Tablet buying

Techwavy

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I was used to the android Cortex A9 processor but i wanted to know if the Intel Atom Z2670 processors are very efficient. Or are there any tablets with a better speed and good camera quality under $600. with a lightweigh design
 

My Computer

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    Windows 8
Hmmm.... I can't think of a tablet off the top of my head that has an Atom processor as there aren't too many out there yet. But I can personally say the Atom powered tablets have been found to have pretty long lasting battery life and do run rather smoothly.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    ASUS
    CPU
    AMD FX 8320
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    Crosshair V Formula-Z
    Memory
    16 gig DDR3
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    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.
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    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
Anadtech's review of the Surface Pro benchmarks its performance against several competing tablets including popular Apple, Andriod and Windows Atom models (Samsung ATIV Smart PC and Acer W510).

AnandTech - Microsoft Surface Pro Review

Benchmarks for battery life are not as inclusive in this review but you can find info on battery life information in just about any review for an Atom tablet.

In addition to the Acer and Samsung entries there is the Thinkpad Tablet 2, Asus Vivo Tab, HP Envy X2 and a Dell Latitude 10 which all run off the Atom architecture. From what I have read the Thinkpad Tablet 2 is the thinnest and probably has the best slate battery life out of the bunch (10+ hours). However, many of the others include keyboard docks with extended batteries and the Dell actually lets you swap batteries - allowing something like 14+ hours with the heavy duty battery (although this adds a hump to the back of the tablet).

Camera wise I think most use the typical arrangement - 8MP back/2MP, front but don't get me started on how worthless a number that is. Your probably dealing with something around a 1/3.2"sensor in all these devices so quality will be more dependent on the processing engine than any number will tell you. Your best bet would be to look for review samples of the tablet you like, but even then you have to weed out review bias and their ineptness to test true photo quality.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8
You need to remember that atom processors are limited 2 GB of RAM. Yes they definitely have better battery life, but you'll be limited to netbook level performance. It all depends on what your priorities are.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8 Pro
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Sony Vaio Duo 11
    CPU
    i7
    Memory
    8 GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Intel 4000
    Sound Card
    Realtek High Definition Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    11.6" touch screen w/ digitizer & Asus 27" external monitor
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080
    Hard Drives
    256 GB SSD
    Cooling
    Internal fan
    Keyboard
    Slider keyboard
    Mouse
    Logitech T650 Touchpad & Microsoft Touch Mouse
For $600 you can buy a 32GB Nexus 7 with a Tegra 3 quadcore CPU ($249) and a 16MP camera ($79) and have plenty of money left over. Performance of both will be better than any Atom tab and any tab camera.
 

My Computer

System One

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    Vista and Win7
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    2xHP, 2xGateway, 1xDell, 1xSony
    Hard Drives
    5 SSDs and 12 HDs
For $600 you can buy a 32GB Nexus 7 with a Tegra 3 quadcore CPU ($249) and a 16MP camera ($79) and have plenty of money left over. Performance of both will be better than any Atom tab and any tab camera.
But can you run iTunes on it or Office 2013?
 

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
You need to remember that atom processors are limited 2 GB of RAM. Yes they definitely have better battery life, but you'll be limited to netbook level performance. It all depends on what your priorities are.

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.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1 Pro
For $600 you can buy a 32GB Nexus 7 with a Tegra 3 quadcore CPU ($249) and a 16MP camera ($79) and have plenty of money left over. Performance of both will be better than any Atom tab and any tab camera.

someone is really overstating Tegra 3 performance and the capabilities of an Android tablet.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1 Pro
Please do not be put off by the above comments - I use an Acer W510 and it is fast, smooth and absolutely no problem. I can highly recommend it with no reservations. I have MS Office 2013 installed and it runs without a hassle, plus a few other legacy programs and that is the beauty of this little tablet - it can do everything.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1 Pro x64
    Computer type
    Tablet
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Surface Pro 3
    CPU
    i5
    Memory
    4GB DDR3
    Graphics Card(s)
    Intel Graphics HD
    Screen Resolution
    2160 x 1440
    Hard Drives
    128GB SSD, 128GB MicroSD
    Internet Speed
    8GB
    Antivirus
    Bitdefender
For $600 you can buy a 32GB Nexus 7 with a Tegra 3 quadcore CPU ($249) and a 16MP camera ($79) and have plenty of money left over. Performance of both will be better than any Atom tab and any tab camera.

someone is really overstating Tegra 3 performance and the capabilities of an Android tablet.
It does everything I ever want to do with a tablet including a very nice office package for $6.49 - and all at excellent performance. No tablet is any good for serious work. The screens are just too small and the keyboards are finagle - unless you have a nearly full size bluetooth keyboard like me.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Vista and Win7
    System Manufacturer/Model
    2xHP, 2xGateway, 1xDell, 1xSony
    Hard Drives
    5 SSDs and 12 HDs
Please do not be put off by the above comments - I use an Acer W510 and it is fast, smooth and absolutely no problem. I can highly recommend it with no reservations. I have MS Office 2013 installed and it runs without a hassle, plus a few other legacy programs and that is the beauty of this little tablet - it can do everything.
Thats what I was looking for,but does it have gps? Im planning on getting the Samsung Ativ smart pc 500t
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8

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
You can do the registry/resolution hack and the apps will work fine.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows Phone 6, Windows CE 5, Windows Vista x32, Windows 7 x32/x64, Windows 8 x64
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.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1 Pro
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.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows Phone 6, Windows CE 5, Windows Vista x32, Windows 7 x32/x64, Windows 8 x64
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?
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8 Pro
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Sony Vaio Duo 11
    CPU
    i7
    Memory
    8 GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Intel 4000
    Sound Card
    Realtek High Definition Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    11.6" touch screen w/ digitizer & Asus 27" external monitor
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080
    Hard Drives
    256 GB SSD
    Cooling
    Internal fan
    Keyboard
    Slider keyboard
    Mouse
    Logitech T650 Touchpad & Microsoft Touch Mouse
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?

I believe that is correct.
 

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.
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'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.

ray8, your comparisons don't make sense. the gigabyte has an old processor. both weak in performance and weak in battery. no ways around that weakness. any current atom processor or core processor will beat the atom in the gigabyte. no workaround around that. when people think netbooks, they think of Atom processors like the gigabyte one.

the Surface Pro has the same battery life from a Core processor which absolutely kills that old Atom processor. Not only more powerful performance, but more battery states for better overall battery life. Why would I want an old slow CPU with bad battery life when I can get a faster one that has a much better battery life (comparing current Atom to old Atom or heck, even modern Core to old Atom)?

and to get that 1024x600 even work (and we're not talking about usefulness but rather just getting it to work), you have to do a registry edit???? people, it's 1024x600! no desktop on any platform should ever be 1024x600. our PCs had 1024x768 15 years ago. And its screen quality pales in comparison to a modern era device. the Gigabyte is about 150 nits. it would barely be an outlier compared to what's out there.

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My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1 Pro
ray8, your comparisons don't make sense. the gigabyte has an old processor. both weak in performance and weak in battery. no ways around that weakness. any current atom processor or core processor will beat the atom in the gigabyte. no workaround around that. when people think netbooks, they think of Atom processors like the gigabyte one.

the Surface Pro has the same battery life from a Core processor which absolutely kills that old Atom processor. Not only more powerful performance, but more battery states for better overall battery life. Why would I want an old slow CPU with bad battery life when I can get a faster one that has a much better battery life (comparing current Atom to old Atom or heck, even modern Core to old Atom)?

and to get that 1024x600 even work (and we're not talking about usefulness but rather just getting it to work), you have to do a registry edit???? people, it's 1024x600! no desktop on any platform should ever be 1024x600. our PCs had 1024x768 15 years ago. And its screen quality pales in comparison to a modern era device. the Gigabyte is about 150 nits. it would barely be an outlier compared to what's out there.

All the specifications for a car might make it sound like the best car in the world, but it's only when you drive it that you realise that specifications aren't everything. The same with anything. The reality is that the specifications of the Gigabyte don't tell the true story as to how it actually performs. It does much better than the specifications would suggest.

Firstly, when it comes to screen resolution, lower can sometimes be better, as it is far easier on the eyes, than trying to squint at very small fonts etc that high resolution screens produce. I often use mine as an off-road navigation device and that 1024 x 600 resolution is a joy to read. That is in fact why the Surface Pro enlarges some programs up to 150%, because it is difficult to read at full resolution. High resolution may be well and good when viewing videos, photos etc, but for tasks that require reading, typing etc, it can be a right pain.

Secondly, the Atom processor is more than adequate to run all the programs that I have installed, without any frustration regarding speed. The tablet is an adjunct to my desktop, I can never envisage having to use it for seriously processor intensive tasks. Anyone that has such expectations should really consider a powerful laptop/ultra-book.

As for battery life, there are few devices that run Windows 8 Pro that have a battery life of more than around five hours. The Gigabyte has a 29.6Wh battery and gets around four hours of usage, the Surface Pro has a 42Wh battery and gets no more than five hours of usage. So with a battery that has a 30% greater capacity, it can barely get 20% extra time. I can also replace my battery or buy an extended battery that will double the working time, you can't do that with the Surface.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows Phone 6, Windows CE 5, Windows Vista x32, Windows 7 x32/x64, Windows 8 x64
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