This holiday season the hot gadget is the Samsung Galaxy Tablet. At 7” x 4” as compared to the Apple I-Pad’s larger frame of 9” x 7” the Galaxy is a much more mobile device then the I-Pad, weighing in at about half of the I-Pad. This article is not meant to actually compare the two devices so that is all you are going to hear about the Apple I-Pad. (I actually can’t help myself a little later in the article.)
Samsung’s Galaxy tablet runs on Android 2.2 software which is becoming one of the most popular mobile device OS’s (operating system) today. The big four carriers (ATT, Verizon, Sprint and T-Mobile) all have different plans for the Galaxy so you need to be aware of this if you are thinking about it. Personally I believe the most fair plan is Verizon Wireless for 20 bucks a month. With this plan you get 1GB of traffic over their network, but the best part is that you are not locked into a contract and you can cancel the plan at any time. After the plan is cancelled with Verizon Wireless, you simply treat the tablet like a laptop, using it’s wireless connectivity to access any wi-fi network.
The device is sturdy and because it is about the size of a trade paperback it is as mobile as a book making it very easy to travel with. If I carried a purse (which I don’t) you could easily store it there as well! 
Now on to the fun stuff. What can you do with it once you have one? Android software was initially developed by Android Inc. and eventually purchased by Google in 2005. Android has been slowly developing and becoming more popular with mobile devices and has truly become a big player in the market. The operating system is dependable and easy to learn, although there are those who claim that it is a too “techy”. Android software is “community-based firmware” which means that it is open source allowing for programmers to easily develop software for any device running Android. What this means is there are always plenty of useful and fun apps (or applications) for the device.
In addition to surfing the web with various browsers of choice (Android Browser, Firefox and Dolphin, with Chrome on the way) you can get your social networking on with Facebook, Twitter, Linked-In, Goodreads and more. Watching video from services such as Youtube is flawless as well.
If you are a book reader (like me) and you have been thinking about e-book readers like the Amazon Kindle or Barnes & Noble Nook, look no further that this device. The Galaxy has great apps for both which work great. I actually have had a Nook for about a year, and after a day or two with the Galaxy Tablet I was able to retire it (giving it to one of my sons of course) and use the galaxy for this purpose as well. The display is easy on your eyes when you are reading and at night you won’t even need a night light because of the screen!
With the Galaxy Tablet you can remain in touch with work (if you want to) because it is easy to access your corporate email, calendar and tasks on your device. At the same time you can enjoy social networking sites, plenty of games, internet sites, HD video, music and more all on the same small 7” tablet.
Unlike the I-Pad, Android supports Flash which is important when browsing many websites as well as video formats such as XviD and DivX.
With an additional 1.3MP camera in on the front of the device, you will be able to engage in video chats, something you cannot do with an iPad. Wi-Fi and 3G connectivity will take care of your browsing needs. Battery life of Galaxy tablet is impressive to, with the device able to deliver up to seven hours of movie playback without charging.
As I noted above there are several price points, with Verizon Wireless probably being the best choice because you can actually cancel the service contract resulting in no monthly cost.
You can learn more about the Samsung Galaxy Tablet here.
To lean more about Android click here.
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