All sub 10-inch x86 Windows 8 tablets to ship with free Office apps

Microsoft apparently has a little trick up its sleeve to challenge small tablets like the iPad mini, Nexus 7, and Kindle Fire. All x86 Windows 8 tablets under 10 inches in size are getting free Microsoft Office apps.
That wasn’t the case with the first batch of Windows 8 tablets, of course. There weren’t any sub-10-inch models anyway, but while their ARM-powered Windows RT cousins came with Office Home and Student pre-installed, the x86 slates did not.
Why the change of heart? The fact that Windows RT tablets haven’t sold all that well might have something to do with it. Acer executives still firmly believe that Windows RT isn’t good for much more than confusing consumers. After all, it looks like Windows and it acts like Windows, but users can’t install some popular Windows desktop apps like iTunes — because they’re limited to ARM-friendly Windows Store downloads.
Another contributing factor might be the arrival of Intel’s next generation of processors. They’re packing more power and offering endurance that rivals ARM chips, and manufacturers may be more interested in offering the full Windows 8.1 experience to potential tablet buyers rather than the hobbled Windows RT version.
And Acer has proven that an Intel-powered Windows 8.1 tablet can even compete on price. The 8-inch Iconia W3 will be one of the first small Windows 8.1 slates on the market, and it’s expected to sell for iPad mini prices.
An iPad mini-sized tablet that comes with the full Microsoft Office suite installed for free? That’s a huge value-add for, say, parents who want to buy a compact tablet for the students in their homes.
If you’re after a bigger tablet and still want Office for free, it looks like you’ll need to stick with Windows RT. Microsoft’s blog post doesn’t show any indication that devices with a larger screen will be getting in on the freebies any time soon.
One more bit of good news to come from the announcement: all tablets that get Office apps for free will now be getting Outlook in addition to Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote.
Now read: Surface RT’s now-free keyboard nicely sums up Microsoft’s tablet failure

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Samsung’s new Galaxy Tab 3 8-inch and 10-inch tablets are very mid-range

Samsung’s first two Galaxy Tab 3 models have been officially announced. Both an 8-inch and a 10.1-inch tablet will be launching globally next month, and you won’t find a quad-core chip or 1080p display in either one.
No, the new Galaxy Tab models have shifted towards the mid-range as their Note cousins take over the top end of Samsung’s line-up. Both tablets will feature a relatively modest 1280 x 800 display, which translates to 189ppi on the 8-incher and 149ppi on the 10.1.
As for that rumored Atom processor, it’s apparently going to power the larger model. The Galaxy Tab 3 10.1 will run a dual-core Intel chip clocked at 1.6GHz, and the fact that Samsung has opted for 1GB of RAM confirms that this tablet isn’t meant to blow away power users with its raw power. Speaking of power, the 6800mAh battery should provide plenty of run-time.
The smaller Tab dials back to 1.5GHz, and it’s a dual core chip. Whether it’s ARM or x86 remains a mystery for now. It has also got 1GB of RAM, and Samsung  has fitted it with a 4450mAh battery — roughly ten per cent better than its 7-inch predecessor.
Samsung will offer the usual variants — both Wi-Fi and 3/4G enabled — with 16 or 32GB of internal storage. Both support microSD expansion, of course. They’ll also ship with Android 4.2 out of the box and the requisite Samsung bloat value-added software like ChatOn, S Voice, and S Travel.
It’s pretty clear from these new releases that the Galaxy Tab is no longer offered as a direct competitor to the iPad. The Galaxy brand is successful enough that Samsung can justify creating two tiers for prospective shoppers to choose from: the mid-range Tab and the high-end Note.
Ultimately, the Galaxy Tab 3 will probably be hot sellers — assuming Samsung prices them smartly.
Now read: Intel thought to be dropping Atom branding for Silvermont chips
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