Using Windows 10 as an iPad replacement

Using Windows 10 as an iPad replacement

Tablets are convenient, but their operating systems have significant limitations. So can a Win10 machine replace an Apple iPad — with no compromises?

Based on personal experience, I can give a qualified yes — and the qualifications are relatively small.

Sometime around the end of last year, I stopped using my iPad. It wasn’t really a conscious decision; it’s just that when I wanted to use something bigger than a smartphone but lighter than a PC, I found that I increasingly picked up a small, lightweight, Win10 laptop-tablet hybrid (laplet) I own. Over time, I discovered that I preferred the small Windows machine to the iPad in almost every way.

To be fair, my iPad is far from top of the line. It’s an old iPad 2 that doesn’t support Siri, and its power button is wearing out.

But my laplet isn’t exactly top of the line either; it’s an ASUS Transformer Book T100 (more info) I bought in 2013 — largely because it was cheap and had a touchscreen. With 2GB of RAM, 64GB of storage, and a 32-bit OS, it just might be the least powerful computer ever sold with Windows 8.

Looking for a do-everything personal computer

The ASUS T100 is effectively a Windows tablet with a detachable keyboard. It came originally with Win8.0; it was then upgraded to Version 8.1 and then to Windows 10.

Two years ago, as an experiment, I used the T100 in place of both my primary PC and my iPad, over a 30-day period. As I wrote in an April 2, 2014, Best Practices article, “I could live with a Windows 8 computer. But every time I used the laplet as a standalone tablet — in place of my iPad — I wanted the 30 days to be over.”

I had a worse experience this past August when I tried to do a similar 30-day experiment with the T100 and the then-new Windows 10. The title of my article sums it up: “Thirty-day Win10 experiment lasts only a week.”

Updates to Win10 and other programs over the next few months have solved almost all of T100’s problems, and I can easily work around the few that remain.

For example, unlike Microsoft’s Surface, the T100 doesn’t automatically go into Tablet mode when you remove the keyboard — or back to Desktop mode when you reattach it. Annoyingly, you have to change modes manually. (As you might expect, I generally prefer Tablet mode when the keyboard is off and Desktop when it’s on.)

Moreover, the T100’s sleep mode is not nearly as efficient as the iPad’s. If I let it sleep for 24 hours, I’ll need to recharge the battery.

Having full-time access to real Windows apps

As small, light, and underpowered as it is, the T100 is a real Windows computer. And that’s its biggest advantage over the iPad.

I don’t use a tablet purely for fun. Soon after I bought my iPad, I augmented it with a lightweight Bluetooth keyboard, so I could use it as an exceptionally easy-to-carry laptop.

But iOS productivity apps don’t come close to the common Windows versions. For work, I generally live in MS Word and OneNote. Yes, Microsoft offers Word and OneNote editions for iOS (and Android), but they’re far less capable than their Windows counterparts.

For instance, the iOS version of Word doesn’t support my personally-configured Quick Access Toolbar, my custom templates, and the macros I rely on. But my T100 supports the full suite of Word tools (see Figure 2).

Also, not all iOS productivity apps I use support Dropbox. With Windows, that’s not an issue; files stored in Dropbox — or OneDrive, Google Drive, iDrive, and so on — reside in common folders on the T100’s solid-state drive.

Assessing the essential apps for work and play

Along with work applications, I often used my iPad for personal reading, socializing, and other entertainments — usually without a keyboard or touchpad. And that generally means finding capable programs that work easily with screen touches.

Unfortunately, Windows’ touch-centric, Modern/Metro apps still don’t come close to what’s available for iOS or Android. Luckily, there’s usually a workaround.

Here are some apps I used regularly on my iPad — and how I’ve replaced them on the T100.

Twitter: The Win10 application offered on the Microsoft Store (page) works just fine — no complaints.

Facebook: You can download an edition from the MS Store (page), but I don’t care for it. The type is small and uncomfortable to read, and there’s no way to enlarge it. It also asks for your name and password almost every time you launch it.

I find it easier to access Facebook from within a standard browser (see Figure 3). It works like a charm, even without a keyboard or touchpad.

Gmail: Google hasn’t seen fit to write native Windows apps, and the third-party offerings I looked at are all disappointing. But in a browser, the default Gmail webpage isn’t touch friendly. So on the laplet, I use the Mobile Gmail site.

If you use Chrome, a similar workaround is to install the Mobile Browser Emulator add-in (Chrome web store). When you click the add-in icon, Chrome opens a new window with the mobile version of your current page.

Keepass: My favorite password manager is an old-fashioned, desktop-Windows program (see Figure 4). But its format isn’t really touchscreen friendly (though I work with it anyway).

Fortunately, Keepass is open-source; anyone with the right skills can create a Keepass-compatible app. A touch-friendly alternative to the program is PassKeep (Figure 5; MS Store page). With its white-on-black scheme, PassKeep is visually ugly. But folder and password icons are big and easy to tap.

On the other hand, it lacks Keepass’s Autotype feature, which allows you to insert a website’s sign-in and password together with a single click.

Book readers: I’m allergic to digital rights management (DRM); I tend to prefer ebooks in unprotected EPub files (see the Aug. 28, 2014, Digital Entertainment article for more on the subject). But during my failed 30-day experiment, I couldn’t find a single EPub reader app I could recommend.

Now I can. Bookviser Reader (MS Store page), the best of a bad lot back in August, now works fine — it no longer cuts off the bottom-right corner of every page.

While using my iPad, I broke my own rules and bought a few books from Apple and Google, which has a reader for iOS. Now I can’t access those from Apple; the company’s iBooks app isn’t available on anything that’s not Apple.

Google is a little better. It has an iOS app; it also has a Google Play Books, a Chrome add-on that works on Windows. But I found it slow and unreliable — especially when the Internet wasn’t available.

Exercise: I work out with a subscription-based, online service called Daily Burn. (Hey; it’s cheaper and less embarrassing than a gym membership.) There’s an app for my iPad, and there’s even an app for my Roku. But there’s no app for Windows.

My solution? As with Facebook, I just use the Daily Burn website.

Converging computing: At some point, the difference between a personal computer and a mobile device should be only about ergonomics. If you need a big monitor and a full-sized keyboard, you plug them in. Even with the underpowered Transformer Book T100, it looks like we’re getting there.

Recalled Office fix and another 'Get Win10'

Recently, we’ve had more trouble with optional nonsecurity updates, than with security fixes.

Microsoft pulled one troublesome patch, reissued the Get Windows 10 update — and I’ll recommend passing on some optional .NET updates.

3114717

Microsoft pulls a troublesome Office update

KB 3114717 was an Office update that included several fixes, improved language accuracy, and added more troubleshooting telemetry.

But according to the update’s description page, it’s no longer available because “it causes Microsoft Office 2013 apps such as Microsoft Word and Microsoft Outlook to slow down or freeze.”

The update page recommends uninstalling the update if you see these issues in Office 2013. Remove the patch by opening Windows Update and clicking the Installed Updates link at the bottom-left corner of the window. Next, in the Uninstall an update screen, enter KB3114717 into the search box; then right-click the patch to uninstall it.

There’s no replacement for the update at this time, but expect one sometime soon.

What to do: Check whether you have KB 3114717 install, and remove it if you do.

3035583

A zombie patch for upgrading to Win10

Microsoft released KB 3035583 this past Tuesday (Feb. 23). It appears to be a revised version of the infamous GWX Win10 nagware/update patch, which installs the Get Windows 10 applet on Win7 SP1 and Win8.l machines.

I’ve not seen any reports that the new patch is prompting users to upgrade to Win10, on systems with the GWX
Control Panel tool (site installed. But keep an eye out for Microsoft’s nag message, nevertheless.

I believe that there’s no compelling reason to upgrade to Win10, if you have a nicely working Win7 machine. On the other hand, Win8.1 users should upgrade after the next major Win10 build (Redstone) is released, assuming you haven’t done so already. (I’ll report on Redstone when more information is available.)

What to do: If you’re happy with you current Win7 setup, check whether KB 3035583 has been reoffered in Windows Update and block it.

MS16-018 (3134214)

Cleaning up a leftover security update

KB 3134214 was a February Patch Tuesday security update, designed to block a Windows kernel vulnerability. Rated important, the fix blocks possible elevation-of-privilege attacks by hackers who have direct access to systems.

The update also includes the following nonsecurity fixes, as noted on patch’s description page:

• “Fixes a deadlock in win32k.sys that can occur when multiple threads concurrently run GDI operations, where font fall back is necessary (for example, when you use a character that does not exist in the selected font).”
• “On rare occasions, WM_LBUTTONDBLCLK isn’t generated the first time user double-clicks the ActiveX controls.”
• “A rounding error in GDI that occurs on x64-based computers can result in one-pixel lines that do not render.”
• “Some applications have missing headers in SysListView32 controls, when they are accessed through Microsoft RemoteApp.”

What to do: I’ve not run across any reports of problems with this update on consumer machines. There are some issues I’m tracking related to interactions with Citrix Web Interface password changes, but this should not impact most WindowsSecrets readers. So, install KB 3134214 (MS16-018).

.NET 4.6.1 impacts business applications

Microsoft’s .NET Framework is a platform for Windows-software development. When the company pushes out new versions of .NET onto our systems, the updates can and do cause issues.

A case in point is .NET 4.6.1, which is impacting line-of-business software that looks specifically for previous versions of .NET. For example, the tax application Lacerte checks that .NET 4.5 is installed. When you add .NET 4.6.1, the tax software pops up an error message saying it needs .NET 4.5.

Fortunately, Lacerte users can ignore the error and continue working with the software. But they are posting questions in an Accountants Community forum.

Moreover, Microsoft recommends that server admins not install .NET 4.6.1 on Skype for Servers, as noted in a TechNet blog post. Nor should the patch be installed on MS Exchange servers, as noted in another Technet post.

Removing an errant version of .NET is not always trivial. On one of my impacted systems, I used the .NET cleanup tool (site) to remove .NET 4.6.1. But once it was gone, I still had to reinstall the needed .NET 4.5.

Fortunately, the Lacerte installer does the heavy lifting; it automatically installs the .NET it needs.

What to do: If you start getting unusual error messages after installing a new version of .NET, ask your software vendor whether it recommends removing the offending .NET version. And if you’ve not yet installed .NET 4.6.1, I recommend skipping it for now.

A security flaw in older EMET software

The US Computer Emergency Readiness Team posted a notification of a newly revealed vulnerability in Microsoft’s Enhanced Mitigation Experience Toolkit (EMET). The flaw is found in EMET releases prior to Version 5.5.

Reportedly, by exploiting this vulnerability, a remote attacker could bypass or disable EMET and take control of a targeted system.

I think there’s still some value to using EMET even on Win10 machines. Stay tuned for a more in-depth report on security enhancements in the new OS — and where its security could be better, especially for consumer editions.

What to do: If you’re running an older version of EMET, download and install Version 5.5 (site) as soon as possible. Another reason to upgrade to 5.5: It supports Windows 10.

A slew of optional updates for administrators

Microsoft used to release most of its nonsecurity updates on the fourth Tuesday of the month. Now, it often sends some out on Patch Tuesday and the third Tuesday.

This month the bulk of these optional updates are of interest to server administrators. But some might still show up on workstations.

• 3055343 – Windows Server 2012 and 2012 R2, stop-error codes and cluster-nodes failures
• 3063109 – Virtual-machine failures
• 3075566 – Windows MultiPoint Server 2012 rollup
• 3103699 – Win8.1 and Server 2012 R2, remote Assistance fails with mandatory profiles
• 3104431 – MultiPoint Server 2012, improved performance degradations in Mstscax.dll
• 3106637 – Windows Server 2012 R2, errors in LDAP query, domain-controller restarts, and user sign-in denied
• 3118401 – Windows, Universal C Runtime update
• 3121255 – Windows, “0x00000024” Stop error and VSS backup of failures
• 3121260 – Windows Server 2012 R2, “0x800706BE” error
• 3121261 – Windows Server 2012 R2, failure after LUN reset
• 3123242 – Windows, Reassociated WFP context issues
• 3123595 – Windows Server 2012 R2, “0x0000009E” stop error when cluster node crashes
• 3123913 – Windows Server 2012 R2, Remote Desktop Gateway server crashes
• 3125210 – Windows Server 2012 R2, Badpwdcount not reset on PDC
• 3126030 – Windows 8.1, incorrect Event Viewer sign in after AV software install
• 3126033 – Windows 8.1 and Windows Server 2012 R2, Remote Desktop error with Restricted Admin mode
• 3127060 – Windows Server 2012 R2, data-scrubbing jobs fail
• 3128650 – Windows Server 2012 R2, COM+ role-based security denial
• 3130896 – Windows 8.1 and Windows Server 2012 R2, system crashes with stop-error 0x00000139
• 3130902 – Windows Server 2012, stop-error 0x9E and failover-cluster failure
• 3130934 – Windows Server 2012 R2, NLB cluster communication failure
• 3130939 – Windows Server 2012 R2, nonpaged pool memory leaks in failover cluster
• 3133679 – Windows Server 2012, Windows Server Backup fails with multiple volumes
• 3133717 – Windows Server 2012 R2, error when DNS server uses wildcard CNAME and DNSSEC
• 3133924 – Windows Server 2012 R2, Code 10 Device Cannot Start” error for EHCI USB Controller
• 3134242 – Windows Server 2012 and Server 2012 R2, DNS server freezes, service restart fails
• 3134812 – Windows Server 2012 R2, FSRM GUI settings locked
• 3134813 – Windows Server 2012 R2, Windows Server Backup process freeze
• 3134815 – Windows 8.1 and Windows Server 2012 R2, CryptDuplicateKey save state failure

If the following message “Windows Security Center can’t stop Windows Defender” shows up in your event viewer, apply update KB 3126030.

What to do: Install each of these updates only if your systems are suffering from the described symptom.

Wrapping up February’s nonsecurity updates

February had relatively few new nonsecurity fixes for Windows. But those that were released have been reclassified from optional to recommended.

The only nonsecurity Win7 update I recommend installing is KB 3135445, which helps correct Windows Update scanning issues.

I’ve not seen any reports of issues with February’s nonsecurity Office updates.

Windows 7

• 2952664 – Upgrade-to-Windows 10 helper
• 2977759 – Adds Windows 7 RTM telemetry
• 3123862 – Upgrade-to-Windows 10 helper
• 3135445 – Windows Update Client enhancements

Windows 8/8.1

• 2976978 – Win10-upgrade compatibility checking
• 3123862 – Upgrade-to-Windows 10 helper (Win8.1)
• 3132080 – Sign-in freeze after password reset (Win8.1)
• 3135449 – Windows Update Client enhancements (Win8.1)

Office 2007/2010

• 2999508 – Office 2010 Filter Pack, sync failure with OneNote 2010 and 2016
• 3114410 – OneNote 2010, sync failure with OneNote 2016
• 3114568 – Project 2010, several fixes
• 3114743 – Outlook 2007, junk-mail filter
• 3114750 – Office 2010, add-ins, WebDAV server, and SharePoint issues
• 3114756 – Outlook 2010, NDR display errors, crashes
• 3114758 – Outlook 2010, junk-mail filter

Office 2013

• 3054819 – Office, crashes with Sampling analysis tool
• 3055006 – Office, hyperlink hashtag fix
• 3114509 – OneDrive for Business, synching error message
• 3114715 – Office, VBA, inking, memory crash fixes
• 3114716 – PowerPoint, keyboard-shortcut and video-export errors
• 3114717 – Office, adds telemetry plus other fixes
• 3114720 – Visio, formula errors on .vsdx save
• 3114727 – Office, Office add-in Registry-key corruption
• 3114729 – Office, various fixes
• 3114731 – Outlook junk-mail filter
• 3114732 – Skype for Business, rollup update
• 3114736 – Office, Excel, OneDrive, and startup issues
• 3114739 – Project, numerous fixes

Office 2016

• 2910954 – Project Pro, errors when editing calendars
• 2910955 – Office Language Interface Pack, language fixes
• 2910956 – Outlook, Thai-font issues
• 2910990 – Access, error linking to SharePoint lists
• 2920718 – Office, unknown
• 3114522 – Access; Access Web App crashes, SQL text errors, connection issues with SharePoint
• 3114693 – Visio, display and formula fixes
• 3114695 – Outlook junk-mail filter
• 3114696 – Skype for Business, sign-in, display, and other fixes
• 3114697 – PowerPoint, language and other fixes
• 3114699 – Office, API-requirement sets for developers
• 3114701 – Office, add-in fix
• 3114703 – Office, language fixes
• 3114706 – Office, various fixes
• 3114707 – Outlook, various fixes
• 3114711 – OneNote, highlighting ink too opaque
• 3114713 – OneDrive for Business, SharePoint, language, and synch problems
• 3114714 – Project, numerous fixes

Note: Office 2016 is moving to the Click-to-Run system; updates will be applied automatically

Other updates

• 3039714 – InfoPath 2013, broken message box
• 3114353 – InfoPath 2013, broken message box

For more information on February’s nonsecurity updates, including SharePoint Server fixes, see the related MS Support page.

What to do: Install any of the nonsecurity Office updates offered.

Regularly updated problem-patch chart

This table provides the status of recent Windows and Microsoft application security updates. Patches listed below as safe to install will typically be removed from the table about a month after they appear. Status changes are highlighted in bold.

For Microsoft’s list of recently released patches, go to the MS Security TechCenter page.

Patch	Released	Description	Status
3121212	01-12	Windows kernel	Install
3124000	01-12	Windows kernel-mode drivers; also KB 3124001	Install
3124275	01-12	Cumulative IE update	Install
3124557	01-12	MS Exchange Server 2013/2016	Install
3124585	01-12	Office; see MS16-004 for complete list	Install
3124624	01-12	JScript/VBScript; Vista and Server 2008	Install
3124901	01-12	Windows; see MS16-007 for complete list	Install
3124904	01-12	MS Edge update; included in KB 3124263/3124266	NA
3126036	01-12	MS Silverlight	Install
3115858	02-09	Windows Journal	Install
3123294	02-09	Windows PDF Library; also KB 3135174 (Win10)	Install
3124280	02-09	WebDAV	Install
3126041	02-09	Windows; also KBs 3126587 and 3126593	Install
3126446	02-09	Remote Desktop display driver	Install
3133043	02-09	NPS RADIUS server; Server 2008 and 2012	Install
3134214	02-09	Windows kernel update	Install
3134222	02-09	ADFS; Windows Server 2012 R2	Install
3134226	02-09	MS Office; see MS16-015 for complete list	Install
3135173	02-09	Win10 1511 cumulative update; includes Edge fix	Install
3135174	02-09	Win10 cumulative update; includes Edge fix	Install
3135782	02-09	Flash Player in Win8.1 and Win10	Install
3137893	02-09	.NET Framework; see MS16-019 for compete list	Install

Status recommendations: Skip — patch not needed; Hold — do not install until its problems are resolved; Wait — hold off temporarily while the patch is tested; Optional — not critical, use if wanted; Install — OK to apply.

Technology that baffles young and old

When several pairs of grandparents and grandchildren sat together to confront technology questions — such as how to operate a rotary telephone, a nondigital alarm clock, a phonograph record player, and a boombox — tech incomprehension happens in different ways.

The younger folks considered themselves to be tech-savvy. And yet, a young man had never before seen a rotary phone, a young woman was pretty certain she couldn’t read a clock face, and who knew how to place a vinyl record and coax music from it?

On the other hand, the grandparents didn’t know Siri from the Sahara — much less how to talk to the digital assistant.

But mutual enlightenment occurs. Click below or go to the original YouTube video.