Microsoft seems to be moving away from the ARM-powered Surface tablets and getting rid of its Windows RT operating system in the process. A report from WinBeta indicates that the company is planning to switch the Surface Pro series to the x86-powered CPU running on Windows 8.1 (and possibly Windows 10 once it gets released).
The report states that the new Surface will be a fanless device, powered by an Atom or Core M processor, and will be marketed as a consumer-oriented product. This might mean that the company would slot it beneath the Surface Pro 3, but it’s hard to say at this point given that details about it are still scarce.
The company’s non-Pro Surface tablet, the Surface 2, comes with a 10.6″ 1080p screen, up to 64GB of storage and with the Windows RT OS. A similar device with the Windows 8.1 (and Windows 10 in the future) could be a great consumer product, given the price is right. The Surface 2 is currently priced at $449 for the 32GB variant.
An official announcement is expected before or at Microsoft’s Build conference, which starts on April 29th.
Thank you Tech Report for providing us with this information
