Toshiba Launches Windows 8 Tablet For Only $199

When it comes to Windows tablets, there are hardly any white-box manufacturers unlike their Android counterparts, meaning that super-cheap tech is hard to find unless its second-hand.

Toshiba, one of the most-renowned PC makers, however, has tried its hand at the tough game with its new Encore tablets.

The 8 and 10.1″ tablets are cheaper than a large number of Android tablets and cost just $199 and $269 respectively.

But how can they be that cheap? One of the reasons is the OS they run, i.e., the new Windows 8.1 with Bing, a free version of Windows which comes with Microsoft’s Bing as the default search engine. The OS version is available only to OEMs, and on the Encore comes with a year worth subscription with Office 365.

As for the specs, the tablets come with a quad-core Intel Atom Z3735F processor with 1 GB RAM and 32 GB storage, expandable via microSD by up to 128 GB. Both have fairly average displays with 1280 x 800 resolution, a 16:9 aspect ratio rather than the 3:2 in the new Surface Pro 3.

A duo of 5 and 1.2 mp HD cameras can be found. Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.0 are also onboard.

The 10 inch version, which is marketed as a competitor to the Surface 2, also comes with a microHDMI port. However, unlike the Surface 2, the Encore comes with fill Windows 8.1 installed rather than RT and costs almost half.

Of course, the specs of the two are fairly commonplace now, but for $199, you certainly shouldn’t be expecting a lot. The tablets will be put on sale this July.