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from the waiting-for-the-Samsung-Universe-View-Tablet dept.
Samsung has announced an 18.4" Android tablet called the Samsung Galaxy View. It packs in a 1.6 GHz octa-core SoC, 2 GB of RAM, 32 or 64 GB of storage, and a MicroSDXC slot. The resolution is only 1920×1080. The tablet will weigh 2.65 kg (5.842 lbs).
It's pretty obvious just by looking at the specs that the Galaxy View is a unique device. It sports an enormous 18.4" LCD display, with a 1080p resolution. This certainly isn't near as sharp as the screens you'll get on recent smartphones and tablets, but you're also more likely to use the Galaxy View at a farther distance. However, you are ultimately limited by the length of your arms because you need to touch the display, and so a higher resolution probably would have been beneficial, and I would imagine if the Galaxy View ends up being successful to any degree that we'll see an improved display on the next generation.
With that large display comes a very big and heavy chassis. At 2.65kg it is by far the heaviest Android device I have ever seen, apart from perhaps some AIO desktops that include an Android partition for whatever reason. In order to make the Galaxy View easier to handle Samsung has actually build in a kickstand of sorts, and a handle which can be used to carry it around. It honestly seems a bit comical, but then again so have other past devices like the original Galaxy Note, and perhaps it will eventually be normal to see people walking down the street carrying a giant tablet at their side.
[...] Samsung hasn't announced pricing or availability for the Galaxy View yet, but with it now being official those details shouldn't be far off.
(Score: 2) by Non Sequor on Thursday October 29 2015, @09:13PM
iPad Pro is under two pounds where this thing is a similar weight to a heavy duty laptop. The resolution is lower than what's common for smaller tablets. This kind of sounds like they just built a tablet around the largest touch screen they could get.
Write your congressman. Tell him he sucks.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday October 29 2015, @09:36PM
Brilliant! Now I'm waiting for the smartphone version of this.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday October 29 2015, @09:42PM
Are you really comparing the weight of a 12.9 inch tablet and a 18.4 inch tablet?
Lets look at 2D the ipad pro has a surface area of 674 mm^2 the galaxy has 1246 mm^2 so roughly twice the usable area.
The ipad weights 800 grams and the galaxy weighs 2600 grams, so roughly three times the ipad.
Then if you include the extra constructions that allows something so large and thin be structurally sound (extra bracing and what not) and not bendy. It looks like it is a perfectly reasonable weight for the first device in its class. I am sure it will weigh less if it is successful enough to warrant a version 2.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by Non Sequor on Thursday October 29 2015, @11:20PM
All I meant was that my gut says that a tablet that's as heavy as my laptop would feel cumbersome. If I hold my 5.5lb laptop one handed by one edge, that's a bit of a strain. For the iPad Pro, they seem to be steering clear of that threshold.
On the other hand, if this is some kind of presentation device, or artist's device, or maybe something you keep on your coffee table in the den, while I can't say that a high resolution is really needed, it does seem like it might set this thing up to look somewhat disappointing relative to it's smaller cousins.
So why are you pushing out into a new form factor when it forces you to push parameter way outside of the range of things that are working? Keep in mind that Microsoft pushed laptop form factor tablets in the early 2000's and they bombed and my explanation for that is that it really was just that while it was a decent idea, the weight, form factor, and UI didn't fit with the use case. This seemed like it could be in similar territory. Honestly, I had heard about the iPad Pro but not looked closely at it's specs and I had similar thoughts about the concept of a larger tablet at the time of its announcement. However, looking at the iPad Pro specs, Apple really isn't pushing it that far.
Write your congressman. Tell him he sucks.
(Score: 2) by bob_super on Friday October 30 2015, @06:34PM
Once you have shaky hands, always misplaced reading glasses, trouble grabbing small things, and a preference for reading big fonts on tabloid-sized paper to avoid scrolling all the time, you may notice that there's a growing group of customers for the "oversize tablet which doesn't leave the home" market.
Those, and everyone else who wants to spend an extended time staring at material from a distance (recipes, home or work projects...), or showing it to a group (teachers)
(Score: 2) by takyon on Thursday October 29 2015, @10:35PM
Iterate this odd monster by another year and it may be worth something. It will probably get a RAM boost (Samsung makes the highest density RAM!) [soylentnews.org], and an increase in resolution, while cutting the weight. As it is now, it is an odd duck, unless the price turns out to be a lot lower than I'm expecting... like a gigantic Tesco tablet. But Samsung isn't known for that.
This seems like the kind of thing that digital artists would want, but 1080p is laughable. Try 1440p or 2160p, Samsung.
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(Score: 2) by Non Sequor on Thursday October 29 2015, @11:36PM
Well, actually I think I've got something for it.
I have a touchscreen mounted to a swivel arm hooked to a Mac Mini in my kitchen and while overall it's been great, the touch screen is craptastic enough that I mostly end up using the mouse. This would be a great drop in replacement if it had mounting holes in the chassis.
Write your congressman. Tell him he sucks.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday October 30 2015, @12:51AM
http://www.amazon.com/FLEXIMOUNTS-11-15-6-Notebook-computer-monitor/dp/B00W58D4KI/ [amazon.com]
I think something like this would work for you without too much difficulty. If you look at the photos it actually shows it holding a mac just like you would want it hold a tablet.