Windows Tablets For Fieldwork

[Randall Garrett]

BTW, I had a chance today to spend a little time with an SP4 on loan. I was not able to scurry off with it and put it through inspection type scenarios, but I do have some general observations compared to my SP3's, etc. The first thing that I noted was that the device feels a little lighter than the minimal weight drop would seem to make. Also, the decrease in thickness was apparent just in holding it. Again, I was surprised at how different it felt based on such a minor slim job. The new Pen really is more precise, feels better in my hand (YMMV) and performs better. The previous one was really nice, but this one is better. The more artistic your needs, the greater value this particular improvement is. I was surprised how great the eraser tip worked. The magnetic pen attachment is really strong. The new keyboard is a great improvement. Not only is the planar surface very stiff (no bounce or flex at all), but the keys have a nice amount of travel and feel to them. I can verify that the new Keyboards are backward compatible with the SP3 (kudos to MS for that!) so, if you own a Surface Pro 3 and want to upgrade your keyboard, it works great. Also, they have a new keyboard with a fingerprint reader just to the right of the track pad that lets an SP3 take advantage of W10's Hello feature. (The new front camera system in the SP4 is built for Hello, so this special keyboard is not needed in an SP4. I only saw this one in black while the newer keyboards have more color choices.) The new Pen also works on a 3 but unless you are really picky, it might not be worth the extra money since most of the improvements on this aspect need the SP4's underlying PixelSense™ screen technology to take advantage of the increased sensitivity, etc. If you buy a new pen, I am told that you get some extra nibs (tips) with different feels. The base nib feels better than any pen I have personally used on a Tablet. (YMMV, especially if you are an artist vs. appraiser type person.)

Oh, and you can do some amount of customizing at time of pre-order on the SP4. It is just one device and not every combination of CPU, RAM and SDSD size is available (i.e. you cannot get one with a Core 3m, 16 GB of RAM and a 1TB drive, nor a Core i7, 4BG of RAM and a 128GB SSD, but at least you can do some minor configuration if the preset choices are not what you are looking for. I noted that one particular combination resulted in no more than a 1 week delay in getting it. Everything else is shipping by October 26th. I am told that you can also get them through Amazon and at Best Buy, etc. I would expect most major Best Buys to have them on display either this weekend or by next weekend. The preferred shopping and fondling experience is at a Microsoft Store (and I've not gotten the best tech help/assistance on MS products at Best Buy) but if you do not have a MS store nearby, going by a Best Buy to see for yourself is better than nothing.

Hope this helps. Let me know if you have any questions and I'll do my best to answer what I can. I am not under NDA on the SP4, but I don't know what else I can tell you until I am able to spend some inspection-type time with ours...


-Randall Garrett-
+Apex Software+

 

[Chris Wagoner]

I had posted this on the win10 device thread, but looks like it is transitioning here, os this a double post, Sorry to those who have aIready read. The surface book pro is a win10 device as near as I can tell. Not sure about the surface 4. But I wonder, is this where competitors are going as well or is this a suprise to most? Previous thread copied below.
"I think you have started a Win10 device post and it only seems like a nature transition from the win8 device posts. I have been following the win7 and 8 posts since you began, and am still looking for the sweet spot in all-in-one tablet convertible type desktop replacement machinery. Need to finally replace Lenovo X220T. Some of my research shows some prospects interesting and some completely ridiculous. I am looking for more screen space this time and home to go with atleast 13" and really 15' if possible. Would go to 17" if I could find one, but dont see anything reasonable for that size. I have looked at the "big 3" Lenovo, HP, and Fujitsu briefly and Motion, Dell Rugged, Panasonic, Toshiba and a few other custom units, but have no real idea of the outdoor viewing capabilities or actual use of the perspective form factors. Are there others I should consider or does anyone have any info on these enterprise type devices for appraisal work?

 

[Randall Garrett]

Hi Chris,

I am so sorry that I neglected to respond to your post on the other ("W10?") thread. I feel like I let you down and I'll try to do better in the coming months. Summarily, I've been watching the developments around the Lenovo ThinkPad Yoga 15 (http://shop.lenovo.com/us/en/laptops/thinkpad/yoga-series/yoga-15/). A more accurate term would perhaps be "non-development" since they never shipped it with Active Pen and the model with the RealSense camera seemed to lag for quite a while. Lenovo is notorious for delaying certain devices a frustratingly long time (or is it that they just announce something way too early?) I really think that unfortunately for those who were drooling over the TPY 15, they decided to quit pushing on this particular 15.6" model and move most efforts to the new TPY 260 & 460 models. The new models have the newer chipsets and other improvements, but unfortunately, there is no news on a 15" (or larger) model at this time. IF you can do without the Active Pen

I totally understand your desire for a larger screen device and if you'll help me by sort of prioritizing the features which are most important to you, I can make a better recommendation after reaching out to a few "insider" folks to try and determine if anything unpublished is in the pipeline or if something already known is as close as we'll see anytime soon. IF you can do without the pen (gasp! ha ha), the current TPY15 ($929 - $1139) may be as close as you'll find at a decent price today, but I'll do some preliminary checking anyway. If you can see yourself moving to a 14" model, there are simply more options. If you really want something even larger, the choices for something with "everything" start diminishing. As you may have concluded, I have moved to the new MS Surface Book. Even though it has "only" a 13.5 inch screen, the (superior IMHO) 3:2 aspect ratio makes the screen much more productive (for me.) After just a short time with it, I have grown to really like it. Some of that is just the "new, shiny object" aspect, but there is a LOT to like on this model even though it is a "Gen1" (that feels like a Gen2 or Gen3.) Unfortunately, I won't be able to spend any more time with it after today - it has to go back and none of my retail units are scheduled to arrive before 10/26... Anyway, IF you can live with "just" a 13.5 inch screen, you should take a look. That said, for a real "powerhouse" 2-in-1, you may end up liking something from Lenovo, Dell or HP (assuming that you want to stay in the "Business Class" devices, which I still recommend for professionals like you.) So, let me know your thoughts and I will endeavor to push out some germane info to you - perhaps by PM for now so as not to "pollute" this thread too much, and we'll rely on you to share what you settled on/what you're waiting on/whatever in a future post... ?

(BTW, IF you're already bored with your Dell 30", I can share the results of my larger screen monitors research and resultant purchases. I can verify that my current devices do push these larger, high resolution screens adequately, though not sufficient for gaming.)


Regards,

-Randall Garrett-
+Apex Software+

/end/

(Edited out a double negative typo)

 

[Chris Wagoner]

No worries. I knew you were still around somewhere. My fault for not getting my post in the right spot. Yes, i looked into that Yoga, and would have been a good unit had it been built with active pen and I still need an outdoor viewable screen.So, in short, priorities, active pen a given based on the software providers giving little mobility for full blown windows software.Sscreen size: would go down to 13.5 or so if I need to, but like the 14 and 15 screens better. (not a deal breaker, but 13.5 would be smallest). Screen needs to be outdoor viewable like my x220t, and obviously some type of convertible or detachable tablet/slate/laptop convertible, and good docking if possible. Love the looks of the surface book. Were you able to use in sunlight outside? I will probably be looking into business class as I like the longevity of the units and warranty and I seem to be on the go more these days and the unit is taking some abuse as I am using it in more environments. Remaining specs seem to wash out with availability of storage, memory, and processor in the business class area. With the larger memory, ssd, and processor, looks like I just wait a little longer? I am not bored with the 30" screen at all and am enjoying every day. One of the best purchases I have made. Can I assume that I can drive this older screen with the newer units as well, maybe with an adapter? Thanks much for all of your invaluable insight on this topic... Chris Wagoner, Certified Residential Appraiser, State of Indiana

 

[Randall Garrett]

Chris,

OK, I think I have your priority features down now and I'll get to work on a short list My initial thought is that you would like many aspects of the Surface Book and would find its 13.5" screen size to be a great improvement. The aspect ratio really is a big deal for productivity, especially as more and more manufacturers are starting to go with 16:9 screens - even Lenovo :-(... The "outdoor screen" aspect, however, remains to be an issue with most manufacturers, There are simply very few devices made which seem to have outdoor view-ability at the top of their feature lists :-( and thus it seems that this aspect is found mostly in the "ruggedized" devices today. Even most of the business class devices are starting the eschew proper (for our purposes) screens today as "the numbers" seem to indicate that the general public doesn't care (enough) to warrant offering indoor/outdoor screen options in most of their devices. On the other hand, I am starting to see more and more devices offer screen options with "1080p" (sic.) screens on some models, and many of them are "matte" vs. glossy. They seem to be offering this as a cost savings option, though, so they tend to not even have touch, much less active pen... So, the general state of things today is that, with the exception of indoor/outdoor screens, we're seeing better (raw CPU/GPU & I/O) performance in a wide range devices with lighter weight, more attractive pricing and longer battery life, etc. than we have ever seen. The specialty devices (Motion/Xplore/Panasonic/Mobile Demand/etc.) are improving somewhat, too - they have indoor/outdoor screen options, but their devices remain relatively bulky and expensive :-( What most of our customers tell me that they want can be described as something near the divide between a consumer and business class device (i.e. weight, price, availability, etc.) but with an indoor/outdoor screen. Very few of my Enterprise type customers really need a ruggedized device, but I am still surprised by how many end up getting ruggedized type devices in the end. On the other hand, I am also surprised (and frustrated) when other customers end up buying a bunch of "Pads" which actually end up not ever being properly deployed (due to inappropriate or inadequate software and/or infrastructure issues) and thus causing issues down the line with future "mobility" initiatives. It happens a lot more than people want to discuss in their budget meetings :-\

Anyway, my general thought is that the current version(s) of the Surface Book are not the best fit for you. The SB is an elegant device with promise for many folks, and it is a "business class" device - but I believe your needs really point toward something more outdoor friendly. I just thought you might want to go look at one to get an idea of what a 13.5" screen with a 3:2 aspect ratio feels like and where things are heading as a result of MS producing them. I also think that you'd like the overall form factor - something that is really well built with a quality keyboard, great pen, larger than typical screen but still has a "tablet" aspect to it. I have not properly tested the device outdoors, but even thought there is some impressive technology at play with the new screen, I suspect that the reflective properties will disappoint you since you are already used to the ThinkPad screen. My hope is that I'll be able to use a decent anti-glare screen protector on my own SBs... Realistically, I also know that it'll be a few weeks (or more) before my favorite screen protector manufacturers get around to producing their wares for this new device. I believe that an "SB-type" device may end up being what you are looking for, but the actual device may end up being from Dell, HP, Lenovo, etc. There is always a remote possibility that Motion/Xplore, Panasonic, or similar will step up their game(s) but I suspect they will be too expensive (and still too bulky) for most people.

There is still new info coming from the various players and I expect that the "fallout" from the MS Surface Book reveal will take some time to settle down. Still, I'll put some effort into narrowing things down for you and will send you some information soon.

[Edit] - Forgot to cover your monitor question. I have had success running my Dell 30" monitors from most of my tablets/2-in-1's. As our Dell 30" monitors are aging at work, I have been testing viable replacement options for the past several months. While there is nothing wrong with your current set-up (in fact, it is quite good IMHO), FWIW, I am settling into the UHD (aka "4K") displays as replacements for the Dell monitors. The "trick" is that most of them are simply too small for us older types and software scaling issues (usually blamed on MS Windows but it actually due to lazy software types) means that even in the 28" - 32" range, many folks find things too small and will then futz around and try to scale things up. Mostly, they end up compromising the quality of the display :-\ but at least they can see things OK. What I have found to work well (for me, and folks at work) amounts to about 38" - 40" being a great size for 4K. I have purchased and tested 4 different 40" UHD monitors over the past few months and have found them to work well. My home office "desk" is 27" deep and (due to the "stands" on most of these) that is on the border of being too shallow for immediate acceptance. It works out OK if you can set it all the way back and you will certainly NOTICE the increase in size, but at first, it may feel too close/too big. Trust me, you'll get used to it very fast ;-) The thing is, at around 40", the UHD resolution of 3840 x 2160 does not need rescaling - you essentially just run everything at 100% (which makes life easier) and you can both SEE everything and enjoy that there is a LOT to see Anyway, the point is IF you want/need more screen real estate than your Dell 30 is offering you, I can point you to a couple of options. And, in keeping with your comment/question, I have run these "4K" monitors from my Surface devices (and a few others, even lesser ones.) I have not tested any of them with the newest Surface devices nor any of the "Q4 2015" devices, but in every case, the GPU sections of these newer devices is superior to the previous devices and there is no reason to believe that the new devices wouldn't perform even better. Note that it takes more GPU for doing demanding game stuff at 4K but even streaming the available 4K video from on-line services to these "4K" monitors via a Surface-type device has worked OK for me. Regular work stuff is just great. Note that these are monitors, not TVs, and have proper DisplayPort connectors (HDMI, except v2.0+, is inadequate for our needs unless you can live with "jitters" from time to time.) FWIW, these monitors range from $750 to just under $1,000. I am currently using one that runs about $800 and am pleasantly surprised how well it works (and you know how picky I am on monitors, LOL) Anyway, IF you are in the market for such, let me know and I'll send you some info.) If you remember how wonderful it felt when you upgraded to your 30", well, going to 40" @ UHD is that much better

Regards,


-Randall Garrett-
+Apex Software+

/end/

 

[Randall Garrett]

FWIW, I had a chance last night to briefly fondle the new HP Spectre X2. Summarily, I liked what I saw... Despite a laughable flaw* regarding the RealSense camera, this device looks like it may be a potential contender for some.

First off, the fit and finish was excellent on the pre-production device that my friend was toting and I'd expect the production devices to be in line with what I saw. I liked the 3:2 aspect ratio of the screen and the resolution is more than adequate without being a battery-eating overkill item I'm really happy to see that MS has done a good job in "pushing" this aspect ratio to the extent that other business device manufacturers are following suit! Due to the time of day that we met up, I was unable to use the X2 during typical daylight inspection conditions, so I'll have to wait for my retail device to show up for testing under those conditions. The screen was pretty bright and punchy, though it was also glossy as seemingly all devices are today. Hence, I'll be investigating anti-glare screen protectors for this and other similar devices...

As for general performance, I do not have either of my SP4 devices yet, so I could not directly compare the Spectre X2 to the SP4s, but on paper and depending on your own set of priorities, the Spectre X2 offers a couple of potential advantages over the SP4. The SP4 is available in one fan-less model - a "Intel Core m3" model (the other, more powerful models are Core i5 and Core i7s which require a fan like last year's SP3, etc.) whereas the HP Spectre X2 is available on only fan-less configurations, but in Core m3, m5 and m7 variants. As you would expect, the higher the number, the more powerful it is, albeit not generally by a super-wide margin like in the in the "full Core iX" chips. Remember, the Core m chips sort of site between the Atom (Cherry Trail, Bay Trail, etc.) that I have previously written about and the "full blown" Core i5 and i7 chips. (I rarely talk about the i3 as it is/was sort of compromised and not many people adopted it. The new Core m chips pretty much make the old i3 sort of redundant and not many people are likely to use them going forward IMHO.) These newer Core m chips offer a battery-sipping profile that (under normal usage patterns) is not much different than the upper end Atom chips but the potentially significant difference for many is that they support real SSD drives vs. the slower eMMC storage in the Atom-based devices. Now, IF you had properly optimized mobile software to use in the field (i.e. "apps"), this would not be such a significant factor, but let's face it - you don't. And, to be fair, even if you did, most of you would want to over-tax your mobile device by expecting it to run a lot of legacy ("bloated") software anyway ;-) Just the "nature of the beast", ha ha. Anyway, you will notice a definite "seat of the pants" boost between using an Atom vs. Core m device - the chip is a little more robust, but the main thing you'll "feel" is the speed of the SSD vs. eMMC when loading stuff software, data, etc. The bigger the items loaded, the more you feel it.

I liked the feel of the SP-like keyboard, too. It seemed to be slightly superior to the new SP4 keyboard, but again, I could not test them side by side. In any case they are both definitely superior to the SP3 keyboard. (BTW, the new SP4 keyboard works on an SP3 but I'm not sure if the X3 keyboard will work on an SP3/SP4.) The sound seemed better on the X2. due primarily to the B&O speaker system on the keyboard. Unfortunately, there does not seem to be a biometric security option for the X2 (see RealSense diatribe below) - at least the new MS SP4 keyboard is available with a fingerprint sensor option...

The kickstand was sort of a personal preference thing. Like Lenovo and others are starting to do, HP obviously took "inspiration" from the Surface design language, but it does not seem as sturdy as the MS nor Lenovo implementation. It is not likely something you're apt to break (and we always recommend accidental damage protection policies), hence my underscoring of "seems" - i.e. it just looks that way. I did, however, like the way HP implemented a push button release for the kickstand...

Some will like the fact that the X2 offers 2 USB type C connectors, but it is not a major advantage for most at this point IMHO. Despite the spec being a great step going forward, the bottom line is that you pretty much have to use a "dongle" to hook up any of your existing USB accessories... If you order one, be sure to get the $30 optional adapter. Also optional is the active pen. My friend did not have one with hers, so I was unable to test this aspect. The spec looks promising and I'll let you know once I confirm this one way or the other...

Size is very similar to the SP3/4 but they actually weigh just slightly more than the SP4 Core m models - 1.87 lbs. vs. 1.69 lbs. That is even more than the SP4 Core i5/i7 at 1.73 lbs. The balance of the tablet, however, did not seem to make the extra ~0.2 lb. weight gain very noticeable to me

Finally, two important things -the availability of 4G LTE and price. The Spectre X2 is available with 4G LTE. Unfortunately, they show it as being only Verizon at present. This will not be an issue for some, but for me and most of my users it is. More on this aspect as things develop. The best item so far is pricing and discounts. The price for the Core m3 model starts at $799 with the keyboard and 128 GB SSD. If you configure one, the Core m5 pushes it up to $949 and the m7 is an additional $50 on top of that (to $999) and it appears that this model has (un-activated) 4G LTE built-in. You can get $25% - 30% off by using a coupon at check-out The variations are too involved to go into and I need to end this post soon, but in summary, I was able to order one for my folks fairly well decked out for under $850 out the door.

[Edit] - Forgot to supply a link to the product page: http://store.hp.com/us/en/ContentVi...eSpotName=new-detachable&jumpid=ba_5rw3kjfi6x

Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any questions.


-Randall Garrett-
+Apex Software+

/end/

* It seems that several normally right-thinking engineering departments were completely baffled by the main purpose of the RealSense camera (which, AFAIK, is for Windows Hello) and put it on the back ("world facing") surface instead of the front (facing the user.) I've even seen folks I normally consider to be sensible/objective try to point the blame at MS for this dumb-arse move by the manufacturers. Some manufacturers marketing departments even seem to have "explained" their engineering gaffe by positioning the camera as some sort of futuristic 3D imaging system in the description. Folks, the main purpose of the Intel RealSense camera system (and equivs.) is for biometric security - i.e. Windows Hello - for logging in, etc. I don't want to pick at just HP for this - you'll see the same thing in some other devices coming out this year (looking at YOU, Lenovo!). Hopefully, it'll be rectified by the time the next generations of these particular devices ship. In the meantime, the only device I have seen with the camera system oriented properly is the SP4 and SB. Otherwise, this HP's other rear camera seems fairly typical of this generation - good enough specs for our purposes, but of course, I'll have to test it to confirm how the actual implementation works. Anyway, having the RealSense camera on the back doesn't cause the regular imaging system to be any worse, so it is not a problem - it's just a missed opportunity. Depending on outcome of my real world testing of Spectre X2 in field trials, I'd not skip this device because of this issue if it otherwise meets your needs.

 

[Randall Garrett]

Well, that was brief. The coupons codes used to order the Spectre X2 no longer work, so they are back up to the $799 - $1,149 range. I'll investigate further, but given how well the SP4 is selling, I would not expect HP to offer such aggressive sales promotions on this new device anytime soon :-\ Even without the coupon codes, the device is priced competitively. Once my retail unit arrives, I'll give some feedback on my impressions (hopefully alongside the Lenovo and SP4.)

Regards,

-Randall Garrett-
+Apex Software+

/end/

 

[Randall Garrett]

Just a quick note. I have some East Coast business travel this week so I may not be able to post or comment much. On the "plus" side, this trip will allow me to have a little "road warrior" experience with some new devices, so I can comment on any pertinent details once I return. Of particular interest is the New Microsoft Surface Book. Pre-orders for this device and the new SP4 were shipped last week, running into this weekend. Most pre-orders will be delivered today. Fortunately, our main pre-order arrives before I must depart but as insurance, I went to our local FedEx Sorting Facility yesterday to pick up one unit. Yeah, I am impatient, LOL.

Also of note, I am working on some additional resource stuff which I look forward to helping me supply you folks with more timely and in-depth test type stuff. For example, I am bouncing one particular SP4 to a friend who is a pro so it can be directly compared to a more typical/generic model. If all goes well, I should have some test data available to you by the time I return to SAT. Hopefully, by offloading some of the more geeky tech aspects, I can then concentrate on more of the appraiser-specific aspects and get you better info more quickly than I seem to have been able to do lately With that in mind, please let me know if there are any specific items you want me to cover.

(And BTW, I do not think that the Surface Book is the best fit for residential appraisers. Commercial appraisers may find it a better fit than (say) a residential appraiser because the SB is a laptop first, tablet second - in pretty much an 80/20 ratio (laptop/tablet) whereas the Surface Pro 3 and 4 sort of "flips" the bias to something like a 35/65 laptop-to-tablet ratio for most folks. We may see a more favorable ratio with one particular SP4 model, but I simply need to test it more first before I comment or make recommendations. Don't get me wrong - I absolutely love the SB... For several reasons I just don't think that most of you would end up preferring it in actual real world use case scenarios over some other devices which cost the same (or less in most cases.) Look for more specific info soon.)

Regards,


-Randall Garrett-
+Apex Software+

/end/

 

[Randall Garrett]

FWIW, Lisa Gade of MobileTechReview has completed her review of the MS SP4. She borrowed my Core m3 model so she could do a direct comparison between her supplied Core i5 loaner and the Core m3 I bought specifically for testing. As you know, I was away on business when the retail devices were shipping, so I simply sent her one of mine. I wasn't going to be there anyway and I trust Lisa to do a thorough and objective review. She covers most of the things I do when I test, but she leans more toward "art" type use of the pen where we are more concerned with "notes and simple sketching" type stuff. Anyway, I hope you'll pay attention to her comments regarding the everyday performance comparison between the Core m3 and the Core i5 on the same device. Basically, unless you are doing something particularly demanding on the CPU and/or GPU side, the Core m3 performs much better than one might expect. I'll need to test some of the more common appraisal packages to be sure, but based on my experience running some of the same "benchmark" and actual productivity software packages, I am not expecting any surprises. None of todays appraisal software packages are doing anything very computationally intensive, at least not enough to really stress a modern CPU. Generally, the bottleneck on "lightweight" tablets is in the I/O (or for the most part, the storage medium, "hard disk" or whatever you want to call it.) All your forms and data really push lightweight tablets pretty hard and the "Atom" devices simply have slower eMMC storage where thest devices have real SSDs which are considerably faster. Hence, they feel like they compute faster when it is mostly that things just load up faster. Of course, having more RAM helps, especially when trying to multi-task, but that should not be such a big thing on a tablet unless you are using it as a desktop replacement. Anyway, her review might help you feel better about the $899 option vs. feeling like you have to spend over $1K. Note that I will be testing the new HP Spectre X2 in both Core m3 and Core m7 trim. The m7 is undeniably faster in "compute" scores, but I predict we'll not see much "seat of the pants" improvement between the two when comparably equipped.

Article: http://www.mobiletechreview.com/notebooks/Microsoft-Surface-Pro-4.htm

Video:

Hope this helps!


-Randall Garrett-
+Apex Software+

/end/

 

[Chris Wagoner]

FWIW, Lisa Gade of MobileTechReview has completed her review of the MS SP4. She borrowed my Core m3 model so she could do a direct comparison between her supplied Core i5 loaner and the Core m3 I bought specifically for testing. As you know, I was away on business when the retail devices were shipping, so I simply sent her one of mine. I wasn't going to be there anyway and I trust Lisa to do a thorough and objective review. She covers most of the things I do when I test, but she leans more toward "art" type use of the pen where we are more concerned with "notes and simple sketching" type stuff. Anyway, I hope you'll pay attention to her comments regarding the everyday performance comparison between the Core m3 and the Core i5 on the same device. Basically, unless you are doing something particularly demanding on the CPU and/or GPU side, the Core m3 performs much better than one might expect. I'll need to test some of the more common appraisal packages to be sure, but based on my experience running some of the same "benchmark" and actual productivity software packages, I am not expecting any surprises. None of todays appraisal software packages are doing anything very computationally intensive, at least not enough to really stress a modern CPU. Generally, the bottleneck on "lightweight" tablets is in the I/O (or for the most part, the storage medium, "hard disk" or whatever you want to call it.) All your forms and data really push lightweight tablets pretty hard and the "Atom" devices simply have slower eMMC storage where thest devices have real SSDs which are considerably faster. Hence, they feel like they compute faster when it is mostly that things just load up faster. Of course, having more RAM helps, especially when trying to multi-task, but that should not be such a big thing on a tablet unless you are using it as a desktop replacement. Anyway, her review might help you feel better about the $899 option vs. feeling like you have to spend over $1K. Note that I will be testing the new HP Spectre X2 in both Core m3 and Core m7 trim. The m7 is undeniably faster in "compute" scores, but I predict we'll not see much "seat of the pants" improvement between the two when comparably equipped.

Article: http://www.mobiletechreview.com/notebooks/Microsoft-Surface-Pro-4.htm

Video:

Hope this helps!


-Randall Garrett-
+Apex Software+

/end/

Now that was a great review.

What is her primary use? Are you the only one who looks at these outside? Sems like that is or is becoming a very small segment..

Thanks for the link.. Chris Wagoner Certified Residential Appraiser State of Indiana.