We all remember when Microsoft held a rather mysterious event that brought us the initial announcement and showcasing of the gorgeous looking Surface tablet. Microsoft managed to create something that we couldn’t wait to get our hands on and try out, but unfortunately, the lines of communication seemed to stop with more information only recently starting to surface thanks to the looming launch date of the hardware. As part of the run-up to the official release on October 26th, the first Microsoft Surface TV advertisement has landed on the web, and to accompany the rather awesome looking ad; Microsoft (by accident we’re assuming) has slipped out the official pricing points of the Surface RT tablet.
Microsoft has obviously put a lot of time and effort into producing the first Surface commercial, although it doesn’t actually focus on any of the tablet’s features or capabilities. All of the emphasis is placed entirely on the fact that the tablet comes with a click-in keyboard (read: Touch Cover). There is also a large amount of choreographed dancing packed into the sixty seconds of video. On the odd occasion in which we do actually manage to get a glimpse of the Surface tablet in action; the display looks vivid and the content looks fantastic on it even though it has probably been simulated.
The pricing, which Microsoft has taken down from their online store in James Bond stlye reveals that the Surface RT will start at $499 for the 32GB model, but bear in mind that this is the base model and it does not come with the Touch Cover out of the box. The 32GB model with the Touch Cover will cost consumers a fair $599, and the 64GB model which is also accompanied with the Touch Cover will cost $699. On a personal note, I believe the pricing is somewhat fair, considering you get most of the desktop-based goodness on the go minus the full-featured desktop apps.
The Touch Cover, if bought separately will cost $119 on it’s own, while the Type Cover will set you back an addition 10 bucks and will cost $129. Both covers have their advantages, if you’re a pro typer and are yearning for a more desktop-esque feel to your keyboard then go for the Type Cover, otherwise the Touch Cover is the way to go.
The Surface TV commercial itself marks the first release of what is likely to be an extremely active time for Microsoft on the advertising trail. With Windows 8 and the Surface tablet both set to be officially launched on October 26th; it represents a nervous time for the Redmond based company who have poured in so many resources into not only the design and development of both the hardware and software, but also the advertising campaigns that will follow the official launch. We mustn’t forget that Microsoft also have the next generation of their mobile platform ready to hit the market with Windows Phone 8, with a number of exciting devices such as the Lumia 920 hoping to eat up some market share.
Check out the video for yourself and see if you think Microsoft is heading in the right direction with this ad campaign. Also, when you reach the end of the ad, check out the obviously tired dancer who randomly taps away at nothing on the Surface display.
(via TheVerge)
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