Microsoft announces the 10.6-inch Surface tablet in Arm and Intel flavors

In today’s consumer technology market, it feels like nothing stays a true secret and whatever is being announced is leaked before it is time. Microsoft did a great job keeping this one a secret until they were ready to announce the new Microsoft Surface Tablet. It’s a 10.6-inch Windows machine that might make you rethink all those Kin jokes you’ve been making

Microsoft decided that what they really needed for Windows 8 was to announce a tablet that they manufactured themselves. In fact, they have announced a pair of devices that look nearly identical. The Microsoft Surfact Tablet will have a Windows RT version and a Windows 8 Pro version. The Windows RT version is 9.3mm 1.5 lbs, while the Pro version comes in at 14mm thin at just under 2 lbs. The biggest difference between the two is the fan needed for the 3rd gen Intel Core i5 processor on-board.

The casing for Surface is a magnesium alloy covering all but the 10.6-inch slab of Gorilla Glass covering the front of the device. Despite being so thin, Surface still spots a full size USB 2.0 ports and a DisplayPort for connected to larger displays.

Hands-on the Surface Tablet

As far as tablets go, the new Surface Tablets really seem to be exactly what Microsoft needs to get into the tablet game. Fortunately, it also comes with some really great accessories.
Among the many things being offered with the new Surface Tablets, Microsoft has made a magnetically attaching cover that, when used with the built in stand, creates a laptop form factor with its 3mm thin multitouch keyboard. If you prefer a keyboard with a little more feeling, you can attach a tactile keyboard the same way. The keyboard makes room for a trackpad as well, making it great for browsing just like you would on a laptop. The keyboard will be offered in a variety of colors.
Alongside that, there’s a magnetically attached pen that allows for pen input on the tablet. When using the pen, the screen detects the correct input and will not accept input from your fingers as long as the pen is close to the tablet. The pen can be used for digital ink style input, and the demonstration showed input at 600 dpi.



Unfortunately, Microsoft hasn’t decided to tell us exactly what hardware is inside, or how much it is going to cost. The best we’ve gotten so far is that the devices will be “competitively priced”. We know that the RT based models will come in 32GB and 64GB capcities, and the Pro version will offer up 64GB and 128GB, but there’s really not much else to say about the gear or the pricing.
Microsoft hit on a lot of really positive points for Surface, making the device capable of competing with not only Android and iOS, but also with the current wave of ultrabooks. The critical point for these devices, with Windows 8 looming, is going to be price. If Microsoft prices itself out of the market, the name “Surface” will go down in history for a second time as the little Microsoft product that couldn’t.

Source : geek.com