“Microsoft [yesterday] revealed its Surface tablet pricing,” John C. Dvorak writes for PC Magazine. “The 32GB is $499 with no keyboard or an additional $119 to $129 (depending on the color) bundled with the cover, which probably costs all of $7 to manufacture in China. The loaded 64GB model comes with a cover for $699.”
“Yes, if this was an Apple product, it would be priced similarly,” Dvorak writes. “But it isn’t, and to compete with an Apple product, it must be priced aggressively lower. Apple always prices at a premium. It has made an art out of premium prices. Microsoft has not and cannot price the same way. To make matters worse, the prices are for the ARM-based RT tablet.”
Dvorak writes, “Who knows how costly the actual Windows 8 version will be… Microsoft has made the rookie mistake of pricing the product too high initially. I assure you it will quickly lower the cost, which will make the public think, ‘Oh, it must not be selling. It must be a dog. I won’t buy one now.'”
Enjoy John’s rare moment of lucidity in the full article here.
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