If you've got the cash to spend, a cool grand could net you a top-of-the-line Windows 8 slate this April. The S1185, an 11.6-inch tablet from Gigabyte, will feature a 1920 x 1080 IPS display, Core i5 Ivy Bridge CPU, up to 8GB of RAM and an SSD ranging in size from 64GB to 256GB. Throw in full-size VGA, HDMI and USB ports -- not to mention a whopping 5,270-mAh lithium-polymer battery -- and you're looking at a tablet that's one step away from replacing your laptop.
The S1185 also sports a microSD card reader and a SIM card slot. The rear-facing camera boasts a resolution of 5-megapixels, while the front-facing camera features a 1.3-megapixel resolution. In addition to standard 802.11b/g/n wireless and Bluetooth 4.0 connectivity, the tablet also supports so-called "3.5G" WWAN access. The tablet measures 11.69 x 7.2 x 0.53 inches and weighs 3.2 pounds with the keyboard and battery included.
Unfortunately, despite the hefty price tag, the S1185's magnetically-attached keyboard dock is sold separately. We busted Microsoft for failing to include the touch cover for free with the Surface, and the Windows RT version of that tablet cost half of the S1185's starting price. The Windows 8 Pro model, which also features a Core i5 processor and 1920 x 1080 display, starts at $899. The Acer Iconia W700, another $1,000 Windows 8 tablet, came bundled with a Bluetooth keyboard and dock.
Will the inclusion of full-size ports and an extra-large SSD merit such a steep price point? We'll find out in April.
