Kindle Keyboard Skin

The Samsung Galaxy Tab, Setting The Bar

Since its inauguration in April, 2010, Apple’s iPad has reigned over the personal tablet universe with an iron fist. It is reputed to account for over 90% of worldwide tablet sales. It is one of the hottest items when it comes to tech gadgets right now. Enter the new tablet PC: the Samsung Galaxy Tab. It is time for a change in government.

Introduced in November, 2010, the Samsung Galaxy Tab is a small, sprightly challenger to the very popular Apple iPad and the upcoming Dell Streak. The Galaxy Tab addresses many of the faults the iPad brings, but it also introduces a few bugs on its own. As the first of its family, however, a few quirks and hitches are to be expected.

The Galaxy is a 7-inch tablet PC, rectangular with a glossy black surface and a smooth rounded white back. It is portable and weighs 13 oz, easily stashed away in a handbag, purse, backpack, a large jacket or pants. It is designed for multimedia use such as gaming, reading, listening to music and even watching movie. A vibrant 7-inch LCD touch display screen with an incredible 1024 x 600 pixel resolution packs enough jounce for all the above activities, and may use a Samsung Galaxy Tab case and Samsung Galaxy screen protector. The screen is responsive but slightly spastic, and is a bit of a fingerprint magnet. There are only two physical buttons: a volume rocker and power on/off button, both on the right-hand side. It also includes a microSD slot and a headphone jack. Built with high-quality Corning Gorilla glass, the Galaxy Tab will accept even the most horrendous abuse.

Many thanks to Froyo, the Galaxy Tab’s operating system. Running on a slightly skinned version of an upgradable Android 2.2 OS and utilizing a 1GHZ processor, the Galaxy is a powerful yet nimble tablet computer, equipped with 512 MBs of RAM and 16 GBs of internal memory. In contrast to the iPad, it can multitask and run Adobe Flash, albeit slowly and with a bit of a limp. 3G Wi-Fi and cellular browsing speed is usable, but occasionally irritating. Prices vary by monthly memory and carrier. However, there are a few under-the-hood wrinkles than need to be ironed out. Froyo was never optimized for personal tablet use, so certain apps, online video formats, and other files dwell somewhere in limbo between personal PC and smart phone. The technical service and support is pretty limited as well. Many of these problems are supposed to be solved with future optimized versions of Android.

Delicious goodies come standard with the Samsung Galaxy. It boasts a 3.2 MP front- and rear-facing camera for point-and-shoot photography and Qik voice chatting. Its main competitors have no camera, period. Granted, with low maximum resolutions and little customizability, both cameras are somewhat lackluster, especially the 1.3 MP front-facing camera. Since it’s runs Android, you can access the Android app market, which has over 100,000 applications. Problem is, most of those apps have not been optimized for tablet use, and so either remains in their smart phone form or grotesquely enlarge to fit the screen. The handful of pre-loaded apps, including Nook, Kindle, Qik, QuickOffice, and Facebook.

Ergonomics are essential. A virtual QWERTY and SWYPE keyboard makes texting or e-mailing a cinch, and a gamut of Samsung Galaxy Tab accessories allows users to customize their tablet. With a 13-hour battery life, the Galaxy makes on-the-go plain easy. The downside is that the battery cannot be recharged by plugging it into a desktop or laptop computer. This flaw, along with several others, is mostly due to the Galaxy’s youth. The Galaxy will only raise the bar in future generations.

Butterfly Wall Design Protective Decal Skin Sticker for Amazon Kindle Keyboard / Keyboard 3G (3rd Gen) E-Book Reader – High Gloss Coating $14.99 This scratch resistant skin sticker used High Gloss Coating which is the standard glossy finish and helps to protect your Kindle Keyboard / Keyboard 3G (3rd Generation – release in July 2010) E-Book Reader while making an impression. Self-adhesive plastic-coated skins cover the front and back surfaces of the Kindle 3rd Generation and are custom cut to perfectly fit the Amazon Kindle 3 E-Book Reade…

The Wall Design Protective Decal Skin Sticker for Amazon Kindle Keyboard / Keyboard 3G (3rd Gen) E-Book Reader – High Gloss Coating $19.99 This scratch resistant skin sticker used High Gloss Coating which is the standard glossy finish and helps to protect your Kindle Keyboard / Keyboard 3G (3rd Generation – release in July 2010) E-Book Reader while making an impression. Self-adhesive plastic-coated skins cover the front and back surfaces of the Kindle 3rd Generation and are custom cut to perfectly fit the Amazon Kindle 3 E-Book Reade…

Wall Flower Design Protective Decal Skin Sticker for Amazon Kindle Keyboard / Keyboard 3G (3rd Gen) E-Book Reader – High Gloss Coating $14.99 This scratch resistant skin sticker used High Gloss Coating which is the standard glossy finish and helps to protect your Kindle Keyboard / Keyboard 3G (3rd Generation – release in July 2010) E-Book Reader while making an impression. Self-adhesive plastic-coated skins cover the front and back surfaces of the Kindle 3rd Generation and are custom cut to perfectly fit the Amazon Kindle 3 E-Book Reade…

ZAGGfolio Keyboard for iPad 3 and iPad 2 – Carbon/Black (FOLCARBLK101) $99.99 Zagg folio with removable iPad keyboard works in combination with the built-in stand to give you the most flexibility of use. Type with the keyboard in, or out of the folio. Or just use the folio alone as a stand.Compatible with Apple iPad (3rd gen.) and iPad 2…

OtterBox Defender Series Hybrid Case for iPad 2 APL2-IPAD2-D9-E4OTR $89.95 The OtterBox Defender Series offers an exclusive multi-layer design that keeps information and investments safe. No other case can withstand this degree of rough treatment. The Defender Series provides superior protection for tablets allowing complete interaction through the case…

TopCase PURPLE Keyboard Silicone Cover Skin for Macbook 13 Unibody / Macbook Pro 13 15 17 with TOPCASE® Mouse Pad $0.99 Including a TOP CASE® Logo Mouse Pad….

Premium Protective Soft Silicone Skin Cover for Amazon Kindle 3rd Generation Wireless Reading Device 3G Wi-Fi 6 inch LCD Display $29.99 Safely Carry your Amazon Kindle 3G Wi-Fi with this Premium Soft Gel Protective Skin . This Silicone Skin has been made of high-grade Durable Silicone to provide your wireless reading device protection from bumbs, dents, and scratches. Openings for LCD display screen, keyboard, headset, jacks, and ports have been precisely cut out. You’ll be impressed with not only the quality, but the style and fl…

Amazon Kindle 2 Amazon Kindle Dx Silicone Skin Silicone Skin for Amazon Kindle DX (9.7″) and Amazon Kindle 2 (6″) Not Suitable for Kindle(3WiFi). Only for Kindle2…

Kroo Silicone Skin Cover for Amazon Kindle2 + Screen Protector for Amazon Kindle2 + Home Travel Charger for Amazon Kindle2 Silicone skin, travel charger and screen protector for Amazon Kindle 2 Not Suitable for Kindle(3WiFi). Only for Kindle2…

Silicone Skin Cover for Sony PRS 600 + Screen Protector + Car Charger + Wall Charger “This Package includes: . Silicone Skin for Sony eReader PRS 600 . A Screen Protector . A Wall Charger . A Car Charger”…