Dell Venue 11 Pro review

Thanks to its faster Atom processor, the Dell leaves the Bay Trail-based Asus Transformer Book T100 behind in the performance stakes. In our Real World Benchmarks, we recorded an overall score of 0.38, well ahead of the Asus’ result of 0.32. This is impressive when you consider the demands of the Dell’s higher-resolution, Full HD screen. As you might expect, the presence of Bay Trail also delivers great battery life: the Venue 11 Pro lasted 10hrs 25mins in our light-use battery test.

The Venue 11 Pro is nothing if not flexible. If you crave more power than Bay Trail can muster, the Dell is available with a Core i3-4020Y processor, 4GB of RAM and a 128GB SSD for around £650 inc VAT. Stretch to £780 and the top-end model swaps the Core i3 for a 1.6GHz Core i5-4300Y.

The only differences between the Atom- and Core-equipped models is that the latter comes with a larger, 37Wh battery – swelling the chassis by a couple of millimetres. Whichever model you choose, an active stylus is available for an extra £37. We’ll test these models (and the stylus) when they’re available, so keep an eye on the PC Pro website.

Dell wants the Venue to be more than just a tablet, though. Two optional docking keyboards transform it into a fully fledged hybrid, and a matching docking station allows it to masquerade as a desktop, too.

These accessories don’t come cheap, though. The sturdy docking station costs £139 and adds three USB 3 ports, full-sized DisplayPort and HDMI, a 3.5mm headset jack and Gigabit Ethernet. The docking keyboard (we tested an early production sample) packs a superb Scrabble-tile keyboard, a decent touchpad and an extra battery into a finely formed 676g slab of metal and plastic for £160. That’s pricey, but it’s much better than the Microsoft Surface Pro 2’s £110 Type Cover: it’s similar to a laptop, with a spacious layout and a more usable touchpad.

The cost of the accessories means the Dell struggles to go toe to toe with the Transformer Book T100, at least in terms of value for money – and that’s without considering the free copy of Office included with the Asus. This is no netbook substitute.

In terms of flexibility, features and quality, however, the Venue 11 Pro comes out swinging. Whether you want an affordable Windows 8.1 tablet, a classy hybrid or an all-round business machine with the accessories to match, the Venue 11 Pro has it covered.