8+ Readers in comparison

[Andy_T]

BTW, my (original) Kindle Fire is really rather weak as far as the battery is concerned. Takes forever to load, and even with the charger (Kindle charger) plugged in, the battery slowly loses power when reading on it at the same time.

Best regards,
Andy

[mgmueller]

I've just ordered the 64GB version.
It should be here around February 21st.

I've hesitated for quite a while.
I'd prefer a Surface Pro Mini. But there's no official announcement yet and I didn't want to wait any longer.

I've seen the Toshiba Encore yesterday. Reviews are good enough, but I don't like the touch and feel.

The Lenovo Thinkpad 8 with its full HD display would be interesting. But I'm not a fan of Lenovo and quite frankly I don't care much about resolution, especially on such a small device.
I'm perfectly fine for example with the 1366 x 768 on Surface RT. So the 1200 x 800 on an 8" unit shouldn't be a problem.

The Asus VivoTab Note 8 does have a WACOM stylus, which could be helpful. But I'm not sure about the usability on an 8" unit and honestly I don't use the stylus on my Surface Pro that often. And I'm not a fan of the Asus update process.

I like my Dell Latitude 10 and hope for similar build and display quality of the Dell Venue 8 Pro.
Anyway...I use my Windows 8 tablets way more intensively than the Android tablets and for now I don't use iPads at all. So a highly mobile 8" model for the suit or coat pocket will be great...

[Sweetpea]

Originally Posted by mgmueller

I've just ordered the 64GB version.
It should be here around February 21st.

Of what?

[HarryT]

What do you mean "of what"? The post title says "Dell Venue 8 Pro".

[Sweetpea]

Originally Posted by HarryT

What do you mean "of what"? The post title says "Dell Venue 8 Pro".

Ah, that doesn't show on tapatalk....

[mgmueller]

My iPad mini Retina 128GB is on the truck already.
I've bought it yesterday via German Telekom.
The cellular version normally would be € 779 in Germany.
I've bought it for € 439 via my Mobile Phone contract.

It's on the truck already, should be here still today.
24 hours! I didn't expect that.
But it's very welcome, since my Windows 8 8" tablets take another week.

I've hesitated for quite a while.
I've sold my original iPad mini about 10 weeks ago.
I simply didn't use it anymore since the update to iOS 7. And even before that, I've rarely used it.
Since the introduction of Surface Pro, I mainly use Windows 8 tablets.
But: There are some apps, I dearly miss. Nothing of real importance, just nice time wasters such as KenKen and the likes.
At some stage, I've had more than 11.000 apps in iTunes and that's still the simple argument for iOS. To me, that's the only argument but still a massive one.

I prefer the iPad mini over the iPad Air. Since I only use it as a mere gadget, I don't need the bigger display and prefer the mobility.

I'm tempted about the LiveScribe pen with Bluetooth, to directly transfer my handwritten notes on the fly to the iPad. Would be a nice alternative to the WACOM stylus on Surface Pro 2...

Update:
So far, after 3 hours of installing hundreds of apps, I'm positively surprised.
I absolutely hate my iPhone 4S since the upgrade to iOS7.
But I guess, it simply is less ugly on the bigger display.
I hope, batty life is better than on iPhone 4S. Since the iOS7 upgrade, my iPhone's battery drains incredibly fast. I already shut off lots of features such as geo location. Still, last week I only made a 1 hour phone call and after 5 hours in total (4 of which simply had been in standby), the battery had been drained.
Anyway...
Ipad mini Retina 128GB...
It has the perfect size for what I intend to use it for.
I'll still do all the "heavy lifting" on my Surface Pro 2.
iPad mini will be a mere entertainment center. And for this I found iPads 1 to 3 and the original iPad mini brillant from the start.
And again: The iOS is nothing special, neither is the hardware. But, coming from the Windows 8 store, the number of apps simply is THE compelling argument...
"There's an app for it". And another one, and another one, and...

My verdict, after 5 days:
It's just as I remembered. It's a phantastic toy. Way better than Android or Windows 8.
And in combination with the Logitech Ultrathin Keyboard Cover, it's a beautiful and compact Subnotebook.
But: I've tried all day. I still can't solve simple tasks such as my business email signature. I can't even change fonts in eMails. I've tried a few 3rd party apps. For the signature, I've found great one. Unfortunately, it's beta release yet and you have to manually modify the signature, else it will show adverts to their website.
But no way to change fonts or add a simple email signature?
I guess, I'll have to use Dell Venue Pro 8 for such tasks.
I want to travel light and 7" or 8" would be perfect for that.
But even on the road, I have to stick to CI and such...

It's a pity. But whatever business related task I try, I can't solve it.
They touchscreen keyboard doesn't learn. I can add shortcuts, but that's not helping much.
I really don't understand, how some companies now use iPads or iPhones as their business tools.
I know: Some will say, everyone has different demands. But my simple guess would be, iPads and iPhones -in the corporate world- make most sense for "road warriors". And what are the main tasks of the vast majority of road warriors? Communication...

It is crashing a lot. I had to soft reset it at least 3 times in 6 days so far.
Same with my iPhone 4S, since the upgrade to iOS7.
My iPhone frequently is crashing when I attempt to delete some SMS.
I haven't found out yet, what makes my iPad crash.

[mgmueller]

It's scheduled for tomorrow.
I'm curious.
I would have hoped for a more premium Windows 8 8" tablet.
Ideally a Surface Pro mini.
But nothing of that quality on the horizon yet.
So I've decided for the Dell Venue 8 Pro, since I've had good experiences with Dell Latitude 10.
Theoretically, there was a pen (not WACOM) for the Dell Venue 8 Pro.
But they don't sell it "for now" anymore, due to mixed responses.
No problem for me. I'm not sure about the usability on 8" anyway.
Mainly I was looking for a highly mobile solution, when wanting to travel light.
MacBook Air and/or Surface Pro are portable enough. But sometimes even this is too much.
8" seems about right.
I've tried iPad mini, but it's simply of no use for me re. business demands.
I can't even change fonts in emails and such.
A pity! iPad mini Retina 128GB + Logitech Ultrathin Keyboard cover would be the prefect combination. Highly mobile, with the appeal of a sub-notebook.
I'm curious, whether Dell Venue 8 Pro can bridge that gap.
Performance shouldn't be a problem. Dell Latitude 10 for example performs well enough, with an already dated ATOM processor.
8" still should be workable on Windows 8.
The display certainly could have a higher resolution, but reviews are quite favorable.

I guess, for the next few days/weeks, my travel companions will be:
* Dell Venue 8 Pro.
* iPad mini Retina + Logitech Ultrathin Keyboard cover.
The cover is standard bluetooth, so it should work well enough on the Dell Venue 8 Pro as well.
* Livescribe 3. A really cool pen. Not writing on any tablet, but in special paper notebooks. Via bluetooth the data is synced to iOS (Android announced, but not available yet). Text recognition is good enough.
I've had the Livescribe Echo pen before. Its desktop software was way more advanced than the iOS tool for Livescribe 3.
But I didn't like the syncing via USB.
There's a WiFi version, but to my knowledge it only syncs to Evernote.
With Livescribe 3, I've got all my notes on the iPad on the fly. I can convert them to text, send them as a graphic or PDF right ahead. Did seem interesting enough to give it a try. And so far, in the testing I did, it was working surprisingly well. Text recognition isn't 100%, but close enough and obviously easily can be trained.
And of course my local Apple store had placed it (the LIvescribe 3 pen) strategically on the shelf...
Meaning:
I take 2 ultra-compact tablets with me, a bluetooth keyboard and a bluetooth-enabled pen with its paper notebook.
Mobile enough and so I can give both concepts (iPad mini + keyboard + pen vs. full Windows 8 experience on an 8" Dell tablet) a try...

[mgmueller]

Just arrived!
The package, as usual with Dell, is rather flimsy.
No comparison to Apple or even Microsoft.
But build quality of the Tablet is surprisingly well!
About the quality of Google Nexus 7, I'd say.
Way better than Toshiba Encore for example.
For a € 350 unit, nothing to complain about.

Wow!
There's a SIM slot.
I hadn't been aware of that!
Very pleasant surprise!

Now it's installing my apps.
So far, the display looks great.
I'm not that much interested in "Retina" or "Full HD" and such.
For the stuff I'm doing on those tablets, the common PC resolution of 1.024 x 768 we've had a few years ago, is absolutely adequate. (Venue 8 Pro has 1.280 x 800).
But I want to have a "normal" picture. I've never been a fan of the over-saturation of Samsung for example. For now, The Venue 8 Pro seems very natural, with great viewing angles.

And again: The build quality. It feels rather heavy, not at all "plasticky" but kind of valuable.

I'm installing some language packs now in the desktop.
Hmmm....
On an 8" display, the Windows desktop really is small.
So far, I didn't miss any icons, but a pen obviously would come in handy.
But the fonts are easily readable, no problems there with resolution, font size and such.

Only minor complaint so far:
Why do I have to bother with this McAfee crap?
Especially on such a low powered unit, it's sheer horror!
That's why I prefer Microsoft Surface Pro or Google Nexus 7: You get a clean install, no bloatware!

Strange:
On the German and some other Dell websites, the active pen can't be ordered.
Probably due to extremely mixed reviews, ranging from "great" to "disaster".
Strange enough, I was able to order from the European Dell website.
Should be here in about 2 weeks.
I'm curious, but I could live without pen as well if it really shouldn't be working adequately.

[HarryT]

Is this a Windows 8 tablet?

[mgmueller]

Originally Posted by HarryT

Is this a Windows 8 tablet?

Yes.
Stupid naming convention from Dell.
There's Venue 8 Pro = Windows 8.1.
There's Venue 8 = Android.
No idea, whether they have lots of identical hardware.
Anyway...
I've got the Windows 8.1 one.
So far, I love it!

[pilotbob]

Originally Posted by mgmueller

Yes.
Stupid naming convention from Dell.
There's Venue 8 Pro = Windows 8.1.
There's Venue 8 = Android.
No idea, whether they have lots of identical hardware.
Anyway...
I've got the Windows 8.1 one.
So far, I love it!

It is Windows 8.1 Pro or Windows RT?

[mgmueller]

Originally Posted by pilotbob

It is Windows 8.1 Pro or Windows RT?

Windows 8.1.
The "real" one. I won't buy any RT anymore. I've got Surface RT and Surface 2, that's more than enough.
32bit.
Atom Z37400.
EDIT: It's Atom Z3740D.
I'll do the 3D Benchmark later on, to compare to Surface Pro 1&2, iPad mini Retina and Nvidia Shield.
I have no idea, how reliable/meaningful this benchmark is.
But it's the only one I've found for all platforms.
I'm a bit sceptical, since iPad mini Retina only was on the same level as Nvidia Shield, way behind Surface Pro 2. The gap seems a bit too big...

[Sweetpea]

There's a zero too much in your processor... It's either a Z3740 or a Z3740D...

I'll see if I can type my impressions with my Asus today.

[mgmueller]

Originally Posted by Sweetpea

There's a zero too much in your processor... It's either a Z3740 or a Z3740D...

I'll see if I can type my impressions with my Asus today.

Ups.
It's 3740D.
Read it for another "0" in semi-darkness on the couch.
Maybe I have to increase the scaling level a bit.
And reviews are right: With auto-brightness on, it's relatively dark. I'll leave it on for now, to check the battery.
I've found out about the pen in the meantime: I could have ordered it from the German website as well. But only for the 11" tablet Venue Pro 11, not for my 8" one. Strange! So the (in some reviews) reported problems with accuracy and reliability must be with the digitizer of the tablet then, not the pen?! I'll have to see myself...

[mgmueller]

One can't really compare the 2 of course.
Too many differences in price, market segmentation, approach and so on.
Still, I briefly wanted to share my experience:

I've got iPad mini Retina last Friday (perfect timing before the weekend).
I've had iPads 1 to 3 and the original iPad before, so it wasn't really a new experience.
Quite the contrary: I've had an extensive library of apps already, although I had been "abstinent" for almost 4 months.

I've got Dell Venue 8 Pro yesterday (another perfect timing before the weekend).
I have 3 other Windows 8 tablets, so it's no new experience either.

It may seem pretty obvious, but my experience with both tablets was vastly different!

I'm still kind of enthusiastic about the iPad mini. A bit pissed as well, since I've got stability/reliability issues. But I blame this on a "Monday unit"...
In general, I've "dived right in". Within 2 minutes, I've started downloading my favorite apps and after 3 days of intensive usage I've had 496 apps installed and each briefly tested.

Quite the opposite on Dell Venue 8 Pro:
I have it for 20 hours now. I've spent the first roundabout 10 hours, tweaking and tuning the system.
So far, I've reinstalled maybe 30 apps.
I've spent more time with MS Outlook, configuring my signature, defining the fonts and such, than actually testing or even enjoying any app.
I like it a lot, but I don't feel the kind of enthusiasm I've got about iPad mini.
Dell Venue 8 Pro has a price tag of € 350, whereas iPad mini Retina costs € 780. More than twice the price!
But that's not the reason. Not at all.
Build quality and display of Dell Venue 8 Pro are surprisingly well. No feel of "bargain unit" at all.
It can't 100% compete re. resolution or style of the housing of the iPad, but it performs more than adequately.

My different experiences have nothing to do with that.
Well, maybe a little. The marketing machinery of Apple certainly still does the trick.
If you look at the package of the Dell, you'd assume maybe a € 20 sleeve in it, but not a € 350 tablet.
So, presentation does have its part. And Apple obviously is brillant in that.
But that's just minor details.

It's about customer experience and approach.
In iTunes, you immediately find obvious recommendations: "Apps from Apple" or "recommendations from the editors" or "games of the last months" and so on.
In the Microsoft store, although there's way less apps available, it's a bit less appealing to stroll around.
Nice enough, but not quite there yet.
It's similar to the difference in shopping in a cheap retailer or the main house of a first class manufacturer.
BTW: Android isn't much more appealing than Microsoft. Apple is a class of their own in this area.

And the really interesting part:
I've you dive in deeper, there's not much to experience or discover on iPad.
You can't do much tuning or tweaking. Actually, all you can do depends on the respective app you're using in that moment.
I had forgotten about it. But I was quite baffled to recognize, that I can't even change fonts or insert my signature in emails on iPad. How anybody can use it for professional communication, which highly relies on CI, is beyond me.
But that's all perfectly hidden behind the pleasant user experience.
On those Windows 8 tablets on the other hand, you've got all the sheer endless possibilities of a full blown PC. Perfect tools. But just not "sexy", but working horses.

Come to think about it, my comparison isn't much of a surprise.
But I hadn't expected it in this clarity.
One rarely has the opportunity, to experience 2 new/old concepts within such a brief timeframe...

Anyway...
I love my iPad. I'd surely miss it, since it's one of my favorite toys.
I probably love my Windows 8 tablets a bit less. But I value them (way) more, since I actually can use them as my tools of daily operations.

BTW: Someone in another thread commented, for his line of work his iPad is a perfect tool since he mainly has to edit/check PDFs and such.
Of course the old saying is true: To each his own.
But I'm still convinced: Tablets make most sense for "road warriors". People who spend 50% to 80% outside of their offices. With clients or on the way to clients.
And then, in my opinion, communication is key for 90% of the jobs.
You have to be able to use profiles on your smartphone ("I'm in a meeting, but my boss, people from the main offices and my key clients still can call me"), you have to be able to stick to CI and other such generalities.
And I still think, iPad still is a far way from that...

BTW: I've been in my local Apple store yesterday.
They even have a "kids corner". I've seen 3 or 4 years old, playing around with iPads without supervision.
Wow! "I'm only 3 years old, but I want to have a € 800 tablet!".
But I think, that's quite a valid representation. In this Apple store, there haven't been too many "professionals" amongst the customers.
I mainly saw customers between 15 and maybe 22 years. Only very few of them seemed to be coming from work. Most seemed to be from school or University.
To me, iPad still very much is a consumer product. In a similar league as Amazon Kindle Fire HDs.
Windos 8 has way less appeal for that demographic....