Samsung's quad-core Galaxy Note 8.0 has commenced its global rollout this month, confirming the company's earlier announced release date of Q2 2013.

First to get the powerful and equally good-looking Android tablet are buyers in the United Kingdom and U.S. buyers are next in line. In no time, Samsung fans in Australia will get hold of the device.

However, one major gripe quickly emerged. At a starting price of $US399, it costs more than the hugely popular iPad Mini, which Apple retails starting at $US329. If the tablet war is to be decided by pricing, the Note 8.0 is hardly killer that Samsung has touted it to be, reports said.

Yet initial reviews have indicated that consumers will be getting what they will pay for the fresh Samsung slate and below are the reasons detailing why the Note 8.0 is definitely a good buy

A beast of a tablet

The power that lies beneath the Note 8.0 is the product of the smooth collaboration between a quad-core Exynos chip that whirls at a top speed of 1.6GHz and a generous 2GB of RAM. In a review conducted by Zach Epstein of BGR News, the slate proved snappy though he noted bits of snags, which he assumed is software and not hardware issue.

Pitted against the iPad Mini, the Note 8.0's powerhouse machine easily dwarfs that of the Apple small tablet, which experts said is underpowered by relying only on a dual-core processor and 512MB of RAM.

New software renditions

The best of Galaxy Note 2 and Galaxy S3 is magnified on the Note 8.0. Smart Stay, Multi-View and even how the S-Pen behaves on a new platform that delivers just the right size acquire new dimensions via this new iPad rival.

Reviewers are in agreement that if users experienced satisfaction courtesy of the two Samsung flagships, the Note 8.0 is able to replicate most of their powerful features but not necessarily on a higher level.

The enhanced S-Pen

Taking a page from Mr Epstein's review, the new S-Pen bundled with the new Note member delivers the goods in outstanding manner. The Air View function, for instance, has gained more muscles by improving on the stylus' contact-free preview and scrolling capabilities.

Other notable wonders that the S-Pen packs are "holding the button on the stylus and long-tapping on the screen to capture a screenshot, or holding the button and double-tapping to open a new blank note," Mr Epstein said.

Upscale e-reading pleasure

As an e-reader, the Note 8.0 poses a big threat not only to the iPad Mini but also to stand-alone e-reading devices. Paired with a compatible reading app, this tablet is fully optimised by automatically assuming the Reading Mode settings. In this mode, the device is morphed into a comfortable tool that encourages hours of reading minus the eye-stress.

And eBook reading comes both in style and comfort, as Samsung would like buyers to believe. The Note 8.0's thin and light profile ensures that the hand will not feel that much strain when held for an extended time. Plus, the small tablet's sleek look makes for a stylish reading, giving enough reason for owners to flash the gadget in a public café while into a book.

More entertainment value

The Note 8.0 is not on Super AMOLED but its 1280 x 800 resolution and pixel density of 189ppi overwhelms the non-Retina iPad Mini. By itself, the new Android tablet is a sufficient entertainment platform.

But Samsung saw it fit to layer the tablet further with amusement add-ons via the WatchON feature, which transforms the device into a universal TV remote, making the Galaxy Note 8.0 "the centre of a living room," as one Samsung executive had put it.