Logging in from my new Samsung Tab 3 tablet.

mike … which size/color did you go with?

Hi

It's a 9.7 screen, the same size as a new iPad Pro.
I got the silver one, it looks very classy, it super thin and compact.

It is noticeably faster then my iPad or Kindle and while the screen is the same size as my iPad the tablet itself is quite a bit smaller having a lot less border around the screen.

I now have all my Amazon stuff working on it, my Kindle books, my Amazon Music, and my Prime Video are all installed.

The video looks fantastic, bright, great color and sharp as a razor.

It comes with Microsoft Office, and Word looks and works much like the one I'm familiar with on the PC.

I'm also running Google Chrome for a browser, and there is a version of Photoshop available that I haven't tried yet.

There is still a lot I have to figure out, I haven't really looked at what you can do with the included stylus. but you can write note etc, free hand that save them.

I have Freecell (Can't live without that) installed, it's the same one that I use on my Kindle Fire and works like the classic Windows version.

What prompted me to change was the fact that Amazon kind of gave up on the Fire HDX and is not only not updating it, but doesn't even make them anymore.

I spent months doing research and decided to go with Samsung.
I was torn with going with the Windows 10 Samsung tablet but after reading all the reviews I finally settled on the Galaxy Tab 3 running Android, which is brand new on the market.

I got a 128 GB micro SD card and inserted it, that gives my 160 GB of storage less what's used by the OS and software. A big jump up from the 32 GB total on my other tablets.

I installed a glass, screen protector, and I got a simple case for $11.00 that works really well and completely protects the tablet with all the holes in the right place to that everything is accessible, and the magnetic on off works with it.

I didn't get a cover keyboard because I don't use my tablet like a laptop, I use it laying on the couch watching TV, or at the doctors office, or sitting in bed, I don't sit at a table with it in front of me.

I've only had it for a day, but I'm really happy with it so far.

Mike

had no idea 128gb was even available for something so small. since you've researched it plenty, mike … there are no incidents with melting batteries or similar? yah … i kinda' figured you'd try to sneak freecell inside … but never heard photoshop could run on android. the screen is not an oled is it? and what's the resolution on it? hmmm … sounds like you're one happy camper, mike … atta' boy!

for others with inquiring minds:
Samsung Galaxy Tab S3 review: Android's best foe to the iPad Pro

photo compliments of www.theverge.com

Hi

No incidents with melting batteries that I've heard of, I think they only had that problem with the S7 phone.
So far every thing is working fine.

I'm still figuring it out, it works a lot different then my KIndle or our old iPad.

Bit the display looks great.

It has an Super Amoled display,
a 9.7" screen with 2048x1536 resolution.

Pretty weird to think that it has a higher resolution display then my 27" monitor.

Mike

that amoled sounds awesome … well done.

Hi again.

I just figured out that I can dictate to my tablet.

In any situation where you can use the keyboard, you can just talk and it will type what you say.
This is a big plus for me, I don't like typing one letter at a time, and it spells better then I do. LOL

I spent some time today posting on several forums and did it all using voice, I'm on my PC now.

I have to go back and put in the punctuation but it's still faster then typing one character at a time.

The other thing it has is a delete key, neither of my other tablets do, you always have to put the cursor after the unwanted entry and back up.

This is much better you can go either way just like a keyboard, also you can use the keys to move the cursor.

So far I'm really happy with it.

Mike

mike … sounds like you're becoming good friends with that tablet. might be possible for you to actually place a comma using the utility/app … maybe pressing the ctrl-key and audibly stating the intended punctuation mark. don't really know for sure … but you could investigate further. heck … might even offer two-key combinations if bold or italic text is desired.

as in:
of course … you would depress the ctrl key when stating "comma" and, if desirable, same technique for exclamation-point.

years ago, i had briefly looked at the dragon software that came packaged with my computer … the software could hardly understand a word i said. impatience soon won out … dragon was quickly relegated to the dump folder.

Hi

I'm going to see if I can find some instructions, I don't know how to start a new paragraph or anything like that, but the keyboard isn't visible when you are using the speech app.

I tried Dragon once a long time ago with similar results.
It was easier to type it then to go back and correct all the mistakes it made.

I have to say that the technology has really improved, i.e. Cortana, and Alexa which works even better.
My Echo Dot gets everything I say, even when I'm in the next room.

In fact I was talking to my Samsung Tablet, while posting and I mentioned that Alexa would play any music that I ask for.
The Echo started playing the Music of the Night from the Phantom of the Opera, and the table wrote "Alexa Stop, Alexa Stop" as I tried to get her to cease.

I think they are taking over.

What's really handy is that the speech works whenever the keyboard triggers so if you open Chrome and want to run a search you can just say what you want to search for, i.e. new Star Wars movie and the search pops up with no typing at all.

Mike

echo-dot … is that name of your dictation app? sounds like it's taken over cortana's role. and, i agree … cortana got every word i told her without so much as a hiccup. and she definitely has a spirited way of singing. ahahah

Hi

An Echo Dot is a device that looks like a hockey puck, and is sold by Amazon.
It connects to your wireless network, and is speech activated.

It is kind of like Cortana without a computer but it actually can do a lot more stuff than Cortana can it can play any music that you can think of.

I can ask it to play All Around My Hat by Steeleye Span and because I have Amazon Prime it will find it and play it for me.

You can ask for the weather forecast set alarms or timers ask it to remember things for you pretty much anything you can think of.

We have 2 of them one is upstairs in the bedroom, the other one is in the kitchen, the one in the kitchen we use as a cooking timer as well as playing background music asking the weather etcetera.

The one that's in the the bedroom I can ask it to play thunderstorm sounds at night when I'm going to go to sleep and it plays the sound of rain falling with thunder off in the distance which is very relaxing.

You can play many other sounds and of course any music that I want to listen to when I'm reading or just relaxing.

They only cost $50 so they are selling millions of them and they keep adding capabilities.

It can also control your thermostat, lights in your house, open your garage door about anything that you can buy an accessory for that can be operated by Bluetooth.

We have both of ours connected to Bluetooth speakers so that the music sound is of a higher quality.

Link Removed

Check it out, they now have an app that lets it be used as a phone, you can call and receive telephone calls on it hands-free.

I haven't really looked into it to find out how that all works yet.

By the way I'm dictating all of this to my Samsung tablet and it's going pretty smoothly.
I've had to go back and make a few corrections but basically it gets everything I say.

That's it for now.

Mike

now all i gotta' do is, somehow, convince microsoft to develop one of cortana's talents into dictation. <exasperated grimace>

oh, wait … cortana and microsoft's onenote both reside on my laptop. so, after a bit of wrangling 'n hmmmph'g … was successful in syncing the two apps together. turns out … simply dictate to cortana … and she outputs the text into onenote. this was all done using only the laptop (locally).

however …

if anyone out there wishes to add/revise my findings … pls do so.

btw … thanks for your reply 'n exposure, mike.

i probably would consider rendering a tutorial … but the majority of respondents probably would prefer mobile interface within their vehicles' environment [reminders, punch-bags, etc] … and i have none of that hardware. the tutorial would, veritably, be useless. nobody, in their right mind, would sit in front of a computer and pull up cortana 'n onenote to audibly dictate a 113-char reminder for themselves … that's what stickynotes 'n notepad are for.

I'm guessing that Windows still has a text to speech function, it did at one time anyway, I you tried using it once but i descovered that it was easier just to type.

It didn't work nearly as well as the one on my tablet.

The nice thing about Alexa is you can make reminders and you don't have to look them up or read them she'll just tell you when you need to be reminded verbally what it is you need to to do.

I'm still marveling over the computer in our new Honda CRV and how it knows which of us is driving, and interfaces with my wife's iPhone, all controlled by voice alone.

All you have to do is say PHONE I want to call Dave and it dials and the phone stays in your pocket.
The sound come through the cars speakers.

Mike

ahahah … that's a killer … no idea the new crv offered that. like the idea about the reminders too. cheers.