Microsoft is attempting to pull off some Apple type secrecy with their Microsoft Surface tablets and it looks as if they accomplished that goal by literally building the Windows 8 tablets in an underground bunker.
Microsoft executive Stevie Bathiche was talking to TechRadar on Thursday when he revealed that the bunker was used to keep the entire project as secretive as possible. Bathiche says Microsoft was paying attention to every little detail and they wanted to make sure those details were not revealed until Microsoft was ready to unveil them.
The underground bunker where the project first started featured no windows and the project remained there until the team outgrew the facility. After moving from the original bunker Microsoft’s Surface team entered a building with airlock-style doors and biometric verification.
Among some of the devices biggest considerations was figuring out how to properly implement the kickstand hardware, including the sound it makes when closing. The team used an anechoic chamber until the sound was just right.
While Microsoft showed off the tablet earlier this week they have remained mum on certain details such as the antenna type, battery details and processor speeds. We do know the Microsoft Surface includes an ARM processor in the Surface RT and Ivy Bridge Core i5 in the Surface Pro.
If Microsoft has learned anything from Apple is appears to be that the user experience is almost always more important to most users than the actual hardware being presented. If Windows 8 manages to receive rave reviews for tablet devices Microsoft could finally have a true Apple iPad competitor.