Windows 8 Tablets

[mshill]

Hi All

 

We are looking at rolling Windows 8 Tablets to classes over the summer and need to decide whether we do a mix with standard laptops or go full Tablets.

 

We are currently looking at the Acer w700 but without the bluetooth keyboards. Has anyone had any experience of using Windows 8 Tablets yet. Was not having a keyboard a limiting factor? or was the touchscreen keyboard fine?

 

We will alos be having two bookable computer suites for higher demand work.

 

What are peoples thought on this?

 

Thanks

[ICTDirect_Dave]

We suggest getting the keyboards as this will make taking notes far easier for the students. Not to mention making the tablets more ergonomic and just easier to use in general.

 

We can help you out with great pricing on the Acers and also help out with the IT suites if you like.

 

On a financial note however, it's far cheaper to go with laptop than to use win 8 tablets. So you might want to ditch the touchscreen option and look at getting a number of 13" or 15" laptops instead?

[Dragon]

I currently have an evaluation Samsung XE500T1C. It has the keyboard with it and I find its great having both options. Difference between this and a new laptop is around £100 more for a lower spec device but its smaller and easier for kids to carry around.

[BHMS]

Personally I went with the W510 for children and W700 for staff in my school. The W700 has just been replaced by the almost identical P3. It has a slightly lower 1600x900 res screen and a stylus holder on the case but should also be a little bit cheaper. The price difference between the W700 and a laptop with similar build quality is small considering it is single piece aluminium. You will want to use the included cases with them I imagine? The keyboard is securely glued into it so you aren't really going to have a huge amount of choice about that. The on-screen keyboard however is quite good and 11.6" gives you a decent size to type on compared to a real keyboard. Imaging them is a real obstacle but it is possible.

[Dos_Box]

Moving to Hardware forum.

[SYNACK]

Get the keyboards, I get the same rubbish from new iPad users all the time about how the screen kb is all you need etc. A month or so later they are all sporting Bluetooth keyboards if they have to enter more than a couple of sentences a day.

 

Agreed about the 500s but look at the Samsung ativ and hp envy x2, miles better build quality.

[mshill]

Have any of you had problems with maintainence of using bluetooth keyboards? I could imagine the battery going on keyboards could end up becoming a pain!

[SYNACK]

Have any of you had problems with maintainence of using bluetooth keyboards? I could imagine the battery going on keyboards could end up becoming a pain!

 

More batteries, more pain. Get dockable ones like the envy x2 , ativ or Acer w510 which all charge at the same time and have extra batteries to extend runtime in the keyboards, 14 - 16h of use is decent.

 

The iPad users are beyond help and will take ten times as long to do something just so as not to admit their iPad is a shiny toy for the most part intended almost solely for consumption.

Edited May 13, 2013 by SYNACK