Asus Vivo Tab Note 8 M80TA

[Kumabjorn]

Asus recently released the M80TA more popularly known as the Vivo Tab Note 8, an 8" slate with a Wacom digitizer and stylus inside a silo. On paper this seems the ideal companion for colloege students, and it may very well be when we reach August, right now the build quality is less than optimal.

The device runs a 32-bit version of Windows 8.1, comes in 32 GB and 64 GB models, both with a Micro SD slot. The 32 GB model holds the recovery image on an included Micro SD card. On the 64 GB model it sits on the eMMC C:drive. Office H&S is also included all for a list price of $299 (32) or $349 (64), street price should be around $50 lower. This probably makes it the least expensive full blown Windows device on the market. A cheap USB OTG connector a hub and a keyboard and mouse, perhaps an external monitor and you have a very portable device that should work as decent productivity device in your dorm room. The Atom processor and the 2 GB of RAMs should tell you pretty clearly that games will be limited to chess and Candy Crush.

Advantages are that you can run any Windows based e-Reader inside the slate and it is just the right size to hold in one hand while annotating with th the other. Here, however, is where the main problem appears. The message from boards around the World is that Asus has messed up the Wacom digitizer. After around a month's usage the pen fail rate is, if not stratospheric at least troposhperic. Users have to request RMAs at an alarming rate from Asus. What is worse, depending on your country the response rate may vary wildly. It seems Asus lacks a Corporate wide strategy for dealing with manufacturing problems.

Until a new improved version is released, staying away is the safer bet.

[RZetlin]

Rumor has it Microsoft is coming out with their Surface Mini.

So I say wait.

[Glorfindel]

Competition.. gotta love it

[mgmueller]

Originally Posted by Kumabjorn

Asus recently released the M80TA more popularly known as the Vivo Tab Note 8, an 8" slate with a Wacom digitizer and stylus inside a silo. On paper this seems the ideal companion for colloege students, and it may very well be when we reach August, right now the build quality is less than optimal.

The device runs a 32-bit version of Windows 8.1, comes in 32 GB and 64 GB models, both with a Micro SD slot. The 32 GB model holds the recovery image on an included Micro SD card. On the 64 GB model it sits on the eMMC C:drive. Office H&S is also included all for a list price of $299 (32) or $349 (64), street price should be around $50 lower. This probably makes it the least expensive full blown Windows device on the market. A cheap USB OTG connector a hub and a keyboard and mouse, perhaps an external monitor and you have a very portable device that should work as decent productivity device in your dorm room. The Atom processor and the 2 GB of RAMs should tell you pretty clearly that games will be limited to chess and Candy Crush.

Advantages are that you can run any Windows based e-Reader inside the slate and it is just the right size to hold in one hand while annotating with th the other. Here, however, is where the main problem appears. The message from boards around the World is that Asus has messed up the Wacom digitizer. After around a month's usage the pen fail rate is, if not stratospheric at least troposhperic. Users have to request RMAs at an alarming rate from Asus. What is worse, depending on your country the response rate may vary wildly. It seems Asus lacks a Corporate wide strategy for dealing with manufacturing problems.

Until a new improved version is released, staying away is the safer bet.

I've got the Dell Venue 8 Pro, more or less the same specs as the ASUS.
Only difference: Not a WACOM stylus, but an optional Dell-specific pen (only working on Venue 8 Pro and 11 Pro).
The first generation of this pen, based on numerous reviews, seems to have been a disaster.
I've got the second generation pen. And it's working surprisingly well. Actually, it's more precise than the WACOM styli on Surface Pro 1 & 2 or Dell Latitude 10.
I've decided for the Venue 8 Pro against the ASUS mainly because of the cover with the integrated bluetooth keyboard. Only letdown: The keyboard uses a none-rechargeable battery. Else it's working great.

I've thought about the Lenovo Thinkpad 8. For now by far the highest resolution of all Windows 8 8" tablets.
But there are lots of reports about failing speakers and such and I'm sceptical about Lenovo in general.

I'll definitely buy a Surface Pro mini as soon as it comes out.

[Kumabjorn]

Only ten days to go.
The digitizer on the Dell is by Synaptics, makers of touchpads.

[aceflor]

I know we are talking about 8" tablets, and I am too waiting for the surface pro mini, but in the mean time have been using two bigger windows 8.1 tablets, one with (Samsung Ativ Tab 3) and one without stylus (Asus Transformer T100).

Funny enough, I get much better performances out of the Ativ, which has received really bad reviews everywhere (it features a Clover Trail processor whereas all new ones are on Bay Trail). I have had no problems whatsoever running everything I need. It runs 8.1, has Office Home, an S-pen and a nifty cover with a BT keyboard.

So for those reading this, wanting a win 8.1 tablet with a pen, and not needing it to for photographic projects (I hear Photoshop has problem running smoothly on the Ativ Tab) but maybe for classes or small graphic works (this is my primary use for it), the Ativ could be an alternative. I use Office extensively, One Note, surf the web, watch movies, read during recess. I do not play games with it.

I bought the tablet new for 399,-€ including S-Pen (it slips in the tablet) and BT Keyboard Cover. The format is 10.1", and for those of you owning a Galaxy Note 10.1", the Ativ Tab 3 will look extremely familiar. I have a Galaxy Note 8 and it has been a great companion, but my work group switched to One Note and I needed a Win 8.1 solution because the Android One Note version is just crap.

I will still look at the Surface Pro Mini (if it ever comes out) but am not sure at all to like the price....

Edited to say: Oh, yes, the most important : as with every Samsung I have owned, the S-Pen is just magical. How can it be possible that only Samsung gets it to work perfectly well ? After all, it is using Wacom too. I had tried an Asus Vivotab a month ago and was very disappointed with the stylus performance, I never had a Dell in my hands (they are hard to find) but did not read the best about their stylus.

[Kumabjorn]

I can't be sure, but I think Samsung is a bit disingeneous in their usage of the Wacom digitizer. If you look at the S-Note application (don't know if it is available on the Windows version) the lines stop about 1 cm from the bezel, making you stop Writing all the way to the edge. Wacom's problem seem to be along the right edge, because people try to write all the way until they hit the bezel. The Koreans create the vision of an edge less close to the bezel, so you don't go there.

[mgmueller]

Originally Posted by aceflor

I know we are talking about 8" tablets, and I am too waiting for the surface pro mini, but in the mean time have been using two bigger windows 8.1 tablets, one with (Samsung Ativ Tab 3) and one without stylus (Asus Transformer T100).

Funny enough, I get much better performances out of the Ativ, which has received really bad reviews everywhere (it features a Clover Trail processor whereas all new ones are on Bay Trail). I have had no problems whatsoever running everything I need. It runs 8.1, has Office Home, an S-pen and a nifty cover with a BT keyboard.

So for those reading this, wanting a win 8.1 tablet with a pen, and not needing it to for photographic projects (I hear Photoshop has problem running smoothly on the Ativ Tab) but maybe for classes or small graphic works (this is my primary use for it), the Ativ could be an alternative. I use Office extensively, One Note, surf the web, watch movies, read during recess. I do not play games with it.

I bought the tablet new for 399,-€ including S-Pen (it slips in the tablet) and BT Keyboard Cover. The format is 10.1", and for those of you owning a Galaxy Note 10.1", the Ativ Tab 3 will look extremely familiar. I have a Galaxy Note 8 and it has been a great companion, but my work group switched to One Note and I needed a Win 8.1 solution because the Android One Note version is just crap.

I will still look at the Surface Pro Mini (if it ever comes out) but am not sure at all to like the price....

Edited to say: Oh, yes, the most important : as with every Samsung I have owned, the S-Pen is just magical. How can it be possible that only Samsung gets it to work perfectly well ? After all, it is using Wacom too. I had tried an Asus Vivotab a month ago and was very disappointed with the stylus performance, I never had a Dell in my hands (they are hard to find) but did not read the best about their stylus.

My Dell Latitude 10, which I had bought 14 months ago, performs very well, too.
The new processors seem to be more efficient regarding energy consumption.
But regarding performance, I haven't run in any serious problems on the Latitude 10 either.
And surprisingly enough, the WACOM stylus on Latitude 10 is slightly more precise than the one on my Surface Pros 1 and 2.

I think, Kumabjorn's explanation totally makes sense.
It's been a while, since I've had a Samsung unit.
But if the note app really stops 1cm from the bezel, this helps avoiding 99% of the WACOM problems.
On Surface Pro, personally my main issue is in the upper left corner. Starting about 8mm from the bezel and getting disastrous (the marker suddenly "jumping" a few millimeters) the last 5mm.
On a small unit with 8" or something like that, loosing an entire centimeter (on each side!) probably wouldn't be acceptable. But on anything bigger than 10"...

Given the experience with WACOM, I had been extremely scecptical about the pen on Dell Venue 8 Pro.
I had ordered it without the pen.
Then, after hearing some positive reviews about the second generation pen, I've ordered that pen.
My simple thought: It's optional. If it's too frustrating, I simply won't use it.
The only letdown: There's no slot in the housing, I have to attach it to the cover or take it with me in a suit pocket or something like that.

Anway:
Performance, even on 18 months old Windows 8 tablets, usually is more than adequate.
I'm pretty sure: If the desktop (which seems to confuse lots of users) would be "hidden" as a background task and if there would be more games and such in the Windows store, acceptance of Windows tablets would be on par with Android and iOS...

[aceflor]

So I was intrigued by Kuma's explanation and went to have a look. There is S-Note on the Ativ, but it is not as good as the Android version. Anyway, no problem with the right edge, nor with the left, whether in landscape or portrait. None either with One Note.

On the Galaxy Note 8, which I also own, no problem either. Which Note do you have Kumabjorn ?

[Kumabjorn]

Originally Posted by aceflor

So I was intrigued by Kuma's explanation and went to have a look. There is S-Note on the Ativ, but it is not as good as the Android version. Anyway, no problem with the right edge, nor with the left, whether in landscape or portrait. None either with One Note.

On the Galaxy Note 8, which I also own, no problem either. Which Note do you have Kumabjorn ?

I have Note 3, 8 and 10.1
I compare with the Asus Vivo Tab Note.
It could be that Samsung extends the digitizer under the bezel so the "edge" problem is hidden where you can't write. It could also be that Samsung shields any magnets in speakers better than Asus. The Wacom digitizer is electro-magnetic so it will be affected by the presence of magnets, hence some covers that contain strong magnets wreak havoc with the digitizer.

What happens is as I get closer to the edge, the ink line becoms a bit thinner and the space between lines will be more compact. The ink will also tend to drop a little and "bounce" back towards the left. It also happens on the Galaxy devices, but to a much lesser degree, you really have to pay attention to notice it.

[aceflor]

Originally Posted by Kumabjorn

I have Note 3, 8 and 10.1
I compare with the Asus Vivo Tab Note.
It could be that Samsung extends the digitizer under the bezel so the "edge" problem is hidden where you can't write. It could also be that Samsung shields any magnets in speakers better than Asus. The Wacom digitizer is electro-magnetic so it will be affected by the presence of magnets, hence some covers that contain strong magnets wreak havoc with the digitizer.

What happens is as I get closer to the edge, the ink line becoms a bit thinner and the space between lines will be more compact. The ink will also tend to drop a little and "bounce" back towards the left. It also happens on the Galaxy devices, but to a much lesser degree, you really have to pay attention to notice it.

yes, now I see what you mean. On my Note 8 it is apparent on the left edge. If I start drawing a line on the bezel and keep drawing it on the page, the first mm are not shown. if I go back and re-draw from right to left, the line is drawn up till the edge.

[Kumabjorn]

Originally Posted by aceflor

yes, now I see what you mean. On my Note 8 it is apparent on the left edge. If I start drawing a line on the bezel and keep drawing it on the page, the first mm are not shown. if I go back and re-draw from right to left, the line is drawn up till the edge.

This problem is much more apparent on the Asus. Hence, Samsung has done a better job of hiding the problems contained in a Wacom digitizer.

[HowGozit]

Originally Posted by Kumabjorn

Asus recently released the M80TA more popularly known as the Vivo Tab Note 8, an 8" slate with a Wacom digitizer and stylus inside a silo. On paper this seems the ideal companion for colloege students, and it may very well be when we reach August, right now the build quality is less than optimal.

The device runs a 32-bit version of Windows 8.1, comes in 32 GB and 64 GB models, both with a Micro SD slot. The 32 GB model holds the recovery image on an included Micro SD card. On the 64 GB model it sits on the eMMC C:drive. Office H&S is also included all for a list price of $299 (32) or $349 (64), street price should be around $50 lower.

I purchased this device. Intention was to use it with Onenote to take notes in business meetings, as well as use as an ereader/RSS reader.

On the whole - it has worked for that. There were issues with the Wacom styluses not working well within 2mm of the edge. There was a driver update that helped with that.

The build quality is .... variable. There is a bright spot on the screen that is noticeable at boot - but which disappears when the screen comes up with Windows. I have the 64GB version - there is around 17 GB free now after around 5 months use. The buttons don't feel robust - I mainly only use the on button to power on - everything else (including going to the Win 8 tile screen) I use the charms bar for.

Speed is quite adequate. I have a 64GB SD card in for books and movies. Screen res is 1280x800 and quite sharp. Weight/size is such that I can carry it in an inside pocket and not worry about it. Lugged it all over a ship as a reader on a recent cruise - worked fine - instant on and good for reading epubs.

Battery life is all day for my use - around 7-8 hours, I suspect. Usually no worse than 40% left at end of day.

So far - very happy with it.

Ross

[Glorfindel]

Great review, thanks

[WillAdams]

Picked one up when I saw a 64GB unit at a price I couldn't resist.

Very pleased w/ it so far --- it evokes vibes of my Fujitsu Stylistic ST-2300 (~same screen size) and NCR-3125 (same digitizer tech --- I'm dating myself, aren't I?).

Still trying to come to terms w/ Windows 8 (and still find myself missing PenPoint and FutureWave SmartSketch).