Asus MeMo Pad 8 packs a bang for your budget

The Asus Memo Pad 8 is a bargain-shopper's dream come true, starting at $199 and packing a slick, new user interface, useful apps, and plenty of customization features.

As one of the thinnest budget tablets, the MeMo Pad 8 delivers on both ergonomics and affordability.

The new Asus Zen user-interface features a trendy, flat design and a myriad of customization options to put your personal touch on the MeMo Pad 8.

The plastic back panel has a fine woven texture that feels comfortable in your hands and provides plenty of grip support. The matte finish doesn't attract too many smudges, either.

A high-end screen is the most popular spec for tablets these days, and though the Asus MeMo Pad 8 doesn't have super-HD resolution, its range of colors is impressive.

The native camera app is surprisingly robust, offering many of the regular scenes modes and a few more creative ones, including a fun GIF animator. However, its photo quality isn't anything to write home about -- you can't win 'em all.

The rear speaker isn't very loud or full-sounding, but the included Asus AudioWizard app helps optimize audio for listening to music or movies, making things a little more bearable.

You'll be hard-pressed to find a tablet for $200 that packs plenty of software features without making some sacrifices in the looks department, but the Asus MeMo Pad 8 delivers both ways, with a comfy build and colorful screen to boot.