Well, after a lot of consideration I decided to "take the risk" and just placed an order for a 64GB Pixel C and keyboard. Google Canada had a promo going with a $150 discount so I took it. Years ago I used to be a fervent Android phone and tablet user and I said I would never go to Apple. I had Nexus this and that for many years and a Moto 360 and an Android settop box. Eventually I got sucked into the whole Apple ecosystem, first with my Macbook for work, and now I have two Macbooks at work, plus an iPhone, iPad (Pro), Apple Watch, iMac, and Apple TV and I must admit I love them all especially the way things (mostly) handoff across any device such as phone calls.
Despite all this I am still curious about the latest in the Android world and love the idea of the Pixel C hardware and am glad I can get access to the latest OS without waiting on some OEM like Samsung. I use my iPad Pro (12.9) with the Smart Keyboard a lot (and yes the Apple Pencil for annotating music and docs) and love the versatility it provides and yeah I use split screen and video in a pop-out window a lot so it will be interesting to compare Nougat on the Pixel C.
I bought a Nexus 10 as soon as they released, just over 4 years ago. I used it extensively for the 1st year, and then afterwards, only a bit here and there. I actually currently have it running a Nougat ROM, but it is quite sluggish nowadays... but for being 4 years old, I can't complain. It was a great device and I certainly got my money's worth, as it's probably the device I have kept and used the longest out of all my electronics.
I just bought a Pixel C on Swappa today as it seemed like the only suitable replacement in terms of build quality, software, and updates. I decided I wouldn't be picking up the keyboard as I didn't see much use for it since I bought the expensive Logitech K810 bluetooth keyboard a long time ago for the Nexus 10. I'm hopeful it's as fast as my Pixel XL in terms of usability, and lasts me another 4 years.
Mine just came today! Loving it.
The power button was frozen and hardly worked. I was initially bummed after having a N9 with horrible unraised buttons. But the PCs power button loosened up and now works fine.
The screen is incredible. I work in Hi Res imagery all day and have a Moto X Pure with it's 5.7" quad HD display and 520 ppi pixel density, I was initially worried I would not like the Pixel C's screen. Especially going back and forth at a glance between screens. But the screen is amazing. All the power and speed I need and being an easy rootable Google devices, that has gotten quick updates and I was sold.
Very happy with my choice. Unlocking and rooting it as we speak.
I can't wait to use DSLR Controller app with my Canon 5DS and use the pixel C as a live view camera screen. My N10 and N9 were nice but this Pixel C is incredible.
So I just got my Pixel C and keyboard today and got it all updated and setup. Initial thoughts:
Hardware, specifically the the combination of the tablet and the keyboard, sure is nice.
Sucks not having a fingerprint reader.
Tried the multiwindow thing using Taskbar. A bit klugey but definitely promising. Unfortunately mostly unusable for me as a number of the critical apps I use (including Google Inbox) refuse to do multiwindow even with the "force resizing" developer setting enabled. I'd really like to see this working for real. At least the split screen is pretty usable although a pity no popout video windows like on iOS.
It's pretty snappy but still no match for my iPad Pro in general response. Feels a bit sluggish by comparison.
I expect the main use case for me will be as smaller alternative to my iPad Pro 12.9 and for carrying around the office for Google Docs, Slack, e-mail, and Hangouts, where we use Google apps for most things.
Since this is a Google device I look forward to some reasonable life out of with many more OS updates to come.
Just wanted to add that I was wrong about some apps not working on forced floating window mode using Taskbar. I clearly had launched some of these full-screen previously and that's why they continued to launch full-screen. I've been using Nova but will try just using Taskbar for a while. In general though I'm finding the split-screen mode pretty usable and especially handy with the keyboard shortcuts to get to things I often use like the browser, calendar, etc. I I only wish these shortcuts were customizable. For example, I don't use Gmail for my work e-mail but use Inbox instead but the keyboard shortcut will only launch Gmail.
Update: Floating windows using Taskbar is still a bit unpredictable so it's back to Nova and split-screen when needed. Remix doesn't really look like it's worth trying. It would be great if Google could really get floating windows (including video) baked into a future release.
One of the few things I can't do with my Pixel C around the office, compared to my Macbook, is screenshare in a Hangout. Unfortunately Hangouts on Android doesn't support any kind of screenshare even from Google Docs which is a shame.
Omniswitch recents on Dirty Unicorn's 7.1.1 01-06-17 build for the Pixel C, really adds another dimension for multitasking. DU runs well and is definitely a daily driver.
It's finny to come across this thread today. I too had a Nexus 10 that just died. The ribbons that connected on the back of the battery broke.
I decided to pick up a Pixel C but in the process I was told of another alternative. The Lenovo Yoga Book.
I've had my Pixel C for about a week now and it is a great device. An excellent replacement for the Nexus 10. However, I'm hearing greater things about the Lenovo, so much so that I may end up returning the Pixel in favor of keeping the Yoga Book.
Yes, the Yoga Book doesn't have the same powerful CPU/GPU as the Pixel C nor does it have the brand behind it. But the keyboard/drawing/writing board that comes with it is fantastic apparently. It also has a microSD slot, Dolby Digital audio, a miniHDMI port (shame on you Google for not including this in the Pixel), considerably better Wifi, and a SIM card option. The Pixel C has none of these things.
It's supposed to be in the mail tomorrow so I'll have a rare opportunity to compare both tablets while in my possession. Perhaps I'll make a video about it. The least I can do is post back here about my findings.
Skullpuck said:
It's finny to come across this thread today. I too had a Nexus 10 that just died. The ribbons that connected on the back of the battery broke.
I decided to pick up a Pixel C but in the process I was told of another alternative. The Lenovo Yoga Book.
I've had my Pixel C for about a week now and it is a great device. An excellent replacement for the Nexus 10. However, I'm hearing greater things about the Lenovo, so much so that I may end up returning the Pixel in favor of keeping the Yoga Book.
Yes, the Yoga Book doesn't have the same powerful CPU/GPU as the Pixel C nor does it have the brand behind it. But the keyboard/drawing/writing board that comes with it is fantastic apparently. It also has a microSD slot, Dolby Digital audio, a miniHDMI port (shame on you Google for not including this in the Pixel), considerably better Wifi, and a SIM card option. The Pixel C has none of these things.
It's supposed to be in the mail tomorrow so I'll have a rare opportunity to compare both tablets while in my possession. Perhaps I'll make a video about it. The least I can do is post back here about my findings.
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I'm also very curious about the yoga book. Please post your comparisons.
So I've had the Yoga Book for about a day and have come to some conclusions about both devices. Generally speaking, the Pixel C is a much more hardware oriented device. It has a much better CPU, GPU. But that's where the pros stop for me. Out of curiosity I ran the AnTuTu 3DBench on both devices. Where the Pixel C came back with something like 30-45 FPS the Book only received between 10-15 FPS. The Yoga Book is not a hardcore gaming machine. The thing is, I don't use these devices primarily for gaming. If that's what you want to do then the Pixel C is what you want. If that isn't what you want to do and productivity is more important to you then please read on.
Here is what the Pixel C has that the Yoga Book does not have: CPU power, GPU power, durability, brand power,
Here is what the Yoga Book has that the Pixel C does not: A light up LED touch sensitive keyboard that quickly turns into a note taking drawing tablet (this includes the special pen that comes with it and the paper), microHDMI slot, SIM card slot, 4GB ram, lightweight, easily folds in half to hold itself up for Netflix/YouTube viewing sessions, multiple apps running at the same time, "windows" for each app so you can work with 2 or 3 apps on the screen at the same time, Dolby Digital sound (I never thought I would hear this quality of sound come out of a tablet, it's very good and I'm an audiophile. It doesn't beat out my 7.1 surround theater but in a pinch it does deliver 5.1 surround audio in a very unique way), speaking of sound the Pixel C is terrible in this capacity; either I got a bad device or the Pixel C has worse sound than the Nexus 10, your purchase comes with a free "sleeve" to carry your book in if you purchase from lenovo.
Needless to say I'm keeping the Yoga Book and sending back the Pixel C. Probably not going to win me any friends here but I wanted to be truthful. Don't get me wrong, the Pixel C is a great device... if I were to purchase it 6 to 12 months ago. With the new devices on their way up and nothing in the way of innovation going on I cannot recommend one. It's basically just an updated Nexus 10 with newer CPU/GPU and fewer ports.
The Yoga Book is innovative and useful. I am currently using it at work to administer 122 computers in 3 locations. I then take it into a meeting and write notes onto it which then transcribe to text. Saving everything I wrote into journals. Then bring it back to my desk, flip it up and watch Netflix.
If you want me to take pictures or if you have any questions let me know I'll respond for the next 24 hours or so.
Interesting. Thanks for sharing.
Related
I just had to do it. All the hype, all the articles, the lure of OneNote's full power. I had to drop $1000 on a Surface Pro just to see what the fuss was about. Hell, I could always return it but I had to know for myself.
I truly truly HATED the Surface Pro. Here is as short list of what sucks:
1) It's HOT. How hot? After holding it for 30 minutes I felt like I had grabbed a ceramic cup I heated in the microwave. My hand was actually bright red. I have no idea how any sane person could stand holding this toaster over in their hands for any period of time.
2) It's HEAVY. How heavy? Big piece of metal heavy. Also because of it's hard angles it is no fun to hold.
3) It is IMPOSSIBLE TO USE IN PORTRAIT. I mean, this tablet must be a foot high in portrait. If you are trying to type on the soft keyboard the keys are literally 10 inches from the words you are typing so thumb typing is pointless.
4) Considering this has an i5 CPU it actually lags. Scrolling on web pages stutters and dragging pictures across OneNote jerks around like mad (this may actually be a feature of OneNote as it snaps to a grid - so not a bug necessarily).
5) Firefox (if you like that browser) is a DISASTER on this. Pinch to zoom is total fail. Again a lag fest.
6) 1920 x 1080 may sound awesome but on a tablet this small it's not. Even zoomed at 150% text and icons can be tiny and very hard to click.
7) Windows 8 is a schizophrenic mess even on this. Whoever decided Metro was a good idea HAD to be high.
8) The included stylus has a hard plastic tip. Hard plastic tip on slick glass equals HARD TO WRITE. The Note 10.1's rubber tipped stylus is far better.
9) The Surface Pro is not designed to be a tablet. It is more like an ultrabook with a removable keyboard and a pen that you can hold in your hands (if you must).
Why did I write this? Well, if like me you have felt tempted by the Surface Pro and access to full blown OneNote with inking, I wanted to put your mind at rest - don't. The Note 10.1 is a far more "useable" tablet for half the cash.
I totally agree with everything you wrote. My company has given me a surface Pro to test out and I would add the following to your list:
Battery life is only about 4 hours so you are forced to have extra chargers, one for home and one for the office.
The size of the charger is huge. Its a small brick!
There is no silo for the pen! You are supposed to attach the pen in the magnetized power port which means that any little bump and you lose the pen. I give Samsung a lot of credit of delaying the release of the Note 10.1 to redesign a silo for the Spen.
The things I like about the Pro is having Office 2013 and the keyboard cover. However, I actually do not like OneNote. I prefer SNote a hundred times. There is an SNote app for Windows 8 but only for Samsung branded devices. I wish they would make it available for all.
Sent from my GT-N8013 using xda app-developers app
mitchellvii said:
I just had to do it. All the hype, all the articles, the lure of OneNote's full power. I had to drop $1000 on a Surface Pro just to see what the fuss was about. Hell, I could always return it but I had to know for myself.
I truly truly HATED the Surface Pro. Here is as short list of what sucks:
1) It's HOT. How hot? After holding it for 30 minutes I felt like I had grabbed a ceramic cup I heated in the microwave. My hand was actually bright red. I have no idea how any sane person could stand holding this toaster over in their hands for any period of time.
2) It's HEAVY. How heavy? Big piece of metal heavy. Also because of it's hard angles it is no fun to hold.
3) It is IMPOSSIBLE TO USE IN PORTRAIT. I mean, this tablet must be a foot high in portrait. If you are trying to type on the soft keyboard the keys are literally 10 inches from the words you are typing so thumb typing is pointless.
4) Considering this has an i5 CPU it actually lags. Scrolling on web pages stutters and dragging pictures across OneNote jerks around like mad (this may actually be a feature of OneNote as it snaps to a grid - so not a bug necessarily).
5) Firefox (if you like that browser) is a DISASTER on this. Pinch to zoom is total fail. Again a lag fest.
6) 1920 x 1080 may sound awesome but on a tablet this small it's not. Even zoomed at 150% text and icons can be tiny and very hard to click.
7) Windows 8 is a schizophrenic mess even on this. Whoever decided Metro was a good idea HAD to be high.
8) The included stylus has a hard plastic tip. Hard plastic tip on slick glass equals HARD TO WRITE. The Note 10.1's rubber tipped stylus is far better.
9) The Surface Pro is not designed to be a tablet. It is more like an ultrabook with a removable keyboard and a pen that you can hold in your hands (if you must).
Why did I write this? Well, if like me you have felt tempted by the Surface Pro and access to full blown OneNote with inking, I wanted to put your mind at rest - don't. The Note 10.1 is a far more "useable" tablet for half the cash.
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@mitchellvii
Why don't you try out one of the Samsung Atom Tablets and let us know your experience.
The Atom editions should solve issues:
1 & 2.
If you install and Dual Boot Android 4.0 x86, then that should solve issues:
3,4,5,6,7
Thus, you can retain the convenience of the Android OS and have the power of Windows 8 without carrying more than 1 device.
I played with one at local store. Win 8 is just not a touch environment. Metro was a try and fix. Microsoft will have to forget they own windows and start thinking fresh to compete with android and crapple. Which both rather you dislike either of the two are becoming very mature and complete operating systems build around your fingers. Not a true business class os patched to try and compete. I will also add tablet software is getting better at productivity and will eventually be able to compete with the true ms type program's. The power of these device's are amazing. If you need full productive programs for now stick with a ultra book type notebook computer. The note 10.1 is the second best thing to that. There is no 3rd place device
My opinion of course conclusion is get a traditional notebook or a note 10.1 tablet
klau1 said:
@mitchellvii
Why don't you try out one of the Samsung Atom Tablets and let us know your experience.
The Atom editions should solve issues:
1 & 2.
If you install and Dual Boot Android 4.0 x86, then that should solve issues:
3,4,5,6,7
Thus, you can retain the convenience of the Android OS and have the power of Windows 8 without carrying more than 1 device.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I can't say I agree that Android x86 is a solution. I don't even know how easy it'd be to install on the Pro. Android x86 project has come a long way but there are still issues with it, once it's as easy as just compiling it to x86 then let's talk
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2
was walking around the mall and finally saw a surface pro. funny thing is i just read the ts mention the things yesterday. the thing that mostly stuck out was the weight. so first thing i did was pick it up. man that is like picking up a plate of iron... couldnt really get anything going well in the few minutes i messed with it. win8 definately not something for me. nor is carrying around an iron plate...
from a traveling salesman's viewpoint, I love it. I am able to install and run various programs such as AutoCAD (with wedge mouse), a custom estimating software...
Granted the battery life could be better, but I'm able to make sales calls and RDP for my office desktop printouts/updates on the unit without having to charge through a moderate days work. I've never had the heat buildup as described in the first post and it does not have the apps you'll find in the play store. but for a laptop replacement you can travel light with, love it.
FWIW
I think Microsoft has missed the boat. They're obviously not getting Voice of Customer, but are getting voice of Developers when they make these products. Apple figured out what MOST people want for a tablet. Android is assuredly closing that gap and raising the bar (S-Pen). I would recommend that Windows quit trying to compete but get smart and work with Android, so both can crush the Apple serpent.
I have been using Samsung's Ativ Pro for some months now... err... not using at all. It just sits there. Microsoft has missed the train of the mobile age. Because of battery issues it just cant stand by like İOS or Android, it just goes to deep sleep and you cant get your push messages from Facebook.. and no e-mail alerts. I agree it is a detachable ultrabook. I love my Galaxy note II and 10.1, and hardly use my Ipad4.
I actually like the Surface Pro, but it's definitely NOT the same as this tablet. I mean, the Surface is definitely not a.. use-anywhere kind of tablet (I mean, its main "attraction" is that keyboard which really just means that it's not in the same tablet market). So, I'd say that you have to change your expectations because it is definitely an ultrabook in disguise.
The battery life would stop me switching. With my screen brightness turned down I can get a full day at uni out of my note (~ 8 hours) which is fantastic
Mixed feelings...
The weird beveled sides are weird and makes it hard to hold.
The battery life is terrible - even for a full i5 slate.
It is chunky.
I have a Samsung Series 7 slate, which was the reference platform for Win8 and it's a lot better.
As for Win8 itself - yep.. schizophrenic is a good description. You're using desktop and suddenly you're in Metro. You're using Metro and suddenly you're in the desktop. You want to run something - and bam back in Metro - except it's not all your apps - just some of them so over to search which shows you all your apps.
Bring up the keyboard in Metro, things work ok (mostly). Do it in desktop - and it's a crapshoot as to whether it'll come up automatically - and when it does it rearranges your desktop.
Bah.
Sounds like its quite aways from general populations
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I purchased this over the weekend the surface pro 128gb version with type cover. im loving the experience with it so far. its a great and powerful device. no lag at all unlike what the op mentioned. lol
I too had the Pro. It was a very good ultra book (the best out there, in my opinion) that had a kick ass Wacom digitizer, awesome specs (the hard drive is fast as ****) and excellent style. I had it for five months and didn't regret it at all. I found it to be quite light, though obviously not as light as my Note.
It was just a ****ty tablet. Heavy (for a tab), terrible battery life and no Metro apps that are worth having. I used the Desktop most of the time, even after moving to 8.1. Shame, really; I think Metro is a fantastic platform for tablets.
I actually didn't know the Note 10.1 existed until I sold it off last week. I would have never bought it if I did, seeing how it is $500 more. The Note is so much better (right now), since it does everything my Pro did but with more battery, less weight and a Chrome browser that is actually functional. In fact, I found my Note to be easier for reading than my Nexus 7 and sold that off too! The Surface was too heavy for me to read on, and there were no apps for that anyway.
Its screen resolution kind of bites and I miss having a kickstand, but other than that I'm super happy to have sold it off.
If it wasn't for the battery life, I would have bought the surface pro over the note, although I don't plan on using the metro UI at all. I've used it for a total of about an hour and while using the regular desktop in touch mode I didn't run across any issues. Most things there an app for on android you can do through a full Web browser or there's a regular windows program for.
Part of me wants to say that if you're just Web browsing and watching movies then android is a good pick, but I'm getting fed up with pages not loading correctly when trying to browse the Internet. Half of the Web based ebooks I use for school either don't load or have issues.
From a hardware standpoint, I'm never holding my tablet straight out without it resting on something, so weight wouldn't be a issue. If I personally wanted a super casual tablet, I think a cheap 7" tablet like the Nexus 7 would be much better and more comfortable.
It amazes me how quick people are to criticize windows 8. All the metro UI really is is a new start menu that's more touch friendly. Tablet users complain there are no apps, yet have thousands of full blown windows apps they can use. Desktop users complain the start button is gone when all they have to do is hover in the same spot and it appears.
I've been researching for a new tablet or convertible to bring to school there are too many negative reviews for windows 8 for ridiculous reasons. No YouTube app? Guess what, I can play flash in the web browser. The drop box app isn't very good? Guess what, I can install the regular windows program and get two way sync. No email notifications in standby mode? My guess is you have an android phone going off right next to wherever your tablet is anyway.
Lastly, the surface pro is a hybrid device. So it isn't going to be the perfect tablet or the perfect ultra book. Its for people who want a mix of the two. For a device that's been out for nearly nine months, some of these complaints shouldn't be much of a surprise. I don't think its justified to make a thread bashing the product because you failed evaluate your wants and needs and didn't research a $1000 tablet.
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Sher The Love said:
If it wasn't for the battery life, I would have bought the surface pro over the note, although I don't plan on using the metro UI at all. I've used it for a total of about an hour and while using the regular desktop in touch mode I didn't run across any issues. Most things there an app for on android you can do through a full Web browser or there's a regular windows program for.
Part of me wants to say that if you're just Web browsing and watching movies then android is a good pick, but I'm getting fed up with pages not loading correctly when trying to browse the Internet. Half of the Web based ebooks I use for school either don't load or have issues.
From a hardware standpoint, I'm never holding my tablet straight out without it resting on something, so weight wouldn't be a issue. If I personally wanted a super casual tablet, I think a cheap 7" tablet like the Nexus 7 would be much better and more comfortable.
It amazes me how quick people are to criticize windows 8. All the metro UI really is is a new start menu that's more touch friendly. Tablet users complain there are no apps, yet have thousands of full blown windows apps they can use. Desktop users complain the start button is gone when all they have to do is hover in the same spot and it appears.
I've been researching for a new tablet or convertible to bring to school there are too many negative reviews for windows 8 for ridiculous reasons. No YouTube app? Guess what, I can play flash in the web browser. The drop box app isn't very good? Guess what, I can install the regular windows program and get two way sync. No email notifications in standby mode? My guess is you have an android phone going off right next to wherever your tablet is anyway.
Lastly, the surface pro is a hybrid device. So it isn't going to be the perfect tablet or the perfect ultra book. Its for people who want a mix of the two. For a device that's been out for nearly nine months, some of these complaints shouldn't be much of a surprise. I don't think its justified to make a thread bashing the product because you failed evaluate your wants and needs and didn't research a $1000 tablet.
Sent from my GT-N8013 using xda app-developers app
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Click to collapse
Well said!
-Sent from my laptop running Windows 8
Sher The Love said:
The drop box app isn't very good? Guess what, I can install the regular windows program and get two way sync.
Sent from my GT-N8013 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This feature was an unexpected gem for me. Before if I drew something in Sketchbook on the Note, I had to hit the share button, and pick a format to export to the cloud. Now, I just save it to my Dropbox folder (which I set as the default location), and it'll show up in on my desktop when I get home.
I've been using a Samsung Ativ 500T for a few weeks now, and I actually really like it. The main reason I bought it was I was getting tired of my Note botching all the formulas when I tried to open up an Excel spreadsheet in Polaris, QuickOffice, Google Doc (or fill in your Office Suite). The formatting also became funny on Word docs after opening in one of the above mentioned apps. I'm even able to run PS7 (I'm an amateur, so I don't need CS5 or later).
Of course this device is not perfect. As a straight replacement for a Note or iPad on the go, I still like the Note better. Screen rotation is a bit wonky sometimes on the Ativ. Although the wide screen is great for productivity, it's a bit unweildy, especially in portrait. There is connected standby, but not sure if it stays connected even in deep sleep. So, e-mails don't get come in when I'm asleep. Certain functions also don't work while in deep sleep: I haven't found a decent alarm app I can use (I used my Note as a backup alarm in case I didn't wake up to my phone).
jedah said:
This feature was an unexpected gem for me. Before if I drew something in Sketchbook on the Note, I had to hit the share button, and pick a format to export to the cloud. Now, I just save it to my Dropbox folder (which I set as the default location), and it'll show up in on my desktop when I get home.
I've been using a Samsung Ativ 500T for a few weeks now, and I actually really like it. The main reason I bought it was I was getting tired of my Note botching all the formulas when I tried to open up an Excel spreadsheet in Polaris, QuickOffice, Google Doc (or fill in your Office Suite). The formatting also became funny on Word docs after opening in one of the above mentioned apps. I'm even able to run PS7 (I'm an amateur, so I don't need CS5 or later).
Of course this device is not perfect. As a straight replacement for a Note or iPad on the go, I still like the Note better. Screen rotation is a bit wonky sometimes on the Ativ. Although the wide screen is great for productivity, it's a bit unweildy, especially in portrait. There is connected standby, but not sure if it stays connected even in deep sleep. So, e-mails don't get come in when I'm asleep. Certain functions also don't work while in deep sleep: I haven't found a decent alarm app I can use (I used my Note as a backup alarm in case I didn't wake up to my phone).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I sold my note and got a 500T a little over a month ago. While I'm not completely satisfied due to the speed, it's far better than the note was for school. I knew it would be slow, but I got it to hold me off till some newer haswell convertibles came out. Glad I bought the note and 500T refurbished for under $360.
In my opinion, Onenote is much better than anything on android. Especially being able to print full webpages to it. It helps when most of my accounting homework is online based. I can print to onenote and have detailed notes and the problems worked out. I could even get these pages to load correctly on my Note.
I just pre-ordered the Surface Pro 2 for my wife. We got the 256GB option. She wants to be able to consolidate her notebook and Note 10.1 into 1 device. She's a mechanical engineering major and will be running CAD, Matlab, etc and also has a lot of Office oriented and online homework. I think mainly she wants a computer where she can take equation heavy notes on without having to worry what to do on which device and forget about file syncing. Her current notebook is heavy @ 5lbs. Does this seem reasonable or are we asking for a $1500 headache? I keep saying it's going to a heavy tablet. She keeps saying but it's going to be a light notebook. Notifications don't matter since she has an Android phone. We're selling her Note 10.1 to a friend to help finance the Surface Pro 2 so that won't be available to her. I'm excited but nervous at this point.
First i'd like to say I am not what you would call a power user, or a person who looks for things that are wrong, rather i'm a person that uses a device and notices issues as they occur. So, after having the View for 2 days, my Note pro 12.2 is up for sale. I enjoyed the Note Pro for its large size, but I wanted bigger, and the View is it, for me that is. My first thought when I took the View out of the box, was Damn, this thing is big. Its dwarfs all of my devices, hell, it even makes my 32 inch tv seem small, if that makes sense. It is heavy, for a tablet, but it will stay on my desk, so the weight isnt a problem. I have a 10 inch tablet that I take out and about.
Its running 5.1.1 which runs smooth and fast. Using chrome to stay up on the numerous sites I visit daily, works fine. First issue I noticed was many of the sites I visit don't utilize the full 18.4 inches. USA today gives me a desktop view, as well as Android central, but sites like CNN, XDA, Android police, the Verge, and Cnet, and many others treat the View as a tablet. Hopefully Samsung or Google will include a desktop setting in a future update.
As far as games, I play a lot of Madden, and it does utilize the full screen size, and its great. In fact its gonna take some getting use to because its so in your face, like being at a theatre sitting in the front row. As far as I could tell it ran as well as the Note Pro. Samsung also included and app called S console which allows you to connect a bluetooth game pad to the tablet. I downloaded Modern Combat 5, which i'm not very good at, and it ran as well as when playing on my Nexus Player, no stuter as far as I could tell.
Google Newstand, Plus, Earth, Maps, Youtube, Music, Gmail, Xfinity Tv, Showbox, Hd Cinema all use the full 18.4 inches. Samsung also included a Smart manager, which allows you to free up memory, which is nice. No need to download a Ram manger.
Speakers are nice, they are located on the back of the View. I will say, when the View is in the upright position the sound seems muffled, less highs, more bass, but when laying down sound seems to be more balanced. When I get my notifications on my cell its more tingy, all highs, with the View, the notification has high and lows, which is different, but nice.
Battery life for what I use it for is great, better than the Note pro. I went 2 days without charging. With the Note pro I had to charge every day. I dont let my devices go below 30 percent before charging.
As far the Views 1080 x 1980 display, for me its fine. Compared to my Note pro I really dont see that big a difference, but compared to my Galaxy tab S, the S is by far a superior display.
Split screen is fine, Samsung has had this feature for years, and as always, works well but the apps are limited. I will say for such a large screen, it would be nice to open 4 seperate windows as well as cascade windows, but that is not what the tablet was designed for.
Cost was a big factor for me, and I got lucky and through Amazons open box sale I was able to get the View at 468.00, no tax free shipping. that was 28.00 dollars more than I paid for my Note Pro, which I purchase refurbushed. Yes, I'm a bargin shopper.
My wish list:
All apps optimized for the full size of the View.
Better speaker placement, and equalizer settings.
More than just 2 viewing angles.
Be able to remove/disble TV service screen.
Sold by T-mobile.
I hope this helps anyone on the fence about the View. Feel free to ask me any questions and i'll do my best to answer them.
"Love is in need of Love", Stevie Wonder.
I've had my AT&T version for about a week and love it. Some thoughts...
It's a media device. Compared to the Note 12 which I consider a productivity device the features aren't there. The GV's stock e-mail client is bare bones, it doesn't have S Voice, Remote PC has to be side loaded, and Scrapbook is missing. Feature and h/w wise it's equivalent to a mid-range Samsung tablet, not their flagships.
The display has 127 PPI which is fine for distance viewing but woeful for reading text. For reference the 2011 OG Galaxy Tab had 149 PPI. You'll go blind trying to use the GV for productivity. But it's great as a 1080P TV.
As a portable TV the GV is fantastic. There's a remote app for it I use with my Note 5 and you can do anything via the remote you can do on the device. I use it as my bedroom TV rather than replacing my old 720P 32" TV with a newer one.
Big caveat. If your cable provider supports the GV for live broadcasts you can save money by not having to pay for extra equipment on additional TVs. I'm on DIRECTV and they do. If you can't get live TV than the GV is a giant Hulu watcher and at the price the value becomes questionable. At least to me.
Another caveat. The AT&T version is configured differently than the Wi-Fi versions. Rather than the streaming screen with access to popular video apps it's hard coded to the DIRECTV home page. Great if you're on DIRECTV, a big feature loss if you're not.
The GV is the ultimate business presentation device and there are two apps Samsung provides in Samsung Apps to create and present business presentations. I've used it a couple of times and its blown new customers away.
So the GV isn't for everyone. As a movable TV and business presentation device it's in a class by itself. It's great for media consumption but the price is a lot to pay to watch Netflix, Amazon, and Hulu. As a giant tablet it's a fail. The PPI is dreadful and the s/w and h/w specs are nowhere near flagship class. So whether you're happy with the GV or not depends on how you plan to use it taking in to account the steep price.
I am using my galaxy view now for three weeks and love it.Former tablet was a notepro 12.2.The only thing i had to get used to was the screen resolution.Flashed the latest firmware from January and this beast is flying.No lag and gaming and watching movies etc is great on the view!
Really happy so far!!
Has anyone used this as a second monitor?
Thanks for the info.
Just got my Verizon version and I love it... for those that want a portable BIG screen for all things android this is it. This is designed for around the house portability. .. not put in your school pack pack portable.
Sent from my SM-T677V using XDA-Developers mobile app
this is the perfect solution for me.
Since the birth of my daughter the wife and I agreed that I need to smoke outdoors ( I live in the Netherlands ) so I've placed a Base tent on the roof Terrace with a comfortable armchair and heater, add the Galaxy View with Kodi and IPTV and I can watch everything I want outside without having to freeze during the winter
I have had mine for over a week now the at&t. one with the 64gb storage and 4g and I just love the size and all apps I tried so far work just great and gaming is awesome on this unit as you feel part of the game..screen looks great for what it is and I am one happy camper with this view.
Lenovo looking to introduce a direct competitor
http://www.phonesreview.co.uk/2016/05/11/new-lenovo-pb2-690n-18-4-inch-tablet-specs-spot/
Hello everyone here, I see everyone here has different kinds of galaxy views, I am interested in buying one despite the answer I'm going to get because getting this would greatly help with my travels, the question I ask is can you use it as a phone via bluetooth? like a direct line to say at&t or verizon, not that google way people are used to using it as? I also had a note pro 12.2 but I gave it to a family memeber because I couldn't use it as a phone via bluetooth (only verizon models did, I had a at&t one). I'm just hoping that it has in some models but if it doesn't that's also alright, the pros outweighs the con. I'll just hope that I'll try to do the same I did with the note pro which was sideload the apps needed and changing a few files here and there to make it work (or do the google voice thing).
oldgamer31 said:
Hello everyone here, I see everyone here has different kinds of galaxy views, I am interested in buying one despite the answer I'm going to get because getting this would greatly help with my travels, the question I ask is can you use it as a phone via bluetooth? like a direct line to say at&t or verizon, not that google way people are used to using it as? I also had a note pro 12.2 but I gave it to a family memeber because I couldn't use it as a phone via bluetooth (only verizon models did, I had a at&t one). I'm just hoping that it has in some models but if it doesn't that's also alright, the pros outweighs the con. I'll just hope that I'll try to do the same I did with the note pro which was sideload the apps needed and changing a few files here and there to make it work (or do the google voice thing).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not that I can tell. Was in the same boat with my Note Pro 12.2.
So there is one of these in the AT&T variant that I can pick up locally for $200 or less. Is it worth it? Has it been updated past 5.1.1? I've been researching and can't find any answers.
Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk
not at the moment. It should be hopefully
Hello Note Pro users! Around February 13th, Samsung will launch a new Chromebook that appears to be the successor to our now THREE YEAR OLD TABLET!.
Some of the noteable specs that I found worthwhile.
Amoled qHD Display 3:2 Ratio
2 Type C ports.
ARM OP1 Processor,
360 degree foldlable hinge.
AFAIK, One of the first few chromebooks to allegedly support the google play store!
And of course, the MOST important thing : An s pen.
These specs are hard to find in any laptop under 500$, none of which come with a stylus with palm rejection throughout the entire OS.
You can find more information here
Personally, while the battery life on my note pro 12.2 is the best across any device I have ever used (13 hours of SOT/3 Days without charge), performance has become horrible. I can't have more than 3 apps open simultaneously, opening each of those apps takes ages compared to my OnePlus3, and the screen flickers while the cpu is under high load.
I pre-ordered my chromebook through best buy, 488$ out the door, will you be purchasing the new version? Or will you be sticking with the note pro?
Looks OK. The internal memory is listed at 32GB while my Note Pro 12.2 tablet has 64GB. I still want a tablet that looks like this cromebook and costs like this one but does MS stuff without a hiccup. I have so many work related things that only work on a PC and not doable on this tablet. Maybe someday?
treetopsranch said:
Looks OK. The internal memory is listed at 32GB while my Note Pro 12.2 tablet has 64GB. I still want a tablet that looks like this cromebook and costs like this one but does MS stuff without a hiccup. I have so many work related things that only work on a PC and not doable on this tablet. Maybe someday?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's the thing that upset me as well..
32GB internal, probably only 23 will be made available to end user.
Not sure about the 3:2 ratio, I like 16:9 especially for taking notes and watching media..
I think this chromebook might perform pretty well with MS/Google apps. I haven't seen a fast chromebook yet, but I hope 2017 will change that.
when I get mine I'll definitely add some comments here.
It looks nice. I've never tried a Chromebook before. It would be better if it had 64gb or more and it came in black.
I had an Acer Chromebook with the Google Play store. No touchscreen but I got it to see how using Android apps would be. It was ok. Maybe it was my specific iteration (I was using the Beta channel) but it seemed like the Android apps were sandboxed. This meant I couldn't use something like, say, Fake GPS to mock location so that I can play Pokemon Go.
If you are thinking of getting the new Samsung Chromebooks, just know that the Android experience isn't as integrated as you'd think.
No, I am not going to make this change. I have a small 4 year old laptop with an SSD that works just fine when I need a full keyboard device, and for day to day work I just use my 12 inch IPAD pro... I use my Android 12.2 now for the cases where I need to use an android application that needs to use a MicroUSB port... such as my thermal scanner or my SDRs... I had the a note 7, which I miss dearly, and the USB C interface was just not compliant with the hardware devices I mentioned before...
MrWilsonxD said:
3:2 Ratio
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Absolutely bloody not.
Three reasons:
1) I use this thing for films and series 99% of the time. (I'm not bringing a 40" flatscreen on a train.) Have you tried a 16:9(default size) or 21:9(cinema release) film in a 3:2 window? Go on, try it. Let me know how much you like the big black bars on the top and bottom of your screen.
2) 80% of the world uses the A paper sizes. Not the square B sizes. A-paper is an almost exact match to 16:9. In 3:2 you have to scroll half the page.
3) All websites are designed in 16:9. NOT in 3:2. Half the website will be clipped off.
If I want something that only displays half my screen, I'll could just paste ductape onto my NotePro. Same result, hell of a lot cheaper.
Samsung is trying to be Apple again. Tsk, they still haven't learned.
ShadowLea said:
Absolutely bloody not.
Three reasons:
1) I use this thing for films and series 99% of the time. (I'm not bringing a 40" flatscreen on a train.) Have you tried a 16:9(default size) or 21:9(cinema release) film in a 3:2 window? Go on, try it. Let me know how much you like the big black bars on the top and bottom of your screen.
2) 80% of the world uses the A paper sizes. Not the square B sizes. A-paper is an almost exact match to 16:9. In 3:2 you have to scroll half the page.
3) All websites are designed in 16:9. NOT in 3:2. Half the website will be clipped off.
If I want something that only displays half my screen, I'll could just paste ductape onto my NotePro. Same result, hell of a lot cheaper.
Samsung is trying to be Apple again. Tsk, they still haven't learned.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I see! You bring up some good points! I have, I had a Samsung 9.7 with the 4 3 ratio, and I loved the in hand feel of it. especially when I was taking notes in class. Squid has infinity zoom, so the aspect ratios for note taking don't bother me. ? (I returned the tablet because I think it had 720P resolution, that screen was awful!! I could see pixelation in pen strokes in s note!)
Movies, I'll have to get back to you on that one! I'm looking forward to seeing things on a larger oled display! I LOVE the size of our screen, but I'm not fond of the ips in this screen.
I thought most websites would simply reflow? They do this with most mobile browsers don't they?
Thanks for your response, it brought good points to light. ☺
No thanks. Look goods, but not worth the money. I think I'll stick with my Note Pro 12.2. Plus, if you try to get MS Office on that, chances are, it'll ask you for a email that has a Office365 subscriptions for it in order to use it.
Due to Samsung's abandonment of the still very capable Note 12.2 tablet they can go screw themselves, so no, I will not be buying the chrome book.
I'll take a look at it when it comes out. Right now I'm very satisfied with my Note Pro running Nougat. That operating system has improved the performance 2 fold. I do like new and shiny things, but this one will have to stand up to my Note Pro.
Chrome is one of those "Hmm... interesting.... but why?" things. Still... Hmm... Interesting.
Here's why I probably won't switch.
First, I *really* like the Note Pro 12.2. I bought mine for under 300 bucks used, and it has served me on a nearly daily basis as email reader / web reader / ebook reader (1000s of title on a handy 128g ext microsd card). Beautiful resolution. Touch screen. And Android.... which despite a few drawbacks, is also endlessly intriguing (yes I rooted my Note 12.2 and run Nougat currently). Did I mention how much I like being able to back the entire thing up in just a few minutes to my ext micro using TWRP? And battery life... even after all this time using it... is great!
Second, I'd have to find a reason to switch. And as one other commenter noted, Samsung's total abandonment of this tablet doesn't lead me to quickly invest in another tablet they make.... because won't they abandon the new one, too, if they don't like sales? If Samsung pledged to update their devices for a longer period of time, it would be more likely I'd (eventually) make the move. Instead, I'd be most likely to save up and buy a Pixel.
Third.... oh, I guess I mentioned that I really *really* like my Note Pro 12.2....
Are you kidding me? A chrome book? To replace the note pro 12.2? Are you kidding me? Did the world suddenly go insane? Did Samsung lose its mind after the last tablet that went with windows 10? And from that debacle, ...they went to chrome? I guess the cleaning dude is running that department now.
Jesus Samsung, you have truly lost your way.
NO:
I want a true tablet!
If i need that form-factor with touch and keyboard, I get a 13 inch Dell XPS ultrabook (i currently own the 15 inch XPS)
I either want a true mobile OS like Android, OR a desktop OS like windows/osx/*nix
I hate ChromeOS. and other power user hate it too, especially the modding scene
Android Apps integration is sandboxed, so forget using for example a Mock-Location android app for the whole device
4:3, are we going back in time? This is primarily a work and note-taking app: I want A4 styled sheets, and I will read Books and PDFs in A4 / A5 / A6 style to annotate them with the S-Pen, this is bull**** on 4:3 and only makes sense on 16:9 or more
The stylus doesn't come with the button on the side. Many functions lost!
Split-Screen (youtube teaching video + note taking app) is bull**** on 4:3
I received my chromebook plus Tuesday, and my goodness, it is fantastic! I like it more than the note pro in every aspect except battery life.
So here's why.
Pros:
The Display and the build quality are excellent! I really disliked watching videos on my note pro because the blacks were so washed out, while the CBP does not have as good a screen as an amoled panel on a phone, it's still much better than the note pro.
This feels like a truly premium device. The hinges are extremely sturdy, and are not easily moved by accident. The screen has a great range, bright enough that I can see it under direct sunlight and dim enough so I can read my notes from class at night without burning out my eyeballs.
Android apps are integrated very well! You can even install apks onto the chromebook Out of all the apps I use, Mobizen screen recorder was the only one that does not work. But given that the whole chromebooks having android apps is a new concept, I'm not surprised by this, I expect it will be compatible sometime in the near future. Meanwhile, I use another screen recording app.
The speakers are actually better than the note pro, which shocked me. The CBP speakers are rear facing, but still, they sound better.
The 4:3 factor? I like it, there is more room on the screen without increasing the size of the device by a large margin. The difference in the total size is hardly noticeable, but the amount of that screen that is dedicated to display is awesome. As far as signing documents are concerned, the width of documents fit the screen regardless if I am using my note pro 12.2 or CBP, but with both devices I have to scroll down to get the entirety of the document on the screen. (Assuming you are on portrait. I almost always use my tablets in landscape.)
The speed of it leaves my Note Pro in the dust. Even when my note pro is overclocked. But not only is it faster, but the CBP is also smoother and far more responsive.
I definitely consider myself a power user when it comes to phones and tablets, up until meeting the latest version of chrome os. I became a power user because I was constantly using devices that I needed or wanted to: remove bloat that carriers/manufacturers installed against my permission, squeeze out more battery life (Via xposed, root, kernels, roms etc,) and to increase system stability. But with the cbp, it's just so simple. I just don't feel the need to do any of the power use activities on it. There's no bloat that you can't uninstall [AFAIK] and performance is fantastic. It's kind of refreshing to take something out the box, use it for a few days, and be satisfied in feeling "I don't need to put cyanogenmod on this device." or "OMG. I NEEDS XPOSED RIGHT NOW!!!" Now, those feelings are dedicated to my phones. Unlike all my Samsung/ZTE/UMI/OnePlus/Nexus devices that I have owned.
The 360 degree gives you way more options of using your device than any of the cases I have tried for the note pro 12.2. It's really nice when tutoring others.
Scrolling is soooper smooth, smooth as my oneplus 3. Smoother than my i7 low end gaming laptop! >__<
Battery life is confusing. With my note pro, I would get HUGE gains when I kept my device off wi-fi all the time, only using it for tutoring others at work in math and taking notes in my math classes. The CBP almost seems invariant in battery life if I am wi-fi or off it the majority of the day. Might be because it's brand new + different operating system, only time will tell, but I'm content to get a full day of use out of a device like this before a recharge. (Especially since I can charge my phone and tablet/laptop hybrid offspring with the same charger again. )
Cons: I'm scared to death to break/drop this thing xD I believe it would survive a fall better than my note pro would, but something about the CBP just makes me afraid to drop it. I've dropped my note pro once in the year and a half of owning it, so knock on wood.
I'm worried about scuffs to the bottom of device (the keyboard) because the keyboard is essentially a stand when it's flipped into quasi-tablet mode, I think over time I might pick up a few scrapes on it. It's lipped so the keys never touch the surface you've set it on, but like I said earlier, only time will tell. (Not particularly hopeful on that)
Button doesn't work. I'm using my full size s pen with eraser (from like 2012) and I can click this thing all I want but nothing happens. Luckily, squid lets you use your finger as a tool also, so I didn't lose much functionality as far as taking notes.
Overall thoughts: For the price and experience, I would definitely suggest giving this thing a look. Our tablet cost almost twice as much at release, was a version behind in android at that, and stopped receiving updates, what, a year later? I've read chromebooks have huge support windows, five years Not even nexus devices get supported that long. Given it's a different operating system, a direct comparison cannot be made, but it's still definitely something worth taking note. The fact that I can be writing notes in math in tablet mode, flip it to type an essay, and set it upside down to watch netflix movies is fantastic.
Any other thoughts I have I will add over time, but a lot of note pro owners have upgraded to this device and have posted some rave reviews on amazon, best buy, and in the chromebook forums. I would definitely giving this device a shot!
globalsearch said:
Are you kidding me? A chrome book? To replace the note pro 12.2? Are you kidding me? Did the world suddenly go insane? Did Samsung lose its mind after the last tablet that went with windows 10? And from that debacle, ...they went to chrome? I guess the cleaning dude is running that department now.
Jesus Samsung, you have truly lost your way.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think you should look at some of the reviews of it! A lot of people like it. And google handles the updates from what I understand, I would love more devices with samsung hardware and google software. An s7 edge or note 7 with stock android on it [and oneplus dash charge]? Take my money!!!!
I read they are also coming out with an s3 with an s pen in a 9.7screen, that's likely going to cost north of 800 dollars. If you like touchwiz and have the money to spend on a device I would recommend taking a look at that!
Can you use s-note on the CBP? I have a lot of work notes and I have found I only really enjoy using s-note because of the templates and convert to text function. I don't really like keep at all.
I picked up my Note PRO on release day and I've loved it dearly. It's starting to show its age, now, and I'm looking for an upgrade. The problem is...There hasn't been anything release in the past three years that is BETTER! This chromebook intrigues me, but I agree with other commenters that I just want a tablet.
Probably not unless my phone breaks.
Things I hate:
1. The resolution is worse
2. The aspect ratio is bad for media
3. Doesn't have built-in LTE/GPS
globalsearch said:
Are you kidding me? A chrome book? To replace the note pro 12.2? Are you kidding me? Did the world suddenly go insane? Did Samsung lose its mind after the last tablet that went with windows 10? And from that debacle, ...they went to chrome? I guess the cleaning dude is running that department now.
Jesus Samsung, you have truly lost your way.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You do know that this Chromebook runs Android apps, right? Whatever the Note Pro does, this one can as well. So it's not a crazy comparison at all and it's understandable if some people consider it a successor of the Note Pro.
(I'm not saying that it is a great device, btw. And my answer to the question is: no. I'm sticking with my trusty Note Pro)
I am curious as to the reason you bought your Yoga Book, and how are you all using it, for example as your primary laptop or tablet.
In my case, I wanted a very lightweight laptop, that I could use while riding the public transit system, reading e-books or watching Netflix. At work I use two desktop PCs and at home...between being a husband and a father I don't have much time to even boot up my desktop there. As I use Android on my phone (daaa...) and on my TV Box (Mi Box), I have purchased my fair amount of apps and games, so it would be a plus to find a device using Android. The Yoga Book, can be easily used as a tablet while sitting on the couch and I didn't expect to use the tent mode as much. Overall it is the only laptop/tablet that serves my needs in every aspect.
In a lengthy search, I found a shop here in Athens, that sold YB1-X90F models for 340€ (new) and 270€ (refurbished). For me it was an ideal deal. What I only regret is that the community in XDA is not very active on Yoga Book.
TassosKan said:
I am curious as to the reason you bought your Yoga Book, and how are you all using it, for example as your primary laptop or tablet.
In my case, I wanted a very lightweight laptop, that I could use while riding the public transit system, reading e-books or watching Netflix. At work I use two desktop PCs and at home...between being a husband and a father I don't have much time to even boot up my desktop there. As I use Android on my phone (daaa...) and on my TV Box (Mi Box), I have purchased my fair amount of apps and games, so it would be a plus to find a device using Android. The Yoga Book, can be easily used as a tablet while sitting on the couch and I didn't expect to use the tent mode as much. Overall it is the only laptop/tablet that serves my needs in every aspect.
In a lengthy search, I found a shop here in Athens, that sold YB1-X90F models for 340€ (new) and 270€ (refurbished). For me it was an ideal deal. What I only regret is that the community in XDA is not very active on Yoga Book.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Mine has been relegated to multimedia consumption. Great screen, awesome battery life, laptop, table and tent mode works for netflix and youtube.
At first, the pen did matter. Coming from the SG Note 4, I can't seem to get used to how the pen was used on the YB. The device does work for quick editing of Docs on MS Apps or GDocs in a pinch, with the physical keyboard maximizing the screen real estate as compared to soft keyboard.
Agree on the dev side, not much action, but having said that, i think I'm okay with stock with my use case.
Also, despite the rather thick bezels, the device looks awesome!
I made all of the G suite apps into desktop apps to minimize Google Chrome's high resource usage. Now I can take notes, do spreadsheets, and power points without chrome. In my experience, the typing can be pretty laggy when the computer is working hard. I plan to use it for school in the coming fall.
I also stayed in a bnb for 2 weeks that didn't have a TV in the bedroom so the device was pretty nice to have. The screen is still surprisingly good and the speakers are fine.
Unfortunately, I wish I got the Android version because I feel like the specs on this thing just aren't as flexible or capable with Windows, but it still runs just fine.
Also, I still can't get over how damn pretty it is. It was pretty far ahead of it's time in terms of design. It's so damn thin, light and solid. The keyboard took getting used to, but I've gotten pretty decent at it over the years. Which is a good thing because the keyboard really looks cool as hell.
This thing has kinda been a paper weight for a couple years because my phone can do just about anything it can while fitting in my pocket. I got it back in 2015 and, with some tweaks, it runs the same or better than new. I think the g suite desktop apps will give it some new life when I start school. It's a neat little laptop that I splurged on but, in hindsight, I should've just bought a laptop that can actually do some work, given my hobbies. But for ultra-portability, very light workloads, and media consumption, it continues to serve me well.
The micro usb is feeling a bit dated but I can cope
Too bad the devs never sunk their teeth into. I guess it was just too much a niche product.
sawyerbenjamin said:
I made all of the G suite apps into desktop apps to minimize Google Chrome's high resource usage. Now I can take notes, do spreadsheets, and power points without chrome. In my experience, the typing can be pretty laggy when the computer is working hard. I plan to use it for school in the coming fall.
I also stayed in a bnb for 2 weeks that didn't have a TV in the bedroom so the device was pretty nice to have. The screen is still surprisingly good and the speakers are fine.
Unfortunately, I wish I got the Android version because I feel like the specs on this thing just aren't as flexible or capable with Windows, but it still runs just fine.
Also, I still can't get over how damn pretty it is. It was pretty far ahead of it's time in terms of design. It's so damn thin, light and solid. The keyboard took getting used to, but I've gotten pretty decent at it over the years. Which is a good thing because the keyboard really looks cool as hell.
This thing has kinda been a paper weight for a couple years because my phone can do just about anything it can while fitting in my pocket. I got it back in 2015 and, with some tweaks, it runs the same or better than new. I think the g suite desktop apps will give it some new life when I start school. It's a neat little laptop that I splurged on but, in hindsight, I should've just bought a laptop that can actually do some work, given my hobbies. But for ultra-portability, very light workloads, and media consumption, it continues to serve me well.
The micro usb is feeling a bit dated but I can cope
Too bad the devs never sunk their teeth into. I guess it was just too much a niche product.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yep, too much of a niche.. Though it may work great for artists on the go, those who use a tablet for drawing (never got used to it tbh, would have preferred to write on the screen directly)
Hey Everyone,
I recently purchased a brand new sealed 64GB Pixel C for $275. I have ALWAYS wanted one but never really needed a tablet until recently. My kindle crapped out, and I have been listening to some audiobooks and I wanted a way to combine the 2. I also plan on maybe watching some movies from my Plex server, some Netflix, and that's probably it...oh and some comics as well....
I had some general questions for those of you who have had a Pixel C for some time.
1. I know there are some screen issues, and I believe based on the serial (i'll confirm when it arrives in two days) mine seems to be made in 2016 sometime, and even though I am in the US, it's a EU version.... Do the problems seem to be on all C's or just a specific run of them?
2. If you were me, and only wanted a tablet for ebooks/audio books and of course some media, but no apps that are super intensive, would you just upgrade from the 6.0 to the 8.0 that's official (or 7.0 if it's good?) , or install a custom rom. If the latter, any recommendations from personal experience?
3. Since it's 2020 and this tablet is coming up on almost 5 years....do you feel I overpaid? This is a completely irrelevant question, I just REALLY REALLY wanted one, I hate Samsung and wanted something with as close to a pure google experience like my Pixel phone. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated. I have seen them selling used in good shape in the upper 100's range, and most are 32GB.....
4. Anything else I should know that I don't see jumping out at me in the forums that you would pass along to a new C owner?
Thanks everyone in advance!
Hank
Hank_Rearden said:
Hey Everyone,
I recently purchased a brand new sealed 64GB Pixel C for $275. I have ALWAYS wanted one but never really needed a tablet until recently. My kindle crapped out, and I have been listening to some audiobooks and I wanted a way to combine the 2. I also plan on maybe watching some movies from my Plex server, some Netflix, and that's probably it...oh and some comics as well....
I had some general questions for those of you who have had a Pixel C for some time.
1. I know there are some screen issues, and I believe based on the serial (i'll confirm when it arrives in two days) mine seems to be made in 2016 sometime, and even though I am in the US, it's a EU version.... Do the problems seem to be on all C's or just a specific run of them?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am not aware of better or worse serial numbers. I assume later is better? Mine has image retention / ghosting & a purple shift in white balance but I never got the half screen failure or other issues.
2. If you were me, and only wanted a tablet for ebooks/audio books and of course some media, but no apps that are super intensive, would you just upgrade from the 6.0 to the 8.0 that's official (or 7.0 if it's good?) , or install a custom rom. If the latter, any recommendations from personal experience?
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Click to collapse
I recommend either Pixel Experience 10 or LineageOS 17 if you are at all comfortable with flashing. ROMs are little more work. But they offer the latest patches, some new features, some specific fixes for our aging hardware, and because you have to install TWRP first you have that safety net for when things go wrong. I also happen to really like Android 10 for what that's worth. You might have to use Magisk Hide to get some apps working, and you probably have to sideload Netflix from APKmirror but it should work just fine.
If you don't mind how it works out of the box, and you don't care for fiddling with it, and you aren't concerned with the screen lock bug, then stock is perfectly fine. Some people say 7 was better than 8 because of some video driver bug that broke a few Unity based games. I have zero idea if this was fixed in any of the ROMs.
3. Since it's 2020 and this tablet is coming up on almost 5 years....do you feel I overpaid? This is a completely irrelevant question, I just REALLY REALLY wanted one, I hate Samsung and wanted something with as close to a pure google experience like my Pixel phone. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated. I have seen them selling used in good shape in the upper 100's range, and most are 32GB.....
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I am considering selling my Galaxy Tab S6, even though it is nicer in so many ways, because I just disagree with so many Samsung UX decisions. So I continue to use the Pixel C and I hope you like yours. I am a little envious you found a good condition 64GB one! There are countless little touches where the Pixel C does what I expect and my Samsung devices do not. Using an USB audio device? Pixel C can use it for music and also to make VoIP calls. Believe it or not many Samsungs cannot route 'phone' type audio over USB. Music only! Using a mouse? Open Chrome, right-click on a link. Notice that beautiful options menu that pops up? Try the same thing on a Samsung and notice it is just Android back function. Back to the Pixel C, try to middle-click on a link and notice it opens in a new tab in the background. Just like on desktop Chrome! Then, try with a Samsung and notice middle-click is the same as Android home function. Samsung just decided to break mousing and I hate it. Even things like display scaling work well on the Pixel C and badly on Samsung devices. Want everything to be very small? That's easy to do, and basically everything scales (except the nav bar, but there is a fix for that). On my Samsungs some parts of the UI scale and other parts don't. You end with comically unmatched icons and other elements like the notification shade. I really thought DeX could fix these issues for me and it didn't, but that is a different story. I like Samsung features but by golly they suck at the basics IMO.
4. Anything else I should know that I don't see jumping out at me in the forums that you would pass along to a new C owner?
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Not everything in Google-land is good. The Pixel C was never trouble free and still isn't with even the best ROMs. 3GB of RAM was too little for a 'productivity device' in 2015 and obviously still isn't enough (your use-case should be fine however). The storage speed is slow, it is prone to occassional jank (probably combination slow storage & low RAM), and if the battery isn't perfectly healthy you will experience bad CPU throttling (this is fixed in ROMs and in my case was a night and day difference). You are already aware of the screen problems. The headphone jack quality is not good, and the bluetooth range for headsets is about 5 ft (I am not joking, it's astonishingly bad!). There used to be many WiFi reception complaints but I think it was fixed long ago. Reception is on the weak end however. The touch screen is sensitive to interference and you can get ghost touches when using a low quality charger (YMMV on that one, my hardware might be faulty). Last thing that comes to mind is that occassionally, and seemingly randomly, your lock screen PIN will just... stop working. If you are on stock software with a locked bootloader then all you can do is factory reset!! This alone is a great reason to go with ROMs.
Thanks everyone in advance!
Hank
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Good luck and welcome to the community!
locuturus said:
I am not aware of better or worse serial numbers. I assume later is better? Mine has image retention / ghosting & a purple shift in white balance but I never got the half screen failure or other issues.
I recommend either Pixel Experience 10 or LineageOS 17 if you are at all comfortable with flashing. ROMs are little more work. But they offer the latest patches, some new features, some specific fixes for our aging hardware, and because you have to install TWRP first you have that safety net for when things go wrong. I also happen to really like Android 10 for what that's worth. You might have to use Magisk Hide to get some apps working, and you probably have to sideload Netflix from APKmirror but it should work just fine.
If you don't mind how it works out of the box, and you don't care for fiddling with it, and you aren't concerned with the screen lock bug, then stock is perfectly fine. Some people say 7 was better than 8 because of some video driver bug that broke a few Unity based games. I have zero idea if this was fixed in any of the ROMs.
I am considering selling my Galaxy Tab S6, even though it is nicer in so many ways, because I just disagree with so many Samsung UX decisions. So I continue to use the Pixel C and I hope you like yours. I am a little envious you found a good condition 64GB one! There are countless little touches where the Pixel C does what I expect and my Samsung devices do not. Using an USB audio device? Pixel C can use it for music and also to make VoIP calls. Believe it or not many Samsungs cannot route 'phone' type audio over USB. Music only! Using a mouse? Open Chrome, right-click on a link. Notice that beautiful options menu that pops up? Try the same thing on a Samsung and notice it is just Android back function. Back to the Pixel C, try to middle-click on a link and notice it opens in a new tab in the background. Just like on desktop Chrome! Then, try with a Samsung and notice middle-click is the same as Android home function. Samsung just decided to break mousing and I hate it. Even things like display scaling work well on the Pixel C and badly on Samsung devices. Want everything to be very small? That's easy to do, and basically everything scales (except the nav bar, but there is a fix for that). On my Samsungs some parts of the UI scale and other parts don't. You end with comically unmatched icons and other elements like the notification shade. I really thought DeX could fix these issues for me and it didn't, but that is a different story. I like Samsung features but by golly they suck at the basics IMO.
Not everything in Google-land is good. The Pixel C was never trouble free and still isn't with even the best ROMs. 3GB of RAM was too little for a 'productivity device' in 2015 and obviously still isn't enough (your use-case should be fine however). The storage speed is slow, it is prone to occassional jank (probably combination slow storage & low RAM), and if the battery isn't perfectly healthy you will experience bad CPU throttling (this is fixed in ROMs and in my case was a night and day difference). You are already aware of the screen problems. The headphone jack quality is not good, and the bluetooth range for headsets is about 5 ft (I am not joking, it's astonishingly bad!). There used to be many WiFi reception complaints but I think it was fixed long ago. Reception is on the weak end however. The touch screen is sensitive to interference and you can get ghost touches when using a low quality charger (YMMV on that one, my hardware might be faulty). Last thing that comes to mind is that occassionally, and seemingly randomly, your lock screen PIN will just... stop working. If you are on stock software with a locked bootloader then all you can do is factory reset!! This alone is a great reason to go with ROMs.
Good luck and welcome to the community!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you so much for the detailed response. I am glad I am not the only one who feels that way about the Samsung tablets. I ALMOST bought an S4, then I ALMOST bought an S5E, but just don't like the way they do Android. I checked my tracking and the tablet comes today! So I think what I will do is just upgrade to the most recent official, leave the device lock off for now as I don't plan on going anywhere with the C, and see how it goes. I have dabbled in ROMS in the past for a lot of phones I have had through the years, so I assume this is not too far different as far as the process. The Lineage ROM seems to be a little better for the C from reading some of the known issues, but I will take a look at them after I assess the performance of the C. I really don't want to have the unit hit 70% then completely crap the bed on the performance side....
The Bluetooth range is sad to hear considering i JUST ordered the Sony WH-1000XM3 headphones. They will be here either Friday or Saturday. If i need to hear something beyond the range of it sitting close to me I'll just use my phone.
I'll report how things are going once I receive it, and thanks again for the detailed response. It has put me at ease!
Cheers
Hank
It came and was exactly as described. Did the update and now it's charging. Updated some apps and it's moving pretty well. We shall see what happens when I get more stuff loaded on there, but I will say it's better than I expected. Such beautiful hardware.....
1. I know there are some screen issues, and I believe based on the serial (i'll confirm when it arrives in two days) mine seems to be made in 2016 sometime, and even though I am in the US, it's a EU version.... Do the problems seem to be on all C's or just a specific run of them?
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I bought an used Pixel C with its keyboard and a pouch and its screen seems still fine. A Youtube video pointed the issue for its cable in the middle behind the screen panel being pressed so I thought keyboard&pouch may have prevented it.
2. If you were me, and only wanted a tablet for ebooks/audio books and of course some media, but no apps that are super intensive, would you just upgrade from the 6.0 to the 8.0 that's official (or 7.0 if it's good?) , or install a custom rom. If the latter, any recommendations from personal experience?
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Mine was on stock 8..1 and now is LineageOS 17 based on Android 10. Stock 8.1 seemed to work fine. I preferred some Android 10's swiping features such as swiping from left or right to go back and swiping up to go to homescreen or other running apps to buttons and black bottom bar previous versions. Netflix HD still works.
On the other hand, unlocking bootloader caused additional 30 seconds to boot with caution message and weird beep noise in boot sequence. As you might know, even when locked in setting, in recovery mode, someone could physically connect your device to another and steal files in the device. Some error messages with security warning pops up in notification so the rom might not fully support Android security features. (I have little knowledge on this.)
When its brightness set close to lowest level, screen seemed to be turned off or brightness seems a bit unstable. (Being able to set close to the mininum is still good.) BTW some of gamepad buttons mapped incorrectly (not sure it was due to LineageOS).
3. Since it's 2020 and this tablet is coming up on almost 5 years....do you feel I overpaid? This is a completely irrelevant question, I just REALLY REALLY wanted one, I hate Samsung and wanted something with as close to a pure google experience like my Pixel phone. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated. I have seen them selling used in good shape in the upper 100's range, and most are 32GB.....
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Click to collapse
It's display ratio is better than 16:10 from other android tablets for e-books, pdf files, comics. Someone wrote its ratio fits for two pages side by side. Among Android tablets as far as I know, there are not many with 3:2 or 4:3. Nexus 9's screen could be great but it has only 2GB ram and other flaws. Xiaomi MiPad doesn't support Netflix HD. iPads would match the need but it seems you didn't want one. What I looked for was an Android tablet which is not Samsung or Huawei and supports Netflix HD. Of course, newer APs have advantages in power consumption, better game support, weight etc. Galaxy Tab S6 lite supports S-pen which is good for pdf notetaking. I tried to write in pdf files with Xodo PDF app and Bamboo Tip stylus and it wasn't so successful. Still, I like mine.
4. Anything else I should know that I don't see jumping out at me in the forums that you would pass along to a new C owner?
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Click to collapse
Its PCB is on the left side so it gets hot when running intensive apps or charging. (The bottom of the display turned a bit yellowish. Because of keyboard attached?)
USB PD laptop chargers works but the left side feels hotter compared to charging with 5V 3A chargers.
With its keyboard is good to use on lap or as a stand but it would be pricey to buy a new one.