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Toshiba's inexpensive Windows tablets now have a pen option
We've seen plenty of super-cheap Windows tablets, but until now, companies have invariably had to cut corners to get the prices so low. That's why Toshiba's new "Encore 2 Write" slates are interesting: Though they are indeed inexpensive, they allow for pressure-sensitive pen input, something you'll rarely see on a device in this price class. The two tablets come in 8- and 10-inch sizes, and will sell for $350 and $400 when they go on sale next week. For the money, you get a Wacom-made pen, with 2,048 levels of pressure sensitivity. To put that in perspective, Microsoft's own Surface 2 costs $449 and doesn't have a pen option. If we're going by the price and spec sheet alone, then, Toshiba's new tablets are a good deal.
Toshiba gets aggressive with a $120, 7-inch Windows tablet
Over the years, Windows tablets have been getting smaller and smaller -- and cheaper and cheaper. Well, surprise! They're getting tinier, and we've just about hit bargain-basement pricing. Toshiba just announced the Encore Mini, a 7-inch slate that will sell for just $120 -- an aggressive move, considering 8-inch models hover around the $200 mark. Technically speaking, the Encore Mini is not the cheapest Windows tablet out there, but it's definitely the lowest price we've seen from a tier-one brand. For the money, you get full Windows 8.1, though the specs are, as you'd expect, pretty low-end. These include a 1,024 x 600 display, a quad-core Intel Atom Z3735G processor with 1GB of RAM, 16GB of built-in storage and dual 2MP/0.3MP cameras. At 0.78 pound, it's heavier than, say, the 7-inch Galaxy Tab 4 Nook, which we just reviewed, but either way, you shouldn't have a problem toting it around.
ASUS VivoTab RT review: everything you loved about the Transformer tablets, but with Windows
More Info ASUS outs Tablets 600 and 810, Transformer-like slates running Windows 8 ASUS outs dockable Windows 8 VivoTab and VivoTab RT ASUS VivoTab RT 10.1-inch Windows 8 RT tablet comes to AT&T later this year, we go hands-on Read the comments on any of our ASUS Transformer Pad reviews. It doesn't matter if you pick the mid-range TF300 or the high-end Infinity. You'll invariably find someone saying, "That's nice, but can't it run Windows 8?" It's a perfectly sane request: sure, a tablet and optional keyboard dock make for a convenient setup, but how great would it be if you could use that keyboard to get work done in Microsoft Office? Ditto for the dock's USB port: being able to plug in a thumb drive is a good start, but it'd be even sweeter if you could drag and drop files, as you would on a PC. Well, ladies and gents, you can quit your fantasizing. ASUS is ready to start shipping the VivoTab RT (TF600), and we're guessing it's pretty darn close to whatever Franken-tablet you've been dreaming up. Which is to say, it takes everything we loved about ASUS' Transformer Pads, and adds Windows RT. Like other tablets in ASUS' lineup, it has a 10-inch Super IPS+ display with claimed 178-degree viewing angles and a 600-nit brightness rating. Other tried-and-true specs include a quad-core Tegra 3 chip; an 8-megapixel, autofocusing rear camera capable of recording 1080p video; SonicMaster audio; and long battery life -- in this case, up to nine hours for the tablet and up to seven for the keyboard dock. At 8.3mm thick and 1.2 pounds, it's also about as thin and light as any Transformer Pad. Lastly, the VivoTab has NFC -- something you won't find on any of ASUS' older slates. The VivoTab RT should be available beginning today, starting at $599 for the 32GB tablet with a keyboard dock included. A 64GB tablet-and-dock bundle will retail for $699. So is this as good a buy as ASUS' earlier tablets. And how does it compare to other Windows RT devices being offered at a similar price? Let's find out.
ASUS VivoTab RT tablet arrives October 26th, starting at $599 for the 32GB model; keyboard dock included (update: eyes-on!)
In case you haven't heard, a lot -- and we mean a lot -- of Windows devices are going on sale this week. Today it's ASUS' turn to give its lineup a formal coming-out party: the company is hosting a press event here in New York City, where it just announced the dockable VivoTab RT will be available on October 26th, starting at $599 for the 32GB model, keyboard included. Alternatively, you can buy the 64GB tablet and docking station for $699. As we previously reported, an LTE version is coming to AT&T. Finally, ASUS says it will also sell the tablet and dock individually, but we haven't yet learned final pricing for those items. We'll update this post when we do. If this is your first introduction to the VivoTab RT, here's a quick recap: it basically offers everything people loved about ASUS' Android-based Transformer tablets, except it runs Windows RT instead. Like the Infinity and other recent ASUS tablets, it has a 600-nit Super IPS+ display, offering 178-degree viewing angles and Gorilla Glass protection. Other specs include a quad-core Tegra 3 chip (the new T30, to be exact), 2GB of RAM, NFC and an 8-megapixel rear camera with an auto-focusing f/2.2 lens. Then there's that keyboard dock, which has a USB 2.0 port and built-in battery rated for seven hours. (The tablet itself is said to last up to nine hours.) Finally, of course, as a Windows RT device it comes loaded with all of the same stock applications you'll find in full Windows 8 (Mail, IE 10, etc.), along with Office 2013 Home & Student. The main difference: you won't be able to install legacy Windows programs. The VivoTab RT arrives the same day as the Surface for Windows RT and indeed, we'll be eager to compare the two, especially since pricing for the keyboard-tablet bundles is identical. In fact, ASUS sent us one to test, and you can expect a review any day now. Until then, we've embedded some press photos below, in case you're just getting your first look.
Dell begins accepting orders for its XPS 10 tablet running Windows RT, prices start at $499 (updated)
Surface isn't the only Windows RT tablet going on sale this week: Dell's XPS 10 officially starts sales on Friday, though it's actually for purchase now on Dell's site. (It won't ship until mid-December, so don't get too excited.) The tablet starts at $500 for the 32GB tablet by itself, which is right in line with Microsoft's Surface pricing. The 64GB model is priced at $600. Interested in that optional keyboard dock? (Of course you are!) Dell is selling two bundles: one with the 32GB tablet for $680, and another with the 64GB one for $780. Though the keyboard comes at a premium, especially compared to Microsoft's Touch Covers, it offers some things Microsoft doesn't -- namely, a USB port, HDMI output and a built-in battery. Whichever model you choose, the XPS 10 has a 10.1-inch screen with 1,366 x 768 resolution and a dual-core Snapdragon S4 processor clocked at 1.5GHz. While it has 10 point multitouch support on that IPS LCD, there won't be any kind of active pen or stylus tech built in. Hit up the source link for more info, and check out our fresh round of hands-on shots below. Update: As some of you have pointed out, that $499 starting price includes a one-year service plan, valued at $100. You can opt out of this plan and get the standalone tablet for $399. Update 2: We've been in contact with Dell about some errors that apparently slipped through to their sales page, and have updated the specs above for the CPU, input support and warranty information. Also, that $499 price will stick, as the warranty cannot be deselected. Check out the PDF linked below for the correct specs until the Dell site is properly updated.
HP announces the ElitePad 900, a business-friendly Windows 8 tablet arriving in January
Remember those hazy days of summer when HP ran an ad during the Olympics, slipped in a a shot of an unannounced tablet and thought we wouldn't notice? (P'shaw!) Well, you can finally lay your speculation to rest, as HP just formally unveiled the mystery tab, along with a slew of accessories. It's called the ElitePad 900 and, as rumored, it's a 10-inch Windows 8 slate meant for business users, with features like pen input, drive encryption and optional 3G / 4G. Like HP's high-end EliteBook laptops, the ElitePad has a premium look, marked by a machined aluminum back cover and 400-nit IPS display coated in Gorilla Glass. Also similar to the EliteBooks, it meets the military's MIL-spec 810G durability requirements, and can withstand three-foot drops, among other accidents. All told, it weighs 1.5 pounds and measures 9.2mm thick. Going by weight, that's more along the lines of what you'd expect from a larger, 11-inch tablet, but 1.5 pounds is still manageable, especially considering how armored this thing is. On the inside, it runs an Atom-based Intel Clover Trail processor, buffered by up to 2GB of RAM. Like so many other systems with this kind of chip, it promises about 10 hours of runtime -- a clear improvement over similar devices packing Core i5 CPUs. Storage-wise, you'll have your choice between a 32 or 64GB SSD eMMC. The screen has a resolution of 1,280 x 800, making it the one feature likely to disappoint power users. Take a tour around the device and you'll find an 8-megapixel rear camera and a 1080p shooter up front for video chats. Hidden behind a service door on the back are two slots: one for microSD cards, and another for 3G / 4G SIMs. And how 'bout those accessories? In addition to the tablet, HP will be selling two so-called SmartJackets, cases that do a little more than just shield the device from wear and tear. One of them, for instance, has two USB ports, HDMI output, a full-size memory card slot and room for an optional battery slice. That battery, by the way, has a capacity of about eight hours, so while the case does add some heft it could be worth it if you need a PC that will last through a flight from New York to Tokyo. As for the second case, its defining feature is a built-in keyboard, which plugs directly into the tablet. Though HP announced the ElitePad 900 today, the tablet won't go on sale here in the US until January. Hopefully we'll also get a final price as we get closer to that launch date. Luckily, we've already gotten a chance to play with it, so meet us after the break for hands-on photos and a short walk-through video detailing our first impressions.
Intel: 20-plus Windows 8 tablets with Intel CPUs are in the works
Funny thing about this year's Computex. There are very, very few ARM-based tablets to be found. Most of the slates we've seen have been running Windows 8 paired with a PC-grade X86 Intel processor (and that's not even counting all of the touchscreen Ultrabooks we've seen!). Well, Intel just dropped a number that confirms we haven't been imagining things. Here at its press conference in Taipei, Chipzilla said more than 20 Windows 8 tablets with Intel innards are on the way, meaning those new slates from Acer, ASUS and Samsung are just scratching the surface. That just leaves one question: who's next?
ASUS outs Tablets 600 and 810, Transformer-like slates running Windows 8
How many times have we posted a review of an ASUS Transformer tablet only to read comments that say, "Put Win8 on it and I'll buy it." Well, folks, it's time to put your money where your mouth is. ASUS just announced the Tablet 600 and the Tablet 810, two Transformer-like slates running Windows 8. The difference? The 600 is an ARM-based tablet running Windows RT, while the 810 is a full-fledged Intel-powered model with full Windows 8 installed. Like any Android-powered Transformer, the 600 packs a quad-core Tegra 3 chip, except it has twice the RAM (2GB). At the center of it all is a 10.1-inch, 600-nit, 1366 x 768 Super IPS+ display with viewing angles similar to what you'll find on current Transformer tablets. Around back, it has an auto-focusing 8-megapixel camera with an LED flash, complemented by a 2-megapixel shooter up front. Other specs include WiFi, Bluetooth 4.0 and your usual array of sensors, including GPS, a gyroscope, e-compass and, last but not least, NFC.%Gallery-156821% Moving on, the 810 features an unspecified Intel Medfield CPU with 2GB of RAM. Like the 600, it has a Super IPS+ display with 1366 x 768 resolution, only the panel here is a bit larger, measuring 11.6 inches. What's more, this guy makes use of a Wacom dual digitizer, allowing for both pen and finger input. And that's not all: we've got video demos of both devices -- head past the break to see 'em in action.
Intel adds rugged Studybook tablet to its student-friendly Classmate lineup
File this under: "Wait, that didn't happen already?" Intel just announced the Studybook, that tablet you see up there, and believe it or not it's only the first slate to join the company's lineup of Classmate products for schools. That's sort of wild, given the popularity of tablets and also the fact that there are so many kid-proof models floating around. And yet, the closest Intel had come until now was with the Convertible Classmate PC, a device that was more of a netbook with a touchscreen. Like the rest of Intel's Classmate series, the Studybook is meant to find a home in schools here in the US and around the globe, including developing markets. And by most measures, this reference design is exactly the kind of product you would have expected Intel to cook up for such an audience. Starting with raw specs, you're looking at a 7-inch (1024 x 600), Atom-powered tablet that can be configured to run either Android or Windows 7, depending on the school district's needs. As you'd expect, it's been designed to take a beating from careless kids: the plastic, 525-gram (1.2-pound tablet) can withstand 70-centimeter (2.3-foot) drops and has a rubber band reinforcing the bezel to keep sand and other elements out. You'll also find rubber gasketing around the ports, which include USB 2.0, HDMI, a headphone jack and microSD / SIM slots. Though it comes standard with 1GB of RAM, the amount of built-in storage will vary from school to school: four to 32 gigs, or a 128GB SSD. Just as important as the specs is the software package, which includes Kno's e-reader app, as well as the LabCam suite, which lets you do things like attach a special lens (sold separately) to use that rear-facing 2-megapixel camera as a microscope. As for price, Intel is quick to emphasize it doesn't set the cost (that would be OEMs), but it believes manufacturers who use this design can sell the finished product for $200 or less. No word, then, on when this might show up in a classroom near you, but for now we've got hands-on photos below and a pair of walk-through videos just past the break.
Samsung Series 7 Slate PC review
All quiet on the Windows 7 tablet front? Well, no, but we haven't exactly seen many shots fired lately. Sure, HP recently refreshed the Slate 500 with the Slate 2, but for the most part, products like this have been eclipsed by excitement around Windows 8. Of course, Redmond's tablet-friendly OS won't ship for another year, so for now tablet makers are releasing Windows slates with little fanfare. Not Samsung, though. While its mobile team has dug its heels into the consumer tablet market with devices like the Galaxy Tabs 10.1, 8.9 and 7.0 Plus, its PC division is taking a different tack. The Series 7 Slate PC was built by the same team behind the striking Series 9 laptop, making it one of the slickest business tablets we've ever beheld. It rocks an 11.6-inch display that handily dwarfs pretty much everything else out there. It runs a Core i5, not Atom, processor, and is offered with a custom dock and Bluetooth keyboard. The Series 7 Slate isn't just a rare Windows 7 tablet; it's also one of the most memorable. But are all of those things worth the $1,099 starting price? Could be, but we can think of a few caveats. Allow us to explain.
HP replaces the Slate 500 with the Slate 2, adds Swype and cuts the starting price to $699
Until Microsoft gives Win8 the final seal of approval, the Windows tablet show must go on, right? Right. HP just refreshed its enterprise-friendly, Windows 7-flavored Slate 500 with the Slate 2, and took the opportunity to knock the starting price down a hundred bucks to $699. In terms of design, there's nothing much to see here -- it has the same 8.9-inch tablet and N-Trig DuoSense digitizer that allows for pen input. Only this time, HP added Swype, refreshed the CPU with Intel's Atom Z670 and proffered a smaller 32GB SSD option to appease the IT guys who are going to heavily lock these down anyway. Speaking of security, it also packs TPM circuitry and Computrace Pro for tracking lost or stolen laptops and then deleting the data remotely. It'll be available worldwide this month -- just in time for corporate to buy you a lil' somethin' for the holidays. %Gallery-137812%
Dell's Latitude XT3 goes up for pre-order, swivels your way September 22nd
Are you a fancy suit, known to occasionally dabble in the fine art of scribbling? Have a seat bud, because Dell's gone and put up a pre-order page for the touchscreen convertible that you've been waiting for: the Latitude XT3. When we last espied the drop-top in February, we came away mighty impressed with its spiffy 13.3-inch dual-digitizer display, which recognized the attached stylus in addition to three of our meaty digits. We also liked the inclusion of the Core i3 -- upgradeable to an i5 or i7 -- which packs a punch, unlike the miserly Core 2 Duo's found in its predecessors. The magnesium-reinforced piece of kit starts at $1,789, unless you have it your way and toss in the optional $49 backlit keyboard or spring for the $100 outdoor-viewing display. We'll take ours with both, and with a ship date of September 22nd, you've got plenty of time to get a customizin' at the source below.
Panasonic intros rugged Toughbook H2 tablet, steps up to Core i5 and full-sized ports
When Panasonic unveiled the Toughbook H1 tablet last year, it at least got the tough part down pat. This Windows 7 slate had a magnesium alloy chassis and met the military's MIL-STD-810G standards for shock, dust, heat, water, and cold resistance -- comforting claims for construction workers, soldiers, and pretty much anyone used to working in the wild (or, at least, standing up). The problem was, it ran on a dinky Atom processor, and left the rugged types using it with just one miniature port for attaching peripherals. Clearly, Panny agreed those were some serious shortcomings, because the brand new H2 goes a wee bit beyond mere spec bumps. The latest generation leaps forward to a 1.7GHz Core i5-2557M ULV processor with Intel's vPro technology, along with USB 2.0 and serial sockets, and space for either a second USB port or an Ethernet jack. At the entry-level (!) price of $3,449, you'll get a 10-inch (XGA), 6,000-nit display, 4GB of RAM, a removable 320GBGB 7200RPM shock-mounted hard drive, WiFi and Bluetooth 2.1 radios, and twin swappable batteries that promise up to six and a half hours of runtime. After that, the list of possible add-ons runs long for corporations and government agencies with deep pockets. These include up to 8GB of memory, a 128GB SSD, Gobi 3G or 4G radio (the latter's coming in the fall), GPS, barcode or RFID reader, 2 megapixel camera, an insertable or contact-less SmartCard reader, or a fingerprint sensor. Good thing the boss is treating, huh? Update : Lots of you are asking about the weight. Here's your answer, folks: it's 3.5 pounds, compared with 3.4 pounds for the last-gen H1. %Gallery-128116%
Gigabyte's S1080 Windows 7 slate now up for US pre-order, ships July 1st for $650
After having first gone on sale in Taiwan, and later Australia, it's only fair that Yanks now have a shot at Gigabyte's monstrous Windows 7 slate. You may recall the S1080 for its 320GB drive, dual-core Atom N570, Ethernet port, and (curious) VGA output. Or perhaps you were stoked on that optical mouse and tactile mouse button combo. Well, all that stands between you and your future LAN-partying, tablet-toting self, are 650 clams and a handful of days -- you know, given that scheduled ship date of July 1st. Rounding out the remaining specs are 802.11b/g/n WiFi, Bluetooth 3.0, 1.3 megapixel webcam and a USB 3.0 port. If the thought of a Windows 7 slate with a mouse and a smattering of ports has your heart aflutter, we'd like to ask: why are you still here? Oh, and before you hit the source links, don't forget the snazzy optional dock with optical drive + speakers that'll ship later this summer.
Acer says Microsoft is too 'controlling' of Windows tablets, restrictions 'troublesome'
A web of rumor and suggestion has been spun in recent weeks about a new tablet-oriented version of Windows. But when major players like Acer start moanin' and complainin' about how they're going to make hardware to run the new OS, that's when you know something has to be afoot. According to Bloomberg, Acer CEO J. T. Wang spoke up at Computex to berate Microsoft for being too restrictive in what processors it will permit to carry its new baby, saying it is "really controlling the whole thing, the whole process." And he wasn't just speaking for Acer either, because he added that chip suppliers and PC makers "all feel it's very troublesome." It begs the question, if Steve Ballmer is borrowing Apple's approach and becoming a control freak, why doesn't he just go whole hog and build a Microsoft Tablet from start to finish? [Thanks, Tiago]
HP intros the ProBook 5330m, EliteBook 2560p, and EliteBook 2760p tablet
After announcing a trio of consumer laptops, you didn't think HP had forgotten about its business line, did you? The company also trotted out three lightweight models for the corporate set, including the 12.1-inch EliteBook 2760p convertible tablet, which has been rearing its head around the FCC as of late. Although it's an update to the current-generation 2740p, it sticks with its tried-and-true metal design. But -- surprise, surprise -- it steps up to Sandy Bridge Core i5 and Core i7 CPU options, promises 5.5 hours of battery life with the standard six-cell, and will be one of several models compatible with HP's newly minted (optional) prepaid data service, DataPass. Is this the Windows 7 tablet you've been looking for? It's on sale now starting at $1,500 -- stylus included. Next up is the EliteBook 2560p laptop, an update to the 12.1-inch 2540p. This one, too, has a tough aluminum-and-magnesium-alloy build, but it gets the good ol' Sandy Bridge treatment and also shifts to a 12.5-inch display -- a screen size that's rarely stretched to 16:9 proportions. And, HP claims it's the only laptop of its size with a built-in optical drive, if sacrificing optical discs isn't a compromise you're willing to make. Look for it on May 23 with a starting price of $1,100. Lastly, there's the ProBook 5330m, a 13.3-incher that's trying hard to win over Generation Y-types just dipping their toes into the workforce... and who will call in sick if their work machines aren't trendy, or something. In addition to a dual-tone aluminum chassis, it plays cool with a backlit keyboard, Sandy Bridge Core i3 and i5 CPU options, and Beats Audio -- a first for an HP business system. On the inside, meanwhile, it offers TPM circuitry and optional Intel vPro processors -- perks for the IT managers likely to buy these in bulk. These are on sale now, starting at $800. %Gallery-123019% %Gallery-123013% %Gallery-123014%
Gigabyte's pricey S1080 tablet goes on sale in Taiwan
As far as tablets go, Gigabyte's S1080 is about as far as you can get from the iPad, with its dual-core Atom N550 processor, 320GB hard drive, and Ethernet port. (And, you know, the fact that it runs Windows 7.) Still, the company is going head to head with Apple's magical slate -- it just priced the 10-inch, 3G-enabled tablet at NT$22,900 ($787), a shade higher than the NT$22,800 price of a first-generation iPad with 3G and 64GB of storage. (Taiwan hasn't gotten the iPad 2 yet.) If having a Windows tablet with mouse buttons, of all things, floats your boat, it can't be beat, though finding a cheaper Windows slate should be a cinch.
Elitegroup Elitepad S10 Windows tablet graces the FCC, could still use a makeover
Little-known Taiwanese manufacturer Elitegroup managed to make our friends at Engadget Spanish do a double-take at CeBIT, where the company was showing off the fast (and chintzy-looking) Elitepad S10. Now the 10-inch Windows slate has reared its highly reflective head in FCC documents and -- what do you know? -- it still boasts that 1.5GHz Intel Atom Z670 processor (not the Z760, as being reported elsewhere). Other specs include 1GB of RAM, flash storage, a 1.3 megapixel camera, WiFi, HDMI-out, and Bluetooth 3.0. Alas, though, that Oak Trail CPU might not be enough to solve the Windows tablet battery life conundrum -- it promises a max of six hours of juice, if you're lucky.
Acer's Windows-powered Iconia W500 up for pre-order for $549, ships April 15th
Acer already announced UK pricing for the Windows 7 and Android Honeycomb versions of its Iconia Tab, and now it's ready to take both stateside. Days after Best Buy started taking pre-orders for the Android 3.0-powered Iconia Tab A500, the Windows-based W500 has shown up on B&H's site for $549. Like its cousin, the W500 has a 10.1-inch (1280 x 800) display, HDMI-out and dual cameras, though it steps up to 2GB of RAM, 32GB of storage, AMD Radeon HD 6250 graphics, and a 1GHz Ontario (C-50) AMD Fusion APU. It also comes with a keyboard dock, putting it in the same price range as ASUS's Android-based Eee Transformer, which costs less but doesn't include its similar-looking keyboard. Acer rates the W500's three-cell battery at up to six hours -- a far cry from the iPad's promised 10-hours and, perhaps, a good reason to wait for slates featuring that lower-power Fusion APU AMD's been shopping around to tablet makers. B&H says it'll ship starting April 15th, but head on over to its website if you're psyched enough to place an order now. Or you can keep saving your pennies for Acer's other Iconia.
Editorial: Windows on ARM is a big deal, but it's not enough to win at tablets
While "Windows runs on ARM now" is a really easy thing to say, it's an extremely complicated subject, fraught with industry drama, technical accomplishment, and a hint of Microsoft's vision for the future. Microsoft is saying loud and clear that x86 isn't enough (sorry, Intel and AMD), that current Windows form factors aren't sufficient (sorry, netbooks), and that it's still a nimble enough company to respond to changes in the market and consumer frustrations (sorry, Clippy). But what does that actually mean, in the long run? Let's talk things through, after the break.
