[Q] I'm losing it. Can't decide. - Galaxy Tab S Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting

I've been a flight crew member for 35 yrs. so obviously I am a decisive kind of guy. This decision has stumped me. Do I acquire the 8.4 or 10.5.?Seems pretty simple, right, WRONG. I have ordered then cancelled both models numerous times. I commute to work. If not on a jump seat, I may end up in a middle seat if I can't get into business class. I use my note 3 now and it's perfect so I think the 8.4 would be the perfect size for confined spaces. However, I want that big screen but concerned I won't use it and reach for my note when in a confined space.
I went to best buy and played with both but to no avail. I assume maybe some on here have had both and may be able to offer their enlightenment. I have read about the 10.5 being sharper do to the difference in the pixals in the screens. I have to admit I did notice this when playing with them and did find the 10.5 screen just seemed brighter and clearer. This was before I even read that some saw a difference. I'm new here as I just found this site and would like to thank all those who take the time to offer their opinions on these tabs. It has been a great help to me and I am sure others as well. Bill

Get the 10.5. In a confined space you will want to read in portrait and the 8.4 is too small for that. Also 10.5 seems to be having a better amoled screen experience than the 8.4. I owned the 8.4 Pro model and after a while I started to have a "big phone" experience. You want a tablet? Get a proper tablet, not a big phone.

mitchellvii said:
Get the 10.5. In a confined space you will want to read in portrait and the 8.4 is too small for that. Also 10.5 seems to be having a better amoled screen experience than the 8.4. I owned the 8.4 Pro model and after a while I started to have a "big phone" experience. You want a tablet? Get a proper tablet, not a big phone.
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Great point Mitch, I actually never thought of that. I do read quite alot on my current tab and phone, finding the phone too small so rarely do so any longer. I read another post of yours where you mentioned the"big phone" experience and I can see that happening to me especially since the note 3 already as an over 5" screen.

ibill1 said:
Great point Mitch, I actually never thought of that. I do read quite alot on my current tab and phone, finding the phone too small so rarely do so any longer. I read another post of yours where you mentioned the"big phone" experience and I can see that happening to me especially since the note 3 already as an over 5" screen.
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If you are looking for the best possible media experience, get the 10.5. The 8.4 will feel redundant with your Note 3.

I just got the 8.4 and for me it is the perfect size. Reading even in portrait is not a problem at all, text seems plenty big. I really love that I can hold it in one hand easily, it's the perfect size to grip securely with your thumb on one side and your fingers on the other. Honestly it's all up to your personal preference, and budget. Personally I lean on the smaller screen size, my phone is the Galaxy S3 and the 4.8" screen on it is about as big as I want on a phone. A big screen is nice and all but you also have to think about convenience and how your going to be using it. I really expected the 8.4" screen to be smaller than it is, I was looking at the nexus 7 and even the Note 8.0 and thought those screens are a little small for a tablet(the big phone effect), but when I got the Tab S 8.4 and started using it I was like this screen is nice, seems really big especially since I'm used to the S3.

Loving the 8.4 since its more suitable for outdoor usage. Bigger sized is for home use.

Related

Should Note 3 be slightly bigger?

For those who got this as a pseudo tablet? its been almost 6 weeks I got the beauty and about 2 weeks since I got the allshare cast, and I haven't touched my roku or asus media player
Note 2 is everything for me, after using it so much, the screen size is normal to me ( compared to my previous S3 ) but I really don't mind it being slightly bigger - about 6"
Lol
I dont get it.. are u asking a question? And if so.... this is general
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inningsdefeat500 said:
Note 2 is everything for me, after using it so much, the screen size is normal to me ( compared to my previous S3 ) but I really don't mind it being slightly bigger - about 6"
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So you are saying that you'd like it to be more like answering your TV when it rings? Wow.
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This question is redundant for many reasons, the biggest being I've seen about two active threads on XDA, about this...
Cnet: Galaxy Note 3 with 6.3-inch display reportedly in the works
The rumor is that 6.3" will be the next screen size. Whether this is true remains to be seen. Too early to tell.
With a 16:9 aspect ratio for the screen, that would mean the width of the phone would grow approximately 0.375" more, or 3.5". (Note II's width is 3.125".)
Personally, I actually like the idea. I probably wouldn't even mind a 7" (Approximately 7.25" if I go by 9cm x 16cm.) screen if they keep to the edge thinness around the screen, if not thinner. That should allow the growth of the phone to be as minimal as possible. Of course, I'd stop at 7" for the max size I wouldn't mind on my phone. Any larger and many people will definitely start having problems holding their phones edge to edge.
twanskys204 said:
Lol
I dont get it.. are u asking a question? And if so.... this is general
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meatlocker said:
So you are saying that you'd like it to be more like answering your TV when it rings? Wow.
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Dr. Evo said:
This question is redundant for many reasons, the biggest being I've seen about two active threads on XDA, about this...
Cnet: Galaxy Note 3 with 6.3-inch display reportedly in the works
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General Thread - thus the question
I am basically saying that since many of us got this as pseudo tablet, it would be nice to have a slightly bigger screen so we could read ebooks etc
When I got the S3, screen seemed big and then we get used to it, same with the note - but we could increase that threshold to perfection
Its still a phone man...are u kidding? if thats the case u gonna expect them to make it 8 inches next year???
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twanskys204 said:
Its still a phone man...are u kidding? if thats the case u gonna expect them to make it 8 inches next year???
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I317 using xda premium
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I know but much better than carrying 2 devices, what I am saying it would satisfy being a tablet and a regular phone if it was slightly more bigger
I have no issues carrying it now, hands have plenty more room
I wouldn't care for a larger screen so much as I would like Samsung to natively support a better pixel density so that I could fit more onto the screen. Something like 182 instead of the default 240(?).
If they kept the phone the same size, but increased the screen size, it would not be too bad.
I'm wondering if the next Note could eliminate the home button. That would be one way of increasing screen real estate, without making the device too much larger. It could go fully-touchscreen, as Jelly Bean devices are supposed to be, anyway. However, I think the home button has sort of become synonymous with the Galaxy line of devices, so it may stay. I would love 6 - 6.3" inches on the new Note. I wouldn't have issues with mobility.
Dr. Evo said:
I'm wondering if the next Note could eliminate the home button. That would be one way of increasing screen real estate, without making the device too much larger. It could go fully-touchscreen, as Jelly Bean devices are supposed to be, anyway. However, I think the home button has sort of become synonymous with the Galaxy line of devices, so it may stay. I would love 6 - 6.3" inches on the new Note. I wouldn't have issues with mobility.
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Why not 7" I think it will still fit my back pocket gotta love big screen phone.
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jon3sh said:
Why not 7" I think it will still fit my back pocket gotta love big screen phone.
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Then its like the tablet, but seriously, slightly more bigger would be sweet
I would like to see no home button and screen extended all the way up and down. 6"-6,3" screen would be awesome.
I am fine as is hope they don't make the size of the phone bigger. If they can make screen bigger but keep same size I am OK with that.
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I used to think I'd want a Note 3 to have a 6" screen with small bezels and no home button. Now that I've played with my Note 2 for a week, I'm guessing I'll prefer going the other way. I'd rather have a 5" 1080p phone with very thin side bezels, a thin top bezel, and a thicker bottom bezel with 5 configurable capacitive buttons (I have a Nexus 7 and I like most things Nexus, but disagree with the move to on-screen buttons which most of the time waste real-estate). I'd be fine with a thicker phone too though to get an even bigger battery - heck, I'll take 4000 mAh or more, now that I know what 3100 can do. I knew the Note 2 was long and had tried mockups before buying, but now that I have the real thing, it's a bit too long for me - not a deal breaker, but I no longer think about going bigger. By the time 5" 1080p screens are common items and I upgrade from the Note 2, I hope there will be lots of options, some with pens (which I'm not convinced I need, but an interesting thing to try), and ideally, some without Touchwiz which I really don't like so far - I'm sure I'll be trying a ROM with a more Nexus like experience before I'm done with this phone. Too bad Google missed the ball (for me) so badly with the Nexus 4, I would have liked to consider it. Maybe the Nexus 5 or whatever the first 1080p Nexus will be called will be better.
Yes it will has 6 inch screen
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dara.parsavand said:
I used to think I'd want a Note 3 to have a 6" screen with small bezels and no home button. Now that I've played with my Note 2 for a week, I'm guessing I'll prefer going the other way. I'd rather have a 5" 1080p phone with very thin side bezels, a thin top bezel, and a thicker bottom bezel with 5 configurable capacitive buttons (I have a Nexus 7 and I like most things Nexus, but disagree with the move to on-screen buttons which most of the time waste real-estate). I'd be fine with a thicker phone too though to get an even bigger battery - heck, I'll take 4000 mAh or more, now that I know what 3100 can do. I knew the Note 2 was long and had tried mockups before buying, but now that I have the real thing, it's a bit too long for me - not a deal breaker, but I no longer think about going bigger. By the time 5" 1080p screens are common items and I upgrade from the Note 2, I hope there will be lots of options, some with pens (which I'm not convinced I need, but an interesting thing to try), and ideally, some without Touchwiz which I really don't like so far - I'm sure I'll be trying a ROM with a more Nexus like experience before I'm done with this phone. Too bad Google missed the ball (for me) so badly with the Nexus 4, I would have liked to consider it. Maybe the Nexus 5 or whatever the first 1080p Nexus will be called will be better.
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This has absolutely no chance in hell of happening, for a plethora of reasons.
1) It would be going backwards, when sales of the Galaxy Note line have proven that people like phones with really large screens, so Samsung backtracking to anything smaller that 5.5" inches would be stupid, and would eventually run into product overlap.
2) The product overlap would come with the rumored Galaxy S4. The S4 is strongly rumored to have a 5" screen. There's probably a good chance it will also have 1080p, but I sort of doubt it. At any rate, there would be no business case for Samsung to have two products that are virtually identical. The S III already shares a significant amount of the Note IIs features, sans having an S Pen. You make a Note III with a 5" screen and you'll just have an S4 with an S Pen. That's utterly asinine.
3) I'm willing to bet the vast majority of people wouldn't be able to tell the difference between a 720p screen and a 1080p screen. This is just the hype for this year. Seems like every year there a new hype geared towards sheep and ill-informed people. One year it was 3D technology. Last year it was quad core technology. This year its 1080p. Another year photo pixels were all the rave. Another year Apple's retina display was all the rave. Pretty much none of those things mean jack s*** in the grand scheme of things. I remember when I was going to purchase a new 40"+ 3D LED TV. I read many reviews to see if there was a huge difference between 720p and full-1080p HD. EVERY review stated that the only time the difference between 720p & 1080p became noticeable and worth considering, was when you had a screen larger than 40". So, if that's true, there's no way in hell anyone is seeing a noteworthy screen difference in a device as small as a cellular phone. At one point, I had a 720p Plasma HDTV and a 3D LED HDTV, simultaneously. To be honest, I was more impressed with the display on my 720p plasma, than I am on my 1080p 3D TV I ended up keeping. And I only kept the 3D television because it was packed with more features that sort of leveled the playing field.
If you desire as smaller phone, the great thing about Android, is that there's seemingly an endless array of phones to choose from. Get an S III or S4 or DNA or Nexus. Sounds like the Note II isn't a good fit for you.
Currently I'm sure I can't tell the difference between 1280x720 and 1920x1080 for a 5" display. When I finally break down and admit I'm old enough to use reading glasses (which I should have done years ago as my close focus distance moved from 7" where it used to be to 13" now), then I suspect I will be able to tell the difference when holding my phone closer than 8". Other than focus, I have no issue holding my phone that close and I'll be able to get that much more detail into my brain (from maps, text, whatever). You can call 1080p hype if you want, but I think it is still actual progress. I don't know what photo pixels are, and I was not interested in 3D myself, but 1080p I am optimistic about.
Sorry if I'm not following thread rules or something - I'm just saying what I was thinking. I agree that Samsung Note 3 will quite likely go bigger, especially if the S4 is bigger. Who knows, anything could happen by the time I get another phone - maybe the glasses concept will be so appealing, I'll go that route.
I chose the Note II because a) I wanted a 5" or more display, b) I wanted to try out the s-pen concept which I don't know if it will be for me or not till I try, c) I wanted a big battery, and SD storage, d) I don't want to change carriers since as much as I don't like AT&T for many reasons, I'm on a family plan which I don't want to change and they are the only carrier with good coverage over my work campus. I ruled out the Nexus 4 and the Droid DNA pretty fast though I looked at them. I absolutely didn't need LTE and my data experience with AT&T around Los Angeles for a few days and Las Vegas for a few days has been very unimpressive - no better than my previous 3GS iPhone. Hopefully that will improve as the network improves.
Anyway, it's pretty early to speculate now - I better get back to figuring out how to use my phone to get my core iPhone use cases working again: podcasts, visual voicemail (both of these use cases require installing add on software I've found), offline topographic maps (I have 3 programs I've been trying on the Nexus 7), and a few other things. For ROMs, the HyperNote sounded the most interesting to me, but it seems like the AT&T model won't run many ROMs yet (e.g. no HyperNote yet) - I hope this is some transitional issue as porting ROMs from the International to the various carrier versions (which is a huge annoyance to me that this fracturing even exists) is worked out.
SGarnett said:
If they kept the phone the same size, but increased the screen size, it would not be too bad.
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This. I wouldn't want anything physically bigger, but if they can remove more bezel (and NOT remove physical buttons), That would be sweet.

[Q] S Pen Accuracy and responsiveness

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
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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.
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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!
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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.
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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
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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.
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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.
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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
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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
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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.
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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.
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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:
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Kinda disappointed in the Note 12.2

I've been using a Galaxy Tab 10.1 since June of 2011. It's a little long in the tooth in speed and version of Android. And, it has no SD card slot.
So, I went over to my Best Buy and bought a Note 12.2. There's a lot to love about the Note but there are some things I'm disappointed in.
Things I like...
- It's bigger. Nice to have a larger screen for some of the apps it's a godsend, for others it just more awkward white space.
- Battery life is better than the Tab 10.1 even though it has to drive more pixels.
- Micro-usb. The Tab had a 30 pin connector which was a pain in the butt.
- Camera is a lot better but who takes photos with a tablet? Only iPad nerds do that.
- Speed. It's very, very snappy compared to the Tab but with 8 cores, all of which are faster than the Tab's 2 cores, that's to be expected.
Things I don't like...
- The launcher. (not the Magazine UX part). It's no different than the Tab. In fact, there are no more icons on the screen, they're just larger. With all those pixels I was hoping to have icons at least as small as the Tab. And more of them on the screen. It looks like an interface built for the elderly. Kinda like those telephones with huge buttons. I know, I know, I can use another launcher but then I will lose the Magazine UX.
- Magazine UX. I was really looking forward to this. But, alas, it has so very few apps and widgets available that I find I never use it.
- The weight. It's only 4 ounces more than my Tab but it turns out that is a lot. I find my left thumb aching after a while while holding it. It's not really convenient.
- The Zagg case. I bought the Zagg case as I have a similar full keyboard case by Logitech for the Tab. It's nowhere near as nice as the Logitech case. It's hard to remove and feels very cheap and flimsy compared to the metal keyboard by Logitech. They key placement for special keys isn't very well designed either.
All in all I'd say I'm disappointed in the Note 12.2. I'm still within the 15 day return period for Best Buy and am on the fence about returning it. The problem is that the one I would replace it with is the Tab Pro 10.1 with 32 gig of memory. But, I can't find that anywhere. 16 gig yes, but 32 gig is no where to be found.
Help me out here. Are there features that are compelling that I haven't found? If so, push me into keeping this tablet.
You criticize Magazine UX + Launcher. Well, you´re completely right. But what does it matter ?
You criticize the weight. Yes, it´s "heavy". But hey, it´s the largest screen ever. Anything has its price.
And we should not forget: 750g are not too much. Just put your iPad Air in a regular leather case and you will be very close to 1000g.
The Zagg case .. well... that´s the case. But not the Tab...
Just get another launcher, another case ...
I would complain about other stuff:
- First the yellowish color at the cam-border.... Don´t know if this is just normal or I got a bad unit.
- The pixel density could be better . This is no "Retina" Display anymore since you can clearly see the dots.
- Performance issues ? WTH is this stuttering again and again ? Are 3GB + 8 cores still not enough ? iPad is running on 2 cores / 1GB RAM and is much smoother.
As you say the launcher is a disappointment, therefore I´ll try AWD, should solve it up.
Positive:
- Big, big display, wonderful for movies and especially comics
- No navigation bar at the bottom is great for apps not supporting immersive mode. (SmartQ-Reader!!!)
- Then pen is doing a good job.
Missing:
- Still not intensively tested her battery life and speakers.
Seems a though most of these things could have been seen on a review or playing with it in store before buying it.
You are both correct. I could have see much of this in advance. I really wanted the Tab Pro for $100 less. I have a Note 3 and, before that, a Note 2, and never take the stylus out. It's a non-starter. I believe that the Tab Pro will be out next month so I essentially paid $100 to get the larger Note Pro a month early.
I was running KitKat 4.4.2 on my original Tab 10.1 so immersion is nothing new. In fact, on the ROM I was running it was a toggle. I preferred it to be toggled off as it hid the status bar at the top.
I don't read comics and I watch movies on my 52" TV, not a 12" tablet so those things don't excite me. However, I do watch TV via Slingbox when my wife is watching something else on the large TV.
I'm using Apex as my launcher now, it's been my standard on my phones and tablets for years. I'm able to shrink the icons and fit more onto a screen. In effect I've turned the 12.2 Note Pro into just a larger version that runs smoother than my Tab 10.1. That's nice, don't get me wrong, but it's not a dramatic upgrade, just an incremental one.
I wish that it allowed all apps to be run in multi-window view. That's one thing the ROM on my Tab 10.1 made available. Yeah, some don't look right but then you learn which ones not to use in that mode.
I'm getting used to the Zagg case. I like the larger keyboard as I'm a touch typist. It also shuts off the screen when attached and turns on the screen when removed. Must be a magnet thing.
One thing I've found that I'm not fond of is the hard home button and back button in the center of the screen. I'm used to being able to put those anywhere on the bottom of the screen closer to one of my hands. Turns out that I miss that a lot from the Tab 10.1 maybe the most.
I have to say that the volume from the speakers is significantly better than the original Tab. Very loud and clear. I'm enjoying that quite a bit.
Battery life is very good. I can almost go two days.
It took a week or so for me to get used to the size of the Note 2 when I first got it. Once I got used to it, though, I'd never go back to a smaller screen. It appears that I'm getting accustomed to the 12.2 display also. I'm leaning more and more toward keeping it.

Which Size To Get?

Obviously, price matters, and size matters.
Which one to get?
Depends on what you use your tablet for. I like the 10 inch size for movies and Internet, but the 8.4 size is better for use if you do a lot of reading on it. I've had the 10.1 for the last 8 months and loved it. I just got the 8.4 at the $200 price and am loving it, too - I will sell which ever one wins out. Haven't decided yet
Got the 10.1 myself, very happy with the tablet! Just the lack of custom rom support is the negative atm. Looks like that goes for the whole Tab Pro range though...
Really depends on your personal preference, how you will use the device, etc.
Increased screen space will make for more pleasurable web browsing, watching video, etc. However, the larger screen comes at the obvious price of increased device size and weight. A larger device is going to harder to hold with one hand, hold will lying in bed, etc. Although not unmanageable, by any means.
If you travel a lot, or carry the tablet out of the home often; a larger device means more to lug around. A smaller one is easier to shove into your carry-on bag. Again, its all very manageable even with a larger device. But there is a difference. And if the tablet never leaves your house, many of these things won't matter that much.
What I've liked about the smaller devices, is that I can shove them in a coat pocket. Or even into a pants pocket (pants with bigger pockets, obviously) if I move from room to room in my house, and have my hands full.
I've always gravitated towards the smaller tablets. I started in the tablet world with the 7" HTC Flyer. Then went to the Note 8, and not the Tab Pro 8.4. While the size is creeping upwards, these form factors still have the "small tablet" benefits I've mentioned. On the other hand, I have to admit I've enjoyed the slight increases in screen size. So I see the case for the larger form factors as well.
Its a tough decision, I'll admit. But a the same time, I think no matter what size you get, you'll probably be happy in the long run. Enjoy the "pros" and manage the "cons" of whatever size you get.
Dankees said:
Obviously, price matters, and size matters.
Which one to get?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have a 10.1" Note, my wife the 8.4 tab pro. Both are quite nice. Her hands are smaller than mine, and she can not palm the 10". 12.2" is too big for me.

What is better than an Tab S? Anything comparable?

I still love the size and awesome screen etc of the original S1
Of course battery is an issue but i love the 8.4 inch form factor and thinness.
What Android tablet out there trumps the S1?
I cant seem to think of many.
YEP
I picked the last one off Swappa over the weekend. I have had it before but thought the display wasn't that great. I still don't think it's as good as the S2 display despite being higher PPI. The only thing I think comes close is Huawei Mediapad M3. But it doesn't have as strong of a development community at least at this point. Everything else is comparable or better I think. Great display, but not AMOLED. Comparable performance, SD card slot, USB-C etc.
You dont think the S1 display is good?
in term of what? Display & dimension? None to me. I even dumb my tab s2 8.0 and back to tab s 8.4 due to the screen dimension. Since i watch a lot of movie using the tab i hate the big black bar on tab s2. I really hope they did make the storage to 32GB last time... it will last far longer then the current 16GB space. But it more comfortable if you do reading on Tab S2. Gaming wise... well more less the same. It eat battery like nuts... hahaha... In android world the only thing that can give far more better experience IMO are Nvidia Shield. that's it.
Nothing it cannot be beaten in my opinion, It`s the oled display at 16:10 ratio and 10.5" size that makes it the best, the S2 and S3 have an 4:3 diplay, and if your primary use is video/movies it`s the best.
John.
I am pretty happy with the 10.5 Tab S. It does have flaws, but I don't think it's worth to throw it away and buy a new tablet. However, if it dies, there is no way I am buying another Tab S again. I'd probably go for Lenovo's new line of Yoga Tab 3 Plus 10 inch tablets or for the Huawei mediapad M3. If the prices of the new Tab S3 drop down by the holidays, I'd consider one of those too.
I switched to the tab s3 from a tab s 10.5 last week. Loved my S but it started getting pretty laggy and Ive been waiting for months for something decent to come along and check all the boxes. I'm pretty happy do far, waiting for reviews until I decide on what case to get.
Also, Best Buy gave me $100 trade in for an old note 8.0 Att tablet I had laying around and it looks like I can get $150 easy for the tab s so that makes it easier to swallow.
Sent from my SM-G930P using Tapatalk
And the S1 has stereo speakers in the correct location for watching a video in landscape mode, the S2 and S3 has both speakers on one end for use in an portrait mode, good luck getting a stereo effect with that when you are trying to watch a movie.
John.

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