"Signature Edition" Encore 2 or non-Signature Venue 8 Pro?

[monobab]

I was looking at picking up a Windows 8.1 tablet and I found two options which are both selling for $199: the first is the 8-inch 32GB Toshiba Encore 2 "Signature Edition Tablet" from the Microsoft Store website and the other is the 32GB Dell Venue 8 Pro from my local Walmart. According to Microsoft the Signature Editions have no bloatware and supposedly work great out of the box but I'm not sure if it's really an issue with these tablets or not. I'd like to hear which you guys think is better: a Signature Edition Encore 2 (with 1GB of RAM and a lower turbo boost frequency than the processor in the Dell) or a Dell Venue 8 Pro assuming I uninstalled whatever bloatware was included? As a secondary question, is all of the bloatware on the DV8P uninstallable? I plan on using the tablet for internet browsing, updating notes in OneNote (I don't hand write my notes so a digitizer is not required) and playing games from the Windows Store, I don't really plan on using the desktop very much if at all and Office is not a factor for me personally. Thanks for your input!

 

[xboxonthego3]

I would go for the Dell Venue Pro 8. Main factor being it has 2 GB of RAM. Also it looks like Microsoft also sell Signature Editions of the Dell Venue Pro 8. And a Signature edition of the first Encore. I would definitely recommend getting an option with at least 2 GB of RAM. I would also recommend getting a 64GB model if possible. 32GB of storage space could work but I imagine storage will get tight.

Hope this was helpful!

 

[monobab]

Thanks for your advice! The Signature Edition of the Venue 8 Pro was listed as out of stock for me earlier this week but I checked after your post and it says it's back! I think you're right about the RAM, it will probably have a longer usable life with better specs. It's a little bit more but I think the upgrades are definitely worth it, I'm okay with the 32GB of storage personally because my needs are pretty light. Thanks again for your response!