that I will be doing, the old concept of a desktop or a laptop are starting to look very different in the light of the capabilities of the Note, and I have to say I like being able to look at "full size" web sites with the Note, as there is just so much real estate on the screen, and despite being the wrong side of 60, I can still (just about) read it without going looking for reading glasses, which does help, though some fonts are getting challenging.
I am also wondering about the viability of using Android on a PC or desktop, there are certain aspects of the way it works that appeal a lot more than Windows right now, but that might be me being biased
Thanks for the pointer, that's the good thing about fora like this, the knowledge gets spread around and helps everyone
Cheers
Steve
Loved reading this thread! I'm a very happy LTEvo user, but my wife's E4GT is starting to show its age (she's very rough on devices). I bought a Note 2 via Ebay a couple of days ago. The plan right now is for her to get my LTEvo and I get the note. I'm compelled by the pen. As a long time WinMo user, the only feature I miss from those days was the ability to take quick notes and drawings. I tried capacitive pens, but they generally suck for writing notes as even the finest resolution is still way too large and they're a separate item easy to forget/lose. Can't wait to start playing!
jph8tr said:
Loved reading this thread! I'm a very happy LTEvo user, but my wife's E4GT is starting to show its age (she's very rough on devices). I bought a Note 2 via Ebay a couple of days ago. The plan right now is for her to get my LTEvo and I get the note. I'm compelled by the pen. As a long time WinMo user, the only feature I miss from those days was the ability to take quick notes and drawings. I tried capacitive pens, but they generally suck for writing notes as even the finest resolution is still way too large and they're a separate item easy to forget/lose. Can't wait to start playing!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You're gonna love the device. It's incredible. I don't use the pen a whole lot but one awesome feature is you can have it set so when you pull it out a notepad pops up. Which is great if you're on a call and need to jot something down in a hurry. No need to look for a pen and paper anymore!
Sent from my SPH-L900 using xda app-developers app
I agree on all points, this phone really is the pinnacle of smart phones right now. Not a big fan of TWiz myself but there are some incredible ROMs on this site. I have soft bricked mine quite a few times and have been through probably 90% of the ROMs on this site with mine and it is just so easy to get it working again.
Not bought this tablet yet as only the 16gb is currently available in the UK and I'm after the 32gb.
My question is with regards to the S Pen accuracy and responsiveness on this tablet. From the videos I've seen online, the S Pen looks both accurate and responsive. When I tried it out in the shop (Samsung store at Westfield Centre, Stratford), I was pleased with the results. So much so that I've already gone out and bought the S Pen with eraser despite not having a tablet to use it on.
I've been reading every review I can get my hands on, but most just seem to compare the tablet to a standard capacitive screen tablet and almost dismiss the S Pen and functionality that it brings to the table.
One review that seemed to cover the S Pen in detail said it was good but didnt match the feel and responsiveness of the Surface Pro. Has anyone had any issue with using there Note 8.0 for drawing? If the answer is yes (although I suspect there is no issue, only that the reviewer was being particularly picky...), is it only with the pen that comes with the tablet or are all wacom compatible pens slightly unresponsive on this tablet? The exact complaint is to do with lag and palm regection...
- cant post link as I am a new member. it was on AnandTech
If there is lag, then my guess is that its OS or processor related (although the 1.6GHz Samsung Exynos 4412 is no slouch), may be rooting it, replacing the kernal and overclocking it would help. I wouldnt want to replace the ROM as I think alot of the functionality of touchwiz sounds useful.
I cant afford the surface pro plus its larger than I would like. I'm just looking for some confidence that I'm investing in the right device for my intended use (portable sketching, inking and colouring of images using either sketchbook pro or layerpaint). Any other functionality on top of that is a bonus (I do enjoy a bit of gaming).
Sorry for the long post. It's my first and I wanted to be clear with my question and expectations from this tablet.
Ben
hertsjoatmon said:
Sorry for the long post. It's my first and I wanted to be clear with my question and expectations from this tablet.
Ben
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The S-Pen is leaps and bounds better than any non-Wacom solution, you already know this but it should be stated regardless. As far as accuracy, it is pretty much the crispest experience available right now. The Win8 tablets have the same digitizer specs, and no increases in sensitivity. The extra real estate on an 11.6" tablet vs. an 8" tablet is about the only benefit the Surface has over any of the Note series. I own a Note 1, Note 2, Note 8.0 and a Fujitsu Tablet PC (previously the most accurate Wacom device in my quiver.) and the Note 8 is far and above the most accurate and sensitivity is excellent. I think most of the reviews are playing with S-Note and assuming that's as good as it gets, but the S-Note app is geared toward writing, and when you use Photoshop Touch, the sensitivity REALLY shines. I can draw fine hairs and detail with ease.
Hope this helps you!
It's accurate and responsive. A fabulous little sketching tablet paired with Sketchbook Pro for tablets.
The calibration of the point to nib is better than I have achieved on my Surface Pro.
Also, you shouldn't compare a Surface Pro to the Note 8.0. They aren't in the same class of machine or tablet.
cmunho said:
Also, you shouldn't compare a Surface Pro to the Note 8.0. They aren't in the same class of machine or tablet.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can I get a little extra clarification on this point? What I'm after is a portable tablet that I can use for sketching. I dont care what OS or manufacturer it is. I just want something I can chuck in my backpack and take out and draw on when im away from home. To me, my only options are Samsung Note 10, 8.0 or surface pro. I dont know anything else that is appropriate which is why I have classed them together. Different OS, but similar format and both use Wacom Digitizer tech.
I'm going to have to get it on credit as my funds are tight at the moment so dont want to break the bank. What should i be comparing the Notes to for portable drawing use?
Thanks for you reply
robyr said:
The Win8 tablets have the same digitizer specs, and no increases in sensitivity. The extra real estate on an 11.6" tablet vs. an 8" tablet is about the only benefit the Surface has over any of the Note series.
I think most of the reviews are playing with S-Note and assuming that's as good as it gets, but the S-Note app is geared toward writing, and when you use Photoshop Touch, the sensitivity REALLY shines. I can draw fine hairs and detail with ease.
Hope this helps you!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That does help. Thanks!
I hadnt realised the Surface was 11 inches. I thought it was 10". I've only seen them in adverts to be fair and once I saw the price of the pro, had no interest in reasearching it further.
That could be it... I used S-Note for about a minute in the store before deciding to move on to a dedicated drawing programme. Heard complaints about photoshop touch from other forums that are focused around digital art. Thats what lead me to the decision to use Sketchbook Pro (which i already have on my ASUS TF101 but dont use as its horrible on a touch screen) or LayerPaint (which seems to be the most praised but I have no experience with personally).
The trouble I have found with most reviews to date is that they are geared towards general users. I consider this a specialist device which is why im looking for specific feed back on those uses. It will replace my note pad, sketchbook and current tablet.
cmunho said:
The calibration of the point to nib is better than I have achieved on my Surface Pro. QUOTE]
I'm assuming you can adjust this. My girlfriend has the original note phone, but I wasnt particularlly impressed with its accuracy. I tried the *#0*# trick (or what ever the code is) to get you into calibration mode, but it only seemed to help a little bit. the point on the screen seemed to be perminantly offset from where i was pointing the tip. This was very frustrating, Id get used to it in one orientation, then turn the phone 90 degrees and completely miss the point i was trying to draw next.
I've also read the trick about taking the button of the S Pens so that you can fine tune the pressure sensitivitiy by adjusting the potentiometer closest to the tip (turn clockwise to decrease, anti clockwise to increase sensitivity).
So it seems like there is room to manuvor to adjust the experience to my prefference.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm not much of an artist, but I do love to doodle and I've found that doing so on the Note 8 is as close to doing it on paper as I've ever seen on a computing device (outside of an actual Wacom tablet, that is). The bigger part for me, however, is the ability to take hand written notes. For this, the accuracy is nearly perfect and its ability to ignore my palm while writing justified the extra cost over a standard tablet.
Why this part is glossed over in most reviews of the device is beyond me. Unless there's another device on the market in at a reasonably similar price point, the head lines may as well read "Galaxy Note 8 is sill not an iPad Mini".
hertsjoatmon said:
Can I get a little extra clarification on this point? What I'm after is a portable tablet that I can use for sketching. I dont care what OS or manufacturer it is. I just want something I can chuck in my backpack and take out and draw on when im away from home. To me, my only options are Samsung Note 10, 8.0 or surface pro. I dont know anything else that is appropriate which is why I have classed them together. Different OS, but similar format and both use Wacom Digitizer tech.
I'm going to have to get it on credit as my funds are tight at the moment so dont want to break the bank. What should i be comparing the Notes to for portable drawing use?
Thanks for you reply
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The Note 8 is better suited to this. Surface Pro is a full computer in Tablet form factor. But if you just want to sketch, buying a $3 sketchbook is much cheaper since you said you have to buy on credit. Never good to go into debt for things that get outdated so quickly.
hertsjoatmon said:
That does help. Thanks!
I hadnt realised the Surface was 11 inches. I thought it was 10". I've only seen them in adverts to be fair and once I saw the price of the pro, had no interest in reasearching it further.
That could be it... I used S-Note for about a minute in the store before deciding to move on to a dedicated drawing programme. Heard complaints about photoshop touch from other forums that are focused around digital art. Thats what lead me to the decision to use Sketchbook Pro (which i already have on my ASUS TF101 but dont use as its horrible on a touch screen) or LayerPaint (which seems to be the most praised but I have no experience with personally).
The trouble I have found with most reviews to date is that they are geared towards general users. I consider this a specialist device which is why im looking for specific feed back on those uses. It will replace my note pad, sketchbook and current tablet.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
LayerPaint is good, but I think Sketchbook Pro is better. The tools are more pencil like and geared toward sketching. I find LayerPaint more difficult to use. But I've also used Sketchbook Pro for a couple years (on iPad, then PC and now on PC and Android). Another app I really enjoy is called Infinite Painter. Good tool, nice developer that I like supporting.
hertsjoatmon said:
cmunho said:
The calibration of the point to nib is better than I have achieved on my Surface Pro. QUOTE]
I'm assuming you can adjust this. My girlfriend has the original note phone, but I wasnt particularlly impressed with its accuracy. I tried the *#0*# trick (or what ever the code is) to get you into calibration mode, but it only seemed to help a little bit. the point on the screen seemed to be perminantly offset from where i was pointing the tip. This was very frustrating, Id get used to it in one orientation, then turn the phone 90 degrees and completely miss the point i was trying to draw next.
I've also read the trick about taking the button of the S Pens so that you can fine tune the pressure sensitivitiy by adjusting the potentiometer closest to the tip (turn clockwise to decrease, anti clockwise to increase sensitivity).
So it seems like there is room to manuvor to adjust the experience to my prefference.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The Note 1 should not be used to judge modern SPen devices. It had a gimped 256-stage digitizer and very low thresholds. It is in no way comparable to the current gen, amd was generally only good for writing.
Sent from my GT-N5110 using Tapatalk HD
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
robyr said:
hertsjoatmon said:
The Note 1 should not be used to judge modern SPen devices. It had a gimped 256-stage digitizer and very low thresholds. It is in no way comparable to the current gen, amd was generally only good for writing.
Sent from my GT-N5110 using Tapatalk HD
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Agreed, I had an Original Note and it was pretty poor in comparison to what's in the Note II or Note 8.0. Samsung has done a really good job with this device. I think it's a little expensive, but it's exactly what I've been looking for in a tablet for about a year. I think I've tried 5-6 tablets since I started the quest.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
cmunho said:
robyr said:
Agreed, I had an Original Note and it was pretty poor in comparison to what's in the Note II or Note 8.0. Samsung has done a really good job with this device. I think it's a little expensive, but it's exactly what I've been looking for in a tablet for about a year. I think I've tried 5-6 tablets since I started the quest.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the advice. Taking it all on board (including the part about may be not getting one due to money issues) I think I'm definitely on board and want this. I can get 16 months interest free. Paying it back £50 a month is acheivable for me.
The reason I want to move on from pen and paper is the bulk/ storage of said medium and the ability to ink and colour my images for other use. I like the idea of doing short comics. Being able to work on the cells both home and away is a big attraction. In addition I dont like the size and weight of my 10 inch tablet as it means I have to carry a larger bag than is otherwise necessary.
Being able to reduce my 10 inch tab, not pad and sketchbook to just one device that is smaller than all of those individually is huge for me. I also carry a camera with me everywhere (NEX 5N). I think this device would be ideal for me to review and cull any missed shots while out and about. I'm looking at RawDroid for that purpose and using a class 10 MicroSD card with my Camera.
Not decided to wait for the 3G version or not. My phone is a Blackberry Curve 9360. I am able to use that as a wireless mobile hotspot. I dont think my service provider charges me extra for it, but it is an extra step in setting it up when needed. I think reading through what I just wrote, I'm ok with the WIFI only version. How long until the 32GB is available? :victory:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am an online student looking for a tablet. I am wondering if you would suggest the Note 10.1 2014 or the Note Pro? Maybe something different altogether? Thanks for any suggestions.
I assume you mean the Tab Pro?
If you're going to take notes on it, definitely the Note. The stylus is perfect for note taking. But you did mention it's an online class, so maybe you wouldn't take notes for it? If not then the only thing left to consider is the Note has 1gb more ram.
GldRush98 said:
I assume you mean the Tab Pro?
If you're going to take notes on it, definitely the Note. The stylus is perfect for note taking. But you did mention it's an online class, so maybe you wouldn't take notes for it? If not then the only thing left to consider is the Note has 1gb more ram.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think ual470 actually meant what he/she said, Note Pro which is the 12.2" older brother. It can be all very confusing haha.
I would go for the Note 10.1 2014.
The size is perfect for lugging about, it has exact same specs as Note Pro so you wont be losing out, and hopefully we should be getting KitKat 4.4 soon to give us Pro features but we have to wait and see what the story is with the update. Oh and most importantly its much cheaper.
Sent from Galaxy Note 10.1 2014 Edition via Tapatalk.
Ah, I wasn't even thinking about the 12 incher. Just the 10s.
The 12 is huge. I played with it in the store at the same time as the 10 and it just felt unnecessarily large. The 10 felt perfect, at least to me. If you have a retail location near you that carries th, go check them both out in person. Just because I thought the 12 was too big, or may not.
I like my Note 10.1 for class. I use Lecture Note for most everything. The stylus is superb. I am thinking of adding a keyboard case once Logitech releases one of for the Tab 10.1 Pro. The dimensions are nearly identical. The Note is just a sliver thicker.
Homer
Sent from my SM-P600 using xda app-developers app
ual4720 said:
I am an online student looking for a tablet. I am wondering if you would suggest the Note 10.1 2014 or the Note Pro? Maybe something different altogether? Thanks for any suggestions.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If your a student get a windows tab with am active digitizer, OneNote has no competitors worthy of mention. The Note pro 12 inch is nearly the cost of the Surface Pro 2, get that instead. You can also find the first SP for sale at 500 or less quite often if you need cheaper options.
Don't get me wrong the note is a solid android tablet, but for education and note taking, I love using it.However as a student, OneNote is the only way, lecturenote and other alternatives doesn't come close. Personally I also think price wise its a better value but to each hos own.
Here's what I'm looking for: I want to take notes and record audio of the lecture at the same time. Additionally, I'd like the notes to be linked to the audio so that after the lecture when I tap on that particular note it will play the audio at that point in time when the note was written. Any such app?
@TabGuy: LectureNotes with LectureRecordings extension can do that.
DISCLAIMER: I am the developer of these apps.
acadoid said:
@TabGuy: LectureNotes with LectureRecordings extension can do that.
DISCLAIMER: I am the developer of these apps.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Developer of lecturenotes?
Hi ur the best and i use ur app more than i use toilet paper
Also i feel like galaxy note 10 2014 is best for school stuff because it has that s pen detection so u can ret ur palm on the screen while writing.
Also thw s pen is extremely responsive like a real life pen
Thanks
Hey thanks for the reminder... I didn't think of the surface. I went ahead with the surface pro. I found a great deal on Swappa that included a lot of the accessories. After researching, a windows tab made much more sense with one note. I love the Note 10.1 and Note Pro 12" but felt the Surface Pro would meet my needs the best. Thank you all for your input!
Soul0Reaper said:
If your a student get a windows tab with am active digitizer, OneNote has no competitors worthy of mention. The Note pro 12 inch is nearly the cost of the Surface Pro 2, get that instead. You can also find the first SP for sale at 500 or less quite often if you need cheaper options.
Don't get me wrong the note is a solid android tablet, but for education and note taking, I love using it.However as a student, OneNote is the only way, lecturenote and other alternatives doesn't come close. Personally I also think price wise its a better value but to each hos own.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
flostanktank said:
Developer of lecturenotes?
Hi ur the best and i use ur app more than i use toilet paper
Also i feel like galaxy note 10 2014 is best for school stuff because it has that s pen detection so u can ret ur palm on the screen while writing.
Also thw s pen is extremely responsive like a real life pen
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
OneNote still the way to go, see http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/onenote-help/record-audio-and-video-notes-HA010121254.aspx
I probably sound like a MS promoter but the sad fact is OneNote is just that good. No other software comes close. You should definitely use what you have but if you got a choice, OneNote
ual4720 said:
Hey thanks for the reminder... I didn't think of the surface. I went ahead with the surface pro. I found a great deal on Swappa that included a lot of the accessories. After researching, a windows tab made much more sense with one note. I love the Note 10.1 and Note Pro 12" but felt the Surface Pro would meet my needs the best. Thank you all for your input!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah fortunate for students MS liquidating the first gen SP. Only issue I would say is battery life if you have back to back long lectures that are away from an outlet. Have fun using it.
Two fellow students of mine have the surface 2 pro. I myself have the note 10.1 2014. If you need certain windows programs to run or be able to type long papers with office, the surface is probably a good compromise.
But they run around with a charger all the time and that thing is heavy. I usually have my bt keyboard in the bag if I need it. And note taking and pdf annotation is just perfect with the note 10.1 and that's what I need 95% of the time. And for the other stuff I have my pc at home. I'm glad I went with the note. I think the surface is not there yet. I see what they're trying to do and i like it but too many compromises IMHO.
The other thing I'm looking at is a battery power bank for the surface. The other option is the type cover power bank they are releasing. The battery does worry me.
Thankfully I'm not on campus and only online, I will mostly be using it for notes, papers, windows apps, and digital textbooks. I was thinking the pro 2 but performance to cost ratio just isn't enough.
Sent from my SM-N900V using Tapatalk
ual4720 said:
The other thing I'm looking at is a battery power bank for the surface. The other option is the type cover power bank they are releasing. The battery does worry me.
Thankfully I'm not on campus and only online, I will mostly be using it for notes, papers, windows apps, and digital textbooks. I was thinking the pro 2 but performance to cost ratio just isn't enough.
Sent from my SM-N900V using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Despite the 4-hour battery life of the Surface Pro, you'll be much happier than running Android or an iPad with that crappy palm-blocking slide-up thing overlay and the fake digitizer....
I have been trying to get back to the way I felt when I used to take notes and do homework on my hp tx2500, running 7, OneNote (super heavy, full size laptop, but it ran and felt awesome).
I own the 2014 edition of 10.1 note, as well as its older brother. The difference between them is the screen. Performance wise, you won't notice any improvement in the 2014 edition over the older one when taking notes and opening up huge PDF textbooks. I am currently using the older one to take notes in school and do homework. The 2014 version has a crappy battery life (around 4 hours of classroom use), and no custom ROM that disables Samsung's simply idiotic "share screenshot" feature when drawing a circle on the screen while holding the spen button down. That "feature" blocks the use of pen gestures in so many apps, including Papyrus. If you were to buy it, you would have regretted it. Not to mention the KNOX stuff, which allows Samsung to dismiss anything that may go wrong with the device in the future (how come there's no class action suit yet?). They'll blame it on you for running "custom software", i.e. getting rid of 90% of Samsung & Google bloatware, so you can breathe and have a decent battery life.
For those of you who use the note, I use ez PDF Reader, it's the fastest PDF reader I found. I also use Papyrus to take notes, because it's the smoothest looking handwriting, and it's stable and fast, and has some good features, albeit its limitations, such as not allowing you to store 2-3 favorite pen settings on the top bar, or a one-button insert last screenshot in current note type deal. It's always a minimum of 3 taps to do something in that software... I have yet to find a good PowerPoint reader that displays the powerpoint slide as it was created on the desktop by the professor. Sometimes that's the biggest PITA, you'll have to export the PPT(x) as PDF beforehand.
So, congrats, I personally find your decision to be the best. I should have done the same instead of buying the crappy 2014 edition.
clouds5 said:
Two fellow students of mine have the surface 2 pro. I myself have the note 10.1 2014. If you need certain windows programs to run or be able to type long papers with office, the surface is probably a good compromise.
But they run around with a charger all the time and that thing is heavy. I usually have my bt keyboard in the bag if I need it. And note taking and pdf annotation is just perfect with the note 10.1 and that's what I need 95% of the time. And for the other stuff I have my pc at home. I'm glad I went with the note. I think the surface is not there yet. I see what they're trying to do and i like it but too many compromises IMHO.
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If your looking for a tablet 1st and productivity 2nd, the note is probably the best way to go (although cintiq companion hybrid hehehe). However I would still argue that as far as note taking goes, OneNote is still king. I've tried a mixture of stuff on Android and nothing really compares. Weight and battery are definitely downsides to a surface, but a modern atom tablet can probably pull it off. The Dell venue 11 pro may be what some are looking for although it uses inferior digitizer tech than wacom.
ual4720 said:
The other thing I'm looking at is a battery power bank for the surface. The other option is the type cover power bank they are releasing. The battery does worry me.
Thankfully I'm not on campus and only online, I will mostly be using it for notes, papers, windows apps, and digital textbooks. I was thinking the pro 2 but performance to cost ratio just isn't enough.
Sent from my SM-N900V using Tapatalk
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There are actually a few powerpacks that support the surface. I saw one on sale awhile back but for the life of me can't recall what it was. If your near an outlet, no big difference between 1st and 2nd Gen surface. Only thing that really gor improved was battery.
Soul0Reaper said:
There are actually a few powerpacks that support the surface. I saw one on sale awhile back but for the life of me can't recall what it was. If your near an outlet, no big difference between 1st and 2nd Gen surface. Only thing that really gor improved was battery.
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If you do need to move around though you need to be a weight lifter... After a little while with my surface RT, yes the crappy first edition, then swapping to the Note 10.1, 2014 or original, I find the Note definitely the lighter way to go. It has longer battery life without needing the power pack or battery pack, another 100 kilos of weight on my already straining back, and I find my Note lasts all day long...
It's up to the individual but my preference is definitely for the note...
The surface pro 2 is a nice machine but twice the price of a note. For my use as a digital replacement for a pen and paper notebook, I'd rather have something light with good battery life and an active digitiser. The Galaxy Note 2014 fits that bill.
Sent from my SM-N9005 using Tapatalk
Loving my Note Pro
I'm all about lecture notes backed up into my ever note account, I also got the full size bamboo stylus. Honestly haven't tried one note but I've got lecture notes dialed in so it works great for me. In addition I run splashtop and a Logitech 810 BT keyboard so that I'm able to store and write all my papers in office remotely. I have the 10.1 2014 (rooted) and love it!
lecture notes kit kat question
I take all my notes with your app and have come to rely heavily on lecture notes (backed up to evernote). This app is leaps and bounds ahead of everything else ive tried. I recently installed the hashcheck- hybrid-v1 kitkat rom for the sm p600. Now when I'm writing there is a lag. I finish a word before it shows up. I tried switching the fast page, and temporary rendering settings in the display settings but it's really slow.
I'm really hoping you can help!
Thank You!
Hi, owners of galaxy note 10.1 2014, as a user of device I would like to know from you people what you miss in our beloved and hated device. I bought this device in hope to get a partial substitute for my school notebook, but I realize that paper for me is much better to study and here some problems that I found.
Lack of apps that combine good performace, good looking, usuability, simplicity and compability to pdf editing. I never found an app that is better than good notes from ios.
The distortion in border that I got with stylus that annoying
Difficult to find a good screen protector that works perfect with stylus (without grasp)
Very slow battery charge and performace (exynos version)
Screen quality, I can say exactaly but the screen reproduction is not the best for taking notes even with reading mode etc...
Screen size is not the best for reading
Slow multi-task window
Sorry, my english writing is not the best.
And leave your opinions :highfive:
Hi,
The only thing that I really don't like is the fake stitching and the 'green blue white black' status bar and settings colour scheme.
I managed to love all the other aspects of this device through persistent modding and tweaking of the device. It took me a while but I can now safely say that I'm in love with this device.
If you want I can walk you through the steps I took (and rom/apps I use) in order to achieve a more desirable experience.
The pentile screen tech is not a downer for me, and I can't complain about it as I'm coming from the original note 10.1
Performance is more then ideal for me(dunno about games) and the battery does charge slow. But taking into account that all tablet batteries charge slow (atleast 1,5 years ago) this isn't much of a big deal.
P.s Try Incredible, they're the devs of notes plus on ios. Best writing xp I've had thus far, but it's still lacking in the utility department.
Erai Dev. said:
Lack of apps that combine good performace, good looking, usuability, simplicity and compability to pdf editing. I never found an app that is better than good notes from ios.
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I agree with you that there are no perfect apps out there for pdf annotation. But I have been finding more and more that Adobe Reader is not too bad, at least for what I do. When I read or edit papers on pdfs, there are four annotation functions that I need:
- highlighting
- underlining
- adding text boxes
- adding sticky notes
Adobe Reader is capable of doing all of the above, with options of choosing color and font size. Most importantly, the file format remains unchanged as pdf after the annotations. This means I can see (and further edit) all the annotations on a Mac and PC.
So far, I have been quite happy using this for marking up manuscripts, although I am not sure if it could handle a much larger (longer) document such as a thesis with hi-res figures.
New tricks from note 4 , like apps minimize from corner and music and browser pop when ya click link or file that will not take full screen to play it for ya
I like my tablet and its one of the best i've ever seen , so bad samsung dont make new update for it and cares for making new devices only
Have you tried Lecture Notes?
Sent from my SM-P600 using Tapatalk
Do we realy need screen protectors anymore? been using my note 10.1 2012 edition daily since it came out and i still havent seen a scratch. get a descent case/skin and you should be set. unless yhou throw it around on the ground
I have an exynos version. It's pretty much 1/4 of the speed it needs to be, takes longer to charge than it has SOT.
Take this present from me and try xodo docs . It is the best pdf editing app on play store
Sent from my SM-N910C using XDA Free mobile app
Erai Dev. said:
Hi, owners of galaxy note 10.1 2014, as a user of device I would like to know from you people what you miss in our beloved and hated device. I bought this device in hope to get a partial substitute for my school notebook, but I realize that paper for me is much better to study and here some problems that I found.
Lack of apps that combine good performace, good looking, usuability, simplicity and compability to pdf editing. I never found an app that is better than good notes from ios.
The distortion in border that I got with stylus that annoying
Difficult to find a good screen protector that works perfect with stylus (without grasp)
Very slow battery charge and performace (exynos version)
Screen quality, I can say exactaly but the screen reproduction is not the best for taking notes even with reading mode etc...
Screen size is not the best for reading
Slow multi-task window
Sorry, my english writing is not the best.
And leave your opinions :highfive:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am running the tab s rom on my note so its pretty fast and smooth. What I miss most on my note is the positioning of the micro usb port. I always wanted it to be on the right hand side rather than the bottom position. Other than that, well our device lacks heavily in the accessory delartment. So I can say a good keyboard.
Support from Samsung
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