[Galaxy Note 10.1 General] BarryH_GEG:
Jonstrong's above post made me think about the biggest difference between the two devices and consider what type of user I am. Every Android device I've owned previously has required "work" to get it to run the way I wanted it to and do the things I needed to. My two current devices, a Teg3 One X and the Note have worked the way I wanted them to from the start. I've had the One X since March and the OS has moved from 4.0.3 to 4.0.4 and JB was released in Asia on Friday. Sense has moved from 4.0 to 4.1 and 4+ was released in Asia on Friday. The Note shipped with 4.0.4 and JB is supposed to be here by year-end. Maybe it's the evolution of the h/w or Samsung and HTC getting their acts together in refining their s/w but neither my One X or Note has needed "work" to perform the way I wanted/needed them to.

Looking at the naked 4.2 UI it needs "work." The wasted use of the action bar and creation of a new notification bar at the top isn’t a great design or good use of space. Neither is the persistent row of frequent apps above the action bar which includes the app drawer so it can't be natively removed. I get that Google's shooting for UI consistency between their phone and tablet UI but a tablet's not a phone and the real estate is different as is how it’s used. So no doubt with a custom ROM (which requires unlocking and screws with DRM) or a custom launcher I could change it to work differently. But should I have to?

There's an old adage - "if it's not broken, don't fix it." I like how Samsung's provided and integrated all their unique features like multiview, pop up play, AllShare Cast and Play, etc. Either I'm getting old, lazy, or a combination of the two but I'm tired of my Android devices being garage projects. The One X and Note were over $1K USD combined and for that money turning them in to "projects" should be optional. Neither the One X or Note is "perfect" but 90% of what they do works the way I want it to. I'm fine with living with the 10% that I'd like seen done differently to avoid having to put them up on blocks to fix it.

So no doubt the N10 will be wicked fast, have a drop dead gorgeous display, and be updated by Google regularly. But it'll most likely be incomplete compared to the more inclusive experiences Sense and TW provide. For those looking for the advantages just mentioned and a "project" the N10 is a slam dunk win. For the 95% of device buyers who don't know what a launcher is or what root means it'll be interesting to see their reactions to the N10 when they are most likely using Sense, TW, or another OEM overlay on their phones which, to them, is "Android."

Samsung’s the number one seller of Android tablets worldwide (Asus is number two) and has the best distribution partners and the broadest marketing and name recognition. Here’s their Android tablet sales in the U.S. vs. iPad as released in court filings. The question that needs to be asked is in spite of Samsung’s best efforts is the real reason people bought so many iPads because Samsung’s processors weren’t fast enough or that their displays didn’t have enough pixels? If the answer to those questions is “no” that should provide a preview as to how the N10 will be received by mainstream consumers vs. iPad (and now Surface) at a $399+ price point.

http://tech.fortune.cnn.com/2012/08...rter-court-documents-show-samsung-sold-37000/

If using a pretty barren phone UI on your tablet is the only way to be assured of getting Apple-like s/w support from Google it's too early to say whether the mainstream will think that's an acceptable compromise. Google's going to have to decide whether Nexus is a developer’s platform or a real competitive and complete user experience to compete with W8 and iOS. It's certainly not in its current state. I guess with the iPad mini, KF HD, and NC competing with the N7; Samsung, Asus, and Surface competing with the N10; and the One X+, SGS3/Note II, and Optimus G competing with the N4 we're about to find out.

Here's a great article from the UK by a non-geek reporter at the Guardian talking about being burned twice by the crappy level of Android update support. He's anti walled garden so not jumping ship. Not everyone feels the same way and the majority of my non-geek friends like that Apple makes their choices for them because it makes everything so easy. Interesting times ahead. ;)

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/oct/28/android-smartphone-os-upgrade?newsfeed=true