Pricing for Surface Pro Announced

Iristheangel

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DevilWAH

$1000 + $200 for touch cover.... (and if they want to sell it in business in replacement of laptops then it needs the keypad. )

not cheap, when you think a business can pick up a decent Laptop for the same or less.

They will sell but that is still a high end price in IMHO, I don't see them flooding the market or as a serious challenger to the IPOD crown..

kriscamaro68

I figured it would be about this much. I still want one but can't afford it for awhile.

AlexNguyen

That's too expensive. I would prefer to spend a little bit more to get this: Meet ASUS TAICHI? ? The Incredible Fusion of Notebook and Tablet

Iristheangel

I feel like they should have included at least a touch cover in for the price. That's the big kicker to me. But... I'll still buy it. It's a lot easier to haul that to the datacenter or convert it to a tablet to use for reading books/creating Visios than another tablet-esque hybrid out there that's heavy. The Asus Tachi doesn't look bad either but I'm hoping for something a little smaller and don't need an i7 but that's just me. It looks like a great machine though

chrisone

First reaction - LOL

Second reaction - "Ultrabooks are better investment" , Better cpu/mem/ssd/battery/etc. Macbook AIR, Acer, Asus, etc all at $999

Third reaction - whats going to happen to the surface once ultrabooks implement touch screens as well?

Edit: LOL just saw the Asus Taichi!

DevilWAH

Iristheangel wrote: »

I feel like they should have included at least a touch cover in for the price. That's the big kicker to me. But... I'll still buy it. It's a lot easier to haul that to the datacenter or convert it to a tablet to use for reading books/creating Visios than another tablet-esque hybrid out there that's heavy. The Asus Tachi doesn't look bad either but I'm hoping for something a little smaller and don't need an i7 but that's just me. It looks like a great machine though

I think this is it, It has got a nich market and there is no question it is a good product. But its not going to pull the laptop business in companies. I still want one

GAngel

DevilWAH wrote: »

$1000 + $200 for touch cover.... (and if they want to sell it in business in replacement of laptops then it needs the keypad. )

not cheap, when you think a business can pick up a decent Laptop for the same or less.

They will sell but that is still a high end price in IMHO, I don't see them flooding the market or as a serious challenger to the IPOD crown..

Price is very rarely a decider when making strategic decisions. I will be purchasing some (they are not laptop replacements for us) as they fit a very large hole in how we move our technology into a cloud based future. They will be replacing 2 and 3 devices so from that standpoint they are much cheaper that a laptop with accessories. They also provide us with a managed, secure solution with software that will not have to be learned by employees.

The surface and ipad are not even remotely related for enterprise use besides both having a screen. Price wise this as a consumer i'd probably give this a miss.

AlexNguyen

Iristheangel wrote: »

The Asus Tachi doesn't look bad either but I'm hoping for something a little smaller and don't need an i7 but that's just me.

You can have a Taichi with Intel Core i5 and 11.6" screen with full HD resolution.

demonfurbie

swing and a miss

too expensive for me

Roguetadhg

Er. Pass.

That's a bit too much for my blood. Unless it can be subsidized and put on a carrier, I don't see myself being able to shell out that much on what I make now.

I said to myself "Oh, it comes with the cover" then I read "separately". Then I was sad. For that price, I hope it'll need to do everything a full blown computer, and then some.

I guess when I say it that way - It does. I can't write on my monitors. But I don't think it would be very portable, I'd need a man-purse. I would definitely need to give it a stern trial period. 1K can be spent buying a lot of certification things and at the end of the trial if I don't use it almost every day. Meh. I'd run it into the ground, and then see if it can get back on it's feet. Will it work in the heat, the snow, sweat, rain,... I know it's not military spec, but I wouldn't be able to afford any case for a very long time if I went with it!

...Here I complained about buying my iPod Touch (8 Gb)...

Iristheangel

The Asus looks great but I'm sticking with the Pro. I've had issues with Asus before and just sold my Asus Ultrabook on ebay. I like the kickstand, it's lighter, and it fits my needs. I had a really good experience with the RT and I got a little spoiled by the experience. One thing I'll probably change though: I tried the type keyboard in store and found that I typed a lot faster on it (not surprising). I'll probably get my company to buy it or get it as a write-off on my taxes.

That being said, If anyone else can wait, then wait. I would say the pricing would have been alright IF the keyboard was included but that adds another $110-120 (depending on touch/type) to the price tag. When all the newest gen laptop/hybrids hit the market in full force, I think we're going to see a lot of price competition. For the first 6 months to a year, we're probably going to see the average price being $1000-1699 but after that, they'll drop. I think by the end of 2013, the Surface Pro will be a good $100 cheaper and they'll throw in the keyboard.

We'll see

sratakhin

What makes it better than an Ultrabook / Tablet (or convertible, whatever it is called) from another manufacturer?

RobertKaucher

That Asus "laptab" is, in the immortal words of They Might be Giants, "S-E-X-X-Y".

Oh yes it is.

tpatt100

I don't think the $999 price tag is not that bad, it's actually pretty good considering the form/function of the device. People were buying ultrabooks for the thinness and 128GB SSD became the "norm" for them. I was looking at the Macbook Air and that is so gimped on hardware for thinness such as weird hard/impossible to replace SSD, one Ram slot, etc. Other ultrabooks are similar with one ram slot, pain in the butt to replace hard drives.

This is a "tablet" sort of "ultrabook" so it seems pretty nice to me. I wouldn't get one though. After my Macbook becomes so old my next laptop will be a business class one. I want the ability to max ram and install my own SSD.

Mike-Mike

I dont see the price being that bad really? it's too expensive for me, but i also have no need for it..


anyone think they will lower the price of the RT?

AlexNguyen

Another deal breaker for the Surface Pro: Microsoft Surface Pro battery will last roughly four hours - Yahoo! News

Microsoft said “Surface pro will have approximately half the batter [sic] life of Surface RT.”

Iristheangel

That's not shocking or surprising. Its running an i5. Even the Asus Taichi is going to have a battery life of 4-5 hours. This is standard for non-ARM processors.

tpatt100

The newer ultrabooks are claiming 7-8 hour battery life, some tested better than listed claims. I have seen the latest Dell XPS ultrabooks with 11 hours of battery life with i5 CPUs.

I bet the next generation of Pro tablets hit 8 hour battery life with the newer Intel CPUs coming out, I am reading claims of twice as long. If the current ultrabooks can average 8 hours I wonder if it is a battery issue with the first batch of Pro devices.

Iristheangel

I haven't had that experience and most of them are clocking at lower than 6 hours depending on the reviewer:
Ultrabook battery life and performances - what to expect and quick comparisons
Makes me wonder what they're doing different in each test to really test the battery life.

I'm looking forward to the time when we do have 11+ hour battery life with heavy use but I'm not holding my breath in the near immediate future. I see the Asus, other hybrids and the Surface meeting different needs. You can get the Asus for more power and price but also it's bigger dimension-wise and heavier. I think the Surface Pro will fit the business niche more than the consumer niche. If you want less power but more portability and a smaller pricetag, there's the Surface. It all depends on the need.

I'm pretty surprised that there's so much negativity about the price. In comparison with other similar hybrids in the same weight range, it's similar specs and price-wise. Oh well...

joehalford01

This looks so cool, but I do wonder how well it will sell. Most people will be comparing it to an ipad, not a laptop, and won't make the connection that the price is worthwhile.

TheCudder

AlexNguyen wrote: »

Another deal breaker for the Surface Pro: Microsoft Surface Pro battery will last roughly four hours - Yahoo! News

Microsoft said “Surface pro will have approximately half the batter [sic] life of Surface RT.”

No surprise & should have been expected. This is one of the reasons I went with the Surface for Windows RT (that and RT's base features & apps are enough for me when I'm on the move). ARM based processors provide enough battery life to get the average user through an entire day of use. I don't see the point of using something so small & portable if you're limited with how long you can use it when you're on the move.

tpatt100

joehalford01 wrote: »

This looks so cool, but I do wonder how well it will sell. Most people will be comparing it to an ipad, not a laptop, and won't make the connection that the price is worthwhile.

I think this is going to be the problem especially since it will be sold without the keyboard. If it was sold as a package like the Asus Transformer "IN" the laptop section people might think differently. Instead I bet stores will put them with the tablets and try to sell it as a "tablet" that can become a "laptop" rather than it's a laptop that can become a tablet. So to me if I didn't know any better would in my mind think "uh do I really want to pay 1000 dollars for a tablet that I can hook a keyboard up to?"

With my iPad I accept the limitations since I know it is a tablet and the price I paid for it, I am fine with that. The battery life means I can take it where ever and do what I need to do which is study, read, look stuff up and take notes.

What I would like which this Surface Pro will eventually be able to do and I think Apple is moving in that direction with the "iOS" features on Mac OS X is my laptop is my tablet. If I want to sit on the couch and read I take the screen with me downstairs, I can use mouse and keyboard and touch naturally depending on the format the laptop is in.

RobertKaucher

tpatt100 wrote: »

Instead I bet stores will put them with the tablets and try to sell it as a "tablet" that can become a "laptop" rather than it's a laptop that can become a tablet.

This will really be shooting themselves in the foot. There are two distinct markets out there:

1. People who want a tablet for media consumption and casual gaming. These people sometimes need to send an email or do something that requires a keyboard so something like an iPad with a keyboard or the WinRT Surface tablets are great.

2. People who need a laptop but would sometimes like to have a tablet for media consumption/casual gaming.


You don't want to confuse these two sorts of people because their needs and expectations are polar opposites.

DevilWAH

I think this might be its down fall, placed with the laptops its going to look small, yes it has a touch screen but its got a poor battery life and there are some very light weight devices out there in the ultrabook market that have a few inches more of screen. In this market the price is competitive but the its no out right winner for every person.

On the table counter, its a good high spec design, but it is very high end device in terms of cost. which will put people off.

IF microsoft and the re-sellers can get people buying it in numbers I think it will do very well, however I am not sure any one is sure how to market it.

I feel like I want one as well as my laptop.. not to replace my laptop. it would be nice for walking around site to do odd jobs, but if I knew I was going to be somewhere for an hour or so working on it, I would be wishing for a full blow laptop, can't see myself writing up documentation on it in the evening.

Will have to see what happens, quietly I hope it takes of and they get the returns they need to keep on development as once the price comes down to the $800-$900 all in kind of range, and the battery life is 6+ hours of work time. It becomes a very attractive.

ptilsen

I'm really disappointed. I think I will wait till next gen. My laptop has 12GB of RAM and my desktop 16GB. If I'm going to buy a laptop masquerading as a tablet, I want reasonable specs. I feel like 4GB of RAM is cutting corners, an I really need more in my everyday use.

With 4GB of RAM and keyboard not included, I want it to cost $600. For $1,000, it should come with 8-12GB, touch cover, the pen, and Office.

Maybe I'm crazy, but I can't imagine going back to a PC without at least 8GB of RAM. I open everything and leave it open. I multi-task. I need multiple cores, SSD, and lots of RAM -- even on an 11-12'' screen.

All this being said, I think Surface did what it needed to. It raised the bar. What I'm seeing is that most of the OEMs are coming out with comparably good products. I don't think MS will lose money here, but we don't have an iPad killer. At best, it will stem the tide of Android/iOS tablets replacing Windows laptops and tablets.

About7Narwhal

Excuse my ignorance, but what is the difference between one of these and a laptop with a swivel screen that latches to the keyboard, besides the weight? Seems like a lot for a concept that has been around a while. Realistically, why would you need a Laptop and a Tablet in one if you had a laptop that has a touch screen anyway?

I see no difference between THIS and the MS device other than the fact that the MS device is more current in terms of hardware. Again, feel free to correct me if I am wrong, just my 2 cents.

ptilsen

The concept of a keyboard cover in the vein of Surface is new. The concept of a tablet/laptop hybrid is not new, but the execution is very new. Surface is extremely thin and light, and designed to function reasonably well as both a touchscreen-driven tablet and a keyboard-driven laptop. The ultrabook convertibles are more or less the same in practice, but again, are a much better execution of an old concept. Pre-Windows 8, Pre-Ivy Bridge touchscreen Windows laptops and tablets were pretty much horrible.

The result of the execution is that you can actually use these newer ultrabook convertibles and Surface as just tablets. You simply can't with the older devices. They were too thick, too heavy, and too slow.

About7Narwhal

ptilsen wrote: »

The concept of a keyboard cover in the vein of Surface is new. The concept of a tablet/laptop hybrid is not new, but the execution is very new. Surface is extremely thin and light, and designed to function reasonably well as both a touchscreen-driven tablet and a keyboard-driven laptop. The ultrabook convertibles are more or less the same in practice, but again, are a much better execution of an old concept. Pre-Windows 8, Pre-Ivy Bridge touchscreen Windows laptops and tablets were pretty much horrible.

The result of the execution is that you can actually use these newer ultrabook convertibles and Surface as just tablets. You simply can't with the older devices. They were too thick, too heavy, and too slow.

Okay. I guess I can see where you are coming from with that. I know that I am more likely to reach for my tablet over my laptop most of the time simply because it is easier and faster. The concept of a tablet is very good for people on the move both professionally and recreationally. I just assume install Ubuntu on my Nexus 7 and call it a day with a docking station rather than spend so much for that device. But then again, I cannot move my laptop around freely like a tablet and my tablet cannot run demanding applications and games like my laptop. So a hybrid might just be a catch all, especially if you can forward texts and calls while on a personal network. It would essentially replace several devices with one while around the house or at the office.

skinsFan202

Release date is finally here.

Some seven months after it was announced, the Microsoft Surface Windows 8 Pro is finally hitting stores on Feb. 9. The made-by-Microsoft tablet with the full version of Windows will be available at Microsoft retail stores, on the Microsoft Store online, at Best Buy and Staples. The 64-GB model is $899, while the 128-GB model is $999. Both ship with the Surface Pen input device. If you want a Type Cover or Touch Cover — the snap-in keyboard — you’ll need to buy it separately.
The Pro is bigger, heavier and faster than its little brother, the Surface RT. Moreover, while the RT can only run Microsoft Store applications and a stripped-down version of Windows, the Pro runs a full version of Windows 8 Pro capable of running both new Store apps as well as desktop programs and legacy Windows applications. The Surface Pro clocks in at 10.81 x 6.81 x 0.53 inches and weighs slightly less than two pounds. It has a 1920 x 1080 pixel, 10.6-inch display, and an Intel Core i5 Processor. It has front- and rear-facing 720P cameras, a microSDXC card slot, Wi-Fi support for 802.11a/b/g/n, and Bluetooth 4.0.
Microsoft also announced that the 64-GB Surface Windows RT will be available as a standalone version without a Touch Cover for $599 starting Feb. 9.

Iristheangel

Yep. They announced it earlier this week. All the engineers at my company and I are picking them up once they come out. I already purchased the Type keyboard for it.