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Which cheap tablets are worth buying?
A few years ago, tablets were poised to replace laptops as the computing device of choice. That never happened, as we've largely stuck with laptops and phones as our daily drivers, with tablets relegated to a secondary role. If you don't use a tablet that much, it certainly seems wise to avoid dropping a lot of cash on one. But a lower price often means compromises, and too many compromises means you won't be using the tablet at all. To figure out how many corners you can cut when it comes to purchasing a sub-$200 tablet, we've gathered opinions from across the web, from our own reviews to the opinions of other trusted critics. Which cheap tablets balance performance and price to still deliver a good experience? When is it worth spending just a little bit more money? And which deals are too good to be true?
Dell Venue 8 Pro Windows 8.1 tablet and refreshed XPS 15 now available online
Dell introduced us to its Venue 8 Pro Windows 8.1 tablet and Haswell refresh of the XPS 15 earlier this month, and starting today both products -- along with two Venue Android slates -- are available online. The Venue 8 Pro, you may recall, offers an 1,280 x 800 IPS display, an Atom processor and an optional Synaptics digitizer. That model will go for $300 and up, while the pen costs an extra $35. Meanwhile, Dell's answer to the Surface Pro 2, the Venue Pro 11, will ship in November. The latest XPS 15, available with a 3,200 x 1,800 IPS display and up to a Core i7 Haswell CPU, starts at $1,500 for a full HD panel and $1,900 for the more pixel-dense version. Finally, the budget-priced Dell Venue 7 and 8 tablets, both of which run Android 4.2, are also available today. As previously reported, these guys will set you back $150 or $180, respectively. Head to Dell's website to view all the configuration options.
Dell announces Venue 7 and Venue 8 Android tablets, prices start at $149
When Dell said it was going to revive the Venue brand, we assumed it was referring to Windows tablets. And indeed it was -- it just announced the Venue 8 Pro and Venue 11 Pro running Windows 8.1. But what we didn't know was that Dell was also planning on getting back into the Android market, and that these devices, too, would fall under the Venue brand. Here at a press event in New York City, the company announced the Venue 7 and Venue 8, both of which run Android 4.2.2 (upgradeable to KitKat) and will be offered in both WiFi-only and 4G configurations. As you'd expect, they're exactly what they sound like: the Venue 7 (pictured) has a 7-inch screen, and the Venue 8 is -- yep -- an 8-incher. Neither is particularly high-end: each has a 1,280 x 800 IPS screen and a 2GHz dual-core Intel Z2580 processor. The Venue 7 only has 16GB of internal storage, we're told, though the Venue 8 will be offered with either 16 or 32 gigs. Either way, you have a microSD slot at your disposal if you need more space. Pricing is set at $150 for the Venue 7, while the Venue 8 will cost $180. Both will be available October 18th.
