If you've been waiting to buy a Microsoft Surface with Windows 8 Pro, your long wait will soon be over. Today, Microsoft announced that it will begin selling the long-anticipated Windows 8 slate in the U.S. and Canada on February 9th. Along with the Surface Pro, the company will start selling three new designer Touch Covers, a Surface Edition of the Wedge Touch Mouse and one additional configuration of the Surface with RT.
Surface Pro: Pen Support, Full HD, Core i5 Power
Microsoft's Surface with Windows 8 Pro provides a full Windows 8 experience with PC-like performance. The 10.6-inch, Core i5-powered slate features a sharp 1920 x 1080 display and an active stylus that makes drawing, handwriting notes or navigating the desktop easy. We had a chance to go hands-on with the Surface Pro at CES and were impressed with its strong graphics performance, colorful screen and ability to act as a giant Wacom tablet when connected to an external monitor.
The Surface with Windows 8 Pro starts at $899 for the 64GB version with a 128GB configuration available for $999. As with the original Surface, the Touch Cover and Type Cover keyboards are not included and cost $119 or $129 each.
New Surface with RT Configuration
Based on customer feedback, Microsoft is launching a 64GB configuration of the Surface with Windows RT that does not come with a Touch Cover and costs $599. Previously, if you wanted a 64GB model of the Surface with RT, you needed to purchase the $699 model that comes with a black Touch Cover. By providing the Surface without the included Touch Cover, Microsoft gives consumers the freedom to purchase a Touch Cover in the color of their choice, opt for a Type Cover or use the device without a keyboard.
Designer Touch Covers
No matter what version of the Surface you choose, there's a good chance you'll want one of the device's attractive Touch Covers. On February 9th, Microsoft is adding three new limited-edition designer Touch Covers with laser-etched patterns. The new designs are a cyan with a skull pattern, magenta with a flower pattern and red with a snake pattern that honors the Chinese year of the snake. The new Touch Covers will cost $129, $10 more than Touch Covers in the same colors that don't have the patterns.
Wedge Mouse Surface Edition
Microsoft has offered a touch-sensitive Wedge mouse since July. Now the company has changed the color scheme slightly on this input device to match the casing on the Surface. As with the original Wedge mouse, the Surface Edition provides four-way scrolling and Bluetrack laser technology that helps you get a good response on almost any table. The Wedge Mouse Surface Edition will cost $69.95 just like its predecessor.
Get a daily look at what’s developing in science and technology throughout the world.