When the space in the hand luggage is again scarce, 8-inch tablets are not only for business travelers a good solution. Today, the devices are powerful enough to run the most important everyday applications effortlessly, but at the same time much smaller and lighter than the Businesslaptop or the big iPad with its 9.7 inches – not to mention the cheaper price.
Small tablet, great value
The small tablets are also interesting, as there are now quite alternatives to Apple's closed iOS operating system and the various Android versions. After moderate success with Windows RT, Microsoft Windows 8.1 has brought on the tablets. Including only small 8-inch models free of charge: Microsoft Office. The associated applications Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote and Outlook are a must for most companies. So much the better when the service tablet brings the programs right away.
Place 1: Lenovo ThinkPad 8
Office on the tablet
Rank 2: Toshiba Encore
Dell, Lenovo, Toshiba, Acer and Asus rely on the Windows interface. PC Magazine has tested the Windows 8.1 tablets with 8-inch display, we present the top 5.
Rank 3: Asus VivoTab Note 8
As a processor, an Atom from the new Bay Trail-T series with four cores, modern out-of-order architecture and integrated Intel HD graphics unit is used. The system performance of the tablets is about the level of a 450-euro notebook with Intel Core i3 and conventional HDD.
Currently, all 8-inch tablets come with Windows 8.1 in the 32-bit version because the Connected Standby mode does not yet work with a 64-bit Windows. He keeps metro apps like Facebook out of the power saving mode.
With prices as low as 250 euros, the presented tablets in a similar price range as comparable equipped Android devices and are cheaper than the Apple iPad Mini. As I said, Office Assistant Microsoft Office is included.
In a category the point winner can not convince and that is the price. The Lenovo ThinkPad 8, the only device tested with a full-HD display and 128 GB mass storage, is significantly more expensive than the other 8-inch tablets at 600 euros. It is the last light of the battery life.
The ThinkPad 8 has a full 128 GB Flash as a mass storage. The sharp and bright 8.3-inch touch screen with a resolution of 1920 x 1200 pixels is based on a high-quality IPS panel. However, the ThinkPad does not offer a pen drive.
With 430 grams, the Lenovo tablet is slightly heavier than the 8.0-inch, by the slightly larger display also somewhat wider and longer. A special feature is the USB 3.0 socket (compatible with Micro USB 2.0), plus the micro HDMI socket and SD card slot. The back camera provides 8 megapixels and an LED flash.
As a processor, the ThinkPad 8 uses an Atom Z3770 at 1.46 GHz. In the case of system performance, the advantage of the faster processor is partially eroded by the large, but with 83 MBytes / s rather slow mass memory.
The Toshiba Encore is our price point and for about 350 euros to have. The good features include GPS and micro-HDMI output. The battery keeps under load a long eight hours - in test operation, this was the longest achieved battery life. In practice this can be increased to 12 hours.
The Encore Tablet is 11 millimeters thick and with 445 grams is relatively heavy, thanks to its ribbed back but is well in the hand. It offers 64 GB of fast flash memory and uses an HFFS panel (High Performance Field Fringe Switching) instead of an IPS. Nevertheless, the viewing angles are just as good as with the tablets with IPS panels, only the maximum brightness is slightly lower.
Rank 4: Acer Iconia W4
The back camera is waiting with an 8-MP sensor, but needs no lightning.
The pen drive makes the Asus VivoTab Note 8 suitable for business applications. The Wacom digitizer is perfect for OneNote or the use of the tab as a digital drawing block. The pressure sensitive pen has its place in a housing insert and is always ready. Since it is supplied with power by induction, it can also be used without its own battery.
Place 5: Dell Venue 8 Pro
Despite this feature and the additional equipment with 64 GB Flash, Asus holds the price at just 350 euros. Somewhat weak are the interfaces set up: there is only one micro-USB socket and a micro SD slot.
On the credit side, the VivoTab features a GPS receiver and good speakers, which in true-to-the-true format allow even a real stereo effect. The overall performance is good, the battery life with six hours and 17 minutes only on the penultimate position.
The processor of the Iconia W4 works with 1.33 GHz and a maximum of 1.86 GHz in turbo boost mode. The tested version W4-820P with 32 GB flash costs nearly 300 euros.
With the included full version of Microsoft Office 2013 Home & Student, the flash memory is already half occupied. A micro SD card slot is available for further requirements. The transfer rate of the internal memory with a speed of 160 MB / s does not reach an SD card, of course. Our recommendation: The 64-GB version of the tablet for 350 euros.
The Iconia W4 is relatively thick and 415 gram with 1.1 centimeters. In addition to the Micro USB port, a Micro HDMI port is also available. Miracast does not master the W4, and even a GPS receiver is not on board. For this, Bluetooth 4.0 is possible. The rear main camera is equipped with a 5 MP sensor, which ensures good recording in good light conditions. A lightning is missing. The front camera has 2 megapixels.
The recharge time with activated WLAN is almost 7.5 hours in the test, in practice more than 10 hours in it.
With a price of 330 euros, the Dell Venue 8 Pro is the cheapest 8-inch Windows tablet with 64GB flash memory. Only nine millimeters thin and 395 grams of lightweight, thanks to the rubberized back, it's a good fit.
The battery will last more than seven hours under load. The readers of the eMMC flash memory is 79 MByte / s, which is quite slow. The Venue 8 Pro does not provide a micro HDMI socket, a GPS receiver is also missing. The built-in speaker brings only mono sound. This is supported by the Tablet Miracast and comes optionally with a Synaptics stylus.
Download: 8-inch tablets: Overview of test results
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