Best Tablet For Home Assistant (2024 Update)

Got this to replace an older Lenovo tablet that I'd be using for writing notes and reading ebooks. It's perfect and less expensive than the Remarkable Tablet I'd been considering. My son saw me working on it and asked what it was and why my handwriting looked exactly like it does on paper. I told him it was because of the S pen as it doesn't write as fat as other styluses/pencils on electronic devices. All of the apps from my Note9 with cracked screen transferred over with no issues and I was able to replace my phone with a cheaper one since it's mainly for text/calls. The new phone and the new Samsung tablet cost less than a new smartphone so it was a win all the way around. Added a screen protector to the tablet before using. The size also makes it easy to carry from place to place. Would definitely recommend it to others.Vincentia

I am conflicted about this tablet because on one hand I like it and on other hand, I wish it was more. The already good experience with S6 Lite makes me wonder how much better is Tab S8. Here are things that I like about S6 Lite S-pen support (it comes in the box). It is so good, and I dare to say it is the best in the business. Writing feels natural. There is no latency and screen feel soft to touch just like if you were writing on regular paper. Handwriting recognition works well, and I rarely need to make corrections. Samsung apps that come pre-installed on the tablet are useful. Everything just flows naturally with s-pen on the tablet, and I find myself using s-pen 90% of the time, even for things like scrolling through webpages. I also use Microsoft office 365 which has s-pen support out of the box. I can edit PDF files, write notes in OneNote (although I wish OneNote had more options like on PC). So, in summary I find S-pen surprisingly useful and easy to use. Integration with Samsung phone. I use Samsung flow to connect the tablet and my phone together. I own Samsung Laptop and I find Samsung flow unnecessary on PC (because of Microsoft Phone Link) but the app is actually very useful when used with Samsung Tablet. I get all messages, notifications from the phone right on the tablet. I can control phone from the tablet (through screen casting) and even make call and send text messages. Call quality is actually very good. I did make few calls for testing, and I could hear people well and I was told that my voice quality was very good as well. You do not need to have your phone next to you when you have the tablet and it is kind of cool to talk to people through the tablet and at the same time make notes of the conversation in Samsung Notes. The tablet is lite, it is comfortable to hold, screen is nice and bright, speaker audio quality is crisp, and speakers are loud. The tablet provides good experience for media consumption like Netflix or YouTube Battery is good. It will last all day without need of recharging. Here are things that I wish were better I wish the tablet had display with 120Hz refresh rate. I have Samsung phone that has 120hz display and in comparison, scrolling through webpages feel choppy on S6 Lite I wish that this tablet had faster processor and more RAM. Qualcomm 720G is improvement over 2020 version but it is still lower hardware specs on this is especially noticeable while surfing the internet. I tried Edge, Samsung Browser, Firefox but they all feel just okey borderline sluggish. My Samsung phone is noticeably faster. I wish Samsung had another version of this tablet with more RAM and more powerful processor. I wish there was version of this tablet with LTE connectivity. I do not understand why midrange tablet like this does not get to have LTE but the cheapest of the cheapest A series tablet do. If you need LTE then you can either accept cheap Samsung Tab A or just go with Apple. I think Samsung is shooting itself in the foot, especially with business customers. Overall, this is good product considering its price but if you find yourself using this tablet a lot for work, productivity tasks then it might be better to invest more money and just get S8 that has twice as much RAM, way much faster processor, a little bit bigger screen, updated S-pen and bigger battery.Bitek2022

I think it’s been 2-3 weeks I’m using this personally and for school. School – I find the split screen ability to be very useful, but of course it’s only one app at a time. I couldn’t split screen my PowerPoint from school canvas and the assignment from the school canvas on the other. So, I have to download the PowerPoint. It isn’t a PC after all. I also have to find and ask for School WiFi. If not, use my hotspot. Games – I downloaded COD, Wildrift, Toca Boca, and 4 other games , and I haven’t found any problem. Wildrift had some annoying issues, but maybe it’s the game itself cuz it sometimes happens in my phone. Stylus- I like the stylus. It’s Magnetic so it sticks to the side of the Tablet, or to it’s little space in the cover. It has no delays, and works really well. I love all the extra stuff I could do with it. Camera- I don’t really use the camera and gallery often, but there’s some really funny things to explore in there. The camera quality is decent.Litbit123

I bought this when TSV for my 12 year old grandson for Christmas. I don't know about the device since it is not Christmas yet, but I have tried making the Caseable custom case for it, and the site does not work right. After many many attempts at loading the two pictures, it finally accepted the pictures; however, when I tried to add to the cart, it came up with this long red error. I emailed Caseable three different times. I finally got a reply telling me to upload using a different browser which I did. It gave me the same long red error. THIS IS A HUGE DISAPPOINTMENT. I asked for a phone number in the fourth email and even asked if they could place the order for me and I attached the two photos for the front and back of the case. I got no reply back. The free case voucher was a big part of why I bought. My 12 year old grandson cannot read or write and lives in a group home for his education. I thought he would love seeing his family picture on it, and he would know it was his. I also purchased the extra DS card. I hope the device works better than the website for Caseable. This was very deceptive. I am a regular QVC shopper.BaileyFarms0

I rarely leave reviews, but I was pretty disappointed by the tablet. It is extremely clunky from a uix pov. I use the iPad Pro, and I do everything on it. I thought I would give this a try just to see how it works and it was a reasonable enough price point for me to take that risk. I also figured I could use it for streaming and use my iPad mostly for all the work I already do on it. Ultimately, the quality of this tablet pales in comparison to an iPad, let alone iPad Pro. I have not tried other tablets, so I can't speak to them, but there's a lot of work and room for improvement to be done by Amazon if they want to stay in this space-on myriad levels, even for this price point. The tablet doesn't remotely compare to the quality of any Apple ipad of any generation. I am not an employee or rep for Apple,and am actually more of a moonlighting tech enthusiast. Having said that, another reason why I'm leaving a review is because they are now offering it on HSN for less money and on a two-for-one basis. they have the same parent and to me this indicates the fact that the quality just isn't there on this product and they need to get rid of them. I wish they would offer a credit to a customer like me who recently purchased it. I would say get it on HSN if you have kids get it on the two for one basis and you could probably get a coupon at hsn so you could probably get it for around $60-70 for two instead of $89 for one.kat88881111

I am seriously confused by the negative reviews as I have nothing but praise for this fire tablet. Having bought several of these over the years, my last purchase, the Fire 10th edition I dropped and damaged. I had intended to purchase the same from Amazon but the price of this Fire 11th edition offer proved no contest. This 11th edition tablet was delivered within two days following, which I had no problems with the transfer from my previous notwithstanding that the previous was damaged beyond repair. I am very pleased with this tablet it has all previous features plus easy access to u tube and social media. The picture quality has improved from my previous too. The only query relates to the exchange voucher for the protective case (as insisted by my husband given previous breakage). I attempted to obtain the free case together with an additional screen protector. When however attempting to pay, a message in German informed me that payment through my Amazon account, as offered, was not supported? I plan therefore to just access the free case!Maya

I have owned every generation of iPad and have become a big fan of the Minis – great for travel, great for reading at night, and large enough screens to view photos, movies, etc. However, they never had the processing power and graphics capability of the larger models – until now. The new Mini Gen 6 has it all – great screen (now with very small bezel for greater viewing area) and now real horsepower. The first indication of that was doing updates to apps. Normally, the last Mini would take quite some time to process updates once downloaded. This new Mini blazes through updates much faster. Finally a Mini that sacrifices very little in comparison to the larger iPads. The swipe-only operation takes a little getting used to, but poses no disadvantages I can see so far. Just bear in mind this iPad (and all the other newer ones) requires a USB C charging cable (included). If you, like me, have tons of the old Lightning cables, they won't work. Additionally, many non-Apple USB C cables will not support charging, so be aware. Play it safe and use an Apple cable (comes with the cable and charger of course). As a side note, I have the new Apple folio case for this generation and it's pretty darn cool too. Great product, great B&H service!Chuck

I have an older basic iPad (A10 chip). But the lightning port makes file transfer really slow. The iPad mini with USB-C solves the issue. I can connect a dongle with a card reader and an external SSD drive. File transfer is very fast. I can import RAW photos into Lightroom and videos into LumaFusion. This iPad is very portable, and fits into most cargo pockets of a coat/jacket. It is great for reading, easy to hold with one hand. iPad OS is a bit crippled with file management and connection to google drive, but things have improved. The only cons, it is the 64GB storage that is not much for importing videos, although LumaFusion allows editing from a connected SSD drive. Apple in 2022 at this price should offer 128GB base storage, and the pricy upgrade should offer 512GB. but now a 500GB or 1TB SSD is not that expensive, although it would be best to have more internal storage for the price when on the go. The other issue, it is a bit small to rate photos in Lightroom, it is hard to tell which of 2 photos with people in it have the better expression. You can zoom in. But that is the price of portability. Also, the text in the user interface is a little too small, it would be nice that the U/X in the iPad mini would allow slightly larger text. It is much lighter and more portable than a traditional-sized iPad. Anyway, happy about this. The portability is great. I took one star off because Apple is so cheap and stingy with only 64GB of storage.Stefano

I really like the mini ipads. To me they are the perfect size. With that said I've owned the ipad mini 2, ipad mini 4, and recently ipad mini 6. I tend to skip some generations as I don't feel the need to upgrade all the time. The previous models were work horses and provided me many hours of entertainment in games and videos. This ipad 6 is similar. I really love the size, and the weight of the product. The ipad mini 4 had the front bottom circular button, and the on/off switch on the top right hand corner of this device is reminiscent of that. I do like the touch ID. It's an awesome addition and easy to use. What I do not care for is the volume button on the top left hand corner. I did prefer the old location of it on the left hand side of the ipad. But I do understand that the apple pencil probably needed the left side to be empty. What I don't appreciate is the "value" put on this product. When I purchased the Ipad Mini 4, it was around the 400 range. Now this device is 650. The data did double from 128gb to 256gb, but still, 256gb is awful knowing that we can get 256gb micro sd cards for like 20 bucks. I wouldn't have minded the price tag IF the device worked well and the quality was good, but it doesn't and it isn't. There are a few issues with both software and build quality. 1. The jelly scroll everyone talks about, while not a huge issue, I don't think it should be that noticeable on this device. I compared both the ipad mini 4 and this ipad mini 6 side by side, and it was significantly worse on the ipad mini 6. 2. When I have the screen off and press on the screen, there's a screen pressure distortion that is quite noticeable. I had actually purchased two ipad mini 6 and the other one I had to return because the screen distortion spots were really bad. they showed up with the slightest pressure. 3. I don't know if anyone even uses the "today" column anymore. It's the column that comes up when you left swipe the home page. You can put a bunch of apps on it. But it is glitchy. I called Apple and tried to figure out why it's glitching and how to fix it but honestly they said the "today" column should've been removed and was a remnant of an older iOS when we couldn't use widgets on the home screen. Which makes sense to me, it does seem sort of redundant with the ability to put widgets on the home screen. Yet… this "feature" is still there last I checked with iOS 15.6.1. 4. As I used this device more, I noticed sometimes when I had the keyboard sound on, the keyboard sound would be extremely loud and then soften as I type more with it. At first I thought it was me, and I had left the sound on extremely loud, but no. It wasn't me. It was either the sound board malfunctioning or the software being weird. I do really like the ipad mini 6 for, size, portability, ease of use. The build quality has taken a hit though, I'm not sure if it's due to covid and supply shortages or what. But Apple needs to keep up its game and not let quality slip. I put I recommend this item, but only because of the positives I stated.Hummy

This tablet is absolutely amazing! Initial impressions after setting this tablet up are that it's super thin, light and seems very durable with it's metal frame. It looks and feels premium! Upgrading to this from the Tab S7 seems like there isn't much difference on the outside but I can honestly say that this tablet feels faster, has a better display, and even sounds a little better than the last gen of this same tablet. I would say that if you're on the fence between this an an iPad I would say that you'll have just as good of an experience in terms of software as Samsung has done a nice job streamlining the software so you can setup and get going in minutes. I actually like the feel of the S-Pen on this tablet far better than any I've used so far. In terms of the pen and writing, it really seems more responsive and to me feels more natural because it's so much more responsive. As far as connectivity goes, the WiFi speeds are fast and the reception is overall solid. In fact, one odd thing is that my Tab S7 sometimes has WiFi reception issues in my living room but this tablet has not had that issue at all. You can easily expand storage on it with the MicroSD and add significant storage to the tablet. I often keep media and photos/videos on one and then use internal memory for apps and games. Many software titles on Android work well with SD Storage and let you configure where media is stored separate from the app itself so having expandable memory is an easy thing to do an manage. The display is very bright and vibrant and with it's high variable high refresh rate it looks good and feels good when scrolling through web pages or media. You can attach a second display through USB-C and even multi-task where you can watch videos on one display and do email on the other with Samsung Dex which is not something you can do or even do well on any other tablet out there. The best part is you can even charge while using the second display all through the same cable, it's TRULY AMAZING! The USB C charging and data port is a welcomed feature as it charges fast and lets you quickly transfer media to your computer and really as fast as your microSD card will read data off of it. There is no headphone jack so that would be the one thing I'd keep in mind if you still prefer to use wired headphones. The last thing is how fast this tablet is, apps just snap up when your load them and updating apps used to take a fair amount of time for 20-30 apps and this tablet blazes through them in on a few minutes. It's OTA software update only took a matter of minutes also, so Samsung has clearly done things to optimize the software and the processor is just simply faster than any other out there. Battery life is amazing, you can surf the internet an watch movies on Netflix for hours without any problem. In the time I've had with it I've yet to run it dead in the middle of doing something and feel confident I could go anywhere with it and not worry about it running dead. The fast charging also helps make that task an easy quick thing when you need a quick boost on power. Overall, this tablet is simply amazing! Having owned iPads previously, I can say with every bit of confidence that this tablet is better than any other out there right now. It makes consuming media, or doing things a breeze, and with a keyboard (and even mouse) you can have a laptop-like experience. Using Samsung Dex, is amazing and makes this tablet a lot more than just a tablet replacing many laptops!btb2k

The Galaxy Tab S series of tablets are Samsung’s flagship tablets renowned for top notch performance. With vibration abilities, compass, surface level, S Pen and a snappy Snapdragon processor, many will appreciate the value of the Tab S8; delivered at a measly 1.10 lbs. Following the current trend of very minimalistic packaging, the contents on the drastically reduced packaging box size are essentially 5 (five) items: USB-C data/charge cable • Galaxy Tab S8 • S Pen • Ejector Pin • Quick Start Guide You certainly get what you paid for in terms of hardware when dealing with the Galaxy Tab S series. My aluminum encased Tab S8 incorporates an Octa Core Snapdragon Gen 1 processor, configured with 128GB of internal memory, 8 GB RAM and an 8000mAh battery. The battery is capable of Samsung’s Super Fast Charging technology with a 45W charger. Samsung offers this as an optional accessory but once you have tried it, it becomes clear it is very essential. A full charge lasts over a day with moderate binging in my experience. MicroSDs up to 1 TB can be used to expand storage when needed. Four (4) AKG Stereo speakers featuring Dolby Atmos, evenly split between the top and bottom of the tablet deliver a rather immersive experience. The display is a 120 Hz, 11 inch TFT LCD display capable of 2560 x 1600 resolution. Having previously owned a Galaxy Tab S6, I have come to prefer the LCD display over the Super AMOLED version. It is a personal choice due to the color production being not as oversaturated as the latter. I miss out on the darker blacks and better battery life but it is a fair trade off for my purposes. The device runs Android 12 out of the box along with Samsung’s One UI version 4.1; it could potentially receive updates to Android 16. For connectivity, Wi-Fi 6E 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax standard radio is onboard. Bluetooth version 5.2 also helps quick connectivity with the Samsung ecosystem. The convenience of automatically pausing your tablet so you can answer a call on your phone and then resuming the tablet once completed is priceless in my opinion. With compatible handsets, calls and text messages can be received on the tablet. The Galaxy Tab S8 ports a 12MP ultrawide camera in the front and a 13MP autofocus, 6MP ultrawide array in the rear. For dark environments, a flash is provided. Pictures are decent but I will be sticking with my Note as that has a more formidable array of lenses. The flash doubles as a flash light via the Edge Panel utility. There is no NFC on the Galaxy Tab S8. In other tablets I have previously owned, NFC helped facilitate quick pairing with compatible Bluetooth enabled devices. Unlike the Tab S8 Plus or the Tab S8 Ultra, the fingerprint reader is embedded in the power button. In my experience, it is more reliable compared to the ultrasonic variant located under the display of my Galaxy Note 20 Ultra 5G. It could be due to the fact that the smartphone display probably gets dirtier/oily compared to the power button on the tablet. Face recognition is another biometric security feature. The Tab S8 ships with the S Pen that all fans of he Note series have come to consider highly invaluable. Latency is now at the lowest level to create a truly enjoyable experience scribbling on the tablet. Its features have evolved over the years and can currently perform the following tasks: • Help clip text and images from apps • Take notes and convert to text • Perform translations • Capture pictures, control music For storage, the S Pen attaches magnetically to the rear of the tablet in a very specific orientation (nib towards camera array. It gets charged by the tablet in the process. As tablets and smartphones have evolved, the laptop has been relegated. I primarily perform about 80 percent of tasks via my smartphone (Galaxy Note 20 Ultra 5G). For streaming purposes (audio and video), I rely on the Tab S8. Microsoft Office is available for free on tablets 10.1 inches or smaller and as such the Tab S8 requires a subscription in order to use. I have never been a fan of the Samsung DeX feature. I prefer to keep the desktop and tablet experience separate. For gaming, Asphalt 9 handles very well with no lag. For the next iteration, NFC would be very much welcome. Although everyone appreciates going Green, including a charger adapter would go a long way to win converts to the brand, especially as every other manufacturer appears to be shipping without them too. I believe my Tab S6 shipped with replacement nibs for the S Pen. I commend Samsung for the very sleek formfactor and shape. It also appears to be the same size as its predecessor implying cases could be reused if upgrading from the Tab S7. This could also be a nod to their Green initiative; way to go Samsung.Knivels

My last tablet was a Galaxy Tab S7+, which I traded in for this one a couple weeks ago. Firstly, the display is excellent, however the larger size is hard to get used to, and it takes a bigger toll on the battery. I usually got around 7 hours of constant heavy use, mostly video streaming, which is still very good. I'm not positive about this, but I think that the display's refresh rate is now fixed, and not adaptive. This means that no matter what is being displayed on the screen, it will always be at 120 or 60hz(whichever you've set it to in the settings) even if there is absolutely nothing moving on the screen. I would imagine that this consumes a significant amount of battery, however I think that it could be fixed through software at least. I would also recommend sticking with a 25 watt charger, since it's still very fast, and it will degrade your battery less that the 45 watt charger. As far as cases go, unfortunately the only real decent one is the $80 Protective Standing Cover made by Samsung. It's really overpriced however it is extremely durable, has a quality kick stand, and security stores the s pen in it's charging slot. Unfortunately, it does nearly double the weight of an already heavy tablet. Lastly, the only tempered glass screen protectors I've found are significantly smaller that the front glass panel, leaving a portion of the edges vulnerable to scrates and impacts. Finally, I got my unit at a significant discount because of a large credit from my tade in. I only payed $560 for it, so if I had payed the full $1200, my opinions may have been different. I do think $1200 is overpriced, but seeing as this tablet is vastly superior to any other Android tablet, and arguably on par with or even better than the ipad, you can justify paying the full price.jbrualdi

This is from someone who upgraded from the original Kindle fire, so maybe I missed the trend of increasing ad's and useless garbage designed to be click-bait for the masses. Once my wife transferred her account to the new Kindle, Amazon recommended books for her that belonged in the back corner of a CVS- or an Adult book store. Alexa? GONE. Intrusive, even when you don't want it. It crippled the browsing experience all together. I disabled that after the first 30 minutes. It also took several attempts to get the account set up properly. I've always believed that good products / good hardware sell themselves, without the need of extra bloat and click bait. Amazon must think otherwise. The hardware is good, but I would rather have the Kindle reader, and leave everything else to the phone or PC.Chucky

Oh my, the Fire line of tablets have come a long way since their origins and have improved with each and every model! Setup is a breeze, and once you login to your Amazon account, you can access your Prime video, channels, books, etc. You may have an update to do when setting up, mine did, but it’s quick and easy. Just connect to your WiFi when setting up. The screen is large and makes viewing video much more enjoyable than my phone screen. The screen is responsive to touch and crystal clear. I mostly do light internet work like email etc and watching videos, playing games but the tablet is fast and loads everything quickly. It comes with a usb charger but you can use a wireless charger, just have to buy it separately. You can also use a Bluetooth keyboard and that really makes it feel like a computer. It does help if you send a lot of emails, type a lot, etc. You can use Alexa with this and use it to control your smart home devices. You can check the weather, video chat, listen to your favorite music, pull up a recipe all by asking Alexa. All in all, I highly recommend the new Fire tablets. For the price, you won’t find better.Mommysamons84

The “plus” was worth every penny. There are three things to look at when considering a Kindle Fire. The first is RAM. The second is storage. The third is screen size. The four gigs of RAM makes this tablet haul. The regular Kindle Fire 10 has only 3 gigs of RAM. The extra gig in the plus is a game changer when well, playing games. I purchased the 32 gigs of storage, knowing that up to a terabyte of storage can be added in the form of a micro SD card. I wish it would have been available in the 64 Gig version though as most programs can only run from the native built-in storage. The last category is screen size. The 10 and the 10 plus have the largest screens available for the Kindle Fire. I haven’t taken it apart, but I’d suspect that they have a larger battery to go along with the larger screen. I was wore out before the battery needed recharging so that is something I’ll have to look into. With all of the positive things to say about the Kindle Fire, I have only this criticism and the reason for my three stars: Kindle’s App Store levels a lot to be desired. Some people want the Google Play Store, but I’ve had to do system resets to recover from malicious apps downloaded from the Play Store. If Kindle is going to keep the Play Store locked out, it could at least provide a decent selection of mainstream games, productivity, and Google or Microsoft apps.Offhand

I bought the surface go 2 because my husband has th surface go pro for work, and since I'm always having to carry my laptop, it's small, easy to use. I have the attached keyboard. A couple things about the OS – Seems to freeze often and I don't even have all my files synced get from my laptop. Windows aren't closing when I click "x" or use task bar, "close window". When I open apps, it doesn't show that it's opening nor the wait message – it just doesn't open. I do have to buy new licensing for the office products, can't just switch from my laptop to surface, so not yet using for that feature. Tablet mode doesn't seem to do anything different cause when a key is accidentally pressed on attached keyboard, it acts upon that key press. I would probably not get this device again.Rza390

If you need a Windows 10 tablet with built-in LTE this is a great choice. Very few Windows 10 laptops are LTE capable now days so there are not many options unless you want to carry a hotspot everywhere. Please note this does not come with a case, keyboard, stylus or Office365 license. Upon first use the device seemed very slow but that was because it was installing many windows updates and device firmware patches. Once all updates are done the device is quite fast. The touchscreen is very good and sharp enough to accomplish almost anything. I wish it had better battery life as I get about 3+- or so hours of use and maybe 7-8 hours of standby.L Stotch

I bought the surface go 2 because my husband has th surface go pro for work, and since I'm always having to carry my laptop, it's small, easy to use. I have the attached keyboard. A couple things about the OS – Seems to freeze often and I don't even have all my files synced get from my laptop. Windows aren't closing when I click "x" or use task bar, "close window". When I open apps, it doesn't show that it's opening nor the wait message – it just doesn't open. I do have to buy new licensing for the office products, can't just switch from my laptop to surface, so not yet using for that feature. Tablet mode doesn't seem to do anything different cause when a key is accidentally pressed on attached keyboard, it acts upon that key press. I would probably not get this device again.Rza390

If you need a Windows 10 tablet with built-in LTE this is a great choice. Very few Windows 10 laptops are LTE capable now days so there are not many options unless you want to carry a hotspot everywhere. Please note this does not come with a case, keyboard, stylus or Office365 license. Upon first use the device seemed very slow but that was because it was installing many windows updates and device firmware patches. Once all updates are done the device is quite fast. The touchscreen is very good and sharp enough to accomplish almost anything. I wish it had better battery life as I get about 3+- or so hours of use and maybe 7-8 hours of standby.L Stotch

Microsoft Surface GO 3 Pentium Gold 8 GB RAM, 128 GB SSD w/ Windows 11 S. Based on my previous experience with tablet screen keyboards Android, Windows Surface and Chromebook tablets for me adding a Bluetooth or detachable hardware keyboard was a very good decision. While I waited for the Surface Go 3 to arrive I ordered a Microsoft Surface Go Signature Type cover and used it during the research for this review. When the Surface GO 3 was unpacked I was impressed with the build quality. The chassis is aluminum with plastic around the power and volume controls and the front and rear cameras with only a hairline space between metal and plastic. The weight of the 10.5 inch Surface GO 3 at about 19 oz. is heavier than the 10.1-10.5 inch Android tablets my family has but is a couple oz. lighter than the 11 inch Android tablets I see entering the market. My Surface GO 3 Windows 11 S configuration after a number of Windows updates with the default applications installed and Netflix and Hulu streaming entertainment apps has 83.2GB of the 128 GB SSD drive remaining free. On my system with the power mode set at the Windows 11 “recommended” setting battery drain is 10% an hour while web streaming video from Hulu or Netflix. This setting yields 8 hours of runtime until “battery saver mode” engages at the 20% battery level. When the Surface is performing other tasks like “system updates” judging from the way the tablet warms up compared to streaming video battery drain is significantly faster. My Surface GO 3 still has it’s Windows 11 in the S configuration so far I have been very satisfied with the applications available in the S version although there is a learning curve to the unfamiliar applications. I am impressed with the design, quality and lightweight of the Surface GO 3 and with all the available accessories available for it. But each component is expensive and as you add accessories and approach the functionality of a laptop you may find you have spent more than a larger and heavier but more capable laptop costs. I recommend the Microsoft Surface GO 3 to my friends and relatives.rockhunter

I got this tablet because my previous Surface finally quit after 5 or so years of faithful service. I love the Surface, including this one, and it does what I need it to do. Having said that, however, there are some noticeable glitches: • Sometimes (perhaps 10% of the time I use it) the camera doesn't work and the internal software can't find it. There don't seem to be any solutions to this other than restart and hope it works. • Many of the emojis that I used in Windows 10 to code my notes apparently do not exist in Windows 11. If they DO exist, for some reason this tablet won't display them as anything other than empty squares. And many of the ones that DO transfer over are no longer in color. My green checkmarks are now gray. My Red X's are black. My parchment-colored scroll is gray. My stop sign is an empty box. I am hoping a future update will correct this, but so far that hasn't happened. • I don't like the Start menu AT ALL. The icons are tiny and (as far as I know) non-customizable. I really miss the live tiles that were such a wonderful feature of Windows 10. (I realize that this is a Windows 11 issue, not a Surface Go issue, but if anyone purchases the Surface Go they will be using Windows 11) On the whole, this Surface Go 3 gets the job done reasonably smoothly. I recommend it, but it will certainly not replace my desktop computer — or even a laptop. I very much hope that the issues addressed above will be addressed, but even if they're not it's still an OK product. 3 stars.Handsome Frank

I enjoy using microsoft software and programs and own an xbox as well just to keep everything I can that is from my business, hobby, school, or personal uses. This surface go 3 tablet has been very difficult to work with… I applied my personal account to it and I have almost nothing on there stored, so keep in mind my business is not connected and none of the files were even transferred on there. Some issues from the set up AND continued for 2 days. Overheating and very hot from 5-10 minutes of internet use or even just getting my settings to how I want them, wifi connected but did not want to populate any website (2 different 10device wifi points used), it always seems to freeze when exiting out of any app, battery will not last a day even if it was charged to 100 (disconnected) and not used all day and result dead the next morning (even with powersaving mode). I've had this tablet for 6 days and unfortunately I can not return it due to a lost receipt which is not the issue, as the staff didn't offer store credit either. I take responsibility for losing the receipt. I do not recommend this tablet that wants to run like a desktop. Too much enginuity and features for it to handle itself. Just get a desktop that has potential to handle a core i3 or higher, saves you a headache. And don't shop at this store as they wander as if they don't get paid at all to do a job (the guy at checkout in the microsoft section was professional, meaning simply had a good attitude that i should mention is all it takes to be professional, and went above and beyond by offering services, insurance, facts, etc, which now unecessary but very gladly appreciated as we tend to forget about that as customers when making electronic purchases). Unfortunately now I will have to buy another product instead of getting an exchange at minimum and go elsewhere for it.Edgar

I bought the surface go 2 because my husband has th surface go pro for work, and since I'm always having to carry my laptop, it's small, easy to use. I have the attached keyboard. A couple things about the OS – Seems to freeze often and I don't even have all my files synced get from my laptop. Windows aren't closing when I click "x" or use task bar, "close window". When I open apps, it doesn't show that it's opening nor the wait message – it just doesn't open. I do have to buy new licensing for the office products, can't just switch from my laptop to surface, so not yet using for that feature. Tablet mode doesn't seem to do anything different cause when a key is accidentally pressed on attached keyboard, it acts upon that key press. I would probably not get this device again.Rza390

If you need a Windows 10 tablet with built-in LTE this is a great choice. Very few Windows 10 laptops are LTE capable now days so there are not many options unless you want to carry a hotspot everywhere. Please note this does not come with a case, keyboard, stylus or Office365 license. Upon first use the device seemed very slow but that was because it was installing many windows updates and device firmware patches. Once all updates are done the device is quite fast. The touchscreen is very good and sharp enough to accomplish almost anything. I wish it had better battery life as I get about 3+- or so hours of use and maybe 7-8 hours of standby.L Stotch

I have watched many video reviews of the tablet when compared to the Galaxy Tablet S7+. I have to assume that if you had the S7+ to compare side-by-side with the S7 FE you would notice some differences and at that point you might be inclined to buy the S7+ instead of the S7 FE as the S7 FE, or Fan Edition, is supposed to be a more budget-friendly version of the S7+ with a few reduced features. I think that on its own, if the S7+ didn't exist, I would recommend the S7 FE. because there are not many other tablet brands in this space: Apple, Amazon, Samsung, Lenovo, Huawei and Google. That's it. Huawei is not available in the US, Apple OS is in an entirely different class of tablet, Google focuses on Chrome OS and replacing the PC experience, Amazon focuses on offering budget tablets just to get their hardware in your hand so you can spend on Amazon digital products. That just leaves Lenovo and Samsung. The only Lenovo tablet that can really compare is the Tab P11, but that is more akin to the Samsung Galaxy S7, not the S7FE or S7+. As a result, at the end of the day, if you are looking for a premium android tablet, the S7 FE's only competition is the S7+. And I would recommend the S7+ over the S7 FE. The S7 FE is the same size and build quality as the S7+. What is get on the FE (vs the plus) is: Slower processor (Snapdragon 765 vs 865) Lower quality screen (60 hz IPS vs 120 hz AMOLED, 1600p vs 1752p) Lower camera resolution (rear: 8 mp vs 13 mp, front: 5 mp vs 8 mp) Extra weight (0.65 oz) Fewer speakers (2 vs 4) Slightly thicker body (0.6 mm) Overall the tablet is very nice. The Pen is wonderful, very responsive, feels great in the hand. The screen is great on its own, when not compares to the S7+. I put on a glass screen protector (which was a pain in the butt to install – trying to avoid dust on a 12" screen protector is hard!) and the responsiveness hasn't changed at all. Samsung DeX is a very nice experience that replicates a PC experience, especially if you have a the Keyboard Book cover for the tablet (keep in mind that the S7 and S7+ already have DeX). Samsung offers the new S7 FE keyboard book cover, or you can use the older larger book cover that was designed for the S7+ if having a touchpad is important (which I think it is). I am currently typing on the S7+ keyboard book cover and it works great. Everything is very snappy on the tablet. Audio is great (although I think I might have enjoyed the 4-speaker array of the S7+). Most of the things you lose from the S7+ you won't notice. The screen resolution, the thicker body, the processor performance, the extra weight. Heck, you will probably never even use the cameras to notice the difference. My wife has been using her (Apple) tablet for 3 years now. She rarely ever uses the cameras other than to do the occasional video chat (for which 5 mp is more than sufficient). The big one you will notice is the screen. I am unable to see it since I don't have an S7+ to compare, but I see it in the video reviews on YouTube. I think you will get a much better experience out of the 120 hz AMOLED screen vs the 60 hz IPS screen. You might also notice the performance difference between a Snapdragon 865 and 765. The cost difference for the S7 FE vs the S7+ (128GB/6GB models) is $130 (current Sep 19, 2021 discounted prices of $599 vs $729). I mean, if you are already ready to spend $600 on a tablet, might as well pay the extra $130 for the better "full version" of the tablet. Now, if $600 is your budget, ok, I can understand. Heck, you can even drop down to the 64 GB of this tablet (a version which does not exist on the S7+) and you are only paying $530 at that point (not to mention that as of today, Sep 19, 2021, Best Buy is offering a $50 gift card with purchase of the S7 FE tablets, all versions). But if you can afford the extra $130 go with the S7+. One last side point. If you are excited at Samsung DeX and are hoping for it to be an equal experience to Chrome OS, don't get your hopes up. I mean it is great. It is a wonderful addition to an Android Tablet and really brings something new to the Android tablet experience. But, I only recommend taking DeX into consideration of your purchase (of either the S7 FE or S7+) if your goal is to purchase an Android tablet and have the OPTION to use it as a psuedo-chromeOS PC at times. Think of Samsung Dex as running Blue Stacks (in Windows) at full screen with the ability to have apps in individualized windows like Windows OS. You get to run all the Android apps you want in a Windows-ish environment, but you don't get the polished PC Android expereince that Chrome OS brings (of course the big downside of Chrome OS is that you can't run all Android apps, you are limited to Chrome OS specific apps, which are better designed). Just as an example, Android browser apps are intended to view webpages in mobile mode. When you are in DeX mode viewing in Desktop mode is much more amenable. Problem is that on an Android tablet you lose sTodd

The first thing you notice with the Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 FE is its size. The 12.4", 2560×1600 LCD screen is vast, surrounded by thin bezels which only serve to enhance the screen's dimensions. It pushes the limits of ergonomics with its size, but if you can transport/use such a large screen, the device offers a lot. The tablet might be best described as upper-midrange, with the screen as the main attraction. It gets Samsung's useful S-pen, but not the Bluetooth version, so no extras like a shutter button. The screen is sharp and bright, but is a 60Hz LCD, unlike the Super AMOLED 120Hz screen on the Tab S7+. The processor is a Qualcomm SM7325, a 8-core chip aimed more at the midrange versus the 800-series chips, and it's paired with respectable but not jaw-dropping 6 gigs of RAM. In everyday usage, however, those differences from the flagship probably won't mean that much for most people. It's very fast and responsive, and the screen is a genuine pleasure to read on (I've found it wonderful for ebooks). No, it's not as buttery smooth as my high-refresh rate Galaxy S20+ phone, but that also means the screen isn't eating up as much battery life. With a monstrous 10090mAh battery, the run time is wonderful. You'll easily get all day usage out of it. The included charger supports rapid charging, but if you have a higher wattage Samsung charger, it will support even faster charging. There's a wide angle camera and a front-facing, but the front-facing camera is oriented for horizontal usage, like a laptop, not along the top like a phone. The tablet supports face recognition and it's reasonably fast/accurate. I would have liked a fingerprint reader as an additional biometric option. Samsung equips this tablet with a healthy 128GB of storage, and thankfully retains the microSD card slot for more, up to 1TB. The slot is located along the side and is easily accessed with the included tool–adding a 256GB card was simple. This is a great device for media consumption, so the storage expansion is a welcome continuation even if other features, like the rapidly disappearing headphone jack, are gone. The biggest issue with this is software, and it's a problem common to all Android tablets. Simply, Android is still not as well adapted to the tablet form factor as it is the phone. There have been strides towards this, but you will still across apps that feel like giant phone apps. Samsung, to their credit, have addressed this issue to an extent with DeX, which turns the Android interface into something very much like a ChromeOS desktop, and which definitely leverages the large screen size. I like the idea of DeX, but probably wouldn't use it personally for much (and I will say this tablet is worthwhile regardless of DeX). The key to getting the most out of the DeX mode is the separately sold keyboard cover, which is not cheap but would turn this into a full-fledged mobile productivity device. In the past, Android tablets have often been neglected with regards to updates. But I was pleased to have been offered a couple of updates after just a week of usage, and my Android 11 security patch is the August one (writing in mid-September). Not bad at all! Overall, this is a solid offering from Samsung. You get a lot for the money. The giant screen is amazing to use, performance is snappy, and there's plenty of storage. If you're inclined to use this for more than media consumption, Samsung's DeX gives a desktop interface that gives ChromeOS-like usability, helping to move beyond some of the limitations of the Android OS in tablet form. The inclusion of the (helpfully magnetic) S-pen furthers that capability, useful for notetaking, drawing, or just for interactions on screen. The large size is takes some getting used to–think about getting a protective case–but I'm not sure I'd want a smaller tablet, having used this. This will be my new go-to device for traveling, because it can do everything I need on the go. Recommended for most people, highly recommended for some niche uses.DFN80

I'm reviewing as a package with expensive book cover from Samsung. I bought this device hoping it would be my second productivity device, for reading, working with documents (ppt,word) and some light email work, however it's not more than gimmicky content consumption device. Sure it's ok for watching videos and playing some light games. In a lot I think it's Android problem, apps (even with Samsung Dex) are not optimized for productivity. For example Slack on tablet is the same as on the Phone, meaning there is no channel/messages bar on the left and it's hard to monitor the messages for work. Same goes for PPT editing and doc writing, it's just less productive than Windows devices such as Surface GO (which I eventually switched to for lightweight work). I thought it'd be OK, since we are using GCP platform and my assumption was that google did well optimized and easy to use GCP aps with android – nope. Otherwise in regards to hardware, I really enjoy good quality build and materials feel premium to touch. I had no performance issues so far, batter is giving me a solid day of "work". The only thing I didn't like using it as tablet and reading device, the edges are a bit sharp when you are holding it for a while. (and size is a bit too big for reading). P.S.I bought it on Amazon, since the delivery time on Samsung portal is just crazy. Amazon's was delivered in 2 days, where I'd have to wait for 3-4 weeks here.Mr Frosty

This is an amazing tablet. I love that I can get so many games. The set up was very nice and easy. I charged the tablet the first time on the day that I picked up the tablet. I have not had to charge it again, and it has been about a month that I have had the tablet. The battery life is the longest I have ever seen for a tablet, phone, or even a laptop. I absolutely love using this tablet and being able to get so many apps on the tablet. The display is very clear and easy to see. I have not dropped the tablet, and I don't plan on doing so, but there is a carrying handle that doubles as a stand. That is very amazing. One last thing, is that I love the purple case and the designs that are on there.Aurora

A friend of mine recommended the Fire since his daughter really liked it. I have been satisfied with the product thus far, great battery life, high quality screen, but being so entrenched in the Apple ecosystem, I find it quite annoying there is not a physical home button. You have to click on the edges of the screen to get the home button to appear and in some app that does not work so easily. However the biggest issue I find is the amount of options they have. When trying to find a simple coloring app, there is like 10 options and most of them are not age appropriate for my young daughter. And by simple I mean something I don’t have to sit down with her to help navigate the app. I have even adjusted the age slider to show apps that are in my daughters age range. This has been wildly unsuccessful, even for other game apps. Then I have had a really hard time finding read along books, which was quite surprising. Altogether the Fire is a solid product for a great price, but expect to have to constantly help your younger kids when using this device.rezi68

As an experienced iPad user I looked around for a replacement for my ageing mini iPad 2. I settled on the new 10.2" 64GB iPad2021. Ebay (and especially the marketplace section on Facebook!) were awash with adverts for every type of iPad. It was confusing to see adverts for this iPad advertising it second hand for far more than John Lewis were asking for it new – whilst also saying they got it from John Lewis! Bonkers or what? Ordering it was easy, but waiting was not. Instant gratification had to be delayed whilst I was electronically assured it was in stock & the order accepted/ dispatched / tracked/ imminently to arrive. It is a while since I opened a brand new Apple device and I had forgotten how much attention is paid to the initial look and feel of the product. Everything tells you this is a special product to be treated with due reverence. Well, blow that for a game of cards! I was instantly on it starting it up and seeing what such a bigger screen looked like (fantastic!) and how responsive it was (light years faster than my old iPad mini!). But although it was the same basic system, iOs15 is also very different from my older machine – a veritable racehorse next to a nodding donkey. So don't be surprised to hear that the former nodding donkey owner is constantly being ambushed by a system that seems a lot smarter than he is. Things 'happen' on screen and you wonder why, and how to reverse them too? Don't get me wrong – I wouldn't go back for a moment, but this horse trainer has some serious learning to do before I get the best out of my new machine. Of course, I had to get a keyboard for it and chose the Logitech Rugged Folio case. Logitech claims the materials 'exceed military-standard drop tests.' Somehow I can't bring myself to put this claim to the test, I'm just content with the greater protection and flexibility of use it offers. In short – it was a great buy at a great price but also it also requires people like me (72 years young) to have a bit of an 'owners upgrade' – I wonder if John Lewis offers one of those too?baslowman

I bought this 9th-gen to replace a 6th-gen (which was given to another family member to replace her iPad mini 2 from 2014), and overall it's not really that different from the old one, which is to say it works great and does everything it's supposed to. It's a bit faster than the old one, but I don't really play games or demand much of it so the fact that websites load a few fractions of a second faster for me is neither here nor there. Slight pros: The new front-facing camera is noticeably better, and it's nice to have a slightly bigger screen. Slight cons: I wish there was a 128GB version b/c 64GB seems a little too tight while 256GB is much bigger than I'd ever need. I'm sure Apple knows exactly what it's doing here to encourage people to upgrade, and I decided to pony up. I wish both speakers weren't still on the same side (like it was on the old one) because in landscape mode it's annoying to have the sound emit only from one side. I know the Air has better speaker placement. Apple knows exactly what it's doing here to encourage people to upgrade, and I decided not to pony up. Also, it's ever so slightly disappointing that the color choices are so limited – my old iPad was a nice rose gold, which this new one is the regular, boring old Apple silver. First world problems.Melissa

This iPad is currently the least expensive current model offered by Apple, and it's sufficient for just about any general task. The core chip (A13) is nearly three years old as of the time of this review (May 2022), but it's a very capable CPU. If all you're looking to do is basic web browsing, email checking, streaming music and/or videos, and using social media apps, this tablet is plenty for your needs. If you're doing more specialized tasks, such as photo editing, music creation, or anything else which might eat up storage, you might want to look for a model with more than 64GB of storage. Despite Apple having a good track record of providing OS updates for their devices far longer than what's offered by its Android counterparts, the lack of storage expansion and the difficulty involved with replacing the battery effectively make this a disposable device. I cringe when I think of the millions of these devices that will be in the landfill in ten years. Despite Apple's efforts at providing a recycling program, the reality is that very few people will use that option. Instead, Apple should move to a design which allows for an end-user replaceable battery to keep the device usable for years to come. (PS – it's also time to ditch the lightning connector and fully move to USB-C!)JD

My Surface Pro 4 was coming up on six years and was down to about 1.5 hours of battery life. I bought this as a replacement and I am happy with the purchase. The battery life isn't world-beating, but it is still pretty good. The performance is vastly improved. The new hardware and updated Core I5 provide fast wake-up and facial recognition. The quality, power, and portability are still there – and those are the things that attracted me to Surface Pro originally. You NEED the type cover. It has always struck me as a marvel of engineering. It is a satisfying typing experience in a very small package. The backlit keys are also appreciated. The pen is less important for most people, although annotating your slides when presenting can be useful – and cool. I use mine rarely, but I am not an artist. Overall, this is a solid system that I have no qualms about recommending to those who want a top-shelf Windows tablet.Ricky

This is a good surface pro to buy (i7/16GB/512GB). The black model looks cool. my previous surface was a surface 4 and it got replaced with a surface 5. It was platinum/metallic. The black one looks pretty nice. I recommend getting 512GB instead of 256GB as 256GB is getting pretty cramped and will wear out faster. Its better to wait for the 7+ to come out and be available due to the removable SSD and the upgrades processor. But due to shortage that is hard to come by. I got a $400 discount on this 512GB model making it $2149. Yes the 7+ has an upgradable SSD, but considering I was able to get the 512GB model, I wouldn't need the SSD upgraded any time soon. compared to a 2 core 4 thread i5 in the Surface pro 5, this 4 core 8 thread i7 in the surface pro 7 runs circles around my previous surface. I do a lot of video recording in class, ands this allows me to be able to record class and do work at the same time without issues. I can record zoom calls (windows button+G) or record session inside the web browser (windows+g) for classes that don't auto record. This is good for studying as I can review classes. I use Microsoft onenote a lot. And this is a must have app for the microsoft surface pro. I learned my lesson, I will record videos only to external to save the life of the SSD. This is my 4th surface now. Now real failures with previous models other then the battery will need to be replaced after 3-4 years and this is actually easy to do, but microsoft may replace the device for free if the battery expands the screen. (This rare and does not happen that often, but any lithium ion battery can get puffed if too hot for long periods of time so take care of your laptops and phones and tablets and do not over charge especially with the case on) The Surface Pro 7 i7 has a build in fan to keep cpu cool. Just beware the surface can get hot, so avoid using a case whenever possible. In most cases, a case is not needed. Just remove the case when not needed (like at home) to pop back the stand to help the surface to keep cool when running or charging. Do not charge when its in a back pack as this is bad for the battery. Also make sure you turn off before you put in the bag (just push power button). Anyways thats my experience with my surface pro 4. So I will apply all I learned to better take care of the pro 7.ShqTTh

I’ve owned many tablets over the years, but nobody does it quite like Apple when it comes to consistency. Battery life, app & accessory support, processing speed, etc. All a league ahead of the competition for devices in this category, save if you need more ports or a different OS. I haven’t liked Apple’s phones in recent years because of a few main design choices: Face ID instead of a fingerprint scanner for biometrics, an ugly notch that steals screen real state, and a lightning port instead of a much more modern and capable USB-C port. IPad’s don’t have the notch (thank God), but the base model still has a lightning port and the pro models use Face ID only, not to mention the price tag (ouch!). So when the 4th Gen iPad Air launched without any of those issues/compromises, I thought some Apple engineer had designed it just for me. I purchased it right away last year and I can’t find anything to complain about. I did upgrade to the 5th Gen model this year for the M1 chip, a storage upgrade, and 10GBPS USB-C, but my review stands for both generations. You get basically the same CPU/GPU performance of the iPad Pro without Face ID and the price tag, while still retaining more “pro” features than the base model iPad. In my opinion, this is the best bang for your buck iPad, and it could replace a laptop completely if you don’t need desktop specific software, and don’t mind a dongle or two for accessories. 5/5Badkir95

I’m currently writing this review on the additional Apple Smart Keyboard Folio attachment. It makes this device a pleasure to use. This is a great investment which I had made because I was looking for an upgrade from my iPad Mini 5th generation. It was showing its age but I was picking between the Air and the 6th generation Mini. I ultimately picked the Air due to a price match. The battery life is very reasonable, definitely upholding Apple’s advertised stats. The display is high resolution and has very suitable brightness for indoor use. I suspect the visibility wouldn’t hold up in bright sunlight, however, compared to the iPad Pros. The performance exhibited by the M1 is the main reason I chose this over the Mini, and I have no doubts that this tablet will continue to fly for years. Apps open quickly, browsing the internet is a breeze and the 8GB of RAM allow for multiple, responsible tabs. I have not tried gaming yet but the reviews which I have seen only had good things to say about performance. Overall, I am very satisfied with this purchase, although the speakers could be a bit better. They are stereo but are not as loud as I’d have hoped, and don’t have nearly as much clarity in the low-mid range as for instance my MacBook Pro speakers (which isn’t a fair comparison but worth mentioning). I’d recommend an additional keyboard attachment for this device if you’d like to have a much easier time typing. Currently, without either holding the tablet like I’m playing a game or tilting my neck uncomfortably low, typing is not the easiest on the tablet alone. You can likely find either an Apple keyboard on sale or an aftermarket brand with similar functionality, for a reasonable price.Nave

Been wanting a new iPad for me & my family to use at home. Mostly for watching movies, YouTube, and internet browsing. I loved the blue color way and design of this iPad. Overall, it’s very handy and compact. Bought a case for it that fits perfectly with the iPad. Screen quality wise – it’s okay. Watching 4K HDR movies on the Apple TV app is okay. They’re still shown with 4K HDR & Dolby Vision. But the black bars for wide screen movies are too big !! Makes the movie presentation look really small; almost like watching on a regular smart phone only even wider. I can’t stand it! Might as well be watching on my Apple TV on a regular TV. I find myself zooming in sometimes just to kind of make up for the space occupied by the black bars, but that defeats a director’s purpose for their films , makes the film seem unnatural and missing key elements in a scene. 🙁 hope Apple can fix this in the coming years. Sound quality wise -the Apple TV app’s volume seems a bit faint compared to the louder and boomy audio on Vudu & Movies Anywhere apps for streaming & downloaded films. Also I do wish this iPad offered the old earphone jack or the latest charger/earphone jack that most iPhones today support. I am using airpods & my Bluetooth Sony headphones for now. Overall , I do love this device. It’s fun & addicting for the whole family and it can be bought anywhere 🙂Andrei

This tablet is absolutely amazing! Initial impressions after setting this tablet up are that it's super thin, light and seems very durable with it's metal frame. It looks and feels premium! Upgrading to this from the Tab S7 seems like there isn't much difference on the outside but I can honestly say that this tablet feels faster, has a better display, and even sounds a little better than the last gen of this same tablet. I would say that if you're on the fence between this an an iPad I would say that you'll have just as good of an experience in terms of software as Samsung has done a nice job streamlining the software so you can setup and get going in minutes. I actually like the feel of the S-Pen on this tablet far better than any I've used so far. In terms of the pen and writing, it really seems more responsive and to me feels more natural because it's so much more responsive. As far as connectivity goes, the WiFi speeds are fast and the reception is overall solid. In fact, one odd thing is that my Tab S7 sometimes has WiFi reception issues in my living room but this tablet has not had that issue at all. You can easily expand storage on it with the MicroSD and add significant storage to the tablet. I often keep media and photos/videos on one and then use internal memory for apps and games. Many software titles on Android work well with SD Storage and let you configure where media is stored separate from the app itself so having expandable memory is an easy thing to do an manage. The display is very bright and vibrant and with it's high variable high refresh rate it looks good and feels good when scrolling through web pages or media. You can attach a second display through USB-C and even multi-task where you can watch videos on one display and do email on the other with Samsung Dex which is not something you can do or even do well on any other tablet out there. The best part is you can even charge while using the second display all through the same cable, it's TRULY AMAZING! The USB C charging and data port is a welcomed feature as it charges fast and lets you quickly transfer media to your computer and really as fast as your microSD card will read data off of it. There is no headphone jack so that would be the one thing I'd keep in mind if you still prefer to use wired headphones. The last thing is how fast this tablet is, apps just snap up when your load them and updating apps used to take a fair amount of time for 20-30 apps and this tablet blazes through them in on a few minutes. It's OTA software update only took a matter of minutes also, so Samsung has clearly done things to optimize the software and the processor is just simply faster than any other out there. Battery life is amazing, you can surf the internet an watch movies on Netflix for hours without any problem. In the time I've had with it I've yet to run it dead in the middle of doing something and feel confident I could go anywhere with it and not worry about it running dead. The fast charging also helps make that task an easy quick thing when you need a quick boost on power. Overall, this tablet is simply amazing! Having owned iPads previously, I can say with every bit of confidence that this tablet is better than any other out there right now. It makes consuming media, or doing things a breeze, and with a keyboard (and even mouse) you can have a laptop-like experience. Using Samsung Dex, is amazing and makes this tablet a lot more than just a tablet replacing many laptops!btb2k

The Galaxy Tab S series of tablets are Samsung’s flagship tablets renowned for top notch performance. With vibration abilities, compass, surface level, S Pen and a snappy Snapdragon processor, many will appreciate the value of the Tab S8; delivered at a measly 1.10 lbs. Following the current trend of very minimalistic packaging, the contents on the drastically reduced packaging box size are essentially 5 (five) items: USB-C data/charge cable • Galaxy Tab S8 • S Pen • Ejector Pin • Quick Start Guide You certainly get what you paid for in terms of hardware when dealing with the Galaxy Tab S series. My aluminum encased Tab S8 incorporates an Octa Core Snapdragon Gen 1 processor, configured with 128GB of internal memory, 8 GB RAM and an 8000mAh battery. The battery is capable of Samsung’s Super Fast Charging technology with a 45W charger. Samsung offers this as an optional accessory but once you have tried it, it becomes clear it is very essential. A full charge lasts over a day with moderate binging in my experience. MicroSDs up to 1 TB can be used to expand storage when needed. Four (4) AKG Stereo speakers featuring Dolby Atmos, evenly split between the top and bottom of the tablet deliver a rather immersive experience. The display is a 120 Hz, 11 inch TFT LCD display capable of 2560 x 1600 resolution. Having previously owned a Galaxy Tab S6, I have come to prefer the LCD display over the Super AMOLED version. It is a personal choice due to the color production being not as oversaturated as the latter. I miss out on the darker blacks and better battery life but it is a fair trade off for my purposes. The device runs Android 12 out of the box along with Samsung’s One UI version 4.1; it could potentially receive updates to Android 16. For connectivity, Wi-Fi 6E 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax standard radio is onboard. Bluetooth version 5.2 also helps quick connectivity with the Samsung ecosystem. The convenience of automatically pausing your tablet so you can answer a call on your phone and then resuming the tablet once completed is priceless in my opinion. With compatible handsets, calls and text messages can be received on the tablet. The Galaxy Tab S8 ports a 12MP ultrawide camera in the front and a 13MP autofocus, 6MP ultrawide array in the rear. For dark environments, a flash is provided. Pictures are decent but I will be sticking with my Note as that has a more formidable array of lenses. The flash doubles as a flash light via the Edge Panel utility. There is no NFC on the Galaxy Tab S8. In other tablets I have previously owned, NFC helped facilitate quick pairing with compatible Bluetooth enabled devices. Unlike the Tab S8 Plus or the Tab S8 Ultra, the fingerprint reader is embedded in the power button. In my experience, it is more reliable compared to the ultrasonic variant located under the display of my Galaxy Note 20 Ultra 5G. It could be due to the fact that the smartphone display probably gets dirtier/oily compared to the power button on the tablet. Face recognition is another biometric security feature. The Tab S8 ships with the S Pen that all fans of he Note series have come to consider highly invaluable. Latency is now at the lowest level to create a truly enjoyable experience scribbling on the tablet. Its features have evolved over the years and can currently perform the following tasks: • Help clip text and images from apps • Take notes and convert to text • Perform translations • Capture pictures, control music For storage, the S Pen attaches magnetically to the rear of the tablet in a very specific orientation (nib towards camera array. It gets charged by the tablet in the process. As tablets and smartphones have evolved, the laptop has been relegated. I primarily perform about 80 percent of tasks via my smartphone (Galaxy Note 20 Ultra 5G). For streaming purposes (audio and video), I rely on the Tab S8. Microsoft Office is available for free on tablets 10.1 inches or smaller and as such the Tab S8 requires a subscription in order to use. I have never been a fan of the Samsung DeX feature. I prefer to keep the desktop and tablet experience separate. For gaming, Asphalt 9 handles very well with no lag. For the next iteration, NFC would be very much welcome. Although everyone appreciates going Green, including a charger adapter would go a long way to win converts to the brand, especially as every other manufacturer appears to be shipping without them too. I believe my Tab S6 shipped with replacement nibs for the S Pen. I commend Samsung for the very sleek formfactor and shape. It also appears to be the same size as its predecessor implying cases could be reused if upgrading from the Tab S7. This could also be a nod to their Green initiative; way to go Samsung.Knivels

My last tablet was a Galaxy Tab S7+, which I traded in for this one a couple weeks ago. Firstly, the display is excellent, however the larger size is hard to get used to, and it takes a bigger toll on the battery. I usually got around 7 hours of constant heavy use, mostly video streaming, which is still very good. I'm not positive about this, but I think that the display's refresh rate is now fixed, and not adaptive. This means that no matter what is being displayed on the screen, it will always be at 120 or 60hz(whichever you've set it to in the settings) even if there is absolutely nothing moving on the screen. I would imagine that this consumes a significant amount of battery, however I think that it could be fixed through software at least. I would also recommend sticking with a 25 watt charger, since it's still very fast, and it will degrade your battery less that the 45 watt charger. As far as cases go, unfortunately the only real decent one is the $80 Protective Standing Cover made by Samsung. It's really overpriced however it is extremely durable, has a quality kick stand, and security stores the s pen in it's charging slot. Unfortunately, it does nearly double the weight of an already heavy tablet. Lastly, the only tempered glass screen protectors I've found are significantly smaller that the front glass panel, leaving a portion of the edges vulnerable to scrates and impacts. Finally, I got my unit at a significant discount because of a large credit from my tade in. I only payed $560 for it, so if I had payed the full $1200, my opinions may have been different. I do think $1200 is overpriced, but seeing as this tablet is vastly superior to any other Android tablet, and arguably on par with or even better than the ipad, you can justify paying the full price.jbrualdi

I really wanted to like this ipad. I've been looking for months. I finally got it and while I like it, it doesn't compare to my buddy's new Tab S8. Both are 11 inch screens and both have 128 storage. In a comparison they are both super fast. Couldn't tell them apart. But… the S8 allows for external memory. He put another 128 storage card in to make it a 256gb device. His also comes with an spen and it works super cool. Lots of features and it didn't cost him an extra $130. And finally he showed me Dex mode and it was really cool. Imagine if your ipad could switch between an ipad and a macbook. His can do something similar and then he hooked it up to a 27 inch monitor and had an amazing desktop. Not a mirror of his phone but it transfers to a desktop computer. It's like getting an imac, macbook, and ipad all in one including extra storage and a pen. I ended up returning the ipad and got the tab s8 and I couldn't be happier. $150 cheaper and tons more storage.pete

I upgraded from a 1st gen iPad Pro 11 and wanting a 5G and more gigs on the iPad Pro 11 2021. So I got it and it’s so much easier to use and fast and reliable to use for work. I travel a lot and needed something that was powerful and small but reliable to input stuff and this was it. I have a MacBook Air and it’s not Verizon enabled and this iPad is. I went from a 256 gig to a 1 tb and love this thing. It’s amazing, compact, and works flawlessly for me. So I use it everyday and do recommend it. I had the ipencil 2 from my last iPad Pro and had to get a new case. The Verizon service works awesome and I really get good connection while im using it. It was kinda expensive, but in my opinion it’s worth it and if you use other iPads this is the top of the line version. I’ve used previous versions and they kinda lag or freezes for me and never on the iPad Pro. I recommend this iPad if your on the go and want something that won’t be obsolete in a few years and made to last. I do recommend a good case and insurance by Verizon too because it’s expensive and you need to protect your long term investment. Good luckMr giggles r

Having had the iPad Air 2 for more than 5 years now it was starting to show its age with some slow downs and with one of the kids having the better screen of the iPad Air 4th gen I finally decided to go for the iPad Pro instead of the air for a little bit extra. I have been impressed by the responsiveness and speed of carrying out typical browsing and reading tasks with everything snappy. I have also taken advantage of the LiDAR Scanner to scan some rooms of the house for diy renovation projects with a free piece of software on the App Store (also options for IKEA etc. for home decorating) which was really straightforward to capture and generate 3D models as well as measurements. Something I couldnt have done with the new Air. Watching movies and tv series is a much improved experience with the 4 stereo speakers sounding pretty decent with much better bass. So far I havent tried to use a keyboard and mouse to see how it is as a laptop replacement which would (or should) be an option for many people. support for mice and keyboards and now with office software easily available this should be a more portable option for many. The files app has also improved but still not as flexible as on macOS but still more than usable for creating folders and files and navigating around. The lack of some pro apps such as Logic Pro and Final Cut Pro etc. may still out people off but there are a huge variety of apps and Im sure in time the additional power of the pro will be used by some of the professional apps. All in all a great machine with a lot of power on the go.derekbcorcoran

I’ve owned many tablets over the years, but nobody does it quite like Apple when it comes to consistency. Battery life, app & accessory support, processing speed, etc. All a league ahead of the competition for devices in this category, save if you need more ports or a different OS. I haven’t liked Apple’s phones in recent years because of a few main design choices: Face ID instead of a fingerprint scanner for biometrics, an ugly notch that steals screen real state, and a lightning port instead of a much more modern and capable USB-C port. IPad’s don’t have the notch (thank God), but the base model still has a lightning port and the pro models use Face ID only, not to mention the price tag (ouch!). So when the 4th Gen iPad Air launched without any of those issues/compromises, I thought some Apple engineer had designed it just for me. I purchased it right away last year and I can’t find anything to complain about. I did upgrade to the 5th Gen model this year for the M1 chip, a storage upgrade, and 10GBPS USB-C, but my review stands for both generations. You get basically the same CPU/GPU performance of the iPad Pro without Face ID and the price tag, while still retaining more “pro” features than the base model iPad. In my opinion, this is the best bang for your buck iPad, and it could replace a laptop completely if you don’t need desktop specific software, and don’t mind a dongle or two for accessories. 5/5Badkir95

I’m currently writing this review on the additional Apple Smart Keyboard Folio attachment. It makes this device a pleasure to use. This is a great investment which I had made because I was looking for an upgrade from my iPad Mini 5th generation. It was showing its age but I was picking between the Air and the 6th generation Mini. I ultimately picked the Air due to a price match. The battery life is very reasonable, definitely upholding Apple’s advertised stats. The display is high resolution and has very suitable brightness for indoor use. I suspect the visibility wouldn’t hold up in bright sunlight, however, compared to the iPad Pros. The performance exhibited by the M1 is the main reason I chose this over the Mini, and I have no doubts that this tablet will continue to fly for years. Apps open quickly, browsing the internet is a breeze and the 8GB of RAM allow for multiple, responsible tabs. I have not tried gaming yet but the reviews which I have seen only had good things to say about performance. Overall, I am very satisfied with this purchase, although the speakers could be a bit better. They are stereo but are not as loud as I’d have hoped, and don’t have nearly as much clarity in the low-mid range as for instance my MacBook Pro speakers (which isn’t a fair comparison but worth mentioning). I’d recommend an additional keyboard attachment for this device if you’d like to have a much easier time typing. Currently, without either holding the tablet like I’m playing a game or tilting my neck uncomfortably low, typing is not the easiest on the tablet alone. You can likely find either an Apple keyboard on sale or an aftermarket brand with similar functionality, for a reasonable price.Nave

Been wanting a new iPad for me & my family to use at home. Mostly for watching movies, YouTube, and internet browsing. I loved the blue color way and design of this iPad. Overall, it’s very handy and compact. Bought a case for it that fits perfectly with the iPad. Screen quality wise – it’s okay. Watching 4K HDR movies on the Apple TV app is okay. They’re still shown with 4K HDR & Dolby Vision. But the black bars for wide screen movies are too big !! Makes the movie presentation look really small; almost like watching on a regular smart phone only even wider. I can’t stand it! Might as well be watching on my Apple TV on a regular TV. I find myself zooming in sometimes just to kind of make up for the space occupied by the black bars, but that defeats a director’s purpose for their films , makes the film seem unnatural and missing key elements in a scene. 🙁 hope Apple can fix this in the coming years. Sound quality wise -the Apple TV app’s volume seems a bit faint compared to the louder and boomy audio on Vudu & Movies Anywhere apps for streaming & downloaded films. Also I do wish this iPad offered the old earphone jack or the latest charger/earphone jack that most iPhones today support. I am using airpods & my Bluetooth Sony headphones for now. Overall , I do love this device. It’s fun & addicting for the whole family and it can be bought anywhere 🙂Andrei

I bought this tablet on 12/13/20. I had been very happy with it until just before Christmas, 2021. It started having trouble charging – I had to hold the cable just right in order for it to charge. It continued getting worse until now – it won't charge at all! Even with the charging cable plugged in, it continued losing power and now the battery is down to 0% and there's no way to get it to charge! I tried numerous cables and different chargers but nothing works. I've had this tablet just a little over a year and now it's totally useless! It's just out of warranty, I can't afford to get it fixed, and on my small fixed income I certainly can't afford to buy another one. Thanks for nothing, Samsung – I can't begin to tell you how disappointed I am!!BluesKat

When using streaming services, Foxtel Go, NBA, 7Plus, the video stutters and is unwatchable, especially on live sport. A Google search showed others have had the same issue. Samsung support not helpful so will be returning for a refund. Very disappointed in both hardware and support.NormallyaSamsungFan

I bought this a week ago to replace my old Galaxy Tab S 10.5. The old 3gb ram and 16 gb memory tablet was too slow, but the camera was great and the screen graphics terrific. It was top of the range when I bought it about 5 years ago. The Tab A7 is not an S model but I would have thought the camera would have been a lot better. I took a pic of some lorikeets about 20 metres away and they came out black and white. Also not enough megapixels so the shots are not crisp. The A7 motor is quite fast compared to the motor in the old Tab S so it doesn't jump around when looking at sites like Bunnings which take a while to load. It is nice and compact as well. Screen display is ok but not a patch on the S model.Mademistake

It's the basic model of the Surface Pro 7+ line, without any single upgrade or enhancement. It heats up pretty quickly, with as little as 1 hour of use. It may be my fault that I am putting more workload on it than it can take. A metal tablet stand with a fan is suggested to keep it cool. The battery life sucks. Less than two hours of internet surfing brought the battery from full charge to 25%. There is no i3 option with a 1TB SSD and 16GB RAM. RAM is ok, you will get by, however, the storage will suck being limited to 128GB. Really hate the fact that you have to pay $200 for every single upgrade or enhancement on Surface Pro lines. Thankfully there is a microSD card slot, so you can put a 1TB microSD card in it. But be warned that even the best SD cards are limited to a max 90 Mbps speed, with average real-world speeds being only 10-12 Mbps. So it definitely cannot compete with your internal SSD. You will be however able to play STEAM games installed on the SD card though, or use the SD card for storing files. Hopefully, in the future, Microsoft will start shipping Surfaces with an SDUC card slot, instead of the current SDXC standard. SDUC cards reach up to levels of 900 Mbps (ten times more than the current standard), which is almost comparable to SSDs speeds. The other alternative is to use an external SSD card, but it is kind of a hassle to lug it everywhere. I like the Surface Pro 8 better, but it is very expensive. I got this for $600 so I can't complain much. The geekbench score is twice (and sometimes thrice in random tests) compared to my previous full-sized laptop (5 years older). Not bad at all. Lucky for me, I have a desktop too so that I don't have to completely rely on the Surface for my productivity. The touch screen is not comparable to Androids by any means. Thankfully Andriod apps are coming to Windows, and hopefully, Microsoft will improve the touchscreen experience for those apps, finally. In the case of Surface Pro, the price and limitations are not justified for a PC that is trying to be a tablet but fails to be any of them. If you don't have any use for Windows OS, definitely get an Android tablet.qwerty49

I have had this laptop since 2019. From the get-go, it was riddled with problems. A slight shift in weight or change of angle on the computer and the keyboard automatically disconnects, requiring you to remove the keyboard and put it back on to reconnect the device. The keyboard is not only not included in the price of the laptop but is ridiculously expensive especially considering the fact that the mouse broke just after the warranty ended resulting in me now having to take a mouse with me wherever I go as my right click is no longer functional. The battery life of this laptop is heinous if I plan on going to university for more than 2.5 hours I must bring my charger as more likely than not it will die within that period of time – this is not due to general wear and tear as it has been like this from the beginning. I have spoken to several other friends that had also bought this laptop at a similar time, and all have had similar if not the same problems. I would not recommend it to anyone.maddieh1212

Bad computer overall- I am a high school student with this computer and I am required to have a computer that is able to be used all day, and this computer is a nightmare to deal with. The keyboard breaks after a couple of months (At least 75% of people who I know with this computer, their keyboard has broken) and the replacement keyboards are ridiculously expensive. The battery runs out in a couple of hours even with minimal use and on battery saver mode. It is frustrating to use anywhere not on a desk (as the keyboard is 'floppy' and the design is impractical). The screen breaks incredibly easily (mine somehow broke while it was in a case, in my bag). The computer is pretty fast, however, but that is about the only good thing. Everyone I know with this computer unamisously agrees that it is not worth the money and frustrating. Don't get this, especially for your kid.alex21496

I was hesitant to purchase the Surface Pro X based on some reviews I had read but with a drop in price, it was not that far off the Surface Go 3 and with better specs. I ended up buying both but eventually determined the Go was just too small for me. When comparing the two side by side and in multiple applications the Surface Pro X was better in almost all cases except portability. Not that the Go is not bad by any means, it is really a nice little multi-purpose machine but the extremely small size really hampers its usability for business. After loading up all the software I would normally use for business purposes, Office, Teams, Notepad++, 7zip, GitHub Desktop, Visual Studio Code, C#, Java, Gimp, and some other tools, I have found the performance to be very good, especially when running native apps and fortunately most of the key apps are native. Windows 11 now supports x64 emulation and it works perfectly. In fact, Office is actually running x64 emulation and is not native and I was shocked at how well it runs. To the point I thought it had to be native. Some pros: Screen is excellent Portability is very good; this thing is thin and pretty light Surface keyboard is excellent Battery life has been excellent. This is the first PC I have ever used where I didn't have immediate battery anxiety. Love the fact it is fanless and runs cool. First PC laptop/2in1 that I have ever used that didn't practically sunburn my lap when using it. Performance has been very good and stays the same even when not plugged in which is a nice change of pace from all my other Intel/AMD based laptops and machines. This is much more akin to the new Apple Macs. This is the base model SQ1 system as well and the new SQ3 based systems will probably be out soon, but this has been just fine and great price. Speakers are awesome Cameras are excellent MS Teams performance in video conference calls has been very good Cons Performance could be a bit better in games Windows 11 is not a great tablet experience compared to IOS or Android tablets, but it is surprisingly not as bad as I would have thought with such small touch targets. Still a better tablet UI when in tablet mode would be nice. Windows Store still needs a lot of work and it isn't always clear in the store which apps are native. I have only had one app so far not install and function. Also still way too many garbage apps in the store and not nearly enough good apps.durandal

Wow…I had to say this because tablets these days are a dime a dozen and the Surface Pro X demonstrates why a number of tablets have found their way into a junk drawer never to be seen again. It really is a myriad of products in one that fits a flexible style of use. If you are like me, I have a laptop, a smartphone, a tablet, a different tablet, and other various products that only do only one thing well but promise to be so much more. Since I don't game on a PC, professionally edit photos or videos, or need a computer to manage multimedia devices, the Surface Pro does everything I need quickly, efficiently, and looks good doing it. This definitely bridges the gap between a smartphone and a PC so well, that I don't feel the need to even have a laptop anymore. When needed, it handles the office duties in an ergonomic package then quickly transitions into a binge or browse tablet that goes anywhere, sets up comfortably in a bed, couch, or chair, and looks very classy doing it all. The built in stand has the perfect amount of resistance for multiple setup options and disappears seamlessly when not needed. I love that with other smart products, I can start something on the surface, transition to doing it on the PC or TV, then have it back on the Surface if desired. The compatibility was an awesome surprise that makes me feel like I finally purchased a product that will last more than a couple years and still be useable for many more. The touch screen, smart pen option, and the keyboard make it adaptable and a joy to use when sometimes you want to zoom quickly, but not have to type on a screen keyboard. It is built well, doesn't have any area that looks or feels like sacrifices were made to cut costs, and is extremely user friendly. We have spent the past 15 years getting devices for this or that while the clutter and inconvenience piles up. I can't wait to find more uses in my life to consolidate to this device and start feeling like technology doesn't need to be a mix/match of devices all with different charging cables and cords. While I will say, the power cord has a new connection I've never seen, I don't mind because I will be getting rid of so many others it will be well worth it. Do yourself a favor and pick up a Surface Pro, try out a friend or relatives, or go online and take some time to really explore everything this product has to offer because I don't think you will be disappointed anytime soon!!dbickpg

Personal computing has changed quite a bit in the last several years. Many people used to rely predominately on desktops to do all of their work and play, and that evolved to more people using laptops, and now, “two-in-one” computers are catching on in number. A two-in-one being loosely defined as a tablet, but with the capability of attaching a keyboard to make it into a laptop, too, or having a keyboard that can fold back. They are usually ultra-portable and thin (no DVD drives, etc), light, and easy to take everywhere with you. The Microsoft Surface Pro X is such a device. New user note: Expect about 25-40 minutes initially to set the Pro X up when using for the first time. The usual updates after setup have to occur and with Windows 11 being so new, there are a few that install. The Surface Pro X has a high resolution 2880 x 1920 PixelSense display that’s bright and colorful, with good viewing angles. My unit has 8 gigs of RAM, a fast 256 gig SSD drive, and a Microsoft SQ 1 processor, which is an ARM processor developed with Qualcomm (think “very powerful cellular-style processor that could also be used in a cell phone”). The processor has been compared to an 8th generation i5U processor (good). Graphics are via an Adreno™ 685 GPU. The entire thing weighs less than 2 pounds. A 5 megapixel front-facing camera allows for good quality 1080p video calls (Thank you!), and a 10 megapixel rear camera with 4K video capability gives you some flex use should you want to take photos or videos with the Pro X, too. I found the rear camera just ok for photos, with so-so dynamic range and the pics a bit faded to be honest, but it does a better job in it’s “document” mode finding and saving documents, which is what I think you’d be using it more for on this type of device, anyway. Two Dolby high quality speakers are much better than average, with mics that pick up sound amply. Two USB-C ports allow for accessories. Thermal cooling helps keep things cool without fans, and battery life is rated at “up to” 15 hours (I get around 11-12 in mixed real-world uses). The Pro X has a good feel to it and is easy to hold or using the very good multi-position built-in stand in the back, use on a flat surface. A keyboard is not necessarily needed (though I recommend it), as Windows 11 allows for a decent on-screen keyboard and touch capability that with some practice, can be used nearly as well as a traditional keyboard. Along with the “Surface Slim Pen 2”, which feels comfortable to hold and use, you can get quite a bit done. Pair all of this with a Microsoft Pro Keyboard which magnetically attaches to the Pro X via a small magnetic connector, and you literally have a super portable laptop. I’ll be reviewing the keyboard and pen separately, as they are sold separately in most situations unless you find a special bundle. I find the Pro X to be speedy enough for all everyday things I have tossed at it. Office applications, light gaming, basic photo editing, etc. I haven’t seen any stutters or delays from it in use at all so far. The Pro X comes pre-installed with the new Windows 11. After many years of incremental updates to Windows 10, Microsoft has redesigned the OS into Windows 11, which has a slight Mac-ish feel to it, with commonly used apps and programs now appearing centered along the bottom in the start menu area (including a semi-traditional windows button which pulls up your pinned and other apps, taking over the tile area of Windows 10). Out of the box, you have icons to quickly assess a control area with access to commonly used apps and areas, access to a “widgets” area, and a quick access to a “Chat from Microsoft Teams” icon for quickly doing video chats and more with friends and family by using your Microsoft account. A files explorer folder, Microsoft Edge browser and newly designed Windows store icon finish the lineup. You can add or delete more as desired. Side note – eventually via an update, people will be able to install a limited number of Android apps into their Windows 11 computer as well. You can move the start menu over to the left to make it look more like Windows 10 but the center placement doesn’t bug me – it’s just one more thing to adapt to. One of my favorite simple new features is that when holding your pointer over a maximize (square) icon in the upper-right corner of a window and letting it hover, it gives you new layouts so you can “snap” various apps and windows next to each other in different configurations and layouts. You could do this before but it was cumbersome – this makes it much easier. Of course, the larger your screen the more and better this works. With the 13 inch screen of the Pro X, I usually don’t have more than two windows open together. Windows 11 is a combination of simply changing and streamlining the look and feel of Windows 10, while also adding a few new features. It seems to work – no one LIKES to learn new things, but I think once most people get used to it, they’ll like iAtlantaGreg