Pronterface on Windows tablet

Hi, everyone! Yesterday I was "just looking" tablets in a shop and I wondered "can I run Pronterface on this windows tablet???". Obviusly even the seller couldn`t answer. So, I`ll ask to the experts. Anyone tryed to run Pronterface/Printrun or any other GCode sender on a tablet and connected it to the 3Dprinter? Did it work? Is the same as a Windows PC?

Don't take this for 100% but I think the Windows Surface Pro was able to run actual windows programs instead of mobil programs. I think it uses a laptop chipset instead of the mobil chipset.

Thank you, tmorris9! I was thinking to use a tablet or smartphone with windows to run Pronterface/PrintRun. Surface Pro is quite expensive to just print.
Now I`m in Japan and there`re many places selling used (they`re not OLD. They sell them because the japanese loves the LAST model) tablets and smartphones with windows and they`re extremelly cheap!! And that idea came into my little tiny mind.

You could print from a smart lcd controller and use an sd card.
Or get a bluetooth adapter for the tablet you are referring to.
You could probably run the program on the tablet, make sure it has enough ram to run the slicing.

the correct question is does it run a full version of python. there are python projects for tablets, but python does not currently run on all tablet designs, in full functionality. if it runs x86 windows or linux then yes python would work.

currently the only universal support that i am aware is for those programs coded in java script and html5.

there is a port of serial to android, and a possible port of functions in python for gui to run on android, but i think it would take some work to get it to run with all the pieces.

what has been done is a screen gui in java script that allows serial commands to be sent and received like pronterface, but as far as i know no port of the slicing engine.

Edited 4 time(s). Last edit at 10/08/2014 01:39AM by jamesdanielv.

It will run on a Surface Pro (1,2,3) It won't run on a Surface. It won't run on any Windows phones, or any Windows RT tablets. Dell do some little tablets on which it should run because they actually run full windows.

The easy way to tell is if the device is advertised with a picture of a desktop and start button, then you should be good. No picture, no go.

So, the processor must be x86 and the memory is important to slice models. Thanks, everyone!!

Microsoft now gives Windows with Bing to vendors selling sub 9in tablets and it's going to DESTROY the Ipad mini. The first models are just now hitting the market.

The Dell Venue Pro 8 (about $299) and Winbook 8 series can both run it, they run regular Win8 and run Repetier and Pronterface just fine.
So long as it doesn't use Windows RT, it will run it.

The cheapest setup out there that can run them is the Winbook for $99 (TW800), however, spend the extra for the 2gig ram version (TW801) for $139.
TW801 = [www.microcenter.com]


HP is releasing a $99 model similar to the 800 later this month. Winbook is an older brand, now owned by Microcenter and the quality isn't actually bad. The plus to the Winbook over other tablets is that it has a full size USB 3 port as well as the typical micro usb port, a mini HDMI port and a micro sd slot, so no need for a USB OTG cable. The 801 big flaw is no no GPS (bluetooth to your phone), and only about 20 gigs of drive space (use the sdcard!), but for the money can you really complain? So far, mine has been awesome. I use an Asus Memo Pad 7 screen protector on it, and have a generic Dell Venue 8 Pro keyboard folio coming for it from Ebay. The screen protector leaves the start button exposed, but does cover the actual screen adequately, I had it laying around and found it worked well enough. The Folio works, but will cover the main camera on the back, but $29 for a folio and bluetooth keyboard... not bad.

By the way, my 801 gets about 12 hours of battery life.

I saw someone run Solidworks on a Surface Pro once, for what it's worth.

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[scara3dprinter.wordpress.com]

The venue is pretty cool, I keep almost getting one to run the printer off. I find it helpful to have a real laptop there at the moment though, so it has not come to pass.

The surface pro is just an overpriced laptop. I had a pro 2 which failed to deliver on any level. The 3 is marginally more sensible, but still has the damp stupid kick stand.

Going a bit ot, so back on track, Broadwell next year will allow I pad style devices which run full windows. Overkill for this purpose, but it will encourage more venue alikes. No one will tolerate RT any more.

Quote
UkIan
The venue is pretty cool, I keep almost getting one to run the printer off. I find it helpful to have a real laptop there at the moment though, so it has not come to pass.

The surface pro is just an overpriced laptop. I had a pro 2 which failed to deliver on any level. The 3 is marginally more sensible, but still has the damp stupid kick stand.

Going a bit ot, so back on track, Broadwell next year will allow I pad style devices which run full windows. Overkill for this purpose, but it will encourage more venue alikes. No one will tolerate RT any more.

RT should have never been born, or at least should have been marketed MUCH better (less subtle naming difference for one!). However, since they work with Intel enough, they should have seen some of this coming. I think they spent a ton of money developing it, knowing it would likely be a short term thing. But then, that's also why Balmer is now gone.

As for Surface, it really is well made, even the RT version, just too darn expensive (pro) or limited (RT). I agree with many in that it was a bad concept, they seemed to take the worst of a tablet and worst of a notebook and made a hybrid. It's nice but not really good at anything.

The Venue Pro and the similar Lenovo tablet were designed back when MS was charging for Windows on small devices, expect a $50-$100 price drop on each soon. The Winbook is still the better deal, available now and is easier to use for printing due to the full size USB port.