Microsoft reveals release date for Windows 8 and Surface

Microsoft has confirmed the release date for its own-brand Surface tablet, with the RT version due to hit shelves on 26 October, the same day as Windows 8.

The next version of the Windows operating system, Windows 8, will be generally available on October 26, 2012, At that time, Microsoft will begin selling the Surface. That means it’ll be about three months before we see the quirky tablet, which features a fold out keyboard and a 10.6-inch display — squaring up to the likes of the iPad and the Google Nexus 7.

Only the Windows RT version will be available on the 26th, with the more capable (and doubtless much more expensive) Intel-powered Surface Pro expected to arrive 90 days later.

While the Surface Pro boasts a more comprehensive version of Windows, it’s the RT version that you should keep a close eye on; it’s the slate that will show off the tablet-specific version of Windows 8, and is the device that wants to knock Apple off its perch.

It’s also likely be cheaper, and much cheaper than the iPod, although recent reports suggest the Surface could be much pricier than previously anticipated.

While the cost remains a mystery, one thing’s for sure, Microsoft has a huge battle ahead if it wants to prove itself in the world of tablets.

About Andy Carroll

By Andy Carroll, MD, ITexpress. ITexpress deliver IT and Computer Supportand Systems, Web Design and Marketing, Payroll Solutions, and PAT Testing. Based in Goole, East Yorkshire, ITexpress have been helping customers with their IT problems since 1999.