You’ve met Microsoft’s two new Surface Tablet by now, either in Scott’s write up or elsewhere on the net and are aware that there is a less expensive ARM and Tegra 3 version and a more expensive Ivy Bridge model. What you might not have known is the expected pricing, a lack that DigiTimes remedies this morning with the prediction the WinRT model will cost at least $600 and the Win8 model more than $800. Both are being assembled by Pegatron Technology but the amount being assembled is still unknown. The Surface Tablet is certainly attention grabbing but it costs significantly more than other tablets and many full notebooks, but it likely to be lower priced than either Intel or Apple’s ultraportable devices which puts it in an odd spot in the market. How many will be willing to pay that much for a multi-touch tablet with dock?
"Sources from notebook players have revealed that Microsoft’s 10.6-inch Surface tablet PCs will be outsourced to Pegatron Technology for assembly; however, there is still not a firm estimate for order volumes.
The sources also estimated the end-market price of the Windows 8 Pro-based Surface tablet PC with Ivy Bridge processor to be at least above US$799, while the Windows RT-based model, featuring Nvidia’s Tegra 3, will be priced above US$599."
Here is some more Tech News from around the web:
- The obligatory Surface blog post @ The Tech Report
- NVIDIA Responds To Linus Torvalds @ Slashdot
- Getting root on a Sony TV @ Hack a Day
- Fujitsu cracks 278-digit crypto @ The Register
- Mellanox FDR InfiniBand pushes PCI-Express 3.0 to the limits @ The Register
- Nikon D3200 Review @ TechReviewSource
- How to Convert Cassette Tapes to CDs or MP3 Files @ Hardware Secrets
Pleasantly surpriced on the
Pleasantly surpriced on the x86 one, ARM is as expected.
It doesn’t seem that odd to
It doesn’t seem that odd to me. The Win8 tablet is comparable to a MacBook air or ultabook. The arm tablet is comparable to an iPad price at $500 to $700 (surface is $600 but I don’t know the capacity or if you can expand the storage yourself.) And iPad doesn’t include a keyboard, I’m not sure I the surface does a that price.
Whether or not consumers see the price value comparison to apple products remains to be seen without that $500 entry level model (that no one should buy.)
Personally I’d get the intel surface tablet as it is a portable tablet that is a true laptop replacement so I don’t have to decide if I need to bring the laptop as a backup or if you’re someone trying l decided laptop, tablet or both… well “both” will not be necessary. With apple you really still need a computer to go with the iPad.
My next windows “laptop” may be the surface with intel.
I think you might be
I think you might be overestimating the performance of the Ivy Bridge version of Surface. Hopefully you are not but thermal and size restrictions always cost performance.
I hope microsoft does a
I hope microsoft does a better job of keeping the Intel HD graphics drivers updated on their core i5 Ivy bridge surface tablet. Many laptop OEMs never bother updating the OEM customized Intel HD graphics drivers. Also, some of the laptop OEM’s system software is just crap (Toshiba’s Value Added Package comes to mind). Microsoft I hope you do a better job keeping HD graphics drivers up to date! I have a Toshiba C655 laptop with a first generation core i3, that I bought in Dec 2010, and I am still waiting for a Intel HD graphics driver update for the toshiba Customizied HD graphics on that computer. I also own an ASUS U56E, that thankfully, has Intel genaric HD graphics drivers, so I can at least get the updates form the Intel HD graphics update website!
Ahh. OK. If its tech is not
Ahh. OK. If its tech is not better than an IPAD
Not Cheaper than an IPAD
Why bother? Who will buy?
Maybe they should rename it ZUNE PAD
Dead before released. Oh well
The Surface has vastly
The Surface has vastly superior hardware over the iPad. It’s like comparing a child’s toy to an actual computer.