surface

Microsoft came out with all guns blazing yesterday with its Surface tablets. Or did it?

The perceived success or failure of what was shown is obviously subjective, and comes down to whether or not you believe in what Microsoft is showing. Moreover, can Microsoft's strategy with the Surface -- and all Windows 8 tablets, for that matter -- succeed in not just being a No. 2 to the iPad, but in being a true iPad rival?

As a user of both the iPad and previous Windows tablets, I think it comes down to these key points.

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You can almost picture Microsoft's longtime hardware partners offering up polite, but terse, applause for the newly unveiled Surface tablets. Most were mum yesterday after the event.

How else are they supposed to react? For companies such as Hewlett-Packard or Acer, which have depended on Microsoft and its Windows operating system for its PCs and laptops, this is a slap in the face.

At best, Microsoft's Surface is implicit commentary that the original equipment manufacturers can't cut it in the tablet arena. At worst, Microsoft means to stake a dominant position, leaving even less room in a … Read more

Count LG among those companies that aren't too worried about Surface. But that appears to be because it doesn't plan to focus its efforts on tablets.

Speaking to Bloomberg in an interview published today, LG spokesman Ken Hong said that his company has "decided to put all new tablet development on the back burner for the time being." In its place, Hong says LG will "focus on smartphones."

Hong's comments come just hours after Microsoft unveiled its own tablet, the Surface. That device will launch in two versions -- an Intel-based Windows 8 … Read more

Microsoft didn't allow video streaming from its Surface tablet event last night, but now it has delivered the entire presentation online.

"Watch an on-demand version of the full keynote where Steve Ballmer, Steve Sinofsky, and other Microsoft executives unveiled Surface, PCs built to be the ultimate stage for Windows," the video's description reads.

Microsoft's Surface has quickly become one of the most anticipated Windows 8 devices. It comes in two OS flavors -- Windows RT or Windows 8 Pro -- and boasts a 10.6-inch display. The Intel-based option, known as Surface for Windows 8 … Read more

LOS ANGELES -- Microsoft managed to keep its newest product well under wraps, though as they say, the cat's out of the bag now.

Microsoft hopes consumers will purr at the Surface, a new tablet family -- not to be confused with its pricy, table-top computer -- that will run on the company's upcoming Windows 8.

You can read some of the details about the product, see shots of it in human hands, and more right here. In the meantime, here are five things you need to know about it:

1. Don't confuse this with the table … Read more

Microsoft threw a surprise hail mary in Los Angeles today with the unveiling of its new line of Windows 8 and Windows RT tablet-laptop hybrids dubbed simply "Surface." But some big questions remain, like -- when? how much? and who is this for?

Surface is a bit larger than an iPad with an HD display, full-size USB port, Microsoft's next-generation operating system, a built-in kickstand, and a detachable cover that doubles as a flat keyboard and touch pad. That's what we know from today's unveiling, but there's much more that we don't know.

The biggest question mark -- the price.… Read more

Editor's note: For CNET's complete analysis of Microsoft's new tablets, check out our First Take of the Surface RT.

LOS ANGELES--Microsoft debuted the Surface line of tablets here today, part of Windows 8's attempts to be all things to all people. The tablets are Microsoft's most aggressive entry to the tablet market to date, but the company has yet to do more than whet our interest.

Two Surface-branded tablets were announced today. One will be running Windows RT, the other Windows 8 Pro. There are some sharp differences between the two versions of Windows 8, … Read more

Microsoft did not skimp on specs for its new tablets.

More than any single feature, the 3mm-thick Touch Cover (see photos below) stands out. Using pressure-sensitive technology, Touch Cover senses keystrokes as gestures, allowing faster touch typing than is possible with on-screen keyboards, Microsoft claims.

The Touch Cover attaches to the tablet with a built-in magnetic connector, "forming a natural spine like you find on a book, and works as a protective cover," Microsoft said.

There is also an option for a slightly thicker 5 mm Type Cover that adds moving keys for a more traditional typing experience. … Read more

With Microsoft's unveiling of a laptop today carrying the "Surface" name, the company has bestowed a new name on the product that formerly carried the Surface moniker.

The table-top, multitouch computer that Microsoft unveiled in 2007, which was largely relegated to retail outlets, hotel lobbies, and museums, has been rebranded as PixelSense. The original Surface, which resembled a 1980s sit-down arcade machine, wasn't much of a gadget for consumers, thanks largely to its $12,500 price tag.

But the new name is a bit of return to the product's roots. The device's panel features … Read more