So now you got that little nifty tablet that you’ve drooled over for so long. But your shiny new toy isn’t unique: it’s as plain as the next one. What can you do to make you device stand out? You customize it! But before you go on and start rooting and hacking your Tab, let’s look at the ways you can pimp your Galaxy Tab without voiding the warranty.

Here’s a short list of things you can do to personalize your Samsung Galaxy Tab:

Hardware

Let’s start with the hardware. You can avail of the following items to create a style for your Galaxy Tab that reflects your personality.

Screen protectors

You have three options for screen protectors: the standard clear and glossy type, the matte and anti-reflective/glare type, and the privacy screen and mirror like type.
The standard clear and glossy type is virtually invisible if applied properly. But, like the original screen of the tab, this type of screen protectors attract fingerprints and oil smudges like sugar attracts ants, flies, and dieters. Use this when you want to preserve the clarity of the LCD and protect it, too.
The matte and anti-reflective type helps reduce fingerprints and reflections but reduces the clarity of your device’s LCD. Use this if you find it hard to read from the screen with all the reflections.
The privacy and mirror-like screen protectors only lets you see the screen if you are looking at it straight on. Anyone trying to peep at your LCD will only see a mirror like surface. Use this if you often view your Galaxy Tab in public and you don’t want people seeing your screen as you browse your facebook account or view your favorite porn site, while sitting in a cafe in the middle of the day…or something to that effect.

Cases

Cases provide great protection for your Galaxy Tab. You can use a soft case or hard case, depending on what you prefer. One thing you should check before getting a case is the fit and the cutouts. You want a case the covers most of your tablet but still have cutouts that let you access the ports and slots.

Soft cases
Soft cases provide enough protection for your Galaxy Tab against light bumps and scratches but don’t expect them to withstand drops and strong bumps.
Here’s a list of common soft cases:

• nylon sleeves
• (memory) foam sleeves
• silicon and rubber jelly cases

Hard cases
Hard cases provide the best protection against bumps and scratches. But, make sure that the hard case you buy is made from good materials. Some materials, like cheap plastic, crack and may scratch the Galaxy Tab.
Here’s a list of common hard cases:

• Firm Jelly Cases – these covers protect the back and sides of the Galaxy Tab while leaving the screen totally exposed. They also have cutouts to allow access to the ports and slots of the Galaxy Tab.
• Firm Jelly Cases with stands – offer the same protection as the the firm jelly cases and they have the additional benefit of having kick stands at the back.
• Galaxy Tab Notebook/Folio Cases – the main advantage of notebook or portfolio cases is that they offer a wrap-around protection for the Tab. They are usually made of leather or faux (fake) leather. Some of these notebook cases even convert to stands so you can prop your Galaxy Tab for viewing videos or for typing.
  If you do get one of these notebook cases, make sure that it has a correct snug and fit. Also check that all sides are covered and that the cutouts match the ports and slots in the Galaxy Tab.

Expansion options

Aside from getting accessories for you Tab, you can also expand its features by adding this hardware expansion options:

• Additional memory card – Unlike the popular Apple iPad, the Galaxy Tab has a microSD expansion slot. You can use up to 32GBs SDHC cards which will bring your total storage to 48GBs.
• Bluetooth devices – You can also pair the Galaxy Tab with a huge selection of bluetooth devices. One good addition is a bluetooth headset if you want to use your tablet as a phone. Another device is a keyboard so that you can type easier and faster. Some users have reported using a bluetooth mouse with the Galaxy Tab with success.

Software

NOTE: By default, the Samsung Galaxy Tab is not rooted. This means you won’t be able to run Apps that require root permission/access. But don’t worry, if you just use the Tab for average purposes you won’t ever need to have root access.

Launchers

Launchers give you the option to further customize  your Samsung Galaxy Tab’s user interface (UI).  They give you options for changing screen animations, desktop layouts, and themes! Yes, using launchers will also give you themes. You can spend hours customizing your Galaxy Tab just by installing a new launcher.

Here are my two favorite launchers:

• ADW Launcher
• Launcher Pro

Widgets

Widgets are great for displaying information in your Tabs screen. One thing to remember about widgets is that they can drain your battery faster if they refresh their information in frequent intervals.

More Apps!

One of the most important benefit of having an Android phone is having access to all those apps! so go and explore the Android Market; your Samsung Galaxy Tab can handle a lot of them courtesy of the 2Gb internal memory. At one time I had 85 different apps installed on my Tab, yet the internal memory still had 1.5GB.

Try out all the apps you want then just uninstall the ones you don’t use. This way, you don’t clutter your app drawer.

There you have it! Simple solutions to customize your Samsung Galaxy Tab because you don’t always need to root your Samsung Galaxy Tab to enjoy it.

How about you, how have you customized your Samsung Galaxy Tab?