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Surface RT Sucks

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Surface RT Sucks

from JoeUser Forums

I am sorry, there is no nice way to put it.  I have had the thing for 2 months now, and find about the only thing it is good for is playing movies.  It is not even good to surf the web as you cannot load Java!  I know MS hates that (preferring ActiveX), but unfortunately many sites use it.

I also cannot use Logmein, VPN, VMWare View, or even OWA!  There is no hard client for VPN, and since RT does not do Java, you cannot use the Anyconnect.  VMWare View has a client in the "store", but it does not work.  It connects, gives you an error and then disconnects.

OWA is supposed to be Outlook anywhere, but it still does not load the mail.  You can log in, and do nothing.  Logmein wants $30 for the client, which is stupid!  My wife has the Kindle fire HD and she can do Logmein for free!  Why?  Java again.

Then there are the old standbys for anyone who has to maintain a network.  Nope!  None work.  I tried the Jailbreak, but apparently MS has gotten wise to that one.  It BSODed me at first, and now just does not work.  SO I am stuck with a very expensive paperweight that I can play movies on.

Oh, the final insult is of course Windows 8.  It has no concept of "closing" a program, so start enough of them, and you zap the battery real fast.  Which kind of defeats the purpose of a tablet (at least one major part of it).

Since the RT does not do HD (yet), I see no reason to pay for an over priced, under performing, paperweight.  I can do a lot more with the Kindle Fire or any Android OS device, and they are not even Windows!

On a scale of 1 to 10, I give this one a 2.  It gets one point for coming bundled with MS Office - Student version of course, no Outlook.

 

surfacert msoffice
183,082 views 40 replies
Reply #26 from Elemental Forums Top

Android has some issues of its own (like only playing MP4s, not AVI or DIVX formats).


Are you sure about this? I'm fairly certain Android can play more than MP4s. This is the first video player that came up in a quick google search https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.freevideoplayer.cogsoul.full&hl=en


If anything, the issue would be finding the video player that works for you.


Reply #27 from JoeUser Forums Top

Quoting impinc, reply 26
Are you sure about this?

Only on the Kindle Fire (which uses a version of the Android OS).  I do not have another one.  Still, with Handbrake. that is really a non issue with me.  So you may be correct on the other Android tablets - I was just speaking of my own.

TouchTasks - Access tasks with ease on Windows touchscreens.
Reply #28 from JoeUser Forums Top

The MX media player for Android plays a lot of different formats. That's the one I use on my Nexus 7.  I agree about Handbrake making it a non-issue though, that's what I use as well.

Reply #29 from JoeUser Forums Top

And I notice that winter is over since you have shaved your beard!  Who needs Punxsutawney Phil? ;-)

Reply #30 from JoeUser Forums Top

LOL, yeah I shaved it when we set the clocks forward.

Reply #31 from Elemental Forums Top

I have to say, I'm getting pretty disappointed in Surface RT. 

I wrote up a fele project specs in word and found I couldn't email them (like I would from regular MS Word). There is no save and send.  No matter, I save the doc to skydive, open up IE and go to Gmail. When I go to attach, the file dialog has no SkyDrive support (like I would on a normal PC).  It's completely useless as a cloud device.

SkyDrive continues to be its Achilles heel. It needs some sort of local caching (to deal with recently modified files) and needs to be a lot more responsive. It's just not ready for prime time.  Love the hardware but the OS and apps are beta level still.

Reply #32 from Stardock Forums Top

Quoting Frogboy, reply 31

  It's just not ready for prime time.  Love the hardware but the OS and apps are beta level still.

http://www.tomshardware.com/news/ARM-Windows-RT-Windows-8-x64-Blue,21319.html

Even ARM agrees with that.

Frankly, I don't know why anyone would expect anything different considering the last time MS did anything with ARM was what twenty years ago?

I'd rather get a proper Temash win8 tablet...but my current plans include too much hardware purchasing this year between Kaveri and the PS4 so we'll see.

Reply #33 from JoeUser Forums Top

Quoting Frogboy, reply 31
Love the hardware but the OS and apps are beta level still.

That is succinctly my assessment as well.

Reply #34 from Elemental Forums Top

Quoting Savyg, reply 32


Quoting Frogboy, reply 31
  It's just not ready for prime time.  Love the hardware but the OS and apps are beta level still.

http://www.tomshardware.com/news/ARM-Windows-RT-Windows-8-x64-Blue,21319.html

Even ARM agrees with that.

Frankly, I don't know why anyone would expect anything different considering the last time MS did anything with ARM was what twenty years ago?

I'd rather get a proper Temash win8 tablet...but my current plans include too much hardware purchasing this year between Kaveri and the PS4 so we'll see.

Has nothing to do with ARM. Has to do with the complete inability of SkyDrive to act as a true cloud service and support streaming while at the same time failing to integrate into the file system.  Surface Pro won't sole that.

Before Microsoft decided it wanted to get into the mobile space, it probably should have thought about making SkyDrive actually function as a...sky...drive.

Reply #35 from Stardock Forums Top

Quoting Frogboy, reply 34

 Has nothing to do with ARM. Has to do with the complete inability of SkyDrive to act as a true cloud service and support streaming while at the same time failing to integrate into the file system.  Surface Pro won't sole that.

Before Microsoft decided it wanted to get into the mobile space, it probably should have thought about making SkyDrive actually function as a...sky...drive.

Still has a lot to do with it being their first gen of the platform though, IMO.  Blue might address some of but I'm not that interested in RT or Skydrive personally.

I'd get an 8 tablet once the choices have a product line in between 'crap' and 'high end.'

Reply #36 from WinCustomize Forums Top

All the new stuff coming out, OS's and hardware and new technologies, all are in its infancy so there's bound to be a whole lot of stuff it can or cannot do. Growing pains.

Reply #37 from JoeUser Forums Top

Quoting Uvah, reply 36
Growing pains.

True - the old adage of never buying 1.0 still applies.

Reply #38 from JoeUser Forums Top

Test Spoiler

 

 

Reply #39 from Stardock Forums Top

<span class='spoiler'>Did you notice the.?</span>

Reply #40 from Stardock Forums Top

Did you notice the M...?