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whats up everybody?! i supposed to be getting money back from school from my pell grant and hopefully i will have enough to get me a new laptop or desktop. im a little confused on which one i should buy...which will be the better option and why?? hopefully i will get around $700
Laptop - more flexibilty.
PC - can't take it anywhere.
What do you want to do with it??
Gaming? buy a desktop
You want Ergonomic? buy a desktop
Acces your stuff everywere? buy a laptop
Overloaded pretty much said it had a laptop then realised it never left my desk so bought a desktop much cheaper than a laptop and no where near the spec. If you do get a desktop look into self building it, even today its much cheaper and not that scary for a first timer.
You just need to work out what you do with it.
yeah gaming == desktop
otherwise laptop even if one likes
a big screen and keyboard and mouse
it's easy to connect to the laptop when places at the work desk
is this a good deal for a pc?
http://cgi.ebay.com/HP-PAVILION-ELITE-M9417C-AMD-QUAD-CORE-PROCESSOR-9550_W0QQitemZ290346024672QQcmdZViewItemQQptZDesktop_PCs?hash=item4399f8bee0&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14
Depends on what your gonna do. If most of the time you are stationary, then a desktop is the way to go but if your always moving (not at home) then a laptop is the best choice.
+1 for laptop
well when im on the computer all i do is browse the net, save and edit pics and videos and burn cd's and dvd's. i was leaning towards getting a refurbed Hp DV7z for $579 but i realized that the warranty is only for three months so now im looking at the DV6z directly from HP....is that a better decision for less computer?
Both are good, but if you've got a WM device you can easily take a lot of docs and other files with you in place of a laptop. But if you need to do a lot of work/school realted things on the go, laptop is the best, if not get a PC.
Hi buddy
If money does not matter then I would go go for laptop.But it also depends on your use.I mean you want to put it on one particular place Or just buying for the game then go for desktop
i dont game at all
Desktop!!!!
Its more powerfull, less hot, much more customizable!!!
I have a desktop PC -- 13 tabs open in opera, WMP playing music, skype, utorent, and a pc game which is on pause + lots of more progs open!!! can a laptop, which costs below 1000$, do that? - NO!!!
if you want portability + power!!! get a laptop which costs about 3000$ or more!!! or get a Desktop and a Windows Mobile Device!!!
So not a gamer that can cut down cost alot $700 going to try and convert this to what in UK could purchase?
A cheap desktop ex catalogue, ex business p4.
A laptop portable net book Eeepc 701 4G "not easy to use when first purchased due to sceen size but soon get used to it"
Now you have best of both worlds a permanent set up "that you could upgrade RAM GPU etc" and a diddy laptop to take everywhere with you
Lap top!
Toshiba
Eee
Dell
as said earlier Desktop- for more power or Laptop- for more portability! Though newer higher-end laptops can almost match desktop power, they mostly cost alot more and you can get lower-end desktops real cheap nowadays aswel. But in the end, in my opinion, laptop would give more ease and satisfaction! You cld get a decent one in on your bugdet!
Do you live at one place most of the time? If yes, get a PC. If you move around a lot, get a laptop.
OR
Get a PC and a smarphone.
Do not get anything that is below laptop level - netbooks, smartbooks, tablets, umpcs, mids, etc. They all suck if you don't have a primary machine like a desktop or a laptop.
Cheers.
It depends on what you do.
Laptop is convinient and you can take it to anywhere. But if you always play games or watch movies you'd better get a desktop.
Laptops can do anything including being docked as a desktop!
galaxys said:
Laptops can do anything including being docked as a desktop!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
maybe, BUT a laptop which costs about 700$ CANT !!!
can it play crysis - NO
can it do some massive visualisation - NO
can it handle 20 pages opened in Opera browser + windows media player + a game running in background - NO
but of course there are possitive aspects of it like:
Can you sit with it, in a lap on our bed - YES
Can you sit with it in a bus stop, with a hope that someone wont gop-stop (steal ) it from you - YES
Today we’re looking at the AppRadio2 from Pioneer.
Original review with all appropriate links can be found by clicking here.
The AppRadio line is a huge step into the future for in-car audio. Pioneer was first out of the gate with a relatively affordable, practical, and highly functioning 7 inch capacitive touch screen car audio head unit. It's most unique feature and the reason you'll want to read through this review is because the AppRadio 2 can connect to and translate your smartphone's app capabilities into a one of a kind super device on your car's dashboard. You'll be able to use AppRadio optimized versions of some of your favorite apps to listen to music, navigate, find parking, communicate with friends and even check your car's diagnostics with the right accessories attached all on a crisp 7” touchscreen display.
Click here to see a video slideshow of the AppRadio2 in action.
Main advantage: Android and iProduct compatible (some smartphones require adapters iPhone5 and Android), crisp 7” WVGA touchscreen display with multitouch, built in amp (MOSFET 50 W x 4) 2 RCA preouts, subwoofer control, great modern hardware design with high quality materials used, can use your car's existing steering wheel controls, bluetooth audio for phone calls (mic included)
Main concern: no CD/DVD slot, no AUX in, no adjusting display angle, bit of a learning curve, no bluetooth audio for pandora or stored music.
Unique features: built in external GPS means you can turn off your phone's GPS to save battery while connected to AppRadio (turn on “enable mock locations” in your phone's settings)
While it will work with a number or phones, this device was tested exclusively with a Samsung Galaxy Note 2
Someone always has to be brave enough to be the first. Even if a product isn't completely ready for primetime, it's important to release something so that people can become familiar with a new concept. Apple really made their name by being the first extremely simple, yet powerful mp3 player and then smartphone. The early iPhone lacked a lot to be sure, but it did enough well that it changed mobile communication forever. Pioneer has shown that it has the guts that Apple had to start. They took a risk with the AppRadio and it's a great start that has great potential looking forward. Other car audio companies are clearly waiting and looking over Pioneer's shoulder concerning the AppRadio. They waited for Pioneer to make a success of the AppRadio concept and now we are starting to see some copycats emerge built off of ideas learned watching AppRadio. It might work for some of them too, but it's just not a very dignified way to do business and before I even start my real evaluation of the AppRadio 2, I give Pioneer my respect for being brave enough to release such an innovative step forward into uncharted waters.
The AppRadio 2 on it's own is a gorgeous head unit. It's so clean and simple and it's design foreshadows it's function. It floats on your dash as a huge crystal clear glass screen with an almost invisible bezel and a stainless steel “chin” at the bottom that holds the few physical buttons. Volume up/down, a home button, and a menu and back button specifically for Android phones. Pioneer didn't cut corners with materials used, this thing looks and feels like you'd want a piece of the future to look and feel. The AppRadio 2 is first and foremost a blank canvas. It's waiting to be painted with the graphics, sounds, and functionality of your smartphone whether it's an Android or Apple device. While it would be a near perfect product if Pioneer could trust us to control ourselves, we don't do that well unsupervised as drivers. If the AppRadio was a true 1 to 1 mirrored display of our smartphones, we could watch netflix movies and send text messages while driving 90 mph on the freeway. Now you and I might be sensible enough to not abuse the privilege, but plenty of 16 year olds that want to impress their friends in their first cars might not have that same restraint (and they might be driving on the same freeway as you) so try to understand the motivation behind a controlled experience. It's definitely a bit disappointing, but Pioneer offers a very filtered experience of your phone with the AppRadio 2 for now. While some apps can be just about everything they are on your phone, others won't work at all or will display images but not be able to be touch controlled.
Everything begins with a detailed warning to not operate the head unit while driving, fair enough. Commonly called a “nanny” or “nag” screen, a quick click of a button brings you into the AppRadio's main start screen. You'll be greeted by a large modern clock and day of the week indicator to start. Behind that is a wallpaper that can be changed through your smartphone app's menu setting. Below the clock, you'll find 5 icons (radio, iPod, apps, Pandora, and Phone) and with nothing connected to the device, 3 of them (iPod, apps, Pandora) will be grayed out by default. By itself, the AppRadio is simply an FM/AM radio and a speakerphone for hands-free bluetooth calling and that's about it. Connect an iPod and you can play your music, connect a phone through the appropriate cable and you can listen to Pandora or go into AppRadio mode where the real fun starts. A swipe to the right will bring up a second page of options, an expanded settings screen which actually offers a bit to look at. Next an “OFF” button that puts the device in a standby mode that amounts to a screensaver, full screen background and small clock. The last button is a display off button that will let the screen go black if you find a time you need the darkness.
Again, AppRadio2 will work with many different makes and models of smartphone, but it was clearly designed with the iPhone 4/4S in mind. You'll find a very intuitive and polished experience with that phone. Connect the included cable and go. While it can technically be made to work using the iPhone 5 and Android phones, you won't find anywhere near the same out of the box functionality. Whichever phone you use, you'll need to go to your appropriate app store first, Google or Apple, and download at least two apps to get started. The main AppRadio app that is the basis for your phone's connection, and the CarKeyboard app that will also need to be enabled for touchscreen keyboard use while using the AppRadio. The unit looks for these apps and will not function fully without them. Aside from helping your phone communicate with your AppRadio 2, the AppRadio app scans you're already installed programs and tells you which will work with appradio. The apps are the easiest part of getting started with the AppRadio 2 on Android. The part that gets a bit tricky is finding the correct adapter.
If you own one of the Galaxy line of smartphones then you know that Samsung has elected for a single micro USB input on most of their phones. The same port charges and syncs but what if you'd like to output HD video from your powerful phone? MHL, or Mobile High-Definition Link is the answer. MHL allows you to connect a micro USB cord to your phone which is attached to an adapter that turns the signal into an HDMI output that supports up to 1080p HD video and 7.1 surround audio while also charging your device. As simple as they are to use, MHL adapters aren't simple to choose. First and foremost you need to know if you need a 5pin or an 11pin adapter. The Galaxy S3, S4 and Note 2 need 11pin and older galaxy phones need a 5 pin. After that you need to know how much power your phone draws while charging. The MHL adapter needs to be connected to a power source to be able to charge your phone while it converts the video signal. The Galaxy Note 2 draws a very thirsty 2.1 amps of power which is the same as the iPad and most other tablets. The included iPod cable can be disconnected and reveals a full sized female USB port. That USB port outputs 1A charging that is enough for most smartphones including the iPhone. While it will work with some phones, unfortunately it's not enough to keep up with the Note 2. If you were to use a normal 1A car charger (or the AppRadio's included USB charging cable) with this setup everything would still work, but you wouldn't be able to charge your phone. In fact, it would drain battery because of all the work that it's doing. For the Galaxy Note 2 you'll need the following:
-an 11pin MHL adapter
-a microUSB charging cable
-a 2.1A car adapter
-an HDMI cable
These items are easy enough to get, but you need to know what specific pieces you'll need for the best outcome. For the MHL adapter, an abundance of counterfeits have flooded some of the big ecommerce sites, this automatically rules out Amazon and eBay unfortunately. Some copies are identical on the outside and plain garbage on the inside. They will make your setup charge inconsistently or not at all and make your picture signal choppy when connected to the AppRadio 2. Smartphone forums are littered with frustrated people that tried to save a buck on a cheap adapter, you'll see them blaming the head unit but trust me here, there is only one real way to do this. I like a deal as much as anyone, but unfortunately this is a case where you'll need to go to the manufacturer and pay retail. Luckily Samsung is always offering large discounts on it's own accessories up to even 50% off in some promotions. A quick Google search will show you the current deals available. Now that you've collected all of the pieces, you'll need to connect them and get started.
click here to read PART TWO which includes pricing, links to purchase, and optional accessories
It won't run Google navigation? This seems like a $500 extra screen, much like a smart watch or that contraption the adds an lcd to the back of your phone. Why not just use your phone?
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I317 using Tapatalk 4 Beta
LittleRedDot said:
It won't run Google navigation? This seems like a $500 extra screen, much like a smart watch or that contraption the adds an lcd to the back of your phone. Why not just use your phone?
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I317 using Tapatalk 4 Beta
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
An app called AR liberator made by a brilliant dev who is currently recovering from illness (get well Kyle) makes this one of the most useful pieces of tech I've ever played with.
I don't know if you took the time to read through the whole review or not but at the end there is an "EXTRA TIP" section that hints towards this.
snapz54 said:
An app called AR liberator made by a brilliant dev who is currently recovering from illness (get well Kyle) makes this one of the most useful pieces of tech I've ever played with.
I don't know if you took the time to read through the whole review or not but at the end there is an "EXTRA TIP" section that hints towards this.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The appradio + ar liberator is the best tech you can put in your car my friends has it so awesome.
Sent from my SCH-I605 using xda premium
Lots about going Glass to PC but what about the other way around? Like TeamViewer etc?
Don't need input, just streaming display.
Thoughts ?
jewnersey said:
Lots about going Glass to PC but what about the other way around? Like TeamViewer etc?
Don't need input, just streaming display.
Thoughts ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think; glass processing power, glass data streaming, and glass battery life while data streaming are the limiting factors. These may change with updated hardware.
However, small screen size, and the lag that comes with all RDP streaming would also make it impractical.
Lastly I don't see how it would be that useful (I'd love to hear what you have in mind though) and I still haven't addressed the other problem, which is is it sounds like a lot of work to code.
I'm doing my PhD (psychology) and will be using Glass throughout. Essentially, I need a computer to 'talk' to glass in real time and have a series of computer streams be available to the Glass wearer, either by swipeable cards, or some type of quad view layout. I was hoping that a direct video stream would be simpler than writing full software (especially since I've only just begun to learn java).
Battery can be dealt with (external battery pack).
Data over WiFi should be good enough.
I found this
https://developers.google.com/glass/develop/mirror/static-cards?hl=en#attaching_video
But we run into programming limitations at the moment.
And I saw someone had made an app that streamed from a Go PRO camera via a URL , with camera connected to PC, but I think updates have killed that option, for now. I have tried to sidleoad several VNC client apps but I can't access any of the fields to fill in server information.
t
jewnersey said:
I'm doing my PhD (psychology) and will be using Glass throughout. Essentially, I need a computer to 'talk' to glass in real time and have a series of computer streams be available to the Glass wearer, either by swipeable cards, or some type of quad view layout. I was hoping that a direct video stream would be simpler than writing full software (especially since I've only just begun to learn java).
Battery can be dealt with (external battery pack).
Data over WiFi should be good enough.
I found this
https://developers.google.com/glass/develop/mirror/static-cards?hl=en#attaching_video
But we run into programming limitations at the moment.
And I saw someone had made an app that streamed from a Go PRO camera via a URL , with camera connected to PC, but I think updates have killed that option, for now. I have tried to sidleoad several VNC client apps but I can't access any of the fields to fill in server information.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think it is definitely possible with cards but I don't think streaming is. I have a GoPro hero 3 black edition and it is capable of streaming because it creates its own WiFi hotspot that a phone can connect to and stream from although it gets very hot while doing it and reduces battery quickly.
I think the cards option would work best, what type of data are you going to be displaying? Lastly I think once the newer model comes out with more RAM, a better processor, and a better battery that it will be much more possible to stream a live feed from the computer. It is definitely possible in terms of software, its just a matter of how difficult. I'm not sure if the current Glass software is going to be able to do the trick. But since glass is really an android phone you might be able to talk to th developer of an already-existing android phone app that streams from a computer (there are lots of them). They might give you a general idea of how to code for it.
I did look at the link but I know very little about Java (although that will change soon) and I only know some C++ so sadly I can't help you with the actual code.
Hi, but any one know a detailed Teclast X98 Air 3G Windows 8.1 & Android 4.4 Tablet Review, for i am extremely to buy this new tablet, but i need a better knowledge first.
Annie Y said:
Hi, but any one know a detailed Teclast X98 Air 3G Windows 8.1 & Android 4.4 Tablet Review, for i am extremely to buy this new tablet, but i need a better knowledge first.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hello!
I guess you already checked this thread:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/and...8-air-3g-tablet-9-7-2048x1536-t2913035/page43
There you can see thousands of opinions, and better, how to install real dual boot meaning Android and Windows of your choice when you switch on the tablet. I have installed dual boot and it is awesome (although still a lot of doubts).
BR
Hi, I was wondering if there's anyway to install windows without a USB hub?
[REVIEW] Teclast X98 Air 3G dual boot
Here you are my personal review after using
Almost four years have already run since I bought my first tablet up to the date, I've been using it quite a lot, upgrading to the different Android versions and of course trying all possible custom ROMs that I found interesting.
But after this years, not only the OS, also the specs have changed in a interesting way, of course making all the devices much more powerfull. And my old Acer Iconia A500 was asking me for a replacement more capable of following nowadays rythm.
So I started looking, comparing,... and of course talking. We all know that iPads and Samsung tablets are a safe option, but you are really paying for them, sometimes more than enough.
And by the other hand, I have the chance of knowing from first hand sellers (like Etotalk with whom I talk often via Skype) that can share their experience with me.
In the past years I have tried (quite) a few different smartphones and other gadgets, in a way that I have realized that, Chinese doesn't mean bad quality, it just mean “double check before buying”. So that I have found some awful products not working at all, and I have found really good quality devices. For some of which I have already done reviews sharing my good impressions (and the points of improvement!).
Having said that, I was recommended to take the Teclast X98 Air 3G, which brings something that I found really really attractive: dual boot.
I already know (tablets, tv box and smartphones) how Android does on the mobile market but, Windows?
I have used quite a lot Windows Phone 8 on Lumia smartphones, I saw real improvements with the first updates, and they are very nice to use mobiles BUT with a lot of limitations on tasks that I can do on daily basis with iPhone or Android. It's true that the ecosystem of applications is growing but sometimes not fast enough or (mainly) not with the quality you are expecting. With huge differences between Microsoft or Nokia applications or 3rd party apps. Still a lot of work to do, hopefully solved (at least partially) with the arrival of Windows 10.
Having said that... Yes! I took it that tablet with a lot of expectations and first one met was that it was at home only 3 days after ordering it
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Packaging and design
Very nicely packaged, with a “potato-plastic” bag covering the tablet, then in a second layer we find, a plastic protector for the screen, , the USB cable, an OTG USB cable, warranty card, anti-radiations sticker (yes first time I see it) and the charger (US plug) which is of 2.5A!! simply amazing, but we need to have into consideration the size of this battery (I’ll come back later).
I must mention here that everything is on Chinese. I don’t consider it a real issue because being honest, normally nobody reads the papers, we all know that once any device arrives first thing we do is booting it. And probably charge it.
I leave you this video I recorded for the unboxing (for the moment in Spanish I’ll translate it soon).
Maybe after this video, there is not much to say about the design, but I'm doing a review so... let's start with the front clean and simple view. Nothing but the big screen occupying almost the full surface and the tiny 2Mpx on the top. As said, very clean design (reminds me an iPad) but sincerely many times when using I'm missing some button.
On the left side we have both, the power/lock button and the volume up/down one, on the same just at the bottom, the slots for microSD card (up to 64GB) and the SIM card.
Moving to the bottom side of the tablet, we will find the plugs for micro USB cable, jack 3.5 and micro HDMI. Which leaves us the right and the top sides completely free of buttons or slots.
Turning the tablet, on the rear part, we have the main 5Mpx camera on the top and two speakers on the bottom. On the middle just “Intel inside” logo. Below that “X98” mark and again a lot of Chinese stuff.
Hardware and specifications
As I said on the beginning, the hardware has evolved quite a lot on the last years. I would point that one of the main surprises of this device is that it brings an Intel Atom processor (not very common on mobile devices), but take a look to the rest, it’s not bad at all:
Brand / Model Teclast X98 Air 3G(Dual OS)
OS Dual boot: Android 4.4.4 Kitkat / Windows 8.1
CPU Intel Atom Z3736F Quad Core 2.16GHz
GPU Intel HD Graphic
RAM 2GB
ROM 64GB
Extend card MAX supports 64GB Class 10 Micro SD Memory Card (TF-Card)
Screen 9.7 inches QXGA with a resolution of 2048x1536; IPS-LCD, Multi-Touch Capacitive technology; 16 Million Colors
Languages Czech, Dansk, German, English, Spanish, Russian, French, Italian, Dutch, Norwegian, Polski, Greek, Portuguese, Svenska, Turkey, Korean, Japanese, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese
Color Front White Back Silver
Dimensions 240 x 169 x 7.4 mm
Net Weight 498g with battery
Camera Front Camera 2.0 mega pixel / Rear Camera 5.0 mega pixel / Auto Focus
Connectivity Built-in Wifi IEEE 802.11b/g/n 11Mbps to 54Mbps / Built-in 3G WCDMA Module / Built-in HDMI Out Port / Phone Calls / OTG
Sensors GPS, Bluetooth 4.0, Gravity Sensor
Battery Built-in Lithium Battery: 8500mAh
Screen
The Teclast X98 Air 3G is equipped with a 9.7 inches IPS screen with a very good resolution of 2048x1536.
Once we remove the sticker that comes with the tablet covering the screen, we quickly realize about the quality of this screen, the image and colors are greatly appreciated, and the angles of vision are very wide, no need to be just in front of.
The bright levels are very good, allowing to select very low bright or very high bright, however I'm missing here the option of automatic bright. Normally it comes with every smartphone, and even my old tablet has it. Here I have to select manually the level I want and it doesn't adapt to new conditions, so a point to improve here.
This tablet includes the Intel HD Graphics chipset, what I would say makes more complicated to compare with other devices where we know more about their GPU capabilities (i.e. the common Mali GPUs).
Up to now I have had no issues playing games or with HD videos, so I would say that this chipset makes its job.
Inside the settings, we see a new line for enabling Intel video improvements, but there no further description, so I just enabled it hoping to get the most of my tablet. As I told before the quality of image and watching videos (online/offline) is very good at every moment.
Software and multimedia
This is probably one of the main strengths of the Teclast X98 Air 3G. There are not many tablets allowing dual boot in such an easy way. As said a few times already, it comes with an Intel CPU, which means it can run Windows (not only Android as most of tablets) and... leave open the door to Linux, since... it's an Intel CPU!
I have read many questions about this model and how to use the dual boot function. In my case it's very easy (maybe as part of the customization by Etotalk) since every time I boot it, it asks me which system I want to use.
By default it remembers the last one I used and will boot it after 10 seconds, but I repeat, I don't need to change anything or enable whatever to access that dual boot screen every time.
Once again, this menu is in Chinese, so... I luckily there is only one button on that screen and it's for “OK”, they should have translated some more things to English at least.
Going into both OS:
Android works very well, smoothly as on any new device and (good point) with a few applications already pre-installed (mainly thinking on GooglePlay which give us access to all the market).
I sincerely don't like the default launcher, not allowing me to use widgets or having on the desktops only the apps I want and leaving all the rest for the menu. So one of first things I did was installing another launcher. I tried some free ones from Play, all work well so I just left the one I liked more by its design.
I have tried many applications and some games and no one single error or incompatibility message. Kodi, WPS, Maps, Asphalt 8, MX Player, VLC,...
Talking about connectivity, no surprises here. The WiFi connects very fast and I didn't suffer any unexpected disconnection. It's equipped with Bluetooth 4.0, which recognises, pairs and transmit fast enough, I tried with Digicare DO headphones and the quality of sound was excellent.
I know everybody will be expecting now the comments about the 3G WCDMA that brings the attention to this concrete model. And I must confess... also to myself. So I inserted the SIM (normal size) on the slot that can be found on the side and it didn't do anything... my mistake Plane Mode enabled
Now yes. SIM card detected, searching for networks... different ones available. I left itself do the choice and suddenly I received the provider's SMS with the config and tariffs information. Good job Teclast!
I couldn't resist then, I call to that number from my mobile... and I could answer the call! It's true with almost 10” is not a comfortable gadget to talk, but sincerely. I appreciate the option, we can always use a BT hands-free, and it allows us to send SMS, use whatsapp on a tablet, etc. very useful!
Finally the OTG function using the included cable was better than I though, very fast transference of files.
Time to shift to Windows. Once started I see more chinese menus and words that I found on Android's first boot. After going to the control panel and changing language and regional settings almost everything is now on English (because I choose that language) although there still some (isolated) words on Chinese.
After some days using, I've found that some of the applications were installed from the Chinese Store, so by removing them and installing again they are in the correct language
It's an improvement, but In settings for example the words “bluetooth” and “3G network” still appear in mandarin.
In the past years I have been using mainly Linux on the laptop and iOS or Android on mobile devices (except for that period using WindowsPhone). So I was completely new to Windows 8.1
It's maybe a little early to say it but, this tablet has made me love Windows 8.1. I feel I have a full computer on my hands, being able to execute programs, not only mobile applications. And Office 365 is included for one year!! with 1TB of OneDrive storage. This alone already made more than one third of the cost of this tablet.
I have told a few times lately: I like the route Microsoft is taking in the last times but... once more I'm delighted on how well their services work altogether.
Where's then the “but”? Of course there is. Again, need to improve the ecosystem of mobile applications, however it's not a problem on this device since you can run real programs planned for the desktop version.
I'm not still an expert on this Windows. I must confess that I'm still booting Android for many things, but each time I use this Windows I enjoy simply exploring new options or features of the system, playing with apps I found and trying different stuff...
For the connectivity, same impression, all works more than properly, fast WiFi, good BT, 3G networks at good speed too. No complains at all. Like in Android, the OTG function works very fast.
Camera
I'll start saying that on every (or almost every tablet) I've tried/used the cameras are quite deceiving (probably except for the iPads) despite the number of megapixels announced.
What happens here? Exactly the same, both cameras offer I would say a poor quality when taking pictures, a little bit better for videos. And we don't flash for the main one.
Is that all? For sure not! I didn't know where to handle this subject, so at the end I left for this section. Skype works amazing! Connects fast, great video quality, fluid in both ways and the sound higher than in many smartphones or tablets.
I was surprised with the quality of the video-conference, after trying the camera app... but I don't know, maybe is the way Skype handles the image, the result was very very good.
Maybe the point is not as much recording as playing or editing video, since both in Windows and in Android, we have a full set of apps for editing our videos. Some of them are included, the rest can be downloaded for free from each Store.
Autonomy and battery
Maybe you passed the specifications table from the beginning quite fast but... did you realize this Teclast X98 Air 3G has a 8500 mAh battery? Yes, it's huge!
It means that it will allow us to use it for longer and, when it's time to charge it, the charger included being 2.5A helps a lot on this task, it will take around 3 hours for a full charge, so quite similar to the time a smartphone will take to charge.
Since it uses a standard micro USB for charging (thanks god!), we can use the same charger and cable than for our smartphone. BUT, normally those chargers give an output power of 1A, so the charging time can be infinite. So better use the provided one.
Conclusions
No doubts we are facing a very very good product. It's not the cheap tablet that we can buy with coupons on the supermarket or with the newspaper. It's a powerful device that can offer us a lot.
The remarkable points (already mentioned most of them): dual boot which allows us to have the freedom of Android for playing and multimedia, but also the professionalism of Windows for working with Office or executing other software; simple and clean design with an excellent Retina Display; microSD expansion and 3G slots for improving storage and connectivity capabilities; fast quad-core Intel Atom CPU and Intel GPU,... and all that standing below 500 grams.
For the points that need improvement, I have already mentioned them a few times, and I will summarize them on: automatic brightness (I don't understand why it's not available) and please, less Chinese content on the package and on the tablet menus.
The price seems very correct for me. Specially when it includes VIP shipment with a trusted company like DHL, it's an extra since I have ordered a few times already to China and if you take the standard one, you can be waiting for one month.
If you liked the review, I would appreciate that you click on "Thanks!"
Great review ordered mine a few days ago...can't wait for it to arrive...this tablet will replace my netbook and Samsung tab
via OnePlus One
Happy you liked!
Great review!
Got mine for almost a month now, loving both android and Windows on it.
It was a little searching but it's possible to get rid of all Chinese test just by making sure (on windows) to set ALL region settings and user accounts to the language you want.
Bluetooth and 3g will also be translated that way.
Only thing that is still in Chinese is the dualboot selector, but I've seen on YouTube this can also be in English, don't know how though.
Good luck with your teclast, it is indeed a fun device!
Aaaaaaaand it's dead...
Tried flashing a new bios, no errors but upon restart: nothing...
It was fun while it lasted hahaha, waiting for the programming tool now...
..
Hi everyone,
I am looking for a standalone watch : my issue is that I do not want to use internet access/google account on the phone, and since the Android Wear App needs them, I would like a watch that could be set up without the help of a smartphone.
Does the watch urbane 2 meet these criteria ?
If not, is there any watch that does ?
I have tried with the Zeblaze Blitz, which runs full android 5.1, but the problem is that i can not access the heart rate sensor on it which is my second requirement.
Thanks a lot !
Lsvdr said:
Hi everyone,
I am looking for a standalone watch : my issue is that I do not want to use internet access/google account on the phone, and since the Android Wear App needs them, I would like a watch that could be set up without the help of a smartphone.
Does the watch urbane 2 meet these criteria ?
If not, is there any watch that does ?
I have tried with the Zeblaze Blitz, which runs full android 5.1, but the problem is that i can not access the heart rate sensor on it which is my second requirement.
Thanks a lot !
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No the UB2 does not really do what you ask.
I have the UB2 and d/l the DP of AW2 to see "the future". It is a little more standalone but not fully standalone. You must use the phone/tablet Android Wear app to setup the AW device (UB2) and then copy the Google account to the AW2 (UB2) and then you get on the AW2 some degree of local standalone. It is early days, for example Google Hangouts seems to need the phone/tablet it is tethered to do function Hangouts on AW2.
Having said that, you can put distance between the phone/tablet and the UB2 as it does Wifi and LTE so the tethered functions will reach back to the phone/tablet.
In my experimentation, I could use a (paid for) local Browser app, local gmail and Office365 email client, and there is a surprisingly useful keyboard capability to reply not via voice.
Your dominating biggest problem is that the batteries are tiny in smartwatches, often 1/6th of a phone, so if you are using LTE it will drain significantly, if you are keeping the screen bright by engaging it will drain significantly. If you use GPS or the heartrate it drains.
So I'd say, set your expectations lower, to something like you're mostly with your phone and for brief times you put distance from your phone, a perfect example is a run or a swim, a short bike ride. It should get Android Pay so it should handle the quick trip to an AP compatible shop.
In my experience, the UB2 lasts about 4 hours when distant from phone, when near the phone >24 hours. Reading user feedback these vary a little by user but its that order of magnitude.
The UB2 also has a rather feeble battery connector unique charger cable and charges slowly, coming from a Sony SmartWatch3 which uses a generic USB cable and charges quickly, so if you did try to go long time standalone and carry the cable and battery, you'd need to be stationary so the cable is not jostled and plug it in every few hours for an hour or so.