“Microsoft has now unveiled the pricing for both of its ARM-based Surface RT tablets at its Microsoft online stores,” Tom Warren reports for The Verge.
“The 10.6-inch Surface, powered by Windows RT, will go on sale on October 26th and will be priced starting at $499 for the 32GB version without Touch Cover and a 32GB version with the Touch Cover for $599,” Warren reports. “icrosoft is also offering 64GB model for $699 with a Touch Cover included.”
Warren reports, “The company has also listed the prices for its Touch Cover, at $119.99 each, and Type Cover for $129.99… Update: Microsoft’s online store listing has now gone offline.”
Read more in the full article here.
“The device is expected to be Wi-Fi-only, and its Touch Cover add-on works as a screen protector, stand, and keyboard. Surface for Windows 8 Pro is expected to launch after the Windows RT version, and will come with a “full HD” 1080p screen resolution. That device will likely be more expensive than the Windows RT model,” Don Reisinger reports for CNET.
“Windows 8 is scheduled to launch on October 26. Windows RT, which will be running on the Surfaces leaked on the store site, will run on ARM processors,” Reisinger reports. “Microsoft will also sell Windows 8, Windows 8 Pro, and Windows 8 Enterprise versions. Those models are not compatible with ARM-based chips.”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Typically confused Microsoftian mess.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “Jax44” for the heads up.]
Related articles:
Microsoft airs first TV ad for Surface tablet (with video) – October 15, 2012
Apple’s ‘iPad mini’ to obliterate Microsoft’s Windows 8, Surface RT tablet launches – October 13, 2012
Acer CEO to Microsoft: ‘Think twice’ about Surface tablets – August 7, 2012
Microsoft Surface tablet pricing leaked; US$1,000 for ‘cheapest’ Windows RT model – July 26, 2012
Ballmer: Uh, yeah, ‘Surface is just a design point,’ you know – July 10, 2012
Microsoft’s Buffoon, er… Ballmer throws down gauntlet against Apple – July 10, 2012
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Bad news for Microsoft’s iPad killer? – July 2, 2012
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Jason Schwarz: Top 10 reasons why Microsoft’s Surface is DOA – June 22, 2012
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Analyst meets with big computer maker, finds ‘general lack of enthusiasm’ for Windows 8 – June 8, 2012
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More good news for Apple: Microsoft previews Windows 8 (with video) – June 1, 2011
Excellent. Perfect pricing to ensure no one will buy them.
Also, this appears to be the return policy:
“Hardware, Including Computers and Xbox (excluding RAM)
Returns and exchanges of computers, computer hardware items (including mice, keyboards, and printers), and other hardware items (including Xbox 360 consoles and controllers, Zune players, and accessories), will be honored for thirty (30) days from the date of purchase, PROVIDED THE ITEM HAS NOT BEEN OPENED or altered from its original state and does not show wear or damage.
You know, I think it just might do pretty good . . . at cannibalizing what is left of the PC market that uses internet only.
While, I enjoy my Apple devices, I truly hope MS has a competitive product. It will drive Apple to be more reasonable in some areas, ie. memory, and drive them to make even better products. Being less hubris would also help. I miss a matte screen on the macs and the ability to do self upgrades.
D.O.A.
Double True
This is a repeat of Zune. A product that matches Apple’s pricing, while providing MUCH less value. Microsoft’s delusion is that the “Windows” name somehow makes it more valuable, when the opposite is actually true for most consumers.
It should have been called ZunePad, with a brown keyboard cover.
$100 for the keyboard? Ballmer loves his physical keyboards.
$130 for Type Cover.
People can be so gullible.
Even as a present I won’t use it.
“I like our strategy. I like it a lot.”
These will fly off the shelves; who would want to buy an iPad with 3G (or “4G”), when they can get a tablet, PLUS a keyboard, Plus extra 16GB of storage, minus 3G (“4G”), for (almost) the same amount of money…?
There is a strong chance that this will be almost as popular, and as massive a seller as the original brown Zune!
… the product, but that 3G and 4G you’re talking up costs money. Note that Apple has similar products out there, those without said extra-cost capabilities. My wife uses hers daily.
BTW: I’ve re-considered the “physical keyboard” question. Sure, we get along just fine without. Things would be easier WITH.
Ballmer is wiggling his right nut under his trouser pocket as we speak, in anticipation of the Surface fire sale mark down to $299 in the bargains bin
Gosh, selling the keyboard as an addon, what a brilliant concept. I bet a lot of them will get trashed too, either after being sold or not sold.
Either way I like their strategy, I like it a lot.
Balllllmer forever!
But thank God they make that klicky noise the Softies (in the head) can dance to.
You are absolutely right and it’s probably a good thing that they can dance, after all from what the ladies tell me they are not only softies all over, but mini, mini micro too.
lets see..
The mini supposedly starts at $250-300
the Galaxy Note II starts at $300
The Surface and iPad start $499
The Nexus 7 and Amazon HD. $199
If I had to bet which ones would sell best, I would go with the iPad mini.
Does RT stand for Road Turd?
Really Tiffed!
Return Today
Rejectable Trash.
Windows (R)eally (T)hick
or
Windows (R)edmond (T)urd (soon available in brown)
or
Windows (R)eally (T)errible (finally an honest product name)
Really Terrible, Rotten Technology.
Ridiculous trifle.
Make sure that you don’t open it:
“Hardware, Including Computers and Xbox (excluding RAM)
Returns and exchanges of computers, computer hardware items (including mice, keyboards, and printers), and other hardware items (including Xbox 360 consoles and controllers, Zune players, and accessories), will be honored for thirty (30) days from the date of purchase, PROVIDED THE ITEM HAS NOT BEEN OPENED or altered from its original state and does not show wear or damage.”
Regressive Technology
The later, more expensive full Windows 8 model is expected to have “full HD” res of 1080?
So what does this one have? 1024 like the old iPads which are a full inch smaller? (Or the iPad mini at two inches smaller?)
If it’s wide screen and not 4:3, then it has less pixels than the first iPad three years old and an inch smaller!
another flop dejavu Zune from microsoft. I bet Machine Gun Kelly will be hired again to sell these Crap Gupta tablets
I think RT stands for Rough Titty
So, with these details, and the recent ad just released, it looks like their main focus is the smart case/keyboard/kickstand, at $119! O 100 with the Surface. LoL.
They must be aiming to make good margins on those. I wonder what MS is trying to distract us from? Well, I like my Bluetooth Apple keyboard, which I use for both my iMac AND my iPad (AND my IPhone AND my iPod touch)! If need be I can slip it in a pocket of my backpack if I want to do extended writing. Otherwise, iOS works fine without it. How’s Windows RT without a keyboard? Way to innovate MS! More smoke and mirrors.
Hmmm, Apple keyboard — 69
Apple Smart Cover — 49
118 for more versatile and useable products. Plus no doubt better quality.
Or, any number of third party accessories made for iPads that integrate keyboards, stands and covers or cases.
Surface to Air missile. Does anyone expect this thing to hit a target? If it was an Air to Surface missile, it likely would miss the ground.
Wow, that pricing is really poor. I expected them to at least try to be competitive on the ARM based tablets since they won’t run everything like the Frankentablets will (which I also think will be pretty much DOA at $999+).
What would motivate anyone to buy one of these over an iPad or less expensive Android tablet? Especially since it seems that the Android apps running on it via the Bluestacks tech will likely be the only way this thing has more than a few hundred apps at best at launch.
I like their strategy, I like it a lot.
If you buy it, I hope you’ll actually be able to use it, unlike the press conference. Speaking of which, has anyone (tech reviewers, etc) actually been able to use one, ever? I think the conference was the only opportunity, and no one got to use one there.
The price point is good. And the hardware is good. And the OS shows promise.
Fellow Apple fans, if there’s anything we all learned from the iPad’s launch, it would be that we should never dismiss a product based on what we saw on stage.
Just entertain the possibility that this might be a good product, and that it might sell well. I for one would rather see a healthy fight between Microsoft and Apple in the tablet space rather than Apple and Android.
Yes because God forbid the on stage presentation of said devices actually work, have a delivery date and prices all announced at the same time! Such a bother…
…Such an idiot. Who cares! Oh sorry you are a Apple fanboy…now I understand.
Had Microsoft announced a firm release date, prices, and had working devices for the press at the Surface event, would your reaction change? Or are you just completely against the remote possibility that Microsoft could produces a viable, and usable product?
Fundamental difference between Apple and virtually everyone else:
What we see on state at Apple’s launches is a fully working product, exactly as it will be when it comes out, and in vast majority of cases, it comes out “today” or “tomorrow”, or within a few days. Apple usually delivers exactly what it shows on stage. When people dismiss Apple’s products, and somehow the product does well, this is NOT because something wasn’t right with the presentation; it is because of their myopic views.
Nobody has a clue exactly how good (or bad) is MS Surface, since NOBODY saw it actually working. The launch showed scripted demonstration, which could have been done with a very early prototype with zero functionality other than touch-screen hardware.
I absolutely agree.
You said it yourself, nobody has a clue how good (or bad) this product is. It’s silly to see people saying this is going to be DOA. But honestly I expect this from most of MDN’s readers.
Based upon Microsoft’s history and the events associated with the Surface to date (including the lack of working models or a significant number of apps at its “big” press release), it is not unreasonable to prognosticate a DOA for the initial release of the Surface RT. Microsoft may pull something competitive out of its nether regions despite the leadership of Ballmer the Clown, but I am not willing to bet any money on it.
I’m surprised that you think the this price point is good. Why exactly, would someone choose this over an iPad at the same price or even a less expensive Android tablet?
They are going to have a hard time convincing people that they are better paying the same amount to go with a Surface RT and Windows 8 versus a mature iOS ecosystem. And that first commercial sure as hell won’t do it.
The “security blanket” of the Windows OS will lure in those who really don’t know the difference between RT & Pro/8. All they know is that it has Windows, which is what they “know how to use”. So the jump to this new OS and hardware will seem less daunting.
Hardware feature for hardware feature the Surface one-ups the current iPads at the same price point. And as for Android tablets, we all know the feature-set on the Surface tablets is more compelling. (I’m not including the OS or the ecosystem here)
Windows RT/8 shows well when put next to and iOS and Android device. A lot of consumers base purchase decisions on this alone. iOS is antiquated and mundane when put next to Windows RT/8. And Android looks way too complex.
Admittedly these aren’t super compelling reasons for individuals who are more tech-savvy. But those alone will convert or convince some to buy a Surface.
The only problem is that RT won’t run Windows applications – I can see many people getting one of these and then wondering why they can’t install their “normal” copy of Office and all their other Windows applications. And it won’t seem familiar. At least not until they also have a Windows 8 PC and have suffered through the Metro UI thrown on top of their standard Windows desktop.
I think MS will need to do a really good job at educating users about Windows RT and how it is different from the Windows 8 tablets coming later that actually run Windows. And that Glee commercial they are launching with certainly doesn’t do that.
This will be interesting to watch.
Well RT does come with a version of Office. That may satisfy some. Whether or not the consumer who buys the Surface is happy will have a lot to do with their expectations and how educated they are on this Windows 8 transition.
It will definitely be interesting to watch. And I’m looking forward to trying a Surface out. It’s so ridiculous to see the FUD here on MDN’s comment sections. So many of the ridicule leveled at Microsoft could easily be said of Apple by any Apple-hater.
For example, MDN post up an article on the iPad mini having 24 SKU’s, no criticism in the comments section. MDN posts up an article on how the Surface RT has 3 SKU’s + accessories available, and it’s suddenly a “confused Microsoftian mess”. I’d like to think that Mac users and Apple fans are a little more classy than the average MDN reader.
I think the average MDN reader is at least a little sharper than you give him credit for.
You don’t see the difference between 24 SKUs and the “confused Microsoftian mess”?
The iPad SKUs have to do with color, capacity, etc. THere will be similar SKUs for the Surface. More maybe since there is ARM version, with and without keyboard, and Surface Pro, plus more color choices.
I mean who has to know about the SKUs? You just go in for an iPad and say, “I want the black 32GB one, with GPS and Cellular”. No problem.
No, the “confused Microsoftian mess” has to do with their whole handling of the Surface details, and what the true capabilities of RT actually are. It won’t run full Windows desktop apps, so there obviously is a difference. Fans are downplaying the differences. Others are saying that people are going to be caught out and disappointed…
It’s going to be a bit of a mess. And MS hasn’t helped itself. It blithely goes on talking about “Windows everywhere” as though that is going to smooth over everything and is the very epitome of innovation, while they have actually slapped a Touch interface on as an afterthought. The “mess” is that people may very likely find it all frustrating and compromised to have everything mashed up, not more “productive”.
Not sure about that, Microsoft has done so well with building technology, (s)
It’s a fact that if Microsoft didn’t have the funds to save it’s blunders with the Xbox 360 hardware and all the flubs with the Zune line it would have been out of Business.
Ony because of the Billions that had been thrown into all those failures including the so called phone has Microsft been able to keep what it has, and turn around from colossal failure by reinvesting more and propagandize thoes failure as being a good product that keeps selling. (Xbox 360, Former Zune) etc.
Microsoft was In it’s time very good, problem is they have nothing to show for all those years only old thinking and they end up with past results, the failures with tablets 11-12 years ago and for hardware choices.
Software is a different story, then again Mirosoft has used the same old code for years, so afraid to move on and advance to the next generation and they wonder why they are faltering.
Here are a few examples:
CNN MONEY. JULY 12,2012
“Microsoft’s $6 billion whoopsie”
http://money.cnn.com/2012/07/02/technology/microsoft-aquantive/index.htm
“The software giant has never made money on its online services division, and it has lost roughly $10.4 billion since Microsoft began breaking out the unit’s finances five years ago.”
“Business Insider”
“Overall, the Xbox group has lost $4 billion for Microsoft”
http://www.businessinsider.com/chart-of-the-day-microsoft-losses-on-xbox-2012-6#ixzz29VZd3MyU
Now not to say something will happen, but all reports and then the pricing has shown this was a Jesus play, Microsoft doesn’t have the buildup of apps and also is pushing this proven to be non issue keyboard down the throats of everyone.
In reality we see a company putting out one of the biggest bets on the hopes it will fly, it will push billions of dollars into the Advertising it will gloss over issues and push more money into the market to push up the greatness of the device, but in the long run it won’t make a difference, this isn’t a tablet agianst Apple it’s a tablet to compete with all the others and its to big, When Micrsoft loses as it has done over the past 12 years with it so called tablets they won’t be able to save face, when it falls it will fall big and loud with Microsft standing in the wake pointing fingers at each other tring to find a Scape Goat.
That scapegoat will be Ballmer in the end, and then, Maybe then someone else that knows something about business will take over and by chance do something new for Microsoft instead of playing follow the leader and the last boy on the playground to be picked to play in the game.
Hard to know that the hardware is good because MS has not allowed anyone to handle it. Looking at the picture of its major, touted feature — “Kickstand” — it appears as if it could be made from Samsung quality plastic. If so, I would not call the hardware “good.” “Soft,” maybe but not “good.” Soft hardware. Maybe Ballmer can do something with that.
June 18, 2012: The Verge was allowed to handle the Surface. So I’m not quite sure why you were misinformed on people not being able to handle it.
http://www.theverge.com/2012/6/18/3095335/microsoft-surface-hands-on
The device is made out of Magnesium. If you actually followed any news in the Tech industry you’d know that the hardware is not the weak point in the Surface. It’s hardware is widely regarded as being very polished, and Apple-like if you will.
Equally, not sure why you, maddog, are trying to misinform people with your statements. You seemed to imply some sort of hands-on event where people really tried out the software. Having breezed through the article you linked, they quite clearly state they watched company reps do demos. They may have been allowed to do a few things but it must have been quite limited since they spend zero time talking about the apps they tried, how the OS worked, etcetera while quite a bit of time was spent on hardware details.
Also, the Surface is not “made” of magnesium. It has a magnesium surface coating. This might give a pretty sheen but is not “structural” hardware.
In regards to the Surface RT itself, I do not hold great hopes for it beyond its launch. Microsoft has a long history of launching things with great fanfare only to abandon them and let them quietly die through neglect. Seems pretty clear that their main emphasis is actually on the Intel version of the Surface. That one will get the majority of Microsoft’s post-launch support while the RT will be an after thought.
It’s already started. The RT gets a version of Office that is weaker than the Intel version (so much for no compromise – no compromise would mean there would be no differentiating versions of Windows or Office, just one version of each at a reasonable price). And Office is really the primary selling point of the Surface. Of course, why a person would need yet another iteration of the same app on yet another screen seems a rather limited use case since you could already run it on a cheaper and more powerful laptop.
Yawn … Zzzz!
Windows RT for retard. Because it’s the retarded version of the pro.
No cellular connectivity? Then this device hasn’t even caught up to the iPad 1.
Too expensive for anything running Windows (RT or not)!