The Dell Venue line is a great set of Windows and Android tablets. However, Dell recently announced that it will no longer be manufacturing nor supporting Android tablets and that it will instead concentrate on Windows. Asking about and looking around in reviews and forums, Windows 8.1 and Windows 10 are great to use on tablets, after all tablets are what they were designed for. It’s also why in those same reviews and forums, many people say that Windows 8 and higher suck on the desktop aside from all those privacy-related issues that keeps getting thrown around.
So basically, both Windows 8.1 and Windows 10 are good performers in the two-in-one tablet arena as evidenced by the success of the Microsoft Surface Pro. Microsoft’s experiment on the Surface form factor has lately been bearing fruit. The steady decline of Windows is apparently in part due to PC manufacturers’ lack of understanding of the operating system beginning with Windows Vista. Hey! How about we release Windows Vista on systems with Atom processors and 1GB of RAM, see how it sticks? The same thing with the netbook trend. Microsoft says Windows 7 demands less so let’s release Windows 7 Starter on these new netbooks with the same specs. Crawl. Mic drop.
But manufacturers have learned their lesson (sort of), as taught by Microsoft. Everyone’s been copying the Surface form factor which is the best way to use Windows in its current incarnation. Even though the cheaper guys are still releasing tablets with 1GB RAM and 16GB storage, the major players like Dell, HP, ASUS and Lenovo aren’t. Fortunately, Windows 8.1 can handle 1GB RAM thanks to faster eMMC storage, these tablets can be worked with but 16GB is hardly acceptable. As for Dell Venue tablets, they have 32GB storage which is pretty decent for casual use and is expandable via micro-SD.
The major players are mostly trying to emulate and surpass the Surface form factor. Fortunately for Microsoft, the Surface, like the iPad has already become a coveted brand. Its ridiculous premium pricing has made it a status symbol. Want Windows? Get a Surface, even though there are options out there with more power and higher resolutions. Sort of.
As per PC Magazine, the top ten Windows tablets for 2016 include:
- Microsoft’s Surface Book – innovative laptop-first-tablet-later device with innovative hinge for better lap-ability and plug-and-play GPU.
- Acer Aspire Switch 11 V – Acer’s affordable detachable hybrid offering.
- ASUS Transformer T100HA – ASUS own detachable hybrid offering with good battery life and sharp display.
- Dell Latitude 13 7000 – Dell’s detachable hybrid with 13-inch screen.
- Dell Venue 8 Pro – impressive Windows 8.1 tablet priced below $100.
- Lenovo IdeaPad Miix 700 – a more affordable Surface 4 alternative from Lenovo.
- Microsoft’s Surface Pro 4 – the latest incarnation of Microsoft’s best-selling tablet.
- HP Pavilion x2 – HP’s low-end detachable hybrid but with bright display and good battery life.
- HP Spectre x2 – tagged as a Surface killer with high-resolution screen and built-in 4G/LTE.
- Getac F110 – PC Magazine editor’s choice for the rugged tablet form factor for field work.
Huawei also entered the Windows tablet arena by releasing the Windows 10-powered Huawei Matebook which boasts extra lightness and thinness thanks to its use of Intel’s Core M3 processor. It also has a fingerprint sensor on one side of the tablet taking advantage of Windows Hello security. It also boasts a high-resolution 2160 x 1440 IPS screen. One problem with the Matebook is that it’s only a naked tablet out of the box. Accessories like the keyboard cover, stylus and MateDock which increases connectivity options, come separately.
As for Dell, their explanation for quitting the Android tablet business is that the market is already over-saturated by cheaper options. There’s a lot of competition out there as almost every electronics firm has one, much like the Pong consoles of the 70s. These tablets are used more for leisure and media consumption anyway as well as keeping the kids busy. From a business perspective of a company like Dell, they’d rather not waste their efforts earning just a few dollars from that market and instead focus on other things like their 70-inch tablet aimed to compete with Microsoft’s Surface Hub in boardrooms and classrooms. Plus, many folks are moving over to Windows tablets as main or backup mobility systems in order to remain productive. The lack of apps in the Windows Store is good for something after all.
Yes. People still want their PCs. People want to be productive but they want their PCs small, light, portable but powerful.