The last of my Mac gear is gone. This morning, I packed up and shipped off the 11-inch iPad Pro M1 acquired two years ago—coincidentally, also on May 31. Galaxy Tab S8+ replaces the Apple slate, for which Samsung gives generous trade-in credit.
Among my three computing devices, tablet is by far the most used, easily exceeding both laptop and smartphone. For the longest time, iPad has been the only choice, although over the years several Androids contended for my affections: Nexus 7, Nexus 9, Nexus 10, and Pixel C; also Chrome OS-based Pixel Slate. Switching was no simple decision but was made in a larger Apple abandonment that started in mid-December 2022. I bid goodbye to 16.2-inch MacBook Pro and iPhone 13 Pro during the same month.
I have jumped platforms previously, and more than once. But there is a hard permanence to the commitment this round. The fruity company doesn’t innovate the way it used to, and I am shocked to find flat-out superior software from developers I thought poorly of: Microsoft, which Windows 11 is secure, sensible, and stable, while Samsung’s One UI is fast, fluid, and fun. Both companies’ cloud-to-device integration is quick and seamless.
Additionally, Samsung connects devices and content with automated home efficiency that is more science fiction future than present day tech.
For sure, I will miss the iPad Pro but only for a few minutes more. I am way more pleased with the Galaxy Tab S8+ than expected. The screen is gorgeous, performance zippy, battery life long, and the overall size comfortable rather than bulky. Base specs: 12.4-inch Super AMOLED screen, 16GB RAM, 512GB storage; graphite.
I used Leica Q2 for a final moment with the Apple tablet, which unquestionably served me well over the past 24 months. Vitals for the Featured Image, aperture manually set: f/4, ISO 640, 1/15 sec, 28mm; 9:24 a.m. PDT.