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New report throws fuel on Microsoft Xbox Surface rumors

It's looking like Microsoft's entry into the 'mini' tablet space may, indeed, be the previously rumored Xbox Surface.
Written by Mary Jo Foley, Senior Contributing Editor

It's increasingly looking like we Microsoft watchers weren't so crazy after all... at least when it comes to talk of an Xbox Surface.

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On November 6, Tom Warren over at The Verge posted some more information from unnamed sources about the supposed Xbox Surface. As Warren noted, this isn't the first time we've heard about this device. There were a number of leaks back in June 2012 about an ARM-based Xbox Surface device. Warren added today that there's a possibility the device could be altered to accommodate some unannounced Intel system-on-a-chip processor.

A couple of weeks ago, I posted my ruminations about an Xbox Surface being Microsoft's possible first entry into the 7-inch/mini-tablet space.

Leaks from June indicated that the Xbox Surface would be a companion device tethered to Microsoft's Xbox. SmartGlass, a k a the Xbox Companion 2.0 application that Microsoft introduced earlier this year and just rolled out this fall, supposedly would be a key component. GeekWire's Todd Bishop discovered earlier this year that the Microsoft's SmartGlass trademark applied to both software and hardware, so it seemed there was still another shoe... or tablet... to drop.

Here's the alleged leaked Xbox Surface spec sheet from June, courtesy of LiveSide.

Surface is, indeed, a name for more than just the two PC/tablet devices that Microsoft unveiled in Los Angeles this past summer and that will be generally available as of October 26. We know that Surface refers a bigger brand of Microsoft-designed and -branded hardware products. Rumors or not, there's no doubt about one thing: The Surface RT and Surface Pro are just the first of multiple Microsoft hardware products to come.

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