What Windows 8 Tablet To Buy This Holiday 2013

Christmas and the Holiday shopping season is approaching and you are probably wondering what Windows 8 or Windows 8.1 tablet to buy, either for you or to gift it to someone. We go through the best offers in the market and bring you the best there is.

This holiday season is a very important one for Microsoft as the Redmond giant plans on selling 16 million Windows tablets, which is a very bold purpose and one that is obviously aimed at the new iPads and Android tablets. The overhaul that Windows 8.1 brought to Windows 8 hopes to help Microsoft make Windows 8 tablets mainstream and also improve the Windows retail experience.

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We won’t put here all the Windows 8 and Windows RT tablets but only the best there is, of course, without making a hole in your budget. Prior to getting down to some of the best Windows 8.1 and Windows 8 tablets you could buy this holiday, what you need to know is how to choose your tablet. There are some important things we need to clear before proceeding, as you might find use in these advices when looking for the best Windows 8 tablet to get this Christmas.

What are you going to use it for?

This is the very first question you need to ask yourself. If you plan on buying a Windows 8 tablet this holiday to play games, watch move and entertain yourself, then you don’t need to buy accessories to stay productive. Instead, you’ll need to pay attention at its performance and display. If, on the other hand, you plan on doing a lot of work on it, software and accessories mater. Or, you could find one that makes a mix of these two.

What is your budget?

The cheaper, the better, one might say, but cheap many times means also poor quality. While hunting for a good offer make sure you don’t forget about quality. If you have a generous budget, then you could be looking at a hybrid device, not only a tablet. Of course, only if you need such a device. If you have more than $1000 to spend, then you’re probably looking at an awesome hybrid, convertible laptop. But there are even sub-$500 Windows 8 convertibles that you could rely on. Bottom line is this – decide how much you can spend and what is your definite budget for the acquisition.

What software?

Here, it all comes down to Windows 8 or Windows RT. If it weren’t for under-$500 tablets that come with Windows 8.1 preinstalled, maybe Windows RT would still have a chance. But other that Microsoft’s Surface tablets and Nokia’s 2520, there’s not too much to see here. Granted, the Nokia 2520 is one great looking device and if you’re attracted by its shine, then go for it, it deserves it. But don’t forget that Windows RT is a dumber version of Windows 8, lacking a lot of the important features.

Some of the best Windows 8 tablets for this holiday

Some of you might consider this list biased, but feel free to leave your comment at the end of the article letting us know what do you consider to be the best Windows 8 tablet to choose this 2013 season. What we have included in this list is a good mix of affordable and reliable tablets, but also gaming machines and super powerhouses. You decide what’s best for you.

Lenovo Miix 2 from $300

Lenovo Yoga 2 Pro from $929

Processor – 4th Generation Intel Core i3-4010U Processor (1.70GHz 1600MHz 3MB)
Operating System – Windows 8.1 64
Display/Resolution – 13.3″ QHD+ LED Glossy Multi-touch 3200×1800
Graphics – Intel® HD Graphics 4400
Memory – 4.0GB PC3-12800 DDR3L SDRAM 1600 MHz, up to 8 GB
Hard Disk Drive – 128GB SSD, up to 256
Integrated Communications – Bluetooth® 4.0, Intel® Wireless-N 7260 (802.11bgn)
Sound – Stereo speakers Dolby® Home Theater®, integrated microphone
Battery – Up to 9 hours with standard battery
Weight (Net) – Starting at 3.1 lbs
Camera – 2MP front camera / 5MP rear camera
Connectors – 1 USB 3.0, 1 USB 2.0, micro-HDMI, 2-in-1 card reader, combo jack

Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 11S from $800

Processor – 3rd generation Intel® Core™ i3-3229Y (1.40GHz 1600MHz 3MB)
Operating System – Windows 8.1 64
Display/Resolution – 11.6″ multimode high-definition (1366 x 768) display, 16:9 widescreen with IPS technology
Graphics – Integrated Intel® HD Graphics 4000
Memory – 4GB PC3-12800 DDR3 SDRAM 1600 MHz SODIMM, up to 8GB
Hard Disk Drive – 128/256/512GB DDR (double data rate) SSD (solid state drive); HDD Interface: m-SATA II (SATA300); DMA Mode: Transfer Multiword DMA mode-2, Ultra-DMA Mode 6; User Upgradable: No
Integrated Communications – Bluetooth® 4.0, WiFi 802.11 b/g/n, 3G
Sound – Stereo speakers, integrated microphone
Battery – Up to 7 hours
Weight (Net) – Starting at 3.1 lbs
Camera – Integrated 720p HD webcam
Connectors – Micro-USB, Micro SD, Micro SIM, Audio Combo Jack

Toshiba Encore from $330

Screen Size – 8 inches
Max Screen Resolution – 1280×800 pixels
Processor – 1.8 GHz Atom Z3740
RAM – 2 GB DDR3
Internal storage – 32 GB
Thickness – 0.43 inches
Cameras – high-resolution 8MP camera, plus 2MP HD webcam for video calls and chats
Graphics Coprocessor – Intel HD Graphics
Wireless Type – 802.11bgn and also Micro USB 2.0 and Micro HDMI ports
Weight – 1.1 pounds (0.5 kg)
Flash Memory Size – up to 32 GB
Sensors – gyroscope, accelerometer and GPS
Other offers – 30 days of free unlimited world calling to landlines in Skype; full version of Office Home Student 2013

ASUS Transformer Book T100 from $350

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Dell Venue 11 Pro from $500

Thickness – .4 inches
Weight – 1.57 pounds
Screen size – 10.8 inches
Operating system- Windows 8.1
CPU – Intel Bay Trail
RAM size – 2 GB, 8 GB, 4 GB

Dell XPS 11 from $500

Dimension – 0.6 inches Thickness, 1.20 Kg (2.5 Pounds)
Display – 11.6 inches, 2560 x 1440 Pixels resolutions, Gorilla Glass, Wireless Display
Connectivity – USB 3.0, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth
Software – Windows 8 OS
Performance – Intel HD Graphics, Intel Core i3 Processor, 4 GB RAM, 256 GB Internal Memory

DellVenue 8 Pro

Processor – Intel® Atom™ processor Z3740D with 32GB storage (2MB Cache, up to 1.8GHz Quad-Core)
OS – Windows 8.1 (32Bit) English
Memory – 2GB Single Channel DDR3L-RS 1600MHz
Video Card – Intel® HD Graphics
Display – 8.0 inch IPS Display with HD (WXGA 1280 x 800) resolution with 10-pt capacitive touch
Dimensions – Thickness: 0.35” (9mm), Width: 5.12” (130mm), Length: 8.50” (216mm); Weight – Starting at 395g / 0.87lb
Wireless – Dell Wireless 1538 Dual-Band 2×2 802.11n WiFi + Bluetooth® 4.0
Camera – Integrated 1.2MP HD Webcam (front) / 5MP (back)
Ports – 1 x Micro-AB USB2.0 (for trickle charging and data transfer), 1 x Headphone and microphone combojack, 1 x 3FF micro-SIM slot (optional)

Sony Vaio Tap 11 from $800

World’s thinnest (0.39”) Windows 8 Tablet PC
Features an aluminum magnetic full pitch keyboard/cover with a touch pad
SD card reader, USB 3.0, micro HDMI and Intel® Wireless Display (WiDi) which easily streams the computer screen directly to compatible HDTV
Estimated 6 hours of battery life
OS: Windows 8.1
Powered by the Intel® Pentium® 3560Y or 4th generation Intel® Core™ processors

Sony Vaio Tap 21 from $1000

Battery life – Up to 4 hours
Weight – 4.4 lbs
Dimensions – 20.61″ x 12.63″ x 1.39″ All-in-One PC
Screen size and resolution – 21.5″, 1920 x 1080
Hard drive size – 1000 GB HDD
RAM – 4 GB
Processor – Intel Haswell ULT i5
Graphics -Internal
Ports – Wireless keyboard & mouse, HDMI® out, USB 3.0, NFC

Microsoft Surface Pro 2 from $900

Software – Windows 8.1 Pro
Dimensions – 10.81 x 6.81 x 0.53 in
Weight – 2 lbs
Casing – VaporMg
Color – Dark Titanium
Storage & Memory – 64/128GB, 256/512GB; 4GB RAM/GB RAM
Display – Screen: 10.6 inch ClearType Full HD Display, 10-point multi-touch
Resolution: 1920 x 1080, Aspect Ratio: 16:9 (widescreen)
CPU & Wireless -4th generation Intel® Core™ i5 Processor, Wi-Fi (802.11a/b/g/n), Bluetooth 4.0 Low Energy technology
Battery Life – 7-15 days idle life, Charges in 2-4 hours with included power supply
Camera,Video & Audio – Two 720p HD cameras, front and rear-facing, Microphone, Stereo speakers with Dolby® sound
Ports – Full-size USB 3.0, microSDXC card reader, Headset jack, Mini DisplayPort

Lenovo ThinkPad Tablet 2 from $566

Processor – Intel® Atom™ Processor Z2760 (DC/4T, 1.8Ghz Burst, 1.5Ghz HFM, 600Mhz LFM)
Operating System – Windows 8 32
Display – 10.1″ (16:9) HD WXGA (1366×768), Multitouch IPS
System – Intel HD GMA
Base – 64GB, WiFi, Digitizer & Pen
Memory – 2GB LPDDR2
Battery – 2-cell Li-Polymer Battery, 30 Wh

These are, in my humble opinion the best Windows 8 tablets and convertibles you could buy for the 2013 holiday season. We will be updating this story with new entries, if needs be. Albeit we did include some ultrabooks, powerful convertibles and even all in ones, we tried to stay below the $1000 mark.

Feel free to leave your comment below if you think another device should make the cut. You can also feel free to let us know which is your favorite Windows 8 tablet and why. Happy Christmas and have a wonderful holiday season ahead of you!

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What are you going to use it for?#

What is your budget?#

What software?#

Some of the best Windows 8 tablets for this holiday#

Lenovo Miix 2 from $300#

Lenovo Yoga 2 Pro from $929#

Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 11S from $800#

Toshiba Encore from $330#

ASUS Transformer Book T100 from $350#

Dell Venue 11 Pro from $500#

Dell XPS 11 from $500#

DellVenue 8 Pro#

Sony Vaio Tap 11 from $800#

Sony Vaio Tap 21 from $1000#

Microsoft Surface Pro 2 from $900#

Lenovo ThinkPad Tablet 2 from $566#