So is this like the iPad? Oh yes, the salesgirl said. Okay, I suppose that is a good-enough simple answer for the average consumer. No need to go into the details about how it is so different.
The salesgirl explained some key features of the Galaxy Tab. That you can surf the web, read email, play games, etc. Including make phone calls with a headset. Oh, lady customer asked if the headset was included? Yup.
Other questions: Is it Apple? No. It’s made by Samsung, not the same as Apple.
Oh, is it Windows 7? No, it’s Android. (The salesgirl sounded a bit hesitant, like she didn’t really know what she was talking about anyway.)
So the lady customer tried to summarize… “So it can do everything that the iPhone 4 can do”? Salesgirl said yes. She’s sold. She turned to the guy accompanying her (hubby probably…) and declared she wanted the Galaxy Tab.
I wonder why she didn’t just get an iPhone 4 if that’s what she wanted.
I had a brief opportunity to play with the Galaxy Tab. It’s light. Much lighter than the iPad. It’s also very easy to hold in one hand. Your fingers can easily stretch across the width (portrait orientation of course) of the tablet. I think in these aspects, the Galaxy Tab wins the iPad.
The Galaxy Tab’s screen was big enough to be comfortable to surf the web with. But, well, it could do better if it had been bigger. I don’t know if this is because I’ve gotten used to the iPad’s size. I suppose, one has to actually use the device for a reasonable period of time to say if 7″ will work.
But, the UI was not smooth. In fact, it was stuttering. I wonder why. It’s actually worse than my own Nexus One. Maybe someone had messed up the software or configuration in that demo unit.