Tuesday, January 22nd 2013
Microsoft Grows Surface Family
Microsoft Corp. today announced that its Surface family of PCs is growing. Its newest model - Surface Windows 8 Pro - will be available for purchase on Feb. 9, 2013, in the United States and Canada at all Microsoft retail stores, microsoftstore.com, Staples and Best Buy in the U.S., as well as from a number of locations in Canada.
Powered by an Intel Core i5 processor, Surface Windows 8 Pro provides the power and performance of a laptop in a tablet package. Perfect as your one device - at home, in the office, or on the road - it can run Windows 8 applications, as well as current Windows 7 desktop applications. Starting at an estimated retail price of US$899, Surface Windows 8 Pro will be available in 64 GB and 128 GB models. A Surface pen with Palm Block technology, designed specifically to work with Surface to let customers edit, collaborate and get things done, is included with Surface Windows 8 Pro.
In addition to being able to buy Surface Windows 8 Pro in the coming weeks, customers will soon be able to purchase Surface Windows RT in 14 additional markets worldwide,2 more than double the number of markets in which Surface is currently available.
"The response to Surface has been exciting to see," said Panos Panay , general manager, Microsoft Surface. "We're thrilled to continue growing the Surface family with the availability of Surface Windows 8 Pro on Feb. 9 and by increasing the number of places customers can experience Surface firsthand."
Additional Surface accessories will also soon be available, allowing customers to further personalize and customize their computing experience and get more done with Surface.
● Surface Windows RT will be available in a new 64 GB standalone version for an estimated retail price of US$599 to allow customers the option of selecting a Cover of their choice.
● Three new Touch Cover Limited Editions in red, magenta and cyan will be sold at an estimated retail price of US$129.99.
● Customers will have the option of purchasing a Wedge Touch Mouse, Surface Edition, for an estimated retail price of US$69.95 in all markets in which Surface is currently sold with additional markets to follow in the coming weeks.
Powered by an Intel Core i5 processor, Surface Windows 8 Pro provides the power and performance of a laptop in a tablet package. Perfect as your one device - at home, in the office, or on the road - it can run Windows 8 applications, as well as current Windows 7 desktop applications. Starting at an estimated retail price of US$899, Surface Windows 8 Pro will be available in 64 GB and 128 GB models. A Surface pen with Palm Block technology, designed specifically to work with Surface to let customers edit, collaborate and get things done, is included with Surface Windows 8 Pro.
"The response to Surface has been exciting to see," said Panos Panay , general manager, Microsoft Surface. "We're thrilled to continue growing the Surface family with the availability of Surface Windows 8 Pro on Feb. 9 and by increasing the number of places customers can experience Surface firsthand."
Additional Surface accessories will also soon be available, allowing customers to further personalize and customize their computing experience and get more done with Surface.
● Surface Windows RT will be available in a new 64 GB standalone version for an estimated retail price of US$599 to allow customers the option of selecting a Cover of their choice.
● Three new Touch Cover Limited Editions in red, magenta and cyan will be sold at an estimated retail price of US$129.99.
● Customers will have the option of purchasing a Wedge Touch Mouse, Surface Edition, for an estimated retail price of US$69.95 in all markets in which Surface is currently sold with additional markets to follow in the coming weeks.
27 Comments on Microsoft Grows Surface Family
I look forward to this and would get one at release if I could afford it. :(
now if you said "Personal opinion: Windows 8 METRO is crap, tablets or pc..."
I would half agree with you... windows 8 is an amazing build of windows, already better than 7 IMHO and the ONLY thing that brings it down is METRO, but you can install "start8" by stardock and to be honest I never know metro is there on my desktop... for touchscreen devices though metro is actually pretty good.
I never thought I would say the above but i have and i stick by it because win8 is VERY solid and offers a good upgrade from 7.
I've always asked her why she didn't think the Surface RT would be good. Sure you can't run x86 apps on it, but how often does she actually need that? I made the mistake of telling her that the Pro would run Zoo Tycoon 1 and 2 without issues. I don't wonder anymore.
The price doesn't get along well with my penny-pincher nature, but that aside, I think the Surface Pro is actually quite good. The specs are quite good, the hardware should compliment the new OS (and vice versa).. I think it has a lot going for it.
I think the role the Surface Pro has to perform is to show people that Windows 8 isn't bad when you have the right hardware.imo, for traditional keyboard/mouse PCs, Windows 8 needs a "Windows 7 Mode". Edge swipes and corner bumps just don't work well with a mouse. I've found everything except Metro to be absolutely fantastic. I've found Windows 8 to be snappy and responsive. It just seems to have a good.. feel.
I don't quite understand Windows 8. I've been getting lost, which isn't something I'd like to admit. It's a bit love/hate.
Just bought a camera connection kit. If it doesn't work out then the Surface or Transformer prime may be my next tablet.
By the same logic, we should be comparing graphing calculators to these too.
What we learned from all these years is that M$ cannot compete with Apple products. Especially with this silly price.
Anyone can compete with apple, just be sure you make your devices triangular, or Apple will get you with the patent troll hammer.
Microsoft is marketing the shit out of Surface. YouTube ads, TV ads, Walking Dead/Talking Dead sponsored by Windows 8 and Surface, product placement in TV shows. Microsoft is finally starting to push back against Apple.
That is one thing I will always credit Apple with. How good their marketting is.
Surface Pro is in competition with OEMs who offer touch devices running Win 8. And it's not a tablet, it's a laptop in a totally different form factor. Let's call it LAPLET.
Don't be bashing on it due to not having used it on a tablet/touchscreen device.
I do agree that on normal hardware (read non-touchscreen) we should be using Win7.
this is a pc in a pad's form ... not the same product.... different market , but i know 1 thing
EVERYBODY want to have office suite on their freekin tablet ...you mean Windows XP forever and ever!! (yes my boss still use windows xp on a imac and he hates windows 7 ) lol
i have tried a samsung atom tablet with windows 8, except the problem with drivers , once all is updated its really nice , finally a product tablet sized , where i can run all of my windows software on.... no need to buy other software , and sync it to pc and all this shit...
this is going to replace a lot of low end pc at home. (and medium end)
"What the hell is it, sir?"
- "I don't friggin know, they wanted touch so there it is. It's different."
"Won't they just use the Start menu like always?"
- "Good point, Andersen. Better get rid of that menu altogether, and get rid of the option to disable that 'metro', whatever it is"
To me it reeks of schedule cutbacks... like they were designing this really good touch interface and ran out of time, and then basically had to slap it on to whatever they had to get it out the door.
Ultimately that affects the surface, which I think MS fully intended to be a 'tablet', but as people have pointed out, it really isn't... It is a slate PC with windows 8, complete with a too-long-for-a-tablet aspect ratio, and an OS that will throw you to the classic desktop every time it runs into a non metro app.