A little over a week before its event, Microsoft accidently posted on its website (now taken down) the prices for its new Surface tablets. At $500 for the 32GB model, it will run $100 less than the 32GB iPad 3. But it's not exactly a bargain: the touch keyboard, which Microsoft has highlighted as the feature-to-have in its debut ad (below), costs an extra $120. (The commercial plays off the clicking sound the keyboard makes when it connects to the Surface, as you can see below.) So, really this thing costs more than an iPad. But just slightly, which is cheaper than some rumors had anticipated. Someone somewhere said the tablet could run for $1000, which depressed fanboys. And also, who would buy that? More recently Microsoft CEO Steve Balmer suggested it would sit somewhere between $300 and $800, so it's nice to see it in the middle of that range, rather than hundreds of dollars more than an iPad.
Pre-orders on the tablet will begin today, so we expect Microsoft will put those prices back on the site, because who would buy a tablet without knowing its price?
Update 11:15 a.m.: Microsoft has made the official announcement, confirming the pricing information above in a press release. You can now head to this Microsoft site to get your pre-order on.
Want to add to this story? Let us know in comments or send an email to the author at rgreenfield at theatlantic dot com. You can share ideas for stories on the Open Wire.
User Comments
Please type your comment and click Post. If you’re not already logged in you will be prompted to log in or register