Dell Venue Pro 8: chic and versatile
Dell Venue Pro 8 is a new tablet with Windows 8-inch screen, quad-core processor 1.8 GHz and compatibility with active stylus.
With its 8 Venue Pro, Dell is launching a new tablet Windows 8.1 with 8-inch screen (in 16:10 ratio), a sleek profile and a very interesting technological equipment. The price of the base unit, Wi-Fi with 32 GB of onboard memory, is about 290 €, but for those who want to extend the budget are on the market, provided directly from the manufacturer, an interesting series of accessories that complete ‘ usability of this tablet, both for productivity and for everyday use.
Technical details and construction
Inside the Dell Venue Pro 8 we find an Intel Atom Z3740 (quad core processors up to 1.8 GHz), supported by 2 GB RAM and a storage that ranges from 32 GB up to 64 GB model based on the most capacious.
The screen is an IPS LCD with 1,280 × 800 dot resolution, which on the diagonal 8 “giving a pixel density appreciable, but not extreme, as seen in other recent devices (iPad and Retina Mini Nexus 7 2013 at all).
How to ports and connections we find a fairly standard equipment: the usual USB 2.0 for charging and PC connectivity, a microSD port for memory expansion, Wi-Fi antennas and Bluetooth 4.0. In the future, should reach the market is also a version with 3G/4G connectivity.
Please note the absence of a GPS module: the Dell Venue Pro 8 is not intended for those who love the navigation feature and geolocation. Absent also exit micro HDMI, whose functions can also be carried out in part by technology Miracast, equipped with this tablet. The rear camera is 5 megapixel with autofocus but no LED flash.
From the point of view of design, the Dell Venue Pro 8 is extremely nice and well made. The materials used are of high quality and the feeling of strength is excellent: very nice rubberized texture present on the entire back of the device, which offers a good grip and is pleasant to the touch. We find particular the decision not to include a traditional capacitive Windows button on the frame, replaced by a more traditional physical button on the top of the device. Its reachability is good, but in different situations of use the classic key touch is more convenient (for example, when we have the tablet resting on a flat surface). If you want to be picky, we also found the microSD card compartment excessively difficult to open: you need a pointed object to be able to unlock it.
Overall, however, the Dell Venue Pro 8 is really well built and is slim and easy to hold with one hand, with dimensions that correspond to 9x139x216 mm. The weight is 395g, not a few for the category, but perfectly manageable.
Performance and Usability
The quad core processor 1.8 GHz that are in the Dell Venue Pro 8 proves agile and in practically all the most common tasks. The navigation on the home screen is obviously extremely fluid, the web browsing experience is excellent, launching applications takes place without any downtime, and overall, the experience of using this tablet is really nice.
Even the most demanding of fronts, such as 3D gaming, the Intel Integrated Graphics behaves quite well in our testing, a very graphic way as Asphalt 7 has proved very playable and quite fluid.
The screen, as already mentioned, does not offer a pixel density of extreme, but still very pleasant. The loss of sharpness can be seen in scout reports small text or fine detail, but overall the values of brightness, color and contrast are really good, as well as the viewing angle.
The question becomes slightly more complex on the audio front. Indeed, we have only one speaker on the bottom of the device in portrait position: its sound output is good both in terms of maximum volume which yields the lowest (with only a slight distortion at maximum volume), but unfortunately its placement makes it very easy to cover with your hand when you adopt the position landscape, which is the most natural, scout for the movies or the use of video games.
Complete the usability of a battery of 4,830 mAh, which offers durability as declared by the manufacturer for about 10 hours under conditions of mixed use, and therefore allows to reach end of the day without too much trouble, as long as you do not employ applications too stressful for the chipset (extreme gaming, etc..).
Camera and Accessories
The camera is equipped with only 5 megapixels, which are actually more than enough for almost any use. In fact, they offer a rendered image really satisfying for a tablet in this category. The shots are well-defined, well-exposed, pleasing even from the point of view of color. Pity about the lack of flash, which can come in handy in many situations.
The scope of this Dell Venue Pro 8 is complemented by an interesting range of official accessories from active stylus, which enables operations such as writing notes freehand. There is also a case and, more interestingly, a wireless keyboard that enhances the features of this tablet in the field of productivity.
Verdict
The Dell Venue Pro 8 is a Windows tablet extremely well made from the point of view of design, and equipped with a full specification, which offers levels of performance and generally a very pleasant experience.
The range of official accessories provided by the manufacturer (above all, the active stylus) makes it an interesting tool for those who want to experience more creative and productive in the round. With this in mind, the price of around 290 Euros for the basic version, it is quite competitive.
Sin for the absence of a GPS module, which, depending on the needs of each, may be unforgivable or entirely negligible.
