Sunday 12 January 2014

Microsoft Surface 2 vs Lenovo IdeaTab Lynx vs Microsoft Surface RT:Best fit for use is........

W.A.Khan,                                                                                                                                               Microsoft Surface 2                                                                                                                                The Microsoft Surface 2 is a definite upgrade over 2012's Surface RT. It's faster, with a sharper screen, and houses better cameras.The Microsoft Surface 2 has a sturdy build, smooth gaming performance, and high-quality cameras. Windows RT 8.1 is easier to use than before, and the built-in photo-editing tools and Xbox Music are fantastic features. Office 2013 is included for free, and thanks to a new kickstand angle, the tablet is less likely to fall off your lap.
But, App support still lags behind competitors, and Windows RT is still incompatible with legacy programs. It's too easy to mistakenly push the tablet into its lower stance, and the touch pad on the Type Cover 2 isn't as comfortable as it was on the previous version.                                                                                          Performance:                                                                                                                                            Using the Surface 2 feels fast and responsive, which wasn't the case with the original Surface. This is borne out when browsing the web, as can be seen in an average SunSpider JavaScript score of 496.2ms. That's a very good score for a tablet.
Where the Surface always performed was in gaming, and the Surface 2 is no exception. Running the onscreen Egypt HD 2.5 graphics benchmark the Surface 2 achieved a respectable score of 33fps. Running the 3D Mark Ice Storm Extreme benchmark the Surface 2 scored an average of 8432, Ice Storm Unlimited averaged out at 12,787. These are very healthy scores that reflect our experience of a zippy machine even when running multiple processes.
Battery Life:                                                                                                                                                 Of course, the reason the Surface 2 uses Tegra 4 and not, say, an Intel processor, is to improve battery life -- though as the new Atom in the Asus Transformer Book T100 proved, the latest Atoms are very frugal, too.
Here the Surface 2 doesn’t disappoint. Microsoft claims 10 hours on a full charge, and we can’t fault its estimate. We spent a whole day using the Surface 2 on and off, using it to write, browse the internet and stream videos, and still had a comfortable 20-30% spare by the end of the day.
Our only real complaint here is that the auto-brightness system typically sets the screen a little dimmer than is comfortable, which means you’re constantly fiddling with it manually.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    The bottom line: The Microsoft Surface 2 is great for getting work done, but those looking for extensive app support (beyond Office) will find top Apple, Android, and Amazon tablets to be better options.                                                                                                                                                                                Specifications
Release date10/22/13
Display type10.6 in
OSMicrosoft Windows 8.1 RT
RAM2 GB
ProcessorNVidia Tegra 4
Wireless connectivityBluetooth 4.0Wi-fi 802.11a/b/g/n
Dimensions (WxDxH)10.81 in x 0.35 in x 6.81 in
Weight1.49 lbs                                                                                                                                         Price:$449.99                                                                                                                                            VS                                                                                                                                                             Lenovo IdeaTab Lynx                                                                                                                               The IdeaTab Lynx is well-balanced when plugged into its keyboard base, and offers good battery life, and a bigger-screen alternative to Lenovo's other Atom tablet.                                                                     Performance and Battery Life:                                                                                                                     The Lynx feels smooth and responsive when using its touch screen controls, but the main disadvantage of the Atom processor is that it supports a maximum of 2GB of memory.The Lynx might struggle with more demanding tasks, due to the processor and RAM, so it isn’t quite a replacement for a conventional laptop for serious work. Don’t expect to edit and render HD video in record time, for example.It’s a little light on storage too – almost 27GB of the 64GB solid-state storage is taken up by Windows itself, which only leaves you about 37GB for your own files. Fortunately, there’s a micro-SD slot that will allow you to add another 32GB storage if you need to.
The Atom processor also relies on the old Intel GMA integrated graphics, which means that your gaming activity will probably be restricted to casual games such as Angry Birds.The tablet gives you up to 8 hours battery life but you can double it to 16 hours when you connect it with the optional keyboard dock.
But, The keyboard has too much flex, and the docking hinge sticks. For only a little more, better products are available.
The bottom line: The IdeaTab Lynx is a perfectly functional Windows 8 hybrid but lacks the lower price of some competitors, or better design and features of others.
System configurations                                                                                                                               Windows 8 (32-bit); 1.8GHz Intel Atom Z2760; 2GB DDR2 SDRAM 800MHz; 737MB (Total) Intel GMA; 64GB MMC SSD                                                                                                              Specifications
ProcessorIntel AtomZ2760 / 1.8 GHz ( Dual-Core )
Memory2 GB / 2 GB (max)
Operating SystemMicrosoft Windows 8
Display Type11.6 in IPS
Max Resolution1366 x 768 ( HD )
Graphics ProcessorPowerVR SGX545
Optical DriveNone
Weight22.6 oz                                                                                                                                            Price:$649.00                                                                                                                                            VS                                      .                                                                                                                      Microsoft Surface RT                                                                                                                                The Microsoft Surface's Metro interface is innovative, elegant, powerful, and versatile. The tablet feels strong and well-built, runs Office 2013, and includes rich video and music services. Its keyboard cover accessories are the best ways to type on a tablet, period.
But, The tablet's performance can be sluggish, its Windows Store is a ghost town, Metro takes getting used to, and the Desktop interface feels clunky and useless.                                                                       Performance:                                                                                                                                             A common misconception is that the traditional desktop isn't available in Windows RT, but that's not true; it's accessed via the desktop tile on the Start screen, but its relevance is severely diminished.
As Windows RT can't run traditional programs you need to use the old style Windows Explorer less, but it's still on hand for browsing file systems, USB sticks, organising folders and more.
The 'charm' bar to the right also includes search and share buttons and these are threaded through every part of the OS, from files to settings, to the information held within apps.Another triumph is the on-screen keyboard, which is large, sensitive and easy to use. It's not as smart as some third-party keyboards on Android, but we typed with two hands quickly and accurately and the extra inch of screen space made it much easier to use than its iOS counterpart.
We had a few problems with the large keyboard panel blocking information we needed, but the icon to show or hide the keyboard is always on hand in the bottom-right corner of the desktop.
As we've already mentioned, performance is a slightly mixed bag. The system is always responsive, with silky smooth transitions and snappy navigation.
However, we found that some apps were slow to load, with lingering splash screens. What's more, 1080p playback was a few frames per second short of perfect.
While we wouldn't say that the Tegra 3 chip performed appallingly, there's certainly no headroom, and it seems to be the graphics core that struggled most.
Multitasking apps never missed a beat, but it was loading the graphically-intensive apps and movies that showed the biggest strain on the processor.
Even some basic games ran at a noticeably low frame rate, so it seems that Windows RT might need some optimisation.                                                                                                                                      Battery life:
Our experience of the battery life has bemused us somewhat. We started off a day with the Surface RT at 100 percent and only used the tablet intensely for around an hour and a half while shooting our video review. We then used the Surface RT in the evening for around 30 minutes web browsing. The next morning, however, the Surface RT needed the mains charger to switch on so the battery had full depleted overnight. Strange considering Microsoft touts 7-15 days idle life.
The bottom line: If you're an early adopter willing to forget everything you know about navigating a computer, the Surface tablet could replace your laptop. Everyone else: wait for more apps.                                                                                                                                                                                              Specifications
Display type10.6 inColor TFT active matrix - Yes
OSMicrosoft Windows RT
RAM2 GB
ProcessorNVIDIA Tegra 3
Wireless connectivityIEEE 802.11nIEEE 802.11bIEEE 802.11aIEEE 802.11g
Dimensions (WxDxH)9.3 mm10.8 in 6.8 in
Weight676 g                                                                                                                                             Price;$494.98 to $599.00

No comments:

Post a Comment