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Windows 8 Tablets/Laptops/Laplets Cross Shopping Thread of Most Confusing Launch |OT|
- Thread starter tino
- Start date
Pretty detailed overview that includes games: http://liliputing.com/2013/11/asus-transformer-book-t100-review-return-netbook-detachable-tablet.html
This video shows some games (Diablo 3, Starcraft II, Torchlight, ARMA Tactics, World of Warcraft, Halo Spartan Assault): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_TvIEVoykEo
I've tried stuff beyond that- Got SSF4 Arcade Edition running at 60 FPS with everything on low, except for medium models and high detail backgrounds (and the lowest res setting possible, but it still looks good on the small screen!). Just plug in a controller and you're set.
Also got Skullgirls running at 720P/60 FPS with 3D backgrounds off. Older stuff like Outrun 2006 Coast 2 Coast runs at higher detail settings at 720P/60 FPS.
And games with touch screen control options like Pac-Man CE DX work perfectly on this thing. It's fantastic.
Here's some more gaming on the T100 vids:
http://www.transformerforums.com/fo...-t100/39536-gaming-transformer-book-t100.html
The great thing about the UI is that you can pin all kinds of things. If you open a website in IE you can pin the website (right mouse button and then select pin).
It's not limited to websites, either. Tons of apps let you pin content to the start page. E.g. in a news reader like News Bento you can pin specific news sources. In Maps you can pin locations, in music apps you might be able to pin playlists.
If you also run regular Windows software on the PC you can also use programs like oblytile to make tiles for shortcuts yourself (e.g. pin the shortcut to a a PC game).
Anton Sugar
Member
I'm not sure how up to date the OP is, so...what is comparable to the Surface 2, in terms of price and quality? My bro is looking for a solid college laptop and has his eye on the Surface, but if there's something that does the same for less, he probably wouldn't be too picky.
SonofdonCD
Member
I can't get too much into details, but I JUST got back home from buying the Asus Transformer Book T100. It is a 10" tablet/Notebook with the keyboard included, and it also includes a free copy of MS Office Home & Student 2013. Right now you can get them from Best Buy @ $300, and it comes with a $25 Windows Store gift card, and a free copy of Webroot Secure Anywhere Anti-Virus. It is 32 GB, but you can always get a 64GB MicroSD card or external hard drive. Lastly, but most importantly, it runs FULL Windows (8.1, in particular
I'm installing everything now, and letting it charge a bit, so I'll give more impressions as I get them.
EDIT: Wow, Best Buy gave me a key for a software starter pack, which has 10 different software products. Three of which are:
Total War - Rome II, GRID 2 & CIV V.
I was NOT expecting this!
but it's not all smooth sailing. I can't for the life of me figure out how to access my MS account on it.
When you say MS account you just mean the email/password? For me it worked correctly, but one point of confusion is that the email I use for notifications is one email and the account used for it is another. I'm using a throwaway msn or hotmail account for mine, so is it possible that only MS email accounts work?
Anton Sugar
Member
Ha, coincidentally, I was just looking at the T100...it may be a good fit for him. He's not crazy about having a premium product and the T100 has pretty solid reviews, too. Your description sounds great--I wonder if he can get that same software pack...
SonofdonCD
Member
I'd suggest you go to Best Buy and see. I'm not sure how long the deal will last.
And I figured out the problem, and it was so stupid: the date was wrong!!! I never thought I would need to manually alter the date, nor that it would not let me log into my MS account.
Installed Steam, but haven't tried many games yet. Tried Braid and Bastion, and they both ran okay. I still need to order a 64GB MicroSD card, as some of the games I wanna test are large, and this is the 32GB T100.
So far, I'm very glad I bought it. The keyboard is gonna take a little bit of time to adjust to, mainly the small size and placement of the right shift button, but otherwise I'm happy with it. Still worlds better than using the on-screen keyboard. The screen itself is good, but I have no hatred for less than "Retina" resolutions. It takes hours for this thing to charge, but it's not like you need to leave it off or alone for it to do so. The touchpad is wonky. When it works, it works okay, if a little jerky. But sometime last night, it stopped working entirely. It might have to do with the docking mechanism. You have to make sure you really push it in tight. Otherwise the keyboard might not work. Haven't tried to use the USB 3 port on the keyboard. I'll try my Xbox 360 wired controller soon.
I will need to get some kind of travel case for it. I will also need a mini HDMI wire to try out using an external monitor.
If anyone has any other questions, ask away.
Just as a heads up (as there are both mini and micro HDMIs) it's the micro you'll want.
I got a cheap one through Amazon and it works well.
I have the same problem with the keyboard. It seems less common now, but I'm not sure if that's just because I'm more careful not to separate the two. If the keyboard stops working just separate and redock and you should be good to go.
Hey guys, I'm trying to put together a list of Steam games that work on Win8 tabs and are "touch friendly" meaning they can be played easily with out keyboard or mouse. If you have any games that you've tried take a look at this thread and let me know any specifics. Considering Steam has a HUGE collection of games my list is pretty pathetic so I could really use the help.
I noticed this thread is kinda dead, but I hope someone can help.
My boyfriend is looking for a ~11" Windows 8 tablet to replace both his iPad 2 and his extremely outdated laptop. He uses his iPad mostly for convenient on-the-couch browsing/twittering and occasionally takes it with him on press events for note-taking and writing articles in the train. He only uses his laptop at home, to play Roller Coaster Tycoon on it and sometimes browse the internet.
His budget is ~700-900 euro max for a tablet + a typecover. He was considering one of the following tablets:
So it kinda goes around in circles. Anyone who has experience with the Venue 11 Pro i3 version? It is absolutely perfect for what he needs, but if those rumors about performance issues and bad build quality are true, I think he'll be better off with an other tablet (but... which one?)
Thanks for your help!
My boyfriend is looking for a ~11" Windows 8 tablet to replace both his iPad 2 and his extremely outdated laptop. He uses his iPad mostly for convenient on-the-couch browsing/twittering and occasionally takes it with him on press events for note-taking and writing articles in the train. He only uses his laptop at home, to play Roller Coaster Tycoon on it and sometimes browse the internet.
His budget is ~700-900 euro max for a tablet + a typecover. He was considering one of the following tablets:
- Venue 8 Pro: perfect for what he needs, but the screen is just way too small unfortunately.
- Venue 11 Pro: same as Venue 8 Pro but larger screen size, so perfect, right? Well yeah, but he wants the 128GB (i3) version instead of the 64GB (Atom) version, but that model apparently sucks (really terrible build quality, OS freezes all the time, stuff like that).
- Asus Transformer T100: this one is quite similar to the Venue 11 Pro 64gb version, but ~200 cheaper and including a keyboard. The Asus T100 is a great machine considering its price, but that's the thing. He would rather pay some extra money for something that is a little more durable and powerful. After all, it will replace both his iPad ánd his laptop. Also, he wants a typecover and not the weird dock thingie that comes with the Asus.
- Microsoft Surface Pro 1 or 2: So then it came down to one of these two. He would rather get the Surface 2 then, but that one is way too expensive. So he's thinking about the Surface Pro 1 now, but he's worried about the size and weight of it. The Venue Pro 11 seems to be the better option if he had to choose, because the Venue is smaller and lighter (and apart from that, quite similar to the Surface).
So it kinda goes around in circles. Anyone who has experience with the Venue 11 Pro i3 version? It is absolutely perfect for what he needs, but if those rumors about performance issues and bad build quality are true, I think he'll be better off with an other tablet (but... which one?)
Thanks for your help!
The reason this thread is kind of dying is that the market/niche is getting confusing. I don't know what new model to put into my chart any more.
Your post pretty much have all the new options for the new year.
Neither inter nor MS is pushing a new specific light laptop platform. And none of the 8" non-ipad are getting a hard keyboard, what the fuck is wrong with that?
Maybe Apple will announce the "iPad Pro" soon to excite the market.
Your post pretty much have all the new options for the new year.
Neither inter nor MS is pushing a new specific light laptop platform. And none of the 8" non-ipad are getting a hard keyboard, what the fuck is wrong with that?
Maybe Apple will announce the "iPad Pro" soon to excite the market.
There are some newly announced devices that might fit the bill.
The Asus Transformerbook Duet might be an option. Starts at $600 with a Core i3. http://liliputing.com/2014/01/hands-asus-transformer-book-duet-quad-mode-androidwindows-pc.html
Also, there's a similar HP with an i3: http://liliputing.com/2014/01/hp-launches-pro-x2-windows-tablet-with-a-keyboard.html
And Lenovo has the Miix 11; another Haswell device starting at $600: http://liliputing.com/2014/01/lenovo-introduces-miix-2-windows-tablet-with-10-11-inch-screens.html
The Miix 11 might be quite interesting. 11.6" Full HD screen.
Is he set on a tablet? There might be some alternatives when you expand the search to convertibles.
Some of the devices that were unveiled at CES this week:
Here's the Vaio Flip 11a: http://liliputing.com/2014/01/closer-look-sony-vaio-flip-11a-convertible-tablet-digital-pen.html (starts at 800 for the Atom version; no idea how much more the Core version will be but it'll probably be quite a bit more). Some new slider: http://liliputing.com/2014/01/hands-on-with-lgs-tab-book2-slider-pc.html (no idea how much it'll be). An HP 2-in-1 with a slightly faster Atom: http://liliputing.com/2014/01/hands-hp-pavilion-x2-11-6-inch-2-1-tablet.html.
For opinions on the Venue 11, check the forum at tabletpcreview.com. There are quite a few people who have that device.
Wow, thanks for your help!
Maybe I should've mentioned that we're from Europe (and on top of that, mainland), so most of those devices probably won't make it here in a long time and they'll be a lot more expensive if they do come over. That new Asus Transformerbook sounds great, but it's just a bit too bulky because of the keyboard dock thing. He needs something lightweight and portable, so convertibles are a no-go unfortunately
.Apparently my dad bought a Venue Pro 11 last week (I had no idea lol) so I guess it's time for some father in law - son in law bonding
. He's going to take a look again at the Venue (thanks for that forum link). We think it's the best option for him so hopefully the issues that people have with it are solved by now or are isolated cases.Thanks again for your input! Much appreciated!
Thread's kind of inactive, but I'll throw the question out anyway.
I'm about to jump into Uni again, and the laptop I've been using for the past five years really isn't up to the demands of me carting it to and from campus. Plus the thing sounds like a jet and has a tendency to scald the hand of whoever sits next to the air vent.
The work I'd do consists of coding and software development. Most of the time this isn't intensive, just database / web / text application stuff. But I'll also want to be using Unity 3D quite a lot, as a few of my courses involve games and besides that my hobby at the moment is making games.
I know that the ASUS Transformer seems to run games pretty well, but has anyone tried running Unity 3D from a developer environment? I can't really find much anecdotal stuff elsewhere on the internet, and besides it's hard to search for "unity 3d" + device because most people want to ask if Unity can make games FOR a device, not ON one.
Firsthand experience would be great, but I understand that I'm asking a pretty niche question.
I'm about to jump into Uni again, and the laptop I've been using for the past five years really isn't up to the demands of me carting it to and from campus. Plus the thing sounds like a jet and has a tendency to scald the hand of whoever sits next to the air vent.
The work I'd do consists of coding and software development. Most of the time this isn't intensive, just database / web / text application stuff. But I'll also want to be using Unity 3D quite a lot, as a few of my courses involve games and besides that my hobby at the moment is making games.
I know that the ASUS Transformer seems to run games pretty well, but has anyone tried running Unity 3D from a developer environment? I can't really find much anecdotal stuff elsewhere on the internet, and besides it's hard to search for "unity 3d" + device because most people want to ask if Unity can make games FOR a device, not ON one.
Firsthand experience would be great, but I understand that I'm asking a pretty niche question.
While I have a Transformer T100, I am not a game developer so I don't have Unity on it. However, I did some googling and found this article which has this to say about Bay Trail tablets:
That article snippet is good info - thanks.
I'm thinking maybe a full laptop might be a bit more appropriate than a W8 tablet, but I'm so sick of carrying these hulking, two hour long batter life, machines with me.
I am having flashbacks of spending 30+ minutes opening large projects on my old laptop though. As far as Uni's concerned, the games we'll be making this year are pretty simple, so I'll probably be fine buying something similar to the Bay Trails tablet.
I'm thinking maybe a full laptop might be a bit more appropriate than a W8 tablet, but I'm so sick of carrying these hulking, two hour long batter life, machines with me.
I am having flashbacks of spending 30+ minutes opening large projects on my old laptop though. As far as Uni's concerned, the games we'll be making this year are pretty simple, so I'll probably be fine buying something similar to the Bay Trails tablet.
I use a wedge, which is a good bit wider, and it seems like the minimum that I would be able to use without major frustration.
I can't imagine wanting to use a physical keyboard the size of the Venue 8 Pro.
LukasTaves
Member
If you are interested in i5 tablets, they are capable of running unity editor quite well. Granted, they aren't as thin as atom tablets, nor will they have the same battery life, but it should be an improvement to an old laptop, specially regarding loading times due to SSD.
I'm thinking the Surface Pro 2 might be what I'm looking for. The thing costs, like, twice as much as the T100 ($600aud v $1100aud, give or take), but I think it might be more suited to stuff that requires a stronger cpu / gpu.
I'd love to hear anyone's anecdotal impressions on the surface pro 2. Especially as it relates to game performance (nothing too crazy, probably literally only DOTA 2 since it's the only game I'd play in my University's environment)
My sister just bought a T100, so I might go and have a fiddle with it before I make my decision. I'll try installing Unity and having a mess around with the project.
I'd love to hear anyone's anecdotal impressions on the surface pro 2. Especially as it relates to game performance (nothing too crazy, probably literally only DOTA 2 since it's the only game I'd play in my University's environment)
My sister just bought a T100, so I might go and have a fiddle with it before I make my decision. I'll try installing Unity and having a mess around with the project.
I'd like to know this as well
The Venue 8 Pro is still a great choice. The choice hasn't changed much since the holidays. The only difference is that now there are two new 8" options. There's the Asus VivoTab 8 and the 8" Lenovo Thinkpad Tablet. The Asus might be better than the Dell if youvalue stylus input, since it has a Wacom digitizer, but you probably can't find it as cheap as the Dell. The Thinkpad is probably the nicer machine (with a higher-res display), but it costs significantly more.
They didn't show anything at CES. The Venue 8 Pro's only been out for a few months, so I wouldn't expect an updated model until the end of the year.
Look to the Lenovo ThinkPad 8 if you want a Bay Trail, Quad-Core 8-incher. Same performance as recently released 11 inch tablets that run on an Atom platform (like the Dell Venue 11 Pro), but with no stylus support. Or wait a little while of the Asus VivoTab Note 8. It's on the same platform as the Venue 8 Pro, but with a Wacom stylus included.
The ThinkPad 8 64GB (its only configuration at the moment) is only $80 more than the Venue Pro 8 64GB, but, as you say, with a higher-res display and a faster processor. Not too bad if you want the extra performance.
Of course, the Dell Venue Pro 8 is also on sale right now on MicroCenter's website for $100 off MSRP, so that's certainly hard to ignore.
Huh...the Thinkpad 8 looks pretty good. Now it is a tough choice. The stylus stuff is not really that important to me but the Wacom stuff should make it a good upgrade if that needs arises for me.
A shame that both the Venue 8 Pro an Thinkpad 8 are a little expensive in the UK but they are pretty damn new. Not sure if I will wait a little bit or just bite the bullet.
Jazzy Network
Member
Any good and cheap wireless storage options for my Omni 10? The 10 GB free out of the 32 is terrible. Even adding a 64GB SD card is annoying and a hassle if I have to switch them out constantly. I'm not a big fan of cloud storage either.
What's the consensus on hp omni 10? I'm considering buying one, since there is a shop selling it for 340.
I've been holding out on tablets for a long time, waiting for an affordable full hd win8 tablet to get released (in my case up to 400). Other than the small harddrive it seems perfect for my needs, given that it works well with a bluetooth keyboard.
How does this thing handle 2D indie games (guacamelee, spelunky, dont starve etc)? Is the additional memory from a sd card fast enough for games?
I've been holding out on tablets for a long time, waiting for an affordable full hd win8 tablet to get released (in my case up to 400). Other than the small harddrive it seems perfect for my needs, given that it works well with a bluetooth keyboard.
How does this thing handle 2D indie games (guacamelee, spelunky, dont starve etc)? Is the additional memory from a sd card fast enough for games?
Those who have a Surface (RT/Pro, 1 or 2), I urge you to check out this Kickstarter for this really cool cover:
FreedomCase Kickstarter
It's everything I ever wanted from a cover. I think it has 7 viewing angles, room for typecover, a stylus holder so you can charge the Surface and still have it hold the stylus, it's light and thin... And it looks pretty slick to boot.
Just pledged for the leather version, can't wait to get my hands on this.
FreedomCase Kickstarter
It's everything I ever wanted from a cover. I think it has 7 viewing angles, room for typecover, a stylus holder so you can charge the Surface and still have it hold the stylus, it's light and thin... And it looks pretty slick to boot.
Just pledged for the leather version, can't wait to get my hands on this.
LukasTaves
Member
https://skydrive.live.com/view.aspx...!107&app=Excel&wdo=2&authkey=!AAO1lowxloMJjhM
http://forum.tabletpcreview.com/hardware/52592-list-windows-8-rt-tablets-convertibles-stylus.html
looks like the asus vivotab note 8 has wacam, don't know if it has a data card in it though.
Gaf help. What's the best option if I can get the following for around the same price?
Surface Pro1
Vaio Duo 11
Venue Pro 11
Taichi 21
I don't want to exceed $900. Minimum screen-size of 11" 1080p.
Main use would be photoshop but I was hoping to possibly run games like pcsx2.
Also a keyboard is must so I'm not too sure about the surface due to added cost for that. But would like to know the quality of the others.
Surface Pro1
Vaio Duo 11
Venue Pro 11
Taichi 21
I don't want to exceed $900. Minimum screen-size of 11" 1080p.
Main use would be photoshop but I was hoping to possibly run games like pcsx2.
Also a keyboard is must so I'm not too sure about the surface due to added cost for that. But would like to know the quality of the others.
LukasTaves
Member
Thank you. The Dell Venue 8 seems to be the closest to what I want... It's not Wacom, but it has LTE, which I think it will be very useful for a tablet this easy to take everywhere.
Just got an acer w4. I love the screen ratio and the size. The touchscreen is kinda wonky though. I am having problem closing and opening up tabs in chrome. Does chrome have a touch friendly interface with big buttons?
update:
Huh. I am really surprised. It turns out that it is not the touchscreen that is wonky. It is actually chrome that is problematic. I downloaded firefox because I saw that someone made a touch friendly theme. Even without the touch friendly theme, firefox is infinitely more responsive than chrome. I no longer have problems opening and closing tabs with firefox. How surprising.
update:
Huh. I am really surprised. It turns out that it is not the touchscreen that is wonky. It is actually chrome that is problematic. I downloaded firefox because I saw that someone made a touch friendly theme. Even without the touch friendly theme, firefox is infinitely more responsive than chrome. I no longer have problems opening and closing tabs with firefox. How surprising.
DId you get Firefox Aurora? It has a W8 mode that works pretty sweet with touch screen (it's basically IE's metro interface, but in Firefox). You can switch between Metro and Dekstop mode with a single click. Also the newest update is really great and tablet friendly, even in desktop mode.
Holy shit. I actually installed the normal version. Downloading aurora right now.
Update:
Tried it for a few minutes. Looks very polished in metro mode but it seems like it is more sluggish than the normal firefox. User agent switcher doesn't work on metro. No mobile gaf is a deal breaker for me. Back to normal firefox with touch friendly UI.
Update:
Tried it for a few minutes. Looks very polished in metro mode but it seems like it is more sluggish than the normal firefox. User agent switcher doesn't work on metro. No mobile gaf is a deal breaker for me. Back to normal firefox with touch friendly UI.
HammerOfThor
Member
Does the Venue 8 Pro have Win 8 Pro or RT? Their website just says Windows 8, while their Venue 11 description specifically says Windows 8 Pro.
Just regular Windows 8 x86 as you would find on most consumer laptops/pcs etc. So technically speaking it's neither RT nor Pro. Basically what "Windows 7 Home Premium" was.
HammerOfThor
Member
Ah, no idea that existed. Silly me. Makes perfect sense. Thanks!
Hello guys.
I need a little help or advice here:
My girlfriend really got an Asus TX300CA laptop/tablet. It's one of those where you can detach the screen to use it as a tablet. Both the tablet and the keyboard/station have a battery.
The thing is that, yesterday, after the tablet ran out of juice she tried to charge it up and... nothing. The tablet wouldn't boot up. When we plug the charger in, the battery indicator won't light up on the tablet, yet it does fine with the keyboard. And when we put the tablet back on the keyboard/station, it doesn't work either.
It is busted? Is there something I can do?
(nb. If this isn't the good topic to discuss this or you have another idea of where I could post this, I'm all ears, thanks!)
I need a little help or advice here:
My girlfriend really got an Asus TX300CA laptop/tablet. It's one of those where you can detach the screen to use it as a tablet. Both the tablet and the keyboard/station have a battery.
The thing is that, yesterday, after the tablet ran out of juice she tried to charge it up and... nothing. The tablet wouldn't boot up. When we plug the charger in, the battery indicator won't light up on the tablet, yet it does fine with the keyboard. And when we put the tablet back on the keyboard/station, it doesn't work either.
It is busted? Is there something I can do?
(nb. If this isn't the good topic to discuss this or you have another idea of where I could post this, I'm all ears, thanks!)
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