# Good tablet to view photos and more?



## aguerra.1993 (Aug 1, 2013)

Hello everyone, I am trying to do some research on which tablet would be nice to view and edit photos on the go. Something that I can carry hiking, or traveling, that doesn't take much space or weigh too much, but has a great screen. I really have no idea which one would be nice, and other uses I'd use the tablet for are browsing the internet, watching videos and just carrying it all over the place whenever I travel. The Nexus 7 has some good reviews and it is also pretty inexpensive. I wouldn't mind paying a little more if another one is worth it though. Preferably one I can put my SD card directly into and view pictures, etc. Thanks for any help!

Edit: also, something that has Word, Powerpoint, and those programs would be very convenient.


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## table1349 (Aug 1, 2013)

If you are looking at full blown editing, word powerpoint etc. then you can stop your research.  None of them will fit you needs.  If you are looking for a personal assistant type tablet with basic photo adjustments and a very stripped down office programs then any of them will pretty much do the job.


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## aguerra.1993 (Aug 1, 2013)

Yeah, something basic. Something very portable as I plan to do a backpacking/hitch hiking trip soon and the less I carry the better. Really liking the Windows Surface RT and it's not super expensive either.


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## Rwsphotos (Aug 1, 2013)

That's a tuff answer everyone will have their favorite and for different reasons and others may disagree for their own reasons. I suggest doing some research on the ones that appeal to you then add in opinions from here.   Me personally I use an Asus Transformer Tf101. Does everything I need with no hassles. Teathers to my D7000 and D7100 with no problem. I can run a basic office program or pdf reader if need be which i don't but the option is there. I have a program for clients signing releases directly on my tablet but then I do weddings and portraits. I can back up and view my raw files with ease. I have not tried editing on it beyond basic color or white balance. I prefer the control I have using light room on my desktop. Most if not all tablets should fit your portability needs my Tf101 fits right in my Tenba bag dock and all.   Price ranges and options are up to you happy Tablet hunting.


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## JClishe (Aug 2, 2013)

gryphonslair99 said:


> If you are looking at full blown editing, word powerpoint etc. then you can stop your research. None of them will fit you needs.



Not true, Surface RT does.


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## JClishe (Aug 2, 2013)

Surface RT is the *only* device on the market that fits every requirement you mentioned, particularly the Office requirements since it has fully functional versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote. And Outlook is included in the 8.1 update which is currently available as a preview and Microsoft has indicated will ship in final form later this month.

I have both a Surface RT and iPad 3, and my Surface gets more use, by far. The Surface is the only device I travel with; if I'm leaving the house I'll grab the Surface over the iPad everytime, especially if I'm traveling for days at a time. I have the Logitech Ultrathin keyboard cover for my iPad which brings the iPad roughly to the equivalent capabilities of the Surface, but the Surface with its Type keyboard is still noticeably thinner and lighter than the iPad with the Logitech keyboard. And plus when you don't want to use the keyboard, the Surface keyboard just flips back 180 degrees but the Logitech keyboard doesn't, you have to take it off. Obviously there are other iPad keyboards available but my point is, as a fully functionaly ready-to-go, all in one device, the Surface is hard to beat. And then plus you have all the Office apps and the integrated trackpad in the keyboard so you can get "real" work done. My wife also has a Surface RT and she loves it for her school work. The Surface RT and iPad get about the same battery life. If anything the Surface might be slighty longer but it's close enough to just call it a tie.

The free Microsoft Office Web Apps are pretty good, however, and I've used them for editing Office docs when I'm on my iPad. But of course you still need an Internet connection for that.


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## table1349 (Aug 2, 2013)

While the RT is a good tablet, if you check Microsoft's website Office RT is not a full version of their Office software and I have not found a true editing program for any tablet format that deals with anything more than corrections and cutesy add ons.  None that support layers, scripts etc.  If someone truly wants to be able to use full versions of Office and do true editing I would still suggest one of the air weight laptops, be it a Mac air or any of the air weight Microsoft laptops for they do have the power to run full office and programs like CS6 etc.


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## JClishe (Aug 3, 2013)

gryphonslair99 said:


> While the RT is a good tablet, if you check Microsoft's website Office RT is not a full version of their Office software and I have not found a true editing program for any tablet format that deals with anything more than corrections and cutesy add ons.



Ive had my Surface RT since it launched in October, so 9 months now, and have used it for a crap load of Office doc creating, editing, spreadsheets, presentations, etc. Ive yet to find a single difference, either visually or functionally, between Office 2013 on my Surface RT and Office 2013 on my laptop. 

Are you saying that the pivot tables I've created in Excel and have connected to our SQL databases at work using PowerView to create BI dashboards from my Surface isn't true editing and is just cutesy add ons?

Please help the OP and provide specific, real world examples of what he won't be able to do in Office on RT. Because as I've said, I've got 9 months with it under my belt and I'm a heavy Office user, and I've not noticed a single difference.


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## table1349 (Aug 3, 2013)

Directly from Microsoft

Across multiple applications
Macros, Add-Ins, Forms, and Custom Programs (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook)
In other versions of Office you or a software developer can use tools such as Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) to write and run macros and other custom programs in Office. VBA is not available for the applications in Office 2013 RT.
To use macros, add-ins, forms with custom code, or other custom programs in Office documents, you need a version of Office other than Office 2013 RT on a computer or tablet not powered by Windows RT. Other versions of Office cannot be installed on Windows RT devices. For example, Office Home & Student 2013 and Office Professional 2013 support these features but cannot be installed on Windows RT devices.
If you already use macros, add-ins, InfoPath forms with custom programs, or other custom programs in your PC or Mac version of Office, you will not be able to use them in Office 2013 RT.
SkyDrive Sync Integration (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)
Office 2013 RT does not support automatic synchronization between personal SkyDrive documents and your local disk. Instead, you can access SkyDrive through the Office Backstage view and use the Open or Save commands to open or save your documents.
Equation Editor 3.0 (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)
Office 2013 RT does not support editing equations written with Equation Editor, which was used in older versions of Office. You&#8217;ll still be able to view equations written with Equation Editor, but you cannot edit them. An improved feature to make it easier to write and edit equations was introduced in Office 2007 and is included in Office 2013 RT. You can find it in the Insert toolbar under Symbols.
Lync File Download
Microsoft Lync is not included on Windows RT devices. As a result the &#8220;Allow Lync File Download&#8221; command is disabled, files/attachments from Lync meetings cannot be downloaded into OneNote, and Outlook does not include Lync integration. To use the Lync File Download feature, you need Office 365 Small Business Premium, a version of Office that includes the Lync application on a PC, or tablet that is not powered by Windows RT. Other versions of Office cannot be installed on Windows RT devices.
Manageability through Group Policy
Support for the Group Policy Object (GPO) is not included on Windows RT devices. To use Group Policy, you need a version of Office other than Office 2013 RT on a PC or a tablet that is not powered by Windows RT. Other versions of Office cannot be installed on Windows RT devices.
Word only
Grammar checking for certain language versions of Office
The grammar checking /style checking feature in Word 2013 RT is available for the following languages only: English, French, German, Spanish, Arabic, Danish, Italian, Norwegian Bokmal, Portuguese &#8211; Brazilian, Russian, Japanese, Chinese &#8211; Simplified, Chinese &#8211;Traditional and Korean. Spell checking and other proofing components are available for more languages.
Grammar / style checkers for some of these languages were not ready in time for the preview edition, but have been included in the final edition of Word 2013 RT.
Excel only
Data Models
Excel 2013 RT does not support creating a Data Model. You can create traditional PivotTables, QueryTables and Pivot Charts. To create a Data Model, use a version of Office other than Office 2013 RT on a PC or tablet that is not powered by Windows RT. Other versions of Office cannot be installed on Windows RT devices. For example, Office Home & Student 2013 and Office Professional 2013 support this feature but cannot be installed on Windows RT devices.
PowerPoint only
Slide Library ActiveX Control
PowerPoint 2013 RT does not support the SharePoint Slide Library toolbar for slide library related actions (insert/upload/etc.) Instead, you can use the Slide Reuse pane, which you can find at Home Tab -> New Slide -> Reuse Slides.
Legacy Media Formats in PowerPoint
PowerPoint 2013 RT does not support certain legacy media formats. These older formats will not play, transcode, compress, or be included when exporting a presentation to video. It is likely that other applications on Windows RT devices will be unable to support these legacy media formats.
Instead of using legacy media formats, you should use modern media formats such as H.264 and Advanced Audio Coding (AAC), which PowerPoint 2013 RT supports. You can convert to modern media formats through the Optimize for Compatibility feature found in the Backstage view of PowerPoint 2010 or non-RT versions of PowerPoint 2013.
PowerPoint Flash Video Playback
In PowerPoint 2013 RT you will not be able to insert or play back videos from online sites that use video designed for the Adobe Flash Player.
Recording Narrations
You will not be able to use the Record Narrations feature in PowerPoint 2013 RT.
OneNote only
Audio and video recording
Recording audio/video notes from inside OneNote 2013 RT is not supported. Instead, you can record audio or video with other software, then insert it through Insert &#8594; File to add onto the OneNote page.
Import through scanner
Importing a printed document or picture into OneNote 2013 RT through an attached scanner is not supported. Instead, you can scan images through another program (for example, the default scanning app in Windows RT or another scanning app you download from the Windows Store), then import the images into OneNote.
Audio & video search
Searching for words appearing in an embedded audio or video file is not supported in OneNote 2013 RT.
Outlook only (only available if Windows 8.1 RT Preview is installed on your device)
Site mailboxes
SharePoint integration with Exchange using site mailboxes is not supported with Outlook 2013 RT. To use site mailboxes, you need a version of Office other than Office 2013 RT on a PC or a tablet that is not powered by Windows RT.
Archiving, Compliance, and Data Loss Prevention (DLP)
Outlook 2013 RT includes most of the same features found in the version of Outlook 2013 included with Office Home & Business 2013, Office Standard 2013, and Office Professional 2013. It does not include the premium set of features found in the version of Outlook 2013 included with Office Professional Plus 2013, such as In-Place Archive, retention policies, DLP Policy Tips, and sending Information Rights Management (IRM) protected email.
Windows Media Player Integration
Voicemail preview and name pronunciation assistance is not supported with Outlook 2013 RT. To use these features, you need a version of Office other than Office 2013 RT on a PC or a tablet that is not powered by Windows RT.


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## JClishe (Aug 3, 2013)

I'm not sure if there's anything in that list that I've ever used in any version of Office. But you're right, perhaps Office RT isn't 'full featured'. Based on that list it looks like it's missing maybe 3 or 4% of Office's features. 

As I've said earlier, I've spent a ton of time creating and editing docs in Office RT, including some massive spreadsheets with connections to external data sources, and have never bumped into a single thing that I couldn't do with it. Claiming that this version is only good for corrections and cutesy add ons is a pretty massive stretch.


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## MarkKapoor (Aug 3, 2013)

Microsoft Surface is best in present era...


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## table1349 (Aug 3, 2013)

Jason, I have done the same thing with my iPad both with various office needs and photo retouching.  I do find it to be a draw back not to be able to use macros but I have a laptop and a desktop that I use for creation of numerous word documents, spread sheets and powerpoint presentations, but truth be told you are still limited by the platform be it iOS or Windows RT.  A tablet just is not designed at least at this point in time to be a replacement for a normal pc, be it a laptop or a desktop.  Yes there are those that can make it work, but then I remember a time when we didn't have personal computers either and we got a long just fine.  

For the OP if the limitations of a table will suit you needs then go with a tablet.  If not, I would look at an air weight laptop running either Windows or OSX.  What ever you prefer.


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## aguerra.1993 (Aug 3, 2013)

Thank you everyone! I will be purchasing a Surface RT very soon.


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## photoslater (Mar 25, 2015)

I have a Surface RT and I've been very pleased with it for the past 18 months or so. I've been using it for Microsoft Sharepoint through 1&1 without an issues. They offer a great service. My images look fantastic on it and are always available.


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