Picked up a Vivo RT TF600T today... - Asus Transformer TF700

I have an Infinity already but fell for all the Windows 8 hype and picked up a Vivo RT today. It was $599 and right now Asus is shipping free keyboard docks with registration so it's cheaper than the Infinity until the 30 of Nov.
Pluses:
Netflix is usable out of the box. No stutter. Better interface. Just plain better.
Can browse and play off SMB shares right out of the box. All my windows shares are visible and playable from the desktop file explorer. I was able to play MP4 and AVI files off my NAS just fine with no extra software using only the included Windows Video Player.
My DLNA server is also visable right out of the box. No software needed to be installed and I was able to play my media off it.
Comes with Office. Word, Excel, and Powerpoint. Official Microsoft apps and not a third party app that messes up formatting.
Carried over my desktop Windows 8 account and all the settings. Just entered the same account and pass as my desktop and all my Calendars and email were there. Google email and calendars.
Comes with a dock connector to USB adapter. To plug in peripherals. Keyboards, thumb drives, mice...
Negatives:
No MKV playback right now. There is no app to play mkv files on the Windows market on Nov 1. When i tried to play from the smb share it asked me to look for an app to play the file on the market. When I tried to play it from my DLNA server (Serviio) is started copying the file. I might be able to set the DLNA server to transcode for the device.
Have to wait for dock to ship. No keyboard dock out the door.
Different dock connector than TF700. It's a different size and it's actually in a different spot. So no point in trying the TF700 dock.
I can answer questions if anyone has any.

Where did you buy?
How many usable apps in the Windows store?
Is the build pretty good?
...and Congrats!
Thanx!
jim

I just left the Windows store to check this unit out and I love it. It was smooth! Maybe it was the familiarity with Windows, not sure but it didn't feel fragmented.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using XDA Premium HD app

Thats OK said:
Where did you buy?
How many usable apps in the Windows store?
Is the build pretty good?
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I bought at my local computer store. They had 2 in stock when I check first thing this morning and one had already sold by the time I got there.
The only app I've installed so far is netflix and teamviewer. Both were usuable, No youtube or Rdio app in the store but they run fine in the broswer. So far IE is the only browser available.
It's IE 10 and so far it's actually very usable and quick. All the interface disappears when you load a page and you pull down from the top to get tabs and bottom to get the address bar. Youtube is actually as fast as on my desktop. No stutter or crashing. I tried Ustream as well to watch the twit.tv live stream and that works fine as well.
The headphone jack is on the top right side just above the volume rocker. Left side has micro hdmi and microsd card slot. Power is on top. The plastic on the back has a texture to it. It's not rubberized but if you're holding it with your two pointer fingers on the back it acts as a friction surface so it doesn't slide. The metal parts feel a lot like the tf700 but it has 2 speakers on the back instead of one. Feels solid. No plastic creaking.

yohojones said:
No MKV playback right now.
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Since you mentioned SMB I'm assuming your content is on a PC or Windows Server somewhere. PlayOn will playback MKV files in a browser. You'd have to install PlayOn server wherever your files are located. Then, in the browser, go to "m.playon.tv" and it'll find the server with your content on it. The server will transcode the video. It works using the Android browser set to desktop (20GB MKV file) so I'm guessing it'll work with IE on RT. PlayOn's not free but it might be worth a shot since there's nothing currently out there.

BarryH_GEG said:
Since you mentioned SMB I'm assuming your content is on a PC or Windows Server somewhere. PlayOn will playback MKV files in a browser. You'd have to install PlayOn server wherever your files are located. Then, in the browser, go to "m.playon.tv" and it'll find the server with your content on it. The server will transcode the video. It works using the Android browser set to desktop (20GB MKV file) so I'm guessing it'll work with IE on RT. PlayOn's not free but it might be worth a shot since there's nothing currently out there.
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IE 10 is actually whitelisting flash on sites. My Serviio server has a browser as well. I just tried it and you can browse to the file and see the thumbnail but then it asks you to install flash.
Edit: Just did a quick search and found a post on xda for the Surface: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=33447933 to white list custom sites. I'll have to try that.
2nd Edit: I did as the site said and now i can view the mkv's on my tablet for the time being. The server is transcoding them though. I can hear the fan's whirling up as we speak. It's an easy process. Just have to edit an xml file.
3rd Edit: Added live.twit.tv and now that site works as well. Very impressed so far.

OP don't you mean VivoTab RT?
I personally would have waited for the VivoTab (non RT) to launch. That one will run on better hardware (intel and not crappy ARM), and will run a real version of Windows 8 and not one that's completely incompatible.
http://www.asus.com/vivo/en/vivoTab.htm

the_game_master said:
OP don't you mean VivoTab RT?
I personally would have waited for the VivoTab (non RT) to launch. That one will run on better hardware (intel and not crappy ARM), and will run a real version of Windows 8 and not one that's completely incompatible.
http://www.asus.com/vivo/en/vivoTab.htm
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All of that is true. I'm just hoping that the App store takes off and we get all the best apps. An Atom Vivo would be nice as long as Intel can keep the power down and the battery life up.
If the x86 windows tablets have active cooling and 4 hour battery life I'll be happy with this RT because right now all i'm doing is watching media, checking email, and working on my Excel files for work.

Is there some form of photoshop available on the market?
Your tablet came with the wacom digitizer stylus, right?

yohojones said:
All of that is true. I'm just hoping that the App store takes off and we get all the best apps. An Atom Vivo would be nice as long as Intel can keep the power down and the battery life up.
If the x86 windows tablets have active cooling and 4 hour battery life I'll be happy with this RT because right now all i'm doing is watching media, checking email, and working on my Excel files for work.
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I have my doubts about RT from an app perspective. I actually think metro may be ok for tablets(not all touch), but unless it proves out as the standard for windows app on all form factors, devs are not going to jump on it and apps will remain scarce. Full screen IM clients may be ok on 7/10 in tabs, but on a 15/17+ screen it is the most retarded waste of desktop space i've ever seen. Some apps fit metro, a lot don't.
That said I would have no interest in an atom based tab. Atom is terrible across thd board. I'm curious to try an I5/I7 based win8 tab, but they gotta prove battery life to weight equation or get a better solution from intel.

yohojones said:
Left side has micro hdmi and microsd card slot.
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I looked at one at BestBuy and the slot for what I thought was the MicroSD slot had a insert that wouldn't come out. So you're
say it does have a functioning card reader in it????? Other than that, I too liked it very much.......

teslabe said:
I looked at one at BestBuy and the slot for what I thought was the MicroSD slot had a insert that wouldn't come out. So you're
say it does have a functioning card reader in it????? Other than that, I too liked it very much.......
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It's spring loaded. You have to stick your thumb nail in it. It might be different for a floor model.
No stylus included.

OP. Can you confirm the free dock and the process to obtain it?

This will be awesome when devs get it dual booting Windows and Android. Best of both worlds, because Windows market sucks.
Sent from my ASUS Transformer Pad TF700T using Tapatalk 2

gottahavit said:
That said I would have no interest in an atom based tab. Atom is terrible across thd board. I'm curious to try an I5/I7 based win8 tab, but they gotta prove battery life to weight equation or get a better solution from intel.
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not intel's latest, Atom processor, it's been whooping ass and taking names.
http://www.anandtech.com/show/6330/the-iphone-5-review/10

Razr i has an atom Z2460, the Vivotab has an atom Z2760. I can't find much hard info on stats between the two, though bigger numbers are better right! I've been curious myself how the performance/battery life will stack up between the RT and atom versions of this thing.
Also can't seem to find hard info on when the atom version will hit the market and such.

morafam said:
OP. Can you confirm the free dock and the process to obtain it?
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I can confirm that I signed up for the free dock. You just have to register the tablet with the serial number and send a picture of your invoice and the serial number. If it takes two months for the dock to show up i would rather just pay for the thing.

morafam said:
OP. Can you confirm the free dock and the process to obtain it?
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Its on the Asus website it seems legit there's about a 7 or 8 step process
Sent from my EVO using xda app-developers app

I'm afraid to loose the infinity display, anyone notice a big difference?
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using XDA Premium HD app

I also went to Micro Center yesterday and picked one up. I really like it. It doesn't seem to have any out of box defects aside from the bezel on one corner being a few hair's width separated from the aluminum back, but it's a very solid device that's very thin, the OS is very snappy, the ecosystem isn't as bad as people make it out to be.
I chose this over the Surface because this was thinner and, well, free keyboard dock.

Related

fair laptop replacement?

|I think I have seen something that can now replace my laptop and tablet into one complete package.
I use my laptop to surf, word process, email, listen to music and play movies.
my tab is for games, movies and music and web browsing.
now the transformer prime seems to be a convergence device for me, provided 'docs to go' is any good?
I 've never used it before. I don't do stuff like that on my phone. I don't do it on my tablet cos I've got my laptop. so provided the docs to go is 'good to go' then this is for me. it'll have better res than my laptop and it'll do everything I want, as long as I can word process.
so
anyone who uses docs to go on the current transformer. what's it like? what's your experience of word processing on the tablet?
Erm, I've been typing personal statements on my tablet lately, and I gotta say, it's mostly like how it is on my laptop (I use open-office, starting to learn to LaTeX). With Polaris, the office app that comes with the TF, I gotta say, it's more or less just a normal word processor with the one exception of the lack of spell check. I've gotten used to seeing the red lines if I have typo's so that would be a big plus if they had it. Otherwise, nothing wrong with typing on my TF. (By the way, anyone recommend a different office app, which is as good as Polaris, but with an auto-spell check thing?)
Ooo, also, copying and pasting is kind of a hassle because you gotta long click and etc.
TL;DR: Tablet word processor (Polaris) = same as laptop, with exception of copy and paste, and spell check.
thanks for that. It sounds what I'm looking for. I don't do anything complex on laptop. Its just my work a day tool. I do all my main editing, typesetting etc on my main machine. The laptop is purely for me to work when I'm not in the office and I need to do some more writing.
this sounds good. Can the built in processor handle doc format? I assume that would be a no which is why docs to go would be what I'd have to consider.
anyone who's used docs to go on the TF able to chime in?
I just sold my Transformer today, but I do have Docs to Go. It is pretty fair. I find the user interface the most lacking, but I might be spoiled by a PC.
Although Asus ships with Polaris Office. I've used it in a pinch, but Docs to Go is much better. I also prefer the FAOTD from Amazon better as well (Office Suite 5 Pro).
office suit 5 sounds not bad either. I'll do some more reading. like I say, I just want to type already created docs for word.
anything I create fresh will just have basic layout anway. this is sounding pretty good.
a convergence device, capable of doing all the multi media, AND be used for work purposes, presentation work as well. I LIKE
ExploreMN said:
I just sold my Transformer today, but I do have Docs to Go. It is pretty fair. I find the user interface the most lacking, but I might be spoiled by a PC.
Although Asus ships with Polaris Office. I've used it in a pinch, but Docs to Go is much better. I also prefer the FAOTD from Amazon better as well (Office Suite 5 Pro).
Click to expand...
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I got office pro when it was free on amazon the other day...quite nice actually.
BTW....what did you get for your TF? I'm thinking its time to sell mine and its dock because I'm going back to my laptop which has no issues with HD video
out of interest what issues did you have with HD vide on the tablet? was this using a native player or an app from the market?
It won't play some encoding. I have a ton of mkv with ac3 encoding that just wont play.
thebadfrog said:
BTW....what did you get for your TF?
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$350 for the TF and a nice carbon fiber case. But it was a B60 model which seems to sell better. The person buying it said he was looking everywhere for this version and none of the other on CL for weeks were the rootable ones.
thebadfrog said:
It won't play some encoding. I have a ton of mkv with ac3 encoding that just wont play.
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thanks. well that's all right then, cos I don't use MKV files on tablets or my phone.
I stick to flv, avi (with xvid codec) and mp4. so I should be okay then.
ExploreMN said:
$350 for the TF and a nice carbon fiber case. But it was a B60 model which seems to sell better. The person buying it said he was looking everywhere for this version and none of the other on CL for weeks were the rootable ones.
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Thanks....good to know. I have a B40 with a dock so I should be okay then
Sent from my Transformer TF101 using xda premium
Polaris Office works fine with MS Office files I've tried, onoy gripe I have is it can't read my Open/Libre Office files!
asdfuogh said:
I use open-office, starting to learn to LaTeX
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Using a Debian chroot you can run LaTeX on your TF. TeXLive might be impossible though, never tried it for Linux/ARM.
I am happily using my TF to replace my netbook and workstation, which replaced my laptop; and it has almost replaced my new quadcore desktop. Should note that I don't care about office suites though, lol. I use other tools for that.
Sent from my Transformer TF101 using Tapatalk
Hmmm, interesting.. I have some different app I use to run OpenOffice documents. Not on tablet atm so I can't check .
To answer the OP's original question, yes the transformer+dock can replace your laptop GIVEN that you do not try to use it like a laptop.
3 things the OP needs to know.
(1) The transformer ain't no laptop.
(2) Android ain't no windows.
(3) Android ain't no mac OS either.
If you try to use the transformer like a laptop, you will be vastly disappointed. It's like buying a motorcycle and then try to use it like a car. You will complain about the cold weather, the lack of storage space (like the trunk), the lack of a windshield, the air blowing into your face, etc. People don't buy motorcycles and try to use it like a car. Why in the world would you buy a laptop-tablet hybrid and try to use it like a laptop?
I have not touched my laptop for 5 months now. I've found that the transformer has completely replaced my laptop plus more. I can do things with my transformer that I previously could not do with my laptop. Here are just a few things that I need to do with my transformer that I used to do on my laptop.
-Check emails.
-Type reports.
-Create and give presentations.
-Play games.
-Skype.
-Surf.
-Read pdfs.
-Much much more!
Here are some things that I can now do with the TF that I never could have done with a laptop.
-Go on the entire day without even thinking about recharging.
-Carry around just the tablet part in the field for aci and astm references.
-Take hand written notes.
-View autocad drawings on-the-go.
-Much much more.
The point is if you're going to try to use the tablet like a laptop, you will be disappointed. The tablet is an entirely new thing. You need to treat it like a new thing.
Will I do heavy duty things like autocad drawings on my tablet? Probably not. That's what my PC is for.
Now, the part where the transformer is superior to all other tablets. It is not a coincidence that all ipad users I know carry around their ipads for fun and games and their clunky laptops for real work. I only carry around my transformer+dock for everything.
Just the other day, I saw a guy sitting across the room typing on his laptop. Now, this was one of the guys who for months kept telling me I should have gotten an ipad 2 instead of a cheap imitation (the transformer). I went over to make small talks. Eventually, I asked him where his ipad was and what he's been using it for. He told me he uses it to play games every once in a while and that he now thinks he wasted money on it. That answer surprised me, because for months he was convinced his ipad was much better than my transformer. As I was about to turn around and went back to my thing, he said, "yeah, I should have gotten what you have" nodding at my transformer+dock sitting across the room.
So, if you want to get a tablet that you have for bragging rights, get the ipad2. If you want something that's worth your investment, get the transformer.
@ above poster. that was precisely my reasoning.
I only use my laptop to type when I'm out and about but all the other media stuff I know do on a pad. ergo. if android can now handle office stuff well with docs to go or some other office suite software and can open doc files, then I've found exactly what will suit my needs.
I'm looking to cover that laptop aspect with a transformer prime as well. My question is how you subjectively feel the productivity suites on transformer can stack up against a laptops. I've typed a bit on the keyboard and feel comfortable there, but haven't used any android word processors or presentation makers to get a good comparison vs something like ms office software. I know they won't be as powerful, but in practice, do you feel the lack, or are you happy with stuff on transformer?
ExploreMN said:
$350 for the TF and a nice carbon fiber case. But it was a B60 model which seems to sell better. The person buying it said he was looking everywhere for this version and none of the other on CL for weeks were the rootable ones.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Was that for just the TF or the TF and a dock?
---------- Post added at 07:23 AM ---------- Previous post was at 07:16 AM ----------
ExploreMN said:
$350 for the TF and a nice carbon fiber case. But it was a B60 model which seems to sell better. The person buying it said he was looking everywhere for this version and none of the other on CL for weeks were the rootable ones.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
johnchad14 said:
I'm looking to cover that laptop aspect with a transformer prime as well. My question is how you subjectively feel the productivity suites on transformer can stack up against a laptops. I've typed a bit on the keyboard and feel comfortable there, but haven't used any android word processors or presentation makers to get a good comparison vs something like ms office software. I know they won't be as powerful, but in practice, do you feel the lack, or are you happy with stuff on transformer?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Personally, I find the Android office suites only good for the simplest projects. For example, I can write fiction using them but not non-fiction or work documents because those need things like robust headers and footers. Polaris is pretty good at viewing my work presentations (which have complex graphics) but not for creating them. And etc.
Overall, I've found the Transformer+dock to be good for doing draft work on-the-go, but not for any complex creative work. The office suites just aren't robust enough. But for just laying down text, it's great--there's just not a better lightweight device with such great battery life and decent keyboard available anywhere, particularly for the price. The Prime is just going to make that equation stronger.
Note: For pure writing without worrying about formatting and such, I've actually been using Evernote. It works well enough, and of course everything I write gets automatically synced to every device I own. It's nice to not have to worry in the slightest about whether my latest version of a document is saved everywhere.
Thanks, prettymuch what I figured. Doesn't dissuade my interest in the device. I'm looking forward to the day when some real high quality productivity stuff gets made...or will hope someone figures a way to dual boot with win 8 down the road =).
After playing with a TF since April I think it is OK for many tasks, but is not a laptop replacement. Too often I find I need to run some applications that is only available for laptops. This is where I think Windows 8 can really shine so I will probably hold off on another 10 inch tablet until I can try something running Windows 8.
johnchad14 said:
I'm looking to cover that laptop aspect with a transformer prime as well. My question is how you subjectively feel the productivity suites on transformer can stack up against a laptops. I've typed a bit on the keyboard and feel comfortable there, but haven't used any android word processors or presentation makers to get a good comparison vs something like ms office software. I know they won't be as powerful, but in practice, do you feel the lack, or are you happy with stuff on transformer?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have. I absolutely don't miss my laptop at all. I've created several presentations while on the train with my TF+dock. I've typed many reports with the TF+dock.
Again, I got the TF+dock with the attitude that I needed to learn an entirely new platform to make it productive. And in this, I've succeeded. My laptop has been untouched for 5 months. It will soon go onto ebay.
I've also known some people who got the TF+dock intending to use it like a laptop and then when they couldn't they ***** about it.
Your choice, really, what you want to do with your investment.
Added by edit.
Windows 8 will be a plus. While I do not have a windows 8 tablet, I have some friends who are devs and have gotten their hands on the windows 8 tablet. They've assured me that it's pretty slick, even if it's only a beta. When it comes out, we will be able to enjoy all the full features of microsoft office right on our tablets.
Of course, by then android devs may have already created office apps that have just as much and good functionalities as microsoft office. Only time will tell.
BTW, I've bought all the office apps available on the market. My favorite is office suite pro 5, but others are good, too. My only disappointment is none of the excel functions have something as simple as x-y scatter plot. What I wouldn't give for an android excel app that could do this.

What is the best tablet for me?

With the 5.3 inch Samsung Galaxy Note serving well as both a phone and a portable tablet (akin to the Google/Asus Nexus 7) that is just perfect for media consumption, I am now looking for a new device to replace my current 15 inch Acer Aspire 5552 laptop. I need a larger tablet - no 7" devices - that prove an actual upgrade over my Note's screen size and also one which comes with or has a purchasable keyboard dock so that I can do homework on it. Other than that, I merely want the best specification available for the best price and I want to spend no more than around £400 GBP preferably. Any suggestions?
I would suggest Asus Transformer Infinity, not sure if it's fit your price range.
Felimenta97 said:
I would suggest Asus Transformer Infinity, not sure if it's fit your price range.
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Does it have a USB port to plug in either a hard-drive or a USB mouse? Also, are there apps which allow me to bind touch controls to the keyboard/mouse? It'd be awesome to play Dead Trigger with a keyboard and mouse! Do you think that an Android tablet like that could replace a Windows laptop?
Oh, and I also want a tablet which has at least a 720P screen. Anyone know of a video editing app on Android? Also looking for a better blogging app for Blogger than Google's. Any ideas for these two app needs?
I don't want/need 3G though.
Don't know how the USB thingy works, but the Infinity looks like supplies all your wants.
Where can I buy it and for how much? Also, is it possible to bind touch controls to the keyboard dock and a USB mouse? I'd love to play Dead Trigger this way! Is that possible?
Is that possible to bind touch controls from games such as Dead Trigger to a keyboard and mouse?
No Android tablet can replace a laptop. They are all primarily media consumption devices. Dock ones like the TF Prime are the closest you will get to a laptop, but they are still missing so much of the functionality of a laptop.
People wont like me for saying this, but a Microsoft Surface is the closest you will get to a laptop replacement in tablet form. My bet is on the RT costing $500. Even then, i would hesitate getting rid of a laptop for a less capable tablet.
Sent from my Sensation using xda app-developers app
The Janitor Mop said:
No Android tablet can replace a laptop. They are all primarily media consumption devices. Dock ones like the TF Prime are the closest you will get to a laptop, but they are still missing so much of the functionality of a laptop.
People wont like me for saying this, but a Microsoft Surface is the closest you will get to a laptop replacement in tablet form. My bet is on the RT costing $500. Even then, i would hesitate getting rid of a laptop for a less capable tablet.
Sent from my Sensation using xda app-developers app
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Click to collapse
Well, I still have access to a family PC that has Windows Vista. All I do on my laptop is iTunes and YouTube mainly plus some homework. Can't Android do that for me?
What tabs do you recommend anyway or do you think my Note will be enough? Also, can you bind touch controls to the keyboard and mouse on the Transformers? I'd love to play Dead Trigger with a keyboard and mouse!
Brad387 said:
Well, I still have access to a family PC that has Windows Vista. All I do on my laptop is iTunes and YouTube mainly plus some homework. Can't Android do that for me?
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If all you do on your laptop is media consumption, then an Android tablet is fine. Then it just depends on what exactly your homework is and if you need the power of a laptop to do it. If not, get an Android. I too use my laptop mainly for media, but i still think its worth it to have the extra capability of a laptop if you ever need it. Stay away from the TF Prime, im not sure if Asus's newer transformer derivatives like the infinity have better quality.
Sent from my Sensation using xda app-developers app
The Janitor Mop said:
If all you do on your laptop is media consumption, then an Android tablet is fine. Then it just depends on what exactly your homework is and if you need the power of a laptop to do it. If not, get an Android. I too use my laptop mainly for media, but i still think its worth it to have the extra capability of a laptop if you ever need it. Stay away from the TF Prime, im not sure if Asus's newer transformer derivatives like the infinity have better quality.
Sent from my Sensation using xda app-developers app
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Why stay away from the Prime? Because of the back cover creating problems with Wifi/GPS/etc? The Inifnity has a fix for that.
Felimenta97 said:
Why stay away from the Prime? Because of the back cover creating problems with Wifi/GPS/etc? The Inifnity has a fix for that.
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In a word, yes. The Prime was enough of a problem for a long enough time that I would do thorough research of any Asus tablet before making the decision to buy one. I would be surprised if Asus didn't come up with some design fix when it made the Infinity, but still I would tell anyone to do thorough research on it before buying.

[Q] Best laptop replacing tablets

Hi Everyone,
I wanted to gather people's thoughts on the best tablets currently out, or due out in the coming 3 months, that would be viable laptop replacing options.
I am currently in this situation, where I want to purchase a tablet and sell my Macbook 13". I travel a lot and a tablet would be very useful because of it's size, portability and the fact that my Macbook is from 2008, so an update is about due I think!
Currently I use my laptop for :
- Browsing the internet
- Occasional listening to music (Use my phone more though)
- Occasional word editing (however, not that often to be honest)
- Transferring photo's from my camera (Sony NEX-6), viewing photo's and occasionally doing minor editing of said photo's
So as you can see, my usage is fairly limited these days. A good screen is of importance to be because of the photo's, as well as watching movies whilst travelling.
Operating system is not a massive deal, I've used all three. I got bored of IOS after I had the iPhone 3GS for a while, then moved to Android (currently using). I've also played around with Windows 8. All have there own advantages and disadvantages.
I have to say, even though most things I say about Apple these days is negative (I feel they've stalled quite a bit in the past 2 years), the Ipad probably still has the best look and feel, but I'm not sure if I would grow bored again with it's tired and outdated looking operating system? I love the photo options and journal options though!
Android is more customisable, I still find new ways to keep myself entertained on my HTC Sensation, thanks to amazing developers, but would a tablet just be an enlarged phone for me then? Would this become unappealing?
Windows 8 looks lovely, it's a fresh faced interface, something new and shiny! It's great fun to play with, but the current Windows RT version is quite limited I'm not sure it's worth gamling on any of the current lineup of Windows Tablets, perhaps not until they get to there second generation at least.
So what would everyone top choice be for a laptop replacing tablet? Personally, I would want something within the same budget as the iPad 4 or less. But, would love to see opinions for any value!
Mike
I don't have experience with the Windows tablets, but the Transformer Infinity - TF700, is a great choice in the Android department. The keyboard dock allows for easy document-editing when you want it, but without being stuck with it.
The older versions of the Transformer line can still offer good performance - not sure what your budget is. You can use bluetooth keyboards with other tablets, and that's an idea, but the integration on the Transformer line is great. Since I built a desktop, I have largely stopped using my laptop and have replaced it with one of the Transformer tablets. With Flash and Drive and office software it does everything I needed my laptop for now that I have a desktop for the video games that require a bit of oomph (and I'm enjoying the gaming on the tablet as well - something I never really got into on my phone).
Not sure how your camera works for transferring photos, but the TF series docks have full-size USB ports and a full-size SD card reader (as well as the microSD slot in the tablet). I have hooked an external hard-drive up to it and all went well.
Pennycake said:
I don't have experience with the Windows tablets, but the Transformer Infinity - TF700, is a great choice in the Android department. The keyboard dock allows for easy document-editing when you want it, but without being stuck with it.
The older versions of the Transformer line can still offer good performance - not sure what your budget is. You can use bluetooth keyboards with other tablets, and that's an idea, but the integration on the Transformer line is great. Since I built a desktop, I have largely stopped using my laptop and have replaced it with one of the Transformer tablets. With Flash and Drive and office software it does everything I needed my laptop for now that I have a desktop for the video games that require a bit of oomph (and I'm enjoying the gaming on the tablet as well - something I never really got into on my phone).
Not sure how your camera works for transferring photos, but the TF series docks have full-size USB ports and a full-size SD card reader (as well as the microSD slot in the tablet). I have hooked an external hard-drive up to it and all went well.
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I've done quite a bit of research on the TF700, I even came close to committing, however I've just read about too many issues with the I/O and internal memory performance that has put me right off. It seems to be a problem for almost every owner I've encountered. I love the look and style of the tablet, also the connectivity and battery are brilliant. But I want something with excellent performance and I think this is outdated already in that regard. The fact that you have to void your warranty to root it and then install a ROM to make it smooth is a worry.
I was hoping Asus came up with an update to it at CES, but it seems this won't be happening.
The TF700 and the Nexus 10 are the two I consistently hear people say are the best and the fastest right now. I'm not sure about the N10 as laptop replacement, it seems like for that or a tablet without a dock that you'd have to do so many work-arounds that you might look into an ultrabook instead. It would try my patience, but I suppose it's personal preference what you're willing to do and put up with.
I'd recommend you take a look at the Surface RT tablet. It is not anything like as limited as you might think and it would meet pretty much all your requirements. I have one and for most purposes I have stopped carrying a full-on laptop and just take the Surface.
There is also the Pro coming out this month - it would be over your budget but actually is a genuine laptop replacement. There was a review of it on the Verge yesterday.
Inadorel said:
I'd recommend you take a look at the Surface RT tablet. It is not anything like as limited as you might think and it would meet pretty much all your requirements. I have one and for most purposes I have stopped carrying a full-on laptop and just take the Surface.
There is also the Pro coming out this month - it would be over your budget but actually is a genuine laptop replacement. There was a review of it on the Verge yesterday.
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I wish I could have a play with one in a store... Hopefully soon. What is the screen like? This is an important aspect for me. It doesn't need to be as good as the Nexus 10 for example, but a HD screen would be a minimum I think for me.
Maybe the thinkpad tablet 2 could be a good choice for you. It has win8 pro, is beautifull and light. So no RT limits, no IOS boaringnes, real USB port, HDMI port and a good display.
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olarf said:
Maybe the thinkpad tablet 2 could be a good choice for you. It has win8 pro, is beautifull and light. So no RT limits, no IOS boaringnes, real USB port, HDMI port and a good display.
Sent from my GT-I9100 using xda premium
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Looks quite nice. Concerned about the battery life being reported on most of the Windows tablets though? As i'll be travelling quite a bit, this could present an issue?
Hi guys, is the Lumia series of Nokia can be an option to replace a laptop computer?
Anyone else have any thoughts?
I recommend Nexus 10 is way to go especially when your priority is photos. Ipad could be the best choice, but if you want to enjoy quality with reasonable price, Nexus 10 won't disappoint you.
lkirra said:
Hi guys, is the Lumia series of Nokia can be an option to replace a laptop computer?
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Click to collapse
No comment
Sent from my GT-S5360 using Tapatalk 2
Magnector said:
I recommend Nexus 10 is way to go especially when your priority is photos. Ipad could be the best choice, but if you want to enjoy quality with reasonable price, Nexus 10 won't disappoint you.
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This is probably my top choice right now, although I'm in the UK, so have to wait until they are back in stock to even consider it... I don't have to rush out and get something luckily, I can probably hold off until around May / June before I will have to buy. So it might be worth me waiting as there are bound to be some new releases by then. Hopefully a few Tegra 4 devices start showing themselves by then.
Mikeparakh said:
Looks quite nice. Concerned about the battery life being reported on most of the Windows tablets though? As i'll be travelling quite a bit, this could present an issue?
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Click to collapse
So far all tests talking about 10 hours of serious use. I get one tomorrow so soon i can tell you if 10h is a fact.
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olarf said:
So far all tests talking about 10 hours of serious use. I get one tomorrow so soon i can tell you if 10h is a fact.
Sent from my GT-I9100 using xda premium
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I'd really appreciate that, thanks! Is it the Surface RT you've bought?
No the thinkpad tablet2 with win8 pro. So far it is great but still loading so i have no idea about Akku durance. Soon i have
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I have a Surface RT, and it gets the job done pretty well. I know some people still complain about a "lack of apps" on the Windows RT platform, but it hasn't been an issue for me - IE10 as a browser and Office (just Word, PPT, Excel, and OneNote, of course) comprise most of my use.
I get between 7.5 and 9 hours of battery life out of the device, depending on what I'm doing. On average, it'll get me through about a day and a half of classes - that's three hours each day, plus about 1.5 hours of additional use outside of that on each day (until the battery runs out after usually 8 or so hours). It charges really fast, though - I don't often have to charge it for much more than an hour to nearly fill the battery. A full recharge from a dead batter will probably take you 2 hours, though.
About the only thing I miss on it is the ability to run some programming interfaces (Python, Java, etc.), but with that fancy new jailbreak tool this may be changing - they've already ported most of Python 2.7, for example. I'd heartily recommend the Surface, given both its advantages and shortcomings.
MacBook replacement?
Mikeparakh said:
I'd really appreciate that, thanks! Is it the Surface RT you've bought?
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Have you purchased a replacement for the MacBook? Would love to get your thoughts.
Best computing options for general use
Mikeparakh said:
Hi Everyone,
I wanted to gather people's thoughts on the best tablets currently out, or due out in the coming 3 months, that would be viable laptop replacing options.
I am currently in this situation, where I want to purchase a tablet and sell my Macbook 13". I travel a lot and a tablet would be very useful because of it's size, portability and the fact that my Macbook is from 2008, so an update is about due I think!
Currently I use my laptop for :
- Browsing the internet
- Occasional listening to music (Use my phone more though)
- Occasional word editing (however, not that often to be honest)
- Transferring photo's from my camera (Sony NEX-6), viewing photo's and occasionally doing minor editing of said photo's
So as you can see, my usage is fairly limited these days. A good screen is of importance to be because of the photo's, as well as watching movies whilst travelling.
Operating system is not a massive deal, I've used all three. I got bored of IOS after I had the iPhone 3GS for a while, then moved to Android (currently using). I've also played around with Windows 8. All have there own advantages and disadvantages.
I have to say, even though most things I say about Apple these days is negative (I feel they've stalled quite a bit in the past 2 years), the Ipad probably still has the best look and feel, but I'm not sure if I would grow bored again with it's tired and outdated looking operating system? I love the photo options and journal options though!
Android is more customisable, I still find new ways to keep myself entertained on my HTC Sensation, thanks to amazing developers, but would a tablet just be an enlarged phone for me then? Would this become unappealing?
Windows 8 looks lovely, it's a fresh faced interface, something new and shiny! It's great fun to play with, but the current Windows RT version is quite limited I'm not sure it's worth gamling on any of the current lineup of Windows Tablets, perhaps not until they get to there second generation at least.
So what would everyone top choice be for a laptop replacing tablet? Personally, I would want something within the same budget as the iPad 4 or less. But, would love to see opinions for any value!
Mike
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Click to collapse
For general use like web surfing , email, youtube and netflix watching with a little gaming to pass the time away I would say a tablet ( your choice ) . If its for all that plus working in office regularly along with photo editing and such I would say a laptop . You can get them from basic like an i5 or i7 or even a Celeron or pentium based ones to almost as powerful as a desktop ( Razer , Alienware , MSI, are all gaming laptops and workstations like thinkpads and such and are very powerful ) If you will be doing anything harder like working in CAD or developing or 4k video editing and exporting although many laptops can do these you would be better suited using a desktop , (the CPU , ram , mother board components will be more robust and able to keep cool longer under load than in a laptop). Tablets like the iPad or android tablets are great to pass the time away , are capable to play games or watch videos on and for many people is all the computer they need . I only used my iPad for 3 years ( before that I ran several windows pcs , 4 Macs, and a linux desktop running all the programs I used in my computer repair business ) until I got my MacBook but honestly with what I do on the laptop now the iPad did just as well . I am retired now so my time on the laptop is nothing like what I had done for many years before ( since 1994).

Considering a Surface RT

Hi Surface Owners!
I am still debating which tablet to get and have recently included the Surface in the list. Of the current crop of tablets available, it's between the Nexus 10 and Surface RT. I'm not sure what will be announced at MWC, but i'll keep an eye out obviously.
I wanted to get your advice, as most of the people reading will own a surface. How do you find it now a few months on from release?
I will be selling my Macbook, so my new tablet is going to be my go to for the time being. I will be going travelling for several months, so this will be it's main use. I am wanting something that I can connect either my camera or SD card to so I can download photo's on to the device but also from the device to an external HDD. Obviously using it for entertainment will be a big thing, as well as to plan out parts of our journey and using the internet. I wouldn't mind if I could do some very minor photo editing also. Can anyone let me know what the photo app is like on the device, also if there are any decent photo apps on the marketplace.
So the surface looks like a winner in terms of the USB and SD card slots, making it easier to connect whilst travelling. But the Nexus wins on the screen and probably power. I used Android already on my phone so am used to it, but I quite like the interface on Windows 8 as it's something new. Android and IOS get a bit boring after a long time...
Any advice would be greatly appreciated. If anyone owns both tablets it would be great to hear your thoughts also.
Cheers,
Mike
Surface RT is my current ultra-portable computer, and it works well for that so long as it's not all that I have for an extended time. I miss the stylus that my old tablet had (an advantage of the Surface Pro) but do not find that, for example, the kickstand of the RT makes it hard to use on my lap (the way some reviewers have claimed). I have the Touch Cover (and am in fact writing this on it); it works great and you can type quite quickly and with perfect touch-typing muscle memory after a short time of using it.
Prior to the Surface RT, my most portable computer was an old Core 2 Duo ULV (1.2GHz) HP tablet, with a stylus but no touchscreen, 12" screen with 1280x800 resolution, 5 hours battery life (when new), 4GB of RAM (came with 1GB, upgraded immediately), an 80gb 4200RPM 1.8" magnetic hard disk, and 3.5lb weight. I loved it. Still use it, actually; it runs Win8 quite well aside from not being able to use Metro snapping. However, in almost every way possible, the Surface Pro blows it away. For less than the cost of old HP tablet (which was about $1500 new), I can upgrade the C2D to a quad-core chip with over twice the speed per core, I can upgrade the digitizer and add multitouch, I can trade in the 12" screen for one with far higher DPI, I can massively improve the storage by going solid-state instead of rotational (and can get 128GB), and I can keep the 5 hour battery life. The things I would lose are the ability to upgrade the RAM (4GB is a bit low, IMO) and storage (not that I ever did upgrade the old 1.8" drive) and the replaceable battery (I'll live). Oh, and swapping full SD for MicroSD and 2 USB 2.0 ports for a single USB 3.0 port, which means I'll probably want to get a hub. Still, it's tempting, and I may well buy myself one even though right now I don't really need it.
I have a Surface RT and use it as my portable device when I don't want to lug around my ultrabook. For some context, I have an iPad and an ASUS Transformer TF-101 as well. Prior to the Surface RT, I used the Transformer for that. But the lack of things that were important to me made the RT the go-to device when it came out.
For me, things like the USB port, MicroSD card, and Microsoft Office were important. Even more important was the built-in support for Bitlocker, so my MicroSD card can be encrypted at all times and easily read by my other Windows 8 machines. And my other external USB hard drives that are also encrypted can be easily opened by the Surface RT. Native VPN client and RDP helps with work as well (I know there are ways to do this with the other tablets).
I have the apps that I need at this point. I'm not a big social media person, so I can't speak to the apps for those things. But there are enough apps of interest to me that keep me satisfied. Can't speak to the photo apps, however. I don't take photos with it, though I have taken video and those were good.
Overall, I'm very happy with the RT. I got it with the Touch Cover and I can actually type fairly well on it. (I've actually had questions from iPad owners asking about the keyboard, if it was available for their devices.)
I had considered waiting for the Surface Pro, but the extra size and weight, plus the shorter battery life (I get great battery life with the RT, BTW), were concerns for me. I could just as well take my ultrabook (had an Asus Zenbook, now a Sony VAIO T13), which is quite a bit faster than the Surface Pro.
For what it's worth.
You can browse the store from any web browser:
http://www.windowsphone.com/en-us/store
For your use cases:
> I am wanting something that I can connect either my camera or SD card to so I can download photo's on to the device but also from the device to an external HDD.
You will be able to do that so long as your camera doesn't need extra drivers to show up (as a USB store) or you use a USB reader for the removable media.
> Obviously using it for entertainment will be a big thing, as well as to plan out parts of our journey and using the internet.
Great web browser. Can play most video, Audio...
> I wouldn't mind if I could do some very minor photo editing also.
Check the store...
> Can anyone let me know what the photo app is like on the device, also if there are any decent photo apps on the marketplace.
The built in photo app is pretty basic.
I would expect you could get by with the surface rt - get the 64gb one, and get a 64gb card...
I took one on a week cruise (along with a netbook for backup) and was able to use just the surface for the whole trip, including dumping GoPro video and digital camera shots to the surface and then onto an external USB disk.
Thanks for the advice guys, much appreciated.
Just a quick note, I meant gallery app, to look and browse / organise your photos, not the camera app to take photos. I laugh when I see people taking photos with there tablet ha ha. I like the way the ipad shows your photos by map, gallery and a journal function for example.
Sent from my HTC Sensation using xda app-developers app
Mikeparakh said:
Thanks for the advice guys, much appreciated.
Just a quick note, I meant gallery app, to look and browse / organise your photos, not the camera app to take photos. I laugh when I see people taking photos with there tablet ha ha. I like the way the ipad shows your photos by map, gallery and a journal function for example.
Sent from my HTC Sensation using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The Photo album app that comes with the RT is very basic. You may want to check out apps in the store that have more functionality.
Mikeparakh said:
look and browse
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yep
/ organise your photos
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Click to collapse
Nope.
Really basic. Grid of photos, or slideshow/swipe browse full screen. That's what you get.
What you are saying about getting bored with the other operating systems is exactly why I made Surface my choice. I've been playing with android for the last 7 years. And thanks to all the devs here at xda I was able to make all of my devices do exactly what I wanted.. But it was time for something totally different. I made the right decision. To be honest, at the beginning, learning the new ui was frustrating! :crying: Because I was having trouble finding things and when I did it didn't seem be consistent through the ui.... After about 3 days it all started to come together very well... you'll find that the system is actually set up quite well. I found everything I needed in the store. I'm very pleased with the purchase.
So any 2.5" hard drive will work with the Surface RT? Wow, I'm a bit surprised here. I thought there might not be enough power to power up a hard drive. Is the USB port capable of supporting a USB hub? My plan is to connect at least a 2-port USB hub, and transfer photos from my camera to the portable hard drive. If the Surface RT can do that, then I may not need to consider the Surface Pro even though it have USB 3.0.
---------- Post added at 01:49 AM ---------- Previous post was at 01:47 AM ----------
Mikeparakh said:
Thanks for the advice guys, much appreciated.
Just a quick note, I meant gallery app, to look and browse / organise your photos, not the camera app to take photos. I laugh when I see people taking photos with there tablet ha ha. I like the way the ipad shows your photos by map, gallery and a journal function for example.
Sent from my HTC Sensation using xda app-developers app
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Click to collapse
I agree with you and that's what I love about the iOS photo app. Does anyone here know of a photo app for Windows RT that can show my photos base on its location data?
So, all in all, are people happy with the device? What are the major issues to be concerned with, if any?
No major issues.
For the same price in Canada, the Asus ME400 offers Windows 8 x86 so I went with that due to needing Java/Cisco for remote connectivity to work. I did not regret owning surface. There was nothing majorly wrong with it, I loved the full USB port (which the Asus does not have). Surface RT use s a proprietary charger vs the Asus which uses micro-usb charger. Surface charges faster.
If the app you want is not in the app store, or you need drivers for your devices, that could be a problem. Note that Surface RT does not offer a full size SD card slot, only a micro. You can't put your camera card directly into Surface unless you are using microsd.
Build quality is top notch, the kickstand is great, battery life is very good, and Windows RT is pretty slick.
USB hubs work, but unless you use a powered hub (and power it from the wall or another source), you're still going to be limited by the relatively meager power of the Surface RT's single USB port. It's enough for a 2.5" disk of at least 5400 RPM (haven't tried 7200 RPM yet) but funning (for example) a mouse and a hard drive off of it might be too much.
It's sounding pretty positive so far! I keep reading reviews though and none seem to be great! But I think most of the companies doing the reviews are stuck half way up Apple's ass.
I keeping an eye on a few auctions ending on Ebay tonight, to see if I can pick up a bargain, fingers crossed! If not, I will probably purchase one from John Lewis over the next two weeks.
I've read a few sites that think Microsoft will drop the price on the RT soon, do you think this will happen? All speculation I guess, no one really knows..
The other thing is, they don't seem to hold there value well. Where as the Nexus 10, you could almost make money on if you decided to sell due to it being hard to get.
Mikeparakh said:
It's sounding pretty positive so far! I keep reading reviews though and none seem to be great!
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They expected an iPad with a windows logo. They got a Windows tablet instead. Coupled with the need to dogpile on the new UI, and as you said the large number of Apple Experts With Very Short Memories, and the review effect isn't shocking.
I have a Surface RT and I love it! I use it for nearly everything. I use remote desktop or team viewer for anything that requires x86 apps.
Its brilliant to use around the house! my wife has her Nexus 7 and has to switch between that and her laptop every so often while I just use the Surface.
When my laptop dies which wont be long (though it could be longer as I don't use it now) then I plan on getting a Surface Pro. The build quality of it (Surface RT) is outstanding. I had an issue with the touch cover, contacted Surface support and they were amazing, got a new touch cover no questions asked and in quick time, reported the issue at around 1400 and got the new one at around 1300 the following day! I cant recommend it enough. Everyone I show it is impressed with near enough everything it can do, the only downside is that not all the apps I used to use on Android are available, but Android is coming up to its 5th Birthday in October and that will be 1 year of Win RT.
25'879 are in the Windows Store as of writing and if, this is a big if, Microsoft can some how link the WP store and the WinRT store then it has massive potential.
I only wish that Microsoft really pushed hard on getting these into people hands. In the UK John Lewis is a very repeatable store but that is the only brick and mortar place you can get one. In nearly every store I go these day there is a gadget area selling iPads and Androids, come on Microsoft lets have you back at the top of the tech tree, where you were when you bailed out Apple!
So I've gone ahead an purchased. I managed to get a bargain! £425 for a brand new Surface RT 64GB with black touch cover! Hopefully will arrive tomorrow, fingers crossed. Really want a blue touch cover, so might sell the black and get a blue.
Anything I should know before I first switch on and setup?
After some more usage with the RT, I'm quite liking it. There's definitely lag, especially on games. "Rat On A Snowboard" even lags and there's nothing even going on with that! Something isn't right and a Tegra3 should be able to at least handle ROAS.
Otherwise, "Mobile.HD" works brilliantly so that's a major plus. I've got the UK Netflix showing on my Metro UI, and then I can access the US Netflix using the browser so very pleased with that. "Pow!" seems decent for comics. "Tome" for Goodreads.
But the games really are a letdown. Hardly any decent games and what ones are there run very poorly. I realise it's not an iPad and that'd be more suited for games etc but the Tegra3 works great on the Nexus 7 and it's just not working right in the RT. Whether that's due to the Nexus 7 using all of the Tegra3 cores and the RT not using them all, or whether it's poor coding, or a problem with RT itself, I haven't got a clue. But it's not as fluid as it could/should be.
Surface RT
Again in context I have laptop Dell Duo Flip screen. Nexus 7, Playbook 64gb ( I like gadgets). I was considering a Surface RT or Surface Pro.
But I ended up with a RM Slate 100 (EXOPC) 2gb Memory, 32gb mini pe ssd card (also spare slot for second ssd card or gps unit, 2 usb ports full size, HDMI out, SD Card slot (I added 32gb 45mb sec) 11.6 inch screen I upgraded to Windows 8 Pro. in all it cost me £180 pounds.
it was a gamble but the result is a very capable Surface Pro look alike. Any wireless keyboard will work when needed. Linked to my Nexus with a mouse and keyboard simulator it works great through plasma TV via HDMI. Skydrive adds another 48gb storage, dropbox for moving files around.
Added bonus Android for X86 works as well from SD Card .
Boot time 20 sec with Office 2010 loaded. Program start times ready to go Word 3 sec, Excel 1.8 sec, Outlook 4.5 sec, Paintshop Pro X5 31 sec.
Any one else put together a surface pro look alike.
How does a Surface compare.
I have the Asus VIVO Tab RT which uses same OS. I love it as an ultra portable tablet/laptop but one thing I really hate is the browser. I just hate IE10 on Windows 8/Windows RT and wish Chrome or Firefox would release a browser for RT.
I just received my Surface RT 64GB with a black touch cover. First impressions are fantastic! I love the look and feel of the device. Just from setting it up, i'm amazed at just how responsive the touch cover is! I think I'll get used to it very quickly. Doing the updates now so haven't played much, but very happy thus far! Still would like a blue touch cover though!

Best tablet for a laptop replacement?

I am willing to sell my laptop because I am addicted to computer games (dota 2, total war series etc), especially that I'm at university and I need to keep focus on studies.
So I need a tablet for the occasional browsing, office editing/reading and especially for watching movies and TV shows (this is the most important aspect). I will get enough money from my laptop to buy the best thing out there, so budget isn't a problem.
I am an Android user since I used the HTC Desire back in the days, then moved on to nexus S and fell in love with Nexus devices. So the Nexus 10 was my top interest so far, but I heard some of the devices have light bleeding (and I'm very sensible to display quality) and the resolution is actually too big, so the GPU is not powerful enough for it. There are some rumors a new nexus 10 will be unveiled by google with a quad core CPU and a better GPU, but I need a tablet now, not in 4 months or even later, especially that my country doesn't sell nexus devices on google play. Online stores in Romania just got the nexus 10 at the start of this month, so there's no way I'm gonna wait for the new one.
Then I had a look at the iPad 4: I absolutely loved the build quality and how it generally felt, everything was extremely smooth and it looked great, but the 4:3 aspect ratio is a total bummer, considering that I will watch a lot of movies. I tried to find a video to see how movies run on the ipad but had no luck.
Other tablets didn't seem to get me excited too much, was looking at the asus transformer t700 but it has outdated hardware and I heard its slower then the nexus 10.
So the question is, iPad 4 or Nexus 10?
I don't want answers from fan boys, please be realistic.
Also, I don't want to hear anything about converting movies and things like these, I just want to throw the movie on the tablet and see it, be it mkv or avi, blu-ray size etc.
Nexus 10 is way much better and could do all the things you listed above, unless your prefer iOS
El7r said:
Nexus 10 is way much better and could do all the things you listed above, unless your prefer iOS
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I never owned an iOS device, I'm just wondering which one is better.
bump
I would suggest the Asus Transformer prime with the keyboard dock especially since you're a student and you could use it like you would a laptop in class.
In terms of specs and power, the ipad is pretty great and has the biggest library of apps.
The nexus 10 isn't as absolutely all mighty but it's pretty close, and it's got android, so it'll be much more capable of replacing a laptop computer than the ipad ever will be.
I personally despise Apple, I have had extremely bad experiences with them. I'm currently on an iMac, so it's not a matter of bandwagoning and fanboyism and stuff. I truly believe Android is better and more capable than iOS. The nexus 10 is probably the best android tablet on the market, though the Samsung Galaxy Note could be good for you as you want to use it for productivity and the s-pen is supposed to be amazing. No experience with it though, but I have a nexus10 and I got rid of my laptop afterwards, don't need it anymore.
I use the n10 as a laptop too, I take notes in class and everything, if you add a bluetooth keyboard, you'll get a lot of functionality out of it.
drarnold said:
I would suggest the Asus Transformer prime with the keyboard dock especially since you're a student and you could use it like you would a laptop in class.
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Click to collapse
^^^ This
Sent from my HTC One X using Tapatalk 2
Nexus 10 is beefy specs, very beautiful.
I'm using a nexus 7 right now, with logitech android keyboard and wacom tablet pen.
If you plan on writing notes on tablet instead of paper; I found it difficult in classes where proff writes so fast its hard to keep up.
I'm sure depends on tablet pen you get. But for writing apps for android, there's not too many good ones like there is on apple app store atm.
I tried alot of writing apps; best one that was suited for me was papryus for android. I still couldn't keep up writing notes on it.
Typing notes on it is amazing. Much better then lugging around a laptop.
If you plan on going with writing notes, I suggest something with a digitizer.
If writing notes on tablet isn't an issue your on your mind.
Then i would go with nexus 10 w/ bluetooth keyboard.
lvnatic said:
I am willing to sell my laptop because I am addicted to computer games (dota 2, total war series etc), especially that I'm at university and I need to keep focus on studies.
So I need a tablet for the occasional browsing, office editing/reading and especially for watching movies and TV shows (this is the most important aspect). I will get enough money from my laptop to buy the best thing out there, so budget isn't a problem.
I am an Android user since I used the HTC Desire back in the days, then moved on to nexus S and fell in love with Nexus devices. So the Nexus 10 was my top interest so far, but I heard some of the devices have light bleeding (and I'm very sensible to display quality) and the resolution is actually too big, so the GPU is not powerful enough for it. There are some rumors a new nexus 10 will be unveiled by google with a quad core CPU and a better GPU, but I need a tablet now, not in 4 months or even later, especially that my country doesn't sell nexus devices on google play. Online stores in Romania just got the nexus 10 at the start of this month, so there's no way I'm gonna wait for the new one.
Then I had a look at the iPad 4: I absolutely loved the build quality and how it generally felt, everything was extremely smooth and it looked great, but the 4:3 aspect ratio is a total bummer, considering that I will watch a lot of movies. I tried to find a video to see how movies run on the ipad but had no luck.
Other tablets didn't seem to get me excited too much, was looking at the asus transformer t700 but it has outdated hardware and I heard its slower then the nexus 10.
So the question is, iPad 4 or Nexus 10?
I don't want answers from fan boys, please be realistic.
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Asus Transformer Prime / Infinity: I've played with the Nexus 10 and as far as options go it trumps the Nexus 10. The 10 is a great device, but as far as using USB, adding options, batteries expansion (DOCK), SD, etc the Transformer wins. The outdated hardware/slower than nexus is partly true. The real truth is that the noticeable speed is only on tests. Running apps side by side the speed difference is down to a second or two. The TFT700 is a quad core and the Nexus 10 is a dual core. If you don't put the TFT700 into econo mode then the speed is pretty much even or going to the TFT700 at times.
Now the biggest thing I liked with Nexus over the TFT700 is the micro usb charger and plugin. That and the screen. But outside of that, the TFT700 offers something that no other tablet offers, expansion and expansion. Want another battery? Plug into the dock and you get a keyboard and a battery. Want to add an SD/MicroSD for more space? Just slide the car in. Need to use a USB thumb drive to share something with somebody that has a computer or laptop but don't have a wireless signal? Just put it into the dock. Comparing the batteries in just the devices alone, the 700 to outlast the Nexus 10 in a side by side comparison.
The Nexus does offer the best picture and the newest software updates, but the ASUS team and XDA does a pretty good job of keeping the two running in a neck and neck race.
Transformer series tablets are great. I bought a tf300t after much research and an extremely happy with it. As stated before, the dock ads full functionality for taking notes in class. Supernote came pre-installed on mine which allows you to add drawings to your notes which is essential if you will be taking any chemistry classes.
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I am attending a medical university and I need a notebook for notes, professors also verify our notes at the end of semester so writing on an electrical device isn't possible for me. I will be using the tablet to watch movies and occasionally create some office files on it (though I can still go at the university's library where we have computers for that).
Does anyone have any experience with a jailbroken iPad? How dependent is it to a PC? I heard you need one when you jailbreak it (same goes for rooting on android), but what then? Can I just download cydia apps on it and install without problems?
The Nexus 7 will fit into your back pocket. ...
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lvnatic said:
I am attending a medical university and I need a notebook for notes, professors also verify our notes at the end of semester so writing on an electrical device isn't possible for me. I will be using the tablet to watch movies and occasionally create some office files on it (though I can still go at the university's library where we have computers for that).
Does anyone have any experience with a jailbroken iPad? How dependent is it to a PC? I heard you need one when you jailbreak it (same goes for rooting on android), but what then? Can I just download cydia apps on it and install without problems?
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Click to collapse
Well it seems you really want an iPad. I will say this, your notes can be verified on either Nexus ( 7 or 10) and the Transformer. In fact the supernote feature of the Asus is very similar to evernote (although I would still use Evernote or Onenote). You can even use Google to transcribe directly to the supernote feature. If you are looking to take notes in class for Medical, try looking at LiveScribe Skypens.
Ok back to your question, not to bash the iPad, my mother and sister love theirs, but it is too restrictive for my tastes. This includes jailbroken. If you are planning on doing any kind of syncing that does not involve your cloud features you will have to sync via a PC. Apps / updates /purchase can all be done with a wireless feature (although it is much slower). Taking notes you can use Evernote / Onenote, but the handwriting / bluetooth keyboards are not even on the same playing field as the Nexus / ASUS. I can verify that as a CS/Cyber major these notes can be verified and the audio playback / video playback you will have to get permission from your teach if you are allowed to record in class first. Also in terms of watching movies you will be limited to what ever you purchase or convert to the iPad's movie player unless you sync / convert / play with it on your PC first.
PC / Mac Rules for Tablets:
You do need one for an iPad and most Android devices. I say most because there are some devices you can root/break via webpages (Apple has since closed the security hole... so you would need an older OS).
Downloading from Cydia is just like downloading from any market place, with the exception of that you do not know if it has been scanned for malware/virus/permissions. Unlike Google/Amazon you will not be told of the permissions or what exactly it will be using on your system. Also keep in mind that some apps will just not work due to the age of your device / os if you are going from Cydia.
Just to be more specific: when I meant notebook, I meant an actual notebook
You know, the one with real papers on which you use a pen to write
So I am not writing absolutely anything on a tablet/laptop. I will only use the tablet in university when I'm on some boring classes, to surf on some blogs or play some games.
Edit: I'm not really that convinced to buy the iPad, I would just be curious to own one for a while, to see how it performs in the long run. So I will probably buy it and if I don't get the hang of it in 30 days then im gonna return it and go for the nexus, where everything will be so simple for me.
I never actually held the nexus 10 in my hands so far, didn't get the chance to see it in any store, just online. Does it have at least equal quality as the ipad? I know its some kind of rubber plastic like the nexus 7, which felt good (tried that one).
If you want a good laptop replacement tablet: Go buy a PC Tablet (with the rotating displays, keyboard based).
Expensive, but fits the bill. Im pretty sure Hewett Packard (HP) and Dell have some tablets like that. Look up touchsmart on Google.
Anyone say razer edge yet
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---------- Post added at 04:35 AM ---------- Previous post was at 04:34 AM ----------
lvnatic said:
I am attending a medical university and I need a notebook for notes, professors also verify our notes at the end of semester so writing on an electrical device isn't possible for me. I will be using the tablet to watch movies and occasionally create some office files on it (though I can still go at the university's library where we have computers for that).
Does anyone have any experience with a jailbroken iPad? How dependent is it to a PC? I heard you need one when you jailbreak it (same goes for rooting on android), but what then? Can I just download cydia apps on it and install without problems?
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Click to collapse
You can peint from a tablet using wifi
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lvnatic said:
Just to be more specific: when I meant notebook, I meant an actual notebook
You know, the one with real papers on which you use a pen to write
So I am not writing absolutely anything on a tablet/laptop. I will only use the tablet in university when I'm on some boring classes, to surf on some blogs or play some games.
Edit: I'm not really that convinced to buy the iPad, I would just be curious to own one for a while, to see how it performs in the long run. So I will probably buy it and if I don't get the hang of it in 30 days then im gonna return it and go for the nexus, where everything will be so simple for me.
I never actually held the nexus 10 in my hands so far, didn't get the chance to see it in any store, just online. Does it have at least equal quality as the ipad? I know its some kind of rubber plastic like the nexus 7, which felt good (tried that one).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you are under the age of 14, or, over the age of 45 than an iPad is a better choice.
If you want flexibility than get an android tablet.
If you want buisness stuff then get a non RT tablet (Windows 7, 8) (RT is no good for business stuff).
I find the tablets with folding displays to have the most bang for their buck. That is just my opinion though.
Please thank if this was useful.
andronald said:
If you are under the age of 14, or, over the age of 45 than an iPad is a better choice.
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My mom, my dad, and my step mom all have Android phones or tablets. They are all over 45. My mom is the kind of person who asks me to find where a program saved a file, my dad got his phone after having only had a flop phone. None of them are struggling.
As of ICS simplicity and noob friendliness isn't really an issue.
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Hi,
I have an Asus Transformer TF300TG and it is absolutely great. We are using it at home for fast access to internet (emails, cooking receipts, small gaming). It has 3G capability, so you just plug a data sim of your favourite GSM carrier and you are OK to travel and use it on the way.
The battery lasts literally for hours, there is one battery in the tablet part and other in the keyboard part - when tablet is drained and you connect it to the keyboard unit, it recharges from it.
There are a office pack preinstalled (Supernote) and for making notes and easy spreadsheets, it works quite OK.
Hope it helps.

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