• Welcome to AppraisersForum.com, the premier online community for the discussion of real estate appraisal. Register a free account to be able to post and unlock additional forums and features.

Forum Sponsor - a la mode

QuickSource provides a single-source solution to easily import, compare, and manage data from multiple, credible sources in every report. See what the next game-changer is really all about.

Windows Tablets For Fieldwork

FWIW,I missed this the other day when it came out, but a friend wrote to say that the prices on the Lenovo ThinkPad 10 are at a momentary low. If this devices interests you, I recommend acting soon. Summarily, they start at $359.40 for a TP10 w/2GB RAM, 64 GB storage but it is only $60 more ($419.40) to double the RAM and storage (4GB RAM + 128 GB storage) so it is money well spent IMHO. The 4G LTE option is only $72, so if you want that capability, they start at $431.40 and again it is only $60 more ($491.40) to double the RAM & storage. If you work in a harsh environment, the rugged case is still only $55 and the matching keyboard is $120

Link: http://shop.lenovo.com/us/en/tablets/thinkpad/thinkpad-10/?menu-id=thinkpad_10

I have used TP10 devices for a while (both Wi-Fi and 4G LTE) and find them to work just fine. In fact, my TP10 was my "daily driver" (and we use others for development work) until the MS Surface 3 showed up. Overall, I prefer the new Surface 3 due to the larger screen and better support (IMHO) but currently, the TP10 with 4 GB of RAM + 128 GB of storage + 4G LTE SIM slot is under $500 which is a hundred dollars less than the Wi-Fi only version of the S3, so it may be hard to pass up.

Hope this helps!


-Randall Garrett-
+Apex Software+

/end/
 
Randall Garrett said:
FWIW,I missed this the other day when it came out, but a friend wrote to say that the prices on the Lenovo ThinkPad 10 are at a momentary low.
/end/
Click to expand...

Thanks for the "heads up" on this Randall! The 4G capability was the deciding factor for me over the Surface 3 and I went ahead and placed the order for one of these this evening. I opened up the chat window to customer service and they knocked off an additional $50 on my order so overall, I felt like I got a great deal on mine. I've been irritated ever since I missed that last sale on these you told us about. Thanks again!
 
Sorry for the delay in replying, Mike. Congrats on getting a deal - I'm glad my post helped a fellow appraiser! (Which model did you get, BTW - the 2GB/64GB or the 4GB/128GB model? I imagine that we'd all be interested in why you chose that particular model.) Also, thanks for letting others know about your ability to get a few additional dollars off by negotiating with the on-line rep - that sort of thing really helps and I'm sure you can put the $50 to good use!

FWIW, as you may have noticed, the order page currently only shows a Verizon SIM as an option. When I got ours, it showed AT&T or Verizon but they all came in with neither (we ordered both types) but it was not a problem in the end (for us) since I just removed the SIM from my old iPad and the others did something similar. Both AT&T and Verizon said they would supply the card for new or existing accounts, but for us, it was easier to just pop the card out of a device we were replacing vs. go get a new one... YMMV.

I recommend sticking with Windows 8.1+ for now. While I am enjoying different builds of W10 (it varies, LOL), I don't recommend using it until later. I had to jump through some minor hoops to get 4G LTE working early on and I'm not sure that everything is running at 100% ATM. With regard to 4G, things work (just) OK for now, but again, I relate these particular issues to the preliminary build status of the OS vs. the device itself. My personal TP10 is running strictly W10 ATM where my SP3 and S3 are dual boot for now. Let me know if you want/need any additional tips on the various accessories - sometimes those can make a real difference in your daily use scenario. My current gripe is not being able to find a desk dock, which (for me) is a significant item. I was hoping that the dock from the previous model would work, but alas it does not. That may be one reason my current fave is the S3 but then again, my "favor" is evidently fluid and I'm never 100% satisfied, LOL.

Regards,


-Randall Garrett-
+Apex Software+

/end/
 
A friend just passed along this info and I thought I would share. I can't believe I had not checked this out before... :-\

Microsoft has several factory refurbished Surface Pro 3 selections available via their EBay Outlet site. The SP3 with Core i3, 4GB of RAM & 64 GB SSD is running $679.00. The better deal (IMHO) is the Core i5 model with 128 GB SSD for $799.99. Most would find the best overall deal, however, to be the ones that include the Type Cover for only $50 more ($849.99) FWIW, in my experience, getting a factory refurb can be even preferable to getting a new unit when dealing with business class devices. While business class devices are generally built to a higher standard than lower end consumer type devices, a factory refurb means a human being went through the device and "hand checked" everything. Many times, devices are returned when they are absolutely A-OK. It is becoming somewhat common these days for people to order something which can be returned within a week or a month if the customer is not happy. Sometimes folks do this just to "play" with new stuff and simply return it when they are done - i.e. they had no real intention of purchasing it, they just wanted to mess around with it. So, getting a factory refurb is not like you're likely dealing with a returned "lemon"...

As a friend puts it, the difference between new & refurbished is largely:
  • Production - glued, screwed, and snapped together, wrapped, packaged, and shipped.
  • Refurbished - Inspected, tested, repaired if necessary, booted to an exterior OS, thoroughly tested, "replatformed", wrapped, packaged, and shipped.

Here is the link: http://stores.ebay.com/microsoft-st...4755490017&_sid=1183854187&_trksid=p4634.m322

Hope this helps!


-Randall Garrett-
+Apex Software+

/end/
 
Last edited:
Randall Garrett said:
(Which model did you get, BTW - the 2GB/64GB or the 4GB/128GB model? I imagine that we'd all be interested in why you chose that particular model.)
Click to expand...


Hi Randall, I ended up getting the 4GB/128GB high-end model primarily to minimize performance issues while running Dragon 13 Professional out in the field. I have been dictating field notes into my android tablet using the Google speech recognition facility however it doesn’t quite measure up to the Dragon. With Dragon, the more of anything you have the better, it is a performance hog. I’m hoping with the new Apex version 6, Dragon 13, Microsoft Onenote and some custom PDF inspection sheets I built I can finally ditch the clipboard for good. I plan on printing all my pre-inspection data, comparable location maps, tax cards, plats, and anything else I might need for a particular assignment to a Microsoft Onenote file which will then be automatically synced to my tablet and the field inspection data I gather I plan on printing it back into that same Microsoft one note file which will then serve as the starting point for my permanent digital appraisal work file. I purchased the rugged case, the accessory keyboard and a three-year ADP plan all for approximately the same price I would’ve paid for just the computer before this 40% sale came up. I have been periodically logging on to the Lenovo website to see if they were ever going to run these on sale again but I totally missed this one, many thanks for keeping us informed!
 
Lenovo has their Yoga Tablet 2 (8" Windows version, with "AnyPen" technology) on sale for $349.99 - $50 = $299.99

If, however, you enter the code USPY2865430 at checkout, the final price is $239.99, for a total savings of $110.

I have one of these devices, purchased for testing, and find it to work OK for general use, considering it has 2 GB of RAM. You can (likely) run your full appraisal software on this device (those that I have tested), just don't expect it to be a speed demon - especially if you multitask much. That said, for just general on-site note taking, sketching or casual "Pad-type" use, it works well and at this price, it has a lot of uses for some. Here is a link to the page so you can learn more about it. You enter the code (above) in the final check-out window.

Lenovo site: http://shop.lenovo.com/us/en/tablet...?menu-id=lenovo_yoga_tablet_2_8#tab-customize


Hope this helps!

-Randall Garrett-
+Apex Software+

[Edit] - I also posted on this this device back in early March. Here is a link to that post which has a link to a video and some of my initial thoughts: http://appraisersforum.com/forums/t...ets-for-fieldwork.191490/page-44#post-2571322

/end/
 
Last edited:
As a follow-up on the 8" Lenovo mentioned above, a friend reported to me that he obtained a refurb unit via Lenovo's store (link below) and was well pleased with the quality and condition of what he received. Bear in mind that this is a 2GB unit and the AnyPen thing is not a real Active Pen solution, but that said, this device works well for most "pad" type things and many of you may find that it works well enough for inspection type duties (vs. trying to run it in a desktop replacement mode.) It WILL run your full appraisal packages, but with limited RAM, etc., it just won't do it FAST. You should already realize that as your desktop machines very likely have way more powerful components and you're not likely totally satisfied with the speed on them, either - right?

Anyway, for the price, this might work for some of you. $174.69 - http://outlet.lenovo.com/outlet_us/itemdetails/59RF2257/445 (as of this posting there were only 8 units in stock.)


Hope this helps!


-Randall Garrett-
+Apex Software+

PS - I am travelling today and will be out of pocket for a couple of days. When I get back, I hope to be able to post up my initial thoughts using my retail version of the MS Surface 3 that I picked up yesterday. As you might expect, I have already used an S3 for a bit, but I always wait for actual shipping retail units before offering my "final" thoughts. Summarily, the shipping versions appear to perform nearly identically to the sample units - actually better, since they are not hobbled (locked down for display purposes.) I really like this unit and expect both the Wi-Fi and 4G units to sell well.

/end/
 
FWIW, the newly released UAG rugged cases for the S3 sport a pen "clip" on the (landscape) top, similar to the Motion C5/F5 solution. I have found that the case itself is lighter than the ones for the SP3 (duh!) but I have not yet checked the percentage ratios. I noted that the case itself (sans S3 inserted) feels more pliable, so I imagine that they have reduced the materials somewhat. Once the S3 is inserted, however, everything is rigid as you would expect. I'll compare the kickstand angles of the S3 vs. UAG case and report back and include pictures if they come out OK. For now, here are shots from the Amazon listing page. The cases are available in red or black - I purchased both to demo to customers, but I am posting the red because it seems to stand out more. They are currently running $44.86 and $45.73 in black and red, respectively (vs. $69.95 MSRP @ UAG.)

Link: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00VJYTYK8/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

91vNIXy29OL._SL1500_.jpg


91klZnk0FVL._SL1500_.jpg


71MUG0JwZTL._SL1500_.jpg



Hope this helps!


-Randall Garrett-
+Apex Software+

PS - UAG makes cases for other devices, too. If you like this look, here is a link to their page where you can explore: http://www.urbanarmorgear.com/collections/all

/end/
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Find a Real Estate Appraiser - Enter Zip Code

Copyright © 2000-, AppraisersForum.com, All Rights Reserved
AppraisersForum.com is proudly hosted by the folks at AppraiserSites.com
Back
Top