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Laptop/Tablet

HowlingGale said:
https://www.johnlewis.com/hp-pavili...ram-512gb-ssd-14-inch-full-hd-silver/p5091798

Does anyone know if this is any good from a tablet/touchscreen perspective.

Happy with the general components in conventional computers. This seems to be a decent spec. However I'm very unfamiliar with laptops that convert to tablets.

For example can you take pictures whilst in tablet mode?

Any advice appreciated. Thanks.
Click to expand...

The x360s aren't "convertible" in the truest sense of the tech term. They merely flip over so that you can use the touch screen like a tablet but the keyboard is always attached (I have the Envy x360 with i7 & 16GB RAM I bought for work and it's ok). Convertibles, in the true sense, have detachable keyboards.
Whilst you can take pictures, it has to be done via the camera utility (just like any other laptop) and the quality is not great. These don't have high quality cameras like traditional tablets do and they are heavy and unwieldy because the keyboard (and so the motherboard, RAM, HDD, CPU, Heatsinks etc) are all still attached.

Specwise, it's OK, the CPU is Comet Lake so it's current but they are OK, nothing more (and so I suppose it depends on your use case). RAM spec is unlisted, which always makes me a bit edgy, but as it's Intel SOC then I would guess no faster than 2400MHZ.

My advice just now is look for machines with AMD Ryzen 4000 Renoir APUs, bang for buck they kick Intel in to the scrubby long grass and then some.
 
Cheers. I don't really mind the keyboard staying attached. It means I won't lose it. ?
Doesn't need to do much other than general browsing, word processing, spreadsheets, picture and music storage etc. Gaming days are behind me.

I've always just bought Intel. Just comfortable with them. Will have a look at the amd's.
 
HowlingGale said:
Cheers. I don't really mind the keyboard staying attached. It means I won't lose it. ?
Doesn't need to do much other than general browsing, word processing, spreadsheets, picture and music storage etc. Gaming days are behind me.

I've always just bought Intel. Just comfortable with them. Will have a look at the amd's.
Click to expand...

To be honest, that's pretty much what's keeping Intel in the market at the minute - buyer familiarity. But they are so far behind AMD. Still working on outdated manufacturing processes, squeezing processors for single core performance to try and stay ahead but even then AMD are catching them with every product cycle.

Your use case probably puts that machine in to overkill territory anyway. Unless you are heavily using complex spreadsheets and having loads of browser tabs open then you would probably only need a Pentium dual core or i3 machine (if Intel is the preference). Plenty available with touchscreens for a lot less money.

https://www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/compu...amd-ryzen-5-256-gb-ssd-grey-10208022-pdt.html

To use the above as an example, the i5 1035G1 is c. 20% slower for 15% more cost. It just plain doesn't make sense from a technical point of view.

6https://www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/compu...amd-ryzen-3-128-gb-ssd-grey-10207984-pdt.html

The above is probably better bang for buck for your use case.
 
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It may also be worthwhile looking at the Microsoft Surface Pro, slim with great mobility, battery life etc. Great for travelling, sat at a desk, on the sofa etc. A surface pro 6,7 or X would work well for most people, the screen resolution is fantastic too if photos are your thing.
 
SocketRocket said:
For what you say you need it for why not something like a Samsung Tab for a couple of hundred pounds.
Click to expand...

Tablets don't generally come with keyboards but I know you can get them, and I dislike 'mobile browsing' for important things. Only use mobile for messing around. If I need to buy something I generally like full browser capabilities.
 
HowlingGale said:
Tablets don't generally come with keyboards but I know you can get them, and I dislike 'mobile browsing' for important things. Only use mobile for messing around. If I need to buy something I generally like full browser capabilities.
Click to expand...
But a Samsung Tab does have full browsing capabilities.
 
SocketRocket said:
But a Samsung Tab does have full browsing capabilities.
Click to expand...

True to a degree but it has limitations that you would not get on a desktop client. Yes, you can select "desktop site" in Chrome for Android and the Samsung Internet browser has some pseudo-desktop capability the OS holds it back from performing exactly like a Windows based client (for example).

For Chrome, you need to constantly select the "desktop site" mode and even then Android doesn't function well on some sites, especially with some complex security certificates.
The Samsung internet browser application is just awful though, clunky and over engineered, in my experience it struggles with certain SSL authentication scripts.

Mobile devices will, for the most part, be tied to mobile capabilities to make development easier and cheaper and to maximise the operating system and hardware capabilities.
 
GreiginFife said:
True to a degree but it has limitations that you would not get on a desktop client. Yes, you can select "desktop site" in Chrome for Android and the Samsung Internet browser has some pseudo-desktop capability the OS holds it back from performing exactly like a Windows based client (for example).

For Chrome, you need to constantly select the "desktop site" mode and even then Android doesn't function well on some sites, especially with some complex security certificates.
The Samsung internet browser application is just awful though, clunky and over engineered, in my experience it struggles with certain SSL authentication scripts.

Mobile devices will, for the most part, be tied to mobile capabilities to make development easier and cheaper and to maximise the operating system and hardware capabilities.
Click to expand...
I use one for general browsing, I use Duckduckgo as a browser and find it very good whilst not harvesting information about me.
For what the OP is looking for it seems perfect. He can also get a cover with a built in keyboard.

I find the main restriction is the lack of external ports.
 
SocketRocket said:
I use one for general browsing, I use Duckduckgo as a browser and find it very good whilst not harvesting information about me.
For what the OP is looking for it seems perfect. He can also get a cover with a built in keyboard.

I find the main restriction is the lack of external ports.
Click to expand...

Each to their own but , professionally, I would not recommend a tablet device for the OPs use case. Office applications are poorly ported and device storage is limited to the device ROM limitation.

As I say though, each to their own.
 
I bought the Lenovo flipover dual tablet/laptop and it's really good. If I have any criticism (and I dont really) it can be a tad heavy
 
GreiginFife said:
To be honest, that's pretty much what's keeping Intel in the market at the minute - buyer familiarity. But they are so far behind AMD. Still working on outdated manufacturing processes, squeezing processors for single core performance to try and stay ahead but even then AMD are catching them with every product cycle.

Your use case probably puts that machine in to overkill territory anyway. Unless you are heavily using complex spreadsheets and having loads of browser tabs open then you would probably only need a Pentium dual core or i3 machine (if Intel is the preference). Plenty available with touchscreens for a lot less money.

https://www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/compu...amd-ryzen-5-256-gb-ssd-grey-10208022-pdt.html

To use the above as an example, the i5 1035G1 is c. 20% slower for 15% more cost. It just plain doesn't make sense from a technical point of view.

6https://www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/compu...amd-ryzen-3-128-gb-ssd-grey-10207984-pdt.html

The above is probably better bang for buck for your use case.
Click to expand...

Ended up buying the Lenovo 8Gb 256Mb you mentioned above. It better be good ?.

To be fair it's a nice laptop that goes like the proverbial off a shovel. Cheers.
 
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