#1
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Anyone use a Windows based tablet?
Must be getting old and set in my ways
I just can't seem to get used to android based electronics. I have been using windows based operating systems for years and love the use of My Documents and simple folders. I have two android based tablets laying around and don't like either. Don't want to spend the time and money learning a new apple product. Suggestions? |
#2
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Well of course people have their preferences and ideals which differ, and I'd expect some replies in the thread telling you to get over your idea. But you asked.
I've used a Microsoft Surface tablet or the last three years. I've rather enjoyed it. My model is a somewhat obscure one in the Surface line, the last one they made with the Intel Atom processor line, which are slower, though at the time they offered better battery life. It's running Windows 10, which is works OK as a touch operating system. I use it as pure tablet more than 90% of the time. However I also have the snap on keyboard and the pen. I also have an Apple iPad, a little more than a year older which I used mostly to see how my podcast distribution would appear on that platform. I currently use an older iPhone as my phone. My wife uses a current iPad (and likes it). I use MacOS and Windows 10 desktop computers roughly equally mostly because I'm a big user of Apple Logic Pro X and spend a lot of time in that application. I've had a couple of Android tablets which have not satisfied me and have had a shortened life Things I like? I like the way Windows 10 app switches, manipulates windows, copies and pastes, and multitasks compared to other tablets. This maybe just because it's what I'm accustomed to, but it's second nature to me. I also still like a regular old-time file system where you have some default folders, but can decide where to put things. The built in apps for mail, calendar, weather, and news work well, and I actually prefer the weather app to any I have found on Apple IOS. Third party apps built with touch in mind are still harder to find, and even where they exist that maybe slower to get new features. I use the Nook app and the built in browser to read magazines, ebooks and PDF files. I use the pen sparingly, and it has mild but detectable latency on my older, slower model if used for art type tasks. It sometimes comes in handy for working with applications that have no concern for touch as input device as you can click on or manipulate very small screen gadgets. To a large degree I get around the "app gap" by using the regular web site via the browser or by using a regular, non-touch Windows program sometimes with aid of the pen. Other drawbacks? I've never trusted the Surface tablet to sleep and hold power for extended periods. For all I know over time with updates and newer models this may just work like it does with my IOS devices or my wife's. When I travel, I just shut the tablet down, as it talks less than a minute to start up from compete power off anyway, so it's not big deal. Here's the coolest thing: snap on the keyboard cover and it's a laptop. Not a sort-of laptop, but a real one. Obviously, my older Atom CPU model is not speedy by modern standards, but I'm mostly using MS Office, Live Writer, and older version of Adobe Audition and the Edge browser for my mobile work and I find it tolerable. What's so welcome compared to my attempts to use an iPad with a keyboard are things like full cursor control, window manipulation like a real "full" operating system, and better control of copy and paste--things I'm doing constantly when I'm working in laptop mode. I know many are happy with their iPads with keyboards (my wife is one of them) but I took a break from trying that a couple of years back. Maybe someday I'm go back to the iPad for this. I did carefully watch the recent Apple demo of what will now be iPad OS this spring. Gee, by this fall I'll be able to cut and paste between two documents in windows running the same application when that comes out. I've been doing that for three years on mine. Seems like a basic thing, one I wasn't ready to give up back then, and I honestly was surprised to see these features being touted as a notable event at the Spring Apple conference. Please iPad users, I'm not slagging iPads. The IOS touch app universe is so much richer that for many there's no reason to even consider anything else. They work great within their OS limitations which others are used too, may even prefer, and don't impinge the way they work, and as hardware they are very durable. So to the OP who wants to consider a Windows tablet: If you aren't in need of the latest and greatest in speed and would prefer a bit of size and weight advantage, the Surface Go might be all you need. If cost is not an issue, higher performance in demanding applications is required, and a bit larger is advantageous, the current Surface Pro is worth looking at. Windows tablets in irony mode now: Yes, it's kind of a "Think Different" kind of thing. Business people say you will miss some of the ubiquitous IOS apps your company and acquaintances say you have to have, but as a creative person you value how the windowing system etc helps you make the things you make the way you want to make them. Somehow I think I'm back 30 years ago and something's reversed (grin...and back to moving more of my plug in licenses over to my new Mac Mini...)
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----------------------------------- Creator of The Parlando Project Guitars: 20th Century Seagull S6-12, S6 Folk, Seagull M6; '00 Guild JF30-12, '01 Martin 00-15, '16 Martin 000-17, '07 Parkwood PW510, Epiphone Biscuit resonator, Merlin Dulcimer, and various electric guitars, basses.... |
#3
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#4
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We have a Windows tablet somewhere around here. The point Frank made about the tablet sleeping and not holding power was my experience as well. You have to power it off if you were going to leave off for more than a few minutes or ist is dead when you came back.
We also have Windows PCS and notebooks that get heavy use, but no one uses that tablet. We use the Samsung Android tablet or an iPad. We have some Surface tablets in the office and that's the only Windows tablet I think I'd buy, but they aren't cheap. |
#5
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Yes.
I'm with my users who love the Surface Pro 6 and Surface Book families. The small ones and cheepos not so much. If you're not using Windows 10 or wanting to pay close to or more than $1000, the iPads are what my users prefer for a true tablet. Microsoft's own store has non-Microsoft Windows 10 devices that you should be able to trust. What you need to keep in mind is Microsoft has their general purpose Windows operating system available in tablet format. The best of those are more costly than the best basic or what most need tablets. I'll be using a Surface a lot for a project about to pick up but for tablets I think the basic iPads are hard to beat. I understand what you (OP) means about spending money on product but not so much on the learning. On learning, nothing beats the iPad. It's what all of our approx 750 employees always pick up and like including those with special needs.
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ƃuoɹʍ llɐ ʇno əɯɐɔ ʇɐɥʇ |
#6
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You can continue to spend time, money & frustration on Android & Microsoft tables or just buy the best (originator). No copy, clone or substitute will do for me.
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#7
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Technically, Windows was first. I was using a Fujitsu, Windows XP tablet edition, tablet, in 2004.
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Guild CO-2 Guild JF30-12 Guild D55 Goodall Grand Concert Cutaway Walnut/Italian Spruce Santa Cruz Brazilian VJ Taylor 8 String Baritone Blueberry - Grand Concert Magnum Opus J450 Eastman AJ815 Parker PA-24 Babicz Jumbo Identity Walden G730 Silvercreek T170 Charvell 150 SC Takimine G406s |
#8
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Technically, those were pen computers that require peripherals, like floppy drives, to operate. That’s like calling early lunch box computers laptops. They weren’t, they were simply portable. Likewise, Palm Pilots, or HP PDA’s, were not tablets just because they could be carried around.
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#9
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Guild CO-2 Guild JF30-12 Guild D55 Goodall Grand Concert Cutaway Walnut/Italian Spruce Santa Cruz Brazilian VJ Taylor 8 String Baritone Blueberry - Grand Concert Magnum Opus J450 Eastman AJ815 Parker PA-24 Babicz Jumbo Identity Walden G730 Silvercreek T170 Charvell 150 SC Takimine G406s |
#10
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I have lots of interesting, good and painful memories for all of this because I was an Apple Newton beta tester, and on a project at a Fortune 500 that tried the early pen type Windows computers. Add Xbernaught wearable PCs. Like it or not, the iPad was and very much still us the most ready for prime time, manageable, and capable tablet platform. Right now is a painful reminder as we have a vendor imposing an Android product on us the same time our order picking and delivery operation is moving to another platform that uses iPads. It's more expensive, but we've settled on Surface family for reasons much like iPads have worked well but they are a more expensive animal. They are general purpose computers with premium components and service. One nice thing no matter what you choose is Microsoft has done a superb job with their cloud and client parts that get a lot of power and quality to Android, iPad and Windows tablet users.
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ƃuoɹʍ llɐ ʇno əɯɐɔ ʇɐɥʇ |
#11
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I use a Samsung Galaxy Book 2, which is a Windows 10 unit very similar to a Microsoft Surface.
It's excellent for productivity. The battery life is very impressive.
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All things must pass, though some may pass like a kidney stone. Last edited by Willie_D; 06-17-2019 at 10:57 AM. |
#12
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I've been using a modest Surface model for three years. It's worked well for me. I bought it owning an iPad first, and needed at the time something that had a better windowing environment than Apple's IOS offered then and I was also happy that it replaced a need for a laptop when I travel. Sometime in a year perhaps I'll need to make a choice on it's replacement. Not sure which way I'll go, but I'd certainly consider another Surface. My impression is that even the iPad Pros with their excellent hardware are still held back by the Apple tablet operating system when used as laptop replacements in some usage scenarios (scenarios that happen to be mine). The OP, Riverwolf, should consider if there's a must-have app that isn't available in a touch-usable version on Windows and how important the last 20% or so of battery life is, and of course it'd be ideal if he actually got a hands-on with a Surface. Riverwolf, I'm not sure how much of your question is based on "It'll be too hard to learn how to use an iPad" vs. "I have a preference for Windows and am comfortable to perhaps even being more to the power user side in how it works." An iPad is easy to learn to use for basic consumption tasks, it's the more complex tasks and workflows where the iPad has a learning curve and possibly even limitations.
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----------------------------------- Creator of The Parlando Project Guitars: 20th Century Seagull S6-12, S6 Folk, Seagull M6; '00 Guild JF30-12, '01 Martin 00-15, '16 Martin 000-17, '07 Parkwood PW510, Epiphone Biscuit resonator, Merlin Dulcimer, and various electric guitars, basses.... |
#13
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I recently bought a Dell 11" notebook/tablet computer. Cheap, easy to use, and windows based. I love it.
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Epiphone Masterbilt Hummingbird Epiphone Masterbilt AJ-500RENS Teach us what ways have light, what gifts have worth. Edna St. Vincent Millay |
#14
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hmm...now that is also a thought.
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