If you thought that Microsoft decided to enter the PC hardware business with its Surface tablet as a response to Apple"s launch of the iPad, think again. A new article says that Microsoft has been working on the upcoming Windows RT-based touch screen tablet since the summer of 2009.
Engadget reports that, according to what Microsoft told them at a press event, the company knew that their next PC OS, Windows 8, would be based largely on a touch screen UI. They decided over three years ago that they needed a hardware product to showcase that user interface and Surface is the result.
The company created hundreds of prototypes for the Surface, some of which are on display in the image above. While Microsoft said it considered screen sizes of both 10.1 inches and 11.1 inches, it settled on the somewhat unusual 10.6 inch screen for the tablet in order to have room enough for some multitasking features to be placed on one side.
Because the screen size was so different, Microsoft decided to make the screen itself, rather than rely on outside third party suppliers. Indeed, the article claims that the Surface will have 200 custom created parts inside, including its kickstand.
Even with the 10.6 inch screen, the resolution of the Surface is just 1366x768, well behind the current iPad at 2048x1,536 and behind a number of Android-based tablets. Microsoft says that the resolution of the Surface still has a sharp image while also retaining good "readability".
Source: Engadget | Image via Engadget