Get chummy with Samsung's 2014 Galaxy Note 10.1 (pictures)

The updated Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 packages upscale tablet specs with a suite of apps aimed at putting the S Pen stylus to work.

The S Pen gets a bit of a design refresh, but remains about the same, with a button on the side and a holster built into the slate.

Sliding the S Pen out of its cubby pulls up a cluster of shortcuts for both new and familiar tasks.

The S Pen sports a plastic tip, clicking button, and comfortable in-hand grip.

You'll be able to get the Note 10.1 in either black or white.

The Home button is responsive enough that you can press it with the S Pen. The same goes for the capacitive menu and back buttons on either side.

How does Samsung define its new generation of Notes, including the Note 3 smartphone? With a finish that mimics leather and stitching.

The move to matte deters fingerprint smudges, but the patterned plastic is more slippery than it looks and can't quite achieve the verisimilitude of the real deal.

You won't see the Note tablet's speaker grille on its face, but you will find a stereo comb integrated into the spines.

The Note 10.1 (2014) comes in 16GB or 32GB varieties, but you'll be able to easily store all sorts of media on the external memory card -- up to 64GB, in fact.

S Note's new interface is elegant and clean.

Using the S Note app, the stylus still serves your creative whims. Lined templates lend themselves to to-do lists and meeting notes.

Charts and clip art complement your own artistry, and extra tools turn writing and wobbly scribbles into text, formulas, and geometric shapes.

Samsung updated the Note's screen to give it a bright, crisp resolution with a high pixel count.

HD content, like this YouTube clip, played back beautifully.

The 8-megapixel camera took nice photos, but there is something inherently awkward about photographing people and objects with a 10-inch device.

For a 10-inch tablet, the Note 10.1 is surprisingly totable. The bezel is large enough to hold onto, without taking up excess space.