Microsoft's Surface Tablets Price Could Start From $400 to $500

[zakislam]

Pro version of tablet to retail between $799 to $899, suggests analyst.

Microsoft's Surface Tablets Price Could Start From $400 to $500 : Read more

 

[Old_Fogie_Late_Bloomer]

I understand the need to not totally alienate OEMs but I feel like $400 is pushing it a little.

 

[COLGeek]

'Tis all about marketing at these prices. Profit will follow once demand is created.

 

[southernshark]

[citation][nom]Old_Fogie_Late_Bloomer[/nom]I understand the need to not totally alienate OEMs but I feel like $400 is pushing it a little.[/citation]


Yeah its going to be an uphill fight given the iPad 2 at $399. But we will see. I'd rather have this than an Ipad 2. I do wish Nvidia would get its act together though and produce a follow up to the Tegra 3, which is getting a little stale.

 

[yobobjm]

That kind of kills it for me, there are things that I would rather spend that money on.

 

[Guest]

Oh how I wish they would have release Pro before RT.

 

[Old_Fogie_Late_Bloomer]

That's the thing, you know? I'd rather have the Surface than the iPad, too, but as a consumer, I don't feel the need for either at that price. As a potential developer, I can't help but feel that this level of pricing makes Windows 8 devices uncompetitive.

I made the comment on another article that the difference between $300 and $800 is the difference between my investing in Windows 8 development and writing the whole thing off. If the bare minimum pricing on Windows 8 tablets is $400, I just don't think people aren't going to bite in large numbers. If they're buying comparably-priced laptops, they'll probably be sticking to the desktop primarily. In that case, why would I develop for Metro?

 

[cknobman]

$400+ for the RT version with a crappy outdated Tegra 3 processor? Guess I wont be buying one then as I already have a Tegra powered tablet. Maybe I will wait until a device refresh happens with an updated processor comes out.

$800+ for the Pro version primarily because of greedy SOB Intel? Intel you can kiss my @ss. I really wish they could find a way to fit a low powered Trinity APU into one which would cut the price by at least $100.

 

[jerrspud]

it comes out in a couple of weeks.. and we still don't know the real price?

 

[happyballz]

$800+ for a tablet? Not a chance. I would definitely buy a medium-end notebook that is more usable for $500 and spend $200+- on a cheapo tablet.

Pricing seems crazy on high-end tablets.

 

[syrious1]

[citation][nom]happyballz[/nom]$800+ for a tablet? Not a chance. I would definitely buy a medium-end notebook that is more usable for $500 and spend $200+- on a cheapo tablet. Pricing seems crazy on high-end tablets.[/citation]

The Pro not a tablet. It's got laptop hardware i5/4GB/ram/SSD, please stop calling it a tablet and comparing it to an ipad or other android tablets.

 

[bllue]

Sell for $299 and $599 and swim in cash MS

 

[Villers]

I'm not craving anything that Microsoft is bringing to the table. Nothing is innovative. They just seem to be trying to catch up to the rest of the market. They seem to be quickly falling behind.

 

[Guest]

The pro version is on my wish-list. Not sure why anyone would want the RT version. But to me, the Pro is a game-changer. Whereas now I carry my Lenovo Thinkpad T520 AND my Kindle Fire HD with me everywhere I go, in a big rolling carry case, the Pro version would lighten my load drastically. It would run all the software I want and give me tablet features when I need them. I have no problems spending $900 on a device that will make my life easier...and lighter.

 

[boiler1990]

The RT version is a much better tablet for students. In theory, they literally would not need a laptop because Windows 8 RT has the biggest ace up it's sleeve: a full MS Office Suite. Might not be great for engineering students who need to run code, but for like 90% of people it would exceed all of their needs for less than a standard laptop.

 

[Achoo22]

[citation][nom]cknobman[/nom]$800+ for the Pro version primarily because of greedy SOB Intel? Intel you can kiss my @ss. I really wish they could find a way to fit a low powered Trinity APU into one which would cut the price by at least $100.[/citation]

There will be x86 versions with atom and other, cheaper, chips available. As is the case on the desktop, there will unlikely be any price-point where AMD is a superior choice.

 

[Achoo22]

[citation][nom]Islam[/nom]For the RT version of Surface, Singh's analysis priced each of the following components: the display ($66.95), touch screen ($43.71), processor ($21), camera ($4.10), as well as its battery ($25.74), which equals a total of $308.82 when adding a $10 manufacturing cost.[/citation]

66.95+43.71+21+4.1+25.74 != 308.82

The only thing you added to Singh's original report was... an editing error. Maybe just provide a link to the original, much higher quality report next time?

 

[Old_Fogie_Late_Bloomer]

[citation][nom]bllue[/nom]Sell for $299 and $599 and swim in cash MS[/citation]
Sell the devices at cost, entice people to buy them, and then rake in money hand over fist through the app store, making developers happy too.

Or, you know, price them too high, don't sell many devices, and preside over a market flop while alienating app developers. 'Sup to you.
[citation][nom]Achoo22[/nom]As is the case on the desktop, there will unlikely be any price-point where AMD is a superior choice.[/citation]
I imagine that AMD tablets will provide a reasonably compelling value proposition somewhere between Atom and i3 devices, and likely will give some i3/i5 products a run for their money, as well.

 

[luciferano]

[citation][nom]happyballz[/nom]$800+ for a tablet? Not a chance. I would definitely buy a medium-end notebook that is more usable for $500 and spend $200+- on a cheapo tablet. Pricing seems crazy on high-end tablets.[/citation]

The Pro kinda is a medium-end notebook with the keyboard removed IIRC.

 

[LORD_ORION]

It should start at $299 for an RT, because a Dummies.com contest spilled the beans.

Face it, at 399+ nobody is going to buy it in mass quantity and that will hurt the Windows Store revenue causing nobody to develop for it...

 

[Guest]

Win RT can connect to a VPN and has remote desktop client from the specs I saw. Perfect to remote control a desktop and if you lose the tablet you don't lose all of your data. High end desktop + cheap portable = win

 

[DXRick]

This is it! Microsoft will finally compete with Apple in the wacky gadget department!

And pigs will finally fly.

 

[tearsana]

Sounds reasonable given its quality and that it comes with a keyboard cover (right?). I would rather get the lenovo thinkpad tablet 2 at $649 though, since that has an active digitizer.

 

[luciferano]

[citation][nom]DXRick[/nom]This is it! Microsoft will finally compete with Apple in the wacky gadget department! And pigs will finally fly.[/citation]

Catapults, planes, helicopters,, etc. It's easy to make pigs fly. I'd give MS more credit than you are too. The Zune was pretty good and they've been improving their smart phones quite greatly, so they might have more of a clue then many of us think

 

[vivoip]

Consider no longer Micro$oft!