Samsung Galaxy Note Pro vs iPad Air: Worth $150 More?

Samsung has made the pricing of the Galaxy Note Pro 12.2 official: $749 for 32GB and $849 for 64GB. That’s the most expensive Android tablet ever. But Samsung is pitching this device as much more than a tablet. It’s designed to be a productivity dynamo, offering not just pen input but the ability to run four apps at once on its giant 12.2-inch screen.

The Note Pro goes on sale February 13, but you can pre-order one now. But should you get the Pro or opt for the iPad Air (starting at $499, $599 for 32GB)? Here’s a quick spec and feature breakdown to help you decide.

The Galaxy Note Pro is jam-packed with high-end specs, including an octa-core Exynos proessor, 3GB of RAM and a 2560 x 1600-pixel display. The tablet runs Android 4.4 KitKat with 32GB of internal storage to start. You can add an additional 64GB via a microSD Card slot.

MORE: Face-Off: Apple iPad Air vs. Microsoft Surface 2

Apple’s iPad Air has a smaller 9.7-inch screen with a resolution that’s not as sharp: 2048 x 1536. The 64-bit A7 CPU on the inside offered very fast performance. This is paired with reportedly just 1GB of RAM (though Apple doesn’t specify). You can order the Air with 16GB, 32GB, 64GB or 128GB of storage, but it doesn’t offer expansion.

The iPad Air weighs about 1 pound and measures just .29 inches thick, versus 1.6 pounds and .31 inches thick for the Galaxy Note Pro. However, the Note Pro sports a much larger display.

Here’s where the the Note Pro and iPad Air seriously diverge. Samsung has revamped Google’s homescreen with its own Magazine UX, which uses a Flipboard-like interface to present everything from your favorite apps and news headlines to business tools and social feeds. iOS 7 is more simple and straightforward, but not nearly as customizable.

MORE: iPad Pro: 5 Killer Features We Want

The Galaxy Note Pro also takes multitasking to the next level with Multi Window. Now you can run four apps on the screen at one time, and you can drag and drop content between Windows. Samsung even says you’ll be able to quickly launch your frequently used Multi Window app configurations. The iPad can’t run more than one app at a time, although iOS 7 at least makes it simple to switch between apps.

Google has reportedly asked Samsung to tone down its Magazine UX and remove some of its homegrown apps, but it doesn’t look like Samsung has any plans to change the Note Pro’s user experience anytime soon.

The Galaxy Note Pro brings Samsung’s S Pen to the party, offering the ability to take notes, draw and use convenient features like Air Command for quickly getting things done with the stylus. But in order to position this slate as a true laptop replacement, Samsung is also including Remote PC software for accessing your desktop while on the go and Hancom Office for working on office docs. 

For aiding text entry, Samsung has revamped its on-screen touch keyboard to closely mirror a traditional laptop, complete with arrow keys and familiar shortcuts like cut and paste. Not good enough? Samsung has partnered with Logitech, Belkin and Zagg to create Bluetooth keyboard cases for this large tablet. 

MORE: Best Tablets 2014

The iPad Air has plenty of business-friendly software, too, including the free and improved iWork suite, which benefits from iCloud integration. In addition, the App Store stocks dozens and dozens of productivity apps, although the lack of a central file system irks some owners. Android doesn’t have this drawback.

You certainly won’t be lacking for accessories with the Air, as there are several keyboard cases and third-party pens available. However, none of these options are as tightly integrated as Samsung’s S Pen.

Samsung knows that Apple is the reigning champ when it comes to apps and content, so it’s not surprise that the company is taking matters into its own hands. The Galaxy Note Pro 12.2 will ship with $800 in so-called Galaxy Perks. This includes a $25 Google Play credit, three months of Hulu Plus, a one-year Bloomberg Businessweek subscription, six months of WebEx Premium and 50GB of Dropbox storage for two years. 

Nevertheless, the iPad Air offers more than 375,000 apps that are specifically designed for tablet use, while many Android apps are mere supersized smartphone apps.

In some ways the Galaxy Note 12.2 is in a class by itself, because of its price but also its size. Jumping from 9.7 to 12.2 inches is a big leap, but some may be willing to make it if it means potentially ditching the laptop. The new Note certainly has the iPad Air beat when it comes to multitasking and pen integration. On the other hand, the iPad Air is more portable and may prove faster, especially since it doesn’t have the overhead of TouchWiz and Samsung’s new Magazine UX. The Air also leads in terms of tablet apps, though Samsung’s value-added bundle helps.

Apple could very well be working on a premium iPad Pro of its own, but for now the Air remains a good value for work and play. We won’t know how well the Galaxy Note Pro works as an everyday productivity companion until we’ve had a chance to fully test it, but for now this supersized slate shows promise. 

Responsible for the editorial vision for Laptopmag.com, Mark Spoonauer has been Editor in Chief of LAPTOP since 2003 and has covered technology for nearly 15 years. Mark speaks at key tech industry events and makes regular media appearances on CNBC, Fox and CNN. Mark was previously reviews editor at Mobile Computing, and his work has appeared in Wired, Popular Science and Inc.

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Acer’s White C720p Chromebook Touch Hands-on: Worth $299?

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FreeUndelete review: Confusing utility not worth the time investment

FreeUndelete FreeUndelete helps you track down missing files, even those deleted from the Windows Recycle Bin...but it's not always effective.

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From the moment you launch FreeUndelete, you see that this utility is all business (and in fact, it's not free for businesses—just for individuals). FreeUndelete 2.1.36867.1 features a spartan interface, with no cutesy graphics and little in the way of color. And you won't find much in the way of instruction: If you want to use FreeUndelete, you're going to have to figure out how to do so on your own.

Luckily, it's pretty intuitive. On the left side of the interface is a panel where you select which drive you'd like to scan; what's odd is that FreeUndelete presents Drives C through H as options, but only allows you to scan your C drive. You use the Filter to narrow down your search, but FreeUndelete doesn't present any advanced search options, such as document type or modified date.

Understanding FreeUndelete's results is even more confusing, as it simply presents you with a list of locations where your file might be found, but doesn't actually direct you to the file in question. The locations where shown as lists of folders, and when I tried to browse through the folders, I found no way to go back to the beginning list. To do so, I had to start the scan all over again.

Even worse: The application failed to track down either of my missing test files. In the end, this program proved too confusing too much of the time.

The most appealing thing about FreeUndelete is that it's free for personal use. Since free/donationware Recuva was more successful (though still not perfect) at performing the same tasks in my tests, Recuva is a better choice if you don't have the cash for a paid program.

Note: The Download button takes you to the vendor's site, where you can download the latest version of the software.

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Opera for Android Browser Beta Hands-on: Worth the Download?

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DVDFab Media Player worth a try for Blu-ray fans

Few Blu-ray movie players are on the market because of the royalties for the technologies involved, but there are some. DVDFab has joined the PowerDVDs and WinDVDs of the world with its own player, aptly titled DVDFab Media Player ($50, 30-day free trial with feature limitations).

Simplicity, simplicity, simplicity. Most functions are accessed from right-clicking in DVDFab Media Player's interface.It's hardly a universal player, and it suffers some obvious version 1.0 oddities, but DVDFab Media Player plays Blu-ray movies perfectly. You must take care of the HDCP encryption DTS and Dolby. I played several titles with nary a glitch. There's a lack of support for most straight audio files, as well as Ogg Theora, but it plays most other video types.

DVDFab Media Player's interface is clean as a whistle. Personally, I don't see the need for the progress dialogs when files or discs are loaded. Something less obvious might be in order, but minimalism is my cup of tea.

Possibly the best feature of DVDFab Media Player is the "Quick & Simple" navigation, which allows you to bypass all the junk you normally have to view when you play a DVD or Blu-ray disc. Just load the disc, hit play, and the movie begins. Bravo.

DVDFab Media Player is free to try, though you have to sit through a 5-second nag each time you launch the program. It's free for playing titles on your hard disk—including Blu-ray structures—but to play discs after the 30-day trial period, you'll need to purchase a license for $50. Even at this early stage, it's worth a look.

—Jon L. Jacobi

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Kevin Smith’s Amplified E-Book Memoir Funny, Not Worth the Premium

From “Jay and Silent Bob”, “Clerks,” “Chasing Amy”, “Mallrats” and, most recently, of “Comic Book Men”-fame, Kevin Smith has made out pretty well for a boy from New Jersey. Now, with his new memoir, “Tough Sh*t: Life Advice From a Fat, Lazy Slob Who Did Good” you can track the evolution of his success in enhanced e-book form, complete with plenty of naughty references to bodily functions and illegal drugs, in type and on video. But is the “amplified” (aka enhanced) version worth the money?

Over the years, we’ve loved watching Smith show off his considerable talents as a writer, director, actor and podcast creator. So reading his words of wisdom had us all a-twitter, and the first few sentences did not disappoint. We were quickly howling with laughter as Smith reflected on his life beginning within his father’s, er, anatomy, discussions of the inside workings of The Weinstein Co. and his advice on rolling a joint. When you wade past the persistent discussions of his weight, and if you aren’t turned off by his potty-mouth, you’ll see a kind and honest father come through in his stories. 

From a technical perspective, the Amplified Edition of Tough Sh*t was pretty disappointing. There are only 18 videos, ranging in length from 55 seconds to 2:52 in length. Don’t get me wrong, any true View Askew fan will love seeing Smith in his office, with his dog and backed by an enormous picture of his daughter. But the short snippets aren’t enough reason to make this a truly engaging or interactive experience. Each video, which switches from traditional shots to psychedelic coloring,  is a mere preface to the chapter you’re about to dive into, leaving the reader wanting more.

There is, of course, a hardcover c0py from Gotham Books, measuring 272 pages, which will cost you $25. But for $13.99 you can read and watch Smith on your iOS device thanks to the enhanced iBooks copy. You can get a straight e-book version from either Amazon or Barnes & Noble for $11.99, but neither of those offer the not-so-compelling video extras of the iTunes version.

This is not Smith’s first book, nor his first memoir, having released “My Boring-Ass Life” and “Silent Bob Speaks” in years past. But this is his first enhanced e-book.

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Skype Beta for Windows Phone Hands-on: Worth the Wait?

The wait is over for Skype/Windows Phone users. Previously, Windows Phone was one of the few devices on the market without a dedicated Skype app, which was more than a little ironic since Microsoft recently acquired Skype in a $8.5 billion deal. But that’s been rectified now that Skype has rolled out its beta app for Windows Phones 7.5 and higher.  The final version is expected to be released sometime in April. Read on to find out what happened when we got our hands on this video chat app using the HTC Radar 4G Windows Phone from T-Mobile.

After a number of unsuccessful attempts, we were able to download and install Skype onto our HTC Radar 4G. We signed in and Skype quickly aggregated our existing Skype contacts along with our regular phone contacts. Clicking on the Contact tab gave us the option to view contacts that were currently online or in our phone book by going to that letter.

The overall interface has a clean, fresh look mixing traditional Skype with Windows Metro interface. Instead of scrolling through our long list of contacts, Skype uses alphabetical sorting. Similar to the Windows Phone app menu, clicking on a letter tile cues up an alphabet tile view. From there we selected the letter our contact’s name began with and were quickly taken that point in our contact list.

Our favorite feature is the Account page, where our profile photo was prominently displayed along the top, along with the rest of our pertinent contact info.

Menu navigation consists of a quick sweep to the left or right. Depending on the page, a few additional menu options can be found along the bottom navigation bar.

For example, pressing the small keypad button on the Contacts page brings up a large black keypad for quick dialing. Clicking on the three white dots in the bottom nav bar enabled us to access the Settings menu where could turn of Auto Sign In or send feedback to the Skype Team.

Making calls is pretty straightforward. After clicking on our chosen contact, we pressed the video icon in the bottom nav bar to start a video call. There’s an icon to have a non-video call and as an icon to add other people to the chat are easily accessible as well. We also had the option block or remove contacts when we pressed the three dots.

Although the image was slightly grainy, we could easily make out our caller’s bright blue plaid shirt. We didn’t notice a lag, however the image became extremely grainy when our subject began to move. Our caller reported seeing about a second of lag with hints of fuzziness. Audio on both ends of the chat were loud and clear. We noticed that video calls were only available in landscape as all attempts to switch to portrait mode were unsuccessful.

During the chat, we could view our caller’s profile, switch between the front and rear-facing cameras and mute the sound. We were also able to view our chat history and send instant messages.

Overall, Skype’s Windows Phone beta app is one of the better video chat apps we’ve used. The interface is snappy and intuitive with good audio and visual quality. It’s a solid start for a beta launch and could potentially close the gap between Windows Phone and its competitors.

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Geek Alert: Text Editor EmEditor Professional Worth a Look

EmEditor Professional ($40, 30-day free trial) is a powerful text editing program with many features that can make it useful to programmers, Web designers, system administrators, and anyone else who regularly works with unformatted text.

EmEditor Professional handles large files, and delimited files, with ease.The interface for EmEditor is very standard--a variety of panels which can be shown or hidden, with a central tabbed editing area. Slightly confusingly, some of the side panels are controlled by 'View' and others by 'Plug-Ins'. While this makes development sense, it's not instantly intuitive where to look to turn on or off a feature. This is a common thread throughout EmEditor: It's often a bit more of a task than it should be to figure out how to use a particular aspect of the program, but there are enough cool bits in the program that it can be worth it, especially if you're not already committed to another text editor and thoroughly indoctrinated in its quirks.

EmEditor documentation isn't the best it could be, being both sparse and peppered with questionable English, but it does get the job done. Simply put, while there were things I felt I should be able to figure out just from looking at menus, that I instead needed to go to the documentation for, said documentation did answer my questions with minimal searching. It also responded to the most obvious and intuitive keywords.

Some of the things I like a lot about EmEditor Professional include: parsing of delimited files, which includes the ability to specify delimiters; support for reading large files without overflowing memory; a lot of ability to customize the options for various file types; and powerful outlining, both in-document and in a side panel. Other useful features include a macro record feature, along with the ability to write complex macros using either VBScript or JavaScript.

Beyond that, EmEditor has many of the features expected of a professional text editor: multiple copy/paste, vertical or "block" selection, file comparisons (diff), and so on. It does not, however, have a very sophisticated hook into common development tools like Visual Studio; you can set it up as an "external tool", and samples are given to help with this, but there is no automated integration.

Speed-wise, I found EmEditor quite responsive and easy to use. The wealth of configuration options and the ability to quickly change them on a file-by-file basis makes it very useful if you regularly edit a lot of different file types, which I do, jumping from Java to PERL to HTML to CSV regularly in the course of a working day.

EmEditor is under constant development; a look at the change log shows that EmuraSoft is quick to fix bugs and add features.

EmEditor is inexpensive, powerful, and has many useful features, but it's hard to say it dramatically raises the bar over similar tools, such as UltraEdit, especially if a user is already committed to such a tool and has configured it to their personal tastes. Freeware programs such as NotePad++ also offer a lot of functionality for no price, though EmEdit has code navigation features NotePad++ lacks.

This is a problem in general with programs in mature categories; so much of the core functionality is standard that it's hard to justify changing for a small number of improvements or new features. However, if you're in the market for a text editor and not closely tied to a particular one, EmEditor Professional is very much worth looking at, as it offers an exceptional mix of features and tools at a low price.

--Ian Harac

With EmEditor Professional, a text editor for Windows, you can create functionally-rich macros using JavaScript or VBScript, allowing you to define most operations. Not only can you define a macro which records keystrokes that you use and reference repeatedly, but you can also write your own macros which can manipulate other applications, Windows files, or network functionalities. The macros are based on the Windows Scripting Host (WSH) engine, so you can use all of the powerful, robust objects available under the WSH. Other EmEditor Professional features include Unicode, Plug-ins, Find in Files, Replace in Files, Combine Windows (ability to toggle between tabbed-interface and single document interface), Keyword Highlighting (including embedded scripts in HTML, ASP and PHP files), OLE Drag and Drop, and Menu/Keyboard Customizations. The Windows 98/Me version is also availeble from EmEditor Home Page.

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