Does anyone use a Windows 8 tablet?
Discussion
I've noticed an Acer Iconia W3 tablet running Windows 8 can be had for just over £100 (refurbished).
I'm getting fed up with the highly limited abilities of my Kindle Fire, but Android seems to be going the same way as Apple lately in limiting what control you have over the device (app permissions, SD Card access etc). And I definitely won't entertain any kind of Apple device!
So, are the Win 8 tabs any good? Do they run "desktop" apps as well as the Metro ones? Are the apps riddled with intrusive ads? And is browsing the web a better experience than the flakey, slow rubbish that Androids seem to offer?
...It comes to something when I start to see Microsoft as the lesser of the evils!
I'm getting fed up with the highly limited abilities of my Kindle Fire, but Android seems to be going the same way as Apple lately in limiting what control you have over the device (app permissions, SD Card access etc). And I definitely won't entertain any kind of Apple device!
So, are the Win 8 tabs any good? Do they run "desktop" apps as well as the Metro ones? Are the apps riddled with intrusive ads? And is browsing the web a better experience than the flakey, slow rubbish that Androids seem to offer?
...It comes to something when I start to see Microsoft as the lesser of the evils!
The Office aspect definitely appeals. Am I right in believing that, with a Bluetooth keyboard and mouse, you can use these things like a basic desktop PC?
Although I'll freely admit to being anti-Apple, I'm not anti-Android (yet) - just finding that the user experience isn't all I'd like (as well as the admittedly oddball Kindle I have an Xperia SP smartphone - lovely hardware, but deeply buggy web browsing whether I use Chrome, Dolphin, Opera...) and so investigating the alternatives. In all honesty I'd be happier if everything ran on Windows 98
Although I'll freely admit to being anti-Apple, I'm not anti-Android (yet) - just finding that the user experience isn't all I'd like (as well as the admittedly oddball Kindle I have an Xperia SP smartphone - lovely hardware, but deeply buggy web browsing whether I use Chrome, Dolphin, Opera...) and so investigating the alternatives. In all honesty I'd be happier if everything ran on Windows 98
Edited by Jonny_ on Sunday 20th July 20:27
I've had the Iconia a few days now, so here's my initial impressions...
I made the mistake of performing a system reset; being a refurb I wanted to make sure there was no malware lurking. The Acer recovery DVD is crap, it seems to have an inherent flaw which prevents it installing all the drivers as it should, and Acer support is equally crap - they want to charge me fifty quid for the newer version of the DVD, or £55 just to send the device in for them to look at! Needless to say I declined.
After much faffing about installing drivers, updates, and the all-important Windows 8.1 upgrade, I finally got to use it!
Firstly, as the reviews suggested, the screen isn't a patch on my Kindle Fire's. Nor is the sound. The camera works but the image quality is dire. All as expected, and can't complain for £140! Some places still advertise this 32Gb model for £280
However... Windows 8 and the Metro interface suddenly make a LOT more sense now I'm using it on a touchscreen device. It's pretty slick to use, generally more responsive than the Kindle, and the keyboard is far easier to type on. Chrome browser is a lot nicer to use, too. No more crappy "mobile" websites, Javascript works normally, even Flash works! Having Office included means I can do actual work on it too. And the ability to go to the desktop and manipulate files and folders in Windows knocks spots off the flaky third-party file managers we have to use in Android.
As long as I never ever have to reinstall Windows on it again, I'm pretty pleased with it. It feels more grown-up than the Androids, and as it's effectively a PC (complete with full USB support, ability to use external hard drives/DVD drives/USB sticks etc) it's infinitely more use to me than an iPad.
I made the mistake of performing a system reset; being a refurb I wanted to make sure there was no malware lurking. The Acer recovery DVD is crap, it seems to have an inherent flaw which prevents it installing all the drivers as it should, and Acer support is equally crap - they want to charge me fifty quid for the newer version of the DVD, or £55 just to send the device in for them to look at! Needless to say I declined.
After much faffing about installing drivers, updates, and the all-important Windows 8.1 upgrade, I finally got to use it!
Firstly, as the reviews suggested, the screen isn't a patch on my Kindle Fire's. Nor is the sound. The camera works but the image quality is dire. All as expected, and can't complain for £140! Some places still advertise this 32Gb model for £280
However... Windows 8 and the Metro interface suddenly make a LOT more sense now I'm using it on a touchscreen device. It's pretty slick to use, generally more responsive than the Kindle, and the keyboard is far easier to type on. Chrome browser is a lot nicer to use, too. No more crappy "mobile" websites, Javascript works normally, even Flash works! Having Office included means I can do actual work on it too. And the ability to go to the desktop and manipulate files and folders in Windows knocks spots off the flaky third-party file managers we have to use in Android.
As long as I never ever have to reinstall Windows on it again, I'm pretty pleased with it. It feels more grown-up than the Androids, and as it's effectively a PC (complete with full USB support, ability to use external hard drives/DVD drives/USB sticks etc) it's infinitely more use to me than an iPad.
Edited by Jonny_ on Wednesday 23 July 19:41
wolves_wanderer said:
Mirrors my opinions to a large extent. I would have a read up on the new system recovery options in Windows 8, the process is much simplified and improved from previous versions, makes the old fashioned re-installation a thing of the past IME.
I've ordered a cheap USB stick specifically for use as a recovery drive, so that I hopefully never have to mess about with the Acer disc again! Multitasking,!
I hadn't realised just how crap Androids and is
te are at this!
On the bargain Acer I can listen to music on Youtube while perusing t'interweb, or using Excel, etc. Just like a real computer!
Oh, and it'll run an ancient Spectrum emulator which was designed for Windows 95 by the look of it, and run it in a window so I can use the bottom half of the screen, in portrait orientation, for the keyboard. Brilliant
I hadn't realised just how crap Androids and is
te are at this!On the bargain Acer I can listen to music on Youtube while perusing t'interweb, or using Excel, etc. Just like a real computer!
Oh, and it'll run an ancient Spectrum emulator which was designed for Windows 95 by the look of it, and run it in a window so I can use the bottom half of the screen, in portrait orientation, for the keyboard. Brilliant
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