So after much research I have bitten the bullet and bought myself a Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 with Android 3.1. One of the things I have found in doing my research into Android tablets is that there didn't seem to be much input from people who actually own them as to how they found living with them. So I'm hoping that this blog will do a little bit to redress the balance and provide insight for anyone thinking of buying an Android tablet.
Day 0
So today is day 1 of owning the tablet, so technically I should go back and talk about day 0. All day 0 really covered was the un-boxing of the device and some charging, as unfortunately I had a social engagement didn't get much fiddling time in. I bought it from Currys for £399 and its the 16Gb Wi-Fi only version, which is currently all that's available in the UK. They are doing a deal with 10% off any accessory when bought with a tablet, so I treated my newest purchase to a nice new Belkin Cover that doubles as a stand.
I have included a few dodgy photos that I took on my phone which all seem to have come out upside down. This shows me as I was removing it from the packaging and getting it all set up.
I have included a photograph of the power adapter which comes in 2 pieces. You can't see it here but the block and the plug section are actually separate so you can attach the appropriate plug fitting for your country but it makes it look so ugly. Then you plug the supplied USB cable into this ugly looking block and that becomes your mains charger which is a bit annoying and honestly I think they could have done better.
I have included a photo of the box as one of the things I heard Apple wasn't very happy with Samsung was about the packaging. They seem to be implying that the Samsung packaging was similar to the IPad but I can't see it myself.
As you can see within the box itself, once you have removed the tablet, you can see the constituent parts of the power adapter as mentioned above and the quick start guide. I must admit I didn't read the quick start guide passed about page 1 looking for the estimated first charge time, but this wasn't in there. Underneath this tray is just empty space, bit of a waste really.
Day 1
So that was day 0 and moving on to day 1 where the really good playtime comes along! So far I have been trying to get to grips with the software. I have an Android phone so its not too much of a stretch but with as most new devices there is some learning to do. Samsung has included a lot of things they call "hubs" on the tablet like Social Hub, Music Hub etc. I must admit I have not used them as a prefer to use proper software but I have opened the social hub quickly and it instantly refers to using it on your phone, which is a little annoying as its clearly not a phone and you think Samsung might have adjusted the software appropriately.
One of the things I was aware off with Android 3.1, Honeycomb, is that there is a lack of apps for it and its difficult to establish which ones are optimised for the 10.1 inch screen. I have found a couple of things missing but generally its been very good and I have had a look at the Xoom Forums and found a great forum thread which is being regularly updated regarding Apps and their statuses and compatibility, Xoom Forums.
There are a couple of apps that I will mention as worth installing as File Manager HD and Plume Twitter Client, both work really well on the bigger screen and the File Manager HD will allow you to connect to any NAS appliance you may have and view/open the files on there. The Samsung Galaxy Tab also comes with a Polaris Office Suite installed which seems quite good and opened my Excel Spreadsheet from my NAS ok.
Not really tried too many games yet although my girlfriend says she has installed Fruit Ninja which is a addictive fruit slicing game I shall have a go at. Of course there is also the obligatory install of Angry Birds to play with. I think that's enough for now I'm obviously using the browser a lot for web-surfing but not fully formed my opinion on that. So next update soon!
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