Microsoft officially threw its hat into the tablet ring this year, with the Surface tablet’s June reveal causing quite the frenzy among tech enthusiasts. Just a few months later, we finally know the price and availability details for Microsoft’s latest product.
The Surface with Windows RT tablet will land on store shelves this Fall, with a release date October 26th, 2012, in the US and Canada. The product can be purchased at all Microsoft Stores, with online availability set for Australia, China, France, Germany, Hong Kong and the United Kingdom, as well as the US and Canada.
Those interested in Surface will have to pay quite a pretty penny, with the tablet starting at $499 USD / $519 CAD / £399 for the 32GB SKU. For $599 USD / $619 CAD / £479.00, potential buyers can pick up the 32GB model with a black Touch Cover. The final of the three SKUs, a 64GB unit with a black Touch Cover, will cost $699 USD / $719 CAD / £559.
Separate Touch Covers will retail for $119 USD / $129.99 CAD / £99, and come in cyan, black, white, magenta or red (note: magenta and red are only available to US customers). A black Type Cover will also be available for $129 USD / $139.99 CAD / £110. Currently, no details have been released regarding the pricing or release date of the Surface Pro tablet.
Surface with Windows RT will face some stiff competition this holiday season, as it will be going up against other heavyweight tablets such as the Nexus 7 and the rumored iPad Mini. Though Surface has impressive tech, Apple does have brand awareness in its favor. Similarly, Microsoft has struggled to penetrate the mobile phone market, with its line of Windows Phones consistently being outsold by Android and iOS powered devices. It will be interesting to see if Surface can thrive in an increasingly cluttered market, or if it will just turn into another Windows Phone.
There’s also the problem of Windows RT. Many developers have spoken out against the upcoming Windows 8 platform and it’s mobile variants – including Mojang’s Notch. The criticisms, simplified for this article, essentially concern the closed nature of the OS, which forces developers to obtain Microsoft certification for their software. Certification is a double edged sword. While it allows consumers to enjoy a slew of reliable software, it also hampers developers by giving Microsoft full control. Whether or not these criticisms will have a large impact on Surface’s future remain to be seen, though things likely won’t end well if developers decide to withhold support.
Surface releases October 26, 2012.
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I really like the look of this, but if I’m coughing up that kind of cash I start to wonder if an upgraded laptop is a better option if I can stand the weight and bulkiness. To me it will all come down to what software will be compatible with the RT version. I would be keen on a pro version, but if it is priced, as rumoured in the same region as an ultrabook I’m just not sure. I’m waiting to see what else the tablet market has in store in the next 6 months before I commit to one companies ecosystem I think.
I am pretty excited for the Surface, my brothers and I have split the cost for the 32 gig with black touch cover option. I can not wait to get my hands on the surface. Hopefully it does well in the market. It seems like a solid product.
it better to buy the new stuff that well be around in 5 – in 10 years ( i think )
I think it’s unfortunate they didn’t go with a loss-leader plan to penetrate the market. At this price point, it’ll be hard to convince a lot of people to buy a totally new product with a totally new OS. At least Android and iOS already has that brand recognition. Everyone knows Microsoft, but mainly for their software, not really consumer electronics like this… The product definitely looks solid, with a magnesium body instead of plastic, and that cover that doubles as a keyboard, but I really think $500 is far too high. If they had priced it at around $300-$350, that would have been great.
I agree. They could have positioned it as the affordable replacement for all laptops.
i think its best to wait a little longer and decide.not to mention $519 isnt the right price for me to accept although SurfacePro is coming out on January 2013.i already have a laptop i’m still happy with it because i bought it months ago and its Notebook too.i like what Microsoft is doing,not to mention i still have to wait what happens in the future.you never know what happens after that,maybe something better than the tablets be invented?
I was very impressed by the announcement presentation for the Surface. However, the pricing, the Windoes 8 uncertainty and the fact that this is the first in a line of devices has me too unsure to pull the trigger.
Intel has reported that they are planning on releasing tablets of their own, and instead of Windows RT, they will run full-fledged Windows 8, which is FAR more attractive to me since my entire library of Windows programs will work on it and I won’t need to buy all new “apps” from the Microsoft app store like with the RT. So I’m going to wait to see how the hardware on that looks, and hopefully they copy the keyboard cover idea because I really like that idea…