Dell has refreshed its 8-inch Windows tablet line with a new Venue 8 Pro 3000 model, which will be available for $199.99.
The Dell Venue 8 3000 Series looks very similar to the 5000 Series that debuted late last year, but the 3000 model is cheaper and comes with slightly lower specifications.
The new Dell Venue 8 Pro 3000 Series comes with an 8-inch IPS display with a resolution of 1280 x 800 pixels and packs a 1.6Ghz quad-core Intel Atom Z3735G Bay Trail processor under the hood, instead of the Atom Z3745 chipset found on the 5000 Series. The new model also drops the RAM from 2GB to just 1GB, but should nonetheless perform well. Other specs of the Dell Venue Pro 8 3000 include 32GB of internal storage capacity, a microSD card slot for additional memory, a 5-megapixel rear camera, and a 1.2-megapixel front shooter.
On the software side, the Dell Venue Pro 8 3000 comes pre-loaded with Microsoft's Windows 8.1 operating system out of the box, and Dell is also throwing in a free subscription to Office 365 Personal, which will be valid for one year. Unlike the 5000 Series, however, the new 3000 model will not come with a free copy of Office Home & Student 2013.
"Enjoy every detail on a gorgeous 8" HD (1280x800) display that enables increased brightness without draining your battery. And sharing your screen is easy with a wide viewing angle," Dell touts in the product description. "Dell Venue 8 Pro comes with the latest Windows 8.1 operating system and a 1-year license for Microsoft Office 365 Personal. You'll also get direct access to Xbox Music, video, games and Skype to help you stay connected."
The new Dell Venue Pro 8 3000 is not the highest-end tablet out there, and is not the first Windows 8.1 slate to sport a sub-$200 price tag, but the device nonetheless comes with decent specs on board for its price and category. Interested buyers will be able to choose between two models - black with a textured back plate or glossy white with a smooth finish - or add even more colors by purchasing the optional Dell Duo Tablet Case. For more information, head over to Dell's website at this link.
