Now isn't the time to buy Microsoft's Surface for Windows 8
November 03, 2012 The Surface with Windows RT well designed, sturdily constructed, and has a lot going for it, including its ability to run Microsoft Office, connect to thousands of USB peripherals like printers and mice, interact with your Xbox 360 using the SmartGlass app, and work with Microsoft's unique keyboard covers (including the flat, yet actually usable, Touch Cover). However, it has almost as many failings, starting with the fact that very few apps are currently available for Windows RT (which can't run standard Windows applications). Those apps RT does have sometimes behave in odd, inconsistent ways (Office, for example, drops out of RT's touch-friendly user interface and into the "classic" Windows desktop). Its display is disappointing, especially in comparison to the iPad's Retina display, but also when compared to some similarly priced Android tablets, such as the Asus Transformer Pad Infinity. Its two cameras are also weak, even by tablet standards. As either a tablet or a replacement for a basic laptop, the Surface is also expensive, selling for a minimum of $599 with the Touch Cover. The Windows RT ecosystem is likely to grow, and Microsoft seems committed to its radical reinvention of both the computer and its operating systems. For now, however, if you live in Microsoft Office, you're likely to be better served by a laptop running Windows 8. If you don't, and you're just looking for a solid tablet with many great touch-optimized apps, get an iPad -- or at least for more apps to make their way to Windows RT and the inevitable Surface 2