What do you think about the price?

[JKing106]

I agree with what you are saying, as it applies to the Surface 2 Pro. I do see it as a way for MS to drive their OEMs. While I think it is also overpriced, I think it's not as bad as the Surface 2. The Pro 2 is meant for enterprise and power users, and the price is therefore close to being justified. I think the Surface Pro 2 price should stay where it is, but include the Type Cover. How that works logistically with all the colored Type Covers, I'm not sure.

I think the Surface 2 needs to be priced much lower, simply as a vehicle to get people using Windows 8 by choice. My opinion on the 32gb Surface 2 is the same as the 32 gb Surface RT: there is no place for it in the market, simply due to the lack of storage. My father purchased one and was immediately turned off by this fact alone. Yes, you can purchase an expandable memory stick. And yes, 8.1 brings much better management of the expanded memory, but why should the consumer have to do this? So, my opinion is that the 64gb Surface 2, at $549, or the 32gb Surface 2 with memory stick at roughly $500, are both overpriced. Add the Touch or Type Cover, which anyone who sees a Surface associate with it because of the marketing images. and you are really getting up there in price. Add this to the fact that the Surface 2 is so limited in comparison to the iPad, and you have a tough sell. Yes, you get office on the Surface 2. When someone walks into a Best Buy to purchase a tablet, do you really think the differentiating factor will be the ability to edit Word documents in the official Word application? For the general consumer, absolutely not. It actually leads to another questions : if MS indeed intends to make a 7-8" Surface tablet, what place does the Surface 2 have? The Surface 2 seems to be in the middle, with no target audience.

To sum up my feelings, if MS does intend to make a 7-8" Surface tablet, then I think not only is the Surface 2 overpriced, but it has no market. It absolutely can't compete with the iPad at that price point. Very few general consumers care about editing Word documents for work on their tablet. They want to watch movies, read, play the latest games, etc. If MS doesn't intend to make a 7-8" Surface tablet, then I think the Surface 2 is overpriced by at least $150.

Microsoft should unchain the the RT/S2 from the artificial limitations they imposed to force enterprise to purchase the Pro (non-commercial Office with no Outlook, no domains, etc. ) Then, produce a commercial actually showing the thing being used for work, and play.

 

[JKing106]

"Surface, the perfect companion for work, and play. From Microsoft."

Or something along those lines.

 

[coolqf]

At that price people will consider it, but ultimately will go with the iPad 5. After all, it's only 10% more Office RT is a nice addition, but without a keyboard/mouse it's a bit of a mute point, because then we would be talking about a $580 tablet, and at 580 I think we can find better alternatives for productivity via the new intel atom chip.

 

[Nemesis-X]

Why would anyone buy a Surface 2 though when the Asus T100 as someone above mentioned is coming out with Full Win 8.1 and a keyboard dock??? Am I missing something here about the Asus? And it's supposedly going to cost $400 for the 64GB version?

 

[KoukiFC3S]

I was hoping the 64GB model would be $500. Asking $100 for 32GB of extra storage is just greedy.

 

[rebornempowered]

I have a RT and really want a 2 but after seeing the price drop from what I paid last year I am going to wait. If MS has some sort of trade in deal I might consider it but otherwise I'm not paying the early adopter tax again.

 

[Daylife]

I was hoping the 64GB model would be $500. Asking $100 for 32GB of extra storage is just greedy.

Telll that to Apple - 32 Gb iPad $599, not a single person complains. lol

 

[MSFTisMIA]

If this was the 64GB only model at $449, that would be outstanding. Still, its not bad start. For me, this is why the Asus t100 is more appealing because for slightly weaker specs, a bundled in keyboard and full windows 8.1, you're getting more value at $400.

 

[tgp]

Telll that to Apple - 32 Gb iPad $599, not a single person complains. lol

Yes, but Apple's product's name starts with a lower case i. They have their reputation to ride on. Microsoft doesn't, at least not in the mobile world.

 

[pbankey]

Hmm, pricing is definitely a tricky thing for this product. I can see the argument for both sides... I can't say what I would do in that situation. Lucky for me, I'm just the consumer


I will say though that I spend $600 on a RT with touch cover when it was released on day one and I still don't ever regret the purchase at all. This device is premium. It's taught me (for real this time) that critics and tech bloggers really don't hold water with their reviews. Thank Molly Wood for perpetuating that, too.

I still use my RT every day and I still love it. I am still fascinated by how amazingly well built it is, the type/touch covers, the kickstand, and the fact that it feels like if I showed this device to even Steve Jobs 10 years ago, he would feel like computing devices are heading in the direction he dreamed of. Really, this device still impresses me.

So, of course I feel the next generation is worth the price and more.

But the problem is I have owned a surface and am able to share from experience why it's so amazing and worth every cent I spent on it. Most people have not owned one. However, I am so glad that Microsoft went the route of maintaining the premium aspect of this device rather than diluting its potential for the sake of price. It may not even sell well, but at least I know I'll be completely content with it.

 

[surfacedude]

saw in interview today w/ panos that might explain the pricing. microsoft is going to sell the rt right along side surface 2 and surface pro 2. surface 2 clearly has to cost more than the rt, but i still think the pricing structure is bad. sell the rt for 250 w/ a cover, surface 2 for 400 with a cover, pro 2 for 700 w/ cover. at 250 w/ a cover, i bet microsoft would be able to get through a good bit of their rt stock.

 

[WillysJeepMan]

saw in interview today w/ panos that might explain the pricing. microsoft is going to sell the rt right along side surface 2 and surface pro 2. surface 2 clearly has to cost more than the rt, but i still think the pricing structure is bad. sell the rt for 250 w/ a cover, surface 2 for 400 with a cover, pro 2 for 700 w/ cover. at 250 w/ a cover, i bet microsoft would be able to get through a good bit of their rt stock.

I agree. Given that the manufacturer refurbed RT bundles were selling at an amazing rate for $199, I can see the same thing happening for NEW bundles at $249.

As I mentioned before... wait. I'm confident that there will be door-buster pricing on RT bundles this Black Friday. Microsoft will quickly sell out of existing RT inventory that will help generate buzz for the Surface 2. If Microsoft does this, they'll be fine with the existing price structure. If they don't, there'll be fire sales on the Surface 2.

 

[iosified]

Surface 2 is well worth the $449 price. Of course I would love it if it was at $400 or at its current price but with the addition of a cover, however seeing the increased performance and the benchmarks posted here, I can't really complain about price. Now SurfacePro2 is going t be interesting for me because I need a new laptop and although considering a S2 and a laptop, I might end up getting just the Pro2.

 

[Dexter505]

I don't see why the cover cost that much.

 

[calfee20]

I don't see why the cover cost that much.

No one is making a comparable touch cover. This is new ground and since there is nothing similar how can you compare price. Even with all the ipad keyboard accessories there is nothing similar or as nice.

I personally feel as though MS should include a free protective cover with the magnetic clips on every device. I would like a plain Surface 2 as I believe I could get along without a dedicated keyboard. The on screen one would be enough. A premium device should come with a protective cover.

 

[JKing106]

Hmm, pricing is definitely a tricky thing for this product. I can see the argument for both sides... I can't say what I would do in that situation. Lucky for me, I'm just the consumer


I will say though that I spend $600 on a RT with touch cover when it was released on day one and I still don't ever regret the purchase at all. This device is premium. It's taught me (for real this time) that critics and tech bloggers really don't hold water with their reviews. Thank Molly Wood for perpetuating that, too.

I still use my RT every day and I still love it. I am still fascinated by how amazingly well built it is, the type/touch covers, the kickstand, and the fact that it feels like if I showed this device to even Steve Jobs 10 years ago, he would feel like computing devices are heading in the direction he dreamed of. Really, this device still impresses me.

So, of course I feel the next generation is worth the price and more.

But the problem is I have owned a surface and am able to share from experience why it's so amazing and worth every cent I spent on it. Most people have not owned one. However, I am so glad that Microsoft went the route of maintaining the premium aspect of this device rather than diluting its potential for the sake of price. It may not even sell well, but at least I know I'll be completely content with it.

You really earned that check, buddy.

 

[Daylife]

Hmm, pricing is definitely a tricky thing for this product. I can see the argument for both sides... I can't say what I would do in that situation. Lucky for me, I'm just the consumer


I will say though that I spend $600 on a RT with touch cover when it was released on day one and I still don't ever regret the purchase at all. This device is premium. It's taught me (for real this time) that critics and tech bloggers really don't hold water with their reviews. Thank Molly Wood for perpetuating that, too.

I still use my RT every day and I still love it. I am still fascinated by how amazingly well built it is, the type/touch covers, the kickstand, and the fact that it feels like if I showed this device to even Steve Jobs 10 years ago, he would feel like computing devices are heading in the direction he dreamed of. Really, this device still impresses me.

So, of course I feel the next generation is worth the price and more.

But the problem is I have owned a surface and am able to share from experience why it's so amazing and worth every cent I spent on it. Most people have not owned one. However, I am so glad that Microsoft went the route of maintaining the premium aspect of this device rather than diluting its potential for the sake of price. It may not even sell well, but at least I know I'll be completely content with it.

I agree.

 

[Keith Wallace]

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

The market is what, saying that an upper-mid-range laptop (which often sells for around $1,000+) squeezed into a tablet body should cost $500? The RT is an iPad competitor, and it is going to sell for less than the equivalent iPad by $150 or so. What you're claiming is "the market" is a total failure of cost recognition, I think.

 

[ohgood]

The market is what, saying that an upper-mid-range laptop (which often sells for around $1,000+) squeezed into a tablet body should cost $500? The RT is an iPad competitor, and it is going to sell for less than the equivalent iPad by $150 or so. What you're claiming is "the market" is a total failure of cost recognition, I think.

By me, or all those consumers, or both?

 

[onysi]

lol tax will take it back up to that price.