The executive director of Microsoft hinted that you should not wait for a cheap tablet based on Windows 8.
In August, there was a “reliable” rumor (thanks, Engadget). According to him, the price of the new “revolutionary” Microsoft tablet should start at $199. The news made a lot of vendors nervous. Acer has stated that the release of such a cheap tablet on Windows 8 RT will hit Microsoft partners hard, will have a “negative impact on the entire ecosystem.”
And so, a month and a half later, Steve Ballmer, Microsoft’s chief executive, admitted in his interview with the Seattle Times that the Surface would fall into the price range between $300 and $800. Moreover, he criticized devices that cost less than $500, saying that the iPad is “not a super expensive device,” and the Kindle Fire is “not a good enough product.”
We can already assume, based on his words, that the price tag of the Surface will start from $500. Given the negative reviews of some reviewers who have tested Windows 8 on tablets from Samsung and Asus, as well as, in general, restrained expectations for devices on the new platform from users, the high price can easily bury the Surface.