Microsoft has unveiled their first Windows 8 tablet dubbed as the Surface. Microsoft says the new tablet has been “conceived, designed and engineered” by Microsoft employees and is built on the expertise of their 3-decade old hardware experience. Microsoft is yet to reveal complete specs of the Surface but it will come in two variants – one with Windows RT on an ARM chip and another running Windows 8 Pro on Intel’s 3rd generation Core processor.
Couple of things that makes Surface stand out from the rest of the tablets is the use of a new process to create the casing and Touch Cover. Microsoft uses VaporMg process (pronounced at Vapor-Mag) that allows the magnesium to be molded to make the device lightweight yet rigid. VaporMg also allows to integrate a kickstand right into the tablet. Touch Cover on the other hand is just 3mm thick and uses pressure-sensitive technology that clings to the Surface via a magnetic connector (similar to the iPad’s Smart Cover) and also doubles up as a fully-fledged keyboard and trackpad.
Rounding up the specs, both variants feature a 10.6-inch ClearType HD display, a USB port (USB 3.0 in Windows 8 Pro), microSD card slot, Wi-Fi and up to 128GB storage.
Microsoft will first release the Surface for Windows RT followed by the Windows 8 Pro variant after 90 days. The price will be announced later but will be competitive to that of an ARM tablet or an Ultrabook PC.
