Microsoft has apparently given the assembly orders for its new Surface tablets
to Pegatron, which makes iPads as well, among many other gadgets.
Sources from the notebook supply chain have indicated that the cheaper Windows RT slate with NVIDIA Tegra 3 processor might cost north of $599.
The
Windows 8 Pro one with Core i5 Ivy Bridge processor that will arrive
later on in the year, but in time for the holiday shopping craze, is
expected to be north of $799. It is not specified whether these prices
will include the Covers with keyboard and trackpad, or they are just for
the slates themselves.
Microsoft has made
Surface a compelling enough offering, so it can afford to price them a
bit higher, but this should be exercised with caution. Considering that $450 these days buys you an Acer Iconia Tab A700
with Full HD screen, it might have to slash the introductory prices, if
that's what they end up to be, pretty quickly after the early adopters
have gotten their Windows fix. Alternatively, some analysts say
Microsoft might be pricing the Surface a bit higher to ease the
discontent that could arise from its hardware partners, which might feel
a bit betrayed by the announcement.
source: Digitimes
