[Galaxy Note 8.0 (Tablet) General] UsagiMimi:
I won't make this too in depth, but I'd actually like to address some of the development doubts I've seen for the 8.0 and share my fair opinion of the device so far. First off I'd like to compare it from my own personal experience to other tablets I've owned and used a fair bit.

First off I'd like to compare it to a Nexus 10. I spent roughly a week playing with a Nexus 10 and settled on returning it. This is going to sound a little strange being that I'm comparing such a close price point but the Nexus 10 to me was not worth the premium. Not only that but honestly with a 10" tablet I feel I may as well be using my 13" Lenovo Ideapad Yoga- BUT that is a personal preference and by no means a fair reference point. What did I experience with the Nexus 10? I did like the build quality, however the user experience was strangely underwhelming even after installing some custom ROMs. I'm quite aware this paragraph isn't too relevant, however I've found the Note 8.0 a fair bit easier to use in every day situations than any 10" tablet I've owned.

Comparing it to a Nexus 7 is another matter. I do own a Nexus 7, I've actually given it to my significant other's 12 year old girl to learn and play with. Originally though I do love the device far more so than it's 10" counterpart. The only problem is well, it's just slightly too small for some uses. The form factor I found to be slightly frustrating. Whenever I used it I felt I may as well just settle and use my Galaxy Note II. That said however the feel of it and the quality for the price point was obviously fantastic. It just seems that there is a sweet spot in my opinion on tablet size and I think that lies somewhere around 8 inches. It gives you plenty of room for web browsing, it's actually a decent amount more function to type on than even a Nexus 7 given the extra screen real estate, and it still works beautifully as an ebook reader/news source.

The biggest advantages really I've found is that the Note 8.0 while not having an entirely great screen resolution seems to have a better picture quality than a LOT of tablets I've played with. There is something slightly more sharp about the screen than even my experience with the Nexus 10, but let me make this clear. I'm not saying the screen is technically superior.

The other large advantage I've really noticed is how snappy even with the vanilla samsung ROM the note 8.0 is. Side by side it's by far the snappiest, quickest responding tablet in it's class for general use, save for mayhap using the home button. Yes, I don't necessarily like the hardware keys but they don't cripple the device in my own opinion. To be honest since I use a Note II for my phone it's helped the transition familiarity wise and I do think this was intentional more so than just developer laziness.

I would like to make a note I do own a 10.1 note also and I still do prefer my 8.0 at this point to it's use. Yes, I do wish Samsung would up build quality as of casing for these devices, but they are by far hindered by this. To be totally honest the plastic casing on my Note II and 10.1 has held up tremendously well to some nasty drops and spills, far better in fact than anything I've had with a more premium styled enclosure. That being said I do dislike the plastic creekyness which is very much noticeable with my 10.1.

The Note 8.0 strikes me as this, a great medium. It's not quite a full blown 10" media tablet and at the same time it's not quite so cramped as those 7" tablets available. As of the S-Pen functionality I honestly just think it's a plus. Even without it I would prefer these devices to most of the other comparable android devices in the US market at the moment.

When it comes to ROM development I would just say be patient. It's a new device with a definite premium price. It might take awhile but the forum on XDA just now really appeared within the last 24 hours and it might just take some time to get things going. That being said I would imagine the similarities to the Note II may speed up development once we have a recovery and such.

As a footnote, I've ordered this keyboard case which is due to arrive Tuesday and I will try give it a proper in depth review ASAP.

I apologize for this post being somewhat disordered and all over the place. I'm tired but I wanted to post something and participate in the forum. It's been ages since I have. Thanks everyone and have a good night!