Tablet and PC Discussion Thread

[Deacon923]

I am considering getting a new tablet or hybrid laptop so I can let my wife and kids have exclusive possession of our iPad. I am torn between the Windows 8 ASUS Transformer or an Android tablet. I think the Windows 8 tablet will be more business friendly but the Androids are more natively linked into Google and I am a big Google user. If I got an Android tablet it would probably be the Note 10.


http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00FFJ0HUE/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=2HMIFAT7KXX1G&coliid=I14UGBZOX1QQGY

http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-Galaxy-Note-10-1-Black/dp/B00F3SOHNU/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1384799396&sr=1-1&keywords=galaxy+note+10.1

What tablets/laptops does the Pit have, want, or recommend?

 

[RevDeac06]

I really liked the Asus Transformer (original, TF101, Android). I'm a techie, so I recently upgraded to the Nexus 7 and would recommend that as well.

If you're going to need access to things like Office or Outlook, then go Windows 8, if you're mostly just consuming content (not creating), then Android is going to be a winner. My phone is the Note 2, and I can see the benefit of having the S-pen on a larger tablet. Also, a new Nexus 10 is on the horizon.

 

[DCDeac]

If you're looking at doing business anything, how could anyone consider a Droid tablet?

 

[Deacon923]

If you're looking at doing business anything, how could anyone consider a Droid tablet?

I wouldn't be crunching massive spreadsheets or creating graphics. I'd be using it to access email, take notes in meetings, and access documents stored on a company cloud site.

 

[cookoutdeac]

If you're looking at doing business anything, how could anyone consider a Droid tablet?

You can be pretty productive on android with the right tools/apps. Google drive (plus quickoffice), drop box, touchdown for exchange stuff, and a variety of remote desktop tools all allow for a pretty flexible experience.

 

[Deacon923]

You can be pretty productive on android with the right tools/apps. Google drive (plus quickoffice), drop box, touchdown for exchange stuff, and a variety of remote desktop tools all allow for a pretty flexible experience.

i had touchdown on my last droid, but the Droid Razor I have now (newer version of Android) pretty much does everything I need with Exchange natively. Pretty slick.

 

[RevDeac06]

I wouldn't be crunching massive spreadsheets or creating graphics. I'd be using it to access email, take notes in meetings, and access documents stored on a company cloud site.

I use my N7 for exactly this sort of stuff and it works quite well.

 

[BeachBumDeac]

We are in the same boat, and I think we're going to go with the Acer Chromebook C720, because my wife really needs a computer with a full keyboard and just needs to surf the internet.

 

[DCDeac]

I wouldn't be crunching massive spreadsheets or creating graphics. I'd be using it to access email, take notes in meetings, and access documents stored on a company cloud site.

Ah. Well that would be a lot more feasible. I was thinking more along the lines of running Citrix/VMWare sessions, working on presentations/complex word docs, etc.

For the simple stuff it'd be solid. Only real consideration on the tablet end is how mature your company support for Android is versus Apple. Either are plenty capable. For example a company some of my friends work for here support iPads natively, but for Androids you can only connect via one application that acts as a portal into their system - and it's really restricted. Opposite is the case elsewhere, just depends.

 

[Deacon923]

Ah. Well that would be a lot more feasible. I was thinking more along the lines of running Citrix/VMWare sessions, working on presentations/complex word docs, etc.

For the simple stuff it'd be solid. Only real consideration on the tablet end is how mature your company support for Android is versus Apple. Either are plenty capable. For example a company some of my friends work for here support iPads natively, but for Androids you can only connect via one application that acts as a portal into their system - and it's really restricted. Opposite is the case elsewhere, just depends.

our company is pretty much the opposite. my company issued smartphone is an android, our IT guys don't like syncing with apple.

that said i'm liking the idea of the Asus transformer. keyboard's included and I could get IT to put our full office suite on it so i'm native running Word, outlook, etc. Question: I would sometimes want to hook it up to output to a larger screen. Obviously it is not built to dock at a docking station, could I use the USB port to output to a large monitor?

 

[scooter84]

I don't know what your budget is like but if you want a convertible (tablet/PC) with windows 8 then you should definitely look at lenovo's yoga 2 pro. I work for lenovo but I can say without hesitation that it is an awesome product. The new thinkpad yoga is very nice as well for something more business oriented.

 

[scooter84]

For an android tablet I just bought our new Yoga tablet and really, really like it. The battery life is ridiculous.

 

[RevDeac06]

our company is pretty much the opposite. my company issued smartphone is an android, our IT guys don't like syncing with apple.

that said i'm liking the idea of the Asus transformer. keyboard's included and I could get IT to put our full office suite on it so i'm native running Word, outlook, etc. Question: I would sometimes want to hook it up to output to a larger screen. Obviously it is not built to dock at a docking station, could I use the USB port to output to a large monitor?

Not sure about the new one, but my original TF101 Transformer had a micro-HDMI out.

 

[cookoutdeac]

Yeah the newest one does have a micro-HDMI out.

 

[HeltonCreek]

Should I get a tablet or a chromebook? Are chromebooks just newer netbooks from a few years ago? Do they have touch screens? Can you fold it flat and use it as a tablet?

 

[IamThunderbolt]

our company is pretty much the opposite. my company issued smartphone is an android, our IT guys don't like syncing with apple.

that said i'm liking the idea of the Asus transformer. keyboard's included and I could get IT to put our full office suite on it so i'm native running Word, outlook, etc. Question: I would sometimes want to hook it up to output to a larger screen. Obviously it is not built to dock at a docking station, could I use the USB port to output to a large monitor?

I have a Nexus 7 as well and this is the one drawback that really gets me - there is no way to output to a larger screen.

 

[RevDeac06]

I have a Nexus 7 as well and this is the one drawback that really gets me - there is no way to output to a larger screen.

The micro-usb has Slimport tech in it, you can do it through that.

ETA- Nexus 7 2013, not sure about the 2012 version.

 

[scooter84]

Should I get a tablet or a chromebook? Are chromebooks just newer netbooks from a few years ago? Do they have touch screens? Can you fold it flat and use it as a tablet?

first and foremost, if you are going to consider a Chromebook you need to make sure you are ok with being limited to the Chrome operating system. I don,t know anything about it so i don,t know if that is good or bad, but it is the main distinguishing feature of a chromebook, right?

also, i don,t know but i doubt they are convertible from laptop to tablet...

 

[Deacon923]

There are many different chrome books. Go to amazon and browse them for an idea of the range.

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk

 

[cookoutdeac]

Should I get a tablet or a chromebook? Are chromebooks just newer netbooks from a few years ago? Do they have touch screens? Can you fold it flat and use it as a tablet?

Chrome books, for the most part, are basically ultraportable/really affordable laptops that are great for web browsing/media consumption/light document work (and there are some other apps for the OS too, but it's pretty limited). I don't think there are any touch screen/tablet iterations currently. The upside of these is that they are super cheap for what they can provide. Downside is the limitation of using the Chrome OS and that they're really the most useful with "always on" connections because of the reliance on cloud services to store any significant amount of data/music/whatever. Though it'll do pretty much everything most light users need.