Why I Chose the Surface RT

by Joshua Shapland

I wanted to take the time quickly to write about my decision to purchase a Surface RT back in August and some of the factors that let me to my decision.

Light Weight, Thin and Portable

I planned to use my Surface primarily to take to meetings for note taking among other things. Thus, I wanted something light and usable within a meeting without it being distracting. The Surface RT is 1.5 pounds, while not lighter than the iPad; it is a heck of a lot lighter than my 8-9 pound work issued laptop. The RT version is also considerably lighter than the pro version.

Long Battery Life

As some meetings and conferences last all day, I needed something that I could take around without having to lug around a charger. The first generation Surface Pro only has around 4 hours life so that wouldn't work (better now with Surface 2 Pro). I can use my Surface RT all day long and not need a charge; it's great!

Syncs with Everything

I have a laptop and a desktop both also running Windows 8.1. All of my settings, installed apps, tile arrangement and background is synced between all of the devices. This is just the start, my browsing history, saved bookmarks, passwords (if you want to) are also all synced. This is a great feature and really simplifies my life. All of the sync settings are configurable too; you can choose what to sync.

Built in RDP Support

RDP works the exact same way it works on the desktop. You can run MSTSC and connect to any PC or cloud VM. Also, Microsoft built a great Modern app in the Windows store called "Remote Desktop" it's a great app for managing remote connections. I intended to use this device as a true tablet and not a laptop replacement. If I'm not around my PC / laptop and need to do some heavy lifting, I can always fire up my VM hosted in Windows Azure and remote in from my Surface. It's great!

In Summary

The Surface RT has been a great addition to my device collection. I use it every day, and it was definitely worth the investment. If you have the ability to use a VM hosted in the cloud, it makes the device even more powerful. If you're a developer with an MSDN subscription, you should utilize your free Azure Credits to cover the cost of hosting the VM.