Microsoft recently opened up it’s Surface RT tablets for preorders, to be delivered by October 26. The RT has basically the lite version of Windows 8, with no ability to run desktop programs. Powered by Nvidia Tegra3 quad-core processor, and 2GB memory, it has good specifications, if it was an android tablet.
However, it runs a version of Windows. And for a limited version, you will pay quite a bit of money. 32GB, without a cover, is $499. Add a touch cover, which you can type on, and it adds $100 to the price, up to $599. Then if you go for the 64GB, touch cover model, you pay $699. That is not very cost-competitive for a tablet, unless you are comparing it to an iPad. And the Surface has a long way to go, to show that it should be compared to Apple’s tablets.
The Acer Iconia W510 tablet will shortly be available, which will be, in my opinion, a much better tablet for the money. Pricing is expected to be $599 for the 64GB version. This tablet, however, will be running a full version of Windows 8, with it’s Atom dual-core processor. The screen will be slightly smaller than the Surface, 10.1″ versus 10.6″. Plus, the Acer comes with a mini-HDMI port built in, while the Surface requires you to buy an adapter to output HDMI. Unless the Surface RT has some surprises in store-ability to dual boot to android would be excellent, but unlikely- it probably isn’t going to wow many people. And the pricing for this tablet makes you wonder, just how much is Microsoft going to charge for the Pro version, running full Windows 8 and sporting an Atom processor? Hard to imagine it will be affordable to the average consumer.