Residual Uses for an Original Surface RT

[mhc48]

I bought the first Surface RT the first day it came out and later replaced it as my daily go to device when I got a Surface Pro 3 and another desktop at home. Since then it mostly sits around getting used less and less with each passing day. I'll sometimes take it along on a short trip to places where I might not want to risk damage to my SP3, where it functions well enough to read e-mail and do very minimal internet browsing. Being smaller than my SP3, sometimes at home I'll carry it into the can or use it to follow recipes in the kitchen or as a semi-portable device for music or podcasts outdoors. And sometimes I use it in front of the TV to look up info on IMDB or as an auxiliary controller for an Xbox 360 to watch Netflix or Amazon Prime movies with Smart Glass. That's about it. Slow as it is, , I figure it's worth keeping around and using for those purposes.

Lately I've been getting a lot of phishing or other dubious e-mails, which I usually resist even opening so as to not let in a virus, but some of them later turn out to have been legitimate inquiries by my bank or credit card company. I was thinking today that the Surface RT might make an excellent device to open questionable e-mails.Being ARM based and designed to only be able to install Windows store apps; having Defender installed and anyway, where's the financial incentive for anyone to bother creating a virus for RT I was thinking that it's pretty much impervious to any virus risk. If something should happen, well, I've pretty much amortized the original cost.

Am I right in thinking that there is virtually no downside or risk using it to open and read just about anything (so long as I don't type in any personal information)?

Does anyone who also has other tablets or laptops for standard purposes, find their RT still worthwhile for another purpose?

 

[WillysJeepMan]

There's always a risk regardless of operating system. The risk might look differently on Windows RT than on other versions of Windows (phishing vs. infection.)

As for other uses... for my purposes, my Surface 2 is more "pro" than the iPad Pro (which I was waiting for but declined to buy one once I saw what was offered) and use it in those situations where I need to connect to a variety of projectors and monitors, give presentations (love the dual display, support for USB presentation remotes!), and want to project videos or streaming sites.

The Surface 2 serves a purpose (mostly as an MS Office appliance) among my other "main" devices, iPad Air 2, 11" Macbook Air, and 21" iMac.

 

[mhc48]

Pro 2 was a more capable device than the original.

 

[Philip Hamm]

As I understand it there is virtually no way for you to get any virus or Malware on an RT. I use my RT tab every day. I can't justify replacing it, it would be so expensive.

 

[mhc48]

As I understand it there is virtually no way for you to get any virus or Malware on an RT. I use my RT tab every day. I can't justify replacing it, it would be so expensive.

Even if it were technically possible to get virus or malware on RT, given the number of devices originally sold and still in use now, I can't imagine that it would be worth the while of anyone to create or release any of those targeted to RT owners.

(well...short of the NSA or FBI wanting to gain access or hack in).

 

[Cabo Blue]

I still use my RT.
Windows updates install with few to no problems.
OS is still stable and functions within its capabilities.
I can't see ever letting go of this device.
As started above, I still find uses for it and still enjoy it.

Sometimes I wonder...
While having a Nokia 1520, my RT OS seems more stable than the W10m.
Operates more smoothly.
Just an opinion...

 

[RTGent]

I also still use my original RT -daily. My Pro 2 with Win 10, and Win 7 desktop are my main computers. I do 95% of my mail and other communication on my Lumia 950. Comcast and Microsoft do a very good job of screening my mail, so I don't encounter much junk. AND, I don't open anything I am not expecting or don't recognize on ANY device. For what??? I also use the filtering and auto-delete features that are available on these mail servers.

I value the RT because of its reliability, better battery life, and lower weight -the latter two are the reasons I purchased it 4 years ago, and the reasons I've always valued any portable device. There are even lighter and thinner Surfaces available --impressively, to be sure; but, I still prefer the smaller screens of the originals.
If you don't need nor use it, there are surely others who would appreciate it for the more useful, necessary operations for which it was designed. Explore, inquire, and good luck finding worthy options for an excellent device. :smile: