Affordable Android tablets are easy to find. However, Microsoft recently lowered the Windows OS licensing fee for original equipment manufacturers, enabling companies to offer Windows tablets for more affordable rates to better combat cheaper Android versions on the market.
The Toshiba Encore Mini Windows Tablet is among the first Windows 8.1 tablets to take advantage of the reduced licensing fee. “And in April, Microsoft announced that it would let manufacturers put Windows 8.1 on small tablets—9 inches or less—at no charge,” Fast Company explains. “That’s the price cut that made a device like the Encore Mini possible.”
The Toshiba Encore Mini Windows Tablet will be available for only $119 on September 22. So what can users expect from the new affordable tablet?
Specs and Features
The device features a 7-inch display with a 1024×600 screen resolution. It is packed with 16GB of internal storage—which is not much— but luckily the device features a MicroSD slot so users can expand the storage space with an aftermarket MicroSD card. The tablet will also support Wi-Fi and packs two cameras: The front-facing camera is 0.3 megapixel while the rear-facing camera is a larger 2.0 megapixel clicker. There is also an HDMI port to pipe video out to an HDTV.
Fast Company calls the design “plain and plasticky,” yet this is understandable and expected from such a low-cost tablet sporting a full pre-install of Windows 8.1. Less costly components help keep overall MSRP down, so high speed USB 3.0 is out. Instead, Toshiba has opted for a single Micro-USB 2.0. The company has also tossed in a USB to micro USB cable to help with compatibility of companion devices.
Most importantly, this is now the most cost-effective way to obtain a full version of Windows 8.1. Does the Toshiba Encore Mini Windows Tablet grab your attention?
Image courtesy of Flickr
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