Apple's Beats brand in April unveiled the Powerbeats Pro, a redesigned wire-free version of its popular fitness-oriented Powerbeats earbuds.
Microsoft Announces Surface 2 and Surface Pro 2
Microsoft today unveiled the successors to its Surface line of tablets, announcing both the Surface 2 and the Surface Pro 2. The Surface 2 is an upgrade to the existing Surface RT tablet and includes a Tegra 4 processor, a 1920 x 1080 resolution, and 25 percent better battery life.
The Surface 2 is both thinner and lighter than the original Surface RT, retaining the adjustable kickstand. Instead of USB 2.0 ports it uses USB 3.0, and includes Microsoft's full Office software (adding Outlook).
Microsoft's Surface Pro 2, the next iteration of its existing Surface Pro tablet, is equipped with an Intel Haswell processor that boosts graphics performance by 50 percent and battery life by 75 percent. Overall performance is said to be up 20 percent, and while the Surface Pro 2 includes double the memory (8GB), the form factor remains unchanged.
Accompanying the two new tablets is a new Touch Cover ($119) that boasts additional sensors, new gestures, a thinner design, and backlighting. There's also a new Power Cover ($150-$200), designed to add additional battery life to the Surface Pro and Surface Pro 2.
The Surface 2, priced at $449, is once again poised to compete with Apple's full-sized iPad. The Surface Pro 2 has a price tag of $899, putting it nearly on par with the MacBook Air. Microsoft does intend to continue selling the original Surface RT for $349.
Despite a vigorous anti-iPad campaign touting its Surface tablets, Microsoft has seen poor sales of the devices and was forced to initiate price cuts after taking a $900 million writedown for the Surface RT.
Microsoft will begin accepting pre-orders for the new Surface tablets on September 24, shipping them on October 22, which falls in the time frame of a prospective October Apple event that could see the introduction of Apple's fifth-generation iPad and Retina iPad mini.
The Surface 2 is both thinner and lighter than the original Surface RT, retaining the adjustable kickstand. Instead of USB 2.0 ports it uses USB 3.0, and includes Microsoft's full Office software (adding Outlook).
Microsoft's Surface Pro 2, the next iteration of its existing Surface Pro tablet, is equipped with an Intel Haswell processor that boosts graphics performance by 50 percent and battery life by 75 percent. Overall performance is said to be up 20 percent, and while the Surface Pro 2 includes double the memory (8GB), the form factor remains unchanged.
Accompanying the two new tablets is a new Touch Cover ($119) that boasts additional sensors, new gestures, a thinner design, and backlighting. There's also a new Power Cover ($150-$200), designed to add additional battery life to the Surface Pro and Surface Pro 2.
The Surface 2, priced at $449, is once again poised to compete with Apple's full-sized iPad. The Surface Pro 2 has a price tag of $899, putting it nearly on par with the MacBook Air. Microsoft does intend to continue selling the original Surface RT for $349.
Despite a vigorous anti-iPad campaign touting its Surface tablets, Microsoft has seen poor sales of the devices and was forced to initiate price cuts after taking a $900 million writedown for the Surface RT.
Microsoft will begin accepting pre-orders for the new Surface tablets on September 24, shipping them on October 22, which falls in the time frame of a prospective October Apple event that could see the introduction of Apple's fifth-generation iPad and Retina iPad mini.
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76 months ago
Oct 15., Apple announces new iPads, sells a lot of them. People continue to ignore the Surface.
76 months ago
Great! Let's see if Microsoft can beat their previous record $900 million loss :D
Same software. I'd say they have a great chance of losing even more money.
Same software. I'd say they have a great chance of losing even more money.
76 months ago
nice but pricing increment over storage space is scam by both Apple & Microsoft
76 months ago
I don't mean this to be some petty anti-Microsoft or pro-Apple comment, but the original Surface failed for various reasons, and they've updated the product with mostly specs and tweaks - do those really address the reasons the product failed a year ago? Just seems like they've just updated a failed product and haven't really addressed the big reasons consumers aren't buying the thing.
76 months ago
Wait a minute. Sales were dismal for the Surface right? So why make a 2?
If first you don't succeed, try and try again. :)
If first you don't succeed, try and try again. :)
76 months ago
The surface pro (2) is actually a great device
For students - specially for those who need to draw (design engineering etc).
I don't think it's that bad of a device
For students - specially for those who need to draw (design engineering etc).
I don't think it's that bad of a device
76 months ago
They should've quit while they were ahead & got back to what they do best - SOFTWARE.
Ah, but you're assuming their software is actually worth anything.
76 months ago
Ah, but you're assuming their software is actually worth anything.
That's not a fair statement, Windows XP and 7 are fantastic.
Office is STILL the standard in real productivity software.
I am not a fan of Microsoft but to say their software is not worth anything is simply being a blind fanboy
76 months ago
Balmer logic: If you fail miserably at something, double down.
WHY did they keep the arm model? It splits their OS, office suite, app stores + developers, etc.
WHY did they keep the arm model? It splits their OS, office suite, app stores + developers, etc.
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