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    December 17, 2012
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    December 22, 2021
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    December 19, 2012
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    October 12, 2016
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    November 9, 2013
  • Last answer
    November 27, 2020
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rockhunter's Reviews
<< 1 2 3 4 5 >>
 
The reliable Brother MFC-L3710CW digital color all-in-one printer is an ideal choice for home and small offices looking for laser printer performance and need full functionality, print, copy, scan and fax, in a compact footprint. The up to 50-sheet automatic document feeder enables multipage copying, scanning and faxing, plus quick print speeds of up to 19 pages per minute. The manual feed slot accommodates varied printing needs and can handle a variety of paper types and sizes, including card stock, envelopes and more. The 250-sheet capacity adjustable paper tray helps improve efficiency with fewer refills and handles letter- or legal-size paper. Connect with versatile options, including built-in wireless or USB interfaces, and print wirelessly from mobile devices³. Save time by creating custom shortcuts on the 3.7" color touch screen, which also enables you to directly print from and scan to popular cloud apps, including Dropbox, Google Drive, Evernote, OneNote and more¹. Brother Genuine high-yield replacement toner cartridges help lower printing costs. Comes with a 1-year limited warranty and free online, call or live chat support for the life of your product.Prints up to 19 ISO ppm*, up to 19 ppm* in color.
 
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Customer Rating
5 out of 5
5
Great modest priced home/small office all-in-one
on October 6, 2019
Posted by: rockhunter
from New Mexico
I have had the Brother MFC-L3710CW digital color all-in-one printer for six days and so far it has been a very good color laser printer. The MFC-L3710CW is a well built printer with very solid construction and a nice attractive exterior but it weighs just under 50 pounds so it is mobile but not portable. It took about thirty minutes to remove the printer from the shipping box and remove all the shipping tape and shipping restraints from the printer and toner cartridges. It only took a couple minutes to connect to our WiFi network once the printer was unpacked and prepared for operation. The drivers, utility software installation and firmware updates took about another fifteen minutes.
I think the MFC-L3710CW prints mono or color text and presentations with as good or better quality then the inkjet printers I have had and prints faster. The big advantage the MFC-L3710CW has over any inkjet I have tried is that the inkjet ink cartridges dry out in the dry desert environment in southern New Mexico the toner powder isn’t affected. So a laser printer in addition to being generally faster than an inkjet printer generally is much less expensive per page in the long run.
The Brother iPrint&Scan software utility works well on Android, Chromebook (as an Android app), Windows 10, and Mac IOS. iPrint$Scan provides easy to use flexible control of the printer for printing or scanning printed media through the local network, or via the internet. I almost never use the internet option but print email and media from a web browser almost weekly from any location in our house not just at my desk. Brother has had a reputation of manufacturing excellent printers for years and of the three Brother laser B/W printers I have used none have disappointed . I recommend the Brother MFC-L3710CW to my friends and family as a good candidate for a medium cost home or small office all-in-one printer especially those who live in a dry desert environment.
Mobile Submission: False
I would recommend this to a friend!
0points
0of 0voted this as helpful.
 
Watch your favorite shows in comfort with this 55-inch Hisense H9F 4K UHD TV. The Quantum Dot and ULED technologies deliver incredible picture quality, while the Dolby Vision HDR adds dramatic color, contrast and brightness to your games and movies. Download Google Play apps and stream live shows with Android TV on this Hisense H9F 4K UHD TV.
 
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Customer Rating
5 out of 5
5
Great 4K UHD HDR TV at an economy price
on September 25, 2019
Posted by: rockhunter
from New Mexico
The Hisense - 55" Class - LED - H9F Series - 2160p - Smart - 4K UHD TV with HDR Model 55H9F is my home’s first 4K UHD and HDR TV. Previously we have had several large screen TVs, from rear projection TVs some years ago to a couple of flat screen LED the most recent a 2016 50 inch LED HD version. My family is unanimous that Hisence H9F is a significant step up in resolution and color from our earlier TVs even with the same devices and sources providing the input signal. The Hisense H9F gives us a new higher resolution video, with brighter colors and higher dynamic range. The two enhancements in resolution and color combine combine to add finer detail and texture to images that were absent from our earlier TVs from the same sources of broadcast and blu ray disks. We don’t currently have a 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray player so currently the internet sites like Netflix are our only sources of full 4K Ultra HD media but the upscaling of HD media from cable and Internet by the Hisense 55H9F is an experience that rivals 4K Ultra HD for a lot of videos and significantly enhances the entertainment value .
From the specs the Hisense 55H9F appears to have high performance functionality at a modest price. The 20 watt output sound system has plenty of volume for our living room at a 20% setting. The model 55H9F has 4 HDMI ports, one port is marked as 4K and the other 3 HDMI ports as ports 1, 2, and 3. The Smart engine that drives the 55H9F is Android the current version is Android 8.0. Having Android native to a TV was nice I installed the VLC media player app on the Hisense with Google Play Store and can easily play video from our home network or USB flash drive without using an android tablet and Chromecast adapter. The Amazon Prime video app isn’t on the Google Play Store and I haven’t explored side loading apps yet but that might resolve one Play Store application limitations. I am just starting to look at the possibilities opened in using a big screen TV with android apps and games but the future looks to be very interesting and entertaining.
Integrating the the Hisense 55H9F into our living room entertainment system has been the only inconvenient issue. The 55H9F is so new that the remote controls for the other entertainment devices don’t have control programming codes to support configuring the remotes for convenient operation. Our TV cable signal is processed by a DVR which uses a remote with radio for DVR control and IR for control of the TV its connected to. The DVR remote and could only be programed so far to control the TV on/off function, the HDMI port selection, and mute/un-mute for the Hisense. Volume, and all other control functions for the TV required the Hisence remote. Our previous living room system could manage TV viewing with just the DVR remote. Our family had to change to multiple remotes where only one had been needed for years.
The Hisence 55H9F offers display technology that is usually found in more expensive 4K TVs in a system that has excellent performance at a modest cost. I am giving the Hisense 55H9F a five star rating for its performance and economy.
Mobile Submission: False
I would recommend this to a friend!
+2points
2of 2voted this as helpful.
 
Store and transport files with this 5TB Seagate Backup Plus portable high-capacity drive. The included Seagate Toolkit software makes scheduling backups easy, while the USB 3.0 interface ensures rapid data transfers for faster backups. A 5TB capacity lets this Seagate Backup Plus portable high-capacity drive accommodate the largest files and programs.
 
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Customer Rating
5 out of 5
5
Very cost effective backup system for home
on August 28, 2019
Posted by: rockhunter
from New Mexico
Seagate - Backup Plus 5TB External USB 3.0 Portable Hard Drive Black
In the past I have used modest capacity 256 to 512 GB SSD and portable hard drives to backup individual windows laptops and desktops that belong to our household. Each drive dedicated to an individual computer often a laptop that was used for travel. But now there is much less travel and the number of Windows PCs has dropped to only six for the family. So for economy I decided to go to a single larger capacity portable hard drive for routine backup at home. And to re-purpose the portable SSD drives as recovery drives for each of the laptops creating a recovery set on a SSD drive when a laptop will be away from home for some time.
For routine backup of the PCs I got the Seagate - Backup Plus 5TB External USB 3.0 Portable Hard Drive. The Seagate – Backup Plus costs about the same amount as the SSD drives I used previously for backup to and it is much larger physically but it has more then 10 times the storage capacity at about the same cost as a portable SSD drive. It comes with a 16 inch cable with an USB connector on one end and a drive specific connector on the other. The Seagate – Backup Plus 5TB is just over 0.8 inches thick and weighs a little over 8 oz.. All of the portable SSD drives I used were thinner then 0.4 inches and weighed less then half the weight of the Seagate drive making them much more suitable to carry while traveling.
The Seagate – Backup Plus 5TB came with a Windows software loader that goes to the Seagate Web site registers the product and downloads an installation of the Seagate Toolkit backup and Mirror software utility and then creates a backup plan to incrementally backup the PC data to the Backup Plus drive when activated. Toolkit did not setup to support a full system backup but Windows 10 System Image Backup utility included with Windows 10 accomplishes that nicely so it wasn't necessary to purchase any backup software. The drive measures 4.5 inches by 3.1 inches by 0.82 inches and about 9 ounces not including the weight of the cable. The case is black plastic on the bottom and sides with a black brushed aluminum top. In operation the drive will just warm to the touch slightly. Transfer from the PC hard drive to the Seagate is at speeds of 45MB to 50MB per second from my desktop to the Seagate Backup Plus.
I have had the Seagate - Backup Plus 5TB External USB 3.0 Portable Hard Drive for 5 days now and have built Windows 10 System Image backups for one desktop and one laptop and one full data backup set for each of the two PCs using about 360 GB of storage on the Seagate drive. Subsequent incremental backups for each system will be much smaller and I don't see any shortage of storage capacity for all 6 PCs since over 93% of the storage space remains available which should be enough for a couple years for all 6 PCs.. So far the Seagate - Backup Plus 5TB External USB 3.0 Portable Hard Drive looks like it is going to be a very cost and time effective backup system for our family Windows 10 PCs. I am giving the Seagate 5 stars for economy and effectiveness.
Mobile Submission: False
I would recommend this to a friend!
0points
0of 0voted this as helpful.
 
Winning in business means working smarter. This HP LaserJet Pro MFP M428fdw is designed to let you focus your time where it's most effective, helping you grow your business and staying ahead of the competition.Prints up to 38 ISO ppm* in black
 
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Customer Rating
5 out of 5
5
Excellent Small Office Multi-Function Printer
on July 18, 2019
Posted by: rockhunter
from New Mexico
The HP LaserJet Pro MFP M428fdw is an excellent small office or home office printer. The LaserJet Pro has a modest footprint on my desk only slightly larger than the printer it replaces. The M428fdw has adequate speed and capability to serve as a small office multi-function printer. The printer seems to have excellent design, solid construction and a larger set of features then my previous multi-function printer. The toner cartridges for the M248fdw are more expensive then the toner for my previous laser printer but the predicted number of pages for the toner cartridges is also greater, the cost of toner works out to about the same as the previous printer. Printing is rated as 38 pages/min. with the M248fdw faster then the 30 pages/min. of my previous Brother printer. The M248fdw has a paper supply gauge built in that I thing will save some frustration in the future when I am using the multi-function printer with a mobile device in another room or out in the shop because I will know before I turn the printer on it's paper supply status. A paper supply gauge seems to be an uncommon feature for other brands of multi-function printer.

Printer/scanner/FAX setup for WiFi is largely menu driven, quick and easy with the touch screen input capability compared to just LED display and cursor movement and selection buttons, a big improvement. I have had the new printer less than a week and the HP SMART application downloaded from the web and the HP applications associated with the multi-function printer are topics I am still mastering. The HP SMART app for Android phones and tablets is available on the Google Play Store seems flexible and convenient for mobile platforms. I have found that HP SMART works with Chromebooks as an android app letting me print notes and email and scan hard copy also to or from a Chromebook. I am still learning the applications but they already expands the capabilities available with my previous multi-function printer on mobile platforms like my cell phone, android tablet, chromebook, and Windows 10 laptop.
The HP LaserJet Pro MFP M428fdw isn't the least expensive device but it seems that it justifies the expense. I recommend the HP LaserJet Pro MFP M428fdw to my family and friends as a home or small office multi-function printer.
Mobile Submission: False
I would recommend this to a friend!
+1point
1of 1voted this as helpful.
 
Accompany your workouts with streaming tunes from these JBL Endurance PEAK Bluetooth headphones. PowerHook technology switches them on when worn, and the TwistLock and FlexSoft features ensure a lightweight, ergonomic fit for comfortable, all-day use. Manage music playback effortlessly on these wireless JBL Endurance PEAK Bluetooth headphones via touch-enabled controls.
 
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Customer Rating
4 out of 5
4
Nice True Wireless earphones at a good price
on April 9, 2019
Posted by: rockhunter
from New Mexico
Over the years I have gathered and used a lot of over the ear earphones, in the ear headphones and earbuds, both wired and wireless largely for entertainment purposes either to avoid intruding on other people or to improve my own entertainment experience in a noisy environment. The JBL Endurance Peak Bluetooth True Wireless In-Ear headphones are one of two sets of True Wireless headphones I have tried. Of the two sets I have the JBL are the most comfortable, feel very secure in your ears when wearing them. They have a more refined and rich audio quality that is better than a lot of tablets, laptops, or smart phones I have experience with.
The JBL Endurance Peak True Wireless ear-buds are nicely built, stylish ear-buds available in several colors. The storage case is also a combination power bank and charger for the ear-buds with LED indicators that display charging and remaining power status of the case and the ear-buds. The right ear-bud is the master and has touch control for a number of functions built in some that I have not yet tried.. I use my Endurance Peak True Wireless ear-buds with an 10 inch android tablet for entertainment watching streaming video from Netflix, Hulu and other sources. The sound quality as I said earlier is better then the tablet by itself, stereo sound really has separation compared to the tablet by itself. I have only had the ear-buds for eight days but the battery life and case battery life claimed seem to be about right. I am fairly confident that I could use the ear-buds while exercising, but haven't tried them in that role and I haven't tested the waterproof claim and doubt I will.
I am keeping this short because I want to get to the limiting issue: the Quick Start Guide has been anything but “Quick” for me. The document is disjointed by an attempt to scatter the instructions for a large number of languages in little pieces through out the “Guide”. The “Quick Start Guide” is cryptic and unfortunately it is also the documentation for the ear-buds you currently find on the manufacturer's website. So I recommend the JBL Endurance Peak Bluetooth True Wireless In-Ear headphones, but I caution I think a lot of people will need to wade slowly through the current instructions and will need some trial and error to make the ear-buds function as they want them to. Five star hardware and software with two star documentation.
Mobile Submission: False
I would recommend this to a friend!
0points
0of 0voted this as helpful.
 
Cook delicious meals with this Panasonic cyclonic inverter microwave oven. Boasting a 2.2 cu. ft. capacity and 1,250 watts of cooking power, this appliance easily accommodates large dishes and heats food quickly. This Panasonic cyclonic inverter microwave oven ensures meals are cooked to perfection by automatically adjusting settings to best match your food.
 
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Customer Rating
5 out of 5
5
Outstanding microwave performance
on January 27, 2019
Posted by: rockhunter
from New Mexico
The new Panasonic family-size, stainless-steel NN-SN97JS microwave oven we just got has been a big hit with my family. We have an 11 year old Panasonic version of the family size microwave with inverter power control and 9 sensor cooking food categories. The new microwave oven with its stainless and stylish exterior looks really nice, also it is quieter in operation and door closing and opening is easier and quieter. The sensor cooking food categories have increased from 9 to 20 in the new model. I have been trying to think of how many microwave ovens we had in the 22+ years before we got our first Panasonic with the inverter power control and sensor cooking features and I come up with at least 7 from various manufactures before we got our Panasonic. The Panasonic has produced the best performance in cooking or defrosting frozen foods and cooking fresh foods of all the microwave ovens we have had.. This latest model appears to take this a step farther with more options in sensor cooking programs..
We recommend the Panasonic NN-SN97JS to our friends and relations.
.
Mobile Submission: False
I would recommend this to a friend!
0points
0of 0voted this as helpful.
 
Lenovo Yoga C630 WOS Convertible 2-in-1 Laptop: Stay productive all day with this Lenovo Yoga laptop. The QualComm Snapdragon 850 processor and 8GB of RAM provide smooth operation of programs and apps, and the battery lasts up to 22 hours between charges. This Lenovo Yoga laptop has a 13.3-inch FHD display for clearly viewing photos and videos.
 
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Customer Rating
5 out of 5
5
A standard of mobility for Windows 10 computers
on December 21, 2018
Posted by: rockhunter
from New Mexico
The Lenovo - Yoga C630 2-in-1 13.3" Touch-Screen Laptop was a surprise for me, when I first saw the thumbnail description. “Lenovo - Yoga C630 2-in-1 13.3" Touch-Screen Laptop - Snapdragon 850 - 8GB Memory - 128GB Solid State Drive - Iron Gray (Verizon) Stay productive with this 13.3-inch Lenovo Yoga laptop. Its Qualcomm Snapdragon 850 chip provides speedy processing power, and the 8GB of RAM lets you multitask smoothly between programs. This Lenovo Yoga laptop has a 128GB solid-state drive for fast boot times, and it provides up to 22 hours of battery life for multiday use while unplugged.” I first thought Chromebook with LONG battery life and mobile broadband, after looking at the complete description at BestBuy.com a short time later, SURPRISE not Chrome OS but 64bit Windows 10 2-in-1 laptop.
I have had the Yoga C630 for 7 days now and I think the Yoga C630 Windows Laptop pushed mobility up a notch for the Windows 10 ecosystem, it does for me. With the Yoga C630 13.3 you get a laptop that is among the lightest and thinnest mid-size mobile laptops marketed today with a weight of 2.65 lbs. and only 0.5 inches thick. The exterior is a dark gray mat finish and the laptop feels very solidly built although there is some just detectable flex to the keyboard. The light weight and small footprint are one part of mobility equation. The other facets of the equation are ability to continue to operate and perform while mobile, and available software needed to do the things you want to do
The Yoga C630 13.3 has an embedded 4G LTE Mobile Broadband Modem and conventional Wifi AC wireless networking, you don't have to carry a cell phone your laptop is tethered to or a Mobile Hotspot for network connection while mobile. An embedded Mobile Broadband modem is not a totally new concept for a laptop but the other feature that lets the Yoga C630 reach new level of mobility in addition to mobile networking is battery life. Most current mobile laptop computers have claims of max battery life from 8 hours up to 12 hours with a couple that I have seen claiming 14 hours. The Yoga C630 13.3 claims “up to” 22 hours of battery life and I am seeing 18 hours, two days of use (maybe days three) before I decided to recharge the battery. Days of normal use, network connected operation conducted on the LAN, Internet, web browsing, handling email, streaming video,etc..
The reason I thought Chromebook when I saw the initial description of the Yoga C630 13.3 was that it has a Snapdragon 850 processor, ARM instruction set processor. ARM instruction set processors have been fairly common in Chromebooks in the last few years but not Windows 10 although there are some examples of systems that use ARM processors with Windows 10 very recently. The Snapdragon 850 is claimed to be about as powerful as the 8th Gen Pentium core i5 but the instruction sets are different so only apps compiled for an ARM64 native executable have a chance for full performance. There are a fair number of apps on the Microsoft Store that are compiled for ARM processors the Surface RT was an ARM based PC so useful apps are in the Microsoft Store. Windows 10 includes an emulation feature for X86 applications on the ARM processors but that feature is very new and what works and what doesn't isn't well documented yet. I tried an External USB SSD hard drive with the Yoga C630 and had no trouble. When I tried an external DVD drive it would see the disk files and read them but I had to add DVD Player+ (an X86,X64 app) from the Microsoft Store to play a movie from a DVD, I haven't tried a BlueRay disk yet. I don't know how playing a DVD impacts battery life yet but at least now as far as I know it isn't even possible on a Chromebook.
The WiFi performance is excellent. The 4G LTE modem has been a problem. Some Verizon users have been experiencing a failure to connect problem I was one of the unlucky owners and have spent three afternoons working with Best Buy, and local Verizon trying to get the laptop to connect via 4G LTE and finally have to wait for a software fix. Lenovo and Verizon are working to have a resolution the problem soon. Right now I only need a small amount data transfer, less than 5% of the time so for the near term I will just turn on the Hot Spot feature of my smart phone and connect via WiFi. The rest of the time its I can connect to the WiFi at the location I am at.
The finger print reader is great feature, fast and easy to use. The Touch screen works fine and the display is excellent. The speaker placement is good, on either side of the keyboard. Volume is not lacking and otherwise they are like most speakers on a laptop, if you want concert hall quality sound you will want a pair or good ear buds or earphones or external speakers.
There are two areas that deserve careful thought about the value of the Yoga C630 to a perspective buyer, disk storage space and software availability. By todays standards 128GB is either a tight storage budget (it is a little tight for me I think) or if you are Cloud based for the majority your data and computation it maybe ample local disk space. I really wished that the laptop had a microSD memory card port for removable storage. I did get a USB C flash drive that relaxes the storage issue for me a little. The availability of the applications is something I am just starting to explore. For the current time I plan to stay with Windows 10S the Microsoft Store closed application environment if that proves to constraining I'll upgrade to Windows 10 Home and explore how well the ARM processor and Windows 10 handle the existing applications I normally use.
I am rating the Lenovo Yoga C630 13.3 inch 2-in-1 laptop as a 5 star system because of its mobility and capabilities to operated for long periods with out physical tethers for power or connectivity and its support from Windows 10.
I am recommending the Yoga C630 to my friends and family.
Mobile Submission: False
I would recommend this to a friend!
-2points
0of 2voted this as helpful.
 
Get work done with this Dell Inspiron Chromebook laptop. The 14-inch Ultra HD touch screen supports EMR pens, and the Intel Core i3 processor powers system tasks smoothly with the 4GB of RAM. The 128GB of eMMC storage lets you store documents and media files on this Dell Inspiron Chromebook laptop.
 
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Customer Rating
5 out of 5
5
Great business/personal/premium chromebook
on December 2, 2018
Posted by: rockhunter
from New Mexico
The Dell Inspiron 14 2-in-1 Chromebook widens the spectrum for Dell from relatively basic education chromebooks to business/personal/premium chromebooks with the features typical in premium chromebooks and high performance. The Inspiron 14 2-in-1 Chromebook is a departure from most of the earlier premium chromebooks like the Pixelbook that proceeded it. As far as I know it is only in the last year that 2-in-1 style chromebooks with 14 inch or larger and FHD and better displays were introduced to the market. The earlier premium chromebooks from Google and other manufacturers were in the 11 to 13 inch display size. The Dell Inspiron 14 2-in-1 Chromebook and new high end models from several other manufactures have 14 to 15.6 inch displays.
The first impression of the Dell Inspiron 14 2-in-1 Chromebook I had is that it is an attractive laptop with a simple dark gray all aluminum exterior that feels really solid. After unpacking the laptop and connecting the power supply for the first time and powering it on to perform the initial setup I got a surprise I didn't expect, a couple seconds of fan noise that so far has not repeated since. It wasn't obvious to me from the specs. that the Inspiron has a cooling fan but it does. I haven't heard it again even after hours of streaming video from Netflix and the laptop has never become more then barely warm to the touch so far, I suspect the fan might kick on when the laptop is in tablet mode.
The second impression I had is that the Dell Inspiron 14 2-in-1 Chromebook is it is heavy, it weighs 1 to 1.5 lbs more then the 11.6 to 12.5 inch display chromebooks I have been using. Because of the weight it might not be a good selection for a child other then for use on a desk or table. Personally I have found it to be the heaviest chromebook I care to use in the same fashion I use the Google Pixelbook for example.
As far as speed it is fast, I compared the Inspiron with several different 2-in-1 chromebooks with the same 64bit chrome OS on the same version looking at the boot up time from power on to login prompt. The chromebooks all had 4GB or more of RAM and Intell processors. In the test were Pentium Core I5, Core I3, Core m3, and Intel Celeron processors. The Intel Core processor chromebooks had boot up times of eight to nine seconds and the Inspiron was actually the fastest I tried. t\The Celeron boot up time was fifteen seconds. The display on the Inspiron looks excellent, of the high end chrombooks I have much experience with I think only the Pixelbook and the Samsung Chromebook Pro 12.3 have an tiny edge in display performance. Battery life for the Inspiron is claimed to be up to 10 hours, the one check I have done so far was starting with a full battery I ran five hours of video streaming from Netflix followed by 2.5 hours of email and web browsing 7.5 hours of usage. At the end of the test the chrome OS power meter said the remaining power was 34% so 10 hours seems like a reasonable estimate since I like to recharge before the battery drops below 20% remaining.
The Dell Inspiron 14 2-in-1 Chromebook has a full complement of features, 2-in-1 touch screen style, active stylus with dock built into the keyboard bottom, backlit keyboard, FHD 14 inch display, fast performance, large storage expandable with a micro SD card. Of the physical and functional features the only one I would consider a neutral point not a plus is the weight. I recommend the Dell Inspiron 14 2-in-1 Chromebook to my friends and relatives as a best buy in a business/entertainment chromebook. Our household has two Dell Inspiron 14 2-in-1 Chromebooks now
Mobile Submission: False
I would recommend this to a friend!
+2points
9of 16voted this as helpful.
 
Acer Spin 15 Convertible 2-in-1 Chromebook: Get the latest technology with this Acer Spin touch screen Chromebook. Its 360-degree hinge lets you quickly convert to tablet or tent mode, and the 4GB of RAM and quad-core Intel Pentium processor power games and apps. This Acer Spin touch screen Chromebook has an HD webcam for videoconferencing and a 32GB eMMC hard drive to store your photos and documents.Learn more about Chromebooks ›
 
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Customer Rating
5 out of 5
5
A BIG screen chromebook with great battery life
on October 30, 2018
Posted by: rockhunter
from New Mexico
My first impression of the Acer Spin 15 Chromebook was it was BIG and likely to be in a completely different class of Chromebook than I had previously used. My hands on experience with Chromebooks has been 2-in-1 systems with screens from 10 to 13 inches in diagonal and a weight from 2.0 to 3.2 lbs. Once in a great while I used the Chromebooks in tablet mode holding it with one hand while walking or standing. For me I don’t think I will be able to use the Acer Spin 15 one handed in tablet mode it is just to large and heavy to manage confidently with one hand. When I used a Chromebook for entertainment, reading or streaming video I used it in tent or laptop mode. When doing web activity, email, research, shopping, etc., I usually use a Chromebook in laptop mode for the Acer Spin 15 so far that means on a table or desk although I have used it in my lap.
So other than BIG what I find the Acer Spin 15 to be is, first the display is impressive it is large enough to have several windows open at the same time, for example the Chrome browser for research and an Android word processor at the same time drafting a review. Second the Pentium processor in the Acer Spin 15 is in the lower Intel Core m class performance judging from benchmark results found on the Internet, but better than the average Intel Celeron results. The only differences between the two versions of the Acer Spin 15 that Best Buy has now is storage size 64Gb vs 32Gb and price, the 32Gb version is usually less. 32Gb of storage is not a handicap for me so far my available free storage hasn't fallen below 18 Gb yet but that is subject to change. Wifi performance has been excellent over 100Mb/second and very stable connections on our home Wifi virtually anywhere in the house. The feature of the Acer Spin 15 that really surprises me is the battery life I only have two charging cycles with the Acer Spin 15 so far but claim of 12 hours battery life seems conservative. The battery consumption while drafting this review looks like the battery life will exceed 14 hours per charge. The backlit keyboard is quite bright and the level of back light is adjustable using the alt-key and the screen brightness keys simultaneously.
It looks like the Acer Spin 15 was perhaps targeted for student or business usage and it looks like a very successful design given its price point. The Acer Spin 15 makes a nice personal Chromebook but you have to factor in the reduced mobility compared to alternative models. It would have been nice to see the addition of an active stylus and digitizer to expand drawing capabilities but tha that would probably very substantially increase the price. As it is it is well built with an excellent display and sound for entertainment, it is nicely optimized for student and business usage if Chromebooks fit into the the school or business IT ecosystem. And it is an excellent value in Chromebooks.
I recommend the Acer Spin 15 to my friends and relations with the caution that it is a large Chromebook I rate it 5 stars for features and value..
Mobile Submission: False
I would recommend this to a friend!
+18points
19of 20voted this as helpful.
 
Keep up with work using this Dell Inspiron all-in-one computer. A 23.8-inch Full HD touchscreen hides away the Intel Core i7 processor and 12GB of RAM, so you only have one unit to contend with. A huge 1TB hard drive and wireless-AC Wi-Fi ensure data storage and transfer remain simple on this Dell Inspiron all-in-one computer.
 
  • Tech Insider Network
Customer Rating
5 out of 5
5
Compact, Feature loaded, Powerful, Right Price
on July 17, 2018
Posted by: rockhunter
from New Mexico
The Dell Inspiron I5477-7491SLV-PUS AIO was a nice step up from my previous desktop a Dell small tower Inspiron 3650 with 6th Gen core i3 and 8 GB of RAM and a 1TB drive. At the top of my list for consideration for the replacement was an AIO to recover desk space the small tower PC needed, a monitor, external speakers, external optical drive, and Web Cam had accumulated since I bought the small tower 3650. The 24 inch I5477 basically occupies the same desk space as just the monitor of the previous desktop PC system it replaces. The result is a significant reduction in cables and desktop clutter, as well as a significant power increase.
The local Best Buy received its demonstrator Inspiron I5477-7491SLV-PUS at the end of June and I received my new I5477 about two weeks later. I am glad the local Best Buy had the demonstrator I5477 I spent some time with the demonstrator to check for features that were not touched on in the Best Buy listing and a critical feature for me when considering an AIO, was built in speakers. I discovered that the I5477 includes a nice low power pair of stereo speakers which are more then enough for Cortina, Skype or casual video streaming of movies and TV. Now that I have my I5477 setup and functioning I discovered another feature the I5477 has a built in retractable webcam with an additional IR camera and IR emitters which I will exploring in the near future. It also appears that the specifications of 1 TB hard drive in the I5477 may have changed from initial announcement, the specs in the Best Buy listing indicate disk spindle rotation as 5400 rpm but windows device manager reports the disk as a Seagate ST1000LM049. The Seagate web site identifies the drive as Seagate Barracuda Pro ST1000LM049 with a spindle speed of 7200 rpm.
I have had my AIO for 4 days now and I really like the Dell Inspiron I5477-7491SLV-PUS AIO. It is solidly built, with the border-less display it has a simple but attractive exterior. You can see from the specifications a very decent compliment of ports, a good display, a fast CPU and memory system, a good sized hard drive, built in speakers and web cam. The touch screen works well I left the keyboard and mouse turned off and used the computer with only the touch screen for input and the the machine booted up accepted login and and commands without any problems as if it were an oversize tablet PC. There are some faster PCs most are tower based designs a few are AIO packages. Most of the faster PC system have more RAM and SSD or combination SSD and hard drive storage and cost more. Right now the I5477 looks like one of the best values in features and performance. I don't hesitate to recommend it to my friends.
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I would recommend this to a friend!
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+3points
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rockhunter's Review Comments
 
Take your favorite media on the go with this Acer Iconia Tab A110 that features built-in wireless networking for easy Web connection and an 8GB capacity for ample storage. The multitouch display offers easy navigation and clear images.
 
Overall2 out of 52 out of 5
I didn't like it
By drm2012 from Louisville, KY
I got this and returned it within 24 hours. The screen did not rotate and it did not come with flash, so I was not able to use it for it's intended purpose. The CSR at the store said that it's suppose to rotate, again I may have got a defective one.
After the initial set up it was easy to navigate. I'm familiar with the android operating system and it's easy to use.
The flash was the deal breaker, as with the other tablet I purchased. I got to try a lot in the store and was assured by the 1st CSR in the tablet section that it had flash, as the display unit was not working properly.
If I didn't have to have Adobe I would have kept it. It's camera and video were excellent. It was super fast, apps worked without a glitch.
I would recommend to a friend, but alert them that flash is not an option with this machine.
Customer Avatar
rockhunter
New Mexico
December 19, 2012
Auto-screen rotation is controled in settings, the Android JB OS usually sets the default to off the user just has to turn it back on.
Google took Adobe Flash out of Google Play for all JB and 4.X Android OS versions the Flash.apk has to be copied from another source and then can be installed. Also a number of the Android web browsers no longer support Flash under Android 4.X and JB so you have to load a new browser from Google Play that does support Flash. This is not an Acer issue but a common one for tablets and phones with the Android JB/4.x operating system.
+2points
2of 2voted this comment as helpful.
 
Lenovo IdeaTab Miix 2 8 Tablet: A tablet experience featuring an easy-to-navigate interface and all the right tools to be productive. Accomplish tasks on the go with Microsoft Office. And when it's time to play, kick back and surf the Web, watch a movie or read a book.
 
Overall1 out of 51 out of 5
Advertised incorrectly
By LenovoBuy from St Paul
No HDMI port
No GPS
No Office 2013
50 USD costly then Dell Venue Pro 8
Customer Avatar
rockhunter
New Mexico
32 GB Windows tablets
December 1, 2013
The space restrictions on 32 GB Windows 8.0 -8.1 32bit tablets are fairly .similar the Dell Venue 8 Pro has only about a GB greater free space then the miix2 8. The solution for a shortage of free space is to install an micro SD card and get a couple USB flash drives to create the system recovery sets and move Office to the SDcard and the recovery set to the USB flash drive. That lets you increase the free space on C: to about 12 GB and lets media reside on the SDcard also.
+7points
7of 7voted this comment as helpful.
 
Only at Best BuyLearn more about the New WindowsPortability meets functionality with the Insignia™ NS-15MS08 tablet. Featuring Windows 8.1 and simple connectivity, this tablet's Wi-Fi, 8" touch-screen, and front and back cameras make it ideal at home and on-the-go. One free year of Microsoft Office 365 Personal lets you get even more out of it.
 
Overall2 out of 52 out of 5
Great tablet if you don't want apps
By bre30127 from Savannah, GA
I was pretty excited to find a $99 tablet with full windows on it. Even though it has a small amount of memory (1gb) it didn't seem to be a problem. The BIG problem comes from the fact that since it has windows 8.1, you can't install apps to the sd card. (you could on windows 8) This means that right out of the box you only have about 5 gigs of space to use for apps and games and such. Updates also uses this space. The memory card can only be used for pictures, video and music. SO if you just plan on surfing the web and checking email... this should work. I just hope that email doesn't have an attachment.
Customer Avatar
rockhunter
New Mexico
Legacy Windows applications and Windows 8.0 and 8.
November 21, 2014
A commonly repeated complaint about Windows 8.0 and 8.1 is the lack of applications and that applications can only reside on the system drive (C:). Actually most legacy applications (Windows 7) can optionally be installed to drives other than C: an SD or microSD card and many Modern UI applications can be moved to an SD or microSD card by using a link pointing to the new location from the old location. So if an application was available under Windows 7 in many cases it is still usable under the new OSs. Subject to the limitations of the hardware (32 bit vs 64 bit, RAM, overall disk storage, etc)
0points
0of 0voted this comment as helpful.
 
Only at Best BuyLearn more about the New WindowsPortability meets functionality with the Insignia™ NS-15MS08 tablet. Featuring Windows 8.1 and simple connectivity, this tablet's Wi-Fi, 8" touch-screen, and front and back cameras make it ideal at home and on-the-go. One free year of Microsoft Office 365 Personal lets you get even more out of it.
 
Overall5 out of 55 out of 5
DEFINITELY worth $100. But...
By remmy
There is no usb host function. You cannot plug in usb devices like a memory sick, or a keyboard or hub, or anything.
I am both delighted and concerned with how easy it is to sync this tablet with a win8 pc.
It seems to be a fully functional windows desktop. But the hardware limitations prevent the usage of resource hungry apps and programs.
The bluetooth works well.But for file transfers, it can be a bit "ARGH!" The cameras themselves are better than you think. But the stock camera app is abysmal.
The hdmi output is very good. This tablet supports multiple monitors; itself and one external (I've run youtube on one and LibreOffice on the other (it doesn't matter which is which)).
My tablet runs Blender, Chrome, and LibreOffice just fine. Though I haven't tested Blender thoroughly, I suspect renders will take some time (i.e. a LONG time, maybe a VERY long time)
The wifi is very good.
The touchscreen works best when not in desktop mode.
The battery is surprisingly good.
For music makers: there is a 100-150 ms delay between touch and sound. I don't know about bluetooth connected devices.The on board speaker is okay. Headphones are pretty good. Haven't tested the microphone.
To conclude; if your expectations are reasonable (given the price tag), you will be quite satisfied. Compared to $100 Android tablets, the hardware is so-so, but this tablet more than makes up for it in functionality.
Update: I changed from 4 stars to 5 stars simply because of the price.
Abstract: if i can get another, I plan to hack some upgrades.
Customer Avatar
rockhunter
New Mexico
USB host function
December 1, 2014
USB host function in the NS-15MS08 requires an micro USB adapter the fully supports the USB OTG specification (some tablets relax this this one doesn't and some adapters don't fully support the specification) I created a recovery USB flash drive using an adapter specified as OTG and have used a flash drive to transfer files to the tablet. Don't know if the tablet will power an USB hard drive or optical drive.
+1point
1of 1voted this comment as helpful.
 
Only at Best BuyLearn more about the New WindowsPortability meets functionality with the Insignia™ NS-15MS08 tablet. Featuring Windows 8.1 and simple connectivity, this tablet's Wi-Fi, 8" touch-screen, and front and back cameras make it ideal at home and on-the-go. One free year of Microsoft Office 365 Personal lets you get even more out of it.
 
Overall4 out of 54 out of 5
A Windows PC at an Android tablet Price
By rockhunter from New Mexico
This model just arrived at the local Best Buy and I picked it up on impulse (I have a couple other Windows 8.1 tablets), and curiosity (how do you fit 32 bit Windows 8.1 on a 16 GB system disk). This is my initial impression after a day of hands-on I'll try to update the review later. Installation was the standard Windows 8.1 process, setup MS account and sync applications and settings, after Windows updates and applications syncing and disk clean up I have 4.4 GB free (your results may differ). Tablet hardware is middle of the road, construction seem solid and better then you might expect in an economy package and a lot of other tablets I have seen or used. CPU performance is fairly snappy, applications take slightly longer to load then I see with Tablets with 2GB of RAM instead of the 1GB the Insignia has but execution is as fast or faster then other Intel Atom CPU powered tablets I have experience with. The connectivity to the tablet is better then some of the much more expensive tablets I have used and includes WiFi, micro USB, and micro HDMI. The WiFi is slower then the other tablets I have but that might be WiFi router related, Netflix, email, Web browsing all work just as quickly as any other PCs I have. The screen performance is fine, it is not a retina display but it is again middle of the class performance for color brightness and resolution. Netflix looked actually better then some other tablets I have used both Android and Windows.
Now the CONs beyond the obvious tight disk space, battery life looks like it is going to be between 5 and 6 hours for a mix of web browsing, email, video streaming and reading. I haven't found a way to use the USB port for Data transfer and charge/power the tablet simultaneously which has been a problem with usability of some other tablets but may be solvable. Accessories are a problem now screen protectors and cases choices are limited to those manufactured for other tablets.
I will recommend considering the Insignia to my friends who are looking for a tablet to handle Internet web browsing, email, streaming video, ebook reading and light Microsoft Office class work. It certainly looks like it could be cost effective alternative to other tablets.
Customer Avatar
rockhunter
New Mexico
Follow up to original review
December 1, 2014
Follow up after about 3 weeks.
The slightly slow WiFi speed was a router issue my other tablets and laptop also had the same issue, a network modem and router reboot solved the issue and the Insignia WiFi performance is the same as the other tablets and laptops.
Battery life is averaging about 6.5 hours on a charge (YMMV).
The micro USB port host mode usage is affected by the micro USB to USB adapter you use as a couple of the other brands of tablets in the house also are. I have bought the adapters in groups of 2 or 3 so there is one laying around in the various places I use the tablets and some work with a flash drive on the Insignia and some don't.
I finally decided to use another office suite that I had on the shelf that could be installed on the microSD card instead of Office 365 that saves atleast 300 Mb on the system drive. Free storage on the system drive (C:\) is at 4.4 GB,
I have become even more impressed with what a value the Insignia NS-15MS08 is other than system drive storage you get about 95% of the performance of other Intel Atom quad core based tablets at 50% or less of the price.
0points
0of 0voted this comment as helpful.
 
Enjoy the Internet on this Insignia Flex Android tablet. The 8-inch tablet is ideal for watching videos or playing games, and Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity lets you connect this device to networks and accessories. This Insignia Flex Android tablet is compatible with Google Play, so you have access to apps, games and other entertainment.
 
Overall5 out of 55 out of 5
Very Good value
By rockhunter
Insignia Flex 8 inch NS-P08A7100 Android 6.0 Tablet.
I tried the new 10 inch Flex 10 a week ago and took it back after a day because to many of my usual APPs did not work. Two days ago the local Best Buy received the new Insignia Flex 8 and at $30 less then the 10 inch model and having a couple Reward Zone certificates I bought one. The 10 inch and 8 inch tablets have a lot in common, same CPU/SOC, same RAM, same screen resolution, same nice solid construction. The same APPs that I tried on the 10 inch and wouldn't work, didn't work on the 8 inch version either.
I decided to keep the NS-P08A7100 because after a lot of time in the play store I was able to find APPs that could would serve as replacements for my usual apps, that wouldn't work. Streaming media was a problem. I had to try almost a dozen media players before I found one that would stream video from a media server and not drop the connection every two to five minutes. The dedicated Netflix and Xfinity APPs worked fine, but streaming from a media server via Wifi to a media player APP would drop the connection every two to five
minutes for most media playback APPs, but I did find one that works OK.
The Flex 8 is fast for a budget tablet and compares well to tablets costing much more, and I expect that future software updates will fix the issues with many APPS that have problem now. Battery life is also better then a lot of economy tablets it looks like I will see 5 to 7 hours of Wifi on web browsing and video streaming. I will recommend the new Insignia Flex 8 to my friends and family with the caution that they may have to look for some new APPs in the play store.
Customer Avatar
rockhunter
New Mexico
Caution Setup issue
September 3, 2016
During the first use from a factory reset or new tablet with the current version of Android, the first startup/setup has a flaw, the touch screen has the keyboard set to auto repeat and auto correct which makes it practically impossible to get through the tablet set up where any text or email address has to be input. Get Geek Squad to help with the first time setup or just skip all of the Google account setup steps and complete the process. Then go back to setup, setup your google account and set the keyboard options to something you can use. I hit this with two of these tablets now and you will think the touch screen is defective at first. Its not a hard wear issue but a minor issue in system software that is gone once the first startup is completed and probably will be gone after the first system revision, or perhaps has already been fixed.
+2points
3of 4voted this comment as helpful.
 
Fashion a workspace with this Lenovo 11.6-inch ThinkPad at its center. Quad-core technology lets you accomplish a wide range of tasks, as does the 4GB of RAM and the 128GB solid-state hard drive. Powerful wireless technology lets you link up to a network, and this Lenovo 11.6-inch ThinkPad includes a memory card reader for photo and data transfer.
 
Overall1 out of 51 out of 5
Thinkpad 11e they sent had Windows 7 not 10
By 4school
Tried to buy a laptop for my daughter made the mistake of buying it online unseen and remote, the Lenovo - Thinkpad 11e 11.6 Laptop they sent had windows 7 on it and no way to update it anymore, now I have to return it or pay $120 for windows 10. My mistake for buying it indirectly as a present, pita.
Customer Avatar
rockhunter
New Mexico
Actualy excellent compact laptop!
October 12, 2016
I bought the ThinkPad 11E from another vender because they had the laptop with 8GB of RAM otherwise it is the same system. No problem regarding OS mine came with Windows 10 Pro as advertised. I have looked in detail at 11.6 inch laptops from Lenovo and 2 other manufactures they were both 2in1 and non-touch screen laptops. The number and variety of ports, the speed of an SSD system drive and 64bit Windows set the ThinkPad 11E apart from the other economy systems available in my area. I didn't write a review because I bought it from another vender and it had more RAM.
0points
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rockhunter's Questions
 
rockhunter has not submitted any questions.
 
rockhunter's Answers
1 2 >>
 
Bring vibrant visuals to your screen anywhere, anytime with the versatility of a 360 degree hinge, long battery life and simultaneous pen and touch support.
 

Is this a good laptop choice for an engineering student

I think it would make a very good PC laptop for an engineering student
3 years, 5 months ago
by
rockhunter
 
Watch your favorite shows in comfort with this 55-inch Hisense H9F 4K UHD TV. The Quantum Dot and ULED technologies deliver incredible picture quality, while the Dolby Vision HDR adds dramatic color, contrast and brightness to your games and movies. Download Google Play apps and stream live shows with Android TV on this Hisense H9F 4K UHD TV.
 

Does the Hisense H9f come with a YOUTUBE TV APP?

Yes the Youtube TV app is included
4 years, 7 months ago
by
rockhunter
 
With a 200GB capacity, this SanDisk Ultra microSDXC memory card provides plenty of space to store pictures, videos and other important files. An included SD adapter enables use with a variety of devices.
 

Is this compatible with surface pro 4?

Based on the success in I had with a Dell Venue 11 Pro I had I would expect the card to work just fine formatted as NTFS, It might work as EXFAT also but there would probably be a heavy lost usable space penalty with that file system.
7 years, 8 months ago
by
rockhunter
 
Learn more about the New WindowsBoost your on-the-go productivity with this Dell Venue 11 Pro tablet, which features Wi-Fi for easy Web access and a 64GB capacity that provides space for important files. The 10.8" capacitive touch screen simplifies use and offers crisp images.
 

is the keyboard removable?

Yes the Keyboard attaches magnetically and just snaps on, it is easy to install and remove
8 years, 11 months ago
by
rockhunter
   New Mexico
 
Learn more about the New WindowsBoost your on-the-go productivity with this Dell Venue 11 Pro tablet, which features Wi-Fi for easy Web access and a 64GB capacity that provides space for important files. The 10.8" capacitive touch screen simplifies use and offers crisp images.
 

Does this come with a stylus?

Does this tablet / keyboard come with a stylus?

http://accessories.dell.com/sna/productdetail.aspx?c=ca&l=en&s=bsd&cs=cabsdt1&sku=750-AAGN
Keyboard but the stylus is an option.
8 years, 11 months ago
by
rockhunter
   New Mexico
 
Only at Best BuyLearn more about the New WindowsWith built-in Wi-Fi, this Insignia™ NS-15MS0832 tablet allows you to enjoy online content in crisp, sharp detail on the 8" WXGA touch screen. The 32GB storage capacity houses plenty of files, documents and other data.
 

Can this tablet run the chromecast extender to view webpages on a chromecast tv?

My windows 7 pc can send websites thru the browser to my chromecast tv with the extender. Can this tablet with Windows 8.1 do it also ?
The Dell Venue 8 should work fine with the chromecast adapter, and I have first hand experience that it works fine with using it with a Miracast
adapter.
9 years ago
by
rockhunter
   New Mexico
 
Only at Best BuyLearn more about the New WindowsWith built-in Wi-Fi, this Insignia™ NS-15MS0832 tablet allows you to enjoy online content in crisp, sharp detail on the 8" WXGA touch screen. The 32GB storage capacity houses plenty of files, documents and other data.
 

can you download Adobe flashplayer

Just want to make sure I can download Adobe Flashplayer since runs on Windows not Android
Yes if you want to but for IE flash player support is already coded in but its Windows 8.1 so it is like any other Windows laptop or desktop running 32 bit Windows regarding the programs you can install.
9 years, 3 months ago
by
rockhunter
   New Mexico
 
Only at Best BuyLearn more about the New WindowsWith built-in Wi-Fi, this Insignia™ NS-15MS0832 tablet allows you to enjoy online content in crisp, sharp detail on the 8" WXGA touch screen. The 32GB storage capacity houses plenty of files, documents and other data.
 

Do I have to buy a data plan with this tablet?

I was wondering if I need to purchase a data plan for this tablet, and if so are there any tablets where I wouldn't need to have a data plan with?
This is a WiFi only Tablet so no Cellular data plan required where WiFi is available.
9 years, 3 months ago
by
rockhunter
   New Mexico
 
Only at Best BuyLearn more about the New WindowsWith built-in Wi-Fi, this Insignia™ NS-15MS0832 tablet allows you to enjoy online content in crisp, sharp detail on the 8" WXGA touch screen. The 32GB storage capacity houses plenty of files, documents and other data.
 

What type of charger ?

Does this charge by USB port ?
Yes charges through the micro USB port
9 years, 3 months ago
by
rockhunter
   New Mexico
 
Lenovo IdeaTab Miix 2 8 Tablet: A tablet experience featuring an easy-to-navigate interface and all the right tools to be productive. Accomplish tasks on the go with Microsoft Office. And when it's time to play, kick back and surf the Web, watch a movie or read a book.
 

Does the Lenovo miix 8 tablet come with a 64GB memory? What is price for that.

What is availability of above with 64GB memory. Can a micro card be used to expand 32GB memory?
There is a 64GB version of the MIIX 8 it the MSR difference is about $50. A microSDcard will be seen as a second Drive applications can be moved to the SDcard also media and Windows legacy application can usually be installed on the SDcard in the first place.
10 years, 4 months ago
by
rockhunter
   New Mexico