Microsoft Surface Pro vs Surface RT tablet

Both are expected to be great tabs and will attract millions of customers. Here we compare Microsoft Surface RT tablet Vs Surface Pro tablet and their specs. Release date is yet to be announced for both the tabs

Microsoft has recently showcased a pair of Windows-based tablets; the Surface RT and Surface Pro. Designed to compete with Apple iPad, Google Nexus 7 and other key tablets, the new Windows tablets are expected to come out of cover later this year. The Surface RT is an ARM-based variant of the tablet, which will run on Windows RT, the special ARM version of the firm’s upcoming operating system, Windows 8. Meanwhile, the Surface Pro will come with Intel chips and will have the original PC version of the firmware. Amazingly, both the tablets will sport 10.6-inch displays. Many have defined them as hybrids of tablets and Ultrabooks rather than mere tablet PCs. Here is a comparison between the Surface RT for Windows RT and Surface Pro for Windows Pro.

Form factor
There is little difference between the 10.6-inch tablets in form factor. The Windows RT-based Surface RT is thinner at 9.3mm, whereas the Surface Pro for Windows 8 Pro is slightly thicker at 14mm. The latter is also a bit heavier than its sibling. Both the tablets come with identical form factor as they feature a very squared-off and angular slab, which is developed from magnesium liquidmetal. Each tablet touts a PVD layering to the metal, which is a kind of finishing treatment to the high-quality wristwatches. As a whole, though a bit larger than the regular tablets, Surface RT and Surface Pro are handy and highly portable.

Display screen
In fact, not much is known about the displays of the tablets. Microsoft has revealed that the tablets will have 10.6-inch LCDs with Corning’s Gorilla Glass and Microsoft’s own ClearType technology. And the Windows 8 Pro tablet will tout a higher 1080p resolution, while the Windows RT version will have 720p resolution. That is, the Surface Pro will have a sharper and clearer display than Surface Pro.

Storage
The Redmond software giant has revealed that the Surface tablet for Windows RT will come with two memory options; 32GB and 64GB. Regarding the Surface Pro, the company has just mentioned that it would have higher storage, possibly 64GB and 128GB. Both the tablets are hoped to come with microSD slots for memory cards up to 32GB. But we have no idea about the built-in RAM of the tablets. The Surface RT may come with only 1GB of RAM; but the Surface Pro, being an Ultrabook rather than a tablet, might have 2GB of RAM.

Processor
This is the thing that fairly distinguishes the tablets. The Surface RT is meant for an ARM Cortex based CPU, which might be Nvidia’s much-touted Tegra 3 quad core chip. Well, the tablet will have a Tegra 3 quad core processor on ARM Cortex-A9 architecture that will probably clock at 1.5GHz. Likely, the machine will get its graphical performance from a ULP GeForce GPU.

The highly professional Windows 8 Pro model is designed to run on Intel’s third generation Ivy Bridge Core i5 architecture. Well, the machine will offer the specs of an Ultrabooks thanks to the high-power processor. The tablet is a bit bigger as it requires a large case to include laptop-style cooling vents. Needless to mention, the Surface Pro is to have much more power than the Surface RT.

Operating System
Operating system is another significant area where the Surface tablets differ. The Surface RT, as noted above, will run on Windows RT, the special version of the OS for ARM-based devices. The Surface Pro, in the meanwhile, will feature Windows 8, the professional version of the operating system.

Windows RT or Windows Runtime is designed to run Metro style apps developed using the Windows Runtime standard. Surface RT users can download apps for the device from Windows Store, which is an upcoming ultimate app store for all Windows 8-based gadgets including tablets, laptops and others. On the other hand, Windows 8 Pro will support all professional apps that you can run on your PCs, laptops, servers and others.

Conclusion – Verdict
Microsoft has designed the Surface tablets simply aiming at two types of customers. So there is no chance for a competition between the Surface RT and Surface Pro. However, being two smart tablets on two variants of Windows 8, the Surface tablets will fulfil the requirements of all kinds of customers. Users can choose a Surface tablet based on its processor speed, software compatibility and other aspects.

Source: novnews