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Awaiting Today’s Surface RT Debut, Microsoft’s Steve Ballmer Confirms More Devices to Come

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Microsoft‘s top brass confirmed that the software giant turned tablet maker plans to develop and build more devices.

Speaking to the BBC News’ technology correspondent Rory Cellan-Jones, Microsoft chief executive Steve Ballmer said that the company, which will later today debut the Windows 8-powered Surface tablet, will build more devices under its name. (CNET will be live-blogging Microsoft’s New York event later this morning.)

“Is it fair to say we’re going to do more hardware? Obviously we are. We did our first piece of non-Xbox hardware when we launch the Surface. Where we see important opportunities to set a new standard, yeah, we’ll dive in.”

ZDNet’s Mary Jo Foley also wondered whether Microsoft could be planning a 7-inch tablet alongside the bevy of existing smaller, more petite tablets, including the newly unveiled, 7.9-inchApple iPad Mini. During a recent Reddit “Ask me Anything,” the Surface team did not flat-out deny that the software giant would make a “Surface mini,” but equally did not confirm anything either.

In recent weeks, there has been continued speculation that the software giant may distance itself from its pact with Nokia…

Read more: Zack Whittaker,  CNET

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