Desktops and Notebooks: Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1, 8.9 Tablets Appear at CTIA

When Samsung debuted the Galaxy Tab last fall, it was hailed by some pundits as one of the first true Apple iPad competitors—with some caveats. For starters, the original Galaxy Tab's Android operating system wasn't optimized for tablets. In addition, the Tab's 7-inch screen effectively put it in a different category from the iPad's 9.7-inch display. Now Samsung's back at this year's CTIA with some new additions to the Galaxy Tab family, and it seems the manufacturer wants to play more in Apple's backyard. The two new models include the Galaxy Tab 10.1, with a 10.1-inch screen, and the Galaxy Tab 8.9, with an 8.9-inch screen. These competitors also use Google Android 3.0 (code-named "Honeycomb"), which has been optimized for the tablet form factor. In addition, Samsung's engineers seem to have spent some additional time at the drawing board, making their creations noticeably thin and light. Will the combination of larger screens, next-generation operating system and Google's burgeoning Android Marketplace help Samsung push back against Apple's just-released iPad 2? That remains an open question. However, in the meantime the company seems to be attracting its fair share of buzz. At this year's CTIA, a number of manufacturers are rolling out their own next-generation tablet competitors: There's the LG G-Slate, with dual 3D cameras, and Sprint's Evo View 4G. Apple may have dominated the tablet market in 2010 and put forth claims on 2011 with iPad 2, but the tablets present on the CTIA show floor suggest that Cupertino could be in for a solid battle for consumers' (and businesses') hearts and cash.