In what could be a tablet war with Apple, Microsoft on Monday unveiled Surface PCs built to be the ultimate stage for Windows in an event in Hollywood.

Company executives showed two Windows tablets and accessories that feature significant advances in industrial design and attention to detail. Surface is designed to seamlessly transition between consumption and creation, without compromise. It delivers the power of amazing software with Windows and the feel of premium hardware in one exciting experience.

"Microsoft is not just taking on Apple,” CRN quoted Martin Tarr, CEO of Tiburon Technologies, an Independence, Ohio based solution provider as saying. "They are taking on Dell, HP, Lenovo and the entire PC market as well as the tablet market." Microsoft has a good shot at grabbing share from the iPad if the Surface tablet effectively runs business applications, Tarr said.

"Organizations can’t convert their business applications to the iPad fast enough," he said. "This may provide Microsoft a window of opportunity. The iPad is phenomenal as a consumer device, but most of the iPad applications are consumer oriented. The key is going to be how well the Microsoft Tablet runs business applications."

According to nvonews.com, Microsoft and Apple have been locking horns in the computing industry for a while. But, when it comes to the tablet market, which is growing beyond the PCs, Microsoft is no match compared to Apple, which manufactures iPad, the world’s most popular tablet brand. Of course, Microsoft has announced Windows 8 for tablets with both ARM and x86 chips. But, it is really an interesting move that the company is to produce its own brand of tablet in style of Google. More interestingly, the Windows tablet announcement is to come on heels with the news that Google is to wrap off a Nexus tablet in association of Asus.

Conceived, designed and engineered entirely by Microsoft employees, and building on the company’s 30 year history manufacturing hardware, Surface represents a unique vision for the seamless expression of entertainment and creativity. Extensive investment in industrial design and real user experience includes the following highlights:

Surface sports a full sized USB port and a 16:9 aspect ratio the industry standard for HD. It has edges angled at 22 degrees, a natural position for the PC at rest or in active use, letting the hardware fade into the background and the software stand out.

The casing of Surface is created using a unique approach called VaporMg (pronounced Vapor Mag), a combination of material selection and process to mold metal and deposit particles that creates a finish akin to a luxury watch. Starting with magnesium, parts can be molded as thin as .65 mm, thinner than the typical credit card, to create a product that is thin, light and rigid/strong.

The unique VaporMg approach also enables a built in kickstand that lets you transition Surface from active use to passive consumption watching a movie or even using the kickstand is there when needed, and disappears when not in use, with no extra weight or thickness.

The 3 mm Touch Cover represents a step forward in human computer interface. Using a unique pressure sensitive technology, Touch Cover senses keystrokes as gestures, enabling you to touch type significantly faster than with an on-screen keyboard. It will be available in a selection of vibrant colors. Touch Cover clicks into Surface via a built in magnetic connector, forming a natural spine like you find on a book, and works as a protective cover. You can also click in a 5 mm thin Type Cover that adds moving keys for a more traditional typing feel. An Amazing Windows Experience