Microsoft this week revealed its Surface tablet pricing: the entry-level version of the Windows RT-running tablet is priced at $499, same as the entry-level iPad 3. The Surface RT will be available October 26th, the launch date of Windows 8. Rival tablets (e.g. HTC Flyer, HP TouchPad) that matched the pricing of Apple’s market-leading tablet previously failed to take off, while $199 tablets like the Google Nexus 7 and the Amazon Kindle Fire have been able to grab market share. But despite its iPad 3-like pricing, pre-orders for 32GB Surface RT were sold out, just one day after opening up pre-orders Tuesday. The Surface RT tablets use an ARM processor and do not run Windows 8 desktop applications, although a version of Microsoft's office suite will be pre-installed.
What Else You Need To Know
- The Wall Street Journal reported that Microsoft has ordered up to 5 million units of the Surface for the fourth quarter, which is around what Amazon and Google have ordered for their flagship tablets. In contrast, Apple sold 17 million iPads in the quarter ended June 30.
- Microsoft offers two keyboard covers for Surface: Touch Cover and Type Cover. Both serve as protective covers when folded up, serve as keyboards when opened, and include a multitouch touchpad. The Touch Cover has a touch-sensitive keyboard while the other has a tactile keyboard.
- The Surface with Windows RT, 32 GB of storage, and without a keyboard cover has a $499 price-tag.
- The Surface with Windows RT, 32 GB of storage, and without a keyboard cover has a $499 price-tag. The Surface with Windows RT, 32 GB with Black Touch Cover costs $599. The Surface with Windows RT, 64 GB with Black Touch Cover is priced at $699. In contrast, the entry level iPad 3 is priced at $499, although the device just has 16 GB of storage.
- The Surface tablets with Intel processors and running on the full-blown Windows 8 will be available early 2013. Pricing has yet to be announced.
Other sources
Microsoft has been coy on Surface pricing over the past months since the Windows tablet was first revealed, and though these new figures seem ambitious in comparison to Apple’s third-gen iPad, they could easily be seen as expensive for a new platform and no backward compatibility with existing apps.- Chris Davies, SlashGear
Other hardware specs include 10.6″ ClearType HD Display, 2 GB RAM, NVIDIA T30 processor, Bluetooth 4.0, Wi-Fi (802.11a/b/g/n), microSD expansion, and cameras that include a front-facing camera and rear-facing camera capable of 720p recording.- Kelly Hodgkins, IntoMobile
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Opinion: Why the Surface tablet launch signals a bold new direction for Microsoft
Since the announcement of Surface, Microsoft has been in fighting mood, and its old rival Apple is the focus of this new found aggression. Shortly after revealing Surface, CEO Steve Ballmer went on the offensive, telling CRN "We are not going to leave any space uncovered to Apple... Not the consumer cloud. Not hardware-software innovation. We are not leaving any of that to Apple by itself. Not going to happen. Not on our watch."
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Microsoft Surface ad campaign kicks off with “The Surface Movement” commercial
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Microsoft Betting Big On Surface: Orders 3 To 5 Million Tablets For Q4, Says WSJ
Now the Wall Street Journal says Microsoft has ordered between three and five million Surface tablets from its Asian component suppliers for Q4 — ramping up to similar order volumes as Amazon’s Kindle Fire and Google’s Nexus 7 tablets.
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