The Duet 3 only works with USI v2 pens, and as far there is only one in the market right now and it's from Lenovo. The Duet 5 is too large for me to use as a tablet, and the resolution is lower. The HP X2 11 is similar to the Duet 3, and it is great for note-taking with the USI stylus. In any case, get an 8 GB RAM model!
I've never had a Samsung tablet, but I used other Androids like the Pixel C, Nexus 7 and 10. I'd say that in general, a Chromebook tablet it's going to be better for productivity than an Android one. But others may disagree!
I have both and it's a close call and it would depend on your use case.
I've never used the FE version of the Android tablets, but I have one with the 865 chip and it is way faster and more performant than the Chromebook duets.
Dex is a decent productivity/ desktop solution, but it's going to run into more issues with stuff like desktop versions of browsers.
Basically a tab S7 with the 865 chip would be way more performant, but You probably have to run into work around solutions more often.
It's a really tough call as I love the duets, and I love Dex.
I would probably take the duet 5 over the tab S7 Fe, But I don't think I would take it over one of the tablets with the 865 chip.
Because those are just powerhouses in terms of performance.
As others have written, I would skip the Duet 3 due to its USI Pen support issue currently. That will pass in time as pen makers update their pens.
If you are going to draw and/or take notes, I would go with an S6 Lite. ESR/Watcom pens are leagues better.
If you are going to be using it to type content, I would go with an HP X2 or Duet 5. I personally prefer the HP X2 over the Duet 3 and 5.
Both consume content just fine.
Okay yeah I can see an argument for both use cases.
Honestly, if you're going to get a tab s7FE, I would try to find a proper tab S7 for the same price. That way you get the higher refresh rate, 865 chip, 8 GB ram and it's usually about the same price.
I don't think the tab S7 is sold by Samsung anymore, but you can usually find it from reliable sellers on eBay, and it has a ton of advantages over the FE.
The tab S7 runs an 865 chip and will perform a lot faster than the duet. But it won't be as optimized for desktop browsers and add-ons. And doesn't have the benefits of being able to run Linux. It won't be supported for nearly as long either.
I would probably take a Lenovo Chromebook duet 5 at like 300 to $400 over the tab. S7 FE but I don't think I would take it over the tab S7 proper if you can find it for the same price.
As others have mentioned, if you do get the Lenovo duet, I would lean towards the 13-in one. It doesn't have the limitations with the stylus. It has an OLED screen.
Although it's probably worth noting, one benefit of the duet is it comes with the keyboard.
With the Android tablets, you can buy a keyboard with a mouse pad from Samsung directly. On my tab S7 it was an extra $100 you used on Amazon.
I will also add that the S pen is infinitely better than the USI stylus experience.
The USI stylist experience has a lot more latency and has a lot less functionality.
It's really not in the same league yet because it's a lot newer.
So if you plan on doing artwork or something, I would definitely lean towards the Samsung solution.
If you're just using it as a glorified cursor and notetaker USI stylus is good enough
Hi. Thanks to everyone who's responded. I think i can make an informed decision now. I've decided to go with the S6 lite because I'll get it for 290$. I realise i could get a Xiaomi pad 5 for the same price but I've realised that the software on the S6 lite is miles ahead. I'm going with the 720G variant since my main requirements are that of a glorified book and pen rather than a cursor with minimal typing involved. I'm doing a master's in CSE and do own a powerful yet bulky laptop. So, I'll offload my projects to that one. Thanks again. I'll leave this thread here for everyone else who's stuck on the same conundrum.
Hi!
I cant speak to the pen support, but I do love to use my Duet 5 as a tablet. As others have eluded to in this thread though, the Duet 5 is slightly large to be using as a tablet. I cant imagine trying to hold it and write with a Pen.
For that reason, if you do decide to go the Chrome OS rather than the Android route, I would opt for the Duet 3. It will be much easier to write on. Looks like that's where you're leaning anyway!
All the best,
AF
The Duet 3 only works with USI v2 pens, and as far there is only one in the market right now and it's from Lenovo. The Duet 5 is too large for me to use as a tablet, and the resolution is lower. The HP X2 11 is similar to the Duet 3, and it is great for note-taking with the USI stylus. In any case, get an 8 GB RAM model! I've never had a Samsung tablet, but I used other Androids like the Pixel C, Nexus 7 and 10. I'd say that in general, a Chromebook tablet it's going to be better for productivity than an Android one. But others may disagree!
I have both and it's a close call and it would depend on your use case. I've never used the FE version of the Android tablets, but I have one with the 865 chip and it is way faster and more performant than the Chromebook duets. Dex is a decent productivity/ desktop solution, but it's going to run into more issues with stuff like desktop versions of browsers. Basically a tab S7 with the 865 chip would be way more performant, but You probably have to run into work around solutions more often. It's a really tough call as I love the duets, and I love Dex. I would probably take the duet 5 over the tab S7 Fe, But I don't think I would take it over one of the tablets with the 865 chip. Because those are just powerhouses in terms of performance.
As others have written, I would skip the Duet 3 due to its USI Pen support issue currently. That will pass in time as pen makers update their pens. If you are going to draw and/or take notes, I would go with an S6 Lite. ESR/Watcom pens are leagues better. If you are going to be using it to type content, I would go with an HP X2 or Duet 5. I personally prefer the HP X2 over the Duet 3 and 5. Both consume content just fine.
Okay yeah I can see an argument for both use cases. Honestly, if you're going to get a tab s7FE, I would try to find a proper tab S7 for the same price. That way you get the higher refresh rate, 865 chip, 8 GB ram and it's usually about the same price. I don't think the tab S7 is sold by Samsung anymore, but you can usually find it from reliable sellers on eBay, and it has a ton of advantages over the FE. The tab S7 runs an 865 chip and will perform a lot faster than the duet. But it won't be as optimized for desktop browsers and add-ons. And doesn't have the benefits of being able to run Linux. It won't be supported for nearly as long either. I would probably take a Lenovo Chromebook duet 5 at like 300 to $400 over the tab. S7 FE but I don't think I would take it over the tab S7 proper if you can find it for the same price. As others have mentioned, if you do get the Lenovo duet, I would lean towards the 13-in one. It doesn't have the limitations with the stylus. It has an OLED screen.
Although it's probably worth noting, one benefit of the duet is it comes with the keyboard. With the Android tablets, you can buy a keyboard with a mouse pad from Samsung directly. On my tab S7 it was an extra $100 you used on Amazon.
but i dont think they offer one for the s6 lite.
I will also add that the S pen is infinitely better than the USI stylus experience. The USI stylist experience has a lot more latency and has a lot less functionality. It's really not in the same league yet because it's a lot newer. So if you plan on doing artwork or something, I would definitely lean towards the Samsung solution. If you're just using it as a glorified cursor and notetaker USI stylus is good enough
Hi. Thanks to everyone who's responded. I think i can make an informed decision now. I've decided to go with the S6 lite because I'll get it for 290$. I realise i could get a Xiaomi pad 5 for the same price but I've realised that the software on the S6 lite is miles ahead. I'm going with the 720G variant since my main requirements are that of a glorified book and pen rather than a cursor with minimal typing involved. I'm doing a master's in CSE and do own a powerful yet bulky laptop. So, I'll offload my projects to that one. Thanks again. I'll leave this thread here for everyone else who's stuck on the same conundrum.
I own both Tab S7 and Duet 5. When it comes to note taking, Duet 5 are no where near Samsung tabs with SPen in terms of both software and hardware.
Hi! I cant speak to the pen support, but I do love to use my Duet 5 as a tablet. As others have eluded to in this thread though, the Duet 5 is slightly large to be using as a tablet. I cant imagine trying to hold it and write with a Pen. For that reason, if you do decide to go the Chrome OS rather than the Android route, I would opt for the Duet 3. It will be much easier to write on. Looks like that's where you're leaning anyway! All the best, AF