Out of the closet and into the Galaxy
It all started when a friend showed me his Amazon Kindle eBook reader. I didn’t expect to be, but I was impressed.
Being a book lover, and bookseller with the DCO book websites (www.dcothai.com), I didn’t think I could be parted from my paperbacks. I felt a bit like Charlton Heston, except it was a book that they would have to pry out of my cold dead hands rather than a gun.
The Kindle was easy to use and reading was comfortable. It passed my major test: used in bed while lying on my back. The problem for me was would I like to pay the fairly high price for the Kindle when eBook reading was all it could do? It seemed such a waste to have a handheld computer capable of doing just one job.
The next option came from Korea, with Samsung releasing the Galaxy Tab.
It’s a 12cm x 19cm (4½ inch x 7½ inch) thin slab weighing just over a third of a kilogram or eight-tenths of a pound.
The front is almost all LCD screen with just four touch buttons at one end. Also on the front is a 1.3 megapixel camera for video conferencing. On the back is a 3-megapixel higher resolution camera.
Around the slim one centimetre (3/8th inch) sides are a power switch, volume control, two speakers, SIM-card slot, mini SDRAM slot, audio out jack and a data cable socket.
It uses Google’s Android operating system, and most important, it is a touch screen, so no mouse or keyboard is required.
It came pre-loaded with an Amazon Kindle for Android program and a quite good EPUB reader. This meant it could read both the major eBook formats.
The display contrast is automatically adjusted to the external light conditions. I found this fine, although there is a manual adjustment if needed.
In bed with the bedside lamp off it works well for my tired old eyes. Turning the page forward is done by dragging your finger across the screen right to left. Going back is obviously the opposite.
Both the Amazon and the EPUB reader remember where you closed even multiple books on your previous sessions and will open them again at those pages.
Most of all it is doesn’t fail on the comfort level, compared to paperbacks, either in bed, traveling or sitting in a waiting room.
So what else can it do? The model I have has a SIM-card slot as well as Wi-Fi. You can buy a cheaper model without the SIM-card option, but that limits you to being online only in places where you have access to a wireless network.
I can’t imagine using the Galaxy Tab as a telephone because of its size, although if you use one of those Bluetooth earpieces it would be fine. Whether it’s via the mobile telephone or Wi-Fi, access to the internet brings in the usual suspects such as web browsing and email.
The three applications I use most are the music player, GPS and something called ‘WhatsApp’.
With the music player, I usually listen to downloaded radio programs and audio books from home. I find driving in Bangkok traffic is far less stressful when listening to something interesting, although I would not guarantee it improves driver concentration. The programs can either be downloaded directly on the Tab or passed from a desktop computer via the data cable supplied. If there is a downside to the supplied music player it’s that it doesn’t remember where you were when you exit the program and then restart.
For the GPS to make sense, a vehicle mount is really useful. Fortunately because the Galaxy Tab is setting the initial pace in the coming war of Android iPad look-a-likes, third-party accessories are available. My Tab was preloaded with the Maps GPS program and also a direction-giving GPS program from Korea called SpeedNavi, which has fairly decent Thai mapping software.
WhatsApp allows typing without a keyboard. If you touch any text input box on the screen a virtual keyboard is displayed. You can change the keyboard layout with a single touch to give upper-case, lower case, numbers or symbols. I was surprised how quickly I could enter information so the lack of a keyboard doesn’t really hinder you for simple texting.
As for the downsides, I used one of the standard ‘pay-as-you-go’ mobile phone SIM cards and it gets expensive if you leave it running. For a user spending a reasonable time on the road, an unlimited mobile internet access account would be cheaper.
The battery life can catch you out on long journeys so an in-car charging adapter would be a good accessory to buy.
Lastly, I haven’t really figured how to carry it while walking. It’s too large to squeeze into a normal trouser pocket. I think I need it hanging on something like a lanyard around my neck. Then I really could be hoisted by my own petard.
©Danny Speight
Doh!
Why buy a copy (Samsung) when you can have what it tried -- and failed -- to copy, the superior iPad 2?
David Mork
Danny - saw your name and associated it with doodlebugging in '77-79, Sarir & in northern Libya - not sure if you are he, but maybe we worked together on a tipped recording truck???? Like to hear from you if so.. Dave
Duncan Stearn
I have sent your details direct to Danny, so if it is he then I expect he will contact you in due course.