Studio 2017 on a tablet

Question

Hi there, 
 
 Someone recently asked me about what to consider when buying a tablet for someone who is constantly traveling and would like to use Studio 2017. I inmediately thought of a Windows-based tablet, and a screen as big as possible as long as it is comfortable for a traveler. 
 I would appreciate any information you want to add to compliment my answer. 
 Thank you very much in advance.

Alison Field · Accepted Answer

Hi Jorge,

Paul remembers correctly that I've been using Studio on a tablet... for 4 years now so it predates Surface. It's an Acer Iconia W700P 4Gb that I bought with Win8 then updated to Win10 and has always worked extremely well. It cost me twice what they do now but it was worth every penny, in many ways the only thing of its kind back then and as hi-spec as a full-sized PC. It was just what I needed, a hi-res touchscreen tablet that converted easily to a notebook with a very good keyboard integral to an excellent protective cover that folded up into a solid stand. It punched well above its quite substantial weight. Some users found it heavy but for me that was a good thing because it was as solid to work on as a computer and able to withstand being chucked in my bag and taken along wherever I went at a moment's notice. I could work from anywhere without having to drag a laptop with me.

So, what else can I tell you about this tablet that I love so well... It is easy to take work mid-project from PC to tablet and vice versa, wirelessly or via the Cloud, and as I mirrored the filing structures on each everything is where it should be and I don't need to worry about moving termbases or huge TMs over as they're all there so very quick indeed. I also use an external HD that plugs into either for unchanging background resources and archives. Neat.

The screen is small but matches the 16:9 aspect ratio of my very large home screen and thus the software looks the same on both which facilitates the visual hopping between the two. On the Iconia, I have all the resources tabbed at the bottom of the screen, the bilingual window across the centre and the ribbon set to auto-hide when not in use. I use it more than just for travel as it's also my test machine so I've used all the Studio and MultiTerm betas on it too. One thing I haven't done for more than five minutes is worked in Studio with the onscreen keyboard. I'm a fast typist and that would slow my work down too much, but I think it would be very impractical on a screen that small anyway.

Whatever the make and model of tablet, it will have to be an OS that Studio can work on. For example, an Iconia isn't necessarily Windows-based - depending on the model they can be running Android, Windows Phone, neither of which can run Studio (yet, as far as I know) or full Windows 10 which is what you'd need (or Win8). I would imagine there are plenty of Surface Pro users on the forum who'd say that would be the way to go... And Macbook users too!

That's my 5 p's-worth. Anyone else out there with further useful experience for Jorge?

If there are any specific questions you'd like to ask, Jorge, don't hesitate!

All the best,
Alison

Nora Díaz · Answer

I use Studio on a Surface Pro 4 as my secondary computer. I first tested a cheaper netbook to see if I would feel comfortable working on a small screen and then switched to a Surface Pro 3 when it came out and to a Surface Pro 4 recently. I have to say there's no big difference that I can see between version 3 and 4 of the Surface Pro, but there's definitely a big difference between my initial netbook and a full-spec Surface Pro. 
 
The pros of this computer are that it's very light and easy to carry around. I usually toss it in my purse so I can do some work not only when traveling but while doing other things that take me away from my desk, such as waiting at a doctor's office. It's practically instant on and off, so if I have to put it away quickly, it's never a problem. The battery life is pretty good, so I usually won't even take the charger with me if I'm only going to be away for a few hours. 
 
The Surface doesn't come with a keyboard, so that's a separate expense on a device that is not cheap to start with, but I think it's well worth it. 
 
I can't think of many cons when it comes to the Surface, but "lapability" comes up now and then. It's not as stable on your lap as a regular laptop, but that's not a big issue for me, I just put the semi-rigid sleeve I keep it in underneath it when I have to place it on my lap. Also, since the keyboard is detachable, you have to be a bit more careful. My old Surface died an untimely death when I pushed the small table I had it on a bit too hard while holding on to the keyboard, which caused the tablet to get detached and fall to the floor, cracking the screen. But I have to say that wasn't the first time I'd dropped it and nothing had ever happened to it, so I don't think it's excessively fragile. 
 
When I travel, in addition to the Surface Pro I take an external USB monitor with me. I don't always use it, but for jobs that require two monitors, I'm glad to have it. Both the Surface Pro and the external monitor fit into a regular computer bag and are lighter than my previous laptop. 
 
Finally, let me say that when I broke my old Surface, I briefly considered getting a Surface Book instead of another Surface Pro, but I'm glad I decided to stick with the Surface Pro. Its small size and portability make all the difference to me.

Paul · Answer

Hi Jorge, 
 
I think, could be wrong, but I think that Alison Field uses a Surface Pro with Studio. She probably has some good advice in this respect. 
 
Regards 
 
Paul

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Studio 2017 on a tablet