New Cheap Windows Tablet
localroger
Posts: 3,451
I have been doing a lot at work lately with an HP Stream 7, which is a teeny tablet running for-real Windows 8, except even more real since the tablet only has 1GB RAM it ships with a "crippleware" 32-bit version of Windows 8.1, which being 32-bit will run all that software that won't run under Windows 8 because it's 64-bit.
Only problem is that the only I/O is the micro USB power connector. You can use USB peripherals with it with an OTG cable but that gets awkward and you really need a bluetooth keyboard and mouse for practical work. And reading glasses of course, but that's a given.
But there's a new player! Office Depot has on sale a similar tablet by "ICraig" which is a bit bigger at 8.95 inch screen, has the same 32-bit Win 8, and the same RAM and flash (the literature says 16 GB but the OS says its 32 GB). And unlike the Stream 7 it has a separate USB charging port, full-size USB, mini HDMI, analog headphone, and externally accessible microSD jack. And it comes with a docking keyboard folio/stand, so you only need to add a normal USB mouse to set it up like a laptop.
In a pinch you can also use the charging connector for another USB device with an OTG cable. Battery life seems to be comparable to the Stream at around 4 hours and of course you can use it like a tablet with the touchscreen. Wifi, bluetooth, fore and aft cameras on board of course. And it's on sale for $100 right now (normally $150). It's the best package I've seen yet for something really cheap and portable that can, oh for example, program a Propeller or Basic Stamp. Hey Erco, is there an Office Depot near you?
Only problem is that the only I/O is the micro USB power connector. You can use USB peripherals with it with an OTG cable but that gets awkward and you really need a bluetooth keyboard and mouse for practical work. And reading glasses of course, but that's a given.
But there's a new player! Office Depot has on sale a similar tablet by "ICraig" which is a bit bigger at 8.95 inch screen, has the same 32-bit Win 8, and the same RAM and flash (the literature says 16 GB but the OS says its 32 GB). And unlike the Stream 7 it has a separate USB charging port, full-size USB, mini HDMI, analog headphone, and externally accessible microSD jack. And it comes with a docking keyboard folio/stand, so you only need to add a normal USB mouse to set it up like a laptop.
In a pinch you can also use the charging connector for another USB device with an OTG cable. Battery life seems to be comparable to the Stream at around 4 hours and of course you can use it like a tablet with the touchscreen. Wifi, bluetooth, fore and aft cameras on board of course. And it's on sale for $100 right now (normally $150). It's the best package I've seen yet for something really cheap and portable that can, oh for example, program a Propeller or Basic Stamp. Hey Erco, is there an Office Depot near you?
Comments
I have a bunch of Raspberry Pi's. In the near future I'll be teaching robotics at other locations and dread the thought of carrying around a bunch of monitors.
Does it only take the Micro SD (the fingernail sized ones that slide into adapters) or can it take the standard SD?
For $100 I think this thing is going to be hard to beat.
But if localroger gives it a "buy" rating, that's good enough for me to check it out! I wonder if anyone would service it down the road... probably disposable at that price.
Seems sturdy. Just got back with it. Charging now.
(I guess this also means there is a related 32b Win10 offering ?)
IIRC there were some posts about charging thresholds and HUBs, with the HP needing a nudge above 5V to properly fully-rate charge.
The SD card is the micro thumbnail-sized, not full sized version. Same as almost all cellphones and the Stream 7. Many uSD cards come with adapters though so they can be put in full-sized SD readers.
I don't really regard things like this as serviceable. I did spring for $15 each for the 2 year full replacement policy, since my wife is about to take hers to Nepal. (Yep, bought 2, because when I told her about it she realized it might really help with her weight restrictions on the internal light plane flight from Kathmandu to the high plains.)
The Stream 7 doesn't charge quite right when using a split OTG/power/adapter cable. It does charge but the onboard controller doesn't seem to follow it correctly. The separate full USB should solve that issue with the Craig.
The docking keyboard folio folds up very cleverly into a stand, all held together both deployed and stowed with magnets. It doesn't fold up with the tablet inside though. Quality of the keyboard is definitely meh but it's good enough for occasional work and if not you could always use a USB or bluetooth solution to improve on it. Tomorrow I will try it with the all-important Digi Edgeport serial adapter and Parallax PropTool. Both of those work fine with the Stream 7 so I'm expecting no problems.
Probably a good idea, there are bound to be fish-hooks aplenty.
Google finds this - there is a 32b Win10 but it needs 16GB to install,
http://betanews.com/2015/06/01/will-your-pc-or-tablet-run-windows-10-check-out-the-official-system-requirements/
but it seems that is the same as Win 8.1
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-nz/windows-8/system-requirements
Windows 8.1
If you want to run Windows 8.1 on your PC, here's what it takes:
Processor: 1 gigahertz (GHz) or faster with support for PAE, NX, and SSE2 (more info)
RAM: 1 gigabyte (GB) (32-bit) or 2 GB (64-bit)
Hard disk space: 16 GB (32-bit) or 20 GB (64-bit)
Graphics card: Microsoft DirectX 9 graphics device with WDDM driver
Windows 10 list is basically the same ?
Latest OS: Make sure you are running the latest version either Windows 7 SP1 or Windows 8.1 Update.
Processor: 1 gigahertz (GHz) or faster processor or SoC
RAM: 1 gigabyte (GB) for 32-bit or 2 GB for 64-bit
Hard disk space: 16 GB for 32-bit OS 20 GB for 64-bit OS
Graphics card: DirectX 9 or later with WDDM 1.0 driver
Display: 1024x600
I think 16 gig is the minimum disk requirement for both OS, but that really isn't enough; before the Stream 7 there were a couple of other Win8 tablets that got terrible reviews largely because not enough flash. I suspect upgrading to 10 would make any 32 gig tablet marginal for the same reason.
It is possible to force a lot of system functions like the camera roll to the SD card in ways that XP didn't allow, but I doubt the OS upgrade can be forced there.
Screen is Smile, keyboard is Smile (still better than my $80 Surface keyboard).
BUT it can program a Prop just fine.
This might be the product I was looking for. To teach remotely I have to rely on people to have HDMI monitors for the Pis. With this I can avoid the inevitable future of having to buy 5-10 monitors and hauling them around.
I can fit 10 of these in my backpack.
What is your complaint about the screen? 1280 x 768 seems to be plenty of resolution for a 9 inch display, and it's enough most software should have enough real estate to function properly. It's the same resolution as the Stream 7, on which text is painfully small.
It's completely good for what I need, but somehow I can see the screen quality isn't great.
The physical Surface keyboard is probably better, but my wife got that flatter one on accident. I can definitely say I prefer this chinsey Craig keyboard over the Surface one I currently have.
Heater bites his tongue off. Erco, you are a bad, bad, boy.
All in good fun, lads.
@LR & Keith: How's the camera quality?
I don't feel it flex much, but the screen itself reacts.