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<\/p>\nOctober 24, 2013<\/b><\/p>\n
Tuesday was a big day this week because it was the day that the new iPad Air and Surface 2 came out. Tablets are very legitimate productivity tools, which is why I track these releases so closely. Here are my very quick thoughts on the new iPad and Surface.<\/p>\n
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iPad Air<\/b><\/p>\n
You can run MYN<\/a> tasks in the Toodledo<\/a> app on the iPad. And you can run simple versions of mail, word processing, spreadsheets, and so on\u2014all this makes the iPad a valid productivity tool. The newest iPad (called the iPad Air) released this week got a number of new tweaks like a much faster processor. But I feel its main new feature is its very low weight<\/i>. It now weighs about 1 pound (down from 1.5). This sets a new standard on 10-inch tablets. Why does weight matter so much? One-handed operation. And the more a tablet feels like the paper items it should be replacing, the more new ways it will be used as a workplace productivity tool. So yes, weight matters.<\/p>\n Plus, the iPad continues to have the upper hand on the quantity of apps<\/em> available\u2014and of course tablets are all about apps.<\/p>\n Microsoft Surface 2\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/b><\/p>\n Microsoft\u2019s new Surface 2 is faster, thinner, and lighter than the old Surface RT it replaces. And while third-party Windows tablet manufactures offer more Windows computing for less money, I still appreciate the keyboard cover and kickstand on the Surface. And I appreciate its overall sturdy build. The new Surface 2 has gotten good reviews too:<\/p>\n http:\/\/www.pcworld.com\/article\/2055519\/the-other-tablet-how-the-surface-2-beats-the-ipad.html<\/a><\/p>\n http:\/\/winsupersite.com\/mobile-devices\/microsoft-surface-2-first-impressions-and-photos<\/a><\/p>\n Of course, Surface 2 comes with desktop versions of Microsoft Office applications like Outlook, Word, and Excel. Having a desktop version of Outlook on-hand (it’s part of the new Windows RT 8.1 release that ships with Surface 2) is especially important to MYN-Outlook users. So that sets Surface 2 apart from iPad for those who need Outlook.<\/p>\n But if you need more desktop applications beyond<\/em> Office on your tablet, Surface 2 is not for you either\u2014you\u2019ll need a Windows tablet with a full<\/i> version of Windows. And in that case you should wait for a month or so and get a Bay Trail<\/a> based tablet from Dell, Asus, Lenovo, or some other PC manufacturer using that latest Atom processor. Many of those will be cheaper than Surface 2.<\/p>\n Notice I am not mentioning Surface 2 Pro.<\/b> In my opinion the Surface Pro is too heavy to be called a tablet\u2014you cannot easily hold it with one hand. And the latest release of that model this week has not changed its weight much. This new release did<\/i> increase battery life to a respectable 6 or 7 hours (up from a nearly useless 3 or 4 hours in the previous iteration). But I still feel that if you need powerful computing for travel you should get two<\/i> devices. Get a 3 to 4 pound Ultrabook<\/a>, or similar laptop (with a 13 or 14 inch screen) for serious work and<\/i> a very light tablet for media consumption and light work.<\/p>\n Michael Linenberger<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" October 24, 2013 Tuesday was a big day this week because it was the day that the new iPad Air and Surface 2 came out. Tablets are very legitimate productivity tools, which is why I track these releases so closely. … Continue reading