Samsung - Galaxy Tab 8.9 with 16GB Memory - Metallic Gray

I bought this tablet the day it came out. I was going back and forth between and iPad 2 and the Galaxy Tab 8.9. I have an Android phone so the obvious sharing of apps from the marketplace was a big draw for me. I had access to a first gen iPad for work in my last job and I liked it, but in the end I knew it would be a split experience (especially for google apps). I'll get to the chase. What I knew and still feel, the iPad is the premier tablet for premium content. Netflix was only available on the iPad and select Android phones, but not tablets (when I bought it). It's available now and works very well! I have a Wired Magazine subscription and free access to the extras on the iPad app...if I had an iPad. I also read the Economist which has an iPod/iPad/Android app, but that app isn't available yet for Android tablets. It seems like the big publishers have Android in their sights, but not immediately. There are also a lot of great apps available for the iPad that are starting to make their way over to the Android tablet platform (Honeycomb). Since I purchased the tablet in early October, I noticed a number of new apps showing up in the marketplace that really make the device shine. A few of my favorites so far are: Swype Keyboard, Pulse, News 360, Netflix, Ted Air, Comixology, Words With Friends, Clouds & Sheep (for the munchkin), Skype (for video chat!), Gmail, the stock Browser, all the Amazon apps (kindle, mp3, store, etc...) and Verizon's Fios Remote. Verizon and Amazon both have a very good Android roadmap, but something that still irks me is that Amazon's app store doesn't work well in Honeycomb. It has trouble registering selections after scrolling through the available apps. The fios app had a similar issue which was fixed with an update. As for the device. It has a great screen, a really nice footprint and like all Samsung devices, is remarkably light and thin. When it shows its "A" game, it's really fast. Although live wallpapers and background processes can slow it down considerably. Samsung added a task manager which is always available from the task bar, but I kind of dislike this idea; it should be a feature built into the OS, which ice cream sandwich will include. To be fair, that taskbar feature also includes a calendar, world clock, notepad, calculator and music player. But, going back to my original assertion, Android already supports this idea with widgets and icons. So how does the Galaxy Tab with Honeycomb flow? When you turn it on, you get the main screen with Samsung's touchwiz UI. On the top left is the google search button where you can do a quick search by either typing or talking. On the top right is the apps button as well as a '+' sign to let you add apps, widgets, wallpapers and more to the 5 home screens. On the bottom right is the settings button with quick access to turning features on/off like WiFi, GPS, Bluetooth and Notifications. WiFi switches on and off faster than any other device I've used (including the iPad 1). In the bottom-center of the screen is the touchwiz additions for the task manager and other utilities. On the bottom left are the back button, home button, recently used applications button and a screen capture button. The last two are excellent features. Let's say I'm watching a hockey game with the NHL app on hand to look up stats for the teams and players. Someone scores and I want to see what's going on in Twitter or Facebook. I tap the recently used app button and switch into facebook, update my status, use the switcher to quickly go into twitter and see what's going on there, and then back to the NHL app. This quick switching translates through all of the usage experiences very fluidly. Maybe I'm reading some article through News 360 and I get a Words with Friends update. I launch Words from the notification, play my word, then quickly switch back to News 360. Without ever searching for the app icon. I like to think of it differently than multi-tasking, and more like a train of thought. There are some quirks and edges that need to be smoothed out in the Honeycomb platform. I'm never really certain why the device lags at times, even looking at the running processes, it's not exactly obvious. One nice thing is that at least battery life is excellent, and charging is super fast. The apps that were available at the time of purchase were okay, and the selection is getting better by the month, which is a really impressive time frame. Video chats with Skype work really well and I use a roocase cover to prop the tablet up at an angle. It's a great tablet. I was mildly dissappointed about the lack of premium applications, but I know that they will make their way to the platform. If you have an Android phone, this is the smart purchase. You will have a really nice and native gmail application, your choice of software keyboard (for me it's Swype), and all of your paid and free apps will sync across both devices. Also, with the Android market now supporting video rentals (both streaming and download) it will be a great device to travel with as you can download movies for plane rides, or stream them when you get to a hotel. 5 stars for a sleek, slim and light device. 3 stars for an almost-there OS and marketplace. Averaged together I give it 4 stars.

Since last year, I've been stuck between the iPad, which is too big and heavy, and 7 inch devices (Android 2.2, usually), which are too small. The Samsung 10.1 almost had me at hello, but it too was just a tad heavy and large for one-handed reading. While the Asus Eee Transformer seemed like a compromise (the keyboard-dock bears the weight), I realized it would be too much to carry, so I'd be better off carrying a cheaper netbook. Samsung has hit a home-run with the 8.9". My primary needs are to be able to read books (Technical PDFs from Cisco and Juniper; Amazon Kindle App; B&N Nook App), browse the web, update appointments and tasks, read news and follow up on email. Watching videos is not of concern to me. The best part of this form-factor is that my thumbs can meet in the middle of the keyboard while in landscape, making typing a breeze. It has several additional keyboards built-in, such as Samsung's and Swype, and Swype allows you to shrink it to one side such that you can hold the tablet in one hand while Swyping with the other across a smaller area. After charging it for the first time, I toyed with it continuously for about 9 hours, tweaking, setting up my apps and accounts, browsing, opening PDF's, playing cloud-music, watching YouTube videos and movie-trailers, etc. Then I woke up and played with it for another 2.5 hours before it shut down on me (I purposely ignored all warnings to see how long it would last). I know that many people are concerned about the lack of a SD-card and USB port, but that depends on what you're going to do with it. If you intend to use SD to transfer files (where the SD card is temporary), either use DropBox wirelessly over-the-air, or get the SD adapter for $30 (or get the USB adapter for $20 and use your own media-reader). I happen to use DropBox for transferring files and I uploaded my entire MP3 collection to Google's servers so I can use Google's Music app to listen in the cloud without using any space on the unit. If you intend to use SD to expand the units capability, then you have to decide up-front if getting the 32GB unit is better for you, but it too cannot accept SD cards to go beyond 32GB. I completely agree that there isn't a single device that will fit everyone's needs, which is why Samsung offers the new Tab 7 Plus, 8.9 and 10.1. Ultimately, you have to decide for yourself, after having seen and touched it, what's best for you, but at least you have that choice with Android based units. Apple insists that everyone should be happy with a single form-factor, but nothing else in this world works that way. From screwdrivers to wallets, there's always several choices and you have to find the one that will suit you best.

Let me say that my key criteria for a tablet relate to using it first as a reader, second as web browser, and thirdly for everything else (games, social networking, etc.) For that purpose, I have used my wife's IPAD, but found it to be bulky and uncomfortable to hold for any extended period of time. I researched the Galaxy tab 10.1, and in general I liked the honeycomb system with the TouchWiz overlay, but again, it was too bulkey and awkward. I likewise looked at the 7 inch tablets, but found the screen size too limited to do much more than read. But let me say that I believe Samsung has hit a homerun with this tablet. It's screen size is perfect as a reader, and in my opinion, just as good as an IPAD for web activity and other purposes. The screen, as you may have read, is outstanding. It has the same number of pixels as the 10.1, but in a 8.9 frame. The device weighs less than a pound, so you can hold it for a long time with no discomfort. My wife is already jealous of the apps I have available through the Market that are not available through Apple. I carry this thing everywhere. It is almost exactly the size of a book or a standard Day Timer. I take notes all the time (with handwriting recognition software free from the Android Market). I have reading material available at all times. The browser is very zippy. The battery is amazing. It lasts longer than my wife's IPAD battery. I can't say enough good things about this device. The only draw back at this point is that there are still very few accessories available in the USA (September 2011), but with the success of this device in Europe, they have an excellent selection of accessories at Amazon UK (check out the website). I assume those things will be hitting our shores soon enough.

I will start this off by saying that my wife owns an iPad 2, so I have had time to use both it and my Galaxy Tab 8.9". So far I am really impressed with the Tab. I have always been a fan of the freedom the Android platforms allow for apps and the general use of the device. The display is sharp and it is fast. I have used it to watch movies (both Netflix and Ripped), read multiple ebooks on it, games, music, email, skype, web-browsing, etc. It has performed wonderfully on all tasks. The battery life has been great as well. I haven't really paid attention to when I have 'had' to charge it, but I am able to go for days without worrying about it. I like the smaller size of the 8.9". It makes it more convenient to pack with me when I am waiting for a Dr. appt or just lazing on the couch. The first accessory I would recommend is a case. The Galaxy Tab is slim and light, so I am not so sure it wouldn't be all that durable getting tossed around. Also, its smaller size is just a tad awkward to hold/type on at times without a case. I did have a hard time finding a case for it though. I eventually purchased a VIPERTEK premium leather case for it on Amazon for $15 and it is excellent!! The Wireless printing that is built into the Galaxy Tab only works with Samsung printers, and if you are like me and don't own a Samsung printer don't worry...there are FREE apps that allow you to print to any printer using Wifi or Cloud printing service. I use the Cloud printing app and it works great! Great for printing documents or pictures attached to emails so that you don't have to run over to a desktop. Overall this has become a laptop replacement for me. I would recommend it for typing out large letters using the on-screen keyboard, but it does just about everything else great. I am sure if you wanted to use it for general word-processing one of the bluetooth keyboards would make that task more realistic. If you don't mind carrying around the larger 10" version I would get that one just for the fact that you have a bigger screen, accessories are more plentiful and typing would be easier, but if you want something a little more portable, get the 8.9". I haven't really used the cameras much on it, but the few pictures that I did take turned out really well. I wouldn't use it as a replacement for a standard camera, but it is a nice feature to have for Skype or for uploading pictures for Facebook and eBay, etc. Two Negatives: 1. I do wish it had a built in USB port. They do offer an adapter for $20 (was free when I bought my GT). I am sure it will do the job, but it is a pain to keep track of. 2. Position of the screen capture button. It is a great feature, but it is in a place that I accidentally hit it quite often. Not a huge deal, but I every once in a while I go toss out the dozen or so screen captures it will have gathered on my random touches. In comparing it to my wife's iPad 2, I would still choose the Galaxy Tab. The GT allows less restrictions and you are not forced to do everything through iTunes. It also handles a wider range of file formats with minimal effort.

I have absolutely no experience with any other tablets, but I am really loving my choice in this one. It's the perfect size, not too big and not too small. It's fast, responsive, battery life is good, it's light and thin, and the screen is stunning. My DSLR photos look awesome on this thing. The back camera takes very good pics and uses flash. WiFi connects easily and I'm not having any problems with signal drops. Hooking it up to my desktop and creating folders and transferring files was no problem at all. I have a PDF reader installed and transferred the Tab's PDF user manual and my DSLR camera's user manual onto the Tab so I can look up "how-to" info on the go. There aren't very many cases available for it, but I bought a MoKo Premium Slim Leather Folio Cover Case at Amazon for less than $20, it fits like a glove, exposes the back camera, on/off button, volume button, and charging plug when closed, the clasp folds over the edge for a snug fit and is not magnetic, the front cover can be folded back to lay it flat, or it can be opened to the front with grooves to prop the Tab up. My only real complaint about the Tab is that it doesn't have a built-in SD card slot for expansion, but I bought a 4-in-1 connection kit made by Juiced Systems from Amazon that includes a USB slot, Micro USB slot, SD card slot, Micro SD card slot. It's a bit thick and bulky, but it works and it plugs into the Tab's charging port. I really think that at this price point, this feature ought to be built-in. Items plugged into the device were recognized immediately. I haven't downloaded hundreds of apps and so far I still have plenty of internal space left. I am putting photos and music on it and am planning to buy an A2D2 bluetooth headset to stream music to my ear quietly so I won't have to use the included wired ear buds. Sound is much better through a headset/ear buds. I would definitely buy this tablet again. The user manual can be viewed online and downloaded from Samsung's downloadcenter here: http://tinyurl.com/7q9q6dl

In a world bombarded by "i"s (iPhone, iPad, iTouch, iPotatoes) I wasn't going to goose-step with the iBrigades. My iPod and iTunes taught me that with Apple, you never own anything, you only rent it. When the Pod became overcrowded and it was time to buy more memory, I went to another brand only to find out all the music I thought I bought on iTunes wouldn't transfer. Nobody's going to own me. When it was time to quit squinting at my smart phone (not an i) and step up to something with a larger screen but with all the functionality, a little research and good common business sense led me to the Galaxy Tab 8.9. Now call me a fossil, but I generally use my phone for... yes, making phone calls. However, upon discovering smart phones, I did find myself using many of its features. If I"m out of the house or office, it'll do pretty much anything I could ask. But when I"m inside, I usually have a wifi connection, so why waste the data plan when I can ride the fi? The 8.9 is the perfect toy. Smaller than a 10" pad so it's easier to carry and it's not oddly shaped so it fits in my portfolio. Powerful and fast enough and with a bigger screen than my phone. I didn't want it to replace a computer. The price point was perfect. I am not paying extra for proprietary iCrap nor for G4 I don't really need. The battery keeps going while my friends are recharging their iPads. I get a good 8-9 hours of real use. My only complaint is that my browser sometimes hangs up. Cycling the power always fixes it so it's only a nuisance but it's worth mentioning.

I would buy this tablet again in a minute. Actually trying to get my husband to want one so I can give it to him for Christmas! Screen is bright and wonderful for eyes tired of small screens. I'm having a blast with all the apps....I'm a pianist and the piano apps are so cool! Reading with Kindle reader is a perfect experience here. Font and brightness adjustability make for great reading. Quick simple internet access with wi-fi; I love the way it finds and remembers sites. Works great at work, in hotels, at McDonald's .....etc.! Size is better than its big i-cousin; fits in my purse fine and is great to hold and use. I had planned to get the 7-inch version, but found this size to be much better. It's the perfect middle ground between too small 7-inch and too large 10-inch. I'm pleased with battery life and fast charging. I wish I could give several of these to friends!!

I Love my Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9. It’s the perfect size not too big and not too small. I bought it at best buy and since the most important thing about the device for me is playing movies. I turned you tube on all the devices they had on display and determined that the Samsung had the best quality audio. All the movies I have on there are ones downloaded from the internet and they all look great. No problems with the video. The only one problem I did encounter was that once it froze up on me. I started to panicked and was getting ready to return it when I read online that you need to hold down the power button and the volume down button at the same time. It worked. My wife bought an I Pad and then returned it after a couple of weeks. The Galaxy tab is more customizable. The only thing I would change is adding a micro SD slot for adding more storage. But I can deal with 16 gigs. I just need to delete the movies after I watch them. I definitely wasn’t going to pay more money for the 32 gig Tab.