Question about which model I should buy

[misunflowerblue]

Hi!
I am trying to figure out if I should buy the Surface Pro or the RT. I am also wondering if I should wait to see if there is a significant price drop maybe for Black Friday or a holiday sale. I am student who reads heavily, I take a lot of notes and would prefer a browser other than IE. I know that RT doesn't support any other browsers but will this change with the 8.1 update?? I can get the either Surface with 10% off, I am in no real hurry to buy but I am super impatient. So, which model would YOU buy and would you wait for a Black Friday deal?? Thanks SO much!!

 

[ultra99]

I bought the pro recently and got the student discount...didn't buy a cover though (too expensive >_<)

 

[TeknoBlast]

I don't think even with 8.1 you can use anything other than IE as a browser on the RT. Companies like Google would have to make a Windows 8 app of Chrome to be able to run on RT. The Pro version, if you already know, is pretty much a PC in a tablet form. So you can install whatever you want.

Since the RT is coming up to it's year in October, I would wait and see if a Surface RT 2 is released this October or maybe something equivalent by another maker such as Nokia. As for a Surface Pro 2, I think you wont see one until February 2014 since when the current SPro was released on Feb 2013.

 

[demandarin]

Since you can get discount, I'd go for the pro model. Full blown windows 8. Then also, reports are saying within a week or 2 they going to drop the price of the touch cover.

I do think the RT is a good deal now at reduced price. But the pro is a more capable machine. Plus it can fulfill your desire of installing a different desktop browser like Opera or Firefox.

I have a pro and absolutely love it.

 

[TeknoBlast]

Let me add this. I did have an Surface RT when it launched and when the Pro launched, I upgraded to that. Now it wasn't because I think the RT is a bad thing, but I needed something that allowed me to install SQL. So the Pro was the right way to go. However, if Microsoft releases a sub-10" Surface RT, I'll be the first to be at the store to get one. As much as I love my Surface Pro, I don't need all that computing power everywhere I go.

I really like the RT because you don't have to think about "do I install this, do I need to install that." The RT just works as a media consumption device THAT also has the ability to do some work within Office.

So I'm very interested in what Nokia and MS has in store for the RT OS and I hope both release a sub-10" tablet.

 

[Deleted member 10837]

Surface 2 model. Seems unnecessary to spend $1100 on a 128GB + cover this late in the product life cycle when you can buy the same brand new unopened device with cover for $600-700 from people who exchanged their device to resell it.

 

[CrippsCorner]

I bought the pro recently and got the student discount...didn't buy a cover though (too expensive >_<)

You might be in luck!

Microsoft Stores lowering Surface Touch Covers to $79 starting August 30th | Windows Phone Central

 

[mlknez]

Hi!
I am trying to figure out if I should buy the Surface Pro or the RT. I am also wondering if I should wait to see if there is a significant price drop maybe for Black Friday or a holiday sale. I am student who reads heavily, I take a lot of notes and would prefer a browser other than IE. I know that RT doesn't support any other browsers but will this change with the 8.1 update?? I can get the either Surface with 10% off, I am in no real hurry to buy but I am super impatient. So, which model would YOU buy and would you wait for a Black Friday deal?? Thanks SO much!!

For the stylus use alone, you should buy the pro. You can find it used for pretty cheap now

 

[Deleted member 10837]

Microsoft Surface RT PRO Black Touch Cover | eBay

Black Microsoft Surface Touch Cover | eBay

Microsoft Surface Blue Touch Cover Limited Edition With Skulls | eBay

Touch Cover FOR Microsoft Surface Black | eBay

Microsoft Surface Touch Cover Keyboard Black Gently Used | eBay

Microsoft Surface Touch Cover Keyboard Black Gently Used | eBay

Microsoft Surface RT Touch Cover Black | eBay

 

[Spaniard]

Surface RT? Acer Iconia W3 is a full PC:
[video=youtube;6-9RSLXB7hQ]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6-9RSLXB7hQ[/video]

 

[oion]

I definitely prefer a browser other than IE, but there are actually two "profiles" of IE on the Surface RT, so I use the metro version for "regular surfing" and the desktop version for my login websites. I changed the default search from Bing to Google or Yahoo, and IE is fine. This isn't the old IE8, that's for sure.

As a student, you should also think about your daily use. How much battery life do you need? Because Surface RT has roughly twice as much at less weight than the Pro, and comes with Office 2013 (RT, Outlook coming soon, but keep in mind that One Note doesn't have synced recording) while Pro doesn't have Office. Take those items into consideration in terms of prioritization as a student, add in the fact that RT is cheaper, and you might find that a web browser preference is lower on the priority list. If on the other hand you require installation of other software not available in the app store, like AutoCAD, then by all means, Pro.

I personally place a much higher premium on battery life since I have a gaming desktop capable of running everything else; if you already have a decent desktop, then honestly Pro is redundant. If not, the Pro has more functionality in that big picture. You should list your pros and cons and prioritize the things you really want as a student.

Timing: There are certainly new models on the way, but school has already started for many students (uh, in the US) or will within the next couple of weeks. That's kind of tough decision-making...

 

[Endorsay]

Hi!
I am trying to figure out if I should buy the Surface Pro or the RT. I am also wondering if I should wait to see if there is a significant price drop maybe for Black Friday or a holiday sale. I am student who reads heavily, I take a lot of notes and would prefer a browser other than IE. I know that RT doesn't support any other browsers but will this change with the 8.1 update?? I can get the either Surface with 10% off, I am in no real hurry to buy but I am super impatient. So, which model would YOU buy and would you wait for a Black Friday deal?? Thanks SO much!!

I think the key difference is if you're looking for a tablet, eg ipad, then get the RT. But if you are looking for a laptop, the Pro fits better. I have an RT and treat it just like an ipad: mainly browsing, very light email, trying out apps.