LENOVO MIIX 2 8

Yet another Windows tablet is added to the mix as Lenovo, producers of several devices in this area, introduces the Miix 2. The 8” version is this first of three releases of the brand name and model; reasonably priced enough, the Miix 2 8” will certainly appeal to those seeking a totable tablet with all the familiar features and apps. Some below-average specs spoil the overall package a bit, however.

The 8” version of the Lenovo Miix 2 is at first glance fairly generic among black-bezel tablets, with a notable difference in the odd placement of start button along the right edge alongside volume control, ports and the like.

The screen resolution is the typical 1280 x 800, but presents a surprisingly good picture; reportedly, this is down to its 534-lux display against an the average 8” tablet’s 361-lux rating. The real sticking point in the Miix 2’s physical makeup, though, is its 0.3” width makes this tablet look absolutely squat even before considering Apple’s iPad Air devices.

In terms of speed, the Lenovo Miix 2 is hardly the quickest, with a 1.3-GHz Intel Atom Z3740 processor powering the tablet, but the 2 GB of RAM is useful enough for Windows applications. Speaking of Windows stuff, a nice bonus coming standard in the Miix 2 8” is a free edition of Office Home & Student 2013. Beyond this and a few others such as Xbox Music and a couple games, a trip to the Windows app store is in most users’ future...

Though Lenovo appears to have marketed the Miix 2 8” as a standalone tablet, the 10” and 11” models and touted for compatibility with a keyboard to simulate PC performance. We’d certainly recommended equipping this tablet with one; at $300, this is one low-cost substitute for a laptop.