Microsoft held a press event this afternoon in Los Angeles, California. Marketed as #MicrosoftMystery on Twitter, press and users alike were abuzz with what Microsoft might have to reveal at this mysterious event, which was announced late Thursday.
Nearly an hour after the event began, Microsoft finally announced Surface, a tablet that will run Windows 8 RT, supporting both ARM and Intel chips. This will be Microsoft’s first foray into manufacturing PC hardware.
In what appears to be an attempt to quell the dominance of Apple’s popular iPad, Surface looks like a sleek tablet that offers a lot of impressive accessories. These include a built-in kickstand and a magnetic keyboard case, which gives it the functionality of full fledged PC. There are also full-sized USB ports on the tablet, and its external case is made from sturdy (and light) magnesium.
This is the first time that Microsoft has come out with a Windows branded computer of any kind, and it runs its new flag ship operating system, Windows 8. With the innovative Metro interface already seemingly designed with touchscreens in mind, Surface is a prime piece of hardware for Windows 8 to officially debut on.
As an example of how seamlessly Surface runs Windows 8, President of the Windows and Windows Live Division, Steven Sinofsky, demoed the new Netflix for Windows 8 Metro app. According to Sinofsky, the app was custom designed for Windows 8. Given all the other Metro apps already available for Windows 8, new Surface users will have a good variety of apps to choose from at launch.
There was no news as to Surface’s actual price, or even a release date announced at this time.
What do you think of Surface? Will it be competitive with Apple’s iPad, or is it just a lot of overblown hype?
