Photo courtesy Microsoft
(Honolulu) – The tablet war just got real. Microsoft shocked the tech world today with the introduction of not one but TWO radical new tablets. The company unveiled “Surface” – a pair of 10.6-inch tablets that come in Windows 8 Pro and Windows RT versions.
Surface is both a tablet and a PC. It comes with an integrated Kickstand and a 3mm thin, pressure sensitive cover that doubles as a fully functioning keyboard and trackpad, all connecting magnetically. Touch Cover comes in five colors.
Surface has a 10.6″, 16:9 widescreen HD Display. Microsoft’s ClearType HD Display technology delivers a great picture for movies. It features an auto-adjusting screen intensity that delivers great visual clarity, indoors and out.
The tablet is 9.3 mm thick, has a USB port, a Micro SD card slot and two cameras. The rear camera is angled at 22 degrees when the stand is down to record meetings and events hands-free. It also has dual array mics and speakers. The higher end device has USB3 and DisplayPort.
The response has been mixed to the announcement – from excitement, to shock, to downright apathy. Some response from Twitter has been:
“A keyboard and a kickstand in a tablet. This is sleek!”
“Pretty slick laptop replacement.”
“Not a real threat to the iPad. More like a message to their hardware partners: Try to do something at least this good.”
“Collective yawn on Microsoft Surface tablet? Just wondering…”
“WOW, Windows team nice job dropping a bomb on us today, so want this”
“So far the big iPad-killing feature of the Microsoft Surface that I keep hearing about is a built-in kickstand. Seriously? Oh geez”
Whether Microsoft has a hit with Surface has MANY unknowns: Price, connectivity, keyboard quality, battery, business use, and many more. Will it have apps? Looks like we’ll have to wait until later this year to know for sure.
For more information visit the Surface website.
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