Travel Technology - Need help deciding between a tablet and netbook

I am in a dilemma and was hoping that experienced FTers can guide me.

I am planning to backpack and I am debating whether to buy a tablet or a netbook.

My primary uses will be using Word, Powerpoint, Latex and if possible Photoshop.

Am I better off buying a netbook or a tablet with USB keyboard? Or should I consider something else?

I am in a dilemma and was hoping that experienced FTers can guide me.

I am planning to backpack and I am debating whether to buy a tablet or a netbook.

My primary uses will be using Word, Powerpoint, Latex and if possible Photoshop.

Am I better off buying a netbook or a tablet with USB keyboard? Or should I consider something else?

It sounds like you're doing some serious creation. I'd say you'd be better off with a Netbook or a notebook computer.

Netbook if you want to do Office tasks, and if you really want to type.

I am in a dilemma and was hoping that experienced FTers can guide me.

I am planning to backpack and I am debating whether to buy a tablet or a netbook.

My primary uses will be using Word, Powerpoint, Latex and if possible Photoshop.

Am I better off buying a netbook or a tablet with USB keyboard? Or should I consider something else?

1) All of the above except photo editing require a real keyboard, and real software. Tablet's out. Especially for LaTeX (or any other sort of coding); I've yet to see a tablet keyboard with a full array of symbol keys or a decent layout.

2) Depending on what you mean by "netbook," LaTeX and non-trivial use of Photoshop are going to be a stretch for the CPU on most machines sold as netbooks. If you're looking at the lower end of processors, you're much better off spending a bit more on a real subnotebook CPU (there are a few decent 11.6" consumer models and a few decent 12.5" business ones), or looking for a used one if cost of a new one is prohibitive.

I'd look for one of the following processors by preference
- Core 2 Duo with a minimum of a 1.8ghz CPU -- examples: used Lenovo X200 or X200s
- Anything i5 or i7 (including < 1.8ghz ultra low voltage models; with turbo the low clock isn't a killer) -- examples new: some equipment of Lenovo X220/X230, Dell Latitude E6220/E6320, MacBook Air 11" i5 models (mid-2011 to present)some specs of used: Lenovo X201, some equipment of Acer TimelineX 1830T
- i3 non-ULV with a clock speed of 1.8ghz or faster: some equip of Lenovo models above, Dell E6220/E6320, some models of Lenovo X120e

Marginal:
- i3 ULV (clock 1.6ghz or lower) - not sure of any of these out there
- AMD dual core models E-350 or E-450 (some equips of HP Dm1z, Lenovo X120e, some models of Lenovo X130e)
- Core 2 Duo ULV 1.6ghz - a few older subnotebooks such as the Dell E4200

Avoid:
- AMD dual-core C-50 or C-60
- AMD single-core (E-250, etc) - some equips of HP/Lenovo models above
- Anything Atom (even dual core!)
- Core 2 Solo
- Core 2 Duo 1.4ghz or below (Dell D420, D430, some equipes E4200, and the first-gen MacBook Air 11")
- Any of the current "Pentium" models

If I had to pick two models to look at, new and used, what I'd suggest are -
New:
* Lenovo X220 (or X230 if 220 is out of stock when you look)
* MacBook Air 11" (present model only, the 2010 one is a dog)

Used:
* Lenovo X200 (or X200s) -- plentiful on the used market, and quite durable, should be as cheap as a new netbook.
* Dell Latitude E6220 via http://outlet.dell.com/ -- same-as new warranty, should be around $500 if you wait for one of their coupons via https://twitter.com/DellOutlet/

Ultrabook

Dell Latitude E6220/E6320
I love my E6320, but it's a beast for travel compared to the Dell XPS13Z -which is very easy to handle in and out of airport security. I second the Lenovo X200/X220 laptops - not pretty, but effective.

Thanks for the great suggestions.. Any idea on HP Folio?

I love my E6320, but it's a beast for travel compared to the Dell XPS13Z -which is very easy to handle in and out of airport security. I second the Lenovo X200/X220 laptops - not pretty, but effective.

Cost permitting, ultrabooks are certainly a more attractive option; the main reason I'd bring up the Dells is the very high degree of discounting relative to other competitors on the older E6220.

Ultrabook

If the OP has the $800-$1200 budget for an ultrabook, it's a great option.

13"/13.3" ultrabook models are going to have a slightly bigger footprint, but be lighter than most of the 12.5" business models. They'll also be more expensive than base configs of the 12.5" business models, although adding options will quickly add them up to be about equal.

Thanks for the great suggestions.. Any idea on HP Folio?

I've got no direct experience with it, but the specs on this one (http://shopping1.hp.com/is-bin/INTERSHOP.enfinity/WFS/WW-USSMBPublicStore-Site/en_US/-/USD/ViewStandardCatalog-Browse?CatalogCategoryID=S_oQ7hab8uEAAAE0E94RNCUD&jumpid=re_r11260_folio_business_new) look very good for an Ultrabook; fast enough for almost anyone's definition of "real work."

One up side to ultrabooks is that they virtually all come with SSDs; this is a big plus when backpacking, as the hard drive is the most fragile part of any system, and often (depending on how often you upload content) the most important. SSDs are really, really durable -- anything that takes them out will take out the whole rest of the system in pieces. :)

One down side is that they aren't generally easy to upgrade the SSD on -- the 128gb or 256gb you get with the box is generally what you're stuck with (or will be a harder upgrade using an mSATA card than just swapping a full size drive.) With regular SSD prices well under $1/gb now for good if-not-stellar-speed drives it might be worth considering getting a rotational drive and replacing it it ($350 for 480gb (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00566FEUO/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00566FEUO&linkCode=as2&tag=cubiclehermit-20), $329 after rebate.)

I took a netbook on a 3 month trip and here's my experence:
-Netbook has much better durability, this is the #1 reason I'd recommend it over a tablet to all users
-Netbook is much more versatile as far as being feature rich, especially for what you've stated you're doing
-Netbooks aren't cool...but when you're doing things the tablet people can't, then they shut up pretty quick.
-STORAGE...I assume you'll be taking a few photos, videos, etc....well tablets will fill up pretty darn quick and it's nice having somewhere to back up your SDHC cards to in case they get stolen/lost/damaged.

So yeah, ultrabook or netbook hands-down is the way to go!

Anyone solve the issues on the handheld device by accessing their devices back home?

http://slodive.com/freebies/android-remote-desktop-apps/

if you are planning on backpacking I think you need something more rugged,
with long battery life,

except for Photoshop a tablet with a USB / bluetooth keyboard might work for you

Soarer

Macbook Air - size of a tablet, power of a notebook.

I hate Apple, but based on OP's requirement, the MacBook Air is the best choice. +1 here.

With the work you're talking about, forget the tablet. Find yourself a good small notebook. An Apple refurbed Macbook Air is probably your best bet.

I need a tablet/netbook for an upcoming extended travel. I'm leaning towards the Asus Transformer. Would you recommend it?
I want to use it to surf the web, check emails while I'm on the road traveling. Don't want to bring something too expensive like the iPad that might get lost/stolen or something too big or heavy like a laptop.

I am leaning towards an ultrabook though that was not within my original budget.

I am hoping there would be back to school deals on these from next week. Samsung Series 9/HP Folio/Asus are available ~$600. I am not an apple fanboy and don't care about looks. Will the Macbook Air provide any additional advantages?

I am leaning towards an ultrabook though that was not within my original budget.

I am hoping there would be back to school deals on these from next week. Samsung Series 9/HP Folio/Asus are available ~$600. I am not an apple fanboy and don't care about looks. Will the Macbook Air provide any additional advantages?

Depending on how much storage you need, take a look at the Acer Timeline 1830T. I've had one for over a year and a half and am very pleased - I replaced the HDD with a 240GB SSD - great battery life and it is speedy. We bought two at the office from Walmart recently for some new hires who will be on the road and will swap in SSDs for them, too. Walmart had them for about $550 I think. get a small (64-100GB) SSD for under $100, get a cheap USB enclosure for the HDD it comes with and you would have a sweet setup.

I need a tablet/netbook for an upcoming extended travel. I'm leaning towards the Asus Transformer. Would you recommend it?
I want to use it to surf the web, check emails while I'm on the road traveling. Don't want to bring something too expensive like the iPad that might get lost/stolen or something too big or heavy like a laptop.

For what you're doing, the Asus Transformer (or one of the newer versions of that) may be a good call; make sure to try the keyboard in person if you can. It's definitely one of the better tablet+keyboard solutions -- not good for serious document prep or coding, but probably acceptable for heavy email use for most people.

I am hoping there would be back to school deals on these from next week. Samsung Series 9/HP Folio/Asus are available ~$600. I am not an apple fanboy and don't care about looks. Will the Macbook Air provide any additional advantages?

If you don't like the MacOS, I'd steer clear of the MacBook Air. One can run Windows on it, but instead of "just working" it becomes an bit of chore with drivers -- what most people try to avoid in buying a Mac. The construction, battery life, and screen quality are all very good. I don't like the keyboard, but then, I don't like the basic chiclet style of keyboard that is taking over the industry and is shared with every single ultrabook out there.

Both the HP Folio and Samsung Series 9 are available with both i5 and i3 processors; I'd avoid the i3, if possible. I'd expect the $600ish systems to be i3s, but you might find a deal on an i5.

Probably out of budget at around $1000, but the Asus UX21 (11.6" ultrabook) looks like one of the sweetest travel notebooks out there, and has a ULV i5.

How large are the LaTeX documents you're working with? How heavily graphical? Book-length stuff (eg a PhD dissertation) are going to be a lot more painful on a low end processor than 10-12 page papers.

If you don't like the MacOS, I'd steer clear of the MacBook Air. One can run Windows on it, but instead of "just working" it becomes an bit of chore with drivers -- what most people try to avoid in buying a Mac. The construction, battery life, and screen quality are all very good. I don't like the keyboard, but then, I don't like the basic chiclet style of keyboard that is taking over the industry and is shared with every single ultrabook out there.

Both the HP Folio and Samsung Series 9 are available with both i5 and i3 processors; I'd avoid the i3, if possible. I'd expect the $600ish systems to be i3s, but you might find a deal on an i5.

Probably out of budget at around $1000, but the Asus UX21 (11.6" ultrabook) looks like one of the sweetest travel notebooks out there, and has a ULV i5.

How large are the LaTeX documents you're working with? How heavily graphical? Book-length stuff (eg a PhD dissertation) are going to be a lot more painful on a low end processor than 10-12 page papers.

I would be working on a ~100 page book chapter with about 20 figures and about 100 equations.

I am looking at a i5. There was a deal today on Samsung series 9 today at Microsoft Store for $700+free Xbox. Hopefully something similar will be repeated. I liked UX21 but as you mentioned it is out of budget. There is a Toshiba Portege Z835 for around 700. Reviews seem to be mixed.

I need a tablet/netbook for an upcoming extended travel. I'm leaning towards the Asus Transformer. Would you recommend it?
I want to use it to surf the web, check emails while I'm on the road traveling. Don't want to bring something too expensive like the iPad that might get lost/stolen or something too big or heavy like a laptop.

I have an Asus Transformer (1st Gen) with the keyboard dock. Took it to Italy for a few weeks late last year. Worked fine for simple e-mail, web surf, etc. Nice that it has GPS, can undock to be a "pure" tablet and also a keyboard in docking mode. Somewhat frustrating as it has some limitations if you step beyond e-mail & web surfing. It does make a nice Slingbox client. And it is not cheap compared to a netbook.

Personally, it's nice but I would rather take my Acer 1830T than the Transformer. On our trip it was fine but if I wanted to do something beyond the basics it was a compromise.

Without the keyboard, the transformer is not fun to use for activities that require text entry; with the keyboard it's better but now you don't really have a tablet. A netbook is not as sexy but much more practical. It is nice that it can HDMI dock but my 1830T can, too and it is a very efficient and stable device.

I'd rather use my Android phone for nav and it, too, has an HDMI out for a larger screen.

Would I use an android pad? Sure, not to replace but enhance. That's why I want a great, reasonably priced 7" tablet. That is something I would ADD to the repertoire.

I hate Apple, but based on OP's requirement, the MacBook Air is the best choice. +1 here.

More susceptible to theft, though.

A beat-up old netbook would be better.

Neil

I would be working on a ~100 page book chapter with about 20 figures and about 100 equations.

I am looking at a i5.

Yeah, that's going to be semi-painful on a slower processor.

There was a deal today on Samsung series 9 today at Microsoft Store for $700+free Xbox. Hopefully something similar will be repeated. I liked UX21 but as you mentioned it is out of budget. There is a Toshiba Portege Z835 for around 700. Reviews seem to be mixed.

Samsung Series 9 has had very good reviews, and $700 for an i5-based one sounds very god even without the free Xbox; I haven't had my hands on either that or the more recent Porteges, but my general experience with other recent Toshibas has been relatively poor.

A beat-up old netbook would be better.


100 pages of Latex on an Atom is going to be a very, very slow build on a Netbook processor.

Used business subnotebook of adequate speed would definitely be less conspicuous than a shiny new Ultrabook, although it'll be thicker, possibly a little heavier, and have a 12.1" rather than 13.3" screen. Also, depending on the generation still slower than the ultrabook, if a lot faster than the netbook.

Used X201 is probably the sweet spot of price/performance. but a little porky given other options in consideration. The Acer 1830T that JMN57 mentioned is another good option, but they're pretty much out of the pipeline now and not nearly as easy to find used/surplus as the Lenovos.

The Acer 1830T that JMN57 mentioned is another good option, but they're pretty much out of the pipeline now and not nearly as easy to find used/surplus as the Lenovos.

It took me 5 minutes to find these.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Acer-AS1830T-4472W7H-Laptop-U5600-4GB-500G-W7HP-Webcam-8HRs-LX-PYX02-176-/370549111197?pt=Laptops_Nov05&hash=item564672b99d#ht_4149wt_1011

It took me 5 minutes to find these.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Acer-AS1830T-4472W7H-Laptop-U5600-4GB-500G-W7HP-Webcam-8HRs-LX-PYX02-176-/370549111197?pt=Laptops_Nov05&hash=item564672b99d#ht_4149wt_1011

Pentium U5600 is even slower than the ULV i3s; that'd be a very nice improvement on a netbook for many people doing basic browsing, office, etc. Costs about the same as a used X201, although it's new surplus rather than used, lighter and will have a better battery life. For small machines at this end of the budget, there is no obvious win, just tradeoffs to make.

Refurb with the i7 costs about the same as the Pentium does new surplus:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Acer-Aspire-TimelineX-AS1830T-68U118-i7-1-46GHz-4GB-500G-11-6-Laptop-Windows-7-/160831831511?pt=Laptops_Nov05&hash=item257252fdd7
but for many workloads will be twice as fast when plugged in given that it's got turbo to 2.53ghz vs. a fixed clock speed of 1.33ghz.

Any opinions about this machine?

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Acer-Black-11.6-Aspire-TimelineX-AS1830T-68U118-Laptop-PC-with-Intel-Core-i7-680UM-Processor-and-Windows-7-Home-Premium-with-Windows-8-Pro-Upgrade-Op/19472992?dest=9999999997&sourceid=20615467080979180099&veh=aff&wmlspartner=lw9MynSeamY#rr

Any opinions about this machine?

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Acer-Black-11.6-Aspire-TimelineX-AS1830T-68U118-Laptop-PC-with-Intel-Core-i7-680UM-Processor-and-Windows-7-Home-Premium-with-Windows-8-Pro-Upgrade-Op/19472992?dest=9999999997&sourceid=20615467080979180099&veh=aff&wmlspartner=lw9MynSeamY#rr

At the under-$500 clearance price, looks like a very good choice.

(eta: that's the top of the line model of the machine JMN57 was recommending, and I mentioned in passing up-thread.)

Ignoring cost (which is a big win at that price), it's going to be thicker than the present round of ultrabooks, and perhaps not as good on battery life (although I believe it has an exchangeable battery, which ultrabooks generally don't.) It's not going to be as durable or fast as a business subnotebook, but it'll be lighter and have a better battery life.

Oh, and compared to an Atom or AMD C-series based netbook, it pretty much wins all-around (although it's a little pricier.)

You didn't mention any gaming or 3D-graphics-heavy use; the on-chip video for the first-generation mobile i7 like that has is a LOT weaker than than the 2nd-generation i5/i7 ("Sandy Bridge") but it's sufficient for any general-use. Just don't try gaming on it. :)

You did mention Photoshop, and it will not have GPU acceleration in Photoshop. For very serious users, that may be an issue, but for most users it won't be a noticeable issue, especially with a reasonably-fast processor (which that has.)

--

eta2: if you have some budget left over, for a serious travel machine, replacing the HD with an SSD makes a big difference in durability of your date. There are some decent 240gb models for $180-$220 these days.

At the under-$500 clearance price, looks like a very good choice.

(eta: that's the top of the line model of the machine JMN57 was recommending, and I mentioned in passing up-thread.)

Ignoring cost (which is a big win at that price), it's going to be thicker than the present round of ultrabooks, and perhaps not as good on battery life (although I believe it has an exchangeable battery, which ultrabooks generally don't.) It's not going to be as durable or fast as a business subnotebook, but it'll be lighter and have a better battery life.

Oh, and compared to an Atom or AMD C-series based netbook, it pretty much wins all-around (although it's a little pricier.)

You didn't mention any gaming or 3D-graphics-heavy use; the on-chip video for the first-generation mobile i7 like that has is a LOT weaker than than the 2nd-generation i5/i7 ("Sandy Bridge") but it's sufficient for any general-use. Just don't try gaming on it. :)

You did mention Photoshop, and it will not have GPU acceleration in Photoshop. For very serious users, that may be an issue, but for most users it won't be a noticeable issue, especially with a reasonably-fast processor (which that has.)

--

eta2: if you have some budget left over, for a serious travel machine, replacing the HD with an SSD makes a big difference in durability of your date. There are some decent 240gb models for $180-$220 these days.


I can't thank you enough! I have bought the Timeline, but I think I might return it and buy something with a SSD ~$600. There have been ~$600 deals on HP Folio and Samsung Series 9 recently.
I am an advanced amateur with photoshop and lightroom and use quite a few plugins. They run fine on my current Core 2 Duo 2 Ghz Thinkpad. I am still not convinced this Timeline can handle it though.

I am looking at an X230 for $678+tax with the following specs. Not sure if I should bite, this config has no SSD and putting that on my own will add another $200!

ThinkPad X230 - 1 Year Depot Warranty
Processor: Intel Core i5-3210M Processor (3M Cache, up to 3.10 GHz)
Operating system: Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium (64 bit)
Operating system language: Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64 - English
Display type: 12.5" Premium HD (1366x768) LED Backlit Display, Mobile Broadband Ready, 3x3 Antenna
System graphics: Intel HD 4000 Graphics in Intel Core i5-3210M Processor
Total memory: 4 GB PC3-12800 DDR3 (1 DIMM)
Keyboard: Keyboard - US English
Fingerprint reader: UltraNav without FingerPrint Reader
Hard drive: 320GB Hard Disk Drive, 7200rpm
Battery: 6 Cell ThinkPad Battery X44+
Power cord: 65W AC Adapter - US (2pin)
Integrated WiFi wireless LAN adapters: Intel Centrino Advanced-N 6205 AGN

They run fine on my current Core 2 Duo 2 Ghz Thinkpad. I am still not convinced this Timeline can handle it though.

When plugged in and able to use turbo, the Timeline should be at least a bit faster than a 2ghz Core 2 Duo: the two-core turbo speed is 5-bins higher (133*5 = 1.47+667mhz, or 2.133ghz, and a better core.) Without turbo, it would not be massively slower, but probably a bit slower; I'd expect it to be running at some level of turbo most of the time.

I'm not sure I'm right about which GPUs do acceleration in Photoshop and Lightroom, but my impression is none of the ones found in Core 2 Duo era laptops would do much if anything.

Interestingly, it looks like the HD3000 and HD4000 GPUs (in the newer 2###/3###-series i3/i5/i7) are supported for GPU acceleration by at least the newest versions of Photoshop, although this may be specific to CS6: http://helpx.adobe.com/photoshop/kb/photoshop-cs6-gpu-faq.html

I am looking at an X230 for $678+tax with the following specs. Not sure if I should bite, this config has no SSD and putting that on my own will add another $200!

Personally, that sounds like a pretty good deal for ~$900 total, although my own preference is for something faster and more durable like the X230 than a Ultrabook; you can get a very nice ultrabook with SSD at the same price (two examples follow, for a model I rather like) although depending on how heavy your Photoshop use is, going for an Ivy Bridge model might be worth it:
http://www.centralcomputers.com/ccp81428-asus-zenbook-ux21e-dh52-11-6--ci5-2467m-4gb-128gb-ux21e-dh52-notasuux21ar.htm
http://www.amazon.com/Zenbook-UX21E-DH52-11-6-Inch-Ultrabook-Aluminum/dp/B005UF6G80/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1343544954&sr=8-2&keywords=UX21e

This may be helpful, or may be overly technical:
http://ark.intel.com/compare/65708,49664,56858

Bear in mind with the X230 you're going to need a 7mm SSD -- it doesn't add a lot of extra cost, but does reduce the number of models you an use a bit. One example I like (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0083EYXEO/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0083EYXEO&linkCode=as2&tag=cubiclehermit-20).

hello i am new here. i 'm glad to join this forum.

The current Asus Transformer is a good option as you can detach the keyboard if you want tablet only. However, being Android (and this is true for any iOS/Android based machine), the programs (or apps) will be poor cousins of what you're used to. But, it should be fine for general web browsing and light keyboarding.

Pentium U5600 is even slower than the ULV i3s; that'd be a very nice improvement on a netbook for many people doing basic browsing, office, etc. Costs

Got a Folio 13 for $550. At this price point, I really like its weight. I am running Photoshop, matlab, maple and Latex simultaneously! wow

If time isn't of the essence, what about a Microsoft Surface Pro. A tablet with a full copy of Windows 8 and a real (but low profile) keyboard in a package the size of an iPad? It runs a Core5 processor.