If you want an Android tablet that's a little easier to wrap your hands around, but not so small that it feels like an oversized smartphone, Samsung's Galaxy Tab 8.9 might be the perfect fit.
At 8.9 inches, this tablet still escapes the awkward in-between nature of 7-inch tablets. It's large enough to make Web pages and documents appear life-size. Most importantly, Google's Android 3.2 Honeycomb software and its more spacious user interface have enough room to live happily.
The standout feature of Samsung's TouchWiz for Honeycomb is the new Mini Apps tray located on the bottom of the screen. This is a tray of utility applications (notes, calculator, calendar, task manager, and so on) that is hidden from view until you pull it up from the bottom of the screen. Once a Mini App is launched, it floats as a window on top of the currently running app, offering a handy way to take notes while reading or consult your calendar while in e-mail.
When Samsung decided to shrink down the Tab 10.1 to this smaller size, the company did so seemingly without compromising any of the features. You get the same 1GHz dual-core Nvidia Tegra 2 processor, the same vibrant PLS screen quality with excellent viewing angles, same Bluetooth 2.1, 802.11 Wi-Fi a/b/g/n, same GPS, and same front (2-megapixel) and rear (3-megapixel) cameras. Same, same, same.
Just like the Tab 10.1, the Tab 8.9 has an impressive screen. You get the same 1,280x800-pixel resolution packed into a smaller space, so the pixel density is very smooth. The quality of the rear camera is great. Web speed on the Tab 8.9 is just as zippy as on its big brother, and it should be noted that Adobe Flash 10.2 comes preinstalled (take that, iPad).