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I feel this is more of a general "lets get your opinion/feel" but ive experienced in the past, any topic that has any question in it, gets moved to this section.. So im posting it here.
I'd like to get people opinions (and experiences if any) on the Asus Padfone. I've been eyeing the HTC Amaze, but there have been a few issues reported with it, and with new tech being released this year, im also considering other devices. The Padfone caught my eye due to its apparent versatility. (Especially since the HTC One series has been a massive letdown with the non-existent mSD card slot)
Though there do seem to be some things lacking with this device, such as the camera (apparently, the HTC one has an independent processor which speeds it up) for example.
Also the fact that its 3g and not 4g/LTE seems to be a step back (tho this isnt an concern for me, but could be later).
Anyway.. Thoughts? Concerns?
Not worth buying
I'm considering getting one. I'm from the Netherlands so 3G is just fine for me!
Pricing is rumoured around €699 euro here, pretty steep though... That's without the dock (which will set you back another €150 I bet)
I love the idea of having everything in one place (on your phone) and basically click it into the tablet for typing during class or watching/reading something.
Jam it into the dock for longer writing sessions... I can see this being a very useful combination for me personally. I'm not sure the average user will find this a useful gadget though.
Downside is that you really have to use the phone all the time and I'm not sure how well everything works softwarewise when you load the phone into the dock, screensize wise etc, etc.
Its just that I got a Gnex that I love so dearly
PokeiShoW said:
Not worth buying
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Care to elaborate?
newbie thoughts on the padfone
Last July 2011, I posted this thread on another forum and look at what happened in the interim - the Padfone!
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"Looking for serious multi-purpose (non-existent yet) tablet
I am a newbie. I have been communicating with a variety of tech publications incl Walt Mossberg, WSJ. But no serious response. I do not own a tablet right now but want to propose features that can be incorporated to the current crop. You folks can chime in (with respect) if you think my ideas are plausible.
Full disclosure. Currently, I am not a fan of the crop of tablets in the market today. What is out there (regardless of brand) are just pure "gadgets" for me. I do not do social networking nor games. I realize that I am in the minority in the high-tech populace.
I will consider a tablet with the configuration below to trim my techie equipment inventory. I believe this would be a truly PORTABLE, POWERFUL, SINGLE COMBINATION alternative to having (1) a communication/convenience/entertainment" device (tablet) AND (2) a PC for serious professional computing work, should I need to do some.
Samsung Galaxy-like form factor (or maybe even slightly larger or heavier)
Full Cell phone call capable (CDMA/GSM) - 3 or 4G thru BT (either on ear device or car's BT wireless communicator) - not just Google Talk or Skype
Web-access wireless card (a/b/g/n)
BT enabled to pair with my car's BT audio system wireless connection to play music stored in the tablet and other BT capable devices (tech already available)
Semi-full size BT keyboard/case (tech already available)
Available USB2 or 3 port/s
Available docking device to connect to an external larger LCD monitor, full-size keyboard, printer, optical drive, external HD, etc (?) to really replace my office/home notebook
Enough processor power (Intel/AMD dual core or higher), storage to support a full PC OS (Windows 7/8 or Mac OS), Internet Browser (IE9, FF5, Chrome, Safari, etc) and APPLICATION PROGRAMS AND DATA!
Sufficient battery life (replaceable) with AC/DC charging/connectivity capability
???????
Do you think this config for a tablet system has market and production potential? Or better yet, is there one already out there? I know that the technology to accomplish all of these exist already. It just takes somebody to put it all together.
Your professional insights are greatly appreciated."
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Since the Pf is not in our shores yet and I have been sick and tired of the all the unboxing, first videos from Barcelona, Taiwan specs and availability, I just implore ASUS to get their act together and stop the teasing and give us the US model! Regardless how a bunch of folks have trashed it, I on the other hand WANT ONE NOW. I realize that this desire is sight unseen, performance and quality unknown and not all the specs I listed above are in the model available everywhere else, I believe the concept of 3 in 1 is a brilliant one. I may not be as techie as you folks but for my use and from prelim videos and specs, what ASUS has done is phenomenal.
I would greatly appreciate your more techie input as well as marketing intel (US availaibility, specs, price, carrier, etc.). BTW, I still refuse to buy and do not want any of the tablets available today. Thanks.
The mechanism to insert the phone into the tablet looks like its the first thing to break rendering the whole concept useless.
But i have not hold it in my hand, anyone have some info on the build quality?
Dark3n said:
The mechanism to insert the phone into the tablet looks like its the first thing to break rendering the whole concept useless.
But i have not hold it in my hand, anyone have some info on the build quality?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's possible, it depends if the "door" needs to be closed before it will output to the tabdock. Plus, im sure alot said that about flip phones and sliding phone. My Touch Pro 2 is still going pretty strong, and it has a sliding keyboard.
Something id like it know is with the Keyboard dock, is it 'closeable'. As in, can you dock the tablet to it, then "close it" like a laptop so you can transport it as one piece?
first try... and probably last
very difficult positioning for Asus. They're trying desperately to innovate more that the competition to get a strong foot in that market.
However, this solution might not be fully interesting for a lot of people... If its a failure, they'll have lost a great deal of money that could have been used to make up for the difference with the latest ipad...
If this will be a failure , atleast the price will drop fast ( something like Evo 3d -50% )
addiz said:
If this will be a failure , atleast the price will drop fast ( something like Evo 3d -50% )
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Click to collapse
Why do you think it will be a failure?
it's something new and different let's see how people will act after buying it
Has a lot of potential...
Has a LOT of potential if marketed correctly.
I have a original ASUS Transformer TF101 with keyboard dock for eight months now and I can say its an amazing machine. The performance is just right, the battery lasts forever, almost stock ICS, lots of updates.
I have the only combination of devices that can compete with the full Padfone setup: a modern smartphone (Samsung Galaxy Note) and the mentioned Transformer, with full tethering support. If the Padfone system can have a significant price advantage, the consistency it provides (the Note have Android 2.3.6) can make it a winner.
Feels way to expensive.
$1 gets you a reply
yes the hinge closes like a laptop
problem: the hinge only opens around 90 degrees so you won't get a great viewing angle unless you are at a similar level.
when the latch of the tablet station opens to release the phone, it stops the phone being bent outwards, so you have to pull up and thus, not breaking the connector.
not having 4g is a big downer for me. I was going to get this and might still but seriously, uk is getting 4g this year so I doubt I'd want this when it gets released.
The price of phone + 10" screen is Euro 699.
I think it will not be a success.
Why? (iPhone 4S + New iPad) is only Euro 199 more than the phone and a dummy screen.
Moreover, if you're going to carry around a dummy screen, why not carry a REAL tablet??
tytung2020 said:
The price of phone + 10" screen is Euro 699.
I think it will not be a success.
Why? (iPhone 4S + New iPad) is only Euro 199 more than the phone and a dummy screen.
Moreover, if you're going to carry around a dummy screen, why not carry a REAL tablet??
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Click to collapse
beeecause with a iphone and ipad, your data is in 2 places? So if you edit something on your ipad, you have to take steps to also update it on your iphone.. Plus, itunes.. thats always a disadvantage.
I see the appeal, and 200 bucks More isnt small.
Lyian said:
beeecause with a iphone and ipad, your data is in 2 places? So if you edit something on your ipad, you have to take steps to also update it on your iphone.. Plus, itunes.. thats always a disadvantage.
I see the appeal, and 200 bucks More isnt small.
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Click to collapse
I thought it's no need to take any steps? As long as your iPad is online at home, whatever you do on iPhone outside is automatically synced, as shown in the iCloud launching videos.
199 euro is small, when you compare a screen+ battery, with a fully functioned retina display iPad.
sounds good
tytung2020 said:
I thought it's no need to take any steps? As long as your iPad is online at home, whatever you do on iPhone outside is automatically synced, as shown in the iCloud launching videos.
199 euro is small, when you compare a screen+ battery, with a fully functioned retina display iPad.
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Click to collapse
Well, i wont get apple products. If i were to get two devices, both would be android. Im sure it would be similar, but i don't like messing with clouds either, that's just a gimik to eat up your limited "unlimited" data package. Especially when your talking about my case of 400+mb PDF files.
I'm not completely sold on it, but it seems like a good idea, plus ive not yet seen official pricing on it.
Not that benchmarks mean much.. but...
ASUS PadFone gets benchmarked: a mere teaser of what's to come
I spend a considerably amount of time on my laptop - probably more than is even healthy - and I am thinking of getting an upgrade to my Acer Aspire 5552, which is around 2 years old now. At present, here is the specification of said laptop...
AMD Athlon II X2 processor P320 clocked at 2.1Ghz in speed.
15.6" HD LCD display with a resolution of 1366x768.
ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4250 with 256MB dedicated video RAM.
4GB DDR3 Memory/RAM.
500GB HDD plus USB ports and SD card slot for extending the storage.
Other than that, it is just a usual laptop with a DVD drive, wireless and a Li-ion battery. It performs fairly well, but I'd like something that offers a new and preferably faster user experience.
On a typical day, I spend a fair amount of time on my laptop - around 5 hours or so - and below I have listed what I usually do below.
Web browsing to visit sites such as the XDA-Developers (here).
Social networking and messaging through the likes of Facebook and Skype.
Listening to music through iTunes.
Watching HD YouTube videos.
Playing some light games (my laptop can't run high-end games, but small ones run fine).
Homework on Microsoft Office.
So, in all honesty, my laptop doesn't get any usage that I personally don't feel able to perform on my current Samsung Galaxy Note. The 5.3 inch device is pretty atypical and, whilst it serves quite well as a portable (7.0 inch) tablet/phone hybrid, I still find myself turning my laptop on a lot because of two things. Firstly, a 15.0 inch display is much more comfortable to look at for longer periods of time - regardless of the amazing resolution of the Samsung Galaxy Note - and, secondly, giving my phone the heavy usage of a tablet leaves me without battery life before I have even left the house (The Note's battery dies after 5 hours of screen time at a maximum).
I initially refused to purchase a tablet, as there are times where I simply need a keyboard for homework and more long-winded typing sessions. As an aspiring author and frequent Blogger also, touch-screen keyboards simply aren't good enough. But, I have recently discovered the Asus Transformer Pad 300. It is available to purchase here on PC World for £400 GBP including VAT, which is just about within my budget. A tablet would serve my usage, I think, rather well and the keyboard dock would allow me to complete some homework and heavy typing sessions. I'd still also have access to a main family PC which runs Windows Vista, so what do you think?
Do you think that, under my circumstances, the Asus Transformer Pad 300 could replace my present laptop and serve my daily usage well?
Attached
http://www.pcworld.co.uk/gbuk/asus-...let-pc-with-docking-station-13657744-pdt.html
EDIT 1: Whilst I am here, I'd like to ask anyone here who has owned, currently owns or used an Asus Transformer Pad 300 (not the Prime or even more expensive Infinity) what they think of the device.
I actually might think you could be a candidate for a tablet to replace your laptop.... especially with the full keyboard and access to a full desktop.
I couldnt ever do it, but I use my laptop for alot more than you seem to.
Cinco5 said:
I actually might think you could be a candidate for a tablet to replace your laptop.... especially with the full keyboard and access to a full desktop.
I couldnt ever do it, but I use my laptop for alot more than you seem to.
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Click to collapse
Well, I use my laptop a ridiculous amount, but for actual dedicated Windows apps - not so much. With a keyboard dock, I could even manage to do my homework itself on the tablet thanks to Polaris Office. All I would miss from Windows would be Steam, which is a real shame, but I could still use our family PC as much as I'd want to play Steam games or do the few things not capable on an Android tablet. I am reluctant to replace my laptop with a tablet, but the more I think about it the more it seems to make sense from a convenience point of view as a tablet will be much more comfortable than my current process of using a laptop on the sofa. Thanks for your opinion, anyway. Do you think the Asus Transformer Pad 300 is any good, by the way? Has anyone here perhaps owned or tried one?
EDIT 1
Whilst I am here, I'd like to ask anyone here who has owned, currently owns or used an Asus Transformer Pad 300 (not the Prime or even more expensive Infinity) what they think of the device.
Well I don't have a TF300 but I do have a TF101 and all-in-all, I am extremely happy with it. In fact I use it more than my laptop. However, I do still use my laptop as a repository or sorts for hosting, downloads and some other Android-type things that a tablet just can't do.
There have been some stability issues with the whole line of Transformers in one form or another. But if you are experienced enough to figure out that it is not a hardware problem, then they all can be fixed one way or another.
I had always thought that tablets were nothing more than just large phones but then I used a friend's Xoom and realized that there was much more to them than that. So, I searched and searched and read and read some more about all types of tablets and what would best suit me. I wanted to know about support (XDA type support), Rooting, development as well as manufacturer support, O/S updates and basic compatability with my daily life.
After all that was done, I decided to purchase the TF101 (in Feb of this year) and have been happy with it. Later, I eventually bought a keyboard dock and between that and my usage patterns, it has beyond outstanding battery life (3-5 days with moderate use). There are several apps that emulate Xcel, Word, microsoft family as well as Polaris. Can watch HD YouTube vids just fine too. i had jury duty a few weeks ago and while I was waiting, I watched Netflix for about 3 hours and didn't put a dent in my battery life and it didn't get hot either.
Storage is unbeatable. Tablet comes with 16/32gb (I have 32gb version), External Micro-SD (up to 32gb) and the dock holds up to 32gb full-sized SD. So if you do the math that is 96gb of storage on a tablet.
I know you are thinking about the TF300 but this is my POV from the TF101. I say pull the trigger on it. You already have the laptop so it isn't like you have to choose between getting one or the other.
Woodrube said:
Well I don't have a TF300 but I do have a TF101 and all-in-all, I am extremely happy with it. In fact I use it more than my laptop. However, I do still use my laptop as a repository or sorts for hosting, downloads and some other Android-type things that a tablet just can't do.
There have been some stability issues with the whole line of Transformers in one form or another. But if you are experienced enough to figure out that it is not a hardware problem, then they all can be fixed one way or another.
I had always thought that tablets were nothing more than just large phones but then I used a friend's Xoom and realized that there was much more to them than that. So, I searched and searched and read and read some more about all types of tablets and what would best suit me. I wanted to know about support (XDA type support), Rooting, development as well as manufacturer support, O/S updates and basic compatability with my daily life.
After all that was done, I decided to purchase the TF101 (in Feb of this year) and have been happy with it. Later, I eventually bought a keyboard dock and between that and my usage patterns, it has beyond outstanding battery life (3-5 days with moderate use). There are several apps that emulate Xcel, Word, microsoft family as well as Polaris. Can watch HD YouTube vids just fine too. i had jury duty a few weeks ago and while I was waiting, I watched Netflix for about 3 hours and didn't put a dent in my battery life and it didn't get hot either.
Storage is unbeatable. Tablet comes with 16/32gb (I have 32gb version), External Micro-SD (up to 32gb) and the dock holds up to 32gb full-sized SD. So if you do the math that is 96gb of storage on a tablet.
I know you are thinking about the TF300 but this is my POV from the TF101. I say pull the trigger on it. You already have the laptop so it isn't like you have to choose between getting one or the other.
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Click to collapse
Thanks, and I'm going to be getting rid of my laptop should I get one of these. It is either a new 15" laptop or a new 10" tablet. I've never owned a tablet, just an old HTC Desire which had no storage and my first proper Android phone with some decent specifications is a 5.3" Galaxy Note. Do you find 10" enough to run desktop versions of websites comfortably and use it heavily? Will it be enough of a step up you think from my Note? So, it is actually one or the other.
Bump.
This may be a little off-topic, but if you upgrade and want to sell your laptop. PM me
Sent from my XT862 using Tapatalk 2
I was actually going to give it to a relative, so sorry.
Sent from my GT-N7000
The other issue I face is whether or not I even need a tablet with my 5.3 inch Galaxy Note always arm's reach away.
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Not In My Opinion
I bought myself a HP TouchPad, now i know its not exactly the best lol, but the way i see it, is that if it requires WIFI for internet access then you may aswell just stick with the laptop.
Yes. I have a Note already which is kind of like a 7 inch tab almost anyway. I would rather save the money abd perhaps buy a new PC next year. Problem solved!
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I honestly can't see myself using a tablet over a laptop.
I wouldn't get rid of your laptop honestly.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2
My wife uses a laptop, I used to, but now I use my Acer A200 tablet which I am very happy with. Of course that is when I'm not on my Note which is quite good on its own.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I717 using xda premium
i use tablet in the bed only for the web and notebook on the desktop for all :good:
I think it's going to be a while until a tablet can fully replace a laptop.
A tablet with a dock could nearly replace one for me, but not quite yet.
i know several people who think tablets can replace laptops but for me i'm afraid not
I never thought a tablet could replace a pc but when i got a tablet I virtually do everything i need on it. email, word processing, surf, skype, stream and probably play more games not then before (not any crazy 3d stuff of course). It really depends on the type of user.
nope
I don't think a tablet can replace a laptop..atleast not the ones that are currently out. But i think eventually all Laptops will be tablets..basically the screen just detaches from the keyboard and you can take it to go.
So, feel free to flame, but I was writing something in another thread about tablets and the following came to mind:
Are tablets worth what we pay for them? Or are they just a marketing 're-deploy'? Allow me to expound:
Literally just before tablets careened onto the current computer scene(I know windows failed to promote tablets years back), there existed Netbooks. What it seems to me is that Netbooks are what the Industry thought we would want, A very portable yet still completely functional computer. As if even the small laptops weren't small enough...anyway. What I think happened is these things weren't cool enough. Maybe not powerful enough either, but that point should be moot because modern hardware can support this, as proven by current tablets.
I bought a Netbook and loved it, BUT I don't do a lot of gaming, just some simple web browsing, skyping, some skript kiddie type hacking. Plus for me the ultra small design was essential due to the nature of my work/constant traveling blah blah. This thing played movies, had the latest support of my favorite *nixes and performed pretty well except for battery life(typically a measly 3-4 hours) and of course gaming. Then came tablets; they look cooler, offer touch screen capabilities which sometimes feel as cumbersome as alt-tabbing, and have much much better battery and gaming performance, with the added benefit of blending nicely with the current "app store eco-structure".
Ahh, finally my point!!!:
A trend I see rising with tablets is the ability to add a keyboard and mouse....really? So what, then you have a laptop again? Or just the ability to go from cool-tech-but-not-too-nerdy tablet guy, to an fully functional device, and back again? I don't get it, other than the obvious shift to more clever marketing and selling us yet another device. On top of that I can use a USB 2.0 anything on my netbook, or be stuck with a proprietary connecter as with the Transform or iPad. Why would we choose this other than to look cool or because it's being shoved down our throats? What I see is a device (tablet) that is less fuctional, less productive, and more money compared to the more practical, just as portable netbook. I just miss the support of my Netbook, which I only paid $200 for....
Any thoughts...like maybe I'm a crazy hippy that needs to go live in a commune?
my points why my a500 is better use then a netbook,.
portability - no one can say its not easier to carry a slim tablet with a integrated keyboard
functionality - being able to do such things as stand in the street looking through the tab with the camera and seeing augmented reality deal, offer, new location without having to open startup, login and hold a massive block of hardware to do the same, and also a whole plethora of other uses such as barcode scanning, video making ,etc etc imaging scanning barcodes to find cheaper prices with a netbook,,,.,..one handed possible? probably not
battery life, my tablet can go 2days on a single charge with medium usage, a netbook would last a few hours,
i can do pretty much anything on my a500 i can do on my laptop.
i can access and use my laptop with screen and sound from anywhere else in the world.....from my a500 tablet (phonemypc)
also most usb devices connect to my a500 i think the only thing my lappy has that my tablet doesnt is a dvd drive, but the one in my lappy is dusty as hell as i download all my movies and move them between devices to play in diff' areas anyway. and then again my laptop has no gps. and only a front camera
if my laptop im writting this message with was a tablet it would probably be a crap one lol
no gps,no touchscreen, no back camera, front camera is weak no accelerometer no hdmi port lol etc etc
Major edit:
I see your point and don't want to convolute my thoughts too much. I just think a lot of the things you mentioned could be implemented, if the money was there.
You have pointed out that I have kind of answered my own questions...
Why tablets, because the phone market was so successfull and it allows for a lot of control on the developers end of the OS, so it's easier to implement the apps, market place as apposed to a traditional PC software sales setup.
r0zj0k3r said:
I think that depends on what you want to do. with my netbook, I literally could do everything I could on my computer because they were the same OS!!! That means, compiling software, video/audio editing, skype with group video , a similar app store could be integrated into a netbook style os (see ubuntu store). The industry just doesn't want to push it, and because it was easier to shift from phones to what amount to "really big phones"
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Click to collapse
Do you think that the new windows OS will allow you to switch between a Tablet and your Netbook without loose of functionality?
warus1 said:
Do you think that the new windows OS will allow you to switch between a Tablet and your Netbook without loose of functionality?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think it would be a great way for windows to break away from the pack, but I don't think they want to do that now. They seem to be in the same mode as everyone else, lets follow the market instead of trying really new things.
Hey guys so I'm shopping around for a new and very good computer but I don't know where and with what to start I will give u the basics of what I am loooking for,, I do a lot of music and movies and I need a fast and very cooled down computer so that everything runs well I'm looking for about 8gb of memory and about a terrabyte of memory its for my own use and I am looking for a desktop I already have a nice monitor from Samsung alls I need is a fast good desktop PC that will not run me over 800$,,, please do not mention apple,,, I hate apple and everything that has to do with that lame fruit lol all suggestions accepted guys
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda app-developers app
I built a mid-level gaming PC for ~$550, including monitor.
i5-3450 (processor)
HD 6870 (graphics card)
ASRock B75 Micro ATX motherboard
1Tb 7500 RPM HDD
8Gb DDR3 1600 RAM.
Antec Neo Eco 520W PSU (PSU = power supply)
HAF 912 case, I don't really push the hardware very much haven't needed additional cooling
Some random DVD-RW drive
WIFI usb adapter with antenna
Ubuntu/Win7
(and I got a 20" Gateway 5ms LCD monitor from an Acer outlet and later got a shiny backlit keyboard from Zippy)
This was a budget build, but I'm really happy with the performance. It can certainly play movies and music just fine and I can play games like Guild Wars 2 on highest settings while maintaining 50-60fps.
With a bigger budget I would have probably added an SSD and I would love to do that and get a backup mechanical HDD and set up a RAID.
You'll probably have to go over budget or compromise if you don't build it yourself. It's hard to find pre-built systems with really good specs because they often skimp on things like GPU or stick you with integrated graphics. And you have to be careful when buying from "make for you" places, because they'll often have no problem putting in crappy parts - "ibuypower" and their sister site absolutely loves to stick a crappy PSU in your machine and there are plenty of stories of people's systems getting fried. It also would have cost me $900 to buy my system, less the monitor, from them. So you're paying a LOT more than if you do it yourself - and it's really not that hard - it's like those lame LEGO sets where they just tell you what to do step-by-step.
Are you going to be video editing or just watching ? Do you care about gaming ? Windows or Linux ? Et cetera.
I know it can be confusing at first if you've never built a computer before, but you will be able to get a much better machine and you will have full control over it and be able to make compromises that benefit YOU - not some company's bottom line when it comes to mass-producing and skimping on the quality and hardware.
louy89 said:
Hey guys so I'm shopping around for a new and very good computer but I don't know where and with what to start I will give u the basics of what I am loooking for,, I do a lot of music and movies and I need a fast and very cooled down computer so that everything runs well I'm looking for about 8gb of memory and about a terrabyte of memory its for my own use and I am looking for a desktop I already have a nice monitor from Samsung alls I need is a fast good desktop PC that will not run me over 800$,,, please do not mention apple,,, I hate apple and everything that has to do with that lame fruit lol all suggestions accepted guys
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I recommend you go to the reddit page /r/buildapc
You will most likely get more replies quicker and it is what that sub-reddit specialises in (build recommendations)
PM me for a link as I am prohibited from posting links as I am a new member
for what you are seeking and your max budget.. your best bet would probably be learning how to piece a system together yourself, as "very cooled down" usually will require a gaming or server tower, which off the shelf only alienware comes to mind and they're way over your budget
Go on newegg and look at their barebone DIY combos. You can buy those or get some ideas of parts from them. That's what I did. Also, when making your own computer, always start at the motherboard and make sure the socket types are a correct fit for the rest of your parts(mainly the cpu and ram).
Even just a really basic case for a custom build might be an improvement over am old crappy pre-built PC where they just jammed everything in willy-nilly with cords everywhere.
I just wonder what the OP means by "very cooled down". To me, that would mean some kind of liquid cooling system (definitely DIY for this budget) - but if the OP is not planning to edit or anything that's probably overkill. I mean, if someone's only had pre-built boxes, I doubt their mind is jumping to OC-ing and stuff. Just trying to give the OP ideas of how to tell people better what they are looking for.
Pennycake said:
Even just a really basic case for a custom build might be an improvement over am old crappy pre-built PC where they just jammed everything in willy-nilly with cords everywhere.
I just wonder what the OP means by "very cooled down". To me, that would mean some kind of liquid cooling system (definitely DIY for this budget) - but if the OP is not planning to edit or anything that's probably overkill. I mean, if someone's only had pre-built boxes, I doubt their mind is jumping to OC-ing and stuff. Just trying to give the OP ideas of how to tell people better what they are looking for.
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Click to collapse
I highly doubt OP will need liquid cooling, especially if he's/she's just starting to learn to put PCs together.
Pennycake said:
Even just a really basic case for a custom build might be an improvement over am old crappy pre-built PC where they just jammed everything in willy-nilly with cords everywhere.
I just wonder what the OP means by "very cooled down". To me, that would mean some kind of liquid cooling system (definitely DIY for this budget) - but if the OP is not planning to edit or anything that's probably overkill. I mean, if someone's only had pre-built boxes, I doubt their mind is jumping to OC-ing and stuff. Just trying to give the OP ideas of how to tell people better what they are looking for.
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Click to collapse
That was my train of thought, as if the OP is looking for a computer which would basically retail over $1,500 so DIY would be the only way to go
OK those are very good options And yes I will b using a lot of movie viewing and downloading torrents as well as music mixing because I Anna DJ solo sum thing that is fast processing I like to go to tiger direct.com anyone familiar with that?? If possible a simple list of things to start with would help along guys thanks alot
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda app-developers app
louy89 said:
OK those are very good options And yes I will b using a lot of movie viewing and downloading torrents as well as music mixing because I Anna DJ solo sum thing that is fast processing I like to go to tiger direct.com anyone familiar with that?? If possible a simple list of things to start with would help along guys thanks alot
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda app-developers app
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Look at motherboards, cpu, graphics cards, and ram.
eyau1992 said:
I highly doubt OP will need liquid cooling, especially if he's/she's just starting to learn to put PCs together.
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I would agree that they probably don't need it, but I was calling for clarification from the OP since things like "super cooled" are pretty relative.
louy89 said:
OK those are very good options And yes I will b using a lot of movie viewing and downloading torrents as well as music mixing because I Anna DJ solo sum thing that is fast processing I like to go to tiger direct.com anyone familiar with that?? If possible a simple list of things to start with would help along guys thanks alot
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I don't really know what you'd want for music mixing, but I know my mom edits music on a pretty low-spec laptop with no issue (it's part of her job).
What do you have now ? Whether you post here or elsewhere, it will help people to know what you're working with - your current specs and what programs you use.
I'd look at the requirements of the programs you use and what they recommend. I would recommend you look at benchmarks against different processors, et cetera - to see what's best for YOUR needs. I'm not an Intel fanboy, but I went with the i5 because it did the best for games in my budget. Find what's best for what YOU want to do.
For just watching videos, you don't really need anything fancy - and the GPU is a big part of the budget. I've watched and streamed HD video on my old laptop with integrated AMD, on a tablet, on my phone, et cetera. Granted, it's a nice phone - but still. You don't need anything super-fancy.
Torrenting is going to depend more on your internet connection than anything.
I don't know about Tiger Direct - they never had the best deals that I could find for what I wanted to buy, so I never bought from them. I would recommend NOT buying from one place if you plan on building it yourself. Find what you need and then see who offers the best deal.
Also, I'll just say that I cannot stress enough how important it is to have a good PSU - and one that is able to support what you're plugging into it. Please read up on this if you do build your own and do not get a cheap one unless you want to take a chance of failure - which can result in the whole system frying to sending electricity through anything the PC touches, to causing a fire.
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First, it takes a lot of effort on your part to put together a box component by component. Someone already mentioned connector compatibility, and it just snowballs from there.
Second, you cannot build your own "performance" machine cheaper than buying a comparable pre-built. Individual shipping & handling, etc. all adds up. I always build my own workstation piece by piece, and I always spend more (sometimes way more) than the boxes that I buy pre-built for other uses.
Others have mentioned TigerDirect and NewEgg. I have used both sources for many years, and I highly recommend searching both for their current deals. Don't limit yourself to their "bare bones" packages. Who cares if it comes with a crappy keyboard and mouse (just throw them onto a shelf for emergencies). Both sites offer tools to narrow your search by price range and specs.
By the way, I just bought a Dell from NewEgg with an I5 processor (running 3.something GHz), 8GB memory, 1TB hard drive storage, and 64-bit Win7 Pro for $650. It's for an office environment, and for that it is smokin' fast! It would be more than satisfactory for watching movies and listening to music.
This was my first computer I've built from pieces, but it genuinely surprised me how easy it was. The motherboard's manual explained most everything, and installing Win7 from a flash drive was incredibly fast.
The only part I found to be a little tricky was the motherboard header - and I just took my time on that and read everything twice.
The research for buying parts took a bit of time, but it all starts to come together once you understand the hardware nomenclature and stop being overwhelmed by "all those numbers".
For $550 (which was including shipping on the individual pieces) , I couldn't find what I wanted pre-built, but there were some "scratch and dent" type sales for similar prices (but that was less shipping) - which might be a good place to look for whole systems.
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Pennycake said:
This was my first computer I've built from pieces
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Congratulations -- be warned though, having a system with every little piece exactly the way you want it can spoil you on ever buying a pre-built box for yourself again.
Pennycake said:
The research for buying parts took a bit of time
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Exactly! That's what I was trying to say when I said that it takes a lot of effort. If you had to pay yourself for your time then this would be the most expensive machine you ever bought; but, if you really enjoyed the hunt then it is worth the satisfaction.
I have always built my own pcs, but for family, sometimes they need a computer asap. Doing research on store bought computers is difficult sometimes. They don't always list the exact specs on the box or details online. They all usually have decent ram and cpu as well has a hdd. The main problem has always been the graphics. Normally they are the integrated kind, but some have a discrete card. It's hare to pass up some of the holiday deals locally though.
I've always built my own computers as well. If you're particular about the components that go into your machine, or if you don't want to be forced into upgrades you don't want I think it's the only way to go. Like if you want more ram and they want to package that with a larger hard drive that you may not want for example. One of the biggest benefits for me is having the ability to upgrade or replace individual components down the road.
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Ever since ~September of 2012 when Windows 8 was released and I tried it for the first time, I have been giving this idea a lot of thought. Mobile devices are becoming so powerful and more and more people are ditching their computer for an iPad / other tabet, which is almost equally as powerful as their old computer. Take the newly announced Tegra 4 APU. It has 72 freaking graphics cores!!!!! I run a laptop with a Geforce 555M that has 96 cuda cores, and I use that for intensive gaming. That is insane! What would ANYONE need 72 graphics cores on a mobile device for? The most graphically intensive android game I can think of off the top of my head is NOVA 3, and honestly, does that need a quad core processor, 72 graphics cores, and (probably becoming standard). 2GB of ram? NO! So why do companies pack those rediculous specs into a phone/tablet for? Does anyone else remember the days of a 1GHz single core Athlon processor on a desktop, and that was considered the best? Now dont get me wrong, I'm not saying we should throttle mobile devices just for the sake of throttling them, but I am trying to get my point across that there is no reason for those kinds of specs to be packed into a device that was originally intended to make calls.
I'm not ranting/raving or anything. Sorry if it comes across that way. I'm just curious to see if anyone is still out there that isn't converting to an average consumer who just cares how many gpu/cpu cores and how much ram they can get into a 4" cell phone.
My dad was never big into computers. Now that he has a smartphone, he says he hardly ever uses his desktop. So, for a lot of people, I think that their mobile devices can perform and replace the functions of a "for pleasure" desktop. Obviously, this is not going to cut it for the kind of gamer who cares about overclocking and liquid cooling - there's just more freedom with a custom desktop build, but I'm sure they'll appreciate mobile gaming, too - I know I do.
A phone might be a little small for web-browsing, but not everyone is big into that. Apps for e-mail, Facebook, eBay - those cover a lot of "normal" use.
And a 10" tablet is a good size to enjoy full web-browsing. For me, personally, it's not entirely the same, but it's close enough for most of my uses. I still prefer the desktop for some things, but I can do them without much trouble on the tablet, too. For me, a tablet with keyboard has taken the place of a laptop - I still like having a desktop for movies, games, and backup - but a tablet covers all the things I needed a laptop for. I think a lot of people can find that is true, who don't use their laptops for much "heavy lifting" - they'll find that a tablet is smaller, lighter, and does a lot of things very well.
With the lowering price of tablets, I do think that they will be able to take a good part of the consumer market that will find they don't need a laptop or even desktop (and we know that desktops have already been on the way out for the average consumer).
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The GTX 680M (Nvidia Kepler card for laptops) is running on 1184 or so CUDA-cores.
The high end desktop Keplers I can't recall, but it's safe to say that the less than hundred cores in the Tegra 4 SoC really only tells you one thing:
Mobile units just cannot -at least for a very long time- replace stationary electronics.
I don't remember the clock speed of the Tegra cores, but the Kepler cards run at over 1GHz.
When materials allow power supply, battery lifetime and passive cooling comparable to what is available to a stationary unit, then mobile units will replace them.
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I think that there will always be a need for desktop computers, at least in the foreseeable future. Mobile devices are good and quite convenient for media consumption, but try doing any kind of serious work on one. Electronics will continue to become more and more miniaturized, and it's possible that one day desktops will simply be a thing of the past, but we still have a long way to go.
(Here's hoping that we see holography in our lifetimes!)
Holography already exists, and not just the fake kind, Google it
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Extrinsic said:
I think that there will always be a need for desktop computers, at least in the foreseeable future. Mobile devices are good and quite convenient for media consumption, but try doing any kind of serious work on one. Electronics will continue to become more and more miniaturized, and it's possible that one day desktops will simply be a thing of the past, but we still have a long way to go.
(Here's hoping that we see holography in our lifetimes!)
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I think it depends on the consumer. Most consumers are ditching desktops for laptops. The laptops in some cases function just like a desktop would, almost always at home and plugged in - but people are staying away from machines that aren't portable more than ever.
Desktops are certainly still needed for heavy lifting - gaming and many work applications. But for a person who's not in a tech field, a laptop can do all the word-processing one could need as well as email and simple company applications. People who use computers as an accessory tool, not a primary one, don't need a desktop since a laptop can provide the same power they'd have gotten in a bigger, immobile box. And this way they can work from the couch or kitchen table.
Tablets aren't going to take over things like word-processing, although I can see farther in the future the modular concept expanded upon (I use my ASUD Transformer for word-processing quite often).
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