Microsoft Surface: The Latest Piece Of The “New Microsoft”.

Yesterday evening Microsoft unveiled their latest product, the “Surface” tablet. But wait a minute. Doesn’t Microsoft already produce a device by the name of “Surface”? Well, yes. But said device is as big as a table (literally) and weighs several hundreds of pounds. The Surface tablet is Microsoft’s answer to the iPad as well as the smattering of Android tablets all vying for your hard earned dollar. But more importantly, the Surface is the latest piece in the “New Microsoft”; a re-birth of sorts of a company that over the last 5 years has wasted away in a sea of mediocre products and services as well as outright failed attempts to bring products to market (Courier anyone?).

Available in two configuration options: ARM powered by Windows RT and a full-blown desktop version of Windows 8 running atop Intel x86 processors, the Surface is the first product (in some time) from Microsoft outside of the Xbox that really looks like it could gain a decent following.

Specs for the ARM WindowsRT surface include an Nvidia ARM CPU, 10.6″ ClearType HD Display, 32 GB and 64 GB storage capacities, “HD” rear and front-facing cameras and a 31.5 watt-hour battery. I/O on the ARM powered Surface come in the form of 1x USB 2.0, 1x micro HD video, 1x microSD card port and 2×2 MIMO antennae. Both the “lite” WindowsRT and x86 Surface tablets will feature a thin Magnesium case (~9mm for the WindowsRT/ARM and ~13.5mm for the full-size Windows 8/x86) and unique 5mm thick “Type Cover” that not only protects the Surface’s display, but also doubles as a thin and light, detachable keyboard for on-the-go heavy-duty typing. Meanwhile, specs for the “Pro” Surface with it’s more powerful third-gen Intel Core i CPU (Ivy Bridge) include a larger 42.5 watt-hour battery 64 GB and 128 GB storage capacities, and the ability to run both Metro and full-blown Windows apps. Connectivity on the Surface Pro will also see an upgrade to microSDXC, USB 3.0 and mini DisplayPort video. Like the WindowsRT Surface, the Pro version will also include “HD” rear and front-facing cameras.

Despite all of the specs and variations, Microsoft did a very un-Microsoft thing at their big mystery event last night — they didn’t sit on stage and spew out meaningless specs to a room full of half-glazed journalists and media. Instead, they took an Apple-like approach and used more human-like expressions and examples of what everyday people can do with the Surface, complete with demos of apps and scenarios instead of slides of text. That said, Microsoft did manage to leave out two very important specs that really should have been divulged: release date and price. At the time of writing, neither piece of information is publicly available, though, rumors have quoted prices ranging anywhere from ~$399 all the way up to ~$999.

If Microsoft is to truly win over end users and developers alike, they’re going to have to make the development process and storefront from which end users buy apps incredibly seamless. Over the last 12-18 months we’ve seen them make large strides in software thanks to the new Metro UI that has permeated all of Microsoft’s modern ethos. If they can keep that same formula, the Surface tablet has a decent chance of making a dent.

At the same time, Microsoft can’t slap a premium price tag on the Surface and expect it to automatically mean they have a premium product worthy of our attention. Priced too high, the Surface will ultimately succumb to the same fate as many other gadgets before it — failure. On that note, Microsoft has stated that the Windows x86 Surface will be “priced competitively with ultrabooks” meaning you’re going to be looking at closer to the $8-1000 price tag. For a fully blown laptop with detachable keyboard and large touchscreen, however, it could just work. The WindowsRT surface will likely be a few hundred dollars cheaper considering it’s “lite” designation.

The Surface is sleek, powerful and powered by a modern, clean UI. If anything, it is Android tablet manufacturers that need to be worried. If/when Windows Phone/Windows 8 start taking off and developers really begin embracing the platform, the closely integrated, Apple-like ecosystem will present a very enticing (and we believe) more enjoyable experience than Android.

What’s even more interesting than Android’s challenges are the ones Microsoft will face from their own partners. Traditionally speaking, Microsoft is a software company who has only just recently begun going deeper and deeper into the world of hardware. The Xbox is really their only successful line thus far. The Zune was popular for a minute, and Windows Phone is still trying to prove itself. But the Surface looks like it could be a real winner. Microsoft’s third-party manufacturers who have been the lifeblood of Microsoft’s world for decades now have the sudden realization they have to compete with each other, and now Microsoft too. Some tech pundits speculate that Microsoft’s decision to compete in the tablet hardware space will push some manufacturers away and damage long-held partnerships. To that we simply say “Wait and see”. Though, we’d argue that any third-party manufacturer giving up on Microsoft now, before the Surface has even shipped, are simply admitting that they aren’t talented enough to compete — a blessing in disguise perhaps. The last thing Microsoft needs at this point are third-party manufacturers pumping out sub-par, legitimately crappy, cheap hardware that sours the new Windows 8 experience. Android already has this problem. Microsoft has bigger fish to fry at this point.

The Surface definitely has potential. But how Microsoft grasps that potential, markets it and works it (and to a large degree, Windows 8) into other product lines in the coming months is crucial. Their Apple-like approach of tight integration between different screens and platforms only works when the company relentlessly chases perfection. If Microsoft can do that, the Surface (combined with Windows Phone, Windows 8 on the desktop, and Xbox) is the start of a new Microsoft, a much tighter, closed (but more cohesive) Microsoft.

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