Microsoft's Surface tablet running a full version of Windows 8 Pro will
start selling in January for $899 and up, the company said Thursday. But
you'll have to pay more if you want a keyboard cover and the popular
Office suite of software.
The current Surface uses the slimmed down
Windows RT operating system. As a result, it runs only specially
designed applications from Microsoft and others sold through the
company's online store. The Pro version of Surface will also run regular
Windows applications written for desktops and laptops.
"It's a full PC AND a tablet," Surface (Pictures) general manager Panos Panay wrote in a blog post Thursday.
The
Surface represents Microsoft's first foray into manufacturing its own
general-purpose computer. In doing so, the company is competing with
some of its partners, the manufacturers of PCs and tablets.
The
announced price is in line with Microsoft Corp.'s earlier statements
that the Pro version would cost about the same as slim, lightweight
laptops known as ultrabooks.
The price includes a stylus and
software that disregards touches from one's palm while writing on the
touch screen. But the detachable touch-sensitive keyboard cover is sold
separately. The Touch Cover with keys printed on it costs $120, while
the Type Cover with depressable keys is priced at $130.
The Pro
version of Surface will come with Intel's Core i5 processor, which
Microsoft said gives it a graphics boost compared with the RT version.
The
$899 version will come with 64 gigabytes of memory, while $999 gets you
128 GB of memory. It was not immediately clear how much memory would be
used up by the operating system and pre-installed apps. For the RT
versions, the 32 GB model has only 16 GB of usable memory, while the 64
GB model has 45 GB available.
The RT version of Surface, which
starts at $499, comes with the popular Office programs Word, PowerPoint,
Excel and OneNote included. The Pro version does not, according to the
specifications listed on a Microsoft website. The cheapest version of
Office available is priced at $120.
The RT versions went on sale Oct. 26, the same day Windows 8 was out.
The
RT versions are available only at Microsoft's stores and websites. The
Redmond, Wash., did not say whether the Pro versions will be sold
elsewhere as well.
All versions of Surface come with a slot to
expand memory and a USB port for peripherals. The Pro version of Surface
comes with a newer, faster USB 3.0 port, while the RT version has 2.0.