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The Asus VivoTab Smart uses full-fat, 32-bit Windows 8. This means that it can operate in the ‘standard' Windows desktop mode, and the modern 'tiles' mode which is great for touch screen devices. Asus includes a user manual that features some basic Windows 8 tips. A ‘guide' app is also installed and is very helpful.
With some slight adjustments to the installed apps and programs, such as removing the ones you deem useless (Microsoft Office trial, for example), you should be able to yield a free storage space of around 30 Gigabytes. We think that this is fine, taking the tablet's expected use into consideration. A good amount of work documents, pictures and music files can be saved in 30 gigs, in addition to a few compressed movies or videos.
Extra storage space can be obtained by using a micro SD card, although this will increase cost.
Asus' VivoTab Smart uses Windows 8, meaning that we see the standard Microsoft layout with dynamic tiles. There is a tile in the bottom-left corner which switches the tablet to Windows 8's full desktop mode.
Weather, maps, news and sport feature the sleek Windows 8 interface.
Bing has an app which allows you to search for content and then open the link, launching the default web browser.
Xbox games is present, but it is very limited in its title choices, especially those which are free and actually worth playing.
Windows 8 has an app store that is a far, far cry from the Google Play and Apple App stores. The choice is limited to basic, uncommon apps. We expect the store to grow in the future, but it will certainly take some patience on the consumer's part.
The SkyDrive app gives you access to your stored files and works well.
We quite liked the Music app's fresh interface and sleek design. More on that later.
The Video app was equally well-designed. Again, we will revisit the Video app later.
Asus adds a library app which displays your eBooks.
Asus keeps the Windows 8 install fairly clean, but a few extra apps are installed. One of these apps is asus@vibe Fun Center, which features free music from a number of artists and radio stations. It is a good app and is worth keeping, if only for the radio stations.
Another useful Asus app is Supernote. It is a fairly comprehensive note-taking, drawing and ‘doodling' package that has an easy-to-use interface.
The sidebar can be pulled on-screen to display and switch between the currently open apps/programs. A running app can be positioned on the side of the screen while the main window is still fully usable. This is good for reading the news while typing or sifting through photos.
A very convenient feature is the fact that the sidebar and side app modes are both fully functional while the tablet is operating in desktop mode.
Fantastic review Luke, how do you feel it shapes up against the Windows Surface? have you managed to get a hands on with it yet yourself? (as they are both Windows 8 im curious).
This looks great, I had been looking at an android tablet for months, and still cant decide as I liked the Surface in a local store.
Dont know what to get now 🙁
It is not ASUS fault, but Windows 8 APP store is very weak, its put me off moving over from my iPAD, but I dont like Apple or their practices using slave labour in china etc.
Its so hard to get a do it all tablet, but this is a good attempt by ASUS.
I need to get a hands on with this, as I will never pay for the Surface PRO to get access to X86 apps. this is a great move by ASUS considering the ATOM is probably a bit slow. very interested, but need to see one in the flesh. time to hunt this weekend in my local etailers. is it out now?
If I select “View All Pages” I get to a news item titled “All of humanity to own an Android phone one day”.
No apps? I’m running everything from Wireshark (try that on your iPad) to my PLC programs and games such as Age Of Titans. Quit thinking of it as being a Win8 tab and try thinking of it as a Windows PC. After you share your devices from your own PC tower, you’ll also have access to all of them as well so mine sits with my Canon Imagerunner, Pioneer DVDRW and 3TB Seagate External all available. For media I use Plex for video and Itunes for my music.
These true Windows 8 tabs are only hamstrung by their users… PERIOD. I’ve yet to see a reviewer do half of what I do as an actual daily driver of the Vivotab Smart. When compared to either my daughter’s 3rd gen iPad or my own Galaxy tab to my Vivotab Smart, the former are truly little more than really large phones and the latter a fantastically thin PC.
Had one and sent it back.
Its well made a relatively light, the display is really good.
Its slow to boot from cold and the wireless is weak. In desktop mode you need the bluetooth keyboard, i found the onscreen keyboard got in the way of many things when trying to use in desktop mode.
After i installed Windows updates and Firefox the wirelss was lost and nothing i tried could restore it. I rest the tablet to factory default which meant going through the setup process again and once it was all done it refused to accept the new account.
Personally i dont think its worth £400 especially if you wish to add the keyboard, your then looking at a nigh on £500 device and its simply not good enough for that money. At £400 with the keybaord it would be good value.
I had one too and sent it back, it was too slow and very frustrating. Those ATOM processors can barely handle basic tasks. This is a good buy if you must have a full windows 8. I cant believe the guy above said the app store is good and that he can run games on this? I could barely get solitaire to run smoothy.