Surface Pricing

[falconeight]

Its too expensive. The price is it's achilles heel. Microsoft really needs to find a way to shave $100 off of the price.
$1430 for the I5, 256GB, 8Gb ram model......what?
$1499 for the similar spec'd rMBP
$1299 for a 13 MBa.

 

[mozman68]

Its too expensive. The price is it's achilles heel.

Well there it is...that settles it... :grin:

 

[Citizen X]

The problem is MSFT way overproduced on the first generation of Surface RTs and now everyone is expecting the retail price to drop like a rock on anything that says "Surface" on the case.

Its too expensive. The price is it's achilles heel. Microsoft really needs to find a way to shave $100 off of the price.
$1430 for the I5, 256GB, 8Gb ram model......what?
$1499 for the similar spec'd rMBP
$1299 for a 13 MBa.

I like how people expect a tablet that is similarly speced as a laptop or ultrabook to be cheaper. Since when has miniaturization in the same generation of hardware equaled cheaper?

 

[falconeight]

The problem is MSFT way overproduced on the first generation of Surface RTs and now everyone is expecting the retail price to drop like a rock on anything that says "Surface" on the case.



I like how people expect a tablet that is similarly speced as a laptop or ultrabook to be cheaper. Since when has miniaturization in the same generation of hardware equaled cheaper?

Im not saying that its not good. I am saying that its too expensive regardless of its a tablet or a laptop. It has the same exact components. Do tire manufacturers charge more for all season tires? No they don't. This thing is war to expensive and at the price will be a niche product. I love it and think that it will make people happy but it won't sell at those prices. And it isn't spec'd the same as a laptop if its missing the keyboard.


Microsoft is coming after me. I am a 8 year macbook user and this is the first and only windows based pc that I have ever looked at. I am not going to pay $800 for a I3 processor powered tablet. its a tablet because it doesn't have a keyboard. I am definitely not going to pay $1400 for a tablet with a I5 processor or $1530 for a convertible. $1000 for a surface I5 256, 4 gb, with touch cover and I'm all in.

 

[Michael Muscat]

I think the pricing of the base model is great. It's the price gouging on the better CPUs and additional storage/RAM that really gets me. To go from an i3, 64GB SSD and 4GB RAM ($799) to an i7, 512GB SSD and 8GB of RAM ($1949) is a price differential of $1150!!! In other words you could an i3 AND i5 surface pro 3 ($1798) for $150 less than the most expensive i7. The price bump for additional RAM and storage is at least twice as much as it should be in my opinion. This would be less painful if we had the option of customizing the processor/RAM/storage combinations.

 

[Bora777]

I don't really have a problem with the pricing considering the product in question, but I still have trouble stomaching Microsoft's decision not to bundle the Type Cover (and then charge such an exorbitant amount for it).

I think the idea of separating the purchase of a Type Cover made sense with the first two Surface iterations because then you'd have the option of selecting a Touch Cover instead if that suited you, but now there's no Touch Cover option for the Surface Pro 3 so that logic has gone out the window.

Speaking of which, I wish Microsoft would at least offer an upsized Touch Cover for the Pro 3 for artists and designers whose priority is not typing but pen input, because we still need keyboard controls in Photoshop, etc. but don't type often enough to necessitate physical keys and the associated thickness/cost.

 

[anon(5445874)]

I hate to tell you, but the type cover is a piece of technology that costs money to make. If it were included, it would just drive up the price. And as awesome as the type cover is, it's not required to run the device. There's plenty of touch inputs or you can use your existing keyboard and mouse. Why force people into a keyboard if they don't want it? Options are great.

 

[Bora777]

I hate to tell you, but the type cover is a piece of technology that costs money to make.

About $17 in fact, if some estimates are to be believed. Regardless of how much it costs Microsoft to develop and produce it and whether or not they can afford to absorb the cost, one cannot ignore the fact that they will lose many potential customers of the actual tablet because of their failure to properly understand consumer mindsets and buying psychology.

This is exacerbated by their marketing of the Surface as a laptop replacement which is, at worst, disingenuous. Panos Panay devoted practically a third of his Surface presentation to the use of an accessory conveniently excluded from the price he proudly announced at the end. I know this issue has been lamented to death all over the web but it bears repeating that if any company is in a position where it should be accepting write-downs on hardware for the sake of increased overall sales for a greater foothold in a particular market, it's Microsoft in the personal computing hardware space.

Your point about using existing peripherals is indeed valid. I myself will not be buying a Type Cover because a) I have a Microsoft Wedge Keyboard, b) typing is not my priority and c) the Surface Pro 3 will not be replacing my laptop. But then again, that doesn't sound at all like the type of consumer Microsoft is marketing this device to. At the end of the day, users like you and I who understand what exactly the Surface can do for us will enjoy it immensely. Microsoft's bean counters? Not so much.

 

[anon(5445874)]

Just wanted to add a few things. Reviewers and people don't understand that the Surface isn't intended to compete with cheep devices. These are high quality machines with touch features that make it a Surface. Microsoft isn't trying to compete with cheaper devices that's what Dell and other such companies are for. If you just want a Screen and keyboard, go elsewhere. The touch screen and digitizer make a surface what it was designed to be. But those things also add to the overall price. Lets face the facts, people will pay for quality. Apple has proved that for years. And considering the build quality, the touch screen and the digitizer, this device is amazingly cheep. Yes, Microsoft compared the surface pro 3 to the MacBook Air, but they also said it will make it so you don't need to hall around your iPad too. So don't only compare the price of the Surface Pro 3 to the Air, compare it to the price of the Air and iPad price. The Surface Pro 3 is totally worth every penny.

 

[StevoPhilo]

As a salesperson the keyboard probably is it's biggest clutch in finalizing a sale. I think it's the idea that it is always advertised with a keyboard, but doesn't come with it. Especially with the Surface and Surface 2 considering they keyboard is about 1/3 of the price of the actual device.

On the Pro it doesn't seem too bad cause it's 10% the cost of the device, but I can see why people feel that way. I honestly think the keyboards should be marked a little lower. $89.99 perhaps? Doesn't matter to me cause that's about how much I pay for it with my discount. =P

 

[falconeight]

I hate to tell you, but the type cover is a piece of technology that costs money to make. If it were included, it would just drive up the price. And as awesome as the type cover is, it's not required to run the device. There's plenty of touch inputs or you can use your existing keyboard and mouse. Why force people into a keyboard if they don't want it? Options are great.

then its a tablet and no tablet is worth that much. They are positioning it against the MacBook Air but without a keyboard it doesn't compete.

 

[falconeight]

Just wanted to add a few things. Reviewers and people don't understand that the Surface isn't intended to compete with cheep devices. These are high quality machines with touch features that make it a Surface. Microsoft isn't trying to compete with cheaper devices that's what Dell and other such companies are for. If you just want a Screen and keyboard, go elsewhere. The touch screen and digitizer make a surface what it was designed to be. But those things also add to the overall price. Lets face the facts, people will pay for quality. Apple has proved that for years. And considering the build quality, the touch screen and the digitizer, this device is amazingly cheep. Yes, Microsoft compared the surface pro 3 to the MacBook Air, but they also said it will make it so you don't need to hall around your iPad too. So don't only compare the price of the Surface Pro 3 to the Air, compare it to the price of the Air and iPad price. The Surface Pro 3 is totally worth every penny.

Its as if your trying to ell the concept to yourself. Touchscreen isn't a new technology anymore and devices from $99 to $3,000 use it. In order for Microsoft to get power users away from their macbook's
Microsoft need to give an incentive and they didn't. I am afraid that they have priced out their desired market.

 

[Oliverspin]

I'll agree that the price is justified, but it is just very unfortunate that MS can't post a more attractive price.

 

[SeeVuPlay]

I've got no problem with price point, but wish MS would list price with the keyboard. I've heard the justification that because they offer different colors, they need to sell separately,nut I don't buy it. They could advertise a price including the keyboard and still give the customer a color choice at checkout.

Marketing the device as a laptop replacement and then telling customer the keyboard is a $130 "accessory" is strange.

So what you are really saying is that you want it for free.

 

[SeeVuPlay]

Everyone who is saying it should be bundled is basically just saying that they want something for free. All this nonsense about how it's advertised and comparison with the other tech is just some justification of why one believes he should get it for free.

So tell me, why do you all believe you deserve something without paying for it?

 

[Thomas Ozawa]

I think that Japanese restaurant is very overpriced
Oh wait...

 

[anon(5445874)]

I think that Japanese restaurant is very overpriced
Oh wait...

Yep yep. I've paid more money for steak before than the price of the SP3 Type Cover. It sure was good too.

 

[falconeight]

Everyone who is saying it should be bundled is basically just saying that they want something for free. All this nonsense about how it's advertised and comparison with the other tech is just some justification of why one believes he should get it for free.

So tell me, why do you all believe you deserve something without paying for it?

The Lenovo Yoga has similar specs and it comes with a keyboard attached. :0

 

[Thomas Ozawa]

Isn't the Buggati veyron the same price ?

 

[SeeVuPlay]

Well then, can you ask them to detach it and get a discount like someone said above