How can I identify, if a Windows tablet is capable to run Roon as a remote?
There are several very cheap Windows tablets on the market, that could be a very cost effective solution, like e.g. the HP Stream 7.
Would it be sufficent?
Is there a list of minimum requirements for this (Roon remote & Windows tablet)?
Unfortunately, you will get what you pay for. I wouldn’t wish that tablet upon my enemies. You will be disappointed by the build quality, the performance (if it even runs Roon), and with 1gb of memory, you are leaving very little for Roon (after the operating system takes its share). The display resolution is pretty sad as well.
If a Windows tablet is what you want, the Surface 3 or the Surface 3 Pro is the way to go. Everything else is pretty much the crap you find at the back of the drugstore.
If you are willing to wait a week or so, Android is the way to go. I’ve written up something here:
Hi @Matty, I actually own that HP Stream 7 after taking advantage of a black friday sale, and it’s unusable. As Danny said, you get what you pay for, and that tablet won’t run Roon successfully.
On the Dell Venue 8 Pro 5000, Roon remote CPU usage at idle with the app running is less than 1% and RAM usage is around 180mb. Clicking around in Roon causes CPU to jump to 10-15% and RAM to 220mb. Overall, CPU usage is completely fine, but RAM usage with Roon running hovers around 85% of the 2gb available, so I’m not sure I’d try to run Roon as a remote with less than 2gb of RAM.
Danny
Will the Android and iOS apps have the EXACT interface as a remote as for example a laptop being used as a remote or will it be a slimmed down remote with less functionality. Right now I am just waiting for DSD functionality and plan on trying it on my main rig. I really love the interface what I get using a real computer as a remote and would consider a Surface 3 if the iOS app will has less function than a full computer running as the remote
@randing – fully agreed on the ram requirements. 2gb should be a minimum. If you have a big library, you will want more.
@Priaptor – exact same, minus a few minor things that don’t make sense on tablets (dump to excel, file export, drag and drop etc…) We want no compromise on the experience, so don’t expect something watered down on the tablets.
@danny, @kevin, thank you for your answers - this was pretty clear.
The target group for Roon are people who want to have a high convenience level and best possible user experience. So do I.
You wil not reach this with a cheap and weak device. Now I know, that I’ll have to invest a little bit.
@randing, thank you for your answer too. The behaviour, you describe, is exactly what I want to get rid of.
I find it extremely annoying if an application reloads every time you switch to it.
@Matty, the Surface 3 will be a great machine for you. nothing can shut down an app on the Surface, because it’s running Windows proper. All the mobile operating systems can kill the app running if memory is constrained.
Replying from mobile seems to have messed up my posts.
I have the exact same white screen behavior on an i5 MacBook Pro as I do on the Dell tablet, so I don’t think it’s at all indicative of a hardware performance issue, I just haven’t taken the time to troubleshoot it yet.
Not so fast. I can’t speak to the low-end Windows tablets. But my Surface 3 is a bottom-end model, with 2 GB of RAM and an Atom processor. Works fine. I have set the memory available for cover images to 256 MB, and happily browse my entire library up and down the list without ever being caught out.
But no doubt you get what you pay for. I have a $179 HP Mini, will have to try that.
1668 albums.
Note that I have given the core machine the max 512 MB for cover art. And the core cache is well and truly warmed up. And the network is ac.
When I first installed the system and left both the core and the remote at the default 64 MB, after browsing through a few hundred albums I got gray rectangles that painted in very slowly. Maybe you should reconsider the 64 MB default, at least make it dependent on the available RAM.
Hah! Tried the HP Mini for $179. Celeron processor, 2 GB, 32 GB SSD, HDMI into the TV. Worked great! This has to be the record.
Only problem, I kept walking up to the 50" flatscreen and swipe, and the stupid TV is not touch.
Will someone from the Roon team please respond and clarify from an iOS perspective the minimum is an iPad 2 Air since that has 2GB? All other iterations of the iPad are obsolete to run the Roon software am I correct? With that 2 GB minimum, am I correct to assume that all iOS phones current to the iPhone 6/6 plus will not be able to run the Roon software? If thats the case, this is a showstopper for me. I don’t wish to run Roon from my macbook pro retina its too cumbersome nor do I wish to move out of the iOS echo system. No desire to get a MS or Android tablet/phone.
Adding to my earlier post, running iOS from as a remote for Roon. Server/Core function will be QNAP hopefully Meridian will release the plugins for the core/storage for QNAP soon my endpoint is the Meridian MS600. Right now Roon is installed on my Macbook pro Retina 15" however I find it too cumbersome to use and miss the ease of use of the sooloos software on my iPad Air 2.
We were discussing Roon on Windows when used as a remote. iOS/Android will have completely different system requirements I’d imagine.
@AndersVinberg : Could you post a screen cap of your Surface 3 running Roon full screen in Album or Artist view for my viewing pleasure?
I’m considering getting on as a remote + ‘personal listening station’: Meridian Explorer 2 + Headphones.
@RBM Three screen captures: Surface 3 with large covers, Surface 3 with small covers, Surface 3 Pro with small covers. The Surface 3 is 1920x1080, the Surface 3 Pro is 2160x1440.
