Microsoft mystery event unveiled - Live Coverage

The doors have opened to the press, and they're flooding in for what seems to be the biggest Microsoft event of the year. But what will it hold? No-one knows just yet.

Some content via The Verge

Neowin Live - This event has concluded

Jun 18, 2012 Owen Williams Welcome to this Neowin.net live event. Coverage will begin shortly.

Jun 18, 2012 Owen Williams Hi Everyone, the doors about to open :)

Jun 18, 2012 Owen Williams There's a "limited photo opportunity" at the end. Whatever it is, it sounds like it'll be behind glass.

Jun 18, 2012 Owen Williams The line is still not moving for press to get in.

Jun 18, 2012 Brad Sams We will have three of us working this liveblog but will try to let only one run the text while the rest the other two upload pictures (hopefully)

Jun 18, 2012 Owen Williams Still waiting in line...

Jun 18, 2012 Owen Williams This is the location of the event: http://www.milkstudios.com/

Jun 18, 2012 Owen Williams Alright, everyone is going inside!

Jun 18, 2012 Owen Williams It's going to take a while to get everyone inside.

Jun 18, 2012 Owen Williams Any last minute guesses?

Jun 18, 2012 Owen Williams Alright, folks are being seated.

Jun 18, 2012 Owen Williams

Jun 18, 2012 Owen Williams They handed us cards with "5:20pm" written on them and mysteriously said "This will be clearer later on during the presentation.

Jun 18, 2012 Owen Williams My bets are still on an Xbox-related device.

Jun 18, 2012 Owen Williams There is no cellphone coverage inside the Microsoft event.

Jun 18, 2012 Owen Williams There's a runway inside. Fashion show?

Jun 18, 2012 Owen Williams We think the time cards are for photo opportunities after the event.

Jun 18, 2012 Brad Sams

Jun 18, 2012 Owen Williams It looks like the dotted line thing is something to do with blurring the lines between screens.

Jun 18, 2012 Brad Sams

Jun 18, 2012 Owen Williams Our card has "5:30pm" written on it

Jun 18, 2012 Brad Sams

Jun 18, 2012 Owen Williams Is this the first time that the news hasn't leaked BEFORE the event?

Jun 18, 2012 Owen Williams There's definitely a dual-screen esque feel here...

Jun 18, 2012 Owen Williams The images are all implying it, at least.

Jun 18, 2012 Brad Sams

Jun 18, 2012 Owen Williams Surely they haven't bought the courier with them?

Jun 18, 2012 Brad Sams

Jun 18, 2012 Owen Williams If the courier is really here, pigs are flying today...

Jun 18, 2012 Owen Williams Just a few minutes left, apparently...

Jun 18, 2012 Brad Sams

Jun 18, 2012 Owen Williams Microsoft just reached out to us to ask us to use our photos of the event...

Jun 18, 2012 Owen Williams No taping during the presentation.

Jun 18, 2012 Owen Williams They just mentioned something about "obtaining" something.

Jun 18, 2012 Owen Williams "Good afternoon, and Welcome!"

Jun 18, 2012 Owen Williams The screen has patterns of rectangles flashing over it now...

Jun 18, 2012 Owen Williams Rectangles mean tablets... right?

Jun 18, 2012 Owen Williams Steve Ballmer is on stage!

Jun 18, 2012 Owen Williams Looks like this is going to be a Windows announcement

Jun 18, 2012 Owen Williams hank you for joining us. The past several years have seen great change in the industry, and from Microsoft.

Jun 18, 2012 Brad Sams

Jun 18, 2012 Owen Williams Talking about embracing cloud computing and entertainment

Jun 18, 2012 Owen Williams "Windows"

Jun 18, 2012 Owen Williams In homes, businesses, schools and government...

Jun 18, 2012 Owen Williams "Windows 8 reimagines the product"

Jun 18, 2012 Brad Sams

Jun 18, 2012 Owen Williams "We designed Windows 8 for the world we know, in which most computers are mobile."

Jun 18, 2012 Brad Sams

Jun 18, 2012 Owen Williams "Excitement is high for Windows 8"

Jun 18, 2012 Owen Williams Ballmer is listing off new Windows 8 features.

Jun 18, 2012 Owen Williams Windows RT, Metro, apps

Jun 18, 2012 Owen Williams "Today we want to add another piece to that Windows 8 story."

Jun 18, 2012 Brad Sams

Jun 18, 2012 Owen Williams Ballmer thanked Microsoft partners and customers

Jun 18, 2012 Brad Sams

Jun 18, 2012 Owen Williams "It was always clear that what our software could do would require us to push hardware, sometimes where our partners hadn't envisioned."

Jun 18, 2012 Owen Williams Woah...

Jun 18, 2012 Owen Williams I think Microsoft made a tablet.

Jun 18, 2012 Owen Williams This is definitely hardware

Jun 18, 2012 Owen Williams Video time now...

Jun 18, 2012 Owen Williams Mice, Keyboards... Xbox...

Jun 18, 2012 Owen Williams All wireless, btw

Jun 18, 2012 Owen Williams Surface was in that video,talkinga bout Kinect now

Jun 18, 2012 Owen Williams "here's to the next 30 years"

Jun 18, 2012 Owen Williams Ballmer is back on stage

Jun 18, 2012 Owen Williams "We believe that any intersection between human and machine can be made better when every aspect of the experience is considered together."

Jun 18, 2012 Owen Williams Ballmer just said that "Microsoft built the mouse for Windows"

Jun 18, 2012 Brad Sams

Jun 18, 2012 Owen Williams "Our most successful hardware has been the Xbox."

Jun 18, 2012 Brad Sams

Jun 18, 2012 Owen Williams "We see that combination working in our PC ecosystem"

Jun 18, 2012 Brad Sams

Jun 18, 2012 Owen Williams "The ultimate landing point of the PC experience is through our OEM's"

Jun 18, 2012 Owen Williams No mention of the Zune...

Jun 18, 2012 Owen Williams "with Windows 8 we did not want to leave any scene uncovered."

Jun 18, 2012 Owen Williams "We wanted to give Windows 8 it's own hardware."

Jun 18, 2012 Owen Williams "What is it? It's something new. A whole new family of computing devices from MSFT"

Jun 18, 2012 Brad Sams

Jun 18, 2012 Owen Williams "This is the new Microsoft Surface."

Jun 18, 2012 Owen Williams Steve has a tablet in his hand...

Jun 18, 2012 Brad Sams

Jun 18, 2012 Owen Williams "Hardware and software pushing each other."

Jun 18, 2012 Owen Williams Steve Sinofsky just came out

Jun 18, 2012 Owen Williams "A tablet that works and plays the way you want it to"

Jun 18, 2012 Brad Sams

Jun 18, 2012 Owen Williams Surface comes in at 9.3mm thick, features USB2.0

Jun 18, 2012 Owen Williams Built in magnesium

Jun 18, 2012 Owen Williams "VaporMag case" is the technical name

Jun 18, 2012 Owen Williams 576 grams!

Jun 18, 2012 Owen Williams "This case is the first of its kind."

Jun 18, 2012 Owen Williams "I can go and play games on the Windows Store."

Jun 18, 2012 Owen Williams 10.6" display

Jun 18, 2012 Owen Williams There's a Windows logo on the back...

Jun 18, 2012 Brad Sams

Jun 18, 2012 Owen Williams Woah, the tablet didn't work...

Jun 18, 2012 Owen Williams He just grabbed another tablet

Jun 18, 2012 Owen Williams "here's Netflix on Windows 8"

Jun 18, 2012 Brad Sams

Jun 18, 2012 Owen Williams Semantic Zoom works with Microsoft Surface

Jun 18, 2012 Brad Sams

Jun 18, 2012 Owen Williams Build in kickstand...

Jun 18, 2012 Owen Williams "Surface is designed to be mobile."

Jun 18, 2012 Owen Williams It has gorilla glass too!

Jun 18, 2012 Owen Williams The cover is a full multitouch keyboard!

Jun 18, 2012 Brad Sams Showing off a nice looking keyboard for the surface

Jun 18, 2012 Owen Williams Keyboard comes in tons of metro colors

Jun 18, 2012 Brad Sams crowd is loving it

Jun 18, 2012 Brad Sams

Jun 18, 2012 Brad Sams 3mm thin keyboard

Jun 18, 2012 Brad Sams touch typing

Jun 18, 2012 Brad Sams Device will even run offic, full windows desktop, nothing held back here folks

Jun 18, 2012 Brad Sams

Jun 18, 2012 Brad Sams That's surface in a tablet form, moving on!

Jun 18, 2012 Brad Sams So it will run on Windows based on Intel and Windows RT

Jun 18, 2012 Brad Sams

Jun 18, 2012 Brad Sams There is also Windows 8 pro - surface

Jun 18, 2012 Brad Sams Designed for the corporate enviornment

Jun 18, 2012 Brad Sams This intel based version is less than 2lbs, cleartype display,

Jun 18, 2012 Brad Sams The pro version has top notch specs including Core i5 3rd gen chps

Jun 18, 2012 Brad Sams

Jun 18, 2012 Brad Sams Works with a stylus, digital ink

Jun 18, 2012 Brad Sams

Jun 18, 2012 Brad Sams Live inline editing with text and pen, distance between the screen and the tip of the stylus is .7inches so it feels like you are writting on the page

Jun 18, 2012 Brad Sams

Jun 18, 2012 Brad Sams The stylus will magnetize to the tablet, display port on the device too

Jun 18, 2012 Brad Sams Now showing the device running full desktop mode, new look at the UI

Jun 18, 2012 Brad Sams Ms will also introudcing type cover

Jun 18, 2012 Brad Sams It appears to be an overlay to the thin keyboard that gives you tacticle feedback

Jun 18, 2012 Brad Sams

Jun 18, 2012 Brad Sams Showing off another video

Jun 18, 2012 Brad Sams This is about how the product came from concept to creation

Jun 18, 2012 Brad Sams

Jun 18, 2012 Brad Sams Microsoft touting the build quality here, something really special

Jun 18, 2012 Brad Sams

Jun 18, 2012 Brad Sams The tablet is perfect as it is part of their teams culture

Jun 18, 2012 Brad Sams

Jun 18, 2012 Brad Sams Microsoft wanted to bring creativity to the platform, it has an integrated kickstand, and is comfortable to use all day

Jun 18, 2012 Brad Sams The hinges on the kickstand are made to feel like a high end car door..no cheap slamming here

Jun 18, 2012 Brad Sams

Jun 18, 2012 Brad Sams The case is basically custom fit, no surprises here, microsoft wen all out.

Jun 18, 2012 Brad Sams The touch covers simply attach, pair instantly, and effortlessly

Jun 18, 2012 Brad Sams Touch covers are 3mm thin

Jun 18, 2012 Brad Sams It will look and feel like a book, a courier maybe?

Jun 18, 2012 Brad Sams

Jun 18, 2012 Brad Sams The tablet has an accelerometer built in too

Jun 18, 2012 Brad Sams Showing off the impressive touch cover and how it has tactical feel as well

Jun 18, 2012 Brad Sams Touch reaction time is faster than your standard keyboard

Jun 18, 2012 Brad Sams Sinofsky back on stage

Jun 18, 2012 Brad Sams Surface will come in 32 and 64 GB size, prices in the ballpark of ARM tablets

Jun 18, 2012 Brad Sams The intel version, higher storage capacity, higher price..closer to ultrabook price we presume

Jun 18, 2012 Owen Williams "Why now?"

Jun 18, 2012 Brad Sams Ballmer back on stage

Jun 18, 2012 Owen Williams Availability will be with Windows 8 launch for Win RT - 3 months later for Pro.

Jun 18, 2012 Owen Williams "we took the time to get surface and Windows 8 right"

Jun 18, 2012 Owen Williams "We want those of you here to see and touch it, we have several stations set up next door where you can see what went into it."

Jun 18, 2012 Owen Williams It's hands on time.

Jun 18, 2012 Owen Williams ...And it's over.

Jun 18, 2012 Brad Sams