Atom based Win 8 tab

Alanstrainor

Seriously considering one of these to have as a secondary device. And wondering if anyone out there has any experience.

Had toyed with the idea of an RT tablet, but I really do need to have access to real Windows apps at time, nothing intense at all, but nothing that the MS App store will cater for either.

Was looking at the likes of the Asus Vivotab, and the Acer W3, both coming somewhere in and around the 400 quid mark. Both have the same processor, RAM and HD space. Main difference I can see is the screen size, and the Acer most likely not being the best built yoke in the world.

The device would be something to have constantly in my bag, to supplement a 13" ultrabook that I have in work most days. Uses would be generally light, in terms of work it would be your general IT support role, and for play not much more than web browsing.

Im only toying with the idea, ideally would look at something on the cheaper end of things price wise. May or may not go through with it, hence the thread!

Alanstrainor

No Atom love around these parts no:p

Outkast_IRE

To be honest, im holding tough, I think Microsoft has realised that the Surface RT tablets were a bad idea due to programs not being able to run etc.

I would be very surprised if they didn't line up a new iteration that can run all the programs etc.

But if you need one this year you may have to settle.

54kroc

Argos have the Asus Vivotab for €399 at the moment, not a whole lot of cash imo.
If it were me I'd get something with an i5 in it.

Alanstrainor

Cheers fellas. Think i might hold out for now.

Tbh, i reckon the atom would do.me as far as computing power is concerned. Its battery life that would be my main concern. And having something on the smaller side of things.

That said, the VivoTab is a tempting proposition. Think i would be best off holding out for at least the next line of 8" tabs, and maybe the next gen atom processors. It all depends on how patient I am:P

Cheers fellas

Mark.87

Outkast_IRE wrote: »

I would be very surprised if they didn't line up a new iteration that can run all the programs etc.

They already have (and have had for as long as RT)... There is a whole range of Windows 8 Pro tablets, i.e. full Windows 8 in a tablet!!! I think they are going to keep pushing RT for the next while at least, after all they just increased the Surface RT adverting budget by quite a bit.

Personally I don’t get the whole argument that RT tablets can’t run windows programmes, they are not meant too. You don’t complain that an iPhone can’t run Mac programmes or that Android can’t run other Linux OS programmes. The RT is an attempt by Microsoft to be the third player in the tablet market, not to make laptops more portable.

I have a RT tablet and I love it. It’s not my main machine, I have a proper laptop for doing proper work and I have an Android tablet for tablet things. I got the RT tablet to serve some specific requirements I needed. It does just what I need and nothing more. Why would I pay extra for functions I will never use? It is a great device and it should be filling the market for users who need a device between a tablet and a laptop.

I think Microsoft did a god awful job at marketing it, created a lot of confusion so that people didn’t know the difference between RT and a full W8 tab and of course all the problems with W8 and that fact that it was such a “big” change from 7 that is scared people didn’t help. I will be sorry to see it go if Microsoft does stop RT. The fact of the matter is that to get full laptop functionally into a tablet costs more than a reduced version (Surface Pro is more expensive than Surface RT). Some people require the full version whereas others don’t.

Anyway rant over... I realise the OP said he needed additional functionally which RT can’t provide. The Atom is a great processor if you are concerned more with battery life than performance. I have a netbook with an Atom and it lasts forever.

Alanstrainor

I think the issue with RT was that it looks and feels the same as regular x86 windows 8. It has a desktop and the same touch interface. Apple never had that issue as it was a totally different looking OS. RT just created confusion for those not in the know.

The Asus Vivotab is looking to be the best bet for me right now. 399 in Argos atm and looks to be a good performer. Ill hold off for a while all the same. Think i just want to have a Win 8 tab because they look interesting/cool rather than having a genuine reason to buy it.

_Kaiser_

Alanstrainor wrote: »

I think the issue with RT was that it looks and feels the same as regular x86 windows 8. It has a desktop and the same touch interface. Apple never had that issue as it was a totally different looking OS. RT just created confusion for those not in the know.

The Asus Vivotab is looking to be the best bet for me right now. 399 in Argos atm and looks to be a good performer. Ill hold off for a while all the same. Think i just want to have a Win 8 tab because they look interesting/cool rather than having a genuine reason to buy it.

I've gone through several Android tablets in the last year or two and then had an Asus W500 for a while as well.

The Android's were just a larger version of my Galaxy Note 2, whereas the W500 actually allowed me to do USEFUL things as well (albeit a little slower than I'd prefer as the spec wasn't that great). Plus Windows 8 actually made sense on it and was actually worth using the "Modern" start screen.

It did sell me on the idea though that my next laptop will likely be a convertible like the DELL XT3 or XPS 12 (whenever funds permit).

wheresmybeaver

I was playing with a few different win 8 tablets in currys yesterday. I still think the surface rt is the best looking and most useful of the bunch, although the surface pro did impress despite the higher price. My other half needs to replace her laptop in the next year and for her uses i would say it'll be a surface rt or similar. Doesn't need much horsepower or any traditional x86 software - the apps will do fine.

Alanstrainor

Well gents, I've decided ill give the vivotab one a go, provided i can pick it up in Argos during the week for 399. Want a gadget and its my birthday soon so itll be a little present for myself!

Looks to be a good little performer, and hopefully itll live up to my expectations. Ill be sure to post back a number of times with my various reviews at different stages of ownership!

gctest50

offer on Surface tabs and other stuff for students atm :

http://www.microsoftstore.com/store/mseea/en_IE/pdp/productID.284005100

or i5 & actual programs

http://www.microsoftstore.com/store/mseea/en_IE/pdp/productID.284003100

Alanstrainor

gctest50 wrote: »

offer on Surface tabs and other stuff for students atm :

http://www.microsoftstore.com/store/mseea/en_IE/pdp/productID.284005100

or i5 & actual programs

http://www.microsoftstore.com/store/mseea/en_IE/pdp/productID.284003100

Cheers man, but the Asus comes to 399 with atom and 64, that's almost the price MS is looking for the 64GB RT tab. And i need full fat windows to run some diagnostic software, and to run some of my home-grown stuff.

Alanstrainor

Just bought it! A lot lighter than I thought, lovely yoke. Need to figure out Windows 8.

_Kaiser_

Alanstrainor wrote: »

Just bought it! A lot lighter than I thought, lovely yoke. Need to figure out Windows 8.

It's more-or-less the same under the hood (Metro interface) as Win 7.

I would recommend Start8 if it just gets too frustrating on the Desktop though, which it probably will as it wasn't updated for fingers and thumbs.

Stick up a review when you get settled in.. be very interested in what you think of the Asus

Alanstrainor

Kaiser2000 wrote: »

It's more-or-less the same under the hood (Metro interface) as Win 7.

I would recommend Start8 if it just gets too frustrating on the Desktop though, which it probably will as it wasn't updated for fingers and thumbs.

Stick up a review when you get settled in.. be very interested in what you think of the Asus

Its more the gestures and such, otherwise its the same old windows that I'm used to.

For example, I just popped in a memory card, and I can see the files/images fine. But I want to use the photo app to browse them, but for some reason I can only do so one at a time which is a complete pain.

54kroc

Alanstrainor wrote: »

Its more the gestures and such, otherwise its the same old windows that I'm used to.

For example, I just popped in a memory card, and I can see the files/images fine. But I want to use the photo app to browse them, but for some reason I can only do so one at a time which is a complete pain.

Which one did you buy?

Alanstrainor

Asus Vivotab. Atom, 2GB, 64GB.

Honestly haven't used it enough to comment on it.

I'll post back a first impressions post tomorrow evening.

Implosiony

I can't seem to find the Vivotab on argos.ie. Is it in-store only?

duckofdeath

Alanstrainor wrote: »

Its more the gestures and such, otherwise its the same old windows that I'm used to.

For example, I just popped in a memory card, and I can see the files/images fine. But I want to use the photo app to browse them, but for some reason I can only do so one at a time which is a complete pain.

It's fairly easy to change default programs in Windows 8. Just right-click on the file you want to change the program for and select "Open with...", there you have an option to set the default program for the file type. You can also type "file type" on the start screen, and under settings there is a tool to select default apps for general file types like "photos" or "music".

kaisersose77

Implosiony wrote: »

I can't seem to find the Vivotab on argos.ie. Is it in-store only?

http://www.argos.ie/static/Product/partNumber/8140704/Trail/searchtext%3EASUS.htm

Not called vivotab on argos site

Alanstrainor

duckofdeath wrote: »

It's fairly easy to change default programs in Windows 8. Just right-click on the file you want to change the program for and select "Open with...", there you have an option to set the default program for the file type. You can also type "file type" on the start screen, and under settings there is a tool to select default apps for general file types like "photos" or "music".

I know that well.

But the standard photo app is pure pants. I click on a photo in a large folder full of photos, I expect I should be reasonable enough to assume it will allow me to swipe through and browse the entire collection; but nope. Trying to find a better app that will allow me to do this atm.

Now for the tablet itself. Windows 8 quirks aside, its very slick. The feel of the device is very good indeed, to me it feels like a much more premium device than it actually is. It is a lot lighter than I had originally assumed it would be. This was a nice surprise, seeing that this will most likely be in my bag at all times. Also, as you'd probably expect the charger itself is very small indeed so it won't take up much space in a bag at all. Its about the size of a typical phone charger. One annoyance is the length of the micro usb they give you in the box; its far too short, you would have to be right beside the plug to use it while charging. And when I swapped the short cable for a long one, the device would tell me it was plugged in but not charging which I was very surprised about.

Once you've setup your accounts, and windows 8 is relatively happy, the device is very fast. There is no stutter at any stage when scrolling through the metro menus. Apps are quick to launch and to switch between. Although I installed chrome and Firefox almost immediately as I would do in any device, I found that neither work well with the touch interface. So despite a decade or so of avoiding IE like the plague, here I am loving it. Lack of extensions aside, the gestures and feel of it is very good. Its lightning fast and fantastic when used in tablet mode.

As for the battery life, which I suppose would be unfair to put too much emphasis on considering I've only used this device for one day! But ill just say that it blew me away. This is truly an all day device. I would guess I got 9 or more hours out of it, I wasn't timing myself, but I was using it non stop all day I felt. Browsing, catching up on game of thrones, downloading said game of thrones, restarting the device 3 times for windows updates and generally messing around and installing apps. It honestly would not give up.

So far it gets a big thumbs up, have ordered a usb otg cable from eBay so I can connect external devices also. Its a tad annoying not having a full sized usb port but its far from a deal breaker.

Alanstrainor

Alright so its been a week and I thought it would only be fair to give an update.

So I used this all week both in and out if work and its still impressing me every day that I use it. This is the first truly all day device of this kind that I have ever owned and it never seems to let up. I easily get a full days use out of it. Which includes a days work using the device extensively on site and also as a secondary device in the office. Followed by evening usage browsing and watching videos. To be honest the battery will stretch into the second day too, which can be very handy!

I picked up a usb otg cable and have an apple Ethernet adapter that im using with the device to get network access and it works flawlessly.

Something that does concern me is the micro usb port and whether or not it will stand up to heavy usage in terms of the frequency I insert devices into it. At the moment its perfect, but it remains to be seen whether that will last.

All in all its the best computing device I've bought in years and I can see it replacing my laptop for 90% of the time.

godtabh

What software was included with it?

Alanstrainor

godtabh wrote: »

What software was included with it?

Office wasn't included. Just generic bloatware to be honest. Definitely not the worst, but nothing really of note as far as I'm concerned.

godtabh

I have an original office CD so that shouldn't be a problem (assuming I can download a version and use my CD key to register it).

Did any accessories come with it? Have you added any?

Alanstrainor

godtabh wrote: »

I have an original office CD so that shouldn't be a problem (assuming I can download a version and use my CD key to register it).

Did any accessories come with it? Have you added any?

Asides from the charger the really wasn't much of note in the box.

Have bought a usb otg cable to allow me to connect external devices. Have an apple Ethernet working on it which is sweet.

My bro is now buying one, next is to buy a case. Not going to buy the keyboard/stand as it looks a bit crappy.

godtabh

How do you find it as a "tablet" only device? I had a go at the Surface RT recently and found it hard.

Alanstrainor

For me when using it casually its a web consumption device. So I find that IE works really well in tablet mode. There's also a few games that I've gotten into which are awesome.

I've had numerous tablets and this, for me at least is the best. It does the tablet things and also the regular computing.

godtabh

I find the idea of doing regular computing on a tablet strange! After all most of them are built for consumption. I'm looking for one as something to create on. Mainly documents

Alanstrainor

godtabh wrote: »

I find the idea of doing regular computing on a tablet strange! After all most of them are built for consumption. I'm looking for one as something to create on. Mainly documents

The one thing I couldn't see myself doing is typing extensively on this. Granted all my posts in this thread have been typed on this I find the keyboard to be too involved to use for any length. I can touch type at a very quick rate on a real keyboard, this although fine for casual use just wouldn't cut it.

I guess that's more to do with typing on tablets in general rather than anything too specific to this device.

_Kaiser_

godtabh wrote: »

I find the idea of doing regular computing on a tablet strange! After all most of them are built for consumption. I'm looking for one as something to create on. Mainly documents

I'd be like yourself and agree that for "serious"/productive work you really need a proper keyboard/mouse. Tablets are great as consumption devices/gaming toys but not really for any amount of typing.

I'm looking at convertibles like the DELL XT3 or XPS 12 that offer both

bruce wayne

best of both worlds

http://www8.hp.com/ie/en/ad/envy-x2/overview.html

I picked one of these up in the states earlier in the year for about €500, PC World were selling them for €1000

Love it so great battery life and the keyboard makes a huge difference when having to do some "real" work ;0)

godtabh

bruce wayne wrote: »

best of both worlds

http://www8.hp.com/ie/en/ad/envy-x2/overview.html

I picked one of these up in the states earlier in the year for about €500, PC World were selling them for €1000

Love it so great battery life and the keyboard makes a huge difference when having to do some "real" work ;0)

where did you get that? I've relatives heading over in two weeks

bruce wayne

I got mine from Amazon $619 works out about €460 - but you might need to add taxes - just had it delivered to my hotel and it was there waiting for me when I arrived ;0)

http://www.amazon.com/HP-11-g010nr-11-6-Inch-Convertible-Laptop/dp/B00AFUKXCU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1377004162&sr=8-1&keywords=hp+envy+x2

Staples also have it $599.99 works out about €440 - but again you might need to add a little for taxes

http://www.staples.com/hp+envy+x2/directory_hp+envy+x2?ts=1377004250835&ddkey=http:StaplesZipCodeAdd

kayos

bruce wayne wrote: »

I got mine from Amazon $619 works out about €460 - but you might need to add taxes - just had it delivered to my hotel and it was there waiting for me when I arrived ;0)

http://www.amazon.com/HP-11-g010nr-11-6-Inch-Convertible-Laptop/dp/B00AFUKXCU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1377004162&sr=8-1&keywords=hp+envy+x2

Staples also have it $599.99 works out about €440 - but again you might need to add a little for taxes

http://www.staples.com/hp+envy+x2/directory_hp+envy+x2?ts=1377004250835&ddkey=http:StaplesZipCodeAdd

If you add 10% you wont be much wrong in terms of sales taxes in most states.

godtabh

They are heading to California

Overheal

skipping over the posts in this thread...

I have the RT. It works great, the battery life is awesome, obviously it takes webpages longer to render on the RT than on the Pro with the Core i5 (I won both!) and I do sometimes miss the lack of x86 software - well, the only thing I have wanted to install is Live Photo Gallery. Beyond that, its done everything I asked it to.

If buying another OEM tablet, check the battery life and the weight. The RT is the perfect size and weight and battery combo. The Pro is too heavy for regular carry IMO. Also, MICRO USB IS THE BANE OF ALL TECHNOLOGY :mad: if you buy a tablet with a Micro USB charging port, don't use it while its plugged in. You'll hate it, and you should feel bad. Micro USB is the number 1 focal point of tablet wear and tear. The RT with its magsafe charger doesn't have that problem. Otherwise perfectly decent tablets that run atom suffer from a dinky microUSB port. Once it goes, you're basically ****ed. I've had to PRC 2 of our shelf displayes for the Lenovo Atom tablet because of this. They last about 2 weeks tops before that port just starts to fail miserably.

I can make that same rant of any piece of gear that charges on mUSB though. Still. Avoid it.

Biggest plus for the RT has obviously been the keyboard cover and the full USB port. Other tablets don't always have a USB port available or you have to buy some ghetto adapter for it (and it uses that bastard mUSB port). For its shortcomings on .exe's the RT still seems like a better option to me as a secondary/tertiary device.