Tablet computer microsoft surface 64gb. Review and test the tablet Microsoft Surface RT. Dimensions and Weight

Initially, I just needed a large home tablet for surfing the Internet, reading news, checking mail, and reading books at a later time of the day, as a buzzing laptop warming up and clicking keys interfered with my sleeping wife. Therefore, right away my eyes fell on this device, because it was one of the cheapest videos on the site, since I had to buy it here to use the existing coupon for a 50% discount. At first I reacted with suspicion to windows 8 rt because I didn’t know anything about the platform’s closeness and the fully paid market. I bought it very cheaply, taking into account the spent bonuses. As soon as I connected the device to an access point, I was pleasantly surprised by the variety and really large availability of free applications and games, I immediately installed asphalt 8, it goes off with a bang, and I was also pleased with the presence of Microsoft branded chips after updating such as the application and health, which also includes a bunch of fitness training programs. Updated Windows 8.1. For me, the presence of a stripped-down one was not upset at all, since there is a laptop for working with programs, but even if it were, it would immediately affect the speed and price as well as the hardware of the device. In the end, I want to note the pros: 1 is a long work without charging at a very high intensity of work and maximum backlight, and this is a longer game time of about 3-4 hours. 2 hours of the Internet and 2 more installations of various updates and programs, the device lasted 8 hours, plus another couple of hours in standby mode and a rare check of mail, it sits especially slowly after 20%, but it strikes me that it charges very quickly for 2 hours a maximum of up to 100%, while for 1.5 to 90%. Now is the third day of less active use, and the battery is still 50% charged. The next big plus is the screen itself, it is unbelievably good for this price, I haven’t seen any image quality in any device at all and the video quality is simply the highest class. The work itself is visible, it causes only positive emotions, nothing hangs, everything just flies, the Internet clips load instantly, I don’t know who is slowing down there, it works just like a laptop from a waffle. As for the minuses, there’s even nothing to say, they simply don’t exist, of course, those who want to put a bunch of programs from the laptop will break, this is not Windows, well, on the other hand, there’s nothing to find on any other tablet for this amount. The only minus for someone will only have the absence of any covers for him, but this problem was solved for me for 10 bucks from the Middle Kingdom. By the way, there is nothing else in the kit except charging from the outlet, fans of a cigarette in the car will also be upset, since charging is not universal, but this problem can be solved if desired. Take it right, you will be very satisfied.

10.6 ", 1366x768, Windows RT, 64GB, memory card slot, 676g

MAIN TECHNICAL CHARACTERISTICS

System

  Operating system: Windows RT Processor: Nvidia Tegra 3 1200 MHz Number of cores: 4 RAM: 2 GB SDRAM Internal memory: 64 GB Support for memory cards: microSDXC, up to 64 GB Memory card slot: yes, microSDXC, up to 64 GB

Screen

  Screen: 10.6 ", 1366x768 Wide screen: yes Screen type: TFT IPS, glossy Touch screen: capacitive, multi-touch Number of pixels per inch (PPI): 148 Video processor: NVIDIA GeForce ULP

Wireless connection

  Wi-Fi support: yes, Wi-Fi 802.11n Bluetooth support: yes, Bluetooth 4.0

Camera

  Rear camera: Yes Front camera: Yes

Sound

  Built-in speakers: yes, stereo sound; Built-in microphone: yes

Functionality

  Automatic screen orientation: yes Sensors: accelerometer, gyroscope, compass, light sensor QWERTY keyboard: optional

Connection

  Connecting to a computer via USB: yes Connecting external devices via USB: yes Connecting to a TV / monitor: micro HDMI Audio / headphone output: yes, 3.5 mm Docking station connector: yes

Nutrition

  Work time: 10 hours

Dimensions and Weight

  Dimensions (LxWxD): 275x172x10 mm Weight: 676 g

Additional Information

  Features: multi-touch up to 5 points of touch

On April 4, 2013, official sales of the Microsoft Surface RT tablet started in Russia (previously this tablet was promoted under the name Microsoft Surface without the RT index). This device was the focus of attention last fall when Windows 8 and Windows RT came out. But for some reason, the Russian launch of Microsoft Surface RT was delayed by as much as six months. In the ultra-dynamic tablet market, such a delay is suicidal. Nevertheless, we cannot ignore this product, especially now, when it is not a problem to buy it, and the Russian prices are known.

Before proceeding directly to testing the tablet, we’ll tell you a little more about the history of this device. The original name for the Surface was a pilot project from Microsoft - whose surface was touch-sensitive.

This device was created in 2007 and had nothing to do with Windows 8 and tablets (then even Windows 7 and the first iPad did not see the light of day). Innovative in its own way, Surface did not receive wide distribution and mass attention (although the head of the Russian representative office of Microsoft Nikolay Pryanishnikov told the author of these lines at the presentation of Windows 7 that some institutions use the Surface table, including one well-known Russian bank). Perhaps this is why they decided to borrow the name from the interactive table when Microsoft got the idea to release its own tablet.

The news that Microsoft will introduce a reference device on both versions of the new Windows - RT and 8 - aroused interest in the IT community, mixed with bewilderment. Microsoft has always declared that it prefers to deal with software, and relies on partners in hardware. In other words, "We make software, you are devices." This principle worked in the case of classic Windows, it was also transferred to mobile versions, including the current Windows Phone (as you know, a key partner was chosen to promote Windows Phone, it became Nokia).

What made Microsoft abandon the old strategy is an interesting question. Moreover, already for the presentation of Windows 8 / RT, partners presented a number of devices (tablets, ultrabooks, monoblocks) that reveal the potential of the new OS. Perhaps Microsoft decided to exacerbate cocurence with the release of a relatively inexpensive and high-quality device, thereby pushing partners to a more aggressive pricing policy. One way or another, in November 2012, sales of Microsoft Surface began in the USA (later the RT index was added to the name) based on Windows RT, and in February 2013 a version with full WIndows 8 - Surface Pro - appeared.

Despite the fact that Microsoft tablets were immediately in the center of attention of the profile press and people who are not indifferent to the latest in the mobile industry, Surface RT and Surface Pro sales were lower than expected: by mid-March, Microsoft had only 1.5 million Surface RT and Surface Pro tablets instead 3-4 million planned. In addition to this, at the end of March that Microsoft will not develop Windows RT as a separate branch of Windows. And this immediately raised the question: will the tablet get an update to the next version of the OS (at least intermediate), or will the history of owners of Windows Phone 7 smartphones who were not allowed to upgrade to Windows Phone 8 repeat with the owners of Microsoft Surface RT.

Probably, all this news played a role in the modest launch of Microsoft Surface RT in the Russian market. According to press reports, less than 300 units were sold in the first four days of Surface RT sales, which is many times less than Apple iPad sales in the first days after appearing on the Russian market. However, it would be more correct to compare not with the iPad, but with other devices on Windows RT (ASUS VivoTab RT, Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 11). We do not have accurate information, but we assume that their sales were unlikely to be higher.

Perhaps the price played a role: for the minimum configuration (a tablet without a keyboard cover, the built-in memory is 32 GB) we are asked 20 990 rubles. For comparison, a third-generation iPad with the same amount of memory can be purchased at the largest Russian reseller Apple for 1000 rubles cheaper (and smaller sellers - even cheaper).

The version that came to us for testing was equipped with a Microsoft Touch Cover keyboard cover (it will be described in detail). In this configuration, a 32-gigabyte version of Surface RT will cost 23,990 rubles. For about the same money (and even cheaper), you can purchase the ASUS Transformer Pad Inifinity with a docking keyboard and 64 GB of memory. Note that Microsoft offers as an option two types of keyboard covers Touch Cover and Type Cover. From the outside, they are no different from a number of other modern “smart” covers, but once you open them, the covers turn into a keyboard equipped with a touch panel. The difference between Touch Cover and Type Cover is that in the first case, data entry is provided by touching the buttons, and in the second - by pressing the keys.

The table below lists the main characteristics of Microsoft Surface RT, as well as the above competitors (for clarity of comparison).

	Microsoft Surface RT	ASUS VivoTab RT TF600T	ASUS Transformer Pad Infinity	3rd generation iPad
Screen	10.6 ″, Super IPS +, 1366 × 768 (148 ppi)	10.1 ″, Super IPS +, 1366 × 768 (155 ppi)	10.1 ″, Super IPS +, 1920 × 1200 (224 ppi)	9.7 ″, IPS, 2048 × 1536 (264 ppi)
SoC (processor)	NVIDIA Tegra 3 T30 @ 1.4 GHz (4 cores + 1 auxiliary, ARM Cortex-A9)	NVIDIA Tegra 3 T30L @ 1.2 GHz (4 cores + 1 auxiliary, ARM Cortex-A9)	NVIDIA Tegra 3 T33 @ 1.6 GHz (4 cores + 1 auxiliary, ARM Cortex-A9) or   Qualcomm MSM 8960 Snapdragon S4 Plus @ 1.5 GHz (2 cores Krait, ARMv7)	Apple A5X @ 1 GHz (2 cores, ARM Cortex-A9)
GPU	GeForce ULP	GeForce ULP	GeForce ULP @ 520 MHz or Adreno 225 @ 400 MHz	PowerVR SGX543MP4
Flash memory	32 or 64 GB	32 or 64 GB + 32 GB cloud storage (for 3 years)	32 or 64 GB + 8 GB cloud storage	16 to 64 GB
Connectors	USB 2.0, Micro-HDMI, 3.5 mm headphone jack, magnetic charger and keyboard connectors		Micro-HDMI 1.4a, 2 dock connectors (one on the dock), 3.5 mm headphone jack, USB 2.0 (on the dock)	30-pin dock connector, 3.5 mm headphone jack
Memory card support	microSD / SDHC (up to 64 GB)	microSD / SDHC (up to 64 GB)	microSD (up to 64 GB), SD / SDHC (up to 64 GB, on the dock)	no
RAM	2 GB	2 GB	1 GB	1 GB
Cameras	rear (1.2 megapixels) and front (1.2 megapixels)		rear (8 megapixels) and front (2 megapixels)	rear (5 MP; shooting video - 1920 × 1080) and front (photo 0.3 MP)
the Internet	Wifi		Wi-Fi (optional - 3G and 4G / LTE)	Wi-Fi (optionally 3G, as well as 4G / LTE without support for Russian networks)
operating system	Microsoft Windows RT	Microsoft Windows RT	Google Android 4.0 (update to version 4.1.1 available)	Apple iOS 5.0 (update to 6.0 is available)
Dimensions (mm) *	275 × 172 × 9.4	263 × 171 × 8.3	263 × 181 × 8.5	241 × 186 × 9.4
Mass (g)	680	538	597	652
Price**	27 990 rubles	N / A (0)	$406()	22 990 rubles

  * - according to the manufacturer; weight shown excluding dock keyboard or keyboard cover.
  ** - since ASUS VivoTab RT is sold with only a docking keyboard and with 64 GB of flash memory, and the same version is the most common for ASUS Transformer Pad infinity, the price of the Microsoft Surface RT and Apple iPad of the third generation is indicated taking into account the memory capacity 64 GB In the case of Surface RT, it is also expected to be equipped with a Microsoft Touch Cover keyboard cover.

It is clearly seen that ASUS VivoTab RT and our today's hero are almost twins. True, the Microsoft tablet loses due to the resolution of the rear camera, as well as the greater mass and thickness. In addition, do not forget that the docking keyboard of ASUS tablets has an additional battery, which is very valuable.

As for the comparison with devices on other platforms, here the Microsoft tablet has only one trump card: the amount of RAM is 2 GB. In other parameters (including the main one - the screen), the ASUS Transformer Pad Infinity and the third-generation iPad look much more attractive (though, in the case of the iPad, it is worth remembering the limitations of the OS itself, which implies the inability to expand the memory due to removable media, etc.).

Here is a complete list of Microsoft Surface RT features.

Microsoft Surface RT Features

• SoC NVIDIA Tegra 3 T30 @ 1.3 GHz (4 core ARM Cortex-A9)
• GPU GeForce ULP
• RAM 2 GB
• Flash memory 16 GB or 32 GB
• MicroSD / microSDXC memory card support (up to 64 GB)
• Microsoft Windows RT Operating System
• IPS touch screen, 10.6 ″, 1366 × 768 (148 ppi), capacitive, multi-touch
• Rear cameras (1.2 megapixels, 720p video shooting) and front (1.2 megapixels)
• WiFi 802.11a / b / g / n (2.4 / 5 GHz)
• Bluetooth 4.0
• 3.5 mm headphone jack, USB 2.0, Micro-HDMI
• MHL (with HDCP support)
• 31.5 Wh Li-Polymer Battery
• Accelerometer, gyroscope, barometer, compass, light sensor
• Dimensions 275 × 172 × 9.4 mm
• Weight 680 g

But let's not draw premature conclusions based solely on specifications and take a fresh look at Microsoft Surface RT.

Packaging and equipment

The tablet comes in a massive black box, the dimensions are more suitable for a laptop. From this black box with a beveled right side, a white box peeks out, in which the tablet itself is located. There is also a keyboard cover next to the white box, and this explains the need for a common black box.

About the charger is worth mentioning separately. It was obviously inspired by Apple laptops with their famous MagSafe, and also uses a magnetic lock, rather than physically securing the connector.

But unlike MagSafe, the Microsoft Surface RT charger does not connect to the tablet easily. It has to be adjusted so that it gets into the corresponding connector.

Design

The tablet looks nice and strict, although a bit massive. On the front surface, only the Windows 8 lototype stands out, which is very interestingly beaten in the form of faces.

The fact is that the edges of the tablet are beveled, tapering to the back side, but without smoothing. That is, the back surface is as straight as the front, but smaller in area.

The uppermost part of the back surface - a narrow ruler on which the rear camera peephole is visible - is made of plastic. The surface below is similar to metal, but we will not say for sure. Finally, the lowermost part of the back side is a metal plate, which bends 45 degrees and can serve as a foot when the device is installed vertically.

This is one of the main design advantages of Microsoft Surface RT. The presence of a convenient stand saves you from having to buy docking stations or look for some other ways to fix the tablet vertically.

There is a small ledge on the left side of the tablet for convenient prying.

In addition, on the same side there is a volume rocker, an 3.5 mm audio jack and one of two speakers. On the right side we see a second speaker, contacts for connecting accessories, Micro-HDMI and USB 2.0 connectors.

The presence of full-length USB is another big plus in the design of Microsoft Surface RT.

On the top face are two slots of microphones, as well as a Power button. And on the bottom we see only contacts for connecting a key accessory: keyboard cover.

This keyboard cover deserves a separate discussion, since it is both the most original component of Microsoft Surface RT and the most recognizable (which, however, follows from its originality).

Microsoft Touch Cover Keyboard

Keyboards connected to the tablet, today you will not surprise anyone. There are serious solutions here, such as those used by ASUS in the Transformer and VivoTab line devices, which actually turn the tablet into a netbook (or ultrabook), and compact external keyboards that are popular with iPad users. However, Microsoft offered a look at the keyboard by combining it with another popular tablet accessory: a magnetic cover.

Like the Apple Smart Cover (originally intended for iPad 2), the Microsoft Touch Cover not only protects the device’s screen, but also wakes it up from sleep mode (when opened) or, conversely, puts the device into sleep mode (when closing).

However, the presence of touch buttons and a touchpad allows you to use this cover as a keyboard. At the same time, unlike more traditional keyboards, Touch Cover is quite lightweight, not much heavier than covers. Therefore, the total mass of the device (tablet + keyboard) is significantly less than, for example, tablets of the ASUS Transformer line.

In addition, the material from which the back of the Touch Cover is made is delightful. This fabric is very pleasant to the touch. Thanks to this non-standard solution, the tablet immediately becomes closer, more homely.

As for the keyboard layout, here the main complaints are the lack of a PrintScreen button and Enter too small. You can put up with the rest.

Of course, like any solution that claims to be universal, Microsoft Touch Cover has several pitfalls. One of them is obvious: typing on the touch keyboard is much less convenient and pleasant than on the physical one. To type a letter is still back and forth, but I would not dare to create full-fledged text in Word. Uncomfortable. Unusual. In addition to the fact that you do not feel the response when pressed, you need to press with some effort, and not just easy to touch. Perhaps this is done on purpose, to minimize accidental clicks. But because of this, for example, I never managed to press the Ctrl + Shift combination the first time, and sometimes I had to press individual buttons repeatedly. Probably in the case of using the Type Cover keyboard, where the keys are mechanical, there would not be such a problem, but we will check this if necessary.

The second point is the inability to work on your knees. Say, with Transformer Pad Inifinty you can work like with an ordinary netbook - in the subway, at a conference or any other event where there is no way to put the tablet on a hard surface. With Microsoft Surface RT, this trick will not work, because Touch Cover does not hold the screen. However, if you still have a table, then you can use the stand, and then it will be quite possible to work.

The third drawback (however, also quite obvious) is the less functionality of the Touch Cover compared to keyboards for ASUS and Acer tablets, which, in addition to typing, also increase battery life (because they contain an additional battery) and expand the ability to connect devices and expand memory.

Nevertheless, we evaluate this decision purely positive. Despite the youth of the tablet market, fresh ideas are sorely lacking here. And Touch Cover is just a fresh idea, moreover, it is implemented quite qualitatively. But is this experiment worth the few thousand rubles that they ask for it? Here we can’t give any definite recommendations - we must proceed from the needs and usage scenarios of a specific customer. Probably for typing large texts Touch Cover is not very suitable. But, however, the tablet, in principle, is not the best solution for such a task. Then you really need to take something like Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 11. However, if you look at the Touch Cover not as a full keyboard, but as a cover with advanced features, then it looks very advantageous.

Summarizing our impressions of the Microsoft Surface RT design, let's say that it turned out worthy and interesting. Almost everyone to whom I showed the tablet expressed a positive assessment, twisting it in their hands, everyone liked the keyboard (at least the idea itself), everyone noted the sliding stand as a very useful solution. Designers managed to make a tablet that perfectly matches the style of Microsoft: quite strict, associated with the corporate world, but not boring and not old-fashioned; moderately stylish, but not glamorous.

Screen

The screen of the tablet is covered with a glass plate with a mirror-smooth surface and, judging by the reflection of bright light sources in it, it has a good anti-glare filter. On the outer surface of the screen there is a special oleophobic (grease repellent) and fairly effective coating, so fingerprints do not appear as fast as in the case of ordinary glass, but are easier to remove.

With manual brightness control, its maximum value was 445 cd / m², the minimum was 9 cd / m². The maximum value is quite high, so in bright daylight the readability of the screen will be preserved to some extent, and the minimum brightness will allow you to work comfortably even in complete darkness. There is an automatic brightness adjustment according to the light sensor (left eye at the top of the screen frame). The brightness adjustment range depends on the position of the brightness adjustment slider. If it is set to 50%, then in total darkness the auto brightness function reduces the brightness to 80 cd / m², in an office lit by artificial light, the brightness is set to about 160 cd / m², and in a very bright environment (about 20,000 lux, which is approximately corresponds to illumination during the day outdoors, but not in direct sunlight) the brightness again decreases to 80 cd / m²; if the slider is set to 100%, then under similar conditions the values \u200b\u200bare as follows: 200, 445 and 200 cd / m², if at 0%, then the brightness always remains at the minimum value of 9 cd / m². From the results it follows that in bright ambient light the sensor does not work properly, so the automatic brightness adjustment function has very limited value. There is no backlight flickering at the maximum and minimum brightness, backlight modulation appears at average brightness values, but it has a frequency of more than 20 kHz, therefore, in this case, no visible flicker is observed.

The tablet uses an IPS type matrix. Here is a micrograph of the matrix of this tablet:

In this case, each subpixel is divided into two domains oriented slightly at an angle to each other. The screen has good viewing angles without inverting colors and without significant color shift even with large deviations of the gaze from the perpendicular to the screen. True, the black field with a diagonal deviation is strongly highlighted and acquires a noticeable purple hue. With a perpendicular view, black field uniformity is not high, since there are local areas with increased black field brightness in several places along the edge of the screen. The response time for the black-white-black transition is 17 ms (9 ms on + 8 ms off). The transition between the midtones of 25% and 75% (according to the numerical value of the color) and vice versa in total takes 31 ms. High contrast - about 1050: 1. The gamma curve constructed using 32 points did not reveal any blockage either in the lights or in the shadows, and the approximating power-law function exponent was 2.18, which is close to the standard value of 2.2. In this case, the real gamma curve practically does not deviate from the power dependence:

Color gamut narrower than sRGB:

The spectra show that the matrix filters mix the components together:

This technique allows you to increase the brightness of the screen at the same energy consumption for backlight. The balance of shades on the gray scale is good - the color temperature, although above 6500 K, but on the entire part of the gray scale that matters, this parameter does not change much, while the deviation from the spectrum of the black body (delta E) is less than 4, which can be considered excellent for a consumer device indicator. (Dark areas of the gray scale can not be taken into account, since there the color balance does not matter much, and the error in measuring color characteristics at low brightness is large.)

In general, the screen has an acceptable maximum brightness, a fairly high contrast and good color balance, but the color gamut is narrow and the stability of black in relation to the deviation of the gaze from the perpendicular to the screen is low, the uniformity of black color, possibly due to poor-quality assembly, medium, sensor ambient lighting fails. Too many shortcomings for such a famous manufacturer.

Platform and Performance

The tablet runs on the NVIDIA Tegra 3 single-chip system. We are very familiar with this SoC, not only with Android devices, but also with Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 11 - the “laptop-tablet” on Windows RT. Therefore, we refer you to an article about him, because with Microsoft Surface RT the situation is similar.

This is confirmed by the browser benchmark SunSpider 1.0, in which Microsoft Surface RT scored a result almost identical to Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 11. However, we note that we tested all other devices (including Lenovo) on the benchmark version 0.9.1, but, apparently , the results of the new version are compatible with the results of the previous one.

Offline work

Battery life is one of the trump cards of devices on Windows 8 / RT. And Microsoft Surface RT is no exception. The manufacturer does not report the battery capacity, but it can be assumed that it is very decent, since the case is quite spacious (unlike, say, the Sony Xperia Tablet Z case).

In reading mode, with a screen brightness set to 100 cd / m² and Wi-Fi turned on, the tablet worked for about 14 hours - this is a very decent result (although not a record one).

In the video playback mode from YouTube via Internet Explorer (with the same brightness), the operating time was about 13 hours. Also a very good indicator, especially against the background of Android devices. However, if we connect a keyboard dock to the ASUS Transformer Pad Infinity, we get about the same video playback time.

Note also that the battery is discharged evenly, and the percentage of remaining charge is displayed correctly.

HDMI interface test

To test the HDMI interface, we used the LG IPS237L monitor. As already mentioned, the tablet is equipped with a Micro-HDMI output. This connector is tiny (narrower than Micro-USB), but has 19 pins. HDMI cables for such a connector are usually quite rigid, which during operation often causes the plug to skew in the socket and a failure in image transmission. In general, the operational characteristics of this method of connecting to an external screen are extremely low. Using the Micro-HDMI connector is somehow justified in the case of miniature devices such as phones, but tablets need to use more reliable options such as Mini-HDMI or even a full-sized version of HDMI.

When connected via HDMI, the choice of the second monitor's operating mode becomes available: duplicate the tablet screen to an external monitor, expand the desktop to an external monitor, output only to the tablet screen or output only to an external monitor. In the screen duplication mode, there is no automatic flipping to portrait orientation. In landscape orientation, the picture on the monitor fits exactly into the display area. If you select the expansion mode or output only to an external monitor, you can select a resolution of up to 1080p at 50, 59 or 60 Hz for an external monitor. We tested in 1080p at 50 and 60 Hz. Sound via HDMI is output (in this case, the sounds were heard through the headphones connected to the monitor, since there are no speakers in the monitor itself) and has very good quality. In this case, the volume is controlled by the buttons on the tablet body. In general, the set of settings related to the output of image and sound to an HDMI-connected device is no less than in the case of ordinary Windows — the placement and orientation of the second screen, the choice of outputting sound to an external device or to the speakers of the tablet, etc.

A special description deserves the video output by means of a regular player. To begin with, using a set of test files with an arrow and a rectangle moving one division per frame (see Test Methodology for Video Playback and Display Devices. Version 1), we checked how the video is displayed on the screen of the tablet itself. Screenshots with a shutter speed of 1 s helped determine the nature of the output of frames of video files with various parameters: the resolution (1280 by 720 (720p) and 1920 by 1080 (1080p) pixels) and the frame rate (24, 25, 30, 50, and 60 frames / with). Results of this (block entitled “ Screen") And the following test are summarized in the table:

File	Uniformity	Passes
Screen
watch-1920x1080-60p.mp4	not playable
watch-1920x1080-50p.mp4	not playable
watch-1920x1080-30p.mp4	fine	no
watch-1920x1080-25p.mp4	oK	no
watch-1920x1080-24p.mp4	fine	no
watch-1280x720-60p.mp4	fine	no
watch-1280x720-50p.mp4	oK	no
watch-1280x720-30p.mp4	fine	no
watch-1280x720-25p.mp4	oK	no
watch-1280x720-24p.mp4	fine	no
HDMI (monitor)
watch-1920x1080-60p.mp4	fine	no
watch-1920x1080-50p.mp4	fine	no
watch-1920x1080-30p.mp4	fine	no
watch-1920x1080-25p.mp4	fine	no
watch-1920x1080-24p.mp4	fine	no
watch-1280x720-60p.mp4	fine	no
watch-1280x720-50p.mp4	fine	no
watch-1280x720-30p.mp4	fine	no
watch-1280x720-25p.mp4	fine	no
watch-1280x720-24p.mp4	fine	no

Note: If in both columns Uniformity   and Passes “green” ratings are set, this means that, most likely, when watching artifact movies caused by uneven rotation and skipping frames, you either will not be visible at all, or their number and visibility will not affect viewing comfort. "Red" marks indicate possible problems associated with the playback of the corresponding files.

Full HD (1080p) files with frequencies of 50 and 60 frames / s were output a little slower with periodic short-term acceleration. It is impossible to watch video in this mode, so we indicated that these files are not actually playing. The display of the tablet itself is carried out only in the 60 Hz mode, therefore files with frequencies that are not multiple of this are displayed with alternating frame interval lengths, but these intervals are not always alternated strictly evenly. However, this is unlikely to be very striking, since the spread in alternation is not very large. When playing video files with a resolution of Full HD (1920 by 1080 pixels) on the tablet screen, the image of the actual video file is displayed exactly along the border of the screen. The brightness range displayed on the screen corresponds to the initial one - all shades of gradation are displayed in the shadows and in the lights (for video in the range 16-235).

When playing a video with a standard player on an HDMI-connected monitor, the picture of video files with a resolution of 1920 by 1080 pixels is displayed on the full screen in true Full HD resolution. The brightness range displayed on the monitor does not correspond to the standard one a bit - all shades of gradation are displayed in the shadows, but in the light a pair of shades merges with white. Since when outputting to an external monitor it is possible to select the frame frequency, in the table we present the results obtained for files 24, 30 and 60 frames / s in output mode 60 frames / s, and for files 25 and 50 frames / s - in output mode 50 fps. Those who care about output quality can always customize output accordingly. The test results are shown in the table above in the block " HDMI (monitor) ». It can be seen that the availability of the choice of frequency made it possible to achieve the ideal result: files are played with a uniform alternation of intervals between frames and without frame skipping. Even if the frame frequencies in the file do not coincide with the output frame frequency, the intervals between frames (or groups of frames, including inevitable frame skips) alternate strictly evenly. We also note the absence of problems with the image output of Full HD (1080p) files with frequencies of 50 and 60 frames / s. In general, an HDMI connection can be used to watch movies, games, display web pages and other activities. Only the connector and the HDMI cable will have to be handled very carefully.

Operating system and applications

And again, we have nothing to add to the Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 11 review. The Windows RT system on Microsoft Surface RT is presented in its purest form, so there are no surprises here. Only one point confuses: the main (and only) advantage of Windows RT over Windows 8, namely the presence of Microsoft Word, is somewhat depreciated by the keyboard, which is difficult to print large texts on. Recall that the Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 11 has an excellent physical keyboard.

Camera

The tablet is equipped with two cameras - front and rear. But for inexplicable reasons, the resolution of both cameras is only 1.2 megapixels. This is normal for the front camera, but indecent for the rear camera, even by the standards of budget devices.

However, resolution is far from the only characteristic that affects the quality of pictures. So let's take a look at the pictures before drawing conclusions.

Here is a snapshot of the image, enlarged to 100%. In principle, there are not so many defects as it happens on cameras of budget tablets. Although the ideal image still can not be called. Below is the same picture without cropping, but reduced to 600 dots horizontally.

Our test of shooting a page with text the rear camera of the tablet passed conditionally: the quality is decent, but the text is too small, and for a sufficient increase there is not enough resolution.

An example of shooting a video (31 seconds, 36.6 MB) can be downloaded. In general, the quality of the video is decent, except for the fact that the resolution is only 720p. As a plus, we note that the video is shot with stereo sound.

findings

Microsoft got a good tablet with an interesting design and decent performance (for 2012). But when we met him, we still did not understand why the companies from Redmond had to change their long-standing strategy and invade the market of device manufacturers. Besides the idea with a keyboard-cover, there is nothing here that we have not seen with other manufacturers (including regular partners of Microsoft).

If this was done in order to popularize the Windows RT operating system, then a significantly lower price had to be set. Because at the current price, Microsoft Surface RT is not very relevant. Today, for the same money, we expect at least a perfect Full HD screen, a high-quality camera and a wide selection of applications. If Microsoft just wanted to demonstrate the capabilities of the new OS, then it is not clear why the OS manufacturer wasn’t satisfied with the numerous devices of other companies (ASUS, Acer, Samsung, Lenovo ...) that work on WIndows 8 or RT.

At the same time, we note that at least in the field of design there are interesting findings, and if Microsoft wants to seriously develop independent production of mobile devices, then we need to develop the ideas embodied in the Surface RT design. We, as a reward and at the same time an advance (with the hope of releasing further devices with an original design), present Microsoft Surface RT with our editorial award Original Design.