14 DAY TRIAL // Windows 8.1 tablets have been getting insanely cheap. If you follow the industry, you might be aware that HP is currently selling one of its Stream tablets for just $99 / €78, while Toshiba Encore Mini is available for the same price from the Microsoft Store.
Microsoft’s strategy is to try and make Windows 8.1 accessible to anybody out there that wants the convenience of a tablet at their disposal.
Cheap Windows 8.1 tablets are now available in physical shops
But if you’re not a big fan of HP or Toshiba, but still want to get a taste of the cheap Windows 8 goodness, you might want to check out what popular American retailer Best Buy is offering its customers.
The store is offering the Insignia Flex with Windows 8.1 with the same $100 / €78 price tag as the two devices mentioned above.
The tablet is actually the first super-cheap Windows device of its kind, customers can pick up from their local brick and mortar locations.
The tablet arrives with an 8-inch TFT display with 1280 x 800 pixel resolution and draws power from an Intel Atom Z3735F quad-core processor fitted with the usual 1GB of RAM and 16GB of internal storage.
It has a microSD card slot, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, HDMI and two cameras (2MP on the back and 2MP up in front).
To compare, the Toshiba Encore Mini comes with a 7-inch display with 1024 x 600 pixel resolution with 16:9 resolution.
It’s powered by a quad-core Intel Atom CPU fitted with 1GB of RAM and backed up by 16GB of internal storage. To complete the spec list we have a micro USB 2.0 port and Wi-Fi 802.11n and two cameras.
Like all budget Windows tablets, the Insignia Flex comes with a 1-year subscription to Microsoft Office 365 Personal.
Don't expect to be able to run desktop-class Windows apps on the Insignia very well
However, tablets like the Insignia Flex are basically the equivalent of extremely cheap Android tablets. Some might argue that the Google Play Store is home to a lot of tablet-optimized apps, compared to the Windows Store.
But on a cheap Windows tablet, you can at least run legacy Windows software (barely, but you can). Furthermore, the device comes with tight integration with Microsoft’s office and services like OneDrive, Office and Skype.
For those who crave a Windows tablet capable or running desktop-class apps, you should probably try looking somewhere else, like in the direction of the ASUS Transformer Book T100, Acer Aspire Switch 10,11 or 12. Surely, you’ll have to invest more to purchase on, but at least you’ll be able to do more on them.
