[GTALUG] cheap Windows tablets today

[D. Hugh Redelmeier]

| From: William Park via talk <talk at gtalug.org>

| $119 one is already out of stock.

Wow.

| I'm eyeing HP x2 Detachable 10-p092ms Signature Edition 2 in 1 PC CAD 
| $279.00 because it has MS-Office mobile version included.-- 

My thoughts on this netbook (based on personal tastes):

- if you want a normal Linux distro, a tablet is rarely the right
  choice (Linux's fault)

- detachable keyboards are usually a compromise.  In particular, the 
  balance is usually wrong.  Since the payoff is so slight on Linux, I 
  don't think that detachable is a great choice.

- The screen is 10.1".  A 10.1" notebook is hard to find.  Too bad: it
  is a great size for portability.

- the screen resolution is only 1280 x 800.  I like more pixels but in
  a 10.1" screen, this is reasonable.

- The standard minimum screen resolution of a notebook these days is
  1366 x 768.  This screen has about 2.5% fewer pixels but in a
  more pleasing aspect ratio (unless you are viewing videos).

- the screen is IPS.  That's expected in a tablet but sadly that is
  really unusual (and good) in an inexpensive notebook

- no ethernet

- Wireless 802.11ac.  I think that means that it supports both 2.4GHz
  and 5GHz bands.  Useful and not that common in inexpensive devices.

- I don't know what "Office Mobile Apps" is.  Could it be a free for
  anyone download from the Microsoft App store?  I just looked and
  found "Word Mobile" and "Excel Mobile" as free (but contains in-app
  purchases).  The other likely bits are there too.

  Many devices bundle a free first year subscription to Office 365.

  I actually have an unused chit for Office 2013 (non-subscription)
  that I got with a $100 tablet a couple of years ago.  I should
  probably have sold it, perhaps for more than $100.  But I keep thinking
  that a need for Office might come up.  It hasn't so far.

If you are thinking of keeping Windows, I don't think that you will be
able to have a usable Linux.  Just too little "disk" space.

You could run the Ubuntu subsystem of Win10.  I have that installed on
a tablet but I haven't really found a use for it.  On a notebook, it
might be more useful.  But all my notebooks have native Linux
installations.