Microsoft Announces Next-Gen Surface 2 Tablets | TechTree.com

Microsoft Announces Next-Gen Surface 2 Tablets

The 10.1-inch tablets will take on the iPads and conventional laptops.

 

Hoping to take on the iPad, Microsoft had unveiled Surface series of tablets last year. Despite offering a unique design and pre-loading it with productivity apps, both the Surface RT and Surface Pro did poorly in the market. However, that hasn't stopped Microsoft from unveiling the next iteration of these tablets. Named as Surface 2 and Surface Pro 2, these new gadgets are said to offer multiple improvements over their predecessors.

Surface 2
Thinner and lighter than the original Surface, this slate features a redesigned two-stage kickstand that can be adjusted for the desk and lap positions. It's based on the NVIDIA Tegra 4 chipset that comprises of a quad-core 1.7 GHz Cortex-A15 processor and GeForce 72 core GPU. The tablet runs Windows 8.1 RT operating system. For those not in the know, the RT version of Windows cannot run Desktop programmes based on the Intel x86 architecture. The tablet features a 10.6" ClearType Full HD display. It comes with a full-size USB 3.0 port faster file transfers. The Surface packs in a 5 megapixel rear snapper, as well as a 3.5 MP front-facing camera for video calling. Microsoft claims that the Surface 2 offers 10 hours of video playback on a single charge.

In select regions, users will get free access to Xbox Music. The tablet will also come pre-installed with Office Home & Student 2013 RT and Outlook RT. For gaming, you have Halo: Spartan Assualt along with the likes of Angry Birds and Cut The Rope. The Surface 2 comes in 32 GB and 64 GB variants, priced at $450 (approx Rs 28,230) and $550 (approx Rs 34,490) respectively.

Surface Pro 2
Touted to be a true laptop replacement, the Surface Pro 2 runs the full-fledged Windows 8.1 OS. The tablet is powered by a fourth-generation Intel Core i5 processor clocked at 1.6 GHz. It also packs in Intel HD Graphics 4400 and can support up to 8 GB of RAM. The 10.1" screen is same as that of its RT sibling. In terms of storage, you get maximum 512 GB of flash drive. Moreover, Microsoft offers 200 GB on SkyDrive. Other specs include a USB 3.0 port, mini DisplayPort, microSD card slot, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth. Similar to the Surface 2, the Pro version also features dual cameras.

Since the Surface Pro 2 boasts of an Intel processor, the Surface Pro 2 can run all your Windows programmes including Adobe Photoshop.

Starting at $900 (approx Rs 56,440), Surface Pro 2 will be offered in 64 GB and 128 GB configurations with 4 GB of RAM, and 256 GB and 512 GB configurations with 8 GB of RAM.

The Surface 2 will be released in 22 markets including the United Kingdom and the United States on 22nd October. China will get it in November, but there's no word on whether it will officially launched in India.
 

 


TAGS: Tablets, Windows, Microsoft

 
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