American multinational company, Microsoft has hit the tablet market on Monday (June 18, 2012) with their first own-brand tablet, named as “Surface Windows RT”. The latest Microsoft tablet has been announced during a press conference in Los Angeles, California. The Surface Windows RT tablet will be powered by Microsoft’s next-generation Windows 8 operating system. It will come with ARM-powered magnesium CPU, built-in kickstand and a very unique Touch Cover keyboard, which is better than Apple’s Smart cover.
Image source: www.fonearena.com
The looks of the surface is like a high-end tablet. It is very sleek with hard lines. It is made with very specific curved edge design and very well defined buttons and components. Just like Windows Phone 7 and Windows 8′s Metro UI, it also comes with metallic grey case. Microsoft has tried to manufacture this tablet just like Swiss Army Knife type of tablet that offers both kickstand and a snap-on keyboard.
It will be available with two types of keyboards; 3 millimeters thick pressure-sensitive pad “Touch Cover” and 5 millimeters thick traditional keyboard “Type Cover”. Both covers fix to the underside of surface and lock in place magnetically. According to the Microsoft representative, typing on the touch keyboard is two-times more efficient compared to typing on glass.
The Surface Windows RT tablet is little bit heavier and thicker than the iPad as it weighs 1.5 pounds. It is just 1.4 inches thick, so it is more comfortable for holding. The Surface RT tablet is packed with 10.6-inch widescreen LCD panel, which is covered in Microsoft VaporMg case and used 720P display. Due to Microsoft “VaporMg” casing, it feels very strong in your hands. The display screen of the tablet is made with Gorilla Glass, so you can open items and menu more quickly and smoothly.
Windows RT is also offered with some new cool capabilities like it can run two apps on the same screen at the same time. For example – you can see outlook email on half screen as well as see sports scores on the other half. You are able to make video calling with people that “you care about” through Front facing “HD” cameras. It is also equipped with back-side HD camera, which is angled at 22 degrees. Just by putting tablet on kickstand, you can record meetings and events hands-free.
The thin and light-weight tablet comes with 31.5 watt hour battery, so you can work on tablet more than one day with full charge. You can use Surface tablet just like iPad or as conventional desktop PC by connecting keyboard. It comes with microSD Card slot, USB 2.0, micro HD video, and 2×2 MIMO (Multiple Input Multiple Output) antennas. MIMO is more significant to 3G/4G and 802.11n Wi-Fi. Windows RT is available with two storage options – 32GB and 64GB.
Surface Windows RT tablet is also equipped with Stereo speakers and dual microphones tuned for Skype. It will be available with Xbox integration like latest SmartGlass screen sharing technology and some games fully playable over Xbox Live. It will run on Nvidia Tegra processor. The price of the latest Microsoft Surface Windows RT tablet is not announced yet, but maybe it will be approximately $500. Customers have to wait until Christmas or even 2013 to experience first Microsoft brand tablet.
Surface RT tablet key specifications:
- OS: Windows RT
- Light: 676 g
- Thin: 9.3 mm
- Connected: microSD, USB 2.0, Micro HD Video, 2×2 MIMO antennas
- Productive: Office ‘15’ Apps, Touch Cover, Type Cover
- Practical: VaporMg Case & Stand, edges angled at 22 degrees
- Clear: 10.6-inch ClearType HD Display with 16:9 aspect ratio
- Corning Gorilla Glass 2 technology also included
- Processor: ARM-based by NVIDIA
- Energized: 31.5 W-h battery
- Configurable: 32 GB, 64 GB
- Camera: Front and rear-facing “HD” cameras
- Built-in stand – 0.7mm thick (comes with any Surface)
- Surface Touch Cover – 0.3 mm thick full multitouch keyboard dock that also acts as a magnetic cover, with trackpad included
- Surface Type Cover – similar to Touch Cover but slightly bigger at 0.5mm, it’s a keyboard with actual keys and trackpad buttons
- Pen with Palm Book – a pen that magnetizes to the body of the Surface to offer digital ink support
Hands-on review of New Microsoft Surface Windows RT Tablet:
are you sure about outlook on windows RT? I thought outlook is not available. Outlook is not Office.
“Windows RT is also offered with some new cool capabilities like it can run two apps on the same screen at the same time. For example – you can see outlook email on half screen as well as see sports scores on the other half.”