In his latest column for the Guardian, nerd blogger/novelist extraordinaire Cory Doctorow reviews the Galaxy Tab 10.1 and finds it to be lacking in features for a putative iPad replacement. In particular, he dislikes the way that it uses a proprietary docking cable just like Apple, lacks the micro-SD card reader in the wi-fi version, and requires a proprietary application for file transfer rather than acting like a USB hard drive when connected the way most other tablets do.

Doctorow mentions that he had high hopes for the Galaxy Tab because it was based on Android, and Google allowed users to download and install non-store-sold apps without having to resort to jailbreaking. He finds Apple’s closed-ecosystem behavior troubling. But he does not find the Galaxy Tab to be a sufficient replacement. However, he is hopeful that Lenovo’s ThinkPad Tablet will more meet his needs.

(Found via BoingBoing.)

4 COMMENTS

  1. 1. Docking connector: necessary evil. Yes, it’s annoying, but no worse than the iPad 2. lacks the microSD – what were they thinking? I have the 3G version and use the data card all the time 3. Proprietary application for file transfer: this one I don’t get at all. My 3G Tab works *exactly* like two external hard drives when I connect it to one of my Windows PC’s via USB. So 2 out of 3 of his objections are a tad off-base. I have found the Tab to be a very versatile and useful device – just so long as you don’t try to compare it to a netbook or laptop.

  2. Forgive my facetiousness, but… If a jailbroken iPad would meet all the needs of being a very well designed device with the ability to add vast numbers of both approved and non-approved apps of superior quality, then why not spend the (literally) 5 mins with PwnageTool to jailbreak an iPad? Is is a little ironic how Apple-hating fanaticism blinds people to finding a pragmatic solution, when instead they’ll happily swear allegiance to the main tablet OS competitor who uses the propaganda of being “open” to expand its advertising portfolio. Apple wants your money. In return it gives you a well engineered device with an extensively researched and tested OS that runs a vast selection of generally excellent quality apps. Google Android wants your eyeballs. In return it gives you a selection of cheaply manufactured devices with a heavily derived but far less polished OS that runs a small selection of generally mediocre apps. Oh, and the warm, fuzzy feeling of being “open”.

  3. I’m pretty sure Cory has bigger issues with Apple devices than app store issues. And I think Lenovo is calling their tablet the IdeaPad, ThinkPad is what they call their laptops. Cory knows this. He’s an avid ThinkPad user.

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