What do you think about the price?

[toddpart]

Good points.

So yeah, Microsoft go ahead and make a premier device but keep in mind that you cannot charge a premiere price for it... that mindset isn't there... yet.

True, except if what they're trying to do is start setting expectations a bit differently. Maybe what the standard they're at the beginning of trying to define is that devices from MS directly are not commodities, they are premier devices, to use your wording. Buyers still looking for the commodity angle have plenty of choice in the OEM segment.

 

[WillysJeepMan]

Good points.



True, except if what they're trying to do is start setting expectations a bit differently. Maybe what the standard they're at the beginning of trying to define is that devices from MS directly are not commodities, they are premier devices, to use your wording. Buyers still looking for the commodity angle have plenty of choice in the OEM segment.

The result: $900 million write down on the Surface.

I think that Microsoft needs to start at the bargain basement price point and incrementally work upwards. Apple does that with storage capacity pricing... double the storage at each level for an additional $100. Microsoft could do that and by a $50 increase with each generation.

As the app store grows and the hardware/OS matures and Microsoft demonstrates that they aren't going to pull a Kin or a Zune, the premiere value will be recognized by consumers.

 

[a5cent]

I think that Microsoft needs to start at the bargain basement price point and incrementally work upwards. Apple does that with storage capacity pricing... double the storage at each level for an additional $100.

Except that is not at all what Apple does. Even Apple's cheapest iPhone is sold far above bargain basement price. What is and what isn't too expensive is purely a matter of perception. Sell devices at bargain basement prices, and that is what people will come to believe they are worth. It's a great way to destroy a brand image.

MS must show to people, that their asking price is a good deal for surface buyers. It should never be about being cheap, which is what you are proposing. It should be about offering the best value for the money, which is possible at any price point.

MS' problem is that they haven't ever explained to the public what the value of these surface devices is, or in what ways they are better deals than the iPad.

 

[JKing106]

ShaunKL, my point is you can't come out & start selling it beside a premium priced product with a spotty at best track record. Even if it"is" cheaper its still not cheap enough. Especially with a vastly inferior app store. Hyundai's are vastly improved cars and still can't sell them for the same price as the segment leaders. MS has to sell at a significantly lower price & slowly come up as market share adoption increases.

Agreed. They also need to put real Business Office on it, and do away with the stupid restriction on not being able to join domains. They could have sold a ton of RT's to enterprise if they hadn't been so damn stupid and greedy trying to upsell to the Pro for business use.

 

[JKing106]

RT is entry level. It's a mobile device that doesn't run x86 programs, which means Surface2 can't be more expensive than an OEM full Windows 8.1 tablet.

But oh, it is. You can buy an ASUS T100 with full 8.1 Windows, Office, and a real keyboard/dock for $350. Microsoft is cutting their own throat. Again.

 

[JKing106]

Too high. If it included the Touch Cover the price would be more manageable, but I'm having a hard time imagining this product selling well. If you want to talk about free Office, free extra Skydrive storage, and free better Skype that's fine, but the general consumer doesn't care about any of that.

I'm assuming they priced it at this point so the possible 8" tablet could be priced at $299, which again is absurd. I love their products, but I think MS might have some real problems on the horizon.

You know who cares about free Skydrive, Skype, and Offices? Enterprise. But Microsoft deliberately crippled the RT/S2 to force businesses to buy the Pro. Non-commercial Office, inability to join domains, no Metro Office. Absolute stupidity. They could have sold milllions of RT's to enterprise. They would have made the perfect take home thin-client laptop replacement. Don't get me started on not offering mobile Office for iOS and Android so they could offer this half-assed strategy on their own hardware. They could have made gabillions in the interim.

 

[doc109]

I was actually going to get an RT mainly for work use, but my IT chair said no way - it doesn't join the work domain and hence, it's not an option. So I ended up with the Pro (and love it). I imagine some others had a similar experience.

 

[six6xis]

Agreed. Include the type cover for 449 and I think it would be a fair price. They really need to price them to move so that people will feel the incentive to make apps for it.

 

[Roderick Aspiras]

I think this is the price Microsoft has to pay for now for creating their own hardware. They cannot create a big hit that will have an impact with their OEM partners (well its already showing). MS is an position of damn if you do and damn if you don't. I think the pricing is sort of okay but not okay as in OKAY! Then there is the Sirius tablet from Nokia. I hope that the OEMs sell more Win 8.1 tablet that Microsoft because that will be positive for them at least the partners won't think twice because if Microsoft beats their own partners imagine what would happened? Google is knocking on their door and I hate to say it but Google is a opportunistic b@st@rd. What I want though is a bundled Surface with a Windows Phone.

 

[WillysJeepMan]

Agreed. Include the type cover for 449 and I think it would be a fair price. They really need to price them to move so that people will feel the incentive to make apps for it.

I believe that Microsoft needs to include the TouchCover or stop showing the Surface in every commercial and ad with that optional extra-cost accessory. It's great that they're showing off the one easily visible thing that separates the Surface from the iPad but it is a bit of bait-n-switch for customers who go into a store to look at the Surface and discover that the prominently featured keyboard is an extra cost accessory.

I've been getting a lot more time to use my RT over the last few days and I've concluded that it is better experienced with a TouchCover. I find using Win8 in "touch" mode to be more cumbersome than my iPad. Maybe it's the aspect ratio of the tablet. Maybe it is the on-screen UI elements. There appears to be more whitespace (or empty color) on the screen than the iPad. More whitespace means less content. That requires more gestures in order to consume the same amount of media/text.

All that to say, the need to include the TouchCover with the Surface at no extra cost. They can keep the keyboard optional for the Pro.

 

[johnbash612]

I've had my Rt since its release in October 2012. I bought it for 650 dollars then with a touch cover and I can confidently say it was worth every penny today. It's not without its complaints, a low resolution screen coupled with a slower tegra processor definitely hindered the Rt. Before my Rt I used an iPad for school (and other things) for two years. I loved it when I had it, but once I switched to the Rt I couldn't believe the upgrade. I always explain to my friends that the Rt is far closer to its full os than the iPad is to osx. When I got my Rt all the limitations of the iPad were lifted and it felt weird and amazing to use a tablet for 95% of my school and entertainment consumption. So what do I personally think of the price? Well they upgraded the screen and boosted the speed quite a bit from the original and managed a 50 dollar decrease. I think the price is amazing for the technology and versatility you get. The issue is that Microsoft needs to show the value. Now that the dust has settled with Windows 8 and (more) people are adapting to its form factor I think the surface 2 has a chance if the marketing is right. Would I take a lower price for the surface 2? Well yes absolutely, but I can again confidently say that the surface 2 (at least for me) is more than worth its current price tag.

 

[Daylife]

You have a source with a confirmation on that Nokia tablet for 500 with LTE and Keyboard? lol

 

[Daylife]

EDIT - Not sure why this didn't go in as an indented response, but it was in response to JMERREY's post above.

First, let me say I'm not attacking your post/opinion. Yours is just one of many I continue to see re: pricing of Surface/Surface 2.

Here's my question to you and the general populous of people who have the same opinion...why should the Surface/Surface 2 be cheaper in comparison to iOS and/or Android? Why? I understand that some believe it should be cheaper solely to gain market share and that is the only argument in which I can find a shred of validity. But, market share aside, why should it be cheaper? The build quality is at least as good, arguably better, than iPad and certainly better than 99% of the Android tabs out there. You get Office included and more services (SkyDrive and Skype) included than you do on either of those other devices/platforms. And, regarding the keyboard, the others don't include one so if you're buying one of those devices and want a keyboard/cover you're paying out additional money for one as well.

So, again, what is the justification for why it should be cheaper? It's already cheaper than its primary competitor, iPad, so if all other things are equal or better is this call for reduced pricing just to take a swing at market share?

Full disclosure - I own a Surface RT and Pro and am considering upgrading both.

I really dont understand why people want Microsoft to sell a 1080p tablet, TEGRA 4, 11' or whatever size it is, superior build quality, Full office, 200gb skydrive, Skype 1 yr free calling, 32Gb "ipad 16gb is $499 btw. lol....... For like $300, people need to get real.

 

[Daylife]

People need to see things like this lol.....Not some paid journalist bashing everything that doesnt have a Apple logo on it. By the way this is the 1st Surface RT.

 

[Daylife]

 

[nuprotocol]

You have a source with a confirmation on that Nokia tablet for 500 with LTE and Keyboard? lol

zero confirmation yet. just rumors with specs and supposed keyboard combo.

Microsoft-news.com

 

[Daylife]

zero confirmation yet. just rumors with specs and supposed keyboard combo.

Microsoft-news.com

Oh ok thats what i thought.

 

[ohgood]

Just wondering how people feel about the $449 price on the Surface 2.

I was hoping they would hit $399. I think the Surface 2 is worth $449 with all the upgrades over the Surface RT but I think at $399 more people would be willing to try it. It is tough to convince people to change ecosystems and price may have helped with that.

the surface 2 pro, at $449, yep it would sell.
the surface 2 rt, at $449, nope, it will repeat.



the ecosystem doesn't look like too much of a problem to me. install a program just like before, login just like before, buy printers just like before.

 

[Daylife]

the surface 2 pro, at $449, yep it would sell.
the surface 2 rt, at $449, nope, it will repeat.



the ecosystem doesn't look like too much of a problem to me. install a program just like before, login just like before, buy printers just like before.

Come back when you can be more realistic.

 

[ohgood]

Come back when you can be more realistic.

It's not me, it's the market.