The prototypes were the original fatter and heavier 10.1 that they had showed a few months ago. The "mechanically accurate" ones were the correct size and weight.
Which kinda makes their whole announcement bogus. They're declaring these awesome new tablets that are thinner and lighter than the ipad2, except... they don't work. Yeah.
Looks like the 8.9 has about 78% of the screen area and 88% of the battery capacity, so if battery drain for the screen is linear with size the 8.9 should beat the 10.1
Of course, you're omitting the power drain by the CPU and all other circuitry besides the backlight; that would presumably be constant across the two devices and significant that the hours might be the same, perhaps even a bit worse.
Always hard to be very precise when you don't have all the data.
I was just talking with some friends yesterday that if Android tablets want to be competitive, they need to be priced accordingly with the iPad, or they will never get any market share.
It will be interesting to see what SoC is in use, and hows its performance compares to that of the iPad2 and the Xoom.
I'm just happy to FINALLY see some good namebrand hardware that meets/beats Apple's design while being under $500. Obviously, Tegra2 is no match for Apple's graphics (according to benchies), so I guess it's not really a good comparison, but even so, Android was *supposed* to be the CHEAP one!
Honestly it is not like they tried and were successfully, ... at least not until google gave them android for free and apple showed they how to reduce the thickness of their tab design from 10+ mm to 8.6 mm.
Really so after they learned this magic engineering existed just weeks ago with the release of the ipad2, they were able to have a near RTM ready device? Get over yourself fanboi, ipad2 has not been available long enough for anyone to copy it.
Well, when you're compared to the main competitor, in this case Apple, why not copy and sell for less. As been seen with the Android phone and tablet market (pre Galaxy Tab 2), being different usually ends up costing more and/or being not as good.
Revealing this newly designed prototype 3 weeks after the iPad 2 event means one of two things:
1) Samsung had the design of these prototypes ready and the previous 10.1 was really a decoy. 2) Samsung's tricked out a new working design in 3 weeks, something I would find rather remarkable.
Regardless, Samsung has showed up to the tablet fight with guns blazin' Now I just wish Honeycomb would get it's act together with a better more cohesive UI (what is with the love of the color black? White is more appealing!)
Or 3) the boss in samsung yelled to their design engineers, "I don't care how you will do it, just f**king give me one thinner (by 0.25 mm) and lighter (by 2g) than the f**king ipad from APPL",
and here you go, we get thin and lighter galaxy tabs, which won't be available in 3 months. I don't know if they have performed the mechanical stress testing yet for their design by this time.
wow loosen your tin foil hat fanboi. REALLY you think that only the great apple could come to the conclusion that a thinner device with the same battery life would be more attractive?? Get over it, it is a logical design decision almost any engineering team would strive to meet.
I think it's almost definitely option 2. After the iPad 2's unveiling Samsung's CEO said the following:
"We will have to improve the parts that are inadequate... Apple made [the iPad 2] very thin."
Putting together a new design that quickly is very impressive, assuming it is functional and not just an ID mockup (Anand's comment about the mechanically accurate samples being behind glass makes me wonder).
After three weeks they have teh mechenical desing ready, now they need 2-4 months to figure out how to put the electronics inside the thin case with the specs tehy have commited to.....
It's interesting that Samsung is able to make a prototype in a month(more like 3 weeks) to "compete" with the iPad 2. I wonder what kept them from making the Tab 2 like this in the first place?
I would guess it's some combination of more expensive components and more expensive manufacturing. It's also possible that they needed to see how Apple was able to make the iPad 2 that thin in order to do it themselves.
What SmCaudata said. When in the history of computing has smaller computing at the same performance level been cheaper? Also if the 8.9 screen has the resolution then it's dpi will be higher, which means a more expensive screen not the other way around.
According to the screen capture of the GLbenchmark shows the NVidia specs screen size is reported to be 1280 x 752 (not 1280 x 800) as shown in the specs. release by samsung.
That would probably be because of the always visible taskbar in honeycomb. It only fades in certain applications but that still means applications aren't full screen.
I don't understand when companies do this. The differential is SO small and apparently ONLY in the display size. What is the point of this?
Anand?
And how much nicer is the PLS display vs. what's on the Xoom? I'm tempted to say anything is better than the Xoom's display, because I was so unimpressed with it when I played with one at Verizon.
Xoom is standard LCD with limiting viewing angles. PLS is the next-gen version of IPS used on the iPad with even greater viewing angles, lower cost, and lower power. I think Apple didn't bother with PLS because they are more focused on 2x screen resolution on the iPad 3, and I don't believe PLS scales to that resolution.
"Both tablets will ship with Samsung's new TouchWiz UI for Honeycomb."
What a shame, they're wrecking both of them... I wish they would only destroy one so I could purchase the other. This was my tablet of choice until I read this...
>> Just root, and install a custom rom, I am sure XDA will have it hacked the day it comes out, or first week.
Totally, dude! This is *exactly* why I won't buy an iPad 2. Who wants a tablet that runs a closed OS where I can't do what I please with it? Plus, the Android is bound to have many more apps than iOS ever will because developers love the Android platform. It doesn't cost developer 30% to sell Android apps like iOS so why would I ever develop an iOS app just to line Steve Jobs' pockets? Developing iOS apps is working for the Man.
Yeah right. Admit it. You haven't actually paid for a movie or CD since you were 12 and most of your computers are cobbled together from five year old components just so you can throw Linux on it and brag to your friends that you paid less than 100 dollars for a computer that can browse google faster than theirs.
When you finally do buy an Android device, you're just gonna rip some old lady off from ebay and end up paying less than 200 dollars. There's no money to be made from people like you, which is why Apple doesn't give a d*mn that you don't like their closed iOS.
I don't want to and shouldn't have to :P I think the hardware should differentiate the pads, not the crap they slather over the top of android. Ahh well :(
I wonder if Motorola will consider dropping the price on the Xoom to compete? I believe the WiFi version of Xoom is $599.
As it stands, the hardware is nice and Honeycomb is slick BUT the Apple ecosystem is vast--apps, integration with common services like Xfinity, etc--and I'm not sure if Android will ever make up lost ground.
Look at the integration of iOS devices with places like Starbucks. iOS is becoming PERVASIVE. Android hasn't even touched that landscape to the same degree.
I've also read that the iOS SDK is one big reason why iOS apps in general are more aesthetically pleasing than Android, but not that Android cannot have nice looking apps.
I want to see the Galaxy Tab 8.9 vs. HP's tablet vs. RIM Playbook vs. iPad 2...
WiFI 32GB is $599. They don't need to drop the price. They need to come out with a 16GB WiFi version. Every other tablet manufacturer besides HP has officially done so as of today (PlayBook will have a $499 version)
I really don't see the problem with copying apple. They are obviously doing something right since they are leading the market.
I do like how they are testing out different form factors though. Everyone's usage model is going to be different, some want it to be bigger, some want it to be smaller for various reasons. No reason why there should only be 1 size in the tablet market.
Awesome! So yet again we get a Sumsung device with a custom UI that means Samsung will never release a software update for it. I hate Samsung so much. They are the worst at pushing out updates for their devices. Actually, that's why I hate Android as a whole. Gingerbread has been out how long, and how many phones have it officially? Google needs to take control of their operating system. WebOS FTW!!!
I couldn't agree more, until google wakes up and takes some control of their OS's update process I'm afraid I will have to steer clear. I know I can root it...blah blah blah. And that is fine for me, but I'll be darned if I'd recommend it to my mom. Seriously on a CE device like these over customization by the OEM is a BAD BAD thing, when will google start cracking down on this and integrate OTA updates directly from them regardless of OEM. If OEM's want to put some apps on fine, but stay out of the core OS.
I realize this is harder that I am making it out to be, and is why MS and Apple have very limited hardware (physical devices not limited power), but IMO it is the holy grail for these markets. Seamless OS integration across multiple vendors is key. Lets face it it took YEARS for MS to do that on the windows side, and we still have the vista's to remind us of what poor 3rd party support can do to an OS upgrade, but we really need this in a CE device.
The problem isn't the iPad, it's the sheer number of Android tablet entries this year.
We know Apple will keep 70% of the marketshare, regardless how much armchair speculation the consumer masses has iPad set as the de-facto standard today.
The rest of the 30% will be shared by entries from HP, LG, Asus, Acer,Toshiba, Samsung, Moto, etc..
The competition between other android tablet will be fierce as it comes down to who has the bleeding tech hardware and the right price.
Right now the dark horse is RIM, the Playbook looks very good and it isn't Android which may surprisingly be a good thing.
The question is will the tablet market be more like the mp3 player market (where Apple dominates) or the smartphone market (where Android is the big winner)?
My personal believe is that it will come down to whether WiFi or 3G/4G becomes the primary way consumers access the internet from their tablets.
If 3G/4G wins out Android will likely end up dominating the market, because cellular providers will push the marketing and distribution of tablets (they'll probably sell subsidized tablets with two year data plans).
If instead WiFi wins out Apple has a very good chance to dominate the tablet market the way they dominate mp3 players. It will be very hard for any consumer electronics manufacturer to match Apple's combination of marketing, retail presence, and platform lock-in.
My guess is that the only way 3G/4G wins out is if data prices come down considerably. I know I don't feel like signing up for another $30 per month bill.
IMO, what you said makes a lot of sense. Couldn't agree more.
Also I suspect the plan is to charge a lot more, invest in the infrastructure for higher speeds (4g, etc.), then little by little they will go back to unlimited/more reasonable plans. If they did not, I suspect we would be locked into slower 1-3Mbps type speeds.
However, by the time a 10-30Mpbs infra is in place, by then I'm afraid Apple will have a big lead along the lines you painted.
As far as I see the hardware of the samsung tab or any of apples competitors can be magical & they can be loaded with pixies, rainbows n stuff & crazy resolutions fast processors which is all fine but where apple is in the lead & people forget it, specs are great but it is the applications it's simple there are way more apps available on iPad & great quality ones, android is years behind there & with all the differnt android tablets available there is no standard so even if you have a great app it might not be setup to run on your particular android tablet. Point 2, battery life, if these tabs have more then 9 hours id be suprised. Until they get some apps & make some sort of standard for the os & hardware they are spending heaps of money on r & d to make the shiniest polished turd ever.
We’ve updated our terms. By continuing to use the site and/or by logging into your account, you agree to the Site’s updated Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Facebook
Twitter
RSS
73 Comments
Back to Article
eliotw - Tuesday, March 22, 2011 - link
"Samsung only had prototypes of the 8.9 and 10.1 tablets for hands on use at the show. The mechanically accurate samples were both behind glass."Were the prototypes a different form factor ? What was mechanically different ?
Thanks
flashbacck - Saturday, March 26, 2011 - link
The prototypes were the original fatter and heavier 10.1 that they had showed a few months ago. The "mechanically accurate" ones were the correct size and weight.Which kinda makes their whole announcement bogus. They're declaring these awesome new tablets that are thinner and lighter than the ipad2, except... they don't work. Yeah.
ChristoAcosta - Saturday, March 26, 2011 - link
When you get a chance, please look up "announcement" and "prototype."flashbacck - Saturday, April 2, 2011 - link
you'll have to explain that to me.They showed prototypes of the 10.1 and 8.9 (on old hardware).
They announced newer versions on new hardware (non-working hardware).
Pino - Tuesday, March 22, 2011 - link
This smaller size withou any resolution compromise seems to be interesting.Looking foward.
ImSpartacus - Tuesday, March 22, 2011 - link
Yes, and the batteries look similar in capacity. I wonder if the Tab 8.9 could have superior battery life?If they both use Tegra 2, I think the 8.9 is the better buy.
strikeback03 - Tuesday, March 22, 2011 - link
Looks like the 8.9 has about 78% of the screen area and 88% of the battery capacity, so if battery drain for the screen is linear with size the 8.9 should beat the 10.1vol7ron - Tuesday, March 22, 2011 - link
Normally, it's not linear though. The initial charge costs more, but once current is passing through, it's relatively low, right?bobsmith1492 - Tuesday, March 22, 2011 - link
The backlight takes a lot of power, so a smaller screen with a smaller lit area should take less power.WaltFrench - Tuesday, October 11, 2011 - link
Agreed, and perfectly logical.Of course, you're omitting the power drain by the CPU and all other circuitry besides the backlight; that would presumably be constant across the two devices and significant that the hours might be the same, perhaps even a bit worse.
Always hard to be very precise when you don't have all the data.
Stuka87 - Tuesday, March 22, 2011 - link
I was just talking with some friends yesterday that if Android tablets want to be competitive, they need to be priced accordingly with the iPad, or they will never get any market share.It will be interesting to see what SoC is in use, and hows its performance compares to that of the iPad2 and the Xoom.
bplewis24 - Tuesday, March 22, 2011 - link
Oh, how soon we forget. History WILL repeat itself.Brandon
PeteH - Tuesday, March 22, 2011 - link
History doesn't repeat itself, but it rhymes.therealnickdanger - Tuesday, March 22, 2011 - link
LOL That's great!I'm just happy to FINALLY see some good namebrand hardware that meets/beats Apple's design while being under $500. Obviously, Tegra2 is no match for Apple's graphics (according to benchies), so I guess it's not really a good comparison, but even so, Android was *supposed* to be the CHEAP one!
PeteH - Tuesday, March 22, 2011 - link
I wish I could take credit for it, but I'm just paraphrasing Mark Twain.SilthDraeth - Tuesday, March 22, 2011 - link
I want the 8.9 Tablet. Talk about sexy.rd_nest - Tuesday, March 22, 2011 - link
8.9 looks so much better form factor than the 10 inch.Spoelie - Tuesday, March 22, 2011 - link
Is PLS irl competitive with IPS?y2kBug - Tuesday, March 22, 2011 - link
I just wish these tablets had SAMOLED+ screen. That would make them perfect picture frames. Are they good for anything else? :Pjalexoid - Tuesday, March 22, 2011 - link
The demos showed that those panels are visually much better.tipoo - Thursday, March 24, 2011 - link
I thought it was like a next generation IPS?yuanshec - Tuesday, March 22, 2011 - link
Samsung has become a "copy everything from apple" company...UGator - Tuesday, March 22, 2011 - link
And the great APPLE never steals its ideas from anyone!?....http://www.minyanville.com/dailyfeed/did-apple-ste...Yuniverse - Tuesday, March 22, 2011 - link
One thing they can't copy is the iOS ecosystemkraeper - Tuesday, March 22, 2011 - link
Thank goodness.DigitalFreak - Tuesday, March 22, 2011 - link
Thank god.SimKill - Tuesday, March 22, 2011 - link
Honestly it's not like they did not try... Remember Samsung Wave on the BADA platform?rice2999 - Wednesday, March 23, 2011 - link
Honestly it is not like they tried and were successfully, ... at least not until google gave them android for free and apple showed they how to reduce the thickness of their tab design from 10+ mm to 8.6 mm.bah12 - Wednesday, March 23, 2011 - link
Really so after they learned this magic engineering existed just weeks ago with the release of the ipad2, they were able to have a near RTM ready device? Get over yourself fanboi, ipad2 has not been available long enough for anyone to copy it.JMC2000 - Tuesday, March 22, 2011 - link
Well, when you're compared to the main competitor, in this case Apple, why not copy and sell for less. As been seen with the Android phone and tablet market (pre Galaxy Tab 2), being different usually ends up costing more and/or being not as good.Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.
dagamer34 - Wednesday, March 23, 2011 - link
Revealing this newly designed prototype 3 weeks after the iPad 2 event means one of two things:1) Samsung had the design of these prototypes ready and the previous 10.1 was really a decoy.
2) Samsung's tricked out a new working design in 3 weeks, something I would find rather remarkable.
Regardless, Samsung has showed up to the tablet fight with guns blazin' Now I just wish Honeycomb would get it's act together with a better more cohesive UI (what is with the love of the color black? White is more appealing!)
rice2999 - Wednesday, March 23, 2011 - link
Or 3) the boss in samsung yelled to their design engineers, "I don't care how you will do it, just f**king give me one thinner (by 0.25 mm) and lighter (by 2g) than the f**king ipad from APPL",and here you go, we get thin and lighter galaxy tabs, which won't be available in 3 months. I don't know if they have performed the mechanical stress testing yet for their design by this time.
bah12 - Wednesday, March 23, 2011 - link
wow loosen your tin foil hat fanboi. REALLY you think that only the great apple could come to the conclusion that a thinner device with the same battery life would be more attractive?? Get over it, it is a logical design decision almost any engineering team would strive to meet.PeteH - Wednesday, March 23, 2011 - link
I think it's almost definitely option 2. After the iPad 2's unveiling Samsung's CEO said the following:"We will have to improve the parts that are inadequate... Apple made [the iPad 2] very thin."
Putting together a new design that quickly is very impressive, assuming it is functional and not just an ID mockup (Anand's comment about the mechanically accurate samples being behind glass makes me wonder).
zak the great - Tuesday, March 29, 2011 - link
After three weeks they have teh mechenical desing ready, now they need 2-4 months to figure out how to put the electronics inside the thin case with the specs tehy have commited to.....Electrofreak - Friday, April 1, 2011 - link
You do realize that Samsung develops and manufactures many of Apple's components, particularly SoCs, right?Yuniverse - Tuesday, March 22, 2011 - link
It's interesting that Samsung is able to make a prototype in a month(more like 3 weeks) to "compete" with the iPad 2. I wonder what kept them from making the Tab 2 like this in the first place?PeteH - Tuesday, March 22, 2011 - link
I would guess it's some combination of more expensive components and more expensive manufacturing. It's also possible that they needed to see how Apple was able to make the iPad 2 that thin in order to do it themselves.jalexoid - Tuesday, March 22, 2011 - link
Downgrade of the camera. Batteries. Newer LCD panels.darckhart - Tuesday, March 22, 2011 - link
so let me get this... the 8.9 is a mere $30 cheaper than the 10.1? way to NOT DIFFERENTIATE samsung. i see what you did there.SmCaudata - Tuesday, March 22, 2011 - link
Usually smaller size with identical specs = more expensive.RHurst - Wednesday, March 23, 2011 - link
Exactly! Well done Samsung.bah12 - Wednesday, March 23, 2011 - link
What SmCaudata said. When in the history of computing has smaller computing at the same performance level been cheaper? Also if the 8.9 screen has the resolution then it's dpi will be higher, which means a more expensive screen not the other way around.PeteH - Tuesday, March 22, 2011 - link
Any word on when they are expected to be available?PeteH - Tuesday, March 22, 2011 - link
Never mind, I just realized I missed it above. Sorry.NCM - Tuesday, March 22, 2011 - link
Old: "Joey, have you ever been in a... in a Turkish prison?"New: "Hey little girl, wanna see my TouchWiz?"
Yes, it's pure marketing genius.
800guy - Tuesday, March 22, 2011 - link
According to the screen capture of the GLbenchmark shows the NVidia specs screen size is reported to be 1280 x 752 (not 1280 x 800) as shown in the specs. release by samsung.Death666Angel - Tuesday, March 22, 2011 - link
That would probably be because of the always visible taskbar in honeycomb. It only fades in certain applications but that still means applications aren't full screen.Omid.M - Tuesday, March 22, 2011 - link
I don't understand when companies do this. The differential is SO small and apparently ONLY in the display size. What is the point of this?Anand?
And how much nicer is the PLS display vs. what's on the Xoom? I'm tempted to say anything is better than the Xoom's display, because I was so unimpressed with it when I played with one at Verizon.
dagamer34 - Wednesday, March 23, 2011 - link
Xoom is standard LCD with limiting viewing angles. PLS is the next-gen version of IPS used on the iPad with even greater viewing angles, lower cost, and lower power. I think Apple didn't bother with PLS because they are more focused on 2x screen resolution on the iPad 3, and I don't believe PLS scales to that resolution.kenour - Tuesday, March 22, 2011 - link
"Both tablets will ship with Samsung's new TouchWiz UI for Honeycomb."What a shame, they're wrecking both of them... I wish they would only destroy one so I could purchase the other. This was my tablet of choice until I read this...
SilthDraeth - Tuesday, March 22, 2011 - link
Just root, and install a custom rom, I am sure XDA will have it hacked the day it comes out, or first week.font9a - Wednesday, March 23, 2011 - link
>> Just root, and install a custom rom, I am sure XDA will have it hacked the day it comes out, or first week.Totally, dude! This is *exactly* why I won't buy an iPad 2. Who wants a tablet that runs a closed OS where I can't do what I please with it? Plus, the Android is bound to have many more apps than iOS ever will because developers love the Android platform. It doesn't cost developer 30% to sell Android apps like iOS so why would I ever develop an iOS app just to line Steve Jobs' pockets? Developing iOS apps is working for the Man.
seapeople - Thursday, March 24, 2011 - link
Yeah right. Admit it. You haven't actually paid for a movie or CD since you were 12 and most of your computers are cobbled together from five year old components just so you can throw Linux on it and brag to your friends that you paid less than 100 dollars for a computer that can browse google faster than theirs.When you finally do buy an Android device, you're just gonna rip some old lady off from ebay and end up paying less than 200 dollars. There's no money to be made from people like you, which is why Apple doesn't give a d*mn that you don't like their closed iOS.
kenour - Wednesday, March 23, 2011 - link
I don't want to and shouldn't have to :P I think the hardware should differentiate the pads, not the crap they slather over the top of android. Ahh well :(PeteH - Wednesday, March 23, 2011 - link
But if the only differentiator is hardware how can Samsung (or anyone else) lock you in to their platform?Omid.M - Wednesday, March 23, 2011 - link
Should've tested the GPS, Anand! :)I wonder if Motorola will consider dropping the price on the Xoom to compete? I believe the WiFi version of Xoom is $599.
As it stands, the hardware is nice and Honeycomb is slick BUT the Apple ecosystem is vast--apps, integration with common services like Xfinity, etc--and I'm not sure if Android will ever make up lost ground.
Look at the integration of iOS devices with places like Starbucks. iOS is becoming PERVASIVE. Android hasn't even touched that landscape to the same degree.
I've also read that the iOS SDK is one big reason why iOS apps in general are more aesthetically pleasing than Android, but not that Android cannot have nice looking apps.
I want to see the Galaxy Tab 8.9 vs. HP's tablet vs. RIM Playbook vs. iPad 2...
We need an epic showdown like that, guys!
@moids
dagamer34 - Wednesday, March 23, 2011 - link
WiFI 32GB is $599. They don't need to drop the price. They need to come out with a 16GB WiFi version. Every other tablet manufacturer besides HP has officially done so as of today (PlayBook will have a $499 version)sean.crees - Wednesday, March 23, 2011 - link
I really don't see the problem with copying apple. They are obviously doing something right since they are leading the market.I do like how they are testing out different form factors though. Everyone's usage model is going to be different, some want it to be bigger, some want it to be smaller for various reasons. No reason why there should only be 1 size in the tablet market.
lunarx3dfx - Wednesday, March 23, 2011 - link
Awesome! So yet again we get a Sumsung device with a custom UI that means Samsung will never release a software update for it. I hate Samsung so much. They are the worst at pushing out updates for their devices. Actually, that's why I hate Android as a whole. Gingerbread has been out how long, and how many phones have it officially? Google needs to take control of their operating system. WebOS FTW!!!bah12 - Wednesday, March 23, 2011 - link
I couldn't agree more, until google wakes up and takes some control of their OS's update process I'm afraid I will have to steer clear. I know I can root it...blah blah blah. And that is fine for me, but I'll be darned if I'd recommend it to my mom. Seriously on a CE device like these over customization by the OEM is a BAD BAD thing, when will google start cracking down on this and integrate OTA updates directly from them regardless of OEM. If OEM's want to put some apps on fine, but stay out of the core OS.I realize this is harder that I am making it out to be, and is why MS and Apple have very limited hardware (physical devices not limited power), but IMO it is the holy grail for these markets. Seamless OS integration across multiple vendors is key. Lets face it it took YEARS for MS to do that on the windows side, and we still have the vista's to remind us of what poor 3rd party support can do to an OS upgrade, but we really need this in a CE device.
dukepeter - Wednesday, March 23, 2011 - link
that paint memo app -- is that a windowed application?? or just a widget?dukepeter - Wednesday, March 23, 2011 - link
PenMemo, not paint memoR3MF - Wednesday, March 23, 2011 - link
the tiny bezel on the 8.9" looks perfect, i'd love to see the sized compared to an ipad2.......vision33r - Wednesday, March 23, 2011 - link
The problem isn't the iPad, it's the sheer number of Android tablet entries this year.We know Apple will keep 70% of the marketshare, regardless how much armchair speculation the consumer masses has iPad set as the de-facto standard today.
The rest of the 30% will be shared by entries from HP, LG, Asus, Acer,Toshiba, Samsung, Moto, etc..
The competition between other android tablet will be fierce as it comes down to who has the bleeding tech hardware and the right price.
Right now the dark horse is RIM, the Playbook looks very good and it isn't Android which may surprisingly be a good thing.
kenz1 - Wednesday, March 23, 2011 - link
Kinda like what is happening in the smartphone market right?PeteH - Wednesday, March 23, 2011 - link
The question is will the tablet market be more like the mp3 player market (where Apple dominates) or the smartphone market (where Android is the big winner)?My personal believe is that it will come down to whether WiFi or 3G/4G becomes the primary way consumers access the internet from their tablets.
If 3G/4G wins out Android will likely end up dominating the market, because cellular providers will push the marketing and distribution of tablets (they'll probably sell subsidized tablets with two year data plans).
If instead WiFi wins out Apple has a very good chance to dominate the tablet market the way they dominate mp3 players. It will be very hard for any consumer electronics manufacturer to match Apple's combination of marketing, retail presence, and platform lock-in.
My guess is that the only way 3G/4G wins out is if data prices come down considerably. I know I don't feel like signing up for another $30 per month bill.
RHurst - Thursday, March 24, 2011 - link
IMO, what you said makes a lot of sense. Couldn't agree more.Also I suspect the plan is to charge a lot more, invest in the infrastructure for higher speeds (4g, etc.), then little by little they will go back to unlimited/more reasonable plans. If they did not, I suspect we would be locked into slower 1-3Mbps type speeds.
However, by the time a 10-30Mpbs infra is in place, by then I'm afraid Apple will have a big lead along the lines you painted.
Will see what happens.
kenz1 - Wednesday, March 23, 2011 - link
</sarcasm>tswhittaker - Friday, April 1, 2011 - link
when is coming out in the uk EMAIL ME ON [email protected]Zozman - Thursday, April 28, 2011 - link
As far as I see the hardware of the samsung tab or any of apples competitors can be magical & they can be loaded with pixies, rainbows n stuff & crazy resolutions fast processors which is all fine but where apple is in the lead & people forget it, specs are great but it is the applications it's simple there are way more apps available on iPad & great quality ones, android is years behind there & with all the differnt android tablets available there is no standard so even if you have a great app it might not be setup to run on your particular android tablet.Point 2, battery life, if these tabs have more then 9 hours id be suprised.
Until they get some apps & make some sort of standard for the os & hardware they are spending heaps of money on r & d to make the shiniest polished turd ever.
miya - Tuesday, August 9, 2011 - link
I believe this article will give you a clear answer:http://www.pandawillforum.com/viewthread.php?tid=4...
charelfriendly - Tuesday, October 4, 2011 - link
Great tablet from Samsung... i love it...http://tabletpc-id.com/samsung-galaxy-tab-8-9