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Its not just about marketing

kenosha77a Updated - 5th Sep 2010

@NonZealot
Hmm..you actually think they look better? Interesting.

Anyway, I viewed the Samsung ad for the Galaxy and was impressed. Here's my take on comparing the two products.

I like the Galaxy. I think its ability to hold a video conference between two users is a plus. I'm going to assume that the perceived "speed" of the tablet is quite acceptable and would compare favorably with the iPad.

Finally, I would have no problem with recommending this tablet to anyone. (I own Samsung electronic equipment; they are of high quality and have performed as advertised.)

Now .. having lived with the 3G 64 Gig iPad model for five months I would recommend the iPad over the Galaxy for the following reasons.

As of today .. the iPad App Store with its iPad centric applications trumps the Android app ecosystem by a huge factor. This is key! As has been noted in the past, the reason any version of Microsoft Windows and PC hardware combination was recommended over any version of Mac OS and Apple Hardware was its applications ecosystem. That advantage in the past was great .. today .. hardly any advantage exists or perhaps, when certain professional segments are factored in .. the advantage has turned into a disadvantage. (This point can be debated but for sake of argument lets at least say that for the average consumer or prosumer, the application ecosystem for both platforms are the same.)

So .. that being said .. the Galaxy ecosystem pales in relationship to the iPad ecosystem. (That's not to say that owners of the Galaxy can't or won't find all the applications that they will ever use, but today, there are far more quality mobile apps available for the iPad than there are for the Android - Tablet market.)

Two: I like the larger screen size! I'm sorry .. size does matter.

Three: The iPad has a proven battery charge duration track record. I can use my iPad extensively during the day and still have only encountered a battery charge level below 10 percent less than five times during my ownership of this iPad model. I "wake-up" in the morning .. use the thing all day .. and then charge it at night. The Galaxy battery life might equal or surpass the iPad but that history has not been proven yet.

Now .. as for the advantages of the Galaxy's hardware design over the iPad design .. Never had need for USB ports or extra external memory requirements when using my iPad. (I have used the optional photo and video SD Card adapters to transfer photo and video data into the iPad but I never have had a need to "transfer" other data to and from my iPad to my home computer.) That can be done in a variety of wireless ways and also thru syncing. Again .. a Galaxy owner might require those features but its been my experience as a "tablet user" that one probably won't need those extra hardware i/o ports as well.

Plus .. in November .. the iPad gets iOS 4.2 or multitasking, wireless printing and a much improved mobile Safari browser which, among other things, will finally allow web page searches for a particular text string.

Of course .. I would also recommend putting off an iPad purchase if a person could wait until gen 2 arrives next year. That model will have Face Time WiFi video conferencing undoubtedly. Among other hardware improvements.

But .. if a consumer "needed" to purchase a tablet today, I still would recommend the iPad over these other two Android Models. But then again, that recommendation is something like recommending a Ford Mustang over a Dodge Challenger or a Chevy Camaro. Its simply a matter of taste .. not really a matter of substance.

Edited to add these points to G-Systems comments.

A long time ago, I once read this comment in a Robert Heinlein novel. "What is an elephant? It is a mouse built to Government specifications." Its still relevant to the "freedom of choice" points G-Systems made in this way. Current Apple design philosophy is best described as minimalist. A philosophy best summed up by Apple lead designer Jonathan Ive's iPad comments where he stated he was most proud of the choices his design team made regarding certain features left out of the iPad product. If you build a product that pleases every consumer's "wish list" than you get a "Government Elephant" rather than a "mouse that roars". It isn't a "freedom of choice" issue that some Apple critics cite (as he did) for their reasons to avoid an Apple product. First and foremost, and this should apply to every manufacturing company, Apple builds products that they want and believe in. I just so happen to enjoy and recommend their products based upon their Corporate Vision.

By the way .. I enjoyed reading G-Systems comments. But to be fair, I stated my original points in 635 words while he needed 693. (I used Microsoft Word's "word count tool" feature to check this.)