Microsoft introduces Surface 2

Microsoft second-generation Surface tablets look an awful lot like the models released in 2012. But they have faster processors, more versatile kickstands, longer battery life, and other improvements.

The company is also offering new accessories including a a desktop dock, a keyboard case that also serves as an extra battery for your Surface tablet, and a backlit keyboard cover.

The two new tablets are available  for pre-order from the Microsoft Store, as are some of the accessories. The tablets should ship October 22nd, just a few days after Windows 8.1 launches.

Microsoft Surface Pro 2

The new Surface Pro 2 is powered by an Intel Core i5 Haswell processor, offering better performance and longer battery life than last year’s Ivy Bridge model. You should be able to get up to 7.5 hours of battery life from this tablet.

Microsoft says you can get 2.5 times the battery life of the original (possibly up to 12 hours) with the optional Power Cover (see below).

Overall performance has been improved by 20 percent, while graphics performance is 50 percent faster. The company says the speakers have also been improved.

Microsoft has also bumped the RAM for the highest priced models from 4GB to 8GB, which is not only a big step up from the last model… it also gives the Surface Pro 2 more memory than you get in a typical ultrabook. Not bad for a slate.

Entry level models with 64GB or 128GB of storage will still ship with 4GB of memory.

The tablet still has a 10.6 inch, 1920 x 1080 pixel display and a digital pen for pressure-sensitive writing and drawing. But the kickstand on the back has been updated to work in 2-positions.

The Surface Pro 2 has a starting price of $899 for a model with 64GB of storage and 4GB of RAM. Microsoft will offer models with up to 512GB of storage and 8GB of RAM.

Microsoft Surface 2

Say goodbye to the Surface RT and say hello to the Surface 2. It still runs Windows RT, but Microsoft is (perhaps wisely) distancing this tablet from the name.

The new model features a faster NVIDIA Tegra 4 ARM Cortex-A15 quad-core processor and a higher-resolution display. The original Surface RT had a 1366 x 768 pixel screen, but the new Surface 2 has a 1920 x 1080 pixel display.

It’s also thinner and lighter than its predecessor, gets 25% longer battery life with up to 10 hours of run time, and it comes with new color options: You can get a silver version if you don’t like black.

Prices for the Surface 2 start at $449.