SAMSUNG GALAXY NOTE 10.1 (2014)

It appears as though someone at Samsung realized exactly how unique (and for some indispensable) the S-pen stylus included with several prior models of Samsung tablets truly is. The result is the 2014 edition of the Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1, a full-sized tablet essentially based around S-pen functionality only previously available in smaller tabs or phablets.

Those who are familiar with the opportunities presented in Samsung’s sketchbook-style apps and functions know what they’re getting in the revamped Galaxy Note 10.1: Essentially the only 10” tablet with the graphic artist in mind first.

For the everyday user, the new Galaxy Note 10.1 brings enough to rave about, particularly in the area of display. Always among the top producers of high-quality, great-looking screens, Samsung includes a sharp, 2,560 x 1,600-pixel display that automatically places it in the HD range. Backing it up with the Samsung knowhow makes an end result as impressive as you’d guess.

Samsung meanwhile brings something newfangled under the hood, namely the “eight-core Exynos 5 system-on-chip,” an innovation that essentially piggybacks two quad-core ARM CPUs. Add in 3 GB (that’s right) of RAM and simply put, the Galaxy Note 10.1 is very quick and very smooth in operation.

And then there’s the S-pen. Along with the standard and highly-useful apps like S-Note and Sketchbook, Samsung even developed another sweet little item for its 2014 tablet: A function known as Pen Window allows the user to create a window simply by drawing a box with that nifty stylus.

With all this included, one may ask, how does the Galaxy Note 10.1 still stay so light? To be honest, this is the disappointing bit. Unfortunately to keep the weight down on what might have been one beast of a tablet, Samsung chose to employ plastic on frame and backer. Lots of plastic. Just … try to get past it. Everything else makes it worth it – and for the artist, there is no substitute.