Microsoft's foray into the tablet market was met with mixed opinions; even its own OEMs were unsure as to what Microsoft was hoping to achieve. Known for its flagship offering (the 'normal' Windows operating systems, obviously), Microsoft's RT operating system is designed to best suit mobile use, which sounds great - but it isn't.
On the plus side, the ARM-architecture-based OS allows for an incredibly impressive battery life, providing for eight or nine hours of straight, intensive work. It offers good performance for low total power draw and heat generation.
It is effectively immune to large amounts of malware (because they're targeted at normal Windows, meaning they are incompatible with the combined nature of the ARM system). On the downside, it doesn't allow for Windows RT to support other Windows versions' applications.
One could easily say this means it's lost its key position over its competitors; after all, what good is running the world's most popular and best-selling operating system if the version being run is unable to use the world's most popular and best-selling applications already made?
To make the Surface RT's market trajectory even more confusing to predict or analyse is that Microsoft is also marketing the Windows Surface Pro, which does allow for 'legacy-ware' to be installed and used, as it runs a 'proper' copy of Windows 8.
Look and feel
One would be forgiven for thinking that the Surface is thick or unwieldy, especially when compared to other, more slender tablets, but this is an illusion born from its shape. Its widescreen chassis has squared instead of tapered edges, giving it a more 'boxy' feel.
It weighs almost 700g (about the same as the first iPad, with the fourth-generation iPad clocking in at about 650g, depending on your WiFi/LTE preferences), yet I think any who list this as a real negative about the Surface are wasting their time.
The chassis itself is made from a magnesium alloy, which Microsoft has titled 'VaporMg'. It's three times lighter than aluminium, which looks good and resists fingerprints well.
It has a 10.6-inch (27cm) screen with 148 pixels per inch. Its display is not particularly brilliant, but above-average contrast does improve its prospects.
However, most damaging to its case is the widescreen resolution of 1366x768. This is a far cry from full 1080pp HD. The hardware handles video playback well, although I suggest headphones, as the in-built speakers are nothing to write home about.
The display uses Cleartype optimisation, used in previous iterations of Windows to assist in type clarity, meaning the screen looks good enough for most purposes, but it definitely won't be winning any awards in this department (as an extension of your Windows 8 environment, does it have to?)
Usability
The Microsoft Surface RT has a built-in 'kickstand', which provides some necessary utility, and can be used with magnetic clip-on keyboards, either the traditional kind, or the more interesting and flattened 'fabric keyboard'. I opted for the keyboard with actual keys, but both were useable, I just prefer a bit of physical feedback. Using the fabric keyboard without sound made for a confusing experience, as we are particularly reliant on physical or auditory responses when typing, it would seem.
There's no 3G with the Surface yet, and unfortunately, no USB dongles compatible with the RT build. Yes, that's right. The Surface has USB ports (only USB 2.0 though). A major perk of its design, actually, is that it can have portable storage inserted (above and beyond SD cards). This means users can end up getting far more storage than they would in similarly priced tablets.
The Surface RT comes preinstalled with a touch-enhanced version of Office 2013, a handy inclusion to augment its possibilities as an extension of the working place. Besides this, there is little preinstalled software worth mentioning.
I was especially disappointed to find no games, with the service simply requesting you log in, then allowing you to download from its small selection of free games. This is something that could prove problematic, given compatibility issues between Windows 8 and RT; I don't think Microsoft can rely on user-created applications to fill the app collection available, due to its limited market applicability.
Performance and hardware
While the Surface RT's hardware is potent, when used to power Windows RT, it comes up a little short. Using the Nvidia Tegra 3, a 1 300MHz quad-core ARM Cortex A9 processor and 2GB of DDR3 RAM (in total, 1 500Mhz), it still doesn't pull off the OS convincingly.
Different functions are performed with varying degrees of competency, obviously, but most noticeable is when initiating applications or services - the loading screen wait-time is reminiscent of a Windows 95 desktop rather than a modern 'flagship foray' into a highly competitive market.
These moments spent loading are only a few seconds each, and users can switch to other tasks while they initialise, but for those used to swift performance and responsive starts, it may prove to be an irritation.
Its 2GB of RAM are evidently not enough to power the multitasking that an intensive Windows user employs (which, ideally, would be the target market for this tablet), as hang-ups and delays begin once multiple detailed tasks are ongoing, and long documents are open. Again, this isn't severe, but it is noticeable.
In terms of additional features, the Surface RT also carries front- and rear-facing cameras, both operating at a 720p resolution with 1.2 megapixels; the rear-facing camera employs auto-focus functionality. More unusually, both the Surface Pro and RT have ambient light sensors, accelerometers, gyroscopes and compasses. The Surface RT only has a WiFi version (MIMO), but it comes with Bluetooth and USB, and allows for HD video output, should you have a better screen around.
In a nutshell
All in all, the Surface RT is a fine device, but it's marred by not honouring brand advantages and doesn't really have a role as a result. It didn't live up to my expectations. What appeals to me personally about Windows is that it can be broken, it's not idiot-proof and you can fine-tune it, making it a middle ground between Linux and more conventional OS options.
Furthermore, with a bit of struggling, I can get the majority of my games and applications running on my home PC (even those older games from the late 90s), even though they are no longer supported. The Surface RT loses these benefits, and unfortunately, loses purpose as a result.
In terms of the device itself, there isn't much to complain about besides the 'slightly-too-long' start-up times for apps. The root of its problems lies in its RT OS.
Overall, the Surface RT is a bit... out of touch.
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