[Lenovo] Yoga 2 Pro vs. [Sony] Tap 11 vs. [Microsoft] Surface Pro 2

[thejoyofsobe]

The $800 Pentium version of the Sony Tap 11 is on display in Best Buy right now. However at my local Best Buy the demo, security and management software that they put on the machine disabled the touchscreen and N-trig digitizer. The sales guy said it they tried it on two different units with the same result and unfortunately from my understanding Best Buy is the only physical store which will carry the Tap 11 in the near term.

Judging by Sony's website the Core i5 Y-series version will be available to ship within the next week so i wouldn't expect to see that particular model in Best Buy any time before that.

That being said I really liked the unit I worked with. If your primary use cases will be hand-held as a tablet and on a desk then the Tap 11 is the best device for this. If you need to be able to type with the screen supported in your lap, if you regularly need more than 6 hours of battery life or if you need more than 4 GB of RAM then you need to look elsewhere.

 

[coip]

The $800 Pentium version of the Sony Tap 11 is on display in Best Buy right now. However at my local Best Buy the demo, security and management software that they put on the machine disabled the touchscreen and N-trig digitizer. The sales guy said it they tried it on two different units with the same result and unfortunately from my understanding Best Buy is the only physical store which will carry the Tap 11 in the near term.

Judging by Sony's website the Core i5 Y-series version will be available to ship within the next week so i wouldn't expect to see that particular model in Best Buy any time before that.

That being said I really liked the unit I worked with. If your primary use cases will be hand-held as a tablet and on a desk then the Tap 11 is the best device for this. If you need to be able to type with the screen supported in your lap, if you regularly need more than 6 hours of battery life or if you need more than 4 GB of RAM then you need to look elsewhere.

It took a few days but my local Best Buy finally put one on display today. I checked it out. I must say I really like the larger 11.6" screen vs. the 10.6" Surface Pro 2. The wireless keyboard is really cool (it definitely looks like it'll work better on the lap--unfortunately, the kickstand placement on the tablet makes laptop use impossible, though), but I really don't understand why they didn't put a second charge slot on the tablet. Currently one is on the facade, which works well if you want to "close the lid" and charge it (although, the magnet is so weak that if this is in your bag it will clearly not stay connected, so it is unlikely to charge). I would've put another one on the bottom so that the keyboard could dock into the tablet and be charged while you work. As it currently is, if your keyboard runs out of juice there is nothing you can do but stop working since you can't charge the keyboard and work at the same time (which was frustrating because the keyboard they had on display was dead, so I couldn't try it). What a curious design decision that is. They also didn't have a stylus for me to try out.

The 2-in-1 options this season are both exciting and frustrating. Exciting because I'm really impressed with the wide array of designs the OEMs went with. A lot of innovative stuff from Microsoft's Surface, to the Sony Tap 11 and Vaio Flip, to the Dell XPS 11 and 12 as well as the Venue Pro 11, to the Lenovo Yoga and Helix, the HP Split, the Toshiba Satellite. Lots of cool devices but no single one is perfect for me so it's a really tough choice. I'd like to try out the Dell XPS 11 and Venue Pro 11.

 

[Prophezor]

Regarding the Sony Tap 11 keyboard, on the review posted below it says they talked to some people at Sony and, "Sony tells us that it's working with Targus on a case accessory that connects the keyboard to the slate so that it can be used in your lap."

Sony VAIO Tap 11 Review | Tablet Reviews

I've searched around and I can't find anything to corroborate it, but at the very least it's encouraging to see Sony responding to user critiques in some way.

 

[Rse1]

Sony has an infrared blaster built into the tablet so you can control your TV or sound system with the tablet itself rather than keeping the remotes at hand. Given that I intend to use Windows 8.1's Miracast support to push audio and video to my TV from my Tap 11 i should be able to also use this remote app on to control my TV. I don't have cable so i currently watch all of my TV and movies on my old laptop with a VGA + audio cable running to my TV. I'm going wireless as soon as my new tablet PC arrives. I also browse the web on my big screen TV at home with it as a second monitor and Windows 8.1. Miracast allow you to extend your display in that same way but keep in mind that's not limited to the Tap 11. You should have Miracast support in any of the devices listed in this thread.

See pic from WP Central's review of the remote app
http://www.windowscentral.com/sites...10/Sony Vaio Tap 11- Remote Control App_1.jpg


I think there's even greater synergy if you have a Sony Bravia TV because you can use the TV SideView app on the Tap 11 from the Windows Store.
TV SideView | Entertainment Lifestyle Guide - Sony

And don't forget Sony is one of the few puttin NFC in their devices. Its a shame its not in the surface pro 2 nor surface 2, since microsoft been braggin about its possibilities since launching windows 8!:s