Is Windows RT/8 worth it for college/university?

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Ryou-kun

Limp Gawd
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Okay, this question has been on my mind for a while, and I am curious everyone's experience with it.

I am in community college, and I use my tablets for classes.

I own a Nexus 7 (2012) that my mom gave it to me because I bought her Nexus 10.
Then later I join a program that "lend" me a free iPad, however, I can keep it AFTER I participate all the Workshop meetings.

So, I have somewhat experience with Android tablet and iPad, but I am curious about Windows RT and/or Windows 8 tablet.

How well does it work with 2GB RAM? My cousin own ASUS T100, and he doesn't like it because it is slow.
 
I've been very pleased with my Dell Venue 8 Pro, which has almost the same compute hardware as the TF100. While these Bay Trail devices are not the fastest things on the planet and the 2 GB of RAM can be of a limiting, the notion of the device being slow has really never crossed my mind. There are tons of reviews and benchamarks out there for these Bay Trail devices and the vast majority of them seem to conclude that the performance of these platforms is extremely good.

I constantly have multiple apps running on my V8P, OneNote, IE 11, a PDF viewer, some other modern apps, like Kindle, and it runs very well. The device is even capable of running something like Visual Studio 2013 with good performance which kind of shocked me considering that it would barely run on last gen Clover Trails. I don't know how much more anyone could expect for devices at this price that weigh 14 ounces, 1/3" thick with no fan and no more heat than is typical of a mobile OS device with 8 hours+ of battery life and run tons of desktop applications that an iPad or Android can't while offering a somewhat decent these days tablet software ecosystem.
 
heatlesssun said:
I've been very pleased with my Dell Venue 8 Pro, which has almost the same compute hardware as the TF100. While these Bay Trail devices are not the fastest things on the planet and the 2 GB of RAM can be of a limiting, the notion of the device being slow has really never crossed my mind. There are tons of reviews and benchamarks out there for these Bay Trail devices and the vast majority of them seem to conclude that the performance of these platforms is extremely good.

I constantly have multiple apps running on my V8P, OneNote, IE 11, a PDF viewer, some other modern apps, like Kindle, and it runs very well. The device is even capable of running something like Visual Studio 2013 with good performance which kind of shocked me considering that it would barely run on last gen Clover Trails. I don't know how much more anyone could expect for devices at this price that weigh 14 ounces, 1/3" thick with no fan and no more heat than is typical of a mobile OS device with 8 hours+ of battery life and run tons of desktop applications that an iPad or Android can't while offering a somewhat decent these days tablet software ecosystem.
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How many programs can you have at the same time before it start showing lags?
I mean running at the same time.
 
Performance really depends on usage and relative perception (what is the comparison point).

As for whether or not you'll benefit it depends on what you want to get out of the device.

Things to consider -
1) Full Windows application ecosystem compared to iOS and Android. Do you want programs not available on those OSes?
2) Theoretically unlimited multitasking. In practice there is however limitations due to screen real estate and performance.
3) Many devices have active digitizers with pen support. The capacitive stylus's you can buy are not remotely comparable. Although there are Android devices with pen support.

1 and 3 combined together (OneNote) seems to be talked about a lot by students who have experienced it.

As for RT at this point I'm not too sure what compelling reason's there are for it over 8.1 Bay Trail devices.
 
limitedaccess said:
Performance really depends on usage and relative perception (what is the comparison point).

As for whether or not you'll benefit it depends on what you want to get out of the device.

Things to consider -
1) Full Windows application ecosystem compared to iOS and Android. Do you want programs not available on those OSes?
2) Theoretically unlimited multitasking. In practice there is however limitations due to screen real estate and performance.
3) Many devices have active digitizers with pen support. The capacitive stylus's you can buy are not remotely comparable. Although there are Android devices with pen support.

1 and 3 combined together (OneNote) seems to be talked about a lot by students who have experienced it.

As for RT at this point I'm not too sure what compelling reason's there are for it over 8.1 Bay Trail devices.
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Well, it is basically for MySkillsLab because they are require to use Adobe Flash.

My iPad doesn't work at all because it doesn't have Adobe Flash support at all, so I can't use MySkillsLab.
My Nexus 7 does work, but it is a pain in the neck to get it to work after a numerous failed. It isn't because of the Adobe Flash fault, but the keyboard is being a little jerk. It won't even pop-up the touch screen keyboard, so I have to install Hacker keyboard. However, due to the 7" screen size and have to scroll down the notification every time in order to get it to work.

I did test Windows RT (Microsoft Surface), and it works flawlessly with or without its own keyboard.

Now, as for debating whether I should grab Windows RT/Windows 8 Tablet. I am quite curious about it.
 
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Screenshot%20(21).png


Here’s a screenshot of the task manger and the desktop with OneNote, Word and IE desktop with 3 tabs running in addition to the modern apps IE with 20 tabs, Xbox Music playing in the background, Nook, Search and Windows Store loaded. I’m writing the post with Word using the handwriting to text conversion as that will show signs of sluggishness readily and everything is running well. And Flash runs great 1080P streaming from YouTube is no problem even while running something like Office on the desktop. I think that’s pretty impressive for a tablet that starts at $250.
 
When I had the T100 I didn't think it was slow at all. The Dell Venue 8 Pro is comparable to the T100 and I don't find it any faster or slower really. The DV11 Pro is what I have now and it runs just fine. I'd recommend a full 8.1 tablet over RT anyday.
 
Is 8" Windows Tablet decent enough to use or 10"/11" Windows tablet is better?
 
Ryou-kun said:
Is 8" Windows Tablet decent enough to use or 10"/11" Windows tablet is better?
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For your purposes I would say the DV 11 Pro (baytrail) would be beneficial for you. The 8" is perfect if you want to use a pen for the majority of your note taking. The keyboard was too small for me to use effectively.
 
Ryou-kun said:
Does DV 8" and 11" have USB Port?
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The 11 has a full USB port, the 8 a micro USB that requires an OTG cable to connect devices to and it doesn't provide power so you can't connect things like a hard drive without a powered hub.
 
I am in graduate school and I use a Lenovo Thinkpad Tablet 2 daily for school and work. I no longer have a laptop. It works fine, but it might be slightly slow for some people. If you need speed you should wait for Bay Trail equivalents which should be significantly faster.
 
If I was going back to University, I wouldn't go without a full Windows Laptop (back in the early '90s, laptops were too damn expensive and crappy, so I went with a desktop).

I know a lot of people might prefer to try doing it all with one device.

But I would get:
1) A laptop with at least a 13" screen (or bring an external screen), and 13" laptops are big enough to have proper keyboard spacing, since you are likely going to type a LOT.
and:
2) A smaller tablet chosen mainly for reading capability. Must have a 8"+ high DPI screen so I could crash on bed comfortably to study textbook PDFs, etc.

You can try to do this is some kind of all-in-one but it is either going to be cramped for working on, or cumbersome for just reading from. Though I suppose you could go the route of small with both an external monitor and external keyboard.
 
Snowdog said:
If I was going back to University, I wouldn't go without a full Windows Laptop (back in the early '90s, laptops were too damn expensive and crappy, so I went with a desktop).

I know a lot of people might prefer to try doing it all with one device.

But I would get:
1) A laptop with at least a 13" screen (or bring an external screen), and 13" laptops are big enough to have proper keyboard spacing, since you are likely going to type a LOT.
and:
2) A smaller tablet chosen mainly for reading capability. Must have a 8"+ high DPI screen so I could crash on bed comfortably to study textbook PDFs, etc.

You can try to do this is some kind of all-in-one but it is either going to be cramped for working on, or cumbersome for just reading from. Though I suppose you could go the route of small with both an external monitor and external keyboard.
Click to expand...

Laptop is a good idea, but I want mobility at the same time being able to access Windows application is a huge beneficial for me to use.

I might lean toward DV 8", however, I won't know until I actually held it in my hand. I might go in BestBuy or Frys and mess around with their DV 8" tablet if they have one.

However, I do want a USB port on a W8 tablet.
 
The Surface Pro 2 is the best thing for you. But the price can be a deterrent.
I have a Surface RT, which I paid $200 for during Black Friday and I am extremely happy about it.
Since win 8.1, I don't find it slow AT ALL. It can do everything an iPad or Droid tablet can do (minus gaming I guess due to lack of apps in that regard).
You get almost a full version of Office (home edition, doesnt support macros).
When put on a table with its kickstand and touch cover, I feel right at home like if I were using a laptop.

There are some windows tablets out there, with a full version of Windows (as opposed to RT), that are around the $300 mark, but they usually have a smaller screen (8 inch ish).

Hope this helps.
 
SP2, with its digitizer, is a no-brainer if you have the money and will be attending math and science courses.
 
Ryou-kun said:
How well does it work with 2GB RAM? My cousin own ASUS T100, and he doesn't like it because it is slow.
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Slow for what? That's really strange because my experience with my T100 is that it's snappier and faster than any Android device I've used. It can also run MS Office which might be important for college.
 
Intel_Hydralisk said:
Slow for what? That's really strange because my experience with my T100 is that it's snappier and faster than any Android device I've used. It can also run MS Office which might be important for college.
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"2:32 PM - Pringer X 웃✄☃: when u load chrome i guess
2:32 PM - Pringer X 웃✄☃: idk
2:32 PM - Pringer X 웃✄☃: it freezes sometimes
2:32 PM - Pringer X 웃✄☃: and when u full screen
2:32 PM - Pringer X 웃✄☃: on youtube
2:32 PM - Pringer X 웃✄☃: and skip advertisement
2:33 PM - Pringer X 웃✄☃: it just becomes black
2:33 PM - Pringer X 웃✄☃: but the sound keeps on playinmg"


This is what my cousin told me.
 
Chrome has certainly not run well on my V8P, IE 11 blows it out of the water in terms of performance on this device. It never hung or crashed for me, but IE is just so much faster that after 10 minutes I just uninstalled it.
 
I guess what is your budget? The venue 11 pro is 499. Your only other options under this are the 8" tablets. Lenovo makes some decent quality tablets but their support wasn't very good when I tried to get my y580 fixed.
 
From what I understand, the desktop browsers on these devices lack hardware acceleration. You need to run it in the metro view to get hardware acceleration and I stream HD video just fine like that.
 
newster said:
From what I understand, the desktop browsers on these devices lack hardware acceleration. You need to run it in the metro view to get hardware acceleration and I stream HD video just fine like that.
Click to expand...

That's not true for IE.
 
Climber said:
I guess what is your budget? The venue 11 pro is 499. Your only other options under this are the 8" tablets. Lenovo makes some decent quality tablets but their support wasn't very good when I tried to get my y580 fixed.
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My budget should be between $250-$300ish.
I would love to get my hands on Microsoft Surface Pro, but it is way too expensive.

I think I am stuck with 8" Tablet.
I know ASUS T100 is around $300, but the glossy back part looks ugly.
 
For $320 on Amazon you can get a 64 GB Venue 8 Pro so that's definitely in your budget. If the point of the device is to be able access Flash, content, etc. you should be ok. Work with it on the desktop with an 8" will be an issue, even with a mouse and keyboard. If you were into using a pen, and assuming that the new pens coming out have the issues fixed, it could be pretty awesome. I was lucky to get a good pen and with the latest firmware overall I'm very happy with the pen experience.

Buy one from some place with a good return policy and see. You might be happier with something like the Toshiba Encore, around the same price, I don't think there's a 64 GB version but you can always pop in a microSD card and that one has HDMI out. It can do quite a lot connected to a 1080P monitor.
 
Say, what is the cheapest 10" or 11" Windows 8 Tablet?
Right now, I am looking all over Amazon, Newegg, BestBuy, Frys and etc to find a cheap 10" or 11" Windows 8 tablet as possible.

Beside would you recommend me grabbing me a used products on Amazon then buy the SquareTrade Warranty?

Only cheapest one I could find is Samsung Windows 8 11" Tablet for $349.99 on Microsoft's store.

http://www.microsoftstore.com/store...mart-PC-500T-Tablet-White/productID.265664500
 
I have a 500T. It's not a bad device but unfortunately the Clover Trail Atom is kind of slow, my 8" Venue 8 Pro rips it a new one in terms of performance. The thing I do like about the 500T and why I bought it was the Wacom digitizer, the same on in the Surface Pro 2, the pens are even compatible.
 
Hmm, how are you guys handling on the 32GB or 64GB storage?
That is one thing I fear the most of having 32GB or 64GB storage on a Windows tablet.
 
8.1 on a 32 GB with the recovery partition removed would yield about 16 to 17 GB free. Pretty much every Windows tablet will take up to 64 GB of SD storage. Modern apps are typically small so they won't be a problem on the C: drive and most desktop apps can be installed on another drive. If you go with 64 GB and put $50 towards an SD card you'll have a good deal of space for programs. Big data files wouldn't be very practical but those could go on a flash drive.
 
Hmm, I am still curious about Microsoft Surface and Microsoft Surface 2 because I saw a video from a YouTube showing the tips and tricks about it. It kind of made me wanting to buy it.
 
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Core i5 & i7 Windows tablets are in a league of their own. They aren't cheap and there's a reason why. They are heavy relative to fanless CPUs and don't have the best battery life but they just blow away ARM and Atom devices in terms of performance and have connectivity options like full USB and HDMI.
 
You can get a 10% discount from the MS Store as a student by the way.

If you were able to stretch the budget this means you can get a Surface Pro (1st gen) 128gb for $540. They also carry devices like the Venue 11 Pro and Venue 8 Pro.

If you don't specifically need the tablet form factor "ultrabook" type laptops are very portable as well.
 
Ryou-kun said:
"2:32 PM - Pringer X 웃✄☃: when u load chrome i guess
2:32 PM - Pringer X 웃✄☃: idk
2:32 PM - Pringer X 웃✄☃: it freezes sometimes
2:32 PM - Pringer X 웃✄☃: and when u full screen
2:32 PM - Pringer X 웃✄☃: on youtube
2:32 PM - Pringer X 웃✄☃: and skip advertisement
2:33 PM - Pringer X 웃✄☃: it just becomes black
2:33 PM - Pringer X 웃✄☃: but the sound keeps on playinmg"


This is what my cousin told me.
Click to expand...

That's really strange. It's incredibly snappy for me in both those cases. My biggest gripe about the T100 is the crappy touchpad, but that's about it. I'm more than satisfied with browser performance.
 
Intel_Hydralisk said:
That's really strange. It's incredibly snappy for me in both those cases. My biggest gripe about the T100 is the crappy touchpad, but that's about it. I'm more than satisfied with browser performance.
Click to expand...

Ya that is how I felt about it. Touchpad sucked and I didn't care for the keyboard all that much either but the machine itself was powerful enough to play games and multitask effectively.
 
Hmm, the problem if I decide to buy a Windows 8 tablet. I'll sacrifice a lot of iOS/Android games that I wanted to play because I'll be giving my dad my iPad after I finish all of the Workshop meetings in my college. Also it'll allow everyone in my family to own a similar device.
 
Bluestacks will allow you to play your ios and android games on windows. There is give and take with each tablet. Winfows 8 will allow you to run your school programs and function as a full desktop whereas ipad and android will be limited in thwir peofessional and academic applications.
 
i have had a good bit of experience with both the surface and surface pro.

I'm a really big fan of both, especially for school use.

A surface has full version of word and excel. It also has flash-compatible browser. It has apps like flipboard, nook, kindle, etc. However, the MS store is still weak.
I would recommend getting the MS arc mouse and type keyboard. The touchpad is terrible on a type keyboard.

Thin about how you use you devices. Is there ever really a program that you need besides word? If the answer is no then you really wont miss out on the pro version. Grab a surface 1 for 199 when it goes on sale.
249.99 refurb from MS

Biggest prob right now is that it is hard to find type keyboards under $100. With the fire sale of surfaces this summer type keyboards are hard to come by now.
 
Surface Pro 2 is a good option, if a bit expensive.

Sony makes a Tap 11 that's also a damn good option for a student IMO.

It's only Pentium Dual Core, but it is Haswell Pentium, so it's actually decent, and more then enough for school work, 128gb SSD, USB/HDMI and a Digitizer just like Surface Pro 2, but at $700 instead of $1100 (after getting the keyboard).

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/vaio-ta...9068209429&skuId=1996011&st=1996011&cp=1&lp=1


The thing with a Digitizer for school really comes into it's own with OneNote. ESPECIALLY for science, math, engineering type courses with difficult/impossible to take notes for with a traditional keyboard. Combine it with being able to turn on the microphone, record lecture, and attach it as a MP3 file to the days notes, it REALLY becomes powerful. And it doesn't need a ton of CPU power, but it does need a digitizer, because the capacitive pens aren't anywhere near good enough.
 
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