The Verge

Surface is Microsoft's first tablet, and it's designed around Windows 8. Surface comes in two distinct versions, one model running Windows RT and one running Windows 8 Pro. The Windows RT model has an ARM processor, and though it still has the classic desktop, it loses the ability to run legacy apps. Microsoft is heavily featuring their Touch Cover for Surface, a thin screen cover that doubles as full keyboard. Surface can also accept stylus input.

Description

Surface is Microsoft's first tablet, and it's designed around Windows 8. Surface comes in two distinct versions, one model running Windows RT and one running Windows 8 Pro. The Windows 8 Pro model has an Intel processor and runs the full desktop version of the OS. Microsoft is heavily featuring their Touch Cover for Surface, a thin screen cover that doubles as full keyboard. Surface can also accept stylus input.

Successor to the popular iPad 2 and furthering Apple's push towards post-PC computing, the "new iPad" features a Retina display at the same 9.7-inch size as its predecessor but with doubled pixel density. The rear camera shares the optics system of the iPhone 4S for better photo quality. Optional 4G LTE is another addition, with theoretical download speeds of up to 72Mbps.

Thinner, faster, more powerful, and packing dual cameras and a dual-core A5 chip, the iPad 2 is the second generation of Apple's popular tablet. After the announcement of the new iPad, the price of the iPad 2 was dropped down to $399 for a 16GB model.

The Asus Eee Pad Transformer Prime is an Android Honeycomb (3.2) tablet that can be coupled with an optional keyboard dock. The Transformer Prime features a 10.1-inch Super IPS display with a 1280 x 800-resolution, a backside-illuminated 8-megapixel rear camera with an f/2.4 aperture plus a 1.3-megapixel front cam, and is the first to be powered by Nvidia's Tegra 3, quad-core mobile processor formerly known as Kal-El.

The Iconica Tab A700 by Acer is their top of the line tablet. It has a 1920 x 1200 resolution running Android 4.0, Ice Cream Sandwich. A Nvidia Tegra 3 quad-core with a clock speed of 1.3GHz powers the front end.

• Alias: Surface

Also Known As...

• Alias: Transformer 2

• Screen size (diagonal): 10.6 inches
• Technology: LCD
• Resolution (X): 1366 px
• Resolution (Y): 768 px
• PPI: 148
• Touchscreen type: Capacitive
• Multitouch: Yes

Display

• Screen size (diagonal): 10.6 inches
• Technology: LCD
• Resolution (X): 1920 px
• Resolution (Y): 1080 px
• PPI: 207.82
• Touchscreen type: Dual-digitizer
• Multitouch: Yes

• Screen size (diagonal): 9.7 inches
• Technology: IPS LCD
• Resolution (X): 1536 px
• Resolution (Y): 2048 px
• PPI: 264
• Touchscreen type: Capacitive
• Multitouch: Yes

• Screen size (diagonal): 9.7 inches
• Technology: IPS LCD
• Resolution (X): 768 px
• Resolution (Y): 1024 px
• PPI: 132
• Touchscreen type: Capacitive
• Multitouch: Yes

• Screen size (diagonal): 10.1 inches
• Technology: IPS LCD
• Resolution (X): 1280 px
• Resolution (Y): 800 px
• PPI: 149
• Touchscreen type: Capacitive
• Multitouch: Yes

• Screen size (diagonal): 10.1 inches
• Resolution (X): 1920 px
• Resolution (Y): 1200 px
• PPI: 224
• Touchscreen type: Capacitive
• Multitouch: Yes

• CPU brand: Nvidia
• CPU family: Tegra 3
• Cores: 4

Processor

• CPU brand: Intel
• CPU family: Ivy Bridge
• CPU model: Core i5-3317U
• Clock speed: 1.7 GHz
• Cores: 2

• CPU brand: Apple
• CPU model: A5X
• Cores: 2

• CPU brand: Apple
• CPU model: A5
• Clock speed: 1 GHz
• Cores: 2

• CPU brand: Nvidia
• CPU family: Tegra 3
• Clock speed: 1.4 GHz
• Cores: 4

• CPU brand: Nvidia
• CPU family: Tegra 3
• Clock speed: 1.3 GHz
• Cores: 4

• RAM size: 2 GB

Memory

• RAM size: 4 GB

• RAM size: 1 GB

• RAM size: 512 MB
• RAM type: DDR2

• RAM size: 1 GB
• RAM type: DDR2

• RAM size: 1024 Mb
• RAM type: DDR2

• Wi-Fi: Yes
• Wi-Fi support: 802.11n, 802.11g, 802.11b, 802.11a
• Bluetooth: Yes
• Bluetooth version: 4.0

Connectivity

• Wi-Fi: Yes
• Wi-Fi support: 802.11n, 802.11g, 802.11b, 802.11a
• Bluetooth: Yes
• Bluetooth version: 4.0

• Wi-Fi: Yes
• Wi-Fi support: 802.11n, 802.11g, 802.11b, 802.11a
• Bluetooth: Yes
• Bluetooth version: 4.0

• Wi-Fi: Yes
• Wi-Fi support: 802.11n, 802.11g, 802.11b, 802.11a
• Bluetooth: Yes
• Bluetooth version: 2.1 + EDR

• Wi-Fi: Yes
• Wi-Fi support: 802.11n, 802.11g, 802.11b
• GPS: Yes
• Bluetooth: Yes
• Bluetooth version: 2.1 + EDR

• 3G: Optional
• Wi-Fi: Yes
• Wi-Fi support: 802.11n, 802.11g, 802.11b
• GPS: Yes
• Bluetooth: Yes
• Bluetooth version: 2.1 + EDR

• Video resolution: 720p

Rear Camera

• Video resolution: 720p

• Effective pixels: 5 megapixels
• Focus type: Autofocus
• Video resolution: 1080p
• Video framerate: 30

• Effective pixels: 0.7 megapixels
• Video resolution: 720p
• Video framerate: 30

• Effective pixels: 8 megapixels
• Flash: Single LED
• Focus type: Autofocus
• Video resolution: 1080p

• Effective pixels: 5 megapixels

Ambient Light, Gyroscope, Compass / Magnetometer, Accelerometer

Sensors

Ambient Light, Gyroscope, Compass / Magnetometer, Accelerometer

Ambient Light, Gyroscope, Accelerometer

Ambient Light, Gyroscope, Accelerometer

Ambient Light, Gyroscope, Compass / Magnetometer, Accelerometer

Gyroscope

Benchmarks

• The Verge Battery Test: 8 hours 52 minutes

• Quadrant: 3132
• SunSpider: 1707.3 ms
• The Verge Battery Test: 5 hours 9 minutes

• Quadrant: 3574
• Vellamo: 1210
• GLB 2.1 Egypt 720p: 60 FPS
• GLB 2.1 Egypt 1080p: 30 FPS
• Antutu: 10480