Linx 7 review

The Linx 7 has a 3,500mAh battery and can be charged using its microUSB port, which is always a good thing if you don't want to lug another charger with you. It lasted almost three hours playing a Youtube video at standard resolution (360p) on full brightness before giving up the ghost.

When it comes to performance, we chose not to run this device through our usual set of benchmarks. Doing so would miss the point; not only would some benchmarks probably not run (blame the 1GB RAM for that) but the use case for the Linx 7 wouldn't match what you'd expect from a traditional Windows device.

As a touch-only device, anything other than passive media consumption would be a tricky exercise. Sure you can use Word and Excel but do you really want to do so on a tiny screen and without a keyboard and mouse?

That said, it is still a pretty fast tablet; the Z3735G CPU is about as capable as a first generation Core 2 Duo CPU like the U9400. I noticed no noticeable lag when playing eight concurrent Youtube videos (that's right!) and swapping between applications didn't slow down our user experience.

Verdict

There's only five months between the apparition of the first subsidised Windows tablets on the market and the widespread availability of the Linx 7. That's an incredibly small window and one that gives us an indication of how far Intel and Microsoft plan to go to stop Google and ARM from dominating the global tablet market.

We liked

But is the Linx 7 a tablet for you and your family? If you want to watch Youtube, check your emails, Twitter or Facebook, then yes, this is an absolute bargain. It's fast, well-built, packed with features squeezed into a very handy form factor and is one of the cheapest tablets on the market.

What's more, you should – in theory - be able to run Android applications on it; either using Bluestacks on Windows or simply by installing Android or Chrome OS on it in lieu of Windows.

Connect it to a monitor or television (with a HDMI port), add a keyboard and mouse (preferably via a USB hub) and you have a fully functional PC. Oh and don't forget that Office 365 Personal also allows you to run a copy on a desktop or a laptop.

We disliked

Having a higher resolution rear camera and more system memory would help but that, in turn would just add to the cost. In the hindsight, Windows 8.1 with Bing runs pretty well on 1GB.

Note that an 8-inch and a 10-inch models of the Linx 7 are also available but, unsurprisingly, they are way more expensive as well without adding much to the mix.

Final verdict

Microsoft's decision to give away Windows 8.1 for small devices will lead to a raft of new tablets and almost certainly to devices with different form factors. For now though, the Linx 7 remains the benchmark as to what can be achieved for less £100 (and possibly closer to £50). Windows 8.1 might not be the ideal OS for a tablet format but you simply can't argue about the sheer value for money that this device packs.