Ladies and Gents – the Microsoft Surface tablet

After the big hush hush and tight lock down, Microsoft finally announced their new line of Windows tablet calling it Surface. And boy it is B-E-A-UTIFUL! 

 FEATURES

The Surface tablets feature a 10.6 inch touch screen wrapped in VaporMg (Vapor Mag, magnesium casing) giving it a solid feel plus an HD port, full size-USB slot and kickstand. Surface will be available in 2 versions - Windows RT (which is a toned down Windows 8) and Windows 8 Pro.

 

What’s amazing about the Surface is the magnetically attached 3mm-thick Touch Cover that folds down and functions as a full touchscreen keyboard. We have NEVER seen anything like this. The Touch Cover being magnetically attached, it is absolute mind blasting! It uses pressure-sensitive technology which allows faster touch typing. With a felt-like feel, there are several colors to choose from and even thicker 5mm cover is available. 

The Microsoft Surface also comes with a built in kickstand (no, it’s not like Archos’ skinny stick popping stand) which is well-designed and built for actual use.

SPECS

Microsoft Surface with Windows RT:

• Windows RT operating system
• Nvidia ARM CPU
• 9.3mm thick
• 676 grams/23.85 ounces
• 10.6-inch ClearType HD Display
• 31.5 watt hour battery
• Ports: microSD, USB 2.0, micro HD video, 2x2 MIMO antennae
• Storage options: 32GB and 64GB for Windows RT
• Front and rear-facing "HD" cameras

Microsoft Surface with Windows 8 Pro:

• Windows 8 operating system
• Intel Ivy Bridge CPU
• 13.5mm thick
• 903 grams/31.85 ounces
• 10.6-inch ClearType "Full HD" Display
• 42 watt hour battery
• Ports: microSDXC, USB 3.0, mini DisplayPort video
• Storage options: 64GB and 128GB
• Front and rear-facing "HD" cameras

PRICE & AVAILABLILTY 

Unfortunately we absolutely do not know when the Microsoft Surface tablet will be available. As for the price, all we know is the RT version will be competitively priced at around USD 500, just like any other ARM powered tablet. For the Pro version, we heard it will be priced similar to that of ultrabooks.

With the little information Microsoft announced, we are still waiting on other features the Surface tablet can offer such as apps, integration with other Microsoft devices, connectivity options, battery life and more hands-on review. But so far, all we can say is bravo!!

More on the Microsoft Surface tablet soon.

Photos courtesy of Microsoft.

Microsoft coming out with their own Windows 8 Tablet

Microsoft is set to have a “major” announcement on Monday June 18 at Los Angeles. For what its about, we know very little of what going down since Microsoft is keeping a very tight lid. A lot of people are leaning towards the introduction of new devices, but in particular the Microsoft-manufactured tablet. Oh yes, Microsoft is finally entering the game of designing AND building both hardware AND software for tablets.

Will it be a good move for Microsoft to build their own tablet? My opinion, YES. Microsoft has years of experience under its belt manufacturing devices such as PC peripherals, media players, a couple of smartphones and of course the Xbox. Most of them did not bring Microsoft to greatness, but nevertheless, they do know how to make a quality product. For now all we know is that the Microsoft tablet will be running on x86 and ARM processors and Windows 8 (like I said, information about this event is sealed tight!).

So what’s great about this Microsoft-manufactured tablet? Why it’s the Windows 8 of course. And this operating system is just remarkable. Microsoft really did a good job with the interface, tiles and the overall platform. The only concern is how they've integrated this software to a hardware that will rake great reviews.  But bottom-line, it will all boil down to expectations on price, design, and user experience. If everything can be tied together nicely, Apple may have found a serious rival.