The Microsoft Surface Tablet


The Microsoft Surface tablet may set a new standard for the tablet industry. Here’s a first look at the new device. The Surface prototype has a 10.6 inch display, framed by a black, beveled chassis made of "vapor-deposited magnesium.” A kickstand folds out from the back of the Surface, a simple innovation that has eluded other tablet makers until now. The Surface even comes with a touch sensitive keyboard that doubles as a display cover, lamping firmly to the display's edges with magnetic fasteners. Two versions of Surf ace will be produced. One will run Windows RT on an ARM processor, while the other will run Windows 8 Pro on an Intel processor. The latter is intended for users who want to run legacy Windows apps; it will include a stylus, too. The RT version of Surface will support 32 or 64 GB of SSD storage, while the Windows 8 Pro version will support 64 or 128 GB. Surface tablets with Windows RT will include a microSD slot, USB 2.0, and a Micro HD port. The Pro versions will have a microSD card slot, USB 3.0, and Min i Display Port. RT devices will weigh about 1.5 pounds and be about 0.36 inches thick.

Surface Pro will weigh closer to two pounds and will be half an inch thick. So what's the difference between Windows RT and Windows 8? They're actually two different worlds. Only software written specifically for Windows RT will run on Surface and other RT platforms. Microsoft calls these "Metro style apps" and will include special versions of Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, as well as apps for a variety of other common tas ks in Windows RT. Third party developers will also supply apps through the Windows Store, similar to the Apple Store, Amazon App Store, and Google Play ecosystems. The Windows software that you're using on your desktop or laptop PC will not run on Windows RT. You'll have to wait for an RT version of your favorite Windows software packages, do without, or go with the more expensive version of the Surface that runs Windows 8 Pro. Two types of cover/keyboards will be available for Surface. The Touch Cover's keys have no "give" while the Type Cover's keys give slightly. The Type Cover is aimed at touch typists. Microsoft says these keyboards (which also include a trackpad) will allow you to type twice as fast as you would on a glass surface. 
Surface with Windows RT will be available around October, in time for the holiday shopping season, and the business oriented Windows 8 Pro version will arrive  sometime in January .A price tag somewhere in the range of $500 to $600 is anticipated . The Windows 8 Pro version wil l be priced to be competitive with ultrabooks at around $1000. While the Surface seemed to perform well over WiFi, mobile connectivity specs were conspicuously missing from the Surface announcement. 
However, the Surface has dual wifi antennas for "the best possible wifi performance." The company was also mum about battery life. Microsoft is running the risk of alienating its hardware partners by releasing hardware of its own. Possibly, Microsoft has not been entirely happy with the tablets its partners have made, and is trying to show them how it should be done. But they're also running the risk of undermining the ultrabook market, while at the same time, courting them to develop hardware to run their flagship Windows 8 software. Microsoft’s track record in hardware has been spotty. The Xbox is a home run with consumers, but the Zune was a foul ball. Will Surface be a grand slam, providing serious compet it ion for the iPad, Kindle Fire and other Android tablets currently on the market.  

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