Samsung has achieved a happy medium with its Galaxy Tab 8.9, size-wise. It’s small enough to fit in the side pocket of a businessman’s suit jacket so it’s readily handy, but much larger than the original 7-in Galaxy Tab and nearly as large the iPad 2′s screen. It’s a brilliant “duh” tablet PC size compromise.
The 8.9 also is (slightly) lighter, (slightly) thinner and (slightly) cheaper than iPad 2 . It has higher resolution front and rear cameras than iPad 2, including the welcome repositioning of the front imager from the top of the bezel in portrait mode to landscape, it’s easier to grip than iPad 2 thanks to a ridged rear, and supports Adobe Flash 10.2. In most of its specifications, the 8.9 is more than or equal to iPad 2.
Galaxy Tab 8.9 (left) and iPad (right)
But in their short life as a next-big-thing, tablets have not been about specs – as defined and proved by Apple not once, but twice – it’s about the experience. I got a chance to play with the 8.9 at the CTIA show wrapping up today in Orlando, and found the experience of 8.9 is not nearly as impressive as its specs.
Design and features
Instead of iPad 2′s portrait-centric design, Galaxy Tab 8.9 is more landscape-centric. Like iPad 2, the volume control is on the left perimeter, but so is the on/off button and the 3.5mm headphone jack, which means they’re actually on the top when you hold the 8.9 horizontally. On the left (portrait)/bottom (landscape) is the SIM card tray and the multi-pin proprietary Galaxy Tab jack between the twin stereo speakers.
Galaxy Tab 8.9 has no buttons marring its bezel – all navigation and menu access buttons are located on the touch screen: Back, Home and the Samsung TouchWiz Task Manager touch icons in the lower left of the home screens, app and a customization view (a “+” sign) on the upper right. This means you don’t have to worry about which side the “Home” key is on as you turn it, as you do with the iPad.
As noted, the 8.9 rear is ridged to makes it easier to grip than iPad.
8.9′s best improvement vs. iPad is the repositioning of the camera to the landscape side, which HTC also has done on its new 7-inch View tablet: the HTC Flyer. Both companies have discovered the front camera most often is used for self-portraits, not video chatting, especially groups of people. In fact, while a tablet is usually ridiculously clunky to use as a regular camera, it’s big screen is perfect for catching yourself and your friends partying down. Which means you want a wide view, not a narrow portrait framing.
Sizing Problems
While 8.9′s size is nearly pocket perfect, it’s not so good for typing. With 8.9 in landscape you can touch or two-finger type, but you’ll need to boost it somehow with a case. Since few case makers will be rushing out with 8.9 cases, and Samsung didn’t show one of its own, Samsung missed an ergonomic bet by no installing a kickstand of some sort on the back to create both typing and video viewing angles.
But 8.9 is clearly designed to be whipped out of a pocket like the 7-inch model and typed on while being held – and that’s a problem. You can’t thumb-type (obviously) holding it horizontally unless you have a NBA player’s hand span. You can thumb type holding it vertically, but its badly balanced – 8.9 is so long, its top tends to tip back unless you consciously boost it with the inside of your index fingers while simultaneously concentrating on thumb tapping. But after a few minutes, holding it in this awkward position gets to be painful as well as awkward.
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