The computer software Cool Gadgets giant unveiled tonight in Los Angeles the shelf "Surface", intended to compete with Apple's iPad, the market leader. The CEO of Microsoft, Steve Ballmer, has described "Surface" as a tablet "for work and play" at this presentation, which was preceded by much speculation. "Surface" is also the name of touch screens Microsoft has developed for professionals, such as restaurants, shops and bars. On the Microsoft website, a demo video promises that the new tablet will be available "soon" but no specific date was given by group leaders during the presentation in Los Angeles, not more than the price of new device. It would make sense, however, the tablet is marketed in conjunction with the new operating system Windows 8, expected after the summer. A copy of the tablet, running the Windows operating system RT, was unveiled Monday at the presentation.

Of a thickness of 9.3 millimeters Cool Gadgets, weighs 676 grams, has a screen high-definition 26.9 centimeters (10.6 inches) and will be available with 32 or 64 gigabytes of memory, according to Microsoft. Another copy, running on Windows Pro 8, was also presented. Of a thickness of 13.5 millimeters, weighs 903 grams and will be sold with 64 or 128 gigabytes of memory. "It's a whole new family of aircraft signed Microsoft," Ballmer said. "We took the time to size 8 and Windows as it should," he added. "Surface is a PC. Surface is a tablet. And Living is something new that people will really love."

The cool new tablet is equipped with built-in support, which allows the pose, and a protective cover which acts as keyboard, allowing the tablet to be used as a real laptop. "The Cool Gadgets marks a major shift in strategy for Microsoft hardware," said Sarah Rotman Epps, an analyst at Forrester. "It focuses on the consumer, rather than on the company," she says in a message on his blog. "And it allows Microsoft to compete with Apple's vertically integrated model." She said, however, Microsoft must be careful not to scare the consumer with an offer too rich applications and widgets on the China Electronics Wholesale tablet. "The choice is the dogma of Microsoft but with too many choices, consumers can be overwhelmed," she said. If the Xbox 360 is a true success in the field of video games, Microsoft's other forays in the field of materials have been less successful. The Seattle group has given up on the field of players stopping last year Zune, which had never won against the iPod. Two years ago, he had removed the phone Kin after a few weeks. And since the beginning of the year, the range of phones Nokia launched Lumia trouble finding a market. Canaccord analysts also note that the launch of a tablet branded Microsoft is not without risk, "it could harm Microsoft's relationship with some manufacturers who themselves have developed tablets running Windows 8 ".

"Moreover, this could put pressure on margins," much higher in software, the core business of Microsoft, as in materials. Stephen Baker, an analyst at NPD Group, said meanwhile that the shelf space "looks like a very nice Cool Gadget, well made ??and well thought out. I just wonder why Microsoft decided to do (it own) and has not worked with HP rather, Asus, or any other partner. " Earlier this month, Microsoft had already announced SmartGlass software for connecting the XBox with phones and tablets, to use Apple systems, Android or Microsoft, and agreements on broadcasting. Observers now expect information about RT Windows, the Microsoft operating system designed for tablets and other portable devices with China Electronics Wholesale microprocessors.

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