Microsoft Surface heading to the UK

Mmm. Overpriced much?

£450?

A Raspberry Pi is £30. Add an £80 15" screen and a keyboard and mouse and you've spent less than £200. I could probably run the ARM version of Win8 on it (if I was desperate).

Clearly following Apple's "charge as much as we can get away with" pricing policy.

If people want to blow big cash, they'll buy a real iPad, otherwise they'll get more hardware for the money elsewhere.

By cheysuli on 16 Oct 2012

buy a real ipad?

Sanctimonious guff.
No thanks I'd rather have something that clearly ISN'T trying to ape apple's offering.

By nickallison on 16 Oct 2012

Overpriced??

Reading from the article:

32Gb Surface without Touch cover - $499

32Gb iPad (again, no keyboard) - $599

And lets not forget, Windows RT is a more fully featured OS than iOS. So please enlighten me on how this is overpriced??

And as for the Raspberry Pi comparison - that doesn't make a tablet....it makes a rather underpowered and cheap desktop. You also won't be able to buy a copy of Windows RT as it'll be RTM only.

By everton2004 on 16 Oct 2012

Just pre-ordered

Great price for what I hope to be a great product. If all I've seen pans out then the build quality and capability of this device puts it out in front for premium tablets.

By onegin101 on 16 Oct 2012

Don't think that a Windows RT tablet is compelling at that price point.

I'll be upgrading my 11 inch laptop to Windows 8 Pro on 26th and wait till the new year for the fully functional Surface Pro.

By zedbilly on 16 Oct 2012

Don't think that a Windows RT tablet is compelling at that price point.

I'll be upgrading my 11 inch laptop to Windows 8 Pro on 26th and wait till the new year for the fully functional Surface Pro.

By zedbilly on 16 Oct 2012

Don't think that a Windows RT tablet is compelling at that price point.

I'll be upgrading my 11 inch laptop to Windows 8 Pro on 26th and wait till the new year for the fully functional Surface Pro.

By zedbilly on 16 Oct 2012

Don't think that a Windows RT tablet is compelling at that price point.

I'll be upgrading my 11 inch laptop to Windows 8 Pro on 26th and wait till the new year for the fully functional Surface Pro.

By zedbilly on 16 Oct 2012

Don't think that a Windows RT tablet is compelling at that price point.

I'll be upgrading my 11 inch laptop to Windows 8 Pro on 26th and wait till the new year for the fully functional Surface Pro.

By zedbilly on 16 Oct 2012

Silly tech exchange rate again

If they'd really converted the $ to £ properly it would be just over £300 for the cheapest which would be very temping.

I guess at least they made an effort which is beeter than some companies.

Ho hum.

By Grunthos on 16 Oct 2012

Grunthos, don't forget tax!

Remembering that american prices are before sales tax, $499 converts (at a rate of $1.576 from fairfx.com) to £316.62.
Add 20% VAT - you get £379, add on £30ish import duty and you have £410 so the US to UK conversion is on point.

By TheBigM72 on 16 Oct 2012

@zedbilly

I think everyone is wondering if you think that a Windows RT tablet is compelling at that price point. Would you mind telling us? :-)

By sihaz2 on 16 Oct 2012

just remember

RT will not run old windows programs.

By gfmoore on 16 Oct 2012

the slow death of once great microsoft is painful to watch.

these tablets needed to undercut the ipad starting price i.e. less than 399. a 16gb offering at 299 would have stood a chance... but this... nope.

By deaglecat on 16 Oct 2012

whoa... it is even worse !

I just realised it only has a 1366x768 screen; so it is not even an ipad 3 competitor.

wow this thing must be really special to justify effective price parity with the mighty Apple.

By deaglecat on 16 Oct 2012

Way too expensive!

This is new software which is unproven in the tablet space, so pricing is higher than the current market leader is crazy, and especially if the rumours of an iPad Mini with a lower price point are true.

Android only has market share because of the low cost devices.

I like the look of the Surface and I'd use it if someone gave me one. But I wouldn't buy one

By Chatan on 16 Oct 2012

Corporate Focus

All Microsoft need to do is be in the same price range as Apple to give corporate IT departments an excuse not to buy iPads.

By milliganp on 16 Oct 2012

Not So Corporate

@milliganp The Windows RT version is hardly likely to gain favour with the corporate IT crowd as it cannot be managed via Active Directory.

For device management that fits in to the tools that large IT shops already use you need to buy the Surface Pro. This is a mistake IMHO as it makes the RT version just as unappealing to corporate IT as an iPad, so ther're likely to leave end users to choose.

By uksmiler on 17 Oct 2012

@TheBigM72

Thanks for pointing that out. Would seem to be a fair price then.

(I should know better than to just stick the price into a currancy calculator and proceed to get cross!)

By Grunthos on 17 Oct 2012

oops MS - overpriced

WTF they said competitive priceing, this is a joke! I have supported and loved MS for years even though its been the wrong side to be on as far as popularity and this is how they again try to chocke themselves? its like they want to fail. I was so looking forward to this but not now! if they included the cover in the price fair play but an extra £80 on top of an already top end of the price scale tablet is a joke. This is why I hate apple and now MS is doing the same booo

By lumpaywk on 17 Oct 2012

Looks nice Fair price

I dont get some comments its the same price as an ipad if you look at what you get. £399 without cover The £479 is including cover and keyboard has bigger screen and as for retina who cares!. As for the pro pricing its a small computer not a restricted tablet like the ipad so you pay for that. As for the Pi comment if thats what you want to use go ahead save £200 but really????

By Zeldam on 17 Oct 2012

Looks perfectly reasonable...

I can't see why MS should charge less than Apple The 32Gb Surface is marginally 'cheaper' than the base iPad, but that's a detail.

The gadget itself is not an iPad clone, but manages to look pretty good - arguably better than iPad. Of course the much-hyped 'Retina' display is absent, which will be a serious problem for those who hold their tablets within an inch of their face.....

Personally I'm undecided. I work in IT. The RT looks good for home slobbing duties (like an iPad) but I'm quite keen to have access to 'real' Windows as well, as this would be useful for more serious stuff..... Of course that is probably delusional on my part and so I really can't decide, yet....

By wittgenfrog on 17 Oct 2012

I'd rather buy a Raspberry Pi Model B....

At least then, (for the Raspberry Pi computer itself at least), I will be helping to support British manufacturing!

By formula_86 on 17 Oct 2012

for the never happy

New software...unproven... Hmm I remember clearly those words being spoken about Apple's fancy Dan touch screen phone thingy, oh and the big version of the same, a couple of years later...

Meanwhile.
Ponder this.
Microsoft, unlike Apple, are happy to let anyone make a tablet with their OS on it (for a fee, yes) so competition will bring prices down.
Microsoft, unlike Google, aren't going to wait in exasperation for someone to release a top end device with their OS on it, to show what they expect. No, they are doing it from the off. Now it's up to Samsung, Asus, Acer, Dell, HTC, Nokia, etc to step up to the plate and go either Hero or Budget, or Both.

And finally. From the horses mouth, answers to all them other niggling design decisions that seem to be peeing a few of you off..

http://www.wpcentral.com/microsoft-fills-some-deta
ils-surface-rt-during-reddit-iama

By nickallison on 17 Oct 2012

@formula_86

That's all well and good but I'd rather carry a tablet on a train than the Pi.

Do you post this in every Tablet article?

By rhythm on 17 Oct 2012

Once again

This has MS Office which means that it's instantly more productive than an iPad

By rhythm on 17 Oct 2012

rasberry pi... on a train

No, must not do off topic jokes about buffet cars....

By nickallison on 17 Oct 2012

@original Raspberry Pi comment

I think this has been taken the wrong way by most of us. I know, I did at first.
I think that what cheysuli was trying to get at was that the "harware requirements" could be bought for that kind of money. Not the "user experience".
And on this, they may be right. But I think that this says a lot more positives about what MS has achieved with W8 RT than whether the Surface Hardware is overpriced. Surely, the extra cost is towards bringing the "user experience"?

By nickallison on 17 Oct 2012

@uksmiler

The only manageability on the iPad is EAS policy enforcement.
The Surface Pro has full manageability through AD domain join.
The Surface RT is somewhere in between the two as it will be coming with a new management infrastructure for enterprises to manage RT devices.

Given many corporates are already choosing iPads, something that has more manageability should be appealing to corporates even if it isn't full AD.

By TheBigM72 on 17 Oct 2012

initially disappointing

I too was expecting a bargain but looks like they've just undercut Apple. It won't stop the fanbois fawning over Jobs' offspring but everyone else will finally have a decent high end alternative.

It'll come down to taste for most people, but for the corporates it'll be a question of reliability and compatibility and price. I suspect Microsoft as usual will rely on its base and the rest eventually will follow.

As usual, Apple wins the war for the attention of dreamers and artists, Microsoft wins the war for the attention of the sensible. Nothing ever changes

By baldmosher on 18 Oct 2012

Oh Dear

It's too expensive for a tablet cum keyboard. I'd sooner have a proper laptop anyway, like the Macbook

By Johnty30 on 18 Oct 2012

Surface here we come

This product addresses all the factors that put me off buying an iPad or one of the current Android tablets. The design seems really innovative and exciting, and nothing like current products when you look into the details. The integrated kick stand and megnetic keyboard/cover look gorgeous, for example. More competition in this sector is really good for the PC market, and it's great for the US economy to have two innovative companies slogging it out to out-do one another.

By stefani on 18 Oct 2012

Bad Timing

Well the price is finally out and IMHO it's just bad timing. If the worldwide economy wasn't in such a bad state, then the surface RT might have stood a chance but in the current financial climate I think that MS has overpriced it. I would br more tempted by the Pro, but having just parted with a grand on an ultrabook (well actually last year) I know that the wife just will not wear it. I do need an improvement over my Kindle Fire bought in the US last year but the lack of Outlook (or a decent email client of any description) on the RT is a killer blow for me. Now if someone were to produce an email client with the flexibility of Outlook for Windows RT - that would be a deal maker - especially as I'm on vacation in the States in November!

By sinclairhouse on 18 Oct 2012

Bad Timing

Well the price is finally out and IMHO it's just bad timing. If the worldwide economy wasn't in such a bad state, then the surface RT might have stood a chance but in the current financial climate I think that MS has overpriced it. I would br more tempted by the Pro, but having just parted with a grand on an ultrabook (well actually last year) I know that the wife just will not wear it. I do need an improvement over my Kindle Fire bought in the US last year but the lack of Outlook (or a decent email client of any description) on the RT is a killer blow for me. Now if someone were to produce an email client with the flexibility of Outlook for Windows RT - that would be a deal maker - especially as I'm on vacation in the States in November!

By sinclairhouse on 18 Oct 2012

Bad Timing

Well the price is finally out and IMHO it's just bad timing. If the worldwide economy wasn't in such a bad state, then the surface RT might have stood a chance but in the current financial climate I think that MS has overpriced it. I would br more tempted by the Pro, but having just parted with a grand on an ultrabook (well actually last year) I know that the wife just will not wear it. I do need an improvement over my Kindle Fire bought in the US last year but the lack of Outlook (or a decent email client of any description) on the RT is a killer blow for me. Now if someone were to produce an email client with the flexibility of Outlook for Windows RT - that would be a deal maker - especially as I'm on vacation in the States in November!

By sinclairhouse on 18 Oct 2012

@johnty

Wow.. You let us know where you're getting your MacBook from, for £549! Even I might be tempted to go apple at that money. No, actually I wouldn't if they were giving them away at Macdonalds. But, just like your comment, that's irrelevant.

By nickallison on 18 Oct 2012

PC Pro Podcast

Just been listening to the podcast & have to say you guys have been a little bit unfair on the Surface/ ipad comparison.

From what I can see, the MS Surface (with basic keyboard) will cost £479. The 32GB version of the ipad will cost £479.

So if you are comparing like for like models (i.e. 32GB versions) the two devices are exactly the same price - except that the Surface comes with a keyboard - exactly what some of you were saying the Surface should come with!

Add in the bundled Office & the Surface is starting to look much better value.

I'm also pretty sure that some of you have said that 16GB on the new ipad is not enough storage capacity....

Sorry to be pedantic, but needs to be put out there.

By bronven on 18 Oct 2012

@bronven

You think that they can be harsh with Surface!
You should have heard the out right drubbing "windows phone phone phones" used to get, to such mirth..

By nickallison on 18 Oct 2012

Overpriced - LOL!

@Johnty30

You claim Surface is "overpriced" when in fact you're using an Apple product? haha.

By Shawntj on 10 Nov 2012