Samsung's new tablet computer could be the best of iPad Pro's shape paired with Windows

You've heard of Apple's iPad Pro and Microsoft's Surface Pro, but what about the Samsung Galaxy TabPro S? It's a razor-thin, stylish 12-inch tablet like the latest iPad, but with a full Windows 10 operating system to run all your traditional programs. And unlike the Apple and Microsoft machines, Samsung's TabPro S comes with the detachable keyboard and touchpad you'll need to use them.

Now, I can't get too excited about the TabPro S quite yet, because we've got no idea what it will cost. When I quizzed a product manager in Samsung's posh hotel suite at the 2015 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas this week, he could only tell me that they're hoping to bring it to the United States in the first few months of the year. It'll launch globally this February.

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But the Galaxy TabPro S definitely feels like a striking machine -- and the most striking thing about it is that it's running Windows on a bright, beautiful 12-inch Super AMOLED screen. It's the same kind of screen you'll find on a Galaxy smartphone, the one that wowed us in the Galaxy Tab S or the ones you'll find in the best TVs you can buy today. But this is one of the very first of these crisp, colorful screens we've seen that's headed to a laptop-sized computer. Typically, PC users have had to settle for less.

The second most striking thing is that this device is even thinner and lighter than an iPad Pro (6.3mm vs 6.9mm, 693g vs. 713g) and yet it's running Windows. It seems almost impossibly thin for a Windows computer with an Intel chip, and yet I confirmed there was a dual-core, 900MHz Intel Core m3-6Y30 processor and 4GB of memory inside the computer's finely machined aluminum chassis.

Again, it's too early to celebrate because we've found the actual performance of a Core M computer can vary quite a bit, and they haven't been heavy-duty workhorses so far. The Core m3 appears to be the TabPro's only processor option, while Microsoft's Surface Pro 4 starts with a Core m3 and can graduate to a more muscular Core i5 or i7 processor for a little more money.

Check out the Samsung Galaxy TabPro S (pictures)

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But the TabPro S comes with that keyboard folio cover, and looks damn good with it on. It's one of the few devices I've tried that strongly, satisfyingly, automatically and magnetically snaps the tablet into the right place on the keyboard as soon as it's close enough. The Surface Pro also does that, but the TabPro's origami-like folding kickstand, built right into the fabric cover, means you don't need to reach around back and open a separate kickstand. The fabric cover also protects both sides of the tablet instead of one. However, it does mean that there are only two viewing angles for the screen, though.

If you happen to own a 2015 or newer Samsung Galaxy smartphone, you can take advantage of the Galaxy Continuity feature: tap your phone against the keyboard to wirelessly pair the two. The TabPro S will automatically log you into Windows just by tapping the fingerprint sensor on your phone, prompt you to use the phone as a mobile hotspot, let you receive Android notifications and reply to text messages as well as IMs on your tablet's screen.

The PCs, laptops, and tablets of CES 2016 (pictures)

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While you wait for a price and release date, here are the system's specs:

• 12-inch, 2,160 x 1,440 Super AMOLED screen
• Sixth-generation Intel Core M3-6Y30 processor (dual-core, up to 2.2GHz)
• Intel HD Graphics 515
• 4GB memory, 128GB or 256GB storage (SSD)
• 5200mAh battery with up to 10.5 hours battery life
• Charges in 2.5 hours with USB Type-C port
• USB Type-C port also capable of USB 3.1 data and HDMI video output (with optional adapter)
• Optional Bluetooth stylus
• 5-megapixel front camera, 5-megapixel rear camera with autofocus
• 802.11ac WiFi and Bluetooth 4.1
• GPS and GLONASS positioning
• LTE model available in some regions