2 Companies Poised to Benefit From the Microsoft Surface

NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- Microsoft (MSFT) unveiled its Surface line of tablets late Monday, putting the company in competition with Apple's (AAPL) iPad, Google's (GOOG) Android operating system.

While Microsoft itself obviously has a lot riding on the launch, two companies that are positioned to share in whatever success results are Cypress Semiconductor (CY) and ARM Holdings (ARMH).

Before the event, few details were known, as it was clouded in secrecy, with the event having come together just a few days before. Even the location of the event was not known until 10 a.m. PST on Monday, mere hours before the event began.

Microsoft Surface tablet

Microsoft did not release pricing details of the Windows 8 tablet, or when it would be available, though CEO Steve Ballmer did say it would be "competitive" in terms of price with other tablets on the market. The device is 9.3 millimeters thin, comes with USB 2.0 ports, a kickstand and its weight varies, depending on the chipset inside. It also comes with a keyboard, and a small cover that's held together by magnets, similar to Apple's SmartCover.

While it's unclear how well consumers will react to this device once it goes on sale, the tech blogosphere is already weighing in along with sell-side analysts who see this as somewhat of a positive development for Microsoft, assuming it can execute properly.

Here's a look at what's at stake for Microsoft, as well as how Cypress and ARM could benefit if the Surface takes off.

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