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Windows Tablets For Fieldwork

Randall Garrett said:
Quick update on the new (2017) Surface Pro - As I indicated a couple of days ago, I was to meet with MS later that day. Well, among other things, I got a chance to use the new SP and it really is somewhat better than the SP4 in almost every aspect. That said, most people here might have a hard time justifying the upgrade if you are coming from something as new as an SP4 unless the LTE or the fan-less models are something important to you. The GPU definitely has more horsepower but it is still not a gaming machine and I don't know that folks here are concerned about the graphics performance of existing models. The more powerful CPU/GPU and new digitizer/pen/screen combo really shows up when doing smooth and sophisticated inking things (as is a requirement for Asian markets) but is something you can feel in just regular scribbling. Of course, the older your current machine is, the more attractive the new SP will be. In the limited time I had with it, I was able to confirm the presence of LTE, but I still could not get anyone to say anything on delivery date except for "later this year." When I pressed further, I got a reluctant "late Q3 or Q4"... The pen interaction is truly much better but I'm not sure how many people here are dissatisfied with the current pen/digitizer performance. Let me know if you want any more specific info - otherwise, I am told that most MS Stores will probably have a demo unit on hand soon. They did not know how soon Best Buy, etc. would get their demo units, but they were universally consistant that retail units would be available on or before 06/15/2017.

Hope this helps!

-Randall Garrett-
+Apex Software+

/end/
Click to expand...
is windows 10 friendly for inspections though? i had an old t100 that was never inspection friendly (im never going atom again as it is such a turd especially with emmc). i am using a note pro for inspections that's getting long in the tooth. i would love to upgrade to a surface pro, but last i checked (admittedly a while ago), there was no inspection friendly ui for windows.
 
Windows 10 is fine - your issue(s) are more likely attributed to the software and less about the hardware. Your experience using an Atom-based device is most likely due to running software which was/is too bloated for the device design and the fact that your device likely had insufficient RAM for the applications. I continually advised (and still do) against running such software on a device such as the T100 and your frustration was only exacerbated by a device with only 2 GB of RAM. Properly designed, mobile-oriented software runs just fine, even on the old T100. All that said, the more modern devices with at least 4GB of RAM and fasted back ends are pretty well suited for many users but again, trying to run software which is already laggy on many desktops is not advised. Expecting snappy performance on a low end device is simply not realistic.

[Edit] - Upon reading my post above and reflecting, I realized that I did not offer any constructive advice, hence this edit. Since you mentioned the Note Pro, I'm assuming that you like the performance and other aspects of a device like that over something more bulky like the T100. If that is a strong element but you want to run Windows apps, I might suggest waiting for the fall/winter timeframe when we should see the "Windows on Arm" devices starting to appear. I've been running some of our mobile software on devices much less powerful that what these will be, and the performance is great. Hence, I would expect that the software will run even better. As I don't use this forum to promote my own software, I offer this as just a performance metric which indicates what is possible IF your software supplier decides to produce same. That said, I know of a few who are working on slimmer, mobile-oriented products for appraisers. Some have already announced their intentions and some have not. In either case, it would not be proper for me to go into specific detail on their software - either I am not allowed to per NDA, or I don't have any actual experience with their product(s.) I believe that the fact that many in this industry are moving that way is a positive sign that you may soon be able to look forward to products which are satisfying for your use case scenario(s.)

Hope this helps!


-Randall Garrett-
+Apex Software+

/end/
 
Last edited:
FWIW, I noted that Lisa Gade has done a pretty decent review on the MS Surface Pro (upgraded from last year's SP4.) I like the new core i5 fan-less design, which IMHO is a boon for mobile users. As usual, Lisa spends some time going over improvements to the digitizer elements (pen & screen) from the perspective of an artist, but at least she acknowledges that note-taking type users (like appraiser/inspector types), this particular upgrade from the SP4 is not likely to be a big deal. I like the way the combo feels but I can't say that I could recommend upgrading from the SP4 based on that item alone (or mostly.) If you are coming from an older device, I'd recommend the new model over the SP4 based on more practical items - heat, battery life, other performance-oriented items, etc.

Video link:

Hope this helps!


-Randall Garrett-
+Apex Software+

/end/
 
I noted that the Huawei Matebook is marked down at the MS Store (see link below) from $699 to $399 for the model with Core m3, 4GB RAM and a 128GB SSD. Overall, the Matebook is a pretty decent device for light weight full Windows 10 software if you are not doing any heavy lifting (aka bloated programs, heavy multi-tasking, etc.) For that price. it makes for a nice companion or student device, but once you get up to the higher end models, I believe expectations rise and most would be better off with a more robust device.. I have probably mentioned this device in previous posts, but in case I didn't, or you don't want to go back and find the links, I am also including a link to Lisa Gade's written and video review materials. If you get this device, you should consider getting the pen as well, IMHO. Since this is a Microsoft "Signature" edition, it comes without the bloatware typically found on devices like this, so that means it'll run better because it is cleaner at the outset (you can, of course, install whatever bloatware you desire, LOL.) FWIW, I have found devices outfitted like tis to be adequate performers on most "full Windows" software unless you try and run bloated software like most full appraisal suites in the same manner as you do on your beastly desktops. If you treat it like the light weight machine it is, you should get decent performance - far better than the earlier "Atom" devices with minimal RAM, eMMC memory, etc. I've noted that running the lightweight apps via W10S (fo0r example) is really snappy. I compare even our own apps - Av6 is not very bloated for a dot Net program, but MS10/U absolutely screams in comparison.

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/sto...459594)(TnL5HPStwNw-Q5kAziqz84wZdWJbwDjlZw)()

Written Review: http://www.mobiletechreview.com/notebooks/Huawei-MateBook.htm

Video Review:

Hope this helps!


-Randall Garrett-
+Apex Software+

/end/
 
Looks like this site had some technical problems over the past day or two, resulting in posts being lost, etc. As far as I can remember, my last post was about MS formally announcing the Surface Pro with 4G LTE being available on December 1st (the models are both Core i5 which are now fan-less, which is a good thing for us) and that they have announced three major OEM partners which will be producing some W10S devices this fall, starting at $295 retail. This is but the first wave of announcements regarding devices which will be very inexpensive and many will have 4G LTE. Of course, the ones with 4G LTE will cost more than those without it, but overall, they will be far less expensive (and more commonplace) than the previous lines. Once I start getting meaningful details which can published, I will.

[Edit] - At least I finally found the link I posted yesterday regarding the Huawei MateBook E review... :-)


-Randall Garrett-
+Apex Software+

/end/
 
Last edited:
FWIW, I also found a pretty decent (i.e. accurate according to my own sources) write-up on the upcoming Surface Pro with 4G LTE, due this December. I was surprised to learn of the actual hardware componentry and the (theoretical) throughput, all with the claim of not affecting battery life. I don't believe that statement as written - it'll surely be "cloaked" in relative terms - that is (likely) the battery life will be compared to the SP4, which was already better than the SP3, but not likely any better than the newest Surface Pro. Some gains are surely to be had with software/drive optimizations, but the major gains come from the newer chipset(s) used in this 2017 model vs. the prior models. Bottom line for those interested, the new SP with LTE should easily have an "all day" useful battery life. I say this because my existing devices with similar componentry have an "all day" life for me. Note that my definition of "all day" takes into account that we don't really run devices constantly - they are going in and out of "sleep" several times a day. Anyway, I think this is great news for those who want/need something as powerful as a Surface Pro and want to have 4G LTE in the field. From an outright performance perspective, a Surface Pro is certainly overkill for running Apex (much less MobileSketch!), but obviously, many of you are also wanting (needing?) to run multiple examples of much heavier software programs in the field. At our last show, I had our folks demo our upcoming MobileSketch running on a Sub-$200 phone and it easily loads up sketches of entire apartment complexes with hundreds of Areas (with calcs, etc.) without even batting an eye. Maybe I'll post some screen shots in the near future... I mention the new edition of MobileSketch s simply as a contextual performance metric relating needs vs. desires in the field. For many of our users, these new ARM devices (lightly linked to in the article link below) should be sufficient for fieldwork. However, some folks still want/need devices capable of running software doing "heavy lifting" - at least until their software providers deliver something more svelte. One item to consider is that a goodly percentage of our users report that they look at getting something more powerful than they need in the field because the also desire to transition to a single device which can be used in a desktop scenario as well as for field use, and I think we all see the wisdom in that. In any case, YMMV, and I hope the link below gives you some useful info.

Article link: https://www.neowin.net/news/microsofts-surface-pro-lte-everything-you-need-to-know

As usual, once I get my unit, I'll post my thoughts based on my actual usage.


-Randall Garrett-
+Apex Software+

/end/
 
FWIW, I noticed an the article linked below ("Best Surface Pro Alternatives) on the Windows Central site titled and thought some may be interested in looking it over. It is not a particularly in-depth article, and the thrust is for the typical office worker, but for those who want an overview of the various devices out there ATM, it is worth the 5 or 10 minute read, etc.

Keep in mind that my sources tell me to expect some very interesting "companion class" devices late this quarter. These are of particular interest to me because the cost/feature ratio is quite compelling to many of my users. Additionally, with respect to more powerful devices in the "desktop replacement" category, there have already been announcements regarding some new (as well as "refreshed" models) that are in the pipe between December and next spring.

Hope this helps!


-Randall Garrett-
+Apex Software+

/end/
 
Sorry for the brevity of this post - I am mainly out of the office today, traveling for business that (as a result) may result in some interesting new product information very soon :)
Nevertheless, I wanted to get this out for those interested in this sort of thing. You may remember me mentioning some time ago that MS was going to release a Surface Pro with 4G LTE. Well, today at their Future Decoded event in London, MS has formally announced the devices in three basic varieties - Core m3, Core i5 and Core i7. Predictably. each level has increasingly more powerful graphics systems RAM and SSD capacities.
The official blog post announcement states: “Surface Pro with LTE Advanced is the latest addition to the Surface family and will begin shipping to business customers in December 2017. With a Cat 9 modem, Surface Pro with LTE Advanced is the fastest LTE-enabled laptop in its class1. It delivers global connectivity with support of 20 cellular bands so you can work, study, create or relax uninterrupted.”
You can read more here: https://blogs.windows.com/devices/2...esigning-devices-for-the-new-culture-of-work/
I will, of course, be getting some of these for testing and real world use. For my own business use, I will likely lean toward the Core m3 model as it best suites the usage patterns of my core customers. I'll probably deploy the Core i5 model as an overall "mobile desktop replacement" device for certain personnel who travel. As before, I don't typically recommend a Core i7 device as being necessary for appraisal work. In any case, I will report back with my findings on the various performance factors which many of you are interested in.
Hope this helps!
-Randall Garrett-
+Apex Software+
/end/
 
Sorry about the (lack of proper) formatting in the foregoing post. I was off site and, despite the proper formatting during my input, no amount of editing allowed me to fix it to make it more readable...
In any case, I totally forgot to post a link to a video that some of you may find helpful. It is just a little geeky, but overall, it simply gives high-level details on why this new model so significant. That is, using the incredible industrial design talents at MS these days, the improvements allow for increased battery life, better thermal properties and better performance than any "off the shelf" designs. A side benefit is that it is designed at the outset to handle upcoming (even publicly unannounced) data transmission standards, so there is a large amount of "future-proofing" inherent in the design. Further, and to their credit, like so many elements of the Surface line, MS is providing certain technical advancements to their partners, so we should see devices with "not-so-surprisingly similar" designs/implementations in the not to distant future :) Basically, they are supplying certain elements as a "reference design."
As of today, I still do not have firm/verified release dates (heck, I don't even know when mine will arrive) but I am repeatedly told by my sources that they should be available this December. I will, of course, keep you posted on developments as best I can, within the limits of any new or existing NDA docs. In the meantime, I hope the video below is helpful!
-Randall Garrett-
+Apex Software+
/end/
 
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