Microsoft's answer to the iPad (known as the Surface tablet) that is powered by Windows 8 will arrive alongside the Windows 8 release on October 26th. The Surface tablets were designed by Microsoft, and will be sold by Microsoft as part of a unique venture by the company into the actual hardware sales arena.

Sources tell us that there will be two flavors of Surface: a full blown Windows 8 Pro Surface tablet and a Surface tablet for Windows RT. Of course, the big Windows 8 Pro tablet will be much more powerful and capable because of the needs of the Windows 8 Pro OS running on it. No pricing has been announced for either Surface model yet.

Microsoft is also leading the charge that will see a number of games coming for Windows 8 that are targeted directly at the tablet crowd. We only know of Skulls of the Shogun and Hydro Thunder Hurricane that are coming, but we hear that a number of other titles that were published by Microsoft Studios will be coming for the Windows 8 tablet crowd to boost offerings for the tablet. Expect to hear more from Microsoft about these games coming for the Windows 8 tablet in the weeks ahead.