Pressure from Google and Microsoft might stop big-name manufacturers like Asus from building dual-boot devices. Smaller Chinese OEMs, like Pipo, couldn’t care less.
Pipo just introduced a new Atom-powered Windows 2-in-1 last month, and now they’re adding another new device to their line-up. This time it’s a 10.1-inch tablet powered by a 14nm Intel Core M processor, and it does, in fact, dual-boot both Windows 8.1 and Android. It’s expected to retail for ¥2500, which is about $399.
Apart from its 10.1-inch display and the M-5Y10C chip, Pipo’s latest also features a generous 4GB of DDR3 RAM. There’s a single USB 3.0 port and SD card slot for expansion, a dock connector for a click-in keyboard. A separate power plug means one more hole in the casing, but also slightly speedier charging.
One rather important detail you might notice in AndroidPC’s photo is the tablet’s activation status. It doesn’t look like this particular device has been activated, and that could mean that you’re going to have to purchase your own product key within 30 days if you want to keep using Windows — bumping the price up pretty significantly.
It’s become a fairly common practice for these OEMs to install a ‘trial’ version, as look for ways to shave a few bucks off larger devices that don’t qualify for a free Windows license from Microsoft.
It looks like they already have it on the site and its cheaper than expected, unless its a typo or im reading this wrong: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/New-Version-Cube-U25GT-Super-edition-7-inch-1GB-8GB-MTK8127-1-3GHz-WIfi-OTG-HDMI/1885938301.html
Well, the URL is about a 7″ Cube U25GT, an Android tablet with an MK8127 CPU. The title is about a pipo W3F but with a 3735F CPU and 4GB of RAM (which is not supported by said CPU). The description is about Core M device and they highlighted that it’s a licensed Windows. It’s supposed to be $187 with free DHL shipping. Only 26 sold, but if you look at the feedbacks, they are about the 7″ Cube tablet (notice the price!). First rule: if it’s too cheap to be true, it’s not true. Good trick changing the product after a few successful sales, but still a scam.
No, that`s a different tablet. You can’t find this new one just yet it seems, Soon.
I bought my last Pipo device from Amazon.
GPS? I like one in my car now!!
Does the keyboard dock have a trackstick or trackpad? Or does anyone know of a Core M notebook with a 10.1″ or smaller screen?
The Dell Venue Pro 11 7000 tablets have a keyboard dock with an extra battery. I have last year’s one with the bay trail Z3770 and I love it. I want the Core M version now haha.
I had my hopes up until the point I read about the Windows license status. I might still get one. To run linux obviously…
Mine is genuine and even allowed meto upgrade to windows 10, using a first gen 120 dollar one. JS.
I want it. It definitely seems like something I’d be stupid enough to buy
Wow what a great device…on paper that is.
Not activated, no hope of support…
Cost is not value.
had no issues with a genuine key on their previous windows products, I also had them email me some drivers I needed after uprading to ten for the touch driver I needed..
Also important, using intels auto update tool it`ll upgrade the intel hd driver by a year or two getting more stable game performance, noticeable.
Very nicely specced out product; would like to know HD capacity.
I’d be more concerned with the Windows 10 upgrade than the initial license. Windows isn’t known for being dual-boot friendly so whatever solution they have in place may not hold up after an upgrade and if Windows 10 is worth it you’d have to choose between it and dual-booting. Also, I wonder if in this case the trial version might have to do something to do with the dual-booting. If they had an OEM license Windows might be able to force them to not dual-boot or revoke their license keys due to breach of contract or something while a retail license would likely end up costing buyers the same as if they purchase it themselves. In the end though, people still need to be quite wary when making this kind of purchase of the potential pitfalls.
Maybe, it’s doubtful MS will enforce any serious blocks… Even Apple is fairly lenient on people who create Hachintosh setups as long it’s not an actual business trying to make them…
So, likely, at worse users will just have to re-add the Android boot option to the Boot Manager menu… After all, people are already creating their own dual boot setups… Blocking the OEMs from doing it never stopped individual users from doing it themselves…
It’s just a pain to do if you’ve never done it before and just have to remember the last OS installed takes priority over the Boot Manager but you can either re-install the original boot manager or simply add the other OS to the new boot manager…
Though, one of the easier ways is just to make a bootable removable drive with Android or GNU/Linux distro… Like a SD Card, etc and no matter what is on the system drive you can just adjust the UEFI boot menu to allow you to boot the alternate OS…
Let’s also be clear that it’s not just MS who don’t want OEMs to make dual boot with Android but Google also has told OEMs not to do it and they’re much more likely to create blocks than MS… So, I’d worry more about being able to get the latest version of Android to work than the latest Windows release…
Like the recent article on this site about how the Play Store is now blocked from the Firefox browser… Google has a history of creating proprietary blocks and use their proprietary apps and services to maintain control over Android, which is why it is so hard for anyone to create alternate branches of Android…
Amazon is pretty much the only one to have succeeded so far, while others try to push alternate OS like Tizen, Ubuntu Touch, etc. to try to get out of under Google’s strict control…
On the cheapest windows 8.1 with bing tablet with 1GB they had, I’m playing half of my steam library of 200 games at 45-60fps and also had no issues installing windows ten fully genuine! I was shocked honestly but very impressed. right on Pipo, the bios is the most indepth and open than I ever seen in ages. I really enjoy how open it is, truly like using a PC. I find myself only going to my large pc for high end competitive gaming lately. I’m very happy to have the first gen of this product, been waiting for this new one to roll out since CES 2015 and hearing abut intels advancements. If anyone wants to know how to tweak the bios to get better game performance feel free to message me, I’ve been tweaking it out for weeks now.