14 DAY TRIAL // Remember ASUS’ VivoTab Note 8 tablet? The device was launched in early in 2014 and quickly became the favorite of many, especially due to its Wacom stylus support.
The tablet introduced at CES 2014 in Las Vegas took advantage on an Intel Atom processor and can be currently purchased for about $250 / €193 from Amazon, although its original price revolved around $330 / €255.
But as we have been reporting here at Softpedia, owners of the VivoTab Note 8 have been struggling with issues related to the smart pen, which reportedly stopped working for no reason.
Some workarounds have been found, yet they seem to be temporary solutions.
ASUS has a new VivoTab 8 in the pipeline
But what if you could make do without the Wacom stylus support altogether? Well, now you have that option, as a new version of the VivoTab 8 (M81C) has been spotted online on the official ASUS website.
This model comes with an 8-inch display and takes advantage on an Intel Atom Bay Trail processor but arrives devoid of digital pen support. That means that the new tab will sell for less than the already affordable VivoTab. And it won’t give you headaches in the pen department.
The original VivoTab 8 took advantage of an 8-inch IPS display with 1280 x 800 pixel resolution and drew power from an Intel Atom Z3745 quad-core processor fitted with 2GB of RAM and 32GB/64GB of internal memory. The budget version brings less in terms of specs
The device also offered 802.11n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and ran Windows 8.1 out of the box. However, the cheaper VivoTab 8 will be sold only in 32GB flavor with either 1GB or 2GB of RAM attached to it.
The new model is equipped with little bit less in the photo department (2MP frontal camera and 2MP on the back) compared to the original, which took advantage of a 5MP rear one and 1.2MP up on front). It has a 15.2WHr battery, while January’s VivoTab has a 15.5WHr one.
ASUS seems to have slimmed down the bezels and the weight of the new model, so kudos to the company for delivering increased portability at a cheaper price.
The device also comes with stereo speakers and microSD card reader to expand internal memory.
We’re not exactly sure when the new model will go up for sale, but we’re convinced that if you were planning to purchase an ASUS VivoTab 8 but were worried about the pen malfunctioning, this new model might capture your interest. Unless you were looking to buy the tab mainly for the pen, which means you will have to look somewhere else.
