lfckickass
Member
Hi guys,
I had a Gemini tablet delivered 10 days ago and seeing as there are no reviews about it I thought I'd take this opportunity to share my opinions.
Firstly, I needed a tablet/laptop hybrid for work purposes: I have a desktop replacement laptop (Vortex) which is 2 years old and an amazing laptop however is slightly on the large/bulky/heavy side - especially the power pack. I do a lot of travel with work so need something I can put in my work satchel and not in it's own separate carry case (less baggage and weight issues with flights). I looked at other tablets on the market and decided to go with a Windows OS system - especially as I use Office a heck of a lot. In the end my choice was between the Gemini and a Microsoft Surface Pro 2. Ultimately it came down to money - I wanted a system with at least 8 GB RAM and at least a 250 GB hard drive and the Surface Pro 2 equivilent starts at around £1150 by the time you purchase a keyboard. That to me isn't good value for money as by the time I up-specced the Gemini it came to £800 odd and that includes the keyboard. Bearing in mind the Gemini is used as a supplement to the Vortex, not as it's replacement, I just couldnt justify spending £500-odd more on the brand name.
So, what of the tablet itself? Well, I blooming love it! Does exactly what I need.
One of the problems I find when purchasing from PCS is that you cannot see the item before purchasing it - and so obviously have no idea as to weight and more importantly its aesthetics. I think it looks great! I've sat in meetings with it and everyone, even those with apple gadgets, comment on how good it looks. It is light although not as light as an iPad but then it wouldn't be as the Gemini is more powerful and has more technology crammed in. It is light enough to lie in bed with and read books from the Kindle app without my arms hurting.
I went with the i5 3337U processor, and even though it isn't as powerful as the i7 3480QM I have in my Vortex, it is still very good and very responsive. I went with 8 GB RAM which is more than adequate for what I need, and the 256 GB Plextor SSD (only because the 250GB Intel was out of stock and I needed the tablet rapidly so couldn't wait for it to be back in stock). 256GB isn't huge but is large enough for me to have all my documents on it as well as music and photos.
The screen has a very high resolution and images are bright and crisp. The touch screen facility is pretty good - not "excellent" as I cannot use a blunt pen as a stylus which means I cannot annotate files as if I were annotating a printed document with a pen - this isn't a huge issue though and I can live with it as annotations can be typed using Adobe Reader.
Windows 8.1 is very easy to use, and doesn't need a huge amount of reeducation if you are used to previous Windows OS.
I use SyncToy to sync files and folders between my Gemini and Vortex so I always have a backed up and up to date copy of all documents.
As a system to supplement my Vortex it's fantastic and highly recommend it to anyone. The only downsides with it are the keyboard (the LED's for caps, scroll and number lock are so feint they are very hard to see) and the thing at the back which helps keep the Gemini upright (sorry I cannot remember it's name) is study, however as it is a thin thing down the middle the Gemini cannot be used on my lap.
This is an amazing piece of kit for it's price and to be honest if it had a slightly larger capacity SSD and a more powerful processor I don't think I would ever use my Vortex again.
I give this 9/10 and strongly encourage you to buy it if you are looking for a Microsoft based tablet (and before you ask - NO I DO NOT WORK FOR PCS!)
If anyone wants any more info please do post back and I'll be sure to reply.
Vips
I had a Gemini tablet delivered 10 days ago and seeing as there are no reviews about it I thought I'd take this opportunity to share my opinions.
Firstly, I needed a tablet/laptop hybrid for work purposes: I have a desktop replacement laptop (Vortex) which is 2 years old and an amazing laptop however is slightly on the large/bulky/heavy side - especially the power pack. I do a lot of travel with work so need something I can put in my work satchel and not in it's own separate carry case (less baggage and weight issues with flights). I looked at other tablets on the market and decided to go with a Windows OS system - especially as I use Office a heck of a lot. In the end my choice was between the Gemini and a Microsoft Surface Pro 2. Ultimately it came down to money - I wanted a system with at least 8 GB RAM and at least a 250 GB hard drive and the Surface Pro 2 equivilent starts at around £1150 by the time you purchase a keyboard. That to me isn't good value for money as by the time I up-specced the Gemini it came to £800 odd and that includes the keyboard. Bearing in mind the Gemini is used as a supplement to the Vortex, not as it's replacement, I just couldnt justify spending £500-odd more on the brand name.
So, what of the tablet itself? Well, I blooming love it! Does exactly what I need.
One of the problems I find when purchasing from PCS is that you cannot see the item before purchasing it - and so obviously have no idea as to weight and more importantly its aesthetics. I think it looks great! I've sat in meetings with it and everyone, even those with apple gadgets, comment on how good it looks. It is light although not as light as an iPad but then it wouldn't be as the Gemini is more powerful and has more technology crammed in. It is light enough to lie in bed with and read books from the Kindle app without my arms hurting.
I went with the i5 3337U processor, and even though it isn't as powerful as the i7 3480QM I have in my Vortex, it is still very good and very responsive. I went with 8 GB RAM which is more than adequate for what I need, and the 256 GB Plextor SSD (only because the 250GB Intel was out of stock and I needed the tablet rapidly so couldn't wait for it to be back in stock). 256GB isn't huge but is large enough for me to have all my documents on it as well as music and photos.
The screen has a very high resolution and images are bright and crisp. The touch screen facility is pretty good - not "excellent" as I cannot use a blunt pen as a stylus which means I cannot annotate files as if I were annotating a printed document with a pen - this isn't a huge issue though and I can live with it as annotations can be typed using Adobe Reader.
Windows 8.1 is very easy to use, and doesn't need a huge amount of reeducation if you are used to previous Windows OS.
I use SyncToy to sync files and folders between my Gemini and Vortex so I always have a backed up and up to date copy of all documents.
As a system to supplement my Vortex it's fantastic and highly recommend it to anyone. The only downsides with it are the keyboard (the LED's for caps, scroll and number lock are so feint they are very hard to see) and the thing at the back which helps keep the Gemini upright (sorry I cannot remember it's name) is study, however as it is a thin thing down the middle the Gemini cannot be used on my lap.
This is an amazing piece of kit for it's price and to be honest if it had a slightly larger capacity SSD and a more powerful processor I don't think I would ever use my Vortex again.
I give this 9/10 and strongly encourage you to buy it if you are looking for a Microsoft based tablet (and before you ask - NO I DO NOT WORK FOR PCS!)
If anyone wants any more info please do post back and I'll be sure to reply.
Vips
you got any pictures?
