The Surface RT is criminally underrated

[desura]

Compared to the iPad, it is--

1. Better for the resolution. Compared to the iPad 2 which has about the same rez, the surface has sharper text

2. Has actual usable multi-tasking. First good multi-tasking I've seen in a tablet

3. More creative and intuitive use of the touchscreen. Breaks more desktop norms than the ipad or android, which often constricted by linux desktop conventions. For instance, having the "menu" basically be an upward swipe is pretty ingenious.

4. FULL SIZE USB PORT. Incredibly useful. Can hook up printers, keyboards, sd card readers, etc.

5. Faster than android given the hardware (tegra 3). I'd say about the same responsiveness as iOS.

6. Pretty innovative touch cover which is usable and yet very thin.

7. Unlike the Surface Pro, the RT is thinner, quieter (no fan), and probably gets better battery life.

8. built-in stand is actually useful for when streaming video.

Criminally underrated, really.

 

[IamDavid]

Agreed but you'll be called a fool around here. I bought a few of these for my company and friends/family and everyone loves them. Love the new lower price.

 

[sontin]

It's not only the Surface RT. Windows RT is underrated. The OS is overall better than Android - i like the multitaskting system, the HDMI output options and the desktop mode.

 

[jiffylube1024]

Compared to the iPad, it is--

1. Better for the resolution. Compared to the iPad 2 which has about the same rez, the surface has sharper text

Thank you Microsoft Rep. It's better than an Apple device from 2 years ago. That seems to be what the Surface RT is competing with.

3. More creative and intuitive use of the touchscreen. Breaks more desktop norms than the ipad or android, which often constricted by linux desktop conventions. For instance, having the "menu" basically be an upward swipe is pretty ingenious.

I like the new gestures, however I find they're not as smooth as on the iPad. Also, talk about not user friendly, they don't make it clear at all how to access things like the charms bar.

4. FULL SIZE USB PORT. Incredibly useful. Can hook up printers, keyboards, sd card readers, etc.

A USB port is nice. It does make the device a bit fatter, but it's nice to have for connecting stuff easily.

5. Faster than android given the hardware (tegra 3). I'd say about the same responsiveness as iOS.

Android is now moving over to A15/Qualcomm S4 Pro on Tablets and its vastly faster than T3 was. So Surface does more with less - that's good and it's an achievement for Microsoft. Keeping the platform current should be a priority as well.

8. built-in stand is actually useful for when streaming video.

The built in stand is nice. I like the Apple Smart Cover as a stand, but having one built in is nifty too.

The Surface RT is fine but IMO the app ecosystem blows compared to Android or iOS. It needs another year or more to catch up before it makes any sense for most consumers.

 

[Puddle Jumper]

The problem is no one cares if it's good for being a low resolution Tegra 3 device when you can get a 1920x1200 Snapdragon S4 Pro Nexus 7 for significantly less money.

 

[sontin]

Windows 8.1 supports Tegra 4 and S800.

 

[Crono]

I agree with all your points, OP. It blows the iPad away in terms of productivity. Sure, there are third party apps now that make the iPad semi-usable for document creation, file management, etc, but it's still a pain to multitask on. Even a crippled desktop on the RT is still miles better for managing files, and being able do have side-by-side windows/apps makes a big difference when you want to look at two different things (like going through images while editing a document or watching a video).

Android (well, on the Note tablets) is a bit better than iOS in terms of multitasking but it's hard to beat the Surface RT for the price and features when you have a Touch Cover or Type Cover.

Plus, I think the material choice and build of the Surface RT is better than the iPads. It just feels really good to hold and use. I've been wanting to get a Surface Pro, though, since the Surfaces were first announced (you would be hard pressed to find someone more enthusiastic about Microsoft's approach to tablets). I'm waiting for the price to drop to $700 or for the second gen, which ever happens first.

I'm not down on the iPad, as I bought an iPad 1 about a week after launch and loved it back when people were still laughing at it for being "a giant iPhone" (lol). I eventually got rid of it because of the productivity issue: it was great for media consumption and browsing the net, but it was more of a time killer and entertainment device than anything else. I like the newer iPads, but I'm unlikely to buy one anytime soon because the Nexus 7 is so much cheaper and capable of nearly all the same things, and it just seems a waste to spend $300 - $600 on a device that is less capable in some ways than a Surface RT, even if it has more apps. My phone does 70% of the things I need to do on the go, the rest can only be served by a proper laptop or a hybrid tablet device like the Surface.

 

[desura]

The problem is no one cares if it's good for being a low resolution Tegra 3 device when you can get a 1920x1200 Snapdragon S4 Pro Nexus 7 for significantly less money.

Eh, IME, Android devices tend to underperform for their specs. Android is like the king of spec wars, but kind of falters when it comes to actually delivering a good experience.

 

[desura]

I agree with all your points, OP. It blows the iPad away in terms of productivity. Sure, there are third party apps now that make the iPad semi-usable for document creation, file management, etc, but it's still a pain to multitask on. Even a crippled desktop on the RT is still miles better for managing files, and being able do have side-by-side windows/apps makes a big difference when you want to look at two different things (like going through images while editing a document or watching a video).

Android (well, on the Note tablets) is a bit better than iOS in terms of multitasking but it's hard to beat the Surface RT for the price and features when you have a Touch Cover or Type Cover.

Yup. It's kind of a hassle getting printing to work on the ipad. YOu have to figure out wifi printers and stuff...with a Surface, just plug the printer in and print.

Using a regular keyboard, or a regular wireless keyboard is more pleasant than Bluetooth keyboards which tend to have flakier connections.

 

[Zodiark1593]

It's not only the Surface RT. Windows RT is underrated. The OS is overall better than Android - i like the multitaskting system, the HDMI output options and the desktop mode.

Is the desktop mode even useful if the only programs you can get are from Microsoft's own store.

The fact that Android lets me bypass the store though makes it far more useful to me than Windows RT. (iOS shares the same complaint from me )

 

[Crono]

Is the desktop mode even useful if the only programs you can get are from Microsoft's own store.

The fact that Android lets me bypass the store though makes it far more useful to me than Windows RT. (iOS shares the same complaint from me )

The Desktop mode is useful for file management. It's amazing how much easier it is to sort and go through files with an actual file manager. ES File manager and other such apps in Android can approximate a single window experience, but try dealing with hundreds of photos on Android. It's not pleasant. Normally you would have to offload everything to a "real" computer to manage, but if you are on a trip and only have a Surface with you, you can easily transfer via SD card or USB and handle everything that way.

Plus there are some of the standard Windows apps in the desktop version of RT. Even Notepad, a program I still find useful 15 years after my first PC. A Surface Pro is still the optimal device once they get better battery life and bring down the weight a bit, but the RT is still very much underrated. It's not a perfect device, but I think people aren't giving it a fair chance because it has the name "Windows" in it (a bad choice by Microsoft, I think) and are confused by the desktop mode on RT and the unified look that exists between it and 8/8.1, expecting it to behave like x86 Windows.

 

[biostud]

The problem is the lack of apps. MS should really make the WP8/Win8/WinRT store a single store.

 

[desura]

The problem is the lack of apps. MS should really make the WP8/Win8/WinRT store a single store.

Yeah, I've been wondering about that.

Like, apple lets you use your iphone apps on the ipad. Can you buy an app once and use it across the platforms? Or do you have to buy it every time?

One app that has impressed me is "Pouch" which is a readitlater app.

 

[ITHURTSWHENIP]

For 600 dollars it was criminally overrated

 

[Zaap]

The Surface RT is fine but IMO the app ecosystem blows compared to Android or iOS. It needs another year or more to catch up before it makes any sense for most consumers.

This.

 

[386DX]

The problem is the lack of apps. MS should really make the WP8/Win8/WinRT store a single store.

+1 This has always been the problem with Surface RT, it's another platform that developers have to code for.

Hardware and performance wise Surface RT was adequate but it was and always will be caught in that area where it's hard to convince consumers to buy it due to lack of apps and business/enterprise won't touch it because it won't run x86 code and can't lacks the ability to join a Windows Domain.

IMO Microsoft was to quick to jump on the ARM wagon. Surface RT should of been an x86 ATOM based tablet. It would of been more attractive to both the consumer and enterprise customers.

This leaves MS in a tough situation now. What to do with RT... Third party manufactures have already given up on it. Killing it off like they did WP7, Kin, Zune, would make even the most loyal MS customer who bought RT seriously think about supporting another MS product. IMO the only thing that makes sense is to somehow merge RT with WP8 much like Android merged Gingerbread and Honeycomb. This solves a few problems. First it's one less App store. Secondly if WP8 and RT stores merged it's a boost in number of apps for both owners of WP8 and RT. Third, developers only have to write one ARM version of there apps and now have a larger potential customer base. Finally it'll save face for MS, they won't have to admit that RT was a failure, they can put out a press release saying that as phones are getting larger and larger (using phablets as evidence) the lines have blurred on where the separation of a phone and a tablet is as a result of this trend MS is pleased to announced the convergence of our WP8 and RT tablet platform. Follow buy listing the benefits of the convergence and how both new and older devices will benefit, blah blah blah, then MS can secretly take Windows RT behind the barn and shoot it.

 

[Puddle Jumper]

Eh, IME, Android devices tend to underperform for their specs. Android is like the king of spec wars, but kind of falters when it comes to actually delivering a good experience.

The new Nexus 7 is blazing fast, I have used a Surface RT a decent amount in the past and the Nexus slaughters it in app loading times and performance. Plus the screen on the Nexus is far better in every way and it's got better battery life.

 

[desura]

The new Nexus 7 is blazing fast, I have used a Surface RT a decent amount in the past and the Nexus slaughters it in app loading times and performance. Plus the screen on the Nexus is far better in every way and it's got better battery life.

I'm comparing the Surface RT to a Galaxy Tab 7.7. Both have...similar processors, no? Technically, the Exynos 4 is slightly faster than the Tegra 3.

Surface of course is much better than the Tab 7.7. I blame the software.

 

[Lyfer]

I just wish the Pro was cheaper.

 

[BladeVenom]

1. Seriously?
Pixels Per Inch:
Nexus 7 = 323
iPad 4 = 264
iPad Mini = 163
Surface RT = 148

Surface RT is awful, and not even a billion dollars in advertising could get anyone to buy them.

 

[Roland00Address]

Windows RT and Surface RT are great devices

Problem is it could have been so much better.

--------------------------------------------

Much of Windows 8 is "hidden" relying on the hidden start button or the hidden charms bar. This was done to take advantage of limited space on small screens, hide the things you do not need when you do not need them and bring them back with a mouse movement or a touch gesture. This sucks on a 24" desktop for you are wasting time messing with the charms bar or the modern interface, but it truely excells when space is limited such a tablet, and moving your fingers from the right, left, top, or bottom makes sense from a touch screen.

Windows RT also unlike Android or iOS does true multitasking with the snap feature. I would kill for this feature on android.

Windows RT comes with Office, in my mind a killer feature, and it comes for free.

Windows RT like the Ipad is virus free *(mostly). Your grandma or 10 year old can't screw it up.

The hardware of Windows RT is also top notch.

--------------------------------------------

The problem with where Windows RT sucks is all due to the culture of microsoft. Microsoft is an enterprise company first, this is where they make their money and all their philosophy at its core is enterprise. Google and Apple on the other hand are consumer companies.

Windows RT should not have existed as a Windows 8 ("desktop") port it should have existed as a scaled up Windows 8 phone port. Windows RT is fine when it is in the internet browser but it should perform better than it does considering the hardware it uses. Problem is it is using a desktop os (And I give credit to microsoft on how efficient they made 7 and 8 compared to windows vista). Windows RT would much faster if it was sharing code with its window 8 phone port

With Windows RT you are giving up app compatibility and forcing developers to code for Metro. If you are giving up compatibility, then make the system as efficient as possible. It is an attempt to start over, use it to do things right.

--------------------------------------------

The reason Microsoft does not do so is with desktop OS microsoft makes about $90 a pop, with the phone OS microsoft makes about $15 a pop. Because of this Microsoft focuses so much time and energy in improving the software of their desktop software and they ignore the red headed step child that is their phone os.

Apple and Android put so much energy on their phone os for they make money in doing so. With apple the software is the glue that holds together on having higher selling prices on said commodity hardware. With apple you are buying an experience, and that experience is software, they make money on selling you that experience for $100 to $300 more than cost of the commodity hardware.

With Google they do not make money on selling you a unit of software instead they make money on datamining you and learning how to place better ads.

Microsoft does not want to change its business model for it is a business model that served them well for 20 years. Enterprise is Microsoft philosophy, it is intrinsic to their being. Problem is this philosophy causes Microsoft to make some dumb decisions for they do not want to change.

It is time for a new Microsoft CEO, someone outside of the company with a different viewpoint to help Microsoft change and adapt. They need not to get rid of the old philosophy where it works, instead they need to learn how to diversify and become a more customer friendly company. If they do so they become more prosperous for they will have multiple new sources of revenue.

 

[Roland00Address]

Windows RT / Metro Apps are advancing and getting more of them but nothing says I HATE YOU (customers) more than how unfriendly the Microsoft App Store is.

 

[Puddle Jumper]

I'm comparing the Surface RT to a Galaxy Tab 7.7. Both have...similar processors, no? Technically, the Exynos 4 is slightly faster than the Tegra 3.

Surface of course is much better than the Tab 7.7. I blame the software.

The Tab 7.7 has the old Exynos 4210 from the Galaxy S2 which is much slower than Tegra 3, you are comparing a Cortex A9 dual core to a Cortex A9 quad that's also got a much more potent gpu. Plus the Tab 7.7 is a much older device running an ancient version of Android.

You would be hard pressed to find a comparison that is more biased in the Surface RT's favor. You might as well compare it to the iPad 1.

 

[Ravynmagi]

Windows RT / Metro Apps are advancing and getting more of them but nothing says I HATE YOU (customers) more than how unfriendly the Microsoft App Store is.

8.1 improves it quite a bit fortunately.

 

[Crono]

1. Seriously?
Pixels Per Inch:
Nexus 7 = 323
iPad 4 = 264
iPad Mini = 163
Surface RT = 148

Surface RT is awful, and not even a billion dollars in advertising could get anyone to buy them.

PPI isn't everything. I'll take Metro over the stale iOS layout any day. It just looks better even on lower PPI. It looks like it is meant to run on tablets versus iOS which is the same small icon grid as Android and a dozen other mobile OS.

And I'm saying that while using an HTC One (468 PPI).