Thursday, 26 September 2013
Microsoft Corp. on Monday announced that the Microsoft Surface family of tablets is growing. Two new Surface models — Surface 2 and Surface Pro 2 — along with an expanded portfolio of new Surface accessories, will be available at Microsoft retail stores, http://www.MicrosoftStore.com and select third-party retailers and commercial resellers in 22 initial markets, including Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States on Oct. 22 and China in early November. Additional markets will be announced in the coming months.
Surface 2 and Surface Pro 2 each benefit from significant updates,
including improvements to processing power and battery life, to display
and camera resolution, and to the Kickstand, now with dual angles, so
it’s more comfortable for you to use your Surface on your lap or at your
desk. Enhancements in Windows RT 8.1 and Windows 8.1 Pro make Surface 2
and Surface Pro 2 even more powerful and customizable.
The Surface Pro 2 will be powered by the next generation Intel Haswell CPU which promises more power with less power consumption. In fact, Microsoft claims that the Surface Pro 2 has a 75 percent longer battery life than its predecessor. Microsoft showed off a new display that it claims has 50 percent more color accuracy than its predecessor. It’s still a 1920×1080 display, though, so you won’t be seeing any ridiculous retina display-like resolutions from the Surface Pro 2. Interestingly enough, however, Microsoft showed off a new PC dock accessory for the Surface Pro 2 that allows the tablet to output to a monitor for those wanting to work in a more professional environment. In this mode, the Surface Pro 2 can output at resolutions up to 4K, or 3840×2160. To showcase this, Microsoft showed off the Surface Pro 2 editing 4K video footage.
Microsoft also announced some new type covers for its latest tablet. The original touch and type covers are now thinner, and even backlit to help out in darkened environments. Microsoft also announced the Power Type Cover – a type cover with a built-in battery that promises to double the Surface Pro 2′s battery life. A starting price of $899 is not bad for a PC, and Microsoft has made it clear that the Surface Pro 2 is a PC. Unfortunately for Microsoft, consumers still see it as a tablet and expect tablet pricing.
The Surface Pro 2 will be powered by the next generation Intel Haswell CPU which promises more power with less power consumption. In fact, Microsoft claims that the Surface Pro 2 has a 75 percent longer battery life than its predecessor. Microsoft showed off a new display that it claims has 50 percent more color accuracy than its predecessor. It’s still a 1920×1080 display, though, so you won’t be seeing any ridiculous retina display-like resolutions from the Surface Pro 2. Interestingly enough, however, Microsoft showed off a new PC dock accessory for the Surface Pro 2 that allows the tablet to output to a monitor for those wanting to work in a more professional environment. In this mode, the Surface Pro 2 can output at resolutions up to 4K, or 3840×2160. To showcase this, Microsoft showed off the Surface Pro 2 editing 4K video footage.
Microsoft also announced some new type covers for its latest tablet. The original touch and type covers are now thinner, and even backlit to help out in darkened environments. Microsoft also announced the Power Type Cover – a type cover with a built-in battery that promises to double the Surface Pro 2′s battery life. A starting price of $899 is not bad for a PC, and Microsoft has made it clear that the Surface Pro 2 is a PC. Unfortunately for Microsoft, consumers still see it as a tablet and expect tablet pricing.
