DBC Network

Sunday 12 December 2010

iPad vs. Samsung Galaxy Tab


hebat semua...


ipad_new.jpgApple iPad

So
when I was recently given the chance to not only check out an Apple
iPad, but also the new Samsung Galaxy Tab, I was in gadget heaven.

Unless
you’ve been living under a rock , you’ve heard of the iPad thanks to
the mighty juggernaut that is Apple’s public relations department. The
Galaxy? What’s that? And I must confess that I immediately went into the
comparison of the two gadgets assuming that the iPad would be superior
in every way.

But,
surprisingly, the Galaxy gives Apple a bit of competition in the tablet
computer wars, and after playing with both of them for a week, I have
to say both offer some mighty cool and useful features.

The
iPad did it all first, so the Galaxy comes off initially as just an
iPad clone, and since the Galaxy is about two-thirds the size of the
iPad, you might be tempted to call this clone a “Mini-Me” … or in this
case a “Mini-i.”

In
the end, it was really hard for me to decide which device I liked
better because both have so many similarities. The Galaxy runs on the
Android operating system, so being a Droid phone user, that had quite a
bit of appeal for me. It was tough to say which tablet was ultimately
superior, so I’m going to run down some of the pros and cons for each
device and let you — and Santa — decide.

SIZE MATTERS — OR DOES IT?

Galaxy_Tab.jpgSamsung Galaxy TabThis
comes down to a matter of preference. The iPad has a 9.7-inch screen
while the Galaxy’s screen is only 7 inches. But the resolution on both
are so close that it might actually come down to pure psychology. Both
screens are so crisp, that only the weakest eyes would have a problem
with the Galaxy’s smaller display. The iPad also weighs about half a
pound more than the Galaxy as well. But it’s bigger, so you’d expect
that.

WI-FI
If
you’re wanting to surf the Web when there’s no Wi-Fi around, then you
will be out of luck with the iPad. The Galaxy has an integrated Mi-Fi
which turns the tablet into a mobile hotspot. Verizon offers a separate
Mi-Fi with the iPad, but who wants to lug around yet another device? The
caveat with mobile hotspots is, of course, data usage. And that can run
your bill up quickly. You can opt out of the Mi-Fi altogether if you
want. Both tablets are pretty speedy when picking up a standard Wi-Fi
connection.

CAMERAS
Sorry,
no camera for you, iPad. But the Galaxy offers a 3 megapixel camera in
the back as well as a 1.3 megapixel camera in the front for video
conferencing using Skype. This is an obviously absent feature on the
iPad that left everyone scratching their heads when it debuted. My guess
is this won’t be a minus for Apple for long, but why it was left off to
begin with will always be a mystery to me.

MEMORY
The
iPad comes in three standard memory sizes: 16 gigabytes ($499), 32 GB
($599) and 64 GB ($699). The Galaxy comes standard with 2 GB of internal
memory and a 16 GB of external. Unfortunately, you can’t add more
memory to the iPad, but you can add more to the Galaxy with an SD card.
Of course, more memory comes with a bigger price tag, and if you add the
external 3G Mi-Fi to the iPad, the 64 GB model will run you $829. The
Galaxy is $599. Unfortunately, the external capacity for the Galaxy
maxes out at 32 GB.

The
pricing for me is the only deal breaker in the comparison wars. With
the Galaxy being so much smaller, I would expect the price to be at
least $100 below the iPad’s lowest price option.

You
can get the Galaxy for as low as $400, but that involves a two-year
contract that would probably include data usage for the 3G network.

APPS
Apps
for the iPad are as abundant as they are for the iPhone. But since the
Galaxy uses the Android operating system, the ever-expanding app store
for that tablet is growing exponentially.

So,
it all boils down to a matter of taste and preference. If you think
Steve Jobs hung the moon, then it’s doubtful that your eyes will ever
lose sight of the iPad. But the Galaxy has a lot of things going for it,
too. My advice is: Before you buy, give both of them a test drive. No
doubt you may come away from the experience as much of a fence-sitter as
I am.

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