Tablets, e-readers, think pads, so confused....

Disclosure: I work at Microsoft, actually on the Internet Explorer team.  I have lots and lots of tablets.  iPads, iPad minis, Nexus 7s, Kindle Touch, Kindle Paperwhite, Kindle Fire, Kindle Fire HD, Microsoft Surface tablets - you name it, I have now or in the past owned it.  My family loves it when I get another tablet to research and then hand them out when I'm done with them. 

As an e-reader, my wife loves her Kindle Paperwhite.  It's just about perfect for her.  Kindle software runs on everything (Kindle hardware, iPads, Android tablets, Surface tablets, even regular Macs and Windows PCs).  So everything's a reader now, at least if you're in the Amazon world.

If you want to work on Excel spreadsheets, then you should consider "the real thing" with a Microsoft Surface tablet.  There are three versions available. The first is the year-old original Surface RT which doesn't run legacy Windows apps (like say iTunes or Photoshop) but runs real Office 2013 including Outlook, Word, Excel, and Powerpoint.  It's a bit slow but because it's now a year old you can get them for $200.  There is also the brand new Surface 2 which has a higher res screen and is much faster but not so cheap.  There is also the Surface Pro 2 which is much more expensive and is a full PC in the sense it can run all old Windws apps.

http://www.microsoftstore.com/store/msusa/en_US/html/pbPage.CATS/categoryID.66734700?icid=USGlobalNav_TopTab_1_Surface_092413

They don't include the keyboard cover.  There are a few versions of those available.

If you want to be able to do it all, then consider a Surface.  Here's a review one of many: http://www.mensfitness.com/gear/reviews/review-microsoft-surface-2

My 20 year old daughter in college has a Asus S7 laptop, an iPhone 5S, and recently I gave her a Surface 2.  She loves it for all sorts of things including note taking in classes. 

The iPad has lots of apps available for it, but not real Microsoft Office.  You can do some things with the iWork apps like Numbers, but it's not the same thing as Excel by far. 

Not a problem with a Surface.

On a Surface or Surface 2, Word 2013 can easily save Word docs or other docs as PDF or XPS or any number of formats. You have both a lightweight mail program (works better with touch) or full Outlook 2013 (works OK with touch) if you want it.  So attachments are easy, and you have great Exchange support, works with POP and IMAP mail so various corporate, school, Hotmail, GMail, AOL, Yahoo mails all work.  And there are multiple PDF readers include Adobe's Reader Touch which works pretty well.

This is a regular user who bought one.  "Why I Love my Microsoft Surface 2: Tips and Tricks" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wG1b0yBJHLM

He has several others.  Not a shill for MS just a happy user.

I am leaning towards a Surface.  I need USB connections, and I am looking for something with a card reader, so I can take my pictures with a real camera and move them to a tablet.

Sure I can explain more.   In short, it includes a full functioning browser in IE11 including Flash support, and yes you can download the free Kindle app and run it.

More details: As I said there are three Surface for sale right now out of the four total we've made.  Last year's Surface RT (still available, cheap) and the Surface Pro, and this year's Surface 2 (replaces Surface RT) and Surface Pro 2 (replace Surface Pro). Physically the Surface and the Surface Pro look a lot alike, but internally they are quite different and run different software with different capabilities.  To summarize the differences:

Surface RT & Surface 2

• ARM compatible processor
• Runs an ARM-specific version of Windows 8.1; these can run Microsoft Office plus new "modern" Windows Store apps.  You can't run "legacy" Windows apps like ITunes or Photoshop or other 3rd party software like Firefox or Chrome.
• Includes Office including Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote.  These are almost, almost the full versions (differences are slight and consumers won't notice what's left out).  These are touch-friendly but work better with the keyboard covers.

Surface Pro & Surface Pro 2

• x86 compatible processor.
• Runs full Windows 8.1, so they can run new "modern" Windows Store apps as well as "legacy" Windows apps (iTunes, Photoshop, your line-of-business apps at work, everything, Chrome, Firefox and so on).
• Heavier, more expensive, less battery life

More here: http://holiday.microsoftstore.com/store/msusa/en_US/html/pbPage.PDPS/productID.286867200  Really click through and read all that.

Microsoft is still selling (unloading, some would say) the original Surface RT.  It's slower and lower resolution screen than Surface 2.  But it's cheap now.

Windows 8.1 runs a new type of application called officially a Windows Store app (because you get them in a the Windows Store, like Apple's AppStore or Google's Google Play).  These apps are also called "modern" apps (because they're the new type) or Metro apps (because that was their name before Microsoft lost a naming lawsuit). 

Windows 8.1 includes IE11, two versions actually, one that works really well for touch and one that is the same-old same-old desktop version.  They also run a built-in version of Flash, so more websites work than with Android tablets or iPads or Kindles (which run a heavily modified Android).  IE11 is brand new currently has some compat issues but we (I work on IE) are resolving them quickly.  IE11 will run your full-functioning websites quite well, trust me.

So you will ask "so what "modern apps" can I run on these thiings?"  Well, admittedly not as many apps are available as for Android or iPad, but the big ones are covered.  Pandora for music streaming, Kindle for book reading, Hulu Plus, Netflix, etc.  Peruse this link here for ideas of what's available:

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-8/apps?ocid=GA8-1_O_WOL_Hero_Home_Apps_Pos4_01#Cat=t1

You might also ask "Surface 2 is a lot more expensive than the old Surface RT which is cheap now, why not by the old one?"  Well, you could.  It's lower resolution screen, a bit less battery life, and a lot slower processor, but it runs the same apps and with the sales it's a LOT cheaper now.  Like $199 at the Microsoft Store this weekend only (without the keyboard cover), it's a deal: http://holiday.microsoftstore.com/store/msusa/en_US/html/pbPage.PDPS/productID.286870700?Wt.mc_id=FY13WinHH%3fWT.mc_id%3dsurface_RTM_SurfaceRT

Being the holiday season and all, it's possible you might be able to wait and get a Surface RT for even less but no telling. Microsoft already took a $900 million write-off for unsold inventory from last year.

Kindle app for Windows 8:
http://apps.microsoft.com/windows/en-us/app/kindle/1d7e4396-0143-4aed-8892-84eb75e799f3

 A review of Windows 8.1 (IE11 is on page 6)
http://www.techradar.com/reviews/pc-mac/software/operating-systems/windows-8-1-1161745/review#articleContent

Originally posted by wwlani Thank you - bought the Surface RT last night - now playing with new toy

Cool!

As you are using it may I suggest you leave most settings at the default for a while? One of the problems I see with people using new Windows 8.1 is that they immediately want to set everything so its like Win7, which can negate and confuse what we did well with the new version. This "it's different, change it back!" approach has been common for years, but even more so with Win8. 

Feel free to PM me if you have questions or comments.  (posting from a Surface 2 right now)

Originally posted by uclamatt2007

Originally posted by brucemorgan

Originally posted by wwlani Thank you - bought the Surface RT last night - now playing with new toy

Cool!

As you are using it may I suggest you leave most settings at the default for a while? One of the problems I see with people using new Windows 8.1 is that they immediately want to set everything so its like Win7, which can negate and confuse what we did well with the new version. This "it's different, change it back!" approach has been common for years, but even more so with Win8. 

Feel free to PM me if you have questions or comments.  (posting from a Surface 2 right now)

Since you are on a Surface Pro 2 now, how do you like the stylus on it? I am currently trying to decide between getting a Surface Pro 2 or something like a Galaxy Note 8 and a laptop as well.

Actually this weekend I'm using the ARM-based Surface 2, not a Surface Pro 2.   At work I do have one of the Pro 2s that I use as a test machine.

The Pro 2 works really well as "I only want to own and carry one device" type machine.  With a Type cover (the ones with the moveable buttons), it makes a pretty nice laptop for writing email, reading email, etc.  The Touch cover also works but for a lot of typing I prefer the Type cover.  Perhaps it's because I have both so I haven't quite gotten used to the Typec cover.  Anyway, you can take off the cover and use it as a tablet, or fold it back, etc.  As a pure tablet, it's on the heavy side so I wouldn't want to use it in bed as my Kindle device holding it with my arms.  But it's a full powered laptop in every way, so at work you could it as a full fledged mult-monitor workstation, then take it home as a laptop, and watch movies on a plane, and run all your old Windows software, new modern software, etc.  Total jack-of-all trades.

As for the stylus, I can't say because I just don't use it all that much.  I type my notes due to illegible handwriting (pen or stylus).  I lot of people like it.  OneNote works great with it, as does using it as a replacement for the mouse if I don't have a cover with me.

Microsoft is selling a lot of "version 2" accessories, although some won't come until January.  A better Type cover 2, a better Touch cover 2, a Power Cover (with battery to extend life), and a Dock.  http://www.slashgear.com/surface-2-docking-station-touch-2-type-2-and-power-cover-hands-on-23298839/

The laptop-and-a-tablet approach also works, but of course I wouldn't recommend Android devices, not just because I work for Microsoft but because I think a lot of them suck.  Great price-point devices but I think people will be disappointed over time with them, sort of like the original Kindle Fire.  It could have been great, but wasn't. 

Just for fun, I'll tell you what machines I use

• Work machine is a Dell 420 from about a year back, 2 TB drives, three monitors, one 20" touch, one 22" landscape, one 22" portrait.  This is my main dev box.  This runs pre-release versions of WIndows; I generally upgrade it once a week.
• My work laptop is a Asus Zenbook 31A with touchscreen.  Nice machine.  I leave this with production shipping Windows for comparison purposes.
• Test machines include an Surface RT, a Surface Pro 2, and a few others laying about.  These get clean installed with daily builds of Windows all the time.
• I've also borrowed a bunch of Android tablets and used them for weeks at a time.  The Nexus 7 is pretty nice, the Samsungs I'm not thrilled with.  The browsers suck. Google needs to up their game on touch support.  IE kicks butt on that.
• At home, my main desktop is a dual-monitor 3 year old Dell.  I run production Windows on this so I can see what end-users see.
• And my tablets include an original Kindle Fire (which I use to read on my treadmill, if I drop it, that's OK), a Kindle Fire HD from last year (my main reader).
• Family machines:
• Last week my stepson got my a year-old Surface RT machine.  So far so good for him.
• My wife uses my iPad Mini, loves it, won't give it back.  She's been traveling a lot with it and loves it for that. My wife also has a Kindle Paperwhite as her reader, and she has a 4 year old Asus 11" laptop running Windows 7.  She refuses to let me upgrade it.  SIgh.
• I gave my daughter iPad last spring, it's about a year old model now. She's all Apple all the time. Boo! Kids what can you do.
• Another daughter uses my Kindle Touch as her reader.  It's a few years old now.
• This girl also has an Acer S7 laptop (the white glass one).  Great machine.
• And my youngest has a Lenovo X1 Carbon Touch.
• My phone these days is a HTC 8x windows phone.  I work with the phone team (IE shared codebase).  My wife just bought yesterday a Lumia 1020 and loves it, big upgrade from her 2 year old phone.  Everyone was telling her how feeble that thing was, time to upgrade!
• My kids all use an iPhone 5. 

And of course I have a box full of old phones.  I often give them away or perma-loan them, like my old Lumia 900.

I'm a big gadget lover, so when tablets and phones starting coming out and Microsoft pays for most of them, I'm a happy man.

Just to throw out my shopping experience. My wife and I have iPhones so the obvious choice was an iPad. However I couldn't bring myself to spend the money they ask for the limited memory space they provide. If you want 64+gbs you are going to pay dearly for it.

My wife's primary purpose for a tablet was downloading photos off her camera and possibly light editing, so I wanted the best screen I could get for a decent price.

As far as features go I really liked the 10" Asus, it has a detachable keyboard, runs on Android, you can put a micro SD card in the keyboard that expands memory a ton, HDMI out, etc, etc. However by the time I had all the options I wanted on it I was looking at about $600. That was a bit too much for me to spend on a first tablet. As many say it sounds like an awesome device that you can imagine so many uses for, but once you have one you may not use it a lot. So I wanted something cheap as a trial run and we could always get a better one later.

So the Google Nexus it was. Made by Asus whom I have had nothing but excellent results from, screen is as good or better than the iPad mini, not a lot of memory so that was the main compromise. Great price at $220 out the door. 

As feared I really only use the thing for meetings and road trips. Nice to have on a trip using the phone as a hotspot, nice to take notes on and pull up emails when in a meeting. So I use it maybe twice a month or so. My wife will use it to surf the net in the bedroom or living room, but it sits collecting dust a decent amount of the time.

So in the end I am very happy with the product and given the amount we use it I am very glad we went with the $200 range rather than going big on the $600 tablet. 

http://www.dell.com/us/business/p/dell-venue-8-pro/pd

It's a BayTrail device (the Atom series) with 2G RAM and an 8" screen with 1280 x 800 resolution and no external display port.  I like a lot of screen real estate for dev work, so working on an 8" screen at 1280 x 800 would be very restrictive for me.  But as a tablet, that screen is quite nice.

A lot of people say this is a really great tablet.  A lot of fellow employees own the personally; I've used one a bit (like an hour) and thought it was pretty nice.