Microsoft's Surface tablet event definitely caused a buzz that was dampened a little with the Windows Phone Summit which was held two days later. In a way, Windows Phone 8 took a little wind out of Surface's sails. While the spotlight has been on Windows Phone 8, there have been a few rumors growing with regards to the Surface tablets which we'll catch up on.
The release date is still up in the air and Microsoft is sticking with the Surface RT being released with the general availability of Windows 8. The Windows 8 Pro Surface would hit store shelves about 90 days after that. Initial availability will be through Microsoft's stores and select third party retailers. Likely Amazon.com, Best Buy, etc.
Price speculation has ranged from $500 on up with the Windows 8 Pro being the higher priced of the two. At this point, pricing is anyone's guess and Liveside.net is seeing the ballpark pricing as $399/$499 (32gb/64gb versions) for the RT Surface and $799/$999 (64gb/128gb versions). We would hope the ballpark is a little smaller but $399 for a 32gb Surface isn't too bad. Is it? In fact, over at Techie-Buzz, Manan Kakkar notes that even at $599 it's a steal compared to an iPad:
Oh...there's one more rumor circulating about the Surface's release. Initially, the Surface will only support Wifi connectivity. Bloomberg is reporting that initially the tables will go on sale without a connection to mobile-phone networks. This isn't necessarily a bad thing in that a) it will allow Microsoft to keep the cost down and b) you won't have wireless carriers potentially delaying the initial release. Models with cellular connections would hit the market at some point after the initial release.
You can also read TechRadar's early "review" of the Surface. Overall, they seem to like it.
So...we leave you with two questions. What would be a competitive price for the Surface and is "Wifi only" a serious limitation or not a big deal?
Thanks, everyone, for the tips!
