Looking for a windows 8 tablet/laptop

[MercenaryOne]

I am going back to school for programming, I also like to draw. So I played with a Surface Pro 2 that my boss owns, and I have played with an Asus Transformer Book T-100. I am looking for something in between these 2 objects. Here is a list of my requirements.
1) 10" or larger screen
2) Intel Atom Z3740 or better, something with good battery life but can handle what I need
3) Detachable keyboard, or reverse folding keyboard
4) Expandable space(SD or MicroSD preferred)
5) Can use a pressure sensitive stylus(biggest if not the only issue I had with the Transformer Book T-100)
6) Included HDD or SDD to be large enough to hold VS2010, VS2012 and Adobe Creative Suite
7) Max price of $600
8) Cannot be made by Acer

Anyone have any suggestions or know of new ones coming out that meet this criteria? Right now I am in my core classes and don't need to program until Spring 2015 semester.

 

[nelsonecm]

You should try the Dell Venue 11 Pro. It fits all your requirements. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00FFVYUQ...ag=hawk-future-20&ascsubtag=UUwpUvbUpU2657504

 

[Compiux]

Hmmm if you can, save some extra money for a more robust computer. It might be just me, but I feel the atom processors are more oriented for more casual tasks.

Tell us something:
What languages are you going to work with?
What is the life time you expect to keep this new computer?

I think this is important because you don't want to get a computer that works slow with the tools you need and certainly you don't want hardware that is going to fall behind while your tools become more and more demanding.

As an anecdote, some years ago, I bought a Dell netbook. First year was pew pew... But after a while it was actually a pain to work with. My advise: Save some more money if you can and get yourself a nice pen and sketchbook. I like to draw too, but in MY specific case, I decided not to sacrifice power for a touch screen.

 

[Nerdy Woman]

I am going back to school for programming, I also like to draw. So I played with a Surface Pro 2 that my boss owns, and I have played with an Asus Transformer Book T-100. I am looking for something in between these 2 objects. Here is a list of my requirements.
1) 10" or larger screen
2) Intel Atom Z3740 or better, something with good battery life but can handle what I need
3) Detachable keyboard, or reverse folding keyboard
4) Expandable space(SD or MicroSD preferred)
5) Can use a pressure sensitive stylus(biggest if not the only issue I had with the Transformer Book T-100)
6) Included HDD or SDD to be large enough to hold VS2010, VS2012 and Adobe Creative Suite
7) Max price of $600
8) Cannot be made by Acer

Anyone have any suggestions or know of new ones coming out that meet this criteria? Right now I am in my core classes and don't need to program until Spring 2015 semester.

I don't have a suggestion for a box in your price range, but something that might impact your requirements: as a student, you can get Office 365 University for $80/4 years and that includes 1 TB of OneDrive space. So, if you have frequent WiFi connectivity, you can store all your work files in OneDrive and use HD space for programs. Also, don't miss out on Adobe's academic pricing for Creative Cloud. $20/mo. (Adobe Creative Cloud Student and Teacher Edition (One Year Subscription - Monthly Price) for Mac, Win with Academic Discount at JourneyEd.com). If you're located in the US, journeyed.com is a great resource for academic pricing on software.

You might also want to check Dreamspark.com. As a student, you can get VS 2012 and newer + server products free (free is good). All you need is verification with a .edu email address.

And now that you're spending a lot less on software, you can spend more on hardware. ;-)

 

[salmanahmad]

I am going back to school for programming, I also like to draw. So I played with a Surface Pro 2 that my boss owns, and I have played with an Asus Transformer Book T-100. I am looking for something in between these 2 objects. Here is a list of my requirements.

1) 10" or larger screen

2) Intel Atom Z3740 or better, something with good battery life but can handle what I need

3) Detachable keyboard, or reverse folding keyboard

4) Expandable space(SD or MicroSD preferred)

5) Can use a pressure sensitive stylus(biggest if not the only issue I had with the Transformer Book T-100)

6) Included HDD or SDD to be large enough to hold VS2010, VS2012 and Adobe Creative Suite

7) Max price of $600

8) Cannot be made by Acer

Anyone have any suggestions or know of new ones coming out that meet this criteria? Right now I am in my core classes and don't need to program until Spring 2015 semester.

Sadly I have no suggestions for you but I wanted to ask what are the best resources for a teenager to learn C# from? I've been having a hard time grasping some of the concepts and wish that there was some site or program that could help me.

Any suggestions?

 

[xandros9]

I am going back to school for programming, I also like to draw. So I played with a Surface Pro 2 that my boss owns, and I have played with an Asus Transformer Book T-100. I am looking for something in between these 2 objects. Here is a list of my requirements.
1) 10" or larger screen
2) Intel Atom Z3740 or better, something with good battery life but can handle what I need
3) Detachable keyboard, or reverse folding keyboard
4) Expandable space(SD or MicroSD preferred)
5) Can use a pressure sensitive stylus(biggest if not the only issue I had with the Transformer Book T-100)
6) Included HDD or SDD to be large enough to hold VS2010, VS2012 and Adobe Creative Suite
7) Max price of $600
8) Cannot be made by Acer

Anyone have any suggestions or know of new ones coming out that meet this criteria? Right now I am in my core classes and don't need to program until Spring 2015 semester.

Guess the Dell Venue 11 Pro will fit your bill.
~11" display
current Intel Atom in the baseline model, Core i#'s higher up and out of your price range.
Laptop dock similar in concept to the T100's, also a slim keyboard in the same ballpark as the Type Cover.
SD onboard i believe.
Proprietary active stylus, don't know if pressure sensitive.

Sadly I have no suggestions for you but I wanted to ask what are the best resources for a teenager to learn C# from? I've been having a hard time grasping some of the concepts and wish that there was some site or program that could help me.

Any suggestions?

Series | Browse | Channel 9
there is an excellent series on C# there.

 

[MercenaryOne]

Hmmm if you can, save some extra money for a more robust computer. It might be just me, but I feel the atom processors are more oriented for more casual tasks.

Tell us something:
What languages are you going to work with?
What is the life time you expect to keep this new computer?

I think this is important because you don't want to get a computer that works slow with the tools you need and certainly you don't want hardware that is going to fall behind while your tools become more and more demanding.

As an anecdote, some years ago, I bought a Dell netbook. First year was pew pew... But after a while it was actually a pain to work with. My advise: Save some more money if you can and get yourself a nice pen and sketchbook. I like to draw too, but in MY specific case, I decided not to sacrifice power for a touch screen.

I am going to be doing C#, ASP.NET, VB.NET, and get into some JavaScript.
I expect it to do what I need it to do for 2-3 years while I am in school. I honestly don't expect a tablet or laptop to last 4 years these days.

And in response to you Nerdy Woman, software is not an issue, I already have VS2010 and 2012 from my dreamspark account with my school. I already use OneDrive for my classes. I have a full business license for Adobe CS5 through my work(as I will be doing work for them as well), and the Work From Home program for office, which game me 2 copies of Office2010 for $10. However thanks for the input as other readers may not have known about these options!

Sal, I recommend Channel 9 from Microsoft, there are some decent ones on Lynda.com if you have an account. I am starting to learn C# right now on my own before class, I purchased the Head First C# book, and the first few chapters are fantastic, however, there starts to become some issues with the code in later chapters which make it harder to keep up with. The scribbling all over is very distracting and horribly laid out, its like a comic book where the artist has ADD. So I would recommend checking out some other book before this one.

But looking into the Dell Venue 11 Pro, it seems to fit the bill of what I need/want. However the reviews are a little mixed, and some complaints about the stylus. However at the price point I cannot be too picky. Also including the keyboard and stylus increases the price by nearly $150 putting it over my budget. Not a big deal as I will have time to save. Perhaps I can see if someone I know has one that I can play with to see if the stylus issues will be a problem with me.

I appreciate the input everyone, this honestly looks like the best solution for me so far.

 

[xandros9]

There was a Dell Stylus deal posted here, bringing the price down a bit.

Also worth noting that the original stylus was a trainwreck, it has since gone through a couple major hardware revisions.

 

[Nerdy Woman]

One more resource, Merc...

You mentioned buying books. I've been a subscriber of Safaribooksonline.com for almost 2 years. Their prices have gone up, but I originally found them through MS Press. You can get an MS Press subscription for $12/mo for a 10-slot bookshelf. I know MS Press doesn't always have the best books on a subject, but this includes all the cert prep titles, and everything MS Press puts out there.

Over the years, I've spent way too much on books that are obsolete within a year.... Anyway, thought you might find this useful.

Safari Books Online - Microsoft Press E-Reference Library - Home

 

[MercenaryOne]

One more resource, Merc...

You mentioned buying books. I've been a subscriber of Safaribooksonline.com for almost 2 years. Their prices have gone up, but I originally found them through MS Press. You can get an MS Press subscription for $12/mo for a 10-slot bookshelf. I know MS Press doesn't always have the best books on a subject, but this includes all the cert prep titles, and everything MS Press puts out there.

Over the years, I've spent way too much on books that are obsolete within a year.... Anyway, thought you might find this useful.

Safari Books Online - Microsoft Press E-Reference Library - Home

Thanks Nerdy, actually has some of the books I was looking to purchase!

 

[Compiux]

Hey mercenary, I was checking amazon.com today and saw the surface pro 1 (128gb) for 719$. I know it is above your budget but I thought t was worth to mention it. Also, there are some "Manufactured refurbished" being sold for 500-550$ (amazon.com too)

You will still need the keyboard cover, but I think they are better than a tablet. Do your research, I know very little about the surface 1 but I think it is a good piece of hardware.

Good luck and I hope you find a good deal

 

[Compiux]

Mercenary, if you are still looking for a laptop
Students can buy the Surface Pro 3 for as little as $650 | Windows Phone Central

If I had the money I would buy one! Dang, why did I have to repair my car? haha