Microsoft's Surface tablet event definitely caused a buzz that was dampened a little with the Windows Phone Summit which was held two days later. In a way, Windows Phone 8 took a little wind out of Surface's sails. While the spotlight has been on Windows Phone 8, there have been a few rumors growing with regards to the Surface tablets which we'll catch up on.
The release date is still up in the air and Microsoft is sticking with the Surface RT being released with the general availability of Windows 8. The Windows 8 Pro Surface would hit store shelves about 90 days after that. Initial availability will be through Microsoft's stores and select third party retailers. Likely Amazon.com, Best Buy, etc.
Price speculation has ranged from $500 on up with the Windows 8 Pro being the higher priced of the two. At this point, pricing is anyone's guess and Liveside.net is seeing the ballpark pricing as $399/$499 (32gb/64gb versions) for the RT Surface and $799/$999 (64gb/128gb versions). We would hope the ballpark is a little smaller but $399 for a 32gb Surface isn't too bad. Is it? In fact, over at Techie-Buzz, Manan Kakkar notes that even at $599 it's a steal compared to an iPad:
Oh...there's one more rumor circulating about the Surface's release. Initially, the Surface will only support Wifi connectivity. Bloomberg is reporting that initially the tables will go on sale without a connection to mobile-phone networks. This isn't necessarily a bad thing in that a) it will allow Microsoft to keep the cost down and b) you won't have wireless carriers potentially delaying the initial release. Models with cellular connections would hit the market at some point after the initial release.
You can also read TechRadar's early "review" of the Surface. Overall, they seem to like it.
So...we leave you with two questions. What would be a competitive price for the Surface and is "Wifi only" a serious limitation or not a big deal?
Thanks, everyone, for the tips!
We may earn a commission for purchases using our links. Learn more.
Windows 7 far from dead at large organizations despite end of support
Windows 7 reached end-of-life on January 14, but a new study finds that it's far from dead and buried at large organizations. In a study of 60,000 organizations, security ratings firm BitSight found 90 percent of companies with more than 10,000 workers are still running the aging OS.
Could Microsoft go with Qualcomm for a Surface Go 2? You bet.
The first low-cost laptops built on top of the forthcoming Qualcomm Snapdragon 7c confirm our suspicions that an ARM-based Surface Go 2 is possible. Here is what that would mean and why it would be good.
Review: Acer's late-2019 Swift 5 refresh is (mostly) a winner. Here's why.
The previous version of Acer's Swift 5 was a letdown, but a late-2019 refresh has seemingly turned things around and set the lightest 14-inch laptop back on the right path.
Digitize your photos with the best photo scanner you can buy
Confused by the scanner market? You're not the only one. We've rounded up the best right here based on price and performance so you can make an easier final decision.
