Surface Pro vs. Others

[Leonardo Ferrer]

I'm thinking in getting a Surface Pro and I'd be glad to get some advise and opinions against other devices. For instance the closer ones are Acer's Iconia W700 and Samsung Smart PC Pro 700T, but also there are other devices like the Vaio Duo 11 and the XPS 12.

I think the main point against Iconia W700 is the battery life, but the Surface has Win8 Pro, microSD and a digitizer. The Smart PC Pro is spec-wise more similar, the lack of 3G in the Surface doesn't matter to me, but is more expensive and looks cheap.

What do you think?

 

[tomatoes11]

Sony let me choose a laptop for my travels and I chose the Vaoi duo 11. It is actually quite awesome. Surprisingly lighter than I thought it would be and not that thick. I use it for everything now. Keyboard is a bit small though but other than that, its awesome.

 

[jmerrey]

Actually the iconia w700 seems to have great battery life compared to the surface pro.

 

[Leonardo Ferrer]

Sony let me choose a laptop for my travels and I chose the Vaoi duo 11. It is actually quite awesome. Surprisingly lighter than I thought it would be and not that thick. I use it for everything now. Keyboard is a bit small though but other than that, its awesome.

It has the best port selection, and the quality is beyond doubt. Spec-wise is on par with Surface Pro. The cons of the Duo would be the added weight and bulk of the non-removable keyboard, and the 1,600 USD (approx. I'm in Mexico) that it costs :S

 

[Leonardo Ferrer]

Actually the iconia w700 seems to have great battery life compared to the surface pro.

Yes, but costing about the same and lacking microSD seems like a deal-breaking for me. I plan to use it mostly for school work, so I'm not expecting to be more tan 2 hours far from a power outlet.

 

[ryan.kruger]

Get an mSATA SSD, 256GB. You're in business.

 

[Leonardo Ferrer]

Get an mSATA SSD, 256GB. You're in business.

Nice idea, but they're quite expensive. It's cheaper to upgrade to the 128 GB Surface Pro, or the 256 GB Vaio Duo 11 than acquiring the drive from a reseller.

 

[bauerbach]

the well designed keyboard and digitizer is what sends me to the pro.

I mean, if you offered me a standard 10" ultrabook, even with a touchscreen... I wouldn't really see the need. a good removable keyboard and pen lets me differentiate the surface from anything else in my mind.

 

[martinmc78]

Kupa X15 - 10.1 inch - upgradeable to 8gb ram with an i7 - comes with a digitiser pen - removeable battery - modular design that will allow for 3g/4g lte module or card reader or projector!! - also has keyboard dock that holds a removeable battery thats compatible with the tablet.

 

[ryan.kruger]

How much is that mamma jamma?

 

[bauerbach]

its a novelty...

you have to contact them to buy it...

Ive yet to see a hands on review... with real dimensions/performance.

It claims a removable battery and all this hardware, 1200p screen... and its the weight of an RT.

wat?

Unless Samsung, iconia, and surface have little lead weights in them, I would love to know how this unknown company kupa has managed to exceed the capabilities of the heavyweights.

 

[martinmc78]

They are being shipped through www.dynamism.com for the UK they start at ?840 ($1099) for the basic model - same i5 as the Pro but with 8gb ram - up to ?1220 ($1599) for the all singing and dancing 3G capable i7 with 8gb and windows 8 pro. Just did a conversion using latest exchange rate - looks like were getting shafted in the UK with the 23% VAT - ?840 works out to $1320. This country sucks balls

 

[martinmc78]

its a novelty...

you have to contact them to buy it...

Ive yet to see a hands on review... with real dimensions/performance.

It claims a removable battery and all this hardware, 1200p screen... and its the weight of an RT.

wat?

Unless Samsung, iconia, and surface have little lead weights in them, I would love to know how this unknown company kupa has managed to exceed the capabilities of the heavyweights.

Theres a hands on video floating about somewhere from CES - one of the tech sites found them tucked away in a corner and spent some time with it. No proper reviews yet though. Although if you do a little digging KUPA have been making windows tablets for years but they were mainly confined to Europe. They obviously dont have the marketing clout of the big fish but a proper review would be revealing.

 

[bauerbach]

I just cant believe it... lighter than a pro, longer battery, despite similar tech specs. how can it be possible... I want independent confirmation with a hands on review. have there been any?

 

[martinmc78]

I just cant believe it... lighter than a pro, longer battery, despite similar tech specs. how can it be possible... I want independent confirmation with a hands on review. have there been any?

Ive just googled KUPA - theres some reviews of the X-11 which was a windows 7 tablet released in the US last year and also found this hands on

Kupa UltraNote Windows 8 modular tablet hands-on (video)

Im reserving judgement until a proper review appears, but its worth considering if there are no dealbreakers in the review. Just because its a small company doesnt mean its not come up with a new way of doing things that none of the big fish have picked up on.

 

[bauerbach]

usually, in space constricted applications, you need proprietary hardware to work within the bounds of your platform.

or maybe they have a wider base than I know of.

 

[Leonardo Ferrer]

Kupa X15 - 10.1 inch - upgradeable to 8gb ram with an i7 - comes with a digitiser pen - removeable battery - modular design that will allow for 3g/4g lte module or card reader or projector!! - also has keyboard dock that holds a removeable battery thats compatible with the tablet.

Nice one! It's modularity is interesting, but it's more expensive than the Surface Pro with similar specs. I think 128 GB are big enough for fast access data, and there?s always choice to buy an USB 3.0 external HDD. Anyone knows if a Bluetooth keyboard will work with the built-in receiver or the external dongle is required?

Maybe the lack of a hardened glass, a plastic case and a sligthly smaller screen accounts for the weight difference.

 

[VagrantWade]

I'd rather donate to a Nigerian prince than buy a...Kupa...tablet. They make terrible products. And the tablets are hideous. And I've heard they have heating issues.