Originally introduced during CES 2014 last month, the VivoTab Note 8 tablet from Asus is now listed on the Microsoft Store for $329 USD for the 32 GB model. The tablet is designed for one-handed use, providing ultra-slim bezels and a digitizer stylus based on Wacom technology.
"The digitizer stylus affords the best possible accuracy, speed, and responsiveness," the company revealed last month. "This, combined with over 1,000 levels of pressure sensitivity, provides an extremely natural writing or drawing experience, meaning you really can leave your sketchpad or notebook at home; the VivoTab Note 8 is all you need!"
According to the specs, the tablet has an 8-inch IPS screen with a resolution of 1280 x 800. This screen is backed by Intel's Atom Z3740 chip clocked up to 1.86 GHz, 2 GB of memory and a 15.5 Whr battery promising up to 8 hours on a single charge. Windows 8.1 (32 bit) is the OS of choice.
As for other features, the tablet comes with 32 GB of internal storage and a microSD card slot for 64 GB of additional storage. The tablet also has a 5MP camera on the back, a 1.2MP camera on the front, integrated Intel HD graphics, a microUSB port, support for Miracast and more. Microsoft Office Home & Student 2013 comes pre-installed.
For the 7-inch crowd, Nvidia has its own stylus-based layout for Android OEMs to distribute, the Tegra Note 7. Unlike the Asus tablet that relies on Wacom technology, Nvidia's stylus tech is all in-house, thanks to the Tegra 4 chip. The device also includes an LED-lit 7-inch screen with a 1280 x 800 resolution and 10-point touch input, 16 GB of internal storage, 1 GB of RAM, and more. We reviewed EVGA Tegra Note 7 version here.
If you're looking for a big tablet with stylus-based input, there's always the Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 2014 Edition, sporting a 10.1-inch screen with a 2560 x 1600 resolution. This is also an Android tablet, backed by a Qualcomm Snapdragon chip, 3 GB of RAM, up to 64 GB of internal storage and a battery promising up to 10 hours on a single charge. Other goodies include an 8MP camera on the back and a 2MP camera on the front.
As for the Asus tablet, Microsoft shows that the VivoTab Note 8 is out of stock, so keep checking back if this device tickles your fancy. If you don't want to wait, there are other options on the market like those listed above.
