The idea of a bring-anywhere PC in the form of a 7-8 inch tablet is not dead. In fact, it’s being refined. One such refinement is the Lenovo Miix 2.
- Full desktop Windows apps in a tiny 8 inch body
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- A taste of work to come: MS Excel
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- Lenovo Miix 2 8
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8″ HD 1280×800 WXGA IPS display
Windows 8.1
Intel Atom Bay Trail T 1.8 GHz (quad core)
64GB internal storage, up to 32GB via microSD card
Up to 2GB LPDDR3 memory
Integrated graphics
Bluetooth 4.0, 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi, 3G
Micro USB port for data transfer
Up to 5MP rear camera
2MP front camera
Stereo speakers
VeriFace Pro Facial recognition for secure log in
Slim 8.35mm design with textured rear cover for better grip, weighs only 350g.
Up to 7 hours of battery life
MS Office 2013 Home and Student (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, One Note)Starts at Php 21,999.00
Optional magnetic cover with stylus, had no price info at launch
At some point during the day, people will set their phones and tablets aside and get some work done – on Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Chrome, Firefox, Photoshop.
As much as we love the fun apps on iOS and Android, there’s no denying that WordPress works perfectly in a Chrome browser on Windows, that MS Excel works seamlessly on Windows, that some people need the real-deal-Photoshop and not a mobile app of an apology, that Firefox and all your add-ons simply up and run on, well, you get the idea: full desktop apps on a tablet that fits a lady’s bag, or your cargo pants pocket.
The last thing you want is to show a potential employer your résumé on a (non-Windows) tablet that ruins the formatting.
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Easily hold the Lenovo Miix 2 8″ in one hand.
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LG G2 beside the Lenovo Miix 2 8″.
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Optional cover with stylus. No price info available at launch.
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Stylus magnetically attaches to the hinge of the cover.
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You’re going to need this cover if you plan to bring the Lenovo Miix 2 8″ with you all day.
Trade offs
Of course there are trade offs. The smaller storage space means you can’t use the Lenovo Miix 2 as your torrent station (of course you can dedicate a microSD card or USB drive to your crucial files – just don’t misplace either). There’s no comes-with Bluetooth keyboard (it’s sold separately, or you can buy your own, or you can plug in via a USB OTG a USB keyboard). What you sacrifice for storage and a faster processor you get in the form of bring-anywhere mobility and around 7 hours of battery life.
Your shoulders will thank you for not bringing that laptop with you to the coffee shop.
There’s a bigger variant of the Miix 2, by the way – the Lenovo Miix 2 11″ which runs up to 4th gen Intel i5 processor, up to 256GB of SSD storage, and a Full HD wife view display with 1920×1200 resolution. P47,990.
The Modern UI on Windows 8 may look modern and hip, but the looks hide where most of the actual spreadsheet crunching and document editing and presentation prep work get done – on the desktop, cursor-dependent side of Windows 8.
Above is the Lenovo Miix 2 8″ (green desktop) with the Acer Iconia W4 (red desktop) – to the untrained eye, they’re the same. Under the hood, the Miix 2 8″ has a SIM slot so you can stay online even without a separate pocket WiFI device. And no, neither tablet can make or receive text messages and calls.
For alternatives to the Lenovo Miix 2 8″, check out the ASUS Transformer T100 and the Acer Iconia W4.
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