Microsoft: cheaper Surface tablets coming —
Microsoft’s soon-to-be-released Windows 8-running Surface Pro may cost an internal organ plus a year’s servitude, but price relief — and other Surface products — sound like they’re coming soon.
“We’re working closely with chip partners and OEMs to bring the right mix of devices,” Microsoft’s chief financial officer Peter Klein said today on the company’s earnings call, adding that Microsoft is looking to “expand the product line-up,” and provide “a greater variety of devices at a bigger variety of price points.”
Surface Pro, which will be released on February 9, comes in $900 and $1,000 versions. The original Surface, which runs a stripped-down version of Windows called RT, is available in $500 and $600 models.
“We think of surface as one part of the overall Windows 8 story,” Klein said. “It highlights interesting innovation, and demonstrates tightly integrated software and hardware.”
Klein admitted that Surface has seen “limited distribution this quarter,” but said that Microsoft’s “goal is to expand that,” and is looking “forward to continuing the growth of that business.” Unfortunately, Microsoft did not break out any details on Surface sales in its earning release or the following conference call for analysts, preferring to speak in generalities.”
But analyst estimates of Surface sales for the holiday quarter have been in the 600,000 to 1,000,000 range … or about three percent of Apple’s sales of iPads.
In other words, the company desperately needs more models and better price points: A Surface Pro will cost more than a MacBook Pro, and double what many Windows 8 laptops can be purchased for.
Klein did not, however, reveal any timing for the announcement and release of new models.
photo credit: methodshop.com via photopin cc
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