Microsoft shook up the gadget world last June with its announcement of Surface tablets. These 10.6-inch slates will ship with touch keyboard cases that allow you to choose between a typical touch-tablet experience and a more traditional laptop configuration. The software giant wants you to think a Surface tablet could be your next PC, but is this handheld, all-in-one device what you really want?
One Profile, Two Different Animals
First off, you need to keep in mind that the Surface line comprises two very different devices that look nearly identical. When you hear someone talk about a $199 price tag or a tablet that is a full-blown PC, remember these are two different Surfaces.
The Surface for Windows RT launching on October 26 will run an ARM-based version of the new Windows 8 operating system (OS) on a Nvidia Tegra 3 chip. Rumors indicate this slate may enter the market competitive with the $199 7-inch Kindle Fire HD and Google Nexus 7. This tablet will run Windows 8 applications, but will not provide backwards compatibility with desktop applications written for Windows XP, Windows Vista, or Windows 7 OS.
The Surface for Windows 8 Pro will follow approximately three months later running the complete Windows 8 OS on an Intel Core i5. This is the slate that will allow you to run all your desktop apps from Windows XP forward, in addition to Windows 8 apps, and it is expected to cost at least $600.
What Will You Do With a Tablet PC?
The suitability of a Surface depends on what you plan to do with a tablet. Microsoft suggests that past tablets have been largely consumption devices–great for watching a movie or reading your email, but not so great when you want to write a blog post or edit a document. So the team out of Redmond, WA designed a slate with a few built-ins that may make it more attractive to you.
Documents, Spreadsheets, and Presentations
All Surface tablets have a keyboard cover and a kickstand that allow you to use them as little laptops. In addition, Surface for Windows RT will ship with the Office Home and Student 2013 app already installed.
Gaming
Microsoft makes the top-selling game console in the United States, and it plans to leverage this platform for its slates. Forty Xbox titles will be available for the Surface RT launch or shortly thereafter, including Halo 4. In addition, all legacy Windows PC games will run on the Surface Pro desktop.
Media Consumption
The built-in kickstand allows for passive and shared viewing of movies and other video content. The mini-HDMI output will even allow you to run a cable to your HDTV when you want to watch your content on the big screen.
Port-Ability
One big advantage Microsoft sports over its fruity rival is the flexibility enabled by a full-size USB port, the aforementioned mini-HDMI output, and a micro-SD slot you can use to boost the device’s memory. Not only is this less-than-2-pound, all-in-one device convenient to take anywhere, it should also play nice with other Microsoft-compatible devices in your ecosystem.
What Do You Think? Is Surface Your Next PC?
The Surface slate is not for everyone, and this year is shaping up to offer consumers more options in tablet computing than ever before. Will you snap up a Surface RT this holiday season, hold out for the Surface Pro, or choose another PC altogether?
Alexis Avellan is a tech enthusiast who owns and writes for InsidetheSurface.com – a blog dedicated to the latest news, reviews, and rumors pertaining to the Microsoft Surface tablet.
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