Microsoft Surface Pricing Goes Toe-to-Toe With Apple iPad

Nerval's Lobster writes "Microsoft has finally revealed the pricing of its upcoming Surface tablet to a small group of journalists, including Time's Harry McCracken, who wrote in an Oct. 16 posting that the device's 32GB version will retail for $499 (or $599 with the flexible keyboard cover) and the 64GB one for $699 (cover included). Preorders will apparently begin by midday Oct. 16. Microsoft unveiled Surface over the summer but kept the pricing a secret until now. That information vacuum led some to hope against hope that Microsoft would attempt something radical and price Surface extraordinarily low—$199, perhaps—in an attempt to undercut Apple's iPad. While that didn't happen, Surface at least matches its biggest rival's low- and high-end price points. The WiFi-only, 16GB version of the iPad retails for $499, while the WiFi-only, 64GB version costs $699 (iPads with a cellular connection cost a bit more)." A related article at BGR explains why the Surface is Microsoft's latest attempt to re-invent itself.

Comments

Awesome!

[fuzzyfuzzyfungus]

I've always wanted to pay over $100 for the pure pleasure of typing on one of those rubbery keypads with a lot of squish and almost no travel!

Re:Awesome!

[MachineShedFred]

Do you really think that buried somewhere inside the prototype development labs at Cupertino that they haven't put a touchscreen on a MacBook at one point or another? There's a long history of Apple prototypes that get built and never shipped, because of various reasons.

Re:Awesome!

[MachineShedFred]

Oh, you mean just like the Lenovo X230 Tablet that's on my desk? Or maybe the X220 Tablet right next to it? Or the X201 Tablet or X200 Tablet in our lab? Or maybe the X61 tablet right next to those? Where did I say that no one has done this before? I'm saying that the above post is ridiculous to think that Apple never thought of a touchscreen notebook before, and would have a huge research gulf to cross in order to "catch up".

They probably just didn't think it would be a model that would actually sell, and looking at the rest of the convertible touchscreen notebook market, I'd say that they were right.

FAIL !

[VonSkippy]

When your competitor has OWNED the market for several years, you don't MATCH their price, you blow it away.

Who would be dumb enough to pay the same price as a 3rd generation device to guinea pig a 1st gen device from a company that is known to suck at first releases?

And then there's Google's tablet for a dainty $199/$249

Microsoft really does suck at new things.

Too little, too late

[coinreturn]

Finally, they enter the ballgame, just as Apple is set to debut the iPad Mini. Good luck with that, Microsoft.

Re:Too little, too late

[localman57]

You're right, when it comes to the consumer market. But Microsoft is still firmly entrenched in business. I predict large corporations will eat up Microsoft's new tablet.

Yeah. Microsoft is like RIM. Entrenched in business. They have nothing to worry about from Apple.

"This is not a secondary business like Xbox..."

[Jeremiah Cornelius]

"...or an ill-conceived also-ran like the Zune."

No. It is a delusional, strategic blunder.

Re:"This is not a secondary business like Xbox..."

[Anonymous Coward]

I find it interesting that every post you've ever made is singing the praises of Microsoft, Windows, and closely-aligned vendors like Nokia. I also appreciate your consistent message that the world is ready for Microsoft's new Enterprise-friendly offerings.

Fess up: does it at least pay well?

Re:"This is not a secondary business like Xbox..."

[Jeremiah Cornelius]

Surface? It's Unpossible. A turd. On a silver platter.

I watched the entire Zune BS from inside MS - and predicted the entire trajectory of the "chase Apple, xerox their market" strategy.

Have you been into a "Microsoft Store"? It's like the Bizarro World, from Superman Comics.

This is phase two, of the Bizarro strategy: Now that they have a consumer store, they will produce a product to sell in it.

Re:"This is not a secondary business like Xbox..."

[rahvin112]

It wouldn't be surprising if there was a comment on anything OTHER than Microsoft. One of the key aspects of a paid shill account is that everything they post is only about the thing they are being paid to post. See all those Linux and Apple fanboi's actually post on other topics occasionally while still maintaining their rabid posting on their chosen fanboi topic.

Re:"This is not a secondary business like Xbox..."

[NatasRevol]

Also, here's an Android 4 tablet with similar specs, but better screen (1900x1200) than SurfaceRT for $500.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834230481&nm_mc=KNC-GoogleAdwords&cm_mmc=KNC-GoogleAdwords-_-pla-_-NA-_-NA

Re:Merry Christmas!

[samkass]

Somewhere, a parent is thrilled to find that Microsoft's iPads are on sale for $100 off.

Microsoft's tablet has the screen fidelity of an iPad 2 at the price of an iPad 2, and it only took them an extra 1.5 years to come out with it. Here's a hint to the parents: Apple still sells iPad 2s. Just buy one of those.