For those looking to pick up the Surface RT tablet your local Costco’s (Costco.com) may be the place to look. Yup, in addition to the Microsoft Store, Best Buy and Staples, the Surface is now listed in upcoming inventory for Costco’s (see image below) including the RT’s various options for purchases.
Users will have their choice of 32GB RT tablet without Touch cover ($499), which is the norm for that SKU but the real deal comes in the “packages” where the Touch cover is included.
On the old SKUs (online and often in stores), users could only get the 32GB or 64GB Surface RT with a black Touch cover for $599/$699. If you wanted a different color, you had to buy the 32GB ($499) and a separate Touch Cover ($119), bringing the total to $618. Likewise with the 64GB (which was even worse as there was no 'bare bones” option and you had to buy a black cover).
Granted, we’ve seen people buy 64GB packages with a different color Touch Cover in a physical Microsoft Store, but for online orders, that was never possible.
Costco is stepping it up by offering just about every SKU available: 32GB Surface RTs with Red, Cyan, Black and White Touch covers for $599 or less (the Cyan and Black are $589).
Customers can also opt for the 64GB RT with any color as well (the same color discount for Cyan and Black apply here too but more so). That means a Surface RT 64GB with Cyan cover is only $679--$20 cheaper than what Microsoft is selling it for plus you get your choice of color.
And if you look closely on Costco's site, you can even find some Surface RT demo videos.
Combined with Costco’s buying power and customer reach, the Surface RT should fare well at that store. No word on if the Pro version will be heading there, though we’ll keep an eye out.
Thanks, Peter M., for the inventory screen shot!
