Microsoft Hosting "Small Gathering" May 20, May Unveil Surface Mini

Microsoft has reportedly been working on a miniaturized version of its Surface computing tablet for just about two years. The company’s family of tablets has struggled to gain market share close to what Apple boasts with the iPad line. It seems, at least in the public domain, third in line, even behind the much-fragmented Android army of tablets.

In what we can only imagine is perfect wording for a Surface Mini unveiling, Microsoft has sent out invitations to press for a Microsoft Surface event on May 20th, with a brief note stating, “Join us for a small gathering.”

While this could just refer to the small group of attendees Microsoft is inviting to the showcase, it seems more likely to be a playful tease for an unveiling of a smaller Surface tablet. This would also line up with reports from last September that claimed an early 2014 release of a Surface Mini.

Since we’re in the business of speculating, let’s review the currently rumored tech specs of this potentially smaller Surface. Allegedly, the new Surface Mini will feature a 7.5-inch, 1440×1080 screen with a 4:3 aspect ratio, giving it a more iPad-style shape, as opposed to the full-size displays of current Surface tablets. Under the hood, the Surface Mini could feature a Qualcomm processor that powers Windows RT — which means it’s not a fully-realized copy of Windows 8, and therefor cannot run legacy desktop applications.

Last year, when speaking with The Verge, Surface creator Panos Panay gave his “best answer” to the inquiry of a Surface Mini releasing to the public.

“We have a lot of great things that we are thinking about and working on, and there are multiple aspect ratios and sizes and awesome things to come from Surface.”

Be sure to drop by BestTechie on May 20th to get caught up on whatever Microsoft plans on announcing. Let’s hope it’s nothing too big.