I bought a Dell Venue 8 Pro a few weeks ago, and I've been loving it. Windows 8.1 on a tablet interface is phenomenal, and primarily for one reason - Internet Explorer.
The problem with Android and iOS is twofold: 1) Defragmentation. 2) Limitation. Because of their limited OS's, developers have to create proprietary software for both operating systems. This leads to defragmentation between software, as the two versions could operate completely different between the two systems. Not only that, but there's further defragmentation on the most widely used app of them all - the web browser.
I'll be blunt - I HATE mobile websites. They're cramped, they're bland, they lack functionality (no Flash) and ugh, they're just an eyesore to look at. Whenever I go on a site on my mobile phone, I always switch to the desktop site. Sometimes this works without a problem, sometimes the site is laggy and performance is lackluster, and sometimes the site just doesn't work at all. Mobile browsers just aren't equipped to deal with desktop sites, and that's a real shame, because desktop sites are 98 times better than mobile sites.
This is why Internet Explorer on Windows 8.1 is so awesome. IE performs beautifully on Windows 8.1 tablets, MUCH better than Chrome/Firefox/Safari has to offer. You would think that Chrome would be the champion of touch browsers since Google owns Android and the Android/Chrome browser, but no - Chrome on Windows 8.1 is a resource hog, laggy, and doesn't work very well with touch. IE on the other hand is lightweight, zippy, and feels like it was made for touch.
And then there's the defragmentation - or rather, the complete LACK of defragmentation. ANY WEB SITE will work beautifully on IE. Want to listen to IHeartRadio? Just go to the website. Android or iOS doesn't have an app for your online banking? Not a problem - just go to their website. Want to seamlessly switch between shopping on Amazon and watching your Prime content? Not a problem on IE.
No more "This website is not supported on your browser" error messages. No more "Please download our app!" popups. No more "You must install Flash to play this content".
The web browser is the KING of applications, and IE is the best of them. And because HTML5 and javascript is universal across all operating systems, THERE IS NO DEFRAGMENTATION. Any developer can create a website application for any operating system, and anybody can use it if they have a web browser. There is no need to create proprietary apps for each OS, because the web app itself is already universal.
Some may say that an Intel Atom and only 2GB of RAM isn't enough to power a Windows device. But I've been using my Dell Venue 8 Pro for weeks now and primarily using it to web browse with IE, and I've nary had a hiccup so far. Nearly every app I have on my Android phone, there's a better version on the website or the x86 application.
The funny thing is, I used to be a huge Chrome ******, and I used to laugh at people who used IE. But after getting my tablet, it's ironic how Chrome falls flat on its face, and IE is the King.
Windows 8.1 on tablets is what tablets should be.
The problem with Android and iOS is twofold: 1) Defragmentation. 2) Limitation. Because of their limited OS's, developers have to create proprietary software for both operating systems. This leads to defragmentation between software, as the two versions could operate completely different between the two systems. Not only that, but there's further defragmentation on the most widely used app of them all - the web browser.
I'll be blunt - I HATE mobile websites. They're cramped, they're bland, they lack functionality (no Flash) and ugh, they're just an eyesore to look at. Whenever I go on a site on my mobile phone, I always switch to the desktop site. Sometimes this works without a problem, sometimes the site is laggy and performance is lackluster, and sometimes the site just doesn't work at all. Mobile browsers just aren't equipped to deal with desktop sites, and that's a real shame, because desktop sites are 98 times better than mobile sites.
This is why Internet Explorer on Windows 8.1 is so awesome. IE performs beautifully on Windows 8.1 tablets, MUCH better than Chrome/Firefox/Safari has to offer. You would think that Chrome would be the champion of touch browsers since Google owns Android and the Android/Chrome browser, but no - Chrome on Windows 8.1 is a resource hog, laggy, and doesn't work very well with touch. IE on the other hand is lightweight, zippy, and feels like it was made for touch.
And then there's the defragmentation - or rather, the complete LACK of defragmentation. ANY WEB SITE will work beautifully on IE. Want to listen to IHeartRadio? Just go to the website. Android or iOS doesn't have an app for your online banking? Not a problem - just go to their website. Want to seamlessly switch between shopping on Amazon and watching your Prime content? Not a problem on IE.
No more "This website is not supported on your browser" error messages. No more "Please download our app!" popups. No more "You must install Flash to play this content".
The web browser is the KING of applications, and IE is the best of them. And because HTML5 and javascript is universal across all operating systems, THERE IS NO DEFRAGMENTATION. Any developer can create a website application for any operating system, and anybody can use it if they have a web browser. There is no need to create proprietary apps for each OS, because the web app itself is already universal.
Some may say that an Intel Atom and only 2GB of RAM isn't enough to power a Windows device. But I've been using my Dell Venue 8 Pro for weeks now and primarily using it to web browse with IE, and I've nary had a hiccup so far. Nearly every app I have on my Android phone, there's a better version on the website or the x86 application.
The funny thing is, I used to be a huge Chrome ******, and I used to laugh at people who used IE. But after getting my tablet, it's ironic how Chrome falls flat on its face, and IE is the King.
Windows 8.1 on tablets is what tablets should be.
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