The rumors were right after all. That ‘mysterious’ event invitation really turned out to be the unveiling of Microsoft’s own tablet, called Surface.

Meanwhile, the Windows Phone 8 which was also announced last week will be available this coming autumn. The mobile devices were made by Huawei, HTC, Samsung and Nokia. They will have the usual perks of built-in GPS maps, near-field communication (NFC), Skype-ready calls and voice commands that could trump up Apple’s Siri. This is because Microsoft’s voice recognition program could be used to issue commands even on apps and not just limited on the ke operating functions of the phone.

Windows tablet has 4Gb of RAM and 128Gb of SSD running on Intel Core i5 processor, which are really good to boot. It also sports a micro-SD card expansion slot, USB and micro-HDMI ports. And of course it runs on Windows operating system, a clear advantage to the majority of the market.

Microsoft’s new devices feature the Metro interface, which is also going to be the prominent style of the upcoming Windows 8 operating system (intended to run on both PCs and tablets) this October. It consists of a splash screen that can be personalized and displays the prominent touchable colored squares or tiles that stand for services and apps on the device.

MS Windows mobile phones have been generally well received though they have not surpassed the leading brands in the market, perhaps owing to the fact that there are just around 100,000 apps available for them while Android and Apple devices have 5 times as much. Now, Microsoft must be hoping that developers will be lured to create apps for its phones because of the familiarity of PC.

Though Micron Associates has not completely tried Surface, it should be obvious that this tablet will be just like a good ol’ PC as it supports Bluetooth keyboard, docking station and a large monitor connection. The nice difference is, it could be a real portable PC even on itself, unlike iPad’s need for lots of peripherals and productivity apps. With a Windows device, you can seamlessly sync data and tools between your PC and tablet.

The crucial question and factor for its success that everyone is waiting for lies in its price.

Tags: Intel Core i5 processor, micro-SD card, micron associates, USB, Will Microsoft Surface trump iPad?, Windows Phone 8

Categories: WHAT'S NEW | 7 Comments »

---