Hello, we are wanting to purchase a reliable, rugged tablet/laptop for our team. We will be using it for VEX V5 block coding and everything else pertaining to Robotics. Would you consider this model? Or would you suggest something different? We are looking for a good quality computer. Thank you!
In my personal opinion, I would suggest using maybe something like a Windows, Mac, or Linux laptop. I feel like these are good options because you can work CAD and programming very well on these devices.
Thank you for your feedback!
You’re welcome! I wish the team good luck!
I agree with andromeda that a laptop of some sorts would be better, but if you are able to find a table for a cheaper price that can run V5 and Cad as well has have a bluetooth keyboard and mouse that just might be better.
I would discourage a platform that tethers you to a communication provider … I would rather have a platform that did not rely on outside communication to be successful at an event.
We strive to provide access to outside communication at our venue, but there is a reality that do not have good connectivity to cell carriers in our venue and there are so many simultaneous wifi connections we can support in a limited area.
My recommendation is to test your platform to make sure you can use it in a dungeon!
If you are an HS team, you will outgrow blocks programming after the first year.
So, I agree with @andromedagalactic4, that you are better off getting a laptop for programming, CAD, and doing notebooking. And, in my opinion, the most important thing for the team laptop is good battery life.
When you are at the competition, there are never any outlets near the open practice fields in the middle of the school gym. And you don’t want to find yourself with after hours of hard work, and your laptop dying on you, when you are just one little program change away from fixing your autonomous or programming skill run. Especially, if this would make the difference between qualifying you to the next level or missing that last opportunity to do it and going home all devastated and in despair.
Thank you @Illyana and @Engineerd for backing up my response! You both have very good points for the laptop.
I agree with this. It’s frustrating if you’re battery dies during competitions (luckily it’s never happened to me but I can only imagine how frustrating it would be. So maybe bring a charger just in case).
I agree with this.
If the team likes using a mouse, then do consider using a laptop that has these features. I personally am not a big fan of using a mouse but just in case, it is definitely a good idea to have a laptop that you can hook up a mouse onto.
I know in my earlier post I mentioned using either a Windows, Mac, or Linux laptop. The reason I mentioned these devices is because I was taking into consideration some of the Autodesk CAD features like Fusion 360 and Inventor. I know that those are only available on certain devices (I have a Windows laptop and I was able to download Fusion 360 and Inventor on this.
I was also taking into consideration VEXcode Pro V5, which I don’t use yet because I am a complete beginner at C++ programming (I’ve always block coded before and this is my first year that I’m teaching myself) so I use VEXcode V5 because it shows the programming commands and I am much more used to this programming software, but I might decide to switch later on. I know you can work GitHub well on those devices, so yeah I definitely would recommend using one of those devices.
I want to thank everyone for your input in helping me with my decision on what kind of laptop to go with. I decided on a Dell Inspiron 15 3000 Laptop, 12th Gen Intel i7-1255U, 64GB RAM, 2TB SSD, Windows 11 Pro, 15.6" FHD Touch Screen, SD Card Reader.
You are very welcome! Wishing the team good luck!