InformationWeek Stories by Rick Lehrbaum

InformationWeek Stories by Rick Lehrbaumhttp://www.informationweek.comInformationWeeken-usCopyright 2012, UBM LLC.2013-01-24T11:25:00ZSamsung Adds Multiwindow Mojo to AndroidMultiwindow, multitasking features in Samsung's Android 4.1.2 update for the Galaxy Note 10.1 push Android's user interface into new territory, adding Windows-like capabilities that are sure to delight many users - and aggravate others.http://www.informationweek.com/byte/personal-tech/samsung-adds-multiwindow-mojo-to-android/240146885?cid=RSSfeed_IWK_AuthorsSamsung's recent Android 4.1.2 upgrade for the Galaxy Note 10.1 adds power and flexibility to the company's unique offering of <a href="http://deviceguru.com/samsung-galaxy-note-10-1-review/#multiwindowing-v1" target="new">Android multiwindowing features</a>. With this update, the Galaxy Note 10.1 can run up to 16 multiwindow-enabled Android apps at once, Windows/Mac-like, on a single screen. Apps endowed with Samsung's multiwindow technology are usable in three viewing modes: full screen, dual view, and cascade view, as shown below. <table align=center width="100%" border=0 cellpadding=5 cellspacing=0> <tr><td align=center> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2013-Jan/Samsung-Multiwindow/samsung-multiwindow-fullscreen.png" target="new"><img width=180 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2013-Jan/Samsung-Multiwindow/samsung-multiwindow-fullscreen.png" vspace=5 hspace=5 border=0></a> Fullscreen view</td> <td align=center> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2013-Jan/Samsung-Multiwindow/samsung-multiwindow-dualview.png" target="new"><img width=180 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2013-Jan/Samsung-Multiwindow/samsung-multiwindow-dualview.png" vspace=5 hspace=5 border=0></a> Dual view</td> <td align=center> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2013-Jan/Samsung-Multiwindow/samsung-multiwindow-cascadeview.png" target="new"><img width=180 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2013-Jan/Samsung-Multiwindow/samsung-multiwindow-cascadeview.png" vspace=5 hspace=5 border=0></a> Cascade view</td></tr> <tr><td colspan=3 align=center>(click images to enlarge)</td></tr> </table> To accomplish this, Samsung added a multiwindow app framework to its proprietary Android "TouchWiz" user interface, and tweaked a range of Android apps to support the framework. There currently are 18 multiwindow-enabled apps, including browser, email, contacts, calendar, alarm, calculator, YouTube, video player, office suite, and other frequently-used functions. Presumably, the will grow over time. Running multiwindow apps <img align=right vspace=5 hspace=5 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2013-Jan/Samsung-Multiwindow/samsung-multiwindow-control-1.png">Multiwindow apps can be launched either in the normal manner, from the homescreen or All Apps screens, or from a pop-open "multi window apps tray" conveniently located at the bottom of any screen. The apps tray opens up when you tap the up-arrow in the middle of the screen's lower panel (illustrated on the right). The screenshot below shows the multiwindow apps tray. <center> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2013-Jan/Samsung-Multiwindow/samsung-multiwindow-apps-tray.png" target="new"><img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2013-Jan/Samsung-Multiwindow/samsung-multiwindow-apps-tray.png" vspace=5 hspace=5 border=0></a> Multiwindow apps tray (click image to enlarge) </center> <table width="100%" vspace=5 hspace=5 border=0 cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0><tr><TD>A pair of buttons located in the lower-left of the apps tray (illustrated on the right) determines whether the apps launched from the tray start in dual-view or cascade-view. However, once one or more multiwindow apps have been launched from the tray, you can switch their modes (as a group) from one view to the other. You can also switch any multiwindow app individually into full-screen view.</TD><td align=center><a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2013-Jan/Samsung-Multiwindow/samsung-multiwindow-control-4.png" target="new"><img width=300 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2013-Jan/Samsung-Multiwindow/samsung-multiwindow-control-4.png" vspace=5 hspace=5 border=0></a> (click to enlarge)</td></tr></table> Manipulating multiwindow apps <table width="100%" vspace=5 hspace=5 border=0 cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0><tr><td><a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2013-Jan/Samsung-Multiwindow/samsung-multiwindow-control-2.png" target="new"><img width=300 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2013-Jan/Samsung-Multiwindow/samsung-multiwindow-control-2.png" vspace=5 hspace=5 border=0></a> (click to enlarge)</td><TD>When they are running in either cascade- or dual-view mode, multiwindow apps have three control widgets along their top border, as shown on the left. Here's how to use the control widgets that appear at the top of multiwindow apps when in cascade- or dual-view mode:</TD></tr></table> <ul><li>Tap the pin widget (at the left) to make an app remain in the foreground, with other multiwindow apps behind it. After being tapped, the pin widget turns green so you know the app is "pinned" to the foreground.</li> <li>Tap the empty square widget to maximize the app to place it in fullscreen view mode.</li> <li>Tap the square-with-X widget to close the app.</li> </ul> Additionally, you can resize and reposition multiwindow apps. For apps in cascade-view mode... <ul> <li>Press-drag within the app's top panel to move the app around on the screen.</li> <li>Press-drag one of the app's borders horizontally, vertically, or diagonally to resize the app's window.</li> </ul> And for apps in dual-view mode... <ul> <li>Swipe the app's top panel to the right or left to switch its position with the other dual-view app.</li> <li>Press-drag the border between the two onscreen apps to the left or right to change how much of the screen each dual-view app occupies.</li> </ul> Launching multiwindow apps the normal way <div style="margin:0; padding: 0 5px 5px 0; width:264px; float:left; text-align:center;"><img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2013-Jan/Samsung-Multiwindow/samsung-multiwindow-control-3.png" alt="same as caption" hspace="0" vspace="0" border="0" /></div>When you launch a multiwindow-enabled app from an icon located on a homescreen or All Apps screen, it runs in fullscreen view, just like a normal Android app. However, once it's running, you can move it into multiwindow view mode by tapping the multiwindow widget in its upper-right corner (shown on the left). At that point, it will go into cascade- or dual-view format, depending on the current view selection setting in the multiwindow apps tray. Current set of 18 multiwindow apps The screenshot below shows the launcher-icons for the 18 multiwindow apps that were included in the Galaxy Note 10.1's recent Android 4.1.2 firmware update. <center> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2013-Jan/Samsung-Multiwindow/samsung-multiwindow-apps.png" target="new"><img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2013-Jan/Samsung-Multiwindow/samsung-multiwindow-apps-620.png" vspace=5 hspace=5 border=0></a> Samsung's current set of 18 multiwindow apps (click image to enlarge) </center> The screenshot above shows the multiwindow apps tray in "edit mode," with which you can determine which apps you want to appear in the tray. To accomplish that, you tap the icons in the tray to move them to the upper area, after which they are hidden from the tray; or tap the ones in the top area to move them down to the tray. You can also drag icons around in the tray to change their position. Android multiwindow apps demo Here's a YouTube video tour of Samsung's latest Android multiwindow apps technology: <center> <iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/tjHMEkBFhsg" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> </center> The bottom line By releasing most of the Android system under the <a href="http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0" target="new">ASLv2 open-source license</a>, Google has enabled device manufacturers to customize the Android OS, which helps them <a href="http://arstechnica.com/uncategorized/2007/11/why-google-chose-the-apache-software-license-over-gplv2/" target="new">differentiate their products</a>. As the most successful Android device maker ever, Samsung has invested heavily in <a href="http://www.samsung.com/uk/mobileappsandservices/touchwiz.html" target="new">TouchWiz</a>, which it wraps around Android to add value to its products. The new multiwindow features in the company's Android 4.1.2 update for the Galaxy Note 10.1 push Android's user interface into new territories, adding Windows-like capabilities that are sure to delight many users and aggravate others. From a practical point-of-view, I don't find Samsung's multiwindow apps to be of much interest, other than for a few pop-up functions such as a calculator, alarm clock, or other occasional use. That's because I make a habit of <a href="http://deviceguru.com/samsung-galaxy-note-10-1-review/" target="new">organizing my tablet's homescreen</a> such that any tool or app can be launched in a tap or two. Still, I'll be curious to see whether Samsung's newly enhanced multiwindow technologies thrive ...or languish. 2013-01-11T11:30:00ZAttack of the Telepresence Robots!A handful of innovative high-tech startups have emerged to create a new market: remote telepresence robots. These are videoconference devices, most of which roam an office independently under the control of a remote worker. Not only can you videoconference with remote workers, you can be there in a creepy way and go where you want. In this story we look at MantaroBot "TeleMe," VGo Communications "VGo," Anybots "QB," Suitable Technologies "Beam" and Revolve Robotics "Kubi."http://www.informationweek.com/byte/personal-tech/mobile-applications/attack-of-the-telepresence-robots/240146106?cid=RSSfeed_IWK_AuthorsDevices: Bring Your Own Human! The growing trend toward telecommuting and outsourcing has driven companies to seek ways for remote workers and teams to communicate and collaborate more efficiently and effectively. This need has inspired a handful of innovative high-tech startups to create a new market: remote telepresence robots. <div style="margin:0; padding: 0 0 5px 5px; width:92px; float:right; text-align:center;"><a target="_blank" href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2013-Jan/robotic-telepresence/kubi.jpg"><img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2013-Jan/robotic-telepresence/kubi-thm.jpg" alt="Kubi" hspace="0" vspace="0" border="0" /></a><div style="margin:4px 0 0 0; padding:0; color:#990000; font-weight:bold;">Kubi (click to enlarge)</div></div>Although remote workers and contractors have depended on real-time audio/video communications tools for many years, including Skype, Facetime, Google Talk, and various dedicated video-conferencing equipment and service, nothing truly offered a "being there" or better yet, "moving around there" experience. What was lacking was the ability to work within the remote environment, chatting with managers and staff, attending both scheduled and spontaneous meetings, and solving problems encountered through those interactions. Several remote telepresence robots have come to market over the past few years, and more are on the way. Shown below are drivable remote telepresence robots from MantaroBot, Vgo, Anybots, and Suitable Technology. A lower cost non-mobile desktop alternative from Revolve Robotics, known as the Kubi, is shown at the right. If you're still having trouble envisioning how it works, see the YouTube demo videos further on in this article. <center>Meet your new officemate... <table width="100%" align="center" border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0> <tr> 	<td align=center width="20%" align=center><a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2013-Jan/robotic-telepresence/teleme-sm.jpg" target="new"><img height=250 valign=middle border=0 vspace=5 hspace=5 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2013-Jan/robotic-telepresence/teleme-sm.jpg"></a> </td> 	<td align=center width="20%" align=center><a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2013-Jan/robotic-telepresence/vgo-sm.jpg" target="new"><img height=250 valign=middle border=0 vspace=5 hspace=5 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2013-Jan/robotic-telepresence/vgo-sm.jpg"></a> </td> 	<td align=center width="20%" align=center><a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2013-Jan/robotic-telepresence/qb-sm.jpg" target="new"><img height=250 valign=middle border=0 vspace=5 hspace=5 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2013-Jan/robotic-telepresence/qb-sm.jpg"></a> </td> 	<td align=center width="20%" align=center><a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2013-Jan/robotic-telepresence/beam-sm.jpg" target="new"><img height=250 valign=middle border=0 vspace=5 hspace=5 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2013-Jan/robotic-telepresence/beam-sm.jpg"></a> </td> </tr> <tr><TD>MantaroBot "TeleMe"</TD><TD>VGo Communications "VGo"</TD><TD>Anybots "QB"</TD><TD>Suitable Technologies "Beam"</TD></tr> <tr><TD> </TD></td><TD colspan=2><center>(click images to enlarge)</center></TD><TD> </TD> </tr></table></center> Alien encounters? What's it like to encounter one of these robotic avatars wandering around your facility, and interact with it? "For all the newness of the Beam, locals often forget they are dealing with a person on an RPD, as opposed to in-person, in as little as 20 minutes," says Scott Hassan, CEO of Suitable Technologies. According to Hassan, the Beam's design features a large LCD display and a minimum of "bells and whistles" that would tend to interfere with natural interactions. "As a result, meetings via Beam lose their novelty pretty quickly and both parties just get down to work." The photos below show the Kubi, VGo, Beam, QB, and TeleMe telepresence devices participating in meetings, rolling down hallways, and interacting with coworkers in various work environments. My favorite is <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2013-Jan/robotic-telepresence/beams-passing-in-hallway.jpg" target="new">the last one</a>, in which two Beams encounter each other in a hallway and pause for a chat. <center>(click images to enlarge) <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2013-Jan/robotic-telepresence/kubi-meeting.jpg" target="new"><img valign=middle border=0 vspace=5 hspace=5 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2013-Jan/robotic-telepresence/kubi-meeting-225.jpg"></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2013-Jan/robotic-telepresence/vgo-lab.jpg" target="new"><img valign=middle border=0 vspace=5 hspace=5 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2013-Jan/robotic-telepresence/vgo-lab-225.jpg"></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2013-Jan/robotic-telepresence/beam-in-lab.jpg" target="new"><img valign=middle border=0 vspace=5 hspace=5 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2013-Jan/robotic-telepresence/beam-in-lab-225.jpg"></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2013-Jan/robotic-telepresence/qb-meeting.jpg" target="new"><img valign=middle border=0 vspace=5 hspace=5 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2013-Jan/robotic-telepresence/qb-meeting-225.jpg"></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2013-Jan/robotic-telepresence/teleme-tete-a-tete.jpg" target="new"><img valign=middle border=0 vspace=5 hspace=5 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2013-Jan/robotic-telepresence/teleme-tete-a-tete-225.jpg"></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2013-Jan/robotic-telepresence/beams-passing-in-hallway.jpg" target="new"><img valign=middle border=0 vspace=5 hspace=5 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2013-Jan/robotic-telepresence/beams-passing-in-hallway-225.jpg"></a> (click images to enlarge)</center> How hard is it to remotely "drive" a telepresence robot? "Having some experience playing video games helps," says Hassan. "The interface for the Beam's remote pilot is very simple, and is picked up in a matter of minutes. Based, of course, on a limited sample size, those who are self-described gamers have been up and piloting the Beam in no time at all. The interface is very similar to a first-person shooter, but without the gun." <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/byte/personal-tech/mobile-applications/attack-of-the-telepresence-robots/240146106?pgno=2">Next Page: Telepresence robot smackdown!</a> Telepresence robot smackdown! Let's examine how the key features and specs of these five telepresence robots compare. While they each have a number of unique features and characteristics, I've summarized the main specs of all these telepresence robots in the table below. As you'll see, there's quite a range in pricing. <center>Summary of features & specs for five telepresence robots</center> <table align=center width="600" cellpadding=3 cellspacing=0 style="border-collapse: collapse; border: 1px solid gray;"> <tr style="border-collapse: collapse; border: 1px solid gray;"> <td style="border-collapse: collapse; border: 1px solid gray;" width="15%"></td> <td style="border-collapse: collapse; border: 1px solid gray;" width="17%" align="center" style="font-size:8pt;">MantaroBot "TeleMe"</td> <td style="border-collapse: collapse; border: 1px solid gray;" width="17%" align="center" style="font-size:8pt;">VGo Communications "VGo"</td> <td style="border-collapse: collapse; border: 1px solid gray;" width="17%" align="center" style="font-size:8pt;">Anybots "QB"</td> <td style="border-collapse: collapse; border: 1px solid gray;" width="17%" align="center" style="font-size:8pt;">Suitable Tech "Beam"</td> <td style="border-collapse: collapse; border: 1px solid gray;" width="17%" align="center" style="font-size:8pt;">Revolve Robotics "Kubi"</td> </tr> <tr style="border-collapse: collapse; border: 1px solid gray;"> <td style="border-collapse: collapse; border: 1px solid gray;" align="left" style="font-size:8pt;">Height</td> <td style="border-collapse: collapse; border: 1px solid gray;" align="center" style="font-size:8pt;">60 in.</td> <td style="border-collapse: collapse; border: 1px solid gray;" align="center" style="font-size:8pt;">48 in.</td> <td style="border-collapse: collapse; border: 1px solid gray;" align="center" style="font-size:8pt;">34 or 74 in.</td> <td style="border-collapse: collapse; border: 1px solid gray;" align="center" style="font-size:8pt;">62 in.</td> <td style="border-collapse: collapse; border: 1px solid gray;" align="center" style="font-size:8pt;">16 in.</td> </tr> <tr style="border-collapse: collapse; border: 1px solid gray;"> <td style="border-collapse: collapse; border: 1px solid gray;" align="left" style="font-size:8pt;">Weight</td> <td style="border-collapse: collapse; border: 1px solid gray;" align="center" style="font-size:8pt;">20 lbs</td> <td style="border-collapse: collapse; border: 1px solid gray;" align="center" style="font-size:8pt;">18 or 22 lbs (depends on battery)</td> <td style="border-collapse: collapse; border: 1px solid gray;" align="center" style="font-size:8pt;">35 lbs</td> <td style="border-collapse: collapse; border: 1px solid gray;" align="center" style="font-size:8pt;">95 lbs</td> <td style="border-collapse: collapse; border: 1px solid gray;" align="center" style="font-size:8pt;">3 lbs</td> </tr> <tr style="border-collapse: collapse; border: 1px solid gray;"> <td style="border-collapse: collapse; border: 1px solid gray;" align="left" style="font-size:8pt;">Motion type</td> <td style="border-collapse: collapse; border: 1px solid gray;" align="center" style="font-size:8pt;">tilt/swivel; locomotion</td> <td style="border-collapse: collapse; border: 1px solid gray;" align="center" style="font-size:8pt;">tilt/swivel; locomotion</td> <td style="border-collapse: collapse; border: 1px solid gray;" align="center" style="font-size:8pt;">tilt/swivel; locomotion</td> <td style="border-collapse: collapse; border: 1px solid gray;" align="center" style="font-size:8pt;">tilt/swivel; locomotion</td> <td style="border-collapse: collapse; border: 1px solid gray;" align="center" style="font-size:8pt;">tilt/swivel</td> </tr> <tr style="border-collapse: collapse; border: 1px solid gray;"> <td style="border-collapse: collapse; border: 1px solid gray;" align="left" style="font-size:8pt;">Wheels</td> <td style="border-collapse: collapse; border: 1px solid gray;" align="center" style="font-size:8pt;">2 active, 1 passive</td> <td style="border-collapse: collapse; border: 1px solid gray;" align="center" style="font-size:8pt;">2 active, 2 passive</td> <td style="border-collapse: collapse; border: 1px solid gray;" align="center" style="font-size:8pt;">2</td> <td style="border-collapse: collapse; border: 1px solid gray;" align="center" style="font-size:8pt;">2 active, 3 passive</td> <td style="border-collapse: collapse; border: 1px solid gray;" align="center" style="font-size:8pt;">n/a</td> </tr> <tr style="border-collapse: collapse; border: 1px solid gray;"> <td style="border-collapse: collapse; border: 1px solid gray;" align="left" style="font-size:8pt;">Max speed</td> <td style="border-collapse: collapse; border: 1px solid gray;" align="center" style="font-size:8pt;">2 ft/sec</td> <td style="border-collapse: collapse; border: 1px solid gray;" align="center" style="font-size:8pt;">2.5 ft/sec</td> <td style="border-collapse: collapse; border: 1px solid gray;" align="center" style="font-size:8pt;">5 ft/sec</td> <td style="border-collapse: collapse; border: 1px solid gray;" align="center" style="font-size:8pt;">5 ft/sec</td> <td style="border-collapse: collapse; border: 1px solid gray;" align="center" style="font-size:8pt;">n/a</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="border-collapse: collapse; border: 1px solid gray;" align="left" style="font-size:8pt;">Obstacle sensors</td> <td style="border-collapse: collapse; border: 1px solid gray;" align="center" style="font-size:8pt;">yes</td> <td style="border-collapse: collapse; border: 1px solid gray;" align="center" style="font-size:8pt;">yes</td> <td style="border-collapse: collapse; border: 1px solid gray;" align="center" style="font-size:8pt;">yes</td> <td style="border-collapse: collapse; border: 1px solid gray;" align="center" style="font-size:8pt;">none</td> <td style="border-collapse: collapse; border: 1px solid gray;" align="center" style="font-size:8pt;">n/a</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="border-collapse: collapse; border: 1px solid gray;" align="left" style="font-size:8pt;">Battery capacity</td> <td style="border-collapse: collapse; border: 1px solid gray;" align="center" style="font-size:8pt;">6 or 8.5 hrs (battery dependent)</td> <td style="border-collapse: collapse; border: 1px solid gray;" align="center" style="font-size:8pt;">6 or 12 hrs (battery dependent)</td> <td style="border-collapse: collapse; border: 1px solid gray;" align="center" style="font-size:8pt;">6-8 hrs</td> <td style="border-collapse: collapse; border: 1px solid gray;" align="center" style="font-size:8pt;">8 hrs</td> <td style="border-collapse: collapse; border: 1px solid gray;" align="center" style="font-size:8pt;">4 hrs</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="border-collapse: collapse; border: 1px solid gray;" align="left" style="font-size:8pt;">Display</td> <td style="border-collapse: collapse; border: 1px solid gray;" align="center" style="font-size:8pt;">depends on tablet</td> <td style="border-collapse: collapse; border: 1px solid gray;" align="center" style="font-size:8pt;">6-inch diag LCD</td> <td style="border-collapse: collapse; border: 1px solid gray;" align="center" style="font-size:8pt;">3.7-inch diag LCD</td> <td style="border-collapse: collapse; border: 1px solid gray;" align="center" style="font-size:8pt;">17-inch diag LCD</td> <td style="border-collapse: collapse; border: 1px solid gray;" align="center" style="font-size:8pt;">depends on tablet</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="border-collapse: collapse; border: 1px solid gray;" align="left" style="font-size:8pt;">Cameras</td> <td style="border-collapse: collapse; border: 1px solid gray;" align="center" style="font-size:8pt;">1 (via tablet)</td> <td style="border-collapse: collapse; border: 1px solid gray;" align="center" style="font-size:8pt;">1</td> <td style="border-collapse: collapse; border: 1px solid gray;" align="center" style="font-size:8pt;">2</td> <td style="border-collapse: collapse; border: 1px solid gray;" align="center" style="font-size:8pt;">2 wide-angle HD</td> <td style="border-collapse: collapse; border: 1px solid gray;" align="center" style="font-size:8pt;">1 (via tablet)</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="border-collapse: collapse; border: 1px solid gray;" align="left" style="font-size:8pt;">Microphones</td> <td style="border-collapse: collapse; border: 1px solid gray;" align="center" style="font-size:8pt;">1 (via tablet)</td> <td style="border-collapse: collapse; border: 1px solid gray;" align="center" style="font-size:8pt;">4</td> <td style="border-collapse: collapse; border: 1px solid gray;" align="center" style="font-size:8pt;">3</td> <td style="border-collapse: collapse; border: 1px solid gray;" align="center" style="font-size:8pt;">6</td> <td style="border-collapse: collapse; border: 1px solid gray;" align="center" style="font-size:8pt;">1 (via tablet)</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="border-collapse: collapse; border: 1px solid gray;" align="left" style="font-size:8pt;">Laser pointer</td> <td style="border-collapse: collapse; border: 1px solid gray;" align="center" style="font-size:8pt;">optional</td> <td style="border-collapse: collapse; border: 1px solid gray;" align="center" style="font-size:8pt;">no</td> <td style="border-collapse: collapse; border: 1px solid gray;" align="center" style="font-size:8pt;">yes</td> <td style="border-collapse: collapse; border: 1px solid gray;" align="center" style="font-size:8pt;">no</td> <td style="border-collapse: collapse; border: 1px solid gray;" align="center" style="font-size:8pt;">no</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="border-collapse: collapse; border: 1px solid gray;" align="left" style="font-size:8pt;">Wireless</td> <td style="border-collapse: collapse; border: 1px solid gray;" align="center" style="font-size:8pt;">WiFi</td> <td style="border-collapse: collapse; border: 1px solid gray;" align="center" style="font-size:8pt;">WiFi; 4G (option)</td> <td style="border-collapse: collapse; border: 1px solid gray;" align="center" style="font-size:8pt;">Wifi</td> <td style="border-collapse: collapse; border: 1px solid gray;" align="center" style="font-size:8pt;">2 dual-band 2.5/5GHz radios</td> <td style="border-collapse: collapse; border: 1px solid gray;" align="center" style="font-size:8pt;">Bluetooth + WiFi or cellular (depends on tablet)</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="border-collapse: collapse; border: 1px solid gray;" align="left" style="font-size:8pt;">First shipments</td> <td style="border-collapse: collapse; border: 1px solid gray;" align="center" style="font-size:8pt;">Q3 2012</td> <td style="border-collapse: collapse; border: 1px solid gray;" align="center" style="font-size:8pt;">Q4 2011</td> <td style="border-collapse: collapse; border: 1px solid gray;" align="center" style="font-size:8pt;">Q1 2011</td> <td style="border-collapse: collapse; border: 1px solid gray;" align="center" style="font-size:8pt;">Q4 2012</td> <td style="border-collapse: collapse; border: 1px solid gray;" align="center" style="font-size:8pt;">Q2 2013</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="border-collapse: collapse; border: 1px solid gray;" align="left" style="font-size:8pt;">Base price</td> <td style="border-collapse: collapse; border: 1px solid gray;" align="center" style="font-size:8pt;">$1,500 (+ tablet)</td> <td style="border-collapse: collapse; border: 1px solid gray;" align="center" style="font-size:8pt;">$6,000</td> <td style="border-collapse: collapse; border: 1px solid gray;" align="center" style="font-size:8pt;">$9,700</td> <td style="border-collapse: collapse; border: 1px solid gray;" align="center" style="font-size:8pt;">$16,000</td> <td style="border-collapse: collapse; border: 1px solid gray;" align="center" style="font-size:8pt;">$249 (+ tablet)</td> </tr> </table> Telepresence video demonstrations The videos below breathe a little more life into the concept of telepresence robots. <! original sizes were 560 x 315 > <table width="100%" align="center" border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=5> <td align=center><iframe width="280" height="158" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/z23UeJi_uJ4" frameborder="1" allowfullscreen></iframe> Suitable Technologies "Beam" </td> <td align=center><iframe width="280" height="158" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/_7JMVEcqieo" frameborder="1" allowfullscreen></iframe> VGo Communications "VGo" </td> </tr><tr> <td align=center><iframe width="280" height="158" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/OnxAXXHaAM8" frameborder="1" allowfullscreen></iframe> Anybot "QB" </td> <td align=center><iframe width="280" height="158" src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/55830863" frameborder="1" allowfullscreen></iframe> Revolve Robotics "Kubi" </td></tr> <tr><td colspan=2 align=center><iframe width="280" height="158" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/k9alOsB2HG8" frameborder="1" allowfullscreen></iframe> MantaroBot "TeleMe" </td></tr> </table> The bottom line Slowly but steadily, mobile telepresence robots are insinuating themselves into our work environments, especially in situations where they provide services that would not otherwise be available. For example, some of their first successes are in hospitals, nursing homes, and home health care. Whether the ability to meander through a remote location is necessary, or even practical, depends a lot on the facility's layout. Are there doors that must be opened? Stairs to climb? Multiple buildings to move between? And then there's the need to recharge before running out of power and going into a shut-down mode. <div style="margin:0; padding: 0 0 5px 5px; width:160px; float:left; text-align:center;"><a target="_blank" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cybermen"><img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2013-Jan/robotic-telepresence/cyberman.png" alt="cyberman" hspace="0" vspace="0" border="0" /></a><div style="margin:4px 0 0 0; padding:0; color:#990000; font-weight:bold;">Cyberman (click for info)</div></div><div style="margin:0; padding: 0 0 5px 5px; width:160px; float:right; text-align:center;"><a target="_blank" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battlestar_Galactica"><img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2013-Jan/robotic-telepresence/cylon-centurion-thm.jpg" alt="Cylon Centurion" hspace="0" vspace="0" border="0" /></a><div style="margin:4px 0 0 0; padding:0; color:#990000; font-weight:bold;">Cylon Centurion (click for info)</div></div>Bear in mind that what we're seeing here is the emergence of a new industry; and if Moore's Law applies here as it does to so many IT spheres, it won't be long before these gadgets are inexpensive, commonplace, and far more flexible and intelligent. Let's just hope they don't get too smart, and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battlestar_Galactica" target="new">decide to take over</a>! <hr> Further info <hr> More information about the products discussed above are available from the companies' websites, as listed below:<ul><li><a href="http://www.mantarobot.com/products/teleme/index.htm" target="new">MantaroBot: "TeleMe"</a> <li><a href="http://vgocom.com" target="new">VGo Communications: "VGo"</a> <li><a href="http://www.anybots.com" target="new">Anybots: "QB"</a> <li><a href="http://suitabletechnologies.com" target="new">Suitable Technologies: "Beam"</a> <li><a href="http://revolverobotics.com/" target="new">Revolve Robotics: "Kubi"</a></ul>2012-12-06T13:15:00ZGoogle Nexus 10: Dazzling Display, Great For Work & PlayI praised Google's first Nexus-branded Android tablet, the 7-inch Nexus 7 as the "best bang for the buck of any tablet available" in my last review. Last month, Google began shipping its first 10-inch Nexus, so I wondered, does it follow in the footsteps of its smaller sibling?http://www.informationweek.com/byte/personal-tech/tablets/google-nexus-10-dazzling-display-great-f/240143969?cid=RSSfeed_IWK_Authors<div align=center> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Dec/Google-Nexus-10/nexus10-front.jpg" target="new"><img hspace=5 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Dec/Google-Nexus-10/nexus10-front-250.jpg" border=0></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Dec/Google-Nexus-10/nexus10-back.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=5 hspace=5 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Dec/Google-Nexus-10/nexus10-back-250.jpg" border=0></a> Google Nexus 10 front and back (click images to enlarge) </div> At first glance, Google's new tablet, the Nexus 10 has an impressive bright, crisp 2560x1600 (300ppi) IPS display, which Google touts as "the world's highest resolution tablet display." In contrast, the iPad 3's 9.7-inch "retina" display has 2048x1536, 264ppi resolution. <div style="margin:0; padding: 0 0 5px 5px; float:right; text-align:center;"><table align=right vspace=5 hspace=5 border=0 cellpadding=5 cellspacing=0><tr><td><a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Dec/Google-Nexus-10/exynos5-diag.jpg" target="new"><img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Dec/Google-Nexus-10/exynos5-diag-thm.jpg" border=0></a></td></tr><td style="text-align: center; font-size:8pt;">Exinos 5250 SoC</td><tr><td style="text-align: center; font-size:8pt;">(click to enlarge)</td></tr><tr></tr></table></div>Physically, the Nexus 10 stays well within the 0.4-inch thickness and 22-ounce weight typical of well-designed 10-inch tablets. The Nexus 10 has an elegant appearance, with gently rounded corners and a hint of ovalness. Its rubbery back surface makes it more comfortable to hold than Apple's more ridged iPads. The Nexus 10 sports a <a target="_blank" href="http://www.samsung.com/global/business/semiconductor/product/application/detail?productId=7668">Samsung Exinos 5250 system-on-chip (SoC) application processor</a>, which integrates dual ARM Cortex A15 CPU cores, clocked at 1.7GHz, plus a rich set of system controllers (see the block diagram at right). Memory resources include 2GB of high-speed DDR3 SDRAM, 16 or 32 GB of flash, and a quad-core Mali T604 GPU (graphics processing unit) turbocharges the tablet's 2D and 3D graphics performance. <div align=center> <img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Dec/Google-Nexus-10/nexus10-edge.jpg" border=0> Just 0.4-inch thick, despite its beefy 9,000 mAh battery </div> How Samsung, who builds the Nexus 10 for Google, managed to squish so much computing muscle along with a 9000mAh power pack into such a svelte body is a mystery. The body also has <a target="_blank" href="http://www.corninggorillaglass.com/literature">Corning Gorilla Glass 2</a>, which enables the use of up to 20 percent thinner glass while maintaining "industry-leading" damage resistance, toughness, and scratch-resistance, according to Corning. How the Nexus 10 compares to the Nexus 7 The devices were designed with two different hardware partners. Samsung manufactured the Nexus 10 and Asus made the Nexus 7. To find out how the two tablets compare, I summarize their key features and specs in the table below. Comparison of Nexus 10 and Nexus 7 features and specs <table width="500" border="1" bordercolor="black" align=center cellpadding=5 cellspacing=0> <tr> <td width="33%"></td> <td width="33%" align="center" style="font-size:10pt;">Nexus 7</td> <td width="33%" align="center" style="font-size:10pt;">Nexus 10</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="left" style="font-size:10pt;">Processor</td> <td align="center" style="font-size:10pt;">1.3GHz quad-core</td> <td align="center" style="font-size:10pt;">1.7GHz dual-core</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="left" style="font-size:10pt;">RAM</td> <td align="center" style="font-size:10pt;">1GB</td> <td align="center" style="font-size:10pt;">2GB</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="left" style="font-size:10pt;">Internal flash</td> <td align="center" style="font-size:10pt;">16GB or 32GB</td> <td align="center" style="font-size:10pt;">16GB or 32GB</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="left" style="font-size:10pt;">microSD expansion</td> <td align="center" style="font-size:10pt;">no</td> <td align="center" style="font-size:10pt;">no</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="left" style="font-size:10pt;">Display resolution</td> <td align="center" style="font-size:10pt;">1280x800</td> <td align="center" style="font-size:10pt;">2560x1600</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="left" style="font-size:10pt;">Display size</td> <td align="center" style="font-size:10pt;">5.95 x 3.7</td> <td align="center" style="font-size:10pt;">8.55 x 5.35</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="left" style="font-size:10pt;">Display area</td> <td align="center" style="font-size:10pt;">22 sq-in</td> <td align="center" style="font-size:10pt;">46 sq-in</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="left" style="font-size:10pt;">Display density</td> <td align="center" style="font-size:10pt;">216ppi</td> <td align="center" style="font-size:10pt;">300ppi</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="left" style="font-size:10pt;">Front camera</td> <td align="center" style="font-size:10pt;">1.2MP</td> <td align="center" style="font-size:10pt;">1.9MP</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="left" style="font-size:10pt;">Rear camera</td> <td align="center" style="font-size:10pt;">no</td> <td align="center" style="font-size:10pt;">5MP</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="left" style="font-size:10pt;">Video output</td> <td align="center" style="font-size:10pt;">no</td> <td align="center" style="font-size:10pt;">micro-HDMI</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="left" style="font-size:10pt;">WiFi</td> <td align="center" style="font-size:10pt;">yes</td> <td align="center" style="font-size:10pt;">yes</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="left" style="font-size:10pt;">Bluetooth</td> <td align="center" style="font-size:10pt;">v3.0</td> <td align="center" style="font-size:10pt;">v3.0</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="left" style="font-size:10pt;">GPS</td> <td align="center" style="font-size:10pt;">yes</td> <td align="center" style="font-size:10pt;">yes</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="left" style="font-size:10pt;">Cellular data option</td> <td align="center" style="font-size:10pt;">yes</td> <td align="center" style="font-size:10pt;">no</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="left" style="font-size:10pt;">Battery</td> <td align="center" style="font-size:10pt;">4325 mAh</td> <td align="center" style="font-size:10pt;">9000 mAh</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="left" style="font-size:10pt;">Size (in.)</td> <td align="center" style="font-size:10pt;">7.8 x 4.7 x 0.4</td> <td align="center" style="font-size:10pt;">10.4 x 7.0 x 0.4</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="left" style="font-size:10pt;">Weight</td> <td align="center" style="font-size:10pt;">12 oz</td> <td align="center" style="font-size:10pt;">21 oz</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="left" style="font-size:10pt;">Price (WiFi-only models)</td> <td align="center" style="font-size:10pt;">$200 (16GB) $250 (32GB)</td> <td align="center" style="font-size:10pt;">$400 (16GB) $500 (32GB)</td> </tr> </table> On top of all that, both tablets have NFC short-range wireless, which implements an Android Beam function, and both have built-in accelerometer, gyroscope, and magnetometer sensors. Unique to the Nexus 10 are a magnetic "Pogo pin" port on the bottom, for docking and charging, and a barometric sensor, which can be used in <a target="_blank" href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.igorinov.altimeter">altimeter applications</a>. Also, the Nexus 10 implements <a target="_blank" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MIMO">MIMO</a> (multiple-input and multiple-output) WiFi. The use of multiple receive/transmit antennas enables boosting WiFi performance by up to 400 percent, according to Google. Next Page: Nexus 10 out-of-box tourNexus 10 out-of-box tour Here's an inside look at Nexus 10's default home screens, apps, and widgets. Notice how the Nexus 10's default, out-of-box homescreen is refreshingly free of flashy wallpaper-and-widget eye candy, unlike the usual vendor-branded tablet. Default home screens <center><a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Dec/Google-Nexus-10/nexus10-defaulthomescreens-01.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=5 hspace=5 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Dec/Google-Nexus-10/nexus10-defaulthomescreens-01-thm.jpg" border=0></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Dec/Google-Nexus-10/nexus10-defaulthomescreens-02.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=5 hspace=5 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Dec/Google-Nexus-10/nexus10-defaulthomescreens-02-thm.jpg" border=0></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Dec/Google-Nexus-10/nexus10-defaulthomescreens-03.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=5 hspace=5 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Dec/Google-Nexus-10/nexus10-defaulthomescreens-03-thm.jpg" border=0></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Dec/Google-Nexus-10/nexus10-defaulthomescreens-04.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=5 hspace=5 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Dec/Google-Nexus-10/nexus10-defaulthomescreens-04-thm.jpg" border=0></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Dec/Google-Nexus-10/nexus10-defaulthomescreens-05.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=5 hspace=5 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Dec/Google-Nexus-10/nexus10-defaulthomescreens-05-thm.jpg" border=0></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Dec/Google-Nexus-10/nexus10-defaulthomescreens-06.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=5 hspace=5 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Dec/Google-Nexus-10/nexus10-defaulthomescreens-06-thm.jpg" border=0></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Dec/Google-Nexus-10/nexus10-defaulthomescreens-07.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=5 hspace=5 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Dec/Google-Nexus-10/nexus10-defaulthomescreens-07-thm.jpg" border=0></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Dec/Google-Nexus-10/nexus10-defaulthomescreens-09.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=5 hspace=5 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Dec/Google-Nexus-10/nexus10-defaulthomescreens-09-thm.jpg" border=0></a></center> (click images to enlarge) Below, the 29 Android apps that come preinstalled on the Nexus 10. The screenshot shows the contents of the tablet's App Drawer screen. Default Apps <center><a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Dec/Google-Nexus-10/nexus10-defaultapps.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=5 hspace=5 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Dec/Google-Nexus-10/nexus10-defaultapps-sm.jpg" border=0></a></center> (click image to enlarge) The screenshots in the group below demonstrate Android 4.2's default homescreen folder function. To create folders, simply drag one app launcher onto another, just like on an iPad. Android's default folder function accommodates up to 40 app-launchers and 1x1 widgets per folder. The only option is to name the folder. There are no appearance or style settings so what you see below is what you get. Later, I'll demonstrate a much more flexible and configurable, Android folder app. <center> Default Homescreen Folder Function <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Dec/Google-Nexus-10/nexus10-defaultfolders-01.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=5 hspace=5 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Dec/Google-Nexus-10/nexus10-defaultfolders-01-thm.jpg" border=0></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Dec/Google-Nexus-10/nexus10-defaultfolders-02.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=5 hspace=5 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Dec/Google-Nexus-10/nexus10-defaultfolders-02-thm.jpg" border=0></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Dec/Google-Nexus-10/nexus10-defaultfolders-03.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=5 hspace=5 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Dec/Google-Nexus-10/nexus10-defaultfolders-03-thm.jpg" border=0></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Dec/Google-Nexus-10/nexus10-defaultfolders-04.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=5 hspace=5 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Dec/Google-Nexus-10/nexus10-defaultfolders-04-thm.jpg" border=0></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Dec/Google-Nexus-10/nexus10-defaultfolders-05.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=5 hspace=5 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Dec/Google-Nexus-10/nexus10-defaultfolders-05-thm.jpg" border=0></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Dec/Google-Nexus-10/nexus10-defaultfolders-06.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=5 hspace=5 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Dec/Google-Nexus-10/nexus10-defaultfolders-06-thm.jpg" border=0></a> </center> (click images to enlarge) Customizing the Nexus 10 The Nexus 10 is based on Android, so its appearance and functionality can be reconfigured without rooting the device. I set my homescreen wallpaper to <a target="_blank" href="http://deviceguru.com/files/nebula.jpg">my favorite nebula image</a>. Changing the homescreen launcher Next, I installed <a target="_blank" href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.teslacoilsw.launcher&hl=en">Nova</a>, an alternate homescreen launcher, which offers many more configuration options than the tablet's default homescreen launcher. Among its many settings options, Nova lets you enable/disable the Dock, and configure how many cells there are for app-launchers and widgets on the homescreens by specifying the number of rows and columns. The screenshots below show two versions of my Nexus 10's primary homescreen, in both landscape and portrait orientation. The left pair shows the tablet's default Android homescreen launcher, with 40 cells in the main area and eight in the Dock; those on the right show the revised Nova-based primary homescreen, with 56 cells and the Dock disabled. Two Homescreen Launchers: Standard (left) and Nova (right) <center><a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Dec/Google-Nexus-10/nexus10-tweaked-homescreen-default-launcher-landscape.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=5 hspace=5 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Dec/Google-Nexus-10/nexus10-tweaked-homescreen-default-launcher-landscape-thm.jpg" border=0></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Dec/Google-Nexus-10/nexus10-tweaked-homescreen-nova-launcher-landscape.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=5 hspace=5 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Dec/Google-Nexus-10/nexus10-tweaked-homescreen-nova-launcher-landscape-thm.jpg" border=0></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Dec/Google-Nexus-10/nexus10-tweaked-homescreen-default-launcher-portrait.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=5 hspace=5 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Dec/Google-Nexus-10/nexus10-tweaked-homescreen-default-launcher-portrait-thm.jpg" border=0></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Dec/Google-Nexus-10/nexus10-tweaked-homescreen-nova-launcher-portrait.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=5 hspace=5 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Dec/Google-Nexus-10/nexus10-tweaked-homescreen-nova-launcher-portrait-thm.jpg" border=0></a> </center> (click images to enlarge) Changing the folder function The next step in my tablet tweaking process was to install an alternative folder function. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.folderorganizer.net/">Folder Organizer</a> offers significantly more flexibility than the default Android folder function. With Folder Organizer, I was able to configure a Nova-based Nexus 10 homescreen with 14 folders, 32 app-launchers, and three widgets (two 4-cell, one 2-cell), as shown below. <div align=center> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Dec/Google-Nexus-10/nexus10-tweaked-homescreen-nova-launcher-landscape.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=5 hspace=5 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Dec/Google-Nexus-10/nexus10-tweaked-homescreen-nova-launcher-landscape-sm.jpg" border=0></a> (click image to enlarge) </div> The screenshots below show the contents of my homescreen's 14 Folder Organizer-based folders. Alternate Homescreen Folder Function <center><a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Dec/Google-Nexus-10/nexus10-fofolders-01.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=5 hspace=5 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Dec/Google-Nexus-10/nexus10-fofolders-01-thm.jpg" border=0></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Dec/Google-Nexus-10/nexus10-fofolders-02.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=5 hspace=5 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Dec/Google-Nexus-10/nexus10-fofolders-02-thm.jpg" border=0></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Dec/Google-Nexus-10/nexus10-fofolders-03.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=5 hspace=5 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Dec/Google-Nexus-10/nexus10-fofolders-03-thm.jpg" border=0></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Dec/Google-Nexus-10/nexus10-fofolders-04.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=5 hspace=5 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Dec/Google-Nexus-10/nexus10-fofolders-04-thm.jpg" border=0></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Dec/Google-Nexus-10/nexus10-fofolders-05.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=5 hspace=5 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Dec/Google-Nexus-10/nexus10-fofolders-05-thm.jpg" border=0></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Dec/Google-Nexus-10/nexus10-fofolders-06.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=5 hspace=5 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Dec/Google-Nexus-10/nexus10-fofolders-06-thm.jpg" border=0></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Dec/Google-Nexus-10/nexus10-fofolders-07.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=5 hspace=5 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Dec/Google-Nexus-10/nexus10-fofolders-07-thm.jpg" border=0></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Dec/Google-Nexus-10/nexus10-fofolders-08.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=5 hspace=5 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Dec/Google-Nexus-10/nexus10-fofolders-08-thm.jpg" border=0></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Dec/Google-Nexus-10/nexus10-fofolders-09.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=5 hspace=5 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Dec/Google-Nexus-10/nexus10-fofolders-09-thm.jpg" border=0></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Dec/Google-Nexus-10/nexus10-fofolders-10.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=5 hspace=5 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Dec/Google-Nexus-10/nexus10-fofolders-10-thm.jpg" border=0></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Dec/Google-Nexus-10/nexus10-fofolders-11.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=5 hspace=5 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Dec/Google-Nexus-10/nexus10-fofolders-11-thm.jpg" border=0></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Dec/Google-Nexus-10/nexus10-fofolders-12.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=5 hspace=5 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Dec/Google-Nexus-10/nexus10-fofolders-12-thm.jpg" border=0></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Dec/Google-Nexus-10/nexus10-fofolders-13.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=5 hspace=5 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Dec/Google-Nexus-10/nexus10-fofolders-13-thm.jpg" border=0></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Dec/Google-Nexus-10/nexus10-fofolders-14.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=5 hspace=5 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Dec/Google-Nexus-10/nexus10-fofolders-14-thm.jpg" border=0></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Dec/Google-Nexus-10/nexus10-fofolders-15.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=5 hspace=5 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Dec/Google-Nexus-10/nexus10-fofolders-15-thm.jpg" border=0></a> </center> (click images to enlarge) Keyboard alternatives Although the standard Android onscreen keyboard keeps getting better, I prefer <a target="_blank" href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.pocketworkstation.pckeyboard&hl=en">the Hacker's Keyboard</a>, a free download from the Google Play market. The set of screenshots below demonstrates some of the differences between these two virtual keyboards, and also makes a case for Google Voice Typing, which can save you lots of time and keystrokes in many situations. Standard keyboard, Hacker's Keyboard, and Voice Typing <center><a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Dec/Google-Nexus-10/nexus10-standard-keyboard-01.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=5 hspace=5 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Dec/Google-Nexus-10/nexus10-standard-keyboard-01-thm.jpg" border=0></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Dec/Google-Nexus-10/nexus10-standard-keyboard-02.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=5 hspace=5 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Dec/Google-Nexus-10/nexus10-standard-keyboard-02-thm.jpg" border=0></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Dec/Google-Nexus-10/nexus10-standard-keyboard-03.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=5 hspace=5 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Dec/Google-Nexus-10/nexus10-standard-keyboard-03-thm.jpg" border=0></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Dec/Google-Nexus-10/nexus10-standard-keyboard-04.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=5 hspace=5 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Dec/Google-Nexus-10/nexus10-standard-keyboard-04-thm.jpg" border=0></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Dec/Google-Nexus-10/nexus10-standard-keyboard-05.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=5 hspace=5 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Dec/Google-Nexus-10/nexus10-standard-keyboard-05-thm.jpg" border=0></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Dec/Google-Nexus-10/nexus10-standard-keyboard-06.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=5 hspace=5 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Dec/Google-Nexus-10/nexus10-standard-keyboard-06-thm.jpg" border=0></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Dec/Google-Nexus-10/nexus10-standard-keyboard-07.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=5 hspace=5 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Dec/Google-Nexus-10/nexus10-standard-keyboard-07-thm.jpg" border=0></a> <hr width="90%"> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Dec/Google-Nexus-10/nexus10-hackers-keyboard-01.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=5 hspace=5 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Dec/Google-Nexus-10/nexus10-hackers-keyboard-01-thm.jpg" border=0></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Dec/Google-Nexus-10/nexus10-hackers-keyboard-02.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=5 hspace=5 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Dec/Google-Nexus-10/nexus10-hackers-keyboard-02-thm.jpg" border=0></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Dec/Google-Nexus-10/nexus10-hackers-keyboard-03.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=5 hspace=5 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Dec/Google-Nexus-10/nexus10-hackers-keyboard-03-thm.jpg" border=0></a> <hr width="90%"> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Dec/Google-Nexus-10/nexus10-voice-typing-01.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=5 hspace=5 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Dec/Google-Nexus-10/nexus10-voice-typing-01-thm.jpg" border=0></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Dec/Google-Nexus-10/nexus10-voice-typing-02.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=5 hspace=5 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Dec/Google-Nexus-10/nexus10-voice-typing-02-thm.jpg" border=0></a> </center>(click images to enlarge) Although onscreen typing is certainly easier on 10-inch tablets than on 7-inch models, I find that a Bluetooth keyboard greatly increases my typing speed and accuracy, so I like to use one whenever I'm working at a desk. The photos below show two Bluetooth keyboards that work well with the Nexus 10: the <a target="_blank" href="http://www.amazon.com/Logitech-920-003390-Tablet-Keyboard-Android/dp/B0054L8N7M">Logitech Android keyboard</a> and the <a target="_blank" href="http://www.amazon.com/ZAGG-FOLZKFLEXSLV-Zagg-ZAGGkeys-FLEX/dp/B00695OFE2">Zagg ZaggKeys Flex</a>. Using the Nexus 10 with Bluetooth keyboards from Logitech (left) and Zagg (right) <center><a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Dec/Google-Nexus-10/nexus10-logitech.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=5 hspace=5 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Dec/Google-Nexus-10/nexus10-logitech-225.jpg" border=0></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Dec/Google-Nexus-10/nexus10-zagg.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=5 hspace=5 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Dec/Google-Nexus-10/nexus10-zagg-225.jpg" border=0></a></center> (click images to enlarge) Next Page: One tablet for work and play One tablet for work and play To find out what the Nexus 10 could do, I loaded it up with more than 200 Android apps for device management, communications, productivity, news, weather, e-books, multimedia steaming, games, and more. The screenshots below show 32 different apps running on the tablet. You can find an extensive tour of <a target="_blank" href="http://deviceguru.com/favorite-android-tablet-apps">my 50 favorite Android tablet apps on my blog</a>. <div align=center> Wide Range of Apps Running on the Nexus 10 <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Dec/Google-Nexus-10/nexus10-app-examples-01.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=5 hspace=5 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Dec/Google-Nexus-10/nexus10-app-examples-01-thm.jpg" border=0></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Dec/Google-Nexus-10/nexus10-app-examples-02.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=5 hspace=5 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Dec/Google-Nexus-10/nexus10-app-examples-02-thm.jpg" border=0></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Dec/Google-Nexus-10/nexus10-app-examples-03.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=5 hspace=5 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Dec/Google-Nexus-10/nexus10-app-examples-03-thm.jpg" border=0></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Dec/Google-Nexus-10/nexus10-app-examples-04.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=5 hspace=5 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Dec/Google-Nexus-10/nexus10-app-examples-04-thm.jpg" border=0></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Dec/Google-Nexus-10/nexus10-app-examples-05.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=5 hspace=5 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Dec/Google-Nexus-10/nexus10-app-examples-05-thm.jpg" border=0></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Dec/Google-Nexus-10/nexus10-app-examples-06.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=5 hspace=5 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Dec/Google-Nexus-10/nexus10-app-examples-06-thm.jpg" border=0></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Dec/Google-Nexus-10/nexus10-app-examples-07.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=5 hspace=5 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Dec/Google-Nexus-10/nexus10-app-examples-07-thm.jpg" border=0></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Dec/Google-Nexus-10/nexus10-app-examples-08.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=5 hspace=5 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Dec/Google-Nexus-10/nexus10-app-examples-08-thm.jpg" border=0></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Dec/Google-Nexus-10/nexus10-app-examples-09.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=5 hspace=5 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Dec/Google-Nexus-10/nexus10-app-examples-09-thm.jpg" border=0></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Dec/Google-Nexus-10/nexus10-app-examples-10.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=5 hspace=5 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Dec/Google-Nexus-10/nexus10-app-examples-10-thm.jpg" border=0></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Dec/Google-Nexus-10/nexus10-app-examples-11.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=5 hspace=5 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Dec/Google-Nexus-10/nexus10-app-examples-11-thm.jpg" border=0></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Dec/Google-Nexus-10/nexus10-app-examples-12.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=5 hspace=5 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Dec/Google-Nexus-10/nexus10-app-examples-12-thm.jpg" border=0></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Dec/Google-Nexus-10/nexus10-app-examples-13.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=5 hspace=5 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Dec/Google-Nexus-10/nexus10-app-examples-13-thm.jpg" border=0></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Dec/Google-Nexus-10/nexus10-app-examples-14.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=5 hspace=5 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Dec/Google-Nexus-10/nexus10-app-examples-14-thm.jpg" border=0></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Dec/Google-Nexus-10/nexus10-app-examples-15.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=5 hspace=5 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Dec/Google-Nexus-10/nexus10-app-examples-15-thm.jpg" border=0></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Dec/Google-Nexus-10/nexus10-app-examples-16.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=5 hspace=5 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Dec/Google-Nexus-10/nexus10-app-examples-16-thm.jpg" border=0></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Dec/Google-Nexus-10/nexus10-app-examples-17.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=5 hspace=5 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Dec/Google-Nexus-10/nexus10-app-examples-17-thm.jpg" border=0></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Dec/Google-Nexus-10/nexus10-app-examples-18.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=5 hspace=5 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Dec/Google-Nexus-10/nexus10-app-examples-18-thm.jpg" border=0></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Dec/Google-Nexus-10/nexus10-app-examples-19.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=5 hspace=5 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Dec/Google-Nexus-10/nexus10-app-examples-19-thm.jpg" border=0></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Dec/Google-Nexus-10/nexus10-app-examples-20.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=5 hspace=5 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Dec/Google-Nexus-10/nexus10-app-examples-20-thm.jpg" border=0></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Dec/Google-Nexus-10/nexus10-app-examples-21.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=5 hspace=5 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Dec/Google-Nexus-10/nexus10-app-examples-21-thm.jpg" border=0></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Dec/Google-Nexus-10/nexus10-app-examples-22.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=5 hspace=5 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Dec/Google-Nexus-10/nexus10-app-examples-22-thm.jpg" border=0></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Dec/Google-Nexus-10/nexus10-app-examples-23.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=5 hspace=5 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Dec/Google-Nexus-10/nexus10-app-examples-23-thm.jpg" border=0></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Dec/Google-Nexus-10/nexus10-app-examples-24.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=5 hspace=5 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Dec/Google-Nexus-10/nexus10-app-examples-24-thm.jpg" border=0></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Dec/Google-Nexus-10/nexus10-app-examples-25.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=5 hspace=5 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Dec/Google-Nexus-10/nexus10-app-examples-25-thm.jpg" border=0></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Dec/Google-Nexus-10/nexus10-app-examples-26.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=5 hspace=5 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Dec/Google-Nexus-10/nexus10-app-examples-26-thm.jpg" border=0></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Dec/Google-Nexus-10/nexus10-app-examples-27.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=5 hspace=5 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Dec/Google-Nexus-10/nexus10-app-examples-27-thm.jpg" border=0></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Dec/Google-Nexus-10/nexus10-app-examples-28.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=5 hspace=5 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Dec/Google-Nexus-10/nexus10-app-examples-28-thm.jpg" border=0></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Dec/Google-Nexus-10/nexus10-app-examples-29.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=5 hspace=5 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Dec/Google-Nexus-10/nexus10-app-examples-29-thm.jpg" border=0></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Dec/Google-Nexus-10/nexus10-app-examples-30.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=5 hspace=5 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Dec/Google-Nexus-10/nexus10-app-examples-30-thm.jpg" border=0></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Dec/Google-Nexus-10/nexus10-app-examples-31.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=5 hspace=5 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Dec/Google-Nexus-10/nexus10-app-examples-31-thm.jpg" border=0></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Dec/Google-Nexus-10/nexus10-app-examples-32.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=5 hspace=5 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Dec/Google-Nexus-10/nexus10-app-examples-32-thm.jpg" border=0></a> (click images to enlarge) </div> The bottom line <div style="font-size:8pt; margin:0; padding: 0 0 5px 5px; float:right; text-align:center;"><a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Dec/Google-Nexus-10/antutu-v3-10-inch.jpg" target="new"><img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Dec/Google-Nexus-10/antutu-v3-10-inch-thm.jpg" border=0></a> (click to enlarge)</div>At $400, the Nexus 10 strikes a good balance of features, performance, and cost. You can save money by going with a Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 or <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/byte/personal-tech/tablets/hybrid-notebooktablet-android-style-from/240062575">Lenovo IdeaTab S2110</a>, but you'll miss out on the Nexus 10's super-hi-res 2560x1600 screen and its <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Dec/Google-Nexus-10/antutu-v3-10-inch.jpg">substantially-higher performance</a>. <div style="font-size:8pt; margin:0; padding: 0 0 5px 5px; float:left; text-align:center;"><a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Dec/Google-Nexus-10/gnote10-writing-multiapp.jpg" target="new"><img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Dec/Google-Nexus-10/gnote10-writing-multiapp-thm.jpg" border=0></a> (click to enlarge)</div>The other option would be Samsung's high-end <a target="_blank" href="http://www.samsung.com/global/microsite/galaxytab2/10.1/features.html">Galaxy Note 10.1</a>, which edges out the Nexus 10 in some respects performance-wise, but lacks the Nexus 10's glorious display. I've used both tablets simultaneously for several weeks, and though I like the Note 10.1 a lot, the Nexus 10 has won me over with its more pleasing look and feel and more up-to-date OS. Also, I'm not particularly interested in Samsung's innovative handwriting input and multi-windowing apps. Call me old fashioned, but on my tablets I'd rather type and talk, than scribble and scrawl! <hr> Name: <a href="http://www.google.com/nexus/10/" target="new">Nexus 10</a> <hr> <blockquote> Google's new Nexus 10 Android tablet pushes the 10-inch tablet market envelope in numerous ways, not least of which are its dazzling 2560x1600 (300ppi) IPS display and its slim/light/comfortable design. It's a great choice for both work and play. </blockquote> Price: $400 16GB, WiFi-only; $500 32GB, WiFi-only. Pro: <ul> <li>Dual-core ARM Cortex A15 + quad-core Mali GPU <li>2560x1600 (300ppi) IPS display</li> <li>Nonslip rear surface</li> <li>9000mAh battery pack</li> <li>Micro-HDMI video out</li> <li>Wireless extras: NFC; WiFi direct; WiFi MIMO</li> <li>Magnetic Pogo pin charging dock</li> <li>Multiple user accounts</li> </ul> Con: <ul> <li>Bluetooth ought to be v4.0</li> <li>No microSD port</li> <li>No cellular data option (currently)</li> <li>Adobe Flash player no longer officially supported</li> <li>Lacks app-independent A/V beaming</li> </ul>2012-11-07T12:47:00ZHybrid Notebook/Tablet, Android-Style From LenovoLenovo's 10-inch IdeaTab S2110 Android tablet is loaded with features and modestly priced. It competes favorably with Samsung's Galaxy Tab 2 10.1, providing a 50% faster CPU. The optional battery-boosting keyboard/dock morphs it into a laptop-like device with multiple use-cases. It includes a 1.5 GHz dual-core processor, Bright, wide-angle IPS (in-plane switching) display, Includes an unlocked copy of Documents to Go (a $15 value), Video output port (micro-HDMI), 5MP rear camera with LED flash; 1.3MB front camera, Thin and lightweight with non-slippery textured case, Optional snap-on keyboard/dock with secondary battery. No hardware GPS (except on 3G model), No microSD expansion (except via keyboard/dock)http://www.informationweek.com/byte/news/240062575?cid=RSSfeed_IWK_AuthorsMove over, Samsung. Although Samsung's thin and light Galaxy Tab 10.1 tablets have dominated the 10-inch Android tablet market for the past 18 months, there's a new kid on the block: Lenovo's <a href="http://www.lenovo.com/products/us/tablet/ideatab/s-series/s2110/" target="new">IdeaTab S2110</a>. How does it stack up? Is it good enough for work? <div align=center> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Nov/Lenovo-S2110/lenovo-s2110.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Nov/Lenovo-S2110/lenovo-s2110-angle.jpg" border=0></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Nov/Lenovo-S2110/lenovo-s2110-dock.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Nov/Lenovo-S2110/lenovo-s2110-dock-225.jpg" border=0></a> The IdeaTab S2110 optionally morphs into a laptop-like device. (Click images to enlarge.) </div> The S2110 runs Android 4.0 on a <a href="http://www.qualcomm.com.au/products/snapdragon" target="new">Qualcomm Snapdragon APQ8060A</a>, which integrates dual 1.5-GHz <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Krait_%28CPU%29" target="new">ARM Krait</a> cores, backed by 1 GB of RAM and 16 GB or 32 GB of flash memory. Other key features include a bright 10.1-inch 1280-by-800-pixel IPS (in-plane switching) screen, dual cameras, stereo speakers, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and a 6320 mAh battery. Physically, the IdeaTab S2110 is one of the thinnest and lightest 10-inch tablets available today. It's also one of the most pleasant to hold, thanks to its textured non-slippery back. Also welcome are the use of industry-standard micro-USB and micro-HDMI connectors for its USB/power and video interfaces. <div align=center> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Nov/Lenovo-S2110/s2110-edge-views.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Nov/Lenovo-S2110/s2110-edge-views-sm.jpg" border=0></a> The IdeaTab S2110 is one of the thinnest 10-inch tablets. (Click image to enlarge.) </div> The company plans to offer 3G versions of the S2110, but is not ready to announce which wireless carriers will offer it. The higher-priced 3G models will also add AGPS to the tablet's feature set. IdeaTab S2110 specs vs. competition To find out how the IdeaTab S2110 stacks up against Samsung's Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 and Galaxy Note 10.1 tablets, and Google's upcoming Nexus 10 device, we tabulated all the key specs. <table align=center width="95%" cellpadding=5 cellspacing=0 border="1"><tr> <td width="20%"> </td> <td width="20%" align="center" style="font-size:10pt;">Lenovo IdeaTab S2110</td> <td width="20%" align="center" style="font-size:10pt;">Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 10.1</td> <td width="20%" align="center" style="font-size:10pt;">Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1</td> <td width="20%" align="center" style="font-size:10pt;">Google Nexus 10</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="left" style="font-size:10pt;">Processor</td> <td align="center" style="font-size:10pt;">1.5-GHz dual core</td> <td align="center" style="font-size:10pt;">1.0-GHz dual core</td> <td align="center" style="font-size:10pt;">1.4-GHz quad core</td><td align="center" style="font-size:10pt;">1.7-GHz dual core</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="left" style="font-size:10pt;">RAM</td> <td align="center" style="font-size:10pt;">1 GB</td> <td align="center" style="font-size:10pt;">1 GB</td> <td align="center" style="font-size:10pt;">2 GB</td> <td align="center" style="font-size:10pt;">2 GB</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="left" style="font-size:10pt;">Internal flash</td> <td align="center" style="font-size:10pt;">16 GB</td><td align="center" style="font-size:10pt;">16 GB</td><td align="center" style="font-size:10pt;">16/32/64 GB</td> <td align="center" style="font-size:10pt;">16 GB</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="left" style="font-size:10pt;">MicroSD expansion</td> <td align="center" style="font-size:10pt;">No</td> <td align="center" style="font-size:10pt;">Yes</td> <td align="center" style="font-size:10pt;">Yes</td> <td align="center" style="font-size:10pt;">No</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="left" style="font-size:10pt;">OS</td> <td align="center" style="font-size:10pt;">Android 4.0</td> <td align="center" style="font-size:10pt;">Android 4.0</td> <td align="center" style="font-size:10pt;">Android 4.0</td> <td align="center" style="font-size:10pt;">Android 4.2</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="left" style="font-size:10pt;">Apps market</td> <td align="center" style="font-size:10pt;">Google</td> <td align="center" style="font-size:10pt;">Google</td> <td align="center" style="font-size:10pt;">Google</td> <td align="center" style="font-size:10pt;">Google</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="left" style="font-size:10pt;">Screen (pixels)</td> <td align="center" style="font-size:10pt;">1280 x 800</td> <td align="center" style="font-size:10pt;">1280 x 800</td> <td align="center" style="font-size:10pt;">1280 x 800</td> <td align="center" style="font-size:10pt;">2560 x 1600</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="left" style="font-size:10pt;">Front camera</td> <td align="center" style="font-size:10pt;">1.3 MP</td> <td align="center" style="font-size:10pt;">0.3 MP</td> <td align="center" style="font-size:10pt;">1.9 MP</td> <td align="center" style="font-size:10pt;">1.9 MP</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="left" style="font-size:10pt;">Rear camera</td> <td align="center" style="font-size:10pt;">5 MP</td> <td align="center" style="font-size:10pt;">3 MP</td> <td align="center" style="font-size:10pt;">5 MP</td> <td align="center" style="font-size:10pt;">5 MP</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="left" style="font-size:10pt;">Video output</td> <td align="center" style="font-size:10pt;">Yes</td> <td align="center" style="font-size:10pt;">Yes</td> <td align="center" style="font-size:10pt;">Yes</td> <td align="center" style="font-size:10pt;">Yes</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="left" style="font-size:10pt;">Wi-Fi</td> <td align="center" style="font-size:10pt;">Yes</td> <td align="center" style="font-size:10pt;">Yes</td> <td align="center" style="font-size:10pt;">Yes</td> <td align="center" style="font-size:10pt;">Yes</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="left" style="font-size:10pt;">Bluetooth</td> <td align="center" style="font-size:10pt;">Yes</td> <td align="center" style="font-size:10pt;">Yes</td> <td align="center" style="font-size:10pt;">Yes</td> <td align="center" style="font-size:10pt;">Yes</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="left" style="font-size:10pt;">GPS</td> <td align="center" style="font-size:10pt;">No</td> <td align="center" style="font-size:10pt;">Yes</td> <td align="center" style="font-size:10pt;">Yes</td> <td align="center" style="font-size:10pt;">Yes</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="left" style="font-size:10pt;">Battery</td> <td align="center" style="font-size:10pt;">6320 mAh</td> <td align="center" style="font-size:10pt;">7000 mAh</td> <td align="center" style="font-size:10pt;">7000 mAh</td> <td align="center" style="font-size:10pt;">9000 mAh</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="left" style="font-size:10pt;">Size (inches)</td> <td align="center" style="font-size:10pt;">10.2 x 7.0 x 0.34</td> <td align="center" style="font-size:10pt;">10.1 x 6.9 x 0.4</td> <td align="center" style="font-size:10pt;">10.3 x 7.1 x 0.4</td> <td align="center" style="font-size:10pt;">10.4 x 7.0 x 0.4</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="left" style="font-size:10pt;">Weight (ounces)</td> <td align="center" style="font-size:10pt;">20</td> <td align="center" style="font-size:10pt;">21</td> <td align="center" style="font-size:10pt;">20</td> <td align="center" style="font-size:10pt;">21</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="left" style="font-size:10pt;">Price*</td> <td align="center" style="font-size:10pt;">$340 (16 GB) $419 (32 GB)</td> <td align="center" style="font-size:10pt;">$350 (16 GB)</td> <td align="center" style="font-size:10pt;">$500 (16 GB) $550 (32 GB)</td> <td align="center" style="font-size:10pt;">$400 (16 GB) $500 (32 GB)</td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan=5 align="center" style="font-size:10pt;">*Lenovo and Samsung prices from Amazon.com, Nov. 2, 2012</td> </tr> </table> The IdeaTab S2110 and Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 run neck and neck in features. Here's a quick assessment of their relative strengths. <ul> IdeaTab S2110 advantages: <ul> <li>50% faster processor.</li> <li>Higher-resolution front and rear cameras.</li> <li>Industry-standard USB/power and video connections.</li> </ul> </ul><ul> Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 advantages: <ul> <li>Hardware GPS.</li> <li>MicroSD flash expansion slot.</li> <li>10% beefier battery.</li> </ul> </ul> Clearly, both of these modestly priced 10-inch tablets have a lot to offer. Let's take a deeper look at what the S2110 can do.Exploring the IdeaTab S2110 Because the IdeaTab 2110 runs a standard Android 4.0 OS and supports the full set of Google services and <a href="http://www.google.com/mobile/android/">Android apps</a>, not much about it is unique from a user interface or software perspective. The screenshots below show the S2110's out-of-box user interface, including its default home screens, apps, widgets, and an unusual widget-based folder function. <table align=center cellpadding=5 cellspacing=0 width="90%" border=1><tr><td align=center> IdeaTab 2110 out-of-box home screens <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Nov/Lenovo-S2110/s2110-defaulthomescreens-01.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Nov/Lenovo-S2110/s2110-defaulthomescreens-01-thm.jpg" border=0></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Nov/Lenovo-S2110/s2110-defaulthomescreens-02.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Nov/Lenovo-S2110/s2110-defaulthomescreens-02-thm.jpg" border=0></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Nov/Lenovo-S2110/s2110-defaulthomescreens-03.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Nov/Lenovo-S2110/s2110-defaulthomescreens-03-thm.jpg" border=0></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Nov/Lenovo-S2110/s2110-defaulthomescreens-04.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Nov/Lenovo-S2110/s2110-defaulthomescreens-04-thm.jpg" border=0></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Nov/Lenovo-S2110/s2110-defaulthomescreens-05.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Nov/Lenovo-S2110/s2110-defaulthomescreens-05-thm.jpg" border=0></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Nov/Lenovo-S2110/s2110-defaulthomescreens-06.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Nov/Lenovo-S2110/s2110-defaulthomescreens-06-thm.jpg" border=0></a> (Click images to enlarge.) </td></tr></table> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Nov/Lenovo-S2110/s2110-defaulthomescreens-03.jpg" target="new"><img align=right vspace=5 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Nov/Lenovo-S2110/s2110-defaulthomescreens-03-thm.jpg"></a>The S2110's default configuration includes a half-baked widget-based home screen folder feature, which you can see in the screenshot repeated at the right (click to enlarge). This folder function is based on a set of six folder widgets -- Business, Games, Life, Media, Tools, and Social -- that you can place on any of the tablet's home screens. Each folder widget can hold up to 12 app launchers of your choice, but there's no way to rename the folders or create additional ones, and you can't put bookmarks or other 1x1 widgets in the folders -- just app-launchers. All these constraints render it a relatively useless piece of eye candy. Fortunately, the S2110 also includes the substantially more useful Android 4.x folder function, seen in the screenshots below. This one lets you create as many folders as you like, name them any way you want, and load them with up to 48 items, which can be any combination of app launchers and bookmarks. <table align=center cellpadding=5 cellspacing=0 width="90%" border=1><tr><td align=center> IdeaTab S2110 Android 4.x folder function <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Nov/Lenovo-S2110/s2110-defaultfolders-01.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Nov/Lenovo-S2110/s2110-defaultfolders-01-thm.jpg" border=0></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Nov/Lenovo-S2110/s2110-defaultfolders-02.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Nov/Lenovo-S2110/s2110-defaultfolders-02-thm.jpg" border=0></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Nov/Lenovo-S2110/s2110-defaultfolders-03.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Nov/Lenovo-S2110/s2110-defaultfolders-03-thm.jpg" border=0></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Nov/Lenovo-S2110/s2110-defaultfolders-04.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Nov/Lenovo-S2110/s2110-defaultfolders-04-thm.jpg" border=0></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Nov/Lenovo-S2110/s2110-defaultfolders-05.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Nov/Lenovo-S2110/s2110-defaultfolders-05-thm.jpg" border=0></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Nov/Lenovo-S2110/s2110-defaultfolders-06.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Nov/Lenovo-S2110/s2110-defaultfolders-06-thm.jpg" border=0></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Nov/Lenovo-S2110/s2110-defaultfolders-07.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Nov/Lenovo-S2110/s2110-defaultfolders-07-thm.jpg" border=0></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Nov/Lenovo-S2110/s2110-defaultfolders-09.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Nov/Lenovo-S2110/s2110-defaultfolders-08-thm.jpg" border=0></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Nov/Lenovo-S2110/s2110-defaultfolders-09.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Nov/Lenovo-S2110/s2110-defaultfolders-09-thm.jpg" border=0></a> (Click images to enlarge.) </td></tr></table> Despite the greater flexibility of the more useful standard Android 4.x folder function shown above, I much prefer a third-party folder app. More on that later. First let's take a look at the apps and widgets that come preinstalled on the S2110: <table align=center cellpadding=5 cellspacing=0 width="90%" border=1><tr><td align=center> Preinstalled Android apps <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Nov/Lenovo-S2110/s2110-defaultapps-01.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Nov/Lenovo-S2110/s2110-defaultapps-01-thm.jpg" border=0></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Nov/Lenovo-S2110/s2110-defaultapps-02.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Nov/Lenovo-S2110/s2110-defaultapps-02-thm.jpg" border=0></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Nov/Lenovo-S2110/s2110-defaultapps-03.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Nov/Lenovo-S2110/s2110-defaultapps-03-thm.jpg" border=0></a> (Click images to enlarge.) </td></tr></table> In addition to the usual preinstalled Google Android apps -- including Mail, Calendar, Contacts, Maps and YouTube -- there are a few nice-to-haves, such as Skype and ES File Explorer, but nothing you can't easily download yourself from the <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps" target="new">Google Play Android apps</a> market. One exception is the unlocked version of Documents to Go, a $15 value, with which you can create and edit MS Word-, Excel- and PowerPoint-compatible files. More about that app later. Next stop on our S2110 tour is a quick look at the tablet's default widget set: <table align=center cellpadding=5 cellspacing=0 width="90%" border=1><tr><td align=center> IdeaTab S2110 out-of-box widgets <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Nov/Lenovo-S2110/s2110-defaultwidgets-01.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Nov/Lenovo-S2110/s2110-defaultwidgets-01-thm.jpg" border=0></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Nov/Lenovo-S2110/s2110-defaultwidgets-02.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Nov/Lenovo-S2110/s2110-defaultwidgets-02-thm.jpg" border=0></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Nov/Lenovo-S2110/s2110-defaultwidgets-03.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Nov/Lenovo-S2110/s2110-defaultwidgets-03-thm.jpg" border=0></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Nov/Lenovo-S2110/s2110-defaultwidgets-04.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Nov/Lenovo-S2110/s2110-defaultwidgets-04-thm.jpg" border=0></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Nov/Lenovo-S2110/s2110-defaultwidgets-05.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Nov/Lenovo-S2110/s2110-defaultwidgets-05-thm.jpg" border=0></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Nov/Lenovo-S2110/s2110-defaultwidgets-06.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Nov/Lenovo-S2110/s2110-defaultwidgets-06-thm.jpg" border=0></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Nov/Lenovo-S2110/s2110-defaultwidgets-07.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Nov/Lenovo-S2110/s2110-defaultwidgets-07-thm.jpg" border=0></a> (Click images to enlarge.) </td></tr></table> In addition to the large folder widgets, which we've already discussed, there are three quick-setting widgets for brightness, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, as well as a fairly typical array of widgets for weather, time, calendar, email, contacts, bookmarks, playing music and videos, and more. Personally, I'm very sparing in my use of widgets, preferring to configure a single home screen from which I can launch any app or Web bookmark with one or two taps of the screen. That brings us to customization.Customizing the tablet As with all Android tablets, you're free to modify the look, feel and functionality of the S2110 in many ways without having to resort to "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Android_rooting">rooting</a>" it, a process akin to jailbreaking iOS devices. After powering up the tablet and going through the initial setup process, the first things I did were to change the tablet's home screen wallpaper and add several system tweaking and management apps. In the screenshots below, I: <ul> <li>Set the home screen wallpaper to <a href="http://deviceguru.com/http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Nov/Lenovo-S2110/nebula.jpg">my favorite nebula image</a>.</li> </ul><ul> <li>Installed about 200 apps, mostly side-loaded from my growing stash of Android app APKs. </li> </ul><ul> <li>Installed the Android Folder Organizer app and used it to create 15 folders on the primary home screen. That makes it easy for me to launch any app or browser-bookmark with one or two screen taps. </li> </ul><ul> <li>Installed my favorite alternative keyboard, the <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.pocketworkstation.pckeyboard&hl=en">Hacker's Keyboard</a>. Note: another alternative keyboard, the <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.jb.gokeyboard">GO Keyboard</a>, comes preinstalled on the S2110 and is also shown below, as is Android's excellent Google Voice Typing function.</li> </ul> These screenshots below show the tablet's customized lock screen. Note the modified wallpaper and the use of Android's pattern-unlock option. <table align=center cellpadding=5 cellspacing=0 width="90%" border=1><tr><td align=center> Customized lock screen with pattern-unlock. <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Nov/Lenovo-S2110/s2110-tweakedhomescreens-04.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Nov/Lenovo-S2110/s2110-tweakedhomescreens-04-thm.jpg" border=0></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Nov/Lenovo-S2110/s2110-tweakedhomescreens-05.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Nov/Lenovo-S2110/s2110-tweakedhomescreens-05-thm.jpg" border=0></a> (Click image to enlarge.) </td></tr></table> The following screenshots show the tablet's customized home screen (top), plus Android 4.0's popup status panes (bottom): <table align=center cellpadding=5 cellspacing=0 width="90%" border=1><tr><td align=center> Customized home screen and pop-up status pane <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Nov/Lenovo-S2110/s2110-tweakedhomescreens-01.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Nov/Lenovo-S2110/s2110-tweakedhomescreens-01-sm.jpg" border=0></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Nov/Lenovo-S2110/s2110-tweakedhomescreens-02.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Nov/Lenovo-S2110/s2110-tweakedhomescreens-02-thm.jpg" border=0></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Nov/Lenovo-S2110/s2110-tweakedhomescreens-03.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Nov/Lenovo-S2110/s2110-tweakedhomescreens-03-thm.jpg" border=0></a> (Click images to enlarge.) </td></tr></table> Now let's look at one of my favorite third-party apps, <a href="http://www.folderorganizer.net/" target="new">Folder Organizer</a>, which provides more extensive features and flexibility than the standard Android 4.x folder function. Using it, you can create customized folders, app launchers, and bookmarks, and assign a custom icon image to each. My customized S2110 has a single home screen (shown above), which contains a combination 15 folders, 47 app launchers and three widgets. The following set of screenshots reveals what's inside my 15 home-screen folders: <table align=center cellpadding=5 cellspacing=0 width="90%" border=1><tr><td align=center> Contents of the home screen's 15 folders <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Nov/Lenovo-S2110/s2110-fofolders-01.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Nov/Lenovo-S2110/s2110-fofolders-01-thm.jpg" border=0></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Nov/Lenovo-S2110/s2110-fofolders-02.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Nov/Lenovo-S2110/s2110-fofolders-02-thm.jpg" border=0></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Nov/Lenovo-S2110/s2110-fofolders-03.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Nov/Lenovo-S2110/s2110-fofolders-03-thm.jpg" border=0></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Nov/Lenovo-S2110/s2110-fofolders-04.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Nov/Lenovo-S2110/s2110-fofolders-04-thm.jpg" border=0></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Nov/Lenovo-S2110/s2110-fofolders-05.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Nov/Lenovo-S2110/s2110-fofolders-05-thm.jpg" border=0></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Nov/Lenovo-S2110/s2110-fofolders-06.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Nov/Lenovo-S2110/s2110-fofolders-06-thm.jpg" border=0></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Nov/Lenovo-S2110/s2110-fofolders-07.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Nov/Lenovo-S2110/s2110-fofolders-07-thm.jpg" border=0></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Nov/Lenovo-S2110/s2110-fofolders-08.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Nov/Lenovo-S2110/s2110-fofolders-08-thm.jpg" border=0></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Nov/Lenovo-S2110/s2110-fofolders-09.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Nov/Lenovo-S2110/s2110-fofolders-09-thm.jpg" border=0></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Nov/Lenovo-S2110/s2110-fofolders-10.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Nov/Lenovo-S2110/s2110-fofolders-10-thm.jpg" border=0></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Nov/Lenovo-S2110/s2110-fofolders-11.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Nov/Lenovo-S2110/s2110-fofolders-11-thm.jpg" border=0></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Nov/Lenovo-S2110/s2110-fofolders-12.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Nov/Lenovo-S2110/s2110-fofolders-12-thm.jpg" border=0></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Nov/Lenovo-S2110/s2110-fofolders-13.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Nov/Lenovo-S2110/s2110-fofolders-13-thm.jpg" border=0></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Nov/Lenovo-S2110/s2110-fofolders-14.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Nov/Lenovo-S2110/s2110-fofolders-14-thm.jpg" border=0></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Nov/Lenovo-S2110/s2110-fofolders-15.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Nov/Lenovo-S2110/s2110-fofolders-15-thm.jpg" border=0></a> (Click images to enlarge.) </td></tr></table>Keyboard alternatives Although Google Voice Typing works well on the S2110 and can go a long way toward speeding the process of entering large amounts of text, the best way to increase the efficiency of using any tablet for work purposes is to team it with a good Bluetooth keyboard. One intriguing option is the IdeaTab S2110's own optional keyboard/dock accessory, which provides the following added features: <ul><li>Notebook keyboard size and feel.</li> <li>A full row of tablet-specific function keys.</li> <li>Glidepad cursor navigation, with enable/disable.</li> <li>Three-in-one card reader.</li> <li>Two full-size USB 2.0 ports.</li> <li>Micro-USB charging port.</li> <li>Secondary 6320mAh battery.</li> <li>Mates with the S2110 to form a foldable assembly.</li> </ul> <table align=center cellpadding=5 cellspacing=0 width="90%" border=1><tr><td align=center> Snapped into its optional keyboard/dock, the IdeaTab S2110 becomes a laptop-like device. <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Nov/Lenovo-S2110/s2110-dock-undock.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Nov/Lenovo-S2110/s2110-dock-undock-sm.jpg" border=0></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Nov/Lenovo-S2110/s2110-docked-unfolding.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Nov/Lenovo-S2110/s2110-docked-unfolding-sm.jpg" border=0></a> (Click images to enlarge.) </td></tr></table> Currently, the S2110's keyboard/dock is only available as part of a tablet bundle that costs about $90 more than the tablet alone. Although this makes it an expensive alternative to a normal Bluetooth keyboard, it's well worth considering if you value the extra features listed above. I've used it, and was very impressed with its quality and utility. I also tested two popular Bluetooth keyboards with the IdeaTab S2110: the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Logitech-920-003390-Tablet-Keyboard-Android/dp/B0054L8N7M">Logitech Android keyboard</a>, and the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/ZAGG-FOLZKFLEXSLV-Zagg-ZAGGkeys-FLEX/dp/B00695OFE2">Zagg ZaggKeys Flex</a> (pictured below). Both worked well. <table align=center cellpadding=5 cellspacing=0 width="90%" border=1><tr><td align=center> Using the IdeaTab S2110 with Logitech's Android keyboard (left) and Zagg's ZaggKeys Flex (right) <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Nov/Lenovo-S2110/s2110-logitech.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Nov/Lenovo-S2110/s2110-logitech-225.jpg" border=0></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Nov/Lenovo-S2110/s2110-zagg.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Nov/Lenovo-S2110/s2110-zagg-225.jpg" border=0></a> (Click images to enlarge.) </td></tr></table> Unlike the third-party Bluetooth keyboards, which can be used with multiple models of Android and iOS tablets, the S2110's keyboard/dock is only likely to be usable with the S2110 (and possibly its successors). Virtual keyboard alternatives Being a 10-inch tablet, it's possible to type fairly accurately using the S2110's standard Android soft keyboard. Still, for many users -- myself included -- typing with a virtual keyboard doesn't approach the efficiency of typing with a physical keyboard. Numerous user-installable virtual keyboards can be downloaded from the Android apps market, letting you substitute your favorite keyboard. Let's take a quick look at two alternatives, as well as the tablet's option of "voice typing." The screenshots below demonstrate four text input alternatives: <ul> <li>The standard Android keyboard.</li> </ul><ul> <li>The <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.jb.gokeyboard">GO Keyboard</a>, which offers a nifty thumb-typing mode, among other interesting features.</li> </ul><ul> <li>The <a href="http://code.google.com/p/hackerskeyboard/">Hacker's Keyboard</a>, my personal favorite.</li> </ul><ul> <li>"Google Voice Typing," which works amazingly well, but requires an active broadband data connection.</li> </ul> <table align=center cellpadding=5 cellspacing=0 width="90%" border=1><tr><td align=center> Three virtual keyboards, plus Google Voice Typing <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Nov/Lenovo-S2110/s2110-virtualkeyboards-02.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Nov/Lenovo-S2110/s2110-virtualkeyboards-02-thm.jpg" border=0></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Nov/Lenovo-S2110/s2110-virtualkeyboards-01.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Nov/Lenovo-S2110/s2110-virtualkeyboards-01-thm.jpg" border=0></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Nov/Lenovo-S2110/s2110-virtualkeyboards-03.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Nov/Lenovo-S2110/s2110-virtualkeyboards-03-thm.jpg" border=0></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Nov/Lenovo-S2110/s2110-virtualkeyboards-04.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Nov/Lenovo-S2110/s2110-virtualkeyboards-04-thm.jpg" border=0></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Nov/Lenovo-S2110/s2110-virtualkeyboards-12.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Nov/Lenovo-S2110/s2110-virtualkeyboards-12-thm.jpg" border=0></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Nov/Lenovo-S2110/s2110-virtualkeyboards-13.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Nov/Lenovo-S2110/s2110-virtualkeyboards-13-thm.jpg" border=0></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Nov/Lenovo-S2110/s2110-virtualkeyboards-14.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Nov/Lenovo-S2110/s2110-virtualkeyboards-14-thm.jpg" border=0></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Nov/Lenovo-S2110/s2110-virtualkeyboards-15.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Nov/Lenovo-S2110/s2110-virtualkeyboards-15-thm.jpg" border=0></a> (Click images to enlarge.) </td></tr></table> Adding productivity apps To see how well the IdeaTab S2110 performed work-related tasks, I tried using several office suites and other productivity apps, including <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.dataviz.docstogo" target="new">Documents to GO</a>, <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.mobisystems.editor.office_registered" target="new">Office Suite Pro</a>, <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.qo.android.tablet.am" target="new">QuickOffice Pro HD</a>, <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=cn.wps.moffice_eng" target="new">Kingsoft Office</a>, <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.logmein.ignitionpro.android" target="new">LogMeIn</a>, <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.sketchbook" target="new">SketchBook Mobile</a> and <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.autodesk.autocadws" target="new">AutoCAD WS</a>. All of the MS Office-style apps I tested worked, to one extent or another, although the features implemented varied widely with some, such as Documents to Go, which offered only minimal capabilities. The screenshots below give a few glimpses of these apps running on the S2110. <table align=center cellpadding=5 cellspacing=0 width="90%" border=1><tr><td align=center> Running productivity apps on the IdeaTab S2110 <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Nov/Lenovo-S2110/s2110-docstogo-02.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Nov/Lenovo-S2110/s2110-docstogo-02-150.jpg" border=0></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Nov/Lenovo-S2110/s2110-officesuite-07.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Nov/Lenovo-S2110/s2110-officesuite-07-150.jpg" border=0></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Nov/Lenovo-S2110/s2110-quickoffice-19.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Nov/Lenovo-S2110/s2110-quickoffice-19-150.jpg" border=0></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Nov/Lenovo-S2110/s2110-kingsoft-04.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Nov/Lenovo-S2110/s2110-kingsoft-04-150.jpg" border=0></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Nov/Lenovo-S2110/s2110-logmein-05.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Nov/Lenovo-S2110/s2110-logmein-05-150.jpg" border=0></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Nov/Lenovo-S2110/s2110-autocad-08.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Nov/Lenovo-S2110/s2110-autocad-08-150.jpg" border=0></a> (Click images to enlarge.) </td></tr></table> What else can it do? A better question would be, "What can't it do?" Without getting swept away with the vastness of all the ways you can enjoy an Android tablet these days, here's a brief screenshot montage showing some leisure-oriented apps running on the S2110: <table align=center cellpadding=5 cellspacing=0 width="90%" border=1><tr><td align=center> Games, and ebooks, and videos, oh my! <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Nov/Lenovo-S2110/s2110-pandora-05.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Nov/Lenovo-S2110/s2110-pandora-05-thm.jpg" border=0></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Nov/Lenovo-S2110/s2110-avia-06.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Nov/Lenovo-S2110/s2110-avia-06-thm.jpg" border=0></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Nov/Lenovo-S2110/s2110-beyondpod-06.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Nov/Lenovo-S2110/s2110-beyondpod-06-thm.jpg" border=0></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Nov/Lenovo-S2110/s2110-playon-09.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Nov/Lenovo-S2110/s2110-playon-09-thm.jpg" border=0></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Nov/Lenovo-S2110/s2110-plex-10.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Nov/Lenovo-S2110/s2110-plex-10-thm.jpg" border=0></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Nov/Lenovo-S2110/s2110-crackle-02.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Nov/Lenovo-S2110/s2110-crackle-02-thm.jpg" border=0></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Nov/Lenovo-S2110/s2110-games-06.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Nov/Lenovo-S2110/s2110-games-06-thm.jpg" border=0></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Nov/Lenovo-S2110/s2110-gearth-06.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Nov/Lenovo-S2110/s2110-gearth-06-thm.jpg" border=0></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Nov/Lenovo-S2110/s2110-vimeo-05.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Nov/Lenovo-S2110/s2110-vimeo-05-thm.jpg" border=0></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Nov/Lenovo-S2110/s2110-imediashare-01.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Nov/Lenovo-S2110/s2110-imediashare-01-thm.jpg" border=0></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Nov/Lenovo-S2110/s2110-youtube-02.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Nov/Lenovo-S2110/s2110-youtube-02-thm.jpg" border=0></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Nov/Lenovo-S2110/s2110-netflix-01.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Nov/Lenovo-S2110/s2110-netflix-01-thm.jpg" border=0></a> (Click images to enlarge.) </td></tr></table> For more details, and more than 500 screenshots showing these and numerous other apps running on the Lenovo IdeaTab S2110, have a look at my blog's extensive <a href="http://deviceguru.com/lenovo-ideatab-s2110-screenshots/" target="new">IdeaTab S2110 screenshot tour</a>. The bottom line Lenovo has done a great job designing the IdeaTab S2110. The thin, light, moderately priced 10-inch Android tablet is suitable for both work and leisure. It competes favorably with Samsung's Galaxy Tab 2 10.1, providing a 50% faster CPU. Additionally, the optional battery-boosting keyboard/dock accessory morphs it into a laptop-like hybrid device, which you can conveniently snap together and apart to fulfill the need of the moment. Overall, I found it to be a pleasure to use. <hr> <center>Lenovo IdeaTab S2110 Android tablet</center> <hr> Name: <a href="http://www.lenovo.com/products/us/tablet/ideatab/s-series/s2110/" target="new">IdeaTab S2110</a> <blockquote>Lenovo's 10-inch IdeaTab S2110 Android tablet is loaded with features and modestly priced. It competes favorably with Samsung's Galaxy Tab 2 10.1, providing a 50% faster CPU. The optional battery-boosting keyboard/dock allows it to be used like a laptop.</blockquote> Price: $340 with 16 GB flash. Optional keyboard/doc around $90 extra -- exact pricing depends on overall configuration. Pro:<ul> <li>1.5-GHz dual-core processor.</li> <li>Bright screen.</li> <li>Includes an unlocked copy of Documents to Go, a $15 value.</li> <li>Micro-HDMI port for video output.</li> <li>5-MP rear camera with LED flash; 1.3-MB front camera.</li> <li>Thin and light with non-slip textured back.</li> <li>Optional snap-on keyboard/dock with secondary battery.</li></ul> Con:<ul> <li>No hardware GPS (except on 3G model).</li> <li>No microSD expansion (except via keyboard/dock).</li></ul> </td></tr></table>2012-10-15T11:00:00ZMid-Sized Tablets Emerge With Lenovo's IdeaPad A2109Lenovo's mid-sized IdeaPad A2109 Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) tablet is loaded with features and very reasonably priced. Unfortunately, it's too heavy for its size and suffers from an anemic display.http://www.informationweek.com/byte/news/240009055?cid=RSSfeed_IWK_AuthorsWith 10-inch Android tablets costing about twice as much as 7-inch tablets, there ought to be a market opportunity for mid-size tablets--those that fall between the 7- and 10-inch in price but offer most of the features of the 10-inch models. This appears to be the idea behind <a target="_blank" href="http://www.lenovo.com/products/us/tablet/ideapad/a2109/">Lenovo's new IdeaPad A2109</a>, a 9-inch tablet running Android 4.0. Does it hit the mark? The IdeaPad A2109 first appeared at <a target="_blank" href="http://b2b.ifa-berlin.com/en/">the IFA show in Berlin</a> last month as the first member a new "affordable" Android tablet series. It will be joined later this year by the A2107, a 7-inch model sharing many of the same features. <div align=center> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Oct/Lenovo-A2109/ideapad-a2109-front-back.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Oct/Lenovo-A2109/ideapad-a2109-front-back-500.jpg" border=0></a> Lenovo's IdeaPad A2109: Android 4.0 on a 9-inch screen (click image to enlarge) </div> From the specs (see the table below), it's clear that the IdeaPad A2109 implements virtually all the features and functions we've come to expect from current-generation Android tablets. However, several concerns are worth mentioning. One is that the A2109 is surprisingly heavy for its size--at 20 ounces it's just one ounce shy of the 10-inch Galaxy Tab 2 10.1. Holding it with one hand, in portrait mode, which is commonly done with 7-inch tablets and eReaders, quickly becomes fatiguing. It doesn't help that the metal alloy casing is slippery and tapers at the edges, which makes hanging on to it with one hand a risky business. This is based on my experience, of course--I have medium-size hands--and your mileage might vary. A greater concern is the A2109's lack of screen brightness compared with other current-generation tablets such as the Galaxy Tab 2, Nexus 7, Kindle Fire, and iPad. When placed side by side the different is remarkable: the A2109 looks about half as bright. Specs back this up: The screen of the Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 is rated at 450 nits, and the A2109's screen delivers just 260 to 290 nits. It's more than usable, provided you don't need to use it in direct sunlight. Inside the A2109 The A2109 is powered by a quad-core NVIDIA Tegra 3 processor, accompanied by 1 GB RAM and 16 GB of flash storage memory. Other key features include its 9-inch 1280 x 800-pixel screen, dual cameras, stereo speakers, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, and a beefy 6000 mAh battery. Lenovo says the tablet has a metal alloy "roll cage" case inspired by the ThinkPad's, but we didn't see any overt resemblance. IdeaPad A2109 specs vs. the 7- and 10-inch competition The table below compares the A2109's and specs to those of its most prominent 7- and 10-inch Android tablet competitors. <table align="center" width="600" border="1px" bordercolor="black" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0"><tr> <td width="25%" style=""></td> <td width="25%" valign="middle" align="center" style="font-size:10pt;">Google Nexus 7</td> <td width="25%" valign="middle" align="center" style="font-size:10pt;">Lenovo IdeaTab A2109</td> <td width="25%" valign="middle" align="center" style="font-size:10pt;">Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 10.1</td> </tr> <tr> <td valign="middle" align="left" style="font-size:10pt;">Processor</td> <td valign="middle" align="center" style="font-size:10pt;">1.3GHz quad-core</td> <td valign="middle" align="center" style="font-size:10pt;">1.2GHz quad-core</td> <td valign="middle" align="center" style="font-size:10pt;">1GHz dual-core</td> </tr> <tr> <td valign="middle" align="left" style="font-size:10pt;">RAM</td> <td valign="middle" align="center" style="font-size:10pt;">1GB</td> <td valign="middle" align="center" style="font-size:10pt;">1GB</td> <td valign="middle" align="center" style="font-size:10pt;">1GB</td> </tr> <tr> <td valign="middle" align="left" style="font-size:10pt;">Internal flash</td> <td valign="middle" align="center" style="font-size:10pt;">8GB or 16GB</td> <td valign="middle" align="center" style="font-size:10pt;">16GB</td> <td valign="middle" align="center" style="font-size:10pt;">16GB</td> </tr> <tr> <td valign="middle" align="left" style="font-size:10pt;">microSD flash exp.</td> <td valign="middle" align="center" style="font-size:10pt;">no</td> <td valign="middle" align="center" style="font-size:10pt;">no</td> <td valign="middle" align="center" style="font-size:10pt;">yes</td> </tr> <tr> <td valign="middle" align="left" style="font-size:10pt;">OS</td> <td valign="middle" align="center" style="font-size:10pt;">Android 4.1</td> <td valign="middle" align="center" style="font-size:10pt;">Android 4.0</td> <td valign="middle" align="center" style="font-size:10pt;">Android 4.0</td> </tr> <tr> <td valign="middle" align="left" style="font-size:10pt;">Apps market</td> <td valign="middle" align="center" style="font-size:10pt;">Google</td> <td valign="middle" align="center" style="font-size:10pt;">Google</td> <td valign="middle" align="center" style="font-size:10pt;">Google</td> </tr> <tr> <td valign="middle" align="left" style="font-size:10pt;">Display resolution</td> <td valign="middle" align="center" style="font-size:10pt;">1280x800</td> <td valign="middle" align="center" style="font-size:10pt;">1280x800</td> <td valign="middle" align="center" style="font-size:10pt;">1280x800</td> </tr> <tr> <td valign="middle" align="left" style="font-size:10pt;">Display area</td> <td valign="middle" align="center" style="font-size:10pt;">22 in2</td> <td valign="middle" align="center" style="font-size:10pt;">37 in2</td> <td valign="middle" align="center" style="font-size:10pt;">46 in2</td> </tr> <tr> <td valign="middle" align="left" style="font-size:10pt;">Display brightness</td> <td valign="middle" align="center" style="font-size:10pt;">~ 400 nits</td> <td valign="middle" align="center" style="font-size:10pt; font-weight: bold;">~ 275 nits</td> <td valign="middle" align="center" style="font-size:10pt;">~ 450 nits</td> </tr> <tr> <td valign="middle" align="left" style="font-size:10pt;">Front camera</td> <td valign="middle" align="center" style="font-size:10pt;">1.2MP</td> <td valign="middle" align="center" style="font-size:10pt;">1.3MP</td> <td valign="middle" align="center" style="font-size:10pt;">0.3MP</td> </tr> <tr> <td valign="middle" align="left" style="font-size:10pt;">Rear camera</td> <td valign="middle" align="center" style="font-size:10pt;">no</td> <td valign="middle" align="center" style="font-size:10pt;">3MP</td> <td valign="middle" align="center" style="font-size:10pt;">3MP</td> </tr> <tr> <td valign="middle" align="left" style="font-size:10pt;">Video output</td> <td valign="middle" align="center" style="font-size:10pt;">no</td> <td valign="middle" align="center" style="font-size:10pt;">yes</td> <td valign="middle" align="center" style="font-size:10pt;">yes</td> </tr> <tr> <td valign="middle" align="left" style="font-size:10pt;">Wi-Fi</td> <td valign="middle" align="center" style="font-size:10pt;">yes</td> <td valign="middle" align="center" style="font-size:10pt;">yes</td> <td valign="middle" align="center" style="font-size:10pt;">yes</td> </tr> <tr> <td valign="middle" align="left" style="font-size:10pt;">Bluetooth</td> <td valign="middle" align="center" style="font-size:10pt;">yes</td> <td valign="middle" align="center" style="font-size:10pt;">yes</td> <td valign="middle" align="center" style="font-size:10pt;">yes</td> </tr> <tr> <td valign="middle" align="left" style="font-size:10pt;">GPS</td> <td valign="middle" align="center" style="font-size:10pt;">yes</td> <td valign="middle" align="center" style="font-size:10pt;">yes</td> <td valign="middle" align="center" style="font-size:10pt;">yes</td> </tr> <tr> <td valign="middle" align="left" style="font-size:10pt;">Battery</td> <td valign="middle" align="center" style="font-size:10pt;">4325 mAh</td> <td valign="middle" align="center" style="font-size:10pt;">6000 mAh</td> <td valign="middle" align="center" style="font-size:10pt;">7000 mAh</td> </tr> <tr> <td valign="middle" align="left" style="font-size:10pt;">Continuous Netflix (full brightness)</td> <td valign="middle" align="center" style="font-size:10pt;">~ 5 hrs</td> <td valign="middle" align="center" style="font-size:10pt;">~ 5 hrs</td> <td valign="middle" align="center" style="font-size:10pt;">~ 5 hrs</td> </tr> <tr> <td valign="middle" align="left" style="font-size:10pt;">Size (in.)</td> <td valign="middle" align="center" style="font-size:10pt;">7.8 x 4.7 x 0.4</td> <td valign="middle" align="center" style="font-size:10pt;">9.3 x 6.5 x 0.5</td> <td valign="middle" align="left" style="font-size:10pt;">10.1 x 6.9 x 0.4</td> </tr> <tr> <td valign="middle" align="left" style="font-size:10pt;">Weight</td> <td valign="middle" align="center" style="font-size:10pt;">12 oz</td> <td valign="middle" align="center" style="font-size:10pt;">20 oz</td> <td valign="middle" align="center" style="font-size:10pt;">21 oz</td> </tr> <tr> <td valign="middle" align="left" style="font-size:10pt;">Price</td> <td valign="middle" align="center" style="font-size:10pt;">$199 (8GB) $249 (16GB)</td> <td valign="middle" align="center" style="font-size:10pt;">$299 (16GB)</td> <td valign="middle" align="center" style="font-size:10pt;">$399 (16GB)</td> </tr> </table> From the specs it's clear that as the tablet sizes get larger, so do their battery capacity, weight, and cost. The graphic below indicates the relative size of the three tablets. <div align=center> <img vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Oct/Lenovo-A2109/tablet-size-comparison-500.jpg" border=0> Comparing three Android tablet form factors. </div> Note that although the Galaxy Tab 2 10.1's screen area is about one-fourth larger than the IdeaPad A2109's, it weighs a mere 1 ounce (5 percent) more than the IdeaPad does. I'll have more to say about that shortly, but first let's check out the Lenovo tablet's user interface, home screens, and apps.Using the IdeaPad A2109 Given that the IdeaPad 2109 runs a standard Android 4.0 OS and supports Google's full set of <a href="http://www.google.com/mobile/android/">Android apps and services</a>, there isn't much unique, from a software perspective, about what you get on the device. The screenshots below showcase the A2109's default user interface, home screens, folder function, and pre-installed apps. <div align=center> <hr width="75%"> Default home screens <hr width="75%"> </div> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Oct/Lenovo-A2109/a2109-default-homescreens-01.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Oct/Lenovo-A2109/a2109-default-homescreens-01-thm.jpg" border=0></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Oct/Lenovo-A2109/a2109-default-homescreens-02.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Oct/Lenovo-A2109/a2109-default-homescreens-02-thm.jpg" border=0></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Oct/Lenovo-A2109/a2109-default-homescreens-03.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Oct/Lenovo-A2109/a2109-default-homescreens-03-thm.jpg" border=0></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Oct/Lenovo-A2109/a2109-default-homescreens-04.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Oct/Lenovo-A2109/a2109-default-homescreens-04-thm.jpg" border=0></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Oct/Lenovo-A2109/a2109-default-homescreens-05.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Oct/Lenovo-A2109/a2109-default-homescreens-05-thm.jpg" border=0></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Oct/Lenovo-A2109/a2109-default-homescreens-06.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Oct/Lenovo-A2109/a2109-default-homescreens-06-thm.jpg" border=0></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Oct/Lenovo-A2109/a2109-default-homescreens-07.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Oct/Lenovo-A2109/a2109-default-homescreens-07-thm.jpg" border=0></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Oct/Lenovo-A2109/a2109-default-homescreens-08.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Oct/Lenovo-A2109/a2109-default-homescreens-08-thm.jpg" border=0></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Oct/Lenovo-A2109/a2109-default-homescreens-09.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Oct/Lenovo-A2109/a2109-default-homescreens-09-thm.jpg" border=0></a> (click images to enlarge) <center> <hr width="75%"> Default folder function <hr width="75%"> </center> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Oct/Lenovo-A2109/a2109-default-folders-01.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Oct/Lenovo-A2109/a2109-default-folders-01-thm.jpg" border=0></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Oct/Lenovo-A2109/a2109-default-folders-02.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Oct/Lenovo-A2109/a2109-default-folders-02-thm.jpg" border=0></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Oct/Lenovo-A2109/a2109-default-folders-03.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Oct/Lenovo-A2109/a2109-default-folders-03-thm.jpg" border=0></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Oct/Lenovo-A2109/a2109-default-folders-04.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Oct/Lenovo-A2109/a2109-default-folders-04-thm.jpg" border=0></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Oct/Lenovo-A2109/a2109-default-folders-05.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Oct/Lenovo-A2109/a2109-default-folders-05-thm.jpg" border=0></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Oct/Lenovo-A2109/a2109-default-folders-06.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Oct/Lenovo-A2109/a2109-default-folders-06-thm.jpg" border=0></a> (click images to enlarge) <center> <hr width="75%"> Preinstalled Android apps <hr width="75%"> </center> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Oct/Lenovo-A2109/a2109-default-apps-01.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Oct/Lenovo-A2109/a2109-default-apps-01-thm.jpg" border=0></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Oct/Lenovo-A2109/a2109-default-apps-02.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Oct/Lenovo-A2109/a2109-default-apps-02-thm.jpg" border=0></a> (click images to enlarge) <center> <hr width="75%"> Default widgets <hr width="75%"> </center> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Oct/Lenovo-A2109/a2109-default-widgets-01.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Oct/Lenovo-A2109/a2109-default-widgets-01-thm.jpg" border=0></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Oct/Lenovo-A2109/a2109-default-widgets-02.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Oct/Lenovo-A2109/a2109-default-widgets-02-thm.jpg" border=0></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Oct/Lenovo-A2109/a2109-default-widgets-03.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Oct/Lenovo-A2109/a2109-default-widgets-03-thm.jpg" border=0></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Oct/Lenovo-A2109/a2109-default-widgets-04.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Oct/Lenovo-A2109/a2109-default-widgets-04-thm.jpg" border=0></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Oct/Lenovo-A2109/a2109-default-widgets-05.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Oct/Lenovo-A2109/a2109-default-widgets-05-thm.jpg" border=0></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Oct/Lenovo-A2109/a2109-default-widgets-06.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Oct/Lenovo-A2109/a2109-default-widgets-06-thm.jpg" border=0></a> (click images to enlarge) Tailoring the tablet As with all Android tablets, the A2109 is highly customizable. You're free to modify the look and feel to a large extent, including adding or substituting functionality in numerous areas -- without having to resort to "<a target="_blank" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Android_rooting">rooting</a>" the device. For example, you can install apps from sources other than <a target="_blank" href="http://play.google.com/store/apps">Google's Android apps market</a>, such as <a target="_blank" href="http://www.amazon.com/mobile-apps/b?ie=UTF8&node=2350149011">Amazon's Android app store</a>, or "side-load" apps obtained from your other Android devices. You can also add alternative <a target="_blank" href="https://play.google.com/store/search?q=launcher&c=apps">home screen environments</a>, <a target="_blank" href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.abcOrganizer">folder functions</a>, <a target="_blank" href="https://play.google.com/store/search?q=keyboards&c=apps">onscreen keyboards</a>, and much, much more. The screenshots below demonstrate the results of several mods I made to the A2109. The customizations included: <ul> <li>Setting the home screen wallpaper to <a target="_blank" href="http://deviceguru.com/files/nebula.jpg">my favorite nebula image</a>.</li> <li>Installing about 200 apps, mostly side-loaded from my growing stash of Android app "APKs". </li> <li>Installing the Android <a target="_blank" href="http://www.folderorganizer.net/">Folder Organizer</a> app (one of my all-time favs) and using it to create 15 folders on the primary home screen, making it easy to launch any app with one or two taps. </li> <li>Installing my favorite alternative keyboard, the <a target="_blank" href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.pocketworkstation.pckeyboard&hl=en">Hacker's Keyboard</a>. Another alternative keyboard, the <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.jb.gokeyboard">GO Keyboard</a>, comes preinstalled on the A2109 and is also shown below, as is Android's excellent <a target="_blank" href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qankK3dbERQ">Google Voice Typing</a> function.</li> </ul> <center> <hr width="75%"> Alternative folder function <hr width="75%"> </center> These screenshots show the contents of the 15 folders I installed on the home screen: <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Oct/Lenovo-A2109/a2109-fofolders-01.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Oct/Lenovo-A2109/a2109-fofolders-01-thm.jpg" border=0></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Oct/Lenovo-A2109/a2109-fofolders-02.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Oct/Lenovo-A2109/a2109-fofolders-02-thm.jpg" border=0></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Oct/Lenovo-A2109/a2109-fofolders-03.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Oct/Lenovo-A2109/a2109-fofolders-03-thm.jpg" border=0></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Oct/Lenovo-A2109/a2109-fofolders-04.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Oct/Lenovo-A2109/a2109-fofolders-04-thm.jpg" border=0></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Oct/Lenovo-A2109/a2109-fofolders-05.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Oct/Lenovo-A2109/a2109-fofolders-05-thm.jpg" border=0></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Oct/Lenovo-A2109/a2109-fofolders-06.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Oct/Lenovo-A2109/a2109-fofolders-06-thm.jpg" border=0></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Oct/Lenovo-A2109/a2109-fofolders-07.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Oct/Lenovo-A2109/a2109-fofolders-07-thm.jpg" border=0></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Oct/Lenovo-A2109/a2109-fofolders-08.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Oct/Lenovo-A2109/a2109-fofolders-08-thm.jpg" border=0></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Oct/Lenovo-A2109/a2109-fofolders-09.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Oct/Lenovo-A2109/a2109-fofolders-09-thm.jpg" border=0></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Oct/Lenovo-A2109/a2109-fofolders-10.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Oct/Lenovo-A2109/a2109-fofolders-10-thm.jpg" border=0></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Oct/Lenovo-A2109/a2109-fofolders-11.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Oct/Lenovo-A2109/a2109-fofolders-11-thm.jpg" border=0></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Oct/Lenovo-A2109/a2109-fofolders-12.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Oct/Lenovo-A2109/a2109-fofolders-12-thm.jpg" border=0></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Oct/Lenovo-A2109/a2109-fofolders-13.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Oct/Lenovo-A2109/a2109-fofolders-13-thm.jpg" border=0></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Oct/Lenovo-A2109/a2109-fofolders-14.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Oct/Lenovo-A2109/a2109-fofolders-14-thm.jpg" border=0></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Oct/Lenovo-A2109/a2109-fofolders-15.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Oct/Lenovo-A2109/a2109-fofolders-15-thm.jpg" border=0></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Oct/Lenovo-A2109/a2109-fofolders-16.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Oct/Lenovo-A2109/a2109-fofolders-16-thm.jpg" border=0></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Oct/Lenovo-A2109/a2109-fofolders-17.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Oct/Lenovo-A2109/a2109-fofolders-17-thm.jpg" border=0></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Oct/Lenovo-A2109/a2109-fofolders-18.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Oct/Lenovo-A2109/a2109-fofolders-18-thm.jpg" border=0></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Oct/Lenovo-A2109/a2109-fofolders-19.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Oct/Lenovo-A2109/a2109-fofolders-19-thm.jpg" border=0></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Oct/Lenovo-A2109/a2109-fofolders-20.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Oct/Lenovo-A2109/a2109-fofolders-20-thm.jpg" border=0></a> (click images to enlarge) <center> <hr width="75%"> Tweaked home screen and lock screen <hr width="75%"> </center> The screenshot below shows the A2109's customized home screen, containing a combination of app launchers and folders (generated via the Folder Organizer app); I use mixed-case names for app launchers and upper-case names for folders. <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Oct/Lenovo-A2109/a2109-tweaked-homescreens-01.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Oct/Lenovo-A2109/a2109-tweaked-homescreens-01-500.jpg" border=0></a> (click image to enlarge) The pair of screenshots below show the tablet's customized lock screen; I opted for the pattern-based unlock option in the tablet's configuration settings: <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Oct/Lenovo-A2109/a2109-tweaked-homescreens-02.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Oct/Lenovo-A2109/a2109-tweaked-homescreens-02-225.jpg" border=0></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Oct/Lenovo-A2109/a2109-tweaked-homescreens-03.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Oct/Lenovo-A2109/a2109-tweaked-homescreens-03-225.jpg" border=0></a> (click images to enlarge) <center> <hr width="75%"> Alternative text entry methods <hr width="75%"> </center> The screenshots below demonstrate various ways to enter text on the A2109, including... <ul> <li>The standard Android keyboard.</li> <li>The <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.jb.gokeyboard">GO Keyboard</a>, which offers a nifty thumb-typing mode, among other interesting features.</li> <li>The <a href="http://code.google.com/p/hackerskeyboard/" target="new">Hacker's Keyboard</a>, my personal favorite.</li> <li>"Google Voice Typing," which works amazingly well, but requires an active broadband data connection.</li> </ul> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Oct/Lenovo-A2109/a2109-keyboards-01.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Oct/Lenovo-A2109/a2109-keyboards-01-thm.jpg" border=0></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Oct/Lenovo-A2109/a2109-keyboards-02.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Oct/Lenovo-A2109/a2109-keyboards-02-thm.jpg" border=0></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Oct/Lenovo-A2109/a2109-keyboards-03.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Oct/Lenovo-A2109/a2109-keyboards-03-thm.jpg" border=0></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Oct/Lenovo-A2109/a2109-keyboards-04.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Oct/Lenovo-A2109/a2109-keyboards-04-thm.jpg" border=0></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Oct/Lenovo-A2109/a2109-keyboards-05.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Oct/Lenovo-A2109/a2109-keyboards-05-thm.jpg" border=0></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Oct/Lenovo-A2109/a2109-keyboards-06.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Oct/Lenovo-A2109/a2109-keyboards-06-thm.jpg" border=0></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Oct/Lenovo-A2109/a2109-keyboards-07.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Oct/Lenovo-A2109/a2109-keyboards-07-thm.jpg" border=0></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Oct/Lenovo-A2109/a2109-keyboards-08.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Oct/Lenovo-A2109/a2109-keyboards-08-thm.jpg" border=0></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Oct/Lenovo-A2109/a2109-keyboards-09.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Oct/Lenovo-A2109/a2109-keyboards-09-thm.jpg" border=0></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Oct/Lenovo-A2109/a2109-keyboards-10.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Oct/Lenovo-A2109/a2109-keyboards-10-thm.jpg" border=0></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Oct/Lenovo-A2109/a2109-keyboards-11.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Oct/Lenovo-A2109/a2109-keyboards-11-thm.jpg" border=0></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Oct/Lenovo-A2109/a2109-keyboards-12.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-Oct/Lenovo-A2109/a2109-keyboards-12-thm.jpg" border=0></a> (click images to enlarge) Although Google Voice Typing works extremely well, the most efficient way to get serious work done on this or any tablet is with a good quality Bluetooth keyboard, such as the ones available from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Logitech-920-003390-Tablet-Keyboard-Android/dp/B0054L8N7M">Logitech</a> and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/ZAGG-FOLZKFLEXSLV-Zagg-ZAGGkeys-FLEX/dp/B00695OFE2">Zagg</a>. The bottom line So, is there really a need for mid-sized Android tablets, positioned between today's popular 7- and 10-inch configurations? Assuming typical price points of $200-250, $300-350, and $400-450 for 7-, 9-, and 10-inch models, based on my experience with the IdeaPad A2109 I'd say the answer is "yes." But please, Lenovo, upgrade that display! <hr> <center>Lenovo IdeaPad A2109 Android tablet</center> <hr> Name: <a href="http://www.lenovo.com/products/us/tablet/ideapad/a2109/" target="new">IdeaPad A2109</a> (manufactured by Lenovo) <blockquote>Lenovo's mid-sized IdeaPad A2109 Android tablet is loaded with features and very reasonably priced. Unfortunately, it's too heavy for its size and suffers from an anemic display.</blockquote> Price: $399 Pro: <ul> <li>Quad-core 1.2 GHz processor</li> <li>Rear camera</li> <li>Hardware GPS</li> <li>Video output port (micro-HDMI)</li> <li>Wi-Fi Direct support</li> <li>Beefy 6000 mAh battery</li> <li>Backed by Lenovo</li> </ul> Con: <ul> <li>Poor display brightness</li> <li>Too large/heavy/slippery for comfortable one-handed use</li> <li>Overly recessed power button</li> </ul> 2012-08-28T11:48:00ZGoogle Nexus 7: A Work Tablet?Google's first Android tablet, with its fast quad-core processor, Android 4.1 Jelly Bean operating system, compact size, and hi-res screen, offers the best bang for the buck of any tablet available today. It's the snappiest, most comfortable-feeling tablet I've tested.http://www.informationweek.com/byte/news/240006281?cid=RSSfeed_IWK_AuthorsI recently wrote about <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/byte/news/personal-tech/tablets/232900697">how to turn a Kindle Fire into a "real" Android tablet</a> and <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/byte/reviews/personal-tech/tablets/240000732">using Samsung's Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 for work-related tasks</a>. So how does Google's first Android tablet, the Asus-manufactured Nexus 7, compare to these other 7-inch tablets as a work slate? I decided to find out. <center><a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-August/Nexus7-deep-dive/nexus7-front.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=5 hspace=5 width=150 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-August/Nexus7-deep-dive/nexus7-front.jpg" border=0></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-August/Nexus7-deep-dive/nexus7-back.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=5 hspace=5 width=150 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-August/Nexus7-deep-dive/nexus7-back.jpg" border=0></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-August/Nexus7-deep-dive/nexus7-hand.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=5 hspace=5 width=150 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-August/Nexus7-deep-dive/nexus7-hand.jpg" border=0></a></center> <center>Three views of the Google Nexus 7 (click images to enlarge)</center> In BYTE's first look at the Nexus 7, Todd Ogasawara called it <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/byte/reviews/galleries/personal-tech/tablets/240004693">the best Android tablet</a> that he'd used so far. This review dives more deeply into the tablet's Android 4.1 Jelly Bean user interface and functionality, and covers some useful apps for system customization and management, productivity, and more. Three 7-Inch Choices: Nexus 7, Kindle Fire, Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 It's easy to see from the photo below that the Nexus 7 and the Galaxy Tab 2 7.0, its closest competitor, are much svelter than the Kindle Fire. <center><img vspace=5 hspace=5 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-August/Nexus7-deep-dive/nexus7-gtab-kf-stack-sm.jpg" border=0></a> Top to bottom: Nexus 7, Galaxy Tab 2 7.0, Kindle Fire</center> But how do the tablets stack up otherwise? The table below compares the key specs of all three 7-inch tablets. Later in this review we'll zero in on the Nexus 7 vs. the Galaxy Tab 2 7.0, arguably the best two 7-inch tablets available today. The specs alone tell us two things: the Kindle Fire is due for a hardware and software refresh; and the Nexus 7 and Galaxy 2 7.0 are fairly evenly matched, each with its pluses and minuses (more on that later). <center>Specs smack-down: Nexus 7 vs Galaxy Tab 2 vs. Kindle Fire</center> <table align=center width=620 border=1 cellpadding=5 cellspacing=0> <tr> <td style="border:1px solid black;" width="25%"></td> <td style="border:1px solid black;" width="25%" align=center><a href="http://www.google.com/nexus/#/7/specs">Google/Asus Nexus 7</a></td> <td style="border:1px solid black;" width="25%" align=center>Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 (7.0)</td> <td style="border:1px solid black;" width="25%" align=center>Amazon Kindle Fire</td> </tr> <tr><td style="border:1px solid black;" STYLE="font-size: small;">Processor</td> <td style="border:1px solid black;" style="font-size: small; text-align: middle;">1-GHz quad-core ARM CPU</td> <td style="border:1px solid black;" style="font-size: small; text-align: middle;">1-GHz dual-core ARM CPU</td> <td style="border:1px solid black;" style="font-size: small; text-align: middle;">1-GHz dual-core ARM CPU</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="border:1px solid black;" style="font-size: small;">RAM</td> <td style="border:1px solid black;" style="font-size: small; text-align: middle;">1GB</td> <td style="border:1px solid black;" style="font-size: small; text-align: middle;">1GB</td> <td style="border:1px solid black;" style="font-size: small; text-align: middle;">512MB</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="border:1px solid black;" style="font-size: small;">Internal flash</td> <td style="border:1px solid black;" style="font-size: small; text-align: middle;">8GB or 16GB</td> <td style="border:1px solid black;" style="font-size: small; text-align: middle;">8GB</td> <td style="border:1px solid black;" style="font-size: small; text-align: middle;">8GB</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="border:1px solid black;" style="font-size: small;">MicroSD flash expansion</td> <td style="border:1px solid black;" style="font-size: small; text-align: middle;">No</td> <td style="border:1px solid black;" style="font-size: small; text-align: middle;">Yes (up to 32GB)</td> <td style="border:1px solid black;" style="font-size: small; text-align: middle;">No</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="border:1px solid black;" style="font-size: small;">OS</td> <td style="border:1px solid black;" style="font-size: small; text-align: middle;">Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean)</td> <td style="border:1px solid black;" style="font-size: small; text-align: middle;">Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich)</td> <td style="border:1px solid black;" style="font-size: small; text-align: middle;">Android 2.3 (customized)</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="border:1px solid black;" style="font-size: small;">App store</td> <td style="border:1px solid black;" style="font-size: small; text-align: middle;">Google Apps Marketplace</td> <td style="border:1px solid black;" style="font-size: small; text-align: middle;">Google Apps Marketplace</td> <td style="border:1px solid black;" style="font-size: small; text-align: middle;">Amazon</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="border:1px solid black;" style="font-size: small;">Screen (pixels)</td> <td style="border:1px solid black;" style="font-size: small; text-align: middle;">1280 X 800</td> <td style="border:1px solid black;" style="font-size: small; text-align: middle;">1024 x 600</td> <td style="border:1px solid black;" style="font-size: small; text-align: middle;">1024 x 600</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="border:1px solid black;" style="font-size: small;">Camera</td> <td style="border:1px solid black;" style="font-size: small; text-align: middle;">1.2MP front</td> <td style="border:1px solid black;" style="font-size: small; text-align: middle;">0.3MP front 3MP rear</td> <td style="border:1px solid black;" style="font-size: small; text-align: left;">None</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="border:1px solid black;" style="font-size: small;">Audio input</td> <td style="border:1px solid black;" style="font-size: small; text-align: middle;">Mic, line-in</td> <td style="border:1px solid black;" style="font-size: small; text-align: middle;">Mic, line-in</td> <td style="border:1px solid black;" style="font-size: small; text-align: middle;"><center>None</center></td> </tr> <tr> <td style="border:1px solid black;" style="font-size: small;">Wi-Fi</td> <td style="border:1px solid black;" style="font-size: small; text-align: middle;">802.11 a/b/g/n</td> <td style="border:1px solid black;" style="font-size: small; text-align: middle;">802.11 b/g/n; Wi-Fi-Direct</td> <td style="border:1px solid black;" style="font-size: small; text-align: middle;">802.11 b/g/n/x</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="border:1px solid black;" style="font-size: small;">Bluetooth</td> <td style="border:1px solid black;" style="font-size: small; text-align: middle;">Yes</td> <td style="border:1px solid black;" style="font-size: small; text-align: middle;">Yes</td> <td style="border:1px solid black;" style="font-size: small; text-align: middle;">No</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="border:1px solid black;" style="font-size: small;">GPS</td> <td style="border:1px solid black;" style="font-size: small; text-align: middle;">Yes</td> <td style="border:1px solid black;" style="font-size: small; text-align: middle;">Yes</td> <td style="border:1px solid black;" style="font-size: small; text-align: middle;">No</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="border:1px solid black;" style="font-size: small;">Battery</td> <td style="border:1px solid black;" style="font-size: small; text-align: middle;">4325 mAh</td> <td style="border:1px solid black;" style="font-size: small; text-align: middle;">4000 mAh</td> <td style="border:1px solid black;" style="font-size: small; text-align: middle;">4400 mAh</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="border:1px solid black;" style="font-size: small;">Hours battery life (continuous Netflix, full brightness)</td> <td style="border:1px solid black;" style="font-size: small; text-align: middle;"> ~ 5 </td> <td style="border:1px solid black;" style="font-size: small; text-align: middle;"> ~ 4 </td> <td style="border:1px solid black;" style="font-size: small; text-align: middle;"> ~ 3 </td> </tr> <tr> <td style="border:1px solid black;" style="font-size: small;">Size (inches)</td> <td style="border:1px solid black;" style="font-size: small; text-align: middle;">7.8 x 4.7 x 0.4</td> <td style="border:1px solid black;" style="font-size: small; text-align: middle;">7.6 x 4.8 x 0.4</td> <td style="border:1px solid black;" style="font-size: small; text-align: middle;">7.5 x 4.7 x 0.5</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="border:1px solid black;" style="font-size: small;">Weight (ounces)</td> <td style="border:1px solid black;" style="font-size: small; text-align: middle;">12.0</td> <td style="border:1px solid black;" style="font-size: small; text-align: middle;">12.2</td><td style="border:1px solid black;" style="font-size: small; text-align: middle;">14.6</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Price</td> <td style="border:1px solid black;" style="font-size: small; text-align: middle;">$199 (8GB) $249 (16GB)</td> <td style="border:1px solid black;" style="font-size: small; text-align: middle;">$249 (8GB)</td> <td style="border:1px solid black;" style="font-size: small; text-align: middle;">$199 (8GB)</td> </tr> </table> Quick tour: Nexus 7 When it's first turned on, the Nexus 7 guides you through a few simple configuration steps, after which you'll arrive at the tablet's two default home screens (shown below). <center><a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-August/Nexus7-deep-dive/nexus7-initial-homescreens-01.jpg" target="new"><img width=170 border=0 vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-August/Nexus7-deep-dive/nexus7-initial-homescreens-01.jpg"></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-August/Nexus7-deep-dive/nexus7-initial-homescreens-02.jpg" target="new"><img width=170 border=0 vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-August/Nexus7-deep-dive/nexus7-initial-homescreens-02.jpg"></a> The Nexus 7 default home screens. (click images to enlarge)</center> Tapping the widget in the middle of the dock at the bottom edge of either home screen switches the display to the all-apps and all-widgets view. The far left screenshot below shows icons for each of the 28 apps that were preinstalled on my Nexus 7. The other two screenshots show 12 of the tablet's 26 preinstalled widgets. <center><a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-August/Nexus7-deep-dive/nexus7-initial-apps.jpg" target="new"><img width=150 border=0 vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-August/Nexus7-deep-dive/nexus7-initial-apps.jpg"></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-August/Nexus7-deep-dive/nexus7-initial-widgets-01.jpg" target="new"><img width=150 border=0 vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-August/Nexus7-deep-dive/nexus7-initial-widgets-01.jpg"></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-August/Nexus7-deep-dive/nexus7-initial-widgets-02.jpg" target="new"><img width=150 border=0 vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-August/Nexus7-deep-dive/nexus7-initial-widgets-02.jpg"></a> The Nexus 7 comes with 28 preinstalled apps and 26 preinstalled widgets. (click images to enlarge)</center> At this point, you can customize the home screens; add and remove app icons and widgets; create folders containing multiple app icons; and modify the home screen and lock screen backgrounds if you like. The first thing I always do is literally sweep the slate clean, by wiping away all the default app icons and widgets from the home screens. I then install my <a href="http://deviceguru.com/files/nebula.jpg" target="new">favorite home screen wallpaper</a> and sideload a dozen-or-so system management apps.Getting organized This next group of screenshots demonstrates the Nexus 7's built-in folder creation capability. You can create folders by dragging one app icon onto another. The method and results are similar to creating folders on the iPad, except the Nexus 7 has round, transparent folders containing overlapping stacks of icons. <center><a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-August/Nexus7-deep-dive/nexus7-standardfolders-01.jpg" target="new"><img width=130 border=0 vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-August/Nexus7-deep-dive/nexus7-standardfolders-01.jpg"></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-August/Nexus7-deep-dive/nexus7-standardfolders-02.jpg" target="new"><img width=130 border=0 vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-August/Nexus7-deep-dive/nexus7-standardfolders-02.jpg"></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-August/Nexus7-deep-dive/nexus7-standardfolders-04.jpg" target="new"><img width=130 border=0 vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-August/Nexus7-deep-dive/nexus7-standardfolders-04.jpg"></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-August/Nexus7-deep-dive/nexus7-standardfolders-05.jpg" target="new"><img width=130 border=0 vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-August/Nexus7-deep-dive/nexus7-standardfolders-05.jpg"></a> Creating folders on the home screens is as easy as drag and drop. (click images to enlarge)</center> Despite the avant-garde look of Nexus 7 folders, I prefer creating customized folders and app icons using the third-party <a href="http://www.folderorganizer.net/" target="new">Folder Organizer</a> app. In addition to letting you assign custom icon images to each folder, the app provides a choice of folder themes; a handy function for assigning apps to one or more folders; and a tool for backing up and restoring your custom folder settings. Thanks to Folder Organizer, I can quickly and easily access all of the near-200 apps I've installed on my Nexus 7 with one or two taps from a single home screen. To accomplish this, I populated the main home screen with 14 category folders, labeled with upper-case letters; 14 icons for favorite apps, labeled with upper and lower case; and one widget for quick Wi-Fi access point selection. I dedicated a secondary home screen to a handful of widgets. Here's how all that looks on my Nexus 7: <center><a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-August/Nexus7-deep-dive/nexus7-customized-homescreens-01.jpg" target="new"><img width=170 border=0 vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-August/Nexus7-deep-dive/nexus7-customized-homescreens-01.jpg"></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-August/Nexus7-deep-dive/nexus7-customized-homescreens-02.jpg" target="new"><img width=170 border=0 vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-August/Nexus7-deep-dive/nexus7-customized-homescreens-02.jpg"></a> My customized home screens. (click images to enlarge)</center> Moving files around The Nexus 7's Android 4.1 OS offers numerous ways to move files in and out of the device. Of course, you can easily transfer files between the tablet and desktop or laptop PCs or Macs using a USB cable. Increasingly, however, I find myself using wireless, rather than wired, methods--and to or from a growing set of remote locations. These include the tablet's internal flash storage, Windows shares, other Bluetooth-enabled devices, and cloud services such as Dropbox, Google Drive, Box, and Sugarsync. <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.estrongs.android.pop" target="new">ES File Explorer</a>, one of my favorite free apps, merges nearly all these file transfer locations into a single wireless multiverse, as seen below. <center><a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-August/Nexus7-deep-dive/nexus7-esfileexplorer-01.jpg" target="new"><img width=120 border=0 vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-August/Nexus7-deep-dive/nexus7-esfileexplorer-01.jpg"></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-August/Nexus7-deep-dive/nexus7-esfileexplorer-02.jpg" target="new"><img width=120 border=0 vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-August/Nexus7-deep-dive/nexus7-esfileexplorer-02.jpg"></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-August/Nexus7-deep-dive/nexus7-esfileexplorer-05.jpg" target="new"><img width=120 border=0 vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-August/Nexus7-deep-dive/nexus7-esfileexplorer-05.jpg"></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-August/Nexus7-deep-dive/nexus7-esfileexplorer-07.jpg" target="new"><img width=120 border=0 vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-August/Nexus7-deep-dive/nexus7-esfileexplorer-07.jpg"></a> ES File Explorer makes it easy to move files around. (click images to enlarge)</center> Entering text on soft keyboards With its bright, crisp screen, the Nexus 7 makes a super reading and viewing tool, both for work and for pleasure. But what about typing in and editing documents? As you might expect, the relatively small onscreen keyboards of 7-inch tablets limit the speed and accuracy with which you can type and edit documents or emails. However, there are several ways to circumvent this problem on the Nexus 7. Numerous soft-keyboard alternatives to the standard Android onscreen keyboard are available from Google's Android Market. Of those, my favorite is the <a href="http://code.google.com/p/hackerskeyboard/" target="new">Hacker's Keyboard</a> (second row below, left image). It adds cursor keys, an escape key, function keys, a numeric keypad, and more. Another way to enter text is via the Google Voice Typing mode, which works surprisingly well. You launch the mode by tapping the microphone icon in the bottom row of the onscreen keyboard, or via the search widget at the top of the tablet's home screens. Speak slowly and clearly, and it can really speed up your text entry on the tablet. Google Voice Typing currently responds to a few spoken <a href="http://support.google.com/mobile/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=168450" target="new">punctuation commands</a> as well. It can understand comma, period, exclamation mark, question mark, and colon. But check your results closely because sometimes it makes mistakes. <center><a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-August/Nexus7-deep-dive/nexus7-keyboards-02.jpg" target="new"><img width=150 border=0 vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-August/Nexus7-deep-dive/nexus7-keyboards-02.jpg"></a><a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-August/Nexus7-deep-dive/nexus7-keyboards-01.jpg" target="new"><img width=150 border=0 vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-August/Nexus7-deep-dive/nexus7-keyboards-01.jpg"></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-August/Nexus7-deep-dive/nexus7-keyboards-05.jpg" target="new"><img width=150 border=0 vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-August/Nexus7-deep-dive/nexus7-keyboards-05.jpg"></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-August/Nexus7-deep-dive/nexus7-keyboards-06.jpg" target="new"><img width=150 border=0 vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-August/Nexus7-deep-dive/nexus7-keyboards-06.jpg"></a> The Nexus 7 supports multiple ways to enter text, including typing on the included soft keyboard (top row, right); using a third-party soft keyboard, such as the Hacker's Keyboard (bottom row, left); and using Android Voice Typing. (click images to enlarge)</center> Although Google Voice Typing works fairly well, you'll probably find that a Bluetooth keyboard such as the one shown below is the fastest and most accurate way to enter text. <center><a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-August/Nexus7-deep-dive/nexus7-btkeyboard-landscape.jpg" target="new"><img width=450 vspace=5 hspace=10 border=0 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-August/Nexus7-deep-dive/nexus7-btkeyboard-landscape.jpg"></a> Typing with a Bluetooth keyboard is the most efficient way to enter text. (click image to enlarge)</center> Doing "real work" on the Nexus 7 Obviously the Nexus 7 is a great device for browsing the Web, watching videos, playing music, and reading ebooks. But can you do enough "real work" on it to justify your company buying you one? In addition to Android apps for email, contacts, calendar, and communications that are preinstalled or that you can add, there are several other third-party productivity apps available that offer Microsoft Office-like features, including compatibility with Word, Excel, and Powerpoint file formats. One real plus with these apps is that they let you use either internal storage or cloud services as the source and destination for files, so transferring or syncing your work among your tablet, laptop, and desktop computers is easy. Let's take a quick look at six Android productivity apps available for the Nexus 7: <ul><li>OfficeSuite Pro<li>QuickOffice Pro<li>Kingsoft Office<li>Google Drive<li>LogMeIn<li>SketchBook Mobile</ul> <center><hr width="50%">OfficeSuite Pro<hr width="50%"></center> <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.mobisystems.editor.office_registered" target="new">This $15 Android app</a> lets you create and edit documents in Word, Powerpoint, and Excel formats. You can try this app for seven days using a free, fully-functional trial version, so you'll have plenty of time to find out whether it's worth purchasing. <center><a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-August/Nexus7-deep-dive/nexus7-officesuite-01.jpg" target="new"><img width=100 border=0 vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-August/Nexus7-deep-dive/nexus7-officesuite-01.jpg"></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-August/Nexus7-deep-dive/nexus7-officesuite-02.jpg" target="new"><img width=100 border=0 vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-August/Nexus7-deep-dive/nexus7-officesuite-02.jpg"></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-August/Nexus7-deep-dive/nexus7-officesuite-03.jpg" target="new"><img width=100 border=0 vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-August/Nexus7-deep-dive/nexus7-officesuite-03.jpg"></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-August/Nexus7-deep-dive/nexus7-officesuite-04.jpg" target="new"><img width=100 border=0 vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-August/Nexus7-deep-dive/nexus7-officesuite-04.jpg"></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-August/Nexus7-deep-dive/nexus7-officesuite-05.jpg" target="new"><img width=100 border=0 vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-August/Nexus7-deep-dive/nexus7-officesuite-05.jpg"></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-August/Nexus7-deep-dive/nexus7-officesuite-06.jpg" target="new"><img width=100 border=0 vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-August/Nexus7-deep-dive/nexus7-officesuite-06.jpg"></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-August/Nexus7-deep-dive/nexus7-officesuite-07.jpg" target="new"><img width=100 border=0 vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-August/Nexus7-deep-dive/nexus7-officesuite-07.jpg"></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-August/Nexus7-deep-dive/nexus7-officesuite-08.jpg" target="new"><img width=100 border=0 vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-August/Nexus7-deep-dive/nexus7-officesuite-08.jpg"></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-August/Nexus7-deep-dive/nexus7-officesuite-09.jpg" target="new"><img width=100 border=0 vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-August/Nexus7-deep-dive/nexus7-officesuite-09.jpg"></a> (click images to enlarge)</center> <center><hr width="50%">Quickoffice Pro HD<hr width="50%"></center> Unfortunately, there's no free-trial version of <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.qo.android.tablet.am" target="new">this $20 Office-style app</a>, although as with all apps purchased in the Google Android Market you can cancel your purchase within 15 minutes for a full refund. One potential advantage of QuickOffice is that it's also available for iOS. Another is that Google <a href="http://blog.quickoffice.com/articles/quickoffice-has-been-acquired-by-google.html" target="new">recently acquired Quickoffice</a>, so it could be moving toward a phase of rapid evolution. Below, I created some simple Powerpoint slides and spreadsheets using Quickoffice. <center><a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-August/Nexus7-deep-dive/nexus7-quickoffice-01.jpg" target="new"><img width=100 border=0 vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-August/Nexus7-deep-dive/nexus7-quickoffice-01.jpg"></a><a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-August/Nexus7-deep-dive/nexus7-quickoffice-02.jpg" target="new"><img width=100 border=0 vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-August/Nexus7-deep-dive/nexus7-quickoffice-02.jpg"></a><a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-August/Nexus7-deep-dive/nexus7-quickoffice-03.jpg" target="new"><img width=100 border=0 vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-August/Nexus7-deep-dive/nexus7-quickoffice-03.jpg"></a><a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-August/Nexus7-deep-dive/nexus7-quickoffice-04.jpg" target="new"><img width=100 border=0 vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-August/Nexus7-deep-dive/nexus7-quickoffice-04.jpg"></a><a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-August/Nexus7-deep-dive/nexus7-quickoffice-05.jpg" target="new"><img width=100 border=0 vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-August/Nexus7-deep-dive/nexus7-quickoffice-05.jpg"></a><a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-August/Nexus7-deep-dive/nexus7-quickoffice-06.jpg" target="new"><img width=100 border=0 vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-August/Nexus7-deep-dive/nexus7-quickoffice-06.jpg"></a><a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-August/Nexus7-deep-dive/nexus7-quickoffice-07.jpg" target="new"><img width=100 border=0 vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-August/Nexus7-deep-dive/nexus7-quickoffice-07.jpg"></a> (click images to enlarge)</center> Unfortunately, Quickoffice can't create charts from spreadsheet data. I used OfficeSuite Pro to add a chart to a spreadsheet that QuickOffice created (below). <center><a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-August/Nexus7-deep-dive/nexus7-officesuite-10.jpg" target="new"><img width=100 border=0 vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-August/Nexus7-deep-dive/nexus7-officesuite-10.jpg"></a><a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-August/Nexus7-deep-dive/nexus7-officesuite-11.jpg" target="new"><img width=100 border=0 vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-August/Nexus7-deep-dive/nexus7-officesuite-11.jpg"></a><a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-August/Nexus7-deep-dive/nexus7-officesuite-12.jpg" target="new"><img width=100 border=0 vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-August/Nexus7-deep-dive/nexus7-officesuite-12.jpg"></a> (click images to enlarge)</center> <center><hr width="50%">Kingsoft Office<hr width="50%"></center> This Office-style app is <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=cn.wps.moffice_eng" target="new">currently free</a> in Google's Android Market. Like the paid office suites above, Kingsoft Office is useful for creating and editing MS Office-compatible text, spreadsheet, and presentation documents. One unfortunate drawback is that its top-of-screen menu fonts and widgets are small and lack contrast, making the app somewhat tedious to use, at least initially. Still, the app does offer extensive text document-editing capabilities, plus the ability to create spreadsheets and presentations, all at a price that's hard to resist. <center><a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-August/Nexus7-deep-dive/nexus7-kingsoftoffice-01.jpg" target="new"><img width=100 border=0 vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-August/Nexus7-deep-dive/nexus7-kingsoftoffice-01.jpg"></a><a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-August/Nexus7-deep-dive/nexus7-kingsoftoffice-02.jpg" target="new"><img width=100 border=0 vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-August/Nexus7-deep-dive/nexus7-kingsoftoffice-02.jpg"></a><a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-August/Nexus7-deep-dive/nexus7-kingsoftoffice-03.jpg" target="new"><img width=100 border=0 vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-August/Nexus7-deep-dive/nexus7-kingsoftoffice-03.jpg"></a><a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-August/Nexus7-deep-dive/nexus7-kingsoftoffice-04.jpg" target="new"><img width=100 border=0 vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-August/Nexus7-deep-dive/nexus7-kingsoftoffice-04.jpg"></a><a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-August/Nexus7-deep-dive/nexus7-kingsoftoffice-05.jpg" target="new"><img width=100 border=0 vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-August/Nexus7-deep-dive/nexus7-kingsoftoffice-05.jpg"></a><a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-August/Nexus7-deep-dive/nexus7-kingsoftoffice-06.jpg" target="new"><img width=100 border=0 vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-August/Nexus7-deep-dive/nexus7-kingsoftoffice-06.jpg"></a><a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-August/Nexus7-deep-dive/nexus7-kingsoftoffice-07.jpg" target="new"><img width=100 border=0 vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-August/Nexus7-deep-dive/nexus7-kingsoftoffice-07.jpg"></a><a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-August/Nexus7-deep-dive/nexus7-kingsoftoffice-08.jpg" target="new"><img width=100 border=0 vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-August/Nexus7-deep-dive/nexus7-kingsoftoffice-08.jpg"></a><a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-August/Nexus7-deep-dive/nexus7-kingsoftoffice-09.jpg" target="new"><img width=100 border=0 vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-August/Nexus7-deep-dive/nexus7-kingsoftoffice-09.jpg"></a><a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-August/Nexus7-deep-dive/nexus7-kingsoftoffice-10.jpg" target="new"><img width=100 border=0 vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-August/Nexus7-deep-dive/nexus7-kingsoftoffice-10.jpg"></a> (click images to enlarge)</center> <center><hr width="50%">Google Drive<hr width="50%"></center> In addition to providing Dropbox-like cloud storage and sharing services, the free <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.android.apps.docs" target="new">Google Drive </a> app lets you view and edit text and spreadsheet Google Documents on the Nexus 7. <center><a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-August/Nexus7-deep-dive/nexus7-gdrive-01.jpg" target="new"><img width=100 border=0 vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-August/Nexus7-deep-dive/nexus7-gdrive-01.jpg"></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-August/Nexus7-deep-dive/nexus7-gdrive-02.jpg" target="new"><img width=100 border=0 vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-August/Nexus7-deep-dive/nexus7-gdrive-02.jpg"></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-August/Nexus7-deep-dive/nexus7-gdrive-03.jpg" target="new"><img width=100 border=0 vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-August/Nexus7-deep-dive/nexus7-gdrive-03.jpg"></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-August/Nexus7-deep-dive/nexus7-gdrive-04.jpg" target="new"><img width=100 border=0 vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-August/Nexus7-deep-dive/nexus7-gdrive-04.jpg"></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-August/Nexus7-deep-dive/nexus7-gdrive-05.jpg" target="new"><img width=100 border=0 vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-August/Nexus7-deep-dive/nexus7-gdrive-05.jpg"></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-August/Nexus7-deep-dive/nexus7-gdrive-06.jpg" target="new"><img width=100 border=0 vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-August/Nexus7-deep-dive/nexus7-gdrive-06.jpg"></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-August/Nexus7-deep-dive/nexus7-gdrive-07.jpg" target="new"><img width=100 border=0 vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-August/Nexus7-deep-dive/nexus7-gdrive-07.jpg"></a> (click images to enlarge)</center><center><hr width="50%">LogMeIn<hr width="50%"></center> <a href="https://secure.logmein.com/welcome/android/" target="new">This useful mobile productivity app</a>, currently priced at $25 in Google's Android Market, lets you access remote Windows or Mac desktops and even run desktop programs remotely. The screenshots below show the Nexus 7 being used to create an Open Office spreadsheet and browse the Web in Firefox on a remote Windows 7 desktop. <center><a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-August/Nexus7-deep-dive/nexus7-logmein-01.jpg" target="new"><img width=100 border=0 vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-August/Nexus7-deep-dive/nexus7-logmein-01.jpg"></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-August/Nexus7-deep-dive/nexus7-logmein-02.jpg" target="new"><img width=100 border=0 vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-August/Nexus7-deep-dive/nexus7-logmein-02.jpg"></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-August/Nexus7-deep-dive/nexus7-logmein-03.jpg" target="new"><img width=100 border=0 vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-August/Nexus7-deep-dive/nexus7-logmein-03.jpg"></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-August/Nexus7-deep-dive/nexus7-logmein-04.jpg" target="new"><img width=100 border=0 vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-August/Nexus7-deep-dive/nexus7-logmein-04.jpg"></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-August/Nexus7-deep-dive/nexus7-logmein-05.jpg" target="new"><img width=100 border=0 vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-August/Nexus7-deep-dive/nexus7-logmein-05.jpg"></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-August/Nexus7-deep-dive/nexus7-logmein-06.jpg" target="new"><img width=100 border=0 vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-August/Nexus7-deep-dive/nexus7-logmein-06.jpg"></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-August/Nexus7-deep-dive/nexus7-logmein-07.jpg" target="new"><img width=100 border=0 vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-August/Nexus7-deep-dive/nexus7-logmein-07.jpg"></a> (click images to enlarge)</center> <center><hr width="50%">SketchBook Mobile<hr width="50%"></center> Autodesk's free <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.sketchbook" target="new">SketchBook Mobile</a> app is a nifty painting and drawing tool. Using it, you can create mixed text/graphics images that can be embedded in presentations and other documents. <center><a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-August/Nexus7-deep-dive/nexus7-sketchbook-01.jpg" target="new"><img width=150 border=0 vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-August/Nexus7-deep-dive/nexus7-sketchbook-01.jpg"></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-August/Nexus7-deep-dive/nexus7-sketchbook-02.jpg" target="new"><img width=150 border=0 vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-August/Nexus7-deep-dive/nexus7-sketchbook-02.jpg"></a> (click images to enlarge)</center>What about having fun? We thought you'd never ask! When you're tired of using the Nexus 7 for catching up on work email and preparing proposal and presentation drafts, you can kick back: <ul><li>Browse the Web with a choice of desktop-class browsers.<li>Chat with friends over Skype or Google Talk.<li>Connect with Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, or other social networks.<li>Stream videos from local storage, from UPnP or Windows LAN shares, or from sites such as Netflix, YouTube, Vimeo, and elsewhere.<li>Listen to music from local storage, from services such as Pandora or LastFM, or from your favorite Internet radio stations.<li>Catch up on the latest news from news sites and blogs.<li>Read ebooks through apps such as Google Play Books, Amazon Kindle, and B&N Nook.<li>Play games.</ul> To see me using the Nexus 7 for all these enjoyable pursuits, check out the comprehensive <a href="http://deviceguru.com/google-nexus-7-screenshots/" target="new">Google Nexus 7 screenshot tour</a> on my blog. One big disappointment, though: Google has <a href="http://blogs.adobe.com/flashplayer/2012/06/flash-player-and-android-update.html" target="new">removed Adobe Flash support from Android</a> starting with version 4.1, although there might be <a href="http://www.xda-developers.com/android/adobe-flash-on-the-nexus-7-and-other-jelly-bean-devices/" target="new">ways to circumvent</a> that restriction. The bottom line Can you be productive using the Nexus 7? It depends on the work. If you need to crank out richly-formatted text, presentation, and spreadsheet documents, it would be challenging even on a 10-inch tablet because Android productivity apps aren't quite there yet. On the other hand, with the aid of Google Voice Typing and perhaps a Bluetooth keyboard, you certainly can create relatively lengthy text documents fairly easily. And the Nexus 7 is great for viewing documents, websites, and other forms of content; in fact, the ability to hold it in one hand comfortably gives it the edge over a heavier 10-inch tablet in many situations. What about Samsung's similarly-priced Galaxy Tab 2 7.0? If the Nexus 7's lack of a camera doesn't bother you (it is possible to <a href="http://deviceguru.com/google-nexus-7-screenshots/#camera-app" target="new">take low-res snapshots</a>, thanks to a third-party app), the Nexus 7 outperforms the Samsung tablet in nearly every respect. Check out all its advantages. <center>Google Nexus 7 vs. Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 7.0</center> <table width="90%" border=1 cellpadding=5 cellspacing=0 align=center> <tr><td style="border:1px solid black;" align=center width="50%">Nexus 7 advantages</td><td style="border:1px solid black;" align=center width="50%">Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 advantages</td></tr> <tr><td style="border:1px solid black;" align=center>Quad-core CPU</td><td style="border:1px solid black;" align=center>MicroSD slot</td></tr> <tr><td style="border:1px solid black;" align=center>Android 4.1</td><td style="border:1px solid black;" align=center>3MP back camera</td></tr> <tr><td style="border:1px solid black;" align=center>1280x800 px screen</td><td style="border:1px solid black;" align=center> </td></tr> <tr><td style="border:1px solid black;" align=center>1.2MP front camera</td><td style="border:1px solid black;" align=center> </td></tr> <tr><td style="border:1px solid black;" align=center>4325 mAh battery</td><td style="border:1px solid black;" align=center> </td></tr> <tr><td style="border:1px solid black;" align=center>$199 price (8GB flash)</td><td style="border:1px solid black;" align=center> </td></tr> </table> <hr><center>Google's First Android Tablet</center><hr> Name: <a href="http://www.google.com/nexus/#/7" target="new">Google Nexus 7</a> (manufactured by Asus) <blockquote>Google's first Android tablet, with its quad-core processor, latest Android operating system, hi-res 1280x800 screen, and compact size, offers the best bang for the buck of any tablet available today. </blockquote> Price: $199.99 (8GB flash) or $249.99 (16GB flash) Pro: <ul><li>Rock-bottom price for a full-featured tablet.<li>Quad-core 1GHz CPU delivers snappy performance.<li>Based on the latest Android 4.1 OS (Jelly Bean).<li>Crisp, bright 1280x800 display.<li>Packed with wireless: WiFi, Bluetooth, GPS, NFC.<li>Thin, lightweight, comfortable feel.<li>Decent battery life.<li>Google Voice Typing works surprisingly well.</ul> Con: <ul><li>Best used with a Bluetooth keyboard for generating office documents.<li>Lacks a primary (back) camera for taking photos.<li>Lacks a microSD slot for expandable/removable flash storage.<li>No option for 3G/4G cellular.<li>Lacks Adobe Flash support.</ul>2012-05-22T16:30:00ZSamsung Galaxy Tab 2: Second Look At Great 7-Inch TabletThis new low-cost 7-inch Android tablet has virtually everything you'd want in a compact, thin, lightweight, low-cost device. It's a great mobile companion for both work and pleasure, includes many worthwhile Android apps, and is priced low enough that it's hard to justify NOT getting one. android tablet, android apps, ipadhttp://www.informationweek.com/byte/news/240000732?cid=RSSfeed_IWK_AuthorsIn my tutorial on <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/byte/news/personal-tech/tablets/232900697">turning a Kindle Fire into a "real" tablet</a> by rooting it and adding applications, I concluded that the resulting Kindle Fire was a pretty good general-purpose tablet. However, some aspects of the transformation were less than optimal. I suggested a 7-inch tablet that was coming soon from Samsung as a better bet. We looked at that new tablet, the <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/byte/reviews/personal-tech/tablets/232901365?pgno=2">Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 7.0</a> a couple of weeks ago and found it to be an all-around terrific 7-inch Android tablet. In this second look, we go into more detail. Should you consider this $249 slate for business? Definitely. The Tab 2 7.0 offers virtually everything you'd want in a tablet: it's compact, thin, and light; it's capable of both pleasure and work; and doesn't cost much as tablets go. The Tab 7.0 is essentially a minor redesign of an older, more expensive model, the <a href="http://www.samsung.com/us/mobile/galaxy-tab/GT-P6210MAYXAR" target="new">Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus</a>. Samsung toned down the features, lowered the price, and voila! It's produced a tablet that competes with Amazon's <a href="http://www.isuppli.com/Teardowns/News/Pages/Amazon-Sells-Kindle-Fire-at-Low-Profit-Margin-to-Promote-Online-Merchandize-Sales.aspx" target="new">loss leader Kindle Fire</a> in price, yet has nearly all the capabilities of Apple's "<a href="http://www.apple.com/ipad/" target="new">new iPad</a>" at half the Wi-Fi-only iPad's price. Following are the principle changes Samsung made in its new cost-reduced version of the Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus: <ul> <li>CPU clock rate reduced to 1.0GHz from 1.2GHz. <li>Internal flash reduced to 8GB from 16GB. <li>LED flash eliminated. <li>Haptic feedback (vibration) eliminated. <li>OS upgraded to Android 4.0 from Android 3.2. <li>Polaris Office upgraded to 4.0 from 3.0. <li>Price reduced by $100. </ul> Below are the front and rear views of the tablet. On the back you can see the camera lens. <center> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-May/Galaxy-Tab-2-7.0/gtab2-7-hand-portrait.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=5 hspace=5 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-May/Galaxy-Tab-2-7.0/gtab2-7-hand-portrait-250.jpg" border=0></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-May/Galaxy-Tab-2-7.0/gtab2-7-back.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=5 hspace=5 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-May/Galaxy-Tab-2-7.0/gtab2-7-back-sm.jpg" border=0></a> Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 front and back (click images to enlarge) </center> How the Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 stacks up Any realistic tablet comparison can't be just about hardware. The Apple and Android tablets run entirely different operating systems, of course. But tabulating software tradeoffs would be like trying to summarize the pros and cons of the world's great religions. Based on hardware specs and price alone, following are more in-depth details on how the new Galaxy Tab 2 compares favorably with the Kindle Fire and new iPad. <center>Summary specs: Galaxy Tab 2 vs Kindle Fire vs new iPad</center> <table align=center width=550 border=1 bordercolor="white" cellpadding=5 cellspacing=0> <tr> <td> </td> <td style="{text-align: center}"> Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 (7.0) </td> <td style="{text-align: center}"> Amazon Kindle Fire </td> <td style="{text-align: center}"> Apple "new iPad" </td> </tr> <tr> <td> Processor </td> <td align=center> 1-GHz dual-core ARM CPU </td> <td align=center> 1-GHz dual-core ARM CPU </td> <td align=center> 1.2-GHz dual-core ARM CPU </td> </tr> <tr> <td> RAM </td> <td align=center> 1GB </td> <td align=center> 512MB </td> <td align=center> 1GB </td> </tr> <tr> <td> Internal flash </td> <td align=center> 8GB </td> <td align=center> 8GB </td> <td align=center> 16/32/64GB </td> </tr> <tr> <td> microSD flash exp. </td> <td align=center> yes </td> <td align=center> no </td> <td align=center> no </td> </tr> <tr> <td> OS </td> <td align=center> Android 4.0 </td> <td align=center> Android 2.3 (forked) </td> <td align=center> iOS 5.1 </td> </tr> <tr> <td> Apps source </td> <td align=center> Google Play </td> <td align=center> Amazon Android Apps Market </td> <td align=center> Apple App Store </td> </tr> <tr> <td> Display </td> <td align=center> 7-inch diag, 1024x600 px </td> <td align=center> 7-inch diag, 1024x600 px </td> <td align=center> 9.7-inch diag, 2048x1536 px </td> </tr> <tr> <td> Cameras </td> <td align=center> VGA (0.3MP) front; 3MP rear </td> <td align=center> none </td> <td align=center> 0.3MP front; 5MP rear </td> </tr> <tr> <td> Audio input </td> <td align=center> mic, line-in </td> <td align=center> none </td> <td align=center> mic, line-in </td> </tr> <tr> <td> Wi-Fi </td> <td align=center> 802.11 b/g/n; Wi-Fi-direct </td> <td align=center> 802.11 b/g/n/x </td> <td align=center> 802.11 a/b/g/n </td> </tr> <tr> <td> USB I/O </td> <td align=center> via combo I/O </td> <td align=center> via Micro USB </td> <td align=center> via combo I/O </td> </tr> <tr> <td> HDMI output </td> <td align=center> via combo I/O </td> <td align=center> no </td> <td align=center> via combo I/O </td> </tr> <tr> <td> Bluetooth </td> <td align=center> yes </td> <td align=center> no </td> <td align=center> yes </td> </tr> <tr> <td> Cellular </td> <td align=center> optional </td> <td align=center> no </td> <td align=center> optional </td> </tr> <tr> <td> GPS </td> <td align=center> yes </td> <td align=center> no </td> <td align=center> 3G/4G version only </td> </tr> <tr> <td> Battery </td> <td align=center> 4000 mAh </td> <td align=center> 4400 mAh </td> <td align=center> 11200 mAh </td> </tr> <tr> <td> Size (in.) </td> <td align=center> 7.6 x 4.8 x 0.4 </td> <td align=center> 7.5 x 4.7 x 0.5 </td> <td align=center> 9.5 x 7.3 x 0.4 </td> </tr> <tr> <td> Weight </td> <td align=center> 12.2 oz </td> <td align=center> 14.6 oz </td> <td align=center> 23.0 oz </td> </tr> <tr> <td> Price (Wi-Fi-only) </td> <td align=center> $249 </td> <td align=center> $199 </td> <td align=center> $499 (16GB) </td> </tr> </table> Initial setup and configuration When you first turn on the Galaxy Tab 2 7.0, you're presented with a quick series of easy-to-understand setup screens, as shown in the screenshots below. <center><a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-May/Galaxy-Tab-2-7.0/gtab2-7-initialization-01.jpg" target="new"><img border=0 vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-May/Galaxy-Tab-2-7.0/gtab2-7-initialization-01-thm.jpg"></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-May/Galaxy-Tab-2-7.0/gtab2-7-initialization-02.jpg" target="new"><img border=0 vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-May/Galaxy-Tab-2-7.0/gtab2-7-initialization-02-thm.jpg"></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-May/Galaxy-Tab-2-7.0/gtab2-7-initialization-03.jpg" target="new"><img border=0 vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-May/Galaxy-Tab-2-7.0/gtab2-7-initialization-03-thm.jpg"></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-May/Galaxy-Tab-2-7.0/gtab2-7-initialization-04.jpg" target="new"><img border=0 vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-May/Galaxy-Tab-2-7.0/gtab2-7-initialization-04-thm.jpg"></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-May/Galaxy-Tab-2-7.0/gtab2-7-initialization-05.jpg" target="new"><img border=0 vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-May/Galaxy-Tab-2-7.0/gtab2-7-initialization-05-thm.jpg"></a> Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 setup wizard (click thumbnails to enlarge)</center> Once setup is completed you can add apps, widgets, or folders to the tablet's home screens. It's easy to change the home screen and lock screen backgrounds by pressing a blank area of the home screen and selecting one of the options presented (Gallery, Live wallpapers, Wallpapers). I have a favorite <a href="http://deviceguru.com/files/nebula.jpg" target="new">NASA nebula image</a> that I always use. Although you can't substitute custom images for folders, the folder function lets you drag as many app launchers into a folder as you want. The folders display up to 12 icons at a time in portrait mode, or 16 in landscape mode, and you can scroll them to see any others beyond that quantity. <center><img border=0 vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-May/Galaxy-Tab-2-7.0/gtab2-7-defaultfolders-01.jpg"> <img border=0 vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-May/Galaxy-Tab-2-7.0/gtab2-7-defaultfolders-02-sm.jpg"> <img border=0 vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-May/Galaxy-Tab-2-7.0/gtab2-7-defaultfolders-03-sm.jpg"> Adding folders to the home screens is a snap</center> Transferring files It's easy to transfer files to and from the Galaxy Tab 2. The easiest way is to plug the USB end of the tablet's charging/interface cable into a PC or Mac and simply drag and drop files to and fro by means of the Windows or Mac file manager. Other ways to transfer files include: <ul> <li>Using a microSD card, plugged into the tablet's convenient expansion slot. <li>Using DropBox, Google Drive, or some other cloud storage service. <li>Using Bluetooth, provided your desktop or laptop system supports Bluetooth. <li>Using a UPnP or Windows share on your local network. </ul> Samsung's Galaxy Tab 2 devices also support the emerging <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wi-Fi_Direct" target="new">Wi-Fi Direct</a> standard, although it's not widely available yet. Yet another method involves the use of Samsung's USB socket adapter (pictured below), which plugs into the multipurpose connector on the bottom of the tablet and provides a USB device socket that can be used with USB peripherals such as thumb drives. You can even use the USB socket adapter for connecting external peripherals such keyboards and mice, but unfortunately printers are not supported. <center><a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-May/Galaxy-Tab-2-7.0/gtab-usb-thumbdrive.jpg" target="new"><img border=0 vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-May/Galaxy-Tab-2-7.0/gtab-usb-thumbdrive-thm.jpg"></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-May/Galaxy-Tab-2-7.0/gtab-usb-adapter.jpg" target="new"><img border=0 vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-May/Galaxy-Tab-2-7.0/gtab-usb-adapter-sm.jpg"></a> Using a thumb drive via Samsung's USB socket adapter. (click images to enlarge)</center> Creating customized home screen launchers and folders Although the tablet's Android 4.0 OS includes a basic home screen folder capability, as discussed above, I greatly prefer the highly flexible and full-featured <a href="http://www.folderorganizer.net/" target="new">Folder Organizer</a> app, which is available free from Google's Android apps market. A few advantages of Folder Organizer over the tablet's default folder function are that you can put both app launchers and bookmarks in folders; you can assign custom icons to folders, app launchers, and bookmarks; and there are multiple options for how the items within folders are sorted (most-used, alpha-sorted, etc.). All in all, Folder Organizer can create a much more personalized result. <center> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-May/Galaxy-Tab-2-7.0/gtab2-7-folderorganizer-01.jpg" target="new"><img border=0 vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-May/Galaxy-Tab-2-7.0/gtab2-7-folderorganizer-01-sm.jpg"></a> Folder Organizer helps you organize and customize your home screen folders and launchers. (click image to enlarge)</center> The screenshot below shows my review tablet's finished home screen, which contains 16 folders, 13 app launchers, and one widget. This arrangement provides one- or two-click access to all 150+ apps I installed on the device. Note that I use custom icons for folders, for easy identification; additionally, I all-cap the names to distinguish them from app launchers and bookmarks. <center> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-May/Galaxy-Tab-2-7.0/gtab2-7-tweaked-homescreens-01.jpg" target="new"><img border=0 vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-May/Galaxy-Tab-2-7.0/gtab2-7-tweaked-homescreens-01-sm.jpg"></a> I can launch with one or two clicks any of over 150 apps I set up on this home screen. (click image to enlarge)</center> I easily personalized my Galaxy Tab 7.0 with more than a dozen home screens, each focused on different activities, such as videos, music, and utilities. <center> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-May/Galaxy-Tab-2-7.0/gtab2-7-fofolders-01.jpg" target="new"><img border=0 vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-May/Galaxy-Tab-2-7.0/gtab2-7-fofolders-01-thm.jpg"></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-May/Galaxy-Tab-2-7.0/gtab2-7-fofolders-02.jpg" target="new"><img border=0 vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-May/Galaxy-Tab-2-7.0/gtab2-7-fofolders-02-thm.jpg"></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-May/Galaxy-Tab-2-7.0/gtab2-7-fofolders-03.jpg" target="new"><img border=0 vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-May/Galaxy-Tab-2-7.0/gtab2-7-fofolders-03-thm.jpg"></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-May/Galaxy-Tab-2-7.0/gtab2-7-fofolders-04.jpg" target="new"><img border=0 vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-May/Galaxy-Tab-2-7.0/gtab2-7-fofolders-04-thm.jpg"></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-May/Galaxy-Tab-2-7.0/gtab2-7-fofolders-05.jpg" target="new"><img border=0 vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-May/Galaxy-Tab-2-7.0/gtab2-7-fofolders-05-thm.jpg"></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-May/Galaxy-Tab-2-7.0/gtab2-7-fofolders-06.jpg" target="new"><img border=0 vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-May/Galaxy-Tab-2-7.0/gtab2-7-fofolders-06-thm.jpg"></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-May/Galaxy-Tab-2-7.0/gtab2-7-fofolders-07.jpg" target="new"><img border=0 vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-May/Galaxy-Tab-2-7.0/gtab2-7-fofolders-07-thm.jpg"></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-May/Galaxy-Tab-2-7.0/gtab2-7-fofolders-08.jpg" target="new"><img border=0 vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-May/Galaxy-Tab-2-7.0/gtab2-7-fofolders-08-thm.jpg"></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-May/Galaxy-Tab-2-7.0/gtab2-7-fofolders-09.jpg" target="new"><img border=0 vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-May/Galaxy-Tab-2-7.0/gtab2-7-fofolders-09-thm.jpg"></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-May/Galaxy-Tab-2-7.0/gtab2-7-fofolders-10.jpg" target="new"><img border=0 vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-May/Galaxy-Tab-2-7.0/gtab2-7-fofolders-10-thm.jpg"></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-May/Galaxy-Tab-2-7.0/gtab2-7-fofolders-11.jpg" target="new"><img border=0 vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-May/Galaxy-Tab-2-7.0/gtab2-7-fofolders-11-thm.jpg"></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-May/Galaxy-Tab-2-7.0/gtab2-7-fofolders-12.jpg" target="new"><img border=0 vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-May/Galaxy-Tab-2-7.0/gtab2-7-fofolders-12-thm.jpg"></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-May/Galaxy-Tab-2-7.0/gtab2-7-fofolders-13.jpg" target="new"><img border=0 vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-May/Galaxy-Tab-2-7.0/gtab2-7-fofolders-13-thm.jpg"></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-May/Galaxy-Tab-2-7.0/gtab2-7-fofolders-14.jpg" target="new"><img border=0 vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-May/Galaxy-Tab-2-7.0/gtab2-7-fofolders-14-thm.jpg"></a> My 14 home screens provide instant access to over 100 apps. (click thumbnails to enlarge) </center> Getting productive In case you were wondering, yes, you really can do "real work" on the Galaxy Tab 2 7.0, particularly given its ability to be used with external Bluetooth or USB keyboards. <hr style="color: #f00; background-color: #f00; height: 5px;"><blockquote><a href="http://www.informationweek.com/byte/reviews/personal-tech/tablets/232901133">Click here to read a review of the ZAGGFolio Bluetooth keyboard case for the iPad.</a></blockquote><hr style="color: #f00; background-color: #f00; height: 5px;"> Samsung bundles <a href="http://www.polarisoffice.com/en/products/androidT.asp" target="new">Polaris Office</a> version 4.0 with the tablet. In addition to that, I added <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.mobisystems.editor.office_registered" target="new">Office Suite Pro</a>, which at the time was on sale for 99 cents in Google's Google Play Android app market. Both apps let you read, edit, and create Microsoft Office-compatible text, spreadsheet, and presentation documents, and both give you the ability to access and store your documents on DropBox and Google Drive cloud storage. The screenshots below offer a glimpse of each app's capabilities. <center><a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-May/Galaxy-Tab-2-7.0/gtab2-7-polarisoffice-02.jpg" target="new"><img border=0 vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-May/Galaxy-Tab-2-7.0/gtab2-7-polarisoffice-02-thm.jpg"></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-May/Galaxy-Tab-2-7.0/gtab2-7-polarisoffice-09.jpg" target="new"><img border=0 vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-May/Galaxy-Tab-2-7.0/gtab2-7-polarisoffice-09-thm.jpg"></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-May/Galaxy-Tab-2-7.0/gtab2-7-polarisoffice-10.jpg" target="new"><img border=0 vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-May/Galaxy-Tab-2-7.0/gtab2-7-polarisoffice-10-thm.jpg"></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-May/Galaxy-Tab-2-7.0/gtab2-7-polarisoffice-11.jpg" target="new"><img border=0 vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-May/Galaxy-Tab-2-7.0/gtab2-7-polarisoffice-11-thm.jpg"></a> Polaris Office 4.0 (click thumbnails to enlarge)</center> <center><a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-May/Galaxy-Tab-2-7.0/gtab2-7-officesuitepro-01.jpg" target="new"><img border=0 vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-May/Galaxy-Tab-2-7.0/gtab2-7-officesuitepro-01-thm.jpg"></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-May/Galaxy-Tab-2-7.0/gtab2-7-officesuitepro-02.jpg" target="new"><img border=0 vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-May/Galaxy-Tab-2-7.0/gtab2-7-officesuitepro-02-thm.jpg"></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-May/Galaxy-Tab-2-7.0/gtab2-7-officesuitepro-03.jpg" target="new"><img border=0 vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-May/Galaxy-Tab-2-7.0/gtab2-7-officesuitepro-03-thm.jpg"></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-May/Galaxy-Tab-2-7.0/gtab2-7-officesuitepro-06.jpg" target="new"><img border=0 vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-May/Galaxy-Tab-2-7.0/gtab2-7-officesuitepro-06-thm.jpg"></a> Office Suite Pro (click thumbnails to enlarge)</center> Another useful mobile productivity app is <a href="https://secure.logmein.com/welcome/android/" target="new">LogMeIn</a>, with which you can access remote Windows desktops and even run Windows programs remotely. The screenshots below show the Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 being used to create an Open Office spreadsheet and browse the Web in Firefox on a remote Windows 7 desktop. <center> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-May/Galaxy-Tab-2-7.0/gtab2-7-logmein-05.jpg" target="new"><img border=0 vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-May/Galaxy-Tab-2-7.0/gtab2-7-logmein-05-thm.jpg"></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-May/Galaxy-Tab-2-7.0/gtab2-7-logmein-07.jpg" target="new"><img border=0 vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-May/Galaxy-Tab-2-7.0/gtab2-7-logmein-07-thm.jpg"></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-May/Galaxy-Tab-2-7.0/gtab2-7-logmein-08.jpg" target="new"><img border=0 vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-May/Galaxy-Tab-2-7.0/gtab2-7-logmein-08-thm.jpg"></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-May/Galaxy-Tab-2-7.0/gtab2-7-logmein-09.jpg" target="new"><img border=0 vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-May/Galaxy-Tab-2-7.0/gtab2-7-logmein-09-thm.jpg"></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-May/Galaxy-Tab-2-7.0/gtab2-7-logmein-12.jpg" target="new"><img border=0 vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-May/Galaxy-Tab-2-7.0/gtab2-7-logmein-12-thm.jpg"></a> Using LogMeIn to remotely access a Windows 7 desktop (click thumbnails to enlarge)</center> Below are the 33 other productivity apps I put in my Productivity folder. <center> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-May/Galaxy-Tab-2-7.0/gtab2-7-fofolders-11.jpg" target="new"><img border=0 vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-May/Galaxy-Tab-2-7.0/gtab2-7-fofolders-11-sm.jpg"></a> Productivity apps installed on my Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 (click image to enlarge)</center> Keyboard options The Galaxy Tab 2 7.0's crisp, bright screen is great for both work and entertainment applications. However, the relatively small onscreen keyboards of 7-inch tablets tend to limit the speed and accuracy with which you can generate documents or write emails. Mercifully, there are multiple ways to solve this problem. The best solution is to add a generic or Android-specific external Bluetooth keyboard (below left). <center><a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-May/Galaxy-Tab-2-7.0/Samsung-Galaxy-Tab-2-7.0-3.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=5 hspace=10 border=0 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-May/Galaxy-Tab-2-7.0/Samsung-Galaxy-Tab-2-7.0-3-200.jpg"></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-May/Galaxy-Tab-2-7.0/gtab2-7-keyboard.jpg" target="new"><img vspace=5 hspace=10 border=0 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-May/Galaxy-Tab-2-7.0/gtab2-7-keyboard-200.jpg"></a> Using the tablet with a Bluetooth or USB-wireless keyboard</center> Alternatively, you can connect most any USB-interfaced mobile keyboard via the tablet's optional USB socket adapter. The photo on the right, above, shows the tablet being used with an HP wireless mini keyboard, interfaced via the keyboard's tiny USB wireless adapter (click the image to see more detail). One nice aspect of the HP mini keyboard is its inclusion of a tiny trackball in its upper right-hand corner. You can also install alternative keyboards via apps from Google's Android market. The <a href="http://code.google.com/p/hackerskeyboard/" target="new">Hacker's Keyboard</a>, shown below, adds cursor keys, an escape key, and a mode with function keys and a numeric keypad. <center><a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-May/Galaxy-Tab-2-7.0/gtab2-7-keyboards-08.jpg" target="new"><img border=0 vspace=10 hspace=10 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-May/Galaxy-Tab-2-7.0/gtab2-7-keyboards-08-sm.jpg"></a> The Hacker's Keyboard adds cursor keys, an escape key, and more (click image to enlarge)</center> Another alternative text entry method is "Google Voice typing," which works surprisingly well. You can launch that mode from the microphone icon in the bottom row of the Hacker's Keyboard. Speak slowly and clearly, and it can really speed up your text entry on the tablet. What else is this tablet good for? Although I've focused primarily on setting up and configuring the Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 for productivity purposes, there's a whole lot more you can do with it, as you'll see by examining the contents of the 14 home screen folders shown earlier. For more details on the many other tricks the tablet can perform, visit my extensive <a href="http://deviceguru.com/galaxy-tab-2-7-0-screenshots/" target="new">Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 screenshot tour</a>. There, you'll find more than 300 screenshots showing apps for: device control and file management; watching or reading the latest news; viewing movies and TV episodes; enjoying your favorite music genres and Internet radio; keeping up with the latest news; text messaging and voice/video communications; social networking; reading ebooks; playing games; and lots more. Name: <a target="_blank" href="http://www.samsung.com/global/microsite/galaxytab2/7.0/index.html">Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 7.0</a> <blockquote>This low-cost 7-inch Android tablet has virtually everything you'd want in a compact, thin, lightweight, low-cost device. It's a great mobile companion for both work and pleasure, and priced low enough that it's hard to justify not getting one.</blockquote> Price: $249.99 Pro: <ul> <li>Inexpensive for a tablet. <li>Lightweight, compact, thin. <li>Bright, crisp, high-resolution (1024 x 600) capacitive touchscreen. <li>MicroSD slot supports up to 32GB additional removable flash. <li>Adequate mic, speakers, and camera. <li>Built-in GPS receiver. <li>Usable with USB and Bluetooth keyboard/mouse peripherals. <li>Easy USB or microSD data transfer without requiring special apps. <li>Full set of Google cloud services. <li>Supports Google's Android apps market. <li>Full-featured browser; supports Adobe Flash. <li>Includes Polaris Office 4.0. <li>Decent speech recognition and text-to-speech. <li>Reasonably good active battery life; excellent standby life. </ul> Con:<ul> <li>Best used with a BT keyboard for generating office documents or composing lengthy emails. <li>Bottom edge speaker placement reduces sound clarity. <li>Primary camera is inferior to that of the older Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus. </ul> 2012-04-23T18:30:00ZTurn Your Kindle Fire Into A 'Real' TabletIf you root the Kindle Fire and put a real Android operating system and real Android apps on it, can you turn this neutered e-reader from Amazon into an Android tablet you can be proud of? The answer is yes, sort of.http://www.informationweek.com/byte/news/232900697?cid=RSSfeed_IWK_AuthorsAmazon's introduction of the sub-$200 Kindle Fire Android tablet last fall set the market abuzz with speculation that the iPad might finally have some serious competition. But the tech pundits, <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/byte/reviews/personal-tech/tablets/232300195">us included</a>, were quick to point out that the <a href="http://www.isuppli.com/Teardowns/News/Pages/Amazon-Sells-Kindle-Fire-at-Low-Profit-Margin-to-Promote-Online-Merchandize-Sales.aspx">loss-leader Kindle Fire</a>, with its highly-customized Android platform, was intended merely to promote sales of Amazon's online ebooks, music, videos, and Android apps. As BYTE's own Larry Seltzer concluded in his <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/byte/video/personal-tech/tablets/232300399">unboxing video</a>, "this is almost certainly not a good business device. [It is] meant for the consumer market and... is locked out of general Android apps." <center><a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-April/root-the-kindle-fire/kindle-fire-hand.jpg"><img border=0 vspace=10 hspace=5 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-April/root-the-kindle-fire/kindle-fire-hand-thm.jpg"></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-April/root-the-kindle-fire/kindle-fire-portrait.jpg"><img border=0 vspace=10 hspace=5 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-April/root-the-kindle-fire/kindle-fire-portrait-thm.jpg"></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-April/root-the-kindle-fire/kindle-fire-landscape.jpg"><img border=0 vspace=10 hspace=5 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-April/root-the-kindle-fire/kindle-fire-landscape-thm.jpg"></a> Amazon's 7-inch Kindle Fire tablet (click thumbnails to enlarge)</center> <div style="font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 0.25em; line-height: 1;">Back to its Android roots</div> Being an incorrigible fandroid, I couldn't shake the nagging sense that I needed to get my hands on a Kindle Fire and see what I could make it do. When I learned that Amazon was unloading <a target="_blank" href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/B0051VVOB2/sr=1-1/qid=1333028666/ref=olp_tab_refurbished">refurbished Kindle Fires</a> for as little as $169 with free shipping, I leaped at the opportunity to snap one up and give it a whirl. Thanks to a wealth of useful information at the popular <a target="_blank" href="http://forum.xda-developers.com">XDA Developers Forum</a>, some excellent free Android tools and apps, and a bit of perseverance, it wasn't long before my Kindle Fire had blossomed into a real Android tablet--able to do much more than what Amazon had planned for it. <div style="font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 0.25em; line-height: 1;">Rooting with the Kindle Fire Utility</div> After spending a few minutes configuring the Kindle Fire and exploring its <a target="_blank" href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ih0t7Qmgo9s">out-of-box features and capabilities</a>, I set about giving it a makeover. The first requirement was to "<a target="_blank" href="http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=910124">root</a>" the device, a process akin to "jailbreaking" iOS devices. Fortunately, there's an easy-to-use Kindle Fire rooting tool--the <a target="_blank" href="http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1399889">Kindle Fire Utility</a> (KFU)--for Windows. KFU includes the requisite drivers, apps, and command scripts for rooting the Kindle Fire and getting Google's Android services and apps running on it. <hr style="color: #f00; background-color: #f00; height: 5px;"><blockquote>For more on rooting the Kindle Fire by author Rick Lehrbaum, <a target="_blank" href="http://deviceguru.com/kindle-fire-root-and-tweak/">go here.</a> Rick also has <a target="_blank" href="http://deviceguru.com/rooted-kindle-fire-screenshots/">a screenshot tour of rooting the Kindle Fire. Click here to see it.</a></blockquote><hr style="color: #f00; background-color: #f00; height: 5px;"> The screenshot below shows the KFU's main menu, which provides options for rooting the Kindle Fire, substituting the "<a target="_blank" href="http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1369405">FIREFIREFIRE</a>" boot loader for the standard one, adding the <a target="_blank" href="http://teamw.in/project/twrp2">TWRP</a> recovery tool, and installing Google's core Android services and apps. <center><a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-April/root-the-kindle-fire/kfu-01.jpg"><img border=0 vspace=10 hspace=5 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-April/root-the-kindle-fire/kfu-01-sm.jpg"></a> (click image to enlarge)</center> <img align=right vspace=5 hspace=5 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-April/root-the-kindle-fire/firefirefire-logo.jpg">Once KFU's tasks were completed, the device rebooted without incident. Now, its touchscreen displayed the FIREFIREFIRE boot loader's yellow logo (see image at right) during the boot-up process. <div style="font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 0.25em; line-height: 1;">Stocking up on apps</div> At this point, it was time to sign into Google's Android Services, visit Google's Android apps market, and start installing my favorite utilities and apps onto the Kindle Fire. The side-by-side screenshots below show the first two steps of that process. <center><a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-April/root-the-kindle-fire/kf-gapps-01.jpg"><img border=0 vspace=10 hspace=5 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-April/root-the-kindle-fire/kf-gapps-01-sm.jpg"></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-April/root-the-kindle-fire/kf-gapps-02.jpg"><img border=0 vspace=10 hspace=5 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-April/root-the-kindle-fire/kf-gapps-02-sm.jpg"></a> Signing into Google Services and visiting the Google Android market for the first time. (click images to enlarge)</center> <div style="font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 0.25em; line-height: 1;">Giving the Kindle an Android look</div> The next step was to lose the Kindle Fire's bookshelf-style home screen and replace it with a more traditional Android home screen. This called for installing <a target="_blank" href="http://www.goforandroid.com/GDTEn/index.aspx">Go Launcher EX</a> along with my favorite <a target="_blank" href="http://www.deviceguru.com/files/nebula.jpg">NASA nebula wallpaper</a>. These steps resulted in the transformation shown in the three side-by-side screenshots below. <center><a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-April/root-the-kindle-fire/kf-init-10.jpg"><img border=0 vspace=10 hspace=5 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-April/root-the-kindle-fire/kf-init-10-sm.jpg"></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-April/root-the-kindle-fire/kf-golauncherex-02.jpg"><img border=0 vspace=10 hspace=5 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-April/root-the-kindle-fire/kf-golauncherex-02-sm.jpg"></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-April/root-the-kindle-fire/kf-golauncherex-06.jpg"><img border=0 vspace=10 hspace=5 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-April/root-the-kindle-fire/kf-golauncherex-06-sm.jpg"></a> From left, original home screen; after replacement launches; and, finally, after customizing with my favorite wallpaper. (click images to enlarge)</center><div style="font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 0.25em; line-height: 1;">Populating the home screen with apps and folders</div> I was nearly done. I like to organize all my apps and bookmarks within folders, which makes it quicker and easier to perform a desired function without having to page through numerous home screens. So, my next step was to install and configure the highly flexible Android <a target="_blank" href="http://www.folderorganizer.net/">Folder Organizer</a> app. I then installed about 150 of my favorite Android apps and utilities and organized them into 14 folders on the home screen. Two additional folders contained "all apps" and "all bookmarks." Incidentally, I always use all-upper-case names for folders and mixed-case names for app or bookmark links, to make it easy to quickly spot folders on the home screen. Here's how my Kindle Fire's home screens looked at this point: <center><a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-April/root-the-kindle-fire/kf-mod-homescreens-01.jpg"><img border=0 vspace=10 hspace=5 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-April/root-the-kindle-fire/kf-mod-homescreens-01-sm.jpg"></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-April/root-the-kindle-fire/kf-mod-homescreens-02.jpg"><img border=0 vspace=10 hspace=5 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-April/root-the-kindle-fire/kf-mod-homescreens-02-sm.jpg"></a> Kindle Fire's finished home screen (portrait and landscape views). (click images to enlarge)</center> The screenshots below show the contents of each of my Kindle Fire home screen folders. <center><a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-April/root-the-kindle-fire/kf-folders-01.jpg"><img border=0 vspace=10 hspace=5 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-April/root-the-kindle-fire/kf-folders-01-thm.jpg"></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-April/root-the-kindle-fire/kf-folders-02.jpg"><img border=0 vspace=10 hspace=5 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-April/root-the-kindle-fire/kf-folders-02-thm.jpg"></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-April/root-the-kindle-fire/kf-folders-03.jpg"><img border=0 vspace=10 hspace=5 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-April/root-the-kindle-fire/kf-folders-03-thm.jpg"></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-April/root-the-kindle-fire/kf-folders-04.jpg"><img border=0 vspace=10 hspace=5 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-April/root-the-kindle-fire/kf-folders-04-thm.jpg"></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-April/root-the-kindle-fire/kf-folders-05.jpg"><img border=0 vspace=10 hspace=5 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-April/root-the-kindle-fire/kf-folders-05-thm.jpg"></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-April/root-the-kindle-fire/kf-folders-06.jpg"><img border=0 vspace=10 hspace=5 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-April/root-the-kindle-fire/kf-folders-06-thm.jpg"></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-April/root-the-kindle-fire/kf-folders-07.jpg"><img border=0 vspace=10 hspace=5 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-April/root-the-kindle-fire/kf-folders-07-thm.jpg"></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-April/root-the-kindle-fire/kf-folders-08.jpg"><img border=0 vspace=10 hspace=5 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-April/root-the-kindle-fire/kf-folders-08-thm.jpg"></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-April/root-the-kindle-fire/kf-folders-09.jpg"><img border=0 vspace=10 hspace=5 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-April/root-the-kindle-fire/kf-folders-09-thm.jpg"></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-April/root-the-kindle-fire/kf-folders-10.jpg"><img border=0 vspace=10 hspace=5 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-April/root-the-kindle-fire/kf-folders-10-thm.jpg"></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-April/root-the-kindle-fire/kf-folders-11.jpg"><img border=0 vspace=10 hspace=5 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-April/root-the-kindle-fire/kf-folders-11-thm.jpg"></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-April/root-the-kindle-fire/kf-folders-12.jpg"><img border=0 vspace=10 hspace=5 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-April/root-the-kindle-fire/kf-folders-12-thm.jpg"></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-April/root-the-kindle-fire/kf-folders-13.jpg"><img border=0 vspace=10 hspace=5 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-April/root-the-kindle-fire/kf-folders-13-thm.jpg"></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-April/root-the-kindle-fire/kf-folders-14.jpg"><img border=0 vspace=10 hspace=5 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-April/root-the-kindle-fire/kf-folders-14-thm.jpg"></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-April/root-the-kindle-fire/kf-folders-15.jpg"><img border=0 vspace=10 hspace=5 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-April/root-the-kindle-fire/kf-folders-15-thm.jpg"></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-April/root-the-kindle-fire/kf-folders-16.jpg"><img border=0 vspace=10 hspace=5 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-April/root-the-kindle-fire/kf-folders-16-thm.jpg"></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-April/root-the-kindle-fire/kf-folders-17.jpg"><img border=0 vspace=10 hspace=5 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-April/root-the-kindle-fire/kf-folders-17-thm.jpg"></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-April/root-the-kindle-fire/kf-folders-18.jpg"><img border=0 vspace=10 hspace=5 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-April/root-the-kindle-fire/kf-folders-18-thm.jpg"></a> (click thumbnails to enlarge)</center> <div style="font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 0.25em; line-height: 1;">Putting the Kindle Fire to work</div> To check out the modified Kindle Fire's ability to be more than a consumer entertainment platform, I installed some Office-style apps. The free <a target="_blank" href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.withouthat.acalendar">aCalendar</a> app (below) syncs well with Google's calendar service and provides convenient day, week, and month views. <center> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-April/root-the-kindle-fire/kf-acalendar-01.jpg"><img border=0 vspace=10 hspace=5 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-April/root-the-kindle-fire/kf-acalendar-01-thm.jpg"></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-April/root-the-kindle-fire/kf-acalendar-02.jpg"><img border=0 vspace=10 hspace=5 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-April/root-the-kindle-fire/kf-acalendar-02-thm.jpg"></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-April/root-the-kindle-fire/kf-acalendar-03.jpg"><img border=0 vspace=10 hspace=5 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-April/root-the-kindle-fire/kf-acalendar-03-thm.jpg"></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-April/root-the-kindle-fire/kf-acalendar-04.jpg"><img border=0 vspace=10 hspace=5 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-April/root-the-kindle-fire/kf-acalendar-04-thm.jpg"></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-April/root-the-kindle-fire/kf-acalendar-05.jpg"><img border=0 vspace=10 hspace=5 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-April/root-the-kindle-fire/kf-acalendar-05-thm.jpg"></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-April/root-the-kindle-fire/kf-acalendar-06.jpg"><img border=0 vspace=10 hspace=5 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-April/root-the-kindle-fire/kf-acalendar-06-thm.jpg"></a> (click thumbnails to enlarge)</center> Google's free <a target="_blank" href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.android.apps.docs">Google Docs</a> app reads, edits, and creates Microsoft Office-compatible text, spreadsheet, and presentation documents. It automatically syncs these files with your desktop and mobile devices. <center><a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-April/root-the-kindle-fire/kf-gdocs-03.jpg"><img border=0 vspace=10 hspace=5 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-April/root-the-kindle-fire/kf-gdocs-03-thm.jpg"></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-April/root-the-kindle-fire/kf-gdocs-04.jpg"><img border=0 vspace=10 hspace=5 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-April/root-the-kindle-fire/kf-gdocs-04-thm.jpg"></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-April/root-the-kindle-fire/kf-gdocs-05.jpg"><img border=0 vspace=10 hspace=5 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-April/root-the-kindle-fire/kf-gdocs-05-thm.jpg"></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-April/root-the-kindle-fire/kf-gdocs-08.jpg"><img border=0 vspace=10 hspace=5 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-April/root-the-kindle-fire/kf-gdocs-08-thm.jpg"></a> (click thumbnails to enlarge)</center> MobileSystems' $15 <a target="_blank" href="http://www.mobisystems.com/android_office/">Office Suite Professional 6</a> app is capable of reading, editing, and creating Microsoft Office-compatible documents. A free 7-day trial is available. <center><a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-April/root-the-kindle-fire/kf-officesuitepro-01.jpg"><img border=0 vspace=10 hspace=5 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-April/root-the-kindle-fire/kf-officesuitepro-01-thm.jpg"></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-April/root-the-kindle-fire/kf-officesuitepro-02.jpg"><img border=0 vspace=10 hspace=5 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-April/root-the-kindle-fire/kf-officesuitepro-02-thm.jpg"></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-April/root-the-kindle-fire/kf-officesuitepro-05.jpg"><img border=0 vspace=10 hspace=5 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-April/root-the-kindle-fire/kf-officesuitepro-05-thm.jpg"></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-April/root-the-kindle-fire/kf-officesuitepro-06.jpg"><img border=0 vspace=10 hspace=5 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-April/root-the-kindle-fire/kf-officesuitepro-06-thm.jpg"></a> (click thumbnails to enlarge)</center> LogMeIn's $29 <a target="_blank" href="https://secure.logmein.com/welcome/android/">LogMeIn Ignition</a> app lets you access a remote Windows desktop, and even run Windows software remotely. The screenshots below show the Kindle Fire graphing a few data points on a remote Windows 7 desktop. <center><a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-April/root-the-kindle-fire/kf-logmein-01.jpg"><img border=0 vspace=10 hspace=5 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-April/root-the-kindle-fire/kf-logmein-01-thm.jpg"></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-April/root-the-kindle-fire/kf-logmein-02.jpg"><img border=0 vspace=10 hspace=5 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-April/root-the-kindle-fire/kf-logmein-02-thm.jpg"></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-April/root-the-kindle-fire/kf-logmein-04.jpg"><img border=0 vspace=10 hspace=5 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-April/root-the-kindle-fire/kf-logmein-04-thm.jpg"></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-April/root-the-kindle-fire/kf-logmein-06.jpg"><img border=0 vspace=10 hspace=5 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-April/root-the-kindle-fire/kf-logmein-06-thm.jpg"></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-April/root-the-kindle-fire/kf-logmein-08.jpg"><img border=0 vspace=10 hspace=5 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-April/root-the-kindle-fire/kf-logmein-08-thm.jpg"></a> <a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-April/root-the-kindle-fire/kf-logmein-09.jpg"><img border=0 vspace=10 hspace=5 src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-April/root-the-kindle-fire/kf-logmein-09-thm.jpg"></a> (click thumbnails to enlarge)</center> <div style="font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 0.25em; line-height: 1;">Verdict: Cheap, no-frills business tablet</div> Clearly, with a bit of effort it's possible to transform the Kindle Fire into a general-purpose Android tablet that can be used for performing many work-related tasks. Now that's not to say that it doesn't have a few significant limitations. You can see a side-by-side comparison of my tweaked Kindle Fire and several competing 7-inch Android tablets <a target="_blank" href="http://deviceguru.com/tabulating-7-inch-android-tablets/">on my site</a>. In conclusion, the Kindle Fire, as modified in this article, is certainly quite usable for tasks such as Web browsing, email, instant messaging, calendar and ToDo-list access, and reading or editing MS Office-compatible documents--in addition to reading ebooks and enjoying multimedia content. But unless you've got tiny fingers (or a great deal of dexterity), it suffers from a problem that plagues all 7-inch tablets: it's hard to type on small onscreen keyboards, and with the Kindle Fire you can't remedy that problem with a Bluetooth keyboard. With a slightly bigger budget, you might do better with Samsung's new <a target="_blank" href="http://www.samsung.com/global/microsite/galaxytab2/7.0/index.html">Galaxy Tab 2 7.0</a>, which is expected to ship next month, priced at $250. But still, with $170 refurbs currently available from Amazon, the Kindle Fire's got some serious potential. Name: <a target="_blank" href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0051VVOB2">Kindle Fire</a><blockquote>It's possible to transform the Kindle Fire into a general-purpose Android tablet that can be used to perform many work-related tasks. But clearly, it still has a few significant limitations: It has no 3G/4G or Bluetooth support, no microSD or other memory expansion slots, no camera, and no GPS capabilities. No wonder it's so inexpensive. But if you can work within these limits the Kindle is a business tablet bargain.</blockquote> Price: $199, with refurbs for as little as $169. Pro:<ul><li>Inexpensive for a tablet. </li> <li>Bright, crisp, high-resolution (1024 x 600) capacitive touchscreen.</li> <li>Compact and light, though not the thinnest or lightest.</li> <li>Easy USB data transfer without requiring special apps.</li> <li>Apps can be purchased from either Google's or Amazon's app markets.</li></ul> Con:<ul><li>No built-in mic or line input, so you can't make Skype voice calls or record voice memos.</li> <li>Lacks a built-in camera, so you can't take photos or scan documents.</li> <li>No Bluetooth wireless, so you can't use an external BT keyboard.</li> <li>Lacks the convenience of a physical volume control.</li> <li>No microSD expansion slot.</li> <li>No 3G/4G options.</li></ul> 2012-03-26T14:27:00ZApple's Airplay Takes The Boardroom By StormBored with PowerPoint presentations? Suit up that iPad or iPhone with a cloud-powered mobile business intelligence app, and head for tomorrow's Apple TV-equipped conference room.http://www.informationweek.com/byte/news/232700200?cid=RSSfeed_IWK_AuthorsMany Apple fans know the joy of sharing videos, music, and photos with friends by "Airplaying" them from their iPads and iPhones to an HDTV via an <a target="_blank" href="http://www.apple.com/appletv/">Apple TV</a> box. Now, this phenomenon is starting to show up in corporate board rooms. What's the first word that pops into your head when you imagine a conference room presentation? That's right: PowerPoint. <div style="margin:0; padding: 0 10px 10px 0; width:260px; float:right; text-align:center;"><a target="_blank" href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-March/MicroStrategy/powerpoint-cartoon.jpg"><img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-March/MicroStrategy/powerpoint-cartoon-sm.jpg" alt="PowerPoint Cartoon" hspace="0" vspace="0" border="0" /></a><div style="margin:4px 0 0 0; padding:0; color:#990000; font-weight:bold;"><a href="http://www.sangrea.net/free-cartoons/work-cartoons.html" target="_blank"></a></div></div>The typical PowerPoint-based meeting goes like this: Janet kicks it off, running through her PowerPoint deck with her laptop tethered to the conference room's video projector. Then Harold transfers the projector's video cable to his laptop and shows his slides; and so on. Or perhaps the presenters get together in advance, and merge their slides into a single PowerPoint deck and pass around one laptop. That's so late-90s. Change is in the wind thanks to some cool new gear and capabilities from Apple. Right in line with the consumerization of IT, the new approach uses Apple TV, a consumer product, in the board room. MicroStrategy is the first to capitalize on AirPlay for its business apps. But first, a quick tutorial on Apple's AirPlay technology. What's AirPlay all about? <div style="margin:0; padding: 0 10px 10px 0; width:185px; float:left; text-align:center;"><img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-March/MicroStrategy/atv2-thm.jpg" hspace="0" vspace="0" border="0" /></div>Basically, <a href="http://apple.com/airplay/" target="_blank">AirPlay</a> is an Apple-proprietary protocol for streaming audio, video, and graphics from one device to another. Using AirPlay, an iPad or iPhone running iOS 4.3 or later can wirelessly stream content to an HDTV via an <a href="http://apple.com/appletv/" target="_blank">Apple TV box</a> (pictured on the left). AirPlay currently supports three modes of sending content to the HDTV and its associated sound system using an Apple TV as the receiving device: <TABLE width=100% ALIGN="left" BORDER=0 CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0><TR width=100%><TD style="border:1px solid black;"> <ul><li>Basic AirPlay streaming -- In this AirPlay mode, video and audio from apps such as YouTube on the iPad or iPhone are transmitted to the Apple TV, which renders them on an attached HDTV and associated sound system.</ul> <TABLE width=100% ALIGN="left" BORDER=0 CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0> <TR width=100%><TD align="middle"><a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-March/MicroStrategy/atv2-airplay-target-selection-01.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-March/MicroStrategy/atv2-airplay-target-selection-01-thm.jpg" border=0 vspace=10 hspace=10"></a></TD><TD align="middle"><a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-March/MicroStrategy/atv2-airplay-downton-05.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-March/MicroStrategy/atv2-airplay-downton-05-thm.jpg" border=0 vspace=10 hspace=10"></a></TD></TR><TR width=100%><TD align="middle"><a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-March/MicroStrategy/atv2-airplay-downton-04.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-March/MicroStrategy/atv2-airplay-downton-04-thm.jpg" border=0 vspace=10 hspace=10"></a></TD><TD align="middle"><a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-March/MicroStrategy/atv2-airplay-downton-06.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-March/MicroStrategy/atv2-airplay-downton-06-thm.jpg" border=0 vspace=10 hspace=10"></a></TD></TR> <TR align="middle" width=100%><TD colspan=2>AirPlay target selection and video streaming (click thumbnails to enlarge)</TD></TR> </TABLE> </TD></TR></TABLE>   <TABLE width=100% ALIGN="left" BORDER=0 CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0><TR width=100%><TD style="border:1px solid black;"> <ul><li>AirPlay screen mirroring -- As its name implies, in this AirPlay mode the contents of the iPad or iPhone screen are duplicated on the screen of an HDTV being driven by an Apple TV box.</li></ul> <TABLE width=100% ALIGN="left" BORDER=0 CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0> <TR><TD align="middle"><a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-March/MicroStrategy/atv2-airplay-target-selection-02.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-March/MicroStrategy/atv2-airplay-target-selection-02-thm.jpg" border=0 vspace=10 hspace=10"></a></TD><TD align="middle"><a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-March/MicroStrategy/airplay-mirroring-1-sm.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-March/MicroStrategy/airplay-mirroring-1-thm.jpg" vspace=5 hspace=5 border=0></a></TD><TD align="middle"><a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-March/MicroStrategy/airplay-mirroring-2-sm.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-March/MicroStrategy/airplay-mirroring-2-thm.jpg" vspace=5 hspace=5 border=0></a></TD></TR> <TR width=100% align="middle"><TD colspan=3>AirPlay's screen-mirroring mode (click thumbnails to enlarge)</TD></TR> </TABLE> </TD></TR></TABLE>   <TABLE width=100% ALIGN="left" BORDER=0 CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0><TR width=100%><TD style="border:1px solid black;"> <ul><li>AirPlay dual-screen mode -- During this AirPlay mode, the iPad or iPhone streams video and audio content to an Apple TV box while presenting a different screen locally. <TABLE width=100% ALIGN="left" BORDER=0 CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0> <TR width=100%><TD align="middle"><a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-March/MicroStrategy/airplay-dualscreen-1-sm.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-March/MicroStrategy/airplay-dualscreen-1-thm.jpg" vspace=5 hspace=5 border=0></a></TD><TD align="middle"><a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-March/MicroStrategy/airplay-dualscreen-2-sm.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-March/MicroStrategy/airplay-dualscreen-2-thm.jpg" vspace=5 hspace=5 border=0></a></TD></TR> <TR width=100% align="middle"><TD colspan=2>AirPlay's dual-screen mode (click thumbnails to enlarge)</TD></TR> </TABLE> </TD></TR></TABLE>   Incidentally, the AirPlay mirroring and dual-screen modes are only available when an iPad or iPhone 4S (or later) is being used as the AirPlay source. Which iOS apps work with AirPlay? Although not all iOS apps support AirPlay streaming of their video or audio, they all support AirPlay screen-mirroring. That's because once you select an Apple TV as the AirPlay target, the iPad or iPhone screen contents automatically get forwarded to the Apple TV for rendering on HDTV--until you deselect the screen-mirroring option on the source device. Consequently, you can project the output of virtually any iPad or iPhone app onto the wall of a conference room for sharing. Some of the many possibilities include:<ul><li>Photos, images, and videos stored on the iPad or iPhone, or streamed from websites such as Flicker, Vimeo, YouTube, iCloud, and DropBox.<li>Presentations and charts from apps like Keynote, Numbers, and QuickOffice.<li>Web pages viewed using Safari or another browser.<li>Live incoming video from a FaceTime or Skype video chat.</ul> PowerPoint on steroids Recognizing this trend, business intelligence software specialist MicroStrategy has integrated enhanced AirPlay support into <a target="_blank" href="http://www.microstrategy.com/mobile/appletv/index.asp">MicroStrategy Mobile</a>, its mobile BI app. The goal, according to the company, is to help customers "drill deep into data and present insights in real time." "They can now go to meetings armed with data on their iPad, share it using Apple TV, and have spontaneous conversations with dynamic insights--replacing the static PowerPoints that now dominate board rooms," said Hugh Owen, director of mobile products. "With its new AirPlay enhancements, MicroStrategy Mobile is like PowerPoint on steroids." <TABLE width=100% ALIGN="left" BORDER=0 CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0><TR width=100%><TD style="border:1px solid black;"> <TABLE width=100% ALIGN="left" BORDER=0 CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0> <TR align="middle"><TD align="middle"><a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-March/MicroStrategy/airplay-boardroom-1-sm.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-March/MicroStrategy/airplay-boardroom-1-thm.jpg" vspace=5 hspace=5 border=0></a></TD><TD align="middle"><a href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-March/MicroStrategy/airplay-boardroom-2-sm.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-March/MicroStrategy/airplay-boardroom-2-thm.jpg" vspace=5 hspace=5 border=0></a></TD></TR> <TR width=100% align="middle"><TD align="middle" colspan=2>MicroStrategy's mobile BI app in the board room (click thumbnails to enlarge)</TD></TR></TABLE> </TD></TR></TABLE> MicroStrategy's AirPlay-enhanced apps let you use pinch-to-zoom on the iPad's screen to focus on a specific region of the screen. For example, if the iPad is currently displaying four different graphs, you might want to zoom in on one of them to drive home a point. The iPhone version of MicroStrategy's mobile app, due for release in the next two weeks, leverages AirPlay's dual-display capabilities. "While viewing Visual Insight analyses, we present the visualization output on the external mirrored screen, while displaying the visual insight controls on the iPhone," said Owen. The visualizations are shown in their panels over AirPlay, and users can swipe the iPhone to move between panels; pinch the iPhone to zoom on the big screen; or hold their finger to use the laser pointer. Overall, being able to select specific datasets and graph the results on-the-fly raises the art of presentations to a whole new level. "It's a great way to visualize and share insights into data," said Owen. "This new integration with AirPlay and Apple TV is an important extension to our existing capabilities. Once you've built a business intelligence app that an executive can carry around throughout the day, it's very compelling to not only be able to show the information to the person next to them, but to also have the ability to walk into a conference room and throw it up on the wall and show off the information in that setting." MicroStrategy provides free versions of its mobile apps and app mobile platforms for small deployments of fewer than 25 people. Pricing is not publicly disclosed for volume deployments. Apple in the enterprise MicroStrategy has equipped all of its conference rooms with Apple TVs. "This allows the company to have much more spontaneous meetings, compared with the old days when people gathered around a static PowerPoint," said Owen. "It's an interesting story, how Apple is penetrating the enterprise. You look back prior to the iPad, and Apple really didn't have a foothold in many businesses unless it was specific to the graphic design department." Now executives armed with iPads can run their own reports instead of going "to their executive assistant," said Owen. And now, following the iPad through the conference room door is Apple TV, a consumer device that offers "really very compelling business tools as well." See a demo of MicroStrategy Mobile's AirPlay capabilities in the YouTube video below. <iframe width="452" height="260" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/XfOLQPyrHM0?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> MicroStrategy Mobile AirPlay and Apple TV demo For free versions of both the device apps and the server software, visit the company's <a href="http://www.microstrategy.com/mobile/appletv/index.asp" target="_blank">website</a>. Rick Lehrbaum cofounded and served as CTO of Ampro Computers, and created and published LinuxDevices.com. He has covered embedded technologies for ZDNet, CNET, and Ziff Davis Media, and currently sates his voracious appetite for gadgets through blogging at DeviceGuru.com.