Microsoft’s big announcement turned out to be exactly what the tipsters said – Microsoft has officially entered the tablet game, and has announced their own line of tablets called Surface. There will be two variants of Surface, one made for Windows 8 Pro and uses Ivy Bridge Processors, and one made for Windows RT which uses ARM processors. The overall design of the tablet is pretty impressive – it’s only 9.3mm thin (13.5mm thin for the Windows 8 Pro version) and is built using an all Magnesium case with a custom production process called VaporMG, which treats the surface of the device that gives it a finish akin to a luxury watch. The Surface tablet has an integrated cover much like the iPad (complete with the magnetic connection), with a very big difference – the cover also doubles as a keyboard, so users will always have two (and in the case of the Windows 8 Pro version, three, including the pen blocker) input choices when using the device. Microsoft has also included full-sized USB ports into the tablet, as well as an integrated kickstand to allow you use it as a video player with ease. There will different versions of the two tablets – the Windows RT version will come in 32 and 64GB flavors, while the Windows 8 Pro will come in 64 and 128GB versions. Both will sport 10.6-inch ClearType HD Display. The new tablets should arrive right after Windows 8 is officially released. As for pricing, well, there isn’t one yet – though Microsoft has said that the new tablets will be priced “competitively” with similar tablets – for the ARM model anyway.
Surface for Windows RT
- OS: Windows RT
- Light(1): 676 g
- Thin(2): 9.3 mm
- Clear: 10.6” ClearType HD Display
- Energized: 31.5 W-h
- Connected: microSD, USB 2.0, Micro HD Video, 2×2 MIMO antennae
- Productive: Office ‘15’ Apps, Touch Cover, Type Cover
- Practical: VaporMg Case & Stand
- Configurable: 32 GB, 64 GB
Surface for Windows 8 Pro
- OS: Windows 8 Pro
- Light(1): 903 g
- Thin(2): 13.5 mm
- Clear: 10.6” ClearType Full HD Display
- Energized: 42 W-h
- Connected: microSDXC, USB 3.0, Mini DisplayPort Video, 2×2 MIMO antennae
- Productive: Touch Cover, Type Cover, Pen with Palm Block
- Practical: VaporMg Case & Stand
- Configurable: 64 GB, 128 GBSource: Microsoft