2014-10-26, 09:54 PM
Windows 8 tablets are pretty expensive from what I recall. Windows RT isn't quite a good substitute, because even though it's Windows, you are limited to software in Windows Store, a relatively sparse one that I've seen. I just checked the store's contents and saw a bunch of knockoff apps listed on the front page. Nonetheless, I did a quick search on Amazon for Windows tablets based on Windows 8, and saw that the top result (and the cheapest) is the Dell Venue 8 Pro, going for about $200. I've heard that Dell tablets, both Android and Windows, have been OK and reasonably good for their prices, but this tablet in particular only sports a 32 GB SSD. I think Windows 8.1 takes 12 GB or more on its own, so you're left with <20 GB for any data or programs. That's still plenty for your purposes.
As for cheaper alternatives, the equivalent Dell tablet for Android is $165. It starts with 4.2 Jelly Bean but has an OTA available for 4.4 Kitkat. Likewise, the Acer Iconia A1-830 with a similar price also starts with 4.2 and has an OTA for 4.4. I realize Android is not Windows; still, I think it's a great alternative for the price. Google has several Drive apps like Docs that boast compatibility with MS Word. Not sure about that entirely, but that's definitely usable.
As for cheaper alternatives, the equivalent Dell tablet for Android is $165. It starts with 4.2 Jelly Bean but has an OTA available for 4.4 Kitkat. Likewise, the Acer Iconia A1-830 with a similar price also starts with 4.2 and has an OTA for 4.4. I realize Android is not Windows; still, I think it's a great alternative for the price. Google has several Drive apps like Docs that boast compatibility with MS Word. Not sure about that entirely, but that's definitely usable.