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【Microsoft Competes Against Apple With New Tablet】
TEXT：This is the VOA Special English Technology Report.
這里是美國之音慢速英語科技報道。
Microsoft has announced its first tablet computer. It is called the Surface, and it is designed to compete directly with the popular Apple iPad.
微軟已經發布了其首款被稱為Surface的平板電腦，其目的旨在與蘋果iPad直接競爭。
The computer software maker announced its new tablet last Monday at a media event in Los Angeles. Microsoft will offer two versions of the Surface. Each has a different processor. The Surface for Windows RT runs on an ARM processor. It is less powerful than the Surface for Windows 8 Pro, which uses an Intel processor.
上周一，該計算機軟件制造商在洛杉磯的媒體發布會上發布了其新平板電腦。微軟為Surface提供了兩個版本，每個版本有不同的處理器。其中Windows RT版本采用ARM處理器，該處理器沒有Windows 8 Pro版本使用的Inter處理器強大。
The RT is also thinner and weighs less than the Pro. Either tablet weighs no more than nine hundred three grams. Both have screens that are about twenty-seven centimeters in size. That is a little bigger than the iPad’s screen.
RT版本還比Pro版本更薄更輕。任一款款平板電腦的重量都不超過930克，也都擁有27厘米大小的屏幕。這比iPad的屏幕大一點。
Microsoft has not said exactly when the new Surface will appear in stores. But, it is expected to be sometime in September or October. This is about the same time that the company plans to release its new Windows 8 computer operating system.
微軟并沒有說新Surface什么時候開始銷售。但是，預計會在9月或10月的某一時點，和該公司計劃發布新的Windows 8 計算機操作系統大約在相同的時間。
Brenda Estrella owns a laptop computer. She has been considering switching to a tablet.
Brenda Estrella有一臺筆記本電腦。她一直在考慮改用平板電腦。
BRENDA ESTRELLA: "iPad for me is more of an entertainment device, like I see a lot of people carrying it around or taking pictures on it. For me, it's not that practical, so if Microsoft is coming out with a tablet that actually you can like type, and actually do different things other than just swipe, then that would be better for me."
BRENDA ESTRELLA：“對我來說，iPad更多是一種娛樂設備，像我看到很多人隨身拿著iPad，或使用它拍照。對于我來說，這不夠實用。所以如果微軟將推出一款大家喜歡類型的平板電腦，可以做很多不同的事情，而不僅僅是滑屏，那就會更加適合我。”
Fox Van Allen is a technology expert. He agrees the Surface seems to have more to offer than the iPad.
Fox Van Allen是一名技術專家。他認同Surface似乎比iPad提供了更多功能。
FOX VAN ALLEN: "It's a very interesting new device. I think the key point here is that it's not just another iPad. It's a device that almost serves as a replacement for a PC."
FOX VAN ALLEN：“這是一個非常有趣的新設。我認為這里的關鍵點是，它不是另一個iPad，而是一種幾乎能夠取代個人電腦的設備。”
Many technology lovers, including Catherine Clinch, are excited about the new tablet.
許多科技愛好者，包括Catherine Clinch都對這款新平板電腦感到興奮。
CATHERINE CLINCH: "The applause moments were on things that I think were predictable -- wow it stands by itself, you don't have buy a stand. It’s all together, the keyboard folds over, it’s a cover -- all those wonderful things. But when I look at this what I think of is the potential to get rid of the netbook, to get rid of the laptop, to maybe even down the line get rid of the full computer."
CATHERINE CLINCH：“掌聲來自于那些我認為可以預見的事情上，哇，例如它自身就可以立起來，你無需購買底座。它是一體的，鍵盤折疊上就是屏幕保護套，還有其它精彩的部分。但當我看到這些，我想到的是它能夠擺脫上網本，擺脫筆記本電腦，擺脫完整計算機的那種潛力。”
The Surface is meant to compete with the iPad. But not everyone is sure it is a better product. This includes iPad user John Ayala.
Surface是為了與iPad競爭。但并非所有人都相信它是一個更好的產品。其中就包括iPad用戶John Ayala。
JOHN AYALA: “Would I buy one over an iPad? No. I like Apple products right now. I am glad there is a competitor and I am glad there is an alternative, but I am sticking with Apple.”
JOHN AYALA：“我會不會越過iPad買一臺Surface？不，我現在喜歡蘋果的產品。我很高興有了一個競爭對手，有了另一種選擇，但我堅決使用蘋果。”
For years, Microsoft made software, not computers. A few earlier attempts by the company to make and sell hardware products failed. That included the Zune music player. It could not compete against Apple’s iPod.
多年來，微軟生產的是軟件而不是電腦。該公司較早前嘗試制造和銷售硬件均告失敗。這包括Zune音樂播放器，它無法抗衡蘋果的iPod。
Estimates place the value of the tablet computer market at about seventy-nine billion dollars this year. Microsoft hopes to capture a share of that market with its latest device.
估計今年平板電腦市場價值大約790億美元。微軟希望通過最新的Surface產品搶占部分市場份額。
