The latest in school tablets now have Windows
8 software so classrooms can take advantage of touch screens while continuing
to use the software they own and know. Up to a point, that is. That’s because
in addition to Windows 8, there will also be Windows 8 RT, which will be used
on smaller and lighter devices that have the potential to run for 12 hours. The
problem is that your favorite software won’t run on RT and there really isn’t
much of a programming ecosystem established for it at this point. Luckily,
these systems will come with a version of Office.
Here’re the latest that run the gamut from
single-purpose slates to hybrids and convertibles that can assume several
personas in the school.
More Than
Skin Deep
Probably the
most adventurous tablet at the start of the Windows 8 generation is Microsoft’s
Surface. Based on Windows RT, you’ll need to buy new apps, but the $500 tablet includes
a version of Office, has a 10.6-inch touch-screen that has a nice kick stand.
Inside is a quad-core Nvidia Tegra processor, a pair of USB ports and 32- or
64GB of storage space. It weighs 1.5-pounds and has a $100 optional keyboard.
Touchy Tablet
The latest
from HP is the ElitePad 900, a 10.1-inch tablet that weighs in at 1.5 pounds
and is less than 0.4-inches thick. The key difference it has from the pack is
that the ElitePad can take on a variety of personalities with add-on hardware
that HP calls Jackets. There’re Jackets with a keyboard, ports, and extra
battery life. Because the system uses Windows 8 software, a school can continue
to use the programs it owns and knows.
Iconic Iconia
Acer’s latest
slate, the Iconia W510 is Windows 8 all the way, with a 1.5GHz Intel Atom Z2760
processor, 2GB of RAM and 32GB of solid state storage for $500; there’s also a
64GB model for $600. Its 10.1-inch screen is made of toughened Gorilla glass, has
HD audio as well as stereo speakers and there’s an optional keyboard dock that
can turn it into a netbook. All told, the slate weighs 1.3 pounds.
Slip and
Slide
Instead of a
convertible or a snap-on keyboard, Sony’s VAIO Duo 11 Hybrid has a keyboard
that slides in and out as the screen is raised or lowered. The Windows 8 system
features an 11.6-inch display, an Core i3, i5 or i7 processor and the choice of
4-, 6- or 8GB of RAM as well as either 128- or 256GB solid state drive. Unlike
most of the competition, the 2.9-pound Duo 11 comes with a stylus and sells for
$1,100.
Full Bore
Tablet
It’s a shame
that nobody told Fujitsu that the Stylistic Q572 isn’t a full notebook
computer, but its AMD dual-core Z-60 processor and 4GB of RAM and up to 256GB
of solid state storage says otherwise. The slate has a 10.1-inch screen, a slew
of ports and the system can be ordered with the choice of either Windows 8 or
Win 8 Pro. It weighs a hefty 1.8 pounds, though.
Mental
Exercise
Yoga can help
people relax while gaining strength, but Lenovo’s Yoga 11 and 13 are strictly
about providing support for classroom education with systems that convert from
slates to keyboard centric systems. The 13.3-inch version is the bigger of the
two at 3.4-pounds and uses the full version of Windows 8. It has a Core i5 or
i7 processor, up to 8GB of RAM and a 256 solid state storage drive. Expect it
to cost $1,000.
By contrast,
Yoga 11 uses Microsoft’s minimalist Windows RT software, as is the case with
the Surface system. Yoga 11 includes an 11.6-inch screen, an ARM-based
processor and as large as 64GB of solid state storage. The pad weighs in at
just 2.8-pounds, yet its battery can run for several school days work of work.
Touching
Upgrade
Have a slew
of desktop PCs that you want to turn to touch machines for Windows 8? Dell’s
S2340T is a 23-inch wide-screen LCD monitor with a difference. In addition to
being able to show 1,920 by 1,080 resolution the screen responds to input from
10 fingers and it folds flat for horizontal work. It has a Web cam, speakers
and a microphone, and costs $650.
