Thursday 27 February 2014

Microsoft Surface 2 vs Nokia Lumia 2520 vs Google Nexus 10:Who is the winner?

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                                                                                                                                                           Nokia Lumia 2520                                                                                                                                       Nokia’s new tablet, the Lumia 2520, changes that up a bit. The Finnish manufacturer’s first tablet, a direct competitor to Microsoft’s Surface 2, has a big trick up its sleeve: it’s only available with built-in LTE, which isn’t even yet an option on the Surface line. It’s available from Verizon and AT&T now, starting at $399 with a data-plan agreement. The 2520 is designed to be completely and entirely mobile, a tablet you bring everywhere and do everything with.The Nokia Lumia 2520 features fast gaming performance and LTE support out of the box. Xbox Music is an incredibly robust streaming app, and Nokia Music allows you to listen to songs you don't own without an Internet connection. It includes the full version of Office.There's an 8,120mAh battery inside the 2520, which Nokia reckons will give an impressive 25 days of standby time. It put up a good fight in general use too. I was easily able to get a day of mixed use from the slate and if you're more cautious, you can eke it out over a few days.At 1920 x 1080 pixels, the Lumia 2520’s LCD screen is gorgeous and gets plenty bright. Gorilla Glass 2 covers it so the 2520 can withstand some light abuse. On the inside is a top-notch ARM tablet. It runs on Qualcomm’s industry-leading Snapdragon 800 quad-core processor, running at 2.2GHz. 2GB of RAM, a MicroSD card slot capable of holding a 64GB card, and 32GB of internal file storage are included.
But, It's thicker and heavier than recent tablets, and its pointy corners are distracting. The screen has a yellow tint, storage expansion is only accessible with a key or paperclip, and the keyboard accessory isn't as comfortable to type on as the Surface 2's.
The bottom line: Unless you want a Windows RT tablet with cellular connection, skip the Lumia 2520 and get the Surface 2 instead.                                                                                                           Specifications
Display type10.1 in
OSMicrosoft Windows 8.1 RT
ProcessorQualcomm Snapdragon 2.2 GHz
Wireless connectivity4G LTE
Dimensions (WxDxH)10.5 in x 0.35 in x 6.6 in
Weight1.35 lbs                                                                                                                                           Price:$399.99                                                                                                                                         VS                                                                                                                                                           Google Nexus 10                                                                                                                                     The Nexus 10 is comfortable to hold in either landscape or portrait mode. It's both thinner and lighter than the most recent iPad at 9mm and 604g.The Google Nexus 10 is clearly a brilliant tablet. It's got top-end specs at a mid-range price; that alone makes it deserving of attention.The Nexus 10 has a beautifully sharp screen. It's light, durable, and has the fastest processor of any Android tablet. Photo Sphere is an incredibly cool concept. Google's content ecosystem is only getting better.                                                       Performance:
Google's Nexus 10 is powered by a 1.7GHz Samsung Exynos 5250 dual-core processor along with 2GB of RAM. It's easy to get caught up in specs like the number of cores when talking about tablets (quad-core is quickly becoming par for the course these days), but it's important to remember that those numbers alone don't determine a device' performance.The experience of using the Nexus 10, in fact, is more consistently smooth and snappy than what I've experienced with most other 10-in. Android tablets - including those with quad-core chips. Navigating through the home screens is fast and fluid, apps load instantly and multitasking feels effortless. Web browsing is a breeze, too, even with numerous tabs open in the Chrome browser. There's nothing to complain about in terms of performance here; the Nexus 10 absolutely delivers.
The Nexus 10 packs a 9000mAh battery that promises nine hours of nonstop video streaming, seven hours of continuous Web browsing and 500 hours of standby time. I found the tablet's stamina to be top-notch; even with moderate to heavy use, I was often able to go a solid few days between charges.
One area where the Nexus 10 falls short is in storage: The tablet's internal space is limited to either 16GB or 32GB. Once you factor in system files and all that fun stuff, even on the 32GB device, you're left with only about 27GB to 28GB of actual usable space -- and the device does not have an SD card slot for external storage. As with its Nexus 4, Google is clearly putting the focus on cloud storage and Web-based streaming, but that kind of configuration isn't going to work for everyone.
The Nexus 10 has two cameras: a front-facing 1.9-megapixel, 720p camera for vanity pics and video chat; and a rear-facing 5-megapixel, 1080p camera for stills and general recordings. When it comes to still pictures, the cameras are okay but not great; they'll get the job done, but you'll get far better quality from pretty much any current high-end smartphone camera. (Does anyone actually take photos on a tablet, anyway?)
Google's Nexus 10 supports near-field communication (NFC) for contact-free sharing and services, including Google Wallet, which comes preloaded on the device. Contrary to some reports, the tablet does not support the new Miracast wireless display-sharing protocol announced for the Nexus 4.
The Nexus 10 is currently available as a Wi-Fi-based device; at this point, Google has not announced any plans for a 3G- or 4G-capable version.
Battery Life:
The Nexus 10 is powered by a non-removable 9000mAh Lithium polymer battery. During our time testing the tablet we found that it offers excellent performance. Indeed, in between testing various apps, capturing screen grabs, watching HD movie content, loading and re-loading dozens (if not hundreds) of websites, playing games, using the camera and all other manner of applications we were easily able to get a full day’s use of the tablet on a single charge. Given the power that’s required to light up all those pixels on the Nexus 10’s high-resolution screen this is really quite an achievement on Samsung/Google’s behalf. There are, of course, various ways and means to prolong battery life, such as switching the GPS off, however we’re confident that the majority of users will find that the Nexus 10 offers excellent battery life as is.
But, The included charger isn't fast enough to power the battery while playing a game; even while idle, it charges painfully slowly. There's no storage expansion option, and apps that take full advantage of the screen are currently few and far between. Navigating isn't quite as seamless as on the Nexus 7.
The bottom line: The Nexus 10's superior design and swift performance make it one of the best Android tablets to date.                                                                                                                             Specifications
Display type10.055 in
OSAndroid 4.2 Jelly Bean
RAM2 GB
ProcessorA15
Wireless connectivityBluetoothNFCWi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n
Dimensions (WxDxH)263.9 mm x 8.9 mm x 177.6 mm
Weight603 g                                                                                                                                             Price;$399.00

No comments:

Post a Comment