I'm a happy user of galaxy tab 7.7 3G tablet (doubles as my cell phone, and better than iPad mini in every aspect I think). I just hope they release 3G version with phone capability at around $600 so that I can upgrade my tab with this one.
Yup... A quick and easy decision to pass on this has been made in my head. A Nexus 7 with 1920x1080 ( or 1200 whatever it winds up being) blows this away . Give me res, or you lost my purchase, period. That goes for phones, tablets, laptops and desktop LCD's. I am done with distinguishable pixels.
If the pen is just an interesting novelty, you shouldn't be looking at the Note in the first place, you should be looking at the regular Galaxy Tabs. Not that they fare any better, since the specs on those are even worse as they haven't been updated.
Comparing something with a pen/digitiser to something without though, it's silly, because they aren't really comparable. That's also why Samsung created a new product line (the Note) for their pen-enabled devices. It's not cheap, and it's not for everyone, but it is somewhat unique compared to the competition.
If the main selling point of the device doesn't interest you, it should be pretty much irrelevant what the rest of the device is made up of.
The Nexus 10 can be as great as anything, but if the buyer needs a pen, it's a massive fail. The piece of garbage in that buyers mind would be the Nexus 10 and not the Note 10 as one is completely unusable for him.
It's not needed for android but for taking effective notes it is. I have an ipad and it sucks for taking notes. My note 2 has a far smaller screen but I still prefer it for notes.
If you dismiss the pen as a novelty, you clearly haven't used it when web browsing. Airview is an amazing feature for those of us that use our Note2's with a desktop browser user agent. Not every website works well for touch, and the pen allows you to use a "mouse" by hovering over the screen.
I do wish it was a little quicker and higher res, but my note2 certainly doesn't leave me wanting in the performance area.
I feel like Samsung could have really knocked it out of the park with this, but I started getting slightly worried when the Exynos 4412 (A9, Mali400) rumors began popping up. Now it looks like this is confirmed. The software and S Pen are great, and I would be willing to overlook the last-gen resolution if the price was < $300, but the last-gen SOC is a deal-breaker. This should have had either of the Exynos 5 series chips! If I was in the market for a tablet, I would now be waiting to see what the new Nexus 7 will be instead of saying this is "good enough."
Exynos 4 Quad is pretty darn good overall. It'll probably be an iPad Mini competitor directly. It's set up to beat it. I wouldn't expect much more if not less than what's offered here.
I wouldnt be let down by the gpu/gfx,- if the price is right. I have an S3 and its consistently fast enough and sips power working - never goes to a halt - but yes never really fast. Very fluent experience on 4.1 even with a lot of apps going. We have a tablet with 2*a9 1.2GHz and as the SGS2, it sometimes goes to a halt for a brief moment.
I am a little let down by the resolution then. The 7 tab we have is 1024*600 so higher pix density as apple little tab, but that is whay to low imho. I am affraid the res here is to low.
I like the design of this 8 and pen very much, and if priced right here q2, same or lower price as 16gb nexus 7 as of now, i could have one for one of the kids. No way is people paying 300 usd for this hardware today, even if there is a pen. Those days are long gone.
Getting a foothole on this market is primarily about price.
All the "OMG, the SoC is sooooooo last season" comments are kinda funny. We need to find a word for nerd bitches: neitches ? bierds ? What does performance in a tablet matter for ?
Anyhooo. I'm a bit disappointed by the bezel (I was half-hoping to use it as a phone, won't happen at that pocket-unfriendly size), and by the LCD screen (gotta love those AMOLEDs).
Also, what about sound ? one of my main gripes with tablets is that most are not loud enough. Those are media comsumption devices. I'm not looking for Hi-Fi quality (... mmm... in fact , I am, but I'll compromise on quality if I can at least get quantity...), but at least the thing should be comfortable to use as a radio or TV set. That means I want to still be able to hear it while I do the dishes.
It isn't just the SoC it is also the screen. I won't buy any tablet that doesn't have at least close to 300 dpi anymore. Seeing Pixels just doesn't cut it for me. That is where this really falls down.
The next Nexus 7 (or 7.7) is supposed to have 1920x1200 screen that will have that.
Then if you have that kind of resolution, you will NEED the SoC power to drive it.
I love to see these tabs getting more and more powerful. I noticed 2GB of RAM is becoming the new standard for Android tabs. I hope Android OS team is working on a 64bit version of their OS. It won't be too long before manufacturers will be bumping up against that 4GB 32bit barrier. The only thing that really comes to mind as limiting on my ThinkTab is trying to web browse with more than a like 4 or 5 tabs open. That has only 1GB of RAM... Anyone looking to get a lower end tablet don't bother with the Lenovo Thinktab. The touch screen sensitivity is complete crap. The microUSB connector, also used for charging is intermittent after about 9 months of use. Mine was assigned to me by work, glad I didn't blow my own cash on it. I would have been PIST!
What is the point? 10" is better for reading on, better for the web. 7" fits in your pocket...but 8" doesn't, does it? So what's the point? If it doesn't fit in your pocket, might as well use a more useable 10" (or larger) tablet.
10" = 600g 8" = 300g That's a real difference if you are holding it for any more than a couple of minutes.
I have a 10" Acer W511, and it is great finally having instant on Windows with its relatively seamless home network connectivity. Unfortunately, it doesn't have a digitiser and is almost 600g.
However, if Samsung had put all the Note love into an 8" Win8 tablet, it would have money in a flash.
As it is, it looks like a Note 8 may be another device in my portable arsenal to alternate, depending upon need, with my Note 2, swaping my SIM between them. I don't make a lot of calls, but I don't care if I occasionally have to put it to my ear. I already have a Bluetooth stereo headset which works great.
Now, all I need is an app for the Note that can actually can replace all the functionality of a Livescribe pen.
I don't mind using it as a phone at all and holding it up to my face to make a call. I would so want to do it next to iTinys, haha... But if Note 8 is bigger than ipad mini then it's a no good. Looking forward to Note 3 with 6.3" screen.
If the mic is on the front rather than on the bottom, it might actually serve as a good wind and noise shield.
Many said that using a Note would look silly, but I found out pretty early on that people are really not that interested in anything but themselves or their own phones. I got no strange looks at all.
However, white always makes devices look larger, while the grey/black ones look relatively inconspicuous. I am waiting for the LTE Note 8 in grey as I find white starts looking grubier more quickly.
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nerd1 - Saturday, February 23, 2013 - link
I'm a happy user of galaxy tab 7.7 3G tablet (doubles as my cell phone, and better than iPad mini in every aspect I think). I just hope they release 3G version with phone capability at around $600 so that I can upgrade my tab with this one.ltcommanderdata - Saturday, February 23, 2013 - link
Is Awesome Note just a straight port of the iOS version? The UI theme definitely looks more consistent with iOS than Android.mayankleoboy1 - Saturday, February 23, 2013 - link
Isnt the hardware outdated for a 2013 Tablet device ?retrospooty - Sunday, February 24, 2013 - link
Yup... A quick and easy decision to pass on this has been made in my head. A Nexus 7 with 1920x1080 ( or 1200 whatever it winds up being) blows this away . Give me res, or you lost my purchase, period. That goes for phones, tablets, laptops and desktop LCD's. I am done with distinguishable pixels.jramskov - Monday, February 25, 2013 - link
Screen resolution is disappointing. The iPad mini is a no go for exactly that reason.guidryp - Saturday, February 23, 2013 - link
Rumor is that the Googles next Nexus will be similar screen size but have 1920x1200 resolution, Tegra 4, and sub $300 price.http://gadgets.ndtv.com/tablets/news/asus-and-goog...
The Pen is an interesting novelty, but the higher resolution, better CPU matter much more to me.
Lonyo - Sunday, February 24, 2013 - link
If the pen is just an interesting novelty, you shouldn't be looking at the Note in the first place, you should be looking at the regular Galaxy Tabs. Not that they fare any better, since the specs on those are even worse as they haven't been updated.Comparing something with a pen/digitiser to something without though, it's silly, because they aren't really comparable.
That's also why Samsung created a new product line (the Note) for their pen-enabled devices. It's not cheap, and it's not for everyone, but it is somewhat unique compared to the competition.
If the main selling point of the device doesn't interest you, it should be pretty much irrelevant what the rest of the device is made up of.
guidryp - Sunday, February 24, 2013 - link
The Pen shouldn't be an excuse to do an otherwise mediocre Job.This is just like where the Galaxy Note 10, is a piece of garbage compared to the Nexus 10, but oooh it has a pen so that makes it all ok.
It doesn't.
Death666Angel - Sunday, February 24, 2013 - link
The Nexus 10 can be as great as anything, but if the buyer needs a pen, it's a massive fail. The piece of garbage in that buyers mind would be the Nexus 10 and not the Note 10 as one is completely unusable for him.guidryp - Sunday, February 24, 2013 - link
Needs a pen on Android? A few people might want one to play with, but the need for a pen on Android is questionable.rd_nest - Sunday, February 24, 2013 - link
So you are questioning the need of another person? Hitler used to do that.neoraiden - Thursday, February 28, 2013 - link
It's not needed for android but for taking effective notes it is. I have an ipad and it sucks for taking notes. My note 2 has a far smaller screen but I still prefer it for notes.AmbroseAthan - Monday, March 11, 2013 - link
You do realize the pen is a wacom with pressure sensetivity right? That is a huge different from your finger in the apps people would want it for.abhaxus - Sunday, February 24, 2013 - link
If you dismiss the pen as a novelty, you clearly haven't used it when web browsing. Airview is an amazing feature for those of us that use our Note2's with a desktop browser user agent. Not every website works well for touch, and the pen allows you to use a "mouse" by hovering over the screen.I do wish it was a little quicker and higher res, but my note2 certainly doesn't leave me wanting in the performance area.
nerd1 - Sunday, February 24, 2013 - link
Actually uselessly high resolution is interesting novelty. Pen is not.spiked_mistborn - Saturday, February 23, 2013 - link
I feel like Samsung could have really knocked it out of the park with this, but I started getting slightly worried when the Exynos 4412 (A9, Mali400) rumors began popping up. Now it looks like this is confirmed. The software and S Pen are great, and I would be willing to overlook the last-gen resolution if the price was < $300, but the last-gen SOC is a deal-breaker. This should have had either of the Exynos 5 series chips! If I was in the market for a tablet, I would now be waiting to see what the new Nexus 7 will be instead of saying this is "good enough."lmcd - Sunday, February 24, 2013 - link
Exynos 4 Quad is pretty darn good overall. It'll probably be an iPad Mini competitor directly. It's set up to beat it. I wouldn't expect much more if not less than what's offered here.krumme - Sunday, February 24, 2013 - link
I wouldnt be let down by the gpu/gfx,- if the price is right. I have an S3 and its consistently fast enough and sips power working - never goes to a halt - but yes never really fast. Very fluent experience on 4.1 even with a lot of apps going. We have a tablet with 2*a9 1.2GHz and as the SGS2, it sometimes goes to a halt for a brief moment.I am a little let down by the resolution then. The 7 tab we have is 1024*600 so higher pix density as apple little tab, but that is whay to low imho. I am affraid the res here is to low.
I like the design of this 8 and pen very much, and if priced right here q2, same or lower price as 16gb nexus 7 as of now, i could have one for one of the kids. No way is people paying 300 usd for this hardware today, even if there is a pen. Those days are long gone.
Getting a foothole on this market is primarily about price.
StormyParis - Sunday, February 24, 2013 - link
All the "OMG, the SoC is sooooooo last season" comments are kinda funny. We need to find a word for nerd bitches: neitches ? bierds ? What does performance in a tablet matter for ?Anyhooo. I'm a bit disappointed by the bezel (I was half-hoping to use it as a phone, won't happen at that pocket-unfriendly size), and by the LCD screen (gotta love those AMOLEDs).
Also, what about sound ? one of my main gripes with tablets is that most are not loud enough. Those are media comsumption devices. I'm not looking for Hi-Fi quality (... mmm... in fact , I am, but I'll compromise on quality if I can at least get quantity...), but at least the thing should be comfortable to use as a radio or TV set. That means I want to still be able to hear it while I do the dishes.
guidryp - Sunday, February 24, 2013 - link
It isn't just the SoC it is also the screen. I won't buy any tablet that doesn't have at least close to 300 dpi anymore. Seeing Pixels just doesn't cut it for me. That is where this really falls down.The next Nexus 7 (or 7.7) is supposed to have 1920x1200 screen that will have that.
Then if you have that kind of resolution, you will NEED the SoC power to drive it.
smartthanyou - Sunday, February 24, 2013 - link
From what I have read on other sites, the US version will not have the cell phone feature. Is this true?nerd1 - Sunday, February 24, 2013 - link
All the silly US tech bloggers are making fun of 8" giant phone.... so they took the voice calling out.darwinosx - Monday, February 25, 2013 - link
Yeah right. Thats why.....duh..Einy0 - Sunday, February 24, 2013 - link
I love to see these tabs getting more and more powerful. I noticed 2GB of RAM is becoming the new standard for Android tabs. I hope Android OS team is working on a 64bit version of their OS. It won't be too long before manufacturers will be bumping up against that 4GB 32bit barrier. The only thing that really comes to mind as limiting on my ThinkTab is trying to web browse with more than a like 4 or 5 tabs open. That has only 1GB of RAM... Anyone looking to get a lower end tablet don't bother with the Lenovo Thinktab. The touch screen sensitivity is complete crap. The microUSB connector, also used for charging is intermittent after about 9 months of use. Mine was assigned to me by work, glad I didn't blow my own cash on it. I would have been PIST!Wolfpup - Monday, February 25, 2013 - link
What is the point? 10" is better for reading on, better for the web. 7" fits in your pocket...but 8" doesn't, does it? So what's the point? If it doesn't fit in your pocket, might as well use a more useable 10" (or larger) tablet.darwinosx - Monday, February 25, 2013 - link
The point is its cheaper for Samsung to sell.Patanjali - Thursday, April 25, 2013 - link
10" = 600g8" = 300g
That's a real difference if you are holding it for any more than a couple of minutes.
I have a 10" Acer W511, and it is great finally having instant on Windows with its relatively seamless home network connectivity. Unfortunately, it doesn't have a digitiser and is almost 600g.
However, if Samsung had put all the Note love into an 8" Win8 tablet, it would have money in a flash.
As it is, it looks like a Note 8 may be another device in my portable arsenal to alternate, depending upon need, with my Note 2, swaping my SIM between them. I don't make a lot of calls, but I don't care if I occasionally have to put it to my ear. I already have a Bluetooth stereo headset which works great.
Now, all I need is an app for the Note that can actually can replace all the functionality of a Livescribe pen.
piroroadkill - Tuesday, February 26, 2013 - link
Wonder who will use this as a phone?Seems like the logical conclusion, seeing as people want ever larger phones..
Xponential - Tuesday, February 26, 2013 - link
Hopefully it has Bluetooth. Otherwise, how silly would you look holding this thing to the side of you head?amdwilliam1985 - Monday, March 11, 2013 - link
I don't mind using it as a phone at all and holding it up to my face to make a call. I would so want to do it next to iTinys, haha...But if Note 8 is bigger than ipad mini then it's a no good. Looking forward to Note 3 with 6.3" screen.
Patanjali - Thursday, April 25, 2013 - link
If the mic is on the front rather than on the bottom, it might actually serve as a good wind and noise shield.Many said that using a Note would look silly, but I found out pretty early on that people are really not that interested in anything but themselves or their own phones. I got no strange looks at all.
However, white always makes devices look larger, while the grey/black ones look relatively inconspicuous. I am waiting for the LTE Note 8 in grey as I find white starts looking grubier more quickly.
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