A few weeks ago I took a first look at a new Windows 8.1 tablet from Eve, the T1. Clocking in just under 150 Euros it's not the most expensive tablet you'll find, but it's firmly inside an ever increasingly crowded space. There are now so many low cost Windows tablets out there that standing out is a big ask.
Does the Eve T1 do that? Initially I was quite impressed with it, but what about after a few weeks of use?
Rather than just going through the motions of a traditional review, here's some thoughts on how it's been to live with the T1.
- The form factor is pretty much ideal for a smaller tablet. I've often felt 7-inches is too small (especially when we have 6-inch phones in the world) but 8-inches done right I think is the sweet spot.
- Compared to even some other 8-inch tablets, the T1 has done a good job with keeping the bezels to a minimum and as such the overall size of the tablet down. It's easily one-handable in portrait.
- The display is bright and colorful with great viewing angles and is overall pleasing to spend time looking at while being very responsive.
- The front is however very much the fingerprint magnet.
- Having 2GB of RAM in even a small tablet such as this does make a difference. Especially if you have any ideas on running desktop apps. It's not that common right now in low cost Windows tablets, but it's good news for the T1.
- The design on the back is reminiscent of the finish on the Dell Venue 8 Pro. And that's not a bad thing at all. I prefer holding something with a 'grippy' pattern to a soft touch finish personally.
- I've been getting through a couple of days on each charge of the battery. As much as it might sound like a great idea to try and do actual work on a small, portable Windows machine, in practice it's still more of a media consumption, light communication, perhaps some lighter work kind of device.
- I've no problems using a small Windows tablet in this way. I actually packed this for the recent jaunt to MWC where it spent a good amount of the travelling as a music/reading machine.
- I'm prepared to allow some hardware concessions on this review unit as I was sent an early pre-production device. But in the interest of full disclosure the microSD card slot cover was difficult to get back in once it was out and there's a bit of a hollow feeling if you push down on the center of the back cover.
- But then, pushing down on it isn't every day use, is it?
So, the verdict, then? Pretty impressed. Aside from any hardware concerns that would require an actual retail unit to compare to, it's been a solid experience all round. Nice design, great form factor, ample battery life.
Eve is trying to build from the ground up and it'll take some time and a number of quality devices to do so. But the T1 isn't a bad start.
