Microsoft announces its Surface Tablet, so what does this mean for Nokia??

Since the dawn of time, Microsoft has relied heavily on OEMs in manufacturing hardware for its software, even its Zune MP3 player was manufactured by Toshiba… but how times change!

Yesterday, Microsoft took matters into its own hands by unveiling 2 tablets;

The Surface tablet for Windows 8 RT ( low end) and

The Surface tablet for Windows 8 Pro (high end)

Here’s a quick Spec comparison between both of them…

	Surface Tablet for Windows RT	Surface Tablet for Windows 8 Pro
Processor	ARM	Intel
Operating System	Windows RT	Windows 8 Pro
Weight	676g	903g
Thickness	9.3mm	13.5mm
Display	10.6inch ClearType HD Display	10.6inch ClearType full HD Display
Power	31.5W-h	42W-h
Connectivity	microSD, USB2.0, microHD video, 2×2 MIMOantenna	microSDXC, USB3.0, miniDisplayPort video, 2×2 MIMO antenna
Features	Office 15 Apps, Touch cover, Type Cover	Touch cover, Type cover, Pen with palm block
Physical features	VaporMg Case & Stand	VaporMg Case & Stand
Hard drive	32GB or 64GB	64GB or 128GB

The price range has not been announced, but looking at the specs for both devices, it is obvious that there will be a huge price disparity between both of them, I reckon the RT version should be in the region of $300 – $500 and the Windows Pro version should be highly priced, maybe somewhere between $800 – $1000 (same price as current ultra-books)

Microsoft’s revelation meant a stinging question had to be asked.. what does this mean for OEMs, and by OEMs I mean Nokia.

Nokia is facing some pretty tough times, and its partnership with Microsoft last year didn’t make things any better, cos though Nokia was looked at as Microsoft #1 hardware company (mobile-wise), they were kept in the corner (like the rest of the OEMs HP, Toshiba etc), while Microsoft made its very own tablet a beauty that if given a second look would easily pass for a Nokia hardware!

Well, now Nokia will have to struggle like the rest of the pack and manufacture and compete with its own tablet (though Nokia hasn’t actually committed to making tablets, a field they are currently looking into).

So what does this mean for Nokia? ABSOLUTELY NOTHING

I guess Nokia deal with Microsoft was solely on the mobile phone end!

Check out www.surface.com

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