Science Fiction
Dictionary
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
 |
Galaxy Tab 10.1 vs. iPad 2 vs. Clarke's Newspad
Samsung's new Galaxy Tab 10.1 is a worthy competitor to Apple's iPad 2 (in the interest of full disclosure, I should mention that I received a Galaxy Tab at Google IO). Although the limited edition Tab has some pre-production bugs (I found a partial work-around for the music transfer problem, BTW; see below), the operating system is as quick as the iPad's.
As it turns out, either one is a good implementation of Arthur C. Clarke's Newspad from his 1968 novel 2001: A Space Odyssey:
Each had its own two-digit reference; when he punched that, the postage-stamp-sized rectangle would expand until it neatly filled the screen and he could read it with comfort. When he had finished, he would flash back to the complete page and select a new subject for detailed examination.
One of the most interesting differences between the Tab and the iPad 2 is the aspect ratio of the screen; the iPad has an aspect ratio (AR) of 4:3 and the Tab has an AR of 16:9.
An AR of 16:9 is associated with widescreen displays, while 4:3 is associated with standard television; for this reason, the Tab is better at presenting widescreen video with less letterboxing than the iPad (and it has a screen able to present full 1080p video, see below).
However, a tablet computer needs to do more than present video, which is an essentially passive activity. Tablet computers are for doing things; it is easier for a 4:3 AR screen to "become" different things, particularly books. And speaking of the tablet becoming different things, you need apps to make it happen: the iPad App Store has about 92,000 apps, while the Android market has a paltry 50 (ahem, Android developers? you have your Tabs, let's get cracking!).
Clarke says the Newspad is "foolscap-sized", which corresponds to a sheet that is about 17x13.5 inches; closer to 4:3, like the iPad.
One of the key differentiators of the Tab is its slightly higher resolution screen ( 1280x800 pixels on a 10.1 inch diagonal screen, as opposed to 1024x768 on 9.7 inches for the iPad, which gives the tab 30% more pixels), which made a surprising difference for tasks like reading. I downloaded the same books on the Kindle app, and the Tab's screen is significantly easier on the eyes.
Usability experts have said for years that the biggest problem with reading on a screen is that it is significantly more tiring; studies suggest that people read 25% less than on paper. Screen resolution is one of the key contributors to this problem.
Another differentiator between the two devices is the backing. Some people have commented disparagingly on the plastic back of the Tab compared to the metal back of the iPad. Frankly, I found that the Tab is easier to hold on to, because the plastic back feels more "grippy" when held in the hands.
I compared the iPad 2 and the Tab directly; I noticed that the iPad 2 would often appear to display graphics more quickly, but the Tab seemed to complete the page more quickly.
One of the annoying things about the preproduction version of the Galaxy Tab, which I assume will be corrected in a downloadable update, is the inability to transfer music and video from your Mac to the Tab. I found out that you can at least partially take care of this problem if you have music on another Android device [ like, say, your HTC Evo device ;) ], by downloading Bluetooth File Transfer by Medieval Software and installing it on both the Tab and your other device. Then, you can conveniently transfer your music and video using Bluetooth.
All in all, I found the Tab to be real competitor for the iPad 2; I'm sure both devices will find enthusiastic fans. Oh, and I think that Clarke would be thrilled with either one.
When he tired of official reports and memoranda and minutes, he would plug his foolscap-sized Newspad into the ship's information circuit and scan the latest reports from Earth. One by one he would conjure up the world's major electronic papers; he knew the codes of the more important ones by heart, and had no need to consult the list on the back of his pad. Switching to the display unit's short-term memory, he would hold the front page while he quickly searched the headlines and noted the items that interested him.
(Read more about Clarke's NewsPad.)
Scroll down for more stories in the same category. (Story submitted 5/13/2011)
Follow this kind of news @Technovelgy.| Email | RSS | Blog It | Stumble | del.icio.us | Digg | Reddit |
Would
you like to contribute a story tip?
It's easy:
Get the URL of the story, and the related sf author, and add
it here.
Comment/Join discussion ( 0 )
Related News Stories - (" Computer ")
Jetson Orin Nano Super 70 Just $249
'Rayno folded up the microterm and tucked it back inside his jumper.' - Bruce Bethke, 1983.
Automatic Bot Traffic Is 38 Percent Of HTTP Requests
'there were so many worms and counterworms loose in the data-net...' - John Brunner, 1975
Neuroplatform Human Brain Organoid Bioprocessor Uses Less Electricity
'Cultured brains on a slab.'- Peter Watts, 1999
AI Worms That Spread
'...there were so many worms and counterworms loose in the data-net now' - John Brunner, 1975.
Technovelgy (that's tech-novel-gee!) is devoted to the creative science inventions and ideas of sf authors. Look for the Invention Category that interests you, the Glossary, the Invention Timeline, or see what's New.
Science Fiction
Timeline
1600-1899
1900-1939
1940's 1950's
1960's 1970's
1980's 1990's
2000's 2010's
Current News
Robotic Barber Programmed With a Number of Styles
'He found a barber shop which, he thought, would be good for an idle hour.'
Humanoid Boxing Robot KO's Opponent - It's A Knockout!
'Thirty rounds of fighting is tough work. Even for machines.'
Caterpillar Electric Mining Loader Not Yet Ready For Moon
'...the excavations were already in progress, for he saw gray slopes of rubble.'
Centipede Robots Down On The Farm
'...the walking mills of Puffy Products began to tread delicately on their centipede legs across the wheat fields of Kansas.'
Anthropic's Claude AI Creates Legal Citation From Whole Cloth
'Here is a Clerk that would work incessantly, and neither eat, sleep, want payment, or grumble.'
Students Vie For Lunar Regolith Mining Robot Prize
'About time you got here,' the astronaut said.
'They Erased My Memory' Says Ariana Grande
'...using a neutralizing electronic impulse.'
Solitary Black Hole Wanders In Space
'...the Hole is something like a vortex or a whirlpool?'
Spaceplane From Virgin Atlantic
'ZARNAK, YOU'RE TO COMMAND A SCOUTING EXPEDITION --- FIND OUT WHAT THIS IS ALL ABOUT!'
DARPA Wants 'Large Bio-Mechanical Space Structures'
'These are your rudimentary seed packages... Some will combine in place to form more complicated structures.'
Robot Hand Creeps Along, Separate From It's Owner
'The crawling... object was V-Stephen's surgeon-hand...'
Taikonauts Exercise In China's Tiangong Space Station
'Joe got out the gravity-simulator harnesses...'
Korean Exoskeleton Suit F1 Helps You Put It On
'Better late than never.'
Have AI Researchers Given Up On 'Bio-Babies'?
'You couldn't have the capstone without the pyramid to hold it up.'
Bunker Busters and Bore-Pellets
'The first revelation of the new Soviet bore-pellets.'
'Spikeless' Brand Swizzle Stick Detects Spiked Drinks
'the unobtrusive inspections with tiny remote-cast snoopers...'
