****** - Verified Buyer
4.5
I was looking for a simple, new tablet that I could use as a replacement for my older Kindle Fire. Was able to score a great deal after Thanksgiving for about $139.I have had the chance to play with it for several days and have been suitablly impressed. I like the stripped down version of Android. When I booted it up, there was very little extra programs loaded on board this. Set up was straightforward and saw my wi-fi with no issues (although, did notice it would pick up my HD signal). Linked into Google Play with no issues, and began downloading apps without any issues.Screen size is great for an 8 inch (noticeable improvement over a 7 in screen). However, did look a little off as it appears to have a slighlty stretched visual. Do agree that the micro-usb port on the upper left of the device and the headphone jack at the top appears to be in a strange location. However, once you rotate into a landscape format, its not as bad as people make it out to be (the old Kindle Fire had the ports on the bottom which would be on the right side when in landscape). Only used the back camera once and although not the best, its not intended to be stellar. The cameras will work as they need to when used for what they are supposed to be there (if you want quality pictures, get a camera).I think its pretty thin enough so not sure what some reviews have meant by it being a bit blocky or bulky. It feels comfortable in my hands and doesnt feel heavy (again, I upgraded from a first gen Kindle Fire). The back is not completly smooth or hard and sits well. I waffled a bit on my upgrade, trying to figure out how much I wanted to spend or what I wanted. I think I scored a great tablet that will be plenty sufficient for what I was hoping for 9do admit the price was a good incentive).Only negative thing noticed is the with the Kindle Fire app. Not sure if its the app or the interface with the tablet but the font size on the screen wont decrease to a point where I dont have to contunually scroll pages. However, not a detractor for the tablet.//UPDATE 12 DecSo had a few days to play with it. I ended up buying a good screen protector, anti-scratch and anti-finger print. Highly recommended, almost a no brainer. Have played a few game apps with it and havent really seen anything negative. The battery is holding up well. I dont play it all the time but its lasting several hours cumulative).Netflix looks nice on the screen, and the boot up takes moments. All the other apps I have installed work very well.Charge time takes a bit. I am not sure if that is just a tablet thing or solely with this one. Will provide more info in a further update.Interestingly enough the settings section reminds me of an Apple product. When you jump into the settings feature, the info comes up on the left screen in a similar way to my wife's iPad. Simple adjustments, much simpler than my smart phone. You can adjust the settings fairly easy.So, from what I have tried loading, the start times have been very good for me. If you want blistering fast, you will pay for it. You will get a good product with this for not spending more than you would be comfortable. Does not appear to be difficult to use and if you have a rudimentary knowledge of using a computer, this should be fairly straightforward to use. If you have a smart phone, its pretty easy. Again, my kudos to Dell to not putting bloatware on this (some other tablets, whicle great products, often come with more stuff loaded on it by the manufacture that often dont get use but you cant delete). Still happy with my purchase.//UPDATE 13 JanStill enjoy my Venue 8. Only thing I noted is that although the battery life works pretty well on it (if you play certain app games that are graphic intensive, will burn the battery quicker), it does take a while to charge. I have not tested the charge rate but it does take a while to charge it back up after using it. However, even though this is a little irritating (especially compared to an iPad), its not much of an issue when you compare the price. If you want an Apple-like recharge rate, get an Apple product. If you want a decent quality, decent priced tablet, than this is very suitable.
