14 DAY TRIAL // At CES 2015, ASUS was busy unveiling the ZenFone 2 lineup and the Transformer Book Chi trio of convertibles. But some ASUS enthusiasts were hoping the company would push out the next-gen VivoTab Note 8, a tablet which proved particularly popular with consumers.
Anyway, while we wait the next-gen VivoTab Note 8 to appear on the market, ASUS is taking the opportunity to launch a new version of the device.
ASUS VivoTab Note 8 has gotten a lot cheaper
The most important aspect to take into consideration regarding the new device (model number R80TA-7340S) is that it is a lot cheaper. ASUS has launched it in Japan for approximately €184 / €209 (as seen at PC Watch), which is almost half the price you need to pay to get the original VivoTab Note 8 in the country (€369 / $419).
In the Western market, ASUS has been offering the first model with a starting price of $299 / €263, so if the new model makes it to the US, it will probably be sold for around $150 / €131.
What changes with the new model? Not that much, except for the operating system. Instead of the full-fledged Windows 8.1, you will be getting the low-cost Windows 8.1 with Bing on board with 365 Office Home & Student 2013.
Apart from that, everything remains the same, meaning you’ll get a device sporting an 8-inch IPS display with 1280 x 800 pixel resolution and a quad-core Intel Atom Z3740 (Bay Trail) processor under the hood fitted with 2GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage (further expandable via microSD card).
The Wacom digitizer is still on board
Just like the more expensive model, the new VivoTab Note 8 comes with an integrated Wacom active digitizer. The pen supports more than 1,000 levels of pressure sensitivity.
While this sounds good on paper, some users of the original VivoTab Note 8 have been complaining that their pen stopped working for no apparent good reason.
ASUS has yet to acknowledge these issues, but some workarounds have been identified to make the pen functional again.
Hopefully, the new VivoTab Note 8 comes with a more refined pen technology, despite being a lower-cost offering.
