Microsoft announces Surface PRO pricing 64GB/$899, 128GB/$999

And the Air has more battery life and keyboard+trackpad.

"Up to 5 hours wireless web" according to the Apple site, so maybe not!

Native tablet resolution is: 1920x1080 full HD but if you attach an external monitor you can get 2560X1440.... for graphic designers, this is literally a large Wacom tablet since it comes with an active digitizer.... Oh, and I can use this easier in places like the bathroom compared to the macbook air....
 

"Oh, and I can use this easier in places like the bathroom compared to the macbook air...."
 
But that's where the macbook air belongs ;) (j/k don't start a flame war plz lol)
 
On a side note, *love* the specs of the Pro! Nice job Microsoft :) ! Guess my Christmas gift requests are going to be strictly limited to Microsoft Store gift cards (in increments of $250)...
 
Techiedude

Put windows 8 on the Air, "convergence" solved

With an added $100 cost for the copy of Windows, and you still lack a touch screen, and have to deal with a lower res.

more like FAIL solved.

Display: 1920×1080 vs 1366 x 768.
Pen Input: Supported and Included vs Not supported.
Battery: 42 W-h vs 35 W-h.
Cameras: Two 720p HD vs One 720p.
Ports: microSDXC card slot vs Non / Non vs Thunderbolt.
Sensors: Ambient light, Accelerometer, Gyroscope & Digital Compass vs Ambient light.
http://microsoft-news.com/microsoft-surface-with-windows-pro-vs-apple-macbook-air-specs-and-pricing-comparison/
 

mini Display port vs Thunderbolt
 
FIFY

I'm running Win 8 on my macbook air. Win 8 works fine, apple's trackpad drivers not so much. Well, they work, but it is a really poor emulation of a regular mouse with a scroll wheel. No gesture support or anything. And it is genereally quite awful. But one gets used to it, but it isn't as good a windows 8 experience as it should be. Everything is much better once I plug in a regualr mouse with a scroll wheel. Sure hope they (apple) will make proper drivers but I won't hold my breath.
Asides from the trackpad though the hardware is great and it looks good. So if they release a good driver it will be a really good win 8 computer. But now with the surface pro I might sell this guy. That machine looks great. If the Surface pro ever comes to sweden that is...

I feel ya on that.  I loaded it on my MBP and the drivers don't work at all.  Really hope they come out with some bootcamp drivers soon.

I had the same problem. I now run it in VMWare Fusion and it runs great. It runs in a seperate desktop/space so feels like you have both OS's running nativley at tje same time.
Well worth the $30 (or whatever it was)

You forgot touch and the fact that it is a reasonable tablet (although a little heavy to compete directly with pure tablets).

Does that factor in the cost for the keyboard?  I really think that MS should have bundled this since people buying the Pro are looking for a super portable laptop as opposed to just a tablet. 

Your comparing a tablet to a laptop and the tablet is still winning.

Can we please get this by Christmas!!!!!

Super high price?  You kidding me?  The specs are really solid, and coming in a LOT less then a MBA!!!  This thing is going to sell like crazy.

If you consider the fact that no keyboard is included then I think you can make an argument that its pretty pricey. The keyboard puts it above 1000 dollars for 64 gigs of space.

If you consider the fact that with an MBA, you STILL need to buy and install Windows to run 99% of all programs made, the Surface pro is looking a lot cheaper.
64GB MBA 11" = 999.  No touch screen, lower resolution, still need to buy Windows.
128GB Surface Pro = 999.  Higher res touch screen, pen input, thinner, more portable, runs windows software nativly, has external display port.

tahts a poor point

In your comparison you say that with a MBA you would have to consider that you still have to buy windows.......why would you NEED to buy a copy of windows? OS X runs just fine by itself.

I already have 2 surface keyboards ;)

Touch screen no need for keyboard

Also it is full windows so I can use a usb dock and use a full keyboard, mouse, and bigger screen that I allready have. Not to mention any bluttooth keybaord or mouse which I also have plenty. I am going to use my dinovo logiech keyboard
 
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0011FOOI2/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&amp%...

MS didn't included the keyboard just to be cheaper for us. If they sell the 128GB Surface on 1124$ with the keyboard included, the black one and you wanted a different color you are just wasting 125$ for another keyboard.

Umm..that's bullshit. They could allow us to build our own packages. And considering how much this thing costs they could've thrown the keyboard in for free (it costs what, $10-15 to produce?). I want to get one of these to replace my laptop but I'm going to need better value before I do.

Agreed!

not really coming in a lot less, coming in at the same price for the same specs.

Did you look at the specs?  
At the same price (999) you get with the Surface Pro a higher res TOUCH SCREEN, pen digitizer, 1080P camera, TWICE THE STORAGE, mini display port, and native copy of windows that would cost you an extra 99$ on the MBA.  So you were saying about the same specs?

And the kickstand exclusively on the surface

Couple more differences: - USB 3.0 instead of 2.0 (almost 10x faster) - 10 finger touch support instead of 5 - Core i5   If it's all about price there are other devices like the Yoga 13 or W510 for cheapest full W8 device.

BTW, as for me saying "LOT less then an MBA"
128GB MBA $1099 + $99 for Windows 8 = $1198
128GB Surface Pro = $999
Thats $200 LESS then the MBA, and you get MORE.  Anyone want to dispute that?

"Anyone want to dispute that?"

Yes, You didn't add the cost of the keyboard for the Surface Pro--so that's an extra $129 if going for the Type Cover. So now it's like $80 less... Mind you I'm not saying the Surface Pro pricing is bad it's just not super cheap either.

First, you dont need the keyboard. Its an optional accessory. Second, its got a USB port, so ANY usb keyboard will work.

If you want to do the same types of things as a MacBook Air (content creation) then YES you absolutely have to include the keyboard in the price. The huge upside of the Surface is that it is a really nice tablet when it wants to be, you'd need to strap an iPad on to the outside of a Macbook Air to get the same functionality.  In fact, MS needs to make a commercial of that.

Brilliant!  They should hire you for the marketing dept.!

are you kidding? If you include Windows in the MBA calc, you have to include the keyboard in the surface pro calc... seriously...

Ok, now add to the MBA the price of a touchscreen, 1080P display, pen digitizer, and SD port.  It's no contest. Surface Pro is an insta-buy no matter how you calculate.

<double>

I think the real point is whether it will do well at this price point. One of those polls may clear that up. IMO, I already forked out similar cash for the Samsung series 7 with win7. Not sure I want to do it again.

you can upgrade that series 7 though with 8 and get a similiar experience.

That's really my problem. I upgraded the S7 knowing the Surface would just be similar with some newer internals. Not yet seeing a compelling reason to go for the Surface. The price with a touch cover doesn't help too much.

then there is no reason to, other than you won't get a cover that has an integrated keyboard.

It will definitely sell well. Hell the surface pro has pratically no flaws and it is supperior to pretty much anything out there. Even it´s weakest point (storage) can be easily improved with a micro sd card. I Can´t wait to get mine, It will be awesome for photoshop work and probably quite decent for gaming.

Holy shit calm yourself. Spec-wise its great but lets get the thing in our hands before we start lauding it.

$39.99 for Windows 8 Pro...Why would you pay full price when you can do a clean install of 8 with the $39.99 upgrade.

Since MBA's dont come with Windows, it does not legally qualify for the upgrade.  Yes, im sure you can hack the upgrade onto the MBA, but 99.9% of consumers (Apple customers) wont know how.  

Honestly, it's not cheap at all. I was really hoping MS would already get it.
 
Yes, yes i know exactly its specs, but when you look something like W700 that's starting price is 799 it makes you think what MS is thinking. I mean they don't need ot pay the licensing costs so i would have expected a bit less from the price,

you are comparing an Acer to the Surface...all credibility just went out the window.

agree, and the 799 W700 has an i3 not i5 like Surface Pro
 

i expected way more. This thing is going to replace my $1500 laptop. Love it.

I think it should come with a keyboard but im sure they will go on sale somewhere for really cheap sometime

Yeah I expected the price, but For a 1000.00 I expected the touch cover along with it

Considering it's pretty much an ultrabook - it's a great price!

This is a good price.  I don't think people realize what a premium product the Surface line is.  The first time I touched one I said "Wow!"  These are better built than anything I have ever used.  Good grief, just look at all the people who have tortured them.  It takes a lot to kill one.

This is going to be KILLER! I was just saying to my co-worker that it would be around $1000 since that's the averate price of an Ultrabook. This doesn't look to disappoint. 

IMO $899 for the Pro is a fair price given that it is basically a SSD-only touchscreen ultrabook (specs wise), but adds further value thanks to the digital inking (with stylus included no less). I'd definitely line up on Day 1 for this.

Saving up now for it.
 

I just want to know battery life. If this is all day ie 10 to 12 hours then its a no brainer. but if it is like 4 hours.....then the Surface RT is the way to go. 

Agree!!

i think it will be around half winRT. thats what PCs with Win8 are performing atm.

The battery is 42 Wh instead of 31.5 Wh for RT so that should help to compensate little bit.
The Yoga 13 is 54 Wh which is rated up to 7 to 8 hours but then again screen is bigger so maybe around 6-7 hrs.
 
The Yoga 13 is $999 is about same price if you add type cover keyboard, but I love portabilty of Surface and you can detach keyboard fully. If this works for you just depends on your needs.

According to Microsoft Twitter it's about 4.5 hours (but I'll wait for official test):
 
https://twitter.com/surface/status/274226595051483136

Someone at Microsoft tweeted that battery life was 1/2 Surface RT, so realistically 4-5 hours.

+1

I'm not going to buy it, too expensive for my blood, but i dont think it's a bad price
 
seems on par with the competition, I just dont have a need for it to justify $900

The price isn't that bad.

For you. Other people don't see the value.

I'm surprised it's this low however I doubt it will translate to quite the same low price once it hits the UK.

The RT translates pretty much 1:1 (plus VAT) at 699 vs £559 so I'd guess the Pro 128 will come in around the £ 750 mark

Rt without touch cover is $499 - £399 that's 80%
So I guess pro 128 will be $999 - £799.

I think its a fair price, it costs the same as the 11.6" 64gb i5 MacBook air. Has a better screen then air, though lacks keyboard.

I don't know who monitors this, I have a question to be investigated.  Will the Surface RT keyboards work with the Pro devices? 
I got an RT at the Build Conference last month, so I wouldn't need a keyboard to finish it out.  There really wouldn't be any point in carrying both the Pro and the RT around.

Likewise, as you stated there is no need to carry both, sell the RT to subsidize the cost of the Pro, and keep the keyboard if it's compatible. Easy upgrade at a lower cost that's well worth it.

We keep hearing that the PRO will run "Win 7" apps - but I'm a little confused.  Will it run all the legacy apps that I currently use on my XP laptop as well.  The reason I ask is that some of my favorite programs are older and I would be lost without them.

that is suppose to be the case, ALL legacy apps are suppose to work, unless its just simply too old, most likely all of xp apps will work.  just call microsoft and tell them the software you need compatibility for, or just make it run in "compatibility mode" either way it'll work

Yes ALL x86 apps.

yes it will

Surface Pro runs an Intel i5 processor (x86).  It'll run everything dated back to Windows 3.1

Yes, it should. 
The Surface Pro is a full blown PC. It's just in the tablet for factor.

EDIT: huh, they do have x86 (32 bit windows 8) that's dumb, just move to x64 already.
Check your software compatibility lists before investing. Alot of old "x86" legacy apps on XP won't run on windows 7 x64 because they rely on x16 or x32 bit DOS or just flip out when they are installing the %program files (x86)% location.
Trust me. I support a ton of desktops accross a couple hundred clients. stuff doesn't "just work". though "most" things will.
 
Edit 2: I didn't spend time on it, but i5 procs are x64 natively, not sure if the pro is running 32bit or 64 bit. That will something to check and will change what programs will and won't run.

Any Intel CPU from Pentium4 is X64 natively so that should not matter much. It seems to me that if you are still using 16 or 32bit apps that donot work on moders CPUs you should talk to the dev or take a har look at yourself for using this outdated stuff.

The problem isn't if the processor is x64. The problem is if you are running the 64-bit version of Windows. At my company there are a few programs written in dos that won't run on 64-bit versions of Windows. So if it's a really old program it most likely won't work. The 32-bit version of Windows 8 will pretty much run everything but will be limited to less than 4GB's of memory.

W8 Pro comes with Hyper-V, so I have it running several Virtual Machines with Windows 3.11 (and Excel 3.0), I also have a W95, W98, W2000, XP and Vista, even Ubuntu 7.0; all running x86 apps way back from W3.11.

64-bit versions of Windows dropped support for 16-bit apps, that's why your dos stuff won't run.

You also have HyperV on the pro so you can run an XP VM for really old legacy software.

I can't wait to see it in action. I want to use it for photography, but it needs to be fast enough to work on huge raw files in Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop. They showed Lightroom running on it in the first demo, but I want to see it live and try it!!!

I'm running Lightroom and Photoshop on my Series 7 Slate with Win 8 on it. It's a Gen 2 instead of Gen 3 i5, and it's very usable. It could be faster, but I say that about everything :)

Thanks for the feedback Captain Jack, nice to ear!

I only have one question: Will i be able to run the Windows Phone 8 SDK in a Surface Pro? if so, then this thing is a must-buy for me.

Yes you can

It will have to have virtualization mode of the i5 and safeboot enables and run 64bit OS to do so.

I'm really need to confirm this, if it doesn't run the SDK that will be a dealbreaker for me.

I am waiting for this!! The RT version is nice but I want one that does everything like the Surface Pro. Hopefully they will release more details soon(battery life, accesssories like docking station).
Maybe they will have  preorder special like a free touch keyboard

Who's start sceen is that?  Looks crowded.

Name in the corner says Robert.... Not too crowded either in my my humble, but always right opinion.

My names Robert!

Damn wish I had the money to buy one

No thanks

Then why make such a worthless comment?

Is it Wi-Fi only like the RT?

its a good possibility since its just a pc in tablet form, but u could always u could tether or get some dongle

Why limit to Wifi only? Dongles are quite inconvenient to use

Hmmmmm far pricing but i dont need pro so keep the pro prices and lower the rt prices by $100

Looks like I'll be selling my RT 32gb.  Hopefully I get $400 for it.=/

Werd!!! I jumped on the Rt as well!!!! Give me 400 and anyone can have it (no keyboard though need it to go pro!!)

If it can use the same touch and type covers that I've got for my RT, then I'm set.

Price needs to come down at least $100.  Even though it's a full computer, people will still compare it to the iPad and various Android tablets and their lower prices.  

People who compare the pro to an iPad have no business even considering the pro.

Agreed!!
Price is awesome as long as this thing has 5+ hours of life im in.  Glad I held out on the RT.

Seem like the 128 GB version is the obvious choice.
And the price? Did we really thing the OEMs would let it be lower than that? Of course not. Might pick this up on discount when Surcace 2 drops.

Too bad it's probably gonna be available in only very few regions like the RT

This is the one I have been waiting for.Getting a SURFACE PRO for myself, and a SURFACE RT for my partner. There's a SURFACE for each type of user. I am a POWER USER and need to be able to edit graphic docs, layout, and produce final renders....my partner is a CASUAL USER and needs to surf the web, play silly games, and read email....thanks MICROSOFT...you hooked this household.

With native support for legacy apps, once accessories become available, if you hook this up to a docking station with a USB 3.0 hub and a BD burner for archival storage, an external drive for backups, bluetooth keyboard and mouse with a nice monitor, this *could* be part of a primary workstation that is also portable when you need it to be. And one other thing it has that a certain other tablet doesn't: microSD card slot for expandable storage on-the-fly! Nice touch MS (no pun intended). In this regard, it probably offers everything a person would need for under $1500. Probably not for the avid gamer but for the other 85%, this could be a *huge* option.
 
Techiedude
Techiedude

Where do I sign?   THIS is worth buying ! Problem with Appl is you need an iPad AND and a MBA... you get all that right here.. :)
 
I'm in.

With native support for legacy apps, once accessories become available, if you hook this up to a docking station with a USB 3.0 hub and a BD burner for archival storage, an external drive for backups, bluetooth keyboard and mouse with a nice monitor, this *could* be part of a primary workstation that is also portable when you need it to be. And one other thing it has that a certain other tablet doesn't: microSD card slot for expandable storage on-the-fly! Nice touch MS (no pun intended). In this regard, it probably offers everything a person would need for under $1500. Probably not for the avid gamer but for the other 85%, this could be a *huge* option.
 
Techiedude
   

I'm really wondering how PC gaming will do on these things. I don't expect to be playing Battlefield 3 full-blast, but what about general gaming? TF2? Portal? It'll be interesting to see the reviews.

I really want a CloverTrail Surface edition.  I think that would be the perfect blend of hardware and portablitiy.

Will the PRO version be avaible worldwide? (i'm from italy and I really would like to have it)

I take it you can also run flash and whatever else you want for the browser?  Liking the price, I figured $999 base...

Yes, you can in the desktop browser.

Keep in mind it is confirmed to have full digitizer/ink support, so just like traditional Tablet PC's, it will support smooth ink in OneNote. This is a beautiful, beautiful thing for those of you that have never seen it. :) It's my one favorite feature of the platform, and I've been using it since 2004. This is a big freaking deal for productivity.

+1, I have been using OneNote on TabletPCs since 2005. OneNote is killer app and great way to keep notes, especially great to be able to sync with my WP.

Im also guessing that their touch type cover will add an additional battery for longer life and quick recharges

wrong.

Doesn't come with office or word...I'm still buying it but wasn't happy about this. I assumed it would be included since the rt version of office was included with the surface rt. My fault for assuming.

I would love to get it but again the battery life may be an issue.

Note that battery is 33% larger than Surface RT. RT battery life will be better but this will compensate. My guess is around 6-7 hours but greatly depends on what you do (web browsing should last bit longer).

Someone at Microsoft tweeted that battery life was half that of Surface RT, so more like 4 to 5 hours.

Man if this is running the 64-bit version of Window 8 Pro I will be getting one of these.

Nice prices, I'll definitely go for the 128GB model.

Or you could get 64GB micro SDXC card for about $60. Not as convenient though but you save a little.

Yes!  This I can afford.

I have the Surface RT because I'm waiting for the Haswell chip to be in the Surface Pro. 

Yeah, this is bought.  The pricing was around what I expected.   If it is just as strudy as the RT version I am in. 

The price is right for me to upgrade from my 32gb Surface RT to the 64gb Pro. I just need it to take notes with and write code. I've tried the stylus's designed for writing. But without a palm rest for OneNote, I keep inadvertently touching the screen with my hand.

I wonder if they are going to drop the price of the surface?

I just wish the capacity options were larger.  I would want 256GB of storage.

Use an external HDD for all of your content you don't have to carry around 24/7. Besides, it's got a memory slot. Add SkyDrive and there's not much to complain about.

It supports sdxc. 128gb micro

Regardless, this is pretty good pricing. I think you really have to take the side of "this could be much worse" rather than "this could be better". Personally, this is a price point that makes it tempting to replace that old computer with a Surface.

I am ready to preorder the 128GB with Touch Cover! Does anyone know if the pen inserts into the Pro like the old PDA stylus did for handy storage? It would be a little cumbersome to carry separately.

The ePen is magnetic and connects to the magnetic charging port.

It attaches magnetically on the side

SWEET! Thanks!

Sweet!

When can I pre-order one?

Almost... the.. right . . . price.  So. Close!
Oh the temptation!

Does anyone know about the graphics for the Pro? It will have the Intel 4000 HD graphics, but does it have a dedicated graphics card so those of us who play Steam games can buy this and not need a laptop?

It will have the HD4000 graphics.

Damn no Office, what about the free XBOX Music or was this also only for the RT?

awesome... certainly on my "get it" list!

Definitely should come with a keyboard (either the touch keyboard or the other) for this price. 

The win8 pro tab is the only one that excites me right now.. But I don't have budget to swing 1,000 on the 128. The OS is going to eat 30-40 gig based on my win8 pro install at home... Although im running 8gb so maybe 25-35 the page file and hyber.sys will be a little smaller If they put in a recovery partition then your back to 40 so expect only 20 gig max free on that 64 drive. For 899 just spend the extra 100

Add a $7 cable display port to HDMI cable and this can be your next desktop too.  If only touch screen monitor prices would go down a bit.
http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=102&cp_id=10246&cs_id=1024603&p_id=9473&seq=1&format=2

Let the saving begin....

How come they are not including Window Office...like the RT version?

Wish they were more specific with the storage :
 
*System software uses significant storage space. Available storage is subject to change based on system software updates and apps usage" I know there is an mSD card slot, which is nice for file storage, but really isn't going to be a substitute for a C: drive. With the RT it wasn't as large a concern because RT apps tend to have a small footprint. Not the case when it comes to the space required for Windows 8 and native Windows application.  

Oh looks like my mom will inherit my SurfaceRT its awesome but PRO is too compelling. LOL

Office?

When can we preorder

As much as I want a Surface Pro, IMO MS is shooting themselves in the foot without including a keyboard.  I think I will get the Asus Iconia TAb w700.  Furthermore, I have said it and I will say it again, MS Marketing department and Steve Ballmer needs to be FIRED as they do not know how to price new products in a cut throat arena.  Let's be realistic MS is fighting an uphill battle in the tablet space and the Surface RT should have been priced at $399 with a keyboard to gain marketshare and appeal.  Heck they should have given anyone who bought an XBOX 360 this holiday season a $200 dollar discount if they buy a Surface from the MS Store.  Just think MS sold 750K Xboxes over the Holiday (Black Friday) weekend  which is great. Just think if they would have gotten a 20 percent attach rate that would have been 150k Surface RT devices sold.  Do not get me wrong, I think the Surface RT is cool as a tablet and the design is excellent; but a PC it is not and MS should have done a better job explaining this to consumers.  Nevertheless, MS has greed on their mind because they do not want to kill the PC market with a cheap Surface device on the market.  However, MS can sit around and play greedy while Apple and cheap Androids flood the market.  MS needs to understand, you get cheap Surface RT devices in mass on the market and developers will flood the MS with good games to make money. 
Also, why didn't MS work with Epic or other game developers to have first party RT titles at launch to create a want?
I am really trying hard to support MS in their endeavors as I got rid of my iPhone for the Lumia 900, upgraded one of my PC to Windows 8 Pro and  stuck with the XBOX from inception and an XBL (gamertag The1) beta tester too.
I almost got an RT just to replace my iPad Retina but wanted to see if MS was going to screw the early adopters. 
In time, I hope MS fires Ballmer because he IMO is what is destroying MS. 
People may hate my post but its my opinion.

I got dizzy reading your ramble.

MS is not playing greedy. You could be the one who's greedy by demanding a lower price.

They couldn't sell this for cheaper without pissing off their OEM parterns. It's bad enough they are entering the hardware market with such a worthy competitor. If they sold it cheaper they would drive their OEM partners away. If you look at the Surface Pro specs this is the right price. The only thing you could complain about is that maybe the keyboards are a bit pricy. Besides, the prices will probably start dropping a couple months after it's realeased or be on sale at times. I could really see being able to get one $100 cheaper if you wait until March-April.

OK first off it is a Acer Iconia not Asus...

Plus you call MS greedy..what do think apple is doing charging $800+ for their crap tablet, it only cost them $160 to manufacture. Get your facts straight apple lover.

So get the ACER Iconia W700 then if you find the MS Surface Pro too expensive! Nobody's stopping you!

Stopped reading at "foot".

I can see the countless biased reviews coming in now from all those people discouraging purchasing the RT and to wait for the pro (MS haters who just want to perpetuate Apple is the only one who knows how to build a tablet)....
It has sharp edges, its heavy, it us slow, it is not a good user experience, the keyboard doesn't work....blah blah I'll even name them, The Verge, The WSJ, All Things D (Walt Mosberg), .... The fact is that the surface is a game changer and threatens the very core of the Apple approach if selling hardware by splitting out what a tablet does compared to a PC. I just hope people are intelligent enough mot to be taken in by this so called expert opinion. In fact when I think about it rarely has any of these bloggers ever turned me away from a device and the most useful journalism I have read is the mainly positive review with the main issues brought out in a balanced manner. Unfortunately these are very rare. So in short why spend hours of my life ensuring these folk get paid by increasing their click count? After all more and more if it is clearly targeted negative click bait against MS.

They should price $499 and surface rt at $299

It is cheap at $899. Think about it, It you buy a decent laptop with an i5 processor for $599 and a decent tablet at $499 you would be spending more!

Sure... and pigs should fly.

So this is basically a computer. Its running full win8. It has USB ports, micro SD, slot and a magnetized keyboard. You can't do you WORK on it and play GAMES. It comes with full office for anything you need to do. And with skydrive all you have to do is log on to you computer and all of your files are there ans on you windows phone if you have one. If you dont have a skydrive it e en works with some printers. What can't an iPad do? Play games. And if you want to have a word processing program you have to pay $10. Who would want to do that. The thing is just a damn toy.

Office is NOT included.

I'm pretty sure it is.

Office is not included on the Surface Pro. You'll have to spend another $150 to get it, a lot more than the $10 iPad app. But that's comparing two different things anyway, since you can't get real Office on a non-Windows tablet you need a Surface Pro or similar to use real Office.

With about 4.5h of battery life, the Surface Pro is up for a very cold reception.
Expensive, short-lived batteries, heavy, fan-cooled are not expected attributes of a tablet.

My friend bought the Win 8 Pro tablet by Samsung for $699, but I suspect the Surface will be worth the extra cost.

This is exactly the price I thought it would be...was hoping for a little cheaper..thinking MS was going.to pull a rabbit out of its hat..but still happy, will get one. ^_^

I was hoping for better battery life but it's not horrible by any means.  There was a rumor that the holdout for the new intel processors would give substantially better battery life, so I had my expectations unrealistically high.  Everything else looks good!

We are just starting to see the true Win8 Pro hardware being released. The Surface Pro, Lenovo Tablet 2 and Samsung ATIV Smart PCs are all packing some pretty nice specs.
These and the all in one touch screens seem like the devices Windows 8 is really going to shine on. It is a shame MS didn't have more of these form factors when the released Windows 8 instead of just shoe horning it onto a bunch of plain old laptops.

Can I remove or dual boot with WIndows 7 ? How's the video card ? Will it play black ops 2 in 1920 X 1080 at 75 FPS ? If so, I am sold ! (this and a bluetooth Xbox 360 controller would be epic)
 
Running WIn 8 pro and Enterprise (VM) and still not crazy about it,

I too am wondering if I can install 64-bit Win7Pro on it. Since this is primarily a PC (for me) and I have owned Windows Tablet PCs since 2005 I am attuned to Windows with a stylus, but mostly with a mouse. When I travel, I can happily use my stylus to watch a DVD or listen to my music collection.

Man...ive been patiently waiting for the surface pro...but the battery announcement just messed me up...4.5 hrs...thats just not cool Microsoft...
I'll still get it...but not cool at all

I think if it includes a touch/type cover instead of the pen it will be more practical.  I think a keyboard with a trackpad is more useful than a pen, because it is a full PC that supports applications from Windows 7, means productivity is a major part here, people buy the Win8Pro because they want more productive than WinRT, with included touch/type cover with that price, it should be more compelling.

I'd like a keyboard as well. I will used a wired/wireless keyboard for now. I will use the stylus quite a bit though. Just wondering how much a cover will cost for travel, will probably end up with a type cover. Since the cost of the type cover is not $120, but the difference between that and a travel cover.

"Surface with Windows 8 Pro will come with Intel’s next generation Core i5 processor".  The sentence "next generation Core i5 processor" is suggesting something else? Not a regular Ivy Bridge i5?
http://blogs.technet.com/b/microsoft_blog/archive/2012/11/29/next-up-for-the-surface-family-surface-with-windows-8-pro-pricing.aspx

Looks very interesting, but 4 Gb RAM IS a bit short... I wouldn't mind a "Pro Pro" version with 8 Gb....

How much is the 256GB version?

Dear M$, please change the price to 999.99$ and cut your support after 6 months, claiming Windows 9 is going to be so revolutionary it needs totally new hardware, you can still find a number of fanboys happy about it!

what are you rambling about. When did ms ever stop supporting an os after 6 months? When did ms introduce a new os after 6 months?

when do you think the BRAND NEW OS announced for 2013 is going to come out in its preview version? And aren't we witnessing phasing out of the support for Lumia 900 with Tango? Look at the number of WM8-only apps a ounces here! I cannot expect MS to want to develop customer loyalty now, they want to jeep on introducing new products which they purposely make backward-incompatible - this IMHO stinks as they're tarnishing their image in a highly-competitive market. I think they're gonna be described in marketing handbooks in a couple of years as an example of loosing almost all of their market share by introducing too aggressive profit mainly/only oriented policies. Yes, every company needs to earn money, but you can sell a miracle cure ointment travelling from one state to another for a limited period of time only. They're trying to sell their miracle cure in the 47th state now I guess...

This is great news! Very excited, getting the 64GB

I think from the price stand point, it is very aggressive, most of the tech folks & the nerds would get their hands on it regardless of what the price is set. but as for the common consumer will be spektical getting their hands on a product which is just being launch by a company which have had failures in some of the previous product launch. We already know what is going on with RT tablet sales, it's not even meeting the half of what the company had projected, infact MS has cut down their supply chain in half already. I think many of us were waiting for the real pc experience ie PRO - the idea behind RT was to go against  ipad (a toy) which many of us already own. They went too aggressive with RT pricing and doing the same with PRO!

Palm blocker touch screen, 10 finger touch support, wacom digitizer, eInk, USB3.0, magnacharger (like a MacBook) 64/128GBs that can be expanded via microSD/Harddrive it is a true PC tablet. They're not trying to win a pricing war just more bang for your buck. $1k is alot of money, but I have spent more on less.

Can I run Battlefield 1942 off this?

It definitely is a no-brainer and would be able to do whatever I expect from a laptop. The only thing I'm concerned about is the battery life, as 4.5 is sadly below from what I'd expect from it, so I'm hoping that the official numbers will be at least around 6-7-ish.
 Plus I hope it will become available here as well since currently I couldn't even get an RT if I wanted to. Yay for living in central Europe.

Definitely feel the price is too high to be competitive...the pricing will drive people to pick a competitor...unless they're just really Microsoft loyal.  Good Luck with that.