[Nataku4ca]

So the pricing finally came out yesterday for the Surface Pro
64GB - 899
128Gb - 999
(and if RT pricing for Canada is any indication, I'm guessing we're getting it for 919, and 1019 respectively)

On FB I keep seeing people complaining it's too expansive.. but it really isn't, i mean if you don't need full PC functionality then sure it's a little more than you need to pay, but there is RT for that... for those that need laptop replacement, but also want the mobility of a tablet this is the one that does it

RT	Pro
1366x768	1920x1080
5 point touch	10 point touch
Nvidia Tegra 3	Intel i5
2GB RAM	4GB RAM
USB2	USB3
micro HDMI	mini Display Port (this thing can drive multiple monitors btw...)
32/64	64/128
Extras---------------------------------
Office 2013	Pen Input (digitizer included)

that's like across the board upgrade, the only downside is Office 2013 is not included, but with intel you can install old version of office that you may have lying around somewhere or buy it now for 119.99 which has all the same stuff the RT version has and free upgrade(iirc) to 2013 (or just buy 2013 straight) and there is always skydrive version in a pinch

i think the reason there is no keyboard bundle is to lower the price shock and have it get near the pricing other OEMs are putting it out at when you do get the keyboard (hm... weird sentence I think you get the idea)

it's only .5lb more than the RT so it would be much lighter than the cheaper laptops you might get
this is all down to your choice and needs and from comparing all the stuff out there, this price is actually very competitive imho
i was expecting around 1099 minimum, and wishing for 899 before... and it actually ended up coming out at 899 which made me happy :)
if anyone remembers, the price range ceiling that Ballmer gave out a couple month back was 899! he kept it within range

lastly, just plug a USB/Bluetooth keyboard in if you don't want to pay that much for the touch/typecover... it's not like this thing doesn't have virtual keyboard you know...

Disclaimer: I own the RT and am not planning on buying the Pro atm because I'm broke, but my friends are now considering the Pro a lot now because of the RT I showed them (and the fact that their old laptop is dying...)

[derek533]

It's a freaking ultrabook! What more do people want anymore? It runs full W8, legacy apps, and is smaller and lighter than any other ultrabook out there with probably (we don't know yet obviously) better battery life as well and also a full Wacom digitizer. It's also built like the proverbial brick chit house. Seriously, how much cheaper should it honestly be?

People need to quit whining so much about price and look at what they're actually getting for that money. Especially when the very first mark against a cheap product is its cheap build quality. The Surface is at or above the same level as Apple's build quality and is not charging an "Apple tax" for it either.

I think more than anything, people just want an excuse to flame the evil corporate empire Microsoft.

[mlm1950]

Most comments I have read say the price is very competitive, though I must admit to not reading any comments from Facebook.

[Winning Guy]

It's really competitively priced.

I actually wish I had a need for one. Unfortunately, I can't justify spending the cash for it right now.

I want to NEED it though. Come on Microsoft, hire me to promote Surface! That way I'll need one as part of my job, right?

[brmiller1976]

Microsoft is doomed, DOOOMED! Who would want one of these when Nexus 7 is $200?!?

/sarcasm

[derek533]

microsoft is doomed, dooomed! Who would want one of these when nexus 7/kindle fire hd is $200?!?

/sarcasm

ftfy

[muddtt]

Seriously, what are people complaining about? I see some tech blogs trying to compare this to an iPad or Nexus 10. They should have their internet license taken away just for that. Of course we could all dream that this would be free, but $1000 is right in the ball park for an ultrabook. What's the big deal with this price, especially since you get the OOO-AHHH factor from people around you wanting to see it and try it.

[brmiller1976]

I have used Microsoft products for the past seventy-five years! They owe me a tablet with PC innards for under $400, even if they lose money, otherwise I am buying a ZTE Android Tablet and switching!

[Archhaddock]

I want 3 to begin with, if it goes well i order Another 23 for my coworkers

[Talderon]

This was an incredible post from a co-worker that gives some comparisons:

Price:
Microsoft Surface Pro 128GB (with touch cover) $1119
ASUS Zenbook Touch UX31A $1493
Dell XPS 12 $1199
Lenovo Thinkpad Twist $1333
Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 13 $999
HP ENVY Touchsmart 4t-1100 $799
Toshiba Satellite U925T-S2300 $1149

Processor:
MS: i5-3xxx
ASUS: i5-3317M
Dell: i5-3317M
Twist: i7-3515U
Yoga: i3-3217U
HP: i5-3217U
Tos: i3-3317U

SSD Storage:
MS: 128GB
ASUS: 256GB
Dell: 128GB
Twist: 128GB
Yoga: 128GB
HP: None (500GB hard disk)
Tos: 128GB

Display:
MS: 10.6" 1920x1080
ASUS:13.3" 1920x1080
Dell: 12.5" 1920x1080
Twist: 12.5" 1366x768
Yoga: 13.3" 1600x900
HP: 14.0" 1366x768
Tos: 12.5" 1366x768

Allowed fingers:
MS: 10
ASUS: 10
Dell: 4
Twist: 5
Yoga: ?
HP: ?
Tos: ?

Memory:
MS: 4GB
ASUS: 8GB
Dell: 4GB
Twist: 8GB
Yoga: 4GB
HP: 4GB
Tos: 4GB

Graphics:
MS: Intel HD 4000
ASUS: Intel HD 4000
Dell: Intel HD 4000
Twist: Intel HD 4000
Yoga: Intel HD 4000
HP: Intel HD 4000
Tos: Intel HD 4000

Weight:
MS: 2lbs
ASUS: 3.28lbs
Dell: 3.35lbs
Twist: 3.48lbs
Yoga: 3.3lbs
HP: 3.98lbs
Tos: 3.35lbs

Cameras:
MS: 2@720
ASUS: 1@720
Dell: 1@1024
Twist: 1@720
Yoga: 1@720
HP: 1@720
Tos: 2@720

Size:
MS: 10.81" x 6.81" x 0.53"
ASUS: 12.7" x 8.9" x 0.7"
Dell: 12.48" x 8.46" x 0.79"
Twist: 12.3" x 9.3" x 0.8""
Yoga: 13.1" x 8.9" x 0.67"
HP: 13.38" x 9.28" x 0.78"
Tos: ?

Battery:
MS: 42Whr (5 hours)
ASUS: 50Whr (8 hours)
Dell: 47Whr (8 hours)
Twist: 42.4Whr (6 hours)
Yoga: 54Whr (7 hours)
HP: ? (7 hours)
Tos: ? (5 hours)

This isn't every touchscreen laptop out there, but they're the ones that I like! Do let me know if there are other good ones out there that I should include.

Microsoft Surface: By far the lightest, if 2lbs means 2.0lbs. It is also 2" shorter and narrower than the others and a bit thinner. It only has one USB 3.0, where the other devices have two or more. It has the lowest price of those with an SSD, of those with two cameras, and of those with 1080 screens. Of these convertibles, it is the most like a tablet in form-factor. The battery life is disappointing, if true.

ASUS Zenbook: The most expensive and the best overall specifications. Even though you would pay nearly $1500, don't expect to play AAA games on this computer; it has the same integrated graphics as the others.

Dell XPS: I like how the screen folds down on the Dell, but you may have different preferences. It is the only convertible here with a 1080 front camera.

Lenovo Twist: This convertible has the best processor and otherwise very good specs. It’s cheaper than the Zenbook, but also has a lower screen resolution.

Lenovo Yoga: I think the folding back screen is a great idea, but I haven't seen it in practice. It has good battery life and middle-of-the-road everything else, but a nice price.

Toshiba Satellite: This is the only convertible I've listed that supports NFC. This device is probably most similar to the Surface and even has a similar price; it is larger, whether that is a pro or con your book.

HP Touchsmart: Easily the cheapest, in part I'm sure because it has a hard disk instead of an SSD. Do keep in mind that it has a large screen at a low resolution, so it probably does not look as good as the others. It's also the largest and heaviest. Relative to these contenders, one would criticize it as being a last-gen laptop with a touchscreen. That may be fair, but it is still $200 cheaper.

No matter if you call them ultrabooks-with-touch, convertibles, taptops, or just tablets-with-keyboards, this generation of devices has me very excited about the direction we're heading. I can't even imagine what the next generation will look like :)

[Laura Knotek]

The drawback to me is lack of peripheral ports. The Lenovo ThinkPad Twist has 2 USB 3.0 ports and an RJ45 port.

[crystal_planet]

Seriously, what are people complaining about? I see some tech blogs trying to compare this to an iPad or Nexus 10. They should have their internet license taken away just for that. Of course we could all dream that this would be free, but $1000 is right in the ball park for an ultrabook. What's the big deal with this price, especially since you get the OOO-AHHH factor from people around you wanting to see it and try it.

That sad thing about your post is that it's true. It will fail because it's more than an iPad and way more that an N7 according to them.

[crystal_planet]

The drawback to me is lack of peripheral ports. The Lenovo ThinkPad Twist has 2 USB 3.0 ports and an RJ45 port.

It's a portable device-why would it need an Ethernet connection? I haven't used mine on my laptop ever. Besides, if you really need one get a usb hub/dongle.

Problem solved.

[Laura Knotek]

It's a portable device-why would it need an Ethernet connection? I haven't used mine on my laptop ever. Besides, if you really need one get a usb hub/dongle.

Problem solved.

I've been to hotels that had terribly slow wireless networks, but the wired connection in the room was fast.

Rather than buying extra stuff to carry around, I'd rather buy something that has what I need out of the box.

[pavvento]

I think the pricing is fair, but it should come with the keyboard since it is a laptop.

[crystal_planet]

I've been to hotels that had terribly slow wireless networks, but the wired connection in the room was fast.

Rather than buying extra stuff to carry around, I'd rather buy something that has what I need out of the box.

At the end of the day, let's call a spade a spade. It's a tablet, and such is bound to be pretty minimalist in nature regardless of horsepower under the hood. To me an ethernet port goes away from a portability model.

Also, I can't see a dongle being that big - it would certainly be smaller than the cable it would connect to.

[derek533]

I don't see the big deal about it not having an ethernet port. Is this too big to throw in your bag?

TRENDnet - TU2-ET100 - Hi-Speed USB 2.0 to Fast Ethernet Adapter at TigerDirect.com

[Laura Knotek]

I don't see the big deal about it not having an ethernet port. Is this too big to throw in your bag?

TRENDnet - TU2-ET100 - Hi-Speed USB 2.0 to Fast Ethernet Adapter at TigerDirect.com

Not at all.

I've pretty much decided Surface is not for me.

I'd prefer the form factor of an Ultrabook that has a touchscreen, but that's just me.

[Robert Carpenter]

People are complaining about Storage Capacity and that it's only expandable by 64gb with microSDXC cards.

But most people forget that microSDXC technology is capable of 2TB. 64gb is simply the largest size available as of today.