Microsoft Surface tablet takes aim at rivals

Microsoft has made its long-awaited move into the tablet space: the MicrosoftSurfacetablet will come to market in two different models, bringing the Windows 8 Metro interface to tablet computing.

Steve Ballmer, Microsoft CEO, demonstrated the tablets at an announcement ceremony in Hollywood. "With Windows 8 we did not want to leave any seam uncovered; we wanted to give it its own hardware innovation," Ballmer said. "It's something new, something different, a whole new family of computing devices."

Running Windows 8 and featuring the same Metro interface as desktop PCs, the tablets will blur the line between tablet and PC, said Steven Sinofsky, president of Windows at Microsoft. Sinofsky described the Surface as “a tablet that's a great PC, a PC that's a great tablet.”

The tablets feature magnesium casings with kickstands to support the screen, a mode complemented by removable keyboards - Microsoft demonstrated two casings which attach magnetically and feature integrated keyboards and trackpads. The 3mm-thin Touch Cover interprets touches as keystrokes, while the Type Cover offers physical keys for a more traditional ultrabook experience.

Two models are planned. One will be powered by an Nvidia ARM chip, running Windows RT - the OS version built specifically for ARM-powered devices, with limited application support. The other will feature an Intel Core i5 processor and Ivy Bridge chipset, and run full Windows 8 Pro, supporting standard desktop applications as well as Metro apps.

The ARM model is comparable to the third generation iPad in its dimensions, coming in 1mm thinner (9.3mm vs the iPad's 9.4mm), and weighing just 90g more, despite boasting a larger screen (10.6” to the iPad's 9.7”). The Intel model will be bulkier, 13.5mm thick and weighing 1.9lb.

Details of the Surface's screen resolution are not yet known, though Microsoft's spec-sheet says it is “full HD”, suggesting a resolution of at least 1920x1080. Storage options of 32Gb and 64Gb will be available for the ARM model, and 64/128Gb for the Intel version.

Front and rear cameras are included - the rear camera angled to capture images from straight ahead when the tablet is resting on its stand. Expansion ports include USB 3.0 and microSD slots.

No pricing or shipping dates were revealed, but the tablets are expected to be priced comparatively with competing ARM tablets and ultrabooks. Details of battery life and wireless connectivity options were also not announced.

Analysts were cautiously optimistic about the Surface's chances in a world heavily dominated by Apple with growing competition from Google's Android.

Ovum analyst Jan Dawson described the new tablets as “compelling”, but noted that pricing remains an unknown quantity. Everything will depend on the user interface, he said: “It looks like a huge break with the past on the surface but with a jarring switch back to the old desktop world hidden beneath.”

Dawson also questioned whether a Microsoft-built device would sour relationships with OEM partners. “It is rarely a good idea for an OS owner to start competing with its OEM partners, and this does not feel like an exception,” he said.