The 'Spring into TEGRA' Contest: Win a Tegra-powered Windows 8 RT Tablet!

[DFranch]

I really need the surface tablet. I can only type in a very limited number of words into mine, and the results don't make any sense. I constantly have to sharpen my stylus.

 

[Saljen]

So I bought the HP TouchPad when they went on fire sale all that time ago and it's been really great, but I'm afraid I've used it to the point of no return . It only works when it's plugged into a wall now, which kind of negates the purpose of a tablet. It's been my primary source of note taking in college, so its been a real bummer since it broke, now I have to use paper and pen! Imagine that, taking notes with paper and pen in college?! It's ridiculous.

I have a 6 year old HP laptop, but that's a no go for college as well as it has an ~30 minute battery life and the fan makes an incredulous noise that would cause far too much attention.

A Surface RT would be the perfect device for me! Taking notes comfortably in class without having to spend half my tuition money on a new laptop?! That's the dream! So I NEED a new Surface RT because it would be a perfect fit for my college life, not to mention it would definitely get me all ladies. Ladies love dat Surface.

 

[bre30127]

My wife and her Nooklight.


Oh Nook

Oh Nook your promises so grand.
?Every book right in your hand!?
?It?s everything a pad should be?
Barnes and Noble said to me.

Right on the box I saw these words,
?Hulu, Netflix, Angry Birds!?
I couldn?t wait to buy some apps.
Or even surf the web perhaps.

An hour later the screen went black.
I almost had a heart attack.
?The battery can NOT be dead.?
It must be something I did instead.

But alas, I understood.
Barnes and Noble screwed me good.
On the shelf I placed my Nook,
And went to find a plain old book.

 

[gandhule]

Netbook of bad luck

I was on my way back hor from a train station and I put my netbook on my trolley bag. I dragged along my trooley bag thourgh pavement and some road bumps. As soon as I got home, I learned that I accidentally cracked my netbook's LCD. I needed that thing for work and I could not afford to buy the new one, so I had the LCD replaced for about US$90.

Three months later, I moved to a new rented home. The surrounding was quite nice and the air was fresh. However the electricity is out of the perfect picture. I had to cope with several power outtages wihout prior notice. I decided to always put on my battery on to prevent accidental shutdown, even when I was on AC power. I met many tech guys who told me to refrain from using battery when it's full but I ignored them. I was ignorant and I had to learn about the rationale behind the advice the hard way. My battery can no longer hold the electricity and it slowly damages the power supply. I was still so ignorant that I kept ignoring it. The power supply was so damaged that it finally screwed my harddisk and that's it. I can no longer boot into my netbook.

A few days after, I met this new tech guy that fix my electrical installation. Having chatted for a while, he told me that he could also fix netbooks. I finally asked him to fix mine. He told me that the power supply was busted and the harddisk needs to be replaced, and he needs around US$40 in total. I said to him to have it a go because it was relatively cheap compared to the cost on authorized service centers.

To my surprise, I was billed around US$90 because the tech guy accidentally busted a brand-new, replacement harddisk on repairing my netbook. He then bought a new replacement-replacement harddisk which is more expensive (bigger capacity), wihout even telling me at the first place, on my bill! I really did not see that coming. The heck! I paid it anyway.

I kept telling myself that I was just having a bad day...until three days later, my netbook ceased to live. I could not turn it on at all! I was not expecting much from the tech guy as I didn't have any service-warranty agreement with him. Guess what? His phone number was and still unreachable as of now. My neighbors told me that the tech guy was a scammer, big time. He probably didn't fix anything other than just reinstalling my laptop! AAARRGHH!!!

I had enough of that thing. I'm tired and I would never take my netbook for repair ever again. I still keep the badbook (bad-luck netbook) with me even though my wife keeps telling me to sold the junk for some pennies. I think it's a destiny to be able to feature my badbook on this contest. Anyway, my badbook is still at my disposal, as a PADBOOK (mouse pad netbook)




Why do I need this contest prize?
- I don't own any gadget right now. I've broken my netbook, scammed, and have no money to buy one.
- I actually wanted to post my broken tablet too. But the tech scammer guy brought it and never returned it to me.
- The netbook on the pic belongs to my wife. She owns everything! She even owns me!
- The picture was taken from (my previously owned) Nokia Lumia 920. I really love Windows Phone 8 and even buy Lumia 920 in installments. Sadly, my wife confiscated my newly bought flagship just because she afraids that I will lose it. Yeah, I lost my previous smartphone a day before I took Lumia 920 from the retailer. I'm using my (wife's previously owned) phone right now.
- I borrow my wife's Lumia 920 to browse wpcentral everyday (what an irony).
- MS Surface RT would never be sold on my country.

There goes my plea to get my free WinRT tablet from wpcentral. If I do win, I would defend it with all my life (from my wife...sob)

 

[facelessloser]

This is my battered netbook where the screen flickers on and off and the keyboard half works. Would love a nice new ASUS VivoTab RT to code some kick ass apps on

 

[andrew-in-woking]

Here is a picture of me with my 2007 HP Touchsmart Tx2Z along with all the parts I have had to replace just to keep it working!

Firstly, the thing isn't even a proper tablet anyway and Windows 8 doesn't work properly.

Secondly, it's costing me more and more to keep going.

Thirdly - I need a new tablet!

 

[Wpbass]

I would love a Windows RT tablet! I've got an Asus EeePC 1000HE that's 4 years old, and only took a good 10 minutes from pushing the power button to being able to snap a picture with the webcam. My wife and I share this, however we really haven't used it in the last year, just because it is so slow!

My tablet is an HP Touchpad that I've had nothing but frustration with - webOS is dead, and I installed CyanogenMod on it...and it is janky as all get out. When scrolling just in Chrome, I get a weird red screen with some jagged edges. I'm a musician, and I load up sheet music on my tablet, which is slow, and hardly works any longer, even after a "factory"-reset. In fact, to snap the picture, I had to boot into webOS just for the camera (or microphone, or etc.) to work; this doesn't work so great to video chat with my family halfway across the US!


If I win, I'll try to Photoshop the Van Gogh "Exploding TARDIS" with the Touchpad and EeePC in place of the TARDIS!

 

[Christopher Plieger]

My iPad 2 OS cannot live without tegra anymore. It just cannot do what tegra 3 Windows devices can do and simply crashes when I ask it to be productive! Help him feel better about himself!



It is also pretty broken (thank you dog).
- The LCD has white spots on it and the image is warped
- The glass is shattered (you can't quite see it on the image) and I've cut my finger more than once. Also it is not really responsive anymore

Thanks for considering saving my poor tablet's soul!

On a more serious note, I really need a nice portable computer to work on at school. I have an old Core 2 duo desktop pc that I now use for work at home, but I'm one of the few class that still takes notes on paper instead of carrying around just a pc with OneNote! I've been looking for a cheap ultrabook for the last months but with win8 coming out I waited a bit. Prices are still quite high tough and I currently don't have the money for a nice one so I'm saving up and working in the weekends to get something like the surface or a similar ultraportable. This iPad was a gift a couple years ago but just isn't a thing I can work on, it has no stand and no keyboard and just overall sucks for productivity. The touchscreen is also non-responsive due to a broken screen.

Anyway, It would be cool to win this competition and I hope I will be one of the lucky 2!

 

[Beau Beerlage]

While my picture only had 1 like in 2 weeks, simple mathematics and statistics tells me that I have to be afraid of never receiving a Windows 8 Tegra powered tablet (not a tablet at all, actually). These same calculations tell me that the chances of receiving one of the marvelous Windows 8 tablets are much higher by uploading my picture here as well. To quote one of the all-time best football/soccer - players in my country: "You have to shoot, otherwise you can't score" (Johan Cruijf) :wink:.

 

[pepperonijack]

My old iPad 1st Gen... It still works and I still use it ('cause I don't have a replacement), but it's sloooooow and crashes all the time. It didn't get the latest iOS updates so there are less and less apps compatible with it, but on the other hand it only has 256 MB of RAM so it already was underpowered for its first update in 2010. On the hardware front it is bulky and heavy, and the rubber sealant between the glass panel and the metal frame is getting away, leaving dust-collecting holes (hence the duct-tape on the left).
But mostly, iOS is cool and all, but I'd rather have a Windows RT tablet.

And that is why I NEED a Microsoft Surface (or an ASUS Vivo Tab RT, I really like the keyboard dock on that thing).

 

[Abdul Rahman Noor]

The current mobi1e computing I have (apart from my 820) is my De11 Studio from over 3 years ago, present1y garnished with sticky baby food and goo.
As you can see, my 1aptop is missing a few keys. This is due to my 18-month o1d daughter who evident1y thought it great fun to pry them off (and then tried to eat them).

I didn't mind that much when the first one came off, but after a few more disappeared I figured maybe it wou1d he1p if she had her own; so the ta1king baby computer came home, even it cou1dn't meet any of my computing needs beyond counting numbers and pronouncing animal names.

In the meanwhi1e mine continues to miss keys faster than a prison warden with a1zeihmers.

And I rea1ise now that perhaps the on1y way I can save my computing is if I move my work to something that looks the same, works the same, but doesn't have a physica1 keyboard...

...and that's why I need a Windows 8 RT Tab1et.

Not Windows 8 Pro, because I've never been much of a pro-anything, and nothing with Android because the vtech a1ready does a great job of keeping my 1itt1e gir1 entertained.
RT fits me nicely and comp1ements my Microsoft ecosystem. Besides, I'm sure they're easier to wipe baby food off...

(p.s. Even though EngIish is quite generous in its grammer and syntax, it's not easy typing a11 of this without a sing1e "L")

 

[anon4259338]

I have to lug this in my backpack everyday for PSEO college classes - it's not fun! (please note the broken hinge, and missing backspace key

It had windows XP untill I tried installing windows 8 on it... It works - but just barely (crashes, lags, 30 seconds app loading) is common!

I would absolutely love a new tablet because I love to draw, and carrying around this beast + my graphics tablet is downright heavy.. A fast, lightweight, touchscreen tablet would be just what I need to start school next year!

Thanks for considering me! -daniel

 

[Jeyrus]

Why yes, that IS a Toshiba laptop from 2004. Indeed, that is a Celeron M processor. Windows XP, you say? Scoff. The XP sticker is a reminder of what this once was before it evolved into eternal sorrow. The poor thing can barely run even Linux Mint nowadays. = What I have for PSEO college. A nice Surface RT would suit nicely. I have to say, I'll miss the bulky body that feels so warm on me before it overheats. Also, it makes my world turn a 90 degree angle while I'm holding it. --Which is quite painful and odd. HELP ME WPCENTRAL, YOU'RE MY ONLY HOPE.

Did I mention my 256 megabites of ram?


Also, if you want to throw at Lumia 920 at me to replace my GS3 that'd be great. Shhhh, I know that that isn't a needed upgrade, but hey, why not?

 

[Dreadi66]

Here I am again on the phone to technical support for my crappy laptop! I've given up on it now and use my Nokia Lumia 800 for everything. I do need a bigger screen for my work though so here's hoping I get one of the new Tegra powered Win8 tabs :wink:

 

[webbahboy]

You want to know what bites?
This HP Mini 210. Ouch!
It was fine in its day, but it has gotten old in the tooth.

This netbook is slower than death, and slogs through the most basic of tasks. If I could install Win 8 on it, I bet it would get perkier, but it does not have a high enough resolution. Even if I could install Win 8, I WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO TOUCH THE SCREEN. And that would bite even more!

Help me out, people! I am really in a pinch! A Tegra machine would save me!

 

[chadwick611]

so this is my Dell Inspiron 700m. Yes it still works(barely) but wow I have a baby on the way and since I am about to be a new dad a new computer sure would be nice!

 

[CronGM]

I've had an Aspire One ever since the first generation came out. So why do I need a new Tegra-powered Windows 8 tablet?

Well, first of all, because a netbook makes for one awkward e-book reader. It's not very comfortable to hold one for some reading, specially when outdoors.

The AO came with Windows XP. While it's a good OS, it's now starting to show off its age, not able to run a bunch of new software or even updates to basic programs such as Internet Explorer. Its Intel ATOM processor is also quite old, and running even old versions of Microsoft Office will slow down the computer and make even the most mundane editing tasks a chore.

Did I mention the battery just gave up on functioning properly a few years back? I gotta have this thing connected to a power source all the time I want to use it. And the A/C adapter is so worn out (and this is a replacement of the original) that even the slightest move of the cable will shut down the netbook in less than three minutes. If I didn't notice that, POOF! There goes all my unsaved work.

So having a nice e-reader and having a proper device to get some work done would be my main reasons to own a new Windows 8 tablet. But now that I want to get into developing some apps for Windows 8, having a nice device to test my own apps before releasing them would be very nice.

 

[Frankie Malekian]

Do you enjoy a good scary story? No? Too bad, I'm telling you one anyway.

I need you to imagine. Close your eyes, and pretend…

You are in the final year of college, hoping to finish strong. But at the same time, you have your LSAT exam coming up. You need to very well on that to be able to get into the law school you wish to get in.

Now, imagine scrolling down a cinder block of a PDF law textbook, on a tiny, slow, dying Acer Aspire Netbook purchased mid 2009. Not only do your eyes kill from having to squint and stare at this extremely small and dim screen, but you have an Intel Atom CPU. This PDF e-book has roughly 800 pages. Every time you open the file, you have to wait what feels like days just for it to open. And every couple pages you scroll through, you must sit and wait, again. You repeat this process all the hours of the night.

Before you know it, it is almost morning. Time to take a quick nap before heading to class. Think back to how unproductive your night was. You spent just as much time waiting for screens to load rather than actually reading and studying. On top of that, you have a pounding headache from staring at the little screen all night. Now you might here someone say, “Hey! Here’s an alternative! Just buy and read the actual books!”

Okay, that might seem like a good idea… until you see the weight and price tags of these books! Each one costs a couple hundred dollars, and each weigh a ton!

Open your eyes. Wipe that sweat off your forehead. Don’t worry, that’s not actually you’re life. Its mine. What you just so frighteningly imagined, is actually a true description of my nights.

Please save me from my suffering, and help me continue my education. A Tegra tablet would help not only get into law school, but graduate it too! Help me get through this, and I promise to repay the favor someday.

 

[Gessa Suboc]

2 years ago my brother let me borrow his ipad 2, said it'd probably be a good use for college. Now that college is over, he wants his tablet back, and I'm headed off to Medical School device-less. Tablets have proven to be a perfect study aid since they're light, portable, and help me to save money on books. Seeing as Medical Textbooks weigh 10 lbs each, tablets allow me to put all of my books onto one device and carry them around with ease . But with med school costing an arm and a leg, purchasing a new device is way out of my budget. Please help! :[

 

[Jason McPherson]

Hey WPCentral!

So, here's a picture of my beaten up HP dm1 which has somehow survived over the years.
I happened to take this with my 920!



Anyway, I think I need a Surface or Transformer because it would be an awesome item to have with me after I finish Basic Training for the Air Force. (I'm leaving in just a few weeks!)
It would be fantastic to have this with me, because it would make it incredibly easy to stay in contact with my family and friends back home.

Anyway,
Thanks for your time!

Jason McPherson