Develop Bugs

T889 vs Nexus 4?

I've been debating with myself which phone to get - I'm pretty sure I'm not the only person in this boat so I made this thread.
My situation:
Nexus IV: $360 here in Canada
Note II: $400 here in Canada, although with a 3 year commitment ($40 a month for unlimited nationwide calling, unlimited data, although they throttle after 5gb, and unlimited nationwide text).
I'd use the same data plan if I got the Nexus, although on the plus side, I have no contract. Not too sure how big of a plus that is, as I don't want to swap from Wind Mobile.
Strongly leaning in favor of the Note II right now.
Nexus IV Advantages: Overall this phone is very similar to the Optimus G; not unlike the Nexus S and the i9000s.
- The SOC appears to be faster
- No Touchwiz (IMO Stock > anything the manufacturers come up with)
I personally do not care about the Wireless "charging orb" and think it's a gimmick; of limited use in the real world where one can simply connect a micro-USB.
Perhaps the biggest advantage the Nexus IV has is well ... a Nexus phone. That means that the development community around it will be much bigger, faster updates, and a 100% chance of Cyanogenmod. I'm not sure what's the Cyanogenmod prospects on the T889, but there is a beta one working for the N7100 and considering how similar this phone is to the international version. I don't know how big the development community for the T889 is going to be.
Note II Advantages: More or less a blown up Galaxy S3.
- Audio quality appears superior (Wolfson DAC); important to me; I keep a rooted voodoo Galaxy S variant just for the audio as a PMP; I am unsure at this time of what DAC the Nexus IV comes with, but having listened to the Galaxy S3 and the Optimus G
- Speaker appears to be superior (not a big deal IMO)
- Bigger screen (good for browsing and movies)
- S Pen (and everything that comes with it; probably the only custom thing that any manufacturer has done that has added value; well maybe Sense before Froyo added value to Android)
- Expandable storage (Nexus IV probably not enough to import a serious FLAC collection)
- Battery life (based on reviews, it looks like the Note II has a better battery life)
I would discourage people from using a "points" system to evaluate the 2 phones.
Areas for debate:
- Size .... I personally prefer a larger phone, up to debate though
- Screen; well it comes down to IPS vs Amoled. Both have outstanding viewing angles, and the Amoled isn't pentile (although not the traditional RGB either it seems). Amoled has deeper blacks, but the white reproduction isn't the greatest. IPS has better brightness and is better out in sunlight.
- Neither the Nexus IV nor the Note II can claim to have a better camera for taking images
- I'm not sure how well these phones will last over time - the glass back on the Nexus might be an area for concern; the Note II seems to do well in the drop tests though
- Pentaband phone (the T889 is pentaband as is the Nexus); not planning on making any international trips, but this would come in handy if it did
LG also seems to have a bad reputation; not too sure as I personally have never owned LG phones for an extended period, but my Samsung experiences have been positive.
Your thoughts?

How much faster is the processor known to be on the Nexus 4?
I considered both, but definitely do not regret having gotten the Note II because I really care about the larger screen (the main reason I upgraded from a GS3, though I really wanted the quad-core exynos)
Also, there's a big difference in retail price, which is going to be a major factor in the comparison.

Nexus 4 is crap! Don't buy it or u will regret it!!!!!!
Sent from my SGH-T889 using xda premium

jkxklutz said:
How much faster is the processor known to be on the Nexus 4?
I considered both, but definitely do not regret having gotten the Note II because I really care about the larger screen (the main reason I upgraded from a GS3, though I really wanted the quad-core exynos)
Also, there's a big difference in retail price, which is going to be a major factor in the comparison.
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In my case, price is very close, but yeah the screen is a big attractor.

honestly i don't think you can compare these 2. galaxy s3 versus nexus 4 is more of a fair comparison. Either you want the big screen or you don't, really what it comes down to. The pen is nice too although I seriously doubt how much i'll use it. I believe samsung cameras are superior as well. and i'm sure its gotten better, but frankly stock android sucked to me when i tried it on froyo and gingerbread.

Apples and IEDs
You're comparing Apples and ****ing IEDs; Note is HUGE, wicked fast, polished up with TouchWiz and has the surprisingly useful S-Pen. Nexus devices are wonderful, and I've owned every single one except the two just announced... But you can pry the Note II from my cold dead hands because it is hands down, the greatest device on Earth today.

Ya, I gotta agree, you are comparing two totally different products. While saying your movie collection will help you get over the fact that you will be stuck with 8 or 16 gb worth of space, over time, you will kick yourself for being stuck with 8 or 16 gb worth of space. 64gb microSD cards should be enough for you to stop making silly statements referencing your FLAC collection; it's a no brainer.
The S-Pen should be at the top of your list for a device that's centered around productivity. If you just want to watch movies, buy a tablet.
Long story short, CM10 and the rest of the ROMs are needed on devices... the Note 2 doesn't need them. Oh, and you forgot to compare battery sizes... probably something more important than any rom or even the microSD card slot. On the Note 2, it's glorious!

IMHO i need the sd slot by getting that phone i would have to revert back to ousting my iPod for music amongst the other things I've got on it.. can't do it... sides love the s pen.. this phone is awesome
Sent from my SGH-T889 using xda app-developers app

I would personally never buy the nexus 4 simply because it is made by LG and Samsung is far superior when it comes to smart phones. I upgraded my SGS3 to the Note 2 for the larger screen and the extras like the s-pen. Only thing that sucks right now is there are very few accessories for the Note at the moment but Seidio and Otterbox are in the works.

brashmadcap said:
You're comparing Apples and ****ing IEDs; Note is HUGE, wicked fast, polished up with TouchWiz and has the surprisingly useful S-Pen. Nexus devices are wonderful, and I've owned every single one except the two just announced... But you can pry the Note II from my cold dead hands because it is hands down, the greatest device on Earth today.
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You are exactly right.. I honestly don't see how i can honestly go to soothe device after I've had the note 2 i had a guy at work offer me 300 bucks and his white s3 I was like no!! Put the s3 on Craig'slist and get your own...the next phone i buy wool obviously be a note 3... What can i say I'm hooked...
Sent from my SGH-T889 using xda app-developers app

I have to agree. The t889 is the way to go. I look at the nexus4 and it is very similar to my t989 with a updated soc and very slightly different size screen. Along with the whole stock android thing. I didn't really feel the need to upgrade to the s3 from my s2 especially since I don't like hardware home buttons. But the note 2 has got me desperately wanting out of my contract so that I can get it. Bigger better screen, s pen, removable battery and sdcard slot. And I don't know about the statement that the qualcomm Soc is better then the exynos they are probably very very close but I'd take the Mali gpu over the adreno any day of the week. If you really want a nexus device just get a 199$ nexus 7. It seems like a better deal then the nexus 4. But you probably wouldn't even use the 7 incher if you had the t889.

I'm not sure what sort of crap people are talking on here and saying the Nexus 4 is crap, but that's an absolutely ridiculous statement. The SoC on the Nexus 4 is definitely faster than the Note II, but honestly Need for Speed Most Wanted is the only thing that doesn't run perfectly on the Note II (and even then we're talking a handful of frame drops that make no difference to gameplay). Most games aren't even close to being as taxing as NFS MW, so I wouldn't even worry about that. Games that usually slow phones down like Plight of the Zombie, and livewallpapers that do the same don't slow down the Note II at all. Everything runs perfectly on the phone.
As for features, it's really TouchWiz vs. stock Android. As nice as Android 4.2 is, the features in TouchWiz are unmatched, even though it can be extremely ugly. What's really nice about the Note II though is that there are already a lot of theming kitchens available, like this one, that make TouchWiz just a little less ugly by letting you customize icons and colors in the interface. Honestly after having the S-Pen features on the Note II, I'm not sure I could go back to any phone that doesn't have such features. It's one of the reasons I'll probably never run an AOSP based ROM on this phone. Of course AOSP has S-Pen gestures now, so there's no telling what the wizards here at XDA will do over time, but for now I bought the Note II for the S-Pen features primarily, and that keeps me from jumping ship from Samsung's stuff.
It's up to you. I'm getting my wife a Nexus 4 for Christmas because although she loves the Note II and the features, it's just a little too large for her. Plus I'd recommend a Nexus 4 over a Galaxy S III any day, but that's a whole 'nother thread. Get the Note II, you won't be sorry. It's by far the best phone I've EVER used.
---------- Post added at 08:49 AM ---------- Previous post was at 08:48 AM ----------
bookburner said:
I have to agree. The t889 is the way to go. I look at the nexus4 and it is very similar to my t989 with a updated soc and very slightly different size screen. Along with the whole stock android thing. I didn't really feel the need to upgrade to the s3 from my s2 especially since I don't like hardware home buttons. But the note 2 has got me desperately wanting out of my contract so that I can get it. Bigger better screen, s pen, removable battery and sdcard slot. And I don't know about the statement that the qualcomm Soc is better then the exynos they are probably very very close but I'd take the Mali gpu over the adreno any day of the week. If you really want a nexus device just get a 199$ nexus 7. It seems like a better deal then the nexus 4. But you probably wouldn't even use the 7 incher if you had the t889.
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The Nexus 4 has a Snapdragon S4 Pro quad-core and an Adreno 320. It's in a league of its own honestly. The only thing that truly competes with it is the SoC in the iPhone 5. Burns me that that's the case, but facts are facts unfortunately.

Gwanatu said:
I'm not sure what sort of crap people are talking on here and saying the Nexus 4 is crap, but that's an absolutely ridiculous statement. The SoC on the Nexus 4 is definitely faster than the Note II, but honestly Need for Speed Most Wanted is the only thing that doesn't run perfectly on the Note II (and even then we're talking a handful of frame drops that make no difference to gameplay). Most games aren't even close to being as taxing as NFS MW, so I wouldn't even worry about that. Games that usually slow phones down like Plight of the Zombie, and livewallpapers that do the same don't slow down the Note II at all. Everything runs perfectly on the phone.
As for features, it's really TouchWiz vs. stock Android. As nice as Android 4.2 is, the features in TouchWiz are unmatched, even though it can be extremely ugly. What's really nice about the Note II though is that there are already a lot of theming kitchens available, like this one, that make TouchWiz just a little less ugly by letting you customize icons and colors in the interface. Honestly after having the S-Pen features on the Note II, I'm not sure I could go back to any phone that doesn't have such features. It's one of the reasons I'll probably never run an AOSP based ROM on this phone. Of course AOSP has S-Pen gestures now, so there's no telling what the wizards here at XDA will do over time, but for now I bought the Note II for the S-Pen features primarily, and that keeps me from jumping ship from Samsung's stuff.
It's up to you. I'm getting my wife a Nexus 4 for Christmas because although she loves the Note II and the features, it's just a little too large for her. Plus I'd recommend a Nexus 4 over a Galaxy S III any day, but that's a whole 'nother thread. Get the Note II, you won't be sorry. It's by far the best phone I've EVER used.
---------- Post added at 08:49 AM ---------- Previous post was at 08:48 AM ----------
The Nexus 4 has a Snapdragon S4 Pro quad-core and an Adreno 320. It's in a league of its own honestly. The only thing that truly competes with it is the SoC in the iPhone 5. Burns me that that's the case, but facts are facts unfortunately.
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Imagine a note 2 with a s4 pro
Sent from my SGH-T889 using XDA Premium HD app

I think these devices have really different use cases.
One major draw back for me about the nexus 4 is the battery and SD card. I've owned every nexus devicedevice and while they are amazing devices, there always seems to be some (major)drawback.
This could be said about any phone.
For the note2, the Major drawback is the size, something that I'm OK with. Which is whyi won't be switching to the n4.

brashmadcap said:
You're comparing Apples and ****ing IEDs
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mdt73 said:
Ya, I gotta agree, you are comparing two totally different products.
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I agree they're pretty different, but definitely not comparing apples and oranges (or IEDs). ..mainly because (for most), it's one or the other. They're going to serve the same purpose, even if in different ways.
I've been going crazy, back and forth btwn the two. I told myself I'd never get a non-nexus device again, but leaning more towards the NoteII now. The most important aspect for me now is the developer support. ParanoidAndroid has ruined my crackflashing escapades. I've never been on a ROM so long, and everything else seems weird now.
I hope PA comes soon. Aside from that, I worry about the N4's lack of storage/expandable storage which has seriously been a PITA on my Gnex. That BS from Duarte or another Googler about users not needing expandable memory is bs. And the cloud storage argument is ridiculous. Files commonly accessed get cached on the device anyway and take up space. (preaching to the choir). I'm less concerned about the LTE futureproofing, but it's definitely an issue as well.

dannydv said:
Nexus 4 is crap! Don't buy it or u will regret it!!!!!!
Sent from my SGH-T889 using xda premium
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The nexus 4 isnt going to be crap. There are many negative points for me regarding the nexus 4 versus the note 2 but it will not be a bad phone.
On another note. I haven't done any reading or researching on the matter, is the snapdragon really THAT much faster than the exynos? I didnt know such a disparity existed.
Sent from my SGH-T889 using Tapatalk 2

I got the Note II because it has much better battery life than the new Nexus. My last phone was the Galaxy Nexus, a great phone, but I was always carrying an external battery with me or charging it in the wall. Compared to the galaxy nexus (and probably the nexus 4 and most androids out there), my experience so far with the Note II is that the battery life is about twice as good. With the Note II I can leave the bluetooth on, gps on, screen bright, and it's all okay for the day. It also charges super fast at 2amp. It took me longer to charge my Galaxy Nexus even though the battery was much smaller.
Wifi calling, removable battery, larger screen, SD card are nice as well. It seems Google doesn't update their OS that often anymore anyways. I had the Galaxy Nexus for a year and only had very few updates that barely improved anything (where as my Nexus S and Nexus One seemed to have had more significant updates.)

The charging is pretty cool on the note 2. Ive never had a phone with such a huge battery that can chsrge so fast
Sent from my SGH-T889 using Tapatalk 2

Funny thing is when I had my S2 all I heard is how crappy the snapdragon was and how great he Exynos was, now that the nexus has one all of a sudden its the best. Smh

tigerz0202 said:
Funny thing is when I had my S2 all I heard is how crappy the snapdragon was and how great he Exynos was, now that the nexus has one all of a sudden its the best. Smh
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This exactly.
Sent from my JellyBean Galaxys3

Note 2 vs nexus 4

So guys I'm in a dilemma here I have both phones right now sealed in the box I don't know which one to keep and which one to sell. I'm in Canada so lte works on the nexus 4. What do you guys suggest ? Thanks

One for work one for play ;p
sent from outside ur window

twanskys204 said:
One for work one for play ;p
sent from outside ur window
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I was in the same dilemma as well. If you don't mind the size, the Note 2 is the better choice. The Nexus 4 may get the faster updates but we're on xda anyway so pretty much any phone with a good community will get updates.

Personally, if I had a choice between those 2 phones, I would prefer the Note 2. I'm a bit biased because I've been with Samsung for so long and I don't trust any other brand other than them. LOL. But from an unbiased point, the Nexus 4 provides faster updates (as mentioned), the Krait processor, and it's Google. Note 2 has a bunch of useful features and now we have some very reputable and brilliant developers in our community which will jump start our development. There's even an Android 4.2 (WIP) coming for us!

offwiththeface said:
So guys I'm in a dilemma here I have both phones right now sealed in the box I don't know which one to keep and which one to sell. I'm in Canada so lte works on the nexus 4. What do you guys suggest ? Thanks
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Note 2 hands down...more features and great dev support.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I317 using Tapatalk 2

I've used both and ended up sticking with the note 2 there's nothing out there right now that can compare to its specs not even goggles own baby
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I317 using xda premium

Did you ask this same question in the Nexus 4 section? lol...It's gonna be hard to get an unbiased opinion when you ask a question like that in a section specifically for one of the phones
Having said that, I had the LG Optimus G, and aside from the LG skin (which wasn't TOO horrible) it was a good phone, but I still promptly exchanged it for a Note 2 and don't regret it one bit. I have never had good experiences with LG phones. The display was beautiful though.

I have a note 2 and my buddy has a nexus 4. I thought the nexus 4 screen looks way better then note 2 screen hands down in my opinion. The build quality and feel of nexus 4 is also much better. However no removable battery no lte, and no sd card support are major deal breakers. 16gb is just not enough with games and apps installed. At least if they made a 32gb version.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I317 using xda premium

The nexus 4 has some attractive points. LTE maybe less of an issue if you in Canada. The screen is nice and it's a fast performer.
But for me the lack of MicroSD and non-removable is a no go for me. Not only is battery life on the Note 2 awesome, but I have a spare battery i can use if every needed. I also really like having the s pen and the 5.5" screen i greatly enjoy. The size of the note is not for everyone, I'm OK with it.
You have to decide how important each of these factors are to you. Once you do that I'm sure you'll be happy with your choice.

If note 2 was made by LG and nexus 4 by Samsung, I'd say go for nexus 4...
Personally I'm staying away from anything LG, I had enough gray hair with LG Nitro HD, thank you very much.

[email protected] said:
If note 2 was made by LG and nexus 4 by Samsung, I'd say go for nexus 4...
Personally I'm staying away from anything LG, I had enough gray hair with LG Nitro HD, thank you very much.
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You're lucky you never tried the Thrill then...
I need more time before trying LG again. The guy at the AT&T store tried to get me to buy the Optimus G when the Note was not in stock yet. The nexus might be okay if LG isn't responsible for the software.
Sent from my Note ][

When you ask such question in Note 2 forum, my feeling is that you are going to get some bias answer.
I have both phones, and I think both phone are top notch in their own way. Here's what I think:
Nexus 4
- Very solid build, the construction is as solid as iPhone. Feels great in hand.
- The display does produce some relatively accurate colour compare to my IPS displays. I do a lot of photo editing/viewing. On the other hand, the sAMOLED does throw the colour off a bit by over saturated (nature of AMOLED), with the "natural" profile on Note2, it does become closer to real colour. Pixel density on the N4 is also better, but it's not critical as the Note 2 display is pretty sharp with the sAMOLED HD.
- AOSP, AOSP, AOSP! If you aren't a fan of Touchwiz, this is what you should keep. Not just the updates, as they don't come everyday. It's the user experience. Samsung does add a lot of neat feature that many can't live without, but in my honest opinion, AOSP does provide a nice layout and great feature out the box. I am also not a huge fan of Samsung's oversized UI, either.
- Believe it or not, the on screen button is a very important "feature" of N4 - You now have a place to put your thumb when you hold the phone, especially when passing the phone to people to show them stuff...without accidentally touching any of the buttons. However, also because of the on screen button, you do lose some screen estate.
- Buttery smooth, yes, smoother than the "more powerful" Note 2
- The price - You are indeed getting a lot of phone for the price that you are paying.
- Battery is medicore, partially due to bugs of 4.2 I believe. Dead locks are draining the battery.
- Lack of SD card might be a deal breaker for you. It isn't for me.
- Camera sucks.
Note 2
- Huge display, this is probably the max that you can carry with the borderline portability. The display is beneficial for reading stuff, browsing, sharing contents with friends
- The battery is ridiculous. The size, with the power management of the software makes it unreal. I get average 2 hours of light/moderate usage per 10%, on LTE.
- Touchwiz - To use the full features of the Note2, you probably don't want AOSP. The S-Pen works well with touchwiz, and I find touchwiz works well with large displays due to the oversized UI elements
- Size - It's pocketable, but it's not extremely comfortable. Taking in and out, using it in public, talking on it looks very awkward. No matter how big your hands are, how big of a person you are, this IS larger than your average phone by a lot
- One hand usability - Samsung does have some one hand accessibility but in general, reaching for places around the screen is a struggle with one hand
- Great sound - Speaker, and headphone jack.
- Strong vibrator
- S Pen - Unless you have a use for it, it's a gimmick. It's fun to fool around with it, but the hype tends to die off quickly
- FAST charging. Nexus 4 is fast, but Note 2 is even faster consider it's massive battery. This is a very important feature to me.
- Impressive camera, but not that it's any/much better than that of SGS3
- Oh, if you don't have a 7" tablet yet, this should fill that gap a bit.
As it stands, Note 2 has some very attractive points to me, such as the large display for reading and the insane battery life that makes me not to worry about being close to a charger. However, I don't feel comfortable using it on a daily basis due to the size. WIth that said, I am using a Note 2 now as I gave my Nexus 4 (8GB) to my other half. I have a 16GB coming in a month, and I will re-evaluate it again by then.
These two phones are pretty much Android in it's best form in today's market, and they are not substitutable for each other due to the different nature of them. The phone war has evolved to beyond to the specs-war just like computing world. The "better specs" of Note 2 doesn't necessary determine whether the phone is better or not, and with that said, Nexus 4 specs is pretty impressive too. You need to pick your own base on your need
Hope it helps a bit with your decision! Any more specific questions you have that can help with your decision, just ask. It's a tough one to make.

Awesome thanks for the input its a huge decision I think of will end up keeping the note
Sent from my SGH-T879 using xda app-developers app

The Nexus 4 ultimately had too many drawbacks for me to consider it. The thermal throttling issues with the S4Pro processor, the non-swapable battery with less than stellar battery life, the limited storage without microSD expansion, the glass back prone to cracking, and no LTE. And now we find out that the Nexus 4 cannot support USB-OTG, so all those who bought one thinking they could move files over to an external drive are SOL. No USB keyboards/mice/Dualshock etc. Not a big deal if you have bluetooth peripherals, but I want to have as many options as possible. The Note II is a superhero in that regard...

I have the Note 2 and personally love it, but if you don't need the size, then nexus 4 is a much better option. I love the vanilla 4.2 JB and the screen is much crispier, any build quality is top notch [I have both phones]
If note 2 had a 1080 display then, I would so Note 2 hands down.

Get a quality BT headphone and you won't have to worry about how you look to other people...personally I really could give a rats behind how others think...but hey that's just me...
Nexus vs Note II...to me it all comes down to do you want the biggest best phone or a smaller phone that doesn't offer as much.
S-pen is there if you need it...and it's always better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it.
ASOP...http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2046616..it has a few minor glitches...but if this is your thing...then enjoy it.
Smoothness...drop this one in...http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2028661 add Nova launcher and tweak it...and your golden...
Memory card...your going to want one...just to fill up with all of the videos you'll be watching and music you'll be rocking to...
My advice...prop them both up side by side and watch any video on it...browse the internet..then ask yourself...which offers you what you want/need to enjoy it with
Mac

Mac11700 said:
Get a quality BT headphone and you won't have to worry about how you look to other people...personally I really could give a rats behind how others think...but hey that's just me...
Nexus vs Note II...to me it all comes down to do you want the biggest best phone or a smaller phone that doesn't offer as much.
S-pen is there if you need it...and it's always better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it.
ASOP...http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2046616..it has a few minor glitches...but if this is your thing...then enjoy it.
Smoothness...drop this one in...http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2028661 add Nova launcher and tweak it...and your golden...
Memory card...your going to want one...just to fill up with all of the videos you'll be watching and music you'll be rocking to...
My advice...prop them both up side by side and watch any video on it...browse the internet..then ask yourself...which offers you what you want/need to enjoy it with
Mac
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Mac,
No offense but I think your post is pretty bias.
- Yes, you can always bring a BT headset, but shouldn't you be able to hold a phone comfortably on your face instead of having to depend on a BT headset in order to not look silly? Also, how about the people that don't like bluetooth headset in general?
- S-Pen, yes, it's better to have but at what cost? Size of the phone?
- Touchwiz isn't without it's own glitches, whether AOSP or not is a pure preferences whether it has bugs or not. I actually find touchwiz works well with GN2, AOSP won't.
- Smoothness, sorry, Note 2 just isn't as smooth as a N4 no matter what launcher you put in. It could be due to settings, but out the box even with Nova, it's not there.
- Memory Card - why must he get one?
I do agree with Note 2 having better specs, but the cost is the size. If you can live with the size and Touchwiz, there isn't a reason not to get Note2....but only if you can live with the size.
Cheers.

cy88 said:
shouldn't you be able to hold a phone comfortably on your face instead of having to depend on a BT headset in order to not look silly?
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Caring about what other people think of you holding a phone to your face reeks of insecurity to me. "Looking Silly" is the last thing that would sway me from buying an excellent device.
Remember how small phones used to be ten years ago? It wasn't that long ago when people also thought 3.5" smartphones were huge.

cy88 said:
Mac,
No offense but I think your post is pretty bias.
- Yes, you can always bring a BT headset, but shouldn't you be able to hold a phone comfortably on your face instead of having to depend on a BT headset in order to not look silly? Also, how about the people that don't like bluetooth headset in general?
- S-Pen, yes, it's better to have but at what cost? Size of the phone?
- Touchwiz isn't without it's own glitches, whether AOSP or not is a pure preferences whether it has bugs or not. I actually find touchwiz works well with GN2, AOSP won't.
- Smoothness, sorry, Note 2 just isn't as smooth as a N4 no matter what launcher you put in. It could be due to settings, but out the box even with Nova, it's not there.
- Memory Card - why must he get one?
I do agree with Note 2 having better specs, but the cost is the size. If you can live with the size and Touchwiz, there isn't a reason not to get Note2....but only if you can live with the size.
Cheers.
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Cy8888, that's funny you said Mac's post was biased because that's exactly what I thought when I read your long post above.
Remember, the OP asked what people thought and the reply's have been, for the most part, just that. Almost every statement you made in your lengthy post was "your opinion", certainly not facts. For example, I use the S-Pen daily and love it's added benefit and it, in my opinion, is not a gimmick as you stated.
So, no need to call out another forum members post when he is doing the same as you...giving his opinion as requested by the OP.:angel:

andrawer said:
Cy8888, that's funny you said Mac's post was biased because that's exactly what I thought when I read your long post above.
Remember, the OP asked what people thought and the reply's have been, for the most part, just that. Almost every statement you made in your lengthy post was "your opinion", certainly not facts. For example, I use the S-Pen daily and love it's added benefit and it, in my opinion, is not a gimmick as you stated.
So, no need to call out another forum members post when he is doing the same as you...giving his opinion as requested by the OP.:angel:
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Click to collapse
I was bias because I love/have the Note 2 so much but the size, right?
What I said: "S Pen -Unless you have a use for it, it's a gimmick." - You do, so it's not a gimmick for you for sure. I know a few people that do have a use for it and I am impressed with how they make use of it for work purposes.
Which other point of my post is pure bias? I simply listed out the things I from with using both devices, I never said one is better for another for everyone. However Mac did say that "you are GOING to want one", "BUGS with 4.2", etc etc to just praise the Note 2. OP is trying to make a decision, and words like that aren't going to make his choice easier is it?
UCLAKoolman said:
Caring about what other people think of you holding a phone to your face reeks of insecurity to me. "Looking Silly" is the last thing that would sway me from buying an excellent device.
Remember how small phones used to be ten years ago? It wasn't that long ago when people also thought 3.5" smartphones were huge.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I might have worded it wrong, but the fact that it's bigger than normal does draw attention. Yes, you can choose not to care about anyone thinks at all, but there are some actually "dont" want to draw that type of attention with a device. It is a fact that Note 2 is humongous, and that's ALSO it's selling point. Unless you have a need and can live with the size, otherwise you might want to look at other alternatives like SGS3 (which i have one sitting here also if you want comparison) that offers something in the middle.
I apologize if I've rubbed anyone the wrong way, wasn't the intention.
Cheers!

Looking for your opinion from original Note users...

I currently have the original Note running CM10. My phone is a work phone and I have the luxury of getting early upgrades from AT&T. They have offered me the phone at $199.00 if it want. You folks have been using your phones for a bit now, any original Note converts think it wasn't worth it and in hindsight don't see that much of an improvement?

Birdsfan said:
I currently have the original Note running CM10. My phone is a work phone and I have the luxury of getting early upgrades from AT&T. They have offered me the phone at $199.00 if it want. You folks have been using your phones for a bit now, any original Note converts think it wasn't worth it and in hindsight don't see that much of an improvement?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Definitely worth it, especially for the increase in battery life.

sold my note1 havent looked back (i was running cm10)
oh and i sold it for $350.
the GN2 is so smooth...:highfive:

kirkla79 said:
Definitely worth it, especially for the increase in battery life.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
+1 for battery. last through the day note like the Note 1. smoother and better wise

I got lucky with a craiglist deal and got it earlier than I expected. I was going to wait for a coupke months. The biggest upgrade to me is the 2gb of ram.
If can wait for a better deal I would wait. Personally my excitement level wasnt as high as the original note. But all in all this is the best device on the market.
I owned a dna droid for about 2 weeks foe testing and htc in my opinion is still playing catchup and next to the note 2 its looks washed out specially if your a fan of amoled display.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I317 using xda premium

Sold my note1 for a nexus in july then sold my nexus for this. Best phone ever used.
Sent from my GT-N7105 using xda premium

By far the best phone ever made in my opinion. The note 1 doesn't even compare to this thing it really is far better in every way
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I317 using xda app-developers app

I still have my original note (being used by my brother) and weve done some side by side tests the note 1 just doesn't compare to the note 2 not even in the same league

I had the note 1,and I'd have to say the note 2 was worth the upgrade.The note 2 just so much faster and more options than my note 1 by far.I would say get the note 2 definitely,or if you can wait there is talk of the note 3 coming maybe in jan,feb,with a bigger 6.3 screen.I'm kind of disappointment, if I new the note 3 was going to come so soon,I would of waited.

I sold my original note for 360. I got the note 2 for 199. So basically a free upgrade. No regrets at all and battery life is 3 times better than og note.
Sent from the TermiNOTEr 2!

Funny, saw a thread in the i-717 general discussion board the other day, and it was like a thread for people trying to convince themselves they weren't upset they couldn't upgrade to the Note II. Don't get me wrong, my original Note I was an amazing phone, but the Note II is definitely in another league as difficult as that seems. It's more portable, Jelly Bean/Project Butter/Nature UI makes a world of difference, better hardware internals, significantly better speakerphone, an actual multi-color LED notification light, better call quality, and a battery that is so vastly better there's no real metric to compare it to. Not to mention the better camera and list of extended photo-taking features the original Note doesn't have. And if you're someone who actually likes the S Pen, there's no comparison between the capabilities and build of the new S Pen, over the crappy one on the OG Note. All of this, and there's still a bucket of other enhanced features I've left out. I have no regrets making the upgrade, especially since it virtually cost me nothing.

The Note 2 is a huge upgrade. Battery life alone is the selling point. If you can get a deal GET IT!

I had my doubts upgrading from note but trust me. .. it feels like night and day and I had my note highly overclocked.
Do yourself a favor and waste no more time thinking about it and make the jump :thumbup:
Sent from the Mighty Note 2!

No regrets here...JB + quad-core + 2GB ram makes the device so smooth. Also no issues with blobs and such!
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I317 using xda app-developers app

The Note II is an entirely different league. The new S Pen itself is much easier to hold compared to the one included with the original Note, the battery lasts quite a bit longer, and the software actually takes full advantage of the S Pen instead of feeling like it's bolted on -- for example, features such as Quick Command, Air View, the new S Note app that replaced S Memo, etc.
Don't get me wrong, the original GALAXY Note was a great device, but at times it left things to be desired. With the Note II, the whole experience just feels better and more intuitive. It's definitely worthwhile upgrading in my opinion.

The other posters have said pretty much everything. I'm also a Note 1 to Note 2 convert. The Note 2 is a tremendous improvement over the original.
Prior to switching I wasn't keen on the form factor of the Note 2 (GSIII shape and home button vs the North American Note 1 w/o home button). What really attracted me to the Note 2 was what I had seen/heard/read of the speed, smoothness and battery life. All were true. What surprised me was how much better the Note 2 was in all of the above areas. What surprised me even more than that was how much I actually like the form factor, home button and all.
With my Note 1 I had two main complaints: speed/lag and battery life. I purchased a slightly higher capacity battery to address the first issue, but was waiting on the JellyBean update to see if that would improve the speed and smoothness (hopes weren't high on that one). I knew that the problem was with the number of things that I was running, but to me that was the point of having a 'superphone.' Battery life and speed were fine when the phone was used lightly, but if screen brightness was turned up, multiple pages full of widgets were set up, various Samsung enhancements were running, and LTE, WiFi and Bluetooth were on then performance was lackluster and the unit ate up the battery like there was no tomorrow.
I can use the Note 2 as advertised, without having to worry about turning off/disabling features in order to save the battery or eliminate lag. This phone spends its days with motion enhancements, Bluetooth, LTE, WiFi and sync (email, etc) on all the time and still gets me easily through the day. It's astonishing. It shouldn't be astonishing, but modern phones have us trained to think that it's not reasonable to expect a full day of 'full' use.
Long story short, the Note 2 is definitely worth the upgrade.

drop the $ and come on in...the water is fine! You'll never regret it!

zc1 said:
Prior to switching I wasn't keen on the form factor of the Note 2 (GSIII shape and home button vs the North American Note 1 w/o home button).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's funny that you mention that, because coming from both the GALAXY S II Skyrocket & the original GALAXY Note I thought the same thing about that "stupid little home button" (as I referred to it at the time). But after actually using the S III and the Note II, it's actually nice to have a physical button that you can press to return to the launcher, or even just turn the screen on really quick to glance at a notification (since capacitive buttons can act wonky sometimes.)

Note 2 no doubt. Most powerful phone out on the market with outstanding battery life. Feels great in hand, yet perfect aspect ratio. 64gb external storage. Quad core....
Holding off on the deal is just a loss of value on the 1. If you love the original, the only thing you will regret is that you didn't get the note 2 sooner.
Start tha new year off right.
I dont always talk online, but when I do I prefer xda premium.

Thank you all very much for taking the time to respond to my question. My XDA brothers have spoken and I read you loud and clear! I will be starting off the new year with a Note 2.

Replace Nexus 7 with Note 2?

Hey everyone!
At the moment, I'm using Nexus S and Nexus 7 combo. Nexus S is getting too old to be on par with new software which lags, and since I have the I9023 version, it has SLCD display and camera wasn't as good even for the time when it came out.
So I was thinking, maybe I should sell both devices and add a bit more money to it, and get Note 2?
So I did the math
I lose:
- bigger N7's screen
- Nexus experience
- multiple devices option (battery saving and stuff)
- good reading experience on N7
I get:
- a single device on which everything is done
- Note experience
- by far a better camera
- Super AMOLED display
So I need your opinion, I hope this isn't getting way too boring for you (these questions), does it pay out, since I'd really like Note 2.

I own both, and I hardly use my Nexus 7 now Depends on your usage though, you must already be aware that screen size is significantly smaller - but it's significantly better device in all other respects, and much easier to hold than a tablet obviously. For me, N2 hits the sweet spot. And obviously there's S Pen, which you may or may not use - I do use it a lot for browsing and typing especially.

I just switched from Nexus 7 + Lumia 800 to Note 2. I am very happy with the change. The Nexus was great, I loved it, but I had to carry two devices. Now it is perfect.
Sent from my GT-N7100 using xda app-developers app

the google experience is very beautifull, but it is too thin, too poor of features and uncared for in my opinion, the only good thing is lightening fast updates.
For the rest I sold the Nexus 7 as soon as I took notes 2 and I decided to buy 10.1 Notes and Notes 2 and now I feel really good xD

Get a note 8... best of note 2 in a bigger size. .phone calling included
scribbled from my note 2 (N7100)

Note 8 isn't a phone. It's still a tablet with call facility. Obviously if that's what he's looking for then Note 8's the better choice obviously.

Dzong said:
the google experience is very beautifull, but it is too thin, too poor of features and uncared for in my opinion, the only good thing is lightening fast updates.
For the rest I sold the Nexus 7 as soon as I took notes 2 and I decided to buy 10.1 Notes and Notes 2 and now I feel really good xD
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Exactly. But honestly, that is why we have this forum, I can always try some ROM of new Android which is not yet available for Note.
I don't think I'll get Note 8, I can't really carry it around everywhere I go. I'll go for Note 2, already sold my racket I don't use that much, so I need to sell my NS and N7 and that's it.
Question though! Reason I was hesitating was big screen for gaming, and then it hit me - Note does have HDMI output right? So can I fire up say, Asphalt 7 and hook it up to TV, and then just use my phone as a controller?

JavaJunkay said:
Exactly. But honestly, that is why we have this forum, I can always try some ROM of new Android which is not yet available for Note.
I don't think I'll get Note 8, I can't really carry it around everywhere I go. I'll go for Note 2, already sold my racket I don't use that much, so I need to sell my NS and N7 and that's it.
Question though! Reason I was hesitating was big screen for gaming, and then it hit me - Note does have HDMI output right? So can I fire up say, Asphalt 7 and hook it up to TV, and then just use my phone as a controller?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If the nexus experience is not that important to you then by all means get the note2. Touchwiz is actually bearable and useful on the mote2. Very optimized hardware, software is pretty good and optimized, battery life can't be beat, screen is friggin' awesome especially movie mode for the accuracy, reception is actually pretty dang awesome for a Samsung phone, it is easier to hold than a 7" tablet, the interchangeable battery and expandable storage etc etc...
Yes, there is video out through mhl. I highly recommend getting the official OEM accessories to do it, and there are different methods of getting it like the smart dock, adapters or straight mhl to HDMI cable. I haven't tried games yet, but you might want to consider the input lag that might or might not be there. Video though looks great.
Sent from my GT-N7100

Good to see I'm not the only one with N7 and SGNII I have both devices and don't carry my N7 as much as I used to, but I love it and use it at home, since it's much more convenient, bigger screen, etc. Note II is BIG, but not as big as N7

I had an n7 too, but no longer. The screen is bigger, but I found that the superior display quality of the note 2 factors in in the reading experience. An even better example is my Transformer Pad, which has such an abysmal display compared to the note 2, that I almost read better on my phone in spite of it being a fourth of the screen size.
Sent from my GT-N7100 using Tapatalk 2

I would better have note 10.1 with note 2, experience of both tablets and phablets world

I have Note 2 and Note 8 and I'm thinking of selling the Note 8 as I hardly ever use it.
Sent from the mighty Note II

[Q] Is the Note 8 worth the money now?

So, basically, I'm in the process of quitting smoking. As a "congratulations" type gift, my parents are purchasing me a tablet. I'm stuck choosing between the Nexus 7 (2013) and the Galaxy Note 8.0 right now. I already know the Nexus is worth the money, but I like the features and such on the Note.
If you saw my other thread asking about ROMs for a Note, that was part of trying to make my decision. Now that I've seen that I can keep the functionality, gain some more, and improve performance, I have to decide if it's going to be it or the Nexus.
At $330, is the Galaxy Note 8.0 worth the money at this point in its life cycle? Please try to avoid just straight yes or no answers, I would love you to elaborate. I know it also depends what I'm using it for, so just assume that I like to draw, am not fantastic at it but it's a fun hobby, and I would make use of the office suite included.

I had the Note 8.0 and the Nexus 7 2013. The Note 8.0 has much ore functionality and a MicroSD slot. The Nexus has the better screen. They are similar speed wise. Best Buy has the Note 8.0 for $299 right now. I assume because the Galaxy Tab Pro 8.4 launched last week. I like Multiwindow of the Note also.

nrage23 said:
I had the Note 8.0 and the Nexus 7 2013. The Note 8.0 has much ore functionality and a MicroSD slot. The Nexus has the better screen. They are similar speed wise. Best Buy has the Note 8.0 for $299 right now. I assume because the Galaxy Tab Pro 8.4 launched last week. I like Multiwindow of the Note also.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks very much for your input. At Best Buy here, the Note 8.0 is $330, but I'm Canadian so that's just the crappy exchange rate.
I've done extensive reading on both of these tablets, and that's something that really stood out, just how much more functionality the Note has over the Nexus. The SD card slot is a huge thing, too. Being able to spend $40 and slap a 64gb class 10 MicroSD card in it would be nice. Speed wise, I heard TouchWiz can be laggy, get hung up here and there, but that custom ROMs fix that with improved performance, removing some bloatware, etc.
As it stands, I'm still slightly on the fence between the two, but I'm leaning toward the Note. I figure I don't need to make this thread in the Nexus forums, because I already know the Nexus is worth the money (minus that there's no SD card slot) and it's got its own advantages. I'm glad the Note 8.0 community is willing to give me some insight

Amazon has refurbished models for $250US.
IMHO, the only reason to chose a Note 8.0 over a Nexus 7 is the stylus/handwriting recognition. it's what makes the Note truly unique the 7-8" tablet range. If pen computing is 'nice, but not essential', then go with the Nexus 7. It's cheaper, a better screen, just as powerful, and slightly better battery life. The speakers suck compared to the Note, but then most people use headphones or powered speakers than listen to the tablet 'naked'.

Spookymonster said:
Amazon has refurbished models for $250US.
IMHO, the only reason to chose a Note 8.0 over a Nexus 7 is the stylus/handwriting recognition. it's what makes the Note truly unique the 7-8" tablet range. If pen computing is 'nice, but not essential', then go with the Nexus 7. It's cheaper, a better screen, just as powerful, and slightly better battery life. The speakers suck compared to the Note, but then most people use headphones or powered speakers than listen to the tablet 'naked'.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks muchly for your input! From what I've heard, the speakers on the Note 8.0 are pretty crap, very tinny. That's not much of a concern though because, as you said, headphones or external speakers are what I'd be using when I'm using it for movies or music.
For me, the advantages from the stylus are that I can use it to draw, to learn to draw because kindergarten kids probably do better work lol, and various small functions like improved web browsing and such. I've also got a thing for teaching myself random things because... well... I'm a nerd lol, so the S pen will be good for general stylus uses in that regard as well, like highlighting, etc.
Now, one thing I've noticed is people talk so much about how the Nexus 7 has a much better display and that text is hard to read on the Note 8.0. However... if you look at reviews from before the Nexus 7 or iPad Mini Retina came out, you see everybody saying how nice the display looks and how easy it is to read all sizes of text. To me, that says that focusing on the resolution and the PPI is more a marketing scheme than anything. Don't get me wrong, the Nexus 7 and iPad Mini Retina DO have sharper screens, the numbers don't lie, but the people talking about those numbers tend to exaggerate just how much a difference it is.

I have the note and my wife has the nexus. I much prefer my note over hers. The extra inch of screen males a huge difference. I also use the pen a lot at work highlighting material, writing logs but mostly writing on pictures.
The resolution on the nexus is better but the functionality of the pen makes this the tablet to have IMHO.
Sent from my GT-N5110 using Tapatalk

Well I paid half price before Christmas for a new boxed 5110 and in January half price for a new boxed SGH-i467. Could not touch those deals with any other product that is like the Note 8.0. Though there is not many like it to choose from.

Well, it's decided! You've all helped me solidify my thoughts about the Note 8.0, I'm not just crazy and making myself think it's good. That's what I'm getting then! I'll just have to figure out how to get updates manually, since in Canada we don't seem to get them very fast. From what I've heard, we don't even have 4.2.2 available for OTA updates here.

If I were buying a tablet now, I'd highly consider the Tab Pro 8.4, which was just released in the US yesterday for $399.
It looks to be everything the Note 8 is, except with a much nicer screen and an updated processor; but no pen. Although personally, I found I don't even use the pen on the N8.
The N8 is a great tablet, and I use it every day, sometimes for hours. But its getting close to last gen specs, having been released April 2013. And I typically don't recommend buying last gen technology.

redpoint73 said:
If I were buying a tablet now, I'd highly consider the Tab Pro 8.4, which was just released in the US yesterday for $399.
It looks to be everything the Note 8 is, except with a much nicer screen and an updated processor; but no pen. Although personally, I found I don't even use the pen on the N8.
The N8 is a great tablet, and I use it every day, sometimes for hours. But its getting close to last gen specs, having been released April 2013. And I typically don't recommend buying last gen technology.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I would certainly consider the Tab Pro 8.4, but my problem is price. I'm stuck with a firm $350 price limit (tax not included), and it's unfortunate because an extra $50 would open up my options immensely, but beggars can't be choosers right?

ArobeeTV said:
I would certainly consider the Tab Pro 8.4, but my problem is price. I'm stuck with a firm $350 price limit (tax not included), and it's unfortunate because an extra $50 would open up my options immensely, but beggars can't be choosers right?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You should have quit smoking earlier, then you would have plenty of money (those things are expensive!!!).
But seriously, I realize everyone has different budget requirements (one of the main reasons your question "is the N8 worth the money" is ultimately a decision only you can make). But to me, an extra $100 to get the new generation hardware (versus something almost a year old), is a bargain. Although if you think you will use the pen, that is obviously a consideration as well.

redpoint73 said:
You should have quit smoking earlier, then you would have plenty of money (those things are expensive!!!).
But seriously, I realize everyone has different budget requirements (one of the main reasons your question "is the N8 worth the money" is ultimately a decision only you can make). But to me, an extra $100 to get the new generation hardware (versus something almost a year old), is a bargain. Although if you think you will use the pen, that is obviously a consideration as well.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Fair point. I appreciate the input!

Like nrage, I had both at the holidays. First I had the new Nexus 7 lte, and I was wondering what I might be missing with the note 8, so I bought one of them and compared. I kept the Note 8 simply due to the larger screen, and the sd card slot. I figured, I can always tether for data, and I didn't see much difference in the screens side by side, or the audio side by side.
Also, the Note 8 will be getting kitkat 4.4.

sashusmom said:
Like nrage, I had both at the holidays. First I had the new Nexus 7 lte, and I was wondering what I might be missing with the note 8, so I bought one of them and compared. I kept the Note 8 simply due to the larger screen, and the sd card slot. I figured, I can always tether for data, and I didn't see much difference in the screens side by side, or the audio side by side.
Also, the Note 8 will be getting kitkat 4.4.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was kind of having the same thoughts. I recently saw a Note 8.0 and a Nexus 7 in a local computer store, and the screens aren't that different in quality. In fact, I liked the Note screen better, because it was bigger and more accurate with colors, and still very clear. The SD card slot is a big thing too, that's for sure. As for the Note 8.0 getting KitKat, that's a good thing I suppose. I don't know that it'll improve it much, or how long it'll take before we get it in Canada (we still don't have 4.2.2 on Note 8.0 here, I believe), but one can hope.

I wish you woud have posted this back in August. I bought my note 8 from staples for $240 with tax and be honest the note 8 is going to updated to kitkat soon.
Sent from my GT-N5110 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app

evolishesh said:
I wish you woud have posted this back in August. I bought my note 8 from staples for $240 with tax and be honest the note 8 is going to updated to kitkat soon.
Sent from my GT-N5110 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
$240? I wish. For some reason, everybody appears to have RAISED their price on it today. From a business standpoint, that doesn't make sense.

ArobeeTV said:
$240? I wish. For some reason, everybody appears to have RAISED their price on it today. From a business standpoint, that doesn't make sense.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Trust me. They had it for $299-75 dollars coupon, plus taxes. It all came out to $240.
Sent from my GT-N5110 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app

For someone who just bought this note yesterday l will say it is worth the money as there are no other Comparable tablet you can find and left for a hander the handwriting recognition is superb.
Sent from my GT-N5100 using Tapatalk

biggiebro said:
For someone who just bought this note yesterday l will say it is worth the money as there are no other Comparable tablet you can find and left for a hander the handwriting recognition is superb.
Sent from my GT-N5100 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks muchly for the input! I've been wondering about that handwriting recognition thing, even though I probably won't use it that much. In case I do end up using that feature, it's good to know it works well!

@ ArobeeTV- I forgot!!!!! A huge :highfive: and congratulations on quitting smoking. You won't be sorry:victory: Since your parents are buying your tablet, I will assume you are young enough to be able to heal all your lung tissue and have a healthy life!
My mom smoked her whole life. I fought with her to quit since I was 16. She died of a heart attack. Lung cancer doesn't always get you. For her it was periph. artery disease- she couldn't walk more than 20 feet at once, and emphysema, and a clogged heart that got her in the end. Very poor quality of life for her last 10 years. :crying: I am a nurse and witnessed an autopsy of a smoker with lung cancer. Very ugly.
OK. I'm done with my speech!
Please keep up the good work and be healthy while you use your shiny new tablet!! Whatever one you choose.