Grinding It Out: See Steven Sinofsky Turn Surface Into a Skateboard

Steven Sinofsky is apparently not only unsure whether to classify Surface as laptop or tablet. He also fancies it a skateboard.

The Windows unit president was spotted Tuesday riding on one of the slates (mounted on skateboard wheels) through the lobby of Studio B, the home of Surface on Microsoft’s campus.

“Couldn’t resist taking it out for a spin,” Sinofsky said on Twitter — after borrowing a colleague’s bicycle helmet. Safety first, he noted in a follow-up Tweet.

The 10.6-inch screen might be ideal for balancing portability and readability, but it makes it decidedly too short for decent grinding. But, of course, that wasn’t the point of the demonstration.

Sinofsky and Microsoft are going to great lengths to show the strength and reliability of the device. During briefings with a small group of reporters on Monday, Sinofsky not only demonstrated the skateboard version, but also showed the tablet going through a drop test and frequently dangled the tablet while holding only the unit’s touch keyboard cover.

Microsoft announced earlier Tuesday that Surface will sell for $499 and up. Keyboard and wheels not included.