Tablet buying

[dirtyvu]

they are not limited to 2GB of RAM. that's what the current levels are at because of the sensitive pricepoints.

and these Atoms are not the Atoms of yesteryear. they're far above what was seen in netbooks. that said, unless battery is really the key point, I'd prefer the Core processors. the upcoming Core processors that are 7W will have wider distribution.

Okay, to be more specific, Clover Trail processors are limited to 2GB RAM. Correct?

yes, the consumer version of Clover Trail is limited to 2 GB of RAM. originally, there was a statement that Atoms were limited to 2 GB which isn't true. the server version of Clover Trail supports up to 8 GB.

For a consumer level Atom to support more RAM (unless some OEM decides to put the server version into a tablet), you're looking at Bay Trail later this year.

 

[Techwavy]

So there are mixed feelings on the "Gigabyte1085". The battery life would not support me tho unless I could find a way to legthen the battery to atleast 6-8 hours. Another thing would be does it take a liking to Styluses?Does it have a Accelometer, gyroscope and etc. for apps? (in the windows store)

 

[Coke Robot]

if you're going to spend $600 on a Win8 tablet, you shouldn't get one that has a resolution of only 1024x600 like that Gigabyte. Its brightness is only about 148 nits. Its viewing angle is pretty narrow. it has a hard drive instead of eMMC or SSD. Its battery life is only 4 hours with an Atom. a modern Atom (Clover Trail) tablet should at least get 8 hours and often go up to 14 hours. it weighs 2 pounds. The Atom in the Gigabyte is not Clover Trail and is last gen in terms of performance and battery.

The Gigabyte's feature set was clearly made in the Windows 7 era.

People who provide opinions on a product, should only do so if they know what they are talking about. Product specifications only tell part of the story. You clearly do not know what you are talking about.

Firstly, the resolution can be increased so that Windows 8 apps work correctly, the screen brightness is excellent and horizontal viewing angle is around 170 deg. You can replace the HDD with an SSD of whatever capacity you like and it has a mini-PCIE slot that allows you to install an adapter that will take an SD card or two micro-SD cards to increase internal storage by at least 64GB. It also has an external SD slot for even more storage.

Yes, battery life without the extended battery is four hours at full screen brightness, but how long is the battery life with a Surface Pro? Does the Surface Pro have an external battery or docking station? It weighs the same as a Surface Pro and has the same physical dimensions as the Surface Pro. It can run any program that runs on Windows 8.

It also has two USB ports, Ethernet port, SIM card, HDMI and D-sub. It's actually built like a fully functional desktop, PC in a tablet format, no larger or heavier than a Surface Pro and at almost half the price.

What does the Surface Pro have to do with anything?

 

[Ray8]

So there are mixed feelings on the "Gigabyte1085". The battery life would not support me tho unless I could find a way to legthen the battery to atleast 6-8 hours. Another thing would be does it take a liking to Styluses?Does it have a Accelometer, gyroscope and etc. for apps? (in the windows store)

If you mean the S1185, I don't think that's even out yet and I don't think any of them have stylus capability, though you can use a soft tipped stylus for working on any of them. They don't have gyro/accelerometers built in. You can get an extended battery for the S10xx series tablets.

 

[Ray8]

What does the Surface Pro have to do with anything?

Mr Dirty was implying that the Gigabyte was inadequate for running Windows 8 Pro and Windows programs and suggested how the Surface Pro was significantly better. Yes the Surface Pro does have an improved processor and higher screen resolution, but in many respects the Gigabyte has more features for a device that costs significantly less and doesn't fall that far behind in performance either.

 

[dirtyvu]

What does the Surface Pro have to do with anything?

Mr Dirty was implying that the Gigabyte was inadequate for running Windows 8 Pro and Windows programs and suggested how the Surface Pro was significantly better. Yes the Surface Pro does have an improved processor and higher screen resolution, but in many respects the Gigabyte has more features for a device that costs significantly less and doesn't fall that far behind in performance either.

your sniping is just getting ridiculous. i know you're the argumentative type and you never let it go. go back to any of my posts in this thread. I never mentioned the Surface until you kept bringing it up over and over for no reason. you got all defensive that your Gigabyte tablet was old-gen technology and you felt like a cornered animal and lashed out at me.

 

[Ray8]

What does the Surface Pro have to do with anything?

Mr Dirty was implying that the Gigabyte was inadequate for running Windows 8 Pro and Windows programs and suggested how the Surface Pro was significantly better. Yes the Surface Pro does have an improved processor and higher screen resolution, but in many respects the Gigabyte has more features for a device that costs significantly less and doesn't fall that far behind in performance either.

your sniping is just getting ridiculous. i know you're the argumentative type and you never let it go. go back to any of my posts in this thread. I never mentioned the Surface until you kept bringing it up over and over for no reason. you got all defensive that your Gigabyte tablet was old-gen technology and you felt like a cornered animal and lashed out at me.

No sniping. I have a Gigabyte tablet as well as Dell desktop running an i7 processor, 8GB RAM, yada, yada, which has the same programs as my tablet and it's pretty easy to compare performance between the two. You on the other hand, are simply sniping at a product based on specs and not user experience, a big difference.

The simple fact is that some might want to consider an older product that is going at a much cheaper price, which can adequately run Windows 8 desktop and Windows programs, as well as well as its love child the MPI. I think the cornered animals are those whose love of the latest and greatest is under threat.

 

[Coke Robot]

Mr Dirty was implying that the Gigabyte was inadequate for running Windows 8 Pro and Windows programs and suggested how the Surface Pro was significantly better. Yes the Surface Pro does have an improved processor and higher screen resolution, but in many respects the Gigabyte has more features for a device that costs significantly less and doesn't fall that far behind in performance either.

your sniping is just getting ridiculous. i know you're the argumentative type and you never let it go. go back to any of my posts in this thread. I never mentioned the Surface until you kept bringing it up over and over for no reason. you got all defensive that your Gigabyte tablet was old-gen technology and you felt like a cornered animal and lashed out at me.

No sniping. I have a Gigabyte tablet as well as Dell desktop running an i7 processor, 8GB RAM, yada, yada, which has the same programs as my tablet and it's pretty easy to compare performance between the two. You on the other hand, are simply sniping at a product based on specs and not user experience, a big difference.

The simple fact is that some might want to consider an older product that is going at a much cheaper price, which can adequately run Windows 8 desktop and Windows programs, as well as well as its love child the MPI. I think the cornered animals are those whose love of the latest and greatest is under threat.

Hmmmmm, specs versus user experience....sounds familiar for some reason....

 

[Ray8]

Hmmmmm, specs versus user experience....sounds familiar for some reason....

And you find that disturbing?

 

[Coke Robot]

Hmmmmm, specs versus user experience....sounds familiar for some reason....

And you find that disturbing?

Not disturbing, but more interesting.

For some reason, this reminds of how some people say Windows 8 is meant only for touch screens and tablets and nothing else. Yet, if most of those people are asked, they'd probably say they've only used Windows 8 for mere testing and toying around versus using it as a main OS for over a year. Specs versus user experience, perception versus actual usage.

 

[Ray8]

[
Not disturbing, but more interesting.

For some reason, this reminds of how some people say Windows 8 is meant only for touch screens and tablets and nothing else. Yet, if most of those people are asked, they'd probably say they've only used Windows 8 for mere testing and toying around versus using it as a main OS for over a year. Specs versus user experience, perception versus actual usage.

I'm not sure how you are drawing that conclusion from my statement. I have used Windows 8 since I was able to purchase it (I tried the releases, but that doesn't really count), which is as long as anyone has had with the real deal.

As I have said time and time again, I have no issue with the underlying OS, but I have significant issues with the MPI and lack of customisation ability to suit my preferences. My version of Windows 8 on my tablet replicates everything that's on the Windows 7 version and I have tested every installed program from Office 2010 to Adobe CS4 and then some.

Everything installed perfectly doing a Windows 8 update, not a clean install, so maybe dumb old me just jagged it and managed to get everything from programs to wireless connection to LAN working because of dumb luck. Everything on the tablet works perfectly, as it does on my desktop which also was an update. Gee, I must have had dumb luck twice in a row.

I had the MPI sussed out in about five minutes, partly due to the pre-release experience, and still found it a dog's breakfast. That subsequently required an install of Classic Shell and after the latest update to Classic Shell, even the Windows updates work perfectly, so I no longer have to install each update individually. Though whether that was a Classic Shell issue or a Microsoft stuff up is anyone's guess.

Tell me, who has used the final version of Windows 8 for a full year? After using Windows 8 on a tablet and desktop since release, is it just possible that I may have a vague idea of how it works and have a genuine idea of the entire experience? Perhaps not, as if it doesn't accord with the views of the Windows 8 luvvies, I must be doing it wrong.

 

[Coke Robot]

[
Not disturbing, but more interesting.

For some reason, this reminds of how some people say Windows 8 is meant only for touch screens and tablets and nothing else. Yet, if most of those people are asked, they'd probably say they've only used Windows 8 for mere testing and toying around versus using it as a main OS for over a year. Specs versus user experience, perception versus actual usage.

I'm not sure how you are drawing that conclusion from my statement. I have used Windows 8 since I was able to purchase it (I tried the releases, but that doesn't really count), which is as long as anyone has had with the real deal.

As I have said time and time again, I have no issue with the underlying OS, but I have significant issues with the MPI and lack of customisation ability to suit my preferences. My version of Windows 8 on my tablet replicates everything that's on the Windows 7 version and I have tested every installed program from Office 2010 to Adobe CS4 and then some.

Everything installed perfectly doing a Windows 8 update, not a clean install, so maybe dumb old me just jagged it and managed to get everything from programs to wireless connection to LAN working because of dumb luck. Everything on the tablet works perfectly, as it does on my desktop which also was an update. Gee, I must have had dumb luck twice in a row.

I had the MPI sussed out in about five minutes, partly due to the pre-release experience, and still found it a dog's breakfast. That subsequently required an install of Classic Shell and after the latest update to Classic Shell, even the Windows updates work perfectly, so I no longer have to install each update individually. Though whether that was a Classic Shell issue or a Microsoft stuff up is anyone's guess.

Tell me, who has used the final version of Windows 8 for a full year? After using Windows 8 on a tablet and desktop since release, is it just possible that I may have a vague idea of how it works and have a genuine idea of the entire experience? Perhaps not, as if it doesn't accord with the views of the Windows 8 luvvies, I must be doing it wrong.

No...

It's more like there are some of us that ACTUALLY used the OS since Developer Preview release and forward, every day until the final RTM release. There are some of us that ACTUALLY learned all the ins and outs of the OS and what they do and why they're there, as well as taking advantage of the new UI versus pasting over it in less than five minutes. That same five minutes gets used by those who comprehend it by pinning Desktop locations to Start and so on. So when some of us read scathing reviews of some that only used it for a few weeks or a couple months only because they installed a start menu replacement, it's absurd considering that we spent many months using it as a daily driver for some to skewer it and even the people that use because they just don't want to learn it or refuse to accept any new changes, I don't know and probably won't.

 

[Ray8]

No...

It's more like there are some of us that ACTUALLY used the OS since Developer Preview release and forward, every day until the final RTM release. There are some of us that ACTUALLY learned all the ins and outs of the OS and what they do and why they're there, as well as taking advantage of the new UI versus pasting over it in less than five minutes. That same five minutes gets used by those who comprehend it by pinning Desktop locations to Start and so on. So when some of us read scathing reviews of some that only used it for a few weeks or a couple months only because they installed a start menu replacement, it's absurd considering that we spent many months using it as a daily driver for some to skewer it and even the people that use because they just don't want to learn it or refuse to accept any new changes, I don't know and probably won't.

So what tablet did you use as a test bed throughout that time?

More importantly, you're now admitting that it took you what amounts to a year or more to learn the OS. Yet you disparage people who just want something simple and familiar, and not have to spend months or a year learning what was so easy going from previous iterations of Windows.

Thank you. You have just confirmed what everyone who has issues with Windows 8 has been saying all along.

 

[Coke Robot]

No...

It's more like there are some of us that ACTUALLY used the OS since Developer Preview release and forward, every day until the final RTM release. There are some of us that ACTUALLY learned all the ins and outs of the OS and what they do and why they're there, as well as taking advantage of the new UI versus pasting over it in less than five minutes. That same five minutes gets used by those who comprehend it by pinning Desktop locations to Start and so on. So when some of us read scathing reviews of some that only used it for a few weeks or a couple months only because they installed a start menu replacement, it's absurd considering that we spent many months using it as a daily driver for some to skewer it and even the people that use because they just don't want to learn it or refuse to accept any new changes, I don't know and probably won't.

So what tablet did you use as a test bed throughout that time?

More importantly, you're now admitting that it took you what amounts to a year or more to learn the OS. Yet you disparage people who just want something simple and familiar, and not have to spend months or a year learning what was so easy going from previous iterations of Windows.

Thank you. You have just confirmed what everyone who has issues with Windows 8 has been saying all along.

Even better, a Microsoft Touch Mouse. A MOUSE. If you want any proof that Windows 8 works perfectly fine without touch, I am it. A tablet or touchscreen wasn't needed to evaluate how well it operates and works. Now considering a lot of dissenters don't have either to use Windows 8 on, and used it with a mouse, that just goes to show my point even better.

And no, what part of what I said was that it took me a year to learn Windows 8? You're reading too far into a one liner here. If you want clarification, what I should had said was that it took me a couple months with the Developer Preview to understand and find the new changes, a month or so to comprehend why things were there and why they were changed, several months of testing Windows 8 To Go with the Consumer Preview as well as a week or two to find out what changes were made and how to take advantage them as I wasn't able to in the Developer Preview, such as pinning Libraries to the Start Screen. Bet you didn't know that one.

All in all, to learn a new OS like Windows 8, three months tops. By RTM, I have such a working knowledge of it from a mouse and touchpad and touchscreens and tablets that not even IT people that are supposed to be on top of something like this can't match, as far as I personally know around my area.

No one has EVER said that there isn't a learning curve. Tell me, has there been a single soul that said, "Windows 8 is so easy, you'll figure it out in a day?" No, never. Yes, there are some people that say Windows 8 is really easy to use ONCE you've spent the time to figure it out, whether that be two weeks or two months, depends on the person and their effort.

And now, my turn.

You just showed what everyone's talking about, afraid of change, wanting the old, not wanting to explore the new but rather make the new act and operate like the old. Why? That's yet to be explainable. Instead of making accusations that I, AND OTHERS, are disparaging and being insulting, you should take a hard look at yourself and everyone else around and muster the courage to say that with a straight face.

 

[whs]

Guys, we are going around and around with the same arguments. Windows 8 is a hybrid and as such it is inconvenient to use.

And that's why you fans make all those 'accomodations' with OEM tweaks, touchpads and alike. Who needs it.

I use it a lot (since the CP came out) for 'research' and certainly found some interesting aspects. But for daily production - no way.

 

[Ray8]

The shrill cries of the luvvies get ever louder as the discontent grows. Every possible argument is thrown into the ring, simply to be defeated and deflated. All it takes is a short, deft and sharp word for the balloon to burst. Even those sitting on the fence must ask why some are trying to defend a mere OS with such fervour, as if their lives depended on it.

 

[Techwavy]

The matter has been changed to about the windows 8 interface. Though the topic is about windows Tablets under $600 with a processor faster than the intel atom Z2670. If there are any.*But if there are no windows 8 tablets faster than the intel atom Z2670 processor in windows 8 tablets under $600 ,then I will stick to and compare to an Ipad 4. Which will make my final decision based on money wise.

 

[dirtyvu]

ray8, you really need to step back and read what you write. you rail against people as the luvvies. and yet it's you that's constantly derailing multiple threads and turning every thread into an anti-Win8 thread. that's the common element I see whenever I see you joining a thread. "oh, ray8 is here to try to tell people all the problems with windows 8 again."

sheesh. even in a thread that was supposed to be about machines was mutated into a discussion on Windows 8.

 

[echrada]

Once again it isn't Windows 8 that is the problem, it is the users!

 

[esspee]

I love Windows 8 but you would be blind to think it isn't a stop gap measure. The o/s and the hardware are just not quite there yet and that is ok. Microsoft, for the first time in a while, is getting on the front edge. Trying to beat Apple to the inevitable convergence - desktop with tablet. iOS cannot do what Windows 8 does. iOS is made to leverage low powered socs, great at consuming but not a desktop replacement. If you think about it, Apples core audience has always been the design community yet iOS really cannot manage that type of workload. Apple obviously knows convergence is coming, and if not MS had made them well aware. Now we have a real race, but this time Microsoft is not giving anyone a head start, they have already made the first move.

Anyway, that was kind of off topic. Two points I would like to make about some of the posts here:

1) If you want to compare Atom based tablets to legacy devices then you really should account for the 'true' cost. Adding Win8, RAM and an SSDs surely negate much the their low cost benefits. Also, the original poster seemed to be asking about light weight and battery life. If you want to get near iPad and Nexus in that space then I don't really see anything competing outside of the Atom based tablets.

2) While I agree that the Nexus and a decent camera make a tough argument against an Atom based tablet for many, the comparison discounts key benefits found only in Windows 8 tablets. Windows 8 is a convergence device - iOS and Android are not. You cannot compare a consumption device to a convergence device on specs and price alone. I want a digitizer, I want onenote, I want MS office, I want Flash, I want all my desktop applications, I want ports for USB and SSD, I want seamless compatibility across all my devices.

Its like the old argument that Apple computers are less prone to crashing vs Windows computers. It isn't really comparing one to one since Apple builds an o/s tailored around a ridged, finite and very controlled hardware base while MS builds an o/s to handle any hardware combination you want to throw at it. If you want to make comparisons then compare the full scope and let each individual take away what is important to them.