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The quality of the surface RT ($450 w/ keyboard) is much higher than a $200 device and it comes with Office. Some people are willing to pay for quality.
Until they want to run Photoshop, or Irfanview or Adobe Actobat and then find out "sorry, this doesn't really run Windows programs..."
There's a reason RT has been a huge failure. and it has been. There's a reason it's "only $450". And it's nowhere near the quality of the Asus Transformer line.
Until they want to run Photoshop, or Irfanview or Adobe Actobat and then find out "sorry, this doesn't really run Windows programs..."
RT is not intended to run Photoshop, Infranview (flashback to the 90s) and Acrobat. In the same way that an iPad is not intended to run those. The branding issue cause confusion here.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Peregrine
There's a reason RT has been a huge failure. and it has been. There's a reason it's "only $450". And it's nowhere near the quality of the Asus Transformer line.
Yes, that reason was a marketing failure. It's still a good product at $450 (that's with the keyboard, btw and it will drop to $400 in a few days).
I have an ASUS transformer, surface pro, surface rt and thinkpad helix. I find the transformer and the two surfaces to be of the same build quality while the helix stands out above by quite a margin. The Helix is also the only one with a decent keyboard but it also carries a hefty pricetag (with good reason).
The transformer has the best form factor of the three. That's for certain. And it's the cheapest. But it lacks Microsoft Office which I'd imagine a writer would prefer.
RT is not intended to run Photoshop, Infranview (flashback to the 90s) and Acrobat. In the same way that an iPad is not intended to run those. The branding issue cause confusion here.
Yea, I know. You know I know that.
That was my point, though. And why it was a huge failure.
What do you want to use it for?
Email
Apps
Movies
Games
Interntet
Business
School papers
Depends on what you need to do.
They both work for email and games.
iPad has some Apps that people love to use.
Movies work on both, and Youtube
Business both have shortcomings, can't run all software
School papers depends on which software you use.
Internet, PC's are better because iPad doesn't load websites that use Flash, which is still used all over the place. (fight ensues about how bad Flash is, but nonetheless it is still used)
What do you want to use it for?
Email
Apps
Movies
Games
Interntet
Business
School papers
Depends on what you need to do.
They both work for email and games.
iPad has some Apps that people love to use.
Movies work on both, and Youtube
Business both have shortcomings, can't run all software
School papers depends on which software you use.
Internet, PC's are better because iPad doesn't load websites that use Flash, which is still used all over the place. (fight ensues about how bad Flash is, but nonetheless it is still used)
I went to the iPad because of the simple fact I really only use it for the following things
Surfing the Internet
Checking email
Playing games on it
Listening to music
Keeping track of a few things I have in the house
Plus a few more little things I need to do
It does everything I need to do in a small package that I can take anywhere with me when I travel..it also can be hooked up to the tv for a bigger view of some of the things I,m working on at the time .
So that my two cents about the tablet market right now
Yea, I know. You know I know that.
That was my point, though. And why it was a huge failure.
I disagree completely. I feel that it was a big failure due to the way it was marketed. We know from the iPad that tablets that cannot run desktop software can succeed. Windows RT is no different. But Microsoft was unable to market it as well... and using the "Windows" branding confused people.
Just because marketing failed, doesn't make it a horrible product. With refurbs (with 1 year manufacturer warranty) are going for $200 .. it seems like a steal. Especially for someone who is interested in writing.
Does an iPad do many things that a regular pc type tablet (don't know the correct name) does?
I'm trying to decide which to get. I do a lot of email, writing, opening documents and PDFs etc.
Regualr tablets are around $160 cheaper but I'm wodering if going for the iPad is better...also I was thinking the mini.
Does anyone who has a mini wish they'd gotten the regualr size one?
Thanks for your replies.
Android are essentially Linux tablets. Android is a flavor of Linux, which is a flavor of Unix. Google bought the company that developed Android, so Android is standardized, and works well. You get your applications through Google Play, or Amazon, or from random websites with links to APK files, if you're feeling randy. Google Drive can be ran on Android devices. SO you can compose a document on a regular PC, at the Google website and pull up that document on your Android tablet.
Windows RT is a cheaper version of Microsoft's Surface Pro tablet. Both run Windows 8. Windows RT is not capable of running Microsoft Office. Both are capable of running Windows SkyDrive, so if your PC at home is Windows 8, or if you just go to the SkyDrive website, and you composed a document using Windows Web Apps you can pull up the document on any Windows 8 device. That includes Windows RT. It is a nice feature.
Get an Android device. It is cheaper, and does the job. I do all of my writing on an Android smartphone. Picked it up for $80. I actually use the built in Gmail application, and the built in keyboard using Android 2.3, which is the older version of the OS. Just make sure you save as draft occasionally. You can then email your document to yourself, and cut and paste on a regular computer and compose an actual document, using Google Docs, SkyDrive, or Microsoft Office. If you lose your data, you can always go back and find that draft you were working on, or the message you sent yourself.
The iPad looks better. The screen resolution is higher than it is on the average Android tablet. It will not look any better than a Microsoft Surface though. At least not to the naked eye. From what I can tell, the Surface could stand to have a better processor; iPad might actually be better gaming, HD video playback, etc.
Android are essentially Linux tablets. Android is a flavor of Linux, which is a flavor of Unix.
This is incorrect.
1. Android is not a flavor of Linux (thus Android tablets are not essentially Linux tablets). Android is built on top of the Linux Kernel and uses the Linux kernel for I/O. But it is not a flavor of Linux.
2. Linux is not a flavor of Unix. Linux is an opensource alternative to Unix.
Quote:
Originally Posted by goofy328
Google bought the company that developed Android, so Android is standardized, and works well. You get your applications through Google Play, or Amazon, or from random websites with links to APK files, if you're feeling randy. Google Drive can be ran on Android devices. SO you can compose a document on a regular PC, at the Google website and pull up that document on your Android tablet.
Windows RT is a cheaper version of Microsoft's Surface Pro tablet. Both run Windows 8.
This is incorrect.
Windows RT is software and is not a cheaper version of Microsoft's Surface Pro Tablet (a piece of hardware). Windows RT is a new operating system from Microsoft that is currently being used with tablets that are intended to compete with the iPad and Android tablets.
Windows RT (software) and Windows RT Tablets (hardware) do not run Windows 8. Windows 8 is a completely different operating system (which also happens to be available on tablets, along with desktops and laptops).
Quote:
Originally Posted by goofy328
Windows RT is not capable of running Microsoft Office.
This is incorrect.
Windows RT can run Microsoft Office. All Windows RT Tablets (such as the Microsoft Surface RT) come with Microsoft Office installed. That's a few hundred dollars of software right there.
Quote:
Originally Posted by goofy328
Both are capable of running Windows SkyDrive, so if your PC at home is Windows 8, or if you just go to the SkyDrive website, and you composed a document using Windows Web Apps you can pull up the document on any Windows 8 device. That includes Windows RT. It is a nice feature.
Get an Android device. It is cheaper, and does the job. I do all of my writing on an Android smartphone. Picked it up for $80. I actually use the built in Gmail application, and the built in keyboard using Android 2.3, which is the older version of the OS. Just make sure you save as draft occasionally. You can then email your document to yourself, and cut and paste on a regular computer and compose an actual document, using Google Docs, SkyDrive, or Microsoft Office. If you lose your data, you can always go back and find that draft you were working on, or the message you sent yourself.
The iPad looks better. The screen resolution is higher than it is on the average Android tablet. It will not look any better than a Microsoft Surface though. At least not to the naked eye. From what I can tell, the Surface could stand to have a better processor; iPad might actually be better gaming, HD video playback, etc.
This is incorrect.
1. Android is not a flavor of Linux (thus Android tablets are not essentially Linux tablets). Android is built on top of the Linux Kernel and uses the Linux kernel for I/O. But it is not a flavor of Linux.
2. Linux is not a flavor of Unix. Linux is an opensource alternative to Unix.
This is incorrect.
Windows RT is software and is not a cheaper version of Microsoft's Surface Pro Tablet (a piece of hardware). Windows RT is a new operating system from Microsoft that is currently being used with tablets that are intended to compete with the iPad and Android tablets.
Windows RT (software) and Windows RT Tablets (hardware) do not run Windows 8. Windows 8 is a completely different operating system (which also happens to be available on tablets, along with desktops and laptops). This is incorrect.
Windows RT can run Microsoft Office. All Windows RT Tablets (such as the Microsoft Surface RT) come with Microsoft Office installed. That's a few hundred dollars of software right there.
I still don't see the differentiation if Android and Linux use the same kernel. Nor the differentiation about Linux being an open source alternative. That implies Linux and Unix use the same kernel. But I digress. Your user could care less about such minutiae. I know where you're coming from but I don't like to confuse people with those types of details. It adds nothing to my argument.
If RT and Surface Pro are in the same vein why buy Surface Pro, except for greater specs? The point I was trying to make is that regardless of whether your have access to Microsoft Office or not there are workarounds. No one really needs a $350 tablet to write, when there are cheaper alternatives out there .
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