Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 9.7" Review: Absolutely great. Fast, great screen, feather light.

This tablet meets and exceeds all of my expectations.

Let me preface this by saying that I have an Amazon Kindle, Samsung Note 10.1 and do own or have owned the Samsung note 3 and 4. I am an avid Google/Android fan by virtue of the ability to customize the appearance and the open format.

I actually own and have this device. I am not someone who read the specs and decided to publish a review of the device based on what is perceived as problems or concerns. .

So, ordered it and arrived from Amazon one day after release. Thank you Amazon. I have been using it for the past three hours.
Initial impressions: Fantastic.

On the initial boot up, it upgraded to Lollipop 5.1.1 This is the newest and latest version of Lollipop.

As has been noted, this device is thin and light. It belies expectations. It fits in a jacket pocket. I got the 8 inch as I have a 13 inch laptop and the 10.1 tablet that I also use is big. Those are not a pocket/handbag reader. This fits in my side pocket or jacket and is unnoticeable.

It has no lag, no shutter, and no problems with instant screen changes. The touch screen and sensitivity is great.

For those who are concerned that this upgrade may not be worth it, for me, it is a huge improvement. No lag and instant response.

For android fans, the system asked my Google system password and immediately imported all of my paid and free apps. Everything installed duplicating all of my other Android products and apps.

There is an interesting problem. I do like the Google Launcher due to the fact that it has information that is helpful to me. It does not play well with this system. It does not look good and has a problem with how it integrates. So, if I have not figured it out, let me know. As of now, I am stuck with the touch wiz. Which on this system is really quite good.

The touch wiz is really not bad. I have accepted it and the new system is so fast and so quick that I will accept the Flipboard over the Google cards for the moment. And, I really only need most of the cards when using my cell phone.

The image is great. I am not certain why there are concerns about the new format. It is ideal for reading and any news site. Netflix looks great, as does Amazon video and Hulu. Yes, the new format is not perfect for viewing movies, but honestly, that is not how I spend my life. The image is terrific. Blacks and contrast is the best I have seen on any screen. I beats my Note 4.
I read the review that the finger scanner required a few tries.

I use a Microsoft Exchange account which require a password for the system under the administrative requirement. This system accepts the fingerprint as acceptable.

For me, after entering the fingerprint scanner information is almost never a provlem it works first or second time. It works in less than ½ second. I just hit the home button and it is instantly accepted. Absolutely great. A vast improvement from the prior systems used on the Note 4.

And, the fingerprint scanner integrates with Last Pass. You can use it to enter passwords without re-entering your secure system password.

So, how can I summarize:
Fast processor and no lag.
Google imports all the apps and allows complete integration
Great screen for video and reading
No lag and much improved screen response.
A terrific finger print detector.
Works with Last Pass and allows access to secure sites with a simple thumb print.

The only con is a problem with the Google Launcher.

I have read reviews that it is not a quantum leap above previous tablets. I am always surprised that reviewers on major electronic sites want every iteration of a product to be a huge change. Samsung has made a new format with a great screen and fast processor. The newest software and it works great.

So, if you are in the market for a new tablet, this one appears to be great. As an aside, the gold color is a bronze/gold and not flashy or over the top. A very nice change from black and white.

All in all, five stars. I am very happy.
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Kindle Paperwhite Review 2015: Small changes in specifications that mean a lot to me for my reading comfort!

Getting a Kindle to read with changed my life. For 50 + years I read a book every 2 days or less. As my eyes got worse, for many reasons, I just had to quit. Reading a paperback was hard and after 10 minutes of reading I simply gave up. With a Kindle I can adjust the font style and size and read for hours a day. The best straight forward reading tablet I previously owned is the Kindle Paperwhite 2013 version. This new release improves in an area that I want and one that I paid to upgrade my tablet for. The new 2015 screen has 300 PPI versus 212 PPI for the 2013 version and the screen resolution is almost twice as good as the older Kindle. The change is from 768x1024 to 1072x1448 pixels and that is a tremendous improvement and luxury for those with older eyes.

One downside is that the new Kindle Paperwhite does have a lower battery life when compared to the previous generation. The battery life has dropped from 8 weeks at ½ hour of reading per day to 6 weeks at ½ hour of reading per day. That is due to the additional energy required for the higher resolution screen and the power to render the higher resolution of text. I don't like the reduced reading time but for me this was not a big deal as it is still 21 hours of reading time (It was 28 hours on the 2013 version) and it charges quickly in 4 hours. Heck, my expensive iPad battery only lasts about 8 hours and the eyestrain is pretty tough to handle using the iPad for more than 30 minutes to read. Some people may not like this but I just recharge my Kindles every three or four days. Since the unit has a lower battery life I do believe that Amazon should have included a USB charger as someone that travels may not be carrying a laptop computer with them to charge the Kindle Paperwhite. This omission of a USB charger is still a sore point with many people. I wish Amazon would just raise the price $10 and include the charger as a standard feature!

I have added a video of the Kindle Paperwhite 2013 compared to a Kindle Paperwhite 2015 and a Kindle Keyboard. If you have any questions please feel free to contact me and I will try to answer them.

Things to do with your new Kindle Paperwhite:

* Get a simple light weight case that will turn off the screen when you close the cover. It will help save on your battery life and protect your tablet.
* Enter in a device pass code to protect your tablet in case you lose your tablet. This prevents someone from using your tablet and even from buying books using your account.
* Yes you can use just about any USB charger for this Kindle Paperwhite. I use the one that came with my Kindle Keyboard unit and it works fine.

I own multiple Kindle Fires, HP tablets and Apple iPads and Android tablets but the best reading device is a Kindle Paperwhite. Why? It is simply because I can read it outside in the sunlight, inside and at night with reduced eyestrain when compared to any other tablet I own. It is the read anyplace best tablet for reading hands down champion!

I just love this new tablet. It offers the perfect balance of a lit screen with reduced eyestrain and high clarity and contrast of the text and a good price. It is truly a step up to a better reading device. The new reading font called Bookerly is very good for my eyes. It is crisper and bolder on the screen and I can read for longer times than before. Toss in the higher screen resolution and you have a new reading experience.

I am always looking for improvements in the text and screen quality as for me that is a major issue. The print on the screen is blacker and crisper and it is easier on my eyes. Side by side with my Kindle Paperwhite 2013 the older Paperwhite text looks grey and the screen slightly yellow in comparison to this newer version. There definitely is a good improvement and that relates to more reading comfort for my eyes!

This newer 2015 Paperwhite has a few new features that I like:

* 300 PPI versus older 2013 Paperwhite at 212 PPI
* New reading font Bookerly that is bolder and designed for use on a digital screen
* 4 GB of memory versus my 2013 version that was launched with 2 GIG (Not enough for me)

Reading was my number one hobby my entire life and I just loved it. The Kindle has brought back that reading experience and now with the crisper text, better font and no glare lit screen I can enjoy my reading in every type of environment. In my video I compare the Kindle Keyboard, Kindle Paperwhite 2013 and the Kindle Paperwhite 2015 side by side. The improvements are amazing.

The new screen clarity is where this Paperwhite design really is outstanding. With better contrast, lighting and custom designed fonts, the text just pops out of the screen like you have not seen in an e-Reader before. With 300 PPI (Pixels Per Inch) this screen provides a 1072 by 1448 pixel screen that just makes the old Kindle screens look old fashioned.

My favorite time to read is the last two hours of the evening before bedtime. I also read during the day during breaks and even at my grandson's outdoor swim meets. It is impossible to read in the sunlight with a Kindle Fire or an iPad. There is simply too much glare. At night time the Kindle Paperwhite soft lit screen is unobtrusive and for me my eyes do not get tired of reading like they do on the Kindle Fire and on the iPad. I can actually read for hours without the same eyestrain I get with other tablets. You also have adjustable brightness to suit your own comfort levels and ambient conditions.

There are multiple font sizes and you can pinch and zoom on the Kindle Paperwhite screen to expand the font size or decrease it like you do on a powerful tablet, this is a great feature. There are 7 different font styles and they are Baskerville, Bookerly, Futura, Caecilia, Helvetica, Caecilia Condensed and Palatino. I think my favorite is Bookerly. I love the new dictionary feature that creates a Vocabulary Builder which is a list of the words that you looked up and you can review the list and use flashcards to enhance your vocabulary and reading skills.

There is a minor learning curve of learning where to touch the screen if you are transitioning from a much older Kindle tablet but the changeover was fast and easy. The capacitive touch response of the screen is very nice. It makes the New Paperwhite respond quickly to finger touches, menu changes and page turns. What I like about the Kindle Paperwhite is that it is a dedicated e-Reader and it combines the best features of the Kindle e-ink and the iPad/Kindle Fire.

* Ultra lightweight at 7.2 ounces and easily held for hours with one hand. I love the size and weight as it is comfortable to hold for long periods of time and you don't find yourself laying down the Paperwhite like I would be doing with my iPads. What I love is that it still weighs 7.2 ounces with 1000 books loaded into it!
* Lit screen for reading in poorly lighted areas like the iPad and Kindle Fire but without the eyestrain. The lighting level is adjustable.
* High clarity of the text and contrast for easy reading. The screen has 16 levels of gray scale available.
* Fast charging time in 4 hours
* Ability to be easily read in the sunlight with no screen glare.
* WIFI connectability
* Battery life of 21 hours (of reading time) depending on the WIFI usage and screen brightness used. You can turn off your WIFI to prolong the battery life. This specification dropped from 28 hours on the Kindle Paperwhite 2013 version.
* Touch screen control
* Easy page turning and access to the onboard dictionary, access to Wikipedia and X-Ray.
* Easy to access menu and setup was a breeze
* Fast response for loading books and page turning thanks to a faster microprocessor.
* Small, thin and highly portable
* Able to carry 3,400 books
* My favorite feature is the adjustable text size and font style!
* Custom tuned fonts add clarity and crispness to the quality of the displayed text
* Since I review a lot of books I love to highlight sections and text as well as take notes on the screen.
* Translation of foreign language that is used in the book
* Web surfing is possible but still slower than a good tablet. Who cares, this is my portable eBook reader with 3,400 books in it (depending on the book file size). I have other devices to browse the web and read my email.
* I like the rubberized feel of the back and it is similar to my Kindle Fire. It makes the Kindle Paperwhite easy to grip and hold with one hand and just have it lay in the palm of my hand without a case.

This tablet gives me the best reading conditions in the daytime and also in the night. It has a lot of great features but I wanted to post a review that provides a strong comparison between the new Kindle Paperwhite and the last Kindle Paperwhite 2013 version.

--------------------------Kindle Paperwhite 2013---------Kindle Paperwhite 2015
Screen size: -------------------- 6 inch------------------------6 inch
Screen PPI----------------------212--------------------------300
Resolution: ---------------------768x1024-------------------1072x1448
Weight: --------------------------7.3 ounces------------------7.2 ounces per the manual
Overall Size: --------------------6.7"x4.6"x0.36"-----------6.7"x4.6"x0.36
Battery life in hours of reading: 28 hours----------------21 hours
Charging Time: -----------------4 hours----------------------4 hours
Eyestrain: ------none under all reading conditions----------none
Memory: -------------------------2 GIG --------------------4 GIG with 3 GIG available for the user
Number of books: -------------1,100--------------------------3,400 approximately
Included charger: --------------No---------------------------No
WIFI Connectability: ----------Fast and easy--------------Fast and easy
Speakers: ------------------------No----------------------------No

Other considerations:
* No distraction from email
* No distractions from text messages
* No distractions from phone calls.

Pros:
* You can use a capacitive stylus on the screen to help keep the screen clean.
* Great battery life and fast charging.
* Perfect form factor for size and weight for a hand held portable e-reader.
* I don't need to use the stupid book light that never worked well anyway!
* Faster page tuning which for me really makes a difference.
* Connection to the WIFI was fast and easy.
* Downloading my book library was fast and easy.
* Even though the screen has slight texture to it is does not show fingerprints as bad as a glossy screen like a Kindle Fire or an iPad
* Increase of the standard memory size to 4 GIG from the older versions 2 GIG

Cons:

* The battery life has dropped from 8 weeks at ½ hour of reading per day to 6 weeks at ½ hour of reading per day (Roughly 28 hours to 21 hours). That is due to the additional energy required for the higher resolution screen and the power to render the higher resolution of text. For me this was not a big deal as it is still 21 hours of reading time and it charges quickly in 4 hours.
* It still costs extra money for an AC wall adapter. It comes with a USB to Micro USB cable that you can use for charging and connecting to any AC USB wall adapter or computer USB port. I don't need another USB power adapter but not getting one just makes Amazon look cheap in not supplying one with the product.
* They charge extra money to remove push ads to your Kindle Paperwhite
* No speakers and no ability to have the book read aloud to you using text to speech.

Summary:
Overall considering all the issues this is a great e-Reader. It is the best available at this time when you consider the price and the features. So far I have not been able to justify the price jump to $199 for the Kindle Voyage for the small differences with the new Kindle Paperwhite. I do feel that Amazon always gives some things and takes away others. Things like text to speech, speakers and AC wall chargers disappear from new products and sometimes return in others. I also don't care for the ads still being pushed in our faces. This is still a solid 5 star product and you can't go wrong with buying one. It is just that sometimes the things you lose seem to mean more to users than to Amazon. I don't mind them saving some money but raise the price $10 and put in all the features that users will need like a charger.
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Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 8.0" Review: Better than an iPad and here's why...

Samsung has done it with this one! I have owned four iPads over the years and only one other Android tablet previous to this (plus three iPhones and several Android phones). My chief complaint is that Android just isn't as polished as iOS. In certain areas, that holds true today, but Android has come a long way and Samsung has capitalized on it with this device.

So, if you are trying to decide between this and an iPad, here is why you should choose this device, or at least give it a hard look.
1. Chromecast. This little inexpensive device is much cheaper than the Apple TV counterpart. For much less up front, you can mirror your screen on your TV. You can get a first gen Chromecast right now for $20 or $25. The new one will cost you $35, and the new Apple TV costs $149. You can get previous gen Apple TVs for less, but not $25. Now the first time, I connected this to a Chromecast, I got a warning that mirroring is not optimized on the S2, but I saw no issues when I was playing around with it. I did have to adjust my TV screen to get it to show properly though. Once that was done, it showed every bit as clear as my iPad on the Apple TV.
2. Micro SD. With an iPad, you are either stuck with what you have for memory (16, 64, 128 GB) or you use a cloud service. With this (and most other Android tablets), you get a Micro SD card slot that will accept up to an additional 128 GB, and you can swap them out to further expand your storage. Of course you can still use cloud storage as well, and this thing comes with 100 GB of One Drive for two years! For me, I need the micro SD because on deployment, I don't have access to a cloud.
3. USB Host. Yes, this tablet has USB host. What does that mean? We all have USB flash drives laying around somewhere. With a USB OTG cable (we are talking like $6), you can connect your flash drive to the tablet and transfer files to and from it. You will never be able to do that with an iPad. The most an iPad will support is pictures from a camera. With this option on the S2, you can import movies, pictures, documents, music, etc. Keep in mind that in order for the tablet to natively see it, the drive needs to be formatted to Fat32, which windows will do by default anyway. If you have a NTFS drive, you can still use it with a program like ES File Explorer, which is free on the Google Play store.
4. Speaking of the Google Play store, let's talk about the App store options on this vs the iOS App store. Apple has always been very picky about what it allows in the app store. And, if it isn't in the app store, good luck getting it on your iPad. With my S2, I currently have three app stores installed. First is the Google Play store, second is the Samsung store that is installed with the tablet, and third is the Amazon Underground app store. Google Play is obviously the native app store for Android devices (minus your Amazon devices). It has millions of apps available. Google is a bit more lenient on the store vs Apple. To the consumer, that means there is much more variety, but a higher chance you will find an app that isn't quite compatible with your device. The advantage Apple has here is that the devices running iOS come from one company...Apple. With Android, you have probably 100 companies all developing devices to run android with a multitude of combinations of hardware. This will inevitably cause issues for certain devices. But, Samsung has realized that and created the Samsung app store. This store has all the apps that have been specifically tested to work on your S2. The list isn't too shabby either. Finally, the Amazon Underground app store. This is a new idea from Amazon. They take apps you would normally pay for, and make them free to the consumer through a new marketing strategy. To be honest, I am not sure what that strategy is or how Amazon funds this, but what matters is that you get FREE apps that you would normally pay for. So, if you can't find the app you need on one of these stores, you aren't looking hard enough! One distinct advantage in terms of apps is that you can get utorrent on Android. You can not on iOS.
5. Customization. Now, iOS has started to open up to this, but it is still nowhere near where Android is. With Android devices, if you don't like your launcher, you can change it. if you don't like your widgets, you can change them. If you want certain apps on the home screen and certain ones to only show up in the app drawer, you can do that. Of course, all these customization options leave some people feeling over whelmed and that is where the simplicity of iOS has won the hearts of millions, but if you want to venture into the unknown and make your device yours, with this you can. By the way, ask an iOS user what a widget is...they don't know.
6. Media Files types. So with iOS, you are limited in terms of the media files you can play, and there is no VLC player to make up the difference. On an iOS device, you will never get a .avi video file to play. So, this is a big deal breaker if you have a library of .avi movies. With Android, there are a number of media players that will play just about any file you throw at it.
7. File system. On iOS, you can go to a file directory and find the specific file you want and decide what to do with it. Files open in specific apps and if you are lucky, another app will recognize it. With Android, you can go to the file directory (much like windows) and drill down to a specific folder with a specific files and choose to delete, copy, open, etc.
Okay, enough about the differences in Android vs iOS and more about this specific, beautiful device.
1. The screen is amazing. Very bright and vibrant. The colors really pop. Of course, this 4:3 format and resolution is a copy of the iPads, and for good reason. A 4:3 tablet is just better than a 16:9 tablet. It feels better holding it in portrait because it is more square. 4:3 uses more screen in less area. When you are talking about small screens, that little extra makes a world of difference.
2. The speakers are pretty good. You can definitely watch a movie or listen to a song without headphones. It is definitely on par with an iPad, if not better.
3. The design is beautiful. The gold color is subtle. Not too flashy and not quite dull. I love it.
4. The finger print scanner works every bit as good as the iPads and iPhones. It makes unlocking your tablet a breeze.
5. The first thing I noticed when I picked this thing up is how light it is. Coming from an iPad Air (1st gen), I could definitely feel that this is lighter. It makes holding it a wonderful experience.
6. In several days of use with my new S2, I have experienced zero lag or freezes. The dual quad core (yes, 8 cores) CPU and 3 GB RAM in this thing really make the device super smooth. It won't slow down and lag like your sub $300 Android tablets. It will handle all apps very well and you can multitask without it slowing down.
7. The cameras are pretty darn good! The clarity is great and even low light shots seem to do pretty well. They are definitely on par with the iPad.
Now, here is where an iPad wins vs the S2.
1. I will go back to the polished look. iOS apps generally look more polished than their Android counterparts. But, you will have to go into an app (i.e. Facebook) to notice the difference. On the home screen, you will see the S2 and think how beautiful it is. The launcher and home screen are very polished and go head to head with iOS. It is underneath, in the apps that you will start to notice a difference.
2. Battery Life. I would venture to say that iPad battery life is better than the S2. Not by much, but I can tell a slight difference. My battery gets to 90% on the S2 a little quicker than it did on my iPad. Of course, I have played with it off and on all day and still didn't get past like 50%, so battery life is definitely not shabby, just slightly less than an iPad.
...And that's it. That is the only two advantages I can think of for the iPad.
So, after a series of unfortunate events, I was faced with a decision, a Galaxy Tab S2 or an iPad Air 2. I chose this and I am absolutely happy I did. It is a beautiful device that changes the playing field in the tablet world. iPad is no longer the premier device. In my opinion, this thing wins in a head to head battle with an iPad.
Because the tablet has a super amoled display, blacks are really dark, and the high resolution leaves images very clear. It is hard to see the pixel matrix even at 6 inches from the display. However, the background of whites/grays are just a little grainy due to how the display technology works. Touch is integrated into the screen, and is extremely responsive - those nipped stylus pens especially work well even with low pressure. There is even an extreme power saving mode that turns everything black and white, enabling a few essential apps to stretch out battery (The display consumes less power when displaying black as it is not innervating many pixels).
I do not have much experience comparing white/black bezels aside from using my previous device which was white, but it seems black would be better for multimedia, and white for text, as it would be less obtrusive. I had not put much thought into the bezel color when purchasing. In a normally lit room, the black border does not bother me at all, but in low light it is slightly straining. With this black version it works well at night to enable greyscale and inversion under accessibility to gain borderless white on black text. I really wish android had a high contrast reading mode that supported all apps and the system theme, which would do white on black without inverting images. This would also save power on an amoled screen. Unfortunately there is no built in option for this and it takes a few menus to switch back and forth. I know of most e-readers support white on black, so I am just splitting hairs here.
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Samsung Galaxy S7 Review

Samsung Galaxy S7

I was waiting for this new wonder by Samsung and atlast I got it in my hand. Out of Black, white, Gold and Silver I chose the gold one. No doubt Samsung has again shown its creativity in its new launch Galaxy S7.
Got this phone from ATT and not amazon, but thought I should write a little about it so you can ignore the slander comments.

This phone is exactly as marketed.
Pros:
- Its fast, It will run many processes in the background without ever bogging down ( improvement over my S5)
- Its got a good camera for the 99% of us who are not professional photographers.
- Display is clear and high def.
- It's slightly smaller than my S5. I actually like this.
- They brought back the SD card slot (one reason I didn't get the S6)
- To the fellow that complained about dropping it from over a foot and it breaking..... buy a case... its what people do with a $700 phone.

Cons:
- Battery life is still good, but not as good as my S5... I will play with it all day and it will still have about 40% left as opposed to 60% with my older one.
- Headphone jack on the bottom of phone... personal preference I suppose, but I liked it on the top.
- Still has the more complicated menu settings of android phones... Ex: Might take you a few minutes to find the right tab to rename your phone.
- Samsungs "SmartSwitch" isn't great when transferring files to your new phone. Try to store as much as you can on your old SD card before moving things or you might lose some of those valued pictures or documents.
I will start with not so impressive points of this new tech wonder-
1) Similar look to S6- It looks so similar to older version S6 in design. At least a new version should have differences from its predecessors not only by features but also by look. Both of them are same by size, look , height , width. Only slight differences are there by look. S6 is more flat at the back whereas S7 has curved panel.
The rear camera in s6 sticks out a bit whereas in S7 the camera is more flat.
2) No Type c USB - I will miss my nexus Type c usb connector in S7 which I really enjoy in my google nexus 5X. S again I will be missing my fast charging here which is most needed when you are in a hurry and want to get your phone atleast half charged within a couple of minutes.
3) No 3D touch- I love 3D touch of my iPhone 6S plus which I will be missing in this S7.

Now the best and most impressive sides of S7 are -
1) Better camera than S6- In spite of the significant megapixel difference in camera between S6 and S7 ( S6 has 16 MP rear camera where as S7 has 12 mp rear camera ) I would say the camera is much better than S6 . Pictures comes solid in S7 and you will not have a chance to think about the megapixel difference.
2) Waterproof phone- Yeah, Samsung has created the wonder fully waterproof which is savior to those worries if your phone accidentally gets dropped in water.
3) Better battery performance - Combo of 3000 mah battery and android marshmallow featuring long lasting battery will make S7 horse of a long race.
4) Micro SD card support- It supports Micro SD card which is a win win over S6.

I am using this phone and have no complaints still now and pretty happy with my golden S7.
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