Microsoft Surface Pro 3 Microsoft might not be the first company to break into 2-in-1 laptop, but it's one of the few to get it right. The first Surface was a suave new device that worked both as a laptop and tablet. Thanks to an ergonomic kickstand and excellent magnetic keyboard, it easy to use whether you're at a desk or even laying down. The Surface Pro 3 is thinner and lighter than the previous two versions, despite having a larger 12-inch display and higher screen resolution. A new kickstand makes it easier to set up and use, and the keyboard cover remains a best-in-class example. The Surface Pro 3 is now optimized for a digital pen, which is included. Performance Despite its remarkably slim and light frame, the Surface Pro 3 is a powerful machine. In benchmarks it's a match for pricey ultrabooks like the Toshiba Kira. Its 1.9GHz Core i5 processor scores 5,532, more than Toshiba (5,424) and the 2014 MacBook Air (5,401).
The MacBook and Surface Pro make an interesting comparison here. Apple favours a slower processor, but a faster PCI-e SSD and Intel's faster HD 5000 graphics. It's a trade-off that makes the MacBook very snappy, but the Surface Pro 3 is no slouch either.
That faster processor gives it an edge in processor intensive tasks, too. This is no workstation class processor, of course, but anything you can throw at an ultrabook works fine on the Surface Pro 3. That means any task or application you use in everyday work and life. It's an efficient and effective replacement for a work laptop or ageing desktop.
It isn't noisy, either. If you're just watching video or doing some other simple task, it's rare to even hear the fan spin up. Even when it does it's an unobtrusive whir. You'll notice it in quiet surroundings, but it's barely discernible over the hubbub of an office. It's another reminder of the incredible industrial design in the Surface Pro 3. But That excellent keyboard cover is not included in the base price, and its improved touchpad still doesn't measure up. The chassis lacks pen storage, and even with tweaked kickstand and keyboard hinges, the Surface Pro 3 still doesn't fit perfectly on the lap. The Bottom Line While the new Surface Pro 3 is Microsoft's best PC to date, it's more successful as a tablet than a laptop replacement. CPU: 1.9GHz Intel Core i5-4300U | Graphics: Intel HD Graphics 4400 | RAM: 8GB | Screen: 12-inch, 2160 x 1440 multi-touch display| Storage: 256GB SSD $649.99 VS Samsung Galaxy Note Pro 12.2 hands-on Samsung had announced a new larger-screened Android tablet in the form of the Galaxy Note Pro 12.2. The Samsung Galaxy NotePRO is a 12.2-inch tablet targeting more business-minded users. Performance
Apps loaded quickly, and screen transitions were smooth and stutter-free. Everything worked as gracefully as I expected it to with an octa-core Exynos 5 chip and 3GB of RAM. It's a performance hiccup that only grew worse with the addition of more windows. Yes, the Note Pro 12.2 is technically capable of displaying four open apps plus floating pop-ups on top of that, but there's no real benefit for the user. How could there be when the experience is marred by a noticeable lag? In fact, there's a pervasive slowness to the Note Pro 12.2 that ruins any sense of rapid-fire multitasking. It's the opposite of what the device's prosumer customer would want. As a media viewer, however, you can't really go wrong with the Note Pro's considerable screen size. That 12.2-inch screen's an ideal venue for showing off presentations and high-res photos. It's similarly fantastic for watching Netflix or any other streaming media, so long as you can find a comfortable way to position it. If you can find a suitable way to prop it up, the Note Pro 12.2 can even serve as a solid replacement for viewing media on your laptop. The dual speakers are powerful enough that you should be able to comfortably watch with chatty friends or even in a moderately noisy environment. As a bonus, there's also no distortion when the volume is pushed to the max. And now, back to that Exynos 5 chip. As noted earlier, this WiFi-only model comes equipped with 3GB of RAM and Samsung's octa-core processor inside; that of the big.LITTLE architecture. So you're not exactly getting all eight cores firing simultaneously, but a setup wherein the best-suited set of four cores, be it for light tasks or heavy processing, takes over. It's likely the reason the Note Pro 12.2 seems to take its time cycling through tasks when activity ramps up. The Note Pro 12.2's 9,500mAh battery is a significant bump over the 8,220mAh one used in the Note 10.1 2014 Edition. Which makes sense, since it needs more juice to power all the pixels on that 2,560 x 1,600 display. If you've ever taken a look at your power management tab in Android's settings, you know that the display is the biggest drain on battery life. Knowing that, you should temper your expectations for longevity. During a normal eight-hour workday, the Note Pro 12.2 lost just under 50 percent of its charge and that was with what I'd consider normal usage -- some light browsing, emailing and monitoring of my Twitter feed. I'm sure it'd retain that charge even longer, perhaps for two days, if power-saving were enabled and it was left to mostly idle under light use. As well as playing host to the company’s now familiar S-Pen stylus, the high-end device packs in a raft of productivity features around a premium array of components and an all new user interface.Although pricing has yet to be announced, Samsung has confirmed that the NotePRO will start a global rollout this March in white and black versions.The specs on the Samsung Galaxy Note Pro 12.2 are top of the range, the 2560 x 1600 TFT LCD display is dazzling, add to that 3GB of RAM; an 8MP rear-facing camera & a 2Mp front-facing camera; a 9,500mAh battery; Android Kitkat 4.4 and you’ve to the blueprints to a big screened tablet with a lot of power. VS HP Pro Slate 12 The HP Pro Slate 12 is a nice-looking tablet, with a metal back, beveled metal edging, and big speaker grilles along the top and bottom of the display. It actually looks a lot like an oversize version of HTC's One M9 smartphone, and that's a compliment. The whole thing feels extremely solid and durable.The HP Pro Slate 12 makes a confident entry into the productivity tablet market with the ability to turn handwritten, ink-on-paper notes into on-screen text.The HP Pro Slate 12 does pack some impressive specs. Of course, the biggest (in every sense of the word) is the screen size. The HP Pro Slate 12 comes equipped with a massive 12.3-inch display. This is an IPS display which offers a 1600 x 1200 resolution. On the inside, the Pro Slate 12 is equipped with 2 GB RAM and powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 quad-core processor (clocking at 2.3 GHz). In terms of storage, the Pro Slate 12 is equipped with 32 GB internal storage and also offers the ability to expand another 32GB storage, thanks to the inclusion of a microSD card slot. Moving to the cameras, the Pro Slate 12 comes loaded with an 8-megapixel rear-facing option, which is coupled with a more modest 2-megapixel front-facing camera. Additional features include front-facing stereo speakers (with DTS Sound+), a 3G SIM-card for those interested and the tablet comes running on Android 5.0.2 (Lollipop). But,The HP Pro Slate 12 can house up to 32GB of storage and 2GB of RAM (it starts at 16GB and 2GB of RAM), so don't expect this tablet to be your primary device. If you're leaning toward using it for everyday data entry and immediate storage, you'll want to purchase extra capacity in the cloud, or an external drive. The Pro Slate's multi-core score is slightly below average. Comparable tablets, like the aforementioned Samsung Galaxy Note Pro 12.2 and the Dell Venue 11 Pro 7000, performed better, with the Note Pro 12.2 narrowly edging out the Slate with a score of 2,797.
However, the Dell tablet, which features an Intel Core M processor, wallops the Android tablets with an average score of about 5,000 on third party tests. For reference, other notable tablets on the market also trounce the Pro Slate.
The Surface 3, which also features a Core M processor, scored in the 3,300 range, and its bigger brother, the Core i5-powered Surface Pro 3 scored in the magnificent range of 5,500. Just for reference, the iPad Air 2 scores about 4,500. The Duet Pen has a double-ended writing nib with a rubber stylus for use on the tablet at one end and an ordinary ink pen at the other. You pull out the nib and reverse it depending on how you want to work. This is not a particularly elegant solution, but it's easy enough to switch writing modes. The Duet Pen is powered by its own battery, which you charge via a Micro-USB port. The tablet reports the pen charge level in its notifications area so you can see whether it needs a boost. To pair the pen, you simply place the nib onto a target area in the centre of the tablet's screen. The HP Pro Slate 12 is short of ports and connectors. Aside from the MicroUSB charge port, MicroSD and SIM card slots there's just a headset jack and a HP docking port which is not, at present, associated with any accessories at HP's website. THE BOTTOM LINE : The HP Pro Slate 12 is a worthy productivity tool for most businesses, with great apps and reliable digitisation tech, even if the Duet Pen can't quite handle the ruled lines of certain design work and it's running a slightly outdated processor and operating system. Pric:$569:00
The MacBook and Surface Pro make an interesting comparison here. Apple favours a slower processor, but a faster PCI-e SSD and Intel's faster HD 5000 graphics. It's a trade-off that makes the MacBook very snappy, but the Surface Pro 3 is no slouch either.
That faster processor gives it an edge in processor intensive tasks, too. This is no workstation class processor, of course, but anything you can throw at an ultrabook works fine on the Surface Pro 3. That means any task or application you use in everyday work and life. It's an efficient and effective replacement for a work laptop or ageing desktop.
It isn't noisy, either. If you're just watching video or doing some other simple task, it's rare to even hear the fan spin up. Even when it does it's an unobtrusive whir. You'll notice it in quiet surroundings, but it's barely discernible over the hubbub of an office. It's another reminder of the incredible industrial design in the Surface Pro 3. But That excellent keyboard cover is not included in the base price, and its improved touchpad still doesn't measure up. The chassis lacks pen storage, and even with tweaked kickstand and keyboard hinges, the Surface Pro 3 still doesn't fit perfectly on the lap. The Bottom Line While the new Surface Pro 3 is Microsoft's best PC to date, it's more successful as a tablet than a laptop replacement. CPU: 1.9GHz Intel Core i5-4300U | Graphics: Intel HD Graphics 4400 | RAM: 8GB | Screen: 12-inch, 2160 x 1440 multi-touch display| Storage: 256GB SSD $649.99 VS Samsung Galaxy Note Pro 12.2 hands-on Samsung had announced a new larger-screened Android tablet in the form of the Galaxy Note Pro 12.2. The Samsung Galaxy NotePRO is a 12.2-inch tablet targeting more business-minded users. Performance
Apps loaded quickly, and screen transitions were smooth and stutter-free. Everything worked as gracefully as I expected it to with an octa-core Exynos 5 chip and 3GB of RAM. It's a performance hiccup that only grew worse with the addition of more windows. Yes, the Note Pro 12.2 is technically capable of displaying four open apps plus floating pop-ups on top of that, but there's no real benefit for the user. How could there be when the experience is marred by a noticeable lag? In fact, there's a pervasive slowness to the Note Pro 12.2 that ruins any sense of rapid-fire multitasking. It's the opposite of what the device's prosumer customer would want. As a media viewer, however, you can't really go wrong with the Note Pro's considerable screen size. That 12.2-inch screen's an ideal venue for showing off presentations and high-res photos. It's similarly fantastic for watching Netflix or any other streaming media, so long as you can find a comfortable way to position it. If you can find a suitable way to prop it up, the Note Pro 12.2 can even serve as a solid replacement for viewing media on your laptop. The dual speakers are powerful enough that you should be able to comfortably watch with chatty friends or even in a moderately noisy environment. As a bonus, there's also no distortion when the volume is pushed to the max. And now, back to that Exynos 5 chip. As noted earlier, this WiFi-only model comes equipped with 3GB of RAM and Samsung's octa-core processor inside; that of the big.LITTLE architecture. So you're not exactly getting all eight cores firing simultaneously, but a setup wherein the best-suited set of four cores, be it for light tasks or heavy processing, takes over. It's likely the reason the Note Pro 12.2 seems to take its time cycling through tasks when activity ramps up. The Note Pro 12.2's 9,500mAh battery is a significant bump over the 8,220mAh one used in the Note 10.1 2014 Edition. Which makes sense, since it needs more juice to power all the pixels on that 2,560 x 1,600 display. If you've ever taken a look at your power management tab in Android's settings, you know that the display is the biggest drain on battery life. Knowing that, you should temper your expectations for longevity. During a normal eight-hour workday, the Note Pro 12.2 lost just under 50 percent of its charge and that was with what I'd consider normal usage -- some light browsing, emailing and monitoring of my Twitter feed. I'm sure it'd retain that charge even longer, perhaps for two days, if power-saving were enabled and it was left to mostly idle under light use. As well as playing host to the company’s now familiar S-Pen stylus, the high-end device packs in a raft of productivity features around a premium array of components and an all new user interface.Although pricing has yet to be announced, Samsung has confirmed that the NotePRO will start a global rollout this March in white and black versions.The specs on the Samsung Galaxy Note Pro 12.2 are top of the range, the 2560 x 1600 TFT LCD display is dazzling, add to that 3GB of RAM; an 8MP rear-facing camera & a 2Mp front-facing camera; a 9,500mAh battery; Android Kitkat 4.4 and you’ve to the blueprints to a big screened tablet with a lot of power. VS HP Pro Slate 12 The HP Pro Slate 12 is a nice-looking tablet, with a metal back, beveled metal edging, and big speaker grilles along the top and bottom of the display. It actually looks a lot like an oversize version of HTC's One M9 smartphone, and that's a compliment. The whole thing feels extremely solid and durable.The HP Pro Slate 12 makes a confident entry into the productivity tablet market with the ability to turn handwritten, ink-on-paper notes into on-screen text.The HP Pro Slate 12 does pack some impressive specs. Of course, the biggest (in every sense of the word) is the screen size. The HP Pro Slate 12 comes equipped with a massive 12.3-inch display. This is an IPS display which offers a 1600 x 1200 resolution. On the inside, the Pro Slate 12 is equipped with 2 GB RAM and powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 quad-core processor (clocking at 2.3 GHz). In terms of storage, the Pro Slate 12 is equipped with 32 GB internal storage and also offers the ability to expand another 32GB storage, thanks to the inclusion of a microSD card slot. Moving to the cameras, the Pro Slate 12 comes loaded with an 8-megapixel rear-facing option, which is coupled with a more modest 2-megapixel front-facing camera. Additional features include front-facing stereo speakers (with DTS Sound+), a 3G SIM-card for those interested and the tablet comes running on Android 5.0.2 (Lollipop). But,The HP Pro Slate 12 can house up to 32GB of storage and 2GB of RAM (it starts at 16GB and 2GB of RAM), so don't expect this tablet to be your primary device. If you're leaning toward using it for everyday data entry and immediate storage, you'll want to purchase extra capacity in the cloud, or an external drive. The Pro Slate's multi-core score is slightly below average. Comparable tablets, like the aforementioned Samsung Galaxy Note Pro 12.2 and the Dell Venue 11 Pro 7000, performed better, with the Note Pro 12.2 narrowly edging out the Slate with a score of 2,797.
However, the Dell tablet, which features an Intel Core M processor, wallops the Android tablets with an average score of about 5,000 on third party tests. For reference, other notable tablets on the market also trounce the Pro Slate.
The Surface 3, which also features a Core M processor, scored in the 3,300 range, and its bigger brother, the Core i5-powered Surface Pro 3 scored in the magnificent range of 5,500. Just for reference, the iPad Air 2 scores about 4,500. The Duet Pen has a double-ended writing nib with a rubber stylus for use on the tablet at one end and an ordinary ink pen at the other. You pull out the nib and reverse it depending on how you want to work. This is not a particularly elegant solution, but it's easy enough to switch writing modes. The Duet Pen is powered by its own battery, which you charge via a Micro-USB port. The tablet reports the pen charge level in its notifications area so you can see whether it needs a boost. To pair the pen, you simply place the nib onto a target area in the centre of the tablet's screen. The HP Pro Slate 12 is short of ports and connectors. Aside from the MicroUSB charge port, MicroSD and SIM card slots there's just a headset jack and a HP docking port which is not, at present, associated with any accessories at HP's website. THE BOTTOM LINE : The HP Pro Slate 12 is a worthy productivity tool for most businesses, with great apps and reliable digitisation tech, even if the Duet Pen can't quite handle the ruled lines of certain design work and it's running a slightly outdated processor and operating system. Pric:$569:00
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