Samsung’s Galaxy Tab is widely viewed as the first serious tablet contender to Apple’s iPad. The device, operating on the Android OS, has hit the market, and reviews are starting to come in. Things are mostly – but not all – positive. The boys at Gizmodo are particularly tough on the device.
A common theme seems to be that the 7″ format makes the device seem more like a big phone (although it’s not a phone). That is good – and bad – in some of the reviewers’ experiences.
All in all, the device appears to be getting solid reviews. It can’t help but be compared to the iPad, but Samsung seems to be trying to play up those differences (camera, Flash compatible). In the end, Samsung should be lauded for getting a credible device into the marketplace before Christmas.
Here are some of the reviews:
With the first legitimate competitor to iPad for the consumer-focused tablet-computer market, Samsung continues to take its cues from Apple — just as it’s been doing with cellphones. That is not necessarily a bad thing. For all its faults, the iPad is still the tablet to beat. The Galaxy Tab takes direct aim at iPad’s shortcomings and does a credible job at addressing nearly all of them. – Wired
Typically, the point of a compromise is to bring together the best of both sides. The Tab is like a compromise’s evil twin, merging the worst of a tablet and the worst of a phone. It has all of the input problems of a tablet, with almost none of the consumption benefits. With more apps geared to its tweener size, it could be a lot better, but it’s not clear they’re coming anytime soon, if ever. The Tab is an awkward first attempt at this kind of tablet—wait for somebody else to do it better. – Gizmodo
This device is what it is: a small, fairly powerful tablet for Android lovers. I’d love to play to my own bias and state that the iPad is unequivocally better but I can’t. This is for a different consumer and based on a different architecture. It is a good product, a little big, and an able device for media playback, e-book reading, and general email productivity. – TechCrunch