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.

The Playsurface, a spin-off project from Templeman Automation that aims to provide a low-cost alternative to interactive touch table devices like Microsoft’s PixelSense (formerly known as the surface), was at CES showing off their functioning units, which the company will be shipping out to 40 or so Kickstarter backers this month. The Playsurface made headlines when it launched on Kickstarter back in May, reaching almost double its $40,000 funding goal.

Playsurface’s goal, unlike a lot of the large-sized shared touchscreen surfaces we’ve seen, is to be as affordable, open, and hackable as possible, with the aim of being a legitimate option for use in education even in situations where budget might otherwise prohibit the use of such technologies. Templeman Automation teamed up with Tufts University to help boost its education mission, and target applications for schools and students more effectively. To help with that goal, they’re looking into just what kind of “smart tangible” accessories  like the one that replicates an X-ray/microscope device seen in the video, would be most useful to K-12 educators. These accessories could be what turns the Playsurface from a great tech demo into a genuinely useful and widely used way for schools all around the world to replace not just computing devices, but a variety of expensive and hard-to-source teaching objects that might not otherwise be an option.

Just under $3,000, the goal is to get it under $1,000 and TA believes that’s entirely possible, thanks to improvements in manufacturing efficiencies and materials. The Playsurface is available for general pre-order now, with shipments to retail customers ready to begin after the first devices roll out to the company’s Kickstarter supporters.

Surface RT was an enormous letdown—not because it was bad, but because it could have been so, so good. But Microsoft brought the Pro version to Vegas and let us play—and I couldn’t be happier. More »

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.

Lots of fun, good, and exciting things happened in our world this year. But there were still so many things that could’ve been truly great, but flopped. Broken promises. Awful gadgets. Here’s what broke Gizmodo’s heart in 2012. More »