Related
Please don't get me wrong -- I think the Shift represents a great advancement in UMPC technology. Having WM6 and WinVista (or WinXP) combined on 1 device is, IMHO, a super idea. And the form factor and build quality are very good. I'm impressed and, as Jenn at Pocketables pointed out, it's fun to use -- kind of grabs you. But unlike Jenn, I'm not ready to say I'll not part with it. I've liberated WM6 so I have as full a use of the WM6 side as I believe is so far available. I've got Vista humming, at least as much as the 1G RAM can live with. But if this is as far as I can go I don't see much more than another "gadget" to add to my collection. The 1G RAM limit is a show stopper -- slows the machine down and really limits what I can do in Vista. The 64MB limit in WM6, combined with inability to access the SD card slot (or even the USB slot) means my WM6 is crippled -- hardly any of what I'm accustomed to using can be routinely done. Throw in the 2 hr battery limitation in Vista -- it just isn't a very good "solution" for a road warrior.
I realize there are folks hard at work to improve on these and I commend them (and have contributed to the Shift Project) -- I really hope they succeed. But I have to say that what I'm looking at from HTC is, at best, a "beta" version -- they have so limited what's inside the box that it's hardly useful for anything. Considering the growing competition I doubt HTC will hold much share of this market.
agree
Huib
Interesting comments and many agree with. Given the amount of information available on the net about this device, and its limitations including SnapVue, battery etc etc, what motivated you to buy it? It seems to be a mismatch to me re. your requirements. I bought it even knowing all these things as it matched my needs.
A road warrior it is not. A media powerhouse it is not. A tiny portable always on email and document viewer/editor, plus web browser it is. I get 2.5hrs on Vista browsing the web - same as almost every other laptop I've ever owned, so I'm not surprised really...altho again, Vista leaves much to be desired in this respect - a spinning hard drive kills batteries.
I agree with you regarding the things they didn't get right - SnapVue is just silly right out of the box and Vista is a mistake. HTC really fvcked up there.
This device kind of reminds me of the Sony C1V picturebook I had (with that horrible Crusoe processor - if you think this chip is slow, that thing was lifeless)...awesome for what I wanted but that's where it stops...it doesn't extend beyond that and I'm comfy with that.
To answer the question, I use my Shift when I travel. I used to take my HX4700 but bluetooth 3G connection was slow, Opera was slow for browsing and the screen too small really. I had a b/tooth key board which was OK but another piece of kit that needed batteries and sync'ing etc etc. Now I carry a v. small bag with me when away and it holds the Shift, power packs, Archos 504, headphones and a few other bits and bobs...all I need. On planes I can type my reports in Mobile Word, sync it to Vista and tart them up and send. In hotels I can surf the web at my own pace on HSDPA with it plugged in to AC (on high performance setting). I can adjust my webpage using filezilla etc etc....basically all the things I couldn't do on the HX4700 (which I now use as a support device for the Archos, and as a GPS)....the Shift really filled my requirements. I almost bought the Fujitsu U1010 but the ones here didn't have 3G built in and the keyboard was harder to use that the Shift.
Next version, should HTC shift (no pun intended) enough of these first ones, should ideally have:
1. Higher res screen
2. Bigger hard disk
3. SnapVue fully functional with SD card, WiFi access etc etc
4. XP as an option
5. A battery compartment that allows for an extended one to be added
Aside from that, I still like my Shift and use it almost everyday...
FOOFTR said:
Interesting comments and many agree with. Given the amount of information available on the net about this device, and its limitations including SnapVue, battery etc etc, what motivated you to buy it? It seems to be a mismatch to me re. your requirements. I bought it even knowing all these things as it matched my needs.
A road warrior it is not. A media powerhouse it is not. A tiny portable always on email and document viewer/editor, plus web browser it is. I get 2.5hrs on Vista browsing the web - same as almost every other laptop I've ever owned, so I'm not surprised really...altho again, Vista leaves much to be desired in this respect - a spinning hard drive kills batteries.
I agree with you regarding the things they didn't get right - SnapVue is just silly right out of the box and Vista is a mistake. HTC really fvcked up there.
This device kind of reminds me of the Sony C1V picturebook I had (with that horrible Crusoe processor - if you think this chip is slow, that thing was lifeless)...awesome for what I wanted but that's where it stops...it doesn't extend beyond that and I'm comfy with that.
To answer the question, I use my Shift when I travel. I used to take my HX4700 but bluetooth 3G connection was slow, Opera was slow for browsing and the screen too small really. I had a b/tooth key board which was OK but another piece of kit that needed batteries and sync'ing etc etc. Now I carry a v. small bag with me when away and it holds the Shift, power packs, Archos 504, headphones and a few other bits and bobs...all I need. On planes I can type my reports in Mobile Word, sync it to Vista and tart them up and send. In hotels I can surf the web at my own pace on HSDPA with it plugged in to AC (on high performance setting). I can adjust my webpage using filezilla etc etc....basically all the things I couldn't do on the HX4700 (which I now use as a support device for the Archos, and as a GPS)....the Shift really filled my requirements. I almost bought the Fujitsu U1010 but the ones here didn't have 3G built in and the keyboard was harder to use that the Shift.
Next version, should HTC shift (no pun intended) enough of these first ones, should ideally have:
1. Higher res screen
2. Bigger hard disk
3. SnapVue fully functional with SD card, WiFi access etc etc
4. XP as an option
5. A battery compartment that allows for an extended one to be added
Aside from that, I still like my Shift and use it almost everyday...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i agree and htc should also use SSD's to save more power and they should make sure they announce the correct specs.
FOOFTR said:
Interesting comments and many agree with. Given the amount of information available on the net about this device, and its limitations including SnapVue, battery etc etc, what motivated you to buy it? It seems to be a mismatch to me re. your requirements. I bought it even knowing all these things as it matched my needs.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Point well taken -- I should have added that my comments were stated with the proverbial tongue in cheek. I was well aware of the Shift's limitations and purchased one out of curiosity -- I've followed it since its initial announcement and had cancelled my preorder after seeing the limitations being documented. But I saw this one on ebay for several hundred $ less than retail and decided to look at it for myself.
I agree with the suggestions made and really hope HTC listens (if they decide to stay in the UMPC market -- that's not a "for sure" thing). I've tried five different UMPC's as well as the Sony TZ "subnotebook" and have yet to find what I think I'm after -- a truly business capable device small enough for my purposes (and that's really subjective, I know) yet powerful enough to replace my usual notebook (13.3" XPS). I knew the Shift wouldn't do this -- its very short battery life is a show stopper although I could carry an external battery pack. But the limited RAM and the very limited usefulness of SnapVu make it relatively useless to me so I'll end up ebaying it.
I'd hoped to generate more discussion in the hope that collective experience and wisdom would prove useful to the UMPC market.
There are some very interesting viewpoints here.
I purchased mine after following the news stories for months. I purchased it the moment it was available in the UK and paid nearly £900.
I knew the limitations, but had to buy one of these! It gets used a lot in our house. And I am always doing things to it. It's leberated and its dual boot with XP.
I use it to tinker with, watch movies and surfing. The wife loves it too and surfs on the sofa while watching the tele, she prefers it to any of the laptop we have because of the size. My daughter took it away for the weekend recently too so she could surf. Its such a versitile device. And most of all, PEOPLE STARE AT IT ON THE TRAIN/PLANE WHEN I'M ON BUSINESS!!! I don't really use the liberated Snapvue, I don't need to when its dual boot.
If I had a wish list, I would love to see an SSD in it and another 1GB RAM. The processor is fine for what I use it for, so I have no grumbles there.
My eldest daughter wants it for school, so it'll be used for that full time in September when she is a year 10.
I do understand that to some people its limited in its application, but for us as a family, its one of the better toys we've purchased (and we buy a lot of techy toys/gadgets!) The joys of working in IT means I am addicted to buying new toys!
I'm actually sat here in the garden using HSDPA typing this. Apart from a couple of phones, I don't have another device with this ability. why be inside when its such a sunny evening!
benktlottie said:
TIt's liberated and its dual boot with XP...... I don't really use the liberated Snapvue, I don't need to when its dual boot.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What do you mean by "dual boot"? I have mine liberated but I'm not sure it dual boots?
Thanks!
brucewilsonpa said:
What do you mean by "dual boot"? I have mine liberated but I'm not sure it dual boots?
Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Same here, I have dual boot, as in when powered up it asks whether you want to boot Vista or XP. Next stop, triple boot with Linux installed too, although that will be cutting it a bit fine for hard drive space.
Bruce, I think your comments, and the general community's will help deliver better products...I think they're constructive for sure.
I don't like it when people say product X sucks when indeed product X is not designed to do the very things they are comparing it against. I have read so many appalling reviews of the Shift - I'm ceratin 50% of the people won't have even used one...a classic is when someone said "the poky keyboard makes you wish for full size keyboard real estate..." - um, one cannot have a 7" screen device with an 18" keyboard...get real and take the device in the context it is meant for - maybe that's it, they cannot get their head around indeed what context this device resides/exists in. Maybe because they do not have a need for such a device it must be a failure? I mean, I don't need a concrete mixer so reviewing one would be pointless, and I'd end up saying things like "it doesn't sound as nice as my NAD stereo" - maybe they're the same.
Ah Pantaloonie, was loading XP as easy as booting from an XP disc/ISO (tablet I assume)? Thanks...
FOOFTR said:
Ah Pantaloonie, was loading XP as easy as booting from an XP disc/ISO (tablet I assume)? Thanks...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yup, almost that easy. Use Vista to partition off a few Gigs for XP, install XP, then use a Vista disc to repair the mbr so you can get back into Vista.
Then use VistaBootPro to create a boot menu.
I didn't use tablet edition at the time, and can't be bothered to go back and do it again; maybe next time I'm really bored I will.
FOOFTR said:
Maybe because they do not have a need for such a device it must be a failure? I mean, I don't need a concrete mixer so reviewing one would be pointless, and I'd end up saying things like "it doesn't sound as nice as my NAD stereo" - maybe they're the same.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi FOOFTR,
yes, I like your comparison. Made me laugh. And I think what you say is right in all sorts of contexts. You make up something that wasn't said or done in the first place and then you go on bashing it.
Thanks!
S.
Pantaloonie said:
Yup, almost that easy. Use Vista to partition off a few Gigs for XP, install XP, then use a Vista disc to repair the mbr so you can get back into Vista.
Then use VistaBootPro to create a boot menu.
I didn't use tablet edition at the time, and can't be bothered to go back and do it again; maybe next time I'm really bored I will.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thats what I did.
I Used BartPE to make a bootable usb stick with xp pro on it. stole 6gb from Vista and installed xp pro. Viola, dual boot Shift!
Hi all,
Basically I would like to buy a second hand G1 seeing as the price has come down to a reasonable level recently. But I am very worried about being duped into buying a fake one, as the fake one - CECT G1, looks exactly like the real one even down to the box.
So let's say if I am buying from eBay, what should I look for to distinguish whether a particular G1 is real or fake?
Suggestions welcome.
Many thanks.
wywywywy said:
Hi all,
Basically I would like to buy a second hand G1 seeing as the price has come down to a reasonable level recently. But I am very worried about being duped into buying a fake one, as the fake one - CECT G1, looks exactly like the real one even down to the box.
So let's say if I am buying from eBay, what should I look for to distinguish whether a particular G1 is real or fake?
Suggestions welcome.
Many thanks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
usually when you're buying from ebay you can trust a seller with good rep. if they say it's genuine, then 9.7 times out of 10 it is. Just make sure you ask if it's genuine and not the cect rip off one. If you some how get a fake and you have documentation that they verified it was real you can always dispute. I don't think there is any way to tell its fake if someone over ebay is really malicious and wants to sell you a fake as a real. you can't hold the device until you get it and they can tell you whatever you want. As for purchasing in person, I've never seen a fake G1 so who knows how close it is to the real deal. And as always, if the price is too good to be true, it usually is a fakey. just my 2 centavos.
Ive seen 1 CECT G1, it was a young gentleman in my tmobile store...
The first thing I noticed was the camera isnt under the shield inside the cover, its positioned right above it in the corner...
Also, NO SLIDING KEYBOARD.and the theme they use sucks...
Other than those obvious things...looked like a legit g1 until he showed me it couldnt slide....
I wonder if they are able to be rooted....and have roms put on them...I probably would buy one just to be able to Test roms with.
Oh wow, didn't know the fake one doesn't have a keyboard.
That would be a good tell-tale sign!
jaboswell said:
Ive seen 1 CECT G1, it was a young gentleman in my tmobile store...
The first thing I noticed was the camera isnt under the shield inside the cover, its positioned right above it in the corner...
Also, NO SLIDING KEYBOARD.and the theme they use sucks...
Other than those obvious things...looked like a legit g1 until he showed me it couldnt slide....
I wonder if they are able to be rooted....and have roms put on them...I probably would buy one just to be able to Test roms with.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oh well, sometimes the fake phones out of china are more advanced and developed..like those with the 2 sim card slots, Tv/FM radio, touch screen, (come with 2 batteries), GPS, WiFi, BT, full qwerty and also a slider, etc, etc...no clue what OS is on those though. But I wouldnt mind a bootleg G1 with dual Sim cards, dual Micro SDHC, a Digital tuner for HDTV, etc, etc if it could still use our Roms =) and had the slide out keyboard. Would probably have a more advanced processor too.
It is funny though that they would not add the full keyboard and just make it look like it. Seems like they went to more trouble than it was worth. They could have just Bootlegged the Magic or Sapphire and not worry about a keyboard at all.
Engadget did an article on this kirf phone. It isn't even running Android, so good luck putting ROMS on it.
Here is a link to a kirf phone that will supposedly have a genuine Android OS.
Here is the article talking about the fake G1 and fake Android OS
the fake android phones run an os called nucleus os which is basically a phone os for mtk processors that sells for $15,000 for unlimited licensing. cheap when you're making hundreds of thousands of handsets and putting the same os on all of them. the os is skinnable, and it's responsible for all your fake chinese ipod, iphone, android, and almost anything with a touchscreen coming from china.
One would ask, why fake android if android is open source? well, android is a fatty. while nucleus os might fit in a 32mb nand, you can't cram android (an usable one anyway) in anything less than 64mb nand. most of those phone's mtk processors come with built-in storage, and nucleus happens to fit in them, so the maker saves money by using less components (i've had a few of those phones, you open them, and there's hardly anything in those pcbs), really, those phones cost about 30 dollards to make (maybe less) and they sell them for 100-200, that's a profit right there.
---edit---
android /system requires at least 64 mb memory (and that's removing some apks), i forgot to mention you still need /boot, /data, and other folders, so anything less that 128mb nand wont do
jubeh said:
the fake android phones run an os called nucleus os which is basically a phone os for mtk processors that sells for $15,000 for unlimited licensing. cheap when you're making hundreds of thousands of handsets and putting the same os on all of them. the os is skinnable, and it's responsible for all your fake chinese ipod, iphone, android, and almost anything with a touchscreen coming from china.
One would ask, why fake android if android is open source? well, android is a fatty. while nucleus os might fit in a 32mb nand, you can't cram android (an usable one anyway) in anything less than 64mb nand. most of those phone's mtk processors come with built-in storage, and nucleus happens to fit in them, so the maker saves money by using less components (i've had a few of those phones, you open them, and there's hardly anything in those pcbs), really, those phones cost about 30 dollards to make (maybe less) and they sell them for 100-200, that's a profit right there.
---edit---
android /system requires at least 64 mb memory (and that's removing some apks), i forgot to mention you still need /boot, /data, and other folders, so anything less that 128mb nand wont do
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
+1000 points to you, sir.
lol look through the specs
http://g1-clone-phone-review.com/
In terms of the screen, the G1 has a better screen resolution while the CECT G1 has a higher color depth. It even has an FM radio, stereo bluetooth as a standard and more... maybe the G1 could learn a few things from this look a like.
You guys should look through this site...
http://www.china-mobile-phone.com/
Also, mods, I am not advertising nor endorse this site, in fact I encourage no one to purchase these kinds of phones. They are not certified and are potentially even dangerous. Please just look through it for your pleasure
I mean, seeing some of those phones even tempts me to buy them. They have Wi-Fi, bluetooth, FM radios, TV tuners, TV outs, actual cameras with optical zoom (Click on Zoomer lense on the side to see them, they are actually pretty cool looking.) However, if only it would be possible to put our own operating system on them. The current ones are well, very ugly and simple. Basically, the phones hardware has a lot of potential...
Also to add, my friend actually has one of these phones, it has a 3 inch touch screen, 3 MP camera, dual sim card, etc. It looked pretty cool, the screen was decent, resolution was bit low at 320x240, but that is because I have been spoiled by the screen on my G1. However, now everytime even if the phone is just dropped from a small height, it shuts off. So I guess you get what you pay for? They look cool without a doubt though... maybe for those people who are on a tight budget but still need a more than typical functioning device.
Some very interesting insight there Jubeh.
Do you work in this industry?
---
Funny you say that SolemnWishing, because one of the reasons I didn't go for a G1 in the first place was the resolution. It is way too low compared to my Diamond and Diamond2 >__<
Yup I too have heard that the fakes have no Keyboaard so I made sure I took pics of Mine with the keyboard out when I listed it - If you are looking and want a rooted one, check my sig but only til Monday evening...
Dayzee xxx
SolemnWishing said:
lol look through the specs
In terms of the screen, the G1 has a better screen resolution while the CECT G1 has a higher color depth. It even has an FM radio, stereo bluetooth as a standard and more... maybe the G1 could learn a few things from this look a like.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Are you kidding me? That thickness for those specs is ridiculous. The extra thickness is in the KEYBOARD, if that's gone then it's not hard to put those features into the body. If you have to wire the keyboard in it suddenly gets much harder. 17.1mm and the large body is horrible. THE TOUCH PRO 2 has that thickness... AND it has a CURVED back in order to make it feel SMALLER in hand.
//Just trying to get my point across, no offense.
OP, the chances that you get scammed by a reputed seller is very little. I really don't think it is something to worry about so much. Also notice that the trackball on the CECT doesn't have the same texture as the original.
If there was a way to install APK's on this clone, I would absolutely buy one. I would use it to play around with and try to mod. I bought an ADP because I knew I would be too chicken **** to mod a $300 phone.
wywywywy said:
Some very interesting insight there Jubeh.
Do you work in this industry?
---
Funny you say that SolemnWishing, because one of the reasons I didn't go for a G1 in the first place was the resolution. It is way too low compared to my Diamond and Diamond2 >__<
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, the G1's resolution when scaled down to the size of the screen if very very average, and the color depth is just flat out disappointing. Look at the new Sidekick LX's with a screen with 850 x 480 pixel resolution, that just blows the G1 away. And one thing I have noticed about the screen on the G1, when looking at pictures, the colors just don't feel alive. They don't feel vivid or bright or saturated enough. I have a Sony Ericsson w580i, your basic slide phone, and the colors are way better looking on that.
Seem tablets are going to be even wilder and better this year from some some of the stuff I'm seeing from CES.
What would your "perfect" tablet be?
Here's mine:
10.1"
Gorilla Glass 2
1920x1080 (or even x1280)
Tegra 3
Officially support dual booting between:
....ICS with guarenteed JB upgrade
....Windows 8
Full sized USB on tablet with Host mode
KB doc like the transformer
wifi/bluetooth (pretty much a given)
Front facing camera (don't care about the rear camera in a tablet)
A mic that works
Add sd card slot, ir transmitter, wireless hdmi, rear camera, gps, no-glare screen, 15 hour battery (use), no proprietary charger
FREEEE!!!!!!!
ALL OF THE ABOVE. with real usable accessories Something more colorful.
black and silver does not go well with most of my Shoes .. Boohoo..
OHH I WANT Someone to Buy it for me... HINT HINT.. Giggles..
Birthday in May..
To me the most important aspect would be the OS: all current operating systems are terribly limited in scope and designed with rather lax and inflexible security systems and no Linux, Haiku, Windows, Android, iOS, QNX or other OS fits really what I have in mind. There does exist a few security frameworks for Linux, but they're tacked on, not developed-for from the ground up, and they're a pain in the arse to configure.
Hardware-wise I have no specific, hard-to-implement features in mind, all the things I wish for have already been implemented in one form or another.
In other words: a near-perfect-for-my-taste tablet is still impossible to create at the moment.
---------- Post added at 04:05 AM ---------- Previous post was at 04:04 AM ----------
erica_renee said:
OHH I WANT Someone to Buy it for me... HINT HINT.. Giggles..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'll see about that if you'll wear that red lace set for me tonight.
WereCatf said:
I'll see about that if you'll wear that red lace set for me tonight.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oh.. what have I started...
One that isn't outdated in 6 months!
Sent from my A500
>DARKMAN< said:
One that isn't outdated in 6 months!
Sent from my A500
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry but your wish will never come true. You will be lucky if your device isn't outdated in a week!
Euclid's Brother said:
Seem tablets are going to be even wilder and better
Full sized USB on tablet with Host mode
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah... got to say I was very disappointed that Acer seems to be dropping the full sized USB on the a700. And no one else is building that into their tablet (though Asus has a USB port on the dock). I've got a batch of little USB/MicroSD holders and use them to carry sets of content when I travel (books, movies, TV shows). More convenient than popping the microSD cards in and out.
perfect? so far nothing has even hit my "minimum" requirements. so I'll put those:
Hardware side:
1. 8-10 inch, prefer 8-9 since that seems to hit the sweet spot better than the A500 size.
2. dual core at least, but I'm more focused on software.
3. HDMI out. full sized is best, but since some phones have HDMI that I'd need an adapter for anyway, I can settle for micro on a tablet. aside from making it a much more versatile streaming device, this also massively increases the potential uses of a tablet. presentations and larger scale demonstrations are made possible. gaming can be revolutionized in too many ways to count. so much more I don't want to go on about here.
4. front facing camera at least, and a good mic or it's pointless. back camera is more useful than you'd think, but not necessary. If it's there though, it should be decent, not like the iPad 2mp crap.
5. no proprietary charging connectors. So far this one's been a fail out of the gate for Acer, Asus, Samsung, Toshiba, and others I've forgotten. People wanting to put up with that flaw tend to get iPads. or if there is a prop. charger, at least also give us a second option to charge through the micro USB port like that one LG tablet.
6. certainly no proprietary data connections like on the Galaxy tabs. Seriously guys? I thought you figured this out when the EU banned these on phones. even people with iPads don't actually like having this problem, they're just willing to put up with it. not every design flaw of the iPad is a good idea to copy.
Software side (with some hardware points):
1. STOCK ANDROID. OUT OF THE BOX. Come on OEMs, people are asking you to do LESS on this one, it's not a burden on you. and they're mostly wifi only devices, so that kills most excuses. At the very least, if you want to bundle some additional apps with it for the less savvy folks, fine, just put them in the usr folder so your other customers can uninstall. everybody wins.
2. full USB support, without ANY accessories or connectors. this also means the software will NEED to support USB mass storage, not just MTP. That's a huge peeve for me, some of DONT use Windows 7, or don't want it (i.e. growing millions of Mac users) and even those that do, still have to use older computers from time to time. (XP computers at work, school, friend's/family's houses, all sorts of other real world situations that Google engineers just don't understand) not to mention backing up saves from game consoles, which I do all the time. speaking of games, we also need full USB ports for controllers, seeing as these are heavily used as game machines and the option to use game controllers allows us the best of casual and hardcore gaming worlds.
3. sd card support, preferably full sized cards on a tablet but can settle for micro SD. The most important thing is, it NEEDS to be fully functional, not read only. that defeats the purpose. It really should have the ability to install apps to it too just like with phones. especially since this is a personal computer we're talking about. My A500 is getting a little packed with apps alone, especially with the Gameloft games and other apps that are small downloads from the Market, but then you load them up and they prompt you to download the rest of the app, at 400MB. 16 gigs runs out fast, which is why I have no music or videos on my tablet.
4. Search button. on the control bar, all the time, particularly when running apps. come on Google, removing this is the most mind boggling thing you've done. not only is there WAY more than enough room to put another icon on that bar, this one is not only INCREDIBLY useful, it's actually necessary in some apps. Many don't have search icons programmed into the interface or menu, neither of which is as good or intuitive as having it present all the time, in one uniform spot, launching in app search with one tap, without having to scour the app interface to find it, IF it's even there. that bears repeating: SOME APPS DONT WORK PROPERLY WITHOUT A SEARCH BUTTON, WHICH WOULD TAKE GOOGLE NO EFFORT TO PUT ON THE CONTROL BAR. It blows my mind how many people try to defend this omission too. It's like when they released the Xoom with a card slot that didn't work, for $700, and people pretended it was no big deal. A feature that's been present and working great on all other versions of the OS, which is even easier for Google to make sure exists on this one, and it's not there.
anyway, these are my minimums like I said. other stuff would be nice, like an ir Transmitter/receiver someone mentioned. also, a case/cover that works, unlike Acer's own case. the tab slips out of that thing all the time when propping it up, despite it being designed to prop up the tab, AND it incredibly covers up the micro SD slot, even though they knew enough to let the volume keys and lock switch right next to it exposed.
Don't forget root and AdHoc WiFi out of the box.
Euclid's Brother said:
Seem tablets are going to be even wilder and better this year from some some of the stuff I'm seeing from CES.
What would your "perfect" tablet be?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
5'1" - 95lbs - Green eyes - large "top"
Would sit at my feet, read everything to me out loud in a super sexy voice, so I wouldn't have to strain my eyes
kjy2010 said:
5'1" - 95lbs - Green eyes - large "top"
Would sit at my feet, read everything to me out loud in a super sexy voice, so I wouldn't have to strain my eyes
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
5'1"? God, she'd be so small I'd step on her by accident.
kjy2010 said:
5'1" - 95lbs - Green eyes - large "top"
Would sit at my feet, read everything to me out loud in a super sexy voice, so I wouldn't have to strain my eyes
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ummm ....I think Im in the wrong forum ...is this xda
bytemehard said:
Ummm ....I think Im in the wrong forum ...is this xda
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, XDA just recently started doing dating-services, too. Drop a comment in this thread if you're looking for fun or something more serious.
An iconia with ics will do me.
let's see (1)removable battery
(2)dual. Boot. Win 8. N ics
That is all I want
So maybe I missed it but... were there ANY tablets announced at CES that have actual USB ports? cause that's a pretty serious hindrance, in the end. functional connectivity is what's really setting Android apart from the iPad. I honestly think it's a major reason why Android tablets aren't really taking off. all the manufacturers are trying to mimic the iPad, including its limitations. they don't seem to realize they aren't supposed to be targetin people who want iPads; they're supposed to be targeting people who dont want them.
Only new tab I know of with a USB port is the dissapointing Acer a200
And my perfecct tablet is the transformer prime (the new version not the first, glitched up model) with a USB port built in, and microusb as the charger, not through the dock.
WereCatf said:
Yes, XDA just recently started doing dating-services, too. Drop a comment in this thread if you're looking for fun or something more serious.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Does looking for something 'seriously fun' count?
kjy2010 said:
5'1" - 95lbs - Green eyes - large "top"
Would sit at my feet, read everything to me out loud in a super sexy voice, so I wouldn't have to strain my eyes
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You're talking about my dog, Rupee. You can't have her!!!
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Perfect tablet. One that noobs cannot break into, brick it by virtue of their own ignorance, then ask stupid questions later when they didn't follow instructions. And then make it worse by not following "un-bricking" instructions!
An added enhancement... A HUGE FRIGGIN GOOGLE SEARCH button. Dead center of the tab.
"That"... would be the perfect tablet.
Ok, so here's my dilemma. I want a convertible tablet pc. Problem is though, I think all of the ones on the market are poop. They either run android (I don't see the point still) and iOS, or are clunky and rediculously expensive. But I had a extremley bright idea. Buy whatever laptop I like, slap a touchscreen on that *****, and be happy. Keep in mind that as a poor college student with no job, I will probably never be able to afford this
1. Take apart laptop completley, Rip out the green bullcrap.
2. Mod case to be suitable as a convertible...or just look cool.
3. Rverse USB port to face inside
4. Close USB off from the outside
5. Get a USB Touchscreen conversion kit, which im sure come in many different flavors (Capacitive, Multitouch, Resistive), or better yet use a connector designed for computer internals, making #3 and #4 useless.
6. Add 3rd party accelerometer for Poitrait/Landscape orientation
7. Find a suitable hinge (or make one) and replace it
8. Boot laptop, install drivers for touchscreen and accelerometer
9. Pat myself on the back for custom making a tablet PC?
In my opinion the hardest part would be modding the case to be suitable as a convertible tablet, which can't be too hard. I have access to MIG/TIG welders, sheet metal cutters, grinders, ect. and I know people who know how to use them, so working with metal shouldn't be too dificult. In fact, I probably could just build a case myself from scratch. I also have alot of experience with plastic, so that's not a problem although I'd prefer to use metal for structural parts.
Touchscreen conversion kits seem to be all over the internet with a quick google search, and it shouldn't be too hard to find high quality capacitive touchscreen panels.
Walcom Bamboo Stylus because I'm a G
Accelerometers that work with windows I don't know about, but it cant be too hard Amirite? You can find ANYTHING for sale on the internet.
If I do do this however it will probably be in the summer (when I have a job). The only probelm I might have is the internals, seeing as I've never handled computer internals before. My brother did build his computer though, and I have a friend who also builds computers. It dosen't seem too hard compared to the other stuff like modding the case. While the laptop is dissasembled I'd probably put the parts in ziplock bags to keep them away from dirt and debris while I'm not using them. As long as I'm careful I don't thinkim going to mess anything up.
Good idea or no?
Good idea. Just keep in mind that the whole thing would be much heavier than a regular tablet, so holding it in hand would be difficult.
I have seen an EEE PC modded with a touchscreen, but the keyboard part was still there.
Just get a transformer lol...
What is wrong with Android? What is it you need to do that it won't?
My other idea would be to tell you most android devices are capable of running linux too?
Sounds like alot of work..and there are suitable models on the market, but if you wanna do it?
By the time you get around to it I wonder where technology will be...
PS ziplock bags? NO! Get some static bags..ziplocs are crazy static-charged! Honestly though, sounds like you are a good deal away from being able to deconstruct and reconstruct a laptop..the integrated circuits are ridiculously small and fragile..
PPS The hardest part might be actually getting the accelerometer sensors to function..which is where android comes in..you have to actually write some code into your operating system that will recognize and react accordingly withing the right parameters in your code..devs on this sight have problems with accelerometers that otherwise worked on a stock rom on OEM machines, god knows what it would take to get one working on a machine that never intended to have one by design?
That is all
What's old is new again
It's funny we did something similar a few years ago to build PC's into cars and trucks. For that application and at that time it made sense. Today we essentially just make custom docks for COTS tablets so that they integrate with the car.
If you're opposed to Android and other mobile OS's my suggestion is to start looking around craigslist for convertible tablet/laptops like those from HP and Dell or look for a cheap HP slate. I've seen gently used Slates going for around $200-300 and they run windows 8 reasonably well. I've seen convertibles close to that price as well.
Unless you are just dead set on a fabrication project i'd strongly suggest taking advantage of off the shelf hardware and mass production pricing and spend your extra time and money learning how to get the most of of those components.
If you do go ahead with this then weight and cost will be your biggest issues. I think a better twist on this would be to figure out how to make a transformer type of dock for other popular tablets. If you can make them well and make them cheap then sell a few and buy what you really want.
The reason I don't like android is because It's not a desktop OS. I'll be building this tablet-y thing for graphics/image editing, word processing and a little bit of gaming in between and I'm not 100% sure about android graphics programs. I like to keep it simple and use MS Paint, then GIMP if i need a more powerful program. I'm also a windows fanboy and it's what I've been using ever since I was 2... I also like to build things.
I hate the transformer prime. I want a convertible tablet, not a tablet and a little dock thingy...won't serve my purposes.
I didn't know Ziplock bags are staticy by nature. Thanks for the tip.
As far as the accelerometer, I don't know much about them but if it's super difficult I'm probably not going to bother with it. I'll maybe install a switch?
It's hard to beat windows for functionality but you might check out paint.net as a free replacement for paint.
Over all though I get the idea that you're a little in over your head on this.
Sent from my HTC Flyer using XDA App
LexusFman said:
I hate the transformer prime. I want a convertible tablet, not a tablet and a little dock thingy...won't serve my purposes.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Have you seen the Eee Pad Slider?
Also, Adobe photoshop for android = $10
https://market.android.com/details?id=air.com.adobe.pstouch&hl=en
LexusFman said:
The reason I don't like android is because It's not a desktop OS. I'll be building this tablet-y thing for graphics/image editing, word processing and a little bit of gaming in between and I'm not 100% sure about android graphics programs. I like to keep it simple and use MS Paint, then GIMP if i need a more powerful program. I'm also a windows fanboy and it's what I've been using ever since I was 2... I also like to build things.
I hate the transformer prime. I want a convertible tablet, not a tablet and a little dock thingy...won't serve my purposes.
I didn't know Ziplock bags are staticy by nature. Thanks for the tip.
As far as the accelerometer, I don't know much about them but if it's super difficult I'm probably not going to bother with it. I'll maybe install a switch?
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Dude, I've got photoshop, an office suite, and tons of games, I'd never have to touch a PC again..I am a graphic designer by trade! I can even watch hulu (something not supposed to be capable of on android platforms), I've got a nice stylus and a full qwerty keyboard and mouse- I'm working on the OG transformer not the Prime, as far as I can tell the Prime was pushed too quickly and has issues with all of it's radios due to the metal shell..the TF101 does not have these issues, and the TF700 (basically the prime with the GPS and radios fixed and better resoultion) is available if you don't want to go for the OG transformer.
Seriously sounds like you're trying feverishly to open a can of worms to get a windows tablet when in reality there is no need and windows is given a run for it's money with the new ICS android on the way. Trying to unlock a windows phone after unlocking a whole bunch of Android devices would quickly turn you off of Microsoft as an OS IMO, that's what made me an Android fanboy (I was a windows guy previously, now I'm leaning more and more towards linux/android for their open source code user-friendly programability). But, if you are determined to do something the hard way = the expensive and labor/time-consuming way, no one is going to stop you
Just remember- in the world of technology things are done: Right, Cheap, and/or Fast. BUT, you can only choose two..
I've done this already with a eeePC 700.
1. The resistive touchscreen. You'll need a stylus for that.
2. Typing with a stylus is horrible.
3. It was heavy. Even when it was only 7inch screen. The battery made it heavy. (but I had 9hours of battery life)
4. You couldn't navigate the boot menu (without an external keyboard)
5. Resistive touchscreen is crap for drawing, because you still want to support your hand on the screen while drawing, which you couldn't do.
6. Moving Items around sucked (no drag and drop)
and many more.
I used it in my bed, for browsing. was good enough, until the touchscreen cable snapped. (I didn't have an external keyboard, so I had to open the tablet, connect the keyboard, and navigate the boot menu when I had to)
Hope this helped. Though it was fun to build it and use it, it's not what you would call an 'every day' tablet
romitkin said:
Good idea. Just keep in mind that the whole thing would be much heavier than a regular tablet, so holding it in hand would be difficult.
I have seen an EEE PC modded with a touchscreen, but the keyboard part was still there.
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I don't think it would be much heavier, in fact I think the idea is perfect for modification of a netbook. It would probably be cheapest. since so much case modding is required and so many enclosure fabrication resources are handy, to put together a frankenstein out of 2 or 3 broken netbooks. Find someone who smashed the screen of one netbook, another one who fried the board of theirs, find a total-loss broken tablet PC (like dropped in lake michigan level of total loss so it will cost pennies) and get the ribbon cable and swivel element from there. I think if this idea is applied to a netbook it would be excellent in size and weight as well as functionality. And with the x86 version of android's progress, it could even be running android like a tablet in screen out mode, and change to webtop mode when its swiveled. Put a netbook mobile broadband card in there, many netbooks have open card expansions under the screw-out panels underneath, if not you would have to choose between wifi or taking the wifi expansion out in favor of a mobile broadband card, and certainly make sure that the card is supported by your wireless provider if you choose to go the mobile broadband route. With verizon or sprint you will most likely have to acquire a mobile broadband card out of a netbook that was originally sold by the company, but be sure to check and make sure the MEID is clean before paying anything for one, if the seller defaulted on a contract they used to acquire it, you might as well flash the thing to cricket or metroPCS and use them as your mobile broadband carrier. With either wifi or mobile broadband, as well as bluetooth, don't forget the antenna! yeah that thing you have to unhook from the other side of the card to take it out, you need that. (oh yeah, bluetooths are included as expansion cards sometimes too, if so you could always remove this to make room for the mobile broadband if you don't use bluetooth. I sure don't and probably wont until they drop the rediculous prices of non-audio bluetooth interfaces to acceptable and competative levels.)
That project actually sounds pretty freakin cool, the type of thing I'd do if I wasn't already swamped with projects. Definetly keep us posted if you decide to go through with it, as I pointed out, if you build it from netbook parts it should be well within your budget, netbooks run much cheaper then notebooks already, but a netbook is comperable in power to most current android devices and thus is suitable to handle most things you'd use a tablet PC for, just not high powered stuff like compiling code or rendering animation or playing 3d online games.
Edit: I'd like to add and point out that as a regular user of an acer netbook running ubuntu, it is wise to refrain from excessive multitasking, the atom had to sacrifice a bit of things we've become accustomed to in notebooks to meet the low power consumption and operating temperature requirements, and a lot of those things are things that mostly benefit multitasking. You will not be happy if you try and run a jillion programs at the same time.
That being said ubuntu's new primary UI, I forget what it's called evolve or something like that, it is an excellent UI for netbooks, perfectly space-optimized, especially in the vertical range which gets filled quick on lil netbook screens. I'm not sold on it and prefer to go with gnome or xfce on desktops and normal-sized notebooks, but it is top-notch on a netbook. I'd also recommend not messing with the accelerometer at first and including it later as it may be a pain to implement correctly in comparison to the limited amount of functionality it brings to the table. I'd rather have something that works personally that I can make additions to then pull my hair out trying to throw everything in the first time right.
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Will_nonya said:
It's hard to beat windows for functionality but you might check out paint.net as a free replacement for paint.
Over all though I get the idea that you're a little in over your head on this.
Sent from my HTC Flyer using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Have to LMAO @ this comment. If users would ever actually push developers to release for the linux platform, especially hardware manufacturers (which is ridiculous since all they would have to do is release their code open source, or even just parts of their code and the community would do the rest. Doesn't matter much tho, it's mostly crappy chinese hardware that isn't supported by linux, and their HQs more then likely don't speak enough english to be able to request anything, beleive me I've tried to contact MSI before.... most hardware worth running is fully supported tho)
But point is, I feel like it is extremely cumbersome whenever I'm forced to use windows, apart from trying to use unsupported hardware or cross-platform software (although wine and mono have made GIGANTIC leaps in usability). I pretty much never have to deal with drivers, updates to all software happens automatically, it's become so self-maintaining that I'm ashamed of how lazy of a linux user I've become. When I actually do have to do something even remotely advanced I have to think for a minute about it. Usually the only thing that really requires a lot of getting under the hood that I ever have to do is when I set up my audio-production setups which is even a lot easier now that they have dedicated repositories for them, and when set up correctly the real time preemptable kernel will run circles around any windows or OSX setup latency-wise. I was pulling lower latency with computers recording with ardour, and sequencing/synthesizing/sampling with seq24 amSynth, and qsampler, 5 years older then any PC I would test it against running windows with Reason and Protools. the Jack audio drivers that allowed software to plug audio inbetween applications directly across the PCM was just icing on the cake.
Windows is good software, but linux has certainly surpassed it by leaps and bounds. Windows still rules for gaming because of directX and industry unwillingness to port to linux, but the period of time right after Microsoft declared it was removing directX support from XP on further releases saw linux catch up with windows for a little while as they rushed wine to support the newest directX making it actually possible to actually run new releases under windowsXP even. Curses microsoft, foiled again! And off topic, but furthermore, I can't believe people still pay so much money for that god damn talking paper clip, openoffice.org ftw!
As I said windows isn't bad software, I said before in these forums actually that if windows ran a microsoft controlled repository to distribute all software for windows through, like linux, it would have similarly non-existant problems with viruses. Having people go around the wild-west of the internet downloading and installing programs from there without even thinking about it is just asking for the malware and adware problems windows experiences. Windows is good software, linux is just much better software.
Too complicated...
On a second thought how about moding a cheap Tablet with better parts. Is it even possible like are the parts such as a processor, camera, or the radio chip available for tablets and phones.
Why dnt you get a transformer?
In my opinion, it would just be better to settle for an table, prices are gonna drop really soon. The market for Eee PC's alike has diminished since the release of the ipad.
This is a wonderful opinion. The things mentioned are unanimous and needs to be appreciated by everyone.
A lot of things to doo, better start with a simple tablet and try to upgrade it if possible... dont know if its possible btw.
I did something almost like this.
Took apart a dirt cheap acer aspire one with a small 8 GB SDD.
Small 280 Atom 1.6GHz cpu and cheap intel GMA gpu.
Inverted the screen
Added a extra 512MB ram and inserted a 16GB SD card.
My battery however did not stand up to the task so i ordered a 9 cell pack.
It ran quite stable with 6 days standby or 12hours of heavy usage.
The lack of a accelerometer however made it a pain for quite a few games.
But i did have a vague plan to get value's from it into the android OS using a AVR and a few other cheap parts.
Many manufacturers still produce cheap atom notebooks like these.
But hardware specs have gotten better and better, so you should be able to pick one up for cheap still.
http://www.axiotron.com
Soooo 2008...
I'm doing this with an old pentium 3 thinkbook. I know its not really that great of a computer but it at least redeems it as a usable device.
sounds interesting will looking forward for it....
Good Idea!
I am in a state of utter indecision and hope this post can generate some food for thought.
I am in possession of my second Galaxy Note tablet--the 2014--and am very unhappy with multi'window and bezel buttons. Before I bought the 2014 I tried jumping off the Android ecosystem to Apple and was less than happy with it, so the 2014 was a bit of a knee jerk, thinking that I could work around the button problem--I can't. But even worse is how they made multi-window into a horrible "feature".
All that is to say that I'm not platform dependent, and that I am so done with Samsung--no matter how much I like the stylus. The stylus was a useful feature but felt awkward to hold so while I think all tablets should have a stylus, I know that it is easier to say than to do in a logical fashion.
Over the past couple years I've encountered a couple Surface users who use theirs in concert with work and speak very highly of their capability. I think one of those would be better than a laptop when I travel. But having tried an early model I don't think they hold-up all that well as tablets. Certainly they do the job okay but don't feel right to me. I don't think like some that the Pixel C is aimed at competing with the surface--perhaps more an attempt at moving the platform more in that direction. It doesn't at all compare well with the surface IMHO.
Another thing that I read is people complaining about keyboards on tablets. I've always wanted one to make answering emails easier. That on screen keyboard is still not as good as a keyboard to me--call it an old folk interface device (OFID) if you must. That said, I've never had one because Bluetooth keyboards always seemed so finicky and the extra charging cable seemed a bridge too far for me. So the Pixel C keyboard's charging method seems inventive and spot on, but I'm not sure I like the Bluetooth nor do I understand why (comparing the surface keyboard with it) some keys had to be dropped off and a trackpad wasn't possible--though those seem a smallish issue.
So I'm having trouble deciding whether to get away from Android tablets and move toward a Surface or go with a Pixel C or something else. I do little more than reading on my 2014--well that and sending all my pictures to it over Eyefi, and web browsing. So I see little real reason to spend Surface Pro 4 money, but the extra functionality would be useful. I've worked more with Google Drive and spreadsheets and docs and am happy to think I can do some office work that way if need be but sometimes you need absolute compatibility without fail so I'm going to be a bit skiddish there.
So I know that's a bit of a ramble, but it seems all that's been rolling around in my head I really want to like this tablet but I'd want more than 64GB of storage because of those pictures, I really would like it to be removable memory, and as weird as it seems this lovely tablet got me looking closer at the Surface and thinking a PRO 3 might be a better bet. Don't come at me swinging, just give me some food for thought.
I strongly agree to stay away from Samsung, so you're already in a good spot after that decision.
Regarding storage space, I'm with you on wanting more space/expandability, but the general trend is to store eveyrthing online these days. At least if you have 64 gb for base that should be reasonable for most core use. (Android and its apps eat up considerably less space than Windows does, so it's not a straight space comparison. But ceretainly there is still a space comparison.)
In either case, bluetooth keyboard will hopefully prove comfortable for you as connection should be strong and seamless.
It really comes down to what you want to do with your new device. Pixel C will give you more portability, more apps, everything your Samsung could do but do it much better, faster, and cooler. Surface will give you PC-ability, Microsoft Office and similar full-PC apps, stylus-digitizer, expansion and desktop-friendly.
Also, Surface is available now and Pixel C is available ?? "by 2015 holidays" ???
ferrydust said:
I strongly agree to stay away from Samsung, so you're already in a good spot after that decision.
Regarding storage space, I'm with you on wanting more space/expandability, but the general trend is to store eveyrthing online these days. At least if you have 64 gb for base that should be reasonable for most core use. (Android and its apps eat up considerably less space than Windows does, so it's not a straight space comparison. But ceretainly there is still a space comparison.)
In either case, bluetooth keyboard will hopefully prove comfortable for you as connection should be strong and seamless.
It really comes down to what you want to do with your new device. Pixel C will give you more portability, more apps, everything your Samsung could do but do it much better, faster, and cooler. Surface will give you PC-ability, Microsoft Office and similar full-PC apps, stylus-digitizer, expansion and desktop-friendly.
Also, Surface is available now and Pixel C is available ?? "by 2015 holidays" ???
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Certainly Windows is part of the reason I shy away from surface, but it is a necessary evil sometimes. I could have a Surface 3 pro right now if I was all that enamored with it, that I don't is due in part to the fact that I don't have to make the decision now. I've been with Android a long time and don't have major complaints, but battery life and security are issues I care about. Both seem to be getting some attention so I've no real burning reason to move away just yet.
So if I can reliably distill the above ramble into a shorter statement it might be that I feel the tug of Surface because I travel a bit for work, and I want a new tablet. I'm just not totally sold on the Pixel C Because of doubts and dissatisfaction with the keyboard and lack of external memory.
That may seem weak sauce to those of you who've been in the Nexus realm for a bit and I'd certainly put lots of faith in your expectations vs experience thoughts, and that's part of why I'm here. Nexus seems like the only realistic Android choice for me as updates and security go hand-in-hand. The Pixel C being an outgrowth of Nexus would presumably follow in the same foot steps. I also like what I'm seeing from an industrial design standpoint.--a Nexus 6p will be in my hands in a couple weeks. As I've stated, memory is an issue more because it doesn't seem enough to hold the pictures from the EyeFi card. I'll have to see how much space I'm currently using to justify that thought though.
wclark57 said:
Certainly Windows is part of the reason I shy away from surface, but it is a necessary evil sometimes.
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FWIW, I'm pleasantly comfortable with Windows 10 on my laptop. I did not love windows 8 and had several measures in place to wrangle it into behaving like 7 for me. I've left windows 7 as is on my Workstation, but both my machines have very similar setups and I use Synergy between them and have been pleased with everything running swimmingly. Having a good touch screen makes a good bit of difference. The Windows store apps, though, are pretty bleh to me. That's not been an issue for me on Win 10; I use the regular desktop apps I've always used on regular windows, rather than the "touch-screen friendly" and "metro-style" apps.
I've been with Android a long time and don't have major complaints, but battery life and security are issues I care about. Both seem to be getting some attention so I've no real burning reason to move away just yet.
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Agreed. Battery life should be comparable if not better from Android, particularly in this case.
So if I can reliably distill the above ramble into a shorter statement it might be that I feel the tug of Surface because I travel a bit for work, and I want a new tablet. I'm just not totally sold on the Pixel C Because of doubts and dissatisfaction with the keyboard and lack of external memory.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you use MS Office for work or similar desktop-dependent software, and don't want to lug around two machines (laptop for work plus tablet) then Surface is definitely your way to go. Otherwise, there's decent-to-great productivity applications on Android now (if you need MS Office or full Adobe Illustrator or similar, then nothing short of PC will cut it) and you may find the Pixel more portable, hardware and software-wise.[/quote]
Nexus seems like the only realistic Android choice for me as updates and security go hand-in-hand.
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Yes, other options are slim anyway, especially having ruled out Samsung. The other ones I'd look at in your case are Sony's Xperia tablet line or one of Lenovo's various tablets and tablet-laptop hybrids.
memory is an issue more because it doesn't seem enough to hold the pictures from the EyeFi card.
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Yes, I really wish they'd offer more memory across the board. You may find yourself happy and comfortable though with a combination built-in-memory+cloud-drive solution.
Since you're not in a rush, keep exploring the options and asking the questions. until you're comfortable or decidedly smitten with one machine.
ferrydust said:
FWIW, I'm pleasantly comfortable with Windows 10 on my laptop. I did not love windows 8 and had several measures in place to wrangle it into behaving like 7 for me. I've left windows 7 as is on my Workstation, but both my machines have very similar setups and I use Synergy between them and have been pleased with everything running swimmingly. Having a good touch screen makes a good bit of difference. The Windows store apps, though, are pretty bleh to me. That's not been an issue for me on Win 10; I use the regular desktop apps I've always used on regular windows, rather than the "touch-screen friendly" and "metro-style" apps. .
Click to expand...
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While the ramble I've written above stands true, enough cannot be made of the security faults with non Nexus devices. My 2014 has not been updated since I got it and it has a bunch of bloatware I cannot remove and have not accepted the permissions for. Not to mention that the reason I tried Apple was largely what this version of Android attempts to fix. So this is the only Android tablet I am considering.
I've also recently bought a fine laptop and its running Linux--which is what I run at home. So while I can configure some synergy in, it isn't a given that the synergy will be all that. And yes I'm sure I could put Linux on the Surface, but that would take me away from my main use case for it.
It comes down to what I most value and I think the process of writing this all out has all but made my decision for me, but still, I would prefer a positive argument for this tablet and frankly I'm not sure I have one. That leads me to the thought that I have an actual use case for a Surface, but not an Android--well there is the photography, but I can setup the surface, or even the laptop (its just not as easy to lug around) to handle that.
The practical side of me says Surface, but every other fiber of my being says Pixel C. I'm trying to convince the practical me that its full of it.
wclark57 said:
it has a bunch of bloatware I cannot remove and have not accepted the permissions for.
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Cannot remove but you can disable them yes? Should be able to disable just about any app you like as long as it's not System... I'm not 100% sure if that's true for Samsung devices though (we've already covered that general topic...).
So this is the only Android tablet I am considering.
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Yes you and me both; I've ruled out the others this round. Most of them just don't come close to spec requirements.
I've also recently bought a fine laptop and its running Linux--which is what I run at home.
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Okay if you have this, then you may not need another laptop[hybrid] in the Surface, neh?
memory is an issue
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It does have that type-C usb port that can take external storage in a small lightweight form if you want to expand memory that way. I know that's not the same as built-in. They all (incl. Microsoft) really want us to be using their respective Cloud storage options, even though they don't yet provide us wth global free high-speed wifi to really take advantage of such.
a positive argument for this tablet and frankly I'm not sure I have one.
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It's purportedly attractive and pleasing to hold, cool keyboard charging and mechanisms, good specs (besides relatively limited storage space), very portable and nice size for frequent use, wide range of Android apps, reliable hardware and software, latest and greatest software and updates.
The practical side of me says Surface, but every other fiber of my being says Pixel C.
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This is a strong argument for the Pixel C. If you're not reasonably/unreasonably smitten with your device then what's really the point?
I think the strongest argument for the Surface above the Pixel C is not as much the storage space (even though that is a huge sticking point with me in general -- storage and ram. I'm annoyed at the general offerings by the technology world in this regard), but the Surface Pro capabilities as a digitizer. If you'll use a pen to screen, then the only choice is the Surface (but then the SP4 is much improved in that regard over the SP3...) Otherwise, for a high-powered Android device you can play and work and browse and do Android things with, Pixel is the choice for you.
If you can wait yet, wait for a bit more news on the Pixel C and some proper hands-on reviews to see if you're still intrigued. If they don't give me news soon, they're making the decision for me. (Grrrrrrr.)
ferrydust said:
Okay if you have this, then you may not need another laptop[hybrid] in the Surface, neh?
It does have that type-C usb port that can take external storage in a small lightweight form if you want to expand memory that way. I know that's not the same as built-in. They all (incl. Microsoft) really want us to be using their respective Cloud storage options, even though they don't yet provide us wth global free high-speed wifi to really take advantage of such.
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Yes, the use case does not apply at home, only during travel, and it deserves to be said that the case is served by a normal laptop currently--only the convenience of a smaller, lighter system is implied.
I just don't think moving images from my SLR to the cloud is all that good an idea. It already takes long enough to establish comm with the EyeFi card, adding several seconds to each image transfer to the cloud when you just took 20-30 shots seems excessive.
ferrydust said:
This is a strong argument for the Pixel C. If you're not reasonably/unreasonably smitten with your device then what's really the point?
I think the strongest argument for the Surface above the Pixel C is not as much the storage space (even though that is a huge sticking point with me in general -- storage and ram. I'm annoyed at the general offerings by the technology world in this regard), but the Surface Pro capabilities as a digitizer. If you'll use a pen to screen, then the only choice is the Surface (but then the SP4 is much improved in that regard over the SP3...) Otherwise, for a high-powered Android device you can play and work and browse and do Android things with, Pixel is the choice for you.
If you can wait yet, wait for a bit more news on the Pixel C and some proper hands-on reviews to see if you're still intrigued. If they don't give me news soon, they're making the decision for me. (Grrrrrrr.)
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So follow my heart? That's not my normal approach with hardware. Still, the very fact that I'm engaged here and checking several times a day does tell you that my heart is not to be trifled with. FYI, I read yesterday that Marshmallow is optimized for active stylus. But the whole of the application space for its use has always been less than inspiring, and keeping track of a stylus seems a bit of a chore. I will probably try one out though. As I alluded to earlier, the Note stylus barely got used and that was largely because it was a pain to use--largely a function of its size and the button placement. Its size was mainly driven by its storage method--which was a sensible feature. The surface stylus seems clumsy when it comes to keeping track of it. So IMHO there are limitations with how easy a stylus is to live with. It isn't on my list of must haves.
I'm with you on the lack of solid information. And I am so tired of the endless attempts to make this out as a competitor to the Surface with all the comparisons--just doesn't sound realistic to me.
wclark57 said:
Yes, the use case does not apply at home, only during travel, and it deserves to be said that the case is served by a normal laptop currently--only the convenience of a smaller, lighter system is implied.
I just don't think moving images from my SLR to the cloud is all that good an idea. It already takes long enough to establish comm with the EyeFi card, adding several seconds to each image transfer to the cloud when you just took 20-30 shots seems excessive.
So follow my heart? That's not my normal approach with hardware. Still, the very fact that I'm engaged here and checking several times a day does tell you that my heart is not to be trifled with. FYI, I read yesterday that Marshmallow is optimized for active stylus. But the whole of the application space for its use has always been less than inspiring, and keeping track of a stylus seems a bit of a chore. I will probably try one out though. As I alluded to earlier, the Note stylus barely got used and that was largely because it was a pain to use--largely a function of its size and the button placement. Its size was mainly driven by its storage method--which was a sensible feature. The surface stylus seems clumsy when it comes to keeping track of it. So IMHO there are limitations with how easy a stylus is to live with. It isn't on my list of must haves.
I'm with you on the lack of solid information. And I am so tired of the endless attempts to make this out as a competitor to the Surface with all the comparisons--just doesn't sound realistic to me.
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Also,
If they ultimately release a 128 GB version then I will stop complaining about memory--though I would still prefer it to be removable. Beyond the very real need to have space for pictures, is the convenience of traveling with something that would be able to replace my work laptop. I hope to convince the company to pop for a Surface so I think I'm just going to stop thinking about that. Still, if anyone uses an Android for work--using Office or Google Drive and its office suite--then workflow discussions would help.
wclark57 said:
Also,
If they ultimately release a 128 GB version then I will stop complaining about memory--though I would still prefer it to be removable. Beyond the very real need to have space for pictures, is the convenience of traveling with something that would be able to replace my work laptop. I hope to convince the company to pop for a Surface so I think I'm just going to stop thinking about that. Still, if anyone uses an Android for work--using Office or Google Drive and its office suite--then workflow discussions would help.
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I use a Note Pro 12.2 and I find both multiwindow and pen window to be absolutely brilliant. I am not sure I could use another android device without the pen window. I do use it for some work stuff when I am at home or away from my desk. For the most part I use Hancom Office apps for a couple of reason; first, it seems completely compatible with almost all other office suites, and second, because I use the s-mouse with my Note pro and in Hancom the s mouse has right click capability. As far as I know hancom is the only android office suite that has right click compatability built in and it means I can actually edit the data sets in excell fully on my Note Tablet. If the Pixel C does get a version of android with multiwindow support I would definately consider it. Otherwise the SP3/SP4 are the best option.
They certainly could have fixed it for the 12.2. Multi-window on the older note was great, but on the 2014 it just sucks. I click on a youtube link and half the screen is the browser window and half is the youtube window and I can only make either of them about two thirds the screen size by dragging the dividing line one way or the other. No movable windows, just a split screen, and no discernible way to make one take full screen. I don't tend to use the word, but I hate the thing.
Considering this is a Google tablet running pure Marshmallow, being able to unlock and root it to customize it, like putting Linux on it, or maybe even dual booting it for both Android or Linux or even Windows, it's pretty much a no brainer for me to get this. The 64 gb is the perfect amount of storage for me as well.
I've beat-up on the Galaxy Note 2014 enough to feel compelled to report that it just updated to Marshmallow.
wclark57 said:
I've beat-up on the Galaxy Note 2014 enough to feel compelled to report that it just updated to Marshmallow.
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Wat. I just got mine on Lollipop 5.1.1
How are you on Marshmallow?!?
I will say the 5.1.1 update was a positive but I am still gunning for the Pixel C.
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kibmikey1 said:
Considering this is a Google tablet running pure Marshmallow, being able to unlock and root it to customize it, like putting Linux on it, or maybe even dual booting it for both Android or Linux or even Windows, it's pretty much a no brainer for me to get this. The 64 gb is the perfect amount of storage for me as well.
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I dont think Windows will work on an ARM processor. I could be wrong though. I have heard of a decent amount of people wanting to dual boot into Linux though.
What I would really love is a dual boot of android/chromeOS.
atg284 said:
Wat. I just got mine on Lollipop 5.1.1
How are you on Marshmallow?!?
I will say the 5.1.1 update was a positive but I am still gunning for the Pixel C.
---------- Post added at 10:55 AM ---------- Previous post was at 10:53 AM ----------
I dont think Windows will work on an ARM processor. I could be wrong though. I have heard of a decent amount of people wanting to dual boot into Linux though.
What I would really love is a dual boot of android/chromeOS.
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Yes, I should have checked my version numbers.