[GeneV]

^^ The limiting factor is the pointing device. A fingertip is rather imprecise.

That is my issue as well. I am also bothered a bit by the fingerprints all over the screen.

[monochrome]

I am also bothered a bit by the fingerprints all over the screen.

I bet you just love tablets

[PDL]

I bet you just love tablets

and cell phones.

[wedge]

To the OP - a Surface Pro would be OK for you to use. The use a non-phone OS's and run full blown programs. However, they do not allow you to upgrade their internals at all which is a trend that I find really disappointing as I have upgraded several laptops.

It kind of depends what class of laptop or device you're looking at. It seems that all of the 2-in-1s can be purchased in multiple configurations, but what you buy is what you'll have. RAM is soldered in and storage is not user accessible, so upgrading isn't really an option later. However, like phones with non-replaceable batteries, manufacturers are banking on consumers just accepting a 2-year refresh cycle as normal. If you look at gaming or "workstation replacement" laptops, they often provide access to components, so replacing/upgrading is possible, but you pay a bit of a premium for those models.

Truth be told, my "photo editing" rarely goes beyond adjusting sliders or cropping, so it sounds like the Surface Pro with it's purpose-built stylus would be overkill (and I'm sure the stylus would get lost). I'm still liking the idea of a 2-in-1, but will need to go to a store and test-drive some of them to get first-hand opinions.

[robthebloke]

It kind of depends what class of laptop or device you're looking at. It seems that all of the 2-in-1s can be purchased in multiple configurations, but what you buy is what you'll have. RAM is soldered in and storage is not user accessible, so upgrading isn't really an option later.

Certainly that's the case with Apple, but which other manufacturers actually do that? I was able to upgrade the MSATA SSD drives and DDR3 memory in my Lenovo yoga pro's just fine? Aside from needing a torx screwdriver, it was no harder than any other laptop I've owned in the past (it was actually easier than some of my old dell laptops). The batteries are also replaceable (but again requires a screwdriver rather than just slotting in).

[wedge]

Certainly that's the case with Apple, but which other manufacturers actually do that? I was able to upgrade the MSATA SSD drives and DDR3 memory in my Lenovo yoga pro's just fine? Aside from needing a torx screwdriver, it was no harder than any other laptop I've owned in the past (it was actually easier than some of my old dell laptops). The batteries are also replaceable (but again requires a screwdriver rather than just slotting in).

I've been looking at Lenovo, Dell, and Asus and it seems like many models now have some base amount of memory soldered on and one RAM slot. SSDs may be replaceable, but nobody advertises them as such. Unlike laptops from just a few years ago, most these days don't have easily-removed panels to allow user replacement of components. I'm sure there are a variety of drivers for this: less costly to manufacture, less likely for an inexperienced end user to do accidental harm, etc. But the end result is that most of today's portable devices are really never meant to be opened up for upgrading. Incidentally, Apples computer products (laptops, desktops, all-in-ones) - with the possible exception of the Macbook Air and the "new" Macbook - have always been just as openable/upgradeable as their PC counterparts. Often there's a bit more work involved to do it (e.g.: replacing a hard drive in the original 1999 iBook required the removal of no fewer than 20 screws in varying lengths and threads), but it could be done.

[GeneV]

I bet you just love tablets

They aren't my favorite way to process photos, where I am paying close attention to detail. Even with a laptop, using the PS spot healing tool on what turns out to be a speck on the screen is an annoying waste of time.