I'm into ultra light touring. This time, I only brought 25 lbs of gear with me, 2-3 lbs of which I shipped back. I'm already thinking about the next tour, and instead of hauling around my notebook (asus zenbook 3 lbs), I'm thinking about instead taking with me something less valuable and more portable, because this is my main computer. I've already got a smartphone, which I really just use as a camera. It's also good for GPS, when there's wifi, but it's not ideal for more practical purposes

I'm on the fence between a microsoft rt surface and a netbook like asus x201 eebook or a asus transformer. The RT surface is about a pound lighter, can be more easily used to read things like books and newspaper, has great battery life, and comes with pad keyboard and a usb port. A netbook has everything, but is just less portable, and I've already got a laptop, so it makes less sense to get another laptop just for touring, when I can get a tablet and get its benefits too.

Aside from the usual map browsing, weather checking, internet surfing, I would like to use this device to update my online journal, which I expect both to do pretty well, because the RT surface keyboard looks pretty reliable. Also, I would like to use the USB port to upload routes from ridewithgps onto my garmin edge 500 (no bluetooth). This is the big question mark for me at the moment.

I've thought about nexus 7, which is a really popular tablet. But not being able to type very well and not having a usb port is a deal breaker.

I'm wondering if anyone here has experienced one or both of these devices, or has suggestions for others.

You might consider one of the larger smartphones like maybe one of the Galaxy Note models. They are almost like small tablets and are probably adequate for the purposes you listed.

If typing is important to you, the availability of a keyboard that works for you is probably the critical factor if you get a tablet. I think you should find out if there is a keyboard available for an Android based tablet that meets your needs. If not, that answered the question. If you find a good keyboard, then the question becomes what type of tablet would you like to plug into it.

I do very little typing, not an issue to me. I am quite happy with a cheap 7 inch android based tablet. There are several manufacturers in China that make these, specifications vary every few months as they make upgrades to the design. I have three, the oldest is 3 years old and I have retired it for being too slow. The newest one I got new for about $60 on ebay but it does not have a GPS chip. It is great for checking e-mail, news, weather forecasts when I have wifi but with no GPS chip that somewhat limits it's use as a smartphone replacement.

Some 7 inch Android based tablets have a USB port that has some functionality. But is is very hard to figure out which ones have it and which do not. I can use a regular USB mouse in two of my three tablets and I can plug in a memory card from a camera (with a USB adapter) to transfer files with two of my tablets, but not the third. Unfortunately this is hard to figure out when researching them before you buy.

You said your smartphone has a GPS but only when you have wifi. I find that odd. I have some android based smartphones that work with off line GPS apps just fine. The two apps I use are soveiet military maps ($11) and MAPS.ME (free, formerly Maps With Me). Both of these apps allow you to download maps on wifi for use off line later when you do not have wifi. There are many other mapping GPS programs, do a few searches on this forum and you will find recommendations for several other GPS mapping apps.

I've bike toured with and without a tablet (but always with an iPhone) and I think the extra weight is worth it. You can find my thoughts on the subject in this blog post here. If you're new to tablets, I'd advise you to approach the Surface family with careful study. First, I have a lot of experience with both Windows 8/8.1 Pro and iOS and I much prefer iOS. I don't have experience with Windows 8 RT and I would probably like that better since one of my main complaints with Windows 8.x is the constant switching between modern UI and desktop apps; it's just horrible. Second, Surfaces are big and bulky; they feel archaic compared to much of what is on the market.

You should look at the iPad or iPad Mini if you've not already purchased a tablet. If you're set on the Windows OS, I recommend checking out the Dell Venue line. I've got a Dell Venue 11 at work for demonstrating mobile software and my wife has a Venue 8. One thing you don't see in the photos is the rubberized casing, it really feels solid. The Venue 8 fits well into one hand in landscape mode and it has very satisfying feel to me. It looks like the Surface RT is 1.5lbs. The iPad Mini 3 is .75lbs and the Dell Venue 8 is .9lbs (and $179).

I agree with steaphj1 that a phablet could be an option as well. I just don't have any experience with those.

Get an external keyboard for your smartphone.

BTW, the one thing in your description of what you plan to do that might be iffy with a big (5" screen) smartphone could be the typing. I find it adequate in part because it usually suggests the word that I want by the time I have typed a couple characters. That said, if you don't find it adequate, a blue tooth or usb keyboard might be an option. There are full sized ones, little thumb keyboards, and just about everything in between.

Edit: It looks like MichaelW beat me to that one

Nexus 7 does have a USB port. But battery drain (same issue with bluetooth)

My wife and I use a small netbook if we take a computer on a tour. For short tours we don't usually bother; our phones are good enough. For longer tours or if we are working on a project the netbook with full sized capabilities allows us to back up photos, use photoshop, and get work done while on the road. Besides, my wife carries it

However, I think carrying that much computing horse power and weight is contrary to the spirit of ultra light touring.

Nexus 7 DOES have a USB port, it is a micro USB that is used for charging also. To use it to connect a mouse/keyboard/USB Flash Drive etc.... all you need is what's called an OTG cable. ($2.44 w/free shipping Amazon). OTG stands for on the go, the reason is MicroUSB has 5 connectors instead of the usual 4. The 5th allows the tablet to know when something plugged into it *requires* power , instead of the tablet expecting to receive power from a charging source.

I regularly use this method to attach a mouse to my Nexus7 and then use a bluetooth keyboard with it. Voila ! mini desktop.Also lets me carry unlimited map sections on flash memory and can charge something else in an emergency by charging from the Nexus.

EDIT: This port can also be used as an HDMI out using a Micro USB to HDMI cable allowing screen sharing to any HDMI Monitor/TV.

You might want to consider a 11.6" Chromebook. Several of them weigh about the same or less than a tablet. Keyboard and you can connect your Garmin to the USB port.

I use my iPhone for all these things + photography, emailing, and book reading. iPhone in waterproof encasement, charging cords, and extra battery is only 1 pound. Carrying an extra 2-3 pounds of power hungry, fragile, electronics that only duplicates what I can already do is unnecessary IMO.

ok so the nexus 7 does have a keyboard sold separately, which can actually also act as a cover for the tablet. I'm not too familiar with the android OS, iOS or Windows 8. Will they all let you plug in devices via usb, and import/export stuff?

I've thought about it, and I don't really want to read things on my smartphone. screen is really small. next time I go to best buy, I'll be sure to check out some of the tablets, just to get a better feel for it.

What are you likely to use the tablet/netbook for? Are there areas with good mobile Internet coverage where you are going? Are you able to keep it charged?

I've been considering this myself if I go touring.

I could bring the machine I'm using now which is a 2008-model Apple MacBook… however the battery is half clapped out now and it weighs 2kg.
The laptop at work (Panasonic Toughbook) is even heavier, however one bonus is it will run from 12V so I can charge it using the solar panel I have.

I'd mainly want it as a means of downloading photos off whatever cameras I have, and maybe for typing up the odd email. The latter favours a keyboard, the former requirement favours having a local disk since 3G quotas are expensive here in Australia.

I have an old Lemote Yeeloong netbook I bought at university, the battery in it is dead too, but I have a 12V step-up adaptor that should work with it, and it'd be sufficient for the above tasks (500GB HDD and SDHC slot). I bought that unit because at the time I was doing a lot of voluntary work supporting a MIPS port of Gentoo Linux, and that machine is one of the only portable machines readily available that ran a MIPS-clone CPU. Limits the application choice a bit, but I'm savvy enough to make it work for me. For any browsing I'll probably use my phone.

you bring a solar panel with you when touring? nice job! Do you put it over your panniers and charge as you ride? that's a pretty ingenious idea actually.

anyway, I will mostly be doing editing on my journal, uploading photos, uploading strava data, typing, planning next day's route, exporting map onto garmin device. I may also work on job applications - need to do that these days - but doubtful . The reason why I would prefer a tablet is because I've owned a laptop and a netbook before, and the netbook never gets used, unless I travel. OTOH, I may find use of a tablet, like reading things. But yes, I typically try to get wifi where I'm going.

I think I may get a asus transformer. you can find one for relatively cheap off of refurb. the nexus 7 is pretty much a blown up android, and along with other tablets, while being more portable, lack functionality you get with a normal computer. To me, it's a weight vs functionality, with convenience falling somewhere in between, depending on the person. tablets are lightweight, but need support on functionality. netbooks/2-in-1 have all you need, but can be 1-2 lbs heavier. for what I want to do, I'll take the transformer, which I feel is best of both worlds.

Well, I haven't tried doing any touring yet, but I have a 40W panel that I bought some time back. Probably a bit big and heavy to carry on the bike, but I'm thinking it'd make a nice top cover for a trailer.

In good sunlight it'll put out ~18V 3A, so punches well above its weight in that regard.

You can get some convertible laptops that try to give you both options, but they're expensive. I've seen the Transformer tablets and they're a nice option, the base actually embeds an additional battery so you get extra power that way.

One bonus over the Microsoft Surface: a Transformer will stay upright without support like a typical laptop/netbook, the Surface requires a kickstand at the back to prop the screen up. I haven't used a Surface myself, but having had an old Pentium 4 laptop develop busted screen hinges, I can assure you using a laptop with this "flaw" is a pain in the neck.

The other worrying thing about the Surface RT in particular is what the roadmap for Windows RT is… Microsoft are making noises about taking that out the back and shooting it, given these devices cannot run anything else (unless someone manages to crack the firmware), that basically converts them to paperweight status. (Think about what they did to the Windows Phone 7 users.)

Some of the Chromebooks are a good option as they bundle a decent screen and keyboard with a lightweight frame. Some of them are actually Intel-based machines, and with a bit of research, can be made to run a general purpose Linux distribution (e.g. Ubuntu) which would give you LibreOffice for word processing and The Gimp for photo editing. Running a general Linux distribution also means you can install VirtualBox and run Windows inside that for those few applications that really do need it. This will require some research though, and depending on your computing skill level, may or may not suit.

That said, the cost of even Windows-based tablets is coming way down these days. Often these are also Intel Atom-based systems and run the standard x86 build of Windows so would run a lot more than the Surface RT or an Android tablet. The only catches there being the keyboard and USB, one will require a suitable cover and the other will need an adaptor.

The good news is that these days they're all fairly cheap so you're not going to sink a lot of cash if you buy something to give it a try.

You need to ask before you buy to find out if the USB port is fully functional. Note also the comment in post 9 above by Bicycle365 about the adapter or cable.

Another vote for the Nexus 7, because, as pointed out above, it does have the capabilities (export, keyboard, etc.) that you thought it might not, and because of excellent battery life, light weight, etc.

I use a Surface 1 (not RT) with 8.1 in a dock as my desktop and use it for portability as well. One of the main reasons I purchased it was because of the handwriting recongnition, which is excellent. I do a lot of writing and simply find handwriting to be better for me than the keyboard when I am trying to be creative. As for the apps, I don't use them. I just stay on the pc side. There is no comparison between an Ipad and the (non RT) surface. The former is a toy for comsumption, the latter is a pc for production. But I would not take the surface on a tour. It's still too heavy and the battery does not last long enough.

I also have a Nexus 7 Wifi. I use it for manuscripts and notes in place of paper when I am presenting something. The bettery life is excellent, about 10 hours, it's very light weight, you can use any bluetooth keyboard (or usb, but why when bluetooth is an option?) and there are enough apps to give it excellent funcionality (I use WPS Office--free--for creating and reading ms docs, etc., and OSMand mapping software, as you can download entire states--and even countries--for navigation. All you need to run is the map and GPS and you have the same functionality you would have if you were wirelessly connected). When you are someplace that has a wifi hoptspot you just connect, pull out your keyboard (so many options there's no point listing them) and read/write emails or update your blog. I actually bought the Nexus in part instead of getting a Garmin, as I didn't feel the need to spend 2 or 3 as much for a much smaller screen with generally the same information (except for calorie counting and all the stuff I don't need). I should also add that I have no interest in staring at a screen while I'm riding to see whether I'm going 13.6 or 14.2 mph.

Get something you are comfortable with and get a degree of cost effectiveness. IMHO, a traditional keyboard is nice!

Several years ago while touring Australia I had a Lenovo x100e. It was nice and light (1.5 kg) and had a nice keyboard. The great thing is that with a dongle (usb) I could access the telecon with the best coverage (Telstra). Unfortunately a year later it was stolen.

Taken up by the tablet "marketing machine" (but having negative iPad experiences at work) I bought an Android with a USB port thinking I could use the Telstra dongle. No way would Telstra support Android machines.

With these experiences in mind I recently purchased a used Lenovo X100e Mini 10. Nice keyboard. and it can use the dongle (and wifi if available). At 3.3 lbs it is a suitable compromise for my next unsupported bike trip in Australia. If there is mobile coverage, then the dongle connects me to the internet. At $113 for the used machine (2 gb ram and 160 gb HD), it has everything I will need and.... time will tell

I had been using Thinkpads since the late '90s. Bombproof machines. But then IBM switched to Lenovo (this is not intended as a "that cheap made in China crap" rant). I've had two Lenovo made Thinkpads, both ended up having issues. I then went with a Thinkpad Tablet 2 for a few years. Aaaarrrgggh. I won't but Lenovo again. Assus does make a Nexus 7 with mobile functionality, but IMO it's overpriced (both the machine and the service). Honestly, unless I'm getting paid to write something that's time sensitive I can't imagine why I would need LTE/3G on a tour.

the removable keyboard/tablet is the hot new thing .. Surface .. etc.

I got a Nexus 7 wifi tablet last year. I like the size, I can hold it in one hand. I find tablets tedious for web browsing, compared to keyboard+mouse computers. The Nexus is great for reading e-books, (and probably for videos, but I don't use it for that). The osmand app, with it's offline downloaded maps, is fast and useful. If you have any interest in astronomy, the skeye app is cool, just hold it up to the sky, and it shows the stars, planets and constellations in that direction.

A samsung note pro 12.2 would be ideal. No need for an external keyboard as the big screen allow to type very well using a virtual keyboard. It's good enough for occasional typing. It allows to write very well using handwriting as well. Andropen office is a true equivalent to the office suite (it even has an excel solver equivalent) but wps is quite good for simpler use.
Battery life is quite good. With my current use (few hours a day in low light condition) battery last a week. It has a phone so need to bring a smartphone. The main downside is that it is quite sluggish when not rooted. Microsoft surface pro 3 is a true laptop equivalent though battery life is too short in my opinion. Like for the samsung note pro i find the microsoft surface pro 3 to be one generation away from being a perfect laptop replacement

I've picked up a Samsung Galaxy Tab S - 8.4 inch screen. Weighs in at just under a pound, and I've got a bluetooth keyboard for it. It has a mini-usb port AND a built-in SD card port, so I can plug the SD card straight into it and upload new routes onto my GPS.

I have yet to take it out into the field, but its the only thing I will be bringing with me on my tour. I've used it a bunch at home, and the battery life is pretty remarkable. You can even change the battery settings for full conservation mode (turns the screen B+W) if you're worried about not being able to charge it somewhere for a few days/week.

yep forgot about that.
The mini usb port allows to plug the tablet to devices that have usb ports like a laptop using the adapter that comes with the tablet in order to transfer files from one to the other. The mini usb port also allows to plug an usb drive to the tablet using an adapter as long as the usb drive is in exfat format (was supposed to be impossible to transfer files from the tablet to external drives on recent android versions thanks to google security features but it works just fine)

If you like keyboards, typing, and having some screen real estate...