The Samsung Galaxy tablet arrived at a Berlin trade show this week (pricing and availability to follow soon) and the early buzz by people who handled the gadget was positive. Several other Android-based tablets will follow soon, as this AndroidApps.com piece points out.
The big difference between the Galaxy tab and the Apple iPad is size: the Galaxy is a 7-inch product, while the iPad is nearly 10 inches. The device will be operated via apps and should be a multi-media powerhouse, like the iPad. The tablet is based on Samsung’s line-up of Galaxy S Android phones, with different models available at each major carrier. (I’m fond of the Samsung Vibrant from T-Mobile; a look at the Samsung Epic from Sprint will follow soon.)
The Guardian UK provided some insight from two analysts about the Galaxy tab. Here’s a sample:
Ben Wood of CCS Insight noted that Samsung understands that it “takes more than hardware to be successful. Allowing access to books, music and films is a major step forward as it ratchets up its competitive positioning against Apple.”
“About 200 apps at launch … will be dedicated to the Galaxy Tab. All apps in its Markets application store will, of course, run as well. But if the iPad experience is anything to go by, it will be dedicated apps that will make the difference,” offered Carolina Milanesi, research vice-president at Gartner.
Pricing is a big issue. To grab our attention, expect the Samsung and most competitors to undercut the Apple iPad, particularly for models that will be sold by wireless carriers and come with a contract that will subsidize the price. In a nutshell: We are at the forefront of a price war for tablet computers, which will be great for consumers. Just look at what the $139 price did for the Amazon Kindle (even if we don’t know how many sold).
Twitter to offer iPhone notifications
One of the advantages of using Twitter on an Android phone over the iPhone is push notifications. On Android, the notification bar along the top of the phone alerts you when one of your clever tweets is being retweeted by someone, if you’re twitter handle is mentioned, or if you get a direct message. It’s a useful feature, particularly if you’re not Twitter-obsessed for 24 hours a day. The iPhone Twitter app, on the other hand, does not alert you when you are called out on the micro blogging service.
That’s about to change. MC Siegler reports for TechCrunch that Twitter is testing push notifications. The feature could launch as soon as next week, when Apple releases the iOS 4.1 update, or it could come soon after. Here’s a statement Twitter sent to Siegler:
“We’ve been testing push notifications internally. When we launched Twitter for iPad, there was a configuration error that caused us to offer push messages to a small set of users. We’ve stopped sending push messages, but users may see an option to turn on push until we release an updated version of the app. So, push isn’t ready yet but we look forward to rolling this out soon.”
Finally, a good reason to buy an iPhone instead of an Android model.
Holiday cooking already?
It’s Labor Day weekend, so that means — get ready for the holidays?
Well, yes, if you’re Fine Cooking magazine, which is preparing a special iPad app for preparing holiday meals. It’s a great idea as the iPad doubles as an innovative cookbook. If there’s a time of year when families stress about what to make, it starts at Thanksgiving and runs through December, depending on the deity you follow. The app won’t launch for Labor Day, however; Fishbowl NY says it will launch on Nov. 1 and be available through Jan. 31. It will be Fine Cooking’s first iPad app.
The special cooking app will offer recipes and image manipulation unique to the iPad’s touch display. Potential advertisers can buy interactive ads that include video.
