Thought you might miss out on Microsoft’s Surface price cuts because they’re expiring? Nope, that’s not the case at all. According to ZDNet’s Mary Jo Foley, they’re permanent, indicating a new wave of Surface devices in the works. With Windows 8.1 launching in mid-October, it’s a safe bet that month will also include new hardware announcements.
In the meantime, consumers can save $ 100 on either a Microsoft Surface Pro tablet — $ 799 to start — or a Surface RT tablet, the base model now priced at $ 349. And as reported earlier this week, Microsoft is dropping the price of its Touch Cover for both devices. Going forward, the snap-on keyboard will cost $ 79.99. Microsoft is also dropping the price of its Surface RT bundle, which includes a keyboard, to $ 399.
Microsoft’s hardware partners aren’t sitting still either. I noticed, for example, that the Asus VivoTab Smart can be had online for $ 399. That’s a full Windows 8 tablet running on Intel’s Atom processor and includes 64 GB of internal storage. I’d actually consider it over the same priced Surface RT bundle even though Asus doesn’t include a keyboard at that cost. Battery life is similar between the two but the Asus model can run nearly any Windows software.
Regardless of my personal preferences, if you want to take a Windows tablet for a spin and save some cash, now’s not a bad time. Just realize that newer models are likely around the corner.
Related research and analysis from GigaOM Pro:
Subscriber content. Sign up for a free trial.
- What to expect for the mobile OS market in 2013
- Where new opportunity lies in the mobile operating system space
- Sector RoadMap: Social customer service in 2013