By 
Shortly after the Google I/O 2011 Conference, I published a review of the Galaxy Tab 10.1. There were some bugs and only a handful of apps, but I truly felt the Android Honeycomb platform had potential and expected Samsung to push for the tablet’s success. Unfortunately, I was wrong. Very wrong. After two device replacements due to hardware defects and having to deal with a horrendous implementation of the TouchWiz interface since the latest update, I’ve given up.
The First Unit
I picked up my first Galaxy Tab 10.1 at the Google I/O 2011 Conference. For those wondering, journalists were lucky enough to get one of these along with a Samsung Chromebook and a Samsung 4G Mobile Hotspot. As I noted in the original review, the first device came with a lot of backlight bleeding. It was not entirely unusable, but the screen was rather ugly-looking. Definitely not a great start considering the display is probably the most important aspect to a tablet.
There was severe black light bleeding from the edges of the screen making it look as though white jolts of light were breaking out from several sides — the bottom right corner being the worst. I asked around to find that a few others also had the same issue. Even developer forums have members complaining about this problem and we can only hope the defects are not widespread to retail models. — Skatter Tech, Galaxy Tab 10.1 (Review)
I gave Samsung a call hoping for some insight. The first customer service representative handed my call over to Level Three support when I mentioned I had a Google I/O Special Edition model — the Galaxy Tab 10.1 was not on the market yet. After answering a few questions, the representative decided to email me a return label for a replacement. About two weeks after dropping it off at a local shipping center, a brand new unit was waiting at my front door.
The Second Unit
I was glad to find the replacement was not a refurbished unit. It came packed in the original Google I/O branded box with all the original accessories. I booted it up and checked for display defects. There was still some backlight bleed, but it was not nearly as much of a problem this time around.
At this point, nearly a week went by before I had a chance to use the tablet since I was busy with work. I hit the power button and to my surprise, it didn’t turn on. After unplugging and plugging it back in, I noticed the screen was actually already turned on. It was just entirely black with nothing happening. I held down the power button for 10 seconds or so hoping to see it reboot. Unfortunately, the Galaxy Tab 10.1 entered an infinite reboot loop.
The tablet would play the standard Samsung boot animation, freeze for a few seconds, turn off, and start all over again. Since I could not turn it off either, I had no choice but to give Samsung another dreadful call. Another surprisingly helpful representative from the Level Three support team took over my case. He quickly concluded that I had a bricked tablet. Since there was apparently nothing I could do over the phone, he sent me yet another return label.
Although the representative mentioned they would simply “re-flash” the device and ship it back over, I found a brand new Galaxy Tab 10.1 at my front door again about three weeks later. I still do not understand how a tablet can possibly fail so easily especially when no one is using it.
The Third Unit
The latest replacement is by far the best. No backlight bleed and it actually works. I took it along with me on a trip overseas and it was a great travel companion. The still-in-beta Google Music service worked wonderfully with offline caching. I copied over several high-definition podcasts which looked gorgeous on the large display. The battery life was definitely impressive lasting about 10 hours with mixed usage consisting of typing notes, listening to music, watching movies, and playing games.
The Galaxy Tab 10.1 connected to courtesy WiFi networks at airports and hotels without any issues either. Sending emails, using the calendar, or even voice/video chatting Google Talk was a wonderful experience. The offline Maps feature was perfect while traveling through a third world country without any mobile broadband. Even QuickOffice made it easy to edit documents and sync with Dropbox when a network became available. The web browser was quite useful too, but it did crash from time to time due to bugs. Despite that one quirk, the overall experience is something every buyer should expect.
TouchWiz Update
Unfortunately, I had my hopes too high. A notification for a new software update appeared about a week ago. It was an upgrade to the long-awaited TouchWiz additions. The Galaxy Tab 10.1 humorously failed to update after many repeated attempts. The error notice suggested either visiting an authorized Samsung Center or use Samsung Kies on a computer to upgrade manually. I eventually installed the 85 MB program on my Windows 7 computer and proceeded with the update.
A little over 20 minutes later, the tablet was finally ready. I unlocked the home screen and was a bit shocked to see the new redesign. Samsung TouchWiz introduced a new modified interface which looks part childish and part ugly. The original Tron-like dark theme with highlighter blue outlines was out of the picture. User interface consistency was definitely overlooked as well. Fonts are overly large. Icons, text, and other elements are poorly positioned or misaligned.
Anyways, my rant begins here. The tablet is now an utter mess. These are some issues:
Menu Bar
Samsung, why did you need to create new icons? These are too bright and ugly. The original ones were clean, futuristic, and subtle. The new ones look like a MS Paint creation. Rather than the original low-profile black bar which fades away when playing videos, the custom grey one is distracting and random remnants — including a white line — do not vanish entirely.
Screen Shot Icon
Developers, geeks, and reviewers will likely appreciate this feature. Unfortunately, it makes no sense to include a screen shoot trigger on the menu bar right besides the three most important navigational buttons. I am quite confident that less than a few percent of users will ever need this feature. In fact, the icon looks like a camera shutter button too. I handed the tablet to my friends who actually ended up taking photos using the screen shot tool in confusion.
I appreciate the kind gesture since Android does not offer this feature out of the box, but why not make it a hidden option? For instance, holding down the power button and a volume key could work. I keep accidentally triggering the screen shot tool since it is right next to the app switcher icon as well.
Quick Launcher
Since Android Honeycomb leaves empty space in center of the Menu Bar, Samsung decided it was a perfect opportunity to fill it up with some junk. Clicking on the bonus arrow button brings up six mini app shortcuts — none of which are interchangeable. The items include a task manager and five mini apps: a calendar, world clock, pen memo, calculator, and music player. Just about each of these are harmful since they deviate from the normal Android workflow and waste memory too.
Quick Settings
Why did you tweak this? The original quick settings interface is easy to use and works perfectly fine. The new layout takes up nearly twice as much room and offers almost nothing more. It is even hard to figure out how the new interface works since some elements now slide horizontally while others scroll vertically. Taking twice as long to appear after a click does not help either.
Custom Alarm Clock
Although the original alarm clock was great for use as a night stand and was actually rather easy to use, Samsung decided to introduce its own creation anyways. The interface now looks drastically different, but I do not actually see any useful improvements. Samsung should have added features such as a stop watch and a countdown timer for starters. At the very least, including a world clock within this app instead of creating an entirely separate app for it would have been a wise choice.
eBook Reader + Kindle
I love Amazon Kindle and I have the app on just about every device I own, but why is it pre-installed? The app is just bloatware for those who do not want it or use another service. And before I forget, why is there another generic eBook app as well? In addition, why does the Samsung-built eBook app look like a blatant ripoff of the old-fashion bookshelf design of Apple’s iBook app? (No wonder there are so many lawsuits.) The app does not even tie into any major digital bookstore either.
Tweaked Browser
I am glad to run into fewer crashes and see better stability, but there is another concern. Samsung re-skinned the original interface. Rather than a dark theme, it now has a bright white design. Since most web pages have a white background, it is often hard to distinguish the menu bar from the web page due to a barely visible divider.
Developers also added a new RSS icon to the address bar, which is a mistake since most modern browsers are doing away with these. While the original bookmarks interface was perfectly fine, Samsung tries to add more features with a custom implementation. Unfortunately, the new file browser styled interface looks messy and overwhelming.
Calendar
I was a huge fan of the native Android Honeycomb calendar interface. It was by far the best tablet calendar out there. Yes, it is definitely better than the one on the Apple iPad too. Unfortunately, Samsung decided to make their own half-baked version just for kicks. Not surprisingly, it is a disaster. Doing pretty much anything requires more clicks. The app entirely lacks a traditional block-layout week view, which is something I use all the time. Six days worth of events boxed in bullet point lists is quite painful to visualize. I would love to meet the person who approved this.
Contacts
Samsung decided to re-skin the Contacts app as well. The interface now uses ridiculously large fonts. The only major improvement is the ability to sync contacts from Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter. I am just wondering why they could not add this to the original interface.
Movies and TV Shows
Another unfortunate disaster in this department. Samsung bundles their own Media Hub app for purchases of Movies and TV Shows. Oddly, this blatantly overlaps with the Google Videos app which is finally pre-loaded on the tablet after the update. It doesn’t end there. There is now another app similarly named Video. It lets users browse and play locally stored content. This app adds little value since it essentially duplicates part the existing Gallery app’s functionality. To further add to the confusion, the Google Videos app also has a tab at the top to let users browse and play locally stored content to complement purchased items.
Three Music Apps?
This isn’t good. Samsung offers a Music Hub app for purchasing new content from 7digital. Then there is a Samsung Music Player app for listening to locally stored content. These overlap with the gorgeous native Google Music cloud-powered app. To top that off, the Galaxy Tab 10.1 now also ships with the Amazon MP3 app which entirely lacks a tablet-optimized interface.
Memo and Pen Memo?
Since Android Honeycomb does not ship with a simple app for taking notes, Samsung kindly added one for us. The Memo app lets users type and save text-based notes. But wait, what is this? There is a Pen Memo app too. This app is nearly identical to the last one which offers the ability to type text-based notes, but it also offers drawing/writing with the tip of your finger. Neat, but why on earth are there two apps? Sadly, Samsung does not let users remove one or both. At this point, I will probably end up using Evernote, SpringPad, or Catch instead anyways.
Samsung Apps
Making things confusing clearly seems like fun. The Samsung Apps store takes up another icon and offers its own selection of apps. After a quick browse through the top section, I did not see a single app which was not already available in the official Android Market. Even the Amazon App Store would have been a better choice, not that I recommend pre-installing that either. Having two app stores out of the box just creates confusion for the average user.
Social Hub
This app is a universal inbox for syndicating activity streams from Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter. Considering that each of these three services still do not offer an app optimized for Android tablets, Social Hub is a welcome addition. With that being said, I will probably have no use for this as official apps eventually become available. An option to uninstall would be neat.
Other Bloatware
Pulse news reader, the Worlds with Friends game by Zynga, a My Files browser, and a basic Photo Editor come pre-installed. Unfortunately, none of these are removable. These are yet again nothing more than a waste of space for those who do not need it.
The Ideal Solution
After painfully having to deal with this device for a few days, I can’t help but say don’t fix it if it’s not broken. It does not help that Samsung clearly just shot itself in the foot especially when having to deal with patent lawsuits from Apple which are preventing Galaxy Tab 10.1 sales in Europe and Australia. The company clearly has some tough times ahead when it comes to tablets. While I do not have much to say about the legal concerns, I do have a solution for the user experience problems.
Samsung needs to start with this: a clean slate of Android Honeycomb. I don’t want to see any custom interface overlays/skins, any bonus widgets, any pre-installed bloatware apps, or any other modifications out of the box for that matter. Starting with the native Android operating system, Samsung should include just one thing to distinguish themselves competitors: an app named Samsung Extras. Any customization options, fancy live wallpapers, a selection of quality widgets, featured apps from partners, and any other junk should go in there. Ideally, this app should let the user add these features to the native Android experience and remove them easily.
Although it will probably never happen, I definitely hope Samsung takes at least some of this advice into consideration. Until then, I will unfortunately have to tell prospective tablet buyers to avoid the Galaxy Tab 10.1. Google still has a long way to go with Android Honeycomb, but it is definitely not as bad as TouchWiz makes it.
Link: Galaxy Tab 10.1 Review
This is the most pathetic article I have seen in my entire life. I have one piece of advice. Quit writing articles and please get another job work for Apple and its Public relations department Because you are making a good case for Apple, I am a heavy user of galaxy tab and after the touchwiz update, things are zipper.
Glad you are enjoying the Galaxy Tab, but I unfortunately can’t say the same. I’m on my third unit after a display defect then a bricked device. I actually enjoyed the vanilla Android Honeycomb, but the TouchWiz update makes for a horrible user experience in my opinion.
Also, since I expect several more comments from Android enthusiasts. Here is what you should know. I have about 5 Android devices on my desk and a few more in boxes behind me. I use a HTC EVO 4G as my primary device. I also have a CR-48 and a Samsung Chromebook here as well.
I am by no means an Apple fan, but it important not to overlook the fact that they are in the lead for a reason. They got tablets right. Despite all the limitations an iPad may have, it sells. I criticize them too — http://skattertech.com/2011/03/why-you-should-not-buy-an-ipad-2-ios/
Kind of true that Android for tablets is not really stabil but the ipad is a giant iphone. So what I asked my self, when I turn on a tablet, what would I like to see? all the stuff thats going on, gmail widget etc. or my apps of whom I use like 5 daily and some others once a month? So unless you’re a gamer or like to watch movies, I see no reason why to by an ipad when i have a smortphone in my pocket which can do the same things?
a rather pathetic article indeed
Nice argumentation skills.
I don’t find it credible that you could have 3 Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1’s and had a problem with all 3. you’re either breaking these devices yourself or your writing things that are not true just for the sake of having something to write about.
I have a 10.1 since day-after-launch day and Ive had ZERO problems with it before and after touch wiz update. the 10.1 has exceeded my expectations and as my first Android OS device (yes, I have an iPhone 4) I am so pleased with it that my next Android device will be a phone.
The iPad 2 is so inferior (its only slightly better than the iPad) that Apple has actually gone back to the drawing board and there’s talk of a release of the iPad 3 barely 4 months after the iPad 2. that in itself says a lot.
Nothing is impossible. Even iPad2 was swamped with screen issues. Why would Galaxy be any different? It is electronics. It happens.
Actually, I think it’s quite possible to have 3 failed units, I thought Android was the platform of possibilities?
Just because you’ve had a flawless experience doesn’t mean everyone will – I’ve had my 3GS replaced twice and I still love it, because (at the time) it suited me better for the things I did than any of the competition, and continues to do some things that even the latest Android handsets can’t do (or do well).
Would you care to share with us your oh-so-credible source that says iPad 2 sucks so much that Apple is FOR SURE going to release iPad 3 this fall? Give me a break, rumors ≠ fact. iPad 2 is just a speed bump, really, what could they have done to it? Had they used a 5 or 8 megapixel camera, the Android fan base would’ve said that’s too much because no one wants to take pictures with a clipboard. Had they doubled the resolution, the Android fan base would’ve said that’s useless and no one would mind the difference between 1280×800 and 2048×1536. NFC? Android users: “Who wants to wave a clipboard around?!”
Jon — I’m on my third Galaxy Tab 10.1 after two replacements. All three boxes are in the photo at the top. I have two RMA numbers as well. I have better things to do than breaking tablets to waste Samsung’s time. If they are concerned about false defamation, which is a serious thing, they are welcome to reference the records.
I have had many devices fail in the past. My Dell XPS M1530 nearly melted a plastic desk after the fan stopped working since the system didn’t shut itself off when it overheated. After they replaced it with a new unit, it has been running perfectly fine for the past 3 years.
Even the first iPhone 3GS I got just a day or so after launch was defective. It was getting warm and running out of power in about 4 hours even when it was just idle in my pocket. I was quite happy with the replacement for about 1.5 years.
I even had to replace the HTC EVO 4G about a month after I got it since it would keep rebooting when I paired it to just about any Bluetooth headset. I’m still rocking the replacement over a year later without any issues.
Come on guy, you got 2 pre-productions units as a special favor, and you’re whining about quality ?
If I were given two bricks, does that justify writing a glorifying piece and suggesting others should buy one simply because I got it for free? I sure hope not.
Just about every company sends Skatter Tech expensive gadgets for review. It’s our job to tell the truth. Hell, I got a $27k car from Ford. I even criticized it for several shortcomings.
I’m not an Apple fan by any means but I also agree that the only tablet that is truly smooth at the moment is the iPad. I tried the Galaxy 10.1 before the TouchWiz update and was not impressed. As for the rumor that “there’s talk of a release of the iPad 3 barely 4 months after the iPad 2”, that is totally bogus. The iPad 3 will not be release until sometime in 2012. Let’s hope by then there is an Android tablet that’s worth its price.
A pre-production unit is not a fair test of the quality of the finalized product, surely? I would imagine PRE-production iPads had similar issues.
Wait till they are on the shop floor, and then test one of THOSE.
You do know you can change your Launcher without rooting your tablet, get rid of unwaned icons/apps, probably (I haven’t checked) get CM7. These would make all your problems go away, but probably leave you one article short ?
I think you may have the wrong author. Hi, nice to meet you.
I have both an iPad2 and a Galaxy Tab 10.1, both are good and different in my opinion. For some reason, I am preferring to use the Tab more at this point since I like the screen compared to the iPad2, and I personally do not like syncing on iTunes, but that is just me. No problems with the Tab, the update was good for me as well. I am beginning to move away from Apple (again, just hate iTunes) and the Galaxy Tab and Android works for me.
I definitely like the widescreen aspect ratio too. It’s awesome for movies. I like using it vertically for reading long articles too. Feels like a futuristic magazine or something. Aside from the obvious and unfortunate hardware defects I ran into, I definitely do like the hardware. I have no complains about that aside from wishing there was a microSD card and that Samsung had gone with a standard microUSB port.
Anyways, I have a few questions for you. What are your thoughts on the new funky widgets that aren’t as modern looking as the original ones? How about the Samsung calendar for instance, do you like the new one better than the original Google one? For instance, take a look at the Quick Settings. There are odd spacing issues below each notification. The graphic elements aren’t aligned properly and items feel too large. Everyone of those little things frustrate me. It lacks a lot of polish. Was that not an issue for you?
P.S. I went Android after having an iPhone 3GS for a year because I got fed up with iTunes. Using Google Music and install apps from the web-based Android Market is awesome. Chrome to Phone is just too amazing too. Still impresses everyone.
I rest my case….you can’t even stand up to the pressure for such a bias articles. Man honestly stick to your guns, I would have better respect for you if you were to write any future articles…But please don’t.
Ernie, you don’t make much of a case against this person’s opinion, so why not keep yours to yourself?
please, please, please stop writing “anyways” — it is not a word.
Am I using that word incorrectly? — http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/anyways
The “enhancements” brought on by TouchWiz are exactly what I was afraid of. The Tab looks to be the most compelling hardware of any HC tablet on the market, but Samsung uglies it up with their own software.
I think your proposed solution would be ideal – even on phones, but these manufacturers have a little too much pride to do something like that when they are all trying to find ways to differentiate from one another.
Glad you agree. I probably should not have been specific to Samsung with that advice. I would like to see them along with anyone else such as LG do the same. It would ideally mean the best of both worlds. Native Android with the option for bonus customization if users want it.
I’m at least glad that HTC is taking an initiative and letting users uninstall bloatware and even offering unlocked boot-loaders for enthusiasts.
I think it’s pretty apparent to most readers of a site like this that this issue isn’t limited to just Samsung, but yes I also think every manufacturer should just offer their customizations as a separate skin or download that can be uninstalled by the user.
Not only are they not much better than the stock Android interface, in most cases at least, they hinder users from getting the latest updates and that’s something I would hate to see happening on the Honeycomb tablets.
You are definitely not competitive person for doing this kind of reviews. Please go back to school because high school diploma is not enough this days. I’m sure Apple might have some janitorial position for you. So don’t hesitate thay pay really good as you already know.
I truly appreciate the advice, but I think I am doing just fine. I just made it through two rounds of interviews for a (non-janitorial) position with Microsoft. I’m not sure if I’ll leave my startup to go work for them, but I hope to at least get a formal offer after a third round of interviews so I can make a decision.
P.S. You might want to read this — http://www.businessinsider.com/windows-phone-7-resume-job-2011-7
i have the google io version andthere should be no touchwiz update for the google io version only the retail version. In addition touchwiz is optional, so you can remove it.
There is no way to put touchwiz on mine unless i force it manually.
Good article, i dont see any apple fanboyism.
This my second tab, first one had problemsand it took about five weeksand i just got a new tab instead of fixing the tab.
So far so good, no crashes or anything like that
The TouchWiz update is for the Google I/O edition as well. The Galaxy Tab 10.1 originally came with a clean version of Android Honeycomb, but you should see an update notification to get TouchWiz for sure. I definitely did not root the device to install a custom ROM or something of that sort. You are not required to update right away, but any future upgrades will have TouchWiz as well.
just tried to update, but nothing is available. anything that is samsung related in software term, is non existent in my tab.
wiill try later
Did you try creating and logging into a Samsung account? Then check for an update after that.
I hav samsung account and it is synched, but no updates.
Sorry for typos, im writing from the tab
Im probably selling this cuz my phones does the same, and i cant find anything useful on the tab to do.
Joe…..are you blind….just a question?
Ernie, you’re a bore.
You should go back to grade school and learn some basic grammar/sentence structure, let alone spelling conventions.
As for the review, I liked it. I’m a huge iOS fan, and even I wanted the Galaxy Tab to be a hit. I want to get one to try it out, but it’s reviews like this that keep me sober – “updates” aren’t always beneficial, goodness knows iPhone 3G/Windows customers know that.
Android can be a wonderful experience, I do not doubt that. But manufacturers like Samsung in this case that rush a product to market without undergoing an excruciating review process are left in the dirt when sites like this get ahold of a faulty product. Samsung; hire new, young graphic designers. USE your product for a week, and nothing else; does it hold up? Rethink user interface, not every tablet purchaser is a Linux guru who happens to know Android like the back of their hand; the reason for Apple’s “limitations” are to benefit the crowd that have a hard time with technology.
My grandma has never used nor owned a computer. She was in our living room, picked up the iPad and within an hour was using it like she’d been using it for years. When Samsung, Motorola, RIM and HTC can create a product that easy to learn, they have a chance.
Dude, your reviews are spot on. It is like buying a Windows laptop from Bestbuy , which is filled with tonnes of bloatware. 90% of the people do not have the patience to remove the bloatware and hence no one wants to buy a crappy windows 7 laptop. Same with Android, unless there is a device from Google itself, it is pointless to buy a crippled device. Without taking sides with Apple or Google Or HP or RIM or Microsoft, one thing is sure, Apple is in a better position to deliver user satisfaction only because they control the updates in a iPad or iPod or iPhone as opposed to a combination of Motorola/Samsung/HTC and/Or Verizon or AT&T or Sprint. Google as a company will thrive only when they control their hardware and not depend upon dingbats like Motorola or Samsung. And also the fact that when migrating one Android device to another, the experience is so different that it makes it very painful. I hate the TouchWiz or HTC Sense or Moto Blur and so forth. It is akin to taking an apple from the tree and coating it with wax and making us eat the wax…
I have a Samsung Galaxy S Vibrant 3G and had problems with it too. Like after transfering files via USB and correctly disconnect I’m unable to play media files in any player until I reboot.
Now hearing about the problems with the Galaxy Tab I’m not dealing with them anymore.
Buuut if you want to get rid of that tablet I’d take it off your hands. :-)
Great read.
Hardware wise, the Galaxy Tab 10.1 looks great. Thin, light and the I/O edition with the little Androids looks cool.
The TouchWiz update looks like it’s definately down to user preference but after owning a Xoom since day 1, if Motorola filled it up with unwanted bloat, I’d be pissed. I trust Matias Duarte’s UI design before anything an OEM adds to Honeycomb. Those back/Home/Task switcher buttons look atrocious for a start.
My only niggle with the opinion post is the bit about the iPad’s iBooks bookshelf design. I’m unsure it you’ve heard of it but there is an application available on OS X called “Delicious Library” which Apple took cues from when designing iBooks.
I take it if you wanted to keep stock Honeycomb, your only official option was to not update, leaving you an update cycle behind? Google should have provided a stock build option for gve 10.1 with no bloat.
Thanks for pointing out the “Delicious Library” thing. I vaguely remember hearing about that. I remember there were some complains and bad press since someone had claimed that Apple ripped off that company.
Just about every company is guilty of copying someone else these days. Despite that, only a few manage to get it right. I don’t use the iBook store, but it seems to be working. The Samsung eBook app on the other hand is just there for giggles. I use Amazon’s Kindle app anyways.
Next thing your going to say is Apple invented the wheel and better one at that…..your making me puke…….
They did! I believe it’s called the MacBook Wheel:
http://www.theonion.com/video/apple-introduces-revolutionary-new-laptop-with-no,14299/
But in all seriousness. Microsoft was notorious for ripping off ideas from other companies for ages. Apple is essentially the new Microsoft when it comes to stealing ideas these days.
you are an apple fan boy…………..
and you are an android fan boy….
Grow up … learn to take criticism..
dont write anymore reviews and kill our time, write some crap movie reviews..there is no point of proofs in your reviews
Isn’t there any like button …. hahaha.
The truth obviously hurts… let us know when you grow up.
It amuses me that so many of the negative comments are written with nearly unintelligible English.
I had to stop reading this article only after the hardware issue. I was hoping that I will get a decent review of this device , but what I found is a series of a person’s own preference that has little to do with the functionality of the device. I think the author has missed the point. I have two Android devices , both working very well ( none perfect , though) and looking for a tablet of the same platform. In all honesty , this review was so poor and biased to a personal taste , that I definitely will be looking elsewhere for a more constructive and real criticism.
This article is actually an opinion piece. As cited in the first sentence, here is a link to my full review:
http://skattertech.com/2011/05/samsung-galaxy-tab-10-1-review/
You know what they say of opinions; there like Assholes everyone got one. You showed your, now quit while your ahead.
Dude, just go away and troll somewhere else.
That’s unfortunate. I guess we’re just going to have to delete our entire Opinion hub now. All that hard work — wasted.
Well said…and Point should be well taken….This guy should get off the writing circuit. This body of work does not better his chances of finding any future work as an author….So he shouldn’t quite his day job with Apple or Steve Jobs shoeshine boy.
Ernie, I hope no one is paying you as a critic because your efforts aren’t worth the spittle that’s rolling down your chin.
I thought this was a pretty good article. I am typing this comment on a 10.1, which I really like and is absolutelystable thus far. However, I bought it pre-update and certainly have no plans for updating until/unless Samsung fixes their bloatware issue. I almost did not buy the tab based on hearing about what might be happening with bloat and touchwiz. I started with a Xoom and am really a fan of a minimalist UI (abandoned the xoom since I personally can’t live w/o haptic interface and the silly rear speaker position). However, when they released the tab w/o touchwiz and now netflix is up on the tab (working wonderfully on mine) I jumped on and just didnt register with Samsung so I’m not bothered with the update. Thus far I’m happy with my decision.
As far as the hardware issues you had, that’s sadly an endemic problem in the gadget age. Any time I buy a new tech item of ANY kind/manufacturer and dont have to return it at least once these days I consider myself lucky. I just figure on at least 2 trips to Best Buy for any tech purchase. Samsung is certainly no better or worse in this regard.
Really after all my research Ive come to the conclusion that each tablet has one fatal flaw and that flaw is different with each manufacturer (I can expand on that if anyone would like) so at this point you just buy the one closest to your personal preference. Samsung has a good solid product that appeals to many non-power users such as myself.
If Samsung decides to provide the latest Android 3.x series updates without TouchWiz, problem solved. Simple as that. The only reason Samsung keeps adding extra features is to distinguish themselves from competition. Unfortunately, it’s hurting them — not helping.
No really don’t set yourself apart….that’s a bad thing…be like “Mike” then you could write another fairy tale of how Samsung copies everything Apple does…you already said that about the eBook app….Just please shut up go away and put this dog to rest. Period!!
1. Don’t impute, it is rude.
2. eBook app is a copy. Deal with it.
3. Only person that needs to go away due to the lack of manners is you.
Bingo!
All of you haters need to seriously back up off of Mr Katta. Disputing the content of his article is fine but ONLY if what your saying is presented in a respectful way. More so, what’s NOT ok is verbally attacking him with insults and slander. When the only answer people have to an article is to insult the writers intelligence and send him back to GRADE SCHOOL? (really!?) it shows that the writer is more often spot on with his opinion. If someone’s view is truly incorrect then there will be plenty of productive points to argue back with that don’t involve cleaning toilets as a janitor. There’s a reason the writers text box is Large, limitless, and at the top of the page and your little comment box is at the bottom, BECAUSE HE EARNED IT! Most of you are all very disappointing..
Also just to piss u guys off I’d like to respectfully state, THE IPAD IS THE BEST DEVICE IN THE WORLD AND ANYBODY USING ANOTHER TABLET WAS NEGLECTED AS A CHILD AND DESTINED BY STEVE JOBS TO BE SOME SORT OF KINKY SLAVE FOR THE GENIUS SQUAD. UR INSIGNIFICANT DEVICES WILL KIDNAP YOU AND YOU WILL BE FORCED TO RUB iCream ALL OVER APPLE LOYALISTS BODIES!
P.s I also have a Evo 4g and I love it! Also don’t let the second part of my post undermine what I said first. And when it does, realize how it does the same for your posts.
Have you ever hear of earning respect as a true author?…This is not a review as he stated himself. What he should be doing is writing for the Times in their editorial section…They suck as well in their opinions.
OK….now tell me what you don’t like about the Galaxy 10.1!!! Come on now, how much did the Apple Fanboys pay you for this untruthful scathing review. It’s obvious that you are bias due to the fact that all you could say was you loved watching your HD videos. Which by the way it’s on a brighter and correct screen(16:9) for viewing movies. The only thing I could agree on and I will stop there is the task bar could have been better implemented. Hopefully when Android 3.2 comes out they could take the opportunity to fix this. As for the eBook app it an app use it or leave it alone…Apple has it’s own bloatware…Would love to see a review you may have done on Apples IPad2…
Why are so many people here having difficulties grasping what an opinion piece is?
It’s not a review in any way and the writer is more than welcome to his opinion on the hardware. I’d feel the same if Motorola ruined stock Honeycomb on the Xoom by adding in non-stock elements to the experience.
His opinions seem fair to me, I don’t know where all of this hate is coming from.
Ernie Tirado represents androidism at its finest.
Tablets to me feel like an oversized phone, i still prefer to use my galaxy s ii and my desktop at home
Opinion piece belongs in forums not mask as a review which might mislead people from buying a future Product…
It actually boards on slander.
Why are you having difficulties grasping that.
IT”S MISLEADING !!!!!!!
This isn’t a review. He gave you a link to it. This is an opinion piece. You just have a hard time understanding the difference between those two.
It’s clearly labelled “Opinion” in green on the uppermost tab (ALL | NEWS | REVIEWS | *OPINION* | HACKS e.t.c). It’s then followed by “OPINION HUB” in big bold letters underneath.
If you can’t differentiate the words “review” (which I assume would be in the reviews section) with “opinion” then the problem lies with you and anyone else incapable of doing so. The only person being misled is yourself.
I’m a massive fan of Android and own three Android devices (ZTE Blade, Nexus S and a Motorola Xoom) and at no point did I think that Sahas was being unfair or unreasonable in the opinion of his experience with the Galaxy Tab 10.1. Does it make me hate the platform and want to dump all of my Android hardware for Apple gear? Absolutely not.
This is my first visit to this site as I found it in a Google News search on Honeycomb and after reading the comments I’ve found the writer to be receptive in responding to comments which is also refreshing.
You’re making anyone with a genuine interest in the platform look bad with your constant complaints about someone else’s opinion. It’s simply an opinion piece, not some conspiracy to stop or slow sales of Samsung hardware. Look at it a bit more objectively and you may see that it’s actually an interesting read.
It is a review you bonehead and opinion and sound pretty acc. Grow up… learn to read sheesh. You fanboys are like children who do not get their way. Andriod has issues as well as Google…time to face facts.
Ernie — I think you misinterpreted my opinion piece. I am a pretty big fan of Android. I choose to get rid of my iPhone 3GS for a HTC EVO 4G instead of buying a iPhone 4. I will likely buy another Android device this year. I doubt the iPhone 5 or iPhone 4S will have enough to sway me back over to the iOS platform again. (I’ve been to Google I/O twice, never gone to Apple WWDC yet — though I do want to attend at some point.)
I think it is important to be critical of the technologies you use. I am not writing this to defame or mislead readers, but rather to inform. I hope that those reading this article will make a better decision when it comes to buying a tablet and I hope that some people in charge at Samsung will take this into consideration to make a better tablet too.
Mr. Katta, I am disappoint not see a post I enter apologizing to you for my misguide anger. It was a longer than this and very truthful…in short once again my apologies.
Dude, the guy likes a different tablet than you do, and he explained it rather intelligently. He didn’t insult your mother so why are you so angry? You have posted several angry responses in this thread. Why do people feel the need to insult others who like a different product, brand? I know this is pissing in the wind but, grow up.
If you saw my last post directed at the author of this tread, I explicitly stated my apologies to him for my misguided anger…which should have been totally direct at Apple Corporation.
Don’t get me started there.
Funny how some people are commenting saying Sahas is an Apple fanboy. He uses an Android phone, uses Windows as his primary OS, and is currently sitting next to me using a Samsung Chromebook. Apple fanboy? I think not.
+1
Excellent article which I practically completely agree upon. Zite app gave it to me as suggested one, and I went onto full desktop browsing to see what this site is about. Fantastic work mate (stubmled upon your portfolio page and tweeted it!), just keep on going!
I found it via Zite as well
Cool. :)
After having the opportunity to use an iPad2 from work for about a month I bought the Galaxy 10.1 for my wife. I was able to us them side by side for about another month. Both are great but the Samsung has more of what I expect. I bought a second one for myself and love it.
I agree with the writer, in that, any poorly designed custom UI forced down through and update cycle not only ruins the device, it ruins the users out look on the OS – in this case it being Android.
I was an early adopter of Android and have watched this custom UI thing done by the manufactures get way out of control. And until the public stands up and demands pure, unlocked, UI and OS’s this mess will get even bigger. I feel that Apple is just as guilty when it comes to locking down the users ability and choices so that is not an option for me either. I will be buying the the next Google Nexus Phone and will wait for a manufacturer to sell a pure un-skinned Android tablet with the specs I want before I buy one of those as well.
And for you all out there that roam these posts just spreading your shit filled comments, you remind me of what a good friend of mine once use to say and that is, “Some people aint good for nothing other than being fertilizer” think about it.
This piece of text is exactly what I was saying about the Galaxy S smartphone a year ago… Great hardware, bad UI. This is not Google’s fault or Android, but Samgsung’s… One of my friend got the Galaxy S as a gift from her kids. She asked me to help her configure her phone as she’s clueless when it comes to computers.
At the first look, i was amazed by it, comparing to my iPhone 3GS… Then, I got confused… There was 2 or 3 mail apps, 2 AppStores, Apps that were just getting in the way, some were duplicates of others… Skype was not working as expected (after some research, it was a known bug), etc…
What should have taken just a few minutes ended up in several hours of searching how to do things. I’m a linux pro, so I know my around with tech, but this device was brilliantly bloated by Samsung… I don’t mind tweaking my linux server at home, but I just want to use a smartphone as I would use a TV or a toothbrush. That Galaxy S kept me away from the Tab and I got an iPad 1. Because it just works, no tweaking, no super powers needed.
The problem is not Android, but the manufactuers breaking the OS like they did for Windows. Each time a new Android tablet is released, I always hope to see the famous iPad killer. And each time, the manufacturer prevents it… Feels like the famous year of the linux desktop, but this time on the tablet market.
Yep, I’m locked down on the iPad and the iPhone compared to Android, but it works, and it works well. I keep my inner geek for my servers running Linux…
Wow. I don’t even really like android devices myself but I can tell just by reading this that you made this post out of spite. Even though some things work fine as you say, you still criticize even those. Question: Do you feel better now that you got it all out? Next time take a couple deep breathes and think of a happy place. :)
How do you turn the alarm off ?
Driving me mad….
Thanks
I agree 100% with the author. I was initially impressed with the changes, but after a hour or two of checking out and playing with the new and updated apps, I kept asking myself “why did they mess with this or what was the point of this?” Why ruin the calendar and contacts, which were solid? Why such huge fonts? Why do I need a screenshot button right next to the home and task list buttons? Why are there so many music/video players, media/social media hubs, memo pads, etc…? WHY WHY WHY? What were they thinking?
I found myself genuinely pissed that they ruined my tablet. In the end form and function won out over marginal speed improvements, so I ended up rooting my tablet, installing CWM and restoring my tablet to the vanilla honeycomb OS it came with and couldn’t be happier. Thank God for xda-developers and the member(s) that posted the stock ROM!!! At the very least Samsung needs to make Touchwiz UX an option and not a mandatory replacement of the GUI and allow the user the option to uninstall the bloat they’ve crammed in there. I hope honeycomb 3.2 or ICS 4.0 will be available in non-Touchwiz flavors, because I’m not going back.
/rant
Shhh do not tell little boy – Ernie Tirado – he might get mad!
OK….That was funny and I had a good chuckle….I stand corrected on the opinion part even thou the opinion was a bit harsh and not all that deserving. My apologies to Sahas Katta. He was truly a gentleman through this whole ranting of mine….I let my personal felling for Apple as company blind my judgment on piece on the Galaxy 10.1.
My opinion is this is a very good piece of equipment which deserves respect.
Cheers to all, it was fun while it lasted….I’ll leave final judgment on future OPINION of your to see if their bias or not.
Cheers once again.
well if your that adamant to get rid of it, i would be very happy to take it off your hands, just send me an email and i’ll send you my real life address =)
I’ve had my Galaxy Tab 10.1 for a few weeks now and I couldn’t be happier. I haven’t had any problems with any light bleeding at all. For everything else such a the Touchwiz update and apps, it’s pretty simple – YOU can choose what to update / download what you want on your tablet. That’s the great thing about android tablets. If that’s too much complicated for you, maybe you should go with the ipad which locks down user control to nearly nothing.
You are nuts the samsung galaxy 10.1 with touch wiz is great. I have had no problems…..sounds like user inability!
I have TouchWiz also and it is great! No issues at all..sounds like he is just sour because he got a lemon. All electronics have a few that have issues…Its LIFE deal with it and move on. Dont write an article full of opinions and expect people to take them as fact. Get a new job ASAP dude..
Seriously? Troll, go elsewhere. You must’ve missed that the giant “OPINION” text is highlighted at the top. This IS an opinion post, it is not meant to be taken as a review or as facts about the platform.
I will say – people should take this as fact but with a grain of salt. After personal experience with a Tab 10.1, this author was very generous in his review. I couldn’t stand the thing, as slow and cheap as it felt, although not everyone will see it the same way.
Good write up. I’ve got the Galaxy Tab 10.1. My first unit I had to return because of the “oily screen” issue. It kept getting worse. I don’t worry much about the apps or the ui samsung puts on it. You can change it to whatever you want because it’s a droid. I also have a Ipad 2 so I know this is true. Apply locks down the Ipad.
I meant so say “Apple” locks down the Ipad… Sorry bout the dumbness.