A week or so, at the request of some long time friends and readers, I wrote a review of Windows 8. I wrote the review not only because they had asked my opinion but also because I was disgusted by the lack of real work in using and understanding the system by the many so-called reviewers I had read.
I briefly spoke of the MS Surface RT. While I have been using the RT since it first came out, having given my Apple iPad to my 14 year old son, and I have not looked back, this week I had to go to Boston for the week for work. It portended to be a fairly complicated endeavor, one that in the past I would have brought my fairly powerful, and large and heavy, laptop.
Of course, lugging a laptop through airport security is no picnic as you must take it out of your bag, at the same time you are getting close to naked in order to clear the checkpoint. This time, with a very small amount of trepidation, I decided to put my money where my mouth is and take the risk to leave the laptop at home and rely only on the Surface RT. While I have been using the device, I have been reading all the negative reviews, and I suppose they had some effect. I can’t say that I did not have some worries relying on the device.
Well the worries, were completely unfounded. I found the Surface RT, yes lauded exalted Technology Reviewers the Surface RT you have basically decried as inadequate for months, worked not just as well but much better than my laptop. I was able to use it nonstop for more than the work day in every case. Each evening when I got ready to go to bed at my hotel, I plugged in the charger and there was still power to spare. All of the applications I needed to use; Word, Excel, PowerPoint, One Note worked perfectly. In one dinner meeting I was able to pull out the Surface, quietly and unobtrusively and show some charts to a client without having to find a power receptacle after a long day working at an office. I even had the occasion to connect to a projector and seamlessly move screens from the tablet to the wall quickly and efficiently.
Finally, while clearing airport security still required me to remove half my clothing, including shoes, watch, belt, wallet, card case change etc, I was able to keep my beltless pants from falling much easier because I did not have to touch the tablet just put my, now pounds lighter, backpack in a bin and walk on through.
I would recommend this tablet to anyone. And would overall say my productivity was higher, and I frankly was astounded at the use I got out of the device. When traveling in the past years with iPhone and iPad, I always still needed the laptop. No more!
Congratulations Microsoft for a job well done! And take that you MS Haters and Technophilic Elitists! Real World experience trumps your negativism.
2 Responses
Very nice review that reflects my exact same experience with the Surface RT. I took it on a road trip in November and participated in a workshop with a dozen people. The Surface fully replaced my laptop and everybody around me praised the device (many of them iPad owners). A common complaint by reviewers is that the dual personality of the Surface as PC and tablet is confusing. How is it not confusing for people to take iPads and Macs into meetings and keep swapping between them. Apple has managed to convince people that unless the tablet has a fruit logo on it, it is not good.
Very nice review that reflects my exact same experience with the Surface RT. I took it on a road trip in November and participated in a workshop with a dozen people. The Surface fully replaced my laptop and everybody around me praised the device (many of them iPad owners). A common complaint by reviewers is that the dual personality of the Surface as PC and tablet is confusing. How is it not confusing for people to take iPads and Macs into meetings and keep swapping between them. Apple has managed to convince people that unless the tablet has a fruit logo on it, it is not good.