Microsoft is going to go head to head with Apple’s dominance in the tablet landscape with its new Microsoft Surface tablet. The new device was unveiled during a press event held in Los Angeles.
Rumors of Microsoft making a tablet has been circulating on the internet for many months now and the final reveal was not much of a surprise. What was surprising though was the tablet itself, with many saying that it does look like it has what it takes to really take on Apple. The Microsoft Surface tablet was revealed by Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer, with Steven Sinofsky talking more about the tablet at length.
Based on the presentation, Microsoft will be releasing two Microsoft Surface models. The first one, called the Surface PC, will be powered by a 22nm Intel Ivy Bridge chip and will run Windows 8 Pro. It will have a thickness of just 13.5mm and weigh 1.9 pounds. It will also have USB 3.0 support. The casing will be made of vapor-deposited (PVD) magnesium, which is the first PC that will feature this kind of material in a case, according to Microsoft. A built-in kickstand is part of the casing. The Surface PC will ship with either a 64GB or 128GB storage. The Surface PC will also feature digital ink support in the form of a pen that is magnetically attached to the body of the PC. The ClearType Full HD display measures 10.6 inches.
The other model that Microsoft will release is a Surface tablet that runs an ARM chipset. It will be powered by Windows RT. This model will be thinner than the Intel model at just 9.3mm, and will weigh 1.5 lbs. The casing will also be made with PVD magnesium and will also sport the built-in kickstand. The ARM model will ship with either 32gb or 64gb or storage and will also have the ClearType Full HD 10.6 inch display.
Microsoft said that the pricing for both models will be made available close to when it will be available at retailers, but assured that the pricing will be competitive with ARM tablets and Ultrabook PCs already in the market.
Originally posted on June 19, 2012 @ 10:30 am
