Microsoft Hiring Up a Storm for Next Generation of Surface

Are they already working on Surface 2 or is Microsoft planning other Surface devices?

Microsoft made a huge splash earlier this summer with the unveiling of the Surface. Though the tablet is not launching until October, Microsoft is thought to be working on the Surface 2 already. TechRadar cites more than a dozen job advertisements posted on Microsoft's Careers site between June and August in reporting that Redmond is currently hiring up a storm for Surface.

TechRadar says all of the ads mention "fast-paced product development cycles" and being a part of creating "desirable and powerful devices that enable the experiences people want, and elicit their excitement."

"Creating these devices involves a close partnership between hardware and software engineers, designers, and manufacturing," TechRadar cites the ads as saying. "We are currently building the next generation and Surface needs you!"

Microsoft is hiring everything from manufacturing and packaging designers to mechanical engineers. However, it's not exactly clear what products these new hires will be working on. Ads mention "alternative power sources" as well as "passive and active cooling thermal designs that best balance performance, cost, manufacturability, acoustics and reliability," but the listings don't mention tablets specifically, which leads us to wonder what's going on over in Redmond. Does the reference to 'the next generation' of Microsoft Surface refer to more tablets or is Microsoft looking to develop additional lines of Surface products?

So far the Surface name only applies to tablets (and prior to that, massive touch-screen tables), but perhaps we'll see Surface laptops, media players and more in the coming years.

You can check out Microsoft's Surface Team job postings here.

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