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Unboxing the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1

Colleen Taylor — Tue, 10 May 2011 23:30:30 +0000

Google distributed some 5,000 Samsung Galaxy 10.1 Tablets to attendees of the sold-out Google I/O 2011 developer conference Tuesday in San Francisco, and GigaOM was in the house to get an early look at the hardware.

Since the Galaxy Tab 10.1 will not be available to the general public until June 8th, we filmed a quick unboxing video of our first hands-on impressions of the device:

The Galaxy Tab 10.1 runs Honeycomb, the latest version of the Google Android mobile operating system. As my colleague Kevin Tofel reported in February, the device is named after its 10.1 inch screen, and comes in 16GB or 32GB versions. Powered by a dual-core Nvidia Tegra 2 processor, the device offers display resolution of 1280×800 pixels, 1080p video recording and playback, an 8 megapixel rear camera with an LED flash, and a 2 megapixel front camera. It is rumored that the Tab’s pricing will start at $399 before taxes, but Samsung has not officially confirmed where it will be available or for how much.

If you also received a Galaxy Tab 10.1 at I/O, we’d love to hear your reactions in the comments.

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Boxee Box Unboxing

Janko Roettgers — Sat, 13 Nov 2010 16:39:23 +0000

Boxee wasn’t kidding when they said that people who preorder the Boxee Box will get their units earlier than anyone else. We are still waiting on our review unit, but the Boxee Box that I bought for my own home setup arrived in the mail today. I decided to shoot a quick unboxing video to give you a first look at the device (excuse the light conditions, that’s how it looks like in my living room).

I also just connected the device to my TV — it initially had some trouble connecting to my wireless network, and immediately started to download a system update after establishing a successful connection. And the box is actually pretty noisy — not as noisy as a PC, but definitely more noticeable than the Apple TV or a number of similar devices.

Check back for a detailed review of the hardware as well as the new Boxee 1.0 interface, which is as of now exclusively available on the Boxee box, in the upcoming days.

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New MacBook Air Unboxing

Darrell Etherington — Wed, 20 Oct 2010 21:30:46 +0000

Janko Roettgers of our sister site NewTeeVee already managed to get his hands on a brand new MacBook Air. Enjoy his unboxing video while I stew in my jealousy.

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Unboxing Goes High Performance at the National Petascale Computing Facility

Stacey Higginbotham — Wed, 26 May 2010 00:00:26 +0000

The unboxing video was initially recognized back in 2006 as a key part of geek culture, and since then, the care and digital bits devoted to slicing through tape, carefully unwrapping your new toy and peeling off the plastic from the screen has proliferated. Some have mocked it, but the phenomenon has spread to other industries with women showing off their latest shopping hauls in videos that are clearly influenced by unboxings.

I don’t want to go into what the spread of unboxing videos may mean for our culture, but I do want to point out the most random and incredibly sincere unboxing video I’ve come across — that of high-performance computing gear from IBM, which is acting as the warm-up system for the coming Blue Waters petaflop supercomputer at the National Petascale Computing Facility at the University of Illinois-Urbana Champaign (hat tip Inside HPC). The video isn’t a play-by-play unboxing because that would take too long, but is a lovingly shot homage to their new gear that I figured fellow geeks might appreciate.

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First Look: Video Unboxing of the iPad

Dave Greenbaum — Sat, 03 Apr 2010 14:34:57 +0000

This morning I anxiously awaited outside my UPS shipping depot to get one of the first iPads. I took a video of the unboxing experience for our readers. For those in line, this is what your first experience with the iPad will be…eventually.

Dell Mini 10 with Intel Atom N450 Video Unboxing

Kevin C. Tofel — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 00:00:45 +0000

Dell offered to loan me a Mini 10 netbook to see what the new Intel Atom N450 platform can do. Of course, I said yes and the device arrived earlier this morning. While the Mini line of netbooks isn’t new, I haven’t had any extended time with Dell’s netbook offerings. This particular unit includes the 1.66 GHz N450 Atom, 1 GB of memory, a 250 GB hard drive and 10″ display with a resolution of 1024 x 600.

Although I haven’t had time to put the netbook through the paces, here’s a short video unboxing and overview of the Mini 10. I like how the extended, or six-cell, battery doesn’t stick out from the device, but I’m already not so sure about the trackpad with integrated buttons. Stay tuned for some detailed thoughts after I get a few days with Microsoft Windows 7 Starter Edition under my belt on the Mini 10.

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iPhone 3G S Unboxing Photos and Video

Darrell Etherington — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 15:00:33 +0000

Up here in Toronto, things weren’t nearly as crazy as they were in New York City. I thought they would be, so I showed up at my local Fido at 6:30 a.m. expecting to be maybe tenth or so in line. I was second. And the guy ahead of me had been there since 3:00 a.m. that morning. So, long story short, I got my hands on a brand new 32GB iPhone 3G S, and this is what it looks like.

Check out the gallery at the end of the post for more unboxing photos, though I will warn you, if you’ve seen the 3G, there won’t be much that surprises you. Slightly smaller packaging, though, in keeping with Apple’s attempt to greenify their image.

I was giddy enough about opening the thing up, but actually taking the new camera out for a test drive was what I was really excited about. That, and the speed boost, were the two main reasons I even bothered to pick up a 3G S.

Here’s a side-by-side comparison of essentially the same photograph taken with my iPhone 3G and my 3G S. Note the considerable absence of trademark iPhone static in the photo on the right, and the sharp focus despite it being taken at very close range. The tap to focus feature works remarkably well, and I can already tell I’ll be much more of a photographer with the new hardware.

Using the 3G camera

Using the 3G S camera

As for video, here’s a clip I shot of Sackboy, my typewriter, and the window, because my apartment is a mess and nothing else seemed that interesting. The quality is good, considering this is still a phone, after all. I’d even go so far as to say usable for things beyond embarrassing your drunken friends on Facebook, although that’s definitely still an option. I was especially impressed with how efficiently it refocused, and with how it dealt with significant changes in light conditions, as when I recorded the view from my window, and then back to my dingy, poorly lit apartment.

The camera isn’t the only thing that’s new. Speed is much improved. I couldn’t believe how quickly Mail.app downloaded my MobileMe messages. It seemed like at least two or three times faster than when setting up a new account on the 3G. And then there’s the digital compass, which is very accurate and actually fun to watch adjusting in real-time as you turn. Clicking the locate icon in Maps a second time also puts you in to compass mode, which shows which direction you’re facing in addition to where you are, also updated in real time. Check the gallery below for pics of that, and the new camera interface.

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iPod Shuffle Unboxing and Hands On

David Appleyard — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 15:09:51 +0000

Much has been said about the new iPod shuffle. Its size has been praised, lack of buttons grumbled about, and — as with most new Apple products — has caused a little controversy. I wanted to try the product out for myself as I’ve been needing a small MP3 player for exercise. My iPhone is a little too cumbersome to carry while running.

I’ll be taking a look at the packaging, unboxing the iPod shuffle, and offering my thoughts on the hardware and software bundled with the gadget.

Unboxing

Apple seems to be continuing down the road of shrinking packaging material, and the box for the iPod shuffle is really small. It comes presented with the shuffle center stage, containing a simple manual, 3.5mm audio to USB adaptor, and the headphones.

Initial Impressions

The first thing to note, as you’d expect, is that the iPod shuffle is absolutely tiny. I’m fascinated to see where the constant shrinking of the shuffle will ultimately lead to, and I don’t think it’ll be long before you’ll struggle to find it in your pocket. The build quality is also remarkable, with the aluminum construction feeling bulletproof.

As with the previous generation, the entire device is fashioned into a large clip. You can easily attach it anywhere, and it’s sturdy enough that I wouldn’t be concerned about it falling off when running. The top of the shuffle sports a small switch which toggles between shuffling tracks or playing music sequentially.

The headphones are (unfortunately) exactly what you’d expect. They’re standard iPod headphones, albeit with a new and sleek in-line track/volume controller. They have the same ‘rubbery’ feel as recent iPod model earphones, and offer the same reasonable level of comfort and sound. Don’t expect to be blown away, though Apple should be working on an adaptor to allow you to use your own earphones in the near future.

iTunes Connectivity

Connecting to iTunes is as simple as ever, and includes a few options which haven’t been present before. Upon connecting, you’re asked to register your iPod (with a nice new graphic to show the new shuffle in the lineup):

Registering the iPod Shuffle

When setting up, you’re asked if you’d like to enable VoiceOver. This works by generating spoken audio for the names of your tracks on your Mac (or Windows machine), before transferring them to your iPod along with the music. Because of this, you’re asked if you’re happy to install the VoiceOver desktop software.

Installing VoiceOver

This integrates silently into iTunes, and you don’t really notice anything is occurring. A short downloading status message appears, and then syncing music is handled as normal. You’ll be pleased to know that disk mode is supported as before, allowing you to transfer other files on the iPod. If you’d like, you can also set a volume limit and automatically reduce the quality of audio when syncing to fit more on the device.

iTunes Settings

Track Navigation & VoiceOver

There has been a decent amount of debate over how usable the headphone remote would actually be for skipping between tracks. I’d say it’s probably the least user-friendly interface that Apple has created for the iPod to date, but that doesn’t mean it can’t still function very well.

The annoying aspect of VoiceOver is that it isn’t the quickest method of navigating your iPod’s content. There’s quite a bit of waiting involved, and it’s tricky to skip through what is being read out. Not a problem if you have two or three playlists, but increasingly annoying as you add more. While the new computer voice in Leopard was noted as a decent improvement, I still think that artificial computer vocals have some way to come before they’re anything like the real thing. ‘Alex’ is perfectly coherent, but it’s a little odd to have your track information spoken to you by a digital voice.

Commendations, Complaints and Caution

On the whole, the size reduction and multiple playlist support do make the iPod shuffle a decent improvement. It’s brilliant if you’re exercising, and the controls do allow for simple track control without fumbling with the iPod itself. I’d really appreciate a way to use my own headphones with the shuffle, and look forward to some form of adaptor being released.

It is possible to trick the iPod, by setting the track and volume playing with the default phones and switching across to your own. Far from ideal, and doesn’t allow any subsequent control of the player. If you’d like to buy a better pair of supported in-ear phones, you can do so from Apple.

However, the general fact is that most shuffle owners don’t want to carefully select specific tracks to play; there’s been no way to do this in the past (even lacking multiple playlist support), so in many senses the new version is a step forward. I’ll certainly be happy with being able to use the new navigation method and appreciate the ability to flick through playlists.

Ultimately, the new iPod shuffle is a decent looking flash drive, backed up with a seasoned and fantastic piece of software — iTunes. The player has a few areas in which improvement is needed, but represents a solid advancement of Apple’s iPod device.

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MacBook Pro Unboxing Photos

David Appleyard — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 14:07:35 +0000

We’ve managed to get our hands on a brand new 15″ MacBook Pro and have a collection of photos of the box, packaging and accessories.

Initial Impressions

The look and feel of the new MacBook Pro is one of luxury. The aluminum shell has clearly enjoyed hours of planning, thought and tedious design work before being unleashed. It’s hard to fault the physical make-up of the new machine, with the only arguable exception being the glossy display. From the short time I have spent using the MacBook Pro so far, the screen really doesn’t seem to pose a problem — it is by far bright enough to offset any reflection or glare.

The packaging is clearly reduced from the predecessor, but there’s still plenty of room for all the box contents. It goes to show the amount of wastage which is common in computer packaging.

We’ll spend a little time getting to grips with the new machine, and will follow up shortly with a full review.

Check out the full gallery below.

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