WTB-Lenovo Thinkpad 8

[pianowizard]

If you have to use a keyboard and always carry the external keyboard with you, there goes the weight, 2lbs and over total carrying weight.

In the case of the Dell Venue 11, the better keyboard (AKA the "Mobile" keyboard) weighs even more than the tablet itself, 1.75 lbs versus 1.57 lb! The combined weight of 3.32 lbs is more than my 3.23-lb Toughbook CF-Y7, which is a 14" SXGA+ laptop with an internal DVD burner!

Piano, processor is another thing up for argument. Going up in processor level also lowers the battery life.

In general I agree with you, but for the Dell Venue 11 with Atom, the performance complaints that I have seen are rather extreme, e.g. folders taking tens of seconds to open. I wouldn't want to have to wait that long each time I open a folder or enter a URL or start a program. I bet this is mainly caused by bloatware, because even my Sony P Series UMPC (which uses one of the slowest Atom processors) doesn't take that long. I guess if one doesn't want to sacrifice battery longevity, the best solution is to reinstall Windows from scratch and omit all the unneeded programs.

[aau007]

In general I agree with you, but for the Dell Venue 11 with Atom, the performance complaints that I have seen are rather extreme, e.g. folders taking tens of seconds to open. I wouldn't want to have to wait that long each time I open a folder or enter a URL or start a program. I bet this is mainly caused by bloatware, because even my Sony P Series UMPC (which uses one of the slowest Atom processors) doesn't take that long. I guess if one doesn't want to sacrifice battery longevity, the best solution is to reinstall Windows from scratch and omit all the unneeded programs.

There is something not right with the Venue. I have a Lenovo Tablet 2 on a slower processor without nearly any of the performance issue you described. Reinstalling Windows on tablet without Recovery Partition (raw) is a PITA. Best solution is still to buy one without the described problems.

[Kenyanboy]

Thanks aau007

So what's your verdict? Which one should i go for? The Thinkpad 8 had all what i wanted but i have to look for an alternative.
I've never been so confused. You are right. After 2 years,i'll probably get another tablet. But i need to be satisfied with what i have for those two years.
I don't think 1.5 lbs(Venue) is that bad. Plus am not the type that goes taking photos with tablets or using them on the streets. But it needs to be easy to carry around.
Am leaning towards the venue.

[aau007]

Thanks aau007

So what's your verdict? Which one should i go for? The Thinkpad 8 had all what i wanted but i have to look for an alternative.
I've never been so confused. You are right. After 2 years,i'll probably get another tablet. But i need to be satisfied with what i have for those two years.
I don't think 1.5 lbs(Venue) is that bad. Plus am not the type that goes taking photos with tablets or using them on the streets. But it needs to be easy to carry around.
Am leaning towards the venue.

The final verdict is on you. We only supply you with information. Looks like the Thinkpad 8 will be difficult to obtain due to availability and delivery matching your travel schedule. Otherwise, call ahead to the Microsoft store at the Time Warner Center in NYC to see what machines they have in stock. It is a 20 min walk from your hotel. J&R is another place to visit but you will have to take a cab or find your way there using the subway. You can have between the Venue and HP to evaluate there if you absolutely cannot get your hands on a Thinkpad 8.

[Kenyanboy]

aau007,

Hadn't seen that post on the Venue having issues. Are they hardware related? If its just the software, i can do a clean install or is the o.s optimized to run on the Venue? Ok, that's another hassle i don't want to go through. I guess most of you are for the Asus. Its lighter,cheaper and has no reported issues.

I've decided to go with the Venue 11 pro.

[pianowizard]

I don't think 1.5 lbs(Venue) is that bad.

1.6 lbs for the slate alone. As soon as you add the "Mobile" keyboard (which is superior to the "Slim" keyboard), the weight jumps to 3.3 lbs if not 3.4. The Asus T100 is one of those rare tablets that are still very light even with the keyboard attached.

Hadn't seen that post on the Venue having issues.

I was referring to the negative reviews on Dell's web site: http://www.dell.com/us/p/dell-venue-11- ... aryContent

The overall rating of 3.6 / 5 isn't too bad. Perhaps the negative reviewers received duds that leaked through the quality check process. If you do get the Venue, be sure to play with it immediately to ensure it isn't a dud. If it is, return it while you're still in the States.

[Kenyanboy]

Piano,

I'll go through the negative comments and find out whether i'll still buy it or not. Piano,if you were buying,which one would you pick and why?

I just hope the Thinkpad will be available on Amazon by the end of the month.

[pianowizard]

Piano,if you were buying,which one would you pick and why?

This is a tough call. If I had to choose between the Venue 11 and the Thinkpad 8, I would probably slightly prefer the Venue. As I mentioned, pixel density is insanely high on the Thinkpad, which is a serious concern because I would use the tablet mainly in desktop mode. Though pixel density is still quite high on the Venue 11, it's significantly more reasonable. On the other hand, the Thinkpad 8 is 5.19" wide, meaning it may be just small enough to be pocketable, but this isn't guaranteed because even my Sony P Series (with a depth of 4.7 inchs) is barely pocketable. If the Thinkpad 8 really fits in a pants pocket, it would be far more mobile than the Venue 11. But I would be stuck with a super high DPI screen that's extremely painful to read.

The Venue 8 has a much more reasonable resolution of 1280x800, and being 5.1" wide, it's a little bit more likely than the Thinkpad 8 to fit in a pocket. Unfortunately, the Venue 8 lacks any video output, which I need for Powerpoint presentations.

The conclusion is, none of the above Windows tablets would meet all my needs. If I wanted to buy a Windows tablet, I would wait until I come across a pocketable tablet with a good resolution (1440x900 or 1600x900), full-sized USB port, and HDMI output. My Barnes and Noble Nook HD is pocketable and has a good resolution (7" 1440x900), but it doesn't run Windows and has no video output.

If you are still keen on getting the Venue 11, I don't think you should be too bothered by the negative reviews. As we discussed, the performance issues reported by those disgruntled Venue buyers are probably fixable, either by reinstalling Windows from scratch, or asking Dell for an exchange, or uninstalling all the programs that you don't need. You will never find a computer that is free of negative reviews, partly because there is always an occasional dud that the quality check department failed to catch, and partly because some users have unreasonable expectations.

[Kenyanboy]

Thanks Piano.

I think i'll stick with the Venue.

The price has gone from $499 to $579 on Amazon. I was thinking of a workaround to the Kenyan card problem. Can i use Paypal?
A Dell rep confirmed that they can help me purchase via their website using PayPal.