Opinions from Venue 8 / Miix2 owners? Deciding between the two

[bschiav]

I'm trying to decide between the venue 8 and miix2....

Without having either device, the only thing that bothers me about the dell is the lack of a windows key on the face. A family member of mine has an Asus T100 which I've played with, which also does not have a button on the face (there's a windows logo, which does nothing). This seems very awkward...if your holding the tablet in one hand and pecking away with the other, you then have to reach across awkwardly...or switch hands (I'm right handed), to hit the physical start key. I found myself swiping and hitting the windows charm instead. My father also commented about it being awkward.

Everything else I've heard about the dell is positive (except it's active stylus, so I'm not counting that in the equation. Maybe part of it's issues are software related and will be resolved down the road, don't know)

....I've heard the Miix2 has a slightly better screen (brighter, viewing angles) and the capacitive button on the face. Yet....it has shorter battery life, and others are preferring the build quality of the venue 8. Very difficult to find direct comparison on the internet...must be too early, seems like WP Central will have one soon.

Comments here from John Wiskowski indicate firmware issues with the Miix2 are quickly disappearing (sounds good):
http://forums.windowscentral.com/lenovo-miix2/250402-who-has-lenovo-miix2.html


(PS, why is the Sony Tap 11, the only decent tablet I can find with a physical windows button on the face? Is this not clearly the ideal use case? Odd...when will PC manufacturers step up, they have the blueprints on what works, yet no one but Microsoft is willing to execute end to end.)

 

[studenttech]

Lenovo Bulit in keyboard behaves strange , and a lower wifi signal and battery life , quiet loudspeakers
Dell lack of windows button , no GPS , less brighter screen, heavier .
If you need it now , go for dell , if you can wait after Lenovo fix the numerous issues in it , then go for Lenovo

 

[houkoholic]

(PS, why is the Sony Tap 11, the only decent tablet I can find with a physical windows button on the face? Is this not clearly the ideal use case? Odd...when will PC manufacturers step up, they have the blueprints on what works, yet no one but Microsoft is willing to execute end to end.)

Actually the more I use Windows Tablet the more I find the face Windows key useless, especially on the Tap 11 where the button is super stiff which actually discourages me to use it. Swiping in on the right side to bring up the charms bar is just much quicker and more naturaly once you get use to it, I probably haven't used the face key for the last 2 to 3 weeks.

 

[bschiav]

Interesting about the Tap 11 button...wasn't expecting that. I've only spent 1-2 hours with the T100, and instinctively wanted to hit a windows button like I do on my Lumia, it was annoying. Sounds like you just get used to using the charm.

Also agree with the comparison above, that's what I've heard from reviews as well, but there still aren't any good direct comparisons yet online. I found the dell in store at a Staples, and I found the lenovo in store at a best buy. The Lenovo was built better than some of the reviews made it sound. It felt solid, except the buttons were a bit "mushy". I doubt there's any noticeable difference in weight given the specs...but I didn't see them both at the same time.

Also curious about the memory bandwidth differences between the two...if any...seems like there is some difference between the Atom 3740 and 3740D.

If I hear of pen improvements with the Dell...then it's an easy decision...it doesn't sound like there's been too much improvement there though.

 

[hymc292]

I have the miix2 since 2 weeks ago & didn't encounter any power on / standby issues. Running on stock Win 8.1 & drivers. Turned Win update off as some updates seem to cause more problems than good. Overall I'm happy with the tablet accept there isn't much choice for folio cases.

 

[melte]

I also use the Tap 11 and find the actual Windows key useless- mainly because the Tap 11 is quite a big device and when i'm holding it with both hands in landscape mode it is much easier for me to swipe in the charms bar using my right thumb.

I am looking for an 8 inch tablet as well and I am leaning towards the Dell Venue 8 Pro, mainly because of the better sound. But I like Lenovo's aesthetics better so its a very tough call.

 

[goldcougar]

I have the Venue Pro 8 64 GB and love it. Light, fast, great battery. I really like the rubberized grip on the back that makes it easy to hold.
As far as the windows button on the face, I never used it on other devices (I have a Surface Pro as well). Honestly, I hadn't noticed it until my 3 yr old started using it on my surface. She is used to an iPad my wife uses, so it was more natural for her. However, I showed her the button on top, and she uses it just the same. Me however, I find the start button in the charms bar more natural because my hand is usually right there already, so its just a swipe of the thumb, whereas clicking the button requires moving my entire hand. Just my 2 cents.
Also, not sure if it matters to you, but there is no video out on the Venue. Miracast is the only alternative.

 

[AndyCalling]

Sorry to add complexity, but you should really consider the Toshiba Encore as well. It is a quality device and is another 8 inch feature set on the menu. It is hard not to like these 8 inch devices. The Tosh has both HDMI and GPS, great sound and a capacitive button that cannot be easily pressed by mistake. The button is also situated on the right/left side when in landscape, so even easier to use than the charm menu.

 

[unstoppablekem]

I like the venue 8 pro.

 

[AndyCalling]

They all have very close feature sets & prices. It depends what fits your needs. I would not count any of them out of your feature comparison until you have considered each one carefully though. Unless you're an aristo of course, then you can buy them all and give us the full review.