New to tablets.. Questions!

[jeffrok]

Hey,

I just got a Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 (wifi only) for my birthday, and I was hesitant to get a tablet/iPad because I just thought they were overgrown Android phones. I've had a smartphone of one kind or another for 3 years, so the concepts make sense to me, but I have a few questions for people who've used tablets for awhile:

What do you use your tablet for most, that your phone cannot do well? If I had to answer it, I'd say for reading newspapers and magazines (not much of a book reader here).. But there's also got to be other

What are some things that you can do in ICS (tablet version) that you cannot do in ICS (phone), and vice versa? Don't include "make phone calls", cuz that's obvious.. And also, one COULD make IP calls with a tablet.

What are some general tips for the new tablet user?

What are some apps that one MUST get for their tablet? So far I love the Peel Smart Remote software.. Very cool, and had no idea the Tab 2 even had an infrared transmitter until I tried this.

EDIT: Also, what are some must-have accessories for a tablet? I already bought the protective case/stand, but what else? OTG USB adapter? Anything else?

Thanks!

 

[jeffrok]

Wow, a shy bunch.. 129 views and no one has any tips to share?

 

[papafrankm]

Needed apps!
Keeper, dropbox, avg antivirus, cloudprint, es files, Cnbc, Wsj,
I could go on and on

Sent from my GT-P5113 using Android Central Forums

 

[jeffrok]

When I say "needed", I meant what tablet-specific apps are great.. Like, I know certain apps are enhanced for tablets, such as IMDB, Gmail, Play Books, and games like Words With Friends.. If I were to experience an app that was just "ok" on a phone but 10x better on a tablet, which app would you say that would be?

 

[schneid]

I got mine to use as a replacement for my laptop on the road.

 

[jeffrok]

Thanks.. Wow, really a quiet, quiet room.. Is it that this device is so new that nobody wants to discuss, or are people really that unsure of what to do with their tablets ?

 

[G-Money713]

There really isn't anything to do on a Tablet that can't be done on a smartphone now a days. The main reason for one is it a lot easier to work on a 10" screen then a 4".
I watch movies and tv shows when I am away from home. I also work on documents when away from my computer. Everything is possible on my phone, but a harder and more time consuming. When I plop down on the couch and use my tablet to access my computer and my phone without needing to go back and forth.

Sent from another Galaxy... S II

 

[jeffrok]

Thanks.. That's kinda the detailed answer I was looking for..

I also was wondering which "tab optimized" apps were your favorites.. When I say "tab obtimizied" I mean, for example, an app that is formatted to look completely different on a tablet, not just a blown-up version of the phone version. Apps such as Evernote, Gmail, Chrome and Friendcaster do this.. Just wondering if anyone else has any other favorites.

 

[G-Money713]

Google+, IM+, Dolphin, Google Currents, Tablet Talk, Splashtop 2 HD, AirDroid, Solid Explorer Beta2, Team Stream (Bleacher Report), SwiftKey 3 Tablet, Kindle, Apex Launcher Pro, Andmade Share, T.E.A.M. Battery Bar, MailDroid, Groove IP, Movies by Flixster, Beautiful Widgets, Google Voice, IMDB, AudioManager Pro, Google Reader, and TV Shows Favs.


Sent from another Galaxy... S II

 

[Jayderose]

There really isn't anything to do on a Tablet that can't be done on a smartphone now a days. The main reason for one is it a lot easier to work on a 10" screen then a 4".
I watch movies and tv shows when I am away from home. I also work on documents when away from my computer. Everything is possible on my phone, but a harder and more time consuming. When I plop down on the couch and use my tablet to access my computer and my phone without needing to go back and forth.

Sent from another Galaxy... S II

I second this. I use my Tab as an extension of my phone and laptop. It's much easier to carry around and take notes on the Tablet.
For music and movies I can carry around separate microSD cards loaded with what I want. Since you like the Peel app (I use it to take control of the TV when the kids have "hidden" the remote), you can check out you cable carrieer apps, and premium cable apps, like DirecTV, HBO GO, etc.
As for accessories, I have a set of retractable travel cords that come in handy, and a 5 in 1 Samsung Galaxy Tab USB OTG Camera Connection Kit that I use more than I thought I would.

 

[john144]

I use my mine for a number of things that are much easier to do on a tablet than on a smart phone. For me, it's not the tablet-specific apps that are important, it's the tablet platform.

If I have to read a document for work, and it's too big to print out, and I don't feel like sitting at a desktop terminal, I copy it to the tablet via Dropbox or Google Drive, and read the DOC or PDF on the tablet. I like laying on the couch when I read, so this is great for me.

Once, I was out at a cemetery looking up grave sites and taking pictures of them. I was following a PDF map, and taking pictures with the tablet at the same time.

I have a lot of videos on my network, but if I don't feel like watching them from a desktop, or streaming them on my TV, I can take the tablet anywhere in the house and watch the videos anywhere I want. I use ES Explorer and MX Player, and I can play almost anything.

I can stream music around the house in a number of ways, but the easiest way is to just stream through the Galaxy Tab 2 10.1. The first thing that impressed me about the tablet when I first say it was the sound. With this tablet, I don't have to plug into another radio or speakers. I just play through the device, itself.

I also have a XOOM, which is Wi-Fi and 4G LTE. I take it on the road. But, my Galaxy is Wi-Fi only, so I just use it around the house.

 

[Raptor007]

As someone who has owned so many different Android phones and the original iPad, Motorola Xoom and now an iPad 3 (looking to sell it off and get an LTE based Android Galaxy Tab 2 10.1) I can say the Galaxy Tab 2 series offers a lot with S-Pen. I have owned well over 12 different Android phones, always buying, flipping and upgrading to the next and I have owned iPhone 4, 4S and 5 to which each time I felt this could do all of what I need only to realize Apple continues to cripple and limit what you get each time. Well I am solidly done once and for all with iOS devices and looking to stay Android only.

Since I sold my 1 month old iP5 (got $800 for it, love the supply vs demand problem right now) I will be getting the Galaxy Note 2 (with S-Pen) and I am sure some would say why do I need a Tablet if I am getting a 5.5" Smartphone and for me that's easy. I do a lot of work on my tablet including my IT Consulting job which includes WebEx conferences, cisco design and reference materials. Its been great and of course Gaming is better on a bigger display.

So I can say what you get depends on what you want to do with it. I need something more portable than my laptop that I can do office, email, IM, WebEx, technical references and more. The S-Pen feature is worth it to me given all of the extra functionality you get for it.