Tablets like the Microsoft Surface try to bridge the gap between tablet and laptop. If you prefer a larger desktop setup, however, you can create one with the right peripherals.
Chris Hoffman details some of the tricks you can use over at PC World, and it’s a bit trickier than you might think. Unlike a laptop, some tablets only have micro USB ports for your peripherals, while others may not have an easy way to connect to an external monitor. Hoffman goes through some of the workarounds for hooking up your mouse and keyboard, external monitor, and even suggests a few apps for making the experience better. (Note that you’ll want a tablet with Windows 8, not Windows RT, if you want a true desktop experience.)
Overall, it’s not hugely different from hooking a laptop up to some external peripherals, but this guide will help you get around the bumps in a road a tablet might present. Hit the link for the full post.
Transform a Windows Tablet Into a Full-Fledged Windows PC [PC World]
Picture: Hal Berenson
Comments
One response to “Turn A Windows 8 Tablet Into A Desktop PC”
“Tablets like the Microsoft Surface try to bridge the gap between tablet and laptop.” Sigh. Laptop form-factor tablets have been around for over a dozen years, longer than any keyboard-less tablets. Calling out a laptop for having a touch/pen interface now like thinking a 90s laptop with a built in CD-drive is a weird hybrid. There’s too much rigid thinking in tech writers.
I’ve been happily extending my Windows “tablets” with external peripherals for well over a decade just as I’d done with inert screen laptops for years before.
I’m not too sure how this comment adds to the discussion.
Unless you worked directly with the engineering and r&d guys that pioneered the technology, there will always be someone who knew about and used it before you did. In addition, if we’re being totally objective, all of the equipment has improved in many ways by many orders of magnitude over time. The gear on the market “well over a decade” ago would struggle to keep up with today’s tech in more than a few areas.
I wrote about this some time ago when I was issued the Surface Pro (1) from work. Great machine and easy to use as a desktop, laptop and tablet. I really was impressed and it changed the way I worked. Of course I got a new job and lost that machine… still dream getting back to the days of being able to take my work with me to all the meetings… alas I bound to only have a desktop and a writing pad… such fun!
http://dalimstrange.blogspot.com.au/2013/07/a-few-weeks-with-surface-pro.html
The docking station for my Lenovo Thinkpad Tablet 2 was the best purchase I could have made for my work situation. Walk into work, plonk the tablet into the dock, fire up the Citrix or RDP client and work with mouse and keyboard on a larger monitor.