Indeed, at iPad-size the Note is effectively a media consumption device, like the iPad, that uses the S-Pen to improve the possibilities for creating and editing your own material. In that sense it's a super thing, but not quite the achievement of the Note 2. In the absence of excellent Android tablet apps in large numbers, it's also rather hamstrung.
But it's worth noting that even if it is a niche device, the whole consumer electronics industry, from Panasonic to Lenovo and beyond, is betting big chunks of money on tablets of up to 20" and even beyond, using ever-higher resolutions. They need even more impressive processors than the Note's quadcore, which is fine for most tasks but not quite instantaneous for, say, handwriting recognition. With 2GB of ram there's plenty of resources available to let users take advantage of Samsung's split-screen options, making the large screen feel like it's really used properly.
That S-Pen, however, still feels like it's a hugely valuable tool that, despite apps such as the pre-loaded Photoshop Touch and S-Note, is grossly under-utilised. Samsung clearly realises this and it has packed the 10.1 with many of its own apps – some of which, such as AllShare, are useful as you can beam your tablet onto your TV. Others just feel like bloatware. The camera, however, is at least surprisingly good for a tablet, producing decent pictures even in fairly low light and offering a good range of settings.
On the 4G version of the 10.1 that I was using, the excellent coverage in central London meant that there was never a need to connect it to wifi, although the effect of that, after editing pictures and then emailing them or simply sending annotated screenshots, could be catastrophic for anyone on a low data tariff.
Overall, the Note 10.1 felt like an excellent tablet with handy extra features thanks to the S-Pen and superfast connectivity thanks to EE. But it needs more software to fulfill its potential.
Manufacturer specifications:
1.4GHz Exynos Quad-Core Processor
10.1" WXGA(1280x800) LCD
Camera
Main(Rear): 5 Megapixel Auto Focus Camera with LED Flash
Sub(Front): 1.9 Megapixel Camera
Memory
16/32/64GB User memory + 2GB (RAM)
microSD (up to 64GB)
Dimension : 262 x 180 x 8.9 mm
Weight : 600g (3G), 597g (WiFi)
Battery
Standard battery, Li-ion 7,000mAh
Value-added Features
S Pen Experience(6.5mm S Pen, S Note, S Planner etc.); Multi Screen; Adobe Photoshop Touch; Pop up play; Smart Stay; Samsung TouchWiz; Video Wall; Samsung Apps; Samsung Hub; Readers Hub/Music Hub/Game Hub/Video Hub; Polaris office
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