The new Samsung Galaxy Tab Tablet is better than the iPad, let me explain.
Having used the iPad for several weeks one is able to really get a feel for the value of the device.
Where at first I carried the iPad around in my bag, I now use it for reading, playing Scrabble and accessing content at home. I have also configured it as a home theatre control device. The primary reason being size.
Which is where, the Galaxy Tab comes into play. With its 7″ display screen, the Tab easily fits into a jacket pocket. It is smart with a pearl white back and easy to handle
The version that I have just played with was blisteringly fast not only when accessing video’s on YouTube but also when browsing the web.
The first big difference is that this device supports Flash which is going to be very handy for publishers and media Companies who by majority 95%, have their content in either Flash or PDF format.
It also gives Samsung and Google access to a lot more newspaper, print and magazine content than the iPad which does not support Adobe Flash resulting in users not being able to have access to a lot of content.
This device which has two cameras — a rear-facing 3.2-megapixel camera and a front-facing 1.3-megapixel camera for video chatting, is also a phone and this makes a lot of sense especially if you want to make video or conference calls.
The heart of the new Galaxy Tab is a 1 GHz Samsung Cortex processor which is extremely fast. This is a similar process to what is found in the iPad however the big difference appears to be the use of Android 2.2 which delivers easy scrolling and fast access to applications.
Then there is the 7-inch TFT LCD display with 1024 x 600 resolution (WSVGA) which in the model we reviewed was extremely sharp and crystal clear both with video’s and still images.
It’s also light at 380 grams which makes it much easier to carry around. Another advantage over the iPad is that it has an SD slot as well as an option of either 16GB or 32GB internal storage.
The 4,000mAh battery is supposed to have a battery life of between 7 and 10 hours depending on video use.
Missing is a HDMI port or a full USB port which is found in the new Toshiba Tablet which goes on sale in Australia shortly.
According to Samsung Australia executives all three carriers, Optus, Telstra and Vodafone will carry the 3G data and voice enabled device. It also has Bluetooth and 5GHz dual-band 802.11n WiFi.
One application that stands out for this device is navigation due to the 7″ screen and access to a variety of Google or other manufacturers Android based navigation software.
The Samsung Galaxt Tab goes on sale shortly in Australia. Pricing has not been announced.
Overall this device is way ahead of the iPad and I think we are in for a brutal tablet battle, missing in action is set to be Microsoft who are being overlooked in the tablet market by their traditional partners like Toshiba, Dell, Acer and Lenovo who are all developing Google Android based devices.
The weakness of the Galaxy Tab is the lack of HDMI and 1080p which would have made it a great device for plugging into TV’s in hotels or at home to watch a video or full movie.
