By Claire Reilly

Microsoft looks set to assert itself in the tablet market with the unveiling today of a new tablet device, known as the Surface.

Running on the Windows operating system, the surface features a widescreen (16:9) 10.6-inch ClearType display, as well as a built-in USB port and Micro SD card slot. It also features front and rear cameras, dual microphones and stereo speakers.

One of the innovative features of the Surface is the Touch Cover, a “a revolutionary, 3-millimetre thin, pressure sensitive cover that doubles as a fully functioning keyboard and trackpad” for the tablet. It is available in five colours and connects to the tablet with a “single magnetic click” according to Microsoft.

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The tablet also features a kickstand designed for easy videoconferencing (the rear camera is angled by 22 degrees to enable clear video chat), as well as hands-free viewing of photos and videos.

There are two models of the tablet available – the Surface with Windows RT operating system and the Surface with Windows 8 Pro.

The Windows RT model is 676 grams, 9.3-millimetres thick and is configurable to 32GB or 64GB. The Windows 8 Pro model weighs in at 903 grams and measures 13.5-millimetres, is configurable to 64GB or 128GB, and features a Full HD display (as opposed to the RT’s straight HD display) and an upgrade to USB 3.0.

The new Surface from Microsoft.

Because nothing sells a new tablet like magnets and dubstep, here’s a teaser video for the new device.