The "tablet wars" are underway. Apple, Amazon, and Google are the main combatants, with Microsoft coming late to the party. The Redmond, Wa.-based software giant, however, is banking that consumers will decide that Windows 8, scheduled to debut this Friday, was worth the wait.
ASUS was among the first to announce tablets designed to run the all-new Windows version. The Vivo Tab and Vivo Tab RT both combine a high-resolution, multi-touch display with a detachable QWERTY keyboard dock.
Both devices employ TruVivid technology that provides improved color clarity and superior scratch resistance, combined with a mobile dock that transforms the tablets into clamshell ultraportables. The dock also provides a secondary battery, track pad, and USB port.
The Vivo Tab RT, shown today on the Fox 8 News Morning Edition, features the NVIDIA Tegra 3 quad-core processor and 12-core GPU, 2GB RAM, and either 32GB or 64GB user storage. The unit runs Windows RT, which supports ARM, rather than Intel processors.
The tablet also features a 10.1-inch display with 1366 x 768 resolution,
Super IPS+ technology, and SonicMaster technology to ensure top-quality audio. Also included are high-quality front/rear cameras and a built-in NFC sensor. The latter allows the unit to easily sync with other NFC-enabled devices.
Windows RT includes
Microsoft Office Home and Student 2013 Preview, but the operating system will not run software designed for previous Windows versions. For additional software, you must visit the new
Windows Store, an ecosystem that mimics
Google Play and the
Mac App Store.
The
ASUS Vivo RT with docking station sells for
$599 (32GB) or
$699 (64GB). For more information, visit
ASUS.com.
ASUS ViVo Tab RT (shown with bundled docking station)
Brother HL-5470dw monochrome laser printer
