Lenovo Miix2: A Windows 8.1 Tablet With Cost and Portability On its Mind

Levono might have just created the first low-cost/high-quality full-Windows tablet competitor to take on the likes of Samsung and Google.

With the Miix2, you get a Windows 8.1 experience without the drama or expense of something from Microsoft's own Surface line. The Miix2 comes at a low cost, features pretty decent hardware specs, and runs the full Windows 8.1 to boot. And its small, inconspicuous, and portable, changing expectations of what a tablet running Windows 8.1 can be.

The Miix2 is only 8.35mm thick, and has an 8-inch wide-angle IPS touchscreen with a resolution of 800 x 1280p resolution. The Miix2 runs Windows 8.1 on an Intel Bay Trail-T quad core processor, based on Intel Atom S architecture that integrates Intel HD Graphics.

The tablet features a Windows Start button on the bottom in "portrait" mode, which, along with the included stylus, is yet another indication that the Miix2 is meant to be a tablet running Windows 8.1, not a PC/Tablet hybrid like Surface 2.

That doesn't mean you won't be able to get stuff done on it though. The device comes pre-installed with Microsoft Office Home and Student 2013 edition, which makes this tablet one of the best contenders for an Office-intensive user who needs a portable way to work on documents, wants full-Windows machine, but doesn't want to shell out almost a thousand dollars for the privilege.

Even compared to the Window RT-running Surface 2, the Windows 8.1 Miix2 is cheaper. About $150 cheaper, in fact, as the 32GB Miix2 costs only $300. For that, you get a 2-megapixel front-facing shooter, and a 5-megapixel main camera, and a microSD card slot, which allows you to expand your media storage up to 32GB more.

The Miix2 comes in 64GB and 128GB storage options as well, (128GB is not available in the U.S.) for a still unspecified amount more. However much more the 64GB version costs, it's going to be less than its Surface Pro 2 equivalent.

Other details include that the Lenovo Miix2 will have 3G connectivity in "some countries," yet to be named, and comes with an optional flip cover, though not the "snap" keyboard of the Surface lineup.

Lenovo says its 8-inch Miix2 tablet will be available later this month so expect to see it hitting stores within the next couple of weeks.

While it doesn't contain the most cutting edge hardware (the screen pales in comparison with the Nexus 7 2), it will run almost every Windows application you need, without having to buy it through the Windows Store, and it costs much less than other Windows 8.1 machines. It will be interesting to see if the Miix2 can successfully bridge the divide for mobile users who want a full Windows experience. We'll see, starting in a couple of weeks.