Samsung ATIV Smart PC 500T

The tablet is way too fresh and, unless you are a beta addict, it might be beneficial to wait a couple of months and give time to Samsung to fix the bugs. So buying it in the second quarter of 2013 is better then in 2012. Currently if you want just the Samsung tablet, go for it. But avoid the tablet + keyboard combo till Q2 of 2013.

Configuration and size are pretty close to Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 with S-pen. Uses the same S-pen. Price also is similar (this one is $100 higher).  But for this additional $100 this tablet delivers more as it is difficult to compare Windows 8 capabilities with Android. Windows 8 is a real notebook and PC OS, while Android is a smartphone OS that Google is trying to extent to tablets. 

Here is a relevant quote from the review of user InMnBob "Bob" on Amazon:

I thought the Note 10.1 was perfect in size and function. After playing with this device and now Office 2013 I realized that this really blows away iPad and android devices. A touch interface to windows for the Metro apps makes it fun for content delivery. A touch interface to standard interface and the power of Office 2013 is game changer. Adding inking features and OneNote is another whole level and for me since i own the Note II the pen works on both units..an additional benefit.

The tablet has one USB 2.0 port, one Micro SD slot, Micro HDMI port for connecting to a compatible HDTV plus Wireless-N Wi-Fi (802.11 a/b/g/n), next-generation Bluetooth 4.0

Judging from Amazon reviews the first thing you should do after getting the tablet is to install updates and deinstall bloatware. Tablet comes with McAfee bloatware that should in uninstalled immediately.  Microsoft Windows Defender that comes with Windows 8 and is free. It is an adequate protection tool for most users.

If you need to decide between this tablet and Asus Vivo Tab. IMHO it's difficult to justify price difference, when products have nearly identical internal hardware. But one important point is that Samsung ATIV provides 4-5 hours longer battery life (based on Microsoft comparison). For those who fly long distances this is a very important difference. At the same time Asus Vivo Tab is priced on the level of  Microsoft Surface Pro, which is far more powerful tablet. In other words it is heavily overpriced. Here are some relevant considerations:

J. Wang Dec 7, 2012 11:16:05 PM PST

Can you comment on how this is better than the Samsung Ativ. I'm currently playing with one from Staples, but TF810c also caught my eye. How do you justify the price difference, though?

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ZK In reply to an earlier post on Dec 8, 2012 8:18:03 AM PST

I can help out with this... I have been trying to decide between both, the price difference is understandable if you look at the features... this one has IPS plus screen Scratch and finger print resistant Corning Fit Glass (much better), GPS, NFS, compass, and a stylus that apparently works with all apps unlike the ativ one that has trouble with some from reviews on youtube and the web (and has an eraser the ativ one doesnt)... battery life is way better if you are getting the dock (19 hours)

speaking of docks the Samsung apparently has problems where it keeps disconnecting from its dock while typing... and last but not least the build quality is superior, the ativ is made of cheap plastic while this one is top quality hard aluminum

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J. Wang In reply to an earlier post on Dec 8, 2012 8:19:11 PM PST

I'm pretty sure that the Ativ has Corning Gorilla Glass. I hadn't heard of Corning Fit Glass, but after reading about it on a few forums, I'm actually kind of worried about its quality since there have been complaints about the Fit Glass on Asus's Nexus 7. Also, sAMOLED vs IPS probably just comes down to personal preference. Both look equally nice to me. Some models of the Ativ also have NFC; GPS is kind of a moot point without a mobile data network. Interestingly enough, the Ativ has a USB port on the tablet itself so you can plug in a 3g/4g dongle.

The Asus also has its own keyboard issues. The trackpad buttons do not register probably, but I admit that this is a smaller nuance than the keyboard disconnects on the Ativ.

Getting the dock means spending $1000 total...vs $750 for the Ativ. More or less, the two products have nearly identical internal hardware. Therefore, the extra $250 you'd be dishing out would be for the battery in the keyboard and for the aluminum casing. While Samsung's case is

John says: Not everything Samsung is superamoled. The Ativ tablet is not, and SAMOLED and it's quite difficult to manufacture in this size.

I'd say the real issue here is the weight and as far as my personal preference goes the vivo tab is already too heavy and samsung is out of the question when it comes to comfortable usage. Then the ATIV you get a partly useless dock and a lot of extra weight for no extra battery.

In my opinion samsung has a lot to refine before they catch up with asus, especially since this tablet is asus's 4th generation of keyboard docks and dock-able tablets.

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ZK:

In reply to an earlier post on Dec 10, 2012 3:01:31 AM PST

I disagree on many of your points, First of all the ATIV doesnt have sAmoled second I havent seen any models with NFC and would appreciate it if you could post me a link of such models, second my android tablet has GPS but no 3G and it has been wonderful and extremely useful as i can download the maps before going out on a trip and it works flawlessly, i am sure it should be the same case here with vivo.

secondly the Vivo tab does come with a usb dongle for the tab if you want to plug in the 3g to it, but honestly i wont be using the dongle as i will be buying the keyboard with it for the 19 hours battery life (for people who travel or are on the road often that is a god sent) i can just plug it to the keyboard like a normal laptop.

As for the keyboard issue with the clicker, i played around with it in the store and it was fine, I also saw some youtube vids showing nothing is wrong with it, maybe its a software issue they fixed with an update, but regardless for me its never an issue as I almost never use the track pad on any laptop I ever had, I always use a mini mouse as it is more comfortable for me. and besides sketchy trackpad beats none working keyboard any time as you said :P

By all means I am not hating on Samsung, most my electronics are Samsung, I just think they messed up a bit as there is a very big amount of people returning their tabs to the stores with complaints.. and the only complaints that the vivo tab got (the RT version) is that people were upset they couldn't figure out how to get the free keyboard :P (and the trackpad of course)

And you have to admit build quality matters the most, the ativ is very bendy plastic that creaks when you hold it, and if you hold it firmly the screen gets distorted, after seeing that on youtube and reading the complaints, i was sure i wont be getting it...I tend to get my tablet knocked around a bit :P

(and the Vivo screen actually does look better when you put it side to side with ativ, i would suggest you go to local store and check it out) Anyways to each their own, i find the price difference understandable (even if both tablets price is high for tablets) if you look at all the features (buying a full option car is not the same as buying one without)

plastic, it seemed plenty sturdy to me. Is the $250 difference worth it? I really am not sure :-/

NEWS CONTENTS

• 20121215 : Compare - Microsoft Store Online ( Compare - Microsoft Store Online, Dec 15, 2012 )
• 20121215 : Samsung ATIV Smart PC 500T (Tablet Only) ( Samsung ATIV Smart PC 500T (Tablet Only), Dec 15, 2012 )

Old News ;-)

[Dec 15, 2012] Compare - Microsoft Store Online

	Samsung ATIV Smart PC 500T Tablet	ASUS VivoTab TF810C Tablet
	$749.00	$799.00 Pre-Order
Price	$749.00	$799.00
Audio	SoundAlive	SonicMaster
Battery	2-cell lithium-polymer (up to 14.5 hours)*	30 WHr lithium-polymer (up to 10.5 hours)*
Bluetooth	Yes	Yes
Camera Technical Specifications	Integrated webcam	2 MP front, 8 MP auto-focus with flash rear
Color	Blue	Grey
Dimension	11.60 x 7.20 x 0.38 in (294.64 x 182.88 x 9.65 mm)	11.58 x 7.43 x 0.34 in (294.13 x 188.72 x 8.64 mm)
Display	11.6 in SuperBright Plus LED (1366 x 768)	11.6 in IPS with Corning Fit Glass (1366 x 768), 5-finger multi-touch support
Hard Drive Size	64 GB eMMC	64 GB Flash eMMC
Media Drive	Micro SD card reader	Micro SD card reader
Memory	2 GB DDR2L 800 MHz	2 GB LPDDR2 800 MHz
Operating System	Windows 8	Windows 8
Optical	None	None
Other	Model number: XE500T1C-A03US TPM chip Keyboard travel: 1.6 mm Touchpad dimensions: 82 x 49 mm For more technical specifications, please see manufacturer's website.	Model number: VivoTab TF810C TPM chip For more technical specifications, please see manufacturer's website.
PC Type	Convertible Ultrabook/Tablet	Tablet
Ports	3 USB 2.0 (1 tablet, 2 keyboard) • Micro HDMI • Headphone output/Microphone input combo • Dock connector	USB 2.0 via included dongle • Micro HDMI • Headphone output/Microphone input combo
Processor	Intel Atom Z2760 1.80 GHz	Intel Atom Z2760 1.80 GHz
Weight	1.65 lbs (0.75 kg)	1.54 lbs (0.70 kg)
Wireless	802.11a/b/g/n	802.11b/g/n

[Dec 15, 2012] Samsung ATIV Smart PC 500T (Tablet Only)

InMnBob "Bob" (Chicago, See all my reviews) good value and my favorite tablet December 5, 2012

I own a lot of tablets ..the list includes an iPad, htc View, Samsung Note 10.1 and now the Ativ. I have to say that I am pleasantly surprised by this device. Let me start by saying that I bought this device and then cancelled before it shipped and them bought it again and cancelled because I wasn't sure that I needed it. I thought the Note 10.1 was perfect in size and function. After playing with this device and now Office 2013 I realized that this really blows away iPad and android devices. A touch interface to windows for the Metro apps makes it fun for content delivery. A touch interface to standard interface and the power of Office 2013 is game changer. Adding inking features and OneNote is another whole level and for me since i own the Note II the pen works on both units..an additional benefit.

Of course a lot of my review so far is about the windows 8 environment and applies to most tablets with a pen. From a hardware perspective i love the screen size although at times I would not be opposed to something smaller but that would impact usability. The weight is great and the battery is unbelievable. I have one bug where the keyboard on the screen sometimes locks up while in the browser. I have the external keyboard on order so i can't speak to the issues that others have raised.

Only negatives besides the keyboard bug is a screen bleed of yellow on the lower right side and the amount of free disc space available after installation.

I now use this as my number one device because i get the best of the content creation and content delivery worlds in an affordable well packaged device.

Wests - See all my reviews Great Product, December 9, 2012

To all of you out there who are hunting for the right portable device, this is it. I have tried the iPad, several brands of tablets and a few notebooks. The features on the Samsmartpc (short for Samsung ATIV Smart PC) are by far more useful than the ipad and most tablets. The fact that it runs the full version of Windows 8 is WOW! what can I say "Great".

The Samsmartpc has 1 USB 2.0 port, 1 Micro SD slot, Micro HDMI port for connecting to a compatible HDTV plus Wireless-N Wi-Fi (802.11 a/b/g/n), next-generation Bluetooth 4.0 connectivity provides faster throughput while minimizing on power requirements, backward compatible with older Bluetooth-enabled peripherals such as printers and cell phones. The quality of the picture is what I would consider very well on the device which has a 11.6-inch display with 1366 x 768 resolution (400 nits SuperBright™ Plus Technology).

I usually don't write reviews but because I have tried several devices and have not had much luck, now that I have found what I am looking for and it by far is a very well made device with features to cover all your needs I figure if anyone out there needs some help making a decision on what to buy maybe I could help with that. If you want to check out more info on the Samsmartpc just look it up on the samsung.com web sight, trust me you won't be disappointed. Good Luck!!!

Henry Newman (ST PAUL, MN USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME) I have had no problems, December 8, 2012

I am systems consultant so I am pretty advanced user. Out of the box I started removing Norton and the crap on the system. This not much different than what I have to do on almost all systems anyway. This will be our vacation travel machine. Skype, managing pictures, email etc. Maybe replace my Kindle. I am NOT going to use this for gaming etc. I have not had the disconnect problem but 1 time as of yet and it lasted a few second. Otherwise I am darn impressed with the performance and the system. I am still getting used to Windows 8 I must admit. I believe the WiFi is very fast and if you want a light weight system with MS Office and reasonable performance this is a great machine.

I REALY WANT TO LOVE IT, December 7, 2012 Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)

This review is from: Samsung ATIV Smart PC 500T (Personal Computers)

UPDATED DECEMBER 8 2012

As a buyer of High End and Expensive Fujitsu Windows Tablets (Convertibles) all the way back to Win XP not only was I excited about finally getting the form factor I was after but I am also very familiar with their function and knew what to expect and was sure that The EX500T would do everything I needed it to do. I bought two of them - 1 for me and 1 for my wife. Now after a week with them here's The Long and the short of it: One works perfectly and the other is a disaster plagued the keyboard disconnect issues mentioned in several other reviews. So I have to say buying one of these at this point is a crap shoot - maybe you get lucky and maybe you don't. And I have to say, Samsung's Customer Service is a JOKE - the transcript from my chat with them follows at the bottom of this review. I'll try to be completely objective and want to give a fair review here from the perspective of the machine that works:

SCREEN: In a word it's beautiful. Several people have complained that they'd rather have the Full HD Screen but in truth it's very difficult to see the difference in resolution on the 11.6 inch screens. In making the decision to buy this unit I went to a Future Shop in Vancouver where they had both Smart PC XE500 and Smart PC Pro XE700 units on display and put them side by side viewing the same pictures and the same sites and neither me no the sales rep could see any difference in the picture quality. The 1366 x 768 is superb on an 11.6 inch screen and infact the higher resolution on the PRO Unit reduces the size of fonts and mouse cursor to the point that I actually prefer the screen on the XE500 - BOTH SCREENS HAVE THE SAME 400 NIT BRIGHTNESS

KEYBOARD DOCK: The one that works, works flawlessly. It's comfortable and the materials feel great. The keys are precise and quiet when typing and I have no problem that it's made of plastic. The plastic keeps the weight down and it's such a high grade that it almost feels like polished aluminum. THe keys are well spaced and all in all it's quite satisfying. I think the aesthetic complaints are unwarranted. The one that doesn't work is a different story. It still looks and feels good - it just doesn't work with any consistent reliability. In fact after a week the only thing I can rely on is that I can't rely on it. I think the real problem is a manufacturing issue in the dock connector. I'm not talking about the latch I mean the actual port on the keyboard. Both Units connect exactly the same and the working unit just clicks and goes, on the problem unit it constantly loses its connection and I get USB Recognition Error Messages. To test if it was the dock or the tablet (remember, I have two of them) I switched them around so that the working dock was put on the other other tablet and visa versa - sure enough, USB errors and disconnects started immediately on the other unit when I switched them. The problem as far as I'm concerned is in the a batch of faulty docks - not the latch but the port itself. It's not a USB Keyboard bu the system recognizes it as a USB device that's got problems. And For those of you who may be wondering - YES I did update all software, all drivers and Bios.

TABLET MATERIAL: There have been many comments also about the plastic the tablet itself is encased in. Again I think the complaints are unfounded. In my opinion it looks great, feels great and hides the finger prints well not mention the fact that it also keeps the weight down. The Brushed Aluminum Look does the job - I think it looks sharp and several people in my office have gawked at it.

PROCESSOR: I was very sceptical about the ATOM processor but based on reviews and tech specs decided to take a chance on it. Honestly it's a very capable processor. I mean I know it's not designed for video editing and bought it knowing this. BUT for a having a versatile, lightweight Email, word doc, powerpoint machine - it's perfect.

WACOM S PEN: So Samsung calls this the S Pen- In truth it is a WACOM Active Digitizer pen that has been branded S Pen by Samsung. It may be a little on the small side but writing is is flawless. I've had three previous Tablets with WACOM active Digitizer and this thing works great. If you've never used digital ink, you don't know what you're missing - IT IS COMPLETELY DIFFERENT THAN THE CAPACITIVE TOUCH TECHNOLOGY USED IN MOST ANDROID and iPAD devices. My only complaint is that there is no way to customize or custom program the pen button and that there is no erase function built in. All my previous WACOM FUJITUS pens work on the Samsung and the erase function works fine - Samsung should have included an erase function in the pen itself.

All In All I LOVE THE UNIT WITH THE WORKING DOCK - and had I not bought two of these, and only ended up with a good unit, I would have given this review 5 stars for doing what it's designed to do. Unfortunately I do have two units the second one is so unreliable and the customer serivce call was so pathetic that I'm giving it 2 stars. I am sending it back and have just ordered the ASUS VIVO TAB TF810 + Dock to replace it. It's a lot more money and I prefer the aesthetics of the samsung unit but I don't trust them anymore. SAMSUNG has done a terrible job on the public relations front and on the customer service front. They obviously know about the problem and have intentionally remained quiet. It just cost them a customer. See Below the transcript from my wasted 30 minutes with their "Customer Service" rep. It's appalling really. I wanted to remain a customer - sadly ASUS just got a sale that should have been Samsung's. I hope this helps somebody. I'm keeping the working unit, and sending back the other.
-----------------------------------------------------
SAMSUNG CUSTOMER SERVICE TRANSCRIPT DEC 6 2012
-----------------------------------------------------

KEEP IN MIND AS YOU READ THIS that when you give customer service the Model Number and Serial Number they know everything they need to know about whats in the box and the date of manufacture:

Your Issue ID for this chat is XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Robin: Hi, thanks for reaching out to Samsung tech support. How can I help you today?
Howard Olsen: I just bought two smart pcs XE500T1C and both have the keyboard dock disconnection issues.
Robin: I am sorry to hear that. I will help you with the information.
Robin: Please provide me the complete model and serial number of the unit, to assist you better?
Howard Olsen: just a secont
Robin: Please go ahead.
Howard Olsen: Thanks. Just another moment
Robin: I am with you.
Howard Olsen: XE500T1C-AO1US
Robin: Thank you.
Robin: Before I start, I see that you are not chatting from US. From where you purchased the unit?
Howard Olsen: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Howard Olsen: AMAZON
Robin: Is it a US based product?
Howard Olsen: Yes
Robin: Thank you.
Robin: Just to confirm, you have issues connecting to the network. Am I correct?
Howard Olsen: No The dock keeps disconnecting
Robin: Please let me know what is the trouble.
Howard Olsen: The internet is FULL of bad reviews about the faulty connection of the Keyboard to the tablet. This is a Hybrid Windows 8 Tablet / Laptop and many customers are sending them back because of the dock issues (Dock Disconnects While typing)
Robin: I am sorry to hear that. I will help you with the information.
Robin: Your issue is with the keyboard dock.
Robin: Am I corredt?
Howard Olsen: yes, I think so. I'm not sure if the problem is the keyboard dock or the dock port on the tablet. Samsung engineers would know, thousands of these have been returned
Robin: Below is the link for troubleshooting the issue. Please follow.
Robin: [...]
Robin: Are you able to access the above link?
Howard Olsen: yes
Robin: Please perform the steps
Howard Olsen: [she sent me a link with a tutorial on how to connect to a wireless network] Why are you sending me information information about connecting to a wireless network. The problem is the KEYBOARD
Robin: I am sorry.
Robin: Sorry for miscommunication.
Robin: Below is the correct link.
Robin: [...]
Robin: Have a nice day.
Robin: Bye...
Howard Olsen: Where did you go?
Robin: Aorry
Robin: I am with you.
Robin: Please follow the above link.
Howard Olsen: [she sent me a link to a tutorial on how to update the drivers] Listen ... all the software has been updated. All the drivers have been updated and my PC and thousands of others have the same problem - the dock disconnects (Keyboard dock). It's a hardware issue not a software issue. Who do I need to speak with?
Robin: I do understand your concern.
Robin: Would you mind holding a few minutes while I gather the required information for your request?
Robin: Thanks for holding.
Robin: Did you purchase the keyboard dock separately?
Howard Olsen: No, this came as a complete unit - model number and serial number should tell you that
Robin: Thanks for the information.
Howard Olsen: Keyboard and tablet in same package
Robin: Okay, Is the unit under warranty?
Howard Olsen: I hope so it's 2 days old
Howard Olsen: Listen, this model was just released and the model number itself should tell you what came with the unit. Do you actually work for Samsung or just a 3rd party on their behalf?
Robin: Yes, I do work for Samsung.
Robin: I do understand your concern. I understand how frustrating this must be, I am a consumer myself.
Robin: I suggest you to take it to the store from where you purchased the unit.
Robin: Samsung is sorry for this,
Howard Olsen: I told you I bought it from AMAZON - an online retailer. I'll just send it back unless you have another suggestion?
Howard Olsen: What a waste of time this has been.
Robin: Sir, Let me explain.
Robin: Samsung is sorry about this.
Robin: As you purchased it from Amazon, you need to take it to them. They will troubleshoot the issue and as it is under warranty, they can replace it.
Robin: I understand your frustration.
Howard Olsen: And my frustration is this: You could have just said that half an hour ago instead of sending me useless links to Wireless Network troubleshooting info
Howard Olsen: Bye

Patrick Kelley (WI USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME) Do the updates before you pull your hair out, December 6, 2012

The reviews on this tablet--with the keyboard (as such I have) have been mixed. And I believe--from personal experience--it comes down to installing the updates. This includes the SW (samsung) and windows 8 ones. SW will install some critical windows 8 updates, but not necessarily all of them.

Updates are everything to your enjoyment (or torture) of this device. When I first got this and fired it up, I was ready to send it straight back. Like others have mentioned there were issues with the keyboard constantly disconnecting and the WiFi being flaky. But, once I did all the updates it "behaved."

Assuming you do the updates, and everything is working well for you for me, it earns the 4-star rating I have ultimately given it (without the updates, were are seriously talking 2--if I'm generous--because without the vital updates this tablet with the keyboard is all but useless). As a side note, I would deduct one more star for some of the shortcomings of windows 8, but that's not Samsung's fault or its hardware.

The only other area of disappointment for me was the cheap digitizer pen that is included. Honestly it looks and feels like something you get out of a gumball machine as a novelty prize. As a long-time user of Fujitsu tablet PCs and laptops, I do expect a bit more out of the digitizer pen, both in quality and functionality. But it serves it purpose (if you can manage to get it out of its silo/dock). An active digitizer is superior to capacitive tough in accuracy, especially if you want to take notes or work with graphics (such as PhotoShop).

[2012/12/07] Since I so critical of the digitizer pen, I thought it was fair to mention one other area I found the tablet to shine. That would be the speakers. Not only are they forward facing, unlike many others that are side or even rear mounted, they sound surprisingly good (for a tablet--still no bone rattling bass or anything =P).

[2012/12/09] Upon further review . . . The %$#@ keyboard is back to its old tricks, after having behaved after the initial updates. WTF? Consequently, I have dropped my rating from 4 to 3 stars--because quite honestly this is a poor product--the keyboard specifically. I believe the problem is the fact the only thing connecting the tablet to the keyboard is "contact points," meaning no interlocking plug to maintain a connection. So any gap, no matter how small between tablet and keyboard contact points . . . And it's happening now as frequently as when I first got it. I believe Samsung dropped the ball on this one (the keyboard).

The tablet itself is fantastic, and that I like. But I specifically wanted a tablet + keyboard combo that had capacitive touch and an active digitizer. Not many choices at the moment . . . I did go ahead and order the Asus tf810c--which I do have now--but until I get the accompanying keyboard (sold separately) for that, I will withhold review/comparison.

Bottom line. If you want just the Samsung tablet, go for it. Otherwise, I'd avoid the tablet + keyboard combo.

Nikornpon Prapaitrakul - See all my reviews Finally Tablet that Can Do Real Works!!!, December 6, 2012

Strengths:
- Full-size USB port || Video output || Long battery life || Intuitive desktop + tablet mode || build-in s-pen slot || Lots of room when work in portrait mode || Multi-tasking on tablet || MS OFFICE

Weaknesses:
- Typical Windows problems still persist (frozen, hanging, need to restart) || S-pen not response once wake up from sleep mode || Charging port is at the bottom

Summary:

Ultrabooks are still too big and inconvenient for casual use. Most tablets do not have full size USB and ability to do office works. Basically, I need something that light, has keyboard dock, full-size USB, stylus, good battery life, and, of course, MS Office friendly.

For years, I have been searching for such tablet that I can use both for light internet surfing / youtube / games while, at the same time, can provide real document work (MS Words, Excel, Powerpoint, Outlook, the whole shebang!!!). Samsung ATIV Smart PC gives me all that I need.

The tablet features a good size 11.6" screen. Some people may think the screen is too wide and awkwardly shaped, but personally I found it to be very useful when work in portrait mode. There is plenty of space up top for your web surfing and document editing while there is enough space at the bottom for on-screen keyboard since you might not always have the keyboard dock around. For me, using this setup and use s-pen as a mouse, I can go through daily tasks like email, document editing and chatting effortlessly. Having a keyboard dock is nice and all, but being able to work with just the tablet keep you thin and light on the go.

All the ports are all welcomed. To operate in Windows mode it is very tough to live without a full-size USB port to transfer data and micro HDMI video output for TV/monitor to do movies and presentations. It is rare to find both functions on the tablet. Full-size USB also give you access to LAN connection (with adaptor), mouse input, DVD writer, and almost all USB related devices you can imagine (it is a Windows machine obviously). For video output adaptor, it took me a while to get my hands on micro HDMI-to-VGA adaptor since most stores don't carry it so your best bet is order on-line. However, micro HDMI-to-HDMI adaptor should not be too hard to find in-store these days.

The most important feature (to me) is being able to use MS Office. There is no stranger here. You will experience a full-blown MS Office as you get on any Windows computer only you can do more with touch/stylus functions. Imagine if you can write your comments or corrections down into Words/Excel without typing or wasting paper. You could also write down on the slides presentation instantly during your speech just trying to make a bit more sense out of your modest presentation. This could become handy sometime, I'm sure. Besides, the s-pen works great on S-note and even better in One Note. Very smooth writing.

The Start button is missing on desktop mode, replacing by Windows button on the tablet/keyboard to access the start menu. It might take a bit to get used to, but once you do, it essentially the same old concept.

- Earlier Windows: Start button gives you several columns of programs and shortcuts
- Windows 8: Windows button gives you programs and shortcuts in tiles on tablet mode. You can arrange and group those programs and shortcuts as you please. And you can go back and forth from desktop to tablet mode fairly easy.

Some other things: The machine is great on battery life. I can go all day (mostly emails and document works) without reaching for power adapter. The startup time is fast, too, less than a minute and it's ready to go. In addition, for someone craving for more storage, the tablet will give you roughly 30GB out of the box.. Yes!.. 30 eventhough the whole thing has 64GB!! You can try to uninstall everything then selectively install your required programs back in, but it might cause you time, effort, and maybe tears to eventually ending up with a bit more storage space... Anyhow, I am no tablet PC expert so my easier solution is to go get a 64GB micro SD card and it instantly triples my storage space with no hassle. I use Sandisk 64GB class 10, in case you are wondering.

Well, nothing is perfect and this tablet is by all means no different.

What can I say... Windows is still Windows with good old Windows' problems. Long-time Windows user should be familiar with this. You might need to restart 2-3 times a day just when those strange things occur. Some problems that I have noticed so far are 1) S-pen doesn't response when tablet wake up from sleep mode; 2) Cannot detect some USB devices; 3) Random frozen, Windows style...; 4) Cannot connect back to keyboard dock (see below).

Actually, I just also got a keyboard dock to go with my tablet for a couple of weeks. Can't complain about extra USB ports and nice size keyboard. When connected as a netbook it tends to be top-heavy, but no real issue if you work on a flat surface. The only downside I have so far on the keyboard is from time to time when I disconnect the tablet from keyboard dock and re-connect it back on during use, the keyboard dock seems not to link back to the tablet or some functions are disabled. I need to restart to solve the problem (surprise?). Good thing that the tablet starts up fast... :)

Another thing that might be a bit annoying for some people is that the charging port is on the bottom of the tablet. When put the tablet on the stand, it might be a bit difficult to plug in the power adaptor. In my case I just slide the pocketbook underneath the stand to allow extra room for power adaptor. It works like a charm.

It may seem that the tablet still has flaws, but to me, the great far outweigh the bad and this tablet can serve me everywhere from home to office. If you have one, I think you will enjoy using it!!! Anyhow, hope you find this review useful. Thanks.

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War and Peace : Skeptical Finance : John Kenneth Galbraith :Talleyrand : Oscar Wilde : Otto Von Bismarck : Keynes : George Carlin : Skeptics : Propaganda  : SE quotes : Language Design and Programming Quotes : Random IT-related quotes :  Somerset Maugham : Marcus Aurelius : Kurt Vonnegut : Eric Hoffer : Winston Churchill : Napoleon Bonaparte : Ambrose Bierce :  Bernard Shaw : Mark Twain Quotes

Bulletin:

Vol 25, No.12 (December, 2013) Rational Fools vs. Efficient Crooks The efficient markets hypothesis : Political Skeptic Bulletin, 2013 : Unemployment Bulletin, 2010 :  Vol 23, No.10 (October, 2011) An observation about corporate security departments : Slightly Skeptical Euromaydan Chronicles, June 2014 : Greenspan legacy bulletin, 2008 : Vol 25, No.10 (October, 2013) Cryptolocker Trojan (Win32/Crilock.A) : Vol 25, No.08 (August, 2013) Cloud providers as intelligence collection hubs : Financial Humor Bulletin, 2010 : Inequality Bulletin, 2009 : Financial Humor Bulletin, 2008 : Copyleft Problems Bulletin, 2004 : Financial Humor Bulletin, 2011 : Energy Bulletin, 2010 : Malware Protection Bulletin, 2010 : Vol 26, No.1 (January, 2013) Object-Oriented Cult : Political Skeptic Bulletin, 2011 : Vol 23, No.11 (November, 2011) Softpanorama classification of sysadmin horror stories : Vol 25, No.05 (May, 2013) Corporate bullshit as a communication method  : Vol 25, No.06 (June, 2013) A Note on the Relationship of Brooks Law and Conway Law

History:

Fifty glorious years (1950-2000): the triumph of the US computer engineering : Donald Knuth : TAoCP and its Influence of Computer Science : Richard Stallman : Linus Torvalds  : Larry Wall  : John K. Ousterhout : CTSS : Multix OS Unix History : Unix shell history : VI editor : History of pipes concept : Solaris : MS DOS :  Programming Languages History : PL/1 : Simula 67 : C : History of GCC development :  Scripting Languages : Perl history   : OS History : Mail : DNS : SSH : CPU Instruction Sets : SPARC systems 1987-2006 : Norton Commander : Norton Utilities : Norton Ghost : Frontpage history : Malware Defense History : GNU Screen : OSS early history

Classic books:

The Peter Principle : Parkinson Law : 1984 : The Mythical Man-Month :  How to Solve It by George Polya : The Art of Computer Programming : The Elements of Programming Style : The Unix Hater’s Handbook : The Jargon file : The True Believer : Programming Pearls : The Good Soldier Svejk : The Power Elite

Most popular humor pages:

Manifest of the Softpanorama IT Slacker Society : Ten Commandments of the IT Slackers Society : Computer Humor Collection : BSD Logo Story : The Cuckoo's Egg : IT Slang : C++ Humor : ARE YOU A BBS ADDICT? : The Perl Purity Test : Object oriented programmers of all nations : Financial Humor : Financial Humor Bulletin, 2008 : Financial Humor Bulletin, 2010 : The Most Comprehensive Collection of Editor-related Humor : Programming Language Humor : Goldman Sachs related humor : Greenspan humor : C Humor : Scripting Humor : Real Programmers Humor : Web Humor : GPL-related Humor : OFM Humor : Politically Incorrect Humor : IDS Humor : "Linux Sucks" Humor : Russian Musical Humor : Best Russian Programmer Humor : Microsoft plans to buy Catholic Church : Richard Stallman Related Humor : Admin Humor : Perl-related Humor : Linus Torvalds Related humor : PseudoScience Related Humor : Networking Humor : Shell Humor : Financial Humor Bulletin, 2011 : Financial Humor Bulletin, 2012 : Financial Humor Bulletin, 2013 : Java Humor : Software Engineering Humor : Sun Solaris Related Humor : Education Humor : IBM Humor : Assembler-related Humor : VIM Humor : Computer Viruses Humor : Bright tomorrow is rescheduled to a day after tomorrow : Classic Computer Humor

The Last but not Least Technology is dominated by two types of people: those who understand what they do not manage and those who manage what they do not understand ~Archibald Putt. Ph.D

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Last modified: March, 12, 2019