Android and Apple have dominated the tablet
market pretty much since it began (though the very first devices were for
Windows back in the day). But with Windows 8's touch screen capabilities, the
small but growing range of Windows devices really has something worthwhile to
offer.
Nokia2520
Nokia's first tablet comes in a range of bright colours and a host of
attractive features, including the ability to beef up the 32GB memory with a
microSD card and 4G network capability too.
The 10.1 inch screen offers an HD resolution of 1,920x1,080 pixels, matching
the resolution of the 10.6 inch screen on the Microsoft Surface 2. The
quad-core processor is clocked at 2.2GHz and feels very fast indeed, zipping
through apps which open pretty much instantaneously.
It also has the best camera you'll find on a Windows tablet -- 6.7 megapixels with Carl Zeiss optics, as well as a 1.2 megapixel webcam on the front for video calls.
It's running the stripped-down RT version of Windows, but you still get the latest Office software, plus Nokia Music (free music playlists), Here Maps and the new Nokia Storyteller, which tracks where and when you took your pics.
Wired: Eye-catching design, powerful processor, fine screen, decent camera, Windows Office, Nokia services, 4G connectivity, expandable memory, good battery life, fast charging
Tired: App store still underpopulated
Cost: £399
Score: 9/10
Read our full review of the Nokia2520
MicrosoftSurface Pro 2
It's a bit on the chunky side as a tablet, but inside there's a powerful 1.6GHz Intel Core i5 processor capable of handling just about anything you care to throw at it, including HD gaming.
This new version features a stonkingly sharp 10.6 inch screen with 1,920x1,080 pixel resolution, a pen stylus and now offers not one, but two positions for the metallic kickstand on the back.
As with all Surfaces, you can spend a bit extra to get a flip-on keyboard cover.
Wired: Sturdy build, tough two-point kick-stand, fine screen, terrific keyboard covers, full-size USB 3.0 port, improved battery life
Tired: Not cheap, bulky and heavy
Cost: £719 (64GB) - £1,439 (512GB)
Score: 8/10
Read our full review of the MicrosoftSurface Pro 2
MicrosoftSurface 2
The spec is lighter too, though it will do all the standard tasks you need quickly and efficiently -- just don't expect it to go all the way with heavy data processing or the most complex HD games.
Still, the 10.6 inch (1,920x1,080) screen looks every bit as good as the Pro (though it only supports five-point touch, not ten) and it has the same choice of keyboard covers to give it full laptop capability: the thin Touch Cover 2 (£100) and the slightly deeper Type Cover 2 (£110).
Wired: Sturdy build, tough two-point kick-stand, fine screen, terrific keyboard covers, full-size USB 3.0 port, improved battery life
Tired: Limited apps in Windows Store
Cost: £359 (32GB), £439 (64GB)
Score: 7/10
Read our full review of the MicrosoftSurface 2
ToshibaWT310
The 11.6 inch 10-point touch screen offers an HD resolution of 1,920x1,080 pixels and it comes with a stylus which, unlike the Surface Pro 2's, slips neatly into a slot in the side. The 1.5GHz quad-core processor is backed by 4GB RAM which should be super fast, but in practise we found it more sluggish than the spec would suggest.
It's running Windows 8 Pro rather than the very latest 8.1, which is a shame, as is the overly loud fan.
Wired: Sturdy build, full-size USB 3.0 port
Tired: Bulky and heavy, not cheap, loud fan
Cost: £965
Score: 6/10
Read our full review of the ToshibaWT310
0 comments:
Post a Comment