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Software Uses Almost 1/2 the Storage On 32GB Surface Tablet

Posted by samzenpus on from the all-used-up dept.

First time accepted submitter jigamo writes "Microsoft's newly released Surface tablets are available in 32 and 64 GB capacities. The company has disclosed how much of that space is available to the user. After taking into account Windows RT, Microsoft Office, built-in apps, and Windows recovery tools, nearly 13 GB of the available space is eliminated from user accessible storage. Microsoft's recommendations for adding additional capacity are to use cloud storage, a memory card, or a USB storage device."

14 of 471 comments (clear)

  1. Full of microsoft by BluPhenix316 · · Score: 5, Funny

    A Tablet full of Microsoft, whats not to love?

    1. Re:Full of microsoft by Straif · · Score: 5, Insightful

      And how much is it to add an additional 32gb or 64gb to your iPad if you hit your storage limit? $20 or $49 like the Surface or more? Oh wait...

      Not that I have a Surface or any plans to buy one but my guess is that when you build a device that's meant to be essentially a laptop replacement and you also include expansion slots so people who need more memory can buy it off the shelf at any corner store for relatively cheap, preloading it with everything including the kitchen sink doesn't seem like a bad idea.

      Yeah I'm sure a lot of it will go unused but it's not like storage space is going to be an issue for someone with a Surface, unlike an iPad where what you buy is what you have and if you ever want to store that one extra video on your tablet without deleting something it will cost you another $800 investment to get the next model up.

      --
      Of course that's just my opinion...... you could be wrong!
    2. Re:Full of microsoft by elashish14 · · Score: 5, Insightful

      You mean to say that it's half-full of Microsoft.

      But as an optimist, I would rather say it's half free of it!

      --
      I have left slashdot and am now on Soylent News. FUCK YOU DICE.
  2. Re:32 gig sd card is cheap by ArcadeMan · · Score: 5, Insightful

    And don't forget to say that cloud storage is no good in Canada, where uncapped internet doesn't really exist, and mobile plans are absolute garbage.

    Yes, it's so bad that it's worth mentioning twice.

    --
    Get free satoshi (Bitcoin) and Dogecoins
  3. Re:Registry Editor by wonkey_monkey · · Score: 5, Informative

    It's supposed to be a freakin tablet.

    Which is a freakin' computer running a freakin' operating system.

    --
    systemd is Roko's Basilisk.
  4. Re:Considering this is Windows... by Gaygirlie · · Score: 5, Insightful

    13GB is not bad.

    Well, it kind of is when you take into account that it's almost half of all the space on the whole device on a 32GB Surface. In practice you're being sold a 16GB tablet when you think you're buying a 32GB one. In comparison my 32GB Android-tablet leaves 28GB free for use and my 16GB phone leaves 13GB free after the OS.

  5. It DOES accept a MicroSD by timeOday · · Score: 5, Insightful

    It accepts a MicroSD, so who cares? Contrary to the market-segmentation-via-soldered-in-SSD strategy of certain other companies, the fact is, the stuff is very cheap - $1 per gigabyte.

  6. Aha! by sootman · · Score: 5, Funny

    So there is a 16GB Surface! :-)

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  7. Memory card. by csumpi · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I'd rather take a device with 13gb free space and a memory card slot, rather than one with 28gb free and no way to expand.

    1. Re:Memory card. by tuppe666 · · Score: 5, Interesting

      By pure coincidence, 13 Gb with no expansion slot is all you get on a Nexus 7 16 Gb.

      ...and you can buy three for the price of a surface giving you about 39gb of space :)

  8. Re:Microsoft Office by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    A paperweight.

  9. Impossible for apps, just like the iPad by SuperKendall · · Score: 5, Informative

    And how much is it to add an additional 32gb or 64gb to your iPad if you hit your storage limit?

    You swap some data out to external storage, just as Microsoft recommends.

    $20 or $49 like the Surface or more?

    You can't put apps onto external media on the Surface either.

    --
    "There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
    1. Re:Impossible for apps, just like the iPad by Paradise+Pete · · Score: 5, Funny

      Which means you need to find a restaurant with open Wi-Fi

      It has to be a restaurant now? Damn Apple and its walled Olive Garden.

  10. Re:Yes you CAN attach external media with an iPad by Kielistic · · Score: 5, Insightful
    Hardly larger than an SD card? Who cares? The microSD card fits inside my phone and any other device that takes an SD card.
    I'm not sure why pointing out that having to purchase a $30 add-on that hangs out of a device (in other words cannot be left in all the time) makes me an "android folk". Android is not even in the discussion so you can relax- the boogeyman isn't out to get you here.

    I am terribly sorry if the truth offends you; a hard life is in store for you I fear.

    Not quite sure what that really means. You seeming like a troll doesn't hurt my feelings at all.

    It's a little hard to understanding[sic*] how pointing out a fact is misleading.

    I'm fairly certain you know exactly why it is misleading but I will spell it out anyway. The Surface has an SD slot. I could plug an extra N gigabytes of additional space into it and forget about it. The iPad does not. The iPad apparently has an add-on called a "camera connection kit" made to load pictures which appears to also allow loading other media as well. This is not plug in and forget. This is: "hope you remembered to bring it when you feel the urge to use it". Most people do not even know this exists; fewer would use it.
    I know somebody poked fun at an iPad's lack of expandable storage but it was not a personal attack against you. You are not an iPad. You know what people mean when they talk about expandable storage. You know the iPad does not have it in the same sense. Nonchalantly claiming the iPad has expandable storage is a lie of omission.