RNMOVR,
Sorry for the delay in replying. Ha ha, I like the way you started out, assuming I "got" your reference ;-)
Seriously, yes - there is a chance
I like to try non-routine experiments like this from time-to-time - we always learn something. I've run into two snags - the special apk I requested still hasn't been delivered (that's an issue for Wayne and I to speak about, LOL) and despite scouring the office, we cannot find my old Galaxy Note 1 for testing when I do get it (and I will, LOL.) I don't really feel like going out and buying a new one - if I did, I'd get the Note 3 but its tough for me to pull that trigger since I am convinced we'll see a Galaxy Note 4 in a month or so. I may just search on eBay or similar sources for a used Galaxy Note 2 for now...
[Edit 2] - Got a test build overnight. I will give it a quick once-over and get with Brian for more testing and see about doing an update to MSA
=========================================================
On another, semi-related note, I picked up a
Samsung Galaxy Tab S 8.4 today to test whether its current crown of "best display ever" really translates over to it being more useful for appraiser/inspector types out in the field. I chose the brown/gold variant simply because I liked the way it looked. I normally recommend the white ones because of the reflectivity issues I mentioned earlier and a white device makes for a better DISTO target when you need something. This is a personal statement, not a professional one, but FWIW, I really like the brown/gold - it simply looks "classy" to me. The official Samsung "Book" cover is a sort of silvery-brown and looks really nice - too nice for my normal "boots & jeans" attire, and more like something a gentleman or lady might carry. Very nice.
My initial observations are that the screen is, indeed, an improvement over other models. It is very vibrant (not just overly "punchy" to the point of images bordering on "cartoonish") in normal conditions ranging from indoors to "under the eaves" indirect outdoor light. Even in direct sun like is routine here in South Texas, it works better than any other non-mil-spec industrial outdoor screen. Strangely enough (but welcomed!), I get the best results by leaving it in "auto-bright/dim" mode vs. manual and max brightness. A display professional I know claims that the "auto" setting actually ramps higher than manual settings allow. As I said, he is a true display professional and has some very sophisticated equipment at his company - he knows his stuff. I am truly surprised that a company made a device where a setting like this
actually works for such a wide array of users! Bravo Samsung! I can hardly wait to see if an anti-glare screen protector makes any discernable difference. I'll ley you folks know once I perform this test. I'll be traveling near the equator in late July, so I'll get a chance to test it in a variety of really bright conditions.
I'm also finding that at 8.4" it is almost too large for my (admittedly small-for-a-6'-tall man) hands. Something just a tad smaller would work better for ME, but I suspect that most males here would not have an issue with it.
The screen resolution is high (2,560 x 1,200) so the ppi is outstanding, but again, at this size and for what 99.9% of what you folks do, it's more of an overkill thing than being something easily defended as a need. It gives Samsung bragging rights for being "more retina than Apple" but I don't think that really matters. I'd be happy enough with 1,920 x 1,200 if it meant the screen would be any brighter. Of course, in this case, it's not an LCD, but a SAMOLED screen so pixel density doesn't really effect the brightness like happens with LCD screens... The pixel density on this device makes the buttons on the old, standard version of MSA seem a little small to me, so I'll see about yet another code tweak to see if we can get it to auto-adjust, or I may just give up chasing this aspect and institute a manual (small, medium, large) setting and let folks adjust to their tastes. I suspect it'll run and look just fine on the 10.5" version, which in the 10" class
may just end up being the one I recommend for most people who like that size vs. the 7" - 8" class devices.
The device is incredibly thin and light - I really like that. For "specs geeks", it is 0.26" thin and weighs 10.4 oz. or 0.65 lb. (For reference, iPad mini is 0.3" and 11.7 oz. or .73 lb.) The device is running Android 4.4.2 and all the GUI elements in MSA are operating properly. I am happy to report that the menu functions in this Samsung are more "standard" - some earlier Samsungs used the center button to invoke the menu, causing some confusion with some users even though that was "standard" behavior for the models. I have not had it long enough to use it in enough scenarios to test real works battery life, but in the limited tests, it looks to easily be an "all day" device, likely two...
[Edit] - Added a few quick pictures below. Again, not pro shots - used my cell phone.
- Pict 1 is a size comparison in Landscape mode. Top item is a Kindle Fire 8.9" HDX, the middle is the Galaxy Tab S 8.4" and the bottom unit is an ASUS 7"
- Pict 2 is a Portrait shot of the Galaxy Tab 8.4" above the ASUS 7". You can see that because of the reduction in side besels, it is not much wider than last year's 7" Android Tablet (and that model had thinner bezels than the previous models.)
- Pict 3 is an outdoor shot in my hand. The day was bright but a little overcast - brighter than when you are under the eaves in bright glaring sun. I'll shoot a "direct sun" shot soon.
Hope this helps for now. Let me know if you have any questions.
-Randall Garrett-
+Apex Software+
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