Microsoft Surface with Windows RT 64Gb Tablet

I got one of these wonderful little machines about 2 weeks ago now and have been really enjoying this amazing little tablet.Many people seem to criticise Windows RT sayings its rubbish in comparison to Windows 8 Pro. Well lets just put this into perspective shall we. RT is designed to work on the ARM chip set which is why its inherently different to the standard Windows 8 Pro which runs on the Intel chip set. This is why so called "normal" Windows software cannot be run on an RT tablet. Its a bit like saying "why can't I run Adobe Photoshop on my iPad? People really need to understand this before they go gung-hoe on RT.The other gripe I have with the Windows haters is "Apps", or the seeming lack of Apps in the MS shop. We all need to start somewhere and Apple and Google have had the head start. Something like 100,000 apps available on the iStore and Google Playstore in comparison to the MS store with a mere 30,000 or so apps at this moment in time. What people don't point out is that most of the apps on offer from Apple and Google is total rubbish. The same could already be said for the MS store too with its lesser volume of apps even. I have found many useful apps though in the MS store that have enhanced the RT experience. My only complaint would be that some of the apps are really quite expensive, that should be addressed and pricing should be brought inline with Apples and Googles app pricing.The other things that people constantly go on and on about are things like RT's Flash support is somewhat of a lie in that you can't watch Flash video on all sites. This is true to a certain extent. However, Flash Support is built in to RT, if that wasn't the case then you couldn't view any Flash content at all. The reason you can see Flash on YouTube or BBC News and yet not on some other website is simple. Windows have whats called a "Whitelist". This "Whitelist" contains a list of site the operating system (Windows RT in this case) considers as "Safe". If you have a site you regularly access and want to see Flash video then you simply need to add the website to the "Whitelist", its really that simple. Most solutions to these so called "problems" are......The beauty with the Surface RT is that its a true "tablet" that thinks its a PC and it really does deliver on its promise. For example, file management. I can manage my files just as I would on a normal PC running Windows, no problems with file types or folder structure. With Apple of course you have almost no freedom what so ever with respect to file management and as for Android, although it was a step in the right direction it was utterly confusing to work with. With RT you have a familiar environment to work in, in fact it's exactly the same as on any standard windows system. Its true you don't get the "Start Menu" but so what? Simply swiping from the top of you tablet gives you the option to see all you apps as well as being able to use system tools such as "Control Panel" and various other system functions you may need in order to set up the operating system as needed. I have found most of the system config programs such as the ones mentioned to look and feel the same in most ways to those on PC versions of Windows 7. Overall I find it to be very configurable, not really lacking anything the average windows user may need. I have even written little batch scripts in the cmd.exe window. Its got all that it needs if you ask me.The display is great too, with its 16.9 ratio which is perfect for films and video media. The display is crisp and smooth. Sound wise the speakers are not really very loud although the sound quality is really quite good but plug in the headphones and wow, really great sound reproduction. Its a pleasure to watch TV or films on. I have downloaded a few games and they seem to work well, again great visuals and sound just as any of the top tabs deliver. The live tiles environment is really good once you accept it. It does take a little longer to get used to using over say Apple or Googles interfaces but then its not so much a "toy" as a "tool", but once you've had a chance to play with the tiles a little you'll get the hang of things just fine. And of course you have the productive potential with the Office Applications that come installed such as Word and Excel which all work very well.The look and feel of the product is excellent too. Not heavy, Not battery hungry (amazing just how long it can last!), built in kick stand (so so useful), great touch keyboard that could take some getting used too, but I have to admit after the first time using it I got to grips with it quickly and found it to be great both for typing and the mouse pad. Thats another feature that I love is the fact that you can use any combination you wish to manipulate the system, keyboard, mouse and touchscreen, of witch the touchscreen is superb. Wireless works very well in my experience.USB port is amazingly useful and unlike with Android devices its works in truly plug and play fashion each and every time I plug any device into it, from my digital SLR to a USB hard drive. All works without a hitch. Surface RT will also support a USB hub allowing the user to plug in multiple USB devices at once, for example you could have a USB drive, a mouse and phone all plugged in and working together all at once just as you might on your normal home PC.All in all this is a wonderful, quality and truly usable tablet that offers something no other can, office and play at the same time, anywhere anytime.All the tablets on the market have something to offer, Apple giving you the general play and media approach, Android providing a kind of middle ground and windows offering you play but also productivity.Its really up to you what you buy but I would say give the Surface RT a fair look. It really is brilliant!!!!!

Very good but handbook needed to help the computer illiterate to work new systems and remember for future reference please

First of all, this is a really nice-looking and feeling bit of kit. However, the keyboard sold with the computer was hard to use (I made error after error and they didn't stop coming). So I had to buy the upgraded keyboard, which worked fine - but the price made my eyes water.Second, bluetooth pairing is eccentric to say the least. I bought a bluetooth mouse to save the USB port but although it paired, it won't stay paired. A hassle.It is now a joy to type on (just as well at the additional price!) and the battery life is amazing. A whole day no problems. HOWEVER if there is a 'hibernate' option I couldn't find it so it can run down unexpectedly.But why no 3G slot? It seems very strange to have a PC that depends 100% on cloud access and then not to give 3g connectivity (more on this below). And I find the WiFi connectivity - e.g. to my iPhone personal hotspot or even to a Vodafone hotspot - very poor. So I find myself frustrated and offline much more often than I'd have thought necessary (I work on the train all the time these days, worse luck!).Being able to run Word, Excel and PowerPoint is great. This is why I bought the Surface and they work just fine. However here come the problems, and they are big ones for a professional person.MS are not (not yet at least) allowing you to synch cloud storage with local storage on the device itself. For instance, the version of SkyDrive does not give the option of keeping files both in the Cloud or on the PC. Nor does the DropBox version available (or at least not the one that is yet available). This is a huge problem away from the office - and in any event, who wants to go to the online DropBox when it's so much easier to navigate through local files?Now the expansion SD slot is great - but what's the point if you can't store and synch your working files there? A real black spot.There is also no Outlook and the email programme sucks. Also unavailable for working when not accessing the cloud: you can't work offline.Now it may be that these problems are temporary - my PC guru (who had to reassure me that I was not being stupid with the above) tells me that one day DropBox will issue an app that synchs to the local drive and that when they do MicroSoft will have no option but to allow their SkyDrive also to synch. His view is that MS have not really got their heads around the reality of life in the UK away from the connected city. He also says that the eventual proper version of Office 2013 may address these issues. But these issues were not clear before buying (you look on the MS site and see who mentions them) and they seem perverse - why on earth would anyone hobble their product so that you can't use the excellent local storage.These turn a fantastic bit of kit into a bit of a problem. I bought early and would probably have been better to wait until MicroSoft came to their senses with a bit of market feedback. When they do, it will be really great.But I think that there must be someone really stubborn responsible for product policy at MicroSoft.In the meantime, I am sorry to say that I would wait or buy something else. You just need to be able to work when offline if you are a professional person.