Does Microsoft Surface have GPS?

Anonymous
2012-10-16T16:40:26+00:00

Simple question, cannot find the answer.  A couple of websites states that GPS is there, however I find nothing on www.surface.com.  The website that state that GPS is there have said that since june and I don't know how they would know?

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Anonymous
2012-12-12T16:23:17+00:00

There is no GPS on the Surface. It uses location services based on the internet connection.

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btbt 11,841 Reputation points
2012-10-16T18:47:26+00:00

As it's a WiFi only device, there is no GPS, but it does have location services as part of the operating system.

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Anonymous
2012-12-26T22:54:36+00:00

Hi,

Surface for Windows RT does not support an external GPS device such as the one you refer to.

Surface for Windows RT can look up your location based on WiFi signals in your vicinity, as long as the Surface is also Internet-connected.  Apps such as Maps or Weather, or web sites through Internet Explorer, can use this information.

Hope this helps

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Anonymous
2013-04-02T19:11:00+00:00

Hello Myron,

Surface RT does not have GPS, however it does have Location Services which allows certain programs to know your location based on IP address.

Was there a specific app you needed to use with GPS?

Best regards.

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  1. Anonymous
    2012-10-29T16:16:15+00:00

    Seems the location services work solely on a Wi-Fi database, and you must be connected to the Internet with Wi-Fi enabled so it can see Wi-Fi access points around it it get its location.

    After visting the Microsoft store and playing with the Surface with RT and many other machines running the full version of Windows 8 (laptops, desktops, all-in-ones) I think the reason they left it out the GPS chip was so that their location services and API work identically on all Windows 8 machines, RT or other.

    For example, installing Windows 8 on a legacy laptop with Wi-Fi the machine suddenly acts as if it has a GPS in it: it knows where I am and can create a list of directions of how to get to any address.

    Of course since I did not buy the device I have no idea how it does in a moving vehicle, which even a an iPad without cell service but workig on Wi-Fi handles quite beautifully.

    That said because I visted a traveling circus in town recently, which has access points which travel with the troupe, my iPhone  history thinks I have been everywhere the circus has been! So much for the Wi-Fi database method...

    Back to the topic at hand, since I do now have the latest Windows 8 on my old laptop and I do have a Mi-Fi I should be able to test this how it works in transit and I'll do so next time the weather prevents me from riding my motorcycle to work. :)

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