Microsoft Announces Surface Windows 8 Pro Availability

Today Microsoft announced the availability of their Surface Windows 8 Pro (Really? This is the best name a $68 billion company can think of?). This will be the upgraded version of their Surface with Windows RT with the difference mainly being the ability to install third-party applications on the Pro version. If you’ve been dying to get your hands on this version, your wait is almost over. You will be able to purchase one starting Feb 9 at all the Microsoft stores, their online store, Staples, Best Buy and a number of locations in Canada.

The Surface Windows 8 Pro is powered by an Intel Core i5 processor, comes in 64GB and 128GB versions and a Surface Pen, which is basically a fancy stylus. If you’re looking to get the entry level version of the Pro, be ready to fork over $899 (without the keyboard cover). The Surface Touch Covers go for $119 by the way so you’re looking at around $1,100 for the whole package. In addition to the availability of the Pro, the RT will be available in 13 new markets with a new standalone 64GB version available without the Cover for $599. Mark your calendars and empty your savings account, Microsoft is ready to double theirs come Feb 9th.

Samsung Isn't Bothering With Windows 8 Tablets

 

You may have seen reports on how underwhelming the Windows RT tablet has done on the market as of late. However, as of CES 2013, the Windows Surface Pro is on its way and may be what consumers are looking for, if their wallet is deep enough. Alongside Windows are other companies looking to make Windows 8 tablets, but as for Samsung, they've decided to not join in the fight. 

Mike Abary, Samsung's senior vice president has given Windows 8 the cold shoulder as far as tablets go. He says that Windows 8 doesn't interest enough US consumers, leaving not much demand for them. 

With his interview with CNET, he states: 

There wasn’t really a very clear positioning of what Windows RT meant in the marketplace, what it stood for relative to Windows 8, that was being done in an effective manner to the consumer. When we did some tests and studies on how we could go to market with a Windows RT device, we determined there was a lot of heavy lifting we still needed to do to educate the customer on what Windows RT was. And that heavy lifting was going to require pretty heavy investment. When we added those two things up, the investments necessary to educate the consumer on the difference between RT and Windows 8, plus the modest feedback that we got regarding how successful could this be at retail from our retail partners, we decided maybe we ought to wait.