Microsoft's Surface Tablet Listed for $1003 After Conversion

News
By Kevin Parrish
published

Microsoft's Surface tablet may start at $1,000 USD and reach into the $2,000 range.

Swedish website Webhallen has listed a retail price for the upcoming Surface tablet sporting Windows RT and 32 GB of storage: 6,900 Swedish kronor, or rather, $1,003.51 in U.S. currency. For the x86-based Surface Pro which will come packed with Windows 8 Pro and 128 GB of storage, it will reportedly sell for a crazy $2,152 USD (14990 kr) in Sweden.

Revealed last month during a special press conference in Los Angeles, Microsoft's Steven Sinofsky said the x86-based Surface tablet would feature a 22-nm Intel Ivy Bridge chip, Windows 8 Pro, a thickness of 13.5-mm, a weight of 1.9 pounds, USB 3.0 support, and either 64 GB or 128 GB of storage. The ARM-based Surface tablet would be powered by SoCs supplied by ARM partners and feature Windows RT, a thickness of 9.3-mm, a weight of 1.5 pounds, and either 32 GB or 64 GB of storage.

According to the company, both will feature a vapor-deposited (PVD) magnesium case, a built-in kickstand, and a 10.6-inch ClearType HD "Full HD" display. They'll also have optional Touch and Type keyboard covers while the Intel-based version will also sport additional digital ink support through a pen that magnetizes to the body of the tablet.

What Microsoft didn't reveal was the suggested retail pricing of the tablets and when they would actually be available on the market. Just recently reports indicated that the Windows RT tablet will be available for purchase when Windows 8 hits retail shelves in late October.

If the 32 GB version of the Windows RT-based Surface tablet will reside around $1K USD mark, Microsoft may have a tough time competing against current ultrabooks which sport a lower pricetag. It will even roughly cost 50-percent more than the current 32 GB iPad 3 with a Retina display. Then again, that price point could include the keyboard cover -- the tablet itself may eventually reside within the iPad 3 range.

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Kevin Parrish
41 Comments Comment from the forums
  • KidABear
    Highly doubt it will be that expensive. Microsoft would never be dumb enough to think a $1000+ tablet would be competitive with the iPad 3 and Androids that are half the price. Thinking that a $1000 starting point is reasonable would almost be as stupid as removing the start menu from Windows 8.

    Oh wait...
    Reply
  • DRosencraft
    Yeah, I'm not so sure how much validity should be given to a rumored price from some retailer in Sweden. I highly doubt they would be anywhere close to the first people to get these to sell to know now how much MSFT will be selling it for. I also would note that a direct conversion currency-to-currency may not be applicable since I believe that taxes and whatnot are included in listed prices in Europe. But, if MSFT is planning on pricing Surface anywhere near this high, they're making a huge mistake.
    Reply
  • alidan
    KidABearHighly doubt it will be that expensive. Microsoft would never be dumb enough to think a $1000+ tablet would be competitive with the iPad 3 and Androids that are half the price. Thinking that a $1000 starting point is reasonable would almost be as stupid as removing the start menu from Windows 8.Oh wait...
    if you buy into the whole post pc crap, a 1000$ tablet that is basically a laptop without a keyboard, isn't unreasonable.

    apple sells a tablet for screwing around on for what, 600 or is it 700$, for the base unit,
    looking at it that way, its like you are paying 300$ more for a full computer functionality, minus the (high graphics) gaming side.
    Reply
  • Prescott_666
    The Surface Tablet is going to fail for the same reason all the other Windows tablets have failed. They are too expensive.

    I have been watching the under $100.00 Android tablets. They are not there yet, but some people are giving them good reviews. They are getting a lot more good reviews now than they did even 6 months ago. In another 6 months, maybe someone will be making one that will get even more good reviews than the current crop. If so, then who will pay $1000.00 for the Surface?
    Reply
  • scannall
    If it is over $1000, then it is already a dead product.
    Reply
  • Swedish tech prices are roughly 10 times the dollar amount but in kronors due to 25%VAT, so it would probably be more like $699.
    Reply
  • dfusco
    People keep trying to spin this as a laptop replacement. But the specs would indicate a Netbook with limited storage and a crappy keyboard.
    How much ultrabook would $1,000 buy?
    Reply
  • scannall
    dfuscoPeople keep trying to spin this as a laptop replacement. But the specs would indicate a Netbook with limited storage and a crappy keyboard. How much ultrabook would $1,000 buy?
    It will buy this. http://store.apple.com/us/configure/MD223LL/A
    Reply
  • scannall
    alidanif you buy into the whole post pc crap, a 1000$ tablet that is basically a laptop without a keyboard, isn't unreasonable. apple sells a tablet for screwing around on for what, 600 or is it 700$, for the base unit,looking at it that way, its like you are paying 300$ more for a full computer functionality, minus the (high graphics) gaming side.
    The base unit is $499, or $399 for the iPad 2. iOS may not be your cup of tea, and that's fine. But it isn't as expensive as you have posted is all.
    Reply
  • Old news is old. And false as well.

    "Paul Paliath from Techie Buzz - He has a statement from Webhallen that the prices are incorrect and merely placeholder for future orders. :-


    “Our customers are very interested in pre-ordering these products, so we have set a high preliminary pricing for the line-up so that they may be able to pre-order them.

    Just to clarify, we have not received any pricing from Microsoft regarding MRSP or purchasing net cost, and any people who have booked the Surface at this high price will of course have their order adjusted before any product is shipped. So we’re not going to overcharge anyone for being an early adopter.”
    Reply