Microsoft Officially Announced the “Surface” Tablet

Overall, the Surface is a sleek piece of hardware, although it may not cater to every consumer’s taste. The Surface is a PC-tablet hybrid, but this segment is only appealing to a few people, so perhaps, Microsoft may need to avoid using the term ‘hybrid’ or ‘convertible’. The device comes in two versions; the ARM-version will run Windows RT and it may be priced around $500, which puts it in direct competition with several Galaxy Tab and iPad models. The Windows 8 version is powered by the more-than-adequate Intel Core i5 processor, not weaklings like Atom processors.

Unfortunately, the Windows 8 version may be priced at a significantly higher price at around $1000 and although it supports some killer apps, like Microsoft Office and Photoshop, many will balk at this price point.

On the other hand, the Windows RT version will come into the market with very little apps selection, especially because the Windows RT lacks the backward compatibility for current Windows Phone apps.