Android-powered Galaxy Tab a contender to Apple's iPad

The first thing that struck me about the Samsung Galaxy Tab is the size, which is smaller than I had envisioned.

But after a couple of weeks of use, the smaller size became a plus instead of a minus.

The Android-powered Galaxy Tab is now available from Verizon, AT&T, Sprint and T-Mobile.

I've been using Verizon's version with the Android 2.2 operating system and I've found myself grabbing it quite often to surf the Internet, check social networks and run various Android apps.
Easier, lighter to tote

The Galaxy Tab is going after Apple's iPad in a big way, and that's a big challenge.

I've had limited hands-on experience with iPad and found the Galaxy Tab to be a contender. The display is just as nice as the iPad, even though it's only seven inches, compared with 9.7 inches for the iPad.

They both share one gigahertz processors, but the Galaxy Tab is lighter at just under a pound, compared with 1.5 pounds for the iPad. I found the Galaxy Tab easier to tote around.Guys can even tuck it in an inside coat pockets or, believe it or not, stuff it into their back pockets. I imagine it also would slip easily into a woman's purse. I think the Galaxy Tab wins in the mobility arena.

I can hold the Galaxy Tab in one hand and and use the touchscreen with the other hand and probably could do the same with iPad, but it'll get a little tiring after a while. Since the iPad offers no camera, Samsung saw an opportunity to offer two cameras on the Galaxy Tab. The front camera for video chats is 1.3 megapixels and the rear camera with a flash for capturing images up to 3 megapixels.

With the onslaught of tablets coming, I'll bet the next version of the iPad will include cameras.
Easy to navigate

The Galaxy Tab is easy to navigate and the LCD display with six customizable screens provides a nice backdrop for web browsing and using apps.

The web browser is fast and moves easily among websites. I really like the feature where turning the Galaxy Tab to landscape mode will zoom in on an article that appeared small in portrait mode.