10 Windows Tablets, Laptops Under $200: Holiday Steals
Gadget shoppers can choose from an array of sub-$200 Windows 8.1 tablets and laptops -- offering more power than you'd guess.
A few years ago, if you needed an inexpensive gadget to round out your holiday shopping, you'd grab an iPod Nano or some other portable media player. Nowadays, for about the same price, you can get a tablet, laptop, or two-in-one device running Windows 8.1. These new devices have their limitations, but compared to yesteryear, $150 to $200 gets you a lot of computer.
When Black Friday hits this week, some of these new devices will cost less than $100, putting Windows devices in impulse-buy territory for the first time. Even if you miss out on the best deals, several new models are still available for less than $200.
The least expensive of these new Windows machines are pretty utilitarian. They don't have the brightest or crispest screens. Nor do they have the most processing power, the highest resolution webcams, the most onboard storage, or the most RAM, compared with higher-priced laptops and tablets. That's because many of these devices are essentially scraped-together, low-end components that satisfy Windows 8.1's new minimum hardware requirements. Can they run demanding programs such as Adobe After Effects? Technically, yes. But with only 1 GB of RAM and processors designed for energy efficiency and low cost instead of power, these devices aren't ideally suited to the job.
Still, many are an intriguing value, offering impressive power for the money if all you need is Internet access, Skype, Netflix, and a core set of Windows applications. In fact, most include a free one-year subscription to Office 365, or in some cases a standalone copy of Office. This means that if you were already planning to shell out $70 for a one-year subscription to Office 365 Personal, you can get the software and a new tablet for as little as $30 more. Not bad.
Not crazy about Windows 8.1's tile interface? Windows 10 is just around the corner. By upgrading your new Windows 8.1 device to Windows 10 you won't have to deal with Start menu withdrawal for long. There's even a good chance the upgrade will be free, given that Microsoft wants to move both Windows 7 and 8 users to Windows 10. In the meantime, Windows 8.1 is not as bad as its reputation -- if you take the time to tune your system's settings.
Why the sudden windfall of cheap Windows tablets and laptops? You can thank Apple and Google. iPads and Android devices dominate the tablet market. Google Chromebooks, popular because they offer productivity apps and web browsing on the cheap, are eating into the low-end PC market. Microsoft needs more users, and quickly, if Windows is going to have a chance on mobile devices; and if you need sales in a hurry, aggressive pricing is a good tactic.
To make these new, inexpensive Windows devices happen, Microsoft eliminated or reduced license fees for several consumer versions of Windows 8.1 while also relaxing the operating system's hardware requirements. These moves decreased costs for manufacturers and incentivized them to fill the market with inexpensive Windows tablets, laptops, and two-in-ones.
The strategy seems to be working. In October, as many of these new Windows devices hit the market, Windows 8.1 enjoyed by far its biggest monthly market share gain this year.
It remains to be seen whether the cheaper Windows devices eventually will translate into Windows 10 sales for Microsoft. Neither do we know whether the cheapest of the new devices -- which skimp the most on hardware -- will live up to buyers' expectations. What's certain is that Microsoft's new strategy gives consumers more options than ever, and could help mobile devices running Windows end up under more Christmas trees this year.
Check out our gallery to see 10 of the least expensive tablets and laptops available on Black Friday. All of them run Windows 8.1 except one, the Microsoft Surface 2 tablet. It uses the less-capable Windows RT operating system, but we include it because of its irresistible Black Friday price drop.
One final word: As has become the norm over the last few years, Black Friday for many outlets will start Thursday evening at 8:00 p.m. local time and end when supplies run out. So if you have your heart set on one of these super-affordable Windows 8.1 machines, you'd better head to the store soon after eating your Thanksgiving turkey, much as you might prefer tryptophan-fueled slumber.
This laptop offers a familiar clamshell design in a fairly portable and affordable package. Its 11.6-inch, 1366-pixel-by-768-pixel screen doesn't support touch, and its battery life is rated at a short five hours. But with a dual-core Intel Celeron processor, a 32-GB solid state drive for internal storage, USB ports, and a relatively light weight of 2.84 pounds, the Aspire E-11 could be a good laptop for budget minders.
When the first Windows mini-tablets hit last year, a standout was Dell's Venue 8 Pro, an 8-inch device that originally retailed for $299. This year's followup, the Dell Venue 8 Pro 3000, is an even nicer tablet and sells for $100 less ($199). On Black Friday it will be marked down to $149.99.
The Venue 8 Pro 3000 has a quad-core Intel Atom processor, an 8-inch 1280-pixel-by-800-pixel screen, and a 32-GB solid state drive for storage. Memory is a miserly 1 GB, but the tablet does have a nice 5-MP rear camera, a 1.2-MP front camera, and a micro-SD card slot. It's also available with a stylus and folio for $229.99. Like most of the other devices here, the Dell Venue 8 3000 includes a one-year subscription to Office 365 Personal.
Most of the new Windows 8.1 devices are coming from big players such as HP and Dell, but Microsoft's looser licensing terms and hardware requirements have encouraged some new players to enter the ring. They include California-based tablet maker E Fun, whose Nextbook 8 tablet will be among Black Friday's most affordable devices.
The E Fun Nextbook 8 will be available from Walmart for just $99, down from $149. As you might expect, it's one of the most barebones devices here. It has a quad-core Intel Atom processor and a 1280-pixel-by-800-pixel touchscreen but only 1 GB of RAM. Its front webcam has a resolution of only 0.3 MP, while its rear camera is a better but still relatively shoddy 2 MP. Storage is a skimpy 16-GB solid state drive, although you can expand that with the built-in microSD slot and the OneDrive cloud storage you get as part of the included one-year subscription to Office 365 Personal.
Black Friday is partly about the latest gadgets, partly about big discounts on last year's hot devices. Microsoft's Surface 2 tablet debuted last fall at a hefty $449. Between Nov. 27 and Dec. 1 it will go for $299, or $150 off the regular price.
The Surface 2 runs the Windows RT operating system, rather than Windows 8.1. This means it can't run your favorite legacy desktop programs. If all you want to do is use Microsoft Office and Skype, browse the web, or watch movies, though, the Surface 2's nicer hardware might be worth the tradeoff. The Surface 2 is an ARM-powered two-in-one that can be used as a tablet or a laptop. Its 10.6-inch full-HD screen outclasses most of the screens on the other tablets and laptops here. Its graphics processer, an Nvidia Tegra 4, shows its age, but it comes equipped with a USB 3.0 slot, a 3.5-MP front-facing camera, and 5-MP rear camera.
Acer was one of the first companies to launch a Windows mini-tablet, the 8-inch Iconia W3. Unfortunately, it was a lousy device, plagued by a poor screen and a weak processor. We wouldn't have recommended it at any price, much less the $399 Acer originally wanted. The W3 reminded us why it's always best to check out a device in person before buying.
Since then, Acer has improved the Iconia and brought prices way, way down. Hitting the market this month after an announcement earlier in the fall, the new Iconia Tab 8W is only $149.99. The 8-inch screen features the same 1200 pixels by 800 pixels resolution as earlier models but gains IPS technology. This means that, whereas earlier Iconias were plagued by fuzzy, low-contrast screens, the new model offers better viewing angles, sharper images and more accurate colors. The Tab 8W has an Intel Atom processor and 1 GB of RAM, like most comparably priced Windows tablets. Where it excels is portability. The 8W is just under 10 mm thick and weighs less than a pound. That includes a 32-GB solid state drive and a microSD slot. Acer also includes a detachable keyboard.
With an Intel Atom processor, 1 GB of RAM, and only 16 GB of storage, Toshiba's 7-inch Encore Mini tablet is a modest Windows 8.1 device like most of the others here. Its screen has only a 1024-pixel-by-600-pixel resolution, and it carries a low-resolution 0.3-MP front camera and slightly better 2-MP rear camera. But at $119, the Encore Mini is one of the cheapest devices here. It's powerful enough to be a decent consumption device, or even a PC companion for reviewing Office documents while on the go. It has a micro-USB 2.0 port, a microSD slot for extra storage, and a battery rated to last about seven hours. A one-year subscription to Office 365 Personal, along with preloaded apps such as Netflix, is included.
Even at $249, Dell's Inspiron 15 laptop is a decent non-touch Windows 8.1 laptop. On Nov. 28 the price will drop from $249 to $189.99. The Inspiron 15's 15.6-inch screen is gigantic compared to the competition, though the 1366-pixel-by-768-pixel resolution is run-of-the-mill. The laptop is powered by an Intel Celeron processor and has 4 GB of RAM, significantly more memory than most other sub-$200 Windows 8.1 machines so it should be able to handle tasks much more quickly. It also boasts a 500-GB hard drive, which is worlds more storage than the 16-GB and 32-GB solid-state drives in comparably priced devices, albeit using the older spinning disks technology. Two USB 2.0 ports and an HDMI port round out the nice set of features.
HP's Stream tablet comes in three versions: the Stream 7 with 7-inch 1280-pixel-by-800-pixel screen, $100; the Stream 8 with 8-inch screen and the same resolution, $150; and the Stream 8 with built-in broadband support for the 4G LTE network, $180. All these mini tablets use the same components as most of the other low-cost Windows 8.1 options. Each features a quad-core Intel Atom processor, 1 GB of RAM, and a 32-GB solid state drive for storage. But all these tablets have nicer cameras than most of the other devices here: 5 MP on the back and 2 MP on the front. The 7-inch tablet has the best battery life of the three, rated to last eight hours on one charge. The Streams come with a one-year Office 365 Personal subscription, also par for the course among devices in this class.
Where HP's budget Windows 8.1 devices really stand out is connectivity. To complement its built-in broadband radio the Stream 8 includes 200 MB of free 4G data a month on T-Mobile's network, no contract required, for the life of the device.
The Asus EeeBook X205TA is already a pretty good deal at $200. On Black Friday, Staples will drop the price to $99, making it one of the best Windows 8.1 budget options here. The EeeBook's design -- clamshell with a touchpad and an 11.6-inch, 1366-pixel-by-768-pixel screen -- makes it easier to work on than a similarly-priced 8-inch Windows 8.1 tablet. It's a compelling alternative to a Chomebook as well. Extremely portable, the device measures less than an inch tall and weighs less than 2.2 pounds.
The EeeBook is powered by an Intel Atom processor and 2 GB of RAM -- nothing spectacular, but a bit more juice than what's in other sub-$200 Windows options. It's rated to last up to 12 hours between charges. There's a 32-GB solid state drive for storage, with two USB 2.0 ports, an HDMI port, and a micro-SD card slot opening up other options. Finally, Asus bundles not one but two cloud storage options: not only OneDrive with the included one-year Office 365 Home subscription, but 500 GB of Asus Webstorage for two years.
The Nextbook 10.1 is a beefed-up, slightly more expensive two-in-one version of the bare-essentials Nextbook 8 tablet. Sold at Walmart, the 10.1-inch 1280-pixel-by-800-pixel touchscreen comes with a detachable keyboard, 32 GB of storage, a mini-SD slot that can add another 64 GB of capacity, and a micro-USB port. The cameras are only so-so, including a 0.3-MP front camera and a 2-MP rear camera. Also, like most devices in this slideshow, the Nextbook 10.1 includes just enough processing muscle to get by, with an Intel Atom quad-core processor and 1 GB of RAM under the hood.
The Nextbook 10 has a 3-axis G-sensor, which E Fun says will make 3D games easier to play. A free one-year subscription to Office 365 Personal comes bundled.
or visit
or visit
-
About the Author(s)
You May Also Like