I wanted to update this thread from the time that I began it on March 12, 2011. But first, a special "Thank You" to ALL of you who have continued to post in this thread with well-thought out and insightful posts. I have enjoyed reading every one of them and why you went with the Gal-Tab. Thank you for your time in posting your response.
Now, to my updates: I intentionally bought the Samsung Galaxy for THREE reasons:
1) I was hoping and praying that it would be an incredible Business Tool and make me boat-loads of money. (more on this, later)
2) Because I had zero iProducts, I didn't want to get sucked in the iWorld and buy an iPad, which forced me to buy iBooks and iTunes. I already had a Sony Reader for e-books and a Zune Pass for all my music downloads. Since Steve Jobs refuses to allow me to use a device I pay for, for my own decisions, I logically couldn't buy and iPad. And with the Kindle, Nook and Sony app, I stopped using my Sony e-Reader and now exclusively use my Gal-Tab for reading books.
3) The 7" footprint was the deal breaker for me. I run a landscape company. I am in steel-toed work boots, walking over and through trenches, fallen trees, and gas/electrical lines on a daily basis. I knew that a 7" tablet could very securely fit into one single hand and could be jammed into a standard pocket on a work jacket. Not so much with a 10" tablet from any company.
I intentionally bought my Gal-Tab at 1st launch, in late November (got it December 4th, 2010) so that I could self-train myself on it for 3-4 months until landscape season began. It was pure and hopeful speculation on my part, if this tablet was going to make me money so I could recover the $400 cost of it. (I got a $300 rebate check from Sprint for signing up for their 3G service.)
So, now, the snow has melted (flood waters aside from 2 solid weeks of rain and storms) and I've been able to "test drive" my tablets potential.
In the 1st solid week of use, I made $552.00 because I had my tablet!
The 2nd week, I made an additional $2,200.00 extra income because of my tablet!
The 3rd week, I made an additional $5,248 extra income!
How did I do it? By being so versed in the tablets features that I could instantly utilize them.
I took full advantage of the camera/share/email options. Took photos of items I thought my clients might want, sent them to them via email, upsold the jobs.
Brought my tablet pre-loaded with patio shots we had created and upsold the job.
Took photos of fountains, planters and premium nursery stock, and upsold the job.
And the nice thing was, every.single.place. that I went, from clients to wholesalers to retailers, when I hauled that sweet Galaxy tablet out of my normal-sized purse, I got "Oooo's" and "Ahhhhh's" and "What the heck is that thing!?" from everyone! Clients had to hold it; wholesalers had to see it in action; sales staff was amazed at how efficient it could help you run a job site. Just that boost of confidence from how strangers reacted to my Gal-Tab has convinced me that I made the right decision with buying the Galaxy tablet.
When I first started this thread, it was only theory that I thought it would perform. Now, with a month's worth of hard landscape use, it has paid for itself 10 times over the initial cost! I still don't own a single game (never will) and still see it as a business tool first, a pleasure item second. But, that's okay. I do use it for storing all my recipes and the Pandora app rocks, so that is keeping my Personal Life side happy.
And I no longer give a rat's arse that it has Froyo on it and not the mythical, coveted Honeycomb. It's still brilliantly faster than any of my four laptops and the only time I actually use my laptops any longer is to create long posts (like this) or do generate quotes for clients. The remainder of the time, I use my much beloved Gal-Tab now. Oh, and the 3G has become manditory for my use, so I'm so glad that I bought that model vs. the later Wi-Fi only model. When I've been in the wilds of Michigan, on a raw job site with no Hot Spot for 20 miles, getting 3G to work and send back photos and quotes to a client is PRICELESS!!!!
So, that's my update and how the difference between time and practical application can change your mind. I don't care that Steve Jobs is laughing at me and my "Tweener" tablet of 7". As I'm looking at my bank balance and seeing a + sign vs. a - sign, I know I made the correct choice, for me.
I hope my updates inspire or encourage someone else to buy a Galaxy Tablet.
Now, to my updates: I intentionally bought the Samsung Galaxy for THREE reasons:
1) I was hoping and praying that it would be an incredible Business Tool and make me boat-loads of money. (more on this, later)
2) Because I had zero iProducts, I didn't want to get sucked in the iWorld and buy an iPad, which forced me to buy iBooks and iTunes. I already had a Sony Reader for e-books and a Zune Pass for all my music downloads. Since Steve Jobs refuses to allow me to use a device I pay for, for my own decisions, I logically couldn't buy and iPad. And with the Kindle, Nook and Sony app, I stopped using my Sony e-Reader and now exclusively use my Gal-Tab for reading books.
3) The 7" footprint was the deal breaker for me. I run a landscape company. I am in steel-toed work boots, walking over and through trenches, fallen trees, and gas/electrical lines on a daily basis. I knew that a 7" tablet could very securely fit into one single hand and could be jammed into a standard pocket on a work jacket. Not so much with a 10" tablet from any company.
I intentionally bought my Gal-Tab at 1st launch, in late November (got it December 4th, 2010) so that I could self-train myself on it for 3-4 months until landscape season began. It was pure and hopeful speculation on my part, if this tablet was going to make me money so I could recover the $400 cost of it. (I got a $300 rebate check from Sprint for signing up for their 3G service.)
So, now, the snow has melted (flood waters aside from 2 solid weeks of rain and storms) and I've been able to "test drive" my tablets potential.
In the 1st solid week of use, I made $552.00 because I had my tablet!
The 2nd week, I made an additional $2,200.00 extra income because of my tablet!
The 3rd week, I made an additional $5,248 extra income!
How did I do it? By being so versed in the tablets features that I could instantly utilize them.
I took full advantage of the camera/share/email options. Took photos of items I thought my clients might want, sent them to them via email, upsold the jobs.
Brought my tablet pre-loaded with patio shots we had created and upsold the job.
Took photos of fountains, planters and premium nursery stock, and upsold the job.
And the nice thing was, every.single.place. that I went, from clients to wholesalers to retailers, when I hauled that sweet Galaxy tablet out of my normal-sized purse, I got "Oooo's" and "Ahhhhh's" and "What the heck is that thing!?" from everyone! Clients had to hold it; wholesalers had to see it in action; sales staff was amazed at how efficient it could help you run a job site. Just that boost of confidence from how strangers reacted to my Gal-Tab has convinced me that I made the right decision with buying the Galaxy tablet.
When I first started this thread, it was only theory that I thought it would perform. Now, with a month's worth of hard landscape use, it has paid for itself 10 times over the initial cost! I still don't own a single game (never will) and still see it as a business tool first, a pleasure item second. But, that's okay. I do use it for storing all my recipes and the Pandora app rocks, so that is keeping my Personal Life side happy.
And I no longer give a rat's arse that it has Froyo on it and not the mythical, coveted Honeycomb. It's still brilliantly faster than any of my four laptops and the only time I actually use my laptops any longer is to create long posts (like this) or do generate quotes for clients. The remainder of the time, I use my much beloved Gal-Tab now. Oh, and the 3G has become manditory for my use, so I'm so glad that I bought that model vs. the later Wi-Fi only model. When I've been in the wilds of Michigan, on a raw job site with no Hot Spot for 20 miles, getting 3G to work and send back photos and quotes to a client is PRICELESS!!!!
So, that's my update and how the difference between time and practical application can change your mind. I don't care that Steve Jobs is laughing at me and my "Tweener" tablet of 7". As I'm looking at my bank balance and seeing a + sign vs. a - sign, I know I made the correct choice, for me.
I hope my updates inspire or encourage someone else to buy a Galaxy Tablet.