There’s been a lot of buzz around the new tablets that Microsoft is about to release. The Surface RT and Surface Pro are lightweight, slick, and have a built in keyboard cover that allows you to turn your tablet into a netbook. In the past there have been several tablet models that have an optional keyboard dock but the dock usually adds a pound of weight and much more bulk. This new concept has intrigued a lot of consumers who want a tablet that can also be used for productivity. One thing that might really hurt the market for these tablets is the price.
Microsoft announced today the option to pre order Surface RT which runs the light weight mobile version of windows (windows desktop apps won’t run on RT). Here is the pricing breakdown:
Surface RT 32gb with no keyboard cover: $499
Surface RT 32gb with keyboard cover: $599
Surface RT 64gb with keyboard cover: $699
If there’s anything that will hurt Surface it’s the pricing. RT with no keyboard can be compared to a simple android tablet which you can pick up for $299. The fact that RT will run office doesn’t make up for the $200 price difference. Plus there are many more android apps than RT metro apps. I had great hopes that Microsoft would be able to nudge there way into the tablet market with the Surface. After seeing the initial price of RT it looks like it may be a slow process.