Microsoft is allegedly working on a 7-inch Surface tablet powered by its Windows software.
We’ve heard similar reports before, but this latest comes from the Wall Street Journal, which claims Microsoft is working on a whole new range of Surface tablet devices with a 7-inch form factor amongst them.
What’s not clear is specifically which versions of Windows 8 the tablets might be running. Of course, with the original Surface there was both the Windows 8 model and a Windows RT variant too. Whether Microsoft will follow the same protocol again remains up in the air.
We have seen rumours of a 7-inch Surface tablet, but also we’ve seen suggestion of a 7-inch Microsoft tablet branded across both the Surface and Xbox brands. It was suggested with this rumour that the device would carry a customised build of Windows built specifically for Xbox and tablet gaming and media consumption.
The new reports of a 7-inch Surface come after Microsoft’s tweaking of the official Windows 8 requirement specifications – the set of minimum specs Microsoft requires manufacturers who want to build Windows devices to adhere to. Within those changes, Microsoft changed the display resolution to allow for smaller devices at 1024x768 pixels – ideal for a 7-inch device.
The Verge reported on the WSJ story (paywalled) and also added that its own sources reiterated the claim of a 7-inch Xbox tablet as a separate and distinct device, though it’s less clear if it will share the Surface branding.
The Wall Street Journal reports that Microsoft has adjusted its strategy to include smaller form-factor tablets following the success of rival devices such as the Nexus 7 from Google, and Apple’s iPad Mini. This is, apparently, a new approach for 2013 and a bit of a slow response, we might add.
Microsoft’s Surface products have so far, by all accounts, not done very well at all, both in terms of critical reception and sales figures. Naturally, Microsoft will be looking to rectify this within the year and that’s where the second-generation of Surface comes in. It’ll be hard sell with the first generation having performed so poorly, but it’s clear that Microsoft is prepared to try some new things with the news that a smaller form factor is on the cards.
by pbriden via Featured Articles
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