Microsoft reveals pricing of its Surface RT Windows tablet, starts at $499

Definitely does

from the Surface website:
 
Some features aren't included in Windows RT: Windows Media Player Windows Media Center HomeGroup creation (you can join an existing HomeGroup but you can't create a new one) Remote Desktop Domain join

Wonder how expensive the pro version will be

$1350 for the 128GB model. Bet is on!

Well, I did see this coming, but none of the zomg 299$ optimists beleived! :P
 
As I've said, I'm willing to pay up to 600€, and looking at the dollar prices, it's probably gonna be 600€ at least, seeing that in tech, money conversions are simply done by replacing the dollar with an eurosign, done :D

I mentioned in a few places, especially in the news about Samsung prices, that RT would be around $550. I was close...that's what I expected.

I was thinking, more like hoping, it would be 449 and include the cover.  There was no way it was going to be priced 200 or 299. 

Lotta people gripin' about the price in my other reading this morning. With specs like that, it's gonna cost more and i'll gladly pay for quality.....and a touch cover.  I do believe they did say the touch cover would be included.
 
 

They did say the touch cover would be included.  But the fact that they are separating it as a $120 accessory is a SERIOUS buzzkill.    This is not an iPad, this is not an iPad, this is NOT AN iPAD!!!!!  So so stupid for Microsoft to price it right at ipad pricing.  PCs biggest advantage up until now has been price.  Microsoft isn't having to pay for the license yet they still charge as much or more.  Hell you can get full blown Windows Pro Acer for THE SAME PRICE.
 
.
I'm very very very disappionted in Microsoft today, they could have killed it...instead they just gave people a reason to ask "why"?  And sadly all the dubstep dancing hipsters in the world cannot convince people to buy this over the same priced iPad.

I still cant even consider an iPad, despite or not similar pricing.
 
The Surface is still unique enough that I dont really have any options. That said, normal tablets dont interest me anyways, it was the great integration of the cover and keyboard that has me hooked.
 
But I'd rather not buy anything over buying an iPad..

Precisely. Im hooked and cant consider any other option. But this price makes me begrudgingly fork it over.. Its just $100 more than I'd like

Exactly what I was thinking. $100 too much, but I'll probably gork it over.

If you are not happy with the high price you should all wait at least a month after launch, to at least kill Microsofts initial sales, maybe then they will rethink the pricing.
If the consumer is just going to cave on the overprice, then you can forget about cheaper prices.

iPad 32GB costs $599 compared to $499 Surface which comes with USB,HDMI,SD and Office (and granted lower resolution).  With USB you could buy cheap keyboard to reduce costs.
There are other choices as well from other brands. But I've yet to see any W8 tablet with keyboard/dock under $599.

I was in a store yesterday, and I saw the most amazing looking Logitech wireless keyboards. Some might consider them too small, but they're actually really great. Get a wireless keyboard+mouse and you have a pretty sweet laptop with a large touchscreen :-)

The Apple loyalists have been way too much for their iPads w/accessories gladly. The Surface brings more to the tablet market not to mention their partner offerings too. Yeah, gork (I assume you meant fork) it over.

Are you aware that a full blown Acer doesn't offer the same hardware quality as the Surface? The thinnest and lightest tablet pc on the market in a vapourised magnesium shell with a badass kickstand and keyboard cannot be priced the same as a cheap plastic Acer you know.

I knew someone would reply with that crap.  yes it is an Acer and yes it uses plastic and not vaporwaremagpolydilithium whatever.  But you know what, it runs FULL FRICKIN WINDOWS. 

But does your Acer come with a flux capacitor?

Lmaooooo +1!!!

Lol and does it have adamantium components inside?

Quality matters. Microsoft put its H/W partners on notice with the Surface design. Plastic or alloy, quality matters. The Surface beats them all.

Man, this made me laugh sooooo hard, I was looking through this for another comment I saw yesterday that made me laugh harder.

"in a vapourised magnesium shell"  -----Someone has bit on the hype machine...
"with a badass kickstand and keyboard"-------HAHAHA!  Nice!  Yea, laptops don't come with those...?

No, laptops don't come with a kickstand and a detachable touch keyboard/cover.

I was hoping for 399 or less. They priced it to move out the door slowly this holiday season. Wait until the kindle and nexus 7 adds show up. Consumers will skip surface, by the upgrade instead, and and get a bunch of kindles, nexus 7, and iPad mini.

totaly agree with the above, if you want to intice people to switch, you need to price your new alternative a lot better. At this price I doubt anyone will switch from Kindle, Nexus, or the iPad, and 2 years down the line Windows Tablets are going to be in a crappy market position just as Windows Phone is all because Microsoft was too greedy and wanted a premium price for their Surface.

I completely disagree, very few people that actually had seen/tried a surface will opt for a kindle or iPad. The usb connection and file management are by themselves enough reasons without even mentioning office/xbox music/ xbox live, etc

So far Windows Phones haven't been up to-date. They have old hardware, yet they're not that much ( if at all ) cheaper than way better specced smartphones. But a lot of people have taken a liking to it, and starting with Surface, it's as if Microsoft started out with Windows Phone 8, which I think we all can agree, would've been pretty sweet.

The Surface is not competing with these devices, it's in a higher class, different target market.

Might want to re-read the article again.  The pricing included the touch cover.  The $120 price was for extra covers, for those who can't have enough...  Of course, you can also purchase the Surface without a cover, which also had it's price included.

The $500 model indeed does not come with either touch or type cover. 

I dont know why peoples are talking about switching from ipad, kindle or Nexus. Tablets are personal decides but still not as personal as a cellphone or smartphone. I see peoples owning an ipad and still want a galaxy tab. So in my opinion peoples will buy this surface anyway. Switching smartphones is way harder for consumers and that s the main reason why wp is still strugling. if peoples can buy an unlock iPhone for more than $500, i m sure they can afford this Surface.

 Yeah, and there biggest disadvantage has been build quality. They've addressed this with the surface, furthermore, you still have to purchase accessories for the ipad with cost $100+ which bumps the price up as well. The ipad doesn't have dual memo antennas or the keyboard you purchase for the ipad doesn't have the sensitivity like the touch/type cover to prevent accidental typing when resting your hands on the cover, the ipdad isn't constructed from Vapor-mag either. I'll guarantee that if you compare the build quality of the surface against the ipad or any of the other W8 tablets/pads, the surface's quaity is much better. As for the ipads display, many people cannot even tell the difference between the II & III displays as the human eye has limited visibility as far as pixels go.

We're not even sure of the Surface's build quality yet.  Most iPad accessories cost well under $100.  The difference between an iPad 2 and 3 is very, very easily noticeable.

You're very wrong about the "up until now" part with Apple's pricing - Apple has been killing the Android competition with iPad because nobody can match them on cost.  Microsoft has done that, and that should be achievement enough. 

Design influences the cost, not the specs. That's why Apple have done so well - good on you MS, you have an RT product for the low end market, and a Pro for the high end - The surface will be a winner folks!

Except that Microsoft is NOT pricing it right at the the iPad:
 
32gb iPad = $599
32gb Surface = $499
 
Woah, mind blowing! Idiot.

Do you mean the Acer W510? It's $749 with keyboard dock ($499 without). Although it comes with larger 64GB HDD.
Very different kind of device though. Weight of W510 with dock included is 1.2 kg / 2.7 lbs. Definitely cheaper in looks if you read the reviews and look at pictures. But it might be better choice if you want full Windows exp.

They don't want everyone-on-Surface. They want to kickstart the Windows 8 tablet market, which isn't done by taking over the entire share of that market and giving only a tiny percentange to their OEMs.
Also, a smartphone for the same price as a desktop, seriously. Everything is so expensive these days, and for some reason a phone is worth the same as a desktop.

Yep, I remember the Touch Cover was to be included, too, with the Type Cover as an optional upgrade. I expected $499 for 32GB with Touch Cover, $599 for 64GB with Touch Cover, and $50 more for Type Cover.

So it is $100 less than the "new" iPad 32 gig, or on par with the 2nd Gen ipad. I want it a lot, but I want the pro more.

Without a cover, it's the same as a 16GB iPad 3, and I'm pretty sure it's the same as a 32GB iPad 2.

No touch is extra 100

:(. Well, that price is not going to be enticing for the masses..

The Ipad would like to have a word with you sir.

Why no UK :(

http://www.microsoftstore.com/store/msuk/en_GB/pdp/productID.257929400?W...
:)

I knew the base model wouldn't be $199 or $299 like some people thought, but I was really hoping for $399. I think I'll just upgrade my Vista laptop to W8 for the time being and wait for the tablet prices to drop a bit.

What's the difference between RT and pro

RT is ARM based (if you are not tech sawwy, basically the same kind of CPU that smartphones and tablets usually have) and can only run apps that are designed to work in the "Metro" UI thingie. The Metro thing is also in the full Windows 8, so those apps will work in both the full OS and the tablet OS (RT).
 
Pro can run x86 apps and is basically a full PC. You can run any Windows application that you would run on your normal PC with them.
 
So the RTs are more like iPad kinda tablets while the Pros are more like tablet-ultrabook hybrids.

Hm. And why has the Asus RT a desktop app? I'm confused :(

This one probably has desktop too for file management, but the Asus RT cant run Win 7 (or x86 apps as they are called) apps either.
 
It's not about the desktop, its about CPU architechture or something.

But isn't he using it? http://www.wpcentral.com/mobile-network-three-give-us-first-look-asus-vi...

That tablet can run Metro apps, which are essentially mobile apps. It can't run programs that you have on your current PC.

Watch the video... He is using the desktop!!!

Yes you can use the desktop on RT, you can use IE desktop-mode browse files in Explorer etc but you still cant install any x86 apps. Only apps from MS Store.

Okay, thanks. That's awesome still... ;)

Exactly. As far as I'm aware the bundled office apps in RT run in the desktop but run full screen and look like Metro styled apps.

Keep in mind that Metro RT and Metro x86 are not exactly the same apps. The developer actually has to release two versions to the Store.

On the RT Version you cant run normal windows 7 apps, like photoshop. On the pro you can. The pro is like a laptop in tablet size. The rt is like an ipad. 

RT = toy.  Pro = actual computer.  Very disappointed in this pricing but not surprised one bit.

Still a better toy than an oversized iPod Touch.

I'm sorry, but not with the current app catalog.  We are EXACTLY where we were with the first Gen Windows Phones.  Better hardware than the iDevice at the time, but SEVERELY lacking app store.
Microsoft needs to figure out it is not Apple and it has to compete on price.  That is where it got with 90% Windows share today.

The iPad doesn't come with Office 2013 bundled, so there's that. Also, the OEMs are there to compete on price. iDevices were always expensive, lacked features and apps, and still got to the top. Microsoft has enough moneys to go the Apple way.

"iDevices were always expensive, lacked features and apps, and still got to the top. Microsoft has enough moneys to go the Apple way."
 
Apple was riding a wave with crazy innovating design and software that MS missed, that wave has passed and they are paddling like crazy behind.

I strongly disagree. Innovation at Apple stopped like 5 years ago, when they introduced multi-touch and accelerometers to the masses.The iPhone didn't really change since the initial release and it's touch-unfriendly UI was streched to 10'' to create the ipad - cool hardware with a subpar UI, along with the OS being only a fart-app launcher. The Zune HD was far more innovative than all the Iphones 2 through 5 and the ipad combined. And not only had the Zune HD introduced the revolutionary Metro UI but also superior social features. Unfortunately it seems that history is written by market share winners.

Unlike the Touch Cover, the Type Cover is available in white, red, black, blue, and purple variants.
 
reverse that.
 

Reversed. You thanking. :-)

 
Your price quotes are actually backwards too...The Type is $129 according to your picture.

I'll have to wait on the UK prices before commiting, but my initial reaction is that thats a little bit more expensive than I'd like. The covers being over $100 each seems a bit ridiculous to me. Still, if I can get the Surface and the Type cover for under £500, I might go there, I don't like my chances though.

AFAIR I payed circa $100 for an attachable keyboard for my Acer Iconia Tab W501 a year ago so Microsoft's price doesn't fell high after all.

That keyboard came with additional ports and was more like a dock than a cover. This is a cover and yet it costs more than almost all professional pc keyboards. If the touch and type covers were priced at $50 and $70 respectively, you'd have a surface and keyboard for $550, which is all of a sudden much more competitive.

Oh I wish it was more a cover than a dock. That thing altogether is twice as heavy as laptop with the same screen size. The more I use this clunky junk the more I adore the Surface.

$499 is fine for me. Sign me up!

Ouch.....

Besides color, what is the difference between the two covers

The touch covers use touch and the type cover use real keys. The type cover is a little bit thicker 

I'm confused. What's a touch cover vs a type cover? Pricing looks good for what you get. I was just chatting with an MS store rep and of course they offered no info so this is not yet official.

A touch cover is flat. A type cover has more along the lines of traditional keys.

"The touch cover is completely flat and the type cover is a little thicker that has a response when you type, like an actual keyboard." that came from a chat with MS Store rep. No official word on when pricing and pre-orders will be back up.

I'm... just not sure I want to pay that much for an RT version. Maybe I'll wait or go third party.

Well, it's not as bad as I thought it will be - but to be honest being on the same price point as iPad (and with much worse screen and tiny amount of apps) won't make it any easier for Microsoft to compete!
 
And it looks like Surface Pro will be too expensive for me!

Pro will be too expensive for me, but not my company : ]

I had a feeling that (unfortunately) $499-599 for each model respectively would be the price. I'm just disappointed that a non-black Touch Cover is more expensive. That price is just too high to compete with the iPad. I'd spend that much because I'd much rather have a Microsoft product over Apple, but most people don't feel that way. Moreover, this means the Surface Pro will likely be $999+, way too expensive for just about anyone in this economy.

Not totally unreasonable, especially since Office 2013 comes preinstalled. I was hoping for $399, but will get this day one and skip getting a WP8 device.

I was thinking the same! This is not good for MS. They want to move forward with WP but also introduce new w8 and surface at same time. With surface price not oems price not what people had expected, consumers will most likely skip one for the other. And just not good strategy.

I'll take 4 please!

You guys are forgetting that the surface comes with Office 2013 as well. The prices are pretty good for a premium device.

Exactly!!! Somebody who gets it!

nobody in the Android or iOS world cares because they have moved on to sufficient alternatives to Office.  Microsoft has held the Office carrot out for too long that it is rotten...no one is clamoring for Office anymore so the value proposition is where it is at...free.

I love it but that price is just a tad bit beyond me, looks like I'll either have to wait or go for another RT tab.

Given that iPad has better display and for the time being more&better apps and RT tablets are basically iPad rivals and MS needs to catch up I think it's to expensive. 399$/£/€ with cover would've been it.

Better display is debatable as it depends how you define better. IF you define it by number of pixels then yes, else not really.
More and better apps? Like which?
Seems to me all the important stuff is built in to the point where it's seamlessly integrated into the systesm (FB, Twitter, LinkedIN, Office, Cloud, and more) Store is exploding right now and anyway more then half the apps in appstore are fart apps anyway. I can build most of the RSS feed/webaccess apps by pinning the webpage to the startscreen..
Oh, you get all this and a cover with integrated keyboard and USB, SD card, microHDMI out and then some for the same price as the iPad with the same basic storage(and no way to expand but buy a bigger model).
Now obviously Apple won't do a RT version of iTunes as that would kill off half their ecosystem which kind of proves the point.

I rather spend the $$ into a new WP8

I know I'm not getting one till Christmas.

Funny how people are unwilling to pay for a quality windows device, yet will run out and pay it for an ipad. The accessories people purchase for their ipads run $100+. I don't know why people were thinking the touch/type cover would be included; C'mon people, the base surface is all touch, if you want a keyboard, you have to pay for it. Any pad/table, be it Apple or Android, you have to buy keyboards and accessories separately. The build quality and tech put into the surface is not cheap, starting with the vapor-mag casing, dual memo antennas, gorilla glass 2, etc. I too wish it was a bit cheaper, but at the same time, I see what they've put into these units.

I wouldn't say that, cause I don't have an iPad (I find them useless). I would buy a Surface, but I don't have the budget too. Well, I'm just 17, soo.

 There's always mom & dad. people on this site are such cry babies; I would love for this device to be less expensive, but the build quality is superb, vapor magnesium, 1080P HD+ gorilla glass II display, dual memo antennas, integrated kickstand, Office 2013 included. Ask yourselves, how much does office cost at retail stores? how much do you spend on a keyboard cover for the ipad? If you can't afford or don't want to buy one at that price point, then don't. I only need a couple hundred more dollars and I'm good for one!

I wouldn't ask my mom, cause I'm not like that. I actually work hard to buy my stuff. I have a BB, which is my first phone. I want a WP8, and also a Surface for Senior Year. But like I said, I might buy one for black friday or christmas.

Well, there's the tiny problem of you confusing specs for the Surface Pro.  The Surface RT (the version coming out this month) only has a "10.6” ClearType HD Display", meaning only 720p.  The Surface Pro has a "10.6” ClearType Full HD Display", which is 1080p.  While like most others, I was hoping against hope for a $399 price tag, I'm still grabbing a Surface RT at launch.

 There's always mom & dad. people on this site are such cry babies; I would love for this device to be less expensive, but the build quality is superb, vapor magnesium, 1080P HD+ gorilla glass II display, dual memo antennas, integrated kickstand, Office 2013 included. Ask yourselves, how much does office cost at retail stores? how much do you spend on a keyboard cover for the ipad? If you can't afford or don't want to buy one at that price point, then don't. I only need a couple hundred more dollars and I'm good for one!

I do not think everyone is being a "cry baby".  I think some, myself included, are thinking about potential sales.  I want the Surface to be a success and sell very well.  The masses (majority) that purchase devices such as the ipad and surface know very little about build quality.  Also let us be honest here.  I have never heard anyone complain about the "build quality" of an ipad. It comes down to a few things and price is always a factor as well as applications.  I would hate to see such a cool device go the way of the Zune. 
Is it priced well for what it is, yes!  It is 100% worth the price of entry.  However, MS is entering into a competition that the ipad has dominated and will continue to dominate and to be so behind and come this late something as simple as bundling the cover with every Surface could really benefit MS and the sales of the Surface.  At the end of the day I want to see the Surface sell more than the ipad. 

This! People ask me about Surface and if it will cost £200 (or dollars).  I say "Have you seen this thing?  It's not a cheap Google tablet with a tiny screen and more plastic than Legoland".  
The idea that this was ever going to be priced like that is laughable - I mean, £200 for what appears to be an extremely well built, well stacked tablet with Office, Windows (near enough), a USB port, etc etc is TOO cheap. If someone said to me, here's a new car and you can have it for a pack of cigerettes I'd be a bit suspicious.  If, and I'm not sure how you can, you compare this to an iPad it is actually a better deal - assuming they'll be priced to just below iPads (i.e. £449 for the 32GB with TouchCover).

I'm with everyone thinking it should be $399 base price. But I'll give in and get one for $499. I'll just buy a type cover later, blue one please to go with my cyan lumia 920!!!!

^3

Pre-order down and processed. This will be a nice second device in the household. Price was pretty much as expected.

This is interesting. Basically they've targeted the iPad crowd, but I am surprised they didn't go $399, $499 and $599 for the RT and $699, $799 and $*99 for the Pro. At those price points, they would probably have dominated the holiday season. Clearly they're throwing their OEM partners a bone here. Its a tad expensive for a consumption device (RT) but not out of line with the market. In truth, I really want a surface with an LTE modem (a constant connection is important to me) so I'm basically 4 or 5 months from getting one.
 
If they're smart, we should see a holiday bundle with the 360, and a Surface for $599. If the really want to help their partners and corner the market, we should see a bundle with an XBOX 360, Surface RT (32) with Touch Cover and a 920/8X/Ativ with 16 GB of SkyDrive service, a free XBOX Gold Subscription and 3 Months of XBox Music's Premium service for $1000. What better way to sell the entire ecosystem and snatch market Share. College kids (Parents) and Techies would buy those in bulk. Its basically what you'd pay for a laptop (Mac) today, only MS would have you locked in for a year of Xbox Live and 2 years on the mobile phone carriers. At&t, Verizon, T-Mobile, Nokia, HTC, Samsung and Microsoft all win under that Scenario. If They want to bundle a full Year of XBox Music, $1099 is even resaonable.
 
I'd be pretty hard pressed to choose a Laptop over that bundle if I was college Kid, because I'm still getting a 10 inch semi-laptop with Office as part of the package. In fact, i'd say thats the ultimate temptation package for people on the line thinking of getting an iPhone, Macbook or iPad heading back to school.

Too much, but I frankly have never seen that much value in a tablet. Not sure how many they will sale at these price points

You make a very good point.  The USB and display port alone move it from toy to productivity device for me.  I should have expected this price.  It can do so much more than other tablets but I was expecting the price of a normal tablet.  That wasn't very bright of me.

er...$500 IS the price of a normal Tablet.

So...the difference between the touch cover and the type cover is...?

Type has depressable physical keys.

THAT'S apparent. But WTF is the touch then?

As much as I want the Surface RT, I can't warrant paying £500 for the RT when I've just purchased a BRAND NEW Dell XPS 15 for £460, then this price point it way too high! Shame really.... If the 32GB RT here in UK is under £400 with touch cover in blue, I would have grabbed one instantly! Looks like a trip to PC World or CPW in the New Year Sales for me

Convert that pricing for me, because I paid $1500 U.S. for my XPS 15z which is much more expensive tha this by a long shot without touch functionality. I'm still waiting for Dell to release the new driver for my touchpad so I can use gestures with Windows 8 Pro I have installed.

Read through the previous posts, its been addressed several times

£399

I think for what your getting, the price is reasonable, but if Microsoft wanted to take it to apple, a 50-100 dollar undercut would have made all the difference in the world. This is speaking competitively. IPad has mass appeal, so Microsoft needs to counteract that with price. Don't get me wrong though, I would pay for it as it stands right now.

It is a $100 undercut to Apple - Apple charges $599.99 for a 32GB iPad.  The problem is that Microsoft isn't releasing a 16GB device to go against the entry level iPad.

Too expensive for me.

Eh this certainly makes it a lot less of an insta-buy for me.  I still think I will probably wait until the iPad 4's come out and get an iPad 3 on the cheap.

3G/4G Support? Anyone?

It's not an ereader like an iPad. My laptop doesn't have 3g.

Nope, wifi only.

Price is fine. Just let me preorder FFS

Got mine pre-ordered already, took a bit of running around to do but it is done and confirmed. If you got to TechCrunch or search Microsoft Surface Store on Bing you should find the proper link to do so.

More than I was hoping but the features are exactly what I need and it is a fair price.
Regardless of the price I told my wife it was my Christmas and birthday gifts for the next two years.  Maybe I will need to add Father's Day in there as well to convince her but the portability, USB, and display port make it just what I need for my work and education needs.

$100 cheaper than an ipad, just as I thought, SOLD

I'll just wait for the x86 one at these price points. I want something powerful enough to be a laptop and a tablet, if I just wanted a tablet I would have gotten something cheaper.

eh... not bashing BUT this pretty much confirms the kill of my hype for the pro version. the surface pro is going to be priced with high end laptops... when I think tablet I don't think of it replacing my pc.

Well they said it would be priced comparitively to ultrabooks. So not sure why you didn't get that memo.

+1

+2

Yeah, we've known the pricing for months if you listened to this key point.

Too expensive. Now I'm worried about the Lumia 920.

200 on contract 600 off. Like every flagship phone.

650€ in germany. Standard flagship prices. Don't worry.

too expensive...

I'm hopeful that the link for "if you are outside the US click here" in the screengrab means we can buy Surface direct from MS in the UK.

I bought it direct from the Canadian store, no problems.

Oh please let the page being taken down mean their going with a cheaper price. Drop it by $100 and ill buy one now.

Maybe they had it up just long enough to test the waters on the pricing. Hoping for a drop but I'll have one day one anyway.

Wait, what are the Touch and Type Covers?

They better rethink the prices or its going to be a failure.
1. $100 more for 32GB more of SSD is riduculously overpriced when I can buy a Sandisk 128GB SSD for $95 (amazon.com), what the hell are they thinking?
2. $120-130 for the cover+keyboard is a definite deal breaker, thats nearly as much as a 7" Kindle Fire ($159).
3. The bottom line is the basic model with the cover should be at most $399, and no combination should exceed $500 mark. Then it would sell, but at present prices if they are indeed correct its going to be a failed launch.
Further this pricing points to the Pro being at least $1000 which would unfortunately mean, as much as I want the Pro, that I would have to pass on it until they come to their sences about the pricing.
Overall still what pisses me off the most is the SSD price gauging, and this is done by others as well not just Microsoft, they need to realise that its 2012 not 2007 and that SSD prices have droped significantly in that time, just disgusting to milk the consumer $100 for 32GB extra.
 

Yeah, that Sandisk SSD of yours is also just about as think as this entire device. I can also build a much more powerful PC than the Surface for less money, but it sure as hell wont go into a small and beautiful package that the Surface has.

You need to learn a bit about supply and demand and the cost of flash memory - $100 GB for 32 GB is probably the cheapest I've ever seen.  Otherwise, the iPad is priced extremely competitively, I don't know how anyone could have expected any different here.  You were flat out told that the Surface would be priced against the competition by Ballmer last June.

The price seems reasonable for a 32GB tablet with office 2013 installed

I've been running a Lenovo X220T convertible with Win 8 since the Consumer Preview and love it, so I think I'll stick with that for my x86 needs; but I'll be getting in line for a Surface RT.  Sold my iPad a few weeks ago to a coworker whose wife is a real apple fan (His much-hated iphone will be his last iOS product - he's waiting for the Surface Pro and the Nokia 920)
 

Decisions. Need to wait for the reviews to decide.

I have 4 kids and no extra money for even the base model. Anyone kind enough to buy me one of these?

If you find someone kind enough let him know there's one more person in lime. Lol

Me too!

I like the RT tablet, but I was hoping for a cheaper price to better compete with the iPad and sell tons of them. I was hoping for $399 to start.

It's been yanked...

It was removed 15 minutes after it went up.

We can thank Apple for showing everyone you can overprice hardware and people will run to buy it.  The problem is that while this may sell reasonably, it will not catch on like it should with this price point.  The inevitable question the general uninformed consumer will ask is "why should I buy this when the ipad is the same price".  Although I agree that I would much rather have this device, the price point is about $100 to high.  The other issue it causes you can see right in the comments, it now divides consumers.  Instead of this being an immediate buy, it becomes an option of maybe or when.  The reason most people expected it to come with the cover is because that is what they announced originally, it's also what they have been advertising.  To me if they started the price at $499 it should definately have come with the cover at least to make pricing a little easier.  However now for me (who was planning on buying two devices, one for my wife and one for me), I may only get one, or even wait to see if a cheaper device comes out.  It's very dissapointing and shows that microsoft hasn't learned anything with the windows phones...it will now be slow growth and just another option instead of the must buy item they were hoping for.

First world problems.

FU problems...the post was spot on.

Agreed.

Apple has a history of only selling premium priced pc's, but when it comes to tablets they have actually been under pricing the competition (remember when Motorola was struggling to simply match the price of the iPad with the xoom). granted the nexus and fire are less but they are essentially being sold at cost and have cheaper components then the ipad/microsoft surface.

They never announced it would come with the cover. And this is a PC unlike a iPad. It is also a premium product and the price is the same as a iPad. Its an easy sell, it does more, looks better, has better components and office preinstalled and no need for special cables. You can even connect your phone to it, try that with an iPad. This price is pretty standard to be expected for such a great device and is cheaper than other Win8 tablets.

I agree with your statement. 
The 499.00 price point is good but not great.  I would have purchased it at 499.00 if it came with the cover, but being I would have to add yet another 120.00 for the full 'surface experience' is a bummer. 
For the millions of ipad, ipad2, ipad3's sold, and the rumored ipad mini releasing at the same time I feel the price should have been more competitive.  Yes you get more memory and it has features the ipad does not have, but to not include the cover at that price of entry makes it sour in my opinion.  Apple has generated an overwhelming majority control over pads/tablets and the only way MS can break into that is with a price or extras that will entice the homes and families that planned on buying an ipad into purchasing a Surface.  I hope I am wrong.  I can speak for myself and I was planning on buying both versions of the surface if the package and price was just right.  What would have been just right was 449-499 with the keyboard cover starting price.  Day one pre-order. Spending almost 700.00 after I add the keyboard and almost 10% sales tax is too much.  It is amazing what bundling a nice accessory or 50 dollars can do to generate sales. 
If it was releasing the same time the Ipad released this is a different conversation, but 3-4 years late to the party you gotta come strong.

You sir hit the nail on the head....
Shame other people can't understand your realistic point of view!

this 32g suface tab is the same price as the ipad 16gb, for an extra $100 you can get the cover which is the same price as the ipad 32gb. what is wrong wth you people, ya'll need to go to apple website and really compare the prices.

Sorry, but at those prices they will only attract hardcore Microsoft fans, no way in hell they will steal some Apple fans. Nobody wants to pay that much for something untested and unknown. (I'm talking about average consumers). Lower it by a $100 and you might have a chance. I was going to be standing in line for one of these, but looks like I'll be waiting until black friday.

And covers are seriously overpriced....even if they have keyboards.

Dude, Apple fans are used to high prices. This is cheap in their eyes!

Pricing is simply too high.

Microsoft should GIVE AWAY touch covers at the stores on launch days.  Yes it would be blatant payola to drive lines out the door but if they want media buzz THEY HAVE TO CREATE LINES OUT THE DOOR. 
.
.
Thye give away a touch cover at the store, and I'll stand in line for one.

Good Idea.  Touch covers and a 50 dollar MS application card!  HAHA I could dream.  I would actually buy one then.

$499 for the type cover, maybe. Tryiing to be another iPad is a mistake, needs to be somewhere between the Nexus and iPad pricewise. Just my opinion

When (or if) adobe lightroom is released for windows RT i'm going to pick this up.

They should sell them like xbox and require you to get a premium Xbox music sub with Xbox gold pass or something so they can lower base price that is what I was assuming when I saw 299 price first

I think those of you whining about price should wait for Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales. Quite frankly, here's my thinking: For $680 (32GB + Touch/Type Keyboard + Tax/Shipping), I have the option of something fun, light/portable, fast, stable/secure -- essentially virus free, and most of all... functional beyond the options of anything else. It has Bluetooth and USB and SD Card, so adding peripherals like a mouse is fine. Above all, you get a full copy of Office built-in! And it's still cheaper than the 32GB iPad with accessories. The only thing missing is 3G/4G data service, but frankly Wi-Fi is freaking everywhere these days.

Black Friday is not going to do anything in regards to the Surface, imo.  Only one month after release is too soon to see any kind of black friday deal on the surface.

Sorry, but you're totally wrong... I'll bet big money we see Xbox/Surface bundle of sorts and big discounts on the keyboards.

How is he "totally wrong".  You are speculating and have zero insight into any kind of discounts, or bundling for blackfriday.  It is all speculation, so to say someone is wrong is just hyperbole.  So, in essence, you are totally wrong. LOL.
In all seriousness, I agree that there will be no major black friday deals for the surface.  One month after release is too soon.  All you have to do is look at history to get an idea of what may be on sale on black friday. At this point you don't even know who will carry the surface other than the MS store.
So, I will take your bet of big money that there will be a bundle of the xbox with the surface.   It is ok to dream sir.  ;)

I agree. You may find BF deals for other OEMs (and I'm betting $75 off at the most) but I highly doubt you see BF deals for the Surface.

everyone keeps saying this is not an ipad.. what exactly is an ipad? i bigger ipod, a consumption device, and now with the surface released, its a accessory.
I think we may be forgetting the bigger picture here, this is a fully functional OS in tablet form - its going to be HUGE in the business world. I would gladly pay this over an ipad(I still have to by the 20$+ apps to do office stuff, then convert it if I use MS Office @ work) There are many advantages with a surface for everyone who uses an xbox, likes music, and uses office. just sayin. ipad is great for what it does, but it is not a full os with office. Of course my thoughts are based on business in mind, but this is where the drive is going to come from to generate app support, dont forget that most of the entire world uses MS - imagine if 50% convert to tablets and WP8 (as i read this morning), imagine what that would do for the apps. I would have loved to see it with the cover for free as well, but it is what it is and I will still get one.

not to mention that everytime you even look at an iphone or an ipad you get charged .99

lol

I agree but the issue is will the average uninformed consumer know this.  MS will need to make sure they hammer home that the RT is a PC and not a tablet but they also need to be clear that it is only compatible with Windows 8 apps that are release to run on ARM.  This is going to be a very tough messgae to get clear to the average user.

It's up to Microsoft and US--- the tech-savvy consumers--- to spread that message. If we're not promoting it, they're not interested.

http://tech2.in.com/news/windows/windows-8-ad-campaign-worth-1-billion/513382
Microsoft to spend up to 1.8B in ads for WIN 8 products.

Meanwhile, software developers will have to be hammering home to their users that RT is too limited to run their applications, unless they can fit in the little box that is a "Windows Store" application - oh by the way, with MS getting a cut of each sale.
 
This is no way to compete with the iPad.  For any chance of success, RT needs to be on par with Android tablets, and x86 tablets need to be capable and priced not much higher than an iPad.  I suppose they can shoot for the stars and then move prices to more realistic levels when they find it's not working, if they don't can the whole thing.  Also, hopefully by then they won't have soured the general public too much.
 
I know if I bought an RT tablet with the message "RT is a PC and not a tablet" I would be sending that thing back after a few days with a big WTF.

so if the RT is presumed to be "limited" whats the deal with this?
 
http://www.wpcentral.com/demonstration-nvidia-tegra-powered-windows-rt-tablet-running-unreal-3-engine
 

Here is the problem. The Pro is like a PC.  The RT is not.  After reading four other sites and users comments the price is not a good one.  Now, the internet means nothing at the end of the day, but it does not help MS, the Surface, when the majority of news sources and the comments are negative regarding the price.  Now many of the comments were from people that appeared to not really understand what the surface is, but that is the majority of consumers.  The majority are not techy and the word ipad is synonymous with pads/tablets.  To generate sales coming in this late they really needed to not give them away, but price it away from the ipads.
 The problem comes back to the price and MS's recent history.  The zune is fresh in peoples minds and Apple has been dominating sales.  The price is good for those that already want a Surface but I don't see it taking off beyond the loyalists at this price of entry.

Im surprised its that much! Asus makes great laptops for under 400$

Well if we convert it to pounds that's £300 for the 32gb and £420 for the 64gb its not a bad price of it wad cheaper it would be better. The covers are pricey tho. I do hope it get alittle cheaper £250 for 32gb would be perfect.

You can't convert directly into pounds, as you'll need to take into account distribution and VAT costs....
I'd bet the 32GB will be between £399 and £420, with the 64GB variant being cost to £500....

For the introduction of a "third mover" tablet into a market with established products like iPad at the same price and Kindle Fire at a much lower price, this pricing for Surface RT is simply too high by $75-$100.  If they keep this pricing as the baseline but offer an introductory deal at $100 off for 3 months, then okay.  But Microsoft needs to seed the market with these things to draw attention away from iPad/Android tablets, and this pricing is simply too high to do it.  You might sell the first 100,000 units at this pricing, but beyond that, I have my doubts.
 

A Kindle Fire isn't even in the same league as the Surface. Its smaller, is only a content consumption device, can't hook any devices to it let alone a keyboard, it has 1/4 of the memory and isn't expandable. Its like comparing a Honda Civic to Lincoln Navigator.

That! All the other hundred and something posts I read - irrelevant.
 
How on earth can you even start comparing Surface to iPad?!
 
Surface >>>>>>>>> iPad.
It's iMac + iPad -> add the prices and do the maths.

While I do think $499 is an OK price for the base Surface RT, and is a better value than the iPad at the same price, $399 would have been a door buster. I would have put my Asus Transformer up on eBay tonight if they formally announced $399. At $499, even though it's "just" another $100, that ends up being a mental roadblock for a lot of people and gets the business crowd worried about how much the Surface Pro will be.
Also, serious question: why do people make a big deal out of MS competing with other OEMs when Google is doing the same thing with the Nexus 7? Samsung & Acer couldn't have been happy with Google's pricing. Or is it that since the N7 was developed by Asus, it doesn't matter?

Agreed. $399 IS the magic price.

at this price is still cheaper than the ipad 32gb

Boy Did they mess this up...

Shit. Was hoping tablet and cover under 500

More then I am willing to pay. 
Will wait for black friday or see if they get  specs worth that price for gen 2.

I understand why people wanted this to be $399 or $299, but Microsoft is probably losing money even at this price.  I think it was smart to align pricing with the ipad rather than Nexus/Fire.  They shouldn't have to give these things away. By all accounts its a solid unit and should be priced as such.
A free cover for early pre-orders would have been nice thoguh.
I also don't understand why peop[le are upset about a few of the full Win8 tablets coming in around $700-1000 w/ keyboard dock.  They're basically really advances ultrabooks and can replace a laptop and an ipad.  Even eith an inexpensive laptiop that still a good value prop
 

While I'm a bit disappointed that the price isn't lower I still think that the price is fair and I will still be getting one of these devices.  I don't care how you cut it.  The Surface RT is still a better device then the iPad.

Couple of things. 
On the apps, you have a chicken/egg paradox.  You have to have a device to have apps, you need apps to ensure device success.  How many apps did the first iPhone have?  0.  What was built-in is what you got.  Only when the App Store was released on subsequent generations of iDevices did we see the app explosion.  Microsoft is building a brand-new ecosystem from scratch.  It won't happen overnight nor can you start in the middle.  There must be a start.
Also on the apps, there may be 600 bajillion in the App Store but just how many do you use?  Couple of dozen?  Maybe a hundred?  If the main apps you need are there at launch for the product to be useful, it might be worth the wait for more apps to fill in the gaps.  I've seen the market since I run Win8 RTM on my laptop.  It grows a little every day and the OS isn't released to the public yet.  Wait a month and then we'll see where everything falls.
On the hardware, this is a FLAGSHIP device.  Let me say it again.  FLAGSHIP DEVICE!  So if Apple licensed say Acer, ASUS, and Samsung to build iPad clones, sure they might come in at a better price point but the original Apple device will be the standard by which all others are compared.  The exact same principle applies to Microsoft as well. 
Microsoft priced the device exactly where it should be as a flagship model and that it has more device (not app) functionality than a comparable iPad.  When the apps start coming out and we see the abilities of Win8RT and Win8 on a slate device then the price becomes even more justified and might even be a bargain. 
There's also Office to consider.  That's $100 investment right there for a desktop unless you have a EPP, EUP, or student program to get it cheaply from.  Let's just say you are paying the $100 up front for Office.  If you take out that price, now the Surface is the same as the iPad.  We just aren't being given the choice since it's bundled. 
Why are people so quick to judge Microsoft when their only crime is being late to the game and following the example of the other 2 major players?

commenting on your "late" comment - I would add that wasnt the xbox late to the game as well, and it was also "claimed" D.O.A

It better be cheaper. I won't pay that much.

I was entertaining the idea of buying a Surface for the holidays but now I'm not so sure. Hopefully those kiosks will be able to sell the value proposition to passerbys.

I'm not getting the comparison between the Surface and iPad pricing. They are two different devices. If I wanted an ipad I wouldn't be interested regardless of price. However, if you want the real deal Surface is it. If you've ever seen the two demonstrated side by side, the windows8 OS in either RT or Pro versions just crush the iPad. Its not even close. The Surface price is justified. How does it compare to other Windows 8 slates should be the real concern. I'm good for one RT and two Pros when they hit.

Done deal for me. I won't be getting one. No way can I justify spending $600 on a tablet with literally less than 1% of the number of apps for the same price (price and most of them inferior and much more expensive). That would never sail by the wife. She would insist on getting a Crapple if we were spending that much. Most likely will have to settle for a POS Android tablet.

have you read up on bluestacks software?
 
bluestacks

People seem to forget that while Microsoft certainly wants in on the "tablet action" it doesn't position itself against the iPad or any Android device.  Or a Kindle or a Nook.  This is a platform that is simply something different on its own - a person would need equivalent expectations for use requirements for price points to validly be compared.  People opting for a Kindle Fire or an Android tablet could use those almost functionally identical to an iPad (or each other).  With the Microsoft ecosystem, this isn't the case.  This is Microsoft expanding its ecosystem OUT.  Now the price point may be disappointing for those that will only browse web, that will only use dinky game apps (or hardcore), but the value is what the whole ecosystem can* provide.  Its unclear if that alone is a winning combination.  Either way, personally, I have an iPad and I use it as a remote and a browser and something my nephews can doodle on.  I can tell you for certain that any Windows tablet will not be relegated to such trivial duties.  Have you seen OneNote on iPad?  LinkedIn?  Facebook?  Yech.

€ 479 in Germany http://www.microsoftstore.com/store/mseea/de_DE/pdp/productID.257922600

Why no fuchsia or magenta in Deutschland?

Here is an update on its Facebook page:
http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/news/Press/2012/Oct12/10-16announcementPR...

Surface RT is priced Way too high. Not good at all!
Apple can charge this for the iPad because Consumers want the iPad, it’s in high demand.
It has loads of apps, great specs, and in the mind of average consumer the iPad is Synonymous with Tablets… It’s the Tablet to own. Microsoft has to prove to consumers that the Surface is better than the iPad. And that the Surface is not just another iPad wannabe. Microsoft has to convince consumers into buying The Surface RT and not the iPad. And one way into doing it is to offer the Surface at lower price point.
Both Google & Amazon know this, I’m not sure Microsoft does.
Google stole some of the Surfaces’ thunder back in June with the Nexus 7 for $199
And I feel that Google is going to do it again with a 10 inch tablet very soon.
Also according to all the rumors Apple is set to sell an iPad Mini.
Between the iPad, iPad Mini, Nexus 7, and whatever else Google has up its sleeve, Microsoft needs to price Surface RT lower than iPad to pull consumers away from it and every other Tablet out there, or the Surface will suffer like every other tablet that is not an iPad.

price doesnt make a product better where are you getting that from. if a product is better because its better and nothing else, you'll rather pay a higher price for low quality because of popularity over a cheaper quality product. MS has already beatting apple in the price area it just need apps and if your patient MS will get the apps. apple didnt get those apps over night,  so please cut the BS.

Exactly! Right now, the market is hot for that midrange, 7" tablet at the 2-$300 range. People will look right past MS $499 10" tablet. Not to mention it doesn't include the colored touch covers which is a huge selling point for these devices. Those looking for the larger 10" tablets will just wait for the iPad4 next year. MS totally missed the boat with this pricing! At $399 and $499 with the cover, it might have swayed alot of consumers to purchase NOW instead of either, waiting for the iPad 4 or settling and buying a smaller 7" tablet now at $199, etc. Wake up Microsoft!! You need to push units!! You need developers to jump on board! You have a great product that outdoes the iPad!! Price it to move!!!

$499 will mean £499 in the UK as we always get ripped off. Simply not willing to pay that for such a poor resolution screen. Other features don't matter if the screen looks like crap.

Too high for me regardless of whether it is worth it or not. I function now with my Win7 laptop and my WinPhone7. No tablet at all. I'll upgrade my phone, but skip the Surface tablet at this price. To everyone complaining about "crying", I'll tell you that the masses "cry". To everyone rationalizing that Surface is "better", you have to realize that better isn't tge only ingredient for sales success. Many realized that Zune had better devices than iPod, but that didn't translate into sales. Some would say that Windows Phone is better than iPhone and Android, but the sales aren't reflecting that. It is debatable whether XBox is better than PS3, but MS made those more competitive on price and stole that market. The large number of units in the wild made more games available and they now dominate. The Surface doesn't seem poised to dominate sales with these numbers. It seems like another device that might be better, but won't sell like it.

i just went to apple to see the price of an ipad, the 16gb is the same price as the 32gb windows rt tab. i think that alone should be a reason for people to consider windows and also that it comes with office 13 for free. ipad covers are just cover the reg cover is $40 and the lether cover is $70, its not a keyboard/cover like microsofts, your paying that type oof money for looka and no functionality. i wish it was $100 cheaper but ill still get it for my wife cuase shes going to school. Surface rt 32gb with cover $599, ipad 32gb $599 if you add a cover not keyboard will cost $599+40 or $599+70. without the covers surface rt $499, ipad 16gb $499 32gb $599, MS did say price comparable to other tablets from what see here MS did do what they said they would, surface is $100 cheaper. can someone tell me why are people complaining about the price or we are dealing with scrooges in this forum

don't forget MS does not have the brand name that Ipad has.
 

Call this a 8/10 rumor, but I've seen an email saying the pre-orders will be back up at 9AM PST.
 
http://view.email.microsoftemail.com/?j=fe9e16717765077b77&m=fe6c1570756...

Not a rumor at all. Just saw the same email in my inbox. "You asked us to keep you informed of the latest developments with Surface. We’re thrilled to announce that Surface is available for pre-order today starting at 9am Pacific Time on Surface.com. Get your order in today! "

ah, wooooooooo!

At $499, the price should include a Touch Cover, with the Type Cover an optional upgrade. Period. Microsoft said as much at the big reveal press conference, and now the tune has changed. There goes one of the differentiators from iPad and just about every Android tablet.

The price isn't that bad. This also gives the some room to put it on sale for the holidays.

I say wait until Xmas or black Friday for a $100 price cut and scoop one up with touch cover

The 64 GB version is listed as out of stock. Weird! I hope this leak was just a way to get a better feeling of the market and is not set in stone.

$499 only if it is a PRO version
 

The pro version is basically an ultrabook. You see many ultrabooks priced at $499? You are dreaming.

The link just went live.

So it did, thanks! I hate that they are going the rotten Apple way of adding 100 bucks for a bigger ssd. A real PC seems to be the route for me, I'll just switch the drive myself.

Ordered . 32GB with red touch cover .. Can't wait !

I think at $399 w/o touch cover and $499 with the touch cover, people would have snatched this up! The pricing as announced is overpriced imo and once again, MS is not doing what it needs to do to get traction up front... This pricing at over $600 with the touchpad, is not priced to move. MS needs to sell 3-5 million of these to get devs to take it seriously. At this pricepoint, I think MS will be lucky to sell 1-2 mil and once again, devs will be looking elsewhere and won't be jumping onboard. Screw the OEM's! OEMs dont sell tablets! Look at Android! MS needs to wakeup and rethink their pricing if they want to steal customers from Apple. This pricepoint won't change anyone's minds and won't allow for early product adoption which MS needs desperately for the developers to jump in and develop!

No but the surface is MAGICAL

$499.00??? No cover?? They should've added the cover.. I wanna see it in the real life first... Damn $499.00!!!

I think many of you are forgetting 2 important points. First, Microsoft is not Apple. MS is a software development company that happens to offer some hardware products. Normally, it doesn't compete with OEMs who it depends on to license its OS. What many feared when Surface was announced is that MS would sell Surface at a loss, like XBOX, and their OEM partners would not be able to compete. Apple just simply doesn't have this problem. Its a delicate balancing act for MS. We all know that they have no problem selling or even giving away a product to gain market share. So, why would this time be any different? Second, many are saying that MS has to sell Surface at a low cost to compete with iPad. Not true. Surface is only one of many Windows RT tablets that will be available. Some will be cheaper and some may be more expensive. It is not up to Surface alone to gain market share for the Windows 8 platform. Microsoft set out to build a high-quality reference device for its new OS. That's what they have done. I believe these devices are priced just about right. Remember, you get what you pay for. No one complains about the price of Apple products or designer clothing. Price is not always the determing factor when making a purchasing decesion.

For $700; I go with a new Windows 8 notebook with touch screen built-in.  Much better quality keyboard and screen built!  Sure it may cost another $300 but you get a better notebook that will last longer and be more functional. 
 

Just ordered the Surace 32GB Winodws 8 RT tablet with the cyan touch cover!

Too much for me.  I do not NEED one I just kinda wanted one and for this price it is not worth it.  Maybe at $399 without a touch cover and $499 with I might have looked more, but for now I'm not even taking a second look.
 
Sucks, but at this price I cannot even get work to purchase one for testing, for less I might have been able to get one in for me to play with.

I agree with your price. If MS is serious about competing. prices should be lowered

I think the Surface is really cool, but I'm saving my money for a cool convertible.

UK prices: https://www.windowscentral.com/e?link=https2F%2Fclick.linksynergy.co...

hey - i went to the link and it did not list the red or magenta covers .. interesting

ok, im out of this thread - people just do not get and or do not want to
 
Surface is a full blown OS with Office and ability to add to it with usb's - everything your desktop is, just smaller
iPad is a app driven consumption device - it does nothing without purchased apps. its nothing more then a bigger ipod or iphone. Yes its cool, but seriously, its a accessory now.
 
(shhh, come here, you can still browse porn on surface man, just like ipad, its ok, i promise, except you do it faster with IE10)

Not the price I wanted. Microsoft blew it not making a 16gb version. I don't need all the storage. And by making it 16 people will say $100 cheaper than iPad im in. Now people will just say it's the same price meh. The public doesn't know a damn thing about the 16gb difference and ports not sophisticated enough.

OS takes 12GB so do you still want 16GB version?

does any one know if the internet explorer on the surface rt is going to support flas video.  the ipad doesnt, and i would love to watch naruto episodes from narutoget from the surface. i hope it does.