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Microsoft Surface RT - 64GB With Black Touch Cover, $394 @ JB Hi Fi (Free Postage)

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Microsoft Surface RT - 64GB storage with Black Touch Cover (as stated in title)

Note RT, not Pro. Was browsing online at JB and thought this was a good price. Not sure if there is stock, but the website lists the Blacktown (NSW) store as having stock.

Key Features

10.6" ClearType HD Display

Windows RT

64GB

Quad-core NVIDIA Tegra 3 Processor

2GB RAM

5-point-multi-touch screen

Wi-Fi (802.11a/b/g/n) and Bluetooth 4.0

1366 x 768 Resolution

1 x USB

2 x 720p HD LifeCams, front- and rear-facing

microSDXC

Touch Cover

On sale now!

Related Stores

JB Hi-Fi
JB Hi-Fi

closed Comments

  • +3

    $392 at HN

    This appears to be the normal price (there may have been a recent price drop though).

    • Hmm.. so it is. Didn't find it cheaper on static ice :( guess I should have checked some more before posting.

      EDIT: I think Harvey Norman will charge me $6.95 to get it posted to 2147, and I think JB might be free shipping if you're too lazy to pick it up :)

    • +1

      I don't think this is normal price. AT HN, the 32GB version is more expensive ($446) than 64GB ($392). I'd say it's probably a time limited deal.

      • Just spoke to HN through live chat and they were saying the deal ends tomorrow at midnight.

  • +2

    Sick deal if you want one. Guess they realised they needa start lowering the price if they wanna sell anything

  • +4

    Probably clearing stock for the new Surface 2.

    • anyone know the expected release?

    • trying to think if the price difference is worth it. you're missing out on new touch cover, better resolution, better kickstand, better processor. saving at least $200-$300 though off the new one. might be worth it

      • +2

        Also remember the new Intel Bay Trail tablets with full Windows also coming this month for around the same price or cheaper.

  • +27

    As an owner of a Surface RT, I cannot in good conscience recommend this device to anyone.

    1) You are restricted to using Internet Explorer as a web browser. That means no ad-blocking functionality through plugins/etc or bookmark/tab syncing. Also, because Tegra 3 is rubbish, browsing websites like Facebook WILL cause the tablet to lock-up.

    2) You can't actually run any non-Windows Store applications. It's nice that it comes with Office, but…everything else is useless.

    3) The screen resolution is pretty crud. It's fine for video viewing (but VLC doesn't exist for Windows RT, so you're going to have issues playing .mkv/other non-native codecs), but fine text looks pretty awful.

    4) Using it on anything other than a table is a pain. Holding it is incredibly awkward due to its widescreen form factor (if you have it horizontally, the centre of balance is way out, and if you hold it vertically, the aspect ratio is just weird because there's so much vertical space, but so little horizontal space), and the kickstand only has one angle.

    The only real plus apart from Office is that it's got a solid battery life. The tradeoffs are not worth it at all though.

    • Firefox Preview (probably VERY alpha, so bugs galore)
      http://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/aurora/?utm_source=pr&u…

    • -1

      That really depends on what the person wants to do with the tablet. e.g. my dad is interested in a tablet and a Surface RT looks like just the thing. All he does is use MS Word and browse websites. But seeing as Surface 2 is coming soon, I might as well wait and see how that performs.

      I personally don't normally use ad blockers as I don't want to deny revenue to the websites I visit. Something has to pay for their costs.

      Point 2 is related to what I mentioned above - it depends on what you want to do. People who don't care about games or random apps can be perfectly satisfied with an RT device.

      Point 3 I agree with - I love full HD and above. But I mentioned that to a friend who's older - he says he really doesn't care about high res screens as he'll enlarge the text anyway. That makes sense - having sharp, clear, fine text is completely useless if you are unable to read fine text in the first place.

      Point 4 - the form factor - this is of course a matter of personal preference. I actually find the "narrower" portrait aspect ratio better for reading text as text always comes in a portrait form factor.

      Try and maximize this OZB window on your widescreen monitor - the left and right is empty - you just have a block of text in the middle, which fits perfectly in a portrait widescreen display.

      Then go to any of your regular websites - chances are, if there's a block of text, it'll fit better in a portrait widescreen display than a 4:3 display - which shows less text and more ads or navigation bars on the sides. You can reflow to some extent, but you're screwing with the website layout.

      • +5

        I personally don't normally use ad blockers as I don't want to deny revenue to the websites I visit. Something has to pay for their costs.

        That's exactly the same as not clicking any ads.
        Ads only generate revenue if you click them.
        You're denying revenue if you don't click them.

        • -2

          I actually randomly do that as well. Not all the time, but if it looks remotely relevant, I'd click.

          Same with google searches. If there's a sponsored link at the top followed by roughly the same link in the results below, I'd rather click on the top sponsored link.

          I let youtube pre-roll ads run as well, unless I'm in a hurry or they're particularly boring, irrelevant, or repetitive. Like that paint-falling-on-the-car ad … it's way too overplayed that it gets annoying.

          edit: some advertisers pay based on views, not clicks:
          https://support.google.com/adwords/answer/2630842?hl=en-AU&r…

      • -1

        sounds to me you already made up your dad's mind.
        if all he does is use ms word then 64gb is way too much.
        also you dont need a windows tablet for word documents.

        • -1

          If your dad wasn't a techie, would you advise him to buy whatever the guy at Harvey norman sells him? Or would you rather find out what his needs are yourself, then recommend something based on that?

          You don't need a windows tablet for word documents, but you need a windows tablet to run MS Word. Sure he could re-learn a whole other app, OS, and file system, but what is the point? Non-techies don't care about things like that, they just want something that works.

          64GB is definitely way too much for him. 32GB is plenty. But surely you would have noticed that the 64GB model ($392) is cheaper than the 32GB model ($446), both with touch cover.

    • No wonder it is not selling.

      • I returned mine as well for all the reasons mentioned by Spik3balloon and more. Its a terrible product. The Pro is better, but its just a laptop that's overpriced.

        • +3

          Correction, overpriced laptop & tablet in one :P
          I own a Pro and I am pretty happy with it so far. Microsoft really shouldn't have even bothered with the RT ><

        • Overpriced? What are the cheaper alternatives if one is after a light i5 tablet (or laptop) with a Wacom digitizer?

          The Surface Pro 2 128GB at full $1129 RRP (plus $148 for the type cover) is priced similarly to a laptop of similar spec, minus the Wacom digitizer. The Vaio Pro 11 is about $1230-1297. The Surface Pro 2 with type cover is $1277, which includes the Wacom digitizer. Don't forget, we are talking about light devices, not large heavy ultrabooks which are cheaper.

    • I think this needs to put into perspective - what are you comparing it to, laptop/ipad/android tablet….which?

      1.browsing websites like Facebook WILL cause the tablet to lock-up - Ummm wtf, not true.
      2.can't actually run any non-Windows Store applications - Never meant to (like iOS).
      3…….just complete rubbish
      4……again just complete rubbish

      I own ipad 3 and ipad 4 and surface RT.

      I find Surface RT is a far superior product and its cheaper.

      For those interested - I would wait for Surface2 (I will be buying one).

      • you will sell your surface rt?

      • The resolution is fairly sub-par for a 10" tablet these days. Since the Surface 2 has a FHD display, I assume Microsoft concurs.

    • I've never had ours lock up on facebook etc also VLC is in development and should be along shortly

  • IE can be downloaded and used in desktop mode in rt… So I'm sure you could block adds in desktop ie mode. Apart from office no other desktop apps can be used on rt.

    The metro ie app…. ( which is fast, has touch screen shortcuts and enlarges webpages to fit screen) is quite useable.

  • Can anyone recommend this for school? I'm thinking about using this instead of the shitty craptops the government issues us because they're really glitchy. If i'm going to be using it for web browsing and microsoft office and onenote is this device good enough?

    • +1

      If your looking for a tablet yes since
      * has office suite
      *light
      *usb ports for storage and peripherals
      *microsd slot
      * able to remote desktop if needed
      cons
      * tablet apps only ,so you wont be able to run normal windows program compared to you laptop

    • Without proper keyboard then RT is useless for office app. But when you pay for the extra keyboard, buy the win8 for similar price. Android with keyboard dock is much better than rt, asus transformer can use for neally whole day. Surface rt just a expensive toy.

      • +1

        I think the Atom win 8 tablets really makes the existence of RT questionable, which is why I went for a win 8 tablet instead.

        However, Surface RT comes with MS Office (which all previous atom tablets do not include) and has fantastic build quality - there's definitely a market for it, it's just a smaller market than a win 8 atom tablet IMHO. People with simple needs who just want to surf the net and use Word without having to care about windows updates or malware would find it fine.

        I've tried Android with a keyboard dock (transformer) and while the concept is good, the lack of a polished suite like MS Office was the killer. I found the transformer an expensive toy as I couldn't effectively use it for productivity. The ME400C felt really cheap, but did work better. The TPT2 feels less cheap and has a Wacom digitizer, so that sold it for me.

    • +1

      Get this instead, tablet with keyboard and full Windows 8.

      Or otherwise wait for Intel Bay Trail this/next month.

      http://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/119172

    • Well if education department can recommend iPads to kids, pretty sure the surface RT will be plenty.

      • Check how they gave out those netbook you will know they don't know what they are doing.

  • I am waiting until Microsoft pays you to take one away.

    Even then, what will you do with it?

    • Yeah I could not understand why they make RT v2.

      They have already lose a lot of money on v1, v2 RT will not change that situation especially Bay Trail is coming.

  • OH well.. IF microsoft launch the device at this price… even it is 449 64G with cover…

    IT would sold like hot cake from day one….

    now hot on the heels is the Surface 2 with 3X the CPU.. meh RT it wont sell much..even at this price level. too little too late

    save the $ towards Xbox one or PS4 or some asus / acer baytrail tablets

  • I replaced my ipad 4 4G with a Surface 64Gb. Never looked back.

    Full office was the sealer.

    I find everything about the tablet pretty much spot on.

    • For example watching cricket streaming in IE on my tablet. Having a full browser is awesome!

  • Is there anyway to play 720p/1080p MKV's on one of these?

  • i would buy this if its purely for word processing and video/internet browsing like an ipad or android tab. worth the purchase at this price with 64gb

  • +1

    After the 8.1 update life is even better. What an update!

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