A new generation of Windows 8.1 tablets and laptops are about to land in the shops. What's new about them is that they are cheaper than their predecessors. For instance, the tablets will be priced around the £80-£100 level, making them direct competitors with low cost Android devices. Yet you get so much more with Windows 8.1 - including 12 months subscription to Office 365 and the ability to install other regular Windows applications. Plus the hardware in these tablets is more powerful, typically being based around the sort of Intel processors used in regular low-cost computers. |
Leading the assault is HP, with their Stream laptops and Stream tablets. However, expect other vendors to join the fray as Microsoft are putting a lot of support behind this initiative as they are determined to see off the challenge of Google's Chromebooks and Android operating system.