Samsung Galaxy 8.9" Tab

[Admin]

I have in my hot little hands at the moment for testing and evaluation a Samsung Galaxy 8.9" Tab (tab is short for tablet PC, the non-Apple version of the Ipad running Android like your smart phone). This version is the Telstra 4G version that promises lightening fast browsing when in a capital city, where 4G is only available at the moment. It contains that fastest dual core processor as well.

 

After just 5mins of playing...WOW, it is REALLY REALLY REALLY nice to use and having an Ipad to compare it to I think the 8.9" is a far better size in the cockpit, anything larger (i.e. Ipad) is cumbersome and anything smaller (i.e. the supposedly upcoming 7" Ipad or mobile phone) is just too small to get the "Big Picture". I especially like the "Multi Tasking" ability of the Samsung for use in the cockpit in being able to be viewing say a chart and quickly switch back and forth to an ERSA page etc.

 

I will, if time permits, create a complete review of it...or then I might call on Gibbo (forum member) to give it a bash with Google Earth up in the air

 

 

[ave8rr]

Look forward to a "review" Ian.

 

Cheers

 

 

[fly_tornado]

You can see why apple is applying so much legal effort to stop Samsung selling those things.

 

 

[cscotthendry]

You can see why apple is applying so much legal effort to stop Samsung selling those things.

Yes, modern (lazy) corporate philosophy 101

 

1)Easier to buy out the competition than to develop more market share

 

2)Preferrable to pay millions for slick ad campaigns than give better service

 

3)Easier to sue the competition to stop them selling a better product than to develop one of your own

 

4)Easier to cut wages and staff than to renegotiate lower prices from suppliers or rents from landlords

 

5)With the wages saved, give the execs a few extra $mil

 

6)Buy off the politicians to get all those inconvenient laws hollowed out or nipped in the bud

 

Who wants to be a millionaire?

 

 

[Guest Howard Hughes]

Apple = Betamax

 

 

[Admin]

Just read an article that says Samsung has sold almost twice as many smart phones as Apple has done so far this year...everyone has got the wrong idea of Apple...they are not innovators as many think they are, they are copiers and enhancers.

 

The Ipod was just a copy and enhanced version of the Sony Walkman...even as a result of a current court case where Apple are saying that Samsung copied Apple's Iphone, it was revealed that the designer of the Iphone was "told" to take design concepts from Sony Walkman. The Ipad is not new, Hewett Packard has been producing tablet PCs (Ipads) for some years before Apple even started looking at the Ipad.

 

I have today been able to go on to many websites with the Samsung Tab that I couldn't with the Ipad because of the way Apple has locked out "Flash" from their devices...Apple have even removed the YouTube App from their default device set up. I think about a year ago I said here in the forums that Apple will start to fall and with the Sales of Samsung Smart Phones, their Tab, the Google/Nexus Tab etc, it all seems to me, but I am not an authority on the subject, that it is all starting to come true

 

 

[petetheprinta]

Is this going to be another Jabiru V's the rest thread. I won't go through the above point by point, suffice it to say you are incorrect on several instances? Ian, I have told you a million times not to exaggerate. E.g Samsung no longer publishes phone sales but rather % sales. Rather than blindly accept the statement "Samsung has sold twice as many smartphones as Apple" do a web search "who has sold the most smartphones" and get the facts

 

 

[Guest Howard Hughes]

Ya always get one!

 

 

[Admin]

Pete...it is not what Samsung ar4e saying but what Industry Analysts are saying:

 

http://www.informationweek.com/mobility/smart-phones/samsungs-smartphone-sales-trounce-apples/240004405?cid=SBX_iwk_related_news_Handhelds/PDAs_hardware&itc=SBX_iwk_related_news_Handhelds/PDAs_hardware

 

 

[petetheprinta]

The problem is Ian they are not comparing apples with apples (pardon the pun) they are comparing total sales of Samsung smartphones of which there are several different types to the humble iPhone. The largest selling Samsung model does not outsell the iPhone. Overall Samsung smartphones outsell iPhones but no individual model does. It's a case of lies, damned lies and statistics.

 

 

[fly_tornado]

Pete, I tell my teenage nieces about how apple once made PCs and they think I am joking...

 

 

[petetheprinta]

Pete, I tell my teenage nieces about how apple once made PCs and they think I am joking...

I must admit I am a Mac man from way back (being in the printing industry) I love the products but I am not a fan of the company. Still have our very first Mac Plus 1mb ram twin floppys no HDD 8" 1 bit b/w screen, dot matrix printer $8000. Unbelievable.

 

 

[fly_tornado]

android will do for the ios what windows did for the macos... eventually apple will slide back into obscurity supplying the "so simple any idiot can use it"/"our graphic designers love apple products" market

 

 

[Admin]

Yes Pete, I know which is why I said "Smart Phones" and not Samsung Galaxy 3 for example although if Samsung just gave consumers only one choice as well like a Galaxy 3 I would be willing to bet that it would at least equal or be slightly higher in sales then the Iphone (apples for apples) and then add all the other smart phones out there like HTC etc and it becomes very clear that the winner of either Apple or Android is now clear that consumers are going for Android devices then Apple, narrowed down even further and possibly again just Samsung devices rather then Apple...and what you say is the very reason why industry talk is that the 7" Ipad (it's most likely to be about 7.8") is going to damage Apple:

 

http://mashable.com/2012/07/05/ipad-min-bad/

 

It says:

 

The iPad right now is one of those experiences. For both Apple’s customers and its competitors, it’s the tablet you aspire to. Throw a 7-inch iPad in there, and it becomes something else: the iPad Classic. It splits the tablet market in two, and it makes a mockery of the 10-inch iPad’s retina display by suggesting to tablet customers they can get along without one.

 

About a year ago I asked the question on several tech forums who was going to win the war between Google, Apple, Microsoft and "Others" and every one of the threads ended up being Google with Apple going down hill from 2012 to 2020 where there was a likely of Apple and MS joining together against Google.

 

You also have to remember where just about all of these devices are made...China, and China is now releasing their own operating system which will be standard on all "Chinese" devices that as we know the Chinese are good at, copied from the big names. I can today purchase a Smart Phone with the Chinese Operating system on it for about $30 USD (yes, before you ask, in English). So what is wrong with a smart phone that you can make phone calls with, receive phone calls, browse the internet etc...Telstra or Optus doesn't care if you are using a Samsung Galaxy 27 super personalised edition model or an Iphone version 6,256, if it makes and receives calls and only costs you $30 to have, who could end up being the winning brand...or should I say No Name Brand

 

 

[Admin]

In about a weeks time I will be finished with my evaluation and then I have to either keep it or sell it. So I thought that I would let you know that it will be available to buy for anyone that wants one cheaper then going to Telstra and getting one. I already have an Ipad so having 2 tablets would be a luxury that I really can't afford and I have now achieved what I needed to do in evaluating this very nice tablet.

 

So far the Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9 4G can be considered in simple terms as a much larger Android powered telephone, so if you have a Samsung, HTC etc phone you will be very up with the way the tab works however there is some great features in terms of having the screen size available for the enhanced use of your favourite apps PLUS it has some great unique features of quickly switching between different apps that you already have open (multitasking). Having the bigger screen size allows you to have a lot more on the screen at the same time so you can see all together your latest emails, 7 day weather, icons for your most used apps plus room for any other displayed widgets all on the screen together. Like your phone it has 5 different pages (screens) that you can quickly slide between allowing you so much to view at once between the pages. Compared to the Ipad, I can put a hell of a lot more on the Samsung's screen then I can on the Ipad making the Samsung a hands down winner in being able to access what I mostly use a lot quicker and easier.

 

So about the size. In a doctors waiting room yesterday I felt far more comfortable having it with me then carrying around and using the larger Ipad. This confirmed to me that the Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9 would far better suit a cockpit then an Ipad sized device yet at the same time doesn't make you squint/refocus/where's my darn reading glasses etc that say a 7" device or your mobile phone would cause you. The silly thing is the Galaxy 8.9 in landscape mode is only so very slightly narrower, about 7mm, then the Ipad is however in portrait mode it is about 1" narrower then the Ipad. Naturally both devices have "rotate" ability however the Ipad is native in the Portrait mode and the Samsung is designed to be native in the landscape mode...so what does this mean? It means that if you are using the pad/tab for viewing websites, reading a book etc then there is basically no difference between the two units in their width...the font size is the same, the pics are the same size etc...there is no difference. However, the Samsung with it smaller overall size in native height, you need to swipe up more often to see the next part when reading. The question is "Is this detrimental in your use of the device given the advantages of it being more suited in more situations like the cockpit?"...Only you can answer that one but for me I don't see it as any issue due to that fact that I am very use to swiping a screen with my finger. BUT, and there is a big BUT with the Samsung. The Samsung has a great unique feature that if you are using it in portrait mode like the Ipad, you see the same as on the Ipad but the Samsung's text is smaller...no problem if you are holding it with both hands...simply tilt the screen a little and the whole screen zooms...tilt the Tab back a little and the screen goes back to the same as the Ipad...I use this feature on my Samsung Galaxy S2 phone all the time and it is a great unique feature.

 

Another cool feature with the Samsung is the "Quick Bar" at the bottom...click an arrow that is displayed in the middle of the task bar across the bottom of the screen and up pops quick access icons of apps like a notepad, task manager, calculator etc. I also like the screen shot button that sits in the left of the task bar next to back, home, latest tasks etc buttons. The right of the task bar is like your PC with the time, reception and battery indicator.

 

The Ipad keyboard is much better and easier to use then the default Samsung keyboard on the device. This to me is because I use symbols etc in such things as password and what not so I often have to go through several layouts on the Samsung keyboard to enter specific keys. The Ipad has what I need with just the ABC and 123. The way I have to fix this on every Samsung device I get is in the settings, turn off the Samsung keyboard and use the Android default keyboard...Samsung phones I have to select the Swype keyboard...not a biggy and most probably due to my own requirements of the use of the keyboard but easily changed in the settings.

 

Now to the Apps side of things. Arguably Apple have a much larger range of apps for the Ipad compared to the number of apps available for Android devices however the gap between the two is continually being narrowed. Personally I have always found an app to do what I wanted to do for my Samsung Android phone but no doubt there will in both camps be apps that are not in the other. But, I now come to the very reason why I wanted to test drive the Samsung. Not only for the possibility that it may be a better fit for us in terms of size but how well it would handle Google Earth.

 

My Ipad always struggled with Google Earth however I can say that the Samsung, having now installed and tested it, handled Google Earth much better. Perhaps this is due to the Google Android/Google Earth connection or the powerful processor and memory that the Samsung has...maybe it's both. The GPS capabilities of the Samsung together with Google Earth I think paves the way for the potential of a great combination and thus future solution in a Pilot's quest for a great Aviation GPS. The whole question of this potential solution is a subject on its own, especially when you at home can create your own WOW packed, feature rich solution to have in the cockpit with that is absolutely FREE...use layers to create incredible graphical representations of airspace boundaries, store enormous info on each and every landing strip etc etc etc:

 

http://www.recreationalflying.com/threads/google-earth-as-a-moving-map-engine.27482/

 

The Samsung has all the software and capabilities to use it as a phone however these have been turned off by Samsung...not a good move in my opinion and I can't seem to ascertain the reasoning behind it. However, with the unit using Android version 3.2 I am guessing (note I say guessing) that when (and if) the Samsung Galaxy 8.9 Tab is able for you to upgrade it to Android v4 (called Ice Cream Sandwich), the phone capabilities may suddenly become available

 

Finally about the hardware of the Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9. All the technical specs can be found at:

 

http://www.samsung.com/au/consumer/mobile-phone/mobile-phone/tablet/GT-P7320FKETEL-spec

 

What is notable is:

 

• 4G capability (although currently being rolled out beginning with capital cities and selected areas)
   
   
  
• Dimension (HxWxD) 157.8 x 230.9 x 8.6mm
   
   
  
• Weight 458g
   
   
  
• 1.5GHz Dual Core processor
   
   
  

 

 

In summary, I personally think the size and weight is a winner, the features are greater then Ipad, the ease of use is better then the Ipad but then it all comes down to the question of what you, the user, are willing to put importance on with either an Ipad or Samsung Galaxy 8.9" Tab. Or maybe the question of whether you are a die hard, nothing will compare etc, Apple person or favour the less restrictive and more adventurous benefits of Android devices. I think the biggest question is whether the size and weight of the Samsung Galaxy 9.8" Tab is more suited to your needs or not...once you answer that question, you can decide whether to delve deeper in this what I think to be a very nice, capable and powerful 4G tablet.

 

Oh, one last thing...with the Samsung Galaxy Tab my kids can go on to their favourite web sites like ABC3 and other kids sites where they can't with the more restrictive Ipad.

 

If you would like to buy this Samsung Galaxy 9.8" Tab off me, it has had one charge, is basically brand new, comes with 2 screen protectors and a leather case that has a BlueTooth Keyboard in it then you can have it for $550. You would then get a 1 year data/SMS Telstra card for $180 that gives you 12gig of data a month...whereas if you were to purchase it from Telstra it would cost you $1,152 minimum over 2 years and only 1gig of data a month. If so then please let me know before someone else jumps in and takes this one.

 

Hope this helps and note that it is ONLY my opinion

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Allegro2000]

It is interesting to see how the apple camp works it is almost a religious ferver . I have an iphone but the cold facts are there are more Andriod devices than apple devices and it is rapidly increasing this is substantiated for the USA , the UK and Austraila, to say otherwise is putting your head in the sand. My friends around me are dropping iphones and going over to Samsung Galaxy IIIs, soon my plan for the iphone expires I will looking for other than Apple.

 

Allegro 2000

 

 

[Admin]

The wife has a Samsung Galaxy S1, I have a Samsung Galaxy S2 but whilst I would love an S3, the S2 does everything and more than what I would want...you can't beat the big screen and if you go with the S3, you won't know yourself after an Iphone or HTC

 

 

[Gnarly Gnu]

Interesting points Ian & Allegro, one can purchase 9+ inch Android operating tablets now for as cheap as $200. I have one Apple device it's OK but overpriced in comparison, not really too interested in buying another if I can help it.

 

But whatever your preference I love the competition between these different camps, the consumer is the big winner here.

 

 

[Guest nunans]

Ozrunways for Android?

 

I'm stuck, I hate I-Products but the only thing stopping my buying a gallaxy tab is that it'll be no use in the plane as I can't get all the active WAC's, VNC's etc for it. Or can I?

 

 

[Admin]

Interesting points Ian & Allegro, one can purchase 9+ inch Android operating tablets now for as cheap as $200. I have one Apple device it's OK but overpriced in comparison, not really too interested in buying another if I can help it.But whatever your preference I love the competition between these different camps, the consumer is the big winner here.

Just a word of warning about the $200 tablets, if I may, is that you can only get what you pay for. Many of them have short battery spans, can't use many of the Android Apps like Google Earth on them, are very hot to use etc. I have tested several cheaper units which is why I wanted to test and compare a premium priced unit by a high named brand and can say there is a "huge" difference all round compared to the cheaper ones. Naturally there may be some boutique cheaper ones that are just as good but generally the "supermarket" ones don't compare.

Just my opinion...and we are all entitled to that!

 

 

[Allegro2000]

Nunans,

 

I have been in contact with Air Nav and Ozrunways about the possibilty of an Andriod version, Ozrunways did not bother to answer, so we are dealing with an Apple ostrich. Air Nav did and gave a good reason they expressed concern about the Andriod software being able to be copied. Whilst I understand their concern I am not going to be held to ransom by Apple, I am going over to Andriod, when the plan for my iphone expires.( 28 days 2 hours and 56 secs time). The current choice is a Samsung Galaxy Note 2, they are big and cumbersome, certainly not for everyone, but the existing Note model is a delight to use and well suited to my professional use.

 

Thanks Ian for the tip on Oz Explorer I will follow this up.

 

Allegro 2000

 

 

[Admin]

The Note seems a really nice unit and a possible great compromise between a phone and a tablet...good choice and well done...thanks for letting us know about Airnav

 

 

[Guest nunans]

Yeah the Note looks like a good thing, a tablet that includes the missing mobile phone function on the ipad etc. I refused to buy an Ipad (apple erk me almost as much as the monopolising Telstra corp) and would buy an android based tablet (samsung I think) even without the aviation features that apple have tied up with ozrunways.

 

The wife has a gallaxy s2 phone and I'm impressed with that so the tablet and note should be great products, Good on them for sticking it to the I-products and If runways and airnav are too scared to get on board for fear loosing the deal with apple then so be it.

 

The whole Apple explosion was both smart and sneaky I think, it started with thier proprietary mp3 format and the ipod. Then millions of thirteen year old girls bought one to listen to the "one direction group of the day" and once apple infected your PC with itunes and quicktime etc. the music started to be purchased online and stored in apple libraries then you're "locked in eddie" and it becomes a hassle to change to something not apple based. They bang a cell phone into an Ipod and sell millions of Iphones to people who end up not happy with the phone but can't get out of the apple rut.

 

 

[Guest Howard Hughes]

Nunans I enjoyed your summation of the (i) phenomenon, like I keep saying, 'the betamax of the phone World'!

 

 

[Gnarly Gnu]

Just read an article that says Samsung has sold almost twice as many smart phones as Apple has done so far this year...

Interesting how the situation can change so rapidly in this field, companies like RIM and Nokia that were whales only a short time ago are floundering now (just swapped my Nokia for a Samsung today).

 

A quote from the Ozrunways guy just a year ago:

 

"We have removed most references to Android from our website now; we have different priorities and while Android phones are doing OK, Android tablet sales are, how shall I put this politely, abysmal? We are a small team and can't spread ourselves too thin, so we'd rather focus on making OzRunways for iOS the best it can be before we look at other platforms."