Microsoft, it seems, is not the only company that believes in the concept of a productivity tablet. And it’s not the only company that thinks that a kickstand and a magnetic keyboard are all it takes to transform a tablet into a mobile workstation.
The Jide Remix, made by a trio of former Google engineers, is for all intents and purposes a Microsoft Surface that’s built for Android.
It’s about as cloney as you can get, but the fact that is still looks very nice is testament to just how pretty Surface really is, and how much sense the concept makes. Surface’s hardware is excellent – it’s just the software side that always let it down.
I don’t think Android is going to fix that.
If Metro didn’t suck.
I bought a Surface Pro 3.. I really like the hardware, I don’t like the marking idea as a tablet, but it makes an excellent ultrabook for the $$.
However i couldn’t agree with you more, Windows 8.1 completely ruins the hardware, it’s completely and utterly useless as a tablet. The end to end user experience is so shocking I was completely awestruck that they could ship a product so shockingly bad. KDE 3.0 was a more consistent user experience than Windows 8/8.1… trying simple tasks like “open link in a new tab” it selects/highlights or tries to copy.. then after several attempts you get the drop down options… basic fundamental issues that make it a complete non-starter for me as an OS… while I completely love the hardware… currently working to try and get Linux working on it.. at least then I know it’s going to be consistent.. (and that is saying enough in itself).
I don’t mind Metro the interface as much as I mind the glorious clusterf–k of inconsistency that is Windows 8.
Want to change a setting? Oh, it might be in the Control Panel…or in the PC settings..or in some other random place.
Want to alt-tab to another application? Sure, go ahead except it won’t show Metro apps. For that you have to move the mouse to the corner where you get a list of apps. That ONLY shows Metro apps. Sometimes there are even two alt-tab windows, one Metro style and one regular style. On top of each other. (Usually happens when you alt-tab out of a full screen game)
Starting Metro apps also takes like a million years, even for something simple like opening a PDF.
The list goes on and on.
Edited 2015-01-11 04:46 UTC
Newsflash, Windows 8.1 has Store-Apps also show on the taskbar and the regular Alt-Tab-cycle. You can even customize it to your liking.
Store-Apps (tested with Maps, Camera and Calender) also start within 2 seconds on my 3.5 year old machine (coldboot).
I just search for a setting and Windows finds it whether it is in PC Settings or Control Panel (most are in both). I wouldn’t know where else to find settings.
This machine doesn’t compete with the Surface Pro 3 though, it competes with the “dead” Surface RT platform for which it is quite heavy and expensive while not impressive specwise
The Surface Pro 3 is one of my favorite devices. A 12″ screen isn’t big enough for me to do my work, but for all other purposes it is the best device in my house. It could absolutely use a better high-dpi mode on the Desktop and more useful apps though
If the Surface Pro line is still around when I can actually justify the cost, I definitely want to get one and load a KDE-based desktop onto it.
A laptop-tablet convertible with a Wacom stylus (even an entry-level one) that can run a normal Linux distro? What’s not to love.
Both are unfocused jack of all trades master of none products that try too hard to please everyone and end up mediocre. A tablet with a fan? A laptop with an insane weight balance? That strategy was a terrible idea 10 years ago back in the MS Tablet PC days and it’s only a marginally better idea now.
I agree that the Surface is not an ideal tablet.. but it is a great ultrabook (in terms of hardware).. but I agree that Windows 8 is a master of none because it has tried to be too many things
I dunno, I would still much rather have one of those new XPS 13s than a Surface 3. I just can’t get over the kickstand and balance issues.
I tried to use a Surface AS a laptop ON my lap, and it was an exercise in futility. It just doesn’t work for me, it isn’t stable at all having to prop the kickstand just right and don’t dare move your legs at all or the whole thing will go crashing to the floor since it is not one stable, monolithic if you will, piece of hardware like a real laptop is. The Surface is pretty, but it utterly fails when used as a laptop. Hardly anyone’s lap is deep enough to accommodate the distance from the front edge of the keyboard to the point the kickstand rests near one’s knee. The surface may be fine used as a laptop on a table, but then it isn’t really a LAPtop at all. The use case for those who might not always have a table or desk surface available makes the Surface tablet a no-go. This one killer aspect of the device pales, though, in comparison with the pile of steaming crap that Windows is. Lord what an awful mess, I really hope the next version is better.
Edited 2015-01-10 11:11 UTC
I already have a surface pro 2, which I’m very happy with. But I just picked up a Linx 8, an 8 inch windows 8.1 tablet, and it is making me pretty sure that Android is now pointless for my use cases. This is a full on atom based windows tablet, runs all windows software, plus metro apps. My mind is blown.
Surface Pro 3 is EXCELLENT. Just because it’s not right for everyone doesn’t mean it’s entirely wrong! It’s an executive-class device. Great new niche. Nothing else quite like it.
The new super-light laptops shown at CES are the first devices that might provide the performance of SP3 at that same low weight.
(And the random clone hardware shown in this story is probably trash like other random clone hardware out there.)
What I would fancy is a dock for my tablet or phone where I can plug it in and it uses an external monitor keyboard and mouse to act as a desktop.
I figure it would be mainly a software thing to realize that.
You mean like the Asus Padfone but not tabletty but pc-y? That was my idea of the future until I realised I used different software on different device-types and the cloud solved most of my data-portability issues