Live Blog: Microsoft’s “Small Gathering” – Surface X?

In less than 12 hours Microsoft are expected to announce a smaller version of its Surface tablet at a “small gathering” in New York. The device will reportedly have a screen size between 7 and 8 inches, with a resolution pegged at 1440×1080 pixels. This would give it an aspect ratio of 4:3, similar to that of the iPad. The device is rumoured to run Windows RT, but we’re not ruling out the potential of a “Pro” version with the full Windows 8.1.

 

Cases for a mysterious “Surface X” have already appeared on Amazon, with a shipping date of the 28th of May, suggesting a possible name and release date for the device.

 

Rumours suggest we might also see an updated version of the Surface Pro, bringing it up to its 3rd revision since the line’s launch.

 

Cybershack will be covering the event live, starting around 1am Sydney time. Check back here at 1am to see the news as it happens, or tomorrow morning for a recap.

 

2:04am – And that seems to be a wrap. That was a bit of a curveball. Well played Microsoft, definitely looking forward to getting my hands on one. 

2:03am – Goes on sale tomorrow in the United States. Woah. Wonder what the Australian date will be.  

2:02am – "This is the tablet that replace the laptop" 

1:58am – Seamless integration between the Surface's camera and OneNote 

1:55am – Well that's pretty cool, clicking the new pen turns the Surface Pro 3 on.

1:49am – The Surface Pro 3 removes paralex error between the point of the pen and the pixels. 

1:46am – Panay shows off how the Surface 3 translates handwriting to text in a crossword app 

1:41am – The Type Cover clicks into the screen, stabilising the device. Apparently this makes it feel more like a laptop, in any position you want. 

1:39am – The Type Cover has gotten thinner, and a tonne of energy has been put into the trackpad design.  

1:38am – "It has to work in your lap" 

1:34am – Apparently there'll be a lot more to come from Microsoft's parternship with Adobe. I've got my fingers crossed for a touched optimised version of Premiere. 

1:33am – Gough provides a sneak peak of Photoshop CC optimised for Surface. Wow. 

1:32am – Michael Gough from Adobe takes the stage. 

1:29am – Surface Docking Station: gives the Surface Pro 3 4K video out  

1:27am – Woah! He just dropped it! Small moment of panic there. No damage though. Phew. 

1:24am – Core i7 processor, 10% more power than the Surface Pro 2. Over 100 custom parts were needed 

1:22am – Only 800g. My Macbook Air is getting jealous. 

1:21am – Only 9.1mm thick. And oddly enough 12". And 3:2 in aspect ratio.

1:18am – Surface Pro 3! And dubstep! 

1:17am – I'm pretty excited about where Panay is going with this. 

1:15am  "I'm about to spend $1000 dollars, I thought it was meant to do everything" Panay, on purchasing a laptop or a tablet

1:13am – "96% of people who own an iPad own a laptop"

1:12am – "There's plenty of MacBook Airs, and for good reason" 

1:10am – And now a heartwarming video on how the Surface is making the world a better place. 

1:07am – "It super helps when you write nice things" "We design for people who use it every day"

1:06am – Panos Panay takes the stage, representing the Surface team.  

1:05am – "Can we design a device that takes the best of a tablet and a laptop?" 

1:03am – "We are not building hardware for hardware's sake" 

1:02am – New Microsoft CEO, Satya Nadella has taken the stage. "We want products and technology to dream and get stuff done"