Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

Part of my job is to evaluate media streaming hardware for an entertainment company. In the last few weeks I've acquired an iPad 2, Kindle Fire and this Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 to test and evaluate. I also own the original Droid Incredible, which is where my android experience comes from. These are the devices I'll be comparing this device to. Let me start off by saying I really wanted to love this thing. I've been an android user for a couple years and thought that it would translate well to the tablet environment. While there are some nice things, it really lacks is most departments. After a week of using the device, this is what I found. THE GOOD -The device itself looks and feels nice in your hands, even with the plastic back. -Front facing stereo speakers are a nice addition, unlike the other tablets I've seen. -Battery life seems decent so far. Hits about 9 hours, which is an hour longer than the Kindle Fire, but still short of the iPad 2. -Peel's universal remote app is very cool since the device has an IR blaster. Setup was easy with no remote codes to enter. It worked with my Samsung TV (obviously), DirecTV DVR and Sony sound-bar. THE BAD -Unfortunately, this device is barely an upgrade from the previous version. Many of the specs are the same if not worse than the original Galaxy Tab 10.1. -Compared to similarly priced tabs (iPad 2 $399, ASUS Transformer Pad TF300 $379, Acer Iconia Tab A510 $450, Acer Iconia Tab A200 $350) it does not fare well in any of the benchmark tests, even compared to the original. Check the Engadget review for details. -The cameras are pretty horrible and they've removed the LED flash from the back of the previous version. They're still serviceable for Skype and Google video chat. -The display is not nearly as responsive as the iPad 2, Kindle Fire or Droid Incredible. I found myself pressing much harder than i was used to. -Even when my tap was registered, it sometimes took a second or two for the tablet to react. Just not as snappy as you want it to be. -Certain apps DO NOT work on the device (HBO Go, Hulu), others have reduced functionality (MLB At Bat Lite and DirecTV do not stream video) -Oddly, while the device uses micro USB to charge, it does not register as charging when plugged into a computer. It will still charge very slowly, but will take more than twice as long. You need to use the proprietary USB wall adapter that comes with the device for it to charge properly. THE NOTEWORTHY -On the bottom dock you're given 4 soft keys: back, home, app switcher and screenshot. The screen shot button is furthest out from the edge and ends up getting hit often enough to make you wonder why they included it at all. I personally can't think of a reason to take a screenshot of my tab desktop. -The Samsung Hubs for Games, Media and Music are interesting if you feel like paying for extra content, but much like the other bloatware included, you could live without them. -It does not sync with my Mac Mini or Mac Pro when attached by USB. I've been using the included version of dropbox for all file transfers, so this is not a huge deal. When all 3 devices arrived, I expected to rank the Galaxy Tab first, then iPad, then Kindle Fire. That's all changed. The Kindle Fire is by far the most enjoyable experience even though it lacks some of the functionality of the other 2. It's followed by the iPad 2 and then this one. The Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 is a strange product. It seems like Samsung was trying to reposition the device away from the new iPad by dropping the price and not giving it huge upgrades. In doing so, it's been exposed it to another tougher group of tablets and it doesn't fare well. For the same price you can get any number of tabs that are sure to give you a better experience. EDIT (10/7/12): After initially testing the Tab, I set it down for a couple months. A few weeks ago I read about the amazing update it had received (4.0.4) and decided to give it another shot. There have been dramatic improvements in the responsiveness and overall speed of the device. While MLB At Bat still had issues streaming games, Hulu and HBOGo work like a dream now. In addition to those two streaming apps, there are tons of new video apps which allow you to stream authenticated content (TBS, TNT, CW, Adult Swim, Epix, etc.). One app that I've discovered since the upgrade has really helped change my mind about this device. UTorrent is now available through Google Play on this device. It's a fully functioning Bit Torrent client. You can download any torrent files directly to your device and play audio and video without any issues. One of my biggest original pet peeves has also been remedied. You can now reset the Quick Launch soft key (originally screen capture) to launch an app, search, camera, or disabled. The Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 is greatly improved. I still have issues with certain aspects (charging, Mac sync, camera quality), but they're almost outweighed by the new features. Apparently it will receive another upgrade to Android 4.1 in the near future, which will make it even more enticing. If you can find a cheaper, refurbished version (since it's been usurped by the Galaxy Note 10.1) I would highly recommend this device.