Hasta La Gadget!

Microsoft today announced the official details on availability and pricing for their hotly-anticipated Surface tablet. The first model available is the Surface RT, which runs Windows RT, and will initially ship in three configurations.

The 1.5 pound Surface RT tablet comes with a large 10.6″ ClearType HD screen at a 1366×768 resolution, offering 5-point multitouch input. Under the hood is a speedy NVIDIA T30 CPU, with 2GB of RAM. Connectivity is provided via 802.11a/b/g/n Wi-Fi (with dual MIMO antennas) and Bluetooth 4.0. It’s got a pair of 720p cameras (front and rear-facing), as well as dual microphones, and stereo speakers. Ports include USB 2.0. a microSDXC card reader, a headphone jack and an HD video output port. Hardware also includes the requisite ambient light sensor, accelerometer, gyroscope and compass.

All that’s all loaded into a sexy and durable VaporMG case in dark titanium color, and a built-in kickstand. The OS that comes installed is Windows RT, and it comes pre-loaded with plenty of useful apps, including Mail, Messaging, Word, Power Point, Excel, OneNote, Internet Explorer 10, and apps for media playback, including Xbox Music, Xbox Video, and Xbox Games. Keep in mind that the Office 2013 apps are still a Preview edition, but you’ll be able to download the final Office Home & Student edition down the road. Also, you should know that the big limitation to Windows RT is that you can ONLY install apps downloaded from the Windows Store. If you want to run all your existing Windows desktop apps, you’ll want to wait for the more powerful and expensive (and heavier) Windows 8 Pro Surface, due out “soon”.

The Surface with Windows RT is available in limited quantities for pre-order starting today over at the Microsoft Store, and is priced at $499(USD) for the 32GB version, $599 for a 32GB version with a black Touch Cover keyboard, and $599 for the 64GB version, also with a black Touch Cover. Optional Touch Covers are available in black, white, magenta, cyan or red for $119.99, as well as a $129.99 black version with moving keys for a more tactile feel.

The first Surface RT tablets are expected to start arriving in homes as early as October 26th, and will be available at all U.S. and Canada Microsoft Stores starting on that date as well. Online sales will be available at the same time in Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, and the United Kingdom.

Surface, the sorta-tablet-sorta-laptop that shouts the future, goes on sale today. We got to peek (and touch, a little bit!) behind the scenes, with access to Microsoft’s secret labs never granted to anyone else before. So, should you buy a Surface? Very possibly—the thing seems pretty fantastic. More »

Just how confident is Microsoft that its Surface tablets will take off? To the tune of 3 to 5 million units shipped in the fall alone, according to the Wall Street Journal‘s supplier contacts. While that wouldn’t be much when Apple already ships more than three times as many iPads, even discounting the supposed 10 million tiny iPads coming this fall, it would represent a strong start for a company that’s only just dipping its toes into own-brand computing. Microsoft isn’t confirming any numbers at this stage, but the large production volume might explain that Busby Berkeley-style TV ad — you’d want a full song and dance routine if you had that many Surfaces to sell.

Filed under: Tablets, Microsoft

Microsoft reportedly building up to 5 million Surface tablets for the fall originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 16 Oct 2012 10:13:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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It’s been since pulled, but a listing on the Microsoft Store earlier this morning showed that Surface RT, the company’s self-made, keyboard-covered Windows RT tablet, will be available for preorder today, starting at $500 for a 32GB model. That price seems right to make a major impact. More »

Microsoft today detailed pricing for its Surface tablets, at least those running the scaled down RT version of its upcoming Windows 8 operating system designed for use on low-power processors. The Surface starts at $499 for an entry-level 32GB version without the Touch Cover with integrated touch-sensitive keyboard, while one with the cover runs $599. At the top of the line, a 64GB version with the touch cover included costs $699.

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.

Earlier, the WSJ reported that Microsoft anticipated selling as many as 3 to 5 million of these tablets in Q4, which is ambitious, but at least they’re not overpriced for the category. It’s worth noting that in Microsoft’s own words, “Surface with Windows RT works exclusively with apps from the Windows Store,” meaning it’ll be like the iPad in more ways than form factor similarity. We’ll have to see whether users think there’s as much value there in Microsoft’s untested tablet as there is in Apple’s established lineup.

Update: The link appears to be broken now, with Microsoft perhaps lifting the curtain too soon. Below is a screenshot of how the site appeared this morning:

Update 2: The Surface link to the store above should be back up and running now. Also, be sure to check out the first official Surface ad, as well as a look behind the scenes at the Surface department in charge of Microsoft’s new hardware at its Redmond HQ.