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[JimH]

Last weekend, I bought a Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1.  I have to say I love it.  I have had a 7 inch Galaxy Tab for about 6 months and I use it a lot as a remote for JRiver Media Center.  It runs Gizmo, our Android App and I can sit on the couch and choose music or video and turn up volume, pause, etc.  The 7 inch works great.

The 10 inch Tab is a little different.  It's thinner, sleeker, and it runs Android  3.1.  It feels a little more like a computer.

This week I bought a Samsung Keyboard from Amazon.  It's sold for the 10.1 but I think it has a replaceable guide for other Androids, probably for the 7 inch Tab.

The keyboard is great.  I had a moment of doubt when I first plugged the Tab in, when it didn't work.  The keyboard didn't respond.  I finally power cycled the Tab and then it worked as expected.  The Tab keyboard mode needs to be set in Settings/Input.  Until I power cycled it, none of the settings had any effect.  The keyboard seemed dead.

Once or twice a year, I found a device that changes the way I work or the way I think.  The keyboard and Tab combination is such a device.  It's a computer that can be disassembled.  The combination of a keyboard and a touch screen is distinctly different.  I suppose I'll expect every notebook screen to be a touchscreen now.

Pictures are here:
 http://pix01.com/Vt%40LHra

[JustinChase]

Yeah, I can see that being a game-changing setup.  just take the screen with you, even easier

the keyboard keys look just like an apple bluetooth keyboard i have.  Do they have good tactile feel/feedback?  Is it a 'daily use' quality keyboard?

[JimH]

It's a good keyboard.  It's solid, a little heavier that I expected, and feels good.  Not cramped at all.

The angle works for using it when seated.  But it can't be adjusted.

Gizmo looks great on the Tab.

My other keyboards have a mousepad, so it's slightly awkward without it.  I'll have to learn to use the touchscreen instead of a mousepad.

[Fex]

It's a long time since my last post here, but i'm still alive.

Nevertheless: The Tab 10.1 was my choice here in Switzerland.
Apple sued Samsung in Europe (EU), there is a stop for selling this pads all over Europe. Exept Switzerland, we are in the exact middle, but don't belong to EU. A long fight, don't ask...

The Galaxy Tab 10.1 in combination with MC:
Almost all dreams come true. I used Gizmo over my Android-Phone quite a long time. But it IS a new experience.

 

[jmone]

Not just EU - there is also an injunction here in Australia.

[JimH]

Just an update to say that the 10.1 is great for watching video.  MC now converts to Flash when using Library Server, so even a Blu-ray rip starts in about ten seconds.

[JimH]

I bought a Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9 at Best Buy today.  I like it.  It seems to be a better size for use as a remote.  I have the origingal 7 inch version, too.  Of the three, so far the 8.9 is the winner as a remote.

[JustinChase]

I saw Amazon announced a nice looking 7" tablet "Nook Fire" I think, and it looks affordable for a tablet.

I'm curious as to why the 8.9 wins over the single-hand-holdable 7" size.  Without having used any of them, I'm just curious as to what cuases the 8.9" to win out in your opinion; specifically in regards to using as a remote.

thanks.

[JimH]

I have the original 7 inch Tab.  They just announced a newer one.  The original was a little chunky, maybe twice as thick as the others.  The newer one looks thinner.

At the moment, the 8.9 is my favorite for use as a remote.  It's big enough, but not too big.  It's a little easier to hold than the 10.1.  But take a look at Best Buy and see what you think.

The Fire should be good, but I haven't seen one yet.

[JimH]

A post on Xoom was split here:
http://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php?topic=66815.0

[dynamohum]

I'm a 'long time listener, first time caller' but had to register just to comment on this . I'm amazed at how well Gizmo streams video content to my devices (Galaxy Tab 7", 10.1", Note 5.3", Nexus One 3.5" - yeah, I'm an Android freak...). Much better responsiveness than the Plex client I was using, and quality is excellent over local wifi. A bit workmanlike in presentation, but all is forgiven when it delivers so well.

oh - and today I dug out my license key from MC version 9 and got a good discount on version 17. Excellent that you still support those of us who've been a bit late on the upgrade cycle .

[Matt]

I'm a 'long time listener, first time caller' but had to register just to comment on this . I'm amazed at how well Gizmo streams video content to my devices (Galaxy Tab 7", 10.1", Note 5.3", Nexus One 3.5" - yeah, I'm an Android freak...). Much better responsiveness than the Plex client I was using, and quality is excellent over local wifi. A bit workmanlike in presentation, but all is forgiven when it delivers so well.

oh - and today I dug out my license key from MC version 9 and got a good discount on version 17. Excellent that you still support those of us who've been a bit late on the upgrade cycle .

Thanks for posting, and glad you like Gizmo.

I've been using an Android tablet with Gizmo as a television at home for my kids.  It's pretty neat.

We just uploaded a new Gizmo that fades out the task bar when you play on a tablet, so you might want to check it out:
http://jriver.com/install_gizmo.html

[dynamohum]

Thanks for posting, and glad you like Gizmo.

I've been using an Android tablet with Gizmo as a television at home for my kids.  It's pretty neat.

We just uploaded a new Gizmo that fades out the task bar when you play on a tablet, so you might want to check it out:
http://jriver.com/install_gizmo.html

Hi Matt. TBH, I didn't see any task bars when using the version from the Marketplace (version 17.0.40). I sideloaded the one in in your link anyway (showing as version 17.0.45) and it's working well.

BTW, one quirk in both versions seems to be that if you hit the home or 'back' button while playing a video then it continues to play when you're in the launcher - which is sort of a feature if you need to dive into email or something, but I don't think that's a standard behaviour when exiting an app?

[dynamohum]

Replying to myself, but just wanted to comment that yes the task bar does fade now with the beta version when playing on a tablet . I was previously testing on the Galaxy Note, which despite tablet pretensions is really a phone, with a phone OS (Gingerbread), and of course doesn't have a task bar.

Now tried it on the Galaxy Tab 10.1 running Honeycomb and it does exactly as Matt says. Cool .

[aconitic]

Hi there,

I plan to buy a tablet to install Gizmo and I would like to know if it is possible to use it as a remote to control MC 17 via bluetooth (instead of WiFi)?

THX

[famu97]

I have the Galaxy Tab 10.1 as well.  Great minds think alike.  I didn't buy a keyboard because I purely want to experience the tablet experience.  I figure when I need a keyboard, I'll just go sit at my pc in the house.  I love this Galaxy Tab 10.1 though. I think I'm going to root it and put Cyanogenmod 9 on it even though it doesn't need it. it's just fine and fast with Honeycomb on it.