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Ballmer Gives Microsoft Surface Tablet a Price Range

By Leo Boon Yeow - on 17 Sep 2012, 2:54pm

Ballmer Gives Microsoft Surface Tablet a Price Range

In an interview with The Seattle Times, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer let slip just how much money you'd need to save, in order to get yourself a Microsoft Surface tablet. The "sweet spot" range that he gave is a fairly big one - starting from US$300 to about US$800. That's a pretty broad range, but the lower end may indicate the price that Microsoft might be asking for the ARM-based Windows RT-running Surface tablet. The top end of that range would most likely be for the Surface tablet running Windows 8 Pro, which has Ultrabook-like specifications, as well as a full HD resolution display.

To quote The Verge report:

Ballmer reveals to The Seattle Times that Microsoft might be "a little different" in future. "I think when you look forward, our core capability will be software, (but) you'll probably think of us more as a devices-and-services company."

In the same interview, Ballmer also confirmed a change in direction for the Seattle-based tech giant. Speculation regarding Microsoft's future has erupted amidst the unveiling of the two tablets. It also irked some of Microsoft's hardware partners who insisted they were caught unawares by Microsoft's new hardware. Microsoft, who had previously been extremely dependent on their partners to create compatible hardware, is now seen to be taking matters into their own hands.

However, according to The Verge, Ballmer also cautioned against concluding that Microsoft will be making every single device, from phones to notebooks:

Either way, Ballmer's previous threat that Microsoft wouldn't "leave any space uncovered to Apple" seems to be one that may play true in future. With Windows 8 set to arrive on October 26th alongside Microsoft Surface, and then Windows Phone 8 devices in early November - Microsoft faces its biggest challenge to market this new hardware and software to consumers.

Source: The Seattle Times (Via The Verge).

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