Surfaces, Miixes, Venues… with the second wave of Windows 8 tablets well under way, the sheer number of choices can be overwhelming. Here’s what you need to know before you buy.
Before Windows 8, Windows tablets were uncommon, clunky, and frustrating to use without a stylus. But here in 2014, well into the second round of Windows 8.x slates, the field has become much healthier, ranging from compact 8-inch models (such as Lenovo’s Miix 2 8) up to 11 inchers (such as Dell’s Venue 11 Pro), with even bigger screens available in detachable Windows laptop/tablet hybrids like HP’s Spectre 13 x2.