Microsoft’s Surface turned out to be one of the best kept secrets in the technological world, in recent times anyway. Finally going on sale to the public on October 26th, it was well received by the community for the build quality and Windows 8’s, fully realised, touch functionality.
But only the Windows RT version of the Surface was brought to the market, with Microsoft holding back on the Windows 8 Pro versions for later in the year. While the pricing wasn’t revealed for the RT until close to launch, the Pro pricing is yet to be confirmed by Microsoft.
Now, German retailer Notebook.de has started taking pre-orders for the Pro hardware and has revealed a price; €909 ($1,161 or £726). The specs of the device have been listed as follows:
- 10.6" Full HD ClearType multitouch display (1920x1080)
- Intel Core i5 (3rd generation)
- 4GB of RAM
- 128GB Hard disk
- Intel HD 4000 Graphics (shared memory)
- Wireless LAN 802.11 a/b/g/n
- Bluetooth 4.0 (Low Energy Technology)
- HD front & back camera with TrueColor and internal microphone
- SkyDrive feature
- VaporMG housing
- Comes with stylus
- Weight: 900g
- Microsoft Windows 8 Professional
While this is probably what we’ve come to expect from the device, battery information is lacking, but it’s likely that there will be a bigger battery in the Pro to accommodate the more power hungry hardware. The site also lists a 64GB model that comes in at €809 ($1,033 or £646). It should be noted that the most expensive Surface RT on the site is listed as €689 ($880 or £559 - not a direct currency conversion), and with that you get the highest spec Surface RT (64GB storage and the Touch Cover). There are no details whether or not the Pro versions come with the Touch Cover.
Prices will vary depending on where you live, with the US/UK Surface RT high end model costing just $699/£559 compared to the $880/£551 is converts to (although the UK price is damn close).
Both devices are listed as being deliverable in three to four weeks, so official word from Microsoft on the pricing shouldn"t be far away. So, would you be prepared to pay an extra €120 for the Surface Pro, if that premium meant you got the full Windows 8 desktop experience as well as the RT experience?
Microsoft is yet to comment, but Notebook.de is still showing the specs and price at the time of writing. The official Microsoft Surface RT and Pro specs can be found here.
Source: news.softpedia.com