My Thinkpad Tablet Review - Thinkpad Tablet General

My Thinkpad Tablet Review - Thinkpad Tablet General

Focus more on workflow than speeds and feeds, and while it was done in my early days of having the tablet , my workflow hasn't actually changed that much since writing:
http://the-gadgeteer.com/2011/11/16/lenovo-thinkpad-tablet-review/

Related

Longbox Digital meets NotionInk at CES

Rantz Hoseley from LongBox Digital about his time with NotionInk during the CES:
Rantz Hoseley said, on January 10, 2011 at 05:52 We had a great time with Rohan, Rohit, and Varun yesterday, having driven out to Vegas from Orange County for an afternoon meeting with ************ (A very large entertainment and media company) about content and to give them some hands-on time with Adam so they could see why we were so effusive about Adam, and why IT is the tablet we (LongBox) are doing the exclusive OEM arrangement with, as well as the customer reader experience taking advantage of the Adam’s capabilities.
After 2 hours with the team and the tablet, they got it. They haven’t been impressed with ANY other Android tablet, and they were VERY excited about Adam. Rohan and everyone at Notion Ink should be truly proud… it really is a magnificent device, and even moreso when confronted by the fact that THIS is “V1″, and there are a LOT of really stunning things in development for upcoming releases…
As a consumer/geek, I will say that I LOVE Adam, and while I had been excited about the features such as the PixelQi screen, the HDMI out, the multi-tasking, the ability to tether as an input device… the THREE things that REALLY had my head spinning with possibilities for the entire 5 hour drive home last night were:
1.) Audio – The Spatial Audio on Adam is the best I have heard on ANY tablet. It is going to make the original/first run enhanced content being done for LongBox this year REALLY amazing.
2.) The speed – We’ve been working with early revs, and emulators, and those were ‘not slow’. The device itself, with a metric TON of stuff running, is so speedy and fluid. It’s really jaw-dropping.
3.) The Canvas experience – as someone who has been a professional artist for over 30 years, I was very excited to kill 20 minutes just drawing and painting with Canvas on Adam. On the iPad, and on other android pads, I’d experienced ‘fill in’ with fast ‘hatching’ – drawing lines at VERY fast speed back and forth to add shade – that with those devices it would get to the point that after a 10 count I would have to wait a second or two while the lines catch up drawing. Not so with the Adam tablet… regardless of opacity, color, width, how many layers, etc… it was like butter… smooth.
It really is something special, and as Rohan and I talked about, you can tell the difference in philosophy behind it.
very exciting times…
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Source:
http://notionink.wordpress.com/2011...ged-persistence/comment-page-3/#comment-73965

This is what I am looking forward to!

All,
after all these threads about pros and cons (especially in comparison with other tablet platforms) I wanted to list a few reasons why I decided that the Xoom was the right choice (and I hope I won't be disappointed when I receive it today). I know that probably all of them are more related to Honeycomb but that's OK
1. It felt very snappy and smooth when I was playing with it at Costco. No comparison to my Nook Color running the HC preview.
2. The feeling of the OS is almost virtual reality; flipping through different home screens in 3D is so cool
3. In the morning when I turn on my gadget I'd like to be greeted with a number of gadgets to make my day: Weather, emails, news, maybe even traffic (although that won't make my day) etc. I do NOT want to have to open half a dozen apps for each purpose!
4. I try to customize everything just to be special My iPhone is jailbroken but when I see the screenshots that others post here I start drooling.
5. Google Maps 3D... I know, not Xoom-specific but still something sooo cool!
6. I got the 25% off steal. I would most likely NOT have paid full price.
I might add things to the list tonight.
Hope that this helps other to make up their minds and evaluate what's important for them! Enjoy your weekend with hopefully lots of Xoom-time!

Honest Opinions on the Transformer

I’ll be starting grad school in the fall and am in the market for a laptop/tablet and currently the Transformer is at the top of my list right now. I was hoping I could get some honest opinions on how the well the transformer works as both a media and productivity device (primarily concerned with the latter). I plan on using it for grad school, but since I’ll also be working a full-time job during the day, hope to use it as a work device as well. I also moonlight as a photographer, and am looking for ways I can incorporate the transformer into that as well.
My main concern is the stability of Android. I’ve owned both an EVO and an HTC HD2 running Android/Windows Phone 7 (thanks xda!), and although I loved the openness and overall capability of Android, the instability and battery life made things too cumbersome at times. My phone doubles as a work and personal device, so I fire off a lot of e-mails all day, view docs, send calls, etc etc. Nothing was more frustrating than having the phone lock up in the middle of something important, or die in the middle of the day if I used it a lot (on days when I need to use it a lot). Currently using an iPhone 4, which I know doesn’t get a whole lot of love around here, but simply works when needed. Not an Apple fanboy by any means…actually an old Windows Mobile guy, but sometimes stability and accessibility are important…particularly for heavy users like me.
Secondly, I’d like to know how productive one can really be on the transformer. What’s piqued my interest about Android on a tablet is the ‘desktop-esque’ experience it provides. As good as iOS to me is on a phone, its utterly neutered and has very little utility on a tablet IMO. For instance, true multi-tasking isn’t too important to me on a phone, but it would be on a tablet. Interested in knowing how well the tablet handles word docs, excel sheets, and PDF files…particularly from those who have experience with the keyboard dock.
Looking for honest answers here, and hope people can look beyond ownership bias. Hoping to hear the good and the bad. I’ve used enough mobile and desktop OS’s and devices to know that nothing is ever perfect.

I can't really comment on the productivity end as I mainly use my Transformer to read, watch videos, play games, and web browse. For what I need it to do it is great. HD videos on YouTube play great. It does have issues playing HD videos that are in mkv format but one they are re-encoded they play great.
The screen is where this thing really shines though. I have yet to see a better screen on a tablet anywhere. None of the HC tablets even come close, imho. I do have some light bleed but it isn't enough to bother me and I don't even see it unless I am in a dark room with the brightness cranked up.
One thing you won't have to worry about is battery life. The battery in this thing is way better than I expected. I can get 2 days with my average use, easy. It also hardly loses any battery when in standby also.
Honeycomb does still need some tweaking but it is not a big problem. There aren't a lot of apps optimized for HC yet but the list will increase with time.

Personally I think you would be better off with a laptop for your needs.
I think you will suffer the same frustration you did with your andriod phones if you are using the tablet for lots of documents, spreadsheets and other office type apllications.
I think these things are really designed for web browsing, casual email, game playing, music & video playing, etc.
You can edit docs etc and the optional keyboard helps a lot, but I think of these as a secondary machine. I have a desk top and a laptop too. At home it has pretty much replaced the laptop but not for work related tasks.

Im new to tablets and android all together. As a computer tech by trade, I figured it would be good to learn somethign new, did some research and went with the transformer. And I must say, coming from a windows & iOS background, Android has been a HUGE let down.
the hardware on the tablet is great. Build quality, the screen, the dock works wonderfully. USB ports that charge my phone. etc. All top notch.
Android is the downfall of the eee pad. To get the tablet to perform anywhere near the capabilty of my iPhone or PC, its about 5x the amount of work.
Video playback is a joke. when I try to copy any file over 3 or 4 gigs onto it, it crashes. And of all the videos ive copied over, only 2 worked properly. Even supported file formats are iffy at times.
App support is also very weak. The list of apps on this site that are supported by the eee pad is pretty much all you get. Which is sad compared to the App support that the iPad / win7 tablets have.
From a work standpoint, the failure of the proxy support is huge. I have to use a proxy server at work for my devices to function properly. Laptop: works fine. iPhone: works fine. Android: doesnt work at all. Native proxy support in 3.1 just doesnt work. Using apps to get proxy support KIND of works, but is flakey at best. If your work/school relies on proxy servers , then dont expect to use the eeePad there.
Hotspots.. again, a big problem. Bluetooth tethering KIND of worked for me, but since the proxy support is so shoddy, that started interfering with tethering when proxy wasnt needed and... you guessed it, didnt work. Not only that but for proper adhoc tethering , youll have to root the device and install a custom kernal or something.
So, all those issues are Honeycomb related. Gonna hit the same problems on the Xoom or anythign else that uses 3.x The only reason im keeping my eee pad is because software issues get worked out in time. They better... because right now this thing is just a giant paper weight for me. still on the edge of returning it and buying it again later once all the problems are fixed. So ya, it may be able to handle word, excel and such documents (so can the iPad by the way), but with such severe connectivity and networking issues, it really doesnt matter. *shrugs. honesty! EP121 anyone?

The TF would be good to SUPPLEMENT a full desktop or more powerful laptop but it could never be my primary machine. I need the application/device support of windows.
Being said if I had a computer at home I could have made it through college with the transformer as my mobile device.
As for the guy above me i havent experienced any of his issues. It only supports a few video files but that goes for all android stock media players. Recoding them to mp4/m4v in handbrake results in flawless video playback, never had a failure.
Apps are weak, its a new ecosystem. Like the ipad when it came out the vast majority of the "compatible" apps are just the phone apps scaled up. That will change.
Not sure about the proxy, havent encountered that. Ive never had a hotspot issue. In a restaurant, at work, using my Evo to wireless tether or on the plane. Its connected to every "infrastructure AP" network Ive ever tried and that is all I encounter. I have never had a need to connect AdHoc.

Before I got my tablet, I had imagined all these things I would use it for.
I was going to be able to do all of the following on one device!
For productivity:
- Check emails
- Read textbooks in pdf format, be able to highlight, save bookmarks and annotations...all in digital format.
- Use office programs like Word & Excel for typing up papers and creating charts.
- Watch video lectures & tutorials
- Use Anki flashcards
For entertainment:
- Watch videos from streaming sites
- Have a library of HD movies/miniseries on the device
- Be able to HDMI out my video library wherever I was
- Have emulators with a whole bunch of games I could play whenever I had down time
- play Android market games
This is what happened after I got the Transformer:
I realized I could do all the above, but ended up going to other devices because it just felt cumbersome on a tablet.
About all I used the tablet for was to watch videos and...watch videos..oh yeah and casual web browsing.
- Checking emails...I ended up just pulling out my phone.
- Reading textbooks...not many available in PDF...and it's not that great on a digital screen. Writing notes...don't even try it...even with one of those capacitative pens.
- Word and Excel are ok...but you can't do multi worksheet formulas...etc. I ended up just using my laptop or desktop.
- Video lectures...a lot of them required plugins and the browser/OS did not support that...back to laptop.
- Videos from streaming sites...choppy...unwatchable.
- HD movies...commonly downloaded ones dont work...had to re-encode or transcode at least 80% of them.
- HDMI haven't tested....I had to return my transformer...since the touch screen locked up.
Emulators...never did it.
- Android games...as a gamer...I find the current crop of games to be too simplistic and boring (minus Spectral Souls)
I have another one on order that's arriving today, so I'm still giving it a chance. Maybe I'm not using it properly...in any case it is still a pretty cool device to have around. I would consider it a borderline second device...but more like a third (i.e. Desktop for true power productivity/gaming, Laptop for moderate mobile productivity, then a Tablet when you go on quick vacations and you don't want to carry the others).

I would look for something like a laptop that cam run windows and android at the same time. Like the viewsonic pro.. acer w 500..better yet the evolve three convertible.
Sent from my PC36100 using Tapatalk

I have my Transformer for about 2 weeks now. Actually today is the day I would have to decide either to keep it or to return it back to BB. Just finally got the keyboard dock just 2 days ago. My perseption before and after having it is completely different.
Before having it, I was really excited, kind of hoping finally the perfect device has arrived. A perfect device that can do everything I need.
I kind of know from reading everywhere, mostly from this forum what to expect and what is not there yet. Yet I finally decided to buy it with big hopes that with time, everything will be there. Buying the transformer also means I decided to invest in the Honeycomb platform rather than others (like iPad). I have no luxury of keep buying new devices, so I had to be careful to choose and decide.
My previous experience with Android was very good indeed (have a HTC Evo, my first Android phone). Before that, I always used Windows Mobile phone, which did everything I needed.
Well, my HTC Evo did everything and more, and that's why I had a big hope with the transformer/honeycomb. I chose the transformer among other honeycomb tablets for some obvious reasons: the keyboard dock that has the USB ports and the SD Card reader, and extra battery.
I also like photography and I needed to make sure I can use it to transfer pictures from my camera SD Card to an external HDD. I checked and found out the transformer does that perfectly, with the NTFS support right out of the box. That's incredible in my opinion.
I also imagined I would be able to connect to my work network and do anything I needed to via Citrix. And for personal communication, there is a Yahoo Messenger, Google Talk, and Skype.
After getting it, my expectation dropped and everyday is a learning day for me, as well as improvement day.
My first day with the transformer, I got all my emails setup (dual Exchange support! My Evo does not do that (I heard some custom ROM can do that), then I could not find Yahoo Messenger (dissapointed, well, there is a Yahoo messenger for my android phone, and its perfect!), Skype is a phone version and looks weird and many features missing (video call is the most important missing feature).
Day after day, until now, I still do the improvement jobs, and got many items not available previously. Got Yahoo Messenger from a good guy here in the forum, got a battery indicator wigdet from this forum also, and many bug fixes here and there.
For work purposes, I also drop my expectation. The connection from Citrix client in honeycomb takes very long (3-5 minutes) while from my Evo it takes much quicker. Not sure why, I contacted Citrix support about this. They said they both should perform the same as the core are the same, but they behaves differently.
Checking email only is not enough for me, if somebody sent an email, it comes with an issue to fix.
Yes, its hard to decide to let it go, or continue to keep it. I decide to continue to keep it, again, with hope, over time, things get better and better.
What do I gain from the transformer compared to my netbook?
Well, battery life, like many said here, is very exceptional. I got 2 full days. 1 day plus without the keyboard dock before. Really full day till night, with everything I do, from emails, browsing, youtube, reading, etc.
Instant on and ready. Wifi always on.
No spinning harddrive. No heat.
I was surprised! The device was not hot at all. Very different even compared to my Windows phone, connect to the wifi to a while and you can feel the heat. I'm not even talking about my netbook.
And I agree that many said here that its not a primary/replacement device. I still need my Windows machine to do most of the work.

It pains me to agree, but the above coments are true, as follower of android from day one. to anyone who has used an rooted/jailbroken ipad, honeycomb is way behind, to be honest google should be ashamed. as i type this on my transformer the lag is horendous. with the ipad you can nearly replace a netbook, full printing, ipgages and numbers are real tablet work tools. The TF is just about ok for web browsing, but just. As a media device it sucks. I tried to watch a streaming movie on movie stream, ok it plays but stutters and is awful. switched on my now ancient ipad with 256mb ram clicked on istream net and bang same movie looking almost 720p smooth as a nut. All the points brought against the ipad now seem to be a joke to me, even the no flash issue. Ok you have limited access by usb and SD card but there is some plus work arounds. I mentioned on a Archos site that i could stream any movie via air video from a crappy netbook hooked up to a 1TB HDD and if not in playable format they could be converted on the fly, this is over a local wireless network or over 3g anywhereon the ipadand they all took the piss, but its true. As an owner of a TF and Ipad, I have togive credit to ASUS, i love the concept. But as stated in an earlier post, I will be reaching for my HTC desire or IPAD more than the transformer. Lets hope Google step up, and support ASUS and the other manuacturers.
If honeycomb worked like the ipadit would blow apple out of the water. Anyway going to watch Tron on my year old Ipad.

i have to echo most of the above sentiment.
this is such a good idea, but it's just not ready...at least for me. i bought it for the reasons the op cited, and i'm let down. the lag kills the experience, even typing this on the keyboard is painful. honeycomb is great for usability imo, and the open ability to customize, but it is flat out slow. the browser is capable, but slowdolphin is buggy, adbloc is hard to come by (that works properly)
editing docs in polari is slow, screen rotation is slow, it's just everything i so slow. my dell mini 9 runs faster for the few times i need to doc edit, and the ipad run circles around it in terms of tablet function (but has several huge letdowns in its own right)
the one difference from some of the above posters is that i won't hang onto it and hope software gets smoothed out, by the time that happens we will have at leat one generation newer devices, maybe 2...so suffer with inferior experience to be outdated..not for me.
As I sai in another thread, i see this concept as the future...without doubt. my days of wanting to pay to beta test are over though.
Edit from my iPad. - see all those missing letters at the ends of words, that was typed with the dock..that's how bad lag is. I see no choice but to return it, I can't see google/ ASus releasing a realistic fix in the next couple weeks...but I hope I'm wrong.

Stability: maybe I'm lucky but I find Transformer to be VERY stable. Only FCs I have were when closing some game and maybe once in the browser.
Honest opinion: it's still only a toy. Don't expect it to be able to do anything better (or even on par with) than laptop or PC - but it is quite a good toy for many thins.
Right now I do most of my browsing on Transformer, for browsing it's in some things better than computers/laptops but in others it lacks greately (adblock, lack of extenstions in browser). It's also great for comics and PDF. And it's quite good for small games (Aporkalypse is great!).
I bought it mostly to write applications for it. In my personal opinion the OS is just great. The apps are mostly a mess with some pearls in it - like Newsr which just great or Dolphine Browser HD (or many others that you can find mentioned here and there on this forum). The problem is there is quite a huge lack of pearls in some departments. But it will change, I don't see what could stop it.

SCARED
I wish I had not read this thread. I´m very exited to collect my TF tomorrow. Looking forward to it for weeks. Planning on using it on the couch for browsing, playing with some apps, reading and responding to email, hanging around in a variety of forums etc.
Same as I do now with my HTC Desire and Asus T101MT netbook...so no really heavy stuff...
But as I read all these unsatisfied experiences I feel a bit uncertain about it. I mean I´m not an Applefanboy (ok, I do own an iPod) and I always feel a bit pity for all those people who buy an iPad just because it's an iPad...but now I'm in doubt...
Is this toy really that bad???

jpvdw said:
I wish I had not read this thread. I´m very exited to collect my TF tomorrow. Looking forward to it for weeks. Planning on using it on the couch for browsing, playing with some apps, reading and responding to email, hanging around in a variety of forums etc.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
For things like that it's great. Only problem is that on some forums (this one is an example) most browsers are slow (but usable and with keyboard dock it should be much more easy to write on forums thank using screen keyboard).
Is this toy really that bad???
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's not.
If you are not sure - go to some shop and play with it for a while. By "it" I mean - any tablet with HoneyComb.

Well after using the TF for about 3 weeks, I have to admit it is only a good toy. If you want productivity at school and home, stay away from the tablet form factor as a whole. HC is good, but the app support is bad, and its still a platform which is evolving. Other than watching YouTube videos, I don't use it much. The stock browser even on 3.1 is bad and slow. The browsing experience is way better on the laptop than this one.
Will try the Tab 10.1 too and see if it has a better experience. Otherwise, I don't feel the need for a tablet now, especially keeping in mind the current state of HC. Won't go for an iPad because I feel 4:3 aspect ratio is ridiculous.

Great toy for work and home. Wife loves it and my 7 year old enjoys it. Is hc beta? yes. Will it get better? yes

What's wrong with document editing in Polaris? Certainly it's a good deal better, in UI and features, than say QuickOffice or Doc2Go. I don't know if the rest of you are trying to manage complex multi-sheet spreadsheets or something, but for basic word processing it seems more or less adequate. Some people have weird and unrealistic expectations.

Be realistic as to what to expect
im new to the tablet and android world. When i bought the tablet, i wasnt expecting it to replace my laptop for heavy duty usage. Simply not there yet..
Allow me to give you and example of every day usage for me:
My tablet is always on.(sleep mode) i wake up, check my emails, the news, weather, all while im still in bed. I even check XDA forum to see the latest "oh no..im returning the transformer (sad Face)" thread...
when i get home, i do the same, but this time i sit in front of my tv, watch some nba finals, lookup some articles or "do it yourself" tutorials.. i get bored, open some tabs, tune my guitar (with the TF), and just jam out.. (reading tabs on portrait mode is beautiful)
Then my little girl gets to play on my "little computer" (barn stack, angry birds, read a long stories, etc.... which came in super handy on our recent road trip)
Before bed, i lookup some reviews on Netflix, add them to my instant queue, fire up the TV, check my Chase account (also app), more emails,
its convenient..
just last night i wanted to be nos and see how much the house on our street is selling for.. (zillow App) quick, with a gorgeous map. My xboxlive app notifies me of whose online.. just a lot of cool features
And im sure im not using the tablet to its full potential.. Ive tried the cloud jsut once (and monitored my laptop as it downloaded some "Stuff"//haha)

grainysand said:
What's wrong with document editing in Polaris? Certainly it's a good deal better, in UI and features, than say QuickOffice or Doc2Go. I don't know if the rest of you are trying to manage complex multi-sheet spreadsheets or something, but for basic word processing it seems more or less adequate. Some people have weird and unrealistic expectations.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Lag. Also, the touchpad in the dock is a mess....unless I missed a way to disable tap clicking natively. It really has to be turned off. Polaris as a program is fine, and I liked the easy integration with dropbox...but even editing a light 2 page resume was laggy. It's probably not polaris' fault..the platform is laggy.
@jpvdw I actually think the iPad would be better suited for what you want to do. I see a ton of shortcomings with the iOS devices, but most of them involve getting work done for me. Like uploading files through a web browser and wanting to use a real keyboard (though there are bt options).
I want to move to android...there's just nothing for me to move to that can equal what I get. If maybe the device was 15% faster I'd bear with it.

two things..
first, there has to be a memory leak in one of the stock apps, or os, or something. i can reboot and be working fine for about 10 mins... then it gets all wonky again.
i reset the browser to factory defauults, and it actually seems like it's a bit faster now. even with plugins enabled

People - please DON'T EXPECT tablet performing well as your laptop or desktop replacement....how could a Tegra 2 with integrated GPU comparing to your laptop/desktop power horse!!
Now please go and enjoy your own Transformer device while sitting on the couch, lying on the bed or even in your bathroom (make sure you have accidental damage insurance in case you drop into the water ...)
For me, this tablet makes me more connecting to digital world...well sort of because sometimes I just use my blackberry without tablet or desktop at all...
good luck/enjoy!
rcjpth

1st Post Introduction. (1 month GN 10.1 user)

Hello everyone!
･ Relatively long time member, first time poster.... Just wanna introduce myself as a 1st month Note 10.1 user. I am an entertainment lawyer. As such, does a lot (& i mean lots) of freedom notes in meetings & such. Just retired my 7 year old HP TC1100 once I started using the Note. I'm a digital inker & live on LectureNotes & SNotes all the time. Am also a long-time Palm user, as such Graffiti for Android is my full time HWR 'keyboard'. I fly on Graffiti.
･ Lastly, for annotation on digital ink, Adobe Reader on Android & PDF Annotator on Windows are my friends.
･ Just sharing how I utilizes this excellent device. I believe if you write/ink freehand, Wacom & active digitizer cannot be beat & the Galaxy Note 10.1 is an excellent platform if this your workflow.
･ Comments are always welcome. Cheers everyone.

Me my self a new note 10.1 user after i sold my note 1, i cant tell how pleased i,m with all the new features and stability of note 10.1!!
Sent from my GT-N8000 using xda premium

I can't even begins to express how delighted I am with the 10.1. Been looking for years for a modern device to replace my trusty Palm TX & Tablet PC. This is it. For pure digital inking noteslate, Note 10.1 fits my requirements perfectly.
Tried going the E-Ink route with Wacom on the Entourage Edge. Loved the concept, but so slooow!
Anyone else on this board using the Note solely for a pen & paper replacement? Like an A4/Legal notepad? Would love to hear your thoughts on going paperless & digital inking usage scenarios. I've been paperless for the last decade.

Um, my main purpose for the Note is a pen & paper replacement, but I do use it for browsing Reddit while pooping quite frequently. I also will use it to watch Netflix (since my desktop uses Linux and Netflix won't work on it without too much hassle). I mostly use it for taking notes in class (grad student) and it works great for that. I used to kind of just fling my notebooks around so I'd have a bunch of notes that I'd never really read over, but since I have synced my notes online, I can always access them to read at any time. It's pretty awesome.

I work in IT and my Note 10.1 has become liek a 3dd arm. All it needs is an ethernet port and it would be perfect. I use my for remote sessions, nowte taking during meetings, and so on. It gets used for hours every day.
Sent from my GT-N8013 using XDA Premium HD app

I went paperless quite a few years ago and was using a Dell Latitude XT with OneNote. Had been looking for some time on a better solution. Purchased a Latitude XT3 just 6 months before the note launched. Now it is Note 10.1 and LectureNotes. It was hard to leave OneNote, but I have felt better about it lately. Can always export to pdf for import into OneNote if I ever need to go back. As an account executive, I take notes all day long and need to go back and refrrence them often in the future. Paper notebooks were just a waste for me. Carry my note everywhere now.
Couldn't be happier with this unit and I just bought a MacBook Air recently to do some of the heavier stuff, but this is still my favorite device.
Sent from my GT-N8013 using XDA Premium HD app

AndroidAble said:
I went paperless quite a few years ago and was using a Dell Latitude XT with OneNote. Had been looking for some time on a better solution. Purchased a Latitude XT3 just 6 months before the note launched. Now it is Note 10.1 and LectureNotes. It was hard to leave OneNote, but I have felt better about it lately. Can always export to pdf for import into OneNote if I ever need to go back. As an account executive, I take notes all day long and need to go back and refrrence them often in the future. Paper notebooks were just a waste for me. Carry my note everywhere now.
Couldn't be happier with this unit and I just bought a MacBook Air recently to do some of the heavier stuff, but this is still my favorite device.
Sent from my GT-N8013 using XDA Premium HD app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You & I, fella. Replaced your Mac with a Lenovo U150 in my place. OneNote 'insert' function is a lifesaver. Thanks for sharing your workflow.

djasli said:
Hello everyone!
･ Relatively long time member, first time poster.... Just wanna introduce myself as a 1st month Note 10.1 user. I am an entertainment lawyer. As such, does a lot (& i mean lots) of freedom notes in meetings & such. Just retired my 7 year old HP TC1100 once I started using the Note. I'm a digital inker & live on LectureNotes & SNotes all the time. Am also a long-time Palm user, as such Graffiti for Android is my full time HWR 'keyboard'. I fly on Graffiti.
･ Lastly, for annotation on digital ink, Adobe Reader on Android & PDF Annotator on Windows are my friends.
･ Just sharing how I utilizes this excellent device. I believe if you write/ink freehand, Wacom & active digitizer cannot be beat & the Galaxy Note 10.1 is an excellent platform if this your workflow.
･ Comments are always welcome. Cheers everyone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ha, I also still have my HP TC100 running win 7. Got it on ebay about 3 years ago. HP was way ahead of its time with this.
I am interested in finding the best pdf view editor and PowerPoint presenter. I have reported on the latter on the forum and trying to work with companies to make the software more useful. Not much movement so far.
For PDF I am experimenting with Adobe, RepliGo Reader, exPDF, OfficeSuite, Polaris and QuickOffice ProHd.
I do not have a report yet but two issues for me are fast rendering of each page (including large files) and inking. For inking, Adobe, RepliGo Reader, exPDF, and QuickOffice ProHd work ok. Adobe is the most basic and the others have choices such as width of line and insert of arrows etc.
dave

dtl said:
Ha, I also still have my HP TC100 running win 7. Got it on ebay about 3 years ago. HP was way ahead of its time with this.
I am interested in finding the best pdf view editor and PowerPoint presenter. I have reported on the latter on the forum and trying to work with companies to make the software more useful. Not much movement so far.
For PDF I am experimenting with Adobe, RepliGo Reader, exPDF, OfficeSuite, Polaris and QuickOffice ProHd.
I do not have a report yet but two issues for me are fast rendering of each page (including large files) and inking. For inking, Adobe, RepliGo Reader, exPDF, and QuickOffice ProHd work ok. Adobe is the most basic and the others have choices such as width of line and insert of arrows etc.
dave
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Dave,
The TC1100 is/was way ahead of its time. I agree. It is/was a joy to use though mine is still running on stock HP XP Pro SP3.
On the Note, Adore Reader is good enough for me: inking, strikethru, underlined etc. Polaris supports AllShare Cast for PowerPoint, so I bring along the Cast dongle to conference rooms as needed. It is small enough to stash in my briefcase. Having said that, I do missed presenting with full-on TPC with full Office suit like I did on the TC1100.
I find the Note snappy enough for my usage, even on huge PDFs. No issues so far. I load my own PDF templates for notetaking, whiteboarding etc.
One thing that tonk the TC1100 is the Note's battery life. Thin, light, all-day battery life & instant on is why I go for the Note. Of course, Wacom is Note's great advantage over other Android tablets. I can't stress that enough for users like us.

I absolutely agree, i'm on IT and always looking for a good solution to keep my life paperless because meetings note taking and archiving is really important for me. I've tried windows solutions like HP Slate 500 but it's lack of power and awful n-trig digitizer made me to look for android alternatives. I've using note 10.1 for 6 months and is absolutely amazing..
I'm really missing One Note but LectureNotes and using svn repositories for notes sync (OASVN pro client) it's a good and private alternative. I'm using ezPDF and OfficeSuite pro for standard format documents editing.
I would really like to combine my laptop (Sony Z2 for development activities) and note taking device in a single device but still doesn't exists in the market. Sony Vaio Duo 11 is a first approach but still missing important features for my laptop replacement.

cugel said:
I absolutely agree, i'm on IT and always looking for a good solution to keep my life paperless because meetings note taking and archiving is really important for me. I've tried windows solutions like HP Slate 500 but it's lack of power and awful n-trig digitizer made me to look for android alternatives. I've using note 10.1 for 6 months and is absolutely amazing..
I'm really missing One Note but LectureNotes and using svn repositories for notes sync (OASVN pro client) it's a good and private alternative. I'm using ezPDF and OfficeSuite pro for standard format documents editing.
I would really like to combine my laptop (Sony Z2 for development activities) and note taking device in a single device but still doesn't exists in the market. Sony Vaio Duo 11 is a first approach but still missing important features for my laptop replacement.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
On the android side of things, there are some pretty good alternatives (especially if your company is on Google Apps) for note taking and archiving. There's Drive + Docs + Quickoffice for times when you need more complex documents, or evernote for times when you need plain text and files and everything attached in one place. You can also set up some pretty neat automations with a service called ifttt.com which will connect to lots of different accounts and shoot things around according to your instructions (for example: If I'm tagged on facebook, the picture is downloaded to a folder in my Drive account).
-Keri

I agree with this options, i'm using several of them for personal documents and notes but for corporate documentation and meeting notes sometimes is difficult (or directly forbidden) to use this kind of "cloud" infrastructure.

^^
I quite agree. Not in corporate environment, at least in my case. For me, that MicroSD slot is a lifesaver. Do the work I need to do out-of-office; at back to office, attach Note to USB and access data on PC. Also OTG USB to thumbdrive. Works for me. No "cloud" involved. The only cloud service I use is Email.

djasli said:
^^
I quite agree. Not in corporate environment, at least in my case. For me, that MicroSD slot is a lifesaver. Do the work I need to do out-of-office; at back to office, attach Note to USB and access data on PC. Also OTG USB to thumbdrive. Works for me. No "cloud" involved. The only cloud service I use is Email.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ah!
I'm fortunate to work in an environment where cloud computing is not frowned upon (it's actively encouraged), so that tends to be the first thing I think about.

djasli said:
Dave,
The TC1100 is/was way ahead of its time. I agree. It is/was a joy to use though mine is still running on stock HP XP Pro SP3.
On the Note, Adore Reader is good enough for me: inking, strikethru, underlined etc. Polaris supports AllShare Cast for PowerPoint, so I bring along the Cast dongle to conference rooms as needed. It is small enough to stash in my briefcase. Having said that, I do missed presenting with full-on TPC with full Office suit like I did on the TC1100.
I find the Note snappy enough for my usage, even on huge PDFs. No issues so far. I load my own PDF templates for notetaking, whiteboarding etc.
One thing that tonk the TC1100 is the Note's battery life. Thin, light, all-day battery life & instant on is why I go for the Note. Of course, Wacom is Note's great advantage over other Android tablets. I can't stress that enough for users like us.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Actually polaris does not work correctly with AllShare.
Here is a portion of my review.
"I am on a quest(s) to find the best pdf reader, best PowerPoint presenter etc. I teach at a university and use powerpoint for lectures. I also give ppt lectures to professional groups, other universities, etc. What I am looking for is the best ppt presentation software and the ability to do the presentation remotely. I also do (with my win 7 lenovo tablet) portrait presentations, in which I have configured the table to simulate an overhead system where I can write on in "edit the ppt view" while the systems projects this to the class. So this is the back ground. I see great potential for the Note in many ways, but right now I am disappointed. What I hoping is that I can learn from you about this goal. Below I compare software that I have. I also compare with the Note hooked directly to the projector (hdmi or hdmi-vga) and with the allshare cast dongle. (*hdmi means hdmi or hdmi to vga, both direct to tv or projector). This results were a surprise and part of my current disappointment,
3. Polaris (Ireviewed a few others)
Fairly good for fonts, does not maintain proper style for text (e.g., maintains column width) can edit
Picture effects like reflection does not work
Animation works
No 3d shapes do not work
Fonts generally ok
Color off for text and shapes, but better than office suite pro.
Does not import lines and arrow correctly
Annotation works
Black background used to fill in rest of screen
Good display resolution.
Short time to load big files.
Does not work similarly with both direct hdmi* to tv/projector and the allshare cast dongle.
There are three display choices, primary monitor, duel monitor, controller and note. The first two work the same, bottom bar not hidden. The controller and not setting hides the bottom bar and gives the biggest projected picture (seems to be the biggest and best of all the I have tried). Works great with direct. With the allshare dongle, the first slide is fine. When the second slide comes up, the first slide does not disappear and for the second slide it only show in about ¾ of the screen in the upper left so you do not see the full slide. The rest of the screen is the first slide. This stays the same for the rest of the slides.
Does not work in profile."
First of all, is this not your expereince?
Second, I have been trying ot work with Polaris to see what is going on. Have had some success with email exchanges. They said that if the verion of Polaris is 4.0.5002.30 version, then it should work. I told them my version number is 4.05002.80, which is higher and it does not work correctly. They asked on Sunday (March 10) for a screenshot of the verison number. I sent that but have not heard back. ( i have emailed them and resent the screenshot, but no emails so far.
dave

Dave,
The version on mine is 4.0 5002.62-Fj03 & it works beautifully. Well for my usage. Set up the Cast, load ppt, hit slideshow & I'm set for drawing, annotate etc. Granted my usage is basic, with no Powerpoint slide creation at all (That's done by my PA back at office). Maybe you need more. A Windows TPC with Office suite works better for you maybe? As far as I can figure, there's no Office-compatible apps for Android. At least not yet.

djasli said:
Dave,
The version on mine is 4.0 5002.62-Fj03 & it works beautifully. Well for my usage. Set up the Cast, load ppt, hit slideshow & I'm set for drawing, annotate etc. Granted my usage is basic, with no Powerpoint slide creation at all (That's done by my PA back at office). Maybe you need more. A Windows TPC with Office suite works better for you maybe? As far as I can figure, there's no Office-compatible apps for Android. At least not yet.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Interesting that you have a different version and it is a lower number. When did you get your note. I wish I could see more of how this works for you.
But some questions
1. do you get the choice of how to do the slide show? The three choices I mention in my post.
2 Also I just want to make clear that when you project, that the bottom bar hides dn the only think you see on the screen is the ptt presentation.
I would like to take this information to Polaris and to Samsung
As for windows computers with ppt for presentations, yes I use these, but to be able to use the Note with Allshare opens up many possibilities and I wan to work to making it so. It is interesting that if you were to take all of the good features from the other android ppt programs ( I think I reviewed 4 or 5) and combine them, you would almost have a windows ppt like experience.
Thanks!
dave

dtl said:
Interesting that you have a different version and it is a lower number. When did you get your note. I wish I could see more of how this works for you.
- I got mine on 26th Feb this year. N8020 with Jelly Bean already installed out the box.
But some questions
1. do you get the choice of how to do the slide show? The three choices I mention in my post.
- Alas, no. I do not get any of those choices. Just straight up mirroring.
2 Also I just want to make clear that when you project, that the bottom bar hides dn the only think you see on the screen is the ptt presentation.
I would like to take this information to Polaris and to Samsung
- Nope. Wish it does, but no.
As for windows computers with ppt for presentations, yes I use these, but to be able to use the Note with Allshare opens up many possibilities and I wan to work to making it so. It is interesting that if you were to take all of the good features from the other android ppt programs ( I think I reviewed 4 or 5) and combine them, you would almost have a windows ppt like experience.
Thanks!
- Yeah. Fully agree. Will be grand if it can do full Office presentation. Hopefully that day will come soon.
dave
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm still new on this board to insert attachments.

djasli said:
I'm still new on this board to insert attachments.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well this is what I thought might be the case. Was hopeful. Interesting that you got yours after mine and with Jelly Bean, but an older version of Polaris. Got mine months ago with ICS.
So I think that Polaris knew of a problem and then produced the next version (with the three display choices) to solve it. One of those choices as I pointed out hides the bar and only displays the ppt. But it does not work and Polaris now has not responded for almost a week. So that could mean 1) they are working on it, or 2) they do not care and are ignoring it. I hope #1.
A problem is that we cannot update Polaris from PlayStore if they do upgrade the software. It is all up to Samsung and thus complex. So my hopes are rather dim at this point and a response from Polaris would be encouraging..
dave

Your comments got me thinking. So while at work today, I did a test:
･ RDP to my office pc and AllShare Cast the Note to the projected. Walla! Full Office ppt with all the trappings. Bit laggy connection but not discernable much.
･ The Note's Airview mode helps. Perhaps you can try this too.
･ Next up, I'm gonna try setup my own personal network and try the experiment at one of my client's conference room, who happens to be my college buddy.
Hmmm, this is getting interesting. Thanks for making this tired old brain working again.....

Note 10.1 vs Win8 tablets with pen for studying

I'm looking for a tablet to assist me in my mechanical engineering studies. I have a laptop and a Galaxy Tab 7.7. The laptop is too big and I havent found any good apps to edit pdfs on linux and the 7.7 is too small.
We get all scripts as pdf and some of them have gaps that we fill in the lecture. Atm I print the scripts on paper. I'm thinking of getting a tablet to organize the huge influx of information and reduce the amount of stuff I have to print out and keep in "real" folders.
So there are a few options:
Note 2014, LectureNotes for organizing, ezpdf/repligo for editing of pdfs
Windows 8 Tablets like surface pro, lenovo tablet 2 or sony tap 11. I'm not familiar with the metro app ecosystem and don't know if there are great apps like LectureNotes or ezpdf. The most expensive option.
Continue to print on paper. Cheapest, but not editable, searchable or reusable etc.
I have seen a few students with Note 10.1's and only one with a microsoft surface. The Note owners seemed to be happy with their way of doing things. Though I haven't spoken to the guy with the surface, it seemed like he only used it for viewing pdfs.
I'm particularly interested in the comparison between windows tablets and the galaxy note for note taking, pdf notes and general usefulness for studying.

I admit I haven't put a lot of time into the Win8 devices, but my general impression is that they are very slick, well made, but massively overpriced and terribly lacking on the software side.
Rather than giving a direct comparison, what you could see is if there is anything that the 10.1 can't do that you'd need. By my counting, there isn't. Annotating and marking up PDFs? No problem. All the cloud syncing and printing you could ask for? Got it. Fantastic organization by way of LectureNotes? Mmhm. The screen is sharp, the pen works just dandy, and there's scads of apps for you to create, edit, organize, and make use of all of your PDFs.
I can't say with certainty how good a win8 tab would be, but I can say that the the 10.1 2014 would do everything you could possibly ask of it.

{Diemex} said:
I'm looking for a tablet to assist me in my mechanical engineering studies. I have a laptop and a Galaxy Tab 7.7. The laptop is too big and I havent found any good apps to edit pdfs on linux and the 7.7 is too small.
We get all scripts as pdf and some of them have gaps that we fill in the lecture. Atm I print the scripts on paper. I'm thinking of getting a tablet to organize the huge influx of information and reduce the amount of stuff I have to print out and keep in "real" folders.
So there are a few options:
Note 2014, LectureNotes for organizing, ezpdf/repligo for editing of pdfs
Windows 8 Tablets like surface pro, lenovo tablet 2 or sony tap 11. I'm not familiar with the metro app ecosystem and don't know if there are great apps like LectureNotes or ezpdf. The most expensive option.
Continue to print on paper. Cheapest, but not editable, searchable or reusable etc.
I have seen a few students with Note 10.1's and only one with a microsoft surface. The Note owners seemed to be happy with their way of doing things. Though I haven't spoken to the guy with the surface, it seemed like he only used it for viewing pdfs.
I'm particularly interested in the comparison between windows tablets and the galaxy note for note taking, pdf notes and general usefulness for studying.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't have either but I've used a Windows 7 tablet and last year's Note 10.1 and the big difference for me was that while both had Wacom, Android is just way more usable via touch than Windows. Windows 8 is more touch friendly to be sure but the software ecosystem just isn't there yet (in terms of touch friendly apps). Like the above poster said, there really isn't much you can't do on a Note 10.1. The one wildcard is Onenote, it's seriously the best thing Microsoft has ever made and there really isn't anything equivalent on Android, but I can live without it really. It would be cool if android note taking apps had the functionality of Onenote but in terms of just using it like an advanced paper notebook they're totally usable. It'd be cool to be able to search through notes and stuff (some app may allow this, but I haven't found one yet) but it's still much easier to find things in a digital notebook than a physical one.

{Diemex} said:
I'm looking for a tablet to assist me in my mechanical engineering studies. I have a laptop and a Galaxy Tab 7.7. The laptop is too big and I havent found any good apps to edit pdfs on linux and the 7.7 is too small.
We get all scripts as pdf and some of them have gaps that we fill in the lecture. Atm I print the scripts on paper. I'm thinking of getting a tablet to organize the huge influx of information and reduce the amount of stuff I have to print out and keep in "real" folders.
So there are a few options:
Note 2014, LectureNotes for organizing, ezpdf/repligo for editing of pdfs
Windows 8 Tablets like surface pro, lenovo tablet 2 or sony tap 11. I'm not familiar with the metro app ecosystem and don't know if there are great apps like LectureNotes or ezpdf. The most expensive option.
Continue to print on paper. Cheapest, but not editable, searchable or reusable etc.
I have seen a few students with Note 10.1's and only one with a microsoft surface. The Note owners seemed to be happy with their way of doing things. Though I haven't spoken to the guy with the surface, it seemed like he only used it for viewing pdfs.
I'm particularly interested in the comparison between windows tablets and the galaxy note for note taking, pdf notes and general usefulness for studying.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am currently/was wondering the same thing. I'm an engineering student and I want to use a tablet for note taking and reading/annotating papers. I considered a Surface pro or a lenovo win tablet with a pen. Mostly because of OneNote. While I haven't used it, I'm sure it is the most mature note taking app there is. I don't know how touch friendly it is (i.e. I don't know if OneNote has a Metro-mode), but if it's like the other office apps, I wouldn't want to use it without a mouse.
The biggest problem with Windows tablets, like it has already been said, is the lack of apps. My brother just bought a Windows tablet (the HP Envy x2 or something), which has full windows, a keyboard dock and no pen. He has a metro app to look at pdfs and hilight them (I think it's almost literally the only pdf app in the app store that supports some level of editing) but he can't write on them (with the keyboard).
You can always say you'll use the full-windows apps, not metro, of which there are plenty, but I just can't imagine that being fun to use with your fingers.
Besides note taking, I also want to use my tablet recreationally. Some browsing, RSS reading, gaming etc. For that, android is just better, hands down.
In terms of sycing, I thought maybe a win tablet might be easier to mangage, but as it turns out, android is probably easier. I can sync files with my Windows laptop via SugarSync and stuff like RSS feeds, podcasts and all that is easier to sync accross android devices.
I have now ordered the Note and am awaiting it anxiously. (it's not available yet where I live)
I hope that helps your decision process along, let me know to what conclusion you come.

In this excellent review (see link below) of the Note 10.1 the reviewer mentions "better going for the 2014 Note 10.1" for people who make notes. Professional artists are better of on a Windows device because of the much larger software base. She reviewed both the 2014 Note 10.1 and the popular Lenovo ThinkPad Tablet 2 (linked in article).
http://www.mobiletechreview.com/tablets/2014-Samsung-Galaxy-Note-10.htm

The_Maverick said:
I am currently/was wondering the same thing. I'm an engineering student and I want to use a tablet for note taking and reading/annotating papers. I considered a Surface pro or a lenovo win tablet with a pen. Mostly because of OneNote. While I haven't used it, I'm sure it is the most mature note taking app there is. I don't know how touch friendly it is (i.e. I don't know if OneNote has a Metro-mode), but if it's like the other office apps, I wouldn't want to use it without a mouse.
The biggest problem with Windows tablets, like it has already been said, is the lack of apps. My brother just bought a Windows tablet (the HP Envy x2 or something), which has full windows, a keyboard dock and no pen. He has a metro app to look at pdfs and hilight them (I think it's almost literally the only pdf app in the app store that supports some level of editing) but he can't write on them (with the keyboard).
You can always say you'll use the full-windows apps, not metro, of which there are plenty, but I just can't imagine that being fun to use with your fingers.
Besides note taking, I also want to use my tablet recreationally. Some browsing, RSS reading, gaming etc. For that, android is just better, hands down.
In terms of sycing, I thought maybe a win tablet might be easier to mangage, but as it turns out, android is probably easier. I can sync files with my Windows laptop via SugarSync and stuff like RSS feeds, podcasts and all that is easier to sync accross android devices.
I have now ordered the Note and am awaiting it anxiously. (it's not available yet where I live)
I hope that helps your decision process along, let me know to what conclusion you come.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have never used it personally but OneNote is available for Android:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.microsoft.office.onenote

The_Maverick said:
I am currently/was wondering the same thing. I'm an engineering student and I want to use a tablet for note taking and reading/annotating papers. I considered a Surface pro or a lenovo win tablet with a pen. Mostly because of OneNote. While I haven't used it, I'm sure it is the most mature note taking app there is. I don't know how touch friendly it is (i.e. I don't know if OneNote has a Metro-mode), but if it's like the other office apps, I wouldn't want to use it without a mouse.
The biggest problem with Windows tablets, like it has already been said, is the lack of apps. My brother just bought a Windows tablet (the HP Envy x2 or something), which has full windows, a keyboard dock and no pen. He has a metro app to look at pdfs and hilight them (I think it's almost literally the only pdf app in the app store that supports some level of editing) but he can't write on them (with the keyboard).
You can always say you'll use the full-windows apps, not metro, of which there are plenty, but I just can't imagine that being fun to use with your fingers.
Besides note taking, I also want to use my tablet recreationally. Some browsing, RSS reading, gaming etc. For that, android is just better, hands down.
In terms of sycing, I thought maybe a win tablet might be easier to mangage, but as it turns out, android is probably easier. I can sync files with my Windows laptop via SugarSync and stuff like RSS feeds, podcasts and all that is easier to sync accross android devices.
I have now ordered the Note and am awaiting it anxiously. (it's not available yet where I live)
I hope that helps your decision process along, let me know to what conclusion you come.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Honestly, if you guys can afford or get over dropping 1K on a tablet than the surface pro is the way to go.
Don't get you mind set on "apps." as an engineer, being able to run and execute programs relevant to your fields is more important.
For me, I won't be able to run Catia V5, Solid works, MATLAB, C++, EES, etc on a android tablet. If I didn't drop 1K earlier on my laptop I probably would have got a surface pro 2 so that I wouldn't have to carry so much.
But the note 10.1 has served me well. I got it because I already had a laptop that was cad ready, the note also charges over USB and was at a good price.
Sent from my SM-P600 using XDA Premium HD app

My main requirement for a tablet is the ability to highlight PDF’s and add sticky notes/annotations for studying; the ability to write notes and have it be as close to a paper/pen experience as possible; and the ability to watch movies and shows in HD while on flights, etc.
If I was sure that the Surface Pro 2 could do all of those things better than the Note 10.1, I’d spend the money. But I’m not sure it can. After struggling for years using a fat stylus on the iPad, the S-Pen on the Note 10.1 seems perfect.
Is the Surface Pro 2 better at these things than the Note 10.1?

Han Solo 1 said:
My main requirement for a tablet is the ability to highlight PDF’s and add sticky notes/annotations for studying; the ability to write notes and have it be as close to a paper/pen experience as possible; and the ability to watch movies and shows in HD while on flights, etc.
If I was sure that the Surface Pro 2 could do all of those things better than the Note 10.1, I’d spend the money. But I’m not sure it can. After struggling for years using a fat stylus on the iPad, the S-Pen on the Note 10.1 seems perfect.
Is the Surface Pro 2 better at these things than the Note 10.1?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't have the Surface Pro 2, but those things you mention (movie playback and taking notes, with LectureNotes) are precisely 2 strongpoints of the 2014 Note 10.1. Furthermore it will be a lot lighter in weight, cost far less and drain far less battery. I would recommend it in a heartbeat for those items you mention.
Edit: I highly doubt the Surface Pro giving you a better movie watching experience. I would put money on it...

As someone that owned last years Note 10.1 and owns both the current 10.1 and Surface Pro - I would much rather ink on the Note 10.1.
I really like One Note. Unfortunately, it seems to me like Microsoft doesn't feel the same. I feel like they could/should take One Note and turn it into an Evernote competitor. I see a lot of potential in the software, but no love.
For work, a couple months back, I was trying to take notes on the go while working with a 3rd party vendor using my Surface Pro. I am probably in the minority of people that actually like Windows 8. For me though, on the go, holding the Note 10.1 in one hand and trying to ink vs the Surface Pro is night and day. The Surface Pro is just far too heavy. But it fills that void when I need something extremely portable that will run full blown Photoshop, Quark, etc.

stinger108 said:
I have never used it personally but OneNote is available for Android:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.microsoft.office.onenote
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've never used it myself either. I might check it out once I get my Note. But the fact that it hasn't been mentioned in all the LectureNotes conversations on here tells me that it might not actually be comparable. Does any one know whether OneNote on Android supports the SPen?
SlimJ87D said:
Honestly, if you guys can afford or get over dropping 1K on a tablet than the surface pro is the way to go.
Don't get you mind set on "apps." as an engineer, being able to run and execute programs relevant to your fields is more important.
For me, I won't be able to run Catia V5, Solid works, MATLAB, C++, EES, etc on a android tablet. If I didn't drop 1K earlier on my laptop I probably would have got a surface pro 2 so that I wouldn't have to carry so much.
But the note 10.1 has served me well. I got it because I already had a laptop that was cad ready, the note also charges over USB and was at a good price.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The price is also prohipive, you're right, I didn't even consider that.
I was in the same situation as you were. I bought a X1 Carbon a year ago, which I use for MATLAB and the like. Had good options been available then, I might have gone with a hybrid. Although for that I'd go with one that has a transformer like dock, such as the Lenovo ThinPad Tablet 2. But I like that my laptop is 14". Only 10" or 11" would be too small for me.

Ettepetje said:
In this excellent review (see link below) of the Note 10.1 the reviewer mentions "better going for the 2014 Note 10.1" for people who make notes. Professional artists are better of on a Windows device because of the much larger software base. She reviewed both the 2014 Note 10.1 and the popular Lenovo ThinkPad Tablet 2 (linked in article).
http://www.mobiletechreview.com/tablets/2014-Samsung-Galaxy-Note-10.htm
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well "a much larger software base" means Pro and not RT and the Pro tablets are certainly a bit bulkier and heavier than the Note due to the hardware and battery to keep the thing running. I am also not sure how battery life compares between say the Surface Pro vs the new Note.

wingdo said:
Well "a much larger software base" means Pro and not RT and the Pro tablets are certainly a bit bulkier and heavier than the Note due to the hardware and battery to keep the thing running. I am also not sure how battery life compares between say the Surface Pro vs the new Note.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The Verge tested both tablets and rated battery life the same. They rated performance of the Note much lower, which for movie watching and drawing / taking notes it most certainly isn't. The 2014 Note 10.1 can playback 2 full-HD movies (of 5+GB) simultaneously without hickup of any kind. I used MX Player Pro for that, with NeoN-driver, together with the built-in video player of the Note in pop-up mode. The beautiful screen together with the decent stereo speakers is managing to keep me away from gearing up my high-end home theater system for 2 major movie titles in a row (Monster University and Despicable Me 2).
To return to the matter of speed, the Note is the fastest ARM based tablet currently available, but will in all likelihood be slower than the processor in the Surface Pro 2. Reading about fans kicking in during heavy use though has me running away from any such option.

{Diemex} said:
I'm looking for a tablet to assist me in my mechanical engineering studies. I have a laptop and a Galaxy Tab 7.7. The laptop is too big and I havent found any good apps to edit pdfs on linux and the 7.7 is too small.
We get all scripts as pdf and some of them have gaps that we fill in the lecture. Atm I print the scripts on paper. I'm thinking of getting a tablet to organize the huge influx of information and reduce the amount of stuff I have to print out and keep in "real" folders.
So there are a few options:
Note 2014, LectureNotes for organizing, ezpdf/repligo for editing of pdfs
Windows 8 Tablets like surface pro, lenovo tablet 2 or sony tap 11. I'm not familiar with the metro app ecosystem and don't know if there are great apps like LectureNotes or ezpdf. The most expensive option.
Continue to print on paper. Cheapest, but not editable, searchable or reusable etc.
I have seen a few students with Note 10.1's and only one with a microsoft surface. The Note owners seemed to be happy with their way of doing things. Though I haven't spoken to the guy with the surface, it seemed like he only used it for viewing pdfs.
I'm particularly interested in the comparison between windows tablets and the galaxy note for note taking, pdf notes and general usefulness for studying.
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Here again I will share with the op my notes I just took.
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One thing i did on my note was take screenshots in excel (kingsoft office) then put them into my s notes and annotate on top of it. Its not as good as annotating directly in excel but it works ok.

I went to my local computer store and spend about 45 mins writing on the Note 2014 and also had a look at the surface pro 2. My handwriting looked comparable to the screenshots posted, not as nice as on paper with a pencil, but far better than anticipated.
A lecturer actually uses OneNote on a lenovo laptop with a stylus. It works really well and I like that you can easily add blank space in between lines if you run out of space. Sadly the surface in the store didn't have internet so I couldn't have a look at the metro apps store and there wasn't much apps to play around with. The surface feels a bit like a laptop with a small touchscreen and a detachable keyboard to me.
The surface has optional pen input but still is not focused on making the most out of the pen. Samsung's app package on the Note on the other hand is designed to maximize on the stylus. I need a tablet mainly for reading and taking notes and for anything more demanding I have a powerful laptop.
So I will most likely get the Note. Still pondering if I should spend 500€ on wifi only or 650€ on the lte version, which I think doubt I will really make use of on a 10 inch tablet.

{Diemex} said:
So I will most likely get the Note. Still pondering if I should spend 500€ on wifi only or 650€ on the lte version, which I think doubt I will really make use of on a 10 inch tablet.
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If you are able to tether using your phone's data, save your money and get the wifi model. That's what I did. All I have to do is hit a button on my phone and I have fast internet access on my Note 10.1.

Han Solo 1 said:
If you are able to tether using your phone's data, save your money and get the wifi model. That's what I did. All I have to do is hit a button on my phone and I have fast internet access on my Note 10.1.
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+1

The_Maverick said:
I am currently/was wondering the same thing. I'm an engineering student and I want to use a tablet for note taking and reading/annotating papers. I considered a Surface pro or a lenovo win tablet with a pen. Mostly because of OneNote. While I haven't used it, I'm sure it is the most mature note taking app there is. I don't know how touch friendly it is (i.e. I don't know if OneNote has a Metro-mode), but if it's like the other office apps, I wouldn't want to use it without a mouse.
The biggest problem with Windows tablets, like it has already been said, is the lack of apps. My brother just bought a Windows tablet (the HP Envy x2 or something), which has full windows, a keyboard dock and no pen. He has a metro app to look at pdfs and hilight them (I think it's almost literally the only pdf app in the app store that supports some level of editing) but he can't write on them (with the keyboard).
You can always say you'll use the full-windows apps, not metro, of which there are plenty, but I just can't imagine that being fun to use with your fingers.
Besides note taking, I also want to use my tablet recreationally. Some browsing, RSS reading, gaming etc. For that, android is just better, hands down.
In terms of sycing, I thought maybe a win tablet might be easier to mangage, but as it turns out, android is probably easier. I can sync files with my Windows laptop via SugarSync and stuff like RSS feeds, podcasts and all that is easier to sync accross android devices.
I have now ordered the Note and am awaiting it anxiously. (it's not available yet where I live)
I hope that helps your decision process along, let me know to what conclusion you come.
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There is a metro onenote but not as good as the full office version, which as a student the op should get for decent price.
Have been using tablet pc s of various makes since 1997 and in the op case would say either the note 10.1 2014 or a s/hand x220t lenovo, last one with the great keyboard, either should be similiar money the x220t maybe a bit more.
Or why not consider the first note 10.1 maybe afford both that way?
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