Galaxy Tab 10.1 Vs. iPad 2 Review

DeviceGuru writes "DeviceGuru's 10-inch tablet smackdown pits Samsung's Galaxy Tab 10.1 against Apple's iPad 2. At price parity the iPad 2 is probably a better bet for the average user since it's a more stable, near-perfect device with a rich assortment of apps for nearly every possible function you'd like to perform on a tablet, reasons the post. However, with the Samsung tablet's cost of goods rumored to be around $215 versus $260 for the iPad 2 for comparable models, Samsung could drop its 10-inch tablet's price to $425 and pose a serious challenge to Apple's device. But will they...?"

Re:Only things that matter:

[keytohwy]

Except actual users don't, you know, give a shit about Flash. http://blogs.forbes.com/elizabethwoyke/2011/07/08/taking-the-pain-out-of-tablet-typing/?partner=yahootix [forbes.com] From the article: The study, which polled 1,011 U.S. tablet users in June, found that typing large documents (more than 500 words) was the chief frustration among respondents, netting a 44% response. Other tablet features were also singled out as irritations, but less vehemently. Battery life, for instance, got a 36% response while “limited connectivity” earned 23%, “not enough apps available” got 19% and “no flash” 3%.

Galaxy Tab 10.1 owner here

[Necroman]

Disclaimer: I got my galaxy tab for free, so I have a little extra love for it.

I've been using the tablet for a couple months now and I'm pretty happy with it. Since the Android 3.1 update came out, it fixed a lot of the initial software issues I had with the device. My biggest annoyance is the lack of Netflix support. But overall, it's been great for web browsing and standard tablet activities.

Pros:

• Flash support. (could be listed as a con also, due to flash advertisements and focus stealing issues).
• A more open app store. For example, I wanted an app that showed wireless AP strength. Android has some nice apps for it, the iPhone does not since the APIs on the iphone/ipad are private.
• Choice of web browser and mail app. You get popups like on windows saying "which app do you want to open this in".

Cons:

• Android devices vary quite a bit from one another in both firmware version of device configuration. This causes apps to not always behave properly on your device, or not be supported yet (skype and netflix).

In the deeper parts of the device I'm sure I could find complaints, but as a web browser/email client and occasionally playing games on it, my Galaxy Tab 10.1 has been a good experience (again, since 3.1 came out).

The 3.0 firmware that was originally on the Tab was really buggy. I had lots of rendering errors when visiting various websites (Google News was a big offender). but they fixed all my major issues since then.

Motorola Xoom owner here

[oakgrove]

I also got my Xoom for free.

I've had my Xoom almost since it first came out and I, as you, have had a much improved experience following the 3.1 update. A friend of mine as well as my boss both have iPads that I have had much experience with and here's my 2 cents.

I prefer the Xoom for the following reasons:
The web browser makes more sense ergonomically on a tablet than Safari does on the iPad since it has tabs that are always viewable.
Higher resolution widescreen display.
I prefer the way multitasking works as I just hit a button on the taskbar and thumbnails of currently running programs display to pick from.
Always visible and consistent "back" button on the taskbar.
Widgets
Wi-fi hangs on to a signal better. My boss is constantly getting the "would you like to sign up for a cellular plan" pop-up on his iPad when the wi-fi falls down.
Google Music integration with the music player so all of my stuff is always at hand.
Scripting layer for Android so I can write and run python scripts right on the device.
Choice of keyboards including "Hacker's Keyboard" that gives me access to all keys including Esc, Ctrl, and Alt for vnc/ssh sessions.
Firefox web browser that stays in sync with my desktop browser including tabs/settings/passwords, etc.
Ubuntu chroot so I have an industrial strength cli environment right on the device.

About the only advantages I see for iPad is the interface is smoother and their are more tablet oriented apps. Some people claim that it is simpler to operate but I don't really think that is the case. I have yet to see any particular exclusive apps that would draw me away from Android and I can get past the relatively small difference in smooth. YMMV.

Re:Only things that matter:

[PCM2]

None of the demos on this page( http://www.apple.com/html5/ [apple.com] ) will run on the Galaxy Tab. Therefore the Galaxy Tab does not support the entire web.

How do we know if they'll run on the Galaxy Tab? They very well might, if Apple hadn't put up a wall that prevents non-Safari Web browsers from viewing them. The content won't load on a Galaxy Tab, but to my knowledge nobody has checked whether it will run (which isn't the same thing). Saying that makes Apple's product superior is like saying Internet Explorer 6 is a better Web browser than Chrome because Chrome can't view Web pages with ActiveX controls on them.

Re:Executive summary

[oakgrove]

So if you don't have iPhones to sell (or at least compare in the list) it's kinda hard to make any comparative claims.

Um, do you know what the word context means? I was replying to someone that said most Android phones in consumer hands were cheap models. The point I was making has absolutely nothing to do with how well Android and iPhones sell vis a vis. O_o

Re:Better Value

[nathanh]

That is exactly how I feel the ipad is. Polished on the outside, secret on the inside

It's not secret on the inside. The hardware and software APIs are extremely well documented. You are confusing your ignorance of the product with an imagined secrecy.

I am not allowed to peek inside nor add any update not approved by the manufacturer

You are allowed to peek inside - Apple even has a free developer program and downloadable tools to let you do exactly that. Download the free OS developer tools, develop any app you like, and install your app on your IOS device.

The only caveat is that Apple won't help you install "whatever update you like". And you most certainly can't sell products on the Apple App Store that don't conform to their rules. But there's nothing stopping *you* from installing *your* apps on *your* devices.

This is what irks me about the supposedly Free Software and Open Source advocates when it comes to Apple's IOS. Free Software could really go to town on IOS. For example, Apple won't distribute MAME through their App Store; and fair enough too. But anybody with a free developer account could compile the source code for MAME for IOS (assuming it exists) into an app, sign that build with their developer certificate, then upload the binary onto their own phone.

Instead people bitch-and-moan that they can't use Apple's App Store to distribute binaries. Why is that a problem? This is a community built on open source and free software. So why not distribute the apps as source. If open-source is such a big deal, why the fascination with bundling everything up as binaries and asking Apple to distribute it?

So you could have any app you like on your iPad or iPhone. The only barrier to entry is you need to know how to compile and install software. Is that really a problem in the Free Software world which has distros like Gentoo? It would keep out all the annoying non-developers too. It would be like the good old days of Linux when everybody actually knew UNIX; before the hoi-polloi found out about it and fucked it up.