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oldcpu's meandering thoughts on Computers, GNU/Linux and openSUSE
by , 04-Jun-2011 at 14:33 (7554 Views)
I took a small look on the Internet at some tablet PCs that were released in the past few months, and the tablet market is starting to get interesting.
Dispelled preconceptions and some assumptions
The first thing I had to dump (for now) was the idea of running openSUSE on any of these Tablets. In truth, openSUSE (nor most other Linux distributions) are up to that task. I also noted none of these Tablets are yet at the stage where their OS (Android or Windows7) can compete with the iPad2, despite hardware superiority of the Tablet PCs. IMHO software orchestrated and manged by Apple, for now makes the iPad2 a clear winner as a Tablet.
BUT, and this is a BIG but for me, I am not an Apple computer/tablet/phone fan. Very very far from it. The proprietary aspects of Apple will likely ensure I'll never buy an Apple device, and so for now, I'll be looking at the slightly to significantly less capable competition who adopt a slightly more open policy.
Requirements
Then I had to sort what would be my requirements for a Tablet ? I decided
- Operating System and Software stability with a reasonable application selection (this is HIGHLY subjective and depends a lot on the forum/internet reviews of other users)
- Internet Surfing via Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n wireless (or 3G if available – which it is NOT for the Tablets I looked at)
- Email (for casual reading/replying and not serious writing) – although one tablet opened up the possibility of doing more here ...
- Multimedia playback (play back 720p and also 1080p videos/movies would be nice)
- Ebook reading capabilities
- Front mounted 'webcam' for Video chat (and hence video chat support)
- Photograph album
- Navigation (ie with GPS … )
- selected games (chess would be nice)
- reasonable battery life (~8 hours or longer between charges)
- good quality multitouch capacitive display
In the profession where I work, where I need to write a LOT, and thus I do not see major office work as an area where a Tablet can be of much use, although one Tablet (the Acer Eee Pad Transformer) might have some capabilities here due to its optional (and very portable) keyboard.
Two Tablets I looked at
Anyway the two Tablets I ended up reading about were the Acer Iconia Tab A500 and the Asus Eee Pad Transformer, both running Android 3.0 (or possibly 3.1) operating system. (The Acer Iconia Tab A500 also has an MS-Windows version called the W500). I did not look at the Motorolo Xoom in detail due to price (its too expensive) nor did I look at the LG-G-Slate in detail. And later in the year there are Tablets purportedly coming out from Samsung, and Sony ( ? ) , Dell, and other hardware suppliers. So this is a rather restricted look at only a couple of Tablets.
Hardware spec comparison
From a strictly tablet perspective, the specs were interesting. Both have the nVidia Tegra 2 Dual Core CPU, with 1GB RAM, SSD hard drives, HDMI port, speakers, combined mic/headphone jack, an SD card port, front/rear cameras and docking stations, GPS and Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n.
But from there (and in some details) things differ.
USB
Important to me, is the Acer Iconia has both a USB and a micro-USB on the tablet's side. The Asus does not (although I read this is mitigated in part by its bottom power adapter might be useful to use to access flash devices or one's PC). I give the Acer a big edge here, ... but as noted, there are further mitigating considerations wrt the USB inadequacies of the Asus Transformer (which is the 'transformer' part).
Display
I read the Asus Transformer with its IPS display (1280x800 resolution) is superior to the display all PC Tablets currently on the market (and comes closest in quality to the superb display of the iPad2). Having typed that, Acer Iconia's LED display (1280x1024) is purported not bad, but is available viewing angles is not as good as that of the Asus Transformer.
Cameras
The Acer Iconia's rear 5 Mpixel camera (2592x1944 with its flash) is purported superior to the Asus's 5 Mpixel camera (also 2592x1944 with no flash). One article suggested the Acer's front 2 MPixel Camera (1600x1200) is superior to the Asus's 1.2 MPixel front camera (which has a higher 1920x1080 resolution) which does not make much sense to me. But in truth, a 1.2 Mpixel front camera is adequate for the video conferencing I plan to do, and I don't need a quality rear mounted camera on a Tablet, so the Acer's edge here was not important to me.
SSD drive Memory
The Acer Iconia comes with 16GB and the capability to expand up to 32 GB maximum using its SD card slot. The Asus Transformer can come with either 16GB or 32GB and still have another 32 GB more space available via a mini SD card slot. This suggests to me it might be possible to have more portable storage capability on the Asus Transformer (64 GB total) vs a maximum 32 GB on the Acer Iconia, but I can't say that for certain.
Docking station
Both Tablets have docking stations, but it was the Asus Transformer Docking station that really grabbed my attention. It is a nice form fitting (and relatively thin) combination keyboard/battery/USB-hub/charger that is IMHO superior to anything else on the market. This 'docking station' in effect converts the Asus Transformer from a tablet, into a Netbook PC.
Yes, the Acer Iconia has a blue tooth keyboard available, but its not a keyboard that I would lug around in a backpack. But I would carry the Asus Transformer's keyboard/docking station due to its superb integration.
I really really like the Netbook conversion concept that Asus have implemented in the Transformer (and hence its name), and if it were not for (1) it being almost impossible to buy due to demand outstripping supply and (2) other user-comments/software factors wrt the Asus, that would make the Asus a hands down winner.
User experiences
I visited some user forums for these Tablets, and also looked at many youtube video reviews, and I noted there were glowing reviews for both the Acer Iconia and for the Asus Transformer. The criticisms however were revealing. In essence the Iconia's software integration came across as having significantly fewer bugs and hiccups than the Asus Transformer, which had many.
The Acer Icona A500 had a criticism that it would randomly switch ON (?) while the Asus Transformer had a criticism that it sometimes would NOT wake up without over dozen attempts to power it up. Not being able to power up is very worrisome.
Also comments on the Asus Transformer noted its Android-3.x implementation was not so stable yet, and this was also evident in some of the YouTube views, where some apps just did not work (and a reboot on the YouTube and other videos being needed).
Conclusions
While originally I was thinking no Tablet for me until 2012 or 2013, I am now tempted to buy one this year. Some of this is work related (I may need to take an office MS-Windows laptop on business trips and I want another device (other than Windows and other than Mac) to use in the Hotel room. Carrying 2-laptops is too much and hence I won't be able to carry my openSUSE laptop with me on such trips. Thus a Tablet would be very handy.
If I had to buy a Tablet today, I might go for the more stable Acer Iconia A500 … its reported superior stability (and competitive price) is THAT important to me.
However I'm going to be watching the Asus Transformer as it evolves over the next few months with BIOS updates and Android software updates. The Acer Transformer (without the optional integrated keyboard that turns it into a Netbook) is even more cheap than the Acer Iconia, and for a lot more money I really really really like the Asus Transformer keyboard concept, as its optional-keyboard/docking station opens up the door for more writing intensive activities that I can NOT do from a tablet PC without such a keyboard. I also like the Asus Transformer's capability for more SSD card storage. But software stability is important. And from what I have read, like most Android tablets on the market today, the Asus is not quiet there yet, and the Acer Iconia appears to have a superior implementation here.
This is early June. … Assuming I recover from this bout with Montezuma's Revenge (and not end up another German E-Choli statistic) I plan to go on vacation to another continent in September, and then again (to a yet a different continent) in December. So its possible that before the December trip (and possibly before the September trip) I could purchase a tablet.
This could get interesting !
Its just too bad openSUSE does not (yet) install/run smoothly on such portable computing machines ! That would likely be a deciding factor in any Tablet selection if it was a viable possibility.
Updated 23-Jul-2011 at 16:09 by oldcpu
(removed reference to my being ill ...)
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