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Why I HATED the Surface Pro (just in case you were tempted) ...

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
Sent from my GT-N8013 using xda app-developers app

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.
Sent from my GT-N8013 using xda app-developers app

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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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
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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.

I LOVE this tablet!

The first time I ever saw an iPad in person, I began to lust for one. Then, I bought my son an iPod Touch and we grew to despise iOS. So when I upgraded my old "feature phone" to a smart phone, I went Android. I loved it and never looked back. My first phone was a Samsung Captivate. When we switched from AT&T to Verizon, I got the Galaxy S3 (which I still have, but I'm suffering from S4 envy now!).
My first tablet was the original Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1. I loved that tablet. After a couple years, I decided it was time for an upgrade and went with the Asus Transformer Infinity, mainly for the hardware keyboard (with extended battery, full size USB port, SD card reader, etc). What a piece of $#!+ that thing is! The keyboard will not stay attached to the tablet when folded shut. Physically, it feels flimsy and cheap. The battery life - even with the "extended" battery - was worse than my old Galaxy Tab. The thing was incredibly sluggish, slow, and crashed a lot. I tried several custom ROMs and that made things a *tad* better, but not really. Using it was an exercise in frustration.
So, I just picked up the new Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 2014 Edition. I LOVE this tablet! Very high quality build. It feels good and solid in my hands. The thing is FAST and performance (based on my user experience) is amazing! The S-Pen is fantastic and I love using it! (I just wish it worked on my S3!). I feel comfortable and at ease with a tablet again. No frustration at all anymore! This is everything a tablet should be! Even if I never install a custom ROM on it, I think I would still be extremely happy with it!
My only desire now is for Samsung to hurry up and release the Book Cover case for it.

HeathicusF said:
The first time I ever saw an iPad in person, I began to lust for one. Then, I bought my son an iPod Touch and we grew to despise iOS. So when I upgraded my old "feature phone" to a smart phone, I went Android. I loved it and never looked back. My first phone was a Samsung Captivate. When we switched from AT&T to Verizon, I got the Galaxy S3 (which I still have, but I'm suffering from S4 envy now!).
My first tablet was the original Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1. I loved that tablet. After a couple years, I decided it was time for an upgrade and went with the Asus Transformer Infinity, mainly for the hardware keyboard (with extended battery, full size USB port, SD card reader, etc). What a piece of $#!+ that thing is! The keyboard will not stay attached to the tablet when folded shut. Physically, it feels flimsy and cheap. The battery life - even with the "extended" battery - was worse than my old Galaxy Tab. The thing was incredibly sluggish, slow, and crashed a lot. I tried several custom ROMs and that made things a *tad* better, but not really. Using it was an exercise in frustration.
So, I just picked up the new Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 2014 Edition. I LOVE this tablet! Very high quality build. It feels good and solid in my hands. The thing is FAST and performance (based on my user experience) is amazing! The S-Pen is fantastic and I love using it! (I just wish it worked on my S3!). I feel comfortable and at ease with a tablet again. No frustration at all anymore! This is everything a tablet should be! Even if I never install a custom ROM on it, I think I would still be extremely happy with it!
My only desire now is for Samsung to hurry up and release the Book Cover case for it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Congrats. This is my first tablet I have ever owned, although a few people in my family own one. Because I started school again, most of my books are in PDF form and I started taking notes with the Note 2014. Taking notes has been really good, very easy to erase things and move equations around to other pages.
I'm very happy with this device and I'm finding new ways to integrate it into my life as the days go by.

The display is key, but the hardware needs to support it to avoid a laggy experience. This is why the Asus 700 and Nook HD+ suffer and is why I got the iPad 4.
The 2014 seems to be the first Android tablet to cover all bases without some significant caveat. Catch is the price. The pen function adds expense and I get why folks that need the function love it. I will not use it, so will wait for a price drop. Would have waited for the A701, but have read enough and seen enough issues with the Shield and Toshiba tablets to stay away.
The 2014 covers all the bases and has a key thing (sd slot) that I need.

rushless said:
The display is key, but the hardware needs to support it to avoid a laggy experience. This is why the Asus 700 and Nook HD+ suffer and is why I got the iPad 4.
The 2014 seems to be the first Android tablet to cover all bases without some significant caveat. Catch is the price. The pen function adds expense and I get why folks that need the function love it. I will not use it, so will wait for a price drop. Would have waited for the A701, but have read enough and seen enough issues with the Shield and Toshiba tablets to stay away.
The 2014 covers all the bases and has a key thing (sd slot) that I need.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
When you do use the pen though, the price becomes worth it. The level of software they had to program into using the pen makes it worth it if you definitely need it.
But if you don't use it, then I guess you'll have to wait for the Galaxy Tab 4.

SlimJ87D said:
Congrats. This is my first tablet I have ever owned, although a few people in my family own one. Because I started school again, most of my books are in PDF form and I started taking notes with the Note 2014. Taking notes has been really good, very easy to erase things and move equations around to other pages.
I'm very happy with this device and I'm finding new ways to integrate it into my life as the days go by.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What do you use to annotate on books? I'd think s note would take forever to navigate through a large pdf.

ChrisNee1988 said:
What do you use to annotate on books? I'd think s note would take forever to navigate through a large pdf.
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I have a large number of pdf books including numerous Adobe DRM protected books. I highly recommend Mantano reader from the play store. I have tge oremium version but there is bith avlight and standard version.
The premium version adds so much functionality it is insane. All highlights, nites and bookmarks you have made are visible together on an index page fir each b9ok so you can easily find everyvnote you have made on a book or every highlight.
Sent from my Galaxy S4 via tapatalk.

wingdo said:
All highlights, nites and bookmarks you have made are visible together on an index page fir each b9ok so you can easily find everyvnote you have made on a book or every highlight.
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Click to collapse
That's an awesome feature! I'm waiting for my Note and plan to use LectureNotes in class. While thinking about my workflow with it I thought that this 'indexing highliter' would be a really awesome feature. Does anybody know if LectureNotes has this functionality as well?

I'm not a mobile device guru or anything, but I have used a pretty decent variety of devices. My last two laptops were "convertibles" (the monitor flips around and folds over the keyboard to become a tablet). Currently a Dell XT3, previously a Fujitsu Lifebook. I delved into the "UMPC" world. I had a Samsung Q1 for a while and also thoroughly tested the Black Diamond Switchback, OQO Model 2, and others for my previous job.
The S-Pen is not a mere stylus like what came with all the other devices I've used. One of my favorite features is the ability to toggle it so the touch screen does not recognize my hand. I can finally rest my hand on the display while using the pen without weird things happening. It's a small thing, but really big for me.

ChrisNee1988 said:
What do you use to annotate on books? I'd think s note would take forever to navigate through a large pdf.
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Click to collapse
I use ezPDF and take a snapshot of whatever I need in my notes. Then I paste it in and do stuff there. If anyone else has a better of of doing things, please let me know.

@The_Maverick: There is no `indexing highlighter´ in LectureNotes, I am sorry.

acadoid said:
@The_Maverick: There is no `indexing highlighter´ in LectureNotes, I am sorry.
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Thanks for letting me know. It's probably no big deal, I haven't figured out my workflow yet anyway. But could you imagine implementing this somewhere down the road?
The scenario that I have in mind is the following: Whenever there is a definition in my lecture slides (currently in paper form), I highlight the name of what's being defined with a specific marker color. That way I can easily skim through my notes when I'm looking for a certain definition. Switching to the Note/LectureNotes, I thought it'd be really cool if all my highlighted definitions would show up on one central page as bookmarks/links, making it even easier to find what I'm looking for.
Anyway, I should probably not be making feature requests before ever really having used the app.
Thanks for being such a responsive developer!

@The_Maverick: LectureNotes allows to attach keywords to notebook pages and creates a table of contents and an index from that (either for individual notebooks, for all notebooks in a folder, and for all notebooks on the notebooks board). This is the second part of the suggested functionality, the first part where highlighted material becomes a keyword is missing, you need to type the keyword manually.

acadoid said:
@The_Maverick: LectureNotes allows to attach keywords to notebook pages and creates a table of contents and an index from that (either for individual notebooks, for all notebooks in a folder, and for all notebooks on the notebooks board). This is the second part of the suggested functionality, the first part where highlighted material becomes a keyword is missing, you need to type the keyword manually.
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Cool. Thanks for the help. I'm definitely looking forward to using LectureNotes. It's the biggest incentive for me to get the Note.

I mainly bought this for the great screen, multitasking, and the SD Card slot...but I must say that I have been surprisingly happy with the S-pen and all the functionality it brings! I wish I would have had this while in college.
I also wish the S-pen would work with my S3. The Note phones are all too big for me, so we'll see what the S5 will bring. I highly doubt it, but it'd be awesome if the S5 could use the S-pen too (even if it didn't come with one).

I used to think the Notes were too big, but after using one for awhile it seems rather normal. I think because they slimmed down the 3 a bit it's not bad.
Sent from my SM-N900T using XDA Premium 4 mobile app

Just wondering why everyone does not just use S Note which is built in to the device for all your note taking needs

Dedline said:
Just wondering why everyone does not just use S Note which is built in to the device for all your note taking needs
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LectureNotes is much more customizable. It's quite possibly the most perfect note taking app that exists anywhere, including Windows, Android, or iOS.
The ONLY thing I wish it had is the ability to add an expandable sticky note to either notes or PDF's I'm annotating.

@han solo
and maybe it would be great if the Lecture Notes UI would move somewhere near the Android HOLO conventions... been using Lecture Notes for a long time now and I still keep forgetting where which menu item is hiding.
Otherwise, good app.

@Ulukaii1983: I try to keep functionality organized in a meaningful way, but I am always open for specific suggestions (in fact, I have moved several menu items following user suggestions).

@acadoid:
Hey many thanks for your reply! Glad that you still find the time to read the opinions about your app.
If you don't mind, I would post some UI recommendations in your other thread:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1870639&page=167
... but I please give me a little bit time to make some valuable recommendations.

Asus Vivotab Note 8 (M80TA) Official thread

There isn't already an official thread about this wonderful little tablet Asus Vivotab Note 8 , so here i start one
I can't be the only one who bought it, i hope xD
Sent from my M80TA using Tapatalk

i have the 32gb version.
I bought it for the wacom digitizer and office student, in particular onenote, that together are my idealistic perfect tool for my student activities.
Straight out of the box i had a problem with the Windows Store, i couldn't install any app because every time i clicked on the install button the download didn't started and the app was going to Pending state.
After an afternoon on official Microsoft forum that suggested ton of fixes , and none of them worked, i solved the problem following this youtube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z2vnhcoKCeQ
Sent from my M80TA using Tapatalk

I got the 64GB version. Can't say I've had any issues. Put a 64GB micro SD in, and redirected most the libraries, Skydrive to point at it. I've got my steam games split between internal and the SD card.
I picked up one of the I-Blason Case and screen protectors off amazon. The case works nice, the top cover can fold over doesn't get in the way much at all.
Haven't had any issues with the MS store on mine, was able to purchase and install the plex app no problem as well as a e-reader app and a couple others.
The only thing I've noticed with mine is that the stylus isn't terribly accurate around the edges. It makes trying to grab some of the slider bars in IE and other programs a challenge. I've seen some of the calibration guides here and have been debating trying one of them to see if it would improve that.
Edit: I also tried Bluestack for getting some android apps running, but it's been pretty abysmal performance with it with some apps not launching at all, and others I can launch, but then they just don't work correctly. My high hopes for using it with this table have pretty much been trashed

Can you post a screen snip of Disk Management (from Win+X menu)? I'd like to see the storage layout.
Also, please post the Windows experience index. It's hidden in 8.x. Run 'winsat prepop' from CMD. Wait to finish, then run 'get-wmiobject -class win32_winsat' in PowerShell. Actually, just post the scores of all the components. TIA.
Note 8 was out in UK/EU a month ago, so info & reviews are already on Youtube. It improves upon DVP8 w/ good stylus support, but is also more expensive, now that DVP8 has hit $200 bargain bin. OTOH, by virtue of being first (and heavily discounted), DVP8 has garnered a decent-sized userbase.
Asus Note 8 + DVP8 + Lenovo ThinkPad 8 & Miix 2 8 + Acer W4 + Toshiba Encore round out the Win tab 8" crop. Here's my Cliff Notes comparison: DVP8 = cheap, Note 8 = stylus, W4/Encore = HDMI out, TP8 = 1080p res.
For me, stylus support is critical, not for note-taking, but for running desktop. But I'm also looking for more ports, and these don't have them. Cherry Trail is on tap for Computex, and should roll out in fall, so Bay Trail will slot into the low-end in a few months. Win 8.1 won't change, but hopefully the hardware will have better capability at lower price points. At $300'ish, they can't compete against iPad Mini, hence the $250 goal w/ cheaper Win license and 16GB SKU.
As they are I think it's a good first effort. If MS can swallow its pride and allow good desktop use--eg w/ integrated pointer in bezel or stylus--I think Win tabs can do well. Because Metro for now isn't enough to win (excuse the pun), and chubby fingers don't work for desktop.
Since MS' Surface line is intended to be hero devices, a good question is whether MS will come out with a Surface Mini to spearhead the mini-tab effort--and if it does, whether it'll sport the comatose RT (in hopes of a Hail Mary miracle), or with an Atom, competing directly against its OEM partners.
VivoTab Note 8 digitizer demo
ThinkPad 8 vs DVP8 vs VivoTab Note 8
Acer W4 review
Toshiba Encore review

lordgodgeneral said:
I got the 64GB version. Can't say I've had any issues. Put a 64GB micro SD in, and redirected most the libraries, Skydrive to point at it. I've got my steam games split between internal and the SD card.
I picked up one of the I-Blason Case and screen protectors off amazon. The case works nice, the top cover can fold over doesn't get in the way much at all.
Haven't had any issues with the MS store on mine, was able to purchase and install the plex app no problem as well as a e-reader app and a couple others.
The only thing I've noticed with mine is that the stylus isn't terribly accurate around the edges. It makes trying to grab some of the slider bars in IE and other programs a challenge. I've seen some of the calibration guides here and have been debating trying one of them to see if it would improve that.
Edit: I also tried Bluestack for getting some android apps running, but it's been pretty abysmal performance with it with some apps not launching at all, and others I can launch, but then they just don't work correctly. My high hopes for using it with this table have pretty much been trashed
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Could you tell me how to get skydrive to point to the SD card only? Also what libraries were you successfully able to direct to SD? I attempted to re-direct temp files and app data but that ended catastrophically with all things in metro including system restore settings disappeared, and would not even come back after returning things to normal. Had to do a full system recovery with a keyboard plugged in to force it to restore mode.

Verry Good Thanks

ThomasBags said:
Could you tell me how to get skydrive to point to the SD card only? Also what libraries were you successfully able to direct to SD? I attempted to re-direct temp files and app data but that ended catastrophically with all things in metro including system restore settings disappeared, and would not even come back after returning things to normal. Had to do a full system recovery with a keyboard plugged in to force it to restore mode.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Moving SkyDrive is pretty easy, just open explorer on the desktop right click and go to properties. There's a tab called location where you can set where its local files are stored.
The other thing I relocated were Documents, Music, Pictures, Videos, Downloads.
I haven't see too many people try to move the apps folder though, but symlinks would possibly be your best try, though I have no idea if that would work or not.
I've only had mine for a couple of weeks but I already enjoy it way more then any of the android tablets I have. The lack of apps is discouraging at times but I've always been able to find a desktop alternative and enjoy a better gaming experience playing my steam games.
I agree that all the current 8" tablets leave a little to be desired. To me it came down between this one and the TP8. The hdmi out and 1080 sounded nice, but I really didn't see myself using it very often, I have a htpc hooked up to the TV already as well as a laptop, and a the 1080 would work great over hdmi, but I figured it would actually hurt the desktop experience when using the 8" screen. The Wacom on the note 8 pretty much sealed it as this was mostly for on the go use.
The one item I would really wish for is a dedicated charging port and separate USB port so you can use USB and charge at the same time. I dont see that happening as I think Intel and the OEMs are purposefully neutering their designs specifically so they can't be used as a cheap desktop replacement via hdmi and a USB hub and possibly cut into the sales of their more expensive models.

>...a dedicated charging port and separate USB port...I think Intel and the OEMs are purposefully neutering their designs
A better explanation is that it was cheaper to go the single-port route, since getting to the $300 mark is the paramount consideration for Win tabs. Even so, they're still too expensive to be competitive, as evidenced by DVP8's drastic discounting. This won't change with $250 as the goal for upcoming gen. The next crop will be as barebone as the present one.
Vendors won't be motivated to invest much in their products, with no improvement in Win until next year. Low pricing will be key, and most vendors will be content to use Intel's reference design with little differentiation, as was for this gen. The good news is that we'll see $200 Win tabs by year end. If MS & vendors can get desktop to be functional (read: cheap stylus support), they'll have a compelling pitch against the sea of Androids.

Has anyone found a non magnetic case yet? Finally discovered the wonky stylus input was due to magnets, go figure. Waiting impatiently for poetic to do one of their productive cases for the tablet.

ThomasBags said:
Has anyone found a non magnetic case yet? Finally discovered the wonky stylus input was due to magnets, go figure. Waiting impatiently for poetic to do one of their productive cases for the tablet.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Even with a non magnetic case, there are the two magnets of the speakers, so near the asus logo and front camera there will always be some distortion I believe.

ThomasBags said:
Has anyone found a non magnetic case yet? Finally discovered the wonky stylus input was due to magnets, go figure. Waiting impatiently for poetic to do one of their productive cases for the tablet.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I got one of the i-Blason cases off amazon, it has magnet on the right side of the case, and one in the left most flap on the edge for folding over the cover (other i-Blason cases have up to 5 on them). I haven't really seen any issues using this case with the stylus. My experience has been that the accuracy drops some close to the edge of the screen, but this happens with and without the case, so I don't think i'm getting any distortion from the magnets on the case.
Let me know if your interested, I can get the exact model off amazon for you.

Hi Guys,
Maybe somebody can help. Got the Tablet a few days ago. Everything is Windows
Is it possible to hold Network and for example an audio stream when Tablet is in Standby (Energysave) whatever....screen off???
I can't find a way to do so....screen off....everything stops...hm. No further Options in Energyplan Menu....
Thanks in advance....

Open an elevated command prompt, and run 'powercfg /a' to see if Connected Standby is available as one of the sleep states (it should). Then, run 'powercfg /sleepstudy' to track battery drain. More info here,
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/hardware/dn495346(v=vs.85).aspx
If CS is available, then go into Device Manager | Network adapters, check Advanced tab to see if there's an option to keep connection alive during sleep (this should have been par for CS).
It could well be that drivers are still buggy, which would be kind of normal for these, being the first-run models. DVP8 had bunch of problems with CS.
Other powercfg options to check out,
powercfg /energy (report system energy use)
powercfg /batteryreport (history of battery usage)
Other cool things shown with /?.

Has anyone found a USB keyboard that works while booting? I'm specifically trying to go into safe mode so I can add hibernation to the power options, however when getting to the advanced boot section, none of my keyboards seem to recognize. They work fine in normal OS mode.
Think it may be a power issue or something similar?

Double tap to wake
I'm really liking this tablet. The screen size is just right and having full desktop experience when I need it is helpful.
The only thing that I'm missing is double tap to wake. I do not like the button placement for power/windows key and find it awkward and stiff to wake up...

keithhowe said:
I'm really liking this tablet. The screen size is just right and having full desktop experience when I need it is helpful.
The only thing that I'm missing is double tap to wake. I do not like the button placement for power/windows key and find it awkward and stiff to wake up...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Double tap to wake would be awesome... but i doubt we will see something like that on windows tablet

VivoTab note 8 virtualbox runing virtual machines
VivoTab note 8 virtualbox running virtual machines
so far its been really nice to run Linux even android on virtualbox has windows 8 touchscreen support and it makes it a little easier to use on windows 8 tablet and the full screen mode is cool if the Linux is lite it run really well makes it feel like is native install
Linux lite run like a baby
android also if config right many Linux distros run on this tab with virtualbox if config right just a tip

Stylus question
I just got my new AVTN8 yesterday and was hoping that the stylus would make it easier to use (I bought and returned the Toshiba Encore a few months ago) but I guess that I was spoiled by the Samsung S Pen.
Is there another compatible stylus out there that has some of that kind of functionality? I tend to take a lot of screenshots while researching various topics, so that would be my main usage.

Guys help please
Am confused between this and note 8.0
Im getting both for about the same price
Main thing im after's the stylus, samsung seems ahead here as i dont think the vivo has that many stylus based apps looking for input here my work s mostly writing , no fancy graphs or diagrams , just text
Again handling is a factor and it seems the vivos thinner and lighter
Im not familiar with the windows environment your input will be appreciated guys
I'm not after specs and notes and movies are all im gonna use it for
So guys help me out is it wise investing in the note or should i get the vivo? Hows the stylus front?

Doomrider said:
Am confused between this and note 8.0
Im getting both for about the same price
Main thing im after's the stylus, samsung seems ahead here as i dont think the vivo has that many stylus based apps looking for input here my work s mostly writing , no fancy graphs or diagrams , just text
Again handling is a factor and it seems the vivos thinner and lighter
Im not familiar with the windows environment your input will be appreciated guys
I'm not after specs and notes and movies are all im gonna use it for
So guys help me out is it wise investing in the note or should i get the vivo? Hows the stylus front?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Beyond both being 8" tablets with a wacom digitiser (the fancy schmancy stylus, samsung call it an S-Pen but it is just rebranded wacom gear) the 2 are almost entirely different.
The samsung galaxy note uses a Samsung Enoxys processor with the ARM instruction set running android. The vivotab note 8 is using an intel atom baytrail processor which uses the x86 instruction set and runs *full* windows 8.
Most phones and tablets do use ARM processors. Nothing unusual on that front for the galaxy note.
x86 processors are what you would tend to find in your laptop or desktop computer. The vivotab note is more or less a low end laptop ripped apart and put inside a tablet casing. It is just a normal windows 8 computer which just happens to have an 8" touchscreen on the front.
I'd say of the 2, the vivotab is the more powerful device, but windows doesnt quite have the full touch ecosystem available yet. It will do everything you want though, onenote is meant to be excellent with a stylus and for media playback you can get VLC on the windows store as a full touchscreen app or simply use iTunes or the full blown version of VLC or whatever other media software you have preferred on windows on the desktop interface. It also comes with microsoft office preinstalled for free, not just a trial version.
pros for the samsung would be that android from day 1 has always been touch based so all the apps in the ecosystem are of course touch based usually. S-Pen integration is good. Handwriting accuracy wont be very different from the vivotab particularly but you do get samsungs very good S-Note application.
Alot of computing stores have surface pro demo models on display, this also has the wacom pen so usage wise the vivotab and surface pro will be very similar except for the pro having a more powerful processor (for your needs, baytrail is fine) and bigger screen, see how you like windows 8 on a touch screen and go from there. You may have to ask staff for access to the pen, or if you own a samsung S-Pen device already the pen from that *should* work.

Is the Note Pro 12.2 for Me?

I'm in the market for a tablet (or possibly a Chromebook). I'm an editor of a website and need to be able to use it to work on my Wordpress site effectively so strong browser support and keyboard input is crucial.
I like the idea of an Android tablet as I own a Galaxy S4 and have a large collection of Android apps already. Thus, it would also start out with a nice collection of apps.
I'm a bit unclear as to the differences between the Tab Pro 12.2 and the Note Pro 12.2. They seem very alike except for the stylus. Clearly I'm missing something as that's not much to account for the price difference.
I have an iPad 2 and it's nice but I can't really work on it at all. It's too small to enjoy movies on and, sorry, it's Apple so it's too limited.
I'm also wondering about keyboards. If I got this way, should I get the Samsung keyboard, Logitech keyboard or some other keyboard? I'd like to find a very responsive keyboard. It would be an additional boon if it were also pretty quiet. My GF gets disturbed by late night typing on my desktop gaming keyboard.
I'm older so larger is better for my eyes. I'm at a point where I often pretty much need reading glasses for my S4 now.
For ages I was thinking I wanted a Transformer of some design but Asus seems to have fallen behind. Samsung seems to give me lots of potential breathing room.
Any input greatly appreciated. Thanks.

I'm pretty sure the Note Pro and Tab Pro are identical except for the S-Pen and wacom digitizer that powers it. Absolutely if you don't need pen input for notes or drawing then get the Tab.
You can use just about any Bluetooth keyboard with the Pro 12.2. I've had no trouble with several Logitech and Microsoft BT keyboards. I haven't used any of the made-for Note 12.2 keyboards.
My personal fave keyboard is the Logitech K810. It feels excellent for typing, has backlit keys and can instantly switch between 3 different devices.Its very quiet too- keys feel really nice.
Honestly though, if you really want the best laptop style experience, personally I'd opt for a decent lightweight x86 laptop vs a tablet. I'm not crazy about chromebooks though. I'd personally take the Note 12.2 over a chromebook any day, but that's just me.

Thanks. I keep thinking about a laptop but wonder about battery life, weight and the lack of instant-on, etc. I have my desktop always on so x86 isn't a problem. I saw the Tab Pro 12.2 at Best Buy today (they didn't have the Note Pro 12.2) and the size was fine.
However, on your keyboard issue. My concern is that I would like it to be connected so that it can act as a solid laptop replacement. It sounds like you use yours, say, around the house? Not sure how comfortable I'd be transporting two devices like that.

Years ago I'd loathe the thought of converting to Mac but I gotta tell ya, the retina macbook pros are pretty sweet in regards to battery life and instant on . . .
Agree with Zaptoons. Mobile platforms are always a compromise. I have to wonder if you'll be able to do the Wordpress work on Android, though I do see that there are apps for it.

muzzy996 said:
Years ago I'd loathe the thought of converting to Mac but I gotta tell ya, the retina macbook pros are pretty sweet in regards to battery life and instant on . . .
Agree with Zaptoons. Mobile platforms are always a compromise. I have to wonder if you'll be able to do the Wordpress work on Android, though I do see that there are apps for it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
On the Mac, that might be a bit out of the price range for this purchase. I also really despise Apple on too many fronts. I recommend them highly and readily -- just not for me so far, but I will continue to refresh the thinking.
On Wordpress work, it really comes down to the capability of the browser. As long as it supports a solid browser experience, I should be okay. I hit Best Buy today to see if the 12.2 would be "too big" and it wasn't. I loaded the browser and it seemed to be solid. I just wasn't comfortable logging into Wordpress though. No idea about stored accounts, etc.

I hear you on the mac.
Definition of solid performance is subjective, you realize that right?
Let's put it this way; unless there's a tablet specific application to do what you need to on wordpress then nothing other than screen size is going to differ between the Note Pro and your s4. The browsers are going to be about the same.
Sent from my SM-P900 using Tapatalk

Leading up to the launch of the Note Pro 12.2 I was eager to get one. Then I stopped by Best Buy and, on a whim, picked up the Acer C720P Chromebook. For a third the cost it doesn't have as big, high resolution or bright of a screen as the Note Pro but it has served me well for everything I need in a mobile device. I even stopped using my Note 10.1 OG. Notice I said mobile device. The Acer has typically given me a solid 7 hours of batter life which is amazing.
Having said that...if you are worried about needing reading glasses and want more screen real estate, the Note Pro might be your path. Though, with a higher resolution type is smaller at normal zoom. You can simply zoom in for bigger text.
If WordPress is your thing, the Chromebook will handle that with no issues. It is a browser afterall.
I'm still contemplating the Note Pro but it is not at the top of my wish list since I purchased the Chromebook. At first it was weird to get used to but it is second nature now and the added offline support for most of the Google apps has sealed the deal for me.
Just my two cents.

Again, great info from all. My thoughts:
1. I haven't had good luck with Android Wordpress apps. To me, they're all a kludge. However, that doesn't mean you can't be productive with Wordpress on Android. The limitation on my S4 is real estate. The browser seems to work fine but I can't be effective with the size of the screen or the keyboard. I suspect a larger screen would work. In part I was hoping I'd get lucky and find another Wordpress user who happened to have luck (or no luck) on this device or a similar one.
2. I have a bit of a klunky Chromebook. A while back I installed Chrome on a eePC -- an entry level Asus T100 or something like that. It's a horrible piece of HARDWARE. I have zero issues with the OS itself and it feels very natural to me. However, I have this haunting feeling that Chrome itself is becoming a dinosaur. As Android continues to prosper, it's dwarfing Chrome to such a point that, I suspect, Android will evolve into being an OS we can use on any device. Maybe I'm missing something entirely about its potential, but that's my thinking. There isn't much going on in the development world for it compared to Android where there's exponentially more options.
Right now, having seen it, I'm concerned about ease of keyboard use (physical). Given the top-heavy design of the tablet having most of the weight, using it on my lap looks pretty impossible. The right keyboard seems an issue too. Samsung's has those raised edges that, I suspect my wrists will want to sit on (ouch). Logitech's keyboard sounds great except for the fact that most of the reviews of it contain horror stories of the Note Pro falling out of its clasps. The other options are all poorly reviewed.
Asus has the combo Android/Windows device but its not all that impressive. Heck, I'd rather it was an Android/Chrome device. hehe

It also appears as if the hybrid options from Asus are cancelled due to pressure from both Google and Microsoft. hehe Neither their Duet or Trio looked all that impressive (lousy battery life, Android 4.2, low resolution, average screens).

Update please
Agrajag27 said:
I'm in the market for a tablet (or possibly a Chromebook). I'm an editor of a website and need to be able to use it to work on my Wordpress site effectively so strong browser support and keyboard input is crucial.
I like the idea of an Android tablet as I own a Galaxy S4 and have a large collection of Android apps already. Thus, it would also start out with a nice collection of apps.
I'm a bit unclear as to the differences between the Tab Pro 12.2 and the Note Pro 12.2. They seem very alike except for the stylus. Clearly I'm missing something as that's not much to account for the price difference.
I have an iPad 2 and it's nice but I can't really work on it at all. It's too small to enjoy movies on and, sorry, it's Apple so it's too limited.
I'm also wondering about keyboards. If I got this way, should I get the Samsung keyboard, Logitech keyboard or some other keyboard? I'd like to find a very responsive keyboard. It would be an additional boon if it were also pretty quiet. My GF gets disturbed by late night typing on my desktop gaming keyboard.
I'm older so larger is better for my eyes. I'm at a point where I often pretty much need reading glasses for my S4 now.
For ages I was thinking I wanted a Transformer of some design but Asus seems to have fallen behind. Samsung seems to give me lots of potential breathing room.
Any input greatly appreciated.
Which way did u decide to go? I'd love to know your thoughts!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

The only difference is the stylus really. If you plan to be taking this to meetings or digitize any part of your handwriting, then the NOTE pro is the device to get, as the TAB pro has no stylus and thus does not specialize itself in taking handwritten notes. I got the wifi version, im satisfied, although probably the LTE snapdragon version may be slightly snappier. If samsung decides to offer some decent customer support in terms of software then overall this will be a good buy. Other than thati find battery life great. I havent used keyboards yet, however if you plan to be using this at a desk u will find the extra screen size v v useful vs the 10 inches. If u plan to be holding it in bed a lot, it could get some time to get used to,but i did. Multi window is v useful in making the experience more windows like and enhances productivity. Browser support is good but not quite the pc levels yet.
You could not investigate surface pro 3 vs this one.
Sent from my Nexus 5 using XDA Free mobile app

nesx87 said:
The only difference is the stylus really. If you plan to be taking this to meetings or digitize any part of your handwriting, then the pro is the device to get.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
They both are called Pro. You meant to say Note Pro if using S pen for note taking. I think there is also difference in RAM, Note Pro has 3Gb, Tab Pro has 2.

ddavtian said:
They both are called Pro. You meant to say Note Pro if using S pen for note taking. I think there is also difference in RAM, Note Pro has 3Gb, Tab Pro has 2.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Edited and clarified. Thanks
Sent from my Nexus 5 using XDA Free mobile app

Girl527 said:
I'm also wondering about keyboards. If I got this way, should I get the Samsung keyboard, Logitech keyboard or some other keyboard? I'd like to find a very responsive keyboard. It would be an additional boon if it were also pretty quiet. My GF gets disturbed by late night typing on my desktop gaming keyboard.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I went with the Note Pro 12.2. I'm very glad I did. Here are same random observations:
1. It's not quite as "polished" as an iPad but it is more flexible in use. I'll take that any day.
2. The size is excellent. Very good for watching a film at the airport, etc.
3. Google seems to be the worst thing about the device. Limitations I find all lead to them at the end. For example, Chrome (the browser) is a cheap imitation of its cousins on PC and Chromebooks. It doesn't do spell checking well, it has odd bugs like opening tabs by using the keyboard. Hit CTRL-T and you'll have to sometimes do it twice to get a new tab and then you get two. Google also doesn't give devs a way to re-assign mouse buttons should you use a bluetooth mouse for a bit of laptop-replacement work. That gets a bit strange as the right mouse button doesn't bring up options (like you get when you hold a screen link or item on the touchscreen) but instead acts like the back button on the device. Doh.
4. The keyboards are all a mixed bag. The Zagg is okay but has annoying raised corners than your hands sit on when typing and its also a bit cheap feeling and not very responsive. The Samsung keyboard isn't really a case. It's more like a snap-on cover that's entirely unconnected when used as a keyboard It just lets the tablet sit at an angle in it which makes it tough to use in bed, for example. It also has the same terrible raised corners. The Logitech is the best of the lot. Quiet, well laid-out and robust. However, it too has its own had-banging issues. You can't reassign its macro keys so if you use a different mail app, tough. Hitting the Mail button will bring up Gmail. The Browser button has an annoying bug that forces you to ALWAYS select which browser you'd like to use no matter how many times you "set the default browser". It also lacks the keyboard app Logitech provides for ALL their other similar keyboards including one made for the Tab 10.1. Go figure. Their own support reps don't even understand this.
Regardless, I'm an old quality assurance professional so I can be very opinionated and a perfectionist so this is a very short list of gripes from me. I still wouldn't own anything else given what I've tried and seen. Very happy customer so far. Having access to all my Android apps is great. I just wish Google would look at Android as a complete OS and stop limiting it to just a hand-held-type OS. Give it a FULL version of Chrome. In fact, just dump the fairly useless Chromium OS and put your efforts into this.

Great info!
Agrajag27 said:
I went with the Note Pro 12.2. I'm very glad I did. Here are same random observations:
1. It's not quite as "polished" as an iPad but it is more flexible in use. I'll take that any day.
2. The size is excellent. Very good for watching a film at the airport, etc.
3. Google seems to be the worst thing about the device. Limitation I find all find them at the end. For example, Chrome (the browser) is a cheap imitation of its cousins on nearly the PC and Chrome books. It doesn't do spell checking well, it has odd bugs like opening tabs by using the keyboard. Hit CTRL-T and you'll have to sometimes do it twice to get a new tab and then you get two. Google also doesn't give devs a way to re-assign mouse buttons should you use a bluetooth mouse for a bit of laptop-replacement work. That gets a bit strange as the right mouse button doesn't bring up options (like you get when you hold a screen link or item on the touchscreen) but instead acts like the back button on the device. Doh.
4. The keyboards are all a mixed bag. The Zagg is okay but has annoying raised corners than your hands sit on when typing and its also a bit cheap feeling and not very responsive. The Samsung keyboard isn't really a case. It's more like a snap-on cover that's entirely unconnected when used as a keyboard It just lets the tablet sit at an angle in it which makes it tough to use in bed, for example. It also has the same terrible raised corners. The Logitech is the best of the lot. Quiet, well laid-out and robust. However, it too has its own had-banging issues. You can't reassign its macro keys so if you use a different mail app, tough. Hitting the Mail button will bring up Gmail. The Browser button has an annoying bug that forces you to ALWAYS select which browser you'd like to use no matter how many times you "set the default browser". It also lacks the keyboard app Logitech provides for ALL their other similar keyboards including one made for the Tab 10.1. Go figure. Their own support reps don't even understand this.
Regardless, I'm an old quality assurance professional so I can be very opinionated and a perfectionist so this is a very short list of gripes from me. I still wouldn't own anything else given what I've tried and see. Very happy customer so far. Having access to all my Android apps is great. I just wish Google would look at Android as a complete OS and stop limiting it to just a hand-held-type OS. Give it a FULL version of Chrome. In fact, just dump the fairly useless Chromium OS and put your efforts into this.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Awesome information! Thanks for taking the time to share your impressions. I'm having a difficult time pulling the trigger on this purchase (why??) and your opinion helps a bunch! Thanks again!

Will you be upgrading to the new Note Tablet (Chromebook)?

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?
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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
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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)