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Dell Venue 8 Pro 3000 Series

 & John R. Delaney Contributing Editor

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The Dell Venue 8 Pro 3000 Series is an 8-inch Windows slate tablet featuring a sharp In-Plane Switching (IPS) screen and a sub-$100 price. It's a sweet deal if you're on a strict budget. - Dell Venue 8 Pro 3000 Series
4.0 Excellent

The Bottom Line

The Dell Venue 8 Pro 3000 Series is an 8-inch Windows slate tablet featuring a sharp In-Plane Switching (IPS) screen and a sub-$100 price. It's a sweet deal if you're on a strict budget.
Best Deal£329.96

Buy It Now

£329.96

Pros & Cons

    • Inexpensive.
    • Crisp IPS display.
    • Decent battery life in testing.
    • Middling performance.
    • Audio is tinny.

Dell Venue 8 Pro 3000 Series Specs

Battery Life 6:55
CPU Intel Atom Z3735G
Dimensions 0.35 by 5.11 by 8.51 inches
Operating System Microsoft Windows 8.1
Screen Resolution 1,280 by 800 pixels
Screen Size 8
Storage Capacity 32
Weight 0.88

If you've been holding off on buying a Windows tablet until prices have dropped below the $100 mark, your wait is over. The 32GB Dell Venue 8 Pro 3000 Series is an 8-inch model that costs just $99, offers close to 7 hours of battery life and sports a vibrant In-Plane Switching (IPS) display. It's not the speediest performer out there, and its audio is somewhat tinny, but if money is tight, this is one bargain that's hard to beat. As such, it's our first Editors' Choice budget Windows slate tablet.

Design and Features

The Venue 8 Pro measures 8.51 by 5.11 by 0.35 inches (HWD) and weighs 14.08 ounces, which is just a tad heavier than the E-Fun Nextbook 8 and the LG G Pad X 8.3, both of which weigh 12.96 ounces, and the previous iteration of the Dell Venue 8 Pro (13.44 ounces) we reviewed back in 2013. Our review unit has a black, textured case, but you can also order it in white. The 8-inch screen maxes out at 1,280 by 800, which is relatively low compared with the 1,920-by-1,200-resolution display on the Android-equipped Dell Venue 8 (2014) we reviewed in 2014, but this newer model uses an IPS panel to deliver very good color quality and inky blacks. Unlike the 2014 Android model, its screen doesn't suffer from narrow viewing angles; color fidelity and luminance remain true from every angle.

Final Thoughts

The Dell Venue 8 Pro 3000 Series is an 8-inch Windows slate tablet featuring a sharp In-Plane Switching (IPS) screen and a sub-$100 price. It's a sweet deal if you're on a strict budget. - Dell Venue 8 Pro 3000 Series

Dell Venue 8 Pro 3000 Series

4.0 Excellent

The Dell Venue 8 Pro 3000 Series is an 8-inch Windows slate tablet featuring a sharp In-Plane Switching (IPS) screen and a sub-$100 price. It's a sweet deal if you're on a strict budget.

Get It Now
Best Deal£329.96

Buy It Now

£329.96

About Our Expert

John R. Delaney

John R. Delaney

Contributing Editor

My Experience

I’ve been working with computers for ages, starting with a multi-year stint in purchasing for a major IBM reseller in New York City before eventually landing at PCMag (back when it was still in print as PC Magazine). I spent more than 14 years on staff, most recently as the director of operations for PC Labs, before hitting the freelance circuit as a contributing editor. 

The Technology I Use

I do all of my writing on my aging but trusty Lenovo Thinkpad T460.

At home I have two wireless networks running: one for streaming, gaming, and other day-to-day networking tasks, and another for testing all sorts of smart home devices including smart plugs and switches, lighting, indoor and outdoor security cameras, home security systems, air conditioners, smart grills, robotic lawn mowers, pool cleaners, and whatever else finds its way to my door.

It’s not uncommon to find people standing in front of my house taking video of a robotic lawn mower traversing my lawn during the summer months. Now if only someone would come up with a robotic snow blower, I’d be all set. 

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