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| Surface for Windows RT just $199? |
| By Thom Holwerda on 2012-08-14 15:36:41 |
| "According to an inside source, a session was held at Microsoft's recent TechReady15 conference in which all the launch details were laid out. If things go according to the plan detailed then, the Surface for Windows RT tablet will be launching October 26th - no surprise there - at a compelling price of $199." My wallet just squealed in pure bliss. |
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| Intel should feel threatened |
| By shotsman on 2012-08-15 03:42:21 |
|
If this is the true price (+ local taxes etc) then it seems to me blindingly obvious that MS wants to retire windows on a PC with an X86 chip unless it is running Windows Server. This may not happen for a couple of years but to me, their aim is pretty obvious. Price this so low that no one else can make any money. This will drive the competion out of businesss. People will choose a Surface device over a normal PC because of the cost. They are not only after the PC biz but the whole Android and Apple infrastructure. This might seem a bit far fetched but I firmly believe that MS wants to put all their competitors out of business. This is a high rish gambit and may fail. If it does then MS will have to break itself up to survive. The next few years will be rather interesting. Edited 2012-08-15 03:42 UTC |
 - Score: 2 |
| RE[3]: Comment by ilovebeer |
| By ze_jerkface on 2012-08-15 04:58:16 |
| Erasing all the gains made in the last few years. |
| - Score: 0 |
| RE[3]: Dumb Move |
| By ze_jerkface on 2012-08-15 05:08:58 |
|
> If you think Microsoft can market a tablet like a console your crazy. It won't work. I never said they could. What I think is crazy is that thinking a higher price would sell more surface tablets than a lower one. It's like suggesting ford should randomly tack on 10k to the F150 to increase sales. It won't work no matter how many commercials they make trying to claim it is now a premium truck. Sales would fall. > They should come out at $499 and fight for the 2 or 3 years it will take to get some traction > Yep, Kindle is doing great! They are losing marketshare even with their stellar price point, and they probably have to sell 25 of them to make as much money as Apple makes on a single sale... Brilliant strategy! I said Kindle has done the best against the iPad, or are you going to try and deny this? Samsung already tried selling Android tablets at premium and it failed. Why not just buy an iPad? That is what it comes down to. |
| - Score: 2 |
| RE: Intel should feel threatened |
| By ze_jerkface on 2012-08-15 05:14:41 |
|
Intel may be the best way out of this mess. x86 tablets means will put an end to Sinofsky's wet dream of selling Windows without Win32. People want Windows with the applications and not an overly animated ad screen instead of the start menu. If Intel can keep cutting the fabs it won't be long until ARM advantages are offset by Win32/.NET compatibility. x86 tablets don't have to beat ARM on battery life, they just need to be thin and get around 8 hours. |
| - Score: 1 |
| RE: Just what I've always wanted |
| By anyyzen on 2012-08-15 06:42:21 |
| hp touchpad $99 only |
| - Score: 1 |
| RE[3]: Dumb Move |
| By quackalist on 2012-08-15 07:44:31 |
|
Maybe it would be dumb, but why would MS think it not so, why is Win 8 on the desktop hung on whatever Metro is being called today and why is Win 8 priced so cheaply as an upgrade? Might even upgrade myself, now I've figured how to only see 'Metro' fleetingly and have a start button back (if not quite perfectly) Fear of future profitability and losing control over whatever the market will be for computer devices now its no longer limited to PC's. If I was MS, I'd bear any burden, pay any price... Not sure it'll work but then I think Apple is in just as much danger, if not more so, in the medium term unless they come up with yet another whizz cash cow, have my doubts.....hence absurd patent legal trials Edited 2012-08-15 07:54 UTC |
| - Score: 2 |
| RE[3]: Comment by orestes |
| By Adurbe on 2012-08-15 08:55:49 |
|
EU is sadly far to slow moving an entity. They will only crack down on them if they develop a suitable market share and then abuse it. By which point, they can happily pay any fine imposed. Even then, what are they doing that would get them in trouble? You can't crack down on MS for IE as iPad (dominant market leader) does the same with Safari. Office equivalents are included in many tablets already. Just not the iPad. BB Playbook, for example, has "documents to go" included. Limiting the installation of another OS/App Store is generally accepted as standard on all tablets by the consumer market. Remember, its not 'illegal' in any way to sell a loss-leading product. At launch, the XBOX 360 was Losing about $120 per unit. Microsoft made their money back, and then some via games sales (app sales in the case of the RT). |
| - Score: 3 |
| $199? |
| By Drunkula on 2012-08-15 12:54:49 |
| At that price point I would certainly consider it. I still think I'd rather have a Nexus 7 but it certainly does present a very good alternative. |
| - Score: 1 |
| RE[2]: RT - will it run anything |
| By dsmogor on 2012-08-16 08:39:04 |
| With no macros support this isn't worth much more than other competing mobile office sutites. |
| - Score: 1 |
| RE[2]: Great deal.... for a reason |
| By dsmogor on 2012-08-16 08:46:57 |
|
MS primary customers have always been developers and CTOs. Their messages including this one is directed to them. Nokia enslavement was also a message to developers. Given 100k apps for 1% platform, they are getting it. |
| - Score: 3 |
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