Windows Tablets For Fieldwork

[Randall Garrett]

I see that the Surface Go is currently on sale at retailers Amazon, Best Buy, etc. for $349. If you or someone you know needs a small, lightweight device for MS Office apps, email, web surfing and other "non-Photoshop" type things, I have found this device to be compelling at this price. I recommend the lower prices black keyboard vs. the fancier "designer-color" ones and to add a decent size microSD card ($15?) for additional storage...

Hope this helps!

-Randall Garrett-
+Apex Software+

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[Randall Garrett]

Read an interesting review of the Surface Go with LTE at the link below. Summarily, the LTE is a welcome addition and some users are reporting a battery life issue. I don't have my unit yet, but my read on these reports is that some are having a battery issue which is related to a November OS update (?) and it is not a major issue, but rather exacerbates the (known) reduction in battery life when a cellular data stream is left open. The only other "negative" that the author says is "disappointing" is that MS charges $130 extra for the "privilege" uf running LTE. I find this comment ridiculous in light of the fact that Apple charges $150 for LTE connectivity, but it is not "disappointing." The author is a respected reviewer, who is very familiar with Windows hardware & software, so I am "disappointed" in his comment on this item. Even so, the SG with LTE is a device I have purchased with my own money as it fits MY needs at this time. Is it perfect? No, of course not, but I can use it to do the things I need to do while mobile on a daily basis. FWIW, I'm hearing from trusted sources that the better LTE bargain is to go with T Mobile unless you have connectivity issues in your trade area or want to "bundle" with an existing contract. YMMV...

• Article link: https://www.windowscentral.com/surface-go-lte

Hope this helps!

-Randall Garrett-
+Apex Software+

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[Randall Garrett]

Not directly associated with Tablet stuff, but I thought some readers might find this interesting.
(While MS10 is typically thought of as a "Tablet" app, it runs on anything that runs W10)
Brian and I have been sporadically testing successive releases of MS10 (MobileSketch for Windows) on various Windows 10 devices, including an Xbox One.
So, can a purchaser of an Xbox One consider it as a legit business expense if they can run appraisal software on it?
Just as a 43" (or larger) UHDTV which supports 4:4:4 Chroma can be considered a "monitor", I would think a device like an Xbox One could be a "computer"..

Hmmm, the possibilities are intriguing this time of year...
[Edit] - and today I see that the Xbox One S w/1TB drive is on sale for $199

-Randall Garrett-
+Apex Software+


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[Chris Wagoner]

So, have been looking at CES stuff. Anyone see any power houses come out of the show? Preferably an all in one with 3:2 screen and outdoor viewability, water resistance, dust, etc. i cannot find much with the 3;2 screen aspect ratio, although have seen some nice units in the 16:9. Am staying away from surface due to durability issues and cost. anyone? anyone?

Chris Wagoner, Certified Residential Appraiser,

 

[Randall Garrett]

Hi Chris,

My apologies to you and other readers here for my absence in the recent past - I've been pulled away by some "elderly parent" issues again. Thankfully, things now seem to be stabilized and I can spend more personal time on this and other, related topics.
With respect to your quest for a suitable "powerhouse", I have not personally seen nor used something like that in the last few months. FWIW, my focus remains around devices which are not at the upper end with respect to CPU/GPU, etc., as that is what most users tell me they want.
I know that you, however, love hot rods with a lot of HP and torque ;-) so I will do a little research in hopes that I can give you some info to add to what I am sure is your own considerable research.
Do you still need (vs. want) something that is more aligned with a "desktop replacement" class machine, or would you consider something with a Core i5? (As you know, I prefer units with a fan-less design, and I don't know of any devices with a fan-less Core i7 design.)
Do you want or need Active Pen, touch, etc?
[Edit] - What about 4G LTE? (none I know of are offering 5G yet)
Any other "must have" items will help me narrow things down.

Regards,

-Randall Garrett-
+Apex Software+

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[Randall Garrett]

Currently following announcements on some really low-priced ($189 - $319) tablets being introduced for the education market. While I like the Surface Go for a modest tablet product (especially the 4G LTE model), some prefer the "foldable" type device and the educational market has a big enough potential to entice manufacturers to produce competitive models. The absolute performance may (or may not) be below the upper end Surface Go but that may not be impactful to one's productivity unless they are running bloated software suites which over-tax the device. As more of one's essential applications move to either an "app" type or a web-based product, the actual "heavy lifting" aspect of full fledged tablets/2-in-1's may become less important to many. Of course, we are still waiting for these apps to appear/mature, but if you can do with a "companion" type product (i.e. field inspection, etc.), then perhaps these less expensive devices would fit the bill for a significant portion of users. I'm sure that the lower prices is a welcomed trend. FWIW, of the models below, I am most intrigued by the (new model of) the Lenovo 300e 2-in 1 which, in addition to the Active Pen which is stored in the device, also allows one to use a regular graphite pencil on the screen. Here is a list of the devices announced, but note that on-line searches may turn up some older models. IF any of these turn out to be compelling, I will post some updated summary info, links, etc. to the new models.

• Lenovo 100e ($189)
• Lenovo 300e (2-in-1, $289) pictured below
• Lenovo 14w ($299)
• Acer TravelMate B1 ($215)
• Acer TravelMate Spin B1 (2-in-1, $299)
• Acer TravelMate B1-114 ($319)
• Dell Latitude 3300 for Education ($299)

Hope this helps!

-Randall Garrett-
+Apex Software+

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[Chris Wagoner]

Having some battery issues with my surfacebook and freezing temps. Needed something soon. I went ahead and purchased an x1 tablet with 3:2 outdoor screen. I was going to go with I5, but was a little afraid of the light ram, so opted for lower I7 to get the 16 gig. with 4 yr on site and accidental,, 1TB drive, 16GB ram, LTE, office home and student, car charger, docking station, and tax, picked up for $2400+/-. lenovo had a 25% discount across the board and saved me a ton of money over the $3,000+/- flagships. There was a lot of hype this year at CES over the new yoga, Hp units, and a new Dell unit, but screen ratio was still an issue. Do you still think it helpful to post my findings on the forum for this after I get setup, or do you think it is waste of space, being that everyone is looking at more portable units? Thanks as always for your expertise and help. Chris Wagoner Certified Residential Appraiser

 

[Train66]

Having some battery issues with my surfacebook and freezing temps. Needed something soon. I went ahead and purchased an x1 tablet with 3:2 outdoor screen. I was going to go with I5, but was a little afraid of the light ram, so opted for lower I7 to get the 16 gig. with 4 yr on site and accidental,, 1TB drive, 16GB ram, LTE, office home and student, car charger, docking station, and tax, picked up for $2400+/-. lenovo had a 25% discount across the board and saved me a ton of money over the $3,000+/- flagships. There was a lot of hype this year at CES over the new yoga, Hp units, and a new Dell unit, but screen ratio was still an issue. Do you still think it helpful to post my findings on the forum for this after I get setup, or do you think it is waste of space, being that everyone is looking at more portable units? Thanks as always for your expertise and help. Chris Wagoner Certified Residential Appraiser

 

[Train66]

I also went the all-in-one route, and picked up the Lenovo X1 Tablet 3rd Gen + rugged case. This is my first time integrating a pen enabled device into my workflow, and there is definitely a learning curve.

W10 tablet mode is frustrating. Adding some custom gestures (w GestureSign UWP app) makes navigation a bit easier. Linux?

The 8mp camera is perfectly capable of capturing interior photos. As there is no flash, the room must be well lit, and HDR must be turned on. Truthfully, any phone on the market will take superior photos and will bebe le cumbersome than any 12" 2in1.

 

[Randall Garrett]

Hi Train66,

If you will send me your contact info (PM if you want), I will offer some free training and input on efficiency items with respect to pen input, etc. in exchange for your input/feedback as a "real world" user. My aim, is to learn from you and hopefully make my products better. I promise that this is not a "thinly disguised sales effort." I was raised in the "fee simple" appraisal business and am a 25 year+ member of the IAAO (mass appraiser organization)… I simply desire to learn more about how you do things since I have not been a "real world user" in many (waaay to many, LOL) years. I am the founder and CEO of Apex and have nothing to do with sales items - I simply like keeping in touch with real appraisers and learning from them. Again, I honestly have no agenda except to learn and the offer is genuine. I recognize your "special circumstances" issues, being in Canada and I look forward to an exchange which may lead to making our lives more productive.

I see that your "status" here may not allow the Private Message function yet. Let me know here if you are interested in this open exchange and we can figure out how best to make contact...

Regards,

-Randall Garrett-
+Apex Software+

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