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Windows tablets

Would you guys recommend that one buys the Asus transformer 300 as opposed to waiting for windows 8 tablets and buying one of them? If so, why?
Thanks
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KindaUndisputed said:
Would you guys recommend that one buys the Asus transformer 300 as opposed to waiting for windows 8 tablets and buying one of them? If so, why?
Thanks
Sent from my R800i using XDA
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That's a tough call. I was thinking the same thing. Finally I bought the TF300 reasoning that:
1) Win RT tablets are still months away
2) Even when the first ones are released, it may well be a few more months before a manufacturer releases one I really like
3) Even then, it will be a few more months before there's a critical mass of decent applications for the platform.
So all in all I'm guessing 18 months to two years before Windows 8 tablets are truly attractive propositions, and by that time I'll probably be itching to update anyway, so I'll be able to re-consider the direction I want to go in at the time.

dsf3g said:
That's a tough call. I was thinking the same thing. Finally I bought the TF300 reasoning that:
1) Win RT tablets are still months away
2) Even when the first ones are released, it may well be a few more months before a manufacturer releases one I really like
3) Even then, it will be a few more months before there's a critical mass of decent applications for the platform.
So all in all I'm guessing 18 months to two years before Windows 8 tablets are truly attractive propositions, and by that time I'll probably be itching to update anyway, so I'll be able to re-consider the direction I want to go in at the time.
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What is it about windows that is so attractive though? As in, what can you do on a windows tablet that you can't on Android?
2. What do you think, the Dell inspiron duo or this?
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I had the same question a week ago.
My girlfriend needed a "portable office" and the question was: Notebook or Notebook.
But then I told her there is a tablet with keyboard dock and listed some advantages, because she already have a Samsung Galaxy Ace.
And that it is possible to connect external volumes like USB sticks or drives.
Now she uses the TF300T about a week and is still satisfied.
All she has to do is to write some things in Word and a little bit Powerpoint. All this is done very well with OfficeSuite Pro.
Additionally she has to transfer some pictures, e-mails and surfing the net.
No need for Windows.
Now she can sync her calendar very very easy, has her contacts everywhere and can manage them easily, and can use the same payed apps as she bought for her Galaxy Ace.
My job is done.
You should just think about what you do most.
If you want to play some games which are windows only, okay. But you don't have already a PC at home?
Do you have special applications which are windows only?
Android is much smoother than windows. It's faster because it's not overloaded with things normal humans wouldn't need.
Additionally no idea about the battery lifetime. Notebooks have much less and I assume, Windows 8 tablets won't work as long as an Android tablet.

Thanks for the reply!
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KindaUndisputed said:
What is it about windows that is so attractive though? As in, what can you do on a windows tablet that you can't on Android?
2. What do you think, the Dell inspiron duo or this?
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At this point, nothing, because there aren't any Windows RT tablets to compare to. So it's all speculative, on my part.
However, I would expect to find a very robst and well implemented web brower and a robust and well implemented Office suite as well as good Windows networking and printing.
The emergence of Chrome on Android makes the first point much less of an issue. I've been using Chrome on the TF300 and really, really like it. Heck, I've also found that Opera on my TF300 behaves much better than it does on my HTC Flyer.
But I'm still waiting for a decent Office suite. There are some OK ones out there, getting better by the day. I do like Office Suite Professional. But some pretty important features are missing (for insatnce, the ability to create multi-columned documents).

The big appeal of Windows 8 being on tablets is compatibility. There will be Metro Apps and regular Windows 8 apps. Metro Apps are gonna be for mobile devices like your tablet and your home PC.
With Windows 8 your old x86 PC applications won't run on your tablet, but your new Metro apps should be compatible with your PC and tablet. So if I'm playing a game on my tablet, I go home, I can sync up and continue playing on my PC. That's a very cool options to have. I'm using an app to work on a project on my tablet, I can jump right into the same application, with the same interface, and continue at my desk.
It's one step closer to blurring the line between a home PC and mobile devices.

Surface

Hi I want to buy a tablet. Surface looks awesome , but i don't know if windows 8 is better than tablet with android .
What do you think?

Moravi said:
Hi I want to buy a tablet. Surface looks awesome , but i don't know if windows 8 is better than tablet with android .
What do you think?
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Anything's better than an Android tablet. They are just oversized phones. However, W8 is optimized for tablets, so it'll be insane. The answer becomes easy now: go Surface
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I have a Nexus 7 which is great, but I use it mainly for reading. I'd like a bigger tablet for work and the Surface looks ideal especially as it'll have MS Office. Even a 16GB Wi-fi only model would be so useful combined with cloud storage.

Surface RT + Samsung Galaxy S3 + Kies= Awesome!

If you have these devices its awesome. I like to download torrents on Android while I await a torrent app for our surface. Then I can connect Surface to S3 using Kies and having Surface tethered to S3 using hotspot allows me to stream or download all my content along with access all my phone info. Love it. So far love my Surface. Ordered it on 23rd here in Michigan and received it this morning. 32GB with black touch cover.
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Kies is a x86 app . And not compatible with windows RT . Unless Samsung make the app on windows store and is compatible with RT.

He is not talking about the x86 app that is available for windows, instead using the Kies app on the device which broadcasts an IP address that you can connect to within IE.
I have a SGN and a Surface, I will try this tonight

Oo . Sry my bad :/
---------- Post added at 04:13 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:12 PM ----------
tvrtim said:
He is not talking about the x86 app that is available for windows, instead using the Kies app on the device which broadcasts an IP address that you can connect to within IE.
I have a SGN and a Surface, I will try this tonight
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R u saying its like internet tethering??

You have to either be tethered to your phone using the mobile hotspot or on the same Wi-Fi network. Then open the kies app on phone and hit start. it will then give you an IP address to type in your surface browser and boom!
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:/ sounds complicated .

tayfelix said:
:/ sounds complicated .
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As complicated as punching in a phone number.

If you can navigate a Windows 8 OS then what I' am mentioning is very simple.
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Try airdroid. Better and faster than kies Air.
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gitanshu said:
Try airdroid. Better and faster than kies Air.
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You've obviously never used Windows RT. While it may not have as many apps as Android, yet, the UI is much faster and smoother. I am not sure about the Surface, but the Asus Vivo Tab RT is awesome & I have some pretty great Android devices and have enjoyed the Android experience very much. That said, my RT tab lasts 3 times longer than any Android device including the Nexus 7, has a great screen & is very responsive. I have not had to reset the device at all, not once, in more than two weeks & it holds it's charge for days on end.
Sure, it is missing some cool apps, but a lot of that is because we have all gotten used to apps from Android & iOS. With the full browser experience & integration of social networking into the native "People" app, many of the Apps you "NEED" for iOS & Android are unnecessary.
I can almost guarantee that when Windows tabs have been out as long as Android has been, it will be much more capable than Android was at the same elapsed time since release. Everyone said Android wouldn't make it, "it didn't have as many apps as iPhone" & look where it is. RT started out of the box way ahead of what Android did in terms of function & stability. Again, I am referencing the Asus Vivo, which has LED flash, NFC & GPS capability. The surface is nice, but after my Nexus 7 experience & with the additional features, I had to stick with Asus.
Without apps, I will say that at this point, Android in general is better for entertainment. But neither Android or iOS comes even close to the RT tabs for those of us that work on the road in conjunction with teams that include sales, support & engineering professionals. Full PowerPoint function that includes viewing notes while in presentation mode is priceless. Add that to the "mirror", "extend" & "individual" monitor choices that mirror a laptop & those are just two small features out of many that make it a clear winner for road warriors.

your sliding scale of timeframe comparisons won't work.
4 years starting at x date vs 4 years LATER starting at y date means anyone with a billion dollar software company can reproduce fedatures. see, apple - notifications, android - full office suites, microsoft rt - uhhhh something in 4 years.
I hear microsoft is announcing plan B already, incase surface tanks: office (for sale) for android and ios. problem is (again) its too little, too late. people already have office suites that work just fine , without subscriptions, without fees, without changes that make yesterdays word document incompatible.

Just wanted to put this out there.
Airdroid =\= Android.
Airdrops is an app that let's you transfer files wirelessly. Not an os.

I tried to do this with my sg3..i just get a blank white page on the surface.
EDIT
Nevermind....I forgot that I had to accept the connection from my phone.

Need Advice, please.

I have 500 bucks to spend and am hesitating between getting either the Surface or a nexus 7 + a chromebook. For those who have had some experience with those devices, what do you think would be a better way to go? I am honestly hesitating between the two choices.
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The Chromebook really doesn't enthuse me...I don't completely think that its existence is justified yet. It depends how you consider the convenience of two devices vs one.
What are you planning on doing? Will you type a lot? Integrate the products into an existing Windows 8/Android phone ecosystem? Watch movies and videos? Games? Travel with it, or are they devices for home? Will you carry a Nexus 7 around alongside your Chromebook?
Personally, I'd look at the range of Atom-based Windows 8 Pro hybrid tablets. They get better battery and performance than the Surface RT, and have access to all Windows applications of the past. There's heaps from every OEM, and I don't know your exact price-point, so I can't really make a recommendation.

I don't agree re: the Atom systems providing better performance and battery than the surface. I've used an Atom Windows machine and it was a dog and the battery life was comparable to a PC.
I do agree regarding understanding just what you are going to use it for.
Are you a student? An office worker?
Are you watching movies? Playing games? Just browsing the web?
Are you going to need any Office document editing?
The Nexus is going to give you the best app ecosystem and access to Google Play books, movies, and music. The Chromebook is basically just an android tablet in a laptop form factor (with some limitations).
The Surface is more of a PC with some restrictions but doesn't benefit from the Google Play Store. It does have access to the XBox ecosystem but it is not as extensive as Google offerings (yet?).
I have Android tablets and an iPad and in the week I've had the Surface I have found the Surface to have more utility than any other tablet I've owned, but I look at things from a work standpoint. I don't play games or use "apps" on a tablet. I need them on my phone (which is why I have an Android phone).

Thanks for your input. I had the transformer prime but returned it because of a screen that went really bad. I am planning to go to school and was wondering which device (surface or chromebook) would help more on the go (I have a 17" Toshiba at home). I don't play much on my tablet but I like to watch movies on Netflix and videos online and browse the web. I am leaning toward the surface, I guess I am looking for assurance that I won't be disappointed.
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Wendemixda said:
Thanks for your input. I had the transformer prime but returned it because of a screen that went really bad. I am planning to go to school and was wondering which device (surface or chromebook) would help more on the go (I have a 17" Toshiba at home). I don't play much on my tablet but I like to watch movies on Netflix and videos online and browse the web. I am leaning toward the surface, I guess I am looking for assurance that I won't be disappointed.
Sent from my ADR6425LVW using Tapatalk 2
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That's an impossible assurance, but if this is for school, I think Surface is the way to go. They have a no-restock 14 day return policy. Worst case scenario, you can buy it, use it, and if you don't like it, return it.
Surface already has Netflix, Hulu, Kindle, and supports Amazon Instant Video via the web browser.

If you need Office, then get the Surface. I've tried just about every word processor/spread sheet app on android and none of them come close to the real thing. The Touch Cover and the way it's integrated is also vastly superior to any keyboard peripheral I've used on my android tablets.
If you do work with a lot of PDF's though be warned that right now you're pretty much stuck with converting them into office docs for now, the pdf reader that comes with the Surface barely has any functionality beyond the ability to open and read them, and there aren't any alternatives on the market yet.
As for netflix, hulu and web surfing it's all there. The Surface uses the desktop version of IE10 and as far as I know, it's the only new tablet to have flash support. Subjectively speaking I've found it to be just as fast as Chrome on Android 4.1.1, while I like the way Chrome renders some websites better, IE10 will always pull the desktop version of websites and does a much better job with animated gifs and embedded video.

hoodoomagic said:
If you need Office, then get the Surface. I've tried just about every word processor/spread sheet app on android and none of them come close to the real thing. The Touch Cover and the way it's integrated is also vastly superior to any keyboard peripheral I've used on my android tablets.
If you do work with a lot of PDF's though be warned that right now you're pretty much stuck with converting them into office docs for now, the pdf reader that comes with the Surface barely has any functionality beyond the ability to open and read them, and there aren't any alternatives on the market yet.
As for netflix, hulu and web surfing it's all there. The Surface uses the desktop version of IE10 and as far as I know, it's the only new tablet to have flash support. Subjectively speaking I've found it to be just as fast as Chrome on Android 4.1.1, while I like the way Chrome renders some websites better, IE10 will always pull the desktop version of websites and does a much better job with animated gifs and embedded video.
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I find the built in pdf reader more than capable. I work with large pdfs for work and with the options menu at the bottom I can search , find bookmarks, highlight and add notes. What else do you want from a reader?
The only other thing I need is a pdf driver to create pdfs on the go but that is a different app.

guitar1969 said:
I find the built in pdf reader more than capable. I work with large pdfs for work and with the options menu at the bottom I can search , find bookmarks, highlight and add notes. What else do you want from a reader?
The only other thing I need is a pdf driver to create pdfs on the go but that is a different app.
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You're right, I was a too quick to judge and missed a lot of things that the stock reader is capable of doing. I'm used to using ez-pdf on android and that throws a lot of options in your face and was thrown off by the cleaner interface of the ms reader. I still can't figure out how to quickly get to a page though, and a night mode would be nice.

hoodoomagic said:
I still can't figure out how to quickly get to a page though
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Pinch to zoom out.

mk1151 said:
The Chromebook is basically just an android tablet in a laptop form factor (with some limitations).
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Except that it isn't that at all!
No Android whatsoever in the Chromebook.
Regards,
Dave
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foxmeister said:
Except that it isn't that at all!
No Android whatsoever in the Chromebook.
Regards,
Dave
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correct, chromeOS doesn't share app stores with android, so no apps aside for the ones built specifically for that OS (which is just a fullscreen chrome browser)
aside from the rock bottom pricing for a basic use computer, i don't see the point of the chromebook at all.

Home-only Android device!

Hi all,
In the mobile world, because the devices are mobile, there are barely any discussions about using them at home. I was wondering if we can all consolidate our knowledge into one place for home-use of the mobile devices or if there is already a guide for such thing.
For example, I have iPad 2 and Nexus 7 (2013). I use the iPad to read PDFs because Nexus 7 has such high resolution that it lags a lot when it comes to PDF, though, of course, other tasks are smooth. So, I've been thinking about turning Nexus 7 into a second home-server with Ubuntu 10 (or 11?) installed on it, but I didn't need a second home-server that much.
Would I be able to turn it into a Roku? What about a home-telecom (for example, if food is ready, no need to shout from the kitchen)? It's such a waste to be just a clock, an alarm, and a calendar...
Cheers