Even though Microsoft's Surface gets the lion's share of the press, it's not the only tablet running the pared-down Windows RT operating system. The Asus Vivo Tab RT will be one of four Surface rivals going head-to-head with Microsoft's tablet this fall.
The Good
The Bad
The Bottom Line
And while it doesn't best the Surface altogether, particularly when considering its inferior typing experience and smaller screen, it comes pretty damn close.
The Asus unit will cost $599 for the 32GB version, and $699 for 64GB. That's $100 more than the $499 Surface RT (also 32GB), but Asus includes a keyboard dock, which is an optional accessory with the Surface. (However, if you do want to buy the two components separately, it'll be initially sold as a Wi-Fi-only device when it hits stores on October 26, but AT&T will offer a 4G LTE version "in the near future.")
Editors' note: Due to similar software features, sections from this review were lifted from CNET's review of Microsoft's Surface RT tablet.
Design
Measuring 10.4 inches wide, 6.7 inches tall, and 0.33 inch thick, the device is slightly shorter and lighter than both its Android counterpart and the Microsoft Surface (but to be fair, the latter does have a bigger screen). At just 1.18 pounds, the Tab RT is easy and comfortable to hold with one hand. But unless you grasp it with two hands, it does begin to weigh down on you if it's held for an extended period of time.
On the left side are a mobile dock latch, which lets you attach the unit to the keyboard hinge, a microSD card slot, and a Micro-HDMI port. Up top are a sleep/power button and a manual reset hole for when you want to hard-reset the device. On the right are a 3.5mm headphone jack and a volume rocker. Unlike the Surface, it lacks a native USB 2.0 port.
With its sober black and silver surfaces, the tablet sports much of the same handsome aluminum aesthetics as the Pad Infinity TF700, except for one noticeably bad difference -- the Windows device's back panel is sectioned off into two parts, one of which is about 2 inches wide and is made out of an unattractive lined plastic.
Like the Pad Infinity, the plastic panel is most likely to accommodate the GPS, since its signal can travel easier through plastic than metal. Why Asus widened the panel and added unattractive ridges, however, are beyond us. Other dissimilarities include the back panel's lined finish (instead of the concentric circular pattern seen on the Infinity) and an additional speaker on the right side of the rear.
Purely based on aesthetics, we prefer the Tab RT's design more than Microsoft's Surface. It feels more premium and luxurious than the Surface's VaporMg casing, but if it came down to it, we'd give up a sleeker look for a built-in USB port anyday.