Anyone have a Surface RT?

I was just wondering if anyone here has a Microsoft Surface RT tablet. I really, really like the look of the Surface and I do actually enjoy using Windows 8. I like the colorful, clip on keyboards and especially like the live tiles of Windows 8 (or Windows 8 RT in this case). However most reviews seem to trash the Surface RT. They (by they I mean a wide variety of reputable sources from various tech blogs to the New York Times) say it tries too hard to be both a tablet and a PC and does neither half as well as it should. They say the desktop mode is a complete and utter disaster, and of course the Windows (app) Store is a barren wasteland compared to the Apple and Android app stores.

I'm a huge Apple fan who uses a MacBook and iPhone and loves both. I also love the iPad. So my thought is I should get either an iPad 2, or 32gb iPad Retina.. They're tried and tested and will certainly appeal to someone already invested in the Apple ecosystem, not to mention the app store features 300,000+ apps...

Any thoughts? I have no desire to get an Android tablet...I simply don't like the Android experience or Samsung hardware.

If I do go with the iPad, should I save $200 and get the iPad 2 (only comes in 16gb) or go for the 32gb Retina iPad ($599, but has double the screen resolution, a faster processor and of course double the storage).

Thanks!

I was using an iPod touch for years and then bought Windows Phone 7. A year later, while it is not a bad phone, I regret that decision. Even if I forget about MS completly leaving us "eay adopters" behind, the main reason of the suck-iness is the, as you yorself mentioned, appstore. There as well might be none. You allready have an Apple device so in your place I would only consider switching to Windows if the device would be really great. It is not. Don't do it.

@Quipido said:

I was using an iPod touch for years and then bought Windows Phone 7. A year later, while it is not a bad phone, I regret that decision. Even if I forget about MS completly leaving us "eay adopters" behind, the main reason of the suck-iness is the, as you yorself mentioned, appstore. There as well might be none. You allready have an Apple device so in your place I would only consider switching to Windows if the device would be really great. It is not. Don't do it.

Sounds good. iPad 2 or iPad Retina...that's the question it seems...haha

If you have the cash, get the iPad Retina.

Being able to only run MS-approved apps is enough for me to avoid the Surface tablet. Go with iPad and never look back.

iPad or Android, if you choose a Surface over an Android or iPad you are nuts.

and the Android experience is great, the OS itself is better than iOS, however, iOS has undoubtedly a far superior tablet app market which means I don't recommend Android tablets, they're good for the $200 range but $350+ just no.

The only Surface worth looking at is the Surface Pro or the Lenovo Helix, they look pretty sweet because they run "real" Windows 8 meaning you can use any Windows application on them, unlike the standard Surface which runs Windows RT.

@jdh5153 said:

@Quipido said:

I was using an iPod touch for years and then bought Windows Phone 7. A year later, while it is not a bad phone, I regret that decision. Even if I forget about MS completly leaving us "eay adopters" behind, the main reason of the suck-iness is the, as you yorself mentioned, appstore. There as well might be none. You allready have an Apple device so in your place I would only consider switching to Windows if the device would be really great. It is not. Don't do it.

Sounds good. iPad 2 or iPad Retina...that's the question it seems...haha

iPad 3 or 4, don't buy a 1024x768 tablet in 2013.

You could probably save a bit of money buying a 3 second hand, but eh, it's probably not worth it, you might as well get the 4 even though the 3 and 4 are pretty much identical experiences.

I'd personally say writing off the Nexus devices is a mistake, but if you're already in the Apple ecosystem then that's fair enough.

I would recommend getting the latest version possible- all iPad accessories moving forward will be using the new cable interface and there's nothing worse than feeling left behind on the day of purchase.

@Sooty said:

iPad or Android, if you choose a Surface over an Android or iPad you are nuts.

and the Android experience is great, the OS itself is better than iOS, however, iOS has undoubtedly a far superior tablet app market which means I don't recommend Android tablets, they're good for the $200 range but $350+ just no.

The only Surface worth looking at is the Surface Pro or the Lenovo Helix, they look pretty sweet because they run "real" Windows 8 meaning you can use any Windows application on them, unlike the standard Surface which runs Windows RT.

@jdh5153 said:

@Quipido said:

I was using an iPod touch for years and then bought Windows Phone 7. A year later, while it is not a bad phone, I regret that decision. Even if I forget about MS completly leaving us "eay adopters" behind, the main reason of the suck-iness is the, as you yorself mentioned, appstore. There as well might be none. You allready have an Apple device so in your place I would only consider switching to Windows if the device would be really great. It is not. Don't do it.

Sounds good. iPad 2 or iPad Retina...that's the question it seems...haha

iPad 3 or 4, don't buy a 1024x768 tablet in 2013.

You could probably save a bit of money buying a 3 second hand, but eh, it's probably not worth it, you might as well get the 4 even though the 3 and 4 are pretty much identical experiences.

Well they have a 32gb refurbished iPad 3 for $469, or a new iPad 4 (32gb) for $599. Would having the A5X processor in the 3 over the A6X in the 4 make much of a difference? Will I miss out on future apps if I go with the 3 over the 4?

Lastly, will I really need 32gb? I'm kind of split right now. My phone is 16gb and I fill it all the time with music to the point where I have to start deleting apps. I figure I'll use a lot of streaming services on the iPad, and only occasionally put music and movies on it, but will 16gb be enough to have a good many apps?

@Sooty said:

iPad or Android, if you choose a Surface over an Android or iPad you are nuts.

and the Android experience is great, the OS itself is better than iOS, however, iOS has undoubtedly a far superior tablet app market which means I don't recommend Android tablets, they're good for the $200 range but $350+ just no.

The only Surface worth looking at is the Surface Pro or the Lenovo Helix, they look pretty sweet because they run "real" Windows 8 meaning you can use any Windows application on them, unlike the standard Surface which runs Windows RT.

@jdh5153 said:

@Quipido said:

I was using an iPod touch for years and then bought Windows Phone 7. A year later, while it is not a bad phone, I regret that decision. Even if I forget about MS completly leaving us "eay adopters" behind, the main reason of the suck-iness is the, as you yorself mentioned, appstore. There as well might be none. You allready have an Apple device so in your place I would only consider switching to Windows if the device would be really great. It is not. Don't do it.

Sounds good. iPad 2 or iPad Retina...that's the question it seems...haha

iPad 3 or 4, don't buy a 1024x768 tablet in 2013.

You could probably save a bit of money buying a 3 second hand, but eh, it's probably not worth it, you might as well get the 4 even though the 3 and 4 are pretty much identical experiences.

Well they have a 32gb refurbished iPad 3 for $469, or a new iPad 4 (32gb) for $599. Would having the A5X processor in the 3 over the A6X in the 4 make much of a difference? Will I miss out on future apps if I go with the 3 over the 4?

Lastly, will I really need 32gb? I'm kind of split right now. My phone is 16gb and I fill it all the time with music to the point where I have to start deleting apps. I figure I'll use a lot of streaming services on the iPad, and only occasionally put music and movies on it, but will 16gb be enough to have a good many apps?

@jdh5153 said:

@Sooty said:

iPad or Android, if you choose a Surface over an Android or iPad you are nuts.

and the Android experience is great, the OS itself is better than iOS, however, iOS has undoubtedly a far superior tablet app market which means I don't recommend Android tablets, they're good for the $200 range but $350+ just no.

The only Surface worth looking at is the Surface Pro or the Lenovo Helix, they look pretty sweet because they run "real" Windows 8 meaning you can use any Windows application on them, unlike the standard Surface which runs Windows RT.

@jdh5153 said:

@Quipido said:

I was using an iPod touch for years and then bought Windows Phone 7. A year later, while it is not a bad phone, I regret that decision. Even if I forget about MS completly leaving us "eay adopters" behind, the main reason of the suck-iness is the, as you yorself mentioned, appstore. There as well might be none. You allready have an Apple device so in your place I would only consider switching to Windows if the device would be really great. It is not. Don't do it.

Sounds good. iPad 2 or iPad Retina...that's the question it seems...haha

iPad 3 or 4, don't buy a 1024x768 tablet in 2013.

You could probably save a bit of money buying a 3 second hand, but eh, it's probably not worth it, you might as well get the 4 even though the 3 and 4 are pretty much identical experiences.

Well they have a 32gb refurbished iPad 3 for $469, or a new iPad 4 (32gb) for $599. Would having the A5X processor in the 3 over the A6X in the 4 make much of a difference? Will I miss out on future apps if I go with the 3 over the 4?

Lastly, will I really need 32gb? I'm kind of split right now. My phone is 16gb and I fill it all the time with music to the point where I have to start deleting apps. I figure I'll use a lot of streaming services on the iPad, and only occasionally put music and movies on it, but will 16gb be enough to have a good many apps?

You won't miss out on future apps (the first gen iPad is still supported by most) and the difference in power is pretty much obsolete for general use, games load slightly faster.

It depends how much you plan to play games. I have a 32GB but tbh I'm sitting with 20GB free space, I only almost filled it up when I packed it full of TV shows for a flight. (I have like 10 games on here too, including Infinity Edge II which is a gig)

If the money is important to you, and almost $150 is quite a lot, then it's probably not really worth paying more. Just get the retina something, that screen is worth the money, marginal spec bumps not so much.

Why not an iPad Mini? I personally much prefer that size for a tablet. You can actually hold it with one hand. Imagine that!

I was going to buy one but i choose a Lumia 920 which was also $500. Have yet to try 1 out but i would not buy a tablet besides the ipad (and this coming from a dude who uses only MS services(Live,outlook,skydrive, ect)

@DaMisterChief said:

I was going to buy one but i choose a Lumia 920 which was also $500. Have yet to try 1 out but i would not buy a tablet besides the ipad (and this coming from a dude who uses only MS services(Live,outlook,skydrive, ect)

man I got a Lumia 920 also on its day, and date...love the thing. Later this year I am planing on getting a surface pro. I have yet to need an app that I can't find an alternative on wp8. I love how people hang on to the amount of "apps" on Itunes when 98% of them are just glorified links that don't do any thing that a web browser could do. As for the OP, it seems that you asked what seems to be a rhetorical question to what you want. You say you like the windows 8 os then point out places that dislike the surface rt (and pretty much say how you are not going to get one because of magazines and blogs?). Then at the end you say should I get the ipad or ipad 2. I feel baited into reading crap about apple :P

Coming from someone who is dying waiting for the Surface Pro and an avid fan of Windows Phone... don't go anywhere near the RT. But I would also suggest to not go anywhere near the iPad. They're both such simple and useless devices made for media consumption. I'm confused though... why get an iPad if you already have an iPhone and Macbook? an iPad is literally just a larger iPhone and you'll find it limiting because you'll want to do things that your Macbook can do, but it simply can't. I have an Apple crazed friend who has that combo and she says that her iPad sits on her desk all the time because the Macbook and iPhone combo does all and more that an iPad can. It's just a waste of money and somehow Apple is getting away with making people think this device is "needed" and unique.

But if it comes down to it, of the two, I would have to lean towards the RT for you, for three reasons. 1 - Storage expansion that the iPad doesn't have. 2. USB that the iPad doesn't have. 3 - It is a different environment than iOS that you have in two other devices and thus will be more likely to offer you something new.

I would suggest saving more money up for a Pro, though. They're going to be the ultimate device, hands down.

@tescovee said:

@DaMisterChief said:

I love how people hang on to the amount of "apps" on Itunes when...

Why don't you marry it? :)

@jdh5153 said:

@Quipido said:

I was using an iPod touch for years and then bought Windows Phone 7. A year later, while it is not a bad phone, I regret that decision. Even if I forget about MS completly leaving us "eay adopters" behind, the main reason of the suck-iness is the, as you yorself mentioned, appstore. There as well might be none. You allready have an Apple device so in your place I would only consider switching to Windows if the device would be really great. It is not. Don't do it.

Sounds good. iPad 2 or iPad Retina...that's the question it seems...haha

Nexus 10.

The Surface Pro is out this Friday on....wait for it.....the 8th. Apparently if you've got a Best Buy around you can try one out before it officially goes on sale on that later date.

EDIT: I guess I was wrong. The "NYC Launch" is on February 8th. It goes for sale on the 9th.

http://news.cnet.com/8301-10805_3-57566804-75/surface-pro-to-launch-at-best-buy-in-nyc-on-february-8/

I have a Surface RT that I got for work. I can't recommend it. 
The form factor is fantastic, and the keyboard is pretty brilliant but the device itself is just too underpowered. 
 
I've found both the iPad and Surface to be pretty useless for anything but media consumption but if that's what you're looking for, the iPad, despite it's flaws has been the smoother experience for me.