Dual Boot Windows 8 and Android Jelly Bean

Samsung announce 3 weeks ago that they are coming out with 2 new Windows 8 tablets, Ativ Q and Ativ Tab 3. The Ativ Tab 3 is a little confusing since it will ony run Windows 8 and Samsung just released the Galaxy Tab 3 that is running the latest version of Android. The Ativ is even more confusing since it was announce with the Ativ Q which is a dual boot Windows 8 and Android Jelly Bean running flawlessly from what it apears with an Intel i5 Haswell processor. The Ativ Q has an attached keyboard/stand that can fold flat thinner than an ultra book. Since the Q and the Tab 3 were announced together, I assumed at first that the Tab 3 was a dual boot tablet also, but it is not.

I wanted to get more information about these new devices so I went to Best Buy to talk to the Samsung representatives. It was disappointing that they did not know what I was talking about. When you step back and think about it, Apple representatives don't have a problem knowing their product line because they don't deviate very much. It is either a iPod, iPhone which is also an iPod, iPad which is a big iPod, or it is a Mac computer. They all run the same operating system. On the other hand, Samsung devices range from TVs to home appliance to phones to computers and tablets. I am sure the representatives for Samsung are happy when a device like the Galaxy S4 is released for all carriers so they don't have to learn 4 different phones for each cell phone company. I was able to show the reps the information that I had found and they were excited about it also and were able to point out some features that I was not aware of.

The Ativ Q is not the first dual boot tablet, but it shapes up to be the thinnest and most powerful one of them all. I loved the idea and thought that it would be worth waiting for. The biggest drawback for me was it will only have a front facing camera and not a back facing camera. The seond drawback was the high pricetag everything has that is associated with Microsoft Windows 8 and with an Intel processor. I would expect this device to cost over $1500 when released. I don't want to purchase something that expensive to carry around with me.

With that being said, I decided to purchase an open box Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 because I got it for a big discount at $359, it has a quad core processor with 2GB of RAM which is a huge improvement over my Motorola Xoom. I don't miss anything from Windows 8 and certainly won't miss Microsoft Office as it would need to be purchased with the Ativ Q but the Note comes with Polaris Office. I would not be surprised if Samsung will sell a newer version of the Samsung Note 10.1 by October, but I did not buy it on a contract with Verizon like I did with my Motorola Xoom so I can resell it and get a newer device if and when I want to.