Microsoft Surface RT

Last week, Microsoft presented Surface RT in Spain. In Xataka Windows we have managed to test one of them over the weekend, and here we bring you our analysis with all the details of the Microsoft tablet.

First of all, I would have to say that I am not exactly impartial when it comes to reviewing a tablet. I fall into the category of intensive user always with several windows open at the same time, and the idea of ​​a tablet has never attracted me: it is not as comfortable and small as a mobile phone, nor as unlimited as a computer. Still, the Surface RT has really surprised me: it's a very good product.It has its flaws, of course, but overall I think Microsoft has done a great job.

Surface on the outside: resistant, but not exactly light

One of the biggest new features for Surface is the VaporMg case. This totally marketinian term means that the casing is made of magnesium. Quite a change from the aluminum and plastic that dominates the market.

I don't really know if it has many advantages over aluminum, but it is true that it transmits very good sensations. It seems resistant to bumps and scratches, although dirt is not easy to remove with a dry cloth.

Microsoft promised that magnesium also made it possible to make a lighter tablet. Maybe it's the internal components or that VaporMg isn't as light, but the Surface is quite heavy and feels uncomfortable after holding it for a while.

As for the Kickstand, it's a very useful addition. The hinge does not seem flimsy at all, and they have even taken care of the sound it makes when it locks. To use it as a laptop on a table with the keyboard it is very comfortable, but it fails if you want to have it on your lap when you are sitting (the screen is too tilted). In this sense, it would be much better if it were adjustable and not fixed position.

For the rest, you can tell that Microsoft has taken a lot of care in the manufacture of the Surface. The back is perfectly assembled with the front, and the buttons (the upper power button and the volume buttons on the sides) are perfectly seated and do not dance in their position. The same with the USB, miniDisplayPort and audio connectors, which hardly stand out in the profile of the tablet.

The Surface charger isn't exactly easy to fit.

The only problem I see is in the connector for the charger. It's magnetic and very similar in design to the Mac's MagSafe, but not nearly as useful. The metal connectors are too deep in the profile, so it's not quite as easy as “pinch and drop”. You have to place it in the right place and perfectly straight: if you tilt it a little laterally it will stick but without making a connection.

Good resolution and very accurate screen

The Surface's display is really good. The 1366 x 768 pixels achieve a very sharp image with very good resolution. The defined colors and, for once, I have been able to activate the automatic brightness regulation on a mobile / tablet without it staying with a lot of brightness or going with sudden jumps.

As for the 16:9 format, I have not been able to form a clear opinion.In landscape mode it wins a lot, with enough space for all the sections of the applications, and above all it stands out when watching movies. Plus, separate touch keyboard mode lets you type smoothly with your thumbs. The portrait format is great for reading long articles, but applications like email or a feed reader lose a lot in this mode.

Surface recognizes only five fingers on the screen (I don't know why you'd want to tap with more fingers on the screen, but oh well), but it does so with razor-sharp precision. Fingers glide across the screen well, and it's generally very comfortable to use. In addition, it is very easy to clean the marks with a wipe of a dry cloth.

On the screen I only missed a physical orientation lock button, like the one on the prototype tablet that they left us in the Build (and which, by the way, was one of the things which Sinofsky most proudly taught).The setting is a bit hidden in Windows (in the settings charm) and it would be easier to have a dedicated button on the case.

Touch and Type Cover keyboards

Along with the Surface, we've also been able to test the two built-in keyboards, the Touch and the Type Cover. Both attach with magnets to the bottom of the Surface with a distinctive clack. The union is quite strong, so much so that you can get to hold the tablet by the keyboard without it falling. And, despite that, if you want to remove it, it's as simple as giving it a little tug.

They can also be used as a cover, although since they don't have a magnet at the bottom they don't stick to the tablet. It's not a big drawback, but it's a detail that could have been improved. What is appreciated is the built-in accelerometer, which disables the keyboard when it is behind the tablet.

Of the two, the one that surprised me the most was the Touch Cover. Three millimeters thick in which they have inserted pressure-sensitive keys, a trackpad and all the corresponding circuitry, a true engineering and usability prodigy.

The first feeling is strange. The keys do not have appreciable recoil, and the only thing that differentiates it from a touch screen keyboard is the relief and the material, velvety and very comfortable. Despite this, it's very accurate (half of this article is written on the Surface, and I made hardly any mistakes). It's not quite the point of a traditional keyboard, but it's really good.

The trackpad is also another surprise. Small but comfortable to use, and very useful when accompanied by the touch screen. It recognizes multiple fingers, both tapping and swiping, without any problem.

The Type Cover, the mechanical version, has disappointed me a little more. Yes, it's more familiar and faster by having keys with backspace, but I don't think it's worth it if you get used to Touch. It's thicker, the trackpad is much worse and it's very uncomfortable to have all the keys there when you put the keyboard behind the tablet. And let's not forget, it's a bit more expensive.

As for durability, they seem to be very resistant keyboards (the Touch can even get wet without problems), but they have a weak point, the one you see in the image. I don't think that edge is going to last very long.

I don't think that keyboard edge is going to last long.

Surface inside: Windows RT and its limitations

Microsoft's biggest problem right now is explaining to consumers what Windows RT is. Because if, as a normal user, I look at the Surface as a Windows tablet, I will be quite disappointed that I can't run a normal Windows program.

However, from a “this is a tablet like the iPad or Nexus 7” point of view, the Surface RT becomes a very good product, and the limitations don't matter as much. It has the typical tablet applications, but it also has Office!

This brings us back to what we've been saying for quite some time: Windows 8 needs better Metro/Modern UI apps. Now there are a few, but few of quality that are really worth it. And without applications, a tablet loses a lot.

Otherwise, Windows RT behaves great. It's incredibly smooth, and I've only noticed slowness in the Games and Music applications. It also gets a bit stuck when you have a game running in the background, but otherwise no problem. Even Office, with multiple Excel and Word documents open, runs like lightning.

Also greatly appreciated all the synchronization between Windows 8 accounts.Just by entering my Live account, I already had my lock image, home screen background, and passwords in Internet Explorer. All that remains is for the downloaded applications to be synchronized and that would be perfect.

Another very interesting aspect of Windows RT and in which I think it wins over other tablets is multi-account support. On Surface, just like on any other Windows device, you can create multiple user accounts. Switching between them is as simple as tapping on your avatar, locking the screen, and tapping the back button to sign in with the account you want.

Although the accounts do not share the same apps, there is a small optimization: if you download an app that is already installed on another account, it appears instantly instead of waiting for it to download from the Store.

Overall, Windows RT is a very good system. As I mentioned, it just needs to have more applications. In performance, functionalities and synchronization it is perfect .

Battery, sound and other details

I haven't been able to do a very extensive test of the Surface's battery, but in the time I've had it, it's been very good. Before charging it for the first time, it lasted a little over five hours, not bad considering that it started at 70% charge and that it was a very intense use, including quite a few downloads over WiFi, tests with wireless mice and keyboards and playing some video .

I can't get past a Surface feature that hasn't been talked about much: speaker sound. Except for the almost non-existent bass (normal being a tablet), the Surface's sound is spectacular. In addition to being stereo, it achieves impressive definition even at maximum volume.

The Surface's rear camera is angled so that the image is straight when the tablet is tilted.

As for the cameras, they don't exactly stand out for their quality. The rear camera has a slight inclination so that, with the tablet on a table (with the Kickstand support) it is recorded straight and part of the table does not appear. For the rest, nothing remarkable.

As it couldn't be less, Surface supports memories, keyboards, mice and even printers without any problem through its USB port. I was also testing with Microsoft's Wedge keyboard, which works with Bluetooth, and it recognized it quickly and without any problems. As Microsoft promises, Surface and Windows 8 are ready for just about any device you can come across .

Finally, about storage space. Windows reports 25 GB of hard drive capacity, of which only 11 GB was available. Perhaps it is because it is a test unit: this had already been on display at the event on Thursday. Even if you have SkyDrive and all cloud syncing, I think this is something Microsoft should fix. I don't think anyone understands selling a tablet with so much space occupied.

Conclusions: a very good tablet, and it's only the first version

I said at the beginning of the article that I am not a tablet user. The Surface RT hasn't convinced me otherwise (I still can't program on it), but it's pretty close. It is an unbelievably good product. Attractive, powerful, easy to use and great performer. The Type Cover is also the perfect complement, in my opinion.

Will Microsoft be able to get a significant number of users to choose Surface over iPad or Android tablets? It is very possible. Not right now, but as soon as the Store improves it will be a very good alternative, mainly for Office. This will also facilitate entry into companies, where the office suite is usually essential for many.

Of course, Surface has things to improve, mainly in weight, hard drive space and charger. A higher quality front camera would not be bad, although it is not a priority either. But overall, the Surface is a really good tablet .

See complete gallery » Surface RT (13 photos)

Surface RT on video