[GTALUG] cheap Windows tablets today

[D. Hugh Redelmeier]

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

| On Fri, Dec 09, 2016 at 12:42:13PM -0500, D. Hugh Redelmeier via talk wrote:> | 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)

| I'm looking to replace my broken Windows laptop, which I use to connect 
| and manage external devices, like cell phones, GPS, dash cam, etc.  I 
| can do that via Windows VirtualBox, but difficult to carry 50lb toweraround.

Perhaps this cheaper box would do the job:
<http://forums.redflagdeals.com/newegg-refurbished-hp-probook-6450b-laptop-14-display-intel-core-i3-2-4ghz-4gb-ram-160gb-hdd-135-2063294/>
OOPS: it just went out of stock and the price jumped.

| > - 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.

| Actually, the detachable keyboard is very useful as "case" and "stand",
| and all for free too!

Sorry, what I meant was that a detachable keyboard isn't really better 
than a permanently installed one.  The advantages (for a Windows or Linux 
user) are minor and the disadvantages are more significant.  In a computer 
with a detachable keyboard, the guts must be behind the display.  That 
means that the weight distribution is awkward.

| It's amazing that Microsoft is selling Raspberry Pi, tablets, and
| laptops at such cheap prices.

Yes, once or twice in a while.

I have found a few to be so remarkable that I post them here.

If you care about Windows, you should be aware that many of the PC's
are sold without non-Microsoft bloatware.  They are called "Signature
Edition".