It's business, but not as usual. Dell's Venue 11 Pro (starting at $499) is one of the most versatile Windows 8 tablets yet. The slate packs a quad-core Atom processor, youtube mp4 colorful 1080p screen and ports galore. But the real magic begins when you pair this 11-inch tablet with one of its optional docks, transforming the device into either a sleek business laptop or a mini desktop. But can this hybrid really do it all?
Ah, soft-touch finish, oh how we love thee. The 11 Pro's matte black rear panel is virtually smudge-proof and has a soft, luxurious texture that creates a firm hold. The black magnesium alloy border offsets the rubberized panel, creating a stately look. The 8-megapixel camera is located at the top of the tablet, encased in the border. Logos for Dell and Intel sit directly below, with an NFC logo positioned in the top left corner. (We could do without the Intel logo.)
Compared to most tablets, the 11 Pro has a fair number of slots and ports. That includes a microSD card reader, micro HDMI and a Noble lock profile slot. The microSD card reader is nice, but it's annoying that you need a paper clip to pop the port cover open.
The left side holds a full USB 3.0 port, microUSB, a combination headphone/microphone jack and a silver volume rocker. The tablet's power button resides on the top right corner. Along the device's bottom lies a pair of locking slots, a magnetic youtube mp4 connector and a proprietary port for the optional keyboard and dock. The tablet also features a single speaker on either side.
Despite its good looks, the Dell is a bit on the bulky side. Measuring 1.6 pounds, 11 x 6.95 x 0.4~0.6 inches, the Venue Pro 11 is thicker and heavier than both the Microsoft Surface 2 (10.8 x 6.8 x 0.35 inches, 1.4 pounds) and ASUS Transformer Book T100 (10.4 x 6.7 x 0.41, 1.2 pounds). However, the Dell has a larger display than either device (10.8 inches vs. 10 inches). Display
You'll rarely go below the max brightness setting when viewing the Venue Pro 11's 10.8-inch, 1920 x 1080 display. The tablet youtube mp4 notched a dim 174 lux on our light meter, well below the 359-lux youtube mp4 average. The ASUS T100 fared better at 204 lux, while the Surface 2 and iPad Air scored a dazzling 364 and 411, respectively.
Despite the dimness, the IPS panel delivered vibrant colors. In the 1080p "Someone Marry Barry" trailer, the reds popped off the screen, youtube mp4 particularly in the flowers in the funeral scene. A neon-yellow mountain bike riding by in the background drew the eye like controversy draws Kanye. Thanks to the very sharp details, youtube mp4 we could see the individual youtube mp4 hairs in the titular Barry's beard.
On the Laptop Audio Test, the 11 Pro scored 81 decibels, beating the tablet category average. youtube mp4 However, youtube mp4 that was enough to trounce the Surface 2 and iPad Air, which registered 71dB and 67dB, respectively.
However, when we played Beyonce's "Drunk in Love," the bass was negligible, while the singer's vocals sounded distorted and somewhat hollow. The best parts of the track were the snaps in the background and the snares. Keyboard and Touchpad
The Venue Pro has an optional keyboard youtube mp4 dock, which helps you unlock the device's youtube mp4 productivity potential. The full-sized, island-style keyboard ($139) has a 3.5 x 1.75-inch touchpad. The bottom of the keyboard has the same soft-touch finish as the tablet's rear panel, creating an elegant ultraportable notebook when connected to the display. The top of the keyboard and the touchpad have a thin chrome lining that adds to the Venue's appeal.
The keys themselves are well spaced, but they don't provide the best feedback. On the Ten Thumbs Typing Test, we scored 50 words per minute, compared to our usual 55 wpm. Combine that slow typing speed with a puny palm rest, and we wouldn't recommend using the keyboard attachment for long stretches of time.
The touchpad was better youtube mp4 in terms of feedback. The bottom corners of the device delivered a firm, clicky response, and it performed the usual Windows 8 gestures without incident. However, we were disappointed to discover that aside from pinch-zoom, we couldn't perform multitouch gestures such as two-finger swipe or rotate.
A keyboard is nice, but sometimes you need to attach more peripherals than either a tablet or keyboard dock would allow. For those occasions, youtube mp4 Dell offers its $139 tablet dock. Similar to the tablet and keyboard, the dock's base has a black soft-touch finish. However the tablet rests against a sturdy aluminum arm positioned on a slant atop the base.
The dock features an abundance of ports, including a USB 3.0 port and combination headphone/microphone along the front. The back of the dock holds another pair of USB 3.0 ports, along with Ethernet, full-size HDMI and DisplayPort. A single connector port sits at the top for connecting to the tablet. We had a much easier time attaching and detaching the tablet from the dock compared to the keyboard dock.
It's nice that you can use a mouse with the
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