Asus VivoTab 8 is a Windows tablet built around stylus use

There’s no shortage of 8-inch Windows 8 tablets right now. We’ve recently reviewed models from Acer, Dell, and Lenovo, each with their own strengths and weaknesses, but also largely similar in terms of components and price.

Standing out in this crowd is tough, and Asus at least makes a good attempt with the $329 VivoTab 8, which is the only one of our current 8-inch Windows 8 tablet review systems to include a stylus. The Wacom stylus tucks into a tiny recess in the bottom-right corner of the system and supports the standard Wacom 1,024 levels of pressure sensitivity, although the VivoTab doesn’t exactly come packed with compatible software (you do get OneNote from Microsoft, however). Aside from that, the system is largely comparable to the Dell Venue 8 Pro or Acer Iconia W4 (although the Acer has a larger 64GB SSD at its $349 starting price).

Performance is generally in the same ballpark across the four Windows 8 tablets in this size category that we’ve tested recently (the fourth being a $500 Lenovo ThinkPad 8, which has a higher-resolution screen), and the Acer W4 wins for best battery life. The Asus VivoTab sits firmly in the middle of the pack, and doesn’t have as many ports and connections as some others, so I’d recommend it primarily if you’re looking for a stylus-friendly tablet.

Specs compared

	Asus VivoTab Note 8	Lenovo IdeaTab Miix 2	Acer Iconia W4-820-2466
Price	$329	$599	$349
Display size/resolution	8.1-inch, 1,280 x 800 touchscreen	10-inch, 1,920 x 1,200 touchscreen	8.1-inch, 1,280 x 800 touchscreen
PC CPU	1.33GHz Intel Atom Z3740	1.33GHz Intel Atom Z3740	1.33GHz Intel Atom Z3740
PC Memory	2048MB DDR2 SDRAM 1066MHz	2048MB DDR2 SDRAM 1066MHz	2048MB DDR2 SDRAM 1066MHz
Graphics	32GB Intel HD Graphics	32GB Intel HD Graphics	32GB Intel HD Graphics
Storage	32GB SSD hard drive	128GB SSD hard drive	64GB SSD hard drive
Optical drive	None	None	None
Networking	802.11 b/g/n wireless, Bluetooth 4.0	802.11 b/g/n wireless, Bluetooth 4.0	802.11 b/g/n wireless, Bluetooth 4.0
Operating system	Windows 8.1 (32-bit)	Windows 8.1 (32-bit)	Windows 8.1 (32-bit)

Design and features

While the 0.90-pound VivoTab 8 isn’t the thickest or heaviest of our Windows 8 tablets, it’s not the most petite, either. In this particular grouping, the Dell Venue 8 Pro was the lightest, at 0.86-pound, while the Acer W4 was the heaviest at 0.92-pound.

The VivoTab 8, however, has smooth edge-to-edge glass over its front face, as opposed to some of the other models which have either a tiny raised lip at the very edge, or in the case of the Acer W4, an odd plastic outer border.

Including a stylus is a plus, and making sure to find room to store it is even better. The stylus slot is discreet, and even hard to see if you don’t know to look for it. The stylus itself is small and plastic, and it doesn’t telescope into a longer version as some examples do, but it’s perfectly serviceable, and fun for quick sketching or note-taking.

The black back panel has a matte finish that resists fingerprints well, but the camera lens placement is unusual. It’s in the horizontal center of the back panel, toward the top edge when held in portrait mode. Most other tablets, as well as phones, phablets, and other handheld devices, put the camera in the top-left corner.

Another annoyance, the all-important Windows key, a key (no pun intended) part of the entire Windows 8 experience, is relegated to a tiny, hard-to-see button along the left edge. Of course, you should make sure to not confuse that with the nearly identical button along the right edge — that’s the power button.

While some other Windows tablets have a physical or haptic touch button on the front face to act as a Windows key, your only other option here besides the semihidden button is to physically swipe out the Charms bar from the right hand side of the screen. If you have no idea what I’m talking about, you may want to prepare for some Windows 8-operating-system culture shock.

The 8-inch display has a native resolution of 1,280×800 pixels, which is the same as the other lower-cost Windows 8 tablets. Add another $150 to $200, and you’ll be able to trade up to a higher screen resolution, although on such a small display, that’s not a must-have. The IPS screen in this case is clear and bright, and it responds quickly to touch or stylus input. Off-axis viewing angles are also very good.

Ports and connections

Connections, performance, and battery

The most basic ports are here — a micro-USB that doubles as a power connection, a microSD card slot, and an audio jack. But there’s no video output (some other tablets have Micro-HDMI ports), and even to use the ones here, you’ll need the appropriate adapter or cable.