Display and Sound
Remember all the excitement when Microsoft first announced Surface? In-house hardware. A PC-like Windows experience. No bloatware. A USB port. Expandable storage...
A lot of the right boxes were being ticked, but you couldn't help but feel the collective sigh of would-be customers when Microsoft confirmed a 1,366x768, 10.6in display. That's just 148 ppi (pixels per inch), far below the 264 ppi achieved by Apple's 9.7in iPad, which as you know comes with a class-leading 2,048x1,536 Retina display.
Microsoft's argument is that pixel count isn't everything and, thanks to various other technologies, it claims that "many people see more detail on Surface RT than on the iPad."
So what have we got? The display, measuring 10.6in from corner to opposite corner, is protected by Gorilla Glass and provides a 16:9 aspect ratio that makes it ideal for Windows 8's horizontal layouts as well as high-def movie playback.
Making the most of the ultra-slim form factor, Microsoft's engineers have used an optically-bonded panel, a process in which the touch sensor and cover glass are joined together. This minimises the overall thickness of the panel, while strengthening the build, reducing the possibility of light refraction and giving the illusion of the touch sensor being closer to contact.
This attention to detail serves Surface well, and with 400-nit brightness and Microsoft's ClearType rendering technology - which uses anti-aliasing to smooth text - the end result is not to be scoffed out. Viewing angles are excellent, the display is readable outdoors, colours are vivid, blacks are black, and the five-point, multi-touch panel is very responsive.
But is that enough to make up for the average pixel count? Not quite. This is a fine 1,366x768 display - one of the best, in fact - but we'd still have preferred a higher resolution and, looking ahead, we'd be surprised if a subsequent model shipped with anything lower than 1,920x1,080. The higher pixel count, coupled with all of the aforementioned technologies, would really give the Retina display a run for its money.
As for sound, what is there to say? You can hear the stereo speakers, but they aren't particularly loud and they're completely devoid of bass. Similar to most other tablets, then.
Camera
Using a tablet as a camera is awkward at best. Holding up a 10in slab to take a picture never feels quite right, and, worse still, most tablet cameras are so poor that the results are rarely worth the effort.
Microsoft's Surface has two 720p cameras built in, one up front for video calls and one around the back for taking snaps, but don't expect stellar results from either.
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The camera suffers in low light, but it's distinctly average in well-lit conditions, too. The above samples are all grainy and disappointing (click through for the full 1,280x720 originals) and though the shooter is perfectly capable for basic tasks, Microsoft clearly hasn't pushed the boat out in terms of optics and you probably won't be using the cameras for anything other than the occasional Skype video call.
