Microsoft pushes the Surface 2.0 release to 2012

In a move that is set to disappoint enthusiasts, Microsoft has pushed back the release date of the second generation of its Surface line of touch computers to January, 2012. Previously, the device was expected to be released in 2011.

TNW has been positive on the first generation Surface as an interesting project in the past, and generally optimistic at the prospect of the Surface 2.0 bringing the results of that experiment to a more mass-market application. In short, the Surface 1 was an idea, its successor is the idea implemented. Thinner, cheaper, and better, the second Surface could find real commercial use. As it can be mounted onto a wall, the potential for it to find functional implementation is strong.

As we have previously reported, the next Surface sports a multicore CPU from AMD. That company also produced the GPU in use. Further, it contains some 4 GB RAM, a 320 GB HDD, and a 40-inch LCD display. It is a normal computer, in other words. However, at the price of $7,600, it remains a niche item. And that is why we are looking forward to the Surface 4, as that will be the one that we can all afford to put in our own living rooms.

But for now, the Surface 2.0 has been pushed back past the end of the year. A major blow for the platform? Hardly. A disappointment to partner? Probably. We previously joked that “Microsoft’s eternal Surface project never seems to actually reach the consumers whose lives it has the potential to revolutionize.” That will remain true for a while yet.

If you want to see the Surface in action, head here for some demonstrations.