MANILA, Philippines – People interested in the Windows 8 launch are also intrigued by the upcoming release of the Microsoft Surface tablets. While the Microsoft Surface RT is already available for pre-order in some markets, the Microsoft Surface Pro, its beefier younger brother, is also looking to make a grand entrance later on.

What’s the difference between the two? We’ve taken a look at the specifications for the two Surface variants and will be giving you a rundown of the different capabilities and potential of the two below. 

Specs

The Microsoft Surface RT weighs in at 1.5 pounds and is 9.3mm thin while the Surface Pro is slightly thicker and heavier at 2 pounds and 13.5mm thin. Both use a 10.6 ClearType Full HD display, but have different resolutions. For the RT, it’s 1366 x 768 with 5-point multi-touch, and the Pro will use 1920 x 1080 with 10-point multi-touch.

The RT variant of the Surface comes with 2GB of RAM and runs on a NVIDIA Tegra 3 T30 processor. On the other hand, the pro variant will have 4GB of RAM and an Intel Core i5 “Ivy Bridge” processor. While the Surface RT has 32GB and 64GB disk size types, the Surface Pro will come with 64GB and 128GB types instead. Both variants of the Surface can have their storage expanded through MicroSDXC card slots.

The Surface RT will carry a 31.5Wh battery versus the Surface Pro’s 42Wh battery. Estimates have the Surface RT’s battery life at approximately 8 hours or possibly more depending on use. While it may seem logical to assume the Surface Pro would have more battery life, there’s no telling how power-hungry the system may be, so you’ll want to wait for more word from Microsoft on that end.

Ports-wise, the Surface RT uses USB 2.0 and Micro HD Video ports, whereas the Surface Pro takes advantage of USB 3.0 and Mini DisplayPort Video slots and ports.

Programs

Now that we’re done with the nuts and bolts, perhaps the defining difference of the Surface RT and the Surface Pro comes in their capabilities with regard to programs. Whereas the Surface Pro runs on Windows 8, which supports programs running on XP, Vista, and 7 versions of the Windows OS, the Surface RT uses Windows RT, a version of Windows 8 made specifically for devices using ARM processors.

Windows RT has limitations imposed regarding programs, which is to say that while the RT does get a free, complete version of Microsoft Office and Internet Explorer developed specifically for itself, all other applications on the RT variant have to come from the Windows Store as the RT operating system doesn’t run non-RT programs.

Currently, this means that you’ll have to contend with only having 5000 or so apps on the Windows Store. You’ll need to wait for developers to make apps for the Windows Store, which should slowly gain more traction after it gets officially launched. – Rappler.com