Home » Linx 12×64 – The budget ‘Surface’

Linx 12×64 – The budget ‘Surface’

Linx may not be a popular household name, but people who are interested in great technology deals will be well aware of their name. They have always specialised in the budget laptop/tablet device. The Linx 12×64 is their flagship device, offering the best the company ever has, at only £299. A Microsoft Surface lookalike running Windows 10, this one is designed to impress. The included keyboard dock with precision touchpad only adds to the impression.

Linx 12×64 – Specs:

  • Windows 10 Home
  • 12.5″ Full HD ( 1920 x 1080) IPS Multi-touch Widescreen Display
  • Integrated kickstand with dual viewing angles
  • 64-Bit Quad-Core Intel Atom x5-Z8350 Processor
  • 4GB RAM / 64GB Storage, SD Card slot
  • Front facing camera, 2MP
  • Rear facing camera, 2MP
  • Built in speakers and microphone
  • Bluetooth, Wifi connectivity
  • Ports:
    • 3.5mm stereo headphone jack
    • 1 x USB 3.0
    • Mini HDMI
    • Micro USB (for charging as well as USB OTG)
  • Comes with a sleek keyboard cover, which acts as a dock, featuring full QWERTY layout and precision trackpad.
  • Up to 7 hours of battery life
  • Size: 31.5cm x 18.9cm x 1.07cm, 930g

Look and Feel

 

The device is all about the look and feel. The tablet is sleek and sexy. You wouldn’t be blamed if you mistook this for a Microsoft Surface or equivalent device. The tablet is pretty typical, with ports on the side and volume rocker keys and power button on top. The sides also feature slots for the speaker. Cameras are visible both on the front and the back. The casing at the back is covered in Aluminium, which comes with a smooth, almost plastic like finish. Remember, this is a sub-£300 device, so premium finish won’t be on the menu.

The back shows off proudly that this isn’t a Surface. No, this is a Linx device. A couple of slots help you take the kickstand out. The kickstand is pretty sturdy and can be left in any position you like. This makes it quite nice to adjust as you are on the move.

On its own, the tablet is pretty functional itself. The touchscreen is pretty responsive, and the bottom includes the pins with a magnetic connection to the keyboard/touchpad dock.

The Keyboard/Touchpad dock

For a device that costs less than £300, you can’t expect a great keyboard/touchpad, right? Actually, with a leather like finish on the back, a magnetic touch to keep it closed, and with a lovely keyboard, this dock has impressed me more than I imagined.

In fact, when you look at the literature, it doesn’t even show off that this is a keyboard permanently connected to the device, offering it support. You may mistake this for yet another one of those cheap Bluetooth keyboards that are packaged along with a lot of tablets these days.

If I had to be picky, and this is just me being fussy, is that the touchpad is a touch small. This means that it is rather sensitive to all of Windows 10’s gestures. In other words, it is rather easy to keep minimizing windows accidentally. It is also rather easy to go from maximized mode to normal mode.

In case you wondering, the shortcuts are sliding your finger down from the top of the trackpad to achieve those.

Performance

Okay, it looks good and comes with a great keyboard/touchpad dock. Something has to give, right? Sadly, it is the performance that suffers. The device is a bit sluggish, which is to be expected with the processor it packs in. The 4GB RAM helps, but only just. In fact, even browsing is a bit sluggish.

However, if you want a portable, lightweight and cheap device, this ticks all the boxes. You can browse, you can stream, you can check your social media and you can process your Office documents. It does that, but nothing more.

Battery Life

One slight advantage of having a ‘weaker’ processor is the good battery life. This one lasts for 5-7 hours on typical use.

Portability

Another area where this device really shines is the portability. At under a kilo, you can easily throw this in your bag and commute all across the town.

Having a kickstand makes it harder to work on this if you having nothing but your lap, but find any table and this will work rather well!

All about the money

Once you add all the numbers up, and compare what is on the market, I struggle to find something else that comes with the same numbers and in a similar package. This is very cheap for what it brings. This is particularly cheap for a device that comes packaged how well this is, kickstand, dock, and all.

Yeah, it may be a bit sluggish when it comes to performance, but overall, you get a lot for your buck!

Micro USB Charger

One extra touch I really liked about this device is that it uses a Micro USB charger to charge the device. Since it needs just over 2A to charge, pretty much most phone or tablet chargers you have lying around would work for you.

It also means that pretty much most battery packs you carry with you will also work.

Adds yet another feature to the portability hat!

More information:

More information on the Linx 12×64 can be found on the various retailer websites that sell it. You can pick one up from around £299 from the likes of Currys/PC World, Argos and Amazon.

Verdict

My impression of this device was rather clear. If you are on a budget, want something that looks good, and has decent performance, this is definitely the one to spend money on. In fact, as far as I can see, this is better value than Chromebooks as well. You get Windows 10 and an Intel processor!

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