Microsoft announced their new Tablet “The Surface” back in June of this year. Microsoft is working hard on trying to get their OS and Windows 8 line of products out before the holidays apparently. Now they have finally announced pricing and a release date for the Surface. Will it be competitively priced in today’s tough tablet market? Find out the Surface Tablet pricing, hardware specs, and availability inside!
Microsoft Surface Tablet
Surface Front
Is it really a Tablet? Or is it a NetBook without a keyboard? To me it is a little bit of both. It does have a touch screen, and it is running Windows RT a lighter version of Windows 8 which is also being released in October. There will also be the Touch Cover that will be available in a variety of colors. Take a look at the specs below:
- Software – Surface with Windows RT comes with Microsoft Office Home and Student 2013 RT Preview (2) (which includes Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Excel and OneNote)
- Exterior – 10.81 x 6.77 x 0.37 inches, 1.5 pounds, VaporMg casing, dark titanium color, volume and power buttons
- Storage – 32 GB (3); 64 GB
- CPU – NVIDIA T30, 2 GB of RAM
- Wireless – Wi-Fi (802.11a/b/g/n), Bluetooth 4.0 technology
Surface-Stand
- Cameras – Two 720p HD cameras, front- and rear-facing
- Audio – Two microphones, stereo speakers
- Ports – Full-size USB 2.0, microSDXC card slot, headset jack, HD video out port, cover port
- Sensors – Ambient light sensor, accelerometer, gyroscope, compass
- Power Supply – 24W power supply
- Warranty – One-year limited hardware warranty
- Apps (included) – Microsoft Office Home and Student 2013 RT Preview (2) (Word, PowerPoint, Excel and OneNote), Windows Mail and Windows Messaging, SkyDrive, Windows Internet Explorer 10, Bing, Xbox Music, Xbox Video, and Xbox Games
Surface Tablet Pricing
Surface – Touch Covers
The price for Microsoft’s Surface Tablet? Um, more expensive than I would have thought. It will be available in both the 32gb or 64gb versions. You will also be able to purchase either the Touch Cover or Type Cover for those who need movable keys. See the pricing below:
- 32gb Standalone Package: $499.99
- 32gb Surface w/Touch Cover(Black): $599.99
- 64gb Surface w/Touch Cover(Black): $699.99
- Touch Cover – Available in black, white, magenta, cyan and red: $119.99
- Type Cover – Movable Key version: $129.99
Surface-Type-Cover
As you can see the cost for one of these with a keyboard will start at $600.00 and go up to almost $800.00 if you want the 64gb version with the Type Cover!
Read More: What to Look for in a New Tablet
Surface Tablet Availability
You can pre-order a Surface starting October 26th. Here is the information provided from the Microsoft website:
Surface will be available for purchase beginning Oct. 26, 2012, at all Microsoft Store locations in the United States and Canada, including in all 34 new holiday stores. In addition, Surface will be available for sale online in eight markets across the world: Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, the United Kingdom and the United States. See Surface.com for more details.
You follow more about the Microsoft Surface on Twitter, Facebook, and the Surface website.
Final Thoughts
With today’s influx of tablets it will be interesting to see how Microsoft’s Surface performs when it is released. With so many different types of tablets to choose from today – many at a cost that is about half of what the Surface costs I don’t know how well it will do.
Will you be purchasing one? Why or why not? Leave a comment below on what you think about the new Surface tablet from Microsoft.
Source: Microsoft Press Release
