Hasta La Gadget!

This week was a Microsoft bonanza. A new operating system and new hardware means new apps. So joining the best apps of the week roster is a new batch of titles meant for RT. Inside, you’ll find a lot of apps you know and love, all ready for your new Surface tablet. More »

I um’d and ah’d and hovered over the purchase button for a day or two, but eventually I clicked: I preordered Microsoft’s Surface. Jumping onto new hardware always makes you consider exactly how you’re going to integrate it into your life, but my intentions this time around were pretty clear. I liked the cut of Microsoft’s jib: that its new version of Windows (and the flagship hardware to run it on) was made not only for sitting back and browsing through content, but for actual, proper content creation. I had visions of leaving my MacBook Pro at home and slipping a slender Surface into my bag instead. And then, with shipping just around the corner, I cancelled the order.

I’m not against impulse purchases, or extraneous hardware. As long as you can afford it, I’m not going to judge you for having a coffee table full of tablets, even though most people only really need one (and that’s if they can ever be said to “need” one at all). My cupboards are a morgue of expired tablets and other geek detritus, acquired over years of “yes, I’ll definitely need one of those” and “oh, what a bargain, I’ll jump on that”; HP’s TouchPad rubs shoulders with an old Samsung UMPC, itself snuggled close to the tiny body of a Fujitsu LifeBook convertible with its dinky little resistive touchscreen. They’re not alone in there.

“Space is at a premium in my bag”

Space, though, is increasingly at a premium in my tiny London flat, and even more limited in my bag. I’ve an iPad and a Nexus 7 that each get regular use at home, but they never come out with me; I won’t spare the weight, especially if I’m also carrying a DSLR. So, on that level, Surface appealed because it could potentially replace, not add to, what I was carrying.

Surface does have some advantages over rival tablets. The integration of keyboard and tablet – while still remaining low profile – and the obvious consideration Microsoft’s designers have given to how the two parts coexist are particularly distinctive, and as someone who does plenty of typing every day that’s an appealing factor versus typing on glass. The USB port meant I could potentially plug in a CompactFlash reader and pull photos off my Canon, too.

For me to consider truly carrying around a tablet – and for it to replace, say, my current MacBook Pro – though, I’d need to be able to actually work on it. Office is all well and good, but like many these days I live my work life in the browser. If a tablet is going to be my sole travel machine, rather than a nice-but-not-essential accessory, then it has to do the essentials my Mac can do.

I’m not just talking about writing – heck, I’ve written full editorials in Evernote on a smartphone before now – but actually formatting and publishing articles, complete with images (cropped, resized, tweaked, and watermarked if necessary), tags, and everything else. It’s those requirements that have undermined the iPad so far – little things like Flash-based image uploaders, for instance – and, while Surface looked like it stood a better chance of satisfying my needs, it’s clear from our Surface RT review that it’s not quite there.

Microsoft wants us to think differently about Surface than we do about iPad, and other slates. It’s both a tablet and a PC, we’re told; that’s great, but then it has to deliver on both of those elements. The saving grace is Surface Pro, running full Windows 8 and tweaking some of the other blips that were concerning me about the RT model: Full HD resolution (even with ClearType, I wasn’t convinced by the first version’s 1,366 x 768) and a digital pen. I’m a big believer in the value of the stylus, no matter how much Apple and others have told us it’s passé.

“I’m not the only one yet to be persuaded”

I’m apparently not the only one yet to be persuaded. We’ve been running a poll since Surface pricing was announced, and – of the near 11,000 responses when I write this – the numbers of those definitely intending to buy a Surface (either the cheapest or one with a Touch Cover) and those planning to wait for Surface Pro are equally split. Around 13-percent said they’d be waiting on the first reviews to come in before making a buying decision; I’d be very interested to hear from those people in the comments, as to whether real-world reports on Surface and Windows RT convinced them of its worth.

So, I’ll be revisiting Surface as my potential next tablet in early 2013, when the Pro model arrives. It’s undoubtedly going to be more expensive, however, and if the battery life can’t compete with my current Mac, then it may have simply moved the hurdles to elsewhere in the value proposition. Finding the right machine for your needs is always complicated, and I’ve a feeling early adopters who’ve jumped on Surface may also find themselves wondering whether Microsoft’s tablet/notebook hybrid strategy best suits their needs as well.

I cancelled my Microsoft Surface order is written by Chris Davies & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Read the comments on any of our ASUS Transformer Pad reviews. It doesn’t matter if you pick the mid-range TF300 or the high-end Infinity. You’ll invariably find someone saying, “That’s nice, but can’t it run Windows 8?” It’s a perfectly sane request: sure, a tablet and optional keyboard dock make for a convenient setup, but how great would it be if you could use that keyboard to get work done in Microsoft Office? Ditto for the dock’s USB port: being able to plug in a thumb drive is a good start, but it’d be even sweeter if you could drag and drop files, as you would on a PC.

Well, ladies and gents, you can quit your fantasizing. ASUS is ready to start shipping the VivoTab RT (TF600), and we’re guessing it’s pretty darn close to whatever Franken-tablet you’ve been dreaming up. Which is to say, it takes everything we loved about ASUS’ Transformer Pads, and adds Windows RT. Like other tablets in ASUS’ lineup, it has a 10-inch Super IPS+ display with claimed 178-degree viewing angles and a 600-nit brightness rating. Other tried-and-true specs include a quad-core Tegra 3 chip; an 8-megapixel, autofocusing rear camera capable of recording 1080p video; SonicMaster audio; and long battery life — in this case, up to nine hours for the tablet and up to seven for the keyboard dock. At 8.3mm thick and 1.2 pounds, it’s also about as thin and light as any Transformer Pad. Lastly, the VivoTab has NFC — something you won’t find on any of ASUS’ older slates.

The VivoTab RT should be available beginning today, starting at $599 for the 32GB tablet with a keyboard dock included. A 64GB tablet-and-dock bundle will retail for $699. So is this as good a buy as ASUS’ earlier tablets. And how does it compare to other Windows RT devices being offered at a similar price? Let’s find out.

Continue reading ASUS VivoTab RT review: everything you loved about the Transformer tablets, but with Windows

Filed under: Tablets, ASUS

ASUS VivoTab RT review: everything you loved about the Transformer tablets, but with Windows originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 26 Oct 2012 09:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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SugarSync, the popular cloud storage solution, has announced that they’re bringing apps to both Windows 8 and Windows RT. On top of all the features that SugarSync users already get, the new Windows apps bring some new features as well, such as Live Tiles, Snap View, and the ability to pin the app to the Start screen.

Once you login to the SugarSync app, you’ll notice right away the design of the homescreen, which is obviously very Windows RT-esque. The homescreen shows all your folders that have been synced from your other devices and computers. Tapping on a folder will show you a view of all your sub-folders and files.

Another feature that SugarSync included is called Share Charms. This specifically makes it quicker and easier to share larger files from any Windows 8 device. Another feature is Snap View, which lets you keep SugarSync open while doing other tasks like browsing the web or chatting with a friend — great for multi-taskers.

SugarSync for Windows 8 and Windows RT is available today for both platforms, and can be found by heading to the Windows Store. Both apps are free to download and free to use. You get 5GB of storage space right off the bat, but you can choose from a number of paid accounts if you need some extra storage.

SugarSync introduces app for Windows 8 and Windows RT is written by Craig Lloyd & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Microsoft is showing off their new products here the company’s Windows 8 event in New York City, and they’ve been shoving the word “touch” down everyone’s throat — not in a mean and rude way, but it’s a strong focus of their’s no doubt. They mentioned that “as soon as you’ve had touch, you’ll want it on everything.”

This is a fairly different approach compared to Apple, who have always said that reaching out to touch your laptop’s display is counter-intuitive. Steve Jobs famously dismissed the idea when launching the iPad, and Tim Cook has shown no signs of altering that strategy. Microsoft thinks otherwise, saying that once you try out a touchscreen-equipped device, you’ll want that experience on all your devices, which might be true for some people, but maybe not everyone.

We even mentioned in our recent Microsoft Surface review with Windows RT that utilizing and navigating around a classic desktop view is extremely tricky using your fingers, even with all of Microsoft’s changes to the user interface. The text happens to be way too small to easily tap with your finger, and it’s overall really annoying compared to a tablet-optimized solution.

We’ve seen this philosophy of Microsoft’s for the past couple of years, and OEM manufacturers have hopped on board to deliver touchscreen-enabled desktop computers — not just tablets. While larger screens definitely improve the touch experience on the classic desktop UI, it almost seems that keyboard, mice, and trackpads should stay the norm for desktop and laptop computers, and leave the touchscreens to the tablets.

Microsoft: “As soon as you’ve had touch, you’ll want it on everything” is written by Craig Lloyd & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.