Windows 8 Tablet Gets A Release Date And Price: Samsung ATIV Smart PC Comes To AT&T This Week

Windows 8 has ignited a new breed of devices that come packed with features of both tablets and PCs, and now AT&T has announced that one of these will be coming to its network starting this Friday.

Samsung’s ATIV Smart PC will debut on the carrier’s network on Nov. 9 alongside its 4G LTE tablet, the Galaxy Tab 2 10.1. The Windows 8 PC will be priced at $799.99 and comes with an 11.6-inch HD display, 64GB of internal memory and an Intel Atom dual-core processor. Internal memory can also be expanded via the device’s microSD card slot, which supports up to 32GB of additional storage.

“We are excited to offer the Samsung ATIV smart PC in stores nationwide ahead of the holiday shopping season,” Chris Penrose, senior vice president of AT&T Emerging Devices, said in a statement on Monday. “Connected by the nation’s largest 4G network, this Windows 8 tablet gives customers optimized touch interface, instant live tile updates and PC capabilities.”

The price tag that comes along with Samsung’s ATIV Smart PC is a little heftier than that of other Windows RT tablets, such as the Asus Vivo Tab RT, which costs $599.99. Although the recently announced Samsung device comes preloaded with Windows 8, it is also backwards compatible with previous operating systems such as Windows 7, Vista and XP.

Windows 8 will ship with the device out of the box, but users will also have the option of upgrading to Windows 8 Pro for a fee. In addition to the new OS, Samsung’s ATIV Smart PC comes with a trail edition of Microsoft Word 2010.

AT&T and Samsung mobile have announced two new accessories that will accompany the Windows 8 device upon launch. The Stand Dock, priced at $49.99, charges the tablet-PC when connected and also includes a USB port and Ethernet port. The VGA Adapter, which costs $40.00, will allow users to connect to external displays and monitors for second-screen viewing.

While the Samsung ATIV Smart PC may be considered a mobile product, it appears to be most suitable when used in home and work environments. The tablet-PC hybrid’s 11.6-inch display, which is considerably large for a tablet yet small for a PC, would be a bit spacious for a cramped train ride. CNET writes that the device also feels heavier and thicker than other Windows RT tablets such as the Asus Vivo Tab RT, also available through AT&T’s network.

AT&T will also chop $100 off the total ATIV Smart PC price if buyers purchase a Samsung Galaxy branded smartphone at the same time.