As soon as I made this purchase the prices saw a significant dip, it might be due to the launch of whole new range of gadgets by the company in a row. As I already stated in my quick review of Galaxy Tab 2, it came with nice packaging and while using it the size just feels right for my small hands, super easy to use, the touch interface is elegant. The software keyboard is slightly unusual than a physical one, as it doesn’t have all the features we have grown accustomed to, I especially miss the keyboard shortcuts.

The speed of the device is good, some times there is a slight delay when initializing some of the apps, most applications load really without any lag. The display colors are vivid and crisp, while reading an ebook in dark I have to adjust the brightness level to zero to get the soothing effect like a kindle reader. I appreciated the fact that I had immediate access to many apps and games but I confined myself to only a handful of them.

Though I initially thought that I won’t be requiring my laptop to do the blogging work soon I realized I was wrong. I cannot safely claim that my laptop could do everything the tab does, but on the same time I do agree that the tab also could not do everything my laptop could. Both have got a different set of usage and there is an area which intersects. The main question remains – Where  and why are you using it?

If you are a voracious media consumer – you watch movies, read books, web surfing, social media etc. Also if you are a kind of user who is more than consumers, i.e. you contribute and collaborate with the help of web, read and respond to email, blogs, and social media. If it is you, the Tab may be the decent device for you.

My biggest problem with my laptop is that it is slightly big and requires me to sit properly, especially for some reasons which I’ll be enlisting below. Moving & booting out my laptop sometimes feels so disturbing. If in addition to consuming media you also create content, like serious bloggers do, I believe it requires way more work. it doesn’t do everything you need a computer to do.

Making Notes

While talking to someone or while travelling I am highly sensitive and in constant hunt for the new ideas. Best of all, I try using my Tab to take hand-written notes. Papyrus has slightly enhanced the joy to draw and scribble, but it can never emulate the precision of Galaxy Note  – it seems that I have to wait for some more time. It has enhanced my overall workflow experience for taking notes on the go and in face-to-face interactions.

Faster Flipping

Every night before I go to sleep I try to read some book. After having a lie-down with kids – scanning pages of books on bed while tilting towards the lamp shade is too much work. Now it has become enjoyable as all my library rests in my device and I can curl myself in the desired way – best part is all lights of room are switched off. I am, however, using the Kobo and Android Kindle App.

As I am now reading all my books on this device, I find reading enjoyable more than ever – I plug in my head phones and play soft instrumental music, it makes my reading pleasurable and distraction free. To enjoy this completely I have created a comfortable and noiseless reading nook in my house. It is something that appeals me and encourages me to hide up in it time after time.

Reading on the Go

Reading loses its joy when you force yourself to read some bulkier contents. I am a person who enjoys reading on shorter stretches, but this ends up in reading very less eventually.

In order to address this I have devised a formula, while on long walks at weekends or while travelling I prefer listening to the audio books. It helps me running ahead of my schedule and also brings in a gratification of staying ahead and productive.

Video Talks

In my conversations I often find myself bringing up things I have learnt from motivational talks. I realize that now I’m watching talks I might entirely skip. I keep on book marking some good video links which people or fellow bloggers have recommended to me. The Tab is a fantastic device to consume such media from web without ad breaks.

Music Back to back

During the course of time I have developed a passion for radio. While at home I am quite fond of listening radio, so during my pre-purchase analysis of Tab 2 – I listed absence of radio as one of its demerit. Later on when I installed android radio apps on it I didn’t realized the absence of radio any more. Rather I enjoy the back to back classical numbers on these FM channels without any unnecessary radio jockey commentary.

Best part is I can attach my multimedia speakers to its audio jack port and have a very good music quality. It can also be used at small parties organized at house because for this at such times hauling your music system or laptop becomes quite cumbersome.

Seamless Connectivity

I live in an area where I get disconnected to broadband more often particularly in winters. Now after having Tab 2, I also went for 3G Card. I explored it’s ability to share a internet connection with my other devices with a USB cable, a Bluetooth wireless link or a Wi-Fi connection.

I am glad that it worked smoothly, simply by creating a portable hotspot and tethering function makes this device to work as a modem or Wi-Fi router, and it is enabled for distributing the bandwidth to nearby clients and you can keep working on your laptop or desktop computer unplugged which is a blessing for a blogger like me.

Other Usage

I am now diverting my lengthy skype calls and other video calls to the device and able to manage talk for longer times using the Bluetooth ear piece. I have been consistently getting eight to ten hours of battery life per charge depending on my usage.

Overall Conclusion

The device is beautiful, it has become an important part of my workflow and made me more productive. This is what the gadgets should have always been.

What do you like or not like about the Tab?