Related
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:
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Hi XDA,
I am considering getting the Note 10.1 2014 LTE version. However as a Student this is a very expensive Device to buy and there are some Questions i have to get answers to first before i can justify getting one. I hope some of you can help me find out what i need to get answers too.
I am studying computer science and i want to use it as a full replacement for pen and paper (Is that even realistically possible?). I have had some time with it in the store but some first hand everyday experience would be very much appreciated. I will try to categorize my questions.
Notetaking
Screen Protectors
Do they work with the Stylus and if so how well?
S-Note
In my short time with the device i noticed that S-Note does not support Portrait mode for the "virtual page" im writing on. Is that true and if so are there alternative apps that work with the S-Pen and allow for portrait notetaking?
Speed and Precision
I usually have to write down a LOT of Math stuff. Can you write fast enough on the note 10.1 to write during a lecture? Is it precise enough for small index numbers etc.?
Samsungs Software (and how i can get rid of their butt-ugly touchwiz crap?)
Lags and Stuff
During my shot time with the device i noticed a lot of lag and applications that were just pathetically slow compared to my Nexus 7 first gen with CM (this little Tab with CM is just so fast it's insane. Literally zero lag all around and insane performance even when HEAVILY Multitasking). Have the recent updates fixed this problem (well it's samsung so lets say made it less bad than before)?
Touchwizz
How much of the Touchwizz features i don't need can be deactivated? if deactived do they make it perform better?
Other Apps
Have you noticed any Problems with other Apps that usually work fine?
Custom Rom Stuff
General Support
I know this device is just on the market but comming from Nexus Devices i really don't want to stick with Samsungs Rom. How good/bad has the Rom Support for other Samsung Devices been in the past? What Problems will i face?
Rooting and Knox
WTF is Knox and why do i have to care when i root. I really don't get what that is and why it exists. Maybe someone can enlighten me
This is my Wishlist for a Custom Rom. Will that ever happen?
CyanogenMod/Stock Based Roms that are just as ridiculously fast as my N7
S-Pen Support for Notetaking (with anything other than S-Note)
Multiwindow Support (i suppose that is bound to touchwizz but have there been ROMs that integrated it into Stock-ish Android before?)
Hardware
Battery life
I have to get out of the house at 7 AM and im Back Home around 5-6PM. In this time this device will be used literally the entire time. I have Wireless Access most of the time so i don't have to rely on LTE completly. Can the Battery handle that? Will the Battery be able to handle this 2 years down the road?
Bigger Stylus
Well writing with the small S-Pen is a really ****ty experience. It's just too flimsy. Has anyone tried any Bigger Wacom Pens that work with the Note?
Smart Wake
Does the Note 10 Support waking up from standby like apples smartcover (and my N7)?
Cover
Talking about Smartcovers. How good are Samsungs Covers for the Note 10.1?
I know this is a very very long list and i am totally fine with any answers that just link to a site or something but i really hope that this device can do what it's named after.
Thanks for any answer i really appreciate them!
I'm studying computer science myself and found the tablet to be amazing for taking notes with. I've been using LectureNotes and its extremely flexible to suit whatever your note taking preference is. It does support portrait mode, but I would recommend using it in landscape (you can adjust the page size and just scroll down). As for writing with the s-pen it does get annoying after some time due to the size.
As for using a stylus there is this huge on going thread: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2484014
In short, no stylus works perfectly for our tablets aside from the s-pen it comes with. Most of the active styluses do "work" but have an offset of a few mm when writing at an angle (if you hold it straight up it aligns perfectly). For myself, I'm using a surface pro pen and compensated the offset on lecturenotes. I can hardly tell the difference at all.
Here is a screenshot of my notes from my algorithm class: http://i.imgur.com/NsPYFia.png
CircleSquare said:
I'm studying computer science myself and found the tablet to be amazing for taking notes with. I've been using LectureNotes and its extremely flexible to suit whatever your note taking preference is. It does support portrait mode, but I would recommend using it in landscape (you can adjust the page size and just scroll down). As for writing with the s-pen it does get annoying after some time due to the size.
As for using a stylus there is this huge on going thread: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2484014
In short, no stylus works perfectly for our tablets aside from the s-pen it comes with. Most of the active styluses do "work" but have an offset of a few mm when writing at an angle (if you hold it straight up it aligns perfectly). For myself, I'm using a surface pro pen and compensated the offset on lecturenotes. I can hardly tell the difference at all.
Here is a screenshot of my notes from my algorithm class: http://i.imgur.com/NsPYFia.png
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Thanks for the Quick Reply. That does look very much like it will suit my needs. Would you say you can use it to completly replace pen and paper?
detrexer said:
Thanks for the Quick Reply. That does look very much like it will suit my needs. Would you say you can use it to completly replace pen and paper?
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Click to collapse
Haven't used a pen and paper the entire term to take notes! It's actually a lot faster once you get used to it. Copy and pasting helps out a ton when the professor is explaining concepts on the same graph.
Screen Protectors
I don't use them, but have a fellow student that uses one and it seems to work well. Bare in mind it adds some friction if you get a mate screenprotector.
S-Note
Nope never used never tried and just got LectureNotes from the start. I also write in portrait mode. Most fellow students like to write in landscape. I have found that I can write extremely small and read it and don't like to scroll down all the time.
Speed and Precision
Yes it's fast enough. I write in my maths lecture. For me it's faster than paper. I use the plastic tip and there is hardly any friction so the pen moves very fast. Only thing that takes time is when you have to fiddle with menus or stuff like that.
Samsungs Software (and how i can get rid of their butt-ugly touchwiz crap?)
Lags and Stuff
I have had no problems with my device. Even at the beginning I didn't really notice much lag. But there are lots of people that have complained. Once you disable a bunch of touchwiz apps it flies.
Touchwizz
If you disable some touchwiz stuff it will perform a bit faster. I disabled everything but S-Note, Alarms, Action Note and the S-Pen SDK.
Other Apps
Due to the high pixel density some apps that aren't optimized (are badly coded) and perform lots of drawing might not perform as well. But other than that no real issues.
Custom Rom Stuff
General Support
The rom support has been bad. But this is the first device I bought in the launch week so it might pick up.
Rooting and Knox
If you root the know counter will be tripped and you allegedly lose warranty. It seems to be some corporate app allowing you to separate work and company data.
This is my Wishlist for a Custom Rom. Will that ever happen?
S-Pen Support for Notetaking (with anything other than S-Note)
There are native API for styluses as long as the drivers work the native API's should work too
Multiwindow Support (i suppose that is bound to touchwizz but have there been ROMs that integrated it into Stock-ish Android before?)
The multiwindow support on touchwiz is the best I have seen so far.
Hardware
Battery life
My battery lasts about 7 hours with screen on. If you need more battery life get an external battery. They are really cheap, in germany i can get one for 40 bucks with double the capacity as the internal battery.
Bigger Stylus
There seems to be one wacom stylus that works, there is a thread about it. I like the small pen, it's light and I don't get tired when writing with it.
Smart Wake
yes supports the smart wake
Cover
I have an ivso cover i got from amazon.de I'm happy with it
I got the Note about a month ago or so for university. I didn't really plan on replacing paper with that, but no I don't use paper at all anymore. I have found that I can keep stuff organized a lot better in a digital form. If I ever get a sheet of paper I will either run to the scanners scattered around our university and scan it or take a picture and annotate that instead of the actual paper . It really depends on the way of learning if you can "think digitally". A fellow student got the old model and returned it after a week because he found it too distracting. But for me the Note really fits into my way of thinking and doing stuff, but I'm a real techy person, who programs and sees a higher value in having information in a digital form.
To add about knox: If you get squaretrade warranty, someone in another thread said they don't care if you trip it or not and will still honor the warranty.
These are very uplifting answers for me. Heaving two people confirm that you can replace paper with it is almost enough to buy it. I ****ing hate paper... to much clutter...
I very much appreciate all the answers und Grüße aus Aachen an alle
I've replaced paper, not at school, but in office. All note taking in meetings, all "to do" lists are now done on the tablet (I made the conversion a year ago with the original Note 10.1, new one is even better).
detrexer said:
These are very uplifting answers for me. Heaving two people confirm that you can replace paper with it is almost enough to buy it. I ****ing hate paper... to much clutter...
I very much appreciate all the answers und Grüße aus Aachen an alle
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In my local Media Markt they have it for 500€, easier to return if something happens. Might want to check because only it's roughly the same price as online.
This is the case I have, there is pretty much only one case on amazon.de anyways.
Also look at the colors. I have choosen white because it reminds me of paper. Also the contrast between white on the screen and a black border is too harsh in my opinion.
{Diemex} said:
In my local Media Markt they have it for 500€, easier to return if something happens. Might want to check because only it's roughly the same price as online.
This is the case I have, there is pretty much only one case on amazon.de anyways.
Also look at the colors. I have choosen white because it reminds me of paper. Also the contrast between white on the screen and a black border is too harsh in my opinion.
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Click to collapse
I have the same case, it's perfect.
---------- Post added at 01:52 AM ---------- Previous post was at 01:45 AM ----------
detrexer said:
Thanks for the Quick Reply. That does look very much like it will suit my needs. Would you say you can use it to completly replace pen and paper?
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Click to collapse
Yes, it has completely replaced paper for me. At work I need to draw on photos and diagrams etc to send to people. Before I got the Note, I had to print a photo, draw on it, and scan it back in, then attach it to an email.
Using LectureNotes I can just do everything on the tablet and email straight from it. My work notebook is up to about 300 pages now. LectureNotes enables you to email a single page or selection of pages as a pdf straight from the app.
I still like to have a paper notebook to flick through, so I print out my notebook as I go. Of course if I lose it, I can just print it again, unlike a paper notebook...
LectureNotes is complicated to set up initially, but well worth it - once it's set up right, it's amazingly powerful.
If you want a spare s-pen, you can buy one for the old Note 10.1 and trim the back of the nib slightly. This gets rid of any offset.
I did that, then put it into a pen case to make it like a real pen - photos here: http://flickr.com/gp/jackhenriques/d68460/
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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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
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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!
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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
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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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Click to collapse
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
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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!
Is it worth it?
Hi guys I need some advice.
I look for 10” tablet which main use (beside watching Netflix in bed, web browsing, occasional gaming in 3d intensive games, web email etc…) will be to import photos from my camera (USB OTG or Wi-Fi direct) then browse, delete, edit (Photoshop touch) and move to SD card.
Now I was thinking about Note 10.1 (2014) but I been put away by number of problems with this device and its uneven performance.
Owning Tegra Note 7 I found that I love the performance but 7 inch is too small and stylus is nice addition but it’s not must have for me.
Therefore I look at Tab S 10.5.
From outside it looks like slim nice device but I still remember my horrors with first Galaxy Note.
Personally I found that Samsung customer service is run by semi-skilled chimpanzee paid in rotten bananas. Since I have this opportunity to contact several departments/case escalations etc. I gain one great example of how customer service should NOT look like – priceless material and first-hand experience for my business presentations.
Therefore I am very nervous thinking about another Samsung device.
Please help:
1.*******If you own Tab S 10.5 already – are you 100% satisfied with it? Performance, sound, built quality, display, functions (I read that 8,5 has some performance issues but I got the impression that 10.5 is not affected?)
2.*******DEAD pixels – I have really bad luck to these – did you find any of them on OLED display so far?
3.*******Ghosting / colour issues – especially in dark gamma of colours. I remember that this was main reason I sold my galaxy note. Photos from camera looked horrible on the display; any dark colours seemed to be missing quite a chunk of shades between dark grey and black (darkest colour that pixel could display was too far from total blackness of pixel off state). Is this still an issue here?* I wish to use my tablet to browse and edit the photos therefore this will be a deal breaker for me.
4.*******USB OTG using simple usb adapter – read mixed opinions on the forum – does it work out of the box or not?
5.*******Taking into account what I said about how I am going to use a tablet – would you recommend Tab S or maybe Sony Z2 tab? Still prefer Samsung look and feel but Sony with SD800 looks like robust device.
Thank you guys for any advice…*
I'm very happy with the screen, performance and the build quality. I don't mind it being plastic at all.
Since its Samsung there might be a few micro lags once in a while but I'm OK with that. Playing heavy 3d games is very smooth and Netflix and other videos look absolutely suberb.
Only thing that I don't like so far is the new hardware buttons.
How about dead pixels and screen performance on dark photos in third party apps?
Andrew_j said:
How about dead pixels and screen performance on dark photos in third party apps?
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Click to collapse
No dead pixels. I'm not expert on photography so I'm not sure about that. I'm happy with this screen performance on photos. Not used third party apps, only what comes preinstalled.
And all my photos are taken with s4 and that affects photo quality very much, especially in dark photos.
Would you be able to make small experiment? Take a dark-ish photo with the camera. Then try to edit it in Snapseed (free photo editing app - great in my opinion) and check how does the photo looks like. My worry is that most if not all third party apps that have not been preinstalled (and therefore not optimised by Samsung) may have problems with OLED.
Andrew_j said:
Would you be able to make small experiment? Take a dark-ish photo with the camera. Then try to edit it in Snapseed (free photo editing app - great in my opinion) and check how does the photo looks like. My worry is that most if not all third party apps that have not been preinstalled (and therefore not optimised by Samsung) may have problems with OLED.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Did that but since I don't have real camera I had to took the photo with s4 that produces grainy photos in low light environment.
I downloaded a pic taken with real camera and opened it in Snapseed. Didn't notice any problems, looked the same as the original photo. Cropped though. But yet again, I'm no expert on this matter.
Great! Thank you for doing this. Hmmm I seems that I will do another trip to PC world to check if they have 32gb version yet if not I will hunt down brown LTE then
Andrew_j said:
Great! Thank you for doing this. Hmmm I seems that I will do another trip to PC world to check if they have 32gb version yet if not I will hunt down brown LTE then
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The problem you may come across with the OLED screen is going to be the opposite of what you had experienced in the past with regard to photos. The OLED screen is capable of such a high contrast and so many levels of black that if you have a photo (or especially a video) that lacks good shadow info it may appear poor but only because the source is low quality. For example, take this youtube video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tWpZQhnNTu8 the blacks look good on a LCD because it isn't capable of producing many dark levels in the first place. But try that same video on the Tab S OLED screen and the shadow areas in parts of the video look terrible because the better display shows the holes in the quality.
That video you posted looks absolutely fantastic on the OLED display ?
I visit a store yesterday and I can confirm that Samsung branded USB OTG cable works with no problems - I could read and write using stock file manager so far so good. Since I got nice discount for LTE version I am more and more convinced to getting one.
Also I took pictures from different cameras with me and browse them on the tablet - no problems whatsoever. Really nice display. Crisp and full of details.
Thank you all for comments - is there anything else I should know from all yours first hand experiences? Or should I jump on it and be happy teddy?
Only shame is that I got the offer for white tab only when I love the look of brown one. (Ech... Either way I will keep in in the case so... ).