Got a MS gift card burning a hole in my pocket. Help me decide please?

Somerichs

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Apr 18, 2013
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Hi all- So I have $150 on a Microsoft gift card; I was going to hold on to it and put it towards a Surface, but i don't think I can wait any longer.

Looking on the MS online store, there are two intriguing tablets I'm considering and hoping for some feedback on your experiences.

The first is, obviously, the Dell Venue 8 Pro 32GB Signature Edition Tablet, which is going for $199 (Buy Dell Venue 8 Pro 32GB Signature Edition Tablet - Microsoft Store).

The second is the ASUS VivoTab 8 M81C-B1-MSBK Signature Edition Tablet, which is going for $149 right now and includes 1 year of Office 365 Personal (Buy ASUS VivoTab 8 M81C-B1-MSBK Signature Edition Tablet - Microsoft Store)

I haven't owned anything Dell in years, but I've ready many, many good things about the Dell Venue.

I also have no experience with Asus, though my initial sense, which may be completely unfounded, is that they are generally not held in quite the same esteem as Dell (generally).

I've found reviews of the ASUS tablet on the MS store site and on Amazon, but relatively few outside of those areas. Most of the reviews are very good (4-5 stars), with a few that are less so.

The specs for the two tablets are nearly identical.

Dell goes for $50 more, though, and doesn't come with the free year of MS Office.

So, is there anything about the Venue that would justify the additional expense (basically coming out of pocket $50)?

I'm guessing most reading this may have a bias towards Dell given this is a forum specifically for this tablet (wasn't one for the Vivotab 8), but hoping someone has had an experience with the ASUS or can at least consider an unbiased recommendation.

Thanks in advance!
 

Kevin Harvell

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I like mine, but am looking to sell it since I find I have not used it as much since I got my Surface Pro 3 back in the summer.

I have the 64GB model that I cannot seem to find on the Microsoft Store website any longer, but I see Costco used to carry it as well. Here is the link to the specs on it:

Costco - Dell Venue 8 Pro WiFi Tablet | Intel Quad Core | Windows 8.1 | Office 2013 customer reviews - product reviews - read top consumer ratings

Shame you have a MS Store giftcard otherwise I would offer it up to you for the $200. It is literally in pristine condition and I still have all the original packaging & everything that came with it when I won it at the Kansas City Developer Conference back in May.


Keep in mind that ASUS made the last 2 Nexus 7 Android tablets that everyone loves, so they can make some nice, underrated hardware.
 

Somerichs

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Thanks for the offer, but like you said, I gotta use these gift cards.
Of course, since writing this post I discovered that Microsoft, in their infinite wisdom, does not allow you to use MS gift cards as payment when buying things from the MS online store, so one of these days I'll have to motor on over to a physical store if I ever want to use them (hour drive).
My mini-rant on the topic here: http://forums.windowscentral.com/ge...use-ms-gift-cards-online-microsoft-store.html
 

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