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Saturday, November 2, 2013
Sunday, October 20, 2013
The Galaxy Tab 3
Galaxy 3 7 inch tablet
By Kurt von Behrmann
Mobile devices are the focus in contemporary computing. Eclipsing the desktop as the primary source of interaction for many, the latest developments are towards more and more ways to literally take the internet with you. As mobile phones have morphed into smart phones, there are still aspects of mobile computing that a handset cannot handle, or more accurately cannot handle well.
Welcome the Samsung Galaxy Tab 3.7.0
Measuring 4.37 inchse by 7.4 inches by 0.39 inches, the device is much larger than a mobile phone, but not as large as most similar types of devices. The size range is more in line with ereaders that feature internet access.
Occupying the space where a larger screen is more appropriate than a smart phone’s, but less than a laptop or some tablets, minus the ability to make standard phone calls or traditional text messaging, the device, built on the Android Platform, does just about everything a computer in this class can do.
Being that it is small enough to carry in a bag, but too large for a standard shirt pocket, it is designed to provide more screen real-estate and the ability to see images on a larger scale than a handset can muster.
One of the strong areas of this device are voice recognition. It is just about flawless. Providing a way to enter larger content, writing, is limited on this device . It does not ship with a keyboard.
Although the Galaxy ships with Polaris Office, an application that allows Microsoft documents to be open and edited, just how much you can do depends on what you are attempting to accomplish. It certainly provides enough screen real-estate to accomplish basic tasks. Beyond the basics, the limitations become clear.
Packed with software to get you started, Sprint has kept the bloat ware to a minum. Most of what is here are the kinds of applications you may want. What I have found curious is that so many good Google apps have to be downloaded. It would make sense to bake them into the O.S. It is not a huge deal, but it seems a curious that they are not built in.
Running Jelly Bean 4.2, the operation is smooth. Being that I am not in a Sprint 4G coverage area, it was impossible to see how fast connections can be. Running on 3G, the Galaxy runs efficiently enough.
The screen resolution is 1024 by 600. Good enough for reading and viewing pictures, there is not distortion making it ideal for reading. However, I would have wanted a slightly higher screen resolution.
As is expected, the Galaxy, like other products from Samsung, the colors are richly saturated. Blacks are indeed black. Color literally pops on the screen.
Summation
After using the Galaxy, it is easy to see it as an adjunct to a mobile phone. While it will not replace a phone, it is designed to be more than anything a way to view content on a larger screen while still maintaining a high level of portability.
Once one becomes accustomed to it, the Samsung Galaxy feels like it can remove the need for an ereader and provide added usability when partnered with a mobile phone.
Even though it is occupying the space between laptops and handsets, it should fill a void for those in need of portability and screen space.
Stats
The 7-inch Galaxy Tab 3 features Android™ 4.2, Jelly Bean, Sprint 4G LTE, where available, a 3-megapixel rear-facing camera with video capture and 1.3-megapixel front-facing camera for video chat. Sprint customers can add a data plan for Galaxy Tab 3 7.0 to their account for as little as $5 per month (excluding taxes and surcharges). Customers can also take advantage of Sprint One UpSM, a new upgrade program that gives customers the ability to upgrade their smartphone every 12 months.
· Polaris® Office is preloaded, allowing users to edit Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint files from anywhere.
· Group Play™ lets users share a game, photo album or presentation in real time with multiple friends on select Samsung devices using Wi-Fi®.
· Samsung for Enterprise (SAFE™) ensures that businesses have the security and control they require to protect the company.
· Quickly and easily access corporate email, meeting details, contact information and other critical information.
· Securely store sensitive proprietary documents, presentations and other corporate data on a mobile device.
· Wirelessly and securely access data from a corporate network while traveling or working in the field.
· Employees using their personal smartphones in a company’s Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) program remain mobile, secure and compliant with remote management of applications and device features that meet company-specific security requirements.
· 3G/4G LTE mobile hotspot capability supporting up to 10 Wi-Fi enabled devices simultaneously.2
Specifications
· Dimensions: 4.37 inches x 7.4 inches x 0.39 inches (111.1mm x 188mm x 9.9mm)
· Weight: 10.9 ounces
· Display: 7-inch WSVGA 1024x600 resolution
· Battery: 4,000mAh Lithium-ion battery
· Memory: 1.5GB RAM, 16GB memory and microSD™ card slot supporting up to 64GB memory card (sold separately)
By Kurt von Behrmann
Mobile devices are the focus in contemporary computing. Eclipsing the desktop as the primary source of interaction for many, the latest developments are towards more and more ways to literally take the internet with you. As mobile phones have morphed into smart phones, there are still aspects of mobile computing that a handset cannot handle, or more accurately cannot handle well.
Welcome the Samsung Galaxy Tab 3.7.0
 The Galaxy Tab Three |
Measuring 4.37 inchse by 7.4 inches by 0.39 inches, the device is much larger than a mobile phone, but not as large as most similar types of devices. The size range is more in line with ereaders that feature internet access.
Occupying the space where a larger screen is more appropriate than a smart phone’s, but less than a laptop or some tablets, minus the ability to make standard phone calls or traditional text messaging, the device, built on the Android Platform, does just about everything a computer in this class can do.
Being that it is small enough to carry in a bag, but too large for a standard shirt pocket, it is designed to provide more screen real-estate and the ability to see images on a larger scale than a handset can muster.
One of the strong areas of this device are voice recognition. It is just about flawless. Providing a way to enter larger content, writing, is limited on this device . It does not ship with a keyboard.
Although the Galaxy ships with Polaris Office, an application that allows Microsoft documents to be open and edited, just how much you can do depends on what you are attempting to accomplish. It certainly provides enough screen real-estate to accomplish basic tasks. Beyond the basics, the limitations become clear.
Packed with software to get you started, Sprint has kept the bloat ware to a minum. Most of what is here are the kinds of applications you may want. What I have found curious is that so many good Google apps have to be downloaded. It would make sense to bake them into the O.S. It is not a huge deal, but it seems a curious that they are not built in.
Running Jelly Bean 4.2, the operation is smooth. Being that I am not in a Sprint 4G coverage area, it was impossible to see how fast connections can be. Running on 3G, the Galaxy runs efficiently enough.
The screen resolution is 1024 by 600. Good enough for reading and viewing pictures, there is not distortion making it ideal for reading. However, I would have wanted a slightly higher screen resolution.
As is expected, the Galaxy, like other products from Samsung, the colors are richly saturated. Blacks are indeed black. Color literally pops on the screen.
Summation
After using the Galaxy, it is easy to see it as an adjunct to a mobile phone. While it will not replace a phone, it is designed to be more than anything a way to view content on a larger screen while still maintaining a high level of portability.
Once one becomes accustomed to it, the Samsung Galaxy feels like it can remove the need for an ereader and provide added usability when partnered with a mobile phone.
Even though it is occupying the space between laptops and handsets, it should fill a void for those in need of portability and screen space.
Stats
The 7-inch Galaxy Tab 3 features Android™ 4.2, Jelly Bean, Sprint 4G LTE, where available, a 3-megapixel rear-facing camera with video capture and 1.3-megapixel front-facing camera for video chat. Sprint customers can add a data plan for Galaxy Tab 3 7.0 to their account for as little as $5 per month (excluding taxes and surcharges). Customers can also take advantage of Sprint One UpSM, a new upgrade program that gives customers the ability to upgrade their smartphone every 12 months.
· Polaris® Office is preloaded, allowing users to edit Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint files from anywhere.
· Group Play™ lets users share a game, photo album or presentation in real time with multiple friends on select Samsung devices using Wi-Fi®.
· Samsung for Enterprise (SAFE™) ensures that businesses have the security and control they require to protect the company.
· Quickly and easily access corporate email, meeting details, contact information and other critical information.
· Securely store sensitive proprietary documents, presentations and other corporate data on a mobile device.
· Wirelessly and securely access data from a corporate network while traveling or working in the field.
· Employees using their personal smartphones in a company’s Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) program remain mobile, secure and compliant with remote management of applications and device features that meet company-specific security requirements.
· 3G/4G LTE mobile hotspot capability supporting up to 10 Wi-Fi enabled devices simultaneously.2
Specifications
· Dimensions: 4.37 inches x 7.4 inches x 0.39 inches (111.1mm x 188mm x 9.9mm)
· Weight: 10.9 ounces
· Display: 7-inch WSVGA 1024x600 resolution
· Battery: 4,000mAh Lithium-ion battery
· Memory: 1.5GB RAM, 16GB memory and microSD™ card slot supporting up to 64GB memory card (sold separately)
Monday, January 21, 2013
The Intuos Five from Wacom
By: Kurt von Behrmann
Artists,
Designers and assorted creative professionals know that in order to fully
utilize any drawing program or photo editing program, a tablet pen tablet is an
essential part of any creative arsenal. Certainly
you can function with a mouse, but they are too cumbersome for detailed workloads.
Literally
synonymous with pen tablets, Wacom is literally “the” company when it comes to
pen tablet tools. They dominate the market in much the same way Photoshop is connected
to digital editing.
For
those not familiar with pen tablets, what they provide is a tool that allows for
the creation of lines, marks and assorted brush strokes using a pressure sensitive
pen. Simply drawing on the tablet permits
you to draw as if on paper. For programs
like Painter, Photoshop and Illustrator, pen tablets make the process that much
easier, if not possible.
Adding
functionality with their use as a drawing tool, they can be adept as an
alternative to the mouse. The new Intuos
5 provides the expected pen tablet functionality coupled with a touch sensitive
surface. For those who migrated to
windows 8, which is geared toward touch screens, this feature could be a real asset in and of itself alone.
Shipping
in three sizes, large 11.8" x 7.5" at $ 469.00, medium 8.8" x
5.5" $ 349.00 and small 6.2" x 3.9" $ 229.00, they look identical
expect for size. All feature touch
sensitive programmable buttons. In terms
of functionality and software, the only differences between models are
sizes. This is great for those using a
small one for mobile use and a larger one for desktop use. A seamless experience across the product line
is clearly the objective here.
With 2,048
pressure levels, 60-degree tilt and 1g activation weight, the apparatus is
responsive. For those coming from the bamboo,
or other more modestly featured pen tablets, the Intuos 5 feels like a luxury
ride.
The overall
build quality is what you would expect from Wacom, high quality. Even the
shipping box showcases a strong sense of design. Comfortable to hold and manipulate, the pen
is a marvel of weight, design and makes drawing a real pleasure. It is highly ergonomic.
Included
is a pen holder that does double duty as a nib holder for a variety of pen nibs.
What is not included is a mouse as with the other devices. The mouse is hardly missed here.
The
real innovation with the Intuos 5 has to do with the touch screen. When hovering over buttons a screen pops up
on your computer showing what the programmable buttons are programmed to do.
This also works if you alter the defaults.
This feature removes doubt as to what the functions do perform along
with work flow.
For
those that do not need programmable buttons, the defaults should suite most
users, professionals included. However, having the option to program simply
means those with detailed work flows can use the tablet and not switch to a
mouse or keyboard short cut.
The
middle size Intuos 5 offers a generous piece of screen real-estate that should
suit most users, even pros. But if a large size matters, the deluxe larger
tablet is more than capable. The only one in the outfit that may seem a bit
cramped is the smaller one. Having used assorted sizes, the medium is really the
sweet spot between size and price points.
The
included software set up is simple, and figuring out the basics is a pretty
easy process. For users that simply want
a pressure sensitive pen and no more, you can easily ignore the extra bells and
whistles.
Shipping
with the device are drivers, essential software and a few interesting extras
pieces of software. Animestudio, not
time limited, Color effects pro from Nik Multimedia, full version, Sketchbook Express 2011 SP from Autodesk not
time limited, a non-time limited version
of Adobe Photoshop Elements and a trial version of Corel’s Painter.
Given
that most prospective owners are probably owners of Illustrator, Photoshop,
Corel Draw or Painter, it is doubtful that they may need, or even want the
extras, with the notable exception of the Nik Multimedia Plug In. However, the value of extra software is
usually appreciated.
A
wireless adapter is available that can be attached to the device internally.
This component is placed in an open compartment that adds a level of
functionality
An
undisputed leader in Pen Tablets, Wacom makes a notable entry with the Intuos
Five.
Requirements:
Windows 7 SP1+, Windows Vista SP2, Windows XP SP3, Mac OSX
10.5.8+ (with Intel Processor), USB port, color display, CD/DVD drive, and
internet access.
Intous 5 touch large
Active Area
Pen: 12.8" x 8.0"
(325 x 203 mm)
Touch: 11.8" x 7.5"
(299 x 190 mm)
$ 469.00
Intous 5 Medium
8.8" x 5.5"
(224 x 140 mm)
$ 349.00
Intous Small
6.2" x 3.9"
(157 x 98 mm)
$ 229.00
Wireless accessory kit
About 9 hours on the medium, 10 hours on the small and 6
hours on the large
Software included:
Animestudio
Color effects pro from Nik Multimedia
Sketchbook Express 2011 SP from Autodesk
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