Microsoft’s Hardware Gambit – The Microsoft Surface Unveiled

June 18, 2012 | Filed under Tech Stuff | Posted by

Today at an event in Hollywood, Microsoft unveiled Surface: PCs built to be the ultimate stage for Windows. Conceived, designed and engineered entirely by Microsoft employees, it marks the first Microsoft manufactured PC. The two Surface models introduced represents a reference design for the upcoming Windows 8, and offer the potential to actually turn a tablets into fully functioning PCs.

In addition to full-sized USB ports, 16:9 aspect ratio, and a VaporMg magnesium case that creates a finish akin to a luxury watch, a couple of the interesting features of the Surface are:

Integrated Kickstand: The unique VaporMg case also enables a built-in kickstand that lets you transition Surface from active use to passive consumption – watching a movie or even using the HD front- or rear-facing video cameras. The kickstand is there when needed, and disappears when not in use, with no extra weight or thickness.

Touch Cover: The 3 mm Touch Cover represents a step forward in human-computer interface. Using a unique pressure-sensitive technology, Touch Cover senses keystrokes as gestures, enabling you to touch type significantly faster than with an on-screen keyboard. It will be available in a selection of vibrant colors. Touch Cover clicks into Surface via a built-in magnetic connector, forming a natural spine like you find on a book, and works as a protective cover. You can also click in a 5 mm-thin Type Cover that adds moving keys for a more traditional typing feel.

ARM and Intel Editions: Two models of Surface will be available: one running an ARM processor featuring Windows RT, and one with a third-generation Intel Core processor featuring Windows 8 Pro.

Matt Burns at TechCrunch (and iPad user) explains why this device just may be the first true competitor for Apple.

I’m in love with my iPad. I use it everyday, and thanks to the Logitech Ultrathin Keyboard, I’m moderately productive on it; I’m still at only 80% capacity, though. I just love the tablet form factor. I’ve hesitated replacing my iPad with a MacBook Air because of the touchscreen apps. I actually enjoy browsing Reddit more on the iPad thanks to Alien Blue. Flipboard brings me a ton of content I normally wouldn’t get. And the cooking apps — oh my, I love me some cooking apps. That said, I still cannot construct and publish a post to TechCrunch on an iPad. But I could on the Surface.

Laptops have dominated the mobile scene for as long as there was a mobile scene. Tablets have yet to prove themselves as serious productivity devices thanks to their limited computing platforms. But this is Windows. With Office. In a tablet. With a stunning keyboard cover. Love it or hate it, Windows and Office know how to get things done.

I’ve got to say that I’m very intrigued by these devices, especially the Intel edition. I too am looking at it not at a laptop replacement, but as a tablet replacement. Here is the first ad for the device.

« « Wawagate: MSNBC/Andrea Mitchell Smear Romney With Edited Video
Chirpify: A New Twitter Political Fundraising Tool Debuts Today » »

Shortlink:

Posted by on June 18, 2012.
Filed under Tech Stuff.
Tagged with: • .
Kevin founded Wizbang in 2003. He still contributes occasionally and handles all the technical and design work for the site.

You can leave a response or trackback to this entry
  • Commander_Chico

    I’ve been struggling with a couple of bugs in Word 2007 (files suddenly popping up as “read-only” and footnotes not staying on the same page) for days, so I’ll pass if it’s designed by Microsoft employees.

    • Brian_The_Adequate

      I have to admit the tendency of Word to randomly change the language formatting to Portuguese and French for blocks of text in my work documents makes me leery of buying MS designed hardware as well.

    • ackwired

      Your point is well taken, and I will wait to see the reviews after it has been on the market for six months. Hopefully MS hardware will be more reliable than their software. That said, I am definitely interested in a Windows tablet.

      • jim_m

        Surely a third party manufactures their hardware. We should be able to find out who does that.

        • Tuttonelmondoeburla

          Good point, Jim. If it turns out to be someplace in China we all need to be very, very, very afraid.

    • herddog505

      Ditto. I use MS products all the time, but it’s not necessarily by choice.
      (A) “Blue screen of death” is practically a Microsoft (TM);
      (B) It seems that every other version of Windows is a stinker;
      (C) They f*ck with the interface too much. Just when one gets used to where all the shortcuts are and how to get to / do things, BAM! Microsoft changes it to make it more “user friendly”.
      I wish them luck, but I’ll be in no hurry to buy one of these things. As ackwired says, wait a few months until any bugs have been worked out… or until they’ve pulled the product completely out of shame.

    • http://opinion.ak4mc.us/ McGehee

      I’ve been using LibreOffice since it split off from OpenOffice, either of which handles .doc format files just fine for my purposes. The short stories I’ve been self-publishing to Kindle publish better in LibreOffice-created .doc form than exported .pdf — fortunately I’m not in a position to have my software choices dictated by an IT manager.

      And one reason for my objection to WinRT vs. true Win8 is that only IE will work properly on RT. But having 19 years in as a Windows user, the opportunity to have the same platform and login across multiple devices without switching wholesale to Apple products, is worth looking into.

      Then again, with all the cloud services I’m using for various things, my Windows PC, Apple phone and (sort of) Android e-reader do seem to get along all right so far.

  • http://opinion.ak4mc.us/ McGehee

    ARM and Intel Editions: Two models of Surface will be
    available: one running an ARM processor featuring Windows RT, and one
    with a third-generation Intel Core processor featuring Windows 8 Pro.

    The first I saw about the Surface only mentioned the RT version, so I’m glad to see there will be true Win8 versions as well. RT’s deficiencies make it a no-go for me even to consider one.

  • Jared Watkins

    Looks like Surface for the PlaySchool set… and also another pre-product announcement. Microsoft is famous for announcing this great-new-shiny-thing.. and 18 months later when it’s finally released it’s far behind the market and they screw up the details to the point of irrelevance. This is Microsoft we are talking about here… how many smart phone lines have they launched then abandoned? Use to be they could move markets with nothing but vapor.. but that was a decade ago at least.

  • LiberalNightmare

    meh – too late, and shabby looking besides.

  • Pingback: This Is More Like It! Faster, Please! | Daily Pundit