Reference Auto

Bill Gates company, Microsoft, after ruling the personal computer market, could initially make little headway into the tablet PC segment which has strong contenders like Apple (with its iPad) and Samsung (with Galaxy Tab) but its Surface tablet, which comes with Microsoft’s own hardware, is a clear indication that the company is ready to take on the big players in a big way.

The new tablet could fall back on one count in the short term: Developers are not keen on creating applications that run on the new Windows 8 operating system.

Microsoft, with its Windows 8 tablet, will grapple to compete with the iPad, which comes with over 2.25 lakh apps.

The Surface will have a 10.6-inch (27 cm) high-definition screen. A variant of the Surface, which will run on Windows RT software tailored for ARM mobile device chips, will be 9.3 mm thick and weigh almost 700 grams.

It will come with a 26.9 cm high-definition screen and be available in 32 or 64 GB memory, Microsoft said.

Another variant of the Surface tablet model is powered by Windows 8 Pro software, is 13.5 mm thick and weighs 903 grams. It will be available with 64 or 128 GB memory.

The Surface also has a unique flip-out rear kickstand to prop it up like a picture frame and a cover that, if opened, plays the role of a keypad. So, the tablet could be switched into desktop mode during work.

It is believed that Microsoft had kept the Surface project under wraps even from its hardware partners, clearly indicating that the tech giant could venture out into the hardware market alone in a bid to take on the likes of Apple.

At the launch event, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer said, “It’s a whole new set of computing devices from Microsoft and embodies the notion of hardware and software, really pushing each other.”

The touchscreen Surface tablet by Microsoft has been targeted for use in shops, bars and restaurants.

Microsoft hasn’t revealed when the Surface will be available but it is widely believed that the launch could be timed with the Windows 8 roll out sometime around October.

Since Microsoft kept the Surface a secret even from its hardware suppliers, it may leave the latter a tad disgruntled, and unless the software giant takes immediate steps to appease its hardware partners, the Surface tablet could witness a setback, at least initially, (some experts say that immediately, the Surface may eat into less than 3 per cent of the tablet market).