C/Net’s live coverage of Microsoft’s Mystery Event, along with Engadget and The Verge. The event starts at 4pm.
“Thank you for joining us. The past several years have seen great change in the industry, and from Microsoft. Cloud computing, entertainment… and in all that we’ve done, Windows is the heart and soul.”
“It was always clear that what our software could do would require us to push hardware, sometimes where our partners hadn’t envisioned.”
“We believe that any intersection between human and machine can be made better when hardware and software are considered together.”
It’s a tablet, Called Surface.
The Surface table has a 10.6-inch display, full USB 2.0, magnesium case, 1.5 lbs, Netflix app at W8 launch. “Surfaced is designed to be mobile.” It has Gorilla Glass.
The magnetic cover swivels around to become a keyboard. It uses an Nvidia ARM Processor, but a version using Intel chips will run Windows 8 Pro.
Features a build-in stand, with a magnetic cover that is also a keyboard.
Microsoft says two models of Surface will be available: one running an ARM processor featuring Windows RT, and one with an Ivy Bridge processor featuring Windows 8 Pro.
Surface for Windows RT will release with the general availability of Windows 8, perhaps around August, and the Windows 8 Pro model will be available about 90 days later. Both will be sold in the Microsoft Store locations in the U.S. and available through online Microsoft stores.
“It’s an important companion to the whole Windows 8 story,” Ballmer said. “It’s an important piece. It’s not the only piece.” “If you look at the bulk of the 375 million machines that get sold (next year), they probably aren’t going to be Surfaces,” Ballmer said. “On the other hand, we could have a sizeable business.”
Microsoft.com/surface and surface.com have more, but no info on cost, availability, battery life or other details.
