Tablets

Denaut

Denaut

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Whidon1_sl said:
2. Also need recommendations for a tablet for work. Something fully features high-end I imagine, Would like to really start in earnest figuring out how to enhance our show, and improve the business side of things with a tablet once our next show is over about a month from now. If anyone in event management/planning has some advice for this that would be excellent.
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For this, are you looking for a tablet tablet or a tablet computer? That is a full x86 computer with a touchscreen and a tablet form factor.

Also, what are your primary work tools? Do you primarily use office? Do you have custom software that you use? Any information like that would help us give advice. Maybe even a general description of your day-to-day work and also that workflow.
 
Whidon

Whidon

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We mostly use MS office, ACT, Conexsys, Constant contact, Booth boss, and A few other specialized event management tools like floor plan charts/management all of which are web based. Pretty much the only non-web based programs we use are Office, ACT, and a couple other small programs for organizing contacts.

At a typical show I am not stationary very much and often walking a few miles every day from having highly varied responsibilities. I was going to write a big list of what i do during a show but mostly I need a tablet for 3 things. 1. Inputting/altering info from web based programs like those I listed above 2. Lots of adding/changing contact info 3. keeping in touch as easily as possible with event staff/ Trade shows typically use radio's but having something better then my phone for emails would be nice, and something that has good video chat would be very useful.

We don't require MSoffice during a show week. it's all web based program we rely on.

I am sure we can get much more use out of tablets then what I listed above, but like I said the boss is loathe to add technology. So for now I just want something with functionality for the above. But i do plan on expanding that in the future. All our shows are in the Winter-spring so I will soon have a less hectic time to work on this.

EDIT: It's very important to have a good video feature. Being able to just look at stuff that way rather then running around would be very useful.
 
Denaut

Denaut

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Other people can chime in here, but it seems if you primarily use web-based apps, they you probably have a lot of options. If possible I would first recommend you try and test the web apps using the different browsers, if they all work then you are up to cost/preference.

I don't have a ton of experience with tablets like other people, but for what you are describing I think the Surface 2 sounds like a pretty good option. It has Office, IE11 is a good browser that is very likely to work with your web apps, it has good video support. You can also multi-task with it by having 2 apps open at once (say email and Skype). The keyboard type cover is quite nice, if a little pricey, and works well with the built in kick-stand.

It is heavier than the iPad air though, and it sounds like in your situation that might come into play. The iPad's other major advantage, the robustness of the app store, seems less of a factor in your specific situation. With any tablet you will probably want a keyboard, and maybe even a mouse.

My girlfriend has a Surface 2 and she uses it constantly as both a tablet and more "laptop like" when working. She has barely turned on the desktop since she got it.
 
gogusrl

gogusrl

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Just bought a ~60$ tablet at a sale.Tablet Connect TAB SG4C700TAB

Couldn't find any reviews but it has gps and 3g and I can get a 3g sim with 5gb of traffic for ~3$/month.

For comparison the Nexus 7 2012 is 300$ and the new model is 400$.
 
spronk

spronk

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the chinese knockoff tablets are absolute dogshit, they are made with cheap as fuck parts and the batteries are seriously inferior (and usually not easily replacable). what starts out as a 4 hour charge will quickly turn into a 15 minute charge within a few months, and then the charge connector itself stops working. so yeah, unless you are buying it as a gift for someone you detest I wouldn't buy those things.
 
Whidon

Whidon

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Thanks for the info Denaut. going to go look at the surface 2 tomorrow mostly to make sure all our apps run on the browser.

My only fear is how big of a deal is windows phone Os (whatever it is) not having many apps for it? We don't run any phone apps but it might be nice to be able to use some in the future as our industry gets into technology more.
 
Lanx

Lanx

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Whidon1_sl said:
Thanks for the info Denaut. going to go look at the surface 2 tomorrow mostly to make sure all our apps run on the browser.

My only fear is how big of a deal is windows phone Os (whatever it is) not having many apps for it? We don't run any phone apps but it might be nice to be able to use some in the future as our industry gets into technology more.
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as i learned before there's a surface (this means RT) and surface pro (this means it's a full on computer).

Just get the surface pros with full windows functionality. My wife travelled extensively with
1 work (dell) laptop
1 work ipad
1 perrsonal ipad

i recently got her a dell tablet, and it runs full windows 8. She fucking loves it, no more does she HAVE to use google docs, and find an internet wifi (or tether) or some shit to get going. She says its so liberating to have a tablet that is a full computer, she doesn't have to rely on "APPS" in order to do shit.

all that business software, real software... just get a full tablet (surface PRO), don't deal with going online with apps and shit and wifi to get your programs running, hell you're going to conventions? is wifi even going to work at conventions or hotels?
 
Denaut

Denaut

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Agreed, if running the software is of primary importance, than a full x86 laptop in the tablet form factor (Surface Pro 2 is one) is probably recommended. For that you give up some portability via the increased weight and decreased battery life. Normally that wouldn't matter much, but for you that is running around at trade shows, that small amount might actually make a difference.

I ended up getting my girlfriend the Surface 2 for Christmas over the iPad mini because her laptop was on the fritz and she mentioned she was thinking about buying a new one. I did a lot of research and concluded that for what she did, the tablet would fit her needs pretty much as well as an actual laptop at less cost and more portability. Also, if I spent the money on the Pro, I am 99% certain she would be legitimately mad at me (she makes more money than me
biggrin.png
) Now, for me, that wouldn't work. The tools I use require that I have an x86 computer, but honestly if I could get away with just a tablet as a laptop replacement I probably would.

The app store itself really depends on how much you use or like to browse through apps, and what kind of app support you expect from your tools in the near future. At this stage these seem much more likely to come out for the Apple or Google store. Fortunately, tablets are unlike usual IT infrastructure in that they are cheap and if these apps come out on the not so near future (2ish years) you can always switch to either an x86 tablet or whichever store the app is available in. And, in 2 years, honestly who knows what we'll have. Maybe the atom processors will be able to compete more directly with ARM and most tablets will be x86?
 
mkopec

mkopec

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I still cannot stand typing on a tablet though. It takes me forever. I would still want a keyboard. I use my tablet all the time to browse, but thats about it.
 
BrutulTM

BrutulTM

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Same here. If I'm using a touchscreen and I need to type even one long sentence I am going to go to my computer with a keyboard. Fuck typing a full paragraph or more on a touchscreen.
 
Grimmlokk

Grimmlokk

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Android default keyboard has a swype type system built in now I believe. I wouldn't want to type a letter on it, but if you are used to that from your phone it's not too onerous a task to use for a few sentences here and there.
 
Stave

Stave

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If anyone is looking for a good full Win 8.1 tablet, the 64gb Asus T100 going on sale on Sunday at Staples for $329.Asus Transformer T100 64GB at Staples - $329.99 plus tax 02-13-2014 - Slickdeals.net

I honestly would trade my up Dell Venue 8 Pro for this if I could. This has got full Windows 8.1 x86, a magnetic keyboard dock/case like the Surface Pro, and 10.1 inch screen. As much as I love my Venue 8 Pro, I find myself wishing it was a 10 inch screen all the time, and that it had the clamshell keyboard dock. The keyboard case I bought has a detachable keyboard, but isn't as nice as this one. They had this sucker for $299 on Black Friday too, but this has been the lowest since then. Definitely worth checking out if you want a Surface Pro but don't want to spend that much.

rrr_img_60253.jpg
 
Springbok

Springbok

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Would plus 1 ya if I could - looks like a great deal, and just picked up the last one at my local Staples. Will post how it is - was actually going to wait for the Lenovo Miix 2, but have read reviews and the differences seem minimal (although would have been nice to have a 1080 screen). Was also about to just say fuck it and buy a Surface Pro 2, but this seems an okay value.

EDIT** Add to the value, it came with a full install of microsoft office as well which was a nice little bonus.
 
meStevo

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Wow, nice. I'm getting everything together to sell my W700 (64gb i5 model) and 'upgrade' to a Venue Pro or something like that before it's worth less than those. Amazon will still give me over $350+ trade-in for it if I don't want to deal with the resell market, but will probably try Craigslist/Ebay or something for ~$450-500 first.

Just want a full windows experience in a smaller form factor than this 2lb+ 11" screen, as pretty as it is.
 
wamphyr

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I dont understand why dont they make a tablet that comes with a separate non-keyboard strand that includes a high-end desktop-like graphics card with monitor connection, an ethernet card and a shitload of USB ports. There, you now have a tablet+desktop computer in one. Trying to have tablet+laptop is redundant.

Also, could the Assus T100 be used as a desktop replacement ? Could it run Subtitle Workshop and 2-3 years old games ?
 
Stave

Stave

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wamphyr_sl said:
I dont understand why dont they make a tablet that comes with a separate non-keyboard strand that includes a high-end desktop-like graphics card with monitor connection, an ethernet card and a shitload of USB ports. There, you now have a tablet+desktop computer in one. Trying to have tablet+laptop is redundant.

Also, could the Assus T100 be used as a desktop replacement ? Could it run Subtitle Workshop and 2-3 years old games ?
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Unsure about subtitle workshop, but this has a baytrail processor, same as all the other recent Win 8.1 tablets like the Venue 8 Pro, Lenovo Miix 2, etc. On my Venue 8 Pro, I can play many new games on low settings. I can play GW2, SWToR, and WoW all on low settings very smoothly especially GW2 and WoW (Constant 30+fps even in towns). Can play Skyrim on Low, Diablo 3, Starcraft 2, Arkham Asylum, Mafia 2, Walking Dead, Back to the Future, etc all run fine, and you can really rock most indie games etc maxed. Best bet is to search youtube for Bay Trail gaming, or z3740 gaming to see examples of games being played. I don't know if I personally would go so far as to make it a desktop replacement, because I do a lot of high end gaming, but for someone who doesn't, it could work nice, it's snappy fast for browsing etc. Pretty sure if you researched, you could get something like this dock that hooks up with 1 USB cable, for a T100, this may even work for it
 
Springbok

Springbok

Karen
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Ya, on the Asus T100 (I'm really impressed by it, by the way - can't believe it was less than $350 all in) I downloaded LOL, Hearthstone, and WOW last night and ran them all fine. That was the whole reason I was considering getting one with an i5 on it, but don't think I need it (yet...). For some reason it wouldn't boot Marvel Heroes though, which was annoying. It took a while to get used to the size/text, but I realized I could adjust the size of the desktop by 25% and got chrome zoomed in a bit. I can never really use my girlfriends Nexus 7 for that same reason... it just seems too small to me, but maybe I'm just getting old. In fact, I would really prefer an 11-12" tablet over even the 10".

Pro's:

Cheap
Runs games (surprising well, didn't think it would half of them, but they all play at decent frame rates)
Fast in all app's/browsing/desktop/even office programs are a snap
Keyboard included
Battery Life (used it for 5 hours straight last night playing games and watching netflix - still over 45% life)

Cons:

Feels and looks cheap. Shitty plastic back is a fingerprint magnet
Screen resolution - not a huge issue, but going from an Ipad with retina display to this is significant.
Keyboard - although free, it really is cramped and the touchpad is shit. It works, but to scroll you have to kind of press and move your fingers at the same time
Memory - feel like I could definitely see a difference with a few more gb's of ram

All in all, I love this fucking thing. Genuinely. It's cheap, its fast and it works really well. After putting a "shell" or whatever on that gives me a start button it feels like I have the best of both worlds. Switching between desktop and the app 8.1 homepage is a breeze. The cut corners are annoying, and I honestly would have paid more for some quality of life things - but they had to do that somewhere and they did it in a way that doesn't hinder the tablets performance. A better screen, better case (something tacky, or aluminum or something), and more ram would go a long way - but I dare you to find a better tablet/netbook for $325. After buying this I priced the Dell Venue 11, and their base model + keyboard is hundreds of dollars more.
 
meStevo

meStevo

I think your wife's a bigfoot gus.
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Figures, I get everything together to sell my W700 tablet and what am I missing? An L shaped piece of plastic that makes the dock stand up. Damnit. Even have the original packaging, how'd I misplace a piece of the dock lol.
 
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