LUXEMBOURG: The first portrait-aspect Windows 8 tablet is here. The Acer Iconia W3 is an 8.1-inch Windows tablet that costs significantly less than the Microsoft Surface RT at £279. However, there are a few compromises involved with this little tab.
Despite what Microsoft verbally expresses, Windows 8 contrivances aren’t flying off the shelves right now, with the tablet market proving to be a particularly tough nut to crack.
It’s lightweight and svelte, and the tile-predicated Windows 8 scales well to the more minute screen. This turns out to be a great size for one-viewer video playback (via Netflix, for example), or the Windows 8 News app. A micro SD card slot and HDMI and USB ports keep the tablet from feeling too disconnected, and the battery life isn’t ineptly incompetent at all.
For that alone, Acer’s Iconia W3 was a triumpher as anon as the eight-inch full-Windows tablet arrived in the office. When Dana Wolman was able to wrestle it away for a review, she found that there was much to love, including the plausible price, free replica of Office and the long battery life. The only demerits were due to a scarcely frugal build quality and imperfect keyboard but you have to expect a few compromises when a product costs $380.
