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"Microsoft announced on Tuesday that its new Surface tablet will be coming to more retailers as soon as mid-December.\nThe news comes just days after it was rumored the Surface tablet \u2014 which is only available via the company's website and retail stores \u2014 would go on sale at various retailers in time for the holidays. Microsoft didn't elaborate which companies would be selling the device.\n\u201CThe public reaction to Surface has been exciting to see,\" said Panos Panay, general manager of Microsoft Surface, in a statement. \"We\u2019ve increased production and are expanding the ways in which customers can interact with, experience and purchase Surface.\"\nSEE ALSO: 9 Things You Didn't Know About Microsoft Surface\n\nThe company said U.S. and Australian shoppers will soon be able to go into retail locations purchase the tablet, which runs Windows RT software, but more countries will be added to the availability lineup in the future.\n\u201COur plan has been to expand the retail presence for Surface after the first of the year,\" added Steve Schueler, corporate vice president, Microsoft retail sales and marketing. \"Based on interest from retailers, we are giving them the option to carry Surface with Windows RT even earlier.\"\nPhoto courtesy of Microsoft\nBONUS: Microsoft Surface Review\n\n\nHands on With Microsoft Surface\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nMicrosoft Surface Powered Up\nThis is the Surface tablet with Touch Cover in place.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nMicrosoft Surface Box Top\nMicrosoft's boxing is as clean and well-designed as anything from Apple.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nMicrosoft Surface Box Bottom\nDetails about Surface can be found on the back. Notice that our unit is the 64 GB model.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nMicrosoft Surface Box What's Inside\nThis is all there is inside the Surface box: A Tablet and AC power adapter. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nMicrosoft Surface Instructions\nUnderneath the Surface is this tiny instruction booklet.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nMicrosoft Surface Kickstand and Keyboard\nIt has just enough instruction to get you started.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nMicrosoft Surface Instruction Detail\nA closer look at the instruction booklet.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nMicrosoft Surface Fresh Out of the Box\nRemoving the Surface for the first time.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nMicrosoft Surface AC Adapter\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nSurface Back with Kick Stand Open\nThe metal kick stand flips open with a flick of the finger.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nSurface's USB Port, Micro HDMI Jack, and Speaker\nThis USB 2.0 slot works with most of your Windows peripherals. Here, I stuck in a Bluetooth connector for my Microsoft Arc Mouse.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nSurface Magentic Power Port and Micro SD Slot\nThe magnetic power jack is convenient, but the magnetic plug doesn't always click in that smoothly. Also, is this really the best spot for a micro-SD slot?\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nSurface Touch Cover Channel and Connectors\nThis tablet is built with a keyboard in mind. Both the Touch Cover and Touch Keyboard snap into this channel with a resounding \"click!\"\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nSurface's Back Camera\nFront and back cameras shoot 720P video and just above 1 MP stills.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nSurface's Front Camera and Flash\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nSurface Speaker, Audio Jack and Volume Rocker\nThe volume rocker has an interesting trick: Press up or down volume twice and the volume will zoom all the way up or down on its own.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nMicrosoft Surface Touch Cover in Box\nWe got the $699 64 GB Surface and Touch Cover bundle. This is what the Touch Cover looks like in the box.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nMicrosoft Surface Touch Cover\nThe Touch Cover, which is the same width as the Surface tablet, easily accommodates my two largish hands.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nMicrosoft Surface Tablet\nThis is the welcome screen. A swipe up or tap on the space bar brings up the log-in. Just like traditional Windows, Windows RT supports multiple user profiles.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nComposing E-Mail in Windows RT with Virtual Keyboard\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nCustomizing Windows RT\nYou can alter Windows RT just as much as you can Windows 8 and its predecessor, Windows 7.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nFresh Paint App  on Windows RT\nWhile I had some trouble finding a decent drawing app in the Windows app store, Fresh Paint is a powerful, virtual media app.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nFresh Paint Art\nYes, you can draw on this tablet with your finger, but it did not work particularly well with a stylus.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nGameplay on Windows RT\nThis racing game's start screen was far more impressive than the actual game.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nInternet Explorer 10 Frequently Visited Pages\nIE 10 in Windows RT is, like IE in Windows 8, a full-scale, touch-friendly redesign.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nKindle App in Windows RT\nAmazon has built a native app for Windows RT. Of course, if you build an app for Windows 8, it should work for everything from Windows Phone to Windows 8 to Windows RT.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nMicrosoft Surface Touch Cover Instructions\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nMicrosoft Surface Windows RT Start Screen\nWindows RT Start Screen looks and works exactly like Windows 8\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nShare Under People in Windows RT\nIf you want to share in Windows RT, you have to dig under People to find Twitter and Facebook.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nPrinting from Windows RT\nI love how easy it is to connect to a Homegroup printer and print right from within Windows RT.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nShooting 720p Video on Microsoft Surface\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nWindows RT App Search\nSearch is ubiquitous and contextual.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nWindows RT Contextual Settings\nSo are settings.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nWindows RT File Folders in Windows Design\nRT has a file system that's quite easy to navigate.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nWindows RT File Search\nSearchable across files is easy, too.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nWindows RT File System\nUnderneath RT is a very familiar Windows Desktop and Explorer like file manager.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nWindows RT Internet Explorer 10 Browser Window Control\nA swipe down at the top of the screen reveals all your open browser windows (in thumbnail form).\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nWindows RT Mail Control\nA swipe up from the bottom opens a contextual control bar, in this case for email.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nWindows RT Photos\nYou have your photos on the device and those you're sharing with the Skydrive cloud,\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nWindows RT Task Manager\nThe Task Manager is simplified, but still there in Windows RT (so is the Registry).\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nZooming Out on Windows RT Start Screen\nGot too many tiles? Pinch and Zoom to get 30,000 ft view.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n"^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
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