Microsoft Surface RT - Review & specs

Microsoft Surface RT tablet; review & specs

Microsoft Surface RT tablet line

Barely two months old, Microsoft's surface tablet really is a design wonder-piece with an engine you may say "sir" to. This piece of lightweight, ultra-thin machinery does make me smile! And although the much-hyper hybrid laptop-tablet  is also deeply flawed in ways that preclude it from being mentioned as a viable tablet it accomplishes its goal of being the most "create-centric" tablet.

It's tempting to say that the Surface's biggest problem is its ecosystem. That it simply doesn't have enough apps. And that's true, kind of. But the issue is actually a little more systemic than all that. It's the state of its software, Windows RT. The first party apps themselves aren't good enough or comprehensive enough to be your go-to place to interact with friends (the way they sort of are on Windows Phone). And there aren't many alternatives, really. So you're constantly left wanting to touch this compelling, wonderful hardware (even though it loads apps a little too slowly), but you can't find anything to do outside of the browser.

Windows RT on the Microsoft
Surface RT tablet

The Surface is a 16:9 display, as opposed to the 16:10 displays on the Nexus 10 and Kindle Fire HD, and the 4:3 display on the iPad. While that makes it a familiar experience when you pop the kickstand out and use it as a demi-laptop, it's clumsy and unnatural when you're holding it vertically. It's clearly meant to be held in landscape—preferably on its stand on a table, where the screen looks fine—like a typical laptop panel. For watching movies like that, it's great. But when you hold it up close—like, you know, the tablet it is—the resolution on its 1366x768 panel just doesn't hold its own against the competition.

The keyboard covers are incredibly impressive. As you touch them and type on them, you feel like you're using a tiny technological marvel. And they do what they set out to: The Surface is the only "tablet" on this list that you'd even want to think about sitting down and writing a paper on. The Type Cover is much more type-able—I was able to type at basically full speed after just a day of use. But the drawback is that it's slightly thicker (not that much, honestly) and feels sort of flimsy. The Touch Cover is totally usable, but you're going to take a few weeks, realistically, to get totally used to it. That kind of epitomizes the choice you're making if you get the Surface: It's a highly impressive piece of tech that's a pain in the ass to use.

Overall, the sense you get from the Surface isn't a lack of quality. Not really. It just feels unfinished. Like a term paper that's been thoughtfully researched and laid out, but then rushed together at the last minute, leaving rough edges and incomplete thoughts strewn throughout.


Microsoft Surface RT Specs
Dimensions: 10.81 x 6.77 x 0.37 inches
Weight: 1.5 pounds
Processor: Nvidia Tegra 3 (with quad-core A9)
Memory: 2GB RAM
Storage: 32GB (16 available), 64GB (46 available)
Ports: USB 2.0 (A-connector), microSD, magnetic proprietary charger
Battery life: 5 hours 14 minutes
Price: $500 for 32GB, with $120 Touch cover, $130 Type cover