Acer Iconia W4-820 8.1-inch Tablet (Silver) (Intel Z3740 1.33GHz, 2GB RAM, 32GB Storage, Wi-Fi, BT, Camera, Windows 8) (Personal Computers)

I have several mobile devices, including the original iPad and an Android tablet and, while they’re great devices, there are many Windows programmes that I need to use. I used to have a 9″ Asus netbook, which served that purpose, but netbooks disappeared. There is the Surface Pro, but that’s only for those with big money bags.  The best solution for taking full-Windows with me is one of these 8″ tablets. I chose the Iconia W4 primarily due to the good reviews and also because it’s one of the few in this range with HDMI-out. Being just 8″, there will come a time that I’ll want to plug in a larger screen. Tablets without HDMI out would be too restrictive for me.

Except for the bizarre choice of having to use the mini-USB port for charging (meaning you can’t connect USB devices if you need to charge the tablet at the same time), this is a great mobile option.

The Iconia W4 feels like a good, sturdy device. It is built to a budget. In terms of performance, it should be considered the modern equivalent of a netbook. It’s very responsive, and will run all of your normal Windows software (probably not resource-intensive ones), but you shouldn’t expect the same kind of speed/performance as your desktop or power laptop. Neither Windows (at least, in desktop mode), nor your usual software, is optimised for the tablet experience and this should be taken into account before deciding on an 8″ device.

The Iconia W4 comes with Windows 8.1 plus Microsoft Office Home & Student – the cost of both together would come to almost the same price as the whole package, which puts its price into perspective.

If you intend to load up the tablet with disk-hogging software or media, then the 32GB model won’t be for you. There’s barely half of the stated capacity available for your own stuff. I used to run a 12GB netbook (with only 4GB for the C:drive), so I know a little about conserving space and, as such, I run a lot of PortableApps off a 32GB SD card, which helps keep them off the internal drive. Together with cloud storage (I selectively sync certain Dropbox folders to my SD card), it’s a workable compromise.

So long as you know that you’re not buying a powerhouse laptop/desktop, and you’re familiar with the usual foibles of Windows, you’ll find the Iconia W4 very usable. The convenience of taking full Windows on the road without being weighed down by a cumbersome laptop, or relying on a tablet that’s restricted by “apps”, wins out over any performance limitations for me. Doing something as simple as printing from any software to any printer gives the mobile experience a sense of freedom that I was sorely missing from my other tablets.

I wouldn’t use a tablet like this as my main computer (although, with HDMI-out and connecting my wireless keyboard/mouse, I could probably do that), but it’s certainly going to get a lot of use.