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Your thoughts on Windows tablets?


techristian

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Locally the WinBook TW800 8" tablet is only $99 right now. It looks very impressive with QUAD core Intel running at 1.33 GHZ and I'm thinking about buying one.

 

Some thoughts from anyone with Windows tablets?

 

1) Can this really run Windows applications like I have here on my tower? (if they are small enough to fit in the memory)

 

2) How do you feel about yours? Would you recommend it ?

 

3) I have been complaining about Windows 8 for better than a year now, but heard that it was really an OS designed for TABLETS...so what do you think?

 

 

Dan

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I played with one of those at my local Micro Center store a few weeks back. I couldn't figure out how to get it to do anything other than what was progremmend on the on-screen buttons. Since you're the Windows 8 expert here, maybe you have some insight. Try to get your eyes and fingers on one first, or at least buy it from someplace that has a friendly return policy and no restocking fee.

 

I'd like to think that Windows is Windows, but one never knows, do one?

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I saw an interesting video on youtube. A kid was running Crysis, apparently a hardware intensive Windows game from 7 years ago. He dropped the video resolution on the WinBook TW801 before running it, but it ran fine. Now the TW801 is the more expensive one ($40 more) with double the ram and flash memory. I think I'm going to go with that one because it will increase my options greatly.

 

Will I be able to run Sonar OR Cubase on it ??

 

We will see.

 

Dan

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I think it comes down to the programs you can load on them. My wife works for HP and picked up a HP 64G tablet cheap when they bailed out of that market last minute. I had great hopes for it doing cool things and was sorely disappointed. The apps have to be designed for a tablet and moving data too and from it requires docking with an actual computer. I can run lite versions of MS apps but its not like I can load any normal windows based programs I'd run on a normal computer.

 

Maybe you'll have better luck with a newer windows based unit but I'd look at the finer details starting with the online manual. You may find you're locked into using only their apps. They steer you to a site where you can download free or purchase apps designed to work on that tablet. I suppose there are people writing code for games and stuff that are stripped down versions of stuff that are useful, but you'll likely have to shovel allot of $hi+ to find them. Young kind seem to find allot of that stuff sharing it on Facebook.

 

Maybe there are some programs that are useful for music work out there but I spend a few days searching for aps on mine and quickly found most were junk. I was able to use it for lyric sheets and playing back recordings but for music creativity, I didn't find much that's transferrable to a normal computer. My wife uses it for reading books now and I don't even waste my time with the stupid thing. If mine had a USB port where I could actually connect an interface or do midi or something I may have gone farther with it but for real studio/music work it's useless.

 

Most music software and apps are all add on's to a personal computer used primarily for business, word processing, internet, and some multimedia. They've come a long ways considering that the computers weren't built around processing music. There's just not enough musicians and studio types who are going to use them for that purpose to justify writing specific apps and designing the units for those purposes.

 

Maybe this has changed since my experiences with them, but I'd look real close into what you can actually do vs. buying it and finding no worthwhile applications for the thing.

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I bought a Dell Venue 8 Pro about 11 months ago. I wouldn't consider it a replacement for a desktop, or (due to it's 8" screen) even a notebook, but I do find it very handy. A problem for some people with this particular tablet, is the AB micro USB port. It's possible to force the plug in the wrong way, breaking the pins on the port. I painted one side of my plugs white for easy identification. I bought a bluetooth mouse and keyboard for it, but beyond testing them, I haven't used them yet.

 

One piece of free software that I highly recommend is called MousePointer. It turns the entire screen into a mouse pad with a pointer. It's indispensable when the tablet is in Desktop mode, and you try to "click" on a small spot on the screen with your finger or stylus.

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This tablet has both a mini USB and full sized USB 3.0 slot. At first I was trying to force the charger into the mini HDMI rather than the mini usb slot. I would definitely recommend NOT getting the 1GB/16GB version. On this 2 GB/32GB it notified me that I had only 10GB left of my 24GB. Yes ,Win 8 uses 8 GB right off the bat and Sonar used over 10GB more. Yes I can put an SD card in this, but then there is also the factor of the 2GB of RAM. I have had 4 or 5 apps up at once.

 

Now as to the size? It will be fun to move around in Sonar while sipping on my coffee at Starbucks, but I don't expect to do any real work with this that way. There is so much on that tiny screen. I will use this for jotting down quick ideas and working only with the sounds on hand. This Sonar X3 is so foreign to me compared to 2.0 that it will be good to use this as a way to familiarize myself with Sonar again.

 

All and all , this was a great bargain at Microcenter, for only $139 if you consider that many will pay that for the OS alone.

 

I read lots of good reviews on winbook though I'm still thinking if between winbook or laptop which has more storage capacity than tablet.

 

I haven't tried it yet, but I'm sure that this will work with USB CD Roms and USB hard drives. 2GB will be limiting though for some work. As I said, a way to jot down ideas while sipping on a coffee. This version also comes with 1 year of Microsoft Office. (Which I haven't had a need to activate yet)

 

 

http://www.microcenter.com/product/4...Tablet_-_Black

 

Dan

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I haven't tried it yet, but I'm sure that this will work with USB CD Roms and USB hard drives. 2GB will be limiting though for some work. As I said, a way to jot down ideas while sipping on a coffee. This version also comes with 1 year of Microsoft Office. (Which I haven't had a need to activate yet)

 

You may need a CD ROM and external HD that are self powered as the tablet may not supply enough juice to power them. Also, my Dell tablet needs an OTG USB adapter to use external devices.

 

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You may need a CD ROM and external HD that are self powered as the tablet may not supply enough juice to power them. Also, my Dell tablet needs an OTG USB adapter to use external devices.

 

The full sized USB 3.0 interface works fine. I used a 32GB USB stick to transfer Sonar and Cool Edit over. I have learned my lesson from my headaches with my WD Passport hardrive. I don't think that I will be buying any more SPINNING external USB devices, without an AC adapter.

 

Dan

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I've owned two and recommend them. I am typing this on a Toshiba Click 2 hybrid that I love. it's a serious laptop and a serious tablet.And it has a serious keyboard. I can do serious office work on it. I have a 13.3" screen and a 500 gig hard drive on it. It is a serious back up laptop for me. And it's a great tablet for watching DVD's or carrying around. I have 2 USB's full size and a micro HDMI. Interestingly, it has two power supplies, one in the keyboard and one for the tablet screen. So you can plug it in either way you are using it. 4-5 hours battery life.

 

http://ultrabooksnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/Toshiba_Satellite_Click_2.jpg

 

They are getting cheap too. Mine comes in $500 or 1K models.

 

I also owned a smaller Acer Iconia that I loved. But the SSB hard drive was too small to be functional. Win 8.1 is a memory and space hog. You want a big drive. nothing less than 128 G.

 

These are not iPads. They do different things. They are serious work portables.That is their virtue. They're not consumption devices like my iPad. The iPad has its virtues. Huge ecosystem Windows and Android can never match. But it's not designed for serious office work.

 

On Windows tablets -- remember -- get a big hard drive. I'm high on them if you do. A Windows tablet is a dream with a big hard drive,and a good keyboard. You can use it for serious work and enjoyment. These ones that come with SSB drives of 16, 32, 64 gigs may be fast and light. But the disk space will get wiped out in a few Windows updates. Look to the serious hybrids from PC companies with big hard drives. They're keepers.

 

 

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I don't have any personal experience with Windows tablets' date=' and don't own a tablet, so bear that in mind. But I always thought the Surface tablet/laptop looked good.[/quote']

 

The problem I see with the Surface, is THE PRICE. They can range from $400-$700 depending what you get. For that price I can get a decent laptop with 500gb - 1TB hard drive. Toshiba and Acer make some nice TOUCH laptops in that price range.

 

Dan

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The problem I see with the Surface, is THE PRICE. They can range from $400-$700 depending what you get. For that price I can get a decent laptop with 500gb - 1TB hard drive. Toshiba and Acer make some nice TOUCH laptops in that price range.

 

Dan

 

Sure. And you can get Amazon tablets for $139, I think, or if you shop at Fry's, you can get tablets for $70. I just thought they looked pretty good and seem to be multi-functional. I don't know what their storage capacity is, or if that's relevant to most people who would look to get a Surface.

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I don't have any personal experience with Windows tablets' date=' and don't own a tablet, so bear that in mind. But I always thought the Surface tablet/laptop looked good.[/quote']

 

The Surface 3 looks like they finally got it right. The Lenovo Yoga 3 looks incredible. Neither is a tablet, but they really cross that line of laptop performance/tablet utility+form factor. Both make the MacBook Air, once the coolest portable on the planet, look old.

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The Surface 3 looks like they finally got it right. The Lenovo Yoga 3 looks incredible. Neither is a tablet, but they really cross that line of laptop performance/tablet utility+form factor. Both make the MacBook Air, once the coolest portable on the planet, look old.

 

 

That's my impression. And I think it's cheaper too. Unless there's something terribly wrong with some of the features or the general implementation, the Surface 3 seems like a winner to me. I would look at that long before a MacBook Air or an iPad, in either case.

 

And I realize this wouldn't really be feasible for everyone, but if I were looking for a tablet, using a Kindle and all, I would probably be looking at one of the cheap Amazon options (Fire or whatever, haven't researched them).

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Sonar X3 does NOT support touch for Editing in the Piano Roll.....something that I expected to be perfectly natural. It is hard to believe that touch>click wouldn't be available, since at least 90% of all touch events are interpreted as mouse clicks on touch computers. Even Cool Edit from 2000 works on this tablet !!

 

 

Dan

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Surface Pro 3 512 GB / Intel Core i7 $1' date='999.00[/b']

 

If I had this kind of money to spend on a laptop, it would be an DELL ALIENWARE LAPTOP.

 

DAN

 

 

Exactly. I've worked a bit with two MS Surface Pro's that belonged to clients. They're nice, extremely well-built, sleek design. But everything costs extra. Keyboard costs extra & it's not something i'd want to type on. Office costs extra.

 

I'll take a Toshiba or an Acer hybrid anyday - at 1/3 the price. Windows 8.1 tablets are great IMO. But M$ ought t be pricing their own tablet/laptop more competitively.I got my Toshiba Click 2 fully-loaded at less than 1/3 the price quoted above for a Surface pro.

 

For Windows 8x tablets, I'd shop Acer or Toshiba first.

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On this 2 GB/32GB it notified me that I had only 10GB left of my 24GB. Yes ' date='Win 8 uses 8 GB right off the bat and Sonar used over 10GB more. [/quote']

 

SONAR should not be using over 10 GB. Even with hefty projects I seldom go over 2 GB, and that's with storing instrument samples in RAM. You might want to investigate further...but I'm pretty impressed you can run it on a tablet! Does the touch enabled interface work well, or is the screen to small to be effective?

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Sonar X3 does NOT support touch for Editing in the Piano Roll...as Sonar tech support told me. However you can drop events into the "SEQUENCER" and play with that while sipping your coffee. Scrolling also works well with touch. I have the Windows fonts and everything else set to 150% size which also helps....but yes that screen is crowded and some buttons may be difficult to hit with my 8" tablet. I did the FULL 32 bit install ...everything that Sonar wanted to install...I installed, but the second time I sent many of the directories to my external SD card, rather than C:

 

I was playing with it yesterday at McDonalds with the step sequencer and KRUUD plugin.

 

Dan

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IMO, Win 8.1 is a better tablet OS than a traditional point and click laptop interface.

So I'd advise anyone buying an 8.x machine to get a 2 in 1 hybrid. I've had two and love them.

Just make sure you get enough hard disk storage. Too many of them come with 32 Gig, which

is burned up in a few Windows updates.

 

The other day, I was meeting with several lawyers. A contract was in issue. I downloaded

the contact, printed one copy. Then I detached the screen from my Toshiba Click 2. And passed

it around to the different people at the meeting..Works beautifully.Typing this on that same hybrid now.

 

The future of Windows IMO, involves tablet screens that sync with their phones.

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