Microsoft Surface
Microsoft Surface – Side + Stand
Microsoft Surface with the Type Cover keyboard
Microsoft Surface with colored keyboards
In a press conference held by Microsoft earlier today the company announced two new Tablet PC based on the upcoming Windows OS 8. One version will run an ARM based processor and the more advanced version will run an Intel processor and will be more expensive and arrive about 3 months later to the market.
After much speculation, Microsoft finally truly entered the tablet world with full force, introducing a new family of tablets called Surface. These units have been designed from the ground up by Microsoft to resemble books with an open cover the doubles as a touch keyboard
The new surface tablets will use the new Windows OS 8 which includes the Metro touch user interface although you will be able to get into the more conventional windows desktop if you like (although you will probably want to use a mouse for that).
Some of the specs of the two devices have been published by Microsoft (full specs will probably be revealed closer to the products reaching the stores in a few months time):
Surface – Windows RT version:
Weight – 676 g
Thikness – 9.3 mm
Display – 10.6” ClearType HD Display (very similar in size to the iPad but will less resolution than the iPad 3).
Graphics – Nvidia Tegra chipset.
Graphics – Nvidia Tegra chipset.
Battery – 31.5 W-h (no indication of how many usage hours this will give the user).
SSD – 32GB or 64GB.
Connections: microSD, USB 2.0, Micro HD Video, WIFI a/b/g/n (2×2 MIMO antennae)
Optional (?) Software and accessories: Office Home & Student 2013 RT, Touch Cover, Type Cover
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Surface – Windows 8 Pro version:
Surface – Windows 8 Pro version:
Weight – 903 g
Thikness – 13.5 mm
Display – 10.6” ClearType HD Display
Battery – 42 W-h.
SSD – 64GB or 128GB.
Connections: microSD, USB 2.0, Micro HD Video, WIFI a/b/g/n (2×2 MIMO antennae)
Accessories: Touch Cover, Type Cover, Pen with Palm Block.
Both versions will also include an accelerometer and a special retractable stand.
For those who don’t like the thin Touch Cover keyboard designed by Steven Bathiche from Microsoft, a more conventional Type Cover keyboard will also be offered (although it will cost more and make the unit more thick.
The surface will also have an option for a special digital pen which can be used with the screen (which will recognize whenever the pen is near). The pen itself can also be magnetized to the side of the tablet.
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Surface video by Microsoft –
Microsoft did not disclose exact launch dates or pricing but the RT version will be priced competitively to other tablets on the market while the Win 8 Pro version will probably cost closer to an ultraportable laptop (and according to some sources will run a Core i5 Intel CPU) which means around $1000.
More info can be found on Microsoft’s Surface website.
