Availability
The Surface RT launched with the general availability release of Windows 8 on October 26, 2012. The Surface Pro became available on February 9. The Surface was initially available only in Microsoft Stores and online, it was later expanded into other vendors, such as Best Buy and Staples.
At the June 2012 unveiling event, Steven Sinofsky, President of the Windows and Windows Live Division, stated that pricing for the Surface RT "will be comparable to other ARM devices" and pricing for the Surface Pro "will be comparable to current ultrabooks." In a recent interview with the Seattle Times, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer responded to the question about Surface pricing stating that the "sweet spot" for the bulk of the PC market was $300 to $800, but did not detail any more specifics.
On October 16, pricing was revealed for the Surface RT, and pre-orders opened to ship, "for delivery by 10/26". Prices were announced as follows:
- Surface with Windows RT, 32 GB (no keyboard cover): $499/£399
- Surface with Windows RT, 32 GB with Black Touch Cover: $599/£479
- Surface with Windows RT, 64 GB with Black Touch Cover: $699/£559
- Surface Touch Cover (white, red, black, cyan, or pink): $119/£99.99
- Surface Type Cover: $129/£109.99
Microsoft outsourced the pre-order process to several different partners, leading to customer confusion about the status of their deliveries. Microsoft has responded to the delays by offering vouchers to pre-order customers who complain about the late deliveries. Microsoft will launch Surface in India in early January and its prices will be revealed at the time of launch only.
In November 2012, Steve Ballmer described the distribution approach to Surface as "modest".
On November 29, pricing was revealed for the Surface Pro, with the tablet going on sale February 9, 2013, in the United States and Canada. Earlier reports were saying sometime in January. Prices were announced as follows:
- Surface Pro with Windows 8 Pro, 64 GB (no keyboard cover): $899
- Surface Pro with Windows 8 Pro, 128 GB (no keyboard cover): $999
The 8 February 2013 launch event for the Surface Pro was canceled at the last minute due to the February 2013 nor'easter.
Read more about this topic: Microsoft Surface
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