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Windows Tablets For Fieldwork

Updated info on the SG4. FWIW, with all the advancements in lighter weight appraisal software, I am not so hesitant to recommend lighter weight (both physically and CPU/GPU-wise) as viable field devices. In years past, I mainly recommended the Intel Core-x versions, but with the combo of better software and better performance envelopes for the mid-to-lower end of tablets, I believe they are now even more viable - as long as you realize that these inexpensive tablets are not meant to be desktop replacement devices, so don't expect them to perform anywhere near the levels you expect from your desktop beast. The main advantage I see in the Windows tablets today is that you CAN run your desktop software in the RARE instances you may need them while traversing or in near proximity to the Subject/Comps/etc.

Anyway, hope this info helps!


[Edit] - FWIW, I forgot to say that I will likely sell my Core i3 SG3 w/LTE and get the SG4 ARM version w/LTE myself as I relly like having a lightweight Windows tablet with me while I travel. I have historically travelled with a pretty beefy laptop and iPad, but as my travel itineraries and scopes are changing, I may drop one or both of those "legacy" devices. We'll see...

+Randall Garrett+
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Hi Randall, Not appraisal related but my wife is an artist (painter) and she's looking to start taking photos of her work on a tablet and using google slides to show her work to others using the tablet. My first thought is a Surface Pro as I've used one in the past (10 years ago) and was pretty impressed. But I'm wondering if there are other options. The tablet would need to be able to run Office programs so a full sized processor and decent memory are a must. If she was doing graphics work I'd steer her to an ipad but this is just for displaying her portfolio. We've looked at some and a screen size of 12-13 seems to be the sweet spot. So far SP9 and Galaxy Tab 8 plus seem like good choices. Anything else you think we should be looking at? Thanks
 
Hi Bill, sorry for the delay in responding. I'm just headed home from a trip and will be in later tonight. I'll give it some thought and get back to you tomorrow. Would you prefer I do it here or via a PM? BTW, how much "heavy lifting" do you anticipate her doing in MS Office? That'll make a difference. If it's just light/regular stuff, no need to go with a beefy CPU - put the saved $ into storage and perhaps a cellular option, unless you are ok using the cell phone as a temporary hot spot. I've done both and the smart choice for occasional use when a wi-fi connection isn't handy, but TBH I always order the cellular option on my tablets, even when I never even set it up - how (un)smart is that? LOL Force of habit to overbuild from the days when I was appraising... ;)

+Randall Garrett+
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Hi Bill,

Are you still researching or have y'all already made a decision on your wife's tablet?

If you have already made a decision/purchase, congratulations - maybe you can let us all know how things are working out and (more importantly for the group here), how you think the device would work as a field device, desktop replacement, or whatever with respect to "typical" appraisal/field inspection scenarios.

If you are still looking and want input, let me know - I am happy to share my thoughts, but I would like to make sure that I have a better understanding of the use case scenario so that I don't inject too much of my own (ex) appraiser mentality ;-) As you might recall, I've not been shy about criticizing most reviewers in the past who have never really "walked a mile" in an appraiser's shoes... That is, they spend more time going on & on about how many tabs they can have open in Chrome (ugh! IMHO), their tweets (back when they embraced that, LOL), Instagram and all that rot - and nary a thought for outdoor issues. So, I don't want to fail to properly consider what is most important to her. To that end, it may be more efficient if we could chat (audio only or video is fine, too) by any of the popular services - say, Zoom, Skype, WhatsApp, MS Teams, etc. I am happy to help where I can, so let me know your thoughts and if you want to chat, I can PM you with my contact info.

Hope this helps!


+Randall Garrett+
/end/
 
Hi Randall, thanks for replying. We have not made a decision yet but are leaning towards the Samsung Galaxy Tab S8+. The screen size seems good and it has an option for 512 gb storage (along with additional storage card) and 16 gb ram. Also, we can get $100 back by trading in an old phone. So that is the front runner but I'd sure like to hear your thoughts. As far as Office programs go it will be fairly light duty with just Docs and maybe small Excel work. Mostly this will be used with Google Slides and also the large storage is good for photo storage for periods when wifi isn't available. Maybe we could do the cellular option but I hadn't really thought about that one. Looking forward to your comments.
 
I would insist that you have them show you how MS Office works on that tablet. I think that you should at least compare it with a SP9, also with the ARM chip. While I also use Android devices, I still prefer Windows due to my own familiarity with the way Windows works and the fact that I still need to run some "legacy" software for which there are no actual Android versions. There may be "work-alikes" but not actual Android versions. I have used the SPX (the forerunner to the ARM version of the SP9 - see previous posts some time back) for years and while it is not my recommended choice for appraisal field work (13" screens means the device is just loo large, for me anyway), I do like the form factor for office work on the move. The SP9 is sometimes described as a "Tablet-y Laptop type device" while the Galaxy Tab S8+ is described as a "Laptop-y Tablet type device." The Samsung may be less expensive, but I would give the nod to the SP9 (ARM version) if you can get anywhere even within a few hundred dollars to the same overall price. Most folks aren't aware how well Windows 11 works on a Tablet these days because their software is ancient, but it's pretty slick, especially if you look at the most recent and emerging build. Just my 2¢ and YMMV. Please excuse my poor descriptions here. I could probably express things better vie phone/video chat. In any case, this is just my personal opinion based on the Office work I still do while traveling. I find the LTE capability to be very handy for my use, but then I've not really had much issue with using any of my phones over the years as a secure "hotspot" for the few times I've needed it... BTW, you may recall that i also favor Lenovo devices and I still use a ThinkPad X1 Titanium as my "go to" actual laptop... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08QMPGMG8/?tag=realestatappraat


Hope this helps for now!


+Randall Garrett+
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BTW, if you like that 2-in-1, and can live with "just" a 512 GB SSD, then this model is a bit less at ~$974 direct from Lenovo and they are showing it can be on your doorstep in a week (+$29 for 5-day):

My wife maintains our really important docs - medical, passports, and other sensitive items - and she uses the model below (currently at ~$810) but I realize you mentioned that 512 of storage might be the sweet spot for your wife. This one has a Core i5 + 256 GB of SSD and FWIW, she's had no "storage" issues with this configuration*.

* She keeps most of our important items in OneDrive so it's no problem to sync and download docs we might need while a reliable internet connection is not handy ATM. It's fair to say that I carry a SanDisk 4TB ruggedized portable SSD with me. It is overkill as I've never put more than 873 GB of files on it when we were on a 4-month trip in 2022 overseas in areas with poor internet. We'll be on 2 trips like that for 2023/2024 and I have no plans to upgrade storage. In retrospect, I could have saved a little money and gotten 2X the amount I actually "needed" with "just" a 2TB version :-\

Hope this helps!


+Randall Garrett+
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Randall, thank you so much for taking the time to write such specific details. A lot to think about. I've used a surface pro in the past and really liked it. We may be heading in that direction now.
 
I thought this was an interesting/enlightening video and it supports my long-held opinion which underscores the idea of "Put your money into things that produce measurable results..." Definitely worth 7 minutes of your time IMHO. Now, that said, I have historically overspent, so I'm not going to "throw stones" here at the folks who insist on using the latest i7 (or even worse, an i9, LOL.) Still, I believe that for most of this audience's needs, the lower powered CPU is the wiser choice so one can use the savings to purchase more practical things (drop protection, cases, anti-glare screen protectors, docks, external storage, etc. rather than a theoretical increase in performance for most actual tasks done while in the field.

[Edited for an embarrassing (but humorous?) typo above]

Core i5 vs. Core i7 on an SP 8 - Which one should YOU buy?:​


Hope this is helpful!


+Randall Garrett+
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FWIW, I noticed what I think is a good deal on a high quality 2-in-1 from Lenovo. I believe that the model linked below at $1,299 represents the best bank for the buck. I could "make do" with the more modest model with the base line 1,920 x 1,200 screen (for longer battery life) but this $1,299 model has a (still!) powerful Core i7 (see CPU comments in the previous message, LOL), 32 GB of RAM, "4K" Anti-reflection/Anti-smudge touch and pen screen (pen included), 512 GB of SSD storage and CAT 12 4G LTE built in, so it meets my needs. Now, if you can "get by" with a 1,920 x 1,200 screen, 16 GB of RAM and no 4G LTE, you can save $200 but I believe that the model listed below gives Power users the most flexibility. These models have larger 14" screens and more available ports, but they weigh about a half pound more than the Titanium linked above which I still use, so keep that in mind. If you aren't holding/using it while traversing a property, perhaps the extra weight is not the most important factor. YMMV on that - just pointing it out. For someone's use case scenario like Bill's Wife, this may be a better solution for the flexibility, etc.
​


Hope this was helpful!
[Edited for typos.]


+Randall Garrett+
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