MICROSOFT SURFACE TABLET (PHOTOS) AT BETHESDA MICROSOFT POP-UP KIOSK

Another Robert Dyer @ Bethesda Row Exclusive

The long-awaited Microsoft Surface tablet went on sale Friday morning at the Microsoft Kiosk in Bethesda's Westfield Montgomery Mall.

A sizeable number of people were giving the new tablet a workout, although no one actually made a purchase while I was there.

I'll have more photos and commentary once Sandy passes out of the area, but wanted to post a couple of photos here for you.

MICROSOFT SURFACE KIOSK UNVEILED AT WESTFIELD MONTGOMERY MALL [PHOTOS] - BETHESDA MICROSOFT POP-UP SHOP OPENS OCTOBER 26!

IT'S A MICROSOFT KIOSK,

NOT A STORE

Another Robert Dyer @ Bethesda Row Exclusive

The highly-anticipated Microsoft Pop-up Store has been unveiled at Bethesda's Westfield Montgomery Mall.  As it stands now, the Pop-up shop is actually a cellphone/cosmetics-style kiosk.  But it is in one of the most heavily-trafficked, central floor spaces in the mall.

Bethesda Microsoft Surface Kiosk

True to rumors, the Microsoft Kiosk is not far from the mall's Apple Store, enticing potential Surface tablet buyers to test the machine head-to-head against the iPad.

While I'm excited to try out the Surface - and we all knew that's what this was about, anyway - it's disappointing that there does not seem to be enough space to display the Kinect, Windows 8, or the new Windows phones.  The theming, as you can tell from these photos, is all about the Surface.

The kiosk opens October 26, so in the meantime, enjoy what may be the first photos of a Microsoft Pop-up Kiosk in our region.