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KnightMan

macrumors member
Original poster
Sep 12, 2012
60
0
Ok, in my search for my next device, I'm leaving no device upturned. When looking up the Galaxy Note, I see there are people who say the phone is too big for them. I can see this being the case for many, but If you are also a person who sees nothing wrong with hauling around a 10 inch tablet, then how do you consider a 5.5 inch device too big to carry around. The more I think about it, I think this is actually genius on Samsung's part. I think this is the perfect size for heavy web browsing people, or for businesses. Way more mobile than a 7inch or 10inch tablet.
 

Intell

macrumors P6
Jan 24, 2010
18,955
509
Inside
The iPad isn't able to be used as a phone. What people are saying is that it's too big or use as a phone or a phone replacement.
 

0007776

Suspended
Jul 11, 2006
6,473
8,170
Somewhere
I'm not holding the iPad up to my face to talk on it like I do a phone. Also the Note is too big to easily fit in a pocket, but it is too small to have the advantages that a larger screen like the iPad has offers.
 

Carouser

macrumors 65816
Feb 1, 2010
1,411
1
I can see this being the case for many, but If you are also a person who sees nothing wrong with hauling around a 10 inch tablet, then how do you consider a 5.5 inch device too big to carry around.

Because a 5.5 inch device doesn't fit easily in most pockets. Once you're carrying something under your arm or in a bag, it might as well be the size of the iPad.

The 5.5 inch note is less mobile than the iPhone and less useful than the iPad; its size makes it sub-optimal, not superior.
 

daveathall

macrumors 68020
Aug 6, 2010
2,379
1,410
North Yorkshire
I think it is perfect for the inside pocket (wallet pocket) of a suit and would be a great asset to someone that dressed like that for work, I could see me using one for work, not that I wear a suit, I drive to work and spend most of my time in an office.
 
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Oohara

macrumors 68040
Jun 28, 2012
3,050
2,423
Because a 5.5 inch device doesn't fit easily in most pockets. Once you're carrying something under your arm or in a bag, it might as well be the size of the iPad.

The 5.5 inch note is less mobile than the iPhone and less useful than the iPad; its size makes it sub-optimal, not superior.
I wish people would stop generalizing on this size thing. Different people have use for different sizes, there is no one size that is superior or sub-optimal for all.

Personally, I've never kept my phone in the pockets of my pants, and most of the year I use jackets with pockets well big enough for a Note. During summer I pretty much always use a small shoulder strap bag or textile bag when I leave home, and in these the weight difference between an iPad and a Note would be considerable.

The Note is a perfect size for reading or surfing in a much more efficient and enjoyable way than on smaller phones, while being much less of a hassle to pull up and use than an iPad if you're on a crowded train or bus, while walking around outside, etc.

So, the inverse of your sentence is equally true: The 5.5 inch note is more useful than the iPhone and more mobile than then iPad; it's size makes it superior, not sub-optimal.

Edit: In direct response to the OP, of course there will be people who find the Note too big for their pockets and want to have a smaller phone in their pocket for fast access, when they don't need the functionality of the iPad and find that too much of a hassle to pull out of the bag all the time.
 
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840quadra

Moderator
Staff member
Feb 1, 2005
9,481
6,381
Twin Cities Minnesota
I wish people would stop generalizing on this size thing. Different people have use for different sizes, there is no one size that is superior or sub-optimal for all.

I fully agree with this statement. The choice, and options for different sizes are what's great about offerings in the Android world.

The Note is a perfect size for reading or surfing in a much more efficient and enjoyable way than on smaller phones, while being much less of a hassle to pull up and use than an iPad if you're on a crowded train or bus, while walking around outside, etc.

That paragraph is just as subjective as the post you decided to reply to, There is also an inverse response to your claims as well.

In the end, personal preferences, or needs should always be the deciding factor in purchasing personal electronics. My only regret being an Apple customer, is being locked into an ecosystem with more limited choices. That said, I personally enjoy the ecosystem well enough to deal with it :) .
 

Carouser

macrumors 65816
Feb 1, 2010
1,411
1
I wish people would stop generalizing on this size thing. Different people have use for different sizes, there is no one size that is superior or sub-optimal for all.

I was saying it was 'suboptimal' in the context of the OP's question, not 'universally suboptimal', so an accusation of generalization suggests you didn't understand my post. I didn't think I had to say "in the context of this discussion" after every sentence. Perhaps 840quadra will also reconsider their interpretation as well.

To reiterate, the OP asked the following:

If you are also a person who sees nothing wrong with hauling around a 10 inch tablet, then how do you consider a 5.5 inch device too big to carry around.

I see nothing wrong with hauling around a 10 inch tablet. Since I am that sort of person, why would I benefit from hauling around a 5.5 inch tablet? The size offers no benefit. If I see nothing wrong with carrying something that size around, as the OP suggested, I might as well carrying something that size around - a 10" tablet. In this case, the Note offers no benefit, because a smaller size is not what this particular case values.

If there are people, then, who do think the Note is too large, they are a different group of people (or a different set of use-cases). They imagine using such a device in various situations. In many cases, the Note is too large: they find the Note too big to use one-handed, because it doesn't fit their pockets, because it is too heavy, because they can't mount it on their bicycle or bring it running, whatever their reasons are. In these cases, the Note offers no benefit, because a larger screen is not what this particular case values.

The OP's question just conflates the two use cases. It says to the former group, "Wouldn't you like something easier to carry?" and ignores how they would have to give up the screen size they value. It says to the latter group, "Wouldn't you like something bigger to read?" and ignores how they would have to give up mobility.

It then supposes all of these people are of the same group, ignores how preference satisfaction trades off precisely between the attributes of mobility and screen size, and then scratches its head at the contradiction which results.

Reconsider your claims as follows (my commentary in bold):

The 5.5 inch note is more useful than the iPhone but less mobile, which is a major reason why people buy the iPhone and more mobile than then iPad but less useful, which is a major reason why people buy the iPad

It applies the virtues of mobility to a case where screen size is the determining factor, and touts the virtues of screen size in a case where mobility is the determining factor.

If you knew that "A pick-up truck hauls more than a Prius" and "A Prius gets better gas mileage than a pick-up", would you think that battery-powered subcompacts which have a half-bed on the back and a towing hitch are 'optimal'?

I hope this has made things clear, and why your niche case doesn't address the OP's faulty assumptions.

As for 840quadra, platitudes about 'choice' really miss the point - in this case, the Apple products offer choice by gearing devices towards actual use cases, instead of making a device which misunderstands the contexts in which tablets and phones have their relative strengths. I offered an argument; if you think there's something wrong with it, point it out instead of dismissing it as 'subjective'.
 
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G51989

macrumors 68030
Feb 25, 2012
2,530
10
NYC NY/Pittsburgh PA
Why do people trash the note so much? Its to big for my tastes, I doubt I'd go any bigger than an S3 or iP5sized phone.

But I can see why some people really like it.
 

Oohara

macrumors 68040
Jun 28, 2012
3,050
2,423
I was saying it was 'suboptimal' in the context of the OP's question, not 'universally suboptimal', so an accusation of generalization suggests you didn't understand my post.

Carouser said:
As for 840quadra, platitudes about 'choice' really miss the point - in this case, the Apple products offer choice by gearing devices towards actual use cases, instead of making a device which misunderstands the contexts in which tablets and phones have their relative strengths.
So you're saying there are no actual use cases in which one would benefit from a device such as the Note, i.e. that it is generally sub-optimal?
 

Southernboyj

macrumors 68000
Mar 8, 2012
1,694
69
Mobile, AL
Why do people trash the note so much? Its to big for my tastes, I doubt I'd go any bigger than an S3 or iP5sized phone.

But I can see why some people really like it.

This. The Note is too big for me, but I think it's an awesome device and anyone who likes that size should get it. (or the Note 2 soon :p)
 

G51989

macrumors 68030
Feb 25, 2012
2,530
10
NYC NY/Pittsburgh PA
This. The Note is too big for me, but I think it's an awesome device and anyone who likes that size should get it. (or the Note 2 soon :p)

Indeed.

I'm sick of so many people thinking that whatever size Apple chooses is the best for everything.

AA went for the Note, because an iPhone is just so small for this type of work, and an iPad is to big, so you have the note.

its for people who dont want a tiny phone like the iPhone, and don't want an iPad.
 

tbayrgs

macrumors 604
Jul 5, 2009
7,467
5,097
Why do people trash the note so much?

Because we're on a predominately Apple based forum. It could have a battery life of a month, be the thinnest device on the market, fastest CPU made, do your laundry, and cook your dinner but there'd alway be someone to bash it because it doesn't have an Apple on it.

Its to big for my tastes, I doubt I'd go any bigger than an S3 or iP5sized phone.

But I can see why some people really like it.

Same here. I use a tablet and a phone and tend to prefer one device or the other for specific tasks, so the benefits of such a large phone a generally lost on me. The Note (and upcoming Note II) seem to be great options if you're looking for a single device to cover most of the functions of both types.
 

Calidude

macrumors 68000
Jun 22, 2010
1,730
0
I really hate people who say that things like the Galaxy Note shouldn't be made.

What those people really hate is choice. Simple as that. They're the same people who say that iOS should not have any more options or functionality because Apple said so.
 

Southernboyj

macrumors 68000
Mar 8, 2012
1,694
69
Mobile, AL
Indeed.

I'm sick of so many people thinking that whatever size Apple chooses is the best for everything.

AA went for the Note, because an iPhone is just so small for this type of work, and an iPad is to big, so you have the note.

its for people who dont want a tiny phone like the iPhone, and don't want an iPad.

I honestly don't believe they really feel that. I feel like they are very strong fanboys so they lie to themselves. I heard one guy say iPhone doesn't need NFC because it is useless. He was "glad" the iPhone didn't have it. Why would you be glad your phone has less features, whether you use them or not.

I don't think the iPhone is bad, I think it is excellent at what it tries to be. But Apple doesn't really "set the standard" anymore in my opinion.
 

MrMacBookPro

macrumors 6502
Sep 23, 2012
269
0
FL
what everyone fails to realize is that these screen sizes will only get bigger in due time.. I really don't think i could use this as a phone lol... 4.3 and 4.8 is big enough IMO but like someone said everyone has different devices for different purposes.

It all comes down to the Apple OS or Android OS.. period
 

alphaod

macrumors Core
Feb 9, 2008
22,183
1,245
NYC
The Galaxy Note in concept is pretty nice. It's a phone with nice big screen. In practice I find it weird. It doesn't really fit in my pocket much less in my hand.

It can't really be compared to an iPad since one is a tablet and the other is a smartphone. If you want to compare to an iPad perhaps compare the Galaxy Tab to it.
 

Twixt

macrumors 6502
May 30, 2012
471
11
Ok, in my search for my next device, I'm leaving no device upturned. When looking up the Galaxy Note, I see there are people who say the phone is too big for them. I can see this being the case for many, but If you are also a person who sees nothing wrong with hauling around a 10 inch tablet, then how do you consider a 5.5 inch device too big to carry around. The more I think about it, I think this is actually genius on Samsung's part. I think this is the perfect size for heavy web browsing people, or for businesses. Way more mobile than a 7inch or 10inch tablet.

pity that ipad has no calling feature...
 

maflynn

macrumors Haswell
May 3, 2009
73,682
43,740
I saw someone on the train use one and to be honest I thought it was too large - it won't fit in pants pockets AFAIK.

Regardless of my personal opinion of it being too big, it does seem popular with folks. Its a well selling phone and people are anxious for the Note 2 to be released.
 

OSMac

macrumors 65816
Jun 14, 2010
1,455
7
I went from the 4S to the Note, love the screensize but miss ios for syncing with other Apple devices.

The Note does look very big when you open the box, but after a short time the iPhone screen looked extremely small, was no going back. No issues with the Note being too big, its the iPhone that was too small.
 

annk

Administrator
Staff member
Apr 18, 2004
15,210
9,658
Somewhere over the rainbow
I love my Note and don't think it's too big (I have a pocket in my purse that happens to fit it perfectly), but I have to admit the S3 is a gorgeous phone. I might go that way when I upgrade eventually. :D

But yeah, how big something is and whether or not it's too big for person X depends on what that person needs it for and what sorts of clothing/bags etc they wear/carry with them.
 

GoCubsGo

macrumors Nehalem
Feb 19, 2005
35,742
155
The Note is not too big as a tablet. The Note is way too big as a phone. People I see using it look absolutely ridiculous holding it up to their face.
 

kiltedthrower

macrumors regular
Aug 24, 2012
144
0
I love my note. I wouldn't go any larger. I'm 5’8" and have average sized hands. My hands are larger than the phone and fit easily in my pockets. I'm a school teacher that has about 200 students through the day. My classes played ’can the phone fit in my pocket’ game. It fit in the vast majority of pockets. The size doesn't like skinny jeans.
 
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