[Q] Recommend a cheap Windows 8 x86 tablet? - Windows 8 General

I'm thinking I might like a Windows 8 x86 tablet to play with. No point for me to wait for the Microsoft Surface Pro, because I expect it'll be $700+ and that's way too much for a toy I'll just be goofing off with in the livingroom while I watch TV. I'd be interested in recommendations, preferably $350 or less.
My current tablet is an HP Touchpad running CM9 ICS and it's pretty much perfect as far as screen size goes. Using that as a guide, HP Slate looks too small. Acer Iconia W500 looks pretty decent, but they are still kind of pricey even used. Maybe if I get super lucky, willing to wait several months to snipe an auction, I can get a 2nd hand one for under $350 on eBay. I'm also not super thrilled about widescreen on a tablet since I won't watch too many movies on it.
Those 9.7" Chinese tablets for around $350 look appealing, because I think they use the same 9.7" IPS screen as the older iPads and my HP Touchpad. I greatly prefer a 4:3 screen if possible because they're nice for web browsing in both orientations. There are identical looking China tabs with different brands and models, I saw FSL F979, Wopad R92, AnyPC, and a bunch of others. This is a vid of the AnyPC version running Win8:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9vTYGKSm54c&feature=player_embedded
Looks reasonably responsive in the vid.
Anyone have one of these China tabs? They all look the same, are they? I wonder if they're all manufactured by the same company and the name is slapped on by distributors. The only customer review I could find on Google was a guy on a Spanish forum really liked his Wopad R92. They also dual-boot Android x86 out of the box, although it's probably possible to do this with any x86 tablet with a little work.
Skytex Skypad looks like an even nicer 4:3 x86 tablet with dual core processor, but at $700, it's a bit more than I'd like to spend.
Is there anything else I should be looking at? Maybe something thinner? So far all these x86 tablets are pretty fat. W500 is around 16mm I think, and China tabs around 17mm. My 13.7mm HP Touchpad is already thicker than I would like.

GnatGoSplat said:
I'm thinking I might like a Windows 8 x86 tablet to play with. No point for me to wait for the Microsoft Surface Pro, because I expect it'll be $700+ and that's way too much for a toy I'll just be goofing off with in the livingroom while I watch TV. I'd be interested in recommendations, preferably $350 or less.
My current tablet is an HP Touchpad running CM9 ICS and it's pretty much perfect as far as screen size goes. Using that as a guide, HP Slate looks too small. Acer Iconia W500 looks pretty decent, but they are still kind of pricey even used. Maybe if I get super lucky, willing to wait several months to snipe an auction, I can get a 2nd hand one for under $350 on eBay. I'm also not super thrilled about widescreen on a tablet since I won't watch too many movies on it.
Those 9.7" Chinese tablets for around $350 look appealing, because I think they use the same 9.7" IPS screen as the older iPads and my HP Touchpad. I greatly prefer a 4:3 screen if possible because they're nice for web browsing in both orientations. There are identical looking China tabs with different brands and models, I saw FSL F979, Wopad R92, AnyPC, and a bunch of others. This is a vid of the AnyPC version running Win8:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9vTYGKSm54c&feature=player_embedded
Looks reasonably responsive in the vid.
Anyone have one of these China tabs? They all look the same, are they? I wonder if they're all manufactured by the same company and the name is slapped on by distributors. The only customer review I could find on Google was a guy on a Spanish forum really liked his Wopad R92. They also dual-boot Android x86 out of the box, although it's probably possible to do this with any x86 tablet with a little work.
Skytex Skypad looks like an even nicer 4:3 x86 tablet with dual core processor, but at $700, it's a bit more than I'd like to spend.
Is there anything else I should be looking at? Maybe something thinner? So far all these x86 tablets are pretty fat. W500 is around 16mm I think, and China tabs around 17mm. My 13.7mm HP Touchpad is already thicker than I would like.
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get an acer w500 tablet, its fast, reliable, and it is cheap compared to other good windows tabs, i got mine for 440 on ebay with free shipping

I agree the W500 from acer is the way to go. I got mine for 375 with shipping from ebay.
works great with win 8
Sent from my GT-N7000 using xda premium

Me too, got mine for £275 with shipping off ebay!

LightInDark said:
Me too, got mine for £275 with shipping off ebay!
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Really? But in auction or in "fast buy"?
Is native with Windows 8 RC?
If not, what driver do you use with it?
Thanks.

DeAndreon said:
Really? But in auction or in "fast buy"?
Is native with Windows 8 RC?
If not, what driver do you use with it?
Thanks.
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just use the drivers off the acer website, you have to install windows 8 yourself but most of the drivers work, all you need are bluetooth, rotation and the acer device control program
i personally installed the amd graphics drivers because amd's control software for the c60 apu is amazing(you can control clock speeds, power consumption, ect.)
and what he paid for his tablet is about 430usd(assuming it is the British pound) but i have seen refurbished units for as low as $300, i personally wouldnt get refurbished though as you will be stuck with the amd c50 which is slower than the amd c60 by 333mhz(the c60 has a turbo core of 1.33ghz but it runs naively at 1ghz)

what do you think about the tablet : Lenovo ideapad P1 link
or Hasee A110 (or A10)

Noelch said:
what do you think about the tablet : Lenovo ideapad P1 link
or Hasee A110 (or A10)
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what are the specs on that tablet.

windows 8 tablet
Windows 8 clearly has plans for the production of plenty of tablets; in fact, dell has already announced a partnership with the Windows to release a tablet in early 2012. This could be the first tablet that is released, but it will not be the only one.
because all features and software available in windows 8.just use the drivers off the acer website, you have to install windows 8 yourself but most of the drivers work, all you need are bluetooth, rotation and the acer device control program
i personally installed the amd graphics drivers because amd's control software for the c60 apu is amazing(you can control clock speeds, power consumption.ARM or advanced RISC machine is a 32 bit reduced instruction set computer, which is currently used in low end technologies such as phones and tablets. Originally, they were developed for computing, but the x86 family took over this market and now dominate it. However, ARM has a tight grip on the mobile phone and tablet market. An astonishing 98% of phones sold last year used ARM systems.and huge benefits of arm...simplicity and higher performance.

I had a w500 that I used for a while, and it was great with Windows 8. I got it for $250 on CL with the dock and everything. I was able to get an Asus EP121 on eBay for $450 and I'm just thrilled with it. Its missing the stylus and Bluetooth keyboard, but I wouldn't use those, anyway. I got the 64gb version. I would've liked the Samsung series 7 slate, but I just couldn't fund them for under $700.

W500 is a good cheap tablet, but it's ugly and very slow. Don't expect to be running any javascript metro apps on it without lag.
It's surprisingly solid in desktop mode for basic programs and stuff.

Thanks for the recommends, looks like Acer W500 is unanimous. I also saw it's not too hard to find a used one for <$300 on eBay, although I don't see any way to tell if it's a C-50 or C-60 version.
However, the more use my HP Touchpad, I think I won't be able to tolerate going back to a 10.1" widescreen tab. I had one before, and hated using it in portrait because it's so narrow and tall that way. With my HP Touchpad, I almost always use it portrait because I mainly use it for reading/web and never watch movies. I'll probably just stick with my HP Touchpad until a good and inexpensive 4:3 Windows x86 tab comes out.

Related

[Q] Advice Wanted: What Tablet Should I Purchase To Run Win8?

I do not and have not ever owned a computer. I do love Windows Phone. So tempted am I after looking at god knows how many YT videos of the CP of 8. So. Tempted. What tablet do you guys recommend? What laptop? This is my first computer and I, quite frankly, expect it to last for a good while.
I know it's buggy. I know it's a beta. But damn does it look sexy.
If you want to get a tablet that can run Windows 8, is well-built, and modern-looking, and you want it before the proper Windows 8 tablets come out in the second half of the year... then the Samsung Series 7 Slate would be my recommendation.
Lumenii said:
If you want to get a tablet that can run Windows 8, is well-built, and modern-looking, and you want it before the proper Windows 8 tablets come out in the second half of the year... then the Samsung Series 7 Slate would be my recommendation.
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Quite a hefty price tag on that. Every YT review mentions that the viewing angles are subpar. Your assessment as well? Otherwise, sexy specs, indeed. Added to the list, thanks.
Wait for windows 8 to launch and get a quality laptop with a touch screen. They will be flooding the market then and $750 will probably be enough for decent model. You may also want to avoid a tablet for windows 8 since software support for the ARM architecture is going to take a little time. A laptop with touch screen will allow you to fully enjoy the touch features metro brings while also being able to run everyday software and not just the simple metro apps.
I am running Windows 8 CP on a JooJoo (Intel Atom N270 and Nvidia ION), and it's running well. But I am jealous when I watch other people with Samsung Series 7 Slate running same tasks 3-4 times faster. So I would say that Samsung Slate deserves its money if you want power. But if you are looking for something affordable take a look at Winpad P100 with dual-core N570 and Hi-Definition 1366*768 screen. It will cost you around 450$. From what I read it is quite good compared to other Tablet PCs.
Cheers!
I owned a Samsung Slate for a week and I wouldn't recommend it.
cristidotro said:
I am running Windows 8 CP on a JooJoo (Intel Atom N270 and Nvidia ION), and it's running well. But I am jealous when I watch other people with Samsung Series 7 Slate running same tasks 3-4 times faster. So I would say that Samsung Slate deserves its money if you want power. But if you are looking for something affordable take a look at Winpad P100 with dual-core N570 and Hi-Definition 1366*768 screen. It will cost you around 450$. From what I read it is quite good compared to other Tablet PCs.
Cheers!
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This thing looks pretty good and when I googled it I found a website that it selling it for $349 (single core) and add $50 for the Dual Core so its only $400 bucks...
Acer Iconia Tab W500
I think one of the challenges you are going to run into right now is that no hardware manufacturer is really making a true Win8-optimized Laptop. Buying anything at the moment is kind of a crap-shoot as a result.
If you are truly looking owning something that needs to last a few years you may be better waiting until the product goes gold and Dell, HP, Lenovo (and even Nokia if rumors are to be believed) begin coming out with product that will take advantage of the touch-enabled interface. I know I'm not making any expensive personal decisions until then as I expect to see a lot of interesting stuff at that point.
For testing purposes I've been using an Acer Iconia Tab W500 since the DP release that was boosted with an 80GB SSD. Total cost was about $600.00 (Tablet plus SSD bought off eBay) and as a Tablet PC for testing it is a great deal for the money.
Wait until fully win8 compliant hardware available
To be able to use a Win8 tablet like any of the other modern tablets, it needs to be able to allow Metro apps (like mail, feeds, weather) to update themselves while the device is asleep.
To do this, the hardware has to support the Connected Standby (CS) state.
The CS presenter at the BUILD conference stated that the tablet handed out there (same as Samsung Slate XE700T) did NOT support CS.
That is why I stopped being interested in the Slate.
I would suggest waiting until devices running the full finished Win8 come out as they would most likely support all the designed-in Win8 functionality.
To those who think that a laptop with touch will do, I say that the Samsung Slate has shown that a dual core i5 64bit tablet is easily capable of replacing almost all current laptops, but in a more flexible and convenient format. I predict that tablets with keyboards will replace laptops almost completely (come the next replacement opportunity).
my recomendation...
If you absolutely can't wait, I have an Acer Iconia Tab W500.
10.1 Inches, AMD Fusion C-60 (yes, not C-50) dual core @1.0Ghz with Radeon HD6290 graphics, 2Gb of memory and a 32 Gb SSD for storage.
I got it with the Keyboard dock which ads a Lan and makes it an awesome choice.
Better by far than any atom out there.
MasterTB said:
If you absolutely can't wait, I have an Acer Iconia Tab W500.
10.1 Inches, AMD Fusion C-60 (yes, not C-50) dual core @1.0Ghz with Radeon HD6290 graphics, 2Gb of memory and a 32 Gb SSD for storage.
I got it with the Keyboard dock which ads a Lan and makes it an awesome choice.
Better by far than any atom out there.
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I second this. The W500 is so awesome. I have the version with C-50 and even this one does most games and programmes amazingly fast!
deleted
I got the Samsung Slate. My reasoning is on my blog at gadgets dot itwriting dot com - I have too few posts here to give the link unfortunately. Search for Samsung.
Frankly, the device is not that well designed. The keyboard (optional extra) is particularly annoying, because it has no real on/off button. Very hard to pack a keyboard in such a way that keys do not get pressed accidentally. Consequently, if you pack keyboard + slate in your bag, with the slate on sleep, the keyboard wakes it up and bad things happen. Ended up removing batteries from keyboard when not in use, and they rattle around at the bottom of the bag.
Of course you don't need to get the keyboard; and with Windows 8 it works better than with 7 although I have not got the rotation sensor working yet. The Windows button doesn't work quite right, especially after it has been on for a while, but no great loss. Performance is great, and I don't regret the purchase given that I really need to use Windows 8 NOW.
If you can hold off though, I would definitely wait for devices that are designed for Windows 8.
Tim
^^ the Series 7 Slate keyboard has an off switch. Its the same button you click to put it in pairing mode.
dtboos said:
^^ the Series 7 Slate keyboard has an off switch. Its the same button you click to put it in pairing mode.
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I have found it works OK as an "on" switch but not as an "off" switch!
Tim
Hardware wise what's coming in the next few months?
bmstrong said:
Hardware wise what's coming in the next few months?
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Probably nothing. You won't see new devices until Win8 is ready to be released.
dtboos said:
Probably nothing. You won't see new devices until Win8 is ready to be released.
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Well, nuts. I convinced my brother to drop it onto his laptop. Absolutely fantastic for me, as a long time Windows user he was horrified. A lot, I think comes down to a fear of change and the misconception that you can't really do anything with the MetroTop. As a WP lover I couldn't be happier and wished they didn't even include the desktop side.
I'll look around at a couple suggestions, perhaps with the fever surrounding the iPad 3 I can snatch something cheap.

Can someone in light me about Win8 Tablets

hi, I'm making my mind and starting to save my money to buy Win8 Tablet, I saw a lot of variants, something with ARM processors and others with Intel processors.
Intel will be my choice for optimal performance, what are the tablets that will carry Intel CPU? even if rumoured
ARM will be your more traditional type tablets with the more traditional price ie 10" thin slab for about £350. The Intel variants your looking at hybrid ultrabooks. Slightly thicker with keyboards etc. An example would be the Sony duo 11. That said MS will have both intel and arm versions of the surface though intel is again thicker. It depends if your trying to replace a pc or just want a tablet? There not really the same thing or in the same price bracket. You will be looking at about £200+ extra for intel hence being more ultrabooks with touchscreens than tablets.
I brought a acer w500 for £250 from hmv.
It works great with windows 8.
It's cheap and runs smoothly.
If you want a cheap windows tablet this is the way to go.
Iv not seen a windows tablet at a price lower than this.
Also it includes the £15 upgrade price to windows 8.
From my fingers to your face.
interesting thread. can any android tablet have windows 8 installed? or do android devices not have ssd/normal hdds in them?
thanks
yeah im looking to replace my laptop with an Ultrabook or hybrid, i dont mind paying extra for optimal performance.
Sony Duo 11 looks promising, waiting for companys to show more
I don't know, that Surface tablet looks pretty cool. Especially with the keyboard cover. If Microsoft prices the Surface RT at $200, I'm picking up one for sure...and will probably buy again when the Ivy bridge surface drops next year.
....Sony has a habit of overpricing everything. No go in this recession environment.
Sent from a SYNERGIZED GalaxySIII
Convertable Laptop/Tablet
Hi
For the last three years I have been using a HP Touchsmart TX2Z which is a convertable Laptop/Tablet.
It wouldn't compare favourably to current products but based on my experience, I recommend using this form factor as a primary PC. I use it as a laptop if I'm writing lots of emails or a document like a business plan but then as a tablet if I'm just reading emails or documents, browsing the web or in meetings and want quick access to information, agendas, minutes, etc.
Windows 8 and Office 2013 make it a lot more useful with "Touch Mode" and the better support for touch control throughout the OS.
God bless
andrew-in-woking

Is the Acer Iconia W510 the way to go?

Price wise, it is really catching my eye, although I'm speaking the "Tablet" only.
I feel as though the dock bundle is a bit pricey. $750.
Anyone have this & want to share a mini review or an alternative peice of hardware in comparison, value wise?
Genjinaro said:
Price wise, it is really catching my eye, although I'm speaking the "Tablet" only.
I feel as though the dock bundle is a bit pricey. $750.
Anyone have this & want to share a mini review or an alternative peice of hardware in comparison, value wise?
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Got to get that x86 processor. Prices for intel w8 tablets should drop around $500 soon. $750 is way too much for a glorified netbook.
True... Hell, surface really screwed the new wave of Windows, price wise.
Sent from my EVO using xda premium
What happened to it?
The Acer W510 tablets have been yanked off all the Best Buy and Future Shop web sites - like it never existed? Anybody hear what happened?
Probably because it has only 32GB. For full Win8, that means only a few GB remains for data use. There's no space for anything else. It's not a usable device.
Perhaps not so coincidentally, the 32GB W510 is available now in MS Store as a $399 Cyber Monday deal.
http://www.microsoftstore.com/store/msstore/pd/Acer-Iconia-W510-1674-Tablet/productID.258447300
I'm definitely planning on getting this device..at the price point it seems to offer the most bang for the buck. I like the size and weight and think it'll serve its purpose (consumption tablet w/ the ability to run full xbmc and ACTUAL desktop web pages) just fine. Aside from its lack of availability the only other thing I'm waiting for is a more detailed video review. In the meantime I've found this:
http://www.amazon.com/Acer-Iconia-W...dp_top_cm_cr_acr_txt?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=1
Samsung Series 7 Slate equals win.
Genjinaro said:
Price wise, it is really catching my eye, although I'm speaking the "Tablet" only.
I feel as though the dock bundle is a bit pricey. $750.
Anyone have this & want to share a mini review or an alternative peice of hardware in comparison, value wise?
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Click to collapse
I have the Samsung Series 7 slate that came with Windows 7. I love it, with Win8 that is. It has 64gb of space and you can add a microsd as well. Also has the i5 processor and 4gb ram. You can get one on eBay for maybe 600 or less tablet only. I was tempted a bit by the new Ativ 500, but it has the atom processor and half the ram. They are releasing a new series 7 but really pricey. Get the series 7 with win 7, pay the 40 for the upgrade and you won't regret it.:good:
Spectredroid said:
I have the Samsung Series 7 slate that came with Windows 7. I love it, with Win8 that is. It has 64gb of space and you can add a microsd as well. Also has the i5 processor and 4gb ram. You can get one on eBay for maybe 600 or less tablet only. I was tempted a bit by the new Ativ 500, but it has the atom processor and half the ram. They are releasing a new series 7 but really pricey. Get the series 7 with win 7, pay the 40 for the upgrade and you won't regret it.:good:
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for me it becomes a question of battery life and portability..how does it fare in those areas? If I didn't already have a laptop, I can defly see a home application for it. But I'm looking for something that I can take on the road
Yep.
KERKEDAGAIN said:
for me it becomes a question of battery life and portability..how does it fare in those areas? If I didn't already have a laptop, I can defly see a home application for it. But I'm looking for something that I can take on the road
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Click to collapse
I take it with me everywhere. The 11.6 really to me is great. I mean, obviously it is a little bigger, but the screen resolution is so nice it is great. I got the Samsung Book cover for it, and carry it with me no problems. I had a 10.1 sammy gtab before. Battery life is good, except if you watch a lot of video, then it sucks it up. but that is true with any tablet. It lasts me all day though. I have never had to charge it before maybe 8 in the evening. The thing that is great over every tablet I have seen running win8 is no lag at all. I mean this thing is butter smooth. I have replaced my laptop completely with this. It runs desktop software great. Some are not made for touch though, so the stylus make that experience much better. If you want, the bluetooth keyboard works very well too.
For me, i'm still haven't decided between asus vivobook and acer iconia w7.
I still can't decided which form factor i want, a tablet or a touch screen laptop.
Sent from my LT26i using xda app-developers app
The Vivo is nice, but I just can't get with rt only. I really like win8, I think is great for a tablet, and if you want something this is completely usable, rt just isn't there yet. Surface pro will be out, but 1 grand. Stiff. 4 hours battery life. Bummer. I love the form factor though. :good:
Spectredroid said:
I take it with me everywhere. The 11.6 really to me is great. I mean, obviously it is a little bigger, but the screen resolution is so nice it is great. I got the Samsung Book cover for it, and carry it with me no problems. I had a 10.1 sammy gtab before. Battery life is good, except if you watch a lot of video, then it sucks it up. but that is true with any tablet. It lasts me all day though. I have never had to charge it before maybe 8 in the evening. The thing that is great over every tablet I have seen running win8 is no lag at all. I mean this thing is butter smooth. I have replaced my laptop completely with this. It runs desktop software great. Some are not made for touch though, so the stylus make that experience much better. If you want, the bluetooth keyboard works very well too.
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I'm pretty amazed that a past generation i5 processor can last you all day.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834110479
That's cheap, and has a great Reslolution, for 300 bucks. It's got an atom, but it's cheaper than the Iconia, with double the storage. You'll have to install 8 through USB, though.
jrk190 said:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834110479
That's cheap, and has a great Reslolution, for 300 bucks. It's got an atom, but it's cheaper than the Iconia, with double the storage. You'll have to install 8 through USB, though.
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That is a headache waiting to happen. The processor is far too weak to get any real use out of it, even with an SSD.
Sometimes its worth saving just a little extra.
This device is a great tablet at a great price
I got the iconia W510 and I have to admin that I love it. It will take a little time to get used to the windows 8 gestures but after that it works very well. Also the $400 price tag is a steal for a fully x86 compatible tablet. Even though it has only the Atom clover trail, it's fast enough and does not really lag. It can do hbo-go from the browser with no issues. The screen is beautiful and clear. It also has NFC even though that does not seem to be advertised and not sure what it could be used for yet.... And for the record I am NOT a Microsoft fan boy, I have an IPad 3, an iPad mini, iPhone 5 and still love those devices but I got to admit that this tablet is great and I can use it to replace my laptop using the BT keyboard and mouse. I just need to get the keyboard dock and that can definitely replace a work laptop...
I decided on this device w/keyboard dock for these personal reasons:
not RT - 'nuff said
price - ivy bridge would be great, but not at those prices, I just assume sacrifice the hybrid flexibility and get a kick-ass ultrabook
size - 11.6" is cool for a notebook, but too cumbersome for a tablet
keyboard dock - it's very stable when docked and easy to connect/disconnect, the Asus less so, and I've heard multiple complaints of the Samsung Ativ frequently losing its connection altogether (no keyboard response), not acceptable
battery life - can work all day while docked and still have a fully charged tablet battery, the surface pro estimates are pathetic
storage - wish it had more on-board, I eliminated any 32 gb model from consideration
performance - granted, there's a hit compared to ivy bridge, but no doubt clover trail is an improvement over the previous atom, so far this has not been an issue for what I do with the device
For sure, my purchase decision is filled with compromises and trade-offs, but I guess that's how it is when considering a 1st-generation hybrid. I could have waited for the next gen when there will likely be less trade-offs and better values. But no, I wanted one of these now! I'm loving the flexibility of having a laptop and tablet in one device, and being able to run x86 apps helps make up for stuff lacking in the Windows store (i.e. DropBox).
Anyone able to comment on multitasking and gaming? specifically what is gaming like on the devcice. I know you wont get performance when playing games like modern warfare crysis etc but whats it like on the tablet games angry birds/jetpack joyride/riptide gp etc? I want something purely for consumption multimedia light gaming and internet surfing streaming, and am trying to deciede between intel and rt.
blucmal said:
Anyone able to comment on multitasking and gaming? specifically what is gaming like on the devcice. I know you wont get performance when playing games like modern warfare crysis etc but whats it like on the tablet games angry birds/jetpack joyride/riptide gp etc? I want something purely for consumption multimedia light gaming and internet surfing streaming, and am trying to deciede between intel and rt.
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I have the Asus Vivo Tab 11.6" one with Clover Trail processor like the Acer W510 and it does all the games from the Windows store quite well. It does Pinball FX2, and RIptide perfectly smooth. Hydro Thunder for some reason isn't as smooth on some parts but still smooth enough to be playable. I even installed Iron Man PC game from 2007 and it plays really well. Even the newest Google earth with 3d buildings works decently, but it sometimes crashes the graphics driver.
Multitasking is very smooth. When installing apps I can tell it takes like twice as long as an I5 or I7 PC but there's no lag at least. Switching between apps is very fast and smooth no matter what I have running on the background.
I have the Samsung 500T. I picked it because I wanted a 11.6 inch tablet for the more spacious keyboard. I had a real bad time with Acer's TF300 keyboard being too small and worried the W510 would be a similar experience.
That said. I do hate how slick the back of the 500T is. And it's really bad with 1080p videos. A reviewer mentioned their 500T had problems with 1080p also, but the W510 had no problems at all. So hopefully it's not a hardware limitation and Samsung can fix this eventually.
It's a shame so many Windows 8 Atom tablets have been delayed until mid January. Had I more patience, I probably should have waited. I think I might have liked the HP Envy X2 more. The ASUS seems to be out of the question with it's crazy price tag of $800 just for the tablet.
As for multitasking. I try to do it sparingly. And I avoid doing anything at all while x86 apps are installing as it's very laggy. I tend to spend most of my time with desktop apps. On the Windows 8 (Metro) those apps usually fly (as long as they don't involve playing 1080p videos).
Hey guys...typing this from the w510 keyboard dock I got from acer today. I bought my 32gb w510 from microcenter for $399 plus tax. Keyboard was $160 shipped. I've been using the keyboard for 10 minutes and will say I freaking love it. I guess I'm just so attracted to the functionality that a keyboard/touchpad add (had the original asus transformer). feels even more natural in the windows 8 environment.
The tablet itself is very lightweight, and I personally really like how it looks, the white trim, silver back, clean design. yes its plastic but mine feels really good.
Now for you guys new to the w510 there are some possible game breakers for you as far as bugs...
Sound will randomally just die and you have to restart the tablet to get it back. This has NOT happened to me since I installed the latest bios/drivers. Similarly, it has frozen on me a couple times, again - this has not happened to me since the drivers. Finally there is a big issue with the touchpad becoming wildly inaccurate. theres a debate whether that's a hardware issue or driver issue. Mine has not gone bonkers yet.
I gotta say I really like this tablet overall... especially with the dock for the price. My nexus 10 arrived today, I'm only keeping one of them.... I'll be honest and say its gonna be really hard to give up the w510 because of the overall package.
Those interested in gaming - the atom is not graphics friendly but it will play the windows store games. Performance wise, the atom should deliver similar non gaming/graphics functionality to that of the n10's xyneos (spelling) - I believe anandtech did a comparison on this.

Is the TF300 a bit outta shape? (Obsolete)

Okay, so recently we've seen the sprout of Windows 8 tablets and RT tablets. And it got me wondering, now that we have Windows tablets with keyboard docks, what's the point of the TF300 or Transformer Line at all?
I mean, look at it this way, for the users who bought it with the keyboard, we bought it for the tablet/pc experience. But now with Windows 8 tablets (and Win 8 Pro), what's the point of the TF300? Wouldn't you be more satisfied with the Surface tablet running full fledged Windows 8, and being able to use it with some of their basic apps for a tablet like experience?
That's just my 2 cents, I dunno. I'm thinking about saving for a Surface tablet without RT.
I still think TF300 is the best. It is Android (not Windows crappy SO) and my dock gives me more battery life. Windows 8 apps are sloooow to load, surface comes with many problems related to sound, and well, I'ts a Windows - after some months it will start to stay slow and buggy. I also hate that metro thing that you cannot even change. If I didn't buy the transformer at this time, I would buy it anyway.
The other Windows tablets don't even come close to the functionality the Asus Transformer Pad series offers. You don't have to use crappy Windows 8 for a start.
I am usually an early adopter, but I am waiting to see how the Windows RT market develops. In time, I think it will be as rich as the iOS and Android app markets, but it ain't there yet.
I also like the open nature of Android over iOS or Win RT. Windows is aiming for a compromise between the two environments: less restrictive than Apple, but still not open to multiple markets and varying levels of quality control/risk on the Android platform, which a lot of users will prefer. But Win RT is restricted, unlike the x86 version of Windows 8 (and all previous Windows OSs). So I don;t see Android losing its appeal, and thus the Transformer models are still strong tablets with keyboard capabilities.
I haven't seen a Windows tablet yet that will touch this Transformer.
Sent from my Transformer Pad TF300T using Xparent Purple Tapatalk 2
I mean recently I've been looking into getting a ASUS VivoTab which is similar to the Transformer series, but uses Windows 8 Pro, and an Atom Clover Field Dual-Core 1.8GHz processor, w/ 2GB's of RAM. It'll sustain my web browsing and be able to run legacy apps. That's what I'm really interested in, a laptop/tablet hybrid.
The TF300 doesn't keep me excited the way it used to :/ I really do wanna like it though.
qwahchees said:
I mean recently I've been looking into getting a ASUS VivoTab which is similar to the Transformer series, but uses Windows 8 Pro, and an Atom Clover Field Dual-Core 1.8GHz processor, w/ 2GB's of RAM. It'll sustain my web browsing and be able to run legacy apps. That's what I'm really interested in, a laptop/tablet hybrid.
The TF300 doesn't keep me excited the way it used to :/ I really do wanna like it though.
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The way I see it, Windows 8 Pro looks great. BUT it can wait for the next laptop upgrade, at which point all laptops will be a tablet hybrid. Plus, going by the Microsoft "every other OS" curse, Windows 8 will suck compared to Windows 9.
Not just Android, but also price point: you're looking at US$200 more for the RT equivalent of the TF300.
I want a tablet, not a PC, and all the reliability you get with a tablet. I don't think there's anything wrong with Windows or Microsoft - I have two Windows PCs and think it's great for working on my desktop - but it's horses for courses, and I like the open nature of Android. You can expect Microsoft to mess something up or stifle development at some point: if Android didn't exist and development was left up to Microsoft then it'd be a much worse environment.
I can't imagine that I'd have a real use for a hybrid tablet/laptop though, not until the prices for touch screens come down a lot. At work and in my office here, the laptops end up getting plugged into a larger monitor and external keyboard for comfort reasons.
Or maybe I'm just getting old and resistant to change.
qwahchees said:
Okay, so recently we've seen the sprout of Windows 8 tablets and RT tablets. And it got me wondering, now that we have Windows tablets with keyboard docks, what's the point of the TF300 or Transformer Line at all?
I mean, look at it this way, for the users who bought it with the keyboard, we bought it for the tablet/pc experience. But now with Windows 8 tablets (and Win 8 Pro), what's the point of the TF300? Wouldn't you be more satisfied with the Surface tablet running full fledged Windows 8, and being able to use it with some of their basic apps for a tablet like experience?
That's just my 2 cents, I dunno. I'm thinking about saving for a Surface tablet without RT.
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The biggest downside for windows 8 rt is you can only run rt apps which are few. I'll consider later when there is more app support. As I see it now if it isn't included you are stuck, compared to hundreds of thousands of apps for android.
Obsolete? No I don't think that is accurate. Newer tabs out, yes. That is the tech world. Buy today and get more bells and whistles tomorrow or use a current product until there is truly a good reason to upgrade or spend your bucks to have the latest.
I know which is best for me but you are the only one who can make a proper decision for yourself.
If it is right for you then certainly get one. No one can or should fault you for that.
Good Luck!
Yep I'm with the idea for the price tag this is more capable and better software..... Plus they are right the touch screen laptop bit is more attractive.....
Sent from my Transformer Pad TF300T using Tapatalk 2
Honestly I don't like the way windows 8 is layed out. I do like the tablet / laptop design. But seriously windows 8 does not look compelling to me, they are trying to hard to make it look like android .
Sent from my EVO using xda premium

what tablet should i get?

i wanted to get a surface rt, but it wasn't able to play minecraft
What other Windows 8 Tablet do you think i could get for about <$600
Thank You :good:
The only tablets that will run minecraft playably would be those powered by an i5 processor and cost closer to $1000 not 600.
600 will get an Intel atom based tablet and that's it. Slightly better than the version in netbooks but still essentially netbook hardware. I do know 3 people who happily play minecraft on netbooks but they have to use optifine light, tiny render and one of them insists on using a reduced colour depth texture pack (which makes little difference). Even so they only achieve about 20fps, the nether lags unplayably, rain causes lay and TNT is dangerous to their frame rates. They are using 1.3 and 1.6ghz dual cores, these windows 8 tablets get an updated (read faster) version of the atom at 1.8ghz instead so will cope better but don't expect to be installing mods (other than optifine) or hd textures or render distances further than tiny or short.
If your intention is to spend $600 on something to play minecraft on, don't get a tablet. $600 will get a far more powerful laptop or an even more powerful desktop. For the same price as my desktop here in the UK (capable of 140fps minecraft, far render, fancy graphics etc) you can only get atom based tablets. For the same price as my desktop you can get a 15" laptop capable of 50fps on far render.
if you do want an atom based tablet, the standard option is the Asus vivotab smart (me400c I think is the designation, not sure), its a 10" unit, capacitative touch only (no fancy stylus basically) and no keyboard dock although they do offer a wallet style case which features a stand and an area to clip an optional Bluetooth keyboard to. It is probably the cheapest tablet you will find for windows 8, a YouTube user called robaxx has uploaded several reviews for the tablet. All atom based tablets have identical specs apart from whether they offer an active stylus or a keyboard dock.
I have acer w500 with Windows 8 pro - works perfectly - I have played Settlers 7, Minecraft and a few of the xbox store games no problem
Not sure what fps I get on it - I have a ps3 and xbox360 which I prefer over pc gaming so Im not too concerned about playing anything heavy duty
The only gripe I have, is the lack of memory - My W500 only has a 32GB ssd, this is nearly all used up with the install size of Windows 8 alone
I have 32gb SD card which I have moved a lot of stuff too and 3 external usb hard drives I carry about with me filled with data but I would appreciate the tablet more if it even had 128GB ssd instead
You can check the fps by pressing f3, gives alot of info on the debug screen. If it is playing nicely then that is good news.
I am personally going for the atom based tablets myself but I already have a powerful desktop for gaming. Playing minecraft or anything else would only be a bonus.
thanks guys for the help!
i was looking at the asus vivo tab smart (me400c) it looks ok
still lookin as to what to settle on
I have two win8 tablets. The first I got was the Samsung Ativ which I really like but it wasn't perfect for work because the size made it difficult to carry around and portrait mode was awkward for note taking. I just got the Lenovo Thinkpad Tablet 2 which is a 10.1 inch device with is the perfect size and weight for note taking. So I guess it depends on your needs but for me I like both options. I use the larger device at home and the smaller at work and for travel.
Sent from my SPH-L900 using xda premium
There is also the Dell Latitude ST, a 10 in. Atom tablet and the only one in the market that have a REMOVABLE battery. Sorry I don't play games so I can't comment on games, but if other Atom tablet can play games then the Dell Latitude ST should be fine.
I dot Vivo Tab TF810c and I am perfectly happy with it. If you got any questions - shoot.
thanks so much! it's so hard to choose
i just wish the microsft surface wasn't "RT" it looks so nice!
and i like the Asus tivo smart (me400c) but it doesn't have a full USB port
With Vivo Tab you can get 2 full USB ports in dock.
And batt. life is amazing - I charge it once a week (just in case, not that it needs it - but I just feel guilty...) and use it every evening.
galtom said:
I dot Vivo Tab TF810c and I am perfectly happy with it. If you got any questions - shoot.
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looks like but about $300 over my price, i can afford that but i don't know if i wanna spend that much on a tablet
Well, I had the same problem as Vivo Tab is.... pricey...
Right now I do not regret a single penny spend on this device (Is still have iPad 3G and had Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 for a while).
It is amazing how it is built, and how Atom nice works inside. Always cool, with nice keyboard dock (battery life already mentioned). Thin, light and does everything I need.
It will stay with me for next few years,,,
galtom said:
Well, I had the same problem as Vivo Tab is.... pricey...
Right now I do not regret a single penny spend on this device (Is still have iPad 3G and had Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 for a while).
It is amazing how it is built, and how Atom nice works inside. Always cool, with nice keyboard dock (battery life already mentioned). Thin, light and does everything I need.
It will stay with me for next few years,,,
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i gotta find a store that sells it cheap here, only one store i can think of is Harvey Norman but they want $1086 That's diffently abit much, for a tablet as my macbook air suits me fine
I paid in Poland 3799 zl this is a bit over $1100 (with 2 yr warranty included).
galtom said:
I paid in Poland 3799 zl this is a bit over $1100 (with 2 yr warranty included).
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wow, i suppose i could buy one from USA Asus Vivo Tab TF810C $809 I'd assume it'd work in Australia i'd just need a different charger but if its just a normal USB charger thing i got hundreads of them anyway
JakeyPie said:
wow, i suppose i could buy one from USA Asus Vivo Tab TF810C $809 I'd assume it'd work in Australia i'd just need a different charger but if its just a normal USB charger thing i got hundreads of them anyway
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You get seperate charger + USB cable with "special" plaug for device. This means it can be used with any USB charger.
galtom said:
You get seperate charger + USB cable with "special" plaug for device. This means it can be used with any USB charger.
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so perfect
how is the app development like is there alot of games etc avalible everyone on youtube complains there isn't anything availble not that i care just curious never used windows 8
I am not sure what you mean - it has normal Windows 8 on board so everything that is working on Win7 & 8 and probably 99% of software from Vista and XP will work on it.
If you are asking about Modern UI apps.. than check MS Store. In general apps for Modern UI are leisure apps - not for work but for relax - Netflix, Hulu Plus, some games, drawing apps, etc... work you do on normal apps in desktop mode.
galtom said:
I am not sure what you mean - it has normal Windows 8 on board so everything that is working on Win7 & 8 and probably 99% of software from Vista and XP will work on it.
If you are asking about Modern UI apps.. than check MS Store. In general apps for Modern UI are leisure apps - not for work but for relax - Netflix, Hulu Plus, some games, drawing apps, etc... work you do on normal apps in desktop mode.
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yeah i meant the MS store sorry haha and cool
Oh... well. It is not perfect but it is growing daily.
Point is that because you can use normal apps on it even if MS Store lacks something it is not really an issue.
As there is ZERO such apps for XP, Vista and 7 and no one ever complained about it saying - look Windows suck because for iOS you got thousands of apps.
You will definitely find something cool for evening time!

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