Editorials
5 Windows 8 Tablets That Beat the iPad Air
Dell Venue 8 Pro | ||||||
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The Surface 2 is a perfect hardware rival for the iPad Air, but falls a bit short in the software department thanks to its inability to use the Desktop apps we all know and love. The Dell Venue 8 Pro is a piece of hardware that moves in a completely different direction. With it, users get a slightly smaller 8-inch display, a microSD card for adding more storage, 32GB of included storage, a 5-megapixel rear-facing camera and a 5 megapixel front-facing camera. In exchange for a smaller screen and lack of full-size USB port, users get to install Desktop apps like iTunes and use them alongside Windows Store apps. The Dell Venue 8 Pro costs just $249.99 in its base configuration. Users can upgrade to higher priced models for more storage. [ Buy the Dell Venue 8 Pro from Dell for $249.99 ] | ||||||
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Vectre
09/01/2014 at 8:34 pm
The drawback you have decided to mention about the surface 2, “it’s one of the few Windows 8 tablets still being sold that doesn’t allow users to install apps to the Desktop”, shows a bit of bias. The bias, I fear, is not yours alone but shared throughout the tech press.
You should have heard this before, if you have, you really need to listen. The Surface tablets come in 2 basic variants, the RT versions and the Pro versions.
The Pro versions I and most would describe as a laptop inside the case of a tablet. This is because of the specs and the fact it is running a full version of Windows 8.x..
The RT versions are, tablets, just like the iPad is a tablet. You aren’t complaining that the iPad will not run Mac OX software, or are you?? The main reason I see for the RT tablets to have a desktop is for the Office applications and the full browser. When the touch versions of Office apps are available, RT might lose the desktop, I hope not.
If someone is looking for a machine that will allow them to browse the internet, check and answer email, stream video, basic gaming, etc.. the most basic things that most do on computers, the RT devices are perfect. A bonus is that you lose compatibility with all the old windows viruses, and have familiar interface for anyone comfortable with the windows interface.
Should there be more apps allowed to run on the desktop? I would say yes, that would increase further the versatility of the device in the realms of multitasking when it is already ahead of the iPad there.
Gordon Burgess-Parker
09/02/2014 at 1:15 am
Interestingly the Toshiba Encore 1 (which I have) came with Office Home and Student 2013 which has a permanent licence…
Vectre
09/02/2014 at 1:08 pm
That is the result of a more recent decision to allow Office to be included with devices with smaller screen sizes.. Originally the only device that included Office (since MSoft stopped bundling it with Windows) was RT devices..