Microsoft held a press conference today that captured that attention and imagination of the tech world. As speculated, the mega-corporation announced that they are developing a new tablet PC that will rival competitors like the iPad.

Speculation held that Microsoft would be unveiling a new tablet that would be heavily integrated into the Xbox 360. However, that part of the tale never came to fruition. Kinect was mentioned a couple of times, but only in passing as Microsoft listed off their achievements in the personal technology world.

Tech enthusiasts seemed fairly excited about the device, but Microsoft never tied the announcement to its gaming efforts. While we're absolutely positive the Windows 8-enabled tablet will work just fine with Xbox 360 Smart Glass, Microsoft never mentioned that functionality. They instead spent more time focusing on the personal computing features and form of the device, such as the magnetic cover that doubles as a keyboard.

You can find all of the necessary details about the new device and its features in the numerous documents that Microsoft made available during the show. No price or availability information was announced, however they said they'd be discussing that at a later date (obviously) and to expect the tablet to be competitive with others on the market.

Oh! And it's got a kickstand!