If you thought that Microsoft’s Surface Pro range of tablets running Windows were a bit too rich for your blood, you’ll be inestimably pleased to know that they’ve released a more affordable range of slates dubbed the Surface series.
In terms of design, the slate is a fairly light carry at 622g on account of its magnesium hewn casing and has an integrated rear kickstand that snaps out into one of three positions depending on your needs. The Surface series comes in a two configurations. Both pack a 10.8-inch 1920 x 1280 pixel display, runs Windows 8.1 with the possibility to upgrade to Windows 10 when it rolls out later this year, have an Intel Quad-core Atom X7-Z8700 1.6GHz processor that can sprint up to 2.4GHz when needed and have a rear 8-MP snapper and a front 3.5-MP videocall camera with both snappers able to capture 1080P video. Where the configurations differ is in terms of storage and RAM with one variant packing 64GB of onboard storage and 2GB RAM retailing for RM1989 while a higher end version with 128GB storage and 4GB RAM retails for RM2389. The Surface can fortunately be supplemented with a microSD card for additional storage space and it also has a full sized USB 3.0 port too as well as a one-year subscription to Office 365 Personal as well as 1TB of free storage on OneDrive.
To get the most out of it you’ll need to get the associated extra kit, which does increase the price tag somewhat. The Surface series Type Cover which protects the slate and also offers a touchpad and keyboard comes in black, blue and red for RM479. If you aim to doodle a lot, you’ll appreciate the Surface Pen stylus that comes in black, blue and red for RM189. Other available accessories include a docking station for RM769 that lets you connect to an external monitor, wired Ethernet and other kit and a screen protector for RM179. If you’re one to tote it around a lot between home and work, you can snag a spare 13W power supply to keep it juiced for RM149 though a full charge lasts about 10 hours of moderate use. To find out more about the Surface swing by www.microsoft.com
