Your ultimate guide to buying a new Windows 8 device

Windows 8 was officially unveiled during a special event in New York City, and we are now set to get our hands on the newest operating system tomorrow, when it will be publicly released to the world. Many of us may consider getting an upgrade to our existing Windows hardware since Windows 8 is a great improvement over its predecessor.

But some of us would definitely be eyeing the the new hardware which will also arrive in the market tomorrow and it won't be easy choosing from the various form factors, manufacturers and types of Windows devices which are available in the market. So we have put together a three step guide to help you choose a Windows 8 device which will suite your needs.

Step 01 - Manufacturer

But unlike with Apple products Windows 8 will come in several shapes, sizes, prices and configurations from various manufactures including Samsung, Asus, HP, Sony, Dell, LG, Lenovo and Acer. Each manufacturer ads their own level of customizations and personal touch to their devices.

We cant choose one manufacturer over another as each provides something unique in their end user experience. Choose a manufacturer who you trust and one that offers what you are looking for in terms of configuration and form factor.

That takes us to Step 02

Step 02 - Form Factor

Windows 8 will come in various different form factors. The ones you will be most familiar with are desktops and laptops and probably even netbooks. Additionally Microsoft recently introduced the Intel inspired Ultrabooks, and with Windows 8 we will also have tablets, slates and hybrid devices. So lets take a look at each form factor

Desktop – The most common form of the PC, which is used both at homes and offices. desktops are the most powerful form of PCs and with Windows 8 the will add a whole new dimension of touch to make your experience more immersive. You can either purchase an all-in-one device, which integrates the entire components and the touch into the display, or a touch enabled display for your existing computer.

Laptops – Another model of PCs we are all familiar with and is sometimes referred to as notebooks. Laptops offer a great balance of power and portability and are the ideal gift for the professional user. Windows 8 laptops can costs can start between $350 – $400 while touch enabled laptops will start at around $499.

NetBooks – This is a low powered and low cost variant of laptops which are ideal for browsing the web. They are light in weight, have small displays, are easy to carry and and are powered by low end Intel ATOM processors, but their sales have declined heavily due to the popularity of the iPad and the MacBook Air.

UltraBooks – Ultrabooks combine the power of Laptops with the portability of Netbooks. They are inspired by Intel offer the same premium look, portability and feel of the MacBook Air. UltraBooks are ideal for those looking for a PC more powerful than a netbook and more portable than a laptop, but keep in mind these devices can cost you anywhere between $800 and $2000. Because UltraBooks meet certain requirement defined by Intel, like Core Series processors and solid state storage, your device will offer a very pleasant experience.

Slates PCs – The Slate PC is a concept by Microsoft which defines a pen-enabled PC. Slates come in various form factors and have evolved to be extremely thin and portable. There are three types of modern Slate PCs and they are:

Slates– These are like typical tablets without dedicated keyboards. Users can input text through handwritings or by using the onscreen keyboards. Unlike regular tablets, Slates have powerful processors and hardware which allow users to perform the same tasks they would on a regular laptop or UltraBook.
Convertibles– The convertible notebooks have been around for some time now. They resemble regular laptops or Ultrabooks, but allow users to rotate or swivel the displays and thus transform them into slates.
Hybrids – We feel that Hybrid PCs will become one of the most popular form factors with Windows 8. Hybrids allow you to quickly transform your Slates into netbooks or Ultrabooks by attaching a keyboard. These keyboards will support the slate and provide added benefits like more battery life and additional ports.

Tablets – You may wonder why Tablets have been added as a separate form factor from slates. This is because Apple redefined the tablet when they released the iPad. Windows tablets are powered by ARM processor and run a special version of Windows 8 designed specially for these processors called Windows RT. Because ARM processors consumer very little power, Windows tablets are thinner, lighter and produce longer battery life than slates.

Because Windows tablets run a special version of Windows, they wont be able to run the apps from Windows 7 and older versions of Windows. So what apps can we run on Windows tablets? That brings us to Step 03…

Step 03 - Operating System

Windows in the post PC era comes in three flavors - Windows 8, Windows RT and Windows Phone 8. Windows Phone 8 is a smartphone operating system similar to Android and iOS which we will discuss another time, but for now we will focus on Windows 8 and Windows RT.

Windows 8 – Microsoft's newest operating system, which is actually inspired by Windows Phone. Windows 8 is capable of running on all existing Windows 7 hardware while introducing touch interactions, which you can do using a touch display or your track-pad. Windows 8 can either be purchased as an upgrade to Windows 7 or with a brand new computer. You can even purchase a retail DVD copy of Windows 8 which is now available on pre-order while upgrades to Windows 8 will be sold tomorrow.

Windows RT – Windows RT is a special version of Windows 8 specifically built for Windows Tablets. This version of Windows will not be sold separately and will be available on your Windows Tablets. Windows RT will also include a free copy of Microsoft Office 2013 (RT). With Office on your Windows RT tablets you can open and edit your favorite Word, Excel, PowerPoint or OneNote documents. Because Windows RT is an all new operating system it will not run apps written for Windows 7 or older versions of Windows, but will run new apps available for download through the Windows Store.

Microsoft has introduced an entire new ecosystem of touch optimized apps for Windows 8 and Windows RT. These apps will be available through the Windows Store. You can learn more about the various versions of Windows 8 here.

Once you have used Step 1, Step 2 and Step 3 to select a device that suites your needs, browse through our list of Windows 8 devices which may like to own.

	Acer Iconia Tab W510 – Windows 8 slate with a 10 inch display, 32GB of storage and powered by an Intel Atom processor – $500
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	Acer Iconia W700 – Powerful Windows 8 Slate with 64GB SSD and powered by Intel Core i3 processor with 4GB of RAM – $799.99 Upgradable to Core i5 processor with double the RAM – $999.99
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	Asus VivoTab RT – Windows RT tablet with a 10.1 inch display, LTE connectivity, 32GB of storage and is powered by an NVidia Tegra 3 processor with 2GB of RAM – $600
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	Asus VivoTab Smart – Windows 8 Slate visually similar to the VivoTab RT. Powered by an Intel ATOM processor – $500
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	Asus VivoTab – Windows 8 Slate with a 11.6 inch display, 64GB of internal storage, 8MP rear camera, 2MP front camera and powered by an Intel ATOM processor with 2GB of RAM – $800
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	Asus Taichi – Powerful Windows 8 Slate with two 11.6 displays, 128GB SSD storage, USB 3.0, microHDMI and powered by an Intel Core i5 processor, 4G RAM with an Intel HD 4000 GPU – $1300
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	Dell XPS 10 – Windows RT tablet with a 10.1 inch display, up to 64GB of internal stroage, 5MP rear camera, 2MP front camera, LTE connectivity and powered by a 1.5GHz dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 processor – $500
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	Dell Latitude 10 – Windows 8 slate with a 10.1 inch display, up to 64GB of storage, up to 18h of battery life, WWAN connectivity, optional fingerprint and smart card reader, optional dock and stylus and is powered by an Intel Atom processor, 2GB RAM with an Intel GPU – $650
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	-Dell XPS Duo 12 – Powerful Windows 8 slate with a 12 inch full HD display and an Intel Core Ivy Bridge processor – $1200
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	HP Envy X2 – Windows 8 slate with a 11.6 inch display, up to 64GB of internal storage, 8MP rear camera, HD front camera, Beats Audio and powered by an Intel Atom processor – $850
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	Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga – Powerful Windows 8 Slate with a 13 inch display which can flip 360 degrees to make it a tablet. It's powered by an Intel Core i5 Ivy Bridge processor – $1100
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	Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 11 – Windows RT tablet with a 11.6 inch display, 64GB of internal storage, 13 hours of battery life and powered by an NVida Tegra 3 processor with 2GB of RAM – $800
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	-Lenovo IdeaTab Lynx – Windows 8 slate with a 11.6 inch display, 8 hours of batter life and powered by an Intel Atom Processor – $600 Optional keyboard dock adds 8 hours of battery life for additional $149
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	Lenovo ThinkPad Edge Twist – Powerful Windows 8 Slate with a 12.5 inch display on a swivel hinge which allows converting it to a tablet. Device is powered by an Intel Core i7 – $849
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	Lenovo ThinkPad Tablet 2 – Windows 8 slate with a 10 inch display, optional 3G/4G, fingerprint scanner for security, front and rear cameras with optional stylus and keyboard dock – $650
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	-LG Windows 8 Sliding Tablet – Powerful Windows 8 Slate with 11.6 inch display, 10 hours of battery life, HDMI, USB, microSD and powered by an Intel Core Ivy Bridge processor – $950
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	Microsoft Surface – Powerful Windows 8 Slate with a 10.6 inch full HD display, up to 128GB of internal storage, a front and rear camera and is powered by an Intel Core i5 processor.
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	Microsoft Surface RT – Windows RT tablet with a 10.6 inch HD display, up to 64GB of internal storage, a front and rear camera and is powered by a NVidia Tegra 3 processor – $499
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	-Samsung ATIV Tab – Windows RT tablet with a 10 inch display, up to 64GB of internal storage, a 5MP rear camera, a 1.9MP front camera and is powered by a 1.5GHz dual-core processor with 2GB of RAM – $600 -
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	Samsung ATIV Smart PC – Windows 8 slate with a 11.6 inch display, up to 64GB of internal storage, 13.5 hour battery life, optional keyboard dock with stylus and is powered by an Intel Atom processor – $650
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	Samsung ATIV Smart PC Pro – Powerful Windows 8 Slate with a 11.6 inch full HD display, USB 3.0, optional keyboard dock with stylus and is powered by an Intel Core Series Ivy Bridge processor – $1200
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	Sony VAIO Duo 11 – Powerful Windows 8 slate with a 11.6 inch full HD display, up to 256GB SSD storage and powered by an Intel Core Series Ivy Bridge processor with up to 8GB of RAM – $1100
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	Sony VAIO Tap 20 – Powerful Windows 8 slate which has a 20 inch display, front and rear camera, up to 1TB of storage and powered by Intel Core Series Ivy Bridge processors – $880
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	Toshiba Satellite U920T – Powerful Windows 8 slate with a 12.5 inch display, up to 256GB SSD, and powered by an Intel Core Series Ivy Bridge processor with up to 8GB – $1200