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Microsoft Positions Surface Pro as an Ultrabook That's a Tablet By Barry Levine December 4, 2012 9:46AM     Despite the name, looking at the Surface Pro as only a tablet misses Microsoft's intention. As Surface General Manager Panos Panay wrote on the Official Microsoft Blog, the Surface Pro is "a full PC AND a tablet." The Surface Pro runs Windows 8 Pro, and therefore can run all Windows 7 applications. With a keyboard, the Surface Pro operates as a laptop.   Related Topics Surface Pro Surface RT Windows 8 Microsoft Latest News Chrome Gets Conversational Search Attention GIFers, It's Pronounced 'Jif' NVIDIA GPU Boosts Citrix XenDesktop Security Alert: New Trojan Attacking Blue Coat Beefs Up Big Data Security With pricing information released Thursday for its Windows 8 Pro Surface tablet, Microsoft 's vision for that important mobile category is coming into view. With the picture more complete, the question is -- where does Microsoft see the Surface Pro fitting into the market? That's a question many industry observers are now asking, since the pricing for the Windows 8 Pro tablet is relatively high for a tablet -- $899 for the 64 GB version and $999 for the 128 GB, without the keyboard cover. Some observers immediately compared the Surface Pro to Apple's category-leading iPad. The 64 GB iPad, with Wi-Fi and 4G , is the most expensive configuration for that device , and runs about $830. The Surface Pro doesn't have 4G, comes with a stylus, and has a 128 GB model, among other differences. A high-end Android tablet, such as the Asus 64 GB Transformer Infinity, goes for about $600. 'PC AND a Tablet' But, despite the name, looking at the Surface Pro as only a tablet misses Microsoft's intention. As Surface General Manager Panos Panay wrote Thursday on the Official Microsoft Blog, the Surface Pro is "a full PC AND a tablet." That's because the Surface Pro runs Windows 8 Pro, and therefore can run all Windows 7 applications. In addition, it supports either a printed keyboard Touch Cover or a Type Cover with moveable keys, so that, with the cover attached, it can also readily operate as a laptop . This new approach to tablets may be derived from Microsoft's increasingly do-it-yourself approach to hardware. On Wednesday, CEO Steve Ballmer told investors at the annual shareholders meeting that, while his company does have "good hardware partners," it is sometimes the case that "getting the innovation right across the seam of hardware and software is difficult unless you do both of them." This new "do both of them" approach could be supported by reports this week -- if they turn out to be accurate -- that the technology giant is in the process of manufacturing its own Surface smartphone, to be released in first quarter. (continued...) 1  |  2  |  Next Page >   Tell Us What You Think Comment: Name: Also Visit: iPad Info Center Billions of Bytes Mobile Device Now Apple Info Center TopTechWire.com Redefine the way you do business by analyzing market trends, increasing conversion, and creating customer loyalty through Microsoft Dynamics. Unlock your potential through real-time CRM solutions in sales, marketing, and customer service to help your business become more dynamic than ever before.  Digital Life 1.   Attention GIFers, It's Pronounced 'Jif' 2.   Tumblr Buy Fraught with Challenges 3.   iPhone Takes a Hit in Satisfaction 4.   After 360, There Comes the Xbox One 5.   A Terabyte's the Limit Now at Flickr

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