Unless something disastrous happens, Microsoft will be launching its first true PC hardware product, the Windows RT version of the Surface tablet, alongside Windows 8 on October 26th. Today, it appears that the tablet has gone through the required approval process from the US"s Federal Communications Commission government regulator board.
In a post on the FCC website, documents have been uploaded that show a "tablet PC" running on Windows RT was submitted to the FCC by Microsoft back in July. Officially, Microsoft calls the tablet the "Model 1516" in its FCC filing, but we don"t know of any other Windows RT tablets it is working on besides the Surface.
The filing also confirms that the "Model 1516" has Bluetooth and 802.11 a/b/g/n WiFi hardware inside, along with a stand and a keyboard add-on that"s membrane based.
With just over three weeks to go before the launch of the Surface, Microsoft is making the unusual move of promoting the tablet in street art ads and more traditional outdoor banner ads, before the Surface is released. What"s next? Some Internet and TV commercials? Perhaps an elaborate ARG event? Maybe something we can"t expect? Stay tuned.