iPad Mini-Style Specs, On the Cheap, In Android-Based ASUS ZenPad S 8.0

MojoKid writes: The ASUS ZenPad S 8.0 is a well-designed Android tablet based on an Intel X86 platform that boasts better specs than the iPad mini 3 in many areas and is also less expensive. As configured, the ZenPad S 8.0 Z580CA has an MSRP of $299, which is $99 less than the 16GB iPad mini 3, and $199 less than 64GB model. However, it's based on a quad-core Intel Atom Z3580 processor, 4GB of RAM, 64GB of internal storage, and modern amenities like 802.11ac Wi-Fi, a USB Type-C port and a 2048X1536 IPS display. A 2GB RAM and 32GB variant can be found for $199 as well. In the benchmarks, the ZenPad S 8.0 handles pretty well, offering middle-of-the-pack performance in both standard CPU tests as well as gaming, in addition to running the latest version of Android Lollipop.

Comments

Dear slashdot,

[Anonymous Coward]

If you're doing product presentations in this venues, the least I expect is an assessment on how easily a device can be rooted. Otherwise I can go to the abundant shiny press release regurgitators out there.

Why x86?

[gstoddart]

Why are we so slavishly stuck with x86?

When tablets first came out they threw away all the baggage, ans started fresh with a smaller and leaner platform. This gave us battery life, and finally gave us apps which were small, functional, and didn't take gigs of space.

I worry that everybody is going to try to turn these damned things back into x86 based dinosaurs, and start spec'ing out the damned things like desktops, and then we're back to the damned bloatware of old.

The x86 architecture is very old, full of stuff it probably doesn't need anymore, and is just going to encourage people to essentially treat tablets like they're desktops. And while I'm sure it's come a long way in terms of power, I just don't see why we can't keep tablets smaller and less tied to this damned architecture.

But, then again, I guess this allows everybody to be lazy and just reuse the same architecture they've had for decades and slowly turn the tablets back into low end desktops for no good reason.

Re:Why x86?

[KiloByte]

It's not about age in years, it's about the amount of accumulated cruft. x86 is designed for 16-bit real mode, then leftover opcodes were taken by useless 286 protected mode, then you had 32 bit protected mode crammed in, and then an unclean move to 64 bit. ARM in comparison started with clean 32 bits, and its 64-bit variant has no opcode compatibility.

Site issues?

[Nidi62]

Hey Slashdot, I think your ads disabled checkbox is broken.

ASUS tends to abandon hardware quickly

[Dzimas]

I have an ASUS Memo Pad 10 FHD, that has served me pretty well for just over a year. My one complaint is that the company stopped supporting it way too early (it's running Android 4.3), and this seems to be standard practice. My next tablet will be Nexus or Apple, simply because that should provide me with 2-3 years of OS updates. That little bonus is worth an extra $100 or so to me.

Specs Specs Specs

[goombah99]

Why is it people insist on comparing apples to oranges with specs. People buy apple because they are easy to use, highly productive, platforms with a balance of specs. You can always buy something cheaper-- always-- if you cherry pick the specs as your comparison point. This makes sense if you are running a headless server in the dark or running an optimized gaming machine or treating the device as an appliance to control your robot or home securilty system. Otherwise it makes no sense. Apple is very competitive on the total package and the difference in price rarely matters if your time has any value. Buy what's right for you but don't tell me some fine grained spec comparison. otherwise I'll tell you that five orange-Pi computers at $9 each lashed together in a beowulf cluster smokes an ipad too.