My Windows Tablet Adventure


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Hey there & thanks for reading!

Okay, let's begin... After putting off windows tablets for such a long time i finally decided to jump in on the action! My first device was a Microsoft Surface RT - (Yes I was aware that this was not the real windows & I was fine with that) I Plugged it in the charger & tapped the power button. The first the boot up process was sweet and fast, i was presented with a beautiful loading screen.. and then bam i was typing login details and finishing the first signup process.. but I guess in the wonderful world of Jase + Tablet; whatever goes up must go down.

I wanted to love this device.. I really did.

The first thing I wanted to do when I logged into the device was to run windows updates (I was also told Microsoft repaired some slow issues with atom processors in updates for the Surface) but Windows update failed to even begin: after hitting check for update it would just sit there "checking for recent updates" So I decided to head over to the internet to find the answers. Reading up how to clean the windows update folder/ cache (even though I ran the update after logging into the device for the first time of my life) it still needed a folder & cache cleaning? anyway, I finally got windows update to install and rebooted! everything was working okay until I decided "right it's time to get some apps on this thing" so I fired up the Windows Store and started browsing my previously purchased apps from the desktop PC.

It's like Dejavu but with a modern-metro-esque twist

After selecting all the apps and updates I wanted, hit the install and I was be taken to the downloading/ Installing window in the Store.. I decided to grab a coffee while they installed (I figured that would be a convenient time waster rather than staring at the screen waiting for the download & installations to complete) & thus my sheer frustration had returned! Every single app had not moved.. Everything was pending.. (What the hell man?) After another loooong read online and discovering how to fix (or get around) this issue I started another install from the windows Store.. this time the pending downloads would actually start downloading! You have no idea how sore my cheekbones got from smiling and seeing progress after hours of trial and error.

But the smile turned into frown in less than a minute

The Downloads had Frozen! .. Now at this point I was checking to see if the device still had access to the internet & wouldn't you know It did!.. so I crashed the Windows store and ran another download/ Install.. Same thing! Again I fired up the good old browser and started searching for answers. 2 hours later I had discovered that some people had issues with pending installs and the only fix was to not to bulk install everything.. Bulk install; Thats where the Windows Store panics - someone from the Windows 8 forums ...So I decided so be it, i'll install my apps one by one! & lord behold.. it worked! after 45 minutes of installing each of my apps one by one I decided to finally.. emphasise on word FINALLY.. sit back and relax? I fired up Metro Tube and started watching a video.

If only the video didn't have sound

As soon as the video played my relaxation turned from tense, into anger.. The sound was crackling! Yes.. the audio speaker was also broken and crackling through the video? after a few minutes I decided Ok.. I'm going to set the device aside for now, so I shut the type cover around the device and left it.

Hibernate, Sleep or Shutdown?.. Make up your mind!

After 20 minutes of leisure time I decided to return back to the surface, flipping the type cover away from the screen, I was presented with a login screen that wanted me to type my password in (sure why not?) so I typed in the details and the device took it's time to load.. It presented me with a screen saying that there was a problem with shutdown... Wait what?.. SHUTDOWN? - Yep Shutdown. After seeing this window I decided to shut the type cover and run a test to see what would happen. The Screen went dim and them dark? 3 minutes later it rebooted. After the reboot I was presented with another login and shutdown error. That was it.. it must've been a failed windows 8 RT install at the factory or something so I decided to reset windows 8 back to factory settings.

I just wanted to kick the device like a football

After going to settings and tapping the reset windows 8 to factory settings and going through the progress it would go to the rebooting screen.. & stay like that for several minutes!.. then after all that I am presented with the wonderful Blue Screen? That was the final straw, I packed it up and took it to the store I had purchased it from letting them know the device was a defect and had several- thousand issues.

But I wasn't done, I just love Windows 8? That much

Note: I won't be going in detail as much as I previously did.

The very next day I went to another store and purchased the wonderfully advertised Asus VivoTab Smart - "With real Windows 8." The sales assistant asked me which one I wanted & I replied with "White please" & paid for the device. When I arrived home, I opened the device only to be presented with a black front and white back (it would've been wise for the sales assistant to explain that the device wasn't full on white!) moving on, I did the exact same thing I did with the Microsoft Surface RT; Power on, login details & run a windows update?Nope.. I was presented with the same issue as the Microsoft Surface! What the hell man? after knowing what folders/ cache I had to remove and fix I tried again? NOPE.. Windows update failed, So i moved on to Windows Store to download apps onto the device? and surprise, surprise the same thing as the Microsoft Surface! so I decided to install an app one by one (since that actually worked on the Microsoft surface.. Nope again! apps would hang out in a pending nightclub and wouldn't make a move on the girls (sorry I got a little sidetracked) So I decided "Well this is yet another defective device!"

Nope, Nope, Nope? *Sigh* ...Let's pause for a few minutes here and catch our breath?

After returning the Asus VivoTab Smart I was advised by a friend to get my router serviced. So I called my ISP and got them to send a technician to perform tasks on the modem, line & several other things? He gave me a brand newDual band Netgear CG3100d-2 after installation the speeds were better than they've ever been! - Yay Some good news!

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Okay, back to the adventure:

3rd times a charm?? Yeah not in my world.. it seems.

After the Asus VivoTab, I decided to go with another Tablet, Samsung ATIV Smart PC 500T. I was fine with it being a transformer: A little heavy and a little larger screen than previous tabs? Oh well, So I turn it on, logged in & headed over to windows 8 update.. but Nope.. Same thing! even though I got a brand new modem.. Windows Update refused to work! (was this an atom processor issue? surely not!) after 10 minutes of fixing the windows update caches it installed the update with no issues.. Could this be it?.. did I finally find the perfect tablet? After the windows update I attached the keyboard to the tablet.. and started typing and browsing the device..no this time I didn't head to the the Windows Store? Yet. I played with the desktop and tried to actually get to know the desktop and the new Interface a little more (kind of like a blind date.. oh sorry there I go getting sidetracked again) So after using the keyboard, chatting & browsing sites with IE I came across something strange. The whole device would freeze for a second & then it would work, yet the keys wouldn't work and the mouse cursor would stop responding. Things on the screen would stay frozen as well.. So I disconnected the keyboard/ trackpad combo and started using the tablet device as it was intended for and that was fine.. Until I decided to jump into the windows store. Selecting my apps & downloading them.. but Nope! the same store issue again! I was done; Faulty keyboard, consistent OS lag & failing to download or install Windows apps from the store.. Yep, I WAS DONE! I formatted the device back to factory settings and returned it the very next day!

In conclusion

Regardless of my love for Microsoft and Windows 8. Experiencing so many difficulties with multiple tablets (in such a short period of time might I add!) Has made me question whether or not a tablet is suitable for me to purchase or recommend in these early stages of the tablet era.

Too long didn't read; I have reaaaly bad luck with Windows 8 tablets.

Hey Microsoft, are you reading this?

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It looks like your Windows 8 account has something wrong with it. Try starting off with a fresh device and a fresh new account. On my PC I have an issue with lots of my apps saying their installed but not being found anywhere on the computer, not on the start screen or in the apps/programs list. Thankfully my Lenovo Yoga 13 is fine, even though it's running the same account. Although the only issue is with the apps, the Windows Update works fine for me.

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It looks like your Windows 8 account has something wrong with it. Try starting off with a fresh device and a fresh new account.

That's also what I thought at first, so I created a brand new @Outlook account... Same thing!

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What one did you start off with a new account?

I started it off with the brand new email... created on the second device.

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Been a happy many months using the Samsung 500T here, have also reviewed/tested several other win8 tabs and can safely say have never encountered the problems you've experience, infact not to be rude but you sound like technological bad luck, stay ###### away from my tech junk bro.

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Been a happy many months using the Samsung 500T here, have also reviewed/tested several other win8 tabs and can safely say have never encountered the problems you've experience, infact not to be rude but you sound like technological bad luck, stay ###### away from my tech junk bro.

Guess I just have the worst luck when it comes to a Windows 8 Tablet.

I don't intend to get anywhere near your tech bro.

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I read this yesterday on facebook, and Jase, you know I love you but man, I was laughing so hard and wanted to say "GET AN IPAD!!" J/K :p

I know you said you got a new router and all, but let me tell you from experience, I have had a friend who's internet was dropping packets on the backend. He replaced his modem, router and everything as well, but it was still doing it. He was only noticing it when playing intense games that require heavy up/down and it would show a packet loss. We finally figured it out by bringing his computer to my house and trying the same thing and it worked great. He contacted his ISP and they checked it and sure enough thats what it was. This could be causing your downloads to drop packets, corrupting the installation, etc.

Have you tried taking your tab to another location and test? I mean a friends house, wifi hotspot, etc? Just to see what happens?

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Picked up the Surface RT yesterday for myself and the girlfriend. ?800 lighter in my wallet, came with free touch keyboards so that was a nice part of the deal. I'm just feeling a bit more restricted that I thought I would have been. She loves it and can do all she wants to, but straight away I thought ok I'll watch a film, fired up my network drive, ok it doesn't play MKV files...... Okay maybe I'll watch a filmn on NowTV, no native app but fired up IE, ok well it uses Silverlight which doesn't work on RT. What the hell MS, you don't even support your own software? :-/

I want to like it but i'm hitting hurdles all the way and tempted to go the way of the Surface Pro, but then I'm looking at over double the price by the time I've purchased Office and a keyboard.

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