[Q] Is Spen & Digitizer significantly better with Note 10.1 2014 Edition? - Galaxy Note 10.1 Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting

Hi, I am wondering if anyone has any hands-on experience with the Note 10.1 2014 edition and can comment on whether there are significant improvements in the accuracy of the Spen with the 2014 edition in comparison with the original Note 10.1.
I'm not referring to extra features, but rather improved accuracy in writing and drawing. I also and emphasizing that whoever wants to comment on this to please have actual hands-on experience with both tablets. I am trying to make a decision on whether to upgrade, and the only thing so far that would make me want to upgrade is if there is some real improvement in pen accuracy.
Thank you

gnoteuser2013 said:
Hi, I am wondering if anyone has any hands-on experience with the Note 10.1 2014 edition and can comment on whether there are significant improvements in the accuracy of the Spen with the 2014 edition in comparison with the original Note 10.1.
I'm not referring to extra features, but rather improved accuracy in writing and drawing. I also and emphasizing that whoever wants to comment on this to please have actual hands-on experience with both tablets. I am trying to make a decision on whether to upgrade, and the only thing so far that would make me want to upgrade is if there is some real improvement in pen accuracy.
Thank you
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Click to collapse
Discriibe what you mean by accuracy as it draws whar I draw and types what I write.

shaun298 said:
Discriibe what you mean by accuracy as it draws whar I draw and types what I write.
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Actually, I'm also interested in the OP question. I find that that the tip is displaced from where it is registered and that this gets worse the nearer the edges you get. It's also insensitive to the tilt of the pen so how accurate the tip gets depends very much on how you hold the pen and what angle you hold the tablet. At the right angle it's pretty good but if I put the tablet flat on a table and try to take notes it gets very inaccurate.
If you're just making continuous smooth curves it's okay as it tracks the movements of the stylus quite accurately. The issue is if you need to go back over what you've written/drawn because where you place the tip won't match where the next stroke appears.
I fear many of these problems are limitations of Wacom's technology. The issue of inaccuracy near edges/corners appears to be a common complaint among a number of devices that use Wacom digitizers and because it's the base of the pen not the tip that's recognized and there's no active tracking of stylus tilt the angle issue is inevitable unless you're holding the stylus at 90 degrees at all times.
That being said, I played with some Windows 8 based machines on the weekend to compare the stylus. The Surface Pro uses Wacom, I believe, and had some of the same issues, although it seemed to be somewhat more accurate over a larger part of the screen only got bad at the very edges.
Another big advantage of Windows 8 is it has options for left and right handed use and a recalibration option built into the driver. Both features should improve accuracy somewhat based on how you hold the stylus. Driver improvements could significantly improve the experience on the Note 10.1 if Samsung were to implement them.
I also tried a Sony Duo 13 laptop which uses the N-trig digitizer. The pen has to have a battery so it's bigger and heavier, although I don't mind that. I also found it triggered strokes when it was hovering (not touching) sometimes and sometimes failed to trigger when touching. I don't know if this is a general problem or maybe the battery was low or something. I will say, though, that the positional accuracy of the stylus when it worked was significantly better than the Wacom digitizers I've tried. So much so that I'm seriously considering that machine as a replacement for my laptop. But it's more the size/weight of an ultrabook than a tablet. Too bad Sony didn't include the N-trig in it's android tablet which otherwise looks pretty nice.

the issues described by tmagritte above include what I am referring to.

I just picked up the 30GB wifi version last night and can confirm that problems still remain. I went back to Best Buy today and both their demos are similarly inaccurate. It is pretty good until you are within 1 cm of the edge of the display. The easiest way to observe the issue is to use a drivers license or similar as a straight edge and draw horizontal and diagonal lines in the S Note application with the grid paper background while maintaining a constant pen angle. I'm shocked that Samsung still hasn't released a calibration app for the Note series.

Hello.
My wife just bought this tablet, the 2014 10.1, and she is very distraught over the inaccuracy of the s-pen in certain areas of the screen, especially in the middle of the screen, when she draws a straight line through the middle of the screen it bows around 2 center point in the screen, making underline text that you've written almost impossible on those parts of the screen. Has anyone else noticed this particular inaccuracy or do you think this tablet is defective?
We have another 3 weeks before opening a case on ebay, we bought it refurbished, sealed in manufacture box.
EDIT: I just found the cause after some tinkering of my own.. The Magnet in the flip cover case she was using was distorting the s-pens accuracy, removed the case, works just fine now. Be advised, this happens, apparently.

Related

Elocity A7 as a 7inch alternative with better screen!

I bought a g tablet. I feel close to it given I put in more than 30 hours going through different beta versions of alternate roms trying to get things the way they should be since out of the box it was a piece of crap. Being in canada I had driven to nearest Sears in US to Purchase it. Before the screen calibration fix I had essentially given up the inability to type properly and the horrible viewing angles and Sd card woes had me looking elsewhere.
Having tried the more expensive Galaxy Tab and finding it laggy and flash video unviewble, I decided I needed a Tegra based device. I also felt for my needs 7 inches might be better as I find typing in landscape mode hard with a 10 incher(hmm weird genital reference there LOL). I also feel that for my needs (book reading, surfing video watching, the odd game, and quick reference use) that the smaller form fact might be better given it is lighter and more portable (can fit in coat pocket....)
Heard about the ELocity and saw it available for 100$ less than what ipaid for g tab. so ordered it to my Brother's in Florida as will be there next week. It is already there waiting for me.
Of course since ordering it not having given the g tab back yet I have it working the way I want minus the screen viewing angles which I hate as I cant type on it when lounging unless holding it awkwardly in landscape mode using my thumbs.
Seems the Elocity has much better screen in terms of viewing angles.While lower res, the DPI is in fact the same and conforms to the Android OS max resolution of 800x480 so I suspect most apps will look correct on it. It also appears to come rooted out of the box. The UI layer on it is fast and responsive and flash is there to start. So for those considering a g tablet and don't want to muck around it works much better out of the box.
Seems it is not perfect yet and suffers many of the same issues the G tablet did:
Like the gtablet there is no official android market
Wifi for some seems to not wake up with the device from sleep
Angry birds won't run
All of the above from what I have read seem to be related to drivers and tegra 2 not having the best or newest ones out of the box.
Elocity says a fix is coming on december 24th (wonder if this is similar to what was done by Roebeet et al. with TNT light and Vega N with the performance upgrades form experimental diver pack)
Multitouch which is supposed to be 1+1 (which I believe is what the gtab is) doesn't seem to be enabled properly and is only emulated in software, and as of yet, not very well.
Seems from some things discovered on a different thread that this might be a 2 point multitouch after all.
For some reason there is no Elocity forum yet which I think could impede people coming on and helping development on it (Notion Ink Adam has a forum though there is no device in the wild for another month at least). I suspect given these are both Tegra 2 devices that there might be some parallel things to help.
for more info and possible help either for you to give or get the biggest thread going is:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=872299
One professional view just out:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5CvY8jzyCWI
One XDA member first look:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e6foXW1zizM
Canadoc,
I appreciate the info and your review.
I have to say, though, that I will not buy a 7" tablet. It's just too small. Without any references to ages or disabilities or the like, it is my opinion a lot of people are being foolish trying to do at a minimum "notebook" tasks on tiny tablets or cell phones.
I have a plain old regular cell phone. I do my tablet stuff on my G-Tablet. I do my work stuff on my Vaio 16". And if I want to watch a movie I sit down in front of my 52" home theatre and really enjoy the picture and sound.
Perhaps I owe you an apology for posting this here, but it does strike me that it's silly to use stuff the wrong way. I'll concede I might watch a movie on my G-Tablet if I were in a pinch somewhere. But I don't want to live on a cell phone screen.
Best wishes and Merry Christmas.
Rev
I disagree think that a 10 inch tablet is too closeninsize and portability night as well justbuse laptop. Phone is too small to really enjoy reading surfing and viewing. 7 inch is a sweetspot. I own an ipad. I don't use it much because there is little I use it for that my MacBook can't do abdtyping etc is better.
Typing on-the-job gtab now is bad. Too hard to 2 finger type given the wide screen and too many errors otherwise. 7 inch easy totype large enough and ideal form factor to read etc.
G tablet not good enough for notebook tasks. A notebook is. Icing need my tablet tomake a real document I haves a problem. Would rather plug ina small KB if I need to but thenmight as well just have laptop
Canadoc said:
G tablet not good enough for notebook tasks. A notebook is. Icing need my tablet to make a real document I haves a problem. Would rather plug ina small KB if I need to but thenmight as well just have laptop
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Two different devices:
1. Tablet for best portability, web, Flash, media and some gaming.
2. Netbook or lappy for PC-type tasks and heavier gaming.
The trade-off is convenience and portability. A passively cooled tablet lasts over three times longer than a typical net book and way over that for laptops.
I have an M11X, which kicks all netbooks and most laptops butts. Collecting dust since having the G. No windows baggage is very nice.
Still use it for heavy gaming, but everything else is covered by the G. I use my company Thinkpad for work stuff.
Quick comment and a question.
Touch screen is 1 point. Last that I got from the 20 page thread was 1 point touch, gTab is two.
How's the real battery life? It's my second favorite thing about the gTab, the first being it's incredible speed, but I just so much more like 7" form factor.
Not sure bout battery life, but given the smaller screen 7 vs 10 inch, the 3000mamp battery vs the 3650 of the gatb I am not expecting a huge difference.
Gtab is two yes. There has been no conclusive proof yet if the 1 touch is a hardware issue or software firmware than can be changed. It is referred to as a 1+1 touch which means the screen must be registering another touch. If it can do that, then I would think it can be revised in software......Thus far google maps which requires multipoint doesn't work on gtab. Accelerometer on Gtab is meesed up so games depending on it dont work right. Fring doesn't work on gtab......
Well if you want 1 device to do it all yes a bigger screen tablet is the way to go. But then you have something that is a compromise at everyhting.
Not great for productivity short of bringing another keyboard and with less than full capable office type apps.
Not great for portability given the almost laptops dimensions
(10 inch netbook or 11 inch macbook air are no bigger except thickness and have real keyboard and u dont deal with the awful screen of the viewosnic. As an owner I can't use the viewsonic for anything that I cant do looking face on which makes typing hard on the screen).
Battery life? macbook air superior than the g tablet. Netbook with high cap battery still same price as gtab and gives 6+ hours of pc use with wifi on
Canadoc said:
Well if you want 1 device to do it all yes a bigger screen tablet is the way to go. But then you have something that is a compromise at everyhting.
Not great for productivity short of bringing another keyboard and with less than full capable office type apps.
Not great for portability given the almost laptops dimensions
(10 inch netbook or 11 inch macbook air are no bigger except thickness and have real keyboard and u dont deal with the awful screen of the viewosnic. As an owner I can't use the viewsonic for anything that I cant do looking face on which makes typing hard on the screen).
Battery life? macbook air superior than the g tablet. Netbook with high cap battery still same price as gtab and gives 6+ hours of pc use with wifi on
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Note: I'm posting this to share my own user experience. YMMV.
(1) I agree that the viewing angle is less than ideal. Most of the time I pop it up using an inexpensive stand; it actually works better for my neck (really !).
(2) Re onscreen keyboard: I have had no trouble in portrait mode (using better keyboard). In landscape mode the TNT split keyboard actually works surprisingly well (after one-time calibration).
(3) 10" is defintely not as portable as 7". OTOH: a lot of times I use the gtab to read technical documents (pdf), and 7" simply does not work -- in portrait mode the text & equations are too small, and in landscape you can read just a few lines at a time. With 10" the whole page shows up in the same font size as the printed version.
I do agree that 10" is a bit unwieldy; I've come to the conclusion that an 8", 1024x764 is the perfect size for a ebook tablet (HD movie fans would disagree).
(4) I have my gtab for over a month. With wifi on, and a mix of mp3/web browsing/ebook reading/youtube/AB, I've been getting about 8 hours pretty much every time.
case-sensitive said:
Note: I'm posting this to share my own user experience. YMMV.
(1) I agree that the viewing angle is less than ideal. Most of the time I pop it up using an inexpensive stand; it actually works better for my neck (really !).
(2) Re onscreen keyboard: I have had no trouble in portrait mode (using better keyboard). In landscape mode the TNT split keyboard actually works surprisingly well (after one-time calibration).
(3) 10" is defintely not as portable as 7". OTOH: a lot of times I use the gtab to read technical documents (pdf), and 7" simply does not work -- in portrait mode the text & equations are too small, and in landscape you can read just a few lines at a time. With 10" the whole page shows up in the same font size as the printed version.
I do agree that 10" is a bit unwieldy; I've come to the conclusion that an 8", 1024x764 is the perfect size for a ebook tablet (HD movie fans would disagree).
(4) I have my gtab for over a month. With wifi on, and a mix of mp3/web browsing/ebook reading/youtube/AB, I've been getting about 8 hours pretty much every time.
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Don't get me wrong I currently own a gtab and do see the merit in it and if it had a better screen I would probably have kept it.
But the thing is for thos people not willing to mod their device (95% of buying public) the g tab is a device that will be promptly returned.
Viewing angle is very bad, UI is not great though improving with today's firmware. Promised Flash which is probably reason many buy it over ipad, is missing in action (and with it pulled of the Vega might not be around for a while).
Also the touchscreen without running calibration ini file on a rooted machine leaves a lot to be desired. The stock tablet (as well as custom roms before trying the calibration trick) would not register many presses on the letter a the soft home button as well as the return and L key. This in fact was what prompted me to order the elocity tablet as I was more than frustrated typing on the G. Of course I discovered the calibration trick only after my elocity order shipped out.
As for using a stand, that would be fine if I used my tablet sitting at a table or desk. I say most of my use is sitting on a couch or in bed with it held up in my hands on my chest or sitting in my lap. Often the ideal angle to type at is one that tilts the screen to where I can't view the keyboard buttons well especially the darker android keyboard. The width of the device in landscape makes it hard to thumb type. Portrait is fine but the tablet, for me is too long and does not balance well in the hand at that angle. Also the bad viewing angle in portrait mode is so bad that I get a polarizing effect; the left eye sees a brighter or darker image than the right. Pictures and especially dark backgrounds look very bad. TO make it even viewable I have to watch the screen tilted about 2-3 inches. This is the deal breaker for me.
The size is good if you want full size viewing of some things but if i wa slooking at a technical manual and had to put the tablet down to read it while i worked with my 2 hands i wouldnt be able to read it.....
If i need to work on something important I will just use my laptop. This is not a laptop replacement for me.
Frankly after using the ipad for a while i would say if it could rn flash it would kill everything out there and still already does for user experience and can be had for 399 at tj maxx and marshall so not even so expensive any more.
But, I want this to watch websites that have videos/movies in flash

Galaxy Note Stylus

The precision Stylus built into the Galaxy Note sets it apart from any other smart phone for it greatly enhances and extends the usefulness of the phone. As well as note taking and drawing the Stylus can be used for sending handwritten emails and the Note includes hand writing recognition software. The precision tip will allow the selection of very small Web pages items without the need for zooming in and out. It will be particularly useful for controlling graphical images such as stock market charts where previously IPad sized Tablets was necessary. I would have preferred it to have been released with Ice Cream Sandwich and no fixed buttons, but it is difficult to be disappointed with what is on offer.
Steve Jobs is quoted as saying that the IPad screen is the minimum size needed because of the size of fingers. However, a precision stylus is the answer for smaller screens and much better than fingers for drawing and writing.The Galaxy Tab is destined to become one of the most powerful and flexible smart phones when it is released and that is due in no small part to the Stylus working with the high resolution screen and I look forward to owning it. Does anyone else like the Stylus idea?
Why has this been posted in the Galaxy SII forum ??
Gaugerer said:
The precision Stylus built into the Galaxy Note sets it apart from any other smart phone for it greatly enhances and extends the usefulness of the phone. As well as note taking and drawing the Stylus can be used for sending handwritten emails and the Note includes hand writing recognition software. The precision tip will allow the selection of very small Web pages items without the need for zooming in and out. It will be particularly useful for controlling graphical images such as stock market charts where previously IPad sized Tablets was necessary. I would have preferred it to have been released with Ice Cream Sandwich and no fixed buttons, but it is difficult to be disappointed with what is on offer.
Steve Jobs is quoted as saying that the IPad screen is the minimum size needed because of the size of fingers. However, a precision stylus is the answer for smaller screens and much better than fingers for drawing and writing.The Galaxy Tab is destined to become one of the most powerful and flexible smart phones when it is released and that is due in no small part to the Stylus working with the high resolution screen and I look forward to owning it. Does anyone else like the Stylus idea?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am thrilled with the idea of this, being a Palm refugee in the Android world - I loved using a stylus. I'm actually considering altering my phone plan going forward, I hope AT&T will release the Note on their service next year - they usually follow about five or six months after the release in Europe, from what I've heard. Then hubby can take over the SGS II I'm planning on getting next week. Hopefully the GPS in the Note is an improvement over what came with the Captivate...

Galaxy Tab™ Conductive Stylus

I purchased a Galaxy Tab™ Conductive Stylus from the Samsung website, even though their site said it wouldn't work with the GT 8.9 for some reason. As far as I can tell, there isn't much difference in this stylus and all other conductive styluses (styli?). It behaves just like a finger, allowing you to select with the tip of the stylus. The tip is rounded and fat which makes it difficult for fine writing in notepad type apps. I have practiced for a few days and have become fairly proficient at using the stylus to underline in textbooks and word documents. It's also good for signing documents with the right app.
Overall I'm happy with the purchase. The stylus has a good weight and feels like a quality product. I'd definitely buy the stylus again, despite being a few dollars more than the other top quality styluses made by other companies.
I heard that drawing or writing on the tab is pretty abysmal due on the fact that the screen has such a low sensitivity. (like the 10.1)
How is your experience with this? Can you write or draw reallysmall and precise?
Sent from my GT-P7300
pseudoheld said:
I heard that drawing or writing on the tab is pretty abysmal due on the fact that the screen has such a low sensitivity. (like the 10.1)
How is your experience with this? Can you write or draw reallysmall and precise?
Sent from my GT-P7300
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I wouldn't say it's abysmal. I knew I wasn't getting a WACOM digitizer like I have on my tablet PC, or a stylus as good as the Lenovo android tablet but it does a decent job for what I wanted it for, which is marking up pdf files and maybe signing documents in the future. I added a capture of my handwriting taken at writing normal speed with no special care taken to be neat. You must subtract for my poor handwriting and the fact that the app I used doesn't have very good ignorance of a hand laying down, so my hand wasn't balanced on a flat surface as is the case when normally writing.
thanks for the answer!
will be getting a stylus anyhow so i guess i will see how its like
i just bought a stylus and i must say the screen sensitivity issue is pretty bad.
i tried the stylus with my NexusOne and it produced far better results.
the samsung screen seems slow and unresponsive to handwriting
Any chance it's your ICS ROM? I'm on Overcome ROM and it works pretty well. My wife even decided she liked the stylus with her 10.1 on Task's ROM and I ordered another from amazon.
tried it with both roms.
it just seems laggy and slow. it doesn't get small circles like "e" or "l"
but i messed around in the build.prop and it got a little better. still not what i wanted it to be though...
I agree, it's a bummer because I believe the size is perfect for a small sketchpad :/
If you want to take written notes thought download the ASUS Supernote app, you can find it here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1204931
i would advise everyone to use freenote.
so far its the most complete note taking app i found!
Thanks for the feedback.
I´m in love with this smaller size, but since I discovered how much better the notetaking thingy seems to be with the 10.1" and TouchScreenTune, and given that the dev didn´t offer many hopes at all for the 8.9", I´m torn again between these 2 devices.
Could you please clarify if the "sensitivity issue" is bad enough to affect the proper selection/highlighting of text?
Cheers
andario said:
Could you please clarify if the "sensitivity issue" is bad enough to affect the proper selection/highlighting of text?
Cheers
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nah selecting highlighting is no problem what soever. it is very precise its just when you loop you "L" or "O" that is sometimes doesn't detect it. but for light usage its fine. annotating or highlighting pdf works a treat.
pseudoheld said:
nah selecting highlighting is no problem what soever. it is very precise its just when you loop you "L" or "O" that is sometimes doesn't detect it. but for light usage its fine. annotating or highlighting pdf works a treat.
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Thanks mate, that was very helpful.
I think the sensitivity is great. I use SuperNote on my 8.9 all the time for taking notes. No issues whatsoever and better than many other tablets I tried. Writing with a conductive stylus is smooth (not broken) and easy. Of course the resolution isn't down to what you could do with pen and paper, but that's a fundamental limitation that most all tablets share except for those that are designed with some sort of active alternative. The touchscreens have to be calibrated to pick up our fat fingers so they are relatively coarse. It's really a compromise so you don't have to have a stylus to navigate the interface like the older generation of PDAs used. I think the 8.9 is great with something like SuperNote that can take your writing and shrink it down to a decent size and align it on a line. You should really check this app out if your interested in taking notes because it is really really cool. It's only distributed on asus tablets, but the apk is floating around.

Broke my GD N8 S-Pen

In my CRS years it seems at the end of my day I tend to fall asleep while reading or working with my new Note 8.0. I'm using the excellent Poetic Revolution semi-rugged case as mu daily driver. Probelm.is putting the pen away involves flipping up a flap which, apparently, is too much work because I often fall asleep with the N8 and pen on my chest.
Well last night I seem to have fallen alseep then rolled over on the pen. The pen broke arond the inset cutout line near the upper end of the pen. Busted clean in two. A bit of PC11 marine epoxy should have it repaired in the next day or two give or take as it cures. Problem is somehow I set the top 180 degrees out so the flat side is of the upper portion is on the wrong side. Hopefully it will still slide in place for storage.
Point of my post is that cut out line around the upper end is pointless and needlessly weakens the s-pen's structure. Sadly to me it seems an intentionally induced point of failure. Of coruse that is while wearing my tinfoil hat. But wanted.to remind others of this very weak design so be careful with your S-pen and slip it back into it's cubbyhole when not in use.
I also learned the pen is HOLLOW which makes that portion of the pen even more fragile due to a thinner side wall.
At $29.99/pen on Amazon this is not an inexpensive screw up on my part. I have a backup beacusebof good luck and not good planning. But if I had not been lucky enough to grab a Wacom CS3002 work tomorrow would suck hard as my N8 is my goto tool throughout the day.
I wish there were not the reported offset issues with other than the Samsung original S-pen, 8pi and Wacom Bamboo Feel CS3002 (do note that part number as it apparently matters.) But the fragile original design serves only a single purpose and the lack of offset free options makes the $30-$40 replacement cost pretty beyond acceptable.
Still my fault but hard to swallow.
crap... d 'oh!! of course the pen won't fit back in the slot. It's designed to match the contour of the case. So looks like I'll have to re-break it after work... sigh...
Sent from my Samsung Note 8.0 in Tapatalk HD
Same has happened to my stylus after just fall on the floor.
As there is no replacement in the stores for note 8.0, am looking for a lot of offers for repacement of note II or note 10.1 styluses.
It looks like only colours are different.
So, can anyone confirm whether styluses from note II or 10.1 fits note 8 stylus pocket?
I ended up fixing mine with a a bit of gel type superglue and a section of wooden (round) toothpick to fill the hollow center & provide support. Worked perfectly and feels very solid.
I saw no reason to plank down $35 or whatever for a new pen.
BTW, far as I know none of the other S-pens fit the N8.
Sent from my Samsung Note 8.0 in Tapatalk HD
Original S-Pen from samsung
http://www.tabletcenter.be/product/...-8.0/samsung-galaxy-note-8-0-s-pen-white.html
Many thanks,
@civato - following your footsteps (Sam product code) i have found even better offer at 123onlinebuy.de for EUR14 (am not allowed for links posting...):
Anyway it means time and money, so @Breck hint of DIY fixing is the option for the time being.
btw. This looks really strange if Samsung decided to design brand new stylus for 8.0. and not keep ataching those from note II and 10.1..
janla said:
Many thanks,
@civato - following your footsteps (Sam product code) i have found even better offer at 123onlinebuy.de for EUR14 (am not allowed for links posting...):
Anyway it means time and money, so @Breck hint of DIY fixing is the option for the time being.
btw. This looks really strange if Samsung decided to design brand new stylus for 8.0. and not keep ataching those from note II and 10.1..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I suspect the pen differences will eventually be designed out ' well at least for tablet size devices of 6" or larger. I noticed the 10.1 2014 is close to the same thickness as our N8's. Actually the N8 & N10.1 are 8mm (O.31mm) and the N3 is 8.3mm (0.33in) which might be a nice move toward the possibility of a universal pen. I'm also guessing owners of the N10.1 will sort of be expecting a more "normal" size stylus. That aside my instinct is it's length not girth presenting the larger challenge moving to a unified Note family pen. We'll see once the production versions hit shelves.
Though my complaint is/was about the designed in point of failure and having to resort to "Red Green" style DIY (there I failed due to not using ANY Duct Tape). My real let down is with the feel of the Samsung branded larger pen, the 8Pi as it's far lighter than the regular pens I'm used to. That pushed me right to Wacom for their Stylus Feel for the Galaxy Note (model CS 3002). That pen feels just right to me for writing (I'm no artist). The girth is better as well.
Did the stylus on the N2 have the same cut-out band around the upper portion as on our N8's? If so maybe we were just "special" in breaking ours? I tend to doubt that though.
Sent from my Samsung Note 8.0 in Tapatalk HD

[Q] How good is the S-pen for taking notes?

Hi all,
I am looking into buying a Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 2014 edition when it does finally show up (I hope it is real soon). I have been looking into the old Note 10.1 to get a sense of how good the S-pen is for taking handwritten notes. I know an acquaintance who uses it to take a lot of notes and he raves about it. I want to get more feedback from people who have used the S-pen as a replacement for traditional pen and paper. Is it as good (or at least sufficiently close) to writing on a piece of paper? Is it quick or is there some lag? Can I rest my palm on the screen and still write in a comfortable posture or do I need to hold my hand awkwardly?
If it is as good as writing on a piece of paper then I am really excited. I can finally replace my growing pile of paper notes, which I can lose sometimes, to a digital copy and make life easier.
The pen is great. End stop.
However... finding the right note taking app for you is a different story. I'm not too thrilled with Snotes, and maybe the newer edition may change that. You have many other options, each with their relative (to the user) strengths and weaknesses.
OneNote
Papyrus
Lecture Notes
Write
Kno
Various office suites
Plus other drawing and note apps I've either forgotten about or haven't encountered.
If/when you get your tablet, take some time to try them all out. See which one offers you the best yield, be it drawing and writing, including materials from other sources, collating and organizing, searching, bookmarking, reuse and export, paper size/design/layout, use across other devices or platforms, backup and sync, online/offline. The list grows and grows.
It all sounds great on paper, until you try to use it practically every day.
My love is OneNote. But not the web or tablet versions; they are VERY VERY lacking. On my computer, however, you'll have to pry it from my cold dead hands.
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I would love to help you, but help yourself first: ask a better question
http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html
How is the s-pen in terms of taking notes? That's my main question. Does it mimic the natural feel of writing on paper? I will definitely look into the alternative apps but my main concern is the viability of replacing a physical pen and notebook with this. Is it snappy and precise when you write with the pen or is it slow and cumbersome (like what a capacitive stylus is like on an ordinary capacitive touch screen).
Will I be able to comfortably take notes in real time, in a fast paced class for example? As long as that is doable, I am interested in buying it. But otherwise, I'd be disappointed.
litetaker said:
How is the s-pen in terms of taking notes? That's my main question. Does it mimic the natural feel of writing on paper? I will definitely look into the alternative apps but my main concern is the viability of replacing a physical pen and notebook with this. Is it snappy and precise when you write with the pen or is it slow and cumbersome (like what a capacitive stylus is like on an ordinary capacitive touch screen).
Will I be able to comfortably take notes in real time, in a fast paced class for example? As long as that is doable, I am interested in buying it. But otherwise, I'd be disappointed.
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It is the best, you can even record audio while writing and then save them both into on file.
Go here and watch some of the videos of it being used http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t0krCDFLjdA&list=PL8095B2677327E09C
Multi window is great also http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJhKAC2PJEE&list=PL8095B2677327E09C
MyScript Notes Mobile is a nice app that lets you take very good notes also https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.visionobjects.notesmobile
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Some of that again depends on the app. Some handle maneuvering around the virtual paper better than others. Most have palm rejection settings. I've not noticed any lag between drawing and visualization, so I'd say the similarity to real ink and paper is pretty close. Depending on if and how the app uses the pressure sensitivity, too, could impact your perception of closeness.
Also the pen itself is. Cumbersome? For longer term use. If you check through the accessories threads, you'll find some good reference on pens that feel more natural in the hand, rather than as a skinny plastic twig, for ease of longer sessions. Being the digitizer is Wacom, the winners appear to be in the Bamboo family, from what I recall. I couldn't imagine a full day of note taking using the standard pen; hand fatigue would set in quickly (Caucasian male, average sized hands, for reference).
I don't know where you are, but most big box stores have them out for a hands-on experience.
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I would love to help you, but help yourself first: ask a better question
http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html
-----
I would love to help you, but help yourself first: ask a better question
http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html
Thanks. Yes, I have been looking at several videos online to get a sense of how good it is. I think it is pretty good for taking handwritten notes. I'll very likely buy the new note 10.1... Just can't wait for them to release it. They should've released it by now actually.
It takes some getting used to. But it is simply a transition that is worth the initial effort. Take some time with it on your own before making the "public" transition. Nothing is more discouraging than fumbling with tech under pressure. But after a couple of days doing all your non public writing on the tablet you'll be ready to go public. At that point, put the paper pad in the drawer and go cold turkey into the digital realm.
Above all else get signed up with drop box or Google drive, get an app called file sync and back up your notes. There are too many threads around of "lost all my notes how do I get them back?"
Good luck! The original Note is a great device. I will envy those with the newer one. Too soon for me to upgrade though.
Sent from the tiny keyboard on my S4
starbuckk said:
It takes some getting used to. But it is simply a transition that is worth the initial effort. Take some time with it on your own before making the "public" transition. Nothing is more discouraging than fumbling with tech under pressure. But after a couple of days doing all your non public writing on the tablet you'll be ready to go public. At that point, put the paper pad in the drawer and go cold turkey into the digital realm.
Above all else get signed up with drop box or Google drive, get an app called file sync and back up your notes. There are too many threads around of "lost all my notes how do I get them back?"
Good luck! The original Note is a great device. I will envy those with the newer one. Too soon for me to upgrade though.
Sent from the tiny keyboard on my S4
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Thanks for the reply. I have a Dropbox account with a ton of space so I am good with that. I am torn between buying the 8 inch Galaxy Note 8 or to wait and get the more expensive Galaxy Note 10.1 2014.
Now, my main reason to consider the 8 inch is because it is far more affordable, it is readily available right now, and there is some real world usage info to understand if it has any bugs, issues etc.
My main concerns are will the 8 inch be TOO small for taking notes, if it is powerful enough to last me for a long time and finally if the display is more capable at handwriting. The pluses for the new 10.1 is it is bigger, faster, probably has even better Wacom digitizer. But it is very expensive and being brand new we dunno if it has bugs and stuff..
So, anyway, long story short. What should I go for: Galaxy Note 8 or the new Galaxy Note 10.1? Will an 8incher be enough for taking notes? I just intend to take notes and read PDFs... Not into playing games or drawing etc.
Go for the 10.1 and try to get hold of the Bluetooth S-Pen (HM5100). A perfect combination. The built in S-Pen is good, but the BT one just feels like a real pen which helps with the writing.
Wait until the new 10.1 comes out and go check it out. It's only a couple weeks away now. Get one of each in your hands and see how it works out. I started out with a Nook Color and found that a "tablet" that size was just too small for me. But I have a co-worker that has a Note 8 and prefers that smaller size.
Looks like the price difference will be just about $200. So...put the price aside for a moment unless you ABSOLUTELY have no option to come up with that additional amount. Try them both out. See which one would work best for you. If you are gonna be using it for hours every day, then maybe you can find somewhere else to cut the $200 difference to get what will work best for you.
Frankly, if you already think it's too small, it probably is, and you'll be discouraged from using it.Which means the investment won't be as valuable.
Also keep in mind that if you are talking about reading business type PDF's, they were probably designed to be viewed on big computer screens and created in 8 1/2 by 11 paper format. So now you're gonna squeeze them down to the size of a 5x8 notebook. Maybe your eyesight can handle that. Mine can't. I wear reading glasses even on the 10.1. So be sure to read a couple full size PDF pages when you go check them out. That will probably impact your decision.

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