Samsung Ativ full W8 Tablet in hand!

[zhenya]

With that said I'm still completely addicted to having a full OS in my hands. I now realize just how much I was settling in the 3 years I've had ipads. I'd say the inconvenience of windows and its foibles are MUCH much less than the inconvenience of iOS, browsing to a site and not being able to view it or it's content/video because of flash, not having any true pen input, not being able to install my windows programs but being forced to purchase heavily watered down versions, etc etc. I'm never going back even if you put a gun to my head. Plus it's not like my ipad3 was perfect either, it would occasionally freeze and need a hard boot, although it was more like once a week than 3-4 times per day, it loaded up graphics heavy web pages PITIFULLY slowly, at times failing to even load the entire page, or it would only load what was on screen and as I scrolled down it would once again begin loading, making me sit there for 30 seconds while it downloaded 3 graphics.

I am tempted by the Surface, but at this point I have too many apps and too much integration that is handled very well by the iPad. I may see if I can wrangle a Surface Pro through work at some point, and I'm very excited to see where this platform is in another two years or so.

 

[spinedoc77]

Continuing with first impressions I played a bit with the stylus input today. WOW, it's pretty incredible. It's a separate input from the capacative finger input as I can write at the same time that I use my fingers for say zooming or scrolling. It has a hover feature where if you hover the pen maybe 1/4" off the screen you get a cursor/reticle, the stylus also has a button which I havent configured yet.

I fired up Word 2013 and am currently editing and creating a document in portrait mode. Portrait mode on the Ativ sucks for web pages since it's much more narrow than other tablets, but because of this it's quite awesome for editing and writing, it makes it very easy to hold in one hand while I write with the other. Handwriting recognition is extremely accurate, it converted whatever I threw at it in my chicken scratch.

I can't wait for my next seminar to take this along with me to take notes.

 

[ReallyBigFeet]

Wait.....you guys have experienced a reboot cycle? On a tablet?


Noooooooooooooooooo thank you. Ever.

 

[spinedoc77]

Hello everyone
In Monday launched the country's new smartphone Samsung, Hermon S. I read all sorts of reviews posted on the machine and they were very different from each other. On the one hand its processor should be more powerful than the Galaxy 3. On the other hand, a strong processor On the following set exactly the same shortcoming. How can this be? Could be that the writer confused? The size of the device is the same as S3. So what exactly is the difference other than the operating system? The description of the device Samsung Ativ S does not tell me much. I get lost among all the numbers and names in English ...
I'd be happy to recommend a device to the two. I want to surprise my little brother on the Silvester: - ^)
Thanks in advance

You have the wrong device. This thread was about the samsung ativ tablet, not the samsung ativ-s smartphone. Other than that I'm sorry but I can't figure out what you are asking.

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Wait.....you guys have experienced a reboot cycle? On a tablet?


Noooooooooooooooooo thank you. Ever.

Yes, happens on my iPad occasionally.

 

[Night Spring]

You have the wrong device. This thread was about the samsung ativ tablet, not the samsung ativ-s smartphone. Other than that I'm sorry but I can't figure out what you are asking.

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Yes, happens on my iPad occasionally.

Oh dear. Samsung needs to name their devices better!

As for iPads freezing and needing to be rebooted, I've had it happen, but it's like once or twice a year.

 

[Vetvito]

Why compare the iPad to a real full blown computer?

 

[Paulywauly]

Why compare the iPad to a real full blown computer?

I concur, I have the previous version of the ativ at work running Windows 8 (Series 7 Slate) The reason I have one is that I'm running a pilot scheme to test their ease of use with the possibility of deploying them to older staff in my company who are not IT literate. It is a really a nice device but after a few months of testing & feedback I'd defiantly look at these Windows 8 Pro tablets more of a laptop replacement than a tablet replacement. Comparing them with an iPad is like comparing chalk and cheese.

They are much heavier and larger than other tablets for a start, plus if you're not running Metro/Tile only apps the transition to having to run Office or other desktop apps can be a very jarring experience for those with little computer experience. Running desktop apps isn't great if you have bad eye sight either, the interface elements on an 11" HD screen can be tiny.

On the other hand it has effectivly replaced my work laptop for day to day use. It's plugged into a docking station connected to a monitor/keyboard+mouse when I'm in the office. I do IT support & being able to just pick it up, take all of my real desktop software with me on site visits on a tablet with 3G/vpn access is as we Brits would say "the dogs bollocks" The built in keyboard is as good as any other tablet i've tried. in some ways they're just as convenient as an iPad, but in a different sort of way IMO

 

[TheHateMachine]

Wasn't Windows 8 supposed to come with antivirus, something like MS security essentials? It comes with Norton Internet Security trial, but it takes like 24% CPU usage.

Microsoft Security Essentials is their AV but they cannot package it with Windows due to regulations. So you have to go get it through their website.

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I also had 3 or 4 crashes, just flat out OS freezes that I had to reboot. No rhyme or reason, once I was doing the Word thing, another time I was simply web browsing in Metro IE10. Once my internet stopped working and a reboot fixed it. Other than those I must say it's a very smooth experience, it's just insane that I have full Windows on a tablet like this.

That is a shame, I have yet to experience one crash or sudden reboot on my Surface since owning it in October. Outside of Netflix's crappy Modern App which even crashes on my desktop pc. Weren't you saying you were having crashes on your last Samsung tablet?

 

[nick_elt]

Why compare the iPad to a real full blown computer?

No real full blown computer runs on atom

 

[Vetvito]

^ sarcastic? I don't get it.

 

[ChazUK]

Microsoft Security Essentials is their AV but they cannot package it with Windows due to regulations. So you have to go get it through their website.

MSE (re-named to Windows Defender on Win 8) comes with the OS as standard but OEM's disable it so they can have their "sponsored" trial of another AV companies product pre-installed.

http://www.pcworld.com/article/2020260/how-to-activate-windows-defender-in-windows-8.html

Microsoft tossed its partners a bone by allowing OEMs to deactivate Windows Defender in order to ship boxed PCs with alternative security solutions installed. That's all well and good from a "variety is the spice of life" perspective, but one side-effect that isn't so hot is what happens when you fail to register that third-party security software: Windows 8 doesn't automatically reactivate Windows Defender by default. In other words, your pretty new prepackaged PC is wide open and vulnerable to all the nasties of the 'Net.

Easiest (and cheapest) thing I'd do would be to disable/uninstall anything the OEM shoves on there and just use Windows Defender on pre-built OEM systems.

 

[spinedoc77]

Microsoft Security Essentials is their AV but they cannot package it with Windows due to regulations. So you have to go get it through their website.

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That is a shame, I have yet to experience one crash or sudden reboot on my Surface since owning it in October. Outside of Netflix's crappy Modern App which even crashes on my desktop pc. Weren't you saying you were having crashes on your last Samsung tablet?

As an afterthought after returning the Samsung IMO it was poor Samsung quality, this was after going thru 2 of them and having the 2nd on completely brick. I've had the pleasure of using 2 separate Acer W510s and can confidently say they are rock solid, I had one single crash in a month of heavy use and that necessitated a simple 20 second reboot. I returned the acer only because I ordered a Lenovo think pad tablet 2 which has the digitizer for about the same price.

 

[spinedoc77]

I concur, I have the previous version of the ativ at work running Windows 8 (Series 7 Slate) The reason I have one is that I'm running a pilot scheme to test their ease of use with the possibility of deploying them to older staff in my company who are not IT literate. It is a really a nice device but after a few months of testing & feedback I'd defiantly look at these Windows 8 Pro tablets more of a laptop replacement than a tablet replacement. Comparing them with an iPad is like comparing chalk and cheese.

They are much heavier and larger than other tablets for a start, plus if you're not running Metro/Tile only apps the transition to having to run Office or other desktop apps can be a very jarring experience for those with little computer experience. Running desktop apps isn't great if you have bad eye sight either, the interface elements on an 11" HD screen can be tiny.

On the other hand it has effectivly replaced my work laptop for day to day use. It's plugged into a docking station connected to a monitor/keyboard+mouse when I'm in the office. I do IT support & being able to just pick it up, take all of my real desktop software with me on site visits on a tablet with 3G/vpn access is as we Brits would say "the dogs bollocks" The built in keyboard is as good as any other tablet i've tried. in some ways they're just as convenient as an iPad, but in a different sort of way IMO

Very thoughtful feedback, but on the point of hardware it's a bit misguided. I can't blame you though, you are using an older tablet, and Microsoft is also confusing consumers with the heavier surface pro. But there are full windows 8 pro devices on the market which are as thin as the iPad, have equal battery life, no fans, etc etc, it definitely is comparing apples to apples from a hardware perspective.

I can certainly sympathize with you in concerns over someone being computer illiterate being thrown onto the windows desktop on a tablet, but I think comparing software and OS is more apples to apples as well. Main reason is that the windows 8 tablet can just as easily be dumb tablets like the iPad, you can entirely ignore the desktop and never ever even see it if you choose to run your tablet that way. At that point it's the ecosystems which are in question, and I arguably this is a strong point in apples favor (only, though if we ignore legacy apps).

I think too many try to poo poo the windows 8 tablets as not being laptop replacements when this really only matters in the case of something that costs as much as a laptop, has fans, is larger, etc like the surface pro or the other ivy bridge units. In the case of the clover field units it makes much less sense to point this out, certainly less sense than to point out the iPads inadequacy to be a laptop replacement without a desktop or legacy program support.

In the end I see legacy program support and the desktop as a HUGE plus to what is in every other sense a "windows iPad", its there if you want a laptop replacement, it can be ignored if you only want a dumb tablet, and you can even overcome the laptop limitation by connecting to a large screen or waiting for a larger tablet to come out, there are plans for larger tablets btw.

 

[Night Spring]

As an afterthought after returning the Samsung IMO it was poor Samsung quality, this was after going thru 2 of them and having the 2nd on completely brick. I've had the pleasure of using 2 separate Acer W510s and can confidently say they are rock solid, I had one single crash in a month of heavy use and that necessitated a simple 20 second reboot. I returned the acer only because I ordered a Lenovo think pad tablet 2 which has the digitizer for about the same price.

So when are you getting the thinkpad tablet? I'd love to hear your impressions, if you have the time to post!

 

[Eddie Bombay]

Good to know that it has good battery life. Congrats. I'm jealous. Apple really needs to come out with there version of a Smart PC. I'd love to see one.

 

[Aidan5806]

Please please please run the trial version of Geekbench. I know its a legacy app but i just want to see how it compares. It would be great if you shared the link to the results.

 

[spinedoc77]

So when are you getting the thinkpad tablet? I'd love to hear your impressions, if you have the time to post!

Still waiting. . It's supposed to ship out this week.