Microsoft Surface is a series of tablets that are a direct competitor to Apple iPad. The Surface will have Windows RT as its Operating System which is a sliced down version of Windows 8. There will be two versions of Surface, Microsoft Surface standard and Microsoft Surface Pro.
The difference between these two versions is that Surface standard will use an ARM based CPU while Surface Pro will feature Windows 8 Pro with an Intel CPU. Both these tablets will have a free edition of Microsoft Office installed in them. Here are the full technical specifications of the tablet device:
Exterior
- Dimensions: 10.81 x 6.77 x 0.37 in
- Weight: Less than 1.5 lbs
- Casing: VaporMg
- Color: Dark Titanium
- Physical buttons: Volume, Power
Storage
- 32 GB
- 64 GB
Display
- Screen: 10.6" ClearType HD Display
- Resolution: 1366 x768
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9 (widescreen)
- Touch: 5-point multi-touch
CPU
- Chip: NVIDIA T30
- System memory: 2 GB RAM
Wireless
- Wireless: Wi-Fi (802.11a/b/g/n)
- Bluetooth 4.0 technology
Battery
- Up to 8 hours mixed activity
- 7-15 days idle life
Cameras: Two 720p HD cameras, front and rear-facing
Video: Two microphones
Audio: Stereo speakers
Ports
- Full-size USB 2.0
- microSDXC card reader
- Headphone jack
- HD video out port
- Cover port
Sensors
- Ambient light sensor
- Accelerometer
- Gyroscope
- Magnetometer
BLACK TOUCH COVER
Dimensions:
- 7.4 x 11.0 in
- 3 mm thin
Weight: 0.46 lbs
Colors: Black, additional colors (White, Cyan, Magenta, Red) sold separately
Keys
- Activation: Pressure-sensing input
- Layout: QWERTY
Interface: Magnetic
Sensors: Accelerometer
These specs are not official and have been taken from Softpedia news.
The pricing of Microsoft Surface tablets have also been leaked on the web. The basic Surface standard model with 32 GB of storage starts with $499 price tag while the same device with 64 GB of storage will cost $699.
If you want to include a multi touch TouchCover keyboard case along with the tablet, you will need to pay another $100 extra.
If we compare the pricing with Apple iPad, it is almost similar. There is no difference in the price but Microsoft Surface will ship with 16 GB more storage and a larger display than iPad.
You may go to the Microsoft Surface page for more information about the tablet. The Surface tablet is scheduled to be released on 26th of October 2012 along with Windows 8. What are your thoughts about Microsoft Surface? Will you prefer it over Apple iPad?
Update: ReadWriteWeb has confirmed that the pricing is official from Microsoft now. Here is the pricing table for your ease:
Update: I have been able to find a PDF file from Microsoft which lists down all the feature comparison of Surface RT (standard) and Surface Pro tablets along with technical specs. Here’s a quick screenshot. Just click on the screenshot to enlarge.
You can also download the PDF file from here.
{ 7 comments… read them below or add one }
What are your thoughts about the latest Google 11.6-inch ARM-based Samsung Chromebook?
http://www.engadget.com/2012/10/18/google-launches-11-6-inch-arm-based-samsung-chromebook-249-ul/
Chromebook is not a tablet. It is a Netbook so we can’t really compare it with Microsoft Surface. While I have used and liked Google Nexus, I’m sure Chromebook will also be a good competitor in its respective market.
Here is the photo gallery of Microsoft Surface
http://news.softpedia.com/news/Microsoft-Surface-Photo-Gallery-300506.shtml
By the way I have heard that Microsoft Surface is great for typing. How much speed would be allowed on Surface keyboard?
http://news.softpedia.com/news/Microsoft-Surface-Is-Great-for-Typing-While-on-Your-Couch-300423.shtml
The maximum typing speed on Microsoft Surface can be 86 words per minute. It’s fast. Isn’t it?
The experts say the Microsoft Surface is not better than the iPad. What are your thoughts about this?
http://news.softpedia.com/news/Microsoft-s-Tablet-Is-NOT-Better-than-the-iPad-Display-Expert-300691.shtml
These are only speculations. We can only say this when Microsoft Surface gets released and we can test it with our own hands.