A very fair review and criticism of the Surface RT. I personally, love the Windows 8 UI and accept some of the compromises of the RT in order to get the kind of productivity NO iPad or Android tablet delivers.
I love how you present your videos. So wonderfully done. So professional. The imagery that goes across the screen while you are talking is wonderfully done.
Just got my RT and I love it. And I have to say that this REVIEW is absolutely fair. FINALLY someone can offer praise and criticism without an obvious bias or agenda peering through. GREAT JOB pocket now and even though you're not thoroughly impressed, for me, this is the best tablet out.
I find this review quite perceptive and balanced, although I absolutely love my RT. BTW, because I share my Surface with my daughter I fully appreciate the RT's resistance to malware, something my daughter seems to come across quite often.
Nice review. I have to add this on top, the usb on the surface RT is a key selling feature on this tablet. Being a photographer this tablet is the most powerfull tool i have in my camera bag. Showing people my portfolio is a breeze just plug in my usb jump drive or my external hard drive and then im not limited to the 10 gig of memory on a 32 surface overall great tablet and windows is still perfecting it with regular updates! nice to see that microsoft still backs its product even that it faild
i was kind of worried in the begining it was gonna be a 'thanks for the free tablet, let me make you look good' kind of video, but it absolutely wasn't and i do appreciate when i see an honest review, you got yourself a like sir
Actually I got a Nexus 7 and an iPad and I recently purchased the Surface RT and I simply LOVE it! Fast, easy to use, love the modern UI, there is some lack of apps but within time is gonna be the same as iOS or Android. MS Office included is a hit for my daily use and skydrive integration is great! Good Work MS
I got mine bundled with the touch keyboard for $199 on black Friday 2 years ago. It still serves me well and it is perfect for me as a college student. I look at this tablet for more productive use which might not fit everyone's needs but I love it!
to change your time-out it takes two step. From the start screen you just type "power" or "sleep" the option appears. Windows RT is very easy to use, especially after the 8.1 update. The truth of the matter is that, thanks to its usb port, kick stand, keyboard options and built in office, it is the best tablet for students and for most people that spend the majority of their time on a web browser or working in office.
Finally an objective and fair review of the the Surface RT, but you should have done it with the Windows 8.1 preview installed because it improves on a lot of the downsides you have just mentioned. I just recently bought a new one at a great price (lower than advertised) and I'm loving it. I definitely would recommend it for a student but also for gaming (if you have an xbox controller and pc receiver) although there aren't many good games yet apart from Halo.
I just bought a Surface RT for $349 4 hours ago. I have been on an android tablet for 2 years and I can't believe how much I like the RT. After listening to the crap about it I was little weary and skeptical, but with 30 day no risk, had nothing to lose. The hardware and performance is great for the price. I will say it's easy for me since I do run Windows 8 on my PC. People are sheep and easy to influence.
No the show is called "After the Buzz". The Surface RT took place during the Buzz for other devices. This After the Buzz is showing you what it was like before and during the buzz.
Why is everyone hating the Surface RT, I just got one and it's amazing. I don't see you or anyone else complaining or why doesn't the iPad run full OS X app. Ths thing is a tablet with some computer capabilities which is awesome. And btw I can use this on my lap no problem and some situations I can't like in the bed but when sitting on the sofa watching TV I can easily watch TV and this thing is not slow at all every tablets has hiccups and lag now and again so stop hating this tablet! its cool!
at the first day I bought the Surface I wasn't amazed by the speed or performance, but it became much better after the last 2-3 firmware updates released by Microsoft, and I'm totally fine with it now even with the Win RT 8.1 preview installed.
Keep up the good work of after the buzz. Definitely a feature video by Michael Fischer and pocketnow, in my book, to stay. It's very informative and enjoyable to watch.
If I were you I would not waste any time and would get it asap, for that cheap its a steal. Don't let the haters fool you, Surface Rt is a great tablet and while it does suffer in the app department, it offers a lot for a student, much more than an ipad ever could, especially considering that you have free full office, proper keybard and a built in kick-stand. Its perfect for school
I watched this on the Surface RT I got last Wednesday and I have to say that I pretty much agree with this summary of it. However the 'lower' resolution screen doesn't bother nearly as much as it seems to bother others, as to me it still looks crisp.
i have the surface rt and i love it. i bought it for just 300 euros with a touch cover and its amazing, especially after the update to windows 8.1. and about the applications, i found all that i wanted to and i use every day, except youtube but u dont need it because of IE that comes with flash and u can run the full youtube site and if u want something more touchfriendly u can download metrotube.
They are saying better kick stand with 2 positions, faster processor, better front and rear cameras, full 1080p resolution now, and better wifi for the new surface 2 rt. Its also out at the same price as the original came out I believe and its a touch lighter and thinner I believe with a claim of 10 hours battery life with active use. Some pretty solid changes overall in the right direction.
I found the mini HDMI usefull too. Since it works like a laptop you can extend, duplicate, or have just the hdmi as your display. While traveling I connected the RT to my HDMI TV and was streaming movies to to TV. It was nice because I was able to watch all web streaming content like xfinity on demand which I had trouble with on my other tablets. Because of the lack of Modern Apps, the price is the big hurdle, there are a lot of nice tablets in this price range.
I appreciate the candour and honesty here, but it's a shame you couldn't wait 'til 8.1! At the moment it's a bit unstable (my RT can vouch for this!) but even with that, it's worth it for how much it fixes up. Still, good review. Looking forward to Surface 2 :)
I would suggest to everyone considering a Surface RT to wait for Windows 8.1 on October 18th. I personally own a Surface and have the preview installed, and it brings so much more functionality into the device, including a better settings menu.
i saw on another review that the keyboard flips the other way around, so you can actually set it under the kickstand, and stably use it on your lap, except you'll have to use the on screen keyboard.
Good job Michael. I was actually thinking of getting one of these about a year ago, I am so glad I bought a full sized laptop instead. Also, a big thumbs down for Windows 8. It is incompatible with many of our IT databases and, unless you have a touch screen, Windows 8 is not the same on a PC/Laptop.
yeah. i am running the Preview of 8.1 on my laptop and albeit some wireless driver issues knocking me out of connection every now and then its nice and well built
I love this show as I am the kind of person who likes to wait for a device to work its kinks, developers to take advantage of and most importantly its price to drop. As far as this tab, one of those great ideas that got watered down by Microsoft, like windows 8 and mobile. Shows that without software hardware is but silicon and glass.
I feel screen resolution is very much a matter of taste and less so a matter of the pure specs anyway. I have had quite a few tablets and the latest I've got is the Surface Pro. Although not entirely identical to the Surface RT, I can't see why it would be significantly worse in sharpness for the most part. A 11" screen is pretty small for a full HD screen and while Windows 8.1 seems to solve most of the scaling problems, that would easily be more of a problem than text that isn't (is it?) crisp
Do you think surface rt with touch keyboard would be worth it for $260? It's on promotion in my school and I'd probably only use it for school stuff (MS office) and maybe some web browsing.
When are you going to do an after the buzz episode for the Surface 3. My Surface RT just died a few weeks ago (still mourning that tragic loss) and I don't know if I should replace it with the Surface 3, Surface 4 (core M version) or just jump platforms and go for either the iPad Air 2 or the sleek looking Pixel C. Any suggestions?
Why didn't you wait until 8.1? What i heared that its a lot quicker you can get to all the settings in the settings app. And its a lot quicker, also with IE11
"you have to take 6 steps to change the 1 minute time out feature" You mean go to the desktop, power options? its built so that the screen turns off to conserve battery. change the option to your liking, it takes 20 seconds...
Picked my brand new 64g unit up the other day for approx 340US with touch cover and with Microsoft office am pretty damn happy. Admittedly slow but does the job
Dude, I'm working at a retail store and I can tell you that most adults buying iPad for themselves (both for home as well as business use) than they buy for their kids.
should have done this review with the 8.1 preview, I wonder if it makes the RT any better (the settings should all be in the metro UI and maybe it fixed some of the performance issues?) Microsoft is also working on metro versions of the office apps, so at some point, RT won't have the desktop mode at all and it will finally make sense as a tablet OS. Of course by the time they finish that effort Intel might be far along with their mobile chips and it will make no sense to do RT tablets
Great idea for reviews. I only wished I would have known about how less snapiness my nexus 7 would become after some time. Then again I was an early purchaser. I guess these kinds of videos are good for the smart people (NOT ME) who wait.
After a history of bad experiences with windows and microsoft, I will never buy another windows machine. They wonder why? Dont they know they're putting crap out there? Im sooo glad they're struggling. It puts a BIG smile on my face.
It should say on description this is for new Android users. I was expecting encryption type passwords or new apps or things not stuff in settings that I find out when I get my phone out of the box
It makes an awesome piece right beside the Zune player in my snug "Microsoft Collection Of Failed Devices". This collection has grown considerably over the last decade and I'll bet it will see a lot more flawed contraptions that elicit just a gracious yawn from customers.
haha. The most controversial episode of after the buzz yet. I actually didn't hear solid "our verdict". It's like: "yep. It is worth a look, coz they made it cheaper".
A very fair review and criticism of the Surface RT. I personally, love the Windows 8 UI and accept some of the compromises of the RT in order to get the kind of productivity NO iPad or Android tablet delivers.
Keep this series alive Michael. Great work, I was really considering the surface for this school year.
I love how you present your videos. So wonderfully done. So professional. The imagery that goes across the screen while you are talking is wonderfully done.
I love PocketNow reviews, they don't have the flashiness of The Verge's videos, but the content is very comprehensive and worthwhile.
Just got my RT and I love it. And I have to say that this REVIEW is absolutely fair. FINALLY someone can offer praise and criticism without an obvious bias or agenda peering through. GREAT JOB pocket now and even though you're not thoroughly impressed, for me, this is the best tablet out.
Hands down the best "After The Buzz" video ever!
Great video! So little is said about devices once the initial buzz dies down... I would love to see you continue with this series.
This is the best unbiased review on TH-cam. This man is the best!
I find this review quite perceptive and balanced, although I absolutely love my RT.
BTW, because I share my Surface with my daughter I fully appreciate the RT's resistance to malware, something my daughter seems to come across quite often.
Nice review. I have to add this on top, the usb on the surface RT is a key selling feature on this tablet. Being a photographer this tablet is the most powerfull tool i have in my camera bag. Showing people my portfolio is a breeze just plug in my usb jump drive or my external hard drive and then im not limited to the 10 gig of memory on a 32 surface overall great tablet and windows is still perfecting it with regular updates! nice to see that microsoft still backs its product even that it faild
This is a fresh upload folks, so please be patient if you encounter processing errors. HD should also be along in a sec. ^MF
i was kind of worried in the begining it was gonna be a 'thanks for the free tablet, let me make you look good' kind of video, but it absolutely wasn't and i do appreciate when i see an honest review, you got yourself a like sir
Actually I got a Nexus 7 and an iPad and I recently purchased the Surface RT and I simply LOVE it! Fast, easy to use, love the modern UI, there is some lack of apps but within time is gonna be the same as iOS or Android. MS Office included is a hit for my daily use and skydrive integration is great! Good Work MS
I always get excited when Michael is actually doing the video!
I got mine bundled with the touch keyboard for $199 on black Friday 2 years ago. It still serves me well and it is perfect for me as a college student. I look at this tablet for more productive use which might not fit everyone's needs but I love it!
to change your time-out it takes two step. From the start screen you just type "power" or "sleep" the option appears. Windows RT is very easy to use, especially after the 8.1 update. The truth of the matter is that, thanks to its usb port, kick stand, keyboard options and built in office, it is the best tablet for students and for most people that spend the majority of their time on a web browser or working in office.
This is my favorite series from you guys. Keep up the good work.
Finally an objective and fair review of the the Surface RT, but you should have done it with the Windows 8.1 preview installed because it improves on a lot of the downsides you have just mentioned. I just recently bought a new one at a great price (lower than advertised) and I'm loving it. I definitely would recommend it for a student but also for gaming (if you have an xbox controller and pc receiver) although there aren't many good games yet apart from Halo.
Another great and helpful "after the buzz video" thanks a lot Michael..
I just bought a Surface RT for $349 4 hours ago. I have been on an android tablet for 2 years and I can't believe how much I like the RT. After listening to the crap about it I was little weary and skeptical, but with 30 day no risk, had nothing to lose. The hardware and performance is great for the price. I will say it's easy for me since I do run Windows 8 on my PC. People are sheep and easy to influence.
No the show is called "After the Buzz". The Surface RT took place during the Buzz for other devices. This After the Buzz is showing you what it was like before and during the buzz.
Why is everyone hating the Surface RT, I just got one and it's amazing.
I don't see you or anyone else complaining or why doesn't the iPad run full OS X app.
Ths thing is a tablet with some computer capabilities which is awesome. And btw I can use this on my lap no problem and some situations I can't like in the bed but when sitting on the sofa watching TV I can easily watch TV and this thing is not slow at all every tablets has hiccups and lag now and again so stop hating this tablet! its cool!
at the first day I bought the Surface I wasn't amazed by the speed or performance, but it became much better after the last 2-3 firmware updates released by Microsoft, and I'm totally fine with it now even with the Win RT 8.1 preview installed.
Keep up the good work of after the buzz. Definitely a feature video by Michael Fischer and pocketnow, in my book, to stay. It's very informative and enjoyable to watch.
Another solid after the buzz. Keep it up!
If I were you I would not waste any time and would get it asap, for that cheap its a steal. Don't let the haters fool you, Surface Rt is a great tablet and while it does suffer in the app department, it offers a lot for a student, much more than an ipad ever could, especially considering that you have free full office, proper keybard and a built in kick-stand. Its perfect for school
I watched this on the Surface RT I got last Wednesday and I have to say that I pretty much agree with this summary of it. However the 'lower' resolution screen doesn't bother nearly as much as it seems to bother others, as to me it still looks crisp.
i have the surface rt and i love it. i bought it for just 300 euros with a touch cover and its amazing, especially after the update to windows 8.1. and about the applications, i found all that i wanted to and i use every day, except youtube but u dont need it because of IE that comes with flash and u can run the full youtube site and if u want something more touchfriendly u can download metrotube.
They are saying better kick stand with 2 positions, faster processor, better front and rear cameras, full 1080p resolution now, and better wifi for the new surface 2 rt. Its also out at the same price as the original came out I believe and its a touch lighter and thinner I believe with a claim of 10 hours battery life with active use. Some pretty solid changes overall in the right direction.
definitely liked!
great vid and really appreciate this 'after the buzz'.
Dang. That was thorough. Well done.
Sadly, most of the problems mentioned here are also problems on the Surface Pro.
still using the surface RT now, and will continue with it. serves my needs well
I found the mini HDMI usefull too. Since it works like a laptop you can extend, duplicate, or have just the hdmi as your display. While traveling I connected the RT to my HDMI TV and was streaming movies to to TV. It was nice because I was able to watch all web streaming content like xfinity on demand which I had trouble with on my other tablets. Because of the lack of Modern Apps, the price is the big hurdle, there are a lot of nice tablets in this price range.
I appreciate the candour and honesty here, but it's a shame you couldn't wait 'til 8.1! At the moment it's a bit unstable (my RT can vouch for this!) but even with that, it's worth it for how much it fixes up.
Still, good review. Looking forward to Surface 2 :)
I would suggest to everyone considering a Surface RT to wait for Windows 8.1 on October 18th. I personally own a Surface and have the preview installed, and it brings so much more functionality into the device, including a better settings menu.
Amazing episode. I am debating on getting one. I shall look more into it. Thanks!
i just got my surface rt and i couldn't be happier. way more useful than my ipad.
Hi Michael, Do you reckon with windows 8.1 upgrade, will the tablet be less prone to stutter?
Love to see surface pro after the buzz. :-)
i saw on another review that the keyboard flips the other way around, so you can actually set it under the kickstand, and stably use it on your lap, except you'll have to use the on screen keyboard.
Good job Michael. I was actually thinking of getting one of these about a year ago, I am so glad I bought a full sized laptop instead. Also, a big thumbs down for Windows 8. It is incompatible with many of our IT databases and, unless you have a touch screen, Windows 8 is not the same on a PC/Laptop.
Yes! Thanks PocketNow! I've been waiting for this!
yeah. i am running the Preview of 8.1 on my laptop and albeit some wireless driver issues knocking me out of connection every now and then its nice and well built
I love this show as I am the kind of person who likes to wait for a device to work its kinks, developers to take advantage of and most importantly its price to drop. As far as this tab, one of those great ideas that got watered down by Microsoft, like windows 8 and mobile. Shows that without software hardware is but silicon and glass.
Could you do this again after Windows 8.1 is released? I have the preview on the RT and it's great!
The desktop is where I prefer to spend my time. Even on RT. That's the reason I wanted the tablet.
I feel screen resolution is very much a matter of taste and less so a matter of the pure specs anyway. I have had quite a few tablets and the latest I've got is the Surface Pro. Although not entirely identical to the Surface RT, I can't see why it would be significantly worse in sharpness for the most part. A 11" screen is pretty small for a full HD screen and while Windows 8.1 seems to solve most of the scaling problems, that would easily be more of a problem than text that isn't (is it?) crisp
Do you think surface rt with touch keyboard would be worth it for $260? It's on promotion in my school and I'd probably only use it for school stuff (MS office) and maybe some web browsing.
love my surface RT and will be buying the surface 2 when its released.
Not as of yet, you can still use the spotify web player, but there is no official app. It is planned for release though, and I hope it'll come soon.
going to do an update to this in oct for 8.1 update?
Gunnar glasses. I use a pair and find it helps with long stints on the pc.
When are you going to do an after the buzz episode for the Surface 3. My Surface RT just died a few weeks ago (still mourning that tragic loss) and I don't know if I should replace it with the Surface 3, Surface 4 (core M version) or just jump platforms and go for either the iPad Air 2 or the sleek looking Pixel C. Any suggestions?
Why didn't you wait until 8.1? What i heared that its a lot quicker you can get to all the settings in the settings app. And its a lot quicker, also with IE11
"you have to take 6 steps to change the 1 minute time out feature"
You mean go to the desktop, power options? its built so that the screen turns off to conserve battery. change the option to your liking, it takes 20 seconds...
You should do a vid about the Lenovo Yoga 13. My still doesnt work right, its brand new. Lenovo has had it for a month now trying to fix it.
Picked my brand new 64g unit up the other day for approx 340US with touch cover and with Microsoft office am pretty damn happy. Admittedly slow but does the job
Haswell Surface Pro is going to be pretty awesome.
Dude, I'm working at a retail store and I can tell you that most adults buying iPad for themselves (both for home as well as business use) than they buy for their kids.
How big are the Surface batteries?
I like the idea of "After The Buzz"
should have done this review with the 8.1 preview, I wonder if it makes the RT any better (the settings should all be in the metro UI and maybe it fixed some of the performance issues?)
Microsoft is also working on metro versions of the office apps, so at some point, RT won't have the desktop mode at all and it will finally make sense as a tablet OS.
Of course by the time they finish that effort Intel might be far along with their mobile chips and it will make no sense to do RT tablets
Great idea for a series and a nice objective review.
Are those computer glasses you are wearing, I noticed the yellow tint.
How do you get firefox and Google on surface rt?
Great idea for reviews. I only wished I would have known about how less snapiness my nexus 7 would become after some time. Then again I was an early purchaser. I guess these kinds of videos are good for the smart people (NOT ME) who wait.
Good review, thanks for after the buzz
Yeah Michael is the best ...Jaime is also very good. That "hat dude" however aggravates me... Dude dafuq is up with the HAT??? :D lolz
Just ordered this on ebay for 199 with the keyboard. I am pumped
@nat2367
This video is supposed to be one year later. It's after the buzz series, not a typical review video.
Can you install normal programs such as photoshop on windows RT?
Oh and also that Nexus 4 funny guy is awesome
After a history of bad experiences with windows and microsoft, I will never buy another windows machine. They wonder why? Dont they know they're putting crap out there? Im sooo glad they're struggling. It puts a BIG smile on my face.
It should say on description this is for new Android users. I was expecting encryption type passwords or new apps or things not stuff in settings that I find out when I get my phone out of the box
Price drop was on US only. Here in Finland these still cost a fortune.
yeah that revert back to desktop for some apps should have been left for Surface pro since it is a full fledged computer tablet.
u should do ALL the reviews and unboxing...
"After the buzz" is an expression of pocket now.
RT is balls... However the Pro version is a full fledged PC so that one is impressive. I wonder how it plays modern games though
There was a sale of the Surface RT here in Germany: 220 Euros or so.
We'll cover the 8.1 update, but we won't re-review the Surface again, no. ^MF
It makes an awesome piece right beside the Zune player in my snug "Microsoft Collection Of Failed Devices". This collection has grown considerably over the last decade and I'll bet it will see a lot more flawed contraptions that elicit just a gracious yawn from customers.
haha. The most controversial episode of after the buzz yet. I actually didn't hear solid "our verdict". It's like: "yep. It is worth a look, coz they made it cheaper".
since when is 1.5 heavy
Great Review!!!
EXCELLENT Review. Thanks!
same. got surface Rt, Going Surface 2 now.
$299 with a free typecover and 8.1 preinstalled would be a great deal.
the 64gb refurbished? because I'm pretty sure it didn't bring the keyboard.
I think OUYA needs an "After the Buzz" video.
Thanks. Really informative. Now I will make an informed choice.
@KevinLewis I ordered mine from eBay as well. I thought the $199 price point was perfect, especially since it comes with the touch cover.
I want to see surface pro after the buzz :-)
The Windows RT tablet is productive in a hard way
because 8.1 main feature changes are in full windows and not in rt
Windows driver support on that full sized usb is the best. Office excel and the rest,this is more than a tablet.
Sorry for the typos. If I wanted to do videos of this high a quality , I mean artistically wise, where would I go to train?
will 8.1 even come to the surface since it runs 'RT'
back to school tablet should be the Nexus 7. No?
I would recommend people to wait for the surface 2