Earlier today pricing was revealed for Microsoft Surface Pro. Unlike it’s earlier sibling, this Surface runs a full build of Windows 8, and it is priced accordingly. There are two price points: $900 for 64GB and $1000 for 128GB. There has been much debate already about the pricing of this model, but how will Joe Consumer view the Surface Pro pricing?
The #1 justification for Surface Pro costing as much as it does is that it is essentially an ultrabook. If you look at it like that Surface Pro is actually reasonably priced. As Russell Holly points out on Google+ there are 52 ultrabooks at best Buy priced over $900. The difference is that those 52 ultrabooks, and any that cost under $900, come with a keyboard. Surface Pro does not. If it looks like a tablet and works like a tablet it will be viewed as a tablet by consumers.
This is why Surface Pro is overpriced. The average consumer is not going to compare the pricing of a Surface Pro with something like the Acer Aspire S7, they are going to compare it to the only other tablet they know: the iPad. Surface Pro is way more expensive than the cheapest iPad model, and even $70 more than the most tricked out iPad you can buy. How much is productivity worth?
The real battle Microsoft has on its hands is to prove to consumers that Surface Pro is more than just an iPad. They can’t just price it like an ultrabook and expect people to view it as one. The difference between Windows RT and Windows 8 has not been explained very well to consumers so far. If that can change it might click with consumers.
What do you think? Is the Surface Pro too pricey, or is it right where it should be?
