That said, if a friend or family member should offer to let you use theirs to read a Word document, check your e-mail, or do a quick Web search, I would not hesitate to give it a try, especially if you've spent some time honing your Narrator skills on your main Windows 8 computer. The Surface Pro 2 offers free access to the online versions of these popular applications, but to install the complete desktop version of Office you'll need to obtain and install a licensed copy.Īt least for now, the Surface 2 does not run any third-party screen reader, and for that reason alone I don't recommend purchasing one. Arm processors are the power-conserving chips found in most cell phones, tablets and other touch devices.īoth models will run apps you download from the Windows Store, but the only standard Windows desktop applications that will run on the Surface 2 are the pre-installed versions of Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Outlook, and OneNote. The Surface 2 runs a slightly different RT version of Windows that is optimized for an Arm processor. The Surface Pro 2 is basically an Intel Core i5 Windows 8 touchscreen computer that will run Windows Store apps on the main tiled interface, and also nearly all Windows desktop applications, including third-party screen readers such as JAWS, Window-Eyes, and NVDA. The Microsoft Surface 2 comes in two flavors: the Surface 2 (called the Surface RT in its first incarnation) and the second-generation Surface Pro 2. I spent several weeks putting a second generation Surface Pro 2 through its paces. Now Microsoft has tossed its hat into the competitive ring of touchscreen devices with their line of Surface tablets running Windows 8.

Next, Google chimed in with itsAndroid-powered Nexus 7. First, there was the iPad running Apple iOS.

Surface pro touchscreen not working