Is that the display assembly from a PC laptop? Nope, it's the new Microsoft Surface with Windows RT.

Notable tech specs:

• 10.6" ClearType HD Display (resolution of 1366x768 pixels)
• Quad-core NVIDIA Tegra 3 processor
• 2 GB RAM
• 32 or 64 GB flash storage
• Wi-Fi (802.11a/b/g/n) + Bluetooth 4.0
• 720p HD Front and Rear facing LifeCams

To give the Surface laptop-like connectivity, nearly every edge includes ports and buttons. They are (from left to right):

• Magnetic charging, USB 2.0, and Micro-HDMI out on the right side
• Magnetic connection for the Touch Cover or Type Cover on the bottom
• Headphone jack and volume rocker on the left side

Just like your first big-kid bike, this laptop tablet comes with a kickstand to prop it up in notebook mode.

One of the most notable features of the Surface is its Touch Cover keyboard, which protects the screen when closed and provides a full QWERTY typing experience when open.

• For users who find the Touch Cover to be too much a compromise, Microsoft offers the Type Cover, a chiclet keyboard that also folds up to protect the Surface's LCD.

We begin our expedition by removing the kickstand.

Fun fact: the kickstand is held in place by a few Torx screws.

Sans kickstand, we can easily view the markings on the back of the Surface's rear case. The Surface with Windows RT has a model number of 1516.

Small bezels tend to hide screws, so the first place we look to open the Surface is its long plastic camera cover.

Our pictures make it look easy, but removing this plastic cover took about half an hour and a lot of careful prying.

• Chalk it up to inexperience. This step should take less than ten minutes once we create guides for it.

Not only did we find the screws we were searching for, but there is also what appears to be a tamper-evident seal that simply reads "Surface."

The tamper-evident label is composed of multiple sections. Unfortunately, it breaks apart upon removal.

After removing a total of 17 T5 Torx screws, (10 under the kickstand and 7 under the camera cover), the rear case comes right off—almost.

A lone ribbon cable still tethers the battery to a ZIF connector on the Surface's motherboard, which we make quick work of with the ever-trusty spudger.

The big question of the day: is the battery easily removed?

• Answer: Yes. It's glued in, but it's way easier to remove than on the iPad. A couple of minutes of spudging around, and it's out.

We get our first look at the battery. As is the norm, the dual battery cell is adhered to the VaporMg rear case.

The 7.4 V, 31.5 Wh battery is manufactured by Samsung. It fits right in between the iPad 2's 25 Wh battery, and the iPad 3's 42.5 Wh unit.

Next we find a large orange ribbon cable leading to the "Apple-esque" magnetic charging port. The microSDXC card slot that hides underneath the kickstand is also attached to this ribbon cable. And not a single bother was given that day, so we proceeded to dismantle the speakers.

We love modular components inside tablets and smartphones, and these speakers fit that bill. A little bit of spudgering, and our Surface has gone silent.

• With two speaker assemblies we are living in stereo.