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The Asus VivoTab Smart uses full-fat, 32-bit Windows 8. This means that it can operate in the ‘standard' Windows desktop mode, and the modern 'tiles' mode which is great for touch screen devices. Asus includes a user manual that features some basic Windows 8 tips. A ‘guide' app is also installed and is very helpful.
With some slight adjustments to the installed apps and programs, such as removing the ones you deem useless (Microsoft Office trial, for example), you should be able to yield a free storage space of around 30 Gigabytes. We think that this is fine, taking the tablet's expected use into consideration. A good amount of work documents, pictures and music files can be saved in 30 gigs, in addition to a few compressed movies or videos.
Extra storage space can be obtained by using a micro SD card, although this will increase cost.
Asus' VivoTab Smart uses Windows 8, meaning that we see the standard Microsoft layout with dynamic tiles. There is a tile in the bottom-left corner which switches the tablet to Windows 8's full desktop mode.
Weather, maps, news and sport feature the sleek Windows 8 interface.
Bing has an app which allows you to search for content and then open the link, launching the default web browser.
Xbox games is present, but it is very limited in its title choices, especially those which are free and actually worth playing.
Windows 8 has an app store that is a far, far cry from the Google Play and Apple App stores. The choice is limited to basic, uncommon apps. We expect the store to grow in the future, but it will certainly take some patience on the consumer's part.
The SkyDrive app gives you access to your stored files and works well.
We quite liked the Music app's fresh interface and sleek design. More on that later.
The Video app was equally well-designed. Again, we will revisit the Video app later.
Asus adds a library app which displays your eBooks.
Asus keeps the Windows 8 install fairly clean, but a few extra apps are installed. One of these apps is asus@vibe Fun Center, which features free music from a number of artists and radio stations. It is a good app and is worth keeping, if only for the radio stations.
Another useful Asus app is Supernote. It is a fairly comprehensive note-taking, drawing and ‘doodling' package that has an easy-to-use interface.
The sidebar can be pulled on-screen to display and switch between the currently open apps/programs. A running app can be positioned on the side of the screen while the main window is still fully usable. This is good for reading the news while typing or sifting through photos.
A very convenient feature is the fact that the sidebar and side app modes are both fully functional while the tablet is operating in desktop mode.
