Last week, I discussed why I’m giving up on the iPad Pro. There were some suggestions made in the comments, some interesting criticism and some comments even made about my competence. But I’ve started shopping around for a new device and hope to try a few out over the coming weeks. Here’s what I’ve learned so far.
The iPad Pro is not a terrible device. My problem with it is that it doesn’t fit the way I work. And, to be honest, I don’t see why I have to move away from applications and services I’m comfortable with, as some commenters on the original post suggested.
For example, I know Dropbox lets me sync folders to work locally when I’m disconnected. But I don’t know what folders I’m going to need. I often refer back to research I did when writing and need access to my full archive of documents.
After a weekend of research, that involved both online and visiting actual stores, two devices stood out. The Lenovo MIIX 510 and the Samsung Galaxy TabPro S. There are some options from Microsoft, Dell, HP and Asus that I saw as well that fit my key constraints but those devices seemed to be the best fit.
Those constraints are
- 8GB RAM (I guess I could live with 4GB if I had to)
- 256GB storage (must)
- Pen input (preferred)
- Detachable (preferred)
- 12 to 13 inch touchscreen display (must)
- Under $1500 (must)
- Cellular comms (strongly preferred)
I’m putting the feelers out with a few computer makers to get review units in and I’ll road test each for a few days. I’m quite fussy about keyboards so finding one I like will be a big factor. So far, I can’t seem to find a device that ticks all the boxes, including my preferred features.
Any suggestions for devices that fit the bill?
Comments
4 responses to “This Is What I Want In A New Tablet”
if i needed a tablet, i would want one that was just an exact bigger version of the Galaxy Note 7. although im guessing thats what the new galaxy tab S3 is. so that. thats what i would go for.
Why? What possible use could it be to anyone? A little bit of explanation might help.
my last 3 phones have been galaxy notes, ive gotten used to integrating the pen in to my everyday usage. i find it handy for cutting and pasting and making creative images and such. also, i have a terrible habit of mashing more then one key while texting, the pen made this a lot easier for me. (not so much an issue with a tablet i know). l ended up with an s7 edge after the note 7 tragedy and i hate it. i cant fully explain why, but when i go from a note back to a regular phone, the features, and the usability are not there for me.
the pen is great for those who use their devices more for creative purposes. i realise its not for everyone, that’s why i wrote ‘if i needed a tablet’.
Generally you want to stay away from Lenovo expect for the ThinkPad line. The ThinkPad yoga series are pretty decent, if the weight of a full laptop isn’t too much (I think the x1 yoga is lighter, but at a price). I’ve just purchased a bunch out yoga 260’s for my school after researching the convertible tablet space quite heavily, and that was best one. But being mostly a business line, they can be hard to find in actual shops.
The Acer switch was also quite decent, but leaving a couple of features we needed.