• Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.

Windows 8 Tablets/Laptops/Laplets Cross Shopping Thread of Most Confusing Launch |OT|

jonremedy

Member
According to the Anandtech Surface RT review, where he managed to get a hold of an Atom tablet as well, the Atom tablets will have anywhere between a 20 to 50 percent performance advantage over the Tegra 3 tablets... How they compare to S4-based tablets is still uncertain. Unless Atom tablets have something like 6 hour battery life and gets ridiculously hot (something I doubt) they will be a way better buy than most RT-tablets...
 

scently

Member
Well just pulled the trigger on the Acer W700 with 128GB SSD. $999. Also ordered a Western Digital 2tb passport and a micro hdmi cable. Now I can finally get rid of my terrible laptop and my ipad. Can't wait.
 

Windu

never heard about the cat, apparently
According to the Anandtech Surface RT review, where he managed to get a hold of an Atom tablet as well, the Atom tablets will have anywhere between a 20 to 50 percent performance advantage over the Tegra 3 tablets... How they compare to S4-based tablets is still uncertain. Unless Atom tablets have something like 6 hour battery life and gets ridiculously hot (something I doubt) they will be a way better buy than most RT-tablets...
all the OEMs are saying around 8 hrs for atom tablets.
 

strata8

Member
XPS 12 reviewed by NotebookCheck

db642721ed.jpg


86%
 

strata8

Member
Any reviews for the Acer w700 yet? These Surface RT reviews aren't selling me on anything running RT

Not yet. You could get an Atom-based machine which is 30-50% faster than the RT devices, has similar battery life and thickness, runs x86 programs and costs about the same.
 
Not yet. You could get an Atom-based machine which is 30-50% faster than the RT devices, has similar battery life and thickness, runs x86 programs and costs about the same.

Probably going to wait until the dust settles on all of these machines before deciding. The w700 just has my curiosity piqued the most
 

strata8

Member
64GB Acer W510 /w dock: $750
32GB Surface /w cover + 32GB mSD: $630

Is it worth a $120 premium for an Atom and keyboard dock, considering the build quality is probably a lot worse?
 

Ghost

Chili Con Carnage!
64GB Acer W510 /w dock: $750
32GB Surface /w cover + 32GB mSD: $630

Is it worth a $120 premium for an Atom and keyboard dock, considering the build quality is probably a lot worse?


It's easily worth it just to not be running RT. But still worth waiting for the Atom reviews I would say.
 

popeutlal

Member
Hardware for RT turned out to be disappointing.

Surface and Yoga 11 use the older version of Tegra 3 (T30), Dell XPS 10 uses Snapdragon S3. Only RT tablet with somewhat powerful SoC is Samsung, they're using the Snapdragon 4 SoC. But no price or release date for that tab.
 

jonremedy

Member
Hardware for RT turned out to be disappointing.

Surface and Yoga 11 use the older version of Tegra 3 (T30), Dell XPS 10 uses Snapdragon S3. Only RT tablet with somewhat powerful SoC is Samsung, they're using the Snapdragon 4 SoC. But no price or release date for that tab.

You sure that's not just Dell being ignorant about their own products?

EDIT: I found a link from Dell saying it's an S4 (probably APQ8060A like the Samsung) in the XPS 10: http://en.community.dell.com/dell-b...ts-new-win-8-systems-available-for-order.aspx
 

KoukiFC

Neo Member
I don't understand why manufacturers are using the Tegra 3. Isn't the S4 Plus better in almost every aspect?

At least we'll get some awesome games with the Tegra Zone. The Tegra 3 can easily run GTA 3 on Android, so I think we'll see some sweet Xbox Live games.
 
I don't understand why manufacturers are using the Tegra 3. Isn't the S4 Plus better in almost every aspect?

I'm sure dLMN8R will correct me, if I'm wrong, but Windows RT is not something OEMs can pick and put on their devices. RT is a highly controlled environment and was (or will be) optimized for certain SoCs, much like Windows Phone. And they had to pick something that was available (and cheap) at the time when they started the optimizations. Same reason Windows Phone launched with the old ass Snapdragon, when everyone else already moved on.
 
I'm sure dLMN8R will correct me, if I'm wrong, but Windows RT is not something OEMs can pick and put on their devices. RT is a highly controlled environment and was (or will be) optimized for certain SoCs, much like Windows Phone. And they had to pick something that was available (and cheap) at the time when they started the optimizations. Same reason Windows Phone launched with the old ass Snapdragon, when everyone else already moved on.

That said, aren't some RT tablets using the S4 Plus already? Given the S4 Product Line, it seems like you would want things better than the S4 Plus (like S4 Pro which has Quad-core) to really make the OS scream.
 
Honestly I don't know why you would get any convertible other than the Taichi.

Sony VAIO Duo 11" = $1200 2.9lbs (non-adjustable screen/no trackpad)
Dell XPS DUO 12" = $1200 3.35lbs
Lenovo Ideapad Yoga 13" = $1100 3.4lbs (only 900p display)
Asus Taichi 11" = $1300 2.75lbs

The Taichi is the thinnest and lightest of the convertibles.

I'm probably going to get the Taichi because the Transformer Book 13.3" is just a little too big for a tablet in my opinion. And the 13.3" Transformer Book starts at $1,400.
 
Yup. Buy an ultrabook at that point.

If I were to buy just an ultrabook, then I can't use most of the apps and games in the Windows Store that were built for touch. That means I have to buy both an ultrabook and a tablet. How is that better than just buying the Taichi which is no bigger or heavier than the best ultrabooks on the market?

Let's say I go for the cheapest Core-based tablet on the market

Acer W700 $800 (for a Core i3 weaker than Taichi)

And then my choice of high end 1080p IvyBridge ultrabooks comes down to:
Acer Aspire S7 $1400
Asus Zenbook Prime UX21A $1000+


With Taichi for $1300 I get a 1080p Core i5 tablet and ultrabook with pen support. And it's no thicker or heavier than most ultrabooks. If I want both a high end ultrabook and tablet this seems like the cheapest way to get both. And I really dislike the idea of owning both a tablet and an ultrabook. I really just want one device that does both with good performance.
 
IMO its an ultrabook fake itself its onto the "tablet" bangwagon. Last time I called it a fake tablet I got yelled at by people.

I'm ok with convertibles, i can see quite a few uses for taichi for instance...

But the sony duo seems to be one of those cases where an artist came up with a nice looking design that's different just because they wanted something different and the company decided to actually release it without a single person testing it XD

It's not good to use as a tablet, obviously, and is not a good laptop either (cramped keyboard, no adjusting of the screen angle like you can on pretty much laptop)...

And then there are some compromises that alternatives don't usually have:

- The hinge mechanism seems overly complicated (and seems to be there just to be different as it provides no extra usefulness) and looks like anything could get stuck into that XD In short it just don't look any durable...

- The battery seems small compared to other ultrabooks, and reviews reported as being 1 hour or more below the average.

- There's no slot for keeping the pen...


I could go on, but my point is clear... It looks like a failure on a design stand point.
 
If Asus isn't going to release an 11" Transformer Book then my only other choice is a Samsung ATIV 700T ($1200)

And you tell me which of these is more attractive:

Samsung ATIV Pro 700T:
31Fij8ydUZL._AA300_.jpg
= 3.5lbs (2lbs tablet only) || 22mm thick

Asus Taichi 21:
taichi2x.jpg
= 2.75lbs || 4.8mm-17.5mm thick

Granted I expect the ATIV has better battery life, but is it really more portable and better designed? Same performance and specs out of these two machines.
 
Honestly I don't know why you would get any convertible other than the Taichi.

Sony VAIO Duo 11" = $1200 2.9lbs (non-adjustable screen/no trackpad)
Dell XPS DUO 12" = $1200 3.35lbs
Lenovo Ideapad Yoga 13" = $1100 3.4lbs (only 900p display)
Asus Taichi 11" = $1300 2.75lbs

The Taichi is the thinnest and lightest of the convertibles.

I'm probably going to get the Taichi because the Transformer Book 13.3" is just a little too big for a tablet in my opinion. And the 13.3" Transformer Book starts at $1,400.

Four words: Active Pressure Sensitive Pen
 

Gray Man

Banned
So if I'm looking to get a TABLET, and not a laptop what is the best windows 8 tablet I could get?

Also did anyone read the Surface review on Gizmodo? Pretty awful revie.
 
So if I'm looking to get a TABLET, and not a laptop what is the best windows 8 tablet I could get?

Also did anyone read the Surface review on Gizmodo? Pretty awful revie.

Near launch, I'm gonna have to say Samsung 7H Slate/ATIV Smart PC Pro: Sub 2 lbs, 11.6" 1080p IPS, Wacom pen, 128GB SSD/4GB of RAM, Core i5 Ivy Bridge LV 1.7GHz.
 
Ughh the wait for haswell is a brutal one. Just finished watching like 20 mins worth of hands on stuff of different devices. I just keep saying to myself the bump is worth it.

Must stay strong.
 
Top Bottom