Microsoft’s new ‘Surface’ tablet with keyboard

The awaited tablet from Microsoft is finally arriving. A last-minute, mysterious event was scheduled at 3:30 p.m. Pacific Time on Monday in Los Angeles. Microsoft only sent out the invitation on Thursday of last week. Microsoft will reportedly be unveiling its first Windows 8 tablet. According to reports in The Wrap and other outlets, Microsoft is manufacturing the tablet itself.

The self-manufactured tablet would be a drastic shift from Microsoft’s historic strategy of relying on hardware partners like Dell and HP to manufacture its actual devices. If the technology company does unveil its own Microsoft-branded tablet, it can go the, we built it ourselves route and it’s our iPad killer, or the partner-built, now go build your own route. Google takes the partner-built road with its Nexus line of Android phones. Google works with outside hardware partners each year to develop a “model” phone boasting all of Android’s latest apps and upgrades. The device is available for consumers, but is also intended as a guide for other Android smartphone makers. With either option, Microsoft needs to move swiftly, reports say.