Microsoft unveils Surface Pro 3 tablet at New York event

NEW YORK, May 20 (UPI) -- Microsoft unveiled its third generation Surface Pro 3 tablet in New York Tuesday, which the company calls "the tablet that can replace your laptop."

The new tablet has a larger screen than the Pro 2 and is lighter than Apple's Macbook Air. The Pro 3 is 12 inches up from the 10.6 inches of its predecessor and weighs 1.76 pounds without the keyboard. The new Surface tablet is just 9.1mm thick and is, according to Microsoft, the "thinnest Intel Core product ever made."

"This is the tablet that can replace your laptop," said Microsoft spokesperson Panos Panay during the event. "We designed it in thinness around every corner. This is faster than the Surface Pro 2 you've loved to date and is much thinner."

Microsoft is also promoting a new pen that can be used to directly access OneNote with the press of a button. The new kickstand also has a new canvas mode angle of 150°, to improve the "lapability" of the device.

Microsoft has faced an uphill challenge as most consumers have chosen to buy Apple's iPad or tablets based on Google's Android software. At the same time, IDC predicts that the touch screen device market will grow only 19 percent as compared to 52 percent in 2013.