Monday, June 18th 2012
Microsoft Announces Surface: New Family of PCs for Windows
Today at an event in Hollywood, Microsoft unveiled Surface: PCs built to be the ultimate stage for Windows. Company executives showed two Windows tablets and accessories that feature significant advances in industrial design and attention to detail. Surface is designed to seamlessly transition between consumption and creation, without compromise. It delivers the power of amazing software with Windows and the feel of premium hardware in one exciting experience.
Advances in Industrial Design
Conceived, designed and engineered entirely by Microsoft employees, and building on the company's 30-year history manufacturing hardware, Surface represents a unique vision for the seamless expression of entertainment and creativity. Extensive investment in industrial design and real user experience includes the following highlights:
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. From the fast and fluid interface, to the ease of connecting you to the people, information and apps that users care about most, Surface will be a premium way to experience all that Windows has to offer. Surface for Windows RT will release with the general availability of Windows 8, and the Windows 8 Pro model will be available about 90 days later. Both will be sold in the Microsoft Store locations in the U.S. and available through select online Microsoft Stores.
Contributing to an Expanded Ecosystem
One of the strengths of Windows is its extensive ecosystem of software and hardware partners, delivering selection and choice that makes a customer's Windows experience uniquely their own. This continues with Surface. Microsoft is delivering a unique contribution to an already strong and growing ecosystem of functional and stylish devices delivered by original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to bring the experience of Windows to consumers and businesses around the globe.
Conceived, designed and engineered entirely by Microsoft employees, and building on the company's 30-year history manufacturing hardware, Surface represents a unique vision for the seamless expression of entertainment and creativity. Extensive investment in industrial design and real user experience includes the following highlights:
- Software takes center stage: Surface sports a full-sized USB port and a 16:9 aspect ratio - the industry standard for HD. It has edges angled at 22 degrees, a natural position for the PC at rest or in active use, letting the hardware fade into the background and the software stand out.
- VaporMg: The casing of Surface is created using a unique approach called VaporMg (pronounced Vapor-Mag), a combination of material selection and process to mold metal and deposit particles that creates a finish akin to a luxury watch. Starting with magnesium, parts can be molded as thin as .65 mm, thinner than the typical credit card, to create a product that is thin, light and rigid/strong.
- Integrated Kickstand: The unique VaporMg approach 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.
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. From the fast and fluid interface, to the ease of connecting you to the people, information and apps that users care about most, Surface will be a premium way to experience all that Windows has to offer. Surface for Windows RT will release with the general availability of Windows 8, and the Windows 8 Pro model will be available about 90 days later. Both will be sold in the Microsoft Store locations in the U.S. and available through select online Microsoft Stores.
Contributing to an Expanded Ecosystem
One of the strengths of Windows is its extensive ecosystem of software and hardware partners, delivering selection and choice that makes a customer's Windows experience uniquely their own. This continues with Surface. Microsoft is delivering a unique contribution to an already strong and growing ecosystem of functional and stylish devices delivered by original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to bring the experience of Windows to consumers and businesses around the globe.
125 Comments on Microsoft Announces Surface: New Family of PCs for Windows
Personally, I'd rather not have Google know anything about me if I have a choice.
I think MS is marketing the Pro version as an ultrabook competitor moreso than strictly tablet, but there is much overlap between the two categories.
Tablet devices are all well and good on their own, but for any serious business user you still cannot replace the laptop/desktop with one, the same goes for fully functional OS's on tablet devices they are just too unwieldy to use efficiently on the move. This product has overcome this limitation. I'm expecting very healthy sales figures from this product and windows 8 in general.
But ... it runs Windows, and IE.
No, neither the iPad nor the top of the line Android flavoured tablets (Samsung, Asus, etc)
www.youtube.com/watch?v=aSaXj1vIGxo
And the Surface is a PC in tablet form you will be able to choose whatever browser you want.
Now, all that said. I like this product. I would love to have a Pro version. This fits the power user niche quite nicely. I get my toy, but then I also get a work computer when I need it. All I would need to make it perfect is a keyboard dock option that added some extra battery (like the Transformer) and preferably an ethernet port.
Most people say Windows Phone 7 is much easier to use than iOS too. This is off topic, so I'll stop there.It is too thin for RJ45 jacks.
And I was talking about an alternative, slightly larger, keyboard dock with an additional battery, some extra ports and an rj45.
Previous Windows tablets are a bit meh but this is Microsoft taking it serious now with Windows 8 for ARM with a proper tablet orientated OS.
Yes, I Have 1 of 5 PCs running windows at home. It's my gaming rig. Of course MS is way ahead in that department.
Based on my daily basis of multiple OS usage is why I said so.
"Will the good old x86/x64 PC applications, that we have now working on Windows 7 or XP, WORK on Surface with Windows RT ?"
If not then this is just a waste of money and time...
blogs.msdn.com/b/b8/archive/2012/02/09/building-windows-for-the-arm-processor-architecture.aspx
Windows 8 Pro will have all the benefits of Windows 7, at least as far as backwards compatibility and software availablity is concerned.
Said differently, Windows 8 Pro Surface competes with MacBook Air and Windows 8 RT Surface competes with iPad.
Edit: Caveat: Apparently Microsoft ported the .NET Framework to ARM so applications built for .NET could be recompiled (or already compiled for "Any CPU") to work on Windows 8 RT. At least that is my understanding of it.
I think Microsoft have placed themselves right in the middle of a big customer base.
The multi-billion dollar question is: does history repeat?
show me something like farproc wifi analyzer or amped wireless wifi analytics....
does it have DSP?
You use niche software and Android was intended for niche users. 99/100 people never use wireless analytical software and Windows is targeted at the 99% that simply want internet access, not the 1% that want more than that.
It has Zune for music and everything that comes out of a phone sounds like shit anyway so DSP is about as useful as putting lipstick on a pig.
Apple will continue to dominate smart phone sales. Android users will eventually begin to leave Android for safer and more reliable Microsoft Phones.
The Microsoft Surface is going to be a flop. People are going to buy a similarly priced laptop instead of this.
At best, the Microsoft Surface will lure people into a Windows Store.