This, the original 10.1, or the Note 8?

[JnEricsonx]

I'm honestly wondering here, no joke. Partially cause of budget. I have a Note 2 and I love it, so a tablet along those lines would be ideal too. 80% of what I would use this tablet for would be web-browsing/Youtube/Netflix/HBO/Cinemax/etc. The rest would be dabbling in gaming. Now, I can find refurbished or good quality used of the 8.0 and original 10.1 for about 200 or less, and I know of at least one still relatively new but good quality 2014 10.1 for about 300. Since I'd be using Bill Me Later which gives me 6 months anyway, should I just bite the bullet and get the 2014 one, or what?

 

[Benjie]

Difficult to answer. I have the Note 3, 8 and 10.1-14, which replaced the 10.1-12. Of these devices, my preferences in order: Note 3, 8, 10.1-12, 10.1-14.

I rank the Note 8 higher because of size and performance. Holding it for an extended period of time is easier for me than the 10.1 devices. The 10.1-12 for me had fewer issues than the 10.1-14. The issues are aggravated by the OS that came with the device and its subsequent update. The Note 8 running Kitty Kat has a pen alignment problem that was not there with previous updates. Additionally, Kitty Kat limits access to the external card. These issues are addressed by rooting and making subsequent modifications. In the past, rooting was for me. In the present, rooting is not of any interest. Problem wise, the 8 has been trouble free. My only complaint: 32gb is so much better than 16gb.

The 10.1-14 issues: external card access, and light bleeding on the corners. The startup delay and Bluetooth connectivity issues seem to be alleviated with Kit Kat.

The Note 8 looks dead in the upgrade harbor. The 10.1 looks viable for now. So if you want the pen and size is not a factor, the 10.1 is better, as we all want to stay current as possible. Incidentally, between the 8 & 10.1, I use the 8 much more on the personal and work environments. Both have the same applications, with the 10.1-14 also having Hancom installed, though rarely used.

 

[JnEricsonx]

Sooo.....pro/con?

 

[lotus49]

The 8 is just too small for me but only you can judge.

The original Note 10.1 was good and would be fine for most of the use cases you mention but don't forget that the screen on the 10.1 2014 is much higher resolution. The one area where there may be a significant difference is with gaming. The 2014 edition is a lot more powerful and ought to run any game without any problems. The same probably cannot be said for the original Note 10.1.

It really comes down to your priorities not our opinions. I love the screen on the 2014 and was prepared to pay the hefty premium for it. You may feel differently.

According to this A refurbished Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 (2014 Edition) can be yours for $340 | Android Central article, a refurbished 2014 edition would also be much cheaper than buying new. If money were tight, that would be my choice.

 

[JnEricsonx]

Ok, well, has anyone used the otterbox defender for the original 10.1? I love the otterbox on my note 2 save that lots of dust and crap gets in and I have to open it up to clean it. Is the otterbox for the original more sealed?

 

[nickdalzell]

I gave up on Otter Box long ago. They add tons of bulk and make my devices look like Apple products. OtterBox is extremely common on the Apple front.

 

[dr_m0x]

The only reason I'd go for the note 8.0 (which I've owned) over the 2014 is size. The 8 is much better if you're on the go, the 2014 is easily the better machine overall.