I went to my neighborhood MS store opening week and checked one out. I can say after seeing their price point and having hands-on experience with the device - this is no surprise. It is too expensive for what it is. The "Pro" version with full Windows on it will of course be better in every way, but I imagine it will be similarly unrealistically priced. I imagine the Pro model with the Touchcover and protection plan and all that will probably hit the wallet close to $1k USD. :X

Priced too high by at least 30% imo. At the current price you could buy a decent tablet and a netbook and have the better experience of both.

Pro version sounds great, but for me the current versions are expensive so that is not an option, unfortunately. BTW, this part is twice in that article

After the CEO said he expected Windows Phone 8 volumes to “ramp up quickly” Steve Ballmer told Le Parisien that Surface sales have been off to a “modest” start, without further specifics. However, Steve Ballmer took this opportunity to talk about a “higher-end” version of the product (Surface Pro running Windows 8) packing a higher-resolution screen and powered by a new Intel processor.

Priced too high by at least 30% imo. At the current price you could buy a decent tablet and a netbook and have the better experience of both.

No, you couldn't. Maybe used tablets and netbooks? Or a 7 inch tablet, and a horrible netbook? But not a decent version. Anyway, the entire concept of this thing is that you don't HAVE to buy two different things. The idea is that it is a tablet that you can set up and do work on much, much more easily than Apple/Android is capable of. Most USB devices work, when plugged into a surface tablet. You can't say the same for any other current tablet, if you can even plug anything into them at all. Many printer drivers are included with surface RT. Most people on other platforms wouldn't even know how to print from them, nevermind compatibility. Combine those features with built in office and an option keyboard cover (which has pretty decent reviews) and you've got a solution to a problem quite a few people, especially in the business world, have had for a while. Anyway, the tablet has been, for a while now, cannibalizing most of the netbook market, while dropping some of the functionality netbook users enjoyed. Surface RT aims to essentially completely bring together the two, with all the functionality of both.

I'd rather buy an iPad. OMFG did I really just say that? 🤓

No, you couldn't. Maybe used tablets and netbooks? Or a 7 inch tablet, and a horrible netbook? But not a decent version. Anyway, the entire concept of this thing is that you don't HAVE to buy two different things. The idea is that it is a tablet that you can set up and do work on much, much more easily than Apple/Android is capable of. Most USB devices work, when plugged into a surface tablet. You can't say the same for any other current tablet, if you can even plug anything into them at all. Many printer drivers are included with surface RT. Most people on other platforms wouldn't even know how to print from them, nevermind compatibility. Combine those features with built in office and an option keyboard cover (which has pretty decent reviews) and you've got a solution to a problem quite a few people, especially in the business world, have had for a while. Anyway, the tablet has been, for a while now, cannibalizing most of the netbook market, while dropping some of the functionality netbook users enjoyed. Surface RT aims to essentially completely bring together the two, with all the functionality of both.

I definitely agree that the Pro version will be a stellar product, which is a lot coming from me as I feel tablets are mostly useless. Regardless, I believe they are going to price it far too high for what I feel it's going to be worth. If it's going to be roughly $1,000 (maybe more?) for the the higher end model with the keyboard and all, I may as well just buy an 11" Ultrabook touch that is roughly the same size but is more powerful and has more functionality and storage space.

I'd rather buy an iPad. OMFG did I really just say that? 🤓

I know you meant it as a joke, but considering these feeble attempts at tablets, my admiration for the iPad has increased. It truly is a well rounded tablet. Very well designed, excellent software backup, and great hardware (in context of its use). I absolutely adore the size of the iPad Mini, if it had a retina display then I would've picked one up immediately. Next year though 😀 I prefer this size because 7" tabs are too small for movie watching but ideal for reading and 10" tabs are too big for just reading. 7.9 is a very good balance of the two ends. Anyway, all we can say for sure is that, netbooks are dead and ultrabooks need to up their game. I am enjoying the industry progress, so different from what it was just 2 years ago.

They should try making a tablet instead of those transformers.

Any word if root access has been gained? I know these tabs have only been out a few days but I figured i'd ask anyways.

I agree that it’s the pricing that has put people off, Surface might be far better than any tablet for working on, but the majority of the home market would rather buy an iPad. At the price it’s at currently, I can’t see enough people willing to take a risk that it will make much of a dent in the sales of iPads and Android tablets.

I agree that it’s the pricing that has put people off, Surface might be far better than any tablet for working on, but the majority of the home market would rather buy an iPad. At the price it’s at currently, I can’t see enough people willing to take a risk that it will make much of a dent in the sales of iPads and Android tablets.

I would agree that most people would prefer an iPad to a Surface currently. But that's not an issue of specs, or hardware, or real appeal, it's just an issue of marketing. While a price drop would certainly speed the process, I think that Surface sales will be steady as more and more people have windows 8. I think it will be a relatively easy sell when you can show someone a tablet that works just like their desktop does.

Awful device. Just awful. Who is this for again? kids who like being beaten up at school? business execs who think they're 'cool', even though they are overweight, creepy and fugly? Sorry; but the world has got more than enough tablets, mini-tablets, smartphones, netbooks, notebooks, laptops, ultrabooks etc out there on the market for this PoS to be successful. Microsoft has got problems, not that should be news to anyone, but seriously; how many people did it take to determine this was a good idea? What's next? Tiles for the xbox 720? pullout k/b + ms for the xbox 720? Swear to heavens that next year Apple is gonna release a games console - callin' it first. If they did - bye bye MS for the consumer market. iPlay, perhaps?

"Modest", is it? Mr. Ballsmer forgot to mention just one tiny little thing (possibly because in his upper society, inhabited with MistraKnowItAll human type that thing doesn't matter): The price tag is anything but modest... Surely, Modest Mussorgsky would rather buy a modest upright piano for that kind of money...