If you're not into Ipad2 try this $399

[Perfectlap]

The Samsung Galaxy tab 10.1 which is thinner, ligher and with a better display than the Ipad2 ($500 16GB) is available at Staples for $399 with this coupon.
You can special order the 32GB version of the 10.1 for $500. The coupon is only good in-store, doesn't work online.

http://dealnews.com/Staples-printable-coupon-100-off-any-tablet/482382.html


Ipad on the right






YouTube is full of videos comparing the 10.1 vs. the Ipad2 that you can check out.
I won't go into the differences between Android Honeycomb for tablets vs. Apple's OS but having used both I opted for the Android. As far as which tablet to get,
After seeing the Motorola Xoom and not being very impressed I was about to give up on Android afterall and buy the Ipad2 at Sam's Club for $480 but I stumbled upon the Samsung 10.1 at BestBuy. I thought it was fake demo it was so light. Amazing. And of course with Android you can see Flash video on websites which is what used on 80% of websites.


In a few weeks the the 10.1 will be arriving to Verizon with ultra fast 4G LTE (10 times faster than 3G) but it requires a contract. This will be the lightest, thinnest 4G tablet. The Ipad2 will not have 4G anytime soon because AT&T is way behind in that area and they don't want to push potential buyers towards a Verizon 4G Ipad2. So neither carrier gets a 4G Ipad2.
I imagine the 4G LTE Samsung tablet will have a 3G or 4G switch so you can save on battery when the 4G signal is weak. Since it's Android, surely some developer will come up with a solution you can easily download. 4G is a huge battery eater.
No doubt Apple is working furiously on a remedy for that one, but again you'll have to wait and it will be data limited.

Also, the 10.1 accessories are on sale if you call Samsung's 1-800 number. Orders over $100 get free overnight shipping and a 20% discount if you ask. That's a big savings since the keyboard dock ran me $85 at BestBuy with tax vs. $55 (I picked up two, the BestBuy one is going back). The book cover case is also worth getting, since its on sale, as it does not add any bulk to the tablet and covers it in a hard sleek plastic. There's also another cover in the works that folds out into a slim keyboard. They're also working on the highest resolution screen for the next 10.1 which like an LCD LED TV does not reflect light, can be used outdoors and will draw 40% less power. Samsung is bringing their A game after Apple sold 9 million Ipad2 in the last quarter. Although once Android opens up the tablet OS you'll be seeing fairly powerful Android wi-fi tablet prices plummet to $200 from no-name companies. Right now the Asus Transformer (also running Honeycomb 3.2 like the Xoom and Samsung albeit a little heavier but just as powerful) can be had for $300 with the staples coupon. Crazy.

[RandallNeighbour]

iOS5 is going to be a game changer for iPad2. If I was in the market for a tablet right now, I'd wait until it comes out in a month or to and then compare products again.

[Perfectlap]

I read they're having issues with building the Ipad3's, too many parts to go in such a small case. No doubt they are annoyed that Samsung have the claim to thinnest and lightest and will want to end that as soon as possible. Seems crazy though because this Samsung is ridiculously thin as it is. Doesn't even feel "real". But without 4G I don't see where else Apple could drastically improve on Ipad2. Maybe a few extra ports for SD cards a better camera. Doesn't sound to exciting. Although the could definitely improve the screen, it's noticeably behind the Iphone4's. I'm not sure if LG (who supply the displays) is working on an outdoor useable display like Samsung's cooking up with the PenTile screen.

Also, I just got the offical book cover case from Samsung for the 10.1
Best cover/case I've seen on any tablet yet. Hard plastic without adding any extra weight. I'm going to stick some carbon fiber adhesive on the back to jazz it up.


By the way I'm tethering on my DroidX right out of the box, no hacking or third party apps. Works flawlessly as long as the 3G connection is stable. That just saved me a bundle each year. I certainly would not pay for tethering or data limited hotspotting. I'd sooner get one of those portable wifi units like the 4G clear device so a long as its unlimited. These guys are getting ridiculous with all these montly internet charges.

[tonycarreon]

Originally Posted by RandallNeighbour

iOS5 is going to be a game changer for iPad2.

yes. it's coming along nicely, though tabbed browsing sucks a$$ - the blackberry playbook kills on this front. you "pull down" the toolbar to see the page previews. apple did away with the page previews in favor of the tabs. much less intuitive.



"over the air" updates are a great addition - no more plugging in to a computer for anything.

[DenverSteve]

I don't think Apple is upset with anyone. They can't keep up with demand for their products. Apple created, others copy. The iPad is currently responsible for 70% of all new "laptop computer" sales even though it is not a computer. It is great for what it is and will never be a "computer" replacement. It's like a Porsche - don't buy it if you can't afford it and, if you buy it, appreciate it for what it is and not what it's not.

[Perfectlap]

^ not so sure about that. Apple just pulled all non-Apple book sales from their app store and they will only honor existing Google, Amazon,etc. book clients on Itunes.

I think they know a war is coming.

Apple were astoundingly ahead of the pack on the rejection of laptops in favor of tablets for casual tech consumers (overkill for them to buy a laptop with limited battery life to boot) but this is a trend that would have occurred sooner or later. Apple just made it feasible now because the Iphone shared so many of the same features as the type of tablet device that would get people to reject their laptops.
WHen you really look at an Ipad or Samsung or Xoom closely none of it is really ground breaking: touch screens, extended life batteries, wifi, 2G/3G, gps, gyros, accels,powerful chip sets...all existing tech just waiting for one clever group to put it all together. PC vs laptop was just too narrow a choice for too long. Good on Apple for figuring out a third way to get everyone to spend less but since none of it is really proprietary they won't be able to hold onto anything near their current market share forever--ditto for those 50% production margins. Android wouldn't be activating as many smart phones every day as they are if 70% of the market were THAT brand/image loyal. I give it less than two years before tablets are as ubiquitous as a GPS for your car. You'll be able to buy any size tablet for less than price of a used Xbox. everyone will have one at home and each kid in the house will have one in his/her book bag.

[DenverSteve]

True. This technology was developed years ago with the HP, Palm and other PDA's. Apple simply took all of that leaps ahead with the iPod which became the iPad. The iPad is simply an iPod on steroids. I have them all and each has a niche. None is a solve-all tool. I do believe that the iPod should be the invention of the century. Simply amazing.

[Perfectlap]

Also very very lucky timing for Apple. They developed the Ipod in a window where Microsoft were masterminding the opposition. That's like having the rent-a-cops run airport security all over again. The Google boys were still eating pringles in their dorm conjuring up a way to take down Yahoo. Had they been on the scene sooner I'm sure they wouldn't have allowed Apple to go so long with Ipod as the default solution. There would have been a challenge much sooner. Particularly considering how being in the internet business they knew of what was to come in mobile tech. For example look at how long how without any history of building gadgets they were able to take the first T-Mobil Android phone to what it is now. Barely 2 years. Apple did very well only having to worry about Microsoft. But that's not the case anymore.

[DenverSteve]

True. But no one can do anything but admire what Mr. Jobs did with Apple. His company struggled for decades even needing IBM's bailout. Then coming out with industry changing ideas like the iPod and Apple Store at a time (timing is everything) that catapulted Apple into the industry leader it is today. Just watch the fervor that occurs every time Apple announces a new release. Then there's a backorder for the new product almost up until the next release. I don' t think they're worried in the least. Apple Care and the customer service they provide, I believe, is what helps people like me get beyond the prices and go with Apple over the competition. Total package that goes beyond the simple tablet, phone or notebook.

[Perfectlap]

oh they're worried alright. That's their nature. They don't want to become the next Blackberry: A company that got too comfortable with their stranglehold position. They know they were very very lucky to have had a very poorly organized competition at the critical time, an opposition that was fragmented into a dozen uncooperative companies wasting billions in resources coming up with their own bespoke systems. They mastered nothing either on the hardware or software side.
But those companies are getting their acts together now largely thanks to Google and their far more flexible sandbox rules, as we can already we see with Android phones and this latest Samsung tablet. Apple were able to capture all the early adopters for high end phones and tablets. Even though they equal tens of millions they are still the tip of the iceberg of the total market for phones and tablets. At some point economies of scale will kick in and anything that isn't proprietary to Apple, things that other's can't use in their devices, will be a tough sell at these current Apple profit margins. Apple sells a $650 Ipad that costs $250 to make. A $50 Iphone that costs $200 to make. What happens when the Apple product no longer does anything that an other product can't do for the half the price? Even if you sell to an upper middle class consumer who is willing to pay the premium at some point you'll need to maintain that huge tech advantage over the competition to justify those margins. That's the advantage that shrinking by the day. Then what? What new gadget will they invent? As you point out the current apple revolution was built on a single product, the ipod. I think they've pretty much exhausted all the iterations of that invention. Which isn't to say that there isn't plenty of gas left in that tank. This Ipod/tablet/Iphone thing could go on for years but making things that are light/thin/intuitive are no longer solely the territory of Apple.

[tonycarreon]

Originally Posted by DenverSteve

True. But no one can do anything but admire what Mr. Jobs did with Apple. His company struggled for decades even needing IBM's bailout.

wha? IBM didn't "bailout" apple...

Originally Posted by DenverSteve

Then coming out with industry changing ideas like the iPod and Apple Store at a time (timing is everything) that catapulted Apple into the industry leader it is today.

microsoft's still trying to catch-up to that one. it all comes down to how you want things to work. MS tries to work with as many components as it can. Apple works with a select few (pc components) and tailors the experience to that. they control everything from the ground up (and it makes things smoother for the end user IMO).

saw a story the other day about the cash reserves apple is sitting on ($76b in the bank, FYI). according to the story they could buy every major league baseball, football, hockey and basketball team in the US and still have nearly $25b left over.

[DenverSteve]

[QUOTE=tonycarreon]wha? IBM didn't "bailout" apple...

True. My brain freeze. It was Microsoft that invested 150 million when they not doing well.

[Perfectlap]

FYI,

I tested out the 4G Samsung 10.1 from Verizon. Two friends ordered one each.
It is exactly as thin as my wifi-only 10.1 that I'm tethering form my 3G phone.
BUT....the 4G internet is TWICE as fast as my home's wifi network (20+mbps).
And 20X's times as fast as my 3G phone (1 mbps).
Verizon 4G LTE is screaming fast here. I'm strongly considering getting rid of my phone's internet, and sticking with a basic phone text,plan.
$80 a month is expensive for 10GB or $50 for 5GB, but with a 4G tablet..... ultra fast internet on your cell phone seems really redundant. It won't be long before you can set up a phone number like Vonage to work with your tablet. All you would need is a bluetooth headset to speak, just dial from the tablet. I don't think people are going to pay for internet at home, on a tablet and on their phones with each costing at least $50 a month. Someone's going to capitalize on that redundancy.