After days of wild speculation and heated rumors from the media regarding Microsoft’s “major announcement,” the company finally took a plunge in the tablet market by debuting Surface, a Windows 8-powered tablet. The tablet is available in two computing options: the Surface for Windows RT running on an ARM processor, and the Surface for Windows 8 Pro, running on an Intel Core processor.
Microsoft's Surface tablets are stylish, smart, well-built, and carefully designed, standing out from anything currently available on the market. Comparisons to Apple's wildly popular iPad are unavoidable, but Microsoft's offering has some exciting distinctions to boost it in today's competitive tablet market. The most obvious distinction compared to Apple's market-leading iPad is that Surface supports the 16:9 format familiar with high-definition movies and modern televisions. In addition, the tablet not only comes equipped with Bluetooth, but also with standard USB and HDMI ports and card slots, which give it a significant edge.
Top Features
The built-in kickstand is definitely at the top of the standout features this tablet has to offer. Considering its incredible simplicity and great functionality, this feature is very practical for reading, watching Netflix, basic Internet browsing, and more. On a first look, Surface's built-in kickstand seems unobtrusive and doesn't even appear to add extra thickness or weight to the tablet.
When it comes to operating system options, Microsoft's Windows RT looks arguably exciting. We've all gotten accustomed to the two main mobile operating systems dominating the market: Apple's iOS and Google's Android. A change, however, might be just the thing Microsoft needs to stand out from its competitors, and the aesthetics of Windows RT on the Surface tablet certainly looks like a nice change. Moreover, Surface for Windows 8 Pro can offer users the functionality of a PC for more serious tasks.
Equally exciting, Surface comes equipped with a full multitouch keyboard, eliminating the need to purchase separate add-ons if you can't work with the touchscreen keyboard. Similarly to Apple's Smart Cover, Microsoft's Touch Cover for Surface can be easily attached to the tablet through a magnetic connector. Surface, however, comes with a major distinction: the Touch Cover doubles as a pressure-sensitive keyboard as well, perceiving keystrokes as gestures. The keyboard also includes gyroscope sensors in order to disable its function when folded out of the way. As a bonus, the full multitouch keyboard will be available in a range of colors to suit any taste.
Lastly, but not any less important, the aesthetic design and ultra-portability make Surface a tablet to crave for. Both versions of Microsoft's Surface tablet are very portable, weighing in less than two pounds.
Microsoft has not announced pricing details or availability for its new Surface tablet, but the software maker said it would price it "competitively." It is too early to tell whether it has what it takes to compete against Apple's iPad in terms of sales, but from the looks of it, Surface might be a serious contender.
