Microsoft Surface update tweaks performance

Microsoft releases patches for the Surface RT tablet, which include performance improvements.

by Brooke Crothers

November 13, 2012 8:15 PM PST

Microsoft Surface: a firmware update appears to have boosted app performance.

(Credit: Microsoft)

Microsoft has issued a firmware for the Surface RT tablet that improves performance, according to reports and anecdotal comments.
On the same day that Microsoft released patches for Windows 8, it is also furnishing a system firmware update for Surface RT along with Windows RT operating system updates.
"Surface is definitely running smoother...App transitions seem snappier," said a reader commenting below a ZDNet article.

A report and a blog post also mention performance improvements when launching apps.
CNET's Surface review last month said performance could be "slow at times."
Fixes listed under a "cumulative update" include performance improvements "when you wake the computer and when the computer is asleep, in order to improve battery life" and a patch for "an issue that may prevent Windows Store Apps from being installed fully."
Microsoft's Surface RT tablet runs a version of Windows 8 written for ARM processors -- the first time for a mainstream Windows OS to run on the same chips that power Android smartphones and tablets. Therefore, some Initial hiccups were expected.