14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft’s Surface RT comes in two different storage versions, with 32 GB and 64 GB, respectively, but due to the pre-installed software, much less space is actually available to users.
The 32 GB version, for example, has only 16 GB of free space, because of Windows RT, Office RT and Modern apps, so the company’s advertisements could easily be considered misleading.
One user has even filed a lawsuit against Microsoft, asking for a refund and requesting the company to change its marketing strategy.
Probably in an attempt to avoid such legal disputes in the future, Microsoft has added an official disclaimer on the Surface website, letting all users know that all preinstalled apps actually eat up quite a lot of space on the Surface RT.
“Surface comes with great software to help you do more. This software uses significant storage. Get important storage details,” the disclaimer reads.
According to Microsoft’s very own Surface RT storage FAQ, the 32 GB version of the tablet offers only 16 GB of free space, as Windows RT Office Home & Student 2013 RT and the reserved space for Windows recovery tool take up almost half of the total space.
The 64 GB model, on the other hand, offers 45 GB of available storage. Check the above infographic for more information on the Surface RT storage space.
Consumers who want to expand the total storage space of the tablet could always connect an external USB hard disk or a microSD card of up to 64 GB, Microsoft says.
“If you do run out of space on your Surface, there are several easy ways to expand your storage. Surface comes pre-loaded with the SkyDrive app allowing you to store up to 7 GB of content in the cloud for free. The device also includes a microSDXC card slot that can be used to store up to 64 GB of additional content to your device,” the company explains.