Rumor: Microsoft to price Surface for Windows RT tablet at $199

Microsoft's Surface tablets were generally well-received by media when they were unveiled back in June despite the fact that Redmond didn't fully disclose everything about the Windows 8 portables. One of those key sticking points is price, a topic that……

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They did it with the Xbox and Xbox 360 and hopefully learned a valuable lesson -- sell the hardware at a loss to get customer into your software ecosystem. Apple is a perfect demonstration than that.

After all, who is going to buy a $299 or $399 tablet that at launch, will have virtually no apps available? (Unless the RT tablet can run Windows Phone apps?)

"A 10-inch tablet with 32GB of storage, a cover that doubles as a keyboard and Office applications pre-loaded would make it extremely difficult for OEMs to compete."

OEMs aren't supposed to compete.... That's why microsoft is selling the tablet directly to consumers and not licensing their tablet software.

Lets not forget they sold the 360 at a loss. I know that they probably can't count on the same sales as for console games, but I as you said Shawn, they probably want people into the ecosystem, and maybe are willing to trade a little red ink up front for a longer term success.

I for one am not going to complain, at $199, I'll definitely pick one up.

No. It's a 10-inch tablet, not a 7. It won't sell for that little. Microsoft is running a business, not a charity. Their selling feature would be the OS. Buy the iPad, an android tablet, or the Surface. Thank God for choice. Although, Microsoft would soon have to offer a 7'' tablet as well.

Hard to believe, hard to believe..

If this price point is correct they will have trouble keeping them in stock. That's a low-end netbook price for a top-end tablet with great specs and a state-of-the-art OS. They will destroy the low-end competition and seriously hurt the top-end tablet competition as well. I was more interested in the Surface Pro, but this could get me on the Surface RT bandwagon.

Would be an amazing price but can't see them subsidising it that heavily.

i wasnt much interested in the surface but at that price i now want one, if MS do release fo $200 it will be a game changer

wow @ this price im getting one for sure

Once again, how many apps do you actually need at product launch and have you actually looked into the Windows App Marketplace to see what was out there.