With everything that is currently going on in the technology industry, it sometimes gets quite difficult to keep all of the announcements in memory and remember what hardware or software is going to be introduced to the marketplace. With the iPhone and iOS 6, the Nexus 7, the chatter surrounding Windows 8 and more recently; the imminent launch of the Samsung Galaxy Note II, I had actually totally forgotten about the impromptu media event where Microsoft introduced us to their Surface tablet. When Apple announces an iPad, it is pretty much available immediately. When Google announced the Nexus 7, it was available for immediate pre-order and was dispatched a couple of weeks later. Microsoft announced the Surface and then, well, nothing happened.
The lack of immediate action shouldn’t detract from the fact that on the face of things the Surface actually looked like a pretty incredible product and certainly one that reinvigorated the appetite of those tablet admirers who didn’t feel like becoming part of the iPad domination. Microsoft did a pretty impressive job of keeping the gadget a big secret before the announcement, and in all honesty, did an equally impressive job of keeping the device specifications and pricing points from us as well. Nothing much has changed in the following couple of months and we have all been left with nothing more than speculation to go on.
The company has already admitted that building and releasing their own hardware will more than likely upset the status quo with OEMs due to the fact that they are essentially competing with their partners, but all is fair in love and business and thankfully we may have a little bit more information about the mysterious NVIDIA-powered Surface RT. Reports are emerging today that suggest the Redmond company is set to launch the Surface RT on October 26th, and it will enter the market at a very appealing $199 price point. Very interesting news indeed.
One of the major talking points since the Microsoft announcement has been the price of the tablet, with consumers fearful that it would be priced way above and beyond other devices of similar ilk on the market. If true, the $199 price tag will immediately thrust the Surface into the same financial leagues as the Google’s Nexus 7 and less capable devices like the Kindle Fire and possibly the new iPad Mini if it ever materializes. Stay tuned fellow tablet lovers, as things could be about to get interesting in this space.
(via Engadget)
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