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mgmueller · 05-02-2013, 09:55 AM

I've been in Spain for almost 2 weeks.
I had to/wanted to travel light.

I had considered to take with me:

Kindle Fire HD:
Amazon is my main source for eBooks, followed by Kobo and B&N. I have to use VPN for B&N and sometimes that's simply too bothersome.
I had considered Kindle Paperwhite. But as I decided to travel light, I decided for multi-purpose units, not mere readers. Instead, I thought about Kindle Fire HD 7". I like it a lot, for now prefer it over Nexus 7 for example. But eventually I decided against it. I can read my Kindle books on all other tablets as well, so there's not actual need for a dedicated Amazon unit.

iPad mini:
I prefer the form factor of iPad mini (no curved edges) over the bigger iPads. Rumor has it, iPad 5 will have the same design. Then I'll certainly buy one again.
I'm rarely using iPad mini at home. I like it a lot. But to me, iOS is too limited. It's a great gadget, but not a "productive" tool. I don't find any feature on iPad, I can't use on other devices as well.
It would have been compact and mobile enough as a second unit, but eventually I decided against it as well.

So it was clear:
I'll only take 1 tablet with me (additionally to iPhone 4S, Nokia Lumia 920 and my "permanent travel companion" MacBook Air).
For now, it had to be a Windows 8 tablet.

Surface RT:
I love it. Design, features - all great.
But as a sole unit too limited.

So I had to decide between Dell Latitude 10 and Microsoft Surface Pro. (I've sold my Asus VivoTab Smart, because I absolutely hated the update procedure via the Asus tools).

Surface Pro:
I want to love it. But I find, I don't use it very often.
It's great and delivers all it did promise.
Still: It's really heavy and bulky...

Latitude 10:
So far, I've found a single Windows 8 program, that didn't work: Bluestacks app player. It works nicely on Surface Pro. But do I really need Android apps on a Windows 8 tablet? Of course, I don't! I had to test it once, of course.

But there's no actual need for it.
So basically, Latitude 10 can do all that Surface Pro or Windows 8 Ultrabooks can do.
It's light enough. The rubberised back is extremely convenient to hold. I don't really need the WACOM pen, but it's nice to have it. There's no fan and no heat, due to the ATOM processor.

Meaning:
I really like, what Microsoft has done with both Surface tablets.
The design of both is very well thought out, so I guess for now there's simply no technical solution to make Surface Pro a bit lighter or less bulky.
Surface Pro definitely is workable easy enough. But if I have to bother about my luggage, it's critical.
For now, as I often have to consider space and weight, Dell Latitude 10 is my favorite Windows 8 tablet.
The performance (for my needs, I'm not into high-end games) is more than adequate.
The design is a bit less "valuable" than Microsoft Surface (Pro & RT) or iPad, but to me certainly more appealing than Asus, Acer or Samsung.

BTW: Spain has been great. What a country! Temperatures between 31 and 9 degrees Celsius on my travel route in Andalusia!

05-02-2013, 09:55 AM	#380
mgmueller Member Retired Posts: 3,308 Karma: 13024950 Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Augsburg (near Munich), Germany Device: 26 Readers, 44 Tablets	My personal verdict I've been in Spain for almost 2 weeks. I had to/wanted to travel light. I had considered to take with me: Kindle Fire HD: Amazon is my main source for eBooks, followed by Kobo and B&N. I have to use VPN for B&N and sometimes that's simply too bothersome. I had considered Kindle Paperwhite. But as I decided to travel light, I decided for multi-purpose units, not mere readers. Instead, I thought about Kindle Fire HD 7". I like it a lot, for now prefer it over Nexus 7 for example. But eventually I decided against it. I can read my Kindle books on all other tablets as well, so there's not actual need for a dedicated Amazon unit. iPad mini: I prefer the form factor of iPad mini (no curved edges) over the bigger iPads. Rumor has it, iPad 5 will have the same design. Then I'll certainly buy one again. I'm rarely using iPad mini at home. I like it a lot. But to me, iOS is too limited. It's a great gadget, but not a "productive" tool. I don't find any feature on iPad, I can't use on other devices as well. It would have been compact and mobile enough as a second unit, but eventually I decided against it as well. So it was clear: I'll only take 1 tablet with me (additionally to iPhone 4S, Nokia Lumia 920 and my "permanent travel companion" MacBook Air). For now, it had to be a Windows 8 tablet. Surface RT: I love it. Design, features - all great. But as a sole unit too limited. So I had to decide between Dell Latitude 10 and Microsoft Surface Pro. (I've sold my Asus VivoTab Smart, because I absolutely hated the update procedure via the Asus tools). Surface Pro: I want to love it. But I find, I don't use it very often. It's great and delivers all it did promise. Still: It's really heavy and bulky... Latitude 10: So far, I've found a single Windows 8 program, that didn't work: Bluestacks app player. It works nicely on Surface Pro. But do I really need Android apps on a Windows 8 tablet? Of course, I don't! I had to test it once, of course. But there's no actual need for it. So basically, Latitude 10 can do all that Surface Pro or Windows 8 Ultrabooks can do. It's light enough. The rubberised back is extremely convenient to hold. I don't really need the WACOM pen, but it's nice to have it. There's no fan and no heat, due to the ATOM processor. Meaning: I really like, what Microsoft has done with both Surface tablets. The design of both is very well thought out, so I guess for now there's simply no technical solution to make Surface Pro a bit lighter or less bulky. Surface Pro definitely is workable easy enough. But if I have to bother about my luggage, it's critical. For now, as I often have to consider space and weight, Dell Latitude 10 is my favorite Windows 8 tablet. The performance (for my needs, I'm not into high-end games) is more than adequate. The design is a bit less "valuable" than Microsoft Surface (Pro & RT) or iPad, but to me certainly more appealing than Asus, Acer or Samsung. BTW: Spain has been great. What a country! Temperatures between 31 and 9 degrees Celsius on my travel route in Andalusia! Last edited by mgmueller; 05-02-2013 at 09:59 AM.