Other Looks like Microsoft are announcing something BIG at 23:30 UK time today!!

[Snips]

Rumours out that Microsoft are unveiling their own branded tablet using WindowsRT tonight at 23:30 UK time. Another rumour is that it will stream xbox live games on the fly as well!

Is Microsoft entering the tablet hardware and not just the software market and entering the mobile gaming market at the same time?

[.//TuNdRa]

Didn't microsoft unveil the tablet PC back in about 2002, then ten years later; the world goes apeshiz over the iPad?

[fdbh96]

Guess Apple will be filing a lawsuit against Microsoft at 23:31pm then...

[rollo]

apple wont sue MS for the simple reason they share paterns on many different things for free and have a long standing relationship of like 20 + years

microsoft is the only reason apple exists today

[rollo]

They announced there tablet

[GoodBytes]

Looks really nice!
http://www.theverge.com/2012/6/18/30...rface-revealed

It is called the Microsoft Surface. (yea not THAT Microsoft Surface, this is a tablet).

Surface for Windows RT (ARM)

OS: Windows RT
CPU: Nvidia Tegra (unknown version.. probably Tegra 3+)
Light: 676 g
Thin: 9.3 mm
Clear: 10.6” ClearType HD Display
Vent: None.
Battery: 31.5 Wh
Connected: microSD, USB 2.0, Micro HD Video, 2x2 MIMO antennae
Productive: Office ‘15’ Apps, Touch Cover, Type Cover
Case: Magnesium construct
Configurable: 32 GB, 64 GB

Surface for Windows 8 Pro (Intel)
OS: Windows 8 Pro
CPU: Intel Core i5 - Ivy Bridge
Light: 903 g
Thin: 13.5 mm
Vent: Hidden, can't be blocked easily (see picture)
Clear: 10.6” ClearType Full HD Display
Battery: 42 Wh
Connected: microSDXC, USB 3.0, Mini DisplayPort Video, 2x2 MIMO antennae
Productive: Touch Cover, Type Cover, Pen with Palm Block
Case: Magnesium
Configurable: 64 GB, 128 GB

Also
- Gorilla glass
- IPS panel (not confirmed, I am guessing from the view angles.. I could be wrong).
- 1366 x 768 resolution for ARM model
- 1920 x 1080 resolution for Intel model (AnandTech reports)
- Built-in high quality kick-stand.
- DIGITIZE PEN with 600dpi precision
- Multi-touch too!

It has a protective screen cover thingy, that is a multi-touch keyboard as well, with bumps to identify the keys. Touchpad included.

Microosft says: "This keyboard measures touch faster than any keyboard you can use today."





Physical keyboard option exists too:


Surface internal:






[img]http://cdn2.sbnation.com/entry_photo_images/4394400/gallery_3_large_gallery_post.jpeg[img]









Air flow of the Intel model


(Pictures above from The Verge: http://live.theverge.com/microsoft-l...-announcement/)

More:
Press release: http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/news/...8announce.aspx

Video:


Official website:
http://www.microsoft.com/surface/en/us/default.aspx

[GoodBytes]

Comparison tables:

Surface (ARM) vs Surface Pro (Intel)
http://www.theverge.com/products/compare/5799/5800

Surface (ARM) vs Surface Pro (Intel) vs iPad vs competition
http://www.theverge.com/products/com.../126/3279/4688

[N17 dizzi]

>.<

[Sviatoslav]

This tablet will be a great addition to the Smart Glass technology, mostly because no sane person would buy a Microsoft phone, a sane person would work an extra month to get an Apple... And then go insane/starve, etc.
Who actually produces this new tablet?

[GoodBytes]

Originally Posted by Sviatoslav

Who actually produces this new tablet?

Probably Foxcoon as they are the biggest electronic manufactures , and Microosft has already have links with them with the Zune and XBox 360.

[Sviatoslav]

Chipset will apparently be by Nvidia :-) going with Foxconn would mean facing their poor treatment of labour force! Something Microsoft doesn't want to follow Apple in ;-)

[silky]

Nice! I would quite like one.

I was suprised to see the i5 ivy bridge lol, that's powerful! I always liked the idea of a tablet for sitting on the couch or in bed or whatever, being able to browse the web and stuff. But I would never have got an iPad because you can't use it as a proper computer when you need to. You can't plug in an external hard disk, you can't install Sony Vegas, you can't burn a dvd, you can unzip stuff or whatever.. etc.. Glad MS finally got their fingers out.

[GoodBytes]

Originally Posted by Sviatoslav

Chipset will apparently be by Nvidia :-) going with Foxconn would mean facing their poor treatment of labour force! Something Microsoft doesn't want to follow Apple in ;-)

Actually Foxconn is one the best manufacturing company in China to work in. That is why you have a huge line of people that want to work there. The problem is Apple demand on Foxconn to deliver their product fast. Apple doesn't like having things sold out. So Foxconn pushes employees to high extremes to fill the demand.

[Snips]

Originally Posted by Sviatoslav

This tablet will be a great addition to the Smart Glass technology, mostly because no sane person would buy a Microsoft phone, a sane person would work an extra month to get an Apple... And then go insane/starve, etc.
Who actually produces this new tablet?

Really? Nokia Lumia 900 was outselling the HTC One X and the iPhone in the month it was launched.

[fdbh96]

They actually look quite good to what I was expecting . Although 900g for a tablet without any case or anything is probably a bit heavy :/

Edit: have they released prices on them yet?

[mark1903]

I wonder how long it will take the vents on the Intel version to get blocked by dust and general detritus then overheat!

[Ergath]

And that is how you do Tablet properly.

But will it run Alpha Centauri?

[Nexxo]

Originally Posted by .//TuNdRa

Didn't microsoft unveil the tablet PC back in about 2002, then ten years later; the world goes apeshiz over the iPad?

The 2002 tablet was woefully badly designed: badly adapted GUI, tiny battery life, unclear applications, high cost. Apple made a tablet that was actually functional and tailored to specific uses, with an ecosystem to back it up.

Then Microsoft tried the HP Slate, which pretty much was the same thing as the 2002 tablet, so it failed again.

Since then Microsoft has taken some smart drugs and followed Apple's example:

1. Create a really good GUI for small screen, low power touch devices;
2. Create an ecosystem around it;
3. Scale up to larger mobile devices.

Where it goes a step further is to try and scale it up wholesale to Desktop devices, whereas Apple, for good reason, keeps the two separate and only migrates the useful bits across from the mobile OS. It then gradually works towards convergence. Perhaps by offering an RT flavour Microsoft is starting to see that you cannot have one OS to rule them all, and hopefully it will learn this extends to the GUI also.

But this tablet I actually see working. The Metro OS works better than iOS, and I see it only getting better while iOS 6 suggests stagnancy.

[Apocalypso]

Colour me impressed.

I'd be a lot happier rolling a Windows device out in a Windows environment than an Apple or Android offering.

[GoodBytes]

Originally Posted by Apocalypso

Colour me impressed.

Hmm.. I am looking at my crayons, and I can't seam to find the "impressed" color to color you...