Microsoft Surface 3 goes back to the future with traditional display

MICROSOFT has ditched the wide-screen form factor for a more traditional 3:2 aspect ratio display in its Surface 3 tablet.

Microsoft's Surface 3 tablet will sell in Australia from $699.

MICROSOFT has ditched the wide-screen form factor for a more traditional 3:2 aspect ratio display in its Surface 3 tablet which will sell in Australia from $699.

Microsoft has announced both detailed specs for Surface 3 and local pricing some seven months after the corresponding enterprise model — Surface 3 Pro — went to market in August last year.

In Australia, Surface 3 will start at $699 with 2 Gigabytes of RAM and a 64GB solid state drive. A 4GB of RAM, 128GB storage Surface 3 will cost $839.

Microsoft will also sell a 4G LTE cellular version of Surface locally. One with 2GB of RAM and 64GB of storage will cost $839 while a unit with 4GB of RAM and 128GB will sell for $979.

Pre-order begin today before the Surface 3 goes on sale from May 5. It will be sold through JB HI-FI, Harvey Norman and online at microsoftstore.com.

Surface 3 is a consumer oriented tablet that is tailored to students, schools and home users. It will initially come with a full version of Windows 8.1 with a free upgrade promised to Windows 10 later this year.

It’s fully blown Windows that will run both apps and desktop programs.

Microsoft is promising up to 10 hours of video playback. The tablet has a full high definition 1080p, 10.8-inch screen with 1920x1280 pixels — a 3:2 aspect ratio multi-touch display. Its stereo speakers feature Dolby Sound.

Units come with a full-sized USB3.0 port, a MiniDisplay port, microSD card slot, a standardised micro USB charging port and a port to attach a Surface 3 backlit keyboard/cover. Covers will cost $179.99.

Purchasers will get a one-year Office 365 personal subscription and OneDrive unlimited storage.

Surface 3 keyboard covers, an optional pen ($59.99) and a docking station ($279.99) will be sold separately. The docking station contains 2 USB 3.0 ports, 2 USB 2.0 ports, Gigabit Ethernet, Mini DisplayPort video out, a security lock slot, and a 3.5mm audio input/output port.

The Surface 3 has a quad-core Intel Atom x7 processor. It has two 1080p HD cameras: a rear-facing 8 megapixel autofocus camera and a 3.5 megapixel front-facing camera for video conferencing. It comes with a one-year limited hardware warranty.

The Surface form factor was initially regarded as a flop following its release in 2012.

But late last year Microsoft reported a doubling in quarterly sales from the year before to $US908 million. The Wall Street Journal however has cited heavy costs involved with making the Surface that would undermine Microsoft raking in a substantial profit.

Microsoft meanwhile has been slogging it out with Apple in the media, claiming in advertisements that a Surface tablet and keyboard is superior in features to Apple’s MacBook Air.

Apple is rumoured to be heading to production of a larger screen iPad with a 12.9-inch display, bigger than the current 9.7-inch iPad screen.

The Wall Street Journal reports that Apple has told suppliers to ready production lines for the large-screen iPad for the second half of this year.