I just posted the following request on the Donation Coder forum, but I'd welcome any suggestions from members on this forum as well.

I'm wondering if there are any Android or Windows alternatives for a tablet + external folio keyboard + note-taking app to what I'm currently considering (iPad Air + ZAGG Keys Folio):

http://www.donationcoder.com/forum/index.php?topic=36927.0

Doesn't meet all of your requirements but it uses the Apple wireless keyboard, which I love and sometimes use to take notes on my iPhone.

http://www.nimblstand.com/

Mark wrote:

Doesn't meet all of your requirements but it uses the Apple wireless
keyboard, which I love and sometimes use to take notes on my iPhone.

http://www.nimblstand.com/

Thanks, Mark, that is pretty cool! In fact originally I bought my Apple Wireless keyboard to work with my iPad 1, but I liked it so much that I ended up using it with my PC. However, because it's paired with my PC, it's a pain to unpair it and then repair it with the iPad every time, I stopped using it with the iPad. So I'd need to by a second Apple keyboard just for this.

I also note that they have a bit of a problem with the iPad Air, though they do offer a free fix:
http://www.nimblstand.com/collections/ordered-3-sku-colllection/products/ipad-air-sustainability-kit

My favorite setup is an iPad and Logitech keyboard (it lays flat over the iPad and forms an aluminum cover).

But I've also been using a Nexus 7 and and old bluetooth Think Outside fold-up keyboard (which I bought to work with the old Nokia tablet). Very small, highly portable. Software: Simplenote.

You might want to take a look at the Asus Transformer Book T100, a 10" tablet with keyboard combo which is available at astonishingly low prices in the US and UK. It's been reviewed very favourably, and I've played with one in John Lewis in the UK. It's got a cramped but very capable keyboard, a good screen and runs quite quickly (on Windows 8.1). I'm contemplating one myself, except I've just found the base model of the new Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 14 range for an equally amazingly low price, and I like the sound of it (it's a notebook, but "not as we know it, Jim..").

But the T100 looks extremely tempting, I must say. Apparently it's the third best-selling PC at the moment, after two of Google's Chromebooks (yes, really!). Oh, it also has a very impressive battery life, and the tablet bit only weighs about 560g, which is pretty light.

Cheers,
Bill

MadaboutDana wrote:

But the T100 looks extremely tempting, I must say. Apparently it's the
third best-selling PC at the moment, after two of Google's Chromebooks
(yes, really!). Oh, it also has a very impressive battery life, and the
tablet bit only weighs about 560g, which is pretty light.

Thanks, Bill. I was open towards Win8 tablets, but the more I read about them, the more it seems that they are not as user-friendly as Android or Apple tablets. Even the T100 has some worrying 2-star reviews on Amazon:
http://tinyurl.com/q48ery4

As for Chromebooks, I was sceptical initially, but the more I read about them the more interesting they seem. I think I'll wait for the next generation though, as on the software and OS side it's still not as mature as iOS.

For now I'm wavering between the forthcoming Nexus 10 (2) and iPad Air. The former will be hopefully cheaper (though, again, I wonder if Android has anything as sophisticated as Editorial on iOS), while with the latter I know what to expect, but at a hefty price...

As for the keyboard, Nimblestand with an Apple Wireless keyboard sound like the best set-up for fast typing (it would presumably work with either), though it doesn't offer any protection. Oh, well, it looks like one can't have it all...

Dr Andus wrote:

As for Chromebooks, I was sceptical initially, but the more I read about
them the more interesting they seem. I think I'll wait for the next
generation though, as on the software and OS side it's still not as
mature as iOS.

Well, the good thing with Chromebooks is that you can install Linux on them. And there's no question about that OS's maturity.

I must say that I'm very happy with my Samsung Note with a Speedlink Libera external keyboard http://www.speedlink.com/?p=2&cat=252&pid=25278&paus=1 (note that the stand is NOT part of the product), and running Draft synced via Dropbox https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.mvilla.draft

That said, for typing/editing texts, the above setup doesn't offer anything important as advantage over my Linux eeePC.

Interesting reviews, albeit from users with slightly odd expectations.

But you can't go wrong with an iPad! There are currently some great deals on old iPad Minis (non-retina) with 64GB storage and cellular support (£300 in the UK); but having played with a retina one, it's definitely on my list of seriously desirable goodies.

Nobody does user-friendly like Apple - especially with iOS. I like Android, but it really can't compete (pace Alexander!).

Although I'm just about to root my Nook HD and install CyanogenMod, so I'll let you know how that goes!

Worth checking out the new HP Chromebook 14, too, which has had some very good reviews (4GB, 2 x USB 3.0, 9.5 hours battery life, 14" screen - available now). In the UK, selling for a very reasonable £250. It's the battery life that's got me interested - something like a Chromebook really has to have a good battery life, otherwise what's the point?

I've just acquired a Huawei mifi from 3, too, for a very reasonable £19 per month for 15GB of data. It's very quick, and makes a real difference to my regular urban forays. That, plus a Chromebook... hm, I'm tempted...

I use a Google Nexus 7 (2013) and a Neptor folding bluetooth keyboard and I really like them. For Android notetaking I use either Jota+, a very capable and flexible plain text editor with lots of special key options you don't find in other Android editors, or Handrite Pro. In Handrite you can type notes on the screen or external keyboard, or you can hand write them in the designated screen area and they are put on the screen like typing in whatever size you like (as handwriting). With the Nexus (or other Android tablets, I assume) you can also download Stylus Beta (by Vision Objects) which is a very capable handwriting recognition app that works in any program in which you would otherwise use a keyboard. And I have really awful handwriting. Finally, for notetaking, my Nexus also has a voice-to-text function that works very well, especially if I want to take something down quickly and I'm not in a situation where I can easily use a keybaord (e.g., driving, though don't tell my wife!).

MadaboutDana wrote:

Worth checking out the new HP Chromebook 14, too, which has had some
very good reviews (4GB, 2 x USB 3.0, 9.5 hours battery life, 14" screen
- available now). In the UK, selling for a very reasonable £250.

Thanks! Very interesting... That's about half of what I'd spend on the iPad Air 32GB wifi + ZAGGKeys folio keyboard case...

Reviewers have been criticising the screen quality, but then what would you expect for that price... Also, apparently it's got a fan to cool the processor, so it's not perfectly silent, and one might have to be careful not to cover the vents. But otherwise it does sound like a serious option (other than the wacky colours it comes in).

Also, just read about the 12in Galaxy Note/TabPro coming out in a couple of months. Could be interesting in combination with this Logitech Pro keyboard case. But I wonder if there will be scaling issues with Android apps at that screen size:
http://reviews.cnet.com/tablets/logitech-pro/4505-3126_7-35833928.html

I've recently begun using the iPad Air with a Logitech Ultrathin keyboard cover. It's a pricey combination, but it seems to work well -- much better than iPad keyboards I've used in the past.

Just a week or two ago I discovered what I suppose everyone else knew years ago, that in certain iOS apps (including Evernote), you can produce some kinds of simple formatting with the command key (e.g. command-i turns on italics). I hadn't noticed this earlier because I come from the Windows world where the control key is used in such combinations.

Bill

RickFencer wrote:

With the Nexus (or other Android tablets, I assume) you can also download
Stylus Beta (by Vision Objects) which is a very capable handwriting
recognition app that works in any program in which you would otherwise
use a keyboard.

Many. thanks for this. lt is really great! (written in Stylus Beta.)

I am increasingly despondent about Android - which I like, actually - because of the number of apps demanding access to system-level functions like creating new accounts, phoning out to whoever, monitoring everything you do etc. etc. And in Samsung's case, enforcing user licensing agreements which appear to give them total access to all your data whenever they happen to feel like using it. Nobody appears to have picked up on this yet (possibly because the EULA is about 40 pages long), but it's depressing.

Android itself is fine, more or less (except I am building up a significant distrust of Google, based on a very wide variety of criteria). My anxieties, however, are the main reason for my serious consideration of CyanogenMod.

Of course what applies to Android almost certainly applies to Google Chrome...

MadaboutDana wrote:

Of course what applies to Android almost certainly applies to Google
Chrome...

You say that now, after you've sweet-talked me into buying a Chromebook?! ;)

BTW, the HP Chromebook 14 is nowhere to be found in the UK, at least at that price. I presume it's a supply chain problem or some clever marketing ploy to tease the customer...

Bah, they're all as bad as each other. And you can find it in the UK at... PC World (tara!):

http://www.pcworld.co.uk/gbuk/laptops-netbooks/laptops/chromebooks/hp-14-q005sa-wifi-chromebook-turquoise-21847986-pdt.html

Also, rather more expensively (£299) at Very:

http://www.very.co.uk/e/q/hp-chromebook-14.end?_requestid=195018

Oh, and from Tesco (£280), as in "every little helps (us to get richer)":

http://www.tesco.com/direct/hp-chromebook-14-q000sa-14-intel-celeron-4gb-16gb/315-8303.prd?icid=spiffy_chromebook_315-8303_chrome

Oh, and direct from HP as well, also at £280 (but that includes 3G+ support):

http://h20386.www2.hp.com/UKStore/Merch/Product.aspx?id=F1W28EA&opt=ABU&sel=PCNB

All references to stores from Google UK's own Chromebook page:

http://www.google.co.uk/intl/en_uk/chrome/devices/chromebooks.html#hp-cb-14

MadaboutDana wrote:

Bah, they're all as bad as each other. And you can find it in the UK
at... PC World (tara!):
http://www.pcworld.co.uk/gbuk/laptops-netbooks/laptops/chromebooks/hp-14-q005sa-wifi-chromebook-turquoise-21847986-pdt.html

Yes, but if you actually try to buy it, it tells you it's not available. I know it's available elsewhere for more, but even in those cases they make you wait. I'd really prefer it at that GBP249.99. Just received a special offer for a Nexus 10 in the GBP280 range, so that option kicks in at the higher price level...

MadaboutDana wrote:

Oh, and direct from HP as well, also at £280 (but that includes 3G+
support):
http://h20386.www2.hp.com/UKStore/Merch/Product.aspx?id=F1W28EA&opt=ABU&sel=PCNB

Well, ok,twist my arm. ;) The 2 year mobile access is kind of interesting, though I wonder how far the monthly 250MB takes you. But it might be worth 30 quid spread out over 2yrs in the end...

Btw, if anyone else is considering the HP Chromebook 14, there is an interesting discussion of it over here:
https://groups.google.com/forum/m/#!topic/chromebook-central/lDPm2aYos0U

Of course you could opt for something equally exciting: the Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 14 (available from PC World for just £400: http://www.pcworld.co.uk/gbuk/laptops-netbooks/laptops/laptops/lenovo-ideapad-flex-14-touchscreen-laptop-21728645-pdt.html

It's a 14" touchscreen notebook, with an interesting extra twist - you can turn the screen right back 270 degrees so you can use it as a TV or touchscreen display. Okay, so that's not necessarily a killer feature, but the price is already very good for a touchscreen notebook; the extra is icing on the cake. Good reviews, too, because it's very solidly built.

Having now used Windows 8.1 in anger for a while, I can thoroughly recommend it, especially in conjunction with my favourite 'Classic Shell/Classic Start Menu' utility (open-source Start menu replacement). It's fast, resource-efficient and... yeah, okay, actually quite fun.

A nice article on Chromebooks:
http://stratechery.com/2014/the-best-analogy-for-chromebooks-are-ipads/