The university where I am working at is partnering with Microsoft to offer its Surface RT tablet for a dirt cheap price of RM766 for 32GB internal storage and touch keyboard. Yeap! It's that CHEAP! I remembered staring at the price list in my email while looking at my iPad which I used to check my mail. I was like "what the?!#%". Why the heck does Windows decide to do that? It isn't that bad, isn't it? With a Quad Core Tegra processor and and 10.81 inches HD Gorilla Glass 2 display, built with a sturdy magnesium unibody case, this device is a gem! That's when I decided to do thorough comparison between Surface RT and my iPad 2 (I don't have a new iPad).
Well,
first, let's look at the physical appearance of both devices. Surface RT looks
and feels sturdy in its magnesium body, while iPad looks elegant and premium,
in its aluminum case. However, it seems that iPad's design is more prone to
dents and cracks as aluminum is not quite a solid metal. Microsoft boasts about
its tough Gorilla Glass screen in the spec sheet, and even do demos to prove
it. This convinces a lot of Surface RT users to use it without screen
protector. As for iPad, hmmm...that's the part which I hate about Apple, it's
always about secrecy, nobody has any idea of what glass it's actually using. Is
it the Gorilla Glass? or is it glass made by other company? No confirmed
answer. So should I apply a screen protector? The guy from the Apple reseller,
Machines, told me that "something is better than nothing, better put la!"
Haha, there goes my cash! In terms of standing degree, Surface RT wins with a
slim and convenient built in stand. But
one thing I dislike about its stand is that I can't adjust the viewing degree,
which iPad is more capable of, with its variety choices of covers. Regarding
the display, Surface RT has a gorgeous 10.81 inches HD display (much better than
iPad's 9.7 inches display) which is just nice for movie viewing and work,
though it's quite bulky to bring it with me to meetings, especially when I really
can't find a good third party case to protect it from drops (the fancy keyboard
cover that comes with Surface doesn't really protect the device from bangs and
drops).
Let's
proceed with the performance and responsiveness. Surface RT delivers outstanding
performance with its Windows 8 RT Operating System, making apps running
smoothly. Same goes to iPad 2, although has no Quad Core processor, still
performance smoothly with all the tasks we can possibly throw at it. The only thing
that differentiate their rankings is Windows 8 capability to multitask, where I
can view two apps side by side and also view files in folders, in desktop mode.
One aspect that makes Surface RT strong is its capability
to fully support USB 2.0 and SD card, which can't be found in iPad (unless you
are adventurous people like me who jailbreak iPad). As for HDMI or VGA
connection, you need to get an adapter which is available for sale separately
for both Surface and iPad.
In terms of maneuver and control, iPad (iOS 6) comes with a highly sensitive
and responsive touch screen, with large on screen keyboard which is very easy
to control. The touch sensors on the screen sense every single tap, pan and
zoom effectively, making it pleasant to use. On the other hand, Surface RT
(Windows 8 RT) comes with similar touch sensitivity and responsiveness, though
it can be quite difficult for me to close certain apps due to its tiny buttons
design, such as those on Microsoft Office apps (Power Point, Words, & Excel).
I also face difficulty in turn off apps that run in the background, especially
when I am using the touch screen. It is just too hard to figure out how to shut
things off on Windows 8 without a mouse, unlike iOS, which requires merely a
long tap on the icon to delete the running app. As for keyboard, Surface RT
comes with a beautiful touch keyboard / type keyboard (depends on the price
that you're willing to pay), but to be frank, the virtual touch keypad actually
works better than the type keyboard cover, as it has trouble detecting the
letters that I type, making it a very frustrating typing experience. 
Apps wise, Surface RT offers a great
deal to its users, with original Microsoft Office 2013 (Words, Power Point and
Excel) included in the device for free. This is very generous, compare to iPad
which offers only basic bundled apps like Facetime (video chat), iMessage
(messaging), Notes (basic note taking), Photo Booth (capturing wacky photos),
Camera, video (which supports only MP4 and mov. format), Calender, Reminders,
and Maps (can only work with complete address). If you desire better
productivity, you have to purchase apps like Pages, Keynotes, Numbers, etc.
Still, with all the money spent, you can't get full compatibility with Office
documents ( margin out of order most of the time, after transferring the word
document back to the PC). This round, Surface RT wins! 
Next, still talking about apps, iOS
has its very own App Store, iTunes store, iBook Store and Newstand, which offer
variety of apps, musics, movies, dramas, books and magazines beyond
imagination. The amount of quality apps, the availability of good music albums
and single tracks, vast collection of movies and series, books and magazines
with attractive prices make iPad a competitor which is hard to beat. Well, this
compare to Windows 8 RT's tiny Windows Store, which offers limited choices of
apps, and the inability to install legacy software from last generation
Windows, makes Surface RT look like a malnutrition child. Even Amazon's Kindle
Fire HD can do better!
To sum up, I personally reckon that
both devices have merits of their own, and it depends on whether you desire a
combination of productivity, entertainment and creativity (iWork apps, iLife
apps, iTunes Store, and App Store) or the convenience of solid productivity
(Microsoft Office 2013). Though Surface RT is cheap, I will still stick to my
iPad as I can design amazing artwork, posters, documents, photos, make good
videos and musics and enjoy a wide variety of games. As for Words and Excel
documents, I will just do it on my laptop! ;)
