Microsoft conducted an event in New Delhi on 6th March, where it showcased the latest Windows-based tablets of its OEM partners. Also present on this occasion were senior executives of its OEM partners -HP,Dell,Lenovo,Asus,Acer,Panasonic and Lava Xolo. Currently, 20 Windows tablets are available in India in diffrent price range.
Speaking on this occasion,Mr.Bhaskar Pramanik, Chairman, Microsoft India, said,“We, at Microsoft, are committed to offering consumers the best experiences. We are proud to share the availability of 20 different Windows tablets that Indian customers can choose from. Our partners and OEMs have shown a great amount of faith in the Windows OS and we thank them for that.”
According to Microsoft, since its introduction in mid-2010, the tablet category has witnessed huge growth in demand and shipments. Currently the hand-held segment leads with an impressive annual growth of 629%. Tablets are becoming more popular among the people on the go and for those who want to use just for surfing, messaging,emailing,entertainment and for casual work. The usage of the tablets is different depending upon the segments. For instance, students use the device largely for education and entertainment, while young professionals tend to use it more for connectivity, and the kids and housewives mostly use it for watching movies, playing games and for quenching their thirst for social networking.
The beauty of Windows-based tablets are that they allow multi-tasking, so you can listen to music, do social networking and download a presentation all at the same time. They come pre-installed with Microsoft Windows Home and Office 2013, and all Windows tablets are equipped with all-purpose ports that can connect to the TV via HDMI, the Internet via a dongle or a keyboard/printer/mouse/headphone via a USB port.
The appliacations play an important role to make tablet usage more interesting and hassle free for work and play. Microsoft do not let down its users on this front also. Windows customers can choose from 140,000 apps in the Windows Store and over 200,000 apps in the Windows Phone Store. Moreover, Microsoft keeps on adding useful apps for India specific. As per Microsoft, their customers have already downloaded Windows and Windows Phone apps over 250,000 million times.
We give below brief details of the eight tablets which were displayed at the event:
Acer Iconia W4 – 820 : This is driven by the latest Intel Atom processor and at 8″, it is compact enough to hold in one hand. Its screen is big enough for comfortable viewing and visuals are super-clear and vivid on the display with IPS and Zero Air Gap technologies. The W4 is packed with 8-hours of battery life and runs Windows 8.1. It is packed with Microsoft Office Home and Student 2013 for great productivity.
Estimated Price Range: 26,499
Specifications: Windows 8.1, Intel Atom (Z3740, 1.33 GHz, 2 MB), 8″ LED, Intel Graphics Media Accelerator HD – 2 GB Memory, 2MP & 5MP Front and rear cameras.
Asus Transformer Book T100TA : is compact and lightweight ultraportable device which can be used as a laptop and can be detatched easily for using it as a tablet. It is very easy to switch between the two in an instant. It weighs just 1.07kg, and when you detach the 10.1-inch display from the keyboard, it becomes an equally lightweight multi-touch tablet.
Estimated Price Range: 34,099
Specifications: Windows 8.1, Intel Atom -TZ3740Processor, 2GB RAM, 32 GB Storage, 10.1” screen, 1.2MP & 8MP Front and rear cameras
Dell Venue 8 Pro : It has 8″ HD screen, runs on Windows 8.1 and comes packed with Office Home & Student 2013.
Estimated Price Range: ? 26,499
Specifications: Windows 8.1, Intel Atom – Z3740D Processor, 2GB RAM, 32 GB Storage, 8” screen, 1.2MP HD & 5MP Front and rear cameras
Lava Xolo Win : The only Windows tablet to be assembled in India. It comes with a 10-point touch display, expandable storage through microSD Card and a long-lasting battery that gives 6 hrs battery back-up.
Estimated Price Range: ? 21,999
Specifications: Windows 8.1, AMD Temash A4 -1200 Processor, 2GB Memory, 32 GB Storage, 10.1” screen, 1MP & 2MP Front and rear cameras
Lenovo Thinkpad 8 : This 8.3″ multimode tablet comes with faster graphics and in three modes: Tablet, Desktop, and Tent.
Estimated Price Range: Price on Request
Specifications: Windows 8.1, Intel Bay trail – Z3770 Processor, 2GB Memory, 128 GB Storage, 8.3″ screen, 2MP & 8MP Front and rear cameras
HP Omni 10 : is powered by the Intel Atom Z3000 processor series , which delivers next generation performance. Ideal for professional and persoanl use.
Estimated Price Range: Price on Request
Specifications: Windows 8.1, Intel Atom Z3770 Processor; 2 GB RAM; 32 GB Storage, 10.1″ Display, 2MP & 8MP Front and rear cameras
Panasonic Toughpad FZ-M1: The world’s thinnest & lightest rugged 7-inch tablet
Estimated Price Range: ? 1,25,000
Specifications: Windows 8.1, Intel Core i5 vPro Processor, 4GB Memory, 128/256 GB Storage, 7″ Display, 2MP & 5MP Front and rear cameras
Panasonic Toughpad FZ-G1 : The thinnest and lightest fully-rugged toughpad running Windows 8 Pro
Estimated Price Range: ? 175,000
Specifications: Windows 8.1 Pro, Intel Core i5-3437U vPro Processor, 4 GB RAM; 128 GB Storage, 10” Display, 720P (HD) & 3MP Front and rear cameras
