Microsoft accidentally leaked the price of its upcoming Surface RT tablets in the Microsoft Store. It seems Microsoft's partners will sleep on both ears as the pricing of these tablets is much higher than what was speculated this summer. The price of these ARM-based devices seems to target Apple's iPad, pricing starts at $499 for the entry-level model with 32GB flash memory, the edition with the touch-sensitive keyboard Touch Cover will cost you $599, and doubling the memory will add an extra $100.
Microsoft had originally said that its Surface pricing would be roughly in line with the competition, with the RT devices matching tablets and the regular, more powerful Windows 8 varieties coming in at prices more comparable to other notebooks and ultrabooks out there. This pricing is in line with Apple’s iPad, which starts at $499 and ranges up to $699 for the Wi-Fi-only versions. Surface will be available beginning October 26, following a kick-off event for media October 25, and Microsoft looks to be ready to open pre-orders soon. The touch cover adds $119.99 to the price of the tablet when added as an accessory, and the type cover, with hardware keys, adds $129.99.
- Software - Surface with Windows RT comes with Microsoft Office Home and Student 2013 RT Preview (2) (which includes Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Excel and OneNote)
- Exterior - 10.81 x 6.77 x 0.37 inches, 1.5 pounds, VaporMg casing, dark titanium color, volume and power buttons
- Storage - 32 GB (3); 64 GB
- CPU - NVIDIA T30, 2 GB of RAM
- Wireless - Wi-Fi (802.11a/b/g/n), Bluetooth 4.0 technology
- Cameras - Two 720p HD cameras, front- and rear-facing
- Audio - Two microphones, stereo speakers
- Ports - Full-size USB 2.0, microSDXC card slot, headset jack, HD video out port, cover port
- Sensors - Ambient light sensor, accelerometer, gyroscope, compass
- Power Supply - 24W power supply
- Warranty - One-year limited hardware warranty
- Apps (included) - Microsoft Office Home and Student 2013 RT Preview (2) (Word, PowerPoint, Excel and OneNote), Windows Mail and Windows Messaging, SkyDrive, Windows Internet Explorer 10, Bing, Xbox Music, Xbox Video, and Xbox Games
| Microsoft Surface | Apple iPad | Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pricing | $499 for 32GB w/o Touch Cover; $599 for 32GB w/ Touch Cover; $699 for 64GB w/ Touch Cover | $499 for 16GB; $599 for 32GB; $699 for 64GB | $499.99 for 16GB; $549.99 for 32GB |
| Operating system | Windows RT | Apple iOS 6 | Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich |
| Size | 10.81 inches high by 6.77 inches wide by 0.37 inch thick; 1.5 pounds | 9.5 inches high by 7.31 inches wide by 0.37 inch thick; 1.44 pounds | 10.3 inches high by 7.1 inches wide by 0.35 inch thick; 1.31 pounds |
| Display | 10.6-inch, 1,366 x 760 pixel multi-touchscreen | 9.7-inch, 2,048 x 1,536 pixel multi-touchscreen | 10.1-inch, 1,280 x 800 pixel multi-touchscreen |
| Camera | 720p HD rear- and front-facing cameras | 5-megapixel rear camera, VGA front-facing camera | 5-megapixel rear camera, 1.3-megapixel front-facing camera |
| Processor | Nvidia T30 processor | Dual-core Apple A5X processor | 1.4GHz quad-core Exynos processor |
| Expansion slot | Yes | No | Yes |
| Sensors | Accelerometer, digital compass, ambient light, gyroscope | Accelerometer, digital compass, ambient light, gyroscope | Accelerometer, digital compass, ambient light, gyroscope |
| Ports | USB 2.0, 3.5mm headphone jack, HD video out, cover port | 30-pin connector, 3.5mm headphone jack | USB 2.0, proprietary power connector, 3.5mm headphone jack, infrared port |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi (802.11a/b/g/n), Bluetooth 4.0 | Wi-Fi (802.11a/b/g/n), Bluetooth 4.0 | Wi-Fi (802.11a/b/g/n), Bluetooth 4.0 |
| Notable features | Features a “VaporMG” magnesium casing, ships with Microsoft Office Home and Student 2013 | Siri personal assistant app, retina display with IPS technology for wider viewing angles | Ships with S Pen, a pressure-sensitive stylus that can be used to take handwritten notes |
| Colors | Black | Black, white | Gray, white |
The Verge writes that Microsoft has reportedly placed orders to manufacture between 3 and 5 million Surface tablets in the fourth quarter. Mass production of Microsoft's tablet began earlier this month
