Help me decide if the Samsung Galaxy Tablet is right for me, please.

[AlphaDroid]

Help me decide if the Samsung Galaxy Tablet is right for me. Numerous questions.

I have a Motorola Droid smartphone using Verizon which I've had since Nov 2009, my first smartphone. My service includes the 450 minutes day phone use and unlimited internet use, for $69.99 plus tax. I DO NOT own a desktop or laptop computer at this time.

I like the idea of a smaller type tablet so I can travel light without the weight of a laptop or netbook, however my Motorola Droid screen is small and I think I'd like to try a bigger screen when I'm going to be using WiFi indoors at a table, or sitting in my car, and then use and carry the Motorola Droid when walking or riding on a bike or car.

I'm trying to figure out if Galaxy Tablet is a good purchase or should I purchase a laptop/netbook...

I can use free WiFi and power at the local library. I DO NOT own a desktop or laptop computer at this time.

Generally what I do on the Droid and using a library computer is:
2. surf the internet for various websites for information, (the Droid screen is small for lengthy searching or reading)
3. post, edit and refresh for sale ads on Craiglist and other collector type websites, including text descriptions and photo links.
4. watch LiveLeak.com for uncensored news type videos, (which I guess is Flash?)
5. watch YouTube videos and transfer them from the Droid through the USB or WiFi.
6. download and arrange photos to picasa (google free photo storage) using WiFi and cell phone towers.
7. check completed items, highest paid first, on ebay, (don't think I can do this on the Motorola Droid)
8. play simple games and use simple apps.

What I probably won't do:
1. video chat (I have nobody to chat with and it's not important to me at this time, unless I can use it for business)

Some questions:

1. Can I tether my Motorola Droid to the Galaxy Tablet when surfing the internet so I see the larger screen on the Galaxy?
2. Can I buy the Galaxy Tablet without paying for a service charge for internet access and just use it with free WiFi or Motorola Droid tether?
3. Is the Galaxy Tablet a phone like the Motorola Droid smartphone or does it just surf the internet through cell phone tower and service or WiFi?
4. Does the Galaxy Tablet have a USB port? Does it need one? Can I transer photos and videos from my Motorola Droid smartphone to a portable hard drive unit or from the Galaxy Tablet to the portable hard drive unit or does this all have to be done with WiFi from the Motorola Droid smartphone and the Galaxy Tablet to YouTube and Picasa?
5. What are most popular websites that discuss the Galaxy Tablet?
6. Can I edit video from the Motorola Droid on the Galaxy Tablet, then transfer it to YouTube?
7. I checked ebay for Galaxy Tablet and saw some for Verizon, T Mobile, Sprint and unlocked versions. Which should I buy if I don't plan on connecting it to a phone service at this time? What is an Unlocked version? Which should I buy?
8. Can you suggest the cheapest place, either store on online, to purchase a Galaxy Tablet?

More questions later.

Thank you.

 

[BuglessFan]

1. Can I tether my Motorola Droid to the Galaxy Tablet when surfing the internet so I see the larger screen on the Galaxy?
2. Can I buy the Galaxy Tablet without paying for a service charge for internet access and just use it with free WiFi or Motorola Droid tether?
3. Is the Galaxy Tablet a phone like the Motorola Droid smartphone or does it just surf the internet through cell phone tower and service or WiFi?
4. Does the Galaxy Tablet have a USB port? Does it need one? Can I transer photos and videos from my Motorola Droid smartphone to a portable hard drive unit or from the Galaxy Tablet to the portable hard drive unit or does this all have to be done with WiFi from the Motorola Droid smartphone and the Galaxy Tablet to YouTube and Picasa?
5. What are most popular websites that discuss the Galaxy Tablet?
6. Can I edit video from the Motorola Droid on the Galaxy Tablet, then transfer it to YouTube?
7. I checked ebay for Galaxy Tablet and saw some for Verizon, T Mobile, Sprint and unlocked versions. Which should I buy if I don't plan on connecting it to a phone service at this time? What is an Unlocked version? Which should I buy?
8. Can you suggest the cheapest place, either store on online, to purchase a Galaxy Tablet?

1. You have to replace the wpa_supplicant on the Tab to connect to AdHoc networks like the one created by WiFi tether on your Droid. Instructions can be found by searching this or other forums.
2. I think right now you have to buy them from a carrier/proxy. VZW and others have month-to-month plans that you can turn off, and you may be able to get the activation fee waived (I never pay them because of my work discount)
3. Out of the box no phone in the US. Weird talking on Skype, mic is near top and speakers at bottom, though you could use a BT headset.
4. Only physical port on bottom of phone is not USB, but it charges/connects to wall wart/computer via a cable with the fitting for the Tab on one end and USB on the other.
5. The ones I know about are here, the one linked at the sticky thread above and xda-developers.com. xda seems to be the most active.
6. If you know of Android video based software, I guess so. I don't know of any, and wouldn't imagine there would be any useful stuff compared to desktop for this. The tab also has a rear facing camera you could directly take the video on, if you find the editing software you want.
7&8. Your decision, but I would only buy something in this price range directly from the carrier, unless you're buying used and confident in the seller. $600 is a lot to plunk down for something you can never return if it fails. As for carriers, it's plan based mainly, though I think the AT&T and TMO versions have more internal memory as opposed to the SD Card (which is just as fast as the internal memory). I don't know about plan details on either.

If you know what ClockworkMod is and use it, it's available only for T-Mobile and Verizon. If you don't know what it is, don't worry about it for making your decision.