Windows 8 dev tablets selling for thousands on eBay

[Shawn Knight]

Limited edition Windows 8 tablets are selling for several thousand dollars on eBay. The pre-release hardware was given to Microsoft Build attendees last week at the company’s annual conference in Anaheim, California.

Microsoft handed out the tablets to each of the 5,000 Build attendees and comes complete with a developer build of Windows 8 and one full year of AT&T 3G data service capped at 2GB per month.

The tablet was developed by Samsung and features a 1.6GHz Core i5-2467M dual-core processor, a 64GB solid state drive, 4GB of DDR3 RAM and a Samsung Super PLS 1366 x 768 display. The eBay auctions also list a touch pen, Bluetooth keyboard, carrying case and a dock supporting USB, HDMI and Ethernet interfaces as part of the bundle.

Microsoft bundled a bunch of apps with their test tablets for developers and press members to play with, including Internet Explorer 10, a basic RSS client, stocks, weather, social networking apps Tweet@rama and Socialite, among others.

The idea behind handing out the tablets was that developers could start working on creating apps for Windows 8 right now, but it seems that some conference-goers are looking to cash in on the rare hardware.

As of writing there are three Windows 8 Build tablets for sale on eBay. The newest listing is already bid up to $1,475 while another listing with three days left is at $2,103. The third auction ends in nine hours and has seven bids with the current high bid at $2,700.

Permalink to story.

https://www.techspot.com/news/45528-windows-8-dev-tablets-selling-for-thousands-on-ebay.html

 

[Xclusiveitalian]

That actually looks like a nice powerful tablet, but why would anyone throw down more than $300 on a tablet for any reason! I'd rather get a laptop or Desktop! Seriously though, thousands? You can download the Windows 8 preview and install it on a laptop or tablet, and that can be your preview...for free!

 

[lawfer]

xclusiveitalian said:
That actually looks like a nice powerful tablet, but why would anyone throw down more than $300 on a tablet for any reason! I'd rather get a laptop or Desktop! Seriously though, thousands? You can download the Windows 8 preview and install it on a laptop or tablet, and that can be your preview...for free!

That's exactly why this is news. It's just mind-boggling, isn't it? I think it should be less about why would people pay such amount, and more about the amount of people who <i>can</i> pay such amount. Of course, it is subliminally suggested that the amount of money that was mentioned being spent here, is more directly linked to their IQ level than in their freedom of spending their own money. But when you are confronted with the fact that you can't really install Windows 8 on just any tablet, you realize a fragment of their reasoning. All of that is then meaningless when you realize that there are actually people--as in, real enthusiasts--that would be willing to spend--apparently, inadvertently--this kind of money for what seems to be, well, just <i>that</i>.

So what I am saying, you say? I guess the economy is not as bad as we thought.

 

[Emin3nce]

Uhh...

The reason they're paying so much is because it's a dev build of an unreleased OS. This means that businesses and developers can get an insight into the OS, and perhaps an edge on their competitors.

Not everyone is a couch bound who's occupation is to sit on techspot and comment on stories with their out-of-touch opinions.

 

[lawfer]

emin3nce said:
Uhh...

The reason they're paying so much is because it's a dev build of an unreleased OS. This means that businesses and developers can get an insight into the OS, and perhaps an edge on their competitors.

Not everyone is a couch bound who's occupation is to sit on techspot and comment on stories with their out-of-touch opinions.

Except the developer build has been freely available to download for days... What are you talking about again?

 

[red1776]

ahhh...Windows 8...what XP should have been

 

[Guest]

wow, samsung is the hardware provider for the windows 8 dev build tablet.

i wonder how apple is thinking right now since samsung (formerly) provided component/s for apple's ipad.

 

[Guest]

Being available for download to test in a virtual environment and seeing the OS behave on the hardware is not the same thing.

 

[aj_the_kidd]

Guest said:
wow, samsung is the hardware provider for the windows 8 dev build tablet.

i wonder how apple is thinking right now since samsung (formerly) provided component/s for apple's ipad.

Apples probably thinking, "How can we stop this tablet from being released? Whats the ratio on this tablet? To go against Apple is to go against God, in 'Jobs' we Trust, death to all who oppose his will" extreme and illogical, yes, but they deserved it

Back on topic, MS had to have known this was going to happen, not sure why you want to pay that much for a tablet but if you have the money

 

[Guest]

Wow Samsung makes these for microsoft too? So it's confirmed; Samsung makes ALL the things!
I love sammy products

 

[matrix86]

lawfer said:

emin3nce said:
Uhh...

The reason they're paying so much is because it's a dev build of an unreleased OS. This means that businesses and developers can get an insight into the OS, and perhaps an edge on their competitors.

Not everyone is a couch bound who's occupation is to sit on techspot and comment on stories with their out-of-touch opinions.

Except the developer build has been freely available to download for days... What are you talking about again?

Welp, guess that blew a large, gaping hole in his argument You'd think someone who works in sales and technical support would have already known this. Oh, and you should probably make sure your facts are right before you start dissing people

 

[lawfer]

Guest said:
Being available for download to test in a virtual environment and seeing the OS behave on the hardware is not the same thing.

Nobody ever implied otherwise. The fact of the matter is neither reasons justify $2,000+ bids, and that's precisely why this is both incredibly surprising and, well, news.

 

[Guest]

a lot of people make a lot of money in the US, easy come easy go.

 

[gwailo247]

Hm. Buy some tablets, load up Windows 8 preview, and sell them on eBay. You're probably guaranteed to clear a few thousand dollars off *****s before people catch on.

If anyone actually does this, buy me a copy of Skyrim.

 

[lawfer]

Hm. Buy some tablets, load up Windows 8 preview, and sell them on eBay. You're probably guaranteed to clear a few thousand dollars off ****** before people catch on.

If anyone actually does this, buy me a copy of Skyrim.

Heh, and here I was scratching my head, trying to figure out a way of getting that collector's edition without having to mug somebody...!

 

[Guest]

lawfer said:

emin3nce said:
Uhh...

The reason they're paying so much is because it's a dev build of an unreleased OS. This means that businesses and developers can get an insight into the OS, and perhaps an edge on their competitors.

Not everyone is a couch bound who's occupation is to sit on techspot and comment on stories with their out-of-touch opinions.

Except the developer build has been freely available to download for days... What are you talking about again?

lol dude, you just got lawfered....

 

[aj_the_kidd]

lawfer said:
Nobody ever implied otherwise. The fact of the matter is neither reasons justify $2,000+ bids, and that's precisely why this is both incredibly surprising and, well, news.

Yeah I could understand "accidentally lost" iPad3 or iPhone 5's going at this price but not win8 tablets

 

[Steve]

gwailo247 said:
Hm. Buy some tablets, load up Windows 8 preview, and sell them on eBay. You're probably guaranteed to clear a few thousand dollars off *****s before people catch on.

If anyone actually does this, buy me a copy of Skyrim.

haha I was thinking the same thing, I have a few with Win8 installed that I would happily let go of for $2700+

 

[caravel]

It's just mind-boggling, isn't it?

No. Never underestimate human stupidity and vanity. There are more than enough clueless i d i o t s with cash to spare out there to buy these things.

 

[Benny26]

This world has *****s...So what's new?

 

[tehbanz]

I think some PC mag's might be buying these. Remember how much the "Lost" iphone 4 sold to a tech news website, was it like 2k? Just a thought, it would definitely make a good headline. "Windows 8 tablets gutted, we have em, they don't!"

 

[Guest]

Seems like a lots of companies are focusing on tablets, intel microsoft etc. it's all good ,but not for the enthusiasts