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Toshiba Encore Mini Windows 8.1 tablet now available for cheap

Debuted at Computex 2014, the 7-inch tablet runs full Windows 8.1 with features that fit its $120 price tag.

Joshua Goldman Managing Editor / Advice
Managing Editor Josh Goldman is a laptop expert and has been writing about and reviewing them since built-in Wi-Fi was an optional feature. He also covers almost anything connected to a PC, including keyboards, mice, USB-C docks and PC gaming accessories. In addition, he writes about cameras, including action cams and drones. And while he doesn't consider himself a gamer, he spends entirely too much time playing them.
Expertise Laptops, desktops and computer and PC gaming accessories including keyboards, mice and controllers, cameras, action cameras and drones Credentials
  • More than two decades experience writing about PCs and accessories, and 15 years writing about cameras of all kinds.
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Joshua Goldman

Microsoft may not have gone through with its Surface Mini, but that's not stopping others from putting full Windows 8.1 on tiny tablets.

Toshiba's Encore Mini, for example, is a 7-inch version of its 10- and 8-inch Encore 2 tablets. The Mini first appeared at Computex in June, but is now getting an official announcement at IFA 2014.

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Sarah Tew/CNET

At $120 (£99 in the UK) this is pretty much a no-frills tablet featuring a 1,024x600-pixel-resolution multitouch display, a quad-core 1.83GHz Intel Atom processor, integrated graphics, and 16GB of internal storage.

There's a microSD card slot supporting cards up to 128GB, though and you get a terabyte of OneDrive storage as well as a one-year subscription to Office 365 Personal. (Pricing and availability for Australia wasn't announced, but the converted price is about AU$129.)

Other features include a Micro-USB port (USB 2.0); 0.3-megapixel front and 2-megapixel rear cameras; 802.11n Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.0; and a battery life of up to 7.3 hours.

So, if you're interested in running full Windows 8.1 on a tiny tablet for cheap, the Encore Mini is available now. We'd wait till holiday shopping season kicks in, though, as its price will likely be closer to $100.