The first tablets and laptops with Windows 8.1 for less than 200 euros are here
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Microsoft opened the ban for computers with Windows 8.1 under 200 euros and manufacturers have responded during the 2014 edition of the IFA fair. Thanks to the version of the operating system with Bing and the savings on its license, companies can further adjust the price of their devices and offer cheap alternatives in the competitive market for tablets and laptops.
These two segments are where it is directed Windows 8.1 with Bing and in them we have already seen several teams that are worth considering .Whether we are looking for a small tablet, a netbook or a laptop; the Toshiba, Acer, HP and ASUS devices that we review here are presented as the first options to have Windows 8.1 for less than 200 euros.
Toshiba Encore Mini
Positions below 200 euros Toshiba has preferred to go further and approach 100 euros. It has done so with a new model of its Encore Windows tablet. In this case, it is the Toshiba Encore Mini, a 7-inch tablet with basic specifications to adjust its cost as much as possible that will hit stores in the coming months with a recommended price of 119, 99 euros
For this money Toshiba has prepared a tablet with a screen with resolution of 1024x600 pixels and a Intel Atom Z3735G processor accompanied by 1 GB of RAM and 16 GB of internal storage.Along with this, the rest of the usual elements of a tablet, with WiFi connectivity up to 802.11n and Bluetooth 4.0, micro SD card slot, 2 and 0.3 megapixel cameras and a battery capable of providing 7 hours of autonomy.
In Xataka | Toshiba Encore Mini, touchdown
Acer Iconia Tab 8 W
Tightening the price a bit less, Acer has also prepared a Windows 8.1 tablet with Bing. In this case, it is a new model for its Iconia series, the Acer Iconia Tab 8 W. With it, Acer will offer full Windows 8.1 in a tablet with a larger and better screen than Toshiba for a little more money in the coming months: 149 euros
The Acer Iconia Tab 8 W features an 8-inch IPS display with a resolution of 1280x800 pixels. Inside, the configuration is similar to that of its rival, with Intel Atom Z3735G processor and 1 GB of RAM, but with 32 GB of internal storage (expandable via micro SD).The rest of the basic characteristics of a tablet are still present in a device that promises up to 8 hours of autonomy contained in its body of 9.75 millimeters thick and 350 grams in weight.
ASUS VivoTab 8
The last, for now, to join the new batch of tablets is ASUS The Taiwanese manufacturer has revealed through its website a new model of the VivoTab series. This is the ASUS VivoTab 8, an 8-inch tabelt with slightly higher specifications than its rivals and with a price yet to be known but which will probably also be below 200 euros
Like the Acer model, the ASUS VivoTab 8 has an 8-inch IPS display and a resolution of 1280x800 pixels, but in this case it has a slightly higher processor, the Intel Atom Z3745The rest of the specifications are similar, with 1 GB of RAM, 32 GB of internal storage, and a battery of up to 8 hours. All this together with 2 megapixel rear and front cameras and the usual connectivity and sensors, including GPS.
ASUS EeeBook X205
ASUS also wanted to take advantage of the savings on the Windows 8.1 license with Bing to try to revitalize the netbook format. With the ASUS EeeBook X205, the manufacturer recovers what was the emblematic brand of the segment and tries to adapt it to a new era. It also does so by breaking the barrier of 200 euros and reducing its price to 199 euros
As a good netbook, the ASUS EeeBook X205 is a small-sized laptop with a promising battery life (up to 12 hours according to ASUS). It features an 11.6-inch screen and 1366x768 pixel resolution.Weighing 980 grams, we find a Intel Atom Z3735 processor, 2 GB of RAM and 32 GB of internal storage. The equipment also has a large multi-touch touchpad, two USB 2.0 ports, microHDMI output, micro SD card slot and Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n and Bluetooth 4.0 connectivity.
HP Stream
And if what we are looking for is a larger laptop HP has the answer. The North American manufacturer was the first to announce its intention to put a computer with Windows 8.1 on sale for less than 200 euros, the HP Stream 14.Although it has not yet been officially announced, the specifications of a computer that aspires to offer all the versatility of a 14-inch laptop for justhave already been leaked. 199 euros 299 dollars (the final price has increased).
In addition to the screen size, known specifications for the HP Stream include a AMD A4 Micro-6400T quad-core processor at 1.0 GHz, which could be accompanied by 2 GB of RAM and a Radeon R3 integrated graphics card. The laptop would have just 32GB of internal storage, offset by 100GB of OneDrive space for 2 years. For the rest, it is also expected to contain three USB ports (one of them USB 3.0), HDMI input, SD card slot and touchpad with support for multi-touch gestures on Windows 8.1.
