[CHIP72]

I posted this on the Asus VivoTab RT subforum, but I figured I'd post it here too for increased visibility. I want to give a heads up to anyone interested in purchasing the Asus VivoTab RT who lives near a physical, brick & mortar Microsoft Store - up through December 31st you can purchase the tablet for $399.99. The keyboard dock is included for free with the tablet purchase.

Once I found out about this deal (on Sunday 12/15), I went over to one of the local Microsoft Stores in my area to check out the VivoTab RT. I thought it was good, but I didn't like the look of the hinge connecting the tablet and keyboard dock. More importantly, just a couple days before finding out about the VivoTab RT deal, I was checking out some of the touchscreen Windows 8 laptops at Best Buy and was very impressed, particularly by the 11.6" Asus VivoBook (model number Q200E) that costs $500. (I found out soon thereafter that there is a somewhat better version of the 11.6" VivoBook, the X202E model, with a newer version of the Core i3 processor that sells for $550 at most retailers and $500 at the Microsoft Store (both on-line and physical stores).) I've been thinking for months I'd get a Windows 8 convertible tablet of some sort, but after playing around with the VivoBook Q200E and X202E at Best Buy and the Microsoft Store, including testing out using the touchscreen while sitting with the laptop in front of me in a position where I was typing on it, I think a netbook-sized laptop with touchscreen will suit my needs and wants plenty well enough. The value proposition of a $500 touchscreen laptop with full Windows 8 seems to be better than a $400 tablet/keyboard dock combination with Windows 8 RT; the only real negative of the laptop vs. the tablet/keyboard combination is battery life IMO.

Incidentally, the Asus VivoBook X202E has been getting mostly very good user reviews on Amazon and on the various websites I've seen that have reviewed that laptop.

[jdevenberg]

That's a really good deal. I have one I got October 26th for $499 and I love it. At $399 ($200 below what it sells for regularly) it is an absolute steal. No way is the surface worth $200 more (with keyboard) unless you have to have the ultra thin keyboard over 16 hours of battery.