Database Users

Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 vs Window based Tablet experience

I have been a pen/tablet enthusiastic for many years and have owned (and still own) loads of tablet over the years. I currently own and use 4 window based pen-tablets (2 XP, 1 Vista, and 1 Window 7), 2 iPads, 2 iPod touch, Apple Macbook Pro (2009), Apple Macbook Air 13" (2012), Samsung Galaxy Note 5.3, and then the latest Galaxy Note 10.1. I also used to own loads of Window powered PDAs, palm, casio, etc.
As you can see for the list above, I have been looking for the perfect computing experience, especially the pen/tablet experience. I bought the Note 10.1 because of my Note 5.3. IMHO, the Note 10.1 is a decent pen-tablet, and it had made vast improvement over the Ntoe 5.3 in terms of hardware. However, it is the software where I feel is limiting the Note 10.1 from being a perfect pen-tablet machine.
People have already disregard the window based PC as being a serious tablet and they are rightfully so. The XP, Vista, and Window 7 while can be used to run as a tablet, have never been designed for tablet. So my experience with them have always been frustrating. HOWEVER, it was a pleasant surprise to me when I loaded the release preview of Window 8 few weeks ago onto 3 of my old Window tablets.
I have a Samsung Q1UP (6 year old, XP, w/resistive pen, 2GB ram, 64GB SSD), a HP 2710P (4 years old, w/Wavcom pen, 1GB ram, 80GB HDD), an ACER W500 (2 year old, w/touch pen, 2GB ram, 32GB SDD), and when loaded with the Window 8, all 3 machines even though are old have given me a VERY good pen/tablet experience. All 3 tablets now run much faster and very very smooth. The surprise comes when all these tablets are now running more like an Andriod/IOS instead of a typical window os. You can smoothly scroll, zoom, etc just like an iPad or Galaxy Note. The battery life seems to have improved in all these machines, and the time from sleep to logon screen is about 2-3 seconds. Loading programs used to take forever under the old OS, but now I can load excel, word, one-note, etc from cold in about 2 seconds.
Now to the most important part, the pen use with Window 8. The handwriting recognition is much better and faster than the Note 10.1 (for all 3 devices with the resistive pen, wavcom pen, and touch pen). The S-Note in the Note 10.1 is just a tiny program, but the One-Note is a full blown application with seamless integration with Office and Sky Drive, etc.
With the new tablets coming designed specifically with Window 8 in mind, I think Microsoft has risen the par on tablet competition. As the upcoming Samsung Series 5 hybrid tablet, for example, is coming with a $650 based price, 11 hrs battery life (with the optional keyboard), 750g weight, and can run all window software. Even though I have not seen, touch or used one of these new machines, the fact that Window 8 has turned my 6 years old tablet into a brand new machine is exciting for me.
Please don't get me wrong. I think the Samsung Note 10.1 is a decent machine which I will definitely keep. I bought it because I can carry it all day and not worry about battery, and I hardly need to run any PC applications these days when I am out. More importantly if I plan to use the PC all day, I probably need to bring the charger with me which will bring the weight up to 1kg or more. Since I carry my camera with me all day, the Note 10.1 is a better choice for me.
However, if you are looking into serious note taking and also need to run pc applications, I think the Window 8 tablets may be a good alternative. We will all know if this is true when the machines are officially announced in late Oct.
PS: I am in absolutely no way affiliated with any of the companies mentioned about, I am just giving my take on using all these devices over the years.

Good post.
What's your take on the new slate 5 vs surface pro?
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

Well you are comparing apples and oranges and also making the logical fallacy that just because you like something others will as well. Based upon your large collection of tablets, price is not a big issue for you. You just want the best tablet experience, period. Thats all good, but the majority of buyers don't share your enthusiasm.
Keep in mind that most people think of their tablets as an accessory and not a primary computing device. As soon as you get much above the $500 price point you are getting into primary computing device territory. But with an 11.6 inch screen, tablets do not offer enough real estate to be an ultrabook replacement, especially for a business person running larger format legacy corporate software. I would go blind trying to read my company's database forms on an 11.6 inch HD screen - they cant just be resized as a Word document can be.
Also, will most business people think touch and pen input are worth trading in their 15 inch ultrabook screens for? I have been using Office for 20 years and never once felt the need to touch the screen. Office needs two things - lots of screens space and a mouse, a W8 Tablet offers neither.
Samsung makes a good profit on the SGN10.1. They could easily drop the price another $50 and still make money. In addition, one would assume that Samsung will be updating the SGN10.1 to the Note 2.0 software which is far far superior. Whereas W8 is a bit of a lumbering behemoth that will take years to see any major upgrades, Android can change and improve quickly. Also Android is far more customizable. Dont forget that word on the street is Windows 8 as a true desktop OS sucks and wont see broad corporate acceptance.
So you have to ask yourself, will the market as a whole be ready to pay 30% more for a device that does a lot of things (touch and pen) on a Windows device they may not need? Don't forget that we are already competing with very good 7 inch tablets that cost less than a third the price of the new W8 tablets.
Windows 8 tablets will be stuck in the middle. Too expensive for the casual user and too small for the serious user. When it comes to tablets most people want one that costs the least and does the job well enough. Think of it like cars. They sell a lot more Ford Focuses than Porsche 911's. The Porsche is a better car but the Ford just does the job for less. SGN10.1 will continue to be the cheapest usable pen input large format tablet on the market for the foreseeable future. It may not work quite as well as the W8 tablet but it works well enough for 1/3 less.
The good news is the competition will force Android to be better but no, I think Android has got little to worry about from Windows 8.
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mitchellvii said:
Well you are comparing apples and oranges and also making the logical fallacy that just because you like something others will as well. Based upon your large collection of tablets, price is not a big issue for you. You just want the best tablet experience, period. Thats all good, but the majority of buyers don't share your enthusiasm.
Keep in mind that most people think of their tablets as an accessory and not a primary computing device. As soon as you get much above the $500 price point you are getting into primary computing device territory. But with an 11.6 inch screen, tablets do not offer enough real estate to be an ultrabook replacement, especially for a business person running larger format legacy corporate software. I would go blind trying to read my company's database forms on an 11.6 inch HD screen - they cant just be resized as a Word document can be.
Also, will most business people think touch and pen input are worth trading in their 15 inch ultrabook screens for? I have been using Office for 20 years and never once felt the need to touch the screen. Office needs two things - lots of screens space and a mouse, a W8 Tablet offers neither.
Samsung makes a good profit on the SGN10.1. They could easily drop the price another $50 and still make money. In addition, one would assume that Samsung will be updating the SGN10.1 to the Note 2.0 software which is far far superior. Whereas W8 is a bit of a lumbering behemoth that will take years to see any major upgrades, Android can change and improve quickly. Also Android is far more customizable. Dont forget that word on the street is Windows 8 as a true desktop OS sucks and wont see broad corporate acceptance.
So you have to ask yourself, will the market as a whole be ready to pay 30% more for a device that does a lot of things (touch and pen) on a Windows device they may not need? Don't forget that we are already competing with very good 7 inch tablets that cost less than a third the price of the new W8 tablets.
Windows 8 tablets will be stuck in the middle. Too expensive for the casual user and too small for the serious user. When it comes to tablets most people want one that costs the least and does the job well enough. Think of it like cars. They sell a lot more Ford Focuses than Porsche 911's. The Porsche is a better car but the Ford just does the job for less. SGN10.1 will continue to be the cheapest usable pen input large format tablet on the market for the foreseeable future. It may not work quite as well as the W8 tablet but it works well enough for 1/3 less.
The good news is the competition will force Android to be better but no, I think Android has got little to worry about from Windows 8.
Sent from my GT-N8013 using Tapatalk 2
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Just to better understand your argument, are you including Windows 8 RT in your Windows 8 grouping? Because, that's the version that you want to use when comparing apples to apples (e.g., Android/Apple tablets to Windows 8 tablets), not the X86 Intel versions as you did in your post. For instance, the price point argument, as well as the Ford Focus vs. 911 analogy, will not be applicable, because the products are in different categories/segments (I can't imagine someone cross-shopping a Focus and a 911).

My point is that pound for pound, at least with the Samsung units, you will pay signficantly more for the same level of tablet, even the RT. As a matter of fact the W8 RT offering from Samsung will be slightly worse than the SGN10.1 since the screen is larger with roughly the same resolution. If you dont like the SGN10.1 screen youll hate the W8 RT screen.
For me at least, the primary benefit of Windows over Android is Office programs like Access. Word and Excel are emulated on Android just fine. I dont believe W8 RT will even run Access and if it does I believe the screen is too small to use it effectively with forms designed for a larger screen.
Again, what is the benefit to the consumer of using touch with Office? There is none. So you are trading in a big screen that you do need for touch that you dont.
Tablets are not laptop replacements and if you price them like one you are going to have a problem. They need to be priced like an accessory. Right now at least, Android does that better at the SGN10.1 price. Even $500 is close to being too high.
My conclusion is that W8 Tablets will be too much for a tablet and do too little to replace a laptop. Just my opinion. It may sell gangbusters but I dont think so. We'll have to wait and see. Nevertheless, its presence in the marketpalce will make Android products better
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mitchellvii said:
Well you are comparing apples and oranges and also making the logical fallacy that just because you like something others will as well. Based upon your large collection of tablets, price is not a big issue for you. You just want the best tablet experience, period. Thats all good, but the majority of buyers don't share your enthusiasm.
Keep in mind that most people think of their tablets as an accessory and not a primary computing device. As soon as you get much above the $500 price point you are getting into primary computing device territory. But with an 11.6 inch screen, tablets do not offer enough real estate to be an ultrabook replacement, especially for a business person running larger format legacy corporate software. I would go blind trying to read my company's database forms on an 11.6 inch HD screen - they cant just be resized as a Word document can be.
Also, will most business people think touch and pen input are worth trading in their 15 inch ultrabook screens for? I have been using Office for 20 years and never once felt the need to touch the screen. Office needs two things - lots of screens space and a mouse, a W8 Tablet offers neither.
Samsung makes a good profit on the SGN10.1. They could easily drop the price another $50 and still make money. In addition, one would assume that Samsung will be updating the SGN10.1 to the Note 2.0 software which is far far superior. Whereas W8 is a bit of a lumbering behemoth that will take years to see any major upgrades, Android can change and improve quickly. Also Android is far more customizable. Dont forget that word on the street is Windows 8 as a true desktop OS sucks and wont see broad corporate acceptance.
So you have to ask yourself, will the market as a whole be ready to pay 30% more for a device that does a lot of things (touch and pen) on a Windows device they may not need? Don't forget that we are already competing with very good 7 inch tablets that cost less than a third the price of the new W8 tablets.
Windows 8 tablets will be stuck in the middle. Too expensive for the casual user and too small for the serious user. When it comes to tablets most people want one that costs the least and does the job well enough. Think of it like cars. They sell a lot more Ford Focuses than Porsche 911's. The Porsche is a better car but the Ford just does the job for less. SGN10.1 will continue to be the cheapest usable pen input large format tablet on the market for the foreseeable future. It may not work quite as well as the W8 tablet but it works well enough for 1/3 less.
The good news is the competition will force Android to be better but no, I think Android has got little to worry about from Windows 8.
Sent from my GT-N8013 using Tapatalk 2
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WOW!! I wished someone had warned me about troll living here and that no comments other than good Note 10.1 comments are allowed in this forum. This will be my last post in the forum, leaving you alone to harass other people.
The observation in my original post is based on actual experience. Yours seemed to be based on pure speculations and imaginations. I truly doubt you have similar experience before making your comments. I welcome you to try them first and proof me wrong, or stop making illogical fallacy.
1. I read many of the owners who bought the Note 10.1 because of the S-Pen. Some owners even suggested potential buyers to look elsewhere if they are purely looking for an Android tablet as there are better alternatives out there. At present, only the Note 10.1 and Window tablets offer pens experience, so I don’t understand why you think it is an apple to orange comparison.
2. When I composed the list of devices I own, I was hoping to give some background on the wide variety of devices/OS I have used, so that I can make my points. But you turned it into a show-off list.
3. You mentioned “…20 years and never once felt the need to touch the screen”, then you went to buy the Note 10.1 and other touch devices, interesting!
4. The ACER W500 Win 7 tablet I bought 2 years ago brand new was $550 then (the Note 10.1 is about the same price range). The hardware was mediocre at the time, and it sucked with Win 7. I was amused how Window 8 has turned it into a very respectable tablet, with very fast and accurate hand writing recognition, and good note experience with One-Note, then further suggested today’s hardware could only do better. You turned it into a Ford and Porsche comparison. I bet you had never owned a Porsche before, so it is a mood point arguing with you here.
5. You must be the CFO of Samsung as you knew how much profit they are making on the SGN10.1, and can easily drop the price by another $50. BTW, Samsung also makes the upcoming Window 8 tablet with MSRP of $649 and respectable hardware (S-PEN, 11.6” , 1366 x 768, 2GB Ram, 9 hrs battery life, 750g, and 64GB SSD http://www.engadget.com/2012/08/29/samsung-announces-series-5-slate-series-7-slate/). Based on your insider knowledge, Samsung could also easily drop the price by another $50 for the Window tablet. Then there are other tablets makers that produce cheaper devices.
6. I had never once suggested Window 8 will take over Android or even compete with it, so I think you are making your comments based on illusion.
Best wishes!

Lol, i guess your definition of "troll"is anyone who disagrees with you? You come to the SGN10.1 Forum announcing that our tablet is "just ok" while the W8 tablets will be the Second Coming and you don't expect any pushback?
I made the argument that the W8 tablets will have a difficult time finding their place in a competitive market. Many pundits online agree with me. Too expensive for a tablet, too small for a laptop. You imply that I said you were bragging about all your tablets. I simply said that you were concerned more about performance than price. How did you get from that that i said you were bragging?
As far as knowing the Samsung can cut the price of the SGN10.1 and still make money that is a well established fact. Google is your friend.
Oh well, if you must leave I am sorry. Im sure there is someone in here that will miss you praising the W8 tablets and putting down the SGN10.1.
P.S. Actually I am a BMW man myself. The center console on Porsche is too wide and presses against my shin because I am tall. The Ford/Porsche comparison was an attempt to compare a tool which can do the job at a lower cost vs one that offers good things but perhaps things that cost conscious people dont need.
Touch with Office is a perfect example of this. Why does anyone need touch with Office? Id rather have a 15 inch screen.
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---------- Post added at 10:06 AM ---------- Previous post was at 09:34 AM ----------
For those who feel, as the OP does, that I am pulling my concerns about W8 Tablets from my backside, here is a quote from PCWorld Magazine:
http://www.pcworld.com/businesscent..._8_tablets_have_what_it_takes_to_succeed.html
There are a number of issues that could make Windows 8 tablets dead on arrival, or at least a very tough sell. Two of the biggest will be price, and confusion over differences between Windows on ARM (WOA) tablets, and x86/x64 architecture tablets.
ARM-based devices will probably be better tablets than their x86/x64 counterparts. WOA tablets will most likely be lighter, cooler, have longer battery life, and--most importantly--be cheaper. ARM-based tablets will be more on par with the competing tablets already in the market like the iPad, Motorola Xoom, Samsung Galaxy Tab, and others.
That all sounds great, but WOA tablets also come with significant handicaps that nullify most of what makes a Windows 8 tablet appealing. For example, WOA tablets can’t run traditional Windows software--they require apps written for the Metro UI.
Wes Miller from GetWired.com and Directions on Microsoft poses the question, “For enterprises who will have to rewrite their (non-Web) applications in Metro for WOA anyway, the question comes up, "why wouldn't I rewrite it for iOS instead?", since there is no way to run non-Microsoft Win32 apps on WOA.”
The bigger issue for WOA tablets is that Microsoft has revealed they are intended for “unmanaged environments”. What that translates to is that WOA tablets will not be able to connect to Windows domains and be managed like x86/x64 Windows 8 tablets, and other Windows systems.
Amobi says that there are arguments to be made for and against WOA tablets, and it’s still too early for a final verdict. But, he stresses, “If they cant join domains--game over.”
No worries. We still have x86/x64 Windows 8 tablets to fall back on, right? True, but there are some caveats.
An x86/x64 tablet is just squeezing a notebook or desktop into a touchscreen, flat-panel form factor. That has advantages, but we also know that running Windows takes a fair amount of processing horsepower and memory. While it may be possible to run Windows 8 with less RAM, 4GB is probably the minimum for acceptable performance. That is four times what most ARM tablets use.
When you build a tablet on x86/x64 architecture, and try to beef up the RAM to deliver adequate performance, the tablet starts to face other issues. As previously mentioned, users want tablets that are thin, light, and have endurance to last all day on a single charge. It is unlikely that x86/x64 tablets can truly compete with ARM-based rivals in these areas.
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As I have stated, W8 Tablets will be stuck in the middle. RT too underpowered to run true Windows software and Pro too small to run true Windows software properly.
DOA.
Hopefully these facts have taken some of the emotion out of this argument.

What the heck OP, please respond to my original question!
New slate 5 vs surface pro. Based on your experience, should we (consumers) wait for the SP release before purchasing.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

mitchellvii, you are assuming too much and treating your "opinion" as the gospel truth.
Have you used OneNote on a tablet computer? S-Note is the extremely light version of OneNote when it comes to note-taking (not doodling or sketching, etc). It is certain that it will get better over time, but the current/first generation is a good introduction to what it can do in the future.
From drawing and sketching point of view, I can make the same argument that you are making for Office and touch. Note 10.1 most likely won't replace anyone's Wacom tablet to produce art on a 10.1" screen. With the same perspective as yours, this falls right in the middle: not enough for professionals and little more than people who aren't into drawing/sketching necessarily.
Just like the OP, I'm not putting down the Note 10.1; I'm actually waiting for the UPS truck to bring a 32GB version today. However, you don't have to blindly defend it when an alternative view is presented. Just embrace the fact that for every device with additional features (e.g., being able to run OneNote and a full OS on a tablet), there's a segment out there. If you are outside of that segment or find some of those features not very useful for your way of using a tablet, it's perfectly fine, as long as you realize the advantages and disadvantages of each device with an open mind.

tenderidol said:
mitchellvii, you are assuming too much and treating your "opinion" as the gospel truth.
Have you used OneNote on a tablet computer? S-Note is the extremely light version of OneNote when it comes to note-taking (not doodling or sketching, etc). It is certain that it will get better over time, but the current/first generation is a good introduction to what it can do in the future.
From drawing and sketching point of view, I can make the same argument that you are making for Office and touch. Note 10.1 most likely won't replace anyone's Wacom tablet to produce art on a 10.1" screen. With the same perspective as yours, this falls right in the middle: not enough for professionals and little more than people who aren't into drawing/sketching necessarily.
Just like the OP, I'm not putting down the Note 10.1; I'm actually waiting for the UPS truck to bring a 32GB version today. However, you don't have to blindly defend it when an alternative view is presented. Just embrace the fact that for every device with additional features (e.g., being able to run OneNote and a full OS on a tablet), there's a segment out there. If you are outside of that segment or find some of those features not very useful for your way of using a tablet, it's perfectly fine, as long as you realize the advantages and disadvantages of each device with an open mind.
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The OP said:
"Please don't get me wrong. I think the Samsung Note 10.1 is a decent machine which I will definitely keep."
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Nice of him to let us know our SGN10.1 is "a decent machine" (compared to the glowing oracle of W8). I consider that a put-down.
"Blindly defending"? As in, just making up stuff you mean? Did you even bother read the article? Lol. Read it and get back to me on my blind defense.

mitchellvii said:
The OP said:
Nice of him to let us know our SGN10.1 is "a decent machine" (compared to the glowing oracle of W8). I consider that a put-down.
"Blindly defending"? As in, "just making up stuff" you mean? Did you even bother read the article? Lol. Read it and get back to me on my blind defense.
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You really must love the Note 10.1 like your significant other. Calling it a "decent machine" is an insult? As I mentioned above, keep an open mind, and you'll be able to see the strengths and the weaknesses of each device.

mitchellvii said:
The OP said:
Nice of him to let us know our SGN10.1 is "a decent machine" (compared to the glowing oracle of W8). I consider that a put-down.
"Blindly defending"? As in, just making up stuff you mean? Did you even bother read the article? Lol. Read it and get back to me on my blind defense.
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Yes you are. You posted an article filled with opinions from Mar and think that these are facts. They are not.
Sent from my GT-N8013 using xda app-developers app

mitchellvii said:
"Blindly defending"? As in, just making up stuff you mean? Did you even bother read the article? Lol. Read it and get back to me on my blind defense.
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So, stating someone else's opinion is a fact, now? Got it! Let me find that Verge review and link it here as the "fact" about Note 10.1.
Again... I purchased the damn thing and will be using it to its full potential. However, unlike you, I'll keep an open mind and try the Samsung Smart PC offerings (specifically the Series 5). If it performs well, it'll replace the Note 10.1 (or I may keep both, since they serve different functions); if not, I'll continue to use it happily.

tenderidol said:
Have you used OneNote on a tablet computer? S-Note is the extremely light version of OneNote when it comes to note-taking (not doodling or sketching, etc). It is certain that it will get better over time, but the current/first generation is a good introduction to what it can do in the future.
From drawing and sketching point of view, I can make the same argument that you are making for Office and touch. Note 10.1 most likely won't replace anyone's Wacom tablet to produce art on a 10.1" screen. With the same perspective as yours, this falls right in the middle: not enough for professionals and little more than people who aren't into drawing/sketching necessarily.
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Three things are missing from this conversation to make it worthwhile.
1) Everyone uses their tablets differently. A gamer, heavy productivity user, graphic artist, reader, and someone who uses it primarily for consumption all have different needs. And someone's personal weighting of those things determine which product is "best" for them. I could easily see someone needing OneNote (and MS Office in general) jumping on W8 just for that. Same thing for a graphic artist who wants access to desktop versions of tools they typically use. How many of them there are and how well W8 tablets do more pedestrian things will determine their success, not our discussion.
2) We're comparing something that doesn't exist to something that does. Unless you all intend to go out and buy an Acer W500 with 4 hours of battery life and that weighs two pounds this is at best a theoretical conversation until actual W8 tablets are in people's hands and can be evaluated in real-world use. And don't forget the Pro tablets come with all the stuff we love about Windows: 1) driver incompatibilities, 2) control panel, and 3) multiple menus, clicks, and "enters," to launch or access something. The UI formally known as Metro doesn't hide the fact that there's a huge resource intensive hulk of an OS to be tamed running in the background. How many general-use iPad candidates do you think will find that acceptable? And they’re MS’s bogie, not the 20% of the tablet market that’s using Android.
3) Until the complete feature set is known for both RT and Pro tablets and what apps will be available to them initially you can't have a price-value conversation. I highly doubt entry-level consumer targeted RT tablets will do some of things being discussed. Similarly if a loaded Pro tablet is $1K that changes the conversation when comparing it to a $500 Android tablet.
I'll check back in with you guys once the tablets are in people's hands for a while and then we can have a legitimate conversation of the pros and cons of each.
BTW, here's an excerpt of a review of the HP TouchPad when it was first released. Just because a monolithic company launches something its success isn't guaranteed. It’s too early to say whether W8 tablets will be a Zune or an XBox 360 for MS and no one here can do anything but proffer an opinion as to which way it will go.
"You would almost think that webOS had been designed for tablets from the very beginning. It feels more native to tablets than any other software on any other tablet, despite being an almost exact translation of the phone interface (minus almost all of the bezel gestures). Multitasking on anything else feels almost stupid compared to Cards. An open app is a card. You can stack them, sort them, re-arrange them, and when you're done, close them. Juggling a bunch makes you feel like you're getting stuff done. Palm's big tablet adaptation, panes, is a straight riff on the iPad Twitter UI. So in email and other complex apps, you slide layers—inboxes, message lists, actual messages—back and forth to move between them. Notifications, which pop down from the top of the scree, let you flip through the pile, one at a time, without ever opening the app-handy if you get IMs from five different people. They're great ideas."​

BarryH_GEG said:
Three things are missing from this conversation to make it worthwhile.
1) Everyone uses their tablets differently. A gamer, heavy productivity user, graphic artist, reader, and someone who uses it primarily for consumption all have different needs. And someone's personal weighting of those things determine which product is "best" for them. I could easily see someone needing OneNote (and MS Office in general) jumping on W8 just for that. Same thing for a graphic artist who wants access to desktop versions of tools they typically use. How many of them there are and how well W8 tablets do more pedestrian things will determine their success, not our discussion.
2) We're comparing something that doesn't exist to something that does. Unless you all intend to go out and buy an Acer W500 with 4 hours of battery life and that weighs two pounds this is at best a theoretical conversation until actual W8 tablets are in people's hands and can be evaluated in real-world use. And don't forget the Pro tablets come with all the stuff we love about Windows: 1) driver incompatibilities, 2) control panel, and 3) multiple menus, clicks, and "enters," to launch or access something. The UI formally known as Metro doesn't hide the fact that there's a huge resource intensive hulk of an OS to be tamed running in the background. How many general-use iPad candidates do you think will find that acceptable? And they’re MS’s bogie, not the 20% of the tablet market that’s using Android.
3) Until the complete feature set is known for both RT and Pro tablets and what apps will be available to them initially you can't have a price-value conversation. I highly doubt entry-level consumer targeted RT tablets will do some of things being discussed. Similarly if a loaded Pro tablet is $1K that changes the conversation when comparing it to a $500 Android tablet.
I'll check back in with you guys once the tablets are in people's hands for a while and then we can have a legitimate conversation of the pros and cons of each.
BTW, here's an excerpt of a review of the HP TouchPad when it was first released. Just because a monolithic company launches something its success isn't guaranteed. It’s too early to say whether W8 tablets will be a Zune or an XBox 360 for MS and no one here can do anything but proffer an opinion as to which way it will go.
"You would almost think that webOS had been designed for tablets from the very beginning. It feels more native to tablets than any other software on any other tablet, despite being an almost exact translation of the phone interface (minus almost all of the bezel gestures). Multitasking on anything else feels almost stupid compared to Cards. An open app is a card. You can stack them, sort them, re-arrange them, and when you're done, close them. Juggling a bunch makes you feel like you're getting stuff done. Palm's big tablet adaptation, panes, is a straight riff on the iPad Twitter UI. So in email and other complex apps, you slide layers—inboxes, message lists, actual messages—back and forth to move between them. Notifications, which pop down from the top of the scree, let you flip through the pile, one at a time, without ever opening the app-handy if you get IMs from five different people. They're great ideas."​
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With the exception of one person, we are all on the same page here. Below is an excerpt from the OP. To me, it overlaps very well with your points and my argument. Somehow, this was turned into "How dare you put down Note10.1? Windows 8 tablets are DOA!" bickery.
With the new tablets coming designed specifically with Window 8 in mind, I think Microsoft has risen the par on tablet competition. As the upcoming Samsung Series 5 hybrid tablet, for example, is coming with a $650 based price, 11 hrs battery life (with the optional keyboard), 750g weight, and can run all window software. Even though I have not seen, touch or used one of these new machines, the fact that Window 8 has turned my 6 years old tablet into a brand new machine is exciting for me.
Please don't get me wrong. I think the Samsung Note 10.1 is a decent machine which I will definitely keep. I bought it because I can carry it all day and not worry about battery, and I hardly need to run any PC applications these days when I am out. More importantly if I plan to use the PC all day, I probably need to bring the charger with me which will bring the weight up to 1kg or more. Since I carry my camera with me all day, the Note 10.1 is a better choice for me.
However, if you are looking into serious note taking and also need to run pc applications, I think the Window 8 tablets may be a good alternative. We will all know if this is true when the machines are officially announced in late Oct.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

[email protected] said:
WOW!! I wished someone had warned me about troll living here and that no comments other than good Note 10.1 comments are allowed in this forum. This will be my last post in the forum, leaving you alone to harass other people.
Best wishes!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
[email protected], welcome. Sorry about the resident W8 Hater. I recommend to just ignore him.
Thank you for sharing your experience with your Note(s) and your tablets with Windows 8! My experience with my Note 10.1 is pretty much the same as yours. I am really looking forward to trying out a Surface Pro or one of the other new W8 tablets that are coming out. Your post has just seriously reinforced that!
When you use One Note on a tablet, does it give you inking features for drawing pictures and hand writing notes similar to what S-Note does? I have W8 and One Note, but no Ink-enabled device to put them on to play with it myself.

tenderidol said:
With the exception of one person, we are all on the same page here.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Who are "we?" I have no idea what everyone here's needs are. I also have no idea what the "cons" are going to be that will without doubt go along with the rosy PR blurb “pros” being thrown out. I'm in marketing so perhaps I'm less susceptible to spin than some of you guys because I create it. MS lost their way and have a bunch of simultaneous "Hail Mary's" launching concurrently (Cloud, W8 the OS, and W8 the tablet). I wish them nothing but the best. But I'd like to see some traction gained before drinking their Kool-Aid and declaring their success. And that will take months to realize. I'm a heavy productivity user and use OneNote, MS Office, and SharePoint so therefore a candidate for a W8 tablet. Only I'm not as eager to throw out my fairly evolved Android device to experience V1 of the h/w and s/w of an alternative. Months from now I may own a W8 tablet. Based on my personal needs and usage there's absolutely no rush. You guys can go first and if the world's not flat I'll follow you.

BarryH_GEG said:
Who are "we?" I have no idea what everyone here's needs are. I also have no idea what the "cons" are going to be that will without doubt go along with the rosy PR blurb “pros” being thrown out. I'm in marketing so perhaps I'm less susceptible to spin than some of you guys because I create it. MS lost their way and have a bunch of simultaneous "Hail Mary's" launching concurrently (Cloud, W8 the OS, and W8 the tablet). I wish them nothing but the best. But I'd like to see some traction gained before drinking their Kool-Aid and declaring their success. And that will take months to realize. I'm a heavy productivity user and use OneNote, MS Office, and SharePoint so therefore a candidate for a W8 tablet. Only I'm not as eager to throw out my fairly evolved Android device to experience V1 of the h/w and s/w of an alternative. Months from now I may own a W8 tablet. Based on my personal needs and usage there's absolutely no rush. You guys can go first and if the world's not flat I'll follow you.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
"We" as in "people who currently own the Note 10.1 and wanted to try and see the potential of upcoming Windows 8 tablets without forming any assumptions based on others' opinions". As you can see, nobody is saying that this will be a huge success, it's going to be "superior" or will definitely trump other tablets, etc. Let's see if the potential of the device is met by the hardware and the software first. As I stated, I have my reservations for the Atom-based CPU and 2 GB RAM in the Series 5. If it can't handle the load, I won't be moving over to the Series 7, because it's too heavy and pricey for me. I thought this was the original discussion.

tenderidol said:
see the potential
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Promise and potential are very different from practice and reality. And sometimes when they collide it isn’t pretty. Since this entire conversation is theoretical there can never be a decisive conclusion. I really don't have an opinion and won't until I can personally play with a W8 tablet and see how well it does the things I need it to do. Even then, my conclusion will only apply to me and my individual needs.
Think about this. Here's the iPad demographic.
iPad ownership is skewed toward young customers, with 27% of owners between 25 and 34. The average iPad owner is affluent, with a median income of $85,000 a year. Most importantly, they are much more likely to be buying things.​
Don't you think that audience is using MS Office and OneNote professionally to earn the higher median income they do? Apple's sold 100MM iPads with no native access to MS Office. Taking a broader view I don't think it's the "killer app" many of you believe it will be. Especially if it comes at the price of a less refined h/w and s/w experience. There's also a certain cache that comes from owning an iPad. Android tablet owners tend to be classified as rugged individualists and technology enthusiasts. What will W8 tablet owners be? People that need access to MS apps? Pretty low on the "cool" scale, no? There’s more to a product’s success than just functionality.
Just food for thought while we're discussing the potential mass-market (in other words, not us) success of W8 tablets.

BarryH_GEG said:
Just food for thought while we're discussing the potential mass-market (in other words, not us) success of W8 tablets.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Which we weren't until some folks hijacked the thread and went totally OT from the OP...

Will Microsoft surface pro kill this tablet and all Android tablets?

just wondering if the release of Microsoft surface Windows 8 pro will render all the Android tablets outdated...
what would be the fate of g note 10.1, when the surface hits the shelf Feb 9th? Will you dish your note?
let's talk about its pro and cons

Will it be the finished article is the usual MS new release question .
jje

First of all, windows 8 sucks.
Ring out, Galaxy Note 10.1 is still the winner. Dont see anything useful in the surface pro and win8. too complicated for me as a win7 user, and the surface pro is too expensive. I still dont regret that I have bought the note 10.1
There's nothing to discuss about.

I don't like Windows 8 at all. This is the first Windows OS that I haven't updated my home systems to as soon as they are available. And it's not a matter of cost since I have access to 10 licenses at no cost. I installed it on my laptop and tried to use it for a few weeks and went back to 7.
While I think it's an OS that's more suitable for a tablet or phone than a desktop, I still think it's awful. I just think MS made a huge mistake with this thing.
IOW, my Note isn't going anywhere in the near future. And when it goes, it won't be for a Surface anything.

Yes. The gnote wasn't that good of a tablet anyways and the only thing appealing about it was the wacom digitizer, in which case the Surface Pro has it outclassed because you can run full fledged applications such as photoshop on it. ARM tablets are toys compared to x86 tablets but it in the future you'll still see low cost tablets from the Nexus series being popular.
Really even atom tablets today does tremendously more than what $500 android tablets are capable off and they often cost only $50 to a $100 more. And with incoming Haswell it'll address any negatives such as battery life. But with that being said atom tablets are already well within 10 to 11 hours of battery life while i5 variants are ranging around 5 to 7. Unless manufactures see this as a method of profit and start to include smaller and smaller batteries, (or razor thin ones) x86 tablets in the future will be comparable if not better in battery life while offering substantially more power.

simple answer.
NO.

Lol
Sent from my GT-N8013 using xda app-developers app

In before stupid gNote zealots attack and flame any attempt to have a honest conversation about the Pros & Cons of the gNote.
Just like before http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1869148
Because the gNote has no Cons and does no wrongs.

BBlax said:
Yes. The gnote wasn't that good of a tablet anyways and the only thing appealing about it was the wacom digitizer, in which case the Surface Pro has it outclassed because you can run full fledged applications such as photoshop on it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Surely using a stylus on ps touch, is 10x better than using your finger on a surface pro. Outclassed :laugh:

BBlax said:
... But with that being said atom tablets are already well within 10 to 11 hours of battery life while i5 variants are ranging around 5 to 7.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Which i5 tablets get 5 - 7 of actual use? As a previous owner of one who just ditched it for the note I am very curious. My biggest problem was by far sub par battery life.
I think surface pro is the future of the Windows branch of "PC" for the masses....even though it will take a couple of years before they are palatable. But unfortunately I also think that the market is much larger for casual users (those who initially only want web and email). IPad, Asus, Samsung tablets are going to become even more prevalent. 20 years ago only ultrageeks used computers, today grandma has a Facebook acct. There are so many people that mobile computing is being used by now.
People who want to run Photoshop and other real warez will be fulfilled by the new surface pro types that I think eventually will become laptop and desktop replacements as well. At the same time the Apple and Android apps are slowly closing the gap. There is much more complex software available for mobile platforms than there was just a few years ago. This is where many new developers have emerged and it is a market where traditional softwares are dying to get into.
Microsoft is wayyyyy to late to the game, and they will never capture the casual users. I think they will hold a smaller market of business and previous PC users who haven't yet completely jumped ship. Apple and Android are here to stay as the majority, and Microsoft unfortunately as the minority.
That being said I still use my custom built Intel Z77/i5 3570K-based PC with 32GB RAM and Samsung 830 SSDs for RAW photo editing in Lightroom and Photoshop, using MATLAB, Visual Studio, Mathematica, Sony Vegas, Handbrake, Acrobat, etc, etc, as well as an occasional game of BF3. I use my phone and tablet for everything else.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

I love my note 10.1 I look at all info on tablets cause of curiosity but so far I want for nothing my note does all I want it to be able to do
Sent from my GT-N8000 using Tapatalk HD

I think my desktop is enough for windows . I dont need windows tablet . My note 10.1 enough for me outside my house

just like others have said a big NO, i'm sure you have heard recently android is growing fast in terms of market share, microsoft dropped everything and tried to catch up with windows 8, too little, too late, microsoft are not only alienating thier pc gamer userbase with such a horrofic UI in windows 8 but most gaming card drivers don't work on 8 so why should they upgrade and loose features?
lets see if anyone will take something like that outside to work and be a laughing stock, the app store is nothing compared to ios and android, microsoft will never compare to either of them, not even a child can use windows 8 properly check out youtube and see for yourself, windows 8 is overcomplicated sqeezing tablet features into a desktop is the dumbest idea i have heard in my life, what the were they thinking?

Been Waiting on Microsoft Surface Pro for Work
Well, I own a Galaxy Nexus and N7 and have owned an iPad4. I am anxiously awaiting the MS SPro because I am hoping that the stylus integration will truly eliminate the use of pen/pad of my note taking. I also look forward to the integrate of the stylus with One Note.
The MS SPro stopped me from buying a Google Nexus 10 (no pen); Galaxy Note 10.1 (pen but less than ideal integration with Google Drive - i.e., no editing of slide presentations in the Drive).
If the writing experience is good; if I can access my PowerPoint presentations within the SkyDrive and edit them with the stylus, or touch screen, or keyboard and if the integration with One Note is good, particularly using the pen .... the MS SPro may become the preferred business tablet ...
with Google Tablets occupying the purely consumption space.

VERY Good point about annotating Power Points.
So far it's been basically impossible to do on Android.
No one wants to have to convert to PDF all the time.
Until SoftMaker remakes their Office Suite to the same level of functionality as their Windows Mobile 6 version (which basically WAS MS Office) Android can never be a serious productivity tool.
So far lots of Office Suites miss a majority of functions and even LOSE document data you originally had put in the document from the official MS Office, if you save.

With the gazillions MS spent on advertising Surface RT and even opening pop-up stores in malls to sell it they sold fewer than 1MM over the holidays. Samsung canceled plans to bring to bring the Ativ RT to the U.S. because of lack of consumer interest. Surface Pro is nothing more than Surface RT with the ability to run legacy Windows apps. The devices are twice as thick, twice as heavy, and battery life is unknown. The real change in personal computing is the addition of touch screen interaction and you'll see most new ultrabooks and notebooks including it. When that happens it's really just a choice of picking the Windows device that best suits people's needs - a small light ultrabook with a touchscreen with better battery life or a heavy Surface Pro with limitations and a removable display. Legacy Windows with all of its viruses and maintenance chores really isn't a competitor to consumption devices like iPad and Android tablets. And unless something changes Surface RT is already a fail. Samsung canceling the Ativ RT and releasing updated G-Tab's next month is a pretty good that Android will be around for awhile.

well, February 9th is just around the corner.... let's wait and see if Microsoft will surprise us.

I actually have a surface rt as well. It's inferior to the Note in almost all ways, but it definitely has two advantages.
1 the type keyboard is extremely nice to use and convenient
2 native ms office support is great when you need to work with word, ppt docs, and etc
Sent from my GT-N8010 using xda app-developers app

padesy said:
well, February 9th is just around the corner.... let's wait and see if Microsoft will surprise us.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There's no surprise, here's the specs from their site. In the 64GB version, because the OS and installed apps are huge, there's only 23GB left for the user. And it's already confirmed to get half the battery life of Surface RT.
http://www.microsoft.com/Surface/en-US/surface-with-windows-8-pro/specifications
So...
$999 - 128GB Surface Pro (23GB is way too little available storage)
$250 - Office 2013 license (it's not included in Surface Pro)
$130 - "Type" cover (the "touch" cover included would drive productivity users nuts)
$1,379
I don't see people lining up for it.
Here's an interesting article comparing the RT to Pro...
http://www.zdnet.com/why-im-not-trading-my-surface-rt-for-a-surface-pro-7000010132/

dhd1802 said:
Surely using a stylus on ps touch, is 10x better than using your finger on a surface pro. Outclassed :laugh:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Except the Surface Pro has a full sized pen power by a Wacom digitizer.
Full HD too. No 800p crap.
299792458 said:
Which i5 tablets get 5 - 7 of actual use? As a previous owner of one who just ditched it for the note I am very curious. My biggest problem was by far sub par battery life.
I think surface pro is the future of the Windows branch of "PC" for the masses....even though it will take a couple of years before they are palatable. But unfortunately I also think that the market is much larger for casual users (those who initially only want web and email). IPad, Asus, Samsung tablets are going to become even more prevalent. 20 years ago only ultrageeks used computers, today grandma has a Facebook acct. There are so many people that mobile computing is being used by now.
People who want to run Photoshop and other real warez will be fulfilled by the new surface pro types that I think eventually will become laptop and desktop replacements as well. At the same time the Apple and Android apps are slowly closing the gap. There is much more complex software available for mobile platforms than there was just a few years ago. This is where many new developers have emerged and it is a market where traditional softwares are dying to get into.
Microsoft is wayyyyy to late to the game, and they will never capture the casual users. I think they will hold a smaller market of business and previous PC users who haven't yet completely jumped ship. Apple and Android are here to stay as the majority, and Microsoft unfortunately as the minority.
That being said I still use my custom built Intel Z77/i5 3570K-based PC with 32GB RAM and Samsung 830 SSDs for RAW photo editing in Lightroom and Photoshop, using MATLAB, Visual Studio, Mathematica, Sony Vegas, Handbrake, Acrobat, etc, etc, as well as an occasional game of BF3. I use my phone and tablet for everything else.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Acer W700. It has a 1000mah larger battery than the Surface Pro.

A nexus 10 can help me?

I owe a nexus 4 and also owe laptop and desktop pc. Is the nexus 10 gonna help me?
First of all I want it since in august I'll start university so it will help for books on pdf, taking notes and since I'll enter to computer sciences I expect to use it for others things that I'll reach on school.
But I don't really know what is having a tablet, maybe I can do it all with a laptop but sometimes I think watching movies, comics, books, gaming and surfing Web is enough + utilities on school for getting it.
Any advice?
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda app-developers app

Nethojs29 said:
I owe a nexus 4 and also owe laptop and desktop pc. Is the nexus 10 gonna help me?
First of all I want it since in august I'll start university so it will help for books on pdf, taking notes and since I'll enter to computer sciences I expect to use it for others things that I'll reach on school.
But I don't really know what is having a tablet, maybe I can do it all with a laptop but sometimes I think watching movies, comics, books, gaming and surfing Web is enough + utilities on school for getting it.
Any advice?
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've got a beastly desktop, laptop, and a decent phone. The tablet goes with me to stores and such so I can look things up on the go, or to work (I'm a teacher) so that I can take attendance on it. Its much more mobile than a laptop while providing, with the right apps. most of the functionality.

I would wait to see what the next galaxy note tablet is going to be. You could use a bluetooth keyboard if you'd rather type your notes and use the spen if you need to jot down formulas or charts.
If you have a newer laptop, I wouldn't recommend getting a regular tablet like the nexus 10 if you want it for school.
Me personally, I have a powerful desktop with two monitors for my main bulk of school work at home. I bring a netbook to class for notes (I download the PowerPoint's and convert them to PDF. Using acrobat pro, I can type notes just like if I were writing on the print out). The netbook is a bit old and weak but gets the job done for now.
With something like the galaxy note, you can have everything consolidated on your tablet(PDFs, PowerPoint's,hand written notes, types notes, ebooks ect) all in a compact device. Then use your desktop for more productive things and you could probably sell your laptop.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda app-developers app

Nethojs29 said:
I owe a nexus 4 and also owe laptop and desktop pc. Is the nexus 10 gonna help me?
First of all I want it since in august I'll start university so it will help for books on pdf, taking notes and since I'll enter to computer sciences I expect to use it for others things that I'll reach on school.
But I don't really know what is having a tablet, maybe I can do it all with a laptop but sometimes I think watching movies, comics, books, gaming and surfing Web is enough + utilities on school for getting it.
Any advice?
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Personally, I don't find tablets with (solely) capacitive touch screens to be useful for notetaking. They aren't accurate enough to take down diagrams and formulas much better than pen and paper. In fact, the best solution I've found has been using a LiveScribe pen to import those kinds of information into OneNote. On the other hand, if you've got any professors who are enamored of open-source formats like PDF, tablets are a great way to read on the go, and for that purpose I highly recommend them.
They're also great for most of what you named, but importantly tablets can go into "tighter" places. Your dorm room bed, a couch, or some other random place on campus are good candidates. If you've got a small bag, they're also one of those things you can toss in as a "just in case" if you need to do something your phone is unsuitable for, but don't want to bring your laptop for.
I'd recommend honestly looking into a Windows convertible, or, if you don't like the big M, go for an active-digitizer tablet. That basically means the Note at this point, unless you go hunting for one of Lenovo's offerings.
The Nexus 10 is a great tablet though, so buy with confidence if you feel a tablet is for you.

Nethojs29 said:
I owe a nexus 4 and also owe laptop and desktop pc. Is the nexus 10 gonna help me?
First of all I want it since in august I'll start university so it will help for books on pdf, taking notes and since I'll enter to computer sciences I expect to use it for others things that I'll reach on school.
But I don't really know what is having a tablet, maybe I can do it all with a laptop but sometimes I think watching movies, comics, books, gaming and surfing Web is enough + utilities on school for getting it.
Any advice?
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This hits it on the head:
Rirere said:
They're also great for most of what you named, but importantly tablets can go into "tighter" places. Your dorm room bed, a couch, or some other random place on campus are good candidates. If you've got a small bag, they're also one of those things you can toss in as a "just in case" if you need to do something your phone is unsuitable for, but don't want to bring your laptop for.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I only use my tablet around the house and it's perfect for the living room or the bed, when I don't want to carry my ultrabook with its superfluous keyboard with me. The ultrabook is pretty light, a little less than 3 lbs, but the Nexus 10 is less than half that at 1.33 lbs. I can have a nice big, high-res screen with me at all times, one that isn't as heavy as lugging my ultrabook around.
With a tablet, you too can have a computer at your fingertips at all times! :victory:
That said, I agree with Sher and Rirere that the Nexus 10 may not be the best for writing with a stylus, though I haven't tried it. I'd guess the Note 10 would be better for that, since it has a digitizer built in. I always suggest that you try these devices out in a store before buying. I don't think an Android tablet will help you in computer science classes either, as they probably don't do anything with Android, plus you'll need a stand to keep the tablet up and a bluetooth keyboard to get any serious typing done. All the other content consumption stuff you mentioned is perfect on a tablet though.
The fundamental question is whether you value having a high-res computer with you in more places, because it is more portable than a laptop but with a bigger screen than a smartphone, albeit a computer that isn't that easy to type on unless you get a bluetooth keyboard also.

I have a Nexus 10, a Kindle, a S4 and a good/average laptop, I can tell you that for what you want the Nexus is amazing, if you want to watch a movie on it you'll see how amazing the screen is, surfing the Web is great too, and Android is with some top games, so you can enjoy it easily. If you most want to read comics and books I'd recommend you a Kindle (not the tablet), which is really the best option. Nexus 4 is already a good cellphone, but there are things that after you get hands on a tablet you see how easily they can be.
About school now. Formulas and such has no better companion than pen and paper, I already played a little with a Note 10 on a store, and it's great to handwrite, but I still think that for my math counts using a paper is the best option. However about the computer classes you can use it! Search on amazon for a case with keyboard and there is one which I really like (and have), which is so good that I typed my fanfictions on it, also I used to learn java on my Xoom with an app called "Droid Edit", which is a text editor with syntax highlight, then I installed Terminal IDE and had compiler and everything ready to learn. Guess what? It worked finely !"
And at least, you can install Linux distros on it, so you can get some more things to be done! And also it works greatly .
Hope it helps
~Lord
"This Story Ends Where It Began" - Octavarium (Dream Theater)
Sent from my GT-I9505

Here's another long response:
I would try and wait till the end of summer to make your decision. Toshiba has just announced three tablets - one lower end tablet, a 2560x1600 Tegra 4 tablet and another identical one, but with a wacom digitizer. Asus has a new 2560x1600 Infinity Transformer also with a Tegra 4. HP has there x2 android tablet coming out which didn't look too bad. Most of these are due for release in Q3 of this year. And on top of it, Samsung is holding a "Galaxy and Ativ" event on the 20th. Ativ will be a Windows device and Galaxy is an android device. Besides the Galaxy camera 2, no one really knows what to expect. Hopefully a new note tablet with better resolution, cause the current resolution is a deal breaker for a lot of people.
The Nexus ten is now a good 7 months old, although will probably be better priced than all of the above. The Tegra 4 could be great, but also could be terrible. I enjoyed my Nexus 10 when I had it earlier this year, but I think there are much better options for a school tablet coming out.
Also, I believe Intel is releasing there updated Atom processor (what Netbooks and lower range windows tabs use) towards the end of the year and is supposed to have greatly improved graphics, power, and battery life. Some of the current lower end Windows tablets run full windows 8 (like the Ativ 500T and also has a wacom digitizer for about $550) and they aren't terrible, though can be a bit sluggish. There battery life is also comparable to an android tablet.
Lastly, for school, a windows tablet may be a better choice since you won't have any compatibility issues like with android browsers. If your teacher uses online problems, demos, or chat rooms, you could run into issues running these things. I'm leaning slightly more towards Windows at the moment just for those reasons, but it all depends on how these products compare. If the android tablet is much smoother and has better battery life for 2/3 of the price, I'll just wait to get home to do something not compatible.
I've been in the same boat looking for something for school and my netbook is holding me off till the new products are released. I would recommend doing the same with your laptop, unless you can't afford more than the $400 for the Nexus 10.

Sher The Love said:
Here's another long response:
I would try and wait till the end of summer to make your decision. Toshiba has just announced three tablets - one lower end tablet, a 2560x1600 Tegra 4 tablet and another identical one, but with a wacom digitizer. Asus has a new 2560x1600 Infinity Transformer also with a Tegra 4. HP has there x2 android tablet coming out which didn't look too bad. Most of these are due for release in Q3 of this year. And on top of it, Samsung is holding a "Galaxy and Ativ" event on the 20th. Ativ will be a Windows device and Galaxy is an android device. Besides the Galaxy camera 2, no one really knows what to expect. Hopefully a new note tablet with better resolution, cause the current resolution is a deal breaker for a lot of people.
The Nexus ten is now a good 7 months old, although will probably be better priced than all of the above. The Tegra 4 could be great, but also could be terrible. I enjoyed my Nexus 10 when I had it earlier this year, but I think there are much better options for a school tablet coming out.
Also, I believe Intel is releasing there updated Atom processor (what Netbooks and lower range windows tabs use) towards the end of the year and is supposed to have greatly improved graphics, power, and battery life. Some of the current lower end Windows tablets run full windows 8 (like the Ativ 500T and also has a wacom digitizer for about $550) and they aren't terrible, though can be a bit sluggish. There battery life is also comparable to an android tablet.
Lastly, for school, a windows tablet may be a better choice since you won't have any compatibility issues like with android browsers. If your teacher uses online problems, demos, or chat rooms, you could run into issues running these things. I'm leaning slightly more towards Windows at the moment just for those reasons, but it all depends on how these products compare. If the android tablet is much smoother and has better battery life for 2/3 of the price, I'll just wait to get home to do something not compatible.
I've been in the same boat looking for something for school and my netbook is holding me off till the new products are released. I would recommend doing the same with your laptop, unless you can't afford more than the $400 for the Nexus 10.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I honestl yplan to hold on to the N10 until December 2014 and THEN upgrade, since I dropped the $500 on the 32GB model.

dibblebill said:
I honestl yplan to hold on to the N10 until December 2014 and THEN upgrade, since I dropped the $500 on the 32GB model.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How does the Nexus 10 compare to a Nook HD+?

dalcowboys1993 said:
How does the Nexus 10 compare to a Nook HD+?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Way above it in every way, so far as I know, as well as more expensive.
Sent from my Nexus 10 using XDA Premium HD app

dibblebill said:
Way above it in every way, so far as I know, as well as more expensive.
Sent from my Nexus 10 using XDA Premium HD app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you don't mind hacking it up though, the Nook HD+ looks like a fun little investment to slap somewhere (like a wall or something as a control panel). It may not make the best tablet but the hardware is good.
+1 for the people recommending paper/pencil. I can't do formulas another way. OP however might want to look into the LiveScribe Sky and a tablet (or use their PC); I believe I saw an ad somewhere showing off live, instant syncing from paper to tablet, which I'll have to look into myself (got a LiveScribe Echo as a work bonus, so I'm sticking with that for the moment).
It's not just a question of having an active digitizer; while the Note pen will wow in stores, writing with a stylus for any duration of time can quickly become, well, annoying. Glass just doesn't have the same tactile feel that a good pen on paper will, you'll get the "clicking" sounds from contact, and you could generally be doing something a lot more useful with your electronic device (like typing bullet points) than scrawling into it with a digitizer.
Unless, of course, by tablet, we're talking about a Wacom drawing pad.

Rirere said:
If you don't mind hacking it up though, the Nook HD+ looks like a fun little investment to slap somewhere (like a wall or something as a control panel). It may not make the best tablet but the hardware is good.
+1 for the people recommending paper/pencil. I can't do formulas another way. OP however might want to look into the LiveScribe Sky and a tablet (or use their PC); I believe I saw an ad somewhere showing off live, instant syncing from paper to tablet, which I'll have to look into myself (got a LiveScribe Echo as a work bonus, so I'm sticking with that for the moment).
It's not just a question of having an active digitizer; while the Note pen will wow in stores, writing with a stylus for any duration of time can quickly become, well, annoying. Glass just doesn't have the same tactile feel that a good pen on paper will, you'll get the "clicking" sounds from contact, and you could generally be doing something a lot more useful with your electronic device (like typing bullet points) than scrawling into it with a digitizer.
Unless, of course, by tablet, we're talking about a Wacom drawing pad.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Everyone will of course have their preferences, so I'm not trying to argue right or wrong. However, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ATo3ohdwok has certainly influenced me to getting something with a wacom digitizer. She has some other videos showing note taking as well. I hate having a lot of printouts with notes on them. I also don't like typing notes on a computer but then having to draw out charts and math examples on a separate piece of paper. I'd rather have a device I can carry around almost anywhere with great battery life where everything in consolidated. It's also possible to sync to dropbox so you can get the notes on your phone(in PDF, not SNOTE format). Imagine staying on campus for whatever reason and wanting to do work for a class that you didn't bring your notes or text for. You could have everything in your Note tablet to include general handwritten notes.
Also, the note tablet comes with two different tips. One plastic that will feel like super smooth writing on glass and one rubber that has some drag to it that doesn't make "clicking" noises. I would prefer real pen and paper as well mostly because its what I'm used to, but I really like the idea of consolidating everything into one device backed up to the cloud that I can get anywhere. I'm currently doing it with powerpoint notes in dropbox and typed notes in Evernote, but unless I scan or take pictures, I can't get anything I hand write somewhere else.
Edit: I just looked up the Livescribe pen. That is pretty neat. I feel like I'd lose it though. I will continue looking into that as another option.

I switched to Windows 8

I have to start by saying I've been a long time Windows guy. I've had many tablet PC's and liked the ability to use a stylus for both ink notes and ink to text. However, tablet PC's were always too heavy for real portable use. I've never been a fan of Apple products and really have considered the iPad more of a toy than a business machine.
When I first saw the Galaxy Note 10.1 I figured this was what I had been waiting and for. I like many features of the Note. Particularly the ability to take ink notes with LectureNotes. However, after using Android for a full year, I realize there are many shortcomings if you are trying to use as your main portable computer. I use all the Microsoft Office products and Android just falls short on all of them. So I tried using Remote Desktop to simulate Windows. However, all the apps I found are glitchy.
I stopped in my local Windows Store and discovered Windows 8 has pretty much all the capabilities I need. I tried the Surface Pro but found it to be too heavy, runs hot and is loud. Then I discovered Samsung makes a series called ATIV Tab 5 or 500T. I bought one from a store that gives a 15 day return trial. This thing is really cool. It has built in USB and HDMI ports, has an 11.5" screen, is light, runs fast yet stays cool. I can do all my Office stuff plus load full programs, which is a huge plus. The HDMI port allows connection to a monitor and Windows 8 has the built in ability for dual screens. This ends up being a full blown computer when I need it to be!
I'm not sure that I understand the huge angst for Windows 8. So far I think it is fast and I just got the 8.1 update, which is supposed to make it faster.
Long story short - after trying the Android for a year I found it just isn't capable enough as a work computer. Try the Samsung 500T, I think you'll like it.

The 500T is excellent but Windows 8 lacks the integration with Android phones (Note II, and I have had a Windows phone and felt trapped) as well as many of the customization options that are available on Android. Plus I prefer native Google Maps and search to Bing.
But yeah I mean if you need a full OS it's a good way to go and Samsung has made it compatible with things like S-Note.
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i to have been considering the switch. ..as really i need the desktop option for power point and you can also use bluestacks for Android apps on w8
recently been scouting the pro 2, but also lookef at some of asus offerings and Samsung as well including the ones yo mentioned
battery still concerns me so i may keep my note for those long plane rides, but the multi tasking on windows 8 i feel brings something great to the table
just waiting to se what option is best for me
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The surface pro 2 is looking good to me. Having a tablet and a laptop in one, 8gb of ram lots of storage, usb 3.0. Being able to use lightroom, photoshop and other full software would be great. This tablet is great and for the price I paid well worth it but I need more. I'm gonna sell this and probably go for the new surface or an ativ with my Christmas bonus.
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Mr. bird said:
The surface pro 2 is looking good to me. Having a tablet and a laptop in one, 8gb of ram lots of storage, usb 3.0. Being able to use lightroom, photoshop and other full software would be great. This tablet is great and for the price I paid well worth it but I need more. I'm gonna sell this and probably go for the new surface or an ativ with my Christmas bonus.
Sent from my GT-N8013 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can even use usb 3.0 external hard drives on pro 2, they are sweet but very pricey also.

I picked up a Dell Latitude 10 from the outlet store for £250 iirc to do an experiment in Windows tablets (couldn't justify the cost of a Surface Pro) and I must say, having used it for a couple of months now I love having a fully fledged OS on a tablet. The version I got came with the 4 cell battery which gets me over 18 (YES I did say 18) hours of productive use. When used as a laptop/desktop replacement I get over two days between charges, if I use the productivity dock you can double that easily. In real world terms, one charge can last a week depending on what you are doing. Using the Note in the same way I'd need to charge it daily.
I still use the Note 10.1 but more as a secondary/backup/internet device. The weirdest thing I've found since going over to a Win 8 tablet is how it has sentenced my desktop AND laptop to the dust bowl with only the latter getting out for the odd gaming session.
As a predominately Linux user (mainly used windows for gaming) I think what Microsoft have done with Windows 8 is genius and I am one of those weirdos that actually love the simplicity of Metro for basic things and desktop mode for everything else. I would love to be able to switch between Linux and Win 8 like I'm used to, but tbh I have not missed using Linux too much since getting it.

whats a good priced win8 tablet with pen and good battery life
also keyboard would be nice that has a battery
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I like the 500T but do not like that you cannot use the pen to navigate around (webpages etc).
Touchwiz has alot of nice touches with the s-pen and mobile use.
Only thing need Win8 for is MS office. Android options are garbage. tied of professors getting mad about sloppy formating.
Once MS puts office out for Android(if ever) then no point.
But Samsung will soon have Dual boot with WinRT...though I was shocked the 500T has full Win 8.
I heard the Tab3 is garbage tho..

nymviper1126 said:
I like the 500T but do not like that you cannot use the pen to navigate around (webpages etc).
Touchwiz has alot of nice touches with the s-pen and mobile use.
Only thing need Win8 for is MS office. Android options are garbage. tied of professors getting mad about sloppy formating.
Once MS puts office out for Android(if ever) then no point.
But Samsung will soon have Dual boot with WinRT...though I was shocked the 500T has full Win 8.
I heard the Tab3 is garbage tho..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
agreed..really need ms office more importantly in the enterprise sector...still dont get why the dont offer the surface pro for 500

On the other hand I switch to Android from Windows 8 tablet!
Windows 8 tablets are:
Top slow, terribly slow on multitasking
Still don't have multiwindow
Touch response is just not as good as note 10
Battery life is just out of any discussion.! More powerful the tablet, less battery it has, means the worst usage, per to pocket. ?
No real mobile applications, keep on the browser alive and you will end up with even worst battery
Keyboard is just from primitive ages. ?, don't mention about the swipe...But you can be a dreamer. ?.
Pen calibration issue all the time forever. ?.
Gogogo ms soon will be really micro! Company...With overpriced products that just can't make it
And please stop that productivity thingies, w8 tablets are just in stage of touch enabled net books, and no you can not make anything on Netbook Eexcept editing office docs and being fun of ms office... Because others out there so the same thing, On THE GO
?.All those written by note 10.1, used for business purposes, by swyping, just on a cafe table. ..

you know i actually had this same reasins for not switching ...but the bluestacks came along and i have all the the tablet apps i need and google stuff plus a full desktop to book
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karaern said:
On the other hand I switch to Android from Windows 8 tablet!
Windows 8 tablets are:
Top slow, terribly slow on multitasking
Still don't have multiwindow
Touch response is just not as good as note 10
Battery life is just out of any discussion.! More powerful the tablet, less battery it has, means the worst usage, per to pocket. ?
No real mobile applications, keep on the browser alive and you will end up with even worst battery
Keyboard is just from primitive ages. ?, don't mention about the swipe...But you can be a dreamer. ?.
Pen calibration issue all the time forever. ?.
Gogogo ms soon will be really micro! Company...With overpriced products that just can't make it
And please stop that productivity thingies, w8 tablets are just in stage of touch enabled net books, and no you can not make anything on Netbook Eexcept editing office docs and being fun of ms office... Because others out there so the same thing, On THE GO
?.All those written by note 10.1, used for business purposes, by swyping, just on a cafe table. ..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Old windows 8 tablets are crap. New ones (depending on what) aren't bad at all. Im actually now looking at the lenovo yoga 2. 13in screen, i7 processor, 8gb ram amd 256gb ssd usb 3.0. Full windows 8 so I can use lightroom and photoshop. Battery life is decent. Good enough for me. I don't need all the android apps. I need full programs. I have my phome for the little android apps.
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I've been considering switching from my note tablet to a surface tablet. I really like Windows 8 and as someone who has been using computing devices since the mid 1980's , I just want one device to rule them all. I love my note, it is a great device. But it doesn't have one note. I really like the s-note program, but onenote is far superior.
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I'll tell you this, we still need windows 8 tablets. Unfortunately Microsoft having been to late to understand the mobile trend acted slowly. The 2 giants Microsoft and Intel dominated the world for 20 years, but both giants are now having difficulties in adapting.MS could have adapted its phone OS to a simple tablet, but waited to release the RT. I own a smartphone (Note2) which I use when I am on the road. At office I depend on my GN 10.1. Since I love technology I constantly change devices. Nevertheless last february I started with Vaio Duo 11 which I returned in a week, got a Samsung XE700T, which I sold to a friend in two months. I was a bit confused and about windows 8 and the tablets had not been matured... until Haswell. Now I am also a proud owner of a Vaio Duo 13 which I love. I am not using my GN 10.1. It just sits there on the table. After 8.1 update and the recent wifi driver update Duo 13 has been my first choice in mobility. With 8 gig RAM, 256 gig SSD and a i7 processor... I think we will see more windows tablets, hybrids in the future. I am an Android fan, but seriously they are just toys and gadgets.

peare said:
I'll tell you this, we still need windows 8 tablets. Unfortunately Microsoft having been to late to understand the mobile trend acted slowly. The 2 giants Microsoft and Intel dominated the world for 20 years, but both giants are now having difficulties in adapting.MS could have adapted its phone OS to a simple tablet, but waited to release the RT. I own a smartphone (Note2) which I use when I am on the road. At office I depend on my GN 10.1. Since I love technology I constantly change devices. Nevertheless last february I started with Vaio Duo 11 which I returned in a week, got a Samsung XE700T, which I sold to a friend in two months. I was a bit confused and about windows 8 and the tablets had not been matured... until Haswell. Now I am also a proud owner of a Vaio Duo 13 which I love. I am not using my GN 10.1. It just sits there on the table. After 8.1 update and the recent wifi driver update Duo 13 has been my first choice in mobility. With 8 gig RAM, 256 gig SSD and a i7 processor... I think we will see more windows tablets, hybrids in the future. I am an Android fan, but seriously they are just toys and gadgets.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Probably will have just Several hours of real usage time and Soon I count the time that ms Will be a history as the term→ pre-pc era! Shall be said pre-mS era
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karaern said:
Probably will have just Several hours of real usage time and Soon I count the time that ms Will be a history as the term→ pre-pc era! Shall be said pre-mS era
Send by GT2-7 by TelephatyTalk.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not really. Standby time of Vaio Duo 13 is quite good, not as good as Ipad or GN 10.1, but 10+ hours of continuous usage, near 2 days standby getting e-mails or social media updates.
As for MS... Gates is only good at marketing. In mid 90's he said multimedia was not important, later he didnt care about Internet, but every time he made a comeback. We know that there is a huge decrease in desktop and laptop sales lately, but this is also a great danger for the future of technology, unless portable devices would be capable of doing whatever those machines are doing. If PC market dies who will financially backup the future supercomputers? Are we going to send men on Mars relying on Ipads?

Although I make my living developing/building Android devices, I hope the Windows Tablet market remains viable as without competition you get stagnation, which isn't good for anyone.
peare said:
If PC market dies who will financially backup the future supercomputers? Are we going to send men on Mars relying on Ipads?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, but I suspect they'll be using more ARM chips (i.e., Android/iDevice) chips than x86 chips (PC/Surface) to do so as time goes on- your question will likely be more reality than fiction.

Temetka said:
I've been considering switching from my note tablet to a surface tablet. I really like Windows 8 and as someone who has been using computing devices since the mid 1980's , I just want one device to rule them all. I love my note, it is a great device. But it doesn't have one note. I really like the s-note program, but onenote is far superior.
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Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes it does. I use One Note on all my devices. https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.microsoft.office.onenote&hl=en :good:

Note 10.1 2014 or Surface pro 2

Hi.
As a Note 3 users I've been thinking of getting the LTE version of the Note 10.1 2014 for some time now, but waited for a good deal. Next week MediaMarkt here in the Netherlands is having their anual 21% of everything. Here the Lte version costs about 720 euro. Now I've been thinking of the surface pro which is in the 800+ euro category. Especially since its faster, runs full desktop apps. On the other hand its thick and battery doesnt last long.
I also have a series 7 chronos laptop.
What do you guys recommend?

blue13x said:
Hi.
As a Note 3 users I've been thinking of getting the LTE version of the Note 10.1 2014 for some time now, but waited for a good deal. Next week MediaMarkt here in the Netherlands is having their anual 21% of everything. Here the Lte version costs about 720 euro. Now I've been thinking of the surface pro which is in the 800+ euro category. Especially since its faster, runs full desktop apps. On the other hand its thick and battery doesnt last long.
I also have a series 7 chronos laptop.
What do you guys recommend?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Had the same problem as you currently got. I went for the Note 10.1.14 because I got the Note 3 and both are the perfect couple. However, I missing being able to run my desktop apps whilst on the road so now I have decided im going to purchase the SP2 & keep the note which will give me the best of both worlds.
The problem you got is what ever one you choose you will always find a reason why you should have chosen the other one.

Surface (and all their ilk) are pretty crappy entertainment devices compared to Android (and iOS). It also weighs 2 pounds without its paraphernalia. It's also as big as a house.
I have a 13" laptop which I tote around when I'm going to be on the road for a while or if I know I'm going to be doing a lot of productivity work like document creation; especially Excel and PPT. You can't do heavy productivity work on anything less than a 13" display IMHO (the Surface Pro 2 is 10.6") The N10.1-14's powerful enough that I can leave my laptop home quite a bit of the time and use RDP and faux-Office to meet my light productivity needs (editing and reviewing). It's also a fantastic entertainment and media device. Mine's 3G so it's always connected which is invaluable when traveling. The Surface(s) to me aren't great as laptop replacements and their entertainment capabilities are at best acceptable. I don't consider going in to the non-Modern interface and accessing entertainment via native IE a good media experience or a replacement for the simplicity of multiple dedicated media apps in Android. I have IE on my laptop. Maybe someday Windows tablets will evolve so that they're better all-round tablets and less biased toward the utilization of (captive) MS products like Office. Until then I'm fine with my two device (laptop/Android tablet) set-up and each fulfill their missions fine (at least for me).
P.S. - Samsung calling their high end tablets "Pro" and loading them up with productivity s/w isn't going to change the fact Android's as bad at productivity as Windows tablets are at entertainment.
Just my opinion, people should buy what makes them happy.

If you are going to be taking a lot of notes and pen offset bothers you then I would say go for the note. Every surface 2 pro that I've come across has had some offset on the stylus, and it gets pretty bad at the edges.
Sent from my SM-P600 using Tapatalk

I pondered this for awhile. I've been on android since mytouch3g and have a couple hundred dollars tied into premium software. Since I can use team viewer to access my laptop from my android device, I don't need a Windows tablet.
I also own an iPad. I bought it to help troubleshoot clients who couldn't figure out how to get "the only device that requires no manual" on a network. That quote was by Black Eyed Peas, fyi. I only used my Apple slab for magazine reading now. My note 10.1 2014 is much more user friendly and again I don't have to buy all my apps again.
Sent from my SM-N900T using Tapatalk

Note
For a tablet I'd rather have android. I have a thinkpad for when I want portable windows - and I'd much rather run Windows 7 than 8 on a tablet if I am trying to write. The Note is nice for reviewing and .pdf mark-up.

Me, as a developer who is living on "Microsoft World" I definetly prefere surface pro 2 because it is i5 intel laptop without a keyboard not tablet
Having note 3 and note 10.1 at the same time is like, eating two sizes of hamburgers on the same meal which both tastes same. If you are fanatic about hamburgers it's ok but for extending posibilities, I would recommend surface pro 2 or maybe just surface 2 or lumia 2520.
As a s4 user, I just bought note 10.1 for everyday use (I could not buy surface or lumia because they are not on market at my region) and planning to exchange my s4 with a Windows mobile now.
It is my opinion for nonuniformity...

Here's what I've arrived at, as a sort of a hiearchy of usage when mobile.
1. When I am just going to the shops etc - Note 2, phone only
2. When I expect to be doing little work if any but want to browse etc - Note 10.1-2014
3. When I expect to do some work but not a lot - Note 10.1-2014
4. When I expect to do a moderate amount of work - Note 10.1-2014 plus MS Wedge KB and Mouse
5. When I expect to do a ton of work - HP Envy 14.
I have Andropen Office and various other Office substitutes on the Note 10.1-2014. I also have RDP to a virtual machine on my server at home. This gives me a full Windows experience when that is crucial, for example creating a clean new .docx document in "real" MS Word. RDP works really well on this tablet. It is like using a windows machine, but with some slowness as it's remote.
I have to tell you that the MS Wedge KB and mouse, plus the Note 10.1-2014, is a fricking awesome looking combo. They look like they were made to go together. It is such a fine looking set-up to have on a desk, and it is also very pleasant to use and incredibly portable.
I considered a Surface Pro 2 but it's too expensive, not portable enough, and not, for me, necessary. And it is a Windows 8 device, which basically makes it a steaming pile of [email protected] no matter how you look at it. If I didn't also have an okay laptop maybe it would be a candidate. But honestly, the occasions when I will get out my laptop now are getting very infrequent. The 10.1 tablet is far nicer and just as practical 99% of the time.
Jason

Decided im going for the Note 10.1 2014. The Surface pro is superior, but its too large and battery life just isnt as good.
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On the other hand...the surface pro 2 is superior when it vomes to power and performance. basically full windows app. Its more for people that dont have a laptop. As a side device the note for me is better.
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This question has been in my head for a few months now. My Asus Transformer Prime (3G) just isn't as good as it used to be. I did wipe it and it's better but still sluggish. I have had many Samsung phones, currently the S4 Google Edition so I like Samsung products. As a business owner and software developer the surface Pro makes sense but the batter ife and bulk just don't make sens to me. The biggest hurdle either way is getting one in 3G or 4G for my ATT plan. Fortunately I have enough time to decide because my current tablet is still working.
Edit - Or I suppose I could be the geek that I am and use my phone as a hot spot when I need to......

It depends on the majority of how you are going to use it. The sp2 is more of a laptop replacement in a form of a tablet. It's not as comfortable to hold and easy to operate as an android tablet. If you just want to surf the Web on the couch and be able to entertain yourself on the go then get the note. If you are looking for a laptop replacement that you can do work on then the sp2 is a beast. It is actually a full functioning computer with windows. You can install any program on there that you can on your home
Pc. Few cons are the weight, thickness, and battery life. Also there aren't as many apps as Google play store. And using regular windows with your fingers is sometimes a hassle unless i connect a mouse because everything is small with the high resolution. I had the type cover keyboard but the mouse pad on there is too small. So lot of times I would just take out my phone and click on app instead of dealing with that.
I ended up returning the sp2 because I noticed I wasn't using it that much. Also because of the size and weight it was not that comfortable using it for simple things that I can comfortably do on my note 3. I exchanged the sp2 for a note 10.1 and I'm using the note 10.1 much more than I was the sp2. I just like to browse the Web on the couch and simple stuff. If I need to use a Pc I just hop on my desktop with much bigger monitor. The thing that bugs me most about the note 10.1 is the lag that everyone talks about. I'm still contemplating on whether I should return this and try something else. Either that or wait for note pro 12.2. Kind of disappointed that it's going to have the same specs though.
So I think it just depends on what, where and how you'll be using the tablet. I've read the sp2 is very useful for people that work in the IT industry. But if your just like me and use the tablet for mostly entertainment then note 10.1 would be a better choice.
Hope this helps and good luck on your decision. They are both good devices with different pros and cons.

Guys im going to purchase the SP2 and was wonder how it runs to the version with only 2GB of ram? I don't really need the 128GB drive version but if it runs better on 4GB of ram then I guess its worth spending that extra money
Thanks

fyew-jit-tiv said:
Guys im going to purchase the SP2 and was wonder how it runs to the version with only 2GB of ram? I don't really need the 128GB drive version but if it runs better on 4GB of ram then I guess its worth spending that extra money
Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You might get more perspective if you ask that in a SP2 forum.

I believe the 64 gb and 128 gb come with 4 gb of ram and the 256 gb and 512 gb version come with 8 gb of ram. Both are enough for most things. If you use lot of memory intensive apps then go with the 8 gb. How many gb of ram do you have on your desktop/laptop you are using now?
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sgvnut said:
It depends on the majority of how you are going to use it. The sp2 is more of a laptop replacement in a form of a tablet. It's not as comfortable to hold and easy to operate as an android tablet. If you just want to surf the Web on the couch and be able to entertain yourself on the go then get the note. If you are looking for a laptop replacement that you can do work on then the sp2 is a beast. It is actually a full functioning computer with windows. You can install any program on there that you can on your home
Pc. Few cons are the weight, thickness, and battery life. Also there aren't as many apps as Google play store. And using regular windows with your fingers is sometimes a hassle unless i connect a mouse because everything is small with the high resolution. I had the type cover keyboard but the mouse pad on there is too small. So lot of times I would just take out my phone and click on app instead of dealing with that.
I ended up returning the sp2 because I noticed I wasn't using it that much. Also because of the size and weight it was not that comfortable using it for simple things that I can comfortably do on my note 3. I exchanged the sp2 for a note 10.1 and I'm using the note 10.1 much more than I was the sp2. I just like to browse the Web on the couch and simple stuff. If I need to use a Pc I just hop on my desktop with much bigger monitor. The thing that bugs me most about the note 10.1 is the lag that everyone talks about. I'm still contemplating on whether I should return this and try something else. Either that or wait for note pro 12.2. Kind of disappointed that it's going to have the same specs though.
So I think it just depends on what, where and how you'll be using the tablet. I've read the sp2 is very useful for people that work in the IT industry. But if your just like me and use the tablet for mostly entertainment then note 10.1 would be a better choice.
Hope this helps and good luck on your decision. They are both good devices with different pros and cons.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Good points and that is part of the problem I have yet to decide. I prefer to use my transformer any time I can vs my laptop which I am on now. I run a meeting at least once a month and while I like typing on the laptop, I hate lugging it around. If i get a SP2 I can connect to my sky drive. If I get a note then I have to email and convert or paste to a new doc.
The lag worries me. I have a horrible lag in my transformer and at best it's good for reading and some light games.
I'm still leaning towards the Sammy just because I know to many people that have returned them. I'm familiar enough with Win 8 and while I'm not a fan, I can run it without issue.
I'll keep reading and pondering but I'm afraid I'll miss my android if I go SP2. (I have had the iPads in the past and left for Android).

Pure power yeah and desktop apps are true. But you need to weight your actual use for them. I use word for my business. I don't have to send it to anyone else (well rarely) and polaris is really awesome. If i really need to set the format straight I can just rpd to my desktop and check the format there. If it all looks well I can print straight from my tablet. I honestly rarely see any issues with polaris format. I think 99% of the time it gets it right. The only way I see word being necessary is if for you work or school you need some of the extra formatting ability in it. But even then I don't see it as a big hurdle. Really other than that I rarely ever use my desktop. I go to it when I need odin or something similar.I live on my note 2014
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I currently use (daily):
Galaxy S4 (rooted, adblocked) + Galaxy Gear (stock); Primary mobile phone
Galaxy Note 3 (rooted, adblocked); Quick notes (using 'write' which saves the note in html, available on Google Play), email, occasional gaming
Microsoft Surface Pro 2 8GB/512GB; daily work (I get about 8 hours without trying to conserve battery power).
All are reliable. I do want an android tablet, and normally I don't mind bloatware (Microsoft is calling it JUNKWARE lol!) as long as the 'disable' function has not been locked out.
The KNOX function is an annoyance. I would never use it in any of my managed SMB environments. If you want real control and security, provide a device and don't let people use their own.
Samsung has been getting more and more into skeezy information gathering practices and not cooperating with regards to disclosure.
Example: On my S4, I can disable WatchON. On the Note 3, the disable function is locked out, and the latest update for WatchON wants to be able to send SMS text messages. Hundreds of people are asking why, yet Samsung's response is always "please register on our site, agree to the privacy terms, and submit a support request". I would like to know who the moron is at Samsung that actually signed off on this thief-like untrustworthy tactic thinking it was a good idea.
Every manufacturer that provides a locked down, modified version of Android should be FORCED into ALSO providing the option to have the OS in its unaltered form, based on the users' preference.
The Junkware lock-in is the only reason I won't be purchasing a Note 10.1 and also why corporate users I deal with will be offered only pure Android devices.
I apologize in advance if my blunt comments hurts any feelings, but come on... it's 2014. Get with the times already! (I know... pipe dreams...)

RDA3440 said:
Get with the times already! (I know... pipe dreams...)
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Your post is pretty naïve and a bit out of touch with the direction corporate IT is going toward both mobile security and BYOD. I take it you're a consultant of some type. Your position(s) wouldn't allow you to be taken seriously by the three Fortune 100 companies whose five highly managed networks I connect to (with my own devices). Three out of those five networks are now reading the KNOX flag to validate incoming network connection requests and one of the three companies has limited Android BYOD to "Samsung devices only" running 4.3 or higher (KNOX-equipped). Just some food for thought.

BarryH_GEG said:
Your post is pretty naïve and a bit out of touch with the direction corporate IT is going toward both mobile security and BYOD. I take it you're a consultant of some type. Your position(s) wouldn't allow you to be taken seriously by the three Fortune 100 companies whose five highly managed networks I connect to (with my own devices). Three out of those five networks are now reading the KNOX flag to validate incoming network connection requests and one of the three companies has limited Android BYOD to "Samsung devices only" running 4.3 or higher (KNOX-equipped). Just some food for thought.
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Possibly - but I'm thinking more along the lines of SMB's - 100's of users vs. 1000's. I should have clarified but thanks for that input - it's always good to hear alternative opinions.