8 Tips for Using Windows 8 Offline (or in a Snowpocalypse) #inteltablets #tabletcrew.

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The calm before the storm.

I always get excited for big storms and last Friday’s Nemo (aka Blizzard of 2013 aka Snowpocalypse) was no different. It snowed all day but it wasn’t until after sundown that the snow began to accumulate and the winds whipped up with a fury. Everything was going good until about 9 p.m. when the electricity started flickering on and off every so often. And then finally the house went black and the lights never came back on. We ended up being without power for several days, so during that time I decided to put my Intel Tablet and Windows 8 to the test to see what I could do offline, and this is what I found.

1

OneNote works offline, meaning that it saves your work locally. Once I was back online, OneNote synced this story with my laptop. Because the app is designed around touch, it was already my new go to for writing, lists and notes, and this really just sealed the deal for me.

2

Using a wired Xbox 360 Controller to play tablet apps was awesome and a lot more fun than I would have thought. It is plug ‘n play, so there is no need to download drivers. You can also buy an adapter to use your wireless Xbox controllers with Windows 8.

3

You can play music in the background from the native Music app while playing games. This reminded me of how seamless the first Xbox made this back in the day.

4

I could access my ebook libraries through both the Nook and Kindle app while offline.

5

The native Travel app had very limited functionality without internet. I could only browse the main destination and that is limited too. It would be great  to see this change in the future.

6

While Everyday Food would bring up recipes sans photos, iCookbook had full offline capabilities and was the clear winner of the two for offline use. Additionally, I could search for recipes from the charm bar in both of the apps. 

7

You can access the native News app (including Sports); however, they will only be up to date from your last session. So, if you know that you are going to be without internet just open them before losing your connection to update the content.

8

The only thing worse than being without electricity is having a cabinet full of liquor and not knowing what to make with it. O.K., that may be a bit of an an exaggeration, but being able to get creative with your adult beverages can make a 44 degree house a lot more enjoyable.  Luckily, Cocktail Flow works just as brilliantly offline as it does online. One of my favorite options with the mixology app is that you can input your liquor and mixes into the app, and then it will give you all the different drink recipes you can make.

Bonus Tip

When you are in the cold heart of a Snowpocalypse (or just offline), make sure to turn your WiFi off or switch to Airplane mode. This will help to maximize the tablet’s battery life, which ultimately may save you from a serious case of cabin fever.

Do you have any tips for using your tablet or smartphone offline?

*Full Disclosure: Intel Smart Squad sent us the Acer Iconia W510 to test drive; however, our thoughts and opinions about the tablet, Super Bowl and dip are entirely our own.

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