Microsoft has unveiled Surface, a Windows tablet. Speaking at the event Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer said “It was always clear that what our software could do would require us to push hardware, sometimes where our partners hadn’t envisioned. Much like Windows 1 needed the mouse, we wanted to give Windows 8 its own hardware.”
Mashable reports that just as Windows 8 is a reimagining of the Windows operating system, Microsoft describes Surface as a reimagining of the tablet. The first of its kind, Surface is designed to work as both tablet and PC and comes in a version running Windows RT as well as a version running Windows 8 Pro.
Super-thin, the tablet is just 9.3mm thin for the Windows RT version and 13.5mm for the Pro version. Both have two full size USB ports — something you won’t find on the vast majority of the tablet competition. You’ll also find a Micro SD port on the side of the RT version and a microSDXC port of the Pro version for adding data to the device or reading files (like pictures from your digital camera) on the fly.
Surface has a 10.6-inch 16:9 widescreen HD display screen. Designed to be mobile yet sturdy, the screen is made of Gorilla Glass -– an ultra-strong glass – to prevent scratches and breaks if it takes a tumble.
