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Last Updated on March 29, 2020
Microsoft wants you to get excited about a Windows tablet and their new Window 8 operating system. So they put the two together and put on a press conference to tell the world about it.
At its keynote address in Los Angeles on 18th of July, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer revealed the Microsoft Windows RT Surface tablet.
The Look and Feel
The Surface is a thin slate tablet. The case, molded from melted down magnesium, is light, yet solid and rigid. It weighs 1.5-pounds and has a thin kickstand that spans the width of the tablet.
There are two cameras, one front facing and one on the back. The tablet has both a USB port, a micro-SD slot for expansion and an HDMI-out. There is also a magnetic strip for one of two covers that double as keyboards.
The Keyboard Covers
The magnesium tablet can use these thin wrap around covers that doubles as a keyboard. The keyboard comes in two flavors, tap and touch. The tap is a traditional keyboard with buttons, while the touch is a pressure sensitive pad. The covers will be available in five different colors.
The Display
The Surface has a multi-touch 10.6-inch display covered with 2nd generation Gorilla Glass, which makes it very durable and smudge resistant. The 16:9 display has an HD resolution of 1366-by-768 with a wide viewing angle. With the added kickstand, it might just be perfect for media viewing.
The Software and Internals
Window’s RT is a light version of the Windows 8 operating system. The Surface RT version makes use of an Nvidia Tegra powered ARM processor like many other tablets currently available.
These are models currently available at the Microsoft store
- Microsoft Surface 32 GB (Tablet only)
- Microsoft Surface 32 GB with Black Touch Cover
- Microsoft Surface 64 GB with Black Touch Cover
The Pro Version
After the launch of the Windows RT version, Microsoft launched also a Surface Pro model. The Pro version features the full Windows 8 experience. More impressive is that it will run on Surface Pro quad-core Intel Core I5 processor.
This will make it more in line with the current crop of ultra-books than other tablets. It will also feature a greater storage capacity.