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Large Tablet for reading comics - Surface Pro?

Started by Colin YNWA, 29 June, 2020, 10:00:58 AM

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Colin YNWA

Well I'm on the trail again.

My lovely Samsung Galaxy Pro 12.2'' is starting to show its age - bless it. Its well over 5 years old now, maybe nearer 6 actually. Anyway its served me well but its beginning to faulter. Battery life isn't what it was and it crashed on me three time in quick succession this morning - seems fine again now who knows what coursed that.

Anyway its time I started to at least plan replacing it and find a target. The trouble is I really like the 12 inch screen space when reading comics - which is a fair chunk of its function.

Having looked around for a suitable replacement to aim for I'm struggling a little. There just doesn't seem a market in the UK for a good twelve incher. There is the Apple but its very expensive and I've never been a fan of any of the Apple devices I've had (have an iPhone from work and had an iPad which I gave back for a laptop for all sorts of reasons).

So I'm wondering if the Microsoft Surface is an option. Its just as expensive BUT will have other advantages being more of a laptop tablet combi. BUT does anyone here read comics on it? If so how is that?

Also can you even get the 2000ad App - or indeed others for it???

wedgeski

The Surface is a Windows machine so you'll be able to get the app from the Windows marketplace.

Not that it ever works. :grumble:

Colin YNWA

Looks like you can't get a Comixology App either - though can read them online or via a 3rd party app.

What issues you having with the App Wedgeski?

IndigoPrime

FWIW, I'm rather enjoying the 12.9in iPad Pro here for comics reading (mostly using the fabulous Chunky, but sometimes also Comixology), and it makes for a solid modular computer with whatever input devices you choose. My only real grumble is it's a bit heavy at 640g. (I prefer the lighter 11in to hold.) Mind you, looks like the Samsung was even heavier than the iPad!

Colin YNWA

Yeah I knew you'd pop along as I know you get on weil Apple Products Indigo Prime. I've just really struggles with Apple devices.

What appeals about the surface is the ability to use it as a laptop(ish) as needed. The upside of the Apple is everything is designed to work on them. Just my experience of them (and the cost) really colours me against them.

Quote from: IndigoPrime on 29 June, 2020, 11:20:53 AM
My only real grumble is it's a bit heavy at 640g. (I prefer the lighter 11in to hold.) Mind you, looks like the Samsung was even heavier than the iPad!

Yeah my old beauty is a bit of a brick.

I will look at the iPad instore at some point - still need to save for the next device - as it would be foolish to rule it outright and the Surface is going to have drawbacks - I least I know what the Apple's are!

wedgeski

Quote from: wedgeski on 29 June, 2020, 10:30:01 AM
The Surface is a Windows machine so you'll be able to get the app from the Windows marketplace.

Not that it ever works. :grumble:
It would refresh my collection about 1 time in 10. All the rest of the occasions I tried it, it would simply time out or do nothing. That was several months ago -- it may have been fixed by now. In the meantime I'm just manually downloading PDF's from the store.

Colin YNWA

I was having similar problems on my Samsung (Android) device as while back. Has long since sorted itself so hopefully that will be resolved by now?

IndigoPrime

In short, the iPad is a first-rate tablet and an increasingly good laptop—assuming you get relevant accessories. The Surface is a solid laptop and a half-arsed tablet. So it really depends on use-case. If it's mostly going to be a tablet, I would say at least don't rule out what is objectively the best tablet on the market—although I'm well aware that iPads have prohibitive costs at that end of the line. (The standard iPad is of course pretty good value at "from £349", even when compared to Android fare, but it's 10.2in rather than 12in+.)

Also, FWIW, although I do write a lot about Apple, my tech remit is wider. If someone wanted a recommendation for a new phone, I wouldn't default to iPhone—I'd have to ask a bunch of questions regarding what they wanted to do first. For telly stuff, I'd almost never recommend Apple TV. But for tablets, Apple's playing alone in the space, because no-one else comes close. And now, even in modular computing, the iPad is kicking bottom in many areas (although, infuriatingly, still lags in external display support, which remains a relatively weak point).

If it's helpful, here's my current comics set-up in Chunky, with a biro handily overlaid so you can see the screen dimensions. Chunky auto-groups comics, unless you tell it to list A-Z. And, yes, I do buy a lot of Humble Bundles... (I don't use the 2000 AD app much, because I prefer sticking all my comics on a NAS and grabbing them from that. Comixology is the only regular exception.)



This shows landscape DPS view with the full UI active. The settings menu is open, showing some of the various options. (I turn off motion, allow upscaling, and don't tend to tweak beyond that point.)



And portrait, again with a handy pen.



And here's my review for Stuff: https://www.stuff.tv/apple/ipad-pro-2020/review

oshii

I've very recently bought a Surface Pro 7, and it's all been pretty positive so far.

I use Cover as an app, and it's fine - although I only read the prog on it.  I don't really get any other comics these days.   

In the past I had an ipad with comic zeal, which was a better app, but the Surface ticked the most boxes for me, for what I needed a device to do this time round

Tiplodocus

I use a Chromebook that folds and can be used as tablet or laptop... will need to measure screen
Be excellent to each other. And party on!

Colin YNWA

Quote from: Tiplodocus on 29 June, 2020, 03:51:12 PM
I use a Chromebook that folds and can be used as tablet or laptop... will need to measure screen

Do chromebooks fold flat so you can read comfortably in portrait? I see some have screens that detach but do the 'regular' one fold so you can read them like a tablet in portrait?

Tiplodocus

Yeah, this one does. Keyboard is exposed on the opposite side from the screen. But you can't accidentally key anything because it stops as an input.

Comfortable? Well it's a bit heavy but that's only an issue for me if I have a long reading (60 minutes plus) session
Be excellent to each other. And party on!

Colin YNWA

Cool, thanks everyone. Some food for thought. Way I see it at the moment, with more research to do.

1) Surface is an option but expensive and has a degree of risk

2) iPad is something that many experts recommend as the best, but its also expensive and I have a personal biase against

3) A chromebook feels like a cheaper fall back but will have draw backs and I'd have to do a lot more research.

4) Wait for something else to come along... but that feels unlikey there doesn't seem to have been many other options come out since the Samsung 12.2 aside from those mentioned and that's 6 years ago now. The iPad was what over two years ago and not much seems to be coming out to challenge it?

Hmmm more thinking to be done and a trip to the shops... when I can actually mess about with stuff that is!

IndigoPrime

My previous iPad Pro case had the keys on the back when folded. It just felt weird. One thing I do like about the (admittedly expensive) new iPad keyboard is the effortless nature of detaching it (something Surface users also enjoy).

iPad Pro was two years ago for this design, yes, but it got a minor refresh late last year—see my review for info. As for challenge, why would anyone? Android's app ecosystem is awful, and its tablet ecosystem is non-existent. Microsoft is happy being more laptop than tablet with Surface and scooping up disaffected premium laptop users (including, entertainingly, prior MacBook Pro fans).

Also, I say this as someone who deeply wishes this wasn't the case. If Android's app ecosystem was stronger, it'd make my job a whole lot easier!

Colin YNWA

Well my oh my I'm having a Cookie party and all the Cookies are invited. Bloomin' heck try doing a search for info on tablets and the like and all the cookies come out to play I've not seen such targetted advertising for some time. Its almost as if they've been reading this thread!