Microsoft Surface RT: True Love or a Passing Fling?
For a few minutes in mid-December I found myself wanting a Microsoft Surface RT and finally understanding Microsoft‘s (NASDAQ:MSFT) seemingly unfocused strategy around consumer sales vs. business sales. I happened by the Microsoft Surface store in Manhattan and got to play with one of the devices last month. But was it true love or just a passing fling? Did I end up getting seduced by shiny new tech? Here’s what’s appealing about the devices and what Microsoft needs to do to gain some serious traction for Surface in the market.
First of all, if you’ve spent your career working on Windows machines, Surface just feels right. It gives you many of the benefits of working on your Windows laptop or desktop machine, most importantly access to all your native Microsoft Office applications including Word, Excel and PowerPoint. While storage on its internal solid state drive is limited to 32 GB or 64 GB, you can configure your profile to store most documents up on your Microsoft SkyDrive.
Sweet Ultrabook-Type Device
And, to state the obvious, Surface is a tablet offering all the benefits that tablets offer — portability and ease of use. Plus, add one of Microsoft’s add-on keyboards (which magnetically clicks itself into place in a satisfying Apple-like way) and you’ve got a sweet little ultrabook-type device. For people like me who spend a lot of time typing rather than just reading and/or reviewing, a keyboard remains an essential tool. (Do you have any clients that fit that profile?) This was where Surface was reeling me in. Could I have a tablet, a speedy ultrabook and all my Office productivity applications in a single package? Because I do love all my lightweight portable devices, but sadly I find myself carting at least three of them around on any given day. Could I cut that down to two or even one?
I was really curious about the load time and the response time. In my experience, Windows’ boot time has been its downfall in the age of smartphones and tablets. Sadly, Surface seemed to honor this Windows tradition. I was disappointed that I still perceived a lag time. Now, I’ll qualify that statement saying that this is just my subjective, non-scientific and non-timed perspective coming from 20 minutes at the Surface store. But it wasn’t as fast as I’d hoped, even though it was brand new and a demo version. It did not feel instant, ever.
A Dealbreaker?
But the biggest downside for me with Microsoft Surface RT was that it didn’t include an Outlook client. I’ve actively sought an email/calendar/contact alternative and none of them have packed the functional power of Outlook. For business purposes, this remains my client of choice, regardless of platform. (Maybe you have suggestions about something you like better?). For this reason alone, Surface RT could never replace my small laptops. That killed the deal for me.
Microsoft representatives at the store said the ARM-based processor in the Surface RT tablet (and Windows RT operating system) can’t handle Outlook and that is why it is not included on RT.
Surface Pro Pricing, Another Deal Killer?
Now Microsoft Surface Pro which is expected to be released this month is backed by Windows 8 and an Intel x86 processor will include the Outlook client. But there’s a big price difference. Surface RT starts at $499. Surface Pro starts at $899. That’s a $400 difference — close to double the price. That $899 price is also a deal killer for me right now. Microsoft has lost this particular consumer sale.
Interestingly, Forrester data recently found that consumers showed more interest in Windows 8-based touchscreen tablets than IT departments showed in Windows 8. Of end-user employees 20 percent wanted Windows 8 on their next touchscreen tablet (the OS behind Surface) compared to 26 percent who wanted iOS (the OS behind Apple iPad). Microsoft may be right in focusing on consumer sales and retail stores to sell Surface. But if it hopes to court consumers on Surface Pro, Microsoft needs to look at dropping that $899 price.
Meanwhile, Microsoft should also be courting MSPs and its other channel partners and helping them to help their customers understand the ROI of standardizing on a device that has native Office integration as well as laptop replacement potential. Sure, plenty of organizations have standardized on iPad already, or are talking about standardizing on Apple’s tablet. That doesn’t mean the whole war is over. (And don’t forget the arguments that are being made about how CIOs will take back control of mobile devices, ending this BYOD chaos. Wouldn’t things be easier if those devices were Windows-based?)
Of course, if Microsoft releases its Office productivity suite on iOS / iPad, that could change everything.
“Now Microsoft Surface Pro which is expected to be released this month is backed by Windows 8 and an Intel x86 processor will include the Outlook client.”
To clarify to your readers, the Surface Pro won't include office(Outlook). It will include the Microsoft Mail app though. You will need to purchase Office in addition to the Surface Pro. That brings the price even higher…people will be pushing $1500 at the end of the day to get the Surface Pro, the keyboard and the Office Suite. You could just purchase Outlook I suppose and use SkyDrive for all document editing.
Better yet, you can just take your existing Outlook/Office 2007 or 2010 license and install on the Surface Pro for free. There is no need to purchase new license.
Also for storage on the Surface Pro there is an SDXC slot which bumps the local storage, when not connected to SkyDrive.
Jessica writes that boot time is an issue, really is that what you have! How many times do you actually boot a tablet or laptop? My Playbook get's restarted maybe once a month, my laptop get's restarted maybe every two or three weeks.
I am guessing there's a large learning curve the author has yet to overcome. Take the review for what it's worth, not much.
Thanks for the clarification, Jason. And JoeG, as I mentioned, this was not meant to be a review at all. We don't do reviews here. Just my own recounting of my own entirely subjective and non-scientific experience of playing with a device at the store. But I appreciate your input which is always welcome here.
If you believe in the consumerization of IT, it makes sense for M$ to target consumers. They fall in love with a devices and assuming it meets their needs, they bring it into work and use it for work and pleasure. BYOD is a huge enabler of the consumerization of IT, where IT is forced to deliver enterprise resources to ANY device they can reasonably deliver to and secure data on.
The $1500 is not 100% true either. There is no reason if you dont already have a key for office/outlook that you could not just install that on the Surface meaning if you were looking to use it as a laptop replacement and already had office there would be no extra cost. Now the one that gets me is the fact that MS is showing this off as a laptop replacement yet wont bundle the keyboard with it.
I agree with Jessica that it's just not that great. The screen is nice. The MS Apps are nice. Regarding the Pro and Office licensing – I find that lots of my customers are running OEM/PKC or otherwise non-transferable, single use licensing. Especially home users with BYOD.
One thing I notice that I haven't seen mentioned is the Power Brick. This is a proprietary connector NOT USB or even converted USB like the iPad. This means you have to carry a charger that doesn't charge anything else. Also during my brief time with mine I've had a crash that left it playing some crazy tone over and over – while watching a web video, used it for an hour then let it sit for the rest of the day to find the battery dead. I think it just doesn't have the polish of the iPad.
At DriveHQ, I develop software for Windows 8, and I like Microsoft Surface RT much better than iPad or Android based tablets. It is both a tablet and a laptop. With our WebDAV Drive Mapping app, you can get another Z: drive, which you can access from anywhere. (Even on iPad or Android)
Nice catch on the power supply, Lorentz Hinrichsen. I hadn't noticed that, and it would drive me crazy.
That said, just yesterday I spoke with a non-techie friend, now an ex-BlackBerry user who was very happy with the two-for-one deal on Windows phones that she and her husband got. If MS can win over the ex-BB users that would be a start.
@Lorentze-The power cord for the Surface RT has been well documented everywhere on the net. As explained on other sites MS could have easily went USB but decided on the unit as sold. Ever notice how fast your Surface charges? For those who don't know it's very fast. Much faster then any current USB spec.
Indeed. It takes only 2 hours to recharge the battery from empty to full; then it lasts you all day. Battery is barely touched in Standby (one of the strenghts of a Tegra 3 chip). With casual use I even go two days between charges.
The iPad, by the way, also needs its own charger –a standard 5V, 0.5A USB charger (even with a proprietary iPad connector) does not have the required capacity. It takes six hours to charge from empty to full.
I ran into a few people at Tech Data TDCloud Partner Summit with Surface Windows RT tablets this week. Their feedback: It's OK. Not great. Not bad. I think that's actually a decent statement. Surely, Windows Pro on Surface will be an improvement. Curious to see what Microsoft does to get kids in schools using touch… …
-jp
The Surface Pro charger comes with a full-on USB device charger in the power brick itself, specially so you can keep your phone or other devices topped up. That's a really cool trick that no other devices can do.
All this stuff about comparing the Surface (RT or Pro) to the iPad misses the point completely: iPad is a toy compared to the Surface and if you haven't tried both for an appreciable period of time, you aren't qualified to post an opinion. Working with my RT for several months has proven to me that the Pro gets here I can get one as my main work machine and retire my laptop without any worries. I gave my iPad to my partner, but she keeps grabbing the RT whenever she can, so I know it's not just me.
The suggestion that you can put Outlook 2007/2010 onto the Pro is workable, but having used the 2013 version for long enough, it would drive me mad not to be able to touch the screen as well, to get what I want done. The mouse, keyboard, touch combo makes everything else feel lame. Sitting at a conventional laptop these days feels like I've had a limb cut off – it really is that compelling. Finally, the lack of Outlook is a slight annoyance in the beginning, I'll agree, but it's not *that* bad. I have several mail accounts all working fine on the RT. After a few weeks, it became so jarring switching between Outlook on my laptop and Mail/Calendar on the RT that, get this, I upgraded to Windows 8 on the laptop, stopped using Outlook and switched to Windows Mail/calendar. It works. You just need to get out of your comfort zone for a few days is all.
Update on my previous post. I'm well aware that Office 2007/2010 can be driven by touch as well as mouse and keyboard, it's just that 2013 is [designed] for touch and the difference is very noticeable.
I thought Jessica did a great job with the article. Windows 8 really needs to be used with a device that supports touch. Sure, it works fine on non-touch devices but the experience is not positive when you compare it to using Win 8 on a touch device. Like others, I don't like the built in Mail app. It needs lots of work and feels more like an Alpha product to me. Not being able to add a POP account is a classic example of a feature that should have been baked in from the very beginning.
While I do like my Surface RT the lack of an Outlook client makes it as valuable as my iPad. E-mail is a key application I use day to day so I find that I don't use my RT device much. I REALLY want to use a Surface Pro as my main machine but the lack of a docking station is stopping me in my tracks.