heatlesssun
Extremely [H]
- Joined
- Nov 5, 2005
- Messages
- 44,154
Place an order for the 64 GB version of this on 10/18 but that order got delayed it looks until 11/21 and after seeing all of the hub bub about this device over on TabletPCReview.com I picked up the 32 GB version at Walmart last night. I should get the pen and case on Tuesday.
Overall this is an impressive piece of hardware for $300. The two obvious knocks against it are the not so great digital pen, which is unfortunate as this this is the perfect size for on the go inking. And the other is the like of hardwired video output. This thing with the new Bay Trail Atom is actually pretty zippy, certainly nothing like even a Clover Trail, a very significant improvement over that and fast enough to run a lot of desktop apps, so being able to attach it to an external monitor and use it as a workstation would have been great.
The screen is fantastic even if a big low res, but at 125% scaling the desktop does work reasonably well with touch, I've been able to install and use Office and Chrome via touch with no major problems, though real estate can get tight with Office and the onscreen keyboard. The battery lasted me about 8 hours of continuous use from web browsing to video playback to listening to streaming music over Bluetooth, not the best but for a 14 ounce x86 device that performs reasonably well, that's a pretty solid.
I'll wait see when the pen comes if it works for me well enough to give up video output, which the other 8" Windows 8 devices have, but none of them have a digital pen. It does look like though the issue of inexpensive Windows tablets has been solved with Bay Trail. Good performance, battery life and thermals that can fit in the same package as a mobile OS mini-tablet. That's impressive.
Overall this is an impressive piece of hardware for $300. The two obvious knocks against it are the not so great digital pen, which is unfortunate as this this is the perfect size for on the go inking. And the other is the like of hardwired video output. This thing with the new Bay Trail Atom is actually pretty zippy, certainly nothing like even a Clover Trail, a very significant improvement over that and fast enough to run a lot of desktop apps, so being able to attach it to an external monitor and use it as a workstation would have been great.
The screen is fantastic even if a big low res, but at 125% scaling the desktop does work reasonably well with touch, I've been able to install and use Office and Chrome via touch with no major problems, though real estate can get tight with Office and the onscreen keyboard. The battery lasted me about 8 hours of continuous use from web browsing to video playback to listening to streaming music over Bluetooth, not the best but for a 14 ounce x86 device that performs reasonably well, that's a pretty solid.
I'll wait see when the pen comes if it works for me well enough to give up video output, which the other 8" Windows 8 devices have, but none of them have a digital pen. It does look like though the issue of inexpensive Windows tablets has been solved with Bay Trail. Good performance, battery life and thermals that can fit in the same package as a mobile OS mini-tablet. That's impressive.