Nvidia confirms Tegra under the hood of Microsoft Surface Win RT edition

Microsoft may be tight lipped about what lies beneath all that metal and glass in their Surface tablet, but Nvidia have just confirmed that the Windows RT version of the Surface will indeed be powered by their Tegra processor. Now, they haven’t specified which Tegra SoC exactly, but everything points to Tegra 3. This makes it as powerful (or more, depending on how optimized Windows RT is) as Google’s upcoming Nexus tablet that they’ll announce towards June-end. Surface based on Windows 8 Pro, however, will most likely be powered by Intel’s Ivy Bridge CPU and will offer greater levels of productivity, since users will be able to access the standard desktop environment as well. As for the screen resolution of Surface, Microsoft has only confirmed that it will have a 16:9 aspect ratio, so we guess it should be something around 1366 x 768.

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The Windows RT-based Surface tablet will be just 9.3mm thin and most likely, be cheaper as well, compared to the Intel counterpart, which is said to be thicker and a bit more heavy. Microsoft is touting Surface as “PCs built to be the ultimate stage for Windows”. Company executives stated that the Windows tablets and accessories feature significant advances in industrial design and attention to detail. The Surface is designed to seamlessly transition between consumption and creation, without compromise. It delivers the power of amazing software with Windows and the feel of premium hardware in one exciting experience. Microsoft also claims that one of the strengths of Windows is its extensive ecosystem of software and hardware partners, delivering selection and choice, which makes a customer’s Windows experience uniquely their own. This continues with Surface. Microsoft is delivering a unique contribution to an already strong and growing ecosystem of functional and stylish devices delivered by original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to bring the experience of Windows to consumers and businesses around the globe.

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Here are the specifications of the two tablets :

• OS: Windows RT
• Weight: 676g
• Depth: 9.3 mm
• Display: 10.6-inch ClearType HD Display
• Energized: 31.5 W-h
• Connectivity: microSD, USB 2.0, Micro HD Video, 2x2 MIMO antennae
• Productive: Office ‘15’ Apps, Touch Cover, Type Cover
• Practical: VaporMg Case & Stand
• Configurable: 32GB, 64GB

Surface for Windows 8 Pro

• OS: Windows 8 Pro
• Weight: 903g
• Depth: 13.5 mm
• Display: 10.6-inch ClearType Full HD Display
• Energized: 42 W-h
• Connected: microSDXC, USB 3.0, Mini DisplayPort Video, 2x2 MIMO antennae
• Productive: Touch Cover, Type Cover, Pen with Palm Block
• Practical: VaporMg Case and Stand
• Configurable: 64GB, 128GB