My Surface for Windows RT Review

[COOL^J]

I'm starting to think that I have made the wrong decision just got one this afternoon not even got it out the box just opened the box to take a look. Does this mean the lack of apps and with it not selling well that the app and support will go down hill ?

 

[Martini1991]

I'm starting to think that I have made the wrong decision just got one this afternoon not even got it out the box just opened the box to take a look. Does this mean the lack of apps and with it not selling well that the app and support will go down hill ?

To be honest, no one can truly answer yet.
Windows RT devices right now and under powered, baytrail (X86) tablets are around the corner, same with temash (And just using my brothers C-50 under 8.1, the performance will be very good).

Windows RT devices need to have something really going for them, which currently only Surface has is its brilliant build quality.

The app situation is so-so, it depends what you want/need.

 

[theheyes]

In terms of apps and support, no it won't go downhill. I would be extremely surprised if Microsoft didn't honour their existing support commitment, and WinRT is WinRT regardless of whether it's ARM or x86.

You're getting Windows RT 8.1 and the app situation will only get better. This is absolutely not the same as a vendor having a fire sale of a device on a sinking platform.

 

[Martini1991]

In terms of apps and support, no it won't go downhill. I would be extremely surprised if Microsoft didn't honour their existing support commitment, and WinRT is WinRT regardless of whether it's ARM or x86.

You're getting Windows RT 8.1 and the app situation will only get better. This is absolutely not the same as a vendor having a fire sale of a device on a sinking platform.

An app on the marketplace doesn't need to work on RT, I can really see and imagine X86 tablets being the main thing for Windows, I mean really, how and why would people buy RT tablets when it's looking like much faster X86 tablets are coming in at the same price point (As is currently)?

My fear is that W8 tablets for X86 really kicks off and then we lack RT ports (But that's just a fear, it might not be the case, and then the X86 tablet sales would only bolster the RT apps too), Blazblue I'd love to play on my tablet, but it's X86 only.

EDIT : Bearing in mind, X86 doesn't really need apps as they can run anything on Windows.

EDIT 2 : And I'm a pessimist.

 

[theheyes]

You're not wrong in saying x86 tablets are going to be the way forward. I actually think that, over time, people's expectations of what a tablet can do are going to change and tablets will shed the current perception of being lightweight companion devices and be treated more like laptops.

I don't think the question should be "why would people buy RT tablets?", more like "why wouldn't a developer make an ARM version available?" All they really need to do is test it for ARM and it's done.

Think about how tiny the market share for RT devices must be right now, and yet I think I've only come across a single app that wasn't available for ARM. Honestly, it's a non-issue. And if we get a steady stream of mini 8-inch tablets running on ARM (which I think is where Windows RT is likely to find its niche) forward-compatibility would be the least of my worries.

 

[KIA]

I'm starting to think that I have made the wrong decision just got one this afternoon not even got it out the box just opened the box to take a look. Does this mean the lack of apps and with it not selling well that the app and support will go down hill ?

Take it back and wait for the next best thing if none of the other tablets interest you.

 

[DeathStorm]

Metrotube's still broken in RT.

It's working for me, the only problems I've run in to with 8.1 are the mail app is very flaky, tends to crash when launched and the wireless service keeps stopping which is hugely annoying.

 

[DeathStorm]

I'm starting to think that I have made the wrong decision just got one this afternoon not even got it out the box just opened the box to take a look. Does this mean the lack of apps and with it not selling well that the app and support will go down hill ?

I wouldn't have said so, if for no other reason than it's the most obvious choice for developers targeting the future of the Windows platform. People seem to forget that practically on launch day Windows 8 had already bested the competition several times over (unless you also consider windows 7/XP etc competition).

When it comes to app support on a tablet you really have to ask yourself what apps you rely on, tablet devices are things of convenience and if it doesn't have the apps you want/need (or something comparable) then what use is it? So I think your decision should revolve around that, personally I only really miss 1-2 apps and that's not really a problem when I consider the other advantages (for example the widescreen form factor makes it a better choice for watching videos and a worse choice if you like to use portrait for reading etc).

 

[Martini1991]

It's working for me, the only problems I've run in to with 8.1 are the mail app is very flaky, tends to crash when launched and the wireless service keeps stopping which is hugely annoying.

Reinstalled it and it works, funnily enough I've found Outlook fine.

 

[COOL^J]

Just couple of questions

On my Ipad I can use air video to stream video from my pc to the ipad is this possible on the surface RT ?

Will the Surface see the PC's on my network and will I be able to transfer video , music , pictures back and forth ?

Thank you

 

[Martini1991]

For streaming video, I can just use my homegroup, or share my folders on the network and then just use browse them natively from the surface in "network"

Really simple, it literally just works.

Although sometimes it can be a little flaky and won't connect straight off, gotta wait a bit.
But I find that with the entirety of Windows folder sharing via wifi.

 

[COOL^J]

Thank you Martini

 

[DeathStorm]

Will the Surface see the PC's on my network and will I be able to transfer video , music , pictures back and forth ?

It should act like just another Windows box in this regard.

 

[Totality]

In terms of apps and support, no it won't go downhill. I would be extremely surprised if Microsoft didn't honour their existing support commitment, and WinRT is WinRT regardless of whether it's ARM or x86.

You're getting Windows RT 8.1 and the app situation will only get better. This is absolutely not the same as a vendor having a fire sale of a device on a sinking platform.

Microsoft dumped on Windows Mobile 7 users when Mobile 8 came out so they can and have done it before.

If I was Microsoft I would drop RT and concentrate on Windows 8.1 and the Surface Pro. It is confusing for consumers having two versions and not being able to run windows apps but having a desktop is even more confusing/useless.

I am waiting for the Surface Pro 2 as a Surface with a Haswell chip for better battery life would be really nice. Not being able to install windows programs and with an app store tiny compared to Apple basically means an RT device is more useless than an iPad and that is saying something!

A slim 7" style Surface Pro running 8.1 with a good battery life - now that would be epic.

 

[theheyes]

The WP7 thing was way overblown, it's not comparable IMO. Anybody buying/opening a Surface RT today should not be worried about support for the lifecycle of the product. That's really the point I'm making.

I'm curious as to what sort of desktop applications you have in mind for running on a 7" Surface? Or do you plan to plug it into an external monitor?

 

[Glaucus]

Microsoft dumped on Windows Mobile 7 users when Mobile 8 came out so they can and have done it before.

.

Hardly.
Wp7 is still supported for a time.
It's also a totally different OS hence why it's not upgradable.
Wp7 was based on windows mobile 6
Wp8is a new kernal based on arts of windows8


They have more than enough money to sink into RT and for the foreseeable future they will.

 

[Totality]

Hardly.
Wp7 is still supported for a time.
It's also a totally different OS hence why it's not upgradable.
Wp7 was based on windows mobile 6
Wp8is a new kernal based on arts of windows8


They have more than enough money to sink into RT and for the foreseeable future they will.

You're basing that theory on guess work. The cold hard facts are that Wondows RT has failed to meet expectations, OEMs are sticking to normal Windows 8 and MS have screwed users over in the past.

Full Windows 8 offers the best of both worlds and given devs aren't paying attention to RT its most likely going to fail. If it gets cheap enough I would buy an RT device for watching films on and web browsing, but it looks to be going the same way as the HP tablets based on facts and figures.

MS need to concentrate on one OS.

 

[theheyes]

Full Windows 8 offers the best of both worlds and given devs aren't paying attention to RT its most likely going to fail. If it gets cheap enough I would buy an RT device for watching films on and web browsing, but it looks to be going the same way as the HP tablets based on facts and figures.

This is what a lot of people seem to misunderstand. The platform is WinRT, not Windows RT.

Plus you've brought up a pretty good example of where Windows RT might actually find its niche - at the cheapest end of the market on the small form factors.

 

[DeathStorm]

Hardly.
Wp7 is still supported for a time.
It's also a totally different OS hence why it's not upgradable.
Wp7 was based on windows mobile 6
Wp8is a new kernal based on arts of windows8

They have more than enough money to sink into RT and for the foreseeable future they will.

Don't kid yourself, they dumped WP 7. I can't remember where I read it but they pretty much admitted they knew it was going nowhere but they needed to get people writing apps for the platform.

Do I believe the same thing will happen with RT? Not really as even if RT is never successful it can ride on the coattails of Windows 8 but I can't blame someone for making the comparison.

 

[Glaucus]

Of course they new it was dead. Wp8 is totally new.

Wp7 was nothing more than a temporary step between wm6 and wp8

The comparison is not the same, RT isn't being replaced with something totally new.

The comparison would be far closer to Zune player (hardware)

The idea is every new iteration brings rt/WP/windows closer together until there's just one hybrid OS. There's a lot of talk that WP9 and winRT9 will be fully integrated into one OS