How to choose the best Windows tablet for you

Bill Gates recently gave an interview where he suggested that the millions of people who are buying iPads and Android 7 inch tablet are frustrated because “they can't type, they can't create documents, they don't have Microsoft Office".He then stated that Windows 8 and devices such as Microsoft's own Surface Pro tablet were the solution to that problem, because “you've got the portability of a tablet, and the richness of a PC in terms of the keyboard and Microsoft Office".

Of course, it's nonsense to suggest that you can't type or create documents on an iPad or Android tablet. Apple has its iWork suite of productivity apps for the iPad (Pages, Numbers and Keynote) which are compatible with MS Office file formats.

Plus, there are third-party apps, such as QuickOffice, which is available for both Apple and Android tablets which can read and save in Office formats.Typing isn't an issue either, as there are plenty of wired and wireless Bluetooth keyboards available for most types of tablet.

But Bill does have a point about Microsoft Office. QuickOffice may allow you to open and edit Microsoft Office documents, but you still have to learn how the new app works, and transferring files back and forth between your 10 inch tablets and your main PC can be a fiddly process. There are many people – particularly business users – who might feel more comfortable with a tablet that can run the Microsoft Office that they're already familiar with and give them instant access to their important work files.

However, the former CEO of Microsoft's argument is undermined by the fact that the lack of Microsoft Office hasn't prevented the iPad selling like hotcakes. That's partly because most people primarily use their iPads and other tablets for entertainment – browsing the web, reading eBooks, or playing Angry Birds – rather than doing serious office work.That's where the ‘modern' touch-based interface of Windows 8 comes in, as even Microsoft's harshest critics have conceded that the new touch-oriented Start screen is well-suited for apps and games.

That's Microsoft's big message for 8 inch tablet – that they offer you the best of both worlds by combining modern touch-driven apps with the familiarity of Microsoft Office and other traditional Windows software.fdEWgd34s

It's taken a while but it now looks like that message is starting to get through, as recent sales figures show that Microsoft's Surface tablet has pushed it into fifth place in the tablet market. That's still a long way behind the likes of Apple and Samsung, of course, but don't forget that there are plenty of other PC manufacturers who are producing their own Windows tablets that will further add to the overall market share for Windows 8 and RT.

We've included reviews of some of the best Windows tablets that are currently on offer, but before you can decide which one is right for you there's one big question that we need deal with first.