Microsoft Surface RT Tablet Gets iFixit Teardown

After watching those geeks over at iFixit teardown just about every geek gadget made it's nice to see that they finally get something from Microsoft, well besides the Xbox 360, to crack open. The team got their hands on the new Microsoft Surface running Windows RT and of course do what they do best, a fully detailed teardown!

Here are some highlights from iFixit's teardown:

• iFixit says Microsoft's Surface is a little easier to repair than the iPad 3 they tore down but it's still pretty difficult to take apart.
• iFixit notes Surface's design allows it to be opened without fear of shattering the display glass. Also, several components are modular and replaceable without requiring desoldering, and the battery can be removed pretty easily.
• The battery is glued in but it's "way easier to remove than on the iPad."
• The 31.5Wh battery is manufactured by Samsung and falls between the iPad 2's 25Wh battery and the third-generaiton iPad's 42.5Wh unit.
• The two 720p cameras -- one for the front, one for the back -- are almost identical in size and shape. "The exclusion of a multi-megapixel rear-facing camera either means cost was a big concern, or that Microsoft's designers don't expect you to use the Surface as your main camera."
• The device has four touch-screen controllers, which likely are what allow Surface to decode both the user inputs from pressing on the glass and the Touch Cover accessory.
• The main components suppliers included: Nvidia for the 1.4 GHz Tegra 3 Processor, Samsung for the 32 GB flash memory and the display, Micron for 2GB DDR3 RAM, and Texas Instruments for power management. Marvell, Wolfson, Atmel, and Cypress Semiconductor also provided certain chips.
  

Source: iFixit Microsoft Surface Teardown