Dell Venue 8 Pro WiFi (4GB + 64GB) Review | 168 Data compared

The Dell Venue 8 Pro is an 8-inch tablet offering a full Windows 8.1 experience with a high-quality IPS display and a sturdy, textured design. Powered by an Intel Atom "Bay Trail" processor, it delivers smooth performance for everyday tasks and includes a free version of Microsoft Office. Key advantages include excellent battery life that lasts a full workday and the versatility to run desktop applications. However, the 8-inch screen makes navigating the traditional Windows desktop difficult, and the Windows Store app ecosystem remains limited compared to iOS or Android. Hardware limitations include the lack of an HDMI port, an awkwardly placed top-edge Windows button, and inconsistent performance with the active stylus. Despite these, the device offers strong value, although the desktop interface feels cramped on the small display.

The Dell Venue 8 Pro is identified in the PCMag review as a highly portable, affordable 8-inch Windows 8.1 tablet featuring a vibrant IPS display and solid build quality. Key advantages include its comfortable, one-handed design and the inclusion of a full version of Microsoft Office 2013, making it a strong, portable productivity device. However, the tablet has significant limitations, such as restricted storage on the base 32GB model and a lack of built-in video output ports. While the Intel Atom processor handles daily tasks, the performance can feel sluggish, and the optional stylus received criticism for poor accuracy. Despite these drawbacks, the device was recommended as a strong, budget-friendly supplementary PC for mobile browsing and quick tasks. It offers excellent battery life, lasting nearly 7 hours, although navigating the desktop interface can be difficult due to the small screen size.

Marius Masalar’s review highlights the Dell Venue 8 Pro as a highly portable 8-inch tablet delivering capable performance via Intel Bay Trail hardware and full Windows 8.1, priced under $300 including Office. Key advantages include its comfortable, textured grip, excellent battery life, and high-quality IPS display, making it a viable mobile workstation for light productivity. However, the review cites critical hardware shortcomings, such as the absence of a dedicated video-out port and a single MicroUSB port that complicates peripheral usage while charging. Furthermore, the optional active stylus suffers from poor accuracy and palm rejection, and the Windows desktop environment is difficult to navigate on the small, high-resolution screen. Despite these compromises and an awkward, top-mounted Windows button, the review concludes the Venue 8 Pro is a "magnificent demonstration" of Windows 8.1 in a small form factor. The device offers impressive value for users needing a true Windows experience on the go.

Marius Masalar’s review highlights the Dell Venue 8 Pro as a "portable powerhouse" that delivers a full Windows 8.1 experience with capable performance from its Intel Bay Trail processor. Key strengths include a textured, comfortable design and excellent battery life, making it a functional "workhorse" for under $300. However, the device features an awkward, non-functional auto-brightness setting and questionable, "wonky" stylus performance due to poor palm rejection. Further limitations include a lack of dedicated display ports and an inconveniently placed Windows button. Marius Masalar

The Dell Venue 8 series offers two 8-inch, 1280x800 IPS tablet options: the Android 4.2.2-based Venue 8 and the Windows 8.1-based Venue 8 Pro, both featuring a "grippy" textured design. The Pro model stands out with a quad-core Intel Atom Z3740D "Bay Trail" processor and 14.1-hour battery life in web tests, along with included Microsoft Office 2013, while the standard Venue 8 uses a dual-core Intel Atom Z2580 with a lower, roughly 7.9-hour battery life. Key limitations for the Windows version include a lack of dedicated video output, a single micro-USB port for charging/data, and limited storage, with only about 10GB free on the 32GB model.

The Dell Venue 8 Pro is highlighted as an exceptionally versatile 8-inch tablet, successfully bringing a full Windows 8.1 experience and desktop application support (including MS Office) to a compact form factor via its Intel "Bay Trail" processor. The device is praised for its high-quality IPS display, solid build, and excellent portability, offering a significant performance advantage over restricted RT-based devices. However, the review notes several hardware limitations, including the lack of a micro-HDMI port and a single micro-USB port that hampers simultaneous charging and peripheral use. Additionally, while an active stylus is supported, its performance is described as inconsistent, with issues surrounding palm rejection and click-drags. Ultimately framed as a high-value, light-productivity device, the tablet is limited by 2GB of RAM for heavy multitasking and lacks a dedicated capacitive Windows button. It is positioned as an ideal choice for users needing full Windows functionality in a highly portable, sub-400g frame.

The Dell Venue 8 Pro is described by WIRED as a solidly built, 8-inch tablet running full Windows 8.1 for a competitive £249, featuring a textured back for easy handling. Powered by an Intel Atom Z3740D with 2GB of RAM, the device provides sufficient performance for general tasks and includes Microsoft Office 2013, though the side-mounted Windows button was deemed confusing. Key strengths include a decent IPS display, over eight hours of battery life, and high productivity value, while limitations include poor cameras, no HDMI port, and required extra costs for accessories like a stylus.

The TechRadar review identifies the Dell Venue 8 Pro as a strong, compact 8-inch Windows 8.1 tablet, highlighting its superb build quality, premium feel, and bright IPS display. Included Microsoft Office 2013 adds value, though performance is limited to basic tasks. Cons include a 32GB storage limit, lack of a dedicated HDMI port, and a low 1280 x 800 resolution. Despite decent battery life, the tablet is hindered by poor speaker quality, an inconvenient Windows button placement, and an Atom processor that struggles with heavy multitasking. The review ultimately calls it a solid, albeit flawed, portable Windows option.

The Dell Venue 8 Pro is a compact, 8-inch tablet running full Windows 8.1, featuring a grippy design, an Intel Atom "Bay Trail" processor, and 2GB of RAM, making it capable of running standard desktop apps. Key strengths include its high-quality, portable construction and the inclusion of Microsoft Office 2013, offering a "premium feel" at an affordable price point, often cited around $299. However, the device suffers from a poorly positioned top-edge Windows button, very limited usable space on the 32GB model, and a lack of a built-in HDMI port, requiring a microSD card for practical usage.

The Dell Venue 8 Pro is a well-built 8-inch Windows 8.1 tablet featuring a solid design and a full desktop experience, offering great value for its price. It is powered by an Intel Atom Z3740D processor, which provides strong performance for daily tasks, but it faces limitations in handling intensive software, making it unsuitable as a primary laptop replacement. While the IPS display provides good viewing angles, it is criticized for a low resolution compared to competitors, leading to a pixelated appearance and difficulty navigating desktop mode.

The Trusted Reviews assessment of the Dell Venue 8 Pro identifies it as a capable 8-inch Windows 8.1 tablet featuring a robust, textured build and a snappy Intel Atom Z3740 processor suitable for daily tasks. While the IPS display offers good brightness and colors, a key downside is the relatively low 1280 x 800 resolution compared to competitors, along with an awkward, poorly placed Windows Home button on the top edge. Despite these issues, the device delivers solid 8.5 to 10-hour battery life and, for some users, may be a better alternative to the smaller iPad mini.

The Dell Venue 8 Pro, powered by an Intel Atom Z3740D processor and 2GB of RAM, offers a smooth Windows 8.1 experience with excellent performance for an 8-inch tablet, including pre-installed Microsoft Office 2013. Featuring a bright 1280 x 800 IPS display and a comfortable, soft-touch design, it is highly portable yet hindered by limited internal storage and the lack of a dedicated HDMI port. While supporting an active pen for productivity and offering 8-10 hours of battery life, the device suffers from an inconvenient Windows button placement and requires a shared micro USB for charging and peripherals.

The Dell Venue 8 Pro is a compact Windows 8.1 tablet featuring a quad-core Intel Atom Z3740D processor and a vibrant 8-inch IPS display, allowing for full desktop application support. Pros include solid build quality, reliable performance for daily tasks, and a respectable 8-10 hour battery life. Cons highlight the inconvenient top-edge placement of the Windows button and the limitation of only one micro-USB port, which requires a hub for simultaneous charging and data transfer. The device is ultimately recommended as a flexible secondary machine for professionals rather than a primary laptop replacement.

The Dell Venue 8 Pro is a compact, 8-inch Windows 8.1 tablet that serves as a portable, full-powered PC alternative, capable of running standard desktop applications like Microsoft Office thanks to its Intel Atom "Bay Trail" processor. Its design features a textured, rubberized back for a secure grip, and the 1280x800 IPS display offers good brightness. Performance is a key strength, with 8-10 hours of battery life and smooth multitasking capabilities. However, the device has notable drawbacks, including the strange, top-edge placement of the Windows button, a lack of dedicated video-out ports, and a single micro-USB port that forces a choice between charging and using peripherals. Starting at around $299, the tablet is a high-value, portable, and versatile option for users needing desktop functionality. For the full, detailed review from Gotta Be Mobile, visit Gotta Be Mobile

The Dell Venue 8 Pro is highlighted as a high-value, 8-inch Windows 8.1 tablet that successfully brings full PC performance to a compact form factor, powered by a quad-core Intel Atom "Bay Trail" processor and 2GB of RAM. Pros include a high-quality, vibrant IPS display and a comfortable, textured, easy-to-grip design. However, significant cons resulting from cost-cutting include a lack of ports—limited to a single micro-USB for charging and data—and mediocre battery life. The review also highlights inconsistent performance from the optional active stylus and an awkward placement of the Windows button on the top edge. Ultimately, the $300 device is considered a solid, portable "netbook killer" for Windows users, despite the 32GB model's limited available storage and lack of video-out ports.

The Dell Venue 8 Pro is a compact, affordable 8-inch tablet running full Windows 8.1, powered by an Intel Atom "Bay Trail" processor and 2GB of RAM, offering snappy performance for daily tasks and included Microsoft Office. Key advantages include its high-quality IPS display and portability, though it is limited by a single micro USB port and lacks dedicated video output, making peripheral management cumbersome. While the textured design provides good handling and the device serves as a capable portable workstation, the optional active stylus suffers from poor accuracy, and the small screen makes the traditional Windows desktop environment challenging to navigate.

The Tech Powered Math review highlights the Dell Venue 8 Pro as a high-value, portable 8-inch Windows 8.1 tablet that serves as a productive "tiny laptop" for around $230-$299. Key pros include the ability to run full desktop applications, included Office software, and excellent portability that makes older tablets feel heavy by comparison. However, the review notes specific cons, including an awkward Windows button placement on the top edge and occasional phantom double-taps on the touchscreen. The build quality was noted as slightly "creaky" until placed in a case, and the Windows 8.1 app store remains limited. Tech Powered MathFor the full, detailed review, visit Tech Powered Math.

The ITPro hands-on review highlights the Dell Venue 8 Pro as a groundbreaking 8-inch device, featuring an Intel Atom "Bay Trail" processor capable of running full Windows 8.1 and Microsoft Office applications, serving as a highly portable productivity tool. While the 8-inch IPS display offers vibrant, wide-angle viewing, the device is hindered by limited connectivity, notably featuring only a single micro USB port for both charging and data, and lacking dedicated video output. Despite an "odd" physical Windows button placement and restricted storage on the 32GB model, it is positioned as a strong "netbook killer" for business users requiring full Windows portability.