Fusion5® FWIN232+ Windows Tablet Review

Fusion5® FWIN232+ (Plus and PRO) Windows Tablet Review. As far as cheap Windows 10 Tablets go, this offering from Fusion5® is pretty impressive. It's not their only cheap Windows-based offering, they also have a few others of various specifications and screen sizes that are mostly of the thinner variety. One of those being the cheaper 8 Inch model. Fusion5® have so many good devices for sale in the marketplace that its becoming hard to keep up. They are one of the leading brands in and around this lower price range and do, for the most part, build a fantastic product.

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One of the main advantages of owning a Tablet that's running Microsoft Windows is that it can basically do anything a normal PC can. And needless to say, having that capability in miniature form makes things much more convenient. Also, with the added benefit of having a full-sized USB 3.0 port, (As well as a Micro USB) its plug and play. External hard drives, keyboards, mice, non Wi-Fi printers, all of which can easily be connected via the USB port.

Performance

This is marketed as the slimmer version. And it does qualify to be called that. It's around ⅓ of an inch thick. Build quality is on par for the price. Performance wise, the Fusion5® FWIN232 is no slouch. It's responsive and will happily lap up most of what you care to throw at it. Just don't throw too much at it. Although this is a very capable device for general everyday use, it's probably not the best choice out there for gaming. There are many, much more suitable devices available within this price bracket for keen gamers. With that said, let's move on to some of its good points.

The 1280 × 800 IPS display is clear, and the touch screen is responsive. Needing just a light tap to prompt an instant reaction. The FWIN232 works well with iTunes, Kindle, MS Office, email, Internet, YouTube and catch up TV. It offers a good versatile package with its cross-bred / hybrid Tablet / PC mix. For some people, this mix offers the best of both worlds. On one side it's a serious tablet that's capable of completing professional work related tasks while on the go, and on the other side it can function just fine as a device for more entertaining pastimes.

A trial version of Microsoft Office is available to be installed. After the trial expires you will have to buy the software to continue using it. Or, you can just download Apache Open Office instead (Free).

Plus Or PRO

There is the choice between 64GB (Plus model) and 128GB (PRO model) of internal storage space. For the small extra outlay the 128GB model will be more appropriate for Windows 10. 64GB is adequate, but Windows 10 S (Home) is a large operating system, so the more free space the better.

Specification: Both models (Plus and Pro) come equipped with 4GB RAM (DDR3), which is definitely needed for Window 10 to run well. This additional RAM gives it a smoother overall performance compared with the older models that only came with 1GB and 2GB RAM. The internal storage space can, of course, be upgraded via Micro SD card up to an additional 64GB. Battery life is also above average, lasting from between 4 - 8 hours. Front and rear cameras consist of a 2 megapixel front and 5 megapixel rear camera. Make sure you don't get caught out with the mini HDMI port on this machine. This has caught a few people out as they presume the more common Micro or full-sized HDMI port is present instead. Both models also have Bluetooth 4.0.

Fusion5® FWIN232 Processor

Both models use the Intel® Intel Atom cherrytrail Quad Core Processor, which is running at 1.44 GHz. This Processor can run at variable rates. It's limit, or "Burst", is 1.92 GHz. Windows 10 (32bit) Home Edition comes pre-installed, and for the most part it's a decent operating system. However, with the Intel® Intel Atom cherrytrail Processor being 64bit, it would have been nice if Fusion5® kept things nicely balanced and installed a 64bit version of Windows 10 instead.

But saying that, in most instances, get a fault free Tablet (Read more about that below) and it does have the potential to run well with this mixed combination. However, I can't help thinking that this combination could be one of the reasons for some issues relating to sluggish performance and the system being a little temperamental under certain conditions, which some customers have been experiencing with this particular model.

Hit & Miss

While the positive reviews far outweigh the negative, the Fusion5® FWIN232 10 Inch does appear to have its fair share of disgruntled customers. Generally, it's quality control that appears to be the main culprit. But there's an almost even mix of software and hardware related problems reported.

So be aware: All of what is stated here in this review, in terms of good performance and a product worthy of purchasing, really depends on whether you get a fault free device or not. If you get sent one which has no issues, then this is a good companion for general everyday use for both work and play.

If you're unlucky enough to end up being sent one that does have underlying issues, you will be glad to discover that Fusion5® (Info) have an excellent refund / returns policy. With such a varied mix of customers who are either extremely happy with this device, or are so frustrated that they are throwing them at the wall, it seems like there are two entirely different products being sold. But there isn't.

The good news is, your chances of being sent a fault free product are considerably higher than receiving a faulty one. In defence of the FWIN232 Plus and PRO (Basically the same, other than different amounts of internal storage space), if you take a close look at all the Windows-based Tablets from this price bracket and beyond, you will notice that not many of them are 100% perfect all the time.

Each one has its own unique set of issues, software, and or hardware related, which affects a small minority of machines. That goes for Android based examples too. Although some brands are more consistent than others. So, don't be too put off.