Surface PRO pricing revealed !

[eastmen]

The other thread is barely about the surface now so

http://blogs.technet.com/b/microsof...amily-surface-with-windows-8-pro-pricing.aspx

It’s hard to believe it’s been just over a month since Surface with Windows RT hit the market. The response from Surface customers has been fantastic and exciting to see. In addition to sharing the terrific results that Microsoft is seeing with Windows 8 at a technology conference earlier this week, we also announced that Surface with Windows 8 Pro would be available in January 2013.

Today, I want to share a bit more detail about the growing Surface family of products and Surface with Windows 8 Pro, specifically around pricing. In January, Surface with Windows 8 Pro will be available in two versions and pricing will start at $899:

· 64GB standalone version at $899

· 128GB standalone version at $999

Both versions will both include a Surface pen with Palm Block technology and include the ability to use a Touch Cover or Type Cover (sold separately).

Surface with Windows 8 Pro uses the same familiar elegant design principles as Surface with Windows RT including the Dark Titanium VaporMg casing, dual 2x2 MIMO antennas designed specifically for Surface and of course the kickstand.

However, it also has some differences.

On the inside, Surface with Windows 8 Pro will come with Intel’s next generation Core i5 processor. This chip will give Surface with Windows 8 Pro a graphics boost for its 10.6” 16:9 ClearType display that runs at a 1920x1080 full HD resolution. Surface with Windows 8 Pro also includes a full-size USB 3.0 port. Its Mini DisplayPort can drive an external display up to 2560X1440 resolution. And, as I mentioned above, Surface with Windows 8 Pro will support Pen input. This is an amazing feature for all you note-takers or document editors out there, especially since it has expanded capacitive and digitizing technology we’re calling Palm Block that will prevent your handwriting from getting interrupted if you accidently place your palm on the screen as you write. This feature is pretty cool, and allows for a great inking experience alongside a great touch experience when needed.

Surface with Windows 8 Pro will run your current Windows 7 desktop applications – it’s a full PC AND a tablet.

And all this in a PC that will weigh less than two pounds and be less than 14 millimeters thick.

We are excited about both Surface with Windows RT and Surface with Windows 8 Pro.

$900/1k for the 64/128 verisons

Next gen core i5 processor plus 10.6 inch 1920x1080p a usb 3.0 port plus mini display port and the pen.

The cover is separate.

 

[ltcommander.data]

$900/1k for the 64/128 verisons

Next gen core i5 processor plus 10.6 inch 1920x1080p a usb 3.0 port plus mini display port and the pen.

The cover is separate.

When they say next-gen Core i5, will Haswell actually be ready for January 2013? Or does next-gen really mean current-gen Ivy Bridge?

 

[eastmen]

they've always said in the past ivy bridge or 3rd gen i5 . So I dunno. If it is haswel that will be big , if its ivy bridge i'd still be happy.

 

[Laurent06]

The specs found on surface.com say 3rd gen so this means Ivy Bridge. They also say 13.5 mm, I guess the fan is needing some extra space. The price though not aggressive looks correct.

 

[eastmen]

The specs found on surface.com say 3rd gen so this means Ivy Bridge. They also say 13.5 mm, I guess the fan is needing some extra space. The price though not aggressive looks correct.

the specs on the site have been there since the end of august. Hopefully we will see some updates and get final ram speeds and what cpu model and the like.

$900/1k is cheaper than the air which is a popular seller and the surface pro has a better screen to boot.

 

[Grall]

Haswell will be a serious, serious upgrade over ivy bridge, both in CPU and GPU performance, so I would absolutely suggest waiting for that launch, if haswell is not included in MS's first-gen tablet. Also, standard HD res is kinda disappointing compared to the iPad.

Oh, and battery life. I'd be quite concerned with a x86 CPU under the hood running the show, although haswell will again make huge progress on that count as well. Not that it will be able to compete in power draw against other manufacturers' ARM offerings though - its performance is much too high for that.

 

[eastmen]

I am not expecitn ms to refresh this every few months. So I think you'd be waiting at least till the next holiday season. The mac air gets a good 5-6 hours of battery life and this has a much bigger battery.

If I wanted an ipad I would buy it but no matter how high res the screen is , its just a large cell phone and can't replace my laptop so its not worth it.

 

[Laurent06]

the specs on the site have been there since the end of august. Hopefully we will see some updates and get final ram speeds and what cpu model and the like.

The PDF containing the spec is dated 2012/11/21, so I guess it's very uptodate

 

[Arwin]

Pretty interesting. I hope we get some at the office at some point in the not too distant future.

 

[wishiknew]

So only half the battery life of a regular Surface. I guess next year's model will do better.

 

[MfA]

What's the use case for this?

 

[Laurent06]

What's the use case for this?

I see mainly one pro category: those who need a digitizer and a pen.

For the rest, I'm not sure. For me it's completely useless: as a PC it brings no benefit over a less expensive laptop, as a tablet it's too heavy and overpowered for most tasks I'd do in a tablet configuration. Of course, that's a personal statement

 

[AlphaWolf]

How about as a tablet with a much better software library than an iPad.

 

[MfA]

How about as a tablet with a much better software library than an iPad.

If you like to stare at it in amazement of that ability, sure.

 

[ltcommander.data]

How about as a tablet with a much better software library than an iPad.

It certainly has a better laptop software library than the iPad, but a better tablet software library?

 

[dlm]

It certainly has a better laptop software library than the iPad, but a better tablet software library?

I assume people who are more interested in the tablet software library and want to play in the Microsoft ecosystem are probably more interested in RT than Pro.

 

[AzBat]

I assume people who are more interested in the tablet software library and want to play in the Microsoft ecosystem are probably more interested in RT than Pro.

+1

Tommy McClain

 

[Silent_Buddha]

I see mainly one pro category: those who need a digitizer and a pen.

For the rest, I'm not sure. For me it's completely useless: as a PC it brings no benefit over a less expensive laptop, as a tablet it's too heavy and overpowered for most tasks I'd do in a tablet configuration. Of course, that's a personal statement

Sure, but why bring both a laptop and a tablet when you can just bring one device?

Obviously the Surface Pro won't be the best choice for everyone. But that's why there'll be a whole ecosystem of x86 based Win8 slates to suite everyone.

I think MS missed out on an opportunity to offer a 3rd gen Atom based slate that is lighter than the Pro (maybe even with a smaller screen, say 7" or 8"?) with better battery life.

There's no reason they couldn't have offered three different Surface slates addressing various segments of the market.

Regards,
SB

 

[rpg.314]

I see mainly one pro category: those who need a digitizer and a pen.

For the rest, I'm not sure. For me it's completely useless: as a PC it brings no benefit over a less expensive laptop, as a tablet it's too heavy and overpowered for most tasks I'd do in a tablet configuration. Of course, that's a personal statement

iPad is ~1.5 pounds.

This is ~2 pounds.

0.5 pounds is too heavy for something that can reduce the weight in your backpack by ~1.5 pounds, has a digitizer and has enormous dynamic range of use?

The biggest knock I have against it is its' battery life. 3 pound HSW laptops will get 9 hr battery life. I guess the weight reduction is coming mostly from battery. Hopefully, a 2 pound, 8W Broadwell tablet will get a lot more.

 

[eastmen]

the mac air has a 35w battery and gets 5hrs web surfing. The surface pro has a 42wh battery. I'm hoping it gets a bit more than what they are claiming.