If you are a developer than tablet is just a toy or testing device. Ultrabook is real stuff. You can run SQL server, VS 2012, Eclipse, You can even test Android touch apps on Ultrabook. So if you are really looking for a value for your money, Ultrabook.

Ultrabook is best because of the features that they provide
1)faster Cpu speed(i7 Processor)
2)faster HDD(SSD HDD)
3)Rapid Start
4)Smart Connect
5)Sensor Hub
6)Five input touch support
7)Usage of software is awesome because of Ultrabooks fastness and above all its lightweight
8)It's Developers ultimate toy.

For sure Ultrabook... You have the power of notebook (Word, Excel) + the power of a tablet.

Hi Richard,

I guess you like to see your name up in lights ;o)

What do you use currently for development? That will help you decide because it depends what you want to use the device for.

I think you will be lucky to find anyone with either an used Ultrabook or Windows RT slate for sale at the moment as they are so new.

Ultrabooks with touch running Windows 8 are really neat; slates look very interesting but personally I would like to see a Windows 8 pro device; and convertibles need to mature as the ones I have seen are a little heavy for my liking.

If you want to use a device for development then it would either be a desktop or an Ultrabook. If you want a device to surf the net, play games and check email then get a Windows RT slate. If you want to surf, play, mail and occasionally do a little development then I would look for a Windows 8 slate.

Just my opinion of course.

David

Watch out for the new Clovertrail / Haswell tablets, but yes, Ultrabook is the ultimate hardware ;)

Richard, I have one Ultrabook and one iPad. In fact iPad is excellent but after I got the Ultrabook I've just retired iPad.

In fact they are a little bit different but I prefer Ultrabook. Of course it depends of the way that you work. If you need Excel, Word... I suggest you Ultrabook. If you only need a browser, perhaps a tablet is better... a tablet is easier to carry and use.

But if you are a developer... forget the tablet and buy an ultrabook.

hi,

the ultrabook is more superior, for your characteristics in processor.

Like the others here I'd suggest an ultrabook over a tablet if you are looking for a software development platform.

A tablet is more geared towards consumption and manipulation than content creation, at least for content that is heavily type-centric. Entering small amounts of data on a tablet is tolerable, but the amount of typing reqiured for programming is pretty significant and in particular you have to use a lot of keys that are inconvenient on a 3- or 4-row virtual keyboard. It's very tedious to be constantly swapping between numbers, letters, and symbols. While you could add a stand, a bluetooth keyboard & mouse, etc. to a tablet to allow you to more easily enter and work with text, what you are essentially doing at that point is replicating a laptop or desktop form factor.

Some of the convertables that are hitting the market now, particularly those with detatchable keyboards, will let you live in both worlds with a tightly integrated package.

I agree.

FYI I've been using a CloverTrail Tablet for 6 weeks and find it amazing. See my blog post http://software.intel.com/en-us/blogs/2012/12/13/intel-tablets-the-best-.... It can run all my software and the weight and battery life makes it a super convenient device. So having an Ultrabook and a CloverTrail Tablet both running a full version of Windows 8, I'd say it comes down to how you work. Note both devices can be used in Laptop and Tablet modes (Tablets have snap-in keyboard docks, Ultrabooks have flip over or detachable screens), however weight, battery and performance become the difference. If you are fairly mobile and you tend to want to work wherever and whenever, be it the family room couch or at a conference / event, the CloverTrail Tablet is hard to beat because you can hold it with one hand and use a precise stylus to control Desktop mode apps, and it will last all day without recharging. If you need performance for video editing, Photoshop and other CPU intenstive apps, then a convertible Ultrabook can't be beat. For full time professional developers I'd have think the Ultrabook.

Nice Blog. Are you developing software in what language? C# with WPF?

Is anybody doing this?

Hi Bob,

I've been playing with Cedarview Atoms and I'm impressed with the performance running Windows Embedded Standard 7 - not so keen on LINUX as there is poor (read as no) support for the GPU at the moment. I note the Z2760 is a 32bit device I guess because the 64bit implementation of the Cedarview isn't full 64bit as far as windows is concerned. Shame the RAM is limited to 2GB but I assume new devices to come.

David

@Bob:Amazing Collection and great Info..........thanks.I would like to know more about the CloverTrail architecture.

David if Atom on Win7 is is even a fair experience I think you might have some joy in your future with Atom on Win8. My experience using the Samsung ATIV SmartPC tablet running Clover Trail is that I can run most any software better on Win8 desktop than on Win7 as long as I'm not running much in the background. Actually the average experience is often better than what I experience on my Core i5 Win7 Ultrabook. Google Hangout for example, I prefer on Atom running Win8 than my Corei5 Zenbook running Win7. My view of this is Win8, even on the desktop side is highly optimized for x86, which is why running Atom feels more like Core. The limitation of the tablet compared to my Ultrabook running Win8 is RAM and extended activities of CPU and 64bit apps. For 95% of productive work this is easily managed by closing apps when you are doing some serious work, something I gladly do to have a device I can use while standing and holding with one hand. So I'm saying, Atom on Win8 is not like Atom on Win7 and more comparable to a Core experience on Win7. It is a step above experience and you will be hard pressed to say this is a light weight. Take this as my personal experience rathing than Intel messaging, but I am hearing similar things from others. Check out UMPCportal.com, run by the same guy who runs Ultrabooknews.com. He has a similar take-away, that Atom running Win8 is IMPRESSIVE.

However all of this does not mean its holds a candle to Ultrabook. When I'm 3D rendering, coding in Unity, and doing batch photo editing, I NEED a Core CPU on my Ultrabook. Performance is important when I need it. And then with Haswell things get really interesting... :-)

Hi Abhishek,

This should be a link to Cedarview/Cloverview (there always seems to be some confusion over names) processors the Cloverview processor is the processor used in Samsung ATIV 500 http://ark.intel.com/compare/65470,58916,58917,70105.

Hope it helps,

David

Atom Z2760 - codenamed Cloverview; Clover Trail platform
i.e. Clover Trail is the "platform" name for Cloverview
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atom_(system_on_chip)

Hi Bob,

Very interesting. With processing power so available (thanks Intel) we are now at the point that no normal user will ever see the CPU as a bottleneck - not like in the old days of last century ;o) Sure you can limit performance with only 2GB RAM but for the Slate platform this is way more than enough but as you said don't expect to use it for 3D rendering.

Horses for courses as we say in the UK and the Clover Trail platform is more than capable to meet the Slate demands. The Atom is certainly not the same beast as the old Atoms used in the Netbooks!

Thanks for the Trail/View explanation. I've downloaded the datasheet to do a more detailed comparison.

David

Good to see this discussion. FYI we will be supporting more Tablet / Atom content on IDZ, We see it a good compliment to the Ultrabook Windows 8 content. Let us know what you'd like to see

Hi Bob,

Great. I'd be really interested if you have any further information - PM me if you have you can share.

And Happy New Year!

David

hi, 

Look this information!

http://www.informationweek.com/hardware/handheld/tablet-vs-ultrabook-10-...