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Acer intros the Iconia W4, its second 8-inch Windows 8.1 tablet: brings improved screen for $330 (hands-on)
Once Intel shows off an unannounced tablet at one of its press events, the jig is up: the product may as well be official at that point. That's what happened with Acer's Iconia W4 Windows 8.1 tablet, which recently surfaced in public, but wasn't officially announced until today. As the successor to the W3, this is Acer's second 8-inch tablet, and it corrects many of the shortcomings that doomed the original. Chiefly, it steps up to a 1,280 x 800, optically bonded IPS display, so you should notice less glare, even in harsh conditions. (Take a look at our outdoor hands-on shots if you're skeptical.) Additionally, as rumored, the W4 packs a faster Atom processor -- specifically, one of the chips from Intel's new Bay Trail series. Though we only had a few moments of hands-on time, we noticed some brisk transitions between menus and apps, and programs were quick to launch as well. If ever we pressed the Start button, for instance, the tablet wasted no time in switching back to the Start Menu, or to the desktop. In terms of the exterior hardware, the tablet is slightly lighter (0.91 pounds instead of 1.1) and thinner, too (0.42 inch versus 0.45). Also, whereas the W3 had 2-megapixel cameras on both the front and the rear, the W4 rocks a 5MP main shooter (the front webcam is still 2MP). Rounding out the list, the W4 keeps the same basic ports as the W3 -- namely, micro-USB, micro-HDMI and a microSD slot. And, as before, you can use it with an optional keyboard. Look for it this month, starting at $330 with 32GB of built-in storage and $380 for the 64GB model.
Tonido brings personal cloud storage to Windows 8 devices (video)
Codelathe's considerable expertise with Tonido's personal cloud storage gets a new venue today: Windows 8. After downloading a pair of apps -- one for your Linux rig, Mac or PC, and one for your mobile gizmo -- you're all set to stream most files from your home machine to your Redmond-running device. What's more, you can download whatever you're streaming so you can still use it if you go offline -- but keep an eye on your data cap if you're planning to pull down that Blu-ray rip of Looper.
New Microsoft ad takes another swing at the iPad
Microsoft today unveiled a new commercial which, yet again, takes some shots against Apple's iPad. In the advertisement below, a Windows 8 device is shown against Apple's iPad which is depicted as a stunted device to the extent that it's not capable of full multitasking. Something tells me that the commercial above would elicit a hearty laugh from real baseball scouts. It's also rather comical that the person talking to the scout with the iPad seemingly gets flustered when he can only hear audio and not see video, as if that would realistically bring a videoconferencing conversation to a standstill. Microsoft's latest ad is the latest effort from Redmond to take shots at the iPad, which given its large marketshare, is to be expected. In previous commercials, Microsoft has taken the iPad to task for not being able to run PowerPoint, for not having a zoomable home screen, and for not having SD card support.
Lenovo Miix is a watered-down ThinkPad Tablet 2, starts at $500 (hands-on)
Comb through Lenovo's current product lineup, and you'll find a little something for everyone. A Windows 8 tablet for businesses? Check. How 'bout a consumer model? Yep, that too. But hey, you can never have too many, right? After releasing the IdeaTab Lynx tablet, Lenovo is now launching the Miix, a 10-inch model that's also meant to be used with a keyboard. All told, it's sort of like a watered-down ThinkPad Tablet 2, insofar as it has the same rubbery, soft-touch finish and some very similar specs. Chiefly, it has a dual-core Intel Atom processor along with a 10.1-inch, 1,366 x 768 display, 64GB of on-board storage, an optional keyboard case and a battery rated for 10 hours of runtime. The two even weigh about the same: 1.27 pounds for the Miix, and 1.25 pounds for the WiFi-only TP Tablet. What's missing, of course, are all the goodies that make the ThinkPad more of a premium device -- you know, NFC, mobile broadband and an active digitizer for pen input. Also, whereas the TP Tablet 2 sports dual cameras, the Miix has just a front-facing webcam, and the resolution's been downgraded from two megapixels to 1.3. Expect it to hit shelves in Q3, with a starting price of $500 (that keyboard will cost $49 extra). For now, check out our hands-on photos below.%Gallery-191847%%Gallery-191898%
Lenovo ThinkPad Tablet 2 review
Before we talk about the ThinkPad Tablet 2, Lenovo's new Windows 8 hybrid, we need to talk about the original ThinkPad Tablet, the one that came out in fall of 2011 to mixed reviews. It was an okay device, when push came to shove, with useful features like a full-size USB port, 1080p output and pen support -- a rarity on Android tablets. But the tablet itself was bulky, performance was sluggish, battery life was mediocre and there weren't even that many Android apps designed to be used with a pen. It was a concept that didn't totally work -- at least not with that OS -- and indeed, Lenovo's long since discontinued it. Fast-forward to the present, and the ThinkPad Tablet's been resurrected in the form of a 10.1-inch Windows 8 device, one that starts at $579 and can be used with an optional keyboard dock. It's a much lighter product, at 1.3 pounds (down from 1.58), and although it uses a heavier-duty Atom processor, battery life is said to top out at about 10 hours. (The original lasted eight in our usual test.) Like the OG version, it allows for pen input on select models, but of course, Windows comes ready-made with a larger selection of apps where a pen might actually be useful. So is the second time a charm? In a word, yes.
Vizio Tablet PC hands-on (update: now with video)
Vizio's not exactly a stranger to tablets -- it came out with an Android product back in 2011 -- but it's only just debuting its first Windows 8 slate, the Tablet PC. (How's that for an appropriate name?) Like so many other Win 8 tablets it has an 11.6-inch screen, but the similarities mostly end there. On the inside, it packs a dual-core, 1GHz AMD Z60 chip, making it one of the few tablets in this class that doesn't run an Atom processor. At the same time, the screen squeezes in 1,920 x 1,080 pixels -- an unusual resolution for a lower-powered product like this. Other known specs: 2GB of RAM, 64GB of flash storage, a 2-megapixel front camera and micro-HDMI / micro-USB ports. So far, we don't know how much this will cost, or even when it will be available, so it's going to be a little tough to compare this to other offerings in the marketplace. For now, though, we've managed to steal a few minutes of hands-on time here at CES. Meet us past the break for some first thoughts on the design, the performance and that crisp 1080p screen. And stay tuned for video -- we've got that coming too. Update: As promised, our video tour of the tablet can be found after the break. Follow all the latest CES 2013 news at our event hub.
Vizio debuts its first Windows 8 tablet, an 11.6-inch slate with a 1080p display, AMD processor
After breaking into the PC market last year, it was only a matter of time before Vizio released its first Windows 8 tablet. The company just announced the Vizio Tablet PC, an 11.6-inch slate running full Windows (i.e., none of this RT business). What's interesting is the combination of specs here: on the one hand, it packs a dual-core, 1GHz AMD Z60 chip, making it among the first Windows 8 tablets with an AMD processor inside. At the same time, it rocks a 1080p display -- not the sort of resolution you'd expect to find on a low-power tablet with a Z-series or Intel Atom CPU. Also, like the rest of Vizio's PCs, this has a Microsoft Signature software install, with zero bloatware. Otherwise, the specs are pretty standard: 2GB of RAM, 64GB of solid-state storage, a 2-megapixel front camera and micro-HDMI / micro-USB ports. Vizio hasn't announced pricing or exact availability just yet, but we hope to get hands-on with this thing very, very soon. Follow all the latest CES 2013 news at our event hub.
Kupa X15 Windows 8 tablet gets production ready, now on sale starting at $1,100
When we first saw the Kupa UltraNote back at MobileCon 2012, the convertible Windows 8 slate had all the markings of a reference design: NFC, fingerprint scanner, LTE, digitizer and Intel Core i7 processor. But production realities change things some, and now that this particular tab is finally on sale, a few of its specs have been swapped out. Starting at $1,100 and rebadged as the X15, this 10.1-inch slate still reps a 1,920 x 1,200 IPS display, dual 1.3-megapixel front-facing / 5-megapixel rear cameras, support for WiFi a/b/g/n and Bluetooth 4.0, as well as up to 128GB SSD, but now comes in four configurations. Most notably, its allotment of DDR3 RAM's been doubled to 8GB across the board, although users seeking that previously announced Ivy Bridge Core i7 will have to opt for the high-end Ultra model as the lesser Elite, Pro and Lux builds all feature an Intel Core i5. LTE support seems to have been dropped altogether in favor of HSPA+ connectivity on the Ultra and Lux units. If you're interested in what Kupa's selling here, you'll need to contact the company directly -- there's no easy link on its site to simply purchase the X15 tablet outright.
Hulu Plus app heads to Windows 8 PCs and tablets, tailored for new UI (video)
Windows 8 users, what with their "Modern" UI and pinned applications, won't have to stoop to using Hulu Plus in an antiquated internet browser any longer. Hulu today announced its brand new Windows 8 and Windows 8 tablet application, which is designed specifically for use with the tiled UI that Micrsoft's new multiplatform OS is based around. The new app aims to take advantage of that UI in a variety of ways -- pinning an episode or show to your start screen, for instance, or multitasking with other apps while Hulu continues playing in a smaller window, cropped to the left. We've dropped a video walkthrough of the app just below the break. Those with early access to Windows 8 can grab the app right now in the Windows Store through this link; the app will be available to the rest of us at launch on October 26th, and on Windows 8 tablets the same day. Update: The app is now available!
Distro Issue 61: Acer aims high with its Iconia W510 Windows 8 hybrid
With the release of Windows 8 just around the corner, the arrivals of tablets and hybrids that are decked out with the aforementioned OS are also imminent. Sure, we've already seen a number of these, but up until now, we've yet to spend any quality time with the announced hardware. In this week's edition of our tablet magazine, though, we finally get to take one back to Engadget HQ for a detailed preview. We offer our thoughts on Acer's Iconia W510 -- a laptop / tablet hybrid that sets its sights on the premium end of the Windows 8 gadget spectrum. On the regular review front, we put the Canon EOS M and the Samsung Galaxy Note II through their paces before serving up in-depth analysis of each. Eyes-On climbs aboard the Space Shuttle Atlantis, Visualized gets electrified and Nest's Matt Rogers tells all in the Q&A. The weekend won't last forever, so jump down below to snag the latest issue before settling in for a little weekend R&R. Distro Issue 61 PDF Distro in the iTunes App Store Distro in the Google Play Store Distro APK (for sideloading) Like Distro on Facebook Follow Distro on Twitter
Atom-powered Acer Iconia W510 on sale November 9th for $500 and up
Acer recently announced pricing and availability for its Iconia W700, and now its other Windows 8 tablet, the Iconia W510, is getting that same treatment. The 10.1-inch slate will ship for $500 and up when it goes on sale November 9th. The W510 sports an IPS display with a 1,366 x 768 resolution, and that panel is coated in Gorilla Glass 2 for some extra scratch resistance. Unlike the Ivy Bridge-packing W700, this device runs a 1.5GHz dual-core Intel Atom Z2760 processor (from the Clover Trail series) with 2GB of RAM and up to 64GB of solid-state storage. Connections include a microSD card reader, micro-HDMI and a micro-USB 2.0 port. Acer also offers a $150 keyboard dock, which connects to the tablet from the top and offers a full-size USB 2.0 port. Without the dock, the tablet is rated for up to nine hours of battery life; the dock adds another nine. We got a chance to play with an early unit of the W510 -- head over to our in-depth preview for a closer look.
Acer Iconia W700 Windows 8 tablet ships this month with a cradle and keyboard included, starts at $800
Acer was one of many companies to preview its Windows 8 devices at Computex this summer, showing off its Iconia W700 tablet along with the W510. As the release date for Microsoft's much-anticipated OS draws near, Acer is announcing the slate once again, this time with full pricing and availability. To jog your memory, the Iconia W700 is an 11.6-inch slate with a Core i3 or Core i5 Ivy Bridge chip under the hood. As we've come to expect from Iconia devices, the W700 boasts an IPS display, and this particular panel has a 1,920 x 1,080 resolution. There's a 1-megapixel, 720p front-facing shooter, and a 5-megapixel camera capable of 1080p video capture sits on the back. The tablet comes with a cradle that sports three USB 3.0 ports and lets you dock the device in either landscape or portrait mode. A Bluetooth keyboard, which comes already already paired with the tablet, is included in the box, along with an HDMI-to-VGA dongle. Acer says the tablet is good for up to eight hours of usage. The W700 will be available in three configuration options, all of which will go on sale October 26th. For $800, you get a Core i3 CPU, 4GB of RAM and an 64GB SSD. Stepping up to $900 gets you a Core i5 CPU and the same RAM and memory options, while the $1,000 model includes a Core i3 processor, 4GB of RAM and a 128GB SSD. Head past the break for the full PR, plus our hands-on video, in case you needed a refresher.%Gallery-156786%
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 hosts Windows 8 tablet event next week: Dell, HP, Samsung and more in attendance
Ahead of Microsoft's big reveal next month, Intel's hosting an event on September 27th, bringing together Windows 8 tablets from ASUS, Acer, Dell, HP, Lenovo, Samsung and even ZTE -- a manufacturer that hasn't yet officially revealed any plans for Windows 8. The chipmaker also promises to offer up more details on its next-generation Atom processors. We'll be there, reporting live from the event next week.
Purported ASUS holiday roadmap pegs Windows 8 tablets at $599 and above
Windows 8 tablets have had their specs bandied about for months, but their prices have continued to remain off the radar. Now, however, a purported ASUS holiday roadmap sent to ZDNet may give us a glimpse as to how badly bank accounts could be affected this fall. According to the slide, the ASUS Vivo Tab will carry a $799 price tag and its Windows RT counterpart will come in at $599, which matches the previously reported price difference between slates running Redmond's latest OS with Intel and AMD processors. The ASUS Taichi dual-screen notebook / tablet hybrid is said to ring up at a heftier $1,299. As for the firm's Transformer Book, it will supposedly set purchasers back $1,399. If these prices are any indication of what we can expect from other OEMs, Microsoft's Surface might be pricier than hoped.
Microsoft announces new entertainment and game studio focused on Windows 8 tablet development
Windows 8 slates are riding a wave of 40 Xbox titles into an October launch, and now Microsoft has laid the foundation to deliver more games with a brand new studio focused on tablet development. The currently unnamed, London-based outfit will be headed by former Rare Production Director Lee Schuneman, who has shepherded Kinect Sports titles, the Xbox 360 Avatars, Fable: The Journey and the Xbox's Sky TV app to completion. Slabs running Redmond's latest OS won't see a project from the team for a while, however, as the studio is still looking for new hires and won't open its doors until November.
ASUS outs dockable Windows 8 Vivo Tab and Vivo Tab RT
It looks like IFA will be where many Windows 8 devices shown back at Computex get (more) official. Exhibit A is ASUS, which today pulled the curtains on the Vivo Tab and the Vivo Tab RT, previously known as the ASUS Tablet 810 and the ASUS Tablet 600, respectively. There's still no pricing info available, but the company has filled in some of the remaining spec gaps. As we previously knew, the Vivo Tab sports an 11.6-inch IPS display with a 1,366 x 768 resolution and supports a Wacom digitizer input in addition to 10-point multitouch. The tablet runs an Intel Atom CPU with 2GB of RAM and 64GB of storage. The Vivo Tab measures 0.33 inches thick and weighs in at 1.5 pounds. There's also an 8-megapixel camera with autofocus and LED flash, plus a 2-megapixel shooter up front. As we learned back in Taipei as well, an NFC sensor will be on board. Then there's the Vivo Tab RT, which is slightly smaller, at 0.33 inches thick and 1.1 pounds, and with a 10.1-inch screen. Like its non-RT brother, it boasts an IPS display with a 1,366 x 768 resolution, but it runs a Tegra 3 processor and a 12-core GPU, with 2GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage. The RT tablet includes the same cameras and NFC sensor as the Vivo Tab. Of course, these two slates also come with a Transformer-like dock, which adds a full QWERTY keyboard, trackpad, two USB ports and a second battery. The missing element to this equation is still pricing and availability: check back for those details, and in the meantime hit up the press release below the break.
HP says Surface has not changed its relationship with Microsoft, promises more tablet details 'pretty soon'
HP has been offering plenty of glimpses of its upcoming Windows 8 tablet, but it so far hasn't been doing much talking about it -- or about Microsoft's own entry into the tablet market with Surface, for that matter. That's now changed thanks to an interview senior sales VP John Solomon gave to CRN, however, where he promises that HP will have more to share about its business-minded tablet "pretty soon." What's more, unlike some other big OEMs, Soloman says that HP doesn't see a problem with Microsoft's Surface plans. He says that he thinks Microsoft "was basically making a leadership statement and showing what's possible in the tablet space," adding that, "our relationship has not changed at all due to Microsoft's announcement. In fact, I applaud it." That's not to say he doesn't take some issue with Microsoft's efforts, though, noting that while the Surface's keyboard accessory is "a great occasional use keyboard," there's "no way" that professional content creators will "use a keyboard like that for everyday use." You can find the full CRN interview at the source link below.
Splashtop Remote Desktop now available on Windows 8, gives you all the access you need
With Splashtop currently holding spots in a slew of Android slabs, Cupertino's notorious iDevices and even HP's cadaverous TouchPad, the next obvious step was to set up its Remote Desktop shop inside Redmond's upcoming Windows 8. And smartly enough, that's exactly what Splashtop's done. In preparation for the eventual release of Microsoft's tile-friendly OS in a couple of months, the service has let it be know that its new (and very handy) tablet application's now ready to take advantage of the system's native gestures while doing what it does best -- which is giving remote access to both Mac and Windows PCs. Given its "consumer preview" status, the Splashtop app isn't fully cooked just yet, but it should give anyone a good idea of what to expect once the real deal becomes available.
Did ASUS' Windows 8-packing Tablet 600 hit the FCC?
Toying with the idea of picking up a keyboard-dockable Windows 8 slate? Take your pick -- since Computex (and Microsoft's own Surface unveiling), these devices have popping up like wildflowers -- and one of them may have just slipped through federal inspection. A recent FCC filing reveals an ASUS branded tablet bearing the mark of Windows 8. The feds out the device as the TF600T, an unannounced product that sounds suspiciously similar to the Tablet 600 ASUS trotted out at Computex. Further investigation only revealed a standard radios -- Bluetooth, WiFi and NFC -- but the Transformer-like model number and Windows logo have our attention. Is this the Tablet 600? We'll let you know when ASUS has something official to say. Dive into the federal report for yourself at the source link below.
