Microsoft announces Surface Pro 3 laptop killer

MICROSOFT has just announced its latest Surface device, and it has its eyes on one thing — Apple’s Macbook Air.

Panos Panay, corporate vice president with Microsoft's Surface division, holds the new Microsoft Surface Pro 3 tablet computer during a press conference May 20, 2014 in New York.Microsoft unveiled the Surface Pro 3 tablet at an event in New York on Tuesday, as it attempts to fuel interest in its struggling tablet line amid increasing competition. The Intel Core-powered tablet measures 0.36 inches thick, boasts a 12-inch screen and weighs just under 2 pounds. AFP PHOTO/Stan HONDA

MICROSOFT has just unveiled its latest Windows-powered tablet: the Surface Pro 3.

The newest Surface is equipped with a 12-inch, 2,160 by 1,440 resolution display with a 3:2 aspect ratio, Windows 8.1 Pro, and a 4th-generation Intel Core processor—all within a 9.1mm-thick casing, making what the company claims is the “thinnest Intel Core product ever made.” And at just 800 grams, the Surface Pro 3 is both lighter and thinner than the 10.6-inch Surface Pro 2 and the 11.8-inch Apple MacBook Air.

READ MORE: MICROSOFT’S TABLET FOCUS IS NO LONGER FIGHTING THE IPAD

Like the Surface tablets before it, the Surface Pro 3 includes a kickstand, which has been improved, and works with a digital Surface Pen. Microsoft also introduced new, thinner Type Covers with a bigger trackpad, as well as a new docking station that can be used to output video to a 4K monitor.

The all new keyboard and pen are the best yet for a tablet/laptop hybrid.

The company also highlighted some software that has been developed for the new tablet. Photoshop has been optimised for touch on the Surface Pro 3, the New York Times’ crossword puzzle works with the pen, and scripts written in Final Draft can be edited on the fly using the pen as well. For quick memos, clicking the button on the pen will wake the tablet and present you with the OneNote app. Once done jotting down your thoughts, simply click the button again and the notes are sent to the cloud via Microsoft’s OneDrive.

The Surface Pro 3 will hit shelves on August 31, but can be pre-ordered starting today through the Microsoft web store as well as third-party retailers. Pricing starts at $AU979, with multiple configurations available depending on if you want an Intel Core i3, Core i5, or Core i7 processor. 4GB or 8GB of RAM will be offered, and storage will come in four options, ranging from 64GB to 512GB.

This article originally appeared on IGN.