Considering RT Tablet (Vivo TF600T vs Surface) - Windows RT General

Hey,
I'm planning to get a RT tablet and I have looked at relative comparisons of both of them.
Unfortunately there weren't many comparisons that I could find online so I decided to post here.
I also understand that the T100TA may be the better option.
So two questions (If you've owned both a reply would be greatly appreciated):
1. TF600T or Surface RT? TF600T seems to have a lot more features in my opinion and a much sturdier keyboard and build.
2. Is it even worth getting a RT? Or should I be looking straight ahead to 8.1 tablets now?
I'll be using this tablet mainly for school, but if I can run windows apps and what not that would be awesome too.
What are your thoughts?
Thanks!
Edit: I forgot to mention i'll most likely be buying locally but BNIB. I'm looking at ~260 for dock+tablet for vivo and ~320 for surface and keyboard.

It really depends what you want from the tablet/TF.
Windows RT isn't flourishing with apps right now so an actual full Windows Tab, Android or an iPad may be a better option.
That being said, I like my surface.
It's a really nice tablet that works well.
Office 2013 beats any other office app on any other device.

260 whats? US Dollars, british pounds, euros, human rights violations?
Honestly, I would just look towards the T100. Full windows 8.1 at that price cant be argued with.

Owned Both and...
Returned the ASUS T100. Good concept by ASUS but poor execution and very poor quality build. I exchanged it for a Surface 2 with touch keyboard.
There really are light years difference in the MS build quality over the ASUS and from personal experience with other ASUS devices their tech service/support sucks.
The screen on the Surface is 1080P versus 720P for ASUS and I was very concerned with the ASUS charging port - it's very flimsy and I was worried that over time it would break (I saw from a internal picture that it's just soldered to the motherboard like many other cheap tablets)- compare that to the very sturdy magnetic connector on the Surface.
Surface 2 with Office 2013 is most of what I need. Certainly there will be apps missing but if you really analyze what you need vs. what is "nice to have" RT isn't so crippled at all.
And by its very nature its mostly malware and virus free.
Also, I think that some of the experts in this forum will ultimately develop a way to sideload third-party apps just like they did for RT 8.0 - just a matter of time.

SixSixSevenSeven said:
260 whats? US Dollars, british pounds, euros, human rights violations?
Honestly, I would just look towards the T100. Full windows 8.1 at that price cant be argued with.
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Canadian Dollars, apologies for not mentioning that.
Personally I wouldn't have minded getting the surface if I didn't miss out on that $199 deal back in December. Big loss on my part lol.
I've opened up a TF300T before to replace my LCD and while not impossible, was quite difficult because I did not have a heat gun. I also remember the charging port being soldered onto the motherboard so I understand what you mean.
I might take my chances with the Vivo, there's someone whose willing to sell me one brand new with a new keyboard for $200 (CDN). Do you think at that price point I should get the vivo or should I still purchase for the surface? If I do get the surface, it will ultimately be Surface RT not 2...because it's nowhere to be found and I need one asap. The surface will likely be about $100 more not including the keyboard.
Like you i'm always concerned about build quality, I don't want it to break and have it feel like I wasted a big chunk of money on soon-to-be garbage. So, if you tell me that the Vivo Tab to you felt this way, I probably won't get it! I'll trust an XDA member's opinion over a youtube video any day haha.
Thanks again!

I'd always prefer the Vivo Tab TF600T, it has a much better and brighter screen, has a real keyboard like a notebook and in generell feels really great. It's the perfect device on the go. Also i don't like the stand of the Surface so much. While it's great on a table, it's not so great in the train, on your lap etc. In terms of performance both devices aren't the fastes but for my expectations they are fast enough.
In terms of apps it really depends, but my experience with RT is much better than with Windows 8. All Windows RT devices get firmware updates (a.k.a. drivers) with windows update. With Windows 8 tablets, you have manually download & install them. Also some apps (like Uno Friends) don't work on certain Windows 8 devices like (Samsung Ativ Tab 5 / Thinkpad Tablet 2) but work great on the Vivo Tab RT / Surface. On the top of it you don't have to worry about viruses.

Related

[Q] General question :)

So i was thinking of getting a tablet, my first choice (instinctive) was for a windows tablet, so i looked around and of course there's no good ones
So i have an evo and my next idea was an android tablet, but i was wondering if you guys could help me because to me the idea of having 2 devices with the same type of operating system (tablet and phone) seems kinda redundant but i know theres good integration by google made and im actually looking at the Asus EEE pad and the HTC Flyer (maybe the Puccini) so i was wondering if you guys can answer that and maybe direct me to a tablet that would be useful for me? i am currently a college student studying Electrical Engineering and i watch movies (netflix subscription ) and browse the web a lot and as well as look at pdfs and write notes.
Thank you
People are dumping their xooms for asus transformers that must say something right? The Asus has a 10" 16gb for 399.99 screw the xoom. Transformer also got great reviews across the board. I'm going to hand my ipad 1 down to my woman and buy my first android tablet. Only thing is...those suckers are sold out in Houston. Fyi the htc flyer is a joke dont waste your time.
to me the xoom was always a fail that price was way too high for something that came out a bit unfinished, played with it and i was really unimpressed.
and idk i liked the flyer since the evo came out really nice i thought the flyer would have really good things too and the pen doesnt seem that bad i think but i have yet to play with it so i want to wait til it comes out. i feel it might be too similar to my evo though
and yea Asus did it amazing i think, their tablet came out really just sucks their production didnt get hurried up til now but yea that was one of my options for sure
Xoom's price is a joke and that's why it only sold like 100k units in the US. HTC flyer is like an overgrown evo its not a significant difference; Reminds me of the Samsung galaxy tab (fail) lol. I really want to get my hands on that Asus just have to find one. You could always get an ipad they're pretty sick. I hear the android tablet by dell and the HP webOS tab will be sick. I'm not impressed at all with the blackberry Playbook.
dirkyd3rk said:
Xoom's price is a joke and that's why it only sold like 100k units in the US. HTC flyer is like an overgrown evo its not a significant difference; Reminds me of the Samsung galaxy tab (fail) lol. I really want to get my hands on that Asus just have to find one. You could always get an ipad they're pretty sick. I hear the android tablet by dell and the HP webOS tab will be sick. I'm not impressed at all with the blackberry Playbook.
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yea it is and they still arent even bringing it down so yea to me that tablet isnt good.
the flyer does look like that horribly it has no difference to the evo except the magic pen which would be useful for notes but idk how responsive it is, i heard that its really not that great though.
yea i saw a couple online for like 450+ for the 16gb one and yea so not getting it yet lol i want the msrp for that since its so cheap
the ipad is good but to me after playing with the ipod touch and the ipad already i dont see it being useful in an academic environment i might be wrong though but havent seen it that useful for regular school work
the 10 inch one? i have heard a few things but nothing solid yet. and the touchpad i have yet to hear anything about it either so i cant comment on those but competition is always healthy for us consumers
and yea the Playbook was a fail by blackberry, hasnt made any impact and half the features are still coming soon i think
Well there you go...here's your solution. Asus 10" 16gb 399.99 perfect for school!
Look up some YouTube videos people are comparing it to the xoom.
If you're in college you probably need something that will actualy do some work. Considering that you're in engineering you probably need more than an Android tablet for serious college level computing. I have an ASUS T101MT with 2gb ram running Windows 7 Ultimate and Office 2010. I'm still doing setup and testing to maximize the configuration, but it's probably not going to be the ideal video playback device. I bought it mostly for light weight, small size, and portability for when I travel. It's small but I can still do a lot with it.
In your case, it may be too small for daily use as your primary system. If I only had one device in your circumstance, I'd want the ASUS EP121. Plenty of power - Core i5 with a 12.1" screen, 4GB memory, and comes with Windows Home Premium. The one with the 64GB SSD runs $1100, but it would do everything you'd need it to do for your time in college.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834220961
thanks ill keep my eye out for it then imma see if i could actually find one to play with before deciding on what would be best
GaryJ51 said:
If you're in college you probably need something that will actualy do some work. Considering that you're in engineering you probably need more than an Android tablet for serious college level computing. I have an ASUS T101MT with 2gb ram running Windows 7 Ultimate and Office 2010. I'm still doing setup and testing to maximize the configuration, but it's probably not going to be the ideal video playback device. I bought it mostly for light weight, small size, and portability for when I travel. It's small but I can still do a lot with it.
In your case, it may be too small for daily use as your primary system. If I only had one device in your circumstance, I'd want the ASUS EP121. Plenty of power - Core i5 with a 12.1" screen, 4GB memory, and comes with Windows Home Premium. The one with the 64GB SSD runs $1100, but it would do everything you'd need it to do for your time in college.
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yea i have a main system which will be upgrade soon (to a Asus G-73), i have a dell studio xps with windows 7 ultimate and office 2007 installed along with multisim and any other school software i need but due to its size and weight it is a hassle to take it to class everyday and i just need a quick device to be able to glance things on the fly and be able to use it during class a bit if you know what i mean?
that is the windows 7 tablet i was actually considering, seems very versatile and extremely well built, to the point that it seems worth investing the type of money. and it would be an improvement over this laptop i have and its bigger than my phone i want like an in-between device i guess. this would also have some essential tools but i think android and ipad cover word and excel good i think right?
Wait for the evolution view tablet
midget tossing is habit...2010 midwest regional champion... hw 001
whats the diff between the view and the flyer?
the flyer is the wifi version isnt it? and the view is the 3g one from sprint
mintilmidnight said:
yea i have a main system which will be upgrade soon (to a Asus G-73), i have a dell studio xps with windows 7 ultimate and office 2007 installed along with multisim and any other school software i need but due to its size and weight it is a hassle to take it to class everyday and i just need a quick device to be able to glance things on the fly and be able to use it during class a bit if you know what i mean?
that is the windows 7 tablet i was actually considering, seems very versatile and extremely well built, to the point that it seems worth investing the type of money. and it would be an improvement over this laptop i have and its bigger than my phone i want like an in-between device i guess. this would also have some essential tools but i think android and ipad cover word and excel good i think right?
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I'm not sure which Win 7 tablet you're referring to, but the T101MT is really small and light, which is what I got it for. Still can run Win 7 and Office and has a 250GB hard drive. My son uses his ASUS 1001HE Netbook for school and has gotten two years of work out of it and it's still going strong. He uses it daily to remote desktop back to our network and access his desktop from school. The only reservation I have with either of these is the 1024x600 screen, but that's because I'm an old geezer and can't see up close anymore. For you youngins, it may not be an issue.
I think a pure tablet sans keyboard is pretty cool for some things, but in an educational environment you probably want something with a keyboard. Then you have to ask if you can do without Windows/Office. We have tons of stuff on One Note which we find very useful, so for us the decision is pretty easy. Plus our servers and the rest of our network are all MS OS so it gets pretty hard to give up the integration factor. I'm not trying to down talk any other platform, but with as much as I have invested in a powerful and flexible network it only makes sense to leverage its functionality. YMMV
GaryJ51 said:
I'm not sure which Win 7 tablet you're referring to, but the T101MT is really small and light, which is what I got it for. Still can run Win 7 and Office and has a 250GB hard drive. My son uses his ASUS 1001HE Netbook for school and has gotten two years of work out of it and it's still going strong. He uses it daily to remote desktop back to our network and access his desktop from school. The only reservation I have with either of these is the 1024x600 screen, but that's because I'm an old geezer and can't see up close anymore. For you youngins, it may not be an issue.
I think a pure tablet sans keyboard is pretty cool for some things, but in an educational environment you probably want something with a keyboard. Then you have to ask if you can do without Windows/Office. We have tons of stuff on One Note which we find very useful, so for us the decision is pretty easy. Plus our servers and the rest of our network are all MS OS so it gets pretty hard to give up the integration factor. I'm not trying to down talk any other platform, but with as much as I have invested in a powerful and flexible network it only makes sense to leverage its functionality. YMMV
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its this one http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834220960
The ASUS Eee Pad (Eee Slate) EP121-1A011M Tablet PC (as listed on newegg), and idk i dont like netbooks ive had bad experiences with them so far and they are kinda slow when having a windows 7 os
lol its fine i wear glasses so ill be able to see regardless of the resolution
i could do without office and windows all i really need is a pdf program and i so far am loving evernote as well as quick office and documents to go so with those things are more than enough to do without office and windows i think. and yea to me windows is just a convenience since its what im used to using lol

DO NOT buy the ASUS Vivo Tab RT

Oh my, what a horrible experience I have been having.
So I paid $650 for the Asus Vivo Tab RT with tax over the Surface mostly because of the dock, which ASUS is "claiming" to send out for free.
1. Claiming the free dock online has been impossible, the serial number would not register on their site for a whole week, emailing and calling them did nothing, said they were having server issues which makes no sense. Pretty much think they are making it super hard so they don't have to send it out. Was finally able to register, and I can't select it on the page for claiming the dock.
2. The microsd slot has a fake plastic piece from factory, and on mine, it is stuck in there and pushing on the spring to bring it out does nothing. Have to do a warranty claim so that they can fix it. Been two weeks since I got it.
3. The service is just horrible. Today I called and after talking for 1 minute (was on hold for 15 minutes), the guy hung up on me. Their call center is not in America, and talking to them is so painful, it really hurts.
4. The storage out of the 32gb is horrendous. After updating windows and Office, which has a BIG update, it has less than 11gb left, without any new apps installed.
5. The camera app does not recognize the flash, so the led on the back is useless. The camera also can only do 4:3 aspect ratio at 8.1MP, only does 16:9 at 6MP. Camera quality is not very good.
6. Tablet seems pretty slow, apps take a while to load sometimes.
SO, I would highly recommend getting the surface over this. If you have these types of problems, I think a lot of people have a Microsoft store near them, and I am sure the warranty service would be much better. I think the build quality is better too.
shahran said:
Oh my, what a horrible experience I have been having.
So I paid $650 for the Asus Vivo Tab RT with tax over the Surface mostly because of the dock, which ASUS is "claiming" to send out for free.
1. Claiming the free dock online has been impossible, the serial number would not register on their site for a whole week, emailing and calling them did nothing, said they were having server issues which makes no sense. Pretty much think they are making it super hard so they don't have to send it out. Was finally able to register, and I can't select it on the page for claiming the dock.
2. The microsd slot has a fake plastic piece from factory, and on mine, it is stuck in there and pushing on the spring to bring it out does nothing. Have to do a warranty claim so that they can fix it. Been two weeks since I got it.
3. The service is just horrible. Today I called and after talking for 1 minute (was on hold for 15 minutes), the guy hung up on me. Their call center is not in America, and talking to them is so painful, it really hurts.
4. The storage out of the 32gb is horrendous. After updating windows and Office, which has a BIG update, it has less than 11gb left, without any new apps installed.
5. The camera app does not recognize the flash, so the led on the back is useless. The camera also can only do 4:3 aspect ratio at 8.1MP, only does 16:9 at 6MP. Camera quality is not very good.
6. Tablet seems pretty slow, apps take a while to load sometimes.
SO, I would highly recommend getting the surface over this. If you have these types of problems, I think a lot of people have a Microsoft store near them, and I am sure the warranty service would be much better. I think the build quality is better too.
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The Surface weighs more and has a pretty terrible camera.
Valerianus said:
The Surface weighs more and has a pretty terrible camera.
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True, but it has a built in stand, + better build quality. I guess both their camera's suck.
I'm currently using vivo tab and I think the bugs and sluggish moments are more a cause of windows rt rather then Vivo tab. I had no issues submitting for the free dock. As for the camera I have rarely used a camera on any tablet so it doesn't bother me.
I to own a vivo tab, I got it by exchanging a transformer infinity, and I can say I am pretty happy with it, I was able to submit for a free dock (which they havn't shipped yet), I love the keyboard on it, much better then the surface one ripping, the speed is nice the quad speakers are really nice (please come out with vlc for this it screams for it) over all I have been pretty happy with mine.
I don't know. After the horrible experience I had with a Asus Prime and Infinity, both returned within a week, I would never buy another Asus Tablet - They just don't know what they are doing when it comes to Tablets and their QC is horrible
The more I use my Surface, the more I understand MS' plan. It may not be the fastest quad core, and camera sucks, but they chose stability over flashy specs. What it can do it does very well. I have not had one crash which was a constant thing on the Asus tablets.
As far as the display - It looks great to my eyes even if the resolution specs are not high - There is something to be said about the contrast ration and the bonded screen.
As far as camera - I haven't even fired it up yet, but can see it being useful for teleconferencing but that's it. I wouldn't want to wave a 10" tablet around to take a still picture of my kid like others do, but that's just me.
Considering the Surface has only been out 2 weeks, I am very impressed with its stability and limited bug fixes that need to occur from a firmware standpoint. With the Asus tablets it seems like I was always hoping the next firmware update would solve major issues and they never came.
Still not able to submit my dock claim online, their support has yet to help. Frustrating.
guitar1969 said:
The more I use my Surface, the more I understand MS' plan. It may not be the fastest quad core, and camera sucks, but they chose stability over flashy specs. What it can do it does very well. I have not had one crash which was a constant thing on the Asus tablets.
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With both Surface and Windows Phone, MS seems to prefer highly optimizing for an older ("tried and true") chipset over adopting the bleeding edge.
That makes sense vs. Android (which often has the latest hardware, but to little benefit), but Apple is able to push hardware boundaries (iPad 4's A6X demolishes every other ARM phone/tablet in CPU + GPU performance) while maintaining stability.
So it's nice that MS is able to get solid performance out of older hardware, but consumers don't see any benefit from that (it's not like Surface or WP7/8 devices are notably cheaper than Apple's offerings, or get any better battery life, etc.), and one wonders what'd be possible if WP8 or Surface had something more powerful (like the S4 Pro).
In the case of Surface RT, one factor that might've influenced MS' design choice (and Asus' for the Vivo Tab RT) is that only Nvidia has been shipping out quad-core ARM chips in volume for the last 6 months. Qualcomm only recently started ramping up the S4 Pro quad-core production, so that probably presented a riskier bet.
Though admittedly, Apple's been doing this a while, and they control much, much more of the supply chain than Microsoft does, so they can probably afford to be more aggressive on the hardware front.
Yeah, I also have a Vivo Tab & I have no issues with speed or responsiveness. I have numerous devices, all upper tier & my Vivo is just as fast if not more so than any of the others.
As for the LED flash, I talked to a buddy (won't mention where he works) & discovered that the camera driver is BETA. It is in the developmental stage, ALPHA really, so it does not work for the majority of people. I don't mind that so much, I have always been an early adopter & aside from the flash issue, my Vivo works fantastically. Of course I think they should inform consumers of issues like this so you don't think it is a P.O.S. that came broken out of the box. Ideally however, I don't think it is a great idea to release unfinished products onto the public to be used as beta testers, but now you know why the dock was free.
At any rate, I got mine for 499.00 due to a price match here in Texas, so I am good & overall pretty happy with the Vivo.
amb9800 said:
With both Surface and Windows Phone, MS seems to prefer highly optimizing for an older ("tried and true") chipset over adopting the bleeding edge.
That makes sense vs. Android (which often has the latest hardware, but to little benefit), but Apple is able to push hardware boundaries (iPad 4's A6X demolishes every other ARM phone/tablet in CPU + GPU performance) while maintaining stability.
So it's nice that MS is able to get solid performance out of older hardware, but consumers don't see any benefit from that (it's not like Surface or WP7/8 devices are notably cheaper than Apple's offerings, or get any better battery life, etc.), and one wonders what'd be possible if WP8 or Surface had something more powerful (like the S4 Pro).
In the case of Surface RT, one factor that might've influenced MS' design choice (and Asus' for the Vivo Tab RT) is that only Nvidia has been shipping out quad-core ARM chips in volume for the last 6 months. Qualcomm only recently started ramping up the S4 Pro quad-core production, so that probably presented a riskier bet.
Though admittedly, Apple's been doing this a while, and they control much, much more of the supply chain than Microsoft does, so they can probably afford to be more aggressive on the hardware front.
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I am not sure I agree about Apple up until recently but I have not followed Apple on the Ipad. Now that they are in the 4th generation of their Ipad and control the market, that may be the case that they are using the most advanced, but when they first introduced Ipads and earlier generations, they were not very cutting edge with processing power. It seems like they are now doing this because they have to show some technology jump every year to get consumers to buy the new model.
but we also know MS chose to limit the processing of the Surface so they could release a Surface pro as well.
guitar1969 said:
I am not sure I agree about Apple up until recently but I have not followed Apple on the Ipad. Now that they are in the 4th generation of their Ipad and control the market, that may be the case that they are using the most advanced, but when they first introduced Ipads and earlier generations, they were not very cutting edge with processing power. It seems like they are now doing this because they have to show some technology jump every year to get consumers to buy the new model.
but we also know MS chose to limit the processing of the Surface so they could release a Surface pro as well.
Click to expand...
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Except that the Surface and Surface Pro run completely different processor types. MS could have thrown a quad core S4 in the surface and the Pro would still blow it away with a Core i5.
jivy26 said:
I had no issues submitting for the free dock.
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How did you do that?
I went to http://event.asus.com/Vivotab/Mobile_Dock/
but I'm stuck at the 3rd step: I can't see a "Mobile Dock Apply & Inquire" anywhere.
quick question for anyone that has the Vivo RT... does your windows logo light up?
apatcas said:
quick question for anyone that has the Vivo RT... does your windows logo light up?
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Nope.
I was able to apply for the keyboard dock without any trouble as well. vip.asus.com and register the tablet. I love this think in my truck on a ram mount with a bluetooth keyboard. I can open my excel sheets for work without any problem and the netflix app is a million times better than the horrible android app.
Flash playback is also a million times better than android. It has built in support for smb shares and dlna servers. IE10 flies compared to chrome on my n7.
Sorry you're not enjoying your Vivo...
apatcas said:
quick question for anyone that has the Vivo RT... does your windows logo light up?
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I see it light up when I play in the store yesterday.
I just really think the warranty service is horrid, still have not been able to register and it doesn't seem like they will do anything at all, blows my mind.
The windows logo at the bottom does not light up for me.
The only thing a couple of things I agree with:
The sdhc micro slot you have to be very careful, it's spring loaded and if you push it to hard, it will get stuck. I managed to get mine out.
The space that it takes. It takes a lot for RT and for office. But it is the same with Surface.
Other than that, I had the Prime and the Infinity and this thing it's way way better than those tablets. If you are a business user and you use office programs, trust me you will love this tablet.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using XDA Premium HD app
Geegeeoh said:
How did you do that?
I went to http://event.asus.com/Vivotab/Mobile_Dock/
but I'm stuck at the 3rd step: I can't see a "Mobile Dock Apply & Inquire" anywhere.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
While not that obvious, are you outside of US/CA? The mobile dock claim is apparently online available in USA and Canada which they seem to "forget" writing on the event page. -sigh-
SvanteH said:
While not that obvious, are you outside of US/CA? The mobile dock claim is apparently online available in USA and Canada which they seem to "forget" writing on the event page. -sigh-
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Italy, but they publicized that here too.
Not just over the internet but also on newspapers.
Did anyone get their dock yet? I applied for it 10 days ago and see no change. Also curious really if the windows logo does light up for anyone

[Q] Galaxy Note 8 - is it worth it?

Hello mates.Im still thinking of buying this tab,but why is his popularity so low? I mean not many roms,topics etc about it in forums.. Is there anything wrong with it? Havent seen the tab yet(only reviews),only saw and played with ipad mini,but I think this one is better.Would you advice me to buy it and why?
Thank you
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda premium
Yes...go for it. I' ve replaced my Note 2. 7' Tab is small and 10' is too big for me. 8' Note is not mass market product, but just in between Note 2 and Note 10 solution with perfect performance and everyday use/ carry around. I use it as well as my primary phone, navigation, multimedia and personal computer.
The "problem" you see here relates more to the very niche market for a device like this in its price range when compared next to something like the Nexus 7 and even Samsung's other 7 inch tablet. So on price alone, its going to struggle a little when you have so many quality options for half the price in many cases. For example, the iPad mini is $100 less, you could buy 2 Nexus 7 16GBs, or hell, I've seen referb Nook Colors going for $60 so you could almost buy 7 of the damn things. What they all lack, however, and what sets this apart for those that need the feature is the Wacom digitizer. Yes, that little pen is the source of the fuss. If you're the sort of person who values hand written notes or loves to doodle in a way that no other tablet in this form factor is capable of (even with a third party stylus), then thats all the reason you need to pick up the Note 8. Other reasons would include the super thin body or large screen size (or you have some creepy love of IR blasters), but the pen is the point here.
This all means, sadly, that we won't ever enjoy the flood of rom options other devices enjoy. Sure, there will be some in time, but I'm not holding out for a solid, feature filled port of Paranoid Android. Instead, I'm doing with the majority of Android users are and just making due with what I have and honestly, the things I love outnumber the things I hate about TouchWiz.
At this point, I can't see myself ever going back to a "normal" tablet again (which will really suck if they don't make another one lol).
It's awesome. Don't hesitate.
Sent from my GT-N5110 using Tapatalk HD
I helped organize a Nexus 7 32gb 3G for my mother, and was suitably impressed with it.
I also own a HTC Sensation... which I was also suitably impressed with 2 years ago when I bought it.
I also have to my name an i5 Desktop + Wacom Cintiq 12wx.
So, yes, you guessed it... I like digital art / image manipulation. I also enjoy keeping journals and 'writing' stories... yes, WRITING, not 'typing'... when I sit infront of a keyboard and see the words spill from my fingertips in clinical neat text, it kinda kills the creative process for me...
So you can understand that the note 8.0 *BLEW ME AWAY*
It's as if someone out there decided to design a device *just for me*. It's the perfect size, perfect weight, so comfortable to hold, handwriting recognition is superb, and the sensitivity of the S Pen is second only to the Cintiq experience...
All i need is a means to fine tune the sensitivity of the S Pen for my drawing style and I believe I would actually prefer the Note 8.0 over the Desktop+Cintiq as a drawing medium.. I've only had the tablet for a few days, so I may still be able to figure out how to do this. If, however, the calibration must stay as it is... it is still an excellent drawing experience and, as I said, second only to using a full-blown Cintiq.
Like others here I'll never be buying a tablet again that doesn't at least match the features and convenience of the Note 8.0.
I'm very excited to see what they do with the Note 8.0 v2 + v3... and if for some odd reason, this is the first and last in the series... I'll be keeping this tablet... and keeping my eyes open for developments in the Surface Pro line (it's still too bulky/heavy to be a concideration for me at this point in time).
Bottom line:
Are you an artist / designer and do you prefer handwriting over typing?
If yes, then I can see no better option for you in this form factor. The price is well justified.
If no, then although it is a superb tablet that trumps the Nexus 7 in every way... the price will be hard to justify. If you're not going to put the Wacom Digitizer to work for you, then only buy this tablet if you have money to burn.
FaeMinx said:
All i need is a means to fine tune the sensitivity of the S Pen for my drawing style and I believe I would actually prefer the Note 8.0 over the Desktop+Cintiq as a drawing medium.. I've only had the tablet for a few days, so I may still be able to figure out how to do this. If, however, the calibration must stay as it is... it is still an excellent drawing experience and, as I said, second only to using a full-blown Cintiq.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
See this page...
http://phandroid.com/2012/12/05/how-to-adjust-s-pen/
Thank you for all your help friends . I currently own a Nexus 7 ,but I dont have 3g and thats killing me. Personally I was viewing Ipad mini and Note 8 . In fact in my country and my calculations for the 3G version price is likely the same.The only thing I love in Ipad mini is the app store (many many apps) and the accesoaries for the Ipad (docks and etc) If we remove this the Note 8 has everything.
I`ll think a little more and maybe decide the Note 8.It will cost me like 450~500$ with a contract for 7$ per month for one year and Im getting 3000MB high speed 3G.
Here the Apple Ipad Mini costs like 500~550$ ,but without any contracts .
linkenhtc said:
Thank you for all your help friends . I currently own a Nexus 7 ,but I dont have 3g and thats killing me. Personally I was viewing Ipad mini and Note 8 . In fact in my country and my calculations for the 3G version price is likely the same.The only thing I love in Ipad mini is the app store (many many apps) and the accesoaries for the Ipad (docks and etc) If we remove this the Note 8 has everything.
I`ll think a little more and maybe decide the Note 8.It will cost me like 450~500$ with a contract for 7$ per month for one year and Im getting 3000MB high speed 3G.
Here the Apple Ipad Mini costs like 500~550$ ,but without any contracts .
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As others have said. The price of the Note is almost purely based on the Spen / digitizer technology with in it. To decide if it is worth it, you need to decide if the added functionality that technology brings is of benefit to you.
If you dont draw, or dont think you will be taking hand writen notes, then there may be little benefit of this tablet over a cheaper android alternative. My advice is, if you want to use the Spen, then the Note 8.0 is the perfect companion, if you dont, wait for the new NEXUS to be announced and either buy the older 7 at a discount or wait for the newer one (or do the same with the ipad mini. cant be too long before a newer version is announced).
hertsjoatmon said:
See this page...
http://phandroid.com/2012/12/05/how-to-adjust-s-pen/
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the link! After reading that... I'm a little nervous about possibly screwing up the sensitivity that I have - after all, there's nothing *wrong* with my pen, it's not wonky at all... I just would love to be able to map out the pressure gradient curve like I can do via software for each of my Cintiq pens (I have them all - Airbrush, 6D Artpen, Grip Pen and Classic)... So I'm going to continue looking for a software solution. But if one doesn't turn up, I'll probably buy an extra S Pen to fiddle with mechanically.
Thanks again.
linkenhtc said:
Thank you for all your help friends . I currently own a Nexus 7 ,but I dont have 3g and thats killing me. Personally I was viewing Ipad mini and Note 8 . In fact in my country and my calculations for the 3G version price is likely the same.The only thing I love in Ipad mini is the app store (many many apps) and the accesoaries for the Ipad (docks and etc) If we remove this the Note 8 has everything.
I`ll think a little more and maybe decide the Note 8.It will cost me like 450~500$ with a contract for 7$ per month for one year and Im getting 3000MB high speed 3G.
Here the Apple Ipad Mini costs like 500~550$ ,but without any contracts .
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Do you own any other Apple products? Have you already made significant purchases in the Apple app store you want to use on your tablet?
If not, and it's just a case of which is the better tablet... Go for the Note 8.0.
In my opinion, the iPad Mini and GNote 8.0 are not even in the same class of device.
iPad Mini is appropriate for the mass-market consumer who is primarily concerned with consuming content. It's easy to use, especially for people who are not all that technologically skilled.
GNote 8.0 is aimed at power users, creative professionals, and discerning creative hobbyists who are primarily concerned with *creating* content... but who also want a top class media consumption device as well.
If you have any interest in creating content, then it's a no-brainer.
But like I said, if you aren't really going to use the Wacom Digitizer all that much... then the iPad mini could be the right device for you... even though it makes me cringe recommending an Apple product to anybody.
Ill go for the Note.Ill go and order one.Thank you all
And about thias 25$ gift card - it doesnt depend from what country you are ,right?
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda premium
linkenhtc said:
Ill go for the Note.Ill go and order one.Thank you all
And about thias 25$ gift card - it doesnt depend from what country you are ,right?
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You need to check with whoever you are buying from. As far as I was aware, the gift card was only available to US residents.
As I live in South Africa, I got other extras... such as a free Official Stand Pouch, a 16gb MicroSD card, 2 year warranty, and two months free internet with MWeb (which i'm not using as I'm with another service provider - I bought mine outright, i.e. not on contract).
Juvenall said:
The "problem" you see here relates more to the very niche market for a device like this in its price range when compared next to something like the Nexus 7 and even Samsung's other 7 inch tablet.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Bingo. The Android tablet market is dominated by low priced, low spec devices (at least in the 7 to 8 inch form factor). And this has worked to get Android tablets into people's hands and steal market share from the iPad. The N8 is targeted towards users who actually value a premium device, and are willing to pay a bit more. Unfortunately, we are in the minority.
Yes, the N8 is not going to sell in huge numbers, and that means less developer interest. But all that is needed is a few good developers. We already have some good looking contributions, and this will continue to grow. My previous tablet was the HTC Flyer, which arguably had a worse market penetration problem than the N8 has. The Flyer was more expensive ($499 US at release), and the tablet market was much less mature at the time (much less people interested in buying tablets). The Flyer sold in very low numbers. But even so, it had a fair number of very good developers, and a decent number of ROMs. More than sufficient, IMHO. In the end, you don't need dozens of ROMs. Just a decent selection of good ones.
I don't see the trend towards cheap Android tablets changing anytime soon. The Note 8 is easily the best Android tablet around in the "smaller" (7 to 8 inch) form factor, and I'm willing to bet that will remain the case for some time.
That is just it. This tablet is NOT just about the pen. It is a really fast tablet too. Much faster then the Nexus 7 or just about any other tablet out right now. It is smooooth. The screen is the perfect size too. I had a Nexus 7 and returned it because I couldn't stand how slow it was. I have a note 2 and it is nice to actually have a screen large enough that the multi window feature may actually get some use too.
As a consumer, I love my Note 8 (speedy, responsive, relatively okay battery life, etc everything else ppl said)
As an Android/Linux dev, I lament the fact that because this thing costs so much, it is just statistically less likely to get huge momentum behind it.
I don't know, from a practical point of view this tablet is a better buy than an ipad mini. It does cost a little more than an entry level mini but does the mini have expandable storage, usb otg support, multi windows and a pressure sensitive stylus. If I were Joe Public I'd certainly consider getting one as it offers quite a bit more value for just a little extra investment.
Sent from the mighty Note 8.0
I sold my Note 2 ans Ipad Mini 64GB and replaced them with a Note 8.0 w/ 64GB SDCard and am much happier now.
As for the $25.00 Play Store credit , That is for the WiFi model only checks serial # ( US Only ? ) . 3G versions do not qualify.

[Q] Lack of Custom ROMs, Kernels for Tab 8.4

Hi,
I was planning on buying nexus 7, but then prices for tab pro 8.4 have dropped, if google nexus 7 lte costs 350$, then why not add some and buy samsung tablet with better performance, better screen and micro sd slot and many more advantages.
But from what i see, modrianlte is very short on customization,wifi version has some support at least, but lte has like 1-2 custom rom available, no custom kernels. Is the reason for such lack of customization because its too early ? Or the tablet isnt just popular enough ?
I'd like to know the same. The galaxy tab pro 8.4 looks like the closest thing to the perfect tablet to me, with the nexus 8 being somewhat a little further away. I'd love to get it asap as the price here in Sweden is almost identical to the "big" nexus 7 while being significantly better spec'd . so I'm hoping the lack of development (and dedicated forums for the different gtab pro iterations) is due to the young age of the device. Maybe someone with some more insight can shed some light on this
Keep in mind this tablet is having a bit of a short lifespan unfortunately. Blame Samsung.
Here in Canada, it's no longer available for purchase anymore and I had a HELL of a time finding the "white" Samsung OEM case for my white Tab Pro 8.4
I live in the largest city in Canada and only ONE store still had the white cases, and they only had 3 or 4 of them left, all for full MSRP price...
It's a great tablet, but IMO Samsung is a bit of a foolish company. I don't know which idiot (maybe someone in marketing) thought it would be good to release the Tab S just 3 months after general availability of the Tab PRO.
This is my first Samsung product since the Nexus S and probably my last (not due to product quality, but due to Samsung being a foolish company).
well that **** my upgrading plans. Good for them. New Revision, slightly worse specs, higher price. Now what. I love the N7 but its just a little bit too small and apart from the T320 there isnt really anything that compares by a long shot in the 8-9" range.
thanks anyways, guess the only thing to do is wait for the N8 or an upgraded N10.
audiosmurf said:
well that **** my upgrading plans. Good for them. New Revision, slightly worse specs, higher price. Now what. I love the N7 but its just a little bit too small and apart from the T320 there isnt really anything that compares by a long shot in the 8-9" range.
thanks anyways, guess the only thing to do is wait for the N8 or an upgraded N10.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
don't get me wrong, i love my Tab Pro 8.4, but i think i just have to get accustomed to using it stock (or stock + root) rather than having a HUGE selection of ROMs/kernels like my Nexus 4
my thoughts exactly. Im coming from 1st gen n7 and the n4 and im addicted to flashing sth new almost weekly so of course im used to a lot there and id never expect anything close to the variety of roms and generaly development on a the galaxy tab series. But as it is probably the most bought tablet series out there i was hoping for there atleast to be a certain amount development for it. With Google taking so long and this being such an incredible deal for the money i had hoped that that would stoke development for the tab pro here on xda.
Can you think of any alternatives offering atleast a FHD screen, not too old A15 processor and 2 gigabytes of ram for under 450 USD in a <9.9" package?
well new nexus, htc nexus 8 or 9, seems to be not the thing we are looking for, word around says it is going to expensive.
Tab S is a scam, i don't know what kind of idiot would buy that piece of crap over iPad mini.
From my point, i want to buy a tablet and use it for a long time, just like my galaxy nexus phone of which im very happy, i'm not planing on to buy, try and sell.
audiosmurf said:
Can you think of any alternatives offering atleast a FHD screen, not too old A15 processor and 2 gigabytes of ram for under 450 USD in a <9.9" package?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nope. Your criteria is very similar to my own! Before this tab became widely available, I was going to get the LG g pad 8.3,but its hardware is worse than the tab pro obviously. Especially the screen, ugh.
Basically, for 8" tabs it's either this or the Tab S.
BTW I think from a "sales" point of view, there are more galaxy tab 3's and 4's out there... But let's be honest even if more people have those (which in turn causes more development) their hardware is pathetic for anyone over the age of 10, lol
I'd say stick with this one and try to get all your friends to get one too, boost sales
Most unpleasant situation would be would be if idiotic samsung sold all Tabs and stopped producing.
Buy used one from swappa or CL. Then sell it when Nexus 8/9 comes out. I traded my N7 2012 for $50 GC and after all the deals/coupons/perks the tab pro cost me $240. I don't care about custom roms on tablet , all I care about is root. But on my phone I need latest the Android version so my next phone is going to be a Nexus.
I think that once you change the launcher and freeze a few apps the tab runs pretty good and you can even root it if you want. Nexus 7 is good but still smaller screen, lower resolution and slower CPU. There are a couple stockish ROM and CM for the models using a Qualcomm CPU, I find the situation not so bad looking at how young the tablets are,
Sent from my SM-T320 using Tapatalk
Well, what do you guys say about the new nexus, if its starting price would be 400 $, then the LTE version might go out the same price as iPad mini/Air, then why not to buy a iOS tablet rather than android if they would cost the same ? If the new nexus is going to be that expensive it must have all the other extensions that nexus series don't have, like micro sd slot, IR blaster and the other luxury toys
brutalsam said:
Well, what do you guys say about the new nexus, if its starting price would be 400 $, then the LTE version might go out the same price as iPad mini/Air, then why not to buy a iOS tablet rather than android if they would cost the same ? If the new nexus is going to be that expensive it must have all the other extensions that nexus series don't have, like micro sd slot, IR blaster and the other luxury toys
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
All just rumor for the time being, but if the Nexus 8 is going to be at the $400 price point, I would wager it would be with impressive specs and features. Yes, the Nexus 7 had a "budget" set of specs and features, but also appeals to a much lower price point (currently $229, release was $299 I believe?). Rumor also has it that its being made by HTC, which makes arguably the most beautiful smartphones around, and briefly did so with tablets. So the build quality may rival or even surpass the iPads (in my opinion the HTC M7 and M8 easily surpass the current iPhones).
I for one am happy to see the "race to the bottom" on price for small form factor Android tablets started by Nexus 7 and Kindle Fire has somewhat cooled down. Manufacturers are started to recognize that some folks actually want quality, not just cheap.
redpoint73 said:
All just rumor for the time being, but if the Nexus 8 is going to be at the $400 price point, I would wager it would be with impressive specs and features. Yes, the Nexus 7 had a "budget" set of specs and features, but also appeals to a much lower price point (currently $229, release was $299 I believe?). Rumor also has it that its being made by HTC, which makes arguably the most beautiful smartphones around, and briefly did so with tablets. So the build quality may rival or even surpass the iPads (in my opinion the HTC M7 and M8 easily surpass the current iPhones).
I for one am happy to see the "race to the bottom" on price for small form factor Android tablets started by Nexus 7 and Kindle Fire has somewhat cooled down. Manufacturers are started to recognize that some folks actually want quality, not just cheap.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yep, let's hope for prices that won't compare with iPad air/mini, android always has been cheaper than apple products, so changing this thing will only brings failure,
brutalsam said:
Yep, let's hope for prices that won't compare with iPad air/mini, android always has been cheaper than apple products, so changing this thing will only brings failure,
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I didn't mind paying $399 for the Pro 8.4 soon after release. The exterior design isn't quite as high-end as the Ipad Mini, but it has a higher resolution screen, MicroSD, etc.
More importantly, I'm not interested in the closed Apple ecosystem. The iPad was never a real contender for me.
But I also realize and agree that the mass market is not going to see it that way. To many, a tablet is a tablet (many don't distinguish or even understand the difference between Android and iOS); and furthermore Apple has more brand recognition and respect than Android (to the masses). Android tablets need to either carry more features and/or come in at a lower price point than the iPad in order to sell.
redpoint73 said:
I didn't mind paying $399 for the Pro 8.4 soon after release. The exterior design isn't quite as high-end as the Ipad Mini, but it has a higher resolution screen, MicroSD, etc.
More importantly, I'm not interested in the closed Apple ecosystem. The iPad was never a real contender for me.
But I also realize and agree that the mass market is not going to see it that way. To many, a tablet is a tablet (many don't distinguish or even understand the difference between Android and iOS); and furthermore Apple has more brand recognition and respect than Android (to the masses). Android tablets need to either carry more features and/or come in at a lower price point than the iPad in order to sell.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Indeed, that's exactly what i want to say.
Anyway, iOS has more exclusive content than android, some fine games, apps first come out in the AppStore, then Android, but sometimes developers refuse to make an android version, or crappy android port.
For example, a fun app called ElfYourself was first to come out in iOS then it was ported to android, but to compare both official apps android version looks crappy, laggy, lacks some features, it was probably ported by some other developers.
That's why i want iOS tablet.
brutalsam said:
Anyway, iOS has more exclusive content than android, some fine games, apps first come out in the AppStore, then Android, but sometimes developers refuse to make an android version, or crappy android port.
For example, a fun app called ElfYourself was first to come out in iOS then it was ported to android, but to compare both official apps android version looks crappy, laggy, lacks some features, it was probably ported by some other developers.
That's why i want iOS tablet.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you want to talk about very particular apps and games, than yes iOS has more "exclusive" content. But there are plenty of apps for any purpose on Android, whether it be games, utilities, etc. Seriously, both iTunes and Play Store currently boast over 1.2 million apps. It used to be a big deal for iTunes to tout there number of apps when it was 50,000 or 60,000 etc. But honestly, once it went into the tens of thousands, why does it even matter? A few dozen good ones is enough. You don't even hear Apple or Google mention the total number of apps anymore, because its now irrelevant.
Yes, the quality is not always there (and there is a lot of crap to dredge through on the Play Store), but its getting better. Fact of the matter is that iOS users spend more money on apps. But on the other hand, developers can no longer ignore the fact that Android now has more market share (at least for phones) than iOS in the US (and its not even close globally). They simply can no longer ignore that customer base.
If you like iOS, then fine. Apple makes fine devices. But I personally can't stand how Apple dictates what the customer wants; instead of listening to what the public wants. How the OS looks, how it works, the device form factor (Steve Jobs "Nobody is going to buy a big phone"). iOS has hardly changed since it began. And the biggest changes to the OS appearance have actually largely stolen from HTC Sense, of all things (talk about coming full circle!). It took what, 3 or 4 years for Apple to even let folks change their wallpaper background on the iPhone? Come on!
I'm not a fan of iOS, im just trying to make point for myself, maybe you are right, maybe my infos are outdated. I just don't do much gaming or surfing or even use many kind of apps, cuz of tiny screen of the phone, that what i want to change by buying a tablet
brutalsam said:
I'm not a fan of iOS, im just trying to make point for myself, maybe you are right, maybe my infos are outdated. I just don't do much gaming or surfing or even use many kind of apps, cuz of tiny screen of the phone, that what i want to change by buying a tablet
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm not saying you are wrong about the apps (at least particular apps or ports). iOS certainly does get more attention from software developers. And if your goal is particular apps, games, etc. than you might not be happy with an Android tablet. As you mentioned, they don't all come to Android. And if they do, they sometimes don'r run as smoothly or get updated as often as the iOS counterparts.
But for me, there are plenty of great apps to keep me busy. I'm not a big gamer (but play a few sometimes) and most often use my tablet to web browse, read books, comics, and watch Netflix and other videos.
I'm also a big user of various Google services (Gmail, Calendar, Google Maps), and their integration into Android simply has no comparison.
redpoint73 said:
I'm not saying you are wrong about the apps (at least particular apps or ports). iOS certainly does get more attention from software developers. And if your goal is particular apps, games, etc. than you might not be happy with an Android tablet. As you mentioned, they don't all come to Android. And if they do, they sometimes don'r run as smoothly or get updated as often as the iOS counterparts.
But for me, there are plenty of great apps to keep me busy. I'm not a big gamer (but play a few sometimes) and most often use my tablet to web browse, read books, comics, and watch Netflix and other videos.
I'm also a big user of various Google services (Gmail, Calendar, Google Maps), and their integration into Android simply has no comparison.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, then the android tablet is my bet.
I'm not a big gamer as you said it yourself, i plan on reading, surfing, watching movies

Worth buying?

My dad needs a new tablet and isn't willing to pay very much, he mostly browses the Internet, some Skype, YouTube. Mostly reading stuff.
Is this a solid device? Is it worth buying in 2014? Are there any better alternatives for mid sized tablets that don't cost a fortune?
If he don't need a Stylus not really. Device itself is great. Also used a Nexus 7 2013 and this one is cheaper. Or maybe a Samsung Tab 3 is a nice device...
So a nexus 7 is better?
In case of Hardware specs yes because newer and also newer Androids OS. But there a lot of possibilities...
lvnatic said:
My dad needs a new tablet and isn't willing to pay very much, he mostly browses the Internet, some Skype, YouTube. Mostly reading stuff.
Is this a solid device? Is it worth buying in 2014? Are there any better alternatives for mid sized tablets that don't cost a fortune?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Your dad would probably like the Venue 8.0 Pro... it is a powerhouse that runs a complete version of Windows 8.0 / 8.1.
I would have gotten it but I found my brand new Note 8.0 in November for $225.00 shipped. Once I debugged Android 4.2.2 to be very stable and clean for my needs. I am happy with the purchase. A full OS Windows 8.1 is far superior than android in that you do not have any limitations of running applications and compatibility with a networked windows environment at home.
My answer is: yes. After 4.4 update, my Note 8 lives again and got better performance (except one second wake up lag).
Playing HD Homerun+Homerun TV+MX Player Pro is better than before.
However, if you don't need a stylus, Tab Pro is a much better device (S800>Exynos).
I'm about to sell mine if you want it. Don't really use it (never did). It's an awesome tablet, but I just don't use tablets. Plus...I want to use the money to buy a TV to put over my 3 monitors :laugh:

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