I feel so guilty.
It was all that talk about the Kindle Fire. It got me all het up, and then let me down by saying that I couldn't have one here in the UK. I felt rejected.
:(
So my thoughts turned to finding consolation elsewhere . . .
Galaxy Tab 7 Wifi plus 3G
Love it! And the full extent of my Kindle-infidelity is revealed further down.
Spent more money, of course; a new love needs to be pampered if the romance is to blossom and last.
Vierra G-STAND Black Case Cover with Adjustable Stand for new Samsung Galaxy Tab P1000 & FREE Screen Protector, Samsung 7 inch Tablet, ARM Cortex A8 1GHz / 16GB / 7" Touch Screen / Android 2.2 Froyo / Tablet
Excellent, good quality, effective in use.
Then I read a Graudian review where the cable got lost, so bought these too:
Samsung Galaxy Tab Car Charger Black, 5V, 2A (Detachable Type)
UltimateAddons Extra Long 3 Metre Sync, Data and Charge USB Cable for Samsung Galaxy Tab 7" GT-P1000, GT-P1010
And then I travel a lot, so I needed:
UltimateAddons Worldwide Dual USB Mains Charger for Samsung Galaxy Tab (GT-P1000), with 2 Metre USB Cable, Charges 2 Devices at same time, including other Tablets, i.e. Apple iPad
Over the top, I know, but when the heart rules the head . . .
And finally :
Usb Adapter For Micro sd Card - Supports Up To 32gb Micro sd Card by Serena
SanDisk microSDHC 32GB Card
Our romance was now perfectly equipped to begin, and also to last, I hoped.
I can get wifi with no trouble - and downloaded a WiFi Finder Free App for when I am out and about. 3G - got a T-Mobile rolling 30-day Sim Card with 100 minutes and 300 texts plus unlimited internet for £10 per month. Unlimited with an asterisk saying that it isn't actually unlimited but subject to fair use, which means that you can browse and e-mail with no limits, but streaming video and downloading or uploading large files will come up against a ceiling.
Fair enough - you can do that at home on the WiFi.
BBC i-player and watching videos is superb. The only glitch was that the ear-phones provided were fiddly. You had to wiggle them in or out to hear, otherwise 1mm difference either made it blare out so everyone heard, or gave complete silence. Plus the wiggling, 9 times out of ten, stopped the playback.
Solved by using a cheapo pair of ear-phones given free on an AVE train in Spain to watch the film.
The other slight drawback, also solved, was that while on the internet, some sites where you were required to sign in (e.g. Which magazine), the browser wouldn't let you. There's Chrome for you! Tried a number of browsers from the App Store. Finally discovered that sign-in was possible with Opera Mini browser, although I prefer Dolphin HD for general browsing.
Being an Android novice, I am still learning. The context-sensitive menus, while perfectly logical, are an occasional source of frustration as where you end up in the menu depends on where you start from, so I sometimes cannot find something I had before me 2 minutes ago. Still learning, and getting better at it by the day.
I find it excellent for browsing the internet; responsive, pages well-formatted (thanks to Dolphin - some in the in-built Chrome browser weren't so good and I needed to zoom in and out). A great experience overall, highly recommended.
E-mail (Yahoo) was set up with no problem; my contacts came over straight away. I am not a Facebook or Twitterer, so cannot comment on those, but text messaging is fine.
The camera - with lens both back and front, for self-portraits, seems good too.
And now I reveal the full shame of my infidelity.
The first App I downloaded was, of course, the Kindle. Took a few seconds to register my device with Amazon, then I was able to download whatever I wanted from my Kindle Archive on Amazon. I was flabbergasted by the download speed - it took me longer to click on a book than to download it.
I was also able to download from my computer via the USB lead. It IS nice to see the book covers, rather than just a sterile list, and in colour too . . . an attractive way of selecting what to read. Pity Amazon can't do it like this on its Manage My Kindle page for our Kindle Archive library.
The Kindle reading experience is very good; you can GoTo, consult the dictionary, change the font size, and have the option of changing the page from white with black text to black with white text, or sepia with brown text; the latter seems kinder on the eyes. The "Does the Kindle have a backlight for reading in the dark" is solved here, of course, but Mr Bibliofila find it more distracting in a darkened bedroom than when I use the Kindle with lighted case. Haven't yet tested the Galaxy Tab outdoors in the sunlight for obvious reasons.
But . . .
The Galaxy Tab also has a built-in e-reader, which is e-pub. It gives you one book for free, and then you can log on to a bookshop to buy more. Haven't tested the purchase option, but downloaded from my computer some e-pub books (non DRM) left over from when I had the Sony e-reader.
Yes, I'm afraid that I'm a serial adulterer in the e-reader world . . . Sony to Kindle to Galaxy . . .
Here the page is sepia too, although paler, and there's an interesting page curl when you turn the page. I really liked that. No way of changing font size that I have discovered yet, but there is an in-built dictionary. Page numbers on bottom of screen. But the big thing is . . .
Well, I am not only fickle, I am also shallow. Easily impressed by external appearances. Fall in love with a pretty face.
What I really love about the e-book reader on the Galaxy is . . . the way it looks when you open it.
It shows you open shelves in an attractive wood finish, with the books displayed cover outward. Just like in your local Library where they have some special section. You can browse the covers on the shelves to select your book. It's cute, I love it, I am so shallow.
Now actually this is more than shallow, it's daft, to like, to LOVE, a book reader because of this trivial point. It only lasts a few seconds, for goodness sake! Pull yourself together, woman.
The actual reading experience is better on the Kindle App (unless you miss that attractive page curl - a bit as though the e-pub reader is winking at you . . .), because it has greater functionality. But I do like those lovely bookshelves.
Overall verdict: the Galaxy Tab 7 is a great device. Does masses more than I thought it would, does it fast and effortlessly, and I still have a lot more to discover.
I wouldn't dream of giving up my Kindle, which is just perfect as a reading device, but my Galaxy, as well as offering so very many other things, will be a handy Kindle back-up.
If only Amazon would call in a carpenter to set up some shelves . . .
:)
| Brand | Samsung |
|---|---|
| Package Dimensions | 20 x 13.2 x 6.6 cm; 299.37 g |
| Batteries | 1 Lithium Ion batteries required. |
| Item model number | GT-P1000MSAXEU |
| Manufacturer | Samsung |
| Series | P1000 |
| Colour | Black |
| Form Factor | Convertible |
| Standing screen display size | 7 Inches |
| Screen Resolution | 1024 x 600 |
| Processor Brand | ARM |
| Processor Speed | 1 GHz |
| RAM Size | 0.51 GB |
| Memory Technology | DDR4 |
| Hard Drive Size | 16 GB |
| Audio Details | Speakers |
| Graphics Coprocessor | ARM Cortex A8 |
| Graphics Chipset Brand | ARM |
| Connectivity Type | WiFi, 3G |
| Wireless Carrier | Vodafone |
| Rear Webcam Resolution | 3 MP |
| Front Webcam Resolution | 3.2 MP |
| Operating System | Android 2.2 |
| Average Battery Life (in hours) | 8 Hours |
| Are Batteries Included | No |
| Lithium Battery Energy Content | 20 Watt Hours |
| Lithium Battery Packaging | Batteries contained in equipment |
| Lithium Battery Weight | 175 g |
| Number Of Lithium Ion Cells | 1 |
| Item Weight | 299 g |
| Guaranteed software updates until | unknown |
