Brian,
Thanks for your follow-up and additional background info - it helps me a lot to know your mindset, preferences, etc. Please excuse the delay in replying to you – I’ve been away for a bit and am just now getting back to being able to get on-line in a semi-regular basis. Also please note that my following comments on the Surface Pro are necessarily limited as there is still an information embargo in place - typical when working under NDA and the like...
As you might imagine, I’ve been "stung" by various manufacturers in the past with regard to "engineering sample", pre-release, beta, etc. hardware not actually making it into production. Thus, I rarely recommend ANY hardware that is not either already out in retail form or/nor has any reasonable likelihood of regular users being able to get ready, reliable service after the sale. Case in point - Fujitsu Tablets. While they are easily obtained and serviced in other parts of the world, they are notoriously difficult to find here, the selection is very limited (what models they choose to release here) and follow-up service is difficult. They can (and many times do) make good stuff, but getting it here and then routine things like replacement batteries (later on), warranty repairs and the like, are... ummm, "iffy."
Anyway, with respect to the MS Surface products, the "press" has largely been right with respect to the build quality of the devices. One can easily look at a WinRT model to get a good feel for the overall quality of the key components. There are some definite "niggles" with some physical items - stuff like the flakey power connector, and WinRT has some growing up to do - not unusual for a v1.0 effort. These, and other reasons are why I give that particular device (and OS) a "wait" type recommendation - it is not ready for prime time use for appraisers at this time. Most of the software people I know are also taking a wait and see attitude with respect to development. A classic "chicken and egg" situation ATM, and I can’t really blame them on their views...
Still, I think (hope) we all realize that you are talking about a completely different animal with the Surface Pro. I happen to like the Surface devices personally, but I am not sure whether it is/will be the model of choice or the best fit for most appraisers when it does ship to retail channels. The items which affect this are largely a matter of personal choice to the user, but I suspect that most appraisers would end up going with a "lesser" device by other manufacturers. We appraisers are notoriously... ummm... frugal when it comes to purchasing equipment, often going "cheap" vs.”BB4TB” (Best Bank for the Buck) - sometimes to our detriment ;-) My recommendations for Fee Appraisers here in North America usually end up running out to an approximate 10% - 20% more expensive than the cheaper models, but my experience indicates that this small premium ends up being the better buy in the mid-to-long term. In years past, a 10% - 20% difference in price ran out to hundreds of dollars, but with the typical prices on today's devices, it is usually (say) a hundred bucks or so, and thus easier for most folks to swallow
I am, of course, comparing like-kind devices, not comparing a $200 "pad" to a $1,000 full tablet. In effect, comparing Win 8 Tablets, when looking at "appraiser-ready" tablets, we're talking about comparing (say) an $800 device to a $1,000 device.
FWIW, the screen on the Surface devices is quite nice for most inspection scenarios. The real world contrast ratios are better than almost anything else in the consumer/business space. I am not a fan of glossy screens, nor the 16:9 aspect ratio, but those are not something you or I can change. I routinely recommend that users apply a good quality anti-glare screen protector if glare is an issue – not for the “protector” aspect since all good quality tablets have Gorilla Glass anyway, but for the “anti-glare” aspect. The current recommendation which seems to work best for me is the DayVue. You’ll find some photos in another thread here on “Fighting Tablet Glare.”
Within the Win 8 Pro lines which will be coming to market before next summer, generally they break down into the "companion device" type and the "desktop replacement capable" types, mainly due to CPU and the related components, etc. - Clover Trail (Intel "Atom") devices and Intel Core i5 (or i3, i7, depending on preferences, etc.) Today's Clover Trail devices are a far cry from the older "Atom" netbooks - they perform admirably given what they are intended to do - basically be a competitor to the ubiquitous ARM CPUs found in iPads, Android pads and Windows RT, but able to run "full windows" programs. Like the various ARM CPUs, they are fanless and meant for light weigh mobile use, not heavy lifting as seen on one's typical desktop systems. And we all know how "hoggy" most current appraisal software is, and how we appraisers load up our systems with a lot of stuff going on at once ;-) This scenario does not represent a reasonable use case for a "mobile" device (vs. "transportable" device.) For heavier duty use, the excellent Intel Core i5 CPU works well at the (relative) expense of size/weight and battery life. Still, today's Core i5 systems offer FAR better mobile experiences than the systems common just last year. I suspect you already know all this, so I am just re-stating this general summary for those relatively new to this topic.
So, for those who want a more mobile solution, the 10.1" - 11.6" Clover Trail systems offer a way to run your typical Windows programs on a device that compares favorably with the size, weight, price and battery life "norms" expected from the iPad/Android user scenario. If you want a machine that can do more, expect to pay more and it'll be a bit larger, heavier and last more like 4 - 6 hours of constant use. This translates to pretty much a full work day since in most mobile (appraisal) scenarios, one is not actually using their mobile device for 100% of their work day once you consider drive time, etc. As you rightly mention, having a car charger pretty much handles the issue of extending the “away from office” run time on modern Core iX devices. From our own experience, the run time for the better Clover Trail devices is about 8.5 – 10.5 hours in typical appraisal scenarios.
As for your question on the specific models I mentioned previously they are the Lenovo Think Pat Tablet 2 and the HP EliteBook 900, due this month and next month, respectively. Look back in some recent threads here for links I posted to official pages for these devices. Our mobile valuer/surveyor (country-specific term for "appraiser" here) Nexus users have settled on these two units for large scale roll-outs this year as they represent the best fit for their use. They appreciate the "business class" build (more rugged than a typical "consumer class" device), matte/anti-glare screens, available active pen (in addition to touch), and available accessories (keyboard/docks, cases, drop protection warranty programs, etc.) and ready serviceability are attractive to them. Previously, they had standardized on the Motion F series and J series, but like users here, they appreciate the approx. $850 - $1,100 prices (depending on storage, warranty, accessories, etc.) vs. the $3,000+ prices for their previous units. Note that these are Clover Trail devices in the 1.4 lb. range, not the 2 lb. – 2.2 lb. Core i5 devices that the Surface Pro will be. These particular clients are typically more "mobility aware" than most US appraisers and realize that their previous devices were overkill with respect to CPU and resultant size/weight/battery life, and of course, cost. While these people are pretty similar to US and Canadian appraisers, their situation is a bit different in that their software is written specifically for their own use by the companies they work for. Hence, it does not need to be as “generic” as appraisal software here and can be targeted for specific needs/conditions, mobility being one of the key differences.
Finally, since CES is going on this week, several instances of information embargos are now lifted. Of course, the manufacturers are all touting their NEW iterations, but I remind folks that this stuff has a good measure of hype infused into some otherwise meaty and pertinent info. So, IF you are wanting to get something (essentially) NOW, look at the two devices I mentioned earlier. That Samsung ATIV (W8 Pro model) is also perhaps applicable – just make sure you get the one with the active Pen, not the neutered AT&T version, unless you must have a built-in 4G plan and that is more important than the pen/inking. Personally, I use both, but when forced to choose, I go with the pen and simply tether my device to my phone. For those on the fence, or in the “wait and see” camp, terms like “Haswell” and Bay Trail are the watch words. When you see these devices (summer to fall?), you’re finally in the zone of price/performance that many envisioned last year. Of course, I’ll be touching on these devices once they are actually shipping.
Hope this helps!
-Randall Garrett-
..Apex Software..
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