Toshiba’s Encore Mini Tablet Runs Windows 8.1 And Is Just $119

Want to jump into Windows 8.1 on the cheap? Toshiba has you covered. For just $119, you can snag the new Encore Mini, which runs Windows 8.1 on a teeny-tiny 7-inch, low-resolution screen.Inside is a quad-core Intel Atom CPU, 1GB of RAM, 16GB of storage and a microSD card slot. The 7-inch screen is of the 16:9, 1024 x 600 variety. There are of course front- and rear-facing cameras, a micro USB 2.0 port and 802.11n. The specs won’t sell this tablet but the price will.The estimated ship date is September 17.Initially announced by Microsoft as the Encore 7 back at Computex in June, the Encore Mini is about the least expensive Windows 8.1 device on the market. HP also recently announced a 7-inch tablet, but it sports a $199 MSRP — to its credit, though, the Stream 7 has a higher-res screen. Smaller Windows tablets were slow to hit the market, but the form factor is clearly picking up steam. Several Chinese makers also announced their 7-inch WinTel tablets.With small, low-resolution tablets, users shouldn’t expect to use apps in Window 8’s desktop. It’s probably best to keep to the Windows 8 touch environment.