Microsoft’s Own Tablets – Surface with Windows 8

Microsoft is leaving its favorite PC arena and joining the tablet war with its own Windows 8 tablets. Dubbed Microsoft Surface, the new 10.6-inch tablets will be made available in 2 versions: Windows RT and Windows 8 Pro. Here is a brief intro of the technical specifications:

Surface for Windows RT

Processor: ARM-based NVIDIA Tegra
Weight: 676g
Thickness: 9.3mm
Display: 10.6-inch ClearType HD display
Battery: 31.5Wh
I/O: microSD, USB 2.0, Micro HD Video, 2×2 MIMO antennae
Software: Office ’15′Apps
Capacity: 32GB / 64GB

Surface for Windows 8 Pro

Processor: Third generation Intel Core processor (Ivy Bridge)
Weight: 903g
Thickness: 13.5mm
Display: 10.6-inch ClearType Full HD (1080p) display
Battery: 42Wh
I/O: microSDXC, USB 3.0, Mini DisplayPort, 2×2 MIMO antennae
Capacity: 64GB / 128GB

The new tablets come with a magnesium-based casing that is created using a process that is called VaporMg (pronounced as Vapor-Mag) which also includes a built-in kickstand.

Microsoft has also unveiled accessories for their new tablets such as the 3mm-thin Touch Cover with integrated pressure-sensitive keyboard and touchpad. There is also a 5mm-thin cover that is called the Type Cover which features a full tactile keyboard and touchpad with clickable buttons. Surface for Windows 8 Pro even has a digital pen input.

There is no official pricing yet but as a new entrant, we can expect competitive prices from Microsoft to grab market share. Will Microsoft, which made its fortune producing PC software, fare well against tablet juggernauts like Apple and Samsung? Stay tuned.

Paul is a geek who shares his thoughts on technology, gadgets, social networks and football in this blog. Stay in touch with his updates by subscribing to the RSS feeds or Email. Thanks for visiting Seventoten and leaving a comment.  To change this standard text, you have to enter some information about your self in the Dashboard -> Users -> Your Profile box.