5 Tablet Alternatives For Partners Hungry For Microsoft Surface

No Surface, No Problem

Can't sell Microsoft Surface tablets? No problem -- here are 10 other Windows 8 devices that solution providers are carrying and finding success with today.

Lenovo ThinkPad Tablet 2

Lenovo is known for its ThinkPad family of business notebooks, but the company has built up a solid line of tablets, too. Case in point: the ThinkPad Tablet 2. Unlike the first-generation ThinkPad Tablet, which ran Android, the ThinkPad Tablet 2 runs Windows 8 and is based on Intel's Clover Trail System-on-Chip Atom Z2760 processor. The 10-inch touch-screen display has a resolution of 1,366 x 768, and the device comes with a USB 2.0 port, a microSD card slot and a mini-HDMI port. The ThinkPad Tablet 2 also comes with an optional attachable keyboard.

Dimensions: 10.1 x 6.9 x 0.34 inches
Weight: 1.3 pounds
Battery Life: Up to 10 hours
Storage: 64-GB SSD
Memory: 2 GB
Price: $599.99

Samsung ATIV Tab 5

Samsung has thrived in the tablet market behind its popular Galaxy Tab series of Android devices. But the South Korean technology company also has some Windows tablet offerings such as the ATIV Tab 5, which is a tablet-notebook hybrid. The device comes with an optional magnetic base keyboard and runs on Intel's Atom Z2760 processor. The ATIV Tab 5 comes with a slightly larger-than-normal 11.6-inch display with a resolution of 1,366 x 768, plus an S Pen stylus, USB 2.0 port, microSD card slot and mini-HDMI port.

Dimensions: 11.97 x 7.4 x 0.39 inches
Weight: 1.64 pounds
Battery Life: Up to 14 hours
Storage: 64 GB, 128 GB
Memory: 2 GB
Price: Starting at $649.99

HP ElitePad 900

While Hewlett-Packard's webOS-based TouchPad faltered, the company got back in the tablet game with its ElitePad business device. The ElitePad 900 comes with Windows 8 Professional and runs on Intel's Atom Z2760 processor. The 10.1-inch display has a resolution of 1,280 x 800, plus a microSD card slot. The ElitePad 900 comes with an optional keyboard dock and an optional HP ElitePad Expansion Jacket that extends the tablet's battery life for up to 20 hours.

Dimensions: 10.24 x 6.98 x 0.36 inches
Weight: 1.5 pounds
Battery Life: Up to 8 hours, up to 20 hours with Expansion Jacket
Storage: 32-GB, 64-GB SSD
Memory: 2 GB
Price: Starting at $649

Dell Latitude 10

Dell's XPS 12 convertible tablet notebook has hogged a lot of the spotlight, but the computer maker also has a business-focused Windows 8 tablet called the Latitude 10. The device runs the familiar Intel Atom Z2760 processor and features a removable battery unit. The Latitude 10 sports a 10.1-inch touch-screen display with a resolution of 1,366 x 768, and there are optional docking stations and micro-USB charging stations too. Plus, the Dell tablet comes with support for the Wacom Digitizer Stylus and a USB 2.0 port, microSD card reader and mini HDMI port.

Dimensions: 10.8 x 6.9 x 0.4 inches
Weight: 1.6 pounds
Battery Life: Up to 10 hours
Storage: 32-GB, 64-GB SSD
Memory: 2 GB
Price: Starting at $499

Asus VivoTab

Asus has tablets big and small, but the VivoTab might be the biggest of them all. This Windows 8 device packs a 12-inch display with a resolution of 1,366 x 768. And like other Windows 8 tablets, the VivoTab runs on Intel's Atom Z2760 processor. The Asus tablet also comes with a Wacom Digitizer Stylus and an optional detachable keyboard station with additional battery life (up to nearly 19 hours) and a USB 2.0 port. The tablet itself comes with a microSD card slot.

Dimensions: 11.6 x 7.43 x 0.34 inches
Weight: 1.63 pounds
Battery Life: Up to 10 hours, additional battery life available up to nearly 19 hours
Storage: 64-GB SSD
Memory: 2 GB
Price: Starting at $731.99