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A Swedish website has a price listed for Windows Surface, and it isn’t pretty. But is it real? And if so, does it mean Surface is destined to be dead on arrival?
Microsoft unveiled Surface, its new company-branded Windows 8 tablet, at a swanky press event last month. Unfortunately, despite the almost-Apple levels of hyperbole and class, Microsoft failed to mention the price point at which either the Surface Pro or Surface RT versions would launch at. Which has left the door open for speculation.
Surface is actually a very good looking product, being a slimline, fashionable slate accompanied by a funky keyboard cover that, if it works, could prove to be a gamechanger. On top of all that Surface will be running Windows 8, which will bring the full Windows experience to tablets in a way we have never seen before. This, therefore, could be a real challenger to the iPad’s dominance in the tablet market.
There is one caveat: the price has to be right. If the entry-level Surface isn’t priced at around the same level as the iPad then it will struggle to gain any mainstream traction. The lower Microsoft goes the better, but $499 is the absolute maximum for the RT edition.
According to a Webhallen.com (and first spotted by WPCentral) Surface 6990 kr and 14990 kr. That lower figure translates literally into US$1,004, which is double the amount analysts are suggesting Microsoft needs to hit to make Surface a success. Hardware prices in Europe tend to be higher than in the U.S. but I cannot see Microsoft being able to halve the price.
Microsoft hasn’t yet commented on these quoted prices, but it needs to if it wants to stop bad press from killing interest before the product even makes it out the door. It’s time to decide on a price, tell the press and public what that price is, and then stick to it.
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