Related
Does anyone still use an OQO Model 2? If so, how would you rate the performance in comparison to say, a Galaxy Tab 10.1? By performance, I mean, browser performance, things like netflix, etc. I am very intrigued by the OQO and I am thinking about losing the tablets and going to a Model 02.
I have had an OQO 02 for a few years, and cannot fathom the thought of parting with it. These days I only use it as a "bedside" computer with 15" TV/Monitor, Full sized keyboard and mouse, using the OQO dock w/dvd r/cdr rw. I have in the past used it as my primary computer w/a triple monitor setup and a host of other "proof of concept" projects including using it as a mobile voip platform.
A few things to consider:
It would NOT be a good substitute for a tablet. Screen is too small. But can you put that tablet in your pocket?
The screen is not capacitive ie: "touch". It is proprietary Wacom - needs a Wacom pen to use for screen input.
If you decide to get one, only get the 1.5 ghz model, the 1.6 ghz model has, well, bad motherboards.
It has a noisy fan.
It has an underwhelming VIA CPU with only 1 meg RAM - I call it the "chugger" as in the "The little engine that could".
On the brighter side, Windows 7 works best with it and it should work even better with 8! I have only used Win8 Preview on it and it works fine - but I couldn't do an "upgrade" (loading previous drivers from existing Win7) because it says not enough memory, <1 meg. A full, fresh, install worked fine. I will wait for Win 8 RC0 to arrive before I commit.
The machine is very durable - I am hard on my equipment and the OQO has fared very well through my abuse.
Batteries are hard to find, although available with search - at the moment I am having two batteries recondtioned/fixed locally. They are available on ebay (used), also.
Finally, the OQO is a niche product. You have to want the very small form factor with full Windows OS (or Linux/Mac) to appreciate it.
See OQOTalk and OQOasis for the best information.
Hope this helps!
oqoman
Hi OQOman,
Thanks for replying! You have really given me a lot to think about. Of you wouldn't mind, could you tell me, is $300 a fair price for a model two with the specs you described? I have found several on eBay, but it seems most don't actually have the Wacom digitizer. I really want to try to load an older version of illustrator (maybe CS or cs3). Any thoughts?
Thanks
Kim
$300 seems to be a fair price. Be sure to get the pen. It's a $30 (when new) accessory.
I would look at Oqotalk and Oqoasis forums for the oqo 02 and accessories. Those two forums are the "Bible" for OQO. I wouldn't buy anything until I had read those boards.
Adobe should run on it. Remember it is only 1 meg RAM - but owners have used it.
All OQO 02 have the Wacom (inductive) screens.
OQOman
That Wacom pen, is it special to the oqo or can I buy another one that is Wacom but not specifically labeled for oqo?
All Wacom "penabled" pens work.
I've had both a 02, and 01+, and I have to say, I love them. If you do get one, I'd recommend doing a little modification, and throw an SSD in. The 02 requires a zif ssd, and the 01+ requires a 50pin IDE 5mm ssd, but as oqoman said, oqotalk and oqoasis seem to be the best places online to get infos. Oqoasis moreso, since oqotalk seems to have slowed down a bit.
Where are you having your batteries reconditioned?
oqoman said:
Batteries are hard to find, although available with search - at the moment I am having two batteries recondtioned/fixed locally. They are available on ebay (used), also.
oqoman
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi just ran into your post and wondering where you're having your batteries reconditioned or fixed? Will a Batteries+ type of shop work on these? Appreciate any insight you can provide to steer me in the right direction. Thanks!
OQO-2 resurrection
Hi, a few months ago I 'inherited' an OQO-2 along with a CD/DVD 'dock' and power-supply. It came without any manuals. The battery was about to explode, so I removed it and soldered the leads in the empty battery-housing to allow the power-adapter to run the computer. It's been up and running for a few months with an Ubuntu LinUx installed by the previous owner. Unfortunately it seems that I cannot set the screen resolution properly(it only allows for 640x480) and so I am never able to see the lower- and right-third of my screen. This makes it hard to do much of anything!
I've connected an external monitor to the dock, but I cannot get the computer to switch to it. Is there a specific keystroke-sequence required to switch to the external?
I've also attempted to install Windows 7 via CD/DVD. When I power-on the computer it'll access the CD/DVD, but it always returns to loading Ubuntu without allowing me to install Windows. Do I need to set the CD/DVD to 'boot' or to 'first-boot' in BIOS? If so, how do I access BIOS?
Rick Baran
USN, ret.
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.
Click to expand...
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.
Click to expand...
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.
Sent from my GT-N7000
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!
Sent from my GT-N7000
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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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.
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
Click to expand...
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
Click to expand...
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!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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!
I am a graphic artist who has been using a Wacom tablet for the last 20 years. I can't STAND using my computer any other way (at least for real work). The touchpad is okay for general surfing and it's great in conjunction with the tablet but for my real work, there's no other way of doing it. For my full blown work I use a Mac but for all my portable devices, I like Android. All my smartphones have been Android but I've not gotten a tablet yet because I really haven't seen one that works for what I would really want a tablet for, which is being able to do my job on the go effectively. Sure the Galaxy Note tablets are a good step in that direction but from all the stuff I've seen it's not really a "pro" level device.
In an ideal world (speaking as a designer) Apple would create a Macbook tablet with a wacom digitizer but I really doubt that will EVER happen. A tablet running a full blown OS X, not an iPad. They even have a patent for a tablet that docks into an "iMac" style housing and becomes a full system and then slides out to be a fully functional, stand alone tablet system but they've never done anything with it. THAT would be MY holy grail. BUT, until they do, I guess the best option is the Cintiq Companion Hybrid. I LOATHE WINDOWS so going to the regular companion isn't an option, that leaves the Hybrid.
When I saw the announcement of the Wacom Cintiq Companion Hybrid, I really like the concept but I'm wondering how good it really is. The cost SEEMS outrageous but when you look at it as a fully functional Cintiq to use WITH my Mac and then it pulls off to be a self contained portable studio, then it is a LITTLE more reasonable. I've seen reviews of it as a Cintiq and everything I've seen says it's a great tablet for use with a Mac and the other parts of the reviews say the portable software that comes with it is good and the other high-end portable software seems to be a good analog to what it would be transferred to on the Mac. That leaves the last question, how good is it as a stand-alone tablet?
That's what I'm wondering now, if I intend on investing the kind of money they are asking, I want to know if the rest of the Android Tablet part of it is really good as well. It comes with 4.2.2 but none of the reviewers have detailed anything about the day to day use of it. Most are completely unfamiliar with the Android OS anyway. They are mostly Apple-heads and only use iPhones and iPads when not using their Macs. I'm wondering when we will see ANDROID reviewers review it. I know it's a very odd category but I don't want to get a GREAT expensive Wacom tablet that is abismal as an Android tablet as well. Has anyone around here gotten thier hands on one? If so, what do you think?
powerplaygraphix said:
I am a graphic artist who has been using a Wacom tablet for the last 20 years. I can't STAND using my computer any other way (at least for real work). The touchpad is okay for general surfing and it's great in conjunction with the tablet but for my real work, there's no other way of doing it. For my full blown work I use a Mac but for all my portable devices, I like Android. All my smartphones have been Android but I've not gotten a tablet yet because I really haven't seen one that works for what I would really want a tablet for, which is being able to do my job on the go effectively. Sure the Galaxy Note tablets are a good step in that direction but from all the stuff I've seen it's not really a "pro" level device.
In an ideal world (speaking as a designer) Apple would create a Macbook tablet with a wacom digitizer but I really doubt that will EVER happen. A tablet running a full blown OS X, not an iPad. They even have a patent for a tablet that docks into an "iMac" style housing and becomes a full system and then slides out to be a fully functional, stand alone tablet system but they've never done anything with it. THAT would be MY holy grail. BUT, until they do, I guess the best option is the Cintiq Companion Hybrid. I LOATHE WINDOWS so going to the regular companion isn't an option, that leaves the Hybrid.
When I saw the announcement of the Wacom Cintiq Companion Hybrid, I really like the concept but I'm wondering how good it really is. The cost SEEMS outrageous but when you look at it as a fully functional Cintiq to use WITH my Mac and then it pulls off to be a self contained portable studio, then it is a LITTLE more reasonable. I've seen reviews of it as a Cintiq and everything I've seen says it's a great tablet for use with a Mac and the other parts of the reviews say the portable software that comes with it is good and the other high-end portable software seems to be a good analog to what it would be transferred to on the Mac. That leaves the last question, how good is it as a stand-alone tablet?
That's what I'm wondering now, if I intend on investing the kind of money they are asking, I want to know if the rest of the Android Tablet part of it is really good as well. It comes with 4.2.2 but none of the reviewers have detailed anything about the day to day use of it. Most are completely unfamiliar with the Android OS anyway. They are mostly Apple-heads and only use iPhones and iPads when not using their Macs. I'm wondering when we will see ANDROID reviewers review it. I know it's a very odd category but I don't want to get a GREAT expensive Wacom tablet that is abismal as an Android tablet as well. Has anyone around here gotten thier hands on one? If so, what do you think?
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Hey, I know this is a 3 month old thread, but maybe someone will find it useful.
I've been using the Cintiq Companion Hybrid for almost 2 months now, and almost exclusively.
First of all, the quality of the tablet is extremely high. It's exactly what one would expect from a Wacom product. There are unboxing and hands-on videos on YouTube showcasing how much thought has gone into this model.
This is the first time I've used a Wacom tablet, and when compared to UC-Logic or N-trig, this is much superior. Obviously, I fell in love with this tablet as soon as I opened the box and kept on getting more and more impressed as I was using it.
As for the Android part, it's pretty basic, except with the addition of some Wacom drawing programs. However, Sketchbook Pro is still the best choice when it comes to drawing on Android, and the matte surface of the tablet makes this the ideal combination. Wacom's Infinite Canvas is a great choice for vector drawing, and currently the only choice for me.
Now, the OS has shown a few bugs. Sometimes it will lag and revert back to its original background. Yesterday I connected it to a PC (Windows), and at some point it malfunctioned, started lagging, and then, after rebooting, I had lost some files from the internal storage as well as my external SD. Managed to get most of the files back from the external SD, but not from the internal storage, since I can't root, and therefore can't use any Android-based recovery programs. I don't know if this is specific to me or if it's a bug on all models.
Also, when connecting SD cards or USB drives (using the standard USB port -- no micro-USB or OTG, thankfully), navigating to them is somewhat unorthodox in that I have to go to the mount folder and guess where it's loaded.
The processors are pretty fast, and there's no lagging when playing graphic intensive games. Browsing the internet is much more enjoyable than Android 3.1 and before (I still haven't gotten used of the single mouse click, but Mac users won't have a problem). 1080p movies play fine, and when using HDMI-out, everything is smooth. I don't recommend watching a film in bed, as the Hybrid is too heavy to have on your chest when you're about to sleep (also stands for Kindle or comic book reading). Response is great when using the pen, as well when using the tablet.
I haven't been using the hardware keys much, but I find more use for them when in Cintiq mode.
As a Cintiq, things are butter smooth, except for some occasions when I have to disconnect and reconnect the tablet when I first connect it to the PC to get the pen functioning properly (this only happens once, if at all, and only when I first connect the tablet to the PC as a Cintiq). Files can be transferred to the PC instantly, and work is much easier.
I've also used a MIDI controller to play music on the Companion, and the only bug I've found is it locks when disconnecting, but that may very well be a bug of the software I'm using.
Skype, torrents and emulators are all fine. But I doubt any tablets show problems with those.
Typing on the Hybrid with its bigger touch-keys is great (Hacker's Keyboard is a great alternative), and closer to keyboard typing than other tablets.
The tablet's battery life is slightly less than 12 hours of constant use on high performance. I don't have WiFi enabled all the time, since up until recently I had another tablet for that. I'm kind of stingy when it comes to its battery since I love the fact that I can work on it anywhere and on-the-go. Since it's so portable, I like being able to use it wherever and whenever I'm awake, so I try to avoid spending the battery on things I can do without.
Now for the stinkers:
I absolutely hate the lens of its 8mp camera. It's horrible. Lighting is bad, definition is bad, colours are bad. You can use it to get reference material for drawing sketching, but that's about it. You won't be using it for anything else but reference drawing sketching material.
The microphone is not great either. Fuzzy and unclear. Purely only for voice notes. Skype calls are ok-ish. But that's about it.
Lastly, the speaker is terrible. Its volume is too low, badly placed and not clear enough. It's a terrible speaker.
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Overall, I am in love with this tablet. My PC recently broke down, so I've been borrowing a laptop when I have to use the Cintiq side (not often yet, mainly due to the lack of a "full-time" PC), but for everything else, I've been using the Companion's Android side.
I am quite sure I covered everything. I will update accordingly.
Thanks for the rundown on it. Sounds pretty much like what I keep hearing. The Wacom Cintiq aspect of it is incredible (I've been using Wacom for over 20 years so that's no surprise) but "your mileage may vary" on the Android part depending on what you specifically hope to accomplish. Biggest chance in it is whether or not Wacom will maintain the Android side of it or let it die on the vine and essentially revert to being just a battery powered 13HD within a couple of years. I haven't heard Wacom commit either way.
As for build quality, I'm not surprised. Wacom KNOWS how to build equipment well. I really didn't expect the camera to be much. I don't ever really consider the quality of the camera being that big a deal on tablets. Although, for $1300-$1600, you'd think they'd put a decent lens in there. They keep marketing it as a Cintiq that happens to run Android rather than an Android tablet.
As for the "single click" thing, you can always program the button (top half or bottom half) to have a "right click" functionality to give you that capability. That's the way I have it on the different Wacom tablets I have.
powerplaygraphix said:
As for the "single click" thing, you can always program the button (top half or bottom half) to have a "right click" functionality to give you that capability. That's the way I have it on the different Wacom tablets I have.
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Sorry for not making it clear. I was referring to an actual USB mouse connected to the tablet. I sometimes connect a mouse when I prop it up like a notebook. Old habits die hard.
Cintiq dead before its started Will die soon
Ok so I too have got the cintiq companion hybrid which runs on a pitiful 4.2.1 now I know I know at £1500 what did I expect errrmmm K I T K A T would have been nice Wacom, well with the announcement that Android will no longer support 4.2 soon the tablet will become a slate which is why Wacom was so desperate to throw them out there before this was announced.
They even started sending them out for free for 40 days trial if you dont like send back again before the notice of Android version being obsolete.
I have been on XDA Developers since well my first XDA and like many i would imagine get your new unit and immediately come on here for the updated rom etc. Wacom we are on our own any Guru on here wouldnt dare buy this piece of crap save 800 and get the 13hd want a great tablet get the Note 4 10.1
Sorry RANT over but I hope those with the Wacom share my concern a lot of money for a unit that to be fair had we know it would be stuck on 10.1 would have ordered a 15" wacom pen enabled tablet from China instead which are also stuck on 4.2 but for a fraction of the price and bigger.
Notontherugman said:
Sorry for not making it clear. I was referring to an actual USB mouse connected to the tablet. I sometimes connect a mouse when I prop it up like a notebook. Old habits die hard.
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XP-Pen Artist 15.6 Pro Drawing tablet With Screen
Wacom Cintiq Companion is a self-contained Windows computer with the full Wacom graphics tablet features already built in, which can also be used as a 'dumb' graphics tablet when connected to a Mac or PC.
Essentially, you can use this to draw, sketch and paint at your desk hooked up to your main computer, and draw, sketch and paint directly on it while sitting on the sofa or outside.
this Cintiq Companion 2 can be used at a desk as a graphics tablet for your regular computer, but because it also runs Windows, you can use full, familiar versions of Painter, Photoshop and so on when away from your workstation.
The nearest thing it has to a rival is the Microsoft Surface tablet, but this has neither Wacom's heritage nor chops when it comes to rich drawing tools. The iPad Pro is an excellent tablet but cannot be called a competitor here due to its mobile operating system.
It's a solid investment for digital illustrators who want flexibility. However, if you don't need to use it away from your desk, you could save money and purchase the XP-pen Artist 15.6 Pro , or benefit from a bigger drawing area with the slightly more expensive Artist 22E Pro .
I currently use a XP-Pen Artist 15.6 Pro Drawing tablet With Screen ( xp-pen.com/goods/show/id/394.html ) . It is a cintiq downgrade, but only because it does not have the muti-touch like the cintiq does. it support pen tilt function , 8192 pen pressure levels , battery-free and wireless stylus . 88% NTSC Color gamut , 1920x1080 resolution , 15.6 inch IPS Screen , it has no parallax , no lag .
Overall its an amazing tablet and I do suggest it! It works amazing for me, and personally, I improved a lot while using it.
The only problems, however, is that it always has to be plugged into a PC , Though it is lightweight and works great, the graphics are nice, and its only $439 .