Windows Tablets For Fieldwork

[JSmith43]

Randall, as I recall, you mentioned that some of the techies you work with have their own Macs & play with VM's etc.

Per chance, have any of them experimented with "Hackintoshing" a Surface Pro or some such potential field device hardware?

I'd be interested in hearing if Mavericks is sufficiently advanced that the touch screen features were to become operational, for example. Also, any problems with display resolution or screen size restraints that made the Hackintoshed device not such a success in the field?

I'm ready to leap for a personalized solution, but, my World is so spoiled that I need OSX deployed on an intel platform that is compatible with virtualization technology. I need OSX in order to support an environment that would permit me to run an OS9 application that I am apparently hopelessly addicted to, let's leave it at that. Sorry for being so cryptic, but I actually have a reason, public forum & all.

 

[Randall Garrett]

JS43,

If anyone at Apex would do that, it would be me, and IF I had, I would not be discussing it on a public forum ;-) Apple is just so sweet when it comes to stuff like that.

There are active "Hackintosh" forums and sites - you might want to search for terms like "ModBook" and go from there. I assume that you already know about that, though...


-Randall Garrett-
+Apex Software+

/end/

 

[JSmith43]

Good tip! I'd forgotten about the Modbook solution. Pretty pricey for the turn key Modbook offerings & my own MacBook Pro is 1 generation older that their conversion operation covers. My wife's would work, but I think she'd notice the difference if I swapped drives.

OK, I'll do it the hard way & search through the crazies at the Hackintosh sites. There weren't many hits for Hackintosh tablet, as if tablet just doesn't cut it as a search term. All, in the name of science, of course.

 

[JSmith43]

PITA, a SurfacePro 1 works except for Wifi, which would have to be solved by someone writing a driver:new_smile-l: or added via a Wifi dongle which would likely be a choke point for internet speed.

There is a glimmer of hope, accomplishing what I think I need via installing a VM or VM Player & then installing OSX as a guest OS. Who knows how slow that VM will run, but that should solve many hardware issues

My plan is to wait for Apple to surprise me with a 13" IOS Air that runs VMs, something like that.

Android Tablets or Windows tablets set up to run VM's would work as well. I'm not the only one that would go for it. Screw the long battery life goal. Power that mother up with hardware virtualization technology, 4 cores & 4+GB ram!

 

[Randall Garrett]

FWIW, here's a link to Brad Linder's quickie on Windows 10 Technical Preview, shown running on an older Core 2 Duo laptop.

Windows 10 preview - YouTube


Here is WPC's quickie showing W10 TP running on an SP3.

Windows 10 Technical Preview on the Surface Pro 3 - YouTube

Hope this helps! Remember, WP10 TP is an unfinished work and the main reason it is even out in the wild is for desktop users in Enterprise environments. The Continuum feature is not yet exposed, so we're not seeing any real Tablet-centric things yet.


-Randall Garrett-
+Apex Software+

/end/

 

[Randall Garrett]

For those of you who want/need something more rugged, it is now public knowledge that Motion Computing has updated their popular CL910 by announcing the CL920 Rugged Tablet. The CL910 was a little anemic for most fee and mass appraisers IMHO and over the past two years has become a little long in the tooth, given the rather rapid upgrades in the Bay Trail category. I've linked a short write up on the device below for those who are interested in this type device, though most of you probably don't need this level of ruggedness. If you do, you know it... Anyway, the "review" does a pretty good jog of bringing out the most important upgrades and why they are important to users of this type device.

Let me know if you have any questions.

http://www.ruggedpcreview.com/3_slates_motion_cl920.html


-Randall Garrett-
+Apex Software+

/end/

 

[Randall Garrett]

FWIW, I just picked up another Lenovo ThinkPad 10 for about $530 at Amazon. The price for this capable performer has been fluctuating wildly since its release - especially for the last month - but heading steadily upward and has been running $829 through the Lenovo site for the past 3 weeks or so http://shop.lenovo.com/smb/us/en/tablets/thinkpad/thinkpad-10/

Sometimes, Amazon lists things from some of their suppliers at some really good prices and today I found one which was offering it for even less than the previous low price of $588, so I jumped on it. As of the time I posted this, there are 4 left for $533 with Amazon Prime shipping available. I got mine for Saturday delivery for about $8 because I didn't want to wait for the free delivery (want to test something over the weekend while I'm not distracted by regular office items.)

Anyway, here is the link. If you've been on the fence about this device, I recommend jumping on it. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00LMJC3EY/?tag=realestatappraat

I'll be using mine to post some pictures for some future topics. I'll also let you know how easy it is (or isn't?) to add the recommended Accidental Drop Protection policy - I always recommend this option!


Hope this helps!


-Randall Garrett-
+Apex Software+

[Edit] You will notice that at the link posted above, there are some "new" (?)ones listed by other sellers, most are in the $480 - $500+ range. Of those listed, I only recognize one of them as someone customers have dealt with in the past. Their listing states that the 1 unit available is in the factory sealed carton and is priced at $484! FedEx shipping is also available. http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00LMJC3EY/?tag=realestatappraat

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[Randall Garrett]

Been meaning to get to this for a while, but something always came up...
Just posting two quick shots made in bright sun showing a couple of screen protectors compared to a bare screen.

Both shots taken under bright outdoor conditions, but under the eaves. I figure this is the most typical condition. Tried to angle to show reflections of the eave as well as the sky and tree behind me.

The first one is a stock HP EP1000 - bare screen.

The second shot is of an HP Pro 610 - a slightly less expensive version of the EP1000 but it has the same LCD panel. The screen has a DayVue on the left and their AG on the right, both cut diagonally.

At first, most will like the AG and it may seem like the DayVue is offering no measurable reduction in glare. I aim to show the same device with the AG removed so you can get a better idea.

Added a third - cropped lower left corner so you could see apparent clarity. These images are reduced when uploaded, so I'm not so sure they are great. In real life, the DayVue keeps about 99% clarity but reduces GLARE (not reflections). The AG reduces reflections at the cost of some clarity, but not enough to significantly hamper usability for appraisal purposes.

Anyway, hope this helps for now!


-Randall Garrett-
+Apex Software+

/end/

 

[Randall Garrett]

FWIW, I noted that a few on-line retailers are finally offering the upgraded model to last year's popular ASUS T100. The newer model features a larger 11.6" screen and a faster CPU, along with various other minor tweaks. Be aware, though, that some sites sell the model with only 2 GB of RAM vs. the one that I believe is the T200TA model which is the more appropriate choice for appraisers IMHO sue to the quad core Bay Trail CPU, 64-bit OS and 4 GB of RAM, etc. The link below is to the Amazon listing for $499 with keyboard dock. The US models do not come with an HDD/SSD storage in the keyboard dock but DIY'er types can add up to a 1 TB HDD drive themselves Also, FWIW, the previous model was not offered with an additional battery in the keyboard dock here in the US, but it was available overseas. I do not own a T200TA at this point, and have not investigated whether one can retrofit an additional battery in the KB section like was done before, but if I hear of details regarding this, I will report same.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00NMVEWC6/?tag=realestatappraat

The linked image shows a T200 vs. a T100 for a size comparison.

[Edit] I grabbed the image above from a site which did a short review on the updated T100 and the newer T200 without reading the article itself. Having gone back and read the review, I thought I'd link it here for those who want to read up on the devices. I found the review to be pretty balanced and accurate, though you should note that the author mentions the included HDD in the dock, which is not offered here at this time. The thing to note however is that the "bay" for the HDD is meant to be user-serviceable, so it is pretty much a simple thing to add one. Most would likely choose to add a lower-priced SSD for the speed and battery life factors. Overall, I think the T200TA may be a better fit for some appraisers if you like the notion of having a 2-in-1 riding shotgun with you, detaching the tablet portion while traversing the subject property.
http://www.ultrabookreview.com/4898-asus-transformer-books-t100tam-t200ta-reviews/

Hope this helps!



-Randall Garrett-
+Apex Software+

/end/

 

[Randall Garrett]

Rugged case for SP3

For those interested in using a Microsoft Surface Pro 3 in the field, I have some pretty good news. My initial tests on the UAG case for the SP3 are positive. The case, which runs under $50, does indeed add good protection to the SP3. Of course, I always recommend getting an accidental drop protection policy (usually the $99 one for the SP3) but having a MIL-STD case is a real comfort. As I may have mentioned, I got mine in red because it makes it easier to spot if I accidentally leave it behind ;-) The case itself is pretty light (well under a pound) for something offering such substantial protection.

I picked up my case from Amazon, but note that they are only recently available and thus in short supply. http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00M2UK89E/?tag=realestatappraat
You'll find some pretty useful user review info if you scroll down.

I've done some limited testing of my own - doing a corner and back drop with my personal SP3 from about 4' onto a concrete sidewalk (accidental) while getting ready for multiple drops onto wood decking, grass, packed dirt, mulch, etc. Obviously, the concrete "test" was the most severe and being accidental (vs. planned), probably mimicked something closer to real life - including a lurch in my heartbeat and a few expletives being uttered ;-) The SP3 continued to run just fine throughout all the tests and the only damage was to the case - and even the concrete drop only produced very superficial "scuff" marks.

This case is very well made - a surprise to me given the under $50 price. Of course I have some "niggles", the foremost being I wish it had a way to attach a strap. The "kickstand" is metal (surprise) but I would have rather saved the weight/cost and had the case be able to use the SP3's built-in kickstand.

Pictures posted below are when I first got the case - I'll post some more once I do a screen protector shoot so you can see the (very) minor damage from the drop.

Hope this helps! Happy to answer questions...


-Randall Garrett-
+Apex Software+

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