Microsoft Surface tablet, Windows 8 coming Oct. 26

Microsoft is planning to hold a press event on Oct. 25 in New York City. The software giant is expected to launch its new operating system Windows 8 the following day, along with its new Surface tablet.

Microsoft's head of Windows Steven Sinofsky announced during a sales meeting in July that Windows 8 will ship on Oct. 26.

A report by The Verge suggests that Microsoft will start selling the Surface tablet at midnight on Oct. 26 at its holiday pop-up shops. The company plans to open over 30 of the mini retail locations across the United States and Canada.

Windows 8 features a tablet-friendly design and is a complete departure from previous versions of the ubiquitous operating system. Icons are now large tiles. There is full touch screen support and a multi-touch on-screen keyboard.

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A closer look at Microsoft's Surface tablet

Microsoft's Surface tablet features a 10.6-inch display, a full version of the Windows 8 operating system, Gorilla Glass, a built in kickstand and a tactile multi-touch keyboard.

Two versions of the Surface are planned: an Intel-powered Surface Pro and the Surface RT, which is powered with an ARM chip that runs Windows RT - a version of Windows 8.

Microsoft has not confirmed a price for the Surface tablet, but rumors have circulated that the device will cost about $199. If the purported price of the Surface tablet is correct, it will be the cheapest full-sized tablet to be released this fall.

For comparison, Apple's newest iPad retails for $499, the Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 starts at about $400, the Kindle Fire HD+ starts at $299 and Barnes & Noble's Nook HD+ starts at $269.

Microsoft announced the Surface tablet in June. This will be the company's first hardware launch.

[Forty-Four]

I will pass on this. Saw a commercial for it the tablet last night. I am more than happy with my laptop running Windows 7.

[DevelopingZack]

Unless you're a really really early adopter... I would wait until the Samsung / Acer / HP versions come out. The Slate already vastly outperforms the Surface for just $300 more. I think prices are coming down and Quick!
http://developingzack.blogspot.com/2012/10/the-microsoft-world-shakes-rest-of.html

[DevelopingZack]

Ive been working with Windows 8 for 10 Months literally since December 2011. Your assertion about Documentation of API is flat out wrong: Heres an API reference http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/apps/br211377.aspx and as for the Form Factor: I've written apps for Windows8 in Desktop Mode and in WndowsRuntime for winRT (ARM)tablets. So what was that you had to say about Form Factors?

[irfanali117]

http://www.retrify.com/pre-order-for-surface-tablet-begins/

[doug_valmore]

"This will be the company's first hardware launch." What about Zune & X-Box? Sure Zune was a flop, but you can't ignore the X - huge success! Chenda Ngak, where have you been?

[baileycccc]

I will be the First in Line to buy this new Microsoft Surface Tablet when the 3rd version comes out. Everyone knows that Microsoft is "World-Renowned" for getting it right the 3rd time around.

[hypnotoad72]

I don't know.

Microsoft hasn't come out with details on the new OS, or its API. Noting how the registry has made Windows a maintenance nightmare since 1995, a new form factor (touch tablet) isn't going to resolve the underlying problems.

The big touch icons and logo feel like a step backwards as well.

[none121223]

Thats crap, I think you need to learn something about Windows before posting something stupid.

[lhscub58]

"Microsoft hasn't come out with details on the new OS, or its API". You do realize that Windows 8 preview has been out and available for download for months now, right? There's loads of info on Windows 8. Did you even look it up before posting that?

[skeezix06]

As they said, it depends on the apps. But let's face it, microsoft has become something of the bully on the block. I like the size, the color choice and idea of the cover for the screen but when I consider the outsourcing done by microsoft, the badmouthing of American workers, and the attempt to privatize our public school system I'm not sure I want to enable them any further than I have to.

[hypnotoad72]

Which one isn't the bully?

Apart from Linux...

[hypnotoad72]

You'll get a kick out of this article as well - it's one heck of a puff piece, where the reader comments at the end have far more to say than the actual propaganda piece itself:

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/01/technology/microsoft-sends-engineers-to-schools-to-encourage-the-next-generation.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

It is all about finding ways to induce "cheap talent". These industries do not value work or workers. Just how they can profit for themselves, regardless of the expense workers have to do to (a) become employable, then (b) how to use them as cheaply as possible before discarding them. Those are NOT American values, and it's far more disgusting our tax dollars prop them up while they lie to congress and everything else... well, almost everything else; I'm avoiding a large contingent of MS's history of predatory practices:

http://www.ctj.org/html/corp0402.htm
http://www.mydd.com/story/2007/2/7/184312/5388
http://thejcrevelator2.hubpages.com/hub/HowH1BVisaFRAUDiskillingAmerica
http://www.businessinsider.com/microsoft-to-grassley-were-still-using-h-1bs-no-moral-imperative-to-hire-americans-2009-3
http://www.businessinsider.com/ballmer-threatens-obama-says-hell-move-jobs-overseas-2009-6

(those are in chronological order, so Ballmner's terroristic threats are as much nonsense, as his company has been offshoring for a long time already and at our expense)

Here's one predatory practice:

http://www.zdnet.co.uk/news/desktop-os/2004/07/13/the-legacy-of-microsofts-1994-consent-decree-39160392/
and
http://neowin.z4.cn/news/microsofts-1994-consent-decree-boon-or-bust

(If you force an OEM to put a license on every PC sold, even if doesn't sell with the OS on it, MS basically made a sale it did not deserve. In other words, we call this practice "larceny". Or "grand larceny" if the value exceeds a certain amount.)


MS isn't the only company to engage in uncouth practices, but while other large companies have been finding new and equally uncouth tactics, anyone thinking small competition has a chance is pretty much wrong, never mind how the patent "reform" of 2011 only helps those who have the means (e.g. not SMB competition...)

[xfi]

So many versions of Window and it's confusing and frustrating. Let Apple do the hardware and OSes, let Microsoft do the office application, let Google do the search engine and maps....

[none121223]

Thats one of the dumbest comments I have seen on here... you are a fan-boy for sure... Windows is hands down the best OS ever

[none121223]

Thats one of the dumbest comments I have seen on here... you are a fan-boy for sure... Windows is hands down the best OS ever

[Jeremiah_Clausing]

You should not be a reporter, to blatantly mi-inform people this much you really must have your head in the sand...

RT will NOT have a full version of Windows 8
Surface will NOT be $200 as Steve Ballmer has already said. The device will be "between $300 and $800".

Please do a fact check before you report next time, thank you.

[havasu46]

Umm, Wrong. Windows 8 RT is a full version of Windows 8 compiled to run on SoC chips with AR processors.

[wackofest]

Windows 8 RT is not the same as the full version of Windows 8 that will be on the Pro models running on Intel. The RT versions will only be capable of running new Windows 8 apps, not anything you could on 7 or older, or your standard desktop programs. So in that essence, it is not the full version of Windows 8, it's more like the "Starter."

However, Windows 8 RT tablets and computers should be coming pre-loaded with a new version of Office 2013 dedicated to the RT platform that the full versions will not.

The "Pro" edition of the surface will also be thicker, come in larger Hard Drive capacities, and will be priced closer to the $1000 range of Ultra-Books.