Charging the battery:
The first thing that I recommend you do with your Galaxy Tab is give it a full charge. Obey these steps:
1. Assemble the wall adapter that came with the Tab.
2. Attach the USB cable to the Galaxy Tab.
The side of the cable end that’s labeled Samsung faces you as you’re looking at the front of the Tab.
3. Attach the other end of the USB cable to the wall adapter.
4. Plug the wall adapter into the wall.
Upon success, you may see a large Battery icon appear on the Galaxy Tab touchscreen. The icon gives you an idea of the current battery-power level and lets you know that the Galaxy Tab is functioning properly, though you shouldn’t be alarmed if the Battery icon fails to appear.
✓ Your Galaxy Tab most likely came partially charged from the factory, though I still recommend giving it an initial charge just in case, as well as to familiarize yourself with the process.
✓ The USB cable is used for charging the Galaxy Tab and for connecting it to a computer to share information or exchange files or use the Galaxy Tab as a computer modem.
✓ You can also charge the Tab by connecting it to a computer’s USB port. As long as the computer is on, the Tab charges.
✓ The battery charges more efficiently if you plug it into a wall rather than charge it from a computer’s USB port.
✓ The Galaxy Tab does not feature a removable battery.
Finding things on the Tab:
See the Figure , which is my attempt at illustrating the basic Galaxy Tab hardware features. Follow along on your own Tab as you find key features, described in this section.
Dock/USB power connector:
The key to discovering things on your Tab is to first find the Power/USB jack, as shown in Figure. It’s a thin slot located on the long side of the Tab, a side I call the bottom. Because the Tab has no buttons or other easily identifiable marks on its front, locating the Power/USB jack first helps you orient the Tab as well as locate other goodies, which are illustrated in the figure. The slot is also where the Tab connects to the dock, if you have one. See the later section, “Getting optional accessories.”
Touchscreen display:
The biggest part of the Tab is its touchscreen display, which occupies almost all the territory on the front of the device. The touchscreen display is a see-touch thing: You look at it and also touch it with your fingers to control the Tab.
Front camera:
The Galaxy Tab’s front-facing camera is centered above the touchscreen. The camera is used for taking self-portraits as well as for video conferencing.
Light sensor:
Though it’s difficult to see, just to the left of the front camera is a teensy light sensor. It’s used to help adjust the brightness level of the touchscreen.
Around the Galaxy Tab, you find a variety of buttons, holes, connectors, and other doodads, all carefully explained here:
Headphone jack: Atop the Tab case, you see a hole where you can connect standard headphones.
SIM card cover: This spot is used to access the cellular Tab’s SIM card, which is inserted into a slot beneath the cover.
Speaker(s): Stereo speakers are located on the left and right sides of the Tab. (Feel free to remove the plastic sticker beneath the right speaker if you find one there.)
Microphone: A tiny hole on the bottom of the Tab (see Figure 1-1) is where you find the device’s microphone.
Volume Up/Volume Down: The Tab’s volume control is located on the right side of the cellular unit, just below the Power Lock button. On the Wi-Fi Tab, the volume control is on top of the unit, as illustrated in Figure. The button toward the top of the unit is Volume Up, and the other button is Volume Down.
Power Lock: The Power Lock button is labeled with the universal power icon. Press this button to turn on the Tab, to lock it (put it to sleep), to wake it up, and to turn it off.
Below Figure illustrates the back of the Galaxy Tab. It’s mostly boring except for the device’s main camera, illustrated in the figure. In fact, the entire Tab is physically boring front and back; all the real goodies are found on its edges.
The back of the Galaxy Tab can be black or white, which is a choice you make when you buy the device. There is no internal difference between the black or white Tab.
✓ The Power Lock and Volume buttons are in different locations for the cellular and Wi-Fi Tab models.
✓ You’ll rarely, if ever, access the SIM card.
✓ SIM stands for Subscriber Identity Module. The SIM card is used by your cellular provider to identify your Tab and keep track of the amount of data you access. Yep, that’s so you can be billed properly. The SIM also gives your cellular Tab a phone number, though that number is merely an account and not something you can dial into or send a text message.
✓ Be careful not to confuse the SIM card with the removable storage media (MicroSD card) used on other tablets and cell phones; they’re not the same thing. The Galaxy Tab doesn’t use a removable media card.
✓ Don’t stick anything into the microphone hole. The only things you need to stick into the Tab are the USB cable (or the connector on the dock) or headphones.
Getting optional accessories:
You can buy an assortment of handy Galaxy Tab accessories, and I’m sure that the pleasant people at the Phone Store showed you the variety when you bought your Tab. Here are just a few of the items that are available or that you can consider getting in order to complete your Tab experience:
Earphones: You can use any standard cell phone or portable media player earphones with the cellular Galaxy Tab. Simply plug the earphones into the headphone jack at the top of the Tab, and you’re ready to go.
Cases: Various cases and case-stands are available for the Galaxy Tab. Some are mere enclosures, like a portfolio. Other cases can also be used as stands to prop up the Tab for easy viewing.
Keyboards: Several different types of keyboards are available for the Galaxy Tab, from the case-keyboard to keyboard docking stands or standard Bluetooth keyboards. They can both prop up the Tab for easy viewing as well as allow for faster typing than can be done on a touchscreen.
Multimedia Dock: The dock is merely a stand you can use to prop up the Tab for easy viewing. It has a speaker jack you can use to connect external speakers.
Galaxy Tab USB Adapter: This USB adapter isn’t the same thing as the USB cable that came with your Tab. It’s a dongle that plugs into the Tab’s Power/USB jack that allows the Tab to host a USB device, such as a keyboard, mouse, modem, or external storage device (hard drive or optical drive).
HDMI adapter: The adapter plugs into the Power/USB jack. Into the adapter, you can plug an HDMI cable (which is extra) so that you can view the Tab’s output on an HDMI-compatible monitor or television.
Screen protectors: These plastic, clingy things are affixed to the front of the Tab, right over the touchscreen. They help protect the touchscreen glass from finger smudges and sneeze globs while still allowing you to use the touchscreen.
Vehicle charger: You can charge the Galaxy Tab in your car when you buy the vehicle charger. This adapter plugs into your car’s 12-volt power supply, in the receptacle once known as a cigarette lighter. The vehicle charger is a must-have if you plan to use the Galaxy Tab navigation features in your auto or you need a charge on the road.
Additional accessories may be available. Check the location where your Galaxy Tab was sold to inquire about new items.
✓ None of this extra stuff is essential to using the Tab.
✓ If the earphones feature a microphone, you can use it for dictation and audio recording on the Tab.
✓ If the earphones feature a button, you can use the button to pause and play music. Press the button once to pause and again to play.
✓ The Galaxy Tab doesn’t recognize more than one earphone button. For example, if you use earphones that feature a Volume or Mute button, pressing the extra button does nothing on the Tab.
✓ The set of screen protectors I purchased also came with a microfiber cloth to help clean the Tab’s screen, plus a special cleaning-solution wipe. See Chapter 21 for more information about cleaning the Galaxy Tab screen.
Where to Keep Your Tab
Like your car keys, glasses, wallet, and light saber, you’ll want to keep your Galaxy Tab in a place where it’s safe, easy to find, and always handy whether you’re at home, at work, on the road, or in a galaxy far, far away.
Making a home for the Tab
I recommend keeping the Galaxy Tab in the same spot when you’re done using it. My first suggestion is to make a spot next to your computer. Keep the charging cord handy or just plug the cord into the computer’s USB port so that you can synchronize information with your computer regularly and keep the Tab charged.
If you have a docking stand, plug your Tab into it when you’re not toting it about.
Above all, avoid keeping the Tab in a place where someone might sit on it, step on it, or damage it. For example, don’t leave the Tab under a stack of newspapers on a table or counter, where it might get accidentally tossed out or put in the recycle bin.
As long as you remember to return the Tab to the same spot when you’re done with it, you’ll always know where it is.
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