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Samsung's Galaxy Note 10.1 Banks On Stylus
Samsung tablet will go head-to-head with the new iPad. The stand-out feature is the same note-taking technology found on the Galaxy Note smartphone.
The Note 10.1 is a riff on the Tab 10.1, Samsung's 10-inch Android tablet, and the Galaxy Note smartphone. It uses the same form factor and screen size, but adds an active digitizer layer to the touchscreen so that it can be used with a stylus. Combining stylus support with Samsung's S Note software, and you have a fairly powerful device--at least on paper.
The Note 10.1 includes some notable spec bumps compared to the original Tab 10.1. It is a wee bit thinner and lighter, but the screen includes the same 1280 x 800 resolution. It ships with Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, and includes Samsung's TouchWiz user interface overlay. The processor has been improved to a quad-core 1.4-GHz engine with 2 GB of RAM, 16 to 64 GB of internal storage, and support for microSD cards up to 64 GB.
Samsung is making the Wi-Fi-only version available first. It supports 802.11a/b/g/n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, and GPS. A version of the Galaxy Note 10.1 with LTE 4G will hit store shelves--including those of AT&T and Verizon--later this year.
The Note 10.1 has a 5-megapixel main camera with a flash and fixed-focus lens, 1.9-MP user-facing camera for video chats, a bevy of ports for connecting to other gear, and a huge 7000-mAh battery to provide for all-day productivity. Last, it contains an accelerometer, magnetometer, gyroscope, and ambient light sensors.
[ See 10 Tablets That Will Shake Up 2012. ]
So what's the big deal with the stylus? Samsung's Galaxy Note smartphone, which has shipped well more than 5 million units, was the base for developing S Pen, S Memo, and the other related stylus apps. They let owners of the Note smartphone and Note 10.1 tablet use the stylus for text input, taking screen shots, scribbling notes on top of documents, websites, and images, and a wide array of other functions. These are features that the Apple iPad simply can't match and certainly help to separate Samsung's tablet from the iPad in terms of marketing and use-cases.
Samsung has said that third-party software developers are working to create S Pen-compatible apps, so hopefully the functionality of the Note 10.1 will improve over time. You can get a good sense of the stylus features in the video below.
(Pricing and exact availability hasn't been announced yet.)
Writing apps is expensive and complex. Cross-platform tools can help, but they're far from perfect. Also in the new, all-digital Develop Once, Run Everywhere? issue of InformationWeek: Why the cloud will become a more accepted development environment. (Free with registration.)
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Comments:
2012-08-17T21:18:24
Before people get all excited about Samsung saying the Note will be upgraded to Jelly Bean they may want to do some Google searches on Samsung's promise to upgrade their last round of tablets to Ice Cream Sandwich. Five months after Motorola updated their WiFi XOOM to ICS most Galaxy Tab owners are still waiting for the update Samsung promised "soon" last March. And don't let them tell you it is a carrier issue - I've got a WiFi only and I'm stuck TWO Android versions back. The company is great on promises when they want you to buy something new - they are deplorable when it comes to meeting their commitments after they have your money.
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2012-08-06T15:15:00
ABSOLUTELY! A stylus as most people are discovering, is an evolution of finger writing. How Apple managed to convince so many people that going back to their days in Kindergarten was the way to go escapes me but then, they also pay a premium to do what everyone else does for less.
The TV ads showing someone finger painting fine details on an image with an iPad are tantamount to fraud and notice how they only show the smallest of finger-editing taking place. Such a farce.
Samsung has this 100% right and so did Microsoft. Too bad that Microsoft seems to think people really want to use their fingers for most tablet tasks.
Yes, for navigation, using touch is fine but then what? Have you seen the writing solutions for touch? Funny at best.
The next generation will grow up using their finger and being able to write their name will be a lost art.
Technology took finger painting and evolved it to include the brush, the stick, the pencil, pen and stylus. Apple would have you believe that going all the way back to the communication and creative form figured out when human ancestors dragged their knuckles on the ground is innovation. Really?
Thank you Samsung. Now you have something Apple simply can't match no matter what, without being sued to oblivion.
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