Tablet recommendations

ParadigmDawg

ParadigmDawg

Audioholic Overlord
Do you guys have any recommendations for a business tablet? My new company says that they will provide a laptop or put their laptop cost towards whatever I prefer to use.

My last company used iPads and I didn't think they were overly great for reports and spreadsheets.

My needs are fast start up, which I think most tablets do.

USB port as I file a lot of stuff on sticks

Ability to hook up to PJ for presentations

A pretty full suite of business solution software such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint and the likes. It doesn't have to be actual windows based apps just something that works as well as them.

Anything else I should be looking for?

What would you suggest?
 
adk highlander

adk highlander

Sith Lord
Hi Greg,

For all of my traveling users and my personal work laptop I have went with Lenovo X1 carbons. These are super light, great battery life and excellent screen. It is big enough for full size adults but when closed is about the same size as a note book. They do offer a touch screen version now as well if you go with Windows 8.

I don't recommend anyone use a tablet for all their business work. We went with Nexus 7's to give them something easy to use and check email etc. while staying with the X1 for any real work.

For Christmas I bought my daughter a Dell Venue Pro 11 which is like a Surface Pro which runs full Windows 8.1 and has an attachable keyboard and uses a stylus. It has been great but at only 11" may be a bit small for all your work.
 
ParadigmDawg

ParadigmDawg

Audioholic Overlord
Thanks Craig,

I really don't get into anything complex. I just need to be able to build/display presentations, do simple spreadsheets and word documents and check/return emails.

I kind of like what I am reading about the Surface Pro 2 but are Window's based units where it's at now or are they too old school? ***EDIT***The more I read about this the less I like it....
 
adk highlander

adk highlander

Sith Lord
I still want windows for my main machine to have the software flexibility that a full OS offers. The surface Pro2's are very nice. Big price jump over the Dell and my daughter is only 10 so she doesn't need business level power. Go into BB and check them out. Taking notes with the Stylus is very easy and may be a feature you didn't know you wanted until you had it. Remember creating presentations can take some processing power to handle the graphics and such. There is not a full version of Office yet for Android and for what I have seen the iOS version is not that great. With my kid's it even came with Office 2012 as part of the supplied software so she is covered for school.
 
BoredSysAdmin

BoredSysAdmin

Audioholic Slumlord
I partially agree, PD - what you are should be looking for is not a tablet but a Slate pc - it has similar form factor to tablet, but it is running full windows 8. And Lenovo does make one of nicest ones out there.
 
avnetguy

avnetguy

Audioholic Chief
Based on what you want I'd go with a surface pro 2 tablet (if the screen is big enough for you) and get the keyboard.
 
ParadigmDawg

ParadigmDawg

Audioholic Overlord
Based on what you want I'd go with a surface pro 2 tablet (if the screen is big enough for you) and get the keyboard.
I am a little concerned that it is only 3g vs LTE.
 
GranteedEV

GranteedEV

Audioholic Ninja
I kind of like what I am reading about the Surface Pro 2 but are Window's based units where it's at now or are they too old school? ***EDIT***The more I read about this the less I like it....
Windows is still where it's at, as long as it's not Windows RC (steer clear of the ones with arm processors). It's the only platform besides typical linux distros like Mint Debian or Ubuntu that won't put you in a walled garden.

I really like the new Lenovo units too and picked up a Yoga last month for my cousin. Although there are some learning pains adjusting to windows 8 (make sure to get the free upgrade to 8.1 )

But I've never loved the brand's overall build quality. In my opinion Toshiba is the King of build quality, but I don't know if they have anything for what you're looking for.

Here's something else to consider:
http://products.ncix.com/detail/asus-taichi-21-intel-i5-3317u-4gb-128gb-ssd-11-6in-fhd-touchscreen-bt-win8-convertible-ultrabook-d0-77131.htm
 
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BoredSysAdmin

BoredSysAdmin

Audioholic Slumlord
One could get ether wifi tether the tablet to phone or get usb 4g lte dongle
 
ParadigmDawg

ParadigmDawg

Audioholic Overlord
LOL...That's where my lack of knowledge with computers comes in. Maybe I am thinking of a phone but I would assume that 3g/LTE would be in effect when I am on the road and need on the internet? Maybe I am way off base.
Didn't even know they have 3g/lte versions ... is this an aftermarket addon?

For a work tablet, do you need more than Wifi?
 
ImcLoud

ImcLoud

Audioholic Ninja
Greg, My office manager uses a Sony Tap 11. She absolutely loves it, she writes on it like a pad, I get hand written text messages from her . My service manager also uses one, although not as much but they have been handy, my service manager sent me a drawing of a control schematic he was installing, I used her tablet to draw the corrections and send it back.... I bought 2 of them and it came to under $1000 each {they were i5 and not even released yet back then..}
Tablet PCs: Shop & review VAIO Tap 11 tablet PC with keyboard deals - Sony US

PS if you want fast startup, I have never seen something come to life that fast, not even my ipads...

And it can control all your AV gear, thats a plus... If I knew that at the time, I would hae bought myself one...

my service manager gets proposals signed rite on the pad when he is selling a job, he also takes pictures of the job so he knows what materials the install crew will need, then when he does the final inspection he takes another picture and scans in the final payment , plus print the receipt.. He uses his but my office manager walks around with that thing all day long, she take sit home and I think she sleeps with it next to her...

Not sure if its what you are looking for but they have served us well, we have so many viao products, the only complaint I ever had was the charging port, they wear out, everything else is great, and them units don't have the port anymore so they seem to be good...
 
avnetguy

avnetguy

Audioholic Chief
LOL...That's where my lack of knowledge with computers comes in. Maybe I am thinking of a phone but I would assume that 3g/LTE would be in effect when I am on the road and need on the internet? Maybe I am way off base.
There are a number of tablets that offer 3g/4g connectivity built in and some are just wifi, like the surface pros. Tethering is always an option if you carry a smart phone with you so your speed is based on your phone's transfer rate. I've tethered my samsung tablet off other peoples phones (yes, only people I know) and it works great.

I do like the surface pro 2 tablets but since I already have a tablet I've been waiting for a good price reduction. The good thing about the pro 2 lineup is the extended battery life, much better the the original pro version from what I've read.
 
j_garcia

j_garcia

Audioholic Jedi
Just like secretaries: interview them all and then hire the one with the biggest t**s :D *kidding*
 
ImcLoud

ImcLoud

Audioholic Ninja
Just like secretaries: interview them all and then hire the one with the biggest t**s :D *kidding*
OK, from experience I am going to have to disagree here, J....

Get the one with the nicest @$$, their t!t$ are on the same side as their eyes, and you get caught looking, but the other side is harder to get caught, basic geometry.... LOL,

I am just kidding of course, the only women I look at that way are Ginanna micheals and my wife...


I hope my secretary doesn't read this, since she comes on here once and a while, lol....
 
ParadigmDawg

ParadigmDawg

Audioholic Overlord
BTW, I ended up getting the Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga Ultrabook... mainly just because it had the longest name...[h=1][/h]
 
ImcLoud

ImcLoud

Audioholic Ninja
Dude, you brag way too much, congrats..


Seriously though, huge mistake, you should have gotten the Kindle fire or the sony e reader..
 
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