Microsoft enters the tablet race with new Surface Pro

New tablet release gives hope to die-hard Microsoft users

As of late, technology giant Microsoft has consistently been one step behind their competitors in terms of releasing the latest technologies.

Beginning in 2001, Microsoft introduced the original Xbox to the video game world, six years after rival Sony created the PlayStation. It took Microsoft until 2010 to join the ever-expanding world of smartphones with the inception of the Windows phone.This year, Microsoft will join yet another expanding market of electronic devices when they release their Surface tablet.

This month, Microsoft will re-release the Surface complete with the Windows 8 operating system under the name Surface Pro.

The original model, the Surface RT, has already drawn plenty of praise for several of its capabilities. With a colourful framework and simple interface, the Surface has already made a splash in the tablet market.

With the Surface Pro, Microsoft will try to improve on their original Surface model, and the operating system definitely is not the only difference between the two tablets.

The new operating system comes a larger frame. The original Surface faced complaints that the product was too bulky compared to the slim iPad and smaller Playbook. The Surface Pro is almost twice the weight of the original.

Another major complaint with the Surface RT was the image quality was clearly poorer then its competitors.

Memory was also a key upgrade for the new version of the Surface. The highest memory capability for the original was 64 GB whereas that is the starting point for the Pro.

In terms of programs, the Pro’s far superior capabilities make it much more similar to a laptop in terms of programs which can be installed. The RT, on the other hand, was mainly for Internet browsing.

Also, like the RT, the Pro will feature a USB port which can be used for anything from flash drives to larger external memory.

Joining the tablet market late in the game may not have been such a detriment for Microsoft.

It gave them time to follow the footprints and missteps of their rivals and adjust their product accordingly. The differences between the RT model and the newer Pro model demonstrate Microsoft’s ability to rapidly and effectively upgrade their product based on user feedback.

Finally, the purpose of a tablet is to emulate a laptop in a more simplistic and portable fashion. With the Surface Pro, Microsoft has come the closest of any technology company to achieving that goal.