Newbie Note 10 Questions

[lucasbuck]

I'm completely new to tablets, never owned one. I want one mainly for note taking, organization and drawing. So my questions are (since this is a big investment for me):
- There's not a new version of Note coming out soon that I should wait for is there? That always happens when I buy a phone.
- I'd probably be happy with Photoshop Touch, but with all the Win 8 tablets coming out that could run a full version of PS, do they compare to the Note? Do then pens on the Win 8 tablets compare to the S-Pen?
- Is all the bloatware hard to remove? Any guides? I've read where that's a pain on the Note.
- Is it easy to sync things like calendars. notes, etc. with a PC?

Any other advice would be appreciated. Sorry it's so open ended. Thanks!

 

[Raymond Tan]

-There's a 4G version coming out soon, but I just tether mine to my phone when on the go. If I had a choice now, I might go for the 4G version.
-You can not run the full version of Photoshop on the Windows RT tablets only the Pro versions which are around $1000 so you can not compare the two. Plus I hear that Photoshop does not run that well on even the Pro versions because of the low specs(compared to a desktop)There are some videos on Youtube comparing some painting programs on the Pro Tablets.
-You have to root to remove bloatware but it is not necessary and does not improve performance. I just disabled the apps that I never use which can be done through the stock app manager.
-Syncing depends on what you are using. I use Google calender and Evernote which are automatically synced with my phone, tablet, and desktop.

A word of warning. PS touch is very limited compared to Photoshop. Although it can create layered images which can be opened in Photoshop, you can not open a layered psd file into PS Touch with out flattening the image. Hopefully this will change in the future. I use PS Touch for sketching beginning ideas and roughs for an illustration, but I would not be able to complete a finished illustration with PS Touch alone. It's good for basic sketching and roughs.

I have the 16GB version and I don't have a lot more room for apps(got it Oct. of last year). You can't install apps on sd unless your rooted which I'll probably do if I need more room.

Also I would invest in buying a Samsung ET-S200EBE S Pen w/ Eraser. Its larger so it's easier to hold for longer periods and it has an erasure on the back end like a standard wacom pen. I even made a custom holder for my pen so that the side button is easier to press.

Overall I'm pretty happy with it for sketching on the go. You might also look into Sketchbook Pro, Infinite Painter, and Layerpaint. They are actually better for sketching. The only reason I use PS Touch is because its the only one with with transform tools and brightness adjustments. Plus I'm hoping they'll add .psd support.(Layerpaint can open .psd with layers intact)

Here's a link to my Deviantart gallery(none of which were created my tablet) R-Tan's deviantART Gallery , but it will give you a reference as to what I mean by finished illustration.

 

[lucasbuck]

Thanks for all the info! Although it leads to a few more questions (and comments):
- I wasn't too worried about 3G or 4G, I was going to tether. But out of curiosity, what's the cheapest 3G plan you can get?
- There isn't anything else with the 4G model that would make it 'newer' is there other than the 4G?
- I use a Wacom at home, so I only needed it for rough sketching on the go. Are the other sketch apps you mentioned pressure sensitive?
- Anyone think it's worth root? Hard? More trouble than it's worth? When you mentioned running out of room it made me think that deleting the bloat would make more room.
- I had mentioned Win 8 because some folks at work were looking at the Lenovo Thinkpad 2, which has a stylus that I think it pressure sensitive. And it's not RT I don't think, but full 8. And was priced around $650. I like Android though.

Nice gallery by the way!
-

 

[Andy847]

Love your artwork Raymond Tan. I agree, awesome gallery! I love to draw and have some talent for it, but you are a really great artist. Like the themes of your work also. Thanks for sharing!

Sent from my GT-N8013 using Android Central Forums

 

[Breanna Sullivan]

I agree with Raymond Tan about Sketchbook Pro, Infinite Painter, and Layerpaint. I have all three as well, and use them on my Note 10.1 too. But not just for sketching, but for full on completed work. They're all very different from PS and GIMP, and takes a bit of time to get used too (it did for me anyways) but still decent considering their for phones and tablets. I'm hoping within the year they'll get ever better, as tablets become more popular and stronger as well.
The Spen works great in all three (Infinite Design as well, which I also have. I use that one for abstract work) and both Layerpaint and Sketchbook Pro have pressure support. and I prefer working directly on the screen as opposed to drawing on a wacom tablet while my eyes are up on another screen.

Oh and Layerpaint JUST got an update today as well. More fun stuff. =D

Edit: Once I root my tablet and download Screencast, I'll share my art work (thats done on the tablet) here for ya'll to see what can be done. =D My DA gallery has been for favorites only.

 

[Raymond Tan]

-I'm Verizon with unlimited but I believe the cheapest plan is $20 for only 2GB(not enough for me). If you already have a data plan it's $10 more to add another device. Sprint is still offering unlimited, but I don't know their pricing anymore but I haven't heard of a Sprint version. I've only seen the verizon one.

-The new version only adds 4G otherwise it's identical, but I'm wonder what the battery life with 4G turned on. It has the same battery as the wifi version.

-All the apps I mentioned are pressure sensitive, including PS Touch. There are a lot more pressure sensitive drawing apps but these are definitely the best of the bunch.

-Rooting is not hard as long as you carefully follow instructions. There is a chance you can brick your device where it would just be a paper weight. I would only root if I wanted to use a particular that needed root., or the reason of space that I mentioned earlier.

-The problem with any laptop/tablet is that it takes a while to boot up and shut down, unless you have it on standby which still decreases the battery time by a lot. Plus they tend to be a bit bulkier. I used to use a laptop with a wacom that would attach to the keyboard with velcro, but I could not use it while, for instance waiting in a store for my girlfriend to finish shopping. With a straight tablet I can whip it out and sketch while walking. Plus I didn't want to carry a $1000+ piece of hardware around. The chances of you dropping it, forgetting it, getting it wet, or having it stolen is pretty high if you carry it around everywhere. Also the battery on tabs last a lot longer. My laptop with continuous use was 2hrs. I had to carry a spare battery with me. My Note 10.1 lasts longer than I use it in any given day as long as it is fully charged in the morning.

Honestly if your just using it for sketching a full version of Photoshop, Sketchbook or any other program is way more than you need. You want it to be quick to pull out and use like a pad of paper.

Another thing you might want to look into is Splashtop HD. It's a remote desktop app that let you control your desktop remotely. I haven't been able to get it to work on my tablet yet.
I have used Splashtop 2 to use my Note 10.1 to control Photoshop, but that only works when connected to the same wifi network. It worked well and you still get pressure sensitivity with very little lag, at least with my sketching speed. I did have an issue because I have a triple monitor desktop setup with palettes on one of the side monitors. I had to create a special workspace in Photoshop with all the palettes on one screen because switching screens remotely is a pain.
I don't know how it will perform over 3 or 4G with Splashtop HD. Maybe someone else who got it to work can test how well it works with Photoshop.

On a side note there is a way to add almost any app to multi-view. You don't even have to be rooted. I mention this because I use it to float reference pics on top of PS Touch.
Non root method [Tool] Add Multiwindow-option to almost every apk files - xda-developers / Rooted method [APP] MultiWindow Manager 1.2.7 - xda-developers
The advantage of the rooted method is that the apps that you add to multi view still get updated. With the non-root method you have to run the new version of the app through the process again and re-install.
PS Touch only works in landscape(not sure why) but I have an app called GMD Smart Rotate which forces PS Touch into portrait. All the other drawing apps mentioned work in both portrait and landscape.

Not too long ago I had the same decision that you are making now, and was looking into the same options that you are. In the end I'm very happy with my choice. Good luck.

 

[lucasbuck]

Thanks for all the great advice! One thing. I have an unlimited plan with Verizon for my phone. I assume I would have to get the Verizon model to add it? I was planning on buying at Best Buy because I have a couple giftcards. I couldn't add that could I? Oh, one other thing, I thought I read there was a difference between original 10.1s that came out and a newer models. Is that true and if so how do you check what you get?

 

[Raymond Tan]

Yes you would have to get the Verizon model if you wanted to use 4G under your plan. I did some searching and found out that there is also a Sprint version coming out. I assume that you would have no problem getting from Best Buy under Verizon. As far as I have know both the wifi and 4G are the same besides the 4G, and the fact that it had Jellybean already installed.

There's no pricing yet but I'm guessing it'll be around $600 with contract(16GB model). They were offering the Galaxy Tab 10.1 for $500 with contract when it was released.

 

[lucasbuck]

Yeah, I checked around today and might be a little stuck. I'm a teacher and have had donations to my classroom, so I was thinking about getting the Note for my own organization and to allow students to use learning apps. BUT, I can only purchase through a Best Buy Business account.The only one that shows up on my shopping list is the non Verizon version. It's a shame, because I have an unlimited account and could add it (I called Verizon today to check), but I can only get the Note that doesn't have network capability.
But I can live with it. I can still tether it to my phone can't I? A Verizon Nexus?
By the way, is there any word on when the 4g is even coming out? Just curious.