Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) will officially release its Surface Pro Tablet on February 9th. Unfortunately, this means it won’t be released in January as was initially planned, missing the earlier deadline by only a couple of days.
This new tablet, which starts at $899, offers more than the Surface RT. It can also run applications made for Windows 7 and Windows 8 Pro. The base model for the Surface Pro has 64 gigabytes of storage and comes with a Surface Pen stylus. It features an Intel Core i5 processor, a 10.6 inch HD screen, and a resolution of 1,920 x 1,080 pixels. There is also the Surface Pro 12GB version, which will start at $999.
The Surface Pro Tablet will be available at Microsoft Stores, Best Buy Co., Inc. (NYSE:BBY), and Staples, Inc. (NASDAQ:SPLS) stores throughout the nation. The tablet is scheduled to also be released in Canada the same day.
Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) also announced that they would release the 64GB Surface RT, complete with a keyboard cover, for just $599 and three limited edition keyboard covers in red, cyan, and magenta. These covers retail for $129.99.
This new tablet should improve Microsoft’s tablet sales as many have been waiting for this specific model to arrive in stores. The Surface RT proved to be a bit of a disappointment, despite the fact that it featured the complete versions of Microsoft Office (with Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote) among other integrated applications. Unfortunately, the Surface RT also has a limited selection of apps from third party companies and is also incompatible with older models of Windows-based computers.
According to Gartner research director, Michael Gartenberg, it’s a little too difficult to predict if the Surface Pro Tablet will be a strong seller. He adds, ” Given that Surface Pro runs on an Intel processor and Windows 8 with legacy application support will make a major difference in explaining it to consumers and it will be the best representation of Microsoft’s interpretation of how the personal computer and tablet have evolved.”
Surface may be Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT)’s last chance to redeem their brand.
