[Epic 4G General] dwallersv:
http://gizmodo.com/5686161/samsung-galaxy-tab-review-a-pocketable-train-wreck

Apologies if this is a repost -- searched, and didn't find this reference.

Scathing review by Gizmodo. Judging by their review (and much of it is simply fact-based, not spin -- for example the issues with Swype), I'd never go near this thing.

Basically, it sounds like the Galaxy S phone ROM put on the Tab. I.e., everything designed for the phone screen size simply on a larger screen, with a few exceptions.

What a disaster of an idea. Many things that work with the finger interface on a 3.7" screen become impossible to "thumb-swipe", or become annoying to finger-swype with any finger when it is simply larger. Swype seems to be a poster-child for this.

I agree that this idea of Samsung's to "tween" a tablet between a phone and the iPad was an idiotic idea. Gizmodo makes the point that a Tablet is all about size, not compactness. That's the point. You want something compact, you get a smartphone on steroids, like the Epic. You buy a tablet to supplement a phone, not replace it. It replaces books, notepads, folios, etc. -- not your phone.

Samsung, are you listening? Here's the ultimate tablet, better than the iPad: Same size or even a little bigger than the iPad screen, higher resolution. Linux/Android OS, redesigned (as well as apps) from the ground up for the larger screen experience, not simply scaled up because they're on a larger screen.

And here's the key, something that's been a complete mystery to me about cell phones, the only explanation I can think of is cost: An LCD screen using the same technology Garmin uses for their Vista Cx handheld GPS.

This technology is the absolute best, most versatile, most readable color screen technology that I have ever encountered, anywhere. It is like a kindle -- except in color -- in direct sunlight... the brighter the incident light on the screen, the sharper and brighter the display. In darker environments, the adjustable backlight produces just as awesome results.

I don't know how this LCD display is constructed, but it accomplishes well the task of reflecting back through the display incident light, as well as allowing backlighting to achieve the same effect.

It's amazing. White is bright and very white in sunlight.

Probably quite expensive. Is it justified for a phone? While we'd probably all have a technogasm to have such a phone, I can see that it probably isn't justified from a cost perspective and whatever market analysis they've done.

A tablet is a very different proposition. It needs to be used in the same environments as a Kindle and that where a self-lit laptop would be. The perfect display tech is what I describe above. Even Apple is moronic not to incur the extra cost for this, maybe in a high-end model, and charge the extra $100 or so for it. Then market the hell out of the feature.

I believe they'd make a killing.

So, back to the thread topic, I can stomach an iPad, given all the objectionable aspects to it (iOS being enough). However, looks like it'll be a year or two wait before someone really does an Android tab even close to right, and it won't be Samsung, their software arm being such an incompetent bunch of Keystone Cops (like we didn't know that already).

And, I have no hope of my display technology wet dream. But I needed to get it off my chest.