The ultimate Roon Remote (or: why I bought a Surface 3 – and l̶i̶k̶e̶d̶ sold it)

Roon Software Discussion
21

I had a Surface 4 and I really wanted to like it as a Roon Remote but in the end, all the annoying oddities of Windows got to me and I switched to an iPad pro and have been very happy. Things like the OS demanding to be updated and just doing it (there is no way to stop it from auto updating) while I am listening. . the odd way it would lose pen control or get stuck in portrait or landscape mode. Or, of course, the BSD.

For me, all I want is a fast, utterly reliable remote with a big screen. . .ipad pro.

Glad it worked for you. . .

3 Likes
22

Thanks, your post just reminded me why I detest Windows. I don’t much prefer iOS, but I guess I’ll be buying a new iPad Pro afterall.

3 Likes
23

Spurred by this I tried my wife’s Sony laptop . It’s a bit like the surface with a detached keyboard.

Wow how much you can fit on a screen. Methinks she may have lost it

I have been Windows all along and a .NET dev as well so I am quite happy with Win 10

Mike

24

Is this possible in iOS? This is very annoying aspect of Roon remotes. I’d love to not have that so much.

2 Likes
25

Initially I thought this was the fault of Roon. I hate Windows for the same reasons, but this is indeed — apparently — a disturbing feature of iOS!

1 Like
26

I think the only option would be for them to make Roon multitasking-capable where Roon could open in Side View. It could be just a small album cover, the queue, and volume/zone controls. That would be iPad only feature but I suspect that is a high percentage of tablet remotes.

Edit: this gives an idea but screens would be reversed.

BF86470B-F63F-4DE6-BA90-78265A96B3AD
BF86470B-F63F-4DE6-BA90-78265A96B3AD.jpg2048×1536 412 KB

2 Likes
27

Interesting thoughts!

28

Here’s a better screen shot, Sonos is the only music app that supports it (only tried Tidal and Spotify). Sonos on left half, Safari on right

3D456FA1-31E4-483C-A6DF-BCD3344D8B79
3D456FA1-31E4-483C-A6DF-BCD3344D8B79.jpg2048×1536 405 KB

Here is a link on multitasking, to be honest I don’t use it much and had to look up how!

29

But this split sceen functionality would stop the need to constantly reconnect?

30

I *think so yes, the app is still running.

I think on some smaller iPads the side view uses an iPhone view, on bigger iPads you get two iPad views side by side.

31

It’s an annoying feature of Android as well and considering the constant can’t reconnect bug with android remotes even more annoying .

4 Likes
32

A surface 3 is so much more clumsy than an iPad Pro. What you showed us is no different than an iPad remote.
I use a dedicated Mac mini as my roon server/minimserver/os x server, works great for roon in my dedicated audio room and the same server workes great to run Auralic ds Lightning remote for the Aries mini streamer that I use in other parts of the house.

Running Linux on a Mac is much simpler than running it on a windows box. The Mac already comes with terminal that,allows you to ssh into a Linux server. You could buy parallels or VMWare for the Mac, which I have done for many many years, but for the last 5 or more years, all you need is virtual box which is free and you can load any Linux distribution or windows version you would like.

33

Show me a ~10" iPad that

  • Runs Roon in portrait mode
  • Does not put backgrounded applications to sleep
  • Is able to run Roon Core

The Linux spielerei is just icing on the cake. I know what a Mac can do in that department (Macs have been my weapon of choice for the last 20 years), but what we’re talking about here is a great tablet remote – with interesting benefits.

1 Like
34

I don’t get ‘Portrait Mode’ at all. It would be uncomfortable on the iPad Pro as the case sits well in Landscape. I just don’t have a desire to use portrait. Not sure what I am missing here.
But if you want to use it an IPad Pro May not be for you. It just doesn’t feel right.

35

It’s down to personal preference: portrait vs landscape. I note that on my ThinkPad 10, the album browser displays 30 albums in portrait mode vs 24 albums in landscape…

1 Like
36

Please tell us where to pick up a Surface 3 4GB for this price.

37

At the marketplace of course :slight_smile:

https://www.marktplaats.nl/a/computers-en-software/tablets-overige-merken/m1239581599-surface-3-128gb-windows-10-nagenoeg-nieuw-w.html?c=8c285449651fa109c354bbabe740c1b&previousPage=lr

1 Like
38

I use a 12” iPad Pro, haven’t tried roon on 1 of my smaller iPads.
So if you are using roon core on your surface, i’m Assuming you are using a usb or digital cable to hook up the surface to an output device like a dac. Also, what storage are you using for your ripped music? How are you backing up this surface with storage?

39

It’s where you turn your tablet through 90 degrees, with the short edge at the top.

No need to thank me.

2 Likes
40

I believe I answered all this in the original review, but here you go:

  • A 12" tablet in portrait mode is too rich for my blood (and measure 2.02 m. vertically)
  • 9,7/10,5" iPads only run Roon in landscape (for now)
  • When running Core, the Surface is my home away from home for Roon: music on SD-card, Exporer 2 DAC via USB.
  • As this is basically a subset of my regular Core when travelling, no backups are needed (though it could be arranged easily if the need arises)

Basic gist is that for me it is that the Surface is best remote for Roon I’ve handled so far for the reasons stated above – and that it offers a few neat extra tricks that it really should not be capable of. After all, it is what it is: a 3 years old tablet running Windows, sporting a weak Atom CPU and slow eMMC storage.

1 Like