In-Depth
Windows RT Gallery: 5 Standouts
Not to be outdone by Microsoft's own Surface RT offering, OEMs from Dell to ASUS are rolling out their own Windows RT-based tablets. Here are a few of the standouts.
- By Gladys Rama
- December 18, 2012
Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 11
Weighing 2.8 pounds with an 11.6 inch HD display, the IdeaPad Yoga 11 is being touted by Lenovo as the "world's slimmest multi-mode PC." Like the Yoga 13, its larger and more expensive Ultrabook cousin, the Yoga 11 can be used in four positions: Laptop, Tablet, Tent and Stand (pictured). Available in silver and orange, the Yoga 13 runs on a NVIDIA Tegra 3 quad-core processor and has a 1 megapixel webcam, an HDMI jack and two USB 2.0 ports. Built-in energy-management features give the Yoga 11 up to 13 hours of battery life. This PC is expected to become available sometime this month, with pricing starting at $799 for the 32GB version.
Dell XPS 10
The XPS 10 comes in at 1.4 pounds, and sports a 10.1 inch edge-to-edge glass display and two cameras -- a 2 megapixel front-facing webcam and a 5 megapixel rear-facing camera. It comes preinstalled with drivers for most mice and printers and is powered by 1.5 GHz dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 processor. The XPS 10 has been available for preorder since late October, with a base price of $499.99 for the 32GB model and $599.99 for the 64GB model. An optional Mobile Keyboard Dock, available for both versions for an additional $180, gives users two USB slots and one HDMI port. The XPS 10 is expected to ship Dec. 20.
ASUS VivoTab RT
ASUS designed the VivoTab RT, shown here with an optional keyboard dock, with mobile entertainment in mind. The brushed-metal tablet weighs roughly 1.2 pounds and is 2.3 mm thick, with an 8 megapixel camera and a 10.1 inch scratch-resistant glass display. It also features built-in NFC capabilities, a Micro HDMI port and Micro SD card reader, and runs on a 1.3 GHz NVIDIA Tegra 3 quad-core processor. Alone, the tablet provides nine hours of battery life, but the detachable keyboard adds up to seven more hours. The tablet retails for $599 for the 32GB version and $699 for the 64GB, but for those who purchase by year's end, ASUS is sweetening the deal by offering the keyboard dock for free.
Samsung ATIV Tab
Samsung's player in the Windows RT device arena is the ATIV Tab, a graphite-grey tablet PC. In terms of dimensions, the ATIV Tab has a10.1 inch HD display, is 8.9 mm thick and weighs roughly 1.3 pounds. Users have the option of purchasing an attachable keyboard. The tablet features two cameras -- a 5 megapixel rear-facing camera with flash and a 1.9 megapixel front-facing camera -- and comes with built-in NFC capabilities. It runs on a 1.5 GHz dual-core Qualcomm processor and promises up to 12 hours of battery life. The ATIV Tab will be available in 32GB and 64GB. Price and availability were not available by press time.
Microsoft Surface RT
The Surface RT tablet itself doesn't look appreciably different from other Windows RT tablets, at a passing glance. The tablet is wrapped in a dark titanium VaporMg casing, weighs about 1.5 pounds and features a 10.6 inch HD display with front- and rear-facing cameras. The first differentiator is the built-in kickstand, which unlatches from the back of the tablet to prop up the display. The second is the brightly colored array of Touch Covers, which attach magnetically to the Surface tablet when it's not in use and flip out to act as keyboards when the tablet is turned on. Without a Touch Cover, a 32GB Surface RT tablet costs $499. With a basic black Touch Cover, the price is $599 (more, if users want a different color). The 64GB model comes with a black Touch Cover and costs $699.
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