Help [Q] Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 vs iPad2 - Photo browsing

[tempest7]

[Question]
-Does anyone see any future updates to Honeycomb or possibly an Ice cream update that will fix the picture browsing lag in the Galaxy Tab gallery?

[Background]
Recently I've been debating about buying the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 I've got a few options to pick it up when I renew my contract for my internet service, but what I really need it for is something simple. To show pictures.

Basically for presentation purposes, and I don't mean just a slide show. The 'client' needs to be able to freely browse and look.

Many of my friends use the iPad/iPad2 for this and it's such a basic function that it works well on the iPad, but for whatever reason playing with the in store Galaxy Tab 10.1 tablets they all lag at showing pictures. It is a brief but *noticeable* lag.

By no means am I an apple fan. Aside from my beat up iPod nano, I'm a devoted Android user sporting a nice Samsung Galaxy S2. I understand and appreciate the power behind android, and also it's flaws.

There is basically no re-sale value for the galaxy tab where I live. The demand is all for the iPad. So if I buy it, I'm pretty much stuck with it. Right now I'm thinking about just holding back to see if within half a year something nicer will come out.

 

[Deleted User]

for whatever reason playing with the in store Galaxy Tab 10.1 tablets they all lag at showing pictures. It is a brief but *noticeable* lag.

Has the store display model been updated? If it's still running the original release then it will have lag. But an update was released that included TouchWiz for the tablet and it fixed some issues and reduced the lag on the device. I played with one in the store recently and it has minimal lag, nothing worth complaining about.

Also remember that a display model has had countless hands on it, doing who knows what. I would first try simply power cycling the device yourself and see if that works better. If not, then ask to do a factory reset on the device and see how it works after that.

I was surprised the Tab worked as well as it does even with the TouchWiz overlay on the base Honeycomb. I've seen other TouchWiz UI's that were not very good, but this one isn't bad at all. I still prefer a more "vanilla" Android experience like what I have on the ASUS Transformer though, so there is nothing to slow it down.

 

[tempest7]

Has the store display model been updated? If it's still running the original release then it will have lag. But an update was released that included TouchWiz for the tablet and it fixed some issues and reduced the lag on the device. I played with one in the store recently and it has minimal lag, nothing worth complaining about.

Also remember that a display model has had countless hands on it, doing who knows what. I would first try simply power cycling the device yourself and see if that works better. If not, then ask to do a factory reset on the device and see how it works after that.

I was surprised the Tab worked as well as it does even with the TouchWiz overlay on the base Honeycomb. I've seen other TouchWiz UI's that were not very good, but this one isn't bad at all. I still prefer a more "vanilla" Android experience like what I have on the ASUS Transformer though, so there is nothing to slow it down.

Thanks for the advice. I wanted to know if there was an update that correct the lag. The display models are actually fairly new when I played with them because the tablet was just recently launched in HK. I got to play with the display models like a day or 2 after they had it setup in the shop. They *probably* haven't updated anything special on the tablets. Most of them don't have any real programs installed. Just internet browsing and people just add widgets on the home screen. I haven't check the version numbers yet.

As for delay, I really wish I could ignore even a *slight* delay, but side by side with an iPad2 It really is obvious, at least the ones I've played with. The tablet is locked down so I can't even pick it up, just swipe around on the screen with it but I can transfer files via bluetooth onto it and lots of sample pictures on the device plus camera pictures already.

Thanks for the info. I'll keep an eye on the device, but as it stands I won't be buying it. Doesn't feel like honeycomb is quite ready to be the ipad killer I hoped it would be.

It sounds dumb to just buy the tablet because I want to show pictures easily, but I think presentation is part of the beauty of owning one of these. I don't have much else of a use for it since I already have a Galaxy S2 and a notebook.

Thanks again for the info.

 

[Szadzik]

Thanks for the info. I'll keep an eye on the device, but as it stands I won't be buying it. Doesn't feel like honeycomb is quite ready to be the ipad killer I hoped it would be.

I all depends on the requirements. For me Honeycomb is a total iPad killer. I have a friend with iPad2 in the office and we keep comparing what our devices can do (not how they show photos, we treat them as tools) and it seems iPad keeps loosing all the time.

 

[tempest7]

I all depends on the requirements. For me Honeycomb is a total iPad killer. I have a friend with iPad2 in the office and we keep comparing what our devices can do (not how they show photos, we treat them as tools) and it seems iPad keeps loosing all the time.

I'm wondering if Ice cream will fix this. I think it has the potential to be a great tablet, but for example. My girl friend is a model. She mainly wants the tablet to show off pictures to clients. Games and such are fun only while she's waiting for her jobs, but the important thing first is how good the pictures look, and how easy it is for clients to look at them.

It is such a little thing, but in this situation... it's the deal breaker. I think I'll just have to wait out another generation of tablets to see how it goes.

Thanks for all the comments and replies.

 

[Deleted User]

I'm wondering if Ice cream will fix this. I think it has the potential to be a great tablet, but for example. My girl friend is a model. She mainly wants the tablet to show off pictures to clients. Games and such are fun only while she's waiting for her jobs, but the important thing first is how good the pictures look, and how easy it is for clients to look at them.

I really don't understand what you mean by lag. I have the Tab and I flick through photos without any lag at all. There is an aesthetic motion that may appear like lag where a flick starts slow then jumps across with a bouncing effect, and a sort of gravitational pull. That is clearly by design and although it's different from vanilla Android it's not really bad.

If you're experiencing real lag, something else is causing it, like a bad app or something. Seriously, try doing a factory reset on the store demo and then try it again.

 

[Szadzik]

I'm wondering if Ice cream will fix this. I think it has the potential to be a great tablet, but for example. My girl friend is a model. She mainly wants the tablet to show off pictures to clients. Games and such are fun only while she's waiting for her jobs, but the important thing first is how good the pictures look, and how easy it is for clients to look at them.

It is such a little thing, but in this situation... it's the deal breaker. I think I'll just have to wait out another generation of tablets to see how it goes.

Thanks for all the comments and replies.

Have you considered installing a 3rd party gallery app? There are loads of apps in the Market for that and I do not believe the Tab itself is incapable of showing the photos nicely, it is just about the ap that does that.

 

[rumbataz]

It's issues like this where the iPad scores heavily against Android devices. To get the best out of an Android device you have to mess around with it - install third-party stuff, remove bits, optimise it, etc.

With the iPad you just switch it on and it just works.

It's really frustrating for me as I desperately want to buy an Android tab but can't bear the thought of tinkering with it endlessly to make it work like an iPad!

I have an HTC Desire and have spent more time messing around with it than actually using it.

 

[Szadzik]

It's issues like this where the iPad scores heavily against Android devices. To get the best out of an Android device you have to mess around with it - install third-party stuff, remove bits, optimise it, etc.

With the iPad you just switch it on and it just works.

It's really frustrating for me as I desperately want to buy an Android tab but can't bear the thought of tinkering with it endlessly to make it work like an iPad!

I have an HTC Desire and have spent more time messing around with it than actually using it.

iPad is aimed for a totally different audience than Android devices. Android users are mostly those who like to tinker. You do not like doing that, stay away from Android and use Apple devices.

 

[Deleted User]

It's issues like this where the iPad scores heavily against Android devices. To get the best out of an Android device you have to mess around with it - install third-party stuff, remove bits, optimise it, etc.

That's what I don't get with your comments...I'm running the Tab without any "tinkering". I just install the apps and widgets I want and use it as it is. I have not messed around with it at all, no rooting or anything like that...I just turned it on, installed my favourite programs and started using it. I have the 3G cellular model so no WiFi setup or anything either and it has a constant connection to the internet.

It's really frustrating for me as I desperately want to buy an Android tab but can't bear the thought of tinkering with it endlessly to make it work like an iPad!
I have an HTC Desire and have spent more time messing around with it than actually using it.

I had the Desire which is a nice phone, and gave it to my wife when I bought the Nexus S - she loves the Desire. And again, I don't really understand what you mean by "messing around with it".

Android has a lot more configuration options and the ability to run live widgets, features that Apple lacks, and what makes Android so appealing to many types of users. But that just means more flexibility.

Whether you choose to "mess around" with the setup is up to you. My wife simply put the apps and widgets she likes on the Desire, arranging them to suit her preference, and uses it as is - no tinkering, no messing around. She's been using the same setup on the phone without any issues for almost a year. Out of the box, I find Android phones and tablets have more features and lots more flexibility than iPhones or iPads. Both my wife and daughter agree...after using Android devices, neither of them have any interest in Apple products anymore - and both are non-techie types so ease of use is important.

If you want a tablet to work the same as an iPad (less features, less flexibility) then what you need to do is cripple an Android tablet and limit it's abilities. If that's what you want, it might be easier for you to simply buy an iPad and forget about Android.

 

[Deleted User]

iPad is aimed for a totally different audience than Android devices. Android users are mostly those who like to tinker. You do not like doing that, stay away from Android and use Apple devices.

I find a lot of people think this way, and on a whole it's probably true. But it doesn't apply to everyone. As I mentioned above, both my wife and daughter prefer Android over Apple for the flexibility Android offers, without any need to tinker. They're not tech-savy people, they just want a device to work they way they want and they prefer the widgets and customization that Android offers over Apple products.

With Apple, you install some apps to do what you want. With Android, you install some apps to do what you want, but you can then configure it futher if you want, but you don't need to do so. I think a lot has changed with Android with Froyo and Gingerbread and Honeycomb. With versions previous to v2.x I think you had to tinker a bit to get things working well. But with v2.x + Android is much more user friendly.

 

[substring]

Same here. I bought the Galaxy Tab 10.1 not because I can tweak it. I don't root and I don't hack my tab. I bought it simply because it is the best tablet on the market. period.

First of all, I can use all the familar app that I have on my Galaxy S phone. I have no need for 50,000 app in the App Store.

The tight integration with Google tools like GMail, Google Calendar, and Google Doc is a big plus. I depend on these Google app.

In my humble opinion, the Tab has better screen that iPad. The gorilla glass is a big advantage over iPad.

Last but not least, my tab has 4G where no Apple device today has such capability.

I can go on and on.

 

[tempest7]

Not meaning to dig up this old thread. I just feel bad leaving it behind. The other day I was thinking about the problems I had with the photo gallery on the Tab, and the store rearranged the tablets so almost all the android demo tablets were beside each other. Playing on the Moto Xoom I noticed the default gallery doesn't have the lag that I experience on the Samsung Galaxy Tab. So, I don't blame Android, or the Tab itself per se, but Samsung did something to the gallery app that's causing this slight, yet noticeable, delay while browsing pictures. I use the SGS 2 myself and I don't notice much of a lag issue on my phone, so this is a tablet related thing? I could try to install a 3rd party app maybe over bluetooth next time I've got some free time in the shop. It's too bad really...

 

[Deleted User]

Not meaning to dig up this old thread. I just feel bad leaving it behind. The other day I was thinking about the problems I had with the photo gallery on the Tab, and the store rearranged the tablets so almost all the android demo tablets were beside each other. Playing on the Moto Xoom I noticed the default gallery doesn't have the lag that I experience on the Samsung Galaxy Tab. So, I don't blame Android, or the Tab itself per se, but Samsung did something to the gallery app that's causing this slight, yet noticeable, delay while browsing pictures. I use the SGS 2 myself and I don't notice much of a lag issue on my phone, so this is a tablet related thing? I could try to install a 3rd party app maybe over bluetooth next time I've got some free time in the shop. It's too bad really...

You really need to get over it...you've been whining for two months about this. The "lag" you're talking about is part of the included gallery app for visual appeal - it bounces the images across the display.

So if you're still not happy with the Tab, don't buy it. Buy whatever tablet makes your girlfriend happy. Or get the Tab and install another gallery app on it that works the way you want.

I had the ASUS Transformer and while it was a great tablet to use, I found the dock unnecessary and the tablet lacked cellular 3G connectivity - I had to use my phone as a WiFi hotspot which was a heavy drain on the phone's battery. So I bought the Samsung Tab 3G instead and have been very happy with it.