Tuesday, June 19, 2012

Microsoft announces ‘Surface’ tablet to rival Apple’s iPad

Microsoft announces ‘Surface’ tablet to rival Apple’s iPad
Photo: Microsoft

Microsoft unveiled its tablet computer ‘Surface’ on Monday in a bid to take on Apple’s successful iPads.

The company is on track to launch its touch-friendly Windows 8 operating system this autumn and wants to make a big impact with its own device to kickstart demand, Reuters reported.

Microsoft chief executive Steve Ballmer described the tablet that “works and plays” when he showed it off at a press event in Los Angeles.

A tablet demo video online at microsoft.com/surface/ promised the tablet was “coming soon”, AFP reported.

A version of Surface running on Windows RT software tailored for ARM mobile device chips measured 9.3 millimeters thick and weighed 676 grams.

It boasted a 10.6-inch (26.9 centimeter) high-definition screen and will be available with 32 or 64 gigabytes of memory, according to Microsoft.

A tablet model powered by Windows 8 Pro software measured 13.5 millimeters thick, weighs 903 grams and will be available with 64 or 128 gigabytes of memory.

Ballmer said: “It’s a whole new community of computing devices from Microsoft. It embodies the notion of hardware and software really pushing each other.”

Apple, which makes both hardware and software for greater control over the performance of the final product, has revolutionized mobile markets with its smooth, seamless phones and tablets. Rival Google Inc may experiment with a similar approach after buying phone maker Motorola Mobility this year, Reuters said.

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