Is the Note Pro 12.2 for Me?

Agrajag27 · May 6, 2014

I'm in the market for a tablet (or possibly a Chromebook). I'm an editor of a website and need to be able to use it to work on my Wordpress site effectively so strong browser support and keyboard input is crucial.

I like the idea of an Android tablet as I own a Galaxy S4 and have a large collection of Android apps already. Thus, it would also start out with a nice collection of apps.

I'm a bit unclear as to the differences between the Tab Pro 12.2 and the Note Pro 12.2. They seem very alike except for the stylus. Clearly I'm missing something as that's not much to account for the price difference.

I have an iPad 2 and it's nice but I can't really work on it at all. It's too small to enjoy movies on and, sorry, it's Apple so it's too limited.

I'm also wondering about keyboards. If I got this way, should I get the Samsung keyboard, Logitech keyboard or some other keyboard? I'd like to find a very responsive keyboard. It would be an additional boon if it were also pretty quiet. My GF gets disturbed by late night typing on my desktop gaming keyboard.

I'm older so larger is better for my eyes. I'm at a point where I often pretty much need reading glasses for my S4 now.

For ages I was thinking I wanted a Transformer of some design but Asus seems to have fallen behind. Samsung seems to give me lots of potential breathing room.

Any input greatly appreciated. Thanks.

zaptoons · May 6, 2014

I'm pretty sure the Note Pro and Tab Pro are identical except for the S-Pen and wacom digitizer that powers it. Absolutely if you don't need pen input for notes or drawing then get the Tab.

You can use just about any Bluetooth keyboard with the Pro 12.2. I've had no trouble with several Logitech and Microsoft BT keyboards. I haven't used any of the made-for Note 12.2 keyboards.

My personal fave keyboard is the Logitech K810. It feels excellent for typing, has backlit keys and can instantly switch between 3 different devices.Its very quiet too- keys feel really nice.

Honestly though, if you really want the best laptop style experience, personally I'd opt for a decent lightweight x86 laptop vs a tablet. I'm not crazy about chromebooks though. I'd personally take the Note 12.2 over a chromebook any day, but that's just me.

Agrajag27 · May 6, 2014

Thanks. I keep thinking about a laptop but wonder about battery life, weight and the lack of instant-on, etc. I have my desktop always on so x86 isn't a problem. I saw the Tab Pro 12.2 at Best Buy today (they didn't have the Note Pro 12.2) and the size was fine.

However, on your keyboard issue. My concern is that I would like it to be connected so that it can act as a solid laptop replacement. It sounds like you use yours, say, around the house? Not sure how comfortable I'd be transporting two devices like that.

muzzy996 · May 6, 2014

Years ago I'd loathe the thought of converting to Mac but I gotta tell ya, the retina macbook pros are pretty sweet in regards to battery life and instant on . . .

Agree with Zaptoons. Mobile platforms are always a compromise. I have to wonder if you'll be able to do the Wordpress work on Android, though I do see that there are apps for it.

Agrajag27 · May 6, 2014

muzzy996 said:
Years ago I'd loathe the thought of converting to Mac but I gotta tell ya, the retina macbook pros are pretty sweet in regards to battery life and instant on . . .

Agree with Zaptoons. Mobile platforms are always a compromise. I have to wonder if you'll be able to do the Wordpress work on Android, though I do see that there are apps for it.

On the Mac, that might be a bit out of the price range for this purchase. I also really despise Apple on too many fronts. I recommend them highly and readily -- just not for me so far, but I will continue to refresh the thinking.

On Wordpress work, it really comes down to the capability of the browser. As long as it supports a solid browser experience, I should be okay. I hit Best Buy today to see if the 12.2 would be "too big" and it wasn't. I loaded the browser and it seemed to be solid. I just wasn't comfortable logging into Wordpress though. No idea about stored accounts, etc.

muzzy996 · May 7, 2014

I hear you on the mac.

Definition of solid performance is subjective, you realize that right?

Let's put it this way; unless there's a tablet specific application to do what you need to on wordpress then nothing other than screen size is going to differ between the Note Pro and your s4. The browsers are going to be about the same.

Sent from my SM-P900 using Tapatalk

flippingout · May 7, 2014

Leading up to the launch of the Note Pro 12.2 I was eager to get one. Then I stopped by Best Buy and, on a whim, picked up the Acer C720P Chromebook. For a third the cost it doesn't have as big, high resolution or bright of a screen as the Note Pro but it has served me well for everything I need in a mobile device. I even stopped using my Note 10.1 OG. Notice I said mobile device. The Acer has typically given me a solid 7 hours of batter life which is amazing.

Having said that...if you are worried about needing reading glasses and want more screen real estate, the Note Pro might be your path. Though, with a higher resolution type is smaller at normal zoom. You can simply zoom in for bigger text.

If WordPress is your thing, the Chromebook will handle that with no issues. It is a browser afterall.

I'm still contemplating the Note Pro but it is not at the top of my wish list since I purchased the Chromebook. At first it was weird to get used to but it is second nature now and the added offline support for most of the Google apps has sealed the deal for me.

Just my two cents.

Agrajag27 · May 7, 2014

Again, great info from all. My thoughts:

1. I haven't had good luck with Android Wordpress apps. To me, they're all a kludge. However, that doesn't mean you can't be productive with Wordpress on Android. The limitation on my S4 is real estate. The browser seems to work fine but I can't be effective with the size of the screen or the keyboard. I suspect a larger screen would work. In part I was hoping I'd get lucky and find another Wordpress user who happened to have luck (or no luck) on this device or a similar one.

2. I have a bit of a klunky Chromebook. A while back I installed Chrome on a eePC -- an entry level Asus T100 or something like that. It's a horrible piece of HARDWARE. I have zero issues with the OS itself and it feels very natural to me. However, I have this haunting feeling that Chrome itself is becoming a dinosaur. As Android continues to prosper, it's dwarfing Chrome to such a point that, I suspect, Android will evolve into being an OS we can use on any device. Maybe I'm missing something entirely about its potential, but that's my thinking. There isn't much going on in the development world for it compared to Android where there's exponentially more options.

Right now, having seen it, I'm concerned about ease of keyboard use (physical). Given the top-heavy design of the tablet having most of the weight, using it on my lap looks pretty impossible. The right keyboard seems an issue too. Samsung's has those raised edges that, I suspect my wrists will want to sit on (ouch). Logitech's keyboard sounds great except for the fact that most of the reviews of it contain horror stories of the Note Pro falling out of its clasps. The other options are all poorly reviewed.

Asus has the combo Android/Windows device but its not all that impressive. Heck, I'd rather it was an Android/Chrome device. hehe

Agrajag27 · May 7, 2014

It also appears as if the hybrid options from Asus are cancelled due to pressure from both Google and Microsoft. hehe Neither their Duet or Trio looked all that impressive (lousy battery life, Android 4.2, low resolution, average screens).

Girl527 · Jun 22, 2014

Update please

Agrajag27 said:
I'm in the market for a tablet (or possibly a Chromebook). I'm an editor of a website and need to be able to use it to work on my Wordpress site effectively so strong browser support and keyboard input is crucial.

I like the idea of an Android tablet as I own a Galaxy S4 and have a large collection of Android apps already. Thus, it would also start out with a nice collection of apps.

I'm a bit unclear as to the differences between the Tab Pro 12.2 and the Note Pro 12.2. They seem very alike except for the stylus. Clearly I'm missing something as that's not much to account for the price difference.

I have an iPad 2 and it's nice but I can't really work on it at all. It's too small to enjoy movies on and, sorry, it's Apple so it's too limited.

I'm also wondering about keyboards. If I got this way, should I get the Samsung keyboard, Logitech keyboard or some other keyboard? I'd like to find a very responsive keyboard. It would be an additional boon if it were also pretty quiet. My GF gets disturbed by late night typing on my desktop gaming keyboard.

I'm older so larger is better for my eyes. I'm at a point where I often pretty much need reading glasses for my S4 now.

For ages I was thinking I wanted a Transformer of some design but Asus seems to have fallen behind. Samsung seems to give me lots of potential breathing room.

Any input greatly appreciated.
Which way did u decide to go? I'd love to know your thoughts!

nesx87 · Jun 23, 2014

The only difference is the stylus really. If you plan to be taking this to meetings or digitize any part of your handwriting, then the NOTE pro is the device to get, as the TAB pro has no stylus and thus does not specialize itself in taking handwritten notes. I got the wifi version, im satisfied, although probably the LTE snapdragon version may be slightly snappier. If samsung decides to offer some decent customer support in terms of software then overall this will be a good buy. Other than thati find battery life great. I havent used keyboards yet, however if you plan to be using this at a desk u will find the extra screen size v v useful vs the 10 inches. If u plan to be holding it in bed a lot, it could get some time to get used to,but i did. Multi window is v useful in making the experience more windows like and enhances productivity. Browser support is good but not quite the pc levels yet.

You could not investigate surface pro 3 vs this one.

Sent from my Nexus 5 using XDA Free mobile app

ddavtian · Jun 23, 2014

nesx87 said:
The only difference is the stylus really. If you plan to be taking this to meetings or digitize any part of your handwriting, then the pro is the device to get.

They both are called Pro. You meant to say Note Pro if using S pen for note taking. I think there is also difference in RAM, Note Pro has 3Gb, Tab Pro has 2.

nesx87 · Jun 23, 2014

ddavtian said:
They both are called Pro. You meant to say Note Pro if using S pen for note taking. I think there is also difference in RAM, Note Pro has 3Gb, Tab Pro has 2.

Edited and clarified. Thanks

Sent from my Nexus 5 using XDA Free mobile app

Agrajag27 · Jun 23, 2014

Girl527 said:
I'm also wondering about keyboards. If I got this way, should I get the Samsung keyboard, Logitech keyboard or some other keyboard? I'd like to find a very responsive keyboard. It would be an additional boon if it were also pretty quiet. My GF gets disturbed by late night typing on my desktop gaming keyboard.

I went with the Note Pro 12.2. I'm very glad I did. Here are same random observations:

1. It's not quite as "polished" as an iPad but it is more flexible in use. I'll take that any day.

2. The size is excellent. Very good for watching a film at the airport, etc.

3. Google seems to be the worst thing about the device. Limitations I find all lead to them at the end. For example, Chrome (the browser) is a cheap imitation of its cousins on PC and Chromebooks. It doesn't do spell checking well, it has odd bugs like opening tabs by using the keyboard. Hit CTRL-T and you'll have to sometimes do it twice to get a new tab and then you get two. Google also doesn't give devs a way to re-assign mouse buttons should you use a bluetooth mouse for a bit of laptop-replacement work. That gets a bit strange as the right mouse button doesn't bring up options (like you get when you hold a screen link or item on the touchscreen) but instead acts like the back button on the device. Doh.

4. The keyboards are all a mixed bag. The Zagg is okay but has annoying raised corners than your hands sit on when typing and its also a bit cheap feeling and not very responsive. The Samsung keyboard isn't really a case. It's more like a snap-on cover that's entirely unconnected when used as a keyboard It just lets the tablet sit at an angle in it which makes it tough to use in bed, for example. It also has the same terrible raised corners. The Logitech is the best of the lot. Quiet, well laid-out and robust. However, it too has its own had-banging issues. You can't reassign its macro keys so if you use a different mail app, tough. Hitting the Mail button will bring up Gmail. The Browser button has an annoying bug that forces you to ALWAYS select which browser you'd like to use no matter how many times you "set the default browser". It also lacks the keyboard app Logitech provides for ALL their other similar keyboards including one made for the Tab 10.1. Go figure. Their own support reps don't even understand this.

Regardless, I'm an old quality assurance professional so I can be very opinionated and a perfectionist so this is a very short list of gripes from me. I still wouldn't own anything else given what I've tried and seen. Very happy customer so far. Having access to all my Android apps is great. I just wish Google would look at Android as a complete OS and stop limiting it to just a hand-held-type OS. Give it a FULL version of Chrome. In fact, just dump the fairly useless Chromium OS and put your efforts into this.

Girl527 · Jun 23, 2014

Great info!

Agrajag27 said:
I went with the Note Pro 12.2. I'm very glad I did. Here are same random observations:

1. It's not quite as "polished" as an iPad but it is more flexible in use. I'll take that any day.

2. The size is excellent. Very good for watching a film at the airport, etc.

3. Google seems to be the worst thing about the device. Limitation I find all find them at the end. For example, Chrome (the browser) is a cheap imitation of its cousins on nearly the PC and Chrome books. It doesn't do spell checking well, it has odd bugs like opening tabs by using the keyboard. Hit CTRL-T and you'll have to sometimes do it twice to get a new tab and then you get two. Google also doesn't give devs a way to re-assign mouse buttons should you use a bluetooth mouse for a bit of laptop-replacement work. That gets a bit strange as the right mouse button doesn't bring up options (like you get when you hold a screen link or item on the touchscreen) but instead acts like the back button on the device. Doh.

4. The keyboards are all a mixed bag. The Zagg is okay but has annoying raised corners than your hands sit on when typing and its also a bit cheap feeling and not very responsive. The Samsung keyboard isn't really a case. It's more like a snap-on cover that's entirely unconnected when used as a keyboard It just lets the tablet sit at an angle in it which makes it tough to use in bed, for example. It also has the same terrible raised corners. The Logitech is the best of the lot. Quiet, well laid-out and robust. However, it too has its own had-banging issues. You can't reassign its macro keys so if you use a different mail app, tough. Hitting the Mail button will bring up Gmail. The Browser button has an annoying bug that forces you to ALWAYS select which browser you'd like to use no matter how many times you "set the default browser". It also lacks the keyboard app Logitech provides for ALL their other similar keyboards including one made for the Tab 10.1. Go figure. Their own support reps don't even understand this.

Regardless, I'm an old quality assurance professional so I can be very opinionated and a perfectionist so this is a very short list of gripes from me. I still wouldn't own anything else given what I've tried and see. Very happy customer so far. Having access to all my Android apps is great. I just wish Google would look at Android as a complete OS and stop limiting it to just a hand-held-type OS. Give it a FULL version of Chrome. In fact, just dump the fairly useless Chromium OS and put your efforts into this.

Awesome information! Thanks for taking the time to share your impressions. I'm having a difficult time pulling the trigger on this purchase (why??) and your opinion helps a bunch! Thanks again!

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Is the Note Pro 12.2 for Me?

Agrajag27

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zaptoons

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Agrajag27

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muzzy996

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Agrajag27

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muzzy996

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flippingout

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Agrajag27

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Agrajag27

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Girl527

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nesx87

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ddavtian

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nesx87

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Agrajag27

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Girl527

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