When you see the click-friendly headline of "The Most 15 Overpriced Gadgets of All Time", you know the story will be filled with such notables as the Apple Lisa that cost $10,000 or the Nokia Booklet, but the Surface?
Here"s the deal: Laptop Magazine constructed an article that highlights some of the most overpriced gadgets since the beginning of time. One of the items to make the list is Microsoft"s Surface with Windows RT. Now, we"re not ones to defend Microsoft at every turn, but to call the Surface one of the most overpriced gadgets of all time (of all time!), is a bit hard to swallow.
First off, the author compares the $499 price of the 16GB iPad to the 32 GB version of the Surface, both of which cost $499. While we know the issue of the OS taking up a substantial portion of the available storage is a relevant argument, it still does not offer a level straight comparison. At this point, it would be a better argument to say that the 32GB Surface and the 32GB iPad are a better comparison, in this situation, the iPad costs $100 more than the Surface.
The author then goes on to attack the price of the Touch/Type cover:
However, you may want the Surface because of its heavily-advertised Touch Cover keyboard, a must-have accessory that will set you back an extra $119, even though it costs Microsoft only $16 to manufacture. That’s $619 for a new, unproven tablet that trails the $499 market leader in most ways.
Microsoft does heavily promote the Touch/Type cover as an essential accessory but if you are planning on purchasing the accessory when you buy the device, a bundle package is offered that makes the Surface+cover total $599. If you were paying attention earlier, $599 is the same price as the 32GB iPad which makes the playing field level.
In addition, Windows RT comes with Office installed; apparently the author doesn"t think adds any value to the device.
So, is the Surface one of the 15 most overpriced gadgets in the history of the modern era? Doubtful. We could argue that if the price is lower, it would move more units (obvious statement), but to call out the device as being egregiously overpriced is a statement designed for click-baiting.
Source: Laptop Magazine