Microsoft announces Surface

Microsoft has announced Surface, a 10.6" tablet computer with a built-in kickstand, cover and multitouch keyboard, running Windows 8 or Windows RT.

Surface was unveiled during a surprise press event in Los Angeles yesterday evening, and represents Microsoft's belated entry into the tablet market. Two models will be available: one with 64GB or 128GB of storage, powered by Intel's Ivy Bridge and running Windows 8 which also sports a built-in kickstand, and will support digital ink through a magnetised pen that sticks to the body of the tablet.

The other, available with 32GB or 64GB, comes in a thinner case, and contains an ARM chipset and Windows RT, the version of Microsoft's operating system that has been specifically designed for ARM devices.

Speaking to The Verge, CEO Steve Ballmer admitted that Surface was in part designed to "prime the pump" for Windows 8, which is due to launch later this year, adding the tablet was "an important part of the whole Windows 8 story. It's an important piece; it's not the only piece."

There was no announcement, however, of pricing or release date, with Microsoft merely saying the cost of the devices would be revealed closer to availability. The Windows RT model is expected to release alongside Windows 8, with the Intel version following three months later.

Pricing will be key if Microsoft is to eat into a market of which Apple is the runaway leader; Ballmer refused to tell The Verge if Microsoft would price its entry into the tablet market at less than $500, saying only that pricing would be "competitive."

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