Despite its rumored pen, I haven't been paying much attention to the impending launch of the Surface Mini since it will reportedly be ARM-based and therefore limited to running Windows RT.
I've long lamented the lack of decent touch versions of mainstay Windows tools and unless Microsoft has cajoled Adobe and others to develop something big for the Mini, I don't think the situation will change anytime soon.
But in this morning's WinInfo Daily newsletter, Paul Thurrott floored me with this tidbit:
I can now confirm those reports: Microsoft will indeed launch a bigger, Intel-based Surface Pro device at the event. I'm not 100 percent sure what form it will take—I'd like to see an Ultrabook-like model, but given the makeup of current Surface devices it will almost certainly be a tablet—but it will indeed use a high-end Haswell chip and not a low-end Atom-based chip.
Thurrott has further speculation on what he calls the "Surface Pro Maxi" in his WinSuperSite column here.
While I'm surprised by the timing (mostly for my bank account), I think this is an excellent move by Microsoft that will undercut the impact of a rumored Apple iPad Pro.
So what specs would I love to see? Simple: 13+ inch screen, 16:10 aspect ratio, thinner, lighter, faster, more RAM, bigger HD, lower price. A man can dream, right?
I'll unfortunately be traveling during the launch event, but I'll do my best to post the official specs as soon as I can. Look forward to reading your reactions!
