Unless you’ve decided that you don’t need apps, you will run into frustrations. But compared to Apple’s iPad, there are lots of gaps in the catalog, and some apps just aren’t as full-featured as they are on other platforms. Microsoft has done an admirable job building the Windows Store from scratch, with about 100,000 apps available so far. Surface RT does include a free version of Microsoft Office 2013, as well as some other basic desktop apps like Calculator, Paint and Explorer, but for everything else, you must go through the Windows Store. That means no iTunes, no Photoshop, no Dreamweaver, no Chrome.
Microsoft surface rt app store install#
Like all Windows RT tablets, the Surface RT cannot install any desktop software. In other words, you’ll still pay close to $500 for the whole package–not a great deal considering Microsoft was giving those covers away a month ago. If you prefer the Type Cover’s mechanical keys over the pressure-sensitive flat panel on the Touch Cover, you’ll have to pay an extra $130. You’ll still have to fork over another $100 for a black Touch Cover or $120 for a different color. Neither are included with the $350 Surface, nor are they any cheaper now than they were before. If Microsoft’s own ads and slogan (“Click in and do more”) are any indication, Surface is incomplete without either a Touch Cover or Type Cover, which snap into the tablet and double as screen protectors. Though it’s possible to be happy with a Surface RT, especially at the lower price, there are a few big reasons to stay away: Is the Surface RT a good deal now that it’s $150 cheaper? Probably not. The 64 GB model, previously $600, is getting a similar price drop to $450. Today, $350 will get you a 32 GB Surface RT tablet at any of the retailers who offer it, including Best Buy, Staples and the Microsoft Store. Follow nearly nine months of selling the Surface RT for $500, Microsoft is knocking the price down by $150.