We’re fast getting used to the idea of tablets at uni. Having played about on the iPad and road-tested the Commtiva N700, we’re really starting to see the benefits of a tablet as part of a balanced study/entertainment diet. With that in mind, we were very happy to get our mits on the much-hyped Samsung Galaxy Tab - supposedly the best Android tablet device on the shelves right now.

As with the N700,  the most instantly satisfying thing about Samsung’s Galaxy Tab is it’s size. Considerably smaller than Apple’s current device, you can hold Samsung’s 7-inch screen comfortably with one hand if reading and use the touch-type keyboard so easily when holding with both. A bit like you would a massive mobile phone. So if you pride yourself on your speed-texting abilities then a device like the Galaxy might be an option to enhance rapid note-taking in lectures and avoid having to decipher those illegible scrawls come revision time.

The Galaxy feels almost as as sleek as the iPad and is much nicer in your hand than the now seemingly clunky Linx Commtiva N700. There are four off-screen navigation buttons to help you find your way around as well as the customisable home screen and easily accessible main menu for all apps and settings.

Wi-Fi capability (as well as the option of a data plan) ensures that you can browse the web, manage your emails, calender entries and Facebook statuses remotely, as well as receive notifications from your inbox or social networking site from the useful reminder bar at the top of the screen.

Like most tablets, including the iPad and N700, the Galaxy switches from portrait to landscape automatically. It’s a lovely little feature but we wish there was a way in which you could fix the display in one particular format so that reading whilst curled up in bed wasn’t such an unexpected hassle.

Despite not functioning predominantly as a phone, the Galaxy does have telephone capabilities (take that iPad). By inserting a SIM card and using the headphones provided, you can make phone calls and also make use of the front-facing camera with Skype or 3G calling to your other seriously lucky friends who’ve got themselves a Galaxy Tab.

In our opinion, where the N700 and iPad (and iPad 2) really fail, the Galaxy wins big time, giving it many plus points against its rivals: it supports Flash! That means you can watch loads of online video content, just like you would on your regular laptop. And you know what that means? No more missing out on the latest episode of Take Me Out.

The Samsung Galaxy is packed with features, easy to carry around and the ideal size to enable you to browse the internet whilst sat on your arse avoiding revision. You might not be typing up your essays on the tablet any time soon but there are benefits to having a device like this at uni. It’ll work for backup storage, will act as a fantastic note-taker, an entertainment device, a phone, an eReader and most significantly, a useful web browser on-the-go.

The elephant in the room, of course, is price. But with the launch of Apple’s forthcoming device and the increasing popularity of tablets like Samsung’s Galaxy, the chances are that prices will continue to drop. Fingers crossed!