Windows 8 Pro tablets: Not a good laptop replacement

[h=1]
Windows 8 Pro tablets: Not a good laptop replacement[/h] Summary: The Windows 8 launch is getting closer and many are looking forward to the tablets that will run the full version of Windows. Those looking to use one of these tablets as a PC replacement may be disappointed.

By James Kendrick for Mobile News
August 9, 2012 -- 13:46 GMT (06:46 PDT)


jk-eb-surface-three-in-line.jpg


As a tablet enthusiast I am looking forward to the Windows 8 slates that will start appearing later this year. The Microsoft Surface tablets look like capable entrants to the field, along with the just-announced ThinkPad Tablet 2.


The tablets that will run Windows 8 Pro have attracted a lot of attention from many I have corresponded with due to the ability to run not only the apps written for tablets but also legacy Windows apps. Many I have spoken to plan to get a Windows 8 Pro tablet for that legacy support.


I am hearing from more and more people that they see these tablets as laptop replacements. The Surface tablets will have a keyboard cover to turn it into a pseudo laptop, and others are likely to have similar accessories.


Others who plan to get a Windows tablet tell me they want to use it as their sole computer. They expect accessories to be available to let them drop the tablet into a dock that is connected to monitors, speakers, keyboard, and mouse, turning the slate into a full-blown desktop system.


more
 
I cannot even imagine that the average person could use this Windows Pro tablet as their sole computer.
 

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You have plenty of people out there who do nothing but browse the web, check the weather, email, and yap their mouths off on some social network site! You find them everywhere! They don't do anything else as far as run a full desktop and likely carry a smart phone that connects to Face Book as well as their email and wouldn't be looking for anything else.

Now compare that to those who run a gaming laptop or simply spend a great deal of time with a laptop on the go if not sitting at a desktop who would shrug at 8 to start with and then gawk at several Tablet PC models while in a retail outlet. You can imagine someone thinking to themselves: "Pity the fools that buy into that crap!" :rolleyes:

The keyboard addon serving the dual purpose of a cover to protect the display screen is the selling gimic that would make the novice look at it as a full flavored laptop, notebook over going for any netbook. At least you can change the OS on a netbook however not be stuck with an embedded OS! Likewise with a regular laptop you can add the extras on you might while the sight of those..??? leaves you to wonder!
 

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    1st W10 Professional x64/W7 Ultimate x64 - 2nd Remote system: W10 Insider Builds/W7 Professional
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    AMD Phenom II X4 975 Deneb 3.6ghz -2nd case AMD Atholon II 3.2ghz
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    Gigabyte GA-790XTA-UD4
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    MSI Radeon HD 5750 1gb - 2nd AMD Radeon 6450
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    Creative Xtreme Gamer - 2nd case Realtek Onboard audio
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    Acer 19" dual monitor setup - 2nd case HP 20" lcd
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    1440x900 same on both builds
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    1st build
    WD Caviar Black Edition Sata II 1tb two OS drives
    WD RE "Heavy Duty Sata II 2tb two Storage/Backup
    2nd build
    WD Blue Sata II 500gb
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    Corsair TX750H 750w -Corsair 500w
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    Antec 900-2 -NXZT Vulcan Mini tower/carrying handle
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    120mm front pair, 120 rear 200cm top - 120mm Front intake 200mm side cover
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    Azio Blue led back lit both builds.
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    MSI DS200 11 button programmable Gaming optical mouse - Odessa 3 button dual scroll trackball
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    30mbps
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    two MSI 22x ide dvd burners, 25 usb flash drives used for Linux Live, live data recovery 128gb, and Windows 7, 10 usb installation keys
Well, duh...

Depending on usage scenarios, no, a tablet won't cut it. It's ludicrous to think that one could play Metro 2033 on a tablet. Theoretically, you can if you drop a good couple thousand dollars but even then...

I don't know, I have yet to see people use laptops as a desktop, where the only purpose in having one is just for the off chance you might be mobile and the only need is for the motherboard as it's connected to an external monitor with external peripherals. That would be a complete waste of a laptop.

But then there is the consideration that comparing an ultrabook to a tablet pricewise. Do you want touch or a VERY thin laptop?

Honestly though, there are some decent tablets that have the high end Intel processing power. So that makes me wonder, if you have a docking station, a stylus, and maybe a mouse, does that effectively do the job of a desktop (not a gaming rig, not a built rig, just the typical midday desktop), a laptop, and a tablet?
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    ASUS
    CPU
    AMD FX 8320
    Motherboard
    Crosshair V Formula-Z
    Memory
    16 gig DDR3
    Graphics Card(s)
    ASUS R9 270
    Screen Resolution
    1440x900
    Hard Drives
    1 TB Seagate Barracuda (starting to hate Seagate)
    x2 3 TB Toshibas
    Windows 8.1 is installed on a SanDisk Ultra Plus 256 GB
    PSU
    OCZ 500 watt
    Case
    A current work in progres as I'll be building the physical case myself. It shall be fantastic.
    Cooling
    Arctic Cooler with 3 heatpipes
    Keyboard
    Logitech K750 wireless solar powered keyboard
    Mouse
    Microsoft Touch Mouse
    Browser
    Internet Explorer 11
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender, but I might go back on KIS 2014
For some with laptops here they use a laptop as a desktop and they were given a dual scroll wheel type trackball 3 button mouse rather then fuss with the touchpads. It's a little versatile to have horizontal as well as vertical scroll rather then holding the left button and moving your finger constantly on a touchpad for the novice users in mind.

The ultrathins and touchscreen devices are mostly for those who aren't looking for much to start with and wouldn't want to lug a carrying case around with them to school or work simply to check the mail or run a web search. That's where the attraction to the less involved smaller portables will be for the most part.

Laptops on the other hand are often set up like a desktop with an external monitor as well as speakers when someone lacks experience in custom building or is simply on a tight budget and wants the larger display. You can then add on a cordless keyboard/mouse combo to sit back and relax away from the desktop if the external display just happens to be a tv/monitor combo. That can replace web tv easily too.
 

My Computer

System One

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    1st W10 Professional x64/W7 Ultimate x64 - 2nd Remote system: W10 Insider Builds/W7 Professional
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Custom Builds
    CPU
    AMD Phenom II X4 975 Deneb 3.6ghz -2nd case AMD Atholon II 3.2ghz
    Motherboard
    Gigabyte GA-790XTA-UD4
    Memory
    Kingston Hyper-X DDR3 1600mhz 16gb - 2nd case Kingston Hyper-X "Fury" DDR3 1600mhz 8gb
    Graphics Card(s)
    MSI Radeon HD 5750 1gb - 2nd AMD Radeon 6450
    Sound Card
    Creative Xtreme Gamer - 2nd case Realtek Onboard audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Acer 19" dual monitor setup - 2nd case HP 20" lcd
    Screen Resolution
    1440x900 same on both builds
    Hard Drives
    1st build
    WD Caviar Black Edition Sata II 1tb two OS drives
    WD RE "Heavy Duty Sata II 2tb two Storage/Backup
    2nd build
    WD Blue Sata II 500gb
    WD Black Edition Sata III 1tb
    WD Green Power Sata II 1tb in external usb enclosure
    PSU
    Corsair TX750H 750w -Corsair 500w
    Case
    Antec 900-2 -NXZT Vulcan Mini tower/carrying handle
    Cooling
    120mm front pair, 120 rear 200cm top - 120mm Front intake 200mm side cover
    Keyboard
    Azio Blue led back lit both builds.
    Mouse
    MSI DS200 11 button programmable Gaming optical mouse - Odessa 3 button dual scroll trackball
    Internet Speed
    30mbps
    Other Info
    two MSI 22x ide dvd burners, 25 usb flash drives used for Linux Live, live data recovery 128gb, and Windows 7, 10 usb installation keys
Even light users will eventually realize that trying to type e mail or anything productive is very frustrating and annoying on a tablet. Not only that the value for the dollar of a tablet vs the average netbook is HORRIBLE.

It is all about marketing trying to make it trendy. Trendy it might be..... practical, logical, and economically intelligent? NOPE!
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    win 7 home premium 64 bit
Actually, I use a tablet (Samsung Series 7) as my primary, only machine, for work. I am running Windows 8 on it, and I plan to get a pro Surface when it releases (mostly for battery life, although the device design is a factor). I do write code, I do debug, and yes, I do browse the web and receive and send email as part of my daily job ;). The article's author was mostly saying that Windows on a tablet isn't a good replacement because the hardware isn't up to the job and neither is Windows, and honestly, prior to Windows 8 software and hardware I would be lying if I didn't agree with that sentiment on all fronts. However, Windows 8 actually has proper touch support (yes, old apps will still be hard to use without a keyboard and mouse - primarily why hybrids and devices like the surface include such support), and proper touch hardware at launch (and not the crap we had with XP, Vista, and to a large extent, Windows 7).

It just isn't a good idea yet, anyway, to compare hardware and software that wasn't designed as touch-friendly (OEM stuff from the XP->Win7 days, and the requisite OS on that hardware) as the reason not to use a touch-friendly OS on a device designed for it (Windows 8-logo'd hardware and that OS).
 

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    Windows 8.1 x64
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    Intel Core i7 4790K @ 4.5GHz
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    Asus Maximus Hero VII
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    32GB DDR3
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    Nvidia GeForce GTX970
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    Realtek HD Audio
    Hard Drives
    1x Samsung 250GB SSD
    4x WD RE 2TB (RAIDZ)
    PSU
    Corsair AX760i
    Case
    Fractal Design Define R4
    Cooling
    Noctua NH-D15
Even light users will eventually realize that trying to type e mail or anything productive is very frustrating and annoying on a tablet.
I have an Asus Transformer Tablet running Android "Ice Cream Sandwich" sitting right next to me. But yet, here I am on my Dell E6400 running Windows 7. Imagine that.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 7
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Self-Built in July 2009
    CPU
    Intel Q9550 2.83Ghz OC'd to 3.40Ghz
    Motherboard
    Gigabyte GA-EP45-UD3R rev. 1.1, F12 BIOS
    Memory
    8GB G.Skill PI DDR2-800, 4-4-4-12 timings
    Graphics Card(s)
    EVGA 1280MB Nvidia GeForce GTX570
    Sound Card
    Realtek ALC899A 8 channel onboard audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    23" Acer x233H
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080
    Hard Drives
    Intel X25-M 80GB Gen 2 SSD
    Western Digital 1TB Caviar Black, 32MB cache. WD1001FALS
    PSU
    Corsair 620HX modular
    Case
    Antec P182
    Cooling
    stock
    Keyboard
    ABS M1 Mechanical
    Mouse
    Logitech G9 Laser Mouse
    Internet Speed
    15/2 cable modem
    Other Info
    Windows and Linux enthusiast. Logitech G35 Headset.
Even light users will eventually realize that trying to type e mail or anything productive is very frustrating and annoying on a tablet.
I have an Asus Transformer Tablet running Android "Ice Cream Sandwich" sitting right next to me. But yet, here I am on my Dell E6400 running Windows 7. Imagine that.


I do, indeed I do.

Honestly I really do NOT believe some of the posters that claim they use a tablet as their primary device and use it to type e mails or anything else more than a short paragraph, I think they are lying.

Most folks I know that have attempted to use tablets or smart phones in such a manner soon grow tired of trying and end up reverting back to a notebook or laptop.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    win 7 home premium 64 bit
Presently only see the RP on a VM until I get around to ? replacing Linux on the second drive! I still wanted to take a last look at the RP but somehow got busy with another 7 Pro build lately as well as examing a large number of remote desktop apps! The closest thing to portability will be the mini tower case with a carrying handle and usb WiFi adapter! :roflmao:
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    1st W10 Professional x64/W7 Ultimate x64 - 2nd Remote system: W10 Insider Builds/W7 Professional
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Custom Builds
    CPU
    AMD Phenom II X4 975 Deneb 3.6ghz -2nd case AMD Atholon II 3.2ghz
    Motherboard
    Gigabyte GA-790XTA-UD4
    Memory
    Kingston Hyper-X DDR3 1600mhz 16gb - 2nd case Kingston Hyper-X "Fury" DDR3 1600mhz 8gb
    Graphics Card(s)
    MSI Radeon HD 5750 1gb - 2nd AMD Radeon 6450
    Sound Card
    Creative Xtreme Gamer - 2nd case Realtek Onboard audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Acer 19" dual monitor setup - 2nd case HP 20" lcd
    Screen Resolution
    1440x900 same on both builds
    Hard Drives
    1st build
    WD Caviar Black Edition Sata II 1tb two OS drives
    WD RE "Heavy Duty Sata II 2tb two Storage/Backup
    2nd build
    WD Blue Sata II 500gb
    WD Black Edition Sata III 1tb
    WD Green Power Sata II 1tb in external usb enclosure
    PSU
    Corsair TX750H 750w -Corsair 500w
    Case
    Antec 900-2 -NXZT Vulcan Mini tower/carrying handle
    Cooling
    120mm front pair, 120 rear 200cm top - 120mm Front intake 200mm side cover
    Keyboard
    Azio Blue led back lit both builds.
    Mouse
    MSI DS200 11 button programmable Gaming optical mouse - Odessa 3 button dual scroll trackball
    Internet Speed
    30mbps
    Other Info
    two MSI 22x ide dvd burners, 25 usb flash drives used for Linux Live, live data recovery 128gb, and Windows 7, 10 usb installation keys
There is a certain irony in that it appears that people who hang out in a Windows 8 forum seem to 1) be most inclined to regularly bash the product, and 2) be poster children for those who have been left behind as technology has moved forward. Tablets are no longer just something trendy (i.e., a fad) and lots of people really do use them as a primary machine albeit not their only machine. In the past year I have seen tablets come closer and closer to matching the number of laptops in Phoenix internet cafes. Likewise, I see more and more people carrying one or another tablet (usually an iPad) in airports and on planes. As much as I dislike Apple, I must admit that the iPad is the first device I have seen the genuinely cross-cuts age, gender, and socio-economic groups. As far as whether a Windows 8 tablet will be a good replacement remains to be seen. As it stands though, here is something to consider. If you hand the average person a device that can do email and web browsing and includes a version of Office, that pretty much covers what they will do in a day. Keep a full featured laptop or desktop for heavier applications and things are covered.

If Photoshop Touch and Adobe Ideas (a substitute of sorts for Illustrator) are released for Windows RT and are more feature complete; Autodesk releases a version of AutoCAD WS; some ESRI compatible viewers/editors for GIS shapefiles make an appearance; and key Office apps are available; I could make it through much of the average day with a tablet. This is even more feasible with a tablet that has a keyboard cover. As it stands, I know people who were barely able to transition from a desktop to a laptop; can't grasp the concept of a smart phone; and speak fondly of WordPerfect 5.1 and DOS; who have expressed an interest in tablets in general and are very interested in seeing the two lines of Windows 8 tablets. People really need to pull their heads out of the sand and realize that they are now the equivalent of ones who decried having to shift to Windows 3.X
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8
There is a certain irony in that it appears that people who hang out in a Windows 8 forum seem to 1) be most inclined to regularly bash the product, and 2) be poster children for those who have been left behind as technology has moved forward. Tablets are no longer just something trendy (i.e., a fad) and lots of people really do use them as a primary machine albeit not their only machine. In the past year I have seen tablets come closer and closer to matching the number of laptops in Phoenix internet cafes.

Just because we are on a Windows forum, doesn't necessarily mean that we are fanboys who are going to praise every move made by Redmond.

I don't feel I am being left behind as technology has moved forward. I have used practically every tablet in existence (ipad, iped, samsung galaxy (7 and 10), Motorola Xoom, Blackberry Playbook, Asus Transformer, and Kindle fire and I happen to own the Asus Transformer. After using all of them, none of them are very conducive to my use of computers at all. There is absolutely no way I would even attempt this post on my tablet. It would take me 20x longer than it's going to take me with my laptop.

Tablets are trendy. People buy them because other people have them. iPad's are cool. People want to be cool. The iPad has great app support. It's like a phone, but with a bigger screen and larger keyboard...what's not to like. My dad carries his Kindle Fire with him everywhere he goes....I don't actually know why...but he's always got it.

If Photoshop Touch and Adobe Ideas (a substitute of sorts for Illustrator) are released for Windows RT and are more feature complete; Autodesk releases a version of AutoCAD WS; some ESRI compatible viewers/editors for GIS shapefiles make an appearance; and key Office apps are available; I could make it through much of the average day with a tablet.
Do you currently not use multiple monitors or multi-task? How productive can you be when you can only have 1 app open full screen at all times? I simply don't understand how that would be beneficial to productivity. Those apps mentioned seem to be more powerhouse style apps which would be ideally multi-tasked....they aren't just your typical suitable for a tablet content consumption apps.

People really need to pull their heads out of the sand and realize that they are now the equivalent of ones who decried having to shift to Windows 3.X
And I would maintain that others need to understand that many of us have drastically different usage cases for our computing needs. My dad surfs the internet and clicks on things and reads stories. Tablet works fine for him. I spend "most" of my time on forums "typing". Even a tablet with a physical keyboard might be challenging to use, sitting in my chair as i am now in my living room. I could tell you all day long that a hybrid car is the way of the future, but if you own a 32 foot fifthwheel and spend your summers camping....I don't think any mass shift towards a Toyota Prius is going to persuade you to trade in your pickup truck anytime soon.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 7
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Self-Built in July 2009
    CPU
    Intel Q9550 2.83Ghz OC'd to 3.40Ghz
    Motherboard
    Gigabyte GA-EP45-UD3R rev. 1.1, F12 BIOS
    Memory
    8GB G.Skill PI DDR2-800, 4-4-4-12 timings
    Graphics Card(s)
    EVGA 1280MB Nvidia GeForce GTX570
    Sound Card
    Realtek ALC899A 8 channel onboard audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    23" Acer x233H
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080
    Hard Drives
    Intel X25-M 80GB Gen 2 SSD
    Western Digital 1TB Caviar Black, 32MB cache. WD1001FALS
    PSU
    Corsair 620HX modular
    Case
    Antec P182
    Cooling
    stock
    Keyboard
    ABS M1 Mechanical
    Mouse
    Logitech G9 Laser Mouse
    Internet Speed
    15/2 cable modem
    Other Info
    Windows and Linux enthusiast. Logitech G35 Headset.
Even light users will eventually realize that trying to type e mail or anything productive is very frustrating and annoying on a tablet. Not only that the value for the dollar of a tablet vs the average netbook is HORRIBLE.

It is all about marketing trying to make it trendy. Trendy it might be..... practical, logical, and economically intelligent? NOPE!

Disagree.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    ASUS
    CPU
    AMD FX 8320
    Motherboard
    Crosshair V Formula-Z
    Memory
    16 gig DDR3
    Graphics Card(s)
    ASUS R9 270
    Screen Resolution
    1440x900
    Hard Drives
    1 TB Seagate Barracuda (starting to hate Seagate)
    x2 3 TB Toshibas
    Windows 8.1 is installed on a SanDisk Ultra Plus 256 GB
    PSU
    OCZ 500 watt
    Case
    A current work in progres as I'll be building the physical case myself. It shall be fantastic.
    Cooling
    Arctic Cooler with 3 heatpipes
    Keyboard
    Logitech K750 wireless solar powered keyboard
    Mouse
    Microsoft Touch Mouse
    Browser
    Internet Explorer 11
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender, but I might go back on KIS 2014
There is a certain irony in that it appears that people who hang out in a Windows 8 forum seem to 1) be most inclined to regularly bash the product, and 2) be poster children for those who have been left behind as technology has moved forward. Tablets are no longer just something trendy (i.e., a fad) and lots of people really do use them as a primary machine albeit not their only machine. In the past year I have seen tablets come closer and closer to matching the number of laptops in Phoenix internet cafes. Likewise, I see more and more people carrying one or another tablet (usually an iPad) in airports and on planes. As much as I dislike Apple, I must admit that the iPad is the first device I have seen the genuinely cross-cuts age, gender, and socio-economic groups. As far as whether a Windows 8 tablet will be a good replacement remains to be seen. As it stands though, here is something to consider. If you hand the average person a device that can do email and web browsing and includes a version of Office, that pretty much covers what they will do in a day. Keep a full featured laptop or desktop for heavier applications and things are covered.

If Photoshop Touch and Adobe Ideas (a substitute of sorts for Illustrator) are released for Windows RT and are more feature complete; Autodesk releases a version of AutoCAD WS; some ESRI compatible viewers/editors for GIS shapefiles make an appearance; and key Office apps are available; I could make it through much of the average day with a tablet. This is even more feasible with a tablet that has a keyboard cover. As it stands, I know people who were barely able to transition from a desktop to a laptop; can't grasp the concept of a smart phone; and speak fondly of WordPerfect 5.1 and DOS; who have expressed an interest in tablets in general and are very interested in seeing the two lines of Windows 8 tablets. People really need to pull their heads out of the sand and realize that they are now the equivalent of ones who decried having to shift to Windows 3.X

:ditto:
Honestly, the new radial menu in the OneNote metro app is BY FAR the best touch based UI control I've ever laid eyes on. It's absolutely perfect and it might become a good template for developers to use, much like the Ribbon UI has become in recent years.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    ASUS
    CPU
    AMD FX 8320
    Motherboard
    Crosshair V Formula-Z
    Memory
    16 gig DDR3
    Graphics Card(s)
    ASUS R9 270
    Screen Resolution
    1440x900
    Hard Drives
    1 TB Seagate Barracuda (starting to hate Seagate)
    x2 3 TB Toshibas
    Windows 8.1 is installed on a SanDisk Ultra Plus 256 GB
    PSU
    OCZ 500 watt
    Case
    A current work in progres as I'll be building the physical case myself. It shall be fantastic.
    Cooling
    Arctic Cooler with 3 heatpipes
    Keyboard
    Logitech K750 wireless solar powered keyboard
    Mouse
    Microsoft Touch Mouse
    Browser
    Internet Explorer 11
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender, but I might go back on KIS 2014
There is a certain irony in that it appears that people who hang out in a Windows 8 forum seem to 1) be most inclined to regularly bash the product, and 2) be poster children for those who have been left behind as technology has moved forward. Tablets are no longer just something trendy (i.e., a fad) and lots of people really do use them as a primary machine albeit not their only machine. In the past year I have seen tablets come closer and closer to matching the number of laptops in Phoenix internet cafes.

Just because we are on a Windows forum, doesn't necessarily mean that we are fanboys who are going to praise every move made by Redmond.

I don't feel I am being left behind as technology has moved forward. I have used practically every tablet in existence (ipad, iped, samsung galaxy (7 and 10), Motorola Xoom, Blackberry Playbook, Asus Transformer, and Kindle fire and I happen to own the Asus Transformer. After using all of them, none of them are very conducive to my use of computers at all. There is absolutely no way I would even attempt this post on my tablet. It would take me 20x longer than it's going to take me with my laptop.

Tablets are trendy. People buy them because other people have them. iPad's are cool. People want to be cool. The iPad has great app support. It's like a phone, but with a bigger screen and larger keyboard...what's not to like. My dad carries his Kindle Fire with him everywhere he goes....I don't actually know why...but he's always got it.

If Photoshop Touch and Adobe Ideas (a substitute of sorts for Illustrator) are released for Windows RT and are more feature complete; Autodesk releases a version of AutoCAD WS; some ESRI compatible viewers/editors for GIS shapefiles make an appearance; and key Office apps are available; I could make it through much of the average day with a tablet.
Do you currently not use multiple monitors or multi-task? How productive can you be when you can only have 1 app open full screen at all times? I simply don't understand how that would be beneficial to productivity. Those apps mentioned seem to be more powerhouse style apps which would be ideally multi-tasked....they aren't just your typical suitable for a tablet content consumption apps.

People really need to pull their heads out of the sand and realize that they are now the equivalent of ones who decried having to shift to Windows 3.X
And I would maintain that others need to understand that many of us have drastically different usage cases for our computing needs. My dad surfs the internet and clicks on things and reads stories. Tablet works fine for him. I spend "most" of my time on forums "typing". Even a tablet with a physical keyboard might be challenging to use, sitting in my chair as i am now in my living room. I could tell you all day long that a hybrid car is the way of the future, but if you own a 32 foot fifthwheel and spend your summers camping....I don't think any mass shift towards a Toyota Prius is going to persuade you to trade in your pickup truck anytime soon.

But have you tried a Windows tablet?! :thumbsup: Unfortunately there isn't an emoticon that shows a dramatic finger pointing/finger whip action or otherwise I would had used that. A Windows tablet is different as it's not a phone OS. BIG difference in usage.

For content creation with touch, different input scenarios require different usage scenarios. For some reason, your comment made me think of a usage scenario with one large touch monitor, almost horizontal but slightly angled running a touch based Photoshop, and along the left and right side of said large touchscreen are two smaller screens, all touch and all with different content with the screens angled a bit up from the large main screen. And also, being able to do hand gestures, grab a file and drop it from one screen/window to the large screen. Immersive? I think I could have a successful career designing PC hardware...

I prefer hydrogen technology. I bet the main problem is mileage. Or the oil companies.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    ASUS
    CPU
    AMD FX 8320
    Motherboard
    Crosshair V Formula-Z
    Memory
    16 gig DDR3
    Graphics Card(s)
    ASUS R9 270
    Screen Resolution
    1440x900
    Hard Drives
    1 TB Seagate Barracuda (starting to hate Seagate)
    x2 3 TB Toshibas
    Windows 8.1 is installed on a SanDisk Ultra Plus 256 GB
    PSU
    OCZ 500 watt
    Case
    A current work in progres as I'll be building the physical case myself. It shall be fantastic.
    Cooling
    Arctic Cooler with 3 heatpipes
    Keyboard
    Logitech K750 wireless solar powered keyboard
    Mouse
    Microsoft Touch Mouse
    Browser
    Internet Explorer 11
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender, but I might go back on KIS 2014
But have you tried a Windows tablet?! :thumbsup: Unfortunately there isn't an emoticon that shows a dramatic finger pointing/finger whip action or otherwise I would had used that. A Windows tablet is different as it's not a phone OS. BIG difference in usage.
I've used Windows 7 tablets. It's an absolute joy on a website or application trying to click on a dropdown box and make a selection. Typing is super awesome too on a touchscreen keyboard that takes up 30% or more of the screen. Now, granted, I haven't yet used a Windows 8 tablet because they aren't available yet...so maybe things have changed. But I won't tout the second coming of Christ until I use it for myself.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 7
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Self-Built in July 2009
    CPU
    Intel Q9550 2.83Ghz OC'd to 3.40Ghz
    Motherboard
    Gigabyte GA-EP45-UD3R rev. 1.1, F12 BIOS
    Memory
    8GB G.Skill PI DDR2-800, 4-4-4-12 timings
    Graphics Card(s)
    EVGA 1280MB Nvidia GeForce GTX570
    Sound Card
    Realtek ALC899A 8 channel onboard audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    23" Acer x233H
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080
    Hard Drives
    Intel X25-M 80GB Gen 2 SSD
    Western Digital 1TB Caviar Black, 32MB cache. WD1001FALS
    PSU
    Corsair 620HX modular
    Case
    Antec P182
    Cooling
    stock
    Keyboard
    ABS M1 Mechanical
    Mouse
    Logitech G9 Laser Mouse
    Internet Speed
    15/2 cable modem
    Other Info
    Windows and Linux enthusiast. Logitech G35 Headset.
Please don't compare regular use of Windows 8 on a tablet to Windows 7 on a tablet - that's just silly :).
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1 x64
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Custom
    CPU
    Intel Core i7 4790K @ 4.5GHz
    Motherboard
    Asus Maximus Hero VII
    Memory
    32GB DDR3
    Graphics Card(s)
    Nvidia GeForce GTX970
    Sound Card
    Realtek HD Audio
    Hard Drives
    1x Samsung 250GB SSD
    4x WD RE 2TB (RAIDZ)
    PSU
    Corsair AX760i
    Case
    Fractal Design Define R4
    Cooling
    Noctua NH-D15
Apples and oranges are two different things entirely! It actually doesn't matter which hardware platform 7 and 8 or any other version are on. They are still going to be different from each other.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    1st W10 Professional x64/W7 Ultimate x64 - 2nd Remote system: W10 Insider Builds/W7 Professional
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Custom Builds
    CPU
    AMD Phenom II X4 975 Deneb 3.6ghz -2nd case AMD Atholon II 3.2ghz
    Motherboard
    Gigabyte GA-790XTA-UD4
    Memory
    Kingston Hyper-X DDR3 1600mhz 16gb - 2nd case Kingston Hyper-X "Fury" DDR3 1600mhz 8gb
    Graphics Card(s)
    MSI Radeon HD 5750 1gb - 2nd AMD Radeon 6450
    Sound Card
    Creative Xtreme Gamer - 2nd case Realtek Onboard audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Acer 19" dual monitor setup - 2nd case HP 20" lcd
    Screen Resolution
    1440x900 same on both builds
    Hard Drives
    1st build
    WD Caviar Black Edition Sata II 1tb two OS drives
    WD RE "Heavy Duty Sata II 2tb two Storage/Backup
    2nd build
    WD Blue Sata II 500gb
    WD Black Edition Sata III 1tb
    WD Green Power Sata II 1tb in external usb enclosure
    PSU
    Corsair TX750H 750w -Corsair 500w
    Case
    Antec 900-2 -NXZT Vulcan Mini tower/carrying handle
    Cooling
    120mm front pair, 120 rear 200cm top - 120mm Front intake 200mm side cover
    Keyboard
    Azio Blue led back lit both builds.
    Mouse
    MSI DS200 11 button programmable Gaming optical mouse - Odessa 3 button dual scroll trackball
    Internet Speed
    30mbps
    Other Info
    two MSI 22x ide dvd burners, 25 usb flash drives used for Linux Live, live data recovery 128gb, and Windows 7, 10 usb installation keys
But have you tried a Windows tablet?! :thumbsup: Unfortunately there isn't an emoticon that shows a dramatic finger pointing/finger whip action or otherwise I would had used that. A Windows tablet is different as it's not a phone OS. BIG difference in usage.
I've used Windows 7 tablets. It's an absolute joy on a website or application trying to click on a dropdown box and make a selection. Typing is super awesome too on a touchscreen keyboard that takes up 30% or more of the screen. Now, granted, I haven't yet used a Windows 8 tablet because they aren't available yet...so maybe things have changed. But I won't tout the second coming of Christ until I use it for myself.

I can say this as the second coming of Jesus Christ but Windows 8 is just FANTASTIC with touch. Highly recommend it if you can get ahold of a touchscreen. Shoot, if you have a USB 3 flash drive with at least 16 gigs of space and a touch AIO PC at best buy that has a USB 3 or eSATA port, go for it. I tried it today on one of their Samsung AIO touch PCs, BLASTED thing didn't install a driver for the touchscreen and NO obvious driver issues and I ended up quitting it as I needed the wifi and using a USB 2 drive is a buttache for display driver installs...
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    ASUS
    CPU
    AMD FX 8320
    Motherboard
    Crosshair V Formula-Z
    Memory
    16 gig DDR3
    Graphics Card(s)
    ASUS R9 270
    Screen Resolution
    1440x900
    Hard Drives
    1 TB Seagate Barracuda (starting to hate Seagate)
    x2 3 TB Toshibas
    Windows 8.1 is installed on a SanDisk Ultra Plus 256 GB
    PSU
    OCZ 500 watt
    Case
    A current work in progres as I'll be building the physical case myself. It shall be fantastic.
    Cooling
    Arctic Cooler with 3 heatpipes
    Keyboard
    Logitech K750 wireless solar powered keyboard
    Mouse
    Microsoft Touch Mouse
    Browser
    Internet Explorer 11
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender, but I might go back on KIS 2014
I don't feel I am being left behind as technology has moved forward. I have used practically every tablet in existence (ipad, iped, samsung galaxy (7 and 10), Motorola Xoom, Blackberry Playbook, Asus Transformer, and Kindle fire and I happen to own the Asus Transformer. After using all of them, none of them are very conducive to my use of computers at all. There is absolutely no way I would even attempt this post on my tablet. It would take me 20x longer than it's going to take me with my laptop.

I would have to assume you didn't opt for the physical keyboard dock for your Asus Transformer? Otherwise I cannot see how it would take you 20x longer to post on a forum compared to your laptop.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 7, Windows 8 RP
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