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  • Microsoft stops producing Windows RT powered Surface 2 tablet

    Microsoft stops producing Windows RT powered Surface 2 tablet

    Microsoft has just stopped the production of its two year old Microsoft Surface 2 tablet powered by the Windows RT operating system. The news doesn't come as a surprise since the Windows RT OS hasn't been very popular among buyers. Also, the new generation Microsoft Surface 3 tablet has been selling well for the company in recent quarters. In fact, in the recent earnings call, Microsoft revealed that it generated around $1.1 billion in revenue from the Surface lineup, with most of the credit going to the new Surface 3. According to the report, the company sold three times more Surface 3 tablets than the older Surface 2. Also, the company recently announced that it would not bring Windows 10 OS on the device as an update, which further hinted at the company's plans to shift its focus to the mainstream operating system. With the production stopped, Surface 2 stocks will eventually dry up for online and brick and mortar stores. It is already out of stock on the company's own website. However, a Microsoft spokesperson revealed recently that Microsoft will still support Windows RT for some time. The company aims to release an update which will bring some of the features of Windows 10 on to the platform.  

  • Microsoft Surface 2, Surface RT and Surface Pro tablets priced for Malaysia

    Microsoft Surface 2, Surface RT and Surface Pro tablets priced for Malaysia

    Microsoft Malaysia recently announced the arrival of the Surface 2 here in Malaysia at a price tag of RM1399 for the 32GB version and RM1699 for the 64GB version. Tech specs for the Surface 2 look to be upgraded somewhat with a 1.7GHz quad-core NVIDIA Tegra 4 processor but it is still running Windows RT 8.1. Additional accessories like the Type Cover 2 or Touch Cover 2 cost RM409 and RM379 separately. The Surface 2 should be available after 14 March 2014 but it's announcement has also meant a price cut for the existing Microsoft Surface RT and Surface Pro tablets. The 64GB Surface RT tablet has been discounted down to RM1199 from RM1399 while the 128GB Surface Pro is now RM1899 from RM2749. Considering the slightly lower pricing for the Surface 2, we expect the Surface Pro 2 to go for around RM2649 making the current Surface Pro tablet a very tempting choice for those looking to get an older but powerful Windows 8 tablet.

  • Microsoft Surface 2 and Surface Pro 2 tablets overheating resulting in dimmed screens

    Microsoft Surface 2 and Surface Pro 2 tablets overheating resulting in dimmed screens

    It appears that some users of the recent Microsoft Surface 2 and Surface Pro 2 tablets have been having problems with their tablets related to overheating. The main symptom of this is that the screen for the tablets becomes so dimmed that users can't see what they are doing. This often comes up when either the Surface 2 or Surface Pro tablets were doing processor intensive tasks like games or multi-tasking (multiple programs running at the same time). When contacted, Microsoft have said that the company is aware about the problem and are currently working on an update to fix the problem. According to them, a quick fix is to let the overheated tablets cool down first, which should take about a minute or two. The screen should then return to normal brightness afterwards. Here were their exact words:

    "Surface devices may dim the screen as thermal temperatures rise from extended, high CPU intensive activities - like gaming. In some scenarios this does not appear necessary...We’re working on a tuning update that will remove this unnecessary dimming event. You can expect this update in an upcoming Windows Update package. In the meantime allow the Surface to cool down for a minute or so in order to return the screen to previous brightness levels."

  • Microsoft Surface 2 tablet officially announced with Windows 8.1 RT

    Microsoft Surface 2 tablet officially announced with Windows 8.1 RT

    In line with the Intel Haswell revamp of the Microsoft Surface Pro tablets, the Surface RT line of tablets gets a revamp as well in the form of the new Microsoft Surface 2 tablet. Featuring Windows 8.1 RT and running on a new NVIDIA Tegra 4 processor, the Surface 2 is thinner, lighter and faster. Other tech specs include a microSD card slot, a USB 3.0 port, 32GB and 64GB storage along with a 10 hour battery. The new Touch Cover 2 keyboard is also very much updated including backlit keys, 1092 sensors and is 1mm thinner than the original Touch Cover. Other features include a free pre-installed Microsoft Office 2013 RT suite including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, One Note and Outlook RT along with 200GB of free SkyDrive cloud storage for up to 2 years and one year's worth of International Skype calls. Pricing in Malaysia hasn't been determined yet but we estimate the Surface 2 to be at $449 (RM1437) for the 32GB version and $549 (RM1757) for the 64GB version. For more information check out the Surface 2 site.