Review: Microsoft Surface

In tablets, the big guns have big names. Apple has its iPad 4 and Google has the Nexus 10. And, if Microsoft is to take on the might of Apple and Google in the tablet space with Windows 8, it needs a big name of its own.

So welcome Microsoft Surface. The new tablet isn't just the big poster boy for Windows 8, but for Windows RT too, the brand-new version of Windows 8 designed for ARM.

Creating a flagship brand for Windows 8 is a clever move, no doubt a tactic learned from the success of the Samsung Galaxy Nexus that heralded Ice Cream Sandwich, the Google Nexus 7 for Jelly Bean, and more recently, the Nexus 10 for the completely anonymous Android 4.2.

However, there's no danger of Surface being branded as a clone of rival 10-inch tablets.

It boasts a distinctive design, helped by those unmistakable keyboard covers, enjoys a 10.6-inch widescreen display, and runs Windows 8, the most popular operating system on the planet. But there's a crippling caveat which might be its undoing.

Windows RT won't run old PC programs, so any trip to the internet to download legacy programs such as VLC Player, or even big-name offerings like Photoshop Elements, just won't work.

It has the potential to cause mass confusion and the power to sink Microsoft's figurehead before it's even taken off.

On picking up the Surface one single sentiment falls from the mouth of every man, woman or child without fail: "It's thicker than I thought."

That is factually nonsense. At 9.4mm thick, it's exactly the same thickness as the iPad 4, except that instead of masking its true girth with tapered edges, Surface's design looks as if it's been chiseled from a slab of slate.

It's square and boxy, but fresh looking and the magnesium 'VaporMg' coating gives it a cool finish.

At 690g Microsoft Surface is noticeably heavier than its rivals. The iPad 4 weighs 650g due to shedding an inch of screen, but Surface feels richer for the extra space.

The 16:9 screen is suited to Windows, it enables you to multitask apps and 'snap' them literally side by side. It feels like you're using a laptop and that's a big leap towards a genuine hybrid experience.

Of course, the rear kickstand is an iconic part of Surface. It's also made of metal, and does a good job of propping up your tablet - to an angle of 22 degrees - even when on your lap.

However, we'd have liked it to be more adjustable – at the moment it has just one position – and a button release would also be handy as you need nimble fingers to pull out the stand.

It's also larger than the iPad - the screen is a 10.6-inch 1366x768 IPS panel, which falls short of the full HD displays of the Sony VAIO Duo 11 and Asus Taichi, but still looks clear and crisp.

It's not going to win any awards for screen vibrancy, and certainly never going to challenge Retina, but it's good enough - and helps Microsoft keep the price down to a reasonable level.

A keyboard-less 32GB Surface costs £399, the same as an iPad 4 with half the storage.

Under the hood is an Nvidia Tegra 3 processor, with the ARM technology that drives this new Windows RT operating system. It's the same you'll find in high flying Android tablets such as the Asus Transformer Prime and Google Nexus 7. There's also 2GB of RAM.

We'd love to say that it walked through every task that we threw at it, but in all honesty, we feel that Tegra struggles in Windows.

The system felt responsive to navigate but apps lingered on their splash screens for uncomfortable periods, seconds longer than they should.

There was no jerkiness or hangs, just a lethargy that frustrates when you're in a hurry.

We tested the 64GB Microsoft Surface, which offers plenty of storage, and even a Micro SDSX port hidden under the kickstand, which enables you to boost storage by another 64GB.

That makes Surface a great deal when you consider that you can get nearly 100GB of storage for the same price as the 16GB iPad. That's also not including the USB port for connecting USB storage, as well as traditional Windows peripherals.

Being able to plug in a memory stick in is especially refreshing, and makes Surface a genuine alternative to the iPad.

There's currently no 3G option for Surface, and with no dongles compatible with Windows RT at present, that's not an option right now.

Of course, one of the headline features is the Touch Cover, the clip-on keyboard that enables you to use your Surface as either a tablet or laptop. It feels shockingly light, as if it's made of cardboard.

Typing takes some getting used to, and the click sound that's used to denote a successful key press is essential to effective typing, as the lack of tactile feedback can be disorientating.

However, the keys are sensitive and speed typing is certainly possible with a few hours of practice.

What's more, despite the flat keyboard feeling like it's been hewn from old egg boxes, it features a multi-touch trackpad, should you want to use a mouse while in the traditional Windows interface.

The Touch Cover maybe a triumph of design but we would heartily recommend investing in the Type Cover for comfortable typing.

This offers a much more natural typing experience, and is one of the most spacious tablet keyboard accessories we've used.

It's much more comfortable and can easily be used for longer periods, but it does have an annoying flex in the middle, so the keys tend to bounce if you're a heavy typist.

We'd still recommend it, but it will cost you: the Type Cover costs an extra £110, rather than £80 for the Touch Cover.

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Hands-on review: Updated: Microsoft Surface

Magnesium chassis, vapour deposition coating, cutaway edges, ClearType HD display; the design credentials and the specs for the Microsoft Surface Windows RT tablet are impressive.

In the flesh this is a delightful piece of hardware that looks good – and is practical too.

It's thin, it's light, it's comfortable to hold, it runs Windows RT as excellently as you'd expect, it makes you want to touch it but it's also designed so you can snap the magnetically attached cover into place – in no way similar to any competitor idea...

You can now order a Surface RT in Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, the United Kingdom and the United States and the Microsoft Surface release date is 26 October alongside the Windows 8 release date.

Windows RT is a specially modified version of the new Windows 8 platform, designed to run on devices sporting ARM processors, and you'll be able to pick up the base 32GB model from $US499/AUD$559/£399.

But you won't be able to get its big brother, the Intel Core i5 Surface for Windows 8 Pro, for another three months. Quite why is anybody's guess, but we reckon Microsoft wants to give its partners a little chance to breathe with their own Windows 8 tablets first.

If you fancy more storage, the 64GB model is listed at $US699/AUD$789/£599, and comes with a black Microsoft Surface Touch Cover bundled with the tablet.

If you fancy a Touch Cover with the 32GB Surface tablet, then you can save yourself a whole $US19.99 (£20/AUD$20) and get the bundle at $US599/AUD$679/£479.

The Touch Cover can also be purchased separately for $US119.99/AUD$139.99,£100, while the Type Cover is priced at the princely sum of $US129.99/AUD$149.99/£110.

If you're not familiar with the differences between the two, the Touch Cover features capacitive 'touch' keys, while the Type Cover, as you may have guessed, has the more familiar physical keys – similar to those found on a traditional QWERTY keyboard.

The Surface is clearly creeping in on new iPad territory. The positive note is that the Surface is still cheaper than the iPad in the US and UK for the amount of memory you get (although not in Australia), with the 32GB Apple equivalent setting you back $US599 (AU$539) - plus it does have the performance and specifications to seriously challenge the Cupertino-based firm.

The design of the Surface for Windows RT (and the similar Surface for Windows 8 Pro that we didn't see in as much detail) is understated.

The front is sleek black glass, precision bonded to the magnesium alloy chassis ("we squeezed all the air out," as Microsoft hardware expert Stevie Battiche told TechRadar), with only a Windows logo visible – the word Microsoft doesn't show up on the case anywhere.

Turn it on and the 10.6" screen fills most of the Surface's front display, but the four edges have half an inch of bezel so you can hold it comfortably.

The Windows logo isn't just for show; it's a touch button that gives you the Start screen when you tap on it, plus the whole bezel is touch-aware so you can swipe across it to bring up the App bar or the switching pane (depending on which way round it is).

The Surface is light and comfortable to hold; the edges are sloped to give you a comfortable grip (although the edge with the cover connector isn't quite as ergonomic until you connect the cover).

The magnesium alloy chassis is covered with a soft coating that feels durable and expensive (that's the vapour deposition bit; it's chemically bonded rather than just painted on).

If you don't want to hold it, there's a built-in stand that's like a large hinge running across the entire back of the Surface, with another Windows logo in a slightly matte finish.

The hinge is usually held in place by an array of magnets so it doesn't fall out if you shake the Surface around; on the left there's a little cutout in the edge of the hinge to make it easier to flip out.

If you've seen Apple's SmartCover on the new iPad 3, then this method of connection won't be a surprise – it's another move that shows Microsoft is intending to go toe-to-toe with the Cupertino brand in the tablet arena.

The Surface tablet also balances well on the hinge, which has two long rubber feet to stabilise it.

With the Touch Cover on, we were able to balance the Surface on a lap for typing like a notebook without it falling forward or tipping over backwards; compare this to the Asus Transformer Prime which always wants to fall backwards, and you'll appreciate this weighting.

Microsoft has included the fewest ports it could get away with; the bottom edge is filled with the magnetic keyboard connector, the top has the power button and the sides have two speakers, dual microphones, microSD, one USB 2.0 port (USB 3.0 for the Surface Pro) and Micro HDMI (on the surface Pro that's mini DisplayPort), plus a magnetic power connector.

The magnesium alloy chassis and the precision design give the Surface RT a sturdy feel. Lift it by the corners and twist and there's no flexing at all; we tried the same thing with the frame of a chassis that hadn't been assembled and even without the glass and back it barely moved.

The Microsoft team showing off the tablets weren't cradling them protectively; at one point Battiche tossed a tablet to a colleague. Even without the cover, the Surface should stand up to some punishment.

The Touch Cover is the ultra-thin touch keyboard for those that value portability; the Type Cover is the slightly thicker keyboard with physical buttons for those that want keys that actually move rather than just the audio feedback of the Touch Cover.

Both have the same connection and they snap into the magnetic latch easily but firmly; little latches fit into the Surface itself, which is why it stays in place even if you're holding the cover and letting the keyboard drop under its own weight.

Snap either cover in place and instead of the sharp edge on one side, you have a comfortable grip that feels like the edge of a magazine or a thin hardback book – it's equally comfortable to hold whether the cover is closed to protect a screen that doesn't really need protection or folded back.

As soon as you fold the cover forward against the screen it turns the Surface off (putting it into Connected Standby – we're wondering if Apple's patent lawyers are rubbing their hands with glee at more work); when you fold it back against the hinge the accelerometer turns the keyboard off automatically so you're not typing while you hold it.

That's the same feature as on Lenovo's Yoga notebook, but with a much thinner keyboard to fold back.

The Touch Cover looks more like a picture of a keyboard than an actual keyboard; it's the same multitouch sensors Microsoft used inside the Sidewinder keyboard.

They're very thin but they're also very accurate so they pick up your typing well. The keys are a good size with a little spacing between them; the touchpad underneath is a little small but it has left and right buttons – and you have the whole touch screen for larger gestures.

You'll use the touchpad when you want the precision of placing the mouse cursor inside a word.

The Touch Cover comes in five colours: white, black, red plus cyan and magenta versions that will match Nokia's cyan and magenta Lumia range nicely.

Typing on the Touch Cover is a little odd at first because the keys don't move under your fingers; but they don't pick up typing until you actually hit the keys so just resting your hand on the keyboard or even putting your fingers in place on the keyboard while you think about what to say doesn't generate stray characters.

The soft surface is more comfortable and less slippery than typing on a screen – not to mention being at the right angle.

It is harder on your fingers than typing on a keyboard with physical keys that give as you type, so if you type a lot there's the Type Cover.

This has the same strokeable soft feel as the Surface chassis itself and the keys go down a surprising distance for a keyboard that's still so thin.

As well as all the usual keys, down to backslash, pipe and a nicely arranged set of four arrow keys, the top row of keys has the volume, media playback and navigation keys you'd expect – and that's Home, End, Page Up, Page Down and Delete but not the irritating Insert key that does nothing but make Word type over what you've already written.

Between them are four keys you won't have seen before but will recognise from the Windows 8 interface; they're the Search, Share, Devices and Settings buttons from the Charm bar so you can get at them without having to take your hands of the keyboard to swipe across the screen.

The Type Cover has those keys labelled as function keys as well; the Function lock button is on the Touch Cover as well so you can use F7 in Word to start spell check of Shift F3 to change case if you want to.

Presumably, Microsoft believes that if you know what function keys are you can find them by the number keys in the row below.

The back of the keyboard covers (and the front of the Touch Cover) are a tough microfibre fleece made especially for Microsoft; it's soft to the touch, comfortable and gives you a good grip.

The super-thin keyboard cover and the satisfying-sounding hinge are all well and good, but what's the Surface tablet actually like to use?

At this stage Microsoft is being very cagey and no-one has had much time using Surface RT yet, but from our experience of trying it out, Microsoft has done exactly what it set out to do.

This is a Windows tablet designed first and foremost to run Windows – and especially the Metro Start screen and Metro-style apps with touch controls – and it does it very well.

Surface Pro is an Intel Core i5 Ivy Bridge tablet; it's fast enough for demanding programs like Adobe Lightroom and the touchpad on the keyboard cover means you get the precision of a mouse for fiddly interfaces.

But Surface RT is an ARM tablet, running Microsoft's first version of Windows for RT and the company's first real tablet-friendly operating system.

The good news is that Windows RT feels just like Windows 8 – and it works well on a touchscreen.

The icons of the Start screen and the screens of apps like News scroll smoothly as you swipe across the screen (what Microsoft calls fast and fluid).

Semantic zoom is equally fast and smooth; you can get through a lot of movies in the preview Netflix app to find the one you want and tap to start playing it full screen.

Snapping two applications side by side, so you can read Mail and enjoy photos or Web sites in the 4:3 aspect ratio looks great (apart from widescreen windows) and is also smooth and fast; drag an application from the side and drop it on the side of the screen where you want to see it.

Swiping up from the edge of the Surface tablet's bezel to see the app bar in Metro applications or swiping in from the side of the screen to get the Charm bar is fluid too - you don't have to swipe slowly the way you do on older touchscreen PCs.

Surface RT runs any Metro application, so that's anything in the Windows Store at this point, plus the Windows desktop – but only for desktop IE and the Office applications.

For working with the desktop, touch is fine for dragging windows around and scrolling through documents and Web pages, but if you're working in Excel or one of the other Office 2013 RT Home and Student programs included with Surface RT you'll probably want the touchpad (you probably want the keyboard anyway of course).

Turn Surface RT sideways and it flips the screen instantly and smoothly, although it's not too sensitive – so it doesn't flip back and forth if you angle the screen a little to show it someone.

There's no gratuitous animation as it rotates; you just get the same Start screen or app interface, only in portrait layout.

That works well for the Start screen, because the tiles just rearrange themselves into taller, narrower groups. And documents and Web pages all work well because you can see a full page on screen at once.

Perhaps the most remarkable thing about Surface RT and Windows RT is how unremarkable they feel.

This is Windows 8 and (some of) the Windows desktop.

If you're at all familiar with Windows 8, Surface RT feels like a nice, fast Windows 8 PC that just happens to have an ARM processor.

We need to try it with more apps and different peripherals to see how far that feeling goes, but so far, using Surface RT is using Windows 8 – with all its strengths and foibles.

Surface Pro has some extras above and beyond the Intel processor and the ability to run all your Windows programs.

The Ivy Bridge Core i5 still needs cooling, so there's a groove around the edge; it's 4mm thicker and 227g heavier and the screen resolution is what Microsoft cryptically calls ClearType Full HD.

It's got DisplayPort instead of HDMI and as well as the two keyboard covers it also comes with an active pen.

This clips onto the side using the same magnets as the power cable, so it doesn't get in the way of the keyboard connections.

In your hands though, Surface Pro looks and feels very much the same – and the Touch Cover and Type Cover fit both interchangeably.

It's a surprise that Microsoft created its own tablet, but it's done a more than decent job of it; far more creative and polished than many Android tablets.

Microsoft has to get the price right – the current thinking is comparable with iPad and 10-inch Android tablets for Surface RT rather than with the 7-inch Kindle Fire – and battery life has to be good.

Surface doesn't feel like an iPad in your hands; it feels like a well-designed Windows tablet crammed with clever touches that make it practical.

But this is the first hurdle in a number to come in the tablet race – sure, the design and construction of the Microsoft Surface tablet is great and in a blind test would fare well against the best the tablet world has to offer.

The next stage is convincing the world that Windows 8 is a comparable tablet OS to iOS and Android, and making it competitive on cost too.

But the first move is a good one – giving choice, an excellent array of hardware and a well-designed tablet range to those that are still unsure whether the current crop of slates can match their needs.

It also sends a message to Microsoft's hardware partners: this is the standard for Windows 8 tablets should adhere to, unless you're going to get seriously competitive on price.

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