Win 8.1 tablets incoming; $249 and up

[fjtorres]

The Dell Venue 8 incher isn't the only Win8.1 tablet incoming.
It isn't even the cheapest:
http://www.zdnet.com/several-under-3...e539&ttag=e539

Acer: Updated version of 8-inch "Bay Trail" W3-810. Battery: 8 hours. Price: $349
ASUS: 10.1-inch "Bay Trail" Transformer Book Trio T100TA. Battery: 12 hours. Price: $329. (This is a complement to the pricier 13.3-inch Transformer Book.)
Dell: 8-inch "Bay Trail" Venue. Battery: 10+ hours. Price: $299
Dell: 10.8-inch codenamed "Midland" running "BayTrail." Battery life: 9 hours (replaceable). Price: $399
Lenovo: 8-inch "Bay Trail" Miix 8. Battery: 8 hours. Price: $249
Lenovo: 10.1-inch "Bay Trail" Miix 2. Battery: 8 hours. Price: $449.
Nokia: 10.1-inch Qualcomm (ARM) codenamed "Sirius." Battery: Up to 10 hours. Price: $499
Toshiba: 8-inch "Bay Trail" Encore. Battery: 6-7 hours. Price: $329

Plenty of choices and the prices look good.

[HomeInMyShoes]

I think we are turning the corner on a Windows 8.x based tablet being a viable option for people.

[pl001]

The original source of that story with a more comprehensive look:

http://winsupersite.com/windows-8/fa...medium=twitter

[Julius Caesar]

Can I install any Windows software I want with a non RT version of Windows 8.1 tablet?

[robko]

Originally Posted by Julius Caesar

Can I install any Windows software I want with a non RT version of Windows 8.1 tablet?

With a Windows "Pro" (= full Windows = not Windows RT) you should be able to within the restrictions of RAM, CPU speed and GPU. So in other words if it works on a notebook it will probably work on the tablet.

[dwig]

Originally Posted by Julius Caesar

Can I install any Windows software I want with a non RT version of Windows 8.1 tablet?

What robko said plus...

... within the visibility limits of the smaller screen and provided the software's UI works adequately in a touch environment (unless you're willing to add a keyboard and mouse.)

The larger full Windows tablets (~10" display) will likely prove the best solution for those wanting to read the common letter-size and large book size PDFs. Being able to run the full version of Adobe Reader will solve many of the rendering issues that occasionally arise with the PDF readers on tablet/phone OSs.

[fjtorres]

Originally Posted by robko

With a Windows "Pro" (= full Windows = not Windows RT) you should be able to within the restrictions of RAM, CPU speed and GPU. So in other words if it works on a notebook it will probably work on the tablet.

Yup.
Win8.1 x86 tablets are notebooks without keyboards.

[Kumabjorn]

MS Surface RT is already a $199 slate. They are called refurbished on eBay, but the only thing refurbished about them are those stickers. Surface 2 is coming soon, shall we guess $149 for the Surface RT at that time? I think MS just want to get out as many as possible so there is a viable market for programmers.

[ilovejedd]

ASUS: 10.1-inch "Bay Trail" Transformer Book Trio T100TA. Battery: 12 hours. Price: $329. (This is a complement to the pricier 13.3-inch Transformer Book.)

The Transformer Book Trio is a different product from the Asus T100 Bay Trail tablet. The Trio is 11.6" and dual boots Android and Windows (with dock). I'm guessing price tag for the Trio is also much higher than $329.

[Julius Caesar]

Can I install multiple operating systems of my choosing with a Windows 8 tablet including the one not made by Microsoft but designed for Intel based computer? Can I do this without jailbreaking?

[ilovejedd]

Originally Posted by Julius Caesar

Can I install multiple operating systems of my choosing with a Windows 8 tablet including the one not made by Microsoft but designed for Intel based computer? Can I do this without jailbreaking?

As long as it's an x86-based tablet, I think it's possible as long as Secure Boot is disabled in UEFI (jailbreak or root doesn't really apply here). Problem is whether the hardware's going to work properly with a different OS.

[fjtorres]

Originally Posted by ilovejedd

As long as it's an x86-based tablet, I think it's possible as long as Secure Boot is disabled in UEFI (jailbreak or root doesn't really apply here). Problem is whether the hardware's going to work properly with a different OS.

Drivers are the bane of alternate OSes on x86.
The touch screen and the pen digitizer are the most likely sources of trouble.

The Surface RT (original or the next generation) is great hardware but lacks good ebook reading software - does anyone know of a good epub reader?

[fjtorres]

Originally Posted by emt

The Surface RT (original or the next generation) is great hardware but lacks good ebook reading software - does anyone know of a good epub reader?

The three I know of are Overdrive, Freda, and Nook.
Not sure how they'll fit your needs but they *are* free...

[ilovejedd]

Originally Posted by fjtorres

Drivers are the bane of alternate OSes on x86.

Tell me about it. Way, way back, wanted to run Kubuntu on my laptop. Alas, wifi was problematic so ended up ditching it and going back to XP. Things are much improved since then on that front but given how new these mainstream x86 tablets are, I'm not holding much hope for the touchscreen/digitizer working seamlessly right off the bat.