Microsoft Surface 2, Pro Tablets Released After Failed Models

Microsoft revealed two new versions of its Surface tablets Monday in a bid to make up for the original models that have struggled in the tablet market.

The Surface 2 and Surface 2 Pro replace the Surface RT and Surface Pro tablets. With the previous Surface models, the company slashed prices drastically in recent months because of an unsold inventory write-down of $900 million, according to ABC News.

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Microsoft has addressed common complaints with its new tablets, and the company says the Surface 2 and Pro are faster, lighter, thinner, and have better battery lives than the previous models. The price of the Surface 2 starts at $449 for 32gb, while the Surface 2 Pro starts at $899 for 32gb.

The tablets use a Haswell chip, used in Microsoft’s competitors tablets as well, to conserve battery power and run without a fan, Time magazine reported. 

“Microsoft has been humbled by modest sales of Surface, but it’s not giving up,” Sarah Rotman Epps, an industry analyst, told Reuters. “Microsoft is doubling down on Surface, making needed hardware improvements to appeal to businesses and consumers.” 

The fact that the first tablets were tied to Microsoft’s beleaguered Windows 8 system hurt sales.

“To a large extent, Surface’s woes have been tied to Windows 8’s woes,” analyst Ross Rubin told ABC.

But the system will have Windows 8.1 by the end of the year, which will reportedly include an easier way to return to the traditional desktop with a new Start button.

Both new tablets will feature 200gb of cloud storage and free Skype calls to landlines.

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