Microsoft Dropping Price of Surface RT Bundles

Considering Microsoft's obsession with killing off 'features' (G4WL, Plays 4 Sure) how long will it be until they close the marketplace or just drop all support for these completely? Free is too high a price for a dead product.
 
At this price, I'd be tempted to buy one just as a toy. But the rt limitations bother me. to be honest the whole windows rt seems ill conceived. And a surface pro for me at least is too pricy for something I want just to play around with.
 
Surface RT debacle aside, I don't understand why MS thought it was reasonable to release a keyboard for an extra $150. You could get the keyboard DOCK for a TF-series tablet which had expansion ports and a second battery to double the usage time of the tablet for the same price.

I have high hopes that the Surface Pro line proliferates, and also drops in price. I've enjoyed having android tablets, but sometimes I want a desktop-like environment.
 
teh_chem said:
Surface RT debacle aside, I don't understand why MS thought it was reasonable to release a keyboard for an extra $150. You could get the keyboard DOCK for a TF-series tablet which had expansion ports and a second battery to double the usage time of the tablet for the same price.
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I believe the keyboards were always around $100-$110. Not $150. Still $100 is expensive. I think now that they are $70-ish, it's better but $50 would be perfect.
 
I thought that Ballmer would get paid in SurfaceRT as a retirement package, that was what the write off was for ?
 
They could probably donate them to a charity and use it as a tax write off, but yeah....they just need to unload them and be done with it.
 
Tak Ne said:
Considering Microsoft's obsession with killing off 'features' (G4WL, Plays 4 Sure) how long will it be until they close the marketplace or just drop all support for these completely? Free is too high a price for a dead product.
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Support is supposed to be guaranteed for Windows RT till 2018 as stated by Microsoft, but with anything that could change. I personally have a Surface RT and love it. I paid $599 for mine so at the new price it is definitely a good deal.
 
NeoGohan said:
I believe the keyboards were always around $100-$110. Not $150. Still $100 is expensive. I think now that they are $70-ish, it's better but $50 would be perfect.
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True, wasn't $150. Guess the touch was $120 and the type was $130. http://winsupersite.com/article/windows8/microsoft-surface-pricing-availability-144526

Regardless, for nothing more than a keyboard, that's a huge price. Whether or not it doubles as a screen cover. I still think $50 is a lot to pay for just a keyboard. Still no idea why the never even thought to release a proper docking keyboard with a battery and added ports.
 
I said when Surface RT launched that they should have been priced at $300 - $400 with the touch cover in order to get any movement at all. I stick by that. They completely shot themselves in the foot with overpricing them. Even at $300 - $400, there are full blown laptops that compete in price, or decent tablets. With a terrible app store and with the system being deliberately crippled, I agree that Surface RT was ill conceived.
 
teh_chem said:
Surface RT debacle aside, I don't understand why MS thought it was reasonable to release a keyboard for an extra $150. You could get the keyboard DOCK for a TF-series tablet which had expansion ports and a second battery to double the usage time of the tablet for the same price.

I have high hopes that the Surface Pro line proliferates, and also drops in price. I've enjoyed having android tablets, but sometimes I want a desktop-like environment.
Click to expand...

The Asus keyboard docks were $130, apart from the battery their build quality was pretty terrible. Don't drop those suckers, which are heavy...
 
Maybe they're clearing inventory for the next generation Surface RT which will feature a mind-blowing zero useful applications and another half-finished version of Office for ARM processors that we promise will get an update in a year or two after we're done trying to get you to pay for a SaaS version of Office via monthly subscription fees.
 
teh_chem said:
Surface RT debacle aside, I don't understand why MS thought it was reasonable to release a keyboard for an extra $150. You could get the keyboard DOCK for a TF-series tablet which had expansion ports and a second battery to double the usage time of the tablet for the same price.

I have high hopes that the Surface Pro line proliferates, and also drops in price. I've enjoyed having android tablets, but sometimes I want a desktop-like environment.
Click to expand...

Yeah. But the TF tablets suck. I have one and it's damn near unusable with poor wifi, non existing GPS and the most unbelievable lag. Too bad as it could have made the Surface rt obsolete before launch.
 
S-F said:
Yeah. But the TF tablets suck. I have one and it's damn near unusable with poor wifi, non existing GPS and the most unbelievable lag. Too bad as it could have made the Surface rt obsolete before launch.
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Trimlock said:
The Asus keyboard docks were $130, apart from the battery their build quality was pretty terrible. Don't drop those suckers, which are heavy...
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TF101 keyboard dock at release was $150.

I was overall disappointed with the TF101, but the keyboard dock was always great. And no issue with the build quality. Maybe this changed with further revisions of the tablet line.

REGARDLESS, it still doesn't change the fact that such a keyboard dock would have been a much better touch than a dumb keyboard only option (and a lame kickstand on the tablet...)
 
Dahz said:
At this price, I'd be tempted to buy one just as a toy. But the rt limitations bother me. to be honest the whole windows rt seems ill conceived. And a surface pro for me at least is too pricy for something I want just to play around with.
Click to expand...

Pricing aside, which I agree was originally too high (both for RT tablet & the keyboard), this is exactly what a tablet is for -- it is a toy. While the message for its intended uses related to business or enterprise was ill conceived and lacked value due to the RT limitations - as a consumer device which you use just like you use your Kindle Fire, Nexus 4, or iPad -- it is very comparable for your standard daily use activities -- Internet browsing, music, videos, photos, social apps (facebook, etc), reading your Email, making shopping lists, making lists of anything really, etc. And on top of that, you did get Office compatibility so if you want to, you can open up some docs to read or edit.

If you stop thinking about the RT limitations for x86 compatibility, you are getting a tablet very similar to the competition and with its own merits in that arena. With the price drops, its much closer to where it should have been at launch to be more successful.

I mean, are you guys all sitting here with your iPads thinking "oh shit, this *SHOULD* run full Mac applications" or unix-based applications, or whatever? You knew what you were buying when you bought the iPad - its no different with the RT. And this is about the default device - jailbreaking possibilities not considered.
 
Rumor has it that current owners are really ticked off about the price drops everywhere on the RT. Some of have said they plan to rally on the lawn outside of Microsoft's HQ in Redmond. Now they just need to decide if they should drive separately or come in one car.
 
cjcox said:
Rumor has it that current owners are really ticked off about the price drops everywhere on the RT. Some of have said they plan to rally on the lawn outside of Microsoft's HQ in Redmond. Now they just need to decide if they should drive separately or come in one car.
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This made me LOL!:D
 
cjcox said:
Rumor has it that current owners are really ticked off about the price drops everywhere on the RT. Some of have said they plan to rally on the lawn outside of Microsoft's HQ in Redmond. Now they just need to decide if they should drive separately or come in one car.
Click to expand...

LOL!

I wonder if these are the same people that bought Google TV.
 
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