Samsung's Galaxy Tab - A Better iPad then iPad?

Check this out - 7" display, front facing camera for video chat, running android. it has flash too! this means it really delivers the whole web. you can also use up to a 32gb sdcard (which can be changed) and will be available on Verizon and the others. I wonder, since my iPad is not much more then an better iPod than my iPod, will this be a better iPad then the iPad? :-)

Samsung's Galaxy Tab commercial puts iPad fans on notice – Apple / Mac Software Updates, News, Apps.

Sep. 21, 2010 (from Geek.com) - The latest Galaxy Tab commercial has done a remarkably compelling job highlighting the gizmo's key capabilities. Advertising a number of neat features

-hb

interesting iPad usage stats, consistent with my own experience

There are some interesting stats in the attached article on iPad use - not very promising as the future of mobile computing.  My own experience is consistent with use as a media device and for reading the paper and magazines.

I watch movies and TV shows when I am on a train or plane, on the treadmill, working out, etc.  This is probably my number one use for the device.  The iPad is clearly a better iPod than the iPod.

I also use if for some web browsing but this is difficult since sites with flash are a problem.  Apple's claim that they provide access to the whole internet is not remotely true.  Too many sites use flash, not just for video, but for menus, etc.  It is far too frustrating an experience to get hung up by this missing functionality.

I use the WSJ app a few times a week, when it is not as easy to read the actual paper.  I love the quality of this app.  I also love that they integrated the iPad app with the website so that articles saved on either go into the shared folders you have in your online account.

Magazines are also very readable on this device, more so then on the Kindle.  This is because you can scale the pdf's on the iPad and can not on the Kindle, color is also a key differentiator here.  The problem here is that unlike the functionality of cycling TV shows to and from the device as you finish them, many of the readers do not have this functionality so this is less then a smooth experience to manage.  Of the various apps for magazine, I like Good Reader the most.

I find book reading to be cumbersome on the iPad, reading on the Kindle is a far better experience.  The iPad weighs twice as much and the glare of the screen bothers my eyes over time.  Since I tend to sit down and read for a few hours at a time, this is a real issue.  It is also unreadable in the sun which is not an issue for the Kindle.

Here is the article with the stats:

http://www.mobiadnews.com/?p=4850

Here is a link to the Amazon Kindle Ad:

http://www.youtube.com/v/HGmRKSds9OY&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xd0d0d0&hl=en_US&feature=player_embedded&fs=1

-hb

Good place to start would be an intro to Android

I figured a good start would be some background for people that know little or nothing about the Android phones at this point.  There seem to be lots of guy oriented commercials (with a techno angle) from either the manufacturer of a particular model or the carrier but not a lot of specifics other than there is a world of apps ie: the rotating globe of the market place.

Yahoo News' Gadget Hound did a pretty good job on the Android basics at the link below. So instead of reinventing, I will provide a link to their fine work on the basics.  My goal was to highlight usability and differences based on what I encounter in my use of the Apple 3GS and 4 (on the iPhone side) and htc Incredible (on the Android side).  Perhaps I'll even touch on a few iPad items as well.  That said, when there are other resources or tidbits I catch in my daily reading and browsing I'll post links as well.

Bullets 4 and 5 do a pretty good job on the Why or Why Not for an Android phone vs iPhone and I will go into more specifics on this over my next couple of posts.

Yahoo News - The Gadget Hound For Android newbies: 10 questions, answered