What do you think about the price?

[fc000]

Its called profit, for $450 you're getting FULL Office, 1080P Screen, brand new CPU Tegra 4, amazing build quality, 200Gb skydrive, Skype.......yet you want more.....And you complain about "limitations" yet you want an iPad Mini 2 LMFAO.......Now that's a laugh.

I think $450 is an amazing value for what you're getting, but it should include a cover. It's impractical to have a one without a type or touch cover. A Surface 2 actually costs $570, not $450 once you factor in the cost of a new cover.

As for my current potential purchase of an iPad Mini 2, I've already got a Surface Pro and a type-cover for real work. What I'm personally looking for is a casual companion device, and a Surface Mini would have been perfect. Microsoft didn't prioritize it, and a full size Surface 2 isn't an option at the cost when looking, again, for a casual companion device. A $329 iPad Mini or a $229 Nexus 7 are both more appropriate.

Then you need to look elsewhere other than Apple. ipad mini 32gb is only $20 less than Surface 2 (32GB), ipad 32gb is $150 more than Surface 2. Dell, Asus, and others will have offerings from $299-$349 depending on size.

Let's not forget that a 16GB iPad has 13GB of usable space and a 32GB Surface running RT has 15 GB of usable space (more if you remove the recovery partition). As for the other offerings, I am looking into a Dell Venue 8 which appears to be a very compelling product, and I'm totally going to check it out once they get them in to Bestbuy or the Microsoft Store. But as it stands now, an iPad Mini is looking to be my next purchase to carry in my bag with my current Surface Pro and a type-cover.

 

[jason8957]

I think that in the end, the covers are in part subsidizing the low cost of the tablet. They get to advertise $449 and make up the profit difference on the cover. Same thing McDonald's does with sodas.

The inclusion of office/outlook is real value to me. I keep a detailed monthly budget in an excel spreadsheet, and that will be handy. My Lumia 920 screen is just too small for that. And I use Word and Outlook all the time. The 2-year Skydrive thing is nice too as I have maxed out mine already and was about to pay for more storage.

Been waiting patiently for this. One more week.

 

[Adretheon]

Ill agree with you here, but there are no keyboards like it. But i would say $60- $90 would fit just fine.

I'd say even lower. A type cover shouldn't cost more than $50 when you can get good usb keyboards(that will last for decades) for $15-$30. Hell, bluetooth mini keyboards only cost $25-$40 for a decent one. That's just for the RT unit as well, I think a type cover should come with every Pro considering the Pro is being pushed as more of a laptop.

They can even show on the commercials that a RT unit is $500(with keyboard) and it would still look better price-wise than Ipads(and now the new ones as well). People get put off by the price of both, cause they want both. I've heard from a few people that they were less interested in the Surface cause the price with the keyboard was to much.

 

[chezm]

As an outsider that didnt own RT or Pro, but planning to buy a Pro 2 soon after the launch...i gotta say the Surface 2 is pretty expensive when it comes to a competitive product to iPad. I want MS to do well with the Surface line, and i also think the Pro 2 is expensive...but its more inline price wise with its competition. The Surface 2 should be sold as a performance tablet, but priced as a tablet to gain market share and awareness. at the launch price...all they have done is set themselves up for a mainstream consumer base that will still be confused. At a cheaper price, the general consumer would probably investigate more...but since Android tabs are cheap and the iPad is the holy grail of tablets, MS is giving no reason to unaware consumers to look into their product. Surface 2 should have launched at $300-$350.

 

[Daylife]

I'd say even lower. A type cover shouldn't cost more than $50 when you can get good usb keyboards(that will last for decades) for $15-$30. Hell, bluetooth mini keyboards only cost $25-$40 for a decent one. That's just for the RT unit as well, I think a type cover should come with every Pro considering the Pro is being pushed as more of a laptop.

They can even show on the commercials that a RT unit is $500(with keyboard) and it would still look better price-wise than Ipads(and now the new ones as well). People get put off by the price of both, cause they want both. I've heard from a few people that they were less interested in the Surface cause the price with the keyboard was to much.

You do realize the amount of money that was put into the research and development for them keyboards right?

 

[Daylife]

I think $450 is an amazing value for what you're getting, but it should include a cover. It's impractical to have a one without a type or touch cover. A Surface 2 actually costs $570, not $450 once you factor in the cost of a new cover.

As for my current potential purchase of an iPad Mini 2, I've already got a Surface Pro and a type-cover for real work. What I'm personally looking for is a casual companion device, and a Surface Mini would have been perfect. Microsoft didn't prioritize it, and a full size Surface 2 isn't an option at the cost when looking, again, for a casual companion device. A $329 iPad Mini or a $229 Nexus 7 are both more appropriate.



Let's not forget that a 16GB iPad has 13GB of usable space and a 32GB Surface running RT has 15 GB of usable space (more if you remove the recovery partition). As for the other offerings, I am looking into a Dell Venue 8 which appears to be a very compelling product, and I'm totally going to check it out once they get them in to Bestbuy or the Microsoft Store. But as it stands now, an iPad Mini is looking to be my next purchase to carry in my bag with my current Surface Pro and a type-cover.

The whole "lack of space issue" is old already, you have USB port, Skydrive, and you can take off the recovery partition..Also iOS is a joke of an OS. Don't compare an iPad Mini to a Surface, if you want to do a fair comparison compare it to the ipad 4.......32Gb iPad 4 = $599 with NO Keyboard at all lol.......Surface 2 + Keyboard + 32Gb = $550/$570 depending on the keyboard that you get.

 

[Adretheon]

You do realize the amount of money that was put into the research and development for them keyboards right?

Not nearly as much as the companies who's focus is keyboards and sell them for much cheaper. Which is why it blows my mind that they are so expensive Let's assume that the Surface keyboard is as good the average Keyboard used in a majority of businesses. Most of those would cost about $35 a device. Hell I'll even say that they are closer to $50-$70 a device.

So if you take that away from the price(effectively removing the keyboard from it) You basically paying $80-$100 for a cover which is way to much.

SInce posting this I've noticed that the price has changed. MS is selling them for 79$ now. Still a good $20 to much, but it's better than it was. AH never mind that's for the Surface 1 covers.

 

[Adretheon]

SInce posting this I've noticed that the price has changed. MS is selling them for 79$ now. Still a good $20 to much, but it's better than it was. AH never mind that's for the Surface 1 covers.

Which brings up a question, can the Surface 2 use the Surface 1 keyboards?

 

[hcrick]

Which brings up a question, can the Surface 2 use the Surface 1 keyboards?

Yes and second gen keyboards will work with first gen Surface. Not sure if this applies to the Power Cover though.

 

[fc000]

The whole "lack of space issue" is old already, you have USB port, Skydrive, and you can take off the recovery partition..Also iOS is a joke of an OS. Don't compare an iPad Mini to a Surface, if you want to do a fair comparison compare it to the ipad 4.......32Gb iPad 4 = $599 with NO Keyboard at all lol.......Surface 2 + Keyboard + 32Gb = $550/$570 depending on the keyboard that you get.

I agree, the lack of space issue is an old one and not very valid, I was just clarifying comparison between an iPad and a Surface. Surface supports microSD, and I use a 32GB card in my 128GB Surface Pro for documents and work files.

While calling iOS a joke of an OS is very much an opinion, it's still the premier OS for new applications from developers who don't have the resources to support multiple mobile platforms. This is very much the case even with major companies neglecting Windows Phone and Windows 8 as is the situation with DICE and only developing mobile apps for iOS and Android. Even Microsoft supports iOS with Skydrive, XBox Music, Smartglass, Skype, and Office 365.

I'm a Microsoft fan as much as anyone else around here; I've got a Lumia 1020, a Surface Pro 128gb, an XBox 360, I mainly use XBox Music everywhere (on the web at work, on my phone, and XBox at home), and I'm running Windows 8 on my desktop. But for, again, a casual tablet experience, Surface 2 isn't the right tablet for me, and an iPad mini fits the role. It's smaller, ridiculously light, has better app support(even all of Microsofts services), and their new generation being announced next week will presumably have high-res displays. I would love to buy a Surface Mini, but Microsoft felt it wasn't a priority this year.

Yes and second gen keyboards will work with first gen Surface. Not sure if this applies to the Power Cover though.

Power Cover works with all except the Surface RT. The Surface Pro included connectors for it at launch. I'm considering picking one up to carry along in my bag as a backup.

 

[WillysJeepMan]

I agree, the lack of space issue is an old one and not very valid, I was just clarifying comparison between an iPad and a Surface. Surface supports microSD, and I use a 32GB card in my 128GB Surface Pro for documents and work files.

I'm not one to jump to broad conclusions but anyone who harps on the "available space" canard is either woefully informed or a pitiful troll.

I own plenty of iOS devices and the issue of "Other" space usage, and the automatic and unremovable downloading of an iOS update image seem to be conveniently forgotten by those who point to available space on the RT. The RT supports up to 64GB microSD cards and USB harddrives for crying out loud.

And that's BEFORE mentioning the RT's ability to support dual display!

 

[Adretheon]

Yes and second gen keyboards will work with first gen Surface. Not sure if this applies to the Power Cover though.

I know that, I was wondering about the opposite. Will first Gen keyboards work on 2 Gen Surfaces?

 

[SwimSwim]

As an outsider that didnt own RT or Pro, but planning to buy a Pro 2 soon after the launch...i gotta say the Surface 2 is pretty expensive when it comes to a competitive product to iPad. I want MS to do well with the Surface line, and i also think the Pro 2 is expensive...but its more inline price wise with its competition. The Surface 2 should be sold as a performance tablet, but priced as a tablet to gain market share and awareness. at the launch price...all they have done is set themselves up for a mainstream consumer base that will still be confused. At a cheaper price, the general consumer would probably investigate more...but since Android tabs are cheap and the iPad is the holy grail of tablets, MS is giving no reason to unaware consumers to look into their product. Surface 2 should have launched at $300-$350.

That'd cut into their profit margins way too much. Again, I feel the biggest thing the Surface has going against it is Microsoft's stubbornness when it comes to bundling Touch and Type Covers.

 

[SwimSwim]

I know that, I was wondering about the opposite. Will first Gen keyboards work on 2 Gen Surfaces?

Yup, backwards compatibility all the way.

 

[hcrick]

I know that, I was wondering about the opposite. Will first Gen keyboards work on 2 Gen Surfaces?

Sure they will, that's what I meant when I answered yes.

 

[JKing106]

Its called profit, for $450 you're getting FULL Office, 1080P Screen, brand new CPU Tegra 4, amazing build quality, 200Gb skydrive, Skype.......yet you want more.....And you complain about "limitations" yet you want an iPad Mini 2 LMFAO.......Now that's a laugh.

Still raping people by charging $120 for a plastic keyboard cover that costs $16 to make, charging $450 for a machine that costs $280 to make, still no ability to join domains, still has gimped non-commercial use Home/Student Office to force an up sell to the $900 "Pro" which STILL comes with no keyboard, still thinks the "Windows" brand will sell these things. Good luck with that.

 

[JKing106]

I think that in the end, the covers are in part subsidizing the low cost of the tablet. They get to advertise $449 and make up the profit difference on the cover. Same thing McDonald's does with sodas.

The inclusion of office/outlook is real value to me. I keep a detailed monthly budget in an excel spreadsheet, and that will be handy. My Lumia 920 screen is just too small for that. And I use Word and Outlook all the time. The 2-year Skydrive thing is nice too as I have maxed out mine already and was about to pay for more storage.

Been waiting patiently for this. One more week.

You know a RT/2 costs less than $275 to manufacture, right? Why do people assume ANY tablet is being sold at a loss. MS could sell S2's with the soft keyboard at $350 and still make a profit. But their arrogance and petulance won't let them accept that Apple rules mobile computing. Idiots.

 

[Daylife]

You know a RT/2 costs less than $275 to manufacture, right? Why do people assume ANY tablet is being sold at a loss. MS could sell S2's with the soft keyboard at $350 and still make a profit. But their arrogance and petulance won't let them accept that Apple rules mobile computing. Idiots.

I wonder how much an iPad, or cheap android tablet cost to make....yet they sell them for way over the manufacturing cost, you do realize that commercials, advertisements, events, the research that was put into making the device etc...all that is put into the cost right?

A Nintendo 3DS probably cost like $50 to make yet they sell them for $200, guess Nintendo is arrogant too right?...

Go troll somewhere else you tool.

 

[slowboy920]

You know a RT/2 costs less than $275 to manufacture, right? Why do people assume ANY tablet is being sold at a loss. MS could sell S2's with the soft keyboard at $350 and still make a profit. But their arrogance and petulance won't let them accept that Apple rules mobile computing. Idiots.

I sure hope you don't run a business. Obviously this product isn't for you

 

[JKing106]

Apple sells theirs for that much because they can, and people are willing to pay it. Their products are mature, their app store is mature, and most people are pleased and satisfied with their purchases. Microsoft does not have the presence or maturity in the mobile market to demand Apple prices. The $1 billion write down should have clued them in to this fact. They could have owned the enterprise tablet/hybrid market by underselling Apple with a full featured RT that wasn't crippled, but no, they tried to upsell enterprise to the $900 niche Pro.

Who is trolling? I'm just telling the truth. The RT/Pro is a decent product that will be killed by Microsoft's incompetence and arrogance, just like the Zune was. And that's a damn shame.