Acer last month released the 8-inch Iconia W3 tablet, which happened to be the first "small tablet" to run Windows 8. Unfortunately, it's a pretty terrible tablet. It's heavy and cumbersome, looks and feels like it was designed for a child, and has a display that will bring tears -- sad tears -- to your eyes.
That would be worth discussing at length except that Acer apparently agrees, and is working on a revamped version of the tablet for release later this year. That makes a review of the hardware itself irrelevant.
The software, though, still matters. As the first small Widows 8 device, Acer's misfire helps answer the question: Does Microsoft's operating system hold up in this form factor?
Windows 8 is built around vector-based text and graphics -- which can shrink and enlarge on the fly without affecting their quality -- and responsive design, which basically allows the software to instantly reconfigure its layout based on a device's screen size, orientation and resolution. Everything fits without being too small, too large, or out of place.
This means that Microsoft and its development partners didn't have to do much to make Windows 8 functional on small tablets. With the Windows 8.1 release, though, it's apparent they put a fair amount of thought into tying up some loose ends.
One of Microsoft's explicit goals for Windows 8.1 on mobile devices is to keep users in its new "Modern" interface as much as possible. The desktop mode is designed for a keyboard and mouse; trying to use it with my finger almost provoked a nervous breakdown.
That makes the little fixes sprinkled throughout Modern meaningful. The Start screen and many of the apps have been tweaked to make more efficient use of the display space in portrait mode. Seven- to 8-inch tablets are the natural choice for those who want a reading device, and that means they're typically handled in portrait orientation.
The local file browser inside Microsoft's SkyDrive app is a nice Windows 8.1 addition regardless of device. But on the Iconia W3, its existence really makes sense. Being able to browse, manipulate and organize files without having to go into the traditional Windows Explorer makes a huge difference, especially when you're only using your finger. The same goes for settings. Windows 8.1 pulls more of the options away from the Control Panel and into the Modern menu, which keeps you better connected to touch controls.
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