Yes thanks for tablet comparison table. And i agreed, How expensive Verizon's data plan , though someone took a 10GB quota, with a speed 10X 3G, it does not mean anything if its use is not wise. Anyway remains its an internet connection will run only no more than half a day.
While I don't agree with the patents granted to Apple or the legitimacy of its numerous suits against Samsung/Motorola/HTC, you can clearly tell by looking at the front fascia that Samsung can't claim innocence and ignorance as to just how much it looks like the iPad.
And before someone replies saying "Well there's only so many ways to design a tablet!", take a look ASUS EEE Transformer. Do you see Apple firing snide remarks or starting suits with ASUS?
The Samsung Galaxy S II's aesthetics also mimic the iPhone's look to an extent (did they really need to exaggerate the home button against the other two beside it; which are almost non visible). Motorola won acclaim with its' Droid and it's successors and you don't see Apple suing them over how similar the phone looks at least.
While I have high respect for Samsung and the innovations they've brought to the LCD market, they're a Korean company and Korean companies often like to mimic (rip off) highly successive models. Look no further than Hyundai's cars and their outward styling, they look like premium Japanese or German luxury cars.
Where Toyota and Mercedes may not care that their car styles are mimiced, Samsung caught the eye of Silicon Valley's "magic making" CEO, and they did quite brazen and stupidly.
Well, I had both of them in my hands and the only thing common to both and uncommon for the others is the great quality of the materials. I also checked on the net the European patent Apple is hanging on and it'a 2 page sketch of "handheld computer" from 2004 that looks like every tablet from Star Trek to ... any tablet. Just a rectangular surface with round edges. In my opinion, Apple just wanted to bury its best competitor...
No, it looks like a White iPad 2 unless you look very closely. Having seen a Galxy S 2 over the weekend up close, it does bear a very close similarity to an iPhone 4, and the Galaxy S 1 looked like a 3GS. These occurences are not accidental, they are designed to fool the honest consumer! Samsung should not be able to get away with this, however you slice it.
And when you say "very closely", do you mean reading the labels or using the OS? Those are pretty big differences, IMO. There's no giant Apple on the back, there's no home button on the front, one runs iOS, the other Android. Logos aside, the back even has different details, and the charge port, while similar, is not the same, and isn't even found on the same side as iPad. Will the Tab even work with Apple's extras, like cases and adapters?
To me, the Tab 10.1 just might be more magical than iPad2, and THAT is why Apple is firing back at it. Good thing Apple doesn't make cars, or we'd all be screwed.
I checked out my co-workers Samsung phone, and I have to say even the general software layout looks like an iPhone clone. You can see for yourself in this image:
The problem with your picture is that *you* are misleading people. That is a picture of the apps menu, not an actual home screen that would contain widgets and the sort.
So maybe Samsung has an apps menu that looks like iOS. What about iOS 5's notifications? Why do Apple users sweep it under the rug? That is a * blatant* copy of Android's notification bar.
I think iOS users are just mad that Samsung has a menu that can replicate their entire child's OS (not to mention the ability to customize it).
Yes, the biggest word here is "customization". Having 3 Android devices (HTC ChaCha, Dell Streak 5 and a Nook Color) I can tell you that they look like running something completely different for a non Android-versed person... :-)
Also, I don't agree that Galaxy S2 looks like iPhone 4. At all. But the iPhone 4 looks 99% like Garmin nuvi 3790T... Come on, they all are rectangular in shape with round corners. I'm surrounded by people with iPhone 4 / iPad/iPad2 on one side and Samsung Galay S / S2 / Tab on the other: it's obviously that Apple went for the bigger competitor here.
Even Galaxy Tab 10.1v does not look entirely like 10.1. :-) just joking.
Anyway, I agree that the price for this "4G LTE" is a rip off: here, a 10.1 (v on Vodafone without v on Orange) 16GB 3G (HSDPA+/HSUPA) is 349 EUR including all taxes with a 2y contract (around 20-30 EUR/month for 2-8 GB).
And they come in 3 colors (white, black and silver - silver is for 32 GB only, I think).
I have a Galaxy Tab 10.1 in hand, and while there is no way I can call this an iPad2 in any respect (even dimensions are different, as I hold this thing widescreen-mode), in the "screen off" mode sitting flat on the table, the front of the Galaxy Tab is quite the blatant rip-off of the iPad2, right down to the trim. Granted, it's hard not to design a tablet with a screen and bevel behind glass that ISN'T black frame with accent (not black) trim and make it look half-decent. If they had only left the microUSB connector/charger and the mini HDMI port, I might have overlooked such. I can overlook the lack of an SD card, but using an iP*d-style connector is just below the belt....
If the honest consumer is an illiterate then it might fool him. Although he should still be able to tell an apple as a logo from whatever Samsung has (should be just their name). I have a SGS2 and my best friend has a iPhone4. I might mistake them after the 20th beer of the evening. But before that it's pretty hard to confuse them. Only 2 people ever asked me "oohhh, is that an iPhone?" and both were females and not into tech at all. Also, my phone has a homescreen with widgets and more than one button on the front. Not that similar to an iPhone. Though I do grant you that they both look smartphone-ish, i.e. screen in a square-ish package. ;-)
did you not hear about how apple faked images to even start this law suit? and samsung makes part of the ipad and iphone, they get 170$ per ipad. and while im in no way saying that it doesnt look like a ipad in the front, have u seen the motorola zoom? it has a black bezzle around it also, JUSt like the ipads. only difference is the bezzle is not as wide . oh and did you hear? samsung is suing apple for patent infringement, yknow that new and improved antennae on the iphone 4s? samsung designed it and apple used it without paying fo rit or whatever. theres a side to both stories my friend. btw i love android and apple so im not being some dumb fanboi lol.
I have an old 3g modem from Verizon -- I've not used it in years, but I've basically been holding on to the plan since it's true unlimited, acquired in the time when you could get an unlimited 3g data plan. I should be able to upgrade the modem to LTE and still be unlimited -- or so they tell me (I called a Rep to ask). If this is the case, then LTE is a no-brainer here in Charlotte, NC. I'm glad to see someone in the state getting some decent numbers off of it. Unfortunately, not only is Verizon's 4G expensive, but it's hard to even take advantage of at the moment. I have unlimited data on my phone as well, grandfather style, but Verizon's LTE capable phone selection is a little wanting. Hopefully, Big Red has something more palatable coming down the pike.
As for the Tab -- It's clearly the most badass mobile hotspot money can buy.
"You can always tether to your smartphone or get a MiFi, but if you want to carry only a single device there's always the option of a cellular connected tablet."
Until they drop the arbitrary restrictions on these cellular-enabled devices you still need a phone. Granted you could IM, email and even Skype/Google Voice from apps over data, but plain talking and texting is out of the question. Until then you are better off getting a wifi only tablet and just carry a phone as well (not to mention not having to have 2 data plans). I know up here in Canada the carries don't allow you to share data plans between devices...
Hold that unit in both hands, twist, and watch the screen flicker. The Xoom and iPads have great torsion resistance. The Samsung 10.1 series could be snapped in half.
GTFOH!! A total, and blatant rip-off, which I suppose they feel they can get away with as the only game in town. This device will be selling for (at least) $100 less by Thanksgiving, by which time the Xoom, PlayBook, and possibly others will also be shipping with LTE. Most folks should probably wait for more options and for competition to drive down prices later this year.
I agree with earlier comments that the price of the device and plans severely limit the product offering. VZW is no dummy so I wonder whether they are, in fact, aiming for lower volume. If they keep the customer count down on their 4G LTE network while they're still rolling it out, they can delay the capital upgrade investments for the additional backhaul bandwidth that would be required and, at the same time, make their existing 4G offering a premium service because its not so busy. Were there suddenly a few hundred thousand 4G LTE devices on-line simultaneously in the Charlotte area, I wonder whether they'd all be getting the incredible bandwidth shown in Anand's results. If, instead, they keep both the device and service plan costs high, they can simultaneously limit the data load on their new network so it appears hyperfast and make a high profit. Until they have viable competition, lower volume may be the better business case.
I don't think it looks enough alike to justify the patent infringement. I can see some similarities on the front side, but on the back end - no. The button and camera placement is different also. I think if Samsung had went with a different color other than black (and now white) on the front bezel of the screen or some extra distinguishing mark it would have not had an issue at all. I don't agree with the sales blocking, but I can see how if someone is looking to block the device that they would have a better chance than some other devices. I don't see how the OS side could provide a "look and feel" issue. It is mostly a cheap trick unless there is something that most reasonable people are missing. I would guess Apple is just trying to buy time till the next hardware release and knock off the best competing hardware available. I have an iPad 2 and would consider this device as the best alternative in the Android environment. I like Samsung as a manufacturer.
The killer feature here is 4G. After using the iPad 2 and BB Playbook I would say that 4G speeds make this type of device much more useful. 3G where I am sucks. It is adequate for some web, but the next gen uses will require 4G such as remote desktop. Remote desktop is still pretty weak because of 3G, but can be done.
A MiFi I can use with basically any of my mobile devices and overall it's cheaper aswell. I'm way more flexible with MiFi and I can even have friends use it, as good MiFi allows for more then one connection simultanously.
Just did a few tests on Thunderbolt in NYC just for testing sake. I'm sure Samsung Galaxy Tab would hit even higher here in NYC especially on the uplink: [IMG]http://i55.tinypic.com/209lrmu.png[/IMG]
I find it ridiculous to patent something's appearance. We all know that the majority of Computer monitors look the same with black bezels and only the company logo/name on the bezel to make them look different. You could argue all projectors look the same because they all have lenses and a body with buttons. How about toilets? Sinks? Basketball nets? Bags of Milk? They all look the same! Why is it ok for a tech company to get away with patenting something's general appearance?? Next Apple will try to patent the colour White!!
If you average 15Mbps, you could theoretically blow through a 5GB limit in 45 minutes. That's the middle tier and a low estimate for average speed.
WTF is the point of 4G speeds with these asinine data limits? Saving a few seconds in page loading speeds is nice, but streaming HD and large file downloads are the only real applications that <i>need</i> the speed. 5GB gives you what, 4-5 HD Netflix movies?
I don't get the rectangular design "patent" thing either. Doesn't HP now have some leftover Palm patent to lord over the iPhone's App presentation/home screen and rectangle shape...I seem to remember my old m505, T/X, and Treo having "app screens" that look exactly like the iPhone and a "rectangle shape"...i don't get it it...the whole apple lawsuit about products "looking" the same is one of two reasons (the other being the loss of in-app kindle purchases) that I bought a TAB 10.1 instead of an iPad. Doesn't one of the Apple complaints even complain about the photo gallery icon used on the Galaxy S's? For goodness sake, when MS tried to push the tablet form factor in circa 2002-2004...there were at least 5 tablets that were simple rectangles...maybe a hair thicker but the same idea...
Holy crap, I should go to legal zoom and start patenting rectangles in .5 mm increments....
A friend come with a black 3G model to help him set it up with a data only SIM taken out of an USB modem. With the help of a friendly female operator, I made it work: lucky him the SIM was on an older unlimited data plan and judging by the H+ icon it was connecting at 21.6 Mbps...
I own a Nook and I've played with iPad /2, Asus Transformer, Moto Xoom and 10.1v... But this tablet is really the best I got my hands on. Trust me, it's worth every penny if you can afford it.... It was already on 3.1 and TouchWiz and it feels just fine with it, although I would probably close most of the widgets.
A 720p youtube clip was making every monitor I have at home a piece of junk. I tried 1080p and it was buffering a lot, unfortunately, so I couldn't see if the tablet can hold it... The screen at maximum brightness and with eco mode (a sort of second auto mode, but the menu was not in English so I don't know how to translate it) off was jaw dropping, even compared to an iPad 2...
actually that is the TouchWiz interface not the app drawer. The reason I got rid of it and use a different HOME is that it looked and acted like the iOS. So unlike the iPhone you can use it or not use it.(but it does look like the iPhone when you first buy one) As for the Tablet I say sorry but to patent a rectangle as your IP is crazy. All these silly patents just adds cost to us. Except now Apple wants to use them to kill the competition. All they are is a way for another company to stop competition and make money off someones else s product. (MS makes more off Android then their own phone) Hell most (like 90+%) are throw out during lawsuits. this alone should tell you something isn't right.
Just to be clear I was referring to the GS phone picture not the tablet but for some reason my post got stuck at the end and not to the post I was replying so it looks like I am talking about the tablet. So don't start flaming me :-) .
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claytontullos - Monday, August 15, 2011 - link
Thanks for the review. Data plans in general are the current cash cow for service providers.Any word on when the winner of the giveaway Tab will be announced?
webmastir - Monday, August 15, 2011 - link
wondering same thing =/dendysutrisna - Monday, August 29, 2011 - link
Yes thanks for tablet comparison table.And i agreed, How expensive Verizon's data plan , though someone took a 10GB quota, with a speed 10X 3G, it does not mean anything if its use is not wise. Anyway remains its an internet connection will run only no more than half a day.
Mugur - Monday, August 15, 2011 - link
The 16GB 3G European version (21.6 Mbps) is 400 euros plus taxes, less than iPad 2 3G...Too bad it is removed from the shelves by that Apple patent dispute. Anand, did you really feel that it is an iPad clone by "looks and feel"? :-)
TypeS - Monday, August 15, 2011 - link
While I don't agree with the patents granted to Apple or the legitimacy of its numerous suits against Samsung/Motorola/HTC, you can clearly tell by looking at the front fascia that Samsung can't claim innocence and ignorance as to just how much it looks like the iPad.And before someone replies saying "Well there's only so many ways to design a tablet!", take a look ASUS EEE Transformer. Do you see Apple firing snide remarks or starting suits with ASUS?
The Samsung Galaxy S II's aesthetics also mimic the iPhone's look to an extent (did they really need to exaggerate the home button against the other two beside it; which are almost non visible). Motorola won acclaim with its' Droid and it's successors and you don't see Apple suing them over how similar the phone looks at least.
While I have high respect for Samsung and the innovations they've brought to the LCD market, they're a Korean company and Korean companies often like to mimic (rip off) highly successive models. Look no further than Hyundai's cars and their outward styling, they look like premium Japanese or German luxury cars.
Where Toyota and Mercedes may not care that their car styles are mimiced, Samsung caught the eye of Silicon Valley's "magic making" CEO, and they did quite brazen and stupidly.
Mugur - Monday, August 15, 2011 - link
Well, I had both of them in my hands and the only thing common to both and uncommon for the others is the great quality of the materials. I also checked on the net the European patent Apple is hanging on and it'a 2 page sketch of "handheld computer" from 2004 that looks like every tablet from Star Trek to ... any tablet. Just a rectangular surface with round edges. In my opinion, Apple just wanted to bury its best competitor...robinthakur - Monday, August 15, 2011 - link
No, it looks like a White iPad 2 unless you look very closely. Having seen a Galxy S 2 over the weekend up close, it does bear a very close similarity to an iPhone 4, and the Galaxy S 1 looked like a 3GS. These occurences are not accidental, they are designed to fool the honest consumer! Samsung should not be able to get away with this, however you slice it.MonkeyPaw - Monday, August 15, 2011 - link
And when you say "very closely", do you mean reading the labels or using the OS? Those are pretty big differences, IMO. There's no giant Apple on the back, there's no home button on the front, one runs iOS, the other Android. Logos aside, the back even has different details, and the charge port, while similar, is not the same, and isn't even found on the same side as iPad. Will the Tab even work with Apple's extras, like cases and adapters?To me, the Tab 10.1 just might be more magical than iPad2, and THAT is why Apple is firing back at it. Good thing Apple doesn't make cars, or we'd all be screwed.
kmmatney - Monday, August 15, 2011 - link
I checked out my co-workers Samsung phone, and I have to say even the general software layout looks like an iPhone clone. You can see for yourself in this image:http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/Review%20images...
pretty much a complete iOS ripoff...
medi01 - Monday, August 15, 2011 - link
Claiming that Android is a iOS ripoff, wow...kepler - Monday, August 15, 2011 - link
The problem with your picture is that *you* are misleading people. That is a picture of the apps menu, not an actual home screen that would contain widgets and the sort.So maybe Samsung has an apps menu that looks like iOS. What about iOS 5's notifications? Why do Apple users sweep it under the rug? That is a * blatant* copy of Android's notification bar.
I think iOS users are just mad that Samsung has a menu that can replicate their entire child's OS (not to mention the ability to customize it).
Mugur - Tuesday, August 16, 2011 - link
Yes, the biggest word here is "customization". Having 3 Android devices (HTC ChaCha, Dell Streak 5 and a Nook Color) I can tell you that they look like running something completely different for a non Android-versed person... :-)Also, I don't agree that Galaxy S2 looks like iPhone 4. At all. But the iPhone 4 looks 99% like Garmin nuvi 3790T... Come on, they all are rectangular in shape with round corners. I'm surrounded by people with iPhone 4 / iPad/iPad2 on one side and Samsung Galay S / S2 / Tab on the other: it's obviously that Apple went for the bigger competitor here.
Even Galaxy Tab 10.1v does not look entirely like 10.1. :-) just joking.
Anyway, I agree that the price for this "4G LTE" is a rip off: here, a 10.1 (v on Vodafone without v on Orange) 16GB 3G (HSDPA+/HSUPA) is 349 EUR including all taxes with a 2y contract (around 20-30 EUR/month for 2-8 GB).
And they come in 3 colors (white, black and silver - silver is for 32 GB only, I think).
jmcb - Sunday, August 21, 2011 - link
Thank You!!Close the app drawer and tell us if it looks like an iOS ripoff...
I cant believe when all this started no body really paid attention to that.
Ammaross - Thursday, August 18, 2011 - link
I have a Galaxy Tab 10.1 in hand, and while there is no way I can call this an iPad2 in any respect (even dimensions are different, as I hold this thing widescreen-mode), in the "screen off" mode sitting flat on the table, the front of the Galaxy Tab is quite the blatant rip-off of the iPad2, right down to the trim. Granted, it's hard not to design a tablet with a screen and bevel behind glass that ISN'T black frame with accent (not black) trim and make it look half-decent. If they had only left the microUSB connector/charger and the mini HDMI port, I might have overlooked such. I can overlook the lack of an SD card, but using an iP*d-style connector is just below the belt....Death666Angel - Tuesday, August 16, 2011 - link
If the honest consumer is an illiterate then it might fool him. Although he should still be able to tell an apple as a logo from whatever Samsung has (should be just their name). I have a SGS2 and my best friend has a iPhone4. I might mistake them after the 20th beer of the evening. But before that it's pretty hard to confuse them. Only 2 people ever asked me "oohhh, is that an iPhone?" and both were females and not into tech at all.Also, my phone has a homescreen with widgets and more than one button on the front. Not that similar to an iPhone.
Though I do grant you that they both look smartphone-ish, i.e. screen in a square-ish package. ;-)
sooper_anandtech12 - Monday, August 22, 2011 - link
Samsung is firing it across the bow of the Motorola Xoom, mentioned in the same lawsuit.sooper_anandtech12 - Monday, August 22, 2011 - link
Oops, I mean Apple. I must have confused the two ;)idkman96 - Thursday, October 13, 2011 - link
did you not hear about how apple faked images to even start this law suit? and samsung makes part of the ipad and iphone, they get 170$ per ipad. and while im in no way saying that it doesnt look like a ipad in the front, have u seen the motorola zoom? it has a black bezzle around it also, JUSt like the ipads. only difference is the bezzle is not as wide . oh and did you hear? samsung is suing apple for patent infringement, yknow that new and improved antennae on the iphone 4s? samsung designed it and apple used it without paying fo rit or whatever. theres a side to both stories my friend. btw i love android and apple so im not being some dumb fanboi lol.ckryan - Monday, August 15, 2011 - link
I have an old 3g modem from Verizon -- I've not used it in years, but I've basically been holding on to the plan since it's true unlimited, acquired in the time when you could get an unlimited 3g data plan. I should be able to upgrade the modem to LTE and still be unlimited -- or so they tell me (I called a Rep to ask). If this is the case, then LTE is a no-brainer here in Charlotte, NC. I'm glad to see someone in the state getting some decent numbers off of it. Unfortunately, not only is Verizon's 4G expensive, but it's hard to even take advantage of at the moment. I have unlimited data on my phone as well, grandfather style, but Verizon's LTE capable phone selection is a little wanting. Hopefully, Big Red has something more palatable coming down the pike.As for the Tab -- It's clearly the most badass mobile hotspot money can buy.
BuddyRich - Monday, August 15, 2011 - link
"You can always tether to your smartphone or get a MiFi, but if you want to carry only a single device there's always the option of a cellular connected tablet."Until they drop the arbitrary restrictions on these cellular-enabled devices you still need a phone. Granted you could IM, email and even Skype/Google Voice from apps over data, but plain talking and texting is out of the question. Until then you are better off getting a wifi only tablet and just carry a phone as well (not to mention not having to have 2 data plans). I know up here in Canada the carries don't allow you to share data plans between devices...
jigglywiggly - Monday, August 15, 2011 - link
such a useless device with the shit plansATOmega - Monday, August 15, 2011 - link
At $699 on contract, there is absolutely zero reason to buy one of these things. Not to mention, data plan prices are prohibitively expensive.This device should be tops $350 and available without a contract at any store that wishes to carry it.
Android tablets will *never* take off so long as this kind of nonsense is happening.
Lord 666 - Monday, August 15, 2011 - link
Anand,Hold that unit in both hands, twist, and watch the screen flicker. The Xoom and iPads have great torsion resistance. The Samsung 10.1 series could be snapped in half.
medi01 - Monday, August 15, 2011 - link
Did you try hitting it with a hammer?EnerJi - Monday, August 15, 2011 - link
GTFOH!! A total, and blatant rip-off, which I suppose they feel they can get away with as the only game in town. This device will be selling for (at least) $100 less by Thanksgiving, by which time the Xoom, PlayBook, and possibly others will also be shipping with LTE. Most folks should probably wait for more options and for competition to drive down prices later this year.heulenwolf - Monday, August 15, 2011 - link
I agree with earlier comments that the price of the device and plans severely limit the product offering. VZW is no dummy so I wonder whether they are, in fact, aiming for lower volume. If they keep the customer count down on their 4G LTE network while they're still rolling it out, they can delay the capital upgrade investments for the additional backhaul bandwidth that would be required and, at the same time, make their existing 4G offering a premium service because its not so busy. Were there suddenly a few hundred thousand 4G LTE devices on-line simultaneously in the Charlotte area, I wonder whether they'd all be getting the incredible bandwidth shown in Anand's results. If, instead, they keep both the device and service plan costs high, they can simultaneously limit the data load on their new network so it appears hyperfast and make a high profit. Until they have viable competition, lower volume may be the better business case.eanazag - Monday, August 15, 2011 - link
I don't think it looks enough alike to justify the patent infringement. I can see some similarities on the front side, but on the back end - no. The button and camera placement is different also. I think if Samsung had went with a different color other than black (and now white) on the front bezel of the screen or some extra distinguishing mark it would have not had an issue at all. I don't agree with the sales blocking, but I can see how if someone is looking to block the device that they would have a better chance than some other devices. I don't see how the OS side could provide a "look and feel" issue. It is mostly a cheap trick unless there is something that most reasonable people are missing. I would guess Apple is just trying to buy time till the next hardware release and knock off the best competing hardware available. I have an iPad 2 and would consider this device as the best alternative in the Android environment. I like Samsung as a manufacturer.The killer feature here is 4G. After using the iPad 2 and BB Playbook I would say that 4G speeds make this type of device much more useful. 3G where I am sucks. It is adequate for some web, but the next gen uses will require 4G such as remote desktop. Remote desktop is still pretty weak because of 3G, but can be done.
I use my device for work and play.
jrs77 - Monday, August 15, 2011 - link
A MiFi I can use with basically any of my mobile devices and overall it's cheaper aswell. I'm way more flexible with MiFi and I can even have friends use it, as good MiFi allows for more then one connection simultanously.So yeah... MiFi all the way.
milan03 - Tuesday, August 16, 2011 - link
Just did a few tests on Thunderbolt in NYC just for testing sake. I'm sure Samsung Galaxy Tab would hit even higher here in NYC especially on the uplink: [IMG]http://i55.tinypic.com/209lrmu.png[/IMG]shenjing - Tuesday, August 16, 2011 - link
Come go and see, will not regret it Oh lookhttp://www。ifancyshop。com
surt - Tuesday, August 16, 2011 - link
Won't be buying a tablet until I can watch movies in native resolution. The artifacting on all of these tablets is absolutely horrible.Mugur - Tuesday, August 16, 2011 - link
You'll have to wait about one year more, in theory... Isn't iPad 3 supposed to have 2048 x 1536?JasonInofuentes - Wednesday, August 17, 2011 - link
Soon.pim69 - Tuesday, August 16, 2011 - link
I find it ridiculous to patent something's appearance. We all know that the majority of Computer monitors look the same with black bezels and only the company logo/name on the bezel to make them look different. You could argue all projectors look the same because they all have lenses and a body with buttons. How about toilets? Sinks? Basketball nets? Bags of Milk? They all look the same! Why is it ok for a tech company to get away with patenting something's general appearance?? Next Apple will try to patent the colour White!!dcollins - Tuesday, August 16, 2011 - link
The Data caps make no sense for 4G.If you average 15Mbps, you could theoretically blow through a 5GB limit in 45 minutes. That's the middle tier and a low estimate for average speed.
WTF is the point of 4G speeds with these asinine data limits? Saving a few seconds in page loading speeds is nice, but streaming HD and large file downloads are the only real applications that <i>need</i> the speed. 5GB gives you what, 4-5 HD Netflix movies?
tmensonides - Wednesday, August 17, 2011 - link
I don't get the rectangular design "patent" thing either. Doesn't HP now have some leftover Palm patent to lord over the iPhone's App presentation/home screen and rectangle shape...I seem to remember my old m505, T/X, and Treo having "app screens" that look exactly like the iPhone and a "rectangle shape"...i don't get it it...the whole apple lawsuit about products "looking" the same is one of two reasons (the other being the loss of in-app kindle purchases) that I bought a TAB 10.1 instead of an iPad. Doesn't one of the Apple complaints even complain about the photo gallery icon used on the Galaxy S's? For goodness sake, when MS tried to push the tablet form factor in circa 2002-2004...there were at least 5 tablets that were simple rectangles...maybe a hair thicker but the same idea...Holy crap, I should go to legal zoom and start patenting rectangles in .5 mm increments....
Mugur - Wednesday, August 17, 2011 - link
http://www.galaxytabs.com/2011/08/german-court-sus...http://www.galaxytabs.com/2011/08/apple-altered-im...
It seems that Apple "retouched" the Galaxy Tab 10.1 photos to hide the 16/10 aspect ratio and also showed the App Drawer instead of the home screen...
Well, so you can still buy 10.1 in Europe, including Germany (in Germany "while supplies last" only).
Mugur - Wednesday, August 17, 2011 - link
A friend come with a black 3G model to help him set it up with a data only SIM taken out of an USB modem. With the help of a friendly female operator, I made it work: lucky him the SIM was on an older unlimited data plan and judging by the H+ icon it was connecting at 21.6 Mbps...I own a Nook and I've played with iPad /2, Asus Transformer, Moto Xoom and 10.1v... But this tablet is really the best I got my hands on. Trust me, it's worth every penny if you can afford it.... It was already on 3.1 and TouchWiz and it feels just fine with it, although I would probably close most of the widgets.
A 720p youtube clip was making every monitor I have at home a piece of junk. I tried 1080p and it was buffering a lot, unfortunately, so I couldn't see if the tablet can hold it... The screen at maximum brightness and with eco mode (a sort of second auto mode, but the menu was not in English so I don't know how to translate it) off was jaw dropping, even compared to an iPad 2...
piiman - Wednesday, August 17, 2011 - link
actually that is the TouchWiz interface not the app drawer. The reason I got rid of it and use a different HOME is that it looked and acted like the iOS. So unlike the iPhone you can use it or not use it.(but it does look like the iPhone when you first buy one) As for the Tablet I say sorry but to patent a rectangle as your IP is crazy. All these silly patents just adds cost to us. Except now Apple wants to use them to kill the competition. All they are is a way for another company to stop competition and make money off someones else s product. (MS makes more off Android then their own phone) Hell most (like 90+%) are throw out during lawsuits. this alone should tell you something isn't right.piiman - Wednesday, August 17, 2011 - link
Just to be clear I was referring to the GS phone picture not the tablet but for some reason my post got stuck at the end and not to the post I was replying so it looks like I am talking about the tablet. So don't start flaming me :-) .