GADGET GIZMO SPECIAL ..................Samsung Galaxy Note Pro

GADGET GIZMO SPECIAL Samsung Galaxy Note Pro

I’ve really liked the Galaxy Note series with its big screens and the smoothly functioning S-Pen, complete with its bag of tricks. But the Note Pro is a lot of Note — 12.2 inches of it, to be sure. While browsing the web, looking at pictures, watching video and drawing with the S-Pen all turn out wonderful on that vast expanse of screen, the large landscape form has its drawbacks.  It is, after all, larger than the smaller notebooks and yet, has no attached keyboard. You’ll immediately want to pair it with an external Bluetooth keyboard — and then you have to consider how you want to carry the duo around, especially as there’s no stand to go with it to keep the screen up. But it’s so very Samsung to bring devices out in all conceivable sizes, so if you don’t like one size, please opt for another. What we’ve got to figure out is who the Note Pro could be right for. If your work involves laying a tablet flat on a surface and say, sketching, the Note Pro may suit you. Other specific work situations may call for it as well. The virtual keyboard is very good, but long-term, typing on glass is not as easy as typing on a real keyboard. Even while writing with the S-Pen, which is very accurate and easy, you have to rest your palm on the screen (thankfully it handles that fine) which again means putting the tablet down flat. The Note Pro is just not made to be held in one hand and even holding in two hands and say browsing or watching something gets tiring very soon. Reading a book on it is almost unthinkable. On the other hand, if you rest it on your knees while reclining, browsing the net is gorgeous. Apart from its form factor, the Note Pro is a powerful device with top notch specs and works really well. Two warnings though: it takes absolute ages to charge, and costs the earth.  Mala BhargavaBW 140602