Before I get too into my review, I thought it best to give the specs on this awesome tablet first.  Once I’ve done that, then I feel I can elaborate on these features and my general overall experience with the Tablet.  =)
 
Specs on the Samsung Galaxy 2 Tablet:
Memory – 16 GB with a SD Card slot for up to 32 GB
Conectivity – WiFi, USB, (you will need to buy a USB adapter if you want to plug a USB device directly into the tablet)  and Bluetooth that is built in
CPU – 1.0 GHz, Dual Processor
Display – 10.1”, with Resolution 1280x800 pixels,
Audio – Compatible Music Files, MP3, AAC/AAC+/EAAC+, WMA, OGG (vorbis), FLAC, AC-3: Compatible Sound Files, AMR-NB/WB, WAV, MID, XMF, iMelody, SP-MIDI, RTTTL/RTX, OTA
Video – Video Player: Compatible Video Files, 3GP, AMR, H.263, H.264, MPEG4, QCIF: Video, Streaming
Messaging Options – Email (POP3/IMAP/SMTP/SSL/TLS); Exchange ActiveSync Email
Operating System - Ice Cream Sandwich 4.0 OS
Weight - 1.28 lbs
Battery - 7000 mAh battery (up to 8 hours of battery life) but I have noticed, (as with most electronics) the battery life runs out faster when used for gaming or streaming video.  But still not a problem.  Battery life is still good.
Camera - 1.2 MP front, 8MP rear digital camera/video

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With the technical aspect out of the way, let me tell you why I chose the Samsung Galaxy Tab 2.  I am an apple iPhone user, and wanted to purchase an iPad as well.  I had been doing my homework, and looking at the iPad for about a year, and I had no desire to purchase anything other than an iPad.  Why would I want to switch operating systems or try something different than what I already was quite familiar with?  Not only that, but all of my apps, would have been compatible, and all things easy and in one place on my iTunes account.  I am a person who LOVES things to be “SIMPLE”. 

I have also been a “Sony Reader” user, and wanted something that I could also incorporate my eBooks on, this was a MUST HAVE feature for me, and other than the Kindle, I was under the impression that the iPad was the only other option.  Boy was I wrong.  ha ha…  Just goes to show what I knew!!!

Over the course of my debating, and doing my research, I finally decided I would look at other Tablet options.  The main reason for this was that the price of the iPad was higher than I wanted to pay, and it DID NOT have an option for expanding  your Memory.  You either bought a 16GB, or a 32GB, and that was it.  I liked the idea of being able to use an SD Card, to expand your memory capabilities.  It was time for me to start comparing Tablets outside of the iPad realm of things.  YIKES!

Samsung, as you know is a popular brand for electronics, and owning Samsung brand TV’s, I felt that their tablets must be worth taking a look at. When I started really researching more tablets I found that the Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 was exactly what I wanted.  I had the opportunity to use an iPad for a few days, and found it to feel bulky, with sharp edges (It was not in any sort of protective case) and wasn’t comfortable on my hands to hold.  It really didn’t impress me as much as I had hoped.  The Samsung Galaxy Tab 2, is a GREAT alternative to the iPad. 

Not only is the Samsung Galaxy Tablet light weight, (Weighs only 1.3 lbs. and measures just 0.4" thin) the edges weren’t sharp feeling, like the iPads were. It also didn’t feel heavy or awkward to hold in my hands.  The screen was vivid and crisp, and the touch screen is so easy to maneuver. 
The 10.1” screen is neither too big or too small.  It really is the perfect size.  When starting up your tablet, you’ll see that you already have weather and you’re app store etc on the main screen.  This was great, because I knew I was going to need to figure things out and get to know my tablet.  Having these items handy right away, made set up much easier. 
I have to admit, I struggled for a moment, until I got it through my head that this was a Tablet, NOT a laptop.  ha ha….  One of the first things I did was get some of my favorite apps, believe it or not, I was surprised to find many of the apps that I had on my iPhone in the Google Play app store.  I’ve since found that many of the apps that iPhones have are also now available for Androids… I think a year or so ago, when I first began my search, they were not as readily available.  Some apps were strictly an iPhone/iPad app.  So you can either use your “Samsung Store”, “Google Play”, and even “Amazon” to find your favorite apps. 
 
What Comes Preloaded:

Preloaded apps include Google Talk, Samsung Apps, YouTube, Gmail, Netflix, Smart Remote, Google Maps, S planner, gallery, Google search, navigation, music hub, world clock, Polaris Office, game hub, ChatON and more.

I found out that watching TV online with the Samsung Galaxy Tab is really an awesome experience.  I have not yet used the feature of downloading tv shows or movies from the store, but I have watched TV on the history channels website  (Yes, I’m a fan of watching the new “Vikings” series, and I’ve even watched the next episode on my tablet)  What I loved most was that I was able to start watching immediately, and there were no breaks in playback, while it buffered or loaded.  The picture was impressively clear, which was something that I did NOT expect to see.  There are 2 speakers on the front (one on each side) and I think they could be just a tad bit louder.

Buttons:

Your power button and Volume up/down buttons are located along the top of your tablet.  (Or if you are using it in the up/down direction they would be on the side)  As for “On Screen” touch buttons, you have 4 main buttons along the bottom.  Your “Back” button, a “Home” button, which will bring you to the default start screen.  Your “Recent Apps” button which is great for switching between recently used apps etc. and then your “Applications” button. (This is the place where all of your apps are stored, and easily browsed – an App Drawer so to speak)   Along the bottom right side, you have your notification center as well as your clock, and all the different connectivity settings, with the tap of your finger all of that is quickly accessed.

Along the bottom of the tablet, there is an arrow.  When tapping the arrow it will bring up a Mini Apps Tray This is an additional dock-like bar which will give access to the most commonly used applications.  It’s there if you want to use it, however, I don’t use that feature.
The on screen keyboard is very simple to use, much like your smart phones, with a little less switching of screens for different keys.  This awesome tablet also allows for Dictation.  You can speak into the Galaxy Tablet as an easy effective alternative to actually typing using the onscreen keyboard.   You do need to make sure you are speaking clearly though.

I use my tablet mostly for surfing the web, social media, and game playing.  I had wanted to use it for blogging as well, but honestly I have found glitches happening between blogger and the tablet, where I can’t get my cursor to stay where I need it.  Don’t get me wrong, it definitely is possible to post on blogger using this tablet, but maybe I just need to work out a few kinks.  I like to use my tablet on my lap while I watch TV, I’m able to visit blogs, leave comments quickly, and check up on emails and other things online with ease. 

The charging keyboard docking station: 

This does not come standard with the tablet, but I did receive it free with my tablet when I purchased it through our AT&T provider.  This was the perfect accessory, making typing even faster for the tablet.  Not only great for typing more quickly and efficiently, but also works great as a stand, or a way to prop your table up. 

For gaming, I found that I would much rather play games on the tablet, rather than on my iPhone. I really like the bigger screen, and the ease of not mistakenly hitting the wrong spot on the touch screen, because the size of the tablet allows for more room than my iPhone does.

My Experience with Battery Life:

I’ve never had the battery die on me, (yet anyway)… I usually turn on my tablet in the morning, and use it off and on throughout the day, I will then turn it off, and put it on the charging docking station overnight, and I’m good to go for the next day.  Of course I’m sure I might run into a problem with battery life if I were to stream a lot of movies etc.  But for normal use (browsing and game play) I’m quite happy with the battery life.

Cost:

The question is, “Am I happy with the cost of the Samsung Galaxy Tab 2”?  Yes, at about half the price of the iPad, and packed with all of these awesome features, I cannot complain.  Let’s not forget that I was also given the keyboard/docking/charging station (a $90 value) for free.  When does Apple ever give you extra accessories for free?
The bottom line here is that even though I’m not a “Techie” person, I’m one happy camper with my Samsung Galaxy Tablet, and would recommend it to everyone.  It is affordable, and is user friendly.

Recommended: Yes