Can't make a decision... Help me!!!

[brianious]

I've been brooding around to purchase a new tablet for like 2 months now. Originally, Vivo Tab RT and such captivated me but I realized RT was not for me. What I need is a tablet with good keyboard so I can do some office work. This means I don't need excessive power or memory, as it will be lightly used. I'll most likely use these devices to read PDF files on the subway, do some typing in library, surf the web time to time and such. Things I have in mind are..

Samsung Ativ 500t

Pros:
Full Windows 8
Keyboard and Stylus
Reasonable price range at 750+Tax where I live
Has everything that will suit my need

Cons:
Constant keyboard and wifi issues I am hearing about.
The look, I dislike the blue-ish feel and glossy back.


ASUS Vivo Tab

Pros:
Full Windows 8
Keyboard and Stylus
Has everything that will suit my need
Form factor, the device with keyboard looks gorgeous

Cons:
I hear the support is terrible with some issues still
It is quite pricy... with keyboard it will cost over 1000 dollars. Money isn't the issue but can the extra 250 bucks be justified compared to Ativ 500?



I could wait for surface pro but major downside of this is the keyboard. I've tried the touch keyboard and it was atrocious. I also dislike the look of the finish on the backside of the keyboard (I know, I'm picky). I'd prefer more battery life as to more power, so I don't really need the intel core with a fan in my tablet.

Some other tablets I have in mind are Lenovo Yoga and Dell XPS 12 but for similar reasons as to Surface pro (Although better because of the keyboard), it is my last resort.

So it seems my options are Atom processor tablets. I just can't seem to make a decision. What is the best bang for the buck device between Ativ 500 and Vivo tab?
Thanks!

[Ravynmagi]

I have the Samsung 500T. Some days I really like it, other days I want to throw it against a wall. It does have issues. But it's early and I'm hoping these issues will be resolved soon. And I'm still in my 30 day return period.

Regarding the cons you mentioned about the 500T. If you are talking about the keyboard disconnect issue. I believe that has been resolved. I don't think I've had the issue on mine and others say a BIOS update in December seems to have fixed this. Though I do have an issue related to the keyboard, the tablet often won't go to sleep when closing the lid on the keyboard. I noticed that if I disable the track pad (an easy Fn key on the keyboard) and then close the lid it works better. My guess is the keyboard isn't going to sleep when the tablet tries to go to sleep, this is evident by the keyboard light always staying on during sleep mode. Hopefully a driver update will fix this later.

Regarding the wifi. Kinda stinks Samsung only put a single channel 802.11n wireless in here, only get a 65Mbps connection. It's sufficient. I don't think it likes 40Mhz channels. And the big problem is wifi had trouble automatically reconnecting to access points if you have bluetooth enabled. If you have an unhidden access point, you can easily manually reconnect to it each time. More of a pain with hidden access points. Disabling the bluetooth seems to fix this, so if you don't use bluetooth no issue. Hopefully a wireless or bluetooth driver update will fix this in the future.

Little disappointing there is no battery in the keyboard. But typing on this keyboard is pretty nice. Another tablet I was highly considering is the HP Envy X2. Some that have compared both say the Samsung keyboard has more travel and feels better. The HP Envy X2 has a battery in the keyboard and an aluminum body. But has no Wacom digitizer and doesn't include a pen. At first I didn't care at all about the pen, but I'm finding it quite handy to have with desktop apps.

I haven't look at lot at the ASUS TF810. The price just immediately disqualifies it from my consideration. $800 for the tablet. I think another $150 for the keyboard. The ASUS tablet alone costs more than my Samsung tablet and keyboard bundle, plus the USB DVD drive, USB to ethernet adapter, and 64GB micro SD card I bought.


The issues I have with the Samsung 500T drive me crazy and I sometimes think about returning it. Unfortunately I don't see any other tablet I'd probably want more. The HP Envy X2 will cost $100 and doesn't have the stylus I'm starting to think I'll need now. Also love the full sized USB port and rotation lock on the Samsung that it seems other tablets don't have. Other than the glossy plastic back, I think most of the Samsung issues will be fixed with driver updates in time. If I'm not patient enough to wait and decide to return it, I don't really see another good tablet/keyboard combo that I like. So I was thinking of probably just going with a cheaper ASUS ME400 for $500, using my own bluetooth keyboard and hope better Windows 8 tablets come out later in the year.

[brianious]

Thank you for such an informative post Ravynmagi! I am glad to hear the keyboard issue has been fixed. I heard wifi has some issues with slow connection, but I can be patient with it.

I thought of HP Envy x2 as well, but I haven't heard excellent reviews about them and missing the digitizer pen is a huge minus. This is why I only included Vivo Tab along with the Ativ 500. Basically, if I do end up purchasing Vivo Tab instead, I think I will be paying 150-200 dollars more just for the looks and build quality. The ASUS Vivo Tab looks beautiful and color is nicer, so I might seriously consider investing couple more hundred bucks since I will probably use this new device for at least two years. Thank you very much for your input on Ativ 500t however. It really reduced a lot of concerns I had for the device, and just might purchase it!

I would also like to hear from anyone who has a Vivo Tab regarding its pros and cons..

[thierryb]

We have had many drivers and bios updates with the 500T
The people who bought Asus use the drivers from the Samsung.

[ships10]

How about the Dell Lat 10?

[Steve S]

To All: I'm going to move this discussion thread to the "What Tablet PC Should I Buy?" forum. Other members will have the benefit of this discussion in that forum and it's somewhat OT here.

Thanks to all for your understanding in this matter.

[brianious]

Hi ships10, Dell Latitude is automatically out of the option because it doesn't have a dedicated keyboard dock. I need a convertible tablet that will fit together with the keyboard dock like an ultrabook. This is why I mentioned just Ativ 500, Vivo Tab, and Envy x2.

I think I will give Ativ 500 a try, since it is the only one in stock around where I live. If I am disappointed, I can always return and try Vivo Tab when it comes out!

Thanks all!

[risalahvs]

I would go for that cool looking Acer, which docks and has an Apple like keyboard. If I'm not mistaken it's part of the Aconia range. You should check them out, as they come with i3's up to i7's.

[gamegirl]

Curious to hear how you like the 500 - for what it's worth, if you decide you do like it, there are several people on the forum investigating various skins for the 500 and 700, so if the look still bothers you, there may be an inexpensive remedy soon!

[Ravynmagi]

I got my skin from Decalrus for the Samsung 500T. The skin is smooth, but it's still a pretty nice improvement over the glossy plastic back of the tablet, so I'd recommend it for someone bothered by the slipperiness. They have semi glossy and matte skins. I asked Decalrus which they though had more grip, and they answered the semi glossy, though I get the impression the difference is probably not much between the two.

Yeah, I did read ASUS TF810 owners complaining about the lack of drivers. Seems ironic that it's Samsung doing the better job updating their tablet than ASUS. But I'm imagining ASUS will get on that soon enough.