Windows Surface RT

[sed8em]

Hey all,
I'm looking at replacing my aging (well, aged) iPad 1 from back in the day, it's slow and apps crash too much for my liking.
I need a reliable and fast tablet for use in the OR for writing orders and looking up patient charts, and quite a few of my colleagues use the new iPads for this purpose.
I checked out the new Surface RT at Best Buy today and they look pretty damn slick. Nice metal case, easy to use, includes Office 2013 with sync so I can take notes at rounds and meetings and they will show up on my desktop, and there is a .chm reader for my books.

Couple questions:
1) Is it as reliable as an iPad? No crashes or quirks?

2) Is there an AT&T or Verizon option? I didn't see one.

3) Is there a way to browse the app store so I can see what else is available? I can't find it anywhere, this is something Apple makes very easy, finding what apps are commercially available for the iPad is very simple.


One thing I don't like is I can't put Chrome on the RT, apparently Microsoft only allows IE? Very lame.

Otherwise, compared to an iPad, it does look more productivity oriented. The keyboard is pretty slick, integrated MS Office is a nice touch. I know the RT doesn't run full fledged Windows, but I don't really care. Its not like its primary competitor runs full fledged OS X, and I don't need it to run any of my desktop software.

Thoughts?

 

[Adidas4275]

yeah no chrome,

i believe this is the windows 8 app store that you can browse
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-8/apps#Cat=t1

there is not a WWAN option but there is on the Thinkpad Tablet 2 from Lenovo

which also has a digitizer

http://www.lenovo.com/products/us/tablet/thinkpad/thinkpad-tablet-2/
http://www.engadget.com/2013/02/11/lenovo-thinkpad-tablet-2-review/

I know the tablet 2 is a intel based tablet, but with 10hrs on a charge, the full desktop and the right form factor (plus chrome) it seems to be a better tablet.

 

[heatlesssun]

For the price of a Surface RT I think that Clover Trail Atom Windows 8 represent a better value as they aren't a lot more expensive than the Surface RT and can do all the RT does and much more. I do think competition with similarly priced Atoms is part of the Surface RT's problem that a number of IT bloggers have actually mentioned.

 

[Comp625]

Agreed. I have the ThinkPad Tablet 2, and from a form factor and battery life perspective, it's equal or better than the Surface RT. TPT2 is 1.3lb with a 10.1" screen, and about 10hr battery life.

Also, I don't know how crippling Office on RT is, but I've heard it can't run macros or add-ins in Excel. I find that to be a hindrance in my day-to-day use of Excel.

Lastly, I own an iPad 2, and still occasionally use it from time to time, but only because of two apps: Flipboard (a magazine style news reader that's way better than "News Bento" from the MS App Store), and for my Cable Co's Live TV on a Tablet app (same app exists on the x86 platform but runs like a dog because of Atom's ancient GPU). Beyond those uses, I don't find myself using the iPad 2 a lot.