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Seriously considering an RT but.....

willmech

New Member
I watch Netflix movies on my 720p Panasonic Plasma TV with my RT and it works flawlessly. Just plug and play, love it.
 

nicholas1983

New Member
I have an old Alba TV in the bedroom which occasionally gets plugged into the Surface to watch a film or two. I am not sure what its resolution is, but I know it doesn't quite match the Surface's resolution. This, however, does not mean it is unwatchable; far from it in fact. In fact I get the best size when I duplicate the screen instead of assigning the 'second screen only' option. Both my main TV and my desktop monitor are 1080p and they work perfectly, and produce a great picture.
This forum post is quite helpful.

When I was doing research on what device to buy I found it helpful to write down features that you would need and want you device to do, then you can rule out your different options. Also, I read user reviews on Amazon as they often contain bits of information that are left off technology websites' reviews. You may have to sift through the rubbish to find a couple of intelligent reviews.
I don't know about anyone else but I found a lot of reviews very biased and lacking any fundamental understanding of the market that both of the Surfaces were aimed at. For instance: The iPad was compared to the Pro (apples and oranges); the lack of apps in the Windows store being compared to Android and iOS's offerings. CNet and the Verge were some offenders I can remember off the top of my head. Again, you may have to sift through the rubbish to find some objective, intelligent reviews.

I have had to reset my Surface back to factory twice, both times following an update. I have to admit it was annoying at first and thankfully the last one was a while ago. I use mine a lot and it has been very stable only needing restarting a few times after getting a bit sluggish. I find IE10 difficult sometimes, but it doesn't detract from the overall experience.

I noticed they are selling them for £399 with a touch cover now looks like it will be the best time to buy. I got mine for £385 with a touch cover so still happy that I got it cheap.
 
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oneniner

oneniner

New Member
Thanks to everyone for the information. I agree with the bias in some reviews. I find it best to explore the forums and get user experiences. That's how I learned about Nexus 10 problems and the issue some have with Surface and HDMI connection. I saw that MS is offering the free keyboard. I wonder if this a prelude to a liquidation in preparation for a new offering. At any rate I'm leaning toward MS, and I think I will put up with my Thrive a few more months. I think something new is on the way.
 

pallentx

New Member
I have not connected my Surface RT to an external monitor, but I have been very happy overall with it. I replaced an iPad2 with the Surface and couldn't be happier. If you really need Vine or some specific apps that are only available on iOs or Android, the Surface might not be for you. Here's what I like about the Surface and Windows RT in general.

1. Real Office Programs. If your company uses MS Office, there is no substitute for the real thing.
2. File Access. Browse network folders, open links to doc on network folders - it all works just like your desktop.
3. Printing. No other mobile platform does printing better. Assuming your printer is supported (only found 1 so far that isn't supported), it works just like printing from your desktop.
4. Family Safety. If you have kids, you can manage their access, filter internet, and get reports on what they are doing.
5. UI. I really like the new Windows way of presenting notifications and status through the live tiles. The clean text-based UI really works well and is pleasing to use.
6. MS services. Outlook.com, Skydrive, Windows accounts - everything works together nicely across all your devices. MS has come a long way since the Live junk days.
 
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oneniner

oneniner

New Member
Surface RT and Type keyboard ordered from MS store. Should be here next week. Thanks to all for the input and advice
 

CrippsCorner

Well-Known Member
The Verge pretty much hates anything that doesn't have "Apple" somewhere in the name. The weirdest thing about their reviews is that quite often they will complement many aspects of a device throughout the review then in their conclusion say, "It sucks" and give it 6 out of 10 stars. They just did this with the new Acer R7. The reviewer went on and on about how beautiful and cool the new "Easel" hinge was and how well it worked and made viewing the screen easier on his eyes then he gave it a 4 out of 10 for "design". Weird.

They are Apple fanboys and snobs over there.

In general (despite loving the site) I do agree with what you say about The Verge... however did you see their coverage about iOS 7? Man they really ripped into it! Sometimes I think they kinda just hate all technology lol, which is strange for a technology site.
 

cauzion

New Member
Hey guys, I'm using my Surface RT for 7 months, 7-8 hours/day and as a Business person, I can say my Surface RT is so useful and effective for both fun and work.
If you want a REAL review on Surface RT / Windws RT, check my blog http://SurfaceRt.Review.BlogSpot.com
 

quadtronix

Member
Well... Ive been using the kindle app for about a week now and unfortunately, I now see what the Verge was talking about... Here's the deal (from my experience)... When I turn pages by tapping the center of the right edge it responds immediately, no problem. When I flip the corner of the screen like a page in a book, it lags like crazy!! :( I don't know why it does this, its not a deal breaker, but I thought I'd let you all know....
 

jnjroach

Administrator
Staff member
Kindle has been a very temperamental app from the beginning. This last update was significant, allows access to the Amazon Store and I was able to actually download some books :)
 

wormywyrm

New Member
I was really excited about the surface RT, but then I tried it the day it came out and I was disappointed. I was concerned the screen was too small and the processing power was not good enough.

I bought an acer aspire S7 instead, and that was the worst decision, ever. 6 months later I came crawling back to the surface RT, deciding to give it a chance. I absolutely LOVE it! It is basically an ipad in size, weight, and battery life, but then you can charge your phone on it and plug in other USB devices. Then there is the amazing keyboards for it, which if you buy used you can get pretty cheap. Then there is office and skydrive and onenote, which no ipad app can compete with. Then there is torrex, the torrent downloading app. Then there is teamviewer, the app that lets you control your work or home PC from your surface.

I love how thin it is and how it feels way more powerful than an ipad or phone. I thought power would be a problem but I have found it is way more powerful than any ipad and I am able to accomplish pretty much anything on it (although no photoshop since it is not a PC it is a tablet).

I have a portable HDMI projector I bought at brookstone... It works awesome with the surface. It plugs in via mini HDMI I believe and works really well. You can run desktop mode on one and an app on the other screen, but right now you cant run two apps (one per screen). I don't know why but I have read it is a glitch and will be fixed with the next big update (windows blue).
 

Micah

New Member
I've been using my Surface for a few months now and I have been using the Kindle app from the Windows Store....I won't say it is not perfect. But it really is not that bad.
Sometimes when you tap for the next page there is lag(about 5 seconds) and the occasional orientation issue but it is good.

I don't judge it too harshly because I feel if i wanted the 100 percent perfect experience, I could buy the Kindle Fire.

Nook actually just updated their App for Windows 8 and it now allows sideloading.
 
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