[admonish]

Cube iWork10 - A Review

As Microsoft are reducing (and in some instances dropping) their license fees for Windows 8, things are starting to change in the tablet world. With prices going down Windows tablets should be taking a chunk out of the Android/iOS pie for the next couple of years. The Chinese tablet/phone manufacturer Cube is throwing their hat in the race with the newly released 10 inch tablet, iWork10.
Never having tried a Windows-based tablet, nor even Windows 8 before, I was very excited to get my hands on this unit.

The following is a review based on my own impressions and experiences with the device. I will start of by listing some pro,cons and specifications. From there I will comment on design before I present some battery life info and benchmarking results.

Though my particular copy of the iWork10 came with a non-activated version of Windows, Cube recently announced that the device is now also available with a Windows 8.1 and Office license.

Pros:
Relatively cheap
Lightweight and thin
A very capable IPS screen
Mini-HDMI-out port
Slot for MicroSD card
Excellent optional keyboard case
Android ROM is reported to be under development so we might eventually see a dual-boot system

Cons:
Internal storage is limitet
Unlike some mainstream tablets this one needs a dongle for USB connectivity.
Non-activated Windows

Specifications:
1.3GHz (1.8GHz Turbo) Baytrail-T Z3740D Quad Core processor
10.1 inch, 1280X800 IPS touch display
32GB internal SSD storage
2GB DDR3L
Bluetooth v4.0
Wifi 802.11
Stereo speakers
Dual camera; 2MP front and 2MP back
MicroSD slot, micro-USB port, earphone jack, and mini-hdmi output
8000mAh Li-ion battery

Build quality, design and handling

Although the shell is of plastic it does have a stellar metallic look. It feels well built with no creaking. The corners of the device are slightly rounded, which I prefer in contrast to the very round form of say a Samsung Galaxy tablet.
The weight comes in at 606grams (930grams with the keyboard case), which is light for this type of device. Size dimensions are approximately 26cm x 17cm. With its thickness of 1cm (1.8cm with keyboard case) it is also fairly thin.

All ports and slots are located at the left of the device. From top to bottom you will find the on/off/standby button, earphone jack, mini-hdmi output, microSD slot, micro-usb, and charger port. The volume rocker is situated at the top side at the very left.

Despite only sporting a resolution of 1280x800 the IPS display of the iWork10 does a good job of reproducing a sharp image with gorgeous colors, deep blacks and good viewing angles. Like alot of tablets with IPS displays my unit does suffer from a bit of screen bleeding. The bezel is approximately 2cm at each side and just under 2cm on the top and bottom. Located at the mid-bottom of the device is a touch button which takes you straight to the Windows RT start menu. Speakers are not powerful but very much ok.
Touch screen is both responsive and accurate and I have experienced no hiccups whatsoever.

The tablet can be connected to a TV via either the mini-hdmi output (in FullHD)



or WIDI (wireless transmission)

Performance

The tablet handles all day to day tasks with no problems thanks to its powerful processor. I have not experieced any lag in web browsing, photo viewing or video playback. When it comes to gaming I do not have much to say as I do not player computer games. Even though I do not personally put much stock in benchmarks I know many do, so I ran a couple of them and here are the results.

3D Mark - Ice Storm Unlimited

Peacekeeper

Battery life

Battery life can make or break a tablet. This tablet ends up being somewhere in the middle, not being top notch nor bad. Using the tablet for web browsing, music listening and the occational video viewing I had no trouble getting through the day without having to recharge. However, to get an accurate reading of the battery life I decided to play a 720p video in loop and monitor the results. Brightness was set to 50% and sound level at about 1/3. Wifi was enabled and connected to home network throughout the test.

Keyboard case

One of the tablets biggest strengths is its optional extension; the keyboard case. It is very well built and is equipped with magnets to make sure the tablet snaps into place. It can also be folded into a stand which effectively turns the tablet into a laptop. As the case is closed magnets make sure it does not open. There is a design flaw in that something touches in the screen when enclosed in the case and wakes it up fom standby. This can certainly draw some extra power which has forced me to completely turn it off while carrying it around. Im sure there will be some sort of fix for this.
The keyboard itself is very functional and I had no trouble typing on it (I do have small hands though). The mouse pad works very well with no ghost touches.

Conclusion

If you are looking for an entry level Windows tablet you should seriously consider this device. Its relatively cheap, well-built and petite. Although not a gaming monster it does very well with web browsing and multimedia. But do make sure whether or not Windows and Office license is included when you purchase it. And if you dont already have a extra MicroSD card ready, purchase one.

Any questions? Ask in the thread and I will answer ASAP

[Laura Knotek]

Nice review! Thanks for sharing it with us.

I always like to see reviews from actual users, not just tech bloggers.

[kaldeis]

Hallo I need bios backup from working u100gt, Please help

[kaldeis]

Its very important.