The RT falls between being a tablet and a laptop and fails at both. For the same money you can get a very competent laptop. It may not have the light weight or long battery of the RT, but at least you will be able to instal almost unlimited variety of applications and have a lot more ports.
You will also not have the irritation of using a tablet and then have to unfold the keyboard to do one simple task then fold it away again after to resume "tablet" type operation.
You usually do not have to use an extra keyboard at all, the onscreen one is fine. Yes it's limited like other tablets, but at least it has a flash player to fall back on if there is no HTML5 playback.
You will also not have the irritation of using a tablet and then have to unfold the keyboard to do one simple task then fold it away again after to resume "tablet" type operation.
The keyboard is never required, it's always optional. One can always use the onscreen keyboard like on any other tablet. You can also keep it on there permanently like the cover for any other tablet, just fold it over the other side when using the tablet.
The keyboard is never required, it's always optional. One can always use the onscreen keyboard like on any other tablet. You can also keep it on there permanently like the cover for any other tablet, just fold it over the other side when using the tablet.
The keyboard is required because some times you need functions only available using the mouse. The on screen keyboard doesn't enable you to hover the mouse over an area to get a tool tip, to drag and drop or right click on something. That's when you need to unfold the keyboard for one small thing, then fold out away again to continue.
The keyboard is required because some times you need functions only available using the mouse. The on screen keyboard doesn't enable you to hover the mouse over an area to get a tool tip, to drag and drop or right click on something. That's when you need to unfold the keyboard for one small thing, then fold out away again to continue.
That's only required when using the desktop, which you're only really going to do for Office.
When you are doing these types of activities, you are probably going to be sitting down at a desk and using it laptop-style.
As I mentioned, the keyboard cover can be permanently attached and you just fold it the other way when using the tablet. Given that you have to open a laptop and use it in a fixed form with the screen open at roughly 100 degrees from the keyboard, any complaint about 'needing' the keyboard cover on what is primarily a tablet device is a bit ridiculous.
That's only required when using the desktop, which you're only really going to do for Office.
When you are doing these types of activities, you are probably going to be sitting down at a desk and using it laptop-style.
As I mentioned, the keyboard cover can be permanently attached and you just fold it the other way when using the tablet. Given that you have to open a laptop and use it in a fixed form with the screen open at roughly 100 degrees from the keyboard, any complaint about 'needing' the keyboard cover on what is primarily a tablet device is a bit ridiculous.
Not only for the desktop, but certain Web applications too (and with the shortage of apps, I find myself using Web applications a lot more than I do on my smartphone).
It isn't a ridiculous complaint, it is annoying that a tablet can't be used as a tablet because some times you need a mouse. It's a poorly thought through concept.
Not only for the desktop, but certain Web applications too (and with the shortage of apps, I find myself using Web applications a lot more than I do on my smartphone).
It isn't a ridiculous complaint, it is annoying that a tablet can't be used as a tablet because some times you need a mouse. It's a poorly thought through concept.
You can't do those things on any other tablet either.
I think the frustration issue that the desktop mode is more or less unusable without a keyboard and the fact the the screen on the RT is very poor compared to other similar priced tablets is one of the reason the return rates are so high and sales so poor for this device.
When you see the screen next to a surface pro and certainly an iPad screen the difference is night and day
I recall from Amazon reviews the screen was well liked, much better than when they restricted netbooks good and proper.
A major complaint at Amazon is being forced into using IE, restrictions on this being even worse than IOS !
It's quite low resolution though for todays standards, when you look at it instore and compare it to the surface pro and iPad you see a big difference, unless you havn't the eyesight to tell.
The screen is the same resolution as most bigger laptops.
Not everyone needs eye candy.
Seems the low 100,000 per month worldwide sales has inspired MS to offer RT to education.
That might just work considering MS Word training is sometimes as good as it gets there.
I think the frustration issue that the desktop mode is more or less unusable without a keyboard
But I don't really see why one would want to use the desktop mode without the keyboard/trackpad.
For the screen - it's better than a Macbook Air 11-inch screen. (One can easily cherrypick comparisons).
Microsoft also has the ClearType sub-pixel technology to improve readability of text which helps things a lot.
Yes, it doesn't have an amazing high resolution like the iPad or Nexus 10. But it does compare favourably to the average £400 laptop especially with things like the optical bonding of the display. It certainly does far better than the iPad2 which also has 768 lines of resolution.
Certainly when I looked at it, I found it quite satisfactory. The Surface Pro screen I thought was stunning, especially when I saw a Full HD demo video on it.
A major complaint at Amazon is being forced into using IE, restrictions on this being even worse than IOS !
Only restriction is that there's no other browser yet. And IE isn't that bad. I personally prefer MS products to Google any day. As for the screen, it's very good, pro's is excellent.
You can't do those things on any other tablet either.
The iPad has mouseover. Of sorts. Touch once to trigger mouseover event, web page responds as if mouseover received, touch again to go to underlying link.
Not 100% perfect, but not bad for a tab with no mouse support.
That's simply the name for a touch event.
It was always logical to reuse mouse names for touchscreens but obviously it is easy to add a mouse to a jailbreak iPad.
I found a mouse just worked with Android, though the pointer was hard to see.
I don't know - all I know is that my other tab, a Playbook, ignores the mouseover property of web pages, which makes those with mouseover drop down menus unusable, the playbook will pretty much take me straight to the link on the top level of the menu. For example, 3D printers Shapeways.com works perfectly on iPad, not so much on Playbook. I don't know about android tabs or WinRT tabs (in tablet mode).
And, yes, I've used a BT keyboard and mouse combo on my [Android] phone hooked up to a Dell monitor via HDMI/DVI and it made a serviceable Google Docs platform, which is pretty cool, for a phone.
I can use a touchpad on Surface keyboard if necessary, but otherwise there's no mouseover with touch. Taping mouseover menus takes you to the link behind it.
It's a shame Apple disallowed the pairing of a BT mouse and hence a pointer on screen, because as much as I love my iPad, using a physical keyboard coupled with only the touchscreen for navigation leaves me cold.
From the little time I've played with a Surface RT, there's obviously a benefit with the touch keyboard and touchpad (surprisingly effective) in some circumstances, it seems there is too much reliance on this configuration in tablet Windows case. That said, I can see how that might be preferable for some.
The screen is the same resolution as most bigger laptops.
Not everyone needs eye candy.
Seems the low 100,000 per month worldwide sales has inspired MS to offer RT to education.
That might just work considering MS Word training is sometimes as good as it gets there.
I can only assume they are selling them at far below retail price for the education market, otherwise schools would be far better off with a normal desktop/laptop.
I guess this might be one market where a locked-down system has advantages, but even then I'm sure there are lots of specific education applications that schools would like to run.
It's quite low resolution though for todays standards, when you look at it instore and compare it to the surface pro and iPad you see a big difference, unless you havn't the eyesight to tell.
Please get this clear, Surface RT and Surface Pro are completely different. The Pro has a 1920x1080 screen so it would compare favourably to an iPad3/4! The RT doesn't, as it's just 1366x768!
Please get this clear, Surface RT and Surface Pro are completely different. The Pro has a 1920x1080 screen so it would compare favourably to an iPad3/4! The RT doesn't, as it's just 1366x768!
Yes I was comparing the display of the rt which is bad by today's standards to the pro or iPad4 ( The clue is in the thread title )?
If you look at an rt next to a pro in John Lewis the difference is night and day, unless you haven't got very good eyesight.
But the rt is iPad money so I think it should be competing with the iPad on display resolution
I guess this might be one market where a locked-down system has advantages
Yes, a bit like the work place, though an unlock mode like we have in XP is usually better.
IT support costs, so the smaller eduaction establishments might just see some attraction.
Personally, I found those teaching Microsoft Office did so because of their own teaching limitiations.
Students would really be better equipped going generic and being encouraged to understand so as to adapt to a changing future.
Comments
Don't really know tbh probably a laptop ideally a 2nd hand one or one I can use windows 7 ? Possibly but not really thought of it
The RT falls between being a tablet and a laptop and fails at both. For the same money you can get a very competent laptop. It may not have the light weight or long battery of the RT, but at least you will be able to instal almost unlimited variety of applications and have a lot more ports.
You will also not have the irritation of using a tablet and then have to unfold the keyboard to do one simple task then fold it away again after to resume "tablet" type operation.
The keyboard is never required, it's always optional. One can always use the onscreen keyboard like on any other tablet. You can also keep it on there permanently like the cover for any other tablet, just fold it over the other side when using the tablet.
The keyboard is required because some times you need functions only available using the mouse. The on screen keyboard doesn't enable you to hover the mouse over an area to get a tool tip, to drag and drop or right click on something. That's when you need to unfold the keyboard for one small thing, then fold out away again to continue.
That's only required when using the desktop, which you're only really going to do for Office.
When you are doing these types of activities, you are probably going to be sitting down at a desk and using it laptop-style.
As I mentioned, the keyboard cover can be permanently attached and you just fold it the other way when using the tablet. Given that you have to open a laptop and use it in a fixed form with the screen open at roughly 100 degrees from the keyboard, any complaint about 'needing' the keyboard cover on what is primarily a tablet device is a bit ridiculous.
Not only for the desktop, but certain Web applications too (and with the shortage of apps, I find myself using Web applications a lot more than I do on my smartphone).
It isn't a ridiculous complaint, it is annoying that a tablet can't be used as a tablet because some times you need a mouse. It's a poorly thought through concept.
You can't do those things on any other tablet either.
When you see the screen next to a surface pro and certainly an iPad screen the difference is night and day
A major complaint at Amazon is being forced into using IE, restrictions on this being even worse than IOS !
It's quite low resolution though for todays standards, when you look at it instore and compare it to the surface pro and iPad you see a big difference, unless you havn't the eyesight to tell.
Not everyone needs eye candy.
Seems the low 100,000 per month worldwide sales has inspired MS to offer RT to education.
That might just work considering MS Word training is sometimes as good as it gets there.
But I don't really see why one would want to use the desktop mode without the keyboard/trackpad.
For the screen - it's better than a Macbook Air 11-inch screen. (One can easily cherrypick comparisons).
Microsoft also has the ClearType sub-pixel technology to improve readability of text which helps things a lot.
Yes, it doesn't have an amazing high resolution like the iPad or Nexus 10. But it does compare favourably to the average £400 laptop especially with things like the optical bonding of the display. It certainly does far better than the iPad2 which also has 768 lines of resolution.
Certainly when I looked at it, I found it quite satisfactory. The Surface Pro screen I thought was stunning, especially when I saw a Full HD demo video on it.
Only restriction is that there's no other browser yet. And IE isn't that bad. I personally prefer MS products to Google any day. As for the screen, it's very good, pro's is excellent.
The iPad has mouseover. Of sorts. Touch once to trigger mouseover event, web page responds as if mouseover received, touch again to go to underlying link.
Not 100% perfect, but not bad for a tab with no mouse support.
It was always logical to reuse mouse names for touchscreens but obviously it is easy to add a mouse to a jailbreak iPad.
I found a mouse just worked with Android, though the pointer was hard to see.
And, yes, I've used a BT keyboard and mouse combo on my [Android] phone hooked up to a Dell monitor via HDMI/DVI and it made a serviceable Google Docs platform, which is pretty cool, for a phone.
From the little time I've played with a Surface RT, there's obviously a benefit with the touch keyboard and touchpad (surprisingly effective) in some circumstances, it seems there is too much reliance on this configuration in tablet Windows case. That said, I can see how that might be preferable for some.
I can only assume they are selling them at far below retail price for the education market, otherwise schools would be far better off with a normal desktop/laptop.
I guess this might be one market where a locked-down system has advantages, but even then I'm sure there are lots of specific education applications that schools would like to run.
Yes I was comparing the display of the rt which is bad by today's standards to the pro or iPad4 ( The clue is in the thread title )?
If you look at an rt next to a pro in John Lewis the difference is night and day, unless you haven't got very good eyesight.
But the rt is iPad money so I think it should be competing with the iPad on display resolution
IT support costs, so the smaller eduaction establishments might just see some attraction.
Personally, I found those teaching Microsoft Office did so because of their own teaching limitiations.
Students would really be better equipped going generic and being encouraged to understand so as to adapt to a changing future.