Microsoft is betting big on its first ever tablet venture, The Surface, as it hits over 60 retail and "pop-up" stores today, Oct. 26. The device represents the company's prediction that the future of computing is in merging tablet touch-screen technology, portability, and convenience with the workhorse power of traditional PCs.

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Microsoft has not been coy about this. The release of the Surface and Windows 8 operating system may not be the definitive make-or-break scenario, but with PC sales likely to only get worse, if Microsoft wants to remain competitive with companies like Amazon, Apple, Google, and Barnes & Noble they need to break into tablets now, one of the biggest emerging revenue streams in tech.

"The tablet space is where the growth is. That's why they are all fighting over it. PC shipments are down and some tablet buyers may never buy another PC," said Michael Allenson, strategic consulting director in the Technology and Telecom Research Group at Maritz Research.

According to The Chicago Tribune, "The technology industry is grappling with a fundamental shift from deskbound computers or heavy laptops to sleek mobile devices like tablets, which are upending the traditional PC model and prompting companies like Google and Microsoft to invest deeply in hardware manufacturing."

It's unclear if Microsoft's claims live up to the hype. Reviews for the Surface have been a mixed bag of users enamored with the slick new OS, but let down by the limited RT version, which is the only version currently available on the surface. The Pro model, which runs Windows 8 the way it's advertised, won't arrive for another three months.

So far, despite a smattering of bad press, consumers don't seem to mind. The three models for sale on Microsoft's U.S. website are already on back order, suggesting strong demand. However, Microsoft has not commented on the amount of Surface tablets it has initially manufactured for release.

"The fact it's back ordered is indicative that there's consumer interest," said Michael Gartenberg, an analyst at tech research firm Gartner. "How Microsoft introduces it, evangelizes it and explains it will determine long term success."

With Microsoft opening 32 extra "pop-up" retail stores through the holiday shopping season around the U.S. and Canada to promote the tablet, they clearly have a strategy to out Apple Apple.

Apple CEO Tim Cook has his doubts, though. "You could design a car that flies and floats, but I don't think it would do either of those things very well. ... People will look at the iPad and at competitive offerings, and I think they'll conclude the iPad is the better choice," said Cook recently to AllThingsD.

Cook's statement could actually be read as a sign of nervousness in Microsoft's latest ventures. Apple is clearly still the big dog, but Android tablets have made tremendous in-roads into the market since the inception of the iPad.

"Cook had better hope Windows 8 is a disappointing 2-headed monster and not a clever fount of technological innovation, because Apple's got nothing to respond with. Neither, incidentally, does Google" said Information Week.

"As big as Apple's lead is, it's certainly not too late for Microsoft. I have no trouble believing that, given a preferable alternative, users would declare iPads old hat and flock to something else. It may just be that Apple is behind the times," the site continued.

For its part, Microsoft remains steadfast the Surface will win over even the staunchest Apple and Android devotees with its innate touch-screen optimized technology, and sleek features.

"We have a device that's uniquely good at being a tablet and a PC (with) no compromise on either one," Ballmer told Reuters Television ahead of the Windows 8 launch event in New York on Thursday. "Work. Play. Tablet. PC. Boom! One product."

Microsoft announced plans on its website to release its devices through permanent and temporary "pop-up" stores in 32 cities across the U.S. and Canada on Oct. 26.

Microsoft Surface "pop-up" stores

U.S.

Atlanta (Perimeter Mall); Aventura, Fla. (Aventura Mall); Beachwood, Ohio (Beachwood Place); Bethesda, Md. (Montgomery Mall); Braintree, Mass. (South Shore Plaza); Charlotte, NC (Southpark Mall); Columbia, Md. (Mall in Columbia); Denver (Cherry Creek Shopping Center); Durham, NC (Streets at Southpoint); Frisco, Texas (Stonebriar Centre Mall); Garden, City, NY (Roosevelt Field Mall); Glendale, Calif. (Glendale Galleria); Indianapolis (Fashion Mall at Keystone); Las Vegas (Fashion Show Mall); Miami (Dadeland Mall); Nashville (Mall at Green Hills); Natick, Mass. (Natick Collection); New York City (Time Warner Center -- The Shops at Columbus Circle); Oklahoma City (Penn Square Mall); Paramus, NJ (Westfield Garden State Plaza); Pittsburgh (Ross Park Mall); Portland, Ore. (Washington Square); San Antonio (North Star Mall); San Francisco (San Francisco Centre); St. Louis (Saint Louis Galleria); Tulsa, Okla. (Woodland Hills Mall); West Hartford, Conn. (Westfarms Mall); Woodlands, Texas (Woodlands Mall)

Canada

Burnaby, British Columbia (Metropolis at Metrotown); Edmonton, Alberta (West Edmonton Mall); Toronto (Eaton Centre); Vancouver, BC (Oakridge Centre)

Microsoft's website promises more locations will be revealed in the future.

Microsoft Surface tablet features

The RT sports a 1366x768 HD screen, while the PRO has a 10.6-inch Clear type Full HD (1920 x 1080) screen with 16:9 widescreen.

That means they are among the biggest tablets in the market. If you are not satisfied with the typical 10.1-inch tablet, you can go for the Surface tablet. Along with the touch keyboards with the device, you can turn the machine to a small notebook.

The Surface tablet comes with five Touch Covers. Different from typical keyboards, the Surface keypads provide a smoother typing experience thanks to their touch-based surface.

The Surface tablets mount both front and rear cameras. The front camera, named life cam by Microsoft, makes the tablet ideal for video chatting through Skype or other services. Using the rear camera, you can capture images and video clips.

Microsoft puts forward better memory options with the Surface tablets. The device comes in 32GB, 64GB and 128GB options. The 128GB is available only with Surface Pro. Further, you can expand the memory using external memory sticks thanks to microSD card slot. That is, you can store enough data including music, software items and video in external clips.

The 3mm Touch Cover can be connected to your Surface tablet with a single magnetic click, so, now you can type text and send messages quite easily.

The Surface's tablet housing features a revolutionary kickstand. Along with fully functioning keyboard and track-pad, the integrated kickstand helps you place the gadget in both portrait or landscape modes.

According to Bloomberg, Surface will only be able to go online using a short-range Wi-Fi connection. This is a stark contrast to Apple's iPad 3, which has a 3G option, and a faster LTE connection.