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Category Archives: Hardware

Windows 8 – Why I chose to buy a Windows 8 based Acer Iconia Tab W700 tablet

05 Nov

First of all, for me it was obvious my type of use would require a Windows 8 tablet. An iPad, Android or Windows RT tablet would not meet my needs. For more information about differences, please read my previous post.

At the Microsoft Objectives 2012 event that was held at the 25th of October in Amsterdam, I was able to test numerous new devices from companies like Sony, Dell, HP, Lenovo, Fujitsu and Acer. This included all-in-ones, tablets, convertibles, ultraportables and notebooks. The approach/design choices of the companies differs greatly. To get a better idea of the different types and models and these differences, check out the Windows website.

Since I was looking for a Windows 8 tablet, I’ve tried many different ones intended either for consumers or companies/professionals. My favourite among all these tablets was the new Samsung Series 7 slate with a i5 processor and a S-pen for digital note taking/writing.

Since I saw all these great devices and Windows 8 would be released the day after, I went to multiple stores on launch day and ultimately came back home disappointed because there were no Windows 8 tablets in the stores yet.

Still I decided to order an Acer Iconia Tab W700 tablet (NT.L0EEH.002) because:

+Full Windows 8 version (not Windows RT).
+Good specs (i3 CPU, 4GB RAM, 64GB SSD, 11.6″ screen, 1920*1080 resolution).
+MicroSD Memory card slot.
+Dock and keyboard included.
+No other Windows 8 tablet with similar specs and peripherals comes even close to its price (599 euros at the time I bought it, but now it is 699 euros which could make other alternatives viable).
+Available relatively quickly (November 8th , November 23rd, November 28th).

There are however compromises as well:

-Not an i5 CPU.
-No GPS
-No built-in 3G (can use USB dongle though).
-No memory card slot (can use USB flashdrive / USB disk though).
-No digitizer in the screen / pen support.
-Keyboard is seperate (not a docking, and therefore also no additional battery).
-Previous experiences with Acer with regards to build quality and warranty leave much to desire.
-It is a bit unclear whether the tablet will have a 10.1″ or 11.6″ screen because of contradicting specs on different websites. I assumed it will be 10.1″ because of the price, but I hope I’m wrong 🙂

I chose to accept these compromises because it meets my needs and because I expect a lot of better and cheaper Windows 8 tablets in the near future (including AMD Hono CPU with better integrated graphics). By then I will probably get a new Windows 8 tablet and sell or repurpose this one.

Beware: It seems there are different models of the Acer Iconia Tab W700 in different regions around the world, so pricing and specs may differ. Once again, this article is regarding the NT.L0EEH.002 model.

[UPDATE 09-11-2012]

  • Apparently the Acer is expected to be available from November 23rd from Dixons instead of the previously advertised November 8th.
  • Screen will be 11.6 inch.

[UPDATE 24-11-2012]

  • New expected delivery is 28th of November 😦
  • Acoording to specs, there will be a MicroSD memory card.
 
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Posted by on November 5, 2012 in Hardware, ICT, Microsoft, Tablet, Windows, Windows 8

 

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Windows 8 tablet considerations including Windows RT and Windows 8 comparison

23 Oct

[Update 14-12-2013]

It’s been more than a year since my initial post, so here are some updates from my point of view:

  • Tablets and ultrabooks are coming closer together due to all the available form factors. Tablet, clam shell, slider, convertible, dockable / detachable, etc. This provides more choice, but makes it also harder for people to choose the device that is most appropriate for them.
  • Cheaper Windows 8.1 based tablets (based on the new Intel Atom processors) have become available that make it a more viable alternative to Android and iOS based tablets.
  • Windows tablets based on AMD processors seemed interesting to me last year because of their added graphical power, but they didn’t seem to get any traction up until now.
  • High end Windows based tablets (Intel Core i5/i7 based) are still relatively expensive.
  • Many companies that previously produced Windows RT tablets, stopped making them (Asus, Samsung, HP, Lenovo, HTC. The only companies that are still producting Windows RT tablets are Microsoft, Nokia (largely backed by Microsoft) and Dell.
  • Rumours are floating around that Microsoft will be reducing the number of Windows versions and in my opinion it would make sense to get rid of Windows RT.
  • The new and improved Intel Atom (quad core processors) are making ARM based Windows RT devices even less interesting because they provide better performance and use less energy than the previous versions while allowing people to run x86 programs.
  • Windows tablets have become available in smaller sizes (8 inch) and Windows 8.1 and Windows RT 8.1 have updated to better work with this.
  • Windows 8.1 and Windows RT 8.1 have been released and many minor adjustments made it more tablet optimized.
  • Most major apps have been released as a “Metro”/Modern app for Windows 8 / Windows RT, but it’s still lagging behind Google’s Play Store and the Apple App Store.
  • The graphical performance included in processors is increasing, reducing the need for seperate GPUs for generic use and bringing more options for apps.
  • Google Android based tablets are still going strong and provide a lot of bang for buck. Also the Android OS is still getting many useful updates. Security and OS version sprawl is still an issue though, especially in the enterprise. Also there’s a big gap in user experience because there are still very cheap tablets with lots of disadvantages, while the normal and high end models are very good in general.
  • The Apple iPad (hardware) and operating system (iOS) received updates and they’re still doing very well what they’ve always done while providing great stability and improving battery time and performance. To me however it’s more of the same without much added value over previous versions. I’m curious to see if, how and when Apple will make their devices more popular for people that want to be able to do more. Maybe some kind power tablet running OS X with touch and iOS options ?

If you have something to add or if you think something that’s incorrect, please leave a comment.

[Update 14-12-2013]

Since I’m seriously considering buying a Windows based tablet, I’ve been very closely following all developments. Even though a lot of information has become available, it’s often spread across many different websites and articles and is often incomplete in my opinion. Since the Microsoft Surface RT tablet is available for pre-order and will be sold when Windows 8 will be available on the 26th of October I decided to write this article.And even though a lot of people have complained about this on various sites, most sites don’t have one article that covers all the things to look out for. In this post I try to do just that. One of the most useful resources I’ve used are the articles from Paul Thurrott on his website supersite for windows.

Also it’s not just consumers that are having trouble understanding / explaining the differences between Windows RT and Windows 8 tablets though, Microsoft employees are also still being trained to properly handle questions.

In this post it’s important to realize that Microsoft Surface RT is not the same as Windows RT, Microsoft Surface RT is a tablet from Microsoft (hardware) that runs Windows RT (software). Microsoft Surface Pro is another tablet from Microsoft (hardware) that runs Windows 8 (software).

Read the rest of this entry »

 
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Posted by on October 23, 2012 in Hardware, ICT, Microsoft, Office, Office 2013, Tablet, Windows, Windows 8, Windows RT

 

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My RSS feeds for keeping up with ICT news/developments (Microsoft, VMware, Cloud and gadgets)

30 Sep

Currently, there are many technological advancements taking place every day. To keep up with them is already very hard. To make it a bit easier I use RSS feeds to quickly filter what I think might be of importance to me.

A list of the RSS feeds I currently use can be found here , but you can also download an XML export of my RSS feeds here for easy import to your preferred RSS reader (assuming it supports XML import). I also advise you to check Microsoft’s RSS feed index so you can customize it to your own needs.

I personally use Google Reader for my RSS feeds because then my RSS feeds will be accessible from everywhere as long as I have a browser and an internet connection. When you are often on the road without an active internet connection, a dedicated client with cached articles from the RSS feed might also come in handy.

PS: The Microsoft blog rss feed had many articles added daily and can be hard to keep up with, but you can pretty quickly weed out duplicate articles and articles in foreign languages.

I hope this has been helpful to you.

 
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Posted by on September 30, 2012 in Applications, Business Process, Cloud, Dell, Exchange Online, Hardware, ICT, Internet, Learning, Lync Online, Microsoft, Network, Office 365, Personal Development, Powershell, Private cloud, Public Cloud, Router, Sharepoint Online, System Center Configuration Manager 2012, Tools, Tutorials, Windows, Windows 2003, Windows 2012, Windows 8, Windows 8 Server, Wireless

 

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Good and cheap home wireless network solution

10 Sep

Over the last couple of years I’ve been using an Asus WL-500W wireless router to provide wireless access to our network. As a real tweaker I ofcourse replaced the default firmware with DD-WRT firmware and set the transmit power to maximum. This worked perfectly.

Lately however, my parents were experiencing some issues with wireless access from their phones and tablet. So the first thing I tried was to check if there might have been wireless networks on the same channel that were interfering. I checked this on my Windows laptop using Wi-Fi inspector and on the android phones and tablet using Wifi analyzer. Even though the number of wireless networks in the neighbourhood have increased substantially, here were no real indicators for issues. I did try optimizing and changing to a different wireless channel, but this also did not solve the issue. I think the increased transmit power might have taken its toll over the years.

Since I’m up-to-date regarding ICT developments, I know there is a new wireless standard 802.11ac under development and that recently a number of routers have been released based on the draft of this new wireless standard. The added value of these routers is mainly speed, but they are also very costly AND they require the client devices to be 802.11ac compatible as well (which they are not).

Instead I bought the TP-Link TL-WR1043ND plus three 8dBi anttenas (TL-ANT2408CL) because:

  • It is a good wireless router.
  • It can run custom firmware.
  • It is relatively cheap.
  • It has gigabit ethernet ports.
  • I do not need 5GHz (dual-band).
  • With the three 8dBi replaceable antennas, the range and signal strength will be unmatched in this price range.

The total cost of the router, 3 antennas and shipping was 65 euros at https://www.redcoon.nl. The wireless reception is perfect now and I recommend these products to everyone. Keep in mind however that wireless performance is very dependent on your environment and surroundings, so results may vary.

 
3 Comments

Posted by on September 10, 2012 in Hardware, ICT, Learning, Network, Router, Tools, Tutorials, Wireless

 

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