Microsoft launches its new Surface Tablet device to rival Apple's popular iPad

Microsoft has finally launched its highly anticipated tablet PC at an event yesterday in Los Angeles. Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer was on hand to unveil another foray into the tablet segment, except that this time the company is producing an actual personal computer for the first time in the history of Microsoft.
The new device will be called the Surface Tablet. Ballmer says the new device is designed to fully exploit the capabilities of its new Windows 8 operating system. "With Windows 8 we don't want to leave any seam uncovered. We wanted to give it its own hardware innovation," Ballmer said. "It's something new, something different, a whole new family of computing devices from Microsoft."
The company is actually releasing two versions of the device-- a thinner and lighter (9.3 mm thick, 1.5-pound) consumer version that runs the Windows RT operating system (a version of Windows 8 that runs on ARM processors), and a larger version (13.5 mm thick, 1.9 pounds) running the Windows 8 Professional operating system, which is aimed mostly at business and enterprise users.
The Pro version, which uses an Intel Core i5 Ivy Bridge processor, and runs all the standard Windows desktop software like Word and Excel, as well as the Metro apps. It can even run Photoshop, and supports USB 3.0.
The RT version, on the other hand, doesn't support standard Microsoft Office desktop apps. Instead, it runs a limited functionality version of Office called "Office Home & Student" as well as Windows Explorer. And the RT version only supports USB 2.0, by the way.

Here are Windows RT version specifications:

Weighs 676 grams

The device is 9.3 mm thick

Features a 10.6-inch ClearType HD display

Has a 31.5 watt-hour battery

Has Micro-SD, USB 2.0, Micro HD Video

Has a 2x2 MIMO antenna

Office Home & Student 2013 RT, Touch Cover

VaporMg Case & Stand

Configurable for 32 GB or 64 GB

Here are the Windows 8 Professional specifications:

Weighs 903 grams

The device is 13.5 mm thick

Features a 10.6-inch ClearType full HD display

Has a bigger 42 watt-hour battery

Has Micro-SDXC, USB 3.0, Mini DisplayPort Video

Has a 2x2 MIMO antenna as well

Has a Touch Cover, Type Cover

Features a pen with Palm Block

VaporMg Case & Stand

Configurable for 64 GB or 128 GB

Ballmer added during the announcement that the company tried to design the Surface Tablet to feel like a book. And the cover of the book is one of the Surface's most distinguishing features. It is similar to the Smart Cover that protects the iPad, but Microsoft goes a step further by installing a physical, multitouch keyboard on the back of its cover.
The cover is connected to the tablet itself, and folds over to protect the Surface's screen. The new device is optically bonded to a 10.6-inch display. Microsoft describes it as "permanent scratch and wear resistant," and says that it minimizes glare, which makes it perfect for reading.
The Surfaces' video include HD 1080 pixel screen resolution, and a DisplayPort to output full high-resolution video to a TV.
Microsoft says that the Surface is the "first personal computer with a vapor-deposited (PVD) magnesium shell." The Surface stands upright on a kickstand that's connected on hinges to the back of the tablet. But Microsoft didn't offer any pricing for the new tablet, and no availability date for now.