Microsoft Surface Tablet First Impressions: Awesome

LOS ANGELES -- Microsoft debuted a new tablet today, or rather a tablet family based on its upcoming Windows 8 OS. We get a behind-the-scenes tour at some of the tech that went into making the device, which arrives later this year.

Earlier today, Microsoft held a mysterious event in Los Angeles. We talked about a Microsoft tablet, but to be honest, we were expecting a Windows RT (for ARM) demo with different vendors rather than a full-blown Microsoft launch with their own tablets 

The essence of the two Windows Surface tablets is that “it’s the Windows you know” -in a tablet- but in a fashion that does not get in the way of productivity. The cover/keyboard which comes in two variants illustrates this extremely well: one keyboard is super-thin and another keyboard has deeper key travel space and is one of the best keyboard setup in terms of compactness/effectiveness ratio. Both have an awesome design, and once the cover is on, they feel like a book cover, really. 

It’s funny because this the type of keyboard integration that we always wanted with the iPad, but never got. Also, this is not a wireless keyboard, so not only it does not require a battery, and it is connected to the tablet with a low latency link (1/1000s). This is hands-down the best productivity apparatus that we have seen on a tablet thus far. For sure, the keyboard is going to be a best-selling accessory. Microsoft would not confirm if the keyboard was bundled with the system or not, but given that there are multiple color options, a bundle seems unlikely.

The keyboard also serve as a display cover and this should make most people happy. Despite the fact that modern displays are often resistant to scratches, even from a combat knife steel tip, people do feel better about having some kind of protection for their tablet screen.

Last, but not least, Microsoft has managed to add a full-size USB 2.0 port to make this easy to connect and transfer data from USB keys, cameras and other things that you have grown accustomed to with your PC. Microsoft integrated a full-size USB port in a 9.3mm-thick body, something that was deemed “impossible” not so long ago by major tablet makers.

  In terms of functionality, the Microsoft Surface tablet line-up comes in two versions: one of them is equipped with a Tegra 3 ARM-based processor that runs Windows 8 RT (ARM version). This particular tablet can only run the Windows 8 Metro applications, but it is very thin and light, just like you would expect from a modern tablet. In theory, the Surface for Windows RT will come with MS Office and the Mail application.

The Surface Pro tablet is powered by an Intel Core i5 CPU and runs the desktop version of Windows 8, which means that it can run any Windows or DOS application that were ever created (games too). In addition to being a tablet, the Surface Pro can connect to a large display, keyboard and mouse and turn into a full-blown Windows computer

When we played with the Tegra 3 based tablet running on Windows RT, it felt like a very high-quality device. Instead of aluminum, Microsoft has used VaporMag, a magnesium variant that allowed the tablet to be very rigid and solid. We could feel how rigid it was when trying to apply twist and sheer force on it. It is also scratch-resistant, more so than bare aluminum in our opinion (aluminum bodies often scratch with a strong nail pressure).

Specifications Highlight

Surface Windows RT
676g
9.3mm thick
10.6” display (resolution unconfirmed, looks like 1366×768)
Tegra 3 chip
31.5Wh battery
microSD slot, full-size USB 2.0 port, micro HD video out
Dual WiFi antenna (higher throughput)
Integrated stand
32GB or 64GB of internal storage

Surface Windows 8 Pro
903g
13.3mm thick
10.6” display (resolution unconfirmed, looks like 1366×768)
42Wh battery
microSDXC slot, full-size USB 3.0 port, mini DisplayPort video out
Dual WiFi antenna (higher throughput)
Integrated stand
64GB or 128GB of internal storage