Microsoft Surface RT & Win 8 Pro, understanding the differences between the first two models may not be quite as easy particularly for the everyday man, or folks intimately familiar with Microsoft’s other Surface.
Two editions, Surface for Windows RT and Surface for Windows 8 Pro were unveiled in Los Angeles, and while the exterior of each one looks nearly identical, the innards expose major differences in architecture:
Surface for Windows RT tablet
- Processor: NVIDIA Tegra-based ARM chip
- Weight: 676 grams
- Thickness: 9.3 millimeters
- Display: 10.6-inch ClearType HD capacitive touchpanel
- Battery: 31.5Wh
- I/O: microSD, USB 2.0, Micro HD Video, 2×2 MIMO antennae
- Software: Windows RT + Office Home & Student 2013 RT
- Accessories: Touch Cover, Type Cover, VaporMg Case & Stand
- Capacity: 32GB / 64GB
Surface for Windows 8 Pro tablet
- Processor: Intel Core i5 (Ivy Bridge)
- Weight: 903 grams
- Thickness: 13.5 millimeters
- Display: 10.6-inch ClearType Full HD (1080p) capacitive touchpanel
- Battery: 42Wh
- I/O: microSDXC, USB 3.0, Mini DisplayPort, 2×2 MIMO antennae
- Software: Windows 8 Pro
- Accessories: Touch Cover, Type Cover, VaporMg Case & Stand, Pen with Palm Block
- Capacity: 64GB / 128GB
It’s worth pointing out that the ARM-based WinRT model is both thinner and lighter than the version with Windows 8 Pro. Moreover, the battery is sized up in the latter, presumably to handle the higher power drain of the 1080p panel and the Core i5 processor. Strangely, microSDXC and USB 3.0 are only supported on the Win8 Pro model.
Note that the WinRT variant won’t ship with a 1080p panel; Microsoft didn’t get specific on screen resolution, but a paltry 1366 x 768 is going to look mighty pixelated sitting next to a 1080p Win8 Pro sibling, a Retina-equipped iPad and ASUS’ 1080p Zenbook / Transformer lines.
