During today’s interstate road trip challenge, I’ll be visiting the headquarters of Xero and Slack in Melbourne. (Look out for a Featured Workplace later in the week.) But first I need to get there. This is a perfect opportunity to test out the Samsung TabPro S’s productivity chops while in the air. Read on to find out how it fared.
Image: Lifehacker
As I explained in yesterday’s column. I tend to favour Clydesdale-style workhorses when it comes to buying laptops due to their zippier performance and larger displays. With that said, they can be a real pain in the butt to lug around — especially on cramped economy flights where space is already at a premium. On more than one occasion, I’ve postponed filing stories in the air simply because I can’t be bothered struggling with my big-arsed notebook.
This is something that the Samsung TabPro S obviously doesn’t suffer from. Measuring a scant 6.3mm at its thickets point and weighing under 700 grams, it’s small enough to comfortably sit on your lap for the entirety of a flight. Hell, it even fits on those dainty fold-out service trays that barely have enough room for your undersized airline meal.
I was flying on a Qantas aeroplane that recently upgraded its in-flight entertainment system to a BYO streaming app. Unfortunately, there isn’t a Windows 10 application or any browser support yet, so I couldn’t hate-watch The Big Bang Theory as originally planned.
It would have been technically possible to stream the Qantas Entertainment app on the TabPro S through my Galaxy S7 Edge but I had work to do. Maybe on the way back, eh? If so, I’ll probably leave the keyboard in my bag and keep the device in tablet mode.
During the flight, I alternated between resting the TabPro S on my lap and using the plane’s service tray. In the former scenario, the laptop’s adjustable stand definitely came in handy, as the screen was a bit too low to view comfortably otherwise.
Sadly, I was just getting settled in when it was time to land. One thing’s for sure; this 2-in-1 will make a great companion for long haul flights thanks to its compact dimensions, full-size keyboard, tablet functionality and decent battery life. (Just don’t leave it behind in the seat pouch!)
After visiting the aforementioned workplaces I’ll be checking out the Samsung TabPro S’s entertainment features in my hotel which will form the basis of tomorrow’s article. See you then!
Lifehacker’s TabPro S Roadtrip Challenge series is sponsored by Samsung.
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