Windows RT, the version for ARM
tablets of Microsoft’s flagship OS, is finally available on a range of devices,
including the company’s own Surface RT tablet.
The 10.6in screen provides a fraction more
room in which to manoeuvre than the iPad, but it’s just as thin as Apple’s
tablet at 9.5mm. The Surface is easy to squeeze into a bag, and it isn’t too
heavy to carry, at 686g. An optional cover adds around 200g.
In contrast to the rounded iPad, the
Surface has a far more angular, business-like yet sleek design.
In portrait mode, Windows 8’s tile-based
interface looks odd, but held in its preferred landscape mode the Surface
promotes wrist strain. This tablet is very much designed to be operated from a
desk.
Microsoft
Surface RT
The kickstand is an important element. A
bracket flicks out at the tablet’s rear, in the process revealing a microSDXC
slot, but the kickstand’s rake isn’t adjustable.
Adding one of two keyboard covers creates
what feels like a pint-sized laptop. These keyboards are a genius invention.
The Touch Cover, just 3mm-thick with flat keys, initially feels strange in use,
although you quickly get used to it. Its pressure-sensitive touchpads are fine
for casual use, but serious typing demands the Type Cover. This is double the
thickness, but fitted with real keys (albeit with minimal travel).
Both keyboard covers click securely into
place, and you can even dangle the Surface from its cover without it hitting
the ground.
The Surface RT feels like a premium product
right out the box. We’d have given it a higher build- quality rating had it not
been for an unseemly gap on the rear, through which the internals are on
display.
The VaporMG chassis, made from
injection-moulded magnesium, makes the slab strong and nice to the touch;
although, within minutes, we’d tainted its absorbent finish with scores of
fingerprints.
Performance
Windows RT can’t run regular x86 software,
making it all but useless when faced with legacy Windows programs. It’s
designed to run on ARM processors, and the Surface is fitted with a 1.3GHz
nVidia Tegra 3 quad-core chip and 2GB of memory.
There’s precious little software available
for Windows RT, which includes our usual benchmarking utility. Through Internet
Explorer 10.0 we were able to run SunSpider, in which the Surface recorded
1,024ms in the Desktop mode and 985ms in the Modern Ul. Both scores trail the
iPad’s 854ms.
From the user’s perspective the interface
is extremely slick, just like Windows Phone 8. The interface animations are
smooth, and tasks such as pinch-zooming in Internet Explorer are responsive.
From
the user’s perspective the interface is extremely slick, just like Windows
Phone 8.
Apps don’t launch as quickly as we’d like,
though, and we were often left staring at Windows 8’s swirly dots for several
seconds upon first launch - behaviour we’ve previously noted in Windows Phone
8.
At its comparable $599 price point, the
32GB Surface has twice the storage of the 16GB iPad 4. A microSDXC slot lets
you add up to 64GB more. There’s also a 64GB Surface RT, which costs $839
(including the Touch keyboard).
The 1366x768 pixel count is common on 15in
laptops, but on a 10.6in tablet it gives a higher 148ppi pixel density. The screen
looks good at a regular viewing distance, matching the Samsung Galaxy Tab 2
10.1, but it’s no Retina iPad; look closer and fuzzy edges are noticeable in
reading type.
More than the usual Wi-Fi, the Surface has
two antennae for better wireless performance, plus Bluetooth. There’s also a
headphone jack, micro-HDMI, full-sized USB, and a keyboard dock and charging
port. Note that the Surface won’t charge over USB, although this port accepts a
range of peripherals.
Our experience of battery life bemused us.
We started the day with a full charge, and used the tablet for 90 mins while
shooting our video review (tinyurl.com/axbrbv3), and 30 minutes browsing the
web. The next day the battery was flat. Microsoft touts a seven- to 15-day idle
runtime.
Soft where?
Most interactaction is via the touchy
Modern Ul with its tiled design. Learn all the finger gestures and it’s a
breeze to navigate.
Microsoft
Surface RT Review
One handy feature is the ability to
configure multiple user accounts. Logging into the tablet with our Windows Live
account instantly populated the tablet with our contacts, email and calendar.
The Store lets you buy apps, although many everyday utilities, including
Facebook, Twitter, Gmail, Google Maps and Dropbox, are missing.
The Surface includes a preview of Office
2013, which runs within the Desktop tile. This makes the Surface a great
portable productivity PC.
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Details
·
Price: $599
·
Contact: www.microsoft.com
Specification
·
1.3GHz NVidia Tegra 3 quad-core ARM
·
2GB RAM
·
32/64GB flash storage
·
10.6in (1366x768) LCD
·
802.11a/b/g/n, 2x2 Mimo
·
Bluetooth
·
microSDXC
·
USB 2.0
·
Micro HDMI
·
Microsoft Office Home & Student 2013 RT
(preview)
·
31.5Wh fixed lithium battery
·
275x172x9.5mm
·
686g
Verdict
·
The Surface RT is a very well built and a
cleverly designed tablet.
·
The hardware is mostly sound and Windows RT
runs smoothly, but lacks decent apps.
·
Build: 4/5
·
Features: 3/5
·
Performance: 4/5
·
Value: 3.5/5
·
Overall: 3.5/5
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