Windows Tablets For Fieldwork

[Randall Garrett]

At this point, the 14' screen is a sweet spot for me. i struggled with the 11-12" screens on my older Lenovos. I am willing to go slightly smaller to utilize 3:2, but not much. I thought it would be still too small when I purchased, but found that it is a good sweet spot between the field unit and laptop. I always dream I could have a 17-19" travel unit workhorse, but would get me too far away from simple mobility with the maintenance of multiple devices. I still struggle a little with the 14: screen using it as a laptop when traveling.
I was looking around a little, and was wondering if you could recommend a good screen protector ( so i don't get one with poor quality), bump case for field use? There seem to be few for any of these devices. I had to make one for my P40. I noticed as well that MS does not offer a car charger option on the website? Why is this? Why would they not offer a good quality mobile charger for a good quality businesses class device? Amazon has then or $20? Can you recommend any you have used or dealt with?
I have played the waiting game on most devices, but for this year am looking for the tax help. So going to pull the trigger here soon. I live in a fairly rural area with the closest cities being an hour away and even those cities are not tech savvy places. Rarely would I find any of the mentioned devices in a store. I will be in Chicago in the near future, and am going to try and find a store there. No, not off track at all. great invaluable info. Thanks for your expertise> Chris Wagoner

Chris, FWIW, a 13.5" screen @ a 3:2 aspect ratio actually has (slightly) more screen area than a 14" screen @ a 16:9 ratio. See the illustration and numbers below. Also, IMHO, the aspect ratio alone makes it more productive anyway... That said, I am reluctant to say "take my word for it" - you really need to fondle one before considering such a purchase IMHO.

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FWIW, these days I tend to lean toward the products by NuShield. http://www.nushield.com/
The DayVu for a Surface Book is currently running $27. You may prefer the Triple A ("matte" style) for $22.50...
Here is link to their comparison page http://www.nushield.com/screen-protector-film-comparison , but note that as I mentioned (much, much) earlier in this thread, their comparison shots don't seem to be as accurate as the ones I posted here. If I can find my post with the comparisons, I will post a link to them here.

I've read that PhotoDon still has good product, too, but it has been a while since I have done a direct comparison. Here is a link to their page for the Surface Book device offerings. Note that they have several choices that range from $18.20 - $29.65 for the Surface Book's 13.5" screen. https://www.photodon.com/p/6902-01.html One helpful thing (IMHO) is that you can order a $5 - $30 sample kit which has 4 different types. When I was doing my own comparisons, I just got full size sheets and cut them myself, but I think this approach might be better. I think the 2" x 3" size ($5) is too small for adequate testing and the 8" x 10: ($30) might be too much trouble. The 3" x 5" samples ($10) would probably be sufficient for testing. I would, BTW, put the samples you feel might work the best on a glossy screen, side-by-side so you can just tilt the screen back and forth in a variety of lighting conditions that are typical for your area. You would not need to use a Surface Pro or Book for the base test - you'd just want a regular laptop, or other lesser tablet for the test, and you'd certainly not want to use your P40 which already has a semi-matte screen. Just realize that you'll almost certainly enjoy the full treatment of whatever you choose, once applied to the device you ultimately choose.

Hope this helps! Let me know if I can be of further help.


-Randall Garrett-
+Apex Software+

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[graindart]

Concerning the HP Elite X2, noted the slow autofocus comments at: http://www.laptopmag.com/reviews/laptops/hp-elite-x2

Of course it might be a subjective comment that might not matter to most people. The real hesitancy I have with the Elite x2 is the lower rated screen brightness, although I might pick one up if I come across the right price.

 

[Randall Garrett]

Thanks for the link, graindart. I'm surprised that the author made such an obvious error on the screen size & resolution - they are usually more careful than that. There is a noticeable difference between the stated 16:9 aspect ratio and the device's actual 3:2 aspect ratio. Of course the size error is only 0.3", but the more pertinent one is the aspect ratio indicated. The correct screen attributes are the last one below::
(sorry, I did not have time to make a comparison illustration but it would be very similar to the one above)
BTW, I forgot to mention in post #671 above that one should click on the thumbnail in order to see the full size image.

• A 12.0" screen at 1,920 x 1,080 has dimensions of 10.46" wide x 5.88" tall = 61.53 sq. in.
• A 12.3" screen at 1,920 x 1,080 has dimensions of 10.72" wide x 6.03" tall = 64.65 sq. in.
• A 12.3" screen at 1,920 x 1,280 has dimensions of 10.23" wide x 6.82" tall = 69.83 sq. in., (13.48% larger than the data in the original article)

The differences in some numbers may appear to be slight, but they are actually germane to providing better productivity for he types of work we are discussing in this thread IMO.

Actual screen output is always a factor, though contrast ratio is far more pertinent once you get to the 300+ nit output. FWIW, the customers I know who have this device have not been particularly vocal about it seeming dim to them. In initial impressions, the SP4 is definitely more punchy IMHO, though. I believe that this model is worthy of consideration for folks who want/need a relatively inexpensive mil-spec business device that has a semblance of accessories that make it more usable in the field than most of the consumer-oriented devices out. That said, I am guilty of always looking for better versions and wondering "why they didn't ______" (fill in the blank) so unless you absolutely need one now (or find one at a good price), I would look forward to a Kaby Lake version this Spring (?) Of course, this is HP we're talking about - they are not unknown to release something that "missed it by THIS much" (i.e. near ideal) and then screw up the next gen... ;-) A choice of cellular compatibility options is highest on the list for MY customers but at least there IS an option on this model

I'll continue to research the "remote" flash option as others also want/need this - I believe this is coming, but I have no reliable info that points to a Surface Pro model coming out with a 4G LTE option :-(

Hope this helps!


-Randall Garrett-
+Apex Software+

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[graindart]

If one model was clearly an exact fit with everything I wanted, I'd probably just buy it and wouldn't worry about the upfront cost as much. However, since there isn't one model that appears perfect for my needs right now, I think I'll dip my toe in the water with a cheap used option first. I've got my eye on a few different cheap options on Ebay that should work well enough for me to start using them in the field. TPT2 or a couple of Fujitsu options all seem to be available in the $100-$150 range and should be a decent trial setup. My thought is that it's cheap enough that I won't feel bad replacing it with a brand new setup in few months if my perfect tablet is released in the Spring.

 

[Randall Garrett]

FWIW, I agree with your approach, graindart. I'm sure you'll keep in mind that something like the TPT2 is a "companion class" device and shouldn't be reasonably expected to perform like a desktop replacement class device, especially when running "legacy" type software that struggles on even more robust hardware, multitasking with several tabs open, etc.. That said, a TPT2 is pretty svelte and if you really can find one in decent shape for somewhere close to that price range, you may have a winner

Let us all know how things go - we all learn when other users share their pro and con experiences!


-Randall Garrett-
+Apex Software+

/end/

 

[Randall Garrett]

graindart,

I forgot to mention that I still carry a ThinkPad Tablet 2 w/Mobile Broadband as my primary "daily driver" for wireless internet on the go and for testing new builds for MobileSketch 10, etc.. So, if you have any particular questions on that particular device, feel free to ask and I'm happy to give you my observations from a "long term road test" perspective ;-) Please note that if you are planning on regularly running regular appraisal software programs on it, I heartily recommend a device with 4GB of RAM over the ones with 2GB. I see that new TPT2's still show up on the Lenovo pages as being available, but they start at $494 with 2GB of RAM. The 4GB models are $90 to $99 more (WiFi only vs. with mobile broadband), but they also have double the storage (128GB vs. just 64GB.)

• Various models are shown here: http://shop.lenovo.com/us/en/tablets/thinkpad/thinkpad-10-2nd-gen/?menu-id=thinkpad_10_2nd_gen

I would think you could find a certified refurbished unit for less than that, but at least you know that new ones are still available. I can look around - I'm not sure if I still have an extra one with mobile broadband, but I'd want more than $150, LOL.

Best wishes for finding what you are looking for. Please keep us up to date on what you learn/experience.

-Randall Garrett-
+Apex Software+

/end/

 

[graindart]

Thanks for the info.

To answer some of the previous notes, I'm not looking for a desktop replacement. I'm interested in something just for replacing pen / paper / camera during the inspection. Mobile data capability and a keyboard aren't important to me.

My cheap test unit is on the way. I picked up a Fujitsu Stylistic q702. It has 4gb ram and an 11.6" antiglare screen listed as being 400 nits by the manufacturer. It didn't come with the keyboard or pen. I wasn't interested in the keyboard and the pen can be had for $23 if I want to try it. They do offer a bump case with hand strap for it, but I couldn't find a good deal on one. Instead I have a different handstrap thing being shipped that I plan on attaching permanently to the tablet. Was thinking about trying the tablet without pen at first, but am also thinking a stylus would be much more exact. It uses an N-trig pen, the same as the MS SP3 / SP4. Do people use fingers or stylus more often for this type use?

On paper the specs will be enough for me to get an idea on whether spending some money in the spring is a good idea. It has Usb3, bluetooth 4.0, wifi, rear camera with flash, GPS, sd card slot, sim card for optional mobile data, 4gb ram. It is only running an i3 processor, with 64gb ssd, and lower resolution (1366x768), lower contrast (500:1), and the battery without keyboard is only rated at 4 hours.

The reason I ended up going with this model was I sniped an Ebay auction and got it extremely cheap.

https://sp.ts.fujitsu.com/dmsp/publications/public/ds-stylistic-q702.pdf

 

[Chris Wagoner]

I would echo Mr Garrett's comments, although his comments have more experience behind them than mine. Just to add, i have used some great lenovo products that would fit what you are looking for except the camera with flash. And the cameras don't have the wide angle or the low light capabilities of most any other camera. They are also difficult utilize as the screen points at you, bot at what you are shooting. You can turn the screen, but is a bit cumbersome, particularly inside. Some older models have the flip camera, but dont know of any with win10. Thanks, Chris Wagoner,

 

[Randall Garrett]

BTW - this is related IMHO.

I noticed that Best Buy has the excellent Surface Dock on sale for $99 today, down from the $199 MSRP. You can find it pretty regularly for $149, but the $99 price is a good one. Highly recommended if you use your SP3, SP4 or SB in a desktop mode regularly or even just now and then...

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/microsoft-surface-dock-black/4561910.p?skuId=4561910

Hope this helps!

-Randall Garrett-
+Apex Software+

/end/

 

[Randall Garrett]

FWIW, I noted that the Lenovo Miix 700 with Core m3, 4GB of RAM and 64 GB of storage is on sale for $399.99. I feel that the model with a Core m5, 8GB of RAM and 256GB SSD for $125 more is the better deal (and a more appropriate choice for mist users IMHO.) I'd go for the "Gold" finish over the flat black (fingerprint magnet) myself. http://shop.lenovo.com/us/en/tablets/ideapad/miix/miix-700/?sb=:000001C9:000163AF:

Hope this helps!

-Randall Garrett-
+Apex Software+

/end/