Worth to get a refurbished Windows Surface RT on the cheap?

mxnerd

Diamond Member
Jul 6, 2007
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I do like the big screen.

Right now there is a eBay listing selling refurbished Windows Surface RT 10.6" 32GB for $169, is it worth it? Does it comes with Office?

Is Windows RT a dying platform?

And does anyone know if the Windows Surface RT Apps are the same as Windows 8 Apps? or even Windows Phone Apps?

Sorry, I'm stilling using Windows 7 if the question looks stupid.
 

DaveSimmons

Elite Member
Aug 12, 2001
40,730
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You can get a Dell Venue Pro 8" with real Windows 8.1 for $249 when it's on sale, and there are other similar models from Lenovo, Toshiba, etc. for ~$300. These include the Home & Student version of Office (no Outlook or Access?).

The Asus T100 transformer is a 10" real-windows device for roughly $400.

The hardware for the Surface 1 is decent, but RT is dead. Only MS is making RT devices (S1 and S2), everyone else has switched to Atom-based real windows devices.

I'd only buy the refurb if you are happy with never being able to run any new apps on it ever. If it does what you want as-is and you expect to never need more, then the price is good for a 10" browser + office tablet.
 

hans007

Lifer
Feb 1, 2000
20,212
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You can get a Dell Venue Pro 8" with real Windows 8.1 for $249 when it's on sale, and there are other similar models from Lenovo, Toshiba, etc. for ~$300. These include the Home & Student version of Office (no Outlook or Access?).

The Asus T100 transformer is a 10" real-windows device for roughly $400.

The hardware for the Surface 1 is decent, but RT is dead. Only MS is making RT devices (S1 and S2), everyone else has switched to Atom-based real windows devices.

I'd only buy the refurb if you are happy with never being able to run any new apps on it ever. If it does what you want as-is and you expect to never need more, then the price is good for a 10" browser + office tablet.

the toshiba that is more or less like the venue pro is also $249 at a lot of places.

I mean if you are going to go with a windows tablet might as well get one that will be supported. though that is 8" and the RT is 10" and still cheaper.
 

hans030390

Diamond Member
Feb 3, 2005
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It's a great deal even at $200, though you should weight out its pros and cons to decide if it's something you could really use. Only Windows RT comes with a basic version of Office bundled in. Pro does not.
 

DaveSimmons

Elite Member
Aug 12, 2001
40,730
670
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It's a great deal even at $200, though you should weight out its pros and cons to decide if it's something you could really use. Only Windows RT comes with a basic version of Office bundled in. Pro does not.

True, but the new atom-based 8" and 10" tablets with regular Windows from everyone except MS are coming with Home / Student Office. So:

$200 RT - office but possibly no ongoing support since only MS is using RT
$250 - $400 - atom based 8" and 10" Win 8.1 tablets with student Office
$1000+ - Pro 2 without office
 

hans030390

Diamond Member
Feb 3, 2005
7,326
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Yeah, shortly after I posted that, I read elsewhere in these forums that some non-RT versions were coming bundled with Office. That's awesome if so.
 

rsutoratosu

Platinum Member
Feb 18, 2011
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Besides office and surfing, what else would you do with it ? i have surface 2 pro and I dont see a lot of apps I want from the app store.. basically with RT ur limit to the app store.. there isnt like millions of apps to choose from