Surface: Microsoft Announces Two shelves Intel and ARM

There will be shelves Windows and there will be shelves of Microsoft Windows. At a conference in Los Angeles whose purpose was kept secret, but surrounded by rumors, Steve Ballmer unveiled the Surface. Tablets 10.6 "16:9 HD who take the brand previously used for large touch tables.

The bars in profile a little less round than the iPad will be sold by Microsoft, whose name does not appear around the screen, the Windows logo was preferred.

Two models with a magnesium chassis will be sold, one will run Windows 8 Pro on Ivy Bridge Core i5 processor from Intel, the second will focus on Windows RT ARM. Only the Wi-Fi is the game, with two antennas, 3G has not been mentioned.

The Intel model will weigh no less than 903 g to 13.5 mm thick. The ARM model sail a little closer to the waters of the iPad with 676 grams for a thickness of 9.3 mm. The battery is announced at the Intel 42 Wh 31.5 Wh cons for ARM. In comparison, the latest Apple tablet is 652 g (Wi-Fi version) and 9.4 mm with a 42.5 Wh battery. Note that among the information still missing include the autonomy of these two devices.

The Intel model will feature a 1080p screen, 3 USB port, a card slot microSDXC, a Mini DisplayPort output and 64 or 128 GB of storage capacity.

The ARM version has not been detailed on the definition of the screen, you bet as it will be significantly lower than that of the shelf Intel, and also that the new Apple iPad which has certainly won the stocks of screens .

This area will have an ARM processor Nvidia Tegra, USB 2, Micro HD Video output, a microSD slot, 32 or 64 GB and it will ship with a version of Metro Office Home & Students. Both are equipped with a torque cam in the front and back, especially to accompany Skype.

No price was given; Microsoft has merely stated that the area will have ARM rates competitive with other tablets that ARM and Intel will be in the waters of Ultrabook. The Intel version will arrive three months after the launch of Windows 8 expected this fall, while the MRA should follow the release of the OS more closely. Moreover, only the latter was shown.

Each shelf is equipped with a retractable rear to hold it vertically in landscape mode. To complete this mode of use, Microsoft has created its own Smart Cover that would link to the tablet by magnetization. But there is a noticeable difference, they incorporate a keyboard. Cover the type and offers a physical keyboard (with a key travel of 1.5 mm) and a trackpad. A stylus is also among the accessories designed for use Windows 8.

Cover the Touch is thinner (3 mm to 5 mm against the other), she joined the keyboard and trackpad to matter. A non-mechanical keyboard, but still makes the typing speed twice as effective as that performed on a glass surface, said Steven Sinofsky. Small details, these keyboards contain an accelerometer and when attaching a version over another, Windows recognizes their color to change its theme defect. For one as for the other, Microsoft has not given price, nor say whether they will be optional, which seems likely. Cover the type exists in black and Touch Cover will be available in variations of white, red, orange, pink and blue. 

 In the end of the conference, Steve Ballmer, interviewed by The Verge, said that Microsoft's partners, including those are expected to also launch Windows tablets had been taken into confidence in this area before the announcement. As to what will their reaction to this whole new competition from Microsoft, the Microsoft boss has just suggested they might "nod" of the head. In part, also said Steve Ballmer, the objective of this tablet is to "prime the pump" as a prelude to the launch of Windows 8/RT. In any case, Microsoft follows Google's strategy with its Nexus (which it is expected that the act includes an Android tablet), as holding the dual role of partner rather delicate and the competitor.