Hasta La Gadget!

Microsoft‘s upcoming update to its Surface tablet line is just weeks away, and it’s been noted that the first units are just now coming off the production line, signaling that Surface Pro production is now in full force. General manager of Microsoft’s Surface division, Panos Panay, tweeted the news yesterday.

Of course, this shouldn’t come as a surprise, since the company said that the Surface Pro would be available around 90 days after the release of Surface RT tablets, which occurred on October 26, so the 90-day window is quickly coming to a close, and we should expect the new tablets arrive at the end of this month or the beginning of February.

The Surface Pro will be available in two versions: A 64GB version will sell for $899 and a 128GB version will cost $999. The main differences between the Surface Pro and Surface RT is that the Surface Pro will run more like a traditional laptop, and will be able to run any Windows 8 and Windows 7 application, giving Pro users a wider variety of software options.

The new tablets will come with an Intel Ivy Bridge Core i5 processor, a 16:9 ClearType display sporting a 1920×1080 resolution, and several different types of external ports, like a Mini DisplayPort that will be able to drive an external display with up to a 2560×1440 resolution. And of course, the new tablets will come with a full version of Windows 8.

[via ZDNet]

Microsoft Surface Pro production in full force is written by Craig Lloyd & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Last week, amid the chaos that was CES, we learned that coder Netham45 from the XDA Developers Forum delivered a jailbreak for Surface RT. Aptly named Jailbreak RT, this batch file is good news for those in the homebrew community, as it allows users to install unsigned apps on the ARM-based device. Without the jailbreak, users can only run authorized apps found in Microsoft‘s Windows Store, and it appears the company would like to keep it that way.

While we didn’t hear much from Microsoft immediately after the jailbreak landed, today the company is telling The Register that it is “actively investigating” Jailbreak RT. What that means exactly is anyone’s guess but it isn’t hard to imagine that Microsoft is looking to fix the flaw that this hack takes advantage of. After all, it doesn’t necessarily take a genius to figure out that Microsoft would like as many users as possible buying apps from the Windows Store.

Jailbreak RT takes advantage of a hack that was published just a few days prior by someone by the name of C.L. Rokr. Though Microsoft didn’t pay much attention to the original hack, this new batch file seems to have caught the company’s eye. The Register suggests that’s because Netham45′s method makes it easier for less technically-inclined folks to jailbreak their tablet, which of course means more unauthorized apps running on its Surface devices.

On the other side of the coin, there is the possibility of this jailbreak tool potentially helping Surface sales. The homebrew community seems at least relatively big, and those who like tinkering with their devices might pay more attention to Surface RT now that a jailbreak tool has been delivered. Therefore, it might be a wise idea for Microsoft to just look the other way, especially since we’ve been hearing that Surface RT sales have been lagging.

Microsoft “actively investigating” Surface RT jailbreak is written by Eric Abent & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

We heard in the past that Microsoft’s upcoming Surface Pro line of tablets would be releasing sometime in January, which created speculation that the new tablets might make an appearance at CES 2013 next week, even though Microsoft isn’t attending this year. However, several sources say that the Surface Pro will be released later this month.

According to CNET, several Microsoft retail store employees expect the Surface Pro tablet to make its appearance at the end of the month. Starting at $899, the Surface Pro will sport an Intel Core i5 processor and a 1080p HD display. It will also run a full version of Windows 8, unlike the Surface RT running on tablet-optimized Windows RT.

Microsoft originally opened up pre-orders for its Surface RT tablet 10 days before the tablet’s release on October 26. If the company is to follow a similar pattern, then we’ll likely see an official announcement shortly after CES, with pre-orders starting at that time as well.

The Surface Pro will act more like a laptop than the regular Surface tablet, which was more of a hybrid. Of course, you’ll still have the ability to easily use the Surface Pro as a tablet, but using either keyboard attachments will no doubt give the Surface Pro more credit as a powerful laptop of sorts.

[via CNET]

Microsoft Surface Pro said to arrive at the end of the month is written by Craig Lloyd & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

A relatively reliable MSFT tipster @MS_nerd recently tweeted that Redmond will release three new and distinct generations of the Surface tablet sometime in 2013.

Ballmer recently said on a shareholders’ call that the company would never again let hardware or anything else stand as a barrier to innovation, admitting that Microsoft was late to the game (especially with the tablet).

It only makes sense that they would go big with both Surface and Windows 8, making up for lost time with plenty of shapes and sizes. After all, the company bet a lot on the popularity of a brand-new Microsoft, complete with Metro, touch, and true entry into the hardware space.

The first tablet is said to be an 8.6-inch Surface RT 2, running on a Qualcomm chipset instead of the NVIDIA Tegra 3 chip. The Microsoft Pro will allegedly upgrade to an 11.6-inch display with an unreleased AMD “Temash” APU, and a new Surface Book product will sport a hefty 14.6-inch display with a next-gen 22nm “Haswell” chip from Intel under the hood.

It’s interesting that none of the new models have the same 10.6-inch screen size as current-generation Surface RT and Pro slates do. However, in our reviews, we felt the form factor was a bit awkward and larger than the tablet that currently dominates the large tablet space, the 9.7-inch iPad.

And then there’s Amazon and Google’s 7- to 8-inch offerings, and Barnes & Noble, and we can’t forget the iPad Mini now, either. Microsoft is late to a very feisty and competitive game, and a big push is necessary. And so far Surface sales have been slow going.

The breadth of the lineup also sounds plausible alongside rumors of a Surface phone, as DigiTimes recently reported that Microsoft has sent orders to Foxconn for a self-branded and Microsoft-designed Surface phone.

Of course, it’ll still be a while. Though the tipster specified 2013, I wouldn’t expect to see new models in stores until the holidays next year.

Ever since the Surface tablet was released from Microsoft, we’ve only been more and more curious about their upcoming Pro version. Finally, the Redmond-based company has released details about the upcoming tablet for power users, including pricing and availability. Starting in January, you’ll be able to grab a Surface Pro starting at $899 for the 64GB version and $999 for the 128GB variant.

The $899 and $999 models will be the “standalone” versions, meaning you’ll have to crank out more cash if you want the keyboard attachment. However, it’ll come with the pen/stylus in the box. As you can see, the device looks very similar to the regular Surface tablet, including the same type of casing and built-in kickstand. Plus, it also boasts the same 10.6-inch display with the 16:9 aspect ratio.

However, a lot of differences are coming to the Surface Pro. For one, the screen will feature a full HD 1920×1080 resolution. It’ll also bypass ARM chips altogether and will opt for an Intel Core i5 processor, as well as a Mini DisplayPort that can output a 2560×1440 resolution, a full-size USB 3.0 port, and a copy of Windows 8 Pro with support for traditional desktop applications.

The Surface Pro will act more like a laptop than the regular Surface tablet. Of course, you’ll still have the ability to easily use it as a tablet, but using it with either keyboard attachments will no doubt give the Surface Pro more credit as being a true hybrid, thanks to a full version of Windows 8 Pro instead of just Windows RT.

Microsoft Surface Pro arriving in January starting at $899 is written by Craig Lloyd & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.