Galaxy Note 10.1 Review
>> Tuesday, September 4, 2012
Galaxy Note 10.1: The writing's on the wall
We answer your queries on Samsung's Galaxy Note 10.1 tablet
by Peter Yeo |
| The Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 tablet. Photo SAMSUNG |
Images and videos displayed on its 1280 x 800 screen are fast, crisp and vibrant. And audio - projected through its two front facing speakers - while not mind (or ear-drum) blowing do provide clearer sound over tablets with bottom-facing speakers.
The quad-core processors also give the device the ability to multitask seamlessly. The tablet's 262mm x 180mm dimensions, which are slightly thinner but wider than Apple's new iPad (which measure 241.2mm x 185.7mm) allow for multiple screens to be opened on the Note 10.1 - well, two screens at least.
An "third" screen can be added via its Pop Up Play feature (first seen in the Samsung Galaxy SIII smartphone), which lets users playback videos in a floating window that can be dragged around the screen and overlaid anywhere. Even with this feature turned on, and the screen split into two, I did not notice any lag in performance.
But, as TODAY reporter Hiranand Sunny said in our preview last week, the notable feature of the Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 is its S Pen stylus and the S Note application.
For people used to writing with - some say primitive - pens and pencils, having a stylus in my hand puts me in the comfort zone. Even though I can type pretty well, I am more at home with a pen. And, I am further impressed with the tablet's S Note app's handwriting recognition. It was able to detect and decipher my chicken-scratching of a handwriting where even I sometimes could not understand.
Besides converting handwriting into text, the S Note was able to convert crude diagrams into shapes and search out complicated math formula through its Formula Match feature.
If you prefer to type over scrawling with the stylus, it is easy to find your way with the virtual QWERTY keyboard.
Aside from drawing, by clicking on the button on the S Pen, you can perform gesture-based commands such as double tapping to open a minimised Note window, or swiping right to left to go back to the previous page.
Sharing the contents of the screen is made possible through Samsung's AllShare Play as well as its streaming dongle AllShare Cast. Samsung was not able to provide a list of accessories for projection at press time.
Despite the tablet's plastic casing, it is quite sturdy and does not feel cheap. Tipping the scales at just 597g (the new iPad weighs 652g), holding the Galaxy Note 10.1 is effortless.
The Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 is available now at S$798 for the Wifi-only version and S$998 for the 3G and Wifi version.
What you want to know:
When the Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 landed on our desks, we immediately posted it on facebook.com/todayonline and @todayonline on Twitter and asked readers what they would like to see. Here are some questions:
Pavithren Pakianathan and Tuea Chun Kah wanted to know how "plastic-ky" it felt.
While it is obvious the Tablet is made of plastic, the finish is pretty good and does not feel cheap at all. If I had to rate it out of 10, I'd give it a 7.5.
Liew Wen Hwee asked if it lags during multi-tasking, and how it fares when editing office documents.
The tablet performed impressively during multi-tasking (in fact, I had lost count of the number of open apps I had) and performance remained smooth. Videos that had been saved onto the device also did not stutter and stayed vibrant. Editing documents on its Polaris Office app was a breeze and it can be interchangeable with Microsoft's word document.
Lee Yih Wern had a few questions: How to project the screen onto the big screen; compare speed of converting handwriting to text and typing (any Swype or Swifty virtual keypad; Apple's new iPad vs Samsung's Note 10,1; and how does Apple's United States' legal victory over Samsung in the patent wars affect local pricing and availability in the next six months?
Well, Yih Wern, Samsung said you could share the screen with its AllShare Play and AllShare Cast dongle. They are still checking their accessories log to see what else can be used to project the screen onto the big screen.
In my test, the handwriting conversion is pretty quick and seamless. You could write a couple of lines before stopping to let the app do the conversion but it takes about a couple of seconds to convert my chicken scratchings into text. Text input also comes in the way of a virtual QWERTY keyboard as well as through Google Voice.
It is difficult to compare Apple's new iPad with the Note 10.1. While Apple's device has its "resolutionary" retina display, the Note has a pretty vibrant screen. And its larger screen real estate and the S Pen could give it an edge over the iPad, in my opinion.
According to Samsung, Apple is seeking a ban on eight smartphones and does not include the Note 10.1 tablet. And even if it does, it pertains to only the American market. And if it does cover a global ban, these rulings take months to realise. So we should be able to lay our hands on the Galaxy Note 10.1 for a while.
@philtan2h asks about the usefulness of the S Pen.
I am sold on the S Pen. Besides drawing and sketching with, it provides greater control over picture manipulation in the pre-loaded PS Touch app by Adobe, which is like a lite Photoshop application. It also supports gesture-type movements to return to previous page and quick access to S Note app.
Troy Parry wants to know how tired we get after holding it for 30 minutes, How strong and malleable is the screen, is it easy to scratch with our fingernails?
Even though it only weighs 597g, my arm did feel fatigued after about 10 minutes. Thankfully, because of its larger, brighter screen I could continue working on it while resting it on my lap. The screen is pretty strong and not at all malleable. I've tried scratching it with my fingers and could not see any scratches (thankfully).
Matt Ruzel and @goendgo6h wanted to know how the battery performed.
The tablet's Achilles heel is in the battery life, I thought. Even though I had pushed it pretty hard, the tablet's battery dropped to 8 per cent after about 11 hours - which honestly is pretty decent but I had hoped for a little more juice.
Source: www.todayonline.com
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