10 good Windows 8 tablets

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  • 10 good Windows 8 tablets

    10 good Windows 8 tablets

    Windows tablets are getting better all the time, both the hardware and software with Windows 8.1. There are tablets of all sizes, and some with keyboard docks that turn them into laptops.

    The ten tablets in this collection are good options to consider for those looking to get a Windows tablet. Only slates and hybrids with detachable tablets were considered for inclusion. While there are quite a few convertible notebooks, those laptops with screens that fold over the keyboard for tablet use, those are usually very heavy for such use and thus not part of this collection.

    There are tablets covered that vary from 8-inch models to 11+ inches. Some of them have pen support for those who are looking for inputting by writing on the screen.

    Where possible, newer tablets with Haswell technology have been clearly indicated. This is especially significant for tablets as Haswell from Intel provides good performance with better battery life than previous processors by Intel.

    No ARM-based tablets are included in this collection to make it easier to compare the different tablets.

    With the exception of the last model in the gallery, these tablets have all been used by the author or recommended by those whose input is highly regarded. If you have a tablet not included here, leave a comment below and share what you use and why it's so good.

    Caption by: James Kendrick

  • Microsoft Surface Pro 2

    Microsoft Surface Pro 2

    Overview

    The latest tablet from Microsoft is a powerhouse that can give many laptops a run for the money. It doesn't come with a keyboard but you'll want to pick up one of the two available covers to take full advantage of Windows 8.1. It has pen support and comes with a pen.

    Size: 10.6-inch

    Price: Starting at $899

    Specs

    Processor  Intel Core i5 (Haswell)
    Memory  4 — 8GB
    Display  10.6-inch, 1,920 x 1,080
    OS version  Windows 8.1 Pro
    Camera  Front and rear, 720p
    Storage  64 — 512GB
    Ports  USB 3.0, microSDXC card reader, Headset jack, Mini DisplayPort, Cover port
    Connectivity  Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n; Bluetooth 4.0
    Battery  8 — 9 hours
    Dimensions  10.81" x 6.81" x 0.53"
    Weight  2lbs

    Microsoft product page

    Caption by: James Kendrick

  • Asus VivoTab Smart

    Asus VivoTab Smart

    Overview

    The VivoTab Smart is a good tablet that has an optional keyboard cover that makes it a decent laptop replacement while on the run. 

    Size: 10.1-inch

    Price: $450

    Specs

    Processor Intel® Atom™ Z2760 Dual-Core (non-Haswell)
    Memory 2GB
    Display 10.1-inch, 1,366x768
    OS version Windows 8
    Camera Front: 2MP; Rear: 8MP
    Storage 64GB
    Ports Audio, microHDMI, microUSB, microSD
    Connectivity Wi-fi 802.11 b/g/n; Bluetooth 4.0
    Battery 9.5 hours; 25Wh
    Dimensions 10.31" x 6.73" x 0.38"
    Weight 1.28lbs

    Asus product page

    Caption by: James Kendrick

  • Asus Transformer Book T100

    Asus Transformer Book T100

    Overview

    The T100 comes with a laptop dock that turns the tablet into a full laptop. The Bay Trail processor gives good performance with long battery life. There is no pen support.

    Size: 10.1-inch

    Price: $350

    Specs

    Processor 1.33 GHz Intel Atom Quad-core (Bay Trail)
    Memory 2GB
    Display 10.1-inch, 1,366x768
    OS version Windows 8.1
    Camera Front: 1.2MP
    Storage 32GB
    Ports 1-USB 3.0 (dock), audio combo, microHDMI, microSD card reader, microUSB
    Connectivity Wi-Fi b/g/n; Bluetooth 4.0
    Battery 11 hours, 31Whr
    Dimensions Notebook: 10.4" x 6.7" x 0.93"; Tablet only: 10.4" x 6.7" x 0.41"
    Weight Notebook: 2.4lbs; Tablet only: 1.2lbs

    See the review by James Kendrick of ZDNet

    Caption by: James Kendrick

  • Dell Venue 8 Pro

    Dell Venue 8 Pro

    Overview

    This small tablet from Dell gets good reviews as it is highly portable with full Windows inside.

    Size: 8-inch

    Price: $300

    Specs

    Processor  Intel® Atom™ processor Z3740D (Bay Trail)
    Memory  2GB
    Display  8-inch, 1,280x800
    OS version  Windows 8.1
    Camera  Front: 1.2MP; Rear: 5MP
    Storage  32GB
    Ports  microUSB 2.0 , audio, micro-SIM
    Connectivity  Wi-fi 802.11 b/g/n; Bluetooth 4.0
    Battery  9.9 hours
    Dimensions  8.5" x 5.12" x 0.35"
    Weight  0.87lbs

    Dell product page

    See hands-on impressions by Ed Bott of ZDNet.

    Caption by: James Kendrick

  • Lenovo ThinkPad Tablet 2

    Lenovo ThinkPad Tablet 2

    Overview

    This tablet has ThinkPad build quality and is a very good portable computer. It comes with a pen to take advantage of the pen support in Windows 8.1. There is an optional keyboard accessory that works well with the Tablet 2.

    Size: 10.1-inch

    Price: $566

    Specs

    Processor  Intel Atom Z2760, 1.8 GHz, non-Haswell
    Memory  2GB
    Display  10.1-inch, 1,366x768
    OS version  Windows 8 Pro
    Camera  Front: 2MP; Rear: 8MP
    Storage  64GB
    Ports  USB 2.0; miniHDMI; microSD; dock connector; 3.5mm audio
    Connectivity  Wi-fi a/b/g/n; Bluetooth 4.0; GPS
    Battery  11 hours, 30 Whr
    Dimensions  10.34" x 6.48" x 0.39"
    Weight  1.3lbs

    Lenovo product page

    See the review by James Kendrick of ZDNet.

    Caption by: James Kendrick

  • HP Envy x2

    HP Envy x2

    Overview

    This tablet comes with a laptop dock as good as any available. With the tablet docked it is a full laptop. There is no pen support.

    Size: 11.6-inch

    Price: $614

    Specs

    Processor  Intel Atom 1.8 GHz, non-Haswell
    Memory  2GB
    Display  11.6 inches, 1,366x768
    OS version  Windows 8
    Camera  Front: 1,080p; Rear: 8MP
    Storage  64GB
    Ports  2x USB 2.0; HDMI; SD slot (laptop dock); microSD (tablet)
    Connectivity  Wi-fi; Bluetooth 4.0
    Battery  8+ hours tablet; 14+ hours with keyboard dock (has second battery)
    Dimensions  Docked (closed) — 0.76" x11.93" x8.12"; tablet — same, but 0.3-inches thick
    Weight  1.5 lbs tablet, 3.1 lbs with keyboard dock

    Not appearing on HP site but available on Amazon and other online retailers.

    See the review by James Kendrick of ZDNet.

    Caption by: James Kendrick

  • Lenovo ThinkPad Tablet 8

    Lenovo ThinkPad Tablet 8

    Overview

    This is similar to the ThinkPad Tablet 2 but in a smaller form, and since it's a newer product it has Bay Trail technology. There is no pen support nor is there a keyboard accessory available at the time of this publication.

    Size: 8.3-inch

    Price: $399

    Specs

    Processor  Intel Z3770 Quad Core (2MB Cache, up to 2.39GHz)
    Memory  2GB
    Display  8.3-inch, 1,920x1,200
    OS version  Windows 8.1 Pro
    Camera  Front: 2MP; Rear: 8MP
    Storage  64 — 128GB
    Ports  USB 3.0, microHDMI,MicroSD Slot
    Connectivity  Wi-fi 802.11a/b/g/n; Bluetooth 4.0
    Battery  8 hours
    Dimensions  5.19" x 8.83" x 0.35"
    Weight  0.95lbs

    Lenovo product page

    Caption by: James Kendrick

  • Samsung Ativ Smart PC

    Samsung Ativ Smart PC

    Overview

    This tablet is a full PC with a laptop dock and pen support. Both the dock and the pen are included with the tablet.

    Size: 11.6-inch

    Price: $580

    Specs

    Processor  Intel® Atom™ Processor Z2760, 1.8GHz (non-Haswell)
    Memory  2GB
    Display  11.6-inch, 1,366x768
    OS version  Windows 8
    Camera  Front: 2MP
    Storage  64GB
    Ports  USB 2.0; microSD; microHDMI
    Connectivity  Wi-fi 802.11 a/b/g/n; Bluetooth 4.0
    Battery  9.7 hours
    Dimensions  11.6" x 0.38" x 7.2"
    Weight  1.65lbs

    Samsung product page

    Caption by: James Kendrick

  • Lenovo Miix 2 8

    Lenovo Miix 2 8

    Overview

    This economical small tablet is built well and fits nicely in the hand. It does not have pen support nor is there a keyboard accessory available.

    Size: 8-inch

    Price: $299

    Specs

    Processor  1.3 GHz Intel Atom Quad-core (Bay Trail)
    Memory  2GB
    Display  8-inch, 1,280x800
    OS version  Windows 8.1
    Camera  Front: 2MP; Rear: 5MP
    Storage  32GB
    Ports  audio, microSD, microUSB
    Connectivity  Wi-fi b/g/n; Bluetooth 4.0
    Battery  7+ hours
    Dimensions  5.2" x 8.5" x 0.3"
    Weight  0.77lbs

    See the review by James Kendrick of ZDNet.

    Caption by: James Kendrick

  • Vizio Windows 8 Tablet

    Vizio Windows 8 Tablet

    Overview

    This tablet is included in this collection for AMD fans. It is the only tablet that uses an AMD processor. It is heavier than most tablets and has relatively short battery life.

    Size: 11.6-inch

    Price: $600

    Specs

    Processor  AMD Z-60 APU, AMD Radeon™ HD 6250
    Memory  2GB
    Display  11.6-inch, 1,920 x 1,080
    OS version  Windows 8
    Camera  Front: 2MP
    Storage  64GB
    Ports  Audio, microUSB, microHDMI
    Connectivity  Wi-fi 802.11n
    Battery  Up to 5 hours
    Dimensions  11.66” x 7.53” x 0.39”
    Weight  1.8lbs

    Vizio product page

    Caption by: James Kendrick

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The Windows tablet segment is heating up with good offerings from the major OEMs. These 10 are a good place to start for those looking for a tablet.

Read More Read Less

10 good Windows 8 tablets

Windows tablets are getting better all the time, both the hardware and software with Windows 8.1. There are tablets of all sizes, and some with keyboard docks that turn them into laptops.

The ten tablets in this collection are good options to consider for those looking to get a Windows tablet. Only slates and hybrids with detachable tablets were considered for inclusion. While there are quite a few convertible notebooks, those laptops with screens that fold over the keyboard for tablet use, those are usually very heavy for such use and thus not part of this collection.

There are tablets covered that vary from 8-inch models to 11+ inches. Some of them have pen support for those who are looking for inputting by writing on the screen.

Where possible, newer tablets with Haswell technology have been clearly indicated. This is especially significant for tablets as Haswell from Intel provides good performance with better battery life than previous processors by Intel.

No ARM-based tablets are included in this collection to make it easier to compare the different tablets.

With the exception of the last model in the gallery, these tablets have all been used by the author or recommended by those whose input is highly regarded. If you have a tablet not included here, leave a comment below and share what you use and why it's so good.

Caption by: James Kendrick

1 of 11

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