Customer Reviews

Samsung Galaxy Tab (10.1-Inch, 32GB, Wi-Fi) GT-P7510MAVXAB Tablet

5 star:		(257)
4 star:		(82)
3 star:		(51)
2 star:		(36)
1 star:		(46)

 

 

Although I bought this for my wife as a birthday present during pre-release sales in NYC, I've since used it far more extensively than her so I've purchased a second Tab 10.1 from Amazon for myself. As a background, I also have a good amount of experience using a Motorola Xoom (none with the other Android tablets though) and an iPad 2. Anyway, here are my thoughts comparing the Tab 10.1 with the iPad 2. I won't do a comparison with the Motorola Xoom (which, as of writing this review, is the Tab 10.1's major Android competitor) as the two products are really similar. I'll leave the Xoom/Tab 10.1 decision to you. Here are my thoughts:

Operating System/Interface/Web Browsing - Slight edge to the Tab 10.1 running Android 3.1 (Honeycomb). This may just be more of a personal preference as I don't like products (like the iPad 2) which are locked down. I feel a company has no right to tell a consumer how he/she is allowed to use a product (as Apple does with theirs). Anyway, Android 3.1 OS is blazing fast and going along with the Android Open Source Project's philosophy, the OS and by rote, the Tab 10.1, is ultimately configurable. Out of the box, you can easily personalize an Android 3.1 tablet any way you want, and if you can't, there is free software out there to let you do it -- there is no hacking/jailbreaking required. The Tab 10.1's interface is also a lot cleaner than the iPad 2's which can get downright cluttered the more apps you have installed. I'll also note that there doesn't seem to be a discernible difference in the actual speed/performance (loading pages, etc) of the two products. So, we're pretty even so far, but Tab 10.1 clearly gets the edge for one thing -- Flash. Enough said.

Battery life - Strong edge to iPad 2. Both the Tab 10.1 and the iPad 2 are rated for 10 hours. Keeping the screen at about 75% max brightness, I seem to get between about 7 to 8 hours on the Tab 10.1 and 9 to 10 hours on an iPad 2. This may be a result of the screen brightness as I've noticed the Tab 10.1 has a slightly brighter screen at 100% than the iPad 2. Regardless, the iPad 2 has better battery life.

Resolution/Screen - Strong edge to the Tab 10.1's 1280×800 screen vs the iPad 2's 1024x768 one. If you think this is negligible, you are very wrong. This means the Galaxy Tab 10.1 screen has a 30% greater resolution than the iPad 2. You'll notice this difference in every thing you do -- not just when watching movies and photos. The increased resolution causes much less eye strain especially when reading webpages. Additionally, the Tab 10.1's widescreen aspect ratio seems to work a lot better for watching anything in HD. It's a shame the iPad 2 uses the dying 4:3 aspect ratio as there is a lot of wasted real estate on the screen in the form of black bars when watching anything in widescreen. With the Tab 10.1, the screen is entirely filled with video.

Cameras - Strong edge to the Tab 10.1. The Tab 10.1 blows the iPad 2 out of the water here and it's not even close. The Tab has a front-facing 2.0 megapixel (vs iPad 2's 0.3 megapixel) camera and rear-facing 3.0 megapixel (vs iPad 2's 0.7 megapixel) camera. Sure, you're never going to replace your P&S/SLR/video camera with a tablet, but it is nice to have a camera on there that can take a decent picture/video when you're in a pinch.

Portability - Even. The Tab 10.1 is a negligible 0.03 lbs lighter and 0.2mm thinner than the iPad 2.

Cachet - Strong edge to the iPad 2. Apple has a monopoly on this, it seems. Apple is just the trendier product. Odds are nobody will look at a Galaxy Tab 10.1 and think "Wow, that looks really nice. I need to get me one of those." I'm not saying the Tab 10.1 is ugly, but the brushed metal finish on the iPad does feel and look a bit nicer.

Price - Even. I'm really surprised Samsung didn't undercut the iPad 2 prices, even by $50.

Is this the iPad 2 killer as has been reported here and there in the media? Honestly, no, but that's more because most Apple consumers purchasing iPad 2s are brand loyal -- not necessarily looking to buy the best product. I really wish I could rate the Tab 10.1 with 4.5 stars. For reference, if I were to write a review of an iPad 2, I would give it a 4 stars. Giving the Tab 10.1 5 stars seems a bit too generous as I feel the lack of an SD slot and slight plasticky feel are noticeable drawbacks, as is the price (which isn't lower than an iPad 2 with the same amount of memory). And giving the Tab 10.1 4 stars seems a disservice as I feel that it is ultimately an outstanding tablet and, in my opinion, definitely has an edge over the iPad 2.

Have had my GT10.1 for a couple of days, and so far it has met or exceeded my expectations in just about every area. I think I have finally found my laptop replacement.

Look and Feel: Very solid, no creaks or flex. Grey plastic back really does look like brushed metal, feels good and does not feel cheap at all. Dang, it's REALLY thin and light.

Performance: Fast. I have run pretty much all my apps on it and have run videos from YouTube without a hiccup. Very responsive, very smooth. The touch screen in not as sensitive as the one on my HTC Incredible 2 Droid phone , but it is still very sensitive (the one on my phone is almost too sensitive, if that's possible).

Apps: Here's the cool part. Because my phone was already an Android device and I had a Google account, when I set up the GT10.1 it immediately and automatically synced, downloaded and installed almost all of the apps that are on my phone. There were just a couple that did not download, probably because they are not compatible with Honeycomb (phone runs Froyo). THAT was slick and saved me a lot of time and energy hunting for apps. The ones that did not download, like the anti-virus and stock market apps, I easily found substitutes for in the Android Market. Most games downloaded and seem to work without a hitch.

Availability of Apps: I have found PLENTY of apps in the Market that work on the GT10.1 - free, too. I even have one (androidVNC) that syncs to my desktop computer, so I can control it remotely. I had a similar program on my laptop and found it to be a lifesaver at times, when on the road. Can edit MS Office docs - Word, Excel, PowerPoint - although all the features of the main programs are not there. Also am using Google Docs, which has its own pluses and minuses. Am debating whether or not to buy DocumentsToGo Full Version to gain more editability. So far, I can get by with just viewing and tweaking. In general I prefer not to do heavy document creation and editing on the road, even with a laptop, so we shall see. K-9 is an excellent email client and provides more functionality than the basic one that comes with the device.

Memory: I bought the 32gig version, just to have plenty of memory down the road. So far, I have only used a small fraction of it. Honeycomb has a nice, small footprint, unlike some other OSs. The entire inventory of office files I could ever need on the road will fit on a 32gig flash drive with over 10 gig to spare, so I am not worried about running out of memory. Connectivity, you ask? See below.

Connectivity: Much lamenting has been done about the lack of ports for the GT10.1. Well, so far, I have not missed them. It's very easy to move data via WiFi. BUT, I know I will need access for things, like the above-mentioned flash drive. And, while most anywhere I go to give presentations these days they ask for the file on a flash drive to put on their own computer/projector, it would be nice to be able to run a video cable out, if needed. At first I thought this would be a deal breaker for me. But, then I read that Samsung is coming out with adapters for their proprietary port. So, I WILL be able to connect a flash drive or video out, when needed. Would it be nice to have these ports on board? Sure. But, frankly, the device is pretty much self-contained and very accessible via WiFi/cloud, so, assuming the adapters come out, I think the lack of ports is a non-issue. And, I am used to buying accessories for my devices as needed. I also use my phone as a WiFi hotspot, to which the GT10.1 connects flawlessly, and the combination of Android phone and Android tablet is pretty killer.

Keyboard: On board virtual keyboard is fine, quite large, in fact, if you are used to using one on a phone, as I am. I also downloaded Swype, which works fine on Honeycomb. Finally, just for those times, when I might need to do some more significant typing, I bought a Menotek flexible Bluetooth keyboard (kind of like the one in 'Live Free or Die Hard' but wireless). It synced immediately, and it works great. And, the keyboard is almost ridiculously portable (it rolls up/folds up). So, I just leave it in my briefcase and have it, when I need it. Have a leather case on order that will allow the tablet to be propped up like a monitor, so the combination of portable keyboard and angled tablet should be a nice substitute for a laptop.

Battery life: Have unplugged the tablet at 0600, used it off and on all day, and it still had just under 20% juice, when I plugged it back in at 0100 - 19 hours later. That was not continuous use, but more real world use - emails (a lot), read docs, downloads, a few YouTube videos, a few games. Not bad. It only reported about 80% charged this morning after 5 hours plugged into an outlet, but from experience with other devices, I expect both the battery life and the charging time to improve over the next week or so, as it cycles several times. As you can imagine, using video-intensive programs, like some games or lots of videos, drains the battery fastest. Even so, I'd say the battery life is pretty good and more than sufficient for a day's work (and probably play).

So, in conclusion, I think I might have found my laptop replacement, a first for me. I thought I was going to get a Xoom, then an ASUS Transformer, and then this one came along. It is really a very powerful device, given its REALLY small footprint. Is it an IPad killer? Who cares? I have handled IPads owned by business associates. Nice device, but all they ever seem to use it for is to show photos and play songs, maybe blog. Large cool factor. I don't see it as a business tool. I DO see the Galaxy Tab 10.1 as a true business tool. The same goes for my Android phone. So, depending on your needs, one or the other probably will be better for you. As for me, I am really sold on the Android OS; it is fast, powerful and small. There are some differences between my phone and tablet versions, but they are minor. If the new version that is due out at the end of this year really merged them, but was not downloadable to my current devices, I would keep both of them, since the differences are so small. That should tell you something.

Hope someone, who is considering the Galaxy Tab 10.1 as a business tool, finds the above useful. My recommendation is to go for it; I do not think you will be disappointed. It is not perfect, but I think it executes beautifully on all of its advertised features and capabilities, and for that reason I give it 5 stars.

Bill

Who is this Review for?
Anyone considering the Galaxy 10.1" Tablet or not sure whether to go with iPad or this (or any other Android tablet).If you're very confused by all the entries to the Android Tablet category lately, I'm going to try and help. First things first, if you're definitely going with an Android tablet, FORGET ALL THE OTHERS, this is the ONE (see why below). That is, unless price is a big concern for you, in which case you probably really should not buy a Tablet to begin with, but if you still want one, go with the Asus Transformer. OK, on to the review of the Galaxy 10.1:

The Good
In time this will be better than iPad2. It's a beautiful device. Don't listen to those saying there is some discernible difference in the hardware quality or the "wow" factor between this and ipad2. There really is not. Except for one thing-- you really can feel the small weight difference. Galaxy 10.1 is slightly lighter than iPad 2, and if you pick up one right after the other, you will notice the difference. Don't get me wrong, both are absurdly light, but I love how light and portable the Galaxy is. Don't even THINK of getting another Android Tablet on the market as of this writing. This is light years ahead of them all even though there is no SD slot. It's much lighter than the Xoom (and all the others out now), almost to the point that I would put it in a different class of product. It's kind of like carrying around clipboard (of very sturdy quality). No strain. Whereas carrying around the other Android Tabs is kind of like carrying around a light textbook. If the difference doesn't matter to you...then don't pay the price difference for this Tab. Just get an Asus Transformer. The ability to have customizable widgets and apps (like weather on your home screen), to me, makes this device, and Android in general, more powerful than iPad. And, if you already have an Android phone, you really should stick with the Android Tabs, which will allow a much better integration for you. For one thing, you can tether some Android phones VERY easily to the tablet. If you have an iPhone, I'd stick to ipad and their cloud, which will really protect everything on all your devices. Hopefully this advice will help you folks who have one phone or the other and are on the fence over whether to buy iPad or this Tablet (or any other Android Tablet). The screen on this Tablet is just gorgeous. Response, over all is good but not as fluid as Ipad. For most functions (except for one VERY important one, described below) you will not notice a difference. I promise you. I saw a review on here which is, ahem, ranked higher than mine --ugh-- saying that ithe Phone's "cachet" is something to be considered. Utter nonsense. You will look great with this tablet and you'll enjoy using it and people will say WOW when they see it. This device has better specs than the iPad, is just as sleek, just as functional, has flash (something that I believe is somewhat overrated though as websites move away from flash), and will eventually --EVENTUALLY-- have a better app experience than iPad. Eventually. :-) Which leads me to "The Bad":

The Bad
I saw a previous review saying that the keyboard responded slowly. After using it I can confirm that there really IS a delay between typing and text appearing on screen using SOME features like the browser. WHY? Is it honeycomb? Something that will be resolved with an update? Or is the hardware faulty and just that slow? I really hope it's the former, but I have no idea and I'm not going to buy one until I find out.

UPDATE (6/28/11): Awesome job by Commentor Scott Welch who seems to have found a fix for this. Scott explains,"I experienced the keyboard delay. It appears to be a problem with the Samsung Keyboard. I switched to the Android keyboard and it works GREAT!!! Setting> Language & Input> Current input Method." THANK YOU Scott.

Another disappointing thing is that there isn't Swype on the tablet (note: I haven't seen Swype on ANY Android Tablet yet, though, and it's disappointing).

UPDATE(6/28/11): Swype IS now available for the Honeycomb Tablets! Thanks to Commentors C.V. Tang and Brian Mason. C.V. Tang explains that "The Swype Beta are out for Honeycomb [see his comment below for the link, Amazon won't allow links in reviews]. Brian Mason added that "Swype 3.0 beta is now available for Honeycomb. Very cool how you can set it to small keyboard mode for single finger swyping on either side."

Great job, C.V. and Brian! Based on their comments, bump this review from 4 to 4.5 Stars. I've always felt that Swype is one thing that really separates Android from iPhone/iPad and shows the difference between the two systems in terms of power and customization, as Android market has so many variations of Swype that are just wonderful. Having Swype on a screen of this size is just amazing and really speeds up use and usability of the device immeasurably. It's really difficult to justify sticking with iPad's tap-tap-tap which is SO 2009.

The Apps
Apps are what Tabs are all about, so it really should be it's own discussion in any helpful review. Yes, iPad still kicks Android's Butt in apps. Yes, this will change. Yes, I know you keep hearing this. No, I don't work for Android or any company related to any of these devices and am just as annoyed as you that Android is still not up to par! But it really is inevitable with the dramatic increase in Android use that the Tablet App market will explode in the same way the Android phone app market has exploded. My Droid X phone has become more and more enjoyable to use as the market continues to grow and provide me with apps I used to have on my iPhone. When i first bought my Droid, I didn't have Sonos or my Bank's app and many other apps that were an Iphone. Now, I can't even think of an App that I had on my iPhone that I don't have on my Droid. And, best of all, I have cool widgets on my phone home screen that I could never have on my Iphone. This will happen with the Android Tab, too. And when it does and the growing number of customizable apps arrive on the Android Tabs, I do believe these Tablets will destroy the iPad. But not yet...

What should you buy?
Fortunately, I really think the answer to this question is very simple. If you already have an Iphone or Android phone, don't even think about getting the other company's Tablet. It's a huge waste. There are big advantages with sticking with the same company (tethering for Android, the cloud for Apple, and, most significantly, the APPS FOR BOTH. Why pay twice for the same apps and why go through all the hassle?). The differences between the Apple and Android Tablets are not so monumental as to justify losing all these efficiencies of sticking with your phone's company. I would compare it to using three different companies for home Cable, home internet and home phone line.

UPDATE (6/28/11): Thanks very much to Commentor K. Smits who further explained what I meant here: "I think [the review] is referring to the upcoming iCloud service baked into iOS 5 from Apple. Basically it will over-the-air sync your photos, music, etc. among your iOS 5 devices. Look up "iCloud" in google to see more details. Also, if you purchased apps for your iPhone you will be able to use them on your iPad as well without having to purchase an Android version. Of course this goes both ways. If you have an Android phone and have purchased an App, you would be able to use it on a Android based tablet as well." Yep, exactly! Smits also added some helpful information, saying "there are other solutions for keeping everything synced (Dropbox, Picasa for pics, Google Music Beta for music) If Flash is an important thing, I would rule out iPad. While I do think Flash is an archaic and not very well designed rich media solution for webpages, it is not going anywhere for a while, so I would make this a big consideration for a device that should give you a "PC like" browsing experience."

If you have an Android Phone and are debating which Android Tablet to buy, STOP THINKING ABOUT IT NOW, and get the Galaxy which is far and away a monumentally superior product than all previous Android tablets. If price is not an issue for you (and this device isn't really any more expensive than similar Tabs except the much heavier Transformer), you will regret passing up on the sleekness, hardware superiority and overall better experience and portability of the Galaxy. If you can't afford the Galaxy and don't mind a heavier Tab, go with the Transformer. If you have an iPhone, I wouldn't consider this, and definitely not other Android Tablets. Stick with the iPad.

Questions, Commentors
Feel free to post messages on here and I'll try to respond best I can. I'm not an expert, just some guy who played extensively with bunch of these things!

UPDATE (6/28/11): Thanks so much to all the wonderful and helpful Commentors. You guys really make this review so much more helpful for people and it's great to have so many different perspectives. Keep sending helpful comments and I'll weave them in here as I continue to update my review. You guys have helped confirm that Swype is AVAILABLE, that there IS a fix to the keyboard issue, and have helped explain some common questions from users. I'll continue to update my review as information comes in. Right now, I have upped it to 4.5 Stars.

I also own a Asus Transformer (luckily got it first night it was available on Amazon), and an iPad 1. I've handled the iPad 2 extensively as well (work issues iPad 2's, I develop UI's for iOS).

I'm not going to go too far into Honeycomb 3.1, as that experience merits it's own review, and has already been covered extensively.

So I'll just jump straight into what makes the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 good/bad. In a word, s-e-x-y!

The perception of Android Honeycomb hasn't been helped by the plethora of cheap no-name manufacturers tarnishing the Android brand with 150 dollar resistive touch screen devices loaded with Android 2.0. Even the bigger names, like Acer, Motorola, even Samsungs own Tab 7", have been left in the dust with "other" company's superior materials, manufacturing and design. For the first time, I can confidently say that an Android tablet has not only matched the iPad 2, but potentially surpassed it (that's debatable).

First off, the good:

1. LIGHT. 10" tablets, particularly at the 16:9 aspect ratio have always been unwieldy, especially in portrait. the 4:3 ratio of the iPad's 1024x768 has always translated to a more comfortable portrait experience. Well, the Tab 10.1 is so svelte and light, that even at 16:9 portrait, the top doesn't outweigh the ability for one hand to hold it from the bottom.

2. Skinny. First time I held an iPad 2, it was about the only thing that really impressed me. It's skinny. Well, the Tab 10 matches it (technically it's like 1-2mm skinnier I think). It feels GREAT in the hand. It almost feels more like a heavy e-reader. Something this light should not be able to do what it can do. Amazing.

3. Grippy back. Love love love the back material. I don't think it's the same as the Special Edition Google i/o, as that one looks glossy. This back is a matte black, and very pleasant to hold w/ 1 hand.

4. Camera's are noticably better then the Asus Transformer, although still not stellar. Whether or not this is an issue depends on how much you rely on your camera on a tablet. Video calls through Google chat were acceptable, but definitely not Skype quality. Waiting patiently for Skype video on Android.

5. Screen is gorgeous. I believe it's PLS technology, which is technically superior to the much vaunted IPS on the iPads. Personally, they look about the same to me. The Samsung might have a slight edge in color saturation, but generally speaking, they're on par w/ each other.

6. Stereo speakers work surprisingly well. Better quality then that on the Asus transformer, with less distortion at high volumes.

The Bad:

1. As stated, camera quality is sub-par in general, but in context of tablet cameras, it's probably one of the better ones (this isn't saying much).

2. No SD CARD slot, this sucks. Hard. But I knew it when I bought it.

3. Proprietary connector hole thingy. C'mon, really... how Apple of you.

Another note. I read some disparaging comments about the plastic back construction vs aluminum or some other metal. I don't know if people are making that comment about the Google i/O version or what, but I absolutely love the plastic back. It's grippy, looks like the business, and overall, it just looks sexy. There's no noticable flex, and at first glance, you might even mistake it for a piece of brushed metal.

It comes with a set of black earbuds/mic, kinda nice for VOIP calls, and a wall charger.

Again, I'm not going into Honeycomb too much. 3.1 is great. If you want to read my thoughts on Honeycomb, look for my Asus Transformer review, should be in the top 3. As for the Transformer, granted this thing is 100 bucks more, but you can absolutely see the 100 dollars and where it went. The build quality and design is leaps and bounds beyond the Transformer, but of course, the Asus.. well.. Transforms.. which is awesome in it's own right.

I've had it for a day, and it's already replaced my Transformer and iPad. Not just as a new toy, but with it's skinny and light form factor, it feels almost invisible, like it doesn't get in the way when I'm not using it. Definitely my new primary tablet.

I have had the Samsung Galaxy tab 10.1 for three days now so here are some of my first impressions.
Pros: Excellent display it realy gives you the wow factor for brightness and contrast out of the box. Also the battery life is good as I would think playing games would drain the battery but I get a full days use without charging. The weight and size are great very easy to hold in one hand in portrait or landscape mode. Multitasking works and does not slow down the device. You tube Hd video and web browsing are fast with minimal buffering but you must first download flash 10.3 as it is not preinstalled.

Cons: very short charging cord so if you plan on using this while plugged in you will need a usb extender. Device takes over 3 hours and still does not get a full charge it went from 40% to 75%. After flash download some websites still do not play video like phillies and mlb and I can watch them on my droid incredible phone. This next one is a big one for me and Samsung says an update will be coming this summer, there is NO support for DMR (Digital management rights ) so currently you can not download movies from any sites I have tried amazon, Google, fios, blockbuster, and the biggest disappointment is Samsungs own media hub it is not compatible with this device, strange since it came with a 25 dollar gift card to use. This is not good for a cloud device so the only way i can think of to get movies on it is to hook it up to a pc and i think that will only work for uncopyright protected files. When I look at all of the professional site reviews on you tube I, now realize that none of them showed real movies only clips in you tube. I know that is part of being an early adopter as well as only 72 tablet specific apps.

I wrote this on the tablet and there is a delay between when you type and it displays on the screen frustrating to say the least,

I am not trying to be negative as this is a nice looking device with great graphics and portability but for 600 dollars I would expect more in the performance area. I am sure it will wow a lot of people when the hold it and look at it in the store but when you take it home to use it that will wear off fast.

My biggest concern is that by the time they have all the bugs worked out and it is a supported Google device there will be tegra 3 chip tablet available for less. So my advice would be to wait on this one.

services

I will first start by saying that if you are holding off because you are unsure of Honeycomb - don't, it is excellent. I held off for a bit because of all the app talk and I really shouldn't have. What everyone needs to realize is that the Android app market already works with Honeycomb. Due to the nature of how apps are developed for all versions of Android, ALL the existing apps scale to full screen and most look and are great.

On to the tablet.

Pros
-BEAUTIFUL DISPLAY (really great viewing angles, high resolution, pls, great color, bright)
-VERY solid build quality (grey metallic is awesome looking and feels good, volume and power buttons have very solid build quality)
-VERY thin and light
-Honeycomb is excellent (so customizable, so easy to use, looks really cool)
-Fast (very fast)
-Full internet
-Swype keyboard is excellent(so much better for a touch screen)
-Being able to use a bluetooth mouse (AND SEE A MOUSE CURSOR) and keyboard is great to make it more like a laptop (if needed)
-Quick Office HD is included and works great for Word, Office, Power Point, etc... Also, integrates with Google Docs
-Google Music, Picasa Web Albums integrate great
-Movies look phenomenal and because the screen is scaled like a tv ...it is perfect for this
-Android Market Movies available online now and an Google Movie app is coming very soon
-Google Talk with Video works excellent
-Built in GPS works great - Google Maps is really great on it
-Widgets are very useful
-Dual stereo speakers sound very good
-Battery life(getting 10 hours)

Cons
-No Touch Wiz yet (coming soon..however I am still up in the air on how much I would use it)
-Waiting on the Samsung accessories which are backordered at the moment

Also, try splashtop out for remote desktop....it works great and is perfect for this tablet.

So, I've had this for about a day now and I've been playing around with it almost non-stop since then. I am a technophile and use a HTC Evo 4G with Sprint and in the past I have used an iPhone (and iPod). Never had a tablet before. Here are my early thoughts:

The Good:

1. Build quality
The 10.1 Tab is fantastically built. Although mostly made of plastic, it surprisingly exudes quality, with firm and high quality materials without any flex or creaking at all during use. I was most concerned about the plastic back, but it is actually quite nice (I have the gray back version) and not cheap looking or feeling at all. It's matte (brushed metal type texture) and gets no fingerprints on it. There are ony two buttons, a power button and a voume rocker button. Both feel good when you press them and are easy to press.

2. Screen
It looks great! It's 1280x800 and has excellent vertical and horizontal viewing angles. It's bright (I have it set to 50%) and colors are vibrant.

3. Performance
The 10.1 performs very well. Websites load up quickly, the screen auto-rotates promptly, and applications boot and operate fluidly and without any perceptible lag most of the time. I have not been disappointed by any performance issues thus far.

4. Battery Life
I haven't done any real battery tests but it seems to last a good amount of time. I'm not sure if it'll last 10 hours with moderate usage (frequent internet browsing, music streaming from Pandora or Google Music, email checking, wifi on continuously, GPS not in use, etc.) but I feel fairly confident that it'll last a good 6 hours with moderate to heavy usage, and 8+ hours with lighter use. For me, this is satisfactory and allows me to go a full day on a single charge.

5. Android 3.1 (Honeycomb)
Overall, I think Honeycomb is great. It has great functionality versus the iPad 2 which is still basically a huge iPod touch with pages of icons and most of the functionality coming from the optimized apps. With Honeycomb, you get ultimate integration if you are a Google user, with integration of your Google account (contacts, gmail, chrome settings/bookmarks, Google music beta, web albums, etc.). You get widgets (now resizeable), notifications, and many customization options. It's not just Android on a phone in a larger device -- you get tabbed browsing, nice Honeycomb optimized Google apps (gmail, youtube, music beta, etc.). And unlike the native android phone browser (2.2 on my Evo 4G), websites pretty much all display properly.

6. Flash
Yes, Flash does work pretty well overall with the websites that I've used it on, and adds to the functionality of this device.

The Omissions that Some May Care About, but I Don't:

1. Lack of SD/microSD card slot or HDMI/micro-HDMI ports
I personally don't care about these omissions because I find that with streaming music from internet radio (Pandora) and Google Music Beta, I don't need or care about having expandable storage like I thought I would. The reason I got the 32GB is for putting videos/movies on for watching when on long plane trips or times when I don't have wifi access. HDMI out I don't need or want since I can use wireless media streaming to watch any video/photos from my Tab. It's mostly a marketing gimmick feature IMO.

2. Lack of USB/micro-USB jack
Since Honeycomb apparently supports USB hosting, it is a bit disappointing that there is no USB port. But in reality, it does not make much difference because unless this tablet had a full size USB port (like the upcoming Toshiba tablet), you wouldn't be able to directly plug in many USB devices. For this thin tablet, a full size USB jack is not realistic (it would be as thick as the tablet itself). And for devices that accept a full size USB plug, you can just use the proprietary connector USB cable (cheap replicas available from China on ebay/online) just fine. So using the USB adapter is mostly a cost issue.

The Not So Good:

1. Derth of Optimized Apps
This is really the main area in which Honeycomb lags behind the iPad. There just aren't many optimized apps, even with big time apps like Facebook, where it's basically stretched out to fill the screen. This will no doubt improve over time as it did with Android for phones.

2. YouTube 'HD'
Rather disappointingly, the 'HD' videos on YouTube that you can view on Honeycomb appear to be the same 'HD' quality as when viewed on an android phone, so while it looks great on my Evo 4G it looks distinctly non-HD when viewed full screen on the 10.1 screen. I'm not sure what resolution the 'HD' videos are but it could definitely be improved to 720p when available.

My score: 90/100

Conclusions: The Galaxy Tab 10.1 is pretty fantastic and overall I think it's awesome, with great buiid quality, solid performance, and good battery life. Highly recommended.

UPDATE (6/29/11):
So, I've been using my 10.1 Tab heavily over the past 10 days or so since I bought it and I can say that it is still a great device and I love using it. A few updated pros and cons:

(+) Slingbox compatible - I bought a Slingbox Pro HD specifically to see if it would work on my Tab and yes, it does. You have to buy the 30 dollar Slingbox Mobile app but it does perform quite well on the Tab. It plays fullscreen, with SD-quality type resolution (definitely not sharp) that is acceptable to me. All the functions of Slingbox Mobile work great on it too, although it is a bit tedious sometimes to navigate the on screen guide/menus. Also, when you buy the $30 app you can also install it on any other android devices that you use with the same Slingbox account (it works great on my Evo 4G as well).

(+) IP Camera view-able - I have a Paanasonic BL-C230A wireless wifi camera that I can view easily on the tab with a 5 dollar app I downloaded, It's great for those who use these types of cameras for either security or as a baby cam.

(-) Random/Odd quirks - Occasionally (maybe a few times an hour) the screen will rotate by itself even when the Tab is docked in the keyboard dock and then quickly return to the original orientation. It's not a biggie, but is vaguely annoying when it does happen (mostly because you want to believe that the device would not do such a thing).

(-) Headphone vs speaker audio output issue - I've occasionally had the problem where sound will come out of the speakers even after I've plugged in headphones. A power off/on cycle will solve the issue, but it's annoying that it happens on a somewhat regular basis (almost everyday).

(-) Keyboard docking issue - When docked in the Samsung keyboard dock, sometimes the screen will show a clock screen (in which the home button does not work and you have to use the back key to get to the home screen) and sometimes it will just show the home screen, as it should. In any case, it's fine to have a clock screen show when you first dock the Tab but it should be possible to easily go to the home screen by pressing a button so that you can actually use it while in the keyboard dock and not have to keep hitting the back button to get the main screen. Annoying, but perhaps more of a keyboard dock issue or Honeycomb than an issue with the Tab itself.

The Galaxy Tab 10.1 is a fantastic device. I had much difficulty choosing between this device and the ASUS transformer. I was sold on this device when I was able to hold it while at a brick and mortar electronics store. It is lighter and thinner than any other device on the market. I was able to take it and compare it directly to even an iPad 2. It was even lighter than than the iPad 2. The Galaxy Tab makes the Acer Iconia Tab seem huge and heavy. IT even makes the Xoom seem a bit brickish. Aesthetically, this is the best looking Android device on the market. It rivals even the sleekness of the iPad 2 (which is the benchmark, I think).

Hardware...The device specs are similar to the other 10.1 tablets. Tegra 2. 10.1 inch screen. The screen on this device is supposed to be a bit brighter than even the IPS screens of the iPad 2 and the Transformer. It does look brighter and sharper as far as I can tell. It only has the one 30 pin port and has no micro sd slot. This is the devices's biggest drawback. Samsung remedies some of these issues with several accessories that are coming. They include HDMI and RCA adapters for connecting to an external monitor or TV. A USB adapter, and an SD card adapter. When I saw that these things had already been considered, I was sold. I personally don't see the need right now, for an HDMI out, but the fact that there will be one coming, is a nice thing to have. And remember all of those extra ports, which would be nice, reduce the form factor...and believe me the form factor/aesthetics is what makes this device a cut above the others.

Android/Software--Honeycomb 3.1 is a great OS for tablets. This is where Android beats IOS. The ability to customize home screens, add widgets etc, helps to make one's android tablet "his or her own." The native apps such as gmail, gtalk, calendar are all redesigned and optimized for the tablet and work great. The tegra 2 processor runs all of it smoothly. Scrolling between home screens is very smooth. The best part of the OS is the true multi-tasking environment. Switching between apps is easy. There are some occasional glitches, but firmware updates will help this. Honeycomb is still new and will only get better. 3rd party android apps are the other big drawback. There simply are not that many out yet that are optimized for Honeycomb, but I have found that most, if not all of apps that run my galaxy s 4g smartphone run on the tab.

One other thing to consider. I had trouble connecting the Galaxy Tab to my Windows 7 computer. Tech support for this device is in South Carolina...at least during the day. I was able to get right to someone who helped me resolve the issue. FYI, the issue was not with the tab but rather the USB port on the front of my PC. IT took some time to troubleshoot and resolve, but the quality of service and the ability to speak with someone without the language barriers was extremely helpful and convenient.

UPDATE 7/6/2011

I just returned from a 10 day road trip, having taken the tablet with me. There are a few things I would like to add.

1) Even though the specs do not say this, the tablet supports MP4 videos. I converted several of my own DVD's and put them on the galaxy. I also downloaded MOBO player from the Market. It is a great device for watching movies.

2) After two weeks with the device, I can honestly say I love Honeycomb 3.1, but it is not perfect. I still love the fact that I can customize the home screens. I did notice that after being on a couple days that the OS does get a bit sluggish, so I restart my device every day or two. It starts up and is ready to use so fast that this is almost a non issue.

3) My biggest complaints are entering text in the stock browser and flash in the stock browser. There is significant delay that can be annoying. It does not render the device unusable, but it is a slight annoyance. Flash is not flawless on this device. Flash video playback is hit and miss, sometimes choppy, sometimes laggy. I don't visit a whole lot of flash sites, and it is nice to have it, but this needs work. (IOS still does not support flash at all).

The device retains its 5 stars, because I feel the overall experience is excellent. In the market when I got the device there were 96 featured tablet apps. In two weeks this has grown to 108. This is only going to get better. When the market matures, look out iPad.

I will post another update when TouchWiz is pushed to the device. i own an Galaxy S 4G, and i really do like the touchwiz interface on it, so I will let yall know.

I really want to love this product.
Sadly, the table and Samsung service department let me down so badly.

I got my first tab. With in a week, it developed a smudgy oil streak under the screen (see Customer Image I posted). Went back to replace a brand new tab at the store.
Got the second brand new one. The problem started again after 2 weeks.
Contacted Samsung, got the screen replaced (took about a month!!!).
Got it back. Then, after a week, it started again!!!. Contacted Samsung again. They wanted me to send it back to have it fixed. Yes, that will be another month long of waiting!!.
Extremely frustrated!!

See this blog of how many people running into this problem.
Google or Youtube for "moisture under screen galaxy tab 10.1". And you will see lots of complains on this tab.

If you decided to buy. it's your own risk. It looks to me that this is a flaw on their design in the first place. How can that be 3 screens all having the same issues. Either I'm so not very lucky or it's the flaw on this model. I love Samsung products. But not like this. I probably move on to some other brand and sell this one at a lost.

I am new to Android. I've had an iPhone 3G, 3GS and now own an iPhone 4. Last year I bought my daughter an iPad. I was all set to buy the iPad 2 when it came out but two things derailed my plans. First, the wait list to buy the iPad 2, and, second, the low-res camera. When I played with the demo unit at the store, the bad camera on the iPad 2 really made me sour on it. Its not that the camera is critical on a tablet, but if you are going to add a capability to your product at least it should not be embarrassingly inadequate.

About the same time, I read about the upcoming Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 and so I decided to wait. I am glad I did. I bought the Galaxy Tab on Amazon the day it was released and have been using it for a week now. I absolutely love it.

Hardware:

By now this is old news, but its worth reiterating that this device feels great in your hands. Its light, well balanced and feels sturdy. Even though on paper it is a hair lighter than the iPad 2, in practice that minor weight difference matters when you hold both for an extended period of time. The Tab is meant to be held in landscape orientation unlike the iPad 2, and that makes for a better tablet experience. The two side speakers are good enough that I've had music playing in the background on the Tab while I do work on it. I have yet to use the supplied earbuds since I like the quality of the sound coming from the speakers enough that the buds have been unnecessary.

I like that there is no big button on the bezel unlike the iPad. The softkeys on the lower left that appear when the Tab is on get the navigation job done cleanly and gives the front of the Tab a clean look. The notification bar on the lower right informs me of incoming email and important events - very useful.

The Desktop:

This is where I think the Tab and Android Honeycomb excel over the iPad 2 and iOS. While the purpose of the desktop on an iPad is to just launch applications by clicking on the icons, the desktop on the Tab is designed to be much more functional and interactive. I absolutely love the widgets that I can place on the Tab's desktop. I have a desktop set up with widgets for my work email, my calendar, the weather, CNN headlines, NY Times headlines and a widget that shows me how long it will take me to drive to work in the morning (and back home in the evening). I start my day by turning on the Tab and at a glance I have information I need to start my day. I have similar screens set up with a Pandora widget, Amazon Cloud music player, Facebook, Twitter, Catch notes and my grocery list that I share with my significant other. To me, the widgets allow me to interact with the Tab and actually use it as a platform to help organize my life. This is the big differentiator between Android Honeycomb and iPad's iOS - and the main reason I am glad I got the Galaxy Tab 10.1.

Oh, and one more thing. I love the Live Wallpapers. I downloaded and installed the Aquarium Live Wallpaper from the Android Market. Now I have a configurable animated aquarium as the background on my Tab with fish, turtles and jelly fish swimming around behind my desktop icons and widgets. Totally useless but also totally fun and a great way to personalize the Tab.

The Apps:

Everyone knows there are not a ton of apps for Android Honeycomb yet. But there are enough to make you productive. The two apps I wish I had are Netflix and the NY Times Crosswords (though both apparently are coming out in July 2011). Other than those two apps, I have pretty much everything I need. The one's I use the most are:

The built-in web browser: works well, clean interface, easy to use, and fast. Of course it synchronizes your bookmarks.

Amazon Cloud Player: I am loving streaming music from the Amazon Cloud. I've uploaded my existing music from my iTunes library and am now buying all my music from Amazon (bought music is automatically stored in the Cloud for no additional cost). I am done with iTunes. I've downloaded no music to the Tab, though I can if I need to. This frees up a ton of space of my 32GB that would otherwise be taken up by my music library. The Amazon Cloud player lets me play my music on my Tab, my Macbook Pro, and my PC laptop. Pretty neat and a must have.

Pandora: great on the Tab

Exchange email, Yahoo email and GMail: The email client is very well done and easy to use. GMail on the Tab is exceptional.

SharePlus: a full featured Tablet optimized Sharepoint client that lets me access my work Sharepoint site.

News360: best news aggregator I've seen. It has a unique "360 View" feature that lets you view the news through photos that scroll past your tablet screen. It looks great on the Tab and is fun to use.

Pulse: another news aggregator that works very well on the Tab.

CNN, USA Today and NYT: all optimized for the Tab, all with widgets. The CNN app is especially nice.

Kindle: love my Kindle and the tablet app also works great.

Google Talk: video chatting works really well with anyone else on Google Talk on another tablet or PC.

Youtube: the Youtube app is fun to use. I really like the 3D scrollable interface.

Opentable, Yelp and Flixter: dinner and movies, of course!

Plume: gorgeous Twitter app with a desktop widget that keeps you up to date and helps you tweet what you are eating for lunch, etc.

Facebook: so-so app (as bad as the one on the iPhone) but it does have a desktop widget that redeems it.

GroceryIQ: very nice interface on the Tab. Helps keep my groceries and shopping lists in order and lets me share my list so I can send someone else to the store.

Catch: this is a app that lets you take notes and keep the notes synchronized across devices. The tablet app looks and works great. I use it between my Tab, iPhone and laptop to keep my notes jotted down and organized. This is a must have little app.

Angry Birds, Plants vs. Zombies, Pinball HD: must haves to waste away your free time.

Bottom line: Light, easy to hold, it will replace your laptop for most uses. The widgets really make the tablet come alive and worthwhile. The Tab's desktop makes the iPad 2 desktop look dated. Highly recommended.