Buying a low-budget tablet. Need some help :) - Page 4 - maemo.org

bill_klpd | # 31 | 2014-10-16, 11:31 | Report

Originally Posted by malfunctioning View Post

Yes, a keyboard dock and a mouse would improve a tablet's ergonomics a lot. We called those laptops.

Hahahaha

Well I just like the idea of just grabbing the screen and from a laptop it becomes a tablet

But yet if I will go this way, I will have to wait more to collect some money

malfunctioning | # 32 | 2014-10-16, 11:32 | Report

Originally Posted by ste-phan View Post

Mostly I agree, these devices good for books and reading / watching static web content.

But regarding gaming, it depends. For example, the Pinball Arcade is very good on a tablet and one of the few reasons to own one

.

Productivity wise Windows tablets would be better but if you play a game like Pinball Arcade on Windows with tablet hardware such as the budget Asus T100 and its energy efficient but otherwise slow processor, you feel the graphics hardware is lacking to run a full blown windows game, even on directx9.
On the Android platform the graphics and controls have been adjusted for optimal usage with the weak hardware and touch screen input respectively.

Also, make sure that you purchase a tablet with a display which allows to dim the backlight low enough to be able to read in low light without too much eye strain!

Spot on about the brightness controls. I must be a vampire or something, but sometimes some devices are too bright even on the lowest setting (the N900 is like this for me).

And you are right, some games are actually better on a tablet, as long as the accelerometer or the touch controls are well implemented.

Two of those games for me on Android are aTilt 3D Labyrint and Glow Hockey, both of them free versions.

Say, what's this Pinball game's name? I do miss Visual Pinball on Wimdows though. That and MAME are the best for a vintage gaming experience. Play some Tears for Fears in the background and you're back in the 80s.

bill_klpd | # 33 | 2014-10-16, 11:34 | Report

Originally Posted by malfunctioning View Post

Spot on about the brightness controls. I must be a vampire or something, but sometimes some devices are too bright even on the lowest setting (the N900 is like this for me).

I feel like this in night with my Galaxy S3 on the lowest brightness

The Following User Says Thank You to bill_klpd For This Useful Post:
malfunctioning

malfunctioning | # 34 | 2014-10-16, 11:35 | Report

Originally Posted by bill_klpd View Post

Hahahaha

Well I just like the idea of just grabbing the screen and from a laptop it becomes a tablet

But yet if I will go this way, I will have to wait more to collect some money

Yeah, I know what you are talking about. I usually find YouTube review videos a great way to find out about devices I'm considering buying. There are hundreds of videos for about every single computer.

bill_klpd | # 35 | 2014-10-16, 11:39 | Report

Originally Posted by malfunctioning View Post

Yeah, I know what you are talking about. I usually find YouTube review videos a great way to find out about devices I'm considering buying. There are hundreds of videos for about every single computer.

This is what I am doing right now! :P

I use a windows 8 laptop as my everyday pc, so I think that Asus T100TA could replace it, while I will be able to do the same things in it and also use it as a tablet...

Last edited by bill_klpd; 2014-10-16 at 13:08.

juiceme | # 36 | 2014-10-16, 13:12 | Report

Originally Posted by bill_klpd View Post

The main idea is to have a tablet for programming in it and use it in university both for reading and writing as well as surfing the net etc.

All tablets are really really bad for writing anything longer than a tweet or a SMS using the touchscreen keyboard. Doesn't matter whether it is 7" or 10" tablet.
Really bad, believe me.

Also, you lose screen estate for the keyboard, and even on a see-thru keyboard like fingerterm the usability is hindered.

The add-on keyboards also vary a lot on the feel and usability; just think of different laptop keyboards. (Thiknpad keyboards are a joy to use, and Compacq keyboards suck like bloody hoovers...)

If programming/writing on lectures/assignments is important to you, I really suggest you try the keyboard before buying!!

Originally Posted by bill_klpd View Post

I can imagine that playing games (pc games actually) in touch screen will be just stupid after all, but with the keyboard dock and a mouse it will be good I think!

I was thinking for the T100 because it is a tablet and a laptop and it will for sure be handy in one way or another. I have to admit that I haven't thought anything about the battery actually (are there tablets with removable batteries?) but let's say in 2 years, if the battery does not work as it should, will I be able to disassembly it and change it?

Anything can be changed/fixed by oneself, of course, provided you can get a matching cells from somewhere. Batteries in different devices vary so much in form factor and electrical specifications it would have to be an exact match.

The Following 2 Users Say Thank You to juiceme For This Useful Post:
bill_klpd, endsormeans

bill_klpd | # 37 | 2014-10-16, 13:19 | Report

Originally Posted by juiceme View Post

If programming/writing on lectures/assignments is important to you, I really suggest you try the keyboard before buying!!

The truth is that I haven't tested writing on tablet, so I can't say..
I will for sure try the keys and the feel of the tablet I will choose before buying it.

I have used aide on galaxy s3 and wrote some small apps (hello world, estimating sum of two numbers , easy stuff actually but yeah

) with swipe and it wasn't that bad...

The Following User Says Thank You to bill_klpd For This Useful Post:
juiceme

endsormeans | # 38 | 2014-10-16, 15:22 | Report

Originally Posted by bill_klpd View Post

So the main idea is not to buy any of these tablets!

I don't want to spend much money, so this is why I came up with these tablets. I will get it (as I said) from stores here in greece, so the price might be more than this available online on ebay, amazon etc.

endsormeans I haven't searched much about tablets and I didn't know there were tablets with keyboard! They are really cool and I am sure we will see more in the future!

Right now I don't have much money, so I can't afford any of these that you all mentioned (except of the tab 2, but I think that 7" are kinda small), so I am starting thinking to save money for getting something bigger/greater!

If I will do this I will definitely try to get a hybrid/tablet/laptop/mix/whatever it is called

The only devices available on stores here are these:
Asus Transformer T100TA-DK046H
Asus Transformer T100TA-DK046H
Asus Transformer T100TA-DK005H

The difference between T100TA-DK046H and T100TA-DK005H is the processor?

What is your opinion about these?

Some questions... Do they work as tablets or as laptops? Will I be able to run all the windows apps availables?(for example eclipse etc.) Also will I be able to install linux if wanted, or maybe dual boot, or it is not possible? I am a little confused on how it will feel when it is only a tablet...

I was thinking to get a pc as well some day (because I have a 2007 toshiba laptop with dual core 2duo on 2Ghz) but maybe this mix of tablet will do the trick to get both a pc and a tablet with buying only one product...

Bill my good man...so I don't fill a page...(like I have a predominance to

) ...I'll keep it simple.
um..here is a link to what I've done to one of my toshiba portege m780's...
http://talk.maemo.org/showpost.php?p...13&postcount=5

I use mine graphic-wise for everything from video, web design work, animation, mainly graphic design...ie painting, drafting, sketching, drawing, 3d sculpture..list goes on...then utilize it in creation..I find that it has virtually eliminated the waste of materials from mistakes in finished "physically rendered" work.
Dictation to text, handwriting recog. ergo handwriting to text...
darn handy in all. Better than perpetually typing...allows for alot more natural a flow of ideas to recorded format.
I've used tablets...yup they're lite...but when the crunch comes they are terrible for typing ...yup I've used bt/ ir/ wifi keyboards with tablets...mixed feelings about it...after all is said and done...better to have the built in option. Yup I've used docks so I can have a optical and or external drive and additional ports...but it's kinda like the bt keyboard thing...an irritant (the only thing I dislike about my thinkpad x series convert. tab. pc's. )
Personally I like everything in 1. Bam done...it may be a wee bit heavier...but not cumbersome.
And yeah...it can do quite a bit...more than your tabs. and cheaper.
with more distro/ os options. and more software...and more function.
I 1st started using the simple wacom graphic tablet (back in the day) WITH my desktop computer for art work. HATED the "eye-to-hand-to-tablet-to-screen disconnect"....I like to work "on" the surface and see the results "there"
Had the 1st model fugitsu's , the compaq's, the motion computing's, and travelmate models...when I ran into the thinkpad x's I became impressed...when I ran into the toshiba m200 ...more so...when I hit the toshiba m700/m780 models with optical/ 2nd hard drive bay, stylus and finger touch...I was x-static.
m780 can handle 8gb of ram (not bad) and you can get it in i3, i5, and i7.
Not bad price either...cheaper than brand new tabs...
http://www.ebay.ca/itm/Toshiba-Porte...item2342365a80

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CPUNEPL2StA

Also...when it comes to touch and penabled screens win honestly does have it good.
As well...check out linlap and tux mobile (out of date for the most part...but separate reviewers will essentially say the same thing) ...you will want to make sure whatever models you are looking at have good compat with linux...the best are ...of course thinkpad x's ...mind since they are older reviews and linux has marched on...I have found my m780's can handle pretty much any new linux I have thrown at it...
Remem. - you don't want to get a fly model that doesn't play nice with linux.

I can't say I have been happier with any other type of comp. design than a good convert. tab. pc.
So yeah man..there you go in a nutshell.

Last edited by endsormeans; 2014-10-16 at 15:35.

Dave999 | # 39 | 2014-10-16, 15:29 | Report

Avoid everything with Tab in the name.

Low end? Note 8 is your choice sir.

The Following 2 Users Say Thank You to Dave999 For This Useful Post:
endsormeans, juiceme

ch88xy | # 40 | 2014-10-16, 15:51 | Report

If you can tolerate a 4.5" display, I would recommend LG Realm for Boost Mobile ($40 @Best Buy). I bought two, none of them is activated with the carrier. I just use them as Wifi machines and media players. Realm has a microSD card slot, so I put a 64GB card on each of them, and hook them up to Bluetooth speakers. WOW! That's gotta be the cheapest (and great) mp3 player you can find. Best of all (for me at least), its system language option includes Japanese, so I promptly set one up for learning purposes. Can't say the same thing about my N9, N900x2 or Moto X (my Sony Experia Z Ultra of course has no problem).