Why Samsung's Galaxy Note Sings a Happy Tune

NEW YORK (MainStreet) -- Businesses take note. The ugly noise about the Samsung Galaxy Note is not as grim as it sounds.

Last week AT&T(T) and Samsung began the pre-release hype for the companies' latest mobile thingie: the Galaxy Note -- in pre-order for $299 with a two-year contract.

Don't be wary of the Samsung Galaxy Note. Bigger really is better when it comes to mobile business apps.

Half-tablet and half-smartphone, this 6.5-inch overall diagonal, LTE-enabled, Android-powered "smartlet" or "tabphone," or whatever you want to call this hybrid device, aims to be a mobile user's ultimate weapon -- big enough to interact with, small enough to carry. Samsung clearly lost most of the more consumer-oriented media, though. Reviewers sounded off that for average users the Note is simultaneously too big to be a phone and too small to be a tablet.

While that is probably true for consumers, for those of us who make our livings from our mobile devices, the Note not only does not strike a sour tone; for businesses this device carries a serious tune.

Consider:

Bigger really is better when it comes to mobile business apps.
For sure, the notepad-sized Note is the biggest phone you will ever be asked to carry. This thing is massive at about 6 by 3 inches. (Your parents' TV remotes may be bigger.) But get by the bulk factor and the Note delivers real productivity. Email on this huge screen is marvelous to read. Documents from Word files and cloud tools such as Google(GOOG) Docs are clear and easy to edit. I loved it. The keyboard is the simplest virtual data entry tool I have used a on mobile gadget -- the Note is not only touch enabled; it comes with a built-in stylus pen. I could write, draw and edit on it. For core business documents and presentations, there is no device like the Note.