iPad is good for what it does.... We Windows users generally want something that is better all around. Tablets pretty much suck for the most part.

If I want something portable, I'll get something like a 13" 2-in-1 for general stuff and if I need more power I'll get something with more power.

Oh yeah.... folio type keyboards suck big time.

Intel486dx33 wrote on 2020-11-11, 16:28:

Even Apple has come to realize the Logitech folio type keyboard combo with the iPad is a Success.

It's even better if you combine it with a wireless mouse, amirite?
http://thedoghousediaries.com/4557

Intel486dx33,

Is this a legit post with no ulterior motive or do you actually want to have a discussion?
Your posts seem to follow a specific theme which is why I'm asking.

Years ago I picked up a Winbook TW801 -- it works well for general tablet purposes. I have a folio keyboard case for it. I rarely use it anymore except for when I travel via plane to business related functions. It is smaller than a laptop, but still features a full OS. The CPU isn't fast, but it gets the job done for business related web functions and some of the corporate apps I need that are Windows based. I paid around $100 for it.

I'm sure there are plenty of newer tablets like this out there in the $100-$300 price range. Probably give Aliexpress or TaoBao a look. They are more popular in Asian markets.

cyclone3d wrote on 2020-11-11, 16:49:

Oh yeah.... folio type keyboards suck big time.

Well only the Android tablets use this folio type keyboard too.
But I dont use android.

A 9-inch Microsoft tablet with a folio type keyboard seems to be what is missing in the MS-Windows market.
And this simple combination has been a BIG success for the iPad which is currently eating away at the PC laptop sales.

wiretap wrote on 2020-11-11, 17:25:

I'm sure there are plenty of newer tablets like this out there in the $100-$300 price range. Probably give Aliexpress or TaoBao a look. They are more popular in Asian markets.

I bought an Amazon Kindle Fire for well under $100 earlier this year. People seem to dump on them a lot, but I could hardly ask for anything more. (Well, except that it can't run Pokemon Go.)

Intel486dx33 wrote on 2020-11-11, 17:29:

And this simple combination has been a BIG success for the iPad which is currently eating away at the PC laptop sales.

PC laptops can do a lot of things that tablets cannot. For now, at least.

misread the title as "Bad windows alternative"

Microsoft has the surface books but none of them are a 9 inch form factor. I bought my wife a HP Envy x360 2-in-1 and we both like it. We rarely use the tablet mode though.

iPads are just a toy. I'm sorry, but my ThinkPad L390 Yoga beats those by far, because it's a business convertible and not just a glorified screen with a battery.

It comes with an integrated Wacom tablet, a pen with 4096 pressure points, can be upgraded to 64GB of RAM and it's pretty lightweight for its size. Very easy to disassemble and repair, too.

With this thing I can be creative and productive by having multiple VM's, Chrome tabs and the whole Adobe suite opened at the same time. All while connected to two external 4K screens at 60fps. And guess what - I can even install apps without being restricted to an app store.

It even has a Trackpoint and a mouse pointer that works in every app and not just selected ones. 😈 Killer feature!

The iPad is not a toy. I can do my entire web design and front-end programming work straight out of the iPad easily. There are ways to do productive work on it.

I've seen a MS Surface Book once at work when one of my clients came with one in our meeting room last year. I tried it for a few minutes and while indeed it is good material, but it's Intel and has Windows 10 (eeewwwww). MS needs to get their act and do a decent ARM version of their OS.

Anyway, both the iPad and the Surface can do the same job as tablets or 2-in-1 devices. Both are not a toy and can be used at work by creatives, designers and media professionals. Even programmers can use them. I know that because I am coding my own new website out from zero on my iPad Pro. It took years for Apple to come with mouse support for the iPad Pro, but I end up using the touch instead of the mouse all the time. Since I got this iPad, I started to spend much more time on it than I do on my MacBook Pro. If the new Apple Silicon MacBook Air had the ability to detach the screen and be used as like an iPad, it'd have been one hell of a killer 2-in-1 machine, because now on Big Sur it can run iPad apps too.

I can give credit to Microsoft for the Surface models, I was interested for a while. But I can't because of the material Apple and Microsoft used on their keyboards, with 2 years of usage they're already ripped. Logitech, Brydge and Libra have better models, especially Libra, makes the iPad look almost like a MacBook. I might be tempted to look after a Logitech Folio.

Bruninho wrote on 2020-11-12, 02:37:

I've seen a MS Surface Book once at work when one of my clients came with one in our meeting room last year. I tried it for a few minutes and while indeed it is good material, but it's Intel and has Windows 10 (eeewwwww). MS needs to get their act and do a decent ARM version of their OS.

You know they tried that already, right? I wouldn't expect that to happen again.

If the MS tablet supports Blue Tooth there isn't any issue all. My iLuv Blue Tooth keyboards work on Windows, iOS, Android and Linux. Two cost less than $NZ30

Modern Asus Eee PC everybody.....

Jorpho wrote on 2020-11-12, 05:08:

Bruninho wrote on 2020-11-12, 02:37:

I've seen a MS Surface Book once at work when one of my clients came with one in our meeting room last year. I tried it for a few minutes and while indeed it is good material, but it's Intel and has Windows 10 (eeewwwww). MS needs to get their act and do a decent ARM version of their OS.

You know they tried that already, right? I wouldn't expect that to happen again.

Hi, yes but I said “decent”. The current incarnation of their ARM OS is far from being good and useable.

Yes, I wouldn’t expect that to happen again too in a short term, but in a long term, with Apple being successful at transitioning to ARM, Microsoft might rethink its strategy and join the ARM bandwagon.

Intel486dx33 wrote on 2020-11-11, 17:29:

A 9-inch Microsoft tablet with a folio type keyboard seems to be what is missing in the MS-Windows market.
And this simple combination has been a BIG success for the iPad which is currently eating away at the PC laptop sales.

Have you got evidence of this or is it just your own opion?

Bruninho wrote on 2020-11-12, 02:37:

Even programmers can use them. I know that because I am coding my own new website out from zero on my iPad Pro.
[...]
but I end up using the touch instead of the mouse all the time.

Sure, you're coding a complete website on a touchscreen just because it's so good.

Now you're just messing with me, man. I was doubtful at first, but I'm starting to believe you really are a troll. 😁

I like them a little larger... more around 11-12" and with a more sturdy keyboard base so I can adjust the screen and lift it easily without it falling apart.
another plus would be if it had full size USBs, hdmi out, maybe a SD card reader... oh and headphone jack.

wait, I just described my laptop, nvm. 😁 :p

schmatzler wrote on 2020-11-12, 13:30:

Bruninho wrote on 2020-11-12, 02:37:

Even programmers can use them. I know that because I am coding my own new website out from zero on my iPad Pro.
[...]
but I end up using the touch instead of the mouse all the time.

Sure, you're coding a complete website on a touchscreen just because it's so good.

Now you're just messing with me, man. I was doubtful at first, but I'm starting to believe you really are a troll. 😁

And I'm starting to believe that you really want to be stupid or is just trying to troll me.

Here's the breakdown for the stupid ones:

I have an iPad Pro 12.9-inch, 2017, with 64GB and only Wifi. Smart keyboard and Apple Pencil included. The apps used to code my actual website were:

- Coda Editor: connect to my Amazon Web Services instance to access the files and code them. Coda Editor also has features to help coding and preview the pages.
- Prompt 2: Excellent access to the AWS terminal for CLI stuff.
- Vectornator: Excellent tool to design and prototype pages when Adobe is (expletive) crap at Photoshop and X.D for iOS. I can export them to Adobe X.D on mac whenever I need, but with my clients, I almost never need to do that - I just export to PDF for them, because 99% of my clients do not have Adobe X.D.
- Pixelmator: Same as Vectornator.
- Safari iOS, ofc is my browser of choice, I only test on Safari. I couldn't care less for Google and Firefox, f(expletive) them.
- Inspect Browser, a good app to inspect the code and access the console for the browser.
- Slack, Gmail, or Microsoft Teams: To connect with my team and talk to them as well as share files between.
- Web based JIRA Cloud: Access to my tickets and tasks.

Do I have your attention now? You should research before accusing me of being a troll. And if it wasn't for the COVID-19 pandemic, I'd be typing this right now in a Starbucks. *middle finger*

The Benefits of a small tablet is that it is mobile. You can take it anywhere.
Set it up on your lap, couch , bed or table.

Long battery life and simple.

People don’t need laptops anymore.

You can do just about everything on a tablet.

This is why the iPad is so popular.

It is simple and responsive, quick and easy to use.

You don’t have to reboot it or wait for updates to install.

It goes to sleep mode and wakes up instantly.

Has a built in battery as an UPS.

With a detachable folio keyboard you can easily replace it when you want a different color or when it breaks.

The folio keyboard design with strong magnets is actually very sturdy and easy to type with.
easy to carry to.