Revolutionizing the tablets sector, Microsoft unveiled its new Microsoft Surface tablet yesterday at Milk Studios in Hollywood CA. The Surface range that includes versions for both Windows RT and Windows 8 Pro features thin and lightweight devices equipped with a keypad, which serves as a cover as well.

Photo: Microsoft Surface, from www.engadget.com

The new tablet with a 1366 x 768 display is just 9.3mm thick (0.1mm thinner than the latest iPad)  weighs 1.5 to 2 lbs. The Surface has a casing made of magnesium and a Gorilla Glass screen as well as a kickstand.

Microsoft demonstrated the tablet on Windows 8 Pro, which is to be unveiled later this year. The RT version will be available with the release of Windows 8 and the Pro version will come 90 days later. The device can be easily operated with a stylus which is magnetically attaches to it. When the stylus is being used, touch events are blocked to avoid accidental input.

The tablet features 2 USB ports and can be connected to an external display. The price was not disclosed at the event but Microsoft said that it is expected to be “competitive with a comparable ARM tablet or Intel Ultrabook-class PC.” The company added that its OEM  partners would have “cost and feature parity on Windows 8 and Windows RT,” reports The Next Web.

The RT-based Surface is lighter and has 32 or 64GB storage, while the Pro version features a higher resolution screen, more ports and its storage option is 64 or 128GB.

“We’ve ushered in a new era of cloud computing and embraced mobility. We are attempting to transform entertainment, and Windows is the heart and soul of Microsoft,” said CEO Steve Ballmer at the event.

Microsoft will hold another event later this week in San Francsisco where an early version of Windows Phone 8 will be presented and the future of the Windows Phone lineup will be discussed.