Touchscreen laptop + Separate tablet, or 2-in-1 detachable laptop/tablet ?

[Jose Hidalgo]

Hi everybody,

Well, here’s my dilemma. I have two separate needs :

1. A really big tablet (bigger than 13″, ideally 14″ to 17″), that I would use mainly as a comic reader (PDF, JPG, etc.). This tablet could run Android or Win10 (or both), I don’t care. I also don’t need any special processing power, as it will be merely a comic reader. It only needs to be BIG and maybe not too heavy.

2. A Win10 laptop with the following specs :
– Screen : 13,3″ to 15,6″
– Touch screen
– RAM : 8 GB or more
– Storage : 250 GB or more (can be SSD and/or HDD, I don’t care)
– Backlit keyboard
– Hardware support for 1080p x265 videos with eventually some postprocessing filters (so a bit of CPU/GPU power would be in order here)

For a long time, I’ve tried to merge these two needs into one, by seeking a big 2-in-1 tablet with a detachable keyboard and these specs. However, this seems to be impossible to find nowadays. Currently the only tablet that fits all the specs is the AllDoCube KNote 8… and it’s far from perfect (see Chris G’s excellent review here : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KXjxAO0wURk )

The KNote 8 costs about 500 € with keyboard and stylus. I can go up to 1000 € if I find a better solution to both of my needs.

So what do you think ? Could you advise on my two needs ? I’m especially curious about need #1, as it seems to be difficult to find 14″ to 17″ tablets, regardless of their specs.

Thanks in advance !

[Chris G]

1. Nothing bigger than the 13.5″ Chuwi Hi13, good for light needs should be able to handle this. Or Knote 8 you mentioned is twice as fast and has a very nice build and fully laminated display. Mine so far is good, apart from 5 hours battery life, missing full-sized USB port and that awful trackpad. But then I use a mouse or touch.

2. For one that covers both, Surface Book is the obvious choice, but boy it’s expensive. Maybe the new Voyo Vbook i5 or Vbook i7 Plus? https://techtablets.com/2018/03/voyo-vbook-i5-fully-laminated-2880-x-1920-12-6-surface-pro-clone/ There is also a 16GB i7 7500U version.

 

Right now I’m using the Knote 8 for tablet use, for example watching movies and amazon prime, Chrome and PDF magazines. I’ve put aside my Teclast F7 & Mi Notebook Pro for now. And so with the tablet, everything heavy is done on my home tower PC for 4k gaming and editing my videos so far this works well. My needs are very different and in the past I tried to find one device for it all a Surface pro 4 with 16GB of RAM and even the Surface Book. Then I tried a Nvidia GPU MSI laptop as the Surface choked trying to edit 4k videos but it was too heavy to travel to New Zealand with and an 8″ tablet. But in the end was never happy with the results.

So I’ve concluded that a device that can do it all for my own personal computer needs is almost impossible. Sure it can do it, but not great. Only the Surface Book comes close, very close. But the cost of it I just couldn’t justify keeping it, it pained me and it was simply too slow with 4k video editing and exporting my 15 minutes reviews it would take over an hour and get super hot.

Chris | Admin
Please support us and help keep TechTablets online. Affiliate revenue is used to pay for the server, studio apartment (Techtablets HQ) and buy new tech to review. Without it, this site would be dead.
Next up for review:
Ordered and waiting for my: BMAX S15 & Teclast F6 Plus
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[Jose Hidalgo]

Thanks Chris for your nice reply. 🙂 Sure, it all depends on each one’s needs. Mine are different of course. I need :

• One big tablet just for reading,
• A W10 laptop (not necessarily powerful), because I’ll be travelling a lot over the next two years, plus I’m an occasional DJ
• A tower PC (powerful), that I already have

I’m surprised there’s nothing between the 13,5″ Chuwi and the 18,4″ Samsung Galaxy View. WHY, OH WHY ??? lol

KNote 8 is a first step in the right direction, but as you said it still has some flaws, that will hopefully be corrected in the next few months, either by them or by another manufacturer (Chuwi ? Teclast ? Or even Xiaomi ?). That’s where my hopes lie ! lol. I’m dreaming of a next-gen Chuwi Hi13, with a less reflective screen, a better CPU, more storage capacity, a keyboard with two USB3 ports instead of USB2, etc..

[Hualalai]

As to comics, pick up a Samsung 18.4-inch  Galaxy View tablet, circa 2015 device.     Now under USD 100 on eBay.

There is no “does it all” device.  Though I own some, I dislike 2-in-1 devices … I’d rather have a real notebook or a real tablet.  Too many close calls with the 2-in-1 panel detaching.   Many very close calls.. catching the panel mid-air.

[Chris G]

@josehidalgo Nothing in between only the larger Surface book, but that’s crazy $$$

I’m holding out for a Hi13 with fully laminated 3000 x 2000 screen and Gemini Lake. Not sure Chuwi will do it or someone. No idea why no one has released this screen in a tablet again but fully laminated. Cost I guess.

The Matebook x Pro looks like a real winner until I saw the price.

@hualalai Oh, I’ve done that with a Surface Pro 4, gave me a heart attack almost. And also sat on a seat and had the tablet detach and flip out onto the floor, that was a Surface Pro 3. Lucky for me it hit carpet below and no damage!

 

Chris | Admin
Please support us and help keep TechTablets online. Affiliate revenue is used to pay for the server, studio apartment (Techtablets HQ) and buy new tech to review. Without it, this site would be dead.
Next up for review:
Ordered and waiting for my: BMAX S15 & Teclast F6 Plus
Currently testing: LG G8X & Redmi K30

[Jose Hidalgo]

@Hualalai , could you give me a link for the Galaxy View ? I can’t seem to find it. I’d be happy to buy one for under $100, as long as it’s in good condition.

@Chris , I think I’m also holding out for a hi13 Gemini Lake refresh (or a Surface Book clone). It’s been one year already since Hi13, so it can’t be long… or can it ? ;p

[Hualalai]

@Jose, just search “Samsung 18.4-inch Galaxy View tablet” on eBay, or

http://www.samsung.com/global/galaxy/galaxy-view/

and click Buy Now.

(The Galaxy View is ancient… Android 5.1, and Full HD, but there’s nothing else like it, which is why it’s still in production.)

[Chris G]

Jose Hidalgo wrote:

I think I’m also holding out for a hi13 Gemini Lake refresh (or a Surface Book clone). It’s been one year already since Hi13, so it can’t be long… or can it ? ;p

The Gemini Lakes are now starting to come out. Next few months I expect to see a big range of new laptops and a few tablets but not as many as the laptop Apollo lakes sold much better than the tablets. There will be a new Gemini lake min pc shipping next week https://www.gearbest.com/mini-pc/pp_1698829.html?wid=21&lkid=13717586

Chris | Admin
Please support us and help keep TechTablets online. Affiliate revenue is used to pay for the server, studio apartment (Techtablets HQ) and buy new tech to review. Without it, this site would be dead.
Next up for review:
Ordered and waiting for my: BMAX S15 & Teclast F6 Plus
Currently testing: LG G8X & Redmi K30

[Jose Hidalgo]

@Hualalai, I have already looked. I can’t find any results. If you are so sure that I can find a 18.4″ Galaxy Tab on eBay for about $100, then please be kind enough to provide at least one valid link. Because so far, your search gives 0 results. Thank you.

[Hualalai]

??? … I’m not a seller, but I’ll help you instead of being offended.   Brand new at Walmart, BestBuy, etc., USD 549.99.   Repairable models on eBay ~ USD100.  Working models on eBay USD 220+.

Some further advice:  if I were buying one of these monsters, I would buy new, because a used model may have a 3 year old battery.  If you can’t afford new, buy a used one that won’t charge and replace the battery.  If battery replacement doesn’t work, resell it as “parts only with new battery” and you may recoup your investment.

 

 

[Jose Hidalgo]

All right @Hualalai. Thanks. You tried to help in your own way, but unfortunately this has been a waste of our time :

• You said “less than $100”, but you forgot to say “in repairable state”. Sure, everybody wants to buy a repairable tablet and repair it afterwards !
• Now you say “working models $220, but better buy them new instead”. In other words, “don’t go to eBay unless you have strong repairman skills and lots of time”. I have none of those.
• Buying a new one is out of the question, because the price is absolutely unreasonable. $600+ for an obsolete 18″ tablet ? Samsung folks, get real !

FYI, the only reason I considered eBay for a moment, was because you said “$100″, which was risk-free even for a used tablet (if it worked then great, if it died then I’d only have lost $100). But for $220 it’s not the same thing. In that case, I’d rather wait some months for the next Hi13 or equivalent. Secretly hoping that someday a manufacturer will launch a 14″ to 17” tablet. Dreams are free, right ? 😉

[Hualalai]

 Suum cuique.

[Jose Hidalgo]

Exactly. But you know, feel free to buy a $100 Galaxy View, repair it yourself, and send it my way when it’s ready. That will make me happy. ;p

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