The Microsoft Surface reviews are out. This is a monumental moment for Microsoft as the company is making a PC of its own for the first time in its decades of history.It needs the positive reviews to get the attention of people, so does it get them? Well, not exactly. Most reviewers agree that the Surface is likeable, but not all would recommend it and even those who do, do so with a couple of words of caution. Summing the Microsoft Surface all up in one phrase would be “it is different.”
Here is the feeling we got about the tablet from reading all sources with their different perspectives: from the businessy Wall Street Journal, the techy AnandTech, the fun and concise Gizmodo to the gadget lovers from TheVerge.
First, everyone admits that design is beautiful and build quality is extremely sturdy on the Microsoft Surface. Also, get the type cover. Both the touch and type covers snap quick and easy, but with the tactile keys on the type one you can reach almost your regular typing speed.
Hardware performance is mostly okay, not stellar. The screen is a mixed bag - good for watching movies, but not so good for reading. The cameras are crap, but they are there.
In software, Windows RT is misleading with its extremely limited destkop mode, Microsoft didn’t explain well what it really is. The Windows app store is a ghost town with no basic apps like Facebook or Twitter.
Finally, the Surface can’t replace your laptop but comes the closest from all tablets. It’s not all that comfortable for media consumption, but it’s great for typing and for Office guys. Hit the slideshow below for all the juicy details, spicy metaphors and more conclusions.
Microsoft Surface first reviews recap
1. TheVerge - 7.0 - Joshua Topolsky
"It's not really that comfortable to hold in landscape for extended periods, and in portrait it's laughably tall."
"Nearly every app I tried crashed completely at least once while I was testing the tablet, third and first-party."
"The whole thing is honestly perplexing. If this device is not as good as (or better than) the best tablet, and not a complete alternative to a laptop — who is this for? What is it supposed to be?"
"Nearly every app I tried crashed completely at least once while I was testing the tablet, third and first-party."
"The whole thing is honestly perplexing. If this device is not as good as (or better than) the best tablet, and not a complete alternative to a laptop — who is this for? What is it supposed to be?"
2. Wired - 8 - Matt Honan
“Nobody asked me about my Surface. I tried flashing it all over the place. But despite my best efforts, no one seemed curious.”
“It’s a tablet of both compromises and confusion. It is a true hybrid — neither fully a desktop nor mobile device."
“The Surface’s 10.6-inch display has a 16:9 aspect ratio. That’s fantastic for watching movies when it’s in landscape mode … but it’s also lousy for reading when you hold it in portrait mode”
“It’s a tablet of both compromises and confusion. It is a true hybrid — neither fully a desktop nor mobile device."
“The Surface’s 10.6-inch display has a 16:9 aspect ratio. That’s fantastic for watching movies when it’s in landscape mode … but it’s also lousy for reading when you hold it in portrait mode”
3. AnandTech - Anand Shimpi
“This isn’t an iPad competitor, nor is it an Android tablet competitor. It truly is something different. A unique perspective, not necessarily the right one, but a different one that will definitely resonate well with some (not all) users."
“Surface is the most flexible tablet I've ever used.”
“From a distance, without using one, Surface is easy to judge. It’s a Windows tablet that doesn’t run most Windows applications, that doesn’t have most of the same new mobile apps that iOS and Android have, and it’s not priced aggressively enough to make those facts disappear. After living with Surface however, I understand the appeal. It’s worth a discussion, perhaps even consideration as it does some things better than any tablet on the market, and it does others worse.”
“Surface is the most flexible tablet I've ever used.”
“From a distance, without using one, Surface is easy to judge. It’s a Windows tablet that doesn’t run most Windows applications, that doesn’t have most of the same new mobile apps that iOS and Android have, and it’s not priced aggressively enough to make those facts disappear. After living with Surface however, I understand the appeal. It’s worth a discussion, perhaps even consideration as it does some things better than any tablet on the market, and it does others worse.”
4. Gizmodo - Sam Biddle
“It's a beautiful computer, in your hand or on a tabletop, its shifting angles clean and secure like a Danish prison.”
“But more importantly, Surface is handsome. That ineffable Hey, this thing feels good quality is lacquered all over Surface. You'll appreciate it every time you pick it up and turn it on. It's a simple, joyful experience.”
“In the end though, this is nothing more than Microsoft's tablet. And a buggy, at times broken one, at that, whose "ecosystem" feels more like a tundra. There's no Twitter or Facebook app, and the most popular 3rd party client breaks often.”
“But more importantly, Surface is handsome. That ineffable Hey, this thing feels good quality is lacquered all over Surface. You'll appreciate it every time you pick it up and turn it on. It's a simple, joyful experience.”
“In the end though, this is nothing more than Microsoft's tablet. And a buggy, at times broken one, at that, whose "ecosystem" feels more like a tundra. There's no Twitter or Facebook app, and the most popular 3rd party client breaks often.”
5. Wall Street Journal - Walt Mossberg
“I have been testing the Surface almost daily for three weeks and I like it. It’s beautifully and solidly built and it’s the purest expression of Microsoft’s new Windows 8 touchscreen operating system.”
“Still, there are rough edges to the Surface. The biggest is a paucity of apps for the new touch interface.”
“Mediocre battery life.”
“Still, there are rough edges to the Surface. The biggest is a paucity of apps for the new touch interface.”
“Mediocre battery life.”
6. Engadget - Tim Stevens
“The Surface is a slate upon which you can get some serious work done, and do so comfortably.”
“It's in the other half of the equation, that of the content consumption and entertainment, where the Surface is currently lacking. It needs a bigger pile of apps and games to make up for that and, while we're sure they're coming, we don't know when.”
“When combined with either of the keyboards that Microsoft offers at launch, this becomes a surprisingly capable laptop replacement. Or surrogate, at least.”
“It's in the other half of the equation, that of the content consumption and entertainment, where the Surface is currently lacking. It needs a bigger pile of apps and games to make up for that and, while we're sure they're coming, we don't know when.”
“When combined with either of the keyboards that Microsoft offers at launch, this becomes a surprisingly capable laptop replacement. Or surrogate, at least.”
7. CNET - Eric Franklin
“Is Surface worth its price? I think a more useful question is this: If on a business trip, could I replace my laptop with Surface? The short answer is no.”
“Paired with a keyboard cover, Surface is an excellent Office productivity tool (the best in tablet form) and if your entertainment needs don't go far beyond movies, TV shows, music, and the occasional simple game, you're covered there as well.”
“The Windows Store currently looks like a ghost town, after the apocalypse. Also, though I've come to really dig the interface and appreciate its elegance, there's a high learning curve here if you're used to iOS and Android.”
“Paired with a keyboard cover, Surface is an excellent Office productivity tool (the best in tablet form) and if your entertainment needs don't go far beyond movies, TV shows, music, and the occasional simple game, you're covered there as well.”
“The Windows Store currently looks like a ghost town, after the apocalypse. Also, though I've come to really dig the interface and appreciate its elegance, there's a high learning curve here if you're used to iOS and Android.”
8. SlashGear - Vincent Nguyen
“Personal reactions of ClearType HD aside, it’s hard to be too critical of Microsoft’s hardware. The Surface team has cribbed some of Apple’s notorious attention to detail and applied it with its own spin, and the result is a well-constructed slate with legitimately useful design elements like the kickstand.”
9. TehcCrunch - Matt Burns
“Should you buy the Surface RT? No.”
“The Surface RT is a product of unfortunate timing. The hardware is great. The Type Cover turns it into a small convertible tablet powered by a promising OS in Windows RT. That said, there are simply more mature options available right now.”
“The Surface RT isn’t a tablet. It’s not a legitimate alternative to the iPad or Galaxy Note 10.1. That’s not a bad thing. With the Touch Covers, the Surface RT is a fine alternative to a laptop, offering a slightly limited Windows experience in a small, versatile form. Just don’t call it an iPad killer.”
“The Surface RT is a product of unfortunate timing. The hardware is great. The Type Cover turns it into a small convertible tablet powered by a promising OS in Windows RT. That said, there are simply more mature options available right now.”
“The Surface RT isn’t a tablet. It’s not a legitimate alternative to the iPad or Galaxy Note 10.1. That’s not a bad thing. With the Touch Covers, the Surface RT is a fine alternative to a laptop, offering a slightly limited Windows experience in a small, versatile form. Just don’t call it an iPad killer.”
10. PC World - Jon Philips
“The build quality throughout Surface RT is sturdy and confident, and exudes the same kind of austere precision we find in German performance cars.”
“The Surface RT's 1.4GHz quad-core Tegra 3 processor and 2GB of system memory handle their workloads without drama. Gesturing through the OS itself is fast and fluid. Ditto browsing in Internet Explorer.”
“The Windows Store inventory is alarmingly short of high-profile apps. The U.S. version of the Store is still well below the magic 5000-app plateau, and at this point you won't find official apps for CNN, Dropbox, Facebook, Hulu, IMDb, Twitter, and YouTube, among numerous other big-name stalwarts of the mobile world.”
“The Surface RT's 1.4GHz quad-core Tegra 3 processor and 2GB of system memory handle their workloads without drama. Gesturing through the OS itself is fast and fluid. Ditto browsing in Internet Explorer.”
“The Windows Store inventory is alarmingly short of high-profile apps. The U.S. version of the Store is still well below the magic 5000-app plateau, and at this point you won't find official apps for CNN, Dropbox, Facebook, Hulu, IMDb, Twitter, and YouTube, among numerous other big-name stalwarts of the mobile world.”
11. ABC - Joanna Stern
“I don't worry about tossing – and I mean really tossing -- the Surface into the bin. That's because a few days earlier I watched the tablet fall 30 feet onto the floor of Microsoft's testing lab.”
“The Surface is full of potential, but until its software performance and apps are as strong as its hardware, I, unfortunately, will still drag both a laptop and an iPad through security.”
“The Surface is full of potential, but until its software performance and apps are as strong as its hardware, I, unfortunately, will still drag both a laptop and an iPad through security.”
12. Laptop Mag - Avram Piltch
“When you carry the Surface with RT, you'll want to pack a pair of headphones. The small side-mounted speakers offer sound that's accurate, but way too quiet. Whether we were watching a video, playing a game or listening to music, the audio level was so low that, even at maximum volume, voices were barely audible in a quiet room.”
“With its 1.3-GHz, quad-core Tegra 3 processor and 2GB of RAM, the Surface with RT had enough power to take on all the tasks we threw at it. However, we often ran into small delays while apps launched. On several occasions, the touch screen was less than responsive when we were trying to swipe to change apps or tap on charms; rebooting usually fixed these problems.”
“With its 1.3-GHz, quad-core Tegra 3 processor and 2GB of RAM, the Surface with RT had enough power to take on all the tasks we threw at it. However, we often ran into small delays while apps launched. On several occasions, the touch screen was less than responsive when we were trying to swipe to change apps or tap on charms; rebooting usually fixed these problems.”
13. Mashable - Lance Ulanoff
“Surface is not a tablet. It’s a PC in tablet’s clothing.”
“Surface is so different from any tablet I’ve used before that it took me a few fays to fully warm to it, but now I like it — quite a bit. Part of this is because I am a Windows user with a Hotmail account and Xbox Live at home. This is a Microsoft ecosystem and the Surface fits it like a glove.”
“There’s no doubt that Surface will appeal most to Windows users. In fact this is the tablet for Windows fans.”
“Surface is so different from any tablet I’ve used before that it took me a few fays to fully warm to it, but now I like it — quite a bit. Part of this is because I am a Windows user with a Hotmail account and Xbox Live at home. This is a Microsoft ecosystem and the Surface fits it like a glove.”
“There’s no doubt that Surface will appeal most to Windows users. In fact this is the tablet for Windows fans.”
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