Microsoft’s 256GB Surface Pro tablet is coming to America, where it looks like it’ll be available soon for $1200.
Right now you can only pick up Microsoft’s Windows 8 tablet in 64GB or 128GB flavors for $899 and up in the US, but WP Central spotted a listing at CDW that suggests the new 256GB model will be available soon for $1199.99.
This isn’t the first time we’ve seen Microsoft’s tablet sporting a 256GB solid state drive. It showed up in Japan in May.
Since Microsoft positions the Surface Pro as a full-fledged PC, it’s nice to get a model with a fairly roomy SSD. If you treat a tablet as a secondary device that you use along with a laptop or desktop, a 64GB drive might make sense. But if you plan to store a large number of documents, apps, games, music, it’s nice to have a little more space.
Like other Surface Pro models, the new 256GB model features a 10.6 inch, 1920 x 1080 pixel display, an Intel Core i5-3317U Ivy Bridge processor with Intel HD 4000 graphics, WiFi, Bluetooth, and 4GB of RAM.
It has a capacitive touchscreen and an active digitizer, which means you can interact with the device using your fingertips or a pressure-sensitive digital pen that lets you write, draw, tap, or hover, among other things. You can also pick up an optional Touch Cover or Type Cover if you’re a fan of that old-fashioned typing action.
The Surface Pro isn’t exactly the cheapest tablet on the market these days, but it’s one of the most powerful — especially if you want access to full-fledged Windows apps rather than mobile apps designed for iOS or Android devices.
via The Verge
I’m still trying to figure out why I would want a tablet for $1,200.00 when I can buy a Ultrabook or a MacBook Air for the same money (or less). You have to add a Type or Touch Cover (which seems to almost be required…) which increases the price beyond that. It’s an interesting product, but I don’t really see the market for it…
A lot of the other tablets are getting smaller (and less expensive) so I don’t see a great deal of opportunity for the Surface Pro to grab market share from them…
The smaller and cheaper tablets are also less powerful. Pro tablets charge a premium for cramming higher end specs into a smaller device.
Whether the trade off is worth it depends on the user.
Agreed. This tablet allows for much more freedom when dealing with software. Many people pay way too much for the iPad, and it does much less than the surface. 1200 may be a bit too much, but when you consider the fact of how much you can expand the capabilities further than that already stocked into the device, 1200 isn’t too far off.
The active digitizer puts the Surface Pro into a different category of device. It can be used for drawing all sorts of digital art, with no other hardware needed. The people over at Penny Arcade have even used it to draw a few of their comics. I agree that it’s still a bit more than I’d want to spend, and a little on the small side for drawing, but it’s not quite directly comparable to an Ultrabook or the Air.
A 10″ device is way too expensive for $1200.
It simply cannot provide the utility to match this price.