MobileRead Forums - View Single Post - Galaxy Tab 2 7.0

DebbyS · 06-25-2012, 08:09 PM

I'd been thinking for quite a while about buying a tablet of some kind. My JBL is great but I can't read comics on it.

Kindle Fire has limited space (one is supposed to use The Cloud for storage) and it seems users have to talk to their Fire through email, so wi-fi presence and use is extensive. Nook Color has a card slot and reads epub but B&N wants a credit card # even though one may never buy a book from them. I kept searching and came across the Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 (7.0), like you did. While I knew zero about Android, let alone the newest flavor, I figured that if I can force Windows 7 to bend to my will (which I can, almost), Android 4.0.x shouldn't be a problem -- but best of all, it didn't seem to require a wi-fi connection to even get started. Later I found out our apartment complex leasing office stopped offering Wi-Fi, drat... I guess one day I'll have to go to the Flying Star, have a meal and use their wi-fi.

I wanted to buy the SGTab in town but the closest store, Staples, didn't have it; neither did Wal-Mart. I wound up getting it from Amazon and on a whim paying for next-day delivery. Turns out that the delivery charges were a few $ less than the taxes I would have paid locally, making the purchase somewhat cheaper overall. Cool!

I had done a lot of studying ahead of time. A good site seems to be www.thegalaxytabforum.com which even offers a link to a user manual, though I got a copy from the Samsung site. After charging the device (which is the First Thing You Should Do and takes at least 4 hours)*, I played with it a bit and discovered that it could handle everything... except epub format. Fortunately, earlier on delivery day I had found the site for alkido (app writer's website) and downloaded a free version of the apk, which I sideloaded (loaded via the microSC card), and that works for the epubs, though not on the pdf files in landscape. For them I discovered ezPDF reader; I got the apk file for that at a Site That Shall Not Be Named. Note again that I'm one of the few people in the world who doesn't have wi-fi, not even at work, so no Amazon App store or Google store for me at this time. I want to find and load the programs myself, but those two stores have a near 100% monopoly.

So with the edition of these two pieces of software, my Tab does everything I want it to do. I can read books and comic books (in PDF format), and watch TV in flv, avi and mp4 format.

What I don't like is that it comes with a lot of apps that I don't think I'll ever use but I don't want to uninstall them; I'd just like to hide them but can't. I did make a folder with my favorite apps in it (I learned about this at the Tab site noted above). I also replaced the generic wallpaper with my own digital picture. If I can do something in Windows, I should be able to do it, if only in a limited manner, in Ice Cream Sandwich. My friends who have seen the Tab at work are impressed (even the friend who has a Kindle Fire).

*I learned on that site that one should not leave the device charging overnight or, say, while you're away for the day. The thought is that over charging might hurt it. But you can read about it and add that info to your arsenal

06-25-2012, 08:09 PM	#5
DebbyS Zealot Posts: 115 Karma: 1472692 Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Albuquerque, NM Device: Jetbook Lite; Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 (7.0)	I'd been thinking for quite a while about buying a tablet of some kind. My JBL is great but I can't read comics on it. Kindle Fire has limited space (one is supposed to use The Cloud for storage) and it seems users have to talk to their Fire through email, so wi-fi presence and use is extensive. Nook Color has a card slot and reads epub but B&N wants a credit card # even though one may never buy a book from them. I kept searching and came across the Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 (7.0), like you did. While I knew zero about Android, let alone the newest flavor, I figured that if I can force Windows 7 to bend to my will (which I can, almost), Android 4.0.x shouldn't be a problem -- but best of all, it didn't seem to require a wi-fi connection to even get started. Later I found out our apartment complex leasing office stopped offering Wi-Fi, drat... I guess one day I'll have to go to the Flying Star, have a meal and use their wi-fi. I wanted to buy the SGTab in town but the closest store, Staples, didn't have it; neither did Wal-Mart. I wound up getting it from Amazon and on a whim paying for next-day delivery. Turns out that the delivery charges were a few $ less than the taxes I would have paid locally, making the purchase somewhat cheaper overall. Cool! I had done a lot of studying ahead of time. A good site seems to be www.thegalaxytabforum.com which even offers a link to a user manual, though I got a copy from the Samsung site. After charging the device (which is the First Thing You Should Do and takes at least 4 hours), I played with it a bit and discovered that it could handle everything... except epub format. Fortunately, earlier on delivery day I had found the site for alkido (app writer's website) and downloaded a free version of the apk, which I sideloaded (loaded via the microSC card), and that works for the epubs, though not on the pdf files in landscape. For them I discovered ezPDF reader; I got the apk file for that at a Site That Shall Not Be Named. Note again that I'm one of the few people in the world who doesn't have wi-fi, not even at work, so no Amazon App store or Google store for me at this time. I want to find and load the programs myself, but those two stores have a near 100% monopoly. So with the edition of these two pieces of software, my Tab does everything I want it to do. I can read books and comic books (in PDF format), and watch TV in flv, avi and mp4 format. What I don't like is that it comes with a lot of apps that I don't think I'll ever use but I don't want to uninstall them; I'd just like to hide them but can't. I did make a folder with my favorite apps in it (I learned about this at the Tab site noted above). I also replaced the generic wallpaper with my own digital picture. If I can do something in Windows, I should be able to do it, if only in a limited manner, in Ice Cream Sandwich. My friends who have seen the Tab at work are impressed (even the friend who has a Kindle Fire). I learned on that site that one should not leave the device charging overnight or, say, while you're away for the day. The thought is that over charging might hurt it. But you can read about it and add that info to your arsenal Last edited by DebbyS; 06-25-2012 at 08:13 PM.