Microsoft: Surface with Windows 8 Pro Will Cost $899 With 4 Hrs Battery Life
- Staff
- November 30, 2012
Microsoft has finally revealed the price of its upcoming Surface with Windows 8 Pro. According to the company’s blog post, the price will set you back $899 for standalone version with 64GB storage and $999 for the 128GB version.
This price point is easily competitive with Apple’s iPad at with the same 64GB storage. However, a lot folks view the MacBook Air as the most likely competitor given that both devices share similar specs. The Surface with Windows 8 Pro will comes with an Intel Core i5 processor, which will run legacy Windows Applications such as Photoshop.
From Microsoft blog post:
[box]
Today, I want to share a bit more detail about the growing Surface family of products and Surface with Windows 8 Pro, specifically around pricing. In January, Surface with Windows 8 Pro will be available in two versions and pricing will start at $899:
· 64GB standalone version at $899
· 128GB standalone version at $999
Both versions will both include a Surface pen with Palm Block technology and include the ability to use a Touch Cover or Type Cover (sold separately).
Surface with Windows 8 Pro uses the same familiar elegant design principles as Surface with Windows RT including the Dark Titanium VaporMg casing, dual 2×2 MIMO antennas designed specifically for Surface and of course the kickstand.
However, it also has some differences.
On the inside, Surface with Windows 8 Pro will come with Intel’s next generation Core i5 processor. This chip will give Surface with Windows 8 Pro a graphics boost for its 10.6” 16:9 ClearType display that runs at a 1920×1080 full HD resolution. Surface with Windows 8 Pro also includes a full-size USB 3.0 port. Its Mini DisplayPort can drive an external display up to 2560X1440 resolution. And, as I mentioned above, Surface with Windows 8 Pro will support Pen input. This is an amazing feature for all you note-takers or document editors out there, especially since it has expanded capacitive and digitizing technology we’re calling Palm Block that will prevent your handwriting from getting interrupted if you accidentally place your palm on the screen as you write. This feature is pretty cool, and allows for a great inking experience alongside a great touch experience when needed.
Surface with Windows 8 Pro will run your current Windows 7 desktop applications – it’s a full PC AND a tablet.
And all this in a PC that will weigh less than two pounds and be less than 14 millimeters thick.
We are excited about both Surface with Windows RT and Surface with Windows 8 Pro.
[/box]
In other news, Engadget has reported that a tweet from the company’s official Twitter accounts revealed that the Surface with Windows 8 Pro may have half the battery life of the Surface with Windows RT.
According to the post, “Responding to an inquiry from another Twitter user, Microsoft’s official Surface account said that users can expect to get “approximately half the battery life of the Surface RT” out of the Pro. That doesn’t come as huge surprise — the Pro has a larger 42.5Wh battery (the RT’s is 31.5Wh), but it also has a more powerful processor and a higher resolution display. This may disappoint a few who were hoping to get all day battery life out of the device”
@shahroom Hey Shahroom, #Surface pro will have approximately half the battery life of Surface RT.
— Surface (@surface) November 29, 2012
